Chapter 8: unravel
Izuku expected many things in this life: pain, suffering, more suffering, and maybe a little bit of found family. There was also the fact he carried a book around with him that basically predicted his future. What he hadn't expected was to so utterly scuff the canon until it was unrecognizable.
Case in point, he'd spent most of the school day feeling a heated glare burning into his skull at different angles. Now, he expected this outcome. Bakugo was an angry little man, and that was quite relatable! What he didn't predict was for life to throw him a curveball.
Because he'd never been tossed about in the hallway, there was no deal made with a janitor to get him exclusive lunch rights. So, he unfortunately stood in line to get his food like everyone else. Despite his steadily growing reputation, there were still some people who thought they could interrupt his lunch and keep him from retreating to the bathrooms.
Why had he not relocated yet? He honestly didn't know. Habits are quite hard to break. But back to the curveball. On his way out of the cafeteria, some child he didn't know the name of stood before him. A bit taller than Izuku's own diminutive height, and definitely larger. Izuku could probably knock him out in under a minute either way. He certainly was no Bakugo.
That theory would sadly never be tested, as the familiar scent of smoke filled the air. He turned his head to find that Katsuki Bakugo himself had appeared, placing his crackling palm upon the would-be-bully's shoulder.
The fear that appeared on the boy's face was almost enough to make Izuku feel bad for him. Almost.
Izuku simply raised an eyebrow in Bakugo's direction, wondering what could have possibly inspired this.
"Get lost, extra," the boy practically snarled, locking eyes with Izuku. "I've got business with the nerd."
With no further prompting needed, the boy in question scrambled off to the relative safety of his table. That left the two future hero students facing off with each other.
"So, Bakugo. What's the matter?" The green haired boy asked, spiritually restraining himself from even further sass.
"You were either going to make a fool of that extra, or pull the coward act and then run off somewhere. Someone who beat me shouldn't be so pathetic," the blonde boy stated, turning to face a random table. Notably, he seemed to be without his usual followers at the moment.
With a shrug, Izuku decided to follow his line of sight and head over to sit. "So, what, you're my knight in exploding armor now?"
Scoffing, Bakugo sat across from him, already digging into his food. "I'll crush you in no time. Until then, nobody is making a mockery of the only person to ever slightly surpass me." Izuku could almost feel the anger radiating off of him, but he kept up a good mask. "Even if you used cheap tricks, that's more balls than anyone else has ever had."
Contemplating that in silence, Izuku munched into his food. The logic felt flawed, but he'd roll with it. He had… potentially, gained the rival he'd hoped for.
***
After that incredibly bizarre lunch experience, word spread like wildfire. The idea that Katsuki Bakugo would protect Izuku 'Deku' Midoriya was simply unheard of. The populace easily fooled themselves into thinking it was some sort of advanced psychological torture or manipulation.
If someone else tried to bully Izuku, he could grow desensitized, and what if Bakugo set his sights elsewhere? Yes, they all simply decided that letting him have his favorite punching bag simply made sense.
What did that mean for the student body at large? Many still whispered behind his back every so often, or even wrote on his desk, but this latest development and Izuku's own growing reputation steadily cracked down on such things.
Mark his desk? You may find something in return, and have absolutely no proof as to who did it.
Say something mean about him? Receive a mildly threatening note delivered directly to your locker, written with his glove covered non-dominant hand.
Simple things like that, really.
He didn't do it often, but it sure was a treat when he did. You know, alongside the 'accidentally' tripping people at lunch. Though he's had to do less of that lately, it was good for the soul.
However, as the final bell rang and students trickled out of the building, he let those matters vacate his mind.
Stepping out of the school gates, he was met with the most peculiar sight of Iwai. Sitting in her car... With a horrifyingly red puffy jacket? And sunglasses… And her hair in a bun… What was even going on here? Was her fashion outside of her night job truly so bizarre?
With only some students vaguely interested in why the local Deku was getting into a car they'd never seen before, Bakugo came to the realization that maybe his earlier yap session was the truth. Izuku was left to his uncertain future, with a moment to lock his seatbelt in, he turned his head, blinking at the woman. "Yo, ma," he said with the most serious energy he could muster.
The light chop he received to the top of his head was incredibly worth it. "Knock that off. We're roommates at best. I'm not signing any adoption papers," she grumbled, already driving away from the school.
Blinking slowly, he turned to face the road with a loud sigh. "How come you don't want me? You're just like mother," he barely managed to squeeze out without laughing. He'd been a nervous wreck trying to get to this point, but it seemed all too easy now that he'd gotten there.
Chuckling under her breath, she kept her eyes on the road. "Shut up, kid. Let's just go gather your stuff, alright?" And that was a plan Izuku could get behind. He'd be happy to actually be in a proper house again.
He'd probably also have to update Hitoshi… And actually get around to getting his phone functioning. Maybe even buy a new one? He had more than enough money from those sales. Nighteye did it because he saw value as a fanboy, Todoroki had done it out of spite and having unsupervised bank access. Did the boy get beaten for such foolishness? Izuku had no idea.
The redemption of certain people really sounded appealing, but there's only so much he could do. The Overhaul fanboy disease was alive and well, but he wasn't going to sit here and pretend that was a realistic goal. Dabi though? Maybe Shigaraki? He'd cross those bridges when he got there. Or burn them. Because of the pyromaniac on the list.
God, he needed an actual hobby.
***
Leading Iwai on a tour of his crappy warehouse wasn't exactly on his bingo card for the day, but there they were.
His favorite mold corner, where he kept his meager collections of this and that, the spot where he hid the gun so he wouldn't get any bright ideas. For some reason, she seemed particularly troubled by that last part. Go figure!
A thought occurred to him then, "I'm bringing DJ with me," he stated with absolute finality.
For Iwai's part, this was arguably the most normal thing he'd said all day. "A DJ? What do you need a DJ for? Do you think we're made of money or something?" She grumbled.
Izuku pretended to ignore the flipping in his heart over the idea of 'we'. A family. Being together in something. Focus! "No, DJ. Dumpster Jumpscare. She hates my guts and I feed her every night and I love her greatly." He nodded with all the sagely wisdom of a child on the cusp of teenage greatness.
The woman stared at him for several long moments, processing what she'd gotten herself into. Eventually, with great mental strain and immense reluctance, she sighed. "...Fine. Just get packing."
The celebratory cheer Izuku let out was only possible due to the fact he'd be moving out tonight.
***
Roughly half an hour later, everything Izuku currently owned was piled into Iwai's car. His clothes that were in desperate need of washing, his bags, every valuable thing he owned, and one incredibly rowdy cat that had been fed into submission. He might have the mind of a grown man, but living through the life of a child again made him appreciate the simpler things in life— like a cat on his lap.
She did not seem particularly happy to be here, but she also wasn't exactly complaining. His expert ear scratches might just be the key. Almost anything could be tamed if you knew the weak points of it! His very few, incredibly minor, scratches were entirely unrelated.
While he was busy being smug about his legally acquired emotional support animal, Iwai was internally conflicted on just what she'd done to deserve such a chaotic child in her life. Groaning at absolutely nothing for no reason at all, the woman glanced over at Izuku. "I have to get to work after I drop you off. I can show you around, but you'll have the place to yourself for a few hours."
Izuku blinked over at her, his cat distractions momentarily forgotten. "...Do you like working there?" And while that was none of his business, could he not wonder? Could he not start playing the hero he was destined to be?
No, he'd force the world to accept him no matter what.
Iwai chuckled, shrugging her shoulders. "Pays the bills, the girls are friendly, and I get a free excuse to kick bums around who should know better. It's good enough for me." There weren't many aspirations for a promotion, but she was happy enough for the moment.
But would a hero be deserving of the title if they didn't meddle where it wasn't necessary? Of course not. Izuku might have inherited a cripplingly low sense of self worth, but he'd be damned if he'd let anyone else suffer like that.
"I'll help you find better."
***
What was a young hero in training to do when left to his own devices? Unpack, obviously. Both literally and figuratively. He'd forcefully split his clothing and bed things apart to make sure each wash cycle was completely optimized. That effectively left him with no clothing to his name when he got right down to it, but it seems Iwai had been nice enough to get him a sort of 'starter set'. He had a vague suspicion that Hitoshi had been involved in some way.
After taking a shower with hot water he'd severely missed, he switched into freshly cleaned underwear. He'd also decided to take a crack at cleaning his poor shoes. Shoes that he should probably replace at some point. That 'quirkless kids wear red shoes' theory had always been full of it. It was just an obnoxiously bright color! The design wasn't even that great. Maybe he'd go for something simple in black.
He also had one more problem on his hands. With all of his clothes washing, he didn't exactly have anything to go out in. What reason would he have to go out? He had a mugger to teach a lesson! If he didn't rob him of his mortal possessions, how would he ever learn his lesson to not harass people? Izuku had to be the guiding hand of the law for these poor wayward souls!
Standing in the middle of his brand new bedroom, he contemplated how utterly insane that sounded. He stared up at the ceiling, as if gazing at some unseen camera. Was he insane? Maybe. That would explain his unhinged thought process. Scaring one mugger didn't change much in the grand scheme of things, he'd have bigger and more important fish to fry eventually. Fish that he wouldn't let a little laundry distract him from.
Huffing through his nose, he figured he could do some incredibly light exercises to take his mind off of things. With his new nightly schedule plotted out, he set to work.
***
His clothes were all cleaned, dried, and put away into a dresser that was honestly nicer than what he had before. The bed was comfy too, at least by his standards. It was leagues better than his warehome, but that wasn't to insult that crumbling death trap. Perhaps he could still visit from time to time. Speaking of time, shouldn't he be asleep? Probably. But being 'safe' for the first time in ages gave one time to ponder things, and also have some mild discomfort at being in a new place.
Adapting to a new life. He'd been reincarnated, hit the floor, and never stopped running. Now he had an actual chance to relax. How should he take that? He almost had half a mind to dismantle his stolen weaponry out of boredom, but he figured that was a poor choice to make when he was this unfocused.
With a heavy breath, he stared at the ceiling. An actual house meant WiFi to mooch off of, so he'd set to work trying to find his favorite songs once again. He'd had success with a lot of them, but obviously certain anime OST just didn't make the cut. Perhaps he could compose 'You Say Run' himself. The calming beats combined with his relaxed state certainly allowed his mind to wander. To where? To the land of his favorite imaginary stalkers.
Chuckling at an unseen joke, he prepared himself for whatever tomorrow would bring as he caught up with the chat. Communicating with them in the waking world was unorthodox, but really, what part of his life was anywhere near normal?
Chapter 9: never was a cloudy day
Izuku woke up more tired than he anticipated. He had slept enough, his bed was comfortable, but apparently being awake in a dreamscape didn't really count as sleeping.
With a yawn and a stretch, he got to work on his routine. An honest to god shower, brushing his teeth, and clothes freshly washed mere hours ago. In all honesty, life was looking up for the young hero hopeful.
So that's obviously when everything went sideways. Having a book that told the future, or at least a story adjacent to yours, was very useful. It was a lot less useful when he had time to sit down and think.
To look in the mirror and see Izuku. A stolen body. Scars he had no memory of getting (and utterly foreign to the ones he remembered). Where was the actual Izuku?
Did he even exist still?
***
It was still early, a new home didn't change that. He was ready for school at an absolutely ungodly hour, and feeling clean, on the surface level at least. He figured Iwai was tired, so he didn't bother her with a request for a ride. A note would suffice.
He closed the door behind him, grateful Iwai had given him a spare key the day before so he could lock up the house on his way out; it would be awful if letting her sleep in had the unintended consequence of her home being unlocked.
He was doing well at saving people so far, he wasn't going to start failing now.
His usual commute had a bit more time added to it, but he'd manage. Some weird green haired kid running through the streets this early in the day wasn't that noteworthy.
Surely.
He hadn't seen Hitoshi since the beach, and they had a lot to discuss. He could even make plans for them to hang out later... He'd done some brainstorming and he could absolutely see them making some real progress in getting his life together.
Nevermind the fact that most of these plans revolved around himself. What was he supposed to do, pretend he didn't need to go shopping? Besides, he also needed to organize a playdate for their parents.
***
Ever so slightly out of breath, Izuku arrived at the library with an awkwardly cheerful wave aimed towards Kohaku. He then promptly speed walked his way to his and Hitoshi's usual hangout spot.
Upon his arrival, he slumped backwards onto the tabletop, his poor elbows barely catching him in time, while glancing over at Hitoshi. "Yo. I'm no longer broke, so I can actually take calls… Soon."
The unimpressed stare leveled his way was quite honestly inspirational. If Izuku kept being a thorn in his side, this little guy's glare had the makings to surpass Eraserhead! And wouldn't that be funny? A miniature copy of yourself walking into your classroom.
But that was besides the point. "Oh, also, I've got a home now. Feel free to, like, I don't know, sleep over," Izuku casually offered, as if he'd even discussed such things with Iwai. He should probably do that. He certainly hoped she wasn't as controlling as his last mother.
The full body shiver that seized him at the very thought went unnoticed as Hitoshi propped his chin up with one hand. His bored gaze locked onto Izuku, "So you beat up your bully, got adopted in all aspects but paper, and you also have money now?" He asked, as if these were all normal after school activities.
"Mhm! Also, Bakugo threatened some guy that got in my way. He thinks I should be less pathetic since I cleaned his clock!" The green haired boy enthusiastically replied.
The sigh that left Hitoshi was generational, a true testament in how one boy could possibly put up with his nonsense for such extended periods of time. When he finally found it in him to look at Izuku again, he actually smiled. "You're utterly insane Izuku. Let's do some studying before you go."
And wasn't that just neat? He'd captured the Izuku brand insanity years in advance. Yet, some of the logic he used just screamed 'Woomy'. Maybe he should come up with a fusion name.
***
School was boring as usual. Fortunately, he'd managed to organize plans between his family and Hitoshi's for afterward. Despite the fact he had his own money, Iwai seemed inclined to pitch in for the trip! Naturally, he'd make sure to help her pick out clothes too.
Lord knows she needs the help. Maybe when she picked him up she just chose that outfit to be as embarrassing as possible. He didn't have it in him to ask. But, he was sure the trip could be fun!
As for the bullying situation, Bakugo continued his territorial dog routine. The only difference is that all this attention caused people to start noticing things. In particular, they began to notice him. You know, more than they usually do when they felt in need of a punching bag.
Physical Education was a terrible thing. Normally Izuku would probably cower in fear of being struck or, more recently, just barely dodge a ball to preserve the status quo. He certainly wasn't picked first for any teams, nor was he expected to contribute anything if at all.
Now? He actively fought back. It wasn't like the fight they had, but he actually felt genuine enjoyment in facing off against someone at his level! Well, obviously they were in different ballparks, albeit adjacent. A quirk was by default an advantage, but Izuku knew more technical tricks.
By the end of the game, he and Bakugo were the last man standing. Obviously the general assumptions had been that Izuku hid the entire game, or he'd soon be slaughtered by the undisputed champion. That couldn't be further from the truth.
The few who actually had working eyes knew that Izuku had scored quite a few points on his own, and it was only natural that his success angered them. Though, eventually, the crowd fell silent as both of them began going back and forth, their game lasting for several minutes.
Their clash came to an end when they were both hit by opposing dodgeballs. A heated gaze exchanged itself with an amused one, as they both decided to go their separate ways until class ended.
Later, when asked if he'd been holding back, his simple response had been "It would be a boring story if I won all the time."
The explosion he had to dodge was well worth it.
***
Izuku pondered as he stared out the window of Iwai's car. What was he pondering through the reflective surface before him, you may ask? The fact he completely obliterated the canon. There was a timeline of events, and he'd just completely shattered it! What was the purpose of today? Something about fixing a generator. Obviously, he was nowhere near the route required to start that.
But he was getting ahead of himself, he had to focus on things within his power. Glancing over at Iwai, a grin already on his face, "So, bet you're super curious on what I got up to today?" He asked the woman, almost baiting her to take her eyes off of the road.
Unfortunately, she possessed the immense willpower required to ignore him completely. "Not really, but I bet you're gonna tell me anyway. By the way, they do know where to meet us, right?" She asked, scowling at the light traffic. "I'd hate to keep them waiting."
With an overly exaggerated pout, he sighed, slumping forward in his seat. It was significantly harder with a seatbelt on, but he managed. "We played dodgeball. Tied with Bakugo. I probably could've won, but it's enough that the school starts to see me differently, you know?" He shrugged by the end of it.
With a quiet huff, the woman shook her head. "I'm not gonna pretend to understand any of what you've got going on, but I guess you've got it figured out." She chuckled, drumming her fingers to the beat of some song on the radio.
He'd never not be baffled over the fact he just knew another language so easily. Staring at the ceiling of the roof, he hummed. "Yeah, I guess I do."
***
A student should dress as a student does. The problem with that logic is Izuku did not care to be in uniform for any longer than he needed to. That was also without acknowledging the fact a school uniform painted a target on your back. Letting a potential enemy know where he spends his time during most hours of the day? No thanks.
Jacket abandoned in the car, Izuku held a hand above his eyes, blocking out the sun as he looked about. With an obnoxious sigh, he glanced over at Iwai. "Can't you see them? How hard is it to find purple in a sea of brown and black?"
The woman in question slowly turned her gaze towards him, idly chewing on a lollipop. Once enough time had passed for it to count as dramatic, she flicked her gaze elsewhere. "Oh, I saw them a while ago. I just wanted to see how long you'd take to notice."
She kept a grin on her face, despite Izuku's loud complaints and subsequent dashing off towards the Shinso family. He was actually going to hang out with a friend, and he wouldn't let anything put a damper on his mood! Even if Hitoshi ignored his attempts for a high five… Everyone was just so mean to him.
Ignoring his absolute devastation, he slightly tugged Hitoshi to the side while his mom and Iwai got acquainted. Izuku was absolutely a gambling man, which meant he was willing to take risks if it benefited him. But if you had asked him if Iwai saying something to get Kohaku blushing was on his bingo card today? Well, he'd likely be broke.
Understanding the assignment given to him, Izuku instinctively knew what had to be done. "Hitoshi… Are you ready to go shopping?" The boy stared him in the eyes, as intense as could be. He aimed to impart upon him just how important it was that they leave the area as soon as possible. The plot was writing itself before his very eyes, and he could not allow this moment to pass by.
Hitoshi, for his part, stared at Izuku as he normally does. That is to say, he fully recognized him as an absolute weirdo. With a sigh, eyes flicking over to his mom, he prepared to tell her their plans… And then, noticing the fact they seemed to be in conversation with each other, Hitoshi glanced back at Izuku. Confirming what they both seemed to understand. At the green haired boy's nod, everything clicked into place. He now knew why they had to leave the area.
With a shared nod, they both promptly headed into the store. It wasn't a huge shopping mall, so it's highly likely that their parents could find them when the time came. Besides, they had phones. Surely nothing bad would happen.
***
Surprisingly, something bad did not happen. Izuku was almost disappointed. On the bright side, he at least managed to expand his wardrobe! He kind of felt bad because he'd likely outgrow some of these within a few years, and that wasn't even accounting for his training arc. Fortunately, he got some baggy clothing for comfort. Though, he couldn't neglect clothes that were closer to his actual size for his extracurricular activities.
He refused to fall into the trap that was Izuku's taste for green clothes. Ignoring the fact that it was only really his hero uniform. His casual clothes actually weren't that bad? Maybe Izuku was judging Izuku too harshly. He could appreciate the comedic value of those stupid t-shirts that he wore.
Would they be as funny in English? Probably not. But he's getting ahead of himself. Black is a fine color to wear, but he also needed variety. Be that from his own suggestion or Hitoshi eventually convincing him he couldn't be a walking funeral attendee all the time. Izuku also realized he didn't want to be a little Eraserhead, he'd leave that to Hitoshi.
Speaking of, his companion had also gotten some new clothes. He actually had a stable home life and didn't need a complete wardrobe overhaul. Hitoshi had it pretty good, if you ignored the complete isolation and getting bullied out of the public education system. At least he had a mom? Small victories.
Fortunately in the span of time it had taken them to get Izuku enough clothes to give his closet a purpose, the women in their lives had actually entered the store. Izuku almost felt put out by the fact he was the only one dropping all this money on clothes. It sure was a good thing he wasn't dangerously low on money anymore. He'd also probably have to go looking for groceries at some point, but Iwai was nice enough to let him munch until they actually went shopping.
Unfortunately he hadn't managed to find matching shirts for him and Iwai, but he'd get one eventually. Even if he had to order it. 'I'm with mom', or something like that. It's largely meant to tease her, sure, but he's not going to sit here and pretend he didn't adopt her before she even knew who he was personally.
With his bags loaded into the car, he leaned on the door, looking up at the sky. "Phew… Fun day, right, Hitoshi?" He chuckled, directing his gaze over at the other boy. On the bright side (or was it a downside?), their respective parents had finished their chatting and were lounging in their cars waiting for the boys to be done.
Hitoshi sighed, fondly rolling his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, it wasn't that bad," he muttered. Izuku could read between the lines quite well. He knew for a fact the other boy was surely elated. At the very least he could hope so. Being in that library all the time and back home couldn't be healthy. It was nice to branch out.
As for Izuku? He thought it went pretty well. Before Hitoshi went to his own car, Izuku made sure to get that high five he'd been denied earlier. With that out of the way, he hopped into his seat, buckling up and pointing straight ahead. "Alright! Let's go home," he shouted, making sure to actually close his door before they drove off.
Chapter 10: got your heart in a headlock
Izuku was having a day. A fairly standard day, by all intents and purposes if you asked him. Wake up, visit the library, go to school, have Bakugo come up with some asinine challenge for them to go head to head in and prove who's better. Don't get him wrong, he enjoyed having a 'rival' to help him improve, but he couldn't muster up his demon child energy all the time.
Which leads him to his favorite after school activity: contemplating his existence. The further along his story went, the more the differences became obvious. He wouldn't call this a split personality, but more so becoming comfortable in his own skin. Izuku Midoriya is who he claimed to be. Woomy was the brain piloting this flesh mech.
So, a combination. He was a fusion, if you squinted. He was fairly certain he was doing things neither of his parts would. The Woomy side of him wouldn't get up to the things that his Izuku side would, and vice versa. It was honestly a head scratcher.
Should he change his name? Probably, once he got Iwai to accept him properly. Was that even her first name? The fact that nobody knew was kind of funny. He'd ask her himself, but for some reason that felt like a bad idea. Maybe she only went by a singular name; the text he could spot in the corner of his eyes seemed to find that amusing.
Regardless, he had a duty. If he was robbing a hero hopeful of their life, then shouldn't he also become a hero? Would he curse Izuku when this life took him through trials? There were plenty of people who could inherit One For All, so why should it be him?
Rolling over, he grumbled into his pillow. He was doing great. He was doing fine. He was a semi-vigilante that wasn't really known and he hadn't even taken up the 'Ivy' name yet. He hadn't met Eraser. His life was taking a wildly unpredictable path despite the fact it's what he sought out.
But that was just the thing, wasn't it? It was a path he chose; a path that mirrored Izuku's, but was chosen by Woomy. Yet he was the one living it out. These were the choices he made without any outside influence (other than a book which was becoming more unreliable by the day, and voices loudly insisting they be heard).
It was a new chance at life, for mind, body, and soul. The identity crisis could come later. He was free to do what he thought was fun; it was his life! He was free to live a little, experiment, all that jazz. Who was going to stop him?
The little terror headbutting his ankles was apparently intent on stopping him. The moment his feet touched the ground, he was met with the meteoric impact of a cat seeking food. Truly, this was the price he paid for wanting to be a pet owner. Having to take care of the needs of another.
Speaking of caretakers, Iwai was out of the house for work. He hadn't made any progress in finding her an alternative, unless you considered cheering her on with Kohaku as progress. He wasn't sure if he understood the situation, but he had high hopes.
He poured DJ some food after patting the little menace on the head. He didn't live in the warehouse district anymore, but that didn't mean he wanted to forget about it. A walk around the place to clear his head could do him some good. His plan to enthusiastically live his own life didn't stop him from stealing some inspiration here and there.
His current quest? Generator parts. The supplies to do repairs wouldn't dent his pocket significantly, and he couldn't say no to more running. Parkour wasn't exactly on the table, but getting his speed up was always beneficial. He'd just wing it and hopefully get back in time for some sleep.
While he didn't plan to get into any trouble, Uptown would always be the same unless someone made a change. A pair of his gloves, a mask, and a dark hoodie. He'd likely seem suspicious to most people, but perhaps a normal sight in the streets of Uptown. Just to be entirely safe, he even decided to pack one of his legendary pieces of equipment. Izuku would not be caught unarmed if he could help it.
***
Let it never be said that Izuku wasn't a magnet for trouble. After buying his parts, he'd decided to go straight home. It wasn't even that late! Unfortunately, the sun being down meant darkness had plenty of room to grow. Case in point, the alley he found himself getting tossed into.
Barely keeping both feet underneath himself, he squinted. He truly appreciated not needing glasses, as he took in who the hell just grabbed him. Fortunately, it didn't appear to be the same guy destined to rob Izuku on laundry day, so he was at least safe from the plot trying to lock him in.
That didn't mean this wasn't annoying.
Despite the storm of fear and other emotions growing in his chest and clouding his heart, the one that rose to the top was anger.
He had gone extra steps to avoid getting mugged in the first place, he had done everything right to keep himself alive. And yet still, he stood here on the wrong side of some shitty knife, being told to give up his things that he worked for.
He had taken on this whole new life headfirst, putting one foot in front of the other. And he couldn't get a moment of peace when he finally felt safe enough to let his guard down.
His face twisted into a scowl, his hand grabbing the strap of his bag. His eyes met his attacker's, a man of large stature, tall and probably in his thirties.
"Alright kid, hand the bag over," he stated, waving a knife around. "I don't want to have to cut ya, but I will. A young guy like you can always make it back, so get to it-"
The long monologue had been interesting, really. Likely rehearsed in some way. Quite logical! Unfortunately, he was mugging someone who was the protagonist of his own world. Izuku was glad he'd decided to wear concealing clothing, because he surely wouldn't want what he did next to be traced back to him. At least they were comfy.
His gloves were especially comfy. Comfy enough for him to almost disregard how uncomfortable sliding his stolen gun out of his back pocket made him feel. He'd almost forgotten he had this! Clearly the mugger wouldn't soon forget, as he took steps back.
"Ah, ah. Don't run now. You tried to mug me, so you're fine with it happening to you, right?" The boy asked, slightly waving the piece of metal around. "Drop the knife."
The man, who was clearly down on his luck but not brain cells, dropped the knife as requested. A butterfly knife! That was going to be useful. Predictably, he started begging for his life.
Izuku stopped him before he could get going. "Shut up. I'm not gonna rob you. Let this be a lesson." Getting lectured by a literal kid at gunpoint would make the lesson stick, right? He'd probably laugh about this someday. "Go get a job instead of pulling stunts like this."
With a flick of his wrist, he sent the man on his way. Waiting for his footsteps to recede, Izuku crouched down to retrieve the knife, storing his gun away. That was a fun, albeit traumatizing, experience. Maybe he'd find the time to actually practice shooting that thing sometime.
Probably load it too, while he was at it.
***
Waking up covered in sweat wasn't a great feeling. He was at least thankful he hadn't screamed, all things considered. Izuku wasn't about to have a trauma competition with Izuku, but a tolerance for nightmares certainly carried over from his past life. Dying wasn't enjoyable in the slightest.
Rolling out of bed, he lovingly slammed his face into the (thankfully) carpeted floor of his bedroom. It was just enough pain to take his mind off of things! An uncomfortably cold shower would probably do the rest of the heavy lifting.
With a second muffled groan in as many days, he reluctantly decided to get his day started. The power of friendship would surely soothe his aching soul.
***
Izuku(name pending) should really be nicer to himself. He was different from his components, and everyone around him was also different. His Hitoshi was unique in all the lands! Where else could you find such charming sarcasm? Such willingness to accept the green haired weirdo that broke into his home away from home regularly?
The duo sat in the library, hanging out in their normal spaces. Despite sitting at their usual spots, neither computer was switched on. Considering how early it was, nobody would mind if they kept the seats warm. The building was just as vacant as the streets. The only other occupant was Kohaku, and she was used to this by now.
The green haired weirdo who was currently invading his personal space turned to hitoshi, batting his eyes, "Wanna have a sleepover? I have an experiment to do, and I'll try to invite Todoroki."
The purple haired boy promptly shoved his hand onto Izuku's face, politely obtaining some space. "I can probably ask my mom. Isn't Todoroki some hero's kid? You sure he can make it?"
That was a valid question. Izuku extracted his face from Hitoshi's hand, whipped out his phone, and started typing. The muscle memory of phone addiction had not left his soul it would seem.
'Hey, Todoroki! It's Midoriya, but you knew that. Wanna have a sleepover? It'll be fun!'
At this ungodly hour, surely the boy wouldn't be awake-
'A sleepover? I'm not sure my father will allow that.'
Hm. How could he get by that? Ah, right.
'Tell him you'll get to practice your fire.'
He was certain that would take a while, so he texted Iwai next.
'Hey, mom. I want to invite two friends over for a sleepover. That's cool, yeah?'
'I'm too young to be a mom, but sure. Get to class.'
Chuckling, he pocketed his phone, glancing at Hitoshi. "I think we'll be good to go," he stated, stretching his limbs. "I'll see you tonight, yeah?"
The purple haired boy waved as Izuku departed, apparently planning to catch up on some sleep.
***
Shoto stared his father down, fists clenched at his sides. He'd never experienced a sleepover before. He was denied the right to interact with his own family, and now he'd be interacting with children his age? He had texted Midoriya every so often, but it wasn't as if his father knew.
Straightening his shoulders, he decided to look death in the eyes. "I was invited to a sleepover," he said, bracing himself for the inevitable rant.
As expected, the heat in the room instantly went up several degrees. The giant of a man stared down his 'greatest creation', trademark scowl only worsening. "A sleepover, Shoto? Do you honestly expect me to allow you to waste your time on such things? You know as well as I do that your destiny leaves no room for that nonsense," the man grumbled out, already deeming this 'conversation' over with.
"I'll practice my fire. It'll be… useful, for a project."
That got his father's attention. With his eyes narrowed, the flames raging across his body seemed to calm. "I expect results, Shoto. You know the consequences should this prove unproductive."
With that unspoken dismissal, Shoto genuinely hoped this taste of a normal life wouldn't be his last.
***
Izuku finally checked his phone after he made it to school. Grinning at Todoroki's confirmation, he made sure to send both him and Hitoshi the location of his home. Well, first he had to ask Iwai to send him it since she was home, and then forward it to those two, but still.
A sense of normalcy was what he needed. As normal a life as you could have in a world full of super powered people. If their social link was higher, maybe he would've invited Bakugo. Unfortunately, the sentient temper tantrum being allowed near an emotionally constipated fireball wasn't the best idea.
He could unite his fellow big three members some other time. Despite Hitoshi not having a flashy quirk, he also hoped to keep him on the same level as the rest of them. All Might was cool and all, but Izuku rather a group of heroes of considerable strength rather than just one.
***
How dreadful. Another exciting period of facing down Bakugo in another random sport (soccer was actually quite fun), just for it to end in annoyance. As the bell rang for lunch, Izuku decided to head back to the bathroom to change. That's when yet another student decided Izuku's reputation wasn't at the level where they'd know to steer clear.
Unfortunately, Izuku had a long life behind him. He was tired, so cut him some slack. That would surely excuse why he'd whipped around and snatched the random boy by the wrist, tightening his grip. Could you really blame him when he was tired of people getting the drop on him? His fault for getting so relaxed.
The wince on the boy's face genuinely made him feel bad, but that impact was lessened when he realized they'd been on the same team. He could expect this from the enemy, but from one of his own temporary allies? Come on!
The boy yanked his wrist free, rubbing at it as he glared at Izuku. "Where do you get off being a glory hog, Deku? I was trying to impress Mori and you blew it for me!" The boy shouted, only failing to draw a crowd due to most having left the field by now.
Izuku sighed, leaning his weight on one leg and folding his arms. "You're mad about a girl? Seriously man?" He questioned, shaking his head. "You've got to be kidding me."
That seemed to only offend the boy, as he lifted his good hand into a fist. "Why you little-"
The scent of nitroglycerin was starting to become familiar to him. Izuku even allowed himself a slight smirk at the appearance of his (second) favorite arsonist.
"Beat it, loser. She thinks you look like a toad anyway." Bakugo jerked a thumb over his shoulder, as if daring him to say anything further.
The boy glanced between the two, clearly trying to come up with a response, but realized facing off against them both was a terrible idea. Once he ran off with his tail between his legs, Bakugo focused on Izuku.
"You actually fought back this time. You're finally starting to become worth my time."
With that, the other boy left, as Izuku chuckled to himself. "But last I checked I was in the lead…"
***
The last twenty-four hours had been a carnival of mental wellness. Fortunately, he'd catch a slight break tonight. He just planned to stay home, hang out with his best friend and a future classmate, and forget about his worries. It would be fun.
That's what he told himself as he waited by the front door, Iwai lingering close by. She had work later, but she could stick around long enough to see Kohaku again… and Endeavor, apparently. Because he felt the need to make sure his son got somewhere safely for once. The number two pro hero knowing where you lived surely couldn't end up in disaster!
His internalized sarcasm could only do so much for his stress levels. Any further spiraling was halted by the doorbell. He prayed to his lucky stars that Hitoshi had made it first. He found his prayers were answered for once upon opening the door.
It made sense, considering Todoroki lived considerably further away. With a grin on his face, Izuku high fived Hitoshi as Iwai and Kohaku did some light chatting. They didn't know all the specifics, but they were at least aware there'd be a third.
The sound of a car driving down the street was heard after several minutes. A car too fancy to be driven near uptown pulled up, and the group became considerably more alert. The rear passenger door opened, as Todoroki stepped out and nodded at the driver. They all collectively chose not to comment on the glimpse they got of Endeavor in casual clothing.
***
With their parents out of the picture, all three of the boys sat in the living room. For as much as Hitoshi was used to dealing with Izuku, Todoroki was a brand new factor. The son of a pro hero. A certain level of danger in his eyes. Just what was his story?
Izuku, bless his heart, made for a great icebreaker. "So, Izuku Midoriya. Currently classified as 'Quirkless', progressively getting the bullies at my school to lay off, and future number one hero. Anyone else feel like sharing?"
Scratch that. A terrible icebreaker. Why was he like this? It seemed to do the trick, as Todoroki snacked on some popcorn. "Shoto Todoroki. My face is scarred because it reminded my mother of my father. She's currently institutionalized."
An even worse icebreaker?! Just how was that possible? Were these two just insane? Hitoshi let out a bone tired sigh, gazing between the both of them." …Hitoshi Shinso. I'm homeschooled because my quirk is considered 'villainous'. I… I lost my dad a while back. A local hero saved me and my mom."
Todoroki and Izuku shared a glance, before sagely nodding. Without even noticing, Izuku had wormed his way over to Hitoshi's side, dragging him into a hug. "That sucks, dude." And if he didn't know Izuku better, he'd think he was messing with him. "Sob stories like ours are why I wanna be a hero. People shouldn't have to be afraid to live."
Fortunately, he did know Izuku better. He wouldn't trade that for anything.
***
They were approaching the tail end of a movie, and Izuku surprisingly had the most energy of the three. Strange, considering he was the one with a physical school to attend tomorrow, but who cared? He certainly didn't.
What was far more pressing is the fact he had to lug his silly little generator and all of the repair components downstairs. He also brought sandwich ingredients from the kitchen for some reason. What will he do with them? Only he knows.
"Midoriya, what exactly are you planning to do with those?" Asked the local peppermint hair.
Izuku simply began to take the generator apart, looking at the various spots that needed fixing. It was simple enough, and he'd save the soldering for last. It was essential to a character arc. "I'm fixing a generator. Heroes can have hobbies too, you know." He chuckled under his breath, slotting various new parts into place as if it was second nature.
It was not. It took several videos and plenty of studying. He'd never suffered more in his life. But it would pay off. Once all the unnecessary bits were out of the way, that left soldering. Obviously he bought the tool for it, but he had an idea to speed up the process.
"Todoroki, mind giving me a light?"
As Izuku had expected, the other boy seemed a bit shaken at the request. After all, they'd had some messages about quirks in their spare time. Izuku was quirkless as far as anyone knew, a late bloomer hopefully. Todoroki had a quirk that he only used half of. Now that was a load of bull, but he couldn't deny how trauma works. His father gave him his fire, and his ice was all he had to remember his mother by.
Todoroki repeated the same thing he'd told Izuku before, that any punishment was worth proving his dad wrong. That was a concerning thing to hear on a good day, but he couldn't do anything about a criminal parent. What he could do was try to motivate Todoroki in a way he'd understand. Also, without breaking all of the bones in his arm. He'd be thanking him in the future when he was a real powerhouse hero!
So, Izuku started making a sandwich.
***
Shoto stared at Midoriya, as the other boy started making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich unprompted. Shoto was no expert on social rules, but was that really the right response after having trauma dumped on you?
Well, he wasn't any worse than Endeavor, so perhaps they could still be friends. "A peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It's exactly as it sounds." Wait, why was he suddenly monologuing?
"Peanut Butter. Jelly. Two different ingredients come together to make something new." Midoriya placed the sandwich in front of Shoto, staring him down all the while. "Half Hot. Half Cold. The ingredients came from your parents, but you're your own recipe. Peanut Butter and Jelly is different from a sandwich made with one or the other. You're not your parents."
Shoto couldn't believe what he was hearing, yet it somehow made sense. Where had this coaching been all his life?
"You're a sandwich, Todoroki. And that's your quirk."
Thankfully, Izuku had the foresight required to bring a cup of water along. An emotionally constipated child with a fire quirk spontaneously bursting into flames after a revelation should've been obvious.
Chapter 11: fire flies
Izuku pushed himself to prove a point: to become strong as fast as possible to keep himself safe, and to keep the residents of uptown safe. For better or for worse, he pushed his body to the limits for the sake of others.
Woozuku—- Izoomy—- He didn't have nearly as much of a reason. He trained because he felt it was right. Saved people because he had the knowledge, so why not help others? He was too young to call himself a hero, but he'd saved someone hadn't he? A hero wasn't a hero because of a fancy costume, they were a hero because they made others feel safe.
He didn't mean to toot his own horn, but Izuku felt he had the most potential of the residents of Uptown. Not because he was better than them, but because he was younger. He started training sooner. He had hopes to get into U.A. and make it big. Erasing all crime was something even All Might had never managed, but the least Izuku could aim for was his own neighborhood.
There were still many years to go before he could even get a foot in the door. That meant he had the advantage of starting early. Was training this young screwing with his growth? It wasn't scientifically proven, and if it was, he didn't read it. That just meant that he'd keep going as he was.
Kicking his feet back and forth, he realized that was quite a lot of existential pondering to have this early on a swing set. His plan was simple, really. Create a gauntlet for himself to practice on in this local park, and then eventually move on to that warehouse on block 12. He wasn't going to judge his 'canon' self, but going from wall jumping to parkouring in a place nobody would find you was kind of dangerous.
But so was drop kicking a giant rhino man. Whatever. Hopping off the swings, Izuku did some stretching and got ready to kick things up a notch. He had to be better than he was yesterday.
***
Considering he now had an actual home where he could shower and use WiFi, Izuku had quite a bit of free time. Gone were the days of sneaking into school early to take a shower, and he didn't need to visit the Shinso's every day. Not that he stopped coming around, but now he could just stop by for fun before or after school rather than needing them to survive. Plus, he could text.
With all that free time, he found himself walking more. Jogging, you could say. He also kept up his routine of utterly dominating the equipment at the park. There really wasn't much of a challenge here, more so beating his best time. While he couldn't get them involved in his crazy parkour schemes, he managed to influence Iwai, Hitoshi, and even Kohaku to get a bit more active. Maybe not jogging all the time, but at least getting out more.
He hadn't asked in a while, but he was positive Hitoshi was doing his best. He wasn't going to fight him like he would Bakugo, but he didn't need to do that to know his friend was getting stronger. He was honestly excited to see how they'd improve in the future.
***
Months passed in a blur. Izuku got faster, he got stronger, and he took bigger risks. He'd finally gotten into the warehouse on block 12, and it was exactly as imposing as he'd heard; there were pipes and catwalks all over the place at various angles and heights. Leaving the ground behind was a far cry from the safe heights that the park he'd practiced at provided, but he'd managed to adapt.
Speed was his expertise, doubling down on the nimbleness required to not get caught by bullies. That had died down considerably if you asked him, and he'd dare to say that there was a begrudging respect crossing the school, if not some fear. Was it so hard to believe someone who actually tried could be better than them?
Anyway, back to the point, he couldn't rush recklessly into parkour, not early on at least. He made sure to take his time, plan his path carefully, and progressively make his way higher. He had to work on his best time, and make sure to take advantage of his training. If fear got the best of him, he'd make a fatal mistake.
It turns out that wanting to avoid splattering like a pancake was a great motivation to improve. Did wonders for killing your sense of danger, too. Physical therapy sure was fun.
***
Days and weeks passed by, and life seemed to be looking up. Kohaku and Iwai certainly seemed like they were getting closer, if her and Hitoshi coming by more often meant anything. He couldn't be certain if they were gossiping mothers, or if they were 'roommates', but he'd let the cards lay where they fell.
Their closeness also did wonders for Iwai, who was slowly transitioning into a new job. She enjoyed her job, sure, but working somewhere with more reasonable hours and being able to be closer to certain people, and it looked better on paper? The choice was a no-brainer. He could at least bask in the fact he had a confirmed positive influence in the world.
Though, maybe he shouldn't sell himself so short. He'd also gotten closer to Iwai! Apparently that wasn't even her real name, which he should have guessed, but it still felt wrong to call her anything else. Maybe if she asked, since it was attached to her old life, he would stop. Names are super important, after all! He was workshopping a new one himself. No need to let his incubation chamber have any credit for his future.
The adoption process was exhausting, but Iwai knew a guy who knew a guy, stuff like that. Was it absolutely crucial that she was his mom? Nah, they could've been siblings or something. But he'd had enough siblings for multiple lifetimes. He'd welcome Hitoshi with open arms, but an actually responsible parent in his life would be great.
Izuku wasn't about to start preaching about the power of friendship, but actual friends and family genuinely made his improvement better. Every meal he ate tasted better knowing it was shared with people close to him, every new skill he learned was in favor of protecting them, and he made sure to avoid seriously injuring himself so they wouldn't worry.
A trip to the hospital is the peak definition of worry. Besides, he couldn't risk screwing anything up before the process was finally done. Iwai's friend who knew a guy who knew a guy also knew another guy, and they'd probably even start looking into his m-Inko. He didn't exactly care to see a woman he'd never known, but having her life stripped away seemed like the spiteful thing to do.
If not for this new lease on life, Izuku would've suffered. She was practically a villain for that alone. But maybe he'd be kind. Visit her in jail, tell her about how his life is going, all that jazz. It would be a special brand of torture! That is, if she even cared. Maybe a woman like her could understand missing out on being the mother of the future number one. Free clout thrown to the wind.
Ah, well. She was low on his list of priorities. He had bigger and badder villains in his near future to worry about. Some of them could even be redeemed, if he tried hard enough. But he couldn't, nor was it his job to fix a broken woman.
***
It was early January when Izuku had cleared the gauntlet. Every pipe, every catwalk, had thoroughly been explored. He wouldn't say he knew the warehouse like the back of his hand, but he at least had good fundamentals in parkour. How to break his fall, running starts, swinging and climbing off of things. He was super versatile! He was better than the majority of kids his age, but a long way to go before he could hang with the pros. Was he growing exceptionally strong for his age? There was no denying that. The difference between his first drop into this world and now were jarring.
His hair had gotten longer, because the novelty of not being forced to cut it was too much to not enjoy. He'd gained some muscle, enough to not look like a strong breeze would knock him over. He was pretty compact, alright?
The looks of admiration also weren't too bad. Bakugo had a stronger starting point, but he was definitely behind in raw practice. The gap between them widened, but it wasn't as if all of Izuku's skills were usable in a simple practice fight.
Life or death? He definitely had enough tools to go band for band with the guy. But would he lose? Well, the current score between them spoke for itself. A majority of the wins were his own, but he still had to push himself to stay ahead and achieve those victories.
He should see how free Hitoshi was more often. Getting stronger and faster was important, but his actual fighting techniques needed to be updated. That could be addressed later, considering his final test would be soon. A warehouse was a controlled environment. He'd have to see how he fared in the big city. Maybe cry about how unfair it was that he had to learn geometry for movement when Bakugo could literally just fly.
At least one of them was winning the stealth awards.
***
Kicking his feet back and forth, Izuku stared at the lights blanketing the horizon. It really took him back to his first day. Waking up and finding himself three steps from going for a long fall. He wasn't likely to survive a fall like that even now, but at least he'd probably be able to slow himself down a bit. Wasn't it nice to have proof of progress? To know your efforts weren't for nothing?
With a private little smile to himself, he slowly stood. Black jeans, black hoodie, black shoes, black gloves, and a black mask. A depressing color scheme for his night on the town. The only thing that stood out was his contrastingly green hair, which the hoodie did a decent job of covering up. He had too much on the line to run the risk of being recognized at this stage of the game.
Stretching his limbs, he took in a shaky breath. What he was about to do was incredibly stupid. Perhaps even dangerous, depending on who you asked. Hitoshi and Shoto knew the fact he'd been taking up parkour, but they weren't aware of his plan to go building hopping. It wouldn't do to have them feel bad if he slipped up and broke a leg, right? What they didn't know couldn't hurt them.
Taking several steps back, he ran over the route in his head again. He'd even gotten the voices in his head to visualize it themselves. Wasn't that handy, being able to glimpse another world entirely foreign to your own? It was pretty chaotic most of the time, but his conversations with 'himself' were interesting. Kind of depressing– made him appreciate his new life way more, but still interesting.
With no more distractions to hide behind, he got a running start and leapt towards the next rooftop. He could think about how crazy this was later.
***
Shrugging his bag onto a shoulder, he groaned as his back popped in several places. School had come to an end, and he was still sore over his little adventure. He'd done better than expected, managing to scale several buildings and even sticking multiple landings. He just failed to account for his enthusiasm leading him to bang into a fire escape or two.
He hadn't broken anything, but he still had aches. That's not even mentioning the general pain simply from exercising. Snorting, he rubbed the bandage across his nose. Even if he was sore, he still had to keep up appearances of being strong. Bakugo even gave him a pass since he wasn't at a hundred percent. To think, his rival had some decency in him after all!
Who was he kidding? It was just pride that made him want to beat someone at full power. He wasn't going to bad mouth the guy, he understood that mindset. Personally? He'd take a win where he could get it. Luck went a long way when you were up against someone you couldn't beat.
But that's enough of that. As he walked through the streets, he eventually made it to the subway tunnel. He was running out of time for a certain side quest, and he had more than enough time to do it now. He'd been contemplating this for quite some time, and he wasn't about to let it slip through his fingers. He could always try again in the future, but he'd likely beat himself up if he failed now.
So, as he boarded a train, he thought about the life he was going to permanently alter.
***
It took a few hours, but his search paid off. By looking up schools around Japan, and remembering the outfit she wore, he found what he needed. It was just a matter of finding the person he sought after all that detective work. It would've probably been for the best if he'd changed out of his uniform, but his 'vigilante' fit would've likely been too intimidating.
Funny how his school uniform was also all black. Almost as if he had some sort of theme. Snorting to himself, he eventually found the place he was looking for. It took a lot of asking around, and people far too willing to give out personal information, but his second time stalking in this life had worked out.
Knocking on the door of the quite frankly rundown looking apartment, he tilted his head as the girl he'd spent hours looking for appeared. Really, this had been destined to happen for months now. With a smile, he ran a hand through his unruly hair, hoping the bandages didn't deliver a bad message. He wasn't some delinquent, you know? Or maybe it'd have the adverse reaction and make her try to drink him. A little gamble never hurt anyone.
"Toga, right? I'm Izuru. Izuru Sugiyama."
His new lease on life was only going up from here, so he hoped he could help her too. It would be nice if she kept that spark in her eyes. How rare was it that someone approached her with kind intentions? How badly had her quirk affected her by now?
"Um… Nice to meet you?"
Chapter 12: i wouldn't mind
Izuru and Toga sat at a local park, swinging at alternating heights. It was probably a poor idea to trust a stranger so easily, but he had made a convincing argument. He'd made introductions, told her how he'd found her, and invited her to talk.
The ice cream probably helped. How does he sensitively bring up what he's thinking about? The correct answer is he doesn't. As the swing took him to ground level, he glanced over at her. Swinging backwards, he cleared his throat. "How long have your classmates treated you like that?"
She looked over at him, a soft sigh escaping her as she stopped swinging. Gazing up at the sky, her attention didn't drift even as Izuru also stopped swinging. She seemed to have a lot on her mind, but she eventually figured there was no harm in telling her story. "Everyone is always so excited when they get their quirk."
She kicks her feet back and forth, moving to an unknown rhythm. "At first, I was too. Who wouldn't be?" She sighed, drooping on her swing. "My parents didn't like it though. Said it was too weird. The other kids at school were nice enough, but they never got too close."
Izuru was already aware of the answer, but he figured he may as well ask anyway. "Your quirk turn snow yellow or something? It can't be that bad." He chuckled at his lame joke, hoping it would at least lighten the mood.
It seemed to do the trick, as the girl giggled with a smile crossing her face for the first time in a long while. "Nah, it's not that kind of weird. I can… turn into people." Her joy seemed to wane near the end of her statement, a hesitation Izuru was familiar with. Had Hitoshi not also blurted out his poor thoughts of his quirk?
He kicked his feet back and forth, a timeless hum leaving him. "That's not all, is it? If it makes you feel any better, I'm pretty much quirkless as far as I'm aware," the boy shrugged, as if that wasn't earth shattering news. "I know a thing or two about being an outcast. I've been giving them hell over it though." He chuckled, as if remembering a story worth writing about.
Toga glanced in his direction, actually getting a good look at him for once. There were many things someone could've said, and pretending to be quirkless definitely wasn't one of them. Most would rather die before they ever dealt with such a fate. "I can transform with blood. That's how my quirk works. Gave me all kinds of weird cravings."
Meeting her eyes, Izuru nodded. "That's it, huh? They think you're five seconds away from draining them like a vampire?" The boy scoffed, looking up to the sky. "That's stupid. You just need blood bags or whatever, maybe even donations. You'd be great at stealth missions."
With another remark to try and make her laugh, he let out an ugly snort. "Or you could take someone's tests for them. Life has many doors." The giggle he got in return was well worth it.
***
Naturally, after a fateful encounter like that, you'd expect life to go on. Hold hands, watch a movie, meet the family. What else could you expect when a boy meets a girl and intends to save her from her awful life?
None of that. While a week or two had passed, Izuru had made it very clear what his intentions were.
"Himiko… Become my sister."
And who was she to deny the boy that taught her life could get better after all? With the power of Iwai knowing several guys, it was quite the simple feat to convince Himiko's parents that she'd be better off elsewhere. They wouldn't have to worry about their daughter being a 'blight' upon their house any longer.
They also got to keep their kneecaps, for not being difficult. That was the real bonus to the story.
So, his family became a bit bigger. Removed from the oppressing thumb of her parents, Himiko was allowed to blossom into her true self! They'd even found out Vlad King was something of a wizard in the kitchen. He had a baking channel, who would've guessed? Plenty of useful things for Himiko to try out with her blood diet.
They only had the two bedrooms, but Himiko insisted that anywhere was better than her old house. Besides, a sibling and a good mom more than made up for the fact she randomly chose a spot in the house to go to bed every night. Izuru couldn't say he disagreed with the company.
As a bonus, she even seemed interested in his training! He'd managed to get to her before she went wild in the streets, but she still seemed to be impressively athletic. Maybe she did have some vampire traits after all. If not for Izuru's extensive training, the blonde girl might have posed a threat to him. It's not to say she wasn't, but he could defend himself just fine during their practice.
She also just accepted the fact he owned a (stolen) knife just fine. She had something of a growing knife collection too; probably quirk related. He wasn't going to push for answers to questions he didn't need to ask. He had more important things to focus on, like the fact she was also attending the same school as him. The only reason he hadn't snatched Hitoshi along is because he seemed quite comfortable with virtual classes.
Oh, well. He'd have all the time in the world to cause havoc when they all got into U.A. together. The trio of danger, Shoto, and even Bakugo. The world wouldn't be ready for just how strong they'd be right out the gate.
And they'd keep climbing from there.
***
Izuru stood atop a building, a wisp of cold air leaving him as he took a breather. It was the middle of January, and he was currently spending a Saturday out and about running through the streets. Well, more like across the rooftops, but you get the idea. He was sure both of his families were comfortably at home right now. Hitoshi and Kohaku would be doing whatever it is they did, while Iwai and Himiko were probably doing each other's nails or something.
He hadn't really asked about their plans, he'd just stated he was going on a walk. Which wasn't a lie in the grand scheme of things, it's just that a lot could happen during a walk. Nobody had proof that he could see the future. Him staking out a building was pure circumstance, not anything premeditated. It was just poor dumb timing that he would be anywhere near any sort of action.
Such as a mugging in progress. If his memories were correct, he'd definitely met this guy before. Shimamoto? That sounded right. Now, Izuru was a hero in training, but even without that information he'd likely be offended at what he was witnessing. Really, who mugs a guy who was practically a pillar of the community? Seriously not cool.
With a feral grin behind his mask, Izuru slid down the side of a building. An alleyway was a great place to conduct shady business! Unfortunately, it became less of a great idea when someone had a birds eye view of your dealings. Landing as silently as he could, he crouched upon a second-story window sill. The mugger in question was waving a gun around, which just disappointed Izuru further. Where was the discipline? The guts to at least pull up on someone with your own two hands?
Pushing off of his spot, he twisted his body at just the right angle to kick at the man's hand. With his kick striking true upon the guy's wrist, the gun was sent downwards and thankfully didn't fire off. It was also incredibly convenient that it fell from his grasp. Izuru decided to ignore the fact that the man was clutching his limb, since the pain of getting shot would likely hurt far more than an appendage that probably wasn't even broken.
Still crouched to the ground, Izuru pushed off, slugging the guy in the chest before following up with a devious uppercut. Before he'd even straightened out, the guy had already fallen backwards and crashed to the ground. Rolling his shoulders, Izuru set to work dismantling his shoelaces, deciding that being handcuffed by his own belongings was what he deserved for trying to take someone else's.
Plucking a wad of cash from the villain's grip, Izuru turned to gently place the money into Shimamoto's hand, blinking up at him. "Take this small offering for your troubles, please." Nodding once that was done, Izuru set to work looting the body. With a cellphone acquired, he tossed it to the rescued shopkeep, allowing him free reign to call the cops as Izuru resumed his work. With a switchblade acquired as perhaps a late Christmas gift for Himiko, he also decided to liberate the man of the twenty thousand yen he'd kept on him.
Life was all about give and take. Don't go running around doing things you wouldn't want happening to you. Which was ironic, given he ran around knocking people out for fun. Funny things to think about. Shrugging, he stood up, stretching his limbs. "Phew. I'll be getting out of your hair now."
Without even waiting for a response, Izuru ignored all attempts to call him back before he was front flipping towards the nearest surface, immediately scaling to the rooftops and then fleeing the scene. The only thing that had kept him from a gun collection was the fact 'robbed at gunpoint' became less believable if there was no gun.
***
To say Izuru planned things out was a bold faced lie. The only reason why he seemed so put together is because he had a semi-reliable book of events on his person, along with voices in his head. Every single act of vigilante justice he'd dished out had been done knowing there was a risk to his life and freedom at every turn. So, you could imagine his surprise the next day when he woke up and realized something.
For one, Iwai hadn't asked where he'd been. They'd established he had secrets, even though she seemed to worry a bit more now that he'd been officially adopted. As long as he remained safe, that was fine. Secondly, he was legally allowed to do the nonsense he got up to. He was a child, so he couldn't be charged for another year or two.
The real kicker? He was quirkless. Not the 'lie' he told others about how he'd probably be a late bloomer, but the fact he was literally quirkless. With some clever reading between the lines, that meant he couldn't be a vigilante by legal definition. He had complete and total immunity so long as he didn't run around starting problems and trying to get caught. Wasn't it so lovely, having no rights?
He tried not to think about how that reflected on his past. If he couldn't make a good joke about it, it wasn't worth dwelling on. He'd always known coming into this he'd be up against a stacked deck, but it's nice to know his opponent shot themselves in the foot before he'd even stepped up to the table. Their outdated laws would lead to a safer world, so could they really complain?
***
With time to kill before classes began, Monday morning found Izuru in the library. Naturally, Iwai had given him and Himiko a lift since she now worked there. With a wave to Kohaku, he went over to grab his familiar seat next to Hitoshi. Of course, with the addition of Himiko, their area was just a little bit more crowded.
And wasn't that a nice feeling? In this building right now were people he considered family. Shoto was unfortunately still with his dumpster fire of a father, but at least things were marginally better now that he gained confidence in using his flames. Even Bakugo, who no amount of time skips could get Izuru to call him by his first name, held some value to him.
He couldn't wait to get to know the friends he would meet in the future. It was a long while until Izuru could become a full-fledged hero. He couldn't twiddle his thumbs when he had people to protect now. As much as he was able to, he'd keep throwing himself against this wall until it eventually broke. Nothing bad was going to happen to his family, and he'd set the world ablaze if anyone tried to change that.