Chapter 5: Alone but Safe
Izuku was shaking in the arms of Ana as she sprinted down the alleyways. He clutched onto her raincoat whilst he focused on moving her away. Hopping over trash, dodging people having their breaks out the back of their workplaces and cars taking shortcuts through the alleys.
The blond man was still behind them, keeping up despite the difficult maneuvering. Izuku also noticed he was talking to his phone, probably to tell Hisashi that he found him. Yes this was all just terrible and Izuku needed to get out and back to the warehouse as fast as possible.
He didn't know where he was going, just hoping that whoever that blond guy was gets tired and stops but a quick peek over Ana's shoulder and Izuku could see he was still chasing. Thankfully the doll was probably going to outrun him unless he has a quirk that can keep up with her.
That is until Ana almost crashes into a dead end. It was a closed off alley with three buildings together to create a cage that was too high for Ana to climb up. At first Izuku contemplated throwing himself up to a fire escape but he didn't think Ana could reach it.
He was going to have to fight. Well Ana was the one to fight but there was no time to get into the specifics. The dummy turned with Izuku in her arms to face the man who stopped a few metres from them. He didn't look tired and though he was breathing a bit, he didn't seem out of breath.
"Look, just put the kid down and we can work this out." he ordered, he tried to make it sound convincing but Izuku wasn't stupid.
Ana moved to get ready to fight, Izuku drawing upon all the different fighting styles he's read heroes use. He knew about some like boxing, karate and judo but he couldn't tell how this person would fight at a glance.
The blond man rushed in, swinging a kick that surprised Izuku at first but it was clear he didn't expect Ana to be that sturdy. He had her swing her foot up and attempt to make a kicking uppercut but he just got out of the way. The man jumped back and his stance immediately reminded Izuku of some fighting styles he's seen some heroes use such as Present Mic and Midnight, mostly being kicks and punches meant to destabilise the opponent.
Ana made sure to parry each kick he could read and avoid the inevitable punches that followed when they were meant to knock her off balance. While maybe at the beginning when he was learning his quirk she'd fall, Izuku had since learned enough control to make her stance more solid.
It was a fast pace back and forth and it was clear the man didn't want to hurt Izuku, probably so Hisashi can instead, but he seemed to really want to hurt Ana. Maybe because this is the first fight Izuku's been in so he can actually feel the air between each blow. He makes a mistake though and Ana slips on a puddle. She doesn't fall but it gives the other man the opportunity to give a harsh winding kick to Ana's head, knocking it off.
The dummy's head bounced on the floor a few times until it rolled near a bin and Izuku could feel the fluid loss from that. He immediately pressed a hand to her chest and gave more spinal fluid to make up for it before he noticed the man was distracted by the head.
Using that, Izuku told Ana to strike, the doll jumping in the air, winding her leg up high and bringing it down on the man with enough force to disconnect her foot. The man slammed into the ground, yelling in pain and after he didn't get up or retaliated immediately, Izuku had Ana grab her head and run for it.
He couldn't risk getting the foot but even without it Ana could move faster than most people. For extra measure though, Izuku made sure to give more fluids, even though he got very dizzy and was about to pass out from the loss.
As they ran, Izuku thought he heard sirens somewhere but his headache was too strong to care so he just kept going until they got back to the warehouse. Once home, Ana brought him to his room and set him down before running to hide the hole with a dumpster, assuring his hiding place remained hidden.
The boy crawled onto the bed, holding onto Ana's head and just closed his eyes, taking frantic breaths over how he could've been taken away then. He didn't know what that man's quirk was, but it must've been either too destructive to be used precisely or non-combative, otherwise Ana wouldn't have been able to defeat him.
The fact he could've been snatched, back into the hands of Hisashi just made him shake, keeping Ana's head close and breathing forcefully but the beating in his heart didn't stop and the headache from quirk use didn't help. The world felt like it was falling apart.
He felt so strangled that he couldn't move and squeezed the dummy's head until he was sure the broken camera inside cut his fingers. He couldn't stop freaking out, he couldn't stop spiralling.
He can't go back outside. He can never go back outside. It was too much. Too risky. It would always have to be Ana now, even if her range is too short. He'll find a way, he has to, he has to.
Izuku remained balled up until the sun started to set, still awake and shaking he eventually pulled himself up and walked to get some water and drank it. It helped calm down his weakening panic but the resolution from that still remained strong.
He can't leave. Leaving risks being found. He needs to stay here and get stronger on his own.
- - -
"That was his quirk?" Hizashi said, lying on the couch with Dot, scratching her head.
"According to what we know, it's likely." Shouta added, doing the dishes in the kitchen.
The erasure hero had come back from the station after Hizashi had that encounter with kid Midoriya. They made sure Hizashi's shoulder got checked for anything lasting but thankfully it wasn't dislocated, just going to have a nasty bruise that would fade with time much to both of their relief.
At the station, Tsukauchi explained what he got from the hospital about the Midoriya's visit. Apparently the kid had manifested his quirk which resulted in Hisashi getting a swollen nose and Inko getting a punch to the face (though he didn't quite believe that last one and neither did the detective).
He also found out what it exactly was and what the cerebrospinal fluid was for. It was used in his quirk and acted like a moss-like muscle to manipulate and control objects, effectively puppeteering them. It was a pretty strange quirk according to the analyst.
It seemed to strengthen a lot of materials, at least when in motion as explained in a report that mentioned a doll sending Hisashi, a grown man, stumbling back. Now that Shouta's seen, second hand, what the quirk can do it was certainly one that can get stronger the better materials and control were.
"Either that kid had perfect control or his quirk works on autopilot." the blond commented as he moved his hand away from the cat, earning a death glare.
"There's a lot that isn't known about the quirk. They never got a real chance to have a quirk counsellor look at it." Shouta clarified, finishing up drying.
On top of that, that's all they got on the kid Midoriya. After Hizashi lost him, the police tried to search for the child but found nothing. At this point either the kid is magical or he's just incredibly lucky and magic doesn't exist.
"At least we know the Dragon's Roar hasn't found him." Hizashi stated, looking on the brighter side of things. "But still. I could've saved him."
"You didn't know he was alone." Shouta argued gently. He circled around the counter that divided their living room and kitchen and sat down next to his fiancee. Hizashi didn't reach out for him so Shouta did instead taking his head and pulling it onto his shoulder which the blond let.
"It's almost been three weeks, Sho'." Hizashi stated, "He's been out there on the streets alone for three weeks and I could've pulled him away from it all. Why…"
It was clear why he stopped. Why didn't the kid just accept the help? Why didn't he just trust the man in front of him instead of just running and even hurting him. Shouta can't think of a definite answer but he can take a wild guess.
From what Tsukauchi got about the kid's home life, he probably had to walk on eggshells around his father and as such grew up to be timid and quiet. That, on top of watching his mother die by his hands, the kid is probably terrified of people. In a way he's like a cat who runs at the first sign of anything bigger than him.
He explained all this to Hizashi and the man just leaned more onto Shouta as he gave a quiet sad chuckle. "So he's like a stray cat, huh? Even got the scratches to prove it."
Shouta hummed at that. He just hoped they'd find this stray cat and get him somewhere safe as soon as possible.
- - -
Izuku made one final trip to the beach. His last one hopefully, at least for him personally. He came to pick up something that at the time was too heavy to bring back with a trolley, at least fully.
It was a wide monitor along with a few cameras that were next to it. Most likely what was once a part of a security console if the branding they all shared meant anything. He knew he needed this to replace Ana's lost 'eye'. It took the better part of the night. Ducking into alleys and avoiding people as much as possible until he finally got it back to the warehouse.
The problem was getting it inside. The biggest thing he's gotten in was a bed frame that just barely made it through the hole by taking it apart. But the monitor was very wide and couldn't be taken apart, so after some careful movements and a few cracks, they just got it through.
Ana moved it to the bedroom and set it on the desk that was a part of the office. Hooking it up to the power, the monitor came to life but had no input. Thankfully the computer he'd gotten from his first visit could finally be hooked up and the screen finally showed what the computer was.
It looked to be having problems with crashes and stuttering but after Izuku thought back to the 'Computers Made Easy' book, it seemed that the computer had gotten a virus. Recalling what he read, he wiped the computer completely and restarted it, the virus gone and whatever was on it before gone too.
After that he had a working computer, there was just the issue with the internet. He knew it was something he needed to go online from how often he's watched it drop from before. He knew he needed a box but he also knew that he'd need to pay for it. He was going to have to visit the library himself and find out how he can work around this.
A day later Izuku would do just that, opting to go early in the morning on a Monday in hopes of as few people as possible finding him. He didn't wear his raincoat this time, instead wore a hoodie he'd seen at the dump. It wasn't pretty, nor was it clean and he's pretty sure there's blood on it but it didn't matter. Once he had what he needed, he didn't need to worry about clothing for the foreseeable future.
He moved quickly, and intentionally avoided eye contact with the librarian. Indeed the walls felt cramped, especially without Ana. He felt vulnerable and alone and that he couldn't do anything. He could feel his heart start to beat fast.
He quickly looked for the computers here and opted to just search for what he wanted as fast as possible. A few quick lookups and he found what he wanted. While he couldn't get a provider for his internet, because that needed money, he did find something called 'Satellite Internet'. He remembered that he had a satellite dish in the junk pile he gathered but wasn't sure how'd he work that out.
After taking a list of things he needed to do to make the connection work, he left the library quickly, not even stopping when the librarian called out to him. He ran back home and immediately went to work on what to do. He set up the satellite dish and connected it to the computer, linking it to the power and creating a network of haphazard cables that would be a fire hazard if he knew what that second word meant.
However, he knew the biggest problem about this was not the dish, the computer or the power, it was the actual satellites that were the problem. That problem being that they moved. Izuku wrestled with it for a while. He'd need the dish to be facing the satellite in order to connect to the internet but to do that the satellite dish needed to always move.
The boy wracked his mind to find a way to do this but realised he had the perfect solution. On the roof, he set up the satellite (thanks to Ana) and injected the dish with his quirk, feeding it spinal fluid. Then after a moment of testing, Izuku was shifting the dish around at will. He'd need to refill it every now and again but right now, it was perfect.
The boy excitedly checked the computer and after some checks, he opened a browser and boom! He had a weak connection. It wasn't much, but it was enough to not need the library. That day, Izuku spent it getting more and more information. How to strengthen his connection, how to read better and most importantly, how to make money.
Indeed with all of this, he was going to be able to do a lot of things.
He'd never have to leave the warehouse, he'd never have to risk getting caught, he'd never have to worry about Hisashi or anyone for that matter. Yes here, with this, he was safe. Alone. But safe.
Chapter 6: Misunderstanding
Shouta was going on a date tonight with Hizashi for the first time in a few months. Underground work, especially the night patrols, makes scheduling a nightmare for stuff like outings or getting drinks with friends. He knows Hizashi has been patient with him and he can't love the man more than he already does.
He knows as well how down his husband has been about the missing Midoriya case. It's been six months since the kid was last seen and Hizashi has been blaming himself more and more with every passing week there's no news about him.
Hisashi's, or whoever he was, trail has gone cold with no lead in sight, implying that he was likely a higher up in the Dragon's Roar. Either way, the whole Midoriya case is going cold and soon there'll be no reason for the police or heroes to keep looking into it. It's just a sad affair all around really.
So Shouta's planning to make things better for his blond loudmouth, at least for a night. The place he had gotten a reservation at was one that he had to get a few months in advance and tonight was that night. A night he explicitly made sure he and Hizashi would get off from doing any work.
At least that was the plan, but when he was checking the news that afternoon, he found out that the restaurant in question had a villain attack resulting in it needing to be closed for the next week. He still managed to get his reservation moved to that next week but having their night with just them delayed was a massive headache for the hero.
The two just settled for ordering takeout and watching a few movies. Not bad but that was what they were going to do after the dinner anyway so it could've easily been a better night. Shouta had made an order for their food and rested on the couch for twenty or so minutes with Hizashi until they heard their buzzer, asking for someone to be let in.
Letting the delivery driver in, the wonderful smell of fried chicken hit his nose as he opened the door. The covered up person was wearing a motorcycle helmet that had hidden their face but that didn't concern Shouta. He just took the food and thanked the guy who just nodded back before turning to Hizashi to grace him with the wonderful treat of fried food.
None the wiser to how close Izuku was.
- - -
'Another delivery done by Ana.' thought Izuku behind his computer screen.
'He' just completed his fifth delivery of the night and had already accepted a sixth, sending Ana back downstairs to grab her bike and head off to the next food place. Ever since he found a delivery app that didn't look too closely into who their employees were, Izuku has been delivering food for them for the last three months.
It was rough at the beginning. Learning what routes were best, making sure he was on time and of course the biggest, learning how to ride a bike but he got it. It helped that he wasn't the one doing the biking and instead Ana was the one running around Musutafu.
Over the months he figured out how to get his connection stronger so that his video feed was better. He's even gotten it to a point he subconsciously knew where the right satellites were at the right time. Of course he had to learn to work both Ana and the dish separately, which took longer than he expected but now he doesn't have to worry.
Frankly things have been great for him. He hasn't had to leave the warehouse since he got the satellite dish to work (besides going onto the roof to replenish it) and now he was thriving. For the most part.
He still had problems sleeping and would stay up days at a time but honestly, he had so much he could do now, and he was six! He's much more grown up then he was then. His work arrangement was easy, especially with being able to have a second monitor that he bought with his own money. He was very proud of that one.
He'd also been improving Ana in terms of her body. Yes she was still cobbled together but with nicer parts.
Izuku had gotten a mannequin torso to replace the anatomical dummy and it was a lot easier to keep fluids inside it. He'd also gotten some new arms, legs and to top it all off, enough tape to fully wrap her so that not a drop can slip out. He still had her head though. He didn't want to lose it as it made Ana, Ana to him.
He did clean it up though and even got some new rubber to wrap around to replace the ones that got shredded after the camera inside her head broke. He also didn't need to worry about finding food banks anymore to feed himself, though he doesn't really have an appetite in the first place.
It's fine though, it's mostly because when Ana isn't working, Izuku's learning a lot. He found this online schooling website and has been doing so well. He's studied really hard and learned a lot. He just wished his mama could see how well he's doing.
That's another thing Izuku has been dealing with. He tries hard not to think about Mama because everytime he does, he gets that thing with his heart where it beats really fast and he starts having trouble breathing. But enough of that, how about we talk more about his home?
It's still the same in terms of the warehouse floor besides a lot more junk in it, courtesy of the beach, but his bedroom has been a lot better. He'd collected a few dolls from some antique stores that Ana spotted and enjoyed using them for practising movements. Ever since that day that guy attacked them, Izuku has been learning how to protect himself if Hisashi ever found him.
He already studied heroes and quirks before so he was excited to pick it back up now that he didn't have to worry about Hisashi stopping him. He could play with the dolls all he wanted and no one could stop it.
Truly he was happy like this. The only problem was he was now wondering what to do with his growing free time. He wanted to try sewing but he'd need a while to save up enough money to buy a machine. There was that other thing that he couldn't escape, the one thing that he couldn't have, no matter what he wanted.
Company.
- - -
Shinsou Hitoshi had just been moved to another home after his last one gave up on him. It wasn't like he did anything. Literally he did nothing, but with a quirk like his. A villainous one. He couldn't escape accusations and misconceptions or even downright manipulations some people would do just to hurt him.
What was the excuse this time? It was his fault that another kid hit a different one. Apparently that kid accused Hitoshi of using his quirk on them so now here he was, off to the next temporary stay like he's a hot potato.
This one was in Musutafu with what he hoped this time would be someone who'd see him for more than his quirk but he couldn't get his hopes up that high. He knew for the most part this was life for him and would be for a long time. No one wanted a kid who could take over you with just a few words.
Indeed just like that, he was given a bunch of ground rules the second he stepped foot through the door. No asking questions. No speaking without permission (which was never). Not even a sound, be it a sneeze or a cough, could leave his lips. And just like that he was welcomed into a new 'home'.
At least this one he had to himself and didn't have to fight with other foster kids pinning the blame on him for every wrong thing that happened. It was a small room he got, a broom closet practically, but at least it was his alone to sleep in.
And of course another school uniform for another school he's moved to. He was about to start going to elementary school and it was honestly something he was not looking forward to. At least in his current grade, the childish insults actually came from kids. Soon he'd have to deal with people who were actually smart, not to say he was but at least he was wise enough to know how stupid some people could be.
After he'd settled in, he decided to immediately head out to explore. He didn't like staying in the homes physically because it would always end up with him being blamed for something so he'd rather not make a mountain out of his first day. Musutafu was quite busy despite it being a Tuesday but Hitoshi didn't mind. It made it easier to hide away and he didn't mind the crowds.
Though he would mind some elbow room so he drifted to some of the more quieter parts of town. He knew Musutafu was close to the shore so he followed the scent of the ocean hoping to find a beach to just rest at.
What he got instead was a landfill site that was an eyesore to anyone passing by. At least he got a good view of the sun. It was almost October so it was setting faster and faster so he waited for the flaming ball in the sky to set. He didn't really have much to do and despite the junk-filled surroundings, it was fun to look at and be shocked at what people had thrown away here.
After about an hour of resting, he heard the sound of shaky footsteps make their way towards him. When he turned, he spied a tall person in a green hoodie and grey sweatpants wandering towards him with a wheelbarrow in tow.
He did not like the way they stared at him.
Hitoshi stood up from the curb where he was sitting and eyed the stranger. He was a kid but not a fool. He knew about stranger danger and this stranger was looking right at him. He couldn't see their face as it was covered with the hoodie and the drawstrings were pulled enough to hide everything but their eyes and they looked empty.
The wheelbarrow they were pushing was full of junk that Hitoshi didn't know what for but nevertheless kept his guard up. He pushed himself to speak as right now they were in a standoff and the other person clearly wasn't the talkative type.
"What do you want?" Hitoshi growled, making sure he sounded threatening enough.
The stranger didn't flinch at his tone and instead moved their arms and hands in a few motions. They looked like they were trying to say something with them but Hitoshi didn't understand what. After a few seconds of doing that, they stopped and instead reached for something in their pocket.
Hitoshi stepped back immediately, ready to run if this guy tried anything but what came out surprisingly was a notepad and a pencil. The figure brought it up right to the hole in the hoodie and wrote something down.
'Are they shortsighted?' thought Hitoshi but stopped when the figure lowered their arm down to show what they wrote on the notepad.
Do you know JSL (Japanese Sign Language)?
The writing was neat, almost textbook but it didn't lower Hitoshi's guard at all. "No, I don't know that." he replied, still keeping his distance.
The figure continued to write again right next to their face and lowered their arm down to show him their new message.
Why are you here?
"Because I wanted to watch the sun set? Oh and also be alone if you don't mind." The last part came out snappy. Hitoshi still wasn't sure if this person was a danger or not so didn't want to get friendly just yet.
The stranger seemed to freeze for a moment before writing once more. When he showed the message though…
I like to be alone too
Hitoshi didn't know whether to be alarmed or not. He didn't know what this stranger wanted from him or why they're talking to him. He stuck around only because it had been a while since he had a conversation with someone where he could speak freely.
"Why are you talking to me?" he queried directly, not wanting to beat around the bush. "Shouldn't you have something better to do than bothering a kid like me?"
That second rhetorical question was a lot more aggressive and had a bit more emotion than he intended. Again it didn't seem to scare or even register with the stranger and they just stared at Hitoshi, creeping him out until they started writing again.
I wanted to talk to someone and you seemed lonely like me. Also I'm a kid too!
Hitoshi read the first part of the message and every part of him said to run right now, only stopping just enough to read the second sentence. What did they mean they were a kid too?
"You can't be a kid! You're too big!" he argued childishly.
The stranger just stood there a moment, again eerily still, until they reached up to pull their hood back to show a distorted head. It looked vaguely like a woman's but there was plastic wrap around it and what seemed to be a dome camera buried into the left side of her face. Her eyes were again lifeless and her lips didn't seem capable of moving.
It looked distorted and disjointed. It was just realistic enough to be recognisable as human at a distance but it was distorted up close. Jilted, disfigured, monstrous. The fact it stood perfectly still like a scarecrow, staring directly at him put some kind of panic in his heart he only got when seeing a bug sneak up on him.
Hitoshi was afraid at what he was looking at and a normal kid would probably run at the sight of whatever this thing is. But for him, he was a bit frozen. The way that glaring camera lens bore down at him was almost pinning, daring him to move. He felt his feet fail to lift and just felt scared in a mind blanking way.
It felt like forever as he watched the stranger write once more. They didn't write it up to their face, probably to keep an eye on Hitoshi. Once they were done, they showed him the notepad again.
I am controlling this doll
'Doll? What?' Hitoshi thought, confused and startled.
From what this person is trying to say or at least Hitoshi could guess is that they're controlling this… thing. That they were somehow, probably by a quirk, were puppeteering this thrown together, vaguely human, plastic, rubber and cloth coloured figure.
But where was the kid? They said they're the same age but Hitoshi can't see them. Are they inside it? Are they off to the side watching this from a far? He noticed the camera once more and started to understand what he was looking at a bit more. They were watching him through that.
But that doesn't prove anything about the stranger being a kid, it just proved what he was looking at wasn't even the stranger. No this felt very risky and the kind of thing people make urban legends out of. The creepy doll man who snatches children away.
So when he noticed it's been a while since anyone said anything and watched the 'doll' lift up their notebook once more, Hitoshi took the opportunity and ran. Sprinting fully and hoping that the stranger either couldn't catch up or he was just too quick.
He was expecting to hear fast footsteps behind him. Like he was on the set of a horror movie about to get mauled in the street and left for some poor person to find. He didn't want to be a victim, especially when he's lived such a short and shitty life.
He just kept going and hoping, until he reached someone he could hide behind.
- - -
Izuku didn't know what he was doing. Maybe not talking with anyone his age for months was getting to him. Maybe not talking to anyone period was getting to him. But when he saw that purple haired kid with hair that looked like it was defying gravity perpetually, he found himself drawn to how downtrodden he looked.
Ana was just coming back from the beach dump with some more random electronics to scavenge when he spotted the kid staring out over the rubbish and trash, towards the sun. While Izuku never stayed outside long enough to watch the sunset, he definitely admitted that the junk, shadowed by the setting sun can actually be quite scenic.
It was just a bit more than that though that made him wander up to the kid who looked to be his age, maybe a bit older (Izuku using his own tiny size as a bad frame of reference). It was how tired his eyes looked, how thin he was and how he was here of all places.
Izuku has been to this beach many times and has seen enough people to match his number of fingers. This area was a deadzone where there were only three types of people. Either here to check out the beach and then immediately leave disappointed, here to dump something, be it old stuff or defective garbage and those who were less fortunate, scavenging the mess like him.
Someone here, enjoying the view willingly wasn't something people came here for. So of course he had to go up and ask to find out what he was doing here. Curiosity and loneliness was getting the better of him. Ana set off on her way to the boy, pushing a wheelbarrow full of goods.
Ana moved towards the boy and immediately Izuku could see him stand up. That must mean he's ready for a conversation, right? He said to Ana what it is she wanted so Izuku, after some hesitation, decided he was going to engage with him. Once Ana got close enough, Izuku ordered her to drop the wheelbarrow and start communicating with him. He had her sign 'Good evening, do you know JSL?'.
Izuku learned JSL when he realised how useful it could be for Ana as communication has been the newer problem the dummy had. He got the idea (annoyingly) from that guy who chased them down months ago though he admits it has been very useful on one or two occasions.
Of course not everyone knows JSL but it's better to be able to have it in case the opportunity presents itself. That's why he has the notepad and pencil in Ana's pocket after all. With it he can practically chat with anyone, not that he wants to.
The purple haired boy didn't seem to understand when he made the gestures so it's probably safe to say he didn't know sign language. Ana reached into her hoodie's front pocket and pulled out the notepad and small pencil Izuku bought in bulk for his journals. She brought the notepad right up to the camera lens so Izuku could focus on what it was he would be writing.
The fun thing about commanding someone to do things with your mind is that they can do it exactly to your parameters, provided they are capable of it. When Izuku gave the dummy the orders to write down ' Do you know JSL (Japanese Sign Language)?', it was done at the quality of a textbook example.
Showing that to the boy, he just stood there for a moment before he said that he did not. That dismayed Izuku for a second but it wasn't an unexpected answer so he took out the notebook and began to write: 'Why are you here?'
The other kid responded immediately and it would almost sound like he was snapping at Izuku if he hadn't devolved socially over the last few months of isolation. He said he wanted to be alone and Izuku can understand that totally. He liked being alone because it was the safest thing for him.
He made sure to air this thing they have in common in his next note. 'I like to be alone too'
The purple haired kid seemed to make a face that Izuku couldn't read but he could tell he was getting uncomfortable. He must've said something wrong but it was his response that seemed to make things make sense when he asked why he was talking to him and that he clearly thought he was talking to an adult.
He wasn't of course but Izuku could understand why he'd make that mistake. He needed Ana to look like an adult so she could do the delivery job but also because being taller is more advantageous. Biking was easier, you moved faster and she could carry more weight.
He did note though that the purple haired kid almost shouted that out. Which meant he's probably as scared as he would be if he saw a strange adult talk to him. Heck he was in that state a few months ago. He quickly scrawled down an answer in hopes of comforting him. He doesn't want to make him feel scared.
I wanted to talk to someone and you seemed lonely like me. Also I'm a kid too!
The other kid read his message and Izuku expected a happier expression than the one he had right now. Why was he getting more upset? Did he not believe him? He clearly didn't, given how he said it out, stating that Ana was 'too big' to be a kid.
So Izuku decided to show instead of tell. Surely he can figure it out once he's seen Ana's a doll. He ordered her to draw back her head and suddenly the screen got bright now that it wasn't looking through a pinhole. The doll shook her head a little in case the hood was still stuck and just looked directly at the kid to see if he understood or not.
Instead he just froze and Izuku thought for a moment that the camera died or the connection stuttered. Once he saw the other kid blink though he was sure he was just stunned. Ana's beautiful you know? Izuku put a lot of effort into making sure Ana's head looked as close to human as possible. Sure the camera lens ruined it and maybe he could've put more effort into laying the plastic but he couldn't really melt plastic down… could he?
'Something to look into later.' thought Izuku as he quickly opened a tab on the second monitor to add plastic moulds into his to do list.
Just in case though the other kid wasn't sure, Izuku wrote down in the notebook a clarifying statement. 'I am controlling this doll'
Once he showed that the other kid seemed to be shook out of whatever thoughts he was having and his eyes started darting around the place. Izuku wasn't sure what for but given how his face paled, the greenette realised that there might be a misunderstanding forming. Ana lifted up the notebook once more but as he did he watched the purple haired kid run.
Izuku realised that he may have messed up somewhere. He thought for a moment to chase the boy down and solve this misunderstanding, whatever it was, but then he just barely had enough clarity to think that that just might, maybe, make things worse. So he let him go, feeling dejected and sad that his first time talking to someone was a bust. Surely though he would get more chances in the future.
Chapter 7: Name/Colour/Quirk
It's been a few weeks since Hitoshi talked to that creepy stranger at the beach. He still got creeps every time he saw a doll because it reminded him of that messed up plastic face it had. Thankfully that day it didn't seem to follow him back to the house and he meant the house.
So far this place has been another, predictable, bust. The two adults haven't laid a hand on him yet but they have been neglecting him. The only food he gets is dinner and that's mostly leftovers, which is honestly better than some places so at least he has that going for him. It's not as if you need three meals a day.
But of course that didn't mean he didn't want them! He constantly felt empty and hungry, even if it was a familiar feeling. At least when he goes to school, he might get some better food. It was Hitoshi's first year in elementary school, not that he was hoping for much. He knew ever since he got this quirk when he was three that the world would always see him a certain way.
It was almost April and the cherry blossoms would be coming out in full force. Hitoshi only hoped that elementary would be different from kindergarten.
He barely made any friends, both because of his quirk and the fact he kept moving from place to place because of his fostering situation. It honestly reached the point where he didn't want to bother anymore. Why try when it was all temporary? It wasn't as if anyone would want to keep him longer than a year.
Maybe he would be lucky though. He was still a kid and that spark of hope all youths had was still within him. These fosters at least didn't go after him on purpose so here's hoping he can make it a year because without that hope, Hitoshi doesn't know what his future would look like.
When the day came that he got his uniform for the school, he could immediately tell that it wasn't done begrudgingly by his fosters but also not done willingly. Hitoshi guesses that he probably won't be getting anymore replacements should he lose them. Maybe he could find something at that beach he visited.
No actually, scratch that. Best not to risk stumbling into that creep again. He should just be extra careful with his stuff and hope no one takes his stuff or it breaks 'mysteriously'.
The morning of, he changed quickly into his uniform and set out for the school, not bothering to say goodbye because he knew he wasn't getting a good luck. He didn't have breakfast so already he was feeling lethargic. At least he got a full seven hours of sleep so that counts for something.
It was a while to Aldera Elementary School or rather the entire Aldera institution itself. The place was a mix of three different schools into one huge complex with elementary, middle and high all being together. It was quite extravagant all things considered but that might just be the idea, Hitoshi will need to see it before he makes any assumptions about the place.
The first day had come and orientation was given. Lining up with all those other kids along with the middle and high school students was something to behold. Hitoshi honestly had never seen so many people in one place so he was feeling intimidated as he was sure everyone else was.
As with all school orientations, there was the usual long winded speech from the principal. A meek looking man with a very obvious toupee on his head. Hitoshi was sure everyone could see it and honestly it would've been fine if the man's toupee wasn't a different hair colour than his actual hair to the sides of his head.
Maybe he intended that, maybe he didn't, either way it was at least distracting for the first twenty minutes of the speech. It stopped getting interesting when he actually stopped to hear the man talking about 'raising the strong of tomorrow for a brighter future tomorrow'.
Now that almost made Hitoshi groan. Anyone who talks like that are always the people to omit that the 'strong' are those who are chosen. Hitoshi's quirk isn't that strong in raw power but it was definitely dangerous in every other sense. He's never got a chance to use it fully for longer than ten seconds but that was enough to get how powerful it could be.
Whether that coin landed on the side of good or evil though, was entirely up to public opinion.
When orientation finally ended, thank god, he could finally go inside to homeroom and sit down after an hour of standing. His seating arrangement put him towards the back of the class, something that Hitoshi would soon realise was on purpose.
When the roll call was being done, they had also played a game, one that Hitoshi could already guess was for one purpose. When someone had their name called out, they'd introduce themselves. Saying their name, their favourite colour and, of course, their quirk.
Hitoshi could already tell the faces that would turn when he said the word 'Brainwashing' to them. Having a mind control quirk triggered by just answering his questions was already hard enough to explain but also having that label synonymous with so many negative things, it was like he was being written up for failure, which in all honesty he probably was.
When the teacher got through everyone else, she called the class' attention to him. Hitoshi immediately noticed that unlike everyone else, the teacher's eyes narrowed at him. Standing up, he could feel her eyes judging to see if he knew his place so Hitoshi acted as calm as possible and just said out what was expected.
"My name is Shinsou Hitoshi. My favourite colour is purple. My quirk is called Brainwashing and I can control people's minds if they answer my questions."
- - -
'That day went wonderfully.' Hitoshi thought.
Of course he was being sarcastic, something he had to learn in order to cope better with everything putting him down. Today was definitely one of those. The response to his quirk was as he tragically expected, with suspicion and whispers.
When lunchtime came, he was already alone, no one having talked to him probably out of fear of his quirk. And given how some people who weren't in his class were giving him looks, that information has spread like wildfire.
The question now is how he will be treated? Will he be ignored by everyone, treated only with a ten foot pole out of fear or will some people mess with him because it's the right thing to do to someone with a villainous quirk. That didn't take long, when he was 'accidentally' bumped into several times in the playground probably to see how far they could go before he reacted.
They weren't going to get a rise out of him. Not yet anyway. Even he had his limits but they were longer than most he hoped. At the very least he won't have to worry for a little while.
Everyone was still in the data collection portion of the bullying, knowing what's quiet enough that the teachers won't care. But given how every shoulder check was met with a glare at him by the teachers, it was clear that it was going to be a lot.
At least he can people watch before it gets worse. Class favourites were already being picked and it seemed that the biggest was a spiky haired blond kid from another class. Bakugou, if Hitoshi remembered right.
He had an explosion quirk. Something perfect for fighting and defeating villains so Hitoshi can surely expect to meet him in the coming weeks once everyone is settled. Obviously he wasn't looking forward to it. No one likes to be bullied, no matter what anyone tells you.
When his first day ended, no one had said a word to him but they definitely said words about him. He didn't know whether to be flattered or depressed that he'll be on the tip of everyone's tongues for the next while. Of course it was all bad things. Who'd ever treat him differently outside of a guy with a villainous quirk?
- - -
It only took till Friday for his first incident to arise. He wasn't sure why it took so long to get there but maybe being older made everyone more cautious than before. Hitoshi definitely knew as the years went on he was going to get more jumpy.
He was sitting against a wall in the playground, hiding in the shade away from everyone when a couple of kids from a different class walked up to him. Hitoshi could already see the shit eating smirks they had, that what was going to happen was nothing short of friendly. But maybe he was just being paranoid. Of course he would soon be corrected.
One kid was plump and had a shaved head along with what looked to be featherless wings coming out of his back. The other was a scrawny looking brat with short grey hair and spikes on his knuckles. If he remembered right, they're called Tsubasa and Pangaki respectively.
"Hey Shinsou," Tsubasa started, looking down at the sitting boy, "are you the guy with the villainous quirk?"
He laid it out as innocently as possible but of course couldn't hold back his smile, clearly already knowing who he was and what his quirk is. Hitoshi knew it was meant to trap him so instead he just did what he always did and was direct with what he thought.
"No. You got the wrong guy." completely calm but getting more stressed inside.
Tsubasa seemed a bit taken back when Hitoshi said that but didn't for long. Pangaki decided to step in and make his opinion on Hitoshi's quirk known.
"But everyone says that you've got one."
"Then I guess everyone's wrong." Hitoshi shot back as calmly as he could.
It was hard keeping up this facade. Again, no one liked being picked on, no matter what they say and while these can all just be 'innocent questions' it was all clearly trying to get a reaction out of him. He wasn't going to let that happen, he wasn't giving them the satisfaction.
Pangaki didn't stop, just kept going onwards with his next attack ready. "But isn't your quirk Brainwashing? That sounds really evil to me."
He did that while raising his hands in a 'just my opinion' kind of way. As if that made it less obvious what he was doing.
"Only if it's used that way." he argued, lifting up from the ground.
Hitoshi wasn't a small kid despite getting so little food and sleep. His guess has something to do with genetics and someone in his family having a height quirk. He was probably the top three tallest in his entire class so the confident looks on Pangaki and Tsubasa seemed to shake when he stood above them. His wild flowy hair also helped in the intimidation factor even if he didn't want to look more scary than he already was.
"W-well," Tsubasa stuttered slightly, "how do we know you don't use it that way, huh?"
"By maybe trying something called the 'benefit of the doubt' and being respectful." Hitoshi countered, even if it's wrong for a six year old to have to point that out.
"Why should we respect you when you've got a quirk like that?" Pangaki interjected and more aggressively now that it was obvious Hitoshi wasn't going to let them walk all over him.
"Why should I when you've got a face like that." Hitoshi spat, hoping that would beat him away.
The grey haired brat looked offended by that and scrunched his eyebrows. "Maybe it'd be better if a villain like you just stayed out of school altogether. It isn't like you'll need it."
Pangaki clearly wasn't putting up his innocent facade anymore if the snarl in his tone was anything to go by. Hitoshi was about to stab back again when they were interrupted by a teacher asking what they were doing. The teacher clearly didn't care when Tsubasa and Pangaki were goading Hitoshi but when it was clear he wasn't going to take it lying down, now he had to get involved.
The brats just said they were chatting and Hitoshi nodded along too, just wanting to go back to sitting in the shade. Thankfully the teacher left it there but not before giving the side eye to Hitoshi as he got back to supervising. For the rest of that break, the teacher practically hovered around Hitoshi, looking for an excuse to chastise the boy.
- - -
Things of course got worse as time went on. More taunts were made at him, especially on the way out from school, in hopes of getting him in trouble should he fight back. Soon these taunts turned into kicks in the back of his heel, which then turned to outright shoves in the corridors when the teachers weren't watching.
Of course sometimes they were but it wasn't as if they'd actually do something. That was clear to Hitoshi the first time it occurred. He couldn't do it back, obviously. Second he did, a teacher would be right there with a detention slip and a stern talking to about bullying and not causing trouble.
Hitoshi even got his bag grabbed a few times but with how use to the boy was to such things, he always had at least one hand on his bag so they normally just get stuck between them in a momentary tug of war before they let go and run away like they didn't just try to take his shit.
Honestly he couldn't wait for summer break. If not only to be away from everything and everyone and just be by himself. He finally got a moment when a villain attack close to the school left them having to close early for the day, a small blessing for Hitoshi as he rushed home.
He'd put his bag away and tore off his uniform because it was getting far too hot for it. He headed to a small park just to get some fresh air and isolation because it was all he had going for him in terms of hobbies. Finding little quiet spots like this always made him happy, especially when it looked like anyone rarely went there.
Unfortunately it wasn't one of those days he could be alone when a group of kids he recognised from class, along with Pangaki and Tsubasa, went for him the second they noticed he was there.
Hitoshi honestly considered just running, not giving the chance for them to make any remark or possibly grab him. He's never had a beatdown before but he knew that look in their eyes when they closed in. Hitoshi made sure to stand up right away and stared them down, daring them to come closer than they already were. Thankfully that seemed to make them stop in their tracks but not in their pursuit.
"Hey Shinsou! Nice we ran into each other." Pangaki called with a wry smile on his lips.
"What is it?" Hitoshi replied, not even trying to sound polite.
One of the kids scolded at his words. "Rude villain. Doesn't even know how to greet properly."
Hitoshi looked over to the one who said that and it was a big kid who seemed to have some kind of white crystal growing out of his shoulders. When his eyes met Hitoshi's, the kid's brow seemed to furrow more than it already had.
"I agree, Shiosho," Pangaki agreed. "Honestly Shinsou, maybe people would like you better if you could be a bit more friendly."
Of course that last sentence was laced with fake concern, like he actually cared whether or not Hitoshi was friendly. People would always see his quirk first and everything else as secondary and it's tragic that at an early age he knew he wasn't going to be treated any differently.
But right now, Hitoshi decided to use their words against them and be polite for now. So with a weak smile and a daring look he responded to Pangaki with strained words. "Well can you please leave me alone? I kind of don't want to chat right now."
Pangaki's smile got annoying wider as the scrawny brat opened his mouth some more in the most condescending way. "There? Was that so hard? Maybe you could avoid being a villain yet if you kept up that attitude."
Hitoshi swore he was going to cut open his palm with how tightly he was clenching his fist. After a short breath longer than the rest, he just decided to go. It was clear these people weren't going to leave him alone until they had their fill or Hitoshi left.
And he was doing just that, walking off without a goodbye because he didn't want to give them the chance to provoke him anymore lest he actually get into an argument. He speedwalked away, where Pangaki called after him and he almost got to the park gate when a painful grasp got hold of his arm.
"We aren't finished." the person grabbing him growled. Hitoshi turned to see Shiosho gripping hard as small crystals formed along that arm and softly stabbed Hitoshi through the kid's palm.
Hitoshi tried to move free of him but the white crystals hurt every time he tried to pull away making it fruitless. Also because of the half day, he didn't get the school lunch so he was feeling more tired than he usually does.
Pangaki, Tsubasa and the rest of the kids walked after him and this time they didn't keep back. They closed in and encircled Hitoshi and this is where he seriously considered breaking his vow on not using his quirk until he got into a hero course.
He always wanted to be a hero just like every kid his age did. But while most wanted the glory and reputation heroes got, Hitoshi wanted to be a hero so he could prove the world that told him he was something else. As such, he didn't want to use his quirk until he could finally use it for good without anyone using it against him.
But right now he was scared. Still keeping a defiant face but scared. He wasn't sure how this would end but he knew it wasn't going to be pretty. Either he used his quirk and they went crying to their parents, saying the mean villain kid hurt them or let the beat down happen. He didn't want to do either.
But unfortunately, much like everything, life doesn't give you the luxury of choice more often than not.
"That was rude." Pangaki sneered as he closed in. "Maybe someone needs to show you a villain like you how to behave better. But first, let's make sure you can't use that evil quirk of yours."
He reached out to Tsubasa's bag on his back and the boy took out… a muzzle. A dog muzzle to be exact. It wouldn't do much to stop him from talking but it was never about his quirk. He shook a lot, at this point not caring about getting hurt but the other kids just grabbed him and forced his head up so they could strap the thing on.
When he kept struggling more, a kick to his stomach by Shiosho made him almost collapse if the other kids weren't holding him up.
Hitoshi was really scared, especially when noticed that this one had a lock so it wasn't coming off unless they took it off, if they'd even do that. As the straps went around his ears he was ready to scream until someone else did it for him.
"What the hell is that?!" Tsubasa shouted, pointing to something being Hitoshi he couldn't see.
The other kids turned and paled at whatever it was and let go of Hitoshi to step away. The boy fell to the floor, still feeling the kick, scratching his hands on the pavement and seeing minor cuts in his arm where Shiosho had grabbed him.
Clacking of shoes on pavement ran out behind Hitoshi as he took off the loose muzzle and turned to see the almost limping form of the stranger from a few weeks ago, their hood down and their vaguely human, definitely not, face staring down at the kids.
"What are you?!" cried Pangaki as he hid behind the rest of the kids.
The stranger stood there for a moment, probably whoever was behind that camera thinking about their next move. Hitoshi watched in utter, skin crawling horror as the stranger hunched down on all fours, twisted their back and crawled towards the brats far faster than it should've.
The kids screeched and ran, the stranger going after them before stopping once they were satisfied they were gone. Hitoshi was still on the floor in pain from his earlier scuffle and stared at the 'doll' wearily as they approached normally.
'So this is how I go? Snatched away by a creepy doll monster. Guess it could've been worse.' Hitoshi thought as he struggled to get up.
The stranger had already closed in on Hitoshi and he was ready to accept his fate when the thing showed its upturned hand towards him in a gesture to help. Hitoshi wasn't sure what they were trying but he was already sure he couldn't do much. His quirk wouldn't work here because in all likelihood the person controlling them wasn't here so he was truly at the mercy of whoever was watching him.
He took the hand and was lifted up to his feet and he would've ran just like that when he noticed the stranger hadn't let go of his hand. The grip was tight; it didn't hurt but it was clear he wasn't getting away.
The stranger moved their arm to look at his and saw the softly bleeding punctures Shiosho had made and dragged the boy away. They threw up their hoods to hide their face. Passing by a few people, Hitoshi wanted to yell out for help but he didn't have the courage to but he was scared that if he tried, the stranger would hurt him.
They eventually arrived at a convenience store where they paid for something and sat Hitoshi outside on a bench where they finally let go to open their bag of stuff. Hitoshi looked around, hoping anyone would notice his scared face when a stinging pain came over him and he looked to see the stranger dabbing a cotton swab on his cuts before pasting a plaster over them.
Hitoshi watched in near awe as the stranger did this for everything, even the scruffs he had on his palms from when he fell.
'Are they… are they helping me?' the boy thought confused.
Once they finished, they put the stuff into the plastic bag they bought the stuff in and took out their notepad. On it was a message that had seemingly been prewritten and pushed it towards Hitoshi whilst looking around as if he was shoving over illegal documents.
Hi! My name is Izuku! My favourite color is green! My quirk is called Puppeteer and I can control inanimate objects!
Chapter 8: Only Friend
Ever since that day with the purple haired kid, Izuku didn't want to try again with anyone else. He understood that in retrospect approaching him without preparing how to talk was a massive blunder on his part. As such he made sure that for future reference, Ana would have a page in the notepad with his name and stuff.
Of course he knew that was dangerous. If Ana ever got hurt and couldn't move, that information would be up for the taking which is why she only had it when she was out looking for a friend. Specifically the friend he tried to make that day.
However he couldn't find him, try as she might, but he did realise that the start of the school year was now and Izuku remembered it would be his first day of elementary school. At least, it would be if mama hadn't died.
Not that he blamed her! Hisashi was the monster and always will be. He would always blame him for her death. Of course, he'd sometimes put himself alongside the people who caused Mama to die. He knew that the reason Hisashi got worse was because of him. The whole reason Mama died was solely because of him but there's no need to think about that now.
That was future Izuku's problem.
Right now though, he had just saved that friend from some bullies who tried to muzzle him. Seriously? Why would they even do that? He scared them off by trying something he saw in a horror movie trailer and honestly it was quite fun watching them run away screaming.
This time the boy also seemed to stay but Izuku didn't want a repeat of last time so he had Ana hold his hand and took him to get patched up. He didn't know much about healing people but that's what the second monitor is for. After a quick search, Izuku found out what he needed and bought what he could.
After he was done and the purple haired boy seemed to calm a little, maybe, he took out the notepad and showed him the message. A simple one that hopefully broke the ice between them.
The boy's eyes seemed to widen as he read the message but didn't say anything until Izuku flipped the page over to show another message mentioning he's six. A look of disbelief grew on the boy's face and he looked ready to say something when Ana flipped over another page to explain that he either could trust him and be his friend or run away again.
A few moments petered by before the purple haired kid finally spoke. "So.. are you really six?"
They nodded and flipped a new page to quickly write, pulling the notepad to their face as usual to see what they were writing.
Yep! One year younger than you!
The kid seemed to raise an eyebrow at that. "I'm also six."
The 'doll' seemed to stop for a moment, digesting that information before they frantically wrote some more and turned the pad around keenly.
But you're so much taller than me!
"Maybe you're just shorter than everyone." the kid said in an almost teasing manner, even if it was accidental.
Izuku was not short! Yes he had problems reaching stuff without Ana's help but he was still a growing kid! Maybe he needs to start measuring his height to see if he's gotten any taller recently. Besides that though, Izuku quickly made sure to clarify this to the boy.
I'm not short! You're probably just super tall.
The other boy seemed to smile a little, something Izuku hadn't seen before. It was a smile that used all his teeth to show and if Izuku wasn't enjoying talking to someone when he hasn't in months, he would think he's messing with him.
"Nope. You're probably just tiny. I'm pretty average for my class."
- - -
Of course that was a lie. Hitoshi was taller than average but it was fun teasing this person. After the initial shock and fear of the doll had worn off, he realised that this stranger probably was a kid if their flustered writing and childish responses had anything to say about it and man it felt good.
He wasn't sure why this person was here or who Izuku was but he could tell by now that if they wanted to hurt him, they would've done so already. Though the fact that, despite the flustered words they exchanged about whether Hitoshi was taller than most kids his age, the doll still moved eerily mechanical.
Before it wasn't clear to Hitoshi that they were an object under that hood. He just thought at the time they were just stilted or had a bad back but with the knowledge now he just couldn't unsee it. Not that it mattered right now when they'd gotten to talking about other kids' heights.
Their conversation went on for a while before Hitoshi's stomach growled and made it clear he was hungry. Izuku seemed to notice this and wrote a message addressing it.
Hey, are you hungry? Did you miss lunch?
"Oh, uh yeah. I was meant to have the schools but they had to close for the day." Hitoshi explained.
Stay here. I'll get you something.
The 'doll' stood up and went back into the convenience store and Hitoshi wasn't sure if he should take this chance to leave or not. He still couldn't fully trust the other person as they might still be bad but then he remembered his own words he said a few days ago.
'Maybe I should just give them the benefit of the doubt.' he thought.
He felt that maybe he acted a bit rash and, dare he say, hypocritical. For all he knew Izuku really was a kid like him and had a quirk that was also slightly odd. Puppeteer and Brainwashing both didn't sound like pleasant things so maybe he should practice what he preached and give the other person a chance.
It didn't take long for Izuku to come out with a bento box and a bottle of water, handing both to Hitoshi. He honestly tried to tell him he was fine but another grumble and he couldn't defend himself anymore. The food actually tasted quite good, or maybe it was the hunger talking. He hadn't eaten since dinner last night and told Izuku as such in a passing remark.
Do you often not have breakfast?
"Y-yeah. I tend to just skip it." Hitoshi answered between bites.
He didn't want to say anything about his fostering situation. He's had it before where kids made fun of him for it and didn't want Izuku to do the same. The other one seemed to not want to drop it as was obvious with their next sentence.
Why?
"Because I'm normally too busy getting up. I have trouble sleeping." he said carefully, not sure if his face whilst saying that was too little or too much.
Hitoshi always had insomnia problems ever since he was in the foster system. He'd sleep with one eye open for any kids who'd tried to take his stuff and would forgo it all together just to avoid tomorrow as much as possible. In the end it made him find it hard to sleep even if he did want to. It was annoying but he's learned to accept it even when he really shouldn't.
Izuku, or Ana, was it? Seemed to contemplate that for a moment before writing down a response.
I also have problems sleeping. If you want I can bring you breakfast every morning on your way to school.
Hitoshi didn't know how to respond to that. He didn't expect for Izuku to have that common ground. The offer for a free breakfast was tempting and honestly he was enjoying talking to him.
"Sure!" he said a bit too eagerly. "I go to Aldera and normally go through that street towards the mall when I head to school."
The doll seemed to nod along with what he said. Hitoshi then realised whether or not Izuku had a problem with that seeing as he was also a kid and probably goes to school too.
"What school do you go to?" he asked. The doll seemed to snap back into being in control again and wrote down a simple message.
I don't. I'm homeschooled.
- - -
I mean, Izuku wasn't technically lying. The warehouse is his home and he was learning in it. Making it his school. He had registered online to a homeschooling application and was learning at a faster pace than the class intended so it's not as if not going to traditional school was a problem. Yeah it was a bit lonely but Izuku was always lonely.
He didn't know if that was better or not but imagining himself in a small room with a bunch of other loud kids in person without Ana was nightmare fuel for him. So honestly this was the infinitely better option for the boy.
The other kid seemed to accept that and was finishing up his food. It was then that Izuku realised he hadn't actually gotten his name yet and wrote down so to ask him for it.
I don't know your name
The other kid put the bento box away and nodded towards Ana. "Shinsou Hitoshi."
"Hi Shinsou…" Izuku whispered quietly in his room, smiling stupid.
It wasn't a friend but it was an acquaintance. Probably Izuku's first since Kacchan. He didn't want to rush being friends right away in case he, Shinsou, wasn't as friendly as he thought but honestly he didn't look mean to him.
The two kept chatting all the way to the sunsetting. From favourite food, favourite types of music to even learning that Shinsou always wanted a cat. Izuku never really thought about pets but always knew that they'd probably be difficult to keep. He was already feeding himself and now he was feeding Shinsou…
Does that mean he's a cat?
Pushing that ridiculous thought out of his head, Izuku made sure to ask him about his quirk. The boy seemed to tense his shoulders at being asked that but Izuku didn't notice. Eventually after a few seconds of silence, he opened his mouth slowly to speak.
"It's called Brainwashing. I can control people if I ask them a question and they respond." he said with a slight wince.
Izuku was amazed at such a thing. He can control people with just a question and answer? Imagine all of the ways he could do that. Imagine the amount of the possibilities that could be made with a quirk like? Negotiations would be a landslide, hostage situations would be easily done and any violent criminals too strong to be taken down can be defeated with just one wrong word!
Izuku wrote this all down in his notebook and showed it to Shinsou who just seemed to stare at it in awe. He blinked his eyes rapidly, as if he was in disbelief but why would he?
Then he slowed down and remembered what those bullies were saying earlier. Because of Izuku's quirk not having a name, he looked up a bunch of ones online that were also about control. Most of them weren't flattering and mainly referred to malicious or ominous meanings more often than not.
Even for heroes there were fewer still that mind controlled people so Izuku immediately realised what a quirk name like Brainwashing can do. Puppeteer also sounded nefarious but honestly Izuku didn't really care when he named it that. When he was younger he did but after thinking about it, it sounded cooler than going with Object Control or Animate Object.
Shinsou seemed to smile at the words and look up to Ana eye's, directly at Izuku.
"Thank you." he uttered in a way that made Izuku smile back.
- - -
Over the next few days, Izuku did what he said and gave Hitoshi breakfast every day, thirty minutes before he went into class. They'd normally chat a lot about what they liked and what new heroes were debuting and the likes.
Izuku kept talking about Shinsou's quirk and asking more and more about the specifics of it. The first thing he learned was that it didn't work through technology so Izuku was, albeit a bit rude, thankful that he couldn't get controlled. This was especially after Hitoshi said that the only way a person can be woken out of the state they had to be hurt.
The greenette can't imagine what he'd do if he was frozen in his own room, unable to do anything. He wouldn't have any way to break out unless someone happened to find him. Fortunately even if such a thing were to happen, Shinsou could only keep control of someone for thirty seconds at best.
Not that would've stopped him from hanging out with Shinsou. Well, maybe. But not because his quirk was villainous or anything! It's just that he must always, always prioritize keeping himself hidden and safe over everything else.
Except he was technically not prioritising that. Izuku told Shinsou his real name. Not his family name but still a name that could be followed. Not only that but his quirk is pretty unique so a thorough enough look can find Izuku and his missing poster with his face on it online.
For a while Izuku actually considered going to the police about those missing posters and telling them that he's fine. After all, he's read online about the foster care system and how it doesn't treat kids with strange quirks well. He also didn't like the idea of one day Hisashi showing up like he did at the hotel and burning everything down around him. Izuku was a danger to others so he needed to hide away for the sake of everyone else. He didn't want anyone to burn again.
But enough about that. Shinsou seemed to not want to dig further into Izuku's past and it's honestly the best for both of them. They are alone in their own right and have found comfort in talking to each other, not just before but after school too!
Izuku even helped Shinsou with his homework a lot. It also helped with him knowing where he should be in terms of his own education. So pretty much they were helping each other by doing this.
"Ugh!" Shinsou groaned, throwing down his pencil onto a worksheet. "I can't get any of this. Why is it so hard to remember words!"
They were at the park where they usually did his homework. The same one they first properly met. This particular park was empty most of the time which made it perfect for doing something like studying or reading. Ana shifted her arms and wrote in her notepad, giving it to Shinsou.
Learning to read and write can be difficult at first but that doesn't mean you should give up. We'll get there I know it!
"You're right…" Shinsou groaned, "...but how can you remember all these letters?"
The doll wrote. I normally have a system for remembering stuff.
"Gifted child." Shinsou grumbled in a well meaning way.
The doll wrote again. How is that bad?
Shinsou threw himself back and closed his eyes. After taking a few breaths he lowered his head and spoke to him. "Okay. Can you show me how you do it then?"
Ana nodded and the two spent the afternoon that day going over a small system to remember the many strokes and lines of a few hiragana characters. Some more grunts of frustration came as they tested Shinsou's memory but after a lot of tries and notepad pages, he finally managed to learn them all off by heart, at least until he's tested again tomorrow.
They decided that was enough for today. Or rather Shinsou decided that that was enough for today and the boy and doll started to clean up after themselves. As Ana walked around and picked up some discarded notepad pages from when he was teaching Shinsou, the boy spoke up.
"Hey so I just wanted to ask but is there any way we can talk to each other quicker?" he asked.
Ana snapped around to look at him and the boy shivered a little. Izuku could tell that Shinsou (for whatever reason) still felt intimidated by the dummy. Even though he has gotten more used to its presence over time. Izuku had Ana write in her notepad a new message and handed it over to Shinsou.
There's this thing called JSL. Japanese Sign Language. You use your hands and arms to convey messages quickly without speaking. It can be faster and easier than writing if you learn it.
"Is that what you asked me about when we met?" Shinsou recalled.
Ana nodded, writing once more and showing the paper to Shinsou.
I can teach you. According to many sources on education and languages, people pick up new languages better as children than when they're adults.
"Oh. Okay then." Shinsou agreed. "So how does it work?"
The two boys, with the medium of Ana, spent the rest of their time together that day teaching the other about JSL. It wasn't as pressured as the earlier work as it wasn't as if they couldn't communicate without it. Shinsou seemed to enjoy it a lot which made Izuku smile behind the screen and a part of him aches at that for a different reason.
- - -
Hitoshi has been doing well in school for once surprisingly. Pre school didn't prove a challenge but then pre school isn't meant to, but when he spent the first few days in elementary he could tell he was going to struggle. Not because the curriculum was hard, no, but you tend to struggle a lot when your teacher doesn't answer your questions or outright chastises you for 'speaking out of term'.
Thankfully though, Izuku was a good teacher. Even though Hitoshi had his suspicions of him lying about being a kid, over time he can see the little things. Sometimes Izuku's writing would get messier from its more textbook perfect way. His word choice would always be more kid-like, always writing informally besides continuing to use Hitoshi's family name to address him.
Not only that but Hitoshi started to understand 'Ana' more. Even though the doll had no moving face and moved very stilted due to Izuku's control, Hitoshi started to notice the ways 'she'd' reflect what Izuku was feeling.
Such as when Hitoshi told a joke, he knew it was a good one when the doll just stood there, immobile. The first time Hitoshi thought the opposite but Izuku would write how much he loved that. Something similar would happen when the doll was focused.
'Her' writing would be faster and 'she' would lean in, as if eagerly listening to Hitoshi's every word. Honestly it was fun trying to read 'her'. But all of this just made Hitoshi want to learn more about the person behind the camera.
He knew Izuku was short, if his reaction from when they first met was anything to go by and he knew he was homeschooled so there's that. Hitoshi also knew he probably didn't have a normal schedule. At times when school went out for an emergency, Izuku was always around meaning he didn't have a normal period time table like him.
Of course Hitoshi could tell Izuku didn't want to talk about himself. Every time he'd try to bring something up the doll froze for a moment before it wrote out saying it would rather talk about something else. A crude topic change but Hitoshi learned not to prod. He didn't want to lose his only friend.
Soon enough, the boy had given the other permission to call him Hitoshi and if the doll shifting back is anything to go by, Izuku was shocked but happy. That day they didn't do any studying and took a walk by the beach dump, Izuku signing to him about the crazy stuff he's found there as practice.
Speaking of, Hitoshi has been getting good at JSL. Not as good as Izuku, that guy seemed to be a master at it from his perspective but they could have a conversation without needing the notepad. All in all, life was good. Really good. Except maybe one thing.
Teachers didn't like how smart Hitoshi was, especially when it came to tests. He didn't know why, precisely, that's the case but given how the word 'cheating' was always muttered when he got his tests back it was obvious what they expected of him.
Hitoshi noticed it even got to a point where he was given a spelling test that seemed to purposefully be more difficult than the rest of the class. Thankfully, Izuku was a better teacher than them and still passed despite it, earning him a call to the principal's office along with his foster parents to discuss this.
Most of it was his fosters eyeing him annoyingly as if he was at fault for doing well. Like they actually believed he was cheating instead of the better prospect that he was genuinely smart. The principal, that same man with the obvious toupee, explained to his fosters how unlikely it was Hitoshi could ever get these answers right.
After what felt like ten minutes of him breaking down how Hitoshi was surely too stupid for this (not exactly that but it certainly felt like it), the meek man finally asked the boy himself about some of the questions on the test.
Hitoshi did what he said and answered every question himself. It was a math test so Hitoshi made sure to explain his working out too for extra effect. It was clear at the end to the adults that he was smart but that didn't matter because their minds were already made up long before the meeting took place.
So Hitoshi told the truth further and said that he was being tutored by someone. This made not just the teacher and principal's head turn but the fosters too.
"What do you mean Shinsou?" his foster mom, Chiyo, asked in disbelief.
'Didn't you notice how often I'm gone?' Hitoshi thought but didn't say.
"I go to a tutor after school and they always help me understand my schoolwork." he answered truthfully and as innocently as he could, knowing it would rile them up more.
"Shinsou, we don't have the money for that." Ken, his foster father, had said, sounding almost like an argument.
"They do it for free." Hitoshi said back, keeping his voice low and soft.
More questions were thrown at him about this mystery tutor and Hitoshi just kept answering. When they asked where he was taught, he said at the park where he met them. When they told him that he shouldn't talk to strange adults, Hitoshi said they were his age. When they outright said they don't believe him, he immediately answered that they can invite them over for dinner and they'd accept.
This left his foster parents and the teachers more and more frustrated with the boy, because no matter how they tried to argue against this, for some reason, he had the perfect answer to stop them in their tracks. Eventually by the end, they left with Hitoshi, telling him to go home himself and stopped talking about Izuku altogether.
However while his fosters may continue to be (thankfully) neglectful, the principal and teachers were far from that.