Chapter 10
The students of class 1-A sat together silently. They had heard from Aizawa that Izuku was fine and would probably be back by tomorrow. Mina knew it was all up to her. She was the only one who could cheer everyone up. She would be the hero they needed, not the hero they deserved. (If anyone else were asked, they would agree - They definitely deserved better).
"Sooooo... Seems like some lucky girl was the last thing on Midori's mind..." She wiggled her eyebrows at Uraraka, and heard Eiji groan from beside the now-blushing girl.
Iida stood and made a chopping motion with his hand, "Ashido-san, that is highly inappropriate! Apologize to Uraraka-san and when he returns, to Midoriya-san as well!"
Mina pouted in an exaggerated manner, but she saw it was working, Kaminari was holding back a grin, Toru's shoulders were shaking in silent laughter, most of the other girls were blushing.
Surprisingly, of all people Tokoyami was the one who decided to join her side, "I believe that I must humbly disagree with you, Iida-san. Although I dwell deep in the darkness, even I know that the strongest power of all is love, more than any quirk". Mina noticed Tokoyami glance toward Yanagi, who looked ponderous at what he said. hmmmm, something to keep track of.
In the background Uraraka was sputtering "L-love? No no, me and Izu- Midoriya-san, no! Midoriya-Sensei! We just... friends! Right! Yes!", Poor girl, Mina thought, so out of touch with reality. She would definitely help Uraraka on her quest to bag Midori, but for now Mina found something much more interesting.
"Indeed", the completely black shadow-jumper, Kuroiro, added (also while glancing at Yanagi), "As one who dwells eternally in shadow, I know that the light of true and pure love shines brighter than even a thousand suns". Uraraka was steaming at that point, insisting that Izuku's pure love was only for heroics and katsudon.
"Alas", Tokoyami immediately responded, locking eyes with Kuroiro, "It is a shame that such a powerful and exalted light would burn away even the vestige of a ghost of a memory of a shadow's ghost's vestige. As one who knows the purity of the darkest of nights, I also know that only in those pristine depths do light and dark become indistinguishable, and just as in the light, true and profound love between those ordained by fate can blossom".
Mina felt a nudge, and saw Toru offer her a snack. She knew they were kindred souls.
Kuroiro glared at their bird-headed classmate, "Indeed those would be the foolish, tragically mistaken, wrong and foolish beliefs of one who only dwells in darkness. Such a hypothetical man, who must hardly be a man, perhaps no more than a boy, would be to blind to see that shadows are everywhere, an immutable facet of the very fabric of our darkly tragic and tragically dark reality. As one who resides in the liminal realms of shade, I know how light and dark coexist, just as two lovers must coexist to bring forth the inevitable. Ahem, The inevitable is children".
Toru snorted out some of her chocolate, and whispered to Mina "I think if you look hard enough you can see him blush. And look at Uraraka, she floated herself by accident and I think she fainted".
Mina responded in kind, "Yeah but look how they sneak glances at Yanagi, it's so precious! Sooo, wanna bet on the outcome?"
"A thousand yen on Tokoyami"
"You're on, Kuroiro is ready for kids, no way he can beat that!"
Both girls jumped at they felt a tap on their shoulders. They looked back and saw Jiro's ear extensions, one tapping them and the other holding a note. Mina looked and saw Jiro sitting next to a slightly red faced Yoa- Yaoa- Yezo- Momo! Ugggh Mina would have to talk to her about a nickname and fast, she didn't have enough brain to remember that. Toru meanwhile took the note and opened it.
Put us down for a throuple - Jiro & Yaoyorozu.
She turned back to the girls, and nodded emphatically.
"Did you hear his analysis? He was calculating the math and the degrees and everything, in real time during the fight! And did you see how hot he was?"
Itsuka Kendo sighed at her classmate's antics, "He was wearing a mask the whole time, Tokage-san".
The green haired girl gave Itsuka a mock glare, "Yeah well, heroics makes people fifty-eight percent hotter, being super smart makes up the other fifty two percents-"
Intelli was about to intervene but Itsuka stopped her with a raised hand, "Don't bother, she's making those mistakes to rile you up".
"Hey! You can't know that! Maybe I'm as dumb as I am beautiful?"
Itsuka deadpanned "That would have been more believable if you hadn't passed the written recommended exam, which both Honenuki-san and Intelli-san mentioned was quite difficult".
Tokage detached her head and let it float around, "Pshhh I don't understand the big deal, it was like playing a choose your own adventure game from when we were kids. I literally seduced the villain and then went to sign autographs for the children". She brought a detached hand to sweep her hair back in an exaggerated gesture of arrogance, "Why, I was even commended for great interpersonal skills and empathy for civilians, it only said that I lack information gathering skill and situational awareness".
Intelli's eye twitched, "Pray tell, Tokage-san, what happened that made you get such an evaluation?"
The detachable girl looked a little embarrassed, but Itsuka reckoned she was too deep into the bit to retreat, "The villain got up and also had allies, and then killed me by surprise when I gave my number to a handsome reporter".
Right as Itsuka was going to put a stop to that, another classmate interrupted, "Well, I'll bet he's very ugly under that mask, did you see those class 1-A boys? Each is less attractive than the next. Us in 1-B have suave individual charm. Besides, I'm sure that if I even manage to touch him, I'll be able to use his quirk much more efficiently, as would any of you, my dearest classmates, were you burdened with a quirk such as mine".
The various conversations happening around the classroom died out, and everyone stared at Monoma Neito.
Itsuka sighed once again.
Katsuki felt... empty. He saw Izuku do things he couldn't even imagine. Heard his analyses, and as much as it shamed him, he admitted that with a good martial arts background, only his ability to analyze opponents in real time would probably get him into the hero course.
And he had so much more than just Analyze Opponents in Real Time for a quirk.
It was also insulting... They knew each other way longer than that stupid nerd knew round face and that ridiculously chiselled guy with spiky hair. Katsuki definitely didn't want to be one of that loser's final thoughts, but he damn well knew that he should be.What, round face gives him a hug and suddenly he's all goo-goo eyes for her? Fucking ridiculous. Maybe Katsuki should have let some girl date him in middle school. Not one of the hot ones, of course. That could have probably prevented him from losing his marbles over little miss floats over there.
He finally couldn't take anymore of their babbling, and let out a couple of loud explosions "Enough! I know that stupid nerd better than any of you, no way he's interested in anyone. He hasn't spoken to a girl that wasn't his mom since kindergarten!" Everyone stopped to look at him (except birdbrain and blackfa- yeah, no, he'd need another nickname for the shadow kid, shadow the hedgehog, that were still glaring at each other).
For some reason Hot Abs Spiky Hair was glaring at him, but he still had stuff to say. "Well, where's round face? I'll let her down easy and let her know that Deku wouldn't know what to do with a girl".
He looked around, but couldn't see her anywhere, he could swear he saw her floating by the door. Suddenly he heard the grumble of an upset stomach and a groan of discomfort above him. He looked up to see the floating girl, green faced and with a hand over her mouth.
That was the last thing he remembered before erasing the rest of the day from his memory.
"...and while she was reciting the one hundredth story, she felt a soft kiss on her lips. She opened her eyes and saw that it was the princess who had woken up!" Izuku lowered his voice as he saw Eri yawn, "And then they talked all about their favorite books, and lived happily ever after. Oh, and when they had kids, the princess made sure to tell them everything she knew about love".
Eri smiled at him before nodding off to sleep on his lap. The door slid open and Nezu entered with Mirai, as well as All Might in his skinny form. The three of them were smiling, but Izuku still felt a pang of guilt when he looked at their haggard faces.
"The moment everything goes back to normal, I will temporarily hand over the Nighteye Agency to Centipeder. I... know I couldn't have known earlier, but what happened today was proof that my quirk is probability manipulation, and... if I had trained it beforehand..." Mirai looked down in shame.
Izuku straightened up carefully and answered in a low voice, "What are you talking about Mirai? We both know you couldn't have known, and next time will be better. Even I know that heroes can't alwayswin." His eyes shifted over All Might for a brief second.
"Izuku is right, Mirai, and since he has confirmation, I'm sure that there is already a quite detailed training plan to tst and expand the limits of your quirk." Nezu gave Izuku a knowing glance, and when he saw the boy looking away sheepishly, he added, "A plan that doesn't involve skirting the law on financially volatile quirks by visiting Las Vegas".
Izuku faked a grumble, but really he was happy that they were all together. They came to sit near him silently as to not wake Eri up. Nezu looked at her with a sad gaze, "Did you learn anything?" He felt a distinct discomfort at the way Izuku's face darkened.
"Yeah... They were using her for her quirk. And her blood." All Might paled and Nezu felt anger welling within him. "Her quirk can rewind matter. I'm not sure if it's organic only or not, and it used to be a stockpiling quirk, but it changed when it interacted with mine. It probably changed permanently, since her horn still looks different, but there's so much left to understand." Izuku noticed he was rambling about her quirk and refocused. "Overhaul's quirk lets him rearrange matter... He used it to extract biological materials. I don't know exactly what for, but I have a feeling it wasn't only for Trigger production".
They sat in silence, digesting everything the young girl went through. "Well, that certainly complicates things as well as makes them simpler". Izuku looked askance at Nezu, who quickly added "We'll move you two to the school tonight. You may not know this, but you were on national TV. In your U.A. uniform."
He felt bile rising in his throat.
Nezu caught on to his discomfort, "Yes, there are problems. Although they don't know your identity, surely the press won't give up so easily. Besides that, Eri was also caught on camera, and is quite distinct in her appearance. However there are possible solutions as well. Firstly we will house you two in the school indefinitely, second we will make all heroics students sign NDAs, third we will release partial information to the press, edited snippets of the comm data. Whether you want to come forward and identify yourself or not is your choice. and we will support you in it".
Eri shifted in her sleep and clung onto his shirt, Izuku looked at her and grew more resolute, "Alright, we can handle it. I can handle it. I already have ideas for Eri's quirk tests, we'll try them tomorrow morning. And I'm starting to get a hunch as to what kind of changes my quirk can make in others".
They got up slowly, and as they left the hospital (Izuku with a hat and mask) All Might suddenly jolted as if he remembered something, "Oh right... While you were fighting, Aizawa decided to let the hero students hear the comms. They learned a lot about mid combat analysis, but also... Young Uraraka is a lucky girl!"
Izuku froze in place, trying to remember everything he said and was said to him. He snapped out of it when he felt Eri shifting in his arms. He didn't know who would take custody of her, but he found that he didn't really mind if she just stayed in his arms. Every time he looked at her, he remembered exactly why being a hero was so important, that saving people didn't end with numbers on a chart. He rescued her, but there was still so much she needed, and if he was to be her hero, he would make sure she got everything and more.
Nezu was right. He usually was, but the margin of error this time was slim. Only a couple of hours after they returned to U.A. the first press vans already started camping out, as if they were waiting for a midnight release. He wondered whether it would be worthwhile to dissuade them, or just give them something so they would leave. He would have to consult with Izuku, and probably Aizawa and Yagi. For now he would let the boy sleep with his new ward. He didn't tell that to Izuku of course, since he figured it would be funnier to wait and see when he would remember to ask.
--
Early in the morning Nezu went to check up on Izuku and Eri, and peek at the press outside (which could serve as an obstacle course for the students trying to enter). From the field behind the small safe-house they stayed in he heard Izuku cheer and clap, and Eri... crying?
"See Eri-chan? I told you it's not a curse! Your quirk is super cool and can save soooo many people!" Nezu saw the girl trembling from an overwhelming mix of emoticons, holding on to Izuku's leg and looking at a potted plant.
He felt the irresistible need to tease them, "Already helping her with her quirk Izuku? You could have at least fed her breakfast".
Before Izuku could sputter out an explanation, Eri looked at Nezu angrily, and then fearfully (his heart ached when he saw her reign in any negative emotion - no doubt a conditioned response), but still she managed to talk, "No no... ummm Izu helped me ummm fix it".
Nezu quirked an eyebrow, "Fix what?"
"My curse! He made it into a super cool ummm..." Izuku bent over to pick her up, and complete her sentence. As he made eye contact with Nezu, he mouthed silently 'nightmares'. Nezu asked no more.
"Quirk. and it was already super cool Eri, I just changed how it worked a little. Wanna show Uncle Nezu?" It took an inordinate amount of willpower not to purr when he heard Izuku call him 'Uncle Nezu', but he restrained himself. Purring is for lowly beasts like Aizawa and Yamada's cats, not a majestic gerbil such as himself.
Eri hesitated, looked at him, at Izuku, then at him again, and nodded. "Okay remember first we try the regular plant, right?" She nodded, pointed her head at the potted plant, and a white energy beam shot out from her horn. The light subsided and nothing had changed?
While Nezu was examining the plant he heard Izuku give Eri a high-five with an exaggerated smile, "Now what?" Izuku prompted, and suddenly she looked much less sure of herself.
"N-now we... we break a branch?" Izuku nodded and gestured toward Nezu. The Gerbil proceeded to break a branch of the plant and back away, when Eri tilted her head and another white beam shot out. This time the change was clear - The potted plant had been restored. Nezu looked toward Eri and the clapping Izuku, and noticed that one if the spirals of her horn had receded.
Izuku saw him looking and explained "She grew another spiral overnight, so she was back to three of them. Looks like the change is permanent, and also a really powerful healing quirk!" Eri looked up at Izuku, not exactly smiling, but... trying to? (Nezu again felt a jolt of sympathy and anger).
"Very good!" Nezu joined Izuku in the overenthusiastic clapping. "Would you like to see if you can still help Izuku when he activates his power?" Eri nodded, and so did Izuku.
The green haired hero let her down, and activated his quirk - Green lightning surrounded him as he floated up, and from Eri's horn the same lightning emerged to surround her. Her horn grew back to the full three notches, while under Izuku's feet the red energy bar and three miniature Eri faces blinked into existence.
Izuku swooped down to pick up Eri and fly with her for a little bit, before coming down to do some more tests.
Entering the school was excruciatingly difficult. Both because of the press, and because of Eijiro's worry for his best friend. He was thankful that Aizawa-sensei had the good sense to make them allow the students through, but wow they really wanted to get the scoop on 'Lotus'. Seems like all of their ideas for hero names wouldn't be needed - which was just as well since Lotus was way better than 'Pink Bullet', 'All Mightier', 'Mr. Pattern', and other ideas that Eijiro cringed even by thinking about.
His grumbles were shared by students from all courses, but the heroics teachers made sure to emphasize that letting anything slip on the identity of Lotus was a one way ticket to expulsion - even to other U.A. students. He stopped at the door to his classroom, where several of his classmates were also standing. Inside, Midoriya was holding the girl he saved (man was she adorable up close!), but more importantly - He was floating with the energy bar and little faces under him.
He looked extremely embarrassed as everyone slowly entered while staring at him.
"I... I don't know how to turn it off".
Chapter 11
Izuku kept trying to talk to her, but there never seemed to be an opportune moment for the two of them to talk without some of their classmates around them. Being floaty and glowy (as Ashido so helpfully phrased it) surely didn't help.
Everyone swarmed Izuku (carefully, after they frightened Eri the first time they jumped him) asking how he was feeling, what exactly the operation was, can they hold Eri-chan (Ashido, Hagakure, Yanagi, Asui, and Mezo), does his quirk have a "smarts part" and can they learn it (Ashido and Kaminari), Are you aware that you have two years of detention to serve (Aizawa).
That last one had everyone scramble to their seats. "Midoriya, why is your quirk active?"
Izuku stifled an exasperated sigh, "I don't know how to turn it off sensei". He could hear the giggles from the students around him. Eri patted his shoulder comfortingly, despite not exactly knowing what the problem was.
It was only months of honing his reflexes every day that allowed him to land on his feet, as he suddenly tumbled to the ground. Aizawa's hair was floating, so it was obvious what had helped him out this time. But he would definitely need to figure that out. As if mirroring his thoughts, Aizawa spoke "You'll need to figure that out, pronto, especially if you don't want the press on your backs". He turned to the rest of the class, "Alright, we didn't get to it yesterday, but it's time to go over the evals for your first heroics class, then..."
The class shuddered at Aizawa's menacing tone, "It'll be time to choose a class representitive." As if the class were pre-programmed machines, all heads (except for Katsuki and Todoroki) turned in Izuku's direction. "Not Midoriya. He has TA duties and his own training to do. Speaking of training, you should all have your evaluations under your desks..."
Shota put up a very weak argument against Nezu, but succumbed to his pressure. Nemuri and Hizashi were on the rat's side from the get go, so it was a forgone conclusion. After going over the heroics class, he sent Izuku to Nezu's office with the girl (he would not be getting too emotional about that, Hizashi would never let him live it down), and let the students argue amongst themselves.
He looked at the clock. It was time. "Alright, lunch is coming up, so I'm cutting this discussion off here, we'll proceed during homeroom tomorrow, and if by then a decision isn't made I'll draw lots for the representative and vice representative. Todoroki, Kirishima, Uraraka, and Asui, come with me please".
The kids looked confused and nervous. Well, Kirishima and Uraraka did. Asui was deadpan as usual, and Todoroki was... well, that's one of the reasons he took him out. They followed him silently, toward the more administrative area of the school. His first stop was outside of Hound Dog's office. "Todoroki, this is your stop. You will be going here twice a week, after homeroom. You won't be participating in heroics class until you get an okay from Hound Dog, and you will keep coming here until you are told otherwise".
Todoroki for his part nodded his head and silently entered the counselor's office, but Aizawa still sensed a glare under there. "Alright, Kirishima, Uraraka, wait here please. Asui, come with me". He entered an empty classroom opposite of Hound Dog's room.
After they entered the room, he could detect a hint of nerves emanating from the frog girl. "Kero, is something wrong sensei?" She swallowed loudly.
Aizawa sighed, "You did nothing wrong, but what happened in heroics class was very wrong. That should never have happened to you, and I wanted to ask if you were okay. We were meant to have this conversation yesterday, but..."
"Kero, I understand sensei, yesterday was difficult for everyone, and you and Midoriya appear quite close." He was taken aback by her frankness, but collected himself and continued.
"Yes, and if you feel the need to talk about that as well, then the school has resources to help you. The topic now, however, is the heroics class. Is there anything you feel the need to discuss, share, or request? Including if you feel uncomfortable sharing a class with Todoroki". He really hated talks like these, but Izuku had convinced him that Todoroki needed help, not discipline. He hoped Asui would be fine with not mixing up the classes, despite having every reason for wanting that.
The girl looked pensive, and brought a finger to her chin in a gesture of thought. "Kero, I have to think about it, and I need more time. Does Todoroki feel bad about what happened?"
Crap, Aizawa thought, he hoped she wouldn't ask something like that. "I cannot share anything I talked about with Todoroki in confidence, just like I won't share this conversation with anyone - relevant faculty and staff excluded. If you want I can set up a supervised conversation for the two of you".
"Thank you sensei, Kero, I'll give it all some more time and thought".
He dismissed his student and rejoined Uraraka and Kirishima. Now for the hard part. "Kirishima, you were here for obfuscation. You are dismissed. If anyone asks you, we went over some bureaucratic issues with your enrollment, and there was a typo in your personal information. Uraraka come with me."
He couldn't believe he was going along with this harebrained scheme.
Ochako was panicking, was something wrong? Would they start taking tuition for the hero course and they were kicking her out since she wouldn't be able to afford it? Aizawa sensei looked at her and grimaced. That couldn't be a good sign.
They reached Nezu's office, and a noise from the ceiling distracted her. Was that something glinting in the vents?
"Alright Uraraka. If anyone asks, we went over some bureaucratic issues with your enrollment, and there was a typo in your personal information. Anyhting else Never. Happened. Am I clear?" Uraraka paled and nodded without saying anything.
"Good, now enter".
Izuku and Eri entered his office right as he was finalizing a press package to release, there were a few concrete details he had to go over with Izuku, then the plan could commence. "Hello Izuku, Eri-can, how are you?"
Eri still looked a little unsure of herself, "H-hi uncle Nezu". Nezu beamed with his least threatening smile, which was much easier these days than it was ten months ago.
"There are a few things we need to go over today. First, A press release for you, Izuku. Second, a costume, or at least temporary costume, to obfuscate your identity. Third, I would like to give Eri a tour of the school, just the two of us," He winced as Eri started shaking at the idea, "Don't worry Eri-chan, I'll take you through my super duper secret vents where nobody can see you and you can see everybody. I want to get to know you better as your uncle, okay?"
Izuku looked worriedly at his ward. He was really laying it on thick with the uncle thing, but Izuku still wasn't picking up on the hints. That was fine with Nezu though, as he intended to really go in on his role as an uncle. Nezu was surprised when Izuku took out a small remote with a red button and handed it to Eri.
"Eri, this is your own personal Izuku button. When you need me, press it and I'll come to you no matter what. You are the ooonly person in the whoooole world that has a button like this, and I want you to use it whenever you want to, okay?" The girl looked at the button with wide eyes and held it close to her like a treasure. "So, now that you have the button, do you want to go on an adventure with uncle Nezu later?"
Nezu sighed in relief as the girl nodded. "Alright then, the press release. I was thinking of releasing a statement that you were a student under a special new experimental program - which is true, we've never had a student T.A., and also fake a leak. The students wouldn't leak information, but you were also at the hospital, and it's only a matter of time before some of the less savory reporters figure that out".
Izuku caught on quickly, like always, "so the best way to work around that is to let them believe that they already got the information available from there. But what information will we release?" Nezu smiled and pushed forward a folder detailing what would be said from which source. A mix of falsehood and truths from them, the hospital, and an edited and redacted version of the comm data. Izuku scanned through it and nodded, determined.
"I have preliminary costume ideas that could allow me to cover my face, and I'll be willing to give a release myself", his friend took out a notebook with sketches of his costume headgear. "A Maedate with a nine petal lotus crown. There can be retractable protective headgear in the band itself, and until I'm ready to reveal my face then I can hang an Ofuda on it to cover my face... If I'm leaning on the lotus aesthetic anyhow, then the purification and ritualistic shrine theme isn't that far away..."
Nezu nodded at the design, "I'll send it to Power Loader for fabrication. Eri, do you want to come with me to get a present for Izuku?" The girl hesitated, but clenched the remote Izuku got for her and nodded. He climbed up a bookcase to reach the entrance to his vent system, and Izuku flew up with Eri to hand her over.
Now for the final part of the plan. Everything was in place. "Good luck Izuku".
That was weird, why did Nezu wish him luck?
Izuku waved bye bye to Eri and Nezu as the vent shut behind them, and simultaneously he heard a knock at the door. He opened the door hurriedly to let whoever it was know that Nezu was out, but when he opened the door he found himself face to face with Ochako.
She looked just as surprised to see him as he was to see her, but he wouldn't let this chance slip. He's been looking to speak to her alone all day. "Ochako I-"
"Izuku -"
Of course they both started talking at the same time, Izuku couldn't help but giggle, and Ochako joined him. It took them a few dozens of seconds to recollect themselves, and Izuku closed the door after Ochako entered. "When I was fighting Overhaul..." He started, and he could feel her tensing without even looking at her.
"Izuku you don't need to talk about it, take your time" She reassured him with a smile. Just the fact that she made sure he was fine reinforced his decision. It may not be now or never, but he still wanted it to be now.
Ochako let out a slight 'eep' when he suddenly took her hands and looked up into her eyes, "Ochako, you were one of the last people on my mind. And... heroics is dangerous..." He chuckled nervously, "I mean, of course it's dangerous, we knew that, but still there was so much I thought I would still be able to do." Stop rambling Izuku, just say it, "And now that I still can, I want to tell you-"
Whatever Izuku wanted to say died in his throat, as Ochako kissed him without warning. Pure energy spread throughout his body, almost stronger than the lightning of his quirk. He felt like he was floating~
When their heads bumped against the ceiling Izuku realized that they were floating. He wasn't sure if it was his quirk, or hers, or both. They looked into each others eyes and couldn't stop themselves from laughing as they floated and bumped against the top of the room.
Until an unexpected interruption brought them out of their reverie.
"Uncle Nezu, is she going to be my mama?"
Chapter 12
Elation and embarrassment warred within her, as Ochako came to terms that she and Izuku had kissed (and what an amazing kiss it was), and that both principal Nezu as well as Eri, Izuku's... responsibility? Child? Something! saw them. The three of them were sitting in Nezu's office, while Nezu himself went to Power Loader to fabricate a costume part for Izuku. Eri was sitting on Izuku's lap and as Ochako thought that the pair of them looked absolutely adorable together, Eri's question resurfaced in her mind and she couldn't help but blush.
By Izuku's reddened face, she suspected that his train of thought ran on a parallel track to hers. Eri looked at Ochako nervously, which caused the aspiring heroine to explain her answer (which was a sputtered "wha- wait- what? n-no? what?") She leaned toward the girl, "Eri-chan, I don't know about being a mom, but for now I'll be aunt Ochako and," her eyes flickered up nervously to Izuku's, then back to Eri, "maybe in the future we'll see about being your mama instead of aunt?"
Eri tilted her head in thought, and looked up to Izuku to try and figure out what he thought about the whole situation. Ochako desperately hoped that she hadn't misread anything or said anything wrong. "You know, aunt Ochako is really smart, some things take very little time, and some things take a loooooong time."
"Like how the princess was asleep for a loooooong time in the story?" She inquired, imitating how he stretched out the sound in long. Izuku smiled and nodded.
"Exactly! Very good" The girl preened at the praise while Izuku continued, "Ochako will be an amazing aunt, and you'll see her a lot," now it was Izuku's eyes that flickered anxiously to meet hers, and she nodded at him.
The two teens shared a shy smile, when suddenly an alarm blared throughout the building.
"And what do you see in this image, Todoroki-kun?" Hound Dog held another abstract ink blot in front of the dual-colored teen.
Todoroki looked ponderously at the image, as if trying to decipher a deeper meaning, "A fire, sensei."
Hound Dog sighed. That was the fifth fire the kid saw out of five ink blots. He was tempted to show Todoroki a picture of a lake to check what the boy would see in it. Todoroki wasn't being forthcoming when Hound Dog broached the issue with tact, and using external stimuli wasn't helping either. Perhaps for a child as shut off from the outside world as Shoto Todoroki the direct approach would be best.
The therapist straightened himself in his seat, "Todoroki-kun, you refuse to use your fire, even at the risk of other people's wellbeings," though Hound Dog inserted no judgement into his words, his patient flinched, which was probably a good sign, all in all. "However, all you are able to see is fire, and whether you use it or not, it seems that your fire is controlling your life. Seeing as your father is Endeavor, a notorious fire using hero, I feel the need to ask... Has your father ever acted violently towards you?"
Todoroki squirmed a little in his seat. Hound Dog pressed his advantage, "No matter what, that is wrong Todoroki-kun. Seeing you sit here makes me grateful to Izuku." The teen looked up in confusion, which is exactly what Hound Dog wanted, "He was really worried about you! He insisted that you shouldn't get punished at all, and that you needed help. He told me that he couldn't imagine the pain you're in, having to deny a part of yourself every day."
"His fire is not a part of me!" Todoroki answered, anger overtaking his confusion and awe at Izuku's actions.
"Can he make your fire ignite or shut off?" Neither Hound Dog nor Todoroki clarified who he was. Some things were obvious even if unspoken.
Todoroki shook his head slowly.
"If you were to shoot out a ball of fire, could he direct it or control its trajectory?"
Another negative shake, but this time accompanied by words. "My ice is from my mother, while the fire part of my quirk comes from him. I won't use it."
"If a villain donates to charity, in order to launder money or throw heroes off their trail, should the charity not use the money to help people?"
"That... that's not the same..." The fire and surety was starting to leave his voice.
"Todoroki-kun, if your father abused you, no matter the reasons, he is a villain. There is no justification for that reprehensible behavior. Ask yourself why you want to be a hero, Todoroki-kun. Maybe you'll find that you don't really want to be. But if you do, if you find a reason to do good, then ask yourself if that reason is imp-"
A loud siren interrupted Hound Dog, and both of them winced. He only hoped this wouldn't undo any progress that was made.
As they got up, he placed a gentle hand on Todoroki's shoulder. "I'm not expecting you to wake up tomorrow and start slinging fireballs. I only hope that you think about what we talked about. Not using your fire because of your father is still allowing your father to control you - And you deserve better. I'll escort you to the evacuation zone and go investigate."
Toru was nursing a sprained ankle on a cot in the nurse's office. She was super extra thankful to Yoarashi and Iida for taking charge in the cafeteria.
--
A panicking Gen-Ed student knocker her over, and beneath the din of the alarm her shout couldn't be heard. Someone stepped on her foot, hard, and she whimpered, covering her head with her arms to brace for the worst. Suddenly the din subsided, and she heard Iida yelling from... above her?
"We are students of the most prestigious school in Japan, that is staffed by pro heroes. In your panic you failed to notice that you are causing bodily harm to your fellow students!" Toru stood and looked up, Iida was held aloft by a whirl of wind created by Yoarashi, and the loud boy was helping amplify Iida's message by spreading it through the air.
Iida continued, "There are clear evacuation guidelines, Class representitives, please help organize the students and make sure everyone proceeds to the nearest evacuation point - Classroom 2-H on this floor - in an orderly manner. We must trust in the staff to keep us safe." The students looked around, many looking embarrassed or ashamed.
As Yoarashi lowered his classmate, the alarm ended and the PA system turned on. Aizawa's voice emerged, "Remain calm. The alarm was triggered by members of the press trespassing on school property." Toru could hear his scowl through the speakers. "Proceed with the rest of your day as normal."
--
Yes. She would be getting them both some chocolate, and also she would help one of them campaign for class president.
She would make banners.
Victory was theirs.
The evening of that day, a pale man with dry and cracked skin stood before a throng of two bit villains, crooks, and goons. He made sure to look suitably intimidating, hands covering his face but leaving cracks for his red eyes to peek through.
"You lot, every single one of you, has proven that you have the drive, the ability, and the viciousness to undertake this mission with the League of Villains." They proved no such thing, Tomura thought to himself, but he couldn't just tell the fodder that they were fodder, right? "In a few days, we will infiltrate an isolated area of U.A. when the first year classes are most vulnerable, and strike where it hurts before retreating!"
He raised his arms victoriously, and the fodder cheered.
"We will strike fear into the heart of Japan, and shake the foundations of this stupid hero based society!"
More cheers followed, growing in volume.
"The League of Villains will become a bogeyman to haunt every youth who dreams of being a hero!"
Whistles and hoots. It was kind of nice, this validation. It made Tomura feel... warm.
Maybe he would keep the fodder around.
"In one fell swoop, we will grue the entire world!"
A lone cheer and clap, accompanied by confused mutters.
One of the villains asked "If you're Gru, does that make us your minions?"
Tomura scratched his neck in irritation, "No! I'm not Gru! We, together, will perform an act of villainy so heinous that it will grue the world!"
"But I'm allergic to bananas, is that a problem?" A different villain interjected. Tomura was flabbergasted that she seemed genuinely worried about that.
"No! No! Not Gru! No Minions! We will GRUE them..." Their confused silence met his angry frustration. He would have to explain it to the simpletons. "If you're awesome, you awe people. We, on the other hand, will be gruesome. We will grue people."
He looked at them hopefully, they had to understand it now.
"Do we have to bring our own overalls and goggles?"
Forget it, Tomura thought, he wouldn't be keeping the fodder.
Chapter 13
By afternoon classes resumed, and Izuku was supposed to be helping Midnight for art history. In actuality, he was helping Eri do a coloring book and thinking about how they should approach her schooling. His mother would be moving in to the on-campus safe house, maybe when Eri got used to her it would become clearer. His thoughts were definitely more muddled than usual, since he kept sneaking glances at Ochako.
He knew that she was probably doing the same, since about sixty three percent of the times he glanced at her they had made eye contact. They also both blushed profusely after that and averted their gazes.
"Midoriya-kun, could you please come to the board and sketch two variations on a single costume that would be reflective of different styles or eras of heroics, and explain why the same costume would look different according to those lines?" Midnight's voice jolted him into awareness, and as he went to the whiteboard, Midnight took his place next to Eri.
Izuku was drawing the knee and thigh areas, explaining how buff padding and sharper yet thinned lines were more in line with a modernist view of heroics, to reflect that heroes were efficient and utilitarian, rather than flashy. Of course this wasn't the entire case, but the best example of that trend was capes, which had all but vanished.
Suddenly Midnight exclaimed aloud, drawing attention to her and Eri. He caught her eye and knewhe had been played. It would never have happened to him were he not so distracted.
"Wow Eri! Those are really pretty drawings! What did you draw?" At least she was doing this in a way that was positive for Eri, for that Izuku would make his revenge fairly painless.
Eri clutched her drawings with a red face, and when she looked at Izuku he smiled at her and nodded reassuringly. Even though it would work against him, he would take the hit for Eri's sake. He knew Ochako would too.
The shy girl lowered her face a little, but her body language was pleased. Eri lifted her drawing and said "This is me and Izuku and aunt Ochako all holding hands."
A noise not unlike a boiling kettle escaped Ashido's lips. Midnight of course decided that wasn't enough and prodded for more details "That's so nice of you to draw, Eri! Why did you decide to draw all of you together?"
Eri squirmed shyly in her seat, looking to Izuku for affirmation. He sent Ochako and apologetic look, and she nodded to him. His heart fluttered. He was so glad that he found her, she knew immediately what he meant and was willing to bear the embarrassment with him.
Izuku smiled at Eri and nodded, signaling to the child to continue, "Because Izuku and aunt Ochako kissed with their lips so maybe she will be my mama one day." That... was more blunt than Izuku thought it would be. He noticed that from the way Midnight was holding her breath and puffing her cheeks, she also expected something less in-your-face.
A thud broke the silence in the classroom. Ochako dropped her head onto her desk. Apparently that was the signal Ashido was waiting for, since she began squealing loudly and talking with Hagakure next to her.
Izuku went back to sit next to Eri. He knelt down by her side "That's very pretty, and I'm really happy you drew us all together! When we get home, I'll hang it on the fridge, okay?" Eri nodded rapidly, happy that she made Izuku happy.
He turned to Midnight who was on her way back to the front of the class, and when they made eye-contact he mouthed to her 'I will get you back for this.' When he refocused on the child, he saw her look between him and the drawing with a content expression. Izuku decided to concede the match, turning to Midnight once again and mouthing 'Thank you for that.'
Inko was holding Eri in her lap while they watched Izuku, in partial hero costume, on a stage with Aizawa and Nezu, surrounded by members of the press. Thankfully they were behind a partition.
They waited for the crowd to settle down, and her son stood to go to the front of the stage, Nezu behind him. He and Nezu had talked about how best to do the whole press thing, but she still saw her poor boy's hands shaking in nerves. Luckily his face was covered, so no one else should notice.
"Right, ummm, hi everyone. Thank you fo-" His voice cracked. For a moment Inko panicked since she hadn't brought a camera to record, but then she saw the flashes of multiple professional photographers and thanked her lucky star that no one noticed her fumble.
He cleared his throat, "Sorry. Right, thank you for coming. I am Lotus, a student here at U.A. academy, and I was involved in an impromptu clash with the Shie Hassaikai. First I- We would like to explain the event. I'm on the double heroics-support track, and I was going with principal Nezu and Sir Nighteye to test new support gear. Ummm, Before anyone asks, some of what you saw me do weas my quirk, and some of it was the gear. I... I won't be answering any questions about which is which, since it's still under development."
Disappointed mutters ran through the crowd. "We encountered a high profile villain, and due to unforeseen circumstances I had to engage with them before back up arrived. Ummm, everything else was on camera... Any questions?"
A flurry of hands and shouts, Izuku pointed seemingly at random and a reporter stood up "Uite Hairo from Teen Hero Monthly, Lotus-san, have you been approached regarding merchandise?"
"What? Why would I-" Nezu tapped his shoulder gently, "Ahem, ummm, no, there are currently no plans along those lines."
Before he could ask another question, the rest of the reporters started waving their hands again.
"Hachida Nanako, from Heroes' Digest. Lotus-san, are you immortal?"
Before Izuku could answer, Nezu leaned in to the microphone, "I apologize Lotus, while we agreed that managing the press conference would be a good learning exercise, I must intervene. Miss Hachida, what kind of answer could that question possibly have that would be reasonable to give publicly?" The reporter blushed and sat down. Inko knew Nezu well enough by that point to notice that he wanted her to put up more of a fight.
Izuku took back the reigns and pointed at another reporter. Inko recognized her as the one that interviewed Nezu on the helicopter above the location of the battle. "Chitose Kizuki, Shooweisha. Lotus, what do you have to say about rumors of a close relationship between you, Sir Nighteye, and principal Nezu that predates the start of your schooling?"
Hushed murmurs erupted, and Inko couldn't help but scowl at the blue skinned vulture's self satisfied grin. "Oh, yeah. Ummm, I didn't have a lot of friends growing up, so I was pretty active online. apparently we were all active in the same forums, and we didn't even realize until after we met in person in U.A. and by coincidence Nezu had something related to that on his desk."
That response definitely wasn't what the press expected or hoped to hear, it was basically the opposite of a scandal. Aizawa sighed and lowered his head into his palm, while Izuku fidgeted in the silence. Eventually he couldn't take the suspense so he added "That's actually where my hero name came from! My handle on those was GreenLotus." Inko almost missed the victorious grin on Nezu's face.
Someone in the crowd gasped, but before she could speak another reporter stood "My question is for Nezu. Are you not worried about accusations of favoritism?"
The mouse-like principal (Inko recalled Izuku saying something about a gerbil) again strode forward, "If you want to prepare an anonymous questionnaire for our heroics students, you may, but since you didn't state what paper you work with, the results will be sent to every publication with a representative here." The reporter flushed, but sat down.
"Excuse me!" A woman shot up, she looked too excited for Inko's taste, "Hiroue Mie, editor of the Journal of Quirk Sciences-"
"Oh my god I LOVE the JQS!" Izuku realized he interrupted and looked down "Sorry, please continue,"
She smiled widely, "It's quite alright. If I'm interpreting what you said correctly, are you GreenLotus associated with the UnsolvedAnalysis message boards?"
Izuku nodded, "Yeah that's where I post most of my thoughts, I guess. Some of the bulkier things I send when someone asks, since I don't want to overload the server or DB."
Small arcs of electricity tingled through the reporter's hair, her quirk making itself notices in her excitement. Then all at once it died down and she scrunched her face, "Wait, but GreenLotus has been active almost a decade... And you're in high school." Inko realized most of the reporters had no idea what was going on, but still realized they were on the cusp of something interesting.
"Yeah." A short and to the point answer, when a longer one was needed. Nezu nudged his shoulder and Izuku realized that as well. "Ummm, yeah I don't really know what to say about that? I like quirks and analyzing quirks, and I've been doing it online for nearly a decade?"
Hiroue fell back on the ground, looking shocked. She brushed herself off and stammered a little, "There's so much to ask. Do you realize how often we get mailed asking about you? Even though you only publish online every graduate student thinks we can put them in touch with you. Do you have plans to publish the full manuscript of the AQIP?"
Most other reporters were on their phones, searching up whatever it was Izuku and the nice (At this point, in Inko's fickle mind) reporter were talking about. "Oh, sure? I can send it to you if you want?"
"YES! Ahem, I mean, yes. It would be great for everyone if you would send your writings to a journal rather than post them online, don't you think?" The happier she and Izuku became, the more agitated the rest of the press were - This was obviously not what they had in mind as the topic of the interview.
One of the other reporters, the one that asked Nezu about favoritism, interrupted, "Excuse me Lotus-san, I believe there are other reporters with questions?"
Izuku shook himself out of his reverie. He complained in a soft voice that made Inko giggle "But the JQS is my favorite... Ummm, right. Any other questions? Oh! Hiroue-san can you leave me your email address and we can get in touch?" He pointed to a different reporter, "Yes, Uite-san?"
"Thank you Lotus." The reporter preened, happy that Izuku remembered him, "It seems that even without such a public act of incredible heroism, just your work on quirks marks you as a rising star. I'm sure that the readers of Teen Hero Monthly are dying to know, what are you looking for in a romantic partner?"
Inko's face was stuck between a giggle and a grimace. The exact kind of question that was built to trip her poor, shy, innocent, baby boy up. She looked up knowingly, there he was, blushing. Any moment now Nezu would swoop in and save him.
"W-well... I think that it's not proper to ask or talk about a hero's personal relationships." Wait. "I don't feel comfortable talking about the person I'm dating," What? "And I hope that you can respect that."
Inko was confused. But also excited. But mostly confused. What was Izuku talking about?
"Of course, I apologize for my lapse of judgement."
Ah of course! Now Inko understood. It was a diversion tactic thought up by Nezu! Inko was shaken out of her self-satisfied epiphany by a light tug on her sleeve. Eri was handing her a piece of paper.
"What's this Eri-chan?"
The girl looked to the floor, "Izuku said he liked it, but sometimes people say things only to be nice. Do you think Izuku likes it really really?"
Inko looked at the picture, Eri, Izuku, and a figure with brown circular hair were holding hands. Inko had a nagging suspicion she knew what she was looking at. Again excitement and confusion warred within her. "Wow Eri-chan, that's beautiful! It's you and Izuku, and... why did you draw another person?"
Eri answered, still looking at the floor, "That's aunt Ochako, because she told me that in the future she might be my mama."
Inko wasn't cognizant of her surroundings, if she were she would have noticed that it was her high pitched shout that brought an end to the press conference.
Itsuka had to admit she was curious about the TA from their sister class. Today they would finally have a heroics lesson with him present, which was definitely something to look forward to, if the students of 1A (and Tokage Setsuna, who was drooling incessantly) were to be believed. They reached the mock city to find the green haired boy (still with his headgear but not the slip of paper that covered his face) talking to Sekijiro sensei. A small girl was hanging over his back, with her arms around his neck.
She looked at Setsuna with worry, but was surprised to see her friend look over only with curiosity, and none of the mischief she expected. Inching her way closer, she asked her "Is something wrong? I expected you to be all over him by now?"
the green haired heroics student let out a disappointed raspberry "Apparently he and one of the girls from his class got together already. Should have known he wouldn't stay single for long..."
Shiozaki passed them and huffed "I for one am disappointed that an aspiring hero, especially one already in the limelight, would allow himself to fall to the temptations of the flesh and enter a premarital relationship." Tokage got a glint in her eye and hastened after the religious girl before Itsuka could stop her.
Both girls had green hair, Tokage's was darker and straight, while Shiozaki had literal thorny vines for hair. Still, as Tokage placed her arm over Shiozaki's shoulder, Itsuka felt that the head covered in silky straight hair was much more menacing than the one wreathed in thorns. "You know, I never said they did anything more than hold hands, I have to wonder where your mind jumps to I-ba-ra-chan."
Tokage skipped ahead again, leaving Shiozaki red faced in a mix of anger and embarrassment. "Ignore her, that's the only way she won't do it. And... remember she means well please Shiozaki-san, she wants to make everyone laugh." The thorny girl nodded briskly, and Itsuka knew that was the best she would be getting.
Their conversation, along with any other conversations their classmates were having, ceased when Vlad King clapped his hands loudly. "Alright class, welcome to practical heroics. With me is Midoriya Izuku of class 1-A. He's serving as a teaching assistant for them, as well as the teaching assistant for heroics school-wide."
Itsuka could have sworn that Midoriya's eyes widened slightly in shock, but he composed himself too quickly for her to be sure. Monoma's hand shot up, and Vlad King sighed "Yes Monoma?"
"Excuse me sensei are you sure that it is appropriate to allow an enemy spy to infiltrate our ranks?" It's been a week of intense contact between all the classmates and Itsuka was doubting whether she would ever understand if Monoma was doing an elaborate bit, or was genuinely just... like that.
Vlad King deadpanned, and after a moment of silence continued. "Midoriya will introduce himself and the exercise, after which you will be split into teams. Midoriya, the stage is yours."
The young TA turned to them, and the girl on his back hid her head shyly when she felt eyes on her. "Hi everyone, I'm Midoriya Izuku. Ummm, I do quirk analysis and Nezu and I thought it would be productive for me to work with more than just my class so that we could all improve and go plus ultra!" He raised his hand in an imitation of Present Mic, only to be met with silent stares.
A few seconds of awkward silence passed, and Midoriya cleared his throat to continue "Right, so you will be split into teams randomly, and each team will be either villains or heroes. You'll be assigned random scenarios with different win and lose conditions for villains and heroes. Any questions?"
Intelli's hand shot up, and so did Monoma's and Utsushimi's. When Midoriya glanced at Vlad King and saw that the pro hero wouldn't take charge, he nodded, "Right so I'd appreciate if you would introduce yourselves when I call on you? Yes, you were first." He pointed to Intelli.
"Thank you Midoriya-san. I am Intelli Saiko, class 2-B. Will the scenarios be static, or will they change in real time? Additonally, how much information are we given about the scenarios in advance, and what further information can we request. Will there be stand ins for civilians?" Intelli sped up, and Itsuka could recognize the agitation in her voice. "Is that why you brought a kid? Is her quirk going to activate at some inopportune moment and is her quirk Laser Eyes?!"
Itsuka expected all sorts of reactions from the new TA, but sudden realization was not one of them. "Oh! You're the hijacked cruise recommended student!" Intelli had told her about her written exam, multiple times. It was a sore spot for the woman, who prided herself on unparalleled intellect. That Midoriya immediately knew what she was talking about definitely couldn't mean anything good.
The white haired student bristled, "How do you know that?"
Midoriya scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, and Vlad King intervened "Midoriya was in charge of the written examinations. His examination was to run in parallel multiple scenarios for the test takers, as well as provide feedback. So when the staff is putting our faith in him to assist us, it is not misplaced." As he answered, he sent a pointed look at Monoma and Intelli, yet Itsuka had a feeling that her homeroom teacher was missing the point completely.
Intelli immediately stood and pointed accusingly. Before she finished rising, Midoriya already spun the kid around his torso so she would be looking over his shoulder and not at the angry student. Itsuka was impressed, but she could have gone without Tokage whispering in her ear "You know what they say about men with huge paternal instincts, right?"
She was spared from answering since her angered classmate stole the focus back, "How were we supposed to handle those curveballs? A villain hidden in the crowds? Children activating their quirks?!"
The boy in front of them looked genuinely confused. "What do you mean? You all did great! In sixty-two percent of the hostage situations that involve more than two children aged between four and six there is a quirk mishap involving bthose children. Of those, ten percent lead to severe damage such as hospitalization or loss of life." He hugged the white haired girl closer to him and Tokage moaned "That's why we need to help those children even more than adult hostages, since they are completely innocent and such occurrences can lead to lingering trauma."
As he answered Itsuka saw Intelli pale and lose momentum, but he was legitimately oblivious to that, "And when villains have unknown accomplices in the scene, of the times those accomplices act after the villain was subdued, fifty eight percent of those cases they are hiding among the crowds and wait for the press to swoop in."
Intelli nodded and sat down in silence. He looked around and asked "Right, anything else before we continue?"
Monoma raised his hand again, and received a nod of acknowledgement. A pit grew in Itsuka's stomach as her blond classmate stood and marched toward the TA. "Monoma Neito. I look forward to working with you." He reached out for a handshake, and before anyone could warn Midoriya, he shook Monoma's hand in return.
By that point everyone in 1-B knew what Monoma's quirk did, and Itsuka herself would admit that she wanted to know exactly what Midoriya's was - After the show he put on nobody could really tell. They were looking at Monoma, waiting for something, some reaction, gloat, curse...
Instead, the blond looked around with dilated pupils, his breathing hastening. After barely a second he knelt on the floor and closed his eyes "Aaaah Midoriya what the hell is your quirk? What am I seeing? No! I can also hear and feel it! Why does it matter what sections of the concrete are elevated by a millimeter? How does that help you become a hero? How do I turn it off?!"
Vlad King dragged Monoma by his armpits, since Midoriya was trying to work out what was going on. "Oh, I guess... You guys want to know about my quirk?" Nineteen heads nodded in unison. "Right, so basically I recognize patterns, but I still need to learn to analyze them. For example Monoma-san probably noticed that there were three distinct levels of elevation and coarseness on the concrete," Itsuka looked to the ground beneath them.
There was no such distinction as far as she could tell. "Okay, so, I notice that immediately, but without knowing the properties of concrete, and the traffic and use this place gets, I wouldn't be able to say much. As it is, I can tell that there were two occasions in which the concrete here was repaired without to room itself being overhauled completely - The quality of Cementoss' cement changes with his diet."
Honenuki cursed, unexpected coming from him, "Shit! How did I not see that! Does my quirk also do stuff like that?"
Midoriya grinned, "Well, let's start the exercises and find out?"