Chapter 6: the right way
"Alright! We have our code names, so let's get going. You two ready?" Morgana asked. Izuku and Ryuji nodded - they wanted to take care of business. After today… their choice had practically been made for them. It was no longer a matter of whether they should - somebody had almost died. The threat was too great to ignore.
So, the three of them once again entered the castle. As it turned out, neither Kamoshida nor his guards had discovered the ventilation shaft they'd been using to get in and out. That was fortunate, given it provided the perfect opportunity to sneak inside and snoop around. Kamoshida was actually in the giant foyer, none the wiser to their presence. According to Morgana, they had to look for the best path to the 'treasure' located somewhere in the castle.
"If all we have to do is take the treasure, we should be able to handle it. Do you know where this treasure is?" Izuku asked, crouched down and hidden while they listened to the Shadow Kamoshida giving his guards a speech in the foyer.
"I'm not certain. Every Palace is different, but it should be hidden very deep inside behind layers and layers of security. We definitely have our work cut out for us, so don't go thinking it'll be easy," Morgana explained. That… didn't exactly reassure Izuku, but he wasn't going to complain. It was still the best and only way they had right now to take down Kamoshida.
"Alright. I won't underestimate stuff, but I'm still ready," Ryuji smacked his fist against his palm. "Let's do this."
After some time nosing around behind closed doors and navigating hallway after hallway, they found a route that lead further into the palace that avoidedKamoshida at any cost. Little did they know, however, was that outside of the Metaverse, one Takamaki Ann had discovered a very curious app on her phone, and was currently headed back in after them…
But they had no way of knowing, and continued on without worry.
Something strange happened when they encountered their first Shadow of the afternoon, however. It was a guard that transformed like all the others. Izuku fought the Shadow like normal, but when they'd downed it, this one… pleaded for her life. A fairy-like Shadow whose wings drooped sadly behind her stared up at Izuku with watery eyes.
"W-Wait!" she sniffled. "Can't you just let me go?! I won't bother you ever again!"
Izuku had never heard a Shadow plead like that before, and admittedly, even if he logically knew they weren't people it was still hard not to see her as somebody he'd hurt in his pursuit of justice. "You promise you won't attack us?"
"Yes!" the fairy girl brightened up immediately. "You seem like the type that can't tell people no! I'm totally the same way. Hey, actually…" the fairy-like Shadow got back up, looking confused as she examined herself. "Something's happening! I feel different!" then, like she suddenly had a flash of inspiration, "Wait a minute, I remember now! I don't just belong to King Kamoshida… I'm, like, an existence that drifts about in the sea of humanity's souls… My name's Pixie!"
"Pixie?" Izuku tilted his head curiously. The Shadows had names?
"Yeah! I'm Pixie! And from now on… I'll live on inside your heart!" Pixie giggled and then, without warning, began to glow, before turning completely into a light that shot towards Izuku's mask. Once the light came into contact with it, the mask glowed too, before settling back down as though nothing had happened.
"Wh… what was that?! What just happened?" Morgana was baffled.
"I wanna know too!" Ryuji looked shocked, leaning close to inspect Izuku's mask. "That thing totally just got sucked up into Hero's mask like that! That was insane! Did you do that, dude?"
"No, it just sort of happened on its own!" Izuku shook his head.
But before they could debate what that light might've been or how the Shadow had gone into his mask or whatever it was she had done, another guard came to check on the commotion in the room. They were forced to fight again, only unlike last time, when Izuku called for his Persona… d'Artagnan wasn't the one that showed up. Instead, it was Pixie, who'd gone into his mask.
"Heehee! I'm totally ready to do this!" Pixie giggled again, and Izuku found himself able to direct her to fight just like he was with d'Artagnan. She used completely different techniques, though - these ones got the drop on their current enemy with great effectiveness. Similarly to what happened with Pixie, the unicorn-like Shadow called Bicorn that they fought this time also pleaded for its life once he'd been beaten, and Izuku found himself talking to it. Only for it to once again glow and fly into his mask!
"What is going on?!" Ryuji looked even more shocked than before.
"Don't tell me… you were able to take on the Shadow's appearance and powers as a Persona?!" Morgana was agape at the feat Izuku had just displayed. "Does that mean… you can wield multiple Personas?! Is such a feat even possible?! I've never seen it before!"
Izuku looked down at his hands. "I have no idea how I did that… is this power a good thing?"
"Good?! It's incredible! That'll give you so much versatility that we're almost guaranteed to win!" Morgana exclaimed excitedly, jumping up and down like he'd won the lottery. "I still wish we had more manpower, but you've definitely just given us a great advantage! You should see what other Shadows you can take on as Personas and what new abilities you can have them use!"
Izuku wondered… if this was why Igor had chosen to speak to him in the Velvet Room and not the others, why Igor thought he could 'stop the coming ruin' or whatever. Was it because of this power he had? The ability to wield more than one Persona? Izuku still thought d'Artagnan suited him the best, but the knowledge that he'd be a boon to his friends in the fight to take down Kamoshida had him thinking about how best to wield other Personas. He was more than happy to use any advantage he got if it meant he could help his friends.
"I'll help you out too! If you need me to hold up any Persona, I'll make sure you can snag 'em!" Ryuji grinned.
"Well… I don't want to just kidnap them or anything. I want them to want to join me. But I'll do my best to keep an eye out for Shadows who might be swayed to our side!" Izuku nodded. "We should get moving, though… it's probably bad to stay in one place for too long."
"That's right!" Morgana nodded "Let's get-"
"Why was the princess in such an odd place?" they heard a muffled voice of a guard from behind the door right as they were about to open it. Thankfully, Izuku had froze before he turned the handle, and they were able to listen in quietly. "Whatever the case is with her, we should bring her to King Kamoshida… Otherwise he'll be furious…"
"Princess?" Morgana wondered. "Hold on, I'll investigate since I'm the smallest."
Izuku cracked the door open for him, and Morgana ran outside. Izuku and Ryuji were left to stand around, just the two of them. It was only a few minutes later that Morgana came running back, looking quite panicked. "Bad news!" he yowled. "The Shadows captured your friend Takamaki!"
Izuku and Ryuji both leapt up and were on the offensive as soon as they heard it. "I thought we took her back!" Izuku said, and then he realized… "Wait, could she have the app like us?!"
If she did, then wouldn't that mean that Igor… considered her 'useful' like he said? Like Ryuji? Did that mean that Takamaki had the potential to use a Persona like them?! They might've had a new team member hiding right under their noses, and they'd pushed her away! They had to fix this, Izuku knew. They had to go and save her!
"Take us to where she is, Morgana!" Ryuji demanded. Morgana nodded and the three of them sprinted out the door and down the hallway to try and get to her. They couldn't let the Shadows hurt her.
It took a while of sneaking around more shadows and fighting others when they couldn't be avoided, but they eventually got to the room Takamaki had been taken to. It was one so repulsive they almost couldn't go inside. The second they opened the door, they were greeted by the sight of shadow versions of girls in too-tight volleyball uniforms laying on the floor in very suggestive poses, and for a moment Izuku actually shut the door and took a step back.
"Oh god. He actually looks at the girls volleyball team like that…" Izuku thought he was going to be sick again. That was a common occurrence when it came to Kamoshida, unfortunately.
"Just don't look at 'em," Ryuji said, pushing the door open and patently avoiding even glancing in the direction of the shadow girls. "We've got to save Takamaki. Just focus on that, dude. They aren't real, but Takamaki is. She's in danger right now."
"Right," Izuku agreed, forcing down his queasiness in order to focus on the job at hand. Once they'd gotten through the girls, the room opened up into a large chamber with a rack where Takamaki was currently tied up. And unfortunately… Kamoshida had gotten there before them, and she was now surrounded by guards.
"What are you doing?!" Takamaki yelled, clearly not understanding the situation she was in right now. "You've got to be kidding me, Kamoshida! Let me go!"
"I don't know how you imbeciles thought that thiswas my Ann," Kamoshida scoffed, and that shadow version of Takamaki in the swimsuit and tiara showed up once again, materializing by his side. Izuku and Ryuji of course looked disgusted, but not more so than Takamaki. She was downright revolted, seeing herself like that, leaning on Kamoshida and fawning over him.
"Who the hell is she?!" Takamaki yelled. "Stop looking like me! Is that your quirk or something?! This is disgusting! You'd better let me go!"
"Oh, please. This is my castle. I can do as I please here," Kamoshida shook his head.
"This isn't funny! Enough of your bullshit, Kamoshida! You're the worst kind of scumbag imaginable!" Takamaki thrashed against her restraints.
"It seems like your impostor is trying to tell me off," Kamoshida crooned, suddenly fawning over the shadow Takamaki. "What do you think about that?"
"Talking back is, like, totally unforgivable…" Shadow Takamaki drawled, looking completely bored. Kamoshida laughed at her answer.
"That's right! Unforgivable indeed. And the punishment for such a crime… well, that's death, of course," Kamoshida waved his guards forward, looking entirely uncaring. "Execute her. I don't want the image of my lovely Ann tainted by her presence."
"Don't lay a hand on her!" Izuku cried, unable to keep hidden any longer. Ryuji and Morgana ran out after him, cringing at him blowing their cover. Ryuji was beginning to understand just how strong Izuku's instinct to help people was. Izuku honestly couldn't help it, since heroics had been ingrained into him from such a young age.
"Just when I was about to start enjoying myself, you vermin show back up in my castle," Kamoshida snarled, turning to face them. "Take one more step and my guards skewer her. Got that? Stay back or you'll all regret it." Izuku's fists clenched at his sides as the guards pointed their swords at Takamaki. He wouldn't be able to attack them before they killed her… Kamoshida turned back to Takamaki. "You know, impostor, I bet you came here because you were pissed at me, just like them. But it's your fault, you know. Be mad at yourself that that girl jumped, whatever her name is. You wouldn't come when I called… so I decided to have her take your place."
"You bastard!" Takamaki yelled with rage, and Ryuji was also beginning to shake with anger as he had earlier that day. Izuku was only barely able to stop him from attacking Kamoshida and getting Takamaki killed. But… Takamaki could save herself. Kamoshida wouldn't be expecting her to have a Persona. They could get the drop on him that way, and Takamaki would be saved. That is, assuming his guess of her having the app meant she could awaken a Persona…
"Oh, now that she's about to be executed, what should I start with? Maybe her clothes?" Kamoshida laughed, and Takamaki looked like she was about to cry.
"Is this… is this my punishment for what happened to Shiho…?"
"Don't let him win, Takamaki-san!" Izuku encouraged her from where he stood. "He's beneath you, just trying to bait you!"
Takamaki looked up at him, seeing the seriousness on his face, and a determined expression came over her. "You're right…" her fists clenched even as she was tied to the rack. "You're right! Letting this piece of shit mess with me… Shiho would be so disappointed! What was I thinking?!"
"Slaves should behave better than this," Kamoshida sneered. He opened his mouth to speak again, but Takamaki cut him off.
"Shut your mouth! I've had enough of this… You've pissed me off, you son of a bitch!" Takamaki continued to rebel against him, and a familiar energy and echoing voice began to fill the room. Izuku was right… Takamaki could use a Persona!
"My, my… it's taken far too long."
The voice seemed to affect Takamaki intensely, and she jolted, thrashing against the restraints once again. She looked as though she was in pain, as Ryuji and Izuku had been when they awoke their own Personas. But even so, she still looked like she'd rather do anything besides give up.
"Tell me… who is going to avenge her if you don't? Forgiving him was never an option… Such is the scream of the other you who dwells within…"
Takamaki's thrashing got even worse, and even Kamoshida looked terrified, likely remembering what happened the last time a voice like this could be heard… his guards had gotten decimated thanks to Ryuji and Captain Kidd.
"I am thou, thou art I… we can finally forge a contract."
Takamaki went still. Then, in a whisper, "I hear you… Carmen. You're right… no more holding back! Never again!"
When Takamaki's head raised, blue fire covered her face and formed a red mask, resembling a cat, with ears on top and all. The fire spread to her hands, and when she clenched them into fists this time, she was able to yank with all of her strength and rip off the restraints, likely aided by the strength of her Persona's awakening for a few moments.
"That's right… nothing can be solved by restraining yourself. If you understand… then I'll gladly lend you my strength."
The blue fire spread even wider as Takamaki was completely freed, and she reached up with no hesitation and smoothly ripped the mask from her face. Like a deadly inferno, the fire blasted outwards before snapping back and forming the shape of a woman in an intricate, flowing dress, with giant, black pigtails, a black cat mask, and a cigar in her mouth. She stood atop a smaller creature with a heart-shaped box for a head, and another of the creatures dangled from her hand.
Takamaki, not missing a beat, ran forward and kicked a sword from one of the guard's hands. Ryuji and Izuku joined her, summoning their Personas to disarm the guards and get the advantage in the midst of the confusion and chaos. The sword Takamaki kicked tumbled down from the air in an arc, and not only did she catch it, she used it to cleave straight through the false version of herself, dispersing it into a pile of the increasingly familiar, sludge-like shadows.
"I'm not some girl who's easily toyed with, you scumbag," Takamaki spat. Ryuji, Izuku and Morgana sidled up next to her, all of their Personas looming over Kamoshida now. The man looked downright terrified, staring them all down. "You stole everything from Shiho… you destroyed her… now it's your turn! I'm going to rob you of everything!"
Kamoshida didn't even say anything… he simply turned tail and ran, leaving behind the remainder of his guards to clean up his mess for him. The guards, of course, turned into proper Shadows this time… but now, they could fight without risking Takamaki's life.
It was time to kick some ass.
The fight was intense - the Shadow that Kamoshida had summoned was very strong, but thankfully all four of them were able to take it on together. It seemed like Carmen's power was centered around fire - it was similar to a fire quirk, only somehow more ethereal. The flames practically danced when Takamaki and Carmen moved in tandem, burning the Shadow to a crisp after Ryuji and Izuku had beaten it into submission. This one wasn't a Shadow Izuku could get to join him, but that was fine with him. He certainly didn't want its help after nearly it nearly killed Takamaki.
Once the fight was over, though, Takamaki slumped to the ground with exhaustion. It was always tiring, summoning a Persona for the first time.
"We'll have to come back later," Morgana murmured. "We should regroup and explain things to her and come back when we're ready. I know you wanted to get it done right now, but…"
"It's alright. I don't know when the board meeting is but it sounds like it won't happen right away. We probably shouldn't have rushed in anyway…" Izuku agreed, helping Takamaki stand. She too was taller than him, so he was the perfect height to lean on. "Besides, Takamaki-san's health is more important right now."
He and Ryuji helped Takamaki walk through her exhaustion, and together, they got her back to the entrance they used. They all needed a breather after that.
[ Torino Sorahiko: How are you doing? It's about check-in time.]
[ Midoriya Izuku: Just getting drinks and chatting with my friends. I made a new one, I think.]
[ Midoriya Izuku: (attached image)]
[ Midoriya Izuku: See? We're in the train station right now. I'm going to head back soon.]
[ Torino Sorahiko: Alright. Good to hear you're getting along with your schoolmates. Let me know when you're on your way and I'll be sure to have dinner on the table by the time you get back.]
"Thanks for letting me send a picture with you guys," Izuku mumbled awkwardly, stuffing his phone in his pocket after checking his last text from Torino. "I have a curfew, so if I want to stay out after school, I have to check in regularly. I hope that doesn't bother you…"
"Nah, I get it, dude. You're all good," Ryuji shook his head and passed out some drinks he'd gotten from the vending machines nearby. They took a seat on some benches in a quiet part of the subway station near the school, where they wouldn't be bothered. "But, uh, you good to listen to all of this, Takamaki? It's kind of a lot to take in. I know my head hurt like hell trying to wrap around it all…"
"Yeah, it's fine," Takamaki sighed. "Also, call me Ann, would you? I know Japan's big on surnames first, but I'm more used to hearing my first name."
"Are you not Japanese? Your surname is pretty Japanese," Izuku wondered. Takamaki - or Ann, rather - shook her head.
"I forgot you're new to Shujin. I'm three-quarters Japanese, but I've spent a lot of my life overseas. I only moved back during junior high. That's why I'm also a year older than everyone despite being a third-year… overseas schooling doesn't run on the same schedule, so I had to repeat a year when I moved," Ann huffed, looking annoyed by the thought.
"Oh, so you're 15?" Izuku asked. Ann nodded.
"Uh huh. I turn 16 this year. I swear, I'll be the only 16 year old at the beginning of my first year of high school… so lame. My quirk certainly doesn't help things…" she muttered.
"Do you… mind me asking what it is? Yours too, Ryuji. I'd like to get to know everyone better before we settle in for this long conversation. I mean… we've only been friends for, like, a week now, I think. Maybe a little less," Izuku chuckled.
"Whoa, for real?! It feels like it's been way longer!" Ryuji exclaimed. "I can't believe I never told you my quirk though, especially after you told me about your situation and everything! Well, mine's just a stamina storing quirk. I can store stamina I have currently to use later and give myself a burst of energy when I need it. It makes me even more tired after my extra stamina runs dry, though. Just sucks I got a bad leg now, so I can't use it to its fullest… But I think I can get better if I work it out! I'm sure as hell gonna try. I need as much use outta my leg as possible if we're going after Kamoshida."
"I'll work out with you!" Izuku said with a smile. "I've been meaning to get into shape anyway. No way I'm gonna be able to get into a hero school if I'm not in better shape. I can't rely on d'Artagnan and model guns in the real world."
"Sweet!" Ryuji grinned, enthused to have a workout partner. "And you, Takamaki - I mean, Ann. What's your quirk? I never heard about what it is specifically or nothin', but it sounds like other people give you grief about it sometimes. I've heard them talking."
"Either of you got a problem with certain quirks?" Takamaki asked, giving Izuku and Ryuji a suspicious look. Both of them shook their heads, so she reluctantly continued. "I have a charm quirk," she muttered, clearly embarrassed to talk about it. "I can influence or persuade people if they like me, whether it's as a friend or whatever else. The more they like me, the more influence I can have over them. I can't make anyone do stuff they wouldn't already reasonably do, but people sure love to think I can. Shiho… she was the only one who was sure I'd never use my quirk on her, though. Everyone else thought I'd use it to get close with the teachers and get what I want from people…"
"That's dumb," Izuku scowled. He'd heard similar things about other quirks deemed inherently evil or villainous, just because they could be used for doing bad things. "People should judge a quirk by how it's used, not just for having it. If you've never abused the power, then who cares? I mean, Kamoshida has a quirk that most people would call 'heroic' and look how he uses it."
Ann's eyes went wide with surprise. "You… really think that?"
Izuku nodded surely. "I do. I mean… I know what it's like to be judged by a quirk, or a lack of one, rather… I'm quirkless. People automatically assume that means I'm useless, defenseless, a total pushover, like I'll break if they even look at me wrong… you name it. Teachers assume I'm an attention-seeker or a troublemaker. But none of that's really true."
"Whoa… really?" Ann asked, genuinely shocked. "People are way nicer to quirkless people overseas because there's a lot more of them, so it's pretty normal. I assumed it was the same here in Japan, but I've never actually met a quirkless person here until now…"
"Yeah, well… Japan doesn't seem to think like that," Izuku shook his head.
"What about you, Morgana? You said you… aren't a cat, right?" Ann looked at the not-cat with a curious expression. Morgana nodded.
"That's right. I'm a human who lost my true form, but I'm going to get it back! Although… the truth is, I can't recall any details about my birth. I'm missing a lot of my memories. I know all about the Metaverse and Palaces and phantom thievery, but I couldn't tell you a thing about myself besides my name and that I'm certain I was a human before… I'm hoping that getting my body back will bring my memories with it," Morgana admitted.
"Whoa, that's intense," Ryuji murmured. Izuku agreed… not having his memories would make it hard for him to ask about Igor and the Velvet Room, then. "Not having any memories… you can't even remember your quirk or anything?"
"No," Morgana shook his head sadly. "But… that's not important right now. We should explain everything to Ann."
So explain they did. From their first run in with Shadow Kamoshida, to what the Metaverse was, to how to take down a Palace and being a phantom thief and everything in between, they laid it all out for Ann, who seemed to take it in piece by piece. Once she'd heard everything, she was quiet for a moment, chewing over her thoughts.
"Honestly, even after you explained it, I still can't believe what happened… and that power, my Persona…" she murmured.
"Your Persona and your outfit are the will of your rebellion! They allow you to fight in the other world!" Morgana said. Izuku recalled the outfit Ann's school uniform had turned into - a red, full-body suit with dark red, thigh-high boots and pink gloves. The outfit had a tail to match the cat-like mask she wore, but overall it seemed like a solid outfit that afforded her a good range of motion. Like Izuku and Ryuji's Metaverse outfits, there was no part of her left unprotected aside from the lower half of her face.
"And with those… we'll be able to make Kamoshida have a change of heart?" Ann asked, looking both serious and desperate. "Can we really do it? Make him confess to his crimes?"
"The volleyball team's keeping quiet, and the parents and teachers are turning a blind eye," Ryuji crossed his arms over his chest with a grumble. "If Izuku or I complain, our records will be used to shoot us down, and Mishima's single testimony against all of that won't help when people are coverin' for Kamoshida. We have no choice but to do this using the Metaverse."
"Then let me help too. I want to make him pay for what happened to Shiho. He's acting like nothing happened, even after what he did to her. I'll never forgive him. You have to let me join you… I can help now. That's what you meant about me not being able to help before, right?" Ann insisted.
"I think it would be great if we had more help. I'm fine with you joining," Izuku nodded. Then, he leaned in to whisper. "You just have to be prepared… this is actual vigilantism, and it runs the risk of killing Kamoshida if we're not careful, like Morgana said. If we're caught, we'll be considered serious criminals. If we don't succeed, we could get killed ourselves. Are you okay with that?"
"I'm fine with that," Ann said, dead serious. "So it's decided. I'm going to help make Kamoshida atone for everything he's done. I'll do whatever it takes!"
"A group like yours must've relied on subtlety and misdirection. You probably had somebody who was good at convincing people to look the other way. Otherwise, a group like yours would never survive," Prosecutor Niijima murmured. Izuku frowned. She wasn't wrong, but he knew exactly who she was trying to implicate. People were always going on about Ann's quirk…
"Some of you might've even been hiding behind a 'public face' your entire lives," Niijima continued. Izuku's fists clenched in his lap, but he didn't rise to the bait. He wouldn't.
Niijima wasn't pleased by his continued silence, though.
"If you're listening, answer me!"
Just like with Ryuji, a butterfly danced across Izuku's vision to mark the beginning of some kind of agreement or new friendship. He still wasn't sure what the vows really did, aside from supposedly give him power - he'd have to ask Igor some time, if he happened to dream about the Velvet Room any time soon.
I am thou, thou art I… thou hast acquired a newvow.
It shall become the wings of rebellion that breakeththe chains of captivity.
With the birth of the Lovers Persona,
I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power…
Izuku blinked and cleared his vision once it was gone, once again choosing not to say anything. Ann continued talking, not realizing anything had even happened. "Just let me know when we're going back in. Actually, that reminds me, we don't have each other's information. We should exchange numbers so we can keep in contact."
"O-Oh, sure!" Izuku pulled out his phone, shaking away the distraction of the butterfly and moving on. "Here, let me give you my number. You should get Ryuji's too."
"You know, it would actually be better if we could meet up faster from now on," Ryuji said.
Morgana nodded in agreement. "Yes… something like a secret base would be nice. A hideout where we could talk about things freely. As Midoriya warned Ryuji yesterday, talking openly about this even over text leaves evidence… we have to be very careful with how we go about things."
"A hideout, huh? I like the sound of that," Ryuji grinned. "Where would it be, though?"
Izuku wondered the same thing. The roof was probably going to be kept under lock and key going forward… and the alcove where the vending machines were was frequented by more than them. Where could they meet up and talk about this stuff without being bothered…?
"Oh, I have an idea! You all could come over to where I'm living until we find a permanent hideout, if you want. Torino-san said I could have friends over so long as I gave him some warning. And I have my own room on another floor that isn't used otherwise, so it's not like we'd be overheard. Torino-san lets me have plenty of privacy," Izuku suggested. Ann and Ryuji nodded in agreement.
"That sounds perfect, then," Ann agreed. "Although I'm not sure who this 'Torino' is…"
"Sorry! He's my guardian while I'm living in Tokyo. I'll… fill you in about that another time," Izuku grimaced, not exactly eager to repeat his entire history right now.
"Alright. Sounds like we're all set, aside from me…" Morgana hummed. "I can't contact you from inside a Palace, so I'll stay in this world. If you're all by yourself on another floor, then it sounds like it'd be perfect for me to stay in!"
"Um, I don't know if Torino-san would allow me to bring you in… I know you're not, but you really look like a cat, and you sound like one to everyone else, so he'll think I'm bringing a pet home… and I don't wanna sneak you in, that feels disrespectful to you and him," Izuku said.
"Well, I can't take him, my mom's allergic to cats," Ryuji shook his head. "Anything that looks and sounds like a cat is a no-go."
"I'm too busy and I can't take cats to photoshoots, sorry," Ann apologized. "It'll have to be you if Morgana has to stay with one of us. Do you think you could try convincing your guardian or something?"
"I… guess I don't have much of a choice," Izuku sighed. "I'll do what I can."
"Great!" Ryuji patted him on the back. "We'll meet up at your place tomorrow, then. We can just leave with you after school, real simple."
Izuku certainly hoped things would be that simple.
To Izuku's surprise, when he arrived home with Morgana waiting patiently at the door for the okay, Torino wasn't alone. Instead, when Izuku walked in, the man was being seen to by somebody who looked to be a doctor, albeit a very goth doctor.
"Alright Uncle Torino, it seems like you're…" she noticed Izuku come in the door, and gave him a strange look. "I'm sorry, who are you?"
"Um," Izuku looked between Torino and the doctor as he took off his shoes at the genkan. "I-I'm staying with Torino-san…?"
"Oh, this must be the kid you were telling me about, then. Well, I'm done anyway, so it's alright. You're in perfect health, Uncle Torino. Just like every time I come to check up on you. I don't know why Grandma insists on me coming all the way out here when we both know know you're still up and about…" the doctor sighed. Izuku looked confused.
"Uncle Torino…?"
"This is Dr. Takemi Tae. She's the granddaughter of a good friend of mine," Torino explained. Dr. Takemi nodded, packing away her things.
"Yep. I'm also his doctor, if that wasn't already obvious. I give him home checkups sometimes," she explained. Ah, that made more sense, then.
"I see. Well, it's nice to meet you, Dr. Takemi. I'm Midoriya Izuku. I'll be staying with Torino for the next year, so you'll probably see me around if you come by again any time soon," Izuku bowed respectfully. The doctor nodded.
"Alright. See you around," Dr. Takemi picked up her bag and waved, and headed out the door without much else to say. Torino laughed once the door was shut behind her.
"Just as quiet as she ever was. Don't mind her, Midoriya, she's not so bad. She runs a clinic out here in Yongen-Jaya. You should go see her if you get hurt or sick, actually. If you hear any rumors about her clinic from the locals, don't believe them. She's a good doctor, and she's even licensed to use her quirk for medical purposes. Those licenses are difficult to get, so that should tell you something. She's certainly more gentle than that grandmother of hers," Torino huffed. "Chiyo's always beating sense into her patients… Literally…"
Izuku wasn't sure who this 'Chiyo' was, but he was glad there was a doctor Torino liked. Izuku would've thought he was the type of guy to dislike doctors. Izuku had to admit, he was curious. "What kind of quirk does she have, Torino-san?"
"Her? Oh, she has a healing quirk," Torino said, trying to recall the details. "I think she was able to create medication that boosts recovery or something along those lines, if I remember correctly. She doesn't actually use it that frequently, even though she could."
"That's a really cool quirk!" Izuku said, impressed. Healing quirks were few and far between, and highly coveted by the medical field. He could totally see her being a good doctor. But now that they were alone, Izuku had to change subjects… "Um, Torino-san, I know this is sudden, but I have a request."
"Oh yeah?" Torino got up from his recliner. "What's that?"
"Um… do you think you'd allow me to have a pet?" Izuku asked awkwardly. Torino raised an eyebrow, gesturing for him to explain. "Well… a cat kind of followed me back from the station and wouldn't leave me alone… he didn't have a collar or anything, and he looked really hungry. I'll take care of him and get him everything he needs! I just want to know if it's okay if he stays here…"
On cue, Morgana meowed extremely loudly at the front door. Torino seemed surprised. "Wow, you weren't kidding. A cat really did follow you home. Well…" he chewed on the matter, before shrugging. "If you think you can take care of him, sure. It's good for kids to be responsible, and I don't hate cats. If he eats my taiyaki, pees on anything, or scratches stuff up that isn't a scratching post, though, I might change my mind. Make sure you train him properly and get him a litter box."
Izuku's eyes went wide. "Seriously?! Thank you so much, Torino-san!"
"Yeah, yeah," Torino waved nonchalantly. Morgana meowed again. "Just remember you're in charge of his care. This is an exercise in responsibility. Now let the poor thing in, he sounds like he's starving. I'll give him some tuna, and we can go shopping for supplies for him after you get home from school tomorrow. I assume you have the money to get what he needs or you wouldn't have suggested it?"
"Yes!" Izuku nodded. He had some allowance saved up from before he moved out here, and it would be enough to get Morgana some cat supplies. It might be a little degrading for him to be treated as a cat, but it would be the only way for Torino to allow him to stay here.
"Alright, then. It's set. You picked out a name for him already?" Torino asked over his shoulder as he went to the kitchen to get some tuna. Izuku opened the front door for Morgana, who came trotting in happily and gave Izuku a knowing wink.
"I like the name Morgana. It's cool and mysterious, like him," Izuku suggested. Morgana chuckled to himself.
"Huh. Interesting name for a cat, but sure. Morgana it is. Here, cat, I've got some tuna. Hope canned is alright. It's all I had…" Torino muttered, setting a plate of canned tuna on the floor for Morgana to eat. Morgana's mouth was practically watering, and he ran over and instantly began devouring the food. Torino laughed and leaned down to pet Morgana as he ate. "Jeez! Guess he really was starving."
Izuku smiled. "I'm so thankful you let him stay, Torino-san, seriously. If there's anything I can do in return…"
"Just keep going to school and taking things seriously. And let me know if you get in hot water again! I was serious about that, you know," Torino gave him a look.
"Of course. I'll let you know," Izuku nodded. Although he was sure Torino would have a cow if he knew what he and his friends were planning on getting up to soon… Morgana finished with the tuna, then meowed and jumped onto Izuku's back before settling on his shoulders. Izuku picked up the plate and took it to the sink to rinse it off. "Well… I guess that means he's done. I'd better get upstairs and start on my homework since I already spent so much time out with my friends. Thank you again, Torino-san."
"You don't need to thank me that much!" Torino rolled his eyes. "You two go on, then."
Izuku headed upstairs, and Morgana followed behind. Once they were quietly tucked away in Izuku's room upstairs, Morgana stretched out and let out a big sigh. "Ah! That food was so good. I never got hungry in the other world, so I didn't realize I was that hungry until I smelled it. You said that Torino-san was your guardian? He seems pretty nice."
"Yeah, he's really nice," Izuku nodded. Morgana took a look around the room Izuku was calling home for the next year.
"You sure do have a lot of stuff about this one guy… who is this?" he asked, tail flicking back and forth as he looked up at one of Izuku's several All Might figures. Izuku's eyebrows rose. Even people who weren't hero nerds like him knew who All Might was. Although… Morgana had lost his memories. Maybe he didn't remember.
"That's All Might. He's the number one hero here in Japan," Izuku explained, bringing one of the figures down so he could look closer at it. "He's… a good hero. He saved my life, once. I've looked up to him since I was a kid…"
And yet Izuku sounded sad when he spoke of him now, he knew. Morgana didn't say anything, but he clearly picked up on the vibe as well.
"Well," Morgana cleared his throat. "I wanted to tell you that your taking care of me isn't going to be a one-way street. It'll be give and take. I have a lot of knowledge about stealth and infiltration tools. If you take care of me, I'll teach you all I know. What do you think?"
Izuku nodded. That seemed entirely fair. "I think that's fine. It's something I need to know about anyway, if we're going to go to the Palace to take care of things."
Morgana grinned. "Then it's a deal."
Niijima stared Izuku down. "Skillful infiltrations and escapes to all manner of places… you pulled them off regularly. Of course, that has to mean you used special tools or quirks to do so. You may have even had somebody who manufactured these tools for you."
Izuku, of course, said nothing in return. He didn't even look her in the eye.
"Answer me," Niijima said, her gaze growing sharper. "It's only a matter of time until either you tell me the truth or I uncover it myself."
For the second time that day, Izuku saw the butterfly and heard that voice.
I am thou, thou art I… thou hast acquired a newvow.
It shall become the wings of rebellion that breakeththe chains of captivity.
With the birth of the Magician Persona,
I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall leadto freedom and new power…
And, just like earlier, they both vanished without a trace afterwards. It was really disorienting, but he supposed this was what Justine and Caroline were talking about - making bonds would lead to new power. Morgana and Ann had both become his friends… Izuku was honestly baffled. He hadn't expected to make even one friend at the new school, let alone three. (Even if one wasn't quite as human as Ryuji or Ann.)
"I'll explain infiltration tools to you over time so I'm not dumping all the information on you at once," Morgana said, snapping Izuku from his thoughts. "And seriously, that power you used in the Palace really was something. The stronger you get, the bigger of a trump card you'll become. Personas are powers of the heart, after all. I'm sure that whatever life experience you get will help yours grow, too. Learn new things, meet new people, have new experiences. It's all part of our deal. So from today on… I'm gonna stick with you wherever you go. We'll grow together."
"Alright. We'll grow together," Izuku agreed. "If you're going to come with me, though, I should probably make my bag a little more comfortable for you… I have a blanket you can use around here somewhere. Let's see…"
Izuku gathered a blanket and a small hand towel to stuff in the bag and create a more comfortable space for Morgana. As he played around with different book and blanket configurations to figure out which one worked best, he got texts from Ann. He replied to them between each iteration of bag layouts so Morgana could test them out.
[ Takamaki Ann: thanks for everything today.]
[ Takamaki Ann: i just realized that you and ryuji literally saved my life and i didn't even thank you guys properly.]
[ Midoriya Izuku: You don't have to thank me! It was the right thing to do. If anything, we should thank you for your help. We'd probably have trouble doing what we want to do without you.]
[ Takamaki Ann: i can't just not thank you, though.]
[ Takamaki Ann: anyway, i just wanted to say thanks, and i have. that's all. see you at school tomorrow?]
[ Midoriya Izuku: Absolutely! See you tomorrow.]
"You guys send messages to each other with that thing, right?" Morgana asked, popping his head up out of the bag. "Also, this layout is definitely the best! I can totally take naps in here like this."
"Yeah, this is for texting," Izuku nodded. "And if you like it like this, then I'll leave it that way. Just try not to make too much noise if I have to get a book… I'd get in so much trouble if anybody found out I was bringing a cat to school."
"Once again, not a cat," Morgana huffed. "Anyway, I want in on this 'texting' thing. I might ask you to message for me sometimes."
"Sure. I'll let the others know it's you in those cases," Izuku nodded. "If you're happy with my bag like that, I'd better get started on my homework. I already have tons of it…"
The next day was Saturday, and thankfully this day was a lot more normal than the week that had come before it. Even with Morgana riding along in his bag - which surprisingly didn't get discovered right away - things seemed to go smoothly.
When Izuku asked that morning if his friends could come over after school, Torino had agreed, so long as they helped Izuku shop for cat supplies before they headed back. Ann and Ryuji were fine with that, so the group of them went to a local pet supply store in Yongen-Jaya after school, got everything a normal cat would need, and headed back to the apartments.
"Dude," Ryuji whispered, leaning in to talk to Izuku. "This old guy really lives in this part of Yongen-Jaya all by himself in these apartments?"
"I'm not so old that I can't hear you," Torino gave him a look with a raised eyebrow. "I'll have you know that this building's an important piece of history. See the building next door?" Torino pointed to the office building directly beside his apartments. When Ryuji sheepishly nodded, embarrassed to have been heard, Torino continued. "That building used to be a hero agency. These were temporary living quarters heroes could stay at if they were in the area on a mission and needed to bunk. When the agency dissolved, I got the apartments, and I decided to keep them. Don't disrespect something just because it might look old and worn down on the surface."
Izuku had a feeling he was talking about more than the building, but it was still incredible to learn about another piece of hero history from Torino. Izuku was living where heroes used to sleep right now!
"Yes, sir. Sorry," Ryuji apologized. Torino just grinned.
"It's alright. Just pay respects to the people and things that came before you. Now, I heard from Midoriya here that you were coming over this morning, so I got some snacks at the supermarket. You can take them upstairs with you. Just be sure to get your homework done and don't punch any holes in my walls or whatever it is kids do these days," Torino shook his head as he let them inside, muttering about how he used to have to patch up tons of holes from 'a certain knucklehead,' whoever that was.
The group took the snacks and cat supplies and brought them upstairs, but it was only once they were standing outside the door marked with his All Might-themed nameplate that Izuku processed that he'd be bringing his friends inside his nerd cave of a room. He hadn't thought about it with Morgana yesterday because he was so tired, but now he was suddenly flustered. Even so, he'd offered to let them use the apartments as their hideout until they found a better spot, so he kind of couldn't back out now.
Izuku opened the door, set down the bags full of stuff, and immediately shuffled off awkwardly to sit at the kotatsu. "Um… well, welcome in. I, uh… sorry about all the All Might merch…"
"I kind of already had you figured for an All Might fan. Your mask in the Metaverse is shaped just like his hair," Ann chuckled, miming his two signature tufts of hair with her hands. Izuku put his head in his hands and groaned. "Hey, there's no judgment from me or anything! I think it's cool you have something you're so passionate about!"
"Yeah, don't sweat it, dude," Ryuji elbowed him. "We're your friends. If you can't share your hobbies with us, who can you share them with, right?"
"Exactly," Morgana nodded. "But now that we're all here, we should focus! Let's get our meeting started."
Ann and Ryuji joined Izuku at the kotatsu, which Morgana hopped up on top of. "So, we're all here. Let's get going," Ryuji suggested. "I wanna finish this as soon as possible."
"Not so fast," Morgana said. "We can't just rush in. We have to be careful when handling Palaces. We need to take our time and prepare - we let our emotions get the better of us when we went in the last time, and we were lucky we were able to get Ann out of that mess. If we don't prepare, we'll be in for a world of hurt this time around."
"Prepare how? We already got Personas, yeah? Ain't that enough?" Ryuji asked, looking a little confused. Morgana sighed.
"Not that kind of prep. First aid and weapons. We'll need more than just your single first aid kit, and we should try getting more of those model guns. Having more options to defend ourselves can never be a bad idea…" Morgana trailed off, thinking about how best to prepare and what they should do. "I think Izuku and I can handle looking into the first aid, at least. I have an idea."
"Oh, yeah! More model guns definitely ain't a bad idea. Our Personas can't protect us 24/7, I guess. Izuku, you wanna go with me to the hobby shop I got that one at tomorrow? It'll be better to go then since it's Sunday and we won't have to go in our school uniforms," Ryuji chuckled. "Guy gave me a real weird look the first time I went in there, that's for sure."
"Wait," Izuku blinked. There had been so much going on during his first week at Shujin that he'd honestly completely forgotten. "Tomorrow's Sunday?"
"Um… yeah, why? You go to church or something?" Ryuji asked curiously.
"No, I… have a previous obligation on Sundays," Izuku said, his voice quiet. He was supposed to meet up with All Might as per the terms of his financial support. He was still incredibly nervous about it, but… it wasn't like he had much of a choice. Besides, now that he had friends… he'd do just about anything to be able to keep going to school with them.
"Oh, like a part-time job?" Ann asked. Izuku shook his head.
"No. I told you I was on probation when we explained stuff yesterday, right?" Izuku wondered. Ann nodded, so he continued. "Well, the truth is, my mom could never afford the tuition and cost of living it would take for me to attend Shujin, but Shujin was the only school willing to take a kid out on probation. But, um… somebody I know, I guess, he offered to cover my tuition and living costs and any other stuff I needed so long as I meet with him on Sunday mornings. That's the only stipulation. So I kind of have to go or else I can't complete my probation…"
"That's fine, we can just go in the afternoon, then!" Ryuji said, patting him on the back. Ann, however, looked a little concerned.
"You don't sound too happy about having to go. Is this guy… holding this over your head or something? One of us can come with you if you're super uncomfortable, you know," she offered. "I mean, besides Morgana. I don't think he could be much help in cat form… sorry, Morgana."
"Unfortunately you're right…" Morgana sighed despondently.
Izuku quickly shook his head. The last thing he needed was anybody else seeing who he was meeting. After all, All Might had told him to keep his identity a secret. If anybody else found out… "It's not like that, really! Thank you, though. I'll be alright. I'll go by myself the first time and let you know if I need help after that, okay?"
"Alright… but you better keep an eye out, alright Morgana?" Ann said seriously.
"I don't… I don't think Morgana should go either," Izuku said, a little awkwardly. "It'll be fine, honestly. This guy isn't like Kamoshida or anything. It's just… complicated. I think it's mostly me… I just have a lot of hard feelings about my probation. It's not his fault."
Morgana looked concerned. "Not even me?"
"Yeah. I'm sorry. I'll take you to the next meeting if you want, though. I just think the first one should be private," Izuku ran a nervous hand through his hair. Morgana sighed.
"Alright… fine. Private it is, then. That being said, it seems we have a plan… Izuku and I can handle first aid, and Ryuji and Izuku can handle weapons tomorrow afternoon. If you think of anything else we need or hear anything important, Ann, you should let us know. We should spend Monday afternoon warming up and getting used to our new equipment. And on Tuesday afternoon, once we're prepped…" Morgana put a paw forwards. "We'll begin the operation to take down Kamoshida."
Ann, Izuku and Ryuji all put hands in the center of the table atop Morgana's paw.
"I'm ready," Ann nodded.
"Me too," Ryuji agreed.
Izuku took a deep breath. "Then… let's do this."
Ann and Ryuji stayed for a little longer, but they both had to go and handle their own responsibilities after school, so it was up to Izuku and Morgana to handle business once they left for the afternoon. As it turned out, Morgana's idea was to check out the doctor who'd been seeing to Torino the day before. Apparently, Morgana had been listening to the conversation and overheard the fact that she could create medicine with her quirk. Morgana wanted to investigate that, and to that end, recommended he get seen about his head injury… it was almost healed by now, but they could still use it as a reason to go and visit her clinic.
Izuku agreed, so once he'd done the majority of his homework, he asked Torino if he could go out again and told him why he was going. Torino thought it was a good idea, getting the injury checked out by a professional just to be on the safe side, so he sent him along with a little extra money to cover the exam fee and told him to let him know how his head was.
After asking around with the locals, Izuku was directed to a small, tucked-away clinic only a couple of streets over from Leblanc, the café Torino liked. The clinic was small and didn't seem to have many patients, if any at all. But Izuku was not afraid, and they needed medicine. If there was quirk-based medicine that could help heal them while they were in the Palace, that would be incredible.
When Izuku went in, Dr. Takemi was sitting behind the check-in counter, scrolling through her phone with music playing from it. She spoke to him without even looking up. "Is this your first visit, and are you here for an appointment or a walk-in?"
"Um, it's my first visit. I'm a walk-in…" Izuku trailed off. From inside his bag, Morgana listened quietly. Dr. Takemi looked up, looking surprised to see him.
"Oh. You're the kid living with Uncle Torino," she murmured. "What're you visiting for?"
"I'd just like to have my head checked out. I had a pretty nasty bump earlier this week, but I never got it looked at by a professional… Torino-san said it was probably fine and took care of it, but I'd just like to make sure," Izuku said, pointing to the small bandage on his head.
"I see," Dr. Takemi hummed thoughtfully. "Head into the exam room and I'll get your information, then I can take a look. I won't charge you this time since you're with Uncle Torino."
"Oh! Thank you," Izuku bowed gratefully, surprised to even have her offer. (Admittedly, it was probably helpful since his allowance was running low after the trip to the pet store. He had planned to return Torino's money to him and pay for the visit out of pocket, since it wasn't really for the reason Torino thought it was.) Izuku followed her into the room. There was a patient bed, two chairs and a computer setup. He took a seat in one of the chairs and gave her his information as she asked for it. When it came to his lack of a quirk, he was admittedly nervous to admit it, since his track record with doctors wasn't the greatest, but…
"What's your quirk, Midoriya?" Dr. Takemi asked, pen paused over her clipboard.
"Um… I'm quirkless," he mumbled. "I hope that isn't a problem…"
Dr. Takemi looked genuinely surprised, but she shook her head. "Not at all. I don't see many quirkless patients, but I've treated a few older quirkless folks in my career. So, let's take a look at this head wound of yours…"
Dr. Takemi removed the bandage from his head and examined it, running through a few concussion tests and other things once she was done with checking out the wound itself. She jotted down notes as she went, and when she wrapped up her exam, she leaned back in her seat and sighed. "Well, honestly, you're not showing any signs of a concussion. You said it's been several days, so symptoms typically would've shown by now. I'm inclined to agree with Uncle Torino and say this was just a nasty wound. That being said… does it still hurt you at all?"
"Um, the injury itself is still a little tender, but otherwise no," Izuku shook his head.
"Alright. In that case, I'm willing to offer you some medication to help you get rid of that injury. I'm sure Uncle Torino's told you about me, but just to explain what my quirk does, I can create medicine with it. The pills speed up a person's natural recovery time in exchange for their stamina. The higher the dosage, the faster you heal, but the more exhausted you get in return. Since your wound is already partially healed, you shouldn't need much. Would you like to use that, or would you just like me to re-bandage it?"
Izuku's eyebrows rose. That was an incrediblehealing quirk! It sounded a lot like the medic hero Recovery Girl's quirk, only with medication instead of kisses. "I'd be willing to take the medication."
"Alright, let me get you the meds and some water. One second," Dr. Takemi went to the other side of the room, and from a small fridge hidden under a table, she pulled out a miniature bottle of water and a tiny pill cup. She cupped her hands, and in her palms a green light appeared, condensing into two tiny pills which she deposited into the pill cup. "Here you are. Take these. You'll feel a little sleepy after, but you should be able to get home alright."
Izuku downed the pills, taking a swig of water to help them go down. Not long after, the wound on his head began to feel less and less tender, and eventually Izuku couldn't feel it at all. He let out a yawn. "Oh man… I am sleepy. Thank you though, Dr. Takemi. My head feels a lot better."
"Of course," Dr. Takemi leaned back in her chair. "You've certainly got guts, though… taking pills without knowing what's in them. You just took my word for it."
Izuku blinked. "Um… you're a doctor. Plus Torino-san says you're a good doctor. And quirkless people can't always afford to be picky about good doctors, so… I guess it was pretty easy to assume you weren't going to give me poison or something."
Dr. Takemi seemed amused by his response. "I see. Well, that's all I can do for you right now, Midoriya. If you have any other injuries or get sick, come and see me. I'll see what I can do. I make my own medication beyond what my quirk produces, you know. I have licenses to develop my own formulas. It's your responsibility to take care of yourself, so make sure to have regular checkups. Although… next time you come in I'll have to charge you, even if you're under Uncle Torino's care. Got it?"
"Yes, ma'am," Izuku bowed.
When he left the clinic, Morgana seemed pleased. They could come here and ask for her medication if any of them got severely injured in the Palace, but in the mean time, they'd pick up another small first aid kit and carry it with them. They'd just have to do their best not to get injured, unless the Palace turned out to be so dangerous that he needed to ask Dr. Takemi to ask for some of her medication to take home with him so they could use it on the inside.
But as he headed back to Torino's apartments, Izuku's thoughts drifted to tomorrow… and the meeting he would have to attend with All Might.
How would it go? What would he say? Izuku didn't know, but… he was going to find out.
Izuku took a deep breath to calm himself down. He'd picked out an outfit that would be comfortable but presentable, added a jacket on top because it was still cool enough outside to warrant one, triple-checked himself out of nervousness, and was now standing at the front door, finally ready to go. Torino handed him a small envelope before he left.
"Here. Your train fare is being covered for these meetings, plus a little extra in case you want to get something to eat while you're out," he said, to which Izuku tucked it away in his jacket pocket. "Don't look so nervous. He's not going to take away your financial support or anything like that - these meetings are just to check in with you and how you're doing."
"You sure you're gonna be alright?" Morgana asked, looking up at him with a worried expression.
Izuku swallowed down his nerves. "I-I know, Torino-san. I'll be alright."
"Alright, if you say so," Morgana murmured, still skeptical but choosing to let it go. He gathered that Izuku was speaking to both of them with that statement.
"Well then you'd better get going. He sent you the address and time he'd like to meet up at, right?" Torino asked. Izuku nodded.
"Yeah. At his office in Roppongi," Izuku said, double-checking his phone. He didn't want to say 'Might Tower' and tip off Morgana as to who he was going to meet… that wouldn't be good for his wish for privacy. "I'd better get going if I don't want to get caught up in rush hour on the trains. I'll let you know how things went when I get back. Thank you for the train fare."
"Alright, then. Get going," Torino ushered Izuku out of the door, and Morgana hopped up to watch him leave from the windowsill. Izuku waved, and then he was off. It was early morning, before the rush, so the trains were quiet still. Hopefully that meant that Might Tower was quiet this time of day too… he really didn't want to stick out like a sore thumb or be noticed by a bunch of people.
It was a small blessing the actual meeting was going to happen in an office, not out in the open.
If Izuku was being honest with himself, he'd been working up the courage to ask him about the day they met… the talk on the roof after All Might had saved his life. He didn't know how it would go, but Izuku didn't think he could live with himself if he didn't take the chance to clear the air.
The train ride to Roppongi was thankfully short, so Izuku didn't have a long time to stew in his thoughts. He got off the train and followed his GPS to Might Tower - Izuku had never actually been there in his life, despite his childhood adoration of the hero. His mom had never really had the money to take him out to Tokyo on a whim or the money to cover the tour fees.
Might Tower itself, though, was just as, well… mightyas the name implied. When he was face to face with the sky-high building and imposing glass walls, he wondered if All Might had looked at the city from those heights and saw all the people who depended on him. Izuku thought that responsibility was a lot… a heavy weight for a single person to bear. He certainly couldn't imagine knowing that millions of people were looking up to only him to save them at any given moment.
Izuku had always wanted to save people, to be a hero, and he'd always jumped in to save the people he saw right in front of him… but seeing the big picture was a little sobering. Still, he'd never give up. He was still determined to be a hero who could save others with a smile, no matter how afraid he was or how heavy the burden he bore was.
That was part of what he was doing right now, fighting against Kamoshida.
As Izuku went inside the building to meet with All Might in the lobby - or rather, Yagi-san in his civilian form - he could see people of all kinds coming and going. Some were civilians, some were reporters or office workers, some were even fellow heroes, probably looking to get an opinion or help from All Might himself. But instead, All Might was here, waiting to speak with a single boy with a criminal record.
"Young Midoriya! There you are!" Izuku heard a voice he'd recognize anywhere and turned to see Yagi, jogging up to meet him. "Good morning! I'm so glad you were able to make it."
Izuku, now face to face with the man, couldn't look him in the eyes.
"Um… yes. Good morning, Yagi-san," Izuku murmured. The man's expression was understanding and non-judgmental, and he gestured to an elevator in the back of the lobby.
"Please, come with me. We should talk in my office. I won't ask you to come here for every meeting, but I thought here would be best for this one so that way we'd have total privacy," he explained. Izuku just nodded and followed along, his hands wrapped tightly around his backpack. None of the receptionists questioned or even batted an eyelash at Yagi bringing somebody into the tower with him, simply waving as he passed by. What was it Yagi had told him in his message this morning? He told people he was All Might's secretary? He supposed that made for a good cover story…
The elevator ride up was quiet, and as other people got off at different floors, the elevator population dwindled down to just the two of them. Finally, at the second to top floor, the elevator stopped again, and Yagi gestured for him to get off. There was a giant, open space, with a gate that led to a landing area on the outside of the building, a walled-off office with a gate painted the colors of All Might's suit with a floor marker that read 'MIGHT ONLY' in bold letters, and what looked to be a small secretarial office and a waiting area in front of what was, presumably, All Might's office.
Seeing this very room was nothing short of a childhood dream of Izuku's, and yet it felt… different now.
"Come in, please," Yagi gestured for him to follow him into the secretarial office. Izuku did as he was told, watching as Yagi shut the door behind him and offered him a seat. "Would you like anything to drink? I keep water and tea in the office. I can't exactly drink coffee on account of my injury."
Izuku shook his head. He didn't think he could handle eating or drinking anything right now. Instead, he took the seat he'd been offered, setting his bag in his lap and holding onto it like a lifeline. Yagi took his seat behind his desk, quietly folding his hands and giving Izuku room to speak. "Um… what exactly should I be telling you at these meetings, sir? Should I just check in and tell you how school is going, or…?"
Yagi sighed gently. "You don't have to treat them so formally, young Midoriya. These meetings can be whatever you'd like - whatever you feel is best. If you'd like to sit here quietly or tell me about your week, neither of those things are wrong. But if I'm being honest, I had hoped to speak with you about the first time we met - just before the sludge villain incident, I believe the news called it. I would like to make up for the mistake I made then, but you are not at all required to accept my overtures to do so."
Izuku's eyes went wide, and the death grip he had on his bag relaxed just the tiniest amount. "Your… mistake? What mistake did you make?"
Yagi himself looked overwhelmingly relieved to be given the chance to explain. "You see, my boy, the sludge villain incident was something of a wake-up call for me. When you ran in to save your classmate then, I was keenly aware of what I told you just before… I don't know if you remember it, but just before the incident, after I'd saved you from that villain the first time, I told you on the roof where you saw this side of me that you could not be a hero. It's been on my mind ever since."
Izuku didn't think he could forget those words. His panic attack two days prior was a stark reminder of that. The sludge villain had attacked him before Kacchan, and All Might had saved him. Only… Izuku, being All Might's biggest fan and wanting nothing more than to be a hero, had clung to the man's leg when he took off into the sky afterwards, hoping to ask him if he could really achieve his dream.
They'd landed on the roof of an office building so All Might could drop him off, and Izuku had asked his question: could somebody with no quirk become a hero like you? His answer… had been no.
"I remember," Izuku whispered, squeezing his bag tighter again. No… he could never forget.
"Well," Yagi cleared his throat, his expression one of genuine remorse. "That statement was my mistake, my boy. I let my own feelings get in the way of the cold, hard truth. The fact of the matter is, and it's one I've always advocated, is that anybody can be a hero. The day we met, I was in pain, I had let a civilian see a side of me I did not want seen, and I was feeling… bitter over my growing lack of time as a hero. When you asked if it was possible to be a hero like me, I simply… got wrapped up in my own head and didn't want somebody to end up like me in pursuit of being a hero. That is absolutely not an excuse for dismissing you so callously, but I at least wanted you to know why I would say something like that."
"What… what did you mean?" Izuku began to choke up where he sat, tears beading in his eyes and his hands trembling. "If it was a mistake… then…"
"I mean exactly that. It was a mistake. What I should have told you was the truth… you can be a hero, young man, and I deeply regret telling you otherwise. I'm sorry. I hope you can accept my apology." Yagi's voice was soft, and Izuku suppressed a sob. All Might was telling him… "There are so many heroes out there with all types of strengths and weaknesses. Whether you are a good fit for heroics is not for me to decide - your heart, spirit, and effort will decide if you're fit. But anybody, you included, can be a hero if they work hard enough. You can be a hero, young Midoriya."
Izuku's heart couldn't take it. The words he'd always wanted to hear since his quirkless diagnosis, not his mother's heartbroken 'I'm sorry' or Kacchan's cruel taunt of 'Deku', but 'you can do it' had finally been said to him. By All Might… and by an adult who had taken responsibility and apologized for once. None of the other adults in his life aside from his mother and Torino had been so open with him.
"And there is one more thing I wish to tell you, young man," Yagi murmured, seeing the tears and emotion in his eyes. "If you still wish to be a hero, I would like to reach out a hand and help you become one. And even if you don't, then I'd at least like to help you get the vigilantism charges wiped from your record. In my opinion, it was ridiculous you got charged. I was lucky to have found out you were being charged in time to advocate for you in court, but not in time to protest the charges entirely, and for that I am sorry. Of course, if you do not wish for my help, then these meetings can continue to be whatever you'd like."
Izuku was crying now, but it wasn't entirely because he'd been told he could. It was partly because the offer for his help… it almost felt like it had come too late.
Izuku had awoken the power of his Persona, had committed to doing an actual act of vigilantism, and was about to go buy weapons for that very thing right after this. Izuku… had already sort of become a hero on his own terms, even if the label was different. Ryuji had called him a hero. Is a name enough to make you lose your drive as a hero?D'Artagnan had asked him that very thing, and Izuku had said no. He wholly accepted any label so long as it meant saving people.
So why… why couldn't this offer have come before he ended up at the castle that day? Before he'd already chosen to forgo traditional heroics? Would it really be okay for somebody like him - a soon-to-be vigilante and somebody with a criminal record - to take his offer?
"I can tell you're not sure, and it's not a decision you need to make right now. Take your time and think about it. I understand you must have a lot of hard feelings after how we met, and I don't blame you. But seeing you move when nobody else did that day was inspiring… and I feel like you would make a fantastic hero I'd be honored to mentor."
Izuku wiped at his eyes and decided to do what Yagi said and think about it. While he was also honored that All Might, his childhood hero, believed him to be worthy of mentoring… he was equally as disbelieving and filled with feelings of unworthiness.
"In the meantime, would you like to talk about school? I hope your adjustment to school life in Tokyo hasn't been too difficult," Yagi murmured.
Izuku couldn't help the laugh that escaped him at that. If only the man really knew… "It's been… going as well it could, all things considered," Izuku settled on saying. He didn't need to know he was already threatened with expulsion… that definitely wouldn't go over well. "I made some friends, at least."
"Oh? I'm glad to hear that!" Yagi smiled. "And your studies? Are you adjusting to the curriculum? I know Shujin is a bit of a step up in terms of an academic challenge given that it's a prep school, but I'm hoping it's not too difficult."
Izuku shook his head. He hadn't been there long enough to accurately determine whether they'd give him a hard time grade-wise, but so far he was at least able to keep up with the lessons. "It's right at my level, I think. I'm able to follow along in class so far."
"Good! That's good to hear. So, how about…"
The conversation continued like that for a while - now that the air had been cleared between them, Izuku was better able to talk to him about whatever came to mind. All Might… he'd been wrong about him. All Might was still good. He just… made a mistake. People made mistakes all the time. Izuku couldn't hold that over his head, even if the memory of the rooftop they spoke on would be difficult to shake off.
And once he'd caught All Might up on everything that happened that week, the man wrote down a number on a piece of paper and handed it to him. "Here. This is my personal number rather than my business one - if you need help with anything, if you need to reschedule any of our meetings for something, or if you just need a listening ear, you can send me a message any time. I think this meeting is enough for now - I have confidence that you'll do great at Shujin over the next year. If you'd like, we can meet elsewhere next week, or you can simply call me. Whichever you prefer."
Izuku took the number and nodded. "Thanks. I'll let you know which is better. And… I'll really give your offer some thought. Thank you… for everything you're doing for me."
"Of course, young man," Yagi nodded, a gentle expression on his face. "It's the least I could do in return for the grief I've caused you. And that's not to say my offer to mentor you is because I feel I owe you something - I simply think you have the spirit of a hero! After all… a hero's feet often move before their brain has a chance to catch up."
Izuku managed a wobbly but genuine smile. "That was what happened the day we met."
"And that only proves my point," Yagi smiled back. "You have a hero's spirit, young man. All you have to do is keep it up."