13: Upgrade (Not the Alien)
Toshinori had invited Izuku and his friends out as soon as they had been released by Recovery Girl, which also included Kinoko Komori, Ochako Uraraka, and Mina Ashido. And the mood around the table that evening was a jovial one as the children all laughed and recounted their participation in the practical exams.
Kinoko, a shy little thing with a bob-cut that covered her eyes, had nearly refused, but Toshinori insisted while Hitoshi had heartily agreed. Ochako had been unable to turn down the idea of free food and Mina wanted to spend more time with Himiko and Izuku, much to the latter's delight, and embarrassment.
Mina, however, was the only one that had called her parents to let them know where she was. Turns out both Ochako and Kinoko were living alone just as Shinso was, though for entirely different reasons. Ochako's parents worked out in the country, and couldn't afford to be away from work too long, while Kinoko's parents were simply out of town for the week.
When Inko had heard about what all had gone on during the tests, she had nearly fainted: not only had her son destroyed a giant robot, but her surrogate daughter had been injured, and nearly trampled by one. "Oh, you brave little angel!" Inko had immediately grabbed the pink-skinned girl in one of her bone-crushing hugs and bawled her eyes out.
"Order whatever you want, kids, it's all on me!" Toshinori had laughed a moment later when Izuku and Himiko had managed to rescue the girl from the grateful/worried mother. None of the children had hesitated, though Kinoko did take some coaxing from Shinso. The blond man noticed that the two were nearly joined at the hip after meeting up with them. "Hehe," he chuckled while the kids made their orders, "I can already see a bright future for these kids."
Inko nodded as she watched her son and surrogate daughter talking about something she couldn't hear while they made their orders. "Is it wrong that I still worry about them becoming Heroes?" She asked with a hint of sadness in her voice, "I mean I know that I'd be crushing Izuku's dream if I told him that I wanted him to stop, but even being a student in a Hero School is dangerous...and...he and Himiko are all I have."
Toshinori frowned a little, "Ultimate Alliance High School is one of the best in the business, and I'm not just saying that as All Might's agent," he told her with confidence in his voice, "They're dedicated to seeing that their students are made into the best Heroes that they can be before being sent out into the world." Inko nodded slowly even though he could still see the worry etched onto her face.
He reached across the table, "And...those two really aren't all you have, you know?" Inko felt her cheeks grow warm as his large hand covered her own. It was a stark contrast to her own. Where hers were small with just the hint of calluses on her palms, his felt like sandpaper, yet she could feel the gentleness in them.
And that same touch was enough to send shivers running up her arm all the way down to her toes. "Toshi, I ...you're only saying that because of all the weight I've lost over these last few months." She said though it was by far the weakest excuse she had ever heard, even from her own mouth.
"Not true, my dear," Toshinori smiled as her, loosely lacing their fingers together, "I already thought you were quite lovely when we first met." He chuckled while the woman's face gained more color. "And that was just from a small glance." He continued on as Inko began to worry her lips. "As we spent more time together, I began to realize that..." he looked down at their entwined hands, and then back up at her, "I'm in love with you, Inko."
In that one moment Inko felt like her heart was going to explode out of her chest. "Oh, my...Toshinori, you shouldn't - "
"I'm being one hundred percent serious, Inko," he shook his head, turning his gaze toward the group of children, his eyes landing on the young boy that had brought them together, "You and Izuku...you've both come to mean more to me than I ever could have imagined. And...I can't help thinking of Izuku like a son," he smiled proudly, "So many times I've seen him rise to the occasion while training. And he's proven himself a true Hero in my eyes many times over," he chuckled and turned back to her, "Yet he still manages to scare the bejesus outta me when he does something astounding like talking down a dangerous Villain," he looked toward Himiko, noticing that the girl was popping one of her blood pills into her mouth, "Or saving a little girl from an abusive home."
Inko gave the man a very proud, yet timid smile, "He does look up to you a great deal, you know?" She said, her heart thundering into her ribs rapidly, "Just like a father."
Toshinori smiled happily, "I'm glad he feels that way." He said, "I've only ever had little Melissa as the closest thing to a child, and she calls me her uncle." He laughed, "But with you two...I feel like I'm part of a real family."
She squeezed his fingers tightly, "It's...not going to be easy on my part, Toshi." She muttered, "My husband - pardon me - ex-husband - I thought he was the one, but..." she shrugged slowly, "Well, you know how well that ended." He nodded with a bit of a scowl on his face. She looked at him pensively, "And I know that you're different from him, but I..."
He reached over and covered their hands with his free one, "I'm not asking us to run over to the nearest chapel to get hitched," he said, making the woman squeak, "I'd love nothing more than to take this as slow as you want."
"We..." her smile returned, "We haven't even been on a proper date."
Toshinori grinned at her, "I bet I can fix that," he said with a hint of challenge in his voice, "I just...do you think...you'd like to try?"
Inko gave a small laugh, "I'm quite the mess you know?" She reminded him, "I've only just started my exposure therapy, and that's not even counting what Izuku's going to have to go through." She shivered, "And there's all this paperwork I need to get through concerning little Himiko." She gained some heat in her voice, "You know that my lawyer called yesterday about sending her to a different home?"
Toshinori frowned, "Nezu would never allow that," he assured her before giving her a grin, "You dodged the question, by the way."
Inko giggled and rolled her eyes, "I think I'm up to trying." She smiled, "As long as you don't mind a broken little family like mine?"
"Not broken," Toshinori smiled at her, "Just unique."
Meanwhile...
"Hey, Izu?" Himiko said while retrieving her tray of food, "I'm probably wrong again, but is there something between In-er-Mom, and Mister Yagi?" She asked, nearly biting her tongue at the slip.
Izuku just turned to her with a beaming smile, "I really hope there is," he said with a happy blush on his face, "He asked her out on a date not long after meeting us!"
"Awe, that's so sweet!" Mina squealed, the hint of a romance too tempting for her to pass up, "I was wondering why he acted like your dad sometimes, but I didn't think he was romancing your mom!"
Hitoshi just shrugged at her, "I don't really think he's had that much time to do much romancing," he said while handing a drink off to Kinoko, jolting when he felt her fingers wrap around his by accident. "Er, sorry, Komori."
"N-No, p-Porcini-eep!" She yelped as soon as the words left her mouth and covered it with her free hand.
Mina was the one that laughed first, "Was that meant to be a pun?" She giggled. Kinoko nodded with embarrassment, "Oh, don't be embarrassed, it was cute!"
"Porcini is a type of mushroom, right?" Mei asked, "My dad took me to an Italian restaurant once, and I think those were part of the main dish."
Kinoko nodded, "I-I-I kind'a like making mushroom puns," she said, her face steaming, "I...My Quirk, Mushroom, makes mushrooms grow, so I thought it would be funny."
Hitoshi just gave a small grin, "Well, I don't mind it."
"I think it's cool," Izuku said, doing his best not to geek out about her Quirk, "If you don't mind, I'd - " Mei reached over and bonked him on the head, "Ow! Mei, what the heck!?"
"We're celebrating tonight, doofus, no Quirk research until we get into U.A.!" She admonished. She turned to the confused Mina, Kinoko and Ochako, "He loves doing Quirk analysis on any new Quirk he comes across. Heck, he broke mine down in a few seconds after I explained it to him, and gave me pointers on how to use it when I'm making new babies - "
"She means her Support Gear!" Hitoshi and Izuku blurted out when the word babies left Mei's lips, earning them a glare from the girl in question.
"Anyway!" Mei snapped at the two of them, "Don't think you guys are safe," she said with a gesture in their direction, "He'll pester you for hours!"
Mina giggled as she bumped Izuku's shoulder lightly, "How come you haven't asked me about mine, yet?"
"W-W-well, I was gonna, but - " Izuku started but a look from Mei stopped him, "Er, well, I - Mei's gonna hit me again!"
"Mei, don't be mean," Hitoshi said warned her, "Or the next time I use my Quirk, I'll make you wear one of those frocks Mrs. Bakugo stuck Himiko in."
Mei looked at him angrily, "You just try it, buster! I'll - " Mei's eyes went blank while Hitoshi just grinned at her. Her eyes then refocused, and she shook her head rapidly. "Yeesh!" She shivered before glaring at the boy, "Why you - !"
"Oh, come on!" Ochako giggled as she came between the two of them, "Let's calm down and enjoy the food!"
"I'll second that!" Kinoko squeaked, hoping to defuse the situation before the two of them came to blows.
Izuku and the group laughed while keeping Mei from throttling the grinning Brainwasher. He saw that the two adults were still talking, and decided to move to a different table. Most of the booths were taken, however, and the tables were all two-seaters, which meant they had some pairing up to do. He tried to sit with either Hitoshi or Mei, even Himiko, but Mei grabbed a seat with Ochako while Hitoshi sat with Kinoko. "Himiko, you sit with us, too!" Mei said with a grin on her face. The table they had grabbed was one of the few four-seaters.
Izuku grimaced and gave Mina a small smile, "You can go ahead and sit with the girls, if you want?" He offered.
Mina looked affronted, "What, moi? Leave you to sit by your lonesome?" She asked with faux outrage, "Mister Midoriya, just what kind of woman do you take me for?"
"Uh...?" Izuku was thrown. Dealing with girls was still a new thing for him, even if he had to deal with Mei's antics on a daily basis, which also meant that he was getting used to female nudity, but that did nothing to help him when it came to speaking with a girl like this bright, bubbly pink ball of energy. "I - eh!?" She took him by his elbow, the warmth of her hand on his skin sending goose bumps all over him, while balancing her tray in the other hand and pulled him over to a free table.
He then found himself plunked down in a chair across from the bright-eyed girl as she took her seat with a beaming smile, "So," she giggled when the boy gave her a nervous smile, "Himi-babe told me that there was a reason behind why you never called me?"
Izuku's face went pale, and then bright red all at once which made the girl laugh even harder, "I-I-I'm so sorry! It's not that I didn't want to, I just - " a dainty pink finger rose up and tapped him on the nose. "I..." His nose felt like someone had just zapped him with a static shock.
"I'm not mad," the girl told him with those beautifully unique eyes of hers alight with mirth, "Himiko just told me that you're waaay shier than she is, and I couldn't stay upset for long after hearing that," she smiled at him and leaned on her hands, "So, what do you say we start over from here?" She asked with a bat of her lashes.
Izuku blushed, "F-from here?"
"Yeppers," she beamed while slapping the table lightly with her palm, "Right here." She said before reaching for her shake (vanilla was her favorite) and taking a long drink, "So let's start like this," she reached out her free hand to him, "Hi, I'm Mina Ashido."
Izuku almost laughed, a small snort escaped him as he hesitantly reached out to take her hand, "A-And I'm Izuku Midoriya," she gripped his hand gently, a happy lavender colored blush adorning her cheeks.
"It's very nice to meet you," the girl smiled at him, letting go to start working on her large order of black pepper french fries. "Got any fun hobbies?"
Izuku worried his lip, "W-well, I think it's fun, so I guess my hobby is analyzing different Quirks and how they can be used." He admitted, "Like how Himiko uses her Quirk to transform into others - "
"Izu?" Himiko called out from her table, "Keep that part of my Quirk to yourself, please?" She asked pleadingly, "I'm begging you here!"
The boy rubbed the back of his neck bashfully, "Sorry, Himiko," he chuckled before turning his attention back to the pink-skinned girl before him, "B-but, yeah, I love analyzing Q-quirks and how th-they can be used."
Mina's smile never dropped an inch, "That does sound like a really interesting hobby," she said, her lips dropping slightly, "Like something a super smart guy would do." She said, making the boy blush, "Me, not so much." She sighed before her gleaming smile returned, "But I totes lovedancing!" She proclaimed, "It's one of the ways I keep myself in shape," her eyes drifted to his exposed forearms, noting just how muscular they were, a little fact that made her want to lick her lips, "But you? You look like you lift a lot of weights?" She inquired, pushing the slight urge down.
Izuku failed to notice the deepening of her blush as he flexed his right hand, "Not really," he said, "I mean I do a little weight training, but I mostly just did a whole lot of cleaning."
Mina nearly slipped out of her chair, "Cleaning made you ripped?" She almost shouted, astonished. [Just what kind of cleaning did he do to get guns like those?] She thought idly.
"W-well, yeah," Izuku nodded, "But I think I would've prefered dancing when I think about the pure hell I went through." He chuckled while looking over at Toshinori and his mother, "Mister Yagi really put me through the grinder to get me in shape for U.A."
Mina smiled at the two adults, "Oh I don't know," she giggled, not seeing how the skeletal man could do much harm when he acted so friendly, "He seems like a really nice guy," she mumbled dreamily as she watched him and Izuku's mother chatting happily, "You know, if they do end up together, I hope they're happy."
Izuku silently agreed, and hoped that she was right, "By the way, if you like dancing so much," he reached for his burger, unwrapping it, "Maybe you should look into some fighting styles that incorporate dancing?"
Mina blinked owlishly before she eagerly leaned toward him, "Is there something like that?" She asked exuberantly: Izuku was so surprised that he dropped his burger and nearly fell out of his seat. Her leaning forward had given him a perfect view of her cleavage just below the neck of her shirt. Lucky for him she seemed to see his behavior as discomfort at her enthusiasm, so she sat back down and placed her hands together, seemingly none the wiser, "Sorry, but that totally surprised me." She giggled as the boy settled back into his seat and picked up his meal, "Anyway! There's a dance style that I can use for fighting?"
Izuku nodded, "Y-yeah, it's called capoeira," he said, taking a tentative bite, "It's really good for defensive fighting, uses dodges, leg sweeps and kicks, plus open-palm hits." He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone and typing something across the screen, "But if I had to compare it to something, then I'd have to say it's a lot like breakdancing." He turned the screen toward her.
Mina watched the screen as it played out a fight involving one man flipping around, spinning, and landing devastating hits on his opponent. "Whoa," she breathed out, captivated by the movements of the capoeira fighter, "How have I never heard of this?" She wondered with a brilliant smile. She turned her eyes back to the green-eyed teen, "Midori, I am so going to study this!" She beamed, her eyes widening happily, "This is totally perfect for me! I love it!" She reached across the table and hugged the startled boy around the neck.
Izuku let out a small yelp as the girl came toward him before his face was smothered in her...arms...he would forever recall the moment he was hugged by this beautiful girl, and felt her arms smooshed against his face. It was the only way he would be able to look at her in the face ever again without turning into an utter babbling idiot...or causing his nose to do an impression of Old Faithful.
Across from them, Hitoshi was shaking his head, "That guy has the worst best luck in the world," he muttered before turning back and continuing his conversation with Kinoko, who was smiling shyly at him.
Meanwhile Himiko was just burying her face in her hands with barely contained laughter at her foster brother's situation. Mei was pouting toward the pair, "I still don't get why he keeps reacting like that," she muttered around her straw, looking at Himiko, "The guy's seen me naked dozens of times!"
Ochako's naturally pink cheeks brightened to neon levels while Himiko just sputtered a giggle, "Yeah, but Mei, when you walk around naked, you're just being our Mei, notflirting" she pointed toward Izuku and his potential paramour, "I think she actually likes him."
Mei huffed, "I like him, too, you know?"
"You do?!" Ochako asked, the whole thing going over her head. But Himiko put a stop to it with a shake of her head.
"Not like that you don't," the blonde reminded her, "Honestly, I'm more afraid of being molested by you than Izuku is."
"Huh?!" Ochako's face was getting redder by the second.
Mei took mock offense to Himiko's accusation. "I would never molest you!" She said haughtily while turning her nose up in the air, one eye trained on the girl with a slight smirk, "I'd ask first."
Himiko giggled while Ochako's eyes swirled, "Pretty sure I don't play for your team, Honey!"
"Give me five minutes and you will!" Mei laughed. Ochako had had enough of the conversation and covered her face, forgetting about her Quirk for the umpteeth time, and floated about the table. Laughter ensued.
僕ぼくのヒーローアカデミア
Several hours later found a certain pink-skinned girl giggling in her room, "I'm serious, Mom!" She laughed, "The poor girl was doing summersaults all over the restaurant!"
Her mother was laughing right along with her, "You sound like you had a wonderful time," she smiled as the girl reclined on her bed, holding a plush pillow to her chest, "And I heard about how you saved that girl you made friends with during the written exam." She leaned over and pecked her on the forehead, "I'm so proud of you, my darling baby girl."
Mina smiled at her, "Himiko was way more heroic than I was," she said, sitting up, "But there was something about her that seemed off during the practical." She tapped her chin in thought, "It was like she was trying to avoid me or something, because she went totally savage on the robots right up until one of them shot her in the back and knocked her down and gave her a concussion."
"I wouldn't worry, dear," her mother said, "Whatever the problem was, she sounded like a perfectly lovely girl once you got to know her."
"I think so," Mina agreed happily, "She didn't even get weirded out by how I look!"
The woman gave the girl a look, "Mina, stop that!" She admonished her with a light bop on her head between her horns, "I told you that no one is going to care about how you look!"
Mina rolled her eyes, "We'll see, but you know mutation types like me always catch a little flack?" She said, her voice heavy with skepticism
"And?" She crossed her arms, her brow creased, "Did any of the friends you made today say anything that could be taken like a slur?"
The girl giggled, "Honestly, I spent most of the night teasingHimi's brother," she admitted with a devilish grin, "I swear, that boy was so innocent!" She sighed, her eyes falling to half-mast, "Truth be told, I feel a little insulted that he didn't ask if we could meet up again soon."
Her mother gave the girl a knowing look, "Oh, dear, what happened now?"
"What didn't happen? Ugh!" Mina threw herself onto her bed, "I threw almost every flirt in the book at him, and he didn't even try to make a pass at me!"
"This coming from the same girl that so adamantly deniedhaving a crush on her savior?" Her mother asked with a throaty chuckle before she dodged a thrown her daughter lobbed a pillow at her, "Well, it's true, darling, you denied that you had feelings for the boy."
Mina huffed and laid on her stomach, resting her chin on her arms, "Doesn't mean I'd mind getting a little attention from him once in a while," she muttered, though, in truth, the entire debacle involving her teasing the boy had left her more than a little steamed under the collar. When she had hugged him earlier, she had meant it as nothing more than a friendly gesture, which would have doubled as a bit of physical teasing, but, annoyingly, her hormonal teenage self had not accounted for those very same hormones.
She thanked whatever lucky star she was under that Izuku wasn't the type of guy that ogled...or else he would have noticed how her nipples had pebbled from the contact, brief as it was.
Her mother laughed, "Well, I'm sure that you'll have plenty of opportunities when you two are in school together," she said before looking at her sternly when the girl gave her a look, "And don't you even think about your looks putting anyone off! My guess is that the boys will be all over you!"
"Uh-huh, right," she said skeptically while gesturing to her body, "The only thing they'll be all over is my figure."
"Well, you have to start somewhere," her mother winked at her which caused them both to start laughing. "But in all seriousness, dear, when you move into the dorms -"
"If I move into the dorms," Mina corrected with a small sigh, "Remember that I haven't been given my results, yet."
Her mother rolled her eyes, "Alright, if you move into the dorms," she relented, "If you move into the dorms, and find yourself someone special, I want you to be as careful as you possibly can be, sweetie." She gave the girl a suggestive look that told her exactly what she meant.
"Aw, Mom!" Mina groaned with a huge blush rising to her cheeks, "Come on! I'm not - !"
Her mother raised her hand to stall her, "I know that you're not planning anything serious," she said, a small smile on her face, "But what you have planned, and how things pan out are rarely one in the same, dear." She reminded her.
Mina sighed, knowing that her mother was still quite young compared to most. When she had come along, her mother was just entering her third year of high school. It was by luck that her dad had been the loving and responsible type. "Okay, Mom, I'll pack some birth control if I get accepted."
"Not just pills, sweetie," Her mother said. "I want you to pack at least one box of condoms."
Mina huffed, "Okay, aren't you being a little overly cautious?" The girl asked.
"STDs are nothing to scoff at, dear," her mother laughed, "Besides, pills can only do so much, you know?"
Mina giggled, "Uh, Mom, have you read the labels on some of Midnight's brand name pills?" She asked while her mother just shook her head with a half-smile on her face as she got up from the bed, "Good night, Mom."
"Good night, my little Martian," she giggled as her daughter stuck her tongue out at her for the use of her father's pet name.
Mina laid down on her pillow, turning off the little lamp beside her bed, "Capoeira, huh?" She mumbled to herself quietly while she pulled the covers over herself, a smile coming back to her lips.
僕ぼくのヒーローアカデミア
Izuku fell flat on his back on his bed, exhausted from the day he had had. Not only had the exams been as brutal as he had anticipated, but the fact that one Mina Ashido had forced him to take the coldest shower of his life was going to be burned into his memory for as long as he lived. [I can't believe she hugged me!] Thought the boy for the hundredth time that evening.
When he first met her, Izuku had already thought that Mina was more beautiful than any girl that he had ever met, but after this second meeting there was no doubt in his mind: he was in love.
The only problem was his...everything.
He crossed his arms over his face, moaning, [Dream on, Izuku,] he thought tiredly, [I should be happy enough that I can be a Hero, now. There's no way Ashido would like me like that.] It was hopeless in his mind. When thinking of what a girl like Mina Ashido would want in a boyfriend, hewas not it. In his eyes, Mina was confident, bright, cheerful, friendly, and...incredibly beautiful. When Izuku thought of himself? Plain and ordinary.
[She liked my muscles, though,] he looked at his arms, remembering when they were nothing by noodles where now they were strong and toned to the point that he barely recognized himself. And he looked often just to remind himself that he was no longer the beanpole that he used to be. All Might had even made it a point of his training that his body was severely lacking when it came to base strength. He'd even snapped a few pictures with his phone during the beginning of how scrawny his body had been.
Now Izuku felt that he could be proud of his body. His newly formed six pack and well-toned pectorals were like a badge of honor, or in his case, a purple heart. Those sparring matches had been brutal even when All Might had been throwing the punches.
If someone asked Izuku how his life was going at the moment, he would almost certainly respond that all of his dreams were coming true. But still, that one girl had all but turned his world upside down. Even thinking about her gave him butterflies in his stomach. Her radiant smile that seemed to light up the room whenever she walked in. Her uniquely beautiful skin, her eyes and their soft golden glow...
He sat up, shaking his head vigorously, "Alright, enough is enough," he told himself out loud before getting up and heading over to his desk. "If I keep this up, I'll need another shower." He pulled one of his notebooks off the shelf above the desk and laid it down. It was a fresh, crisp new notebook that Toshinori had bought for him, the cover made of genuine leather, a congratulatory gift for graduating from Alderaan Junior High.
It was such a nice book that Izuku almost felt bad about using it...almost (it was a gift from All Might, of course he was going to use it!). He had already made a few entries into the book, the first few being those of his newest friends and family. Mei was on the first few pages, a detailed sketch of the pink-haired mechanic with her trademark goggles on her head. Her Quirk took up at least two pages, though since she didn't use it for combat, he refrained from making too many suggestive recommendations.
Hitoshi was next, though his combat suggestions were much more fleshed out than Mei's since he planned to become a Hero himself. Himiko had four pages dedicated to her Quirk and its applications. Now he was starting a whole new page. He started out what was supposed to be a quick sketch of his subject, but as the minutes ticked by, he found that, when he finished the sketch, well over an hour had passed as he detailed the sketch-turned-portrait.
Coming out of his revere, he groaned, having taken up the entire page with the full body portrait of the girl that was now taking up what little brain power he had left. He plunked his head down on his desk, "Ugh, what is wrongwith me?!"
"I do believe that people call it being infatuated."
To say hearing the voice of an adult male in the room that wasn't Toshinori Yagi freaked Izuku out was an understatement. The boy let out a loud yelp and tumbled out of his chair then crashed to the floor. He looked up and saw none other than Professor Paradox standing over him with a slightly apologetic yet amesed look on his face.
"Izuku!?" His mother called out as he heard her feet pounding toward his room, "I heard you yelling, dear, is everything al...right..." When she came bursting through the door and saw the stranger standing over her son, she acted immediately by using her Quirk to grasp the nearest heavy object (in this case a ceramic bust of All Might) and sent it hurtling toward the man's head.
Lucky for the good professor, he ducked out of the bust's way, and even managed to catch it before it crashed against the wall in the same moment that Izuku pulled himself together enough to shout "MOM WAIT!"
"Quite the stunning likeness," the professor noted as he set the bust on Izuku's desk and reached to help the boy himself up, "And I do apologize for startling you, my young friend." He said while he helped the boy to his feet before looking to his apprehensive mother, "I also deeply apologize for simply barging in at this late hour, Ms. Midoriya." He said with an incline of his head.
"I would appreciate an explanation," Inko said with a tremble in her voice, her eyes darting to the hall where Himiko had come out of her room, a box cutter in hand to defend herself and her family if need be, "Who exactly are you, Sir, and how do you know my son?"
The professor smiled in his usual friendly manner, "My name is Professor Paradox, dear lady," he introduced himself, "And it was I that gave Izuku his Ultimatrix, allowing him to become strong enough to be a Hero." He said explained, his eyes falling on the young blonde girl peeking around the doorframe, "And it was I that gave Headmaster Nezu the documents that allowed the lovely Miss Toga to be safely taken from her parents' custody."
Himiko came out of hiding with a look of shock on her face, "I...you did that?" She asked, her voice quiet and disbelieving.
"He really did," Izuku said with a smile, "He was there when Nezu got the call that you'd run away."
The tension in Inko's posture seemed to lighten, though she still seemed ready to pounce on the man if he proved a threat. "It's...nice to finally meet the man that saved both of my children," she said, noticing the happily lift in Himiko's lips, "But it doesn't explain what you're doing here so late in the...early in the morning." She said while looking at the clock on Izuku's desk: it read 2:00 AM.
"An error on my part, madam," he said with a hint of embarrassment in his voice. It was then that the man took something from his white coat, producing a small parcel, "As promised, I've brought an upgrade for Izuku's Ultimatrix," he said, "As well as a gift from his mentor, of a sorts." He said, and passed the parcel to the boy.
Izuku saw no problem with it, and eagerly accepted the parcel, "Izuku, dear, perhaps - " Inko started, but it was too late as her son tore into the package. She palmed her face, "Oh, dear..."
The professor smiled indulgently, "I truly mean you no harm, Miss." He assured her as the boy opened the package, lifting a green jacket out of it with a black number 10 stitched over the right side of the chest.
"Wow, this is cool!" He slipped the jacket over his shoulders and tried it on, "It fits perfectly, too!"
The professor nodded, "I told my old friend that the Heroes of this world often wore elaborate costumes," he explained, "And though he never truly dressed the part, a similar coat played a pivotal role in his wardrobe."
"This world?" Himiko whispered, wondering what the man was talking about.
Izuku grinned at her happily, "I promise I'll explain that later, Himiko," he said, looking at the man, "Um, Sir?" He asked of the professor, "What kind of upgrade were you talking about?"
The man just smiled at him as he reached into his coat pocket, producing what looked like a flash drive, "This is an Omnikey, which are keys that unlock certain features locked away inside the Ultimatrix." He said, gesturing for the boy to hold out his Ultimatrix, "This one in particular unlocks a feature called the Genetic Repair System."
Izuku looked at him then looked down at the machine with awe, "You mean this thing has healing capabilities?"
"Indeed," the professor said with a smile, "Though, at the moment, it is limited in its use." Izuku looked at him in confusion, "Say that a person had lost a limb? This feature would be unable to restore the lost limb at its presentstrength, though with each use it will gain strength, however, at present, if a person were to suffer severed nerves, and other severe injuries that didn't include lost limbs, then the feature could easily repair the damage."
Izuku smiled at that as the man inserted the key into the Ultimatrix. The dial rose up on the face, turning blue for a moment before returning to the normal green and fell back into place. "Upgrade Complete." The Ultimatrix chimed.
Professor Paradox placed the key in Izuku's hand, "There, now," he smiled, "As it is late, I shall take my leave."
"Oh, but - " Izuku started but the man shook his head.
"Your mother is quite right to be put out at me for simply barging in at such a late hour," he reminded the boy while turning his smile on the two women, "Next time, I shall knock first, and arrive at a more appropriate hour." He said before turning back to the boy, "We will, however, speak again very soon, my young friend." His expression became grave, "We will have much to discuss, I fear."
Before Izuku could ask what he meant, the man was gone in a flash, literally, leaving the family starring at the spot he had been standing in. "Uh, Izu?" Himiko looked at him, one hand pointing toward the spot the man had disappeared from, and the other pointing at the Ultimatrix, "What the fuckjust happened?"
14: Deadshot (1)
"A Phone Call Is Here! A Phone Call Is Here! A Phone Call Is Here!" Toshinori groaned as he rolled over in his bed, reaching for his phone. "Who the hell calls in the middle of the night?" He moaned as he grasped the phone with half a mind to toss it across the room. But then he saw just who was calling. "Nighteye?" He accepted the call, "This had better be good, Mirai."
"I suppose I should be thankful that you actually answered my call after our last encounter," Sir Nighteye said from the other end of the line, "But I assure you that I have good reason for calling so late: it has something to do with one of the children you seem to be sponsoring."
Toshinori sat up on the side of his bed with a tired groan, "I'm not sponsoring any of them, thank you very much," the man said, "Though I'm quite happy with their progress toward their goals...now, what is it that you've called me about?"
He heard the detective/Hero sigh over the phone, "It's an unpleasant situation, I'm afraid," Nighteye said, "The girl - Hatsume, I believe her name was? - I had some records pulled and found that she...her mother...her name is Kaina Tsutsumi."
Toshinori nearly dropped the phone, "Please tell that this is your attempt at a bad joke?"
"No, I could never joke about something like this," the man said, "But that isn't the only thing that I think you should know about her."
"Go on." Toshinori said as he got up and headed for the kitchen to make a pot of coffee.
"Right," Nighteye said, "We both know that Ms. Tsutsumi, a.k.a. Lady Nagant, was imprisoned in Tartarus for assassinating the former president of the H.P.S.C., but I've found out that that is only half of the truth." Toshinori put the phone on speaker and placed it on the countertop, "Apparently she was the H.P.S.C.'s trained assassin."
"An assassin?" Toshinori asked as he filled the pot with water, "You mean that sweet young woman I used to know was just a facade?"
"Possibly," Nighteye continued, "Keep in mind that I've just uncovered the fact that she is Miss Hatsume's mother," he reminded the man while he filled the coffee maker, "But what I've found is that the former president used her to assassinate both terrorists, Villains, and Heroes."
Toshinori started, "Heroes? Why?!"
He heard papers shuffling from the phone's speaker, "According to the documents I've dug up, she was used to put down Heroes that were corrupt, and easily bought." He continued, "She has the perfect Quirk for such work, after all."
"Rifle," Toshinori recalled with a slight shiver, "That Quirk of hers always made me uneasy, and I work with Snipe of all people." He said, "But why would she turn on the H.P.S.C.?"
More shuffling, "Obviously, somewhere along the lines she became pregnant," Nighteye said, "And when the child was born, she spent a great deal of time away to care for her. The former president didn't like that."
"Ah, now I see" he hummed with understanding, "Since she was taking so much time away from her duties, he must have said, or done something that put her child in danger," Toshinori sighed as the coffee brewed, "If that's the case, then I would have to say that Ms. Tsutsumi was in the right: she was protecting her child from a corrupt politician."
"Normally I would agree with you," Nighteye said, "But the vice president, who went on to replace the former president, decided that it was best that Lady Nagant be put behind bars." He paused for a moment, "Surprisingly, Ms. Tsutsumi agreed."
Toshinori paused while reaching for a cup, "Why would she - ?"
"I have a statement here," Nighteye said, "'It would be better for my daughter if she's raised away from me. What kind of mother could I be when my hands are stained with so much blood? I would corrupt her into becoming just like I am now.'" Toshinori frowned as he mulled over the statement, "It's obvious that she feared that raising her daughter would influence her in some way that would lead her into becoming like herself."
Toshinori sighed as he poured a himself a cup of coffee, "It always surprises me just how little my time as the symbol of peace has accomplished." He sighed, "Sure, Villains behave themselves more if they know that I'm in the area. But those in the government are almost as bad."
"You mustn't be so hard on yourself, All Might," Nighteye said, "There will always be corruption in any government, whether we root them out or not, someone will always take their place." He sighed before getting back to the matter at hand, "There is something else, Toshinori...the real reason that I called." The blond paused with the cup half-way to his mouth, "Normally, since the girl doesn't know anything about her mother, I wouldn't have bothered to call you about this...but the girl's father...a team of police found what was left of him just a few hours ago."
Toshinori palmed his face, "Dear God," the man set the cup on the counter, "Mirai, tell me you haven't said anything to her, yet?"
"No...I thought it best that this particular duty fell to you, since she knows you." Nighteye said with as much sympathy as he could muster. "I'm sorry, Toshinori. I know that this will be hard, but - "
"No," Toshinori sighed, "You were right to speak with me first...how was he killed?"
Nighteye seemed to growl from his end of the phone, "While I can't prove anything, yet, I think that he may have been involved with one of the last remaining yakuza groups in Japan," he said which made Toshinori frown, "I don't know if he owed them money, or if he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but his body was...taken apart. As if he had exploded...all that was left was a large splattering of blood, which is how we managed to find enough DNA to figure out who the unlucky fellow was. And only one person in Japan has a Quirk that could do such damage: KaiChisaki."
Toshinori thought for a moment, "I think I've heard of him...from you, no less," he said, "Haven't you been after this particular man for quite a while?"
"I have," Nighteye grumbled, "Not only is he a cold-blooded murderer, but he's also a Trigger dealer, and I suspect much more than that," he sighed, "But he never leaves viable witnesses, and those that he leaves alive are unwilling to testify against him. They're that frightened of the man."
"I see," Toshinori sighed, "And you think her father may have had dealings with him?"
"Nothing of the sort, truthfully," Nighteye said, "All of the records I pulled on him indicated that the late Naoto Hatsume, while he was often away on business, he was a very clean person." He continued, "Not so much as a parking ticket in the last thirty odd years of his life. No, I think he came upon something that he shouldn't have, which gave the yakuza no choice but to silence him."
Toshinori nodded in agreement, "Makes sense." He sighed, "Thank you for coming to for this, Mirai...and keep me informed of your dealings with this man," he said, sounding more serious now, "I may not be sponsoring these children, but they've come to mean a great deal to me. I will not allow this man to roam free for much longer."
On the other end of the phone, Nighteye sat back in his chair, "I know, my old friend," he sighed as the phone line went dead. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, "What are they up to?" He wondered as he reached for a photo on his desk, one showing a young man with a black face mask holding a small, white-haired child.
僕ぼくのヒーローアカデミア
Tatooine junkyard was one of the many places that Mei frequented for spare parts. Dagobah beach had been another, but since meeting Izuku, the place had been picked clean, literally thanks to Upgrade, of all the raw materials that were there. Now the junkyard the last place the girl could go to get what she needed...or whatever Izuku needed to make use of his abilities when he transformed into Upgrade.
"Mei, are you sure about this?" Izuku asked as they walked around the area, various vehicles and scraps of iron laying all over the place. "I mean, the guy at the gate didn't look too happy to see us."
Mei just scoffed, "Nah, he's always like that," she said nonchalantly, "Besides, aren't you dying to build the Rust Bucket No.3?" She asked, becoming excited, "The cars were one thing, but the schematic you showed me for that craft?!" She hugged herself and shivered, "Ugh, that was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen!"
Izuku grinned at her, "Still, though, we should've waited on Shinso." He felt bad for not telling their friend what they were up to.
Mei just rolled her eyes, "Are you kidding? He's probably setting something up with that mushroom girl from last night," she said, remembering that both had been pretty taken with each other. She grinned over her shoulder, "Kind'a like you were with that pink girl." She laughed as Izuku blushed, "Too bad Himiko couldn't come along, though. She looked pretty bummed out."
"Er..." Izuku flinched as he thought back to the conversation that had taken place earlier that morning. Finding out that her foster brother was basically half-alien had been a hard pill to swallow...or at least he had thought it would be. She'd taken it a bit better than he would have imagined. Actually, when he thought about it, Himiko had been very much okay with the idea of being the sister of an extraterrestrial...but then came the jokes. "Yeah, she and Mom went out for the day." That was the truth, at least.
Inko had decided to drop yet another bomb on the family and let the children know that she and Mr. Yagi had officially started dating. Himiko and Izuku were utterly thrilled, one more so than the other for extremely obvious reasons. [I can't believe that All Might's dating my mom!] He internally screamed: he made sure that he didn't go off on one of his muttering sprees in front of Mei on the topic. The last thing he needed was her knowing one of the many secrets he now found himself keeping.
At the top of that list was the fact that 1) One of his benefactors was the world's No.1 Hero. And 2) His other benefactor was an extrademensional time traveler. Izuku's life was getting more and more complicated by the day...and he loved it. He thought about it and laughed as he pictured himself all of those months ago.
"What's so funny?" Mei asked with a look in his direction.
Izuku just shook his head, "Nothing...I just..." he smiled at her, "I'm glad I met you guys." Mei looked at him curiously, "You, Hitoshi, Himiko, even Uraraka and Komori," he said before rubbing the back of his neck bashfully and held up his right wrist, "Besides having this, you guys really are the best thing that's ever happened to me."
Mei just looked at him, her cheeks a light shade of pink, "Are you...trying to get get another kiss from me?" She asked with a dubious look on her face.
"What?!" The boy went as red as an apple, "Of course not! I-I-I-I mean I wouldn't mind it but I - !" The boy was waving his arms so frantically that he was practically lifting off the ground.
Mei just giggled, then, without any warning, stepped forward and kissed him. Full on the lips. Izuku, of course, went ramrod still. It was a chaste kiss, however, and when Mei leaned back she couldn't stop the laugh that bubbled up because of the shocked look on his face, or maybe it was the fact that there was steam coming out of his ears.
After a moment, Izuku managed to bring himself back to reality, "Mei, for someone that claims to like girls, you're sending out some really mixed signals!" He stammered as the girl laughed. "Seriously! Why do you keep doing that?!"
Mei gave him a coy look, "Now I never said that I liked onlygirls, now did I?" She asked, making Izuku's jaw drop, "I said maybe I did." She turned around and continued walking deeper into the junkyard. "Besides, you're too cute to resist being nice to."
"That was you being nice?" Izuku muttered as he followed after her. "And what happens if I get a girlfriend?" He asked as the girl looked over her shoulder, "You won't keep being nice to me then, will you?"
Mei just grinned, "Maybe, maybe not," she said cryptically, "Depends on if she'd mind being kissed by a girl like me, I guess."
"You guess?!" Izuku yelped while Mei skipped ahead, "Hey, wait a minute, Mei!" He chased after her, "Come back here!"
"Then keep up, slowpoke!" The girl called back laughingly, "The pile I wanted you to check out is just around the next corner!" She raced ahead of him, darting around a large mound of scrapped metal with the boy trailing behind her. "Tada!" Mei shouted with smile as if she were unveiling a masterpiece, "What d'ya think of this?!"
Izuku bumbled around the corner and looked up at what Mei was presenting, "Oh, wow!" The boy's eyes nearly popped out of his head, "What the heck's a Pegasus doing here?"
The Pegasus, as Izuku had named it, was an old Eastern European eVTOL used by large companies which replaced most private jets as luxury planes. They were fast, durable, and easily flyable.
"I don't know, really," Mei said with a beaming smile, "Best guess is that a rich Hero had it for a few years before it got scrapped, and sent here." She frowned at the machine's condition, "And this one took one hell of a beating." She pointed to the exposed right wing of the craft, "Something hit the wing with enough force to nearly shred it off." She then pointed to the cockpit, "And I noticed that there were some old blood stains in the pilot's chair, so whatever happened wasn't great." She turned to Izuku, "So...think you can use this thing for the Rust Bucket?"
Izuku's face split into a wide grin, "Oh, yeah," he reached for the Ultimatrix, "I definitely can." He dialed in the transformation and slammed his hand down. Mei knew enough to shield her eyes ahead of time as the blinding green flash erupted from around her friend. "Upgrade!"
Mei looked at the giant mechamorph, "Hey, I've always wondered something," she said as the teen moved toward the pile of junk containing the VTOL, "How come you always shout the name of your mutations when you change into them?"
Upgrade paused a moment to think, raising a finger to his nonexistent mouth, "You know what? I don't know," Mei tilted her head in confusion, "It just happens. Sort'a like a reflex, I guess?"
Mei shrugged, "Well, whatever," she said as she stepped back to let the Galvanic Mechamorph work, "Man, I can't wait to see this new baby!"
Upgrade laughed as his body melted into goop and started swarming over the junk-covered plane, "You mean you can't wait to tinker with it!" He laughed while his body spread over the junk, "Man, there's a lot in here!" He commented as the nanites in his body started breaking down, and storing the materials inside, "I think there's another car in here!"
"Cool!" Mei squealed giddily, "We could actually make it into a real piece of Support Tech, this time!"
Upgrade suddenly reached out to another pile of junk and started absorbing it as well. "I need some more material." He explained as he moved to another pile.
Mei was looking at the living blob with curiosity, "Uh, just what are you planning here, Izuku?"
"You'll see." The boy/alien said as he began to shrink back down to normal size for Upgrade. "Ah, man, I feel so full!" He said and tapped the Ultimatrix symbol on his chest to change back, "Aaaand it's gone." He grumbled, "I could really go for a cheeseburger right now."
Mei had a look of disappointment on her face, "How come you didn't build the ship?" she asked with a pout, "I was really looking forward to that!"
Izuku shrugged, "Well, I figured we'd do that when we left here," he jerked his thumb over at the entrance of the yard, "I mean, aren't we technically stealing?"
"Psh, that's what you're worried about?" Mei laughed, "I take junk outta here all the time, and the old coot never gives me flack about it."
"Yeah, but do you ever tell him what you're doing?" Izuku asked with his arms crossed, and his brow raised.
Mei just placed her arms behind her head, "So I might've...come in over the back fence a few times?"
"Uh-huh, that's what I thought," Izuku sighed, "At least this way we don't have to worry about him snapping at us."
The girl frowned thoughtfully for a moment and sighed, "I probably shouldn't ask this, but how is this any different than what I was doing before?" Mei asked skeptically.
In answer, Izuku simply patted his stomach, "Technically, the stuff that Upgrade absorbed no longer exists, so we can't really steal something that doesn't exist, right?" He grinned as Mei's jaw just dropped...a few seconds later, both of them burst out laughing. "I blame you for this," Izuku said, wiping a stray tear, "Before I met you, I never would've considered stealing scrap metal!"
Mei held her stomach as she giggled, "Hey, think of it this way," she laughed, "Most of this stuff is gonna go toward waste heaps and landfills." She gestured to the scrap piles, "It's kind'a why I get away with so much. This place isn't one of the recycling yards. It's just a cheap place for people to bring their scraps and garbage, just like the beach was until you cleaned it up."
That was one more plus to add to his list since obtaining the Ultimatrix. He had used Upgrade to clean the entire beach of the garbage littering it, and now it was a very popular spot for people to go and unwind. "You know, after we get our letters from U.A., we should do something there," he said as the two of them headed back toward the entrance.
"Like what?" Mei asked.
The boy just shrugged, "Well, I don't know," he muttered, "A cook out or something like a party to celebrate!" He grinned at her as she nodded in understanding, "What'cha think?"
"I like the idea, but..." she trailed off, looking at him skeptically, "Are you sure that we all got in?"
Izuku frowned, stroking his chin as he walked, "I...I think we did..." he muttered with uncertainty, "I mean, I can't be sure, but I just have this feeling that we all made it: you, me, Shinso, and Himiko."
"And what about those other three girls that went with us to the burger joint?" She asked as she recalled the two brunettes and the all pink girl with horns that they had not so subtly pushed him toward. "Are you sure that they got in, too?" She wondered, "If they didn't, and we had a party to celebrate getting in, then wouldn't it be like rubbing salt in their wounds?"
Izuku grimaced, "I didn't think of that," he sighed, "But I just feel like all of this work is going to work out just fine."
Mei sighed and gave a small shrug, "Fine...but don't come whining to me if maybe one or two of us don't make it." She crossed her arms behind her head again as they passed by the grouchy attendant, who didn't even spare them a glance as he read his newspaper. "Speaking of those girls, have you even talked to that pink one since the entrance exams?"
Izuku jerked to a halt, "Er, no, I - "
"Ugh!" Mei yelled suddenly while scrabbling her hands in her hair, "Are you kidding me!" She demanded of the boy, "You'll never get a girlfriend if you keep up this shy as hell routine of yours!"
"I can't help it!" Izuku backpedaled, "I-I-I-I mean it's not like how it is with you!" She glared at him with her eyes narrowed, "That came out wrong!" He yelped.
Mei crossed her arms, "I bet it did." She muttered, "Just what do you mean it's not like it is with me?" She demanded with a huff.
Izuku scrambled for an answer, "I mean I'm...I'm used to you..." he muttered, but the girl just looked on in confusion, "I mean, you practically live with me, Mei, and I'm used to...well, all of it!"
"Except the kissing," Mei pointed out with a giggle, "But I don't do that often, and I don't plan on it unless you just keep screwing things up like this."
Izuku frowned as she walked ahead of him toward the street, "What? You mean you'd be my pity-girlfriend or something?"
"And a mercy fuck if you asked for it." She said without missing a beat causing Izuku to fall flat on his face, "Well, think about it!" She laughed as the boy picked himself up from the ground, "Who else would it be?"
"Uh, someone I don't think of as a sister?" Izuku asked with a shaky grin and a small line of blood leaking from his nose. The images that she had just planted in his head had been...surprising, yet, normal all things considered (he saw her naked on a regular basis).
Mei put her hands on her hips and huffed, "Then you'd better get your head outta your ass, and take things a little more seriously with this girl," she said before reaching out and yanking the boy back to his feet, "If it helps, change into one of your transformations and give yourself a confidence boost!" She suggested as Izuku dusted himself off, "But don't be too hard on yourself, Izuku, 'cause I know you will."
"That I can't really help, either," the boy said whilst rubbing the back of his neck, "I mean I've been told I'm plain-looking for most of my life except by my mom."
"And I told you that I thought you were cute," Mei reminded him with a grin, "Think I'm lying?"
Izuku shook his head, "Well, no, I guess not...I just don't see it." He shrugged.
Mei just rolled her eyes, "Trust me, someday someone is going to look at you, and see the most handsome boy she's ever known." She said with a sigh as she turned around and started back toward the entrance, "Come on, we should get back and see what Himiko and Mama Inko are up to."
僕ぼくのヒーローアカデミア
"Why the hell do I have to come along, Old Hag?" Katsuki demanded as his mother drove them to the Midoriya's apartment complex, "I don't even care about Deku!"
Mitsuki looked at him in the rearview mirror, "You're coming along because it's high time that you at least made an attempt at an apology, you brat," she snapped with half the heat that she normally had when reprimanding her son. As of late, things had come to light about his behavior that she had not been made aware of until recently when she had asked Toshinori for some information on Alderaan.
"Besides that," Masaru muttered as he drove, "From the sound of things, Inko's going to need all the support she can get," he sighed, casting a look of his own at his son, "And I will not allow you to go out with those friends of yours that think bullying is fun." He said, "You realize that if Izuku had wanted it, you would have been sent straight to juvenile detention for what you've done."
Katsuki's palms started smoking.
"And if you use your Quirk for a single pop, young man, I'll have you pulled from the Hero Course, and placed in General Studies," Mitsuki snapped at him when she smelled the smoke moving through the car. "I don't know what that boy did to you to make you hate him so much, but it ends now!"
Katsuki held his tongue. [They wouldn't understand, even if I told them,] he thought, his mind going back to that day ten years ago when he fell into the creek. The fact that Izuku the Deku had been Quirkless made him the last person that he thought would show him sympathy, but that one moment had set him on fire, and his resentment toward the weakling had only grown over the years. [Where did he get off thinking I'm weak enough to need help from him?]
Masaru sighed, thankful that the boy hadn't started another argument before getting to the apartment complex. It wouldn't do poor Inko any good to have them fighting over who knows what in front of her. "Here we are," he said as he pulled into the parking lot, noticing a familiar white truck sitting on the curb, "It looks like Mr. Yagi's here, too."
"Who?" Katsuki asked.
"Inko's new boyfriend," his mother giggled, her son gaining a bug-eyed look, "Oh, that's right, you didn't know about the divorce." She said, "This is why you need to come down whenever we have company." She admonished, "You'd learn a few things about the people around you, and how to act around them."
"Like I care!" He huffed and turned his head toward the window.
Masaru frowned at him, "You had better care," he told the boy, "Remember that that young woman that you've been hung up on is also Inko's foster child." He saw his son's left brow begin twitching, "That was quite the handprint you were sporting, too." He chuckled when he remembered questioning his son about that slap.
Snarling, the boy got out of the car and headed for the stairs, "Katsuki, we're taking the elevator!" His mother shouted after, "Get your ass back here!"
"I'm takin' the stairs!" He roared back.
"Son!" Masaru shouted, "You listen to your mother, and I mean now!"
He halted...then grudgingly started toward the elevator where his mother was already waiting. She cuffed him behind the neck, "You're going to learn some better manners, young man, or you will be in for a rough ride when school starts!"
"The only difference is that I'll be learning to be a Hero," the boy grumbled while his father joined them.
The man only laughed, "I think you'll find that that's not the case," he said, "Not only have I heard that one of their teachers in the Hero course expelled his entire class last year, but there were several students that were put into the school through recommendations. None of them were forced to go through what you did, Son. They were that much better."
"Like hell they were!" The boy snapped at the man, which was normally enough to shut him up, but he only smiled at his son, shaking his head. He remained quiet for the remainder of the ride up, both of his parents keeping a hand on his shoulders to keep him from rushing ahead of them and stirring up trouble.
When they reached the apartment, they were greeted by a very somber-looking Inko, "Mitsuki, Masaru," she smiled at the two parents, a smaller, less inviting smile going toward their son, "Katsuki," she nodded before turning her attention back to his parents, "I'm glad you could come."
Mitsuki took in the woman's reddened eyes, "Inko, you've been crying!" She let go of her son and reached for her oldest friend, "Oh, sweetie what's happened?"
"Is it something to do with Hisashi?" Masaru asked, wondering if her former husband had decided to cause her trouble because of the divorce.
The woman shook her head, "No, no, it has nothing to do with him," she sighed as she invited them inside, the Bakugos finding the Midoriya household quite full. Katsuki recognized a few of their faces: the girl that had slapped him, claiming Deku and Auntie Inko as her family. The lazy-looking boy with purple hair. And the the skinny-ass blond geezer that had claimed to be an agent from Might Towers.
There were two other girls, one a brunette with a bob cut that hung down over her eyes, and a totally pink girl with...racoon eyes? Who the hell were all these extras?
"Mina, dear!" Mitsuki cried in delight as she saw the pink-skinned girl, "How are you, Sweetie?"
The girl smiled back at her, "I've been great, Mrs. Bakugō!"
"Ah, this must be the girl that you wanted for your winter exposé," her husband chuckled while the girl just gave a lovely blush of lavender. "And I can see why. She'd look wonderful in a lot of the outfits that you have drawn up."
"Wouldn't she, though?" Mitsuki giggled as her eyes landed on the young brunette, "And who do we have here? Another lovely young talent?" She smiled as the girl gave a small squeak and hid behind Hitoshi. Mitsuki giggled, deciding not to torment her just yet as she greeted the blond man, "Toshinori, always a pleasure. And congratulations to both you and Inko." She said while the new couple blushed. "You'd better keep her happy, or you'll definitely have hell to pay."
"Her happiness is all that I want," the man said with a small smile, though it didn't reach his eyes, "but I'm afraid that today's topic isn't going to be a part of that." He sighed, looking over at Inko, "Are they on their way?"
Inko nodded, "Yes, according to Izuku, they've just turned down our street." She said as she took a seat next to Himiko. A short time later, the two they were waiting on came through the door. Katsuki easily recognized them both. One had been a constant thorn in his side since he'd met him, while the other was another pinky. Inko smiled at the pair, "I'm sorry to ruin your fun by calling you back so soon."
Izuku hesitated when he saw the room full of people, including, to his surprise, the Bakugōs, but he gave his mother a smile anyway, "No need to worry, Mom," he said, "We were on our way back, anyway." He said before looking around, blushing when he saw Mina waving at him. "Er," Mei snickered and elbowed him in the side, and he pushed her away, "So what's with all the guests?"
"I'm afraid that's my doing, my boy," Toshinori said, gesturing for them to sit down. Mei saw that the only seats available were next to Mina, so the girl nudged him toward the couch where she sat him down, and took up the seat next to him. "I'm afraid that I have some rather...well, there's no sugar coating it: it's bad news."
Hitoshi frowned, "We didn't make the cut for U.A., did we?" He asked with a sigh, "Should've known." Kinoko reached out and patted his arm.
"At least we'll still have General Studies? Right?" She asked, forgoing her usual mushroom puns.
Toshinori chuckled and waved his had to dismiss the notion, "Oh, no, that's not it at all," he said, "As a matter of fact, I took the liberty of getting your results from Principal Nezu early."
Inko smiled at the man, "Perhaps you could let them hear them first?" She asked, "It might take the sting out of all of this."
Toshinori nodded, looking around the room, "I can access all of your scores, if you'd like?" He asked as he reached into his coat to bring out a data pad.
"Hell yeah!" Mina shouted happily, "I've been on pins and needles since the exams!"
"Shroom here," Kinoko piped up, "But what about Ochako?"
Toshinori chuckled, "Ah, I wasn't able to reach her," he said, "But I can tell you right now that she passed." The girl smiled in relief. Toshinori then turned to the Bakugōs, "First off, Katsuki Bakugō with a solid score of seventy combat points. And a ninety-nine on the written exams."
Katsuki just grinned. His father patted him on the back, "Good job, Son."
Toshinori nodded, "Indeed, he came in third place in the grand total."
[Third?!] Katsuki's eye began to twitch violently.
"Next, with a combat score of fifty, fifty rescue points, and a perfect score in the written exams," he smiled toward Izuku, "Izuku Midoriya comes in at first place with a grand total of one hundred overall points."
"Alright!" Hitoshi grinned at him while Mei and Mina high-fived him.
"Who got second place?" Himiko asked.
Toshinori smiled at the girl, "Second place was a tie between yourself and Miss Ashido for your work in herding the crowd away from the Zero Point robot as well as Miss Ashido's Heroic display in getting you to safety." The man laughed at the girls' shocked expression before Mina squealed and leaned over to hug the blonde. "And while you both didn't make it to the top ten, Young Shinsō you, Miss Komori, and Miss Uraraka have all passed with flying colors." He smiled at Hitoshi.
"What about me?" Mei asked hopefully.
Toshinori tapped a few keys on the pad and cleared his throat, "Mei Hatsume has been accepted into U.A.'s Support Item Course with top marks...but is advised againstmaking anymore exploding tech for the foreseeable future."
Izuku grinned at her as the girl just stuck her tongue at him. "It wasn't my fault!" She argued while crossing her arms, "Some moron decided to try and sabotage me! Power Loader even caught it on video!"
"Sure it was," Hitoshi said mockingly.
"Oh, screw you, Mento!" Mei snapped.
The adults laughed at the banter while Izuku and Mina tried to calm Mei down. "Ahem, as pleasant as this news is," Inko interjected, looking at Toshinori with sad eyes, "I think it's time for what you came to tell her." She sighed.
Toshinori nodded, running a hand through his hair, "You're right," he muttered before looking straight at Hatsume, "Young lady...how close are you to your father?"
Mei shrugged, "About as close as you'd expect," she said truthfully, "Ever since I learned to take care of myself, he's been gone a lot on out of town projects. Sometimes for days, or weeks at a time." She said, "But he always calls to check in on me, and makes sure the house is fully stocked with food, bills are paid, and all that. And we always take time to talk and catch up whenever we have the time." She said, giving the man a look of confusion, "Why?"
The man took a breath, "Well, Dear, I don't know how you'll take this," he scrubbed his face with his palm, "Early this morning, I received a call from Nighteye's agency...and he reported to me that your father's remains had been found."
He didn't know what he was expecting as the others who hadn't already heard the news gasped around them. The Bakugos, including their son, looked sufficiently shocked by the news. Izuku, Hitoshi, Komori and Ashido looked horrified, of course.
Mei, however, had gone deathly pale. Her crossair-like pupils had shrunk down to nonexistent size. And he could see a light layer of sweat beading across her skin. He moved forward just in time as the girl's eyes rolled back and her body went slack. He just barely managed to catch her with Izuku and Mina's help before she hit the floor.
Inko and Mitsuki yelled in alarm while Masaru jumped over the back of the couch to help Toshinori carry her to the spare bedroom.
A short time later both women had the girl tucked away in bed, deciding that rest was better for her at the moment. Toshinori sighed as he sat down in one of the armchairs, "I should've seen that coming." He muttered as Masaru handed him a cup of tea that Inko had brewed.
"Come on, now, Toshi," the man sighed, "Something like this can never be easy."
Toshinori nodded, "I admit that I'm glad to be out of practice," he muttered as he took a sip, "Telling someone that their loved ones are no more was not easy when I was young, and it sure as hell isn't any easier now, especially concerning a little girl."
Mitsuki was sitting with Inko holding onto the woman's hands in comfort. "Doesn't she have any other relatives, or was it just her and her father?"
The man shook his head slowly, "No, her father was an orphan, and he had no ties with whatever family he might've had," he said, sitting back, "Her mother, on the other hand..."
Izuku came back into the room with Mina trailing next to him, "Himiko's keeping an eye on her for now," he told his mother, "But it doesn't look like she's waking up anytime soon."
Inko nodded, "It's probably for the best that she stays asleep for now," she sighed, "It was quite a shock." She looked at her son, "I know that I don't need to ask, Dear, but since Mei's - "
"I already talked it over with Hitoshi and Miss Ashido," he gave Mina a grateful look while the girl gave him a bright smile, "We can start moving her things out of her house as soon as tomorrow."
Masaru looked at her, "You're taking her in?" He asked with a look around the apartment, "No offense, Inko, but this place is..."
"Small, I know," Inko smiled sadly, before giving Mitsuki's hand a squeeze, "But I decided to take Mitsuki's advice about using some of that money from my divorce settlement. I've found a very nice two story house near U.A." She told the woman, "I was just waiting on the children's letters to arrive before committing to making the purchase."
Toshinori smiled at her, "That's wonderful to hear, Inko. And I'm sure that Mei will appreciate the gesture."
Inko laughed softly, "She's already like my own daughter just like Himiko," she smiled, "I couldn't live with myself if I didn't try to help her."
Toshinori nodded in understanding, "Before we can do anything about her living conditions," he sighed, "We have to meet with her one living relative before the legal system catches up with us and tries to put her in a home."
"I thought she didn't have any other family?" Mina asked, looking up at Izuku, "You said that her mom wasn't around anymore?"
Izuku shrugged, "She told me that her mom passed away just after she was born." He explained with a frown.
Toshinori just shook his head, "That...is simply what her mother asked her to be told." The man laced his fingers together, "Her mother...is an inmate at Tartarus."
僕ぼくのヒーローアカデミア
Paradox sighed as he returned to his little pocket dimension and found Amastacia waiting for him. "I take it that you have seen the beginnings of what could be a very steep downward spiral?"
The High Celestial nodded slowly, "There is so much pain," she said, her tone sad, "And it is only from a single person that this darkness begins to take root."
Paradox nodded, "That is very true," he said as he leaned heavily on his cane, "However, I think that it can be subverted so that this child does not fall."
Amastacia looked at him sadly, "Paradox, have you not seen just how deeply this pain has the potential to infect your champion?" A wave of her hand showed Izuku, his body worn and scarred. "Look how this boy's future has changed from the simple act of gifting him the Ultimatrix." His clothes were tattered as he stood over the lifeless form of an enemy. His eyes did not hold the same light they had come to emit in the timeline that he had been gifted the Ultimatrix.
No one stood by his side.
She waved her hand again, and the image of Izuku changed to one of a smiling young man, his arms slung over the shoulders of both Hitoshi Shinsō and Mei Hatsume, all of them worn from battle. The Ultimatrix was displayed proudly on his right wrist, glimmering in the sun like a sword in the hand of a knight. He wore the same jacket that Paradox had gifted him, though it was ripped and torn in several places, he looked well.
On his right Hitoshi was grinning at him tiredly, blood and dust covering part of his forehead and the left side of his face. He wore a black trenchcoat with a kevlar vest beneath. On his right, Mei looked like she was laughing, her right eye closed as a line blood ran down her face, a rifle slung across her back.
"And now darkness has settled in this child's heart." She said as the scene changed again, showing a snarling Hatsume standing over someone with pure hatred in her eyes as she pointed a gun at someone. "And from her darkness, more shall rise."
Another image showed Hitoshi glaring at someone, his eyes glowing dangerously red. Himiko then appeared crouched over someone, blood staining the porcelain skin of her face while long fangs protruded from her lips. Then what could have been the cruelest of all futures appeared. Izuku, the boy he had chosen to gift the Ultimatrix to, holding the lifeless body of a pink-skinned girl in his arms while a being dressed in black stood above him.
"All of these children," Amastacia said as Paradox felt sick from seeing the dark futures laid before him, "Have the potential for the greatest of evils that their world has ever seen," the image of Izuku holding the girl changed to one of the same boy with his face twisted with fury as a red Ultimatrix symbol appeared on his chest, "Even the most gentle of them all."
Paradox sighed, "I realize that, dear lady," the man said with a heavy tone, "Which is why I feel that I must keep closer tabs on this world," he pointed his stick at Dimension Omega, "There are no Celestialsapiens here to keep the order of space and time in balance, My Lady," he sighed, "After this dimension experienced Heat Death, it was an impossible miracle that life found purchase here." He looked at her sadly, "I know that your people dislike my interference, however this dimension is in dire need."
Amastacia shook her head, "I understand, Paradox. However, others of my race are not so understanding." She said, turning her attention back to the darkened images of the children, "Where you see the saviors of this world, theywould see the destroyers." Her eyes were sad as she regarded the image of Izuku Midoriya, "As it stands each one of them shall reach a point in their lives where they will be tested. And should they fail...it will fall to your chosen one to bring them to heel."
Professor Paradox turned his eyes back to the happier images, "I know that what you say is true, and that it could very easily come to pass," a small smile came to his lips as he noted the smiles on the children's face, "But I believe that they will surprise you, in the end...will you please allow me to continue to watch over and aide them?"
The High Celestial nodded, "I wish to see them succeed," she said as the image captivated her, "I will attempt to dissuade others from interfering with this world."
"Thank you."