15: Deadshot (2)
Outside in the parking lot of the Midoriya apartment, Izuku, Hitoshi, Kinoko, Mina and Katsuki all stood around Mk.10. Izuku looked at Shinso, "Are you sure that you don't need me to drive you guys back?" He asked, his breath coming out in a misty puff, "I know it's a short walk, but it's pretty cold out."
Hitoshi shrugged, "Nah, I'm fine, but if Komori - ?" He started, only for the girl to latch onto his arm and cause a blush to rise to his cheeks, "Er, never mind, I guess?" He muttered which caused Mina to giggle at the burnette's actions while flashing her a thumbs up.
Izuku then looked at Katsuki who had his hands stuffed into his coat, "Forget about it, Nerd," he growled out, making Hitoshi scowl at him, "My folks are probably gonna stay here for Auntie Inko. Doesn't mean I wanna hang around, but..." he ground his teeth before rubbing the back of his neck, "Look, just...fuck, tell Pink Dreads...ah, fuck..." he trailed off and turned down the street to start walking away from the group. "Just make sure she's okay, you dumbass!"
Izuku chuckled as Mina scowled after the blond, "Is he always like that?"
"Yup, that's Kacchan to a T." Izuku chuckled.
Hitoshi gave a wide grin, "Yeah no kidding," he said with a nod toward the retreating blond, "That was pretty lowkey from what I've heard," he snickered as the blond steamed, "Maybe that slap Himiko gave him knocked a few things in place?"
"I can fucking hear you, you know?!" The blond shouted over his shoulder, though not to the usual bombastic levels the verdette was used to.
Kinoko shivered as a cold breeze picked up around them, "He's still kinda scary." She muttered as Hitoshi unconsciously raised and arm to wrap around her shoulders. The only ones that were dressed warmly were Katsuki, Izuku and Hitoshi, even though Kinoko and Mina were wearing light blazers. The night seemed colder than the norm.
Izuku looked at his friends with worry, "Honestly, maybe you guys should stay over?" He said loud enough for his former friend to hear, "I know you guys live close, but it's really cold out, and it's past midnight - "
"Goddammit Deku," Katsuki spat and turned around to march right back to the group, staring the boy right in the face, "Look, it's been a shitty ass day all around," he snapped, Mina holding onto Izuku's arm defensively, "And I get that you're a damned mother-fucking-hen, but we ain't the ones that you need to worry about right now, got it?"
Hitoshi gave out a long sigh, "I hate to agree with him, but he's right," he looked down at Kinoko, "I'll make sure that Komori gets home safe, first, and then get back to my place." He assured his friend, giving a nod to the green-eyed teen, "Ashido lives the furthest away, so she's the one you need to give the ride to. We'll be fine."
Mina looked at the brainwashing teen, "Still, I get why he's worried," she said, shivering, "I feel really guilty about getting a ride in a nice warm car while you guys are stuck out in the cold."
Katsuki scoffed, "Oh, please, this is nothing to me," he muttered and started off again, "And Deku..." the boy paused for a minute as he looked back over his shoulder, "Congrats...on getting in...but don't think that I'm gonna fucking go easy on your ass when we get to U.A.!" He snapped and stalked away.
"Awe, he likes you," Hitoshi said teasingly.
Katsukie flipped him the bird over his shoulder, "Get wrecked!" The blond fired back.
Izuku couldn't stop the laugh that came after the exchange while the blond just kept going, steaming mad as usual. "You know he's gonna get you back for that, right?" He smirked over at his friend while he laughed.
"Worth it," Hitoshi shrugged before his grin fell, "But look if anything happens between now and when we meet up tomorrow, give me a call, alright?" He looked back up toward Izuku's apartment, "Mei might try to make you think that she's okay and all that, but..."
"Yeah," Kinoko nodded slowly, "I...I don't wanna see her hurt like this...we're friends..." she said shyly.
Mina nodded, "She's right," the girl said, looking up at the boy she was holding onto, giving his arm a squeeze, "I'll let my parents know what's happening tomorrow, that way I can show up and help with...whatever you guys need."
"Shroom here," Kinoko said with a hint of joking in her tone. It worked, and the little group laughed at the utterly horrible pun. A moment or two later, Hitoshi and Kinoko started down the street while Izuku started up the car to warm it up while Mina slipped inside to call her parents to let them know she was on her way home.
While Mina wa sitting in the car using her phone, the boy felt a bit of suspicion rising up while he watched the retreating forms of Hitoshi and Kinoko [This feels like a set up,] Izuku thought idly as he got into the car.
As he did so he found that Mina seemed to be having an awkward conversation while he fastened his seatbelt. "Yeah, Dad, we're just about to leave, and - no!" She suddenly looked panicked as she looked over at him with wide eyes and hissed into the phone, "It's fine, really!" She tried to whisper shout at her father, "I can handle myself, you know that, and he's not that kind'a guy!"
[Ah,] Izuku bumped his head against the steering wheel, [He's afraid I'm some kind'a creep.]
"Yes, he has a license!" Mina groaned, "Dad, come on! It's gonna be fine! No! You don't need to come out and meet him! Gawd! I'm on my way back, now. Good-bye!" She took the phone away from her ear, and palmed her face, "Ugh, I'm so sorry about that Midoriya!" She said, heavily embarrassed by whatever her father had said. "I love my dad to death, but he can be so - Argh!" She groaned again and leaned back in the seat. Then she cast a small smile in his direction, "Sorry...it's not like you need anymore drama in your life right now, is it?"
Izuku shook his head with a timid smile, "Nah, it's fine," the boy said, "H-H-Honestly, with Himiko and Mei around, I'm u-u-used to a little d-d-drama."
Mina sighed as she fastened her seatbelt, tightening it around her waist, "Uh, I know I said that you had a license an all, but..." she gave a nervous little squeak as the boy put the car in gear and pulled out onto the street. She was surprised at how easy he made it seem. Driver's Education had been a bit of a roller coaster for her. Not that she didn't enjoy driving...but her teacher at the time had suggested an alternate means of transportation for her. "Um, wow, you really do know how to drive!" She said with delight as the night lights of the city began to speed by the window.
Izuku chuckled, "W-well, I sort of learned on the fly," he admitted, "When I built this thing, Mei took it for a spin and..." he looked away for a moment, but she didn't miss the hint of sadness in his tone, "Well, with the way shedrives, I know exactly what not to do." He laughed while she smiled in his direction.
"You guys seem really close," she muttered, thinking back to the scene from earlier: how Izuku had been right there when Mei needed him. A spike of jealousy suddenly drove its way into her chest. She shook herself, "Uh, but so do you and Shinsō!" She said hurriedly, wondering where that stupid feeling had come from and why exactly.
Izuku smiled then, "Yeah, after I got my..." he hesitated for a moment, then lifted his right wrist off the wheel for a moment, "After I got the Support Gear to let me access my Quirk, Mei was one of my first friends." He said as the girl gave him a curious smile, "Honestly, after meeting her and Hitoshi, everything in my life seemed to get better." He said, "I mean, my mom finally got divorced and now she's dating again. I got a really great sister and I met a really nice girl - Ulp!" He almost swallowed his tongue as he nearly said the word girl right next to the person he already admitted to himself that he was in love with.
Mina, however, didn't miss his slip, but chose not to tease him. "Oh." She sat back in the car seat, her hands folded in her lap. She leaned her head against the window, watching the city lights going by with a small smile lifting her lips. "Sounds like everything is...was perfect for you guys...and now all this happened." Her smile dropped as she began to feel pretty rotten since that small fit of jealousy had hit her.
Mei had just found out that her father had been murdered and here she was selfishly wishing she knew if the girl was interested in this sweet boy she was really starting to like, or not.
Net to her, though he didn't know how, Izuku was sure that he'd said something to upset her. "Listen," he bit his lip as they pulled up to a stop light that had just turned red, "I'm sorry you got dragged into this," he sighed, "I know we just met, and were starting to get along, but I - " He felt something warm reach out and touch his hand. Something warm...and incredibly soft.
He looked over and saw her hand grasping his own gently. He jerked his attention over to the girl herself as she was leaning over for his hand. [Oh, god,] His heart thudded against his ribs as his eyes met hers, dilated from the dark cab, yet a soft golden glow came from them akin to molten flame. Then his eyes drifted down to her lovely lips, drawn out into a thin line, her bottom lip sucked in between her teeth in a sort of pout. [Shit!]
Mina was of a similar mindset.
When she had leaned over to take his hand, it had been meant as a comforting gesture. But it had not gone in that way she planned it, because the moment her fingers touched the edge of his calloused palms, a familiar feeling washed over her. That was when she made the mistake of looking up at his face, and saw the surprise in those impossibly beautiful green eyes of his that made her forget the encouraging words she had wanted to say to him. She recognized the look in his eyes, yet there was something foreign. Something she hadn't seen when other boys looked at her like that. Because when he looked at her that away, it made her feel weak. As though she was about to fall...
A movement, his hand which she was still holding, startled her as he moved his hand from the wheel. [What the hell am I doing?] Izuku asked himself as he gently took hold of her fingers, and raised her hand to his lips. A small gasp escaped her when she felt him lay a gentle kiss on the back of her knuckles, the sound sending a tremor through his chest. How could such an innocent sound be so enticing?
She didn't seem to mind it, however, because when he released her hand, she reached up to his face, touching his cheek. [We shouldn't be doing this.] Was the thought unknowingly shared between them as the two leaned toward one another. Yet they were completely entranced by each other and completely unwilling to turn away as their lips came closer...
BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP
The two jumped apart as the loud blare of a car horn sounded behind them. Izuku yelped as he saw that the light had turned green before almost stomping on the gas. His face felt like it was next to a furnace with how hot he felt. [I can't believe it!] The boy thought wildly, keeping his eyes locked on the road in front of him.
Mina was also finding the window very interesting, her face flushed a deep lavender. [We almost kissed!] The girl thought with embarrassment, [Oh god, what is wrong with me?!] Her heart was beating unbearably fast after the near kiss, so much so that she found it hard to breathe. "Uh, hey, you mind if I crack open the window?" She asked, hating how high her voice sounded as she spoke.
"No!" Izuku squeaked, "Not at all!" His voice sounded almost as high-pitched as hers.
Mina felt somewhat relieved that she wasn't the only one feeling flustered. As she opened the window, the cool night air seemed to help clear her mind. Her conscience seemed to be playing havoc with her, though, because she seeing two little versions of herself sitting on the edge of the window, one with angel wings and a halo and the other with devil wings, a tail, and horns...wait a minute, they both had horns, that part was normal!
[You should be ashamed of yourself,] Angel Mina admonished with a finger wagging in her direction, [Taking advantage of him like that!]
Devil Mina only grinned at her twin impishly, [Take advantage? Are you kidding me?!] Devil Mina asked, [It's obvious he wanted it!]
Mina groaned internally, [You guys aren't really giving any good advice right now.]
Devil Mina giggled at her, [Advice? You want advice?] She asked and pointed over toward Izuku, [I say tell 'im to pull over so you can crawl into that lap and suck some serious face!]
[You'll do no such thing!] Angel Mina snapped. Mina silently groaned and swiped a hand through the nonexistent beings.
[This really sucks,] the girl thought, her mind wandering to a different situation. One where there hadn't been a car pulling up behind them honking their horn. [It...it was just the heat of the moment...wasn't it?] She thought with a shake of her head, [Besides...he wouldn't want a girl that looks like me for a girlfriend, anyway.] She could've sworn that she hear both sides of her conscience groaning with their little chipmunk voices.
"Uh-oh," she heard Izuku mutter as he pulled the car to a stop. She looked up and saw the road was blocked off by caution tape, and that there were a few police officers milling around the area. "Must've been an accident, or maybe a Villain attack sometime today."
The girl moaned, "Ah, great," she sighed, "Well, my house is only a couple of blocks from here, so I can just - " She trailed off as Izuku pulled the car over and parked. He then got out and walked over to her side, "Uh, you don't really need to walk me home, if that's what you're doing?" She said, though she felt her heart swelling at the gesture.
"I know," Izuku muttered, then reached out his hand, "But I want to."
Mina felt her heart swell slightly as she reached out. His hand was just as rough as always, but there was something else. [He's shaking,] she noticed as his fingers closed around hers. [Is he...scared of me...?] For a moment, that horrible thought dominated her mind, convincing her that he was repulsed by her unique Mutant features as some of her classmates had been. [No,] she realized as she recalled that only minutes ago, they had almost kissed. [He's not scared...he's as nervous as I am.] The thought brought a tentative smile to her face as she allowed herself to be helped out of the car.
"Such a gentlemen," she commented, her mischievous side coming back to her somewhat. She then looked back at the car, "But aren't you worried about someone driving off with your car?"
Izuku shook his head, "I built it so that it only recognizes authorized drivers like me, my mom, and...," he thought for a moment before he shivered all the way from his head to his toes, "Nope, I'm never letting Mei drive again!"
She giggled as she laced her fingers through his, "Okay, then," she brought her other arm up and wrapped it around his bicep, which reminded her just how delightfully firm and muscular he was. "Shall we?"
Izuku nodded nervously, "Ah, I should probably let go of you," he raised their joined hands, his face darkening with another blush, "M-My hands can get pretty s-sweaty."
"I don't mind," she gave his hand a soft squeeze, "Besides, your hand is really warm and it's really cold out tonight." In truth, she was freezing. During the day, it had been unseasonably warm, so she only had the light blazer to wear, but once the sun had gone down, the winter chill returned with a vengeance.
Izuku thought for a moment before stepping away, much to her disappointment, but she was surprised to see him shrugging out of his green jacket, "H-Here," he draped it across her shoulders, "I-I'd hate it if you caught a cold because of me." He mumbled, desperately trying to ignore the sweet scent wafting up from her hair.
Mina giggled as she pushed her arms through the sleeves, "As long as you don't mind," she sighed as the lingering warmth from his body spread from the jacket into her, "Mmm, that's much better," she smiled as she reached over and retook his hand, "But don't think that you're gonna get away from me that easily!" She giggled while she clung to him, almost making him stumble.
He laughed then: a real, genuine laugh, not the nervous titters he'd been giving off the entire night. "Even if I could get away, I wouldn't want to." He said without even realizing it until a moment later when his face absolutely burned. "I-I mean I - "
"Nope," Mina said, cutting him off, "I like that answer." She then leaned her head on his shoulder, taking care not to poke him with her horns. "Now, won't you please walk me home, Mister Gallant Hero?"
Swallowing back his nerves, Izuku nodded and took that all-important first step down the street.
僕ぼくのヒーローアカデミア
"Are you certain that you don't want me to stay a bit longer?" Toshinori asked as Inko saw him to the parking lot, "It wouldn't be a bother to me, you know?"
Inko smiled at the man's willingness to help them, "I'm sure, Dear," she said, "You've already done so much for us today, even if it doesn't seem like it," she gave him a gentle push toward his little truck, "You also look like you could use a good night's rest, and you won't get that sleeping on our couch."
Toshinori chuckled, "I doubt that I'll be sleeping at all tonight, my dear," he said before leaning down and kissing the woman's cheek. Inko gave out a pleased sigh at the affection, missing it almost immediately as he straightened, "Besides, I need to arrange a few things with the wardens at Tartarus." He frowned as he thought about what was to come, "I still wonder if we're doing the right thing in considering allowing them to meet?"
Inko's face dropped, "Toshi, she's her mother," she reminded him gently, "It's only right that we gain her permission to look after Mei while she goes through school." She worried her lip for a moment, "Besides, I think it would be good for Mei if she knew that she wasn't alone in the world."
Toshinori gave the woman a warm smile, "Inko, she's not alone now," he chuckled, "If I had a vote, you'd win Mother of the Year, and beyond." Inko giggled at him, "Seriously, Inko, I've never met a woman that cared so much about others."
She gave a small shrug, "It comes with the territory of being a mother and a nurse on top of that," she said, giving the man a small look of worry, "Speaking of nursing, Toshi, are you feeling alright?" She asked while the man gave a small jolt, "You barely ate anything at dinner," she sighed, looking away for a moment, "Though I can't say that that's surprising given today's circumstances."
"Believe me, my dear, it had nothing to do with your wonderful cooking," he said, waving away her concerns, "This whole situation has me on edge, especially because of what I've been told of Ms. Tsutsumi's incarceration."
Inko nodded, "You didn't say too much about that," she prodded lightly, "Is there a reason?"
"Most certainly," he sighed, "I don't want the children to lose faith in our governing systems, for one thing, and another would simply be because I'd be setting things up for Mei to become the next Lady Nagant." The man sighed, "And I don't mean the Hero."
She reached out and took hold of his sleeve, "Don't think like that, Toshi," she shook her head, "Mei's too sweet of a girl to go through something like that. She could never - "
"The Lady Nagant I knew twenty years ago was just as sweet and as caring as Mei, Inko," he sighed, "But underneath all of that, she was the H.P.S.C.'s assassin." He frowned as he thought of the implications behind Mei's Quirk, "If the current president saw the same thing in Mei that her predecessor did in her mother, then I doubt that she'd hesitate to scoop her up, and poison her into becoming a more efficient killer than her mother ever was, and they'd most likely take precautions to insure that the conflicted that caused her mother to turn on her handlers never comes up with Mei."
Inko paled, but gave a determined nod, "Alright, then, what do we do?" She asked, "How do we keep her safe?"
Toshinori's eyes held that same pressure she had felt in the conference room of U.A. all those months ago. The aura of a very dangerous man was rolling off of him in waves, "You leave that to me," the man said, placing his hand over hers on his sleeve, "None of these children will ever be the government's pawns: I'll swear to that."
Inko shook her head with a teary smile, "I have to wonder what you used to do if you have sway with the government," she said as the man just rubbed the back of his long neck, "It's really frightening when I think about it."
"I promise that I'm just a really old ex-pro Hero," he said, "The only reason that I have any sway is because I work closely with All Might on a near daily basis when he's not saving the day, or being mobbed by the press and - yeech - slobbering fangirls." He shuddered as he remembered some of the more adamant fans. That was one thing he never got used to in his time as a Hero: being mobbed by dozens of women of various ages that wanted a piece of him. The look of disgust on his face must have looked amusing to his companion, because she burst into giggles.
"I could almost feel sorry for any Pro Hero for having to go through that," she giggled, the sound bringing a warm feeling to his chest, "But they do bring a lot of that on themselves. What with wearing those skin-tight costumes and all."
Toshinori chuckled, "I suppose that they do," he smiled before stepping away, "I had better get going if I'm going to get any semblance of rest tonight." He raised her hand to his lips and kissed the back of her knuckles, "Goodnight, Inko."
Deciding to be a little more forward, the woman stretched up and pecked his cheek, the man blushing brightly, "See you soon." She whispered as the man stepped away, and got in his truck. As he pulled away, she gave a gentle wave in his direction, a small sigh escaping her. She looked back up at their little apartment, "Why, when things were going so well, did this have to happen?"
She shivered slightly when a cold breeze ghosted by. She decided it was time to go back inside and check on the children, and perhaps, text her son, asking why he seemed to be taking so long, until she remembered who he was with.
When she returned to the apartment, it was to find Himiko just coming out of Mei's room. "Mom?" The girl blinked as the woman came in. Inko smiled at her, loving the feeling of the girl calling her Mom. "Is Izuku back, yet?"
She shook her head, "Not yet, Sweetie," she said as the girl yawned, "And the Bakugō's have all left as well. How's Mei doing?"
"Still asleep," Himiko sighed, "I guess that's the best thing right now, though, all things considered?"
"I agree," she said, "But she'll have to face it sooner or later." It saddened her to think that the normally smiling and boisterous girl could be so silent. "I'm sorry, Dear, you must be hungry after keeping Mei company for so long?"
But the girl shook her head, "Not so much hungry as I am thirsty," she patted her stomach, "I...I think the pills that Nezu gave me aren't working like they should." She bit her lip nervously. "I've been craving real blood more and more, lately."
Inko smiled at her, "There's no need to worry about that," she said as she moved toward the kitchen, "We have plenty of blood bags left, but I'll speak with Nezu and Miss Chiyo about a solution for your growing appetite."
Himiko looked uncertain of that. Sure, bagged blood did help her thirst more so than the pills she took, but even that was starting to lose its effectiveness. When she had been with Mei a few moments ago, there was a moment when she had been tempted to bite her in order to taste freshblood, even a tiny drop. "Maybe...there isn't a solution...?"
Inko halted, giving the girl a small worried look, "Himiko, everything has a solution, Sweetheart," she saw the girl's lips trembling, and opened her arms, "Come here." Himiko went without hesitation, finding the warmth of her foster mother's arms comforting. Inko stroked her hair, "Even if you need fresh blood, we'll find a way to help you." She smiled and kissed her head just above her ear, "So don't you worry about anything, okay?"
"I'm...scared, Mom...what if I am a monster...just like Papa said?"
Inko shook her head, "You're no more a monster than I am, Baby," she said, patting her back gently, "And we will figure this out...without hurting you, or anyone else." She drew back with a smile as she cupped the girls face between her hands, "Now let's warm you up a bag, then you need to get some rest, Sweetie." She reminded her, "Tomorrow's going to be a big day for you and the others."
"But we're just helping Mei get her stuff, right?" Himiko asked.
Inko shook her head, "Not quite, Dear," she smiled, "Remember, I've been looking for a new house for all of us. Well, I spoke with the realtor a few hours ago while you were taking care of Mei," she said, "I made a down payment, and he said we're all set to move right in."
僕ぼくのヒーローアカデミア
"Visitation?" Officer Shishikura asked over the phone, sounding shocked, "You want to arrange a visitation with Tsutsumi?!"
Toshinori sighed as he drove along, "That is what I said, yes," the man said patiently, "I realize that this request comes as quite a surprise, given the prisoner's sentencing, and her risk level, but this is a matter of great importance."
"Well, Sir, this may take some time to set up," the man said, "If you realize just what kind of threat she is, then you'll know that it's going to take a fair amount of paperwork before we can draw up a timetable, and schedule the visitation. Unless you have an immediate family member, then - "
"It involves immediate family," Toshinori said in his deepest All Might voice, "It concerns her daughter, and who will take over her care since Ms. Tsutsumi is unable to do so at the moment." He said.
The line was quiet for a long time after Toshinori informed the warden of the prison, "I...I was unaware that she hadany children?"
"That is how she wanted it, Officer," the man growled dangerously, "In fact, her current situation is a direct result of the former president of the H.P.S.C. threatening that same little girl if her mother didn't keep following his orders." The warden gasped from the other end of the line, "I'm sure that you understand by now why this is an important matter, do you not?"
"Y-yes, Sir," the man said, "We'll take care of everything on our side of things," he said, "I'll call back when everything is ready."
Toshinori growled, "It had better be soon." He warned him before he hung up the phone, "Now then...I need to have a long chat with our current president." He frowned as he dialed in the number. "She's in for a rude awakening."
The line picked up with a sleepy voice on the other end, "Yagi? Do you have any idea what time it is?" She asked, sounding annoyed, "What has you calling me at...one thirtyin the morning?"
"Something of extreme importance," the man said through grit teeth, "And I believe you will know exactly what I'm talking about after I mention a name: Kaina Tsutsumi." He heard the woman gasp on the other end, "I see I have your attention."
"What do you know?" She demanded, "A better question: how do you know?!"
"How and what are irrelevant," Toshinori sounded sufficiently angry, "The point is that I know enough to have an overwhelming desire to march into your headquarters and tear it down brick by brick." He snarled, his body beginning to steam, "I have just enough power left in me to do just that after all that I've learned today!"
The president sounded as if she were having a panic attack, "N-Now, see here, Yagi, I have enough on you to -"
"To what?" Toshinori's voice sounded deceptively calm as he spoke, "I'm ready to reveal all of my secrets to the world, Madam President," he said, and it was true. He was tired. Tired of always hiding behind his fake smile. Tired of lyingto the woman he loved. And above all else, he was tired of being the government's trained monkey.
The line was quiet after his declaration before the woman sighed, "What is it you want?"
"The truth, Madam," he snapped, "And the exoneration of Kaina Tsutsumi so that she can become a teacher at Ultimate Alliance Academy."
There was an outraged squawk on the other end of the line, "Are you insane?!" The President snapped immediately, "Do you know what she's done?! What she's been trained to do by us?!"
Toshinori chuckled, "I know you had a hand in trying to turn a human being into an emotionless killer to do your bidding, but when your predecessor threatened her child, she turned on you all." He laughed when he heard the woman's strangled voice on the other end, "And I'd be willing to bet that she's more than willing to spill a few beans on just how many Heroes you ordered her to murder?"
"...I never took you to have a penchant for blackmail," she said before giving out a tired sigh, "Alright...but this will take time, Yagi." She said with defeat, "I can't just waltz in there and take her out of Tartarus."
Toshinori chuckled, "But that is exactly what you're going to do," he said, "What do you think is going to happen once I let it be known that the H.P.S.C. not only takes children off the street to turn into their own personal assassins, but their Shining Pillar of Peace is on his last legs as a Hero?"
"You wouldn't!" The woman shouted frantically, "You'd send Japan into a country-wide riot! Villains from all over the world would come for a chance at killing you!"
Toshinori laughed, "Oh, I don't have to announce that I'm weak, Madam," he said, "I am retiring from active Hero duty," her gasp was music to his ears, "I am totally devoted to raising the next great Hero, Madam President, and being on active duty would only hinder me. It'll be up to others to handle the fallout."
"All of this for an assassin?!" The president snapped, "That can't be the only issue, Yagi! Tell me: why are you doing this?"
Toshinori huffed, "I honestly don't think you'd understand, Madam," he said, "It's a little thing called love." He heard a questioning sound from the woman on the other end, "I've met the little girl you forced Kaina to leave behind, and I love her like she is my own child." He said with a cold rage boiling inside what remained of his stomach, "But she's not and she needs her mother."
"She murdered the former president, Yagi," the woman reminded him, "And she voluntarily gave up her child! She- !"
Toshinori suddenly bulked up to his muscle form, the cab of his truck screeching in protest, "She's only guilty of being a mother and defending her child from a tyrant that threatened her life!" All Might roared in fury, "You have my terms, Madam President: Lady Nagant goes free and becomes a teacher at U.A. Or else you'll find out just how dangerous I am when I cut lose." He hung up the phone, and shrunk back down.
He frowned at the damage he'd done to his truck, "Ugh, how am I going to explain this?"
僕ぼくのヒーローアカデミア
"Mr. Mera I wouldn't be calling you so early in the morning if this wasn't an emergency," President Erina Gasai said as she spoke to the man over the phone, "I don't know how, or why, but All Might has uncovered the details of the Nagant debacle."
"I see, and what is you want me to do about it?" Yokumiru Mera asked over the phone, "We're talking about All Might, here, Madam President, if there's anyone in the world that's untouchable, it's him."
The woman pinched her brow in exasperation, "Yes, I know that quite well, Mr. Mera," she groaned, "What I need you to do is find out how this happened." She said, with hint of paranoia in her voice, "Someone has dug this information up, and given it to All Might. The fire walls, and program protection that whoever it was had to go through could be considered an act of treason!" She snapped, "In the meantime, I have to draw up a mountain of paperwork in order to meet his demands of her release!"
"Release?!" Mera shouted, "Are you kidding? She probably has a vendetta against the H.P.S.C.!"
"Don't you think I've thought of that?" Erina snapped, "There's an angle here to exploit, but we need to find that angle first." She frowned, deep in thought for a moment, "Mera, Nagant has a daughter, maybe we can use that?"
"Oh, no, not this time," Mera said, "You remember why she's in prison right now, don't you?" He reminded her as she placed her head in her hand, "If we're going to work any sort of angle in this situation, then we need to walk on eggshells here." He said, "All Might is getting ready to retire, that much is a given with how much his old injury is taking its toll on him. We need him at U.A. to train a replacement. Nagant being back on the streets could actually help if we can get her to play ball in our court. But putting any sort of heat on her kid is going to be out of the question."
"Alright, I take the point," the woman frowned, "All Might mentioned something strange as well. Something about love...find out if he's found someone to settle down with, that could be something we can use."
"...Madam, that's like walking around with a grenade that doesn't have the pin," Mera said, "I can get the information, but I don't recommend doing anything with it." He sighed, "I've had our golden boy looking in on him from time to time over the last few months, and I've been told that he's been seen with several children around the age of U.A.'s first years...he may have found a successor already. I've even heard that David Shield was sighted in the Mustafar area."
Erina sighed, "All we need now is for him to start talking to Nighteye again," she said and heard a strangled sound from the other end, "You can't be serious?"
"They've been seen at U.A. together," Mera said, making the woman groan once more, "Look, Madam President, for now, we should just do as the man wants, and hope that things work out for us."
Erina frowned, "I don't like this, Mera. All Might has the H.S.P.C. by the throat, and there's nothing we can do about it."
"Maybe we won't have to," Mera said, "All Might isn't perfect, we both know that." He chuckled on the other end of the phone, "I have it on good authority that an old...acquaintance of his is still running things in the underworld."
Erina's eyes widened, "Are you saying that he's still alive?"
"I'm saying that he may very well be alive," Mera said, "And if he is, then it's only a matter of time before they face each other again." He chuckled, "And then we just sit back, and watch them tear each other apart."
"And have our agents clean up the mess," the woman said, "This is a dangerous game you want to play, Mera. Are you sure we can win?"
"No," Mera said, "But it's the best chance we have."
僕ぼくのヒーローアカデミア
Mei awoke to find herself feeling oddly cold. [Was that a dream?] She wondered to herself as she sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes. [No...it wasn't a dream...] she sighed as she remembered Izuku catching her when she fainted. She looked down at herself and found herself in the spare set of pajamas that she kept at the Midoriya house. [I wonder who dressed me?] She thought idly. She pulled the blankets off of herself and swung her legs off of the bed. [Doesn't matter now, does it?] She sighed as she stood up and stumbled over to her desk.
The desk consisted of some of the designs that Izuku had given to her from his mentor, whoever that was, and some of them were her own. "Dad's gone now," the girl muttered to herself, "Will I get sent to a home?" She asked herself as she took up a new piece of paper and a pencil to start working absently on a new design, "If so, will I still get to go to U.A.?"
She started drawing out a design, her mind not even on what it would be, "Will I still see my friends...Izuku...?" Her hand paused with the pencil just barely above the paper. Something wet dropped onto the page. She reached up and touched her cheek, drawing back moist fingers. "Tears...I'm...crying...?"
"Mei?" Inko's voice called out softly as the door to the room came open slowly, "I'm sorry if I'm bothering you, but - ?" She gasped as she poked her head and saw Mei turning around toward her with tears streaming down her face. "Oh, Sweetie!" She rushed into the room, her arms wide open. Mei didn't even know that she'd moved until she collided with the woman. "It's okay, Sweetie, everything's going to be okay!"
Mei could barely hear her because there was someone else making a strange wailing sound that she had never heard before. [Wait...is that...me...?] She thought with sudden realization. It was true. Mei Hatsume, who had never cried a day in her life, was bawling her eyes out with her face buried in Inko's shoulder while the woman held her close.
Another pair of arms wrapped around her. Himiko had joined them, holding her around her waist. "We're right here, Mei." The girl sobbed. "We're here for you."
"You're not alone, Baby," Inko told her as she rubbed gentle circles on her back. "You're never going to be alone."
僕ぼくのヒーローアカデミア
"Well, this is it," Mina sighed as the two of them came to a stop in front of her home. She looked up at him, "Um...thanks...for walking me home." She muttered as her arms released their hold on his.
Izuku reached up and took her by her hand, "I-I could walk you to the door?" He suggested, sounding as reluctant as she felt.
The thought of spending at least another minute with him brought a pleasant feeling to her chest, but the girl shook her head, "I'm probably in enough trouble as it is," she said while reaching into her jeans to check her phone, "Besides, it's almost two in the morning, and you have someone at home that needs you more than I do right now." She said with a small smile at him, "Hatsume's probably gonna need you way more."
Izuku nodded while slowly letting her hand slip out of grasp. "I..." he spoke up, blushing hard, "Could we...could we seeeach other again?" He asked, blushing harder while she looked at him owlishly, "I mean before schools starts? Since we both..." he rubbed the back of his neck, "I mean - " She reached up and tapped him on the nose like she had once before. "Uh...?"
"Midoriya," she said smiled up at him warmly, "I'd like verymuch to see you again," she admitted, her cheeks turning that lovely shade of lavender that he found so attractive, "But you need to spend a few days with Hatsume...and I probably need to let my dad cool off." She pointed toward her house where both of them could see a large figure standing at the front step.
"Oh...do I need to go apologize for keeping you out so late?" He asked with so much confusion written across his face that she could stop the giggles that bubbled right up out of her chest, "I mean I probably should since it's pretty much my fault that you got home so late, and - Geh!" She tapped him on the nose again.
"You're overthinking this too much," Mina told the flustered boy, "My dad's a big ol' teddy bear when it comes to me, he just likes looking like a grizzly whenever a boy takes interest in me."
Izuku laughed, "Well, no offense to your dad, but he looks more like an angry cave bear." She laughed at that and gave him a small push back down the street, "So...?"
"I'll call you, this time," the girl waved, "Himiko already told me that you're a nervous nelly when it comes to girls, so waiting on you to make the first move would probably give me grey hairs." She laughed while the boy's face fell, "Hey, don't take it personally: I think it's cute." With sudden skip in her step, the girl came forward and leaned toward him. Izuku was used to Mei's antics enough by now to know what was coming...only he didn't stay still.
When Mina stretched up on her toes, she was surprised to find his arms wrapping around her. Then he was leaning down to kiss her cheek. An innocent enough gesture, but Mina decided to do him one better. She reached up and turned his head toward her.
Across her yard, she heard her dad let out an irritated sound that she was certain she was going to pay for later, but for what happened next, she would feel that it was one hundred percent worth it. Because what was meant as only a gentle peck turned into something neither teen expected as their lips molded against each other's. She shivered as an unexpected wave of heat spread through her when the boy unconsciously suckled on her lower lip.
The hand that had been on his cheek traveled up into his hair, her fingers threading through the fluffy locks that she had so longed to touch. She sighed as she felt his hands moving over her back, one moving to rest between her shoulder blades while the other hovered just above her waist. Her sigh turned into a giggle as the thought of him being mindful of where he put his hands since her dad was nearby.
Speaking of whom...
"Ahem," the two broke apart at the gruff and annoyed sound, "Mina," her father grumbled, "It's gotten extremely late, and you still have a few classes to attend this week." He jerked his thumb at the house. "Inside young lady. Now." Mina stepped out of the boy's arms slowly, knowing that her father wouldn't be that upset. Her classes had ended just before U.A.'s entrance exams, afterall, but that didn't mean he wouldn't try to put fear into Midor - into Izuku.
Mina nodded before turning back to Izuku with a small wink, "Don't let him scare you," she whispered loudly, "Like I said, he only looks like an angry bear."
"Mina," the man grumbled as the girl giggled, skipping her way toward the house. The man then turned his attention the boy that wanted to scare off with everything he had, but the worried look on his face made him stop.
"Um, p-please don't be mad at her, Sir," Izuku pleaded, sounding much like a frightened puppy. "We would've been here sooner if we hadn't had to walk the rest of the way."
Mr. Ashido frowned, before relenting with a tired sigh, "I heard about the incident down the street," he grumbled, "It's why I was so worried when she called me earlier," he said and tried to regain some of his composure. "Young man, my girl's pretty inexperienced when it comes to boys, so I'm going to warn you right now," he growled as the boy jolted, "If you hurt her, there's nothing I wouldn't do to ruin you."
"I'd never hurt her," Izuku's voice lost it's nervous tremble, showing the man that he meant what he said.
"You had better not," he smirked down at him, "That being said, I should say thanks for saving her from that giant a few weeks ago." He said, "So I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt." He smiled at the boy, "Take care of her, alright?"
Izuku shook his head, "She...she really doesn't need me..." he muttered, making the man raise his brow at the boy, "I mean she's so...and I'm...this." Izuku gestured to himself as though he were presenting some lackluster product.
That surprised him. The boy seemed to have the same problem that his daughter seemed to have about her own looks. "Listen, kid, and don't tell her I said this, but Mina is really self-conscious about the way she looks," Izuku looked at him strangely, "I mean as a mutant, she was bound to catch a little flack about her appearance, but she outright thinks she's ugly aside from her figure - "
"What?!" The boy squawked, "Bu-but she's gor-gorgeous!"
"You see that, and I see that, but she doesn't," he sighed, "There weren't a lot of mutation-types in her school except this one kid that transferred out, and he was a full animal heteromorph." He said, "So she hasn't seen many other kids that have serious mutations because of their Quirks. She sees all the other girls in her school and wishes she had skin, hair and eyes just like them."
Izuku muttered, "Her eyes are her best feature, though," he mumbled.
That man smirked, "Just like her mom," he nodded, "But I'm sure that there's gonna be more mutants that look weirder than she does at U.A...but she might still feel ugly." He reached out and placed his hand on the boy's shoulder, "If you're a real man, and care for her like I hope you do, you'll make her feel beautiful every minute you're with her."
Izuku nodded, "I will, I promise!" He said, "Um, Sir?"
"No, you can't stay the night," the man said immediately, and the boy exploded into a muttering, blushing mess making him laugh so hard that he couldn't bring himself to apologize, "Jeez, kid, relax! I was kidding!"
"O-O-oh..." he could see where Mina got it now, "Um, okay...so I was thinking that, since all of my friends have basically passed the U.A. exams, we could have a sort of party to celebrate?"
He smiled at him, "Say no more, kid, just where and when?"
"When, I don't know yet," he muttered, "But I recently cleaned Dagobah Beach, and I thought it'd be the perfect place!"
The man's brow shot up to the base of his horns, "Dagobah...you mean that huge mess of junk?" The boy nodded and the man chuckled, "Why am I not surprised? You know what kid, I think I'm starting to figure out why my girl likes you so much."
"She likes me?"
The man gave him a crooked smile then, "Don't let that go to your head." He said and jerked his thumb down the street, "Now get going. It's way too late for decent fold to be out."
Meanwhile, Mina's mother was having a hard time not laughing at her daughter. When she heard the girl come into the house and rush up stairs, of course she went to check on her. And she made it just in time to see her little girl throw herself onto her bed, bury her face in a pillow and scream/giggle into it while kicking her legs wildly.
It was quite the sight for any parent to witness. "That good, eh?" She spoke up as her daughter jumped at the sound of her voice, "Knock, knock?" She giggled while tapping the doorframe.
"Aw, Mom!" The girl wailed, but the smile and glee never left her daughter's face, "Oh my gosh, I can't believe that just happened!" She squealed while clutching the pillow to her chest.
Her mother laughed again as she glided into the room, "I thought you said you didn't like him, hm?" She asked with mirth in her voice, "That he was just a cute boy whose attention you wanted: wasn't that what you said?"
Mina pouted, "Well..." she drew her legs up, "I guess I changed my mind?"
Her mother let out a loud belly laugh that echoed throughout the entire house, "Oh, something changed alright, Sweetie!" She wiped a stray mirthful tear from her eye, "Now, before you father comes in and attempts to read you the riot act," she reached out and placed her arm around the girl's shoulders, "Tell me everything!" She had a wicked gleam in her eye just as Mina did whenever she decided to tease someone. "That's a really nice jacket, by the way."
Mina just blushed when she realized that she was still wearing Izuku's jacket...before she broke down and told her everything that happened after leaving the Midoriya home. By the time her father came up to give her a piece of his mind, he found he was far too late since his wife and daughter were rolling on her bed with laughter, and happy/embarrassed squeals in Mina's case.
僕ぼくのヒーローアカデミア
When Izuku returned to his apartment, he was absolutely dead on his feet, the clock on his radio reading that it was just ten minutes before four o'clock in the morning. "Man, I've never been up this late, even when I was studying or watching All Might videos." He yawned as he pulled up to his apartment building, "I wonder if I should look in on Mei before I get some sleep?" He wondered as he parked. He got out and made his way to the elevator, pressing in his floor number and almost falling asleep on the ride up.
He trudged to his apartment, dragging his feet tiredly, his mind bringing the rotten day to the forefront of his mind. Despite the horrible news that the day brought, at least he knew that Mei would be alright...he hoped. He had never dealt with something like a death in the family. But Mei seemed like a strong person, to him at least.
It did make him feel like a dick because his day seemed to be going so well. "What a kiss." The boy muttered happily, reaching up to touch his lips where he could still feel Mina's. "Does this mean we're dating? No! I need to ask her first!" His mind was suddenly coming alive again as he thought about what was to come. "I need to get everything ready for the party, too. That'll make Mei feel better, I bet!" He thought happily as he reached out and opened his door.
Izuku quieted down as he expected his family to be asleep by now...but that wasn't the case.
There, sitting on the couch, was Mei.
She looked up at him as he came into the apartment, "Hey."
"Hey yourself," Izuku smiled at her, taking note of the dark circles beneath her eyes, "Can't sleep?"
Mei shook her head, "No...I..." she looked down at her lap, "Mama Inko said I have a mom."
Izuku nodded, "Yeah, Mr. Yagi told us a little about her," he said as he went to sit on the couch next to her. "He didn't say much, but - "
"She's in prison," Mei cut him off with a look, "Izuku...my mom's a criminal..." she muttered, "I know there's different stuff going on, but I..." She looked at him with panic, "They're gonna put me in a home, aren't they?!"
"What?!" Izuku paled, "No! Of course not! Mom wouldn't let them do that to you!"
Mei frowned, "You're sure? Mama Inko and Himiko said everything would be okay, but..." she sighed and returned to looking down, "Um, Himiko said you were with Mina...how'd that go?" She asked, feeling a little empty as she asked.
Izuku smiled a little, a blush on his cheeks, "We kissed."
Mei's eyes widened with shock and a small attempt at a smile came to her face, "You did?" She said sounding happy, "That's great! I told you it'd be okay!" She said to him with a weak version of her usual grin, "Now you just - "
"Mei," Izuku's tone got her attention immediately, "I said we kissed," he said, "Not that we're official."
Mei felt a sudden wave of relief, "Oh...so...why not?" She asked.
"Mei, cut it out," Izuku said, "I used to wear smiles faker than that on a daily basis." He told her as he pointed at her face. Her face soured and she slapped his hand away, "So why don't you tell me what you really want to say?"
Mei turned away from him, crossing her arms over her chest, "What? You want me to cry?" She demanded, "Got news for you, buddyboy, I already did that!"
"Crying is the last thing I want you to do," Izuku said with a frown at her sudden attitude, "What I want is for you to talk to me, Mei." He said as the girl turned her head slightly, "Don't bottle whatever it is that's bothering you. I did that, it doesn't work."
Mei sighed for a moment, "Yeah, sorry...I just figured something out really recently," she turned and settled her back against the couch, "I figured out that I'm pretty damned fucked up."
Izuku looked at her, waiting for her to explain. She took a breath, "Remember when I said my dad and I weren't exactly close?" She asked and the boy gave a slow nod, "I wasn't kidding. Yeah, we talked every so often, he kept me fed, made sure I had clothes and a roof over my head. We even had a few nights we ate and talked together." She shrugged, "But that was it." Her head dropped to her chest, "I loved him, of course I did, he was my dad, but..." she looked at him, and the tears finally started to come. "I didn't faint because I was shocked about losing him...I fainted because I was scared!"
"Scared of what?" Izuku asked, "Of being sent away? I told you that Mom wouldn't let that happen."
Mei shook her head, a tear rolling down her cheek, "It wasn't the idea of being sent away to live in a different home that scared me," she sighed, "I figured it out after I woke up...I was scared of...of losing this..." she gestured to the apartment, and then looked him dead in the eye, "How fucked up is that, Izuku? My dad gets murdered, and I'm more afraid of losing you, Inko, Yagi, and Himiko...the family I always wanted over the family I had," her face reddened, "And...I guess as long as I'm being honest...I figured out that...I was in love with my best friend..."
Izuku nearly slipped off the couch.
"Yeah," Mei sighed as Izuku righted himself, "That was pretty much my reaction before I started bawling my eyes out in front of Inko and Himiko." She said with shake of her head, "I thought I was just...that we were just..." Her cheeks turned darker than her hair, "Here I was pushing you toward this other girl, and she's great!" She assured him, "I like her a lot! And that's saying something since we haven't spent that much time together!"
"Then why did you - ?" Izuku faltered, his heart hammering into his ribs, "Mei...I - "
She held up a hand to stop him, "I'm gonna have to stop you right there, Izu," she said quietly, "I...I may not know much about love in general, but can you honestly say you love me without feeling guilty about Mina?"
His mouth snapped shut.
"Thought not," she gave him a sad smile, "I know you love me...you just don't love me like you love her, do you?"
Izuku gave her a small pained look, "I know even less about love than you do," he admitted, "I mean...you were the first girl I ever...spoke to," he blushed while giving a safy laugh, "And you were...wow, you were - "
"Way to make a girl feel special there, pal," Mei giggled softly, "But I didn't exactly send the right signals, did I?" She shrugged, "I still like girls, Izuku," she said and Izuku raised his brow, "Hey, don't look at me like that, until I met you, I didn't even think about romance."
"Are you seriously blaming me for your sexual preferences?" Izuku asked with a small hint of humor.
Mei rolled her eyes, "No, dummy, I mean Mama Inko practically begging us to date," she muttered, "And then there were those..." her blush returned, "...I kissed you...and I didn't really hate it..."
"I didn't exactly say no, either," Izuku said, he reached out and took hold of her hand, lacing his fingers through hers, "I enjoy being with you, Mei...if it weren't for you, I don't think I'd be the way I am right now...or have so many great people in my life."
Mei smirked at him, "Now you're talking out of your ass."
But Izuku shook his head, "I'm being serious here," he smiled at her, "I...I love you, Mei."
Mei's heart stuttered in her chest, but she quickly stopped it and looked away from him, "Not the same way you love, Mina, though?"
Izuku grip tightened on her hand, "No..." she heard him sigh, and she bit her lip, "...there is a difference..."
"Right," the girl muttered.
Then she heard something that made her heart crash. "I'm not sure I'm worth being loved by either of you, at this point." She turned to him, seeing him facing the floor, "Both you and Mina are...incredible...incredibly beautiful, kind, smart and brave...I'm not any of those." He frowned, "And if me loving someone hurts someone else - "
She wrenched her hand from his grip and reached out and took his face between both of her hands, "Izuku, so help me, if you think that you don't deserve to be happy just because I'm hurting, then you are dumber than a sack of rusty bolts!" She snapped.
Izuku's face was squeezed between her hands, making it difficult to talk, but he managed, "Sowy, Mei."
Mei sighed and settled back on the counc. "I'm not selfish enough to ask you to stop seeing her just so I can have you," the girl said, shaking her head slowly, "Especially when I know how you feel about her, and me."She looked back at him, "It's not fair to you, either. You deserve to be happy just as much as anyone else, which means you don't have to worry about me."
"You deserve to be happy, too, though," Izuku frowned, looking down at the Ultimatrix, "Sometimes I wish there was a Quirk that made everyone happy. "
Mei giggled as she thought about that, "Now that would be a miracle." She sighed before leaning over to lay her head against his shoulder. "But that's not the way the world works." She muttered, "If it was...maybe my mom wouldn't be in prison...and my dad would still be around."
Izuku reached up and put his arm around her shoulders, "Yeah."
Her stomach felt tight as she leaned into him, "Can I...ask a favor?" He looked down at her, "Do you think it'd be alright...if I slept next to you...just for tonight?"
Izuku's face heated up at the thought of sleeping next to her for a moment, but he gave a small nod. "Yeah...I...we can do that."
"Thank you." She got up from the couch, reaching back to pull him to his feet. As he rose, Izuku noticed that his friend had a small blush on his cheeks. She started tugging him toward his room.
Once inside, she wasted no time in pulling back the covers and getting into bed. Izuku was a little more hesitant. Mei looked at him expectantly, and patting the mattress next to her. "Don't worry...I just don't want to be alone right now."
Izuku nodded and slowly got into bed, not even bothering to change his clothes. He nearly yelped when the girl scooted up and nestled herself against him, laying her head down on his shoulder. "Mm...I smell strawberries..." she mumbled. "Asido has good taste in perfume."
That made him laugh a little, "Sorry."
"Don't be," she said as she wrapped her arms around his chest, "I like it..." she sounded sleepy now, "Hey, Izuku...did you mean what you said?"
Izuku looked at her, "About what?"
Mei hummed sleepily, "'Bout loving me."
Izuku smiled and reached up to pet her hair, "Yeah...yeah I did...I love you, Mei."
"Mm," she mumbled sleepily, "Ashido's a lucky girl."
Izuku wrapped his arms around her, "I think I'm the lucky one, actually." He muttered as the girl dropped off to sleep a moment later. He smiled and closed his eyes. "Goodnight, Mei."
僕ぼくのヒーローアカデミア
Paradox sighed as he watched the two children sleeping soundly, their timeline growing brighter, yet the darkened line still remained. "Why?" He wondered aloud, "What is the cause of this?"
In a mirror version of the timeline he was observing, Mei Hatsume sat at her desk, drawing out plans, while in the brighter future, she and his young champion slept soundly in each other's arms.
Hitoshi Shinso sat alone in his apartment, his face contorted with anger while he stared down at his phone. In stark contrast, another version of the boy sat on a sofa, smiling happily as he chatted with a lovely young woman with brown hair.
Izuku starred ahead of himself, his face streaked with tears and blood. And once more, a bright and smiling Izuku walked hand in hand with a laughing Mina Ashido on one side of him, while there was a blurred image of another on the other side of him. Behind them was Hitoshi and the young brunette, her hair pulled away from her face as she smiled up at the boy.
Then he looked to an image that had no brighter future as of yet. And it was something he was desperate to change: Himiko Toga, crouched over the prone figure of a young man, her fangs buried deep into his neck as she drained him of blood.
"Where is that catalyst?" He wondered, at his wits' end. This horrendous future was fast approaching the girl, and if he could do nothing to change it, then all of the good that Izuku and his family had done for the girl would be for naught.
15: Little Girl Lost (1)
Hitoshi awoke to the sound of his phone's obnoxious ringtone, his head throbbing, "Ugh, dammit," eyes still closed he reached over to where the phone was laying, fumbling for it for a minute before he answered, "Yeah?"
"Hitoshi?" It was Izuku, who sounded as as frazzled as always, "Where are you? We were supposed to meet up to help Mei move today, remember?"
Hitoshi cursed, he had forgotten, "What do you mean where am I? I'm still in bed!"
"At this hour? It's passed noon! My mom never lets me sleep this late," Izuku said with a frown in his voice. Hitoshi looked at his phone screen and groaned, "And did you not make it home last night? I'm right outside your door, and - "
That caused Hitoshi to sit up, [Ah, shit!] He looked over at his shoulder and nearly fell out of bed. "Uh, Izzie...I thinkI'm in trouble..."
"What did you do?" Izuku asked suspiciously, "Wait...you're with Komori right now, aren't you?"
Hitoshi hung his head: the reason he had nearly fallen out of bed was the simple fact that he wasn't alone. Kinoko Komori, the sweetest girl he had ever met, was sleeping soundly beside him. [At least it doesn't look like we did anything?] He thought to himself was he noticed that he still had his boxers on, while Komori was stripped down to her bra and panties. [French lace...girl's got class...] he thought idly before he gave himself a mental slap.
"Yeeeeah...Can you pick up some clothes for me while you're there?" Hitoshi asked with a little embarrassment, "Key's under the welcome mat."
He heard Izuku laughing on the other end of the phone. [I'm never gonna hear the end of this, am I?] He thought to himself as he hung up the phone and looked around for his clothes from last night. [How come I can't remember anything?] He wondered to himself as he picked his pants that were slung over a mushroom themed armchair, a slight headache bringing him more awake. "Oh...?" A sudden thought struck him.
The night before when he had walked Kinoko home...she had invited him in. Her parents were out of town for work, again, and the girl wasn't comfortable with being alone for long after the day they had gone through. Hitoshi saw no reason to refuse, his slight crush on the girl having grown as of late, and sat with her for a little while. His crush, as he found out, was mutual. They had kissed, and Kinoko had started releasing mushroom spores excitedly. Things had gotten weird after that. More intense.
He dragged his hand down his face, "I got whammied by psychedelic mushroom spores?" He moaned, slightly embarrassed, "Hoo-boy, I hope my mom never finds out."
"Mmmmm..." came a sleepy mumble as Kinoko started to wake up. "Wha - ?" She sat up, her hair such a bird's nest that he nearly laughed had it not been for the fact that her near naked body was so captivating. "Ugh," she clutched at her head, "I hate it when I do that! Dad's gonna kill me if he..." she trailed off when her eyes landed on her unwitting partner. "Uh...Hitoshi?"
"Morning," the boy said lamely while raising his hand in greeting.
Kinoko almost made the same gesture, "Mor...ning..." Her face started turning a comical shade of red, "Oh my gosh!" She squealed and yanked the comforter up to her chest, "Did we -! I mean we didn't -?! Oh shiitake!" She was rightfully worried about what had happened the previous night, though Hitoshi was confident that nothing had happened. For one thing, the only thing he could see off about her were the multiple hickies that covered her neck and her swollen lips. "Hitoshi, what did we do last night?!"
The boy rubbed the back of his neck, "Nothing, I think...at least, I hope not," she squeaked as he came over and sat on the edge of the bed, "If something did happen, I think I'd wanna remember it."
Kinoko mumbled something under her breath as her blush turned neon, prompting her to hide her face in the comforter, "I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to do any of that last night!" She whined, "Whenever I get really excited, I release mushroom spores, and those kind are - " He reached out and pulled the blanket away from her face, "Er, I mean - " He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek, "Eek!"
"Even if it was an accident, I don't mind," he chuckled, before grinning at her, "So, does this mean we're official?"
Her pretty and unique eyes peeked out from behind her bangs, "But...I basically drugged you..." she muttered shamefully.
He shrugged one shoulder, "Not our proudest moment, but hey, I've heard of stranger things happening to people before they got together." He said, "Besides, you like me even though I could use my Quirk to make you do anything I wanted you to do," he reached up and moved a stray lock of hair away from her face, "Aren't you scared of me?"
Kinoko shook her head, "No...you'd never do anything like that." She muttered before a brilliant smile broke out across her face, "I...I'll try not to let out anymore spores whenever we're together." She said while the boy just laughed.
"Yeah, I could do without the massive hangover," he said before he reached down for his shirt, which was on the floor near his feet. He heard Kinoko giving a slight mumble of appreciation as he pulled his shirt over his head. He felt a swell of satisfaction rising in his chest as she seemed to appreciate his newly muscled back. "Like what you see?" He asked, grinning as her face reddened while he settled his shirt into place.
Kinoko pulled the comforter back up to her face, "No comment."
He chuckled, "I'll let you get dressed," he said as he headed out of the room, "Izuku ought to be here pretty quick...let's hope he thought to bring some coffee."
僕ぼくのヒーローアカデミア
A few minutes trickled by as the newly formed couple waited for his their friend.
In all honesty, Hitoshi expected him to roll up in his car, but that wasn't what happened. No, not Izuku Midoriya. Instead of his very cool car, that Hitoshi was secretly jealous of, they were greeted with shuddering windows as a large aircraft hovered just beside the apartment. Izuku himself knocked on the door. Hitoshi didn't ask any questions, simply taking the clothes his friend had brought for him and dressed quickly while Kinoko waited and stared.
"You know," Hitoshi said a short time later as he and his girlfriend boarded the ship, "Most people just stick with cars...but...this is unbearably cool!" He laughed as he sat down near a control panel. "Was this a design your mentor thought up?"
Izuku nodded, "Yeah, it is," he grinned, "You should've seen Mom's face when I turned into Upgrade and spat it out," in truth, he was glad that he hadn't. His mother had nearly had a heart attack ("My son has a spaceship!" His mother wailed before passing out into Mitsuki's arms.).
Kinoko was having a hard time not marveling at the incredible machine, "What do you call this thing?" She asked as the ship lifted off the ground effortlessly. She didn't even feel any turbulence.
"The blueprints called it the RB3, short for Rust Bucket No.3," the boy said as he took the craft up and over the apartment complex, "But I just like calling it the Rust Bucket." He chuckled, "Kind'a has a ring to it."
Hitoshi laughed, "Doesn't seem to do it justice, though," he said as he peered out at the forward-swept wingspan, while Kinoko explored the large cabin, "What did you say about this thing, anyway? I heard that the car caused a few problems until you got a Support Gear License for it?"
Izuku just shrugged, "Apparently it works for this thing, too." He said with no small amount of relief, "I was seriously worried about building this thing and not being able to pilot it if I couldn't get permission from the H.P.S.C.."
Hitoshi got up and took up the seat next to his friend, "I wouldn't be surprised if you got a few calls from them," he said while the moved across the city, noting that several people below had stopped to stare at the craft, "This thing looks like it could be from outer space!" He laughed as the boy went slightly pale, "What's the matter?"
"W-Well, it can, technically, go out into orbit," he said while Hitoshi goggled at him, "So...it's technically a, um...spaceship?"
Hitoshi sat back with a dazed look on his face, right before grinning widely, "Man, I have the coolest friend in the world!" He laughed while Izuku blushed, "Not only does he have his own car, and a license at fourteen, but he owns his own spaceship!"
"Don't you mean cars?" Kinoko asked as she came back into the front part of the cabin, "I saw two of them back there."
Hitoshi looked at Izuku with a raised brow, "W-well, when Mei and I were getting materials for this thing, I found a really old Dodge Challenger...I couldn't just let such a cool car go to waste!"
Hitoshi put his hands up in mock surrender, "I'm not judging," he said with a look back at Kinoko, "But...could I...borrow one...for a date or two?" Kinoko blushed while Izuku just laughed.
"No problem."
They flew over the city for a few more minutes before they reached Mei's house where the girl was standing with Toshinori and his mother, waiting on them with all of Mei's belongings boxed up and waiting to be moved. What she didn't know was the fact that he decided to fly instead of drive. Even from the cockpit, they could see the tech-crazy girl's eyes sparkling.
"You jerk!" Mei shouted at the trio as the cargo ramp opened up, allowing Izuku and Hitoshi to back to two cars out so that they could load Mei's luggage. "I thought you were gonna wait to build it until later!" She pointed an accusing finger at the verdette while he just chuckled bashfully.
Inko sighed as she noted the newest vehicle, "My insurance is going to end up taking all of the money from my divorce," she mumbled with waterfall tears running down her cheeks.
Toshinori chuckled, "Naw, don't forget that Young Izuku's name is on the Proto-Tools' patent, so there's the royalties from that to add to your little nest egg."
Izuku grinned at them as he got out of the DX Mk.10, "He's right, Mom, I can pay for most of the insurances without your help." He said, "Feel free to spend whatever you want of it, too, I had the account include you."
"Oh, Sweetie, you don't - " Inko began but the two boys moved around the adults to start packing Mei's belongings.
"I doubt that you'll win that argument," Toshinori chuckled at her worried face as the boys started loading the ship. "Besides, he wants to take care of you. What's wrong with that?"
Inko shook her head, "He's becoming independent far too fast for my liking," she muttered, thinking of the day her little boy would no longer need her, "I know it's going to happen eventually, but is it too much to ask that he stays a child a little longer?"
"Hey, Mei, what's this one marked FRAGILE?" Hitoshi asked loudly, "It weighs a damned ton!" He shouted as Izuku helped him with the box.
Mei turned around from where she'd been talking to Kinoko with an annoyed look, "Don't you dare drop that, Mento," she grumbled at him as they passed by, "It happens to contain my favorite tool sets, and my favorite vibrators."
"WHAT?!" Hitoshi nearly stumbled, causing Izuku to lose his footing, and nearly drop the load, "Are you kidding!?" Hitoshi snapped at the rosette, "Carry your own damned vibrators!"
Mei just shrugged at him, "I can't, the box is too heavy," she giggled while Kinoko was silently wondering just how many she had in the box to make it so heavy.
Izuku just laughed, "Relax, Hitoshi, she's kidding...I think..." he mumbled the last part, "Besides, the last time I was here, I only found one by accident, and that was because it looked like a tube of lipstick."
Kinoko giggled, "Seriously?" She looked at the nodding Mei as she gained a huge grin on her face.
"You should've seen the look on his face when he turned it on," she laughed, "He couldn't drop it fast enough!"
Toshinori smiled at the children, "At least Mei seems better than when I last saw her?"
Inko nodded, "Izuku told me something this morning before she woke up," he looked at her with interest, "She wasn't so much upset about her father, which she thinks makes her a horrible person, but more afraid that she would lose the rest of us." She said with a small look of sympathy, "He told me a few other things, but that was her biggest concern." She sighed deeply as the man wrapped an arm around her shoulders, "To a point, I can understand where she's coming from. I've seen a lot of disorders as a nurse, and I'm suffering from something myself, but this is new territory for me."
"It just means that she needs you, right now," Toshinori said, letting her rest her head against his boney shoulder, "They all do, really." He sighed as he looked at the group, "I hate to admit this, but I did some digging on the others after Himiko joined your family."
"Oh?" Inko looked at him quizzically.
"Yeah," he nodded, "Turns out that Shinsō's parents are terrified of him because of what his Quirk can do," he muttered as the boys kept loading the RB3, "It's why he chose not to live with them, and hasn't for the last threeyears." Inko looked at the man in shock, "He's a good kid, too: a model citizen with dreams of becoming a Hero. But a Quirk like his is quite frightening to those that don't know him."
Inko huffed, "I'd like to slap some sense into those idiots."
"Get in line," Toshinori grumbled, "Young Uraraka was a surprise, too. Her parents run a construction company, but they've been so short of work lately that they're on the verge of bankruptcy, but in all this time, they spared no expense for their little girl." He smiled, "I've never seen anyone aside from you that cared so much for their own child." He chuckled, "So I'd like to imagine the looks on their faces when they get a letter in the mail, asking them to do some work for Might Towers, and the surrounding area considering that Villain attacks can do quite a lot of damage to the buildings." He gave her a sly wink that had her giggling.
"Oh, you're such a dear," Inko smiled at him while Izuku came by with a smaller box in his arms, "Izuku, dear, I know it's a bit of a rule bender, but why not transform into that four-armed mutant?"
Izuku just grinned at her, "Ah, this is nothing compared to what Mr. Yagi and All Might put me through." He said as he carried the box up into the ship.
Toshinori bashfully rubbed the back of his neck, "I didn't work him that hard," he muttered while Inko gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, letting him know that it was fine with her, "Anyway, Miss Komori came as quite a surprise as well." He said, taking note of the shy girl chatting quietly with Mei, "Her parents aren't abusive, but they're neverhome." He shook his head sadly, "And her father, while not cruel, was reported to be quite controlling with her because her Quirk produces mushroom spores from some of the more dangerous varieties." He sighed, "As I said, while not cruel, his actions were rather harsh for a girl that's still learning how to control her Quirk."
Inko nodded in understanding, "It must be why she seems so shy," she lamented as the girl moved to help Hitoshi with a particularly heavy box while Izuku and Mei struggled with another. "But I think Hitoshi will be good for her, just like she seems to be good him." She giggled while the two were talking animatedly.
Toshinori chuckled for a moment before something caught his eye. A flash of white disappearing around the corner of Mei's house. There was a sound of a window sliding open, and a strained, childish grunt as someone entered the house. "Hmm..."
"Something wrong, Dear?" Inko asked as the man's attention seemed diverted from the moving process.
He shook his head, "I'm not sure," he said before turning to the children, "Young Midoriya, Young Shinsō, I need you for a moment, please?"
Izuku and Hitoshi had just come back out of the RB3 when the blond called out to them. They looked at each other for a moment before hurrying over to their mentor. Toshinori gave the boys a silencing gesture before whispering, "I'm not one hundred percent certain, but I think someone just entered the Hatsume home," Izuku looked shocked while Hitoshi reached for the Proto-Tool he carried in his pocket. "Now, now, I'm hoping that there's no need for that," he said with a calming tone, "I think that it was a child, but as I said, I can't be certain."
"They wouldn't find much," Mei said, having overheard them, "And I don't know of any kids around here that have a habit of breaking into houses." She frowned as she looked back at her house, using her Quirk to look through the windows. "Hmm," she adjusted her sight, the crosshairs changing position in her eyes, "It's a kid alright." She frowned, letting her Quirk power down, "I saw a small heat signature hiding in the kitchen."
Izuku looked at her, "I didn't know your eyes worked like a thermal scope?"
"Only if I focus really hard," she told him while she reached up and rubbed her left eye, "Plus it gives me one hell of a headache." She explained before turning to Toshinori, "It's a pretty small kid, too, either very young, or really thin." She told the man, "And it looks like they're scared...like terrified."
Toshinori gave her a nod of thanks, "I think this is best left to myself and Inko," he said, looking at the woman for her consent, which she gave in a small nod, "You four wait out here." He said before thinking on it, "If someone comes by looking for a child, then I'd like you to divert them. If this child is running scared, then I doubt that anyone looking for them has their best interest at heart."
Izuku frowned before looking over at Mei, "I've got some spare Proto-Tools in the Rust Bucket," he offered, a small look of concern going in Kinoko's direction. The shy girl vigorously shook her head.
"Thanks, but no thanks, shroom!" She yelped.
Mei, however, had no problems whatsoever taking her friend up on his offer and went to retrieve one of the weapons. Toshinori waited until the girl returned before he offered his arm to Inko, "Shall we?"
Inko rolled her eyes yet took hold of him anyway before the two of them went to enter the home.
Izuku and Hitoshi frowned, the former looking down the street for any sign of a pursuer.
Meanwhile, the couple had entered the house, "There's still so much junk in here," Inko muttered as she looked around. The Hatsume home was a mess of old car parts, license plates, and hubcaps. There were some pictures hanging, but none of them were of both parent and child, except for one that was sitting on a small chest of drawers. It was of Mei, as a newborn, her father, who she was a spitting image of, pink hair and crosshair eyes, and of her mother. The part that held her mother's face was torn away.
"Well, they are, or rather were, a family of mechanics," Toshinori reasoned, his eyes rovering across the front room, "Though, I do hope that whoever this child is, he or she doesn't find anything dangerous."
Inko worried her lip, "Mei's inventions aren't...alwaysdangerous..."
Before they moved any further into the home, a small sound came from the kitchen. Toshinori gestured with his head while Inko nodded, "You'd best let me handle it," she whispered, "No offense, Dear, but you might scare her."
The man just chuckled and gestured for her to go ahead of him. The two of them hadn't bothered taking off their shoes when they entered the house, not with it being such a mess in the first place, so her heels were clicking on the floor as she moved, even though she was trying to take things slow. The kitchen, like the rest of the house, was a mess with pots and pans littering the countertops. There were a few scraps of newspaper on the floor, and the woman saw that one had a small footprint made on it with grime.
The child, an extremely small child, was barefoot.
[What sort of a person let's a child run around in the dead of winter without any shoes on?] She wondered, kneeling down to examine the print. It was extremely small, which meant that the child, if she were to guess, was no more than four or five, perhaps six if the child were mistreated or thin.
She looked down at the cupboards beneath the counter, and caught sight of a small corner of white fabric. She crossed the short distance to the cupboard, and knelt down in front of the door. "It's okay," she said in the softest voice she had, causing the child inside to let out a small sound of alarm, "You're safe now." The corner of the child's clothing was suddenly pulled inside.
"You don't have to be afraid," Inko tried again. "No one's going to hurt you."
"No." Came a quiet whimper. "He'll find me...he alwaysfinds me."
Inko looked over her shoulder to where Toshinori was hovering and saw his face hardening with anger. She turned back to the cupboard, "He won't find you now." She promised the child, she couldn't tell if it was a little boy or girl, yet. "We can take you somewhere he'll never find you."
"It won't work," the child whimpered, "I tried going to the police. They took me back to him," their voice trembled, "He hurt me." Their voice turned to panic, "And he hurts anyone that tries to help me." The child sounded like he or she was having scuttle further into the cupboard, "He makes them come apart, and it's all my fault! It's always my fault!" The child was sobbing now, and Inko could almost picture the face of a frightened little girl hiding just behind the door.
The woman reached out and slowly began to open the cupboard. Inside, her body trembling with fear, was a thin little girl. Her tiny hands were covering her head of white hair, and she thought she could just make out the tip of a horn peeking out above the top of her head.
Inko ached to hold her.
She turned around and gestured for Toshinori to duck back out of sight, which he did, just barely peeking out from behind the wall. She then turned her attention back to the little girl, "He won't hurt you again," Inko promised softly, "I can take you far away from him," the little girl turned her head slightly, revealing that she had eyes the shade of ripe red apples. She held out her hand to her, "Will you let us take you somewhere safe?"
"N-no p-police?" The girl asked fearfully.
Inko nodded, "No police."
Inko new better than to reach out for her any further. She had dealt with frightened children before, and knew that it was best to let her make the next move to come out. So she sat there on her knees, hand extended, and waited. Finally, after what seemed like hours, a tiny hand reached out for hers. Inko choked back a sob at just how thin and frail it was, almost feeling as though her skin was made of rice paper, while her bones were glass.
Slowly, the little girl crawled out of the small cupboard, allowing her to she just how gaunt she was. Her eyes were still trembling with fear as the woman began to draw her into her arms. [My god, she feels so light,] she thought worriedly, [How could anyone do this to such a small child?!]
As much as she wanted to cry for the little girl, she kept up a smile, and held back her tears for her sake.
The little girl shivered and leaned into her, finding the strange woman's warm arms comforting. Inko let her head lay on her shoulder, which seemed to relax her enough that she dropped off to sleep in a moment. "Toshi?" She called out softly, the man sticking his head out from behind the wall, "I think we need to get her to Recovery Girl," she said as the man's phone appeared in his hand, "Do you think she'd mind?"
Toshinori looked at her with a small smile, "You know she wouldn't," he said in a hushed tone, "In fact, I think she'd be upset that we didn't ask for her help." He said before his face turned serious, "What she said about the man that's obviously been abusing her...about him making people come apart - "
Inko was quick to catch on, "You don't think Mei's father - ?!" She hissed while the man nodded, "Oh, dear lord," she muttered as she rubbed the little girl's back unconsciously, "Then we should let your friend know. Nighteye, wasn't it?"
"I agree," Toshinori said as he began scrolling through his phone, "But after this child has been properly cared for."