A vigilante hero at night, Bakugo must deal with the unique android-guardian his parents imposed on him by day. Calling it Deku due to its uncanny resemblance to his deceased childhood friend, Bakugo soon realizes he's falling for the nerdy robot. Falling hard. Deku is more than willing and it doesn't help his conflicted master in the slightest.
AU that puts Boku No Hero Academia in the setting of Detroit become humans. Human people still have quirks. Deku is a man-made android. No need to know Detroit become human to read this, the only characters in this are from Hero Academia. Cyberlife is the company developing the androids.
Pairing: BakuDeku (potential and very light other pairings in the background)
Rated M for swearing, eventual smut, violence, uncomfortable imagery and abuse – both domestic and past abuse-.
Flashbacks are in Italic.
Any text appearing between :: :: is Deku's analyzing procedure.
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Deku becomes human
Chapter 1 - Trash robot will take your command now, sir!
"It says Authorized Personnel only, Kacchan!"
Their legs were short, both kids panting from running too much. Bakugo knew it would be hard to get over the fence, but he could use small consecutive explosions to throw himself in the air now. He'd trained in every park and even with a few buildings and he could get over one floor high before his arms would start to ache.
"Who cares? I heard something suspicious about this place and a hero would investigate, wouldn't he?"
His father had actually let it slip that the local disaffected Cyberlife lab might have become the base of a small criminal organization and Bakugo had seen it as his chance to take a first step on the path of becoming a hero. He was strong. Stronger than the fifth-grade boy that had tried beating him up for looking too defiant to his taste, stronger than the teachers, even stronger than his mom.
He rubbed at his nose, cursing against the cold weather, eyeing his green-haired friend who was sneezing into his sleeve.
"You too chicken to follow?" he taunted him.
Izuku's eyes glared at him with hurt pride and what Bakugo was starting to recognize as the boy's own determination. He might be quirkless, but Deku never backed down from a challenge. Lighting a spark with a snap of his fingers, Bakugo leapt into the air.
"They'll hear you!" Izuku warned.
"No way!"
His explosions were small, they weren't exactly controlled yet but he was managing just fine. His left arm ached first as the next explosion swallowed too much air and his face was hitting the metal fence before he could compensate the sudden push.
"Kacchan!" Deku called out.
The metal wires scratched at his skin, his nose feeling like it was being pulled off as he desperately grabbed for some hold, catching himself with one hand and both feet, his whole frame shaking from the sudden fright. A small hand touched his shoulder and to his own shock, Deku was there next to him, holding onto the fence with one clutched hand, tears in his eyes. Something burned inside, and he grit his teeth hard enough his jaw smarted.
"I'm fine, moron!" Bakugo snapped at him.
"You scared me!" Deku protested.
Bakugo looked back up, testing his hold once or twice and climbed his way up the fence, his shoes slipping a few times.
"The last one on the other side is a loser!" he called from over his shoulder.
He didn't have to look back to know Deku was following him. He always followed. Some mornings, it felt weird to wake up and remember that the other boy wouldn't be around until he'd walk out of his house.
"Not fair!"
He focused on his balance as he slowly inspected the top of the fence, blowing a gap in the barbed wire to make sure he could stand safely. His footholds weren't quite large and the torn barbed wire still threatened to get stuck on his shorts or scratch him bloody if he wasn't careful.
"Don't get stuck, Deku, I won't get you out," he warned.
The fence was swaying a little from Izuku climbing it and as he shifted to cross over, his eyes moved to the field stretching forward. Yellow grass and grey dirt all over, except for the few flagpoles, now flagless, and the institute looming in the back of this old property. There was a strange smell in the air, like decay and something else his young nose couldn't quite figure out. The swaying was getting bad and he jumped forward, scratching his right knee and swearing when his shoelace got stuck. Luckily, or not, Izuku had reached the top and immediately tried helping, which ended with them both falling over the fence in a strange mix of limbs, the boys knocking their heads together.
Bakugo was lying on top of Deku, the green-haired boy out of breath and crying once more, this time from the pain he was in. There was a bruise on his forehead and a cut on his arm and Bakugo felt the sting of dirt in his own cut.
"Why did you do that for?!"
"I was trying to h..help," Deku explained.
It still made no sense how Deku had taken the fall in his stead, but Bakugo jumped to his feet, hissing as his wounded leg nearly crumbled under his weight. He pulled on Izuku's sleeve to have him standing, giving him a light chug in the shoulder.
"Stop helping. I'm bigger than you. It was my idea to come here."
"But… but helping is something a hero would do," the boy reminded him.
"You shouldn't help people unless they're asking for it!" Bakugo objected.
"Who asked you to come here then?"
The dirty-blond haired boy grumbled under his breath.
…
Bakugo woke up to his phone's alarm blaring and cursed as he shifted around his bed to find it, his eyes bloodshot with lack of sleep, tensed muscles showing through his shirt. He'd trained all night after hunting down that gross Mud-monster who had been throwing down houses by making the terrain shift. He'd killed two families before getting caught and no licensed hero had had the time or the will to bother with that thing.
It was small-fry, but Bakugo resented the fact he hadn't been able to catch it faster. The ride back home on his bike had taken forever thanks to the rain and he needed a goddamn shower.
"Shitty weather, shitty alarm," he groaned.
Why did he have to wake up again? He closed his eyes, hiding his face into the pillow as he felt the soreness of his fight in every one of his limbs. He'd taken a few hits in the chest and had been hurled through a cement wall. He'd cleaned up the worst of it so his father wouldn't get worried, but he needed to make sure he'd hadn't forgotten anything. Was his costume hidden? He was still wearing one of his igniting gloves. A snap of his fingers in his sleep and he could have blown a hole in his own room. Oh right, the safety was on.
He wasn't a complete idiot yet.
"Kacchan!"
He hadn't heard that whiny voice in a long, long time.
"Like I need that shit," he grumbled, rolling his shoulders, heaving a short breath through his nose.
A bloody wad of tissue came out and he cursed as the pain ran up to his left ear. He needed to get up and do his stretches. He needed a freaking shower so he wouldn't smell the weird mix of mud and nitro anymore. There was a salty taste in his mouth and he bit his tongue. That fucking dream always took his will away and he knew that going back to sleep was a mistake. He knew but he was so damn tired.
Snooze is always an option.
It was the wrong option.
…
The sky was so dark he could barely see in front of him, and that was because of the fire burning on patches of grass. The smoke was making his eyes water and his lungs hurt. His fingers were cold, and he couldn't feel his toes. The cut on his knee was larger than before, from that thing's talons digging in to stretch the skin further apart. The lights staring him down were purple and red. The decay in the air could have corroded the toughest android, but this one stepped up to them one foot after the other. It made thudding sounds as it hit the ground and Deku was crying. Deku was crying and Bakugo was crying too for once. His chest was too tight, his ribs broken from the first hit. He wasn't sure how many hits those things had…
What were they?!
They flew all around them, a rippling curtain of drone-like balls with small guns poking out.
Funnels like in those mech shows Deku likes? He wondered, his heart clenching as Deku's hand reached for his.
His friend was shaking. He'd dragged him here and now…
"Why?" he asked, his own voice shivering. "We didn't see anything bad, we were just…"
We're just kids, he thought.
"Kacchan…"
Deku was whimpering now and his heart quivered in his chest. He was sweating so much, he should have been able to do something, but fear had seized him and there was blood in his left eye and as he glimpsed down for half a second, he realized one of the fingers of Deku's hand was broken. The knot in his throat grew larger.
Another thud and a new explosion rang from too close. Could an explosion serve as a shield? Could dirt and grass lifted from the ground be enough to hide them?
Not just me, I need to look out for him too, I need to make sure he gets out of here, it's my fault, it's my fault, it's my fault…
The light blinded him, blinded them both and he turned on himself, pushing Deku down, because they were small, surely they could be small enough and if he could just muster the strength to make a full spark…
…
His alarm buzzed and Bakugo kicked at the covers, panting hard, his eyes wild and his hands reaching around him in a panic. Deku was… He'd been just there, he could almost feel his hand on top of his, he…
Stop.
He wasn't a six-year-old boy anymore. He was almost eighteen and… Deku had stopped aging back then. His right hand closed into a fist, his jaw too tight, teeth gnashing together as he tried to breathe in and out. He looked around the room for something to take his mind off the nightmare. The memory. Their last memory…
"Dammit!"
He pulled on his hair, sniffling once and hissing as his nose smarted a little more. He wanted to smash something, but at this hour, his mother would show up at the ruckus to check on him. He didn't want to be seen by anyone. He wasn't sure he'd be able to yell back at her like he normally would. Checking the calendar, he realized it was the anniversary of that day where he'd suggested a trek instead of playing in the park.
A sharp buzzing made him jump out of his thoughts, looking down to his phone. Kirishima was inviting him to lunch.
You're paying of course, rich kid.
There was a smiley face with sharp teeth, custom-made, and it did make Bakugo smirk even if his heart was miles away. Something had stayed behind on that horrible day they jumped the fence, Deku and him. He closed his phone's screen, swallowing once, and a second time, forcing his shoulders outward as he realized he was slumping.
Weakness was not allowed. He didn't have the time for it. Too much to make up for. And he needed to be clean and catch up the news to find his next target. Patrolling in the afternoon. Catching one class to get his father off his back with school. Like he wanted to do accounting. Like he cared about that cybernetic crash-course his mother had insisted on. It took away time for his night patrols. It took away the time he needed to do the one thing that still made sense.
Stepping out of bed, he kicked around the dirty clothes laying on the floor. He'd be in a foul mood lately. Fouler than what was his usual. He needed to pick himself up before they'd notice. Or they'd try something new to cheer him up, like another stupid counsellor who couldn't handle short tempers or some freaky new-age crystal shit.
The guy he saw in the mirror of his bathroom looked angry and sad and he hated him.
"Where's your spine, Katsu-freak?" he asked his reflection, snarling at himself.
His eyes were hooded with accumulated fatigue, nerves showing on his neck and he had to look away, taking a few sharp breathes to actually relax himself a little. He'd snapped a few muscles before and didn't want to do it again. But the tension could never fully leave him. He was like a drawn bowstring, lacking the arrow that would ease the tension. The idea angered him, because he couldn't be lacking, he didn't miss anything and fuck anyone who would say otherwise! He punched his own face as hard as he dared, welcoming the sharp pain for however long it lasted, massaging his sore jaw as he looked back at the glass.
Fresh and old bruises showed on his arms. He knew there were more under his shirt and he wasn't sure when he'd last looked like someone normal. Someone who wasn't fighting crime on a daily basis AND risking a lifetime in jail for dealing with criminals outside of the system. His hair were standing in all direction, except for the side he'd been sleeping on that was weirdly flat.
"Shower," he told his reflection.
He dragged his feet, struggling out of his clothes and cursing at himself the whole time. All in all, it was a pretty typical morning for Bakugo.
…
They turned on the light. There was a click. His wires crossed and his auditive sensor perceived muffled voices whispering.
::Activating sensors::
"It will be 8,999.99."
::Brain activity at 45 %. Activating motor sensors::
His head rose to look up from his feet. Eyes blinking, too green to be real, he waited until his visual captors adapted to the light. He saw silhouettes at first, but it seemed there was a connection that still needed to be done. His brain was ablaze with the knowledge collected over the years during which they'd reformed him. Corrected his flaws. Perfected him to be the ideal companion for any human master.
"He really looks like him. Are you certain…?"
Someone whimpered an answer and footsteps leaving at a quick pace was all he could perceive.
::75%. Scanning surroundings::
"How are you going to call him, Mr. Bakugo?"
His software paused at that name. He probed his database but something inside had frizzled at the familiarity.
::Anomaly detected::
A tiny circle on his temple shone with green light, slowly shifting back to blue.
"I… Is it okay if we let our son name it? It's intended for him," Mr. Bakugo asked, clearly hesitant.
"That won't be a problem. Unit 1-4411, initiate facial recognition."
He obeyed the technician's command, his eyes blinking too quickly before focusing on the shy man standing by the counter.
This was a shop, his shop, he was leaving the shelves!
"Facial recognition complete," he stated.
"Unit 1-4411 can now follow you to your house, sir. He's entirely self-reliant and doesn't need to be charged before a cycle of… Wow, that model has 5 to 7 years of autonomy! It's truly a unique android. We hope you'll enjoy your acquisition."
Mr. Bakugo nodded, giving his "acquisition" a brief skeptical look. He was sweating.
::Signs of stress and guilt. Diagnosis - Human should be comforted::
"I hope I can be of good service to you, Mr. Bakugo. I'm Unit 1-4411."
"Of course, Mido… Uh, I mean, 1-4411. Let's get you home."
::Entering "Mido…" in database. 35,000,000 results found. Brand for swiss watches. Singer. Soccer player. Refine search?::
The android shook his head ever so slightly, stopping the search there. He was already following his master outside and his eyes widened as he felt the ground beneath his shoes and saw everyone out on the streets. Ads on digital screens. Food sellers at every busy intersection. He tried to follow everything, keeping one eye on his owner and making sure he stayed in pace with him, his left eye moving at lightning speed to take in everything.
::Cat. Tree. Birds. Pregnant woman. That's what a blue sky looks like. Model PK 750. Scan this. This car is… Scan left. Scan everything::
The walk to his new home was far too short.
…
"Katsuki, you brat are not leaving this house until I say so!"
"Out of my way, old hag!"
It was a typical morning in the Bakugo's household, except that Bakugo's mother was far more insistent then usual on him eating a proper breakfast. She'd hit him on the head once, her son not dodging out of pure habit. He'd dodge anyone else, but evading any of her hits was more of an insult than anything to his mother and he knew better than to rile her up. They both had explosive tempers and the powers to back them up and it was only a question of controlled rage that explained why they hadn't changed home a dozen time yet.
"Your father and I have a surprise for you and you're going to stay put until it's here, ungrateful boy!"
"Don't you dare call me a boy, you…!"
The door clicked open before he could start cursing, his father's head gingerly poking through the small opening like he was expecting to step into a landmine. A very typical morning in their household to be sure.
"What are you doing, shivering like a leaf Masaru? Stand up for yourself like a man!"
"I… I… hello darling. I…"
"SPEAK UP!" his wife yelled at him, looking just as mad as before.
The frail man nearly hid behind the door again, his glasses a little skewed from bending over in apologies too abruptly, but after two bows, he braced himself, pushing the door further open and stepping fully into the house, unit 1-4411 following him obediently, its large eyes scanning the room.
Bakugo froze as he took in the sight of that… that…
Green eyes flickered with an artificial glow, but the skin looked real and so did the wild hair on his head. Green. So much green in that mane and there were the freckles, and those wide, curious eyes. His frame was larger, his shoulders fuller, there had to be muscles hiding under that hideous generic suit every android had to wear. He was taller but still thin and while Bakugo noticed the little changes and every tiny resemblances, his brain was turning on alarms by the dozen.
He's dead, he's fucking dead, that can't be him, he has that circle on his brow, that has to mean… They wouldn't do that, what freaking sane person would do that!? It's like that bad movie about dealing with loss Kirishima was crying on, it's…
"Hi. I'm 1-4411. I hope I can be of service to you and your family in the future."
The damn thing smiled and it was like going years into the past, except it was all wrong and it was fake and Bakugo could just stare at it with wide eyes, one of his eyebrows jumping up and down as a cramp threatened to take over his brow.
"Don't smile like that!" he barked.
The android looked surprised, the corners of his mouth dropping one notch and as he tried to comply, a sheepish smile replaced his expression, the thing scratching its head, its grin widening with contriteness.
Shit, shit, shit!
"It seems not smiling has me smiling, I'll have to update my emotional system," it said.
Bakugo could have punched it, but it hurt, because Deku had been… How could they program something like that? Why now? He whipped his head around, glaring at his mother, fume almost coming from his nose.
"What the hell, mom?! It's… It's so messed up!"
"We tried to help you along nicely, and you landed in jail!" She snapped back, jabbing him in the chest with her finger two times as she added. "Twice at that! I didn't raise you to be a fucking delinquent!"
Her voice shifted and Bakugo grit his teeth a little harder.
"So what?! I'll get a job and leave, and you don't have to worry about my ass anymore!"
"Katsuki! Pl… please don't talk to your mother like that!"
His throat ached from how tight it became as he realized his father was shaking much more than was normal. His oxidant sweat was making tiny holes in the floor and the robot standing next to the man was looking at the scene unfolding, his smile gone, his eyes filled with something akin to worry. Why did they have to mimic feelings?
"Look at you, you got your father aligning words properly," her mother chided him. "He's going to cry because of you. We just want someone to look after you, keep you in line."
"I don't…!" he started biting back, freezing as he noticed…
There were tears in Mitsuki's eyes too. Angry, wet tears that she didn't fight, breathing heavily and staring at him with concern, contempt and that broken twinkle that meant how disappointed she was. He couldn't remember a time when she'd cried. She was always strong, always sure, smiling like a mobster when she couldn't have what she wanted and blowing her way up to victory.
It's my fault, it's my fault, it's…
He lowered his eyes, brows scrunched up so tightly, the crease might stay stuck in his forehead.
"Fine," he sighed, barely holding back the venom on his tongue. "You want to treat me like a messed-up kid again?! That's fucking fine! Now tell me the hell why my babysitter needs to look like this?!"
He pointed at the android, who straightened a little, blinking in confusion as he saw the uneasiness on both the parents of his direct owner according to Mister Bakugo.
"I'm sorry if my appearance isn't to your liking, master Bakugo, I may be a unique model, but I can be enhanced to better fit your…"
"Oh, shut up…!"
He'd almost called him a nerd and damn did it hurt. Why did he have to go through that fucking nightmare earlier? Why couldn't he just forget…?
"Dad, you could buy any stupid model…"
"I'm sorry, son. Your mother and I… w..we thought it would b…be better if…"
"Let's call it tough love for now," Mitsuki cut in. "It's an android and we were killing two birds with one stone by acquiring it, helping a friend and helping you too. So get over yourself and deal with it. From now on, 1-4411, I want you sticking to our boy like glue. You follow him to school, to whichever crazy stunt he might try to pull and you make sure he doesn't get into trouble."
"Mission saved to memory, madam."
"Don't call me madam! I'm still in my prime!"
"Sorry, ma… ah… sorry," the android simply repeated, giving that sheepish smile once more.
God, Bakugo wanted to punch him in the face so bad.
"Enough of that shit. Come here," he ordered, grabbing the android's wrist and dragging him after him to his room.
He couldn't leave this place without first setting a few ground rules with that thing and he needed some space from both his parents. He pushed the robot into the room and kicked the door shut, wincing as the android struggled to keep his balance at all the brusque motions.
"I'm sorry for not following you faster, mast…"
The blond cut him off with a snarl, letting go of his wrist as though the contact repulsed him. His skin felt warm. He'd been looking for that hand this morning, but now he had that fake around and his teeth might snap if he didn't relax his jaw a little.
"First rule. I'm not your master! You obey me, but my name's Bakugo Katsuki. It's Bakugo to you."
"Understood, ma… Bakugo."
"Wipe off that stupid smile Deku!"
Unit 1-4411 blinked, running a quick search in his database.
::Deku… One who can't achieve anything. Loser. Detecting anomaly::
His wiring shifted and his thoughts turned blank, his eyes monitoring his owner's reaction. Shock was written all over his face. He noted the tightness in his muscles, the tension all over him.
"Is that the name you want to give me, Bakugo? Thank you for giving me a name."
"Wha…? No way, that's not…!"
"Deku," the android repeated, his head nodding as he held his chin as if deep in thought. Katsuki wanted to scream but held it in, shock mixing with horror and pure dread.
This had to be another nightmare, he was bound to wake up soon.
"It's much better than my serial number," Deku went on. "I advise that you try and relax, Bakugo, this level of tension will damage your teeth and…"
"What?!"
"I can monitor your vitals and you're very stressed right now, Baku…"
"I know that, you… trash robot! Don't scan me!"
Deku ignored the insult, offering him a calm smile. How infuriating could he be?!
"I was given instructions by both your father and mother and they're my primary directives. You can ask me anything you want, but I will not follow orders contradicting my primary mission."
Bakugo cursed under his breath.
"What's that primary mission?!"
"To look after you," Deku stated.
No, no, that was my…
"Fuck! Rules, ground rules, De…ku." Why was saying that name so painful? "I go where I please. You don't slow me down. And you sure as hell won't wear that android suit outside. I don't need people asking me why I have a human-size pocket robot tagging along."
The circle on Deku's temple shifted to yellow for an instant and he nodded.
"Understood."
"Don't talk like that," he snapped.
Deku blinked.
"Like what?"
"Like a freaking robot!"
"I'm sorry, but my program…"
"Well, reprogram your dialoguing machine, because it's pissing me off!"
Bakugo turned around, breathing through his nose and exhaling a rough breath.
Deku let out the imaginary breath he'd been holding, realizing with an inner frown that he'd tensed instinctively. Was he trying to copy his owner? Or simply following his program? He looked around the room and couldn't help a smile as he spotted what needed to be clean and tidied up. Humans really had problem keeping up with menial tasks and he was glad if he could be of help to his owner. He saw something coming toward him quickly from the corner of his eye and raised one arm, catching the clothes Bakugo had thrown at him. A pair of jeans, a white tank top and a large sport hoodie with some logo that his database linked to a former hero.
"Scrap the android clothes," Bakugo ordered.
Deku held back the "understood" that was travelling up his throat, nodding and started undressing. He had no modesty, since he was a machine and Bakugo, while half scandalized, didn't say anything, keeping his eyes away from his imposed guardian. He wasn't giving those orders because he wanted to pretend it was the real Deku. There was no point thinking that. He'd worked so hard on convincing everyone he was over his fear of machines, even his parents were assured he wouldn't decompensate. But he was already wondering if with a punch, that thing's eye wouldn't fall in, revealing a strong light that would keep all his worst nightmares so vivid…
"All done, Bakugo. What do you think?"
Mumbling the word "idiot" to himself, Bakugo looked around and felt his heart stammering on a few beats. That grown copy of Deku looked… His face was sharper than the one he remembered, bigger too, but the angles had something appealing to them. He wondered if his face was as warm as his wrist had felt. Dangerous thoughts.
"Guess that'll work," he grumbled.
Deku gave him a quick, appraising look.
"You're still very tense, Bakugo."
The blond rolled his eyes.
"That's my normal disposition, plastic doll. Get used to it."
"Very well. I'll collect a few relaxing exercises to practice at the end of the day."
"No you won't!"
And thus began a new challenge in Bakugo Katsuki's life. To deal with a realer than life ghost, a freaking fake faking concern to obey programmed directives. He swallowed the knot in his throat, his nails digging into his own palms.
Just endure.
"Your stomach is still empty and it's almost noon, Bakugo," Deku observed matter-of-factly.
"I said no scanning me!"
To be continued…
So here's chapter 1. Writing this was so much fun already! I have no idea how long this story will be. More people from class A will show up, including teachers and All Might, but my intention is to focus on Bakugo and Izuku, as is obvious already. Deku's pov will take more place as the story unfolds.
As for updates time, I'm a grad student trying to complete her Ph. D. and currently under the pressure of 3 different jobs. Writing is my outlet and passion and I have two very good friends interested into this story, so I definitely have the determination to keep at it until we reach the end. The length may vary from chapter to chapter, but it should never be under 5k words or so. I don't want to make flashbacks too often, but good lord, writing kid Deku and kid Bakugo is…. My marshmallow heart melted.
You can expect a very distressed Bakugo struggling with staying strong through it in most chapters, and also more humor along the way, because robot Deku will be adorkable and driving him insane. As he should be.
I work twice as much with feedback, so please let me know what you think of this!