You Can be a Hero
It had been about three weeks since the villain attack, since Izuku's birthday.
The Midoriya family had returned to some sense of normalcy. Aqua had ended up in the hospital for about a week, her burns, bruised throat, and mild concussion needed treatment. And on top of it all, she had ended up with mild hypothermia.
Inko refused to let Aqua train until she was better, whether it be from her injuries or her exhaustion. Inko even banned her from using her healing abilities. Knowing how much energy that would take up.
Not that Aqua had put up too much of a fight with that, she wanted nothing more than to rest at the moment. Not to mention she had a lot to think about.
Izuku had taken the Keyblade, and he had been able to use it. It didn't reject him, and return to her hand immediately. He had unknowingly given her the energy she needed to finish that fight, all that power suddenly snuffed out with the accidental passing of it.
He looked absolutely exhausted by the end of that ordeal. He almost slept through the entire next day.
But Izuku had been able to use a Keyblade…
That one thought, stood out in her mind. Her little brother may be a Keyblade wielder just like her. He had the potential, like she did at his age. But no one to train him.
I could train him…
She stopped short at the thought, her mind short circuiting.
"No!" She said, covering her face. What the hell was she thinking?!
She is in no way fit to train someone in using the Keyblade! What on earth is she thinking?
I'm a Master.
But that didn't necessarily mean she could. Not to mention she was a very poor Keyblade Master…
"Did Master ever feel like this?" She asked aloud, sighing and leaning back on the couch. Her eyes slowly looked over to the clock, it was 3:43. She really needed to fix her sleeping habits.
Was there ever a moment where Master Eraqus doubted himself? Did he ever feel unfit to take on a pupil, let alone two, three?
She groaned and rubbed her eyes. Sleep, she needed sleep. She could think more on this later when she had a good night's rest.
She laid down, pulling the blanket over her. She closed her eyes, trying to fall to sleep. Yet through the silence, and the exhaustion her mind kept going. Not allowing her any rest.
Through the darkness of the night she found herself tossing and turning. She felt restless, her mind wouldn't stop running a million miles a minute. It was around 5 in the morning when she gave up on her much needed sleep and went into the kitchen.
She poured herself a glass of water as she listened to the sounds of the house. The rhythmic ticking of the clock, the hum of the AC, the whooshing winds that blew wildly outside. She ended up sitting down at the table, lost in her own thoughts.
A tiny ball of fire danced around in the palm of her hand as she thought to herself.
How would I even start? I don't have any of the books he'd have us read. I only remember the stories he'd tell us of the Keyblade War.
I'd have the basics. The responsibilities of the Keyblade Wielder, the power he could wield. But how might that affect his Quirk when he gets it?
What would mom think?
She stopped short. Oh god, Inko might not be willing to even let her teach Izuku. She nearly killed herself in that fight against the darkness! Her power probably drew that darkness to them, and if Izuku had a Keyblade it would probably act as a beacon screaming 'Light Here!' to whatever creatures may worm their way into this world.
Oh yeah, the creatures of darkness were a whole different matter. Ever since that thing had come after them, she had grown paranoid. Trying to sense any other traces of darkness, anything. Much to her relief, and dread, there was nothing so far.
That either meant that that thing was the only one, or something else was lying in wait. And she was willing to bet everything on the latter.
She hadn't realized it until the room had gotten a lot warmer, but the small flame in her hand turned into a large fireball. She snuffed it out with a large sphere of ice. Hot steam entered the room, making her sweat.
She stood up, looking to the kitchen clock.
5:24.
She would try again to get some rest. Or at least so she thought.
She had laid down on the couch and pulled the blanket over herself, sighing at the warm comfort. She was about to fall asleep, until a small voice called her.
"Onee-chan?"
She sat up, tired blue eyes falling on an equally tired child. He rubbed at his eyes as he came up to the couch, where she moved so he could have enough room. She watched him climb on top of the couch and crawl over to where she was, then wrap himself in the blanket.
"What's wrong?" She asked softly, adjusting herself a bit as he leaned against her and hugged her.
"I can't sleep." He mumbled, looking down. His usual energy and radiant smile were gone. Replaced with a worry and exhaustion.
"Did you have a nightmare?" She asked, hugging the small child back.
Izuku shrugged and stayed quiet.
The bluenette watched him for a moment, seeing a few tears starting to build up. She knew what it was, it had been bothering him for a while now.
"You worried about your quirk?" She asked, getting her answer when she felt his grip on her tighten and he whimpered softly.
"A-A lot of the other kids at daycare have theirs. I still don't have mine...e-even Miyumi has hers and she just turned four." He whispered. "I-I've been trying I really have! I tried moving stuff like mom!"
"Hey, Hey it's okay." She picked him up, hugging him. "It's okay if your quirk isn't here yet, maybe you're just a late bloomer." She carded her fingers through his hair, soothing him a bit. "I'm sure you'll get it soon. And when you do, I bet it'll be a great quirk." She smiled.
He looked at her for a moment, before smiling a bit himself. He rubbed the tears from his eyes and hugged her again, mumbling softly.
She hummed softly, reaching over to the coffee table and grabbing the remote. She pressed a button and the TV turned on, filling the silence of the house. Izuku shifted a bit so he could look at the TV, watching the bright colors of the screen flash as the heroes of the show were announced.
While they were watching, Izuku had begun to unconsciously fiddle with his gift. The green star-shaped charm that hung from his neck. It was a dark emerald at the center, and slowly grew lighter and lighter as it grew towards the edges. Slowly turning to a bright green,
It was Aqua's gift, and the moment he laid eyes on it he absolutely adored it. He had marveled at how it looked just like hers, even the little symbol in the middle was the same! She told him it was called a Wayfinder, and told him the story about the tree with star shaped fruit. How the fruit represents an unbreakable connection, and as long as you and your friends carry a good luck charm shaped like it; nothing can drive you apart. You'll always find your way back to them, your friends and loved ones.
He carried it with him everywhere, making sure it always hung around his neck. It wasn't until a few days later that he asked Aqua to teach him to make one.
Izuku couldn't help but feel a warm comfort with the charm in his hands, calming.
That morning, Inko walked into the living room to see her two children fast asleep. Wrapped up in a blanket and snuggled together as the TV played some kind of nonsense in the background.
-SotP-
"I can guarantee that even if I had a cookbook to help me make a decent meal; I'd still burn it to a crisp or something." Aqua said as she skimmed through the pages of a cookbook she found.
"If your driving is anything like your cooking, I wouldn't doubt it." Mitsuki said as she looked at the selection of books before her.
"Sis is your driving that bad?" Katsuki looked up to the young lady before getting tagged by a little greenette who ran off. "Hey!"
"Nice to see they're lively as ever." Mitsuki hummed as she pulled something from the shelf.
"Found it!" Inko came out from behind another bookshelf and sighed as she placed the book on a small table.
Aqua looked over curiously to the title cover.
Throne of Ashes
"Is that what you were looking for?" Aqua asked as she put the cookbook down. Watching the boys run past the small table. Katsuki had two small books in his hands as Izuku chased after him.
"Yes, it's the final book of the series and I have been looking for it everywhere!" She smiled excitedly.
Inko and Mitsuki had decided on a weekend outing, nothing too big or exciting. They decided to go over to a large cafe that had a bookshop built into it as well. So the customers could relax and read while drinking any beverage of their choice. The bookshop also allowed customers to either buy the book or borrow it, but they didn't have to make the decision until they were ready to leave the store.
The book shop even had a small section of comics, where the boys had flocked to immediately. Aqua had gone with them of course, while the other two ordered something to drink. The two had grabbed a few All Might comics and rushed off to get back to their mothers.
Meanwhile Aqua had been looking for some reading material, settling on some random novel after a moment when the boys started to call her.
They settled on a nice couch that was placed near the window where gray curtains fluttered softly. The sound of rain was calming to everybody who heard it, a soft rhythmic patter.
"It's a nice day." Inko hummed as she settled down and opened Izuku's juice for him, who took it gratefully and sipped some.
"So what we're just gonna sit here and read all day?" Katsuki asked as he opened his own juice.
"Yup, and you're gonna like it." Mitsuki answered as she leaned back and opened her book.
"But that's boring!"
"It'll be fun Kacchan! We can read all those comics, they have so many! The one with Gang Orca looks cool!"
"Then why did you grab the All Might one, Deku?" Katsuki asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Because I wanted to read this one first." He answered simply. He whined shortly after as Katsuki grabbed his cheeks and started to pull at them, grumbling something in irritation
"Alright you two." Aqua sat in between the two boys, separating them. "That's enough. We're going to be playing something called the quiet game now, okay?"
The two looked at her.
"Whoever can stay quiet the longest wins, and whoever wins gets to...hm." She thought about it.
"Winner decides on a punishment for the loser. How does that sound?" Mitsuki cut in, grinning.
Katsuki looked at Aqua and grinned. "I bet I'll win this no problem!"
Aqua raised an eyebrow. "Really?" She asked, hearing Izuku giggle next to her. "You think you'll be able to beat me in the game I always win at?"
"Yeah!" He cheered.
"Okay, game starts now." Inko said, all of them quieting down quickly.
Within 20 minutes of reading the book she grabbed, Aqua had regretted her book decision. It was like a train wreck she couldn't look away from. She wanted to stop reading it, and never look at it again; but at the same time she wanted to see how bad the writing could get.
To her right Katsuki was fidgeting, making little punching motions as he followed along with the comic based on his idol. To her left Izuku was quietly reading, eagerly turning each page to see what happens next.
She tried for 5 more minutes before finally giving up. She couldn't do it, she had to get another book. She stood up and brushed herself off.
"Where are you going Aqua?" Inko asked.
As Aqua opened her mouth to speak, Katsuki spoke up first. "You can't talk!" He said loudly, making a few people raise their eyebrows in question. He suddenly stopped, realizing what he did. "Dang it!"
Mitsuki laughed as she took a sip of her coffee. "Now you're gonna be at the mercy of either Aqua or Izuku, you brat."
"Gah!"
Izuku was holding back a small laugh, his hands over his mouth. Even Aqua was trying not to laugh.
"You're going to replace the book?" Inko asked after a moment, looking at the cover.
The bluenette nodded, she was about to walk off when the other two boys stood up with her.
"I finished this book, and I guess Deku finished his. Can we come with you to switch them?" Katsuki asked as he saw Izuku almost fall off the couch in his hurry to get up with them.
She nodded, and they were off. Both the boys held the hem of her shirt, as they walked Katsuki tried to make one or the other laugh or say something. He almost succeeded when he said Izuku looked like a messy bush.
Aqua strolled over to the comic section, let the boys get their next volume; and walked over to her section to put the book away.
She looked over the titles, looking for something interesting. Hoping to make a better choice this time around. She scanned over the shelves, and as she was about to grab a book when she heard a loud laugh and what sounded like someone choking on their drink.
"Look Tensei it's your-mmph!" Whoever was speaking was muffled by something and quickly dragged off. A loud thud sounded in the next aisle of books, followed by a muffled laughter and a long sigh.
"Tensei?" Aqua muttered, she heard that name before. That was the name of one of the people at the mall. He was the one that kept bumping into her and catching her when she fell over.
"Shut up! She is not my girlfriend!" Tensei said loudly, she could already tell he was blushing. His voice sounded familiar in more ways than one, he also sounded like...Ingenium?
"Really? Because the way you were talking about her the other day would say otherwise." A tired voice asked.
"'She was so amazing, I wish I could meet her again! She would make such an amazing hero.' Need I go on?" A girl's voice asked, teasing him.
"S-Shut up Nemuri!"
Aqua herself was a dark red, the room had gotten a lot hotter.
"Onee-chan do you feel okay? You're all red." Izuku said loudly, concerned. He was tugging on her sleeve.
"You do realize...she can probably hear us right?" The tired voice asked. Shouta if she remembered correctly.
The group next to them went quiet for a moment, before a bout of laughter was heard from two people.
Aqua quietly cleared her throat.
"L-Let's go." She muttered, grabbing the boys' hands and walking back to the table where Inko and Mitsuki were waiting. As they walked the two boys were having their own little argument. Izuku had lost since he talked first, and Aqua had won. Inko looked up, confused at Aqua's dark blush.
"Everything okay?" She asked.
"There was a guy who saw Sis, and said that she's not his girlfriend." Katsuki answered, even looking confused at the phrase he just uttered.
The two mothers looked up at Aqua for further explanation.
"That group from the mall is actually here, a-and uh. One of them is making fun of, Tensei I think, and yeah." She honestly wanted to just forget about it. "Because, at the mall he caught me and kept me from falling to the ground." She sat down, watching the two boys sit next to her.
"I think he likes you." Mitsuki teases with a laugh.
"Mrs. Mitsuki!" Aqua said, her face growing another shade of red at the thought.
"Mitsuki, be nice. Don't tease her, although you may have a point." Inko giggled.
"Mom!"
Aqua didn't have anymore words to argue, instead burying herself in the pages of her book as the two boys leaned against her. They didn't particularly like the idea of someone they don't know wanting to see her, let alone liking her.
A few minutes had passed without any incident. Katsuki and Izuku had finished their comics and decided to try to read what Aqua was reading. They had absolutely no idea what was going on. Something about an assassin working for a king she fears. First she was in prison, and now she's in a competition or something.
Not that they could catch much, Aqua's reading speed was much faster than theirs.
The flustered feeling and redness from her face was finally gone. Much to her relief. She felt calm, and content. Or at least she did until she felt someone tap her shoulder.
"Uh, excuse me?"
She slowly turned around and saw Tensei, looking about as nervous as she suddenly felt. He was rubbing the back of his head, looking unsure what to say.
"U-Uh, yes? Hello. Tensei right? Or should I say Ingenium?" She asked, standing up. The two boys stood up with her, and hugged her legs. Katsuki sent a heated glare towards the young man, looking like a little demon. Izuku tried to do the same, which turned into more of a pout, and looked about as menacing as puppy.
"Yeah. Aqua right? Nice to know to recognize me, in hero form or civilian form." He laughed.
"Yeah." She answered, rubbing her arm. The atmosphere was a bit awkward between them. "So…?" She raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, uh. Well, I actually wanted to talk to you. For more reason than one." He said quickly. He shot a glare over his shoulder at the two who were laughing at him.
"I heard. You're not as quiet as you like to think you are." Aqua hummed as she put her book down.
Tensei chuckled lightly. "Yeah, sorry about that. So, is it okay to talk? You seem a bit busy spending time with your family."
Before Aqua could check if it was okay, Inko spoke up.
"Go ahead Aqua, we'll be right here when you're finished."
Inko knew about Ingenium helping Aqua with the fight against the monster, Aqua had told her. He was trustworthy, he was a hero in training.
She nodded at Inko and tried to take a step forward when she heard a whine from her brother. She looked down and saw him holding into her tightly, Katsuki too.
"Hey you two, I'll be right back. It's just going to be a quick chat." She ruffled their hair, and watched them slowly let her go. Izuku lingered a little bit longer than Katsuki, hesitant to let his sister go with this stranger.
She promised to be right back as she walked off with him. She saw two people who were going to try and follow, instead restrained by their moody friend. "Stay here." He told them.
They walked over to a more quiet, secluded section where there wasn't anybody to listen in. Aqua couldn't help but wonder what on earth it was he wanted to talk about.
They stopped and sat down next to a few old books.
"So, what exactly is it you wanted to talk about?" Aqua asked, deciding to get straight to the point. They would end up a bunch of awkward, stammering messes if they didn't get straight to it.
"Ah, right to the point huh? Well, I'm sure you still remember that night right? The one where we were fighting those villains?" He asked.
"Of course, I don't think that's anything I'm going to forget anytime soon." She answered, she was still healing. There were still light yellow splotches on her neck, and the burns were mostly healed; even with the healing quirks some of the hospital staff had.
"Yeah, and you know I'm a hero in training." He added on, getting a nod from her. "Well, even as a hero in training, we still have to write reports of what happened, they were especially needed for this mass attack."
"I take it I was in this report?" She asked, crossing her arms. She didn't quite like where this was going, she almost had the feeling that she was in trouble.
"Well, I tried to keep you as vague as possible. I didn't want you to get in trouble with any law enforcement for using your quirk without a Hero License."
She stopped. "Wait what? You need a License in order to-"
"Yeah, it's mostly to keep civilians safe. Those who have the license are able to jump in and help if they're at the scene. Whether they be a hero off duty or a citizen who happens to have it."
She sighed and rubbed her eyes. "And you're telling me this why?" She asked, there was more; she knew it.
"Well, I go to a school called UA. Our principal is a ferret, bear, cat thing (?) called Nezu. He well, uh he looks over reports to make sure they have the needed information before it ends up getting sent to agencies we've interned under. Well, I don't know how but he got some footage from security cams over on that side of the city. The footage he went over didn't exactly match what I put in the report." He looks at her.
"What does that mean exactly?" She raised an eyebrow.
"Well, you're not in trouble. I did kind of get in trouble though, for lying in my report. But he saw the fight we had against that thing, and for some reason he asked me to find you." He looks at her.
"Excuse me?"
"I don't know why, but he asked me to. He told me, to tell you, that he wanted to talk to you about your actions and quirk." He let out a long sigh. "I'm sure there's more than that, but he wouldn't tell me. But he did look worried about something." He added.
It took her a moment to process this, and to gather herself to ask her questions. "So, you've been looking for me? Have you been looking for me here, or…"
"No, I actually just ran into you. I honestly, wasn't sure how I was going to find you in all reality. Funny how it works out huh?" He hums.
"I guess, but what if I didn't want to see him? What if I just said I can't come by?" She asked.
He shrugged. "No idea, but Nezu is pretty clever. He'd probably find a way to get you to go one way or another. I'm almost afraid to think that sending a pro hero to get you is the next step."
"Because a hero in training couldn't?" She laughed, which quickly died down. "Or what, would he threaten my family?"
"Aqua he's a principal of a school that trains heroes. I honestly think he wouldn't do that." He said quickly.
"But he would send a pro hero?"
"I said 'I think'." He said.
"No, you said 'I'm almost afraid to think'." She retorted. They look at each other for a moment, trying to figure out a solution of some kind. The thing that had sent her mentally reeling was hearing that UA was a hero school.
There were a few possibilities that ran through her mind, but one stuck out in her mind through it all. It was something that she's heard again and again.
'You'd make a great hero!'
She groaned and leaned back after a moment, rubbing her eyes. It was a lot to think about, from thinking about training Izuku, to worrying about the darkness, to still trying to figure out a way to get back to her friends. Although the last concern started to becoming the least of her worries.
"So what, I'd just walk in there or something?" She asked, looking back at him.
"I actually think I'd have to be with you. The school has a security system that only allows certain people in." He answered.
She looked down, a few thoughts running through her mind. "I think I'd rather talk to my mother about this. I don't exactly like the idea of just running off and talking to this, Nezu." She stood up
"Yeah, I get it." He stood up with her. "Uh, here." He pulled a small piece of paper out of his pocket and a small pen from the other. He wrote something down on it, his face growing a bit more red with each pen stroke. "Use this to call me when you wanna head over there, or if you wanna meet there, or if you just wanna talk!" He said that last part quickly before rushing off as red as a tomato.
She raised an eyebrow in confusion as she looked down at the paper, seeing a set of numbers and his name above it. Iida Tensei.
"But, I don't have a phone…?" She says aloud to no one.
She made her way back to the others, but before hearing a loud panicked scream and a laugh. Probably Tensei and his friends.
She sat down next to the boys once she got back, making Inko look up.
"Aqua. How did it go?" She asked, putting the book down.
"Well, there's a few things to talk about. I think I'd rather wait until we get home." She responded.
Inko looked over her for a moment before nodding.
"Also, he gave me his number, but I don't have a phone."
-LotF-
"I see." Inko sighed as she served dinner.
"I felt it would have been better to talk to you about it before making a decision. Especially since this is the first I've heard of UA." She added, putting the drinks on the table. Izuku was helping out by getting the napkins and utensils.
"Onee-chan that's so cool! What if they want you to go to UA? All Might went to UA too, and he's the coolest hero ever!" Izuku said, beaming.
"I'm not sure." Aqua said. "I told you Izuku, I don't think I'd be a very good hero."
"You would." He encouraged, placing another napkin on the table.
Aqua huffed in mock frustration. "Did you wash your hands?"
"Uh…" He quickly ran off.
Once they had gotten home, Aqua told Inko about the conversation. The principal wanting to see her, what he could possibly want. And the possibility of being in trouble what she did. By the end of the conversation she was pacing in the living room.
Inko had looked equally concerned, if not more so. They began to talk over the possibilities as Inko cooked dinner.
"Well, UA is a prestigious school. I'm sure the principal wanting to see a random person would probably be a big deal, right? But the thing is, Tensei did mention the possibility of getting in trouble for acting without a license. But wouldn't that kind of consequence be carried out by other law enforcement?"
Aqua hadn't realized she began pacing again until Inko put a hand on her shoulder.
"Aqua, this is a decision I think you should make on your own. I don't know what may lie ahead if you do or don't go. But I do know that there are possibilities of great opportunities that may show up along the road whichever path you choose." The woman smiled. She looked down the hall as her youngest ran down the hall and up to Aqua.
"My hands are clean now!" He showed her.
The bluenette smiled at him. "That's good, now let's eat dinner."
He shook his head. "Nuh-uh! You have to wash your hands too Onee-chan!"
She huffed softly and quickly washed them before sitting down at the table.
Izuku told them about his day as they ate, telling them about how he followed Kacchan around. The drawings he made, something new he learned.
"Is that all Izuku? You usually have a lot more to tell us about." Inko said as she refilled her glass.
Izuku shook his head, saying that nothing really happened that day. That he and Katsuki played most of the time.
He was quiet for the rest of dinner, focusing on his meal instead of talking with the other two. Not much to say.
Dinner passed without any more conversation. Each person stuck in their own thoughts.
It wasn't until they began cleaning up that conversation started up again.
"I think I'll go." Aqua said, breaking the silence.
"Huh?" Izuku looked up from where he was looking, making sure he wasn't going to trip over something and break the plates. Even Inko stopped wiping down the counters to look at her daughter.
"What?"
"I've been thinking about it, again and again. I know, I for one don't exactly trust him because I don't know him. But like you said, he's the principal of a well known school; I'm sure there's not much he could do in harming my family if I say something that displeases him without getting in some kind of trouble. And it is just meant to be a talk. If he makes an offer, like any other offer, rejection is always on the table." She explains, washing the dishes.
"So, whatever happens, I should be able to walk out of that place with no worries of any kind." She added soon after.
"So I take it you're going to text that Tensei boy?" Inko asked, a small smile on her face.
"I don't have a phone, but I guess I could use the house phone." Aqua said.
Inko thought for a moment. "Hold on." She hurried out of the kitchen, the countertops clean. While they waited Aqua and Izuku finished the dishes.
"Hey." Aqua said softly, kneeling down to Izuku. "Everything okay?" She asked.
Izuku shrugged, not looking at her. He kept his eyes trained to the ground.
"Izuku, hey look at me." She watched him slowly raise his head, biting his lip as he looked at her. "What's wrong?" She asked.
"J-Just worried about my quirk." Izuku mumbled, a half truth. He sighed shakily as he bowed his head again. He didn't have the courage to tell her what happened with the other kids that day. How they started to make fun of him. He didn't want to worry his sister or mother, besides he was going to have a quirk for sure! He just hasn't gotten it yet.
She hugged him tightly, assuring him it'll be okay. He just has to patient.
Her words did little to comfort him, but he put on a smile and hugged her back.
Aqua stood up as Inko came back into the room. She was fiddling with some item in her hands, pressing a few buttons before closing it.
"It's my old phone." She said, handing Aqua an old, blue flip phone. "I always saved it just in case my current phone broke, or I lost it." She smiled as she watched the young woman look it over in her hands. If she had to guess, they probably didn't have phones where she was from.
"Izuku, how about you wash up and get ready for bed. I'll there to tuck you in okay?" Inko looked down to him.
He nodded with a yawn, and walked off rubbing his eyes.
Inko explained to Aqua how to use the old phone, explaining texting and calling. There were no contacts in the list, and her first trial was putting in the number and name. Which, felt exceedingly difficult at first. After a few slip ups and such she got the hang of it...for the most part.
"This feels more complicated than it should be." Aqua muttered as she put in the last digit of the number.
"What exactly did you use to communicate long distances?" Inko asked, raising an eyebrow.
"We couldn't, not in most situations." Aqua muttered softly, earning a laugh from Inko. "There needed to be a fixated point, where someone could focus magic and from there you had to be sure that person was there!" She couldn't even begin to count the amount of times Master Eraqus had almost missed a conversation with Master Yen Sid.
"Our way seems a bit more convenient though doesn't it?"
"Yeah." Aqua admitted.
"Mama?" Izuku stood in the hallway, holding a plush All Might toy in his arms.
Inko turned around and smiled at him. "Ready for bed?" She asked, he nodded and smiled as she picked him up and carried him to his room.
Aqua hummed to herself as she looked at the phone, she only had four contacts. Inko's, Katsuki's parents, and Tensei's.
She sighed as she sat down on the couch. Would now be a good time to call him? Or would he be asleep by now? Maybe if she sent him a text? No, she was barely able to put in a name correctly without a bunch of slip ups.
She closed the phone before setting it down and laying down.
It was another thing she'd deal with another day. For now she's made her decision, and that was good enough for the day. She'd take care of the rest tomorrow.
-SotP-
Aqua hummed to herself as she found herself pacing in the living room, her wet hair a bit of a mess.
She held the phone in her hand, her finger hovering over the call button.
She heard herself groan in frustration as she combed a hand through her hair.
"You okay Aqua?" Inko asked as she was about to walk out of the house.
Izuku looked over at his sister with worry.
"I'm fine, just about to call Tensei." She said, feeling a bit of sweat run down her face.
Inko laughed. "Okay, I'm going to take Izuku to daycare. You go ahead and make your phone call. I'll be back home for a minute and then I'm going to head to work." She said, smiling before walking out.
Aqua locked the door behind her and sighed as she leaned against the door. Silently frustrated with herself.
Why was she acting like this? Why did she feel so nervous?
She had begun to walk around the living room again, thinking about what she'd say.
She groaned in frustration at herself before huffing. "You're acting ridiculous! Just call him!" She told herself, pressing the call button and putting the phone to her face. She heard the phone ring for a moment, half expecting it to just go on and him not answer.
"Hello?"
Her mind went blank when she heard him.
"Uh, hello? Hizashi is this you screwing with me again?"
"Hi!" Aqua finally managed to say, feeling stupid.
"Who...oh! Hey Aqua!" He greeted, there was a hello from his end and he quickly greeted them. "Hey, so what's up?" He asked.
"Oh, nothing much. Just...nothing. I called to tell you that, yes I'll meet with Nedzu."
"Oh, great! Uh, today is...Tuesday so, today might not be the best day; how is Friday?"
"Friday?"
"Yeah, they're putting us through some heavy training right now especially after school, but on Friday they let us leave training early. How is 4:30?"
She nodded, then realized it was a foolish gesture over the phone. "Yeah, 4:30 sounds good."
"Cool, are you going to want me to pick you up? Or do you want to meet me at UA? If you want me to pick you up I can leave a little-"
"No, no it's fine! I'll see you on Friday at 4:30." She heard someone call his name on the other end. "You sound kind of busy, I'll see you later bye!" She hung up and threw the phone away from her before burying her face in her hands.
Inko came home to a red faced Aqua sitting against an iced over wall.
After Aqua finally recovered from her bout of embarrassment she made herself something to eat, but not before telling Inko about the plans on Friday.
Inko couldn't hold back a laugh or two as she watched Aqua freak out all over again, and fail in trying to hide it.
"Well, Friday sounds good to me. I'm planning on taking Izuku to the doctor, just a quick check up." Inko had added the last part soon after.
Aqua looked to Inko as she put the bread away,
"It's about Izuku's quirk isn't it?" She asked. "You're worried too?"
Inko nodded softly before grabbing her bag. "Do you have the spare key?" She asked, she had an extra key made after one time Aqua had gone for a walk to clear her head. Inko had locked the door behind her and an hour or two later Inko had woken up from a nap to Aqua falling through the kitchen window she was able open. She had knocked on the door, and neither Inko or Izuku had heard her.
She scared the living daylights out of poor Izuku who heard the loud crash, waking him up from his own nap and saw a hunched over figure in the dark kitchen. He screamed and ran to his mother's room.
It was just Aqua who was nursing a bloody nose and bruised elbow.
"Yes, I have the key." Aqua sighed.
"Be sure to leave a window unlocked, just in case."
"One time mom!"
"One time is all it takes." Inko laughed, the incident making her recall something similar that happened with Mitsuki when they were younger.
"Try not to ice over anything else while I'm gone okay? And please try to get some kind of rest, you look exhausted." Inko said as she walked out.
"You have a nice day at work too." Aqua sighed as she closed the door.
Much to Aqua's own surprise, she had actually fallen asleep. Exhaustion from far earlier in the day from her run, endurance training, and a lack of sleep once more; had finally set in.
She ended up waking up to Izuku playing a game of stacking while she was asleep. She woke up and all of a sudden two remotes, five plushies, a book, and a stack of pillows came falling over her. Remotes hurt a lot.
Izuku had stood in the middle of the living room in shock, another book in his hands.
"Uh...hi." He smiled.
"I'm going to give you five seconds to run." Was all she said as she began to get up. She heard him squeal loudly and start to run off. She kept her promise and raced after him after five seconds passed.
Izuku didn't stand a chance as he was suddenly snatched up and dragged back to the living room. He screamed in laughter as his sister tickled him while she interrogated him.
"Why were you stacking things on me?" She asked.
"I-I thought i-it'd be funny!" He managed to yell through his laughter.
"Where's mom?" She asked, unable to hold back a laugh as he laughed harder.
"M-Mom went to get food and s-she told me t-to wake you up!" He said, he gasped for air through his laughter as she stopped; showing mercy for a moment.
"Oh, is that so?" She asked, watching him sit up as he caught his breath. He chuckled a bit more as he rubbed the tears of laughter from his eyes.
"Yeah." He nodded.
He wasn't prepared to be attacked with tickling again.
"But why stacking?" She asked loudly, only answered in loud laughter. Izuku had tried to defend his sides from her, when that had inevitably failed he had tried to push her away.
"I-It was funny!" He had laughed, trying to push her hands away from him. He hadn't quite been aware of a small spark coming from his hands.
"Was it? Well maybe next time you're taking a nap I'll playing the stacking game on you!"
At that Izuku yelled loudly as a protest and suddenly Aqua felt a harsh jolt go through her as she heard a sparking noise. It wasn't enough to incapacitate her, but enough to surprise her.
Izuku had thought she had gone still as her letting him go, and he quickly scrambled away and gathered his plushies before running away.
Aqua had shuddered and shook her head as she quickly recovered, looking over herself.
That little jolt of lighting.
That wasn't her.
-LotF-
The days had flown by like they were nothing, before she knew it it was already Thursday.
Everyday she would train on her own, working on endurance of her magic, strengthening muscles, and a few other activities. Everyday she would think back on that moment where Izuku had accidentally electrocuted her without realizing it.
It was weak, just as any power would start out.
She could feel it, that power. It wasn't as strong as it was when he held Master Defender, no. Far from it, but it held so much potential.
A potential that could come with such a price, it could feel unbearable to pay at times.
She had begun to think of the future.
One day she would have to leave, one day she'd be called upon to face the horrible darkness that had nearly swallowed her friends. A darkness Izuku might have to face one day, to defend this world.
She had been thinking it over while the boys were playing at the park. She had offered to take the two to the park since they had been playing a game that they never got to finish at the daycare.
It had suddenly hit her like a freight train while she was sitting on the bench, watching the boys.
One day she was going to have to leave. Leave this place she's started to call home, leave the family she gained. Leave the two boys who loved her with all their hearts and had started calling her their sister.
Sure, she could take care of all of them at the moment, she could protect them; but what about when she was gone.
The chance to return to her friends, to save them and face Xehanort could come at any time. It could arrive at that moment, maybe the next day, or even a month from then!
But who would take care of those two?
She took a deep a breath as she looked up towards the two.
They were mimicking the All Might laugh as they had defeated the pretend villain that was plaguing the playground that acted as their city.
"Izuku! Katsuki!" Aqua called, seeing them look over. "Come here for a minute!" She heard them yell an okay before getting down from the top of the jungle gym and running over to her.
She took a deep breath as they stopped before her, taking in the sunset that colored the area an array of bright and intense yellows, to soft oranges that casted larger shadows.
They looked up at her, watching her.
"Onee-chan?" Izuku asked softly.
Aqua said nothing as she kneeled down to meet the two eye to eye.
"Hey you two." She smiled. "I want to talk to you about something."
They watched her, attentive.
She looked over them, thinking over her words for a moment.
"You two know, that I love you right?" She asked. Earning a pair of confused faces. They looked at each other for an answer to their silent 'what?' before looking back at her.
"Yeah, we know." Izuku answered, Katsuki nodded.
"You two know that I would never leave you right? I'd never abandon you, and leave you alone without a reason, right? But if I did have to leave, I wouldn't go without thinking about you two first; right?"
"Uh...yeah." Katsuki raised an eyebrow, looking concerned.
"You two know that I would do everything in my power to keep you safe right?"
They both had thought back to that night, that terrible monster that had plagued their dreams for a time.
"Of course, and we would do anything to keep you safe Onee-chan." Izuku answered.
Aqua went quiet for a moment, once again to think over her next words.
"Well, one day I might have to leave. It might seem sudden, and it might hurt your feelings; but I wouldn't go without putting you two into consideration first." She glanced at them. "But that day, is far, far away."
They seemed to be put at ease with that small promise.
"But, I know that day will come. And I need you two to do me a favor, starting now."
They straightened up, watching her.
She looked at Izuku first.
"Izuku, do you like Katsuki? She asked.
He looked at her before smiling.
"Of course, Kacchan is my best friend!" He smiled, looking over to his friend who had his arms crossed.
"So, say Katsuki were to go down a dark path, and it might seem like he could be lost to everyone; would you save him?"
Katsuki looked almost offended when Izuku responded. "Yes! Of course I would!"
Katsuki was about to protest when Aqua turned her gaze on him.
"And what about you Katsuki? Do you like Izuku?" She asked.
He huffed and kicked up some dirt. "Yeah, I guess. He is my friend." He mumbled, ignoring the beaming smile Izuku gave him.
"And if Izuku were to go down that dark path? Hurting others, losing himself, on the brink of falling to darkness?" She asked.
"Yeah I would, because that's what a hero would do, and who else is gonna protect Deku? What are you getting at sis?" Katsuki asked.
She sighed softly before putting one hand Katsuki's shoulder, and the other on Izuku's.
"The favor I need from both of you." She started. "I need you two to take care of each other, to protect each other and keep each other from going down that dark path." She looked between the two of them.
"Do you understand?" She asked softly.
They looked at each other then at her.
"You just want us to look after each other?" Katsuki asked. She nodded and he sighed.
"Yeah, I guess I can do that." Katsuki huffed while Izuku eagerly nodded.
"Promise?" She asked.
"Promise." They both said.
-SotP-
Aqua couldn't help but wring her hands as she stared out the window, watching buildings pass by one by one. Tensei had told her what UA looked like, and indeed she could see it from where they currently were.
"Nervous?" Inko asked, watching her for a moment.
"No! No, of course I'm not nervous." She said, still staring out the window.
Inko sighed and looked around, in the distance she could see a figure standing near the entrance. "Is that him?" She asked.
"Probably." Aqua sighed.
She confirmed it was him a moment later when Inko stopped the car and he ran forward. Tensei opened the door for her.
"Hey." He grinned.
"Hey." She greeted, closing the door behind her as Inko rolled the window down.
"Be good, and good luck. Give me a call when you're done okay?" Inko asked.
Aqua nodded. "I will. See you later Inko." She went over to Izuku's window and waved goodbye to him. Smiling as he waved back, still staring at the school in awe.
"Bye Izuku." She said.
Izuku struggled to roll down the window before smiling at her.
"Bye Onee-chan!"
They drove off soon after, leaving the two alone.
There was silence for a moment.
"So, ready to go?" He asked.
She nodded.
"Yeah."
Tensei led her into the school, going tour guide mode and telling her about the school as they made their way to the principal's office. The different classes, A through H. Class A was the hero course, the top of it all.
He explained how he was in 2-A, the second year hero course. He had been doing a lot of training as of late in order to get ready for this year's Sports Festival. Even though the interest will mostly be focused on the 1st years and 3rd years, he was planning on giving it his all.
"So, why is the Festival such a big deal?" Aqua asked, still firing one question after another with each explanation.
"Well, for the first years it's more of a scouting, because after the Festival some of them get picked for internships that they take in order to get more experience. Then they come back with whatever skills they've acquired and then they have to take the exams. I remember my year of exams, they were rough." He chuckled, they were walking down a long hallway. He had taken a few detours from Nezu's office.
He noticed how tense and nervous she had seemed walking in. He figured being a little late to ease her anxiety wouldn't be such a bad thing. He honestly didn't blame her, even though she didn't know him; Nezu was certainly someone to be feared.
"So, what good does it do for second years?" She asked.
"Well, for some it's a chance to get into new internships. I on the other hand will be returning to the internship I had last year, I actually went under my family's hero agency."
Aqua looked at him.
"Your family's?"
"Yeah, the Iida's have been heroes for a long time. Heh, my father might be retiring soon so I've kinda been put into the spotlight as of recent." He rubbed the back of his head.
"I bet that one fight really put you out there huh?" She asked, referring to the dark creature they had gone up against.
He hissed. "Kinda, but everybody chalked it up to a villain. Nobody is aware it was an unnatural creature sent from the pits of only god knows where. Tried to keep that part quiet and all."
Oh I certainly know where that thing is from
"Except All Might, and Nezu." She says, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah."
They stopped in front of a door at the end of a long hallway.
She sighed.
"We've arrived I take it?" She smiled, holding back a laugh when Tensei gave her a look and gestured to the door which held a 'Principal's Office' plaque on it.
They stood there for a moment, unsure what to do.
"So, what do you want me to announce you or are you just going to waltz in there?" He asked.
"Ever heard of knocking?" She asked, raising her hand and rapping her knuckles against the wood lightly.
There was no sound from the other side, no indication to come in.
The two stared at the door for a moment.
"Maybe you did it wrong?" He asked with a wry smile.
"How do you knock wrong?" She argued, about to knock again when the door opened suddenly startling her for a moment.
"Gah!"
"Why hello there!" A short little creature had said, holding its paw up excitedly, or so it seemed.
He looked up at the two.
"Hello there Iida, nice to see you." He turned his gaze to the young woman standing beside his student. "And I take it this is the young woman I asked you to find?"
"Aqua Midoriya." Aqua introduced herself, hesitantly holding out her hand for the creature to shake, which he did.
"A pleasure to meet you Midoriya, I'm so glad you could make it. I'm sure young Iida has told you about me, Nezu. Please come inside." He gestured into the room.
"I'll meet up with you later." Tensei mutters to her before slowly walking off.
Aqua nodded to him before following Nezu inside. She wasn't sure why she had been imagining his office as an intense interrogation room. A dark room with bright lights, a threatening undertone under everything.
Much to her relief it was just a normal office, a desk at the far end of the room, a wall of windows overlooking the school's courtyard. There were a few things framed on the wall, a certificate, a few pictures of different groups of people.
"Please young lady have a seat." Nezu gestured to a chair in front of his desk. She silently wondered if he'd even be able to see her, his desk had large stacks of paper. And his chair wasn't necessarily high.
She did as she was told, sitting down as the creature walked over to his desk.
"Would you care for some tea?" He asked, pulling tea set seemingly from nowhere. Much to her surprise, it was actually hot she could see the steam rising from it.
"No, I'm fine thank you." She declined, watching the creature watch her for a moment before he poured himself a cup.
"I'm glad you decided to take the time to meet me Miss Midoriya," he takes a sip of tea. "I'm sure you have plenty on your plate already."
Not necessarily…
"It's no trouble." Was all she said, unsure what else to say at the moment. She couldn't shake the feeling like Nezu was calculating her every move, what she would do and when.
She watched him sit down in his desk before slightly scooting a smaller stack of papers off to the side.
"If you don't mind me asking sir, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?"
What could be so important, that you sent a student looking for me?
A silent question.
"Ah, prefer to jump right in I see. That's good, taking initiative." He set the cup down before picking up a piece of paper. "I'm sure young Iida told you of his attempt to keep you out of the report. Good intentions, but not the best decision."
He set the paper down, eyes scanning over it.
"In the report, he did fill in the details of a rather large, dark, unsettling creature. Quite frightening if I may say so myself." He waited for a moment, before looking up at her.
"It was." She agreed softly, if anything she found it nearly killing the boys and Tensei even more terrifying than it's appearance alone.
"It was a threat you seemed to handle well young lady, one that most have struggled with."
Her eyes snapped to look at him. "Excuse me?"
She saw a small smile reach his face. As if saying 'Do I have your attention now?'
"Believe it or not, this is not the first kind of creature we've seen emerge from the shadows." He sipped at his tea again before continuing. "Until recently, there had been quite a few reports of strange creatures lurking in the darkness; reported by both heroes and interning students. As well as a few civilians.
Aqua swallowed hard before asking. "I take it they would attack those who saw it?"
"Actually no, not at first. With every report, they seemed to mention the creatures being idle. Shortly after sighting them, a villain attack would ensue. It had seemed only then that the creature would begin to attack others. Although as time went on they seemed to become more erratic. Appearing out of nowhere and wreaking havoc."
They were similar to the Unversed in a way, but seemed to lack the markings. Even the ones that were made of shadows had a distinct marking on them. They seemed to be triggered by destructive, negative events.
But they couldn't be Unversed, Vanitas was defeated.
Unless…
Darkness was seeping into the world, the creatures she's faced in the Realm of Darkness somehow wormed their way into this world. But why here? Why in this world that is so isolated from every other one? How long had this been going on? How many people had gotten hurt or killed because of it?
"I feel that you know more than you are letting on." Nezu said, breaking her train of thought. "But at the moment, I will not push you."
"The number had been very high a few months ago, many pros lost their lives trying to take down those creatures. Then all of a sudden, they had all seemed to disappear. Save for a few attacks, even then though many pros have had great difficulty taking them down. Then, even if they could, there would be multitudes of others replacing the one destroyed."
Trying.
"Imagine my surprise though, when I found out that a civilian, a student of UA, and a pro hero had been able to take down what had been such a threat that could kill pro heroes. When young Iida had mentioned it in his report, I felt the need to look into the situation more. Finding a rather faulty piece in the pattern we have."
"Then you found me." Aqua said.
Nezu nodded.
"I must admit, I was quite impressed with what I saw. You had incapacitated the villains that had been terrorizing civilians, saving their lives. Even giving them a way out, blocking yourself in to deal with them. Then saved by Iida. It had taken quite a bit, but you had been able to take down that beast with little to no casualties. Your quirk seemed very effective against that creature."
"What? What do you mean little to no casualties?" She asked, shock in her voice. A second later her mind jumped to the little boy, the one who had been running from the beast. Where was his family?
Nezu sighed after a moment. "I'm afraid I do not have that information. No names, just numbers."
She was quiet for a moment, tempted to argue against that claim, then thought better of it. It may be true, he doesn't know. Then again even if he did, he might not be at liberty to share that information.
Aqua sighed after a long moment and shook her head. "So, is there anything else you'd like to discuss other than my, 'illegal' intervention?" She asked. "I don't quite understand why you have such an interest in that event, I understand now that I acted out of turn but if I hadn't intervened when I did so many others would have died." She stood up, raising her voice without realizing it.
"If you want to send me to the authorities and have them punish me then so be it, but I feel that I did the right thing. Whether I had one of those licenses or not shouldn't constitute whether I can help people or not. I have this power to help people, and defend them against whatever threat may come their way so I decided to use it. I understand that I had acted irresponsibly, but I will take the consequences at face value." She watched him. "Sir." She added after a moment.
The small rodent watched her for a moment, holding her gaze. Before he bursted out laughing, catching her off guard.
"Oh dear, it seems you have terribly misunderstood the point of this visit." He said, quieting down after his laughing. "My dear, it was never my intention to dish out punishment for your acts."
"Huh?"
"No, not at all. Although I am glad to hear that you accept responsibility for what some might say was a slight indiscretion. If anything that speech of yours confirmed a few things about you." He drank the rest of the tea in the cup and set it down.
"You see Miss Midoriya, I'm afraid there is a threat on the horizon. One that we are not prepared to face quite yet, not without some help." He turned towards the window, as if trying to see beyond the world itself. "I feel as if that had just been the first wave of a horrible threat, testing the waters. We need heroes that are strong enough to defeat them, a bright light to banish the shadows that are looming so dangerously ahead. Heroes like you."
Aqua looked at him for a minute, before looking out the window alongside him. Her eyes looking over the blue sky stained with a slight tint of yellow.
"What exactly are you proposing?" She asked. "I'm not a hero, I'm far from that in fact. I don't even think I'd be a good hero." She unconsciously curled her hand into a fist, nails digging into her palm. An action not overlooked by the principal.
He looked up to the young woman, whose eyes were trained on the horizon. Her blue eyes staring at something far ahead of her.
"I'm asking you to enroll in UA, to train and begin the journey to become a hero. You said it yourself, you have the power to defend people. I'm sure whether you're allowed to or not you'd act in order to save everyone around you." He walked up to her. "You have the potential Miss Midoriya, and you certainly have the heart."
He offered the paper to her, she took it and looked it over. Empty lines and blank boxes meant to hold the information she'd fill them out in. She looked over it for a moment before looking back to the principal, who had a smile on his face. A different kind, much different than the one he seemed to perpetually have.
"You can become a hero."
-LotF-
Tensei couldn't help but pace back and forth, he had come back from his run and Aqua wasn't done yet.
He scrolled through his phone, looking through a few different posts of some site before putting it away with a sigh.
He looked at the door for a moment before letting out a small huff. He stepped forward and pressed an ear to the door as quietly as he could.
Before he could hear anything the door opened and he almost fell over, barely catching himself when a pair of hands pushed at his shoulder to try and right him.
"Ah, not trying to get into any trouble are you now Iida?" Nezu said from behind Aqua, looking up to the young man.
"No, of course not Principal Nezu! I just wanted to see how Aqua was doing, I take it you guys are done?"
Aqua nodded.
"Yeah, I was just about to call you. Looks like I won't have to though."
"Young Iida seemed a bit eager to see you again." Nezu thought aloud, earning a glare from two blushing teens.
Iida coughed before looking at her. "So, you ready to head home?" He asked, walking away with her following.
"Yeah, I am." She answered.
Nezu watched the two before returning to his office. He had to contact a certain teacher to let them know of a new student.
"So, how did it all go?" Tensei asked, guiding her around the grounds.
She shrugged. "It went as well as one could expect, it turns out he actually didn't want to dole out any kind of punishment."
"Really?" He asked. "Well, then what exactly did you talk about?"
Aqua laughed and put a finger to her lips. "Secret."
"Oh come on Aqua, no fair."
"Oh it's plenty fair." She grinned.
"At least give me a hint." He laughed as they exited the main building.
"Nope, because if I give a hint you'll figure it out too easily."
"Oh I'm supposed to figure it out now? And if giving me one hint will make me figure it out you just suck at giving out hints."
"Oh do I now?"
"Yeah."
"Well in that case, no hint. You don't get to figure it out." She huffed as she pulled out her phone.
"Woah hey now! How does that work?" He said loudly as he stopped next to her, watching her press the call button. He waited for a moment before speaking again, hearing a hello coming from the other side.
He was about to yell something when a hand slapped itself over his mouth.
"Hi mom." Aqua said, trying to keep her voice level as she struggled with Tensei.
"Yeah, we're done. Yeah, it went well actually." Her happy demeanor began to fade as she heard her mother speak, she sounded sad. Like she had been told the worst thing possible.
"Is everything okay?"
Tensei stopped fighting with her, looking at her with a bit of concern.
"Okay...well you don't have to pick me up. I'm sure Tensei can drop me off."
He gave her a look.
"Yeah, I'm sure. Yeah, we can talk when we get home. Okay. Yeah, know the address don't worry." She hung up a moment later and sighed.
"Everything okay?" Tensei asked.
"She says it is but…well it's just sorta of-"
"It's one of those things you can tell." Tensei finished for her. He sighed after a moment. "Also, dropping you off at home? Aren't we taking things a bit fast?"
She laughed and lightly hit his arm. "Shut up."
"Okay, just let me go get my stuff."
One train ride later, and a bit of walking later; they were close to their destination.
"You know, I actually used to come and run laps around here." Tensei said as he looked around. The sun was beginning to set, casting everything in a soft orange and yellow as they sky began to darken.
"Really? What made you stop?" Aqua asked.
"Well, school kind of kept me busy. And then I was attacked by what was either a giant raccoon or a very mean dog."
"Oh?" She asked.
"Hey, don't look at me like that! It was very fast, and very mean. I wasn't exactly planning on getting my behind chewed off by a random animal. And no, I wasn't using my quirk before you ask. I choose not to use it in residential areas so I don't run into somebody and injure them."
"Did it yell and look like a dandelion?" She asked, her mind jumping to Katsuki's temperament for a minute.
"No, but it did growl a lot. And I think it was yellow? I dunno…"
He frowned at her as she laughed, shaking her head. Honestly she wouldn't be surprised if it was Katsuki who chased him.
"I feel like you might know a bit more about this incident than you're letting on." He said, suspicion in his voice.
She looked away. "Maybe." Honestly, she wouldn't know. It had probably occurred long before she had arrived to that world.
She stopped at the driveway of the house, watching Tensei step back a bit.
"Was it your dog?" He asked.
"I don't have a dog." She told him as she walked forward, him trailing behind a bit. She pulled out the house key before turning to him. "Thank you, for walking me home."
"Oh, it's no problem." He smiled, watching her about to unlock the door. "Hey, uh…" He faltered as she turned to him.
"Uh, you think we might run into each other again?" He asked, wanting to kick himself in the face right then and there. He felt the heat rush to his face, her face had been tinged pink as well.
"Well, I'd say so." She said, managing a smile. "I think it'll happen a lot sooner than you'd expect."
Before he could question what she meant she unlocked the door and stepped inside.
"See you around Tensei." She said, giving a small wave before closing the door.
She smiled to herself as she locked the door. She couldn't wait to see the look on his face, heck she couldn't wait to see the look on Inko's face. It'd surely be a pleasant surprise.
"Aqua is that you?" Inko called from the kitchen.
"Yeah, I'm home." She was about to take out a piece of paper from her pocket when she walked into the kitchen.
Inko was hurriedly wiping her eyes, looking up to her.
"So how'd it go?" She asked.
"It went well. How did Izuku's appointment go?" Actually, speaking of him. "Where is Izuku by the way?"
"It went...okay." Inko hummed softly. There was a bit of silence that she took as chance to elaborate. "The doctor took a few X-rays and...Izuku…" She trailed off. The look on his face had broken her heart. How he had torn down her little boy's dream with a few words. Some would consider it cruel, despite the reality of it was he was just doing his job.
Izuku hadn't said anything since then, keeping quiet. He was probably stuck in his head if she had to guess, still desperately clinging onto that dream of his. Even though it was impossible.
"Izuku what? What happened?" Aqua stepped forward, worried for her little brother.
Inko sighed after a moment. "Can you check on him? He's in his room…"
Aqua didn't hesitate to pivot and run to Izuku's room. Unaware of the paper falling from her pocket, though it did not go unnoticed by Inko.
Aqua stopped in front of Izuku door, it had been cracked open the slightest bit. She heard a video playing, it was the one Izuku had been so eager to show her.
She heard the laughter, heard those words that Izuku had repeated over and over again in admiration of his hero.
"Fear not citizens, hope has arrived. Because I am here!"
Aqua opened the door quietly, stepping inside the dark room.
"Izuku?" She asked softly.
She heard a sniffle before he spoke.
"Y-You see that Onee-chan?" He asked. "A-All Might always has a smile on, e-even things are at their worst…"
He turned around, showing her his tear stained face as more salty droplets poured down his face. It broke her heart to see him like that, so sad, so defeated.
With a shaky hand, he pointed to the screen. Paused so his idol's face was frozen on it, the smile he's mimicked so many times.
"D-D you think, that e-even without a q-quirk...I can be a hero too?"
She stood there, stunned at hearing that. Without a quirk?
How was that possible?
Why?
She looked him in the eyes, she could see it. That dream he had shaped for himself, was starting to crumble. Starting to break into pieces around him.
Her legs moved before she realized it, walking slowly over to him. She fell to her knees and wrapped her arms around him tightly as he continued to cry, small whimpers escaping his throat.
He slowly brings up his arms to hug Aqua back, his palms a stinging cold.
Aqua rubs his back for a moment, before taking a deep breath. She pulled away a bit, looking at him as he kept his gaze trained to the ground.
"Izuku." She said softly, wiping away a few of her own tears as she tried to get his attention. He whimpered softly, still not looking up.
"Izuku, look at me." She said, watching him slowly look up at her. His face damp, and eyes glistening with unshed tears.
She put one hand on either side of his face, wiping away a few of the tears.
She smiled at him and had one hand comb through his curls.
"Yes." She saw his eyes widen.
"Izuku, I know you can be a hero."
-SotP-
Hello everybody!This is the last chappter with Kid Izuku, so yeah.
Also, I saw the final trailer the other day.Oh boy oh boy, this is gonna be one wild ride.
I honestly can't wait for the game to come out! Well I don't have that much else to say other than Happy holidays, and I hope you all have a good (insert the name of the holiday you celebrate here)
See you guys later.
Have a nice day/night!