-Last Time-
"Well, it's a good thing he has you in his team." Alfred replied as he left the study.
-Now-
Izuku was wandering down the streets in his neighborhood during the daytime. It had been almost a week since the entrance exams to UA, and he'd been doing his own thing. Patrolling his beat, staying busy, and getting reacquainted with his old stomping grounds. He was currently in his civilian clothing, wearing a simple shirt and pants. He looked like a bum, if he was being honest. 'I remember this street. Mom used to bring me here a lot.' Izuku thought to himself, the bittersweet memory reminding him of a much simple time. As he continued walking, a hand grabbed him by his ear and began pulling it. "Izuku-chan! How could you just walk past me and completely ignore me? I know your mother taught you better than that!" The voice demanded.
He had almost retaliated until he heard that sentence. 'Your mother' was the one thing that stopped him. He looked up to see a woman wearing a pair of jeans, a simple shirt, and an apron scolding him. She had short blonde hair and hazelnut colored eyes, and was obviously much older than himself. "I'm sorry. You are?" Izuku asked, but was bonked over the head by the same woman. "And how dare you forget us?!" The woman demanded as she entered what looked like a primary school. "Genkai Orphanage?" he asked, as a flood of memories came back to him.
-Flashback-
A young Izuku was playing with a few of his non-quirk friends. He was having fun, pretending his All Might figure was himself, soaring through the air and stopping the bad guys. His mother was currently talking with a younger version of the caretaker. They were speaking like grade school friends, and she waved the young Izuku over. "Come on, Izuku! Say hello to Mina!" She stated. He approached the woman and she smiled at him kindly. "So, this is the young hero in training?" Mina asked, getting a nod from the young Izuku. "Well, Mr. Hero, thank you in advance for everything! I'm sure you'll do great things!" The woman stated in such a sure tone, Izuku wondered if her quirk was to see the future.
"Alright, now you run off and play with the other kids. Your mom and I have some catching up to do." The woman stated, getting an enthusiastic nod from the younger Izuku.
-Flashback End-
"Mina-san?" Izuku asked, getting the woman's attention. "You're darn right! Look at you, you're dressed like a bum!" The woman stated as she fussed at the boy. "What happened to the young boy who wanted to be a hero?" She stated, angrier than she should be. Izuku tried to defend himself, but she kept going on with her speech. "This is not what your mother wanted for you! She'd be ashamed!" The woman stated, then quickly slapped her hands over her mouth. Mina knew what she said saw uncalled for, and instantly regretted it. Izuku seemed to deflate under that statement, his entire demeanor dropping.
"I..I'm sorry." Mina stated in a low voice, wrapping Izuku in a hug. "I've got other things on my mind. I shouldn't be taking them out on you." The woman stated, then motioned Izuku into the orphanage. "Come in, and we'll have a cup of tea." The woman stated, leading a dejected Izuku.
-Inside –
Izuku listened to the woman talk about how things had been since he had last been in town. "After I heard what happened, I tried to take you in, but someone had already stepped up. I have been over capacity for a while now, and that didn't help my case." The woman stated, sighing. Then, some…staff issues brought us into the spotlight and funding has been decreasing ever since." The woman continued. "Have adoptions not been as good as they could be?" Izuku asked. "Well, adoptions are already a tricky matter. But add the fact most of my wards either have no quirk or a low-level quirk, no one wants them." The woman stated sadly. "But that's fine. We're all one big happy family!" The woman finished happily, getting a smile from Izuku.
"But enough about me, what have you been up to?" Mina asked. Izuku grinned as he began telling her how he had been adopted shortly after entering the system by a wealthy man and had been travelling the globe, learning all that he could. The woman smiled, glad that the young man before her had gotten a good opportunity. "Well, sounds like you've had your share of fun." The woman said, then turned to the window, observing the kids playing. "You got lucky. A lot of those kids out there won't ever get to experience what you have.." Mina stated.
She quickly corrected herself, letting Izuku know she meant the travelling and adoption, not the loss of a mother. Izuku nodded and slowly got up. "It's getting late. I need to head home." Izuku stated, getting a nod from the woman. "Well, don't be a stranger, ok?" The woman asked as she hugged the boy closely. "I'm sorry you had to go through that; If you ever need to talk, I'll be here for you." Mina stated, getting a grateful nod from Izuku. "Thanks!" He stated as he left.
-Elsewhere-
A tall, lanky man was holed up in a dark basement. There were various beakers and Bunsen burners lying about the place, along with notebooks filled with notes. A large chalkboard was in a corner, a fist indentation visible on it. "I've finally done it!" The man stated with glee, exposing his shaggy black hair and brown eyes to the air. He held a vial with yellow serum in his hand, a maniacal smile gleaming from his face. "I need a test subject…but who?" The man wondered, then turned to the chalkboard. A picture of a blonde woman with various children around her caught his eyes. "Genkai orphanage, huh?" The man asked, then grinned. He had work to do.
-Time Skip – That Evening-
Izuku was currently listening to the built-in police scanner his new helmet had been equipped with. He had stopped a mugging and so far, everything was quiet. 'All units, we've got a potential assault at Genkai orphanage. Please respond.' The voice came in. Izuku felt as if he had been splashed with freezing cold water. HE quickly used his grappling gun to latch onto a building and began making his way to the orphanage.
-At the orphanage-
As Izuku walked in, he saw Mina huddled in a corner. He approached her, but she yelled for him to get away. "Mina, it's ok. You're fine now." Izuku tried to assure her, but was stopped as she slapped him and ran away. As she turned a corner, she ran into several of her wards and screamed. She quickly ran into a closet and holed herself up. As Izuku approached the closet, a small child came up to him. "Excuse me, mister. What did the mean man to do her?" The small child asked. "What mean man?" Izuku asked back. "A mean man came in here and was talking with Mina-kaa-san!" A young boy with brown hair and blue eyes stated. "Kaa-san told him to go away, but he pushed something into her neck. Then she ran away, crying!" The girl continued. "Did you see what he pushed into her neck?" Izuku asked, the girl giving a nod.
"It was a nasty shot!" She stated, displeased. "He threw the shot into the garbage can!" The boy finished, getting nods from the others. Izuku approached the trash can and fished out a syringe with a very small amount of yellow liquid in it. "Yea, that's it! Then she got scared!" The last boy stated. Izuku looked up and noticed a camera. "Where is the caretaker's office?" He asked, getting one of the 12-year-old kids to stand in front of him. "We're not going to let you hurt our kaa-san!" He stated as he raised his fists. Izuku raise his hands. "I'm trying to help her. But I need information to do so." He stated. "Will she be okay?" The boy asked.
Izuku nodded as he pulled out a pink pellet from his belt and rolled it under the door. He quickly put on his rebreather and told the kids to back away as Mina's terrified screams died down. He opened the door to see her asleep, the gas having done its job. "She's asleep now. But unless I know what happened and who did it, I won't be able to help her." Izuku stated, getting a shaky nod from the boy. "Alright… follow me." The boy stated, then motioned for Izuku to follow.
-Mina's office-
Izuku quickly approached the computer and broke the password lock on it. Once he was in, he accessed the camera feed and began watching. The same kid was currently watching over his shoulder. "You might not want to watch this." Izuku stated, but was stopped as the kid pointed to the screen. "It's Mr. Crane!" The boy stated. "Who?" Izuku asked. He used to help take care of us, but he left because Mina-kaa-san said he was a bad man." The boy replied. Izuku watched as the man got Mina's attention. Mina tried to tell him off, but he slipped the needle into her neck and injected her. She quickly fell to the ground, terrified.
The smug man dropped the needle into the trash and exited, leaving a terrified Mina on the ground. Izuku was livid at this point. "Alright Crane, you've messed with the wrong person." Izuku stated as he heard police sirens approaching. He quickly exited through the window, but turned to the kid. "I'll be back to help your caretaker." Then took off into the night.
-Izuku's house-
Izuku was still wearing his helmet as he hacked into the local police department's office and began searching for a crane. He also accessed the department of labor's database and began searching for an employee's list at Genkai orphanage. "Alfred, can you get me in touch with Lucius?" Izuku asked the AI. 'connecting now…' The AI replied as Izuku hear a dial tone coming from his helmet. "Hello?" Came Lucius' voice from the other end. "Lucius, it's the vigilante. Although, I suspect you know me as Bruce." Izuku stated. "Yes, I'm aware of your alias, Mr. Wayne." Lucius stated.
"I need your help. Can you meet me?" Izuku asked. "My help with what?" Lucius asked. "I know you have access to camera's that allow you to see everything I do." Izuku stated, then motioned to the screen. "Pull them up so you can see what I'm seeing." Izuku stated and Lucius complied. "Here is one Johnathan Crane." Izuku stated as a profile came up on the screen. "Tonight, he walked into Genkai orphanage and injected the caretaker with an unknown toxin. When I found her, she was terrified of everything, including her charges. If she continues in that state, he heart will give out." Izuku stated with finality.
"I put her to sleep with a sleep gas pellet, but it won't last forever. I got a small sample of the injected substance, and I need help to find a cure." Izuku finished. "I'm an engineer, not a chemist." Lucius stated, but then stopped. "But I know someone. Meet me in the Ishibu Train Station. I'll be wearing a tan trench coat and a hat." Lucius stated, disconnecting the call.
-Ishibu Train Station- Lucius-
Lucius was standing off to a corner chewing on a chicken skewer when he felt the air shift besides him. He turned to see the vigilante besides him, holding a small case with the sample rattling inside. "I'll get this done as soon as possible." Lucius stated as he took the vial from him. "I appreciate your help. Please make sure we have plenty of the antidote when it's made. If he decides to drop this in a heavily populated area, the casualties could be high." Izuku stated. "You know, I never got your name." Lucius stated. "If we make it past this fight, I'll give it to you. I've got a few addresses for Crane. It's time I pay him a visit." Izuku finished as he used his grappling gun to exit the area.
-Abandoned Warehouse – Docks-
Izuku quietly approached the warehouse. It seemed to be empty, and the last two addresses he had visited had been a bust. Hopefully, this would be a winner. He quietly picked the lock and snuck into the warehouse, finding it empty. 'Master Bruce, I detect a light source from the office straight ahead.' Alfred's voice rang through. Izuku nodded and slowly approached the small office are. He peeked in to see a tall, lanky man putting on raggedy clothing. He grabbed burlap sack mask and placed it on his head, then turned. "My experiment was a complete success! That bitch ran away like a frightened child!" The man exclaimed with glee.
"So, what now boss?" Came another voice. "Now, we'll visit the University in Shibuya. They called me crazy and unethical for my experiments! They claimed I was a monster! But now? I'll show them I was right!" The man stated as he motioned to the thugs to pick up a large case. "That bitch had caught me experimenting on the children and reported me to the authorities, but she's got her just desserts. Soon, her heart rate will rise so high, he heart will give out!" The man continued. Izuku slammed his heel into the rotted door, breaking it down. He quickly threw weighted shuriken at the two goon's heads, knocking them out. He approached Crane and slammed his fist into the man's face.
"Why did you assault the caretaker of Genkai orphanage?!" Izuku demanded, sending a harsh kick to the man's stomach. "I..I'm sorry!" Crane stated as he lay on the ground. What Izuku didn't notice was that He was currently putting on a large glove with needle tips for fingers. As Izuku reached to pick the man up, Crane darted his hand to Izuku's neck. Three needles pierced his arm as he turned, but Crane began laughing.
"A triple dose? You're in for a fun time!" The man stated, then looked down at him menacingly. "The name's Scarecrow, you sorry excuse for a hero!" The man kicked him, then turned to the goons. "Great! Now I have to wake them up!" The man grumbled.
A/N: What will Izuku see in his visions? Cliffhanger time! Read and review to find out! Come on, please?