So hey I need to address a few things before the chapter starts.
Firstly, I was asked about the plot significance of the last chapter was. Here is my response. There is none really, besides just showing off the characters. It more just for fun. Not all chapters have to carry plot significance, some of them just have to be fun.
Don't worry, I'm only going to write chapters like that outside of the arcs. So I'm not going to have something important happen and then forget about so I can write something that's ultimately unimportant.
Also, I've been asked why I made Shinso, Nightwing. Well, the answer is simple. Because I wanted to.
Here's the thing. Nightwing as he was originally, cannot be done in this story for multiple reasons. Firstly, this fic is not going to be long enough to last the amount of time it would take for Robin to become Nightwing. Secondly, Izuku is nowhere near as hard to work with as Bruce, so it would take some outside force for Robin to want to split. And third, in the original comic's, Nightwing's name comes from a Kryptonian superhero. In this fic, there are no aliens, hence no planet Krypton, and no Kryptonians. Krypton does exist in this fic, but as a mineral, not a planet, therefore the original origin for this name, can't exist in this story.
I made Shinso, Nightwing because why not, I want to have Shinso associated with the Bat-Family, so I just made him Nightwing. Why is he named Nightwing in the context of the story? because it's a cool name. It's just that simple.
One more thing, the next arc is going to be special. Because Izuku isn't going to be in it at all. It's going to focus on Tokoyami and another D.C. character. I know that it might be weird, but it's something I really want to do, and it has plot relevance to the rest of the story.
Speaking of the next arc, remember when I said there would be only one more chapter until the next arc. Well, this took longer than I thought so after the next chapter will be the next arc. I promise.
That's all for now. So, onto the chapter.
"So what did you need?" Izuku asked.
Izuku was currently sitting on the sofa of one Fuyumi Todoroki still in his Batman suit, speaking to the woman herself who was sat on the opposite sofa.
Izuku had been called there by Fuyumi, who told him she would tell him why in person, this lead to the two of them having tea.
"Well...the thing is…" Fuyumi shifted awkwardly. "I want to have a family dinner with mom and I was hoping you could get me approval for her to come here."
Unfortunately, no one could see Rei without proper approval. And while Izuku may not be officially in charge of what happens to Rei, Fuyumi quickly figured out that he was the one calling the shots. And seeing as he has expressed approval of her goal to patch her family back together it seemed more logical to ask him.
"Unfortunately that won't be possible," Izuku said. "Rei can't survive outside of areas with subzero temperatures. And her suit has been confiscated, meaning she can't leave no matter what."
"Oh," Fuyumi said, her tone and expression immediately showing her disappointment. "Well, I-"
"However." Izuku cut her off. "I can get approval for you to go see her, and I've already made suits that will allow you to survive the extreme cold."
Fuyumi's face brightened and her eyes shined with hope. "Really!?"
"Well, I figured you would want to do something like this," Izuku said. "So I prepared for it ahead of time."
"Thank you!" Fuyumi bowed. "Thank you so much!"
Izuku shook his head. "There's no need to thank me. I'm just doing what I can to help."
"Honestly I don't understand why you go out of your way like this just to help me," Fuyumi admitted.
Izuku paused for a moment. "Do you really want to know? Of course one of my reasons is because it's the right thing to do, but my main reason is a bit more selfish."
Fuyumi looked at him strangely. She had no idea what could possibly be selfish about what he's doing. She can't think of how he could make money from this, and the public obviously didn't know he was doing it so he wasn't gaining any fame.
"I would." She said. Her curiosity was too strong, she needed to know.
Izuku took a deep breath and took a sip of his tea. "Alright. The main reason I'm helping you...is because your situation reminds me of my own."
Fuyumi's eyes went wide, what Izuku just said could mean a lot of things, none of them were particularly good. "What do you mean?"
"Chasing after a seemingly hopeless dream, suffering for years on end with no one, not even your own family, to support you. Yet never giving up." Izuku summarized. "I was in a very similar position."
There was a short pause before Izuku spoke again.
"Why do you think I fight without a quirk?" Izuku asked her, before taking another sip of his tea.
"So that way you can't be classified as a vigilante," Fuyumi answered, deciding to drink some of her tea as well.
"That's what I want people to think," Izuku said. "The real reason is because I have no quirk to use."
Fuyumi choked on her tea.
After regaining her ability to breathe Fuyumi spoke. "Your...quirkless?"
"Yes," Izuku confirmed. "I have no quirk whatsoever. I even have that extra joint in my toe."
"I never thought...well now that I think about it...that explains a lot," Fuyumi said. "I kinda feel dumb for not realizing it."
"Most people react that way. Quirkless people, especially young ones, are extremely rare, so much so that most people never encounter one in their lives. So me being quirkless never really pops into most people's minds." Izuku explained.
Izuku shook his head. "Anyway. When I was diagnosed, it caused my life to go into disarray. My father wanted nothing to do with me. My only friend turned against me, as did all the other children, and the teachers would turn a blind eye to their bullying. The only things I had left were my mother and my dream."
"Your dream?" Fuyumi repeated.
"My dream. My dream to become a hero. Like All Might." Izuku said. "I wanted to save people with a fearless smile on my face, and make people feel safe with just my presence."
"You wanted to be a hero...even without a quirk?" Fuyumi asked.
"Yes. Even after I was diagnosed I clung stubbornly to that dream. Of course, this only made my classmates make fun of me even more. No one believed that I could be a hero. Even my mother." Izuku said.
He looked Fuyumi in the eye. "You and I are similar in that regard. My dream died a long time ago, but yours still has a chance to come true. That's why I want to help you achieve that dream, no matter what."
Once Izuku finished explaining there was a long pause, in which the two of them looked at each other for a while before Fuyumi smiled.
"You said it was a selfish reason." She reminded him. "Nothing about that is selfish."
"I'm helping you're for my own satisfaction, I think that's pretty selfish," Izuku said.
"And I think your the only person who would describe helping someone fulfill their dreams, as selfish," Fuyumi said, an amused smile on her face. "And while you may not technically be a pro hero, you basically are one. And besides."
Fuyumi blushed a little. "Your presence does make people feel safe. Or a least...it makes me feel safe."
Izuku didn't have a response to that, as a strange happiness sprung up in his chest. "I-Thank you."
There was another short pause before they heard footsteps walking towards them.
"Sis I'm going to…" Shoto stopped when he walked into the room and saw her having tea with Batman. "What is Batman doing here?"
"O-oh Shoto!" Fuyumi said, blush still on her face. "Me and Batman were just talking about somethings."
"Like?" Shoto asked.
"Like how I will be driving you to school today," Izuku said.
Fuyumi gave him a surprised look.
"You have your hands full planning the dinner. So might as well lighten up your schedule." Izuku explained.
"Thank you so much," Fuyumi said.
"Your welcome," Izuku said.
"Dinner?" Shoto asked, getting even more confused. Are they...dating?
"Yes, thanks to Batman we'll be able to have dinner at mom's," Fuyumi says eagerly. "I'm thinking of having it tomorrow."
Shoto's eyes widened. "I...I see."
He did not sound as eager.
"The car is outside," Izuku said. "You go ahead."
Shoto nodded, and left.
Izuku walked towards the door but said one more thing to Fuyumi. "If you need help. Call me."
Fuyumi smiled. "Thank you."
In the Batmobile
Shoto climbed into the passenger's seat of the incredibly expensive vehicle with a thoughtful expression on his face.
The memory of his mother, her arm aimed and ready to kill, standing right in front of him. It was too much.
"It's overwhelming. Isn't it."
Shoto's head jolted up, and he saw that Izuku had jumped in the driver's seat while he wasn't paying attention.
"Seatbelt," Izuku said.
The seatbelts then automatically wrapped around the two of them.
"We need to make a stop before I take you to school," Izuku said.
"That's fine," Shoto said.
Izuku nodded, and the Batmobile sped away from Fuyumi's home.
After about a minute of silence, Shoto spoke up.
"What did you mean by, it's overwhelming?" He asked.
"The confliction," Izuku answered. "On the one hand, you want to see your mother again. But on the other hand, your worried that if you see her, you'll see her poised and ready to kill your father again, or perhaps holding a tea kettle over your face. Your few precious positive memories are colliding with your powerful and terrifying negative memories."
Shoto's eyes widened. "How did you-"
"Psychology is a useful skill in both detective work and crime fighting, so I've spent years studying it," Izuku explained.
"So I'm an open book to you huh." Shoto realized.
"To be fair. Almost everyone is." Izuku said. "But going back to your issue, the best way to handle this is to confront her directly."
"You make it sound easy," Shoto said.
"It's not," Izuku said quickly. "It's probably one of the hardest things you'll ever have to do in your life. But the longer you wait, the harder it will be. You'll spend your life with those conflicting emotions, every day being torn on whether or not you should see her, and if she dies you'll have to live with that regret forever."
There was a long pause as Shoto internalized the extremely depressing scenario that Izuku just brought up.
"I apologize, that was a little much," Izuku said. "My point is, nip this in the bud. For your sake, your sister's sake and your mother's sake."
"I-I will," Todoroki said.
The rest of the ride was spent in silence until they reached their first destination.
The back door opened and Kota got in the back seat.
"Hey, I-Woah," Kota said.
Even a child as young as him could feel the cold, tense atmosphere.
"What's going on?" He asked.
"Nothing you need to be concerned about," Izuku said. "Get in, and get ready for school."
The car trip was very uncomfortable afterward.
Later.
Rei furiously scribbled away on her notepad, writing down calculations at a rapid pace.
She was still amazed at how much you could get away with if you had money and public support.
While she wasn't able to leave her house, she would never need to, as she was currently living in a two-story state of the art building, complete with refrigeration machines that kept the house at sub-zero temperatures so she could survive without using her quirk.
The second floor was a fully stocked lab with all the tools she needed, as well as a cryo-chamber that kept Nora safe and sound no matter what.
It was more than she could have ever hoped for, now she just needed to do her part, and cure Nora.
"You're working hard as always." Said a voice from behind her.
"Batman. I'm sorry but I'm rather busy unless it's important please tell me later." Rei said.
"Fuyumi wants to have a family dinner over here tomorrow," Izuku said. "Minus Endeavor of course."
Rei froze, and pause for a moment before responding. "I'm not sure-"
"I already gave them approval," Izuku said.
There was another pause before Rei sighed. "That girl won't give up on me."
"Never," Izuku said. "Shoto won't either. Although your attack on Endeavor did leave him a little shaken."
"I would be surprised if it didn't," Rei responded sadly. "You shouldn't force him to see me."
"He needs to see you like you need to see him. Otherwise, you both will live in pain. The same goes for Fuyumi." Izuku said. "And you know that."
There was a long pause before Rei said. "And Natsuo?"
"He is...more difficult," Izuku admitted. "I haven't seen him in person, but he seems to have given up."
"I can't blame him," Rei admitted.
"That doesn't mean he isn't still hurting," Izuku said. "It's distancing yourself from your family is one thing. But removing yourself from your family, that is far more difficult. I'm sure he'll be willing to come...given a little push."
"Define a little push," Rei said.
"I don't know. I haven't met him yet." Izuku said. "Also you should double-check your calculations."
Rei instinctively looked behind her at her calculations, before realizing what Izuku was trying to do.
"Don't try to distract me, Batman, what are you-" Rei turned her head back, but Izuku was already gone.
"I looked away for a second how did he do that?!" Rei said. "Natsuo. You better prepare yourself."
Elsewhere
Natsuo Todoroki was currently in his home, enjoying a nice cool drink.
Knock knock knock.
"Natsuo. It's me." Fuyumi said through the door.
Natsuo sighed. Hearing from his sister always left him conflicted, on the one hand, he loved his sister, he loved her dearly. One the other hand, whenever he talked to her, Endeavor typically wasn't far. Although that may have changed more recently, things were still a bit...stiff between them.
And then there was that argument.
Flashback
"Your...leaving?" Fuyumi asked him.
Natsuo had just finished packing up his stuff and was now putting on his shoes. Getting ready to leave.
"Yes. You should too." Natsuo said. "There's nothing for us here sis. Nothing but pain."
"But-but-we can't just leave!" Fuyumi shouted. "Shoto needs us!"
"Needs are for what?" Natsuo asked. "What exactly can we do for him, when HE won't even allow us to see him."
"Even if we can't spend time with him, he needs to know he's not alone!" Fuyumi says. "And if we're not here then dad will get even more upset!"
"Why?!" Natsuo was starting to lose his patience. "Why on earth would dad care if we left?! He couldn't care less if we dropped dead!"
"That's not true!" Fuyumi shouted. "If that were true then why would that shrine for Toya! He must care! At least a little!"
"If he cared then that shrine wouldn't be there! Because Toya would be alive!" Natsuo shouted.
Fuyumi grit her teeth. "We need to be here! For Shoto! And for Mom! Do you know how disappointed she'll be when she comes back and we aren't here!"
"Mom isn't coming back!" Natsuo screamed. "You need to stop deluding yourself! Our dad made us to be weapons! And Shoto is the only success! He doesn't care about us! Mom doesn't either! She poured scolding water on Shoto's fucking face! And Toya's gone! This perfect family you have in mind! Is never going to happen!"
Natsuo breathed, in heavily as his words sunk in.
There was a short pause before Fuyumi, with tears in her eyes said. "I'm not leaving."
Natsuo looked at her with an angry expression, but he didn't say a word.
He just picked up his bags and marched past her. And left
Back to the present
Ever since then things have been...strained. She forgave him because of course, she did. But Natsuo just couldn't bring himself to contact her most of the time, knowing that she was still deluding herself.
But he couldn't avoid her forever. Especially when she was at his door.
Who knows, maybe she's finally moved on. Natsuo thought.
He opened the door and he saw his sister smiling at him.
"Good news! I got permission for us all to have dinner at mom's!" She said.
Fuck. Natsuo thought, all hope immediately draining out of him. Ok, I need to find an excuse not to come.
"Oh. What time is it?" He asked, trying not to sound suspicious.
"Tomorrow, ten-o-clock." She responded.
Whew. Good thing I have work. He thought.
"Oh. Well, you see I have work that day and-" Before he could finish he felt his phone vibrate. "Oh give me a second."
He pulled out his phone and saw he had a text message...from his boss...telling him he had off tomorrow.
"Yeah, I asked Batman if he could give you the day off tomorrow," Fuyumi explained.
"But my job has nothing to do with Batman, how did he do that?!" Natsuo asked, perplexed. "And also when were you, friends, with Batman?"
Fuyumi shrugged. "I can't answer that first question, but as for that second one, ever since the...incident with mom."
"Oh," Natsuo responded.
"Anyway. Since you had work that day, that means you didn't have anything planned that night. Meaning you can come to dinner!" Fuyumi deduced.
Shit. Natsuo thought, trying to find another excuse, one that made sense. But in the end, he found none, meaning that he had to go with his least favorite option, telling the truth.
"Sis, I'm not going," Natsuo said.
The excitement immediately drained from Fuyumi's face.
"What? Why?" She asked. "If it's a scheduling problem we can figure it out-"
"It's not a scheduling problem." Natsuo sighed. "It's an I don't want to problem."
"But-but, Shoto's going to be there and we can spend time with him now, and Mom...mom's better now. I-I mean she may not be all well but she's better than she was before! She cares about us!" Fuyumi said desperately. "And-and dad's not going to be there either! I kinda wanted to invite him but I knew that it would be a bad idea and Batman really discouraged it and-"
"Fuyumi." Natsuo stopped her. "I'm happy that you can spend time with Shoto, I'm glad Batman managed to get you away from dad. Not sure how that happened, but I'm glad. But do hear yourself. Mom's better now? Not too long ago she teamed up with a bunch of villains and tried to kill dad. And how can you proudly say, mom loves us now, it shouldn't have taken her that long!"
"But you know why she was like that! You know what she went through!" Fuyumi countered.
Hearing his mother's full story certainly did change Natsuo's view of the women. Knowing she was spending all this time trying to save her daughter, their half-sister, certainly made it harder to hate the woman.
Did that mean he forgave her? No. Not at all. All it did was turn burning rage into bitter resentment. He couldn't bring himself to forgive her, not after Toya.
"I know what she went through. And she has my pity. But that's all she's getting from me." Natsuo responded.
"Why? Why are you like this!" Fuyumi said in tears. "We finally have a chance to be a family together! Even if it's without dad! Why won't you even try to forgive her!?"
There was a short pause before Natsuo said. "Goodbye, sis. Have fun at dinner."
Before Fuyumi could get another word in, he shut the door in her face.
He walked away from the door, hearing Fuyumi pound on it while yelling at him before her yelling just descended into crying.
Natsuo waited through the crying, which felt like daggers in his chest, for several minutes before Fuyumi eventually left.
He sighed and took a swig of his drink. "Well at least my day can't get any worse...why does this taste different from before?"
And that's when the drugs kicked in, and he conked out, his unconscious body falling to the floor.