Aizawa
Izuku arranged a meeting with his contact a few days later at a cafe. It took a lot less effort than I thought it would be. I figured Izuku would make excuses and try to put it off, so it came as a bit of a surprise for him to set this up so quickly.
"Tell me about him." I ask on our way to the cafe, where we'll be meeting the principal and this Byakuran character.
"He's… kind of like the principal? Just with less morals I guess. He only really cares if things are interesting. Honestly, I'm kind of dreading them meeting. I hope the cafe is still standing by the time we leave."
I don't bother to hide the wince at the thought of two Nedzu's conspiring. It's a terrifying idea.
"And he finds you interesting?"
"I'm his favorite toy." He responds in a fond tone. "In Byakuran speak, that's the highest praise you can get."
"He sounds…"
"Unhinged? Insane?" Izuku offers. "He totally is. But he knows where the line is, he may toe it every now and then but he won't cross it."
"You seem very certain he won't."
"Because he knows, the second he crosses that line, I'll beat him back into place." His face closes off and I can just barely make out what he says next. "I've done it before."
I act like I didn't hear that. The more I hear about this guy, the more wary I become. "How did you even meet?"
He gets this really tired look that I always hate to see on him. It makes him look so much older, weighed down by things no one his age should.
"He found me, after that first operation I participated in with Shoto."
"Wait, he came looking for you?" I narrow my eyes in worry, why would Byakuran, who is clearly some sort of villain or vigilante at best.
"Don't think about it too hard, the relationship between me and him... it's complicated. I know people won't understand it. But without a doubt in my mind, I know he won't harm me. He couldn't bare to. Just as I know if he ever goes off the deep end, I'll stop him. Even if it means I have to kill a part of myself to do it."
I don't have a response to that. What could I say? It's odd and worrying to see Izuku put his trust in someone so completely. When I know he doesn't fully trust anyone. I'm used to being the one that Izuku trusts the most, and I had to work for every little scrap. For someone who's only known him for a short time to get this kind of trust, is more than a little grating. We spend the rest of the walk to the cafe in silence as I stew in jealousy.
"Oh good, the principal isn't here yet." Izuku comments as we enter. He leads us to a table in the back where a man with white hair and lavender eyes is waiting.
"Tsu-kun!" The man exclaims and sweeps Izuku off his feet into a hug and twirls him around. "You're here! It's been so long since I've seen you I thought you were avoiding me."
Izuku tries to deliver an elbow to the man's side, but is dropped before it connects. "I was avoiding you."
"You're so mean to me." He pouts.
Izuku shakes his head, clearly used to his antics.
"This is Byakuran. Byakuran this is Eraserhead."
"Aizawa Shouta."
"Nedzu-san's here, I'll go grab him." He shoots a meaningful glare at Byakuran before he leaves, which the older man pays no mind to.
"I don't trust you." I glare at him.
He throws his head back and laughs, sliding into the booth. "You'd be stupid if you did."
"I see you two haven't managed to murder each other while I was gone." Izuku interrupts the principal close behind him.
Nedzu-san hops up on the table. "You must be Byakuran, I'm Nedzu, the principal at UA."
Byakuran's eyes shine with an unholy light. "Tsu-kun, you didn't tell me he was this cute!"
Nedzu for some reason actually preens at the praise.
"It didn't come up?"
"Now now, we can discuss how amazing I am later. Why don't we all take a seat?"
As Izuku goes to sit, he's stopped by Byakuran holding out a bank card. "Tsu-kun why don't you go get us something to drink."
Izuku looks at him for a moment, a silent conversation taking place between them. Finally, Izuku rolls his eyes and takes the card.
"I'm ordering the most expensive thing on the menu." He informs him before turning to us. "What would you like?"
"Earl grey please."
"Black coffee."
"Alright I'll be back." He glares at Byakuran and points, "Behave."
Byakuran, in response to being scolded like a misbehaving child, simply appears to be thoroughly amused.
All of the mirth, however, slips right off his face the second Izuku can no longer see him.
"Ahh~ so much to talk about and so little time to do it. So. Let me get straight to the point. You-" He gestures at me. "Are Tsu-kun's parental figure."
"His legal guardian, yes." I confirm, slightly confused at the strange phrasing.
"Well." He gives me a considering look that feels alot like Izuku's "He's certainly done much worse."
"He told you?" I ask shocked that Izuku would discuss his less than stellar parents with anyone.
"No. He hasn't. Simply because he knows he doesn't need to."
"Your quirk?" The principal asks in interest.
"I can see into alternate dimensions. At other me's and other Tsuna's. I can even interact with them to some extent, mostly by sharing knowledge with other me's."
Nedzu looks so excited with this knowledge that he's vibrating. "Then the multiverse theory is correct? Or is it something different?"
"Hmm," He tilts his head in consideration. "It's more along the lines of parallel dimensions. There are worlds where quirks never developed. Worlds with no heroes. There are even worlds that have been reduced to wastelands because the balance was lost." He pauses for a moment. "But in all worlds, Tsu-kun and I meet. As strangers, lovers, enemies, any relationship you can think of, we've had. And that's what makes this Tsu-kun so special." He leans in and whispers "You see, this Tsu-kun, is from one of those parallel dimensions."
And suddenly everything clicks into place. It's hard to believe, what he's telling us is completely outlandish, but it makes an odd amount of sense. Why Izuku put up with the abuse for so long before taking action shortly after awakening his quirk. How he often feels so much older than he is. How he knows so much about things he really shouldn't. I guess I figured out how he knows so much about kidnapping rings, he must have been some kind of involvement with them previously.
"Then how is he here?" The principal asks. "I assume you had something to do with it?"
"The exact mechanics, I don't know. The me in his world went mad with grief when Tsu-kun died. In a last ditch effort, he did something that ended up with Tsu-kun ending up in this world. From what I know, he didn't actually regain his memories until his flames awakened. Even now, he doesn't remember how he died."
"But you do."
"Unfortunately." He grimaces, but makes no effort to explain.
"Why are you the one telling us this? I assume Izuku doesn't know?"
"Because, he probably never will." His face twists in pity and understanding. "It's too painful. He hasn't asked me what happened, after he died. Because he knows, it wasn't anything good. But I'm also telling you as a warning, Tsu-kun at the moment is rather… unstable."
He quickly schools his expression back into that happy go lucky one from before. Just in time for Izuku to set down the tray of drinks. "What were you talking about?"
"My quirk."
"Ah. Parallel dimension bullshit." Izuku nods to himself sliding into the booth beside Byakuran. "I'm glad I left then. Your quirk a pain to understand."
"Your intuition is just as bad." I scoff. Byakuran huffs in amusement.
"Now that you're done threatening each other let's get into what you wanted to discuss."
"What makes you think we were threatening each other?"
He raises an eyebrow at me. "Other than the fact I know you?"
Byakuran starts dumping an ungodly amount of sugar packets into his coffee.
"If you don't mind me asking, what is it you do?" Nedzu asks.
"I'm the CEO of Millefiore."
"Wait, the international cooperation that's pretty much dominated the tech industry?!"
"That's the one. And it's not just the tech industry we are involved in. I've got my fingers in a lot of pies. And paying attention to what's going on in the underground usually pays off in the long run. Information is the most important resource after all."
"How old are you?"
"18" He smiles.
"Then… you founded an international company when you were 14?"
"What? It's not like it was hard." Byakuran looks genuinely confused with our disbelief.
"It is for normal people."Izuku snorts in amusement into his drink.
"Like you're any better. You just cheat the stock market."
"Lies and slander." Izuku glares daggers at him.
"Izuku…" I sigh running a hand over my face. "What is he talking about?"
"Well," He stirs his drink, "hypothetically, if I wanted to make money quickly, I'd invest in the stock market using my intuition to determine the best investments and when to sell them."
"And this is completely hypothetical."
He averts his gaze to the ceiling.
"Izuku." I scold.
"It's not illegal." The principal unhelpfully adds. "I think it's quite resourceful."
"Please don't encourage him." I mumble into my hands. Why is it I'm the only one that seems to have any common sense?
