I am so sorry this took longer to make. I had some things to do with real life and they slowed the process in writing this chapter. The other reason is, one scene in particular here (which will not be named) took at least 8 rewrites until I was satisfied with what I got.
Thankfully, here it is and ready for you guys... Thanks for those who remained patient.
XII. Small Complications
The last few hours had been a cluster of various things to Izumi. Going home with a smile on her face after meeting new friends and triumphantly acing the first exercise Aizawa made was completely broken by the sudden realization and trauma of a dead body in her home. Luckily, someone in the apartment had already called the cops as quickly as they could along with her mother and aunt coming in an hour after that. All Might as Toshinori came along too after helping Izumi pack up some of her things, because it was deemed sleeping there could be dangerous for her and Inko according to Toshinori. Nemuri vowed to stay the night to 'hold the fort' and was able to convince Izumi by saying that she was far more capable than what she thought of her aunt. It was unilaterally agreed that staying in Toshinori's home was for the best. Izumi wondered why this whole 'robbery' incident had affected her mother and aunt so much. Like something was amiss that got them to quickly decide the next course of action within a limited window of time.
The authorities present ruled it as felony between a group of criminals orchestrating a simple heist. Neighbors next to the apartment had been similarly rooted out and taken some of their belongings but the dead bodies were peculiarly placed in their home for some reason. To the police involved it seemed like one member of the group bailed on all three members that died there, as evidence indicated that one person left the premises after ending their crime. They couldn't do much other than eyewitness reports since the main Security Footage had been destroyed discreetly, along with some of the guards in the apartment dead by neck snaps. The investigation continued even after Izumi and Inko left in Toshinori's car. Which by then was a very silent car ride even when they arrived half an hour later.
This made Inko concerned since Izumi used to dream seeing where All Might had lived, yet she remained expressionless and silent for the entirety of their arrival. Toshinori managed to ease them in with dinner that Kaguya had left before her trip that day to her family. They ate in relative silence even after Toshinori and Inko tried to comfort her. She tried lying back by saying she was alright but to the two adults, they knew what was going on. She was dealing with something that related to shock and trauma. Admittedly, this was the first time Izumi had seen a dead body, let alone one that was killed in such a bloody manner. This had turned the girl's beliefs somewhat upside down and she was forced to question what it meant to be a hero again.
Izumi had packed most of her belongings in two suitcases Inko and Nemuri prepared for her. One of them were her school supplies along with her hero journals that she uses to write almost every night. The other were her clothes and some belonging to her mother.
This night however wasn't usual for Izumi. She didn't seem to have any energy nor will to write on her journals. Let alone talk to Inko nor Toshinori. She didn't even bother to say anything about what happened on her day in school. In truth, Inko hadn't seen her like this ever since she came home from Italy, the night where she barely even acknowledged her existence.
Now, as Inko tucked Izumi to sleep after changing the girl into her nightwear, she stood by the door waiting to close it and turn off the lights when Izumi looked at her and asked a question.
"Mom?"
"Y-yes? What is it?" Inko said suddenly, hoping to get a conversation out of her.
"I-I did well in school today… my homeroom teacher Mr. Aizawa got surprised too. I-I was able to control my quirk enough to impress him." Izumi said with a faint smile.
Inko smiled back, recalling how it looked from far away. Seeing it made her proud.
"That's good Izumi. I'm happy for you."
"Thanks mom. I'm sorry I wasn't in the mood to talk. I think I just-"
Inko moved closer trying to stop her from blaming herself.
"Izumi… I need you to know something. Remember that time I told you about Heroes and Villains? Of how stupid that line of thought is?" Inko said with a hitch in her throat. It was a bad memory for both of them, but she was trying to prove a point.
Izumi nodded in response to her question.
"I still think it is unfortunately if you would ask me. But that's not the point I'm trying to make. The point is… to be a hero you need to sacrifice everything to save lives. I've seen how it is… how it all works and knowing Toshinori, he would agree to it."
Inko then held Izumi's hand and squeezed it tightly.
"But like everything in the world Izumi, it isn't what it all seems. The world isn't comics, nor heroes fighting villains in TV, nor is the reality of what the words heroism and villainy are. Things out there are different, brutal and will stop at nothing to snuff the other out. Even if it means killing." Inko said with a slow monotone, like she had already been through things like this.
Izumi's eyes widened but narrowed after thinking how much sense it made. She understood what her mother was telling her at that moment and thought about what was bugging her tonight. What questions about her mother's 'experience' for her to be able to tell such things with a true intent was overshadowed by the shock she felt today.
"I don't want to scare you… nor tell you to abandon ship on your dream. I'm just telling you this so you would be aware. Being the thing you want most in life is going to be hard and I know you're strong but eventually you are going to encounter things like this. Even your life has to be on the line to be a hero. Toshinori knows best about it too, and even with his colored background as the Symbol of Peace, he's seen things that not even the media could say through the camera lens."
Izumi nodded her head slowly. Inko continued to squeeze her hand. She smiled almost painfully at her, and while Izumi understood why, for some reason she had more at the back of her mind than the things she simply said to her. Izumi could notice it, with how the edge of her eyes crinkled in a smile full of pain and guilt.
"I'll keep that in mind mom… I'm sorry for making you scared too."
Inko sniffed as she regained her more than relieved smile.
"You don't know how scared I was hearing you panic through the phone. I-I'm just happy you're safe Izumi." She admitted as she squeezed her hand one last time before letting go.
"Thanks mom." Izumi said with genuine gratitude.
"Izumi… don't give up on your dream. I know it will be a hard road and for sure many similar horrible things will happen but for what it's worth, you would still do a great service to the people you save. You may not be the flashiest nor popular hero in time, but I could see the heroic spirit in you. Your smile will surely brighten those you keep safe and they will never need to see such horrors again. Be their shield Izumi… and it will take you further than even I could go."
Izumi smiled at her this time, a good smile that made Inko comfortable, even for a bit.
"Mom… are you possibly a hero I've never known officially? You sound so real with everything you say… like you've been there and experienced all of that." Izumi asked with a playful question of curiosity.
However, to Inko she merely bit her lip and fell into a soft silence for a small moment before considering what to say next.
"I don't know how to answer that question… b-but maybe in time I'll say it to you." Inko simply told her. Izumi was unsatisfied but decided to let it go, seeing as her mother began to dodge the question and truthfully speaking when she dodged questions she always firmly noted to either drop the question or tell her another time.
Izumi was about to apologize but Inko stopped her again just in time.
"Don't say sorry… you were only curious. I didn't need to act that way. But for what it's worth maybe… maybe you can say that I sort of am in some sense…" Inko said with another hitch on her voice. Luckily her smile seemed to ease Izumi, but deep down lying to her about this made her hurt burn in cinders. Yet it was a sacrifice she was willing to take on that moment, if it meant making Izumi comfortable.
"Thanks for the talk mom. I think I feel better now."
"G-Good… that's good to hear." Inko said, her voice faltering. Izumi noticed and wanted to know why but with the state of their conversation, it seemed better to let it go.
"Good Night…"
"Good Night Izumi." Inko said as she walked to the door of the room and turned off the light. Izumi then called out to her mom again with a whistle, Inko turned her head and found her smiling.
"Mom… we're in All Might's house." Izumi said with a large smile and some hint of excitement in her tone. Inko smiled back, a shade of Izumi's usual self, returned even for just a bit.
"Sleep well." Inko said in finality and closed the door behind her. She walked in slow strides as she thought about their conversation. The realization of how stupid she was to say some of the things she said in between them. Thankfully, even for a small bit something good came out of it and she reluctantly continued downstairs holding that knowledge in place.
Izumi on the other hand laid on the comfy pillows of the vacant room provided to her and her mother. She slept on the left side of the bed covered by the blankets as she stared upwards on the ceiling. Thinking of everything that transpired on that day.
From the happiness of meeting new friends.
From proving that she could control her quirk upon her homeroom teacher.
To the discovery of the dark deeds on the path she wanted to go for in life with those dead bodies. She already tried to ready herself in the past with this issue. The issue of life or death when it came to being a hero, but seeing it first hand was different and she was literally brought to an early realization of the reality this career would take her.
She obviously felt a sense of shock and awe at what happened.
Panic still remained in her chest.
But the one thing that was in Izumi's mind this whole time was the surreal realization that she didn't seem perturbed seeing those dead bodies. Even with how brutally they were killed in life, she didn't flinch nor feel afraid seeing them. She panicked of course, but the real source of fear within her…
Was that everything felt natural seeing those bodies. Like a sensation of gluttony was inside her that drew her close to those bodies. Something unnatural within her wanted to take something from them.
Whatever that something was disturbed Izumi, causing her shock and discomfort at herself. She knew deep inside that it was because of her quirk. But what did it mean? Why was she drawn to the evidences of violence? What was that sensation that drew her close to such things?
Why it did it seem like the tug of negative emotions braced her into something surreal within her mind. Why were her nightmares worsening? Why was she seeing things in broad daylight?
Why was this all happening at all to her? Izumi looked at the ceiling in fear as she put her hand and gently traced it on her headband. One other detail made the hairs of her skin stand up in fear, it was that her headband only glowed when her quirk was activated… right now, she was sure that it wasn't. Yet it continued to glow faintly in the midst of being unused.
It all started after her burst in the Practical Exam… and it had slowly gone worse after that.
She never told anyone yet because she thought it would simply vanish like the old days when she first wore the headband. But wearing it even now made her scared in taking it off. Like something bad was about to happen should she remove it.
Today was the worst… after she used her quirk even minimally in the exercises, she had strong headaches that lasted for about a minute before ceasing completely. Strange sensations within her started manifesting too… the worst of them happened at the sight of dead bodies in her home.
Now she was scared of herself.
Contemplating if she was able to control her quirk at all… and why exactly she was feeling this way. Maybe the supposed mastery she held over her quirk was a blind lie that was protecting her from the dark truth. Maybe removing this headband would worsen that feeling.
She put her hand up and tried to summon her black energy tendrils. They slowly appeared in small instances across her arm and wiggled out of existence as she put her arms down. She sighed.
For now… she decided to sleep while leaving it on. Closing her eyes with all of the heavy thoughts she wished to whisk away, she never predicted that tonight would be one of the worse nights in recent memory for her.
As the nightmares were at full swing…
Even with the headband on, as jolts of red energy fizzled above them.
Inko poured a drink of vodka into a large glass. She nearly emptied half of the bottle before Toshinori saw her and stopped her from pouring further. She whisked him away as she grabbed the bottle and glass and sat herself on the table. Relishing in her own shame. Toshinori felt the necessary judgement that whatever happened when she tucked Izumi in bed ended poorly on her end. He sat across from her as she stared at the glass filled with Vodka. She had poured so much, but it seemed like she was reluctant to take a sip.
Ever since Inko and Toshinori talked about Hisashi and letting her ease in with his presence during their nightly meetings, she had begun to take less and less alcohol. She seemed content and happy with what was happening in her life that drinking was not a thing she wanted to indulge into. Right now, she seemed to think twice of that again. She rounded her right thumb over the rim of the glass as she looked at it. Thinking if she should drink it.
"What happened?" Toshinori asked.
Inko didn't reply in an instant. She simply pursed her lips and put the glass back on the table as she crossed her arms and didn't attempt to look him straight in the eye.
"It's happening…" Inko said, almost a whisper with how low in volume her tone was.
"We're not even sure of that Inko…"
"She was right… this was going to happen." Inko said once again, ignoring what he said.
"Those people could have in fact been thieves… we can rule them out because they could have coincidentally appeared in your home right in time as we're being paranoid about this."
Inko looked at him after he said that. She didn't believe that statement at all.
"Who called you? I remember seeing you lose your composure. You were even shocked hearing that phone call in the middle of what happened in UA."
Toshinori froze. He tried to ascertain if it was best to tell her about it now. He knew what Inko's current mental state was. She looked vulnerable right now and was ready to burst in tears. Her eyes that were growing red were a good indication.
"Inko… I don't think it's a good time to-"
Glass shattered on the floor next to Inko, the bottle of vodka which was placed in the middle of the table next to the glass was thrown to the floor by an invisible force. Inko was holding her tears back as her hands which were grasping the glass was shaking wildly. Splashes of alcohol were beginning to wet her hands as the fluid ran down on the table. Toshinori stood up and took a towel to help her clean the mess. He was scared of how she would react of him wiping the mess she made with her hands, but thankfully as he reached to carefully wipe off traces of the fluid on her arms, she never resisted.
In fact, she dropped the glass on the table a bit gently as Toshinori wiped her fingers. He then gently took his hand into hers as she grabbed hold of them tightly. She was still holding back her tears as he gently caressed her with his other arm holding her close.
"J-Just tell me. I need to know." She said.
"Alright." After saying that he sat on the seat next to her. She still held on to his hands as tight as she could. He sighed as he tried to tell her what the phone call was.
"Nighteye called me. Do you remember him?"
Inko didn't respond but she got the point. She didn't even look at him.
"He told me that a colleague of his had orchestrated a raid in Shizuoka…"
"And?" Inko insisted. Her hands stopped shaking, but she remained troubled. Toshinori hesitated to say the next part, but she was waiting for his response. He couldn't deny her of it any longer.
"… They reported back with alarming findings. To cut it short, they raided a suspected drug factory only to find something else."
Inko now looked at him.
"What did they find?"
He bit his lip at how intense her gaze was.
"What did they find?" he sighed in defeat at her insistence.
"Experiments done on people of various quirks. Multiple bodies mutilated and tested on. Their bodies pumped by a red fluid that Nighteye thinks is a mutagen to enhance these people they're testing on. Based on the description of the place, they were still failing with their experiments. Nothing they tested the red fluid on seemed to have worked."
"Red fluid?"
"Nighteye has given a sample to some doctors to know what that fluid is… but unfortunately we can guess what's really in it."
Inko's eyes widened in realization.
"No… h-how?"
"There was a note placed next to a picture of me and young Izumi in that compound they raided. They seemed to want your daughter's DNA to finish something sinister there. As to where they got sources of her DNA, we don't really know."
Inko paled as she limped into his arms.
"It's happening." She said as a tear cascaded down her cheek.
"We don't know that yet." He firmly reiterated.
"Please stop saying that. It's too obvious at this point." She said as she squeezed tightly on Toshinori's hand. Like she can't fathom the pain she was experiencing tonight.
"I-I'm scared."
"Of what?" he asks.
"That I won't be there to protect her when the time comes. And I know that time is near."
"You don't need to be. Have you forgotten that I'm here? Have you forgotten that Nemuri, the UA staff, even Aizawa is there to protect her when that time come… you're not alone Inko and you never will be. Izumi will be safe, I promise you. Even if it ends my life… I'll make sure she's safe and in your arms."
Inko didn't react to that. She simply leaned backwards to him and rested herself in the comfort of his embrace. She continued to hold his hand tightly.
"I-I had to lie to her you know… tonight."
"What?"
"I-I told her the reality of being a hero in this business… I did it to comfort her so that she knows the dangers of this job."
Toshinori then gently used his free arm to stroke her hair. She never seemed to mind that.
"She took it well… b-but she asked me why I knew this stuff… Why I was so sure with what I was saying." She then smiled painfully thinking how excited Izumi looked at her when she asked if she was a hero. "It was stupid of me to say those things… i-if she knows what I truly am back then… I'm scared to lose her because of that… I don't want her to hate me anymore Toshinori… but I didn't know what to say to her so I lied." Her voice was shaking with every word she let out.
"I don't care about my past anymore… I've made those decisions myself. The only thing I care about right now is Izumi and I'm terrified of losing her because I didn't do enough to protect her. Both from anyone out there… and myself." She added as tears continued to flow from her eyes. She sniffed as she wiped her own tears. He simply stayed silent, letting her to let it all out.
She cried for a few more moments before finally calming herself down.
She then closed her eyes and rested on him.
"Everything will be alright Inko…" Toshinori said to her as tardiness took her. He then lifted her into his arms as he transformed into his powered form and walked her upstairs as she soundly slept. He passed by the room where Izumi was sleeping and decided to let the girl be to sleep soundly on her own. After hearing from Inko what transpired between the both of them, he thought that separating the two was a good option. He then gently continued to lift her as he entered his own room. He tucked Inko in his bed as he deflated on spot right next to her side and stroked his fingers on her cheek.
He left the room in a heavy sigh… As much as he wanted to join her, he knew that boundaries still existed between them and he respectfully left her there in the room to sleep downstairs at his couch. He locked the door behind him afterwards.
As he passed by Izumi's room, he opened it slightly and saw the redhead girl sound asleep. Thoughts of how heavy this situation became now that things were in motion enveloped his mind. He reeled those thoughts in as he closed the girl's door and walked downstairs. Still embroiled in deep thought.
Everything will be alright… he said to himself.
THE NEXT DAY…
It was lunchbreak. Students of various quirks and sizes were filing up in the UA cafeteria. Busy as always during this time of the day, the head chef of the cafeteria Lunch Rush continued to supply each student the meal they ordered that was picked from the cafeteria's menu. Activity was present in every facet of the place as multiple students came and went from various parts of the school. Some of the faculty staff was present as well to get their meals. Groups of friends within classes were huddled up in tables as they continued to make conversations and discuss various things while eating. Class 1-A was part of that group as the social gathering of both boys and girls talking from separate but close tables were happening at that moment.
In the middle of it all, Izumi Midoriya was staring blankly at her food. She didn't buy anything from the cafeteria, only the bento made by her mother was the lunch she chose to eat today. Yet she had not found her appetite to compensate her hunger at that moment. She just continued to stare while moving her fork ever slightly at the side. Even though it was one of the more appealing meals she loved from her mother's cooking… she didn't seem fazed nor interested to eat at all.
Surrounding her was her newly acquainted friends from yesterday. By her right of course was Himiko who was having a light conversation with Toru Hagakure about the uses of their quirks. On her left was Uraraka and beside her was Tenya Iida who were exchanging small conversations with the others in the table but were mostly transfixed on their meal. Opposite to Izumi was Momo who was more than willing to communicate with the foreign transfer student in their class who sat next to Asui on the far left. Beside Momo was Kyouka whom was listening to music while eating. Oddly enough, Shoto who had minimal contact with Izumi yesterday was sitting in their table as well, along with Fumikage Tokoyami who was reading a book while Tenya kept asking him questions.
Normally like yesterday, even though Izumi was quite shy to initiate conversation; she was never one to shy away when talked to. Most of whom knew Izumi before classes started from the Practical Exam were well aware that if she liked the topic of the conversation (namely about heroes) she would go talking for literal minutes on end. Not today however… she barely even talked to anyone the moment she got into class. A few greetings here and there but she kept her mouth shut as she stared into literal nothing even now where Momo and Kyouka dragged her to the Cafeteria to eat with them.
No one had suspected yet of what was going on as Izumi sometimes responded with a smile. A forced smile on that matter that seemed to fool most of her new friends.
But Himiko while talking with Toru seemed to notice all too well, and she looked rather guilty herself as she looked at Izumi.
"Izumi? Is that you?" A voice suddenly came out as everyone looked to the side of the table and a familiar orange-haired girl looked at Izumi with a large smile.
Izumi was surprised herself to see her amidst her current disposition but the welcoming and friendly face of the girl she saved first in the exam was far too hard to ignore.
"Itsuka?"
"Wow it's been so long huh? How are you?" Kendou said as she went to Izumi while also saying hi to Kyouka, Uraraka, and Tenya who waved back. Kyouka even took off her earphones to gladly welcome her. Izumi on the other hand from a welcome smile turned into a blank stare.
"Uh Izumi? Hello? Earth to Izumi?" Kyouka said as she waved her hand in front of her. Izumi blinked her eyes and shook her head.
"Itsuka… right, It's so good to see you." Izumi said in a stammer as Kendou awkwardly smiled back. Kyouka and Himiko noticed this very quickly as Izumi seemed to lose focus every time her attention was diverted somewhere else.
"W-What class are you in?" Izumi asked.
"I got shipped to Class 1-B unfortunately… would have loved to be with you guys."
"Oh? Is your class harboring more idiots than ours?" Kyouka teased but not letting her eyes off of Izumi who zoned out again. Kendou laughed the accusation off as they continued.
"My classmates are fine… Managed to make friends with some of them pretty quick. They look up to me like a big sister of sorts… I don't know about that though." Kendou admitted.
"That sounds wonderful. We should eat together with you guys next time." Uraraka suggested.
"So you four met Izumi in the Entrance Exam?" Momo asked in between them as Sylvia and Asui looked at Kendou. Himiko and Toru did so as well, waiting to hear more tidbits about Izumi's stunt in the Practical.
"Well yeah… Izumi here saved my life from three pointers that were surrounding me. Got in a little hitch but she got me in time before the zero pointers got to me. Kinda owed her big there… isn't that right Izumi?"
"Y-Yeah..." Izumi said. Kyouka then made an annoyed sigh and looked at redhead girl with a bit of seriousness in her voice.
"Spill it."
"Spill what?" Izumi asked, as she was put on the seat by Kyouka. Momo and the others caught wind of it as well as the girl paled a bit at the sudden question.
"Something's bothering you. I can see it in your face."
"M-me?" Izumi asked as she pointed at herself. a bead of sweat trickled down her forehead.
"I'm afraid Kyouka's right Izumi… you've been very quiet ever since you got to school today." Momo said as she thought about it. Uraraka seemed to share the sentiment as well. Tenya who was drinking a soda listened in closely. Himiko on the other hand looked at Izumi with the same type of attention everyone was giving.
"Did I miss something important?" Kendou asked in between.
Izumi played with her fingers but sighed in defeat. She looked at Kyouka and the others and tried to explain what she was feeling right now.
"S-Sorry… I just have a lot in my head right now." Izumi admitted to them.
"Izu… did something wrong happen yesterday?" Himiko asked, a bit of concern and worry which was very apparent came to her voice as she looked at her. A bit of fear was also present but Izumi smiled at her to relieve her worries somewhat.
"No… nothing bad in particular." Izumi replied. On her part, it was a white lie. Telling them about the 'robbery' in her apartment was not going to help. It would only make them worry about her further and it also wasn't the thing that bothered her about last night. It was something else.
"I've just had trouble sleeping last night. Too many thoughts in my head along with a bunch of nightmares keeping me from sleeping. To be honest with you all my head's in a bit of a daze right now. Can't concentrate on anything that's why I've been quiet the entire day." Izumi explained.
"You've been having nightmares? Of what?" Uraraka asked.
Izumi looked at her and suddenly a flood of memories from last night resurfaced. The only thing she could hear was the sound of death, howls of innocent people begging for someone to save them, and the faces of people close to her. They were the ones suffering and worst of all, she recalls that it was her doing that caused all of that violence.
It was a dream… but it was far too vivid in detail for her to ignore like a simple passing thing.
It was already hard seeing her friends right now. Recalling their faces made her flinch.
"Just… some really scary things. You know…" Izumi said in a simple tense. Her words were barred from the complete truth, but it wasn't technically a lie either.
"We've all had terrible nightmares… but you can tell us about it you know. You don't need to hold it in. We are friends after all, even though we've only been acquainted yesterday, you're still my classmate and I'm sure everyone thinks the same way." Momo said with a reassuring smile. Izumi smiled back as she looked at Himiko who seemed to agree with her.
"Yeah… most of us do, even that asshole that Tenya keeps getting fights into." Kyouka teased.
"Hey! I do not pick fights with him. He's only been that because-" Tenya continued to rant as everyone laughed at his expense. Izumi then saw Katsuki who was grumbling to himself in the table, tolerating Kirishima, the hardening quirk classmate she had in the class. It made her feel a bit better seeing that at the very least he was social to some of them.
She then turned her eyes on Shoto, who seemed to acknowledge her gaze. He simply shrugged after she gave her an awkward grin but Izumi knew that he was always like that.
But it still bugged her seeing her classmates and friends being this happy as they surrounded her.
The dream may not have been true, but something inside her made her feel reclusive and fearful being in their presence. She was scared of something…
And that was something was herself.
"Izu… you can tell me what happened yesterday you know. You don't need to lie to me." Himiko said, a bit of fear in her voice, and what sounded like guilt came through. Like something was bugging her as well. Izumi placed a hand on her shoulder and gave a small grin.
"I'm fine… nothing you need to worry about."
"Are you sure?"
Izumi's eyes twitched. Her emotions suddenly took a turn for the worst as her vision mode momentarily activated and this time it was different. Like something was drawing her to stare at Himiko with such oddity.
"Izu?"
Luckily, she managed to turn it off and return her sanity somewhat. But deep down something as wrong and she sensed it well.
"Sorry… I spaced out there. Y-You don't need to worry about me. I'm just experiencing some of my quirks stupid drawbacks… that's all."
"S-Sure…" Himiko weakly said as she looked away. She was oddly guilty about something, Izumi noticed. She then turned to her other friends who were still talking about Tenya and Katsuki's vocal relationship. A set of laughs came as Kendou joined in, but in the end Izumi just couldn't take it.
They were all happy…
And a feeling inside her was tugging her senses in being drawn to her classmates.
She felt unease as her headband glowed faintly. She needed to be alone. She stood up from her seat and everyone looked at her. Thinking of what to say next, Izumi made a forced smile and excused herself to the restroom. Luckily no one seemed to mind that much as she left in a hurry. Himiko watched her leave alongside Shoto who was also mildly curious as to what was happening with her.
As soon as Izumi was out of view, Kyouka nudged the blonde girl to ask her a question.
"Hey… you and I both know something's wrong with her." she whispered, as the others were still embroiled in deep conversation. Himiko pursed her lips and shrugged.
"I really don't know Kyouka… but I'm worried about her."
"You and me both."
Katsuki was enjoying his meal when his classmates around him kept on talking about the girls. The class pervert as it seemed (that being Mineta) was trying to ask most of the guys in class of which girl in their roster was the one they liked most or had a crush on. The table was filled with laughs as they teased each other as time passed. To Katsuki however, he didn't get in on the conversation. He only minded himself as he ate his meal. His new 'friend' or companion to his right which was the red-haired Kirishima was talking with the others but at times he would ask Katsuki some questions to start a conversation. But with how vocal he was, it tended to last very short.
This time however, as he ate his meal he noticed that 'Deku' left the table next to them (where the others were) rather quickly. His eyes trailed her as she left the cafeteria in a rather quickened pace. He wasn't left unnoticed by Kirishima who was watching him closely.
"Hey dude… can I ask you about something?"
Katsuki blinked at his sudden question.
"Ask me about what spiky-hair?" his tonal reply was rather aggressive but Kirishima didn't seem to mind nor care about it. A thing that Katsuki respected in a sense.
"What's your relationship with Midoriya? You two keep arguing but I don't see both of you really hating each other that badly."
"WHAT? I do hate her you fucking idiot." Katsuki defensively said as his anger suddenly went up. Kirishima didn't back down however.
"Aw come on… it's merely competitiveness I see. Not that it matters but I just want to know what she is to you." Katsuki frowned as he thought about Izumi. A million different things came into his mind and while most of it was hate for the redhead girl, some of it was in a neutral sense.
"Yeah Bakugou… what's she to you?" Sero asked beside Kirishima. For a sudden moment the topic of the conversation suddenly shifted to him at that moment and Katsuki fumed in response as annoyance began to build up inside him. Annoyance and anger that is.
"I heard from the girls yesterday that you're her boyfriend? If so, you're lucky Midoriya's quite hot if we're going to be honest. A bit shy… but she's pretty and her bust size isn't something to laugh at as well." Mineta dreamily said, this earned a glare from Katsuki that caused him to deflate in his chair rather quickly.
The others were unperturbed as they continued asking questions.
One of them was Kaminari who was more or less largely intimidated yesterday by Izumi's display of power.
"Her quirk sure is weird… she's that strong but she doesn't look like it." Sato commented.
"Haven't you seen her in the gym Sato? When she did the grip test her arm was kinda jacked. She's packing some muscle underneath those clothes." Kaminari said.
"Really?" Kirishima said.
"Yeah… but what I'm really curious about is her quirk. What the hell is her quirk anyway?" Sero asked. As everyone discussed Izumi's quirk between them, Kirishima went deep in thought about the topic as well. He thought about the energy tendrils she lashed out from her arm as well as the electrical field she generated. He then thought about the news report where a girl saved a boy from a Slime Villain. Suddenly, he went wide-eyed as he looked at Katsuki.
"Dude… is Midoriya the girl who was in the news with All Might? Who fought that Slime Villain?"
Katsuki paled for a second as he dropped his spoon.
"Wait… was it her?" Mineta asked.
"You can't be serious… that would make Midoriya overpowered. Do you remember what that girl did as said in the news? She canceled that Slime dude's quirk using her electric fiel- Oh shit." Kaminari said.
"Well if she is… Midoriya's already overpowered as is with her quirk." Sero noted, as he knew that the girl's tendrils functioned like his in a way but add to that the super strength, speed, and energy output, they all knew that in some sense she was far in leagues to all of them present in the table.
Except for two individuals that is (two of which they don't know about… yet).
One of them being Katsuki who was now ready to burst in anger as Izumi was the one getting attention again. Much like in Junior High. He balled his fists as he was ready to lash out, now more than ever when they were trying to discern who the boy Izumi saved from the Slime Villain incident.
A memory he would surely like to forget.
He slammed his fist on the table in annoyance but was still drown out by the amount of conversation taking place. He was about to say something again to shut them all up when Kirishima suddenly asked him another question.
"Dude… are you and Midoriya friends? I heard from her best friend that the three of you went to school together in junior high."
"What does that mean to you spiky-hair?" Katsuki spat out.
"Well… she said you and her have a 'special relationship', according to Ashido Izumi even said you were her 'friend' in some sense."
Katsuki had an incredulous look on his face.
"SHE SAID THAT? WHAT?" he grabbed Kirishima's shoulders and leaned in with an intense gaze.
"Hey man, I only said what I heard. Doesn't mean I believe them." Kirishima said to his defense.
He let go of him instantly but his expression remained unchanged. He then looked at his classmates as all eyes were on him.
"Listen to me idiots! I don't care what you think of Deku… just know that in my book she's weaker than me and it won't change a damn thing whether she's got all that flashy shit she craps out of herself. I'm gonna be number one and she's going to ride on my coattails. Understand?"
Kirishima smiled as the others shrugged. Some even laughed to themselves. Katsuki on the other hand thought that the message went through until the next table's Tenya stood up and apprehended him verbally for his disorderly conduct. Making yet another argument between them.
The argument didn't last though, as Katsuki excused himself to the boy's restroom as he stomped away. Shoto was watching him carefully, thinking that it was odd the both Izumi and Katsuki made the same excuse to leave their respective tables. He shrugged to that thought as both tables of Class 1-A entered another conversation, one regarding the subject All Might was going to teach later that day.
On Katsuki's side however, he angrily slammed the door open and washed his hands as he continued to mope about the fact that Izumi was getting too much attention. He was once again hidden under her shadow. He angrily stomped his hand on the sink as the water continued to flow.
Cursing as he continued.
"Damn fucking Deku…" he said underneath his breath.
He didn't know exactly why the girl overshadowed her in so many areas. Although he could see clearly that the girl wasn't doing it on purpose, it still pissed him off to such a degree that he hated her for it. He resented being under Izumi's shadow, even though she never truly hated him nor resented his presence, he was just…
Why was he feeling this way?
Was his pride damaged because of the Slime Villain incident?
What exactly did he feel towards Izumi? Was it hate?
Or…
"I'm not jealous." He whispered to himself.
His thoughts were interrupted when the door to the restroom opened, and out of it came a few other students. One of them was Shoto who was looking at Kastuki but looked away as soon as he finished washing his hands. He put a little force as he shoved the door open and walked outside. He shook his head, making sure that his thoughts wouldn't think that way.
He also decided to ditch everyone in the cafeteria, the first reason was to get away from his noisy ass classmates, and the other reason was because he needed time alone. That and because it was almost time to return to class.
Deciding to get some fresh air out in the school gardens for a bit, he walked a distance not too far from their classroom and reached the gardens in time. He took a deep breath as he gazed across the greenery and buildings surrounding this campus. Sighing to himself in annoyance, he decided to lean himself against a tree.
He rested his back on the nearest one and let silence take him.
He was going to think about something else until a faint voice of someone… crying came into his senses. He leaned his head right and saw that the nearest tree not far from his own…
Was Deku... and she was sobbing into her arms.
With eyes widening in surprise, he decided to maybe walk to her position. Yet his legs froze and his body automatically decided on its own to let her be. He wondered what kind of dumb reason she was crying here. It wasn't just a hint of sadness that he felt from her presence too, it felt like actual sorrow. Like something hard had hit her badly.
He felt pity for her as well as anger. This was the girl that challenged him on being the number one hero, yet here she was… crying softly like a stupid weakling. He wanted to laugh at her state. Maybe showing himself would do wonders to her already broken ego. Making sure she stays down would also be a good plan to go with. Breaking her spirit so that she wouldn't-
"Stop… Please stop…" he heard her say.
He thought it was him that she was talking to, but he found her sobbing still, holding her head for dear life. Her headband glowing faintly in the process.
For some reason he wanted to show himself and kick her on spot. Forcing her to stop crying…
But seeing her now made her wonder what she was going through.
"No matter what happens between us in the future when we achieve our dreams, I'll still be here to support you on. Just promise me that you'll respect me too in exchange." A shadow of the smile she gave to him in that memory remained in him and right now he was confused on what to do with her next.
He could only watch as she quietly sobbed.
Then the school bell rang. Meaning lunch time was over and they were needed back to their classrooms. Katsuki then leaned back to see where she was and saw that she stood up. She began wiping her tears as best she could to appear as if nothing happened. She then walked away slower than usual with a certain feeling of sadness still looming inside her.
Katsuki who remained had so many thoughts going inside his head. He angrily frowned at himself for some reason as he walked back inside the school.
With the haunting memory of Izumi crying inside his head.
13:15 Hours, UA Faculty Meeting Room…
Inko was sitting at the corner of the room hearing the UA faculty deliberate about the new findings they discovered from Izumi. Mostly the case was opened up by Aizawa who explained what happened yesterday at the field when he tried to turn off Izumi's quirk. Alongside this was discussion in regards to the concerns Nemuri, Inko, and Toshinori had about yesterday's thievery incident at the girl's home. As well as the new report given to Toshinori that was supplied by Nighteye.
It had been a heated discussion from the forefront as things became more complicated than ever at the turn of these events. She sat mostly in silence as she thought about the file Juno showed her and the current event leading up to now. She was also quite concerned yesterday about Izumi, something was off with her even when she went to school today. Her thoughts then drifted to a certain warning Juno gave her before they parted ways.
A warning that was etched on the back of her head recently.
"The primary sign you need to look out for is when she starts having hallucinations. Keep that in mind so you won't panic when the time comes."
"Ms. Inko? I've brought your coffee just as you prefer it." a voice said that interrupted her from her current line of thought. It was Kaguya, who just arrived early today after her small familial 'trip'. The woman was wearing a dark blue suit this time, complete with a signature white bow on her neckline. Her bunny ears were drooping slightly, indicating that she was a bit comfortable at that moment.
Inko smiled as she took the beverage and thanked her for it.
She then proceeded to hear Aizawa and the others deliberate about this 'alarming' indication that Izumi's quirk could not be erased nor suppressed. She already knew in a smart guess that Izumi's quirk could not be contained by conventional means. Even All Might's quirk was barely able to stand its ground when Izumi consumed it. She sipped her coffee as she continued to hear their rather vocal discussion.
Kaguya however caught wind of her deep thoughts.
"Something the matter Madame Midoriya?"
"Oh please, you know that I hate being called like that." Inko said with a small giggle. Kaguya smiled but continued the conversation.
"Well if you two are staying at Mr. Yagi's home for the time being, that also includes my services. Which means you're technically my boss too and little Midoriya's as well."
"Don't let that get into Izumi's head. You might regret doing so."
"I know… but still, I am a bit concerned at what these new developments mean for her." Kaguya surmised. Inko nodded in reply to that.
"Are we really sure to assume the worst with what's happening recently?" Kaguya asked.
"We should… otherwise I don't know how much damage this'll do to everyone, even including Izumi's own safety I'm not sure how we'll fare well if we don't become vigilant."
"I understand. However, what seems to be troubling you?"
"Everything… but mostly something else."
"What of it?"
Inko placed her beverage back to the small saucer Kaguya provided her. She put a hand on her chin as she thought about her current predicament.
"Izumi's been acting different earlier today. I can't place what is it exactly that gets me concerned but I'm just worried something will happen."
"Have yesterday's events possibly scarred her emotionally?" Kaguya asked.
"No… I don't think so. I know how Izumi acts when she's really sad or bothered about something. I'm afraid this isn't about what happened yesterday. It's about something else entirely."
Inko frowned as she knew deep down that something was wrong. It wasn't of concern that needed action at the moment but maybe talking to her daughter later would help. As she and Kaguay continued to talk about this, there was now a heated conversation amongst the staff about the findings in the compound raid yesterday.
One of them being that Toshinori got confirmation about what was inside the red vial.
"Nighteye has confirmed our fears regarding the red vial found in the raid at Shizuoka. It's a cloned sample of Young Midoriya's DNA."
Murmurs started to grow amongst the staff, chief of them was Nemuri and Inko who paled a bit at the revelation. They already guessed it earlier but hearing it being confirmed still stung.
"As our contact stated from the raid which is still being rendered off the books by law enforcement, they were conducting a series of tests and experiments on volunteers or chosen individuals based on their quirks. These images taken from the aftermath of the raid which was provided by Nighteye to help solve this case was indicative at what they were trying to do there.
On the screen ahead of the meeting room was showing pictures of mutilated bodies, hooked corpses, tubes filled with failed experiments, along with various other monstrosities conjured inside the compound. Most of the teachers while already used to such things were still baffled at what exactly these people were doing inside that lab.
"As to where they got a sample of Young Midoriya's DNA is still a mystery yet to solve. I don't blatantly recall the girl randomly exhuming her bodily fluids everywhere as we do clean it up as fast we could but seeing that someone still got a sample of her DNA makes me concerned." Toshinori said.
"We've cleaned up the remains on her Entrance Exam incident as well. Even then, the DNA would be far too unusable because of its exposure to sunlight, trash, and other waste." Recovery Girl said.
"Where did they get a sample then?" Ectoplasm asked.
"The more apparent problem I think right now is not about her DNA, it's about what they were trying to do in that compound. Those experiments… what exactly were they trying to create?" Aizawa interjected.
"Nighteye and his contacts believe that with the current evidence we have, it seems that they were trying to…" Toshinori stopped, as he saw Inko looking at him. Her expression pale and afraid.
"Trying to what?" Snipe said.
"… they were trying to replicate the girl's quirk and use it on their subjects. Thankfully, it seems all of them have failed to do so. No subject within nor records stored in the compound indicate that they were successful."
The room went silent.
"They were trying to replicate the girl's quirk?" Space Thirteen said who was sitting alongside another female member of the staff who was just as alarmed as she was.
"That is correct. What makes this mystery all the more alarming is that yesterday there was a break in the girl's home. Three dead bodies traced back by police were found in Nemuri's apartment. There didn't seem to be any indication that they were trying to locate the girl for extraction since the whole floor in that part of the apartment building was ransacked. Yet, me alongside Nemuri and Inko believe that this was related to that. As a note found in the compound indicated that they needed a fresh sample."
"A note?" Nemuri suddenly said.
"Yes… posted next to a picture of me and the girl smiling to camera because of the Slime Villain incident last year." Toshinori revealed. Inko felt herself weaken at these revelations. More importantly, it seemed like the entire staff had shared her sentiment.
"What is our plan of action? If these confirm the liable possibility of villains working against her, then we need to double our efforts. Time will tell what will happen next." Aizawa commented.
Nezu who was listening in turned to Power Loader.
"Have the security systems double checked and tightened. Make sure our outer defenses are in good condition. Also, keep everything discreet, we don't want to cause panic to our students. Also, we need to be ready for any possibility as well. The girl's protection is our prime mandate now alongside the safety of our students." Nezu said.
He then turned to Inko and Kaguya who was in the room as well.
"May I also have the cooperation of both of you in this, it is imperative we keep close watch day by day once the girl leaves Mr. Yagi's home." Inko simply nodded along with Kaguya as Aizawa put his attention to them. Luckily personal matter needed to be put in the background with the current situation.
"At that, I think it's time we conclude our meeting for today. We reconvene again before today's classes end. As for now, we should return to our designated work areas. Especially you All Might, today is your first class to teach Class 1-A about Foundational Hero Studies correct?" Nezu asked him as he nodded in response, however he was a bit anxious as to how his teachings will turn out. The only good part about this was he was going to interact with the youngsters, the future heroes of tomorrow, and alongside them was Izumi.
The meeting ended after that as the teachers went back to their classes.
Nemuri bid Inko farewell as the room was slowly vacated. She stood up as well when Toshinori was discussing some last minute things with Nezu. It ended quickly and the only ones in the room was her, Kaguya, and him.
"Wish you luck I guess… and keep her safe." Inko said with a slight tone of comfort for him.
"Where will you be?" Toshinori said. Inko then shrugged and looked at Kaguya who was taking something out of a bag she placed inside the room.
"I don't know… reaping the benefits of having an assistant?" Inko said with a shrug as they exchanged laughs. Kaguya now arrived with suit bag in her hands, containing it was one of Toshinori's hero suits.
"I hope you enjoy her presence; she gets frisky at times." Toshinori said as Kaguya frowned and shoved the bag into his hands.
"Unlike you Mr. Yagi, Ms. Inko is much more considerate." Kaguya said as she narrowed her eyes at him. Inko giggled as the woman now dragged the skinny man to wear his suit, Toshinori barely got a wave at Inko as they left the room. Now that she was alone, she took her bag and hoped for the best.
The best for Izumi's situation that is.
LATER THAT DAY…
Her senses felt different. Like something was latched on her for dear life, begging to be released. Hungry for something that drew her to people around her. Her eyes glowing in malicious red. Her presence and aura was that of a wild animal. Existing only to sustain its own hunger, its own desire. Her mouth was salivating; her focus was vivid. Her senses alarming… and her drive was that to nourish itself.
A hunger that seemed to be endless.
Lusting any source of sustenance in its wake.
Her hands pooled in blood was shaking to its own guile. Her tendrils of blackened energy lashed out like tentacles sensing movement. They showed up on her entire body as horns of protruding length grew atop her forehead. She was hunched over and ready to kill.
To kill and consume anyone who dared to go near her.
Around her lay corpses. Twenty-five in total…
Varied quirks of various shapes and sizes were now hers.
Zero Gravity…
Acid…
Creation…
Dark Shadow…
Explosion…
Earphone-Ja-
"Young Midoriya?"
Izumi's eyes returned to their usual color… she blinked as she saw that the classroom around her was empty and she was holding the suitcase that the support company made based on her hero suit configurations and concept. A flood of memories yet again before this occurrence took hold of her.
All Might in his Silver Age Costume…
Her classmates happy to see that he is teaching in UA. Herself included as she smiled at her mentor.
He then explained that he was teaching Foundational Hero Studies and was going to have a field exercise under his tutelage. He also revealed that their hero suits were ready and while pressing a button, released containers within the classroom that housed their suitcases.
She was quite surprised at how fast they were able to conjure up the suits for her classmates and as she got hers into her arms, no words could express how she felt.
Until…
Nothing. She blacked out the moment she stood there to retrieve her suitcase.
Seeing it now, it seemed like everyone already left the classroom to change. Leaving her alone with All Might who deflated once the coast was clear. He looked at her in question as the girl now pondered what to say.
"Young Midoriya? Is something wrong?"
"N-No…"
Toshinori smiled and walked to her position. He then placed his hand over her shoulder to comfort her. To him, the girl was simply nervous.
"You know back in my day I was a bit apprehensive with how my suit would look and how others would see it. I wasn't the best person to conjure up a design of sorts so what came out was pretty bland."
Izumi stared. Toshinori, who didn't notice continued to smile and comfort her.
"Just be yourself Young Midoriya. Because no matter how you look, it's the job that matters in the end. Also, I'm pretty sure your suit will be great. You're a better artist than me after all."
Izumi managed a ghost of a smile with a small nod. Toshinori then laughed a bit as he buffed himself back to his powered form. The smile on his face as big and wide was ever.
A contrast to her which was devoid of emotion. She wondered herself why she acted that way.
"Now then, you don't want to be late to your first lesson with me right? Your classmates already left so I think it's time you join them."
Izumi nodded yet again, her expression unchanged. She took her suitcase and quietly walked out of the classroom as her mentor's eyes remained on her. As she left his field of vision a weird feeling took over him.
What the heck was that about?
He decided to push those thoughts away while leaving the classroom. He would meet them at the field outside once they were ready.
…
What's wrong with me? I should be happy at this moment… but why, why am I like this?
It was quiet yet again inside the girl's changing room. Izumi was left alone after her friends finished putting their suits on. While Himiko and Kyouka offered to stay by her side, she told them that she needed time alone. They were reluctant at first but a reminder from Tenya who knocked at the door to their changing room silenced that notion. She then promised her friends to catch up…
Only that a whole minute went by…
And she was still staring at herself on the mirror while she was partially nude.
Her eyes darted on her suitcase. She opened it slowly as he horns glowed faintly again. Her mind foggy and unfocused. However, she was able to pull out her suit. Luckily, a warm feeling enveloped her the moment she saw her once drawn concept to life.
It was a rewarding experience making the suit with help from her aunt Nemuri.
It took them literal hours alongside hundreds of unused concepts to settle only one. She smiled when a memory made her recall her mother seeing what the end result was of their hard work. At the end of that day, they celebrated with a bit of ice cream to repay their effort.
Izumi touched the fabric of the suit she now had in her hands.
It felt surreal seeing it right now.
She then decided to wear it after being able to refocus her thoughts from the otherwise happy memory. A minute later, she was now clad with the suit. She looked at herself in the mirror again and placed a hand on her face and ghosted her fingers along the headband.
She clutched the small helmet-like attachment on her suit on her other hand as she gazed at herself. At the corner of her eye through the reflection, she saw a ghostly afterimage of someone with a white cape.
She turned her head and saw that no one was there…
And like every occurrence where she would see the apparition, a level of comfort and ease enveloped her. Allowing her to think clearly yet again.
She then left the room as she put on the last vestiges of her suit.
Re-assuring herself that it would be alright…
This was just her anxiety…
The after-effects of yesterday's shock…
It was just her being anxious…
Just anxiety…
Just… that. Right?
END OF CHAPTER 12
AN: Yeah, nothing much happens here... except for buildup. Ending it here felt appropriate and once the next chapter hits which is the Battle Trials, everything that happened here will funnel into something chaotic in the end. These small occurrences are in fact Izumi's quirk finally doing what it was intended to be at the start, which is to consume quirks in order to satisfy its own hunger.
How it all ends up along with the threat of villains in the corner next chapter is left in the air until I post it...
Oh and Thanks for the ongoing support too. 80+ Follows and 63 favorites leaves a smile on my face (not to mention the views haha). Thank you guys! Thanks for being there, and see you again in the next post!
NEXT CHAPTER - DUEL - Something terrible strikes the first lesson under All Might. An unexpected accident gets Izumi in trouble. As this happens, a wave of sinister things start to happen in the background as the redhead girl's situation worsens by the day.
Sidestory #10 coming soon...