Author's note:
Oh god, has been six months *nervous laughter*
First thing, I want to say sorry for the wait, procrastination is a bitch.
Second, I hope you enjoy the chapter though nothing much happen.
"Don't you think it's being a bit late for Meika to get back here with Izuku?" Inko asked worriedly, it was ten at night and there was no sign of the young man with her baby. Usually they would accompany Ibara to her home and then they would come here at nine.
And for some reason, she couldn't get out of her head that something bad had happened.
Hisashi, who was sitting on the couch and she in his lap, both finishing the movie they got to watch, mumbled a little before answering.
"Well… yeah, maybe they stopped for ice cream or lost track of time and trained more than normal, it's not like that hasn't happened before, honey."
She settled back into her husband's arms, enjoying the warmth he brought to her. "I know... but I have a feeling something happened... I just hope it's just me worrying more than necessary..."
"They'll be fine, I know they can take care of themselves and they have Meika. What's the worst thing that could happen?"
Without warning, the door opened abruptly causing Inko to jump, Hisashi turning his face could only see a green blur followed by the sound of the door of his son's room opening and closing with force.
In a second an agitated Ibara came running in.
"Mido!"
She went straight to Izuku's room, tried to open the door, without any success. She knocked a couple of times while trying to convince her friend.
"P-please, Mido, locking you up won't solve anything, I know it's sudden... but..." Her voice cracked a bit, not finding the right words for this situation.
What could she say to this? Not even she has fully absorbed the idea that her master wanted to become some kind of monster, that he was out there lurking and God only knows when he will start his first fight. Or massacre.
Truth be told, she prayed with all her soul that it was just a twisted dream from which she would wake up at any moment.
But that pressure, present in her heart, indicated that it was not a dream, that all this was real.
"Ibara-chan, what happened? What happens to Izuku? Where is Meika?" asked a concerned Inko who approached her, concern that increased when she saw the girl's face, sadness, confusion and uncertainty could be perfectly seen in her green eyes.
"I-Inko-san, I'm very sorry if I suddenly entered your house like that, I really am, and about Mido… Sensei… he…" She trailed off, bit her lower lip lightly and her gaze went to the closed door, not knowing how to explain all of this, she wasn't even sure if she fully understood the situation.
She felt her hands being taken by the green-haired woman, when she looked back she found Inko's concerned but kind gaze, this made the pressure on her chest dissipate a bit.
"Dear, how about the three of us sit down so you can calmly explain everything to us? I'll make some tea if you like."
"But… Mido…"
"I think… I think it would be best to just let him be for now, whatever happened, he needs time to digest it, so do you Ibara. But we need to know what happened." Hisashi said softly, putting his hand on the girl's shoulder.
Her eyes fell back on the door, worried about the emotional state her friend must be in, but she couldn't say that Hisashi was not right, perhaps the best thing is for him to have some time to himself and then they would speak more calmly.
She looked back at the woman, nodding at the idea. "I would like some tea." With this Inko's smile went slightly upward.
After a while the three of them were sitting on the sofa, each with a still-steaming cup of tea and the television playing a news channel, mostly focused on heroes, at Ibara's request.
The couple said nothing so far, patiently waiting for her to find the right words and she was grateful for it.
After taking a gulp of the drink and feeling the taste and heat go down her throat, she sighed as she felt the pressure that was bothering her finally fade from her chest.
Still with her gaze focused on the cup, the girl began to speak. "You must have noticed how sensei acted strange, out of his mind." She didn't need to see them to know that they nodded, while Meika wasn't exactly someone open to how he felt one came to notice when he was out of his comfort zone or something on his mind was bothering him. Ibara sighed again.
"After training he wanted to tell us something, first he asked about Mustafasu's wolf…" She paused, as if she was thinking of telling them or not. "He confessed to us that he was the one behind it."
"What?" Hisashi asked with wide eyes in surprise, his wife's reaction was one of bewilderment.
Meika, the young man who kindly offered to train their son, who had been inside their home and made his space in the family. Was he the cause of those brutal fights?
Just thinking that felt… wrong, the idea of him being the cause of sending fighters to the hospital with broken bones and shattered spirits was unreal.
A thought that drew a nervous laugh from Hisashi.
"Oh, I got it, you really had us there. Meika really must have convinced you well… to…" But his words began to die when he saw the serious and, at the same time, sad look that Ibara gave him. "This is not a joke…" She shook her head and looked back at the cup in her hands.
"I wish it was. But that's not all, he also said that was his way to become strong and fulfill his goal." Unfortunately, the discomfort returned to make its space in her heart.
"He told us that he wanted to become a monster, that he wanted to be feared to the point that everyone wishes he never existed. Now he's not going for martial artists, he's going for heroes." She inhaled deeply and exhaled the air from her lungs, trying to understand the meaning of all this.
Or better yet, what would be sensei's reasons for doing something like that.
"We... even knowing it was impossible, we wanted to defeat him in a fight and stop him, but he simply knocked us with a blow to the neck... When we woke up he was already gone, I suggested we come here, all the way Mido was quiet, too quiet, and when we were a couple of blocks away he started running without warning and I followed him."
She squeezed the cup between her hands, slightly trembling, she felt…
"And I'm so confused. Am I mad at him for just leaving us like this? Sad that I'll stop seeing him again? Worried about how it will end or how Mido feels right now?" She whispered as she clenched her teeth, trying to hold back a few tears that were trying to come out. Beside her, Inko put her cup on the table and wrapped her arms around Ibara, after a few seconds the girl returned the hug, resting her head on top of Inko's.
She also couldn't help but think, Was that all a lie? All the times he counseled them, the times he complimented them, the time they spent together, didn't it mean anything to him?
She wanted to believe that it was not like that, that he really enjoyed their company, that everything was authentic only that he decided to hide his objective.
But then why?
Just... Why?
Everything was quiet in his room, he was sitting on his bed without making a noise, his tearful gaze was fixed on his cell phone that showed a particular photo.
It was taken at Christmas, it was Meika being hugged by Ibara and Izuku. The highlight of the image was the fact that Meika had a Christmas hat on each large lock. Despite his claims that he looked ridiculous, you could see that he was smiling at the camera and that he was happy.
He put his cell phone aside when he felt knots in his throat, stomach and chest. He couldn't understand what was happening, when they both woke up his mind felt cloudy, no notion of time or where he was, only one thought had a place in his head.
Aniki left them.
Later, when he noticed that they were close to home, his body moved by itself and began to run, in an instant he was locked in his own room. He didn't even pay attention to his parents.
Aniki left them.
He tried to wipe the tears with the sleeve of his shirt, but they wouldn't stop. Were they for sadness? Anger? He didn't know, maybe it was both. He wanted answers. Why? But the only one who could answer them was far away.
He was far away.
And that hurt.
His thoughts were interrupted by someone knocking on the door.
"Izuku? I know you don't want to talk and everything is very confusing, but please at least go out to eat." His mother said softly, her worried voice being heard throughout the room due to the silence.
He didn't answer for the moment, his mind was too busy with other thoughts to do so.
But he got up anyway and walked to the door.
"He said he hates heroes, so why train us? Even if he said why it doesn't make much sense."
"I assumed he didn't like heroes, but it's hate if he wants to 'hunt' them like he said."
"Why does he hate them? Why focus years of training to fight them?"
"Why?"
He reached for the door handle, his grip being so strong that perhaps he could destroy it.
The image of his friend flashed through his head.
"How is Shio? Is she still here? I… I just ignored her, she must be feeling the same as me and I turned my back on her, what a friend I am." he thought the last with guilt and annoyance towards himself. Every time he doubted himself even a little, she always cheered him up with just her smile and words. And this is how he returns the favor? He will need to apologize to her.
He let out a sigh, inhaled and exhaled trying to dispel the knots that were suffocating him, they were still there but looser.
He opened the door and was greeted by the image of his mother still standing there, her eyes full of concern and sadness. Her hands were together with the fingers intertwined.
They both stood in silence for a few seconds, not knowing what to say at the moment.
Silence that the son broke.
"Mom, I-" But he was interrupted by her who reached over and brought her hand to Izuku's cheek, gently caressing him and with her thumb wiping away the tears that kept coming out.
"Shhh, it's okay if you don't want to talk now." She whispered with a smile that denoted gentleness. "I prepared Katsudon to eat." She saw how he took her hand in his and nodded. And, like he was a small child in a crowd, she led him into the dining room where two plates of food were already served. When they both sat down, the younger one couldn't help asking.
"Where are dad and Shio? And… is she okay?" The latter he asked with obvious concern.
"She… Ibara is just as devastated as you, Izuku, as she explained everything to us she said she wished it was a dream." No doubt everyone wanted it to be that. "Your father took her home in the car so she can rest, both of them have already eaten here. He also said that he would wait for Jideo-san to arrive to explain what happened."
"I see..." Was the only thing he said, feeling how those knots were tightening his being again with the thought of his friend feeling down and him doing nothing.
Mother and son continued to eat in silence after that, each with their own thoughts.
When he finished his plate, Izuku spoke again. "Mom..."
"Yes, dear?"
"Do you think it was all a li-lie? That he just acted li-like he cared about us?" He asked with his voice starting to crack, his eyes fixed on his plate and hands in his lap. He wanted to believe that it was not like that, that Aniki really loved them as a family.
That their brotherhood was real.
He felt a hand resting on his shoulder, when he looked up he found his mother at his side, small tears peeked out of her eyes but without spilling any unlike usual.
"Son, as you know, the eyes are the windows to the soul, and every time Meika was here, every time he spent time with you and Ibara, he clearly showed that he enjoyed spending time with you. He really loves you as if you were his siblings, he is part of the family although he always tries to deny it." She put her hand on her son's hair, stroking it a little.
Izuku, for his part, encircled his mother's waist with both arms, putting them both in a hug that she returned pleasantly. "If so… why just leave us?"
Inko hesitated a bit to answer. "I… I'm not sure, the only one who can answer that is him."
They stayed for a few moments like this, Izuku hugging his mother and she stroking the curls of his hair.
In those moments a question came to his mind.
What will he do now?
Being sad and crying will not make his Aniki come back, nor will it change his mind.
As he is now, he cannot hold out in a fight against his master, much less be able to approach him to answer his questions. Nor does he know where he might be.
"Listen up brats, even if you can't throw a punch, even if your legs are screaming at you to stop or breathing is punishment, as long as you have the will to continue you can get up again and again."
No, he has to move on. Both he and Ibara must become strong, not only in order to be heroes but to have at least a remote chance of stopping who trained them.
With that in mind, he broke away from the hug a bit, looked up and looked his mother straight in the eyes, his gaze still sad but now mixed with determination.
"Mom, I know what to do."
Death Arms.
Heat Canon.
RockMan.
And finally, Elastic.
The silver-haired man crossed out those names from his bingo book that he had bought earlier, a bit stupid to have content like that available to the public since someone could easily use the information against the heroes.
Him being an example.
"The only slightly problematic one was Heat Canon though..." he thought to himself as he put the book aside, grabbed the burnt pomade and applied it to his forearm, near the wrist, where his injury was. That was caused by the hero by throwing one of his heat balls and Meika covering himself with his arm.
Was it worth doing that to see that puzzled face? Yes, it was.
Of course, the information he could get from those books was not as accurate as he would like, there are even some who decide to give little or nothing about them except their hero names and how they named their quirks. Some even decided to use other languages.
For God's sake, one was in German and another was in Latin.
These things were like a very cheap and lazy version of the analysis Izuku does, even Ibara could do better in just five minutes.
...
He let out a sigh as he finished bandaging the wound.
They will be fine, none of them is a baby who would stay crying in a corner, sooner or later they will find the will to train without his guidance.
"Besides, it will do them good not to have me around."
Bah, he doesn't have to worry.
...
He shook his head and decided it was better to lie down on the mattress for good.
You would not know the number of buildings that were abandoned for any reason, whether due to criminal activity or things from the construction companies, there were rooms full of mold or whose floors were unstable, yes, but others were intact and perfect to use as hiding places.
The one he used was an example.
There was no electricity, water or gas, but it is not a bother.
As long as he still has his money in his bag and a roof over his head he will be fine.
Although…
...
"They will be fine, stop thinking about it and sleep." He told himself, closed his eyes and let his mind go to the dream world.
Tomorrow will be another day.
"The identity of this villain is unknown, but according to Elastic and Rockman, this young man calls himself 'Garou' and apparently his objective is to 'hunt down' the heroes. Perhaps a follow-" The television was turned off before the reporter could finish the question.
"He would never agree with a psychopath." Ibara said between her teeth, frowning at the already black image of the device.
Four heroes were found unconscious in different parts of the city of Mustafasu, each with fractures and broken bones except for Elastic who, due to his quirk, could not suffer injuries but was tied with his own limbs and hung upside down in a lamppost.
How did she know that this same young man was her sensei? Rockman's quirk allowed him to cover his entire body with stone armor that gave him good defense while sacrificing his mobility.
And they found him on the rubble of his own armor, apparently it was easily shattered and, according to the information provided by the hero after awakening, this same young man was quick and accurate with his blows and also openly mocking him.
She only knew of one person who could fit that description.
She let out a sigh as she grabbed her cell phone again and checked to see if her friend answered her.
…nothing…
When she arrived yesterday accompanied by Hisashi, she directly went to her room saying that she was exhausted, the man just said good night and that she tried to rest. Which she could hardly do when she was thinking about a lot.
She got up early to have breakfast with her dad, he said that Hisashi already explained everything but that he still can't believe it.
No one can, but it was real.
He mentioned that the hero Death Arms was hospitalized where he works, apparently he was attacked and his right arm was twisted in three parts that damaged his muscles but, according to the words of his colleague, luckily the ligaments were not damaged so it will be a matter of time for him to get back to work.
One of the four that he attacked.
Speaking of work, her father recently went to his, but not before saying goodbye with a kiss on the forehead and a hug. So she was alone at home, sitting on the sofa in the living room.
She didn't know what she was going to do.
Their teacher aims to be a kind of symbol of terror and he abandoned them. The thought of it only made her heart fill with sadness.
Maybe she does not have the same bond of brotherhood that Meika and Izuku share, but apart from being the person who taught her to fight, he was also a friend with whom she could talk and hang out, he will be someone rude and her language leaves much to be desired but he was someone nice, kind in his own way and she couldn't help but admire him for his strength and ability.
And at the same time, she was worried about Izuku.
"If I feel like this… how will he be?"
Devastated, that's for sure.
What can she do? He doesn't respond to her messages and he probably won't if she calls him. Should she go to his house and see how he is?
Maybe…
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the doorbell indicating that someone was at the entrance. Who could it be at eight in the morning? Not caring about the fact that she was still in pajamas, she went to open the door.
And great was her surprise when she found her friend right there, with a look that she could not describe well. Sadness? Repentance?
"Good morning, Shio." He said with a small smile and a soft voice, that brought her out of her little trance.
"Mido, good morning…" Her smile turned into a small line, hesitating a bit as to whether to ask the question. "…You feel good?"
"Well…" He brought a hand to the back of his neck and scratched it a little. "That's what I wanted to talk about… about yesterday, can I come in?"
"Oh! Of course, come in." She said as she took a step to the side, letting Izuku enter, after closing the door they both went to the sofa and sat down with a space that separated them.
Ibara couldn't help but feel that something strange was happening with her friend but she couldn't say what exactly it was, she just hoped it wasn't something bad.
"About yesterday... about sensei..." She started to speak while looking at her lap but was interrupted.
"…Sorry."
That made her look up and look at her friend with surprise and, above all, confusion. He just kept his head down not allowing her to see his face.
"Mido? Why are you apologizing? It's not like what sensei is doing is your fault." It couldn't be that at all, but then what?
He let out a sigh, apparently trying to find the right words. "I know that… I'm not apologizing for Aniki, it was his decision after all… I want to apologize for how I acted."
Again confusion came to her, for how he acted? Without thinking twice she approached him cutting the distance and put her hand on his shoulder. "Mido, look at me." He did as she said and looked up, there she understood what his face was showing.
His friend was ashamed.
"…What do you mean with how you acted? Mido, it's okay that you're sad, there's nothing wrong with that. You and sensei are very close and he doing this will affect you…"
He then put his hand on hers. "Like you... Shio, I ignored your feelings, I decided it was better to lock myself in my room than to be by your side. You always try to cheer me up every time I doubt and how have I returned it to you? Turning my back on you." He slowly took her hand in his, the feeling of warmth flooding their hearts. "That's why I want to ask your forgiveness, for being a bad friend."
At that she was speechless, surprised once again by what her friend was saying.
She blinked once, twice, three times.
And she couldn't help but smile sweetly.
"Mido, it's okay." She whispers. "You needed some time alone and at no point did I feel any resentment or even annoyance."
"…But I worried you." He said it as if it were a fact.
And he was right, part of her night was spent praying for the welfare of two people, he being one of them.
She let out a small sigh, but without leaving her smile. "Yes, I was really worried about you, but now you're here so it's okay."
"But is not…"
She shook her head slowly. "Neither one of us is going to give in, right?"
"We are stubborn after all…" He joked a bit and they both laughed.
"You know what? I forgive you, only if you give me a hug." When he heard those words, he did not think twice and wrapped his arms around her and let her head rest on his shoulder, Ibara responded pleasantly and at the same time used her hand to caress his messy but soft hair.
That was what they needed, to feel each other's arms around their bodies, that warmth that gave them a sense of security.
That everything would be fine, because they have each other.
Ibara rubbed her face on Izuku's shoulder, her cheeks being painted crimson from the act but not looking a bit disturbed by it.
But a question appeared in her mind, one that needed to be answered.
"Mido?" She asked in a whisper, somewhat unsure of how to bring the issue up. He let out a murmur indicating that he was listening to her. "What are we going to do now? Sensei… he's practically a criminal. Should we go to the police and provide information about him?" It might be considered a cheap blow considering it's their teacher they were talking about, but it was the right thing to do.
For his part, Izuku tightened the hug a little more and let out a sigh. "I know we have to but... a part of me believed that, in a certain way, we are betraying him and the other..." He trailed off when he couldn't find the right words, but the caresses on his hair that Ibara gave him told him to take his time. Which he was grateful for. "...The other one... I think it would make things worse." He didn't need to see her face to know that she raised both eyebrows.
"How so?"
"...I don't want to think that way but I think the heroes, knowing that he is quirkless, will lower their guard believing that he is a simple vandal and Aniki taught us to use the overconfidence of your opponents. Also that our neighbors are familiar with him and I don't think they would like to know he is a criminal. "
"They will find out sooner or later..."
"I know... but I'd rather it were late."
"…We'll talk about it with our parents, okay?" Ibara pulled away from the hug a little to look Izuku in the eye, his brow furrowing in concern. "As long as we have each other everything will be fine." She said with a smile.
Izuku, feeling a bit more relieved, replied with his own. "I know… About Aniki…" His voice trailed off as his gaze went to the television, not finding the right words to say what was on his mind.
"You want to stop him." Ibara whispered, knowing what he was thinking. Izuku had his gaze on her again. "I feel the same. True, he is in no way our responsibility and the most reasonable thing to do would be to leave him in the hands of the heroes. But… we both know him, we know that he won't stop until he achieves what he wants."
"We will have to get stronger if we want to do that."
She nodded. "Yes… to defeat him."
The idea was far-fetched, it was only yesterday that he defeated them both with a single blow and there was no doubt that he would get stronger as time went by.
But they had to at least try.
"That can wait tomorrow… now..." They both hugged each other again.
"Can we stay like this longer?"
"…Of course."
"Thank you…"
"Always."
In the police career, in general, you come across a multitude of scenarios, from robberies, assaults, and property damage to murders, kidnappings, shootings, and illegal trafficking of any kind.
"Please, what I'm asking is not much."
And also, unfortunately, friends asking you for ridiculous favors.
"For the hundredth time Toshinori, I'm not going to investigate a teenager just because you became paranoid about All for One. Fine, I understand that this quirkless boy is stronger than he should be is curious, it intrigues me too, but that's not reason to inquire into his private life. " Said irritated and tired, especially tired, detective Naomasa to his blond friend who was sitting in front of him in his office.
Since the U.A. entrance exams ended, Toshinori got an interest in this boy in question and how surprisingly he managed to be one of the top five despite his lack of quirk. But lately his paranoia towards All for One has made him wonder if this young man got such strength through the villain.
What a lot of ridiculousness.
Maybe it was time to get him a therapist once and for all.
"But-" He was quickly interrupted by Naomasa.
"But nothing, really Toshinori, where did you get such a stupid idea? Don't tell me Sasaki-san was the one who came up with it." He noticed how his friend swallowed hard and looked to the side. "Are you fu… you two are not just clowns but the whole circus."
"Hey!"
Whatever his claim was, he was interrupted by someone knocking on the door, it should be Tamakawa.
"Come in, Tamakawa-kun." His cat comrade opened the door and poked his head out.
"Excuse me if I interrupted something."
"Don't worry, we were just talking about nothing."
He nodded. "There are two men who want to talk to you, they say they have information about the hero hunter."
That surprised both men making both eyebrows go up. Until now, 3 days since his 'debut', they couldn't find information about Garou except his appearance, even his quirk was not known. And now two men came with relevant information?
"Have them come in, and thank you." Again his coworker nodded and then left, probably to tell those men to come.
"The hero hunter?" The symbol of peace pursed his lips a little, intrigued by what these men could offer.
"The guy has been causing trouble, it hasn't been a week and he's already sent fifteen heroes to the hospital." The detective said with a sigh at the thought of this particular villain.
Before he could think more, the door was opened again by Tamakawa letting in two grown men, Naomasa deduced that they were in their forties. Toshinori got up from one of the two seats in front of the desk.
"Good morning and thank you for having us in your office." One of them said as he bowed like his companion.
"Good morning gentlemen." Naomasa said as he stood up and returned the bow. "I am Tsukuichi Naomasa, and the bag of bones is my friend Yagi Toshinori, a retired hero." He olympically ignored the glare of the blonde.
"…Thank you very much for the introduction, friend." He muttered.
"Please, take a seat."
The black-haired man gave a little laugh and then walked over to one of the chairs and took a seat, as did the green-eyed man. "Where are my manners? I am Midoriya Hisashi, nice to meet you."
"Midoriya?" Toshinori thought in surprise. Wasn't that the surname of the quirkless young man he would teach shortly?
"And I am Shiozaki Jideo, nice to meet you."
He was sure that one of the students in class B had that last name. Could it be the parents? Now that he took a good look, Midoriya Hisashi looked identical to young Midoriya… actually the other way around.
"The pleasure is mine, if you don't mind I want to go straight to the point and ask what you know about Garou, his name, age and, if known, his quirk." Naomasa said as he sat down again and, without these men noticing, activating his quirk to detect any lies. Toshinori stood next to him.
"Sure." Hisashi said and cleared his throat. "First of all, his real name is Silverfang Meika."
True.
"What?!" Both detective and hero thought shocked when they heard that last name, they only knew two other people with that name.
And they were dead.
Luckily they were able to hide their surprise, so Hisashi continued. "He's twenty-one, and about his quirk… he's quirkless."
Also true.
"Are you sure about his lack of quirk?"
Jideo nodded. "Yes, but I think the most important thing is something else, surely you know about the Wolf of Mustafasu."
"Yes… Are you telling me that this young man was the one behind those fights?" He asked when realizing where the man was going.
Both men nodded, it was also true.
"But wasn't the wolf someone with a mutation quirk?" Yagi asked.
"He confessed it was a disguise." Hisashi replied. True.
So, a boy of only sixteen or seventeen brutally defeated adults trained in martial arts like nothing, disappeared and now his target are the heroes? Not to mention he was quirkless.
Even for the world they live in, that was insane.
"If you let me ask." Toshinori started to say. "How is it possible that you guys know about this?"
At this, Hisashi let out a sigh. "Before answering that, do you promise that it will not be known that it was us who gave you the information?"
"Sir, I promise you that both of your identities will be kept completely anonymous." Naomasa replied firmly as Yagi nodded.
Hisashi took a minute to think about it and then let out another sigh that was accompanied by small embers. "Very well. You see, when my son was in first year he was assaulted by second-year boys from the same school on his way home. Shortly afterwards someone came to his rescue, knocked out the bullies and accompanied my son home, And if that wasn't enough, he offered to train him in martial arts. "
True.
"And that someone was Garou." Naomasa said in confirmation.
"Exactly. Since then he became part of the family, but we never knew his actions as the wolf or what he was planning, it would not have crossed our minds that he was capable of something like that..." Hisashi said while frowning. Naomasa could see the anger in his eyes.
Again, true. His gaze focused on the other man. "And you?"
"My daughter was also trained by Meika."
True. With two fingers of his right hand he began to massage his temple. "Do you have an idea where it might be? A hiding place for example."
"We're sorry to say no, there is his home but I highly doubt he'll ever go back there." Jideo said as he shook his head.
"I see… would that be all?" Both men nodded. "Very well, thank you very much for coming here, you may not believe it but the information helps a lot."
"I just hope you can put him in prison soon." Hisashi said seriously and with a hint of anger, he got up and bowed. "Thanks for listening. Goodbye." And without more to say he turned and left the office, Jideo also got up, bowed and followed his friend.
"Goodbye." They both said when they saw them leave and close the door, they waited a few moments to be sure they had gotten far enough away.
"So Garou and the wolf are the same person…" Naomasa said in a sigh, Toshinori sat back in one of the chairs.
"Not only that, he is Bang-san's adopted son… Gran Torino won't like to know that at all." The peace symbol trembled at the thought of such a scenario.
"Toshinori, didn't you say that the quirkless boy's name was Midoriya?"
Yagi nodded. "Yes, I have no doubts that was his father, they look very similar, but not only that, one of the students from class B's name is Shiozaki."
"Quirkless too?"
He shook his head. "No, her quirk are those vines she has for hair if I remember correctly."
"This is weird." He said simply as he lowered his shoulders. "Out of nowhere everything that involves Garou just doesn't make sense, his fights as the wolf without even having turned eighteen, disappearing from our radar, during that he trained two teenagers who want to be heroes and his goal right now is, apparently, hospitalizing heroes…" He exhaled in exasperation as he massaged both of his temples.
And Toshinori couldn't agree more with his friend. "Now what are you going to do with that information?"
"What am I going to do? Inform each hero and policeman in the city, while Garou is not a villain according to the law due to his lack of quirk, with what we have he already tells me that you have to be very careful with him and poor of the one who underestimates him."
"You're right."
But Toshinori felt that something did not fit in all this. Why did Garou, a criminal who does not hide his great disdain for heroes, go to the trouble of training two young aspiring heroes?
Yes, now that question about Midoriya and his relation with him has been cleared up, and he feels like an idiot for having them in the first place, but many others were created.
He assumes it will only be a matter of time to answer them.
Days passed slowly, Izuku and Ibara continued training on their own although they decided to stop going to Meika's house.
It just wasn't the same to be there without him.
They preferred to use the beach for training, it was still a special place for them.
About Meika, Izuku was right and after it was known that he was quirkless some heroes thought he was a low level criminal despite knowing that he was also the Wolf of Mustafasu.
Those same heroes ended up in the hospital.
But lately there have been no reports on him, as if he had taken a break from fighting.
They didn't know what to think about it.
And then the first day of school came, although Izuku did not expect to be in front of the principal's office accompanied by his father.
His dad apparently called to have a talk with the principal and he summoned them twenty minutes before the first hour began, the oldest dressed as formal as possible while he was wearing the school uniform.
Hisashi knocked on the door a couple of times.
"Come in." It was heard from behind the door, Hisashi opened it and they both went through. The office was not very special, with white walls without any accessories, a black desk where Nezu was with two chairs ready for them, a steaming cup of tea and behind him a large window that gave a view of the city of Mustafasu.
"Oh Mister and young Midoriya, good morning to you both." Said the white furred creature with his usual cheerful tone, he couldn't help being curious about the great resemblance that father and son share. Even in the badly tied tie.
"Good Morning." They both said while bowing.
"You don't need to be so formal, please have a seat." Seeing that the door was closed and the two of them sat across from him, he spoke again. "Getting to the point..." But when he noticed something his voice trailed off, his smile fading from his face. "If you don't mind me asking, Midoriya-kun, why are your hands covered in bandages?"
"Uh?" Izuku raised both hands showing that what the headmaster said was true. "Oh, it happened while training, I got carried away a bit."
"Yeah… 'a bit'" Hisashi muttered and Izuku shot him a slightly annoyed look.
"But that was two days ago, now they are better but my mom insisted that I leave the bandages on."
Before that Nezu nodded. "I see, but remember that you have the infirmary in case you feel any discomfort in your hands." Seeing Izuku nod he continued. "As I was saying, what do you want to talk about, Mr. Midoriya?"
At the question he nodded. "I wanted to know what is the position that U.A. has towards discrimination, specifically against quirkless people."
Izuku wasn't surprised by that, the last thing his parents wanted is for U.A. be like Aldera.
"I had the feeling it was about that." The director thought to himself, still with his permanent smile. "I assure you, Mr. Midoriya, that we have a policy of zero tolerance for any type of discrimination, whatever it may be. And, Midoriya-kun, if it happens that a student discriminates against you because of your lack of quirk, don't be afraid to talk to the teachers or me. Understood? " The young man nodded at this.
"I see." Hisashi said. "What about the teachers? Does everyone know that my son is quirkless?"
"Not all, the second and third year teachers as well as those who teach in the other courses do not have knowledge about your son. At least I have not seen it necessary to give that information to them, while those who are in charge of teaching the first year as also our nurse and counselor know about Midoriya-kun."
Both father and son nodded at that.
"In relation to that, Midoriya-kun, apart from Shiozaki-san, are there other people who know about your lack of quirk? More importantly, would they have problems with that?"
"Well..." Izuku was going to reply until he processed the sentence, his eyes widened just like his father. "How?"
At this the director laughed a little. "Well, you see, a few days before the exams I read a very interesting article about how two young one cleaned up an entire beach, and not only that, they also thought about entering this same school. After the exam was over, in my routine of reviewing the security camera footage, I came across two quite... interesting scenes involving those same young teenagers." As he spoke, his smile grew bigger and Izuku's face redder.
"Uuuh…" That was the only thing that came from Izuku, for his part Hisashi laughed.
"You are correct, principal, those two are 'best friends' and are almost always together."
The youngest did not know if he liked the way his father pronounced 'best friends'.
"W-whatever…" Izuku cleared his throat to compose himself. "Apart from her, Uraraka-san, Sero-san and Iida-san know that I am quirkless, I told them on the day of the exam. But I don't think they will do anything."
"I see... they are in class A though." Nezu dropped his smile and said seriously. "And tell me, Midoriya-kun, what about Bakugo Katsuki?"
The question caught the young man off guard, before the face of surprise the director decided to explain.
"You see, as an institution we have access to information on every student, even the schools they have attended. You spent a term at Aldera Middle School, in the same class as Bakugo-kun, and then take online courses. Considering the discrimination towards quirkless people, the… reputation Aldera has and young Bakugo's overly clean record, I couldn't help but raise my suspicions."
"…That's why I'm in class B." Izuku stated.
"Exactly, although I was not completely sure, something told me that I should not take the risk. Because of your reactions I was correct, right?" The young man nodded at this. The director let out a sigh. "Do you think he will do something against you?"
"I... I can't say... I want to believe that he won't do anything to risk his place in U.A."
"Let's hope... unfortunately it is the only thing I can do, although I can see that you are not lying when you say that Bakugo has done things against you in the past, there is no evidence and with your word alone I can not do anything."
"Is fine, principal, I understand. Just putting us in different classes is enough for me." He assured him.
"I'm glad to hear that, I'd like to continue talking but I think you should head to your classroom, Midoriya-kun." Nezu said when he saw the time. Izuku realized that he got up from his seat ready to leave.
"I'll stay a bit longer talking to the director." Hisashi said. First his son raised an eyebrow but simply nodded, said goodbye to both of them and left the office.
"I didn't do it just because of the possibility of Bakugo doing something against you, Midoriya-kun. If he has hurt you, there is no doubt that you will feel a grudge, I know from experience." He thought to himself with his gaze fixed on the door, the scar across his eye tickling. "What else do you want to talk about, Mr. Midoriya?" He asked.
A smile appeared on his lips. "Would you show me those two scenes you talked about earlier? And is it possible that I can get a copy?"
The director's smile grew bigger at the request. "Of course."
During his walk a chill ran down his spine.
"Uh, what was that?" Izuku thought. In a few moments he was in the hallway where the freshmen classrooms should be. He stopped when he heard screams coming from the classroom A.
"Get your feet off the desk!"
"Fuck you!"
He rolled his eyes as he recognized the second voice. Starting so early already? The first was from Iida, or so he thought. He decided that it was better to pass them, he would see if he would have a chance to greet him, Sero and Uraraka. Instead he stood in front of the door to his classroom which, like others, was huge. He supposed it was for those who were very large due to their quirks.
There would be eighteen teenagers who would be his classmates for the next three years. He couldn't help but wonder what reaction they'll have when they find out he's quirkless.
Even if they all end up being like other people he had met, he thinks it won't matter much as long Ibara is by his side.
Thinking it was best to put that thought aside, he inhaled and exhaled the air from his lungs.
The moment he let out his breath he felt his senses heightened, his body tensing a bit and the next second he relaxed, he felt his veins rise a little.
He could hear the bustle of the class more clearly, but there were still too many voices at the same time to make sense of what they were talking about.
He inhaled and exhaled again, his senses returning to normal and that relaxation fading.
"I know Shio insisted that I should stop using abandonment so often, but it really helps." He thought to himself.
Without further ado, he slid the door, entered the classroom, and closed it.
Some put their eyes on him for a second and then go back to what they were doing, be it talking to someone or looking at their cell phones, others simply did not pay attention. Although surely the arched eyebrows he received from a few were because his hands.
He quickly noticed where Ibara was, on one of the middle benches chatting with an orange-haired girl on her right, the seat on her left was being occupied by her backpack.
"Oh, she saved me a seat." He thought, smiling a little. As he approached, she noticed his presence and took her backpack, letting him sit down. "Good morning, Shio. And thank you."
"Good morning Mido, and you are welcome." Ibara said with a smile, but the instant she noticed Izuku's tie she couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "I know you're not used to wearing a tie, but Hisashi-san couldn't help you tie it?"
A bit confused, Izuku looked at his tie and then at his friend. "But he helped me?"
"So you both don't know how to tie a tie…" Was her conclusion, which only made Izuku's confusion grow.
"Ummm ... Do you know him, Shiozaki-san?" Itsuka asked, which caught Ibara's attention.
"Oh sorry Kendo-san, this is Midoriya Izuku, my friend and, Mido, this is Kendo Itsuka."
"Oh, you are the girl Shio met at exams, nice to meet you." Izuku said, waving his hand and smiling.
"Likewise." But upon noticing his hands she couldn't help but make a curious face with a hint of concern. "What happened to your-"
But she was interrupted by the sound of the door opening, a gray-haired man entered the room causing everyone to stop doing whatever they were doing to pay attention to him.
Everyone recognizes him.
He wore a full red suit, silver combat boots and armbands, and an orange visor. His great height and muscular body gave an intimidating air to all the students. His gaze swept over each of the teens, some feeling uncomfortable, as if he was evaluating whether they were worth it right now. After a few short seconds he nodded.
"Good." He muttered to himself and walked to the front of the desk, facing the students, hands behind his back. "Good morning everyone, my name is Ken Sekijiro but surely you know me by my hero name Vlad King, but call me just Ken-sensei. This year I will be your homeroom teacher, that means I'm in charge of your general well-being and also the one who will plan your school schedules, internships and training. If you have any problems, be in hero training or your general studies, don't doubt I will help you the best I can. That being said…"
He then crossed his arms over his chest, his calm face turning into one more serious. "Just because I'm willing to help doesn't mean I'm going to hold your hand all year, this is the hero course, not the park across your home. Here you are expected to give not your all but beyond that. 'Go beyond, plus ultra', that is our motto, you're going to work to the bones, I will make sure everyone goes through hell and back. And if someone has any problem with that…" He gestures at the door with his left hand. "The door is there." he said in a challenging tone, glaring at all the teenagers in the room, some show surprise at that and a little of doubt, but soon enough everyone gave him a look of determination, one that will take everything he would throw at them. Seeing this he couldn't help but smile.
"Good, that's what I'm talking about. Remember, y'all must aim not to be 'good enough' but to be better than yesterday. Understood?" he asked, raising his voice.
"Yes, sen-"
"BRING IT ON, SENSEI!" Were what two boys shouted at the same time, standing on their seat. One had an insect-like look and green hair in a mohican style, in the skin of his palm a little blade could be seen. The other had gray spiky hair, weird looking eyelashes and his skin looked like it was made of steel. Their faces showed they were ready for battle.
…
But they realized everyone else was seeing them in silence, clearly confused for their action, then they looked at each other.
"Sorry…" they said and sat down again with their heads down and stopped using their quirks, gaining the giggle of some. Then Vald King cleared his throat calling the attention of everyone.
"Well… I see you have the spirit, that's good. Remember you can't use your quirk in class though, but I will let it pass just this time, am I clear?" Both boys nodded their heads. "Very well. Listen up, in a few moments we have the ceremony." he then heard some groans. "I know. After that we came back here, I will give all of you your set of gym clothes and also textbooks among other supplies. Then we will have a little test to see what you're capable of. Questions?" Nobody seems to ask, giving none was raising their arm. "Good." Just in time the bell rang. "Now everyone, follow me in order."
Besides the fact that the class 1A wasn't there and Izuku, like others, could've swear he heard an explosion in the distance, the ceremony just went with not much to happen for the next two hours.
After that they were given their gym clothes and supplies, Ken told them to change and head to the P.E. Grounds where the test will take place.
Seeing all of his students in front of him, the hero started to talk. "You were fast, that's good. I'm sure almost everyone went through the normal physical test in middle school, ball throw, fifteen meter dash, grip strength and so on. We're going to do the same but with a little difference: you can use your quirk. Of course, not everyone has a quirk suited for every or any of those exercises, so if you want to rely on your skill alone then you can. Questions?" Some raised their hands, Ken pointed at a boy with dark hair. "Yes, Kaibara?"
"I heard some rumours about how in this test students were expelled, is that true?"
At this, Ken said. "Is true, BUT!" he raised his voice and hand before everyone started to ask. "That is the doing of Class 1A's teacher. I don't have the intention of kicking out somebody from here." he could hear the sighs of relief of some, making him smile for what he is going to say. "However, that doesn't mean there is no punishment for the one with the lowest score. What is, you ask?" he laughed, and that alone sent to most of the students a chill down their spines. "It's a surprise…"
"Well… anything is better than being expelled…" Whisper a brown-haired boy, Tsuburaba Kosei.
"Please, don't jinx it." said another boy, with dark hair and headbang, his name was Awase Yosetsu.
"But enough talk, I need an example. Shiozaki, come here." Though surprised for being called, she walked to where her teacher was standing, for his part the hero picked up a ball from the bag lying down close to his feet.
"Yes, Vlad King-sensei?"
He paused, and then double-checked her words, making sure he didn't hear bad.
"You can call me just 'Ken-sensei', you know?"
"I know Vlad King-sensei."
With how calm her voice was, he doubted she was trying to pull a prank on him so he let it pass. "Anyway… You came second in the entrance exam so I want you to throw this as far as you can." he said as he gave her the ball. "How far was the last time?"
"Sixteen five meters, if I remember well."
"That's good, now do it again, how you do it doesn't matter as long as you don't leave the circle, understand?" she nodded at that and went to the pitching circle.
Already standing there, she put down the ball, closed her eyes and put her hands together as if she were praying, then her vines started to grow and form a hand that grabbed the ball, and, like a catapult, she threw it.
After a few seconds, the device that Ken was holding made a sound. "Three hundred and fourteen meters." he said out loud, then turned to the rest of the students. "This is what I'm talking about, I want to see what everyone is capable of so I can plan better your training. Now come, I will call for the fifteen meters dash." he said while walking to the running track and the class followed him.
Izuku was about to do the same, but stopped in his tracks and turned his head, he didn't see anybody in there beside the building that was there.
"Weird…" he whispered.
"Something is troubling you, Mido?"
Again, Izuku turned his head and found Ibara in front of him, one eyebrow raised and looking in the same direction as he did.
He shocked his head. "No. I just had the feeling that someone was watching me…"
She then looked at him, her eyes showing a bit of concern. "Maybe you are tired? I don't need to be psychic to know you spend almost the whole night searching for news about sensei."
He pressed his lips together in thought. "I mean, you aren't wrong, I did that but I swear I slept well this time." he bringed up both hands as if he was defending himself, but Ibara's face told him that she wasn't buying any of it. "A-anyway, we better go with the rest." he said as he walked towards the group, Ibara doing the same.
After that, the test went without much happening but Izuku was still feeling as if someone was watching him so he tried to keep his mind busy with analysing the quirks of his classmates. There were simple ones such as Kendo's big hands or Tetsutetsu's metal like skin, he guessed it was steel, and then some he was curious about as Shoda's quirk that he thought had something to do with force but not sure in which sense, Tokage's that let her split her body in many parts, Fukidashi's onomatopoeias and Monoma's that its seems let him copy the quirks of others.
Also there was that girl with horse-like features, Tsunotori Pony. Both were put together in the fifteen meter dash and, while he did score well, she made him eat the dirt with her speed. He wasn't upset about it, far from it, it was just that her name sounded so familiar yet he can't think of the why.
He was taken out of his thoughts thanks to Ken that blew a whistle and everyone, with clear tiredness, gathered around him.
"Good job everybody, now it's time to show the results." he then pressed a button of the device in his hand and then a projection of a board showed up in the air with the names of everyone and their place.
Izuku found himself in ninth place, how fiting, while Ibara was fourth. Then he looked down and the last one was…
"Komori Kinoko, one step ahead!" The short girl with brown hair did as he said, though her walk showed how nervous she was. "Like I said, I'm not going to expell you but you still have a punishment to do, understood?" Shakily, she nodded her head, didn't trusting herself to speak.
"Push-up, now!" he said, crossing his arms. She quickly laid down to do it.
"One!" She did one. "...Okay that's enough."
She was about to do another until her brain registered what he said, she looked at her sensei. "...Huh?" Was the only thing that came from her mouth.
"Huh?" Was also the reaction of almost everyone.
"Stand up and I'll explain." She did as told. "You can say it was just a logical rush."
"Logical rush?" Asked some of the class out loud.
"Exactly, it was just so you could give your all in this test."
"So was a lie." said Tokage.
"Just a white one." Everyone groaned at that, and Ken laughed. "Of course, the next time I will be serious so try hard."
"Oe, Ken."
The mentioned man turned his head and saw Aizawa walking towards him. "Aizawa, what brought you here? I thought you were with your class."
The black haired man stopped in front of him "I sent them home, I thought you did the same with yours. I need to talk about something."
He nodded at that. "I was about to do it." he then turned to his class that was looking at them with confusion. "Okay everybody, class ended. Take a shower and inside your desk you will find your syllabus, I see you tomorrow." At first everyone was more confused but in short all the students started to walk towards the school. He noticed how the girls gathered around Komori, as if they wanted to check she was okay.
"I went too far with her?" The hero asked to himself, a bit unsure. He pushed the thought aside and addressed his coworker. "You expelled someone?"
"No."
"Oh, come on! The first time I bet with Hizashi and the miracle happens?" Ken exclamed with frustration.
"Who told you to bet?"
"My greed... anyway, what you think of Midoriya."
"I try to use my quirk on him and I don't have doubts, he is quirkless."
"You sure?" Aizawa nodded.
Nezu was curious about the strength Izuku has, saying that was out of the norm of someone quirkless, while he didn't think that the young man or his family was lying, there was the possibility of an awakening that passed without notice. So was Aizawa's job to find the truth.
"Well, at least that is clear. I don't like having doubts with one of my students."
"Me neither… well, tell Nezu about this, I'm going to take a nap." he said, walking towards the school.
"Nap already? What, don't tell me you're going to patrol tonight."
As an answer he just waved his hand without turning back. "Just some hours… nothing much."
"Unless I find that hunter." he thought.
Author's notes:
Something I want to make clear is that I have zero intention to this fics being a All Might bashing.
Oh and there is a Ace Attorney reference but where?
Until next chapter!