Chapter Two:
Through the truck window, Izuku watched the highway roll by. The radio played a jaunty, old-fashioned tune that his uncle had selected. Their explosive exit had left dirt sprayed across the passenger window, obscuring his view.
Needless to say, Izuku had not been blind to the strangeness of this situation even before he watched his mother and uncle blow up a wall to escape the family home. He'd already noticed his father sleeping on the sofa and his mother creeping around with red eyes for the last week. He considered asking one of his many questions.
But his mother had just started to hum along to the music. The bags under her eyes had lightened. She hadn't looked this relaxed since that incident when she'd come home from grocery shopping with her knees bruised and a hollow look in her eyes. Izuku decided that his questions could wait a little longer.
"Running low on gas," Uncle Yuuto muttered. He flicked the turn signal as they approached a rest stop.
Izuku recognized several of the men loitering around the gas pumps. Employees of his father, dressed in plain clothes. Hisashi must be watching all the rest stops on the way out of town. He tugged on his uncle's sleeve. "Pst. On your left."
"I see nothing suspicious about those ordinary citizens," Yuuto said, smiling widely. His uncle was an awful liar. He'd clearly already noticed the same men.
Yuuto got out of the truck and headed straight for them, using a broken piece of chair as a crutch. The sun gleamed off his leg cast and the bloodstains on his white costume, making him such a strange sight that other travelers turned to stare. As soon as the men spotted him, he waved them behind the building. They followed.
Sounds of combat drifted over.
Izuku wasn't particularly worried. He knew his father's men would have been given orders not to harm his family. Worst case scenario, they would be dragged back home without seeing the Hero Convention. His first ever Hero Convention, since his father hated them with a passion. The convention where Izuku had been promised a chance to meet All Might.
That would be a disaster! On second thought, perhaps Izuku should see if he could help his poor, injured uncle. He reached for the door handle.
His mother leaned over her seat to grab his arm. "Can you please stay in the car, just for now? If you'd like to buy something, I'll text your uncle to bring it back. Oh, dear, he doesn't have a phone…" She bit her lip. Sweat dripped down her forehead.
If Izuku could reassure her by playing dumb, then he'd make like one of Kacchan's insipid tagalongs. He let his forehead wrinkle and his shoulders relax. "No problem, Mom. It was nothing."
A cashier in uniform ran out of the gas station. He looked around, his eyes fastening on something just out of Izuku's line of vision. Paling, he whimpered.
"Excuse me, sir?" Inko waved. "Over here!"
The young man turned to look. He had bleached hair and a pair of floppy hound dog ears.
Inko waved him closer. "I'm terribly sorry about causing a ruckus outside your store. Boys will be boys." She smiled in a motherly fashion.
"Oh. Uh. You know those…people…ma'am?"
"Yes. They're all good souls at heart." A loud crashing sound came from around the building. Inko's smile didn't even waver. "We'll compensate you triple for any damaged property. Here's my husband's business card."
The stunned man took the card. "Er. Thank you."
"I'm sure Hisashi will be along shortly. If he gives you any trouble about paying, then tell him this." Inko leaned over and whispered something in the man's ear.
His eyes got wider with each word.
Straightening, she said, "Now you should go back inside and lock your doors until the fighting is over. Oh, and please call an ambulance for my husband's men."
"Yes, ma'am." The youth ran away.
Several screams came from around the building. A man in a dark suit with a bruised face ran toward their car. Yanking out a taser, he pointed it at Inko through the open window. "Stop! I have a hostage—"
"Excuse me?" Inko glared at him. "Do you think you can take me hostage? What would my husband say?"
He paled. "Oh, my god. It just slipped out. I panicked when the white-haired one went feral. Please don't tell him."
"Give me your weapon, and I'll say no more of this." Inko held out her hand.
The terrified minion handed over his taser.
Inko immediately turned around the taser and electrocuted him. He toppled backward to the cement.
Nervously, Inko glanced at Izuku.
He stuck his head under the car seat and said loudly, "Whoops, I need to tie my shoe!" He straightened. "What did I miss?"
Inko smiled gratefully at him, clearly knowing he'd seen everything but appreciating that he wasn't asking any questions. Izuku smiled back.
Uncle Yuuto limped back from around the building. He'd stolen one of the men's suits to wear. The pants leg was rolled up over his cast and the tie hung crooked. But at least he looked less conspicuous than when he'd been staggering around in a bloodstained vigilante costume.
Impressive that Yuuto had been able to subdue so many men with a broken leg. Considering the shrine priest costume and his white-hair, Izuku's suspicions about his uncle's identity solidified.
He also remembered how his father's anti-hero rants had mentioned a supposedly deceased younger brother a couple times. Who'd also been involved in vigilante activity. But what had been going on with the dead thing?
Yuuto stepped over the unconscious man's body. "I missed one? I'm so sorry."
"Nothing I couldn't handle." Inko shrugged. "Let's hurry. My husband will be already on his way."
"You're the best, big sis." Yuuto grinned as she dabbed the dirt off his face with a wet wipe.
As soon as he'd filled up the gas tank, Yuuto shot away from the station at a speed at least double the limit.
Izuku hung onto the handle and reminded himself this was all to meet All Might. He'd been promised.
There had better be hugs.
The group of three arrived at the Hero Convention very late at night.
Staring at the schedule, Izuku said, "There aren't any panels left today. The game room is still open, and there's also a late night movie playing." He had no strong interest in either of those activities, but he didn't want to leave without at least peeking at the convention.
His hopefulness must have shown on his face. Inko smiled. "How about I secure a hotel room while you two scope out the convention?"
"Well…if you insist…" Izuku scuffed the ground with a red sneaker.
"We can map out our planned route for tomorrow." Yuuto nodded.
The entrance to the convention center was decorated with banners of various heroes. Izuku's eyes instantly latched onto a cardboard cutout of All Might, the Only Quirkless Hero. He'd always been a fan favorite despite the Hero Commission's many attempts to block him from moving up in the rankings. The decoration was so big, the yellow tufts of hair hit the ceiling! Izuku's fingers twitched with longing to take it home and add it to his collection.
"I know, isn't he cool?" Yuuto sighed. "He's my idol." He'd returned from purchasing their badges.
Izuku cast his uncle a suspicious look. "Didn't you say he was a close friend of yours?" That had better not have been a lie to make him leave home quietly. He'd gotten his expectations raised. He'd even brought along his favorite All Might plushie, hoodie, and scrapbook to get them signed.
"Trust me, kid, he only gets cooler after you meet him in-person." Yuuto beamed.
"I'd believe that." Izuku looked around, overwhelmed by the bright images. Endeavor glared down from a banister hanging from the ceiling. Best Jeanist and Hawks smiled from other banners. The cutout of Miruko had a face-sized hole next to it so children could pose and have their picture taken with her. The buckles on cardboard Edgeshot's costume looked so real.
Yuuto leaned against a wall while looking at a map. "The game room is on the second story." Sweat stuck his hair to the back of his neck.
Izuku frowned. "Are you sure you don't need to rest?" His uncle had clearly been through a couple fights today.
"I'm fine." Yuuto's cough contradicted his words. "Trust me, I want to explore this place every bit as much as you." His eyes flickered to a man in armor walking by. "That Yoroimusha cosplay is perfect! I don't have my phone. Quick, ask him if we can take a picture."
Izuku groped for his phone, only to be distracted. "Hey, is that an Eraser Head cosplay?"
"Where?" Yuuto's head jerked around.
A man with wild dark hair and a long scarf vanished through a doorway, a little girl tugging him along and laughing.
"It looked like him, but tricky to say," Izuku muttered. "He was sandwiched between the blonde and the white-haired man with googles."
"No one ever cosplays Eraser Head, even though he's so cool." Yuuto sighed. "He doesn't get enough credit."
"I know, right? Even though he has a reputation for dealing with crimes the police don't want to touch, such as crimes against quirkless people."
"He even works with vigilantes when it's to prioritize saving people. That reminds me, I've met him a couple times. I'll tell you the story later. For now, we should find the game room and map out the route to the room where All Might's panel will be held tomorrow."
Izuku nodded. He didn't want to keep his mother waiting too long. "Maybe we'll run into the Eraser Head cosplayer again tomorrow. I'll be fast enough to ask for a photo next time."
The game room was a mess of noises and lights. Rows of laptops filled the room. An old-fashioned Dance Dance Revolution machine stood in the corner. More arcade games sat against the back wall. The spotlights overhead highlighted a stage for dancing. Despite the late hour, the room was packed.
Izuku's phone buzzed. He looked down. "Awesome! A friend of mine is here!"
"Really? What does he look like?" Yuuto glanced around.
"I don't know. We've never met in-person."
His uncle raised an eyebrow. "I hate to sound like a killjoy old fogey like my brother, but maybe you should be a little more careful before you give out information about your location to someone you met online."
"We game together all the time! I've heard his voice frequently over the headsets. He's very nice." Izuku took a moment to consider the frequent abrasive shouting from Disintegration0231 whenever someone killed his character. "I mean…he's been a good friend to me. He always watches my back and he's available to listen whenever I have complaints. We're both quirkless, so we…get each other."
Yuuto's gaze softened. "I used to be quirkless, too, so I get it."
Izuku stared. "Used to be?"
Yuuto scratched the back of his neck. "Look, I don't want to lie to you, but I'm not sure here is the right place for that conversation." In a lower voice, he muttered, "Damn my brother."
"Oi! You with the red sneakers!"
Izuku's head shot up. A teenager waved at him. He wore an All Might cosplay, complete with a blond wig. His red eyes sparkled. "Are you Izuku Midoriya?"
"That's me!" Izuku beamed. He'd told his friend to recognize him by his sneakers. "Uncle Yuuto, this is my online friend, Tenko Shimura."
"Your friend is Tenko?" Yuuto startled. Then he laughed. "To think I was worried that you might have met some kind of villain online!"
Tenko grinned. "I had no idea you had a nephew, Yuuto, much less that it was my favorite Player Two. What a weird plot twist. What happened to your leg?"
"Uh…freak pedicure accident," Yuuto claimed, his eyes shifty.
Izuku looked between them. "You two know each other in real life?"
"Toshinori is basically an adopted uncle to Tenko, and he's invited me to some family gatherings." Yuuto shrugged. "If you're friends with him, then you didn't need me to help you get your All Might merchandise autographed."
"Have you been holding out on me, Tenko?" Izuku screeched. "You know what a big fan I am!"
"Sorry! I'm not allowed to admit to being related to any heroes to people I meet online." Tenko shrugged. "Obviously I trust you now, but I'd still have gotten in big trouble with Uncle Toshi and my grandma."
"Okay, that's a sensible rule," Izuku admitted. "Your All Might cosplay looks amazing. I'm so impressed! I wish I'd had time to dress up, but this family trip kinda happened…last minute." He took a closer look at Tenko's cosplay. "Is that a real All Might costume?"
"How did you tell? Uncle Toshi gave me one of his old suits."
"I could recognize the specially-made materials." Izuku clutched his hair. "I'm so jealous!"
"I don't mind giving it to you after the con."
"You're my new best friend."
Tenko snorted. "I'm, like, your only friend. Which is kinda lame."
Izuku raised an eyebrow. "Do you have any other friends?"
Tenko looked shifty. "There are people at school…who I wave at in the hallway. And I've got a sister."
"Really?"
"Yeah, over there." Tenko pointed at a black-haired young woman dancing on the stage. "Grandma Nana took us to this convention to celebrate Hana's birthday."
Izuku stared. "Nana Shimura?"
"Uh, yes?"
"The Nana Shimura? The hero Float?"
Tenko blinked. "You've heard of her? Not many people have. She's not famous."
"She's underappreciated, that's what she is. She's my favorite hero after All Might!" Izuku clutched his hair. "Dammit! If I'd known Float would be attending this convention, I'd have brought along her merchandise to get her to autograph it!" Such a rare chance, lost.
Yuuto put a hand on his shoulder. "Then we'll just have to buy you some more merchandise tomorrow so Nana can sign it."
"Really?" Izuku's eyes teared up.
Tenko laughed. "I'm sure she'd be delighted to do it for such a big fan. Shoot me a text sometime this weekend so we can meet up. I'm headed off to bed soon."
"Us, too." Izuku cast one last longing glance at the genuine All Might costume before he left. Soon, it would be his.
He barely heard Yuuto mutter under his breath, "Whoa, that look in your face is unnervingly like my brother's when he wants a quirk."
At the hotel room, Inko handed Yuuto a cane. "I'm sorry. This was all I could find on such short notice." The cane was bright red, covered in sparkles, and had a big heart on top. It looked like a prop in a stripper act.
"I'm amazed you found anything at all at this late hour." Yuuto took the cane. "Thank you, big sis." He coughed.
"You should sit down. You've been hopping around all day, and you look pale. Let me take your temperature." Inko put a hand to Yuuto's forehead. Her frown deepened. "Do you have medicine?"
"I grabbed an inhaler and some pills from the vaul—uh. From your house." Yuuto glanced sideways at Izuku.
Inko brought over a glass of water. "Take your medicine and go straight to bed."
Under the thrall of the mom voice, Yuuto coughed a few more times and obeyed.
That night, Izuku tossed and turned on his narrow hotel bed. At such short notice, they'd only been able to find a dingy room with thin walls leaking in noise from every late-night guest. But mostly, excitement kept him awake. Tomorrow's schedule included a Keynote Address from Toshinori Yagi, the Only Quirkless Hero.
Izuku clutched his All Might plushie harder and fantasized.
They were all going to be in a lot of trouble once Dad caught up to them, so he planned to make this opportunity worth it.
Hisashi glared at the broken brick wall with bloodshot eyes. Ever since he'd woken up to find his entire family gone, he hadn't slept a wink. His nerves had been strained to their breaking point. His head throbbed. He blamed Yuuto for everything. When he got his hands on his little brother, the fool would be lucky if he didn't end up in a regular bank vault, the kind with no furniture. The white-haired terror certainly wouldn't be seeing the rest of his family any time soon after kidnapping them.
Actually the cameras showed that Inko had broken Yuuto out not the other way around, but Hisashi ignored this inconvenient fact because it did not match his desired worldview. Probably just breathing in the same air as his foolish younger brother had infected her with rebellious tendencies.
A young store employee stepped over the rubble and held out a business card. "Your wife gave me this, sir. She said you'd pay triple our damages."
Hisashi's headache throbbed even harder. Though the money meant nothing to him, he was in no mood to suffer the demands of a peon. "Go away," he said, infusing a century's worth of evil into the threat.
The dog-eared man shook, but didn't flee. "She also said that if you gave me any trouble, then I was to tell you to pay up promptly…if you ever want to sleep in the bedroom instead of the couch."
Hisashi's eye twitched.
The employee whimpered.
Hissing angrily, Hisashi reached for his wallet.
OMAKE TIME!
Omake: All for One Discovers His Empty Vault
Hisashi: Hey, Author, come out of hiding. I just want to talk.
#
Omake: Mothering
Inko: Once you've finished taking your medicine, I'm also going to need you to fill out this ten page questionnaire about your living environment and habits.
Yuuto: Uh…why?
Inko: I've been counting how many times you've coughed since we met. Something is wrong.
Yuuto: Sure, I've always been sick, but there's nothing anyone can do about it.
Inko: We'll see about that.
#
Omake: Introverts Versus Extroverts
Aizawa: I can't believe you two dragged me to a Hero Convention.
Oboro: Don't you want to cheer Eri up after the loss of her quirk? Besides, I'm rocking this Crust cosplay.
Hizashi: You look amazing, but not as amazing as me. You wouldn't believe how much time I put into my Wash costume. Uh, Shouta? Are you cosplaying as…yourself?
Aizawa: Stop being so loud. It was already in my closet.
Oboro: This is embarrassing. Even Eri purchased some rabbit ears so she could be Miruko. And why is your hair braided? More importantly, why do you have a blue bow on your head?
Aizawa: Eri was having fun.
Hizashi: You're going to be so mortified if a fan recognizes you.
Aizawa: Please, I don't have fans.
Author's Note: This story will update every Tuesday evening.
I freely admit I put Tenko in an All Might cosplay just to screw with canon Tomura.
Because the First time-traveled, One for All was never passed along in this AU. Toshinori Yagi is famous for being the first quirkless hero. Nana never had any reason to encounter All for One, so she's still alive and her family is safe.
But Nana will definitely have a showdown with All for One during this story. It's destiny.