Chapter 2: Let's Call Him 'Victory'
"I suppose if we're g-gonna tell you the why, we'd better start with the who, what, and when…" Midoriya started, leaning his chin onto the crook of his elbow as he stared at Tsuyu. The two sort of entered a strange staring contest as Izuku zoned out, trying to find a way to start his spiel about why he is now a bug-eyed, All-Might inspired hero.
Well, it started when I was a kid… I'll skip all of the unimportant filler- Growing up in Musutafu, living with a single mom as my dad was barely present, and bring you to the point where my entire life went downhill.
"It's best you give up." Those five words. Those words practically shattered the small child's world. It was almost on par with Izuku with a police call telling that his mother was killed. The entire conversation about his digits were maintained, how that correlates to his absence of a quirk, and so on and so forth was a blur for the green haired youth. The doctor and his mother might as well have said meaningless words- He'd have taken it in all the same.
For Izuku, in a world where Quirks mattered- Especially flashy ones- to be born without one was tantamount to social suicide. Your career options were limited. Most jobs now require some kind of quirk handling and quirk aptitude screening beforehand that greatly affected your chance of being hired. Even at age 4, Izuku knew that his life was over now. He may not have known to what extent the world did not favor people like him, but that was not what was on his mind. All-Might, the greatest man alive in his eyes, the one that encouraged anyone to be a hero, was now a liar. Izuku couldn't possibly be a hero without a quirk!
It was a long, long, quiet ride home from the doctor's office. Inko was letting loose a stream of 'no-no words' as they called them under her breath, cursing the doctor's bluntness and overall lack of bedside manners. Though, Midoriya couldn't care less about what sort of words his mother said in the moment. Heck, he even felt like saying a few to just express how he felt. But, how could he? Even if he wasn't incredibly young, no words in the dictionary could describe the crushing feeling he felt on his soul.
The next day was… Rough. Of course, there was the obvious reaction to telling people you are quirkless- The staring, whispering under their breaths, the occasional laugh, but it was his friend, Katsuki Bakugou, that really stole the cake in terms of reactions. Katsuki, Kacchan, as he referred to him, was always a little aggressive, even before his quirk. Not to say that he was a bully, but he was always more forward, more quick to anger than his other friends. Of course, he didn't take kindly to the news.
"Q-Quirkless…? Like, you don't have one?" Katsuki asked, his facial features darkening.
"Y-Yeah… Th… Th… The doctor, he said-"
"I don't care what the doctor says, Midoriya. If you're quirkless, then you're nothing!" He yelled out, pushing Midoriya onto his bottom. The green haired child didn't react at first, not sure as to what happened, before Bakugou let out a 'tsk' looking at Izuku.
"Don't talk to me, Midoriya." He growls, before going over to his other group of friends.
It was around that time that it pretty much solidified my spot on the social ladder- The usual. Always last to be picked in any activity, I took least priority over the kids in my class, so on and so forth.
"Ribbit, okay, you told me a sob story… But where do these two come in?" Tsuyu interrupted, looking over to Melissa and Mei- Both Tsuyu and Midoriya then realized that, while he was telling his story, the two inventors were working on the project left to the workbench. Melissa brings up her welding mask, looking to the two.
"Oh, are you done, Izuku?" She asks, Midoriya shaking his head.
"N-Nah. I just got to Hosu Elementary. Where I met you guys." He explains, before Mei let out a cackle.
"I may have to force Melissa to make us dinner by the time you get to why you're wearing spandex and a mask, Izu-chan!" The pink haired mechanic laughed aloud, the face the Kamen Rider made clueing Tsuyu into the fact that Melissa may not be the greatest cook.
"E-Erm, anyways, where was I-"
"Wait… Hosu Elementary?" Tsuyu asks, tilting her head. Were her hands tied, she'd probably place her finger on her chin in thought. Midoriya blinks, curious as to where this was leading to.
"Yeah?" He replied, Froppy thinking for a second.
"And you're 21, right, ribbit?" She states- Though Izuku was surprised that she knew that, he then realized that he did give her the fake Hero License.
"D-D-Do I really look that old already?" Midoriya jokes, though Tsuyu closes her eyes.
"Huh. We were at the same school at the same time." She realizes, Izuku blinking in thought. He looks off into the distance, before snapping his fingers.
"Holy- Tsui?" He points to the frog, the nickname seemingly awakening her memory.
"How'd you…?"
"Er, well… I-I wasn't your friend. I just sat next to you guys in the cafeteria and o-overheard someone call you that." He clarifies, as Tsuyu nods- Makes sense, given his backstory. She always did seem to recall some lonely looking kid sitting at an empty table next to her every day at lunch. Though, at the time, the frog-like hero didn't pay it much mind and simply thought he preferred to eat alone.
"Th-That's crazy, though… I went to Elementary with Froppy. H-Holy crap. I mean, that'd be like attending middle school with All-Might, or going to the same park as Battle Fist, or going to the same grocery store as friggin' Ingenium-"
"Hey! Earth to Midoriya! I need you to finish your story so you can check out our newest brain child!" Mei yelled out, sitting on what appears to be a finished Motorcycle- It doesn't have any paint on it yet, but it seems to be fairly powerful if the engine is anything to go by.
"S-Shit, s-sorry! Where was I…?" He looks back to Tsuyu.
See, as I'm sure you can guess, I wasn't exactly the most popular kid in Hosu. But, hey, kids like us need to group together. So…
Midoriya picked at his Bento Box his mother prepared for her. Today was nothing special- Nothing of importance really happened. Bakugo bullied him, he was left out in all of the activities again… It's nothing new. Were it not for the fact Bakugo usually liked to get physical with his bullying, Midoriya might've even grown accustomed to it. As he was about to go for a bite of some beef steak, the clatter of a plastic lunch tray hitting the table nearly made him choke on his food- His soul was nearly knocked out of his body! Coughing a bit, he looked over to his new arrival, finding a girl, maybe a bit older, with blonde hair… A rarity in Japan, but, with quirks, nothing's really impossible.
"Hello!" She then said in perfect english- For the child who hadn't even been exposed to much English in his life up until this point, she might as well have been an alien. He blinked, plastic fork sticking out of his mouth as the awfully peppy girl smiled.
"E-Ehm… Wh… What…?" He asks, the aforementioned fork flopping out of his mouth and into his Bento Box. Blinking, the strange girl grabs a phone, something that surprised Midoriya. His mother said that he was only allowed to have a smartphone until he was 10- She gets to have one now?! A tinge of jealousy was then shaken off as the emotion as she texts something to… Someone. It was all in English, so Midoriya couldn't tell what anything was. After a few seconds, she seemed to receive a reply. The girl immediately turns her attention back to Midoriya, a smile on her face.
"Hiya! My name is Melissa Shields, and I'm quirkless!" She announces, though not loudly, but enough to where she got some stares. Izuku was almost impressed with the brazenness and bluntness this girl, 'Melissa,' had for just announcing something like that. It's like painting a contagion sign on the person's back- Even if Quirkless-ness was not contagious, everyone certainly treated it like so.
"... U-U-Uh… I-Izu… K-Ku. M-M-Midoriya." He wanted to sink into himself at this point.
"Izuku… Midoriya. . ." She seemed to recite, before typing on her phone again. The response was immediate, and she looked back to Izuku.
"You're my second friend I made in Japan! Do you wanna meet May?" She asks- Though the accent was strange, Izuku could only guess that she meant someone named 'Mei.'
"Eh… A-Are you s-s-sure she'd be… Fine w-w-with me around…?" The quirkless child asks, his body language clearly showing his discomfort at social interactions of any kind. Tilting her head in confusion, a pink haired girl sat next to Melissa. Izuku, again, nearly flew out of his seat as the two strangers were now sitting with him. Do they not realize that they're never gonna get a chance at being treated like a regular person now?!
"Heya! I'm Mei! If you are friends with Meli-chan, then you're my friend!" She announces, Midoriya crawling back up onto his seat. This was… Going by way too fast for him to comprehend.
Well, at least his mom'd be happy…
So, yeah. I pretty much met these two because Melissa saw me moping by myself. They found out that we were quirkless, but that somehow drew them closer. What with Melissa being quirkless, and Mei apparently having a Quirkless relative.
"Ribbit. Huh. So, even as children, those two were very… Eccentric." She noted, trying not to use any sort of insulting word for fear that her kidnappers may not become as accepting had she made fun of them. Izuku nodded fervently.
"Yeah. You'd think age would make them act any less crazy, but, if you ask me, I think it did the opposite." He whispers the last part to Tsuyu, though that didn't stop him from getting a lug nut fast ball pitched at his head. Massaging the newly formed welt, he brought his attention back to the kidnapped hero.
"So, yeah. It didn't take me long to realize that Melissa's father, David Shields, was-"
"Ribbit- DAVID SHIELDS!? Y-You mean, the David Shields?!" Tsuyu exclaims, Izuku's eyes lighting up as he finally meets someone who knows about the famous engineer of costumes and quirk supplemental equipment.
"Yeah, right!? The David Shields, famous for creating All-Might's costume, and-"
"Ribbit, he made my costume, too! My mother apparently 'called in a favor' to make it happen, and it hasn't been damaged once since my U.A. days! It's amazing, and if I could meet him face to face, I would shake his hand, ribbit. He's a genius!" Tsuyu geeks out on her own, though she seems embarrassed afterwards… Not that Izuku seemed to mind.
"Right!? I keep telling people that Kamui Woods would not be the same if he had just some regular Pro Hero provided costume- No, no, it's the fact that David Shields himself crafted that costume with love and care that he became a friggin' awesome hero! Or! Or! What about Edgeshot!? Or Hawks!? People don't realize how a good costume is everything for a hero, or their gear!" He yells out, standing up from excitement. Of course, he was then pushed back into his seat by a karate chop from Melissa, knocking his brain around in his skull from the impact force.
"But, yes. I am the daughter of that David Shields. I don't really like to mention it- Not because of my dad. No, no, he's an amazing person! But… Well, I'm just not one for fame and fortune personally. Hence why I'm mostly either holed up here or in my own personal workshop." She shrugs nonchalantly, Tsuyu nodding. She understood the fact that such a person probably did not favor the spotlight. It isn't meant for everybody, after all.
"But, uh… You haven't explained anything about the… Ribbit. Victory thing." Froppy points out, as Izuku finally recovers from his traumatic brain injury.
"Yeah, yeah, I got it…" He mumbles, before continuing.
We became fast friends- They even got me into engineering, though I don't think I exactly had what it took to work with machinery. I nearly got kicked out for frying a Medical Bot that me, Melissa and Mei tried to create for our Engineering Final in Aldera Middle School- It gave one of the kids a tetanus shot they already had. But, after Aldera Middle School…
"You wanna be a hero, Deku?" Bakugo emphasized the 'Worthless' part, before a vicious grin appeared across his face.
"Then believe that you'll be born with a Quirk in the next life… And take a fuckin' swan dive off the roof!" The former friend cackled, flicking Izuku in the head before walking off with his posse. Izuku sat in the classroom, waiting until everyone left, until he slammed his head onto the desk and let out a scream of despair. Aldera sucked. Were it not for Mei and Melissa, he might've actually taken Bakugo up on his threats. But, he always had something to look forward to- U.A. Right? Anyone can be a hero, just… Just like All-Might said! Though… With society bearing down on the poor idealist that Midoryia was, his dreams could not support the facts any longer. He was a loser. A loser from birth, a loser as a child, and now, as a 14 year old, he was the biggest, worthless piece of shit loser that the world could ever create. Walking out of the middle school to the pond his notebook had been thrown into after having been… Exploded, Izuku stared at it's burnt and water damaged cover. 'Hero Analysis For The Future #13.'
His fingers curled at the front page. What a useless hunk of junk. He fumbled in his backpack and took out his Hero Analysis journals, 1 through 12. Tears forming in the corners of his eyes, he finally broke. His resolve to try and be like All-Might had been tested over the years, and it was on that day that it was weathered to the point of snapping in half. He grabbed all these notebooks, these wastes of paper, graphite and ink, and threw them into the nearest public trash bin. He didn't even think about looking in them again, because, clearly, with his quirkless life, the idea to analyze heroes wasn't going to matter. Zipping his backpack up, he found that it was significantly lighter… No wonder he had a hard time getting to school. All that clutter was weighing him down. For the first time in his life, Midoriya felt clear headed. Yet, he couldn't help but also feel the depression that was surely from how pitiful he was setting in as well.
He got home, taking the usual bus route home- His legs felt shaky from his decision. He was trembling like a leaf in a windstorm, and he could feel the tears welling up again. Izuku figured that if he was accepting that he was a loser, he might as well act like one.
Walking into his home, he didn't announce his arrival to his mother.
"Oh, Izu-kun? Are you ho-" She walked out of the kitchen, noticing his body language immediately. She dropped everything, literally, and ran towards Izuku. She skid to her knees as she brought the teen into a bear hug, something Izuku didn't have the energy to reciprocate.
"Oh my god, Izuku, what happened... !? Why are you crying? Why did you take so long?! Are you ok!?" Inko yelled out, trying to make sure her child was in one piece and didn't have anything stolen. Midoriya simply cried into her shoulder.
"I'm not applying for U.A." He stated, something that made Inko's eyes shoot open. Did… Did she hear him right? The same Izuku who had talked non-stop about U.A., the same Izuku who practically begged her to at least consider him going to U.A., the same Izuku who idolized All-Might, who graduated U.A…. Just declared his intent to not go?
"Izuku, dear, why!? You had done everything you could to try and apply-"
"It's not like I'd be able to get in, anyway!" Izuku yelled out in anger, before breaking the hug of his mother and running into his room. The door slammed shut behind him, as Inko began to get teary eyed as she heard her son wailing in his room.
"I'm sorry, Izu-kun… I'm sorry I gave you such a weak body…!" Inko whispered underneath her sobs.
Senior High School was… Nothing special. Just like Izuku. While Mei and Melissa went on to greater things, the green haired youth was left behind to slowly rot. Of course, both of the inventors kept in touch, making sure that Izuku was… You know, Okay. After the sudden shift in goals from being a hero to just trying to stay fed and alive, it's no wonder they wanted to know if he was going to be alright. After Senior High, Life had placed Izuku working multiple small time jobs across Musutafu- Bottom of the barrel, Minimum Wage jobs that helped both him and his mother survive. While he heard many success stories of the Hero Course, including a rising star in one Itsuka Kendo, a.k.a. Battle Fist, there was no story that hurt more than that of Bakugo's. Or, as he chose for his Hero name, 'Dynamight.'
"Of course. I mean, I should probably be happy for him. He finally achieved his dream- And with how good he's doing, according to the news, he's probably got a nice place in the top 10. But… Why? Why him!? Why does he of all people get to be a hero, when I'm given nothing!" Izuku lashed out at the TV screen. Years upon years of cynicism and societal irrelevance built up within the green haired man, but… He knew he was in the wrong. He knew that yelling, kicking and crying wasn't gonna solve anything. If it did, then he'd be in U.A.
It was a normal day, that night. I had just got done cleaning dishes for a Sushi Joint nearby- I got dressed and got to walking to my house. Thankfully, the place was close enough to where I could walk. My mom managed to move out of that dingy apartment and into a decent house after I got to work. Though...
Izuku squinted his eyes. Walking down the dark streets, he could've sworn that the front door to his mother's house was open. But… Maybe it's just the dark playing tricks on his eyes? Unfortunately, the closer and closer he got, the more and more he realized that his eyes did not deceive him. Running up to the break in, he noticed that the door clearly was forced open, given how it was hanging on by a hinge. Dropping his things in the entryway, Izuku ran in, only to find a horror show. Everything was either broken or flipped over. The TV was smashed, leaving a sparking, glass shard filled hole in its wake. Of course, the dripping sound had worried him.
Walking into the kitchen, he nearly lost the strength in his legs. A giant, dark splotch of blood painted the white kitchen wall. Following the splatter down the smeared trail, he found his mother, eyes open in fear. The back of her head was covered entirely in blood- Caked in it. It didn't take a genius to realize what had happened here. Izuku was about to let out a scream when he heard something in the backyard. Whispering.
". . . Yes, sir. It was here, just like you had thought. Though, I don't necessarily understand why 'he' of all people would choose a location like this- . . . I understand. Of course." A calm, collected voice rang out. Izuku grabbed a nearby knife off of the kitchen- Something his mom was clearly going to use to cook her and him a meal. Something that he will use to gut the bastard who did this to his mother. Sneaking out, Izuku got a look at the supposed perp. A strange, gaseous looking man made of a Purplish-Black mist that seemed to sport two yellow 'eyes.' If they even were eyes. Across his neck was a metallic, layered brace which seemed to clamp on like a collar. And, under that was a dapper sort of suit. Dark, Dull Green with a black-and-gray striped tie and white shirt, with gray pants and brown dress shoes. Were it not for his mist-like body, he might even have passed off for a regular business man. Feeling the rage build up within him, Izuku walked out into the backyard, knife in hand.
"HEY!" His voice rang out in the starry night. The man lowered a small communication device in his hand into his pocket, before turning around to look at Izuku. Though his face was hidden, his eyes displayed a sort of curious entertainment.
"Did… Did you… My mother… Is she… DID SHE DIE BECAUSE OF YOU!?" Izuku followed up, gripping the knife with both of his hands. The creature squinted at Izuku's aggressive stance… Before it began to lurch forward. The green haired man was confused… Until he heard laughter emanate from the monster.
"Ah, do you live here too? Well, I suppose I can't try to lie my way out of this- Yes, I did. I didn't exactly mean to kill her like I did. I was hoping that my Warp Gate would bring her to my personal execution chambers, where I could… Orchestrate the optimal death for her. Unfortunately, she squirmed too much for her good. I tried to incapacitate her. Though, I guess I don't know my own strength." The way he laughed afterwards shot flares of anger in Izuku. His wrath was reaching a boiling point, and the only way he could possibly sate it was to plunge the knife he held into that bastard's throat and kill him. He began to charge, but stopped short after he felt something wrap around his legs. Looking down, he saw that the grass at his feet grew exponentially and locked his ankles into place. But… But that's…
"That's… How…!? Your black mist thing is your quirk, right!? How are you able to do that!?" Izuku yelled out, instinctually. He was a logical person, but this betrayed any sort of sense and logic in the world. The man simply laughed in response.
"Well, I suppose there's no need to keep the cat in the bag. No one would believe you if you survived- I'm not a normal human, you see. Actually, to say I am a 'human' wouldn't quite describe it, either. I am a 'Nomu-' A corpse, reanimated, surgically altered to hold multiple quirks within one vessel… A superior being, in many regards." He explains, putting his hands behind his back as he walked around the teenager. Izuku's breath began to increase in tempo- He feared for his life, for the first time in his life. Bakugo never had it in him to kill Midoriya, no matter how bad the beatings or the threats got. But this… This was a killer.
"I have since abandoned my past. My family, everything- An exhilarating feeling, if you ask me. You may refer to me as 'Banderhobb.'" He bows politely, making the bile in Izuku's gut surface forward in disgust.
"Though, I don't think that'd be necessary." Banderhobb reached his hand forward, a portal beginning to open up. Inside appeared to be a bloody, concrete room, chains decorating it and a variety of tools that Izuku decided he didn't want to know. He instantly hit the ground, trying to avoid the portal, before the 'Nomu' grabbed him by his spiked hair. He reached out to him again, before the flap of wings were heard- Big wings. Squinting, he saw what appeared to be a winged pro hero approaching in the distance.
"Hmmm. . . I suppose I'll have to postpone my fun. Do take care, child." He politely bowed again, before disappearing in a wisp of black mist. Landing next to Midoriya, a hero who the once avid hero fan could identify as possibly Hawk tried to speak to him… But, at this point, Izuku was spent. Mentally, Physically, and spiritually. He passed out on the spot.
After the death of my mother, I… I was devastated. The police and Pro Heroes on the scene promised to save them, but I knew it was a lost cause. And, much like Banderhobb suggested, I couldn't say anything. Who'd believe me? 'A reanimated corpse with multiple quirks had killed my mother and dug a hole in my backyard.' Right.
Tsuyu was… Almost impressed. This was a lot to take in, and in most situations, she'd be inclined to disbelieve him. But, ever since she witnessed a Nomu in action, she found that the idea to call him out as a liar was not exactly viable. She had rules to uphold, but even she can't deny the facts at this point. Everything in the story was lining up with what she knew, especially with the recent crime spree of villains, supposedly, with 'multiple quirks.' Though she didn't know that they were Nomu's- She just thought that people were making uninformed rumors.
"Ribbit. The more you talk, the more and more you start to make sense… Despite the fact that you didn't really need to go into detail about your… Mother's death. M-My condolences, by the by, ribbit." She tried to have at least a little tact, before Izuku simply shrugged.
"I-I had three years to get over it. Besides, I had better things to focus on." He looks over to Melissa, who sits on the workshop table like a bench.
"I'll take it from here, Izuku." She nods, as she turns her gaze to Tsuyu.
Izuku came to me and my dad first. Apparently, it was the only place he could trust was safe from any Nomus. He explained his story to my dad and me, and… Yeah, we didn't believe him. But with how he told it, and the fact that he swore up and down, multiple times, that it was the truth… We had no choice BUT to believe him. It was a coincidence, too. My dad was actually working on a new project… 'Project: Victory.'
"P-Purojekuto: Bikkutori? What is…?" He asks, before David plops a black, belt buckle-looking device on the table. Izuku blinks, staring at the buckle then to David. The inventor simply adjusted his glasses before walking over to a nearby window.
"Having a quirkless daughter made me realize the inequality Quirkless people face everyday. Hundreds of people, across the world, hoping to be a hero… Only to have their hopes dashed as they realize the Heroes with flashy, stylistic quirks get all of the attention, and those who do not stand out from the rest are quickly buried in the societal dredges." The inventor states, as Izuku looks to Melissa in confusion as to why her father was bursting out into a soliloquy. Melissa could only offer an equally puzzled shrug.
"Which is why… I wanted to create a Symbol of Peace on par with All-Might. A monument of justice that proudly displays the Victorious strides of science that a quirkless human could even raise to the level of a Pro Hero! … U-Unfortunately, the Pro Hero Council shot it down immediately. For both valid, and invalid reasons. Some cited that if in the wrong hands, the technology could cause dangerous criminals to become even more of a threat to society and that if it were to leak how the devices were made, there could be multiple cases of civilians turning Supervillains. But, others, however, felt uncomfortable for Quirkless people to 'tip the fine balance' and that my suit would 'make them complacent.' Can you believe that!?" David yelled, turning on his heel to Midoriya. The green haired man could only stare at David's exaggerated movements and feel a sense of second-hand embarrassment coming from Melissa.
"I suppose… That makes sense, seeing how Quirkless people are treated these days." He was hit with horrible flashbacks of his bosses docking his pay due to him unable to 'do the work a quirk wielding person could do in less time.'
"Exactly. Which is why I had to take this project on personally… With my daughter, of course." He patted the top of Melissa's head, who simply blushed from the way he still treated her like a child, before he picked the belt up.
"Of course, since it only activates for those it can recognize as not possessing quirks, and Melissa wanting to stick to testing, we've been without a volunteer for a while… Until you appeared, Izuku." David adjusted his glasses, making a shiver crawl down Izuku's spine. Was he going to be a guinea pig for the two…?
"But, now that you've described these Nomus, I can't help but think about things I've heard while talking to the Pro Heroes." The inventor mentioned off handedly, getting the attention of the two in the room. Looking to him to continue, he sat back down in a chair, before resting his hands on the wooden table in front of them.
"Due to my job, I bump shoulders with a lot of higher up heroes and staff of the Pro Hero association. And, due to that, I hear a lot of things from the workforce. And, apparently, the Pros are having a lot of trouble with villains that seemingly possess multiple quirks. Namely, the most common quirks they carry are Super Regeneration and Disguising. One is self explanatory, but the other… It is a quirk that allows the user to not only hide their appearance, but cut them off from most 'Clairvoyance' Quirks, or 'Detection' Quirks. They have been talked about heavily in the upper crust of the Association, though this 'Banderhobb's' description of 'Nomu's' are scarily similar." He points out, before the other two look between each other, realizing that this was much bigger than they had once thought. Izuku then looked down in thought. On one hand, this was… Utterly ridiculous. I mean, he was quirkless, and this experimental tech was practically asking to explode while he was still wearing it. But, on the other hand- He could finally be a hero. A vigilante, yes, but, a hero nonetheless. A person who helps people in the shadows to stop crimes from being committed in the act by these 'Nomus,' and possibly catch that bastard, Banderhobb. After some serious thought, Midoriya opened his eyes.
"I'll do it. … Er, be the Guinea Pig for your project, I guess." He clarified, David and Melissa's eyes glowing with happiness. Somehow, Izuku felt like he was gonna regret this…
It was a gruelling few years following- I had to get Mei in on it so we could stabilize and perfect the V-Driver. Unfortunately, my father had to leave the project after Year two due to the increasing demand for Inventions after the Nomu related crimes skyrocketed. Insider info told us that they were looking for various 'metal boxes' across the city, as apparently some were seen carrying the said boxes.
"And… Yeah, that's about it." Melissa finishes up, before the two noticed the sizzling of cooking in the background. Seems that Izuku took the chance to get some dinner up and running, much to Melissa's apparent dismay. Tsuyu stood there, a bit dumb struck as the explanation finally settled within her brain. It… Made sense, from where she sat. Their thinking, their backstories, all of it, really. But, still…
"Ribbit, at the end of the day, you're breaking the law. If you had just told this to the Pro Heroes-"
"And have my babies confiscated!?" Mei yelled out, before Melissa shook her head in agreement.
"Yeah, and have Melissa's dad's pride and soul go down the drain? Besides, the Pros are too wrapped up in trying to appear fashionable to a wide audience and go up the rankings to try and stick their neck out for something clearly dangerous." Izuku replied with his usual cynical tone, something that made Froppy flinch- It was true. While not all of the Pros were worried about appearances, a concerningly large portion of them were too caught up in their public image than trying to actually fight crime. She liked to think she was different from them, but, probably not-
"Oh, well, uh… You seem to be nice, at least, Froppy. Even if you tried to arrest me, you were just doing your job, after all- I can't blame you." Izuku states, the frog-like hero looking up in surprise. Walking over with a cooking knife, Midoriya cut the rope that bound her to her chair despite the yells to stop from both Mei and Melissa. Feeling the blood rushing back into her hands after their circulation had been strangled, she winced as the feelings of pinpricks quickly faded in.
"Ribbit. … Th-Thanks." She croaks out, as Izuku gave a small smile in response. Letting out a disappointed huff, Mei went back to sit at the wooden dining room table they had set up near the kitchenette- Very juxtaposed with the gigantic, hollow feeling abandoned factory. Though she knew the smart option was to run and report them all to the Pros… She also felt like the correct answer was to help them. She was conflicted. On one hand, she sympathized with them. But, on the other… She could simply let the pros do their job and no laws would have to be broken. She stared at the three crowd around the dining table, giving their thanks, before starting to dig into the dinner Izuku had made. Placing a finger on her chin, she eventually stood up and walked over to the table.
"E-Erm… Can I… Uhm… Have some?" She asked, staring at the Yakitori Chicken Midoriya had made with a serving of rice on the side. It smelled really good. Izuku nodded, not even looking up from his plate as he chowed down.
"Yeah, help yourse-" He stated, before spitting out his food onto his plate from the realization who was talking. Mei nearly choked on her rice as Melissa fell out of her chair. Izuku turned his gaze to Tsuyu, an incredulous look on his face as the pro hero simply tilted her head in confusion.
"Ribbit…?" She questioned, confused as to the reactions. She simply decided to do what he said- Help herself. Grabbing some skewers and some rice, she went back to the table before giving a quiet 'Itadakimasu.' Looking down at the food and then to Izuku, who continued to eat at a much slower, anxious pace, she wondered if someone like him could really cook that well.
'Well, one way to find out, I guess…' She thought, before reaching down and taking a bite out of the skewer- A tiny one, just in case she didn't find the taste agreeable. Her eyes widened, blasting her poker face to hell at the taste of the Yakitori. A light red dusting of a blush colored her face as she looked at the green haired man in confusion. How could he make food this good!? She instantly began to devour the food, not realizing how hungry she had been. After she was done, the pink haired inventor decided to break the tension by laughing.
"Wow, Izu-kun! I guess what they say is true- 'The way to a woman's heart is their stomach!'" She teased, Izuku looking to her with a tired expression across his face.
"Isn't it 'The way to a man's heart is their stomach…?'" He corrects, to which Mei sticks her tongue out. Now Froppy was blushing from embarrassment, Melissa reaching out and patting her on the back sympathetically.
"I-I just met him, ribbit, it's not love at first sight." She harshly states- But, hey, she has to make sure they know. Otherwise they'll continue to tease her about it.
"That, and… Well, we did kidnap you…" Izuku states the last part with disgust and disappointment in himself, having been dragged along in a plot to kidnap a pro. Tsuyu sighs, before shaking her head.
"Though I don't necessarily agree with how you brought me here, ribbit, I'm not exactly mad that I learned about all of this. I… I wanna help you guys. You seem like good people." She declares, the table stares at her in disbelief. Did a Pro Hero, someone who had threatened to take them in and someone they stole agree to help them!? Izuku was at a loss for words at the moment, while Melissa simply gave a heartfelt smile. Mei, on the other hand…
"WOOOO! New test subject! Hey! Hey, Froppy! I actually got a hell of a lot of supplemental equipment that would probably rock your world if you wanna try it on- They're all my little babies, you know!" The inventor practically vaulted over the table to get in Tsuyu's face, something the frog did not appreciate. Craning her neck back, she began to devolve into a bunch of nervous 'ribbits' before…
"EEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" She let out, sounding like a Balloon deflating. The party blinked, before Melissa covered her mouth, her shoulders trembling. Izuku looked away, trying to disguise his laughter as him coughing. Mei, though, began to howl with laughter, falling onto the floor, rolling around limply as she couldn't control her own body any more.
"WhhHWhhWHAT THHHhhHHE HELL WAS THA-HA-HAAAAAAAT…!?" Mei forced herself to ask between gasps from her laughter, Tsuyu's face turning a bright red.
"R-r-ribbit… S-Since m-m-my quirk is all a-a-b-bout frogs, s-sometimes, I… When I'm really uncomfortable, I l-l-let out a s-s-scream like that…" She explained, sinking into her chair as the others tried to recover.
"Th-Thhhhhhat m-m-m-makes ssssense…!" Izuku tried to comfort her, though it was hard to do so when his mouth was covered and tears were beginning to form in the corners of his eyes. Sneering, she eventually flailed her arms at Izuku, pummeling the poor Kamen Rider into submission as she took all her anger and embarrassment out on him. The first to calm down, Melissa cleared her throat, before realizing something.
"Izu-kun… Did you… Get the box the Nomu was trying to get, by any chance?" She asked, the entire factory going dead silent.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH! I FORGOOOOOOOOOOOT!" Izuku screeches, before running towards the workbench where he sat the V-Driver down. Before he could run out, Mei stopped him.
"Yo! You do realize that the location where you left it out in the rain is quite a bit away, right?" She asks, Midoriya realizing that they'd have to return in the white van they used to kidnap Tsuyu. Though, going off of her eyes, she clearly had a different plan in mind. Walking over to where the bike was being worked on, the inventor brought it out into the light, showing off her technical prowess.
The Dark Green bike was clearly powerful, even though the Kamen Rider knew nothing about vehicles or motorcycles. There was a sense of speed and engineering fidelity that he could tell just from the outlook. The windshield was a giant, stylized golden V with a Black glass meant to protect the user from any bugs or debris. Across the middle of the bike, starting from the front, traveling across the seat and ending at the back was a red stripe- A Golden Stripe that seemed to branch off into various 'V' Shapes in spots. The engine itself was painted gold as well, with the metal portions of the bike having various 'V' designs on it, along with a headlight at the front.
"I call it… The VictorBike! Now your title of 'Rider' makes more sense now, right? Riiiiiight~?" She inched closer to Izuku, who begrudgingly nodded in response. Grabbing him by the collar, Mei dragged him in close, a sinister look on her face as she looked the rider right in the eyes.
"If I find a single scratch or dirt stain on my baby, I will personally break you." She threatened, Izuku nodding as quickly as he could. Letting him go, Izuku grabbed a helmet that the pink haired mechanic made beforehand and put it on, making sure it fit on there snugger than a glove. Hopping on the bike, he started it up, feeling the engine purr beneath him satisfyingly as he revved it up experimentally.
"Ribbit. Mind if I tag along? I need to get home, after all." Tsuyu piped up- Of course, Izuku nodded as he took the bike to the front door.
"Oh, and, be careful, Izu-kun! That thing goes really fast, so you'd best avoid any sort of bump in the road at all costs!" Mei calls out, Midoriya turning to her in curiosity.
"Because I'd be sent off the road, yeah?" He tries to confirm, but, to his surprise, Mei actually shook her head.
"Nope! I have enough balancers in there that even if you hit a ramp it'd land wheel side down! I was just talking about, you know… Your 'weakpoint?'" She coughed, the Rider's eyes widening at the suggestion she made. Shakily hopping onto the bike with Tsuyu following suit, he was suddenly terrified of the idea of hitting a bump… But, at least Froppy'd be fine. Hopefully.
"Kurogiri. Report." Neo All For One commanded, snapping his fingers to signal his call towards his personal Nomu. Of course, without fail, the black, wispy creature appeared, getting down one knee in his presence.
"Sir. I was just on my way to confiscate the 3rd box when you had brought me here. Would you like me to resume?" He asks, his masked leader glaring at him. Did he think he was some kind of idiot? That his decision is wrong?! He resisted the urge to snap at him- What would that solve? He instead gave a nod and was about to snap when a small Watcher Nomu had flown into his lap. Intrigued, he picked it up in the palm of his hand before tapping the gigantic, cyclopean eye that took up most of its head. The Nomu let out a 'gleck' as it projected what appeared to be two people on a motorcycle heading down the street. Though one was wearing a helmet, the other Neo All For One recognized as the Pro Hero that joined the fight against Sahuagain. Damn, were they…!? Without thinking, the Nomu began to crumble into dust, before he crushed the Surveillance Creature into literal ashes.
"Kurogiri. Retrieve that box, and take Meenlock with you. For a distraction- You are not to engage, only to bring it back safely. Understood?" He glares at his creation, who simply nods in response.
"Of course, sir." With a bow, Kurogiri wisps away into nothing, leaving the villain to stew in his anger.
'Kamen Rider Victory… I crave the day when I can crush your pathetic skull in my hand.' He thought, a smile spreading across his face.
It was a gruelling ride to their previous destination. On the way there, Midoriya was talking to Tsuyu about his favorite hero facts when a bump had hit his 'weakpoint' and he nearly skid off the road and crashed into a tree. It took him a few minutes to even recover, with Tsuyu out to look for anyone that might recognize them, but, after suppressing the pain, the two managed to drive off again. It was a quiet trip after that, but she swore he could hear him trying to suck back in tears of pain every once in a while.
"... Ribbit. How'd you get so good at cooking? I can only make premade dinners, and even then, just barely. How did-"
"Oh, that? It's… It's not really anything. I don't think my cooking's really that special." He puts himself down almost near instantly, causing the frog to blink in surprise. Is he really that rejecting of praise…?
"I just wanted to know how you were taught how to cook, ribbit." She decides to rephrase her question- She can deal with his behavior later. Izuku pauses at the question, before chuckling.
"My mom was a heck of a cook- I just learnt all of her recipes, seeing as how I was going to need to live on my own at some point. Though, if you think that crap I made is good, my mom's cooking would've sent you to heaven and back." Izuku claims, Tsuyu nearly stopping herself from trying to correct Izuku's way of thinking. Again, it's fairly early in their relationship, and she has no idea how he'd react if she tried to… You know, stop him from putting himself down. A few minutes later, the Motorcycle finally stopped, Izuku parking it on the sidewalk. V-Driver hidden in his shirt, the two sneaked towards the alleyway that the Metal Box was left in.
Turning the corner, Izuku's world stopped upon seeing the familiar sight of a black, mist-like creature with piercing yellow eyes and green vested suit. The smoke from its body extended out, covering the metallic box. Though the Kamen Rider's vision tunneled at the sight of the familiar Nomu, Tsuyu on the other hand looked at the carnage surrounding him. Various officers, strewn about like ragdolls. Some were simply smashed against the wall, while others necks were left at awkward angles. Out of the bodies, she recognized one- The officer she met from her way to get groceries. The one with the horn-hair. His body was the one who affected her the most, even if their interaction was not all that substantial. Just seeing someone she knew, even passingly, dead… It was eye opening, for sure. Not that Izuku cared.
"BASTARD!" He called out, getting Banderhobb's attention. Turning around to look, he spotted Izuku, before squinting his eyes.
"Oh? Ohohohohohoooooo…? You're that green haired kid from… Oh dear, where was it? This is simply embarrassing, I can't seem to recall that squalid little place you lived in." He placed a hand on his mist-like cheek in thought, an action that only seemed to aggravate the green haired man all the more. Tsuyu snapped out of her trance, realizing that this Nomu was none other than Banderhobb, the one responsible for Izuku's mother's death. Not only that, but many, many others, she'd wager. She tensed up, the Nomu seemingly reacting to her fear with a chuckle.
"Oh, and you brought a fledgling hero. How wonderful- Tell you what? I'll simply let you," He pointed to Froppy with little interest, "Walk back to your apartment- I'll never see you, and you'll never see me, alright? Besides, I'd rather not have an audience see what I'm about to do to this young boy." Banderhobb's warp gate appearance began to flare up, like a fire, engulfing his entire body in flames as he transformed. If the previous Nomu was inhuman looking, then Kurogiri was downright monstrous. Towering over the two of them, he clearly gained multiple feet of height on the two. His body was covered in giant, toad-like pustles, though his skin was clearly furred, like a dog. His collar still wrapped around his neck, the giant lizard-like spike sticking out of the exposed part in the middle, with a giant musculature that would put even All-Might to shame. His legs were Digitigrade, bearing heavy resemblance to that of a toad with brownish-green, rough looking skin. On top of that, massive bone-like spines decorated his shoulders and biceps, with his hands having black, poison dripping talons on each finger. His mouth finally revealed, it appeared to be a sort of reptilian snout with fangs that barely fit in the Nomu's mouth. The exposed brain part seemed to be covered in the fiery black fog that comprised most of his body in his human form, with the same yellow eyes floating about in it. Banderhobb's mouth corners twitched up into a crooked smile, before he popped his knuckles.
"Because, you see, little girl… I like taking the slow and easy route to death with my victims. It gives them enough time to regret picking a fight with me- Another reason I regret being so forceful with his mother. After all, how was she supposed to learn her lesson when she was dead?" He let out a disappointed sigh, shaking his head in downtrodden solemness.
"A complete waste, you know?" Banderhobb resigns. Izuku, on the other hand, was just standing there, shaking with rage as this thing described his mom as if she were a broken toy. She wasn't just some play thing that he could just break and then throw away. To Izuku, she was Inko Midoriya, the thoughtful, loving mother that took care of him even when he threw away his dreams. She was Inko Midoriya, the strong willed woman who decided to not only take care of a child by herself, but someone who treated everyone with kindness and love as if they were her own children.
"She had a name, goddammit… Her name was INKO!" He yelled out, snapping the V-Driver to his waist as he took out the Gear.
"Henshin!" He declares- No fancy pose, no showmanship, nothing. Just a cold, wrath filled stare at the monster that took his mother away from him as he turned the Gear right-side up.
"V! STANDS FOR! VICTORY!" The announcer cried out once more as he transformed into Kamen Rider Victory. He did not hesitate for a second- With vigor fueled by vitriol, he charged forward, slamming his fist into the Nomu's gut… Only to have it bounce backwards from the impact. Looking confused, Banderhobb cackles at his outburst.
"And I have a new name now. It's Kurogiri. I'd appreciate it if you used it, please." He bows respectfully, something that only angered the masked hero even more. Using his lowered head as an opportunity, he went to grab the back of his head and drive his face into his knee. As soon as he grappled him, though, a mouth opened up on the top of his head. Before Izuku could even react, a giant, bladed tongue lashed out at him, slashing him across the chest. Sparks flew as Midoriya was pushed back from the singular attack, the failed opportunity clearly getting entertainment from Kurogiri as he chuckled yet again.
"Ohohohohohoho… Please. You could never beat me." He threatened, before his warp gate began to move to the palm of his hand. Holding it out, Izuku wondered what Kurogiri was doing until a car barreled out of the warp gate and struck the Rider dead on, knocking him back considerably as the person inside of said car simply drove off in a panic. Crumpled on the ground, Izuku went to try and get back up, but, thankfully, Kurogiri was there to help him! By kicking him in the gut like a soccer ball and launching him up into the air. While in mid-air, he decided to return the favor he tried to pull earlier by grabbing him by the back of the head and slamming him into the pavement, face first. Dragging him through the street, his power was enough to leave a visible trench where he dragged the kamen rider, before he threw him into a building. Before Victory could even get his surroundings, Kurogiri appeared yet again from the dust that was beginning to settle. He'd push Izuku into the wall, before the bricks from above seemed to shake loose. Flying out of their formation, they levitated behind the Nomu's back, before they all began to pummel into various parts of Midoriya's body. Though trying his best to block the onslaught, he could feel his bones begin to strain from the pressure being applied.
"I wonder, dear boy, what will break first~? Your bones, your that stupid spirit of yours that kept you alive all these years?" The Nomu asks, before he felt something hit him in the back. It was barely even a feeling, more like a sort of push from behind that caught his attention. Turning around, he saw that it was that frog girl, who had apparently decided to butt in by drop kicking him while his back was turned. Letting out an annoyed huff, the monster decided not to mess with her all too much- Summoning a warp gate in his hand, he'd brandish a sword made specifically for his stature. A giant Katana, serrated on both sides with a hollow middle but ringed on it's blood stained handle. Wielding it in one hand, he goes for the stab against Tsuyu, only for Midoriya to hit his collar with a brick. Though it didn't hurt, it clearly agitated the Nomu, as he shifted his focus from Froppy to Victory, before slashing across his chest. This time, instead of sparks flying off, the sword went through the armor, leaving a nasty gash across his torso that immediately spurted out blood.
"IZUKU!" Tsuyu cried out, watching the suit disappear off of Midoriya as he fell back onto the pile of bricks. Kurogiri laughed aloud as he brought the sword up to finish him off… Only for Electricity to begin to course through his body from the collar.
"D-Damn…! Can't I have any fun…!? Gah! Meenlock, finish off this pathetic, wannabe hero!" He calls out, before summoning an insectoid Nomu out of his warp gate. Returning into his human form, Kurogiri disappeared in a wisp of black fog, leaving behind the Nomu to finish off his work. Tsuyu immediately sprang into action, lashing the Meenlock as fiercely as she could with her tongue. Making it stagger forward in pain, she hopped over and grabbed Izuku in her tongue's grasp before taking great leaps and bounds away.
Chittering in anger, Meenlock stepped into the shadows, before it's figure began to change and morph.
"Kkkhkkhkhkhkk… Sssssstupid…. Bitcchhhhhkkhkhkhk.." The Nomu muttered, before disappearing into the darkness.
Tsuyu knew this was a terrible idea, but, it was either that or let Izuku bleed out! Thankfully, U.A. had taught basic Medical Aid to all it's heroes should the need arise, but a wound like this probably wouldn't be treated with the simple first aid kit at her apartment.
'Please… Please, Izuku, please just live. For your mother. For us!' She pleaded mentally, watching Midoriya's eyes drift around in their sockets. He was in a terrible state, and she practically was working with a hope and a prayer with the task she had in front of her.
A/N: holy cow, guys! 200+ views in just a day! i didn't think this story was that good, but hey, i appreciate it! It at least gave me a small boost to make chapter 2, but this instant write up of chapter 2 was mostly because im still on a kamen rider high. expect inconsistent writing as I am known to only write when I have the muse. Now, onto reviews:
Karlos1234ify: thanks! I always wanted a kamen rider-mha crossover where Izuku was a Kamen Rider instead of the usual 'what if (x) and (x) met?' I mean, it'd make sense, seeing as how he wanted to be a hero and kamen riders are pretty much heroes without quirks!