A/N thanks for your reviews and support.

Yumi Edogawa: thanks for your review my friend. Thank you for your kind words! They mean so much!

Izuku's POV

The day passed swiftly more so than what he thought it would. Tsukauchi talked about the different jobs within the hero community. Most kids thought only in terms of heroes and sidekicks. Few ever considered those that made the agency run. Receptionist, clerks, computer technicians quirk analysts.

Sure there were heroes who's quirks helped with these things but not everyone could make it in hero school. Not everyone could pass the exams to become heroes. People with skills other than fighting were essential.

The quirkist out there did not see it that way. In their eyes only those with a strong quirk had the right to do as they please. Everyone else was under them and should be treated as such.

Izuku was honestly surprised that the man speak of quirk discrimination so openly. To most people it was a taboo topic. To bring it up was to ensight people into calling you weak. Yet here was an officer talking about it openly and warning children against the dangers.

Police stopping discrimination was good in theory. In practice however it rarely happened unless someone was going to be seriously injured. Even then the repercussions were almost negligible. More often than not the victim would receive punishment for lying.

For the briefest of moments he thought he saw Tsukauchi's eyes flicker over to the teacher. It could have been a trick of the light. Though a small part of Izuku that he didn't want to acknowledge wanted it to be there. To show that someone actually cared and they weren't just parroting back words they had been told to say.

The cynical part of Izuku refused to give into hope. He had learned long ago putting faith in adults would only get him hurt. The detective could be trusted to handle criminal cases but nothing more.

When lunch rolled around he was feeling antsy. Being unable to go into his quirk was making him restless. If it wasn't a requirement for hero school he wouldn't even be here.

He could easily pass the exams to graduate middle school early. Not that he would ever get permission to do such a thing. Aldera wouldn't let him test out for the same reason his grades were so slow. They thought he was cheating and unfairly graded his work. After all how could someone with such a weak quirk be smarter than Bakugo who had a strong quirk?

Izuku made to follow his friends but Tsukauchi stopped him saying, "Midoriya can I have a word?"

The three shared a look before Izuku replied a false smile adorning his face, "Of course, Detective Tsukauchi."

Hitoshi gave him a look before pushing Kavar out. He knew they would be nearby in case things went down. Izuku doubted he would need the backup but he was happy for the support nonetheless.

When the door was closed behind the two Izuku faced Tsukauchi. For his part the detective looked just as tense as Izuku felt. His eyes kept flitting to the soulparent mark on Izuku's neck. Izuku pointedly refused to look at the man's own mark. The one that declared him Izuku's soulparent.

He hasn't needed a parent for the last 9 years and he doesn't need one now. No matter what fate seemed to think. Adults thought they knew best but more often than not they made things worse.

Izuku questioned trying to hide his wariness from the man, "What did you want to talk about, sir?"

Tsukauchi said watching his reaction, "I was hoping to ask about your mark."

Izuku sighed internally. That much he figured out for himself. There was no other logical reason for the detective to pull him aside.

He said with a straight face assuming what the man wanted to ask about, "I'm happy and taken care of at home. You don't need to step in."

Tsukauchi looked like he wanted to say something. Then paused with a confused look. His head titled to the side as if listening to something only he could hear. Dark eyes fell upon his green ones something unreadable in them.

Tsukauchi questioned his voice level, "Do you know what my quirk is?"

Thrown by the sudden change of topic Izuku thought about it. Then he answered his brow furrowed, "It's Lie Detect... oh."

"Yeah, oh," said the detective, "Want to try that statement again?"

"Not particularly," retorted Izuku leaving them at an impasse.

Damn it. He should have kept his damn mouth shut. Now the detective not only had doubts about his home life due to the mark but because he had lied. One good thing about his mother and her tendencies to ignore him was the fact that this allowed him to do his vigilante work. Unhindered!

Tsukauchi's lips quirked up in amusement before he turned serious again. The man continued to stare and the longer he did so the more the feeling of being trapped overcame him.

Tsukauchi tried again his voice lower than before, "You are not happy at home. Nor are you taken care of. Yet at the same time you believe that I don't need to step in."

Izuku bit the inside of his cheek to keep from responding.

The man's eyes never left his face as continued, "Soulparents are typically one or both of the child's biological parents. On the occasions they aren't it is typically a sign of neglect or abuse," Izuku barely withheld a twitch, "Soulparents can also file for custody and 90% of the time are granted it. Few judges would go against fate."

"Why do you care, Detective? You have known of my existence for less than a day. I am just fine how I am. I don't need you or anyone else."

Tsukauchi looked mildly hurt, "I care because I don't like seeing children hurt. No matter if they were my soul child or not."

"You think I would willingly go with someone I don't know?" Izuku questioned incredulously, "I never took detectives for being dreamers."

Anger flashed through the dark eyes. It seemed he had hit a nerve. Good maybe it would be enough to get him to back off. Any words out of anger would only prove his distrust to be correct.

As if sensing his thoughts the anger drained from Tsukauchi. They just stared for several long moments. Neither wanting to break the silence and risk angering the other.

Then Tsukauchi said, "You should go to lunch but know this isn't the last I'm going to speak to you."

Izuku made his way over to the door paused before saying over his shoulder, "You really shouldn't bother, Detective. People don't care about what happens to people like me. It's a fact of life and one I've long since accepted. I've made peace with that and the friends that I've come to make. They are my family and always will be."

Then he was gone heading to meet with Shinsou and Kavar at their usual spot. Eyes followed him until he was out of sight. A pang of regret filled his chest but he refused to acknowledge it. This was for the best after all.