"Son, you are twelve now, you'll be starting junior high in a few weeks," the pro-hero Godzillo said to a preteen boy who was sitting on a table swinging his legs back and forth.
The boy nodded, "Uhuh, yup, I'll be in the same school as Meli then, finally," he said proudly.
The kaiju sized hero knelt down to his son's eye level. "Ishirō, my son, you won't be on I-Island anymore," he solemnly said. "You're going to live with your mother now that she's established herself as the number nine hero in Japan."
At this revelation Ishirō started to beg, "Dad you can't be serious, I have to move to Japan, I won't know anyone, I'll lose all my friends, my friend," he corrected himself. Despite being the son of two very powerful heroes, life was different on I-Island as opposed to Japan, with crime rates being dramatically lower, the pay for heroes wasn't very much, they tended to act more like private security than heroes, and Godzillo rarely had much work of his own.
Which is why Ishirō's mother, the pro-hero Ryukyu had headed to her homeland of Japan where there was plenty of villains to capture. So, she was always able to send money back to make ends meet and ensure that their son's tuition was paid up for the prestigious schooling he was enrolled in.
But there was a problem with that, Ishirō wasn't the smartest kid, he wasn't dumb, not by much really, but I-Island's standard for education was a few levels above where most other schools would be at the same time, and he struggled. Constantly failing his assignments simply because he couldn't keep up with the rest of the class, all children of famous scientists and researchers or they had quirks that enhanced intelligence.
Ishirō on the other hand, turned into a giant, super strong, fire-breathing monster like his parents. And unlike Japan or other places with high crime rates, powerful quirks aren't really that admired. There's the initial wow factor when they see him grow claws or roast something with his quirk, but then they realized he just isn't like the rest of them, he wasn't smart enough.
As a result, his parents had hired him a tutor and that's how he made his first and only friend, Melissa Shield, daughter of the famous inventor David Shield. The blonde girl was only a year older than him, but she was a genius, able to make sure that he learned the material even if it did take a few extra hours. She always made sure to keep things nice, slow and relaxed for Ishirō. He was smitten, she was everything his world revolved around, pedigree, grace and intelligence.
This meant that Ishirō always followed her around like a lost puppy, none of the other kids in his school seemed to care for his presence though. The teachers felt he was a waste of time with how slowly he progressed through the material. In any other school he'd do reasonably well but he was in an accelerated program without an engine.
"Well…" Godzillo trailed off trying to find some silver lining to moving his son across the ocean. "All Might works out of Japan."
"Oh yeah, Uncle Might," Ishirō said. The number one hero for a decade running, the longest streak ever held, All Might, the Symbol of Peace. Ishirō had been over at the Shield's getting tutored when he was around seven or eight when the mighty hero walked in to see his old friend David. Melissa had quickly hopped out of her seat and cried out to him, "Uncle Might, Uncle Might." It took a few tries to explain to Ishirō that All Might wasn't actually her uncle, but he sort of got it, it was an affectionate title, but to him family was important and if Melissa thought he was close enough to be family then he should as well and over the years he would see All Might from time to time, he started to call him by that name as well.
"I guess, but what if Meli needs me, or I, need her," Ishirō muttered the last part.
"Son you know I have excellent hearing, so don't think I didn't hear that little confession of yours," Godzillo chuckled.
"Dad come on, I'm serious, it's, she's," Ishirō stumbled trying to find the right words.
"A beautiful and brilliant young lady and you're worried that someone else is going to come along and take her from you," the father finished the sentence his son was struggling to say.
Ishirō blushed and nodded. "Plus, some of those other kids," he trailed off.
"They still picking on her for being quirkless huh," The pro-hero folded his arms across his chest.
"Yeah, it's gone down a lot since she started helping Uncle David in the lab, but, a few of them still say not nice things about her," Ishirō snarled, his teeth sharpening into fangs.
"Woah, easy their kiddo," The father firmly rested his massive hand on his son's head, pushing him down into the table. "No need to go transforming here."
"But dad, it's not right, she's this amazingly, wonderful girl who is going to go on and change the world with her big beautiful brain and they just, they just, why are you looking at the door," Ishirō paused as he noticed his dad wasn't staring at him anymore. He sniffed the air and caught a familiar scent of vanilla and strawberries. Ishirō closed his eyes. "Please tell me she isn't standing in the room, and didn't hear me say all that mushy stuff," he pleaded to his father.
Melissa walked over to the oversized furniture and giggled as she pulled her friend into a tight hug. "I think it's sweet of you to want to protect me from all the nasty people Ishirō," she said as he went limp in her arms, completely defeated. "And if it makes you feel any better, I noticed how all the others have treated you and me over the years and let me make this clear," Melissa stated as she turned Ishirō's head to face hers. "They don't compare to you at all," she gave a quick peck on his nose.
"Meli, my dad is right there," Ishirō whined.
"Good, he should know who's been holding your leash these past few years," she teased.
Godzillo whistled, "Leashes already son, oh my, those instincts of yours really hit you hard," the father poked fun at his son's predicament.
"But Melissa, I'm gonna be gone for, a while," Ishirō said sadly.
Melissa stroked the younger boy's hair, "I know, I'm going to miss you. But..." she said firmly. "I don't want you to get hung up. There are probably a ton of nice girls and boys in Japan that you can be friends with, at the very least you'll have time to spend with your mother and Uncle Might is over there too, so you have family," she comforted Ishirō who silently sat next to her as she played with his hair.
"Family, family, that's it!" Ishirō shouted as he jumped up. "I can see if I have more family in Japan, then I won't be lonely, haha. Thanks Melissa, your brain does it again," he cheered as he fled the room leaving his father and friend behind.
"He's really going to miss you," Godzillo said to the blonde girl who had tears forming in her eyes.
"Yeah and he's going to find another girl who's going to take him from me," she sniffed as she rubbed her eyes. "I just wish, I had more time," she cried.
Godzillo carefully drug one of his claws up her cheek, "I know sweetheart, it's hard to let go once you realize you have feelings, but I think in a few years he'll be able to come back, this is for the best, he's struggled so much in elementary school, even with as he says, your big beautiful brain helping him. Junior high here on the island would ruin him," Godzillo admits the bigger reason for sending his son away.
He saw how depressed it made his son to always struggle in his classes because they were so advanced. Even getting help from amazingly brillaint people he still barely scrapped by, sending him to a smaller school with less prestige would do wonders because he'd finally be an average student instead of the worst performer.
Melissa nodded in understanding. She had been the one to initially propose the idea to Ishirō's parents, as much as it hurt her to lose a true friend. He needed to be in a healthier environment and this academically inclined one wasn't suited for him.
"I'll just go, seeing him is just going to make this harder," Melissa quietly said as she hopped down from the table and walked towards the door, it sliding open for her as she approached.
"Sweetheart," Godzillo called out to her. "He's not going to forget about you, I promise."
At an apartment complex in Musutafu, a tall boy with blonde hair and sharp teeth knocks proudly on a brown door and a much smaller boy with green hair and diamond patterned freckles opens it, only to be pulled into a tight hug and lifted off the ground. "COUSIN, it's so nice to meet you," Ishirō said to a very confused Izuku.