Pacing around definitely wasn't helping calm Setsuna's anxious mood. Unfortunately, there wasn't really anything else for her to do. She'd made sure to be extra thorough with her chores, even going as far as to give Izuku's already spotless room another quick clean. Auntie Inko was busy with Izuku's discharge from the hospital, so it was up to her to take care of everything in preparation for his return.
Her cousin wasn't someone who liked to brood, yet Izuku had seemed inordinately frustrated when she visited. It was difficult to tell exactly what was bothering him, but he'd been antsy and restless all the time. Losing an eye didn't seem to be the problem; Setsuna could tell her cousin was happiest when he was working on his design for a new cybernetic one, along with something which looked like a prosthetic arm. It probably didn't help that if Auntie Inko had her way, Izuku would have been cooped up in the hospital for another month at least.
A quick skim through a dozen television channels revealed nothing of interest. What else could she do while she waited? It was getting too cold to go outside, and Barugon-sama was likewise now in brumation for the winter. She didn't want to use Izuku's computer either, not when his room was still in pristine condition. Resigning herself to boredom, the twelve-year old girl changed the channel to a documentary rerun and waited for her cousin to arrive.
Setsuna must have dozed off, because she was awoken by the sound of the apartment door opening. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she jumped to her feet and went to greet them at the entrance.
"Welcome home, Izuku-kun!" she cheered loudly. "It's great to see you again."
Her cousin looked tired and irritable, wearing a simple black eyepatch on the right side of his face. "You just visited me two days ago, Setsuna-chan," he said dryly, although his voice carried the tiniest hint of amusement. He didn't protest when Setsuna hugged him, only squirming slightly in her arms. "You don't know how glad I am to be out of the hospital."
"Well, I'm just glad that you're okay now!"
A soft chuckle drew Setsuna's attention to Izuku's mother, who was watching them with a watery smile. "We're all glad that you're okay, Izuku. Setsuna-chan, why don't you help Izuku get settled in his room while I get dinner started?"
"Sure thing, Auntie Inko!"
It seemed like Izuku was still feeling cranky, even though he was finally out of the hospital. His movements were also quite slow and stiff, as though he was exhausted, yet surprisingly he didn't go straight to bed to rest. Izuku sat down at his computer instead, powering it on and starting to flip through various schematics which Setsuna couldn't understand.
"Are you sure you should be working so soon?" Setsuna asked, taking the chair in front of his desk.
"I've already spent three weeks resting in the hospital. There's a lot I need to catch up on," Izuku answered grumpily. He focused his attention on the screen in front of him, pointedly ignoring his cousin as he worked.
It was strange, Izuku normally didn't get grouchy like this. Setsuna hovered uncertainly for several minutes, unsure if she should even say something. "Izuku-kun, are you sure you're feeling alright?" she said eventually. "You're acting kinda different from normal."
"I'm perfectly fine, Setsuna-chan," Izuku scowled, "Everyone else is already treating me like I'm made of glass, so I don't need you mothering me as well!"
Setsuna had always got along well with her cousin, so it was a bit of a shock when he snapped at her. In fact, Izuku had never once lashed out at her in the years since she'd started living part-time in the Midoriya household, even when she'd frankly deserved it. Emotionally she was upset of course, but the hurt was overridden by her desire to find out why he was behaving so strangely. And to help him.
"I promise I won't nag at you, Izuku-kun," she began, holding up a hand to forestall any complaints. "And I'll leave in a moment. Just – remember you can always talk to me about anything, okay?"
From the way his shoulders tensed, Setsuna could tell that her cousin was becoming even more irritated. She frowned but kept her word, quietly standing up to leave.
"Wait, Setsuna-chan," Izuku sighed. He turned towards her, looking like he intended to make some vaguely placating statement. "Sorry, I'm just – I'm in a bad mood I guess." Squeezing his eyes shut in frustration, the words suddenly started tumbling out of Izuku's mouth. "Getting injured like that – I nearly got myself killed because I wasn't strong enough. And then someone else got hurt, because of me! Because I was weak! How can I become a hero to save others when I can't even save myself?"
Internally pondering how to reply, Setsuna gave her fuming, but unresisting cousin another quick hug. She could point out that they were just children, that nobody expected him to fight some villainous gangster at twelve years old. But Auntie Inko had already said something similar, and it obviously hadn't made him feel any better. She knew Izuku well enough to predict that he would close up if she said the same thing.
"Honestly, I don't think you're weak at all," she told him. "But if you really feel that way, Izuku-kun – why not train yourself to get stronger? I hardly ever see you around after school, and you never seem to have any free time. You're always either doing stuff at Yuuei or helping out at Dr Tsuabasa's clinic."
Izuku narrowed his eyes, but for once Setsuna couldn't tell if he was angry at her. He didn't say anything though, which she took as permission to continue.
"I'm not sure if you remember, but our school actually has entire facilities dedicated to Quirk improvement. There's training sessions after school every day, and classes for students who want to do physical exercise as well. They even have one or two Pro Heroes dropping in sometimes whom you can ask for advice, or you can talk to the teachers who are always there supervising."
"That actually doesn't sound too bad, Setsuna-chan," Izuku admitted. "But I can't afford to relax, not until I finish Eri-chan's prostheses at least. I'm going to need to build a prosthetic eye for myself, too."
The sudden reminder of what had happened to her cousin easily dampened the mood of the conversation. She purposefully kept her gaze away from the eyepatch Izuku was wearing as she gave him one of her patented grins. "Well, I'm here if need help with anything. "
"It's alright, Setsuna-chan. I know you're not a fan of engineering and building things like I am."
"I'm serious! I don't mind spending my time if it's to help you, Izuku-kun. You're like a brother to me!" Setsuna declared. Izuku opened his mouth to reply, but faltered at the last moment. It was the first time she'd actually said out loud that they were as close as biological siblings.
"I – thank you, Setsuna-chan," he said somewhat awkwardly. "I'm not good with f – feelings and stuff, but you're definitely a sister to me as well."
Setsuna rolled her eyes in an attempt to lighten the mood. "There's no need to get all nervous and embarrassed about emotions, Izuku-kun. Especially since we're family."
"R – right. Anyway, I know you want to help, but – um, I'd really prefer to do things on my own. They're my inventions, and these are my hurdles to overcome, you know? I don't want to burden other people with my problems, especially not you or Mom."
Setsuna let out a loud, theatrical sigh. "This better not be one of those stubborn macho things, Izuku-kun," she scolded lightly. "Fine, just remember to tell me if you need help." She flashed him a pointy-toothed grin. "And don't do anything stupid, okay?"
A small, hesitant smile worked its way onto Izuku's face. "When have I ever done anything stupid?" he joked weakly. "Normally, I'd be the one keeping an eye on you."
"Hey!" Setsuna protested, a second before they both dissolved into giggles.
- BREAK -
Dr Tsubasa watched through the observation window as Midoriya interacted with his most interesting patient. The girl was barely older than a toddler, with no known parents or family, which made it easier for him to pull some strings in order for her to be referred to his clinic. Pediatric and psychological assessment of the subject revealed some major psychological trauma, both from her experience with her captors and her escape, but frankly her issues were irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.
No, what the doctor was truly interested in was the child's Meta Ability.
Through extensive – and careful – testing, Tsubasa had determined that her power was capably of essentially reverting a biological organism back to an earlier stage of its existence. An extraordinarily powerful Meta Ability, one held back by her complete lack of control. Not unexpected, considering the subject's age and background. Still, it was such a pity that she was so young and inexperienced. It would be incredibly risky for the target were she to use her Meta Ability on a human being, likely the reason why that no-name Yakuza mobster had been taking tissue samples from her instead.
And that was the issue, of course.
Her lack of a legal identity was a double-edged sword. With no parents or guardian, Tsubasa simply could not get the permission required by law to perform the experiments he desired. At least, not without revealing things he wanted to keep buried. Or spending far too many resources cleaning up the mess.
Not that legal or ethical issues had stopped him in the past of course, but the circumstances surrounding her retrieval – not to mention the specifics of her powerful Meta Ability – ensured that this particular child would be under close scrutiny by the government for quite some time. He even ran the risk of losing access to her entirely should she be fostered out by Japanese child protection services and moved to a different prefecture.
Watching the girl shyly talk with Midoriya, Tsubasa was struck by a sudden inspiration for a solution to this problem.
He would need to be subtle when setting things up, given the scrutiny. But the elder Midoriya was nothing if not compassionate, and the doctor had the perfect justification right in front of him. The subject's bond with her son could easily be exploited to gain her sympathy. Tsubasa would need to restrict his experimenting under their watch, but that was an acceptable outcome. The child had such poor control over her Meta Ability that samples of her Quirk Factor would be easier to work with anyway.
It was but the work of a few days to set up the necessary paperwork through his connections in the government. Tsubasa called Midoriya Inko immediately afterwards and tried to present the situation to her in a sympathetic light. The woman was surprisingly amendable to his proposal, which only left convincing her son. That, at least, was something which the doctor was confident he could do by himself.
The doctor plastered a fake smile on his face when Midoriya Izuku entered his office as usual at the end of the day. Tsubasa couldn't deny he had a certain fondness for the boy, one that went beyond his usual appreciation of powerful or interesting Meta Abilities. His intelligence and curiosity were a breath of fresh air compared with the imbeciles the doctor had to deal with on a daily basis. Especially when compared with Tsubasa's own ignoramus of a 'grandson'.
Even better, Midoriya's ethics were quite flexible when it came to acquiring information, a trait which he hoped to encourage for the future.
"Ah, Assistant Midoriya!" Tsubasa said jovially. "Please, have a seat. Don't worry, your work has been exemplary as usual. I simply have something which I wish to discuss with you."
"Good afternoon, sensei. How can I help you today?" That was another thing which the doctor liked about the boy, his invariable politeness to his elders.
Tsubasa schooled his face into an expression of grandfatherly concern. He'd had to practice it in the mirror beforehand; earlier attempts had made him look rather constipated. "I would like to talk to you about little Eri-san," the doctor said solemnly. "She remains firmly entrenched within her shell, despite our hard work. Indeed, my own attempts at getting her to open up have completely failed. Unfortunately, it seems that she still responds only to you."
A dark cloud passed over Midoriya's face. "Eri-chan's traumatized by what she's been through. I'm the only person she feels a connection with at the moment."
"Precisely. Which is why I would like to propose that you look after her at your home, Izuku-san. Despite my most sincere efforts, the clinic is hardly the most hospitable place for a young child."
"At – at home?" Midoriya asked uncertainly. "Like a foster brother? I – I wouldn't mind, sensei. But my mother – "
"Your mother has already tentatively agreed to the proposal. Of course she would like to meet Eri-san first, but she insisted on getting your approval before we even proceed to that stage."
There was some slight hesitation in Midoriya's body language, and for a second Tsubasa thought he'd made a mistake. But then the boy's expression hardened, eyes burning with a grim resolve. "I don't know if I'll be a good foster sibling," he said slowly, "But Eri-chan's already been through so much. I promise I'll do my best to protect her."
"Excellent!" Tsubasa beamed. "Thank you, Izuku-san. Now speaking of protection, have you finished constructing that remarkable cybernetic guardian of yours?"
"Progress has been slow, sensei. The Kastelan is only about twenty percent complete," Midoriya informed him. "I – I haven't had too much time in the workshop lately. I'll have to start focusing on it if Eri-chan comes to live with us."
"Ah, I see! Well, it just so happens that I might have something for you there. A gift, as it were, to help level the playing field should you encounter that despicable Yakuza boss again." And to protect his investment in the child, Tsubasa added mentally. He leaned forward, lowering his voice down to a whisper. "I'm afraid it's not quite legal for me to give to you however, which is why I must ask that you keep this between ourselves. Will that be an issue for you, Izuku-kun?"
That same hardness once again returned to Midoriya's eyes. "Of course not, sensei. You can always count on me."
- BREAK -
The faint odor of disinfectant was ever present, despite Eri's attempts to block it out by covering her nose. She curled herself into a little ball on the bed, hidden under a thick blanket and with her back against a wall. Izuku had promised to come back today, after introducing her to his mother yesterday. The woman was soft, with the same green hair as him. She'd been nice, and had asked if Eri would like to live with them for a while.
Izuku had smiled when she said yes.
Eri was getting a little warm under her blanket, but she didn't mind. She liked the heat, found it comforting after living for so long in cold, sterile rooms. The cool, silvery metal of her new hand was also comforting, but in a different way. It reminded her of Izuku, of when he rescued and protected her with his own metal limbs. That feeling of safety and security was something she had never experienced before, until now.
The door opened, and Eri heard someone enter the room. She carefully poked her head out of the blanket so that she could peek at the visitor. It was Izuku, but he was followed by someone else. A girl this time, who also had green hair! Her expression was friendly, but Eri shied away when she saw the grinning mouth full of sharp teeth. Was she about to get eaten? No, Izuku would protect her if this new girl was hungry, or if she thought Eri looked yummy to eat.
"Hello, Eri-chan," Izuku smiled.
"Hi," Eri replied in a tiny voice, bravely resisting the urge to dive under her blanket again. Both of the older children waited patiently for her to continue, but she was too timid to say anything.
"Eri-chan, you met my mother yesterday, remember?" said Izuku. "This is Setsuna-chan, my cousin. She stays with us during the week, so I brought her to introduce herself. Is it okay if we come closer?"
Quite frankly, Eri would rather the older girl went away so that she could have Izuku to herself. And her teeth were a little scary. But Izuku had brought her here, and she was his cousin, so she had to be okay. Eri would try to overcome her shyness and get to know her.
Hesitantly, the little girl nodded her head.
Izuku sat on the end of the bed, while the other girl pulled up a chair. "How are you feeling today, Eri-chan? Good?"
Eri nodded once again, but didn't say anything. The girl, Tokage Setsuna, began introducing herself after a short pause. She was twelve, the same age as Izuku, and was his number two cousin. Dual cousin? Anyway, she liked dinosaurs and had a pet lizard. They both went to the same school. Eri kept herself mostly hidden while Setsuna spoke, in case Izuku's cousin suddenly decided she was hungry, but relaxed just a little when nothing happened to her.
"I live with the Midoriyas when my dad is busy with his work, so I'll be around a lot. I'm sure we'll have lots of fun together!" Setsuna finished with a cheer. Her enthusiasm was contagious, and Eri found her own lips curving upwards into a smile.
A hand gently tugged at Eri's blanket, pulling her attention towards Izuku. He smiled apologetically at her. "Sorry, Eri-chan. I wanted to do another check on your prosthetic arm while I'm here," Izuku explained. "It might be a while until I'm done. Why don't you talk with Setsuna-chan in the meantime?"
Izuku's cousin looked expectantly at her, and Eri had to think for a moment. "Um, c – can you tell me a story?" she asked.
"Of course!" Setsuna grinned. Eri didn't really understand the tale; something about a doctor, a 'see-eye-aye' and someone wearing a mask. It was a bit creepy the way the older girl used her Quirk, bits of her fingers combined into the shape of little figures to act out the story.
Izuku wasn't done by the time his cousin finished, which made Eri feel a little sad that he wasn't paying attention to her.
"Hey Eri-chan, how about a song?" Setsuna asked brightly. A cheeky smile never left her face even as her body split into multiple pieces in front of an astonished little girl. They spun about her like planets orbiting the sun, then lined up into neat little rows. "The wrist is connected to the, lower arm. The lower arm's connected to the, elbow," Setusna sang, each floating body part dancing a little jig in mid-air before connecting itself back to her torso.
It took a while, but by the end of the visit Eri had grown comfortable enough to let her guard down around the older girl.
- BREAK -
There was the lightest drizzling of snow on the streets of Musutafu late in the afternoon. Izuku was on his way home, having picked up multiple bags of groceries for dinner that night. Barely anyone else was around, the cold weather keeping most people indoors. Which was normally fine for an introvert like Izuku. Today however, the chilly silence only served to bring back memories he was still struggling to process.
A spot of blood trailed down his cheek as a grinning Toga Himiko leaned over his chest.
Shaking his head to get rid of the image, Izuku entered their apartment building. Even after everything that she'd done, he still resolved to try and help her. Toga hadn't killed him when she had the chance, so surely there was still good left in her, right? He'd actually chosen to keep quiet about meeting her, not mentioning the fight to his family or when he was interviewed by the police. They'd probably outright declare her a villain given her actions, especially if they knew about her Quirk.
Japanese society tended to treat anyone with a blood-based ability incredibly harshly, ever since Quirks first arose many years ago. Quite apart from the health and cultural aspects, blood was dangerous because it contained a person's Quirk Factor. Who knew what an unsavory person could do with access to a blood sample? What their Quirk could allow them to do?
Regardless, the fact remained that Izuku had no idea how to help Toga, and there was little he could do while she remained on the run.
Pushing his frustration aside, Izuku opened the apartment door with a mechadendrite. His arms were full of grocery bags destined for the kitchen. There'd been a three-week period during which Eri acclimated herself with Izuku's family at the clinic, which was now complete. Today was her first official day in the Midoriya household, so they were all determined to make everything as nice as possible for her.
Everything was much quieter than when he'd left. The television played some colorful cartoon on mute, cutesy-looking dinosaurs drawing out various kanji with their tails. A tired-looking Setsuna was fast asleep on the couch in front. Cushions were scattered here and there, and a pillow fort had been constructed on the sofa at his cousin's feet. Eri was just visible as a small head of silvery-grey hair hiding amongst the cushions. Probably asleep as well, actually.
Neither girl stirred at Izuku's arrival, so he quickly got to work unloading the groceries. His mother hadn't returned yet, so it was up to him to get everything organized. Vegetables, meat, fish – everything was unpacked onto the table, sorted and then put away with crisp efficiency. He had just closed the fridge when movement from the couch caught his attention.
Eri was awake, only her eyes and forehead visible as she peeked at him from within the pillow fort.
"Hello Eri-chan," Izuku called softly.
His new foster sister didn't reply, continuing to stare unblinkingly at him from her position hidden within the cushions. Was there something strange about his appearance? A discreet check revealed nothing out of order. Izuku waved awkwardly with a hand, but Eri simply continued her silent observation of him.
Shrugging, he resumed putting away the groceries. He was about halfway done when Eri finally scrambled off the sofa and waddled up to him. It was surprising to see how many layers of thick winter clothing she was wearing, enough to bulk up her thin frame significantly. It was winter and it was cold, but it definitely wasn't that cold. Especially inside their heated apartment.
"Hi, Eri-chan," Izuku greeted her gently. "Is the house too cold for you? I can turn up the thermostat if you'd like."
Eri shook her head but didn't reply, entirely focused on her objective. She stood on her tip-toes, her hands on the table as she peered at the groceries, her eyes bright with curiosity. "What's that?" she asked, pointing with her silver right hand.
A small smile crept across Izuku's face. "That's a madai. A Japanese seabream. A fish. An animal that lives in the ocean." He patiently elaborated until Eri's look of confusion morphed into one of hesitant understanding. "We're having it for dinner later."
Eri's nose scrunched up in distaste. "We're going to eat the fishy? It looks so – so weird. Do I really have to eat it?"
"Well, nobody's going to force you to eat anything, Eri-chan. But madai is quite yummy, so I hope you try it. Oh, and they are supposed to bring good fortune too."
"I've never seen a fishy before," Eri admitted shyly. "Can I touch it?"
Izuku gave his foster sister a stern look, but just couldn't say no outright to her hopeful face. "Okay, but you need to wash your hands afterwards." He lifted Eri up so she could carefully prod the fish with her other hand.
"It's slippery," she noted. "But also… rough?"
"Fish are slippery so they can swim faster," Izuku told her, "And their skin feels rough because of their scales." He reached out with a metal tendril and pulled off a single, nearly transparent scale to show to her. "This is one of them, see?" He let Eri continue her examination for a while, then gently carried her over to the sink. "Do you remember how to wash your hands Eri-chan?"
Eri nodded, carefully scrubbing both her biological left hand and her metallic right one. Izuku had done his absolute best to ensure that her prosthetic was as advanced and lifelike as possible. Yet for some reason, Eri didn't want to use the elaborate polymer coat which would make her artificial arm look almost entirely natural.
"Good work, Eri-chan," Izuku praised, which got the tiniest of smiles from her. Something else caught her eye, and she pointed at the table once again.
"Can I have a snack? Please?" she asked bashfully. Eri absolutely loved apples, especially varieties that had a good balance of sweetness and tartness.
"I don't want you to eat too much before dinner," Izuku told her sternly, but just like before he immediately softened at her adorable look of disappointment. "We'll share one together, okay?"
His foster sister nodded, and didn't fidget when Izuku lifted her up to her seat. He picked out a particularly juicy-looking apple, methodically washing, cutting and plating it. Turning back towards her, he sighed when he noticed the madai levitating in mid-air above the dining table.
Eri was studying the floating fish with some interest. "Do fishies fly?"
"Some species do, but not this type," said Izuku. He turned around to glare at the sofa, where a certain green-haired twelve-year-old was conspicuously absent.
"Don't listen to him Eri-chan!" squeaked a poorly disguised, high-pitched voice. "I'm a magical fish!"
Izuku made a grab for the talking seabream, but it danced away from him.
"Hah, you missed! Anyway – Eri-chan, you have the potential to become a magical girl! I'm your mentor and your greatest friend," the hovering fish struck a pose. "The Hydrodynamic Mascot Hero: Sakana-kun!"
Quick as a flash, Izuku whipped a cybernetic tendril forward and managed to snatch the fish out of the air, revealing it to have been held up by Setsuna's floating hands. A one-kilo fish was well within the boundaries of what she could lift using her Quirk.
"Sakana-kun! Nooooo!" Setsuna cried dramatically. Her head floated up from where it had been hiding behind Eri's chair. "Izuku-kun, you don't have to be so responsible when Auntie Inko's not around you know," she complained in her normal voice. "We're kids! Eri-chan and I were having so much fun playing with our new friend, right?"
"I liked the talking fishy," Eri giggled, giving both cousins a shy little smile.
"Fish are food, not friends," Izuku deadpanned. "Please go and wash your hands, Setsuna-chan." His cousin grumbled under her breath, but complied by floating her hands over to the sink. She ended up snatching one of his apple slices on the way back.
Ignoring his cousin's antics, Izuku brought his attention back to Eri. "How's the apple, Eri-chan?" he asked. "I made sure to get lots of your favorite variety, in case the other stores run out."
"It's good," Eri replied, now happily munching on her second slice. She paused for a moment mid-bite, then bowed hesitantly towards him. "Um, thank you Izuku-san."
"You don't have to be so formal with us, Eri-chan," Setsuna grinned from across the table. "Izuku-nii-chan and I are your brother and sister now!"
His cousin's use of the familial honorific sounded incredibly weird to him. "But – " Izuku began, only to be interrupted by her pointed look. "Ah, I mean – uh, you can call us whatever you'd like, Eri-chan."
"See?" Setsuna laughed, wrapping one disembodied arm over Eri's shoulders and the other over Izuku's. "You're family now!"
Inko returned home not long after, which was all the excuse Setsuna needed to whisk Eri off to play in their room. Izuku retreated to his own room as well, to work on his Kastelan robot. The project was his top priority; he wanted something to watch over Eri and to keep her safe. Only the head had been assembled so far, a rounded, bulky hemisphere of red and grey metal, with an inner core of extremely complex electronics.
Unfortunately, it was difficult for him to focus today. His mind seemed determined not to cooperate, a strange itch prickling at the back of his brain.
Booting up his computer, Izuku tried to relax by playing an online game. The moment he logged onto the server however, he was inundated by alerts signaling that he had messages from people he'd played with previously. And beaten, mostly. The majority were from one kid in particular, who actually seemed to follow him around from game to game. Izuku could easily recognize them from their hilariously edgy names by now, let alone the way they constantly tried to antagonize him.
Izuku rolled his eyes as he deleted another expletive laden message from 'xXxLoRDofDeCaYxX', accusing him of hacking. To be fair, he pretty much was cheating on the rare occasions he used his Quirk for gaming. After all, there was no need to use a mouse or keyboard when he could directly input commands from his brain. Luckily for the poor kid, Izuku normally didn't like to use his Quirk for such a trivial thing.
Messing about on the internet didn't help with his mental state. Izuku let out a sigh, turning back to his workbench. His eyes found the partially assembled head of his creation once again, even as the itching intensified at the corners of his mind. It was as though the events of that night had awoken something within his soul, a roiling discontent which never seemed to go away.
The faceplate of the Kastelan was utterly blank, intricate sensors and supporting circuitry hidden behind smooth, grey metal. It seemed to call to him, to draw him in and ensnare his gaze, until suddenly he found himself talking to his creation.
"From the moment I understood the weakness of my flesh," Izuku said slowly, "It disgusted me."
A shy knock at the door broke the strange spell he was under. All irritation forgotten, Izuku watched as Eri shuffled inside, followed by a grinning Setsuna. The younger girl came to a halt when she saw the interior of his room for the first time, her eyes wide with wonder, until his cousin gently cleared her throat.
"Oh um, Izuku-san, Inko-san says dinner will be ready soon," Eri recited. "She said you might forget if you're working."
"Good job, Eri-chan!" Setsuna cheered. Her ever inquisitive gaze landed on Izuku's workbench. "Hey Izuku-kun, what's that big red dome thing? It's not a new project, is it? I don't think I've seen it before."
"It's the head of my Kastelan-class guardian automata," Izuku answered, his attention still on Eri. The little girl was obviously extremely curious about what he was doing, yet she looked timid and uncertain. "Do you want to take a closer look, Eri-chan?" he asked kindly.
Eri nodded, allowing Izuku to lift her onto his lap. She reached out and laid a small hand on the crimson metal. "I like the red," she said softly, "I think – I think it's my favorite color." Her fingers ran over the burnished surface of the faceplate. "How come this part is grey, Izuku-san?"
"Well, that's its face – where its electronic senses are," Izuku explained, not sure if she would understand. "Everything else is armored with a special alloy. It's the areas painted red, see? That's so the robot will be protected against Quirks which require physical contact."
"Wait, isn't that some super special metal that's strictly controlled by the government?" Setsuna asked incredulously. "Don't you need a license to buy it?"
"It's known as chogokin, and it's an alloy, Setsuna-chan," Izuku lectured. "Chogokin is resistant to the effects of touch-based Quirks, which is why it's restricted."
Judging by the way her eyes narrowed, his cousin noticed how he neglected to answer her second question. "Resistant to the effects of touch-based Quirks, huh?" she repeated slowly. Both twelve-year-olds shared a long, silent look over the Eri's oblivious, grey-haired head.
"What do you think, Eri-chan?" Izuku asked, eventually changing the subject. "How does the robot look? Do you think I should change anything?"
The little girl examined the robot's head for a while, then shifted so that she was looking up at Izuku. "There' something missing," she said thoughtfully. "Can – could I have a marker, please?"
Reaching over with a mechadendrite allowed Izuku to stay in his seat. He picked up a marker from his desk and handed it over to Eri, who started drawing on the Kastelan's grey faceplate. Two large dots, done in shiny black ink, then a shaky line drawn underneath.
A smiley face.
Setsuna started to laugh, and even Izuku couldn't keep the grin off his face. "Thanks for your help, Eri-chan. You're really good at this!"
The little girl looked down, flushed with embarrassment at the praise. That was when Inko called them to dinner, Setsuna taking her to wash her hands while Izuku tided up. Once he was done, he stopped for a second to take in Eri's improvements to his creation.
The smiley face was off-center, the mouth was slightly tilted and one eye was higher than the other. Yet Izuku would not change a thing. Looking at it now – it was as though Eri had given it some ineffable essence, a sacred spark which now inhabited the partially constructed head.
Not a soul, exactly, nothing so distastefully unfitting, but perhaps a spirit instead.
- END -
A/N: Any crossover stuff won't be a hundred percent consistent with the source material, so apologies in advance.
This chapter is a bit of an infodump, but hopefully the fluff breaks it up enough to be manageable. Please let me know if you think there's too much fluff, or even too little.
Canon only has Quirk-suppressing cuffs, and it's never explained exactly how they work. I've previously expanded this to include drugs and things like bracelets for use by children who need to control their Quirk. I hope the addition of a material resistant to touch-based Quirk effects isn't too far-fetched; it would slow the spread of Quirks like Decay, but have no effect on others like Endeavor's Hellflame.
Anything which can nullify Quirks is controlled by the government, so that criminals can't get their hands on things like Quirk-suppressing cuffs to use against Pro Heroes.
Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed the chapter!