Kimiko gradually calmed down, flashes of her personality shining out from under her fear and confusion. She listened to the officers and for the most part she did as they asked, but she absolutely refused to move very far from Izuku, who was still dazed, but happy nonetheless.

She was a cute child underneath the dirt, with wide brown eyes that still held too many tears. From what the officers could ascertain, she wasn't very injured, only a handful of scrapes and bruises. Izuku felt an odd protectiveness towards her, but he supposed it made sense that the feeling was foreign- he'd never been able to protect people other than replacing them as a target before. So when a grubby hand anchored itself in Izuku's, he couldn't help but melt a little inside.

Apparently Kimiko loved stories, and so at his prompting she started telling him a rambling tale that could vaguely be recognized as Cinderella. She was in the middle of telling Izuku the details on Cinderella's carriage when the door swung open.

"Where is she? Where's Kimiko?" a frantic voice rang out.

Eyes wide, Kimiko snapped to attention. "Momma?"

A small smile settled on Izuku's lips as he carefully set the child on the ground. He observed as the two rushed towards each other, meeting in the middle of the station in a flurry of hugs and tears, each almost disbelieving that the other was there.

All present police personnel watched, smiling witnesses to the reunion. Many of the officers nodded to Izuku, acknowledging what he had done. Despite the pounding in his head, Izuku couldn't help but grin widely, tears streaming down his face.

Matching tears on her cheeks, Kimiko's mother clutched her daughter with desperation. "Where was she? How did you find my baby?"

Detective Tsukauchi smiled. "You have that boy over there to thank. His name is Midoriya Izuku, and he's the one that found and saved Kimiko."

A gasp came from the doorway. "My Izuku did what?"

It might've all been in his head, but Izuku would have sworn that all of his pain dulled slightly when his mother walked in. Inko immediately rushed to her son, worry etched on every line of her face. "How are you feeling, Izuku? Do you need anything?"

The battered boy shoved himself to his feet, throwing his arms around his mother. "Mom, I can still help people. I want to be a detective."

Inko was clearly surprised, but she merely patted her son's back. "You'll be an amazing detective."

Kimiko's mother walked over to the Midoriyas, Kimiko still tight in her grasp. "I'm so sorry you got hurt, but thank you for protecting my baby. I can never… I just…" The woman promptly burst into tears, losing any semblance of composure. "The police near my house told me to prepare to have her brought back in a body bag. You saved me from planning my daughter's funeral alone."

Unable to help herself, Inko gently embraced the other mother. "It's okay now, your daughter is safe now. I don't know how you've been able to function, I can only imagine how I would feel if my Izuku had been taken."

Kimiko took the opportunity to latch once more onto Izuku's leg, giggling when he ruffled her hair. He turned his attention to her mother once his own mom finally released the emotional woman.

"I'm Tanaka Amaya," Kimiko's mother said with a wobbly smile. "I can never thank you enough for bringing my daughter back to me. I just… I just need to know where and how you found her."

He had the full attention of both mothers, as Inko clearly needed to know what had happened as well. Swallowing, Izuku once more tried to focus his hazy mind. Where to start? "I… I was on a run, and I went farther than usual. I wandered into an abandoned neighborhood when I heard a little kid. I thought that didn't seem right, so I went to investigate. I saw Kimiko and a man that seemed really suspicious and it was obvious that they had been kind of living in this alleyway? After a minute I recognized Kimiko as a missing child, so I knew I had to do something. The man saw me, and we fought. He won, and left me there, but I couldn't just leave her. I'm pretty sure it was all adrenaline, but I got up and grabbed her before he noticed I was there, and then I ran as fast as I could to the police station. I barely made it in the doors and set Kimiko down when he caught up to me."

Inko gently touched the angry bruise marks on Izuku's throat, anger burning in her normally sedate green eyes. In a steely voice, she asked, "Did the police catch the man?"

"They pulled him off of me and cuffed him right then and there."

Amaya bit her lip. "I'm truly sorry that you got hurt, but I'm even more grateful that you saved my daughter. How can I ever repay you?"

Izuku immediately began shaking his head. "You don't need to repay me, I just wanted her to be safe. It must have been so scary for Kimiko, I can't even imagine…"

As he dissolved into a fit of mumbling, Inko and Amaya traded contact information, each promising to keep in touch with the other. Kimiko, however, still hugging Izuku's leg, tugged on the material of his pants to catch his attention. "Big brother?"

Nearly choking, Izuku weakly said, "Yes?"

"Will you visit me? I want to see you again."

Looking into those wide brown eyes, Izuku found himself crouching down next to her and saying, "Yes, of course I will!"

And with those words, it was inevitable; both of these small families were inextricably tied together. It wasn't long after that Kimiko had to be questioned herself, now that she was calm enough to be questioned, and the Tanakas left after a last embrace filled with tears.

Both Midoriyas were holding back tears of their own, but Izuku felt like he was going to pass out. Inko noticed and pulled the nearest police officer aside. "My son needs to see a doctor. Can we leave yet?"

"I believe Detective Tsukauchi already got his testimony, and we have his contact information. He should be good to go," the police officer said. "In fact, I'll take you myself, if you would like."

"Oh, we would hate to be a bother," Inko said nervously.

"It's no trouble at all. In fact, you'll be doing me a favor. I get bragging rights for helping the local hero," the officer said with a bright smile. "I'm Officer Saito, by the way. It's a privilege to meet you, Midoriya."

Izuku started to follow his mother and the officer to the car, but something was bothering his hazy mind. Hospital… Medicine… Then he gasped. "Mom, today's the last day to sign up for those EMT classes! They're only open till five!"

"You want to take EMT classes, kid?" Officer Saito asked curiously.

Izuku nodded vehemently. "I want to be able to help as many people as I can."

"Well you're in luck. They had to relocate those classes to our spare room here at the station because the normal building is getting renovated. If you leave the paperwork with us, we'll make sure it gets where it needs to be," Saito said with another bright smile. She disappeared into the precinct and reappeared with the necessary form and a pen. It barely took a minute for Izuku and Inko to fill everything out, and then Saito rushed into what Izuku suspected was Detective Tsukauchi's office.

(Days later Izuku would be thrilled to receive an email accepting him into the course. What he would never know, however, was that he had been accepted under duress - the instructor had hesitated allowing in a fifteen-year-old, but a smiling detective had kindly informed her that if Izuku was denied, they would have to find somewhere else to hold the class.)

Izuku had been smiling, excited at the prospect of EMT training when his eyes rolled in the back of his head and his knees buckled. He was only saved from hitting the ground hard when Officer Saito stepped in at the last moment, catching his limp body thanks to her stellar reflexes.

Saito cursed. "He must have some internal bleeding. Let's go."

Inko helped load her son into the police car, with barely enough time for her to climb in herself before it sped off. The sound of sirens filled the air as Saito tore across the city in record time.

Izuku drifted in and out of consciousness, vaguely aware of being carried. Then he was on a bed with a familiar doctor talking to his mom and Officer Saito. Pieces of the conversation made it through the haze of his mind, but he didn't have the mental clarity to piece it into a clear scenario - that would come later.

"- know if this is from bullying again?"

"He's been in the hospital for bullying? Do you have names?"

"-fractured ribs and nasty concussion, he passed out because-"

"- stay awake?"

"Exhaustion, I think. Make sure-"

Then even the voices faded to nothingness, and for once Izuku didn't even dream. Sleep was a comforting absence of everything until he woke naturally, immediately greeted by each and every one of his aches and pains. He had no way of knowing how much time had passed, or even what year it currently was. When he groaned, there was a series of frantic footsteps before his bedroom door burst open. "Izuku, baby, how are you feeling?"

"Like I got hit by a bus," he said, cracking a small smile. "But pretty good, all things considered." Grunting, the boy sat up, swinging his legs out of the bed.

"Luckily there was a nurse with a minor healing quirk working yesterday. She was able to shorten your recovery time to a few days instead of a few weeks. Oh, and Valiant still wants you to come to the dojo today. He said you could work on meditation," Inko said. "Do you want me to stay home with you? I can call into work."

"No, I'll be fine, Mom," Izuku promised. "I do feel a lot better." He refused to make her guilty over his guilt at the prospect of making her miss work.

"If you're sure, Izuku. Oh, the doctor's orders are that you're not allowed to do anything more physically demanding than walk a few blocks at a time. I will find out if you push yourself, and I will let Valiant decide what to do with you," Inko warned before kissing his forehead. "I love you and I'm proud of you."

Taking his mother's words to heart, Izuku didn't do anything to push himself. After feeling how his body protested every movement, he knew it wasn't wise to tempt fate. Instead, he pushed his brain to the limit.

Izuku calculated that if he really worked hard, he could finish high school in a little under a year. If he started now, he could have a couple degrees in a little over two. Maybe less, if the degrees he had in mind had enough shared classes. In the meantime, he would continue his work at Valiant's dojo and EMT training. He itched to go back and research a multitude of police cases that he had briefly heard of when he was younger, but ultimately ignored because they didn't involve heroes. Now Izuku wanted to know everything, all in the pursuit of becoming the best detective he could.

Plan in place, Izuku lost himself in his schoolwork, only remembering to eat and leave for Martial Arts because of the alarms he had set on his phone. When it was time, Izuku walked leisurely to Valiant's dojo, enjoying the summer day around him. Stepping into the dojo, however, Izuku hadn't expected the chorus of shouts that surrounded him.

"Little Midoriya!"

"It's our hero!"

"Hey kid, can I have your autograph?"

Izuku felt his face blush bright red as he was surrounded by his friends. "H-hey, everyone."

"Give Midoriya space," a gruff voice said. The crowd of boys parted to show Valiant smiling down at this student. "Welcome back my boy. As the others warm up, I would like to speak with you."

Almost magically the other boys fell into their spots, running through the actions that were second nature to them by now. Izuku followed Valiant to his office, sitting down at the man's insistence.

The former pro hero smiled at him fondly. "Young Midoriya, do you know why I accepted you as my student? I can see that you don't. When I first met you, I could sense a deep despair, as well as a deep hope. I don't know the full reason for your despair, but I don't need to. You've begun finding yourself, finding your purpose as well as your worth."

"Thank you, sensei," Izuku said, trying with all of his might not to cry.

"Your desire to help others is a noble one, Midoriya. But be careful to help yourself as well. Keep improving so you don't have to be hurt in the process of sparing others. Sometimes wounds are inevitable, but I won't have you destroy yourself."

"Yes, sensei."

"Today you meditate," Valiant said seriously. "I sense you still hold onto an incomplete image of yourself. Come to terms with who Midoriya Izuku is. You are quirkless, yes, but you are so much more."

Now Izuku nodded, tears finally escaping. "Yes, sensei."

A/N: Sorry for the wait on this one! Midterms are approaching, and I have an absurd amount of schoolwork. I feel like this chapter is not my finest, but it's kind of exposition, so I'll let it slide. The pacing on this story is a little tricky, so let me know what you think! As always, knowing that people are reading is an inspiration to write. I really appreciate everyone that comments, it gives me more motivation!