Sup peeps!
Let's not waste time and get right into the story! You can read the Author's Note down below when you're done!
'Shit, shit, shit!' Izuku thought as he ran from his house.
'Why did Suzu have to knock over my alarm?! Now I'm late for practice!' He yelled in his head, running along the path to Ryu's Studio.
Due to Izuku's strict training regime, Izuku was required to wake up no later than 7 a.m. and be ready for training at 8:30, enough time for breakfast and personal training. After that, he'd train with Ryu and Itsuka for six hours, practicing several techniques and different combinations, with nearly no breaks in between. At the same time, this was to help Izuku build up his stamina. It was tiring, but the results at the end of the day were worth it.
Unfortunately, Suzu, the family cat, decided that Izuku's digital clock was the perfect place to lay upon for the night. By the time the early morning rolled around, Suzu had gotten tired of her sleeping spot and proceeded to jump off the stand, knocking over Izuku's clock at the same time.
Such a commotion would have indeed woken up Izuku, even stir him a bit. But…
'This is one of the few times I hate being a heavy sleeper!' Izuku cursed.
After a few more minutes of running, swinging by corners and dodging pedestrians, Izuku finally made it to the studio. Entering the dojo, Izuku placed his hands on his knees as he steadied his breathing.
Noticing the state her friend was in, Itsuka made her way over to the boy, bottle at hand.
"Hey there! I was wondering where you were. What happened?" she asked, handing the bottle over to the greenette. Izuku chugged the water down, releasing a sigh in satisfaction.
"Thanks. I was nearly dying when I got here." He said, wiping his mouth, "Suzu knocked over my alarm clock, so I didn't hear it go off this morning. Had to run my way here." he finished as he drank the last few remaining drops of water. Noticing the lack of response, Izuku turned to look at her, who was currently staring at him with her head tilted to the side.
"Something wrong?"
Itsuka blinked, "Ah, sorry! I didn't mean to stare, it's just that…" she tensely stared to the side, "I've never really seen you without your mask before. During training, you never really took it off even for a water break, so it kind of caught me off guard seeing you without it." she said as she smilied at him, "It looks good on you."
Izuku chuckled, "So I've been told."
"You sure you'll be ok without it?" She worriedly glanced at him.
"Yeah, I'll be fine. It's just for today, right? It shouldn't be a problem." he replied with a stretch, easily hiding just how exhausted he was.
"Ok! Let's start training!"
6 hours later…
"Never again…" Izuku whimpered, on all fours in front of Itsuka as he took steady breathes, "Never training without my mask ever again."
"I told you it was gonna be a bad idea," the girl reprimanded him while rubbing his back, "But did you listen? Nooo..."
"I took breaks…"
She chopped his head, "Yes, only for you to chug at least two bottles in one-go and nearly threw up on the last break." Itsuka finished with her hands on her hips, "Seriously, you shouldn't push yourself too hard; you could hurt yourself."
Izuku sighed as he fell back on his back, "Well, at least that's over with."
The girl nodded as she wiped her forehead, "By the way, where is your mask? You usually always have it on."
Izuku scratched his cheek, "Oh, it's out getting repaired, something… happened to it while I was busy doing something else." he said, avoiding the ginger's piercing gaze.
"Uh-huh, and it has nothing to do with what happened from what Nejire told me?" Itsuka said with a suspicious glare.
"Hrk!"
The big fist Quirk user sighed, "Well, at least its getting repaired, right? When should it be ready?"
"Today, actually."
"That fast?!"
Izuku nodded, "A personal friend of mine is extraordinary with gadgets. She can practically invent anything as long as she has the materials and has the mindset for it."
Itsuka's eyes widened, "Wow, she must be gifted."
Izuku nodded as they walked over to the reception, "You have no idea. Incidentally, she's also applying for UA. Specifically, the Support Course."
The girl whistled, "Well, there's no doubt in my mind she'll make it in then. What's her name?"
"Mei Hatsume. You should meet her one day. She could make something for you."
"Hm. One day, but not today. I have some errands to run after this, so I gotta hang back."
"Hm," Izuku hummed as he gathered his stuff, "A shame, but oh well." he strapped on his bag, and waved, "Welp, I'm off. I'll see you tomorrow on time, Itsuka!"
Itsuka smiled as she waved back, "See ya!" she said as Izuku walked out.
Once he was out of sight, a slight blush surfaced on Itsuka's face.
'He looks good without his mask.'
"Mei! Are you in here?" Izuku called out as he lifted a tarp over his head.
Mei's workshop was a small but impressive workstation located near a junkyard. As it turned, her family owned the yard and owned a small business in tech repairs, which would explain her interest in inventing devices.
The shop was cluttered with piles of machinery, tools, and workbenches. Several machines and other devices were found scattered around several tables. The smell of oil littered the air, the deeper Izuku walked into the shop.
Izuku continued to look for the girl, who, for the life of him, couldn't find her.
"Where the hell is this girl?" He wondered before a loud explosion went off.
*BOOM!* *Cough* *Cough*
'Found her…' Izuku sweatdropped as he cautiously made his way over to the source of the explosion. Upon entering, he noticed several bits of metallic fibers sprawled over the floor, as well as several bolts and scorched plans. Taking a careful look, the boy saw a moving shadow from the smoke approach him.
"Izuku? That you?" The girl revealed to be Mei said as she took off her goggles, soot covering her face, "Hey! How's my favorite client doing?"
"I'm your only client…" he deadpanned.
Mei waved him off with a laugh as she wiped the dirt off her face, "Ha! For now. Anyways, I assume you're here for your gas mask?"
"That's right. Is it done yet?"
Mei's smile stretched, "Follow me and take a look for yourself!" she motioned the boy to follow her as she led him towards the back. Izuku trudged after her.
Glancing over her shoulder, Mei spoke up, "You ok?"
Izuku gazed up at her, "Huh?"
"I asked if you're ok? You seemed kind of winded when you got here."
"Oh, that? Yeah, I'm ok. Just a little tired from training."
"A little is an understatement. You look exhausted." Mei said as she rummaged through her inventions.
"I'll rest when I get home," Izuku replied as he sat on a nearby chair.
"So you say." The aspiring inventor said as she pulled out the now improved mask, "Found it!
Making her way over to the boy, Mei presented her masterpiece, "Take a look! I made some modifications, just like I said I would. First, I had to take it apart, but I made sure to keep the original design as per your request. It's a custom-made alloy coated together with meals like Titanium, Tungsten, Tantalum, and a few other metals.
"I added a small tank of oxygen just in case you need help to adjust your breathing. Of course, along with that, I made the mask water-proof as well. Or should I say coffee-proof?~" Mei teased.
"Erm, thanks, Mei…" Izuku said, a sheepish look appearing on his face.
"Moving on! Since I'm working on your bike, I started thinking. Taking your mask on and off every time you settle your helmet will no doubt be a hassle and start getting annoying." She began as she turned the mask over, "I used to dabble in a bit of nanotechnology, so I decided to incorporate it into your mask!" She said while pointing at a button on the side of the mask.
"This button will instantaneously release the nanobots from your mask and morph into a helmet. With that, it can also adjust to any size, so long as someone tries to wear it," she explained, pushing the mask into Izuku's hands.
Izuku stood there in amazement at the young inventor's work. It wasn't every day that you got to see someone dabble in nano-tech at such a young age.
"That's very impressive, Mei. But isn't nanotechnology a little dangerous?"
"Normally, yes, but that's only if you inhale the particles, which is why I installed a filter. Come on, try it out!" She said excitedly.
With a laugh, Izuku placed the respirator on, already feeling it properly adjust on his face before settling. Moving his hand, Izuku pushed the button on the side of his mask as a black and green helmet materialized over his head. A reflective black visor clamped over his eyes as darkness surrounded his vision until a screen appeared, allowing him to see the outside world.
"Woah! That's really cool." He said as he took in the sight from behind the helmet.
The young innovator beamed, "Right?! This makes baby number 13! One of my greatest inventions ever made!" She said, writing a few notes down, "Unfortunately, I still have much to work on your motorcycle, but it should be done by the time of the Entrance Exam!"
"You really outdid yourself this time Mei. Is there anything else I could do for you?" Izuku asked as he took off the helmet, reforming back into its mask design.
At this, Mei fidgeted a little, which didn't go unnoticed by him.
"What is it?"
"Well, there is one more thing I've been meaning to try out."
Mei turned over to a nearby laptop. Peeking over her shoulder, Izuku could see a system booting up.
"For the past few weeks, I've been working on an AI designed to help Heroes in communication, analyzing data and surroundings, solving or anticipating problems, and the like." She said, moving to the side to show him the program.
"It's still a prototype, so it'll also be learning while it's exposed to the environment around it. I was kinda hoping you'll let me download it into your mask so it can gather data and improve itself over time."
"Go for it."
Mei stumbled, "R-really?"
Izuku nodded, "Yeah, go ahead. You're already doing so much for me, this is the least I can do for you." he said, glancing at the system, "Besides, having an AI aid me through battle sounds pretty cool."
A wide smile appeared on Mei's face, "Thanks so much, Zuzu!" She glomped him before pulling back, "Well, let's not waste any more time! Mask, please!" She said with her hand outstretched.
Handing over the mask, Izuku watched as Mei attached several wires into the respirator and quickly began typing.
"Alright, this should only take a few seconds… aaand, done! Uploading now!"
A low hum came from the mask before stopping abruptly. A flashing light appeared on the outside of the cover as it waited.
Mei pumped her fists up in excitement, "Yes! Connection complete!" she said, giving the mask back to Izuku, "Come on! Try it on!"
Izuku gave a strange look at the mask before putting it on once more.
"Try saying something!" Mei said in pure ecstasy as she held a notepad on one hand and a pencil on the other.
The boy scratched his cheek, "Um… hello?"
Nothing happened for several seconds until, suddenly, a feminine voice spoke up.
"Hello! Nice to meet you!" The voice greeted.
Izuku's eyes widened, "Oh wow, it works."
Mei squealed as she began writing down on her notepad.
"Well, of course, I do! I am talking to you!" The voice chirped with a giggle.
Izuku softly smiled, "It's nice to meet you."
"Pleasure to meet you as well! It's too bad I can't see your face. Oh, wait! I can!" The voice said, a hologram appearing in front of them.
The image revealed a young girl of around 16 years old, with long flowing, brown-streaked hair with pink highlights and bangs, and aquamarine-colored eyes. Her clothes included a sleeveless white sailor suit, white shorts, and white thigh-high leggings with pink outlines.
"Wow, so this is how the outside world looks like! It's beautiful!" The AI said as she spun around with a laugh.
"Didn't know you put so much personality into your AI, "Izuku said as he watched the AI hologram enjoy itself.
Mei stopped writing on her notepad, "Hm. I don't think I ever did that," Poking her cheek with the pencil before smiling, "Oh, well!"
'That doesn't really assure me.' "Well, my name's Izuku Aizawa. What's your name?" Izuku asked.
At this, the AI stopped mesmerizing at the scene around her and looked at him.
"A name? Um… I don't have one." The AI said almost sadly.
Mei slapped her forehead, "Shoot! I knew I forgot something!"
Izuku gaped, "You forgot to give her name?"
The girl waved her hands in front of her, "C'mon, give me a break! I was too busy focusing on her programming and appearance to think about a name! Besides, I had no idea if this was gonna work at all!" She said.
"But you're right. She does need a name…" Mei rubbed her chin before snapping her fingers with a smile, "I know! How about you name her?"
Izuku blinked, pointing at himself, "Me? Really?"
The young inventor nodded, "Yeah, why not? You know I'm not good with names, and she is going to be our personal AI, so how about you give her the name?"
"Alright, if you're really sure." He said before closing his eyes in thought, crossing his arms in the process.
'Hmm. What'll be a good name for her…' He thought for a couple of minutes until his eyes snapped open.
"How about Kizuna?"
"Kizuna, huh? Not a bad name." Mei said.
The AI stared up in thought, "Kizuna? Hmm. Ki~zu~na~." She tested the name before smiling, "I like it! Alright then, my name is Kizuna! I'm looking forward to working with you, master!"
Izuku gave an eye-smile, "I look forward to working with you as well, Kizuna."
Elsewhere...
She ran as fast as her legs could carry her, dodging piles of trash as she darted down the alleyway, not knowing where to go. But at the moment, she had to keep running.
She should go back...right?
But when she stepped out of that building, she had felt so...free. It was a feeling she had never felt before. Being confined in a white room, strapped in a chair with unknown tools next to her on a table...and that man, that terror, that caretaker...that was what she used to feel. Or on occasion, a bed that, despite the covers, felt so very hard, so very cold, in a dark, dark room lit with a single, dim light bulb.
Her caretakers were to move her from the building back to headquarters for another extraction. Along the way, they got distracted by someone bumping into them and starting a fight. She saw her chance.
And took it.
She didn't want to go back.
"LITTLE BRAT! WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING?!"
"WHERE THE FUCK IS SHE?!"
"YOU IDIOT, YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO LOOK AFTER HER!"
"SHUT UP YOU, AND KEEP LOOKING!"
Footsteps clapped against the sidewalk at a fast pace. She had gotten a head start, but she didn't know if it would be enough. It was only a matter of time until they caught up to her.
There. The light! That was her way out!
She ran faster, reaching to the outside of the alleyway. She could almost taste freedom!
A figure walked right in front of her, causing her to slam right into it and fall. Hard.
"...rest of my Quirks when we get home. For now-oof!" The figure grunted in surprise.
She froze on the ground before slowly gazing up at the figure.
Sparkling, emerald green eyes were the first thing she saw. The next she saw was his entire face, one of concern. She flinched as the figure moved closer to her, reaching his hand out to help her.
"Hey," The man began in a warm tone.
"Are you ok?"
A little earlier...
After saying his goodbyes to Mei, Izuku made his way home, conversing with a Kizuna along the way.
"So, what else can you do?" He asked as he held the mask in front of him, preferring to wear it later after having a one on one talk with a holo-Kizuna.
"Well, I have access to the Internet and a private phone line! Keep things a little private, ya know?" The Ai said in a cheeky tone, "I can also monitor your vitals, like your heart rate, temperature, respiration rate, and blood pressure. I can also keep notes for you if you want."
Izuku whistled, "Handy. Monitoring my vitals will be useful when I use my Quirks."
Kizuna's eyebrows raised in shock, "Quirks?!"
The Quirk-copier chuckled. It always amused him to witness people's reactions when he revealed his Quirk. Or Quirks in this case.
"Mei left that part out, huh? Well, anyway, yeah, my Quirk's called Inheritance. Whomever I come in contact with gets their Quirk copied, and I can utilize them for myself." he explained as he walked by an alleyway.
"I can tell you about the rest of my Quirks when we get home. For now-oof!
Izuku was cut off when something slammed into his side from a dark ally, making him take a step to the side. Looking down, the teen was surprised at what he saw on the floor.
By Izuku's feet was a little girl, no older than five years old. She had white hair, pale skin, red eyes, and a single horn growing out of her head. What was surprising was what she was wearing. She had a white loose hospital gown that reached down to her feet and had thick bandages around her arms and bare feet.
Alarm bells started to go off like crazy in Izuku's head as he gazed down at the girl, who looked at him with scared and desperate eyes.
Izuku reached his hand down with a concerned look on his face. "Are you ok?" Izuku's hand froze when the girl flinched.
Kizuna's voice chimed in, "Master, what-"
"Where is she?!" A distant voice sounded from the alleyway the girl ran out of.
Izuku's instincts kicked as he figured out what was going on. Acting quickly, he grabbed the little girl and hid behind the wall of the alleyway entrance, covering the little girl's mouth.
Said girl struggled against his efforts, as she desperately tried to warn him.
Izuku stared down at the girl in his arms, "Hey, hey, it's ok, it's alright. I'm here to help you."
The girl stopped struggling, looking up with big eyes, "H-help? Really?" She asked, hopefully. The teen opened his mouth to speak before getting cut off from a voice coming from the alleyway.
"Hey, guys! I think I smell her!"
"Well, hurry up and lead us to her!"
'Shit!" Izuku cursed, 'Now what?!" He thought as he tried to think up of a plan. Looking at his other hand, Izuku noticed the still clenched mask in his hand and immediately came up with an idea.
Quickly turning the girl to face him, Izuku placed the mask on her face. The respirator already sized itself to fit the little girl's face. The girl gave him a questioning look as Izuku pulling his hood over his head at the same time.
"Don't take this off, no matter what. Stay quiet until I tell you it's ok. Got it?" Izuku told her as the girl nodded.
Izuku held the girl closer before turning his head to peek into the alleyway, spotting at least five people in the vicinity.
[Initiating Quirk: Gas]
Gas emitted from Izuku, who controlled its direction towards the incoming group. At that instant, the lead person stopped in his tracks.
"What the fuck are you stopping for?!"
"Hold on! I smell something…" The leader said as he sniffed the air, "It smells… like…"
"Hey man, you ok?"
"Yeah, hurry up!"
"Shut up, and give me a sec!" The man yelled back as he resumed his search, "It smells, a lot like… like… ugh."
The man's voice wavered until he collapsed along with other dropping bodies. Izuku waited, listening for any movements before slowly peeking in, spotting unmoving bodies on the concrete. Turning back, Izuku looked at the shivering girl.
"Alright, let's get going." He said, getting a small nod in response. Izuku took a few steps forward before pausing mid-step.
'Wait… there were five people… three of them are on the floor… that means…' His eyes widened, realization settling in.
Kizuna's voice shouted out in alarm, "Look out!"
Immediately, Izuku jumped away as claws slashed down on him, kicking up dust in the process. The claws nearly got him if it weren't for the AI's warning.
Once the dust cleared, Izuku eyed his assailants, two thugs that were with the group before.
"Well, well, what do we have over here?" One of the thugs said, his hair brown and wore a thin vest that exposed his arms. Blades began piercing out from his body as he got closer.
"Looks like some kid trying to play hero," the other thug said, this time a woman with long, claw-like nails approached from the smoke, "C'mon kid, hand over the little girl and nobody will get hurt.
Izuku pushed the girl behind him, "Like hell. What do you want with her?"
The man sneered, "None of your business kid... Just hand her over before things get ugly."
This time the woman spoke up, "That's right, you already caused us enough trouble with that little knock out gas you did. Unfortunately for you, I got a mask while Zygor over there can't breathe shit!" the woman boasted.
'Great, this is just what I needed.' Izuku thought, before looking at the girl beside him, "Hey," he called, causing her to look up at him. "What's your name?"
"E-Eri." She nervously said.
"Alright, Eri. Stay behind me and don't move." He said as he settled his bag next to her. The girl nodded with a timid look.
The one named Zygor clicked his teeth in anger, "Fuck this, Zinnia! Come over here, brat!" He let out a battle cry as he charged towards at Izuku, blades emerging from his arms.
As soon as he got close, Izuku slammed his fist into the man's jaw before he could react, making him lose control of his Quirk and turning it off. Izuku threw a sharp left hook into the man's liver, making him double over in pain. Finally, Izuku shot his knee up into the villain's face and smashed it right into his nose, a satisfying crunch echoing.
As soon as the thug was down, Izuku felt the air shift and felt something come on at him from the right. Ducking at the last second, Izuku saw razor-sharp claws slice at him. Acting fast, he kicked his legs under the woman, causing her to fall in the process. From there, Izuku threw a devastating uppercut to the villain's jaw, blood spilling out of her mouth.
[Initiating Quirk: Strong Limb]
While Zinnia clenched her mouth in pain, Izuku flashed forward, arm cocked back and struck her in the stomach, sending her crashing into a nearby wall.
"Got you now!" Zygor said as he slashed his blade down on the boy.
[Initiating Quirk: Adamantine Chains]
Two chained scythes emerged from Izuku's arms. Grabbing the blades from their bottom handle, Izuku used them to block the incoming blades, stopping them just an inch from his head. The thug struggled against the boy's strength.
'The hell is this kid made of?!'
Izuku pushed the man away and used his own blades to counter every strike the man delivered. Sparks flew as Izuku continued to slash, parry, and dodge at every swipe.
One would say it was a one-sided match if one were to compare the fight between the two. While the balded man did have some experience in fighting with blades, Izuku far outclassed him. His past lessons in kusarigamajutsu and kendo paid off, as well as his lessons with his father.
As their assault continued, Izuku began to quicken his pace. Zygor began to sweat as he started to have trouble keeping up. At that moment, the man slipped up, and Izuku took the chance to strike the man in the solar plexus with his elbow. Zygor stumbled at the lack of air before getting kicked up in the face by the same boy who struck him, effectively knocking him out. Izuku huffed as he grabbed his chest in pain, his breathing hitched as he went too long without respiratory help. After a few seconds to collect his breath, he made his way over to the girl, who only stared in shock.
All the while this was happening, Eri starred in fear and awe. Amazed by how fast the boy took care of the thugs and concern for what may happen to the boy. Every time someone tried to save her or come near, they ended up dead. That man always killed them. He always said that she was cursed, destined to harm those who got too close to her. The boy needed to get away before he finds out and tries to kill her savior. Her fear caused Quirk to activate, her horn glowing with power as she slowly began to panic.
"Please…" she shut her eyes, memories of the man haunting her.
"Leave me… before you get hurt…" she said. She didn't want anyone else to get hurt! Why would this man help her? Why would he want to get involved with someone as cursed as her? They would only hurt themselves in the long run.
Tears poured down Eri's cheeks as her power finally went out of control, yellow sparks blazing as she cried. Izuku's eyes widened and rushed over to her, intending to calm her down.
He kneeled down to get near her, only for her to scramble away from him.
"N-no! Get away from me! I-I'll only hurt you!" Eri cried.
Izuku shook his head as he inched closer, "I can't do that. You're hurt, and I need to help you," He said as he embraced her, the girl struggling to get away as he did so.
Izuku almost regretted hugging Eri as soon as he did. The wild jolts of electricity emanating from her horn struck him and the surrounding area as he continued to hold her. He bit down on his lip to avoid yelping in pain, which was odd considering his congenital analgesia condition.
'C'mon, think! What should I do to calm her down' His eyes darted everywhere, searching for some way to handle the situation. His eyes continued to seek before they landed on the girl's horn. 'That's it!'
[Initiating Quirk: Erasure]
Izuku's eyes glowed red as he focused on her horn. He struggled as jolts of pain continued to course through his bodies. It was then he felt something else felt wrong. Liquid cascaded down on his face as he continued to focus on Eri's horn. It was then he also noticed the lack of cancellation that was supposed to happen immediately after he activated Erasure.
'M-my eyes! It feels like they're burning!' He painfully thought as he continued to use his Quirk, 'I DON'T THINK I KEEP UP LIKE THIS!'
His eyes continued staring in pain, determined to erase the girls' Quirk to end her pain. Luckily, the random sparks from Eri's horn began to dissipate, her horn shrinking as well.
The teen may not have noticed, but at the same time, the power emanating from his eyes slowly began to disappear as well. And something else began to build up inside him…
Eri's cries began to cease once she noticed her powers began to fade. She glanced up to see Izuku still hugging her, and gasped when she saw streaks of blood streaming from his eyes. Despite that, he still managed to smile at her.
"Are you ok now?" He asked, ignoring the little girl's concern for him.
Eri snapped out of her stupor, "Y-yes. B-but… you're hurt."
Izuku shook his head, the smile still plastered on his face as he wiped away the blood, "Don't worry, I'm fine!" He said while he moved his arm around, "See? Still in one piece!" Izuku said, receiving a small nod from the girl.
After putting his arm down, something caught Izuku's eye. The small patch of grass that Eri laid upon was no longer there, not even the tiny flowers that poked from the cement. Or rather, they were no longer in that form.
Upon closer inspection, Izuku saw small objects from what appeared to be seeds. Along with them were a few small flowers, although they seemed to be in their blossoming stage.
Izuku's eyes widened, 'Did-did she do this? How? Was it her Quirk?' He mentally asked as his mind ran a mile a minute.
'Does her Quirk somehow change the genetic makeup of an organism? Does it give it a new form? Or maybe she simply reversed it to its previous state.' The boy thought as he looked down at the girl, 'Is that why they are after her? For her Quirk?'
Izuku shook those thoughts out before focusing his attention on the girl.
"C'mon, I'll take you-"
"You damned brat!"
Izuku immediately threw himself over Eri, shielding her from any damage. He clenched his jaw as he felt claws slash against his back before he jumped away with Eri still in his arms.
'Tch. I thought she was already down!' He thought as he dodged another swipe from the cat-like lady. Getting some distance from her, Izuku widely opened his eyes to erase her Quirk, only to be surprised when nothing happened.
'The hell? Why isn't my Quirk working?' Izuku's mind ran a mile a second as he tried to figure out why his Quirk wasn't working. He ducked as another swipe from the woman as the claw grazed his hair. Zinnia started to get impatient as she began to lash widely.
'Aw man, I'm still tired from today's training and running around.' Izuku thought with a groan before he snapped back to focus.
[Initiating Quirk: Barrier]
A yellow dome appeared, incasing both Izuku and Eri in it. Zinna attacked the barrier but was rebounded several feet, skidding to a halt with clear anger on her face.
'I only have enough stamina for at least one more Quirk use. I have to make this count!' Izuku thought as he waited for the opportunity to strike.
Zinna continued to grit her teeth in anger. She couldn't believe she was losing to this pipsqueak of a child! This was madness, and to make matters worse, the kid somehow had multiple Quirks! She couldn't let the boy escape with the girl. If she did, Chisaki would be mad, and an angry Chisaki wasn't something anyone would want to encounter. If Zinnia came back empty-handed, there was no doubt he would kill her without a second thought.
Making up her mind, Zinnia finally pounced, intending to at least try and penetrate the barrier. At that moment, Izuku saw his chance and took down the barrier, surprising the woman midair. With the last of strength, he raised his arm to unleash several chains.
[Synchronization processing]
Izuku blinked in surprise. What was going on? This never happened before.
[Synchronization complete]
[Initiating Quirk: Adamantine Sealing Chains]
Chains shot out from Izuku's arm and bounded Zinnia tightly. She struggled to move, only to release two things. One, the chains were too strong for her to break out of. The second...
She couldn't use her Quirk anymore.
Zinnia began to panic, "What the fuck?! What the hell happened to my Quirk, you little shit!" She screamed until she was lifted and smashed against the ground. Izuku did this several times before finally flinging her across the alley, sending her crashing against a trash bin.
As Zinnia slid on the trash heap, her eyes began to droop, 'I can't believe… I lost to this... kid…' she thought, slipping into unconsciousness. 'No... he's not... ordinary...'
Izuku panted for several seconds before scooping up Eri into his arms, making her yelp. Taking his mask from the girl, he began speaking.
"Kizuna! Are you still there?"
"Y-yeah!" She spoke up from the headset.
"I need you to contact Nejire. Immediately!"
"Got it!"
Izuku was already exhausted as he was, there was no way he'd be able to fight more villains if they came. He needed help and knew that Nejire was able to provide. Throwing his bag over his shoulder, Izuku began running as he waited on the line to pick up.
The line rang several times before finally picking up.
Nejire yawned, "Hello-"
"Nejire! I need you to bring Mirio and Tamaki and meet me at Takoba Municipal Beach Park, right now!"
Nejire was fully awake now. Izuku rarely sounded this urgent.
"W-what? Izuku what's-"
"Please, Nejire, hurry!"
"O-ok, I'll bring the others and meet you over there." She said as she shuffled from the other side.
Izuku sighed, "Thank you, Nejire." He said and hung up. Eri continued to cling onto Izuku as he held her closer and continued running.
'This girl needs help, and I can't do that if I take her back home. I'll have to take her to UA to see Recovery Girl; she'll know what to do.' He thought as he picked up the pace.
Takoba Municipal Beach Park
As Izuku finally reached the park, he was able to see the rest of his
friends already there waiting for him.
"Hey, Izu-bro- Woah, what's with the girl?" Mirio greeted him first before noticing the small bundle in the greenette's arms, who only buried her face into the crook of his neck, "You adopting or something?"
Tamaki nervously made his way to his friend's side, "Mirio, there's something serious going on here. We shouldn't be making jokes yet." He said, glancing over to Izuku and the girl in his arms. 'Oh, man…'
Nejire walked up to her boyfriend, confusion etched on her face, "Izuku, why did you make us come here. And why is there a little girl with you?" Her face turned into horror when she noticed his slashed, bleeding backside, "Oh my God, Izuku your back!"
The boy in question shook his head, "Don't worry about me! Look, I'll explain on the way, but right now, we have to get this girl to UA for help. It's the only safe place right now that I can think of." He said as he urged them to follow him. Mirio and Nejire followed suit, while Tamaki stayed behind a little, hugging his stomach in discomfort.
'Aw man, today's not my day.' He thought as he hurried after them.
"So, that little girl was running away from some people, bumped into you, and caused you to fight a group of villains?" Mirio asked as the group continued running, "Man, you have the worst luck."
Izuku rolled his eyes, "Tell me about it. From today's wake up call to a gruesome training drill, I could use a nap after this." He said as they slowed their run upon arriving at the gates of UA, and made their way to Recovery Girl's office.
Nejire glanced at the girl, who by now was walking with them down the hall, holding Izuku's hand along the way.
"Well, at least you got Eri away from them." She said as they walked, looking up at Izuku, "Why call us, though?"
"You guys are of the few I trust the most. I needed at least a little help in my escape, especially people like the Big Three." He casually said, their hearts swelling in pride.
Reaching Recovery Girl's office, Izuku knocked on the office door and waited. Shuffling, Recover Girl made her way over to the door. Gently opening the door, she was surprised to see the Big Three, along with Aizawa's child.
"What are you three doing back here again? And why is Izuku-" She stopped as she noticed the girl hiding behind Izuku's leg covered in bandages, "Oh, my! Bring her in quickly!" She said, stepping aside to let them in.
Izuku nodded to her, "Thank you." he said as the group made their way in, Eri still confused about the situation.
The room, while small, was large enough for the group of friends to get comfortable. Eri, on the other hand, was very hesitant to be there, reminded of the white room that she was always kept. izuku, noticing her discomfort, squeezed her hand in reassurance, giving a small smile.
While this happened, Recovery Girl darted across the room, gathering her supplies so that she may begin her healing on the youngling.
"Now, what's this with you and the little girl? I hope you're not doing something so scandalous as to kidnap a child!" Chiyo said as she prepped her notepad and machine.
Izuku blanched at the sudden accusation while his friends snickered.
"What? No! She was in trouble, and I had to get her away from her actual kidnappers." he said as he looked down at the girl, "At least, I think they're her kidnappers. They looked more like handlers rather than kidnappers."
"Hm. Well, regardless, I'll have to do a quick check-up before I can heal her. So let's start with that."
"Oh! Can I help?" A small voice spoke up, nearly making all in the vicinity jump in surprise.
"What the- Who's there?!" Chiyo spun around, trying to locate the source, syringe-cane at hand, "Show yourself! I have a giant needle, and I'm not afraid to use it!" She threatened, waving the tool around.
Izuku, realizing who it was, immediately intervened, "Woah, it's ok! It's just a friend of mine."
Everyone's heads snapped towards the greenette, "Friend?"
The boy nodded before taking off his mask, "It's a little thing Mei downloaded into my mask. Her name's-"
"The name's Kizuna! A Support AI designed to aid Izuku and his journey as a hero. It's nice to meet you all!" The AI introduced herself as she appeared via hologram.
The room remained silent as the group processed the holo-girl in front of them.
Nejire was the first to break the silence, "Whoa, that's soo cool! So, like, what can you do? How much do you know as an Ai? Can you travel through the Internet like they do in the movies? Are you going to take over the world and enslave humanity?" The girl asked, bouncing up and down.
Kizuna giggled, "In order? All kinds of things, as much as you do, haven't tried it yet, and no comment!"
'Looks like Kizuna made a new friend…'
Tamaki shrunk behind Mirio, "They're evolving each day…"
A sudden thought crossed Mirio's head, "Wait, what do you mean you know as much as we do? Don't AIs usually know everything about everything?"
Kizuna hummed in thought, "Know everything about everything? What an odd thing to say… Oh, but no. I don't know everything. I'm just a prototype, so I kind of just learn things on the go." She said as she sat on top of a desk, "Eventually, everything I learn will be processed and integrated into other AIs, so it kind of evens out at the end."
Tamaki shivered, "I knew it…"
As this was going on, Eri peeked from behind Izuku's leg, recognizing the voice.
"Kizuna?" The girl said in a small voice.
At the sound of her name, the AI looked down at Eril, smiling as she hopped off the desk.
"Hey there! You see? I told you that Izuku here was going to save you." she said in a gentle voice.
Eri slowly nodded, "Yes."
Izuku gave the AI a questionable look, "You know her?"
Kizuna nodded, "Mmhm. Eri still had the mask on while you were fighting the villains. She was still scared, so I tried to calm her down by introducing myself to her. Gave her quite the scare."
"I see. Thank you for that." Izuku thanked her, making the AI nod in return.
Chiyo cleared her throat, "While this is nice and all, I would like to know how exactly you'll be able to assist me with her examination."
"Oh, that's easy. I can perform full-body scans and perform a diagnosis to detect any injuries or illnesses!" Kizuna chirped. She was happy to share just how useful she can be.
Recovery Girl laughed, "Ha! How convenient. If what you say is true, then this will go much easier and faster. Maybe when this is over, you could work with me more often."
Kizuna beamed, "I'd love to!"
After that little ordeal, Recovery Girl grabbed a notepad and wrote a few notes down, before she smiled at the child still hiding behind Izuku's leg,
"Hello, young lady. My name's Recovery Girl. What's yours?"
The girl nervously peeped at her from behind the teen's legs, "E-Eri."
The old woman smiled, "Well, Eri, I'd like you to sit up here, so I can run some tests, is that ok?"
Her grip on Izuku tightened as she looked up at her guardian, slightly fearful. He just smiled at her, "It's ok. Recovery Girl is one of the best heroes around. She can fix up anyone without hurting them."
Eri gazed up at him before nodding and allowed Izuku to pick her up. He eased Eri onto one of them before she clung onto his sweater tighter, lips quivering as tears threatened to spill.
"P-please… don't go…" she said in a small voice, almost a whisper, as she buried her face once more into his sweater.
Izuku gave her a soft smile and spoke in the same warm tone he used earlier," Eri, I need you to let go so the nice lady can examine you."
"B-but what if they come back-"
"They won't. And if they do, I'll make sure to protect you from them."
Eri stared up at him with hopeful eyes, "Promise?"
Izuku nodded as he ruffled her hair, "Promise."
Eri appeared hesitant for a few seconds before she nodded and let go of Izuku. Chiyo smiled at the scene before clearing her throat to get their attention. "Well, to start, we'll have to take off those dirty bandages; otherwise, your wounds can get infected."
She reached for Eri's arm, only for the girl to pull back in apparent panic. She tightly held her arm close to her chest as she rapidly shook her head no.
Getting an idea of what was under those bandages, Izuku pulled back his sleeve, revealing multiple scarred tissues from what appeared to be from syringes. The sight made most of the people present cringe, mainly the Big 3. Chiyo and Eri, not so much. Chiyo, mostly because she knew of the boy's horrific past, and Eri, who was more curious than scared of Izuku's scars. Nejire visibly saddened at the sight of his scarring, knowing how painful the procedures probably were, even if Izuku did not vividly recall. Mirio and Tamaki weren't too far from her line of thinking.
Kizuna was shocked, but nonetheless still horrified. Mei programmed the AI with data she already knew of Izuku. This was the first time she learned about the various scars that adorned Izuku's arms, and her first time learning a little about how he got them.
Eri gently touched Izuku's scarred arm, eyes filled with curiosity.
"Did they get you too?" Eri asked in a small voice.
Izuku shook his head softly, "Not exactly, but some bad people did do this to me. I was saved because I let good people help me. We want to help you, Eri. But you have to let us see what's under those bandages. Please, let us help you." He said in a tender voice.
While the teen conversed with the bandaged girl, Nejire and the others smiled at the heartfelt interaction. While he may haven't noticed it yet, Izuku showed more emotion to children than he did to others, including his girlfriend though it was very little. It was one of the things Nejire admired so much about him. Despite his traumatic past, Izuku was still able to recover his mental health and emotions. His interaction with Eri was, by far, one of the most evident pieces of evidence that proved his growth.
Eri looked at him with big wide eyes before she gave a small nod, allowing him to remove the bandages. After he was done, Izuku moved to the side, allowing Chiyo and Kizuna to begin their examination.
And what they found was not good.
Eri was malnourished, had a weak immune system, and her arms and legs were covered in scars. Everything made Izuku's heart ached for the poor little girl as he understood the hell she went through. By the end of the testing, Eri was resting in the hospital bed with an IV tube attached to her arm, a bowl of sliced apples next to her. Izuku leaned against the wall by his friends, looking down with a thoughtful look on his face. Tamaki took notice of this and decided to take the first step.
"Something on your mind?" Tamaki approached Izuku, causing him to look up at his friend, "You were staring kind of into space a little there."
"Ahh, it's nothing. It's just..." He began, turning his eyes towards the sleeping girl, "she reminds me so much of myself; it's kind of scary. It's not every day you run into someone who experienced a similar situation to yourself."
Tamaki nodded, "Yeah, I get it. It must be weird just to have someone run into you in the middle of nowhere, throwing you into a situation you didn't think you'd get into."
Izuku rubbed the back of his head, "Yeah, about that… sorry I dragged you guys into it. It was the best decision I was able to come up with while trying to get away at the same time."
Tamaki waved him off, "Don't worry about it. You would've helped us if we were in the same position you were."
"Even so…"
"He's right, you know." Nejire cut into the conversation, "You would've done the same for us if we were in any trouble. That's just the kind of person you are." She said with a smile with Mirio giving a thumbs up and a smile from behind her as well.
Izuku returned a smile of his own, "You guys are the best."
A couple more minutes went by before Chiyo finished her report and approached him.
With a sigh, Recovery Girl began her report, "Well, other than a few stitches and minor scrapes, she'll need time to recover from being so malnourished. She'll also need to go on medication to help with her immune system. Other than that, there doesn't seem to be any other problems with her."
Izuku nodded at her, a wave of relief washing over him, "Thank you so much, Recovery Girl."
"Ahem."
"You too, Kizuna."
The elderly lady smiled with a nod of her own, "It was no problem, the pleasure is all mine. You did the right thing saving the poor girl from those villains and brought her here as quickly as possible. And another thing…" She began as a frown appeared on her face. Grabbing her cane, she whacked the boy on top of his head, causing his friends to jump in surprise.
"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME YOU WERE INJURED AS WELL?! YOU'RE BLEEDING ALL OVER MY WALL!" She screeched as she pointed at the now blood-stained wall. Izuku stared at the wall, having the decency to give a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his head.
"Sorry about that. I was kind of focused on getting Eri help first, then getting fixed up myself." He said with a small laugh, causing the rest to sigh and shake their heads.
"Well, it doesn't matter. Come on, let's get you healed up too." She said, dragging him over to another bed, "I wonder what your father will say when he comes around for his drops."
At this, Izuku's eyes widened in surprise, "Huh? Dad's still here? I thought he would've been gone by now." No matter what the reason, his dad would usually find all possible ways to get home and sleep.
"Well, that was before he had to organize some expulsion papers. He just expelled the last of his students today."
A shiver went up the student's spines, 'Harsh…'
Izuku rubbed his eyes with a sigh, "Well, I better go tell him that I-"
"No, you're staying here and getting healed up," Nejire said as she pushed the boy down, "I'm sure someone else can get him for you."
"I told you I'm fine-"
"Just because you can't feel it, doesn't mean that your body is indestructible," Nejire cut him off with a light glare. "Your body still has its limits. Don't act so recklessly and take better care of yourself."
Chiyo smirked at the confrontation between the two. 'Good to see someone to look after his recklessness.'
Izuku gave a low sigh, knowing that he wouldn't be able to get through to Nejire when she was like this, "Ok, ok, fine. Can one of you guys at least-"
"Don't worry about it, my man! I'm on it!" Miro cut him off with a wave from the door frame before disappearing down the hall.
"Now that that's taken care of, let's heal you up."
About ten minutes later, Mirio appeared with Aizawa in tow; a passive look etched on his face. He entered the room, glanced at his bandaged son, then to the girl, and back to his son again. Aizawa let out a long sigh as he pinched his nose. "Why is it whenever something happens, it's always you brats...?"
The Big 3 let out a loud "Hey!" while Izuku snorted.
"Well, anyway, tell me the situation, and don't leave anything out," Aizawa said as he sat backward on a nearby chair.
And thus began Izuku's tale of his little back-alley encounter. From the first meeting to the fight against two villains, to the sudden discharge of Eri's Quirk and to finally, his meet-up with his friends to bring the little girl to UA. Aizawa took this all in stride without flinching, most likely from the exposure of encountering similar cases to this one, including his own son.
After Izuku was done explaining the story behind his run-in with Eri, Aizawa gazed at the sleeping girl.
"So you're telling me, that this little girl, who doesn't look like she could hurt a fly, is capable of killing people by accident?" He asked as he continued staring at the sleeping girl.
Izuku nodded, "That's what she claims she does. I'm not too sure about the details myself, but I have seen her power by chance."
Seeing he got everyone's attention, he continued, "Eri's power seems to emanate from her horn, and the horn's size dictates the strength of her power. She mentioned something about how her power can make them disappear."
Aizawa glanced at the little girl, "So her Quirk allows her to make people disappear? Just like that?"
Izuku shook his head, "It's a little more complicated than that. I think her Quirk allows her to reverse an organism's cellular structure. In other words," A grim look appeared on his face, "their bodies are rewound to previous physical states and genetics."
Shock ran through everyone's faces as they listened to Izuku's explanation.
Mirio stepped forward, disbelief spread across his face, "That's insane! She can rewind someone's body? That's unbelievable. How do you know that?"
At this, Izuku tapped the side of his head, "She used it on me."
"What?!" The group exclaimed.
"Relax. I'm fine. She healed a few of my injuries after she struck me with her Quirk." Izuku reassured them before he continued, "Anyways, I came to this conclusion when several other things happened. The area around us had a bit of greenery growing. When her Quirk activated, several sparks came in contact with some of the plants, reversing them to when they were seeds."
Aizawa rubbed his chin in thought, "Doesn't sound like any Quirk I've heard of before. It could be a mutation of some sort. That could be why those people were after her in the first place."
Tamaki blinked in shock, "Her Quirk?"
This time Chiyo spoke, "Children more often than not inherit their Quirks from their parents. Sometimes, they'll get a combination of both, which is known as a Hybrid Quirk." She began, "However, there is a rare chance when the child doesn't receive any of their parent's Quirk. When that happens, a child may manifest a Quirk that is entirely unrelated to their genetic lineage, akin to a mutation."
"And it's because of this that people might gain a sudden interest in a child's Quirk, and kidnap them for their gain." Aizawa finished for her.
The room remained silent as they processed the new information. Suddenly, Izuku remembered a particular detail he accidentally left out.
"By the way," he spoke up, catching their attention once more, "Her Quirk didn't just heal my injuries, it also affected one of my Quirks."
Aizawa's eyebrows rose in anticipation, "What did it do?"
Izuku rubbed his wrists, "When she struck me with her Quirk, I used Erasure to try and erase her Quirk. But I think the clash between the two caused some sort of mutation to my Quirk. As a result, I lost Erasure, but in exchange…"
[Initiating Quirk: Adamantine Sealing Chains]
A small length of chain emerged from his arm, "It transferred the power into Adamantine Chains."
Once he finished, Mirio and Nejire ran right up to him, stars shimmering in their eyes. Tamaki merely watched from afar.
"Woah, that's so cool! Come on; you've gotta show us!" Mirio exclaimed, with Nejire vigorously nodding in agreement.
Izuku stepped back, "Wha-? Here? Right now?" He stammered, "I don't think that's a great idea…"
"You're right. It's a fantastic idea." Aizawa interrupted.
"Huh?"
"We need to see if what you say is true. Not that we don't believe you, but we need to see for ourselves, and a demonstration is a good way to see just how your new power reacts."
Izuku thought for a moment before nodding, "I guess that makes sense. But who will I use it on?"
Mirio immediately raised his hand, excitingly, "Let me do it"
Nejire puffed her cheeks, "Hey, no fair, Mirio! I wanted to go!"
"Haha! You snooze, you lose!" Mirio teased as he approached Izuku. He held out as his arm as the greenette wrapped the chain around the appendage.
"Alright, that should do it. Try activating your Quirk now." Izuku said as he took a step back and watched the scene unfold.
Mirio nodded and tried to activate Permeation, only to realize that his Quirk wasn't working. He tried with all his might to start his Quirk but to no avail. The chain wrapped around his arm continued to glow a dark color as it continued to cancel out Mirio's Quirk.
After a few more tries, Mirio released a sigh, "I give up! There's no way I can use my Quirk with these chains. Looks you were right, Izuku," He said as he removed the chain from his arm.
As Izuku's friends gushed over his Quirk's new power, Aizawa released a sigh of his own, 'At least Erasure isn't all gone. He can still use its power to some extent, thanks to his chains.' He thought to himself as Izuku continued to converse with his friends. 'It would've been terrible if he lost it all together…'
"Hey, Dad," Izuku knocked him from his train of thought, "What are we going to do with Eri? Once she's all healed up, I mean."
Aizawa sighed as he rubbed his head, "Normally, the police would take custody of her until they could find her parents or a close relative. We'll file her in later when she's done recovering."
"That might be a problem." Kizuna interrupted.
The Aizawas perked up, "Hmm?"
"After running a blood sample, I had it search for a possible connection to any known karyotypes on record. Nothing came up. Her parents don't exist, nor the rest of her family."
Izuku's eyes widened, "Th-that's impossible. Three people don't just not exist."
Kizuna's face fell, "It gets worse. I also ran a search on any missing children that might have been reported from any foster homes. Nothing."
Aizawa combed his hair with his hand, "Ok, that poses a problem. If she doesn't have any relatives she can rely on, our best choice will be to put her into a foster home. For now, we'll have to keep her under close watch, someone who can be trusted to take care-"
"What if we adopt her?" Izuku interrupted him.
Aizawa snapped his head towards him, "What?"
"What if we adopt Eri? She'll be under our watch, and should her powers go out of control; we can stop it. It's the most logical decision in a time like this."
"That is a wonderful idea!" Chiyo added her two cents, "The girl already seems to trust Izuku; there shouldn't be a problem staying with you. And besides, what the boy says is true, you two are the most capable people to watch over her should her powers go awry."
Izuku clasped his hands together, "Please, Dad? There's nowhere safer for her than staying with us." he pleaded as the rest of the group watched.
Aizawa stared at them for a few seconds before he sighed, "I can tell you've grown an emotional attachment towards Eri- which is probably why you suggested adopting her- but you make a good point. She'll be safer in our hands better than anyone else." He said. Meanwhile, having woken up earlier, Eri listened in, her excitement began to grow at the possibility of having a real family.
"But even if we did adopt her, there'll be too many responsibilities with her. It was easier for me to take care of you since I had fewer responsibilities, and you listened pretty well." He began as he looked at the girl.
"But Eri's a whole different story. She's been sheltered most of her life, which likely means that she hasn't received an education, let alone understanding social interactions. I can take care of her now, but she'll need someone to properly look after when I'm busy during the next school year." Teaching and grading Hero curriculum was a bitch.
"If it's a teacher you're looking for, then not to worry!" Recovery Girl spoke up, "I was a teacher here at UA back in my youth. You could leave little Eri's education to me!"
"I could take care of Eri when you're busy," Izuku said. "It'll be easier since I can take her to and from school."
"And we could help take care of her when you're both busy," This time Nejire chimed in, "I'm sure Mirio and Tamaki wouldn't mind helping, right guys?" she asked, receiving a shake of their hands, smiles on their faces.
Mirio pumped his fist up, "Oh yeah! I don't mind! I could show her a ton of awesome things while I'm with her. Maybe tell her a few jokes as well.
"I could help with her nutrient," Tamaki said, drawing all eyes to him as he shrunk back, "W-well… my Quirk makes me have to learn about all kinds of foods… so there's that…" 'Maybe I should've kept my mouth shut… so many eyes…'
Seeing no way to dispute this, Aizawa relented with a sigh, "Well, as long as you keep up with your word, then I guess we can adopt her." he said, causing the group to cheer.
"I'll handle Eri's missing case file with Recovery Girl and report this to Tsukauchi. He'll be able to keep things under wraps. Eat something in the meantime. You look like you haven't eaten in a while," he shooed them away as he closed the door leading to the nurse's office.
Nejire glanced at Izuku, who, with the situation taken care of, looked more exhausted than he did before. She carefully grabbed his arm,
"C'mon, I'm sure Lunch Rush wouldn't mind making some food for us. You look like your starving."
Izuku merely nodded as the group made their way to the cafeteria. They remained silent the entire course until Mirio broke into a fit of laughter.
Izuku turned to the laughing blonde with a raised brow, "What?"
Mirio just waved him off with a smile, "Nothing! Just find it funny how you're adopting Eri the same way Aizawa adopted you. Same circumstances and everything. Like father like son, eh?"
Izuku blinked, "Huh, you make a good point. Guess I'm more like my father than I thought I was." He said as the group laughed.
Elsewhere, five people were on their knees, their bodies bounded and gagged, along with a fearful look on their faces. In front of them was a figure with dark hair in a suit, wearing a coat over it, and a plague mask. Behind him were various other people in their own costumes.
"How could you lose her?" The figure asked in a calm voice but was releasing a large amount of Killer Intent that had them pissing themselves.
"I-I-It wasn't our fault. Some kid took her!" The group leader who wasn't gagged cried in a desperate voice as he looked at the man in front of him. "H-he knocked us out before we can even-"
"You had one simple job." The man cut off as he rubbed his face. "Bring her from point A to point B, yet somehow you lost her to some kid. Is that right, Zygor, Zinnia?" He asked the pair who were gagged as they furiously nodded. He then took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "At least these two tried to get her back, the three of you were defeated before the fight even began."
"B-boss, please! Gi-give us another chance! We promise we'll-
The man was interrupted when he felt a hand on his head, making him pale. "That's enough out of you."
"NO PLEA-"
*SPLAT*
In an instant, the upper half of the man's body exploded into a gory mess, painting the walls and ceiling in a dark crimson color. The lower body stayed standing until it fell with a splat. The other two bounded villains were screaming through their gags as they tried to move away but weren't getting far. Zygor and Zinnia merely stared at the bottom half in pure terror.
"So...what now, Overhaul?" Came the voice of Mimic as the rest of the Eight Precepts listened in.
Chisaki took a deep breath. "We still have some vials of blood left from before she ran. We continue our experiments and be more careful with how much we use. Beyond that, we have no choice but to track her down. The vials we have won't last forever. We need more...and Eri is the only source."
"When they run out, we'll need to be on the lookout. She could be hiding somewhere. And when we find her, we'll bring her back. She's the key to our success."
They gave their nods, and Chisaki sighed, glaring out the window.
"I won't let this plan fail. This is all that I've worked on...years of effort, research, and experiments all funneled into this one project. I won't fail, Pops. This is just a bump in the road. I will succeed. And when that day comes... you'll thank me." He thought before advancing on the other two screaming villains, deciding to let the ones who fought to bring Eri back live.
Zygor continued to look at the bloody mess while Zinnia looked away with tightly closed eyes, tears spilling from the corners of them as she listened to the bloodcurdling screams.
'Why did I ever sign up for this..?'
I'd like to give a shout out to naruhanaI4445 for the idea of the similarity of Aizawa adopting Izuku and how now Izuku is adopting Eri.
So what did you guys think? I'd appreciate some review as I'm still a novice at this. Just no flames, please. Motivation is slow due to quarantine, but I'll try my best nonetheless.
So have you some of you heard? Unless you don't want spoilers, then I recommend skipping the next paragraph.
*Wow so Tomura got All for One, huh? Gotta say, I'm kinda shocked. I mean, we all kind of expected it, but it still came as a shock. Well, at least for me. Although now that this is confirmed, it perfectly aligns with how I wanted my story to go, so there's that. I can't wait to see what happens next.*
By the way, you know how I said that I made some changes in scenes in past chapters? Well, I added a scene in chapter 1 because I think I accidentally erased it while editing. I'm embarrassed to see that now after so long. I recommend checking it out for the story as it gives a hint as to why Izuku was altered. More will come in the story, but who knows, maybe someone will piece it together. I'll give you another hint and say that Izuku's Evolution Quirk is majorly tied to something that was mentioned in the manga and anime.
Putting an AI was something I wanted to try, but unless you're worried that she'll attract too much attention, don't worry, she won't. She'll mostly make appearances during Izuku's work as a hero. Also, I'm sure some of you may recognize where I got her character from. Will I get in trouble for that? Let me know just in case.
Lastly, the vote for whether Eri should refer Izuku as a father or brother is still going. Just leave a review to which you prefer. The results will be revealed in the next chapter.
As always, stay safe, stay healthy, and enjoy your day!