Chapter 53: You Are Not Immune to Narwhal Child

Summary:

Eri's power cannot be accurately measured.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

When afternoon classes were completed, Izuku took a restroom break, only to notice Takashi in there, brushing his teeth vigorously. There was also a smell of some floral-scented aerosol chemical that was overpowering an underlying scent of ammonia.

"Ah, Midoriya-kun!" Takashi said, after rinsing his mouth out. "Excellent, I just topped myself off and I'm ready to go when you are!"

"I'll be with you shortly!" Izuku said. Once he was done, he saw that Takashi was typing away on a tablet at extremely high speeds. "Is that your Quirk in action?"

"It is," Takashi said. "Lunch Rush was 'kind' enough to supply me with hakarl. It's one of the foulest tasting things on the planet. It also provides me with the most powerful buff to my abilities. I ate enough to last me twelve hours, including a one-hour nap that will replicate a full sleep cycle." He looked at Izuku, "I suppose that now, we may discuss more about how Rot Eater works."

"That's its name?" Izuku asked, his notebook at the ready. At Takashi's nod, he says, "What foods are useful for activation? Do any fermented foods work, like yogurt or miso, or is it just ones that you find unpleasant? Is it subjective? Would alcohol work?"

Takashi sighed, and began speaking at high speed as he typed, "Rot Eater is a mutation of my father's Quirk, Reverse Drunk, in which consuming alcohol improves his mental acuity and coordination rather than impairing it, and is influenced by my mother, who is a striped hyena mutant. As far as our experimentation has determined, the efficacy of any food is dependent on the microbial growth present in the production of the food, resulting in the production of certain gasses like ammonia and other chemicals that smell foul.

"As such, foods that are fermented, but more palatable, provide little to no benefit. Cheese, for example, only works when it's one of the pungent varieties, like limburger or Epoisse de Bourgogne. Unlike my father, I suffer the deleterious effects of alcohol, which would undo any benefit it gave me. Complicating matters, my tastebuds are more sensitive than the typical person, so even foods that don't provide me with a benefit taste foul to me," Takashi sighed. "I did manage to experiment with a feeding tube once, and my Quirk was active even if I did not taste the food in question, so thankfully, it's not subjective."

Izuku beamed, "I can alter people's biology with one of Decade Force's applications! I can make your trigger foods taste good to you!"

Takashi nearly dropped his tablet, and he looked at Izuku in awe, "Really?! The healing you did in Kamino was that potent?!"

Izuku nodded, "I can do that for you right now if you want, it'll only take a few seconds."

"Have you done this before?" Takashi asked cautiously.

"You'd be the fourth person I helped," Izuku said. "And Aoyama-kun, Aizawa-sensei, and Tensei Iida-san are happy with their changes."

"Please!" Takashi said, his face like a man being delivered salvation at last.

Izuku grabbed the other boy's wrist, then after a brief moment of contemplation, Takashi fizzled in and out of existence. "That was pretty straightforward. It was a rather simple fix…"

Takashi took an experimental sniff and rolled his tongue around his mouth, "Huh, that's… I don't know how to describe it… it's like the horrid aftertaste I've tried to get out is gone. It's been replaced by a good, savory taste… but the residual scent still smells bad, somehow?"

Izuku scratched the back of his head, "Yeah, I figured you wouldn't want to become acclimated to the smell and offend people accidentally? So, I decoupled your senses of smell and taste to make it work."

Takashi looked intensely at Izuku, "Okay, forget enlightened self-interest. This is the best thing that anyone ever did for me. My life is now dedicated to making you more popular than any other Hero there ever was."

Izuku looked shocked, "That seems a bit excessive. You don't have to go that far…"

"Whatever you say, Midoriya-sama," Takashi bowed.

Izuku groaned, facepalming.

"This is really comprehensive," Izuku said as he signed the NDA that Takashi offered. Momo was seated beside him, the woman most familiar with this sort of thing among his classmates.

"Standard procedure," Takashi shrugged. "U.A. knows pretty much every possible way that students can have a falling out and the potential legal consequences involved when there's contracts involved. This needs to be ironclad just in case things go south. Speaking of, there's one aspect that we have to cover: ethics."

Izuku flinched, "Yeah, this seems wrong. I'm a little concerned about… well, exploiting Eri-chan for my benefit. She's gone through enough for several lifetimes."

Beside him, Momo nodded, "Not to mention, much of the reason the dorms exist is that Eri-chan is a target of interest for several villains…"

"Indeed," Takashi took out a binder, placing it on the table, "This details all the regulations involved with posting content with children online, along with a list of recommendations and guidelines for how to do so successfully. Do not dismiss them as optional, failing to adhere to them can break careers. Or families."

The discussion was interrupted by Eri bursting into the room at the speed of an excited preschooler, followed closely by a watchful Tsu. "Mama Momo!" she cried out, glomping onto Momo, then going to Izuku, "Papa!" she glomped onto him.

"Ribbit, I couldn't stop her," Tsu said, though through the bonds, Izuku and Momo could tell she hadn't tried that hard…

Eri then realized there was a new person, and ducked behind Izuku, "Who is that?" she asked. Delightfully, despite being shy, Eri was far less fearful than when Izuku first took her in.

"Eri-chan, this is Takashi Nouenbou-kun. He also goes to school at U.A.," Izuku introduced the boy.

"Nice to meet you, young lady," Takashi said, a little unsure of himself.

"Are you going to be a Hero, too?" Eri asked.

"No, I'm not," Takashi said. "Hero work's too scary for me. I work to… um… make sure everyone knows how cool a Hero is, and make sure that they get paid well for saving people."

Eri blinked, "Wow! So, are you going to tell everyone how cool my Papas and Mamas are?"

"At the very least, I'll tell everyone about your Papa here!" Takashi pointed to Izuku. "That's actually why I'm here. Some people are starting to say mean things about your Papa online."

Eri's eyes widened, and then she got angry, "Why would they do that?!"

"I don't know," Takashi said, "But I'm here so that more people will say good things instead…" He seemed at a loss for words with the young girl.

Momo, thankfully, swooped in, "Eri-chan, Nouenbou-san has an idea. He thinks you could help Papa Izuku. You know how Tsu-chan sends pictures and videos to Gang Orca?"

Eri nodded, excited, "Yeah, it makes Uncle Orca so happy!"

"He thinks that if we show some of them online, people will know that Izuku's a good Papa for you, and that he's a great Hero!" Momo said.

Eri looked determined, "I'll do anything if it'll help Papa! Papa saved me from Overhaul! Everyone should know what a good Hero Papa is!"

Takashi looked conflicted, "I'm glad this is going over well, but someone this young can't exactly give informed consent…"

"I want to help Papa!" Eri said defiantly to Takashi, pouting.

Takashi gave up, "Well, that settles that."

"Mama Tsu, I'm gonna be a narwhal first, then a unicorn!" Eri said, definitively.

"Sounds like a perfect plan, ribbit!" Tsu closed her eyes and smiled. "Come on, ribbit, I'll get you ready!" Eri left as swiftly as she arrived, a girl on a mission.

Takashi sighed in relief. Izuku looked at him quizzically, "Are you okay, Nouenbou-kun?"

"Not used to dealing with little kids," Takashi replied, looking sheepish.

Momo looked at him imperiously, "I suggest you prepare yourself. If this plan is ever going to work, you'll need her approval."

"Plus Ultra, I guess," Takashi said, smiling weakly.

Geten looked at his latest recruit, "What's your name?"

"Shinichi Hena," the boy wearing a gas mask said with distaste. He hated his name, particularly the surname. The kanji his family used for "He" was one that meant "district", but kids at school tended to replace it with the kanji for "fart". Which, given his Quirk, was unfortunate.

"Hm," Geten said. "So, what's your real name, Hena-kun?"

Smiling beneath his mask, the boy said, "Mustard."

"Tell me why you're here, Mustard," Geten responded.

"I'm tired of being tossed around by scum!" Mustard stated. "Simpletons get showered with praise and pampered, and abusers and thieves manage to rise up to the top of our society! My Meta Ability is one that should have brought me to the top, but, just because some idiots found it 'distasteful', I'm stuck on a dead end track!"

Geten nodded, "And your Meta Ability?"

"It's called 'Gas.' I produce a cloud of poisonous gas that puts people to sleep upon breathing it. Over time, it can kill them. I can spread it out however I wish, and I can control its movement, sense the movement of others within the cloud, I can even heighten its movement, turning it into a storm!" Mustard said.

Geten nodded, grinning beneath his hood. Few of the Meta Abilities he'd encountered among the recruits were half as useful as this. "You have an amazing talent, Mustard. Still, no Ability is without downsides or room for improvement. I take it that you are not immune to your own Gas?"

"What, this?" Mustard gestured to his mask, "Nah, my Gas doesn't affect me. I just like the aesthetics. I mean, someone who has the means to filter out my Gas or hold their breath can face me. I managed to get a gun so I could deal with those people."

Geten gave a grunt, "Good instincts. In addition to the aesthetics, feigning a weakness is useful for gaining the upper hand in a fight. And, while I applaud your foresight, the illegality and cultural stigma of carrying a firearm is oftentimes more trouble than it's worth. Not to mention, there are plenty of ways a gun can malfunction, and since the dawn of Meta Abilities, bullets aren't as much of an equalizer as they once were. You'll need to train your body, make it a temple worthy of your Meta Ability. Once you can fight, we'll give you appropriate support equipment. Something thematic, people can forgive it if the guns don't look like guns."

Solemnly, Mustard nodded. Geten provided him with papers, "Head on to the workers' dorms. Officially, you're one of Detnerat's newest factory workers. Unofficially, you are our latest soldier." He placed his thumb and forefinger to his hooded forehead.

Mustard repeated the salute, "All for the liberation of Meta Abilities." At Geten's nod, Mustard made his way to the streets of Deika City.

He had few possessions of his own, and the Army would provide him with necessary things like clothing. Mustard knew that his new living space would only be slightly more than a typical broom closet, but proving that he and his Meta Ability were useful would inevitably bring him luxury and privilege. As it should.

It didn't take long for him to reach his new room and finish unpacking. He wondered what he was going to do, until there was a knock at his door. Ready to destroy the intruder if necessary, Mustard said, "What?"

"Hey, there! Just wanted to meet my new neighbor and comrade-in-arms!" came the voice from the other side. "And the mess hall's going to serve dinner soon, and I wanted to make sure you didn't miss it…"

Well, that was a good enough reason. Mustard opened the door, "Appreciated. I'm Mustard."

In front of him, a lizard-like man with purple hair, wearing a shirt with an inexpertly stenciled logo of the Finger of Truth's channel, gave the L-salute, "Nice to meet you, Mustard. I'm Spinner."

Mustard looked at the shirt with interest, "You're a fan of the Finger of Truth, too?"

"Oh yes! Have you seen what he posted today? About how U.A. rigs its Sports Festival?" Spinner said excitedly.

Mustard grinned like a loon beneath his mask, "Not yet…"

After finishing his homework, Izuku began to read the binder Takashi provided regarding the regulations and guidelines for posting content with Eri. About halfway through, he needed to stop and take a break, heading to the kitchen for a light snack.

When he emerged, he saw his mother on the couch. She was looking flustered, blushing heavily. When she saw him, she said, "Oh, Izuku!"

"Hey, Mom!" Izuku smiled, going over to hug her, "What's up?"

"Um…" Inko looked like she was trying to figure out precisely what she was going to say. "So, Toshi and I… well, we…" she trailed off.

Izuku went rigid with fury, "What did he do? Am I going to have to fight All Might? I'm more than willing to throw down with him. I told him I'd do it if he hurt you. Lifelong idol be damned, I'll tear his newly rewound left lung out again! From his right side!"

"No! Not that!" Inko said, tears falling at the thought. "We, um… his Quirk, the Bonding Quirk you gave him? It went 'ding'."

Izuku went from pissed to delighted on a dime, "That's wonderful! I'm so happy for you!"

Inko gave a shy smile, "Yeah, it's nice, but it feels weird since it makes me stronger, even though I'm not ever going to use it…"

Izuku smiled, "Well, that's fine. You don't have to use everything a Quirk does, if you don't want to…"

Inko sighed, "Yeah, Toshi said you'd say that…"

"Huh?" Izuku asked.

"I was… sort of fretting about telling you? Because you were Quirkless for so long, and now that I have this new power, I sort of feel like I'm wasting it? But Toshi told me you'd be fine with it…" Inko said, relieved.

"Well…" Izuku scratched the back of his head. "I kind of had an ulterior motive behind it, too… Being my mother, being All Might's girlfriend… He's made a lot of enemies throughout his life, and I've already begun collecting a few myself. Part of the reason I gave Dad a copy of Bonding was to help the two of you have a happy, healthy relationship. But another part of it is that I can't give you another Quirk without shortening your lifespan. So, by giving Dad Bonding, you can more easily defend yourself."

Tears streamed from Inko's eyes as she hugged her son with surprising strength, "Oh, my wonderful little boy…" She laughed, "Though I think the ten-meter limit's going to be a problem…"

"Actually, the Quirk was different without the Vestiges interfering with the process," Izuku said. "The distance will increase as the bond grows in strength, then get multiplied as the bond reaches higher stages. And, thanks to the stockpiled energy I poured into Superpower, the distance should be even greater!" He gave her a sheet of paper with numbers written down, "This should help you keep track."

Inko read the sheet of paper, "Wait, it's three kilometers now?!"

"If my calculations are correct…" Izuku said. "You'd need to test to make sure."

"Oh, then that makes the next thing I needed to say more urgent," Inko said. "Toshi knows how to block his thoughts from his end, but he can sometimes forget. I think it's because he's also a part of your Bonding network? And I can't access that network, so I can't talk to any of your predecessors for information on how to do it."

"Well, you're in luck!" came a voice from the kitchen, shocking the Midoriyas. They turned to see Nana standing there, holding a bag of chips and a glass of water. "I was gonna sneak this into your room when you inevitably forgot what you came out here to do, but I think I need to have a heart-to-heart with my future daughter-in-law!"

Inko nearly choked as Izuku sputtered. Grinning widely, Nana pulled Izuku up, "Come on, you've still got work to do, little man! Go on!" Nodding, Izuku took the snack the woman prepared and scampered off to his room. Nana sat down and chuckled.

"It's not funny, Nana-san," Inko said, a little put out.

"Sorry, Inko-chan!" Nana said, her apologetic tone contrasting with the grin on her face. "It's been a while since I got to be a mom, and I never actually got to do the whole 'break my son's heart and I break your face' thing for either of my boys…" and here her smile faded.

Inko relented, but still adopted a hurt expression, "I mean, I wouldn't do that myself. All of my son's girlfriends are wonderful! I know they'd never hurt him."

Nana hugged Inko, "True, and I know you won't hurt Toshi, either."

Inko leaned into the hug. It had been so long since her own mother passed away. Izuku was still a baby back then. But this felt so achingly similar.

When Izuku looked through the family registers after getting One for All, he was so disappointed that Nana wasn't actually related to them in any way. Now, Inko felt the same way.

"Good work, fledgling!" Hawks said, beaming as Fumikage managed to use Dark Shadow to glide through the air. "I knew I was right to ask for you!"

"I still find it perplexing that you've been so adamant on bringing me to your agency," Fumikage grumbled.

"Pfft, whaaaat? Come on, little guy," Hawks said cheerfully. "You don't believe I wanted to show my newest bird bro how to fly?"

"Not so much, no," Fumikage said bluntly. "I have experience with people putting on personas, and you're much shrewder than you make yourself appear to be."

The grin faded from the number three Hero's face, "All right then, Tokoyami-kun. The main reason is, the HPSC wanted me to bring in someone from your class, to see if we could learn more about the League of Villains. They wanted me to get Midoriya, but I asked for you as a backup, considering he would have been inundated with offers."

Fumikage sighed, "Unfortunately, we had considered that to be the most likely explanation."

"You don't trust the Commission?" Hawks asked. When Fumikage shook his head, a more sincere grin lit up Hawks' face, "Good instincts, kid."

"Power does tend to corrupt," Fumikage replied.

"Tell me about it," Hawks said, leaning back. "So, if that's the case, why'd you come?"

"Better to go into a possible trap knowing the dangers than to risk a more organized hunt that catches one of us unawares," Fumikage said.

Dark Shadow popped up to chime in, "And we didn't have any other offers. And you're a decent teacher when you're not leaving us with your sidekicks to clean up after you."

"Awww, that's the nicest thing anyone's said to me," Hawks said, ruffling Fumikage's feathers.

Fumikage looked very put out by the gesture.

"But, yeah, the HPSC doesn't like being told 'no', so throwing them a bone helps," Hawks said. "Also, pro tip, don't spill your plans to someone you think is a government stooge."

Fumikage's eyes widened as he realized his error. Dark Shadow smacked herself on her forehead.

Hawks reveled in his victory, "So, what did we learn today?"

"That I will easily fall for gaslighting if someone flatters my intellect," Fumikage looked to the ground.

"No, you won't. You're too smart for that!" Hawks gave Fumikage a shit eating grin as the student groaned. "But, yeah, not exactly a good start for going undercover. Lucky for you that I don't really give that much of a shit about this particular angle the Commission decided on."

"... But you're still going to report everything I just told you, aren't you?" Fumikage seemed defeated.

Hawks sighed, "Look, Tokoyami-kun, you were candid with me, I'll be candid with you. I'm not in a position to argue with the HPSC. I was forced to sign some pretty ironclad contracts when I was young. They have me by the wings and they're more than willing to twist."

"I'm so glad that Vice-Rep Yaomomo looked over ours before we signed it," Dark Shadow said.

Hawks perked up, "I told them it was a mistake to try and mess with a class that includes a Yaoyorozu, but what do I know, huh?"

"And how do I know that you're actually being forthcoming?" Fumikage asked.

"You don't, unfortunately," Hawks said, bluntly.

There was a pause, before Fumikage said, "All right, fair enough."

"Great, we know where we stand!" Hawks said, shooting Fumikage with finger guns. "Now, then, you're going to have to prepare, because in a few days, I'm going to need you for a night mission."

"What's the situation?" Fumikage asked.

"Commission has a bee in their bonnet about some storage facilities being broken into. Some super-old classified stuff has been stolen and they want to lay out some bait for them. Dark Shadow would be useful for what we've got planned," Hawks said.

Fumikage nodded. "Revelry in the dark," he said, feeling like himself again.

"That's the emobird I recruited!" Hawks said, happily.

Unfortunately, the sting operation fell through, as the thieves managed to figure out it was a trap somehow, and hit a different facility. This would inevitably lead to a new series of videos featuring the content stolen. The cellphone video of Destro's takedown alone would receive millions of hits.

And the host was disarmingly charming. The tricks he did while pouring his tea were bumbling, but Fumikage, for one, appreciated when someone committed to a theme.

Re-Destro stood in his destroyed office, the furniture now a crumpled, unrecognizable heap of exotic woods and fine leather, interspersed with bits of electronics. After standing there, breathing heavily, he took out his phone and dialed Skeptic.

The very second the call connected, he said, "Get this filth off of the Internet."

"Sir, we're doing our best, but that's functionally impossible," Skeptic sighed. "We can attack site after site hosting it, but to eradicate it entirely is like trying to extract the sugar out of a freshly pounded mochi. Hell, the HPSC is doing a better job of this than we are."

Re-Destro scowled, hating that he was on the side of the hateful oppressors, "We have to counteract this. This is the worst possible insult!"

"I know that seeing Destro defeated has you upset-" Skeptic began, until he was interrupted.

"I couldn't care less about THAT!" Re-Destro hollered. "Destro's last stand was a work of art! The wondrous clash of Meta Abilities, the expression of power, skill, and training! If that was all it was, I would want everyone to see it! To see the oppressive lapdogs of the state fail, only for another Meta, a vigilante hunted for his refusal to kowtow to their whims, to do what they could not! That was true liberation! No, it's what he said afterwards!

"This 'Charger' mocked Destro!" the balding man said. "Called him a vicious thug and a fool! Spat upon his legacy! Claimed that he was no better than the mob of degenerates who murdered the Mother of Quirks!"

The words still echoed, as Charger stood over the prone form of Destro…

"You idiot. You absolute buffoon. You wanted free use of Meta Abilities? Well, now there's no chance anyone will let that happen. Fuck, even other Metas want the laws to restrict their own abilities! You practically signed the restriction laws yourself! All because you got more of a kick out of killing baselines than actually doing something productive."

"They deserve it! The damned throwbacks are our enemy! You know this! We fought against the death squads together! They're the bastards who slew my mother!"

"Yeah, you don't get to pull that card. We all lost people we love. But you decided you wanted to be the one leading the mob stoning people to death. My late husband's sister was a baseline, and she loved her daughter, who has a Meta ability to make grease. She cared for her Meta daughter, and you fucking killed her. And she's not the only one. Now there's hundreds of Metas out there who're orphans, because their families didn't have any powers. You'd have killed your own mother. You already have."

"Find the thieves who posted that footage," Re-Destro said with finality. "We're going to kill them. The HPSC will have to identify them from the scorch marks we leave behind!"

"Decent work, kit," Miruko said, her right ear twitching in what Izuku had learned was mild pride. "Overall, you were good, but you seemed distracted at times. What gives?"

Izuku looked sheepish as he secured the villain he'd been fighting, "Overthinking, sort of. One of my relatives has been a little obsessed with the Destro takedown video and some of the things he's said about it made me want to try something. I didn't change my tactics, but the hesitation cost me a few valuable seconds."

"Fun way of saying that your dumbass predecessor has been crowing about getting retroactive recognition after a century or so, and as such he's decided to make shit harder by commenting in your head while you're trying not to get fucked over by the bitch with the giant magnet," Ryouji grumbled pointedly.

Isamu radiated regret over his actions, which was something.

"Least you're owning your own fuckups, kid," Miruko said approvingly. "Still, your form's getting better. This one ready to get boxed up for the cops with the others?"

"Actually, there's one thing…" Izuku said. He looked down at the prone villain, with zip ties around her hands and feet. "Hey, Magne, was it?"

"What the fuck do you want, Hero brat?" the villain spat, still trying to see if there was any weakness to her bindings.

"I have the ability to sense a person's weaknesses and alter a person's biology with a touch. Recovery Girl's gotten me a preliminary Quirk-medical license," Izuku stated. "If I have your permission, I can… cure your gender dysphoria."

Magne froze, "Wait, seriously?"

"Seriously," Izuku said.

"You realize I've done some nasty shit, kid," Magne said, incredulously.

"That's why I beat the shit out of you and am about to hand you over to the police," Izuku stated. "Doesn't mean I want you to suffer while you're paying your debt to society."

"... You're going to cure it by messing with my mind, aren't you?" Magne snarled. "Gonna try and brainwash me, when I just want to live the way I am!"

Izuku sighed, "Nope. I can change your body. Make your biological sex match your gender identity. Similar to Tiger."

Magne sobbed, "Do it. Please."

Izuku placed a hand on Magne, whose form blurred out before solidifying once more. The end result was highly similar, just curvier, a changed jawline, and a lack of a five o'clock shadow.

Tears streamed down her face, "Thank you… Oh god, thank you…"

"All right, show's over," Miruko nudged her foot under Magne and kicked her body in the air like a hacky sack, catching the woman's enormous body and carrying her over her shoulder. She deposited her with her teammates, then waited for the police to take them.

When they left, Miruko said, "You didn't need to do that, kit. She murdered people. She doesn't deserve it."

"She was suffering," Izuku said. "And while we may not be as awful to trans people as we used to be, it's really bad for trans villains in prison. And maybe she didn't deserve it, but if I didn't help her, I'd have still felt like shit afterwards."

Miruko shrugged, "Good enough for me. Anyhow, that's your shift. Let's get you back to U.A."

Izuku beamed, "Thanks, Miruko-san!"

"No '-san', brat," Miruko flicked his forehead.

Izuku was about to use a different honorific, but flashbacks to their spar earlier that afternoon made him stop, and he just continued to walk alongside the Rabbit Hero. "You don't have to escort me, you know…"

"Nah, but after the mouse told me about all the times villains fucked with you, I figure that sticking around you's the best chance for a good impromptu fight," Miruko shrugged.

Izuku slumped as the vestiges giggled, "Yeah, that's fair."

"Speaking of your principal, I heard on the rumor mill you figured out what that furry fuck actually is," Miruko said, and grinned as she saw him flinch. "That's a yes. C'mon, spill!"

"All right, fine…" Izuku said, looking left and right, then saying under his breath, "He's a palm civet."

"Huh, the hell is a palm civet- wait, isn't that the critter that poops out the expensive coffee?!" Miruko whispered.

"Yeah," Izuku said. "That's why he exclusively drinks tea, to throw people off."

Miruko grinned, "That's fucking hilarious, kit!" she said, centimeters away from belly laughing.

"Never let him hear that," Izuku said seriously.

"Man, Nezu was right, this is a fun new version of the game," Yoichi chuckled.

"Best reaction was still telling Shouto that he's a chinchilla. He keeps trying to pet the principal to test it," Daigoro interjected.

"I wonder if it'll affect his Quirk when Nezu inevitably gets enraged at the attempts and gnaws off his hand," En mused.

When they approached the gate, Izuku noticed that Mei was standing there, assembling something idly while she watched over Eri, who was fidgeting excitedly. A casual observer might have questioned the fact that Mei wasn't paying attention, but having access to Danger Sense, Search, and Multitasking meant that Eri was being as closely watched as possible. Mei acknowledged Izuku with brief eye contact and a wave, which he knew was as affectionate as one of her glomps.

Once she caught sight of him, Eri ran right to Izuku, hugging his leg, "Welcome back, Papa!"

"Hey, Eri-chan!" Izuku said happily, taking her into his arms with Blackwhip.

Miruko looked at the little girl. She'd known about Eri. It would have been impossible not to, Izuku was absolutely a proud father who showed off pictures of his daughter at every opportunity. But she hadn't encountered the child in person yet, and was wondering how to proceed.

Then, the girl looked at her and said, smiling, "Thank you for taking care of my Papa, Aunt Miruko!"

Fuck it, Miruko thought. Out loud, she said, "No problem. Your dear old Dad's a tough cookie!" she said, roughly tousling the boy's hair.

Izuku seemed to relax, but only a little bit (which made Miruko grin a little wider. The boy still had the correct amount of fear in him). "I'll see you tomorrow, Miruko!"

Eri looked despondent, "Can't she stay?"

"She's a pro Hero, she's pretty busy," Izuku said.

"Hey, now, don't speak for me," Miruko said, to Izuku's surprise. "I'm my own boss, and I can take a break now and then if I want to. Might as well visit with my little bro!"

Eri cheered, babbled about having a tea party, and rushed off to Mei so she could prepare for dealing with someone new. Izuku, meanwhile, was busy rebooting his brain, to Miruko's amusement.

"You should see the look on your face, brat!" Miruko teased.

Izuku looked at her, resignation on his face, "Oh, yeah. You were just teasing…"

Miruko kicked herself. Right, the kid had been treated like shit for perceived lack of a Quirk. "Look, kid, I wouldn't have kept up with this whole work study bullshit if you hadn't proven yourself and kept proving yourself. Just because I find it funny when you overreact doesn't mean I don't care. I called you my little bro because I wanted to. Understand?!"

At the aggressive, yet caring statement, Izuku's eyes shone with unshed tears, "Understood. I'll get you a guest pass so that the security system doesn't toast you. I'll be back in a bit…" and shyly, testing the waters, he said, "... Miruko-nee."

Izuku left. Miruko's ears twitched as she watched him go, a small smile on her face.

"Wait, I'm invested now…" Miruko said, realizing her predicament. "Fuck."