"Tommorrow…"
Two people sat in their beds, far away from one another but still staring into the darkness that was their own rooms, entrapped within their own thoughts as if they were connected to one another. One looked to the right and smiled, feeling someone curled up to them as the sound of them sleeping made itself known while the other sighed, feeling the absence of the one he truly loved.
"We will see each other again…"
Saying the same words as they each fell back to their beds, one clutching the person he was with while the other imagined his lover and his child by his side as he reminisced.
"And I will find a way to make sure our family will be reunited one day…"
Both fell to their beds, bordering on sleep as tears from one came undone, finally seeing his baby boy again while the other was closing his eyes, thinking the day of meeting was finally upon him. Their voices left through the wind, almost as if they could hear the other before they went to sleep.
"See you soon, dad."
"See you soon, little storm."
xXx
Their eyes stirred, and they sat up, the sun peaking through the blinds as they looked around the room, seeing the TV was on with a movie paused as they felt a mound beside them, curled up to them with arms coiled around. They smiled, and kissed the person who slept beside them, "Thank you for being there for me, when I finish telling them about me, I'll come back to bed."
"Mhmmmm." The person's arms grasped tighter as the person opened their eyes, purple and lilac shining as Umi sat up slightly, smiling down at the person who subconsciously clutched onto him like he was a stuffed animal. "Come on Setsu, I'll be right back. Midoriya is waiting for me." Setsuna mumbled incoherently as Umi used a soft wind to expand Setsuna's grip on him before she gripped onto the pillow he slept on tightly, having shivered a bit as Umi covered her with a blanket. "I'll be back, okay?" Umi silently walked out, making sure to not wake up his new girlfriend as he put on some slides and walked out, glancing at his clock to see it was around 6:00 A.M. He went over to Midoriya's apartment, knocking and waiting before Izuku opened it, looking ready for some training.
"Hi Joku, um, why are you not ready?" Izuku asked, Umi preparing himself for what was going to happen next. He wanted to tell Izuku right away, he didn't want to lie to his friend anymore. Yesterday was a moment of clarity for him, he wasn't going to misuse it.
"We need to talk, Izuku." Izuku's eyes widened as Umi used his first name for the first time. "May I come in?" Izuku slightly moved to the side and let Umi in before he stood in front of Izuku as the door closed, "I'm sorry." Izuku looked even more surprised as he looked at his friend, who looked at him with a sad smile.
"S-sorry? You did nothing to me that you have to apologize for." Izuku tried to clarify as Umi shook his head. "No, I did. Izuku, I've been keeping stuff from you, and I want to apologize because you and Ms. Inko have treated me with kindness and respect for so long, and I've been too scared to tell you guys because of my own insecurities and my mind creating a block on trust." Umi tightened his fists before sighing sadly, "I want to tell you now because I told Tokage and I feel it's finally time I come clean, not just to you but to Ms. Inko as well. You treated me so kind, I want to repay you by telling you something I virtually shut off to everyone else." Izuku looked at his friend, just stunned to silence with Inko listening in from her room, hearing Umi speak about her and Izuku's kindness.
"Ms. Inko, I know you're there, I can feel you." Umi said simply as Izuku's mind began going at 300 kilometers an hour. He knew there weren't any electronics on at the moment in the house since he and his mom had just woken up, so how would Umi know that?
"How did you know mom was awake?" Izuku asked curiously as his mind began to think, was Joku lying to him about his quirk? Inko then came out with a surprised look as Joku looked down before sighing. "Remember the stuff I told you about my quirk that day?" Izuku remembered that day clearly, it was the day he finished cleaning Dagobah Beach. He nodded as Umi closed his eyes, "That was only one part of the deal. I didn't tell you everything right then and there, in fact, I gave you the wrong quirk." Izuku looked confused as Umi's hand sparked a bit. "You see, I can control lightning, just like I said that day, but…" Umi's hand exuded a soft wind and water bubble as Izuku and Inko's eyes popped open, seeing the boy they had known for so long just reveal something completely unknown to them.
"I can also control wind and water, I knew Ms. Inko was there because I felt her interacting with the slight wind I could feel." Umi then closed his eyes and said, "I gave you the name of my father's quirk, Bolt Strike. He wielded this quirk when he was a former hero the Sky Hero: Luminous." Izuku's jaw nearly dropped as Inko looked confused, but judging by her son's expression this was a big deal.
"Who is now more famously known as the Vigilante, Sky God." Now Inko's jaw dropped as Izuku's fully dropped. It was one of the most famous cases of vigilantism in Japan, the Sky God, the vigilante who rivaled Endeavor, the vigilante who had criminals fearing his name, and the boy in front of them was his son. Both were stunned into silence, both looked at Umi as he looked down in fear and guilt for hiding this from the two people who stood beside him, the two people that celebrated his birthday when he knew no one else. Inko saw the guilt and stopped for a second before walking up to Umi, and hitting him on the head. "Don't feel guilty, young man." Umi looked at her, with Inko grabbing his face and hugging him.
"It's okay, I understand." Inko fully understood, Umi came to them and helped Izuku's confidence, her confidence, her worry over her son, and she had someone who could look out for him when she couldn't. He felt guilty over keeping a secret, Inko needed to make sure he knew one thing.
"Umi, no one here is mad at you for keeping a secret, I'm sure you only had good intentions, and I'm not going to sit here and act like we deserved to know, your mind right now is going through a change where you feel the need to answer to us, when you have helped us just as much as we have helped you. It wouldn't be fair to you if we got mad."
Izuku however, looked more excited than anything. He knew Umi had more to his quirk! "If I got mad, I would be a massive hypocrite, considering I'm hiding One For All's true nature from him and my mom too. I can't be mad at him, he's my best friend." Izuku's eyes shot to Umi. Yeah, he was his best friend. He was the person who wanted to help him improve and grow without asking for anything in return, he was the one there for him on his own birthday, consoling him when it was his day. He was the one that pushed him to learn parkour and martial arts, he's the one Izuku looked up to the most now besides All Might. . "And now it's a new bar to climb." Izuku knew Umi with his lightning was already strong, stronger than Kacchan, stronger than most if not all of his classmates from what he had seen, and Umi in his eyes had only gotten stronger, not only with his quirk but with his mind and body.
"You can control wind and water, that's AMAZING! How does it work? What can you do with both? Can you use all three at once? How do they interact with your body? What are their drawbacks? What's your quirk even called?" Izuku fired off his rapid questions, this time even more rapid as Umi smiled, a pure genuine smile again as he looked at Inko, trying to calm Izuku down from his questioning. "They don't care at all, they still see me as me." He felt his heart thump as it skipped a beat, nearly letting some tears fall as his mind got even clearer from the day before.
"Umi, we have a lot of questions okay? But it's early, and you have someone you need to go back to." The color drained from his face as Inko smirked at him, she knew. "We'll finish talking later, well I will finish. Izuku, though, be prepared for his questioning." Izuku still hadn't snapped out of his questions as Inko sighed and smiled, "Good morning by the way, and thank you for letting us know, just know I'm so proud of you for letting us know of this, and that we will be here whenever you need us." Inko snapped in front of Izuku as Umi smiled and nodded, leaving the room with closed eyes and a smile, his sense of peace potent before going back to his apartment, seeing Setsuna in front of the door with her eyes closed as he looked confused. "Um, Setsu, what are you doing?" She grabbed him and brought him back to bed, with her snoring the entire time. "Ah, she's a sleepwalker." Umi said as she clasped her arms around his head and they coiled once again.
"So… warm…" Umi heard her mumble, before he kissed her forehead again and wrapped his arms around her body, bringing her closer to him while she smiled in her sleep, feeling the warm embrace that she missed when they left her grasp. "Missed you warmy." Umi softly laughed and connected their foreheads with a smile escaping, "Missed you too Setsu."
xXx
"So…" Izuku sat on the roof of the building while Umi sat in front of him. "So…" Umi responded as they tried to surpass the awkwardness. It was now an hour later, both getting one more hour of rest before he had to go, while Izuku and Setsuna would be going earlier than normal.
"It's okay Izuku, ask away." Umi gave Izuku the green light, with Izuku noting he was now using his first name more. He took a deep breath, the questions beginning to flow.
"I just, where do I begin?!" Izuku looked at his friend who smiled at him. "I don't know, it's up to you on what you wish to ask me, I will answer every question you have about my quirk."
"Okay, first question." Izuku summoned his notebook out of nowhere, Umi chuckling at the sight. "What is the name of your true quirk and what can you do with it?"
"That's two questions." Umi snickered at Izuku's blushing face, he really was excited to learn about him. "Well, my quirk's name is Storm Surge, and I can create and control wind, water, and lightning in different uses, such as creating a permanent light source for as long as I wish, masking my steps with the wind I exude, or being able to entrap items within bubbles." He named simple examples as Izuku wrote everything down, not missing a single word. "Are you able to use all three together?" He asked as Umi nodded, "I can, but that is a severe drawback. When I use all three together and launch attacks, I need to keep my body in balance and use every element equally. If I don't do this, one element will overpower the others and my bodily functions will go into overdrive trying to use my other elements more, and that bodily stress can cause me to pass out sometimes, but in very extreme cases I can go into a coma, or even die." Izuku's writing had stopped, and he looked at his friend while shaking with wide eyes.
"W-what?" Umi heard Izuku whisper, snapping and shaking his head. "Look Izuku." He gathered his full attention again before grabbing his arm, "My body gives me a warning when I'm about to go over my limit, and every time I've broken through it, it has only gotten longer. Trust me, death is not an option for me. I've never come close to that point, and I will only go to that point to protect the ones I care for. People only get stronger once we test our limits, and that's why I've been training for so long. My limit now is far away, I've proven myself to be stronger despite what my limits suggest. Trust me, I'm okay." He reassured his friend who almost began to hyperventilate.
"O-okay Umi, I trust you, I know you wouldn't lie to me about this." Izuku nodded at his friend, who looked very sure he wouldn't die for pushing his quirk to its limit.
"What about your other drawbacks, do you have one for each element?" Umi nodded and looked up at the sky. "With my lightning, the more I use it, the more numb my body is. You haven't noticed before but our senseis did when I took the Entrance Exam, I used my lightning and I would slightly shake my arms to get rid of the numbness within them. However, over time, I've gotten more control over it and thus less numbness, so I barely feel it anymore." Izuku wrote this down under weaknesses as Umi continued.
"For my wind, it's simple, the bigger attacks I use, the more I get scratched." Umi let Izuku stare at him with another 'why is your quirk so dangerous' protective look before he smiled, deciding to teach Izuku a lesson. "The element of wind has many uses, you can push, pull, entrap, spread apart, diffuse, but two things that people forget that wind can do." Umi wrapped wind around two fingers on each of his hands in front of Izuku who look enamored with what he was doing, before launching the two attacks at the two corners of the wall Izuku sat against, one was a wind bullet that went through the wall itself while the other was a wind crescent that slashed through the wall slightly. "It can also cut and pierce, and that is where the scratching comes in. My wind doesn't come from my lung capacity, no I can freely control and manipulate it, so it scratches me the more powerful the wind is, but I've trained it to a point where the cuts are phantom-like, plus with my water, I don't have to worry about the pain." Izuku looked confused before looking at Izuku's hands, seeing some bruises and frowning before creating a little water bubble.
"You see, with my water, the weakness for that is that I get more sluggish the more I use it, but that is disabled with how fast I am with my lightning. All three parts coincide with one another, my lightning disables some of my water drawbacks, my wind disables my lightning drawbacks since with the scratches, my body parts feel less numb, and with my water, I disable my wind's drawbacks, because…" Izuku felt his hand go cold for a second and looked to see water surrounding his hand, looking at his friend who seemed utterly focused on his hand before Izuku felt the pain on one of his hands from the recent training he had in heroics go away, seeing the slight bruise that was there now gone before looking at his friend, who smirked at him.
"My water can heal abrasions and skin damage given enough focus. I can't heal broken bones quite yet, but anything from sprains down, I can heal given enough time." He finished as his friend started blazing through his notebook, writing nearly everything down as he learned so much more than he was hoping for.
"Can you use two elements at once instead of three?" Umi nodded and created a wind and water dual bubble. "I've created combo moves when I use two elements at once. When we eventually train in a place where quirks are authorized, I'll show you some." Izuku looked at the wind and water bubble slowly dissipate into thin air before a figurative light bulb went off in his head. "Hey, do your wind and water mix better than with your lightning?"
Umi looked at Izuku with an impressed look, he didn't expect him to see that with one glance. "You saw how fluid my dual bubble was and figured that they would be much more cohesive than with lightning from one glance?!" He did a double take, "You really are a genius. Yes, since my father controlled lightning, I got the wind and water from my mother's quirk, AeroHydro Therapy. She could use wind and water to heal people, internally and externally, I'm shocked you saw that." Umi was genuinely impressed with Izuku before he looked at the time. "You have 30 minutes before we leave for the train, do you want to ask away or save the conversation for later?" Izuku simply responded, "Right now."
They continued to talk for a little while longer before he went to kick Setsuna out of his bed and let her get ready for classes while he put on his workout clothes underneath something casual, a simple purple sweater with black sweatpants and black sneakers before walking with his not-so hidden girlfriend, who was now explaining to Izuku how they were together after she kissed him right in front of the other when they had entered his apartment.
"You should've seen it greenie, he took the initiative and kissed me senseless-" "Enough, we don't need Midoriya to pass out." Umi interrupted her saying all this to Izuku, who was now burning up a storm while stuttering heavily. "What? He has to know, he's our friend! Besides, he's the only one I'm gonna tell, I have to get all the details out!" Setsuna tried to defend herself, with Umi just sighing and flicking her on the head while she yelled at him, though the words had no bark behind it. "S-so h-how is b-being in an r-relationship?" Izuku asked as the two looked at him and looked at each other, "We care about each other and know each other more, we feel connected with each other, we understand one another. We're just taking it slow right now, greenie, not much else to it, just getting used to the new circumstances." She shrugged before Umi wrapped an arm around her, her nuzzling his side, "Though the cuddles are nice. He's also very warm."
"Am I gonna have to go through all this?" Izuku asked himself as he witnessed the couple in action, they looked completely in sync with one another, they both had all the chemistry in the world with one another.
"S-so, how do you feel about going to see him?" Izuku tried to strike a conversation about Umi's father, but tried not to make it awkward. Umi had told him his father was in prison during that conversation and he'd be going to see him, but that was it.
"I don't know if I am truly honest, I haven't seen him in so long, I just don't know what awaits me when I see him. Is he going to be mad at me for not coming sooner, is he going to turn me away, I truly don't know." He said truthfully, but his mind wandered to his mother. "Or is he going to ask why my mother isn't with me? And if he says that in front of Hound Dog or the security guards, they'll inquire. I have to play this perfectly." His mind wandered before he got flicked back by Setsuna. "Hey, don't worry about it. You're his son, he'll be happy to see you, especially how much you've grown in 5 years. Make sure you tell him about me too!" She crossed her arms and pouted, wanting to be at least accepted by his dad, even if he was an all-powerful vigilante.
"I'll be sure to let him know I recently got a girlfriend that tries to embarrass me at every opportunity." He let her know with a dry tone before she pinched and flicked him again while Izuku squandered, he didn't want to be flicked too.
xXx
The trio finished their walk to campus, seeing the new and improved UA gate and noticing Hound Dog was outside, staring at them, or rather Umi specifically before he gestured to him to come over. Umi looked at the other two who pushed him ahead before he looked back at them. "Enjoy classes Setsuna and enjoy your field trip Izuku. I hope when I come back you've learned a lot more." "Thanks babe/Thanks Umi!" Izuku looked at her as Setsuna walked up and slightly pecked him on the cheek, thankfully they were early so no one was there to see. "Good luck Umi, hope it goes well, you deserve to see him after all this time." She whispered softly before walking away with a flick as Izuku waved before they walked inside, Umi feeling his heart thump away as he got closer and closer to Hound Dog.
"That's your girlfriend?" Hound Dog asked as Umi sighed, "Yes, although I hope you keep what you saw to yourself, she isn't very subtle." Hound Dog laughed and said, "Kid, I am the school counselor, it's my job to keep things to myself. You're lucky the relationship ban between students got lifted a couple years ago. Midnight, Present Mic, Snipe, Lunch Rush, Vlad King and myself all fought hard to get it instituted since Aizawa had nearly expelled a couple since 'it would impede hero duties.'" Umi chuckled and walked with Hound Dog to the car. "It will take us just over 2 hours to get there by car, hope you brought some things to entertain yourself. Just know kid this is a favor from Nezu to you and your father, don't disappoint him. I'll be in the room one over to monitor the things you say to him, sorry but that's just the way it's going to be." Umi simply shrugged, "Don't be sorry for doing your job, for all you know I could be passing on information that he could use. No, I'm just going to have a heart to heart talk with a person who I love with all my heart and soul, the man who raised me and laid the groundwork for the person I am today. If anything, I should be thanking you all for allowing me to come here free of charge." Hound Dog could feel the genuineness in Umi's tone and just nodded, like Nezu had said to him before, who were they to impede a bond between a genuine father and caring son?
"Sky God was a former hero, Ryo. Never forget what he did as Luminous, and he simply protested a decision that was wrong back then, and still wrong now. He quit being a hero and became a vigilante because he stood up for what he believed in, he was not a villain, not in the least. If I could have my way, I would have him on the force again, but society wouldn't have it like that, not yet. To them, Arashi Joku was a symbol of fighting back against a system, so they removed the symbol. He was truly a good person, just a shame he went against a system that we have to uphold." Hound Dog remembered what Nezu had briefed him on before he had taken the trip, and he was right. Nezu was always blunt about the Hero System and its flaws, and the dismissal of the High Speed Hero: O'Clock after he had suddenly lost his quirk along with the resignation of the future Sky God made waves among the heroes, the committee looking at O'Clock as if he was no longer useful and simply tossed him aside, ignoring his other very amazing skills that could've been useful within the underground community and simply said 'without your quirk, you can no longer be a hero.'
"Hey kid…" Umi looked at Hound Dog who looked back as they entered the car, "You have a good head on your shoulders." He said simply as Umi looked a bit confused but thanked him for the compliment before the private driver started going down the road, Umi going to his mind for closure, going back to remembering the memories he shared with his father before he was arrested.
"I really hope you grew that beard in. If you didn't, I'm telling Uncle Oguro."
xXx
Arashi looked up into his cell while in his meditation pose, staring at nothing as someone came into view from the glass wall that separated them.
"Hey Arashi!" They said in an almost too jovial tone as the man sighed. "The hell do you want, warden?" The man snickered and said, "Come on now, I thought we were on good terms. You seemed to say I was the best person you know here." The warden tried to play around, but Arashi wasn't having it. "I also know I said that you were a sarcastic dickhead, which we both know is true Tsuyoku." The warden's smile seemed to get even wider at the mention of his last name, Arashi was always his favorite inmate considering he didn't even deserve to be here in his eyes, but it was the government's orders.
"That's Junbi to you, after all we're best friends now, we have been ever since you got in this godforsaken place and I told you my son ran off to Singapore cause he didn't want to be working for the government we live under!" Arashi snorted and stood up, "Cut the crap, I think we both know why you're here." The man came into view, his hair being a mane of lava and his bright red eyes coming into fruition. The man stood as tall as Arashi, with a large grin and burly build and burn marks all around his neck.
"Oh, hell yeah you know why I'm here, your son is coming to this safe haven! Couldn't you be happier?!" Junbi yelled with his arms out laughing as Arashi smiled genuinely, something Junbi hadn't seen often but something he enjoyed seeing, after all he was looking at the only inmate actually worth a damn in his eyes.
"I don't know why you're so excited about my son coming specifically, you shouldn't care about your inmates this much. You're a warden, after all." Arashi said, though there was no bark, as Junbi laughed jovially. "You know damn well why I don't care about what those clowns say to me! Under my guidance, Asphodel in the past 8 years has had no escapes, no successful break-ins, and way better visiting percentages than even Elysium, and you know damn well how that place compared to this one is a heaven and hell difference. I'm good at my job, they can't fire me no matter how much they want to, I'm actually worth shit to them!" He laughed before wiping a lava tear from his eye, landing on the ground beside him while a small hole formed. "Anyway Arashi, enough with the small talk you bastard, your son is approaching along with the hero Hound Dog. They'll be here and you'll be one on one with him while he, I, and that recruit Yakui Kinzo will be in the room beside you two, any objections?!" He said in a commander-like voice, Arashi looking beyond the glass directly into the man's eyes, the man that was a former Major General in the Japanese Military that was recruited to look over the jail due to his amazing track record in the military with getting recruits into shape.
"Crystal." "GOOD, now enjoy today, I want to see my best friend actually be fucking happy for once!" Junbi laughed and walked out, Arashi sighing and looking at the door, "Dickhead, just like Oguro." He then sat back down and went back to his meditation, his only thoughts being about his son and his wife, the two most important people in the world to him.
"Just my son, I wonder, where Zari is? Did they get separated like I feared?" Arashi thought before pushing the negative thoughts away, this was only a time for his son, the son that he wanted to see in real time instead of just a picture.
"You're coming, it's about damn time, little storm, I'm glad you finally got around to seeing me again."
"I'm coming, it's finally time, dad. I'm glad I finally got around to seeing you again." Umi thought as he had his eyes closed with a smile, feeling the car move closer and closer to its destination.
"Here we go." "Here I come." Both opened their eyes, the same thought lingering.
"Our family will be put back together, I promise."
xXx
"Here we are Joku, Asphodel Penitentiary." Umi looked out the window and saw the large jail that, from his view blocked out the sun. The 3 iron walls towered above, each one taller than the last with barbed wire covering the top of the walls. Guard towers were at every corner of each wall and covered by people, with many guards patrolling the areas without stopping. It was truly a frightening sight.
"Quite a sight, isn't it kid, ever since the new warden got here, he's locked this place down and whipped the people into shape." Ryo said with a shudder, remembering the warden, and it wasn't a pleasant memory. The silent driver got flagged into the gate and stopped to let one of the many guards that guarded the gate check him.
"Paperwork." The man said almost robotically as Ryo gave him the papers that were signed off by Nezu, the guard showing the slightest bit of emotion by widening his eyes, this was serious if it also had the warden's signature itself.
"Apologies Hound Dog, you may enter." The man said with a healthy amount of respect before the iron gate slightly opened up to fit the car before the driver drove in slowly, the guards all returning to their posts with no abandon.
"Wow." was all Umi could say, Inui chuckling sardonically. "Wow indeed, kid." They both exited the car as Ryo said, "Wait for us here," before they were greeted by a man in front of them with a smile, a pure smile compared to the robots they saw before.
"Hello, my name is Yakui Kinzo, you are Inui Ryo and Umi Joku. It is a pleasure to meet you both." Umi and Hound Dog were both shocked to see such a nice presence in the middle of this wasteland, even if they didn't show it on their faces before they shook the man's hand. "Hello Kinzo, I believe you already know why we are here today." The younger man nodded with a smile, "I can feel your surprise because of me being a happy presence, don't worry, the robotic feeling isn't contagious. Warden Tsuyoku actually thinks I'm one of the better guards." He laughed, with Ryo looking at him as if he was crazy while Umi just shrugged.
"Is that your quirk, can you sense emotions?" Umi asked as Kinzo nodded, Ryo looking at Umi with a surprised look. "You figured that out from one glance, you really are Mr. Joku's son." Umi gave a slight smile, knowing his father was around the corner from him as Kinzo turned around. "I'll show you two to his cell, follow me. We will have to go through screening to check if you are carrying anything, electronics will be held by us during the screening and given back to you after." Kinzo explained as they entered the main door to the prison to see the heavily guarded screening room, x-rays and scanners right in front of them. They gave their electronics to Kinzo before they both went through screening, both cleared to go before a man both Ryo and Kinzo recognized walked up with a jovial smile.
"AH HOUND DOG, IT'S BEEN SO LONG, HOW HAVE YOU BEEN?!" The man with lava for hair came and slapped Hound Dog on the back before Hound Dog cringed. "Ah yes, how are you, Warden Tsuyoku? It's been quite a while since we last saw each other." The man laughed and said, "Oh you know, just keeping the place in tip-top shape as usual and making sure no one escapes, but I'm sure you remember that when you used to work here, huh Ryo?!" Umi's eyes slightly widened and looked at Hound Dog who glared at the warden who simply laughed. "Can we not do this right now, I have someone with me at the moment." Tsuyoku looked beside Ryo and walked up to Umi, who stood his ground and didn't flinch at the taller and bigger man coming into his face with the lava on his head flowing wildly.
"Ah, so you're little Umi, Arashi's little boy. Gotta say, you're much bigger than I thought, and much braver too, you are exactly like that bastard!" Umi slightly nodded and said with a guarded tone, "Hello sir, it's a pleasure."
"Oh, I'm sure you're totally like that man. You know he's my best friend, right, very stand-up guy, just make sure not to end up here like he did." Umi nodded again and looked at Ryo, "I like the kid, didn't flinch at me, he's got a good head on his shoulders. Arashi got a good one." Ryo sighed, and they began walking, Kinzo taking the lead while Tsuyoku talked to Ryo about the past and what they were doing since Ryo had interned here when he was just an up-and-coming hero at 25. Umi however was deep in his own mind, he was inching closer and closer. His hands were shaking with nervousness, tucked deep within his sweater pockets. He had chills running down his spine as they got deeper and deeper within the prison, the sounds of his steps becoming much more profound. He drowned out the warden laughing, he drowned out Kinzo talking about the floor they were on, He drowned out Hound Dog's cringing of the former memories. He didn't care about any of those things right now, right now his goal stood in front of him.
"And here we are, Sky God's cell, knock it out of the park kid!" Tsuyoku said with a bellow of laughter as Kinzo shot a thumbs up and Hound Dog nodded. He stood still, slowly reaching for the door that was unlocked by the warden. This was it, he could feel something, someone beyond this door with his wind, someone waiting, shuddering with anticipation.
This was their moment
The door slightly cracked open, and Arashi saw the crack slowly start to widen.
Umi opened the door a little more, savoring this moment, burning it into his brain.
He stood up from his seating position, seeing the long white hair move slightly into focus.
He saw a person stand up, as if waiting for him, begging him to come inside.
The door opened fully, and they looked at each other, 5 years of missing out coming crashing down.
Tears threatened to leak out, the first image of each other in so long being something they'll never forget. They had been preparing themselves for this moment for days, nothing would've helped them prepare for this. Both walked forward, tears flowing from both sides, standing face to face, words unable to convey the emotions that were running high. Both parties, leaking tears, finally letting all their pent-up loneliness be released before one broke the silence.
"You finally grew that beard, even if it's just a stubble." Laughter filled the halls, the man falling to his knees, laughing while tears continued to flow freely.
"I missed you, s-so much, little storm." They both cried before the door slammed shut, the glass wall came undone, and a voice came through the wall. "I slammed the door shut and released the glass so he can't get out, go crazy!" They both heard the warden laughing, they didn't care. Both reached through the now invisible wall that separated them, they pushed their arms forward, seeing if it was truly just a dream. Their arms locked together, and both lunged forward, their father-son bond being truly shown with a hug.
"I missed you, I missed you so much Dad." Umi's broken voice, one Ryo almost refused to believe was from the boy that had always been so strong in front of him went through the wall as Junbi and Kinzo couldn't believe that this was the same man that had been here for nearly 6 years and had kept up such a strong persona. This man wasn't a threat to society, this was a true father.
"I always knew you were a stand-up guy Arashi, but this, this right here proves you don't deserve to be in this prison. You deserve to be out there, by this kid's side, watching him succeed in life." Junbi thought to himself with a large smile, before one of surprising melancholy came to his face. "If only I knew where you were Kyone, I'd be the dad I wish I could've been."
"If I could, I would show the government this footage and make sure they know this man isn't a criminal, he's a damn father!" Kinzo thought to himself before he looked at Junbi with an idea floating in his head while Hound Dog thought to himself, "As he almost always is, Nezu was right about this. This family was failed by the system at hand, we broke this family apart, it's only fair we give them the right to restore the bond."
The two Jokus stayed locked together, almost refusing to let go as if one did, the other would disappear before Arashi held his son by his shoulders. "Look at you, my little storm is no longer little, he's huge, you're going to be taller than me, eventually." Umi smiled and wiped away some tears, smirking at his dad before chuckling. "And look at you, Uncle Oguro always said you couldn't grow a beard, I'm glad you proved him wrong." Arashi bellowed with laughter and hugged his son as tightly as he could, he didn't want this to end.
"TELL ME EVERYTHING!"
Umi then suddenly grew a smile, but Arashi immediately noticed it wasn't a pure smile; it was a sad one. He looked at his son, terrified at the prospect before he whispered something in his ear, something that couldn't be picked up by the people watching as Umi shook his head no before shaking his head yes with a smile, showing the three that whatever they talked about, they were all good now. On the inside, however, the two Jokus looked at each other, almost telepathically communicating. "Don't let them find out about Mom/Zari."
Both Arashi and Umi sat down right on the floor, a chance to finally lay out everything that has happened in their lives up to that point. They both looked at each other with Arashi's arm around Umi.
They finally began to unwind.
xXx
"YOU HAVE A GIRLFRIEND?" Umi nodded with his eyes down and a smile as Arashi hugged his son even more. "MY SON IS EVEN MORE OF A MAN THAN I THOUGHT, HOW IS SHE, WHAT DOES SHE LOOK LIKE?!"
"She's great, she has an amazing personality, she likes a lot of different things, thus we can actually learn to like new stuff together, and even if we've only been together for a very short time in retrospect, I truly have feelings for her, I have so much respect for her for understanding what I was going through and still sticking by me, she truly is amazing." Umi said with a smile, swearing to never let Setsuna hear this even as Hound Dog recorded this audio while the Warden and Kinzo laughed. "She's pretty too, if I could I'll show you a picture." He looked at the wall before Hound Dog's voice came through, "You're cleared, but only show him the pictures." Umi pulled out his phone and showed his dad a picture of him and Setsuna after they had finished training, sitting down side by side while her mother took the picture before going to another picture where she had taken his phone yesterday and took a picture of them in his apartment.
"You must really care for her huh?" Arashi asked as Umi nodded immediately, "Yeah, I wouldn't trade Setsuna for anyone else. Even if it's only one day, I care too much for her."
"And you made friends, right?" Arashi continued to pry as Umi nodded once again. "My best friend's name is Izuku, he's another one I told about you, and he's amazing too. He and his mother were the ones to throw me my birthday party, even if I didn't ask for one. It was just us three, but I truly cherished that moment." Arashi looked ahead and smiled, he was glad his son wasn't alone.
"Let me ask you, how many people know about your true quirk?" Hound Dog leaned forward, also wanting to know as Umi flinched back. "Setsuna, Izuku, Izuku's mother, Uncle Oguro and his family, and the teachers at UA." "So none of your classmates know?" Umi shook his head as Arashi looked at his son, seeing the conflicted thoughts he knew his son was used to after learning about his life until then. "Let me tell you something, Umi…" His son looked at him as he looked back with a smile. "Don't be afraid to hide yourself to people, you are in a place full of trustworthy people, don't feel that because of me you need to hide yourself off. At this rate, your classmates won't trust you if you don't trust them, and those will be your classmates for the next couple of years. Trust me, Umi, don't make that mistake, it will cost you people you can truly trust." He looked at his son, seeing the conflict being lifted somewhat in his eyes. "Besides, if someone doesn't like you because of me being your father, then they don't deserve to be your friend in the first place if stuff like that turns a person off from you. 'Oh, a vigilante is his father, let's stay away from him, he's gonna be one as well.' If people think like that, they are assholes, don't let assholes into your life." Umi chuckled at his father's impersonation of snobbish kids while his father laughed out loud.
"Let me ask you, son, when will you come back?" His father's grip on him tightened again, as his grip also tightened. He didn't want to lose his father, he wanted to speak to him, to hug him, to see him every day. "I want to do as much as I can, but I go to UA and I don't think principal Nezu will authorize this sort of thing. I don't want to leave you dad, I don't want to say goodbye." His son whispered as tears threatened to leak out again, his son truly missed him, he truly missed his son. As they spent more time together, he realized he didn't want to be in this place anymore, he wanted to stay by his son's side by any means. The closer and closer they got to parting, the more he wanted to just leave, but he couldn't. Arashi began to cry once again, Umi also silently leaking tears, they didn't want to say goodbye to each other. Kinzo and Junbi looked on while Ryo frowned, it seemed like with the two pulled apart, Umi might develop Separation Anxiety.
"Kinzo." Kinzo looked at their warden, and looked shocked when he saw the warden's face, completely stone-faced.
"Get the video TV." Kinzo rushed out as Ryo looked at Junbi, who simply sighed. "The things I do for my best friend." He laughed out loud as Ryo said, "What do you think you're doing Tsuyoku?"
"What does it look like I'm doing Ryo, I'm helping a family." He said as if it were the simplest of words.
"If you do this, you might get demoted or fired." "They CAN'T do that, I'm untouchable in this place, remember?" Junbi reiterated as if it were the law.
"The government itself knows Arashi Joku isn't a bad person, they just are aware of the consequences of his old profession, he broke the law, he pays the price. But this…" He points towards the two Jokus, just enjoying each other's company while blissfully unaware of what was going on. "Ripping a family apart, this is morally wrong. Let me ask you something, and I'm asking the hero Hound Dog and the person Inui Ryo, what do you make of this?"
Hound Dog stayed silent for a long time, "What the vigilante Sky God did was illegal. As a hero, I can't allow someone to believe they are above the law, no matter the reason they have for it. This man theoretically should be given the chance at redemption, he's sat for 5 years undeterred and unwavering, he knows of the consequences and sees his mistakes, still sitting and waiting to be given a second chance, but the punishment he was given is the punishment he will continue to receive until otherwise." Hound Dog said professionally, Junbi looking on at the two.
"As for the person, I just wish there was another way. I am a counselor to students as well, Tsuyoku, and this right here, it breaks my heart to see. A family, ripped apart by the law, even a loving family will suffer the consequences." Ryo said sadly, Junbi nodding.
"Do you have any kids of your own?" Junbi asked suddenly as Ryo shook his head. No, he never came close to having kids or having a wife since he was always busy being a hero, "quite sad in retrospect." He thought to himself as Junbi stood up. "I understand both your viewpoints, but I mean this in the most respectful way possible: you and most of your colleagues can never understand the love a true father has for his son. What this stand-up guy and his son have is a genuine bond, and as a warden, I have to make sure this man is locked up and does his time, but as long as he's locked up, it's up to me to decide what to do with him. The government can't interfere with what I do with this guy, they gave me orders to make sure he stays put, and other than that, I can do whatever I want with him." Junbi grinned at Ryo, "You finally got it? He's not out is he? So I can let him call his son whenever he wants and see his son whenever he wants. We'll record his calls for sure, gotta keep some authority, but I will let the man be a father. After 5 years of him being here, I can say that he is the most genuine inmate I've ever had the pleasure of keeping locked up, he's loyal, he's a good guy, and…" They both looked as father and son laughed and smiled with one another. "He's an amazing father, and he knows that what he's done can never get back the time he lost with his son…" Junbi looked at Ryo, the man channeling magma through his very eyes, "But I'm going to make damn sure he loses no more time with him."
"Warden Tsuyoku, sir, I've got the Video TV!" Kinzo came into the room before Junbi simply grabbed out and walked into the guarded cell.
"Junbi, what do you want?" Arashi said as the man didn't speak, just getting the TV out of the box and placing the stand on the floor, before hooking the TV up and looking at Umi.
"Arashi, the shit I do for you is truly wild. While your son can't visit every day or even every week, with this, you can contact your son as much as you want. I'll have Kinzo work on this later, but with this TV, you'll be able to call your son at any time with video chat. These calls will be recorded, but you'll be able to see your son as much as you want now. I can't guarantee the hugging, but it's better than anything else you'll get in this hellhole." Junbi laughed and wiped a lava tear away before Arashi looked at the warden, slightly shaking with chills, before he got up and head locked Junbi with tears in his eyes, making sure to avoid the lava hair. "YOU DAMN BASTARD!" Junbi laughed and head locked Arashi back, "Yeah I know, I'm a dickhead." Junbi looked at Umi who stared back at him with a smile, unflinching like before. "Arashi, he's a good kid, got a good head on his shoulders. I'm glad you're able to see him again." Junbi walked out as Umi felt Arashi hug him tightly while whispering. "I can see you every day, I CAN SEE YOU EVERY DAY!" Umi closed his eyes and hugged his dad back.
He truly missed this
"HOUND DOG, WE NEED YOU BACK AT UA RIGHT NOW! A GROUP OF VILLAINS HAS ATTACKED THE USJ, WE NEED YOU BACK ASAP, GET BACK!" The noise reached through the wall as Hound Dog began panicking while Umi's eyes widened. "Villains? No, Izuku…" He whispered as Arashi's eyes widened, his friend's son was in the class that was being attacked.
"JOKU WE NEED TO GO NOW!" Hound Dog screamed through the wall as Umi looked at his dad, who looked back at him, both understanding what was happening. They knew their time together was done now, but it wasn't over. They'd see each other again, the prison had allowed Arashi an opportunity to see his son whenever he wanted, he wouldn't waste that chance.
"Go, little storm." Umi nodded and hugged his dad, "Talk to you later." Both said as Umi ran out, the glass wall going back into place as Arashi felt Umi's hug linger while the door slammed shut and looked at the TV screen beside him, showing Umi's number as he traced across the number. "I'll be rooting for you the whole way, see you later, little storm." Tears ran across his face one more time, he finally got to see his son again, the moment was better than anything he could've asked for.
xXx
"Damn it, DAMN IT!" Ryo said as they sped down the road. "How did they get attacked, who are these villains?!" This was no longer Ryo, this was Hound Dog speaking. Umi looked at the now furious hero before the driver swore under his breath, Hound Dog and Umi seeing what was wrong as it had been 30 minutes speeding and they were already back in Shizuoka.
"The car will be out of gas and the nearest gas station is a kilometer away." The driver said, with Hound Dog nearly blowing a fuse at his own failure to recognize that they needed to fuel up.
"Hound Dog, sir…" He looked back at Umi, who was displaying a calm fury. "Give me permission to use my quirk, I'll fly us there." Hound Dog looked at Umi before looking at the driver. "How fast would you get us there, and how do I know we will be safe?" Umi didn't hesitate to answer. "I know my quirk's limits, we will be fine, you just have to trust me. I know I'm only a first-year student, but we don't have any other options. Please, I can't let them get hurt." Hound Dog heard the sincerity and the confidence the boy had in himself. He didn't know if the boy could fly with his quirk, but frankly, like Umi said they were all out of options. "You better be right about those skills of yours kid." Umi nodded, and both got out of the car, Hound Dog grasping Umi's arm tightly with the air around them beginning to gather and warp. "I told you, when it comes to myself…" Umi started flying up slowly, wind pushing him further and further into the air as wind started pouring out beneath his legs, Hound Dog hanging on for dear life. "I KNOW MY LIMITS." A near tornado of wind and lightning lit up the surrounding road, two figures bursting into the sky with one hanging onto the other. Umi held his fists tightly, ignoring the screaming pain he felt in his legs. It was his first time truly testing flight in such a way, and he wasn't ready for the backlash. He wrapped a small sphere of water around the cuts he knew he felt on his legs and tightened his focus, Hound Dog grasping onto his neck before water covered Umi's arms and he pushed wind out from his tightened fists.
Hound Dog guided him, sending him in the right direction towards the class. The more Umi flew, the more he grew accustomed. "This kid, he's growing as he flies!" Umi now pushed out massive forces of wind with a smile, contrails similar to a plane's coming into view. Hound Dog looked down, it had been 15 minutes in the air compared to the 30 by car, and he looked down at the floor. "DOWN THERE JOKU, IT'S BENEATH US!" He barked out with all his voice, trying to overcome the booming of the surrounding wind. Umi saw the dome beneath them, bursting straight down before they slowed down in the air, the flier now panting massively as he used the wind to slow down their flight, but kept them in the air.
"Kid, not bad for a first flight, definitely needs improvement, though." Hound Dog panted as Umi could only nod while panting. They were going approximately 240 km/hr in the air, and it took a large toll on him. "Guess high-speed flight is on the list." He panted with a smile, knowing that he had taken a liking to the high-speed flight and subconsciously put up an air shield in flight to remove air resistance. The two slowly made their way down, before a large blast of air along with a black figure broke through the glass dome of the USJ. "WHAT THE HELL?!" Umi and Hound Dog looked down, seeing All Might in all his glory with his fist in the air, now knowing who caused that blast. "That blast of air, that was monstrous." Umi thought to himself as he now landed on the glass dome before looking at the air trail the black figure had left. "Hound Dog, do you want me to stay here or go see where that black figure landed?" Umi asked as Hound Dog looked over at him, both looking down and seeing All Might stare down a light blue-haired man with hands over some parts of his body. "Go look, we heroes can take care of the rest. Nothing can take one of All Might's punches and come out safe, so it should be good to go." Umi got ready to fly away before Hound Dog called out to him, "Joku." He looked to the side to see Hound Dog staring down with a savage grin, ready to pounce on the man below.
"Good job today, you may not be a hero yet, but you're definitely more capable than some of them out in the field right now. I want to see you hone your potential, don't disappoint me." Hound Dog saw the man below rush towards All Might and roared, stopping the man in his tracks before looking down, seeing All Might and four students look up to the glass dome, one of them being Izuku as his heartbeat was restored. "He's okay, good." Umi did a slight wave towards the four, Izuku and the dirt blonde boy from before with the grenade gauntlets below widening their eyes as Hound Dog pounced on the man before Umi flew away from the scene with sparks of lightning beneath his legs and flowing from his fists, looking for whatever that thing was that All Might had sent into the sky.
xXx
Hound Dog looked around at the scene that had now befallen him. After he had pounced on the man, scratching him senseless and avoiding the man grabbing him, gunshots went straight through the man, the recoil strong as Snipe and the rest of the UA teachers stood ready to help, all seeing Hound Dog and looking extremely confused to how the man had beat them there. The man had backed off and escaped with the shadowy purple figure that had warped them away, the leaders now gone as Hound Dog realized more and more students were okay, and that they had survived the attack. The heroes rounded up all the villains in the other zones while tending to Aizawa and Thirteen, the former more than the latter. The police then came in droves and arrested the villains that had attacked, with the main detective now doing a round-up. Hound Dog sighed in relief, knowing the students were okay but still slightly worried, he still had received no call or text from Umi, and while he knew the student could hold his own, that monster was apparently strong enough to hold off hits from All Might for quite a while before All Might punched it senseless.
"Ryo!" He heard a yell and saw Present Mic, Midnight, Nezu, Ectoplasm, Snipe, and Vlad King all stood together, Mic calling him over. He slowly walked over to them with a sigh, this day was getting to be too much for him, first the prison, the Joku family and now this.
"Ryo, how the hell did you get here so quick? And where's the little listener from 1B?" Yamada asked as Kan looked concerned for his student. Ryo was about to answer before feeling his pocket vibrating and looking at the call, sighing in relief at the person calling before saying, "Joku is fine, in fact you should listen to this." Ryo picked it up and the call turned to video chat, the heroes all seeing Umi in what looked to be a crouched position.
"Hound Dog, I found where it landed." They all heard faint amounts of worry in his voice as the teachers looked confused. "Alright kid, all the other teachers are here and they can hear you. What do you see?" The video from Umi's side turned to face the other side, Hound Dog's eyes widening as the rest of the teacher's all looked shocked. A hulking beast, near the size of All Might himself, deep purple skin with a jagged mouth, and it just laid there. "Whatever this thing is, it's not moving. It was in the middle of a crater when I found out, and it's still heavily wounded and looks to be unconscious. I can send the location right now." A text popped up, revealing Umi and the creature's location to be 5 minutes away. "Alright kid, we'll rendezvouz over there, stay alert and don't move, we don't know what that thing is capable of." The call ended and Hound Dog pinched the bridge of his nose before Kan lashed out. "YOU SENT MY STUDENT OVER TO THAT THING?!" He screamed as Ryo sighed, "Yes, considering we need to know what the location of where it landed was and your student was the only one who could follow it in the air without losing track of it. You want to know how I beat you guys here, it was because of him. Your student flew us all the way here after the car broke down as fast as he could, and I figured after All Might sent it into the goddamn sky, it would be safe to go look." He was a fair bit annoyed now, something the other teachers noticed as Kan stopped. "No need to get annoyed Ryo, Kan is simply looking out for his student. You seem tense." Nezu tried to diffuse the tension as Ryo just sighed. "Tense is only the beginning, imagine something going as fast as one of those Formula 1 cars and having to hold on with only your strength. Only reason I wasn't flung off was because the kid created a shield to block air resistance." The teachers all looked at the man with pity before he shook away the concerns. "Don't feel bad for me, feel bad for the kid. He had to cut the visit with his father short and spent a lot of energy flying here at high speeds, something he himself was only a novice in. He performed admirably, you have amazing potential right there Kan." Kan took the compliment for his student in stride as the detective walked up to them.
"All 20 students are okay, Midoriya only has minor injuries on his fingers and the rest are all fine. The villains are all rounded up too, Aizawa has many injuries that need to be evaluated by Recovery Girl, and Thirteen's back has many lacerations on it, though she should recover quickly enough." The teachers all sighed in relief, no casualties and despite the injuries to Aizawa, everyone else was okay, it was a win to them to not see any deaths.
"Um, Hound Dog sir…" Ryo looked to his right and saw Midoriya standing there with a look of worry. "He must be really worried about his friend, despite him being the one in the attack." Hound Dog thought to himself before saying, "Don't worry Midoriya, your friend is okay. Today has been a little rough on him emotionally, so try to be there for him okay?"
"Do you know where he is right now?" Hound Dog nodded before stopping Midoriya. "No, you can't go with us. Your friend is scouting for us right now and making sure whatever it was doesn't get back up, we'll bring him back to the school and you can meet him there." Midoriya nodded with a sullen look on his face before walking away as Hound Dog sighed before turning to the detective.
"Tsukauchi, we have found where the thing that fought All Might is at. A cruiser won't be enough to subdue it, so bring a bigger set of quirk suppression cuffs and something like a trailer." Tsukauchi nodded before the heroes all got in cruisers. The police permitted Hound Dog, Kan and Nezu to go in their own cruiser and they were having a discussion about what happened at the prison, Nezu and Kan both showing shock when he mentioned how the Warden was allowing Sky God to call his son every day.
"My word, you don't hear things more shocking than that." Nezu laughed maniacally at the thought of Tsuyoku being nice enough to an inmate, let alone the inmate considered the most dangerous in that very jail.
"I told him what he was doing could get him fired, but he seemed so sure his position was set within that jail that whatever happened within the government wouldn't care." Ryo explained, shaking his head.
"Also, Kan, expect him to reveal his real quirk to your class. I know you were one who disapproved of this at first, but his father gave him a good piece of advice about not hiding, it seems he's taking it to heart. It's also way different from what that boy Todoroki is going through in 1A, Joku will use his full quirk with no hesitation if it means saving people, so your worry should be qualm'd." Kan gave a relieved sigh and responded, "That's amazing to hear if I'm being honest, I'm glad he's finally going to warm up a bit, it seems like it was indeed a good experience for him."
The cruiser began pulling up to the location, the three seeing Umi standing on top of a roof simply watching with hawk-like eyes with his arm out, presumably doing something with his quirk before looking closer at the thing and growing shocked, seeing it was now standing up, but very still. Umi glanced towards the approaching cruisers before going back to focusing on keeping the hulking beast as still as possible. The cruisers all stopped, police filing out, feeling the strong wind in the area pushing down on the beast, cracks forming in the ground due to the pressure before Umi finally stopped, panting as he did so. The heroes came and surrounded the creature while Nezu hopped onto Umi's shoulder.
"I assume you know what needs to be done." Umi nodded and said while panting, "Whatever that thing is, it stood up suddenly after I had finished my call with Hound Dog, and I immediately put as much space as I could before pushing down on it with air pressure, making sure if it moved toward me in any way it would be slowed down, however it hasn't moved ever since standing up, and it has slowly been regenerating the wounds left by All Might, but it's still heavily wounded. It seems whatever All Might did to it, it can't shake off despite its regeneration, and it hasn't moved." Umi relayed all the information back to Nezu, who seemed slightly impressed at the report. "I see, according to All Might, whatever this is, it only works with voice commands from the leader of the assault. Since the leader isn't here, it's safe to assume that it has no function. Good idea however making sure constant air pressure is pushed down onto the target, I will make note of that to Kan." Umi nodded as the police cuffed the beast and got it into the trailer, the beast never making a single movement on its own before the trailer filed away before a person walked up to Nezu and Umi.
"Alright Nezu, we'll relay the information back to you and see if we can get any details on what exactly their plans were with this attack. I'd also like to thank you kid, for keeping all your attention on that beast. It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Detective Tsukauchi." The detective stood right by reaching out for a handshake, Nezu looking on at the reaction as Umi turned to him, Tsukauchi doing a double take as a memory flashed to him.
"Where are the others, Arashi?!" "They'll be long gone by now, I can't tell you where they are because I do not know where they go from here." Tsukauchi's eyes widened at the kid, who simply shook his hand and said something that will put even more on his mind for the future. "Hello detective, it's also a pleasure to meet you. My name is Umi Joku." Tsukauchi looked at Umi, a pit growing in his stomach as he swallowed the lump in his throat. "Joku? You wouldn't be related to Arashi Joku, would you?"
It was the reaction of a slight widening of eyes, then a nod that told him all he needed to know. He watched Umi look at his eyes unflinching before saying something that would be on his mind for a while after this. "Yeah, he's my father. I'm guessing you're the one that arrested him, huh?" Tsukauchi didn't react to the question, and judging by the fact that the boy looked at him with a raised eyebrow, he concluded that Umi already knew the answer. Nezu looked on at the two, the tension building, before Umi sighed. "Look sir, if you think I hold a grudge, don't bother. How could I be mad at a man simply doing his job?"
"Truth…" Tsukauchi thought as he used his quirk on the boy, feeling a sense of relief that he didn't hold a grudge.
"Alright Joku, let's head back to UA. You've been through a lot today." Umi nodded and waved at the detective, "See you later detective, it was nice meeting you." He slightly smiled at the man before he walked away with Nezu on his shoulder. Tsukauchi looked on at the cruiser they entered, a slight pain in his chest that he couldn't express. He imagined a hero walking beside the boy, a hero who he once knew very well, a man he once knew very well. Tsukauchi pinched himself, reminding himself he still had a job to do.
It just made his second goal that much more of a priority.
xXx
Umi walked away from UA, slowly feeling the strain of everything that happened today. He looked up at the sky, the mixing of colors due to the sunset as he thought about himself. He was so entrapped within his thoughts that he didn't even notice someone coming up to him before they said his name and he looked around, internally full of relief, as he saw Izuku's embarrassed smile. He was now in casual clothes, walking back with his bag, which likely contained his school uniform.
"I'm glad you're okay Midoriya. You seemed to have fought hard." Umi looked down at Izuku's hands, noticing the scars there that were healed by Recovery Girl, and frowned. Izuku tried to say hi back, but looked to where Umi's gaze was and winced.
"Those aren't external wounds, those are internal." Umi narrowed his eyes and looked at Midoriya who flinched when he saw his hard gaze. "Izuku, does your quirk hurt you?" Midoriya flinched again, this time trying to hide it but he couldn't escape Umi's eyes. "Nope, you gave me the same look when I told you about my wind."
Izuku sighed, he was right. "I'm s-sorry Umi, I've been trying so h-hard to control it, but this is t-the best way I can use it right now." Izuku stuttered, trying not to release tears as this way of fighting nearly cost him some of his friends back at the USJ. Umi looked at his friend, seeing just how much that attack meant to him. "It's alright, you'll learn from this." He put a hand on Izuku's shoulder, "Izuku, remember that offer I gave to you when we had breakfast in your apartment?" How could he forget, he remembered it repeatedly. The more he tried to control his quirk and the more it hurt him. He remembered All Might coming up to him, telling him to go to Umi, telling him his friend would help him control his quirk and to not let this opportunity slip away. Izuku remembered how amid the standoff between All Might and the man called Shigaraki, he heard a roar and looked, immense relief filling him as he saw Hound Dog jump down towards the man before seeing the person next to Hound Dog on the roof, locking eyes with Umi as the slow realization that his friend cut a personal visit to his father short just to make sure that he was okay while also making sure Hound Dog got there in time hit him.
"I-I…" Izuku felt like crying to his friend who just looked at him with a sad gaze, a frown on his face before he squeezed the shoulder he was grasping. "Come, let's go." Umi decided if his friend was going to break down, he wouldn't do it right here in public. He stood right by his friend, making their way back to their apartments while also shooting a quick text to his girlfriend, making sure she was okay and internally sighed in relief when she texted back, saying she was in his apartment right now, it had been a long rollercoaster for his emotions. The two boys arrived at the apartments, both silent and slowly moving forward toward the roof, not bothering to open the doors to their apartments as this was a moment for them to confide in one another. They reached the roof, sitting on the edge and looking out at the orange sky. The silence was palpable, Izuku couldn't hold it in anymore. He let tears flow, the stress of the situation now finally being released.
"You'll get better…" was all he heard as he looked to his left, seeing Umi sit there with one knee up and one knee dangling. "Don't forget that look, the look of fire that you gave me that day. You told me something that day through your eyes, you said to me that you will be stronger, don't lose hope. It's okay to need help, don't put the entire stress of the situation onto yourself. Remember, you survived a villain attack at a UA building and fought back against those people that went in there intending to kill, be proud of that fact." Izuku heard it all, he looked at his hands, his scars. He didn't want to feel this way anymore, All Might told him he saved him, but it didn't feel like it. It felt like he was a weight holding All Might down in the fight, only getting in the way.
"I-I, I don't want to feel weak. Not after today, never again. I f-felt so u-useless today…"
"You're not weak." Umi said with a bit of force behind it, he needed to get this point across. "Let me tell you something, you're not weak, and you're only getting stronger from here, but we are both young, we're not pros yet. Don't think you're weak because of today, I won't stand you beating yourself up over this. You took on VILLAINS!" Izuku looked at his friend who was looking back at him. "No one is invincible Midoriya, even the strongest armor can eventually be worn down, it takes a person knowing their own weaknesses and improving on them to grow. I know you have me on a pedestal, but I have far more room to grow, we BOTH do. We will grow, we will become stronger, more complete. I won't let you call yourself weak after everything that you've had to put up with in the past, you've never had someone tell you like it is, I will be that person for you. You recognize your weakness in your quirk and how you can't really control it that well, it's going to change. You will get better, and I will help you reach that level of control. I'm here for you-"
Umi didn't get to finish his statement as he felt Izuku hugging him while sobbing. Umi closed his eyes and held onto his friend, letting him cry in his arms. This was something he needed to let loose.
"I-I'm sorry, you're always h-here for m-me when I-I need it. I came to y-you with the i-intention of helping you through what happened earlier. Hound Dog-sensei t-told me to be there for you, and n-now it's the exact opposite." Izuku stuttered while sobbing as Umi smiled softly. "There's no need to apologize, Izuku, and don't worry about what happened earlier. Something amazing happened, something I can't wait to show you. I appreciate how you came to me with those intentions, it shows that you care for me." Umi stood Izuku up, both letting go as Umi still had a hand on Izuku's shoulders.
"So I'll ask you again Izuku, do you want quirk training?" Izuku looked at his friend, their vision of each other more clear than ever before. Umi was a rock for Izuku's fragility, he was someone who would listen and give advice, someone he needed. Izuku was a person Umi could trust, someone who only had pure intentions and extended a hand of kindness to him. Izuku didn't want to ask before because he wanted to prove something, and he could still prove it even with his help. His head was clear, and with the hand that had been placed on Umi's shoulder, it was clear what the answer was going to be. "Yes, let's get stronger, I want to prove to you how strong I can really be, with and without a quirk!" Umi chuckled at his friend, his moment of weakness now overturned. "I expect big things, and I trust you to not let me down."
Notes:
Welp, here we are, the end of the beginning. We've reached the USJ and moved right past it. Umi and Arashi have officially reconnected, I gave backstory on the Warden Junbi Tsuyoku and a character that will inevitably come up in the story, as wella s Umi's and Tsukauchi's first meeting, something that will continue on and on with the tension still lingering, despite the truth being said.
This story right now is tied with Liberation and Crimson Bond for my favorite stories so far, I can't wait to continue. Next chapter will be the true fallout, Umi and Setsuna's first date, Izuku's training with Umi and the first video meeting with Arashi. See you soon, especially since I've already started the next chapter. Leave your comments and constructive criticism below, hope you love the story as much as I do!