A/N: Thanks to the beta of this chapter Morbious20!
December
The Festival was only a few days away now, conversations around the labs were filled with excitement. Excited to reveal the Keizer which was in its final stage of development, it was universal for every worker. David was pushing everyone to work double as hard to make sure it was absolutely perfect before the reveal, he was almost antsy at times. The scientist was usually more reserved, and Izuku didn't know what was causing his new behavior.
The lamp shone brightly onto his sketch, his fingers brimming with excitement as they moved along the page.
'Now… I'm an official vigilante, my costume should look spider-like…' He felt his ear buds slowly being pulled out of his ears.
"Hey Izuku." He felt a breath on his shoulder.
"Hey Melissa." He continued drawing for a small second.
Then the man noticed the trespasser in his room, "H-hey!" He held his drawing to his chest, refusing to show her.
"Why are you in here again?" Izuku was getting a little annoyed at her constant invasion of his privacy. She was wearing a hoodie and sweats, obviously she wasn't planning on going out today.
"I'm bored and dad's cooped up in his office again, something's bothering him." Izuku wasn't shocked, his boss was stressed out a lot due to his position.
"He's probably worried about the reveal."
She ignored him, "Hey… what're you hiding there? C'mon show me!" Her enthusiasm was never ending, Izuku held it even tighter to his chest.
"Ahh, home sweet home." The Crawler led him into a small apartment, it was simplistic and basic, functional. Izuku wandered in with slight reservation, considering he was entering a stranger's house, his torn up shoes from stopping the bus from earlier crumpled against the wall.
"So… This is where a famous Naruhata Vigilante lives.." Izuku looked around with interest, trying to find something of intrigue.
"Hey don't worry about this place, nothing special about this place, except for the people who live in it of course." The man stripped off his hoodie and mask, revealing an average person below.
"Name's Koichi, that's what all my friends call me. This is my humble abode, try to speak a little quietly by the way." His voice came out somewhat hushed.
He leaned against a wall, eyeing Izuku. "Midoriya right? Hah I get it cause your hair is green. Oh and don't worry about identities here, I debug the place every three days.
"Wow, you, really have to?" He could learn a lot from this man.
"Yep, I have to protect my identity like a trade secret." He slipped off his gloves.
"Isn't that only a thing in the comics?" Izuku asked seriously, eliciting a chuckle.
"Not really."
A small scampering could be heard in the hallway further down into the house, a small girl was waving around a little toy flashlight. "Daddy?" The two men looked at the girl, the older one shooting down the hall.
"Sweetie, what are you doing up? You've gotten so good at going to sleep on your own, what's wrong?" Izuku watched the interaction, his eyes wavering. The vigilante embraced his daughter, she was a tiny thing, her head covered with fluffy pink hair.
"I-I was cold…" She bemoaned.
"Oh Hana, you left the window open again?" She nodded, her gaze shifting to Izuku, curious.
"Daddy… Why is there a strange man here? His fashion sense sucks..." Koichi chuckled and Izuku felt his confidence in his makeshift outfit lower once again, but he couldn't be upset, Koichi's daughter was certainly precious if a little forward.
Izuku tore off his mask, smiling down at the precious girl. Koichi noticed, his own small little grin showing.
"You see now?" Izuku opened his eyes, losing his smile.
He held his daughter tightly, "This is why." Izuku read between the lines, finally understanding.
Finishing his reminiscing, Izuku clutched his paper tighter. "Not happening." The grown woman sighed dramatically and collapsed onto his bed.
Izuku rolled his eyes.
"Not very mature for an esteemed genius inventor…" Izuku japed.
"Let me relax without the libel Izuuuukkuuuu." She rolled onto her side.
"I detest that, libel is written not spoken."
…
"Nerd." Izuku groaned, she was tossing around in his own bed that he'd very neatly organized.
"You have your own bed, why ruin mine?"
"Yours smells better." Izuku coughed violently, flushing slightly.
"That was weird."
"Agreed."
Melissa blinked innocently at him from behind her glasses, Izuku's fluttering heart began to slightly overtake his annoyance, or maybe a little more than slightly. "You d-don't have to flutter those at me, come on…"
"You're too kind, too kind."
"Can you get off my shoulders." Izuku asked with a smile.
"No."
"You're going to hit your head on the elevator."
"You'd let that happen? Wow Izuku." He grumbled, there was no winning with her. He continued to walk through the hall with his best friend sitting on his shoulders, while she read something on her phone.
Crouch walking under the entrance to the elevator, Izuku stood up to his full height. "Is that comfortable?" Izuku was confused, her head was pressed between his and the ceiling.
"It's peachy." She said, Izuku sighed.
The door opened to reveal a shaggy haired and eye bag ridden David, "Oh uh, hey Izu-" David was about to step through the door before he saw his daughter.
"Really?"
"Yes Papa."
"Oh my God I'm so sorry Izuku." The man rubbed his forehead, embarrassed at his daughter's antics.
"D-don't worry boss." Izuku chuckled as the man stood next to him, grumbling.
…
It was a bit awkward.
"Listen, Izuku-" "No it's alright boss, I get it and I can't wallow on it, you were right."
"I'm sorry either way my boy, you didn't deserve that, it's not your fault I was frustrated, every day I feel like something's missing, like I'm not alone in my chambers at night..." He whispered those last parts underneath his breath.
Melissa turned between the two men with confused eyes, "Wait, what happened between you two?" Izuku sighed at her question.
"Nothing, he just had to set me straight."
David smiled slightly, his anguish slightly decreasing as he looked between the two young inventors.
"You know what? Have the day off you two! Go have some fun, you're both still young and I can't keep you cooped up in here all the time, especially you Melissa dear."
"But what about the Keizer?" David shook his head.
"Just take the day off, you guys should go somewhere for fun you know? Melissa hasn't been out of the building for a while now." Izuku laughed at her indignation.
"Watch it Pops, you're way more seclusive than me lately."
"I'm a middle aged man, I have an excuse damnit." Izuku smiled, although neither of the Shield's could see his face.
He was glad that David wasn't angry at him, truthfully he knew something was bothering him, just not what.
"Oi."
"Hey Ryuga-"
"Who the fuck are you!"
The short man walked right up to them, his finger pointing up at his passenger. Izuku wanted to leave the facility and grab some food, but he was stopped by the short, inflamed man.
"Are you pointing at Melissa?" Izuku raised a brow in confusion.
"That's her name? Hn, foreigner." Izuku sweat dropped.
"Uh, hey there Ryuga!" Melissa cheered from his shoulders, "You don't remember me from the last five times we've met, but I'm Melissa." She introduced herself, crawling down from her perch.
…
"Who."
...
Izuku sighed, Ryuga was a man trapped in his own bubble, nothing mattered to him besides testing explosives. Izuku wondered why David hired him to begin with, but he was a constant in the testing grounds of the facility for whatever explosives he could concoct in his lair.
"Whatever, all of you look the same to me." Melissa flinched.
"I'm going to pretend that was a joke."
"It wasn't."
"It could be-"
"Nope."
"But-"
Izuku walked off, leaving the two behind him with a yawn. "Sheesh."
The sidewalk was busy at this time of day, Izuku felt drawn to these people for some reason, each of their lives an individual series of events unique to them.
'So many people going about their lives, all in different directions…'
"Are you thinking again?"
"Yeah."
...
"So… How about Sushi, you are going to pay for it after all so it's perfect." Izuku smiled, "Actually, I thought about going to a bakery." He replied, Melissa tilted her head.
"That's rare coming from you, you hate sweets." She noted, although she did take a moment to consider; he never ate sweets, that didn't mean he hated them.
"I don't like them due to health reasons, yes, but I tried a sample of their pastry, it was mouth wateringly good." Melissa herself had quite a sweet tooth, so the prospect was tantalizing.
The door chimed as they entered, the fresh smell of sweets entering their nostrils. "Sweet Sato's?" Melissa said, echoing the… Odd name of the establishment.
"Oh hey!" A tall muscular man dressed in a skintight outfit and a chef's apron spoke.
"H-hello again, you wouldn't be giving out free samples today as well right?" The large man shook his head.
"No sir, but today is Sato sunday! So that means today everything on the menu is 50% off!" The large chef, Sato, spoke with excitement.
"A-amazing, I'd like a slice of chocolate cake with green frosting please!" Izuku said, his mind picturing the confection already.
"Haven't had enough yet? Can't blame you, I use a special fudge recipe for my chocolate cakes." He nodded, "Coming right up my man!"
He slid across his counter, propping up his head with his arm. "And what would you like madam?" She chuckled at his goofy personality.
"Same as him I suppose, special fudge you said?"
"Yep, family recipe and all. Turned to heroic brand!" He flexed, the rippling muscle under his spandex displayed for all to see.
"Oh s-so you're a hero then?" Izuku interjected, his eyes suddenly becoming interested. The hero provided a side long nod before turning to the kitchen, "Ma! Two chocolate slices with green frosting! Order #247!"
Turning back to the two, Sato propped himself up against the counter. "Yep code name Sugerman at your service, you can't go wrong with your power and then your gender as your code name after all!" Izuku laughed extra hard at that for some reason, Melissa had more of a questioning look.
"Aren't you scared of that hero killer guy running around?" She blurted out, Izuku had to muffle her voice with his hand, his eyes widening. She pulled away and glared.
…
Silence filled the restaurant, only being broken by another customer entering with a small ding.
"Listen, I lost a good friend recently, you probably know him. Cellophane." Izuku let out a breath, "We were friends in highschool, still friends after." He slumped against the counter slightly, his body shrinking and becoming less animated.
"Me and him were the two underdogs of our class, everyone else had us outranked in smarts, attacks, battle and rescue, we both tried to be for the small guy you know?" Sato tried to explain, his eyes slightly watering.
A sigh, "I'm sorry." He turned around, "Here's your table flier." He handed them the table flier to denote which order they were and sent them off to address the next customer. Izuku wanted to ask him more about Cellophane, but he couldn't justify it.
'Another reflection of my actions, of my choices.'
Izuku wasn't in the mood to socialize much after that. Turning his head to the TV screen on the wall.
"Our dear Heroine Miruko has returned overseas! The lessening attacks of the meta liberation army, our analysts here at QNN believe even Lemillion should be returning within the next year!" The camera panned to a beautiful caramel skinned woman with bunny ears and a business suit, waving out to the countless masses as she exited the plane.
"Huh.."
'Miruko is back… That woman is terrifying even as someone who hasn't even met her.'
Dressed in his budget vigilante outfit, Izuku was hanging off the side of a building.
Feeling the wind blow through his hair, Izuku felt the melechanholy of his conversation with the pro hero/baker seep into his bones along with the wind itself, and now with the realization of his wants, to be a vigilante despite the law… It only hurt that much more looking back at Cellophane's death, heroes weren't just mindless drones of the government as much as he wanted to believe they were at first sight, they had their own personal lives each as complex as the common citizens.
After the cake, Izuku had said his goodbye's, said he had some personal business to attend to, of course Melissa could never know of his vigilantism nor could anyone else besides his mentor, Koichi made it perfectly clear how vital it was to hide his identity as a vigilante.
A vigilante… Izuku knew they'd existed for years, everyone else in this society saw them as criminals and lawbreakers who were only out for personal justice… The Crawler being a rare exception to that rule as the public seemed to like him, but the more he read online the less he agreed with the idea that vigilantism should be illegal.
'The Monopoly on heroes… I can't agree with it, even if I could save someone it would be illegal to do so…'
It didn't make sense to him now, especially when the realization of great power comes with great responsibility fully seeping itself into his mind...
And at that moment, his earpiece decided to whirr. "The thing about vigilante's versus heroes is that we already say screw the law! We don't need to be reactive, we can be proactive!" Izuku remembered how Mituski described her son.
"Are you ready for this? The villain we are after is a tough guy, the only reason I've been tracking him down is because your raw strength is way higher than mine so I'm going to rely on you for backup, so, are you ready?" Izuku turned his head away, remembering his time in the fighting ring, all he had to do was follow what his spider-sense told him and his body would do most of the work; he had little training otherwise. But he was strong, he was strong now.
…
"Yes Crawler-Sensei, I'm ready!"
