Chapter 11: Out of Sight, Out of Mind
Summary:
Well, now that a cat's out of one of the bags, it's time to make this relationship work!
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Izuku and Ochako looked at each other for a few minutes. They didn't say a word, but their minds were gibbering incoherently.
"Izuku, Ochako," Daigoro said with some authority, "Take a long deep breath through your nose, hold it for five seconds, then slowly exhale through your mouth."
The two complied, as Daigoro managed to talk them down.
"Are you two all right, ribbit?" Tsuyu asked.
"Side effect," Izuku said softly. "More on that later." He got up, and said at a more reasonable volume, "We ready to go?"
Mina peered over, "Midori, what was with the staring and synchronized breathing?"
"Of course," grumbled Izuku, Ochako, and seven ghosts. Even All Might's vestige projected frustration.
"Decade Force is acting up," Izuku bluffed. "The energy is going a bit wonky. It's like a less refined Danger Sense. I must have been projecting something that Occhan picked up. "
Setsuna smacked her forehead, "My guy, you keep pulling random bullshit with this Quirk of yours. It's honestly kind of annoying."
"How do you think I feel?" Izuku groaned in response. "It's like a roulette wheel keeps spinning around in my head and I have to deal with the madness it lands on. I'll need to process this after we're done with the Support Department."
"Um, Izu-kun," Toru said shyly, which was odd. Normally she sounded hyper and bombastic, accompanied by exaggerated motions. Now she started to curl in on herself. "You don't have to do this right now if you're not feeling up to it. It can wait another day…"
And Izuku was suddenly, completely committed, "You've waited long enough, Hagakure-chan. I can handle this for the moment." He gave a smile, a determined look in his eyes. He looked… well, he couldn't look her right in the eyes, at least not deliberately, but he sure as hell could try.
Toru's body language lit up. She threw one arm up in the air in excitement and cried out, "You're the best! Let's do this!" as she grabbed onto Izuku's arm and dragged him out of the classroom.
Mina and Setsuna went to join their friend, sharing wide grins with each other as they sauntered off.
Tsuyu looked at Momo and Ochako, "I think we'll be getting a fifth bond soon, ribbit."
"He does exude a certain charisma when he gets passionate like that," Momo admitted.
It's really hot, Ochako thought to herself. Then she immediately panicked in her head before realizing that she couldn't hear Izuku or his, what would she call them, roommates? Huh, guess it only works when we're close enough… So to keep our thoughts private, we'll need to stay apart.
She felt disappointed by that knowledge.
Yoichi-jii-san, please tell me there's a mute button for this Quirk, Izuku thought to himself as he came to the same realization as Toru dragged him out.
"No, but there are techniques to compartmentalize the mind," Yoichi stated. "It's how we can stay separate from you if need be. Or to stay apart from each other. Two hundred years as a mental projection inside a Quirk lets you learn these sorts of things."
"Yeah, it's how Shinomori was able to keep up the recluse lifestyle even after death," Daigoro said. "He was really committed. He's been surprisingly chatty since you got the Quirk."
"Well, this is the first time we can affect the world around us, even indirectly," Hikage replied. "Besides, Izuku's a good boy."
"Still, at least you were all Zen about it. It's better than Two and Three sitting in their moping corner," Daigoro countered.
Before they could go any further, Yoichi interrupted, "In any case, I can put up a mental wall to block us out. You'll still be able to pop in and talk to her if you want, but this should filter unwanted thoughts. We'll still have to teach you how to do it, as well as teach her."
Why's that? Izuku asked.
"For when another Bond levels up," Nana said. "You're bonded with the girls, but they're also bonded with each other."
This Quirk is a pain, Izuku groaned. He had to stop, because they had arrived at their destination.
As Danger Sense pinged, Izuku held an arm out, "Back up, everyone…" Seconds later, a massive explosion knocked the door off its hinges and a cloud of smoke filled the hall. Izuku rushed forward to stop Mei from crashing into the wall.
"Are you all right?" Izuku asked, filled with concern.
"Izuku!" Mei cried out. "It's awesome how you keep serving as my airbag! Can I convince you to stick around in case of mishaps?"
"I'm seriously considering it," Power Loader's voice sounded absolutely tired. "And honestly, that's really concerning."
"Ah, Majima-sensei!" Izuku said, his normal cheerful tone hiding an edge to it. "We need to talk."
"Okay, no longer considering it," Power Loader felt a shiver run down his spine. With the frequency that Izuku and his cohort had been coming to his department to speak with Mei, he'd gotten used to his tells. "So, who's the unlucky target today?"
"Well, it'd be the designer and support company responsible for Hagakure-chan's… 'costume'," Izuku said.
As the smoke cleared, Power Loader went to his workstation to pull up the First Year files. "Normally, I don't get personally involved with this. I suppose we're going to need to start vetting support companies more intensely… wait, this says it's just a pair of gloves and boots."
"Well, to be fair, that is what I requested," Toru piped up, embarrassed.
Power Loader blinked at the walking school uniform that was standing next to Izuku. "Ah. That's less awkward than I feared, but still…"
"Any support company worth its salt should be able to realize and recommend options for someone whose Quirk needs to integrate with their clothing," Izuku said. "Granted, it has been prohibitively expensive in the past…"
Power Loader looked over the file, "Okay, we had a designer from Detnerat do this. And what do you know, this team covered a fair number of the female costumes, including Yaoyorozu's…" he sighed. "Nezu's gonna have a field day with this one."
Izuku let out a sigh, "Detnerat. Thank every and all gods I'm at least getting some jerks in the crossfire."
"You don't like them?" Mei asked, uncertain. "But they make such good gear!"
"The reason I was misdiagnosed as Quirkless is that I have an extra toe joint," Izuku said. "Most shoes pinch my feet. Since Detnerat is inclusive of all kinds of mutation Quirks, my mom and I'd hoped that maybe they would accommodate. Turns out, not only would they not, they were really hostile to the idea of a Quirkless person asking them for anything."
"Is that why you wear those red shoes, ribbit?" Tsuyu asked.
"Yeah, that company is the only one that makes a comfortable, durable shoe for the extra joint, and they always use that shade of red," Izuku said. "You have to order them online, they're never sold in stores."
"Huh," Mei said, "Never wanted to go to war with a corporation before. This is a new feeling." Mei's eyes lit up, "Speaking of new feelings, there was this thing-"
"Later," Izuku interrupted. Mei, in her typical Mei fashion, accepted this in stride.
"In any case, we've gotta get this fixed. I'll need to fill out forms and we're gonna need your measurements. If any of you want to help with that…" Power Loader offered, opening a door into one of the adjoining labs.
At which point, Mina and Setsuna dragged Toru off. "Girl, we're going to make sure you look fabulous!" Mina said.
"Three of 1-A's hottest ladies, coming through!" Setsuna added with a grin. Toru yelped as she was carried away.
This left Izuku, Ochako, Mei, Momo, and Tsuyu in the lab. Once the door was sealed, Izuku looked to Mei, "All right, now we'll be able to talk about the Bonds."
"Sweet! Did something wonky go on with them? Cause I felt something like a shockwave earlier. And is that why Ochako's on the other side of the room?" Mei said.
"Finally, ribbit. Someone as equally willing to cut through the bullshit as me," Tsuyu said with a grin.
"Yes," Izuku said. "Long story short, during her fight with Bakugou, things went bad. And the Bond between us evolved. She was able to move super-fast and avoid a point-blank explosion."
"Oh, is that why we're scrapping those grenade-gauntlets?" Mei asked.
"Yep," Izuku said. "Anyway, when we got back to the classroom, we found out there was another component to it. If we got close enough, we could hear each other's thoughts…"
Momo and Tsuyu looked back and forth between Izuku and Ochako, both of whom were beet red. "Ah, that would explain the awkward behavior."
"It's something we'll have to discuss in private," Izuku mumbled. "Speaking of private... Occhan, do you mind if I test something?"
"Um, ah, sure?" Ochako said, not sure what to say, or what to do with her hands. Luckily she managed to tape up her fingertips before they left the classroom.
Izuku took a few steps closer to her. He stood in silence for about a minute.
"Uraraka-san, this is Nana Shimura," Ochako heard inside her head. "Right now, Izuku's going on a mental muttering spree. Can you hear any of it?"
No, Ochako thought back to her.
Izuku sighed in relief, "Okay, thankfully, that worked. I essentially formed a wall around my head. Or maybe a door? Anyway, basically, when we're in range now, you can talk to me telepathically if you want to, and I can do the same, but we won't be able to overhear each other's idle thoughts like we did earlier…"
"Man, this Quirk-Bond thing is really weird. Wish I knew what caused it," Mei said flippantly.
The other girls blinked.
"You don't know?" Tsuyu asked. "I mean, ribbit, I had to tell Izu-chan, but he's got some issues."
"Can you tell me?" Mei asked hopefully.
There was another awkward pause until Momo said, "A bond is triggered when someone feels attracted to Izuku…"
Mei blinked, "Wait, so that's what that feeling is? I'm attracted to him? I thought that was just friendship, mixed with some side effects of sleep deprivation."
"Mei, you need to take better care of yourself," Izuku groaned out. "It'll help you get better ideas for your babies and make them less likely to explode."
"Okay, so the warm feeling I get from him saying that to me; is that attraction?" Mei asked with no hesitation.
"It's… it's a component of it," Momo said hesitantly.
"Wait, so what does this mean about all of us?" Mei asked.
"Ribbit, that was something we were hoping we could hash out together," Tsuyu said, causing Izuku to sputter in embarrassment. "We all know the trigger now, ribbit, so we're all basically on the same page. And I assume the feeling is mutual, Izu-chan?"
"I-I-I-I-" Izuku started before he slapped himself. "Yeah. I mean, I think you're all wonderful. You're all really smart and fun and gorgeous and powerful and kind and I like how Occhan always makes everyone feel comfortable and how Mei-chan lights up when she discusses support gear and how graceful Momo is and how Tsu-chan always says what's on her mind without making it sound mean and I should probably stop myself what am I doing…"
If Izuku's prior mumble-storm was intimidating, this one was super endearing. Every girl was looking at him in awe.
"Ribbit. Well, my heart just exploded," Tsuyu said in her usual deadpan tone.
"I... I feel kind of greedy, because I want to have a girlfriend. I always thought I'd never have one, but thanks to Tsu-chan, I know it's at least possible…" Izuku looked down. "But, I don't want to ruin any friendships by dating one of you and not the others."
"Why don't you just date all of us?" Mei asked.
"THANK YOU!" Tsuyu said with more emotion than she usually did. "Ribbit, that seems like the best possible idea. If you're okay with it and everyone else is."
Izuku looked poleaxed. Dating one person, any person, seemed like an impossibility not so long ago. Dating anyone as awesome as any of the four women in the room with him would be a dream come true. Dating all four of them at once… And then there was the other thing.
"My Quirk can Bond up to a maximum of eight people to me," Izuku said. "I don't choose it to happen. It honestly feels a little unfair to you, getting swept up into this."
"I will admit that this is an unorthodox method of courtship," Momo said, bright red. "However, I must also admit that I like it. And, your Quirk may be making this easier, but it's not as though it's warping our decision making. It's merely giving us information about you, and about each other."
"Ribbit, yeah, I could honestly date anyone in here without a problem. Although, Mei-chan, I haven't known as long, it might take some time to get as close as the rest of you," Tsuyu added.
"Oh!" Mei cried out. "That reminds me, Tsu-chan, I finished that waterproof suit-heater for your outfit today!"
"Never mind. You're officially the best one here, ribbit," Tsuyu amended.
Tears shone in Izuku's eyes as this happened. He said, "I'm the luckiest man in the world. If you're all willing to give me a chance, I'd like to give it a try."
And then, unexpectedly, he heard a thump-thump-thump-CLICK.
"The heck was that? Oh, I guess it's my turn," En said, answering his own question immediately.
Izuku was shocked, "I just… a Bond just formed! But how-"
And the door Power Loader opened earlier opened once more, and Toru stepped through.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop… I just… I wanted to thank you. You didn't have to do this for me. No one else ever had. It felt nice that you were so protective of me…" Toru's voice was shaky.
Izuku looked at her, and said, "Haga- Toru-chan, you're my friend. Of course I want to help you any way that I can… And, I know what it's like to be invisible. Not literally, obviously, but it was close."
Toru's body language was so much more subdued than usual as she said, "Well, I will say that I kind of had a little crush on you before, but I knew how you and Ochako were and I didn't want to spoil it for her. But hearing all this, I realized I wanted in. Maybe it won't work out, but I wanted to give it a shot…"
Izuku looked around, "So, this is a curveball, but does anyone have objections? I want there to be trust in this… thing we're making?"
"The term most often used for it is polycule," Momo said.
"Polycule, right," Izuku said. "I don't want to make decisions for everyone in the polycule. But I'm more than willing to let her in…"
"Eh, it'll be good practice when you fill the last three slots," Mei said nonchalantly.
"I look forward to getting to know you better, Toru-chan," Momo bowed.
"I'm fine with it for now…" Tsuyu looked at the last person in the room. "Occhan, you've been awfully quiet."
"She asked us for advice," Yoichi helpfully answered.
Should I be worried? Izuku asked.
"If we said no, would you stop worrying?" Hikage countered.
Just because you're right doesn't mean you have to say it.
"Well, I've had some things on my mind," Ochako replied to Tsuyu. "And, well, yes I'm in. But, I want to be honest… honest about how the bond grew the way it did. See, the night I found out Izuku's secrets, the night after the break-in before the USJ, when he was completely honest with me… he expected that I'd leave. That I'd stop being his friend."
Izuku inhaled. That was a tough conversation.
"And I told him that I didn't want to. That I wouldn't be here, certainly not at U.A. and possibly I'd be injured or dead, if he didn't save me at the entrance exam. I don't want to leave him. I don't ever want to leave him. And I realized, that night, that I didn't just have a crush on him. I loved him…" Ochako had her head down, bright red but grinning awkwardly.
She was right next to him, and his heart was fluttering as she spoke. When she ended, Izuku took her hand in his, "And, when Bakugou had his gauntlets aimed at her, and I was too far away to go and help her, I was so worried for her, and I thought to myself that there was no way I could let him hurt the first person I ever fell in love with… and then I heard a ding sound in my head, and Ochako could move the way she did."
Tsuyu had her eyes closed as she smiled at that. Momo's hands went to her mouth in pleased shock. Toru let out a happy, high-pitched squeal.
Mei on the other hand, merely said, "Huh, that's cool! Hey, we should test how the bond works and what it's capable of doing! Maybe it's more than that super-adrenaline-bullet-time thing!"
"Never change, Mei," Izuku said warmly.
"That's so romantic," Momo said with awe. Everyone in the room got a flash of her reading romance novels in her room while she said that.
"Is that why you were so flustered?!" Toru zoomed over to them, vibrating with happy energy. "You could read each other's thoughts and realized you loved each other?!"
"Erm, yes," Izuku said, ducking his head at that. "Not exactly an ideal way to confess, but…"
"Ribbit, if that didn't happen, you'd probably be dancing around the issue for the next year or two," Tsuyu chimed in.
Toru practically leapt onto Izuku and Ochako in a hug, "I'm so happy for you two!"
Izuku flushed at the contact, but returned the hug and began to laugh and cry at the same time. I have no idea how I got so lucky, but I wouldn't trade it for the world.
That night was filled with tears as Izuku and Ochako relayed everything to Inko. Izuku's mother was crying her eyes out. At first, they were tears of sadness, caused by the revelation of Katsuki's behavior, expulsion, and subsequent arrest. Then, when Izuku revealed that he and Ochako were now dating, as well as four other girls, they became tears of joy.
The next day at lunch, Izuku got a text from his mom saying that tonight would be a bad time for Ochako to come over.
"I'll be fine," Ochako said in response. "I'm a big girl. Besides, we can't spend every night together…"
"Oh ho ho!" Mina appeared from nowhere at Ochako's side at that poorly chosen sentence.
"Scandalous!" Setsuna agreed, both of them sporting identical teasing grins.
Tenya sputtered out, "Such scurrilous accusations are incredibly harmful!"
"Maybe I should consider it training to choose my words more carefully," Ochako groaned out to a chorus of laughter.
The day went smoothly, and Izuku barely remembered that there was an issue… at least until he got home and saw his mother sitting in the living room with Mitsuki and Masaru Bakugou.
Oh… so that's the reason, Izuku thought to himself. Outwardly, he looked at them, a sad smile on his face. "Hi Mitsuki-ba-san, Masaru-ji-san. It's good to see you again, though I wish the circumstances were better."
It was odd seeing them. His mother had obviously been crying, but so had Mitsuki. If anything, she looked like she'd been bawling worse than his mother had. Masaru, by contrast, had looked coldly furious when he first walked in, though, once Izuku spoke up, that was replaced by deep sorrow.
Mitsuki got up, looking like she wanted to rush over and hug Izuku like she'd done when he was little. She stopped herself, though, tears falling anew, as she bowed low. She tried to say something, but no coherent words came out.
Masaru stood next to his wife and bowed just as deeply, "We're so sorry, Izuku-kun. We had no idea anything had gotten this bad. If we had known the full extent of what Katsuki was doing, we would have acted to stop it."
Izuku's heart broke. He'd effectively cut Katsuki out of his life after the entrance exam, with his new family's blessing. Now, he had friends who were better than Katsuki ever was. But the part of him that still missed Katsuki's friendship hadn't gone away. He just tried not to let it control him as it had. He'd stopped forgiving what Katsuki had done to him.
But his honorary aunt and uncle? "I understand. I forgive you. I mean, I know firsthand how hard it is to get Katsuki to change his mind about anything…"
And once he said that, Mitsuki rushed forward and hugged him, sobbing as she did. Izuku's own tears were subdued in comparison.
"I can't believe no one told us," Masaru said, the cold anger resurfacing. "I can't believe no one tried to stop him."
"It wasn't just him," Izuku said. "He was just the most enthusiastic about it. Any attempts to get it to stop wouldn't work. No one was willing to stick their neck out for a Quirkless kid. Especially when it could hurt the chances of such a qualified hero candidate…" Izuku shook his head. "It didn't help that I bought into it. Part of me thought this was just normal, that I shouldn't expect anything better. Part of me bought into the idea that Katsuki would be a great hero. Part of me just wanted the only friend I ever had back and didn't want him to get hurt…"
Mitsuki gripped Izuku harder, "I'm going to make Aldera burn for what they did to you, what they did to my boy…"
"Nezu beat you to it," Izuku said. "He told me that he would, and I quote, 'take out my GOOD wrecking ball for the occasion.' He offered me the first swing, but I'd rather put that whole mess behind me."
Masaru exhaled slowly, "I can understand that, but those… bastards condoned this behavior. Encouraged it. I hope Ketsubutsu can set him straight."
Izuku blinked, "He's been sent to another Hero School? Wait, no, they have a Villain Rehabilitation program as well…"
"It's technically better than being thrown in prison. In practice, however, it's much the same thing," Masaru said. "We also have to wait for the trial to be held, and he's stuck in jail until then. It's going to take some time to process this…"
Inko stood up and pulled the Bakugous, and Izuku through Mitsuki, into a bear hug, "We'll get through this. We'll work for it."
Izuku felt relief as they embraced. Katsuki's fate was, at its heart, a tragedy. At least this wouldn't destroy his mother's greatest friendship.
"I still can't believe this is happening, Toshi-tou-san!" Izuku said as he walked into All Might's office.
"Believe it, my boy!" All Might said. "Consider this introducing you to my family!"
"Do they know about One for All?" Izuku asked. "I don't want to accidentally reveal anything, but if I don't have to hide it…"
"I told David about it, but not Melissa. Although, both of them know about my injury," All Might said, briefly bulking up. "I should have told Dave long ago, but when he got married, I had feared for his family's safety. In hindsight, it would not have hurt to let him in on the secret."
Izuku paused, "Are you just saying that because of what I asked you?"
"Honestly, Izuku? One for All is your Quirk now, you should treat it as such," All Might replied kindly. "Besides, if your relationships grow as they have been, secrecy among them will not be an option."
"One for All might be my Quirk now, but its secrets aren't all mine to reveal…" Izuku countered.
All Might nodded, "And I'm glad you waited for my consent. That being said, I trust your judgment. On this, at least. Not rushing into dangerous situations, I have less trust in your judgment."
"Dad…" Izuku groaned out. He was smiling, though.
"In any case, get ready for the call…" All Might pressed the projector. As he did so, a hologram of a man and a teenage girl appeared sitting on a couch before them. The man had scruffy light-brown hair and a goatee, the girl had long golden-blonde hair. Both of them had the same sky-blue eyes staring at them from behind glasses.
"David! Melissa! It's wonderful to see you!" All Might said happily.
"Same here, Uncle Might!" Melissa Shield cried out.
"It's so nice to meet you both! My name's Izuku Midoriya," Izuku bowed. He wasn't sure what was more nerve-wracking, the fact that this was All Might's first sidekick, or the fact that his daughter was gorgeous.
At least now I can talk to gorgeous women without freaking out, Izuku thought.
"Mostly," En countered.
Shut, Izuku growled.
"So this is the son you mentioned before, Toshi?" David said playfully.
"Yes, I figured it was time for you to meet him…" All Might looked sad. "Speaking of time, I have to release this form. I've given you warning, but still, this is disturbing."
David held Melissa's hand as they both nodded. In a cloud of steam, All Might's true emaciated form was on full display.
Melissa gasped. David inhaled sharply, "Oh, Toshi…"
"Yes, it's a gruesome sight," All Might said.
"Is there anything we can do?" Melissa asked.
"Hmm…" All Might said, "I mean, medical technology has advanced. I've unfortunately needed to rely on patch jobs thanks to my lifestyle."
"Well, once you retire, you'll be able to undergo something more permanent," Izuku said. He looked to the people on the call, "Are cloned organs viable? Or a mechanical substitute for a missing lung and incomplete GI tract?"
"Actually growing a cloned organ requires time," Melissa contributed. "Not the easiest solution, but viable. I can conceive of several mechanical options that would work wonders, but there's more chances for them to break down or be rejected by the body. Although…" she turned to David, "How far along are Klaus and his team with the reactive mesh?"
"They've begun secondary testing, but it's still on a trial basis. It's better than nothing," David replied, considering his options.
All Might sweatdropped, "You don't need to go that far for me…"
"Nonsense, Uncle Might!" Melissa said emphatically. "You've saved countless lives! You're worth any expense!"
"You've earned a nice, long, comfortable retirement, Dad," Izuku said, equally passionate.
"Retirement… I don't even know what that would look like…" All Might replied.
Izuku gestured around them, "Well, there's this job at the very least!"
All Might grinned, "It does have its perks."
"So, Izuku… or, wait, Midoriya, sorry," Melissa corrected herself.
"It's fine, you can call me either one you want," Izuku said.
"Well, then Izuku," his heart couldn't help but flutter when he heard that, "I'm curious as to what your Quirk is!"
"It's an energy stockpiling Quirk that I can use in several ways. One of them, Full Cowl, is where I send it through my body to enhance my physical capabilities. That's the main one, the one that I got into U.A. using. Another is Danger Sense, which allows me to subconsciously send out energy and detect imminent danger. The third is Flight, which… well, that's self evident. There's a few other possible uses that I haven't figured out yet," Izuku said.
"Wow! That's a very versatile Quirk!" Melissa said, clearly impressed.
"Yeah, it's also powerful. Too powerful. So powerful that it didn't manifest until about a month ago, when I finally grew strong enough to use it without breaking myself," Izuku said, scratching his head. "I call it Decade Force because of that."
"Wait, you grew up without a Quirk?" Melissa asked. And for once, it wasn't asked out of shock, disgust, or pity, but excitement.
"Well, yeah. I thought I was Quirkless for the longest time…" Izuku muttered.
"I've never met another kid who was Quirkless like me!" Melissa said happily.
"Eh?" Izuku said, his smile growing. "You're Quirkless?"
"Yup! Got the toe joint and everything!"
"Me too!" Izuku said. "It's why I was misdiagnosed earlier…" He then looked worried, "People don't give you a hard time about it, do they?"
"A few can be jerks, but most people are fine with it," Melissa said. "Then again, my dad basically runs the island where I've grown up, so it's a little better. Plus, Quirk distribution isn't equal, and there's a higher percentage of Quirkless people among those of European descent."
"Right, that group has the highest Quirkless rate among populations, which is why Iceland has the largest Quirkless percentage in the world," Izuku said.
"Let me guess, you had a bad day once and considered how viable moving there would be?" Melissa added sympathetically. "Cause I felt that way too. The thing that stopped me was trying to learn Icelandic."
"I don't know if trying to learn it is worse for a native Japanese or English speaker," Izuku shuddered. "But, yeah. It got pretty bad for me here. Thankfully, U.A. not only knows about my past, but most of the people I've met were angry on my behalf about my treatment.
"You know, I always considered transferring to the U.A. support department," Melissa said. "The I-Expo's always nice, but it would be a great way to expand my horizons…"
"Oh, man, my friend Mei would love to pick your brain for ideas," Izuku said, chuckling. "She's been doing great work on my support gear."
David gave a warm smile, "Good to see you're getting along."
Both teenagers blushed. All Might laughed, which soon became a cough, "I should have arranged this sooner."
"Dad…" both Izuku and Melissa said simultaneously, causing the men to laugh again and the teens' blushes to deepen.
"Mr. Shield?" Izuku decided to change the subject. "Toshi-tou-san hasn't told me, but is it true that you guys almost started a war with Mexico?"
All Might shuddered, while Melissa grinned widely, "Oh, please tell him! It's such a good story!"
David sighed, took off his glasses, and pinched the bridge of his nose, "Well, I guess it's my turn…" And he told the story of how both he and All Might were in Arizona, near the Mexican border, trying to uncover and bust up a cartel of human traffickers when they ran into two Mexican heroes.
"So each of our groups thought the other was working for the cartel. Compounding the problem was the language barrier. I'm only slightly good with Spanish. It turns out that the Jaguar Hero Tepeyollotl is Aztec, and he primarily spoke Nahuatl, and the Rainbow Hero Ixchel is Yucatec Maya, so she primarily spoke Mayan. So, while they could speak Spanish, they couldn't speak it very well, and neither of them were good with English.
"It was only when Toshi started speaking Japanese that we got anywhere. It turned out that they knew Japanese anthropologists when they were young, and they could speak Japanese better than Spanish or English! Once that was settled, we began working together to solve the problem," David finished.
"Wow! What happened to them?" Izuku asked.
"We see them at the I-Expo every so often. They actually got married at some point after that," David replied.
"Their son's a nice guy. I chat with him every so often," Melissa added.
"It has been far too long since I've spoken to Itzli and Nikte," All Might added wistfully.
"Err, speaking of that, would you mind if I chatted with you, too?" Izuku said, still shy after all of this.
"Of course!" Melissa said. "Though, won't this Mei girl get jealous that another support student is poaching her client?"
"Only if I don't let the two of you network," Izuku said. "Besides, I don't want another support technician, I want another friend."
As Izuku smiled, wide and friendly, he heard a sound he both loved and dreaded.
Thump-thump-thump-CLICK.
"Wait, what was that noise?" Melissa asked.
As Izuku's eyes widened, All Might looked at Izuku, "I heard it too, this time…"
David looked at Melissa, then at the All Might and Izuku. He blinked, "Wait, Toshi, don't tell me this is…"
All Might sighed, "Yes. Melissa, I'm sorry, but it looks like we have more to tell you… we haven't been outright honest with you…"
After a lengthy conversation about One for All, its past, Izuku's gaining it, and the aspects of the Bonds, Izuku and Melissa looked at each other. Melissa was taking notes, which made Izuku's heart skip a beat, and she was looking less concerned and more curious.
"This is a serious step forward in our understanding of Quirk science…" Melissa said in awe. "We'll have to do some serious tests on this."
"Well, we were going to do that anyway," Izuku said sheepishly. "In between training for the Sports Festival."
"Make sure you give me Mei's contact info. I have a ton of resources here that aren't available at U.A. We'll figure out the full extent of how your Bonds work!" Melissa said cheerfully.
"I… you're taking this well," Izuku said. "Especially given that I lied to you earlier…"
"I've lived my entire life on an island built for the express purpose of developing super-secret technology," Melissa said. "I completely understand the need for operational security."
"And this doesn't upset you? I mean, it's kind of intruding on your life…"
"If it gets upsetting, I'll find a way to sever the Bond," Melissa stated with confidence. "And being bonded to an intelligent, cute boy? Could be worse."
Izuku sighed in relief.
"So we have a bond for Toshi," Nana said. "Guess that means it's the edgelords' turn next."
"Yeah, that's not happening," Two snapped.
"Izuku had no input, and the girls had no input beyond interest, and none of us were involved in the decision making process," Yoichi stated. "Do you think your reluctance matters?"
"Fuck," Two and Three said simultaneously.
"That'll happen later," Daigoro joked.
Izuku tried not to scream at that.