Chapter 27: Another step forward
Toshinori would be the first to admit he wasn't the best cook around. A couple of years of not having much need to, as he didn't have a stomach, only made his passable skills degrade. Even then, he couldn't understand why everything Inko made tasted so good.
"I just put a healthy dose of love into it." That was her answer when he asked.
"Fair." Toshinori would also be the first to admit that Inko had more than enough love to use that as justification.
"Is Izuku going to take much longer?" She asked while finishing platting the last portion of celebratory katsudon. She was still mad at her son for his latest stunt, but that wouldn't get in the way of commemorating his successful internship.
"If he didn't miss the train, he should be arriving at any minute now." Just as the man finished speaking, there was a knock on the door, "Oh, I'll get it." Having become a usual presence in the house by now and still clearly incomparable from his hero form gave Toshinori such liberties. Opening the door, he barely had the time to see a flash of yellow before a red oversized shoe was planted on his face.
When Izuku hopped back to the ground after kicking All Might in the face, he had a clear view of the man with a thousand-yard stare, seemingly having a war flashback.
"Dear god, there's two of them now." His voice was the one of a person who accepted all was lost.
"That was from Gran. He asked me to kick you for him!" Seeing the small boy, he considered his family smiling brightly after such brutal words, while using the yellow short-cape that haunted his worst nightmares, was the most terrifying thing Toshinori ever saw.
"It's good to see you Young Izuku." He said vacantly while his mind drowned in painful memories full of violence and the snarky laugh of his teacher.
"Good to see you too Master Toshinori!"
"Izuku!" The sound of delight from inside reached him at the same time that Eri flashed into existence, already tackle-hugging her Master. Izuku's surprise barely lasted a second before joy took over, his apprentice had once more surpassed his expectations.
"Eri! Since when can you skip Time like that?" He asked with a merry chuckle.
"Since I learned how to use a sword! It's like you said, I just let my body move me and I can-" The princess abruptly stopped when she saw the cape on Izuku's neck, "That's perfect!" She grabbed it and pulled the cloth over his head before the boy could react.
Without giving the time for him to ask questions, Eri flashed away from Izuku's embrace, only leaving a golden afterimage that slowly faded away.
"... Okay then." The young hero shrugged, "Let's go back in, I'm starving and the smell of katsudon hit me on the other side of the street." He pushed his traumatized mentor inside and kicked the door closed, quickly tapping it with his Keyblade to lock it.
"Izuku, dinner's about to… what happened to Toshi?" Inko greeted her son but trailed off when she saw the hero's blank face.
"Dunno. So how was your week?"
She decided to let it slide this time in favor of berating her boy for something much more concerning, "Good, would have been better if I didn't see my precious baby yelling at a mass murderer. But you had a good reason for even being near said mass murderer, right?"
Izuku gulped. Leave it to his mom to scare him when a horde of Heartless and the Hero Killer didn't, "In my defense, I only fought Stain because Tenya had gone after him first! And I only yelled at him because he was being mean to my friends." He finished weakly, realizing that his last justification was not the strongest.
Inko gave the boy a long look only a mother could, making him break into a cold sweat, "I'm leaving it be this once, and only because it wasn't completely your fault."
Izuku sighed in relief, "Thanks, mom."
"Now go get Eri, the food is ready."
"Aye aye!" He saluted and then his form faded away. Inko shook her head amusedly, now she had to worry about her children teleporting all over the house.
After Izuku appeared at his bedroom door, he opened it to find a sight that gave him pause. Eri was sitting on the middle of the floor, various art and handicraft tools sprawled around while in her hands was her latest creation, and by far her best one.
It was the cape Gran Torino gifted Izuku, now turned into a scarf. The color was a vibrant yellow while white floral patterns flowed through it, the material glowed as if Light itself had been turned into fabric.
Eri saw her Master and smiled, "Here, I just finished!"
Izuku kneeled in front of her and the princess quickly tied the scarf around his neck. It felt… right. It was like there had always been a piece of him missing, and he just found it again, causing the Keyblade Master to feel whole. He blinked, enjoying the kind warmth of the scarf, "What did you do? How did you turn Gran's cape into this?"
Eri smiled brightly, "There was a lot of… how do I put it? There were these glowing things, like little stars, that were inside the cape. It survived a lot of Time, and there was a lot of Light in it, so they formed." The girl nodded to herself, "I used them to make it like that!" She then tilted her head, "I just don't know why it ended looking like that, or what it meant by it being 'like in the good old days', how do days turn old?"
Izuku tried to follow along, he really did, but he just couldn't. What did Eri want to say with "little stars" and what she did to make his new scarf didn't make sense, unless…
J̷̸̷̶̴̧͉͍̦̬̼̦̭͐̓͛́̚͝ư̴̸̴̶̶̴̸̵̵̢̲̠͕͙̩̻̩̭̙̩̬͍̳͋͛̏̽̅͆̒́̾̆̀͐̕̕͝s̴̸̵̵̴̵̵̜͔̪͉̮̞̟̯̲̣̪͓̃̈́̈͆̔͆̇͌̅̕ţ̷̸̷̴̷̷͓̞͔̮̙̮̟̖́̊̎̎̔͂͐̽ ̴̷̴̸̵̺̭̣̟̘̖͋̒̅̅̀̄l̵̴̴̸̷̵͇̞̼̲̠̟̼̫̜̇̓̈́̂̿̏̊̚ḯ̸̸̵̶̶̸̷̪̹͕̮̻͚͈̹̔̊͆̑̀̎͘͝ͅķ̸̴̵̵̶̸̵̧͙̳̟̫̮̣̗̗̪͎͐͛̀͌͂̀̿͒̑͘͜ͅe̵̸̴̶̵̸̴͙̳̦̳͎̠̤̲̣̲̝̭̫͂͛̿̌́̒̕͝ ̸̶̴̵̷̛͓͙̟̦̼̼͌̐̑͌͋͊͆͝į̶̷̴̸̴̴̵̶̸͚̣̘̘̻̤̟̦̪̼͍̇͋́̂̈́̍̉̀͂̈́̐̈́̅̀̔̕ͅņ̴̴̵̷̸̵̸̷̙̩̼͖̜͕͉̹͕̀͂̉̅͗͊͌́͛̀̈́̒͠͝ͅ ̸̸̷̶̸̡̛̣̞͕̯͓̩̠̌̄̀͛̓̈́͂ͅt̶̵̴̸̶̸̸̶̡̛͎̮̱͕̼̣̦̟̹̲̓͐̈́͂̂̈́̐̀̍̀̀̅͝h̸̵̷̵̴̲̹̤̦̫̮̩̫̠̑̽͒̈́̄̉́͌ȩ̶̸̶̷̴̴̵̙̝̮̳͓̲͎̬͈̖̈̊̿̒̈́̓̋͆̄͛͆͠ͅ ̷̶̸̶̷̴̛͕̳̫͖̱̘̣͕̂͂̀̇̅̿̓̅g̷̵̴̷̶̵̡̡͉̣̘͚̘͙̠̞̓̈̋̅̂̃̾̔ǫ̸̸̴̸̴̷̴̷̢͈̣̺̬̩̲̳̰̰͔̘̬͑̑͂̅̈́͗̒̾͘͘͝ỡ̷̷̸̸̴̵̷̸̡̨̡̲̫̼̯̥̗͓̬̪͎̳̬́̿̐̀͗̈̿̄̈́̑̚͘d̵̷̵̷̴̶̵̸̴̪͖̝̣̠͎̜̥̗͙̥͎͇̬́̈́̔͌̾̎̌̈́̈́͘̕͘̚͜͝ͅ ̴̵̵̶̴̹̼̯͉͉̟̇̆̑̎̈́̚͝o̵̷̷̵̵̴̶̵̲̜̭̱̖̳̥̗̹̪͙̭̓̽̅͌̒̽̃̌̈̒̈́͜l̴̴̵̶̷̶̶̷̵͎̪͙͉̤̥̹̬͚̞̮̲̝̀͑͋̌̍̑͐̉̏͊́̾̇̊͘͠ͅḑ̶̴̷̴̸̶̸͉͉͔͙̲͎̖̝͇͕̮͋̏͒͋̍͛̉̃̊͆̚ ̸̸̵̷̵̶̴̷̶̧̡̤͕̣̤̣̱͚͈͇̻̼͈̳̺̰̞̎͋͆͋̇̌̋͐̐̔͗̂̑̚͝͝d̸̸̸̴̵̴̵̜̼̺̟̟̮͔̪̤͌͛́́̄̂̚̚͘͝ä̴̷̶̶̶͙̦͚̼̥̣̘̔́͌̅͠͠y̷̴̴̸̸̴̶̷̧̬̣̹͈̲̣̝͉̐́̋̔̓͗̿̈̓͗̿͗͜͝s̷̶̶̸̸̷̷̢̡̙̟̝̰̙̞͕̥͖̘̔̐͐̑͑̕͘͝,̴̶̴̶̸̶̴̶͎͖̙̻̫̙̹̟̙͖͓͓̺̹̿̾̔̌̋̀̇̀̾̈́́̄̐̈́ ̵̴̸̴̷̶̲̜̠̘̟̰̦̊͛̾̈́́͒̕͜͠͠ḩ̸̷̴̷̷̵̴̧̛̹̯̻̬͖̦͉̮͚̎̐͛͋̈́̐̃̑̚̚͘ͅͅű̶̶̷̸̸̸̷̷̡̫̱̫̻̭̭͈̘͍̗͕͗̌̈́́̂̎́̆͐̀͘͜ḧ̷̵̴̴̵̡̼̩̬̲̹̖̳́́̓̍̓̓̂?̷̶̷̵̶̷̵̞̠̲͕̪̹͙͇̗͉͒̈͂̂͛͒͑̈́̑͘͠
The Master shook his head, feeling as if static had started to buzz inside it. They would have time to look into it later, now they had katsudon to eat and Izuku had to show his new scarf to his mom, and All Might if he had finishing rebooting.
—
Nezu took a long drink from his cup, the fresh tea helping settle his frayed nerves, "I think we are just about finished."
Midnight, the one helping the principal with his latest emergency, groaned in relief, "Finally!"
The unidentifiable animal chuckled, "I share the sentiment. Let's be grateful I had the forethought of covering some of our bases."
The teacher looked at him incredulously, "I still can't believe you somehow got the green card from the Prime Minister for letting Izuku take care of Heartless attacks."
Nezu laughed slightly, remembering how he accomplished the said feat, "It was not all that difficult. I still had some favors with the government to pull, but between you and me…" The head of U.A. whispered conspiratorially, "Our dear Prime Minister is a fan of zombie apocalypse movies, so when I told him monsters that multiplied by preying on people were on the loose, he was already on board without even hearing the details." He cackled.
Midnight only blinked, trying to process what she was just told, "You're joking."
"I wouldn't joke with something so serious. Thanks to pop culture, Izuku-kun has free reign to fight any Heartless he finds! His last battle on Hosu was, in fact, completely legal in the eyes of the government, the only point of contention was his clash with the Hero Killer. Fortunately, he had the permission of his mentor to engage, and when Stain himself turned into a Heartless all arguments against our student fell flat." Nezu explained how he assured their resident Keyblade Master had total liberty to fulfill his duty while serving another cup of tea for them both.
The principal couldn't help but ask himself if his own mentor would think of it. It was decades ago, however, Nezu could remember clearly the days his savior would sit with him and both of them would study the nature of the world. He knew his mentor had to omit much, but he never resented him.
There was a fine line between lying and not telling all the truth, Nezu himself treaded it constantly, and he knew whatever his old teacher had not told him was not out of malice. Much the contrary, Nezu liked to think of it as a challenge, how much could he figure out on his own with the pieces his mentor had given him?
"Not gonna lie, those moments make you really scary!" Nemuri admitted.
"Oh my, why so? I personally find it much scarier how I only got formal confirmation on the day of the Hosu Crisis." The unknown animal chuckled at his employee's pale face. The levity of the talk, unfortunately, ended with his next words, "And that we may be about to face trying times."
"What? What do you mean?"
Nezu looked off his office's windows, seeing a mass of clouds forming on the horizon, a bad omen if he ever saw one, "The battle of Hosu was not something done on a whim. The League of Villains played their cards perfectly, now their name is heavily associated with Stain. I would think it is only a matter of time before their numbers swell, but that is not what concerns me the most."
If Midnight's face was pale before, now it was completely ashen, "Please don't tell me it gets worse."
Nezu sighed, "As if it could ever be so simple. Izuku-kun's words on his clash with Stain were already reaching far and wide, 'anyone can be a hero' is such a strong message from one of the rising stars of the hero industry."
Nemuri gulped, knowing she had to ask but was scared of the answer she would get, "And how's that bad?"
"The duality of their ideals." Nezu's eyes hardened, his analytic mind taking over, "They are polar opposites that directly go against each other. While Izuku-kun believes that any person could be a hero, simply by having the courage to do the right thing, Stain preaches that only the 'perfect' heroes deserve the title."
Midnight sighed, finally realizing the problem, "Perfect doesn't exist, especially the 'perfect hero' he liked to talk about."
"Exactly. The individuals that agree with that view would simply classify all heroes as unfit, falling short of the standard. This, by itself, would be disastrous, but with the option of a radical group that is seemingly deeply connected with their ideology main figure, the League will have a massive influx of dangerous individuals."
"And as Stain got turned into a Heartless in Hosu, we have no way to disprove their connection." Nemuri wanted to hit something, her helpless anger bubbling in her chest. The kids she teaches every day just passed through a hellish experience and got a target on their backs as a reward.
"Be as it may, our goals are unchanged. We will protect our charges and make sure whatever hostile force coming for them will have to go through us first." Nezu looked back to his tea, "I promised to never let a young light be snuffled out, and I will maintain my word to the very end…" He took another long drink and sighed, "It does not matter what dark days we have to face."
—
Izuku looked at the expanse of Dagoba Beach, smiling at how it still remained pristine. He was standing in the middle of the warm sand with All Might at his side. After their meal, he dragged the man with him and rushed to it, wanting to have a long overdue talk.
"You sure about this?"
"No backing off now." Izuku chuckled.
Toshinori raised an eyebrow, "What is it, Young Izuku? I can't imagine a reason for you to want to talk with me here instead of back at your house."
"I just think we wouldn't have the time to explain." Izuku put his hand over his heart, One For All lighting up, making the boy's veins glow like rubies while emerald arcs of energy jumped over his skin, "I have someone here that wanted to talk to you for a long while."
"What?" Toshinori blinked, confused at his successor's words, when the glow coming from him intensified. A blinding flash covered the beach. When it was over, and Toshinori regained his sight, he gasped. Standing there, glowing a magenta color, capes fluttering in the wind, and with a blinding smile on her face, was none other than Nana Shimura. His Master, his mother, the woman that made Toshinori who he was today.
Toshinori was sure he was dreaming. He had to be. It was impossible otherwise. But again, since when had Izuku bothered with what was possible or not? The boy dashed and planted his foot on All Might's face again, breaking him from his shock with another dose of trauma, somehow balancing each other out.
"Did you really have to do that?" Nana facepalmed.
"All Might looked like he needed a push, or at least the Gran Torino equivalent." He answered brightly.
"Note to self, don't let the little chaos gremlins alone with each other again." The woman sighed, giggling slightly at Izuku's pout.
"You- what- how?!" Toshinori tried to ask a million questions at the same time, but in the end, not being able to finish a single one. That only earned him a flick on the forehead.
"Breath, kiddo. You have two lungs now, so make sure to use them." Nana laughed, but the slightly wet sound underneath it showed how grateful she was to finally have the chance to talk to Toshinori, the living and breathing one, not the echo inside One For All.
That piece of his heart was only a small fragment, real but incomplete. How many times did that version of him stared into nothing inside Izuku's heart, his counterpart drawing his attention away until he was barely a shade? One day Toshi's heart would meet his predecessors, all of it, but that would hopefully be far in the future.
In the present, the still alive man was there, shocked beyond belief. Taking a shuddering breath, he pulled Nana into a tight hug, "I, I don't understand."
Nana returned the hug just as strongly, "Me neither. Blame the gremlin, it's what I do."
"Hey!" Izuku pouted harder, only to be dragged into the hug too. While the boy had built his body into a worthy vessel, he was still on the shorter side, which led him to be squished between his predecessors, "Can't breathe!" He squawked. The two heroes held him for a little longer. Part for fun and part for thanks for all the miracles he created for them, like that chance to meet once again. Finally letting him go, they chuckled as Izuku took in deep mouthfuls of air.
"You two are mean." He complained childishly while adjusting his scarf. Even then, a big smile marked his face.
"I can't even try to understand, so I won't bother." Toshinori gave a wet laugh, "I'll just say it again, thank you, Izuku."
"Just doing my job."
"What job makes you defy the natural order on the regular?" Nana joked, only to pale when she saw his eyes unfocus, "Oh crap!"
"What? isn't just another one?" Even Toshinori was already used to his successor's visions.
"Yeah, but the others will make a fuss about how I caused it while I wasn't there to help."
"Help with what?"
Nana stepped back, putting some distance and looking Toshinori in the eyes. It was enough to convey the seriousness of the situation, making All Might straighten like in the old days when he was a teen, with his Master trying to teach him how to be a hero.
"To put his heart back together." Nana said, a grimace breaking through her seriousness, "Toshi, it's bad, really bad, but we are trying our best to fix it. You have to keep an eye on him until we are done, okay?"
The man squared his shoulders, "You don't even have to ask. I'll protect my boy until the end."
"Look at you, with your own kids now." Nana laughed, even as her form started to flicker. They had worked on it a bit, but Izuku was still far from perfecting his Summon ability, but that was fine. It meant Nana would have more chances to pop out and talk with her boys.
"Just don't take too long to get yourself your girl too, Toshi. I know Inko is patient, but you shouldn't leave a lady waiting!"
Toshinori blushed, his face red like a tomato, "Well, you see… am I that obvious?"
"The only person who didn't notice just learned about it!" She glanced aside, Toshi's eyes following, and saw a gaping Izuku. With one last laugh, Nana faded away, "I'll talk to you later, bye Toshi!"
Nana could have said more. She could have talked about something else, something more important, but she would have plenty of time for that later. Each reason she had for a visit was good in her book. Nana could leave other more serious topics for another day. Now, the Vestige would only kick back and watch the show.
Who knew she would get another chance to mess with her boy about his love life? Life really was full of surprises.
"You're evil." Yoichi chuckled at her side, passing a bucket of popcorn.
"It's my job as his mother to mess with him."
"And what about the serious stuff you should have said?"
She brushed his concerns aside, "Next time. Now shush."
Back into the real world, Izuku blankly stared at nothing, this time not because of a vision, "All Might."
The man gulped, "Yes, Young Izuku?!"
"You like my mom?"
"Well, you see- I mean…" He hung his head, "I'll have to admit that yes, I do."
Izuku took a deep breath and let it out slowly, then he grabbed All Might by the shoulders, using Float to reach it without having to jump, "Toshinori."
The old hero broke into panicked sweat. His successor never called him by only his name. It was always All Might or Master Toshinori, "Yes?"
"If you hurt my mom, you'll have a bad time." Izuku's eyes glowed a toxic green while lightning cracked over his form like coiled snakes, "But beyond that… good luck!" The previously murderous expression melted into a warm smile.
The mood whiplash was so strong it left Toshinori reeling, "W-what?!"
Izuku stopped Floating and plopped down to his feet, "You two are wonderful people and deserve to be happy! If my mom makes you happy, and if you can make her happy, then you have my full support!" He put his palms on his waist and nodded.
"That… was easier than I expected." Toshinori had so many surprises today he felt numb on the inside.
"Nah, that's not the hard part. You two actually going on a date is." Izuku laughed, "Mom likes city light views and Italian food, just so you know. Don't worry about Eri, I can take care of her." He patted his arm, "Now, c'mon! You have to go ask her out!"
"Wait, now?!"
"Yes!" Izuku laughed, then suddenly stopped, "Huh, I think Shoto wasn't that far off the mark then."
Far away from there, Shoto suddenly felt validated.
—
Shigaraki lounged on the bar counter. Finally, finally, things were starting to go his way. It only took a citywide disaster.
"Not gonna make another sale pitch?" Vanitas' snarked from his spot against the wall.
Shigaraki rolled his eyes, not bothering to correct him, "Don't need it."
The masked boy fully turned to him, "What do you mean?"
Smirking, the villain explained, "Last time we were going after the Hero Killer, we had to convince him. This time, the recruits are coming to us. They are the ones that have to prove themselves."
Vanitas huffed, "So all that was a marketing stunt to get more cannon fodder?"
"Yes and no." Shigaraki was enjoying being the one guiding the conversation along for a change, "If we get some grunts, then fine, but the focus here is gathering elites to serve as the main attack force."
"And how long will that take?" The darkling's answer was the bar's door opening up.
"Hello there! How were my favorite clients faring?" A middle-aged man with pink eyes under circular glasses, short gray hair, and a small mustache and goatee, wearing purple dress pants and a matching blazer, strode into the bar.
"Giran." Shigaraki nodded at the new arrival, "You brought the new recruits?"
He smirked, "You bet. With that video blowing up on the web, I have my hands full with people wanting to join." Giran scratched his jaw, "I hope the ones I picked up will net me a nice bonus."
The hand-covered villain rolled his eyes. Leave for the merchant main to want to rip him off, "You already got an extra for editing that video."
Giran raised his hands in surrender, "Mixin' some nice Hero Killer nonsense into that was a side thing. I also had to put my guys to hype up that hero wannabe you're so interested in." He shrugged, "That wasn't easy, nothing fairer than asking for another payment, right?"
That was one of the reasons the video was so popular. Not only did they use the sad story of Agakuro Chizome, the Hero Killer Stain, to call people to their cause, they sprinkled a bit of Midoriya Izuku's fantastic tale to help it spread like wildfire. Giran had to pull some strings and stir things up a bit, but he was happy with the result.
The tale of a hero school dropout that tried to start a social reform, only to go to new extremes when no one paid it any mind. That mixed with the one of the presumed quirkless kid that proved to be one of the most extremes cases of a late bloomer getting a power later in life, only to then enter U.A. and carve a name for himself as the next big thing, fending villains off on his first week and winning the Sports Festival right after.
Both those movie-worthy stories led them to face off on the now dubbed Hosu Crisis, spouting their ideals to the four winds and defending them with steel and blood.
Giran knew his guys had a field day spinning things to make a video that put a clear line between the two and whoever sided with them. The result was great all things considered. Those who bought Stain's words came crawling out of the woodwork, right at Giran's waiting arms like the easiest payment he ever had. Those drawn to the hero brat like moths to a flame considered him the damn second coming of All Might.
The broker didn't care much, more hero fanatics didn't influence his business, but Shigaraki wanted it. The young villain said he had a plan, and Giran noticed he was actually thinking before acting now, so he took his word for it.
"We'll see what you brought, and then we can talk about that." Shigaraki bored retort still made Giran's smirk widen.
"You'll see I deserve a big bonus." He turned to the door, "You two can come in."
Shigaraki raised an eyebrow, not exactly impressed, "Who are they supposed to be?" He looked the new arrivals up and down.
One was a guy his age with black hair, blue eyes, and burns littering his body, clearly showing where his shirt, coat, and jeans didn't cover. The other was a blonde schoolgirl, her hair made in bums and her golden eyes slit.
"Your new recruits! Introduce yourselves."
The burnt one shrugged, "I'm Dabi."
Shigaraki waited for something more. When he didn't get it, the villain asked, "And your real name?"
Dabi huffed, "I'll tell you when I think it's important."
The hand-covered villain shrugged, "Whatever." It's not like he didn't have to deal with mysterious bullshit from a bunch of people already, "Why do you want in?"
"I heard your League was working with Stain to bring hero society down. I want that, to show everyone how fake their so precious heroes really are." The snarl on his face when saying the word 'heroes' instantly got him some brownie points, but Shigaraki would still leave Dabi on the 'maybe' pile.
"Good enough. Now you." He pointed at the schoolgirl.
"Hi! My name is Toga Himiko, nice to meet you!" She giggled, causing everyone in the bar to feel a sudden chill, "I wanted to see Stain. He was like me! But then that thingy in Hosu happened. You guys worked with him though, so I can join you and get lots of people covered in the pretty red!"
Shigaraki shot Giran a look then he traded a glance with Vanitas. That girl was crazy alright, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing, even if Vanitas shaking his head, said he didn't agree. "Okay, fine. You two can join…" Shigaraki made a dramatic pause, he was starting to learn why his Sensei liked those, "As long as you pass the test."
Dabi huffed, "It couldn't be that easy. What do we need to do?"
"Survive." Shigaraki snapped his fingers, giving Vanitas the sign and watching as he bolted from the wall.
The darkling summoned his Keyblade, Void Gear materializing in a cloud of crackling Darkness, and lunged at the two recruits. Both jumped away, but a wall of black smoke stopped their retreat and trapped the duo inside a dome of Darkness.
"One against two? That seems unfair." Dabi snarked, his palm lighting up with dark blue flames.
"Yeah, for you." Vanitas jabbed back.
"Oh! I can stab you now, right? Can I see your blood?!" Himiko giggled again, causing the masked boy and her supposed partner to shiver.
"Why do I keep getting the worse jobs?" The darkling grumbled. He dashed at his opponents, Keyblade first.
Shigaraki leaned back on the counter and took a drink from a cup Kurogiri had just offered him, "Ah, now that's a good time. Cheers for a good drink and good entertainment."
The shadowy barman served Giran a glass of whisky while asking, "What do you think about them?"
"They have potential and didn't get wiped out right off the bat." Shigaraki took another sip, "Let's see if they're worth adding to the primary party."
Giran huffed, "You sure that's a good test? I don't want complaints if your guy gets bagged." He looked over his shoulder just in time to see half of the whispy black dome light up with azure flames.
Shigaraki snorted, "As if." The sounds of blades clashing filled the bar, "Bastard's too much of a pain in the ass to drop dead just like that. He wouldn't do us the favor. If the new guys can rough him up a bit, that's enough."
"So, they're in?" Giran asked with a greedy smirk.
"Yeah. I need some new troops fast."
"And why that?"
Shigaraki stirred his glass, "I have an idea, and I need some extra hands for it." He laughed ominously.
Izuku charged ahead, Keyblade in hand, determination blazing in his eyes even in the face of the overwhelming number before him. Heartless marched in the city's direction, Hollow Bastion clearly visible behind the key bearer.
The first Heartless to get in his reach was an Armored Knight, the metal-clad foe raising its sword arm to slash the boy, only to be cleaved in two instead.
But that was a drop on the literal sea of Heartless ahead of him, so many that he couldn't see the way forward, and Izuku's ears were filled with the sound of metal clanging. Hundreds of them were on the crystalline canyon, its tall walls glinting in the sun and boxing the Keyblade Wielder with his countless enemies.
Even if it looked like he was throwing himself at a pit full of monsters, Izuku didn't hesitate. He had to protect Hollow Bastion. He had to protect his friends. He would be the hero that they needed!
For what seemed like an eternity, Izuku fought, slashing Heartless apart and freeing their hearts.
He used his Wisdom Form, his hair turning blue along with his clothes, black flame decals appearing in his pants and sleeves. The boy started to skate through the army of Darkness, blue particles appearing at his feet, keeping Izuku hovering and sliding just above the ground, and shot magic bullets from his Keyblade.
The wave of enemies didn't stop, so Izuku transitioned to his Master Form, his color scheme turning a vibrant yellow, the flame marks turning into three crosses. A second Keyblade materialized in his left hand, Sleeping Lion, the silver blade pairing in size with Heroe Rising. With his new Drive Form, gained from King Mickey, Izuku could telekinetically swing his weapons to extend their reach, making devastating aerial combos that freed him some space.
No matter how many he vanquished, more Heartless kept coming. No matter how many came, Izuku didn't let a single one pass him. Magic and Keyblades flashed, and Heartless were defeated in droves.
Even then, the battle was nowhere near over, but he couldn't stop. He couldn't give up!
The others were there too, fighting the flood of Heartless in other chasms and giving their all to defend Hollow Bastion. Izuku had to do the same, he had to save his friends' world!
Shoto knew he wasn't the most socially savvy person in the room most of the time, but even he could feel the awkward atmosphere. His father was waiting at the hospital counter for liberation to see his mother while his older brother Natsuo glared at his back.
Natsuo had a tall and broad build like their father, but that was where the similarities ended. His hair was white and his eyes grey, like Shoto's right side, and he was much more easygoing and energic in how he acted, at least when he wasn't burning a hole on the back of their father's head.
Shoto and Natsu were waiting on the first row of seats in the hospital's entry hall. Behind them, his older sister Fuyumi talked with Izuku, who was there for some very important reason, or at least that was what he told them. She looked a lot like the Todoroki siblings' mother, but with some red mixed with her white hair, her gray eyes had a little turquoise tint.
"She made that scarf?"
"Yes! Eri has a knack for handicrafts."
"That's wonderful! I would like it if my students were more excited for their art lessons."
"I know that teaching for a class is harder than doing it one-on-one, but maybe if you gave them more freedom to work on things that interest them, you could make them work harder on it."
"That's not a half bad idea."
Shoto looked over his shoulder, at the pair cheerfully talking about how to teach kids, and whispered, "Friendship is inevitable."
"What?" Natsuo gave him a side glance.
"Don't worry, you'll learn soon enough." Shoto would bet everything he had Izuku would be friends with his siblings by the end of the day.
"...Okay then." Natsuo awkwardly looked aside.
Their father finally came back, "Let's go." His voice instantly made Fuyumi quiet, and Natsuo's glare came back with a vengeance.
"Sure." Izuku brushed the hostile air aside like an annoying fly, "Can't keep Mamaroki waiting."
Shoto sighed, "Why did she get that nickname?"
"For the same reason you guys call my mom Mamadoriya."
Shoto nodded, "Mina's fault."
Izuku chuckled and nodded, "Mina's fault. She even corrupted Eri in doing that."
"Should I start to do it too?" Their completely random and weird conversation, thankfully, helped lighten the mood. Even then, Natsuo and Fuyumi stiffly walked beside the boys while Endeavor followed on the back.
The man was still intimidating in casual clothes. A black sweater and dress pants had that effect when the person using them was a mountain of a man, but what drove the feeling home was the slight frown on his face. The eldest Todoroki still didn't know the reason for the sudden family meeting, nor why his son's friend was tagging along.
"Shoto, let's do the thing." Endeavor was broken from his thoughts. They were already in front of his wife's room, and for some reason, Shoto was climbing on Midoriya's shoulders.
"What are you two doing?" Fuyumi asked what was in all their minds.
"An entrance!" Midoriya laughed and dashed to the door, Shoto holding to him for dear life.
"We're entering through the door like normal people!" Both boys shouted while bursting inside the hospital room, which was soon filled with the sound of Rei's laughter. Endeavor didn't know why, but he felt like that was All Might's fault.
Fuyumi quickly rushed after them, Natsuo right behind and throwing one last glare his way. The hero sighed and entered the now cramped room, first seeing his youngest climbing down his friend with his brother's help while Rei tried, and failed, to stop laughing.
"My goodness, I have to record you two doing that." Rei managed to let out before devolving into a fit of giggles.
"Rei, please don't encourage them." His words made all his children tense, but their mother's sent them for a loop.
"Oh, don't be a spoilsport, Enji! It's my job as a mother to record my children's precious moments to embarrass them with later!" The woman hugged Shoto, who looked at his friend for confirmation. Midoriya just nodded with weary acceptance.
At their side, Natsu kept looking from one of his parents to the other and back, extremely confused, while Fuyumi fidgeted.
"Why don't you all sit down? I think I have enough chairs." She didn't. Shoto had to sit on the bed with his mother while Endeavor and Midoriya kept standing.
"Now, can we talk about why you called us? And why he's here?" Endeavor pointed at Midoriya for the end part.
"We need to have a talk." Rei started, "One long overdue." She then glanced at the boy leaning on the wall and fluffing his scarf as if he was a ticking time bomb, "And I want Izuku here to help drive some points home." The boy cracked his knuckles.
Endeavor raised an eyebrow, "Is this about the piano thing again?"
Rei smiled, "No, but if you changed your mind…"
"Rei, I'm not letting the kids do piano classes, not after what happened last time."
"It's not my fault the piano broke!"
The man stared blankly at her, "You froze it solid, then smashed it with a hammer."
Rei had the decency to look ashamed, "I was having a bad day."
Their banter was interrupted by Natsuo suddenly shooting up to his feet, "Enough of that! What the hell is going on?!" He pointed a menacing finger at his father, "Is this one of your schemes-" The tirade that was about to follow got cut short when Rei put a hand over his.
"It's okay. Let's stop stalling." The woman took a deep breath and sighed, "I discovered that things had been bad between you kids and your father."
"Bad?" Natsuo felt the fire of his anger getting stoked again, "Bad?! This bastard made all our lives hell! Just to get the stupid number one spot over a complicated and asinine plot." He shot Endeavor another glare, even if the man remained stoically looking back.
"No, Natsuo, he didn't." Rei gave a sad smile, "Enji tried his best to keep this family together, even when the worst happened."
"What?!" Not only Natsuo but even Fuyumi cried out at that. For his part, Shoto started using his conspiracy theorist side to try to put the pieces together, but something wasn't adding up.
"You say that, but father dragged me for training the moment I got my quirk." The bicolored boy pointed out.
Endeavor finally spoke up, "Shoto, you have an extremely powerful quirk. Of course, I would train you the moment you got it."
"See! He admits it!" Natsuo felt like he won the argument.
Surprisingly, the next person to defend the man was none other than Midoriya, "Yes, he admits caring for his family." The boy sighed and turned to Shoto, "You know I got my quirk some time ago, right?"
Shoto nodded, even if the others got surprised by it. Izuku powered up a green lightning arc on his arm, "When I first used it, I broke both my arms. What do you think would happen if I was four and without a shred of preparation?"
That was the last piece of the puzzle the boy needed, "You would have died. That's why you put so much focus on my training when I got my quirk." He said the last part to his father, looking at him as if Shoto was seeing the man for the first time.
"Yes. I tried to teach you control first and foremost. That was to keep both you and the rest of the family safe. You could have hurt someone without meaning, or worst, yourself." Endeavor gave a simple nod, but he seemed pleased with his son.
"Then why didn't you do that for us?" Fuyumi asked, only to shrink when her father, mother, and even Midoriya gave her flat looks.
"Sweetie, you both have ice quirks. What exactly did you want your father to teach you?" Rei chuckled, "I took care of you two, while Enji took care of teaching Shoto and…" Her bright eyes dimmed as she trailed off.
Before anyone could comment, Endeavor walked to her side and put a comforting hand on Rei's shoulder. She looked up and smiled, "Thank you."
That seemed the final nail in the coffin for Natsu's anger to die down. Fuyumi also seemed to wither under the clear implication, but Shoto remained lost. Seeing it, Endeavor decided to finish for his wife.
"I taught you how to use your left side first because it is easier to lose control of it than your right. The plan was for your mother to show you how to keep your ice in check right after. But it was not possible with…" The man had to take a moment to center himself, "With what happened to Touya."
It clicked, and Shoto's eyes shot wide open, "Touya, you taught him first, but he lost control." Before his eyes, the menacing presence of his father was snuffled out like a flame in a blizzard, the man seemingly aging a decade in a second.
"Yes. I failed."
Now it was Rei's time to support her husband, grasping the hand still on her shoulder with both of hers. The woman looked him in the eyes, "It was not your fault."
Shoto felt his mouth dry. The cramped room was closing in on him, and a dark feeling twisted inside his chest. Then, Izuku clapped his shoulder, bringing Shoto back to the present and making the Light inside him roar back like a warm bonfire. Both boys traded a glance and a nod.
"What happened to Touya?"
The Todoroki parents had a long discussion with their eyes alone, ending with a slow nod from Rei. Endeavor had to take another deep breath to keep going as if the words took a great effort to be spoken.
"Your oldest brother had a fire quirk like us, but he was so much more powerful. When he was five, he could make flames as strong as mine, and at six, he left me behind." The man gained a far-off look, "He wanted to be a hero, so he asked me for training. That was when we learned that his body was not compatible with his quirk. Every time he used it for more than a moment or turned the heat to high, he got burned."
Rei had to dry the tears that started to spill from her eyes, "But he wanted it so bad he kept going, even if he had to cover himself head to toe in burn cream every time." She gave a strangled sob, "But then it became too much. We couldn't see him like that."
Endeavor gritted his teeth, "I forbade him of training and using his quirk on the house. I thought he would understand, but Touya lashed out. He started doing it in wherever secluded spot he could find."
"That was why he was never home?" Natsuo asked after a beat of silence. They nodded, "I thought you didn't want him to stay with us."
Endeavor seemed hurt by that, "I tried grounding him, but that only made him sneak out without a word."
Shoto looked down, "That's why…" He couldn't finish, but he didn't need to.
"Yes." The word weighted like a boulder on the man's mind, "He said he made a super move and wanted me to see it. He left a note in my office saying to meet at a hill nearby, but that day I only got home well past midnight."
Rei knew her husband wouldn't be able to revive what happened after, so she ended the tragic tale for him, "Your father rushed there, but it was too late. The hill was on fire."
"I tried." Endeavor still could see it, the heat pushing him away like a tidal wave, "I rushed in to try saving him, but the flames were so hot not even I could survive them."
There was a deafening silence after that. But something still didn't sit well with Natsu, "That doesn't explain why you got so obsessed. Why did you try so hard to be number one after that?"
Endeavor felt ash on his mouth, "It wasn't the first time."
"What?"
Shoto looked back at his father, "What do you mean."
"When I was your age, I lost my father." Rei gave his hand a comforting squeeze, "We were walking back home when an accident happened. A building was on fire, and someone was still trapped inside. He ran inside while I was frozen on the spot. When I finally got my legs to move, the flames were so strong the building collapsed."
Another gloom-filled silence followed until Shoto broke it, "I'm sorry."
His father kept his head down, "I thought I wasn't enough. That if someone better had been there in my place, he would be alive. I worked so hard to be that someone, to be better, but then I failed again." The man fought back tears, "After that, I realized that I would never be enough."
Rei stood up and gently held his face, "Don't say that. You did everything you could."
"But it wasn't enough." The hero turned aside, unable to meet her eyes, "If All Might was there, maybe he could have been able to do something, but the only one there was the second place."
Shoto got on his feet, "All that spiel about being the best was you didn't want me to fail like you."
"Yes. The worst part of being second best at something is that the only way to know you become better is by reaching the top." Endeavor glanced at his youngest son, "The reason I trained you so hard after that was because you had a chance. If you could be better than All Might, better than me, then the next time something like that happened we wouldn't lose another member of our family."
"I-" Shoto glanced at his best friend, seeking the push he needed to finally put his hate to rest. Izuku smiled softly and nodded. The Light inside his chest flared up, "I can't forget it, but I understand now. I won't forgive you yet, but I can't hate you either."
Endeavor blinked, "What do you mean?"
Shoto huffed, "After all you put me through, I can't just not be mad at you."
Izuku tapped his shoulder, "I think that's not the question." The key bearer deadpanned at the man, "You know your children are really mad at you, right?"
"Yes, they are in their rebellious phase. I expected it."
Rei facepalmed. she understood the problem before the others, knowing her husband so well, "Do you think they are just being angry teenagers?"
"Hum…" Was Endeavor's response.
"Shoto." Izuku turned to his friend, "Your dad's problem is not that he's evil. He's just really bad at being a dad."
"Wait! You tell me all the problems we had until now were because he's bad with children?!" Fuyumi, surprisingly, was the one to cry out at the revelation.
"No. He's bad with children and with feelings." Rei sighed.
"Any other surprise revelation?" Shoto asked blankly, as blankly as his father confused face.
"Just one." Izuku spoke over the sound of the Todoroki's drama, "I still have some punches to give."
"What?" Shoto only had time to turn to his friend before being bonked on the head by a fist. Bringing his hand to his head, he said plainly, "Ouch."
"Oh, no." Rei winced. It started.
"Why?" Shoto asked while massaging the bump on his head.
"That's because your conspiracy theories about how your dad bought your mom for a quirk marriage made me waste a whole afternoon planning on how to overthrow society." The calm Izuku had while speaking almost made his words seem a little less insane. Almost.
"Sorry."
"A whole afternoon, Shoto. I could have done so much with it and with the notebook I had to get rid of because it had stuff too dangerous to keep at Eri's reach."
"Wait a second. What was that about a quirk marriage." That part finally computed for Rei.
"I thought it was the only explanation of how you two got together." Shoto admitted, "That and because Natsuo said so too."
Said Todoroki sibling also got bonked before he could defend himself. Rei didn't comment on it, too busy sighing, "Shoto, that wasn't what happened at all." She tapped her husband's arm, "This dork here wouldn't be capable of it. He wasn't capable of meeting my eyes when we met. Remember it, Enji?"
Shoto had another life-changing revelation about his father when he saw the man blush, "Please don't."
His wife denied him mercy, "I was at a cafe, working on a school assignment and listening to some music when this weird guy sat on the chair beside me and asked, believe it or not, if I liked jazz." Rei didn't even try to hide her laugh.
"It wasn't that bad."
"Yes, darling, it was. It was so bad it went full circle, and now we're married." Rei giggled like a schoolgirl, not bothering with the weak glare her husband sent her.
"My life is a lie." Shoto looked at his hands as if every notion he held on his whole life had just slipped by his fingers.
Izuku bonked him again, "Stop being dramatic." He turned to Endeavor, "Now for the last one." The boy walked without fear, stopping before the man towering over him, "You had your reasons, but you still did a lot of bad things, so better grit your teeth."
Before anyone could try to stop him, Izuku jumped up and punched Endeavor's face so hard his head snapped to the side. The sound echoed through the now quiet room.
"You deserved that."
Enji cracked his jaw back into place, "Yes, I did." After having it spelled to him like that, the man realized the source of the problems in the house weren't just his kids being a handful. He could admit he deserved the punch.
"He really did it. I don't know if I should be surprised or scared." Rei sighed, "Now can we put all the bad blood behind us?"
"There's still one thing bothering me." Shoto tilted his head and brought a hand to his scar, "When… this happened, you said I was looking like him more and more, but if you don't hate father, then why did you do it."
Rei instantly deflated, and a defeated air emanated from the woman, "Shoto, you don't look like your father. You look like Toya." She smiled sadly, "I was scared of the same thing happening to you. The stress started to get to me until I started to have hallucinations. That day I saw you burning up, asking for help, and I panicked." She sobbed, "I didn't think. I threw the kettle water at you, but when you started crying, I realized what I had done. I tried to use my quirk to cool down the water."
Izuku flinched, "So that's why." When his friend turned to him, the green-haired boy explained, "Your left side is resistant to high temperature, so it doesn't make sense for hot water to burn you, but if it was a cold burn…" He trailed off.
"Oh." Shoto blinked. He needed a moment after so many revelations.
"I'm sorry." His mother sniffed. Shoto shook himself out of his stupor. If he could deal with a city-wide disaster, he could deal with having his whole world turning upside down in an afternoon.
"It wasn't your fault. It wasn't anyone's fault." The boy pulled his mother into a hug, "It's okay." He glanced at his father, "It's okay." He repeated.
Natsu, who had been shocked into silence for a while, dropped his head on his hands, "Dammit." He sobbed, letting the tears out as Fuyumi did like their younger brother, and pulled him into a hug.
Izuku crossed his arms and smiled softly. They were hurt, but they would heal.
After the crying stop, the hugs ended, and everybody was back in better spirits Izuku nodded to the Todorokis, "I think you guys have everything handled. I'll be going then."
"Already?" Shoto was sure Izuku would try making a couple more friends before leaving.
"Yeah." He sighed, "I left Eri with All Might again, and we know what happened last time." The boy deadpanned.
"Oh, the cage thing." Shoto nodded, earning weird looks from his family.
"Yup. Better go back before he ends up doing something stupid again." Izuku ignored the snickering inside his heart. His ideas weren't stupid. "Later!" He smiled and promptly jumped out the window.
"Woah!" Natsu sprung up and rushed to the window. Looking down, he saw Izuku already on the ground and walking away, "Oh, He's fine."
Rei sighed, "I keep telling him to use the door."
Shoto shrugged, "You have to admit it's faster that way."
"Shoto, no." Rei sighed, "And what was that about All Might and a cage?"
As the conversation turned to lighter topics, like All Might's bad example of how to take care of kids, Enji stayed inside his head. He knew what he had to do now, which was starting to make up for the troubles he caused.
At least they would be together now.
—
"I'm home!" Izuku shouted from the door. He rushed from the hospital after leaving the Todorokis to their own devices, partly in fear of what would greet him inside.
"We're here!" Eri's voice came from the living room. When Izuku reached it, he didn't expect to find Toshinori sitting on the ground with his back to the couch, where Eri was. The girl was braiding All Might's hair in a ponytail.
"Eri, what's that?"
The little Princess of Heart looked at him, blinked, then said plainly, "Revenge." She then got back to working on Toshinori's hair.
Izuku nodded, "Makes sense."
—
"Did you like the train ride?" Izuku chuckled. He and Eri had taken a train to another prefecture so they could visit a certain hero. The girl had her first experience with such a long trip and enjoyed it a lot.
"It was nice seeing all the places from the window, and we got to go really fast! Not as fast as you, but still fast!" Eri giggled and fluffed her spot on Izuku's back. She not only got a piggyback ride, but she also got to share Izuku's new scarf.
The girl knew it would turn great when she saw how many stars the cape had, but it ended up even better. The scarf was warm, fluffy, and long enough for Eri to roll both their necks with it.
"I'm glad you liked it." Izuku laughed and rubbed his cheek on hers, making Eri giggle.
Eri hugged her Master's back. Izuku was the best. She glanced at him and counted all the cool things that made her big brother stand out. There's his freckles, bright eyes, and fluffy hair that Eri made sure to make a braid every morning. His new scarf, shoulder armor, and crossed belts which make him look like a hero. There was also Izuku's warm Light, the buzz of his power that made Eri's skin tingle, and the song his heart sang every time he was happy.
Izuku was the best, and Eri was really happy he was her Master.
"Oh, there he is." Izuku's comment made Eri focus back on the present. Waiting at the hospital's entrance was Tenya, looking fine after a week of recovering from their fight with the Heartless.
Eri wished she could meet their friends without having to go to a hospital every time. The girl waved from her comfy perch, "Hi, Tenya."
"Hello! Eri, Izuku, it's nice to see you two in good health." The speedster chopped the air energetically, a smile on his face.
"Good to see you too!" Izuku raised a fist and traded a bump with the taller boy, "You ready?"
Tenya took a sharp breath through his teeth, "As I will ever be. Are you sure you can do it?"
Eri patted his arm, "Don't worry, we got this!"
Izuku nodded, "Yeah, trust us in this."
The youngest Iida bowed, "I'll leave it to you then! Please, follow me." They did, and after being cleared by the hospital staff, the trio was guided to a secluded room on the top floor.
Izuku sighed, seeing his friend's ashamed face when they were left at the door by the nurse that accompanied them there, "You know you could have avoided all that if you had talked to us, right?"
"Yes, I do, but the curse of hindsight only helps when it's too late to change things." Tenya's head dropped, the weight of guilt heavy in his heart.
The key bearer shook his head, "Eri, get down for a sec."
The girl, refusing once again to leave her spot on his back no matter the situation, did so once she realized what her Master was about to do. Izuku nodded at her and adjusted his scarf, "Oh, almost forgot." He grabbed Tenya's glasses and passed them to Eri, "Hold this for me."
Tenya already knew where that was going and closed his eyes. Izuku didn't hesitate in planting his shoe in Tenya's face with a resounding smack, "Stop being stupid!" He used Float to level his eyes to Tenya's, who was holding his red nose, "You don't get to give up like that. Did you do something stupid? Yes. Did we get in a lot of trouble? Almost. Did we all almost die? Of course! But that's fine, we worked together, and everything is fine now!" He knocked his fist against Tenya's chest and smiled, "So chin up!"
The confident words of his friend made that speck of Light in his chest rev into high gear, "You are right! I will not shame my family anymore, I made a mistake, but I won't do the same again!"
"That's the spirit!"
He then chopped the air, "Now get down, Izuku-san. This is a public space, and using your quirk without authorization is illegal!" Both boys laughed.
Izuku dropped to the floor and smiled at his apprentice, "See, Eri? Nothing like a nice bink to knock the stupid out of someone."
Eri pulled a notebook from… somewhere and noted that down.
Izuku sniffed and dried a tear with his scarf, "They grow so fast." He pointedly ignored Tenya berating him for teaching violent things to a child.
"Aren't you a bit too young to sound like a proud parent?" Nana huffed.
'No. My little girl is the best, and I have the right to gush about her.'
Nana traded a glance with the first, who shrugged, "We can't exactly argue since we basically adopted each other at this point."
"I'm the fun uncle!" Daigoro shouted from somewhere deeper in Izuku's heart.
"Get back to work!"
Izuku ignored the chaos inside him and proceeded to pull Eri and Tenya into an impromptu meeting, "Okay, he's the plan. We go in, Tenya explains, we cast Mercy, and get out."
"What do I have to explain, exactly?" Tenya had kept up with his friend's notebooks of his visions and whatnot, but he was unsure about what would do.
"That the light show isn't dangerous and that I won't explode."
"Oh." The fact that something like that was normal for them should be concerning.
"Let's go!"
They separated and finally entered the room. Inside, laying on a large hospital bed, was none other than Iida Tensei, the last Turbo Hero Ingenium, at least that was his title before Tenya accepted the name. Now, he was simply Tensei, the older brother of Tenya.
Such a drastic change came from the damage his battle against Stain caused to his spine, making Tensei lose his ability to walk. Even faced with that dire fate, Tensei had the strength to smile at his brother.
"Looks who's finally here! For someone so fast, you sure took your sweet time." He laughed, calling his brother closer.
"Tensei…" Tenya bowed a perfect ninety degrees, "I'm sorry! I made a horrible mistake, but I swear I will be better!"
Tensei chopped his brother's head, "You already apologized enough." The man huffed, "Now, who are your friends?"
"Hey!" Izuku greeted with a smile, "I'm Izuku, Midoriya Izuku. And this unicorn here is Eri."
"Hi!" The girl waved.
"Nice to meet you two. I'm Tensei." He bowed down, the best someone in his situation could, at least. "You're the kid that saved my little brother's bacon, am I right?"
"Yup!" Izuku smiled, "I also punched some sense into his head."
"Thanks for that." They smirked and traded a handshake that only older brothers would understand the meaning of. Tenya suddenly felt a chill crawling up his spine for no apparent reason. "So, what can I do for you on this fine evening?
Izuku traded a glance with the others, "It's more like what we can do for you."
Tenya took over while Izuku and Eri got ready, "My friends think they can help undo the damage Stain attack caused." He stopped his brother's rebuttal, "I know that seems too good to be true, but any hope is better than none. The doctors said it was impossible, but I don't know them. Who I know and trust with my life is the friend that promised me it was possible." He bowed deeply again, "Please, brother, I know I'm in no position to ask anything of you after what I have done, but please give them a chance."
Tensei stared at the kids in his room for a long moment, then he sighed, "I never could say no to you. Okay, what do I need to do?"
Tenya shot up, his eyes wet but a bright smile on his face, "Don't panic."
"What?" Just as his words fell Tensei's sight was blinded by the green and golden Light that flooded his room.
Tenya traded a look with Izuku, kneeling beside Eri with his Keyblade held by both. They were covered by golden arcs of Light and thick green arcs of lightning. The two friends nodded, and Izuku's power spiked.
Eri, just like last time, grabbed all the strength her Master had and used it to build an impossibly complex magic circle while keeping him in one piece with her own power. When the beautiful array was completed, both chanted the name of their miracle, "Mercy!" The Princess of Heart watched as Time came undone before their Light, then in a single moment came back together, new, different, and better.
They blinked the spots on their eyes and saw nothing different, "Did it work?" Tenya asked. Izuku got up and slapped Tensei's feet, which made the man yelp. The Iida brothers traded startled looks, "It worked."
Tensei slowly bent his knees and pulled his legs closer. Then he stretched them, and lastly, he moved them out of the bed and stood up.
"I-I'm standing." Tensei choked a sob.
"Brother!" Tenya tackled Tensei with a hug, the man having more than enough strength in his legs to keep both of them standing.
"We did it." Izuku smiled and traded a fist bump with Eri, the girl happily returning it.
"Izuku, I-" Tenya tried to come up with words to thank his friend. Again and again, Izuku proved to be there to help when he most needed it.
"None of that now. We did what heroes do best, saving everyone who needs help!" He offered his closed fist, a bright smile on his face.
Tenya choked on all the feelings in his chest, but even then, he had to strength to smile back. Both boys, both heroes, both friends connected their fists. Tenya promised in his heart to be the hero Izuku knew he could be, and Izuku promised in his to always be there when Tenya needed a friend.
Inside Izuku's heart, his predecessors watched as another window of the blank disk was filled. Tenya's confident smile shone on the left lower disk, the rest of Izuku's heart lighting up alongside it.
"Only one to go." Yoichi chuckled.
"Our boy is one step closer now." Nana kneeled and caressed the stained glass, "Now keep walking forward, Deku."
While this happened within, Izuku grabbed Eri and said his goodbyes in the real world.
"You're going already?!" Tensei was startled. He barely got to thank the kids.
"Yeah, security is probably coming." A ping from Danger Sense confirmed it, "Oh, they're here. We talk more later, bye guys!" Izuku and Eri waved, and then the boy jumped out the window.
"Stop jumping off buildings!" Tenya still got that last bit out before the wind filled their ears.
"That was fun!" Eri commented, now back on her rightful place on her Master's back.
"Yeah!" Izuku used Float to bolt up and fly over the city, "Now hold on. Next stop, home!" The boy powered up One For All, the quirk making them gain more and more speed. Eri threw her arms up and laughed, seeing the world zooming by as her hero crossed the sky.
The sky cried with an endless downpour. In a world of Nothing, a World That Never Was, a city stood in silence. At the stairs of a skyscraper, a hero of the Keyblade cried.
"They meant nothing?" He whispered, his hand clenching down on his weapon. With the other, he struck the ground, "They meant something to me!"
The cloaked figure at the top of the lonely building scoffed, "That changes nothing."
Izuku got up, his heart roaring in Suffering, "I'll show you how much it changes. Your biggest mistake was dragging me here alone."
The man stared down, "Alone, you are nothing."
Izuku's green eyes locked with the yellow ones of his enemy, "I'm never alone. But you? There won't be anyone to remember you after I'm done, Xemnas!" The warrior of Light roared, "I'll make you pay for every person you hurt!"
"Foolish boy. For every Light you save, another one dies." The deep voice echoed all around.
"I don't care about your nihilistic crap! If a million Lights get in danger for every single one I save, then I'll save them all!" From Izuku's off-hand, a bright flash materialized another blade. The steel fangs of Fenrir glinted while Izuku's hair turned white and his clothes silver, "I'll not let you hurt anyone else ever again!" With the power of Final Form, Izuku flew up, both Keyblades floating in front of him and spinning like a drill, ready to tear the Superior apart.
"Let me show you how little value such naive words have, boy." Two superheated batons of energy expanded from his hands, glowing a menacing red.
In the core of Nothing, an empty husk and a grieving hero clashed. Sparks flew as the battle raged. Izuku didn't care about the heart-shaped moon looming over his head, his only focus was bringing that wretched man down once and for all!
I could have ended in a happy tone, couldn't I? Well, where's the fun in that? hehehe.
This is probably coming out on the second anniversary of the fic if nothing goes wrong. Yup, two years! There were ups, downs, fluff, angst, and lots of FUN! (at least for me).
I know this is not the best story, but it is mine, and I'm sure as hell happy with it. That story helped me start writing, it made me meet a lot of cool people, and I know it will have a lot more to offer in the future.
With that said, buckle up and get ready! Things are only going to get more crazy!
Also, join the discord, we reached 50 people a while ago and I can say for sure every single one of them is great!
discord . gg / stAGY4V