Chapter 3

Inko listened intently to Astro's story, her face moving through several emotions as he explained everything. Her hand was at her chin as he finished his tale, her eyes trained to a space in front of the both of them.

"And that's everything," he sighed. Astro's fingers were laced together in front of him on the table, and he bounced his leg anxiously. He'd secretly hoped she would be appalled at the thought of even helping him, but then thought: Why? Why was her helping him such a bad thing?

Astro was silent as Inko continued to process everything. His eyes trailed to the meal to the right of his hands and his stomach let out a low grumble. He wasn't sure if it would be rude of him to eat while they'd been talking, as Inko hadn't really been picking at hers either.

"I'm speechless." Astro's eyes snapped up to Inko's, her hand still at her chin. "I honestly don't know what to say."

Astro let out a breath. "I'm not surprised. It's a lot to process."

Another moment passed before Inko's finger dropped from her chin. Astro was taken aback when she grasped and held onto his hands. "Uh -"

"But I will say this: I promise I will do what I can to help," Inko started, staring into Astro's brown eyes. "Even if it's a little. Will you allow me?"

"U-um…" Astro broke off, his face hot with embarrassment. She's all I have right now, anyway. "Sure. Thank you."

Inko's smile was big as she let go of Astro's hands and pulled her tray in front of her. "Great!" Clasping her hands together - almost in a prayer - Inko added, "Itadakimasu!"

Astro watched as she used two sticks in between her fingers to eat. Eyeing his own pair, he had been wondering what they'd been for. However, there was also a fork available and so he defaulted to that, much to Inko's surprise. He chuckled, embarrassed. "I only know how to use this."

"This table is judgment free!" Inko giggled, holding her hand in front of her mouth as she chewed. Astro guessed that was just her being polite. He definitely had a lot to learn about this universe's culture.

Astro's eyes drifted into the contents of his lunch. It was a bowl full of rice, topped with neatly cut meat and some thin green things, and another bowl of greenish soup with some small white floaty bits. Scooping his fork into the bowl with the meat, he looked at it skeptically before taking a slow bite of the food. Immediately his mouth watered as several different flavors hit his taste buds, and he let out a small squeak of surprise. This food was unlike anything he'd ever tasted!

"That good, huh?" Inko laughed as Astro basically shoveled the food into his mouth.

Embarrassed again, Astro nodded, turning his sights to the bowl of soup. After finishing that, his stomach gurgled, followed by a pressure in his abdomen. "Uh...is there a bathroom around here?"

Slurping some of her soup, she pointed with her spoon towards the back of the building. "It should be back there."

Nodding, Astro shot up from the table, hurrying off towards the back of the building. Finding the room, he swung the door open and went into a private stall.

Flushing the toilet, he opened the door and walked over to the sink to wash his hands. As he sat there scrubbing his fingers, he peered into the mirror above the sink and looked at his face. Despite the sweat and grime, he just looked like a normal kid. Flushed cheeks, dilated pupils from the light above his head, even his hair. The mesh hair that had been wired onto his head as a robot was now real hair.

He wiped a stray strand of hair to the side and ran his fingers through his locks. They were no longer styled into the spikes that had been his trademark since he was young.

No, since Toby was young.

Astro refused to think of himself as Toby, despite his transformation - if it could even be called that. He was his own person, and would therefore create his own memories. Ew, wait - did that mean he had a brain in there?

His skin prickled and the hair on his forearms rose. He shivered, rubbing his arms up and down to try and get the feeling off of him. He laughed uncomfortably. "Gross."

Astro splashed some of the water from the sink onto his face to remove some of the grime he'd accumulated. His fingers hovered at his head, and with a moment's hesitation, he tousled his hair with some water. He'd have to get a hold of some hair gel later for styling.

Inko was standing next to the table as he returned, a look of panic in her eyes. With a frown, Astro walked up to her. Upon seeing him, she immediately grabbed his arm and tugged him along behind her. "Ow, hold on! What are you -?"

"Hush," she whispered as they left the building. Astro followed along behind her silently as they put distance between them and the restaurant. She stopped, letting go of his arm and smoothing out her jacket. "Okay, I think that's far enough."

"What's going on?" Astro pondered. She did nothing but cross her arms and look at him expectantly.

He blinked in confusion. What was she waiting for? Then it dawned on him, his mind immediately going back to the EMP from earlier. He laughed nervously. "I can explain."

She let out a huff. "I originally came into town to go to the market for dinner tonight, but I guess it'll have to wait," Inko added. "For now, let's get you somewhere safe."

"Like where?"

"Well, I could bring you to my home. I was going to ask you if you wanted to stay with me until you had somewhere else anyway."

"Will your son be okay with that?" Astro asked, remembering vaguely that Inko had said she had a son.

She shook her head. "Even if he were home, he'd have to deal with my decision. I'll explain more about myself later, but we need to go now before they find you."

Why would she go so out of her way to keep him safe? Did she pity him that much? Part of him just wanted to turn himself in, but he had no idea what they would do to him. He winced, nodding. "Okay."

So hurriedly they walked towards what Astro hoped was Inko's home. Surely she would be telling the truth and not taking him to the authorities? He shook his head quickly, making that thought go away. With all she had done so far, he couldn't think like that.

As they walked, Inko explained a bit about the world. Superpowers - or Quirks, as they were called - were a norm in this society. Just about everyone had some sort of power, even Inko. Hers was a bit strange, only being able to pull small objects to her, but it was her own and he respected that. Learning about this, Astro wondered if what he experienced in the street was his own Quirk.

But how? He wondered what could have possibly happened to allow him a superpower. His thoughts flashed back to what he'd experienced upon arriving in this universe, and discovering that his DNA had possibly fused with his robotic body.

Could the Blue Core…?

His thoughts were reeled back to the present as they stopped. He'd hardly realized his surroundings had changed quite dramatically from earlier - from businesses and people to smaller streets and no one in sight. It was quite nice.

Inko fumbled with her keys for a moment before unlatching the lock and opening the door. "Come on in!" she chimed, taking off her shoes.

Astro warily stepped inside, looking at the interior of her home. It was very nice, very retro. Not at all what he was used to, but he wasn't going to be picky. It had a quaint feel to it, albeit being very small.

"You can leave your shoes down there, sweetie. I'll get you a pair of guest slippers." She opened a closet in the hallway and dug through. Astro looked down and realized there was a step and the shoes were on the bottom while the slippers were up top.

Interesting.

"Here you are!" she said, setting the slippers in front of him. "I hope they're the right size."

Astro stared at his boots; the boots that used to house his rocket propellers. With a pang, he clutched his jacket as he remembered his universe. What would happen to everyone? Was there even a universe to go back to? His face grew hot.

"What's wrong?" Inko asked in a small voice.

"It's nothing, I'll be fine," he murmured, removing his hand's hold and sending Inko a small smile. After a moment's hesitation, Inko nodded and took off her jacket, hanging it on the coat rack.

Once more, Astro stared at his boots. If his body fused together, he could only imagine what had happened to the metal panels that had been his permanent feet.

Only one way to find out.

Sitting on the step up, he grasped one uncertainly. He pulled, giving it a bit of extra strength when it didn't give way. There was a suction sound and with a pop, the boot finally released its hold, revealing a very smelly foot. He plugged his nose with his fingers in disgust.

He must've made a noise, because Inko's head popped around the corner of the doorframe. "What?"

Astro turned to look at Inko, his nose still plugged and his eyes watering. "M-my feet. They're...really smelly," he strained. Taking off his other boot and setting it aside, Inko entered the entranceway and held out a small pile of clothes.

She pushed the clothes towards him. "Here. My Izuku won't be missing these, and I'm sure he'd want you to have them."

Hesitantly, Astro took the clothes from her and set them next to him on the step. "Thanks," he puffed.

Inko's face wrinkled and her eyes found their way to Astro's boots. She plugged her nose with one hand and held up a finger with another. "I have something else for you too, hold on."

Astro curiously watched her leave before turning to the clothes on the floor. He flitted through them, stretching them out and getting a good look. A pair of jeans, some socks, a pale blue shirt with writing on the front, and a gray-and-green hoodie with red inside. Izuku had a strange choice in clothing, but then again who was he to judge?

Inko returned a few moments later with a small canister in her hand and handed it to him. "Here. It's athlete's foot spray. Spray this on your feet and inside your boots, and put the socks on. It'll help get rid of the smell."

"Uh-"

"Nonsense, you. Just take it," she insisted, pushing it into his hand.

"Okay… Thank you." He smiled. Inko returned the smile and wiggled her fingers anxiously. Standing with the pile of stuff, Astro tilted his head at her. "Is…everything alright?"

"Hm? Oh, yes everything's fine," she started, quickly wiping something from her eye. Astro wasn't convinced. "The bathroom is to the left. Make yourself at home! We'll talk more later."

Astro nodded in the affirmative. Inko gave him a small smile. "I'll get some tea started."

Before he could get a word out, she was already in a different room.

With a sigh, he slipped on the slippers and began down the hall with everything in his arms. Opening the last door before the living room, he revealed the bathroom. It was very small with only a toilet, sink, and curtain. Confused, he set the clothes onto the toilet and pulled back the curtain. "Oh, okay…" he murmured to himself as he inspected the bathtub. There was a few notches in the sides of the wall that held soap and the like, followed by the showerhead at the top of the bathtub. He was used to a walk-in shower - although it was more like a disinfectant.

Cleaning himself up, he stepped out of the shower, rubbing his hair through the towel that was on the rack. After reading the directions on the canister Inko had given him, Astro applied it to the inside of his socks and on his feet. He'd have to possibly buy new shoes when the time came, because there was no way he'd save those boots.

Astro glanced above the sink and wiped the fog from the mirror, revealing his face. God, he looked so much like his father now.

Sadness and anger surged through him. This was all wrong! He was meant to be his own person. With the way he looked now everything just reminded him of Toby. Why couldn't he have just been his own person to begin with? Why did his father use Toby's DNA to create him? It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair -

The interior of the bathroom suddenly illuminated in bright blue and sparks emanated from his hands. Before he could figure out what was happening -

BOOM.

Hyperventilating, Astro looked up into the mirror once more. Both the mirror and the counter were cracked, and his old clothes and towel had flown into the tub. His eyes were blue before returning to normal.

"Astro?! Are you okay?!" Inko's voice sounded from the other side of the door with a series of knocking. "Astro?!"

He swallowed and opened the door to the bathroom. Some fog or smoke billowed out of the room and Inko waved a towel that she'd been carrying in the air. "What happened?" she asked, alarmed. Her eyes slid past him into the room and she gasped, holding her hands to her mouth.

"I'm so sorry," Astro blabbered, hands on his head. "I-I don't know what happened, honest!"

After regaining her composure, Inko shook her head. "No, it's fine; I invited you into my home. I'll get it taken care of and cleaned up."

I feel so bad, Astro wallowed, allowing Inko to pass into the bathroom to assess the damage more carefully.

He couldn't blame his father for the way he had handled the grief of losing Toby, his only son. Hell, Astro would've done the same thing provided he'd had the tools at his disposal if something had happened to his father. He'd always been taught not to be angry for things out of his own control, but there was only so much he could bottle.

"Did your Quirk do this?" Inko asked, turning her gaze back to him as she fiddled with a chip in the countertop.

Astro's eyes turned to the floor, remembering the conversation they'd had at the restaurant. He honestly had no idea if it could even be called a Quirk. He didn't even know what it was. Could he still have the powers he'd had in his universe, but just had to figure out how to use them again in this one?

"I guess it's possible," he answered, letting out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"Well if that's true, then you'll have to figure it out," Inko decided. "Even my Izuku's Quirk didn't manifest until he was 14. Normally they show the first signs around the age of four."

But this is all new to me, and I'm technically 15, he wanted to say. "Even so, it shouldn't take that long for me to figure this out." Hopefully. "Again, I'm very sorry about this."

Inko waved her hand again with a smile. "I was planning on doing some home renovations lately anyway, so it's no biggie. Now, let's have that tea."

~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~

"Really?"

Astro opened his eyes groggily. He'd taken a much needed nap under the kotatsu after they'd had their tea. The table really was quite nice. Astro wished they'd had one back in his universe.

He turned his gaze to Inko, who was now on the couch talking to someone on the phone. Upon seeing Astro awake, she mouthed an apology.

"That's wonderful, honey!" she cooed, then blinked nervously. "Eh? Tonight? Um…" Inko stared at Astro. "Sure! I'll be glad to see you. Mhm, buh-bye!"

As she hung up her phone, Astro sat up straight, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Who was that?" he yawned.

"Um… Izuku is coming home to pick up a few things," Inko began.

"And he doesn't know I'm here, I take it?"

"If I'm being honest, I'm not even sure how to explain your situation," she laughed breathily. Astro didn't blame her. "He's just going to have to deal with it."

Astro nodded. "When will he be here?"

Standing, Inko grabbed the two cups of tea on the kotatsu and brought them into the kitchen. "He should be here in about twenty minutes. More tea?" she added, poking her head around the corner.

"Uh, sure," Astro replied, blinking some more sleep from his eyes. "Um… Do I…do I tell him?"

Inko paused, keeping her eyes to the kettle on the stove. Astro waited warily for her to answer. "I think it would be best if you kept this to yourself," she finally answered, turning her gaze to Astro. She wore a tight smile.

After a moment, Astro nodded in understanding, seeming to realize her implication. It would be better if less people knew, he concluded.

The minutes ticked by as the two of them waited for the front door to open. Astro sipped his drink slowly, relishing the warmth of it as it slid down his throat and settled in his stomach. The added honey was a nice touch. On his left, Inko sat criss-cross while scrolling along on her cell phone - that's what she called it. He'd definitely have to get used to this world's terms.

Astro's eyes drifted to the empty spot on his right, wondering what Izuku would be like. During his time at Inko's apartment, he did notice a few portraits around the house of Izuku, but they were all in his younger days. More or less, Astro was nervous to finally meet him.

Once the front door opened, Astro accidentally inhaled the tea into his windpipe.

"Mom, I'm home!" a voice called.

"Welcome back, honey!" Inko replied, getting up and moving towards the front door.

Astro's heart pounded in his chest as he waited, the conversation that the two were having going in one ear and out the other. His hands trembled while he held the cup firmly. Stop it, he chided himself. You're only meeting one person, why are you so worked up about it?

Out of his peripheral, Astro finally spotted Izuku as he rounded the corner. Izuku's smile faltered as he noticed Astro, his eyes looking him up and down. Astro shakily stood from under the kotatsu and went up to the pair.

"Izuku darling, this is Astro," Inko introduced, her eyes watching the both of them carefully. "He'll be staying with me for a while."

"Nice to meet you," Izuku finally stated, bowing respectfully. Astro did the same, not wanting to appear rude.

"Nice to meet you too…" Astro replied nervously, watching as Izuku stared him down.

Inko made her way towards the kitchen. "You want a cup of tea, honey?"

"Sure, mom." Izuku finally set his bag down onto the floor.

"I'm going to start making dinner soon, so you boys get along," Inko called from the kitchen. "Why don't you show Astro your room? I'm sure he'd love to see it."

Izuku nodded after a moment, his wary mood doing a full 360. "Sure! It's over here." The green-haired boy began off back to the front door with Astro following after a slight hesitation.

Izuku opened the door to Astro's left, revealing a room full of posters and vibrant colors. Astro blinked. Was this going to be the room he'd be staying in?

"Sorry about the mess! I'm just such a huge fan of All Might… He's my teacher at Yuuei, by the way. He's such a cool hero!" Izuku gushed as Astro walked in. However, as soon as he was all the way in, Izuku shut the door abruptly.

Astro jumped in shock, turning to see Izuku's intense green eyes burning into him.

"You have five seconds to explain."

A/N: Bit of a short one, I apologize, but nonetheless the content has been delivered. Please leave a review!