Trixuny - Perhaps, perhaps. Time will tell.
Gowithebeat - All I know is that this battle will end civilization by fluff overdose. RIP Earth.
AngelFallenDemon - His siblings ARE chaos, so most likely a lot.
Detrametal - :D
(***)
I promised releases on Fridays, but you have a bonus one this week. Both because I'm a bit too anxious to wait until Friday (TOO MUCH TIME) and I need some half-measure to get used to longer releases AND because next chapter of Ties that Bind is goddamn glorious and I need to get it out or I explode. Next one is even more glorious, but this time I can hold myself until Friday. Yay.
(***)
Kyoka Jirou wasn't sure what she expected from the house where the family of All Might lived. She had many conflicting expectations, from something humble (he WAS hiding the fact that was married, this sounded like something to keep a low profile on) to something… well, much less humble. And probably very American.
What she got was somewhere in the middle. Not particularly American, not super humble but also not ostentatious. Something that made it clear that whoever lived inside was well-off, but… well, it wasn't a mansion.
There were quick introductions. Jirou almost tripped when Izuku introduced his dad. The gaunt, almost skeleton man.
Now, Jirou wouldn't really expect anything nasty from All Might. Him going after a married woman was especially out of the question. It wasn't until she spent a few seconds analyzing Yagi Toshinori's hair (its colour and shape oddly resembling All Might's) when she realized the truth.
That WAS All Might. What on Earth was his quirk?! Sure, it was one of the world's largest mysteries, but… she just stumbled upon some more evidence (namely, that it had to have a rather massive transformative component), but it only made things crazier.
On the other hand, she now knew how he managed to keep his marriage hidden. And how he was so good at avoiding the press when he wanted to. She would have never made the connection if she didn't know that All Might is Izuku's father.
(Todoroki, who didn't know how to be a human being yet but knew the truth, was openly staring at him in shock until Izuku elbowed him and whispered to his ear to stop staring).
The Dreaded Aiko was there, of course. Looking at them with probably the most intensive stare that Jirou ever saw. She felt thoroughly analyzed, judged and… well, she had no idea what the ruling was.
She thought that nothing stranger would have happened. But then (soon after Tokoyami's courteous greeting towards his 'sister-in-darkness'), Dark Shadow decided to show his face and introduce himself to them as well.
"HEYO THE…" It tries to say, but immediately freezes when its eyes lock onto Aiko. She tilts her head slightly and stares at Dark Shadow in an almost eerie silence.
Izuku looked like he was about to say something (although with a face suggesting that he himself wasn't sure what it was), when Dark Shadow spoke.
"You… you can hear it too?" Its voice carries the tone of utter shock and disbelief. It only grows stronger when she nods. "And… change it?"
Aiko nods again. Dark Shadow's eyes grow wider. Then it lowers its head, in a gesture that simply has to be a deep bow. Tokoyami is staring at his quirk, slackjawed and in complete shock. Considering how Dark Shadow normally acted, Jirou understands the shock. She has a lot of it herself.
Aiko gestures at Dark Shadow to come closer. It does that, doing its best to look at the floor rather than at her. When it gets close enough, she pats its head gently.
"There there." She says, and Jirou almost trips when she sees an ecstatic smile on Dark Shadow's equivalent of face. "You're a good boy."
Dark Shadow thanks her for her kind words with a shaking voice and its claws fidgeting nervously.
The club of people deeply concerned about who (or what) the hell Aiko Midoriya was has grown in numbers significantly that day.
(***)
Miki (they found out by accident that her real name was Eri twenty minutes later, at which point Izuku surrendered unconditionally and told them to not mention this in public while giving up on trying to hide it from the classmates) was as adorable as Uraraka told them. Maybe more.
She was also visibly terrified of Tokoyami. Izuku quickly explained that the villain that kidnapped her was wearing a bird's mask, and she hasn't liked birds ever since. When he told her that Tokoyami was a good bird (said good bird looked a bit weird after that 'compliment'), Eri decided to trust her brother.
She was still somewhat uncomfortable with Tokoyami around, but she no longer hid behind her oldest brother.
Tokoyami looked like he was saddened by missing the welcoming hugs.
(***)
The tutoring session was something that neither Inko nor Toshinori wanted (or planned to) intrude upon. It was their son (and Momo Yaoyorozu's) time to shine, and they both knew that those two kids were well-equipped to deal with it.
But, they both had at least a single person among the visitors that they wanted to have a nice, long chat with. In private. Unfortunately, it wasn't about Tsuyu (that would be easy to organize, as she was quickly kidnapped from the study group by Aiko and Eri, a fact that she didn't seem to be adverse to).
The first one to achieve their goal was Inko. Uraraka left the room used for the study session, looking for some additional snacks.
Inko was absolutely waiting for it.
"So, Uraraka Ochaco." Inko says, the girl in question almost jumps up in the air in surprise. Inko might have been a housewife for years, but Mischief was still there. She could sneak up on someone well enough. "Or should I call you Midoriya Ochaco, hmm?"
Oh, the sudden blush on her face is adorable. Not teasing her future daughter-in-law? Impossible. She was dreaming of this moment for years now.
"Err, I mean, it's… I…" Uraraka stammers out an unconnected string of words, her mind racing to form something resembling an answer. Inko laughs internally at the spectacle. Oh, it's like seeing a female Izuku. Only with different hair and no freckles.
Alright, enough of her sinful pleasures. Time to do the thing she really had to do.
"He asked me to help him make mochi." Inko announces. Uraraka blinks at her a few times. "For you. Because it's your favorite dish. I'm telling you this, because knowing him, he'll be too ashamed to tell you about that."
Judging from the look on her face, he didn't tell her that, but she loved to find out about that. It was so… pure. And heartwarming. And cute.
Oh, the young love.
(***)
Yagi Toshinori wanted to meet two of Izuku's classmates (in the safety of his house, which he was 99% sure wasn't wiretapped by Nedzu). For reasons… well, much less singularly happy and optimistic than what his wife was planning to do.
In all honesty, Yagi Toshinori was much less happy and optimistic than you could guess after seeing his eternally happy and smiling hero persona. It's probably why his average happiness level improved so much recently. He had a house now, full of people that loved him. People that he was free to not pretend in front of.
But now, he had two people who knew the truth. Well, Todoroki knew for sure (the stare was rather obvious), and Jirou knew almost certainly. Yagi decided to address that, before something… unexpected would happen.
It wasn't hard. Unlike Inko (who waited to pounce on Uraraka on her own), Toshinori decided to play it smart and simply told his son that he wants to talk with those two. So, Izuku being the cunning if benevolent manipulator (at least when anxiety wasn't eating him up), simply found reasons to send those two to him.
Without making them realize that it was a set-up.
Izuku's over competence was sometimes deeply worrying his father. All for One died when Izuku was nine years old. Nine. Years. Old. If Hisashi Shigaraki was THIS good in sharpening people's intellects, commanding skills and ability to manipulate others, then Toshinori regrets the fact that he decided to become a villain.
Instead of an immortal tutor or something like that. He would be crazily popular. Especially among the politicians with the whole 'teaching their children how to manipulate others' thing.
Toshinori sometimes felt like All for One was still alive, living secretly under Izuku's bed, and coming out when no one was looking to continue Izuku's education. Of course, it was impossible (the past Holders would have found out, and at least Nana and 'Uncle Yoichi' would be royally pissed). But… still.
Kyoka Jirou showed up as the first one.
Hard to say what she expected All Might to do in his free time. Was the Number One Hero sitting by the table in his living room with a pair of glasses on his eyes, trying to paint a finer detail on the miniature he recently bought through the internet, on the list?
Probably not, judging from the odd stare.
All Might picked up some odd habits and hobbies in the United States.
"Young Jirou." All Might says, while putting the brush away and taking his glasses off.
In all honesty, he considers this to be a small character test. Jirou passess it. She immediately realizes that Izuku's father referring to her as All Might normally did is… meaningful.
He knows that she knows.
"Oh." She freezes. "Uhm, I…"
"Young Jirou." All Might interrupts her. "If my intention was to punish you for overhearing certain things, we would have that talk in school. Instead, I only wish to warn you. Sometimes, especially in places such as the UA, you can accidentally overhear things that you really shouldn't know. Worst of all, if the fact that you like to overhear things will spread too far, some people might grow interested in what you know. And some of them might not take no for an answer. Do you understand that?"
She didn't freak out. She was a brave one. In all honesty, All Might came to believe that the UA had an extraordinary degree of luck with this year's recruitment. It might just be the first year ever to get their hero licenses without losing a single member along the way. And not because the school lowered its level.
"I… I know." She says. Probably at least partially taken aback by the fact that she was talking with All Might in his own living room. Developing a personality cult (however useful it was in making the country keep going despite all the chaos of the past years) was a tiring matter. "I'll not tell anyone."
Good. Not like many people would believe her, but… some certainly would. Unfortunately, probably the most devious ones. If his crusade had a downside, it was the fact that the supervillains that survived thus far were the smartest and most driven ones.
They left nothing to chance. They would at least check if the 'leak' was true. And then people would die.
"Very good." Toshinori nods. "I'm not going to tell you to not keep listening to other people. I can't stand next to you 24/7 to make sure you aren't secretly indulging in your curiosity. Just… be aware that you're violating people's privacy. And that sometimes, curiosity kills the cat."
There is an audible gulp at that. Might be the American Spirit talking through him, but All Might believes that the best way for someone to stop doing something is to persuade them to stop doing something. So that they will act as their own watchdog. Not just straightforwardly forbid them.
All Might is about to return to his hobby when Jirou decides to ask a question.
"Sensei, I…" She pauses for a second, trying to gather up her thoughts. He looks at her questioningly. "I know that asking this after the curiosity kills the cat line might sound a bit bad, but… what happened to you?"
Well. She might have thought that he was simply a skinny man with a transformative quirk that changed him into a muscle bound giant if not for the blood cough that came out when Aiko did SOMETHING to Dark Shadow. That was a clear sign that something was wrong.
"A villain did." All Might replies dryly. "One whose name, quirk and deeds were erased from history at the government's insistence. If you need to call him somehow in your mind, you can use his title. The Symbol of Evil. One and only villain to ever fight me like an equal. There are nasty people out there, Young Jirou. And it's best to remember that."
How much did she end up reevaluating All Might's image after seeing how borderline cynical he is in private? Well, she did hear Izuku telling Todoroki about a hero having to smile to reassure people in front of him that everything's alright.
And, considering what the kids went through at the USJ, she probably began to realize that the real world is less glamorous than the TV made it.
(***)
Todoroki shows up maybe thirty minutes later. Unlike Jirou, he has absolutely no filter.
"You don't look like All Might at all." He announces soon after stepping out of the room where the two aces of 1-A are trying to help their friends pass the exam. At least he is cognizant enough to not ask that question when someone else was in the room.
"True." All Might replies. "My quirk changes my appearance when activated. The difference used to be smaller, but I suffered nasty injury in a fight." He pats his side a bit. "Excuse me for this, Young Todoroki, but I happen to have a question for you. Concerning your… family situation."
Todoroki freezes briefly. But if you exclude his complete lack of societal skills, he is a smart and decisive person. He doesn't waste a lot of time.
"What do you wish to know?" Todoroki asks. He is still standing there, slightly awkwardly. All Might doesn't invite him to sit, in a vain hope that Todoroki would figure out that simply doing it (or asking for it himself) is the right thing to do.
"How is your father doing recently?" Todoroki seems more conflicted and confused than coldbloodedly murderous when Endeavor is mentioned, and that alone sounds like a progress.
"I… don't know." Todoroki replies. And things turn complicated.
"What do you mean you don't know?" All Might asks, clearly confused.
"Ever since Hosu I almost don't get to see him at home." Todoroki replies. "He seems to even be sleeping at his office. One time he showed up… well, . I think that Burnin' and his other sidekicks forced him to leave the office. She phoned us to check if he came home that evening."
Oh. Well, that's not precisely the way Yagi expected Endeavor to proceed with his quest for redemption. It's not like the Number Two Hero mysteriously became his best friend. Enji Todoroki wasn't giving him regular updates on things. So he was a bit behind when it came to the progress reports.
"And when he returned home, how did he…" All Might decides to continue that way. "... acted towards you and your siblings?"
"He didn't say a lot." Shoto replies. "He asked how me and Natsuo were doing at school. And how was Fuyumi's day. We… didn't know how to react to that. Natsuo shouted at him and left."
Well. It's not easy to do a hundred eighty in your life. Endeavor, certainly, seems to be struggling at it. All Might decides to help that man a bit. Not like he likes him - Endeavor's personality was… not very compatible with All Might's. But he was still a fellow hero, who seemed to have been actually trying to become less of an asshole.
That alone deserved some positive feelings.
"I see." All Might was still thinking about how to approach it when Shoto figured something out.
"You know something." The emotionless teen said. After a few seconds, he decided to reply.
"I do." All Might replies. "We had a… very serious talk after the Hosu. I talked him out of retiring as a hero."
Todoroki stares at him, his eyes wide. Certainly not what he expected to hear. Toshinori was equally shocked when Endeavor mentioned retirement in front of him. Neither of them could imagine Endeavor retiring.
It was unthinkable.
"Why?" Is the only word that comes out of Shoto's mouth.
"I believe that a number of events… including the sport festival and what happened in Hosu… made him realize what sort of horrible father he was." And that was an understatement. "It's just that he doesn't know how to be a good father and… I believe that he feels enough guilt to not know how to interact with you. So he is bunking in his office instead of confronting you."
Todoroki keeps staring at him, deeply unsure as to what he should think or feel about it. For as much as he hated it, he and his father shared that one incredibly frustrating personality trait. Outside of work, training and combat, they had the social skills of a bundle of overdried algae.
For all his charisma, All Might wasn't the right person to try to amend this. He had an experience of exactly one relationship in his very long life, that seemed to (and that was a mystery to him) go on in a way that could only be described as absolutely and impossibly smooth.
Honestly, Inko did 95% of the job. He was simply offering words of support. And did what she told him to. She was this ship's helmswoman.
"I… don't know what…" Todoroki freezes for a second. "What am I supposed to do?"
Good question. Supremely good question. Although if Toshinori understood it correctly, the real question was 'what would All Might do'. And that… well, that was a question that All Might himself wasn't sure how to answer. And that was pretty atrocious.
Would asking himself 'what would Izuku Midoriya do' be too much? His son sometimes has extraordinary good ideas for dealing with problems like that, but… All Might doesn't want to break any bones today.
"That depends entirely on you, Young Todoroki." All Might eventually replies. "I'm not telling you to forget what he did to you. But I do believe that he truly realized that it was evil and that he is trying to become a better person. And if there is a lesson to be learned from the Villain Rehab Course idea, then it's the fact that giving people a second chance is a heroic thing to do. Although… you should still keep an eye on them to make sure that they aren't wasting it."
Todoroki looks at him for a few long seconds, his face completely unreadable.
"I see." He finally says. "I'll think about it."
Well, hopefully it was enough.
(***)
1-A Class Chatroom
Mindhack: So, did we miss anything important by not participating in the tutoring sessions?
ClassPresident: let me translate it
ClassPresident: "what did Aiko do this time"
Mindhack: yes
LeadSinger: at least he is open about it
AcidParty: TELL US ALL THE CUTE AND FUN DETAILS
ClassPresident: ehhhh?
CreativeSpirit: There isn't much to say.
CreativeSpirit: Very nice (if, by my standards, small) house.
CreativeSpirit: His mother is a great cook.
CreativeSpirit: His dad… Well, he is pretty… gaunt. And was coughing blood, but apparently it's normal.
CreativeSpirit: His sisters, well, that's a question to Froggy, mostly.
ClassPresident: I feel like my entire life was just reviewed, but thankfully received a passing grade.
Mindhack: LOL
CreativeSpirit: It wasn't my intention to be insensitive!
ClassPresident: No, it's alright! AcidParty asked the question you answered. That's all.
ClassPresident: My dad lost his stomach and one of his lungs during a villain attack. As a result, he can't eat most of the food, so he… yeah, looks kinda… thin.
BoomBoom: WAIT A SECOND
BoomBoom: Didn't uncle Hisashi die a few years ago?
ClassPresident: Sigh. Yes, he did. But he was my stepfather (and biological father of my siblings). Then, a year ago, mom accidentally ran into my biological father, Yagi Toshinori, again. So they promptly got married.
ClassPresident: I say 'accidentally ran into', but he actually walked me back home after a villain attack. Then he recognized my mom. Then he discovered that he has a son and he actually walked him home just now. Then I discovered that he was my father.
ClassPresident: That evening was crazy. And my family's kinda complicated.
GravityGirl: Yes. Kinda.
AcidParty: wow
ClassPresident: Apparently a villain attack separated my parents before my mom told my dad that she is pregnant. And they both met while hiding from some villains, so they were using false names, so they failed to find themselves in the aftermath. Until, well, the accident happened.
GravityGirl: …
AcidParty: omigosh I want to see a film based on that! romantic and funny
Invisible: YES
BoomBoom: nerd
BoomBoom: you have two quirks
ClassPresident: what?
BoomBoom: THE OTHER ONE IS BEING A VILLAIN MAGNET AND YOU GOT IT FROM BOTH YOUR PARENTS
BoomBoom: ffs
LeadSinger: That actually explains a lot!
TurboMan: Especially Hosu being attacked exactly at the time when we were passing by it on a train.
ClassPresident: guys pls
BoomBoom: ALSO WAIT A FUCKING SECOND
BoomBooM: Your father walked you home after the Sludge Villain?
ClassPresident: … Yes.
BoomBoom: Oh. Fuck.
(***)
BoomBoom: NERD
BoomBoom: ALLMIGHT IS YOUR DAD?!
SmallMight: … It makes this nickname unintentionally ironic. But yes.
BoomBoom: …..
SmallMight: How did you figure it out?
BoomBoom: That crazy ass Gran Torino is like a father to All Might, and pretty much sees you as his grandson.
BoomBoom: It wasn't that fucking hard to connect the dots, especially with your quirk
BoomBoom: I'm not a fucking idiot (except for, well, you know what).
BoomBoom: also WHAT THE HELL
SmallMight: It only gets weirder from there.
SmallMight: Do you want to know who tore his stomach and lung out?
BoomBoom: ?
SmallMight: The most horrible villain to ever live.
SmallMight: The Symbol of Evil himself.
SmallMight: You know him as Uncle Hisashi.
BoomBoom: ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME
SmallMight: WHY DO YOU THINK I'M ON THE VERGE OF GOING INSANE
SmallMight: WHY IS MY LIFE SO CRAZY NOWADAYS
SmallMight: AND WHY AM I EVEN TELLING YOU THAT AAAAAAAAAAAA
BoomBoom: OH MY GOD WHAT THE FUCK
SmallMight: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
BoomBoom: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
(***)
1-A Class Chatroom
LeadSinger: Why do I get the feeling that we're missing something crazily entertaining
ClassPresident: No idea.
BlackDarkness: I'd like to mention something concerning Aiko Midoriya.
Mindhack: WHAT IS IT
ClassPresident: Ehh, apparently Dark Shadow likes her to a shocking degree
ClassPresident: She headpated it and called it a good boy. It looked ecstatic.
Mindhack: Huh.
BlackDarkness: Not that.
ClassPresident: What?
BlackDarkness: Dark Shadow has built her a small altar in my room and wishes to officially ask your parents through me for their permission to worship her as its goddess and saviour.
ClassPresident: what
BlackDarkness: Also Dark Shadow needs to know what offerings she prefers. I'd personally like it if it wasn't anything organic, as I'd like to avoid cleaning blood off my carpet.
Mindhack: SEE I TOLD YOU I WAS RIGHT
CreativeSpirit: … I have no words to describe this revelation.
Vampire: o_o
AcidParty: wait, do you think that if I pray to her it'll help me pass the tomorrow's exam
ClassPresident: That's it.
ClassPresident: I'm going to bed.
ClassPresident: I'm not leaving it until the exam day.
GravityGirl: That's tomorrow though.
ZapZap: *screams*
Tentacle: So he rebels but in a way that makes him not lose even a single day of school, very admirable
TurboMan: I agree!
(***)
PRAISE AIKO! Next chapter is the exams arc and it's very Praise Aiko too.
Also, not sure if you noticed, but even in the state of supreme confusion, Bakugou wrote exactly one A more than Midoriya. Competitive spirit never dies, I'd say.