"Again."

thirteen-year-old Izuku narrowed his eyes and focused on Hitoshi. Both boys stood in a fighting stance as they stared down one another. Izuku slowly stepped to the side and Hitoshi mirrored this movement by stepping just as well so they were circling, but not facing away from their opponent. Finally, Izuku moved, a strike, swift and towards Hitoshi's face, but Hitoshi reacted just as quickly by making a grab for Izuku's wrist in an attempt to stop the attack, only the attack was a fakeout. The moment Hitoshi looked away to catch Izuku's wrist, Izuku swept his dominant leg and hooked it behind Hitoshi's knee, but this came with a price as it caused both boys to suddenly lose balance and fall on top of each other.

Both boys cried out in surprise as they tumbled to the ground in a heap.

Aizawa sighed and shook his head, still, though the boys couldn't see it he had a small smile on his face as he did this. 'They're getting better.' Still, he wiped the smile off of his face and crouched down to the bundle of limbs. "Izuku, why did you think sweeping Hitoshi's leg was a good idea when he had you by the wrist?" Aizawa inquired.

"Uh…" Izuku's face went blank as he tried to think of an excuse. "In my defense: I didn't think he'd grab me?" He settled on saying with an awkward smile.

Hitoshi started to laugh at this.

Aizawa sighed again and checked his watch. "Well, if we keep going we'll be late. So go and shower and get ready for school. We'll discuss more in the car."

"Okay, dad." Both boys had said in sync as they both helped each other to their feet and started to dust themselves off before retreating for the house.

Shouta Aizawa was never one for kids, but by some miracle he adopted two boys he had no plans on adopting in the first place, he had them in his care for eight years but adopted them five years ago, but regardless, both boys had grown to be almost unrecognizable from all those years ago.

From clinging to one another for dear life to learning how to fight…

Granted they still clung to each other, but not as intensely.

Aizawa bent down and picked up a forgotten towel on the ground.

Of course, Higashi and Osada had tried to do their best with Izuku. They did what they promised and brought a person who could 'fix' or 'repair' broken memories via their quirk… but…

"I'm sorry." The woman stood and bowed to them apologetically after she had touched five-year-old Izuku's head. "But after only a few short seconds, I can tell you. There's nothing there."

"What do you mean by that?" Higashi had demanded. His eyes wide with slight shock.

"I mean, he has no memories to fix because he has no past memories. It's almost like… they were wiped from his mind." She explained softly to them. "I'm sorry." She repeated before bowing once again.

"Do you know anyone who could-" It was Osada that tried to speak next, but the woman cut him off.

"-If I can be honest. I don't think you're going to get his memories back. Not without confronting the person who either took them or wiped them in the first place…"

Aizawa smacked the towel a few times, getting any dirt and sand out of it. Particles flew and his pants got dirty.

Izuku's memories eventually became a lost cause. Higashi and Osada tried, god, did they try. Izuku was the missing puzzle piece they needed to know why all of this had happened, but each and everyone they had attempted to bring in, four different people with memory quirks, all said the same. His memories were missing or wiped purposely and they couldn't be repaired. It was frustrating, but nothing could be done about it.

Osada had even gone as far as to put Izuku in the local paper to identify his family, but nobody came.

"I've got no choice, Aizawa." Osada had told him as the two met for tea one chilly december. The two of them watched as the, now eight-year-old boys, chased each other around the large yard in a game of tag. "Izuku is officially a Yamada Taro according to the nation. No real name, no biological family. It's almost making me think of human trafficking. Still, he's officially adoptable. Hitoshi and him both that is…"

Aizawa walked inside of his three bed-room home and shut the sliding glass door behind him. The boys had been in his care for three years when they were both allowed to be up for adoption.

Aizawa had no plans to adopt these two boys. Of course he knew by not adopting he'd be shaking the boys to their core. After all, they've only known him and only liked him. Aizawa had an interview with some potential families that were willing to adopt both boys and he was ready for his child-free life again. Just him and his cats. It'd be illogical for him to say that he wouldn't miss the boys. Of course he would! But it was best this way: His job was dangerous. Too dangerous to care for children.

And then Izuku had been the first to call him dad.

It was then did Aizawa realize his biggest mistake. Not only did he allow them to get attached to him, that was inevitable, but he became attached to them. It was at that very moment at the dinner table where Izuku had asked such a mundane question: "Can you pass the salt, dad?" did Aizawa realize: 'I can't give them up to someone else. I just can't.'

Once the adoption was complete then came Aizawa's next step. Izuku's birthday. The kid couldn't remember it and Hitoshi didn't know it either. Aizawa tried to do the math, but just confused himself, and then, it was Hizashi who had an actually smart idea for once. "Just give them the same birthday. They're practically twins already." And that's how Aizawa got around that little snag fairly quickly. Besides, it made both boys happy to be able to tell people that they were twins.

Aizawa was now focusing on training the boys. Hitoshi's quirk was powerful, but he wasn't best in hand-to-hand and Izuku's quirkless. Knowing hand-to-hand was the best option for both boys. It was a precaution that Aizawa was more than happy to fill. After all, those that originally took the boys may come back. Well.. they could try anyway.

Of course it wasn't perfect, no family was, Aizawa had butted heads with both boys on more than one occasion.

Hitoshi came out of his bedroom, his hair was still wet from his shower; put up in a low ponytail hanging off of his shoulder. He had changed out of his training clothes and was wearing his gakuran. The collar of his shirt was crooked and Aizawa put the towel to the side so he could fix Hitoshi's collar. "Behave today." Aizawa warned. "If I get a call that you've been in another fight I swear I'm taking away anything and everything that has a screen."

"I'll try." Hitoshi sighed. "It's not my fault they ask for a fight."

Aizawa held in a snort at that. "Remember what I've told you: You don't start fights. You can finish them, but you don't start them."

When picking middle schools for his boys he had a few choices with where he was located. Aizawa had narrowed it down to two. A private middle school or Aldera Middle school. Aldera was almost chosen but he heard horror stories from disgruntled parents of quirkless kids and ultimately chose The private middle school for Izuku's sake.

"I know. Just one more year and me and Izuku won't have to worry about these assholes anymore."

"Language."

"Dad, do you think we'll get into UA?" Hitoshi changed the subject on a dime.

"If you get into another fight I'll make sure you don't."

"I'm being serious."

"As am I."

"Dad."

Aizawa sighed a small smile gracing his lips. "You've got a whole year until the UA exams, I think as long as you and your brother keep training there's a possibility." Aizawa told Hitoshi.

"Yeah… you're right." Hitoshi laughed a little with relief. "As long as we keep training…"

That was when Izuku came down, his own hair wet from his quick shower. Izuku cursed with a permanent baby face looked akin to ten and not thirteen. This, coupled with the fact that he was quirkless and adopted, seemed to have made him a bit of a target amongst his peers. Hence Hitoshi's reasoning for getting into so many fights.

Izuku tried to just skirt past his father, but Aizawa, after knowing this kid for so long, instantly knew that Izuku was trying to hide something from him. Quickly he stopped Izuku by grabbing the back of his collar. "Ah!" Vocalizing a buzzer noise, Aizawa pulled Izuku back. "What's in the backpack?"

"Nothing-"

Aizawa was already unzipping the All Might backpack that Izuku had. "Then you won't mind if I check- ah, thought so. Izuku-" Aizawa pulled out one of his capture scarves and resisted the urge to strangle Izuku with it. "A capture weapon is still a weapon, Izuku. You know you can't bring this to school, are you trying to get expelled?" Aizawa huffed and put his scarf to the side. "Ten laps around the backyard when you get home."

"Urg, ten-!"

"Do you want to make it thirty?"

"Ten is fine…" Izuku quickly shut up.

"Good, it's fifteen now."

Izuku chewed on the inside of his cheek to keep from protesting. Aizawa looked at Hitoshi. Hitoshi looked at him before putting his hands up. "I don't have one, I swear." Hitoshi told him before taking his bag off. "Check if you must."

Aizawa looked at the bag but didn't grab it. A few passing seconds went by before Aizawa waved Hitoshi off. "I trust you. Now get out of here, both of you. Before you become late." He ushered them out the door. Eventually, both of his boys left the house and Aizawa let out a sigh of annoyance. "Children! I should have just stuck to the cats." Speaking of cats. It was time to feed them.


"Alright, spill. Why'd you take Dad's scarf, Zuchan?" Hitoshi asked as the two of them walked along the sidewalk.

"Well, dad said not to start fights, right?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, the fight can't start if the instigator is restrained."

Hitoshi gave a sudden laugh at this. "Brilliant! Shame you got caught."

"Yeah, next time, maybe- Whoa!" Izuku suddenly gasped before jogging ahead of Hitoshi. "Did you see that, Hichan? It looks like a villain attack!" He excitedly pointed up a little ways ahead of them towards a shopping district. It did in fact look like a battle of sorts had broken out.

"Zuchan, wait, don't run off!" Hitoshi was swift to take off right behind his brother.

As they ran, Izuku was already trying to fish his journal out along with a pen. "I can't wait to add more to my journal!"

"Just don't take forever like last time!"

"Five minutes! I promise!- It's Kamui Woods!" Izuku was bouncing on the balls of his feet as he stopped to observe. Hitoshi was next to him in a second.

There, a safe enough distance away, was the commotion. There stood a huge villain. He easily towered above all as he roared out in anger. His head is similar to that of a shark's head in shape and size alone. "Wow! That villain is giant!" Izuku gushed as he was already writing at an insane speed muttering the whole time to himself. Hitoshi watched him before looking back at the fight.

Kamui Woods was using his quirk to try and restrain the villain and Izuku was like a kid on christmas day. Hitoshi watched as his brother excitedly wrote, as well as analyzed Kamui Woods, and Hitoshi smiled. 'I'm glad he can be himself.' Hitoshi could watch Izuku gush about hero's all day. Izuku just looked so happy.

Five minutes came and Hitoshi looked at his watch for the time. 'One more minute won't hurt.'


'Maybe today won't be so bad.'

Hitoshi thought that just too soon. He thought that after the first period, things seemed to be going well, they weren't late for school, and people seemed to be leaving them alone. Then… lunch happened.

Both boys preferred to eat on the roof of school, less populated, plus the view was nice.

It had started normal enough, both boys were eating their bento's that they had packed earlier that day. Izuku, being the fast eater he was, finished first and was now running his hands through Hitoshi's long hair in an attempt to braid it. "Have you considered wearing it short?" Izuku asked. Hitoshi twinged in pain as Izuku had hit a snag with his fingers as he took the hair tie out.

"Nah, not really. When it's short it has a mind of its own. At least while it's long I can control it with a hair tie."

Izuku hummed. Hitshoi could feel him separating a few locks of hair. Hitoshi brought some rice to his mouth and chewed before chuckling. "I remember when dad had to give you the 'hold still!' smack on the head when he'd try to do your hair."

"Please, he still gives me the 'hold still!' smack on the head. Now it's just not for doing my hair. God, I was such a little pain when he would try to do my hair."

They could only both chuckle at the memory of Izuku whining while Aizawa tried to get his to cooperate. "But to be fair to you. Dad really didn't know how to care for type 3A hair at the time. Remember the time you cried because you thought you looked like Ronald Mcdonald?"

"Don't remind me!" Izuku barked out a loud laugh at the memory. "I just can't believe your hair is type 2A. Dad knew how to deal with that! Even if it is fluffier than Miso."

Hitoshi dipped his head back so he could look at Izuku while smiling. "You're just jealous."

Izuku stuck his tongue out in retaliation. "Maybe. So what if I am- also-" Izuku lightly swatted Hitoshi's head. "Hold still!"

"Ow! Brat." Hitoshi had a grin on his face as he moved and looked forward, allowing Izuku to continue his quest to braid Hitoshi's hair. There was a bit of silence between the two of them as Izuku focused solely on making the braid perfect. His tongue was even poking out of the corner of his mouth as he did so. Hitoshi focused on finishing up his meal all while trying to keep still.

"Hey, Hichan… I've been wondering…" There was a curiosity in Izuku's tone now as he started to slow down on his braiding.

"Yeah?"

"Do… Do you think I have what it takes to get into UA? I mean… at least you have a quirk. I'm at a huge disadvantage."

"Ha!"

Hitoshi groaned as a familiar ear piercing laugh grated his inner ears.

Akisho Shin came stalking up to the two of them with his hands in his pockets.

Akisho was the cause of all of Hitoshi's and Izuku's middle school problems. If he could vanish off the face of the earth it would make Hitoshi so, so, happy.

Akisho was taller than Hitoshi. Akisho was at least a head taller than Hitoshi. He had frizzy wild burgundy colored hair that reached his shoulders, it seriously looked like he never brushed his hair, ever. He wasn't exactly muscular, but he didn't need muscles. His quirk did most of his talking. Honestly, for Hitoshi, Akisho's quirk wasn't all that great, but was still powerful.

All Akisho needed was touch and he could make people move like they were his puppets with his own body. He likes to call himself 'The marionette.' Maybe Hitoshi wasn't impressed because it was an inferior version of his own quirk. Or maybe it was because Akisho nearly killed Izuku by making him walk out in the middle of traffic one day, or maybe, just maybe, it was the double standard. Hitoshi was ostracized for his quirk and yet Akisho was borderline praised for how 'useful' and 'cool' his quirk was.

It pissed Hitoshi off to no end and Akisho knows it.

"You think you're getting into UA? Ha! I mean I know their standards are pretty low given the teachers that work there, but I don't think they'll let some quirkless kid in."

"Watch your mouth, Akisho." Hitoshi stood abruptly and placed himself between Izuku and Akisho.

Akisho smiled and then dragged his fingers across his lips, mimicking a zipper. He then looked from Hitoshi to Izuku.

"You want to make it with the big dogs but you need your 'brother' here to protect you at every turn. Do you think he's going to be there for you when you have to fight villains for the first time? No, he has to focus on himself, and face it, you'll just drag him down. Just like how you dragged down your original family. I mean they hated you so much that they didn't even care that you were missing. How sad is that?"

"Fuck off!" Hitoshi grabbed Akisho's collar only briefly before pushing him to the ground. "Don't you listen to him, Zuchan! You can do it, both dad and I believe in you and that's all you need."

The damage had been done, unfortunately. Izuku quickly looked away from his brother and curled his knees to his chest.

Akisho let out a laugh and he got to his feet. "Look, he knows I'm right."

"I'm giving you one last chance to walk away, Akisho. I promised my dad I wouldn't get into a fight today. Don't make me break it." Hitoshi raised his fists up.

"There you go again, Hitoshi, running to Izuku's aid. Seriously, Izuku, you need to learn to fight your own battles and not have your brother dearest do it for you. It gets old and you'll get nowhere in life." Akisho then turned and walked away leaving the two of them alone.

"Asshole!" Hitoshi snarled at Akisho's retreating form. "One day… I'll happily rub it in his face when we both become heros." Hitoshi walked up to Izuku and squatted down next to him. "Don't take what he says to heart, Zuchan. He's just an ass who doesn't know what he's saying."

"..." Izuku let out a sigh and quietly raked his fingers through his hair, stopping his hand at the back of his head so his hair was out of his eyes. "But… he's right." Izuku whispered softly.

"No he's not-"

"-He is, Hichan. At least… he's right that you do tend to jump into battles that should be mine and mine alone. I appreciate it, I really do, but if I get into UA… I can't have you jumping in to fight for me."

"There's no if. You're getting in." Izuku's eyes flickered up to Hitoshi as Hitoshi brought his hand out for Izuku to take. Izuku did so, he had no clue how cold his hands were until he touched Hitoshi's warm hands. "And… I do jump in a lot, but that's only because I want to make sure nothing happens to you. I don't know what I'd do if…" Hitoshi frowned and scratched the back of his head.

Izuku leaned in and wrapped Hitoshi into a tight hug. "I know." Hitoshi ran his fingers through Izuku's curly hair before leaning in and nuzzling Izuku's soft hair with his nose. "Still… let's try and dial it back, please? Not everybody is trying to kill me."

Hitoshi sucked in a breath through his teeth. "I'll try."


"Maybe he's right…" Izuku muttered to himself as he walked down the street. School had just gotten out not too long ago and Izuku wanted to go to the nearest gas station before going home. Usually, Hitoshi would join Izuku on his daily walk to the gas station, but Hitoshi had to stay behind for detention. It was a previous detention from earlier this week. Izuku actually wanted to stay behind, but Hitoshi waved him off only asking one thing of Izuku: "Get me a meatbun from the gas station?"

"Maybe I should just give up on my dream." Izuku flipped through his journal, landing on a picture of his prototype hero costume. "After all, Akisho makes a point."

It was a mixture of his two favorite heroes: Rabbit ears hood and a fake smile over his mouth, from All Might, and slotted goggles and a capture weapon like his dad. Obviously there was a bit more to it, but those were the basics and would keep his identity hidden, something his dad pressured into them. Izuku really wanted his own capture weapon. Maybe not a scarf, the scarf was too hard for him to properly control, something more akin to a rope or, if possible, have his sleeves be capture weapons. Something he could control with only his arms.

Still, Akisho's words kept echoing in Izuku's mind. Even if by some miracle Izuku got into UA it wasn't exactly going to be an easy ride. If anything it might even be worse if all these people with super strong quirks met him. Someone with no quirk-

"Remember, Izuku you can-"

It was like Izuku was violently and suddenly stabbed in the back of the head. Dropping his journal to the ground; Izuku grasped at his hair as he collapsed to his knees. His breath hitched and nearly died in his throat. All he could hear was a violent ringing in his ears and he gasped out and covered his eyes as the light outside almost seemed to intensify tenfold.

As soon as the pain started it was over just as quickly.

Izuku kept his eyes squeezed shut for several seconds as he tried to level his breathing. 'What was that?' was the first coherent thought Izuku had after the ringing and pain had stopped. "I heard a voice…"

Izuku blinked and slowly started to stand up, his arms were shaking and his legs felt oddly numb, but he was okay. 'Was I hit with a stray quirk?' it almost seemed possible, but…

That felt…

It felt like a memory. That voice. Izuku knew that voice. He didn't know who it belonged to but he knew that voice from somewhere. "I… I have to tell dad!" Izuku suddenly started to grin madly. If this was a memory then maybe-

'Ugh!' Gagging at a sudden wretched smell that invaded every pore in his nose, Izuku covered his mouth. He had then turned around, ready to sprint back home and announce to his dad that he (maybe possibly) just had a memory. It was just a voice and nothing visual but it was still something. But his happiness was short-lived. The moment he turned he realized he wasn't exactly alone.

There stood a villain that seemed to be made entirely of pollution condensed into sludge had rounded the corner and Izuku realized his sudden predicament. He was under an overpass and basically alone. Izuku's heart rate quickened. 'His body is made entirely of sludge, what fighting knowledge I know will be useless. My hands will just sink into his body.'

"If you're ever in a situation where you fear for your life and you can't fight, the best thing you can do is scream. Scream for help, that you're being attacked, do not scream fire. It won't work and I hate that they teach that in school." His father's voice came to his mind.

"Well… what have I got here? A perfect little vessel-" The sludge villain suddenly rushed for Izuku at an alarming speed.

"I'm-!" Izuku opened his mouth prepared to scream his lungs out for anybody to hear, but that's where he made his fatal mistake. Before Izuku knew it he couldn't speak, he couldn't even breathe as the villain violated his mouth and was trying to squeeze his body down Izuku's throat.

Izuku was up in the air, his limbs useless as the Villain had him in a tight grip just a few feet off of the ground. The Villain's sludge wrapped around his entire body, as his sludge inched deeper and deeper down Izuku's throat. 'Help! Help! I can't breathe! Hichan! Dad! Someone!' Izuku's mind went blank with panic as he tried to claw at the villain, but his meek attack did little to the monster made of sludge and pollution.

Time was slowing down, his vision was starting to darken, and he realized that he was dying. 'It wasn't supposed to be like this! I-I want to be a hero like All Might, like my dad!'

The villain was talking to him but Izuku couldn't hear him over his own moral panic. His lungs screamed in protest over the lack of oxygen and his clawing became weaker and weaker as he pitifully kicked his legs.

'Dad… Hichan… I'm sorry.' Was the last thought he had before he passed out.

Though, before he fully passed out, Izuku was sure he heard a noise. It sounded like clattering. Like something heavy and made of metal hit the ground.

YEAAAAH! IT'S TIME THIS FIC GOT ROLLING!