"I only have black dye."
Izuku shook his head.
"I would look like Dad with black hair."
Dabi rolled his eyes.
"I have black hair. What's wrong with that?"
"I mean…. Mom would see me and know it's me. You can't hide my eye color."
"Fuck, whatever!"
"What if we turned his hair red?" Himiko asked pulling out her make up kit.
"No," Izuku and Dabi said in unison.
Tomura sat there cross legged on the floor. This had to be the most boring debate of his life. He really wanted to rip his own hair out hearing it.
"How about silver?" she asked, "I have the stuff for it."
"Can I be blonde like All Might?" Izuku asked innocently.
"Jesus, are you trying to kill me?" Tomura asked looking pissed off.
"Maybe."
Himiko laughed, "You and me will match!"
Izuku gave her a small smile.
"Let me get the tint bowl and brush," the flame user said as he lifted his lazy ass off the couch.
Once he was out of the room, Izuku turned to Tomura.
"Are you letting him bleach my hair?" he hissed.
"Don't worry. He knows what he's doing," Tomura said with a reassuring smile.
"Um…. alright."
The flame user came back with the tint bowl and tint brush. He had on a plastic apron. He grabbed a thirteen gallon bag and cut it to make a hole for Izuku's tiny head. Izuku let out a small 'eep' as the villain picked him like he weighed nothing and placed him on the tallest bar stool they had.
"You haven't bathed yet have you?" he asked.
"N-no."
"Good. It's better not to wash your hair right before. It'll burn more. Sit still and it shouldn't take so long. You have short hair so that helps."
Himiko handed him the blue powder and then the developer. He mixed it without measuring anything. It made the tiny hero think he had done that more than once. He looked back at Toga who was just staring at him with a curious smile on her face.
It feels weird to be around everyone here. I feel as if maybe someone might kill me if I don't pay attention well enough. If Tomura left me long enough….. I'm sure one of them would try. Especially Toga.
Izuku did his best to sit still as Dabi soaked his ends with bleach. He wrapped each piece in foil. Once that was done, he sat down beside of him. He stripped off the gloves and started scrolling through his phone without a care in a world.
I wonder if Aizawa sensei and Shinsou are worried about me being gone. I'm sure Mom didn't tell them anything.
It was fleeting- just a small moment he felt sad. He wished more than anything she could've been there with them. She would've loved being there.
"Time for the roots."
Izuku was brought out of his thoughts thanks to Dabi's voice.
"Why do you sound like a smoker?" Izuku asked innocently.
The villain arched an eyebrow at him.
"I run hot so I constantly have to drink water. My body and quirk don't match up."
"Oh. That's interesting."
The flame user shot him a weird look before rolling his eyes.
He really doesn't like me.
Dabi moved the first foil, drenching his roots in globs of bleach.
"You find it interesting that the day I was born I was destined to fail?" he asked quietly.
Izuku's big innocent green eyes locked onto.
"I just see it as a small obstacle honestly. There would've support gear for that kind of stuff. I have stuff made for me since my quirk causes me damage too. I can end up like a broken toy if I keep it up."
An odd look overcame Dabi's face. Tomura stayed on his phone but he was listening to everything between the two of them. Toga stayed quiet as well for once.
"I guess we have some stuff in common brat."
"I was born to fail too. I can understand that."
The flame user stayed quiet as he continued painting his hair in the awful smelling liquid.
"I hurt myself so much because I thought I had to be exactly like All Might. I hurt my arms so much trying to be just like him. I was glad when he told me I was trying to hard to be him and I should find my own style-
SNAP
Izuku jumped to see the tint brush snapped in half. The brush end clattered to the floor and the other half melted in his hand as plastic dripped from his fingers onto the floor.
"I'lll… be back."
"Do you have another brush?" Himiko yelled but her question was unanswered by the slam of his bedroom door shaking the house.
"Would… a paint brush work?" the decay villain asked, "There's a few in the junk drawer."
"Oh, well I can try. There's only the top of your head left."
She dug through the drawer quickly. Bleaching was a race against time itself. She found a wooden one that looked the cleanest and started finishing up Dabi's work. It took her a few minutes.
"We'll wash it out in ten minutes."
She left Tomura and Izuku alone.
"I'm sorry," the child said quietly.
Tomura glanced at him and shrugged like it wasn't a big deal.
"He has a lot of unresolved issues. Well- we all do actually."
"I didn't mean to upset him."
"You didn't know. The fact he didn't burn you alive says he's matured a lot. I feel slightly proud of him."
"Um ok."
That definitely didn't make him feel any better. It just made him shudder.
Himiko cleaned off the counter and laid Izuku on it. She pulled out all of the foils and rinsed his hair. She shampooed carefully then put on more conditioner than necessary. The feel of her nails against his scalp made him drowsy enough, he fell asleep easily.
"I think he was still tired. He's so adorable!"
Tomura looked over at them.
"I wouldn't doubt it. He tossed and turned all night."
Tomura eyed her as she glanced back at the tiny hero.
He muttered a lot in his sleep. I could barely sleep.
That thought made him rub his eyes.
"You really care about him. Like… family."
He looked up to see the softest expression on Himiko's face.
"All you sick fucks were getting the wrong idea when I told you."
"Are you looking for redemption Shiggy?"
His red eyes glowed with anger- almost.
"What are you suggesting, Toga?"
"Nothing. It's what I'm seeing. I'm not an idiot," she said with a frown, "Are you straying from our goal?"
"I'm straying from no where or for anything," he snarled looking annoyed.
She didn't look convinced.
"If you change your mind, just let us know."
She shrugged as she returned her attention to Izuku. She did her best to dry his hair so it wasn't dripping wet. Himiko glanced back at Tomura who had a complicated expression on his face.
Things are never the same. Perhaps there's acceptance for us all.
X
X
Inko sat at her kitchen table waiting for Aizawa to show up again. He promised he would and she was ready for it. She wasn't sure if he would be alone but she hoped he would be. She wasn't in the mood to have more than one person trying to question her. He had been by several times already to question her and it was getting on her nerves. It had only been three days now and he continued to keep asking where her son was.
She got up and made a cup of coffee for herself then poured one for Aizawa as well.
Knock knock
"Come on in," she called out.
The front door opened and just as she thought, Aizawa showed up alone. He had his hair tied up in a pony tail and looked more causal than she had ever seen him. He closed the door behind him and looked around like he was seeing if Izuku had showed up or if something was out of place. Inko placed the cup down for him and he gave her a slight nod.
"Thank you ma'am."
"I don't know why you insist on coming here. I won't be telling you anything more than I already have."
Shouta looked amused and a little shocked by the harshness of her words.
"Mrs. Midoriya-
"No. You have no idea what kind of hell he has been through," she snapped, "I won't be betraying his trust for anything. I know he's safe."
"I trust that. You don't look afraid for his well being."
The hero sat at the table looking like he had to think of his words carefully.
"I am the one who influenced Izuku I believe. I told him sometimes saving the one over the millions is in fact saving the millions."
Inko sat there still with a blank expression.
"I still stand by it. The fact you are firm in standing by him, means that particular saying is true."
She stayed silent.
"You think he can succeed?"
"I do. I believe in them both."
The answers she gave was so vague. She had a lot of time to really think about it. So there was a person the boy was trying to save... that was oddly comforting.
"Can you keep me in the loop?" he asked quietly with some hop in his voice.
The woman was on edge and he couldn't blame her. She put in a lot of blind trust in her teenage son and it made him wonder what exactly happened with them. Inko Midoriya didn't give a damn that he was a teacher, a hero and could arrest her if he wanted too but he wouldn't.
"I can't give you anything unless Izuku says it's ok."
"I figured as much."
She sipped her coffee, watching him closely.
"If… if you feel he's in danger in any way, tell me. I will help him no questions asked and I will go alone."
"Ok."
"Mrs. Midoriya-
"We are way past formalities Shouta," she said sternly.
He chuckled as he went to drink some of his coffee.
"I suppose that is true."
"Why hasn't All Might showed up?" she asked quietly.
Eraserhead arched an eyebrow at her.
"Do you want him too?"
"He was here a lot in the beginning and the middle. Izuku barely talked about him lately. Is he ok?"
"He has to see a few doctors here and there but over all he's ok. He's been resting easy since I am over seeing Izuku's work study. He has a lot of trust placed in me."
Inko visibly relaxed.
"Alright. As long as he's ok too."
"Izuku is very special-
"I already know that. Not because he's my son either."
Shouta pressed his lips into a thin line and nodded.
"If any person in the world can make the biggest difference, it'll be him," Inko said, "He's not the weak boy who I thought he was. Even though this world shunned him, hurt him and shut him out…. he still stood proud. He's the only one who can make a real difference in the world."
"I believe the same."
Inko finished off her coffee and placed her mug down a lot harder than she meant too.
"I hope you still believe that when shit goes down."
X
X
"So…. how are we going to do this when we have to babysit this pipsqueak?" Dabi asked.
"Hey!" Izuku shouted looking his way.
He looked slightly offended but he didn't know what they were talking about.
"He can go with us," Tomura stated.
"Oh my god! Yay!" Toga shrieked.
The men rolled their eyes and sighed.
"Anyways," Tomura said rolling out the map of a bank, "We need money. In out and job."
Izuku listened as Tomura went into extreme detail about what they were going to do but it all seemed so damn flawed he actually felt frustrated. Once the leader finished talking, Izuku cleared his throat with a smug look on his face.
"What?" the decay villain asked.
"Really? What was that shit?"
Sako snorted before clearing his throat.
"What did you say you little shit?" Tomura snapped but Izuku just leaned on the table looking even more cocky than before.
"You basically are running in there to look like yourselves. Do you not have any stealth whatsoever? You have a brilliant man right here with the ability to make copies of whoever whenever. Then you have Himiko here who can look like anyone. Why would you want to broadcast your faces? That you're so broke you're robbing a bank? Oh how scary!"
Everyone fell quiet.
"Find some idiot off the street. Copy him and use Himiko as someone to threaten him if he says otherwise. Who are they gonna believe? Him when he's actually seen robbing the place or they gonna arrest him for it?"
"He has a point," Dabi said, "I hate that I have to say that. I loathe it so much I want to punch him in round, kid face."
Izuku grinned, "Thanks- I think?"
"What do you propose we do then?" Tomura asked sounding testy.
"Create several Toga's. Have them use the blood of different people- don't kill them. That will point you all out. Use all the copies to do the job. I don't see what the hype is from killing people. Being able to sneak around and leave people alive as if your whole presence is hidden is more terrifying. You slipped through when no one was looking well enough. You have to be smart enough."
The villains stayed silent.
"You have the people to do anything you want. I understand the desperation but if you're gonna do it, do it right."
"Can we have a minute?" Tomura said standing up.
He grabbed Izuku's collar and pulled him from his seat.
"Hey!" Tomura carried him out of the living room and to his room. He dropped him on his bed and locked the door.
"What are you trying to do exactly?"
"I'm helping."
"Helping with what exactly?" Tomura asked, glaring at him, "We enjoy what we do."
"I've noticed," the little hero said, "But you're doing it wrong."
"How in the fuck am I being a villain wrong?"
"Because you are!" Deku said crossing his arms, "I can't believe I have to tell you that!"
"I should duct tape you to the wall and leave your ass there."
"Go ahead but it won't distract from the fact I'm still right."
Tomura ran a hand down his face.
"The thing is, all these villains make a big show of power. They flaunt it carelessly. Wouldn't the best course of action be to be as careful and sneaky as possible? To do things without being seen and leaving people afraid?"
He opened his mouth then shut it.
"I'm not trying to tell you that you're doing it wrong but with the way you're going and if you continue down this path, they will find a way to beat you. You carelessly keep flaunting what you got and you don't even care."
"Izuku, what are you trying to do?" he asked quietly, "Are you trying to be a villain?"
"No."
"Then what are you trying to do?"
"I want to understand you better."
His red eyes narrowed.
"You stay here."
With that, Tomura left Izuku to himself.
X
X
Jesus Christ. I am too old for all this shit.
Aizawa looked down at the mountains of manila folders. He had been so tired- so worried about Izuku that he hadn't done anything since he found out he was gone. He didn't want to stress himself out more but he had to tell Nezu. That rat was just as annoying. It was like he knew Izuku was gone. Like he knew what he was doing.
The underground hero just glared at the plate of food before him. Shinsou was nice enough to bring it to him for lunch but he wasn't hungry. He hadn't been hungry much at all. He pounded down eight cups of coffee already.
His scattered brain was trying to think who Izuku Midoriya would want to save and as to why. He already knew of all his friends, his rival and his enemies. Who did he come in contact with that he wasn't aware of?
He wouldn't tell All Might anything either. That skeleton had seen better days. He just looks so torn when it comes to that kid.
He rubbed his face for the umpteenth time.
Maybe I should use my vacation time to go look for him. It doesn't feel right not knowing where he's at.
He got up from his desk and just swiped his arm across the desk, knocking as much paperwork into his waste basket not caring if it went onto the floor in the process.
"Ummmm."
Shinsou and Nezu stood there in the doorway of his classroom. They watched Aizawa have a severely calm tantrum. Shouta straightened up and cleared his throat.
"I suppose it's time for you vacation huh?" the animal principal asked with a wicked grin.
"Fuck yes it is."
