I both love and am mildly annoyed by this chapter...
If you can guess where the name Mikumo comes from, you get a cookie.
"What is this?" Inko asked, her tone soft and filled with fear.
The doctor sighed, putting his hand on Her shoulder. "Your son, as far as we can tell, was hit with a duplicating quirk mere hours ago. It was an accident, a small child with an uncontrollable quirk hit him." He gestured to the second Izuku, one even thinner than her baby, lying cold on the hospital bed hooked up to an IV. He oozed innocence and light, the same as her trueborn son did. She loved him already. "Do you... do you know what you wish to do about the clone?"
She turned to him, her eyes wide. "Is he alive?"
"Yes, and he holds a consciousness... only, he lacks things your son has. The child that cloned him, her quirk was not strong enough yet, given her age. She may have successfully cloned him but she was unable to give him a fully developed body nor was she able to clone his memories entirely from what we can tell. They are distant, detached. As if missing the emotional connection your son would have. For example, he would know that you are his mother but he would not be able to love you as the emotions attached to his memories are gone. So I ask you, given that explanation,... do you wish to keep him?"
She nodded. "There is little I have been more sure of. He is my baby, born of Izuku,... he is still my baby. I will make him love me."
The doctor chuckled. "You are a wonderful woman... It would be best for the clone to have a familiar face for when he wakes up. He is permanent, that much we can tell. He might need a name."
She nodded, a soft smile on her face. "I cannot wait to meet him."
"""
"Where am I?" The boy sat up, seeing endless white and bright fluorescent light, smelling the stench of bleach and hospital cleaner. "Mom?" He asked, turning and seeing Inko Midoriya... and he felt nothing. Frowning, he looked down at his hands. "Why don't I... I know I am supposed to feel something, anything, towards you. You're my mom, but I don't feel anything... it's all a blank."
"Mom, who's that!" He turned, hearing his own voice and seeing himself in another bed... eyes wide with fear and confusion. "I have a clone, or am I the clone?"
Behind Inko, a doctor the other boy hadn't noticed raised his hands. Pointing to panicking Izuku, he said. "You are the original Izuku, the other is a clone created by a four year old's powerful duplicating quirk."
Putting a hand to his chest, he shivered. " I am a clone... I guess that makes sense, but why do I feel so little?"
"The girl's powers were not strong enough to give the full breadth of the original Izuku's memories."
Nodding, he smiled hesitantly at his mother. "So... what now?"
She smiled back. "Clone or not, you are still my baby. I am thinking of it like reincarnation, you would be my baby in any life... so since you are a newborn, you need a new name. How does Mikumo? It is what I was going to name Izuku at one point."
To his shock, the newly named Mikumo felt a rush of pleasure fill his chest, like a piece of his soul was fulfilled by the simple fact of having a name. "Thanks, Mom." He turned to Izuku, who was looking at him with less fear and more curiosity. "You always wanted a sibling... I guess we got what we wanted..."
Izuku beamed. "Do you want to be a hero too?"
Mikumo thought of it...'I have no quirk... and unlike Izuku, All might is not going to give me one, he only has one to give. So do I really was to be a hero? Can I be a hero?' To his shock, the answer was easy. Images of heroes like Snipe, Midnight, Ms. Joke and several others appeared in his mind, the gears within stirring as a result. Slowly, with a smile, he nodded. "I still like the idea of helping others, but I am quirkless... I guess... I have a question, one that... sort of bothers me. Maybe it's because I have no emotional hang-ups, so I am thinking more clearly than you would normally... but why did you never learn combat? Or anything that would help you be a hero? First aid for rescue missions. Marksmanship like Snipe? I mean all sorts of heroes use quirkless combat, like Midnight, Ms. Joke, and quite a few others?"
Izuku cringed. "I never thought about it I guess... or maybe I assumed they would teach us at Hero School?"
"I guess..." Turning back to their mother, he offered her a smile. "Mom, can we afford to send me into a few classes... and can I take online classes?"
She frowned. "Why online classes?"
It was only Izuku's terrified gaze that stopped him from telling her what was really going on. "I just want to focus on getting into UA. I have to work twice as hard as everyone to get in... I need to get into shape, I need to learn all those things I mentioned. First aid for rescues, combat to protect people and fight villains, marksmanship to use a weapon? Can we afford that?"
She nodded, slowly, her hand on his cheek. "Do you really want this?"
"I think so... yeah, I do."
"Then I will make it a reality... I... I never gave you or Izuku the faith you deserved, I was scared, but seeing that spark in your eyes, and hearing what you just said... I think I can see it is your reality. I will try, from now on. For both of my boys."
She hugged them both, kissing their cheeks softly. "Now... you boys need your rest, the doctor said you can be out by tomorrow. He will be helping you get a all your records and making sure you're up to date on your shots Mikumo."
Chapter end, tell me what you think in the reviews.
This was a blast to write.
Love, your Ninja Overlord,
Mika.
