The Bright Hero, Cobalt

Chapter Sixteen

A/N: Thanks again to all of you! You really keep me going! Be safe and healthy!

Important PSA: Black Lives Matter. This is a fact, and it is non-negotiable.

"Normal speech."

"Buff Might/AI/Explosive rage/SHOOOOOTOOOO speech."

'Thinking.'

"Telepathic speech."

'Sign language.'

The Next Day, Evening

After some testing, Izuku and Ochako found that they could, in fact, bring others with them between hyperlane jumps, as Izuku called them, the bonds themselves essentially being like FTL hyperlanes, though neither bothered figuring out if they actually travelled faster than light. It was also fortunate, they found, that they could bring objects with them, since Inko had shown a desire to cook a bit for the get together. Ochako and Izuku were both pacing with nervous excitement a room away from where the woman was cooking, the two having come to an agreement that they should share their thoughts and feelings a bit more freely through the bond than they had been.

Inko had behaved in a subdued manner when they asked her about the Protector, as Ochako had dubbed him. His existence within Izuku's subconscious had her giving off mixed signals, seeming simultaneously hopeful and sad. Ochako had seemingly figured out what he was to Izuku, though her attempts to relay the information were met with strange, if comical, interference. She tried to tell him verbally, but her words were misheard every time, occasionally being replaced with things said by completely different people to Izuku's ears. It was more than a little hilarious when she spoke and Katsuki's voice came out saying something nonsensical, and when she tried signing the information to him, or writing it down, well…

He'd known instantly that the Protector's interference was in play when her sign language was replaced entirely with middle fingers, her hands appearing stuck in that shape no matter how they moved, and when she tried writing it out, all he could read was, "Haha, nice try!"

They tried to convince Inko to tell them, since he'd said he'd allow her to tell but she'd shake her head in exasperation and said, "Tomorrow. I'll give you the letter tomorrow."

Izuku sighed in mild frustration, stopping his pacing to check the items they were bringing with them a fourth time. His mental passenger seemed to be feeling a bit better than he had been when he'd first awakened, at least, even though he couldn't stop feeling upset at various things. At least they'd be heading off to have fun very soon. He couldn't wait to properly meet Ochako's parents, his girlfriend having been over the moon upon discovering they'd be able to bring Inko with them.

The verdette blushed enough that it reached his neck at the thought. Ochako was his girlfriend. The idea of him finding somebody so wonderful and willing to date him just seemed so unreal, and yet…

Katsuki literally punched himself in the face hard enough to make himself bleed upon realizing he'd crushed Izuku's self confidence enough that he thought himself undeserving of romantic love. The blond had asked Eijiro to punch him instead, but the red wall had decided that would be a bad idea. When Izuku heard he'd done this, he hugged his childhood friend. "Don't hurt yourself like that again, Kacchan," he said through tears. The explosive teen hugged his friend back, crying just a bit as well, before he shoved him and flicked his forehead, then congratulated him on getting a girlfriend.

A pair of round, pink cheeks, and the rest of Ochako's face, popped up in front of him, the girl a bit concerned at her boyfriend. "You still in there, Izuku-kun? Felt like you were lost in your head for a second there," the brunette asked, waving a hand in front of his face that he playfully swatted away.

With a grin, the freckled empath shared the last bit of mental shenanigans with his friend, the girl blushing herself when reminded that this was real. The two of them had pushed past the bit of cloudiness that had separated them from admitting to their feelings for each other. Izuku's unique power was definitely a huge factor in their closeness, though the two of them were certain that even without it, the two of them would have eventually ended up like this, had they met in such a different timeline. Maybe there was a timeline where Izuku only had One for All, and the two of them started dating two or three years into their time at U.A.?

Reading his heart, Ochako grasped his hand in hers. He still enjoyed the fact that her fingerpads were palpable. It made holding hands with her even more special than it already was.

"Nothin' platonic about this, Izuku-kun," the girl said with a grin.

The verdette blushed cutely, and responded, "Y-yeah. I know. Th-thanks again," he stammered as he locked eyes with her, making the brunette blush a bit as well, looking away a bit as she rubbed the back of her head with her free hand.

The two were interrupted by the click and flash of a camera, Inko having entered with her phone and taking a picture of the two of them. "Aaaaand sending! Your parents will love this picture, I bet!" Inko exclaimed happily, before putting her phone away and saying, "The katsudon is done now. I just need to get it into a container, and we can leave. Get yourself ready, Izuku! We can't make a good impression if we can't get there, after all!"

Izuku nodded, thinking happy thoughts and getting his blue aura generated. The three of them placed their shoes on, and called the Urarakas to tell them to come outside as they ascended into the sky. "Supermove: Hyperlane Jump!" Izuku shouted with glee as the three of them and what little they were bringing was changed into particles of blue aura that reappeared outside of an apartment in Mie prefecture, the blue line of light ignored for now, seeing as it would vanish in less than a minute.

Aaand with the meeting came the greeting. "Uraraka Mizuki. I thought somebody with your reputation would be a little bit...older," Inko quipped playfully.

"General Inko...Yer shorter n' I expected," Mizuki replied with a grin.

Inko tried her hardest to respond properly, but the laughter bubbling up from within prevented it somewhat. "Jedi scum!" she got out before the group all started laughing uproariously, then silently thanked the vigilante from the beginning of the era of quirks whose actions had the unintentional effect of preserving the internet of that time for generations.

Lady Love sneezed at home as she graded papers, being a descendant of that vigilante. Let it be known that many consider Aiba Mahiru a hero in the moral sense, regardless of the legality of her actions, and she did save the lives of many with her powers.

The Uraraka couple welcomed Izuku and Inko inside, Ochako having already let herself in, excited as she was. The two families chattered mindlessly, simply enjoying each other's company.

"Ochako tells me yer son was thought ta be quirkless, is that right?" Naoto asked, the subject having not come up in conversation before. Inko nodded, a bit nervous at the direction the conversation was going despite the grin on the man's face. "I'm quirkless myself, so I know some of what he must've gone through. I can recommend y'all to my therapist. He can prolly help yer son with some things he's been through, since he specializes in that field an' stuff," the man said, before pulling out his wallet and handing Inko a card. "Hopefully he won't need it, but just in case."

Inko smiled and accepted the card with a thank you, before looking down the hall where Ochako and Izuku had disappeared to. The two had gone to her room, where Ochako was pulling out an old gaming system and setting it up, the two of them having spent several evenings at his home taking each other on in various games. Izuku laughed at the controller for the Nintendo 64 replica, the object looking incredibly ridiculous. "Someday alien paleontologists will find these things, and they're gonna be so confused!" the boy laughed, the girl of his dreams snickering as well.

The grownups smiled fondly as their kids enjoyed themselves, before they went to the living room to talk about grownup things, leaving the young couple to enjoy themselves.

About Half An Hour Later

The two families were eating now, enjoying a bit of smalltalk as they sat at the dinner table. Naoto grinned at Izuku, a question on his mind. "So, when my lil' girl saved ya in the entrance exam, what exactly was on yer mind? How badass she is? How pretty? How nice?" he teased.

With a bit of a laugh, Izuku set his utensils down. "Thinking back, I'd never been so happy to be thrown so hard. She did that to remove me from danger, so there was no way I wasn't gonna come flying back to help her! Your daughter's gonna be one helluva hero someday, sir! If you were to ask me, though, she already is," he responded, his smile turning fond as he looked down bashfully. "I'm...very glad she's the person my quirk bonded with. I don't know how that aspect of my quirk works, exactly, but being able to talk to her, and being able to be there for her when she needs somebody to talk to, it really helps. Our relationship might not have come about normally, but I'm really glad Uraraka-chan thinks I'm worth dating."

His words were so precious, Naoto and Inko both started crying, as Mizuki and Ochako laughed up a storm. "Ochako, sweety, this boy's too precious! I can't handle talkin' to him!" Naoto exclaimed as he wept, Inko handing Mizuki a tissue to give her husband as she wiped her tears with one of her own.

Mizuki simply laughed and dabbed at her husband's tears herself, not bothering to give him the tissue, before she kissed the man on the cheek. "Looks like Ochako takes more after me, then. She likes 'er boy to be an emotional mess!" the woman teased, leaning over to pat her daughter's head. "I think I know who's gonna be wearin' the pants in this relationship!" she said with a grin. This caused another uproar of tears and laughter from the two families, as Izuku turned to look at a photograph he somehow knew was on the wall nearby.

It was a photo of Ochako and her parents, sitting on a picnic blanket late at night with some food, a portable heater, and a telescope he knew was kept in a closet down the hall. The night sky was filled with bright, beautiful stars, the rest of the milky way clearly visible. It was Ochako's grandfather, who had passed a few years ago, who'd taken the photo. The image, and the joy and longing it put in his heart, inspired him, the boy taking the thoughts he just had and locking them away from where Ochako was permitted in his mind. It wouldn't do for her to learn of the surprise he'd just thought up ahead of time, after all. He grinned at his girlfriend and winked, the girl getting a confused look on her face before she just laughed, thinking his smug look needed a bit of work, being as silly as it was.

Soon enough, though, it was time for the Mustafar trio to head back. Before they could leave, though, Mizuki stopped them, then ran down the hall and returned with a well-kept box, which held something precious. "Ochako, sweetie, this boy's gonna take you out somewhere nice eventually. I seen that look in his eyes, he's already thinking up a first date. If it's somewhere you can wear somethin' nice, wear this, all right? I made sure last night it's still in good condition, so please take care of it," the older Uraraka said to the younger, the smaller brunette getting starry-eyed before she accepted the box, holding onto it carefully.

Inko giggled, joy filling her heart. "I'll keep an eye out for a nice suit for Izuku. He's definitely outgrown his old one by now. Please let us know anytime you want Ochako-san brought over! We'll be sure to keep in touch regardless!" the stout woman said giddily.

After Ochako got hugs from both her parents and Izuku got a short warning to stay safe with their daughter (Damn hormonal teenagers!), the trio vanished in a flash of cobalt, headed to the Bakugou residence via hyperlane jump. After a bit of socializing with the Bakugous, in which Katsuki took several pictures of the new couple, maniacal laughter exploding from his mouth as he sent the pics to all their friends, Inko headed home, while Izuku walked Ochako to her apartment. The two spent the trip in comfortable silence, hands held the entire way.

A Little Past Midnight, At Mei's Workshop

Mei Hatsume awoke to an alarm set in the Sazabi armor she gifted Aureck. The armor itself was empty and docked, but Aureck herself was there, a tall glass of cold brew in her outstretched hand. The mad engineer downed the delightful coffee elixir of awakening in short order, before turning to her friend. "So, [Redacted], how's this afternoon for visiting Midoriya-chan?" she asked.

The girl blushed, pulling her hoodie closer to her mouth. "I'm still nervous. Also, did you have to call me [Redacted]? You know there are people who patrol here at night, Meimei. I'm still…"

Mei placed a gloved hand on her friend's shoulder and pulled the shorter girl into a hug. "You shouldn't be scared, though. You know what Midoriya-chan said was true. There are scary people in this world, yes, but they're so outnumbered by good people that it's not even funny. You have a right to be free of your past, but you won't get there if you stay in this cage you put around your heart. Please, just go there normally. You can hide your features if you want, but please be visible to them. If you can't do it for yourself, can you do it for me?" the tentacle-haired girl requested softly, unusually gentle.

Aureck frowned for a second, before looking at a panel on the wall that led to where Mei's more 'secret' babies were being developed. She made a decision. "You're right. I'll hide my features, but I'll actually be there, and they'll see me. And Meimei?" she asked, as the reticule-eyed girl locked onto her eyes, the bags beneath them from sleepless nights not bothering the mad engineer in the least. "I've decided what I want my hero suit to be based off of. It's scary-looking, but I'm a bit scary too. The woman who piloted it, though, she was a beautiful person, and so am I. I want Kshatriya. My Hero Name will be Marida."

The mech builder grinned. "I'll have to make several adjustments, since it's not human-shaped enough, but I'll get it built in the next day or so. I've got enough green aura particles to make it unbreakable, too. I'll just need some red particles from you, and it'll be yours. Now, I've gotta get busy! So many projects, so little time!"

The ghost of U.A. smiled at her childish friend, rolling her eyes as she went back to patrolling the grounds.

At Eleven That Day, At The Midoriya Residence

Izuku blinked in confusion. This was not how he'd thought this Sunday was going to go. Mei and Aureck had essentially kidnapped Ochako, and dragged her to his house, where they let themselves in, and his mother kinda just let them. The brunette had intended to show up, just not until later, but Mei works in mysterious ways. At least Aureck seemed uncomfortable about it as well, judging by her posture. Speaking of Aureck…

"Um, what are you-"

"It's cosplay. Meimei made me wear it. I'm Char Aznable from the show we're gonna watch, except for the mask over my mouth and nose, as well as the backpack," the girl said, and while he couldn't see it, he got the feeling the girl was blushing up a storm.

"And the backpack-"

"Doesn't come off. Not in front of you or Uraraka-san, at least," the girl, no, woman, said. He had to remind himself that this person was around twice his and Ochako's age.

Mei laughed, the mad genius patting her friend's shoulder. "It was either this or looking like a mannequin. Bet that was freaky for Uraraka-chan, huh?" she laughed, referencing the brunette's encounter with Aureck on the day of the sports festival.

The brunette in question rolled her eyes. "Not as freaky as waking up to a cosplayer and a maniac in my house, eating my mochi, in my room!" Ochako snarked accusingly.

The maniac from the above statement waved the accusation off. "Pfft. Details. Aureck-chan, DO THE THING!"

The two of them could feel the eye roll, even if they couldn't see it from behind the cosplay mask. "One viewing of the Universal Century timeline prior to the events of Gundam Unicorn, coming right up. Be glad we brought tissues," the masked girl said as she reached her hands out and grabbed Izuku and Ochako by the shoulders. They were shown exactly what the masked woman said, and in seconds were on the floor bawling their eyes out.

"I thought it was just a regular mecha show! I WAS WROOOOONG!" Izuku wailed as he and Ochako gradually pulled themselves back together, accepting the tissues offered by Aureck while Mei set up a small entertainment system that folded out of the pinkette's backpack in the living room, making them wonder what was in Aureck's backpack…

Before they knew it, everything was set up. Inko sat nearby, tears of joy running down her face as she remarked about how her baby was finally having multiple friends over at once. Drinks and snacks had been obtained, and so, they started watching Gundam Unicorn RE:0096…

A Few Hours Later

Izuku and Ochako had been a bit hesitant, considering how they'd basically been forced into knowing about the series, but the two of them found themselves enjoying themselves. At one point, Mei had had the two of them sit while Aureck got behind them and took her masks off, and she took a photo. "Gonna be a bit before I can show this to you guys, but Aureck-chan is probably gonna make this her phone background," the mad engineer had said as she sent the image, and Aureck's phone pinged with the message. Needless to say, the two masks found their way back onto her face quickly.

It was halfway through episode six when Izuku noticed Aureck getting a bit fidgety. In an attempt to calm her down, the greenette made a bit of smalltalk. "You know, that Marida Cruz character kinda makes me think of you," he said, and mostly ignored the sudden burst of laughter from the crazy engineer sitting nearby. "She seems a bit sad, but she cares about the people she's close to. She's also really strong, and that's the feeling I get from you."

"Stop that. You're supposed to say nice things like that to your girlfriend, and she's right next to you," the enigma said with a hiccup that seemed to hide something else, then turned to the older Midoriya. "I'm sorry, I delayed my initial reason for coming here unacceptably long. It's getting a bit awkward, so can we have our chat now?" she asked, her voice wavering a bit.

Inko nodded, and the two made their way to her bedroom, hearing Izuku complaining quietly. "Does she think I don't tell Uraraka-chan she's a badass all the time or something?"

Inko closed the door to her bedroom, and Aureck pulled off the masks and reached her hand out. "I should have introduced myself to you a long time ago now, but it's nice to meet you, Midoriya Inko. My name, the one I chose for myself, is [Redacted]. Thank you for being the parent Izuku-kun deserves, since we both know his male parent was a total asshole," the mysterious figure said, her hair flowing down from where it had been tucked beneath the helmet.

Inko smiled and took the hand, then pulled her in for a hug. "You know I would have adopted you if Doctor Chiyo hadn't gotten you first, right? He's not the same person as...him, but Izuku would have adored you as an older sister, and even now, you can come and go whenever. I'll even get you a key, and-"

"Thank you."

Inko's rambling was cut short by the tears and the simple words of gratitude from the girl in her arms. She hugged her just a bit tighter, and would have rubbed her back if not for the backpack that was still on, however, if what she knew of the girl was true, the backpack was just covering something else that would prevent proper comfort. As if sensing the thought, the girl pulled away. "Help me take this off. I'd do it myself, but Meimei made it in a hurry, so it's a two-person task," the girl said, turning her back to the elder Midoriya, who was more than a little stunned at the show of trust this girl was giving her.

Following her instructions, with a click and some whirring mechanical noises, the backpack came off, revealing the back of the girl's shirt, with a hole in it that revealed…

"I know. It's weird to look at. Izuku-kun's is easier to cover up, but since I'm...an older model, I'm a bit clunkier-" the girl said nervously, getting interrupted when the stout woman turned her around and looked her in the eyes.

"That doesn't define you. You are the person you make yourself, and you are beautiful. Don't ever let anybody tell you otherwise," Inko stated with finality. The girl, now feeling the age she appeared, wept into the older woman's arms.

"Mom, Meimei, and...They were right. I...I do need to connect to more people...But, Izuku-kun...I'm still afraid of how it will feel when he doesn't recognize me," she sobbed softly.

Inko smoothed the girl's hair as she held her. "When you're ready to cross that bridge, I'll help you do it. You know that even if he isn't the same as...him, he'd still love to be part of your family. You're already part of mine, even if we've never really interacted before. Just tell me when you're ready, and I'll set up a meeting, okay?"

The scared, crying child in her arms nodded. "Not today, though. Today's for you to let stuff off your chest. I'm...gonna let myself out, okay? I'll talk to you later," she said softly.

Inko nodded. "Say hello to your mother for me."

Aureck grinned wide at the other woman. "I will!" she exclaimed as she vanished from her perception, along with her masks and the backpack. The window opened, and after a few minutes, Inko shut it, certain that the girl had left by then.

A Little Over An Hour Later

As the credits of episode nine rolled, Izuku found himself crying just a little bit. With a laughter born of madness, the nuttiest person in the house shut down the entertainment system and began putting it away, the episode finished.

"Why would you end our watch session there?!" Ochako roared indignantly.

The reticule-eyed girl grinned at them. "My dragon doctor friend says cliffhangers are awesome! Who am I to argue with science?" she exclaimed, leaving her two friends confused at her explanation. "Besides, your mom has a letter she's been wanting to give you all day. I can't keep you away from that too much longer."

Izuku blinked in confusion. He'd forgotten about that. After the festivities had ended following the sports festival, his mother had spoken to him about a letter she'd been penning over the last few months, detailing the truth, whatever that meant. The mood turned a bit somber as he let Mei out, the girl heading back to her workshop.

Izuku walked into the living room and sat with his girlfriend, who grasped his hand in hers for comfort. The older of the two Midoriyas emerged from her study, having entered seconds after Mei started packing up, a folded sheet of paper in her hands. She sat down across from the two of them and handed it to her baby boy. "Please read it until the end, and remember that no matter how you came into this world, you are my hero and I love you," the portly woman said softly. Izuku nodded, wrapping his green aura around his mother to hug her as he unfolded the sheet of paper and started reading, giving Ochako access to his thoughts and vision.

To my sweet son, Izuku.

You were not born into this world the way most children are. I told you that I was raped and decided to carry you out of some sense of need, but those are lies. I am your biological mother, but I did not carry you, nor did I give birth to you.

Your male parent was the supervillain Scalpel. At some point before you were born, I was drugged, and pieces of me were taken while I was unconscious. He healed me, and put me back in my home, and I had no idea any of it had happened. With what he took from me, he grew you in an artificial womb of some kind. All of your memories from before you were three are fabricated by the person you used to be. That boy was essentially your older brother, who I failed to convince to stay. Even now, he is in your mind somewhere, looking after us as he tries to distance himself from the world that hurt him.

It's covered up pretty well, and you wouldn't be able to see it without clever use of mirrors, but on your back, there is a plug that scalpel used to have you interface with his equipment. Katsuki-san knocked it off once when you two were younger. I asked him not to tell you about it after the incident, so don't be mad at him for keeping it from you.

One truth that can never be taken away, though, is that I love you and your brother so very much. If he ever wakes up, please tell him I've decided to name him Ao, for the joy your blue aura represents, and the happiness you and he both deserve.

Please forgive me for keeping this from you, but I wanted so much for your childhood to be a happy, normal one, and that was robbed from us all by Scalpel. I love you, Izuku, and I love you, Ao. Never forget that.

Signed,

Midoriya Inko

Izuku wept as he leaped into his mother's arms, Ochako crying silently as she stood up to join them in the hug. "I love you, Mom. I love you," he said softly.

That is the truth. Love is the truth.