Prologue
-Deku/Izuku Midoriya
Everyone remembers My Hero Academia, where my friends and I became the greatest heroes of our time. While some of my most memorable years, I have more to share with you all. Inheriting the title, Symbol of Peace from All Might made it very clear that like my mentor before me, I would need to train a successor, even if I could not pass on One For All.
Admittedly, I started off by assisting in the work study program at U. A. High School, hoping to find one of the students there to be a worthy successor. None of them quite fit the criteria that I set for someone to succeed me. Even when I broadened my search, I started to despair of ever coming across someone who would be able to pick up the mantle of Symbol of Peace when I could no longer carry it.
Little did I know then, that I'd find my successor in the most unlikely of places…
The recognizable shape of Japan's number one hero, Deku, was a reassuring sight for any civilian to see. A striking figure in dark green armor, gauntlets, boots, respirator and visor, the only distinguishing features aside from his costume was his fluffy green hair that stuck out at all angles and his green eyes that glinted from behind the visor.
Deku was out on patrol, swinging from building to building using one of the quirks within his quirk, One For All. This particular quirk was known as Blackwhip, and the black tendrils helped him easily cover distance in the city without too much exertion. Not moving with any urgency, his green gaze scoured the city for any signs of trouble.
It seems to be a quiet day…we've had quite a few of those recently. It's nice to get a breather every now and…! A loud crack, followed by a streak of lightning drew him from his thoughts and he quickly changed his course to head towards the disturbance. A bright sunny day and lightning? Something's up, and I'd best check it out. Maybe a power plant had a generator malfunction, or else it could be a criminal with an electric-type quirk.
A voice crackled over his ear-piece, "Deku, this is Officer Nagasaki, we just received reports of an electrical disturbance unrelated to any power or phone lines. We have you down as in the area today, is that correct?"
"Yes, I'm already enroute to investigate," he replied, slowing down his progress as he drew closer to the scene.
"Great, we have officers on the way to assist," Officer Berk stated before going silent again.
Deku perched on top of a building, taking in the scene from above. Apart from a bit of smoke, there was no other indication that there had even been an electrical disturbance. There was no sign of any people either. Or at least, not at first glance. Using Blackwhip, he made his way down to the ground and entered the alley. He paused, taken aback by what he saw.
Tears streamed down a young girl's face. Sweat plastered her white hair to her small head. She shivered and trembled as electricity sparked off her body, and Deku was startled to realize that the smoke seemed to be originating from her too. Her breathing was harsh as he approached, coming out in gasps. Alerted by his footsteps, she recoiled and seemed to curl further in on herself and cried out, "No! Don't come any closer! I'll hurt you!"
"It's okay, I'm here," He reassured the girl, stepping forward without hesitation.
"NO! I can't control it! I don't want to hurt anyone else!"
"I'm a lot stronger than you think," He said, stopping just a few feet away. "How did you get in this state?"
"I-I can't control it…it just builds and builds…"
The tears never stopped, and the pure fear in her eyes was something that he knew would be forever ingrained in his memory, "What's your name?"
"Rae.."
"Well, Rae, will you let me help you?"
"Okay," her voice was barely above a whisper. "J-just don't come any closer…"
"All right, Rae," Deku stayed where he was, "I won't leave you, I am going to call in some help though, okay?"
She nodded, and Deku got the impression that the child was in pain. With a sense of urgency, Deku activated a device on his wrist, and flicked through the screen quickly, before pressing the screen. Ringing sounded in his ear piece.
"Chargebolt," a male voice answered.
"It's Deku, I need your help with a situation," Deku explained calmly, lowering his voice slightly to not alarm Rae.
There was a pause. "You need my help? Me?!"
"Yes, your abilities are perfect for this situation," Deku explained.
"I mean, who am I to argue with the number one hero? Send me your location and I can give you an ETA," Chargebolt stated, sounding excited.
"Right," Deku tapped his wrist device again.
"Got it," Chargebolt said, the sounds of rummaging coming from his end. "Great! Not too far away. I can be there in a couple minutes! I'm guessing this is pretty urgent?"
Deku took in the state of the child once again, "Yeah, the sooner you can be here the better."
"All right, I'll stay on the line," the sound of running and an engine revving could be heard. "I take it you're not in the middle of battle, as it sounds pretty quiet."
"No, I was investigating an electrical disturbance."
"You didn't call me to fix a power generator, did you?" Chargebolt sounded disappointed.
"No," Deku reassured him. "I found a kid…"
There was silence for several seconds, "I don't think I heard you properly. Did you say a KID?!"
"Yeah…" A moan came from the girl and Deku whirled around to make sure Rae was okay. It did not seem good, as she was curled up in the fetal position, and the electricity sparking from her body seemed to be getting more energized. "I'm going to ask you to hurry, she's got electricity sparking off of her and she said that she can't control it."
"How old is this kid?!" Chargebolt demanded, and the sound of screeching tires could be heard.
"Five at most," Deku explained, taking a step closer to Rae.
"Don't!" She shrieked, and the electricity lashed out around her. Deku stepped back, though his gaze was worried.
"Shit, I heard that! I'm about a couple blocks away!"
In a few seconds, Deku heard the engine roar of a motorcycle and then the screeching of tires. The engine was soon silenced and running footsteps could be heard. Deku's gaze was on the child, as she writhed on the ground, the electricity getting more and more active.
Chargebolt started past Deku. His blond hair with a lightning bolt shaped streak was the first thing people tended to take in, followed by his simpler outfit of a black, short sleeved jacket, devices on both his arms, and his black jeans.
"No, please! I don't want to hurt anyone!" she sobbed.
There was no hesitation in the other hero's step. "Electricity is my Quirk, kiddo. I'm probably the best hero for you." He knelt down just within reach of the girl, but didn't touch her, "Will you let me help you? I can neutralize electricity, and it looks like you've got plenty of it to spare."
Rae opened her mouth to speak, but then was wracked by a cough. Both heroes were alarmed to see her cough up blood. "Y-yes…" she said weakly.
"All right…" Chargebolt glanced at Deku.
"Rae."
"All right, Rae, I'm going to ask you to not fight with the electricity. Let it flow out, I can handle it," Chargebolt reassured her.
She gave a weak nod, and then there was another blast of electricity, reminiscent to lightning. Chargebolt drew it in and neutralized it, but his eyes widened as it just kept coming.
This is incredible! What a display of power… Deku's thoughts soon changed from wonderment to empathetic, this poor kid can't control her own quirk…she must have just gotten it… with Chargebolt handling the situation Deku was able to take in Rae's appearance a bit more. She was covered in dirt and filth, and her clothes were ragged, she's homeless…
After what felt like ages, the electricity ceased. Chargebolt stood up shakily, "Deku…who is this kid?" His yellow eyes quickly took in her appearance. The frown that appeared on his face indicated he had come to the same conclusion as Deku. "Who abandons a kid like this? Especially one with such raw power…"
"No one who can help it…" Deku stated, approaching Rae, she was still trembling on the ground, but at least no longer seemed to be in pain. He cautiously set his hand on her back, and when she didn't protest and no electricity sparked at him, he started to rub her back reassuringly.
"Or no one good," Chargebolt muttered. "She can't stay out here, and she can't go to an ordinary orphanage. She's going to need help getting this under control…"
"Right," Deku agreed, half of his focus on Rae. Her breathing had started to slow.
"Hmmm…" Chargebolt looked thoughtful, "Don't suppose Aizawa would take in another kid in need, do you?"
Deku laughed at his old classmate's use of their teacher's name from high school, "No, probably not. He had a soft spot for Eri." Rae's trembling had ceased.
"We all did, to be fair," Chargebolt agreed. "Hmmm…what about you?"
"Me?!" Deku's eyes widened in surprise and he lifted his hand self-consciously off Rae's back.
"Yeah, why not? You have the resources available to you," Chargebolt reasoned, "And besides, you can call in just about any hero for assistance, or even some retired heroes. Plus, you're a caring individual. You stayed with this kid, even when you could have left her and just given me the location. Not to mention you have the space."
"I'm not sure…"
Chargebolt didn't let him finish, "And you know how to deal with a powerful quirk!"
"You know my case was different," Deku argued. "Besides, kids require a lot of care and attention. I've got my hero duties to perform."
"You can't call in All Might for a favor? I'm sure he'd get a kick out of this. Heck, I can help since it's an electric-type quirk that she has. Maybe call in a couple of our old classmates or mentors," Chargebolt was now on a roll.
Deku sighed, "All right…you've convinced me…" He glanced down at Rae, who had fallen asleep out of sheer exhaustion. "You'd better be good at talking the authorities into your way of thinking too."
Turns out…Chargebolt was as good at convincing the authorities, if not better, than when he'd purprosed the idea to me… It was a huge change for me, and while I, at first, tried not to call on others to help, within a few days, it became clear to me that Rae needed someone around, both for her physical and mental well being. So I called the two people who were most important in my life to assist me…
Izuku looked more exhausted than normal as he opened the door to his home, "Hi, Mom." He embraced the woman before him with warmth, even though he had to bend down to allow her to do the same.
Inko Midoriya had aged quite gracefully. She had retained much of her black hair, and it only had streaks of silver in it. She had also lost a bit of weight, but still maintained a womanly figure. There were some lines on her face, but nothing that phased the smile on her face as she greeted her son, "Izuku! I'm so happy to see you!" Her expression and tone went to scolding as she got a look at his face, "You should have called me sooner! Of course you need help raising a child with all you do!"
"I was trying to figure out what was best for Rae," Izuku explained, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "She's quite timid…and I really wasn't sure if she'd accept other people at the moment." He looked away, "But I can see that I'm not meeting all of her needs."
"Izuku, you're barely meeting your own needs from the look of it," she tenderly touched his shoulder. "Why don't you introduce us, then get some rest?"
"All Might's coming too, I can't ask you to completely give up your life."
"Nonsense!" Inko stated playfully pushing him away. "I'd do anything for my new granddaughter!"
Izuku smiled, "While I'm glad to hear it, she does have a powerful quirk, so I thought All Might might be able to help guide her like he did me…"
"And it would give him a purpose again," Inko finished quietly for her son as she saw the concerned look on Izuku's face.
"Exactly."
"Is he coming right away?" Inko questioned as she moved through the front hall, into the living room and into the kitchen.
Izuku shook his head, "No, I figured you could have several hours with Rae before he got here."
"Then introduce us so you can get some rest, Izuku," Inko's gaze was concerned. "You look ready to collapse."
"Give me some credit," Izuku laughed. "I'm not at that point."
"Let's not get there either!"
"Right," Izuku chuckled as he made his way to the door on his left. It opened into a hallway. "Rae's in my study."
"I was wondering why she wasn't out in the living room."
"She seems to feel safest wherever I frequent," Izuku explained. "I'm honestly surprised she didn't follow me to the door."
"I see…" Inko murmured.
Four rooms were on either side of the hallway, and a room at the very end. Izuku went to the first door on the right, knocking softly before opening it just a bit, hiding his mother from view, "Hey, Rae. I have someone I'd like you to meet."
When he'd first entered, Rae had lifted her head from whatever she was drawing on the paper in front of her and looked fairly calm, potentially happy. At the mention of a new person, she seemed to shrink a bit, like she was trying to appear smaller.
It broke Izuku's heart to see her that way. He managed to keep his expression upbeat as he opened the door further to reveal Inko.
"Rae, this is my mom," Izuku explained. Inko stepped fully into the room, smiling warmly.
"H-hello," Rae said, her voice just above a whisper.
Inko bent down to be closer to Rae's level, "Hi Rae, I'm going to be here helping out Izuku around the house."
Izuku looked at his mother in surprise. That had definitely not been in his plans.
"I'd love to get to know you better, Rae," Inko continued warmly. "Would it be okay if you and I talk for a bit while Izuku gets some rest?"
"Okay," Rae said quietly, looking back down at her drawing. Her expression was hard to read.
"Ra-!" Izuku made to move towards the girl, but his mother shepherded him out.
"Go on, Rae and I will be fine," Inko stated, getting him out of the study and shutting the door on him.
At first, Izuku took a couple steps down the hall before he paused, turning back to look at the study. He quietly made his way back to the study door
and listened.
Inko took in the young girl in front of her. Her heart ached to see how thin she was. Izuku had explained to her over the phone about the circumstances that had led to him having Rae in his care, but it was another thing to see it. Rae's emaciated frame exaggerated the fact that her t-shirt and shorts were not the best fitting. Inko made a mental note to tailor them to fit better.
Just as Inko was about to speak, Rae asked, "Does Mr. Deku not like me?"
"Oh no, that's not it at all," Inko sat down on the floor across from Rae. "Izuku just has many responsibilities, ones he can't necessarily give up to take care of you full time, even if he wants to."
Rae would not meet Inko's expression, "Does he want me around?"
"Oh, sweetie," Inko scooted closer to Rae, her maternal instincts kicking in. Rae flinched, but did not resist as Inko drew her into a warm embrace. "Izuku absolutely wants you around. He wouldn't have called me here if he didn't." She gave a soft smile, "Even heroes need help sometimes."
Inko rubbed Rae's back as the girl gave a sigh. How long has it been since she's had a safe place to call home? She glanced down at the drawing and smiled, "Is this a drawing of you & Izuku?"
"Yes," Rae's voice was at normal volume, less hesitant. "Though...I didn't think he'd like it…"
"I'm sure he'd love it," Inko reassured her. "You should show him later."
"Maybe," Rae said. She wiggled out of Inko's embrace and set the drawing aside, starting on another one.
"Can you tell me about yourself, Rae?" Inko inquired.
"Um…" Rae didn't seem to want to discuss herself.
"Here, let me start," Inko said smiling. "I'm Inko Midoriya, Izuku's mother. I'd love it if you called me Obaasan. I enjoy helping my son, as well as sewing and cooking. My quirk allows me to pull small objects to me." She moved a pencil to her hand with a couple easy movements.
Her words brought a small smile to Rae's face, "I'm Rae, Obaasan." Inko couldn't keep the smile off her face. "I like to draw. My quirk…" Rae's eyes seemed to grow fearful, but she managed to continue, "Is elec-elec…"
"Electricity?" Inko guessed.
Rae nodded, "I'm really thankful that Mr. Deku took me in."
"Did Izuku ask you to call him Mr. Deku?"
Rae shook her head back and forth, "No…we haven't talked a whole lot…it's why I thought he didn't like me…"
"Well, Rae, with me helping out, Izuku and you should have more time to get to know each other," Inko stated, still smiling, but her eyes were determined.
Rae's smile was more obvious, "I'd like that Obaasan!"
"I know Izuku would too."
Izuku was startled awake at a sound, and he felt disoriented. He wasn't sure what exactly he'd heard. Running a hand through his disheveled hair, he heard the doorbell again. All Might! He got out of bed and attempted to make himself look less disheveled. It was bad enough his mother had caught on to how exhausted he'd been, he didn't need All Might scolding him too!
By the time he'd changed clothes and got his hair into its usual state, he could hear All Might and Inko talking quietly as he entered the living room.
It would never stop hitting Izuku at how much All Might had changed since they'd first met. By doctors' assertions, All Might really shouldn't have been alive. As it was, the original Symbol of Peace was far from his glory days. His blond hair had turned white, and his gaunt frame sat in a wheelchair. He'd lost the use of his legs years ago, and they were hidden under a blanket. His intense blue eyes still gazed out from the shadows of his brow with the same intensity that they always had.
"There you are, Midoriya," All Might greeted him. "Your mother is right. You definitely need a rest."
Nothing gets past All Might, even now. "You're right, but I'm already feeling better after just those couple hours."
"Go get more rest," All Might stated. "It sounds like your mom has already gotten your new ward to like her."
"Now, hang on, let me at least…" Izuku tried to argue.
"Those days where you only relied on yourself are long behind you, young man," All Might stated. "Get rested up. You and I can catch up more later."
"Right," Izuku felt conflicted, even as he retreated from the room, a bit surprised at how well his old mentor seemed. Last time they'd talked, All Might had seemed like he'd lost much of his old spirit. Yet here he was, acting as if nothing had changed. Izuku laughed softly, well, I guess that's one less worry…
Truly, it was a huge weight off my mind to have Rae taken care of to a point where I could leave her alone without worry. Between my mom and All Might, I wasn't being pulled in as many directions. There were still other hurdles that came with raising a child with such a powerful quirk, yet timid demeanor. Due to the sheer raw power of Rae's quirk, she had to be trained. I was hesitant to do so, she was just a kid after all, but even though I was her guardian, some things were out of my hands…
Izuku glanced through the open space from the kitchen to the living room as he heard the door unlock. Rae had been in his care for several months now, and he'd lost the worn out look he'd acquired during those first several days. "Welcome back!" He greeted All Might and Rae as they entered.
"Mr. Izuku!" Rae greeted warmly. He had to laugh. Izuku had told her over and over to just call him Izuku, but she didn't seem ready to give it up just yet. Everything with Rae was slow, but steady. He let her set the pace with what she was comfortable with, and in turn, had been rewarded with seeing her real personality start to show through.
Right now was a prime example as she quickly put on her slippers and shucked out of her jacket before bounding across the living room and into the kitchen. Izuku barely had time to wipe off his hands before she'd tackled him with a hug. "Hi, Rae! Did you have a good time with All Might?" He embraced her, his heart warmed by this change. She was already bounds away from the child she had been.
"Yes! It was really fun!"
"Really?" Izuku glanced towards All Might and his smile faded. For a split second, All Might had looked concerned. "Everything went okay at the Hero Public Safety Commission?"
All Might sighed, "You know how it is. A lot of politics, but they acknowledged she's just a kid. They do want to see her three times a week to help with her quirk."
"Right…" Izuku murmured. So why am I so worried? It was true that after Hawks revealed his role as a spy during the time of the Paranormal Liberation War, the Hero Public Safety Commission had been brought under public fire, and had undergone several reforms. Still…Izuku and several other pro heroes were leery of the organization.
"Mr. Izuku?" Rae's voice brought his attention back to her. "Is it okay if I go there?"
"Of course, Rae," Izuku said, giving her a warm smile. "We want to get your quirk under control so you don't have to be afraid of it."
"That'd be great!" Rae agreed. "I'm sure Mr. Chargebolt would like to not come here so often too."
All Might laughed as he wheeled himself into the kitchen to join the pair, "Hahaha! Don't worry about that young lady! Chargebolt enjoys getting the chance to help you feel more comfortable with your quirk! It's part of who he is!" He coughed before continuing, "We keep telling him that he should go part-time as a hero and become a teacher."
Izuku laughed, "He might at some point, but we all want to make our mark on the hero scene." He glanced at All Might, "Who all will be there for this training?"
All Might answered, "Eraser, of course, just in case her quirk gets out of hand." At Rae's dejected face, All Might backpedaled, "Of course it's just a precaution! Same with Chargebolt, he'll be on hand when Eraser can't be. The Commission would like you to be there. They will probably contact you if they haven't already. It sounded like they might request Dynamight too, so she has two powerful heroes around to take example from."
"Katsuki? Really?" Izuku was a bit surprised. "Did he already agree?"
"It didn't sound like they'd asked him yet."
"Well this will be interesting…" Izuku muttered. He felt a tug on his shirt and looked down.
Rae questioned, "Mr. Izuku…is all of this a burden to the other heroes?"
"No, Rae," Izuku reassured her. "No one is doing this because they have to. It's because they want to help you so you're not afraid of your quirk."
"So…if I don't want to be a hero…is that okay?"
Izuku was stunned. Luckily, All Might saved him from answering, "That's right, Young Rae." He even drew Rae's attention away from Izuku by touching her shoulder, causing her to turn to face him instead, "Even if you don't think you're up to being a hero, they'll still help you. That's what heroes do." Rae's question had obviously piqued All Might's interest too, "Why don't you want to be a hero, Rae?"
"Heroes don't hurt others…" Rae seemed to shrink in on herself, something Izuku hadn't seen in months.
"Rae," Izuku pushed away his feelings on the subject as he knelt down to be at her level. "You said that when we first met too…can I ask you what happened?"
"I…I…" Tears streamed down Rae's face. Izuku pulled her into his arms. All Might quietly watched the interaction, though he seemed lost in thought.
"It's okay, Rae, you don't have to tell me," he stated.
"I hurt my mom!" Rae wailed, clutching at Izuku.
Izuku held Rae a little tighter, his mind racing, Mom? She has a mother? Does she have a father too? Are they looking for her?! She was out on the street though…did they leave her on the streets due to her quirk?! "Rae, it's okay…" Izuku looked towards All Might, to see him wheeling himself back out into the living room, though it was slow, one hand held up to his ear, obviously on the phone. Of course…he has to call this in…but wouldn't have her parents been looking for her? Or does that mean…? His mind went to the sheer destructive power of Rae's quirk.
"Rae…" Izuku couldn't bring himself to ask. He re-phrased his original question, "Was that not the first time your quirk was at that level of intensity?"
He felt a wave of relief as she shook her head, "No…that's the worst it's ever been…" She hid her face in his shirt. "I don't want it to ever get that bad again…"
"It won't," Izuku reassured her. "Thank you for telling me."
Dressed in his hero uniform, Izuku walked into the Hero Public Safety Commission building. Rae was already there with All Might on one of the training levels, and presumably another hero, most likely Chargebolt or Eraser Head.
As he made his way up to the third floor, where he'd been informed Rae would be training, he was stopped by a short, thin woman with brown hair and gray eyes, "Deku, if you could spare a moment please."
Izuku hesitated, "Well, I am here to help train my ward…"
"It concerns your ward's parents," the woman stated.
"I see…" Izuku had been dreading this conversation since Rae had brought up her parents two weeks ago. "Then I have a few moments to talk…"
The woman gave a smirk, "Let me reassure you, Rae will not be removed from your custody."
Izuku wasn't sure how to respond to that. I think I know where this is going…
"It seems when her quirk manifested, she released a powerful discharge & injured her mother," the woman's voice was brusque and to the point. "Her father promptly left her out in the streets and has made it very clear that she's not welcome."
"I see," Izuku managed to keep his voice level, but inside he was furious.
"All of that said, her mother would like to speak with you."
"Okay…has she seen Rae?"
"Seen, yes," the woman stated. "Actually engaged with, no. It doesn't seem like she wants to either."
"All right," Izuku agreed.
"Follow me, please," she walked away, her heels clacking on the tiled floors. Izuku followed, though his pace was slower. What could she possibly want to say to me? She let her husband leave their child on the streets to potentially die! He clenched his fists, I can't think of a single thing to make what they did to Rae okay…!
"She's in here," the woman stated, stopping at a conference room door. "Don't take too long. Like you said, you're supposed to be helping train Rae soon."
You literally stopped me and brought me here, Izuku thought, irritated. His expression was neutral as he entered the conference room.
"Hello," the woman sitting at the conference table looked frail.
While Izuku could see several traits of hers in Rae, like their blue eyes and face shape, it was the hunched, afraid position that she held that tugged at his heartstrings. "Hello, Ma'am. I'm-"
"The number one hero, Deku," the woman said quietly. "The Symbol of Peace."
"Yeah…" Izuku said, glad that he'd had the good foresight to put his visor on before entering.
"I know you're the one who found Rae…and have taken her into your care…" tears formed in the woman's eyes. "I have no right to ask anything of you…especially when you've already done so much and I…" she sobbed, overcome by emotion. Eventually she was able to continue, "Please…please take care of Rae! Give her the home that I couldn't!"
"Ma'am," Izuku paused, unsure of how he wanted to continue. His feelings were at war with each other. "I promise I'll do my best."
"Thank you…I-I won't take up any more of your time."
If he wasn't feeling so conflicted, Izuku may have been able to come up with a response before he left. As it was, he left in silence, closing the door to the conference room, he sighed, before he headed towards the stairs to go to the third floor.
He was so lost in thought that, at first, he almost missed the sight of a familiar figure as they passed him on the stairs. Startled, Izuku turned and called out, "Hawks?"
Sure enough, the red-winged hero with blond hair, golden eyes and in a well lined aviator's style jacket and pants, as well as wearing black gloves and boots along with a tinted yellow visor and earphones that were currently around his neck.
"Ah, Deku, I heard you would be here," Hawks greeted him warmly.
Izuku's mind was racing, is Hawks…? "I'll admit, I'm surprised to see you here…"
"I'm as surprised as you," Hawks laughed. "But the Commission has genuinely seemed to reform, and they've got some potential new recruits that could use training in espionage."
I know you're a great hero… Izuku was hesitant to trust Hawks' words, but I also know that you are more than adept in deception…
"I heard you've decided to play parent to a kid," Hawks said casually. "I'm surprised you have the time, but I guess you probably have the resources."
"She's here now," Izuku watched Hawks closely.
"Really?" Hawks looked genuinely surprised. "Does that mean it's true that she possesses a lightning quirk?"
Izuku nodded. "Yes."
"So here for training then," Hawks concluded. "Well, don't call me for babysitting like I've heard you've had All Might do. I've got too much on my plate for such things."
"Right," Izuku laughed, feeling more at ease. It didn't seem like Hawks had interacted with Rae at all, he was just here for the exact purpose he'd stated. "Don't worry, I've got almost more help than I need at this point."
"Glad to hear it," Hawks said, starting to continue on his way. "We don't want you to wear yourself out. You're still in your prime as a hero." He waved signaling the end to their conversation.
I need to keep it together better…though Hawks didn't seem to notice. Talking with Rae's mom already had me rattled. Seeing Hawks…I was foolishly worried about what it might mean for Rae. Of course he's not here to train her, if anything, his quirk is at a disadvantage against Rae's, even if it is still new to her…or maybe because of that reason.
Finally making it to the third floor, Izuku entered room 313. He was greeted by the sight of Rae aiming a singular stream of electricity at a target. It didn't hit the bullseye, but it was still amazing progress in such a short amount of time.
"Mr. Izuku!" Rae called out, seeing his entrance. "Look! I hit the target!" Her smile was broad and her eyes shone with delight as she pointed at the target.
"Well done, Rae!" Izuku praised her.
Chargebolt was grinning ear to ear, "She's a natural! She'll be a…"
Izuku cut him off, not wanting Rae to feel pressured, "She really is a natural! Great work, in teaching her Denki."
"Just think where she'll be in a couple years, or heck, high school!"
"Let's just worry about getting her comfortable with her quirk," Izuku cautioned, reigning Chargebolt's enthusiasm in. Rae laughed at the two heroes exchange.
"And Rae," Izuku said, turning his attention back to her. "It's just Izuku."
Rae was truly an amazing kid. At the time, and due to her own concerns about being a hero, I had not considered her as someone who would succeed me. If she didn't want to be a hero. She didn't have to be.
I could honestly tell more stories from when Rae was young, but I think it's time we came to the present day and start her hero academia…