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"You know Bram?" Izuku repeated in the living room of their dorm building setting down the class picture.
"Did you work along side him?" Ocahco asked.
"No, not quite," Endeavor corrected, "It was right around after Shoto was born, I found him wandering on his own in the city."
"So you were the one who found him," Izuku went forward on asking.
"Yes. I found him on the streets trying to stalk a cat, the kid was starving," Endeavor recalled, "It's a shame to hear that he ended up back where I found him all those years ago. I remember it like it was yesterday."
\Sixteen Years Earlier/
It was another day on the streets and another day on patrol, but this day Endeavor was now a father of four (does is still count even though the first kid is "supposedly" dead?). While walking through the streets Endeavor had his focus split from the sidewalk to his cell phone with his wife, it has been at least five days since his wife gave birth to his youngest child.
"For the last time, Rei, I'll be home early from the work to look over my son... No I mean, Shoto," Endeavor sternly told his wife over the phone, "So what about the others? you and your mother can look after them, I'll handle Shoto."
Even just after delivering his fourth child Endeavor saw no problem having a heated argument with his wife trying to recover her energy from labor. However as he continued down the professional hero glanced forward spotting a child out on his own and on a school day no less. His body looked frail and lanky as a skeleton, his complexion was ghostly seeing the obvious outlines of his vanes just beneath his skin, and his head was shaven. The boy ahead of him had his back turned to Endeavor concentrating on the cat that was further ahead unaware that it was being stalked. Endeavor hung up his call saying he will call later, after putting the device away he slowly leaned forward reaching out for the kid, but before he can lay a finger on him the boy launched forward.
It all happened in a split second the boy lunged ahead, pouncing on the unsuspecting cat landing right on top of it, as it screeched and wailed Endeavor sprinted over, and to his shock he saw that the boy was attempting to eat the feline. The cat tried desperately to fend off its attacker, clawing scratching, and biting at the child's face, but the boy paid the littlest mind to the pain that was being inflicted on him as he sank his teeth into the cat's pelt. Blood began to pour out onto the concrete the blood from the boy's face and the cat's neck mixing to form a crimson puddle. Endeavor hurried grabbing the back of the collar of the boy yanking him off the ground along with the cat still between his jaws, and now showing no signs of movement.
After wrestling the dead cat out of his teeth Endeavor found out the little feline was wearing a collar. Holding the blood stain belt now Endeavor wondered how he was gonna explain to the owner that his/her cat was mauled to death by a starving boy. Speaking of which. After police had arrived on the scene they set the boy safely in the back of an open police car dressing up his wounds the best they could til paramedics arrive. Endeavor walked over to him seeing the boy stare out at nothing in particular, he didn't seem to pay no mind to anybody around him, not even Endeavor who stood directly in front of him. He realized that this boy was having a thousand yard stare, looking at nothing else, but the void in his own mind.
"Excuse us Endeavor, but the paramedic are here," one of the officers informed him.
Endeavor stepped aside letting the medics through to examines the child's wounds, looking over him the boy's face was drenched in blood, red oily trails running down his cheeks, nose, and eventually joining together down his lips and chin. The paramedics carefully removed the bandages, but to their shock to what they found under the blood stained rags as the boy's skin was completely untouched, the gaping gashes now completely sealed. It was a surprise and Endeavor now knows why the boy was careless when throwing himself on an enraged cat.
"The child must have a healing quirk or something?" one of the men examined as he wiped the boys face clean, "I guess we don't have to break out the stiches."
The medics then stood up and walked back to the ambulance leaving the pro with the child who has still haven't moved, not even a twitch, at this point Endeavor knelt down, and held a hand up to him to snap his fingers to make a small flame. The flickering light and warmth caught the boy's attention finally showing a sign of life as he glazed over the flames the lights reflecting of the whites of his eyes.
"... What is your name, boy... ?" Endeavor requested slowly waving the fire back and forth in a smooth motion to make sure he had his attention.
"... " he seemed unresponsive at first, but soon his lips started to part and the boy finally spoke, "... Bram... "
\Present/
"That was all he said to me before child services took him away," Endeavor retold, "When I head that name escape his lips it almost if the wind was said it rather than him."
"How could a child go feral in a city?" Izuku asked confused of the earlier circumstance.
"I don't know, but the boy reeked like a rotting corpse," Endeavor recalled his nose can be noticed flaring at this moment the two brought out the strange triangle coin from earlier.
"By any chance you seen this?" Ochaco asked placing the piece down on the coffee table and sliding it closer to the adult.
However glancing down on it Endeavor flinched at the sight of it giving away that he has seen it before.
"So you have seen it?" Izuku pressed on.
"Yes. But... where did you get this?" Endeavor asked.
"I... swiped it off Bram's old employment file," Izuku hesitantly told him.
"You stole it!" Endeavor rose his voice causing the two to raise their hands.
"No you don't understand!" Ochaco tried to reason with him.
"Taking classified documents from a hero agency is a serious offense," Endeavor told them of the consequences.
"Endeavor please listen," Izuku pleaded, "Something is going on with that agency. That triangle was all that was there in that file, there no documents, no photos of him whatsoever, they even bought a bakery that he was really close to the owner only to shut it down, and removed every photo he was in. They're hiding something... "
There was a period of silence between them all as Endeavor saw the obvious express of fear in Izuku's eyes. Eyes he seen too often in his own home.
"Fine... " he gave in to the two's relief, "I won't say anything."
"Good," Ochaco said joyously, "But the person who has all the answers is out there, where are we suppose to find him?"
"Doesn't one of your friends have an internship with Uwabami, why not just ask her to find him?" Endeavor brought up.
hearing the suggestion the two were left speechless as they forgotten such a useful detail slip pass them.
"Alright I'll go find Momo, maybe if we explain to her why she could help us," Izuku planned out.
"That sounds like a great plan," Endeavor commented with confidence lifting up from the couch, "Good luck and give me call if you find him."
\The Next Day/
"So let me get this straight," Uwabami stated in her dressing room as she stared into the mirror to apply her make up, "You need me, to help you, find a homeless ex hero, that beat up your friend?"
"That's right," Momo confirmed with Izuku by her side.
"We'll since you did came all this way, I don't see the harm in just finding one man," Uwabami considered, "Sure, I'll be happy to lend a helping hand to a fellow hero in need."
"That's very much appreciated Ms. Uwabami," Izuku thanked her.
\Later/
Out in the streets on sunny day Izuku and Momo closely followed the gorgeous pro hero as she lead them through the concrete jungle.
"Are we getting closer?" Izuku asked getting a little anxious.
"Izuku! please be patient," Momo told him.
"Sorry."
"That's okay, people have come to me plenty of times to find a missing person," Uwabami gave an understanding reply.
They continued their search heading down without incident until Uwabami halted right in the middle of the sidewalk.
"What is it? did you find Bram?" Izuku almost lost his cool, but Uwabami shushed him.
"... We're being followed," Uwabami alerted them as she kept her eyes up to the roofs.
"A villain?" Momo asked doing the same as both she and Izuku scan the roof tops.
"Where is he?" Izuku spoke taking his fighting stance waiting for the right.
"He's- " Uwabami cut herself off just as she was about to point out the newcomer's position, "He's- UGH! no!"
"What's wrong?" Momo asked wondering while the pro was having a hard time.
"Whoever it is this guy seems to be jumping all the over the place," Uwabami notified trying to locate the criminal's position and then.
"HEY!"
A shout from an alley startled them bring their attention when a dirty man shambles out of the shadows between the buildings with bare feet Izuku's search was finally accomplished as Bram walked out into the light. Reeking of alcohol and piss Bram stumbles forth to confront the three with the two reeling back from the unpleasant introduction unaware that this is the man Izuku is looking for.
"I was having a nice drink here, but you hookers won't shut up," Bram exclaimed in frustration with an empty can.
"Sir! please leave the area, there's a criminal nearby- OH!" Momo tried to warn the man only to be assaulted by the tin can Bram threw at her without a second thought.
"Sir, leave or we- "
"No! that's the man we're looking for," Izuku stopped them, telling the ladies that this was their man, "I've been looking all over for you."
"What, you wanna rematch!" the man raised his voice in anger and Izuku needing to raise his hands and to take a step back.
"No! it's nothing like that," Izuku tried to think fast of his explanation, hoping that Bram was in a reasonable mood, "Look we came here-"
"Back off kid!" Bram snaps at him pointing a finger straight at the young man's face, "What? some junkie robbed a gas station? a little kitty got stuck up on a tree? well I can give two shits what you need."
"I hate to break the formalities, but we may have a spy in our mitts" Momo try to bring back order to the lingering threat at hand.
The ill tempered man couldn't care less for safty even if tried instead chose to lean against a nearby trash bin as the three others tensed up scanning every corner and perking their ears up at the slightest decibel. However whatever that was there had surpassed.
"Alright, however it was they're gone now," Uwabami in formed them with a false alarm.
"Well if that's the case... later."
But as the washed up drunkard was about to make his exit Izuku put his foot down to stop.
"No! I've went through great lengths to find you," Izuku stated refusing to back down with the two ladies watching from the side lines, "I asked my principal, found nothing about you online, your history was scrubbed at your work, and- "
"You've been at my work?" Bram asked wondering if he heard the green-haired boy clearly, Izuku fell silent his eyes darting side-to-side, and Bram knew, "You have it don't you... ?"
Izuku tried to step back, but Bram grabs him by his collar feeling the sowing in his clothes tearing as he grips tighter, staring into his eyes almost as if he looked into a burning furnace, for some reason Izuku can feel like his strength was failing, draining even, like the power he has never existed.
"Well, well, well... " a voice called out from down the street, and Izuku recognized three more new comers walking up to them. The three heroes from the agency Izuku visited, Man-Thing, and Ms. Dash all walking together with Heat-Seeker leading them, "If it isn't everybody's most hated hero, Bram," Heat-Seeker mocked.
"I wondered what you've been up to after your termination, Bram," Man-Thing spoke softly, "We had a... bit of a wager."
"And looks like I lost. Thanks asshole " Ms. Dash proclaimed holding out a few bills to Man-Thing, Bram squinting his eyes in anger, "I was hoping someone found you face down in a ditch, hell you'll be doing this city a favor."
"How about you do the city a favor and close your legs for once, or are you still working part time at the red light district," Bram insulted.
The ill way these three pros spoke towards Bram made Izuku feel conflicted to how different they speak to each other, like good old friends, but to how to approach Bram made Izuku remember the days in school before U.A when he was picked on. But then they turned to Izuku and Momo.
"But what do we have here, it would seems that we have some kids playing hero," Heat-Seeker pointed almost looking he would arrest them.
"Excuse us, but I'm with these kids, and we have this under control," Uwabami told the three professional heroes.
"Relax, we're just on petrol," Ms. Dash excused her and her co-workers.
"Bullshit! None of you wouldn't be caught dead here," Bram spoke out sounding more outraged the most, "Last I checked heroes don't petrol the streets in packs."
"You're just mad because we never invite you on our mission," Heat-Seeker remarked mockingly, "You were always a hardass."
"You mean all those 'awesome' missions to the back alley you disgusting shit, hoped you check your nose," Bram called him out leaving Ms. Dash to restrain him from attacking.
"At ease, Bram, we're not here for you," Man-Thing corrected calmly looking forth to Izuku, "We're here for him."
"Me!" Izuku flinched stepping back further away now knowing that he took something that didn't belong to him, nor to them.
"Why don't you just hand it over, there's no need to start a fight over such insignificant thing, don't you think?" Man-Thing politely said trying to coax Izuku into peacefully handing the mystery item over.
"And I assume you have evidence of him stealing from your office," a commanding voice spoke out from behind the Momo and Uwabami and looking behind they were shocked to find Endeavor coming in closer to confront the other three pros.
"Endeavor!" Izuku exclaimed in surprise.
"What's the number one hero doing here?" Ms. Dash asked looking like she might back down.
"I'm on break," Endeavor told them sternly, but pressed on, "But that doesn't mean I won't speak out when a hero is about to abuse their authority on civilians. Now I ask again. Do you have proof?"
The three pros remained silent, slowly taking steps back away from the others, obviously fearing the repercussions of Endeavor's wrath or the law.
"We have a meeting to get to, I hope to see you in a better time," Man-Thing said instead completely ignoring Endeavor's question, never confirming they had evidence of Izuku's theft.
The three turned away walking off in the opposite direction of the others with Heat-Seeker glancing back to give Bram the finger as they leave, when they disappeared from their sight Endeavor turned over to Bram.
"You grew bigger the last time I saw you," he commented on their first encounter.
"Well I hoped to never see you again, now you ruined it," Bram spoke out his true feelings of their reunion.
"I'm sorry things didn't turned out as you hoped, but there are more important matters at stake, and it involves you and whatever it is Midoriya has in his possession," Endeavor told him in controlled concern beckoning Bram to come with them.