...
[ October Twenty-Second, X038. Kyoto Imperial Medical Center]
…
There were few things that could distract Shuzenji Chiyo from enjoying her mid-morning cup of coffee and mints. The first being an injured student or teacher coming to visit her office, or the second being the sound of an emergency alert. It was the latter she was currently inspecting, seeing the message that had been sent to her phone.
"PRIORITY ALERT: Calling all available doctors, surgeons, and physicians with or without powerful healing quirks. Please come to Kyoto Imperial Medical Center for-"
"Oh dear, let's hope we don't have another pandemic scenario..."She hadn't waited to see the rest, instead opting to place a call to Nezu to inform him of the development. No sooner had the principal given his blessing did Chiyo call for a taxi to take her to the nearest train station. During the train ride, she tried to listen for anyone who might be talking about the alert, or for any snippet of news that would call for a summoning of healers.
"Are you going to the medical center?" She heard one of the passengers ask a man seated next to him.
"No, I got the alert, but as an Orthodontist, I don't think there's much I can do." The questioned man replied, noticing Chiyo then. "But I bet she is. Recovery Girl, right?"
"Yes, and of course I am young man," Chiyo smiled, "though I don't quite know what this is about."
"Ah, apparently there's an issue with a recently donated batch of blood." He showed her a message he had received from a friend, "least that's what a hematologist friend of mine who works at Kyoto Imperial said. I don't fully understand what she's talking about, but maybe you will?"
Chiyo's mind instantly considered the possibilities of the batch being contaminated, and she accepted the phone from the man and started reading.
"Possible misclassification of Rhesus Null blood? Type O-negative blood with...regenerative properties?" She let out a relieved sigh, some of her fears settling before handing the man his phone back. "I do dear, and if what your friend is saying...This is actually good news. Very good news."
The train pulled into the station then, and Chiyo thanked the man before departing. She had been to Kyoto Imperial Medical Center a few times, and knew exactly where to go. Not that prior knowledge was needed, for there was enough hastily printed signs and people directing 'traffic' to the conference hall. Despite her age, Chiyo was able to easily move through the crowds, and her passage grew easier as some of her younger colleagues recognized her and made space to allow her to pass. At the entrance to the conference hall, a woman she recognized as one of the heads of the Ministry of Health was looking over a list in her hands, while granting entrance to some and turning others away. The woman seemed more a bouncer at a club than an actual administrator.
"Again, entrance to the hall is currently restricted...Please, form an orderly line. We have set up remote conference rooms in other parts of the hospital to accommodate additional guests." Her voice was professional, yet there was an odd tone to it that indicated she was nearing the end of her rope.
"Higher turnout than expected?" Chiyo had mastered to maneuver to the front of the crowd and was now standing next to the frazzled woman.
"Yeah...Didn't think there'd be this many healers free, so please-" She stopped short, eyes widening slightly as she realized who she was about to cuss out. "Oh, Shuzenji-sama. My apologies." She gave a small bow of respect, tone changing entirely. "You're at the top of the list. Please, go right in."
"No worries dear, I think everyone is just excited," she reached into her pocket and offered the woman one of the candies within. A lover of sweets, Chiyo was never without at least one piece of candy or other sweet somewhere on her person. She noticed then several of those closest to the door frowning at the display, more than a few making some remark or another. "And here, some snacks to tie you over as you wait patiently for your turn." Ever prepared, she reached into one of her other pockets and removed a large bag of wrapped strawberry candies and offered it to the first person in line. "Take one and pass it down."
"Heck yeah! Grandma candy!" someone murmured.
Chiyo couldn't help but smile as the most common response to the gift met her ears as she entered the hall. Years ago, when she first started out, she'd hated that phrase. Now she recognized it for the nostalgic affection it held. Letting out a small laugh, she made her way down to the front of the room where several of her most respected colleagues were discussing something. On the table in front of them she noticed tons of reports, and more curiously a portable medical fridge loaded with a small number of vials and only a single pint bag of blood.
"Oh Shuzenji-san. Good to see you." A man she recognized as one of the government officials greeted her, a few others offering their own greetings.
"Nice to see you all too." She pointed her cane at the bag resting on the table. "Is that it?"
"The 'miracle blood'? Yes." Dr. Hiitori gave a nod to his longtime colleague. "I'll be going over the full details soon, but it's quite remarkable."
"The short version is that, aside from being type O negative, the universal donor, it seems that it might also contain traces of the donor's quirk – which as far as we can tell, is something healing based." Another doctor added, too excited to wait, "and quirk passage through blood is not something we've seen a lot of."
"I see," she remembered the message on the train, "and are you sure it's O negative? What if it's a possible mutation of Rh Null?"
"We compared it to one of the few 'golden blood' samples we had. Unfortunately, there are antigens in it."
"But, we've theorized that the traces of healing quirk within may possibly prevent the potential negative side effects that someone of the Rh blood group might otherwise experience due to a transfusion of a non-Rh blood."
"So a true universal donor then?"
"Yes, and possibly a true miracle of medical science." One of the other doctor's handed her a report. "I'll let you see for yourself."
Chiyo opened the report, reading over the details. "Patient was brought in with a deep gash on their upper left thigh after a serious car crash and was entering hemorrhagic shock. Upon receiving a transfusion of the blood in question, the patient's condition...stabilized at a faster rate than a traditional infusion. The wound showed slow, but detectable signs of beginning to clot on its own, even as the surgeon proceeded to cauterize and stitch the wound shut. Patient regain consciousness a few hours later in a state of alert confusion."
"Compare that to this one. Similar case, except they received a different donor's sample. This patient showed no signs of healing, and it was only Doctor Usanagi's skills that kept the man from bleeding out. When he regained consciousness, it was more in a state of delirium." Dr. Hiitori handed her another report, and Chiyo could see what he meant.
"And in these cases, all of these patients had various infections or viruses. Sepsis, hepatitis C, chicken pox – and Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia, poor kid...The list goes on, but all of these patients who received transfusions shows signs of their own immune systems getting a massive boost and within hours, there was little to no trace of these conditions."
"It's a goddamn miracle." The government official was speaking, hands shaking in a mix of excitement and concern. "The problem is, something like this is extremely valuable for everyone. Heroes, civilians, villains...Whomever the donor is, they could be in real trouble if news of their identity got out."
"But the world deserves to know who they are." Dr. Hiitori argued, "they would be a hero of the people."
"But that could lead to them getting harassed for their blood." Another doctor voiced her opinion. "We might need to have even more and new restrictions put in place on who should receive these donations."
Chiyo and several other doctors nodded, the dark knowledge that sometimes they had to choose who got what hanging over them. Only the official seemed not affected by the comment, instead focusing on other factors.
"Aside from harassment. What if some group of villains. got a hold of him? They'd be unstoppable!"
"So we send protection for them." A woman sporting a badge identifying her as a member of Hero Public Safety Commission joined the group. "We're already prepared to do so."
"But how are we supposed to find them?"
"Senator, calm down." Chiyo placed a hand on the man's back, voice gentle. "Look, because of the risks involved with blood donations and transfusions, meticulous records are maintained." She picked up a page from the desk, and pointed at the label on the bag. "Every time someone donates blood, whether its their first time or their fiftieth time, it's recorded. Date, location, blood type, age, medical history, and so on so forth." She showed him the page, pointing out what everything meant. "Names are also taken, though they're usually only recorded in the facility's donor database and not on the actual donations themselves for the purpose of anonymity."
"Meaning?" The senator blinked, his initial excitement now replaced with a calm confusion.
"Meaning it will be simple enough to find our donor."
"Doctor Hiitori is right." Chiyo gave a nod, "we look at where every donation came from. From there, it's a simple matter of narrowing down our suspects. We already know we can eliminate everyone not of O negative blood, so that's already a good sixty percent of the Japanese population out, along with any tourist donors that might have come in."
"And from there we eliminate by location, then by age until..." The senator finally seemed to catch on.
"Until we find our miracle donor." Chiyo gave the senator a pat on his back, before noticing that all of the seats had been filled in the conference hall, and there were several more people standing in the back. "Though for the moment, I suspect we best brief everyone else on what we've learned and our plan of action."
"Of course," Dr. Hiitori nodded, his fellows doing the same as everyone moved into their positions to start the conference. Dr. Hiitori took the podium first and addressed the gathered crowd. "Good afternoon everyone, and thank you all for coming. By now I'm sure you've all heard that you've been summoned in regards to a case of, what we're currently calling, for lack of a better way to describe it, 'miracle blood'. I will let my colleague, Doctor Norihisa Junichiro give you the details."
The man stepped down from the podium then, letting the other doctor take his place. Looking at the crowd, Chiyo could see the excitement on the faces as Dr. Norihisa spoke of the various cases and curative properties of the blood. Upon finishing his explanation, he opened the floor to questions, and the team of doctors behind him did their best to answer all of them.
"And do we know who our miracle donor is?" One of the visiting doctors finally asked the question everyone was wondering.
"At this time, we do not." Dr. Norihisa heard the crowd start to simmer, "but in a few hours, we should. We've sent for records from all of the donation centers in the hopes of narrowing down the search."
More questions and answers came up as the discussion moved to a more informal forum as opposed to a press conference. While everyone else discussed the miracle, Chiyo and several others had taken over the chief of staff's office and were looking through the records. After about three hours of comparing numbers, locations, conditions, and many other factors, the team had finally come up with a name.
"Midoriya Izuku. This is the only O negative donor to show up at all the locations our miracle blood was taken from." Dr. Hiitori highlighted the name in question on the sheets.
"Is there more than one?" One of the interns assigned to the case asked, eyes confirming Dr. Hiitori's findings.
"According to the donor registry, there are eight registered Midoriya Izuku. However, only two of them possess o negative blood, and only one of them is within the age range of our miracle donor."
"Well done everyone," Chiyo gave a nod and proceeded to give everyone in the room a piece of candy. "Dr. Hiitori, would you like to do the honor and inform everyone of this latest development?"
"Ah, yes ma'am!" He gave a bow of respect and picked up the phone, paging for everyone to return to the conference rooms so that he could tell as many people at once. Though the door was closed, Chiyo couldn't help but smile and let out a light chuckle as she heard the scrambling and excited chatter coming through the doors and walls of the those who had helped discern the identity of their mystery donor were excited and were quick to join the others in the halls, grinning like mad.
Only Chiyo remained calm, her mind thinking of the possibilities as she took one final look at a few of the reported cases. "Midoriya Izuku. I hope you're ready to be a hero."
...
[ October Twenty-Third, X038. Musutafu Residential District ]
…
With Izuku having gone off to school, Inko went about her normal routine for the day. She cleaned what little mess there was around the house while finishing her morning cup of tea. Moving back to the kitchen, she made a small shopping list and headed to the small farmer's market just a few blocks up the street from her house. She made her usual rounds, talking with the various stand owners and other visitors about the going-ons in town, or about their children. Currently, she was discussing schools with one of the other mothers and one of the local farmers.
"My Keiko is torn between going to Ketsubutsu or Isamu." The other woman sighed, "I'm hoping she goes to Isamu but-"
"Well, my daughter got accepted into Ketsubutsu last year, and she loves it there." The farmer smiled as he gently packed up Inko's purchases in her bag. "It's a great university in my opinion, on par with U.A. and its programs. I'm an alumni of them myself."
"U.A. is where my son wants to go when he gets out of high school." Inko saw the faint grimace to cross the other two parents faces. "I know, it's the hardest one to get into, but Izuku has dreamed of it since he found out All Might and several other top heroes are alumni of it."
"Hopefully he has a fall back school." The farmer gently handed the bag back. "Might I advise sending him to Ketsubutsu?"
"Do you earn commission from them or something?" The other mother shook her head as the pair got into a friendly argument about the other schools. Excusing herself, Inko began the walk back to her house, mind considering what they had said.
"He's never talked about any other school...maybe I should talk with him about having other options. And then there's the matter of his quirk…" The sound of a passing car brought Inko out of her musing, and she looked up in time to see the black vehicle drive past her and turn the corner onto her street. While the street they lived on wasn't slow by any means, it was uncommon for her to see cars around this time of day. Shrugging it off as probably being a lost traveler, she continued on her way, thoughts once again on the future, though this time it was about what to make for dinner. "Haven't done a beef and broccoli stir fry in awhile. Maybe thaw out that pack of stewing beef an-"
Inko's thoughts fell away as she rounded the corner, her eyes seeing the car that had passed her earlier was now parked. In particular, it was parked on the street just in front of her house. Slowing her pace, she did her best to nonchalantly look at the car, noticing now the two occupants inside. While she couldn't see them clearly though the tinted windows, they apparently could see her as evidenced by their moving. Her pace slowed even more as the doors to the vehicle opened and its occupants emerged. It was a man and woman, both clad in black business suits with dark sunglasses covering their eyes. She watched as the man reached into the back seat and removed two plain-looking briefcases, one of which he handed to the woman while he kept the other.
Inko felt unsettled by the pair and debated turning around. "Just let out a light curse, say you forgot milk or something, then turn and walk back. Back the way you came. Maybe they won't follow you, but if they do...you can at least run for a more crowded area an-"
"Midoriya Inko-San?"
Her plan fell away as the man addressed her, a serious note in his voice at the question.
"Y-Yes?" Inko couldn't keep the slight stammer from her voice. She felt her muscles tense in preparation to run if needed, the bag of groceries held before her like a shield...or an impromptu projectile. "Can I help you?"
"Hopefully you can ma'am." The woman's tone was a little more light, but just as professional. "Kurihara Sayoko, I'm from the Ministry of Health, and my colleague is Okane Taro from the Hero Public Safety Commission." She showed off her ID badge, and Taro did the same. "We're here to talk with you about your son."
"Izuku? Is he okay?" She felt her heart fall somewhere around her knees, fears for her own safety now completely replaced with fears for the safety of her only child.
"Is there somewhere we can talk in private?" Taro spoke again, his words only adding to the growing feeling of discomfort at the situation.
"Taro..." Sayoko sighed, amazed at his lack of reading the situation. "As far as we know, he's fine. Maybe even better than fine." She gave a reassuring smile to Inko, who relaxed only slightly. "But he's right, this is something that would be better discussed in private."
"Uh, sure." She moved towards her home, nearly dropping her bag of groceries as she fumbled with the keys.
"Would you like me to hold those for you?" Taro held out his free hand, offering to take the bag of groceries, but Inko shook her head.
"No, I've got it. Thank you, though." She wasn't ready to drop her only shield, not yet. After a moment's struggle, she mastered to get the key in and turn it, unlocking the door. "Please, uh, come inside." She held the door open and bade the two to enter. Once they were inside, she debated slamming the door and running, but if there was something wrong with Izuku...
"Please, take a seat. I'll be over in a moment." She tossed her head at the couch as she closed the door and moved to the kitchen. She watched as the pair took her up on the offer and settled on the couch as she set the bag down on the counter. The perishable goods were quickly thrown into the refrigerator, while the dried goods were left on the counter. Promising to organize and put everything else away later, she dragged her favorite arm chair over and sat directly across from the pair. "Now what is this about my son?"
"Are you aware your son has been attending various blood drives around town?" Once again, Taro tried to keep things professional.
"Yes, he told me he was going to do so." The original fear Inko felt for herself and her son was starting to mix with annoyance at the man's apparent attempt to beat around the bush. "Is it illegal or something for someone his age to do so? Or someone with a quirk like his?"
"Not illegal, but it is about his quirk." Sayoko opened the briefcase she had been carrying and removed a couple pages from within. "I'm not sure how much of a medical background you may have, but these are the results of various tests that were run on one of your son's donations. And these are the before and after results of a patient who received his blood." She handed the pages over, and Inko reviewed them. From various doctor's appointments for herself or Izuku, she understood things like cholesterol levels, red, and white blood cell counts, but most of it made no sense.
"Well, I think this is saying that Izuku is a healthy boy." She set aside the page with her son's information and looked at the pages of the unknown patient. "And it looks like this person got better after receiving the donation."
"And that's why were here." Taro spoke again as Inko handed the pages back, "from what the medical experts have said, your son's blood seems to have restorative properties."
"Restorative?"
"Mainly, it seems to cure the body of diseases, as well as grant a short-term regenerative effect." Sayoko put the pages back in her briefcase. "I can't say too much without violating patient privacy rights. But that person was in the hospital for treatment for lacerations following a hiking accident. Upon receiving the transfusion of Izuku's blood, the attending physician noticed that the lacerations were healing at a remarkably faster rate. And the patient themselves commented that they had visited the doctor's earlier in the week for a possible viral infection that also cleared up."
Inko was speechless. She knew Izuku's quirk kept him hale and healthy, but never thought it could help others in a similar way. Her mind raced ahead, images of chronically ill people suddenly able to go about their lives without worry, elders on their deathbeds granted a little more time with their loved ones. Sick children calling Izuku their hero, before jumping out of bed to go play. She smiled at the last thought, as Taro opened his own briefcase and removed a few documents of his own.
"It is for those reasons that we sought you out." Taro offered Inko the pages. "As the sole legal guardian of Izuku-"
"I'm not his only guardian." She suppressed a sigh, though given how long Hisashi had been away, sometimes she felt that way. "My husband is just overseas for work at this time."
"Ah, well as the sole legal guardian we can talk to at present time," He gestured to the pages. "We want your permission to preform several emergency tests of your son's quirk. However, they could prove highly dangerous, even to someone with a quirk of his potential caliber."
"I see." Inko looked down at the contract, finding what appeared to be a waiver of liability amidst the legalese of the documents. "Though why are these tests such a big deal?"
"Because they will prove if the doctors current theories about your son's blood, and maybe his quirk as a whole, are true. If they are, your son would be considered a national treasure." Sayoko's voice took on an air of optimistic hope. "Think of him as a modern day Momotaro if you will."
Inko's head tilted to the side as she considered the words of the two. She knew tests like the ones being promised were what Izuku had always wanted, but never would be given to him. However, while Inko should have felt a level of pride at the thought of her son becoming a national treasure, Sayoko's words had brought back the feeling of unease. Her original thoughts of him healing the sick were replaced with him being kidnapped by some villain and used to turn them into an unstoppable juggernaut. In her mined she could see millionaires with more ego than brains paying corrupt doctors for his blood in pursuit of 'immortality'. She imagined some country or another getting a hold of Izuku and bleeding him dry to fuel their armies.
Sayoko seemed to understand the mother's thoughts. "Please, rest assured that if these test prove Izuku's powers that him, and you, will be granted the utmost care and protection. The same will apply to your husband when he gets back, though if possible, we will do the same for him overseas."
"Indeed. There is no need to worry too much about any possible backlash. The actions of all parties involved here are always watched by all sides, from all sides." Taro gestured to Sayoko, himself, and Inko. "the Ministry of Health, the Hero Commission, even the government officials can not afford to act against each other. For any one of us to do so, especially in a case like this, would be foolish. The potential your son is offering is just too great to risk alienating for lesser gains."
Inko gave a nod, feeling a bit relieved at the words of the pair. She looked back a the contract, eyes reading over the details, stopping here and there to ask a question about something she didn't understand. She debated calling in Nirimiya to look over the papers, but given the urgency the pair seemed to be working with, decided against it. Far as she could tell, everything seemed on the up and up, but she still had a couple reservations that she knew would also test the other parties sincerity in the matter.
"Alright, I'm willing to authorize these tests," She set the pages down, "but with two conditions."
"And those are?"
"First, I want to be on the premises when these tests are run. I understand I might not be able to be with him, but I want to be close by." The two nodded, understanding the mother's desire to be with her child. "And second, Izuku also has to grant his authorization for each test as well. If he does not want to do one of them, you let it go." Inko doubted her son would say no to any of them, even something crazy like having a building dropped on him. But if they really did feel he had the potential to be the modern day miracle worker, then they should be willing to grant reasonable requests like these.
"Of course." Sayoko answered first. "When dealing with children, though Izuku is more of a young adult I suppose, we just like to make sure we have parental authorization, just in case the child doesn't understand something fully. Izuku seems a very intelligent boy, but even the most mature kids sometimes need their parent to tell them to take their medicine."
"Right. As I said before, none of us want to earn the ire of our potential golden boy." Taro nodded, agreeing. "We won't do anything that Izuku doesn't want us to."
"Alright then," Inko let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. "Where do I sign?'
"Sign and date here. Here, and initial here." He pointed to the relevant spots before handing her a pen. Inko complied and filled out the relevant sections before handing both papers and pen back.
"So what happens now?" Inko watched Taro put the pages away, the man promising her a copy of them within the day.
"Now, we go down to the Ministry of Medicine while some of Taro's colleagues pick your son up from school." She took out her cellphone and hit one of the buttons, confirming Inko's agreement and her additional terms. While she couldn't hear what was said on the other end, Inko could only assume it was positive as Sayoko was smiling as she hung up the call. "There, everything is all set. I would advise packing an overnight bag for yourself, as well as Izuku because I don't know how long these tests will take. Don't worry, we're prepared to put you and Izuku up in a hotel if needed, and provide compensation for meals."
Inko smiled, though it was hard to say if it was out of joy that her son would get his desired tests, pride that her son might be a miracle child, or just a general happiness at the potential of a day's relief from the work as a homemaker. "Of course, that won't take me long, maybe half an hour? And that's only if I can't find the suitcases..."
"Take all the time you need ma'am." Taro had his phone out and was placing a call to his supervisors. "When you're ready, let us know and we'll give you a lift."
...
[ October Twenty-Third, X038. Musutafu High School]
…
Trying to stay focused in a boring school day was impossible for most students. For Q.I.P.D. students, it could be unbearable.
Quirk Induced Personality Disorder. If there were four words that pissed off Bakugo Katsuki more than anything else, it would be them. Q.I.P.D.'s all had one thing in common, something about their Quirks made their brain chemistry run differently than everyone else. Some were fiercely territorial, like a wolf or wild dog. Some people go berserk at certain scents, others might have a weird compulsion to steal shiny things and bury them. Katsuki's Q.I.P.D. created curse was that almost everything made him angry. His body bled aggression, all so he could sweat whenever he wanted. The personal joy's of being a walking nitroglycerin loaded bomb factory.
Today was a particularly bad day for Katsuki. In trying to make his way to first period, he got stuck behind a student council member and the new student he was showing around, both moving far too slow for his liking. He had practically shoved the two out of his way the moment he had the slightest window of opportunity. Adding to his already poor start to the day, their regular homeroom teacher was out and the substitute had the most droning voice Katsuki had ever heard.
"The mosquito in my room last night was less droning." One of his classmates, a girl with a super hearing quirk, was holding her head in her hands. Katsuki had a moment's thankfulness that his hearing was of normal levels, but still agreed with her.
"Ear plugs?" Katsuki pulled a small package of disposable ones out of his pocket and offered them to his classmate. Some questioned why he had them, but when your quirk is explosion-based, hearing protection was a must.
"Already got a pair." She moved her hair aside, showing them off. He shrugged then and popped a pair in himself, though instead of muting the teacher just muffled the effect.
Come second period, Katsuki was annoyed that the teacher hit them with a pop quiz, but after the noise of first period, the quiet was a welcome respite. That was until the resident klutz of the class broke her pencil, and took too long to sharpen it. The dull grinding sound grated on Katsuki's nerves almost as much as the substitute's voice had.
Fortunately, his trip down the hall to his next class was quick, and he was able to make it to third period with no issues. While economics was his least favorite subject, he felt it was the class least likely to annoy him today. This feeling improved a bit more when he noticed the teacher was late, and that his favorite punching bag was distracted by a strategy guide for the latest hero platforming game to have been released.
"Heh, that's probably the best book for you to study, Deku." He set one foot up on Izuku's desk and leaned on it. "Be a virtual reality hero and save the pixel people."
Those nearest to Katsuki laughed, while Izuku just sighed and closed the book, pointing out their teacher had just arrived.
"Forgiveness, please." The teacher gave a bow to his class as the students accepted his apology and settled down. "Today we'll be reviewing the effect of inflation on the price of both imported, domestic, and local goods."
"Sensei? Aren't domestic goods the same as local goods?" One of the students raised a hand, causing their teacher to smile.
"Yes, anything produced here in Japan is a domestic good. However, I think we'll all agree that Yubaba's home baked rice crackers are a local good while the Fujikawa brand isn't." He saw his class nod, "of course, Yubaba's crackers are also twice the price for the same amount. Does anyone know why that is?"
Katsuki proceeded to tune out the discussion, not really caring about production costs, taxes, or anything else. He looked over to Deku, noticing the boy was taking notes but not actually contributing to the discussion. His eyes then drifted to looking out the window, noticing how nice a day it looked outside. "Maybe I'll hit the park after school. Baburu still owes me a rematch in soccer...Maybe he'll be up for a game or t-"
Katsuki's thoughts of planning his afternoon were interrupted by the sight and sound of several police cars and other unmarked vehicles all pulling up in the parking lot, as well as in the street around the school. Those nearest the window like him now turned away from their lesson in favor of looking out, while those on the far side of the room stood up or left their desks for a better view.
"Now, now class. Remain calm..." The teacher tried his best to get the students under control, but even his eyes were glued to the window in curiosity as several police officers, as well as men dressed in dark suits, got out of their vehicles. Most of the students agreed the suits reminded them of the agents you'd always see protecting high-value targets in action movies. All of them surrounded the school while several made their way inside, moving with a practiced ease.
"What's going on?" One of his classmates questioned, looking to their fellows.
"Who are they?" Another asked, not expecting an answer but still being bothered by the question.
"Is this what the Americans call an 'Active Shooter Drill'?"
That last brought a chuckle from those nearest, but all noise in the room died the moment the intercom kicked on.
"Attention students, we are from the Hero Public Safety Commission." The unfamiliar voice addressed the school's population. The announcement of who they were sending a ripple of excitement and fear through the class. "While there is no cause for alarm, we are asking all students and faculty to remain in their rooms. Those of you in the halls, please move into the closest room so as to not impede passage. We are looking for Midoriya Izuku." There was the briefest moment of pause, "Midoriya-san, please gather your belongings and wait for us."
All eyes drifted to Izuku, who was still quietly working on his notes. Upon hearing his name and instructions however, he closed his notebook and began to pack all his stuff away. Though he seemed to be radiating an air of calm, his eyes showed excitement.
"Izuku? Why the heck do those suits want you!?" Katsuki turned in his chair to glare at his classmate, his annoyance now back in full. The only times the H.P.S.C. got involved was either in dealing with relations between the public and heroes, cases of unlicensed heroics, or dealing with villains. In his eyes, Izuku fit into none of those categories.
"I don't know," Izuku was focused on packing away his stuff as the sound of rapid footfalls could be heard coming down the hall. "Perhaps they're after my quirk?"
"Your quirk?" Bakugo stood up then and moved back to Izuku's desk. "Even if you had a quirk, there's no way they'd want a weakling like you!" The door to the classroom opened then, and several suits entered the room. At the same time, Katsuki slammed his hands down on Izuku's desk with his usual quirk-caused blast, causing the other boy to flinch.
The suits reacted like they were trained to.
"Get down Midoriya-san!"
"Take him down!"
Katsuki had just enough time to see one of the suits rush forward and shield Izuku's head and torso with his body, before he felt the sensation of a thousand bees all stinging him in succession as the taser shot one of the others had fired hit him. Katsuki let out a pained cry as he felt himself lose control of his body and fall to the floor. As he struck the ground, he got the briefest view of Izuku being ushered out of the room before he passed out.
"Katsuki-san?" A voice was speaking, pulling Katsuki from the mire he felt he was in.
"S-Sensei?" He croaked out after a moment, vision returning to normal along with the ability to move his body. "What...What happened?"
"Those men tasered you in response to, in their eyes, your threatening of Izuku-san." The teacher answered as Katsuki shifted himself into a sitting position.
He noticed then that Izuku's desk was empty, but all his other classmates were still gathered around him. From what he could see of outside, all of the vehicles had left, returning the school to normal. "And just where is Izuku?"
"They took him." The teacher seemed to be carefully considering his next words. "Apparently, they want Izuku for testing."
"Testing what?" Katsuki shakily rose to his feet, refusing the assistance of one of his fellows. "How useful a quirkless person can be?" He cracked a wry grin, trying to recover at least some of his usual bravado in spite of what happened even as he used Izuku's now vacant desk for support.
"Actually," Several of the students moved back as the teacher took a deep breath, "it's because they want him for emergency quirk testing."
"For what?" Katsuki hissed, his eyes narrowing as his classmates took a few more steps away from him and their teacher.
"Testing." The teacher said again, himself taking a step back. "From what little one of them was willing to tell me...It appears Midoriya-san may be in possession of one of the most powerful quirks ever seen."
"WHAT!?" Katsuki slammed his hands down on the desk, the small explosion from them breaking the desk in two, and sending small fragments flying. "Are you serious?!" There was smoke coming off his hands as he glared at his teacher.
"Yes. Though please, calm down Bakugo-san an-"
"Attention students." The intercom crackled, the familiar voice of the principal now coming through it. "In light of the, unscheduled guests visit, classes have been canceled for the rest of the day. Teachers, please finish your current lessons and dismiss your students."
"Alright! Surprise half-day!"
"Woo! I get more time to finish my report!
The attention of the classroom shifted off Katsuki then, many of the students now discussing plans for the afternoon.
"Heh, what do you know Katsuki?" One of his bolder classmates placed a hand on his still-steaming classmate. "I guess Izuku is good for something an-"
The boy was sent stumbling into the wall by a small explosion ripping out from Katsuki's clenched hands. The volatile teen angrily grabbed his books and shoved them in his bag. Not waiting to be dismissed, Katsuki all but tore the door from its hinges and stepped out into the hall, making for the exit. "Fuck you Deku. I'll show you who has the more powerful quirk."
...
[ October Twenty-Fourth, X038. Kyoto Imperial Medical Center]
…
It had only been a few days since the miracle child had been discovered, but what they had learned was changing everything.
Quirks had always been fantastical, ever since the first was discovered. Biological in nature, slightly science bending, but explainable with enough research. That was swiftly changing with each report on the medical anomaly that was Midoriya Izuku's frankly impossible regeneration. Forget fantastical, his power to heal was rapidly going beyond mystical. Possessing one of the other most powerful healing quirks, Chiyo had been on hand to witness most of the testing both for observation purposes, as well as emergency response if something went wrong. Though she had seen some of the results first-hand, she still found herself at the table in discussion with other doctors over what they had seen.
"Well, his liver filtered out the dyes almost as fast as we injected them. We barely got a chance to see them in the scan before they were gone." A toxicologist showed the gathered party one of the body scans. And indeed, there was just the briefest show of the dye in a few of the images before it was gone. "In an attempt to slow this effect, Doctor Mako tried injecting him with some of the purified Mamushi venom he keeps on hand for comparing toxicology reports...And again, it was like nothing happened. I've seen people immediately get nauseous from even the most minor bite from one of those snakes."
"Not to mention how quickly his skin healed after I got a few more blood samples." A nearby hematologist shook her head. "There was no bruising or puncture mark. Not even a drop of blood on the gauze pad I put in place after removing the syringes."
"We also had difficulty getting a decent skin sample." The dermatologist of the group now spoke. "I tried cutting out a sample of skin using a scalpel, but the cuts virtually closed behind it as I moved it along. Thank whoever invented biopsy punches, otherwise I don't think I'd have gotten a sample unless I was able to get it off in one clean cut." He held up the tool in question, a pristine circular medical scalpel. "But even then, the area was showing signs of healing once the tool was removed. I'm actually surprised that the flesh didn't start healing around the puncture." The man was practically shaking in his seat from excitement.
"Do you think we'd be able to observe his healing if we left an object impaled in him?" More than one of the doctors paused at how awkward that question sounded. A few felt the discomfort anyone would feel when pondering the idea of stabbing a sixteen year old.
"I suspect his body would eventually either break the object down or physically force it out." One of the older doctor's raised a leathery hand, "Had a patient once with an unusual splinter in her hand. A small piece of it had been missed and remained inside. The flesh healed around it, and her body was always fighting the bacteria and other things still around it. Eventually, the area formed a small pustule that, when it ruptured on its own, forced the foreign object out. The area healed clean after that. And while I don't know if young Midoriya's body would even allow that to happen, it's a possibility we can't discount."
Chiyo nodded as she looked over the reports before her. Before she had opted for the slightly more relaxed life as the school nurse for U.A., she had been a skilled doctor and surgeon, even without her quirk. Some of the results were on par with her own quirk's healing powers, but many of them seemed to surpass her own. She was particularly interested in the fact that Izuku's quirk worked without affecting, for lack of a better term, the life energy of the recipient. While her quirk amplified and sped up the natural healing process of a patient, it had the negative side effect of drawing upon their own energy and, while their cuts and broken bones would heal quicker, it often left them feeling drained in other ways.
The patients his blood, and by proxy his quirk, had healed showed no negative side effects. Within a few hours of receiving a transfusion, a patient with a shattered leg was able to get up out of bed and walk on their own to the bathroom. Meanwhile one healed by her, though the bone healed in roughly the same amount of time, took days of bed rest while they needed the assistance of a nurse to stand.
There was also his quirk's ability to rid the body of disease. She thought of the few patients who had infected sores heal clean. Remembered a patient with pneumonia that went from coughing and struggling just to take a breath to breathing comfortably. And of the child who instantly went into remission from their leukemia. Further tests and monitoring would be needed to see if it was a full cure or just a rapid remission or suppression, but any of those options would be seen as a blessing.
Sipping and savoring her twelfth cup of coffee, the ironically named youthful heroine pondered the waves each test was making. Her sleep deprived thoughts drifted back to the ancient Greek myths about Panacea the mythic personification of healing. She idly wondered if she was watching the birth of a new member of the healing divinity.
"What I don't understand is where this quirk came from." The geneticist of their panel finally spoke up. The woman one of the leading experts on heredity quirks. She picked up one of the older reports. "I mean, it's rare for a child to manifest a quirk different from their genetic lineage, but not unheard of."
"Well, at present – his quirk is classified as Emitter-Healing type, yes?" The hematologist questioned, seeing nods come from the others. "Don't both his parents have Emitter-Type quirks?"
"Yes, his mother has an Emitter-Telekinetic quirk, while his father..." The geneticist looked at the report, "is registered to have an Emitter-Fire Breath quirk but..." Her eyes narrowed slightly, "there's a note saying the sample may have been contaminated somehow. So a possible explanation of how he has an Emitter-type quirk, but for it to be this powerful? Definitely a mutation...One possibly worthy of needing a whole new classification, or so the HPSC is arguing."
"Class Seven Regeneration: 'Absolute'," one of the few doctors who also worked for the Hero Public Safety Commission voiced her thoughts. "Almost sounds scary, doesn't it?"
"Not really. That just sounds overpowered to me." The geneticist shrugged, there were all different kinds of quirk classifications. Regeneration and healing quirks had always been on a scale of one to six. Class one regeneration was just faster healing rates. Class Six could regrow from any injury given time, even stunting the aging process as a byproduct.
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't a lot of fire-quirk users have increased stamina or endurance to assist them in withstanding the heat and energy it takes to produce said fire?" The dermatologist blinked, countless burn treatments fresh in his mind as he remembered a point of the boy's quirk discussed earlier. "Could that maybe play a part in why he doesn't seem to get tired?"
The group of doctors blinked, thinking of the triathlon they had the boy run. His times were nowhere near breaking any records, but he went from swimming in the lap pool to riding on the stationary bike with just a moment's pause in between to towel himself off. They offered him some protein bars and water bottles as he 'rode' but he declined them, stating he didn't feel hungry. It was only when it was time for him to switch to the running portion that Izuku had finally asked for a bottle of water, and took one of the small granola bars.
"So you feel thirsty? Or hungry?" The physician had asked as Izuku started running on the treadmill.
"No, but my mouth feels a little dry, and I can tell my mother is staring at me in concern that I haven't had anything to eat or drink since this morning." Sure enough, the pair could see Inko looking through the glass of the testing room, a small frown on her face.
"It's possible, but I don't think that's it." Chiyo took another sip of her coffee, "I spoke with the boy after the triathlon, and he told me he's never truly felt the need to eat or drink and, lack of a better way to say it, does it more for pleasure and to appear normal in front of others. From all my years as a school nurse, I've noticed children, and even a lot of adults, for all their want of being unique or special...Still want to fit in with society as a whole."
"Understandable." The geneticist nodded, "so what are your thoughts on Midoriya Izuku's case as a whole?"
All eyes were on the youthful heroine, everyone waiting to hear the thoughts of one of the most renowned healing quirk users.
"Considering the following..." She adjusted her glasses, making a few final notes of her own. "Immunity to toxins, bacterium, and other foreign diseases and ailments. Borderline godly levels of healing to his own body." She counted the miracles on her hand, "and don't forget these powers seem to extend beyond the boy's body. The fact these properties remain active within the boy's blood after being fully removed from the, I suppose host might be the best word, indicates a level of healing power I didn't think was possible. Sure his quirk's power is reduced and only temporary within the samples, but the fact that it remains at all and works for others? The best way I can put this that everything about the boy's immune system is a miracle of medical science."
"A fair assessment." The geneticist swered as nods came from the group. "So what happens now?"
"Well, I know everyone, myself included would still like to do a few more tests. "The HPSC doctor spoke up, "but at the same time, I know our friends at the capital would like some information as well." She glanced at her phone, it had been on silent, but there was several missed called and a ton of text messages awaiting reply.
"Well then, why don't we do this?" Years of having to help injured students manage their recovery time and schoolwork had given Chiyo an odd level of secretarial skills. "We'll write up a preliminary report with our confirmed findings, and pass that along to the government. This way, they have something to look over and review, while we're still able to test and refine those elements we're still unsure of. As we prove or disprove our other theories, we can update and pass along new reports."
"A brilliant idea. Would you do the honor and write and deliver the report Doctor Shuzenji?"
"Of course dear," Chiyo gave a nod, one hand reaching for her own book of notes. "I want to make sure we're all on the same page, just in case they decide to ask questions. What do we know for certain?"
After another hour's discussion, Dr. Shuzenji found herself writing up an official report with everything they had confirmed thus far about Midoriya Izuku's quirk. The hour after that had been spent on cleaning herself up a bit, before taking a trip to the capital building. She had been granted an audience almost instantly, and maintained her air of calm professionalism as she handed over the report. The officials she had interacted with had the same attitude, but that had only lasted a few minutes before the realization of what the report meant began to sink in. Chiyo could only chuckle as debates began over the best course of action on how to break the news to the general public, as well as keep the favor of the 'Golden Child' as one of the senior officials dubbed the boy.
"I'll leave you all to your discussion." Chiyo had told the chairman after he had mastered to get the gathered crowd back into a semi-orderly state. "If you have any questions, just call one of my colleagues." She handed over a small index card with numbers to reach the senior doctors handling the Midoriya case. "Excuse me." She had left the room with a bow then, even as the discussions began anew. Waiting at the bus stop, she debated returning to the medical center to continue observing the testing. However, despite her title of 'Youthful Heroine', she couldn't deny that her age sometimes caught up to her and instead opted to return to the hotel she was staying at with a few other visiting doctors for a much needed nap.
...
[ October Twenty-Fifth, X038. Kyoto Nama, Luxury Hotel]
…
It is a very odd sensation when you recognize the name of someone in the news. It becomes indescribable when it is the name of your sixteen year old child.
"The Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare have declared Midoriya Izuku a 'modern day miracle'. Officials say-" Inko flipped to another station.
"...The blood of Midoriya-san has been shown to have curative properties an-" Another station's report was cut off as the beaming mother clicked the button on the remote.
"...accommodate the power, a new level for Healing Quirks has been created. Class Seven, Absolute. The "Impunity" quirk of Midoriya Izuku is the first reported of its kind, but leading quirk experts are hoping tha-" She shook her head, amazed that Izuku's quirk needed a whole new class. She flipped to another channel, seeing a reporter at a local hospital. She was seated at the bedside of a patient who looked to be around four-years-old.
"I'm here with Sakai Kentaro, a boy who received a transfusion of what some doctors have called the 'Miracle Blood'." The reporter placed a hand on the child's shoulder, "Kentaro-san, I understand you were admitted to the hospital with leukemia and a case of chicken pox. How are you feeling now?"
"I was itchy all over, and felt tired." The child answered, eyes bright. "But then I got some new blood and my rash went away. I don't feel tired anymore either, but the doctors still won't let me go play with my friends." Kentaro frowned, but the smile never left his eyes.
The reporter laughed, "I've been told you'll be out and playing with your friends again soon enough. But there you have it, first hand proof of Midoriya Izuku's healing quirk and..."
"Miss Reporter? Can I say something?"
"Ah, of course." She held the microphone back in front of the child. "What would you like to say?"
"I just want to say thank you to Midoriya-san. You're my hero!"
Inko had to look away from the TV, she could feel tears stinging her eyes. She wondered if Izuku had access to the news at the Center, and if he had seen the same report. In a show of generosity or bribery, all the agencies involved had agreed to book her, and Izuku, into the closest and most luxurious hotel available. Thankfully so she could stay close to her son. As such, she had spent the last two days in a suite that was roughly the size of the apartment she had left behind. The only differences between the two being the full bathroom, and the sheer quality of all the provided furnishing. There was also the massive perk that she didn't have to lift a finger, with all cleaning handled by the maids.
"Midoriya-san? Are you alright?" One of the security officers who had been assigned to watch over her asked as he entered the room. He was followed by one of the hotel's caterers, and another officer. The caterer gave a bow as he set the tray of food on the dining island in the kitchen. Sure, Inko could have made her own meals, but it wasn't often the sort-of-single mother got to enjoy high quality meals at no cost to herself.
"I'm fine, just a little overwhelmed." She gestured back to the TV, which had temporarily turned away from stories about her boy in favor of the nightly weather, "It seems every station is reporting on the preliminary findings and it's just..."
"I understand." The officer bowed as the caterer took his leave. "I remember when my little Maiyuko caught her first criminal. I was so proud, I spent the week telling everyone who would listen."
"You're lucky the news is doing that for you." The other officer spoke, rolling his eyes. "We didn't think Kojima here was ever going to shut up about it."
"Do you have children?" Inko asked, remote in hand as she debated turning off the TV.
"Not yet, but my wife is due sometime in the next three months."
"You'll understand once she has the baby." The other officer replied as Inko nodded, her eyes drifting back to the TV in time to catch another report.
"A petition has been started by several of those who received donations from Midoriya-san to designate October Nineteenth, the day of his first donation, a national holiday an-" Inko didn't hear the rest, the fact that people wanted to declare a national holiday for her son completely setting her already strained emotions to their max, causing her to feel a little dizzy and light-headed.
"Midoriya-san?" The officer's voice barely registered as her eyes and ears focused fully back on the TV.
"All Might may be a symbol of peace," one of the supporters was saying, "But Midoriya-san? He should be a symbol of health and recovery."
The comparing of her son to his all-time favorite hero was enough to turn the dizzy spell up to eleven. Pride, adoration, and a slight amount of fear for her boy's safety flowed into Inko with such force that she couldn't take it and passed out with a gentle thud on the thick carpets.
"Midoriya-san! Inko?" The officer scrambled for the radio at his side, "we need medical support. Midoriya Inko has fainted...She's still breathing...No, she was just watching the news..." The other officer moved Inko to a recovery position, seeing a still beaming smile of maternal pride on her face. "This might sound strange, but I think she passed out from excitement...Roger that." He looked to his partner. "They'll be in here in fine."
...
[ October Twenty-Fifth, X038. Kyoto Imperial Medical Center]
…
As much as Izuku had wanted the tests, he didn't think there would be this much waiting in between. All of the results had been beyond expectations, and while he always suspected that to be the case. It still made him nervous.
"If the doctors don't know what to make of my quirk, what will the general public think?" He sighed, reaching for the TV remote before him. For safety reasons, he had been given one of the private waiting rooms reserved for possible contagious patients or those with quirks who required a bit more isolation. He clicked on the TV just in time to catch the tail end of a story the news channel was reporting.
"I just want to say thank you to Midoriya-san. You're my hero!"
The face of a smiling child, eyes bright with adoration looked out from the TV. Though he knew it was just because of the camera angle, Izuku felt the child was looking and speaking directly to him. Though it was just one child, Izuku felt the doubts he had about how his quirk would be received start to fade. He checked out a few more stations, being greeted with similar praise from the media, and other people interviewed. By the time the nurse came to fetch him for the next round of testing, Izuku felt a newfound sense of determination flowing through his veins.
"I don't care what it takes. I swear, I will become someone worthy of the title of hero."