So, Chapter seven. Here we get the beginnings of everything. Izuka had her memories taken, this will be the start of her getting them back.
Now let's go!
)=(
"You're quirkless…" Mina blinked.
"Born and raised." Izuka smiled. "I've got the extra toe joint to prove it!"
Sero shook his head. "And you're still trying for UA?"
Izuka gave a sad smile. "It was my dream ever since I was a little girl. When I was seven, me and my mother were caught in the ground zero incident. I watched All Might fight a villain of incredible strength."
The young woman looked up at the three at the table. "All of the heroes who worked hard in the aftermath, they all had a part to play. I don't care if I'm out there stopping the greatest villain, or changing society in a major way. I want to help whoever I can, even if I have to use my bare hands to do it."
"Manly…" Kirishima breathed, before grinning. "Well I'm watching you Auntie! We all are!"
"Yeah! The best of us all and the first quirkless hero! Auntie Midoriya!"
Mitsuki looked at Izuka, who wiped a few tears from her face. "You guys are too cute. Thank you. I'll do my best not to let you down."
Mtsuki began clearing plates. "How about we all find a movie?"
Izuka grinned. "Leave it to me!"
The young woman dashed away at an incredible pace, before returning to the living room with a few video selections.
"I am an avid enjoyer of pre quirk era movies. Have you all seen movies from Studio Ghibli?"
The three shook their heads.
"Well then you're all in for a treat! Come on. Oi, brat! Princess Mononoke or Spirited Away?"
"Either will blow their minds." Bakugo grunted. "Spirited away is always a good one."
Izuka smiled. "I agree. Here we go then."
Everyone sat as Masaru brought in popcorn. Mina, Sero, and Kirishima watched in awe at the movie as it played out before them.
"Oh my goodness those little coal people are so cute!" Mina squealed.
"Holy… The spirit got so big!" Kirishima gawked.
"No face represents loneliness." Izuka smiled. "When he meets Chihiro, he finds her to be nice, and wants to be her friend. So when she declines, he tries other ways to be her friend, like becoming a famous bath house guest and giving out gold to everyone."
"You know a lot about this movie." Sero blinked.
"I've watched it too many times to count. It was my mothers favorite. Mine was Cruella." The young woman smiled.
"WOAH THAT'S A BIG BABY!"
"You didn't notice that before?"
Izuka chuckled as everyone enjoyed the movie. She handed Mitsuki the copy of 'Princess Mononoke', giving a nod as she snuck up to her room.
The young woman walked into her living space and took a deep breath. She had done her own renovation on the room, installing two large windows and a glass door to a balcony.
The young woman smiled as she stepped outside. Looking up at the stars, she gave a quick sigh, running the days events through her head.
"Do you often go outside to think?"
Izuka looked over her shoulder to find Mina standing in the hall, looking through her open door.
"They let you go?"
"Said I had to use the bathroom." The pink girl said. "May I come in?"
Izuka nodded, turning back to the stars.
"I think you're really cool."
Izuka turned back to the girl. "Well thank you."
"I want to know though… how do you do it?"
Izuka could see tears brimming in Mina's eyes.
"How do you keep going? I know that people must tell you that it's a hopeless dream. I know they have to think less of you…"
Izuka smiled and knelt down, taking Mina's hands in her own.
'Her skin is so strange… smoothe, but it makes my own hands feel prickly…'
"I knew when I saw you, that you probably got picked on for how you look. Your eyes, your hair, and your horns."
Izuka smiled as Mina searched her face for some kind of meaning.
"The fact of the matter is, those people will always be there. Telling you that it's a waste of time. Kinda stupid, right?"
Mina have a chuckle and nodded.
"All you have to do is make a second goal. To prove everyone wrong. Sure, you might get bullied, physically abused by some."
Mina watched as Izuka sowed a few scars that dotted her arm.
"But nothing comes without pain. A person who has everything will never know how it is to have nothing."
Izuka held onto Mina's hand as she stood back up, pointing to a series of stars.
"I named that one after my mother. 'Inko'. She's gone now, but with this, it feels like she's watching over me."
Mina looked at the stars, her eyes shining. "Wow…"
Izuka smiled and patted the girl on the head. "You should probably head back. You don't want them to worry."
Mina nodded. "Thank you for talking to me, auntie."
"No problem little cricket."
"Cricket?"
"You have antenna, your horns."
Mins smiled as Izuka explained. "Thank you."
The young woman closed her door as Mina left, before turning to her room. Izuka picked up some clothes, organized her desk, and fluffed up her pillows, before moving to turn on her computer.
"Izuka…"
The woman gave a jolt, before looking around.
No one, not even one of the kids outside her door. Izuka looked around and saw that her balcony door was still ajar.
"Izuka…"
"Someone there? Hello?"
Izuka looked off of her balcony, seeing nothing but the night sky. There were a few odd bits of smoke that drifted around, but she chalked it up to someone smoking.
"Izuka…"
"If this is some kind of prank, it isn't funny." The young woman stated. With a shake of her head, Izuka turned to go back inside, only to catch something out of the corner of her eye.
Whipping her head around, Izuka looked again, finding nothing. The young woman shuddered, the small glance she had caught already burned into her mind.
A scarred face with no eyes, and a Cheshire grin, which was directed at her alone.
"Izuka…"
)=(
The next morning, Izuka supervised Katsuki and his friends as they ventured through Musutafu.
They visited a few places, from the arcade to a tiny hole-in-the-wall diner a few blocks from the Musutafu central shopping district.
"So, what's your favorite breakfast Sero?" Izuka asked.
"Eggs always provide protein! But I like oats, fiber strengthens my tape."
Kirishima pouted at the diner menu. "None of these pancake options have added protein…"
Izuka chuckled. "What, you need mancakes?"
Kirishima looked up with a grin. "Hey, that's a good name! Imma call them mancakes!"
Bakugo groaned as Kirishima flexed. Izuka gave a chuckle, before pointing to an option of crepes.
"I'll tend to order these. Crepes can be sweet, or you can make them savory with different ingredients. I'll be getting sweet crepes though."
Mina nodded and ordered a waffle. Bakugo ordered an omelet with peppers.
"So Ms, Midoriya, what have you done in your year between highschool and University?"
Izuka nodded. "I actually dropped out of highschool after my mom passed. Kids were… pretty nasty. But, I started pouring my time and resources into quirk engineering."
"Quirk engineering?" Kirishima blinked.
Izuka nodded. "Yeah! I've studied the DNA of friends and family, utilizing them in items."
"So like… support?"
Izuka smiled. "Not quite. While it seems very support like, making items for a hero's benefit, in this case, my gadgets are to aid my own heroic journey, replicating the same things that quirks do, instead of enhancing their effects."
The young woman held up her watch. "For example. This was the first item I made. It's been through several upgrade stages, but its original function is still my biggest accomplishment."
The young woman tapped the top of the watch and held out her hand, causing her mug of tea to float right into her grip.
"Woah… did you just-"
"Use a quirk? Yes and no." Izuka smiled. "This watch contains a micromechanism I made that will create copies of my mothers quirk DNA. After about five minutes, it can store up enough for a few uses."
"How do you use the quirk?"
"The watch uses another mechanism I developed to turn the DNA into an active injection, allowing me five seconds of time to use the quirk. It isn't much, but I keep it close, as it is my mothers quirk."
"Woah…" Kirishima's eyes flashed.
"Miss Midoriya, these gadgets are incredible…" Sero blinked.
"Please, all of you can call me Auntie." Izuka smiled. "They may be incredible for me, although in the hands of the wrong person they could be incredibly dangerous."
"What do you mean?"
"Imagine a villain syndicate, like the Yakuza, being able to use each others quirks. That's the reason I'm keeping these devices restricted to me for now, I can always use a quirk excuse for the time being."
The conversation went on. Izuka talked about her breakthroughs when it came to quirks, but also about some of the struggles she had to get through.
"You wouldn't believe how many times I've had Katsuki's quirk give me a scar."
"Oi, I thought I told you it was dangerous!"
Izuka nodded, rolling up her sleeve. "Well, I'm close to figuring out the blast resistance part. See? The scars on my arms are getting smaller."
"Oi! Auntie! Stop trying this stuff on yourself!"
Izuka stuck out her tongue. "No pain no gain! There is no easy road to progress! Anyways, what are your plans when you guys graduate highschool?"
Mina grinned. "I wanna be a hero! My quirk lets me move around and although it's destructive, it can be used in a lot of rescue situations!"
Kirishima grinned and nodded. "Although it's simple, my quirk is pretty strong. If i train hard enough, Im sure I'd even be able to take punches from All Might!"
"Oh? Even All Might hmmm?"
Katsuki grunted. "He's pretty strong. Took the brunt of about six of my explosions."
"Woah! That's pretty powerful dude! What about you Sero?"
"Well, I can create a lot of tape, and although it might not be super combat oriented, I can use it to move at faster paces. It's also sterile, so It can be used as a bandage."
"You could also use it to tie up opponents! Very versatile. So you all want to be heroes huh?"
"Yep!"
Izuka smiled. "Well then, train hard. You want to be in tip top shape for the entrance exam."
"Yes Ma'am!"
"I told you to call me Auntie!"
Izuka paid for the food, and the group left the diner, before heading to the mall in the center of the shopping district. Kirishima, Sero, and Bakugo went to check out some videogames, while Izuka took Mina to one of the clothing stores.
"We'll meet back here in an hour. Katsuki, don't blow all of your money on games, okay? Same goes for you two, Kirishima, Sero. I'm giving you a visiting allowance, but I expect you to get something productive with it."
"Yes Auntie."
Mina's eyes shone as Izuka walked her into the clothing store. Most of the prices were incredibly high, but Izuka smiled and led her to the check out desk.
"Hi. I'm here to go through some of the items in the back with her."
"Do you have clearance?"
Izuka gave a sickly sweet smile. "Izuka Midoriya. Please, by all means, look up my name."
The check out clerk typed at his keyboard, before going white. "I'm sorry ma'am… Here's the key ma'am."
Izuka nodded as she took the key, before leading Izuka to a red door behind the clearance section.
"Back here is where the magic happens. I just need to grab some materials and give one of these guys a description of what we want, and we'll be all set!"
Izuka opened the doors to reveal a few individuals at tables, sewing together a few newer pieces.
"Hey everybody!" Izuka smiled.
The workers turned, before smiling back. Izuka chuckled as she led Mina in. "This is one of Katsuki's friends. She has an acid quirk. I was hoping to get her some acid proof clothing."
"Right away miss! Is there anything that you will need?"
"I have just about all of Mitsuki's designs in my closet, Koroto. But if you have an Idea, I'd love to try it on for you."
"Of course!"
Mina was amazed as in the next forty minutes, she was measured and several sets of clothing were produced in record time.
"This is…"
"Nice? Well, this is the store closest to home from me. Mitsuki and Masaru don't visit often, as they're all over the place. But, I check in to make sure everyone's doing well, to give evaluations, etc. I tend to make sure they get a sizeable bonus. Now, do you have any special requests?"
Mina though for a minute. "I do have one… A jacket."
"A jacket?"
Mina nodded. "A gray denim jacket. My last one got burned by a kid in my class…"
Izuka nodded. "Any way we can do a completely quirk proof denim jacket?"
"Possibly… although we may not have any fully quirk proofed material."
Izuka nodded. "If you don't then just make it fireproof."
Luckily, the group of clothesmakers did have quirk proof denim, and managed to make it to the specifications.
"Thanks guys. I'll make sure that you guys get a hefty raise for this."
"Thank you Miss Midoriya!" The workers smiled. Izuka handed Mina her new jacket. I can carry the rest of your bags, if you want to wear this out."
Koroto walked up to the two as they prepared to leave. "I used my quirk on the clothes we made. They should fit you no matter if you grow."
"Your quirk?" Mina blinked.
"Koroto's quirk is called 'Bonded Growth'. It's pretty perfect for this line of work, as it allows him to make kids clothes that they won't really ever grow out of. The jacket will grow to fit you as you get older."
Mina's eyes sparkled. "So cool… Thank you so much Mr. Koroto! Here, Auntie gave us an allowance for the mall… I want to give you some."
"Oh no, don't you worry a hair on your head." The man smiled
"Please, I insist! You all did a great job. It isn't a huge amount, but I still want to pay you some."
Despite the man insisting, Mina ended up paying him 7000 yen. Izuka chuckled as she walked with Mina back to the center of the mall.
After meeting up with the rest of the group, Izuka took them to get some hero merch, before finishing their trip up at a cafe in the mall.
"Izuka… Midoriya…"
Izuka blinked, before looking around. She saw the same motes of smoke from the previous night.
"Are you okay Auntie?" Mina blinked.
"Yeah, I uh, just have to use the bathroom. I'll be right back okay? Stay put."
The young woman walked out of the cafe and around a corner, before wandering down the hallway to the bathroom.
"Izuka…"
"Who are you." Izuka demanded. "Show yourself."
A terrifying sight appeared before the young woman. A man in a dress suit, his face scarred beyond recovery. He had no eyes, but his mouth formed an unnerving grin. At the palms of each of his hands was a small pit.
"Coe now little one… It is rude to address others with anger."
Izuka glared at the man. "Is it rude if said person has been stalking me?"
"Just checking in. The fact is that the holes I left in your mind are beginning to mend, but without me returning what I had taken, you will lose your mind to these voices…"
"What you had taken? WHat do you mean?" Izuka blinked.
"I know you don't remember… you probably won't be able to remember for a time… But I can keep you from losing yourself completely."
The man was before her in an instant. "I'm sorry for this. You will feel a slight pain."
Izuka's back arched as she felt lightning course through her body. Images flashed through her mind, too fast for her to catch. The man let go, and she crumpled to the ground.
"You need to stand up dear."
Izuka gave a whimper of pain as she saw her mother before her. But something was wrong.
"You're… dead…"
The face of her mother smiled, before melting away. Izuka blinked and got to her feet. Nobody was around the hallway. The young woman shook her head.
"I must be going crazy…"
The young woman rubbed her temples as she walked out of the hallway. Her eyes widened as she was greeted by a sea of fire.
)=(
Alright, there's chapter seven. I hope you enjoyed.
If you're a bit confused about what happened at the mall, don't worry, it's a set up for next chapter. You'll see what happens.
Sushui Out :3