Pacific Ocean, One Hundred Nautical Miles from Hawaii
Some Time Ago
Izuku's head buffeted against the headrest as the plane's wheels made contact with the tarmac. He glanced out the window at the modern marvel sprawling out around him. He still couldn't really believe that he was here. I-Island, one of the most impressive technological achievements in the last century. A literal floating city that traversed the oceans of the world, and home to some of the greatest minds on the planet. The pre-eminent research on quirks were all done on the island; most of the advances in the understanding in quirks and genetics had come from scientists from this island.
But that wasn't all. Some of the greatest heroes on the planet got their support equipment from companies and scientists that called I-Island home. It was where anyone who was anyone in the sciences wanted to be.
Which was why it was all the more confusing Izuku found himself on the island.
As his second year at University had been drawing to a close, Izuku had absently checked the school's job postings. He'd made it a habit starting after his very first semester under the hopes that potentially he would have found something in which he could have learned something useful. To his surprise, David Shield of all people had been accepting applications from interns. Izuku had been initially hesitant in applying. David Shield had, famously, once been the sidekick and support equipment supplier for the one and only All Might, and the less Izuku had to do with him, the better. But these days, David Shield was more of an inventor and general leader of industry in the field of support equipment. It was only two years ago that the man had won the Nobel Prize for Quirks.
The potential benefits had outweighed the negatives, and Izuku had applied. He had certainly not expected to have received an interview. Let alone a follow-up, and had most certainly not expected to receive an offer. Shield had sent the applications to top universities across the planet, and there must have been thousands of potential applicants. But here he was. On a plane, landing at I-Island International Airport.
Presently, the plane finally came to a stop and the flight attendants opened the door. With the rest of the passengers, Izuku rose from his seat and retrieved his backpack from the overhead bins. Stepping off the plane and onto the tarmac, he was smacked with the heavy humidity of the southern pacific in the midst of summer. It was like walking into a wall of water and he was immediately sweating. He scratched at the odd metal device behind his ear. He had been given the odd device shortly before takeoff, but the flight attendant hadn't given him any further instructions other than to place it behind his ear. Unsure of where to go, he followed the rest of the passengers as the wandered into the, blessedly, air-conditioned airport terminal. He had only just retrieved his bags from the carousel when he felt a tap on the shoulder. Turning, he found himself looking down at the small, bespectacled frame of an attractive young woman. Maybe in her mid-twenties and dressed in a professional pantsuit, with her blonde hair tied up into a tight bun.
"Mr. Midoriya?" She asked. His mouth suddenly dry, he could only nod. She smiled broadly at him, her white teeth seemingly shinning in the fluorescent lights.
"Wonderful, I'm Pamela Kingsley. Dr. Shield has asked me to escort you to the labs. He's very excited."
"Oh…" said Izuku, unsure how to respond. "Uh…that sounds…great?"
"Perfect!" She said happily, and turned on her heels, inadvertently drawing Izuku's attention to her rather long legs. Shaking it off, he followed her, struck by a sudden realization.
"You're…speaking Japanese?"
She chuckled, and moved a few strands of hair revealing an odd-looking metallic device attached to her ear similar to his own.
"One of Dr. Shield's inventions. It's a translator. It works similar to headphones, I'm still speaking English, you're just hearing it in Japanese, like I'm hearing you in English."
Once more, he was rather speechless, his fingers fluttering over the metallic device.
"Impressive," was all he could muster.
"Consider it a taste of things to come," said Pamela, opening the door of a sleek, black sports utility vehicle and gesturing for Izuku to climb in. The inside was comfortable, the air conditioning already going and providing a comfortable coolness in contrast with the harsh humidity.
"How much do you know about the island?" Asked Pamela as she took the driver's seat and pulled away from the terminal.
Izuku shrugged, "About as much as anybody? You guys tend to keep things under tight lock and key."
"I suppose that's true," chuckled Pamela as she pulled onto a highway leading towards a sprawling metropolis in the distance. "Well, we'll stick to the basics then. Don't want to overwhelm you too soon, that's Dr. Shield's job," she winked at him, and Izuku felt his ears flush as a warmth crept up his neck.
"I-Island is pretty much a megacity." Continued Pamela, "You've got a shopping district, a couple of residential districts, food, entertainment, the works, though most of the island is devoted to the laboratories, factories, and processing plants for the various companies and scientists. It's our own little slice of wandering heaven."
As they approached the city, Pamela slowed the car down to a stop at what appeared to be a security checkpoint gate. The gate itself was monstrously large, careening high into the sky at least two or three stories and was part of a larger encompassing outer wall that protected the city. On either side of the gate were enormous turrets; automated, judging by the way the weapons followed their car as they slowed down. As they came to a stop, a strange blue beam emitted from an emitter on the gate, and cast the car in an ethereal blue glow for a moment. A second later, and green light flared to life and the gate opened to admit them into the city proper.
"Well…I'm guessing you don't have much of a villain problem," Izuku mused, watching the turrets closely as they turned to address the car behind them.
Pamela chuckled, "Yeah, it's probably the safest place on the planet. There's a couple of pros on the island, but most of them are just riding out the last out their glory days until retirement. The island's defense systems take care of most of the security."
"Defenses?" Izuku asked, "You mean aside from the turrets the size of this car?"
"Yeah," laughed Pamela, "There's much more. Most of the island's security are drones and machines. But don't worry," she said quickly, mistaking his curiosity for concern, "you're not likely to see them. The pros might not mind them, but it wigs out us normal people."
Normal, huh? Well, that was certainly a nice change of pace.
Izuku grunted in response. The island truly was a marvel, and as his eyes roamed over the impressive cityscape before him, he was drawn to the large structure in the center of the island. An impressive, marble-colored structure that reached far above the rest of the skyline. Glancing over, Pamela followed his gaze before chuckling.
"Impressive, right?" She asked, "I know the whole island is pretty ridiculous, but the Central Tower is something else entirely. 200 floors, almost all of which are devoted solely to research and development, and sturdier than a bomb shelter."
"Is that where Dr. Shield's labs located?" Izuku asked.
Pamela nodded, "Floor 127, the entire floor is his." She grinned at him, "So I don't imagine that you're going to be wanting for things to do."
It took roughly an hour to get from the gate to the city center. If the tower had looked large before, it was nothing to standing at its base. Even craning his neck all the back, Izuku couldn't see up to the top.
"Don't worry about your bags," said Pamela, walking over to him. "They'll be brought over to your room. Dr. Shield wanted to see you as soon as you arrived. Here," she pressed a small I.D. card into his hand. "You'll need that to get to anywhere in the tower. It gives you clearance only to Dr. Shield's floor, the recreation centers - including gym and pool - on the 50th floor, and the cafeteria on the 100th floor. It's also keyed into your personal dorm on Dr. Shield's level."
"So don't lose it," said Izuku wryly, and Pamela chuckled.
"That would be for the best," she laughed. With a gesture to follow her, she led the way into the building. The Tower was even more beautiful on the inside. It was wonderfully spartan, something that Izuku could appreciate, and had the sterile feel of a hospital. He would imagine that most would be put off by the rather bland interior, but Izuku was comforted by it. It felt…familiar.
There was a security checkpoint almost immediately following the entrance to the tower, a pair of ostentatiously dressed men - clearly pros - were standing guard beside a row of metal detectors and x-ray scanners. Passing through the checkpoint without difficulty, Pamela led the way to a row of elevators at the other end of the entrance hall. Pamela scanned her I.D. to open the elevator, and then scanned it again before clicking on floor 127. The doors closed and Izuku nearly fell to the floor as the elevator rocketed up.
"Sorry, should have warned you," giggled Pamela as Izuku stumbled against the back wall. "It's pretty fast, but you get used to it." Izuku was willing to take her word on that. In less than thirty seconds they had traversed the distance and were on the 127th floor.
"And right this way," said Pamela happily, leading Izuku out of the room. The floor was, naturally, a circular hallway. He could make out a number of closed doors scattered around the hall as Pamela led him into the northwest bend of the corridor.
"And here we are," she announced, before knocking on the door, "Dr. Shield, it's Pamela! I have Mr. Midoriya with me!"
"Come in!" Called a male voice, muffled, through the door. With a smile at Izuku, Pamela waved her hand by a small scanner beside the door, and the door opened. Stepping into the room, Izuku was greeted with less of a laboratory and more of a hoarder's wet dream. Boxes of machine parts were stacked from floor to ceiling, taking up what little available floor space was available. The two tables in the room were covered in a misch-mash of machine and computer parts and soldering equipment.
There was one occupant in the room, a middle-aged man with dark blonde hair and goatee. His light blue eyes were hidden behind a pair of dark black glasses. He was dressed casually in a denim button-up with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and light-gray jeans. His head rose from where he was busy trying to fit what appeared to be a computer chip into a pair of bright yellow boots. Upon seeing them, his face broke out into a wide smile.
"Mr. Midoriya, pleasure to finally meet you in person," he pushed himself away from the desk and approached. He was about an inch shorter than Izuku, so he was forced to look up to meet his eyes. He held his hand out for Izuku to shake, which Izuku gripped enthusiastically.
"Pleasure is mine, sir," said Izuku, "Thank you so much for the opportunity."
Breaking off the handshake, David waved the comment aside. "Please, it was my pleasure," he turned to Pamela, "Thank you very much Pam, I'll take it from here."
"Pleasure is mine Boss man," said Pamela, proffering a small salute. "Nice to meet you Izuku, hope to see ya around," she offered him a final wink, which once more caused heat to creep up his neck. He watched her leave, before turning back to Dr. Shield, who was smiling knowingly at him. Desperate for a distraction, he cleared his throat and asked,
"Do you mind if I ask you a question?" He asked,
"Of course," said Dr. Shield. He sat back down in his seat and proffered Izuku a miraculously empty seat a few feet away. "Ask away,"
Izuku shifted in his seat for a moment as he tried to find a polite way to ask what had been on his mind. Deciding subtlety probably wasn't his strong suit right now, he asked,
"Why did you choose me?" He asked bluntly. "Not that I'm not immensely grateful!" He quickly amended, "I'm just…confused,"
Dr. Shield chuckled, but didn't seem offended. "Why is that?" he asked.
"I mean…" Izuku ran a hand through his hair, "You run one of the largest support companies on the planet. You were All Might's sidekick of all people. Most of your work is on the mechanical support side of things. I just…I'm not a mechanical engineer. Or a computer engineer. Or any kind of engineer! I don't know the first thing about combustion engines or-or gears or pulleys or anything like that…I guess I just don't know how much use I could possibly be."
"Well," began Dr. Shield wryly, "Considering the combustion engine went out of fashion a little over two-hundred years ago, I don't think you'll have to worry about that."
Izuku felt his cheeks flush in embarrassment, but Dr. Shield didn't seem to be making fun of him.
"It's a fair question, and I figured you'd be a little confused," continued Dr. Shield, "But I think you're also selling yourself short. Out of all of the applicants, you were the only one triple majoring, and in quite an eclectic group of subjects to. That's quite the accomplishment for anyone, but even more so for one three years his peers' junior."
Izuku shifted uncomfortably at the praise.
"But even more than your academic accomplishments," said Dr. Shield, "Were your extracurriculars,"
Izuku frowned, "I'm sorry?" He asked, he wasn't involved in any clubs or groups or anything like that.
"Please, Izuku," chuckled Dr. Shield, "Give me some credit. I make it a habit of knowing who my majority shareholders are. So imagine my surprise when I find out that a fifteen-year-old had purchased the majority of the minority shares in Horizon Might."
A pang of panic rang through Izuku's chest at the casual admittance. Trading in Japan was restricted to persons 21 and older. If reported to the Ministry of Finance, he could face some rather serious penalties. His fear must have been evident on his face, because Dr. Shield chuckled and dismissed his concerns.
"Relax, Izuku, I'm not going to report you to anyone." He chuckled, "I'm more curious than anything. I know you made quite the sum from that sale alone, and I feel like I can confidently say that it wasn't an isolated incident. But I'm curious as to what you could possibly need that kind of money for."
Izuku's fists clenched. He was teetering on potentially dangerous grounds. Technically, there was nothing inherently illegal about the second phase pf his plan, but it wouldn't take a man of David Shield's intellect to piece together what he wanted to do, which was illegal. But he needed to give the man something.
"I want to start my own business." He finally said, "I want to start my own tech and support company. But in order to do that, I need to have substantial capital behind me. So I've been starting early. I'm already going to be facing an uphill battle so I need any edge I can get."
There was some truth to that. He did plan on starting his own tech company, and he did need to build up as much capital as possible both for the venture. But he had much more important purposes for the capital.
Dr. Shield eyed him carefully for a moment, before nodding.
"That's a noble ambition. I presume that was part of the reason you wanted this position?"
"It is," said Izuku, thankful for the change in topic, "I wanted to see what the day to day of someone at the top of his field was like. That, and, well, it was you. Felt like it would have been a waste to not put myself out there you know?"
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take," smiled David. The idiom was unfamiliar to Izuku, but he understood it well enough. "Well, I can respect that. And for what it's worth, I think you've got a good head on your shoulders Izuku. Part of what led me to decide on you in the first place." He clapped his hands together and stood up.
"Well then, as pleasant as this has been, I think it's time we get started. Follow me."
I-Island, Somewhere in the South Atlantic
One Year Later
Izuku swore as he dropped his soldering iron. Glaring at the offending instrument, he grumbled and picked it back up. In spite of working with the damn things for over a year now, he still didn't quite have the hang of the tool. Thankfully, he was saved from his work as David Shield stuck his head through the door.
"Hey Izuku, I'm heading out to pick up Melissa. You good on your own?"
"Yeah, I'm all good here," said Izuku, "You two have a good night,"
"You're welcome to dinner with us you know," snorted David, "Melissa has been bugging me about it for months."
Izuku chuckled, "Maybe tomorrow. I really want to get these monitors done."
David sighed and shook his head, but didn't fight him on it. "At least try and sleep at some point tonight, Izuku."
"I was told to never make a man a promise I knew I wouldn't keep," smirked Izuku. David rolled his eyes, but smiled. If anyone was going to understand a workaholic, it was another workaholic.
"Have a good night, Izuku,"
"You too, David."
The door shut, and Izuku was left back alone with his work. For all his reticence in accepting the internship a year ago, he was immeasurably thankful that he had gotten this job. David Shield was a wonderful boss. Helpful whenever Izuku needed help, but also willing and trusting enough to allow Izuku to work and learn on his own. Izuku had learned more practical skills in the last year than he had in three years at University.
Lost in his work, the hours slipped by. He didn't even notice as the sun slipped down beyond the horizon and the evening lights sprang to life. As the hours ticked forward, his eyes began to grow a little heavier. He tried to fight off the urge to fall asleep, but he'd already been running on only a couple of hours of sleep between the last several days, and soon, he was left with little option.
He couldn't breathe. Smoke. There was so much smoke. It reached into him, gripping his lungs and refusing to let go. He coughed, desperate to try and breathe. He was vaguely aware that people were screaming, and of a strange heat creeping up his arms. He opened his eyes, and immediately regretted the decision as the smoke stung at him, drawing tears. Dabbing at his eyes, he fought to clear his vision. Desperate to try and make sense of what was happening. Sirens were wailing in the background, and the screams of desperate people were growing louder with each passing second.
Where were mom and dad? Where was he? What was going on? Was this a villain attack?
His eyes finally clearing, he was shocked by the horrors before him. It was as though a bomb had been detonated in the middle of downtown. Cars lay strewn about haphazardly, as though they had been picked up and casually tossed aside by a mighty giant. A nearby building was missing a large chunk of its roof. Sprays of water smacked him in the face, courtesy of a nearby fire hydrant, which had been destroyed, throwing gallons of water streaming high into the air. Not too far away, something exploded, the shockwave throwing Izuku to the ground as red-hot fire arced into the skies above.
He looked around desperately for any sign of help, but saw nothing apart from fleeing civilians. A man and a women were desperately trying to pull a large chunk of rock free from an elderly man whose leg had been trapped by falling debris. Nearby, a man was screaming for help as he tried in vain to provide chest compressions to a woman lying prone on the ground.
Where were the heroes? Why was no one helping? Where was All Might? Where were mom and dad?
Someone screamed out in terror, and a thin-looking man with a hammerhead shark mask and gray latex suit came dashing down the street. Izuku recognized him as the Pro-Hero "Angler." He looked half crazed, and as though he wasn't even seeing the world anymore. Part of his suit was torn and he was covered in soot and ash.
"Angler!" Izuku cried out, "Mr. Angler, please! I can't find my-"
But Angler paid him no mind as he continued running as fast as he could down the street. As he passed, Izuku could hear him mutter under his breathe, "I didn't sign up for this! I can't do anything! My quirk isn't cut out for this kind of thing! Gotta goes! Gotta gets the hell out of here!"
"Mr. Angler!" Izuku tried screaming again, but it was no use. The man simply continued running as fast as his legs would carry him. Away from the crying civilians. Away from the carnage.
Izuku was on his own.
"Mom! Dad!" He cried out. There was another explosion, followed by a scream of fury but Izuku ignored it. He was scared. Terrified. His heart thundered in his ears as he stumbled out into the street. He turned every which way, calling out for his parents, but to no avail. Passersby paid him no mind as they continued to flee from whatever battle was raging, which seemed to be drawing nearer by the second.
"Izuku!"
He turned, falling to the ground as another shockwave tore through the city. He could see his mother and father, racing towards him from the ruins of an alleyway near the theater. Scrambling to his feet, he ran as fast his could towards them. Towards safety.
"Thank the gods!" His mother whispered as he pulled him into her arms.
"We need to go!" Shouted his father, grabbing Inko by the hand, "Back to the alley! It's the shortest path back to the car!" Inko, her arms still around Izuku, followed. But as they crossed the threshold into the alley, the nearby building exploded as a strange black figure erupted into the alley. The trio skidded to a stop, too frozen in fear to move. The figure pulled itself free of the rubble, hardly sparing a glance at them as it looked into the sky.
"This is what you fight for boy!" It called out. "For these weak-willed peons? Do you not realize the folly of your actions? That you have inadvertently created a world that has halted humanity's progress?" It turned, its eyes narrowing as it stared at the trio.
"Too scared to even move. Too fragile to even fight back," it scoffed, before raising its hand in the air. "This is the world you've created." Hisashi Midoriya didn't even have time to scream, before a beam of energy shot forward from the monster's fingertips and hitting him right between the eyes. He fell forward, dead before ever hitting the ground.
Inko screamed, but Izuku was too stunned to move. Unable to comprehend what he had witnessed. It was like his father had simply fallen asleep. Almost peaceful.
"Please!" Inko begged, trying to shield Izuku's body with her own. "Please, not my boy! Not Izuku!" But the creature wasn't listening.
"How many more have to die before you realize your foolishness!" It roared into sky. "How many are you going to make me kill before you give me what is rightfully mine?!"
"Please just let us go!" Inko continued to sob, "Please, just let us-" But she never finished her plea, as another beam of light impaled her as it had her husband. Izuku, thrown off by the sudden loss of pressure holding him steady, collapsed to the ground, his eyes glued to the corpse of his mother. Smoke pooling from the fresh hole between her eyes.
"Momma…"
He tried to crawl forward. Tried to reach her. But he couldn't. He couldn't move. He couldn't do anything.
"This is the price you pay," Izuku heard the creature say, and as Izuku looked up, the creatures fingers began to glow once more. Only for Izuku's vision to be blocked by a sudden blue blur. He felt himself get picked up, and suddenly he was several blocks away. He looked up, his eyes meeting the ever-smiling visage of his hero. The number one pro in the world.
"I'm so sorry my boy…"
A knock on the door pulled Izuku out of his nightmare. Jumping in surprise, he tumbled out of his chair and collapsed to the ground.
Groaning, he called out, "Just a second!" Pulling himself from the ground, he stumbled to the door, expecting David, only to be surprised by one of the tallest and largest women he'd ever seen. She was a bit taller than him, with long blonde hair tied back in a loose ponytail that drifted down her mid-back. She was young, maybe about his age, if not a little older. She smiled brightly down at him, her deep brown eyes crinkling happily.
"Hi there!" She said brightly, "I'm here to pick my order?"
"Order?" Izuku said numbly, his mind still hazy. He didn't remember making any custom orders lately, least of all for someone so young. Most of their orders were made for established heroes and he felt like he would have remembered if David had mentioned that they were working on something for a rookie.
"Uh sure," said Izuku, "Name?"
"Cathleen Bate?" She said. Izuku nodded, and turned his back on her to head to his desktop, more to tune her out than anything. It should have been against the law to be that bubbly first thing in the morning. He sat down at his desk and began pouring over their order lists.
"So, is this your office?" Asked Cathleen, striding into the room and gazing around the clutter. Izuku had taken a bit too much after his mentor, and the room had very quickly become a pigsty.
"Astute observation," Izuku muttered, but if she heard him, she didn't comment on his rudeness.
"You must have really impressed Mr. Shield, for you to be his intern so young. You're what, sixteen?"
"Dr. Shield," Izuku corrected, pointedly looking up from his terminal, before looking away, "and I'm seventeen."
"Still, really impressive!" She said brightly. "You must be a child prodigy or something!"
"And you must be a delight at dinner parties." After another scroll, he found her order and he finally remembered putting it together. It was a relatively simple, if slightly…ostentatious design. David had mentioned that she was one of the up-and-coming pros in the United States, and had been recommended to him by All Might of all people. Leaving his chair, he turned away from the computer and over to the back of his office. Approaching a panel against the far wall, he placed his hand against the biometric scanner, before inputting a complicated string of numbers. There was a pause, followed by a snap and a hiss as the wall opened up and a small case was thrust from the wall.
"Whatcha doing?" Izuku jumped out of his skin, before shooting the woman behind him. He hadn't even heard her approach.
"Here," he said, shoving the case into her waiting arms. "We built it to your design specs. I used a tri-weave of silk, dyneema, and spider silk for durability and flexibility. It should stand up to most types of brute strength-based quirks.
Cathleen whistled lowly, her eyes glued to the case in her hands, her eyes almost shining.
"I literally have no idea what that means, but man does it sound cool…" She looked up to him, "You said you did all of this yourself?"
Izuku hesitated. Some people were very much not happy to find out that their suit had not been made by David Shield, but by his intern. He couldn't exactly blame them, if he had contracted with one of the best suppliers in the business only to find out he hadn't done much more than approve the final product, he would have been annoyed to. But he nodded all the same. After all, he knew the quality of his work, and knew that it was second only to David himself.
"That so cool!" She exclaimed, "It's like meeting the next David Shield! One second!" Then, in a burst of speed that he couldn't fathom, she was gone from the room, only to reappear a moment later back in her uniform. It was like the woman was wearing an American flag as a robe.
"It's so comfortable!" She said, spinning around, allowing her cape to flutter through the air.
"Right…" Said Izuku uncomfortably, "We also infused the materials with fire-repellant materials so they shouldn't burn away or disintegrate, unless you decide to fight in an active volcano."
Cathleen snorted, "Fight in a volcano, you're funny, you know that?"
"You would be the first and only to say that," said Izuku. "Is there anything else we can do?"
"Well, Izuku," said Cathleen happily, "You can help me out by agreeing to be my personal support supplier!"
Izuku gaped at her. "Excuse me?"
"I said I want you to be my exclusive supplier!" She said, "If this is what I can expect from you, then I don't want anyone snagging you first!" She barked out a laugh, "You're going to be a hot commodity Izuku, and I want in on the ground floor." Something beeped, and she looked down at the strange-looking watch on her wrist and she frowned.
"Sorry, but I gotta go now. See ya later Izuku, and keep an out for me, I'll be in touch!"
"Wait!" Izuku tried to say, "I'm not even going to be here in-" But he trailed off as she had already disappeared in a blast of air. Sighing, Izuku walked over and collapsed back into his chair. He was entirely too exhausted to be dealing with Pro Hero bullshit. Resting his head in his hands, he leaned forward onto his desk and let a soft groan escape him.
"Hey kiddo," David's voice stirred him from his musings, "Doing okay in here?"
Izuku groaned, and David chuckled.
"Thought I just saw Miss Bates, she looked pleased."
Izuku poked his head up, "She said she wants me as her exclusive supplier."
David's face broke out into a broad, proud smile and he clapped Izuku on the shoulder.
"Look at you!" He said happily, "I leave you alone for ten minutes and you get your first client. I think this calls for a celebration!" He gestured to the door, "Dinner is on me tonight and you don't get to back out of it this time."
In spite of himself, Izuku smiled.
"All right…dinners on you."
I-Island, Somewhere in the North Pacific
One Year later
Izuku loved I-Island at night. For as resplendent as the island looked at night, it was even more impossibly beautiful at night. He wanted to cherish this moment. To hold onto it for as long as he possibly could, it would likely be the last time he saw it for a long time. His time had come. He'd graduated from University three months ago. Truth be told, he had been tempted to simply leave to begin his mission then and there. He hadn't even gone to the ceremony.
But he hadn't been able to simply leave without saying goodbye. His relationship with David and Melissa Shield was too important to him. He couldn't just disappear from the world without saying anything to them. He'd owed them that much. But as days turned to weeks, and weeks turned to month, it became harder and harder to stay away. Life was good here. Comfortable. He was…happy. Happier than he had been in he didn't know how long.
But that was the problem. He couldn't stay here. Couldn't allow himself to become complacent. He had a mission to accomplish. Had a job to do. And so, with a heavy heart, he'd managed to bring himself to terms with what he needed to do. So earlier that day, he purchased his ticket to Hong Kong. It was set to leave early the next morning. Dinner that evening had been a bittersweet moment, knowing that it was his last dinner with them.
He'd tried more than a couple of times to broach the topic of his leaving…but it had been impossible. He had been too much of a coward. It was far too difficult to say goodbye. He'd escaped from David's apartment a couple minutes prior, after having helped put Melissa down for the night. David's balcony watched over the entirety of the city.
Behind him, he heard the glass door open as David walked onto the balcony, settling in comfortably beside Izuku.
"You didn't think I wouldn't figure out you were leaving?"
Izuku shrugged, "I thought I'd at least be able to break the news myself."
David snorted, "Izuku, you booked your flight on a computer. I don't make it a habit of checking on you, but when you leave your ticket information up it makes it hard to miss. You need to be better about what you leave out for the world to see."
Izuku cursed under his breath. He'd been distracted shortly after booking his flight and had walked away from the terminal to handle one of his last projects for the day when David came in. He'd thought he'd turned the monitor off before David had seen anything, but apparently, he'd been wrong.
"I was going to tell you," said Izuku, "It just…" he trailed off, and sighed. "This place has been home for two years now…even if I've only been here during my time off of University, being with you and Melissa…it's been good. Leaving is…I just don't want to see your faces when I told you."
"So, you decided you'd be better off slinking away in the dead of night? I thought you were better than that, Izuku."
Izuku's shoulder's slumped, "I'm sorry…you're right."
David chuckled, "I know I am, but apology accepted." They lapsed into a mutual silence for a few moments, both watching the majesty of I-Island at night. The lights from the multitude of shops, clubs, and bars lighting up the sky in a scintillating display of reds, blues, and greens. Somewhere off in the distance, a group of tourists let out a wild whoop of joy that echoed all the way up to the balcony.
"You don't have to leave you know," David said softly. "I think I've made it abundantly clear that I want you to stay on with us."
"I know," said Izuku, equally as softly. "But I do have to leave…I have…I have ambitions. Plans for the future and those plans can't come to fruition if I'm here."
"Does this have anything to do with you taking the law into your own hands?" Asked David. Izuku's head snapped over to him. David chuckled. "Izuku, you're not nearly as subtle as you think you are. And like I said, you need to be more careful about what you leave out in the open." He reached into his back pocket and pulled a small notebook free. Izuku's stomach dropped. It was his notebook. The notebook. The notebook that had all of his plans, schematics, designs, notes on known heroes and villains and everything else related to his mission.
Izuku took the proffered notebook, and tucked it away. "You make a habit of looking through someone's personal belongings?"
David shrugged, "I thought it was one of mine. It looks like any of the notebooks we use around here." His expression hardened and he turned to look at Izuku. "Vigilantism Izuku, really?"
Izuku turned, and met his stare evenly. "Yes, really."
"May I ask why?" David prompted.
A flash of anger and agitation boiled up inside of him. "Maybe because I'm sick of feeling powerless!" He snapped, "Maybe because, I'm sick of having to depend on 'professionals' who only want to help if it's convenient for them. Do you have any idea what it feels like to watch as your entire world crumples in front of you? Powerless to do anything to stop it? To have everyone in the world tell you it's not your fault, when they did nothing to help themselves?"
David's eyes hardened. "You know very well that I do, Midoriya. Do you think I felt 'powerful' while I watched my wife wither away and die, unable to do anything to stop it? Do you think I felt like I could do a damn thing as my little girl had to sit there and watch as her mother died right in front of her. I know damn well how you feel Izuku, but taking the law into your own hands isn't going to anything to help."
"Like hell it isn't!" Izuku snapped back, "Martha was murdered! She didn't die because some hero felt like they didn't 'have the right quirk for the job' or because some lunatic decided to go on a murderous rampage! Look around you David!" He thrust a hand out to the city below them. "The only reason this place is 'safe,' is because it's got more security than a super max! Not because there are 'professional heroes.' It's a joke!"
"It is not a joke, Midoriya," David countered coolly. "In case you'd forgotten, I was a pro myself for quite some time."
"Then you should know that I'm right!" Izuku spat back. "The only thing the modern pro worries about, is himself. His image. You know that I'm right. Who is actually out there looking out for the people who can't look out for themselves, huh? Who is out there making sure that when the lights aren't on, and there's nobody recording, that people are being protected? Nobody!"
"All Might is-" David tried to say, but Izuku interrupted him.
"All Might isn't infallible, David! And he can't be everywhere all at once! He can't protect everyone!"
"And you think you can?" David shot.
"I can damn well try!" Izuku roared, "Someone has to be out there, making sure that the scum of society is too scared to do anything!"
"And that's your plan then?" Scoffed David, "To kill anyone you deem guilty? To be judge, jury, and executioner?"
"Don't put words in my mouth," Izuku growled. "I will never be like one of those animals. I'm talking about putting the fear into criminals. A fear that there is someone out there who is actually going to hold them accountable for their sins. I will be the reason that criminals are scared to go out at night. I will be the reason that they lay awake at night, wondering when, not if, I will find them, and deliver the justice that they deserve. If the heroes won't do what needs doing, then I will!"
David shook his head, "Izuku…you're not talking about justice. This…this is vengeance."
"And so what if it is!" Izuku snarled, "So what if it's vengeance? These people robbed me of my life! Of my family! They deserve it!"
"One person!" David pleaded, "One person, robbed you of your family Izuku!"
"And how many kids are going to lose theirs before it becomes right?" Izuku shot back. "How many kids have to watch their parents die in front of them before enough is enough? If I can save one person from having to go through what I did, then I will have done what I'm meant to do."
"If that's what this is about, then do it the right way!" David pleaded, "Don't throw your life away, Izuku. You're brilliant! You have one of the brightest, most capable minds I've ever encountered. Why waste it by throwing your life away? Why not use it for the betterment of the world?"
"This is for the betterment of the world, David," Izuku said softly. "This is for the betterment of everyone."
"And what happens when you get caught?" David asked, "Because you and I both know how Japan deals with vigilantes. They'll throw you away and lock away the key."
"They'll never catch me," said Izuku.
"So you say now!" David all but yelled, desperation leeching into his voice. "That's what everyone says. Everyone thinks they're the exception, not the rule. Izuku…think of your parents. They wouldn't have wanted you to throw your life away like this…"
"I'm so sick of people telling me what my parents would have wanted," Izuku growled, "Because I'll never know what they would have wanted. And neither do you."
"Like hell I don't!" David yelled, "You think that's not my worst nightmare? You don't think I lay awake at night worrying about something happening to me and leaving Melissa all on her own? Why do you think I retired? It was to protect her! It was to ensure that she had someone to look after her!" His shoulders slumped, and he leaned himself against the railing. When he next spoke, his voice was little more than a whisper. "No parent wants to see their child throw their life away Izuku, and the last thing they would want is for their child to do so in some vain attempt to achieve vengeance in their name."
"Maybe so," Izuku said softly, matching David's posture against the railing. "But…I have to do this David. I just…I can't just squirrel myself away in a lab for the rest of my life." His grip on the railing tightened to the point that his knuckles popped. "I'm committed to this. There's no turning back. Not now. If I don't at least try, then I'll live the rest of my life regretting it."
"And if you go through with it, you might not even live long enough to get there," said David. "Izuku…ignoring everything else, what you're suggesting, it's suicide. You wouldn't just be going up against common thugs, but against pro heroes and hero society as a whole. Especially without a quirk, it's a death wish."
"There's plenty of pros out there who basically don't have a quirk," Izuku said. "How often did you actually use your quirk while you were working?" David didn't respond. He didn't need to. Finally, after several minutes of silence, he asked,
"There's no changing your mind…is there?"
"No…" Izuku admitted, "No…there isn't." He glanced at his mentor, "You going to turn me in?"
David snorted, "For what? You haven't done anything yet,"
"You know that's not what I meant,"
David sighed, "No…you know that I won't."
Izuku heaved out a breathe of relief. "Thank you,"
"You are going to say goodbye, right?"
"Of course," said Izuku.
"Family always says goodbye."
AN: As always shoutout to Double0Sxvxn for being an awesome Beta and dealing with my bullshit and as always if you enjoyed this but haven't checked out my other work, give them a try you never know you might find something else you like. I'm also on discord now, where I and a bunch of other writers hang out, chat and brainstorm ideas, you just have to copy the link that's in my profile bio if you want to come and hang out with us. Stay safe, stay healthy and have an awesome week
All My Love,
LilDB