Disclaimer: I don't own My Hero Academia or Batman. If I did, then it probably wouldn't matter because everything has been canceled and we've been quarantined in the Host Club for the past 55 months.
L: Yes, but you and I are introverts. We never really got out much anyways.
Maya: But what about my needs? I'm gonna die of boredom if I have to spend another second cooped up in here!
Skillet: Unfortunately all we can do is hope that things will go back to relatively normal soon.
Ikō: You said the same thing about the Funimation thing 4 years ago, and people are still losing their tits over everything.
Skillet: Ah touché.
Ac3: Also, I'm now helping write this!
Everyone Aside from Skillet:...WHO ARE YOU?!
Chapter 2: Silver Servant
Back in Dallas, Texas a man of British descent with silver hair and lavender eyes walked into a corporate building in the bustling downtown of the area which was owned by famed multimillion dollar corporation IM Enterprises. The company started in the city as a small software development company spearheaded by Japanese-American immigrant Tamaki Midoriya, who over his 105 year life had expanded the horizons of his business across the globe as quirks and hero society became more prevalent.
However like all people eventually do, Tamaki's age finally caught up to him as he passed away peacefully in his home shortly after finalizing his will. In this will he made the benefactor and heir to his company his favorite niece, who'd been at a call center ever since her husband died in a villain attack many years ago. However, shortly after he'd finalized his will another tragic incident cut Inko's life short and left her teenaged son orphaned. As a result of this the company's transition to its Japanese headquarters was halted as the American board members struggled to work with the notary to figure out what should be done about this matter.
At current, the silver haired man was arriving at the building to meet with some of these board members to discuss the matter. This man was Alfred Pennyworth, a professional butler and longtime friend of the late Tamaki Midoriya. He'd also spent several years in Japan on personal business and still made frequent trips there to work and reminisce on old times. But for now he had to meet with the three board members who'd discussed the will over the weekend and came to a conclusion.
These board members, being Stan Lee, Stephanie Nadolny, and Bill Finger met with Alfred to discuss what was to be done. Ms. Nadolny, a blonde woman in her late 40s, spoke the butler as he entered the meeting room "Good morning Mr. Pennyworth, I trust your weekend has gone well?"
"I was visiting some old friends and their daughter in Japan as usual. So have we come to a conclusion as to what should be done concerning Midoriya-sama's will?" Alfred asked with a stoic look on his face that was shared by the rest of the board members.
"We looked through Mr. Midoriya's will and there's a clause that allowed us to settle who should inherit his fortune and the company even though it is going to be rather unconventional. As you know the next president of IM Enterprises as intended by Mr. Midoriya was his niece Inko Midoriya. However, we found a clause in the notarization of his will that states in the event Ms. Midoriya is unable to inherit the rewards listed in the will and testament, they shall be inherited by any remaining family she may have. In this case, it would be her 14 year old son, Inko Midoriya." Bill Finger said with a serious look on his face.
"14 years old? That's rather young to hold control of a company, isn't it?" Alfred pointed out with a tone of subdued surprise in his voice.
"We got that figured out Mr. Pennyworth. It turns out it's entirely legal and there's not much we can do to get around it. That's why we brought you into the fold for this, considering you've been apart of IM Enterprises for longer than almost anyone. We know all about your teaching pedigree, so who better than you to teach this young man how to run the company? Mr. Lee said to the butler before handing him a piece of paper "All the information available to us on Izuku is here. You'll be in charge of giving him this information."
"Of course, Mr. Lee. I'll do my best to mold him into someone who we know can handle the responsibility of the corporation." Alfred said before walking out of the room.
The butler made his way out of the building and towards where he was living at the moment, passing through a few alleys as shortcuts. As he ducked into yet another shady area, a group of thugs came out of the shadows and surrounded him.
"Why hello gentlemen. Is there something wrong?"
"Give us all your money and valuables, pretty boy, and MAYBE we'll let you go… with just a broken kneecap!" One of the thugs sneered, pulling a gun out of his waistband and racking it.
"Oh dear, are you so desperate you would try to mug a simple servant?"
"Anyone dressed as fancy as your ass has money or connections to it, plain and hand it over!"
"Tut tut. You seem to have not realized just who you are attacking, I see." Alfred sighed, sounding amused. He looked down and shoved his fingers into hidden pockets in his suit, making the thugs laugh at their so-called "payday".
"You're just proving that you have money, man. That HAS to be a custom suit!"
"You are correct, it IS custom… And from my hero days."
"... What?"
"Allow me to introduce myself properly, I am Alfred Pennyworth, formerly Silver Servant, underground hero specializing in gangs and drug busts. I still use my hero equipment on a regular basis and still have my license, and in order to maintain it I deliberately partially patrol several routes in this city. I am certain you can guess where this is going?"
"He's bluffing! Silver Servant is a UK hero!"
"And what accent do I have, sir?"
Alfred whipped out his hands before anyone could respond, long threads lashing out from his now-gloved fingertips. The gloves were seemingly pure silver, and the threads proved to be razor sharp as they cut into the clothes and flesh of the thugs they wrapped around. Once they were all disposed of, Alfred gathered the guns and showed off his power to the still conscious thugs.
"As you can see, I can turn any metal into a thread and manipulate it, which when combining my favored metal and my attire I am certain you can see the origins of my name. Now, I triggered a silent alarm for the authorities when my hands were in my pockets earlier, so they should be here just about… now."
Sure enough, a full squad of cops came around the corner. Alfred greeted them and sent them the audio recording of the whole situation from a hidden device in his lapel, bowing politely to the commissioner who had come with to greet and continuing on his apparent patrol on his commute home.
"Now then, I have business to attend to in Shizuoka."
The weekend following the deaths of Inko Midoriya and Jack Napier was a long and painful one at the Bakugou residence. An air of sadness and tension was spread throughout the house as Mitsuki and Masaru made arrangements for the funeral themselves, seeing as Inko had no other close friends or relatives in the area aside from her son. Izuku meanwhile, had holed himself up in the guest room for the past 48 hours, not coming out for anything other than using the restroom on occasion.
Finally, the time came Monday morning for something neither Izuku nor Bakugo were looking forward to. Getting ready for school.
"Boys, I know you don't want to do anything right now but if you skip school they'll call me and ask where you are. Besides, I don't think leaving you both alone right now is a good idea. Get your asses up and dressed, I made Omurice."
Katsuki walked over to the guest room and gently pushed Izuku to wake him up, the still shellshocked teen bolting up and looking around frantically before calming down a bit. Mitsuki motioned towards where his school uniform was sitting on a hanger on a peg, making Izuku sigh with a nod and get up in an almost robotic manner. The second he had his uniform sort of put on, Izuku promptly plopped back over onto his bed with a long pitiable groan.
It was at this point Bakugo dragged him out of bed and led him down the stairs where breakfast was waiting. The morose teen had to be nudged to get him to even start to mechanically eat his breakfast, seemingly in a trance. He muttered his thanks to Mitsuki and left the kitchen, grabbing his school bag and slipping on his shoes in the entryway as Bakugou listened to his mother whispering in his ear. "Look, kid, that brat has just had his entire life upturned and we BOTH know how cruel those little shits at your school can be. Keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't do something stupid while he's away from home. That means if he so much as goes to the bathroom you follow him, got it?"
"I'll try, but… I mean he's just some extra who's mom died in a villain attack, what's the big deal?"
In response to this, Mitsuki promptly smacked him upside the head. "Idiot! That kid has been at your side since you were in diapers! I know your relationship kinda fell apart once you got that ego of yours, but he's still the single most loyal friend you've ever had! You don't waste that kind of thing, okay? Now get your ass to school and remember what I said."
"I-..." Bakugo stammered a bit before, stumbling out the front door, for once being at a loss for words
For once, Izuku didn't mumble anything or work on his quirk notebooks in the time between classes. He didn't look anyone in the eye, not even the few kids who didn't typically bully him. When the teachers tried to call on him, he just muttered what they wanted to hear before returning to spacing out. He looked haunted, and it was disturbing Katsuki. As they walked to their last class of the day, that being home room, Katsuki didn't do anything to him or say anything. Instead, he stewed inside of his own mind'Why the hell should I feel bad about what happened…It's not my fault that fucker shot Auntie Inko….If I were there, I would've blown his head off before he pulled the trigger! I'm the best! I'm the only one in this entire school who stands a chance at becoming a real pro! So why does looking at that stupid Deku make me sicker than usual?!'
"Uh-"
Bakugo tried to reach out to his former friend, only for the quirkless boy to turn around with a glare and angrily cut him off"don't. don't you dare. you've made every other aspect of my life a living hell for the past decade. don't use what happened to her as some sick ammo." Izuku snapped in a low tone of voice, actually scaring Katsuki a little with how dark it was.
"I wasn't going to, I'm not that big of a dick!" Bakugo stammered, not used to Midoriya acting like this.
"Oh ARE you now? Could have fooled me, what with how you've been treating literally everyone for your whole life." Izuku scoffed, speeding up a bit to dodge the hand Katsuki was trying to grab him with. Unfortunately this drew the attention of the rest of the students in the hall, who saw him snapping in a much different light.
"Heh, that Deku is getting riled up again!"
"Think he would have learned his place after Career Day."
"What a geek!"
"Should've listened to Bakugou and just put himself out of his misery!"
"Well, someone did. Do you think it was the shame of having a quirkless kid, or because she finally realized that she's never gonna get a second chance at having a normal life because he ruined it for her?"
It was at this point Bakugou suddenly released a loud explosion from both hands, and shouted "THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU FUCKERS? DEKU DOESN'T NEED THIS NOW OR NEVER! HE JUST LOST HIS MOM, YOU PIECES OF SHIT!" Most of the hecklers were too shocked by Izuku's biggest bully coming to his defense, or too frightened by him to say anything else.
However, one boy in their year had a mouth that was two sizes too big. "Honestly, Bakugou had the right idea. If you had just taken a swan dive off the roof like a good little freak, your whore of a mom wouldn't have had to kill herself to get out of-" He didn't get to finish before Izuku suddenly shot forward and punched him straight in the nose. The quirkless boy would have continued the beating, had he not been restrained by others in the hallway.
Now with a beaten and slightly broken nose, the boy screeched "WHY YOU QUIRKLESS PIECE OF TRASH?! DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?! MY GRANDFATHER IS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE EDUCATIONAL BOARD!"
"Who gives a fuck, loser. Deku managed to lay you flat, so I guess that makes you lower than trash. Come on Deku, let's blow this dump!" Bakugou turned around and pulled Izuku towards the exit before things could escalate further. Izuku didn't say anything, he just glared at the kid he'd punched before throwing off the grip of Bakugou again with ease and stalking his way out of the building.
The walk back home after ditching Aldera was no less awkward than the walk over, with both boys not knowing what to say to each other. Bakugou was staring at Izuku's back with a conflicted look on his face, clearly unsure about if he should praise his old victim for finally standing up for himself or do something else to try and cheer him up.
After a few minutes of this internal dialogue, Izuku broke the silence. "Why did you say that before?"
"What are you on about, Deku?"
"Say that that kid was lower than trash."
"Tch. Cuz he is? What else do you want me to say?"
"You never cared enough to stand up for me before. You never cared how I felt. Hell, you were usually the one getting everyone against me in the first place! Why do you care all of the sudden?"
"Uh… A guy can't change his mind?"
"No, not someone like you. I tried to be your friend because you were the only one who was consistent with me and didn't pity me, and you never went after my mom, but this… I don't know how to act with you anymore. You tell me to kill myself one day, and then a week later your attacking people mirroring your actions. Someone who's been as consistently awful as you doesn't just change overnight and not have ulterior motives." Izuku growled.
"...Look, I know we're not friends. Just let me ask one thing and you won't ever have to speak to me ever again."
"What, Katsuki?"
"The fucker who killed Auntie Inko, some sort of accident happened right? I know All Might was there…Was All Might the one who finished the job on that shit stain?"
Izuku froze completely still at this question for a moment, not even breathing as he remembered the last moments of Jack Napier as they fought in the chemical plant "No….I was the one who killed him."
"What?!"
Izuku didn't say anything else, he just stood stock still and stared at his feet. Katsuki turned to try and look him in the eye, face uncharacteristically concerned. "Deku, come on, tell me what REALLY happened. From start to finish."
"I don't want to talk about it, Katsuki."
"Look, I know you. You couldn't hurt a fucking fly if it would save a basket of drowning kittens, you're so against hurting other people. You're probably remembering it weird, so let me be your bullshit filter and tell you what I think happened." Bakugo continued to pry for more information.
"What's there to say? He killed my mom, I went after him and cornered him in a chemical plant. He tripped and I tried to save him from falling in, and then he let go. I wasn't able to save even just one person!" Izuku snapped. "I really am a useless Deku, just like all of you have been saying!"
Bakugo was silent for another moment, before growling in contempt for Napier. "Hey. You tried to bring that fucker to justice...it's not your fault. He chose to be a coward. If Auntie Inko were still alive and hearing you bitch about yourself, it would only make her feel worse." With that being said, Bakugo skulked off in the direction of his house without another word.
Izuku looked up and saw his so-called childhood friend stalking off down the road, looking dead inside with his eyebags and blank expression. He didn't move, just watching as Katsuki glanced over his shoulder and stopped moving after a bit. "Deku, hurry your ass up and move it! If Mom found out I didn't make sure you got home safe she'd skin me alive!" Izuku's lips twitched a bit in an aborted attempt at a smirk, the green haired teen finally moving again. Katuski waited for him to catch up before he slung an arm around him awkwardly and pulled him along, clearly not wanting to have him lag behind again. It was oddly tender for the brash bully, which only served to confuse Izuku more.
'Why is he being so… nice?'
"What are you brats doing home… What, an hour early? You should still be walking home about now, not playing shitty video games on my shitty couch!" Mitsuki questioned the boys as she walked in the front door, with both Izuku and Katsuki sitting on the living room couch playing video games. The former seemed to have temporarily broken out of his depression and was now in a state of severe anxiety.
"Shut up old hag, Deku needed a break from all those extras." Bakugo nonchalantly growled as he continued his button mashing.
"A break. Right. And you're not just skipping because you can again?"
"THAT WAS ONE TIME! AND IT WAS 2 YEARS AGO! I'M NOT GETTING INTO UA WITH A SHIT RECORD, YOU OLD HAG!"
"WATCH YOUR MOUTH, BRAT!"
"Katsuki, Mitsuki, calm down!" Masaru tried to quell the argument, coming into the living room with a fresh pot of tea in hand. Seeing as Izuku looked even more upset than before and the strange circumstances surrounding their early arrival, Masaru led the boys to the couch "Now then, why don't you boys tell us what happened? Of course, I have a feeling we'll be learning more soon enough."
Before anyone could say anything else, Mitsuki's cell phone began to ring. She pulled it from her pocket and glanced at the screen, scoffing as she left the room to answer it. "Oh we're gonna learn soon all right, the school is calling a-fucking-gain!" Izuku paled and hid his face in his hands, Katsuki beginning to bounce his leg and fidget with the controller of his paused video game. He wasn't stupid, he knew things got paused if his mom was in the room. And he was also more than aware of what happened back when he was in elementary school and the teachers were more likely to report his misbehavior rather than look the other way.
"Deku, we're fucked."
Izuku groaned as Mitsuki began to practically scream into the phone, knowing that Katsuki was completely right "What did you boys do?" Masaru asked, his voice coated with nerves as Mitsuki continued fighting with the person on the other end of the line.
"WHAT KIND OF IDIOT ARE YOU? YOUR SAYING THAT IZUKU FUCKING MIDORIYA BROKE SOME FUCKING DIPSHIT'S NOSE?... HOW DO I NOT BELIEVE YOU THAT IT WAS UNPROVOKED… HAVE YOU MET THAT KID, HE'S A TOTAL PUSHOVER!... WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE'S EXPELLED? IT WAS THE FIRST INCIDENT HE'S EVER HAD ON HIS RECORD, ARE YOU INSANE!... OH, BECAUSE HE'S GOT NO QUIRK HE'S GOT LESS CHANCES THEN?... IF YOU DON'T LET HIM TEST OUT AND HAVE HIS DIPLOMA SO HELP ME I WILL SUE THE LIVING SHIT OUT OF YOU AND YOUR SHITTY SCHOOL SO HARD YOUR GREAT GRANDKIDS WILL BE EATING SEWAGE FOR EVERY MEAL AS THEY KEEP PAYING THE REPARATIONS!"
"That, we did that." Bakugo groaned in annoyance, while Izuku's entire upper body sank to his knees as he turned white and had to stop himself from crying again.
"Why would you do something so out of character, Izuku? You know that you're under a lot more scrutiny without a quirk…" Masaru sighed, walking over to sit between the boys on the couch.
"He was saying shit about Auntie Inko that even villains wouldn't have the balls to say." Katsuki growled "So he did what any real man would do and socked that fucker right in the face. I would have nuked his face off if Deku hadn't beat me to it."
"At least we're getting a call that doesn't involve the police then… How'd his face look?"
"He kept whining about how he'd report it to his chairman uncle or whatever the fuck. Sounded like a mouse on helium with how he was holding his nose too, and he was crying like a little bitch."
"Goo- Wait. Did you say he's related to the CHAIRMAN? Of WHAT?"
"The… The school…" Izuku mumbled, making Masaru sigh. "I really, REALLY screwed up, didn't I?"
Bakugo spat at the idea they did anything wrong and growled at the thought of the bully. "It was his fault for saying Auntie Inko offed herself. He should've left in a body cast."
"...That kid you punched said WHAT?"
"It wasn't just that one piece of trash, basically everyone at school was going on and on about how his mom must have offed herself or that the villain did her a favor since he's quirkless. Like I said, if HE didn't punch someone, there'd be a much worse off fucker in the hospital right about now."
"... Oh boys…" Masaru sighed "I don't blame you for lashing out, Izuku, but you REALLY screwed up. People are FAR harsher on quirkless people as I'm sure you know, and that school has a zero tolerance policy even if they never enforce it. At BEST you can test out and spend some time healing in private before high school, but that might keep you from Yuuei like you were aiming for since they look at all records for any incidents. It's a miracle Katsuki hasn't gotten a record either, honestly."
Bakugo opened his mouth for a moment to voice an objection, only to realize his father was totally right and shut his mouth. After a few more moments of whimpering to himself in defeat, Izuku found his voice again. "I don't even know if I am still worthy of being a hero anymore. I couldn't even save one man. I… I killed someone…"
"Drop the sad sack act Midoriya. It's like I said before, it's not your fault that guy was too much of a wuss to accept your help. As far as I'm concerned he did it to himself because he didn't want to go to prison." Bakugo growled and spat at the mere thought of Napier. "That, and All Might was right outside too. Even if you did kill him, which you didn't, I'd say you did the world a favor Deku."
"While I might not agree with my son's perspective on the death of a man, I still have to agree with the sentiment. YOU are not at fault for what happened, Izuku. That man was likely going to be put in Tartarus or Arkham once the heroes caught him, if not put on death row since he was a reported serial killer. The mere fact that he refused help when you offered it despite what happened and decided to die on his own terms simply means that he knew what was coming once the pros caught up to him. YOU did nothing wrong, YOU didn't kill him, and YOU can still be a hero." Masaru spoke forcefully, reaching out and making Izuku look him in the eye with a gentle push of his hand on his cheek. "YOU were more of a hero than any other person I know or have heard of Izuku. YOU chose mercy against someone who had PERSONALLY hurt you and your family, to the point of leaving you an orphan. THAT shows more strength of character and will than any other feat in HISTORY!"
"I guess, even if I don't buy it… Still, there's one thing that's really scaring me right now…" Izuku muttered.
"What could POSSIBLY be worse than this existential guilt you have, Deku?"
"Money. How am I going to afford to pay for that lawyer that Aunty Mitsuki mentioned, let alone Yuuei? It's one of the most expensive schools in the country, even IF I can fix my records and get in at this point!"
"- AND SHOVE A SEA URCHIN UP YOUR PISSHOLE! AND FEED IT YOU!" Mitsuki finished her swearing rant against the unfortunate administrator on the other end of the line, before hanging up and slamming her phone on the nearest table. "Well, that could have gone better."
"Nah, this was actually the best case scenario." Masaru sighed as he made his wife another cup of tea to calm her down from her rage. "It was bound to come up at some point with how people go after kids like Izuku, it just happened when they sensed he was most vulnerable… Like I was always worried about."
"Yeah, yeah. You've always been the most down to earth and subdued of us three. ANYWAYS! Izuku, Katsuki, spill. What ACTUALLY happened? I don't buy that BS they gave me about you just randomly picking a fight with another brat."
"Like I told Dad, they were saying a ton of bullshit about Aunty Inko offing herself out of shame and when it got to be too much Deku socked the worst of them in the face hard enough to snap his stupid nose in half. That's it, it wasn't even a real fight."
Mitsuki paused for a moment as a flash of rage spread across her face, before said flash turned into a sickly sweet smile, turning around in the direction of the front door. "Watch the boys for a moment, Masaru-kun! I'll be out finding some rusty nails and a phallic piece of metal!"
"MITSUKI NO!"
"MITSUKI YES!"
Luckily, when Mitsuki opened the front door with Masaru at her heels there was an older looking Englishman who looked to be in his early 30s with a few wrinkles standing there dressed as a butler, a large briefcase at his side and a hand raised to knock on the door. The man blinked before clearing his throat and snapping to a formal stance, baffling the older Bakugous as he gave them a quick low bow. "Hello, Mr and Mrs Bakugou. I am Alfred Pennyworth, a liaison for IM Enterprises. I am here to speak with Izuku Midoriya, who I have heard is in your care? I do hope I did not come at an inconvenient time, as this may take a while."
Izuku frowned and looked up from his lap at the sound of the man's voice, finding it familiar. He got up and walked over, eyes going wide before steeling into daggers as he recognized one of his old idols. "What's Silver Servant doing here?! I thought you retired and left for America over a decade ago?!" Izuku double took in response to this sudden appearance.
"Who?"
Izuku turned to Bakugo in disbelief and pointed to the man in the doorway. "He's Silver Servant, a pro hero with licenses in the UK, Japan, and America! He was one of the strongest and most famous heroes of his age! He even taught English at UA when All Might attended!"
"WHAT?! THERE'S NO WAY THIS GUY COULD BE THAT OLD!" Bakugo shouted. Alfred righted himself and held out the briefcase with a more shallow bow, still acting oddly formal for the area. The case was an armored model used by heroes and extremely wealthy businessmen carrying sensitive documents and had to weigh at least 15 pounds from the way it pulled at the apparent ex-hero's arms.
"I am here to deliver the paperwork for Mr Midoriya to go over so that he may receive what was left to him by his Great Uncle Tamaki Midoriya. It would have gone to his mother once it was audited, but the audit process was only completed a short while ago and she unfortunately passed before we could begin the process of transfer." Alfred said somberly before turning his attention back to Izuku. "Now, it is all left to Mr Midoriya alone as the sole member of the family that meets the requirements of the will."
"Why is an international business handling the affairs of my so-called great uncle? I've never heard of anyone named that from my Mom!"
"He was very secretive and insisted on remaining as anonymous as possible in your life so you would not be under the scrutiny he was. He also lived most of his life in America, which meant he limited his time in the country and therefore within range of interacting with you. I am certain you have memories of your mother receiving gifts or large checks fairly often, no? Especially after the untimely passing of your father."
Izuku almost refuted the implied claim, only to pause and really think about it. They would occasionally get mail delivered by hand from armored trucks, much to the jealousy of his neighbors, who at one point suspected them of being Yakuza. The deliveries would range from simple checks and wads of cash when they were struggling for money to new electronics and limited edition hero merch that hadn't even been released yet or was exclusive to places he'd never been. He'd been bullied for being a rich kid when he showed up to class in rare hero themed clothing, and a nerd for having obscure things like a Silver Servant tie or a Loud Cloud gourd-speaker from before he died in action and his body went missing.
"See? Master Tamaki has always been looking out for you, and this is simply his last wish to make sure you are taken care of. Now, may I come in so we may discuss exactly what this all entails? I promise you it is not purely paperwork to sign, as a good half of it is an audit of your new holdings."
"... What do you mean by that, bucko?" Mitsuki asked, leveling him a suspicious look. "And how come I've never heard of you outside of modern history classes and the nerdy brat?"
"Seriously? Even MOM knows who he is? Dad, PLEASE tell me you don't know who this weirdo is either!"
"Sorry son, I used to be a fan of his when I was super little." Masaru bashfully rubbed his head.
"AM I SERIOUSLY THE ONLY ONE WHO DOESN'T KNOW WHO THE HELL THIS GUY IS?"
"Ah, Mr Katsuki, Mr Midoriya's supposed childhood friend. I am glad you seem to not be as… toxic as reports on you claim. I have heard tales of your foul attitude and habits of harassing other children. I do hope you intend to clean up your act before your attempt to get into a hero course, hm?" Alfred chirped, a sickly sweet look on his face as he looked down his nose at the brash blond. "After all, I so would hate to have to file a report based on the findings of IM when we were looking into Mr. Midoriya and his mother. I DO have an obligation to file them if I feel a potential hero candidate I am in contact with would be a risk to the industry after all!" Alfred gave the explosive boy a threatening glare. Katsuki shuddered in response, suddenly feeling like he poked a sleeping dragon.
"Ugh, whatever. Come on in, anyone who can make that brat shut the hell up has to be at least decent at whatever they do. Besides, hero licenses in multiple countries is a hard thing to pull off and last I checked the registry to keep up with the green brat's rants you were still listed as active in all the countries you have them in." Mitsuki drawled, stepping aside to let Alfred in the house. "I can go get junk to make my newest toy later, not like the beach dump won't be there tomorrow."
Alfred gave her a kind smile and nodded in thanks, stepping inside and placing the massive case on the coffee table with a heavy thud. Izuku nervously walked back over to the couch with the Bakugo's as the butler-hero put on some white gloves and unlocked the case, opening it to reveal a collection of files… And cash. Bundle upon bundle of what seemed to be pure fresh 10000 yen bills based on the bank bands still on them, that seemed to Izuku and the Bakugo family to shine brighter than the brightest star in the sky.
"NANI?!"
"I forgot to mention, IM Enterprises has now been passed down to Mr Midoriya. In fact, as soon as he signs the paperwork in this particular folder he will be the official owner of one of the largest companies in the world…Aside from PEPSICO, Amazon and Disney."
The room was so silent for a moment that you could hear a pin drop, with all of the Bakugo's and Izuku's minds being totally blank at this revelation. After about thirty seconds of waiting, Alfred got a response to his claim when Mitsuki shot back up out of the chair and pointed to the equally shellshocked Midoriya"HOW DID THAT BRAT INHERIT FUCKING IM?"
"It's elementary, Miss. Tamaki Midoriya was the owner of IM, and Izuku is his heir. This is the total amount of money Mr. Midoriya will be inheriting from his Great Uncle as well." Alfred handed Izuku an invoice, causing his eyes to almost immediately pop out of his head as he stammered more than a broken radio.
"TH-TH-TH-TH-TH-THREE TRILLION YEN?!"
Bakugo shoved Izuku aside to get a glimpse of the invoice that was supposedly so massive, choking on air at the sight. "TH- *COUGH* THAT HAS TO BE FUCKING FAKE! YOU'RE A SICK SCAMMER, AREN'T YOU?"
"Gimmie that, boys. What's the big deal, you're probably-" Mitsuki drawled, only to do a spit take on the tea she had been sipping at. "HOLY SHIT THAT'S A LOT OF ZEROES! DID YOU MISS A DECIMAL POINT OR SOMETHING?!"
"Rest assured Mrs. Bakugo, that is the real amount and I am a legitimate liaison for the company. I have all the proper documents to prove as such in my case as well if you want to have them looked over." Alfred said with a serene smile on his face. "I can also call up our financial department to explain how the audit was performed and how the additional liquid assets such as real estate that will be inherited will be affecting Mr. Midoriya in terms of taxes and passive income."
Mitsuki looked over the documents again for a minute or so, before looking back up at the butler with a gobsmacked expression."... If you're not pulling a horrible, horrible scam this means that-"
"Mr Midoriya will become the single most wealthy person in the country of Japan and in the top 50 in the world upon filing this paperwork, yes." Alfred said with a smirk.
"Y-you mentioned real estate?" Izuku stammered, looking like he'd seen a ghost.
"Ah yes, the properties. You, Mr Midoriya, are now the proud owner of 14 properties around the world, including 2 small private islands in both the Bahamas and the Philippines. The one I suspect will become your main one would be Wayne Manor in Shizuoka not far from here, named after Tamaki's mentor, Bruce Wayne."
"The notorious playboy philanthropist from New York?" Masaru questioned.
"Bruce Wayne had a soft spot for Master Tamaki, as he saw him as his own son. I was not present while he was still alive, but Master Tamaki always had wonderful things to say about him that contradicted his public image." Alfred sniffed, clearly not pleased with people questioning his master's tastes. "I have gained much respect for him by proxy, and would implore you to not speak ill of the dead."
"If I sign this… Does that mean I have a job set in stone?"
"Yes, Mr Midoriya. And you will also receive training in it from me personally per the request of the board, as opposed to some sub-par local tutor." Alfred replied, pulling out a pocket watch for a moment from his pocket to check the time before continuing. "Trust me, I come recommended in 7 countries as the best business tutor money can buy and often have families bidding tens of millions of pounds just for a 6 month curriculum taught by me. I will make you the best businessman in history within the 7 years the board has allotted me to be at your side at bare minimum. They have paid for me to follow you through a masters degree in any field you wish to study."
"So… I have an education and a job all set aside for me, and I'll have enough money to do whatever I want for the rest of my life?" Izuku asked.
"And in the lap of luxury at that, sir."
"... I'll do it. I'll sign the paperwork right now." Izuku declared, more confident than he'd been in his entire life. Katskui shot him an incredulous look, clearly not expecting such a reaction, while Mitsuki just sighed and nodded, and Masaru got up to grab some pens from the kitchen drawer.
"Wonderful, let's get started then! I will go over each document in full with you, so this may take a few hours. The majority is already filled out, it just needs your signature at certain points. Let's begin with the bank transfer paperwork. This file contains everything needed to transfer the ownership of Master Tamaki's account to you, as well as his investment portfolios and stocks. This first page-"
"SHITTY DEKU, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Katsuki slammed his hands on the table, startling everyone else in the roo.
"Pardon? Mr Katsuki, do I need to report you to the schools?"
"Wha- NO! DEKU, YOU IDIOT! WHAT ABOUT BEING A HERO?"
Izuku thought about this for the smallest of moments, before letting out a deep sigh and speaking in a weary tone of voice "What can I possibly do to be a hero without money, Katsuki? Go on, tell me to my face what plan you had that would miraculously give your family the funds to cover both of us going to ANY hero school, let alone Yuuei. I'm waiting."
"Um… Summer jobs? Scholarships?"
"What crappy summer job would give us enough funds to go to a hero school THAT ISN'T ILLEGAL? And most of these schools DON'T DO DECENT SCHOLARSHIPS! IF ANY!"
"Uh…"
"EXACTLY! THIS WAY, we have the money for enrollment at least. I'll cover you as a thanks to your parents for taking me in. Hell, we can all move into that fancy manor thing if you want to. Besides, I'm QUIRKLESS! I'm gonna need equipment to even stand a snowball's chance in hell against everyone else in the practical portion of hero course exams at ANY school! AND I need training in USING that equipment! THAT COSTS MONEY, KATSUKI! Money I don't exactly HAVE right now! I don't exactly have many options!" Izuku ranted, clearly desperate to save at the very least his dream. "If I do this, I can be the FIRST QUIRKLESS HERO like Aunty Mitsuki and Uncle Masaru have always said I could be, don't you see that? MONEY is what's going to make that possible, NOT JUST nepotism and luck!"
Katsuki went silent at that, looking gobsmacked as the reality of the situation really settled in his mind. He slowly reached out and grabbed a pen from where his father had placed them on the coffee table and quietly passed it to Izuku, face somber and pale. "It's really shitty that it took all of your family dying for you to catch a break, huh Deku?"
3 and a half hours later, Alfred had left the house with all the cash sitting on the coffee table and a promise to return once it was all notarized. Izuku stood from where he'd been sitting on the couch and started counting the bundles, muttering unintelligibly under his breath. He set aside stack after stack in one pile, only leaving 3 of them where they originally were. He put the 3 stacks in his pockets for the moment before scooping up the dozens of bundles and shoving them in Mitsuki's arms, making her blink "Kid, what's all this about? This is for you, don't give it to me!"
"No, you deserve so much more for taking me in despite everything I've done. Use it to get yourself a nicer house and send Katsuki to Hero School or something."
"Kid, we can afford to live well and send that brat to school without your help, keep the money." Mitsuki tried pushing the money back into his hands.
"Aunty Mitsuki, I have SO MUCH MONEY I will NEVER spend it all even if I TRIED! THIS is just the tip of the iceberg. Just TAKE IT!"
"Kid-"
"NO! I won't take no for an answer! YOU deserve this so much more than I do!" Izuku pushed the money forward, pleading to the explosive woman with his large green watery eyes. "I can't even begin to repay you for everything you've done for me and mom! I can at least give you this!"
Masaru walked over and gently took the money from his wife, setting it back on the coffee table and doing his own count. He only took 5 bundles himself, looking Izuku straight in the eye as he waved them in his face. "We're only taking this much. It's enough to send Katsuki to Yuuei and renovate the kitchen with some extra for a solid emergency fund and any insane ideas Mitsuki comes up with for her revenge. YOU keep the money YOU just inherited, got it?"
"NO! All of it is yours, I INSIST!"
"And the market can turn on a dime, kid. For all you know, that company is going to tank in the stock market tomorrow and this and those properties are all you'll have concretely. Keep it, put it in a savings account, and let it all gain interest so once you get out of school you have enough to survive for a few years of luxury if you can't get a job. If you're smart, this much can last you a solid 30 years, and you need that back up plan more than we do. We have an easier time getting work, you have some of the worst circumstances possible going for you right now. Think ahead more than just the immediate and consider what comes after school."
"Bu-"
"No buts, this is final. We'll take our cut to the bank tomorrow and keep the rest in our safe until you can access your accounts and store it properly. Now, it's getting late so the both of you go get ready to go out and we'll go grab some Katsudon on the town and then maybe go get the both of you something nice to make this day a little less shitty." Mitsuki stored away the money in the safe hidden under the floorboards before an evil grin spread across her face. "Now then, I think I have some lawyers to call about the way my babies have been treated by their school today! Money talks after all!"
The evil laughter stemming from Mitsuki caused all three men in the room to shudder, while Masaru bent over in between Katsuki and Izuku to whisper. "And that, boys, is why I never upset Mitsuki…Also a large part of the reason we fell in love." Izuku and Katsuki gaped at Masaru as he stood up and popped his back, walking after his wife with a bit of pep in his step and a grin on his face to the bedroom.
After they were both out of earshot, Izuku turned to face Bakugo "Katsuki… Your Dad is insane."
"My brain needs a shower…" Bakugo retched a bit before regaining his composure "You wanna check and see if that new game is out yet? I bet the old hag and old man would buy it for us if we asked based on what they said."
"Which one?"
"That Doom remake. The really detailed one that comes with the OG ones."
"Sure, why not?" Izuku and Bakugo walked back over to the couch to continue where they'd left off in their game from before.
The following week was an interesting one for Izuku, after having met his board and being officially inducted as the new president of IM Enterprises. After having moved all of his old belongings into the mansion from the storage unit, he found he still had 90% of the mansion space left over that had currently been untouched in the seemingly infinite amount of space. This left him with days of having nothing to do but explore the numerous halls and rooms of his home, wandering around like a depressed zombie.
He would enter a room, look around, take a seat or stand at a window for a little while, and then leave and wander the halls some more. It was extremely overwhelming, going from living in a fairly average apartment to bunking with Katsuki to having a bedroom bigger than the aforementioned apartment in its entirety. The only time he deviated from his routine was when his new butler took him to get business attire in a shop he'd never heard of and felt far too poor to enter despite the reality of his situation. Alfred saw the depressive state his young charge was in, and decided to follow him in his exploration one day after one of the many business meetings they attended.
"Young Master, might I suggest exploring the grounds and not simply wandering the halls?" Alfred called out as Izuku passed him, a grim looking Stan Lee beside him. The board member had come to check on how his new teenaged boss was faring in his new home, and it clearly wasn't well.
Izuku paused in his slow shuffle and looked up, eyes baggy from over a week of poor sleep and hair greasy from not showering in a couple days. He blinked slowly before nodding and turning towards a short hall that led into the traditional garden in the main yard of the manor, flinching at the bright sunlight that hit his face after so long in a dimly lit building.
"That boy needs something to give him the motivation to keep going, Alfred." Lee sighed, adjusting his aviator-style glasses. "Anything is fine, he just needs to learn that grief can't totally consume you beyond functioning in this world. Life keeps going despite what it throws at us, after all."
"I believe he is still going to attempt to be a hero, sir. I have caught him doing some basic training when he isn't acting like this, and he clearly has the physique of a boy his age who hasn't been at it for a while. Still, continued exercise will help!" Alfred reassured his old friend "I do wonder if he will discover the caverns this manor is built on soon, they would be great for him to practice climbing in…" The butler smiled and walked over towards Izuku, watching him look around the dead end hall he ended up in.
"Better not be the way Tamaki found them. Didn't he break his leg when that happened?" Lee muttered before jogging briefly to catch up to his friend and boss.
As if on cue, Izuku opened a door he'd never gone through that caught his eye and had to duck under several bats flying out of what looked like a path into a dungeon. It also didn't help that there was only an old, creaky, metal stairway with no railing leading directly into the cavern. "What is this? Great Uncle Tamaki had some strange interior designing taste!"
"Quite, Master Midoriya. This mansion was actually formed on the site of a prehistoric meteor crash that formed underground caverns. Tamaki intended to transform this section of the caverns into a separate room, but his plans never came to pass." Alfred informed Izuku in a bemused tone of voice.
"All that crazy bastard managed to do was install this death trap and some work lights before he got caught up in other deals and forgot all about this place." Lee groused as he flicked on the lights and revealed the rest of the cavern, which was dimly lit by the work lights. "Last I heard the biggest issue was some kind of infestation in there that made construction be put on hold."
Izuku slowly and methodically traveled down the stairs, not wanting to take a painful fall similar to the one his Great Uncle had taken years ago. Upon arriving at the bottom, Izuku found some disconnected fires and equipment left abandoned in the caverns while vermin scurried across the ground. He stood in the middle of the main section of the caverns, slowly turning around as he took in the sights around him with a furrowed brow. Right as he turned to go a bit deeper and see what else was down there, a swarm of spooked bats flew through the main cavern and down a tunnel, forcing him to duck to avoid getting hit.
It was then he saw a sight on the ground a couple of yards away that hit him deep in his empathetic heart. A large and angry looking rat menacing an unfortunate and frightened group of mice that it had managed to back into the corner and planned to eat. 'This is what it's like out there. People just like mom left to starve and get killed by villains and thugs while heroes go about their merry way and ignore everyone that won't make them famous. How do we manage to change things for people if no one is willing to stop the scum that wanders in the night!'
As if God Himself was listening in on Izuku's internal rant, a single bat that had been separated from the ground flew past one of the worn lights and cast a large shadow across the group of animals on the ground. While it was the runt of its own flock, the shadow cast was large enough to startle the rat and scare it away into the darkness. Taking the opportunity, the group of mice scurried away as quick as their little paws could carry them, all the while Izuku watched and let his mind race. 'Rats are like villains…And villains are a superstitious, cowardly lot.' Izuku thought to himself as his somber expression morphed into one of furious determination, and he made his way back up the rickety metal staircase.
"Master Midoriya, is everything alright?" Alfred asked "It's been almost 5 minutes since we last heard anything down there."
Izuku jumped, not realizing he'd zoned out for that long. He shook his head and made his way back over to the stairs, a much more determined look on his face as an idea began to form in his head. "Alfred, you're a hero, right?" He called up the stairs right as he reached them.
"I am, is there an issue regarding that?"
"No, I was just wondering if you'd mind training me in exchange for some extra cash on top of what the board is paying you. I think I should start working a bit earlier than excepted."
"I wouldn't charge you a single yen more for such a thing, Young Master. It's included in what I was hired to teach you should you request it. The only thing I cannot do is officially take you on as an apprentice in the sense of public status." Alfred told him, curious as to what the young man was going towards. "Of course, I do have other obligations. Do you have anyone else to help with your training in the event I'm unavailable?"
Izuku opened his phone up and looked at the number he'd been given about a week ago by a certain underground hero. "Maybe, I need to ask first."
"Excelsior!" Stan Lee exclaimed in excitement when he deciphered what Izuku and Alfred were discussing at "This could be the opportunity of a lifetime! A quirkless hero has never been done, and you could be the first!…But wait, what about vigilante laws?"
"I have encountered several in my lifetime that have not been arrested for such things due to not using their quirks for vigilante actions. Since Young Master Midoriya doesn't have a quirk, it would be legally impossible in Japan to charge him."
"So even if he can't get a license the normal way he can still do hero work?"
"Exactly, Mr Lee. The only issue is if he wishes to be public about this, as that would require a license to start an agency so he can be legitimate."
"If they won't take me seriously as a hero candidate as I am now, I guess I'll have to force them into thinking I'm not some wanna be hero. Besides, I'd rather stick to the shadows and actually do good work than be on TV for more than business stuff." Izuku declared "After all, both of my possible trainers are infamous underground heroes, and they're far better than the mainstream pros."
"And who might this other hero you know be, Young Master?"
"Eraserhead."
In response to this, Stan Lee turned to face the retired pro. "Things are about to get way more interesting for us! Eh, old friend?"
"I suppose so, Mr. Lee." Alfred hummed, taking out his pocket watch and checking the time. "Young Master, it seems it is time for us to go to your dinner with the C-suite and the heads of our subsidiaries."
"Do I HAVE to? I don't know anything about going to things like that!" Izuku groaned.
"It's just a social gathering, not a business meeting. Just focus on being a good host and everything will be fine. Worst case scenario, I will be there to guide you and you can claim needing to get to bed to leave early. They will be understanding as you are so young and many of them are parents or grandparents."
Izuku sighed and followed Alfred and Lee down the hall towards where his current personal car, a vintage Bently, was parked in its garage. While he was excited for his new heroic plan, boring business tasks still weighed on him since none of it made any sense just yet. Meanwhile, Alfred had a deadly plan forming in his own mind, one that would get his charge up to snuff in just under 4 months if all went accordingly. A plan that would leave little time if any to sulk and become a grief-stricken zombie once more.
(A/N): Holy shit it's been a long time! Like, two and a half years off this site alone, much less taking 3-5 years hiatus and practically all my stories. I know this was absolutely ridiculous, but I'll try to be better with the updates from now on, and I still plan to finish all the stories I have posted on both here and AO3 (which I now have by the way).
So, a LOT has happened since I last posted anything on this site. I graduated community college and university, started working a full time job (which will remain a secret for privacy reasons), dealt with more anxiety than ever before, and started working on a lot more original works which you might see released at some point in the future if I get lucky. Oh, and the plague. The entire fucking plague. You know, the one which is partially the cause of why I took such a long break from fic writing to begin with?
For those of you who are worried I'll drop off again, I now have a backup and partner to keep me from getting too complacent and helping me plot out stories and write them whenever I get too busy. My real life best friend Ace Silvers, who is more active on AO3 than here, but you should still give a look if you want to see some absolutely insane yet good writing. We've been friends for almost as long as I've been a high school graduate, but we've only more recently started partnering up on a lot of our work. If any of you are readers of some of my other works on this site, he'll more than likely end up helping a lot more on those as well.
I also have to give credit to The Samurai Prince, who helped me work out some of the earlier scenes in the episode, specifically the school and its aftermath.
With that being said, I need to go work out and work on rebuilding my audience here after going dark here for 3+ years. Please leave a review and follow/favorite if you want more, and I'll (hopefully) see you soon!
. . .