When Izuku meets him, it's still dark outside.
He wakes up earlier than usual, wanting to beat All Might to the beach to get in extra training. (Well aware of his own deficiencies, Izuku has to work harder than his peers if he wants to make it into UA, and while he trusts All Might and his training regimen, he knows he needs to do more on his own.) On the table, his mom has left a wrapped plate of breakfast, and packed a bento; she must've woken up even earlier than Izuku to prep it before going back to bed.
Izuku wipes his sudden tears and wolfs his breakfast down as fast as possible. Warmth settles in his chest and stomach. He washes his dishes and leaves a note for when his mom wakes up.
Thank you! I'll be home for dinner!
The city is different before dawn in a way Izuku finds he likes; it's quiet, the normal hustle of people replaced with the waking birds calling to their flock, and the stray cats roaming the sidewalks freely. A shade of blue coats the buildings and the air, and a chill that won't last raises goosebumps on his skin, so Izuku jogs to warm up. The old lady who runs the bakery waves as Izuku jogs past, her keys jangling as she unlocks her store. That's what Izuku likes most about waking up so early, he thinks, seeing the transition the city makes from sleep to wakefulness.
Izuku pants and wipes the sweat from his brow as he slows his jog into a walk as he approaches the mountain of trash that covers Takoba Beach. His heart beats so fast in his chest, it aches. (Kacchan wouldn't get so tired from such a quick jog. Izuku still has so far to go.) With shaky hands, he unscrews the top from his water bottle and chugs. Some water spills from the corners of his lips and dribbles down his chin.
A month has passed since All Might began training him, and there's still so much trash with more washing up on the shore each day. It feels like Izuku hasn't made any progress at all. Sometimes, it feels like he never will. If he looks closely, though, he can see the gaps of sand in between the piles of garbage, proof of what he's managed to do. It doesn't seem like enough, but it's something, and Izuku needs to cling to that.
He swallows another mouthful of water and gets ready to work. He already knows where he wants to start.
Izuku's plans are ruined, however, when he hears someone screaming. It's a guttural sound, like metal scraping against the asphalt in a car crash, and it pierces through Izuku's heart like a knife. He runs towards it without a second thought.
The sun has started to rise, but only a hint of pink breaks the horizon. The rest of the sky is gray. Izuku finds the person screaming amidst a pile of trash that has formed a hill right where the ocean meets the shore. He can only barely make out their silhouette, but he can clearly see their mouth open wide as they scream at the sky from the bottom of their soul. A wave of ice flows from their hand, splitting through the water and creating a massive wall that grows and grows and grows and keeps growing. It reaches so high, for a second, Izuku is certain it'll reach heaven itself.
After what feels like years (but must only be a few seconds), the ice stops growing, and the screaming fades. The person collapses to their knees.
Izuku doesn't know what to do. He came over because he thought they were hurt. This situation is completely out of his depth. If there is any comfort he could offer this stranger, Izuku doubts they want it. But even though he assumes they came here to be alone, he can't bring himself to walk away.
The pink of dawn bleeds into the sky and lines the stranger's silhouette. Izuku can just make out black, shoulder length hair tied back in a messy braid and baggy clothes that don't quite fit. After a few moments, the person stands, and with their left hand, slowly melts the ice. The bright orange of the flame they emit is striking.
"Woah." Izuku says it out loud because he's never seen someone with two Quirks in person, but quickly clasps a hand over his mouth. It's too late, though. The stranger slams a mask over their face, and creating a ramp of ice, slides to be right in front of Izuku, slamming him against a tower of trash.
"Did you see it?" Their voice is deep, and raspy, likely because of the screaming. It's a little hard to hear through their mask; a black, tactical face shield that even obscures their eyes.
"I saw some things, but not a lot. I mean, I only got here a couple minutes ago and I don't know how long you've been here. I only saw you make that giant ice wall which is really incredible i don't think I've seen anyone else with an ice based Quirk as powerful as that. And you have a fire-based Quirk too, right? It's really rare to have-" The grip on Izuku's arms tightens until he's certain he will have bruises, effectively cutting off his rambling.
"My face, did you see it?" They demand.
"I didn't! I swear! It was too dark!"
They continue to crowd Izuku for a few moments, then let him go. Their shoulders lose a bit of tension, but don't relax fully.
"You shouldn't be here," they say. "It's dangerous."
"Um… I'm actually meeting someone here for training."
"Training? Ah… Are you a Hero student?"
"Not yet," Izuku says, "but I'm working hard to get into a Hero program."
"I'm guessing UA?" They say it with a hint of contempt. Izuku shrinks in on himself out of habit.
"Is it that obvious?"
"No. Most students aim for UA." They look down at their left hand, clenching it in a fist. "It is the best, after all."
"Um… are you trying to get into UA too? With your quirk, I'm sure-"
They laugh, a sharp, bitter sound that leaves a foul taste in Izuku's mouth.
"No. I could never be a hero." They walk up to the remains of their ice wall, and with a blast of fire, engulf it. Steam blinds Izuku. "Good luck with your training."
Saying nothing more, they vanish. The dawn finally fully overtakes the sky, and Izuku can already feel the temperature rising with the light. It's going to be a hot day.
He comes home sweating, the cool air in his apartment a welcome reprieve from the sauna like heat outside.
"Your face is so red! Come sit by the fan!" His mom grabs his hands and pushes him into a chair at the dining table. He feels a bit like overcooked rice, and his mom fusses by the fridge, pulling out barley tea and an ice pack.
"You're going to get heatstroke, Izuku! You shouldn't be exercising when it's so hot outside." She wraps the ice pack in a tea towel and rests it against the back of his neck. "Did you at least put on sunblock? You get sunburnt so easily."
"I used plenty. I was mostly in the shade, anyway." Because the piles of garbage blocked the sun, he doesn't say.
"The news said it was still critically hot, even in the shade." She pours him a cup of tea. Izuku chugs it gratefully. "If it's going to be this hot tomorrow, maybe you should just stay home. Let's check the forecast."
She turns on the tv, and the channel is already on the news. Izuku doesn't tell her he already checked the forecast on his phone, too tired to convince her he has to train no matter what the weather is like. If he doesn't spend every day of his summer break working towards his goal, who knows how much further behind he'll fall.
"Today marks the sixth anniversary of the disappearance of Shouto Todoroki." The news anchor says, and immediately Izuku pays attention.
As the anchor recounts the events of the tragic case, the footage of Endeavor leaving a cemetery plays. He's in a black suit, and without his face mask and fiery facial hair, a somber gaze on his face. A young woman trails behind him, wearing a black dress and cradling a small girl in her arms. Tears smear her mascara down her face. A few paces behind her, a young man scowls, his red-rimmed eyes resolutely focused on the ground. Reporters clamor for their attention, but none of the Todorokis acknowledge them as they climb into a black car.
The photo of young Shouto flashes on screen, quickly shrinking to accommodate the pictures of the other boys who died that summer. They linger for only a few seconds before the story moves on to a series of recent homicides taking place along Japan's west coast. More victims of a fire quirk, fittingly, though none of them children.
Izuku's mom turns off the tv.
"Why don't you take a bath while I work on dinner?" His mom suggests. "Maybe you can pick out a movie for us to watch later, too. Something happy."
"Alright." He politely ignores the tears gathering in her eyes.
Izuku knows his mom is sensitive, a trait she's handed down to her son. They are both quick to cry, though Izuku has never seen her do so for her own sake.
As Izuku sinks into the warmth of the bath, his muscles relax in relief. He didn't even realize just how sore he felt. He's not looking forward to how stiff he'll be in the morning. All Might told him to take the day off, ("Enjoy your vacation, boy!") but Izuku knows he can't afford it. Even one day could set him back beyond repair.
He wonders if the stranger will be there tomorrow. Unlikely, considering how upset they were to be discovered. Still, Izuku hopes they are. The questions he could not ask rattle around in his brain, as unwelcome as he's sure they would be. But Izuku thinks anyone who screams that loud alone in the dark could use a friend.
That night, his mom falls asleep in the middle of the movie they were watching. Izuku carries her to her room, and only after he tucks her into bed does he realize he wouldn't have been able to do so before.
"Your name is Izuku Midoriya, right?"
Izuku is not proud of the way he falls down and squeaks when the black masked stranger suddenly lands in front of him.
"H-h-how do you know my name?" He stutters. Are they a stalker? Do I have a stalker? What do you do about a stalker!?
The stranger holds up a clipping of a newspaper article. A picture of Kacchan being praised by the heroes while they scolded Izuku takes up most of the page. It must be from a pretty obscure publication. All the articles Izuku saw about the sludge villain either briefly mentioned him, or excluded him entirely. None had his name, let alone a photo.
OH MY GOD THEY REALLY ARE A STALKER!
"You know him, don't you?"
"Him? You mean Kacchan?"
"You're friends, then? That's good. I need you to take me to him. Preferably right now." They grab Izuku's hand and haul him to his feet. "Let's go."
"Wait wait wait! There are several reasons I can't do that!"
"Those are?"
"First, Kacchan would kill you if he heard you call us friends. Second, his family went on vacation, so he's not in Musutafu right now, and third, I don't even know who you are!"
"Apologies." They drop Izuku's hand. "You can call me Syo. Will he be back by the end of the week?"
"How am I supposed to know? I told you, we're not friends!"
"But you knew he was on vacation."
"Because his mom asked mine to water their plants!"
"You call him 'Kacchan.'"
"All the kids in our neighborhood do!" Izuku feels a little hysterical. "It's just a childhood nickname! It doesn't mean anything!"
"I see." Syo's shoulders slump as he tucks the newspaper into his pocket. Despite the mask, Izuku gets the impression he's sulking. "Forgive me for bothering you. I'll be going now."
As he turns to walk away, Izuku grabs his shoulder to stop him.
"Why are you trying to meet Kacchan? DId he do something to you?"
Syo gently shrugs off Izuku's hand.
"He was very kind to me, once. I wanted to thank him properly."
Something short circuits in Izuku's brain. Syo's words make no sense.
"Kacchan was kind to you?"
"Yes."
"Katsuki Bakugou was kind to you?"
"Yes. He was very kind."
Izuku digs out his phone and scrolls through his pictures until it lands on the Christmas party the Midoriyas shared with the Bakugous. He zooms in on Kacchan's face.
"This boy was kind to you?"
"Yes." Syo tilts his head. "It's odd you have his picture if you aren't friends. Why is he so angry?"
"Kacchan is always angry around me." Izuku rests his chin on his fist in thought. "Are you sure he was being kind? Maybe you misunderstood. Or maybe someone was impersonating him. Or maybe you're from a different dimension, or met a Kacchan from a different dimension. I'm sure there's a quirk out there that can traverse universes."
"Is it really so strange?" Syo sighs. "It was several years ago. I doubt he even remembers it. He must have changed a lot since then."
Izuku shakes his head.
"I've known Kacchan for almost my whole life. He has never been kind to anyone."
"Except for me." Syo insists, his voice firm.
"So you say." Izuku closes his eyes, trying to imagine a scenario where Kacchan would treat someone with so much kindness. It would stick with them for years. He draws a blank. "I'm sorry, but I can't picture it at all. What did he do, exactly, that made you want to thank him so badly?"
"I'd rather not say." Syo rubs the side of his neck. "But it meant a lot to me. I'm not sure I would have made it without him." After a moment, Syo stops rubbing his neck. He gets on his knees and bows, his forehead touching the ground. "Please help me meet with him. I'll do anything you ask."
His braid falls over his shoulder, and Izuku stares at the crown of his head. A hint of red peeks out at the root.
Ah, Izuku thinks deliriously. He dyes his hair.
"S-s-s-syo-san! Please stop!" Izuku's sure his face is as red as a firetruck. "There's no need to bow! I'll help you! I promise! Please stand up! Please!"
Syo raises his head, but remains on his knees.
"Really?" He asks.
"Yes! Now stand up!" Izuku grabs his wrists and tugs until he does.
He waits for his face to cool down a bit, taking a few deep breaths. Syo stands by patiently.
"I probably won't see Kacchan again until school starts back up in a couple weeks. I can try to convince him to meet with you, but it might take some time." Izuku scratches his cheek and sighs. "Kacchan really doesn't like me."
"I appreciate that you're willing to try, Midoriya-san." Syo takes a phone out of his pocket. "I'll be leaving the city by the end of the week, but I can come back for a day or so. Let's exchange numbers so you can let me know how it goes."
"Umm... okay." Izuku plugs his number into Syo's cheap, prepaid flip phone, a model he's only seen in convenience stores and gas stations.
"My number changes frequently. The first message I send from a new one will always be 'Takoba Beach,' so you will know it is me."
Syo calls him, and Izuku saves his contact as 'Syo Takoba,' wondering just what he's getting himself (and possibly Kacchan) into.
Seemingly satisfied, Syo tucks the phone back in his pocket, and says "let's go."
"Go where?"
"You're aiming to be a Hero, aren't you? Since you're helping me, the least I can do is help you train. We can start by jogging. Try to keep up."
He takes off running down the beach, and in spite of all his misgivings, Izuku follows.