"Up and atem Izuku!" The sound of crashing pans had me groan. It was my off day, I was aloud to sleep in, but the banging of pots persisted and soon I was opening my door to snap at the far too happy gremlin that was Gran Torino. Who crackled as he vanished down the hall in a blur of yellow. As I snapped my jaw and flapped a wing at him. The motions harmless but still settling some of my irritation. With a sigh I closed the bedroom door, looking at my reflection in the floor length mirror against it.
How much had changed in a year in a half, to have the novelty of having sleep wear. Something as simple as a pair of shorts and a two size too big shirt. Pulling my shirt up, I looked at myself a little more. I would hardly consider myself vein, but the 4 pack and lack of visible ribs. It made me wonder once more, when had my life gotten this much better?
"Young Zu, are you still up?" Toshinori asked from the other side of the door, dragging me out of my mind once more.
"I'm up, about to get dressed," I informed him as I turned away from the door to head to my box of clothes.
"That is good, in about an hour I am wanting to introduce you to someone." He sounded nervous, was it that I would say no? He hadn't broken my trust yet, but
He still could, adults are just as much a monster as Them. Shaking my head to push away such invasive thoughts, I pulled off my night shirt.
"Who is it?" I ask, sure he would answer my question as I put on a compression shirt to hide what I did not wish to be seen and reach for another to use as a top.
"Principle Nedzu of U.A.," This had me turning around to look at the door shocked. He wanted…. Well if this week isn't the most random of things.
"Why?" Pulling the shirt on and shifting my wings through the fabric. Moving to my nightstand, grabbing a small dagger from under my pillow to put into its sheath in my boot before opening the drawer to store another few sets of knives on my person.
"I would like to see about getting you into U.A. if not than one of the other hero schools." He explained through the door. Finally ready for the day I opened the bedroom door and stepped out, finding….
"All Might!?" Taking a step back. Panic spiking shit there where no windows in my room and we were on ground level.
"Hey, hey, it's okay," All Might made the same motion that Yagi had made the night before. Though this time it was rather comical with how tall he was and needing to bend down to my level. Hands up in surrender before moving his hands down a bit. Then he just, he shrunk, back down to the Bunny I knew, coughing into his fist. The smell of copper filling the air. "I, erm, have been meaning to tell you." He spoke once he had cleared his air way and was able to speak again. "I couldn't really think of a way to tell you, so," He made jazz hands, flipping jazz hands at the fact that a man I had met by saving him from a mugger was Flipping All Might. A man I had deemed nonthreatening was flipping ALL MIGHT!
"You…. I saved you from how many muggings?!" I didn't mean to squeak with the question while he rubbed the back of his neck smiling awkwardly.
"So, you were from the Glades originally, before the villain attack and earthquake that made the Glades what they are today. You made a deal with your Arch enemy to leave the Glades alone. Traveled all over the place and when you looked at the Glades again, you were on a time limit due to life ending injuries, and are now looking for a successor and to do what you can for your once home before you die…. Did I sum that up, right?" I asked, All Might- no Yagi, Torino, and I were sitting in the living area. Yagi on the couch with Torino in his arm chair. The TV on to a wrestling program yet it was muted. Showing he was paying far more attention to the conversation than his favorite tv program.
"You did yes," Yagi nodded his head, I reached up and cradled my head in my hands. First Crow and now All Might, what did they see that I didn't there had to be something. Though right now was not the time for introspection.
"I can't be your successor, All Might, I… there is no way I can be like you." Moving to get up.
"He doesn't need you to be like him brat," Torino spoke up for the first time in this conversation. "He needs you to just be you."
"That isn't any better, Torino," The old man straightening with his own name being used. "You know nothing of my past, where I have come from, what I…" I stepped back, crossing my arms over my stomach. "I am a monster," Digging my fingers into my elbows. There was some shuffling and then a warm hand tilting my chin up to look at Yagi, his other hand resting gently over one of my hands.
"You, are not a monster, Izuku, you are a girl who did what you had to."
"But," He didn't know, he couldn't know, there was no way he could know.
"I may not know your past, Izuku, but I know you." Both his hands coming to my shoulders. "I see you." The words soft before gentle hands were pulling me into a hug. "I know you." I hesitated in the hug. Such gentle contact with someone who wasn't a child so foreign and here in the arms of All Might. For a moment the world didn't seem so heavy.
Coming to UA, was a strange affair, Yagi's car, cause apparently he had one this whole time made by someone named Shield. Though the car was sleek and rather roomie inside. Though this did make sense seeing how it was All Might's car, even if Yagi was staying in his small form. Stepping out of the car with Yagi telling stories of how he went to school here, more just about what the school had to offer than actual stories about his experiences here.
"Aw, I'm glad to see you could make it," I turned towards the squeaky voice and tensed. Finding Nezu sitting on Eraserhead's shoulder. The hero looked like he would rather be anywhere else than here. After seeing the hero leave the underground medical center earlier in the week I hadn't seen any sign or heard any word of the hero. Though it was good to see that the hero was still kicking around.
"Principle Nezu, I am so glad you could meet with us. You as well, Eraserhead." Yagi greeted the both of them. I offered a small inclination of my head. Not too sure what to make of the two. I knew them by reputation alone. Nezu might seem nice but he can rip anyone apart without even touching them, and Eraserhead was a force in his own right within the underground. Stories of glowing red eyes and pain were enough to most people think twice about fighting the pro. The hand coming to my shoulder had me glancing away from the two predators to Yagi who was smiling a soft true smile. I took a breath and calmed right down. There was no reason to get anxious or nervous. It was just a meeting. Nothing more, just a meeting before heading home before a patrol in the evening. Just a meeting.
"Well now, thank you for your time, Eraserhead, I'll handle it from here," Nezu spoke to Eraserhead as he climbed down from the man's capture weapon.
"Fine," The man sounded absolutely exhausted, not even fighting with Nezu about being dismissed with two random strangers. That… or Eraserhead had absolute faith that his boss could handle whatever threat the two of us could pose. Which that could also pose as true. I watched as the man left the door closing behind him. Only then looking over the office we were in. The office was split in two. One half closest to the door was a large desk and chair behind it. Two overstuffed plushy chairs sat before the desk. On the other side was a couch and another set of chairs separated by a coffee table with an electric kettle and te set on it.
"So, you are Young Midoriya Izuku, correct," At the use of a no doubt last name before my true name I looked back at Nezu. He made his way over towards the coffee table with the tea set, gesturing us to join him as he started the water for tea.
"I… It sounds… right," I offer to the mouse, rat, bear, Principle. "I am not entirely sure… but Midori does mean green so I suppose it's fitting?" Trying to make light of the fact that I didn't remember something so… common.
"Principle Nezu, once again I am thankful that you are willing to talk with us today." Yagi spoke up to fill the void once it was there to fill.
"It isn't a problem at all." The Principle happily chirped as he climbed up onto the couch, as we sat in the chairs. Now that we were closer I could see two small stacks of paper. One stack was blank while the other sat neatly in a folder. "I am more than happy to help the number one hero when he reaches out. Especially when it comes to the matters of one of our youth." Nezu smiled at me now. It was such a human thing on his face. The lack of fangs or teeth, as if trying to show he wasn't the threat he could be. "It was a delightful challenge to find information on your chosen successor."
"I'm not his successor," I corrected the Principle without really thinking, when his gleaming beady eyes turned to me I quickly scratched mouse off the list of possibilities. No prey could have that look in his eye.
"It is something we are still discussing," Yagi intervened, reaching out to set a hand on the arm of my chair. "But that does not stop my desire to sponsor, Young Iz- Young Midoriya through high school and hero school should she be able to make it." It still made me a little uncomfortable with the thought of Yagi spending that much money, even if he was All Might and made so much money that tuition would hardly be a drop in the bucket.
"Well, before we can make any plans, we must see where we are starting." Nezu hopped down from the couch to the stack of papers, picking it up and holding it out to me with two paws. "This is a placement test. I want you to try your best and answer what you can. There is no pass or fail, this is merely to see where you are." I took the papers gently and shifted through them. Finding most of them to be multiple choice, an answer key, and a few papers with room for writing. I looked uncertainly over to Yagi and he only smiled.
"You got this, Young Vi," He encouraged with an All Might smile.
"You may take the test wherever you feel most comfortable," The Principle made another of his human like smiles.
The feelings as I sat in the car on the way back to The Glades was a strange mess. There were some frustrations about the test. Many guessed answers or just blank. Trying to fill in as much as I could yet so curtain that I messed up everything on the papers. My hand writing barely legible even to myself. Yagi only had encouragement as I went to my room and took a nap. Sleeping until evening before putting on my vigilante gear and heading out.
The day should have been more than enough warning. All the craziness and so much changing. I should have expected it as my patrol came to an end after a busy night. Feeling content with the bruises and work I had done. Stopping at my favorite perch to look over The Glades. There in the wall of the rooftop enclosure for the stairs. A miniature katana. My heart plummeted, all the good, all the new. This better place, and the past was coming back.
Hey guys, hope you are liking the rewrite, *Rubs back of neck* This should be the last time I rewrite this as I know the dirrection I have for the story, I'd love comments and the like!