The trio have a picnic date and find themselves in the strange position of being genuinely HAPPY. Toshinori receives a message from an old friend...and it makes him lose his temper.
Izuku couldn't remember being this happy. Sure, part of it was bleedover, but they knew a large part of it was just actually enjoying their day off…and their date. Date. What a word. Izuku could not even begin to believe they were on a date, especially not with Himiko and Ochako.
When they were kids, Himiko and Ochako were just…well, Himi and 'Chako. Nothing more, nothing less. They just were, and that was all that mattered to Izuku back then. And when they left, when Izuku's life became fire and sound and pain, when Izuku lost all sense of who they were, Himiko and Ochako were their hope. Their drive. Their reason for going on when part of them wanted to just give up, when that little voice in the back of their head would whisper poisoned honey in their ears, about how their mom would be better off, how no one would care, how they weren't worth keeping alive. Himiko and Ochako were Izuku's weapon, their sword and shield against that, the promise they'd made as children being everything Izuku focused on.
And when they got to UA, when their Quirks merged and bonded, Izuku was too lost and afraid and guilty to really focus on what that meant for them anymore. As more and more changes followed, their very body twisting to this new form, they had to actively fight their own guilt and fears and shove them down, so as to not bother the other two who were struggling with their own issues.
And yet somehow…they were here? This didn't make a lot of sense, and instinctively Izuku wanted to retreat from it. They didn't deserve this, they never deserved it…or so their mind kept saying. But the warmth, the sheer affection and care and dare they say love that would burn across the bond, proof positive of how Himiko and Ochako felt, that silenced that voice more than any words ever could.
And so as Izuku sat there, leaning back against a tree and laughing at Himiko currently dancing about with a celery stalk, acting like she was a swashbuckler in some movie, Ochako bent forward as she tried to control her own giggles, all they could think was how much fun they were having, and how happy this made them. A date had never been something they had ever considered, and yet here they were.
"...and so yeah, Rika apparently had such a bad date that she claimed she's giving up on dating forever, not that any of us believe her," Himiko finished, having been sharing gossip from her old friends' lives as she pranced about swinging her celery 'sword'.
"Well, let's avoid going to a bar and drinking enough beer to drown six sailors then," Ochako snickered in reply.
Izuku shook their head ruefully. "I genuinely don't get how someone could enjoy that as a date, to be honest."
Himiko shrugged. "Eh, Rika was always a bit of a party girl. She never overindulged, but I know she liked going to parties and stuff. Apparently her date wasn't on the same page though."
"Still, can't say I see the appeal," Izuku shrugged.
Himiko nodded, miming taking notes as she murmured "Note to self, no bars for Izu."
Izuku snorted, waving her off. "I don't care where I go so long as it's with the two of you."
Silence rang out over the small clearing the trio was in, as Himiko and Ochako stared at Izuku with dropped jaws, pink spilling over their cheeks. Izuku blinked at them in confusion, then rocked back as the sudden wave of emotion surged across the bond. Their brain finally caught up to what they said, and Izuku's own face went red as they squeaked, planting their face in their palms for a moment.
"I-I mean, I uh, I don't need to be around you all the time or anything, like, I'm not trying to be possessive or anything but uh-"
"Izu," Ochako's soft voice cut their flustered speech off, her hands reaching out and pulling their hands away from their face, the green-haired teen meeting Ochako's eyes. She was smiling softly, eyes gleaming with unshed tears as she placed her hand on Izuku's cheek. "Thank you. That was very sweet," she said.
Izuku swallowed, pushing their embarrassment down. They knew what Ochako was doing…communication was key, they'd had that beaten into their head over and over by their mentors and the counselors, and they knew this was Ochako trying to be as blunt as possible to avoid any misunderstandings…and it worked. Right. Of course. It wasn't a bad thing to express their affections.
They lifted their hand up and cupped Ochako's in their own, smiling back. "You're welcome," they replied softly, the two staring at one another for a moment, before both turning their gaze to Himiko. The blonde was staring at them both, wide-eyed, fists over her mouth as she practically vibrated in place, the sheer joy coming across as she looked at them both.
"You two are so cute!" she squealed, as if she couldn't contain her words any more. Both Izuku and Ochako flushed, but didn't let themselves get too flustered this time. Instead, they each reached up one hand towards Himiko, the blonde lowering her own so they could grasp hers and pulled her down, Himiko finding herself sitting in Ochako's lap as the brunette leaned into Izuku, their arm and tail wrapping around her waist.
The trio sat together for a while, enjoying the warm sunlight, dappling through the trees upon their little picnic, before Izuku decided to embrace a little bit of the chaos Himiko always brought into their life. With a thought, Blackwhip slid out, forming into circular platforms in front of the trio, Ochako and Himiko both looking at them in askance…as Telekinesis pulled the sandwiches they'd prepared up and placed them on the platforms, Izuku grinning widely.
"What? I'm comfy," they said as an explanation for why they simply didn't end the embrace.
Ochako snorted, but one hand reached out to pick up a piece of floating mochi, tossing it into her mouth, puffing her cheeks out like a chipmunk as she muffled an incomprehensible reply.
Himiko snatched up a sandwich, immediately munching on it as she squirmed around in Ochako's lap, getting comfortable. Her tail flicked across Izuku's lap, entwining with their own as she grinned at them. Izuku returned her smile, closing their eyes and taking a deep breath in, enjoying the fresh air. This was a great start to their new relationship, and Izuku couldn't wait to see where they went with it.
Toshinori was in his office, going over his lesson plan for the return of the students from their internships, when he was distracted by a ping from his phone of an incoming text. Very few people actually had access to this number, so he was confused as to who was texting him at this time. He glanced down, feeling his eyes go wide in surprise at the number revealed, one which had not texted him in years. He thumbed the notification open, seeing a short, terse message commanding him to check his emails.
Arching an eyebrow, he opened up his personal email and scrolled through it. He rarely checked this particular email, as he seldom got messages to it, but there it was, a message from his old sidekick, Sir Nighteye. Their falling out had left both of the men unwilling to talk, so he'd somewhat dismissed him in his mind, which made the sudden outreach strange to him. Of course, now that he was looking at it, he noticed the date was well over a week back, which made sense why he got the text message.
He shook his head. Now was not the time to get distracted with the reason it never came up. He was more concerned with seeing what Mirai had emailed him about. He opened the email and began to read.
Shouta Aizawa was a man who was generally not easily startled. While he was very observant and kept his guard up, he always had been able to relax slightly at UA University, especially in his office. It was even enough for him to take the occasional nap during the day, a welcome jolt of energy to deal with his perpetual state of exhaustion.
That said, the sudden thunderous crash from the office next to his was more than enough to make him jump, scrambling out of his sleeping bag as he rushed to check in on Toshinori, concerned someone had attacked the school. Which, technically, it appeared like someone did…that someone just so happened to be Toshinori.
The pro was standing there, bulked up into his All Might form, breathing heavily with a snarl visible on his face, one fist embedded in the concrete wall, leaving Shouta to pretty easily surmise the cause of the sudden crashing noise he'd heard. He blinked at the Number One Hero proceeding to act like an annoyed teenager.
Toshinori glanced up, seeing Shouta standing there, and his cheeks went pink as he deflated, both physically and emotionally. The blonde sighed. "My apologies, Shouta. I received an…aggravating message from a former friend."
"Aggravating, huh?" Shouta drawled, arching an eyebrow at the cracked wall behind the other pro. He stepped into the office, pulling a chair out and taking a seat, placing his hands in his lap as he looked at Toshinori. "Something you want to get off your chest?"
Toshinori stared at him for a moment, before sighing, slumping back into his desk chair and leaning back to look at the ceiling. There was silence in the room for a moment, before Toshinori spoke. "It was my former sidekick, Sir Nighteye. I believe you're acquainted?"
"I've spoken to him once or twice, but nothing more than that."
"Well…to be blunt, he was one of the few people I trusted with the secret of One For All, back in the day. But we had a falling out after the final fight against All For One, and I haven't really spoken to him since. He sent me a rather…scathing message today that just…argh!" Toshinori growled, clenching his fists. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Do you know how his Quirk functions?"
Shouta shook his head no. "No, it's never come up."
"It's called Foresight. By touching someone and focusing, he can see the future play out like a movie."
Shouta blinked. "Well…that does seem incredibly useful."
"It is, but…the thing is, he believes what he sees is immutable. Granted, he's yet to be proven wrong, but his sample size is incredibly small. He rarely looks more than a few hours into the future at a time, and since it can only be used once per day, he's hesitant to wield it unless absolutely necessary. The few times he's glanced further into the future, they have always turned out the way he saw, but still…"
Shouta nodded along, starting to pick up on what Toshinori was getting at. "So he's fatalistic, I imagine?"
Toshinori nodded tiredly. "Absolutely. Since he's convinced he cannot change the future, he's often terrified of it. After the fight with All For One, he…he used his Quirk on me while I lay in the hospital, and what he saw was my death. According to his vision, it will happen within the next year or so, in fact."
Shouta blinked, taken aback by this, but wasn't given much of an opportunity to respond as Toshinori continued on. "This led to him begging me to retire and pass on my Quirk, thinking that could save me. But, I'm sure you see the problem with that idea."
"If his vision is infallible, nothing you do will change your fate, and if it's not, then we cannot know what would be the catalyst for your death," Shouta reasoned. "But, there is a point to be made that if it is possible for his visions to be wrong, then retiring gives you a much better chance of survival. Plus, you did pass it on, so I'm not sure what the issue is."
Toshinori waved his hand dismissively. "His point was more along the lines of what chaos would erupt from the retirement of the 'Symbol of Peace', and how I needed to find someone to take on that mantle from me. We didn't see eye to eye on this, and we parted in anger. He moved on to found his own agency, and I proceeded to continue my work."
"I'm still not seeing the issue. You did pass it on, and you've discussed plans to slowly phase your actions out, leaving more on the other heroes shoulders as the new students start to step into the role."
"It's because I chose my successor…and not the one he wanted me to choose," Toshinori said darkly, making Shouta finally understand. "Mirai often thinks he's the smartest man in the room, and at times, he is. He's certainly more intelligent than I am, and I can think of few as intelligent as him. But with intelligence and his Foresight, comes an unearned arrogance, and his most fatal flaw…he's not smart enough to see his own shortcomings. Apparently, when I refused to retire when he said I should, he started searching for a successor for me."
Shouta paused, trying to work through it. He knew Nighteye had been taking various interns and work study students over the years, which made sense if he was seeking a successor for One For All. But even assuming he found one, how did he know Toshinori passed it off if they hadn't spoken…oh goddammit. He facepalmed. "The kids on the news. He figured it out, didn't he?"
"Somewhat. He figured out it was one of them, but not which one, which was part of his complaint apparently. He wanted to know what the hell was going on with them."
"Which one did he think it was?"
"Young Ochako, actually. Her holding up the building was what made him believe it was her."
Shouta shrugged. "I can see how he'd get that idea, I guess. If he knew what her Quirk was."
Toshinori groaned, leaning back in his chair. "Oh trust me, he does. He ran background checks on all three of them. Which wouldn't be the worst thing, if he hadn't also used his connections to get ahold of Tsukauchi's personal notes on them!" Toshinori slammed his fist into his desk, and even in his shrunken state the wood cracked beneath the force. "Which means he knows about Himiko's parents, about Izuku's bullying and self-esteem issues, and Ochako's money and food issues."
"...that is incredibly unethical, if not outright illegal," Shouta said quietly, menace in his voice. No one looked into his kids personal information without their express permission.
"As I said…he thinks he's the smartest person in the room, and thus he thinks he's 'justified' in whatever actions he takes to get his goal. When I read that, I nearly stormed over to his agency to speak to him about it face to face. Unfortunately, that wasn't the worst part of his damned message to me."
"I'm hesitant to ask, but what was the worst part then?" Shouta asked, working his jaw in frustration.
Toshinori let out a low growl. "I'd rather not repeat it. Suffice it to say, it was some incredibly vicious personal attacks on the children, to 'explain' why they weren't suited to hold One For All. And he's insistent I meet his candidate, which I have no desire to do, and if I was to, I'd meet him here, away from Mirai's clutches!"
"Mirio Togata, right?" Shouta risked asking, having already picked out the person Nighteye most likely selected.
Toshinori snorted. "Is it that obvious who he chose?"
"Togata is larger than life, cheerful, loud, blonde, and while he struggled to utilize his Quirk at first, once he did a work study with Nighteye he became the top of his class. I expect him to beat Hawks' record of getting into the top ten once he gets out of UA. So if Nighteye is determined to replace you with a carbon copy, well…" Shouta trailed off.
Toshinori nodded. "Yes, I can see what you mean by that description. I'm sure Togata is a fine boy, but I made my choice, and I am more than happy with them. Not to mention that my 'symbol of peace' role was a mistake."
"...wait, what?" Shouta asked, unsure he heard the other hero properly.
Toshinori sighed. "I don't regret it, per se. What I did did bring peace, there is no denying that. But as I slowly back down my hours, as I lose my hold on what little remains of One For All, it's obvious to me that the criminal underbelly is starting to rise up once more. The attacks of the Nomu have left a scar on the psyche of the people, especially after Hosu, and the simple fact was I was not enough. A single pillar is not infallible. A single pillar does not a foundation make. And that was my biggest mistake, was to not realize I needed to help lift my fellow heroes up, to form an unbreakable base for which all others to build off of. But Mirai simply does not see it that way."
"He thinks we need another Symbol of Peace," Shouta mused. He sighed. "I understand the reasoning, but…to be honest, while I'm surprised you hold that view, it is one I agree with." After a moment, he continued. "Don't misunderstand me though…I believe you've done as much as you could to help people. My distaste for limelight heroics aside, there is no denying the good you've done the world. But, well…you said it. A single pillar is just asking to eventually wear away."
Toshinori nodded. "Exactly. And even if I hadn't been wounded the way I was…my life was not kind to me. I've missed out on so much of what life has to offer, and I would never wish that upon my successor no matter who they were. In fact, I insist they not follow me down that path…and I mean that for young Izuku as well as young Himiko and young Ochako."
He let out an annoyed sigh. "My apologies, I am yammering on now. To be more succinct…Mirai said some things about my choice in successors that made me lose my temper. I suppose the only small mercy there is he cannot speak to them himself, as I fear how any of the three would take the vitriol he spewed."
"Hmm. I'd rather not take chances. We'll make certain to flag if he comes to campus that he is to be escorted at all times. This should prevent any 'accidental' meetings, while not preventing him from his other duties. And perhaps we should speak to Togata and see if Nighteye instructed him to do anything," Shouta said.
"Yes, that does seem most prudent. If you could set that up it would be a great relief to me. I must decide how I intend on responding to his…words."
Shouta shrugged. "You're well within your rights to simply ignore him."
Toshinori shook his head no. "I'd rather not take chances of him continuing behind my back. I shall confront him and see if he can come to see my point of view. I cannot say our parting was entirely his fault, as I was the one who ignored someone who genuinely was concerned for my health and wellbeing, and well…as many have told me, I really am not good at keeping myself in mind." He smiled as he said that, a glimmer in his sunken eyes.
Shouta snorted. "Well, that's an understatement, if what Chiyo says is true."
"Hah! Well, you're not wrong there. For now though, I shall set up a meeting with Mirai, and see what can be done."