Tape 3 The wisdom of an angel.
Its been a year since Katsuki permanently scarred Izuku's face. The other kids keep at the bullying and escalated to ambush beatings and the teachers even encourage the behavior. Going so far as to join in and even have kids use their quirks on Izuku to train them. Getting tortured as such has left Izuku with lots of scars. However even with this treatment Izuku has taken all that he's learned from Angel Gabby and put it to use for himself and even against his tormentors. Everything from her teaching him about the chair blockade to Angel Gabby outright teaching him some fighting stances and basic Boxing saying that turning the other cheek to words and violence is okay at times but defending oneself and fighting back is also crucial to ones safety as god has stated.
"An eye for an Eye. A tooth for a tooth. Blood for blood. One must always be ready to defend oneself, their home and their loved ones. Violence is almost never the answer but sometimes it is needed to keep yourself and those you love safe. Knowledge is knowing that violence is needed. Wisdom is knowing when to unleash it. After all, Even demons run when a good man goes to war." Angel Gabby's voice reverberates in his memories along with Angel Gabby's forlorn look all the time when these things happen.
Izuku took those words and actions to heart and while learning from Angel Gabby Izuku immediately asked his dad for a training regiment to make him able to defend himself so it wouldn't look suspicious about him knowing how to fight out of nowhere. Izuku is currently at home holding a raw steak to his swollen black eye while his face, arms and legs are bandaged and some bandages show blood soaking through. Izuku sighs a bit as he watches Angel Hare start on the TV ready to talk with Angel Gabby and beg for her to forgive him for fighting. Sadly he hears his bedroom door open.
"Hey champ how are you doing?" Hisashi asks carefully as he walks into his sons room holding a freshly frozen bag of peas. He exchanges it for the steak and smiles.
"Izuku, I'm proud of you. You avoided conflict and tried talking them down from what they wanted to do. When they hit you, you turned the other cheek and still tried to talk them out of hurting you. You only fought back when they gave you no other choice. I am not upset, you are not being punished and i have a surprise for you!" Hisashi says as he pulls from his back a life sized Angel Hare plushie doll.
Izuku's non swollen eye lights up and he grabs the doll pulling it in for a tight hug as his father speaks.
"It's the only one of its kind as it was a failed toy from marketing. When they ordered it destroyed I mentioned how you absolutely love Angel Gabby and asked if i could give it to you as a present for what you did. My boss gave the okay so take good care of it." Hisashi pats his son on the head before izuku leans down and kisses the plushie on the head.
Hisashi and izuku don't see how Angel Gabby is watching and smiles so genuinely at the act of affection she actually breaks character slightly and coos at the scene.
"Listen champ...i know you've been hearing what me and your mom have been yelling about the last few months. Me and your mother wanted you to know first hand. We're getting a divorce." Hisashi says as Izuku grabs hold of his Angel Gabby plushie and tears up.
"Is it because..." Izuku starts before Hisashi grabs his shoulders firmly yet gently and speaks sternly.
"Absolutely NOT! This is not because you are quirkless Izuku. This is because me and your mother have fallen out of love for one another." Hisashi says making eye contact with his son.
"This is an example of what i mean. Son you used to ADORE hero's to the point you obsessed over them and quirks. Heck, you still obsess over quirks. But you loved heros more than anything else in the world. Tell me do you still love hero's that way now?" Hisashi asks his son as Izuku thinks on it before remembering how much he loved hero's and got all the merch he could. Especially of All Might. In the last 2 years though his love has significantly dropped to almost nothing.
"No dad. I don't love heros in the way i did before... I love Angel Gabby that way but not hero's" izuku says as he looks at his room. What used to be a shrine to heros of all shapes, quirks and sizes is now a mear 10th of that with sparse memorabilia scattered about of All Might, His Aunt Ryukyu the dragoon hero,Mirko the rabbit hero and even a few American Heros like The flash. Oddly enough Mirko has more merch dotted around than any of the others.
However the rest of his room is dotted from the floor to the ceiling with Angel Hare merch. Mostly Angel Gabby but also a lot of francis the badger since Francis reminds Izuku of himself so much and he really considers Francis a close friend.
Francis was also surprised about Izuku liking him so much and actually tears up when Izuku shows excitement about getting a new piece of Francis merch like a poster or drawing or pillow.
"This is just like that. Me and your mother loved one another very much, so much so we got married and had you to have a full family. Sadly things got tough. Me and your mother got new jobs and didn't see each other enough. We still don't. Years of this going by and us arguing over both small things and really big things eroded that love away over time. Me and your mother are still very close friends. But we just don't love each other the way we used to. Now we both decided it's best to move on. We need you to decide Izuku, do you want permanent stay with your mother, with me or do you want us to have half custody where you live with me for 2 weeks a month and your mother 2 weeks a month. We want you to decide for us." Hisashi asks as he looks at his father before turning to face the TV.
Angel Gabby is looking at Izuku forlornly and holds up two fingers with a soft smile before pointing to his dad and then to the door indicating she wants him to choose the half custody. One lesson Angel Gabby imparted was the importance of a child needing both a mother and a father in their life to be balanced.
"I pick half custody dad. I want to live with both of you...where are you moving to?" Izuku asks as Hisashi sighs before scratching his head.
"I'm moving to River City. I have to take up the family business there. Good news is that river city has a 90% quirkless population and those with quirks are actually happy to live there with the quirkless. Bullies still exist but its more of the " Ugh you like that music? Stupid loser" or "hey nerd why don't you do the math how much lunch money it'll take for me not to hit you." You know, standard silly movie bully stuff. No one will care about your quirk status." Hisashi says as Izuku nods and gets hugged.
"I have to get set up there first okay champ? In the mean time you'll stay here with your mother for 2 weeks. After that i'll be ready to take you in and hey i'll send your uncle Abobo to pick you up from school that day okay?" Hisashi says as he gets a hug from izuku before walking out of the room and closing the door.
Izuku looks at the TV and sees Francis holding a shield while Angel Gabby is dressed in a Helmet with sword in hand.
"I'll feel safer with this, the way you wield that sword." Francis says as he points to Angel Gabby.
"These are nice props to demonstrate gods armor. But remember the real sword of the spirit isn't a weapon. Ephesians says it is his sharp wit and the strength of his word." Angel Gabby says as text appears onscreen.
"Oh good, I'm not good at fighting actual battles." Francis says as he looks off towards the distance and sighing as Angel Gabby looks at izuku.
"Nod once if he's not coming back for awhile." Angel Gabby says with a concerned look on her face. Izuku nods once to her after he hears his fathers footsteps stop and the talking of his parents resume.
"Izuku, you are very brave and a very special one of gods children." Angel Gabby says as izuku goes to apologize to her for not paying attention to her more when his dad came in.
"No, No it...it's alright if you weren't listening. What happened to you today was really bad. Do you remember what we decided to do if you were ever afraid?" Angel Gabby asks as Izuku nods to her.
"I want you to take that thing off your table very carefully holding only the handle Izuku. It might be heavy so use both hands. Can you hold it up so i can see what kind it is?" Angel gabby asks as Izuku nods showing her what was in his hands. It was his dads Taser Gun with a few cartridges lying near it. Hisashi decided that today was a sign of things to come and bought his son the taser gun and also gave him the spare he always keeps on himself to Izuku after showing how to use it.
Izuku and Gabby spend literal hours talking about how he carefully needs to handle such a weapon in dire situations while also talking about simple things and learning more about one another. It gets to the point izuku and Angel Gabby are laughing about silly jokes, things that happened before the ambush of bullies and Izuku admitting he fought so hard simply to escape so that he could race home and see her again. A fact that makes Angel Gabby smile with a look of love and happiness that makes Izuku blush and look away.
After izuku has taken apart and put together the taser perfectly without making a mistake Angel Gabby makes him disassemble it one more time.
"Now that you've got it dismantled lets find a good place to stash the pieces on yourself and your backpack so no one can find it and use it to harm you. You can put it together if you need to at a moments notice but till then you also need to find a place to hide the other one here in the apartment." Angel Gabby says while looking at izuku fondly.
"What about the kitchen?" Izuku asks a bit contemplative since it has so many cupboards and drawers.
"No not the kitchen. A lot of people hide things in the kitchen and it sees to much foot traffic to be safe."angel Gabby says as Izuku looks around and opens his toy chest.
"NO not your toy chest either. It's very incriminating" Angel Gabby says as izuku looks at her confused.
"we'll learn that word later okay? But it could get you into a lot trouble." Angel Gabby says with a stern look off the side.
Izuku looks around his room and sees a big bookshelf that is mostly covered with his notes on quirks and scattered hero Merch. He notices one piece of merch on his bookshelf that is a pretty big statue of an american Hero from North Dakota, Static Shock. Its base is really big and hollow to allow for the light that slides into it to shine and light up the depictions lightning around the statue. Climbing up to the statue on his shelf after showing Angel Gabby he smiles at her telling him it's a wonderful idea.when he slides out the broken light with the red and black hazard line cover he tosses it deep into his closet before sliding the taser gun into the hollow statue base and angles it to look like the light cover.
" Good, good, Wonderful job Izuku. Be slow and steady as you climb back down" Angel Gabby says. Worry and fear clear in her voice.
As Izuku sits back down infront of the TV the scene transitions back to where Francis is and the scene has him wearing a belt.
"I don't think the belt of truth will quite fit around me. Does that mean I'm extra honest?" Francis asks as Angel Gabby Hops her way on screen wearing a chest plate helmet, holding a sword and shield while looking at Izuku.
"I'll always be your warrior Izuku. I hope We'll never have to draw a weapon." Angel Gabby says looking at the new very real sword that is now is in her hands with a look of caution.
"But as your guardian angel I'll always be ready to fight for you and keep you safe." Angel Gabby says looking serious at Izuku while Izuku nods to her and then looks in her eyes before responding.
"And I'll do my best to get stronger so that i can protect myself, my family and especially you Angel Gabby. I want you to feel safe with me like you make me feel safe with you. I love you angel Gabby" Izuku says as he wraps his arms around the TV and kissing the screen where Angel Gabby's freckled cheek is making the angel gasp as she feels his kiss before melting into the hug and feelings Izuku is giving her. she feels this kind of love is definitely friendship based but is still brought to happy tears before returning said hug and kissing Izukus cheek through the screen as well making Izuku blush a deep shade of red in embarrassment.
"I love you too Izuku. Never forget that." Angel Gabby says as Francis comes into frame and looks at Izuku.
"Do you love me too Izuku?" Francis asks as Izuku nods happily and hugs francis giving him a kiss on the cheek as well.
"Of course i do Francis. You're my friend so of course i love you too!" Izuku says as though it were just a straight up fact. That makes Francis tear up too and join in the hug with the others. Happy he found another friend besides Angel Gabby.