Toshinori Yagi was stressed. He had fought villains in multiple countries, walked fearlessly into scenes of devastation and destruction made by both man and nature, but for the first time since his mentor, Nana, passed away the man felt powerless. He was in his civilian disguise, a hat to hide his iconic blond hair and a brown jacket to hide his impressive muscles, but there was no hiding his nerves as he paced back and forth outside the room of his fiance.

Inko Midoriya was, on first look, ordinary. Sure, she was pretty enough, but not overly so. She didn't dress provocatively, preferring practicality and comfort over style. She didn't see the point in spending hours in front of a mirror, just to have it ruined if she started to sweat or god forbid cry. Inko liked things simple, straightforward, and manageable, so when she dedicated her time to studying growing up it wasn't surprising. What was surprising was her area of study, medicine. Being a doctor could be chaotic and thankless, but Inko had one other defining trait, an iron will, and against all odds, she succeeded.

Inko had earned her residency at one of the major hospitals in Tokyo, Might General. A hospital started with the charitable contribution of the number one hero of Japan, All Might, and priding itself on never refusing any patient regardless of circumstance. Inko was excited at the opportunity, but on her very first day a villain attacked the hospital, and took the staff hostage. That had been when she met him… All Might, the symbol of Peace, and Inko couldn't help blushing at his bright smile and powerful presence. Seeing him on T.V. and in articles was one thing, but up close… that was so much more.

In the end, All Might saved the day, but while everyone else celebrated, Inko paled. As soon as she could, Inko pulled the large man into a room and demanded he remove his shirt. All Might blushed, and tried to back away, but the lock suddenly clicked behind him. Inko might not have the strongest quirk, but her telekinesis was strong enough to help her do small things like handle tools, or shift organs slightly during surgery.

All Might tried to wave her off, but Inko was insistent. All Might was shocked at what happened next. One of the goons with the villain had gotten a lucky hit to the hero's ribs and cracked one in such a way that it didn't really hurt, but any kind of hit near the area again in the next few days could have caused it to break and result in massive internal bleeding. Inko had been using her quirk to stabilize it until people cleared enough to allow her to pull him away, but it was exhausting. While everyone else had just been happy to be alive and praised him, this ordinary mousey green haired woman had done something no one else had before… She cared about his safety. After applying a small brace, and giving a small warning the door unlocked and she left without a backwards look, but she wasn't getting away from him now.

For the next month, All Might made regular visits to Might General to visit his new favorite physician, and when he got hurt he came to her first. It was flattering, but also irritating for the young woman. Finally she had enough, and demanded to know what the man was really after. Suddenly All Might got very awkward, it was kind of cute in her opinion, and admitted he had been trying to work up the nerve to ask for a date. Inko was taken aback so much she only managed a small stammer of acceptance before she received the brightest smile she had ever seen, and her heart started to melt.

That had been three years ago, and now Toshinori was outside Inko's room keeping an eye out when the door opened, and he was asked to come inside. Inko looked pale and thoughtful, but as soon as she saw Toshinori she smiled, "Toshi, Shinji just gave me amazing news. Can you come over and sit with me for a second?" Toshinori did so, and Inko surprised him with a kiss before she stated with a smile, "I'm pregnant. You're going to be a father!" Toshinori's eyes widened, and Inko became the first person to ever knock out Japan's number one hero, as he simply passed out.

The wedding was quiet and secret, but Inko didn't mind. The bigger issue was how worried her new husband was. He had always been twitchy about her safety, but now it was just getting ridiculous, or so she thought. Inko's thoughts on the matter changed when she went into labor… just as a villain came to try and kill Toshinori. The villain was stopped, but both new parents had to admit that Inko and their new baby boy, Izuku, wouldn't be safe until Toshinori hung up his cape. Unfortunately that wasn't an option as long as All for One remained free, so a compromise had to be made.

That was how Inko Midoriya, hiding under her maiden name, ended up moving to the U.S. and a small town in Connecticut. They had agreed Inko would go into hiding until AFO could be captured, and they could go away together to be a real family without the constant fear of one of them being torn away forever or used to harm the other.

The Gravesfield hospital was definitely a step down from her last job, but it wasn't a complete loss. Inko quickly became the most sought after doctor there, and Inko enjoyed the quiet moments almost as much as helping others. Unsurprisingly Inko ended up becoming friends with another medical specialist in town, Camila. Her husband had passed away from cancer just before Inko came to town, and it hurt Inko to see the woman look so devastated. Camila was a vet, and it became a running joke in town that between the two nothing was beyond saving. Like Inko, Izuku found a friend in Luz, Camila's daughter, and it became very common to find the two playing together. Luz was an odd girl, with her love of magic and finding beauty in unexpected places. Where others would find a shed snake skin disgusting, Luz saw shed snake pajamas, and Izuku was never bothered by her eccentricities.

When the kids were five, and still hadn't manifested the quirks something Inko knew they should have, both families grew concerned. The tests clearly showed both kids had them, but nothing they did could bring them out. Until they manifested it was impossible to tell what form they would take, and that made them more troubling to plan around.

It was slightly overcast on Luz's sixth birthday. That's what Camila told herself as the hours passed, and nobody else arrived. Inko sat at the table with her and sighed though. She expected this, but it didn't make it any easier to see. Thankfully Izuku and Luz didn't seem to mind, but it still stung.

By the time it started getting dark, Camila was ready to just pack it all up. Between the stormy skies and the rumors of some kind of monster in the woods, she was sure nobody was going to show up now. As they focused on cleaning up, neither adult noticed a group of older teens walk up, but then they heard Luz scream. The adults rushed out to see a trio of boys kicking a curled up Izuku on the ground as Luz was frozen and trembling in fear.

Before the adults could intervene, they saw Luz begin to glow softly with purple energy and begin to float. They couldn't see her glowing eyes, but the bullies could. After a few seconds of silence the 'leader' just scoffed, "That all you got Luzer?" Luz raised her arm. "Real intimidating, but Jacob saw what this monster really is. You should be thanking us for getting rid of it."

Luz brought her arm down, and there was a crack of thunder as lightning struck the ground in front of the three boys, and Luz spoke in a warbling voice, "Leave… Zuku… Alone!" As her arm rose back up the trio of kids started to run away, but Luz suddenly started to shake… and then she screamed. Luz began to cry, "It's too much. I can't… I can't control it." And once more she screamed as arcs of electricity started coming out of her like a tesla coil.

This finally seemed to bring Izuku back to consciousness, and he started limping toward his friend. Camila and Inko wanted to rush to help, but with the electricity arcing and burning grooves into the lawn they couldn't, and then the first bolt's hit Izuku, one from Luz and the other the storm. They gasped in fear, but Izuku didn't even flinch. In fact he seemed to get stronger, and limp less. Then another pair of bolts struck, and Izuku's skin started changing color as he got bigger. When the third set struck him, Izuku was gone. Replaced by a hulking humanoid monster with black skin and slightly glowing with dark green static.

It roared and jumped into the air, palming Luz's face with one of his mighty mitts, and all of the purple energy seemed to be absorbed into the monster even as small bits of green ran through the girl. They expected the monster to slam Luz into the ground, but instead they saw it cradle her unconscious form tenderly before bounding away into the trees behind the Noceda's house. Both mothers looked on in stunned horror for a few seconds before they started to run after the quickly disappearing form. Nobody seemed to notice how the storm clouds started to disperse, like all the energy was drawn out of them.

It took a few hours, but they managed to track the kids to an old cabin in the woods. Sitting next to a half collapsed wall was the black being that used to be Izuku, and they noticed it tenderly using a finger to caress Luz's face. To Camila it seemed like a scared animal trying to protect an injured pack mate, but that could have just been a side effect of spending too many hours at her office.

Slowly Inko approached it with her hands up to show she didn't mean any harm. The creature flinched at first before it seemed to focus and choke out a word, "Mama?"

Inko smiled, and creeped closer, "Izuku, honey, I need you to stay calm."

The creature flinched at the name Inko used and shook its head, "Not Izu. Just Ku. Izu weak. Izu scared. Ku strong. Ku protect friend." Ku pet Luz's head a bit more before turning back to Inko. "Izu mean. Ku want out. Izu say no. Ku yell. Ku roar. Izu still say no."

Inko nodded, "Well, maybe I can talk to him for you, but I need to check on Luz. After what happened, she could be hurt in a way you can't see. Can you please let me check… Ku?"

Ku seemed to debate for a moment before shaking his head, "No. Ku help." Before Inko could stop him, Ku palmed Luz's face again carefully, and another wave of emerald lightning-like energy washed over Luz. The girl's body locked up a bit before relaxing her previous pale appearance starting to return to normal.

Inko stammered, "Wa-what did you do?"

Ku chuckled, "Ku give strength. Friend strong. Friend give. Now Ku give." Ku started to yawn, "Ku sleepy. Bye Mama." Ku laid back with Luz safely held to his chest, and Inko saw his form start to shrink until once more Izuku could be seen, but with his shirt destroyed, Inko could see he had changed. Izuku hadn't had a bit of visible muscle before, but now he had some slight definition like a runner. It would be nearly unnoticeable for anyone else, but Inko was his mother… she would always know.

Inko reached out to make sure Izuku was fully out before waving Camila out of the woods. Camila couldn't help running to check on her daughter, but then she smiled. Luz seemed fine now, besides a slight fever, but that could be from anything. Camila looked to Inko, "Inko, I need answers. What was that? I know quirks can be random, but they usually have some kind of link to their parents. Unless you've been hiding a monster form, I have to ask… who is Izuku's father?"

Inko sighed, "You're my best friend Cammy, so I'll tell you the truth, but first… is Luz ok?" Camilia nodded, so Inko pressed on, "I know you said your quirk was just a minor mutation, but I never asked what your late husband could do?"

Camila looked away, and absent minded brushed her hair out of her face and flashed a pair of pointed ears, "Manny could absorb elements to protect himself. Like a thin layer of water to beat the heat, or heat when he was cold. It was minor, and not enough to be really practical. At best he wouldn't overheat for a few extra minutes in the summer, and in the winter he could pre warm blankets for us. Nothing even close to what Luz managed earlier."

Inko nodded, "You were right. I have a minor telekinesis quirk. At best I can juggle or grab the T.V. remote without standing up, but my husband is… well he's powerful."

Camila blinked, "How powerful?"

Inko smiled, "My real name is Inko Yagi. My husband is All Might."

The next morning both kids woke up, and acted like they normally did, but that didn't last. Overnight Luz had changed as well. There was a slight bit of royal purple near the roots of her hair, and she had grown about six inches of height. Not wanting to take any chances, both children were convinced to go to the hospital with their mom's for a few tests, and those tests lead to more tests and a few samples being sent to a family friend of Inko's.

A week later a disguised elderly lady by the name of Chiyo Shuzenji, or Recovery Girl, and a large blond gentleman stepped off a plane. They had both come as secretly as possible, but moved with a purpose as they made their way to their destination. Thankfully the home Toshinori bought for Inko was outside of town, and on the larger side, so they were able to get there without being spotted by almost anyone. When the man knocked on the door, it was answered by a Latin woman, but seconds later he was tackled by an overjoyed green haired woman who embraced him tightly and gave him a kiss making the other two snicker. Before the woman started ineffectively flailing at him with tears in her eyes.

After a moment the blond man managed to free himself enough to smile and wrap Inko in a hug, "I missed you too, my love. Please don't be mad. When I heard what happened, I had to come. My wife and son… the people I love most in the world needed me. You will always be my first priority."

Inko sniffled, "I didn't know what else to do. I'm sorry Toshi, but he refuses to talk to me about it." Inko turned to Recovery Girl, "Auntie Chiyo, please tell me you know how to help us? Nothing I'm seeing makes any sense."

Camila smiled, "Why don't we take this inside? It's probably wise for nobody to spot the number one of Japan here."

Toshinori scooped up his wife and nodded, "Thank you ma'am, and it's just Mr. Yagi or Toshinori, please."

Chiyo snorted, "Or brat. That's always been my name for this big lug. Always making me clean him up after he gets himself hurt. Inko dear, I still don't know how you can deal with this one."

As they walked inside, Inko gave Toshinori a kiss with a small smirk, "I love him, and if he wasn't so prone to getting hurt we might never have met. I hate to see him hurt, but it does give me a good excuse to cuddle him… or get him naked. You know… for check ups."

Toshinori blushed, but the woman laughed until Camila sighed, "I've never seen this side of you Koko. You're usually so clinical."

Chiyo grumbled, "Ya, everytime they're in the same room they turn into horny teenagers. It's just something you'll have to get used to Ms. Noceda." Camila gave the aged woman a nervous look, and Chiyo rolled her eyes, "Don't worry, I put the pieces together on my own. Inko included a few of Luz's samples as well just to be safe, and you being here right now was a big clue. Has there been any new developments with either of the kids?"

The atmosphere suddenly cooled as Camila pointed out of a window, "See for yourself Ms. Shuzunji." As the woman looked out, she saw Luz and Izuku near a small fire pit. Luz was smiling as she seemed to coax bits of fire between her hands and shape it, before making it disappear. A second later a tiny arc of purple electricity would appear around her fingers and be released back into the fire.

Chiyo just smiled, "Outstanding. Has she come up with a name for it yet?"

Camila sighed, "Luz really likes fantasy stories, so she vetoed 'Energy Domination'. She prefers to think of it as magic, so she calls them her 'spells', and calls her quirk 'Arcana'."

Chiyo looked back and noticed Izuku's eyes were darting about on edge, and he'd occasionally finch. Chiyo recognized the flinch. It was something you often saw in people suffering from PTSD or major trauma when a car backfired or someone yelled, but nothing she could see could be the source. The flinches happened randomly, and it couldn't be the fire or Luz, because neither seemed to even register to him, in her professional opinion. Finally Chiyo asked, "What about Izuku?"

Inko looked away, "No. Anytime it comes up he pulls away or retreats into himself. Auntie… I don't know what to do. Please, if there's anything you can do, do it."

Chiyo nodded, and for three days the old medic did tests on old samples, new samples, and reviewed every piece of data available. When she was done, Chiyo called the adults together along with the kids, and started to explain, "Well, let me begin by saying these two have an incredible future awaiting them. I need to ask before we begin though. I think we should be completely transparent about everything, given some of the things I've noticed. Can we all agree to there being no secrets?"

Camila looked at Chiyo confused, while Inko looked at Toshinori pleadingly, and he sighed, "If you insist ma'am. My master trusted you, so I will too." Toshinori turned and knelt before Luz, "Luz, you're probably going to hear a lot of things about me and my family, and I'm going to trust you to keep them a secret too. Can you do that for me, young lady?"

Luz looked at Izuku for a moment before turning back and putting out her pinkie, "You can trust me, Mr. Yagi. Izu is my best friend, so I'd never want to hurt him."

Toshinori smiled and interlaced his own pinkie with hers, "Glad to hear that. It appears my son has great taste in friends." Luz blushed and retreated to sit with Izuku.

Chiyo cleared her throat, "Well said… All Might." Luz froze and her eyes bugged out as she looked at the man before her in a new light. Chiyo continued, "So, I think I've got a grasp of what the kids' quirks are. Luz's 'Aracana' would have allowed her to take the raw elements around her and take control/shape them, but it's changed from its original form. I'll get into why later, but it's my theory that the incident that caused its manifestation could have killed her." The adults paled, but Chiyo continued, "Trying to control an entire thunderstorm as her first time was incredibly dangerous, and her body just wasn't strong enough to handle it. If not for Izuku… with Luz's quirk she might have blown herself apart. Don't worry though, now that her body is better adapted and Ku's gift is in place, she shouldn't have that problem again." The adults turned to the kids and found Luz hugging Izuku in thanks, but Izuku had a distant look in his eyes.

Camila cleared her throat and asked, "You said her quirk 'changed' and 'Izuku's gift'... what do you mean?"

Chiyo groaned, "Don't worry, I'll get there, but first I need to give some context. The brats quirk is complicated, but the parts that are relevant are two aspects. Power storage, and the ability to pass itself from one holder to another. Both were inherited by Izuku, but neither functions like the original. Izuku's body is like a black hole for energy in every form. It's not absorbing much actively, but it's constant and from what I'm seeing it doesn't have an upper limit of how much it can store." That made the adults blink in surprise. "It's why he could get struck by lightning without a care. It's also why Luz's quirk took so long to manifest. Izuku was absorbing too much ambient energy for it to trigger. As for the 'passing' aspect, Toshinori's quirk is all or nothing in its version, but Izuku can give small pieces to bolster others. Unfortunately, once done it still appears to be permanent, so it's not something I'd get in the practice of doing too often, even if it doesn't hurt him to do it."

Inko paled, "So when you said 'Ku gave her a gift' you meant-"

Chiyo nodded, "Yes. He gave her a boost to her endurance, and it now appears Luz's quirk evolved slightly to now be able to 'spark' an element if she needs it. Think of it like her quirk acting like a lighter. It can spark a small flame that she can then use ambient energy to make grow. Combined with her control, it's guaranteed to be a powerful quirk, and no longer completely reliant on having the needed element close by. There is a potential issue though."

Camila looked at the old medic concerned, "What?! What issue?"

Chiyo massaged her temples, "So, Izuku's body 'vents' energy in a few ways. After all, just because he can store up seemingly infinite energy, that doesn't mean it won't eventually start to cause strain since it can only be condensed so much. Healing injuries is one way, but the concerning thing is its primary way to stop from being torn apart… Ku. I haven't been able to see it in person." Chiyo gave Izuku an annoyed look, but the boy was hiding his face. "But from the samples I was able to take, I've identified the mechanism. Izuku absorbs energy until he either changes by choice or simply can't contain anymore. At that point his body grows larger, so it can absorb more. On the upside the more he stores the stronger and more durable he becomes. On the downside… Unless he uses said energy, he could in theory grow indefinitely."

Toshinori blinked, "How would you even test that? You said you haven't even seen that form?"

Chiyo snorted, "I used a milliliter of Izuku's blood and a small electrical current. At first I expected the current to fry it, but to my surprise it absorbed it, and started to replicate… endlessly. As long as I fed it energy it kept replicating. For a moment I thought I'd found an answer to the need for blood donations permanently since Izuku is O negative, but it won't work."

Inko blinked, "Why not? As disturbing as the thought of having my son's fluids spread all over the world is, the billions of people he could save is… well it's worthy of consideration."

Chiyo nodded, "I thought so too, but as soon as it comes in contact with foreign blood it disintegrates… except for Luz's. Specifically after Ku gave his gift. That's what I was talking about when I said there was something concerning. Luz's body doesn't absorb energy the way Izuku's does, but thanks to the gift… she might be able to change too, under the right circumstances. Basically, now that his mechanism has been added to her power, instead of blowing up… I think she'll change like he does."

Izuku suddenly started trembling, and crying as he grabbed Luz, "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to! Please tell me he doesn't talk to you too!"

The adults suddenly looked concerned, "Izuku, what are you talking about? Who's he?"

Izuku whimpered, "Ku. Ku talks to me all the time. Screams for me to let him out, but I can't… I won't. He's angry and he tries to convince me to hurt bullies when they pick on me or Luz. I-I'm afraid he might kill someone. That's why I tried to keep him a secret."

All of the women around him, minus Chiyo, wrapped him in a hug, but Chiyo narrowed her eyes, "How long have you been locking him in?"

Izuku sniffled, "I don't know. At least a year. He started out pretty quiet, but over time he got louder, and then last week he started to roar. A bully shoved Luz, and then his friend kicked her. H-he nearly not out. It hurt to hold him in. I-I think he gets out sometimes when I sleep. He takes over, and I find my window open." Izuku curled in on himself, and couldn't continue.

Luz swallowed, "Izu, don't worry. I haven't heard him… Not even a whisper. You saved my life. You're my best friend, so please don't worry. No matter what happens, we'll get through it together, ok?" Izuku nodded, but stayed in his curled up position.

After that the adults discussed how to handle the new situation, and Toshinori suggested Camila move in with Inko so the kids could stay close to each other. Luz helped Izuku stay calm, and just having Izuku close to her helped manage how much energy Luz could get ahold of. It would also help reduce the stress of both mothers, since Camila wouldn't need to pick up as many shifts to pay bills, and Inko could have a friend to talk to since he would have to go back to Japan soon. Toshinori also joked that if they wanted to become heroes in the future, he'd be happy to help that happen. Camila seemed nervous about 'imposing' on her friend, but Inko just waved her off, and said she'd be happy to have her around.

This turned out to be the only option though. After the storm incident and they were forced to register the kids' quirks, Izuku chose 'Maelstrom' to be his quirks name, and they found themselves with new situations cropping up. The local school corporation refused to allow either of them to attend anymore, citing concerns over student safety for the ban, Camila got fired from her job under suspicious circumstances, and they quickly found themselves ostracized. Only Inko managed to maintain her position, but that was more due to a lack of options than anything else.

This treatment caused both mothers to become enraged, but they managed to make it work. The Yagi's gave Camila a loan to start her own veterinary practice catering to unique or hard to work with pets, along with getting an exclusive contract with the local department of Fish and Wildlife to handle cases where wild animals required specialized care. The contract was a gift from a friend of All Mights, Stars n' Stripes.

That was how Luz and Izuku ended up attending private on-line classes for children of 'significant means' offered by Blight industries. The class was small, only having ten children from around the world, and at first the duo were nervous, but most of the other kids seemed nice. In their class was a french boy with blond hair named Yuga Aoyama, a few Japanese students named Shoto Todoroki, Momo Yaoyorozu, Boscha Triplet, and Willow Park, a tiny Russian girl named Sasha and her cousin Tina, and finally the Blight's youngest daughter, Amity.

After a few weeks, the duo got comfortable enough to start hanging out with most of them out of class as well, even if it was still only on-line, but they had friends now, and both kids were overjoyed at that. They kept Ku a secret, and Izu never brought him up, but Luz did convince Izuku to help her train. During one of those training attempts they discovered Izuku could fire lightning if he focused, or use some of the energy inside him to strengthen his muscles in short bursts. Luz loved it, and this revelation made Izuku feel like he was in control. Ku might still yell from time to time to get out, but Izuku had a way now to prevent it. This was Izuku's body, and he had no intention of letting Ku drive.

For the first year they just celebrated each other's birthdays digitally, but when Amity's birthday came around again she surprised everyone with an offer. Willow and Boscha had already been invited and were coming to her party in person, so Amity had asked if the others could come too, and Odalia agreed, but most of the others were quick to pout. They couldn't make it since they would have to travel overseas to come, but Luz and Izuku were ecstatic.

They quickly ran to Camila while still on the phone, and asked if they could go. Camila was hesitant, but then they overheard Emira, Amity's older sister, complaining that her twin, Edric, needed to let 'his new pet' free, and Camila paled. After a few minutes, it was revealed that Edric had managed to catch and cage an Eastern Red bat. Camila was worried, especially when Amity said it had bitten Ed a few times, so a compromise was made. Camila and Inko would need to check on them to make sure both Edric and 'Batroc' were healthy, and if it just happened to line up with Amity's birthday party, the kids could come too.

That was how Izuku and Luz ended up on a small rented plane that had gotten clearance to land within the Blight estate. Luz was wearing her best dress, a royal purple covered in specks of white giving it the appearance of the night sky, and a white blouse underneath. Izuku had been convinced to wear a little black tux with a scarlet undershirt. Neither kid felt very comfortable, but they were going to get to see their best friends in person for the first time, so they put up with it.

The Blight estate was massive. A meticulously maintained alabaster mansion that screamed high class, superior, and coldly uninviting. A work of art not made to be touched. All the same the two adults led their children through the grand double doors, and the ostentatious main hall that glittered with crystal and gold. Hanging prominently in the center of the room was a family portrait with two adults and four children that they recognized as the Blight parents, Amity, the twins, and the Blight's oldest daughter, Dahlia. Unfortunately, just like everything else present the portrait was cold, and uninviting. No smiles, or joy. Just stony contempt in all of their eyes.

Ignoring all of it, they moved to the room they were directed to during their last conversation with Amity, and found a duo of girls waiting for them. Willow in a light green dress covered in flower print, and sandy tan leggings, and Boscha in a gold dress. They just seemed to be chatting until they saw Luz and Izuku enter, and Willow ran over to hug them, being met halfway by Luz who seemed to have the same idea.

Seeing this, the adults decided to give the kids some space to talk, so they went to give a bat an examination. As Luz pulled back from Willow she smiles, "You look so pretty, Will! I can't believe this is really happening. I've wanted to give all of you hugs for so long!"

Willow giggled, "Me? Lu, that dress is beautiful! For a girl that likes animals so much, you clean up well."

Boscha scoffs, "Says the flower girl." Boscha gives Izuku a inspective gaze, "A bit smaller than I thought you'd be, but you'll do." Boscha hooks his arm, "Every princess needs a prince to finish the look. Since you're the only boy around, I've decided you will accompany me tonight." Boscha started pulling him away, "Come along Izu. I'm thirsty, and the punch bowl is this way."

Izuku just blushed, "O-ok. Whatever you say, B-bosh."

Willow and Luz snickered, until Luz asks, "Is he going to be ok? I know Boscha wouldn't hurt him, but she tends to be a bit…"

"Wild? Braty? Up to no good?" Said Willow helpfully.

Luz sighed, "High maintenance. Don't get me wrong, she's really fun, but I just hope her boyfriend doesn't find out."

Willow sighed, "They broke up."

Luz gasped, "But she seemed to really like him?! What happened?"

Willow looked away, "She won't tell me, but I wouldn't ask for a while either. She's really defensive about it."

Luz nods, "Ok. Well, Izuku is a really good friend, so he'll protect her, and make sure she has fun." Luz takes Willow's hand, "Now where's the birthday girl! I have an extra special hug just for her." Willow giggles and starts leading Luz away, unaware that they are still holding hands.

Over with Boscha, Izuku was happily scooping up a couple of cups of punch, and smiling like a goof. Boscha just takes her drink, and starts to walk away without a word to sit in one of the chairs. Izuku quickly grabs his own drink and follows. While they sit and drink, Izuku tells her about how fun the ride in the plane was, but Boscha just tuned him out. She knew he was a nice guy and good friend, but she just wasn't in the mood. She had thought Caleb was nice once too, but when she said no, he had still tried to kiss her. Subconsciously, Boscha rolled her sore shoulder as she mused about how dumb she had been. Dating a boy older, and stronger than her, but she never thought he'd hurt her, and hadn't expected him to be so much stronger than her. It just proves two years was a lot longer than she thought.

Suddenly Boscha felt a hand start to massage her shoulder, and she froze. It felt nice, but it still freaked her out, so she pulled away, and saw a confused Izuku standing there. Scowling Boscha hissed, "What do you think you're doing?! I didn't tell you, you could touch me!"

Izuku looked down, and looked embarrassed, "My mom gets pains in her shoulders after long shifts at the hospital, so I found a way to help. I found a book in her office that showed how to make the pain go away. I noticed you were rolling your shoulder the way she does when it's bad, and I tried to ask, but you seemed out of it. I'm sorry. I just… I don't like seeing people in pain."

Boscha wanted to tell him off, but… her shoulder did feel a little better. With a huff she turns back around, "Well it does feel a little better. I'll let you this time, but don't get any ideas, little prince."

Izuku smiles faintly, and prepares to continue, "Of course. You're a princess right? That means you should be waited on. Nobody should ever make you feel bad." Izuku doesn't see it, but Boscha blushes and a tear comes to her eye.

Meanwhile, Willow snuck Luz upstairs, but then they heard crying. Willow watched as a subtle glow lit up in Luz's eyes, before she ran toward the sound. When they arrived, they found Amity crying in a lime green dress with gold stitching. Her beautiful brown hair freshly dyed mint green like her mothers, and her makeup smudged and running. Without a thought, Luz rushed over and wrapped the thinner girl in a warm embrace, and quietly reassured her that everything would be ok.

Once Amity had calmed down, she noticed who was holding her and she blushed with a small squeak, "Luz?! Luz, is that really you? I can't believe you actually came."

Luz snorted, "Of course I did, Ams. It's your birthday, and I'd never miss the chance to make it special." Luz booped Amity's nose, making the greenette giggle, "Don't worry, I brought a real present too, and not just me and Izuku being here."

Amity sniffled, "I just… can't believe it."

Luz smiled, and feeling bold, kissed Amity on the left temple, "Well believe it! I'd be a really bad girlfriend if I didn't try my hardest to be here." Luz tilted her head, "What's with the green dye, by the way? I think your pretty either way, but-"

Amity grumbled, "My mom made me! She thinks we should 'match'! I hate it."

Willow came over and wrapped both of them in a strong hug, "Don't worry Mity. I still think you're pretty too. I know your mom is a bit harsh, but she is still your mom. She has to love you."

Willow gives Amity a kiss on her other temple, and Amity smiles, "I don't know what I'd do without you two. I wasn't so sure about this when Luz suggested it last month, but you were right." Amity blushed, "And if Em can have a girlfriend, why can't I have two."

Willow giggled, "I agree. Now… time to get you cleaned up. We both know how cranky your mom gets when you're 'less than Blightly'. Lu, can you clean her up while I find her makeup?"

Luz saluted, "Yes ma'am. Don't worry Ams, I'll find some warm water and it'll be like this never happened!"

After Luz dashed away to the bathroom to get a cloth and warm water, Willow sighed, "Dahlia isn't coming, is she?"

Amity whimpered, "She promised, Will! I know she likes her new overseas school, but after last year… she promised she'd be here. I wanted to introduce her to both of you! I wanted my cool oldest sister to see that I'm ok, and that I found people that care about me!" Amity started to tear up again, "I haven't seen her in a whole year, and she never responded when I tried to wish her a 'happy twelfth birthday' last month. If not for you and Luz… I don't know if I could have gotten through it."

Willow pulled Amity into a hug, "Don't worry, Mity. Luz and I will never abandon you, or break a promise like that. We… we love you, ya know. Even if this 'girlfriends' thing doesn't last, that will never change."

Willow was caught off guard when she felt soft lips on her cheek, and she blushed. Amity just giggled, "And you two call me a tomato." When Willow recovered, she giggled too, and soon the trio were working together to hide any evidence that Amity had ever been crying while they just enjoyed being able to be together.

Downstairs, Boscha was actually feeling a lot better. Now that her shoulder didn't hurt so much, and Izuku had started acting 'princely' by insisting she sit and relax while he got her more to drink and actually seemed to listen to her when she started talking about how she's been. Boscha always liked talking to Izuku. Something about him just made her feel 'heard', and she liked that. He wasn't boyfriend material since he wasn't anywhere near confident or 'muscle-y' enough for her, but he was a good friend, and Boscha appreciated that.

Not long after that, Willow and Luz returned, making their friends realize they hadn't been around for the last fifteen-ish minutes, and a couple minutes after that Amity came down looking positively radiant with Inko, Camila, and the twins following her down the stairs. Inko and Camila looked satisfied, but something was clearly bothering them, and Boscha guessed they just found out that Amity's parents weren't around. She'd heard they had some last minute business that needed doing, but Boscha didn't care. So what if they weren't here. It's not like her own parents had anything to do with her.

With Amity having arrived, the party could begin. Men in suits came out to serve a nice lunch to everyone, and after that they handled presents. Izuku started them off with a cleanly put together book with laminated pages full of ideas for possible costumes they'd discussed for when Amity becomes a hero along with possible ways to use her quirk and support gear. Amity gave the boy a hug, and gushed at how good the art was, earning a small blush from Luz. Boscha went next, and revealed a satin pink dress, a pair of black fingerless gloves, and hidden in the bottom of the box were two boxes of hair dye, one brown and the other lavender. Amity gasped when she saw them, and Boscha snickered as she received her own, slightly damp, hug. Finally it was Luz and Willow's turns, and since they had schemed together they gave Amity both at the same time. In two small boxes were a pair of onyx triangular stud earrings, and a gold crescent moon necklace that Amity immediately put on.

Unbeknownst to any of them a masked pair of the men in suits started wheeling out a cake that was giving off odd green smoke. One by one they started to get dizzy and pass out. When the twins and adults woke up, they noticed two things… a note left in clean cursive and that all of the other kids were missing. As Camila went to comfort the twins, Inko read the note…

Thank you for your charitable donations to the Order of the New Dawn. Your children are unharmed, and will remain so as long as you continue to cooperate. You will receive a call at exactly 8 o'clock tonight with where to send our demands. You will have prepared $8.9 million U.S. and a recording of All Might's and Star N' Stripes civilian identities and home addresses by then, or you can say goodbye to all of them forever. Thank you for your assistance.

-Sincerely, Emperor Belos

Inko growled, and took out her phone to make some calls. She didn't know how anyone found out, but Inko was about to find out, and show the world that there's a force out there mightier than her husband… a mother on a mission. Inko was preparing to go to war.

When the kids woke up, they were in a dark room with a concrete floor and walls. The only light was coming through a tiny window in the only door in or out of the room, and the door was air tight and reinforced steel. After making sure they were all ok, Willow and Amity curled up in a corner terrified. Boscha and Izuku started looking for escape routes, while Luz attempted to calm down her terrified girlfriends, even if neither Boscha or Izuku was aware they were together. Finding nothing, Boscha got frustrated and threw a small fireball at the door as she seethed, "No! Not again! This can't be happening again!"

Izuku looked at her in shock, "Again?!"

Boscha sighed, "Ya. Shortly before we met, I got kidnapped by some guys that wanted money back in Japan. All Might managed to free me a few days in, but… ugh, my parents never even apologized or asked if I was ok. Don't worry everyone. I know what to do."

That's when a deep male voice seemed to come from all around them, "I doubt that very much Ms. Triplett. Especially since three of you are going to be staying with us from now on." The voice laughed menacingly, "Don't worry Ms. Noceda, Mr. Yagi, once the ransom is paid the two of you will be free to go."

Izuku growled, and a few arcs of emerald lightning started to come off him, much to most of the girl's surprise. Izuku moved to the door and slammed a fist cloaked in electricity into it. Unlike Boscha's fireball, the door seemed to shudder slightly. Izuku roared, "Let us go now! If you don't, daddy will come."

Izuku blinked and started to tremble as he held his head, and Luz immediately ran to comfort him, "It's ok, Izu. Your dad will save us. You don't need to let him out."

The voice just laughed, "I think not, kid. That door is triple reinforced. It would take more than a puny strength or lightning quirk to get through it. You might be All Might's son, but you're still just a brat. There's no way you've got enough power in that tiny frame to escape. Just sit down and shut up, or that fancy lunch will be your last meal."

Amity, Willow, and Boscha looked at Izuku in shock, and Luz sighed, "Surprise! Ya, Izu is… a bit cooler than he lets on. We wanted to tell you, but my mami and Aunt Inko said no. We'll explain later, but for now we need to keep Izu calm. It's been two years since Ku came out, and we're still not sure if he's a friend."

Willow blinked, "Who's Ku?"

Izuku managed to calm down enough to answer, "He's part of my quirk, and he's mean. He calls me names, and screams for me to let him out all the time. I've gotten more control, but I refuse to let him out."

Luz sighed, "I don't know Izu. He saved my life last time, and our moms say he was really nice to them."

Izuku shook his head, "I don't know about any of that. I don't remember anything until I was in control again, but I don't- I can't trust him. I won't hurt you, any of you. You're my best friends. I'd rather die."

Boscha gave Luz and Izuku an odd look, "What exactly happened?"

Luz sighed and explained about the bullying, and what happened after. Willow and Amity paled at hearing how close they came to never getting the chance to meet either of them. Luz got a determined look, "I've gotten a lot better with my quirk since then."

Boscha smiled, "Do you think you could blow down the door if Izuku and I release enough energy?"

Luz thought about it for a moment, "Well, if one of Izu's punches can shake the door, it's possible, but it might require more power than we have."

Amity and Willow took her hands, "We'll help too, Lu. Just tell us what you need us to do."

After a minute they were ready. Izuku put his hands on Luz's shoulders while the other three used as much power as they could to create a giant fireball, a golem, and as much plant life as possible. Slowly they all started to shrink and condense into an orb of deep purple power that seemed to suck in all the power around it including the lightning that Izuku was channeling directly into Luz. Slowly Luz started to change as the build up grew until they heard fabric start to tear. Luz was now much bulkier and her skin was a lighter purple along with her hair becoming longer and dark purple. With a mighty shove, Luz released the orb, and it hit the door like a cannon shot, blasting it away.

As soon as the smoke settled they saw men with guns outside the room and the crack of gunfire. Izuku had managed to shift and use his body, arms outstretched to cover his friends before falling back. A moment later, Luz roared before scooping up the other girls and started to run. The last thing they saw was a bloody Izuku. His suit torn to shreds. The other three girls cried for Luz to stop, but she just kept running while protecting the other three from the bullets, energy blasts, and other attacks that just seemed to roll off her new purple skin. The only thing that gave them pause was when they felt tears hit them as Luz cried and begged in a slightly deeper voice for Izuku to forgive her.

Unfortunately, Luz didn't know where she was going, and that allowed the gun-toting kidnappers to use their ineffective attacks to corral Luz into a dead end. Luz tried, but even with the energy blasts being fired at her they were trapped, and Luz was left with only one option… hold out as long as she could. Then there was a familiar roar and a thunderclap.

When Luz turned, she saw a bigger Ku smirking at her with the torn remains of Izuku's pants looking like black shorts and no shirt, but no visible injuries, "Need help, sis. Ku has you. Follow me." The black behemoth rubbed his hands together making emerald lightning grow and arc around them until he released it directly up into the ceiling, blowing a hole big enough for them to jump up four floors of concrete, and into the night sky above. Before they jumped, Ku reached out a hand, "Give princess to Ku. Free hand."

Luz looked ready to argue, but Boscha squirmed free with moisture in her three eyes and a playful smirk, "I give you permission to touch me, my Prince." Ku snickered as he scooped her up, and Boscha snuggled into his firm chest, and Ku gave a mighty leap.

The other three blinked in confusion until Willow snickered, "I ship it." And the others shrugged before following after Ku, via a mighty leap from Luz.

The two hulking figures ran toward the woods under the light of the moon and through a hail of gunfire and blasts until they had left all of it miles behind them. Luz suddenly felt Willow and Amity go limp in her arms, and she noticed that they were pale. Giving a distressed roar to Ku, Luz stopped, and checked them over. They were missing a lot of blood, and Luz was devastated. Ku gave each a look and sighed, "I save." Luz gave him a hopeful look, but noticed the sad look in Ku's eyes. "Ku save, but sister help Ku. Izu mean. Izu call Ku monster. Ku not monster. Ku friend. Ku just want to be free. Sister help… promise."

Luz nodded rapidly, "Save them, and I'll try. Please Ku…"

Ku sighed, and nodded back, "Ku get tired after. Sister have to protect all. You do?" Luz nodded again, and Ku cupped Amity and Willow's checks as bits of emerald lightning arced off of him, and disappeared into the girls bodies. Boscha and Luz watched as Ku shrank, but the others' color improved and their wounds healed. After a second, Izuku was all that was left as he fell back completely unconscious, Boscha immediately going over to make sure Izuku was ok and play with his fluffy mane.

Luz sighed, "Bosh, I'm not sure how much longer I can keep this form. We need to find a town or a cave for shelter."

Luz moved to scoop up Izuku, but Boscha waved her off, "Oh heck no! This beefcake is all mine." Boscha carefully lifted Izuku, and carried him on her back as Luz carried the other two. As they walked, Boscha finally appreciated Luz's new form. Luz was now almost six feet of tone muscle with a mane of hair that flowed half way down her back. It was unfortunate that her dress was ruined, but Boscha could feel the raw power coming off her in waves. Luz had become everything Boscha wanted to be. Not a wall of muscle, but strong, sexy, and free. For a second back there, Boscha saw All Might instead of Ku, and she remembered how safe she had felt when he saved her.

It was a close thing, but just as Luz was starting to deflate and lose her form, Boscha spotted a cave. Luz left Boscha to watch the unconscious trio while she gathered some firewood, and when she was done Boscha lit the fire. As they sat and watched the fire, Luz sighed, "So… you and Izuku? When did that happen?"

Boscha leaned back, "It hasn't yet, but I'd like to give it a try. How about you? What's the story with you three?"

Luz smiled and caressed their cheeks, "Last month, just before Dahlia's birthday. We heard about Emira and since we all liked each other… we thought we'd… you know… give it a try."

Boscha laughed, "Wow. I never thought you or Amity would be wild enough to have a trio. Guess I own the twins' money. I was sure Willow and Amity would get together, but I kind of thought you and Izuku might have something too."

Luz didn't seem as offended by that thought as Boscha expected she'd be, and it worried the three eyed girl until Luz laughed, "Bosh, don't worry. There's nothing there. Do I like boys as much as girls, yes, but these two aren't just girls. They're my girls, and I don't think I need anyone else. You heard Ku. He calls me 'Sister', so I don't think he's interested either." Luz looked away, "You can't tell anyone except my mami and Aunt Inko what happened or about any of this. You know that right? There's a reason we've kept it all a secret."

Boscha caressed Izuku's cheek, "Ya, I'm ok with that. Izuku is special, and if I have to stay silent to be with him… that I will be. It's not everyday you find a guy who'd take a bullet for you." Luz smiled, and both girls started drifting off to sleep.

When the call never came, Camila and Inko got worried. Neither woman ended up getting any sleep, as they sat by the phone ready to answer it at a moment's notice. The twins had tried to call their parents, but didn't get a response. It wasn't until six in the morning that Inko got a call on her cell, but it wasn't the kidnappers. It was Luz calling from a police station in the Everglades of Florida. None of them knew how they had ended up multiple states away, but they were safe… and in desperate need of a ride home. Everything else could wait.

Breakdown: So ya, this story is a lot, but sweet baby Titan do I love it. Got distracted working on multiple projects, so Oni chapter 2 had to be pushed back, but I think this is a solid replacement. For those wondering, Izuku isn't OP or broken. He has specific weaknesses, but those will have to wait. Btw, for those asking, chapter 4 of Firelight is 'done' but it's not ready. I hope to have it ready soon, but *ech* I'm a perfectionist sometimes. Anyway, till next week, Shine on beautiful readers. Shine on.