Super Science
Ch.112: Emotional Damage
Just then, Izuku's office phone rang, and he picked it up without looking away from his computer. He heard Josie say to him, "Hello, Doctor? There is a man at the front gate looking to see you."
This got his attention, and he looked away from the computer to ask, "Front gate? Not the front entrance?"
"No, he says he is looking to see you and wants to make it a surprise," Josie explained.
"Did he give a name?", Izuku prompted while standing up.
Josie sucked air between her teeth and admitted, "No, I forgot to ask."
Thinking on his feet, he told her before hanging up, "Keep the security trained on him in case he does something fishy. Let him in the compound, and I'll meet him at the front."
After putting the phone down, he walked out of his office and braced himself for whatever or whoever was there and waiting for him. Hopefully, it wasn't anyone who wanted to harm him, but no one would try something like that when security could drop them in a second.
Once he got to the front desk and lobby, he saw a man who was probably around the age of his mother but taller. He was wearing a three-piece suit with a briefcase in hand, black hair as messy as his with a single white streak, dark brown eyes that looked black, and freckles like his own.
Upon seeing him, the man smiled brightly and began to approach him with arms out, happily declaring, "Izuku! It's so good to see you again!"
Izuku quickly put his arms out defensively, and the man caught on fast and stopped his approach midway. There, Izuku asked cautiously, "I'm sorry, but do I know you, sir?"
The man made a hurt expression and gesture while saying, "What? Come on, Izuku. I know it's been a few years, but surely you didn't forget about me already?"
Izuku growled at this and exclaimed, "Can you just stop with the roundabout answers and just tell me!"
The man sighs and begins to say, "Okay, I'm your-."
"Toshi?", Inko said from the front door, standing behind the man, causing him to turn around.
"Inko?", the man said back in equal confusion.
"Mom?", Izuku asks.
"Izuku?", Inko says.
"Inko, Izuku?", Egon asks as he enters the lobby, wanting to check out today's newest intruder.
"Egon?", said Inko.
"Egon?", the man questions.
"Squawk!", squeaks Pete from the floor beside Egon's foot.
After shooing the bird away with his foot, Egon asks, "Okay, can someone tell me what's going on here?"
"I would like to know who this man is first, but Mom seems to know who he is.", Izuku interjects as all eyes fall onto the woman.
"I do know who he is.", Inko said with a repressed tone as she admitted, "This man is your father, Toshi Nagitori."
Izuku's eyes went wide as he looked at the man and questioned, "Dad?"
The man smiled at him, and Egon put one hand under his chin and the other to prop up his arm. He thought aloud, "So this is the infamous Toshi I heard so much about? I was kind of thinking he looked like an adult version of you."
Toshi smiled smugly before falling off. "Well, I-wait! Infamous!? What's that supposed to mean?" he demanded in anger.
"Toshi, I don't exactly have many good things to say about you.", Inko answered from behind him.
Finally, after putting all the pieces together in one picture, Egon snaps his fingers and says, "Oh, now I see where this is going."
"Izuku, did your mother tell you something strange about me?", Toshi asked the boy.
"Nothing that wasn't the truth.", Inko cut in.
Toshi turns back to Inko and tells her, "Inko, please, I'm trying to talk to my son."
"Your son? That's rich.", Inko states with a tone of disbelief as she proclaims, "You walked out on us over a decade ago, and now you decide to come crawling back? What's your angle?"
"Why so suspicious? Can't a father visit his son?", Toshi asked innocently.
"She's right. You could be a shapeshifter!", Egon agreed.
"He's not," Josie told him, bringing up a scan of the man that showed he wasn't a fake.
"Never mind.", Egon followed up in a huff.
"And who's this tall hakufu?", Toshi asked while motioning to Egon.
Hearing the last word, Egon turned to the man with an uncomfortable silence as he stared at him with a closed eye smile while saying in a threatening tone, "If we were still minors and I had the attitude and confidence of an adult, I'd knock the color from your hair!" As Toshi backed away in fear, Egon fixed himself up and then followed up by saying, "But, if you must know, I am Professor Egon Crystallo, owner, operator, head researcher, and CEO of this facility. And Izuku here is my co-owner and COO of the facility."
"Co-owner?!", Toshi exclaimed in surprise.
"I'm also a doctor.", Izuku added.
"A doctor!? That's incredible.", Toshi said even louder with more excitement.
"Completely ignoring me, I see.", Egon grumbled under his breath.
"This has nothing to do with you, hakufu.", Toshi boldly professed.
Just before Egon could make good on his threat, Inko marched up to him, and poking his chest, she angrily told him off, "Toshi! Don't you dare say such things to my boyfriend!"
"Boyfriend!?", Toshi exclaimed in surprise.
Walking over and linking her arm to Egon, Inko told her ex, "Yes, Toshi, boyfriend. Egon, here is my new boyfriend."
Toshi just stared and blinked at the sight in pure silence for several seconds before blurting out, "You got a new man...already!?"
Inko had a look of surprise and anger as she retorted, "What do you mean already!? It's been over a decade, Toshi! I've moved on. You didn't think I would be sitting at the table waiting for you to call so I could beg you to come back did you!?", Inko then looked down at herself in disappointment and admitted, "I mean I did for a few months. But then I realized that it wasn't worth it, and neither were you, so I got on with my life. It may have taken a while, but I found someone who not only loves and respects me but Izuku as well.", she said proudly while squeezing his arm.
Egon blushed deeply and fitted like a giddy schoolgirl as he replied, "Aw Inko, you're making me blush."
"I-but-huh!? Doesn't he even know?!", Toshi vaguely babbled out.
Egon looked at him confused and asked, with a knowing smile, "Know what? She is shorter than me, chubby, and older? Trust me, that's a turn-on."
"No, I meant-!", Toshi barged in as he quickly stopped himself from speaking further.
Now Inko's expression turned into pure fury as she exclaimed, "Oh my God, Toshi, don't tell me you're going to go on about our son being quirkless again?!"
Egon waved him off and stated nonchalantly, "I knew that from the beginning. And you are not looking so good right now for the whole "dad returned home with the milk" stick."
Then Toshi began to panic as he tried to assure them, "Hey, I've changed. I'm a different person, trust me. That's why I'm here."
"You sure didn't seem like it a few seconds ago.", Egon said with an impish smile.
"He's right, Toshi. God, you're just as I remember you.", Inko agreed while pinching the bridge of her nose.
Toshi scoffed at this and shot back, "And you surely have changed, Inko. Have you still been hanging out with that blonde rabid dog?"
This time, Inko let her full rage spill out, and she yelled wholeheartedly, "Mitsuki is not a rabbit dog! She was my rock for many years. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't be who I am today or still where I am today. So don't you dare say anything negative about her!"
Toshi put his hands up defensively and said, "Fine, fine, I'm sorry. Now, can I speak with my son without you two butting in?"
"Like you have the right," Inko states while stamping her foot, and Egon nods his head.
"Of course I do. I still did my job as his father and paid for child support.", Toshi stated proudly.
Inko rolls her eyes and retorts, "Oh, congratulations, Toshi. You did the bare minimum of what you were supposed to do as his parent. Do you want a medal? You never call, you never write, you never do anything! The only inkling we ever have of you still being alive is your monthly child support payments."
This is when Izuku jumped in and wanted to get his say. He told his mother and friend, "Mom, Egon. I can handle this. Trust me.", Inko looked unsure at this, but Egon assured her with a nod and a hand on her shoulder, so she relented
Izuku turned to his father and asked in no uncertain terms, "Dad, why did you come back?"
"Is wanting to reunite with my family such a crime?" Toshi asked, shrugging.
Izuku narrowed his eyes and repeated, "Why are you really here? I figured out everything a while back. The moment you knew that I was quirkless, you divorced Mom, gave her full custody, and ran off to the other side of the ocean." This left the man speechless as he tried to form a thought, but just before he opened his mouth, Izuku stated, "Let me guess. You heard I was rich, running a business, and a doctor at 16, so you came back with the express purpose of making yourself look better despite having a quirkless child."
"That's not true. Besides, I'm sure you have an amazing quirk.", Toshi stated, beaming with pride.
All eyes fell upon the man, eyes of confusion as Izuku asked, "Pardon?"
"I heard you can mix and match and even remove quirks. So I'm sure you've given yourself something very interesting." Toshi explained in full while smiling, only for it to fade as he saw the expressions he'd given and followed up, "What's with that look you're giving me?"
"I haven't given myself a quirk.", Izuku answered.
"What!? Why?", Toshi exclaimed in shock laced with disappointment.
This time, it was Izuku's turn to act surprised and disappointed as he stated, "Why do you care? Why does it matter?"
"It matters a lot!", Toshi exclaimed in a half-yell.
"Do none of my other accomplishments make up for something I had no control over?!", Izuku exclaimed back with just as much gusto.
"No!" Toshi yelled, only for realization to dawn on what he just said. He tried to backtrack and say, "I-I meant-."
"Save it. You meant what you said." Izuku cut him off, his expression crossed with anger and sadness.
Inko stepped forward, holding her son. She exclaimed in anger, "I can't believe you, Toshi. After all these years and the amazing things Izuku has done, you're still the same."
This time, Toshi fully exploded and yelled at her, "Oh, don't give me that crap, Inko! If he had a damn quirk, any quirk, my family would talk to me again!" Everyone was stunned into silence as the seething man ranted out, "You have no idea what it's like to be cut off from your family! I did everything right in my life, but the moment he came out without a quirk, it was all over! I couldn't go or be seen anywhere! I had no choice but to leave!"
"And you think I didn't?", Inko exclaimed back after a long silence. "I was also ostracized and blamed by my family, too, you fool! I experienced everything you did. We could've gotten through it together, Toshi. We could've been strong together and persevered as a family. But you decided to be a coward and leave us.", she yelled at the man, slowly causing him to shrink away in fear and shame. Inko took a deep breath to calm herself before finishing up, "Now I'm going to say to you what I should've said from the moment you decided to leave. Goodbye, Toshi."
"But Inko.", Toshi tried to argue.
"Goodbye, Toshi.", Inko said much more firmly.
Seeing no way forward, Toshi realized he had lost. So, keeping what pride and dignity he had left, he turned and left in defeat. Once Toshi was out of sight, a sense of calm and relief finally came back over the lobby.
As everyone relaxed, Egon broke the peace by exclaiming, "Wow! What a ride! This week has been super crazy!" Hearing him say and act like this, the two Midoryias stared at him unamused.
Egon fell into one of the couches in the lobby and lamented, "First, Hankoyo and his siblings. Then me and Goto's dad/stepfather. And now your dad. What is this? The arc of emotional damage?" This just made the Midoryia's sigh until Egon broached a previous topic and asked Izuku, "Though that does bring up a question. Why haven't you given yourself a quirk yet? I never said you couldn't."
Now, all eyes were on the boy, and he felt the pressure rise against and on him as he looked to the ground, trying to keep his cool. What was the reason? He didn't know. It just never crossed his mind, but it was definitely more than that. So he gulped and gave the best answer he could.
"I just…have my reasons, and to be honest, I'm not quite sure what those reasons are yet. But I'll figure it out…eventually.", Izuku admitted.
"Izuku," Inko said softly while taking his hands. Take all the time you need to figure it out. Quirk or not, I'll never stop loving you any less than I already do." She told her son before wrapping him in a hug.
He smiled and hugged her back while saying, "Thanks, Mom."
Just then, a very loud and obnoxious ringtone sounded off in the silence. All eyes went to Egon, who quickly fumbled for his phone with a nervous smile before apologetically saying, "Sorry, that's me. Hello?" some talking was heard from the other end. Egon replied, "Oh, hi!" some more talking was heard, and Egon replied between each one, "Yes. Yes. Oh? One second, I'll ask him first.", Egon then covered the receiver and turned to Izuku. He explained, "It's Nezu. He says he wants to bring the students to the facility for training since the summer camp didn't go over very well."
"Bakugou will be there?", was the first thing Izuku asked.
Egon nods but explains in more detail, "He said he's willing to leave him behind for this, but it's up to you if you want them here at all."
Izuku thinks about it for a while, a long while. Normally, he'd feel fear run up his spine and head vehemently refuse, but not this time. He felt…different from how he normally does. He was unnaturally scared to death by the thought. Sure, he was nervous, but nothing that would make him want to have a panic attack.
For once, he felt he could handle it! So he replied with full confidence, "You know what? Bring them here. All of them. I said that I wanted to be a hero in other ways, and what's more heroic than helping others achieve that dream? I'm stronger than before; I'm not the same. I faced my father."
"I'm so proud of you," Inko said to his side, tears in her eyes.
Egon smiles, nods, and takes his hand away while saying, "Nezu?" Nezu replies on the other end, and Egon tells him, "He said yes." Nezu says something else, and Egon assures him, "Yes, you can bring him here as well. He's fine with it." Nezu says one more thing, and Egon tells him, "See you then, principal."