Alright, I'll admit it, I'm cooked in terms of scheduling and consistency. I'm not sure if it's my poor life choices or if I'm really just not good at it, but I can't deny the fact that I can't keep up with a schedule any more than I can demand fifty dollars an hour for my job. Which I can't, believe me, even the shampoo bottles in my shower tell me to get out when I try to bring it up. Still, it's not going to stop me from trying to get more stuff done. In any case, I'm sure you're all glad to finally have a second chapter to this story, so I won't hold you. I'll talk to you all down at the bottom. Enjoy!
"Where do you think you're going?"
All Might would have sighed if he didn't know this would happen. From the moment he saw that guy give him the meanest stink-eye he'd seen since his last run-in with Eraser, he suspected he'd keep an eye on him throughout the visit. Honestly, he should have known better than to try sneaking off like he did. For crying out loud, he's a huge tri-colored popsicle! There was no 'sneaking around' for him!
"Whatever Do You Mean? I Was Meant To See All The Children Here, And I Intend To Fulfill My Duty." All Might turned to the man with his ever-present smile. However, this only seemed to upset him more, as his frown deepened. The Hero didn't rightly know what the problem was with him, but he could only guess it had something to do with a personal matter. Or maybe it was just an issue with the average citizen and a celebrity. He's met a few of those. Not very optimistic about life, in any case.
"You don't get to decide that. Izuku already has an issue with Hero worship. He doesn't need you of all people to feed into that delusion." Kimori rumbled at the man, his voice conveying an even deeper sense of agitation. All Might only paused for a moment before his smile turned cheeky.
"How Did You Know Who I Was Referring To?" All Might Asked with a cheeky grin. Kimori merely grumbled before walking closer to the giant. Not once did he even flinch despite his knowing of what the Hero could do.
"I saw you talking to Minori and Suzu downstairs and what you signed. You might think you're coming up here to give him some big fuck-all speech and inspire him to become a Hero, even If he's Quirkless, but I can assure you all you're doing is pushing him toward an early grave." Kimori stated with a heated tone. It was here that All Might really had to pause. He did remember how the two kids mentioned that they were Quirkless, but now that this guy was talking about it, he did find it weird how none of the kids here wanted to show him their Quirks.
Normally, wherever he goes, he has to interact with the public. That was simply the truth about being a celebrity. In those cases, whenever he deals with children, they can't help but try to show off their Quirks. It was cute in it's own way. He liked seeing what the next generation was capable of. It gave him hope for the future. A world where he wasn't needed.
"Even If That Is True, It Is No More Your Right To Decide That For Him Than Mine. I Simply Wish To Instill In Him The Hope No One Else Is Willing To." All Might retorted. He'd heard enough of this sort of pessimism from Aizawa to know what to say. He himself never understood what it was that made people so pessimistic about the world and what people as a whole can or can't do. He believed anything was possible if you put enough work into it.
"There's a difference between hope and delusion. I'm not saying he can't be anything. He could become a policeman, doctor, any other kind of first responder. But to be so ignorant as to believe he could become a Hero of all things. It's ludicrous. It's irresponsible." Kimori accused. In his many years of being a caretaker here, he'd always had the best interests of the children at heart. All Might could hear it clear as day. It's just the manner in which he shows it that he had a problem with.
"Tell Me, What Specifically Do You Feel Is So Wrong About Becoming A Hero?" All Might asked, wishing to know where the root of his bitterness came from. Kimori shook his head, rubbing his eyes and beginning to walk past the Hero.
"What isn't there to have a problem with? Society has so much stock in them, In you, that you're no longer just public servants. You're role models, social influencers, brands…" Kimori took a moment to recompose himself before turning to All Might again, his frown deep and his eyes tired. The Hero couldn't help but think to those Heroes who used their title to launch their own clothing brands, toy lines and even TV shows. It dimmed his smile a bit; mind turning to the various sponsor deals he's made as well.
"Do you want to know the worst part though? Your Hero Agencies only ever want to show the bright and cheery side of the 'profession'. They never warn the kids they're trying to indoctrinate the side where Heroes have their highest mortality rate within their first year of graduating a Hero Academy. How it's nearly impossible to make a living unless you have contacts within the industry. How they demonize the idea of being a Sidekick, that you're not worth a damn unless you're some big shot Hero." Kimori listed off. All Might…didn't know what to say to that. Surely none of that had any actual weight…right? He certainly never had any troubles in that regard. Then again, he's always had others take care of that for him.
"…You May Be Right. Nothing I Say Will Be Able To Sway You, But I Still Believe It Would Also Be Irresponsible To Withhold The Option From Him In The First Place. Regardless Of What We Believe, It Will Ultimately Be Up To Him To Decide What He Does With His Life. I Simply Wish To Help Him Believe Every Door Is Open For Him To Try. If You Care For Him As I Know You Do, You Will Let Me Talk To Him." All Might responded with after a few moments of silence. There was no smile on his face, only resolute seriousness. Here, the other man stared at him, clearly still against the idea, but also seeing his point. He opened his mouth to say something else, but sighed instead. Nodding, Kimori turned around. The Hero took this as his gesture to follow him.
"I really do want what's best for the kid, but if he's set on this, even after all that I've warned him about it, then I can't stop him. You're right about that." Kimori relented as he guided the Number One towards the sleeping quarters they have for the children. All Might's smile returned, happy that he was able to sway the man to his side.
"I'm Glad We Could Come To An Agreement-" He began, but was immediately cut off by Kimori again, this time with a more harsh tone.
"I still don't like you. Or what Heroes have become these days. There's a large part of me that will never like you, but so long as you continue to do your job and keep these kids safe…I'm willing to tolerate your existence." Kimori bit back, shaking his head. All Might's smile died again, his hair even drooping for a moment before he bounced back just as quick.
"Well, That's What It's All About, Isn't It? To Make Sure People Feel Safe And Secure? What Better Place To Start, Than To Ensure The Next Generation Feel Like They Can Attain Whatever Future They Wish For?" All Might asked. He was hoping the man wouldn't challenge him any further on this. Not because he already had a lot of introspecting to do about his job and the Hero Industry as a whole, but because he was running out of quotable lines!
"Right…Yeah, he's…he's over here." Kimori sighed, gesturing for the Hero to head further down a hallway. The Hero looked forward to see a few doors, but he could guess which one led to the sleeping quarters. It helped that the doors were labeled as well, but he was confident he could have found it on his own from here.
Kimori watched the giant man walk away with a conflicted expression. On one hand, he still disliked Heroes in general, almost despised them. On the other, he could at least see this one cared for the public on a deeper level than for personal gain. He figured he had to be the Number One for a reason beyond being the strongest.
"…But if he's the best of the bunch, I don't have much hope for the rest of them."
'This would not look good.' Toshinori thought to himself as he looked down at the unconscious body. His interaction with the man had left All Might in quite the predicament. Mostly because if that guy walked in the room at this very moment, he'd see the Hero standing over an unresponsive little boy.
Talk about a PR nightmare!
"Wake Up Wake Up Wake Up Wake Up Wake Up Wake Up Wake Up." The Symbol of Peace whispered repeatedly as he gently tapped -read as slapped- the young boy on the cheek over and over again. After a few seconds, the boy began to stir, in which the Hero quickly backed up and allowed the green haired child to rouse.
"Hm? What happened?" Izuku murmured as he rubbed the drowsiness from his eyes. The sight being so unintentionally adorable, it caused All Might to choke on his own spit. This in turn brought the attention of little Izuku.
"Oh, hello All Might." Izuku greeted, dusting himself off and making sure his clothes were still intact. He then proceeded to look towards the clock on the wall, wishing to know what time it was. All The while, All Might couldn't help but compare the boy to a sleepy puppy. His heart constricted in on itself.
"Looks like I'm going to be a little late to supper now, but I'm pretty sure…" Izuku began, slowing to a crawl as he approached his bed to grab a few of his things. All Might watched as the gears in the child's head began to turn, finally starting to remember to who was in the room, who he had greeted and what happened before he passed out. All Might, realizing the boy was recollecting his memories prior to losing consciousness, straightened himself out for when he inevitably began to freak out and waited.
And waited…and waited.
.
..
…
"Quite The Pleasant Evening, Isn't-"
"ALL MIGHT!?" Izuku yelled at the top of his lungs, eyes nearly bursting out of their sockets as he slammed his back against the wall, clutching at his heart. At this, the Number One regained his lost bravado, seeing the usual reaction he usually saw with his fans kicked him back into his groove.
"Haha! Indeed! It Is I, The Symbol Of Peace! I Come Bearing-" He began, only to be rushed by a small green rocket stopping just in front of him. It caused the Hero to falter once more, not expecting the child to move so quickly. However, looking down at the look of utter joy and excitement upon the freckled orphan's face made his heart constrict once more.
'Gah! Oh no, he's too adorable!' The Number One placed his hand over his chest as he felt his heart squeeze watching the boy. His sparkling eyes and sunshine smile almost too much for the man to handle.
"All Might! You're here! I mean, you're really here! Wait, you are here, right? This isn't a dream I'm having while I'm passed out, is it? Ow, no it's real. Awesome." Izuku asked frantically, pinching himself to make sure this was indeed reality. Even so, All Might could hear the boy mumbling to himself about the probability of this being a deeper sleep than he thought or something. Thankfully, it gave the man enough time to think of something to say to garner his attention again.
"Well, Young Midoriya, I Have It On Good Authority That You've Been Very Good Boy This Year. As Such, I Have Come To Have A Word With You." All Might started, internally cringing as he realized just how much like a mall Santa he'd just sounded like. Still, the awe-struck look on the kid's face had nearly sent him back into cardiac arrest!
"I have?" Izuku asked, overjoyed that he might have actually done something to warrant the attention of the number one Hero, regardless of if he was still debating whether this was a dream or not. All Might had to clear his throat again before addressing why he was up here instead of with the other children.
"I Heard From Two Children Claiming To Be Your Friends That You Did Something Very Brave, Young Midoriya. How You Stood Up For Them When A Mean Bully Tried To Push Them Around." All Might explained, recalling everything both Minori and Suzu had told him. Seeing the bashfulness creep up on the boy's face only made him surer that this kid had a heart of gold. It was one thing to fight an aggressor, it was another to do so and maintain a gentle demeanor outside of conflict.
"I really didn't do much, All Might. He was just being really mean to Suzu. My body kind of just moved on it's own, you know?" Izuku responded, beaming up at his idol. It would seem every word out of his mouth was a hazard to his heart. Still, the comment about his body moving without thinking…All Might nodded, looking around and seeing a corner of the room that was positively adorned with drawings of Heroes and small memorabilia.
"I Commend You For That, Young Man. There Aren't Many Who Would Do The Same. Especially Those Without Quirks. It Sounds To Me Like You Are Truly Hero Material. What Is All Of This, If I Might Ask?" All Might inquired, gesturing to the Hero corner. At first, Izuku was flustered at his words of praise, but then became excited when he saw the opportunity to show his idol all of his notes and drawings.
"Oh oh oh! This is all the Hero stuff I've been able to make over the past few years. I've got five different Notebooks just for studying Heroes and their abilities, and I'm getting close to needing a sixth! And over here, I practice drawing them. This one's of you, see?" Izuku rambled on, gathering several of those notebooks and drawings before holding up a paper for the Hero to see. He took it, finding a rather detailed drawing of himself. It was very impressive, especially considering the boy was barely seven or eight, from what he gathered.
"This Is Quite Good! I'm Impressed! However, There Is Another Matter I Must Discuss With You, Young Midoriya." He tried to express the sincerity of his words as best he could. The look of confusion and almost concern on his face nearly made him weep, but he continued on. If he were being honest, he didn't know rightly why he bothered meeting him in the first place. However, there was a feeling in his gut telling him that this kid was special. His gut hadn't steered him wrong yet, so he wasn't going to start doubting it now.
"Is something wrong?" Izuku asked worried that he might have overstepped his boundaries, or he might have laid it on too thick with his gushing; annoyed the Hero with his fawning. Thankfully, All Might shook his head in denial.
"No, My Boy. Nothing Is Wrong. However, I Do Want To Express How Happy I Am To See Someone So Dedicated To Being A Hero, Even When They Have No Power To Call Their Own. That Is The Mark Of A True Hero. Keep Working Hard, And All Of Your Dreams Will Become A Reality. You Can Become A Hero, I'm Sure Of It." All Might Affirmed, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder and giving him a big toothy smile. The boy simply stared up at him for a moment, saying nothing before his eyes began to water. The man's smile dimmed a bit, wondering if he'd said something wrong, but the torrent of tears and the cry had nearly sent him into panic!
"Wah! Dou really mean it? No, of course you do, you're All Might! I'll make sure to make you proud! I'll work hard every day to become the Hero people can rely on! I promise!" Izuku cried, rushing forward and giving the Hero a big hug. The man himself was frozen, unsure how to handle the situation, but relaxed, slowly wrapping his arms around the boy and reciprocating the gesture. A warm feeling settling in his chest as he did so.
"Of Course. I Eagerly Await The Day That You Do." Was all he said before backing away and standing tall once more, leaving a still sniffling young boy to look up at him in awe. He smiled down at him for a moment, that feeling in his chest welling up again before he turned, having done what he sought out to do.
"Now, I Must Be Off. Remember My Words Well, Young Midoriya. Keep Working Hard And You Can Achieve Anything! Until We Meet Again!" He said as he began to walk out of the room. Izuku stared after him, smiling. However, he then panicked a small bit and took a bunch of his notebooks and drawings, trying to rush to him again.
"Wait! I wanted you to sign all of these!" He exclaimed. However, he only received a chuckle and a thumbs up from the man before he turned away again. Izuku sighed, figuring that he was more than content to have been able to talk one-on-one with his idol. Not to mention he even said he could be a Hero! Still, as he looked down at his notebooks, he couldn't help but feel saddened these pages remained signed with his signature-
SIGNED WITH HIS SIGNATURE!?
"Awesome." Izuku was barely able to squeak out as All Might finally left the room and closed the door behind him. He then set out to meticulously place each of the signed drawings into paper protectors and place them in binders that he then hid away in an extra safe location. Those babies were staying with him for life.
"Best day ever."
After that whole ordeal, All Might left the orphanage, thinking about the children there and how he was able to play with them. Or more accurately, let them play with him. Honestly, children only ever saw him as a jungle gym, he had no idea why. In any case, after that, he went out and did a few patrols across the city. However, the whole time, he couldn't get Midoriya out of his head. That damned sunshine smile of his wouldn't leave him alone! He had to wonder if he really did have a Quirk, and if it allowed him to overtake someone's mind with nothing but his smile. Maybe even make someone want to sign a few forms…
"No, there's no way I want to adopt him. I'm way too old to be taking care of a child!" Toshinori reasoned with himself as he put away his Hero costume and put on his regular clothes. Heading over to his fridge to get himself a cold drink, he then strode towards his couch.
"Besides, he's a good kid. I'm sure he'll be adopted any day now. What am I going to do? Schedule a meeting and adopt him right this second? Pfft. It's not like I have anywhere he could sleep anyway." He joked, turning on the TV to see what shows he could watch until he went to bed. He remained in silence for a while, eventually looking over to a spare room he had that he used for storage.
"…I mean, I have been putting off cleaning it out anyway, so…yeah, I'm just cleaning out a room! I don't mean anything by it. Definitely not thinking of using this as his room or anything." Toshi laughed as he began to clean up the clutter of the room and move all of its contents to another part of his home.
"See? I'm productive. I can take care of my home. I could probably take care of a kid too, even! N-not that I'm saying that I will, but…" He trailed off as he began to sweep and mop the room, mentally taking measurements of the space. Seeing if a bed and desk could fit. Not because he wanted to see if the place was fit for an eight-year-old to sleep in. Not that he wanted to see that kid look back at him with a smile as he continued to draw and write in that journal of his…
*Sniff*
"Yeah. Not at all thinking about going back there." He tried to reason as he left the room, sitting back on his couch again. However, even as the news channel driveled on and on about how All Might went to visit a small orphanage, he still couldn't get his mind off the subject. Idly, his hand reached over to his phone to make a call, just to make sure everything was fine since he'd left. He was only doing it to confirm their safety. He wasn't even considering asking about their adoption process!
"Nope. Not one bit."
"Woah! And he actually said you could be a Hero? He really said that?" Suzu asked Izuku as she along with the rest of the children gathered around the boy. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to even meet the number one, but for Izuku to talk to the man one-on-one, it damn near classified as a miracle. Especially considering they were just a bunch of Quirkless.
That's how they saw it, at least.
"Yep! And he even signed my notebooks!" Izuku boasted, more than happy to tell them about his encounter with All Might. The rest of the kids all marveled that he was able to get such precious memorabilia. Things like that were worth a fortune in the right circles!
"Can we see?" Minori asked, the others nodding in agreement. They had all been too busy spending time with the Hero that they hadn't even thought to get him to sign anything. Not many of them had much worth signing anyway, but that didn't mean they didn't regret even thinking about getting their stuffed animals signed.
Izuku remained silent for a moment, seemingly not hearing them, even when they were right in front of him.
"…No." He answered after a long pause. Minori and the others looked at him with confusion now, wondering why he refused their request. It wasn't like the green haired boy to not share his things with the rest of them. He even made it a point to share with them anything he found of interest whenever he did.
"No? Why not?" Suzu asked, a little disappointed that Izuku wouldn't show them the things he had earned. In her eyes, he deserved to be able to show off his prizes. Izuku swallowed a bit harshly, nervously looking between them all as they looked at him with a mixture of confusion and disappointment. He really hated looks like that, especially when he was in a position to change those frowns to ones of joy at the drop of a hat. All it would take is pulling out the pages All Might had signed.
Then let them get their hands on them. Which could lead to them taking the plastic covers off. Which would then let their bare fingers touch the page, potentially causing wear upon the paper. Which would then be expedited by the fact there were so many of them, all of whom would no doubt want to get a second look at them and possibly cause tears and stains and possibly even smudge the ink All Might used to sign it in THE FIRST PLACE-
"Izuku."
"Yes!?" The boy lightly squeaked, his eyes snapping to Minori, who was staring at him with a flat expression.
"You could just tell us not to touch them." He said, the other kids also staring at him with the same expression. It was here Izuku realized he'd probably just mumbled all of that out.
Oops.
"O-oh, I'm sorry! I mean, I could…you're more than welcome to…" Izuku tried to force out, wishing to try and tell them he'd be more than happy to show them the autographs, but something within him really didn't want to for some reason. It was strange. That bit of petty selfishness would show up now of all times? He really didn't have those very often. Mostly over his beloved mocchi and, to a lesser extent, his pineapple flavored candies and sweets.
"Izuku, it's okay. We all got to meet him in the first place. You don't have to show us if you don't want to." Suzu stated, placing a hand on his shoulder with a small smile. Here, Izuku wanted to argue back, willing to look past his selfishness and let them see the autographs, but the others seemed to lean in favor of her statement.
"Don't worry about it, Izuku!"
"Yeah, seeing All Might at all was enough for me."
"I even got to swing on his arm!"
The other kids showed Izuku just how mature kids in this orphanage had become in such a short amount of time. He really had to give them more credit. Even if he was being selfish, they at least knew why. Minori stood next to Suzu and gave him an easy-going smile, a fist extended for him to meet with his own.
"If anyone's earned a personal autograph from the Number One, It's you, Izuku." Minori said as he looked down at the slightly shorter child. Even when he was technically older than the boy, Izuku certainly proved to be a much better role model than himself. Perhaps one day, he'd be able to make something of himself once he got out of here, like he always said he would. Prove to the world the Quirkless weren't all useless.
"I'll make sure to at least show it to you all…eventually." Izuku admitted hesitantly. He fully intended to show the autographs to them in the future, but he would really only do so when he figured out how to do that while simultaneously ensuring the autographs themselves are kept in mint condition. He meant it when he said it was going to be a family heirloom.
"Don't worry about it, Izuku. Still, I guess this means you're going to be trying even harder to try and become a Hero now, huh? Mister Kimori isn't going to be very happy about that." Suzu warned, knowing from personal experience how the older gentleman would disparage any of them from pursuing such a lifestyle.
"Actually, now that you mention it, I did hear mister Kimori talking to All Might right before I met him." Izuku pondered as he thought about what he remembered before the Hero burst into the room. The other kids looked at him with curiosity, all of them having known Kimori's opinion on the protectors at some point or another. It was inevitable when you had a bunch of children who wished to have an escape from their dreary reality to turn to the world of Heroes.
"Oh? Were you able to hear what they were talking about? I bet mister Kimori was yelling at him, knowing him." One of the older kids laughed, imagining the cranky man speaking his mind to possibly the most powerful man in the world. Izuku only thought on it for a moment before slowly shaking his head.
"No, not really. I only heard the tail end of it, and mister Kimori didn't sound that mad. He sounded more…um…resigned! Yeah, he sounded resigned." Izuku exclaimed, finally recalling the word he'd been meaning to use. He had more recently been expanding his vocabulary, hoping it would help him in his schooling. He was also thinking about learning a new language.
"Huh, that's weird." One of the kids commented, all of them finding it quite strange to think of the caretaker being anything but confrontational with the person he'd always voice his grievances about. They pondered on what it could have meant for a moment.
.
..
…
"Anyway, do you guys want to play Heroes?"
"Yeah!"
"I think your grounding is over now, Izuku. Do you want to come play with us?" Suzu asked, hoping that the caretakers would lift the punishment if they were also willing to let him meet All Might. Izuku began to nod, but stopped himself before shaking his head.
"No, sorry. I'm going to go train a little more. Now that All might himself said I can become a Hero, I have to work extra extra hard to make him proud. I'll see you later Minori, Suzu!" Izuku called back as he began to head in the other direction, back towards the other side of the orphanage. He had a training regime to get back to. His two friends meanwhile watched him go with a bit of surprise. Minori at least found the reasoning to be that his friend didn't want to risk getting in trouble with the caretakers if his punishment hadn't been resolved yet. Further from that, he was glad his friend was working so hard to prove to the world that the Quirkless weren't helpless.
"See you later, then…" Suzu trailed off as she watched him go. It didn't feel quite right to her that Izuku was throwing away so much of his free time just to try and prove a point. He deserved to enjoy life as much as everyone else here. To say she found it entirely unfair that he felt the need to burden himself with all these responsibilities would be an understatement. She even felt terrible that she couldn't think of a way to help him in the slightest. She had no interest in becoming a Hero, or any profession even adjacent to it. She just wished she could help him in some way.
"Come on, Suzu. The others are going to take up all the good Heroes if we don't catch up with them." Minori coaxed as he began to head toward the playground with the other kids. Suzu began to follow suit, only looking back to see Izuku turn another corner before following after Minori fully.
"Let's see, if I can lift this with only a small amount of effort, I'll be able to move up in a few weeks' time…" Izuku was theorizing to himself as he used a set of plastic buckets filled with sand and rocks he was able to scrounge up. It wasn't much, but from what Mrs. Shiozaki had been able impart on him, it was the best place to start. He'd also been told that before Quirks became a common occurrence, training like he and many other kids were doing would have been detrimental to their physical development. Not very important, but still an interesting little factoid.
Across the way, from behind a window pane, one Tsukamu Kimori could be seen observing the green-haired boy with what could only be described as confliction on his face. His coworker, Orobo, happened to find him here while walking to his office. He approached the man, not seeing him in such a state so often, but instantly seeing why upon spotting the boy in question. He was going to speak when Kimori beat him to it.
"I talked to him. The Hero." Was all he said at first. His tone was neutral, low and tired. As though he had been mulling over something deeply. Orobo waited for him to continue, but heard nothing.
"I can't imagine you had anything of praise to offer him." Orobo commented, walking next to his coworker to watch as Izuku referenced his actions to his notebook before proceeding with his training. Silence reigned over them for a moment before Kimori spoke again.
"I told him my thoughts on his 'job' and what he stood for. I gave him my criticisms." Kimori agreed. Yet, Orobo couldn't hear any real animosity in his voice like he normally does whenever the topic of the public servants comes up around him. He almost sounded resigned.
"And he spat out the typical naïve, optimistic garbage they're all trained to spew out. Only…he meant every word of it. It was…surreal. I don't know how I knew he meant it. I just did." Kimori revealed, getting caught up in remembering the conversation he'd had with the Number One. He almost wanted to write the giant off as some walking marketing strategy. Some two-bit jerk who just so happened to be blessed with a god-like Quirk from birth and simply riding the fame it gave him. Yet, it never felt that way when he was talking to him.
"Does…that mean you've changed your stance on Heroes?" Orobo asked after a bit of hesitation. He really didn't know where this conversation was going. He'd never seen his colleague so caught up on something before, let alone that something being Heroes.
"Not even remotely. I still think the entire industry is broken beyond repair, but that guy…It doesn't matter. He at least got me to see that the future of these kids is not mine to dictate. Nor should I disparage them from certain roads just because I think it's a bad idea. They'll see it on their own soon enough. Until then, All I can do is inform them to the best of my ability." Kimori finished as he walked away. He had some more researching to do. Not unlike the boy out in the courtyard doing lunges.
Orobo just stood there, understanding nothing of what just transpired.
"Listen, I've thought it over, and I was thinking maybe I could take on a protégé, you know? But I get to decide who it is!"
There was silence on the other side for a moment, as did all his calls to this number tend to be. No matter how many times he tried calling to patch things up, argue his point, all he'd ever hear was a polite disagreement at the end of it before the line went dead. They'd answer the call hastily, but he supposed if he didn't hear what he wanted, there would be no other response.
"…I'm listening."
Until now!
"So, there's this boy at an orphanage."
"Good day, Yagi-"
"Wait! I haven't even finished saying who it is yet!" Toshinori exclaimed as he tried to stop his old Sidekick from hanging up again. He was once again met with silence, but hadn't heard the man end the call, so he took that for the man willing to at least hear what he had to say.
"So, he's a boy from an orphanage…and he's Quirkless." Toshinori managed to squeeze out. If he was fearful that the man was going to hang up just from the orphan bit -never mind the idea that he somehow thought orphans were lesser of a possible candidate than anyone else-, he knew the Quirkless aspect of the boy was going to put him off even more. However, he only heard more silence, which confused him.
"You're…not going to oppose to the idea that he's Quirkless?" Toshinori questioned as he realized his old Sidekick wasn't going to be hanging up for the time being. The question itself could warrant the man to do so anyway, but he was confident in knowing his old friend at this point that he knew he wouldn't.
"Orphans do not typically have access to formal training. Quirkless children have that possibility."
"I…huh. Well, they could be self-taught…" Yagi trailed off, finding that reasoning to be rather harsh, but not illogical. Nighteye always did favor blunt truths than sweet wordings.
"Also, you yourself were Quirkless before. How could I discredit someone for that?"
Also a valid point.
"W-well, in that case, I suppose you would want to know more about him?" The blonde man suggested. If there was another thing he knew about Sir, it was the fact that he needed to know everything about a subject before making any sort of decision. It certainly was a good balance to his own brash nature, but he would admit, some of his 'research' could be…questionable at times.
"Do you know who his parents were, and what their Quirks were?"
"Eh, sort of. His mother's name was Inko Midoriya. She had a minor telekinetic Quirk that allowed her to…'gently pull small objects to her person; It was not known whether there was a limit to how small of an object she could pull.' Does that do anything for you?" Toshinori read off as he looked at his personal notes. His research was nothing extreme or anything; he didn't go digging for official documents. He simply pulled what he could from old news articles and what he could look up online. Not that it amounted to much, he could barely navigate his computer for work. Never had time to learn, as he was always busy with his patrols and such.
"…And the father?"
"You see, that's the strange thing. I couldn't find anything other than his name and that he's the reason the boy is in the orphanage in the first place. You ever catch the news story about the fire in Musutafu…four-ish years ago?" He questioned as he looked at everything he'd gathered about the stain that was Hisashi Midoriya. He…may have dived a bit too much into learning about this kid to try and accommodate him…if he had any intention of adopting him, that is! Which he totally didn't! Totally didn't arrange a meeting with the boy next week. Nope!
"I might have been offered to look over the case to see if there was anything more than surface information. If I remember correctly, he had a fire breathing Quirk. You're saying this boy is the one that survived."
"Yes, from what I've seen, Hisashi used his Quirk to burn down his home with his wife and child still inside with the intention of killing them. Other than that, unfortunately, I have nothing. No occupation, no place of origin. When they finally got the flames under control and put it out, they found the remains of both parents, with the mother's corpse found close to where the child had been able to hide in relative safety." The Hero offered, not exactly sure why his former Sidekick wanted to hear more about the case simply to gauge the child's potential, but he used to rely on him without a doubt not too long ago, so he figured it was part of the process. He just hoped it would be the start of mending their friendship.
"I assume you were able to meet him during that visit to the orphanage."
Sometimes he forgets most of his actions are broadcasted everywhere on social media and news outlets. Also that Nighteye was the biggest fan of him he'd ever met.
"I did, and I have to say, he's very passionate about Heroism. He even had several notebooks studying various Heroes. I think I even remember there being a rather extensive entry about you, Nighteye. Even had the detail about your first costume idea! You remember that?" Yagi laughed as he remembered seeing the drawing of his Sidekick's initial costume that he'd only ever worn once before scrapping it and donning a more practical outfit. There was silence once more on the other end.
"Regretfully."
"Right, that wasn't the only thing I found out about him. A few of the other children had informed me that he'd been barred from meeting me for fighting another child that had been harassing them. Allegedly, it was because they were Quirkless." Toshinori added, the idea that there were only Quirkless children there still nagging at his mind. He knew that it couldn't be intentional, as that was illegal. So brazenly too, with no attempts to hide it. The caretakers didn't seem to be the type to treat them any differently. Even that one man he'd had that discussion with cared for them rather deeply.
"I see. You say he might have what it takes to be your successor?"
"Now, now, I didn't say that. I just thought It might be a good idea to maybe help him achieve his dreams. Like an idol should!" He tried to reason, trying to make it seem as though he was only considering the idea of taking the boy under his wing and totally not have already set himself to the idea of adopting him at this point. Nuh-uh, no sir.
"…If I may, why are you suddenly open to the idea of a 'protégé' as you put it when you were so against the idea before?"
"Ah, well, you know…I'm getting on in years, and I guess I caught that 'mentor bug'. Hehe…" He explained nervously. He didn't want to admit to his former Sidekick that he'd simply found it impossible to leave the idea of adopting out of his head.
"…I'll need to consider this information further. I'll call you back when I have made a complete assessment."
'Well, that's about as close to a 'sure' as I'll get from him.' Yagi thought to himself as he finally went to put down his phone, only to hear one last thing from his old friend.
"I miss our talks."
*Click*
"…I do too, Sasaki." He whispered under his breath as he put away his phone. Truly, he'd lamented the idea that he'd never be able to reconcile with his old Sidekick again. With this, however, it would seem as though there was indeed a chance to reconnect. He just hoped things didn't spiral like it had before.
"All I have to worry about now is that meeting next week." He said to himself as he got up and went over to the spare room he'd cleaned out. It was of a good size, and there wasn't too much in there in the first place, so it didn't take him too long. Especially when he used his Quirk to help the process along. He still had a bit of trouble deciding where everything would go, but he found different places around his home they could stay for the time being. He'd think to donate them, but with such a vast quantity, he wasn't sure if that was really a viable option. He'd have to think of a solution soon if he wanted to…make sure he could make his guests comfortable?
"Ah, what use is lying at this point? Sasaki is going to want to see the kid for himself anyway. It'd also be pretty shitty for me to just take the kid under my wing for just that purpose either. Seems like a good enough kid. It's not like I don't have the means to take care of him, at least." Toshinori admitted to himself as he took proper measurements of the room to see how much space he had to work with. Didn't want to go out and buy the kid a bed and furniture that wouldn't fit.
"I learned after the first time." He was referring, of course, to when he was buying furniture for himself. He'd bought far too large of a bed for himself for the sake of just having it. At the end, when he wanted to fit a dresser and standing closet, he was left with no room to put them. Not without compromising his walk-space. Instead, he returned the bed and got a far more sensible one.
"Now, to do more research on this whole parenting business." Toshinori muttered to himself as he walked away, satisfied with his third measurement of the day. He'd been doing that since he cleaned out the room, really. Felt antsy for the day to come. He felt the meeting to be more for formality's sake than anything. Of course, he was a bit worried about the idea that someone might have made a meeting before him and would adopt Izuku before he even had the chance.
"I sure hope I didn't just jinx myself."
"Mom! How much longer are you going to be!?" A small brat yelled up the stairs as they waited for their mother to come down from 'getting ready'.
"I'll take as long as I damn well please! I don't want those people at the orphanage thinking I'm some old hag!" The mother called back to the child. Honestly, if it weren't for the fact their neighbors knew of their dynamic, they'd have been pretty tempted to call someone to deal with a possible domestic dispute.
"But you are an old hag, you old hag!"
Even then…
"What did you say to me, you little shit!? You're lucky I don't want to ruin this nice outfit, otherwise I'd kick your ass!"
A very loving family right here.
"Yeah right! You love me too damn much to do that!"
"You think I'm above disciplining my own child!? I brought you into this world, you had best believe I'm willing to take you out of it!"
"And that's why I respect you! Bring it, granny!"
A loving family indeed.
"Seriously though, you said you don't have that meeting until five. It's two. You can wait a little longer before throwing something on." The child grumbled, their ash blonde hair rustling a bit as they shook their head at their mother's antics. She was always like this whenever she wanted to get ready for something. So much time. So ridiculous.
"Katsuki, where's your womanly charm? Have you inherited nothing from me other than my looks?" Mitsuki sighed as she descended down the stairs, looking at her annoyed daughter with sympathy. Really, she had no idea where this tomboyish nature was coming from. Or that damned attitude for that matter.
"What does it matter how I dress? It's all going to get singed anyway with my Quirk. I don't see what the big deal is." Katsuki rolled her eyes as she looked down at her t-shirt and shorts. She didn't see any problem with it. It was simple, comfortable. She didn't know what 'womanly charm' had to do with any of it. Regardless, her mother shook her head in mild disappointment.
"You'll figure it out when you get older. Or whenever you finally decide to ask me about it. Whichever comes first. In all seriousness though, I need to make sure the kid knows I'm serious about this. I wouldn't want to come in disheveled and make him think I'm being flippant." Mitsuki said as she looked in a vanity mirror mounted on the wall to make sure she was presentable. Katsuki once again looked to her with a confused expression.
"Yeah, about that. Why are you even doing this? You have me." She complained, not at all understanding why her mother would decide to try and adopt another kid when she had a perfectly good daughter of her own. A daughter, mind you, that has done nothing but excel in class. That's not even mentioning the fact she had the best Quirk in the entire school!
"Because, Katsuki, you need a brother to keep you in check. The caretakers there said he's really sweet, smart, and most importantly, polite." Mitsuki said pointedly as she stared at her daughter through the mirror. Mitsuki made an exasperated face at her before scoffing.
"He sounds like a total tool. An extra. Ugh, does he at least have a cool Quirk?" She complained, not at all thrilled at the prospect of seeing her mother return with a brand-new sibling. She had a good thing going on here! A lone child to a single mother, rising above her circumstances to become the first kid in that shitty school to get into UA. Adding a sibling would just muddled all of that down. Not happening.
"I should wash your mouth out for talking about other people like that. Besides, I don't know much else other than his name. I'll learn more when I get to the meeting." Mitsuki frowned, not understanding where her daughter got that kind of attitude from. She'd been like that since she got that Quirk of hers, the damned thing. Cost her a fortune before she got at least an iota of control over it. One sneeze.
Entire dining furniture set. IMPORTED.
"Whatever. When's the sitter getting here, anyhow?" Katsuki scoffed as she begrudgingly accepted the fact that she'd be left with her normal baby sitter for the time her mother would be out. She'd told her time and time again that she could take care of herself just fine! Didn't stop the old hag from getting one anyway.
"She'll be here in about an hour and a half. Then I'm off. I keep telling you to behave yourself with her. If I hear one more complaint from her, you're going to be in big trouble, missy." Mitsuki threatened as she stared directly at Katsuki, who seemed a bit miffed now.
"She ratted me out!?" She exclaimed, her palms beginning to crackle and pop with small explosions. The smug look on her mother's face was not helping.
"No, but thanks for letting me know I was right~." Mitsuki laughed as she saw her daughter grit her teeth in anger. Oh, she knew it wasn't even about being found out for being a little brat. It was because she'd been duped into admitting to it in the first place. As smart as Mitsuki knew her daughter was, she knew she still had a lot to learn.
"I can't wait for you to leave already." Katsuki grumbled as she left to the kitchen to make herself something to eat. Mitsuki watched after her for a few moments before she was out of sight. Her smile that had been prevalent before had fallen off slightly, sensing that feeling of whether or not she was being a good mother or not creeping up on her again. She's tried her best to raise Katsuki on her own since Masaru passed away.
"I don't want you growing up alone, Katsuki." Mitsuki whispered to herself, voicing her real reason as to why she wanted to adopt a child. Even now, she could see her daughter driving away any real friends she could be making. She knew from personal experience where that lead you. Being top bitch at your school, sure, but after those years were done and everyone moves on from their school years?
Alone, with the only saving grace you had having passed away shortly after you had a kid with them.
"Alright, forget about it until later, just make sure you're-oh? Hello?" Mitsuki questioned, just about ready to finish up getting ready, but received a call right at that moment.
"Hi Misses Bakugo, I'm sorry for calling you suddenly like this, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to cancel babysitting for Katsuki today, and for the foreseeable future as well."
Mitsuki was…she didn't want to say surprised at this, but she also couldn't say she wasn't. To be entirely honest, she had suspected this sitter would want to quit eventually. Still, she could have at least given her notice a bit beforehand. Now her day was all jumbled. She couldn't just leave her daughter here. She definitely couldn't bring her with her to the meeting. She loved her daughter, but even she knew what kind of disaster that might cause.
"I see. Is there any particular reason for this sudden development?" Mitsuki asked, wishing to at least ask for a reason as to the abrupt self-termination. There was silence for a moment before Mitsuki could have sworn she heard something akin to a sob before the sitter took a breath.
"I'm afraid I can't divulge that information, I'm sorry. Have a good day."
"Well, have a good…day." Mitsuki tried to say back, but the other end hung up abruptly. He looked down at her phone for a moment before sighing and putting it away.
"Must be something personal. Can't blame her for quitting, I guess." Mitsuki shrugged, feeling rather frustrated that she now had to cancel that meeting at the orphanage. Which bites, but wasn't terrible. She could just reschedule, maybe in a few days when she was able to get a new babysitter for Katsuki. For now, she had to make that call to cancel. Felt pretty shitty about it, but it couldn't be helped.
"Good. I didn't want her back here anyway." Katsuki mumbled as she walked by with a bell pepper in hand. Mitsuki gave her a small glare before rolling her eyes and looking for the number to the orphanage in her contact info.
"Katsuki, if you don't quit with that…alright, here we go." Mitsuki sighed, dialing the number and waiting for them to pick up. It was days like these that she truly worried for her daughter. If she wasn't checked soon, she was just going to end up with an ego the size of the country. She wondered briefly if that was why the girl was so obsessed with Endeavor. All power, all bravado, no sympathy, no mercy. From what she's heard, the other kids weren't making it easy to corral it in before that happened.
"I just hope no one else adopts that kid before I can. He seemed so cute in that picture…"
"Has it been done?"
"Yes, sir. The obstacle have been dealt with. However, it's come to our attention he has been set to see the boy come this time next week. If you so wish, we have an agent ready to take action at your word."
"No."
"...Sir?"
"Get me everything you can on the boy. I want to know why he has taken an interest in him. If he does what I believe he will, it will be even easier to monitor the both of them. I will not risk him catching on to the fact we are still in operation before I am ready. In any case, I believe one of our own will be delighted to keep tabs on them in the meantime."
"Would it not be wise to take him before they can, sir? That way we would be able to gather any information he might have and prevent anything that might ruin your-"
"…"
"Very well. We shall proceed as you wish."
"What of our other project? Have you made any meaningful breakthroughs?"
"Taking time and research away from progressing your recovery without jeopardizing your return has been challenging, but we should have a working prototype within the next few years. Are you sure we should be taking steps towards this instead of trying to bring you back to your prime, sir?"
"I've lived a long life, doctor. Though certainly I still have things to do, to accomplish, to ensure, I feel my time is coming to a close. I simply wish to give my prodigy all he needs to grow. To succeed."
"Ah, the boy…are you sure about this? I must stress again how we could restore you back to full health if we simply focus on your recovery, sir. Would you not be able to ensure that future you envisioned if you yourself were at the helm?"
"All stories must come to an end for others to be told, doctor. Rest assured; I have a larger picture beyond even myself to consider. Trust in me, and all will be taken care of."
"Of course, sir. In the meantime, we believe we've found a Quirk that might be of interest to you…"
"They canceled?" Izuku asked his teacher as he looked up at her with a confused expression, as though he couldn't even understand what the phrase meant. It ate Sakiko up inside seeing him like this. The boy had been so excited that he'd been scheduled a meeting with someone. After so long of having had none, his face exploded in joy when he was told he'd have a chance to be adopted in the upcoming days. He showered more often, he brushed his teeth three times every day, he even tried to control that fluffy mess of green he called his hair.
"I just got a call from the main office. They said the woman who scheduled that meeting with you had to cancel because she couldn't make it." Sakiko told him, wishing to relay the facts as they were. Things happened, plans change, and it had nothing to do with the child most of the time. Even so, Izuku's expression slowly dimmed before he gave a small nod of understanding. He then took an unsteady breath before speaking once more.
"It's okay, Mrs. Shiozaki. It's not like I'd…I mean, thank you. I'll go play with the other kids now. See you later." Izuku said after a moment, taking a breath and changing his demeanor and turning around. Sakiko knew what he was really thinking. If there was one thing about his brilliant mind she could count on, it was to overanalyzing everything. He undoubtedly wondered if they were simply going to cancel again the next time they were to schedule a meeting. Optimistic he may be, but Izuku was no stranger to falling down a rabbit hole if something were to go wrong at the last minute.
Seeing him walk away like that, Sasaki hesitated for only a moment before making a call back to the head office.
"Hey Izuku! Are you getting ready for…oh no, what happened?" Suzu asked him as she saw him approaching the playground. Just a few minutes ago in class she'd seen him as excited as he'd ever been. Now, he seemed to dull; to a point where she could have sworn his usual deep green hair looked muted.
"It's nothing, Suzu. I'm just a little tired." Izuku excused. He'd heard the adults use that excuse whenever they seemed down, and it seemed to be enough for others to leave them alone. Still, it would seem his friend still cared enough to persist.
"Are you sure? Do you want to talk about it? Mrs. Shiozaki always says you should talk about your feelings, you know." She tried to coax, reminding him that their favorite teacher was always trying to impart good life lessons onto them aside from the educational curriculum. Izuku felt conflicted before relenting and figuring it didn't matter if he told her now. It's not like it would change anything.
"…Mrs. Shiozaki got called right after class. My meeting was canceled." He mumbled out, taking a seat on an open swing. Technically, these swings in particular were broken and couldn't be of much use other than as a chair for the children without snapping, but the orphanage hasn't been able to get any more funding for repairs or replacements. They weren't even supposed to be near them, but an adult couldn't be out here at all times, so they were able to get away with small moments like this.
"Oh no! I'm so sorry, Izuku. Do you want a hug?" She offered, always finding a hug to make her feel better, no matter how bad she felt. Izuku glanced at her once before shaking his head, kicking his feet. Suzu frowned, thought for a moment, before walking over to him and giving him a hug anyway.
"Everyone deserves a hug. Especially you, Izuku." She whispered to him. Izuku tensed for a brief moment before relaxing and trying to hug her back. He would admit, it felt soothing to hug someone. Even so, It didn't stop the stinging in his chest that had settled there.
"Thank you, Suzu. You're a good friend." Izuku told her as he gave her a convincing smile. She smiled back at him and laughed.
"Silly, you've done so much for us, it's the least I could do. Anyway, It's getting close to my meeting with the councilor again. Are you going to be okay?" She asked, still a little worried about him. Izuku nodded, still smiling at her. She only studied him for a moment before nodding and walking away. When she had left, the smile on Izuku's face fell and a sigh escaped his lips. He hated lying to his friends, but he just couldn't let them be bothered by his problems. He didn't want anyone to be bothered by him in any capacity.
"I should probably move before one of the caretakers notices I'm on the swings." Izuku said to himself before moving off of them and towards the monkey bars. Regardless of how he felt about the situation, he still needed to keep up with his training now that he had more time on his hands. It would probably stay that way for a very long time, a more sinister part of his brain told him.
"I wonder where Minori is?"
"I'm sorry, I'm not supposed to talk to strangers."
"Hey, no worries. I'm not asking you to jump this fence or anything, I just want to get to know you a little better. I was thinking of making an appointment here, but if I can talk to you now…"
Minori wasn't quite sure of this guy. He seemed nice enough, then again, his caretakers did always tell him the biggest monsters usually hid in plain sight. Still, if he wasn't asking him to leave the orphanage…well, he didn't see the harm in it, considering he could just run off and tell an adult whenever he felt uncomfortable.
"Okay…my name's Minori. Gui Minori. What's your name?' The boy asked, thinking to make sure he had a name to go with a description if he did need to tell someone else about the man, or if he tried to do something shady around the orphanage.
"I'm Gijutsu. Kanrisha Gijutsu. It's nice to meet you, Minori. Tell me, are you happy here at the orphanage?" The man asked, standing a foot away from the fence. Minori himself stood five away from it while he talked to the guy, having come over here to retrieve a ball he was playing with.
"Kind of, but...not really I have a few friends, I guess." Minori trailed off, thinking about how he viewed his time here in this 'prison' as he called it sometimes. He'd really hoped that a nice family -just a decent one would do- would come by and adopt him. It never happened. He wanted so much out of life when he first got here. Yet…
"Not a lot of people give you a chance, do they? Is it because you're Quirkless?" Gijutsu asked, giving a sympathetic look to the boy. Minori immediately took a step back and gave him a defensive frown, looking at the man up and down to see if there was anything sinister about him. Weirded him out when he somehow couldn't find anything.
"How do you know that?" Minori asked tentatively, unsure where he could have even gotten that information. Gijutsu shrugged and took out a phone before gesturing to the orphanage with it.
"Like I said, I was thinking about scheduling a meeting with one of you guys. So, I did my research. Found out a lot of the kids I asked about were Quirkless, and I guessed the rest of you were the same. This orphanage isn't the only place that's like that, you know?" The man revealed, putting his phone away. Minori's frown didn't go away, but he looked down to contemplate on the information before looking to Gijutsu again.
"And?" He asked, wondering what the point of the conversation was. Gijutsu raised his hands in mock surrender before lifting a foot.
"Hey, no judgement here. I'm Quirkless too, actually. Figured that out pretty quick when an x-ray revealed I had that second joint in my toe. I know what it's like." Gijutsu confided, a more somber and understanding look on his face. Immediately, Minori's face softened, looking down at his own toe and remembering how he wound up here in the first place. He was left here when he was barely three. From what he was told, his parents took one look at a developing second joint and decided they would 'try again'.
"So, nobody really wants a Quirkless kid, huh?" Minori asked, sighing. He'd figured that already, but to hear it from someone else outside of these walls outright was disheartening to the nine-year-old. He was always one to think of the reality of a situation rather than give himself any sort of false hope. He always felt out of place because of it, but he at least had Izuku to sort of emulate that for him.
"That's just the way society has developed. Quirks become a thing and suddenly those without them seem so…" Gijutsu seemed to be unable to think of a proper word for what he wanted to say. Though, Minori could think of one.
"Worthless." He said, voicing something he'd always felt was projected onto him whenever he heard, saw or even thought of himself next to someone with a Quirk. Mrs. Shiozaki was nice, but that was one person compared to the dozens of others who's harassed them and belittled them just because they weren't born with that one gene.
Gijutsu nodded solemnly.
"It's not fair, I know. Why are we the ones that are sidelined and forgotten when we can be just as capable as them, if not more so, given the right resources?" Gijutsu asked, looking out into the rest of the empty street, more gesturing to the whole of their world rather than the area. Minori began to nod, but paused when he realized what the man had said.
"Just as capable? What do you mean?" He asked, finding it strange how contradictory that statement had been. To even be on par, even better than those with Quirks without having one yourself seemed oxymoronic. Even still, the man nodded, a small smile on his face.
"Did you ever hear about how some people believe humanity would have been out in space by now if Quirks never emerged?" He asked, taking a small step forward. Minori shook his head, having never heard of that tidbit before. He never even really thought about the times before Quirks, really. Thinking about a society that had no super powers to speak of, or one that didn't judge you based on if you had one or not, it was…kind of appealing to him.
"Well, the reason for that, is because of this." Gijutsu eluded, kicking his right heel to the ground. In a moment, his shoes shifted a bit before he began to levitate off the ground. It caused Minori to take a step back, not expecting such a thing. His mind immediately wanted to think this was the work of a Quirk, and that he'd lied to him, but with another click of his heels, the shoes shifted back to normal and he was on his feet again.
"Technology is a wonderful thing. With it, we can do everything those with Quirks can and then some. Unfortunately, we lost a lot of research and development. All because people had become drunk with a power that they'd simply been given; Quirks." Gijutsu emphasized, his face becoming strained for a moment before sighing and refocusing on Minori. The boy himself mulled over what he was told, thinking about how Quirks had allegedly sent humanity back so far in terms of technological advancement. The kind of advantages it could give people like him, who were given the short end of the stick at birth, it was tantalizing. Even seeing what the man had now would probably pale in comparison to what could have been if Quirks didn't emerge.
"But hey, you don't have to take my word on it. Just look it up yourself. I've taken up enough of your time, I'm sure you're needed somewhere else. It was nice talking to you, Minori." Gijutsu said, beginning to walk away. Minori's eyes widened before rushing to the gate that separated them.
"Wait! I want to know more! Where did you get those boots!?" Minori asked, almost desperate to know where he could go to be part of whatever group that was working on such technology. It sounded far better than trying to work in a world that would belittle him for not having a Quirk. Gijutsu stopped in his tracks before chuckling a bit. He dug in his pocket and pulled out a card. He slowly approached the gate with hand extended. Minori only hesitated for a moment, realizing he was within grabbing distance. However, when Gijutsu did nothing to try and reach for him, he eased up and tentatively grabbed the card out of his hand. When he did, he quickly took a step away from the gate.
"If you want to know more about what we talked about, look them up. They're pretty cool, I think. I should know; I'm part of their research department. And if you're so interested, I'll make sure to schedule a proper meeting in a few days. If you're still on board with the idea, I'd be more than happy to teach you what I can. Until then." Gijutsu waved as he finally left. Minori watched him go with a bit of awe, feeling true excitement well up in his chest for the first time in what felt like forever. He then looked down at the card he'd been given.
HP3
Human Purity Preservation Pact
Fides, Securitas, Prosperitas, Aequitas/ Loyalty, Security, Prosperity, Fairness
Minori gave Gijutsu one last glance before putting the card into his pocket and walking back toward the main building. If he remembered correctly, he had built up a bit of extra computer time for himself. He could use that to look up 'HP3' and what they were. He'd gather more information before that meeting to see if he really wanted to pursue that sort of thing, even if he pretty much already made up his mind on the subject. It was a matter of keeping how he got the card, and subsequently all that was tied to it, a secret from the others. He didn't want to ruin his chances at getting out of here because he was overzealous.
"Very good, Suzu. Now, what does this painting mean to you?"
Kea Suzu was having her own little moment with a councilor. Or was it a therapist? She couldn't remember what they said this person was, and she didn't have the courage to ask again. Either way, after the last incident with Michael, she'd been having these sessions where they'd have her do an assortment of activities somehow in relation to how she processed the ordeal. That, and she was apparently working with the police to resolve whatever problems were left with the case. She didn't know about all that, but she was more than happy to paint and talk to someone about it. It made her feel a little better after each time.
"This is me, that's Minori, that's Mrs. Shiozaki, and that's Izuku. I'm hugging all his worries away." Suzu explained as she pointed at the pink, grey, dark green and light green stick figures. With the light green stick figure being hugged by the pink one.
"I can see that. Izuku must be a really good friend of yours, huh?" The woman asked as she wrote down something on her clipboard. She was always writing in there, but she never showed her what it was she was writing. She only told her it was to help her make her happier, which sounded pretty weird in her head, but it seemed to be working at least!
"Yup! Izuku is my best friend here. Right next to Minori. He's always there when other kids try to pick on us." She agreed, smiling as she remembered all the fun times she's had while hanging out with him. The woman nodded before putting down her clipboard and looking directly at her.
"Does it make you sad that he gets hurt trying to protect you and the other kids?" She asked. Here, Suzu's smile fell and she nodded. She didn't like it when Izuku got hurt. She didn't like the fact that he needed to get hurt in the first place.
"Yeah. Whenever Michael comes around and bullies us, Izuku is always there to make him go away." She remembered a few times where Michael would be bothering them quite a few times. It was only recently though that he ever actually decided to start physically hurt them. It was always passing comments and jeers about their Quirklessness and lack of parents. She was just starting to get sick of it if she was being honest.
"Is Michael the only one that does this?" the woman asked. Suzu had to think on that, but only for a moment. As much as Michael was the worst of them, that didn't mean he was the only one.
"No. Other kids sometimes do it too, but Michael is the only one who keeps coming back after Izuku makes them go away." Suzu absentmindedly explained as she idly painted on another piece of paper, this time making a nice little house.
"Now, when you say 'makes them go away', do you mean he fights them? Is Izuku prone to fits of anger?" She asked. Here, Suzu stopped what she was doing to look at the woman with a confused expression. She might have even admitted that something akin to anger seeped onto her face.
"No. Izuku is super nice and cares about everyone. It's just…he told me that he wants to be a Hero, and that Heroes do what's needed to save people. I think he got that from one of the movies we were able to watch though…" Suzu trailed off, her mind wandering to one of the few times they had been able to sit out on a class and instead watch a movie. Mrs. Shiozaki was awesome like that.
"I see…tell me, Suzu, do you really think he can be a Hero? Even without a Quirk?" The woman asked, glancing up at the clock and gathering her things. It must have been about time for their session to end, the girl would guess. Still, the question was by far the easiest one she'd been asked to answer.
"Of course! He's been working really hard these past few weeks, and when he's ready, he's going to get into UA, be the best student there, graduate and become the Number One Hero! Even better than All Might!" Suzu exclaimed, laughing as she finished her drawing. The woman interviewing her paused as she went to get up, looking at the girl with curious eyes.
"Better than All Might? Really?" She asked, amused at the very idea of the boy even approaching the level of The Symbol of Peace. Disbelief would be a better word, in fact. All the same, Suzu nodded, looking down at her art with satisfaction. In it were herself, Izuku, and Minori playing in the yard of a big home as her parents watched them from inside. With Mrs. Shiozaki seen off to the side outside of a fence. Her perfect day.
"Well, it's what we all think, at least. And even if he doesn't become the best Hero in the world, he's still my Hero." Suzu explained, a happy feeling in her chest at remembering how everyone at the orphanage believed in the emerald boy achieving his dreams. How they all put their faith into him and his ability to rise through adversity. She herself hoped he was able to accomplish everything he set out to do.
"…We're done for today. Let's get you back to your class now, Suzu." The woman relented, gesturing to the door and opening it for the child. Suzu nodded and left, being met with another caretaker and led away further into the building. The woman stared after her for a while longer before turning to the inside of the room they had just been in, particularly eyeing the two paintings Suzu had done. She was no professional, but she hardly got any paint on herself the whole time she'd been at it. Rather conscientious of her materials for an eight-year-old. Even so, the paintings themselves did tell her a bit more about the girl than even words could.
"Extremely close to the subject; too biased. Other sources needed." She said to herself as she closed the door and reviewed her notes. She'd get back to the investigator on the case and give him all she could on the matter. For now, she needed to see who else involved could give her and the department what they were looking for.
"Today's been pretty weird. Am I the only one who thinks that?" A kid asked at the lunch table as he ate his food. There was a unanimous agreement from the others around him, each of them voicing their opinion on the matter. As for Minori, Suzu and Izuku on the other hand, they were preoccupied with their own situations. Only minding the conversation around them because everyone was talking about it.
"Weird? I wouldn't really say anything's been weird, right guys?" Minori asked, his mind still half consumed with the card currently burning a hole in his pocket. He hadn't had the opportunity to get onto a computer yet, so he was still waiting on that to do any further research on HP3 and what their deal was. Still, as Suzu shrugged at him through a mouthful of rice, Izuku seemingly hadn't heard him at all. In fact, he hadn't even touched his food yet.
"Izuku? Are you alright? Is it because your meeting was cancelled-" Minori tried to sympathize, but Izuku immediately got defensive the moment the topic was brought up.
"No. I'm fine. I'm just tired from training earlier." Izuku deflected easily enough, finally sitting up to start eating again. He didn't want to admit it was eating at him more than he was letting on. Even more so when he saw Suzu look at him in concern. That same desire to make sure none of them were burdened with his problems rising once again.
Minori wanted to press further, but relented. That conversation with Gijutsu coming to mind. Whoever scheduled that meeting probably canceled because they found out Izuku was Quirkless. They probably just didn't want to deal with a Quirkless child and what that might do to their social standing. It made him upset. Very upset.
"You shouldn't let it get you down, Izuku. It's not your fault they don't like you just because you're Quirkless." Minori tried to cheer his friend up. Suzu looked at him strangely, wondering where he'd get the idea they only canceled because of that. They weren't told of the actual reasonings of the cancellations, just that they called off the meeting. Maybe they'd be told the person cancelled because of scheduling issues, but that was it.
"You don't know that, Minori. They could have cancelled for a bunch of reasons." She argued, remembering a few of her own meetings being cancelled in the past. Everyone had cases like that. It didn't make all adults bad.
"Come on, Suzu. Look around us, the only kids here are Quirkless. Any time we even hear someone with a Quirk might stay here, they somehow get transferred to a different orphanage or adopted right away. Why else would it be that way if nobody wanted us!?" Minori countered with a heated expression, sighing with an angered breath. The sudden sound of a tray being moved violently forced their attention to Izuku, the boy only staring at him with his angered and hurt eyes. Minori realized just what he said and how it could have hurt his friend's feelings, now beginning to regret his words. Especially when he saw Suzu looking down with teary eyes.
"Wait, I-I didn't mean that you…I'm sorry." Minori apologized immediately, feeling terrible for insinuating that no one was going to adopt them. He felt especially bad because he knew he was going to be adopted himself in the upcoming days. Still, it didn't change the fact that this world was built against the likes of them. It didn't change the fact that so long as Quirks existed, those without Quirks would be seen as inferior.
"My daddy said there will always be someone who will love you."
Minori felt a bit of whiplash when he heard those words come out of Suzu's mouth. She was still looking down at her food, eyes watering, but an unmistakable look of steadiness lingered in her eyes. He'd never seen the girl like this, nor had he ever heard her talk about ever remembering her parents. From the sounds of it, they almost seemed to have cared for her.
"Before he and mommy went away, they told me that there's over five billion people in the world. They said it means it doesn't matter how small you feel, or how lonely you get. There will always be someone out there that will love you, and my mommy and daddy weren't liars." She said, looking to Minori with eyes barely able to contain her tears. Minori had to look away, shame filling him for a moment.
Only a moment.
"…You're right, Suzu. I'm sorry. I'm just upset Izuku couldn't have his meeting today." Minori relented, going back to eating his food to try and drop the subject. For the sake of Suzu and the other kids, he wouldn't get into it right now. Mostly because he himself didn't like thinking about it, but also because he could already tell none of them were willing to face the truth yet. Maybe they never will. It just made him surer that he wanted to know everything about HP3 and how to join it.
"I hope he's alright. He said it didn't bother him earlier, but…" Suzu spoke up after a moment, wiping away the tears from her eyes. She looked over to the end of the cafeteria where Izuku had left, worried about how he was doing. She felt bad that she didn't see that it was still bothering him. It wasn't like him to be so bothered by something. All the other times he had meetings, he never got so worked up over the adults opting out of adopting him. She wondered what was so different about this time?
"You know Izuku, he likes to try and hide his problems from everyone. I'm sure he'll be fine. Probably going to write more entries into those notebooks of his." Minori reasoned, thinking about how Izuku obsessed over Heroes so much. Honestly, he couldn't see the appeal anymore. Mister Kimori always told them about how they were no good and how dangerous the job was. He didn't think much about it before, but after today, he was starting to get what he was talking about.
"I'll try to talk to him later, I guess…" Suzu relented, hesitant to go after her friend at the moment in case he wanted to be left alone for now. She knew she sometimes needed time to herself, to think. It helped calm her down on some days. She just hoped Izuku could go back to being the bright, smiling boy they'd all knew him to be.
"Yeah." Minori agreed, his mind now set on finding out as much as he could about HP3 and not much else. Izuku was hurting because of something he couldn't control, because of some dumb bias against those without Quirks. Quirks were the reason they were all here and not with their own loving families. Quirks emerging ruined their chances at a normal life.
Quirks should have never existed.
The next day would come around, and Izuku heard that person who cancelled that meeting with him had rescheduled! Only to cancel last minute once gain. Then they rescheduled again, only to cancel again, reschedule again, and cancel one last time. It didn't bother him much, though. He'd lost hope after the second cancellation.
"Izuku, do you want to come play? Minori's busy, but you can be one of the Heroes!" Suzu tried to tempt. She saw Izuku lifting two sand buckets in silence. He'd been quiet for a while now, ever since he'd been told for the third time a meeting had been cancelled. She couldn't help but find herself disliking the person who kept rescheduling and cancelling their meeting with her friend. It wasn't very nice and it definitely hurt Izuku, no matter how many times he refuted the fact.
"Izuku?" She tried again, getting closer. The boy took a breath before putting down his buckets. Still, he remained silent. Suzu made a concerned face before walking towards him more, taking a step in front of him only to see a tired expression his face. This wasn't like him at all. Izuku was always so expressive. Despite him saying otherwise, he'd always tear up and cry whenever something saddened him. So, to see him like this made Suzu worry for one of her best friends.
"Izuku, if you're sad, it's okay. You don't have to play with us." Suzu wanted to comfort her friend, she really did. She cared for everyone here. She didn't know why, but she just felt so much compassion for all the other kids at the orphanage. It wasn't always like that though. Suzu used to feel too shy to approach anyone else, even when she wanted to help when they were hurt or crying. When she met Izuku though, befriending him and seeing his courage to stand up to bullies like Michael had given her the courage to act too. She wasn't a fighter, not even close, but she enjoyed helping people. It made her terribly sad to see the root of her confidence like this.
"…I'm fine, Suzu. I'm just training." Izuku reassured his friend. He emptied the buckets of sand back into the sandbox and went to put them away with the other toys before heading inside. He was just about done anyway.
"All Might said you could be a Hero, right?" Suzu pointed out, causing the Midoriya to stop in his tracks. Suzu hesitated for a moment before speaking up once more.
"Then that means you're special. And special people lead special lives. That means you're going to be a great Hero! I know it because…you're already my Hero. So, don't be sad. Please?" Suzu practically begged. She didn't know what to do to make her dearest friend stop hurting like this. He was the only one she never had to comfort in all his time here. So, now that he was upset, she had no idea what to say except appeal to what they all already knew about him, to the facts in hopes to maybe make him see how they all saw him as; Invincible.
"…I'll try." Was all Izuku said before walking away again. Suzu felt the answer to be half-hearted, but at least she had an acknowledgement from him about his issues and problems. She was also rather pleased that he was going to put real effort into feeling better.
He was a liar, and he didn't even know why.
"They're all counting on me. They're all saying I can do it, but…" Izuku trailed off, walking further from the playground and towards the main building. He wanted to spend the rest of the day resting. His arms were so tired, he was so tired.
"Why don't I feel like I deserve it?" Izuku asked himself, trying to believe in the words of his friends. In the words of Suzu, Minori, Mrs. Shiozaki, even All Might. They all told him he could do these amazing things. That he could be a Hero, despite his Quirklessness. He even trained day after day after day to meet those expectations. Yet…he couldn't bring himself to truly believe that he was worthy of the praise more than the others. Some of them even trying as hard as himself to achieve their own aspirations once they're out of the orphanage.
"Why am I special? Why does it have to be me? Everyone here wants so much from life, so why am I the only one being given anything?" Izuku asked himself as he entered the building at last. He passed a few other kids, all of them giving him a wide berth, knowing of his situation at the moment. He felt bad that he was making them all worry so much. Which itself was something he's been thinking over as well. That on top of the information Minori's been learning on the computer.
"Izuku, did you know we can't even do much of anything by ourselves until we're eighteen? Even less so because we're Quirkless."
There were many things Minori revealed to the greenette. Many things regarding his ability to go to public schools, to attend self-defense classes, even in applying to a Hero School. None of it would be possible unless he had a legal guardian to aide him.
Izuku would mull over these things for a while longer as he made his way towards the sleeping quarters and to his bed. He kept asking himself so many questions. Why was all of this happening to him? Why wasn't it happening to his friends? Why was it that no one wanted to adopt any of them? Was it just because they were Quirkless? Why couldn't he just be content he had friends? Why couldn't he be okay with trying to be something by himself? Why couldn't he just be happy?
"I wish you were here, mama. You would know the answers." Izuku whimpered as he got to his bed. He pulled out a box. One he seldom opened. Inside, a picture of himself being held by his mother. He held it to his chest, lips trembling, but eyes unwilling to shed a tear he felt was unearned. Instead, he brought out a spool of thread. It wasn't very significant, not at first glance. In fact, there was nothing special about it at all…except that it was what his mother was going to use to make him a onesie of his favorite Hero. It would've been his Christmas present that year.
"Why couldn't I be born with a Quirk? Maybe then I could have saved you from papa." Izuku sniveled, reliving one of the only memories he could recall with his mother. One which he could feel slowly slipping from him as the years passed. It was when they went out to the park, shortly before his Quirk appointment. His mother, Inko, played Heroes with him all day. Even when other kids came by and they played together, he still wanted her to be part of it. Maybe it was his subconscious knowing what would happen. Or maybe it's what he wanted to remember. He was so young, it all felt like a lifetime ago. He wasn't even sure if that memory was real.
"Izuku."
Fear shot up his spine for a moment before Midoriya quickly turned around and let out a small sigh when he saw Minori across the room, coming in through the door. Izuku's eyes darted between him and his picture before hurriedly putting it back into the box and placing it bellow his bed once more.
"H-hey, Minori. What's up?" Izuku spoke tentatively. Despite everything they've gone through in his time at the orphanage, he's seen himself get more and more distance from the taller boy these past few days. Or, more accurately, Minori has been making more distance between them. Certainly, it didn't help with how Minori's been getting more and more vocal about his distaste for Heroes and Izuku's infatuation with them.
"I just...wanted to say sorry, for the way I've been treating you recently. I know it's been hard on you these past few days and I know you wouldn't really be receptive of the truth yet." Minori started, not willing to look at Izuku directly, as though uncomfortable with the conversation. Even still, Izuku couldn't help but find his wording...off.
"It's okay Minori, I know you don't really mean it. You just found something that you really like, and it just clashes with what I like." Izuku responded, really more repeating what Misses Shiozaki told him when he and Minori had another of their small disagreements
"Izuku, you don't have to pretend with me. You don't have to lie about wanting to be a Hero anymore." Minori frowned, believing his friend to only be putting up a front about his desires, as he's done with much of his other troubles. Izuku frowned as well, catching his tongue before he let his knee-jerk reaction take control of the conversation.
"Minori, I already told you, I really do want to be a Hero. Just because you don't like them doesn't mean others can't." Izuku stressed, feeling like he was getting to the end of his rope on this subject. With everything else going on and trying to keep it all in check as best he could, he really didn't need Minori saying this stuff right now.
"I'd think you of all people would have figured it out by now. 'Not all men are created equal'?" Minori quoted back at him. Honestly, it was barely a fleeting memory at this point. Still, Izuku didn't know where he was going with this.
"What's your point, Minori? That just means some people have to work harder than others to reach their dreams." Izuku refuted, attempting to dispel whatever argument the boy was trying to start. He just shook his head, frowning a bit deeper.
"Even if that was what they meant. You know how weak most Quirks were back then. Back when Quirks were still new, people like us still had a chance. We could still stand up to them. Now? We'd be lucky to...to annoy them! How can you stand there and pretend like you can match up to people who don't even consider you a person, to defend people like Michael!?" Minori spat out, finally feeling the anger that had been building in him boil over. Ever since his eyes had been opened, he began to resent the world he once wished to be a part of.
"It doesn't matter, Minori. People like him will face justice when it's their time. Not everyone hates us, Minori. What's gotten into you, anyway!? You've been acting so mean these last few days. What happened to when you just wanted us to make it out of here? Why all of a sudden hate the idea of us 'living in their world'? It's all the same! We're all living in the same world!" Izuku countered, wanting to get down to the cause of his friend's sudden change in behavior, even quoting him right back.
"Listen to yourself, Izuku. You think society is built for people without Quirks? Do you really think anyone would choose us instead of someone with a Quirk more suited for the job we want? This world hasn't been ours since before we were even born! They don't want us! They don't want us in their world. It's why so many of us are dropped off in these places. They don't want to deal with us. It's why I was abandoned here!" Minori ranted, getting more and more heated as he talked, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. He seemed to try and collect himself, balling his fists and staring down at the ground as he breathed. Izuku felt his anger recede as he realized just how much his friend had been hurting too. However, before his sympathy and guilt for his friend could manifest into words, Minori looked to him again, with eyes as angry as they'd been this whole time.
"It's why your mom died."
A cold feeling struck at Izuku's heart as Minori mentioned the tragedy. So shocked was he, that he didn't have anything to say as Minori continued.
"She died because your dad hated the fact you came out Quirkless. I don't know how you never realized that's how much the world hates us, but now I do, and I'm not going to sit around and let it run me over just because they don't see me as a person." Minori said callously, walking over to his bed and reaching for his things. Izuku just watched him for a few seconds, still reeling. These things Minori had said...were they true? Was that really why his mother was killed? Did the world really hate them that much?
"W-where are you going?" He asked, trying to distract himself from his busied and chaos-ridden mind. Minori only looked back at him for a moment before finishing in putting his belongings in a bag.
"I'm having another meeting today, and then I'm getting out of here." Was all he said. Izuku would have asked him what he meant by that, but he was far too preoccupied with his own emotions to do so. All he could do was watch Minori head for the door, reaching for the handle before it opened in front of him, revealing Sakiko on the other side looking in with worry.
"I heard yelling and...Minori? Izuku? What-" She began to ask, having come over out of worry but was interrupted by Minori moving past her. He only paused for a moment, looking back at Izuku again with something akin to somberness.
"You're a good person, Izuku. Don't let the world change that." Minori said, feeling that despite all their dissagreements, he still saw Izuku as the best of the orphanage. He'd hate to think he'd fall just because he couldn't see the truth for what it was.
"Minori, what are you-Minori? Minori." Sakiko called after him, wanting him to come back, but only finding the child to quickly retreat down the hallway. She stared after him, agitated, but quickly turned back to the remaining boy when she heard a sniffle.
"Izuku? Are you alright? What did he say to you?" The woman asked, stepping inside and closing the door behind her, believing this to be a conversation to be had in private. Izuku looked up at her in surprise, as though just realizing she was here before turning away from her.
"N-nothing, Mrs. Shiozaki." He tried to wave off, walking over to his bed and trying to find something to busy himself with. Sakiko stared at him with worried eyes as she approached.
"Izuku, I know you and Minori have been at odds these past few days. What happened?" She insisted again, obligated to get to the bottom of this. She just didn't know what went wrong between those two boys. One day they're close friends, the next they're having heated arguments over their future. She worried especially for Minori, considering just a few of the things she's overheard him saying. She suspected it had something to do with his extra computer time, but whenever she went to check, she'd only be met with a site dedicated to those without Quirks.
"We just...he was trying to make me believe in something, but I don't know if he's right or not." Izuku said cryptically, conflicting emotions whirring in his head. He wanted to stick to his beliefs and continue on working towards being a Hero, like everyone said he could, like All Might said. Yet, at the same time, seeing everyone else outside these walls show him nothing but bitterness and anger at just being Quirkless. He didn't know what to believe anymore.
"You're only eight, Izuku. I'm sure you can work this out if you just give yourself enough time to think. I'll always be here for you to talk to if you need it." Sakiko assured him as she looked at the small boy. It saddened her to see someone so young be burdened with things men more than three times his age shouldn't need to. Even still, she wanted to make sure he knew she was there to support him no matter what.
"This isn't something I can just think on, Mrs. Shiozaki. I can't just think myself out of being Quirkless." Izuku said, almost bitterly. Here, Sakiko took a breath to process what he said, to digest what it was he could have meant by that. Further than just lamenting what he was born without, he was talking as though there was no hope for himself. That wasn't right. That wasn't the boy she's come to see grow over the years.
That wasn't Izuku.
"I thought we went over this. It doesn't matter if you're Quirkless, Izuku. There are plenty of Heroes who don't have Quirks suited for combat." She tried to reason. If there was one thing Izuku wouldn't refute, it was facts.
"They never make it past the top fifty. Lots of them die." He said quietly, finding most of the ones he'd decided to document were either from two or three generations ago, retired or died in the line of duty. Speaking strictly from facts was not new to him, nor was Sasaki deluded enough to think she would know more about this topic more than the boy who spend nearly every waking moment thinking about it. Still, it didn't change the fact he was only focusing on the bad right now.
"But they did exist, right? They still fought for what they thought was right. Isn't that what matters? That they were dedicated to making the world a better place, so that kids as dedicated and special as you could be what they want to?" She argued, remembering from his paper and on what little she researched on Heroes that they carved the way for future generations to do what they could not.
"There's nothing special about me. I don't have a Quirk. All Might was wrong about me. I'm not worthy of anything." Izuku hiccupped through barely contained emotions. He couldn't even look at her, turning around and heading for a different door out of the room. He needed to get back to...something, anything other than this.
"Tell Ibarra I hope she gets into UA." Izuku breathed out as he walked. Maybe he'd find Suzu, talk to her for a bit to distract himself. He would probably have to get rid of his notebooks soon too. Couldn't be giving himself any false ideas.
Sakiko Ibarra watched the boy walk with eyes as sad as they'd been while teaching here. In all her years, in all her time taking care of the children in her class, she's only known one to keep their hopes up despite everything trying to weigh him down. Even despite what happened with his parents. Despite so many incidents where it seemed like the world wished to break him like it had so many others, he always remained true to himself. Yet, she also knew someone could only take so much alone. Even the strongest men crumble without people to support them. Right now, she knew she needed to be that person to support him.
With deep breath, she closed her eyes for a moment before locking them in on Izuku, who was now reaching for the doorknob.
"Izuku, come here." Sakiko instructed in a calm and even voice. The boy stopped for a moment. He didn't seem to make any moves, so she opted to walk towards him instead. Regardless if he didn't want it, he needed to hear what she had to say.
"Turn around and look at me." She demanded. Izuku didn't do anything for a moment before slumping his shoulders and turning around, his head hung low, still unwilling to look up into her eyes. She took another breath before kneeling down to his level. Sakiko pursed her lips before using one of her hands to lift his chin, forcing him to look at her as she stared into his saddened eyes.
"Midoriya Izuku, when I say this, I swear to God almighty that I tell no lie. You are wonderful, brilliant, strong, kind, handsome…" Sakiko listed off, her stern tone melting into warm -almost playful- affection. She began wiping away the tears that began to fall from the boy's face, even as he continued to try and hold back a sob. There wasn't too much Izuku knew of Sasaki or her religion, as she never thought pushing that on the children when they were still figuring things out for themselves was a good idea, he knew she never used her God's name in vain. That's how he knew she meant what she was saying.
"But one thing I know you aren't, Is unworthy. You deserve so much, Izuku. Everything about you is deserving of happiness; from your fluffy green hair, your bright green eyes, your endearing freckles, your cute nose." She continued, poking the tip of his nose for effect, her warm smile and caring eyes chipping away at his mask more and more. Even still, he refused to let himself openly cry, going so far as to bite his lower lip and turning his head away from her to hide his face again. She took a breath before dipping her hand down to his chest.
"Right down here to your big, beautiful heart. It doesn't matter if someone cancelled their meeting with you. It doesn't matter if you're Quirkless, or if life is a little harder because of it. It still doesn't-" She began, wishing to instill in him the idea that he would still be the bright young boy that they all knew, but Izuku finally snapped his head to her, tears streaming down his face.
"But it matters to ME! It matters because none of us can do anything by ourselves! We can't enroll in any public schools! We can't apply to any combat classes! I can't even try to apply to UA If I don't get adopted. I'm stuck here! Nobody wants me, so I'll be stuck doing nothing until I'm too old for the orphanage! If that happens, I'll have nothing! I'll be nothing! I'll be nothing but a lousy, worthless, good for nothing DEKU! I'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO KEEP MY PROMISE TO MAMA!" He ranted, collapsing to his knees and openly sobbing. Quickly, Sakiko pulled him into her embrace, stroking his hair as he curled up to her. It seemed as though this went far deeper than she thought. To think this somehow stemmed all the way back to his mother...how cruel the world must be, to allow such a sweet boy to know a mother's love, only to rip it from him as soon as he's able to appreciate it.
"Izuku...I-" She had no words. She was trying desperately to find something that would help in soothing his wounded heart. Before she could form anything resembling a response, Izuku spoke up again.
"Michael was right. I should just wish for a Quirk in the next life."
Sakiko's eyes widened, looking down at the boy in horror, not believing what she just heard. Hardening her expression, she grabbed Izuku by the shoulders and pulled him back to look at him again.
"He said what to you? The truth, Midoriya. Did he tell you to..." She demanded, the lump in her throat restricting her from finishing the question, but not stopping her from wishing to know if that boy truly wished such a horrible thing on him. Izuku only hesitated for a moment before nodding, remembering one of the times Michael had been especially cruel in his insults, still crying and sobbing. Sakiko had to take a breath to compose herself. The things she wanted to say, to do would go against everything her beliefs have taught her not to. Instead, she knew Izuku needed someone to comfort him in his weakest moment. Not a wrathful woman to fight his battles.
"It's going to be okay, Izuku. What's important right now is that you know there are people who love you and would be devastated if anything were to happen to you." Sakiko reinforced, once again hugging him to herself. Here, she felt him shake his head against her, crying a bit harder, trying to push himself away from her.
"No there isn't! My mama's dead and my papa hated me. He hated me so much he killed mama and himself! No one loves me!" Izuku exclaimed, feeling so much sadness and pain in his chest that he couldn't deal with it anymore. All the insecurities he's had, that he's tried to hide and compensate for in all his time here at the orphanage. Finally revealing that his drive to be useful only so because of his deep sense of worthlessness. It made Sakiko start to cry too, upset beyond words that life would be so cruel as to lay the weight of a thousand men upon the shoulders of this young boy, but she shook her head regardless and kept him close to her. He needed her. He needed her now more than ever. He needed to know she was here.
"That's not true. I love you, Izuku. I love how caring and strong you try to be for the other children. I love how you always try to find the good things in life. How you always get up no matter how many times life has thrown you down. Your friends love you for all that you do for them. Suzu and the others love you for being there for them when they need you." Sakiko began, trying to both keep her voice steady and let Izuku know just how many people counted on and cared for him. How she cared about him. In the few short years she's come to know him, he's done nothing but impress and inspire her with his optimism and strength of character. All in such a young soul.
Hearing those words from her caused Izuku to pause in his sobbing and look at her in surprise. As though he couldn't believe that she along with the other people at the orphanage felt that way about him. Sakiko took a moment to collect herself before looking into his eyes again, both of them having redness to them from crying at this point.
"Now listen, Izuku. And when I say listen, I mean listen, do you understand?" She insisted, giving him as stern a look she could for the moment. He gave a weak nod, sniffling a bit but still staring into her eyes. She nodded in affirmation before speaking again.
"You are meant for great things, Izuku. Someone is going to adopt you. And they are going to love you with all of their heart. When that happens, you will be able to do everything you set your mind to. If there's one thing I know for certain will come to pass, it's in you and your dreams coming true. No faith required." She finished, once again wiping away the tears that streamed down his cheeks. At once, Izuku instigated the hug this time and squeezed her as hard as his smaller arms could manage, his crying beginning to die down, but continuing all the same.
"I wish you could be my mama, Mrs. Shiozaki." He admitted, feeling like she filled in the motherly role he'd been missing for most of his life. After his own mother was murdered, her last words to him still echoing in his mind, he saw Sakiko as the mother figure to stand in place for Inko. Where the memories of his original mother were foggy and distant, ones of equal happiness were filled by those he met here at the orphanage. It reminded him why he wanted to be a Hero in the first place. Not because he needed it; Because they did. They needed someone to look up to, to aspire to be. To let them know that things would be okay, no matter how dark it seemed. They needed Hope.
Sakiko herself sighed in slight sadness, knowing she couldn't be who he wanted her to be. It wasn't even that she didn't want to, it was just not her place. Nor would she be allowed, as she was a volunteer at the orphanage, it was against the law to let her adopt one of them for herself. Not without sacrificing the ability to teach and help more children like the boy before her.
"I know, Izuku, but I'm not meant to be your parent. That privilege should go to someone who can give you their undivided attention and all the love you deserve." She whispered as she leaned down to place a kiss atop his forehead. Heaven forbid any of the other caretakers walk in on them like this. At this point 'Conflict of Interest' would be the understatement of the century.
"Come, it's almost supper time and I'm sure you're hungry." Sakiko smiled down at the boy as he wiped his nose on his sleeve, a whole mess covering his arm. Even still, he was the most precious looking thing in the world to her.
"C-can we stay like this for a little longer, Mrs. Shiozaki? Please?"
How could she say no to that?
"Just for a few minutes longer. Tomorrow, I'll try to help you more with your training, alright?" She offered, embracing the boy in a tender embrace, softly stroking his curly hair. She could feel him smile against her, even with her clothes stained from his tears.
"...Thank you. For everything." Izuku whispered, hugging a bit tighter. They'd stay like that for a while. Sakiko thought back to a quote she'd heard, a philosophy; 'Life is suffering in varying degrees'. It seemed, even as unfair as it was, that Izuku embodied it perfectly. Though, she was glad she could lessen that suffering. If even just for the moment.
Just for the moment.
Now, now. I know what you're thinking.
"They don't read like kids. They're just angsty teenagers."
And that's because that's exactly what this is. I don't really write 'kids', I just know how to write 'sad and jaded youths'. I thought it made sense, given the fact that I'm establishing these kids are not okay. Also the fact I've had a challenged youth myself, I only really know how to write that kind of 'child'. Still, I tried to make sure they weren't too matured and stuff. There's only so much you can learn being on this earth for seven to nine years, but I also wanted to establish a theme here; people and life especially are messy and not always fair or jolly. Some people can be your best friend, but one difference in opinion can drive you apart.
I promise though, this is taking an optimistic stance on life, not a pessimistic one. Just setting up obstacles that scale to the success and payoffs later on.
All that aside, I wanted to establish here what I couldn't in the last chapter. Considering I was on a time crunch back then, I didn't want to rush anything. Now, however, I've established everyone of relevance for the foreseeable future. Including a new faction called the Human Purity Preservation Pact, or HP3. I'm really excited to write these guys out.
Essentially, I saw the LOV being those with Quirks being extreme pessimists who think all of society should be destroyed. Those like AfO and Overhaul having god complexes and wishing to rule society under their thumb because they realized their Quirks were that much better than others. Even those Quirk supremacists I can't remember the names of right now and how they believed Quirks were the only way forward.
To that, I raised the idea that the one group of people that weren't represented, but would undoubtedly be affected by all of the others and would want to do something themselves. Those being the Quirkless. Of course they would feel some sort of resentment to the rest of the world. If Izuku in cannon was any indication, they were treated like shit. If a group of people are ridiculed for long enough…you get the picture. They'll be a major player going forward, but nothing too crazy will happen for a while yet. For now, I'm just introducing the elements that are going to be part of the story.
To address everything else going on in the chapter, I did mean to make Katsuki a girl, and no I'm not pairing her with Izuku. Why? Because I can have that change without really meaning anything by it. it's called artistic liberty. Also, I wanted to prove to myself that I could make a guy and a girl be close friends without the relationship becoming romantic. It also sets the precedent that some things are going to be pretty different from canon. Not too different, mind you, but different enough that Class 1-A is going to see some roster swaps with 1-B. They're also going to be a bit more involved as well. If you read the tags, Kirishima especially is going to be spotlighted. I just really like the guy. I could go on, but this Authors Note is already too long as it is.
TLDR; Kids are hard to write, so I wrote what I know, I introduced everyone of relevance for now and this is for sure going to have an ending as satisfying as the wait was long for this update to come out.
I hope you enjoyed, I hope you have a great rest of your day, and I'll see you all in another work of mine. Toodles~!