Work Text:
Izuku’s alarm went off at four am on the dot and despite his exhaustion from yesterday’s brutal brawl in downtown Jedha, he was wide awake within seconds. He reached over and turned off the alarm quickly so not to disturb his partner. Shouto was either a very light or a very heavy sleeper, depending on the day. Izuku was never able to find a pattern to his boyfriend’s schedule.
“Izuku, why are you up at four in the morning?” Shouto mumbled, still face first in the pillow he was on.
“It’s Sunday,” Izuku whispered back, leaning over to peck Shouto’s sleep-tangled hair before pulling himself out of bed. “I have that morning meeting at Yaoyorozu’s agency and it’s almost an hour away.”
“Why,” Shouto moaned, flopping over to sleepily glare at Izuku. “Everyone else knows you’re supposed to sleep in on weekends.”
“Justice never sleeps, Sho,” Izuku quipped easily as he began his morning stretches to loosen his body up in preparation for another long day.
“Well, maybe Justice should use some of his vacation hours and stay home,” Shouto grumbled while Izuku just smiled stupidly at his pretty, pouty boyfriend. As much as he hated waking him, Izuku did secretly treasure these early morning conversations before the day became a blur of work and chaos. It was moments like these he could allow himself to stop and appreciate all that he had in his life, all the good things that had come from his hard work and the love of others. “Don’t overdo it today, I don’t want another call that you’ve passed out again.”
“Yes mom,” Izuku said with an eye roll. You overwork yourself once or twice a month and people never stop nagging you about it. “I should be home early enough that we can have dinner, text me what you want and I’ll pick it up.”
“M’kay, be safe,” Shouto sighed, burying himself once more in blankets. He had about another two and a half hours before he was set to get up for his teaching class and he was already half asleep again. Izuku grinned, finishing up his stretches and grabbed a clean costume from the closet. “Don’t forget to eat before you head out.”
“I will, Sho,” Izuku said, already planning on skipping. “You have a good day in school. Don’t forget to text me with dinner ideas or I’ll bring home discount bentos again.”
“I’m breaking up with you,” Shouto moaned. “Bakugou is my new boyfriend.” Izuku grinned all the way to the kitchen.
XxX
0510 Yaoyorozu: What’s your ETA?
0510 Me: 15? I’m on the subway now, 2 stops away
0511 Me: Am I late?
(0511) Yaoyorozu: No, I just wanted to go over the plans before the meeting.
(0512) Yaoyorozu: You’ve been on this case longer than I have, I wanted to review one last time before presenting.
(0513) Yaoyorozu: Also I ordered breakfast and I know you won’t eat once you get going. Skipping breakfast is not a good way to start a briefing.
(0514) Me: how did
(0514) Me: Shouto ratted me out didn’t he
(0515) Yaoyorozu: He texted me 20 minutes ago, there were several typos but I was able to decipher enough to get the basic idea.
(0516) Yaoyorozu: If you eat enough, I won’t mention to Iida that you’ve been skipping breakfast.
(0519) Me: please don’t
(0520) Yaoyorozu: It would pain me greatly but it is the job of a hero to make sacrifices for the greater good.
XxX
Izuku kept a brisk walking pace as he exited the train and made his way to Creati’s agency. He’d learned that people were less likely to bother heroes if they looked busy. Most days he could afford to dawdle a little but Momo didn’t threaten lightly. He did not need another of Tenya's lectures.
A man on a jog waved enthusiastically as he ran by and a couple of teens heading early to school pointed and giggled at him he passed. Multiple people pulled out their phones and snapped pictures, two or three asked if he’d pose for them but Izuku just shrugged and said he was running late.
“Hero-san!” A little girl, maybe about five or six said as she crashed into his legs, wrapping her tiny arms around him. She looked up, her golden eyes glittering and her smile blinding. Oh no, she was adorable. “My name’s Niji, do you want to know what my quirk is?”
“I would love to hear about your quirk, Niji-chan” Izuku said brightly, leaning down a bit. “But where are your parents? Do you need help?”
“Papa’s around but my quirk says I can bend light which means I can do this,” she released him to put her hands together before pulling them apart and forming a beautiful rainbow. The only thing brighter was her proud smile.
“Amazing,” Izuku enthused, clapping his hands. “What a wonderful quirk, I bet you’ll bring a lot of smiles to people’s faces.”
“That’s what I wanna do,” Niji nodded eagerly, “I want a job where I can always make people smile. I was thinking about being a hero, like you, since heroes always make people smile.”
“Niji-chan, I want to tell you something very important,” Izuku said, kneeling down to her level. “You can be a hero,” he said and watched her light up as he continued. “You can be anything you want. Heroes do amazing things but so do reporters and nurses and engineers. Find a career that makes you smile and everyone around you will follow.”
“Anything I want,” Niji said seriously, rolling her eyes up to the clouds to think. “That’s a lot.”
“Niji! You scared me half to death!” A very frazzled man said, running out and scooping Niji up into his arms. “Don’t you ever do that again.”
“It’s okay Papa, I was with a hero!” Niji said with a grin, the man gave Izuku an exhausted smile.
“Thank you for taking care of her, she’s always been a bit of a handful,” he said with a bow. “By the way, it’s an honor to meet you, Deku. My husband and I are big fans.”
“It was no trouble, Niji-chan and I were having a great time talking,” Izuku happened to glance up and see the time on one of the buildings. “Oh man, I’m going to be late! Have a good day and remember what we talked about Niji-chan!”
“What did Deku say to you, honey?” The man asked his daughter as Izuku sprinted off.
“He said I could be anything! So I decided to be a Rainbow Princess Reporter Nurse Engineer Hero who makes everyone smile!” Izuku couldn’t help but smile as he raced the last few blocks to the agency. Surely Momo wouldn’t fault him for stopping to talk to a future coworker; he personally couldn’t wait to see what a Rainbow Princess Reporter Nurse Engineer Hero would look like.
XxX
“Mido, looking good!” Ashido cheered coming up and wrapping Izuku in a half hug. He would have hugged her back but his free arm was filled with all the breakfast foods Momo had piled onto his plate. He wondered if she knew that normal people didn’t need to eat like she did. “How’s the boyfriend? Enjoying the part time hero life? He’s studying teaching, right?”
“Good, still sleeping probably. Yeah, he’ll need a certificate to teach outside hero schools so he’s maybe a third done with his program. He’s got class later this morning but he’ll be at the office this afternoon,” Izuku added, taking a bite of his pork bun.
“Why do I have to be here, I’m not on the strike team,” Hitoshi muttered, walking in holding two large cups of coffee. “Both of these are for me by the way, so don’t even think about it.” Shinsou growled when Izuku hungrily eyed the second cup.
“Aw don’t be like that Shin-chan, Boss Momo could change her mind.” Ashido beamed, sliding up next to him. “It’s good to be a proper hero every once in a while. Sensei would be so disappointed if you let all that training he put you through go to waste.”
“Hey, I helped too,” Izuku said, watching the door as more people trickled in. He knew most of the crowd, both from previous dealings on this case and in general. Both his hero work and the Foundation tended to keep him pretty connected with the hero community.
“You were worse than Aizawa, you absolute sadist,” Hitoshi glared. “You’re half the reason I’m a non-combative hero.”
“Deku,” Izuku turned and smiled at Miracle, a Shiketsu grad who’d interned at One For All in school and still volunteered at the All For One Foundation as a young pro. Izuku had enjoyed helping the young man hone his Luck quirk and was so proud to watch him grow into an amazing hero. “Hey there, it’s good to see you again!”
“And you Kiseki-kun, I saw your takedown of that guy with a laser quirk last week on the news, it was superb! Oh, I don’t believe I’ve met your friend,” he said, turning to the girl next to his former intern. Izuku knew she was Rebound, a recent sidekick at the agency Miracle worked at. Still, it was their first time meeting face to face and he didn’t want to be weird. “Good morning. I’m Deku, it’s a pleasure to work with you,” he said with a quick bow.
“Rebound,” she answered quietly, “I am in your care.”
“Midoriya,” Yaoyorozu quietly interjected, “we’re about to get started.”
“Oh right,” he grinned at the two young heroes. “I’ll catch up with you later, I gotta go earn my paycheck.” He took another bite of his pork bun as he started gathering up his papers and getting ready to present.
“Miracle,” Izuku heard Rebound whisper, “is he really uh, you know, quirkless ?”
“Come on, don’t be quirkist,” Miracle whispered back sternly. “Deku is one of the best heroes around, his lack of quirk doesn’t matter. He’s been the Symbol of Peace two years running for a reason you know.”
“I guess I always thought it was a publicity stunt,” Rebound responded, “that’s what my dad said anyway.” Izuku had heard so many things over the years that it didn’t even bother him now. He just finished his pork bun and joined Yaoyorozu at the head of the table.
“Morning everyone,” he said cheerily. “One For All and Creati Consultants have been putting together the case to take down the leaders of the Quirk Rights Activists, a splinter faction of the Meta Liberation Army in a coordinated strike. We expect the actual operation to happen later this month but preparation and discipline are key. You’ve all been chosen for your abilities and past experiences, over the next few weeks, we’ll be solidifying each of your roles in the operation and what you can expect.”
He shuffled his papers, taking a moment to look over every one. “Alright, for a bit of background: the QRA have primarily been active in the rural areas of Japan and mainland China but we’ve seen them start to extend their influence the last few years...”
XxX
Bittybirdi @themangasbetter
Deku held up the line at my local Herobucks bc he got like 20 different drinks. Bought everyone in line drinks to apologize
Bittybirdi @themangaisbetter
Never been a fan of the quirkless hero but anyone who buys me coffee is okay in my book
[Pictured: A Herobucks cup held up by a blue hand with bright yellow nailpolish, out of focus. A man in green can be seen in the background, holding multiple cartons of drinks as he talks to a man with a unicorn horn]
Posted 0943 July 29th, 2XXX
BO_boss @magicheroman
Why does no one believe me when I say that Deku is the best hero of our generation?
Vigilanteismyname @ ohthehumanity
The scummiest, most dangerous villain could buy me coffee and I’d be a fan. We’re all a slave to our addictions.
XxX
“About time you showed up, Deku, it’s already past 10.” His receptionist Kira said with a grin as she accepted the coffee Izuku handed her. She knew Izuku was just coming from an early morning meeting but never passed up an opportunity to give him a hard time. Invaluable for unruly reporters, less so for him when he was in a rush.
“It’s my agency I can show up whenever I want,” Izuku shrugged as he walked to the elevator. “Who’s gonna stop me? God already tried by denying me a quirk and we see how well that worked out.” It took all his years of extensive training to jam the appropriate floor number with his elbow and scan his key card all while holding multiple containers of coffee. The rigors of heroism truly weren’t for the faint of heart.
“Hey there everyone. Sorry, I’m late,” Izuku announced once the elevator brought him to the main work floor. “I brought coffee as an apology.”
“Wasn’t Yaomomo’s big meeting today,” Ochako said with narrowed eyes as she accepted her chai latte. “The one that was supposed to take hours and hours?”
“Yeah, I’m just getting back from that,” Izuku answered distractedly as he continued to hand out the last of the drinks. “I know I’ve got a lot to catch up on but we’ll get back on track. Sparrow, can you give me an update on what’s been going on here?”
“Sir,” Martian said with a frown, “that was quite an extensive and exhausting meeting, we all expected you to take some rest time before your afternoon patrol.” Ochako snorted at that.
“When you’ve known Deku as long as I have, you know not to expect such common sense.” She tapped his cheek and he struggled to hold onto his coffee as he started floating. She hooked her fingers in his belt loop and dragged him back towards his office. “Come on, I need you to help pick out my wedding dress. I’m still torn on if I want lace or not, it’s pretty but it’s so delicate. Bakugou’s probably gonna start shit at the reception and I’ll have to put him in his place.”
“‘chako,” he huffed as she briskly walked them through the crowds. “I need to-”
“Give your brain a break? I agree, you’re going to look at all the dresses I have saved on my phone and help me pick a style and when our coffee is done, maybe, just maybe, I’ll let you go back to work.”
“Ugh,” he pouted, sipping his coffee in defeat. “I still say the one dress with the overlapping sheer layers. You use your quirk on it and they’ll be lightly floating as you walk down the aisle, Tenya won’t know what to do with himself.”
“And I told you that would make me look like one of those lizards that flare out their neck. It’s so unfortunate my best friend has such horrid fashion taste but I’ll have to make due somehow.”
XxX
From: [email protected]
Re: re: internship season
Attached: Possible Internship Agencies.doc
Draft saved at 1104
Rat,
I’m really glad you’re interested in increasing internships for non-heroics students, good to know I don’t have to resort to threats. I know both OFA and AFO would be happy to accommodate those interested and I imagine some of my former classmates would be willing to take on students as well. That said, you can compare me to All Might all you want but I do not appreciate your underhanded attempts to hire me. Eraser warned me of your tricks. I’m busy enough between my agency and the Foundation and I’m not sure I’m exactly teacher material. I listen to you bitch about administrator shit and do so much for Yuuei students and grads, don’t push it.
Back to the main issue, the school year just started so now would be a good time to let the gen/management/support courses know that internships will be available to them this year. I’ve compiled a list of hero agencies and outside companies I have contacted who expressed an interest in accepting non-heroic interns. I have determined that AFO can take a maximum of 30 students this spring and OFA closer to 20 but some of those will be taken by teens from the villain reform programs. Heroics students are great but I hope to see a wider variety this
XxX
“Deku, sir?” Izuku looked up from the passive aggressive email he’d been in the midst of typing. “I need your signature on these forms to allocate funds for the sponsorships of at risk kids.” Yumeno Niru, his CHA at All For One said with a low bow.
“Right, yes, thank you,” Izuku muttered as he quit the underhanded jibes and went back to the initial purpose of his email. He’d developed an unlikely friendship with his old principal upon graduation, one born out of bitterness and a mutual understanding of society’s prejudices. The freedom to complain at an understanding authority figure almost made up for the Rat’s constant attempts to get him on staff. “I’m just finishing up my message to Yuuei’s principal about diversifying this year’s spring internships. Have any of the reform programs gotten back to us?”
“Yes,” Yumeno said, the pinpricks of his white eyes glittering from within inky blackness. “Two of the five programs we messaged have agreed; I haven’t heard from two and one denied the offer as being too dangerous.”
“Well hopefully once we formalize the process more we can get more programs on board,” Izuku nodded as he reviewed and sent the email to Nedzu. “Thanks Yumeno-san, you’ve been invaluable helping me push this through.”
“It’s you I should be thanking,” Yumeno Niru, formerly known as the villain Morpheus, said quietly. Izuku never regretted reaching out to the scared villain barely older than him who needed help and someone to understand. His efforts had earned him an ally and a close friend; Izuku could only hope this program would give more people like Yumeno second chances. “Isn’t it almost time for your afternoon patrol?”
“Oh shit,” Izuku cursed looking at the time as he hastily reached over and scrawled his messy signature on Yumeno’s files. “Forward me the information on the two programs that agreed to work with us so I can start talking with them about the sponsorships.”
“Of course, sir. Would you like me to accompany you today?” As a Certified Hero Aide, Yumeno had the same privileges of a provisional license and could use his touch based sleep quirk as long as Izuku authorized it. Though Yumeno regretted his past and enjoyed the quiet office life, he was vicious in a fight when the situation called for it. However, he only seemed to use patrols as an excuse to act as Izuku’s self-appointed bodyguard.
“No, I’ll be fine. I won’t be going far, just doing a couple of loops. I need to be back by three for open quirk time at All For One.” Izuku said as he tugged on his combat gloves in preparation for patrol.
“If I may, sir,” Yumeno frowned, “your recent push for accountability in the heroics industry has made you a lot of enemies. Heroes have been losing their licenses thanks to your exposure of their abuses of power. Both the agency and the Foundation have been receiving a lot of threats…”
“So that means I’m doing my job right,” Izuku countered, strapping his weapons in their proper slots. “Don’t worry, I’ve been doing this for a while but I’ll have my comm if I need help.” He said with the smile he used to keep his friends from fussing.
“Just be careful, sir,” Yumeno said, stepping out of the way.
“You don’t need to call me sir, Yumeno-san,” Izuku grinned, echoing the same argument they’ve been playfully having for years. “You’re three years older than me.”
“Respectfully, sir,” Yumeno said with a small smirk, “I can’t do that.”
XxX
[call started with Shouto at 1318]
Izuku: Hey there Sho, just checking in. You weren’t answering my texts so I wanted to make sure everything was alright. I know deciding what to have for dinner is a difficult burden but I believe in your ability to pull through.
Shouto: [softly] Sorry, I forgot. I don’t care just pick something as long as it’s easy.
Izuku: Woah hey there, what’s wrong?
Shouto: Nothing [huffs] nothing I’m just feeling a little rough right now. You know my child psych class has been difficult, you know, for me. We were talking about the signs of abuse today and it just hit close to home.
Izuku: Shouto…
Shouto: Don’t worry, I’m fine just a bit wrung out. I’m going to keep my patrol brief today then catch up on paperwork to clear my head.
Izuku: Okay, hey how about we do cold soba for dinner?
Shouto: [scoffs fondly] Izuku, we can’t always do my favorite. We had it last week and twice the week before.
Izuku: You deserve it Shouto, you’ve been working so hard the past few months. Is it so difficult to believe I want to take care of my boyfriend?
Shouto: [sighs dramatically] You’re spoiling me. I’m going to be fat and lazy before I have a chance to retire and it’s going to be all your fault.
Izuku: [laughs] And I promise to love you even the- oh one second Sho. [the phone is covered and there’s the muffled sound of city sounds and voices]
Izuku: Sorry, a tourist needed directions to the station. Anyway, soba?
Shouto: Yeah, okay that sounds good. Are you seriously on the phone in the middle of patrol?
Izuku: It’s been a quiet day. I’ll let you know when I’m heading home with the food.
Shouto: [huffs] Rule number one, never say the Q word on shift. You’re just asking for trouble. Try not to be too late this time. I need to start getting ready myself, be safe out there. I love you, Izuku.
Izuku: I love you too, Sho and don’t worry about me, nothing’s going to happen.
Shouto: I’m going to hang up before you jinx yourself any more.
[Call ended with Shouto at 1337]
XxX
Izuku looked at his phone, bringing it up to his lips to hide his lovesick smile. He was so lucky in so many ways but when he listed them all in his head, he counted Shouto twice. Dinner arranged, Izuku tucked his phone away and went back to his route with renewed purpose. Overall it had been a good patrol, he just had a couple more blocks before he would turn around and head back to the agency.
He’d already caught a purse snatcher, discouraged some kids who looked like they were about to rob a liquor store — discreetly pushing AFO’s card into one of their pockets — and signed three autographs. The last kid with walrus tusks asked him to sign under Kacchan’s signature because “they were a matching set” which warmed Izuku’s fanboy heart. It felt good, being outside and putting his feet to the pavement like a proper hero.
He knew so much good came from the work he did behind a desk but he always made sure to squeeze in times for patrols like these.
Several simultaneous screams caught his attention and he turned to find a post box being hurled towards him. He sprinted for the two older women closest to him, pulling them away and shielding them as the box collided with a nearby shop window, setting off a screeching alarm.
Dammit, Shouto was right. He did jinx it .
“You two need to get out of here. I’ll take care of this,” he shouted, giving them a little push away. As they disappeared into the screaming crowd, Izuku got a better look at the villain. He opened up his comm as discreetly as he could.
“You’re under arrest, Hook, for malicious public quirk use, property damage, endangerment of civilians and an attack on a Pro Hero. Please come quietly or I’ll-”
“Or you’ll what?” Hook chuckled with a cruel smile, tilting the metallic hooks he had for arms so they glinted in the light. “You’ll swing your little stick at me? Maybe convince me to change my ways? Face it, Deku, without other quirks around, you’re nothing but a scared, little kid playing dress-up.” Izuku blinked, a bit surprised. That was an unusually complex insult coming from Hook who tended to communicate mostly through grunts.
Izuku started dodging the sloppy strikes of Hook’s arms. He’d put Hook in jail no less than three times so he wasn’t sure where the villain’s sudden superiority complex was coming from. He ducked under a swing and grabbed one bō staff from his back, letting it clash with Hook’s arms.
“You got lucky the last few times but now I’m gonna show you just how unevolved you are,” Hook hissed. But his eyes weren’t well focused on Izuku, his face both snarling and slack, as if he didn’t know what expression to make.
While Hook was busy slinging slurs, Izuku introduced his steel lined boot to the man’s foot. He didn’t react so Izuku brought up his knee into the man’s thigh, targeting the large nerve cluster there. The leg gave way and Hook collapsed but he still showed no signs of the pain he should be feeling. Was he hopped up on Trigger?
Either way, Izuku needed to end this quickly. Hook was struggling to get himself off of the ground with his non functional leg and unwieldy arms. There was something off about this whole fight; Hook wasn’t acting or moving like he normally did. Izuku frowned as he pulled out his capture tape to safely bind the hooks. Before he could, the whole area was instantly covered in a thick, purple mist. Izuku gagged before he quickly pulled up his mask with a built-in respirator.
“Never knew you to be a team player, Mistery,” Izuku said through the distortion of his mask. He closed his eyes and focused on the sounds around him in order to pinpoint the villains. Hook must have gotten back to his feet because Izuku could hear him clunking around. Mistery could move within her own mist undetected but she had to know that backup would be here soon.
“One does what one must,” a feather light voice echoed from within the mist, “you would know, wouldn’t you, Deku?” The sound of heavy footsteps approaching had Izuku swinging his staff, scraping it loudly across the ground to make them think he was going for the feet when in fact…
He slammed Mistery hard in the side with his bō where she’d attempted to grab Izuku from behind while Hook distracted him head-on. He stepped out of the way as Hook charged and the two villains collided in a tangle. This really was a strange fight, Hook and Mistery usually ran in different crowds and wasn’t Mistery trying to reform... Izuku jolted as something sharp stung him in the neck. He whirled around for his attacker but no one was there.
“I’ll get you!” Hook shouted, once more charging at Izuku. One wildly swinging hook caught Izuku in the arm, scraping past the armor and drawing blood. Ignoring the pain, he kicked towards Hook’s center of gravity, landing a hit on the man’s lower abdomen before roundhouse kicking him in the side of the head. The man went down like a lead balloon.
The faint sound of metal had him pulling one of his knives out and stopped her from stabbing him in the neck. The two knives screeched as they tried to overpower one another. Izuku was almost a head taller than her and significantly heavier so it didn’t take much to force her back. He grabbed her wrist, twisting it until the knife fell out before pulling it tight behind her back and forcing her to her knees.
“It’s over,” Izuku said, holding onto her as he bound her hands in capture tape. “I’m not going to hurt you but if you don’t cut it out with the mist they’re gonna put a suppressor cuff on you. I hear they’re quite uncomfortable.” Mistery stopped her struggling, wrenching her neck painfully to look him in the eye. Like Hook, her eyes weren’t trained on him and her face was uncomfortably blank.
“Enjoy the freedom while it lasts,” she said with a creepy little smile. “You think you’re helping people? You’re just another villain chipping away at everything good and heroic in our society. Your reckoning is coming, Pretender,” with that said, she went totally limp in his arms forcing Izuku to catch her before she cracked her head on the pavement. The mist started to dissipate once she was unconscious and he could make out the lights from police cars seeping through the haze.
Izuku gently lowered her to the ground and delicately poked his injured arm to assess the damage. He sighed as he watched Mistery and Hook lie there unconscious, giving no explanation for their odd behavior. Man, the paperwork for this was going to be a nightmare. “That’s what I get for jinxing my patrol.”
XxX
Hero Hangout Online Forum
Kurou Smash! (logged in)
29/7/2XXX: Hero Whirlwind vs Villain Toxic Woman in Shinjuku
Posted 2 hours ago, 27 comments
Kurou Smash! (posted 15 minutes ago)
I see you all hyping this fight but Whirlwind caused so much property damage during the 13 minute fight and put civilians at risk not once but twice because he was too busy showboating and not watching his quirk. He’s got potential to be a great hero but he just graduated from Sithu Academy and that hero school notoriously advocates for use of excessive force and not doing proper empathy training. He did this before in May and September so it’s not a one off deal; he needs to be reigned in before he seriously hurts someone.
#someone had to say it #hero: whirlwind #villain: toxicwoman
my hero totoro (posted 13 minutes ago)
You are always so tough on these brash, flashy heroes Kurou but I agree that Whirlwind didn’t even look at the civilians he was supposed to be protecting. It was a good thing Ingenium showed up when he did or I could imagine there would have been more injuries.
#whirlwind fight #ingenium is so cool guys #im a lesbian but he radiates such himbo dad energy he gets /my/ engines roaring
Explosion Riot (posted 12 minutes ago)
Does anyone else feel like since AM died the quality of heroes has gone down? I mean we had some real contenders for some legendary figures and yet so many just get annoying.
Froppy spent a whole interview talking about saving the oceans and stuff. Magenta refuses to work with certain heroes who have any kind of accusations of sexual assault, confirmed or not. Shouto’s taking time and talking of retiring soon which is frigging crazy given how suited his quirk is for heroics. Even Explosion, my man Bakugou, seems to get more toothless by the year with all this PC stuff going around. I dont wanna point fingers but we all know who’s making the heroes lame
#i want to see a good fight not an infomercial #dekus a badass but shut up sometimes dude #you’re lucky to even be a hero
Kurou Smash! (posted 8 minutes ago)
I’m actually extremely proud of our recent generation of heroes. They’re different from those that came before, different from All Might but I think that’s a good thing. It means things are changing and getting better. I know I feel safer out there knowing there’s heroes out there not only fighting villains but fighting for causes they believe in. It’s because they care enough to make the world a better place for everyone in it.
Also @my hero totoro plz dont talk about Ingenium that way. He’s like everyone’s nosy big brother also he’s engaged to Uravity so its extra weird.
#im so glad we have such dedicated involved heroes #I think AM would be too if he were here to see it #theyre like my family i love them so much #so stop thirsting for them where i can see it #my dad left when I was a kid so Ingenium serves as one of my many substitute dads
(... Mountain_Lady69 and my hero totoro are typing)
XxX
“Deku?” Izuku scrambled to close the chat before the other man could see what he was up to. His rampant fanboyism wasn’t exactly a secret but his coworkers didn’t need to know he spent rare free minutes debating on the internet. “Woah, you okay, kid?”
“I’m not a kid, Haimawari-san,” Izuku frowned, tucking away his phone. “And you just surprised is all; I didn’t know you were here today.”
“You were in grade school when I was dealing with college, you’re practically a baby,” the older man said with a wry smile, bright and teasing. “And I’m not officially but Iida-kun’s still losing his mind over the upcoming wedding so Tensei convinced the kid to take an early day for some brotherly bonding or something. Decided to crawl on by.”
“Really, Crawler ?” Izuku said under his breath with an eye roll. Haimawari Koichi’s tenure as the former Narahata vigilante, Crawler, wasn’t common knowledge so he used every opportunity for puns. Though he never got his license, Haimawari was still one of the most heroic people Izuku had met. Even a decade after losing his quirk, he was still helping people as one of Tenya’s advisors and volunteering here at All For One.
“Deku, Occhan! Watch this!” One of the eager young hero interns, Brightburn shouted, flaring out his aura in a dazzle of powerful golden rays. “I can spread my field almost 10 meters now! Your suggestions really helped!”
“Great job!” Izuku shouted back with a grin and a thumbs up.
“Awesome, Hideo-kun! Just don’t be like your mentor over here and wear yourself out, you all have school in the morning,” Haimawari said. Izuku elbowed him in the side. “Same goes for the rest of you rascals.”
“Yes, Occhan,” various other kids parroted back before getting back to their work. The other children ranged from hero students training to civilians requesting a safe area to practice their quirk. Open quirk time was one of the first programs initiated at All For One which always had heroes rotating through to supervise. Haimawari was here often enough that the kids had nicknamed him ‘Uncle’.
“Problem children,” Aizawa-sensei greeted, walking up to them stiffly and leaning heavily on his crutch. Clearly his bad leg was bothering him today. “Anything I need to know?”
“There’s sixteen kids here today, seven hero students and nine civilians, most of which have physical and emitter quirks but Shika-chan has a pretty powerful psychic quirk she can’t control all that well. There’s four pro heroes including you and Deku but Radiator is only here until 5 tonight. No incidents so far, all kids who’ve been here before. Wednesdays and Fridays are when we have the reform kids on site,” Haimawari explained with his tilted smile.
“This is why you’re my favorite problem child,” Aizawa said, nodding in approval. “Other problem child, I heard you got into a brawl today with some thugs and limited the damage. Good work,” Izuku flushed all the way to his hair, as he always did when his old teacher complimented him. “Please, either one of you take my job at Yuuei so I can finally retire in peace.”
“I’m too busy and I’m quirkless. I’d also be a political nightmare for the school,” Izuku offered helpfully.
“And I’m also quirkless and technically not a pro hero,” Haimawari shrugged. “Also I’m in my late 30’s, I need to think of retirement myself soon.” Aizawa’s hair, now filled with grey streaks, floated as he activated his quirk; the wrinkles around his eyes glowing somewhat as his eyes flashed. The two of them grinned innocently at the older hero, unaffected by Erasure.
“I changed my mind, Midoriya is my favorite now,” Aizawa murmured as he deactivated his quirk. Haimawari scoffed in mock offense. “Just be careful, you’ve always been polarizing but your latest attempts to change the industry have upset a lot of people. It’s not just the villains after you, it's the heroes and politicians.”
“I’m aware,” Izuku said, rubbing at his neck where he’d been stung earlier. That fight earlier still bothered him and he couldn’t put his finger on why. Just another thing for the pile. “But I couldn’t call myself a hero if I didn’t save people from things that hurt them even if it’s the law.”
“Right,” Aizawa huffed, turning back to the kids practicing or outright playing. It was a soothing sight, watching the next generation grow. He wondered if that’s why Aizawa got into teaching. “Just don’t die, you still have a lot to accomplish before you beat All Might.”
“No one can beat All Might! He’s the unstoppable Number One even years after his death.”
“Deku is great but he’s no All Might, no one else has that level of power and perseverance to hold an entire society!” He and Haimawari argued all at once.
“Loud,” Aizawa moaned, sticking a finger in his ear. “I’ll be over there, please keep your fanboy tendencies to yourself.” His teacher hobbled away after that, grabbing the chair he always used and gently setting himself into it.
“Grouch,” Haimawari said fondly, watching as two kids immediately ran up to Aizawa for advice. “He is right though, Midoriya. It’s dangerous enough to be quirkless, much less as vocal as you are.”
“I can handle it,” Izuku sighed, watching the kids volleying their quirks back and forth. It reminded him of what was absent in him, in both of them now. “Do you miss it?” he asked quietly.
“Yeah, sometimes,” Haimawari frowned, turning away and rubbing at his neck. “When I first got my quirk stolen, it felt like I’d lost the most important part of myself. But then time passed and I realized it was just that, a part. Even now, I sometimes get on my palms and expect to go but then I get back up and walk, still managing to get to the same place.”
“I’m gonna find him,” Izuku said darkly. “I’m gonna find the man who stole your quirk, who killed All Might and I’m going to bring him to justice if it’s the last thing I do.”
“Don’t,” Haimawari snapped, staring straight ahead. “I hope to god you never meet that bastard. I still have nightmares about him, and when I wake, I pray that his absence means he’s dead.”
“He’s not dead, I can feel it,” Izuku huffed, before forcing his shoulders to loosen. He’s gotten grey hairs from searching for All For One, the man he named his charitable foundation after as a challenge. He’d find him, someday, but not right now.
“What about you?” Izuku blinked at Haimawari’s change of topic, “about your quirk?”
“Can’t miss what you never had,” Izuku shrugged self consciously. “But sometimes I wonder, would things have been better? Easier for sure but would I still be doing this kind of hero work,” he asked, gesturing to the gym filled with laughing children. It had been within reach once, the world’s most powerful quirk. Chance had taken it before he had the opportunity but still it kept him up at night, wondering what kind of hero a superpowered Deku would be. “I try to focus instead on what I have now.”
“You’re a good man, Midoriya,” Haimawari smiled. “Oi! Be aware of your surroundings, Akari-chan! Put some space between you and others if you’re gonna get that fancy with your fire!” The vigilante turned beloved uncle said, striding forward to control the situation.
Izuku smiled, reveling in the security and contentment to be found in this moment. Deku with One For All might have been a powerful and amazing hero, but Quirkless Deku was pretty good in his own right - and there was still so much further he could rise.
“Ishiyama!” Izuku said, calling out to a hero support student. “There’s better ways to offer protection to other heroes and civilians, let me show you.”
XxX
Midoriya Izuku Mailbox
Last updated: 34 seconds ago
Mom Love From Taiwan!!! 1646
3 attachments
Hi sweetie! I’m having a great time on my vacation (thank you!!!) I wish you could have come but I know you're so busy. I…
Quirkless Awareness Be Sure to Donate to… 1712
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To the Quirkless and Allies, as you know it’s a constant struggle to a world that’s against us and we always need support…
Iida Tenya Wedding Help 1739
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Midoriya, I know you are busy but if you have a minute, I would appreciate your thoughts on arrangements for the wed…
Yuuei High School Report on Student Advancem... 1801
Deku, your biweekly review is due on intern(s): Negative Man (ID: 876546), Pluto (ID: 678865), Impossible Girl (ID: 87540 ...
Shinsou Hitoshi Notes from todays meeting 1823
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Heres the minutes u asked for. Wednesday at 3 still good for the cat cafe? I need to see my girl Sugar, it's been so long...
ALL MIGHT LEGACY THE LATEST FROM THE VAU… 1900
ALL MIGHT MAY BE GONE BUT HIS LEGACY REMAINS AND IT COULD BE YOURS! SPECIAL DEALS SUCH AS THE 2XXX GOLDE...
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Izuku flipped through his email, enjoying the night as he hurried back home, lightly swinging the takeout soba in his hand. He checked the time, it was almost 7:30, a little later than he’d hoped but still not the worst given his previous track record. The idea of a hot shower and eating soba with Shouto sounded heavenly right now.
He took another step forward and then he stopped. Izuku was frozen in place, unable to move a single muscle. He couldn’t even move his eyes to search for the one responsible; he should probably consider himself lucky he could still breathe. His phone was held tantalizingly in one hand but it might as well have been on the moon.
“Turn into the alleyway Deku,” a husky voice said, “and look casual about it.” His feet began moving of their own accord, taking him off the well lit streets and deep into a dark, dank alley. His eyes burned, unable to blink or turn from the waking nightmare. In this light, it looked like the alley he had fought Stain in, the first real time he’d thought he was going to die. “There we are, you don’t look like such a big shot hero now do you? You just look like another Pretender out to bring down those bigger and better than you in order to justify your pitiful existence.”
It was so strange being afraid and not being able to feel any physical signs of it. There was no trembling, no tears, no hitch in his lungs or tense muscles. There were so few quirks that allowed for such absolute control of their victim. He cursed himself for not seeing it earlier.
“I can feel you trying to talk, very well but no noisy screams. If you try it, I’ll make you gouge out one of your eyes,” Izuku opened his mouth and took a slow, shallow breath.
“I suppose I should have seen this coming, Parasyte,” he began carefully. “I thought something was wrong with Hook and Mistery, it’s because you were controlling them. You used them as a distraction to get close enough to implant your parasites. The neck puncture I felt, that was you.” Parasyte’s quirk took a long time to activate but after almost five hours, oh god , Izuku had to have parasites embedded in every nerve and muscle in his body which was no longer his own at this point. He had full control of Izuku’s voluntary and involuntary functions.
“You always were so clever, Deku,” the hero Parasyte said, walking up to him and getting right in his face. Izuku couldn’t even flinch. “If only you’d learned your place.” Parasyte was in street clothes, of course he’d had his hero costume confiscated when his license was suspended early last week pending investigation. Only suspended, though, not confined. Even former pros got special treatment when it came to criminal charges. “You ruined my life, brat.”
“You ruined yours when you broke your oath to protect,” Izuku said softly. “You used your quirk on your fellow heroes, making them respond poorly so you could take credit. You made civilians do crimes and then blackmailed them for it. You hid and tortured villains you were supposed to arrest, taking your aggression on those who you’d stripped control from.” Izuku took a deep breath, savoring it. “You’re no hero.”
“Bastard,” Parasyte hissed and Izuku felt his chest compress, preventing him from breathing. “What makes you think you can talk to me like that? You may be the Symbol of Peace, but you’re no All Might.” Despite all his efforts, Izuku couldn’t force himself to take a much needed breath. Parasyte grinned languidly, slowly pacing around Izuku’s calm and pliant body as he quietly suffocated. “The strongest of quirks can’t break out of my hold so don’t even bother trying. A little quirkless thing like you doesn’t stand a chance.”
Dots were starting to flare and fade in Izuku’s vision and his knees started shaking a bit as his body started to feel the effects from the lack of oxygen. He was going to die right here, right now. He always thought he’d go out fighting or at least surrounded by friends; he never imagined he would be alone and not even able to shed a tear to mourn. Shou-
A beat passed and Izuku was granted the ability to breathe again. He was only allowed slow, shallow breaths and not the gasping ones he wanted to take but it was something.
“Oh no, it’s not going to be that easy,” Parasyte grinned right next to his ear. “You’re going to suffer before I send you to your grave. We’ll start by walking back to your lovely home and killing Endeavor’s boy. How you convinced such a powerful hero to be domestic with you I’ll never understand but his poor decisions will be the death of him.” Izuku wanted to rage and panic and cry to stay away from Shouto but all he could do was listen in horror.
“Then we’ll go to that cute little foundation of yours and find some kids to kill, maybe some of your friends if we’re lucky. I hope the police and press get involved by that point and you’ll make some very deranged and quirkist statements, as ugly and offensive as possible. And when your reputation is thoroughly sullied, I’ll take you somewhere nice and private where you will die horribly and know that all your hard work amounted to nothing.”
“How does that sound, hero ?” Parasyte teased, tenderly tucking one of Izuku’s stray curls out of his eyes and behind his ear. “We’re going to have such a fun night.”
“Yes, we are,” a light feminine voice said, dropping down from the roof like an avenging angel. She landed on top of Parasyte, wrenching him to the side and slamming him into the dirt of the alleyway. “I’m not going to let you hurt Deku.”
“Oh but he’s going to hurt you, you little punk,” Parasyte hissed. Izuku saw more than felt his body propel forward ready to tackle the teen girl with all his might. He caught a glimpse of long white hair beneath the hoodie and his hopes buoyed. She ran to meet him and her small but calloused hand grabbed him by the face.
“Rewind!” She shouted and Izuku’s world went blank. When he woke up, he was slouched against the side of the alleyway and he could breathe on his own. He took a deep breath and started crying, holding himself tight and being so thankful for such a simple action. There was a shuffling and he found his hero securing an unconscious Parasyte with zip ties. His take-out was a scattered mess on the ground.
“Thank you, Eri,” he said hoarsely after a minute. The teen vigilante pulled down her hoodie and face mask down revealing snow white hair, a tiny horn on the right side of her head and warm red eyes.
“You’re welcome, Deku. I’m glad I got here in time.” She gave Parasyte a little kick before walking over and kneeling next to him. “I wasn’t quite sure how his quirk worked or when you were infected so I rewound you about a week. I hope that’s okay. Sorry about your dinner, my quirk only works on people.”
“Yeah,” Izuku said, testing his arm where he’d been cut today but also stabbed Tuesday and burned last month which now bore no traces. He’s pretty sure she went back further than a week but didn’t mention that. “It’s fine, thank you.” She smiled, it always broke his heart how sad her smiles were. He’d built up a rapport with the teen vigilante known as Rewind who’d taken to the streets almost a year ago. She’d felt comfortable to show her face, give him a name but he still knew nothing about her. All he wanted was to see her smile like nothing could ever hurt her.
“Do you want me to call the police? I can stay with you for a minute before they come,” Eri said quietly, settling next to him.
“Why don’t you stay?” Izuku asked, “give a statement about how you were in the area and then I’ll take you home. We have an extra bedroom, food, access to school and protection, Shouto and I will take care of you.”
Eri smiled again and leaned just a little bit against his shoulder. “Thank you, really but I’m fine. I was in a bad place when I was just a little kid. I managed to escape and now I have friends, I’m using my curse to help others. It’s not normal but I feel good, doing this. I’m satisfied in my own way.” She stood up and pulled up her hoodie and mask, becoming the nameless vigilante once more. “Keep safe, Deku. The world needs more people like you.”
“You too, Eri. My offer is always open, even if you just want to come by and talk. Us heroes need to stick together.” Her eyes crinkled and he knew, beneath the mask, she was smiling. Without another word, she scrambled up the side of the building and over the top, disappearing once more into the night.
Izuku sighed, laying his head against the alley wall to compose himself for the circus to come. He was alive, Shouto and everyone was safe and Parasyte was contained. It was fine so why did he still feel so shaken? Maybe he did need a therapist after all. Forcing himself to his feet, he grabbed his discarded phone and made the call.
“Yes police, this is the hero Deku, ID number 610041. I have the suspended hero Parasyte here under arrest for malicious quirk abuse and conspiracy to commit murder and fraud. I’m sending my location now, please send a team and bring quirk suppressors.”
XxX
Musutafu Police Department, 9th Precinct
Interview with Hero Deku Regarding Parasyte Incident (Case Number: 98538467)
Recording started 2049 JST
Detective Mori Shiran (Badge Number: 2065): Good evening, I know it’s been a long night so lets make this quick. Can you state your full name, birthday, occupation and quirk for the record.
Midoriya Izuku (Hero ID: 610041): Midoriya Izuku known as Deku, birthday is July 15th 2XXX, I’m a professional hero and I’m quirkless.
Det. Mori: Can you walk me through what happened?
Midoriya: I was walking home, I remember checking my phone that it was just past 7:30 when I lost control of my body. Parasyte admitted to controlling Mistery and Hook and forcing them to fight me earlier in order to implant his parasites (edit: Case Number: 69721145). He then waited until I was isolated and his quirk could have maximum effect. He forced me into an alley and threatened to injure me, hurt my personal relations and innocent civilians before making me publicly defame myself.
Det. Mori: Those are heavy charges against a pro hero, is there any way you can back this up?
Midoriya: Former pro hero, his license was suspended pending full retraction. Mistery and Hook should back up my claims that Parasyte was controlling them. They may also retain parasites in them since mine were forcibly removed.
Det. Mori: Yes, can you state for the record how that happened?
Midoriya: A figure attacked Parasyte before he could enact the plan he’d laid out. Judging by her appearance and the use of her quirk, I’m pretty sure it’s the unregistered hero, Rewind.
Det. Mori: You mean the vigilante? We’ve been after her for awhile, can you give us a physical description?
Midoriya: I know what I said, Detective. She was athletic based on her movements or maybe just young but it’s hard to tell beneath the large hoodie and pants. The hood was pulled down and she had a face mask on so I couldn’t see her face at all. When she used her quirk on me to get rid of the parasites, I blacked out for a bit and when I woke up, she was gone.
Det Mori: Did she say anything to you?
Midoriya: No, I presume she had better things to do than question a stressed hero who’d just gone through a traumatic ordeal.
Det. Mori: I do apologize for not delaying the questioning as we normally would but given the sensitive nature of the matter we needed your statement as soon as possible.
Midoriya: You will be keeping Parasyte in holding, right?
Det. Mori: I cannot speak on what will happen to Kiseichū Kontoru AKA Parasyte. We will talk to Mistery and Hook but villain testimonies are never to be trusted completely. I would suggest taking enhanced security precautions while we sort everything. Your office informed us you’ve been receiving death threats?
Midoriya: People have been telling me to die since elementary school. Just tell it to me straight, is Parasyte going to walk free until the trial?
Det. Mori: As a hero, you know I am not allowed to comment on any ongoing investigations especially given you were a victim not a consultant in this case. As a pro hero, Parasyte is offered special considerations so I would be prepared for any eventuality
Midoriya: Are you [redacted] kidding me? After what just happened? Okay, we're done here. Contact my agency if you have any questions but you’ll certainly be hearing from my lawyer.
Recording ended 2111 JST
XxX
When Izuku stormed out of the interrogation room and caught sight of Shouto angrily tapping his foot from a tiny plastic chair, he lost any manner of control he’d been holding onto by the skin of his teeth.
“Shouto,” he whined, not caring that he was an adult, a pro hero in a police station he’d just stormed out of. Seeing his boyfriend, frustrated and rumpled in an inside out sweater but alive caused the tears to spill out. If Eri hadn’t gotten there in time he could have...
“Izuku,” Shouto said, darting up and striding through the station and wrapping Izuku in a tight hug. “I’m here, it’s okay, I got you.” Izuku pulled Shouto close, burying his face into his boyfriend’s warm left shoulder. He lost himself in that familiar comfort, tuning out the outside world and just breathing in Shouto’s scent.
“Izuku-kun,” Izuku popped his head up as Inspector Tsukauchi burst through the doors of the station. “I’d already left but I came back when I’d heard what happened, are you alright, son?”
“Fine,” he nodded, stepping away from Shouto. “Tsukauchi-san, are they seriously trying to release Parasyte?”
“Not if I have anything to say about it,” Tsukauchi hissed, before rubbing at his face. “You know the Commission supported reinstating his license so they already have their lawyers filing a suit protesting his arrest and your statements. I have enough to hold him for the next day but I’m putting a rush on going through his record to officially charge him.” He reached out and gently set a hand on Izuku’s shoulder. “On Toshinori’s grave, I will do my utmost to see Parasyte behind bars.”
“Thanks, Tsukauchi-san,” Izuku sighed with relief, “sorry to cause you trouble.”
“You’re helping me put away a terrible villain, I ought to be thanking you. Go home and get some rest you two, you can call me in the morning with questions. I’ll probably still be here,” he sighed before striding into the station like he was going off to battle.
“I like him,” Shouto nodded in approval before ushering Izuku towards the door. “Come on, Momo sent a driver so we can just head straight back home.” Izuku let Shouto walk him out, refusing to untangle himself from his partner’s side.
“Your agency is giving you a security detail for the next few days at least,” Shouto said gently once he’d manhandled Izuku into the car. “Tenya’s calling your lawyer, Kiyoshi-san, so she should have a counter argument drafted by the morning. Izuku, is there anything else you need to tell me? Did that bastard hurt you? The police said you were uninjured but-”
“M’fine,” Izuku mumbled.
“It’s okay to not be fine,” Shouto sighed into Izuku’s hair. For a moment, the world was no bigger than Izuku, Shouto and the quiet, steady rumble of the car.
“I’m sorry, Sho,” Izuku added looking up at his partner.
“Izuku, none of this is your fault. Parasyte deserved to have his license revoked and tonight he demonstrated how much of a villain he always was,” Shouto spat, a bit of flame licking on his lips. “I will bury him for what he did to you, if not legally then physically. With a glacier.”
“Sexy,” Izuku said with a shaky grin, nuzzling into the crook of Shouto’s neck. “But really, I’m sorry I lost our dinner. It's all over the alley floor for the rats to enjoy.”
“Who cares about soba when we have,” Shouto said, holding up a convenience store bag, “discount bentos.” That really made Izuku smile as he assured himself that everything was okay.
XxX
Hero News
Refreshed at 2342
(2h ago) Number One Hero Takes Down Quirk Trafficking Ring
Everyone’s favorite fiery Number One, Kacchan, has done it again, bringing down a quirk trafficking ring run out of Chiba. Almost 30 men and women were recovered from a warehouse-
(1h ago) Gang Orca’s Newest Sidekick, Maelstrom, Making a Splash!
A recent graduate of Mandalore Hero Academy, Maelstrom turned heads with their impressive tsunami quirk that swept away the would be poachers. “I knew I had someone special when-
(27m ago) Parasyte Accused of Attacking Deku
The controlling hero, Parasyte, who had his license suspended last week due to accusations of misconduct, is now being investigated for threatening Deku due to his involvement with the-
(5m ago) The Luminous Hero Returns Home!
Lumière, graduate of Yuuei’s legendary Class of 2XXX will be returning to Japan after almost two years working in Europe. Aoyama’s agent confirmed that the hero will be home by the end-
XxX
“Give me that,” Shouto said, yanking Izuku’s phone out of his hands where he’d been scrolling through the news while Shouto showered. “You’re supposed to be relaxing, you workaholic. You had a tough day.”
“Mhmm,” Izuku shrugged, scooting closer to Shouto when he laid down. “It was fine up until the psychopath kidnapped me and threatened to hurt me and my loved ones. Honestly, it’s nothing new, just another day in the life.”
“I know, that’s what worries me,” Shouto sighed, scrubbing at his eyes. “It’s almost midnight, what time do you need to be up tomorrow?”
“Four again.”
“Are you serious?” Shouto scoffed, turning to Izuku who’d already closed his eyes and was pretending to sleep. “Izuku-”
“Good night, Sho,” Izuku hummed, letting his exhaustion carry him away. It was the only good thing about overworking himself, it made falling asleep a helluva lot easier.
As he closed his eyes, he dreamt of the better world he and his friend were building. He just had to get through today and tomorrow and the day after that and, one day, one day they’d be there. Just one step, one day, at a time.