11: Assault on the U.S.J. - 1: Crimson Cowl
The next morning when Kyōka finally managed to drag herself out of her happy, dreamy romance induced sleep, the first thing she did was check her right hand, and release a sigh of relief when she saw the promise ring nestled on her finger. [It wasn't a dream.] She sighed dreamily as she hugged her pillow against her chest, giddiness rushing through her like the ultimate sugar rush.
A soft rapping at her door pulled her from her thoughts, "Kyōka?" It sounded like Mina, "Sorry to wake you, Sweetie, but Mister Aizawa popped in and said that you've got some new equipment waiting for you down in the Support Course room."
Kyōka perked up, "New gear?" She asked, "But I never ordered any."
Mina opened the door and poked her head in, "Yeah, everyone else thought it was weird..." she stopped as her big dark eyes landed on the girl still in her bed clothes, minus her normal Deep Dope tank top which was still on the floor, "Whoa! Midori really did a number on - ," she shook her head, "Never mind!" She coughed suddenly and bustled into the room, "C'mon, we need to get you presentable before Īda comes barging in here again."
The girl cocked her head, "Presentable?" She wondered as Mina grabbed her and hauled her out of bed. "Mina, what are -?"
Mina turned around and pointed at Kyōka's neck, "Sweetie, the entire left side of your neck is covered in hickies," she informed her, the lavender blush on her cheeks deepening, something rare in Mina's case, "And I doubt you want Īda, or, god forbid, a teacher seeing those."
Kyōka's hand all but flew up to her neck, feeling her heart sink as she touched the swollen skin around the left side, "Oh, god, my parents are gonna kill me!" She moaned as Mina dragged her into her bathroom and sat her down in front of the mirror, giving her a perfect view of the extent damage Izuku had done to her. "Oh, god!" Mina had not been kidding when she said that her neck was covered: it looked like one huge bruise!
"Now, now, this is fixable!" Mina assured her as the bubbly tone returned to her voice. She nipped out of the room for a few minutes, but returned with a makeup case in hand, "I've got everything you need right here, so no one will be the wiser except you and Midori."
Kyōka groaned: she hated makeup.
A few minutes later...
Kyōka loved makeup.
Mina was humming a tune as she applied the toner to her skin. The redness was all but gone now thanks to her work. She then applied a light shade of violet lipstick to Kyōka's lips to hide the swelling from last night's kisses. "There," the pink-skinned girl smiled as she let Kyōka take in her work. "You look absolutely beautiful, Kyoka."
A blush rose to her cheeks, "You really think so?" She mumbled with quiet disbelief.
Mina just grinned at her in the mirror and hugged her from behind, "I sure do, and all of us girls are really happy for you, ya know?" Mina giggled as both recalled the near fiasco that had happened the night before, "And since it's Midoriya, you probably got the best guy in class."
Kyōka giggled when Mina rubbed her cheek against hers, "Seriously?" She asked, though she was in silent agreement with the girl.
Mina nodded, "Yeppers," she grinned, "He's cute, he's smart, and he's got a Quirk that's bound to take him far in the Hero business." She told her, her dark eyes twinkling happily, "You two are bound to have a great life if things work out the way I hope."
Mina obviously hadn't seen the ring on her finger, yet, so Kyōka covered it discreetly with her left hand, "You really think we're a good match?" She asked as she thought back to the night when it all began on their way to U.A. to keep Eri safe. The first thought of being included in Izuku and Eri's little family that had crossed her mind had happened then.
"Oh, totally," Mina giggled, "And personally, I'm super jelly-jealous!" She gushed and hugged her tighter while rubbing cheeks with her again, "I mean come on! Midori's a catch that you'd be crazy to throw back! Plus Eri's the sweetest little angel I've ever met!" She giggled as she gave the girl a sly grin in the mirror, "I can honestly say that if you two break up, then Mama Pink's swoopin' in to snatch both of them up!"
Kyōka grinned right back at her, "That's never gonna happen!" She giggled, "I'm not planning on giving him up!"
Mina giggled once more and kissed her on the cheek, "That's what I like to hear." She said, releasing her from her arms, "Now, come on, and get dressed."
Kyōka allowed her to pull her up as she remembered that Iida had barged in on them last night. "Uh, how long will Īda not remember walking in on us?" She asked, hoping that there was little to no chance of it happening.
Mina gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder, "He didn't seem any wiser about it this morning, and no one was dumb enough to say anything." But the girl frowned a little, "Though Shinsō did mention that he'd remember in a few days, but that'll give you guys time to prepare."
Kyōka palmed her face, "Ugh, of course it wouldn't be permanent!" She moaned while Mina just giggled.
スパイダーマン
U.A. Toshinori/All Might's Office...
"Thank you for coming on such short notice," Toshinori said as he poured tea for his guest, "I realize that this came out of nowhere since we haven't spoken in such a long time - "
The man in front of him shook his head, "There's no need to explain yourself, All Might," he said, "I was rather insistent the last time we met." He reached for his tea and took an appreciative sip, "Now then," Mirai Sasaki said, "To what do I owe the pleasure of this meeting?"
Toshinori chuckled, "You're the one with Foresight, Nighteye, so why don't you tell me?"
"It has something to do with your successor, that much I am certain of," the man said, "I do have someone in mind to accept it, if you're willing to meet him?"
Toshinori nodded, "In truth, I thought that I'd already found the perfect successor," Mirai gave him a startled look, "A Quirkless boy with a kind heart and a brave soul."
"You say that you thought you had found the right one," Mirai said, his thoughts turning to his Quirk for a moment as he considered using his Foresight to see All Might's choice, even though he knew that it would only anger his former mentor as it did the last time he used it on him. "Did something happen that made you change your mind?"
Taking a deep breath, Toshinori gave a very slow nod of his head, "Yes, something did happen, Mirai: I happened," he said, much to his former sidekick's confusion, "When I first met him, he poured his soul out to me, and asked if he could become a Hero even though, at the time, he didn'tpossess a Quirk." He shook his head, "And given my own past experiences, I sought to protect the boy, and told him that he couldn't become a Hero without any sort of Quirk to help him."
Mirai nodded in understanding, "Admittedly a cruel, but wise choice," he said, "Though it is uncommon for Quirkless Heroes to arise, when they do, the mortality rate is extremely high," he sighed before zeroing in on his former mentor's words, "But you said that he didn't have a Quirk at the time?"
Toshinori chuckled, "I'll get to that in a moment," he told him patiently, "Anyway, after we parted ways, I turned to my future career as a teacher in order to find that successor you mention, and when the entrance exams came around, who should I see there but that same young man." He shook his head with a small grin of amazement, "I had never seen such a transformation before. In the time between our first meeting and the exam, that boy had not only improved himself to the point of near Quirkless superhuman strength, but he had also created support items for himself that made him a shoo-in for the Support Course."
He sat back, remembering the day Midoriya had taken the exams, "His scores on the written part of the exams were among the highest in the history of the school," he said before shaking his head, "And when the practical exam came up..." he sighed sadly, "His Support Gear managed to help him damage some of the robots, and he absolutely bloodied his fists in his attempts, but the Combat Points he earned where miniscule," he then gained another smile on his face, "But he shattered the record for Rescue Points," his smile dropped, "But even though Nezu removed the rule about not allowing the Quirkless to take the exam, many of the other teachers saw how badly he hurt himself, and vetoed his acceptance into the Hero Course because he thought that the boy wouldn't survive."
Mirai nodded again, "Unfair, to be sure, considering that could be grounds for a geneticism charge."
"That's close to what I said in the end," Toshinori snorted, "I failed to find him after the exam, and I lost hope of ever seeing him again," he laced his fingers together, "Then I get a call from Naomasa, you remember him(?), about a case of abduction and extreme child abuse."
The former sidekick winced, "Those types of cases are never pleasant to deal with." He muttered sympathetically, "I'm actually working on something similar at the moment."
The blond nodded, "It's actually part of the reason I called you here. U.A.'s hosting a child in protective custody, and I'd like for you to use your Quirk on her if we have enough time." He explained, "It might shed a little light on who was holding her," Toshinori said while the detective nodded in understanding, "But this little girl was saved by the same boy I just told you about. He was shot in the process, but all the time that he was bleeding out the only thing he thought of was getting that poor little girl to safety." He sighed, "Luckily enough, he ran into some friends that were able to take the girl to the police and get him medical attention...and that's where things took a strange turn."
"The doctor that treated him used the boy as an...experiment, I suppose," Toshinori's form began to smoke as he bulked up in anger, "He was injected with a mixture of what I'm told was Devil's Breath... and black widow venom, either one of which should have killed the boy, but they didn't...instead he spent a week in the hospital in a coma before coming out of it with arachnid-like powers. If I were to try to sum them up as separate Quirks, the boy would have six Quirks in total," Mirai looked at him in shock, "Superhuman strength, enhanced speed, an extremely powerful healing factor, the ability to crawl or walk on any surface without losing his balance, a sort of sixth sense that lets him detect danger, near or far, and he has a form of bio-electricity that he can discharge at will in small bursts, or one massive blast that not only fries tech, but messes with the nervous system that controls a person's Quirk, and can easily damage his surroundings when he unleashes enough of it."
Mirai looked down at his tea, "It's amazing that things turned out so well for him." He said as a thought struck him, "Is it this...arachnid themed Hero the news was barking about a few months ago? The one that took on Kendo Rappa?"
"That's the boy," Toshinori nodded, "Why?"
Mirai frowned and then looked his mentor in the eyes, "I want to meet him."
スパイダーマン
Meanwhile...
"Seriously, Midoriya, you caused one hell of a commotion last night," Shinsō sighed as the pair of them walked through the halls toward the Support Course room. "Īda woke up almost half the entire block with all that yelling he was doing in the halls while the girls were trying to keep him away from Jirō's room."
Izuku rubbed the back of his neck bashfully, "Sorry...but I'm not sorry?"
Shinsō snorted with a small grin on his face, "Hey, I'm not judging you, but next time, take the romance somewhere else." He chuckled as he lightly jabbed him, "Like a hotel or something?"
Izuku's face absolutely burned with embarrassment, "We didn't do anything like that!" Shouted the flustered teen, "I just - We - "
The Brainwashing teen just laughed at him, "Sputter all you want, loverboy," Shinsō grinned as he pointed to his neck, "I'm not the one with a huge hickey on my neck, now, am I?"
The blush on the boy's face had gone from neon to nuclear red, "I-it..." he raised his hand to the left side of his neck, "It was a lot worse when I got home." He muttered with some embarrassment, "If I didn't have a healing element in my Quirk, then I'd probably look a lot worse."
"Damn," Shinso droned out, "Didn't think the girl had it in her." He grinned as the boy next to him chuckled, "Anyway, what were you going to do in the Support room?"
Izuku's face brightened immediately, "Oh, Mei's got some upgrades she wants me to test out for my mask." He said, pulling one of his now infamous notebooks from...Shinsō didn't want to know. Really, his costume had no pockets! "I also wanted to pitch a new costume design at her."
Shinso looked at the page he opened the book up to, and whistled, "Hey, not bad," he said with a smile, "But isn't the suit you have right now made by Might Tower's personal Support Gear company?"
Izuku patted his chest where the arachnid insignia was, "Yeah and it also follows the color scheme that Dad uses for his costume, too, so I really like it," Izuku said with a small amount of pride, "But I'd like something that makes me look a little more friendly while doing Hero work in the day time, and keep this one for night work."
Shinsō looked at him, and then his grin returned, "Eri thought it looked scary, right?"
The verdette's head dropped. "Yeah."
He laughed then and patted his classmate on the back, "You really do love that little girl, don't you?"
"She's my world," his friend admitted with a brilliant smile, "Well, her and Kyōka." He said as they came to the Support Course room, right as his girlfriend was coming out with a small box in her arms.
Shinsō smiled when the girl caught sight of them and blushed as her eyes landed on Izuku, "Speak of the devil," he sighed as he stepped passed him, "I'll go ahead and ask Powerloader about my equipment and costume design, you two...take your time." He chuckled as he entered the room, leaving the two teens alone.
Izuku had a bright blush on his cheeks as he noticed the ring on her finger, "Uh, y-you're still wearing it." He pointed out, cursing himself for his lack of...brainpower.
Kyōka giggled, her jacks floating around her head happily, "Well, yeah...it's not like I'm gonna take it off anytime soon," she said, her cheeks warming with a small blush of her own, "Uh, you getting some upgrades done?"
"Yeah, Mei's idea," he said, "I also wanna have another costume made that won't scare Eri."
Kyōka blinked rapidly, "She's scared of your Hero costume?" She asked incredulously, "This is the first I've heard of it."
Izuku shrugged, "She didn't actually say she was frightened by it, but she did say that the eyes on the costume were kind of scary." He said with a little smile on his face, "And since she's been through so much already, I thought I should have something else on hand when I'm around school since the costume Mister Yagi had made for me is more suited to combat."
Kyōka giggled, "I can see that," she said as she turned and placed her box against the wall next to the Support Course door, "Do you have a design sketched out?" He handed her his notebook, and she looked down at the black and white sketch, "Wow, I love the hooded look." She had a huge smile on her face as she tried to imagine the costume on her boyfriend, "The darkened spots are obviously gonna be all black, but what about the white and grey areas?"
"Uh..." Izuku frowned. "I was gonna go with the same colors of my first costume?" She bopped him on the forehead with his notebook, "Ouch!"
Kyōka giggled at the disgruntled look on his face, "That color scheme works for that costume, Green Bean, but if you're gonna take a step away from the original, then why not go all out?" She reached into her pocket and pulled out a red pen, "See here?" She asked as he leaned over her shoulder to get a look at what she was doing. "Red and black go really well together. Here in these lighter spots you can make it a crimson red," she colored in the chest area and part of the upper arm, "And the darker areas can be...ruby?...nah, wine red would look better with the black accents."
Izuku smiled at how she was lighting up while she worked, "Wow, you're really good at this," he said in amazement, before he noticed a very warm scent, "Is that cinnamon?"
At the mention of the scent, the girl turned redder than the suit she was designing, "Ack!?" She yelped and jumped away from him with wide eyes and her jacks going in every direction, "Uh, it's - I - I mean I - Ugh!" She groaned and hid behind the book, "Dammit, Mina!"
Izuku was about to ask what was wrong when he noticed that, unlike himself, her skin was clear of the previous night's activities between the two of them, and that she was wearing a light shade of purple lipstick. The moment he noticed,(her perfume, and the makeup) he saw the girl in a new light, literally as it seemed as though there was an actual glow around her.
"Wow," the teen breathed out, "You look - "
"Stupid?" Kyōka asked, thinking that Mina was just being nice to her earlier as she complimented her looks.
"Gorgeous," Izuku corrected her right away, "A total knockout." He stepped forward and moved the book away from her face, "Besides," he tugged at the neck of his costume where she had left her own marks, "Your way works a lot better than this thing." He grinned as she gave a slight giggle.
BTOOOM
"GYAAAAH!"
"DAMMIT HATSUME!"
"SORRY!"
The doors to the Support Course burst open, and out ran Shinsō looking charred and completely terrified, "SAVE MEEEE!" He shrieked as he rushed past them with Mei running out after him carrying what looked like a spiky dog collar.
"Wait!" The rosette ran after him, "You still haven't tried my latest baby, yet!"
Izuku and Kyōka watched the drama unfold with twitching mouths as they fought back laughter while Powerloader came out with an irritated look on his face, "Oh, man, here we go again." He muttered before looking at Izuku, "Oh, hey Midoriya, here for that new upgrade?"
"Well..." he pointed down the hall at the chase scene. "Didn't Mei put it together?"
Powerloader shook his head, "Are you kidding? Sure she comes up with the idea, and machines it here in the shop, but I'm the one that finalizes everything." He said, gesturing to the ruins inside the room, "And makes sure they're safe...unlike her test subjects."
Kyōka laughed, "Yeah, no kidding," she said with a gesture toward their fleeing classmate, "Is Shinsō gonna be okay?" She asked this knowing that Mei was relentless when she had an invention she was bent out on testing out.
"He should be fine," Powerloader sighed, "Now, Midoriya, about that upgrade." He held out his hand to Izuku, "This is a new chip you'll need to install into your gauntlets. Since you can turn invisible, Hatsume figured you'd need something that would act like a silencer for your Web Shooters. She calls it the Ghost Strike program."
Izuku grinned as he accepted the chips, "Thank you, Sir, and please, thank Mei for me, too." He said before Kyōka handed the teacher his notebook, "I'd like to have another costume made, too. Is that okay?"
"A new suit?" Powerloader asked, wondering what was wrong with the one he was wearing, before Izuku explained his reasoning, "Well, I can understand that, and it wouldn't hurt to have a spare costume." He thought for a moment and nodded, "Alright, but I'd like to use a different material than what Might Towers used."
"Go ahead," Izuku nodded.
Powerloader had a grin on his face as he took the design, "I'll use a combination of military grade fabric, and adamantium threads." He informed him, "It'll be a little heavier than the usual, but way lighter than your other costume from Might Towers since it uses plates instead of any kind of mesh or threading. And it will be completely bullet and knife proof. Elements, though, I'm not so sure. Heat will definitely be a problem, and maybe - " Powerloader then began to sound like Izuku on one of his muttering rants as he returned to his workshop, and left the two alone again.
"I think you might be rubbing off on him." Kyōka laughed.
Izuku shared a laugh with her before he spotted Toshinori coming down the hall, "Ah, there you are, Young Midoriya," the blond man smiled as he met up with the pair, turning his gaze to Kyōka for a moment, "Young Jirō, do you mind if I borrow him for a bit?" He asked, smiling at the girl as she nodded.
"Go on," Kyōka smiled and bumped her boyfriend's shoulder lightly, "I'll see you at your place when you get done," she said as she picked up her box and started away from him, giving a nod to the skeletal man as she passed him, "Try not to keep him too long, okay?" She said in a bright tone.
Toshinori chuckled at her, "You have my word, my dear." He said as she passed him while Izuku smiled after her, his eyes unconsciously drifting down to her hips. He took note of where the boy's eyes seemed to be wandering to and chuckled, "I hope I didn't interrupt you, my boy?"
"Nah, we were just finishing up with the Support Course," the boy said, "What did you need, All Might?"
Toshinori nodded, "I feel that there's no need to ask," he said with a small smile, "But are you familiar with Sir Nighteye?"
Izuku beamed at him excitedly, "He was your second sidekick, and your first official one when you came back to Japan after your time in America after David Shield," Izuku rattled off before he managed to stop himself before he went on another one of his rants, "Ahem, is there something I can do for him?" He said with a small cough to hide his embarrassment.
Toshinori frowned, "I'm afraid that it's a little unpleasant," he said much to the boy's confusion, "It concerns Eri, and the people that held her for so long."
When Izuku heard that, his fists clenched involuntarily, producing miniature arcs of electricity around his knuckles. "Does he know where they are?"
Toshinori was surprised in the boy's sudden change in attitude, "Young Midoriya," he said in a firm tone as he reached out and placed a calming hand on his shoulder, "I have absolutely no right to tell you not to be angry with these men," he told the boy with an apologetic tone, "However, if you have it in your head to learn about, and pursue them, then our conversation will end here." He continued, his tone growing serious. "I will not allow you to put your future at risk for the sake of seeking vengeance when you don't even have a Hero License, yet."
Izuku took a breath, and nodded, "You're...right," he breathed out, feeling frustrated, "As much as I want to hunt them down, I can't risk them finding Eri if I fail."
The blond sighed in relief, "That's better," Toshinori nodded in approval, "Now, let's go talk to Nighteye," he turned and started leading the boy down the hall, "There's a lot that I need to explain as well, Young Midoriya."
12: Assault on the U.S.J. - 2: Lemillion & Spider-Man
Unknown Location...
Shigaraki smiled beneath his father's hand as he returned to the bowels of the Doctor's laboratory.
The day of the attack was drawing near. He had gathered a force large enough to give the advantage over even All Might, and even if they failed, they were all nothing but pawns to him.
The real threat lay in the creations that he was now seeing.
The doctor was in the middle of injecting some sort of substance into No.7's arm before he turned to the young man with a welcoming smile on his face. "Tomura, good to see you again, my boy," the man smiled as he finished with his creation, "I take it the preparations are all in order?"
The young man nodded, "We're ready," Shigaraki rasped out, "All we need now is the time of attack."
The Doctor grinned impossibly wide at him, "And that, my dear boy, is precisely what I have." He gestured for the creature to move back into its pod while he motioned for the younger man to follow him, "The files you managed to get for me were of great use. All Might is scheduled to teach a class off campus in two days' time."
"That would be Monday, then," Shigaraki said with a hint of excitement, "This is gonna be so exciting! I can't wait to rub the peoples' faces in it when their favorite Hero is lying dead in the dirt!"
The Doctor chuckled deep in his throat, "Indeed, my boy, I've lived through far too many of these puffed up goody two-shoes doing Hero work," he frowned as he pulled at his mustache, "But let's not forget that I will need all of the samples I can get." He reminded the young man, "And there is that one child in particular that I'm greatly interested in." He pulled a photo from the pocket of his lab coat and showed it to the boy, "I think I've told you about her, haven't I?"
Shigaraki nodded as he looked down at the photo, "You probably did, but I really don't care," he said dismissively, "I just want to kill All Might."
"Ah, yes, I know," he said, "And believe you me, my boy, even if we do not kill All Might, this time, the data I gather from the battle will give me all the information that I need to create my true masterpiece."
Shigaraki gestured to the two pods containing to hulking arachnoids, "Those three spiders aren't?" He asked.
The Doctor shook his head, "Far from it," he led the boy deeper into his lab, passing various pods that held other Nomu inside, "My creations all have their flaws, my boy, but when the process is complete, my creation will have not a single, solitary weakness or flaw when it is born." He turned to the boy, "Even my own Quirk wasn't perfect, you see, but that is what I strive for: the absolute perfection of a Quirk."
Shigaraki nodded slowly as they passed a four-armed mechanism attached to what looked like a spinal cord. "And the Master's been helping you do that." He asked, feeling slightly unnerved by the mechanical movements of the tentacle-like arms.
"He has," the Doctor said, "And it's for that very reason that he has my complete loyalty." He continued, "Because now, while my body has aged, my Quirk research has allowed me to evolve my Quirk from Life Force to Immortality." He grinned, "And I know more about Quirks than any other human being on this planet, because I dare to go beyond what normal people are willing to do."
"And it is for that reason that I absolutely must have this child," he said with a determination that almost scared the withered teen, "She, according to Kurono and Chisaki, has the power to Rewind an organism to nonexistence if she doesn't control her power properly...that means she could, theoretically, restore a being to their prime." He turned to the boy with his impossibly wide grin, "Do you see where I'm going with this, Tomura?"
The teen did as his beady red eyes widened, "You think you can use her to restore Master!" Shigaraki grinned behind his father's hand.
"Precisely, my boy," he grinned, "And I do not care how much of her I have to dissect, I will have her power and I will restore our Master back to his full strength!"
Shigaraki smiled beneath the hand on his face, "Then we should find this little brat while we're out having fun, shouldn't we?"
"Indeed we should, my dear boy," the man grinned wickedly, "Indeed we should."
スパイダーマン
U.A. Toshinori/All Might's Office...
To say that Izuku was nervous at the moment was a massive understatement.
He was about to meet one of All Might's two former sidekicks!
But judging by Toshinori's behavior, he should have been terrified. The man was worried, and seeing the man, whether he was in his shrunken form or his muscle form, worried about him just meeting one of his old friends of all things had Izuku more nervous than he usually would have been.
Standing outside one of the teacher's lounge, the man took a breath before looking at the young man, "Put your mask on," he told the boy as Izuku gave him a look of confusion, "His Quirk requires direct eye contact, and I don't want him using it on you."
"Um...okay." Izuku said as he pulled the mask on. "Why not, though?"
Toshinori sighed, "Mirai can be...a tad bit paranoid." He explained, "And he's just about as fond of me as you are yourself."
Izuku began to understand what he meant, "Oh...so he's...?"
"A huge mega dork fanboy," Toshinori said, then chuckled, "But he is a good man, and a fine Hero." He frowned, "Even if he is a bit overprotective." He straightened and reached for the knob and opened the door.
It was to find that Nighteye was no longer alone.
"Hey! I know you!" The blond-haired boy in the room yelled excitedly, "You're that Spider-Guy that the Daily Bugle'sbeen writing about!"
Sir Nighteye sighed and pushed his glasses up his nose, "Mirio, what have I told you about reading that Hero-Hating nonsense?" He asked in a drone, "Aside from that horrible newspaper, I understand that he's been the talk among the first year students." He nodded to Toshinori, "Thank you for bringing him to meet with me so quickly." He frowned as he took in the boy's masked face, "I see that you've warned him about my Quirk."
Toshinori nodded, "Can you blame me?" The skeletal man asked as he took a seat on the couch opposite of the man, "And I see that you've brought your young protégé, Mirio Togata, wasn't it?"
The boy beamed at him, "That's me, Sir," he said with an outheld hand, "Mirio Togata, Hero name: Lemilion, the Hero that will save one million lives!"
Toshinori chuckled as he shook the boy's hand before he say, Izuku following suit. [I can see why Nighteye likes him,] the man thought as he took a seat, [He's much like myself after receiving my Quirk from Nana.]
Izuku, thankful for the mask since his smile would have put All Might's to shame as he spoke to Nighteye, managed to kept his voice level and calm, "Mister Yagi said that you had information on my daughter," his voice then hardened, "And who might have tortured her."
The blond boy, Mirio, looked horrified, "Tortured - ?" His voice came out in a strangled croak.
Mirai kept his face just as calm as Izuku's voice seemed to be. "That all depends on who this young lady might be," he said as he reached into his breast pocket. He pulled out what appeared to be a polaroid photo, "Is this the little girl that's currently under your care?" He held it out, face down, toward the spider-themed Hero in training.
Izuku was already prepared for the worst when he took the photo, but when he turned it over to see the image...
The glow from the spider emblem on his chest intensified while sparks of electricity erupted all over his body, "Whoa there, Young Midoriya!" Toshinori jumped to his feet as he was nearly hit by one of the miniature lightning bolts. "Calm down!" The blond man soothed him, careful of the sparks.
Mirio and Nighteye had leaned back from the display, the younger blond nearly climbing over the back of the seat, while his mentor remained calm and simply leaned back.
He frowned at the emotional display as he leaned back in and laced his fingers together, "Judging by your reaction, I assume that she truly is the little girl I've been investigating." He sighed, knowing things could become difficult at this point. He pulled out a pad and pen from his jacket, "Mister Midoriya, I would like you to tell me everything about the day that you met this girl, from the moment you left your home up until the very moment she left your sight."
Izuku managed to bring himself back under control and nodded before handing the photo back to the Pro. He then launched into a very detailed explanation of the moments leading up to his meeting Eri on that day, from the rotten mood he had been in, right up until he shoved the quivering little girl into Bakugō's arms, ordering him to take her and run.
All the while Sir Nighteye was taking vigorous notes on all that the boy said. Mirio was looking at the younger teen with a deep newfound respect, and no small amount of aw. "You're a very brave young man," Nighteye finally said after Izuku finished, "I can see why my old friend is so willing to help you."
"Thank you," Izuku said, "But you haven't answered my question, yet."
The tall man sighed, "I suppose I haven't," he said with a nod, "The picture I showed you is from exactly one year ago, taken just before she made a run for it and met you. The figure you saw with her was one of her...caretakers, I suppose you could call them, but really they're just her guard dogs." He gave the boy a look over his laced fingers, "I don't know why anyone would want this girl, other than the fact that she must possess a highly dangerous Quirk, and these men want to make use of it in some way."
Izuku frowned at that, the glowing lens on his mask narrowing at the man, "First of all, you're still not telling me everything there is to it." The boy said, catching the man by surprise, "Yes, Eri has an extremely dangerous Quirk, one that I've actively tried to help her with, and safely restrainedfor the time being until her body is strong enough to handle the backlash, but these men?" He gestured to the photo, "What could they -," his voice began to harden into an almost bestial growl that surprised even Toshinori, "What have they done to make use of her Quirk when she can't even control it?"
Toshinori gave his former sidekick a pointed look, "He has a point," the blond said in the boy's defense, "What is it that you're not telling us, Mirai?"
Nighteye looked between the two of them, then at Mirio who nodded, "I'd like to know, too, Sir," the young man said with a look of concern, which he then turned on the older blond and younger Hero, "These guys that were holding onto this girl? They're all that remains of the yakuza." Toshinori looked shocked by this, and more sparks formed over Izuku's body, "Sir Nighteye's been trying to link them to the illegal sales of Trigger that's been growing in the last three years."
"And I have," Mirai said, hanging his head, "I simply don't have enough hard proof to lock them away for good. They have so many branches that they move their product through that it's legally impossible to pin them unless I catch one of them in the act." He said, then looked at his former mentor, "However these men weren't always this brutal, or organized. They once had a code of honor, as all yakuza did...however, in recent years, the new head of this clan, the Shie Hassaikai, has been selling something new...a bullet...that erases Quirks."
"What?!" Izuku and Toshinori rose to their feet, the latter coughing up a large amount of blood. Mirio offered the man a tissue to clean himself up as the coughing fit subsided. But the glare he cast at the man from his electric-blue eyes was one of shock and anger, "No wonder you wouldn't let me near this case!"
"You're already limited in your abilities thanks to your old injuries," Mirai said, which thanks to secrecy, went right over Mirio's head, "I couldn't risk you being hit with one of these bullets, even if the ones I've seen have only been temporary in their effectiveness."
Toshinori held up a hand and used the other to pinch his brow, "No, no, you're right. I would've gone charging in guns blazing and not even thought of the consequences...but what does this have to do with Eri?"
For the first time in his life, Izuku's analytical mind was a curse, because, since he had spent so much time with Eri, and attempted to help her control her Quirk so that she wouldn't be afraid of it anymore, he knew exactly how the sweet little girl could be related to a Quirk Erasing Bullet, "The bullets..." he muttered, his voice trembling, "They're darts, aren't they?" Mirai looked at him and nodded, "And the substance inside them that erases a person's Quirk...there's human cells mixed in with them, isn't there?"
Now Mirio jumped out of his chair, "They wouldn't!" His face was visibly paler, almost as if he were going to be sick at any given moment.
But the gauntlets on Izuku's hands were already charged with electricity. "Eri has the ability to Rewind living organisms to a certain point in time," he ground out, the green on his suit glowing blindingly bright, "If a person was skilled enough, they could use the Quirk genes she has and..." He stood up abruptly.
"Young Midoriya?" Toshinori said as the boy moved toward the door, "Kid, listen, I - "
He halted for a moment with a look back over his shoulder at the man, "Please understand: I need to be with my daughter right now," Izuku said heavily, his voice thick, before looking toward Sir Nighteye, "Sir, you and Mr. Yagi are welcome to come to my home for dinner tonight. You, too, Togata. I'm sure Eri would like to meet some new friends." He turned back to the door, "You can use your Quirk on her if you think it will help in your investigation, but promise me that you won't ask her any questions involving her captivity." He said while the man gave him a slow nod behind him, even though he couldn't see it, "And if you learn anything about where these people are," his frame began sparking again, "Make sure that they can't hurt anyone else ever again!"
He opened, then closed the door with such a heavy slam that the wall around the frame cracked, making the three men wince. Mirai looked at Toshinori, "I knew you said he was smart, but..."
Toshinori nodded, "He's near genius, Mirai, but he's like me and wears his heart on his sleeve." He looked down at the floor, "Honestly...sometimes I think he's too pure for this world." He raised his head up, "Enough of this! Mirai, we have a dinner to prepare for." He said, trying to sound cheerful, "Young Togata, why don't you come with me for a bit? I bet the ladies of the house would love a bouquet of flowers from such a nice young man. I'll provide some sake and wine."
"I'll bring some sort of desert, then," Mirai provided, "Izuku's offer...it is too promising a lead to pass up on." He rose with a look at his protégé, "I'll let your teachers know that you are to be excused for the rest of the day, Mirio. And All...erm, Toshinori, I trust you'll speak to Mirio of your situation?"
Toshinori regarded the boy for a moment as he looked at him with a small smile, then looked to the door that Izuku had left from, "Tonight, at dinner." Mirai looked at him sharply, "No more lies. No more secrets." He said to his former Sidekick, "These boys are in the thick of it now. One, perhaps both of them should understand what's coming. I owe it to both of them...especially Young Midoriya."
Meanwhile...
Kyōka was sitting on the floor next to the coffee table as she watched Eri drawing pictures. "That's really good, Squirt," she said, pointing to a mostly green figure, "Is that your daddy?"
Eri beamed at her, "Uh-huh," she then picked up a purple crayon, "This one's gonna be you, Mo - oh...Kyōka!" She corrected herself as she began drawing again.
Kyōka bit her lip as it started quivering. "Hey, um," Eri looked up at her with those pretty red eyes of hers, "You know, if you want to, you can...you know..." she started fiddling with her jacks, "...call me mom...or something...B-But only if you want to!" She yelped in a slight panic.
The little girl looked down at her drawing shyly. "Is...is that really okay?"
Kyōka looked at her, "Well...well, yeah, why wouldn't it be?"
Eri smiled, abandoned her crayons and rushed around the table. She then jumped right onto her, "I'll call you Momma, okay!"
Kyōka giggled and hugged her tightly, "You bet! I'll be the best momma ever!"
The front door jerked open then, startling them both as Izuku walked into the house. Kyōka rose with Eri in her arms, "Hey, Greenie! How'd it...go...?" She trailed off when she saw the look on his face when he pulled his mask off.
Eri was the one to say something, "Daddy's sad?"
Izuku jumped, not even noticing that they had been there until then, "Oh...hey, you two..." He said, not sounding like himself.
Eri wriggled out of Kyoka's arms and ran right for him. She hugged him around his knees, "Don't be sad, Daddy!" She practically begged, "If you're sad, then I'll be sad, and so will Momma!"
Izuku choked on a laugh when he looked at his girlfriend, "Since when does she call you Momma?" He raised his brow at her.
She huffed and crossed her arms, her cheeks red as apples. "Since now, but so what?" She demanded with a hint of embarrassment. "She needs a strong mother figure in her life, and since we're dating, I figure that I'd be it." Izuku chuckled and shook his head as he picked Eri up in his arms. He then surprised her by walking over and enveloping her in a hug that Eri could be part of. "Hey, seriously, what's the matter with you?" She asked as she patted his back. "What did Mister Yagi say that has you acting like someone just died?"
Izuku just shook his head, "Later..." he turned his head and kissed her cheek before doing the same to Eri, "Right now...I just need both of you."
Kyōka felt him shiver for a moment before putting her arms around his chest, "Yeah...okay..." She felt a small smile coming to her face, even though she was worried for him, it felt nice. Though she couldn't help but wonder, [What's going on with him?]
スパイダーマン
"Are you truly planning to go through with your plan to invade U.A. alongside Tomura Shigaraki?" The Master asked as the Doctor was bent over a microscope, "You do realize that you are one of the very few indispensable people around me, do you not?"
The Doctor chuckled, "Yes, I do," he said as he raised his eyes from the equipment, "I realize that it will be quite a risk, but think of the possibilities my old friend." He turned to the screen that was black, and read Sound Only, "Not only would I have the opportunity to harvest some potentially worthwhile Quirks for my research, and perhaps your use if you think them useful, but it would give me a much needed chance to see just what my firstborn has endeavored to become since our last meeting."
The Master chuckled, "To say that his subject is one of your children must mean he is quite special, is he not?"
"Oh, he is," the Doctor smiled fondly, "The samples I took from him gave me these clones," he gestured to the pods all around him, many containing horrendously mutated arachnid-like creatures, "And my more advanced No.7 and No.8 arachnoid subjects, but they are far from perfect." He sighed, "This boy...I believe he could be the answer in creating my perfect child involving this truly unique Quirk that I have created." He cackled, "Do you realize that, Sir? I created his Quirk!" He laughed which was joined by the Master's laughter, "How many scientists can say that they have successfully created a viable Quirk? And all it took was one Quirkless individual among a veritable ocean of Quirked individuals."
"Just don't do anything to jeopardize yourself," the Master said. "As I said once before, you are irreplaceable in my court of friends."
The Doctor smiled, "Worry not, my old friend," he turned to a case containing four, long tentacle-like arms attached to a cybernetic spine, "I have ways of keeping myself safe while collecting my samples."
スパイダーマン
Dinner that evening in the combined Midoriya/Jirō households was a tense affair after dessert ended. Mirai used his Quirk on Eri not long after the meal ended, and he learned all that he needed to know. Izuku wanted to ask him what he had seen, but Toshinori forbade it in consideration of the boy's earlier reactions to Eri's mistreatment.
"I know that you want to do something about these people," the blond told him in a hushed tone, "But if I know you like I think I do, then you'll go off on your own, and possibly get yourself killed." He told the boy, "And that is not something you can afford right now. Eri needs you, and so does Young Jirō, even though she won't openly admit it."
Mirai nodded as Kyōka and her family took Eri into the living room, "He's right," he said, "These men are nothing like what you've faced up to this point. Even Rappa is considered low in their ranks."
Izuku frowned as Mirio took a seat next to Nighteye, "It doesn't make it any easier." Izuku said, casting a glance over his shoulder at his little family.
Hisashi nodded in agreement with his son, "I won't say I don't know how you feel," he said to his son, he gave him a small glare, "Because I know that I'd do anything if I knew you were being hurt."
"Says the man that was on the run for eleven years." Izuku grumbled.
"I'll tell you the story someday," Hisashi promised, pinching the bridge of his nose, "Anyway, I have to go on patrol. Stay out of trouble." He ruffled the boy's hair and left the kitchen.
Toshinori waited until Inko finished clearing the table and started washing the dishes before he looked at the two young men, "Now then," he laced his fingers together, "I think it's time you two knew something about myself...and All Might...and my Quirk."
And, as Izuku and Mirio sat and listened to Toshinori, All Might, speak, both boys gained pallid complections as he spoke of his Quirk, his time as a Hero, and the one that had laid him low, forcing him to reduce his time as a Hero.
"All for One was, and always will be a terrifying Villain," Toshinori said, "Even now his name is spoken as if he were some sort of boogeyman." He looked at the two pale-faced boys, "But make no mistake, he was, without a doubt, a very real, very dangerous Villain." He said as he unbuttoned his shirt to reveal the horrendous scar on his left side.
"And this is why he needs a successor," Nighteye said, his gaze falling on Mirio, "And I believe that you are the perfect candidate, Togata," he said to the blond, "And for that reason - "
"I don't want it."
Both men looked at the blond boy, Toshinori smiling a little while his former partner looked like someone had just spat in his face, "I'm sorry?" Nighteye blinked.
"I don't want All Might's Quirk," Mirio repeated, then looked at the man himself, "Don't get me wrong! I'm honored!" He said hurriedly, "But...well, I'm already well known for what my Quirk allows me to do, but what happens when I suddenly start throwing punches that can knock down a whole city block?" He asked, "Plus...I'm...I'm Lemillion: the Hero that will save a million lives." He nodded, smiling, "That's who I am. That's who I want to be."
He gave the withered Hero a small smile, "If I take your power, then I'm going to have to learn how to use your Quirk and probably mine all over again," he shook his head, "And then I won't be...well, I'll be me, but I won't be the same me I used to be, so - "
The elder blond reached across the table and grasped his shoulder, smiling widely, "That," Toshinori smiled, "Was very well said. I'm actually quite impressed." He said, then looked at Izuku, "And, truthfully, after all that I've put you through, Izuku, I wanted to offer it to you first, but you..." the boy looked at him in confusion as Toshinori shook his head and smiled at him, "No...I know that someday, both of you will be neck and neck for the No.1 spot."
Nighteye looked at him, "But what about your Quirk?"
"Relax, Mirai, I have plenty of time." He smiled, "And who knows, I may find someone that is just as good as one of these boys." He smiled at Izuku and Mirio, "But knowing that I can pass my Quirk onto another...Izuku, I'm so sorry for how we met all those months ago."
Izuku smiled at the man, "It's okay," the boy said, "If you had given me your Quirk back then, I probably wouldn't be where I am right now." He said, then looked into the living room where his family was, "I would never have met Kyoka when I did...and knowing what I do now about Eri's past, I might have never met her, either." Then he returned to the blond man with a smile, "And even if I could go back and accept it, I wouldn't...because I wouldn't change one minute of my life: no matter what kind of pain or hardships I had to endure."
Toshinori smiled and watched as the boy excused himself to head into the living room where his mother and the Jiros were playing with Eri. Mirio was next as he went to speak with Izuku a little more before excusing himself for the night.
When Mirai and Toshinori left for the evening, the blond man was smiling as widely as he ever did when he was doing Hero work. Mirai on the other hand was looking rather depressed, "I'm sorry, All Might...I truly thought that Mirio would accept the Quirk."
Toshinori just looked at him with that same smile on his face, "Don't apologize, my old friend," he said, "Tonight I witnessed something that would make any mentor proud," he looked back at the Midoriya and Jiro homes, "I saw two young men becoming amazing Heroes in the future, and I don't even have your Foresight." He smiled at the home, "Lemillion, the Hero that will save a million lives," he chuckled as the image of the young blond appeared in his mind's eye standing upon the stage of the top Heroes, "And your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. Those two are going to rock this world to its core."