Chapter 3: The Girl with the Bronze Horn
A girl
Izuku didn't know what hit him or what caused him to do what he did next, his head, thoughts and emotions raging forth a wind that made it hard for him to think straight and his body moved on his own. He grabbed the girl off the ground, cradled her in his arms and disappeared in a flash. He arrived on top of a building, a few kilometers away from his house and far away from where he found the girl, standing on the roof of the building as he continued unconsciously hugging the girl close to his chest and rubbing the back of her head softly, brushing her hair as she tightened the grip of her hands on his shirt and slowly opened her eyes, only for them to widen when she saw where they were, far away from where she ran to this strange green-haired boy and she yelped, a little too late for that though, she didn't know what just happened when she closed her eyes earlier and decided to just savor the moment and just hugged the boy close to her, to which he slowly rubbed her back and hugged in reply.
Izuku finally regained back his senses and widened his eyes at where they were, much to the same expression the girl made earlier and looked down to find said girl in his arms and yelped, the girl flinched before she looked up and finally made eye contact with Izuku and stared into his eyes.
She finally got a better look at them and saw that they were an electric green color, reflecting light from down the street as it swirled into a dark green color, then back to the bright green, she was mesmerized by his eyes, they didn't look like it showed fear, pain, they didn't show intent to hurt, she only saw what she really wanted to see in someone's eyes, kindness. Izuku finally broke the silence.
"A-Are you ok?" Izuku said in a reassuring tone, he looked into her eyes as she did the same, red pupils that were swirling a vortex of emotions, pain, sorrow and relief? What happened next just shocked him as the girl lunged herself forward as Izuku caught her in his arms and she chose that very moment to cry, which Izuku replied with a gasp as she finally hugged him tightly.
She was small, enough for Izuku to carry her in his arms, at first, he thought this girl must've been lost, but the moment she said those two words from earlier, changed his view of the situation before he even thought anything of it, it was a cry for help, it had signs of desperation in it as he remembered her face the first time they made eye contact, she was scared, to a degree. Izuku took the moment to reply with a hug of his own and gently rubbed his hand on top of her head slowly in a sideway manner.
"It's ok, it's ok. Everything's going to be alright, you're safe now." Izuku didn't know why he said that, he only thought of what his mother would do in this situation and that came into his head first, putting it to action but just decided to roll with it.
The girl cried even harder and louder than before as he said that and he continued to reassure her that everything was ok, they stayed like that for who knows how long? 5 minutes? 10? Whatever, it didn't matter to both of them as they continued hugging each other. After a good long moment, the girl's cries slowly faded and she tightened her grip on Izuku as Izuku kept rubbing his hand in the same manner as before, his hand slightly in pain of doing the same motion for a while until the girl spoke up.
"T-Thank you…" It was soft and almost sounded like a whisper, but Izuku heard it loud and clear, he just continued rubbing her head and this time repositioned her in a cradling-like manner. He looked into her eyes and saw that they were very red, puffy eyebags that looked like she hadn't slept in days? That was strange but paid no mind to it for now, Izuku did the only thing he knew how to do in this situation, he smiled at her, and it was a really gentle smile.
"You're welcome." Was the simple thing Izuku said as the girl looked at him and then started to snuggle closer to his chest, Izuku then realized she was falling asleep so decided to sway his arms sideways, rocking her to sleep, which he did a good job at as the girl replied with a steady breathing and her now closed eyes.
Izuku sighed and took a closer look at this girl then he flinched at what he saw, before widening his eyes a second time tonight, the girl had bandages wrapped around her wrists, her arms were small, but they looked malnourished, he then noticed her legs as well, with bandages wrapped the same way around her ankles, her legs also looked the same way as her arms, he saw many marks that he wouldn't dare to think of how she got those, but that answered a few questions to Izuku as he then felt anger in his heart, it was evident on his face.
This girl was treated badly, very badly, these marks didn't look normal to him, and he began to feel his arms tense up, until he realized there was a girl in his arms right now. He looked at her face to see her, she looked content and comfortable, which Izuku didn't understand why but just smiled, she really looked peaceful and happy, but she wasn't smiling, Izuku didn't know why. He decided to take her back home, it was getting really late and he wouldn't even think twice to decide whether to leave this girl here and just disappeared.
Izuku arrived at his front door, and flinched a bit when the girl shuffled her position a bit to hug his shirt, he just sighed and smiled, the girl looked really adorable as she slept, Izuku knocked on the door and heard big footsteps rushing towards the door, it opened and he heard her mom start to rant.
"IZUKU! WHERE-" She almost screamed before Izuku silenced her with a loud shush and she realized why. Her baby boy was carrying a small child in his arms, asleep and content, that didn't stop her from slightly gasping and covering her mouth to not let any noise escape. Izuku slightly shifted his head forward, signaling her to go to the kitchen, to which she did while Izuku took off his shoes and threw them to the side in a lazy way before closing the door quietly with his foot.
He walked towards the couch and sat down, he tried to let her lay down on the couch but she was gripping his short tightly, like really tightly and he just didn't want to let her go if she was acting like this, so he continued holding her in his arms until his mother came back with a glass of water, to which Izuku slightly moved the little girl near his body so Izuku could hold her with one arm and use the other to grab the glass of water and proceeded to drink it in one gulp, he didn't know he was that thirsty. Inko decided to break the silence a bit.
"Izuku, please explain why you have a child in your arms right now." Inko quietly whispered to Izuku and he nodded.
"I found her when we bumped into each other, well she bumped into me. Mom, the girl was scared to who knows what? I saw the terrified face she made and that just made me carry her away without a second thought and ran. I don't regret the decision though, because I didn't even know when I made it but she looks fine now, if not happier I guess? I don't know." Izuku finished with a low voice and Inko nodded slowly while looking at the girl sleeping peacefully in Izuku's arms.
"She does look adorable doesn't she? You really look like a father now, in my opinion of course." Inko said softly and Izuku widened his eyes, his mouth slightly agape before facing her with a "Really mom?!" face, but that still did nothing to mask the massive blush on his face, he was just beyond shocked and embarassed.
"MOM!" Izuku whispered a shout and Inko chuckled lightly at seeing his boy's face red as a tomato.
"I'm just teasing you, but still, she looks like she hadn't slept for days." Inko said as Izuku calmly recovered his composure and nodded while looking down at the white-haired girl.
"Yeah, I also thought that as well, her eye bags were obvious and really looked black, I'm worried as well. Mom, she's really malnourished, these marks on her body, they scream bad all over the place, it's just…it isn't normal. I'm afraid she might've been…" Izuku gulped as Inko widened his eyes, his son was right, she saw the marks on her arms and legs, she even saw the bandages wrapped around her wrists and ankles, she felt all her motherly instincts kick her heart but she relaxed a bit, albeit still clenching her hand until the knuckles looked white.
"Izuku, honey, you did the right thing to bring her here, but I'm not sure if we can keep her just yet. I'll allow her to stay one night, but we have to make sure to find any sort of connection to a family she might have, understand?" Inko said as Izuku slightly frowned a bit, before nodding and looking back to the girl, he paid closer attention to her horn, it was a bronze-colored horn and he could've sworn he saw it a little longer a while ago but shook the thought out of his mind and looked back to his mom, who was still looking at the child in his arms.
"Mom, I'll put her to bed, I won't eat dinner tonight. I want to make sure she sleeps properly before I go to bed. I think she really needs a proper bed." Izuku lightly chuckled as Inko smiled at his short joke.
"Alright, just be sure to eat a lot tomorrow morning." Inko said as Izuku nodded and stood up, now carrying the girl with both his arms as he went to his room.
He opened the door to his room, the girl still asleep on one arm as he entered then closed it with his right foot.
Izuku's room was…to say the least, an actual fanboy room. He had several action figures in his room, all lined up straight across a shelf, several All Might posters pasted all around the room, even his bed was All Might themed. He just sighed and walked towards the bed, where he turned off the lamp and opened the curtains, the moon dimly lighting up his room like an automatic nightlight. He then sat down on his bed and leaned forward to place the white-haired girl's head on a pillow, that let her decide to let go of Izuku's shirt and snuggled her head unto the pillow and laid down on the bed, finally off Izuku's shirt.
Izuku looked at the girl's sleeping figure with a smile before looking at his own shirt to find a huge wet stain just above the left side of his torso, below his left shoulder and sighed again, he took off his shirt, throwing it to the floor and grabbed another white t-shirt that had the word "hero" on it and wearing it. He then grabbed a spare blanket (this time free of any design, it was color blue) and closed the closet, walking towards his bed and opening the blanket, placing one side of it to the girl as she stopped shivering once it made contact with her and slept soundly again. Izuku sighed and smiled, still holding the other side of the blanket, open to let him in, to which he did and laid down beside the girl.
He gently placed his hand on her hair and brushed it softly, the girl replied with hugging Izuku like an oversized teddy bear, which he chuckled at and scooched closer to the girl so she could hug better, and she did while she slept, clearly enjoying the constant brushing of her hair. For a moment, Izuku thought he saw her try to make a smile but stopped and instead just moved her head towards his chest and he sighed, he'd have to talk to her tomorrow to get answers to many questions in his head, like who was she? Or where did you come from? How did she get those marks? He just yawned at the thoughts and many more questions he could've made up and decided to sleep it off, he pulled the little girl closer to him as she also replied without hesitating, it's like she was just pretending to sleep, but wasn't. He slowly closed his eyes, taking one last look at the girl, brushing her hair one last time before finally drifting off to sleep.
The rest of the night was uneventful.
"…"
"…"
"…"
The morning finally came, sunlight filling up the room as it brightened everything else, posters, figures, etc. The sunlight managed to find its way to the little girl's face, and she slowly awoke from the bright light. She was still slightly drowsy, so she couldn't properly see what was around her, so she rubbed her eyes, her vision finally clearing before she yawned loudly, and she opened her eyes, only finding in herself to open them widely at the room she was now in. There were pictures of a muscular man, opening his mouth to show his teeth, she looked around in slight awe and curiosity, she found herself also looking at a bunch of toys, people that were lined up straight on a shelf, a strange-looking device that had a bunch of letters on its bottom. She finally stopped looking around and wondered where she was.
'Where am I?' She asked herself and her answer literally was put on her face. She looked beside her to find a sleeping person? She widened her eyes when she took a closer look at the person, his green hair slightly scattered about in a rough mess, she took it to herself to touch it, it was soft. She looked at him again and saw he was still sleeping, his eyes were closed and his chest was moving up and down, she lifted herself up to kneel down, looking at the strange person beside her, or why this person was here.
It looked like a boy, that she could tell, his body was much bigger than hers, but not too much, he slightly shifted a bit in his sleep when she slightly yelped. That somehow allowed him to wake up, she looked curious when he opened his eyes and she widened hers even further when she saw it, green eyes. The boy woke up, yawning very loudly as she then looked at him more, eyes fully awake now, he looked to his left and saw her awake, she was still shocked at him when it all came back to her, last night's events, how this boy came to her and helped her when she needed it, she broke her trance when he saw him rub his right eye and he lifted the edges of his lips up.
"Oh, you're awake. Good morning." He said as he stretched his hand forward. As if on instinct, she closed her eyes shut, expecting to get hit, but was met with a really soothing feeling. The boy was brushing her hair softly, she didn't expect it at all and just looked at him until she remembered the events last night again and started crying when she realized who this was, this time she lunged herself forward and wrapped her hands around his neck and he slightly was pushed back until regaining his ground and she cried more, he just froze until he also put his arms around her, slowly brushing her hair like he did last night and put his other hand on her back and rubbed it up and down, she slowly started to relax at what she felt was the best feeling in the world to her, she definitely never felt anything like it, if she did before, she's already forgotten it until now. Her cries slowly turned to sobs, then to short gasps, and finally sniffles, she pulled herself back as he let go a bit, his hands still holding on to her as she rubbed her eyes to wipe her tears away. The boy finally broke the silence.
"Hey, you're ok now?" The boy asked, to which she nodded slowly while still rubbing her eyes.
"I-I'm ok now, thank you." She actually meant to say thank you for helping her last night. The boy did that thing again with his lips moving up, it was a weird gesture in a way, but it somehow felt like it was ok to do so at this moment but she found herself incapable of doing so. The boy looked at her with the same look on his face and opened his mouth.
"I never got to ask, but what's your name?" He was asking her for her name, she looked at him before slowly fidgeting her fingers slightly and looking at his eyes.
"E-Eri."
The girl's name was Eri, Izuku looked at her with a smile while she looked confused as he did.
"That's a nice name, my name is Izuku, Izuku Midoriya." Izuku said and Eri looked at him, she looked at Izuku for a bit and just stared into his eyes, she didn't know why, but those eyes were somehow giving her a feeling in her chest, like she was safe with him, as long as she looked at those electric green eyes.
"I-Izu…Izu…I-Izu-ku? She struggled with saying the name, and Izuku slightly chuckled at that, it was adorable.
"That's right, I-zu-ku." Izuku said, explaining how to say his name.
"Iz-u, I-zu-ku?" Eri said, still finding it hard to say Izuku's name, and he nodded.
"Almost there, if you want, call me anything you want to if my name's too hard to say." Izuku said and Eri looked like she was thinking of a name to call Izuku, and he just smiled at her. It looked like she couldn't come up with anything until the door to the room opened, and Inko's head came in as she looked at the two who were awake.
"Oh good! You're both awake, it's time to eat!" Inko said with a smile, Izuku was about to get up, but was stopped when Eri jumped suddenly behind Izuku's back, she was hiding from his mom and he looked at her, green eyes meeting her red ones.
"It's ok Eri, she's not going to hurt you. She's my mom and she made you something to eat!" Izuku reassured her as Eri looked at him, then to Inko, who was still at the door before turning away quickly, back to Izuku's eyes once more.
"Mom?" Eri asked and Izuku nodded.
"She's my mom, a mom is a parent, it's someone who takes care of you and loves you no matter what. She protects you and always makes sure you're safe." Izuku said with a smile as Eri looked at him with a questionable look, before turning to Inko, slowly lifting her hand to point a finger at her.
"Iz-u-ku's mama?" Eri said, still struggling to say it as Izuku nodded at Eri and smiled.
"That's right." Izuku said as Eri still looked nervous.
Inko decided to slowly approach her with caution, she could see that the girl was unsure of what to do and just kneeled down, a little closer to Izuku as Eri continued hiding behind Izuku's back, gripping his shoulder as Inko reached her hand out towards Eri.
"Hi there, I'm Inko Midoriya, Izuku's mom. What's your name?" Inko said with a soft smile, Eri reacted with an even tighter grip on Izuku's shoulder and hid behind him again. Izuku placed a hand on Eri's right hand and rubbed the back of it with his thumb.
"It's ok. I'm here if you need me." Izuku said in a whisper that only Eri could hear. That seemed to do the trick as Eri started to slowly come out of Izuku's back and Inko was able to see her, red eyes and green eyes, she looked like a girl Izuku to Eri and she slowly but unsurely reached out her small hand towards Inko's after removing it from Izuku's reassuring hand, they made contact and Eri tensed up a bit, Izuku felt it since she had her second hand on Izuku's right shoulder this time, then it took a while before Eri started to feel Inko's hand, it was softer than Izuku's rough, hard hand, but somehow it had the same feeling that Izuku gave her, a feeling of safety and no sign of hostility. She slowly but this time surely took off her other hand of Izuku and used both to feel hers, closing Inko's right hand with both of hers and started to feel it, this time she felt her nervousness fading away as Inko then smiled, happy that Eri was able to feel comfortable with her until Eri finally spoke up.
"M-My name is E-Eri, n-nice to meet you." Eri said with nervousness again, but not as much as before, then Inko smiled a bit more.
"Nice to meet you too, Eri." Inko said as Eri slowly nodded, letting go of Inko's hand and then suddenly jumping back towards Izuku, hugging him as she nuzzled into his chest. Izuku just sighed and started stroking her hair slowly.
"Good job Eri, I told you it was ok." Izuku said softly as he felt Eri nodding a bit before Inko spoke again.
"Would you both like to eat now? The food's getting cold." Inko said as Izuku just nodded with Eri facing Inko and also giving her a slight nod before hiding her face again in Izuku's shirt.
'She's really shy around others.' Inko noted to herself as she then stood up and walked out the door, with Izuku and Eri, who was sitting on Izuku's arms, following her to the kitchen.
Izuku, Eri and Inko all ate at the table, with Eri making a face filled with awe at the sight of the wonderful cooking that was Inko's, she was practically drooling at the food, it was really cute and adorable. They all ate in a peaceful manner, albeit with Izuku teaching Eri how to use chopsticks, learning to say thanks before eating, and just all in all enjoying the small family moment with the addition of Eri in the mix.
After breakfast, Izuku started teaching Eri about many things she found very interesting and just generally marveled at each sight of an animal she'd see in each page of a book that Izuku had when he was younger. It was really fun to say the least, Izuku and Eri both enjoying their time as Inko smiled at the sight, Izuku did really look like a father, much to Izuku's dismay and amusement of Inko's teasing, while Eri stared at them in a confusing way. Inko then told both of them that she'll be going out to try and get someone to examine Eri for any signs of having family ties and more of the matter, they needed to know if they wanted to help Eri.
After she left, Izuku and Eri continued to enjoy their time together until Izuku's phone rang, he checked to see who was calling and much to Izuku's delight, it was Katsuki. He just remembered that they needed to head for the beach early in the morning, Izuku panicked and told Katsuki he had his hands full and told him to come to his house, to which Katsuki questioned Izuku but only getting a "You'll see" reply from Izuku before saying their goodbyes and hanging up the phone.
Eri, the whole time, was confused as to why Izuku was talking to a rectangle looking device and Izuku lightly chuckled after seeing Eri's face.
"It's called a phone, I use it to call, chat or text people whenever I need to. It's also good for searching the latest news on hero work and viral debuts." Izuku explained briefly but Eri just sat there confused, she literally had no idea what Izuku was saying except understanding one, that device was called a "phone" and the other was a question on the only word she could understand from Izuku.
"What's a hero?" Eri asked innocently and Izuku stared at her with wide eyes and was genuinely shocked. This girl, this sweet, kind, cute and innocent girl, doesn't know what a hero is? He just took a deep breath and exhaled as he relaxed and looked at Eri, now having her full attention because she was actually curious to know.
"Well, a hero is someone who helps people Eri. They save others who can't save themselves and are always there to give people reassurance and relief, knowing that a hero was there to save them, and that they were safe as long as they were there." Izuku said with a smile, this was Izuku's point of view of what a hero should be, what being a hero means, it was his ideal of a true hero, thanks to Katsuki's constant reminders of how he was the literal meaning of what a true hero should be and just chuckled at it. Eri looked like she was deep in thought, she looked like Izuku when he starts a mumbling spree and his heart clenched at how adorable she looked, she had the finger on her chin and everything. She then faced Izuku with eyes filled with curiosity.
"So does that mean you're my hero?" Eri asked and Izuku froze on the spot, looking at Eri right in the eyes, he checked to see if he heard right, and he did. Eri said he was her hero? Well, she was technically asking if he was, but everything he did from the first time they met up until now, did he legitimately actually become her hero? It caused a muttering spree to occur and Eri looked at him with a confused face, wondering what Izuku was doing. Izuku kept at it, he wasn't sure why, but a big part of him wanted to tell her yes, but the other was trying to debate if he really was her hero, I mean, can you blame the guy? He was asked if he was someone's hero, it was a first and didn't expect it any less.
So he backtracked from last night's events, she was scared out of her wits and was holding on to dear life, Izuku responded with a hug and brought her away from whatever she was running away from, maybe even WHO she was running away from, but it's too early to guess. He then became someone for her to cry on, she had showed a lot of emotions she didn't expect a girl like her should make, fear, sadness, panic, and even dread, and Izuku replied in favor with reassurance, that much was obvious to her, the marks on her skin did no less to prove him wrong, she was badly abused, although that's just his own speculation, he wasn't sure on what made him think that, but there was a feeling in his heart that allowed him to think that, but shook it off.
He then remembered Eri crying in his arms, he saw her relief, he saw her relax in his touch, he saw her happiness but never showed it with a smile, that was another thing he noticed earlier, Izuku hadn't seen Eri smile once, from when he met her up until even now.
She showed signs of trying but stopped, it was like she didn't know how to. Boy, little did he know that that was the reason why, but he saw Eri was happy here, regardless whether or not she showed it, he could practically feel it though her actions, that was it, she felt safe with him, Izuku even said to Eri that she was safe with him, that he was here if she needed him, that gave him his answer. He looked at Eri, who still had that same confused look from before and just smiled at her.
"Yes, yes I am, Eri. I am your hero." He said and he was shocked to see Eri crying, she did what he already expected her to do next as Eri lunged herself at Izuku, while he wrapped his arms around her as she continued crying into his chest, stroking her hair while saying kind words and giving her full attention of his care, he continued to hug her on one arm while using his other to continue stroking her hair, her sobs getting louder as she increased the volume of her cries. They stayed like that for a long time before Eri decided to cease crying and moved back to look at Izuku, his eyes that still gave that same feeling Eri had now started to feel, safe, she felt safe, safe with Izuku that always had that weird but right action placed on his face. Izuku brushed off a stray tear on her left cheek and smiled at her.
"I'll always be here for you Eri, whenever you ask for it. Now go ahead and smile, I want to see you smile." Izuku said with a smile of his own as he looked into Eri's eyes that were still red from crying but put on a face filled with confusion.
"S-Smile? I-Is that what you call the weird thing you do with your mouth?" Izuku froze again at that question, are you kidding me? He was proven wrong yet again, he felt anger boiling his blood as he looked to the ground with one of the angriest faces he could've possibly formed. Eri doesn't know how to smile, he knew it, he saw it, Eri trying to imitate him earlier, it was heartbreaking for Izuku to see, an innocent little girl, who had never known the feeling of when you smile, let alone how to do it. Izuku stopped his anger as he saw Eri looking at him with a face that made Izuku's heart drop a mile down, fear, she was showing a face of fear, and it was directed to him. He quickly frowned and moved his hands sideways in a really fast manner, trying to tell Eri that it wasn't her fault that he got mad and kept bowing his head, he even went as far to hug her back with the same apologies from earlier.
"I-I-I'm sorry Eri, I-I'm sorry…I-I should've not made that face, I-I'm just mad at myself for not realizing you didn't know how to smile. I-I'm sorry, I-I really am." Izuku said as he begun to feel tears trying to escape him as he placed his hand on her back and the other on the back of her head, Izuku then felt a soft sensation fill him, his hair being brushed in the same manner he gave to Eri all the time when she cried, Eri was doing the same, it was ironic, the roles reversed, from another person's view, it really looked too adorable.
"I-I was just scared that I said something wrong, I-I'm sorry too, Izu." Eri said as she continued to brush his emerald hair, she still felt it and it was still the same, it was still soft to the touch, she felt Izuku shaking his head sideways.
"N-No, don't be, it's my fault for scaring you. I-I just felt like I could've done more." Izuku said and Eri just hugged him this time as Izuku felt the pressure on his chest increase.
"B-But you already done so much for me! Y-You gave me so many things that he wouldn't give me, what I wasn't allowed to feel, you all gave it to me without hurting me and I-I just, I'm…thank you Izu, t-thank you for being my hero." Eri wasted no time in crying again, Izuku just shocked at what she just said, he subconsciously took note of the emphasis she made on the word "he" but other than that, he also started to tear up, he then returned the hug as they sat and cried on each other, one content that he was able to do so much for her that he didn't think was enough, while the other one was content with having him tell her she was safe as long as she was with him, that he was going to, no, is her hero and just hugged him tighter. After the crying subsided, Izuku leaned back and met face to face with Eri, his eyes now red from crying too much while Eri's was even redder, what he said next changed everything from that day forward.
"I'm going to become the best hero you can have, I will make sure that I will, no, can make you smile, and that I will continue to protect you with all my strength and soul, my sweat and pain, all to be that someone you call, your hero." Izuku said with a determined expression as he wiped off the tears off Eri's cheek and smiled at her, and she did the one thing no one expected, she moved the edges of her lips upward, struggling to keep it up until it stayed, it stayed in place, she was smiling, she was actually smiling, Izuku gasped loud enough with eyes wide enough to think it was going to pop out of his sockets, Eri was smiling! And genuinely too!
"But you already are!" Eri said as she started to cry, same can be said for Izuku, she was smiling, and he made her smile, he made her smile, this was too much for Izuku that he cried and sobbed louder than before as Eri, for the umpteenth time today, hugged him once again, this time Izuku hugging her as she did and stood up, lifting her off the ground and spun her around, holding on to her waist with both hands as he did and he laughed, tears still flooding down and Eri still smiling at Izuku, she also started to laugh, she closed her eyes and enjoyed being spun around in circles until Izuku slowed down and slowly moved her closer to his chest, Eri snuggling near his chest and she just slowly drifted off to sleep, quite exhasuted from crying too much.
Izuku continued hugging her tightly and sat down on the couch, laying his back down as he positioned Eri on one arm to hold her and stroked her hair in a "motherly" fashion, Eri responded with a yawn and snuggled closer in Izuku's arm, her hand resting on her lap and the other holding Izuku's shirt, she decided to speak.
"S-So this is what smiling is, it feels nice, really nice. Thank you Izu, thank you so much." Eri said while smiling softly as she drifted off to sleep, not until Izuku replied.
"No, thank you, for showing me that I can be a hero, that I can be your hero. I promise Eri, I'll help you continue to smile, as long as I am here, I will keep you safe." Izuku said as he continued to brush her hair and Eri silently cried, but no tears came out as she just smiled in content, finally letting sleep take hold of her and closed her eyes. Izuku looked at her and smiled, sighing in happiness that he was able to help her smile, to make her smile, it was an exhausting day, but one that'll make Izuku and Eri remember it forever, for Izuku, being the one person to make Eri's life better from here on out, and becoming a hero to someone, for someone, for Eri, the first time she smiled, the relief of being cared for again, to see herself happy, to finally not feel pain for one day, to finally touch someone without making them disappear, she would have to tell Izuku the rest of her story, but she, for now, was asleep in Izuku's arm, as he too drifted off to sleep, yawning before finally surrendering to sleep's hold.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"So, I take it this is why your hands are full?" A voice broke Izuku's sleep and rubbed his eyes, he looked back to see someone leaning at the doorway to the living room, Katsuki, was grinning as Izuku rolled his eyes and waved with one hand. Katsuki then walked forward, sitting down once he arrived on the couch and looked to see a bundle of cuteness sleeping in Izuku's arm, it was contagious, even Katsuki found himself staring until he shook it off and stared at Izuku, looking for an answer to which Izuku sighed.
"I found her last night, she ran into me asking for help, so I did what she told me to and I took her away from what she was running away from. It's kind of a complex situation right now, my mom's trying to find a way to help us with taking care of her further. We aren't sure if Eri has any parents, so mom went ahead to try and find ways on how we can connect any kind of family she could have." Izuku explained and Katsuki just crossed his arms and sighed. It was complicated.
"Yeah, that is a complex situation you got yourself into, but I don't blame you, you probably helped this kid…Eri right? Damn, I knew you had the spirit of a true hero and all but you just took it to an all new level." Katsuki smirked as Izuku just grinned and looked down at Eri, who was still sleeping peacefully.
"She's mysterious, to say the least. Eri still didn't tell me what had happened to her, these markings, the signs of malnourishment evident on her body, it just all screams bad to me, and I'm worried about what will happen to her next." Izuku slightly frowned as he brushed her hair gently and she smiled, albeit a little bigger than before, Katsuki looked at Eri before looking at Izuku, then he grinned an evil smile.
"You really look like a father right now, Deku." Katsuki said with a smug look as Izuku just face palmed and groaned loudly, but not enough to wake Eri up.
"First mom, now you, what's next, Aunt Mitsuki and Uncle Maru?" Izuku said with a glare as Katsuki chuckled lightly, trying to stop a laugh from escaping his mouth in repsect for the little white-haired girl's peaceful nap.
"Oh, that old hag's definitely going to go on and on about that, the old man's probably going to agree with her and just shrug it off. I for one am going to once agree with what she says." Katsuki smirked as Izuku rolled his eyes.
"Shut up, Kacchan." Izuku said and Katsuki decided to let it all out, he laughed and gasped for air after a while.
"Damn! Deku's finally learning how to curse huh?" Katsuki continued to laugh as Izuku shut him up with a glare as Eri shifted in her sleep, to which Katsuki just shut his mouth, slightly shocked at the face Izuku was making. Izuku sighed in relief as he saw Eri still sound asleep in his arm, he then looked at Katsuki who was still mouth-shut from Izuku and he let him be for a while until he spoke up again, Izuku's anger slowly fading away.
"Anyways, I'm not sure what will happen from here on out, but I know for certain that I will keep Eri safe no matter what, she deserves much more than what she has so I'll give her more tenfold. I will be her hero, no, I am her hero." Izuku said with determination ignited in his eyes as Katsuki smiled and leaned back to the couch.
"Damn straight, she's not my responsibility, and I believe you are already her hero, Deku." Katsuki faced Izuku with a grin and Izuku just chuckled lightly as he looked down to the still sleeping Eri.
"Yeah, you're right." Izuku said, remembering all the moments with Eri that happened today, including that night she met her as well. He steeled his resolve and heart, content and ready to help Eri with what she needed in the future, he will protect her no matter what, he can't explain the feeling, but he embraced it as he felt it was like the right thing to do.
He looked up the ceiling and closed his eyes, thinking of what can come in the next step he makes. He may not know it, but a lot will happen in the future, he just needs to keep on trying to find out what, to keep on pushing until his bones cracked, and to go reach greater heights to better himself in everything he lacked, and better himself in everything he gained, all for his dream to be a true hero, his goal to become the Captain of the Seven Deadly Sins, to use all the fruits of his training to show the world, that he is the Dragon's Sin of Wrath, to make his mentor proud of his future decisions and achievements, and to keep his promise to Eri, that he will become the best hero he can be to her, to protect her with all his might, so he can keep that smile of hers on her face, and more.
And he damn sure will make sure it happens, no matter what.
"…"
"…"
"…"
Two months have passed since then, 8 months left until the start of the U.A Entrance Exams, Izuku trained himself more to better improve his abilities, though more on his magical abilities than his physical ones. Since he spends most of his time with Eri, keeping her happy and making sure she was in a healthy life that she could love, which she did and was thankful for all the more, Izuku trained in Lostvayne with Meliodas, who was seldom seen in the outside because he was always training Izuku from the inside.
Izuku improved on constant use of the Refined Full Counter, to which he can now use often with a drastic change in a cooldown of only 5-10 seconds, and that's with the refined state, he even trained enough with Meliodas to compensate for not being able to train outside of Lostvayne by simply fighting Meliodas inside, using fighting skills and techniques that just save unto his memory, then he can use it outside of his "spiritual body" and use it like he'd known how to use it for a long time.
10% Full Cowling was like a special move for Izuku, he only used it in times of need, but he trained himself with Meliodas to use not only percentages at the numerals of 5, rather he can now use percentages in between or close to intervals of the number 5 (Ex. 2%, 4%, 7%, etc.), and it helped an awful lot for Izuku, but it required more time to get used to it and let alone control it further.
Outside training in Lostvayne, every weekend Katsuki and Izuku train together to strengthen their quirks (Izuku's being Lostvayne in disguise, but he trained his Strength levels during those sessions), much to Eri's pouting every time Izuku leaves the house, which was too cute and adorable. Usually Izuku kept his power down to 2% to give Katsuki a fair fight, but Katsuki kept insisting on him going full power (which Izuku just kept declining the offer every time he asked) so Izuku just went with it and decided to use 4% of Full Cowling at Katsuki, which in turn kept overpowering him until Katsuki was able to keep up and use what he calls "instincts", which he explained was like a feeling that allows him to move automatically without thinking.
Izuku took in to mind and decided to train Katsuki revolving around that, to which they did as Katsuki's reaction times became much faster than before, he even dodged a single kick by Izuku using his "instincts" and it apparently worked, Katsuki was able to detect even slight movements behind him, they even went far enough in his training to blindfold him as he did, and it improved even more as they continued.
Asides from training with both Meliodas and Katsuki, the weekdays during the day were used to spend time with Eri, playing with her, making her live a normal life, teaching her new words and what other things she may have been curious about was.
She seldom went outside, Izuku knew why though, Eri talked to him alone about her past and what happened to her afterwards, and to say Izuku was angry was an understatement though, he was actually pissed, he constantly hugged Eri during really touchy subjects that she struggled to tell, reassuring her to take it slow as she cried at each memory of it, the use of her quirk to make her dad disappear from existence, her mother giving her away to her grandfather like she didn't want anything to do with her, which Izuku guessed she did but Eri always said otherwise until finally admitting it at one point, it was a good and bad, three emotional days for her and Izuku, because he felt angry and relieved that she said all that, she revealed her past to him because Eri trusted Izuku the most out of Inko, Katsuki, Mitsuki and Masaru.
That bastard, Overhaul, tortured and abused Eri to such a terrifying degree, this was the most emotional memory, no, these were the most emotional memories of Eri that caused her to have constant panic attacks, but Izuku stayed by her side the whole time, assuring her that everything was alright, she wasn't at that damn "playground" anymore, and he and she were glad for that, it wasn't even a playground, but an experimental room where Eri was strapped at, disassembled then reassembled again and again, using her blood, body parts and others Izuku doesn't even want to mention at all from the thought of it, it was disgusting, he was disgusting, even going far to call Eri a thing, that pissed off Izuku to no end but kept his composure at most times they talked about more, what's the worst of it all? She was the main ingredient to a weapon that Overhaul was making, and Izuku was glad he got her before he did, she was tortured for days and nights, thinking of nobody else but her only getting hurt to stop others from getting hurt, if not, killed by Overhaul, damn, the bastard had NO heart for Eri, even going to an even higher level of stooping so low as to call himself Eri's "father".
Eri kept going on and on about it, telling Izuku all of the troubles, wishes she made up until the last one where she was able to escape and met Izuku at that fateful day, and from then on, her memories were happy ones, and Izuku smiled as she enthusiastically explained everything with a smile, Izuku would do anything to make that smile appear on her face everyday, and then one day, make Overhaul pay for all the pain, suffering and dread he had caused to Eri, tenfold.
But for now, he just enjoyed being with Eri, happily listening to every single word she said, as they both hugged before Eri and Izuku went to bed, back to Lostvayne's, training his heart out to release all the contained anger in his sleep, much to Meliodas' concern but knew why, he also listened to Eri's backstory and experience as well and Meliodas couldn't blame Izuku, he also felt the same way and if he was in Izuku's shoes? He would've did the same.
Those days turned into weeks, then into months until a good 6 months passed, during those months, Katsuki had gotten much stronger, if not, faster than before, his way of using his explosions to counter Izuku's attacks was impressive to say the least, and Katsuki was slowly catching up, his instincts were getting stronger and faster every time they fought.
In a sense, Katsuki was a battle maniac, he had pure combat skills and techniques that can, in the majority, overpower anyone in a way, his control over his explosions helped cope with that. Katsuki wasn't just a "born to battle" type of person where he makes reckless decisions, no, Katsuki was smart as well, not as smart as Izuku, but enough for him to be close to that, Izuku's nature of quick thinking decisions actually got to him over the years and for 2 years (when they were still 13), he spent it all trying to stop himself from doing so because it was and he quotes.
"Deku's way of fighting." Katsuki said, to which Izuku was confused at why Katsuki was talking to himself, and just shook his head in amusement.
The same type of improvement could be said for Izuku, while he trained Katsuki to better his own senses in battle, Izuku bettered himself in the field of analysis, figuring out opponent strategies, and breaking them down to either use it against them, or take it as an advantage to throw them off guard. What's to say this wasn't training Izuku physically, because it was.
The months also had more good points to them, Eri was also improving, whether it was slow or not did not matter to Izuku, Eri was also showing progress, she was taking all Izuku's lessons to heart, she finally learned how to say thanks before eating (she kept forgetting because of how good Inko's cooking was), she learned many more things from the outside world from Izuku, not only from old storybooks, but also from his phone, which Eri found quite amazing to how the little device answered to every touch of your finger and Izuku just chuckled at her curiosity, Eri was just a big bundle of adorableness.
There was even an episode of Eri calling Izuku "papa", to which Izuku replied with a huge blush while Inko nearly fainted, until Eri called Inko "grandma", that actually did it for Inko, it was too cute for her, this all happened just because Izuku explained to her what a family was and what each person was called in a family, but Eri, being the cute, innocent little girl she was, asked this question.
"We are a family, right Papa?" Eri asked, with eyes filled with questions, her eyes looked like they were moving up and down? Izuku just stared at her with a face of what you can call "shell shocked fatigue", Eri compared her life to being with Izuku and Inko like a family's, this actually made Izuku's heart melt with joy and relief that she thought of it, Eri calling Izuku "papa" made it melt even more. He just did what Eri already knew he would do during an emotional moment, he hugged her tight, and that almost knocked off the wind out of Eri but just smiled and hugged Izuku back, then Izuku spoke up, he was slightly sobbing.
"Y-Yeah, we are Eri, we are. I-I mean, do you want us to be a family?" Izuku asked with teary eyes as he felt Eri nod her head wildly and he heard her crying softly and Izuku then smiled at it.
"O-Of course, you've done so many good things for me, Papa. I'm really glad I met you that day, when you helped me, I'm always thankful for that. S-So yes, I'm ok with it, I actually really want to, b-but I'm afraid." Eri said then Izuku perked up an eyebrow.
"Of what?" Izuku knew if she was afraid of something, it was going to be emotional for her, far from normal fear but can you blame the little girl? She was tortured and practically had her childhood taken away from her, of course it would be hard for her to say if she tried to explain it.
"W-What if you disappear?! W-What if you go away? I-I don't want you to go away, Papa! I-I don't want you to leave me! I don't want to-" Eri saying in between sobs, yeah, this was one emotional moment, but Izuku did the only thing he knew after being with Eri for 6 months, he comforted her by hugging her in his arm, he stroked her hair softly, one of the things Eri loved, it always made her relax, Izuku then whispered gentle, comforting words to Eri.
"It's ok, it's alright. You won't make me disappear, I won't leave you, never in my life will I even think about doing that, let alone do it. You are too important to me Eri, you changed my life for the better, so it's ok, I will never go away from you." Izuku whispered to Eri and felt her relax, she was still crying, but Izuku never left her side once. The crying slowly faded into small whimpers as Izuku continued stroking her hair gently, and she stopped crying, he heard a sniffle, then Eri spoke up.
"I-It's not you, it's me. I-I'm afraid of losing you because of my quirk, Papa. I-I 'm scared, what if I use it on you? W-What if you go away because of me? It will be my fault, all of it will be my fault." Eri said but Izuku never stopped hugging her, he leaned back to face her and kissed her forehead, one of the other things Eri loved Izuku to do, he would always do that before Eri slept and it always kept her in check, it helped her calm down and relax. Izuku then bumped his nose on Eri's and she giggled softly.
"Remember what I told you? Your quirk is a blessing, it's not a curse. If you use it to help people, and not to hurt people, your quirk can become a wonderful thing, because it's yours. I will help you control it, I will be with you every step of the way so you can use it to do what you want. Ok Eri?" Izuku said with a gentle and kind tone, and Eri started crying again and nodding her head wildly while Izuku chuckled lightly, then pulled her in for another hug.
She then smiled after crying and leaned back to face Izuku and saw him smiling at her, something happened that really showed her progress, her bronze horn started to glow, a bright white as Eri smiled at Izuku and Izuku was shocked at what happened next, apparently Eri felt it as well and looked at her right hand, she was still holding an apple she ate before, with a bite mark on it as Izuku and Eri widened their eyes at what happened next, the bite mark on the apple slowly started reversing, and it slowly reverted back to a full, red apple, like no one had even ate it yet and Izuku gasped as loudly as he could and Eri yelped at his sudden gasp. Izuku didn't really know what Eri's quirk was, because she never really used it at all.
Izuku had moments where he saw the horn glowing as well, during Eri's panic attacks at night but when he hugs her, it slowly starts to fade and what he assumed made it turn off. But after seeing what Eri did, he started another mumbling spree, to which Eri, in amusement, just giggled slightly at what Izuku was doing, he always did it when he found out something interesting or new, but Eri soon found it funnier than creepy, because Izuku was just being Izuku. Izuku stopped shortly after and smiled a huge grin.
"Eri, you actually controlled your quirk!" Izuku said and Eri widened her eyes, she didn't know why she forgot what she just did until she looked back at the apple and sure enough, it was a full, fresh apple.
To say she was excited was an understatement, she was practically giddying on the floor and jumping up and down in happiness and excitement, she controlled her quirk! She didn't use it for something bad! Izuku then did another one of Eri's favorite things to do with him, he grabbed her with both hands on her hips and launched her to the air, gently so she couldn't hit the ceiling, Izuku was strong after all, she was giggling wildly and happily while Izuku did that and shouted a cheer when he started spinning her around, he then slowed down and looked at her, while still holding her in the air.
"I told you! You can do it! Your quirk will listen to what your heart wants, and you told it to not hurt me right? I'm so proud of you Eri!" Izuku said happily as Eri for the nth time, cried as Izuku pulled her close into his chest and she snuggled closer to his shirt as she cried tears of joy.
"I-I did it! I-I really did it…thank you Papa." Eri said between sobs and Izuku just smiled and brushed her hair in reply.
"Your welcome, Eri. I'll always be here to help you when you need it. For now, I think you should sleep, I think using your quirk made you exhausted." Izuku said as Eri yawned to answer and Izuku chuckled as he went back to the couch and laid down on his back, his head on one side and the feet at the other, with Eri slowly drifting off to sleep on his chest as she said one last thing that made Izuku want to cry again.
"I love you, Papa." Eri said before fully closing her eyes and put to sleep, Izuku just smiled, really widely and stroked her hair.
"Love you too, Eri." He whispered and also drifted off to sleep, not after yawning first. Izuku and Eri's lives had only just begun, tomorrow was the last day before the U.A Entrance Exam, and Izuku was going to complete it and to make sure he gets in, so he can start his path to becoming the best hero he can be with Eri being his motivation to keep moving forward.
"…"
"…"
"…"
Izuku left early the next day, not before reminding Eri that he'll be back by lunchtime and hugging her goodbye and telling his mom he'd be off. He disappeared and arrived on the beach, Katsuki and Izuku's favorite place to train, Katsuki literally called it the "Death Zone.", much to Izuku's amusement at the sheer antics of Katsuki. He stood by the beach as he watched the sunrise, the morning breeze a cool feeling that freshened his body to an extent and he sighed, enjoying the quiet morning's offer to him. Well, as quiet as it got until it ended just as quickly as it started.
"Ni~shi~shi, looks like your exam is tomorrow, little Iku." Izuku was used to Meliodas popping out of nowhere by now and just chuckled at the memory of how he shrieked whenever he appeared without notice.
"Hey Meliodas, yeah, just a bit nervous, but I'm confident that I can ace it." Izuku said with a smile, still staring at the beautiful sight of the rising sun and Meliodas just smirked.
"Good, good. It's alright to be confident, but don't let it get to your head, you'll lose it before you even use it, ni~shi~shi." Meliodas grinned as Izuku shivered slightly, goosebumps and everything.
"Y-Yeah, of course. I-I'll keep that in mind." Izuku stuttered a bit as Meliodas just put his hands on his pockets and faced towards the horizon.
"Time really flies fast doesn't it? First you were this fearful, nervous boy that didn't know what was going on, now? You're already the Dragon's Sin of Wrath, but you still aren't the Captain of the Seven Deadly Sins yet." Meliodas said as Izuku then looked at him confused.
"Wait, what do you mean?" Izuku asked with uncertainty and Meliodas just clicked his tongue with a grin.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Little Iku, you can't be a captain without a squad, you haven't found any of the other Sins yet. Sure you're the new Captain, but I only dubbed you that, the others still have to approve of you being the new Captain, so you have to prove it to them that you are." Meliodas smiled and Izuku stared for a while before nodding, he did have a point, Izuku will give him that, then Meliodas put his hands to the back of his hand and smirked.
"Looks like he's here. Enjoy your last day of training, Izuku. I'll see you on the other side." Meliodas looked at Izuku with a grin and Izuku smiled back at him and nodding.
"Can't wait, Meliodas." Izuku sighed and shook his head in amusement and Meliodas smiled.
"You won't have to." He said before snapping his fingers and vanishing from sight, Izuku looked back to the sunrise and heard one familiar scream, jeez Katsuki, it's freaking 6 in the morning.
"DEKU! YOU READY TO DIE?!" Ah, good ol' Katsuki, Izuku just sighed and looked over his shoulder to find Katsuki grinning at him with murderous intent, his left fist on his right palm while smoke came out of it. He really never changes, but Izuku could tell Katsuki was just as excited as he was.
"And good morning to you as well, Kacchan." Izuku said and walked towards him, and before Izuku could think, Katsuki launched himself at full speed with a large explosion to Izuku and a right hand in the air, preparing another explosion before Izuku vanished from sight and appeared behind Katsuki, Izuku didn't expect it but Katsuki used his prepared explosion on his right to push his arm back in a rotating manner, slamming Izuku's cheek with an explosion-propelled fist as Izuku was pushed back from the impact, slamming onto the ground before recovering in the air. Katsuki gave no time for Izuku to breathe and launched himself at Izuku again with another explosion, Izuku, before hitting the ground, disappeared again, reappearing on just a few inches on top of Katsuki's back while raising his leg up and grinning.
"4% Full Cowl : Reinforced Axe Shot!" Izuku yelled as his foot made contact with Katsuki's back and he gagged in pain, Katsuki wasn't expecting Izuku to attack this time and he flew to the ground at a quick pace, before Izuku appeared again at his right side and widened his eyes, this time Izuku wasn't giving him anytime to breathe as he smiled at Katsuki, pulling his fist back for a punch.
"4% Full Cowl : 3x Reinforced Smash!" Izuku chanted as he punched Katsuki in the gut, to Katsuki, he only saw Izuku punch once, to Izuku, he punched three times before sending him flying farther. Katsuki wasn't going down just because of pain, even if it felt like a brick had hit him in his stomach and slightly coughed before recovering in midair with an explosion, and then launching himself at Izuku again.
Izuku grinned as Katsuki (who had a crazed look on his face and a smile filled with "I will kill you" plastered all over it) then lunched himself upwards, now higher in the air with Izuku on the ground and he smirked, forming an O shaped with his pointer finger and thumb, three fingers suspended in the air and placed it on one point of his palm.
"AP Shot!" Katsuki yelled as a big, concentrated blast of explosions formed a beam that went straight for Izuku but before he could disappear to avoid it, Katsuki separated his hands and raised his arm back, launching a little close to the beam and placed his palm to its edge and blasted it, making it travel faster to Izuku and widened his eyes, he had no time to avoid it from being distracted and just took the hit. Katsuki isn't merciful on the battlefield, he then launched himself forward to where Izuku got hit and had a maniacal grin on his face as he raised his right arm up again.
"DIE!" Katsuki screamed as he produced a point-blank explosion at one point after throwing his arm down and causing a big explosion, a smoke cloud formed and Izuku was knocked back out of it, bouncing on the ground like a pebble bouncing on water before putting his hand on the ground and lunging himself upward to recover before disappearing, then reappeared running towards the clearing smoke cloud showing a bit of Katsuki's silhouette in it and then disappearing again, this time appearing in front of Katsuki as Izuku went in for a quick jab, but Katsuki was prepared.
"Stun Grenade!" He heard Katsuki yell and a blinding light flashed on Izuku's eyes, stunning him momentarily, Katsuki then shot out of the now cleared smoke cloud, just overhead Izuku and raised his palm at his back, letting go another explosion as Izuku launched towards the ground, grunting in pain, then Katsuki launched himself on the ground just right beside Izuku, planting his feet on the ground, then grabbing Izuku's arm with his right hand then spinning him around with explosions on his left hand building up Katsuki's momentum until Izuku was over Katsuki's head, with a grin, he slammed Izuku down to the sand, adding another explosion to his right palm, further increasing the force of impact on Izuku as he hit the sand, gasping for air and gritting his teeth in pain, but it didn't stop there. Katsuki grabbed Izuku's arm again then spun him around the opposite direction and threw him away with the help of an explosion, Katsuki then launched himself at Izuku for another attack but didn't expect Izuku to recover quickly.
Izuku opened his eyes and smiled, flipping forward in the air, successfully doing an air recovery as he saw Katsuki heading towards him fast, Izuku then appeared at Katsuki's side in a flash. Izuku then grinned at what he was about to do next.
"5% Full Cowl : Ten Blinding Blows!" Izuku jabbed at Katsuki's stomach, receiving Katsuki's reply to pain with a gag but it didn't end there, Izuku appeared then on top of Katsuki's back and punching him again, then reappearing on the other side of Katsuki, kicking him at the side where Katsuki was then knocked back in the air flying, Izuku stopped his flight with another kick, this time under him, sending Katsuki flying upwards, with Izuku reappearing again on top and punching Katsuki on the side of his face, sending him flying downwards towards the ground, Izuku then appeared yet again to kick him in the gut, sending him flying to who knows what direction, Izuku then intercepted with another punch to the gut, sending Katsuki at the opposite direction, and Izuku flashed to him with an uppercut jab to the air, hitting his back, he was sent flying upwards then Izuku flashed again close to his back and launched Katsuki further into the air before finally reappearing overhead, with Katsuki closing in on Izuku, he pulled his arm back to deliver a final blow and launched his fist at Katsuki, sending him flying faster towards the ground and on contact with the sand, created a human-sized crater.
Katsuki didn't anticipate what happened so he had no time to react on each of the attacks Izuku made on him as he just gagged in pain and gasped for air on the ground, he bounced, still suspended in air with Izuku still in the air. Izuku then started to fall straight towards Katsuki in a alarming rate, Katsuki widening his eyes as he tried to move, but his muscles were aching and his wrists were in pain from setting too much explosions off, so he had no way to dodge, Izuku kept going until he was almost close to Katsuki and grabbed his right arm with his left hand, facing it towards Katsuki as Izuku bent his right middle finger down, keeping it in place with his thumb and smiled.
"7% Full Cowl : Delaware Smash!" Izuku yelled as he flicked his fingers, just before he reached Katsuki, a vortex of wind shot towards Katsuki, him widening his eyes further as the wind hit him, creating a bigger crater with sand swirling in a tornado from the impact of the wind. Izuku was knocked back from the shockwave and recoil a bit as he flew backwards, landing safely on the ground as the winds started to fade away.
Izuku stood tall, albeit from a bit of breathing, he trained hard enough to increase his stamina so much, this fight barely made him sweat, but he then widened his eyes at Katsuki literally unconscious on the devastation Izuku left behind.
'Crap, I think I went too far.' Izuku thought as he ran normally towards Katsuki and carry him to a better spot than the crater he gave him. Izuku laid him down near the shoreline and started to flick water at Katsuki's face, hoping to wake him up, and it did as Katsuki responded with coughing, finally regaining consciousness, to which Izuku just sighed at, Katsuki opened his eyes in confusion, why Izuku was here and he was lying down, the hell? Wasn't it supposed to be the other way around? Oh…Katsuki lost, he just scoffed and lifted himself up, Izuku helping him up, Katsuki didn't resist and just took in a deep breath.
"I lost, didn't I?" Katsuki asked simply and Izuku just sighed in relief that he was ok, it was actually amazing how Katsuki was still able to regain consciousness quickly after being unconscious, Izuku just nodded in reply afterwards and Katsuki just smirked and fell on his back.
"Damn it Deku, that's 32 losses for me. How the hell do you keep hiding trump cards at your arsenal and still beat me? You ass." Katsuki just smiled as he closed his eyes while Izuku laughed and sat down, right arm resting on his knee, the other placed on the sand as he stared unto the horizon., then looked at Katsuki who was still smiling, those rare genuine smiles that almost no one knows Katsuki was able to do.
"Look who's talking, you hid some other techniques from me. Why didn't you tell me you could blind someone with your hands, Kacchan? That was awesome, it actually surprised me and you took advantage of it." Izuku grinned as Katsuki then smirked and opened his eyes, looking at Izuku.
"It took a while for me to master that, I wanted to make damn sure you wouldn't know about it so I could be able to win, but apparently it wasn't enough because you had a lot more in you that you hid away." Katsuki said as he punched Izuku's shoulder, Izuku grunting a bit in pain as he held his shoulder and rubbed it.
"Well, I guess we're even now, you showed me something new, so did I." Izuku chuckled as Katsuki then sat up, looking at the horizon.
"You're the only person in this heck of a world who can beat me in a fight, and you look like you didn't even fucking break a sweat, the hell? Besides, I'm going to be number one, and you better damn give me a challenge to get there." Katsuki said with a grin as Izuku smirked.
"Yeah, I can promise you that, and who said you were going to be the number one hero? I will become the number one, no, the best hero in the whole world." Izuku said and Katsuki snorted.
"Yeah, dream on, Deku." Katsuki said and it was Izuku's turn to jab his shoulder as Katsuki started laughing.
"I'll be at the top waiting for you, Kacchan." Izuku said as Katsuki started ceasing his laughter and they both just stared at the sunset.
"Tomorrow's the day huh? Can't fucking believe it's been 11 damn years since I got my quirk, and you got yours a couple years back, yet, you're practically stronger than me, I'll admit." Katsuki said with a grin as Izuku then stared at him, Katsuki? The Katsuki Bakugo was admitting that someone was stronger than him, and that someone was Izuku? Katsuki wouldn't even admit that All Might was stronger than him but this? This is just beyond Izuku's mind, no, it's out of this world, once in a million years opportunity kinda moment right here, so Izuku just widened his eyes, it's all he can do at the moment.
"K-Kacchan?" Izuku said as Katsuki then closed his eyes then sighed and smiled, it was really out of character for Katsuki, and Izuku was internally freaking out, he was using the rare genuine smile again, that made his panicking worse.
"That's why I'll get stronger than you, heck, you're practically stronger than All Might, in my opinion. Which is all the more reason to give me enough resolve to kick your ass tenfold, I'll make sure that even you, will admit that I'm stronger than you, or that I'm your equal, because I'm your damn rival, Deku. And no one else can be. Got that?" Katsuki said with determination and a hint of murderous intent, which Izuku shivered at first but then smiled, Katsuki was actually still trying to get stronger, even if the difference in their power says otherwise, he was still trying, and that made Izuku's resolve to help him get stronger even bigger, he was going to help Katsuki reach his goal, while Izuku reached his own.
"Got it. You can count on me to push you even further than what you are now." Izuku said with his own fire of determination as Katsuki looked at Izuku and smirked.
"Thanks, Deku." Katsuki said with a smile as he and Izuku looked towards the horizon, it was noon.
Izuku and Katsuki's chapter has finally begun, tomorrow is the day they declare to U.A, that they'll be the world's most strongest heroes, and none of them are going to give up. None of them.
"…"
"…"
"…"
After the training, Izuku arrived home, with Eri running to him as he entered, him hugging her in return as she did. They all ate lunch before going on to enjoy the rest of the day, although Izuku was tired and wanted to rest for the big day tomorrow, he wanted to spend as much time with Eri before he did.
Eri showed Izuku what she practiced during her time at their house, she showed him how well she was doing with using her quirk, reassembling broken shards of a fallen glass, making another apple she bit revert back to its original fresh state (Eri had a thing for apples, she was practically addicted to them, and she always asked for one even after breakfast, lunch and dinner), and even going as far as healing the bruises Eri saw on Izuku's arm, much to the shocked expression of Izuku and his eyes almost looking like they will pop out any second, with Eri giggling at how funny Izuku looked.
Izuku also took note that her horn grows when she uses her quirk, and she also gets a little tired after using it once, Eri told him that her quirk depends on how she feels, and that made sense to Izuku, when she's happy, she's able to control it fully but at the cost of falling asleep faster, if she's stressed, her quirk activates at random and she can either have control of it, or no control over it at all, this even explains when she has panic attacks from her past, her quirk activates immediately at what Izuku could feel would go out of control, but since hugging Eri turns off her quirk automatically (Izuku had found out this technique over the months during her panic attacks), it was also revealed that when she relaxes, the out-of-control nature of her quirk quickly subsides and she gains control of it again.
Izuku decided to name her quirk, Rewind, which Eri agreed with a wild nod and stars in her eyes, much to Izuku's amusement, the objects she touches or points her palms at seemed to revert back to a past state, the broken drinking glass shows evidence of this, because the shards of glass slowly recompose themselves to their proper place and the cracks of the glass are also cleaned out, it was interesting to Izuku, which you can probably guess what he did next, Eri hinted what with her giggles.
The rest of the day was spent and they just finished eating dinner before Eri started to yawn, signaling Izuku that she was tired from using her quirk and it being nighttime already. Izuku picked her up and put wrapped him around his arms, so she could snuggle into his chest as they walked into his room. Laying Eri down on the bed, which was changed from All Might covers to a blue layering with apples strewn across the bed, this made Eri sleep better for some reason (Yup, she really likes apples), Eri was no longer wearing that dirty rag, she was wearing a pink dress with a white skirt (yes, with apples as well), they took off the ragged clothes the second day Eri was with Izuku after saving her, so she had her own clothes (Thank you Inko, bless her).
Izuku tucked her into bed as he closed the door and closed the light on the lamp, Eri, who was half-awake, was waiting till Izuku came under the blanket and laid down beside her small figure and stroke her hair, which always seemed to work to get Eri to relax, he bent his head down to give her a kiss on the forehead, Eri smiling at that, she always wanted a goodnight before going to bed and, like it was tradition for the two, said their goodnight's.
"I love you , Papa. Good…night…" Eri said as she finally yawned one last time before closing her eyes.
"Love you too, Eri. Goodnight." Izuku said with a smile and a yawn of his own before laying down and putting an arm over Eri, as she scooted closer to his chest and put her own arm around him, she couldn't reach all the way so she just grabbed his shirt, Izuku thought it was adorable before Eri finally fell asleep, that same smile that always brought one of Izuku's own every time he saw it.
Tomorrow was finally the day of the U.A Entrance Exam, and Izuku will make sure he will do his best to pass at it. Content with that answer, he yawned again but before he could sleep, he saw Eri's horn glow white, at first, he was confused because she was ok and hugging Izuku, but then he widened his eyes, not at what was happening to Eri, but what he was feeling, that same feeling he gets whenever he activates, amplifies or uses it in general, it shocked him so much that he almost fainted at what Eri was emitting, an all too familiar energy surrounding them both.
"Magic…"