Chapter 17: The Harder They Fall
As it turned out, stakeouts were much more bearable when there was someone you were partnered up with. The export company was based out of a private shipyard, it was easily on the same scale as other ports but noticeably less busy than the others as the past two weeks had shown them. The shipyard was gated with concrete walls that were impossible to scale, and reached easily over ten feet tall, the only entrance being a gate where a security officer in a booth buzzed the arriving semi trucks in after a security sweep.
Past that gate was a large port, where two cranes would retrieve containers from cargo ships and load them onto the ground or truck for storage and transport respectively. There was a small office building by the water but neither he nor Hodo really saw much activity there from their perch.
Then there was the cargo ship, which was docked in port with cranes constantly unloading throughout the day and night. Izuku looked it up and it would take between a single to five days for it to be completely unloaded and then reloaded to full capacity. At the rate it was going, he estimated it'd be emptied and refilled in about three days, unfortunately there wasn't any way to see what was actually inside the containers from where they were.
He felt something warm press into his cheek, he turned to see Hodo poking him with the thermos, "Here, drink up." she told him, the freelance photographer taking the container from her before opening it and taking a sip of the hot chocolate inside.
It was early December and the weather wasn't afraid to show it. A thin layer of snow covered the ground a few days ago and its snowfall has been fairly consistent. However while the streets had been cleared of snow, the rooftops hadn't, which made Izuku and Hado responsible for keeping their perch snow free and warm. Which was accomplished with, of all things, a hunting blind. Along with a portable propane heater inside, they were lucky that they weren't close enough to be spotted by anyone operating the cranes, and the red coloring on it helped blend in with the brick wall beside them during the day.
"Thanks." he said gratefully before setting the thermos down inside his bag. Pulling out his camera, he held it up and zoomed in as close as he could with the lens that Taneo had lent him for long range photography. He was currently on assignment rounding up more stories of Spider-Man intervening while the heroes and police were unaware of any crimes being committed.
It was so…..weird, after months and months of being called a public menace, people were starting to turn around on him with the stories of his heroism cropping up. Of course that didn't make everyone instantly ok with an unregistered vigilante roaming free. But it was nice to see that he had at least made a difference, "Ok I think that white truck is the next one to pull out." he said, snapping a photo of the large white cabbed semi, the cargo container on its back contrasting with a sharp red.
Hado scolded over her tablet, "Is it the one that has a plate starting with Y4D7?" she asked. Izuku nodded, "Hmmm….that's the odd one. The one that's been back here five times tonight."
Izuku lowered his camera, "Could they be somewhere close by?" he asked with a tilt of his head.
"Possibly," Hado shrugged, "But it's the fact that one has also loaded up containers onto the ship that it returns with and they seem to be the same ones it leaves with." she explained.
That was odd, he never heard of a cargo ship carrying empty containers before….but then again he wasn't a shipping expert. Could it be that it was standard practice once things were dropped off in a port to be loaded up on a ship back where it came from? Regardless, the frequency of it coming and going was suspicious. "Too bad your source couldn't tell us what we were looking for." he lamented.
Hado nodded, she hadn't heard back from him since their last conversation, and it was a little concerning. Whoever had reached out to her had done so at great personal risk to themselves, if they were discovered…..then they very well might be dead. It was a grim thought that she didn't want to share with Midroiya, she already felt bad enough pulling him into this mess but he wouldn't take no for an answer. Teenagers were too stubborn for their own good.
Checking her watch, she sighed, "It's nine, you better head home." She told him, he turned and opened his mouth but only for Hado to hold up her hand. "Up! Up! Up! You know the deal I made with your mom, no staking out late on a school night." she warned him.
Izuku winced, when he told his mom that he and Hado were planning to stake out a shipyard as a part of work, she laid some strict rules down. One, if anything happens they call the police and leave. Two, Izuku isn't to be there alone at any time. And three, he is to come home before ten on school nights. And given how he was still in a little bit of hot water after his little sickness incident? He didn't have any room to argue with her on it. Grabbing his back, he slung it over his shoulder, "I'll swing by after school tomorrow, do you want me to bring you anything?" he asked.
"Coffee." was her instant reply.
Izuku gave her a concerned look, "...Hado I get out of school at three o'clock." he reminded her.
"Coffee."
"...alright." he relinquished, stepping out of the tent with a shake of his head. He had tried her coffee and it was probably the most bitter thing he had ever tasted in his life.
...Kendo might like it though.
Stepping away from the tent, he watched it out of the corner of his eye, walking to the door that led into the building, opening it…..and then closing it before leaping up and clinging to the wall. Scaling up to the next rooftop, he set his bag down and began pulling off his coat, gloves, scarf, and pants.
The picotech regulated his body temperature perfectly in cold weather, he didn't know how exactly but he wasn't going to complain about not having to wear thermals under his clothing. Pulling his mask down over his head, he craned it to either side to pop the kinks out, slinging his backpack over his shoulder, he looked out over to the dock from his new perch. He wanted nothing more than to investigate the shipyard, with his abilities sneaking in wouldn't be hard, but in complete honesty there wasn't anything here that really pointed to him needing to.
It'd be one thing if I knew for sure that Kingpin was doing something here. But I can't just break into private property because I can. He thought to himself. He was a vigilante of course, doing what he did was breaking the law but that didn't mean he was above it. So for now he watched, he watched them unload their shipments, load new ones on, the trucks that came and the ones that…..
He watched as the white one that Hodo pointed out drove through the open gate before it shut behind it. It was a long shot that this would actually lead to anything...but was there any harm in checking?
Moments later, Spider-Man swung through the air at a leisurely pace, watching below as the semi truck drove through the roads below. Following it onto the freeway, he was able to pick up his speed more as he kept pace with the truck, launching himself off his weblines and then shooting out another as he began to go down in an arc.
Tailing a car wasn't hard for someone who could swing between buildings. If anything the challenge was making sure he didn't fly past it. So following the trick for fifteen minutes wasn't a challenge…..but then-
*BRRING! BRRING!*
Izuku blinked beneath his mask. For one thing, that wasn't his ringtone, and the other….it wasn't from his phone but his ear? "Uh…..hello?" He asked no one.
'Ah, Spider-Man, good. The Picotech configuration seems to work.' A familiar voice greeted.
"Oh! Mr Fantastic!" He greeted excitedly, "Um….how are we talking right now?" He asked.
'Oh, I had the Picotech configure themselves into a rudimentary cell phone near your ear.' He said casually, brushing over the marvels piece of technology. 'I was hoping to discuss something if you had a moment?'
Izuku looked down, landing on the ledge of a roof as the semi truck below stopped at a red light. "Sure, I'm just….following a lead, it's no big deal. How can I help?" He asked readily.
'Well first off, congratulations on your endeavors in Japan. I'll admit I was shocked to hear of corruption of that scale over there with how law-abiding the culture is.'
Izuku faltered, "Y….you heard about that?"
'Oh yes it's on all the news networks as far as I know.'
"...oh wow." He breathed out, not expecting his exploits to be worldwide.
'Anyway, I was calling today because I wanted to discuss the picotech. I wanted you to know that I'm going to be delegating the project to an associate of mine.' He explained, Spider-Man started after the truck again as it drove off, 'The reports I've gotten from your field tests are very useful by the way.'
"Oh! Happy to help and….sorry for getting them torn up." He apologized.
Reed's hearty laugh alleviated his worry, 'Your fine, stress testing is part of the job. In fact I was hoping that you'd be ok if I got you in contact with them. If that's ok.'
Izuku nearly faltered mid swing, "I-um….well Mr Fantastic-"
'Oh please, Reed is fine.'
The fanboy in Izuku would burst at the prospect under normal circumstances, "Er-Reed, I'd love to help but….what about me secret identity?" He asked unsurely.
'Not to worry, I trust them to be discreet. And I explained to them that despite what some may claim, you're an unsparing young man.' He explained. Izuku nearly swung into a wall from his stunned he was by the praise, 'If you want, I could arrange a meeting.'
"I…..are you sure? I mean I'm still a vigilante." He asked.
'I am, if the worst were to happen, the picotech isn't something even the most advanced support companies could trace back.' He assured him, putting Izuku's fears at ease. Plugging himself in mortal danger was one thing, but others would be unthinkable for him.
"Alright, sure we can meet. How do I…..oh." he stopped, his lenses widening as he swung to a wall.
'What is it?'
"…..my lead just paid off." He answered, watching as the semi truck drove into the parking garage of the building where the Kingpin's penthouse was located.
F.E.A.S.T. Became more busy during the winter, During most of the year the weather in Japan could allow those living on the street to not face any danger from the climate. But that wasn't a guarantee during the bitter cold nights of December. "Here you are." Kendo said, presenting a heavy blanket to an elderly man who smiled.
"God bless you young miss." He said, reaching out to her hand, Itsuka smiled and gave it a squeeze before letting go and going back to her cart of blankets. Himiko walked over and grabbed one as well, she watched as she walked over to a little kid and proceeded to wrap him up in it. And to her surprise and the kid's shrieks of amusement, was wrapped up like a burrito, the child's mother smiling a little at the sound of her child's laughter.
"Haha! I shall return later for my snack! If you escape, your next burrito will be twice as big!" She told the child who giggled. She walked back over to the cart, and noticed Kendo looking at her. She scoffed, "What?"
Itsuka shook her head, "Nothing, I just didn't know you got along with kids." She shrugged before adjusting her black turtleneck.
Himiko gave her an auspicious eye, "What's that supposed to mean?" She asked. Itsuka felt herself falter slightly, forcing herself to smile at the older girl.
"Uh….nothing! I just…..haven't seen you around them before, that's all." she said in an attempt to not get on Himiko's bad side. The bun haired girl gave her a look before scoffing and going back to the cart. Dispersing the blankets took another ten minutes until they were empty, the other employees of the shelter were hard at work distributing their own carts. "Alright, that's all of them, should we go grab some more?" she asked.
Himiko looked around and shook her head, "The others have the rest." She said, crossing her arms and frowning. She had done a count of blankets last week when the forecast came in, they had a good number but people will still need to share. It wasn't that the building wasn't heated either but the comfort of a blanket during a bitter cold winter...it meant a lot…..more than some people realized.
Kendo noticed her frown as they pushed the cart towards the storage area. While Toga wasn't exactly the most serious person she met, she had known her for a good length of time. And she could tell that she truly cared about the people here…..but more than that, she got angry for them.
As they dropped off the cart, they saw Mr. Li approach them, "Hey boss, just got the blankets passed out." Toga informed him.
The man smiled, "Great to hear." He said as he pushed his own cart into the closet along with theirs. "Oh and I just got word of a sizable donation to our food fund, we're going to be able to get our people hot meals all the way through February." He informed them excitedly.
Itsuka's eyes widened as Himiko's jaw dropped. "That's wonderful!" Kendo exclaimed with a beaming smile as her lifted hands clenched into excited fists. She turned to Himiko who looked more genuinely taken aback than anything, she turned back to her boss who smiled at their reactions, "Who donated that much money to us?" She asked.
Li shook his head, "It was anonymous. But I guess it's a pro hero." He said.
Himiko snorted, "Yeah right." She said, crossing her arms. "If it was a pro they'd have made sure everyone knew they were giving money away to a charity." she said with a sardonic smile.
Kendo frowned, taken aback by the tone of…disdain that Toga apparently held for pro heroes. Mr Li however gave her a forlorn smile, Himiko sighed at the look, "But…..I'm glad we got the money." She admitted with some reluctance. Mr Li smiled, reaching into his back pocket he pulled out a pair of envelopes and handing one to each girl.
"Which reminds me, these are your Christmas bonuses." He said, Himiko's eyes lighting up with yen signs in them. Itsuka meanwhile took it with an excited smile, "I think everything is well in hand here, you two head home. And be careful the roads are icy this time of night."
The pair nodded, giving their thanks to their employer before taking their leave.
Walking out of the shelter, the young ladies were met with the dark sky and city lights in the cold air. "Geez, it chilled down." Himiko said, blowing her breath into her hands and rubbing them together while Nendi adjusted her gloves. Seeing her co-worker didn't have her own pair, she reached into her pocket and offered her a hand warmer. Toga blinked before she smiled and took it, "Thanks."
"Sure thing." Kendo replied as they walked down the steps. She checked her phone for the time, her train home didn't leave for another fifteen minutes, "Are you heading to the train station Toga, or are you close by?" She asked.
Himiko gave her a sky grin, "Why Kendo, trying to get me back to my place?" She asked with a flirtatious tone, Kendo felt her cheeks warm but she gave her an unamused look which only made Himiko chuckle. "I mean normally I take a girl out to dinner before I-"
"Toga!" A voice called out.
Toga turned around to see a girl with short brown hair running over to her, Himiko's flirty demeanor vanished in an instant and was replaced with undisputed joy, "Ochako!" she took off so fast that Kendo swore she felt the blowback from the wind. And stranger yet, upon reaching her friend, Himiko glomped onto her! She'd never seen Himiko…..affectionate with anyone before! "What are you doing here?" she asked, pulling away from the other girl.
She was a little shorter than Himiko, but not by much, she had brown hair that went as far down as the top of her neck, with rosy cheeks and a bright smile. "I was on my way home with groceries when I saw you." she answered before seeing Kendo, "Oh! I'm sorry, I'm Uraraka Ochako, it's nice to meet you." she said with a bow.
Kendo smiled at the girl's politeness and returned it, "I'm Itsuka Kendo, back at you….er….how do you know Toga?" she asked.
Himiko smiled as she wrapped an arm around Uraraka, "She's my childhood friend! We've known each other since we were little kids." she said proudly. Uraraka rolled her eyes at the exact term she used but smiled nonetheless. She turned to her friend, "Kendo works with me at F.E.A.S.T." she informed.
The girl brightened up at the mention, "Oh really! That's so cool!" she said enthusiastically as she balled her fists in front of her. Kendo smiled at the energy the girl had, glad that someone saw what they did as such. She turned to Himiko, "We better hoof it back home, my mom and dad are making dinner!" she said excitedly.
Himiko's eyes widened and her mouth watered, "Oh sweet!" she turned to kendo as she walked off, "See you around Kendo."
"It was nice meeting you!" Uraraka called back, the redheaded girl smiled as she waved them goodbye before heading for the train station. Uraraka turned to Himiko and smiled, "She seemed nice."
Toga rolled her eyes, "You think everyone is nice." she joked with a playful shove. She offered her hand, and Uraraka gave her the bag. Looking inside it, Toga saw that there was a pouch of red liquid inside. She frowned, knowing exactly how expensive her….prescription was to keep her quirk under control. "I just got paid today so I can pay you back for this." she said, holding up the bag.
Her friend turned to her with a soft expression, "Toga…"
"I'm….I'm serious." she said in a soft voice. "I know how…..Taiyo and Miwa have it hard enough, raising us together..." she frowned. "I just want to make it up to them."
Uraraka looked down at the ground as they walked, "Yeah….I know." she said with a determination in her voice. She turned to her and smiled, "So let's do our best to do it then."
Himiko saw the steel in the girl's eyes and felt her cheeks flush, "R-Right!" she echoed back, Uraraka walking ahead as she talked about how U.A.'s entrance exam opened at the end of winter. Toga watched her as she spoke, full of excitement, hope and….just overall care for her parents. The thought of parents….of her own….made her chest feel constricted, she shoved it down and focused on Uraraka….and felt her heart beat strongly despite the cage it felt trapped inside.
But that was where those feelings belonged, caged up. Locked away…..like the mindless animal that her own parents saw her as.
As Himiko and her friend made their way home, Itsuka did as well, although not with the exact same feelings wrestling in her chest. Instead she was thumbing through her phone, frowning as she confirmed what she had been fearing. Aaaaand that's official. He owns literally any All Might memorabilia. She thought dryly as she finished going over a web page of every collectable that All Might's agency had published, making her pinch the bridge of her nose as that plan was officially dead.
After Izuku's birthday present to her, a Captain America autograph which she had been sure to frame and display proudly in her room, she had to get Izuku something that would match that. How couldn't she? Especially since….she….she had a crush on him.
She felt her face warm a little at the thought, God get it together, you like him, ok, we've established that….and maybe….this is the first step in….seeing if he's interested…..so it has to be good. She thought to herself with a spark of determination as she walked down the street.
"Hey sweetheart." A sly voice called out, Kendo frowned before she turned to see a trio of boys around her age walking towards her. They were leering at her, looking at her up and down, for a brief moment she thought they were sizing her up…..but then she realized they were checking her out. "You cold out here tonight?" She kept walking, adjusting her coat slightly and pretending that she didn't hear them, "Hey, you hear us?" one of them asked with irritation.
She stopped, and turned around, her aqua eyes shooting daggers at them, "I did. And I'm none of your three's sweetheart." she corrected harshly.
The trio's stances shifted, Kendo recognized it, "You sure? You look like your sweet." one asked as he walked up with a hand raised and grabbed her arm.
Itsuka took a long, deep breath, and turned to the boy, giving him a stern look, "Listen, I'm going to ask you this once, please let go of me." she said calmly. The boy seemed unimpressed, she glared at him, "I'm giving you the warning because I'm not going to lie, it's been a minute since I've had to fight someone for getting handsy with me." she threatened, taking her hands out of her pockets and cracking them. The two boys stepped back at the casualness of her words while the one with his hand on her faltered, "The last guy who did it?" she shook her head, "He decided to grab my ass, which I didn't appreciate at all, so I picked him up and slammed him into the ground like one of those toy hammers." She explained, her hands expanding out to show them.
One of them stumbled back and fell. "Well the beating wasn't the worst part. Though it was pretty bad, no one touches me like that and gets away with it. No, the worst part was me dragging his sorry ass to the police, and making him tell them exactly what happened." she turned to the two who were behind the third. The one on the ground was genuinely scared, the other one was looking to run, and the one who was holding her shoulder seemed to be flicking back and forth between those two.
"And I stood there, and watched this sad, little, pathetic man bawling his eyes out because it meant he couldn't attend a hero school with a criminal record." she spat out. She glared into the boy's eyes directly, "So I'm going to do you one last courtesy and tell you again. Remove. Your. Hand. Please." she said, punctuating every word. The boy's hand slipped off her as he backed off, he and the other two turned around and took off without a word to her, other than cursing under their breath.
Itsuka waited until they were a good ways away before she smiled to herself, "God that was satisfying." She said to herself. Brushing off her shoulder she turned around and continued on her way home.
She reached her house minutes later, stomping the snow off her boots by the door. "Hey mom, hey dad." She called out, dropping her keys off in the bowl as she walked into the living. Only to stop when she saw her parents weren't alone. Sitting in their living room with them was a very tall, sturdy, well dressed man….with the head of a beagle. Her eyes lit up, "Mr. Kenji!" The exclaimed in surprise, walking over as the dog headed man smiled at his godchild.
She embraced the old family friend, "Kendo, it's good to see you." He greeted, returning the hug while her parents watched fondly. "I'm sorry I haven't been by, things have been ruff at the office." He woofed slightly.
Kendo smiled, shaking her head dismissively, "It's fine, you're the chief of police, I'm just glad you're doing well." She turned to her parents, but faltered when she saw the reserved looks they had. "….is…..is something wrong?" She asked.
Her father shook his head, "No, nothing is wrong Kendo." He said, her mother gave him a look but she didn't dispute him. "Kenji…..well…."
Emi sighed, "Kenji is here to ask your dad to come back to the force." She said rather bluntly.
Itsuka felt her breath leave her lungs, she looked to Kenji with shock, "What?" she heard herself ask.
The Police Chief sighed, leaning forward in his seat, "As you're probably aware Itsuka...there's been a massive scandal with Lead Prosecutor Dangan." he told her. The girl winced, his arrest had unveiled that there was a deep rooted corruption in the police which was causing an outcry. It wasn't that most police on the street were crooked, but those working in stations, in charge of evidence, or security for their prisoners? Key roles that shouldn't have been able to be bent, "It's causing a massive shakedown of the police. And given your father's record, as well as how his term as commissioner saw nothing of the sort like this, I'm unofficially asking."
Emi quirked a brow, "Unofficially?"
Ryuji sighed, "He means that if I say yes, the current commissioner will step down...you already talked to him." he said to Kenji. The dog man nodded solemnly, Ryuji looked over at Emi, the Kendo Matriarch seemed pensive but didn't show any flat out rejection of the idea. He turned to Kenji, "Can I get back to you after the holidays?" he asked.
The Chief nodded, "Of course, this isn't a decision to be made in one sitting." he said, standing up as Kendo's parents did. Despite the situation, they showed happiness at his visit and asked him to come by soon, Ryuji even offering him to play poker sometime. As the family friend left however, Kendo and her parents sat in their living room to digest the offer, "So...thoughts?" Ryuji asked his wife and daughter.
Itsuka looked to her mom sitting beside her father, Emi took a deep breath before answering. "I can't say I'm happy about it…..but I understand Kenji's point." She admitted, crossing her arms. "If the system needs to be cleaned out, and you can do something about it? Then I think you have to." She told him with a knowing smile.
Ryuji took her hand in his, smiling at her before looking at his daughter. "Itsuka?"
The red headed girl pursed her lips together, "I mean…..I'm training to be a hero, I can't exactly ask you to not do what's right when I'm making a career out of it." She lightly joked. Her dad smiled, but his eyes were still looking into her's. She felt her shoulders loosen, "I just…..it's one thing being a cop against villains and criminals. But…..these people turned officers onto their side…..I…..I don't want you to…." She trailed off, feeling ashamed for how selfish it sounded.
She knew it was hypocritical to ask her dad to not step up and help at the risk of his own life when she was doing the exact same thing being a pro hero…..but she still had to ask. It was her dad.
Emi reached over and took her hand, "Honey, it's ok." She wasted her, "I'm worried too." She looked at her husband, "But your dad is smart, smart enough to not leave himself open to some threat like that."
Ryuji crossed the space between them and embraced his daughter, Kendo stiffened a little but wrapped her arms around him. "Honey I swear to you I will be safe. As long as you promise you'll do the same." He told her with a light tone.
Kendo let out a breath, "…..okay…..just be careful dad." she asked. She used to say those words when she was a little girl every day when he left for work. After a while she knew better, he didn't need to be told. But now….it felt like she should have been saying it along.
"How are our assets coming along?" The Kingpin asked as his private collection was carefully packed up and moved into crates. Beside him was the rose who had a tablet which was being updated with everything being moved in realtime.
His tinted glasses reflected the screen in them, "So far everything is going according to schedule. By the day after tomorrow, everything will be on its way to China and put into a storage facility under one of our shell companies." He explained as Kingpin approached a complete set of samurai armor, protected behind a glass case, it was one of his first items collected.
He took a long, deep breath as he turned from it, "I am a king. And my kingdom has turned against me." He lamented. The Rose watched him quietly, "I have built my empire, stone by stone, brick by brick. And made it sturdy enough to weather any storm those heroes may bring. Any siege by the law, or any coups by upstarts." He said, walking over to a glass case containing swords.
He looked down at the blades, his narrowed eyes reflected in them. "And yet what I failed to account for, what brought me to flee my kingdom, is the same thing that kills common man and king. An infestation." He growled out, turning to the Rose.
"I want this dealt with." He growled out. "I want that masked child's head on a pike."
"Alright then, how?" The Rise asked. The Kinglin frowned, and the Rose nodded knowingly, "We can't make any moves now. Once you're safe and I have a foothold again, then we can take him off the board. Until then however….he's become the center of all of this. If anything happens to him, he dies a martyr." He says reasonably.
The kingpin grimaced, knowing well that he was right. He looked back at the swords, and then turned his attention to a painting hanging on the wall. It was the centerpiece of his collection, it was a privately commissioned work he had done years ago. And looking at it made the space where his heart was in his chest clench. "…..finish up here. I need to make some personal arrangements." He said, walking towards the doors which led to his living space.
The Rose watched him leave, and looked back at the painting, on it was an incredible depiction of the kingpin, smiling. It was a genuine smile, one of happiness, for in his arms was a beautiful woman who smiled with the same amount of joy. Because in her arms was a small bundle.
On the placard of the frame, were two simple fords.
Fisk Family.
"The building is a privately owned trade business." Hodo began explaining to Izuku over the phone as he walked out of his classroom. With winter in full swing, Christmas break was upon them and today was the last day of classes for this year. The third term would resume in spring before graduation at the start of summer. And by then, hopefully, he'd be attending U.A.
So after finishing his last test for the day, Bakugo had finished first to the surprise of no one, he decided to call Hodo and ask if she had discovered anything about the building which he talked the semi truck from the docks going into. He could tell by her voice that she was excited, "And one of the businesses that lists it as its headquarters, is Lotus Imports. As well as the shell companies connected to it and the other Kingpin crimes."
Izuku nodded as he stopped against the stairwell door, "Right, I remember." he said, thinking back to the conspiracy board. Izuku felt bad referring to it as that, but….well it's like calling a trash can a trash can. "And?" He asked hopefully.
"I scrounged around through public records and I finally have the name of the owner. Wilson Fisk. American Businessman, has a bunch of real estate here and internationally." She told him, as soon as the name came out the receiver he searched it on his phone. The first picture that came up?
A large bald man, arms and hands big as a man's head. Wearing a black suit and tie with a purple shirt. It was him. The Kingpin of Crime. Wilson Fisk. "I got you." Izuku whispered. It wasn't malicious, or even angry, it was satisfying. He finally got his name, and brought the phone back up, "So what do we do now?" He asked.
"Well I need to verify it, just because he owns the place doesn't mean he's the Kingpin. After that I'll inform our lawyers and they'll get in touch with law enforcement." She explained. And it made absolute sense, but it still caused Izuku to click his teeth, because it wasn't enough. Those people were moving something, meaning that he was planning to do something. Maybe here or somewhere else but he had to make sure it didn't happen, he had the power, so it was his responsibility.
"Is…..that it?" He asked, he tried to hide his disappointment.
It failed, "kid…..Midoriya. You did great, don't think for a second you didn't do enough. But we can't just accuse someone without solid evidence. And unless we have proof, we can't act." She told him in a gentle tone, he leaned against the wall. "I know. It sucks. But that's the law...and look if we had something solid, a picture or a video of him committing a crime this wouldn't even be a discussion-"
A picture…..a video.
A memory he tucked away, smashed into the forefront of his mind.
The Security Cameras! He thought, Fisk had cameras all over his place, outside AND in! Including the night that I went to confront him, and he said. To. My. Face.
"I had two people murdered today."
It was a casual dismissal, something said to demoralize and weaken his resolve. But he said it. Out loud. And it was recorded on camera. Izuku's brow creased in determination, he did have the Kingpin, dead to rights in fact. And the best part is? It was all because of Fisk.
He could go tonight and…..izuku frowned to himself. There was actually something he needed to do tonight…..
Fisk would be there tomorrow…that's when he'd strike.
The beach was too chilly to train at in their usual manner which was fine for Kendo, unburying thrash covered in snow was not something anyone wanted to do after all, and with the roads slushy and icy it was a little too dangerous to jog….doubly so if your mentor was driving ahead on an electric scooter which could easily veer off on a patch of ice and right into traffic…..which only happened once before All Might decided training at her family dojo was the more safe option.
Kendo was sweating, holding herself up by her arms while her feet stood straight up in the air above her, supporting her entire body weight on her arms. This wasn't too hard at first, a fact she was proud of, but after pushing herself up and down for the better part of an hour? Her biceps were on fire and she was gritting her teeth to finish this set. "Aaaannnnd now." All Might told her, reaching the time they designated for it. At which point Kendo let herself slap down against the mat, it hurt a little but she didn't care, the mat was nice and cold against her sweat covered skin. All Might approached with a bottle of water as she rolled over onto her back, "Well done Young Kendo." he praised.
She panted, eyes shut as she tried to catch her breath, "T….Thanks….coach." she wheezed out. She heard the door to the dojo open and feet approach her, she opened her eyes to see her mother standing over her with a smile and a bottle of water in her hand. "Hey mom." she greeted.
Emi leaned down and handed her daughter the water, "Hey kiddo. You did good." she praised.
All Might nodded with a smile, "That's putting it lightly, she's exceeded my expectations Ms. Kendo." he praised, making Itsuka smirk as she sat up and drank the water. Part of her wanted Nighteye to be here so she could see the look on his face when All Might said that. She knew it was petty thought, and maybe just overall kind of mean, but his words of discouragement still nipped at the back of her mind like a dog that was always chasing her no matter how far she got.
Emi ruffled Kendo's hair as she drank, "That's my girl." she said with a grin before turning to All Might, "Oh right, Yagi, I was wondering if you'd like to come to our Christmas get together." she asked, "We get together on the day after Christmas and throw a little bash, give each other some presents. We host it down here, since there's plenty of room." she offered. Toshinori smiled politely, before he could decline she added, "The Midroiyas will be there." she added.
Both Itsuka and Toshinori both stood, and sat, up much straighter at that information. Which Emi took notice of, and smirked.
"Oh! Well….that will be nice to see them again, I only talked with young Midroiya briefly at Young Kendo's birthday." the symbol of peace said. Though both mother and daughter gave him a wary eye, but didn't press him for it.
Still though, Kendo couldn't help but smile. Izuku would probably lose his mind if he found out that he had a pretty mundane conversation with his favorite-
….oh. Oh! "Hey, Coach, um-" she glanced at her mom quickly, "There's something I...could I ask for a favor?" She inquired. Her mom and Toshi gave her curious looks, so she continued, "Well….see, Midoriya, we, Izuku? He's a huge All Might fan." She explained.
The symbol of peace smiled warmly, "Oh really? That's flatter-I mean, that's typical isn't it?" He asked, trying to avoid a slip of the tongue.
Kendo thought back to his bedroom. "No…..no this is not typical." She said decisively. "I mean his bedroom is almost a shrine."
All Might paused….and thought back to the poster that Mirai had of him at the Nighteye agency. "There is another." He whispered to himself.
"Anyway, I was wondering since you work at All Might's agency, is there…..any sort of rare merch or something you guys have in stock?" She asked somewhat hesitantly, under normal circumstances she would feel bad about this sort of thing but she had spent weeks looking for a gift for Izuku when there was an answer staring her right in the face for even longer.
"Oh I'm sure I can find something." Yagi said with a smile/ "Drop by the Agency tomorrow night and I should have something." he told her.
…..her mom was smiling as well but it was different…..and Kendo knew it….shit.
Emi turned to Yagi, the smirk like a lion that found its prey. "I'll text you the details later. Be sure to bring some snacks." She said as she led him out the door. Itsuka sighed in resignation as her mom said farewell to her coach. Walking back other to her daughter, she sat down in front of her, her smile still there but it was less intense. "So...Midoriya?"
"...yeah…..Midoriya." She admitted, feeling her cheeks flush.
Emi smiled, drawing one of her knees up to lean on, "Well I like him. He's nice." She said encouragingly.
Itsuka frowned, "Yeah….and we thought Natsuki was nice too." She said with a venom in her voice she hadn't spoken with in a long time.
Emi's smile faltered, she reached her hand out to her daughter's, "I know, but, Izuku is different….his mom told us about how he's grown up. Being quirkless…..and how hard that was to deal with." she explained, frowning as she recalled all that Inko had told her. Wei had his hardships as well, but he had gotten past them, Izuku however sounded like he had to constantly deal with them.
Itsuka couldn't help but smile, "And despite that…..he's…..he's good." it was maybe a basic way to put it but…..no. It was the truth, if there was anyone that maybe embodied what it meant to be a good person? Izuku Midoriya checked off a lot of those boxes."He's not…..he's not Natsuki. I know that, but I was…..I was so wrong about him that...I didn't even want to consider izuku until Set confronted me on it." She admitted.
She let out a tittering breath, "….is there something wrong with me?"
Emi moved in and wrapped her arms around her, "No." she stated sternly. She pulled her daughter against her and ran a hand through her hair.
"Mom-"
"Honey there is nothing wrong with you." Emi pulled back and looked at Itsuka's teal eyes, wiping a bit of wetness away that she refused to shed. "You closed off your heart after it got hurt, you needed it to heal before you thought of opening it up to someone else. That's perfectly fine, but don't ever think there's something wrong with yourself because some limp dick hurt you." She told her gently.
Itsuka snorted at her mom's language, and then embraced her. "Thanks."
"Say it."
Kendo smiled, "I'm perfectly fine, and there's nothing wrong with me because some prick broke my heart." She replied.
"Close enough." Emi replied with a smile. She leaned back and sat as Kendo took a drink of her water, "And I'm serious, Izuku is a nice young man. I'm more surprised you haven't already made a move." She said, Itsuka flushed but couldn't exactly argue, her mom raised her to go after what she wanted.
She wanted to learn martial arts? She trained and got it. She wanted good grades? She studied. She wanted good friends, she looked for ones that cared…..but when she wanted a sweet, freckled faced cutie to date she apparently hesitated.
Itsuka sighed, "He hasn't had any friends growing up, and…..I don't know, I don't want him to….feel pressured?" She tried to explain.
Emi hummed understandably, "You don't want him to be with you because he feels he needs to. You want him to be with you because he wants to." She surmised. Itsuka almost gawked at how…perfectly that summed up how she felt. "I told you me and your dad were friends for a long time. Right?" She asked. Itsuka nodded, they had been friends since middle school, "Well I wanted to ask him out back when we first met."
Surprise flickered across Itsuka's face, "Wait, but you guys didn't get together until college." She recalled.
Emi nodded, "Yup. Glad you actually listened." She smiled, then let out a content sigh. "I was scared. I like your father, but he was a good friend. I was scared that if I asked him out and it was weird, or worse yet, we went out and broke up badly? I'd lose my friend. So, I kept it to myself." She explained.
Her daughter pursed her lips together, history seemed to repeat itself. "But after a while I realized that even if it didn't work out? He and I would still be friends." Emi said with a smile, "So I asked him out, one thing led to another which led to right here and now. And I'm happy I did."
Kendo smiled at the tone her mother held in her voice. Maybe she was right? She had been hesitant to approach Midoriya because she didn't want to pressure him…..but I who said she would be? Yes, he was insecure about himself and his friends that he's made but he recognized that. He wasn't unaware of it, if he had then her hesitation would be more than justified, but he wasn't!
She stood up, "Alright….forget the gift." She decided.
Emi blinked in confusion, "Huh?"
Kejdi strode over to the coat rack by the door, "I'm going over to Midoriya's and ask him out."
Emi blinked at her, "I….er…."
"Thanks mom, I really needed to hear that. I'll be back after a bit!" She called back before leaving the dojo. Leaving her mother sitting on the floor, staring after her daughter.
"...huh…..glad to help I guess." She said to no one, still somewhat surprised at her daughter's sudden change in mood. "…..should probably text Inko and warn her." She decided, "And tell her about Yagi coming by." She added with a smirk, recalling how her friend told her about the nice day she had running errands with Toshinori.
It was a chilly afternoon when Itsuka made her way towards the Midoriya apartment, a confident stride in her step and a fire in her eyes. Find Midoriya, ask him to hang out with her, and then confess. Was it easier said than done? Oh absolutely, in fact she suspected that how she'd be on the date would be a far cry from how she was feeling right now but that wasn't her concern right now. She was Itsuka motherfucking Kendo and she was on a mission.
So it really threw her for a loop when, as she passed a shop, the door to her side opened and Izuku walked out almost right into her. She let out a yelp, "Oh gosh I'm so-wait, Kendo?" Midoriya asked in surprise.
She took a step back, "Oh! H-hey Midoriya!" She stuttered, her confidence slightly shaken by his sudden appearance. "It's funny I was actually-" she stopped as, upon looking him over, she noticed a thing of flowers in his hand. "Um…..what's with the flowers?" She asked.
Izuku looked down at the bundle and gave a laugh, "Oh! Right, yeah. Um, these are for me and my mom." He explained as he held up the collection of flowers from the florist. Kendo looked at the gathered combination, there were roses, lilies, and marigolds. Along with one she wasn't totally familiar with.
"Oh those are beautiful!" She complimented as she and he began walking to his place. "But what's the occasion? It's winter." She asked.
"Oh, they're for my dad. We're um…..going to visit him today." Izuku explained with a bit of awkwardness. Glancing over at kendo, her pace slowed in confusion. And it was at this point Izuku realized that he never even told her about his dad, "He passed away a while ago, me and my mom go visit him a few times a year." He explained in a surprisingly casual tone.
Kendo stopped in her tracks, her eyes widening in shock as well as guilt. "I-oh….Midoriya I'm so sorry I didn't…." He turned to her completely and just smiled at her, she shook her head and lifted her arms in disbelief, "I'm…..sorry." She apologized. Her earlier confidence now completely washed over with empathy, not to mention guilt! She was going to finally…..make a move today and…..she shook that selfish thought aside. "Is there anything I can do?"
Izuku couldn't help but snort, "Your fine Kendo." He laughed, making her shoulders relax. He started walking again, she walked beside him towards his place, "Me and my mom don't bring it up a lot, it's not that we're sad about it, it's just…..kind of awkward to bring up in casual conversation. And no one wants to ask a mom why she's raising her son by herself."
Itsuka nodded understandably, she knew that feeling all too well because it was something that crossed her mind on occasion. But she assumed that they might just be separated, that wasn't something openly discussed in Japan either so she didn't want to be rude. "I didn't want to assume anything."
He shook his head as they climbed the stairs of his apartment building, "No it's fine. I don't bring it up because…..well honestly most people I know already know." He sheepishly explained. The Bakugo's, Hodo, the people who his mom works with all knew already so he never really experienced talking about it with someone.
Reaching his door, he unlocked it and gestured her inside, she nodded with a grateful smile and stepped inside. She was about to take off her cost when she remembered all she had on underneath was her training clothes. Her pants were fine but this didn't seem an appropriate conversation to continue with a tank top. "Erm…..could I ask….."
He guided her to the living room, setting the flowers in a vase before going to sit down next to her. "He passed away when I was about eight. He was on a plane that crashed, it was a malfunction with the engine I think." He explained.
Kendo frowned as she turned to him, imagining an eight year old Izuku bawling over his dad not coming home...it broke her heart a little. "Midoriya…..I'm so sorry that must have….." she was about to say how rough that must have been. But then she also remembered that at the same time he was dealing with finding out he was quirkless, getting bullied for it, and losing his father on top of that? "…..I can't imagine."
And she couldn't.
Izuku's green eyes looked down, not meeting her's. "It was...it was really hard…..mom was….she was grieving too. She was there for me as much as she could but..." he shook his head, remembering how many times he'd hear his mom sobbing in her room at night. And to think the whole time, he had stashed away something to change his son's life forever.
The two sat in silence, kendo could see the old emotional wounds still hurting. Nowhere near as much as they did back then, but she could see the hurt in his eyes. Without much thought, or really care, she shifted closer and wrapped her arms around him. He stiffened in her embrace, taken aback by it but felt himself relax into it. He turned to properly return it, "Thanks….."
She rested her chin on his shoulder, "It's ok..."
Izuku rested against her, his heart was beating loudly but…..not fast. He wasn't nervous. He felt the warmth of her embrace, her arms holding him, and couldn't help but feel…..secure. Like a tornado could spin through and they wouldn't be pulled apart. "I miss him. Not all the time, but once in a while it comes by." He said, not pulling away.
Her hand reached up and gently threaded into his hair, a small part of her was awed at how soft it was but she simply ran her hand through it soothingly.
They stayed like that for a while before they both, with reluctance, pulled away, Izuku wiped his eyes, "Thanks Kendo. Sorry I'm usually better at not being upset by it." He apologized.
"Don't be." Kendo shook her head, he smiled at her and seemed to visibly get better.
"So, um, sorry I pulled you out of….whatever you were doing." he apologized, this one having more of a basis since he kind of just….brought a girl back home…..alone…..whenhismomwasn'there oh god.
As Izuku's face lit up at the implication, Kendo's did as well for a different reason, there was no way she could just ask him out after talking about his dad like that! That was….no, she wasn't doing that. "Oh! Don't worry about it, I was just….in the neighborhood!" she said somewhat forcefully. She almost facepalmed at how fake it sounded, but Izuku didn't seem to care. Thankfully the awkwardness was cut when the door opened and Inko stepped inside.
"Izuku did you get the-Oh! Kendo!" she said in surprise…..and also slight embarrassment at the young woman's appearance. Mostly due to the message that Emi had texted her, 'Kendo is making a move on your boy' . Which caused her both distress and excitement, she had hoped to get home in time so they could go visit Hisasshi, come back, and then if Kendo came here she'd go 'Run some errands' for an hour and then come back.
Izuku presented the flowers he had gotten, "She ran into me at the florist. We walked back here and were talking."
Inko tried VERY hard not to burst into tears then, she herself had ruined it.
"That's…..wonderful honey. Thank you." Izuku tilted his head at his mom's disappointment but simply thought she was in her own emotions like he had been.
Itsuka brushed off her pants, "I should get going, it was nice to see you two again." she said with a slight bow of her head.
".....no." Inko said. Both her son and Itsuska looked at her, "I mean-! I didn't mean to interrupt!" she quickly corrected.
Itsuka stiffened while izuku seemed lost, "Why? You're not interrupting anything. We were just talking." Izuku said obliviously.
Inko pinched the bridge of her nose, Oh god. Damn you, Hisashi, he's clueless as you are. She silently brushed her husband. Hopefully his goat was seeing this and was trying to make his son see sense.
"Are you ok mom?" Izuku asked upon seeing her distressed state.
And in that moment. She had a brilliant idea, "Oh I'm….ok sweetie, I just feel a migraine coming on. I've been dealing with it all day. I might just stay in tonight." She fibbed. "I was thinking we could visit Hisashi some other time. If that's ok?" She asked.
Izuku blinked, "Oh! Of course mom."
She quickly hugged her son, "Okimgannagoliedowniloveyou!" She said before rushing to her room. She then poked her head out, "And so good to see you kendo!" She closed it again.
Izuku blinked at his mom's behavior but shrugged, "Huh. I hope she feels better." Izuku said obliviously, Kendo's head turned to him with a look of utter disbelief.
... ok kill my mom later, add that to the to do list. Kendo thought dryly, "I'm sure she'll be better by tomorrow." She assured him, knowing full well that she was fine….and also felt even more pressure to do what she had come here to do. She just needed to be…casual.
He turned to her, and his eyes looked into her's…..those same eyes that held so much kindness and compassion despite the hurt they've seen. "Midoriya…..do you want to hang out sometime?" She asked, her breath freezing as soon as the words left her mouth.
Izuku blinked at the unexpected question, "I…oh, your mom invited us to your Christmas party already."
Kendo held up a hand, "I-No….i mean….just you and me." She clarified with a soft and….vulnerable tone that made him realize that she meant just him and her. She felt her heart thunder in her chest as he blinked in surprise.