Itsuka bit the inside of her cheek as she hoisted the engine block up onto her shoulder, her feet stomping into the sand and imprinting the grains of rocks with each step towards All Might's pickup truck. She silently swore to herself that if she ever, EVER, found the person who decided to dump their used car parts on this beach that she would throw them into the stratosphere. All Might walked beside her, ready to bulk up and take the weight if he saw her begin to falter.
She could taste copper in her mouth, damnit she bit her cheek.
Another step, this one onto concrete and with some solid footing she managed to step up onto the parking lot and towards the truck. Reaching its open bed she threw the engine block onto the truck, the entire vehicle bouncing slightly from the weight added.
With a gasp she let herself lean forward, bracing her hands into her knees as she spat out the bloody spot that had gathered in her mouth. "God...damn it." She wheezed.
"Easy Kendo, that's more than enough for today." He said, helping her by leading her around the side of the truck where a cooler was placed. Opening it, she reached inside to get some ice, and tossed it into her mouth to help with the pain before sitting down atop it.
Spring was here and with it, the snow that had covered the rash now clear, she had resumed her cleanup.
All Might smiled at his pupil, "That was amazing Young Kendo, honestly with this much progress? You might be done by the end of the week." He praised as he turned back to the beach. Where there had once been piled upon piles of garbage, there was now a mostly clean section of the beach which only had a long strip of trash that led out to the sea. It was a stark contrast to the start of training when one could see the progress she had made with a day's work put into it.
She looked over to what remained and smiled to herself despite how sore she felt. She spat out some more blood, "You think so?" She asked hopefully.
All might nodded confidently, "Yes, your body is proof of that already." He said before pulling out his phone and showing it to her. She blinked, it was a photo taken months ago, nine months ago to be precise, she recalled how he wanted a photo for later. But she didn't realize this was what he meant, looking between the photo and herself? There were some pretty obvious changes.
For one her arms had a good amount of definition to them. They weren't bulky muscle like All Might's but still pretty darn firm, her legs had some added muscle to them as well now that she thought about it. She noticed when she slipped into the bath last week, her shoulders were a little more broad, and if she wasn't mistaken she had actually a few more centimeters on her that put her….probably around Izuku's height.
Looking at the photo of her, where she was giving a smile and a peace sign, she felt a sense of satisfaction. Her hard work displayed out before her, her progress apparent? Her pride swelled, but her gaze shifted to her trainer, "You know All Might, there's actually something I've been meaning to ask about One for All." She said.
"Oh? What's that?" Toshinori asked as he pocketed his phone.
Kendo sat back against the truck. "Well for one thing...this is going to change me right? I mean…..you mentioned how I needed to bulk up to be a worthy vessel but how exactly will it affect me?" She asked, crossing her arms, "I mean, will I have a form like yours that I bulk up into?"
The number one hero checked before shaking his head. "No, no. This form and my 'Mighty' form are due to the injuries I sustained, not One for All itself." He explained heartily, patting his own chest. "Whats most likely to happen is your body will retain its form in its entirety, no real changes."
Kendo let out a relieved breath. Very glad that she wouldn't need to replace her entire wardrobe after being given One for All. "Ok then…..so my next question is…..well your giving me your quirk, what will happen to mine?" She asked, looking down at her hands. Big Fist wasn't the most flashy quirk, but it was the quirk that she was born with and there was no other like it.
All Might folded his arms, "Hmmm. That's a good question. My master's quirk, float, allowed her to initially levitate in midair. However after she got One for All she used it in tandem with her quirk, which allowed her to essentially fly." he explained.
Kendo sweat dropped. That didn't really answer her question. "Ok, so they're separate. Well, what about your quirk?" She asked before taking a sip of her water.
"Oh! Well, no help there I'm afraid. I was Quirkless." He said, causing Kendi to choke on her water. Her mentor sputtered and patted her back as she coughed up the water.
She slammed her fist into her chest to help clear up her airways. "Bugh! What?!" She coughed out, giving her trainer a surprised look. All might smiled sheepishly and she couldn't help but stare at him. All Might was quirkless???
That casual revelation led to two thoughts, the first being that without having a Quirk All Might's strength was what it was now. And not only when she got it would it be stronger by default, the strength her own quirk provided would also be added in. That alone made her head spin a little at the possibility. But the second thought sobered her, because Izuku was quirkless too.
So not only was her crush a huge All Might fanboy, but they shared something that so very few people on earth had in common…..and she couldn't tell him about it for very obvious reasons. But imagine how much that would mean to him, knowing that his hero knew exactly what he was going through and how he felt? She thought.
She looked up at him from the cooler, and gave him a smile. "So...your master gave you One for All even though you didn't have a quirk?"
All Might smiled warmly at the memory. "She did. Granted I rushed to someone's defense with a led pipe in hand." He said sheepishly, Kendo snorted at the mental image of skinny All Might around her age welding a pipe like some noble knight from an old story.
"So you've always been a hero. Got it. No pressure." She kidded lightly. As All Might laughed, she thought once more of Izuku, "...you know, Midoriya is…..well, he's quirkless too." She said in a quiet voice. All Might's laughter quieted and looked at her. "But he's also your biggest fan so I don't think he would mind me telling you....did you…..also get shit for it?" She asked.
The symbol of peace crossed his arms over his chest, shifting his weight as he shook his head. "No…..keep in mind, when I was your age, being Quirkless wasn't uncommon as it was today. Back then I think around 20% of the world population had no quirks." He said with a frown. "Though I understand that discrimination against people who are quirkless has risen."
Kendo clocked her tongue, "Yeah."
All Might sighed, "I think the current prediction is that the next generation, when kids your age have their own kids, will have no quirkless children." He said, which on paper wasn't exactly bad, in a way it was the problem taking care of itself in a way. But he also knew that was no comfort to those few today, like Melissa and Midoriya, who had no quirks and were surrounded by those who did.
The redhead looked down at her feet, she thought back to when she asked Izuku if he could have a quirk. Be given one, if he would accept it. She wouldn't have blamed him for jumping at the opportunity. But instead he declined, much to her surprise. "So...how big was the adjustment for you? Suddenly having a quirk?"
All Might rubbed the back of his head, "Hehehe….well…it was a lot."
Kendo snorted, "I can….." she began before faltering. Actually she couldn't imagine. One day you're a person who doesn't have a quirk and the next you get one. "….actually….what was it like for you?" she tilted her head.
All Might smiled soberly, "It was...well imagine all your life you had weights on. You didn't even realize it because you never knew anything other than that. And then one day someone unlocks them for you." He said in a distant voice, recalling how it was the first time he used One for All.
Kendo smiled as well at the description, "…..it sounds liberating."
"It is." He agreed. "Well, it was, I suppose." He corrected. "After a few years it felt like I always had it."
Kendo looked down at her hands, imagining how weird it would be if just today she gotten Big Fist. There were some cases of something like that happening, someone not discovering their quirk until later in life due to some unforeseen factor like their bodies getting strong enough to handle the strain. "So....when I finish training, and you pass it on to me….you can't really help, huh?" she asked.
"Erk!" All Might sputtered as his pupil gave him a look, "Er, well I wouldn't say that young Kendo, I mean I've had One for All for over a decade! Of course I can help you!" he said with bravado.
Kendo was amusingly unimpressed, "Ok, what's your advice? How do I…..well, 'turn it on'?" she asked.
All Might puffed up into his Mighty form, "Ah! That's simple young Kendo! You must simply reach down deep, clench your buttocks, and yell forth from the depths of your heart!" he said with a serious enthusiasm he often used to inspire people when giving a speech or in the midst of battle.
"...."
"...."
"...that's nothing. You're my teacher….and you have nothing..." Kendo said before her head fell forward into her hands. "I am so screwed." she lamented as All Might nervously fretted, his arms moving his sporadic movements.
"Hey! Is that All Might??" a passerby's voice called out, causing both teacher and student to jolt.
"Cheese it!!!" All Might ordered her, the two rushing into the truck's cab, All Might just barely shrinking down into his small form before starting the car as Kendo buckled in, the pair gunning it and driving off.
".....huh. Nevermind. I don't think All Might can drive." the passerby shrugged before walking off.
The car was speeding through the streets when both teacher and pupil relaxed, the car slowed to a stop at a red light. The master and student heaved breaths to recover despite the fact neither had run very far. Toshinori heard a snort, he turned his head and Kendo couldn't help but laugh at their antics, Toshinori's internal dam burst as well and joined her cacophony with his own laughter, the two inheritors leaning back in their seats as the prior situation caught up with them.
Izuku was on edge instantly at the sight of the masked man.
Which may have been ironic under any other circumstances if not for the little girl who was shaking in fear. That by itself would have been enough, but looking at her, getting more than a glance at her? Seeing his arms and legs covered in bandages that looked too old, a gown that looked like someone from a hospital would wear, her messy off white hair that was matted.
This poor girl, this…..this child. Izuku couldn't fathom what she could have been through and honestly it was a small grace that he didn't.
"Um...nice mask?" Izuku said without much thought.
The man's face, the part that was exposed, took on a sheepish expression. "Thank you. I'm a little sensitive to dust and grime. And sorry about her, my daughter here gets a little too excited for her own good." He said smoothly as he tapped the side of his beaked mask, "Kids, they manage to get themselves hurt all the time." He looked down at the girl, her back still to him, "Come along Eri, let's not bother this guy."
Izuku finally found his voice, "I-it's ok….accidents happen." He replied, he didn't need his sixth sense to know something was wrong. But he couldn't do anything here, he could wait for this guy to go, he would change into his costume and follow them. And if he had to? He'd intervene, but he couldn't just act, not without his costume.
As he was beginning to stand up, a small hand clutched at his jacket. He looked down and saw the little girl's, Eri's, red eyes looking dead ahead in a stare, watery and scared as she whimpered two words that struck him to his core.
"Don't….go…."
Suddenly he wasn't a teenager in an alleyway, he was eight years old at home saying those words himself to someone.
The suit isn't what makes me Spider-Man. It's whose under the mask. He decided as steel was injected into his veins. Forget the suit, forget the circumstances. Forget everything except that there was a little girl here who was asking for help.
Your Spider-Man. Act like it.
"...she's scared." He said plainly, looking up at the masked man. His once easygoing expression hardened ever so slightly.
"She's just scared because I just got done scolding her about causing trouble for other people." He explained away, his gloved hand raising up and flicking away in a dismissive gesture. Eri's grip on Izuku tightened and he noticed.
Izuku's hands clenched, "Is that why she's wearing bandages?" He asked coldly. He felt Eri flinch against him, the girl shivering in fear and he instinctively planted a gentle hand on her back. The man saw the gesture, and whatever show he was putting on fades into a look of apathy.
"…..it's not really your business. Family matters, and I don't think you should be sticking your nose into them." He said with an ice cold voice. The intent was lanced in the words like a poisonous cloud that would cause most anyone to falter, but not Midoriya.
The first thought Izuku had was to take the girl and run, but that wasn't smart. He didn't know what this guy's quirk was and it was a straight shot back down the alley around the duster that was leaning against the wall behind him, if it was something ranged then his Spider Sense could warn him but how could that reasonably be explained.
Of course it's not like he expected this guy to file a police report. But even then what? He rubs out into the street, and brings the threat of this villain into the public? He couldn't risk that. And he couldn't just fight him here!
"Eri. Come along." The man said as he raised his hands, using one hand to adjust his gloves as Eri watched with wide eyes.
Izuku opened his mouth but before he could say anything, Eri turned and ran to the man, taking his gloved hand. Izuku felt like he had been hit by a train as he watched her walk off with her 'father', her shoulders hunched over in fear. Izuku might have stayed there longer, wallowing in the shock if he didn't catch the next words he said.
"Done throwing your tantrum?"
His hands clenched into fists.
The man looked down at Eri as he led her the way she came, how she found that secret exit from the compound he didn't know. But it was clear that when he got back he needed to make an example of the one who was supposed to be watching her, "Now why did you have to go and cause trouble Eri?" He asked, she flinched in his hand but he kept walking, he didn't want to look at her, she looked like a dog that wasn't taken care of outside of being fed. "You did one thing right, and that boy-" he began, glancing over his shoulder and blinking when he saw the now empty alleyway. Hm. Must have run off.
"Hey." The man turned with his hand raised, only to have a red fist slam into his face from an unexpected angle. The force of the blow was enough for something to crack in his face and send him flying back down the alley. Eri, thankfully, didn't go with him as her wrist had slipped from his grasp and she fell back onto the ground in shock, looking up she saw a man in a red and blue costume sticking to the wall with his fist outstretched.
He dropped down next to her, and she saw his angled eyes that were moments ago ceased together in anger looked softer with concern, her own face reflecting in them. "Are you ok?" he asked in a soft voice that was muffled by the fabric. She backed away across the ground but he raised his hands, "It's ok, I'm here to help you-" he stopped as his Spider sense rang in time for him to grab her by her sides and leap down the alley as spikes shot you from the ground landing on the wall with Eri in his arms, they both looked down the alley to see her caretaker holding his face with one hand while the other touched the ground where the spikes had emerged from.
Spider-Man noticed a strange shift to the man's mask, what he aimed for with his punch, which had been crushed but was now back to its former form. "You….broke my nose…." He snarled out in disgust.
Spider-Man glared at him, "Normally I'd feel a little bad about that, but for you? Not so much." He replied flippantly. Ok so it looks like whatever he touches he can manipulate, if he touches me when I attacked then….ok let's not think about that. He thought.
"You....your that vigilante vermin." He growled out as he stood up, Spider-Man replied by firing a webline at his head! The man dodged it and as soon as it went taught, he grabbed it! Izuku's Spider Sense blasted in his head and he released it just as it denigrated!
"What the-!?" His sixth sense went off and he leapt over to the opposite wall as more spikes shot up into where he had been, Eri clung to his suit, burying her face into his chest as she whimpered in fear. It made Izuku's heart sink, not only for her being scared but because her 'father' had attacked without any concern for her!
"If you give me the girl I might give you a quick death." The man threatened as he raised his hand. "If not...well I can always put her back together again."
Izuku felt him grind his own teeth. This is just like with Bullseye. He thought, remembering the fight with the deadly assassin, between his deadly accuracy and his ability to clone himself he had been deadly enough. But izuku also had to protect someone like he did now.
But thankfully he had learned since then.
He raised his hand and flicked his wrist, sending a webline out that went wide towards the man. He looked over at the webline, his eyes seeming almost amused. The webbing went taught, and with a yank of his arm the real target was pulled towards the man with metal scrapping concrete.
The masked man turned in time to see the dumpster that had been behind him was yanked forward at an angle that caused the open lid to defend upon him like a mouth before he was swallowed by garbage.
Izuku didn't need to beat him, he just needed to get away with the girl. "Smell ya later!" He couldn't help but call out as he shot a webline up and pulled himself and Eri up into the air and out of the alley. A moment later, the dumpster and its contents decomposed into a cloud of putrid dust, the young man's exposed skin breaking out in a violent rash, "F-Filth-Filth!" He said quietly as his body violently shook in place. "That-that vermin….he….he-" his eyes widened as he looked down the alley only to see no sign of the vigilante. "No…..no!" He growled out, "NO!!!!" He screamed.
Forget the boy, he needed to find that vigilante piece of garbage NOW!!!
Spider-Man made sure they were a few kilometers away before landing softly on the roof of a building, "Ok, I don't think he's following us, so either he didn't see where we went or his quirk isn't able to traverse a city very well." He said before looking down, but he stopped at what he saw. Eri' face buried in his chest and clinging to him with both hands bunched in his costume. Too afraid to do anything else, she hasn't said or spoken a word since the man who claimed to be her father called out to them. She didn't even realize they weren't in the alley anymore.
Spider-Man knelt down to one knee, his one hand had been holding on to her by her back and was joined by his other. "Hey, hey, heeey...it's ok." He soothed, his hand gently caressing the girl's head and back. Eri's shaking started to subside, her legs that had been dangling touched down on the roof beneath them. Her hands slowly loosened on the costume, pulling her head back she saw a black spider printed on the webbing of the suit.
She only knew about spiders because one time in her room she saw one making a web in the corner. As soon as it was found out by the people guarding her though, it was quickly squished. This didn't look like the one she saw, only because she didn't really get a good look at it. It was a lot smaller than this for sure though.
Stepping back, she looked up at who was wearing the suit, a pair of semi-reflective eyes looked back at her. He raised a hand, "Hey there. Are you ok?" His muffled voice asked softly.
Eri stepped back startled. "W-who are you?" She asked fearfully.
He raised both hands peacefully, "It's ok, I'm a good guy. I saw you with….er….that boy earlier, and I saw something was wrong." He fibbed slightly.
"The nice person....is-is he….." she began fearfully.
"He's ok, I got him out of there and somewhere safe before I went to rescue you." He explained gently, the fear in the girl's eyes subsiding temporarily.
"Oh….." she said quietly, there wasn't exactly relief in her voice but she looked up at his mask and then looked down at her bare feet. He tilted his head in curiosity, she looked up again and flinched a little, "Are…..are you angry?"
Spider-Man recoiled. "What!?? N-no! Why?" He asked with concern.
She didn't look up. "B….because your eyes are angry."
"Erk!" Spider-Man let out, his angular eyes could be seen as that from a certain position. So he adjusted his head and relaxed his face, "I'm sorry, my mask can sometimes stick to my face when I get mad, like at that guy back there." He replied. Eri looked up and saw that his lenses had widened a little more, looking more welcoming. Izuku smiled under his mask, "You know I just realized I didn't introduce myself, I'm Spider-Man." He greeted.
Eri tilted her head, "Spider…..man?" She asked curiously.
He nodded, "You can call me Spidey if that's easier." He offered.
She looked down at his chest again, "Spidey….." she tried it.
"Yeah. And what's your name, little miss?" He asked.
"...Eri." She replied tonelessly. Her hand reached up to her forehead, her fingers grazing the horn that was poking out from her head. She winced a little as her fingers touched it. Izuku frowned as the motion made her sieve pull up, the bandages went seemingly all the way to her shoulders.
"Nice to meet you Eri…..do you have a last name?" He asked.
She tilted her head in confusion, "Last…..name?"
Spider-Man frowned, "Er-nevermind." He dismissed, "That man back there," he began, she tensed up at the mention of him, "He said he was your dad…..was that true?" He asked.
Eri's hands nervously held onto each other, "I-I...he's…." She stuttered out fearfully. Spider-Man reached out and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder, she looked up to him.
"It's ok, it's ok. I just…..want to try and get you back home." He explained.
Eri's body visibly tensed, "No! No please! I don't want to go back! Don't take me back to the bad man!" She exclaimed fearfully.
Spider-Man's eyes widened and he raised his other hand, shaking it side to side, "I-I'm sorry! It's...it's ok..." he said calming her. She seemed to calm a little bit but was looking around nervously now. "Ok so...that bad man….he had you living with him?" He surmised. She frowned worriedly but nodded. "Ok...I'm not going to take you back there Eri." He said. "I'm going to find you somewhere you'll be safe."
She looked up into his eyes, "D…..do you promise?"
He placed his hand over the spider on his chest, "I promise." He agreed.
She looked down at the ground again, "…..ok." She said with the first hint of relief. It made Izuku finally able to relax a little as well, but now he had a problem. If she had no home to go back to, what was he supposed to do? He couldn't exactly waltz up to a police station to drop her off for questioning, and if that guy back there was in fact her family there was a chance she would go straight back to him.
A small rumble made him pause his thought, looking at Eri she held her stomach like she was trying to quiet it. Spider-Man chuckled, "Hungry?" He asked. Eri lowered her head but nodded demurely, "Ok….whats your favorite food?" He asked.
"...I like apples…..I got them for being good." She said in a small voice.
Izuku felt his heart break a little at the hollowness in her voice, "…..well ok then, you get apples." He decided. He raised his hands to her, she intuitively flinched but when he stopped, she saw him patiently waiting for her. She stepped forward and Izuku picked her up by her sides. God she's so light. He thought with concern. "Eri, I want you to know something, I can stick to anything, including you. And I'm really strong so I have a good grip on you." He informed her as he walked towards the ledge, Eri reached out to his costume and clung to it again. "I'm telling you this so when I say, I will not let you go, you know that I'm serious. Do you understand?" He asked.
Eri took a moment to try and understand exactly what he was saying, and once she had a good grasp she nodded, "Your…..going to hold on."
"No matter what." He added. Her red eyes looked at him curiously before leaching as he held her to his chest with one arm while the other reached out and shot out a web to a building. As they stepped off the roof, Eri out of fear buried her head into the vigilante's chest, staring at the spider emblem as Spider-Man swung them across the city.
And while she was scared at first, the words he said to her repeated in her mind, he wouldn't let go of her. Ever. And focusing on the spider? She knew it was true.
"Er...that's a lot of apples Ms Wata." Spider-Man said as the elderly woman handed him a large basket of the sliced fruit with some sorted drinks to the vigilante. The corner store owner had rushed out to greet him when he walked over with Eri, she had initially hidden behind Spider-Man out of fear but seeing the basket of her favorite food, with more apples than she had ever seen before? Her fear had been replaced entirely by wonder…..and drool, there was a little drool coming out the corner of her mouth.
"Nonsense! You stopped those hoodlums from robbing my store last month, the least I can do is this to help pay you back." She said happily before kneeling down to Eri's eye level. The little girl stepped behind Spider-Man again, peeking out from behind his blue leg, "Is she your daughter?" She asked.
Spider-Man nearly dropped the basket, "Daughter?!? N-no I'm-I'm not-no. She's-" he began before shutting his mouth.
Because when you think about it she was a child that he for all intent and purposes kidnapped. "...someone who needs help." He decided.
Ms. Wata's face shifted, "Ah…..I see." She said before putting on a smile and kneeling down to the girl, Eri retreated back behind Spider-Man's leg. "Young lady, you're in very good hands with him." She said encouragingly.
Eri's head peeked out from behind the hero's leg at the older woman, she then looked up at Spider-Man before hiding again. Izuku smiled beneath his mask at the interaction, "Thank you Ms. Wata, how much do I-"
"Not a single yen and if you try to leave any I'll smack you worse than you did to those hoodlums." She threatened in good nature.
"Understood." Spider-Man laughed, reaching down with one hand, he took Eri's and led her away from the corner store.
As it turned out? Walking around with a little girl just made people assume you weren't Spider-Man. People did comment on his costume obviously but that wasn't important, Eri was what his main concern was. So walking to a nearby park, there wasn't anyone around by now, the mid day had turned to early evening and with the sun beginning to set the people who frequented the park were heading home for the day.
Once she was sitting, Spider-Man took one of the slices and handed it to her, Eri looked at the offered fruit with wide eyes, taking it, she looked at him, "T-Thank you for the food." She recited before taking a bite. She devoured it with gusto, not going too fast, but savoring each bite. Spider-Man sat down next to her, on their stroll here he had come up with...well calming it was a plan might have been overselling it, but he had an idea at least.
He just needed some more details.
"Do you think you'll be able to eat all these?" He asked, looking at the basket that housed a dozen apples at least.
Eri swallowed her bite before looking at it as well, "...…I didn't know there were that many apples."
"Taking that as a no." Izuku joked, "Is it ok if I have one?" He asked. Eri looked at him, then the apples, as if she was seriously considering telling him no. But she nodded, and he took one. Lifting his mask over his mouth, Eri's eyes widened a little as she watched him take a bite.
The bad man's mask had always obstructed his mouth with its hard leather, he mentioned how it was to keep her….filth away from him. While Spider-Man's was just a cloth like her gown but more colorful. All it really did was hide what he looked like underneath it. But she didn't understand why he was hiding what he looked like. Noticing her intense gaze, he looked over, "Is…something wrong?" He asked.
Eri shook her head, "N-no….your mask is different." She .
Spider-Man tilted his head, "Different?"
"Not like….the bad man."
Izuku frowned, "Ah. I see."
He finished the apple before pulling his mask down again, "Eri, did that bad man hurt you?" He asked.
"….."
The little girl frowned deeply but nodded, "Well, when we get hurt, we go tell someone about it. Then we go to a place called a hospital where-"
"No." She said quietly.
Spider-Man faltered and turned to her at the abrupt reply, she was looking at him fearfully. "H….he told me…..he would find me….if I tried to get help…..he has….friends there at the his….hos….hosspittil." She tried to pronounce it correctly but failed to due to the urgency.
His mouth frowned, but Eri could tell it wasn't an angry one,"Ok, ok, no hospitals...what about police?" He asked, she fretfully shook her head. "Of course, why should Fisk have the cornered market on dirty cops?" he sighed out in frustration. Eri tilted her head curiously at what he meant, but simply took another slice of the cut up apples while Spider-Man pulled down his mask again and cupped his chin.
He had to get her to someone in authority who could investigate her case. And not to mention someone who could track down her actual family and take care of her. There was one option he had come up with but...but he'd need to play this just right.
Standing up from the bench, he kneeled in front of Eri so he was at eye level with her. "Listen Eri, I'm going to help you and make sure you have somewhere safe to go. But…..I can't stay with you." He told her, her eyes widened in fear. "But!" He quickly followed, "Do you remember that nice person from before? The one from the alley?" He asked.
She hesitated, but nodded, "Well, he's going to help you. I can….I can do a lot, but there's stuff he can do that I can't…..that probably doesn't make sense right now but he'll help you just like I did." he said, knowing that this wasn't exactly the time or place to explain his legality to a little child.
Eri seemed slightly unsure, but she nodded in as much understanding as she had. "Are...are you going to leave me?" She asked in a quiet voice.
Once again, Izuku felt an echo of the past with that question. But he pushed it aside this time, "....i will need to go….yes...but you're not going to be alone." He promised her. He reached it and took her hands, "Eri, what's the highest you can count to?" He asked suddenly. She looked down at her hands, counted off silently to herself, touching each finger as she did and then held up all ten. "Ok, I want you to cover your eyes, count to ten. And then uncover them, and when you do? That nice person will be here." He told her.
Her eyes widened in amazement but quickly became downcast, "But…..you'll be gone….."
Spider-Man's head bowed a little, "Yeah…..but I promise you'll be safe."
"…..will I…will I see you again?" She asked.
Spider-Man looked at her, "You will…..I promise."
She pursed her lips in uncertainty but covered her eyes with her hands, she counted to ten, and when she pulled them away, the young man with green hair was a few yards away rushing forward, "Oh thank goodness! You're ok!" He said in relief, trying not to sound too forced with his relief. Eri looked around a second, blinking as she realized Spider-Man had completely disappeared.
And not knowing that Izuku just didn't the last few seconds having the picotech change into a black shirt while he threw his coat and pants on, having snagged them from the web ball he left while they were escaping the masked man to begin with.
Kneeling down in front of her once again, the relief on his face was genuine. She swallowed a little nervously, "Your...your ok." she said, a mixture of relief and disbelief in her voice. He nodded and she let out a shaky breath, "When…..when he told me to come with him….I didn't…..I didn't want him to hurt you." she sniffled, fresh tears gathering in her eyes.
Izuku's expression softened, "It's...it's ok Eri…..you did the right thing." he said, offering her an encouraging smile. She lifted her hand and wiped her eyes. He stood up with a grunt and sat down beside her, "So….Spider-Man didn't tell me everything….but he mentioned that you were scared of going to the police?" he fibbed slightly.
Eri nodded, "He said…..that they would bring me back to him." She shuttered fearfully.
"Well we can't have that." Izuku said firmly, ".....but Eri….I know a….well I know someone for sure who's in the police who would never bring you back to that bad guy." he said. Eri blinked at him, her red eyes looking unsure, "I know that you're scared…..and you have been so, SO brave. But I know this guy can help...I promise he will." he said assuringly.
The little girl frowned with hesitation, after a few moments of silence she timidly nodded. Izuku gave her a fuller smile, "Ok, thank you Eri." he said before pulling out his phone and taking a deep breath. Walking a few feet away, Eri scooted forward to slide off the bench after him but he quickly went back to her, "I-I'm just going over here to make a call Eri, I won't leave your sight." he assured her. Eri frowned but nodded, he backed up, maintaining her gaze before he looked down at his phone and failed the number.
Holding it to his ear he heard it ring a few times, "Come on, come on, come on."
The other end stopped, "Izuku? Hey, I didn't expect to hear from you! What's going on?" Itsuka's voice asked, a hint of pleasant surprise in her tone.
The gears that had been turning in head, coming up with this plan, faltered at the simple question. "H-Hey Ke-Itsuka." He corrected. He looked over at Eri, the girl tilting her head curiously as she saw in real time how his demeanor had gone from put together to nervous so quickly.
And then he realized a little too late that he had absolutely no idea how to explain this entire situation.
His entire plan was basically to call Itsuka, and explain the situation to her dad but even then that was probably easier said than done! Nice work brain. Any more brilliant ideas? Izuku asked himself. "...ok. Um...promise not to be mad?" He asked in a nervous voice.
"..."
Kendo and All Might had stopped at the municipal dump to deposit their junk gathered at the beach today. The process was handled by the employees there which left the teacher and student some time to relax before All Might would drive them back to her home. During this time the mentor and student would take a load off, catch up on things outside of training.
All Might talked about his youth a lot,which included learning more and more about his own mentor and prior inheritor of One for All, Nana Shimura. And she really wished she could have met her because All Might's tales of her made it clear that they probably would have gotten along like a house on fire.
These talks also led All Might to learn more about his own successor, like how she had gotten a black belt when she was eleven and went to nationals. How she once convinced Setsuna to kick her in the face to knock out her last baby tooth only for Yui to do it out of nowhere.
As she was regaling All Might with the story of how they had planned on going as a trio of heroes for Halloween a few years back, her phone rang. Seeing that it was Izuku she smiled and answered.
What Kendo didn't tell him through her words but through her actions, was that she had a fondness for the young man. And it made him happy to see that his successor cared for someone that deeply…..so when he saw her expression shift from joyful to stern? He knew something was said that was g what she expected.
"..."
"....no. What did you do?" Itsuka asked, her tone shifting from the usual friendly greeting to something that reminded him of when he was sick and she made him sit and take his medicine.
She heard him swallow, what she couldn't see was that but out the corner of his eye he caught sight of Eri. Looking down at her bare feet, looking a mixture of relieved, scared, and unsure. And he knew what to say, "There was this little girl in trouble and…..I need help making sure she's ok." He said honestly.
Itsuka sat up straight in her seat, "Izu-what?? Ok...hang on." He heard the phone shift, the earlier scolding tone gone and replaced with one of genuine concern. She looked around and seeing it was just her and Toshiniri outside the facility at the outside patio, she put her phone on speaker. "I'm with coach Yagi, explain what happened."
"O-oh! Hello Mr. Yagi!" Izuku said brightly.
"You too young Midoriya." All Might said with equal friendliness.
Kendo clapped her hands, "Focus!"
"R-right! Sorry. Ok, so I was out grabbing a new memory card for my camera and I cut through an alley, and this little girl ran into me. She's...Kendo she's not really in a good way." he said, his voice becoming serious. Itsuka frowned, "She's…" his voice became quieter, "…..her arms and legs are wrapped up in bandages, she's wearing something that looks like a hospital gown. She doesn't even have shoes on."
Itsuka felt a chilling feeling go through her at Izuku's description. She looked at All Might, his hollowed face making his disturbed expression more intense than her own. "And then a man approached me, he….well, he claimed to be her father but….she says he isn't." Izuku continued.
That set off alarm bells in both the current and future bearers of One for All. The picture of Izuku hiding somewhere from a shadowy figure, protecting a hurt little girl entered her mind and the desire to know he was alright came first and foremost to her mind. "Izuku, are you safe?" Itsuka asked, a protective instinct flaring up.
"Y-yeah. It's….well complicated but Spider-Man showed up, got me somewhere safe, and then messaged me later about where to find the girl." He explained. Itsuka let out a best and made a mental note that if she ever saw the vigilante to thank him. "The thing is…..she doesn't want to go to the police. Or a hospital. She said…well, the 'bad man' will know if she does." He explained.
All Might grimaced, "That's very concerning. It means whoever held this girl has connections…..but why call young Kendo?" He asked, Itsuka blinking in confusion as well.
"Er…..well I was really calling her, well, you Itsuka, because your dad is the chief of police and he'd probably know what to do." He explained.
"….."
"…."
"...so basically you're hoping that I can call my dad and explain all this to him." Itsuka surmised without any amusement.
"I'm kinda thinking on my feet here!" Izuku said in his own defense.
Itsuka pinched the bridge of her nose, "No, no, your right. That's….honestly that's totally fair. Sorry." She apologized. "…..but for real though that's putting a lot on me." She joked slightly.
All Might smiled, "Young Midoriya, where are you? We can pick you up and bring you to Ryuji at the Kendo household." He explained as he got out his own phone for directions. Izuku gives the name of the park he's at, and All Might sees that it's a little distance away. "We can be there in twenty minutes. You're sure that you're a safe young Midoriya?"