"Well, I'm sure he appreciates the effort," said Izuku as he held up his great find: the limited edition All Might pet bed! It was so amazing that all the color drained from Kyo before falling over on his side! And who could blame him? The bed was a somewhat accurate recreation of All Might's face with the headboard being his eyes up all the way to his bangs while the cushion looked just like the man's amazing smile. It was the ultimate way to show your pet it's being protected by the greatest hero who ever lived.
"See, he likes-" Before Izuku could finish that sentence, a loud hiss came from Kyo before the small creature leapt towards his head. In the blink of an eye, Kyo began to scratch all over Izuku's face until it was covered with a series of thin red lines. When the attack ended, the cabbit landed back on the standard pet bed with his fur raised and hissing at the bed.
"I don't think he likes that one either," said Uraraka as she used her own find to shield her face.
"B-But I don't understand. Why?" implored Izuku, never once letting go of the treasure in his hands. If he were a pet, he would have loved to have something like this!
A series of meows erupted from Kyo as the furry space bunny waved a paw in the bed's direction. Izuku heard and understood everything, tears running down his eyes. Basically, Kyo was yelling at him that the bed's design was creepy! There was no way he was going to be sleeping inside an open mouth, image or not! That the cabbit was getting nightmares just thinking about it. And all Izuku could do was stand there as he got yelled at by his pet while Uraraka watched.
Then, as if the situation couldn't get any more awkward…
"What is going on here?" demanded Ida as he approached the pair. Dressed in a white Polo shirt and long khaki pants, the teen walked down the aisle towards the trio with one hand adjusting his glasses while the other chopped away from the air. "I heard from some people leaving this fine establishment that some hooligans were causing a scene! Desist this disruptive behavior at once or I…" Ida's voice then trailed off as he took full stock of the scene before him. Izuku Midoriya was on his knees, crying as he held the pet bed and looking up at the cabbit who continued to meow at him. As Kyo continued its verbal assault, pointing an accusing paw at its owner, Uraraka just stood there with wide eyes that spoke of pure confusion.
-x-
"Are you sure this place is safe?" asked a nervous Inko, her hands gripping the back of Ryoko's outfit as they walked through the massive mall. And massive was not some sort of understatement for she had been able to see the complex all the way from orbit. According to Ryoko, this one building was double the size of Japan and just as tall as Mt. Fuji!
When the pair had first arrived, they had done so on the uppermost floor. Inko had been taken aback by what she beheld. Everything looked like it was made from one giant piece of the same metal, carved ages ago and still in pristine condition. On one side, there were shops that held a domed appearance, with part of the wall made of glass to display the insides, or had a number of saucers above the windows. Inside each of the shops that she saw were clothing on mannequin models that moved on their own or morphed to show what the outfits would look like with a passerby's build. But she could also see shops filled with games, spherical robots that hovered off the ground, devices that boggled the mind, and even entire restaurants. And when she looked on the opposite side, there was a pristine forest. She could see trees, from this distance, looked so much like the ones from earth. She could even see a massive, crystal-clear lake with people swimming and boating in it. Birds with double or triple the amount of wings found on earth birds flew through the air.
Then there was the crowd around her. Honestly, she had expected something more like out of a horror movie to be walking around. But, instead, most of them would have passed for humans! Just walking around, barely even giving Inko a passing glance as they went about their day shopping. There were others, of course, that Ryoko helpfully pointed out. The first was called the Wau. To Inko, they looked a lot like people with lion quirks that more heavily favored the lion part. While they still appeared mostly humanoid, most of them had brown or tanned fur covering their bodies with longer hair of a darker shade on their heads. Of course, Inko did notice a couple of exceptions like one whose fur and mane were almost pure white, broken only by their yellow eyes and dark nose. Along with them, there was the Cre'arx. They were taller than humans and Wau, with gray skin and no hair whatsoever on their bodies. Their eyes were oval-shaped, bulging out from their faces in a single color while the tops of their heads were the same. Inko noticed another cat-like race. Unlike the Wau, these cat people had longer ears that stuck out from the sides of their heads. They also had tanned, almost bronzed skin rather than fur. If it wasn't for the fanged canines, tails, and the bells that they wore around their necks, Inko never would have thought of them as cat people.
While Ryoko told her that there were more aliens out there who were friendly, like the Quanlie who were a little too friendly in her opinion, these were the major races in this section of the galaxy.
But now, Inko was no longer in that brightly lit area. Instead, she walked through darkly light hallways with the only sources of light being a flickering lamp post or the signs of the windowless buildings beside her. While she couldn't see what was inside of them, she could hear plenty. Loud shouting of various people, the crashing of glass, the sound of billiard balls being struck, and so much more led her to think that these were mostly bars. She also noticed several shady looking people approaching the doors, waiting for someone to let them in. On the one occasion that Inko did see the person on the inside, their body reminded her of a gorilla with how long and thick their arms were. As for the forest on the opposite side, it now looked like the dark woods from some fairy tales she had read. The branches on the trees were twisted in a way that looked like clawed hands, devoid of any leaves while sinister looking vines wrapped around them. There were a few flowers, but they had teeth! They opened up whenever someone passed them by, tendrils wiggling about as the petals opened to reveal row upon row of fangs that could skewer the skin.
"Of course it's safe. You are with the most wanted, most dangerous, most gorgeous space pirate in the known universe! What could be safer?" replied Ryko as they stopped. She then turned to look at one of the signs on the buildings, her eyes lighting up for a moment. "Ok, I need to step inside for a hot minute to make sure a buddy of mine hasn't moved their shop. You still have the money I gave you?"
Inko hesitated for a moment before nodding, opening up her purse to show that she had all the currency that Ryoko had given her. The space pirate then nodded in confirmation upon seeing it before telling her to make sure no one knows how much she has and to follow her.
With fear mounting, Inko clutched at her purse more tightly as they approached a door right as a shirtless man missing an eye came flying out of the establishment! As the Midoriya let out a cry of fear Ryoko just laughed before continuing like this was an everyday occurrence. When they entered the building, Inko found it to be a darkly lit bar. Most of it reminded her of old American western movies with wooden floors, tables, and dim flickering lights on each table that looked like oil lanterns. At each table were anywhere from two to four people, mostly hunched back as they played cards or drank from their oversized glasses. The air was hazy from the number of people smoking.
As Ryoko led them towards a more modern-looking wooden bar, its surface looking polished and clean with a wavy pattern to it, Inko felt a hand grab her shoulder. Now too scared to make a move, the woman turned to look at a man no larger than her son dressed in a ratty gray t-shirt and shiny black pants. This person had several large scars running down his face, a thin brown Mohawk, and a long nose that ended in a point.
"Hey there little missy," he said with a grin, showing off that he only had two teeth in his upper jaw. Inko's stomach then turned as she caught his breath making her wonder if he ever brushed his teeth. "Think you're a little lost there. How's about I hold onto your belongings? Make sure nothing bad happens to them while you find your way."
Inko could only tremble in terror as this man reached out to grab her purse, clearly ready to rip it from her. But then-
"What are you doing?" said Ryoko as she appeared right behind the man. Though her voice was soft, it carried with it dangerous undertones that could be heard so clearly in the bar that everyone stopped talking. In an instant, the eyes of everyone in the room were upon them, making Inko tremble more.
"Well, well," said the thief, turning around to look at Ryoko with disdain. As for the woman herself, she stood up to her full height with her hands on her hips and a sly smirk on her face. "If it isn't the big, bad Ryoko. It's been awhile since anyone's seen your face around these parts. Oh what do we owe the honor of you gracing us with your presence after all this time?"
"Just going on a little shopping trip with a friend of mine, Pit," she said, ignoring the, now named, thief's words which were laced with sarcasm. "And I couldn't help but notice that you were going to steal from her."
"Yeah, so what are you going to do about it?!" yelled Pit, causing Ryoko's eyes to narrow. It was then that Pit pulled out a handle from his pocket and, a moment later, a dagger-sized blade of energy appeared which he then pointed at the spiky-haired woman. "You think you can vanish off the scene for almost a year and come back still thinking you're hot shit?! You're old news. I'm going to be the one to finally put you in your place and then make you watch as I rob this old-" What happened next, Inko saw in slow motion. Ryoko's open palm flew through the air before colliding with Pit's face. The crack of his nose could be heard, followed by his weapon dropping to the ground as his skull was slammed into the back of the wall. Never once losing her smirk, Ryoko began to lift him higher off the ground without the back of his head ever leaving the wall.
"Did you just threaten and insult someone who is important to me?" asked Ryoko, her tone playful yet still holding a dangerous undertone while her hand began to glow red. Her yellow eyes seemed to glow as she stared into the fearful gaze of Pit. Inko, fearing that Ryoko was about to do something horrible, raised a hand to say something. This movement must of caught Ryoko's attention as she turned to look at the elder woman. At first, her expression was neutral with her lips being the thinnest of lines. Then that playful smile returned, closing her eyes and letting go of Pit so that he fell to the ground.
"Whelp, I'm bored now," said Ryoko as she strode over to Inko with her hands behind her head. Then, she glanced at the rest of the crowd before quickly wrapping an arm around the older woman to hold her tight. "Listen up all of you! This woman is under my protection! So if you even think about messing with her, you'll have to go through me first!"
For a moment there was complete silence. Then…
"I knew it!" cried a male Wau with chestnut brown fur and a darker mane. He jumped out of his seat, fists raised in the air to show off the stripped markings on the lower part of his face and arms. "I knew Ryoko was into older women! I won the pot! I won! I-" The alien was then silenced as the hilt of the blade once used by Pit went sailing through the air before colliding with the side of his head. Thankfully the blade was absent, causing the guy to stumble back in pain while rubbing the side of his head.
"Knock it off Regu," growled a red-faced Ryoko, all traces of a smile gone as she now looked livid. "Just because I turned you down doesn't mean I'm a lesbian!" That got a laugh out of the crowd while Regu just slumped back into his seat while rubbing the side of his head.
"Ryoko," whispered Inko, finally finding her voice now that the major sense of danger was gone. "Was that really necessary?" As she said this, she gestured to Pit who was still lying there on the floor. Slowly, Ryoko's eyes turned to him, causing the man to realize that the eyes of a more dangerous predator was upon him. With a scream of fear, the buck-toothed man scrambled to his feet before fleeing the bar causing everyone there to laugh.
"Don't worry about Pit," said a new voice, followed by the sound of a chair scraping against the floor. Inko turned to see who it was before her eyes widened in surprise. It was a tall man, nearly as big as someone like All Might or Endeavor. His skin was a couple of shades darker than hers, showing he was very active outdoors. The man had gone shirtless, just wearing an open tattered green vest that showed off his muscular body as well as a bandoleer. His pants were black with long silver rectangles over his upper and lower thighs with a gun holster on his belt. As for the man's face, he was bald with his one good eye being rather small for someone of his build. As for his other eye, well, that was the weird part as it was covered by a bright pink heart-shaped eye patch.
"Hey Numba," said Ryoko. "See you're still wearing the eye patch your wife made you."
"Well yeah," said Numba, who actually blushed. That as well as the eye patch contrasted greatly with his deep voice. "No way I'll ever get rid of this old thing. I like having a reminder of her when I go out." The man then turned his attention to Inko. "Don't worry about the likes of Pit. The dumbass has been barking up more trouble than he can handle lately."
"Oh? What happened?" asked Ryoko. "Last I heard, him and his crew managed to get a nice loot."
"You're talking about that ice planet heist, right?" asked Numba to which Ryoko nodded. "Man, that takes me back. Well guess you really have been out of the loop for a while if you haven't heard. Shortly after that heist, Pit got cocky. You know how it goes for people like that. Ignores all the signs that what he's looking at is GXP bait and just flies on into their trap. Managed to escape, leaving behind his entire crew. Since then he's been stalking around the usual joints trying to snatch up whatever he can from anyone who looks like they wandered into the wrong area. Though he has made a few slip-ups. A couple of months ago he did the same thing to my wife."
"Oh my," cried Inko. "I hope she's ok!"
"Nah, she's a tough cookie," laughed Numba loudly. "Sweetest person in the universe until you cross her. If you think what Ryoko did to him was rough, you should have seen what my wife did to him. That's how he lost most of his teeth!" At that, both Numba and Ryoko laughed together.
"Well, you know what they say: nobody can cure stupidity," chuckled Ryoko.
"Agreed," said Numba once the pirates stopped laughing. "But Pit was right about one thing, it has been a while since anyone has seen you. You here looking for a crew for your big comeback or something?"
"Not this time," she said before elbowing the taller man. "If I did go looking for a bigger crew, there's no way I'd ask you. Way too soft for the types of jobs I like."
"Well excuse me for valuing my head," laughed Numba, clearly not insulted by what Ryoko said. "Not everyone is crazy enough to get on the bad side of the Empire's most hot-headed princess. Remember how angry she was after you boarded her transport ships, stole all her dresses, and left her with nothing but burlap sacks to wear at a royal function? You even stole all her pocket change and jewelry."
"Hey, whoa now," exclaimed Ryoko as she held up her hands, shooting a nervous glance over at Inko. "She started that! I was just innocently waiting for my shuttle at the space station, ready to go on vacation, when that prissy princess purposely spilled her drink on my carry-on bag. Then she had the gull to laugh loudly about it, saying that no one would notice another stain on my 'cheap clothing'! Oh, and don't forget about when she said that I should feel grateful since at least one of those stains was graciously given by a princess of Juria."
Numba shook his head at that before addressing Ryoko with an amused smirk. "Alright, alright," he said. "So what brings you here?"
"Like I said, just going on a shopping trip with a friend," replied Ryoko as she let out a sigh of relief that they were changing the subject. Inko then felt the space woman's arm wrapping around her, pulling the mother in close. "My friend's son is going into a dangerous line of work and we want to make sure he has the very best. I just wanted to see if Elra had moved her shop or not."
At the mention of 'Elra', a look of understanding filled Numba's face. "I see," said the man before he turned to look at Inko, a warm smile appearing on his face. "Ryoko must really think you and your son are special to be introducing you to Elra."
"Oh," said Inko. "I, ah, never heard of her before today. So I really don't know what she can offer."
"Yeah, the only people who know about Elra are the people in our line of business," replied Numba. "And the stuff she sells is top quality. I mean it. We're talking the sort of stuff that puts most of the GXP to shame, easily on the level of their elites. If not better!" Numba then leaned in closer, raising a hand to his mouth as he then whispered in Inko's ear. "I've been where you are. When my son and daughter went out into space on their own for the first time, I went to Elra's. Been sleeping peacefully ever since."
That surprised Inko. "You're a father?" she asked, unable to control herself.
"Pirate and family man at your service," laughed Numba as he pulled out what looked like a wallet from his back pocket. Upon seeing it, everyone in the bar save Inko groaned. Then, as the man lowered it to Inko's eye level, Numba held it so that it was flat against his palm before pressing a button on the side. Instantly, an image of Numba appeared along with three other people. Standing next to the man was a Wau woman, one with white fur and a long mane that swept down her back. She was a tad shorter than her husband, dressed in a shirt sweater that looked homemade over her pregnant belly along with black pants. Next to Numba was a girl that looked a few years older than Izuku, clearly taking after her father save for the ears on the top of her head and her yellowed eyes. As for the last figure in the picture, it was a boy that looked almost completely Wau. His fur was a creamy chocolate brown while his mane had more of a dark chocolate color to it.
"You should have seen them when they were younger," said Numba, a blush on his face and he pressed a button on the side with his thumb. Instantly, the image changed to when he and his family were younger. Upon seeing the man's children as toddlers, Inko cooed.
"They look so adorable," she said, reaching into her purse to pull out her own mini photo album that she carried with her for just this sort of event. The first one being her little Izuku in his All Might onesie. Slowly, the pair made their way to a table that suddenly became empty allowing the two parents to begin showing off pictures of their children. As for Ryoko, she let out a small sigh before heading over to the bar along with several other people. They all knew that once you got Numba talking about his family, not even the most wanted and dangerous space pirate in the universe could stop him.
-x-
"Midoriya, is something wrong," asked Ida as a full-body shiver ran down the body of the young Midoriya.
At first, the green-haired teen said nothing as he continued to shiver within the outdoor seating area of the little café the trio had decided to visit after their misunderstanding at the pet shop had been sorted out. This had been done at the insistence of Ida who wished to apologize for how he had handled that situation, pretty much ignoring the protests of the other two who claimed he didn't have to. Now he sat at a small table with Izuku's back facing the sidewalk and looking across at his two new friends. Uraraka was to his right, happily eating a plate of mochi while Ida sat to his left with a glass of orange juice. Besides him, sleeping in the plain pet bed he had just bought, was Kyo. The cabbit was snuggled comfortably, the little blanket they had also purchased draped over most of his tiny body with a single front leg sticking out over the material. Off to the side, stacked neatly next to each other, were a few more bags filled with some of the other stuff they had gotten Kyo.
"Have you ever gotten the feeling that your mother is doing something that is really, really embarrassing for you?" asked Izuku as his hands went up to the upper portion of his arms. After a moment passed, the two also shuttered before nodding their heads.
"Yeah, well, I just felt something like that but on a completely different scale," admitted the green-haired boy as another wave of shivers ran down his body. The last time he had felt anywhere near like this was back when his mother was showing off his baby pictures. Like the one where he was learning how to go to the bathroom all on his own on his All Might training potty. That was so embarrassing!
Little did he know that at that same moment, the children of a certain space pirate were feeling the same shutters.
"So, Ida," began Izuku, changing the topic so as to distract himself. "I didn't know you lived in this area."
"I don't," replied Ida as he made a single chopping motion with his arm. "My home is about a half-hour train ride from here. However, with school starting soon, I thought it best to better familiarize myself with the surrounding area around U.A. That way I shall know what is in the vicinity should I require additional supplies, or possible meeting places to study with my fellow students."
"Oh, guess that makes sense. Looks like you're on top of things," said Uraraka before taking a big bite of her mochi, almost squealing in happiness as she chewed. Seeing it almost caused Izuku to blush due to how cute it looked.
Doing his best to hide the red blooming on his face, Izuku brought up his own drink. But before the straw could touch his lips, a sudden realization came to him. He was sitting with people he now considered friends. Friends who were going to be attending the same school as he was. Meaning that they had either done or, at the very least, looked at the same paperwork he had. So maybe…
"So, ah," began Izuku as he did his best to sound casual while setting down his drink. "Did either of you have trouble coming up with your costumes?" As the two sat there, blinking at him, Izuku hoped he could get a real good conversation going. Maybe having them talk about all the different ideas they had gone through or having trouble picking between different designs they had drawn. Then they could all just have a good laugh about it and he would realize that he was just overthinking.
"No, not really," said Ida, the sounds of Izuku's hopes shattering in the background like glass. "Given the generations that the prestige Ida family has obtained, the general public has come to associate a certain aesthetic when it comes to the heroes we produce. To alter such perception on a whim would be a disservice to all those who have come before me. As such, while creating my costume, I kept it in line with our traditions."
"I didn't really have a problem with my costume either," added Uraraka, causing Izuku to react like she had taken a sledge hammer to his pride. "Since Thirteen is my favorite hero, I wanted mine to look a little like hers but a bit cuter."
Hearing that, Izuku could no longer hold back his own depression. With twin, slender rivers of tears running comedically down his face, the teen felt his shoulders slump before his head fell slightly. A part of him felt like face-planting right on the table's surface, not caring if he knocked over his drink. Thankfully, that didn't happen.
"Midoriya," said Ida after a moment, his words causing Izuku to look up slowly. Now he could see that his blue-haired friend was looking at him in concern. "Are you perhaps having trouble putting the vision of your costume to paper?"
"No," said Izuku with a sigh as he began to scratch his head. "I mean, sort of. I've been able to draw up a few ideas, but none of them feel right. So now I'm having a hard time figuring out what I should do."
"Well, would you like to talk about it?" asked Uraraka, her words causing Izuku to perk slightly. "Maybe talking about it might help get whatever the problem is off your chest."
"I agree," said Ida before Izuku could protest. "It's worth a shot."
Izuku was silent for a moment as his two friends watched him expectantly. He just sat there, staring down at his drink as he mulled over what they were offering. A part of him wanted to politely turn them down so that they could just go back to enjoying their time together without having to worry about him. But he had a feeling they would still be doing that regardless. So maybe he should tell them. After all, what did he have to lose? If they could help him, then that would be great. If they couldn't, at least they would know that he trusted them enough to open up to them.
"Thanks," he said at last before letting out a drawn-out sigh. "I guess the problem is that it's finally setting in how much I've changed. And a part of me is still holding on to this old image I had."
Ida frowned with confusion. "What do you mean?" he asked.
"When I was little, there was a hero I admired more than any other out there," began Izuku. "There was this, er, brightness to him that just drew me in. This feeling of assurance. Back then, all my dreams were that I'd grow up to be just like him. In those dreams, I would see myself wearing a similar costume as him, being his sidekick as he mentored me. The two of us going on adventures, saving people with that same brightness. And when people saw us there, they would know that everything was alright." Izuku then paused, his throat tightening for a moment before he continued. "One time, I had a dream that felt more like a nightmare at first. In that dream, it started like so many others, we're on patrol until he pulled me aside to tell me that he was retiring. I still recall how I felt in that moment. Like the world was about to lose this warmth like, the same way you lose the warmth of the bed and blanket when you get up on an early winter morning. I can remember crying in the dream, begging him not to leave. But he just smiled at me, placing this reassuring hand on my holder before saying that his time had come and that he had found the person who he knew could continue to uphold the legacy he had built: me. That he trusted me with a great task."
"Midoriya, you can just say it's All Might," said Uraraka with a sly smile, causing Izuku to jump. As he wondered how she could have figured it out, the brown haired girl propped her chin on her open palm. "Come on. Even though we haven't known each other for very long, it's pretty easy to figure out. I mean, I saw the pet bed you chose"
"Still, to have such dedication," wept Ida, tears rolling down his face. "To think that even in your sleep, you were aspiring to be the very best hero you could be. I am positive that once your quirk showed up, you applied the same level of dedication to it."
Izuku however let out a sigh. "Yeah, I eventually did," he said, his words causing Ida to stop crying while Uraraka looked at him with confusion. For a moment, the green-haired teen said nothing as he took a sip of his drink to quench his parched throat. As he did so, he decided that now was the best time to see if the cover story he had worked out with Ryoko would work.
"My quirk is called energy manipulation," began Izuku as he held up his dominant hand, a few sparks of green lightning dancing around one of his fingers as he spoke. "It basically allows me to manipulate my body's energy in various ways. It's just, er, you know how when you're growing your body requires a lot of energy?" Both of the other teens nodded. "Well, that was the same for me as well. My body prioritized my physical needs, sending the majority of my body's energy to things like muscle and bone growth. So it never really materialized back when I was younger. And, ah, sort of the reason my doctor misdiagnosed me as being quirkless." Upon hearing that, Uraraka's head slipped from her hand in shock before nearly face planting into the table. At the same time, Ida's glasses looked ready to fall off.
"Midoriya that's," began Uraraka as she lifted her head up, mouth agape. "H-How long did you…until you found out you weren't…"
"Around the beginning of my final year in middle school," answered Izuku with a heavy sigh.
"That," began Ida while adjusting his glasses. "That is an incredibly long time to go on without a quirk. I'm surprised you were able to even discover that you had one!"
"I can thank my sister for that," said Izuku, a small smile appearing on his face. Slowly he raised his face to the sky, looking up towards the curtain of blue that hid the stars. "Before that, I just clung onto those old dreams with everything I had. The idea that I could be a hero like All Might, someone who could save everyone I could with a fearless smile on my face. But then, well, Ryoko helped me discover this quirk. And she's been there almost every step of the way. She's been the one who helped me get into shape, been helping with my aim, teaching me how to fight, made sure I didn't overwork myself, and so much more. But more than that, she's there when I really need her and giving me good advice. I'm so much more different than I was before."
"That's so...," came Uraraka's voice, sounding choked up. Lowering his head back, Izuku looked over to see that, indeed, his rosy-cheeked friend looked ready to cry. "That's so moving! Your sister has become like your new role model!"
"I, ah, wouldn't go that far," said Izuku, looking away as he spoke. While he did admire his sister, saying she was a role model for anyone might be pushing it.
"I think I understand the problem," said Ida as he brought his hand to his chin while adopting a thinking posture. "Now that you have finally come into your own, you wish to craft a new identity that better reflects who you are now. But a part of you refuses to let go of the image you clung to for so long."
"Yeah, and believe me it's pretty obvious what elements of All Might are in my drawing," said Izuku, shoulders slumping a little as he spoke. "I mean, in one design I have his face as a belt buckle while in another his smile is my face protector with his hair bangs attached to my hood!" As he spoke, Izuku noticed that Uraraka was staring at him with her eyes growing wider the more he described his costumes. Then her cheeks became just a tad more rosy once more.
"You'd look so cute like that," she squealed, hands flying towards her face as she spoke. "Now I really want to see you dressed like that!"
"Personally, I think you are simply overthinking this," said Ida. Izuku, face still flushed from what Uraraka had said, turned to look at the bespectacled teen just in time to see him taking a long gulp of his orange juice. "From what I have heard, both of these people have helped shape the version of you that is sitting here today. So, rather than forcing yourself to exclude one of them in favor of the other, create something that honors both of them. The ideals of All Might and the version you have of your sister."
Izuku brought his hand to his chin. He hadn't really thought about that. But then, how would that go? In his mind he pictured All Might, standing tall and muscular, with his arms raised above his head in a flexing pose and a bright smile on his face. Then, next to him, he imagined Ryoko wearing the same red and black outfit she had worn when they first met. Izuku could see the more slender figure clearly: eyes narrowed in a serious manner, back slightly bent with one foot before her and energy sword in hand. The two seemed so distant.
Still, maybe Ida had a point. Maybe his problem really was all that simple. That he was trying to cut out and remove something that was important to him, something that his subconscious refused to do. Thus he was just fighting with himself.
"Thanks Ida," said Izuku after a moment. "I think that helped."
As Ida nodded, Uraraka reached over to her backpack. "How about I show you my costume?" she asked as she pulled out a folded piece of paper which she then handed to Izuku. "I planned on mailing this as soon as I settled on an apartment, but you can look at it now if you want. Maybe seeing other people's ideas might help you out in some way."
"That's a brilliant idea," exclaimed Ida as Izuku looked over the drawing, the green-haired teen bringing his hand to his chin. "Then he can see the way you and I incorporate the likenesses of heroes that we wish to pay tribute to without being too obvious. Surely, such an act would help our future classmate and hero-in-training on his road down in such a prestigious academy."
"Well, I wouldn't go that far," said Uraraka as she waved her hands in Ida's direction. Then, the girl turned her body towards the other boy at the table before leaning a bit closer in his direction. "So, what do you think?"
"Well," began Izuku with a serious expression. "It is an interesting idea for a costume. But it looks like you forgot to add some details." Before Uraraka could say anything, Izuku placed the paper on the table between them before inching his chair closer to her. Once they were almost shoulder to shoulder, Izuku pointed to her boots and arm guards. "These areas, according to the drawing, look a bit bulkier than the rest of the costume. So I'm assuming that you did that because you included some sort of support gear to help boost your overall capabilities with your quirk. But the thing is, there are no notes."
"Ah, well," began Uraraka as she began to sweat a little, her eyes averting themselves from the page. "That's because I sort of, well, didn't plan on putting anything in them. More for appearance."
Izuku, at first, looked at the girl beside him with surprise before a small smile appeared on his face. "Well then, if you want them to be just for show, would you mind if I made a suggestion?" he asked As Uraraka nodded, Izuku pulled out a pencil from his pocket which he then pointed to an arena within the boots. "If there is no support equipment here, then I would suggest thinning them out a bit around here. The extra bulk might slow you down or make it more difficult to move around in tighter spaces. You could always remove them, but during an emergency is the last place you want to be wasting time having to adjust your costume. What do you think Ida?"
Ida blinked as Izuku held up the drawing. "I see the merit in what Midoriya is conveying," he said. "If you trim them down, you will still have the same aesthetic while at the same time making them less of a hindrance."
"But she doesn't have any support gear," commented Izuku while placing the paper back down on the table. "I'd have to double-check, but going by the design you should have plenty of money left in the provided allowance for additional support. It would be a shame to waste it."
"Wait!" cried Uraraka, her eyes going wide as she looked at Izuku. "You mean we don't get to keep what we don't spend?"
"No," replied Izuku and Ida in almost perfect unison. For her part, Uraraka sat there with her jaw hanging open in disbelief while seeming to look ready to face plant into the table at any moment. Yet that didn't happen as a fiery look appeared in her eyes.
"I cannot allow myself to waste anything!" she declared. "Now I just have to figure out what I need."
"Well, I'd be more than happy to help you out with that," replied Izuku, smiling pleasantly. Ida soon chimed in, offering his assistance as a member of a family who had been involved with heroics for several generations. And with that, the three began to bounce ideas around for some time.
-x-
Back in space, Inko had finished sharing pictures with Numba, while also having a few drinks of a neon blue liquid that had a fruity taste, before heading out to their ultimate destination. According to what Ryoko had been able to find out, the location of Elra's store hadn't changed, taking the pair to a slightly brighter area of the same floor. To get there, both Ryoko and Inko had passed by a few pawn shops, some looking a little shady while the other looked a bit more reputable, as well as a few vitamin and supplement shops. Eventually, Ryoko brought them to the spot which she claimed was Elra's shop. Though you would be hard-pressed to believe anything was there. All Inko could see was a long wall that stretched on for a while until you came to the next store. No name or marks on the wall to advertise it, no windows to show off wares, not even a door to get in. Just two potted plants at the halfway point. One would have thought that you had to stand between the plants for the door to open. And, in a fashion, they were correct. Once the pair stood there, a white light came from the plants that seemed to scan them. As soon as it finished, the tile beneath their feet began to sink into the ground before a new tile appeared above them once their heads were clear. Thankfully, the drop-down wasn't far, leading them into the actual shop.
There, before the two women, was Elra's shop. In the center were several rows of neatly hung clothing in various styles. Some looked like full-body suits, while others looked like basic shirts, pants, and jackets. Sort of like a one-size-fits-all unisex clothing store. Along the walls hung a number of guns of all shapes and sizes with holographic screens underneath them that provided details on the weapons. On the far wall from the entrance was what looked like a bulletin board, with various images of ships on it that were clearly for sale along with numbers so high that it made Inko's head spin.
"Bless me eggs. It really is you Ryoko. Was beginning to think you had bit the big one and were floating around in space," came a female voice from over to the side. Inko turned and nearly did a double-take at what she saw. There, sitting at the counter with a gun in her hand, was a bird woman. Her face was slender, with a long nose that almost looked like it ended in a sharp point and was black compared to the rest of her creamy skin. Her eyes were pure red while her ears were short and pointed. But the most striking feature of all was her hair which was made of brilliant blue and green feathers that went all the way down her back. As for her attire, she wore a sleeveless blouse with a white folded collar around her neck and a yellow triangle-shaped gem at the base of her neck. The blouse had a lime green V on it with the rest being a pale gray. As for her pants, they were extremely baggy khakis with plenty of pockets.
Ryoko approached Elra with a smirk. "Come on," she said with a laugh. "You know me better than that." At that, Ryo-Ohki let out a long meow which irritated the pirate. "Hey! We got out of that mess in one piece, thank you very much!"
Elra chuckled at that while hopping off the counter. "So, what do I owe the pleasure, love?" she asked.
"My friend here wants a costume for her son," replied Ryoko, shooting a thumb at Inko.
"Always living on the edge, aren't ya?" commented Elra, her words sounding more like a statement of fact rather than a question. "Well, I don't mind selling to an Earther. As long as she pays that is." She then gestured for Inko to approach the counter.
There was a moment when the Midoriya woman hesitated. However, Ryoko gave her a pat on the back and, when the green-haired woman turned to look at her, the space pirate was smiling reassuringly. Even Ryo-Ohki was nodding as if to say everything was fine. So, knowing that Ryoko had her back and reminding herself that she was doing this for her son, Inko approached the counter.
"Alright, lets see what you got for me," said Elra as she hopped over the counter so that it separated her from her newest client.
"It's right here," said Inko as she pulled out some of the drawings that Izuku had made. As she did, she looked at Elra. "I hope me being here isn't causing you any trouble."
"Me? Nah love," commented Elra. "I got a policy in this here shop: client privacy is number one. I don't go blabbing about any bloke who saunters in. Could be one of the most wanted people in the galaxy to an admiral in the GXP. I sell to everyone. Try and make me sing, well, you won't be welcome here. Moved my operation a few times because of people like that. But Ryoko," continued Elra, briefly pausing to look at the pirate. Inko followed her gaze, finding the younger woman going through the various other clothing that was sold before turning her head back to look at the bird alien. "Well, with her it'll be another drop in the bucket. Strictly speaking, blokes from planets like Earth aren't allowed in places like this. A lass like yourself will be fine, just having your memories wiped of all you saw before being dropped back down to where you come from. Standard stuff. But her? Definitely going to get more than a fine. Well, if anyone rats her out."
With a nod of understanding, Inko showed Elra a few of the designs that Izuku had made. While it took a while to parse the less than great art, Inko managed to point out a few of the common threads that her son wanted while also stressing that she wanted Izuku to be safe. If she seemed demanding to Elra, the alien woman didn't show it. She just nodded along as she pulled up a holographic scene to help create an image of what the earth woman wanted. The end cost was everything that Inko had on her and, once the money had been exchanged, Elra went to work creating Izuku's hero costume from scratch. As for Ryoko, she too had purchased something for Izuku's costume as it would add a bit more style and utility for him.
And, about ten minutes later, the two women were walking out of the shop.
"Alright, if we hurry, we should be able to get back home before it gets too late," commented Ryoko as she led them through the mall. "Just be careful and don't-"
"Thank you and I hope you enjoy your free sample," came a young woman's voice, causing Ryoko's eyes to widen. Quickly she turned around, finding them standing in front of a supplement shop. Standing by the door was a person who clearly worked at the shop, holding a jar in her hand with Inko looking like she just swallowed something.
The next thing everyone knew, Ryoko was in front of the store worker. "WHAT DID YOU GIVE HER?" demanded the space pirate as she began to shake the person handing out free samples.
"F-Fitness P-P-Plus," stammered the shop girl, her eyes looking like spirals.
"She just said that it was supposed to help me get fit faster," said Inko, somewhat alarmed by the way Ryoko was reacting. She had, after all, seen the space woman eating earth food with no issue. Plus Ryoko hadn't said a word when she had tried the drinks at the bar. So everything should be ok, right?
Thankfully, Ryoko stopped shaking the poor worker who had no idea what was going on. However, when she turned to look at Inko, she had a clear grimace on her face that made Inko nervous.
Then, before Inko could ask what was wrong, she felt something pulsing within her core. Instantly her hands flew to her waist as she then fell to her knees. A weird pain shot through every fiber of her being followed by her skin beginning to glow. Inko could then feel thousands of…something moving underneath her skin before contracting and twisting tightly. Her world began to spin as the light only seemed to grow brighter. And all Ryoko could do was stand there, back slightly hunched over.
"I wonder how Izuku will react when he sees this," was the only thing Ryoko said.
-x-
"I'm home," called out Izuku as he closed the door, blocking out the scene of the setting sun. As Kyo let out a mew that also informed the home that he was back as well, the teen placed down the items he had bought as he took off his shoes. As he did so, his mind went back on his day and how he had spent it with his three new friends. How they had sat at that table for what seemed like hours, going over the pros and cons of each idea they had for Uraraka's support gear. Some of the ideas had been grappling hooks hidden within her arm guards, something to help her move about the area once she had removed gravity from herself or could grab things she had already touched. Another idea had been to include a propulsion system in her footwear to allow her to fly.
"Hey," said Ryoko after she teleported in front of him. When Izuku looked up, he saw that his sister was looking a little…worried? Nervous?
"Did something happen?" asked Izuku, her nearly stopping as he remembered when she had mugged that guy and left him naked in the street. Had the police finally figured out who had done it? Or had she done something else.
"A well," began Ryoko as she looked away, scratching her cheek as she did so. "I would have to say yeah." As obvious panic appeared on Izuku's face, Ryoko held up her hands to begin waving them around wildly. "Nothing bad though. Just, ah, try not to freak out too much. Ok?"
Not knowing what else to do, Izuku nodded as Ryoko gestured for him to follow her. The two entered the kitchen where Izuku's jaw dropped. Standing next to the oven was a person that the teen would recognize anywhere despite how much she had changed. The most obvious was that all the weight she had gained over the past ten years of stress eating was gone, as if it had melted away. While there were still some signs that she had aged, like around her eyes, she looked almost exactly like she had that day when they went to the quirk doctor all those years ago. Another difference was that she was a bit taller. While before Izuku had been about half a head taller than his mother, that difference had been reversed!
"Hello sweetie," cried Inko happily, closing her eyes and beaming a smile at Izuku that he hadn't seen in years. The older woman then took a step away from the stove, extending her arms before doing a little twirl. "What do you think?"
"Mom, you look great," said Izuku, head slightly spinning. He felt his legs moving backwards until finally he stumbled back into a chair by the table. "But…how?"
"Oh, me and Ryoko kind of had a shopping day of our own," replied the Midoriya matriarch with a pleasant smile. "Only it was in space. And during it this happened!"
Izuku nodded dumbly for a moment, his brain still trying to process everything before a small smile appeared on his face. He had been aware of how his mother's weight had been affecting her over the last couple of years. Some of it had been health-related, with the doctors warning her that her blood pressure was high and that she might eventually be at risk of a heart attack or a stroke. Then there was her self-esteem. While she had never said anything to him directly, Izuku had managed to pick up a few things over the years. Fears that the reason his father, her husband, barely ever visited was because of the weight gain. There was also the fact that out of all of her friends, she had changed the most. So seeing her so happy about this change made him just as glad.
That is, however, until a terrifying thought came to mind. He then turned to look at Ryoko with some mild apprehension. "It's not going to wear off, is it?" he asked.
Ryoko, for her part, shrugged. "That depends on her," said Ryoko. "The free samples they were handing out were the really cheap versions. No lasting effects to keep the weight off, no additional strength or speed, or anything like that. So, as long as she doesn't let herself go, the weight will stay off."
Just as Izuku let out a sigh of relief, Inko walked out of the room with a giddy smile on her face. When she returned a minute or two later, she had in her hands a long white box. As she held it out to her son, Ryoko pulled a similar box out from underneath the table before sliding it over to him with a wink.
"Izuku, I'm sorry I didn't make this by hand like I wanted to," began Inko as her son slowly took the box. "But I did have it custom-made just for you. I hope that, when you wear it, you'll always know that I'm by your side supporting you with everything that I have."
"Same goes for me," added Ryoko while Ryo-Ohki let out a meow.
Teary eyed, Izuku thanked them both while doing his best not to break out into waterfall tears again. Through his sniffles, he managed to tell them to wait right there while he tried it on. And a few minutes later he returned looking utterly ridiculous!
"I think they got the size wrong," he said as he walked into the kitchen, nearly tripping on his pants legs while the sleeves were so long they covered his hand. The rest of the outfit just hung loosely over his frame making it look like he was swimming in it.
"There should be a small button on the right sleeve to make the size adjustments," said Ryoko, holding up her right arm and pointing to a spot right under her wrist.
It took Izuku a moment to find the small black dot that Ryoko had mentioned. As soon as he pressed it, the costume instantly shrunk to fit him perfectly like a second skin. The suit his mother had given him was almost completely green save for a few areas. Two black marks shaped like talons could be seen on either side of his chest pointing downward while similar markings could be seen on his calves. What's more, the suit seemed to extend upwards along his neck with a part of it splitting off to cover his ears though it did nothing to affect his hearing. As for Ryoko's part of the costume, it was a sleeveless trench coat that made him feel like he was wearing a cloak. The jackets color was the same shade of green as his main costume with two thin back lines running parallel to each other along his waist. The final touch was a hood that was currently pulled down.
"Wow," whispered Izuku as he looked down at his raised arms, testing the feel of the costume.
Inko smiled. "I had it based on a few of your designs," she said. "But most importantly it will keep you safe. It has a built-in respirator system that will activate once it detects anything that will impede your ability to breath freely. The suit will also be able to offer some degree of protection as well as being able to patch up most external wounds like cuts. Though I was told there was a limit and moving around too much might open the wounds again. Finally, there is a self repair system in place."
"Don't forget about the coat," added Ryoko as she appeared next to Izuku. She opened it to show what, at first, looked to be a normal pocket. However, when she opened it up, Izuku saw a pale light emanating from it. "This baby is not just stylish but also comes with two extra-dimensional storage pockets. There's a limit to what each can hold, basically the size of this kitchen, and you can't put anything living inside. But they will keep whatever you're carrying safe without weighing you down. And," said Ryoko as she quickly pulled up the hood before placing Kyo on top of Izuku's head. "Like this, you'll have the bunny ears you wanted so badly."
Izuku didn't bother to say that they weren't bunny ears, that they were supposed to be All Might's bangs. But he couldn't as a slightly choked sound came from his throat. Then, before either of the two knew what was happening, Izuku wrapped his arms around their waists to bring them in for a big hug. This was perfect.