The Quirk Gauntlet.
That was what Izuku had finally landed on after the meeting and presentation he had with the scientists analyzing his invention.
He and his mother just finished up the last meeting with them a few minutes ago. Their negotiation had gone on for several days, with the first being direct physical testing. Having worn and debuted it within a controlled environment where he could safely discharge it, the response he got had been positive.
Afterwards, he'd handed over the schematics and the notes he'd jotted down about the device. Being asked numerous questions about safety and inspiration, it was all incredibly awkward with his mother breathing down his neck the whole time. She sincerely wanted to know who or what sparked his interest in crafting such a dangerous object.
Once again, Izuku felt like he had to apologize to Endeavor sometime in the future after throwing him under the bus again - a reoccurring excuse he'd used in this lifetime. Using that specific Flame Hero for his inspiration made absolutely no sense within the context of a scientific support gauntlet that acted as a supercharged taser, and it left the scientists working with him confounded.
But they weren't his target. His mother was, to which the explanation worked like magic. She darkly cursed the man under her breath, which once again baffled the scientists after seeing such a capricious change in the timid woman.
Sorry, Endeavor. Sorry.
What ended up delaying the process was that the scientists weren't sold on the material he used. While the gauntlet would hold up after several uses, it would degrade the material too quickly and inevitably become a hazard. It would likely implode before running out of juice - something which embarrassed Izuku who knew of such a flaw and why he always made check ups on it.
With that crucial flaw exposed, he believed their deal would simply fall through and they would be sent home. That wasn't the case, and instead they recommended they upgraded the material instead.
The innerworkings of his gauntlet were just too impressive to pass up on, according to them. After a meeting between themselves and couple phone calls on their end, they returned back a day later and revealed that the investors within the American support company would happily back his product so long as it passed inspection.
First, Izuku needed to acquire an actual license for it, and then sell that license to the company who would pay top dollar for it. There was preconception in his mind that a business would usually nickel and dime their business partners and screw them over, but that didn't happen here in his case. Maybe they treated him kindly because he was still a child, or maybe he'd just gotten lucky and had ran into some good people. Regardless, he was satisfied by the outcome.
The license had yet to be created, but the official name for his invention was now the Quirk Gauntlet. It felt fitting, as the device effectively worked as a Quirk in its own right. For those who didn't have a reliable Quirk to fall back on, they could use his Quirk Gauntlet as self-defense against darkness, so long as they had the proper license; the weapon fell under the Support Item law that required Americans to pass a test and have documentation similar to that of a firearm license.
From now on, Quirk Gauntlet's would be sold across the world...
...Kind of.
They actually couldn't be sold anywhere else but America - where the company originated from. The reason being was that America was more lax on their safety regulations for civilians. Just like firearms, the average civilian was allowed to use their Quirks, or carry weapons of self-defense to protect themselves and loved ones in certain states. That kind of law didn't exist in Japan, and his invention would be a complete no-go. He could never get approval to sell his gauntlet anywhere back home.
America for the win!
The Home of the Brave and the United States of Smash!
"Coronium, huh...? Can't get that back in Japan, but it's good..." Izuku muttered to himself. The material was not entirely unlike that of Condenium - the material which the Full Gauntlet and the Mid-Gauntlets he wore as a Hero. It was an expensive modernized compression type material made for certain types of casings.
It was nowhere near as strong and protective as Condenium, but Coronium was a lot cheaper. Still pricey, but not so much to where it became scarce and unobtainable. While not exactly used for armors, it could work in the case of his Quirk Gauntlet because it was more so a weapon made for offense rather than defense. It could also conduct the electricity generation inside better instead of redirecting those forces away like the stronger Condenium would.
"What's that, sweetie?" Inko called back, glancing over at her son as they walked out one of the various lab buildings lining the street. The artificial city they were in was one Izuku had not entered or recognized from his previous life, meaning it was unlikely he would run into anyone he was hoping to.
He gave her a brilliant smile. "I'm thinking about that material they introduced us to. Don't you remember it?"
"I do... not." Her shoulders slumped. "I know I'm supposed to be a good parent and pay attention to things pertaining to danger, but when they announced that... glove grenade, was going to be upgraded..." A thousand-yard stare appeared deeply within her emerald irises, her hands naturally taking on a karate motion as a defense mechanism. "It frightened me."
"You're so silly, mom."
She flushed, poking her fingers together. "I'm not silly..." A small spark returned and she stared down reprovingly at him. "I still don't think I've talked your ear off enough, mister. I can't believe how reckless you are..." She sighed incredulously. "My son invented a weapon... and it could be... used... I still feel stunned..."
"...That's a good joke, mom," Izuku replied, taking the word, 'stun' as a pun for his Quirk Gauntlet's ability.
Picking up on his levity, she glared at him. It had all the intensity of a matchstick about to give out, but she was trying her best. "Don't think I am happy with all of this..." She quickly shook her head defensively, looking at a cross between guilt-stricken and horrified. "T-that came out wrong. Of course I'm proud of you, Izuku... Don't ever think for a second I'm not... I'm just... nervous."
"It's okay, mom. I get it. Really, I do." He meant every bit of that. He understood that exact kind of mind frame.
"Just... whatever you do, please be careful. For me... please?" She stopped walking, staring down at him sincerely. A grave amount of anxiety was buried behind her eyes. Whether it was his intention or not, his actions throughout the years had worn down her fragile soul tremendously. She just wanted him to be safe.
"I will..." Her purity shook him a bit, and he felt himself staring at the burn scar on his left hand. He wanted to live up to that promise with everything he had. but things always went wrong in his line of work. He only hoped he could. Clenching his fist, he muttered, "I'll always do my best..."
His sullen expression made her frown, guilty for bringing his mood down. Taking a page from his notebook, she did her best to puff out her chest and smile brilliantly. "L-let's get a bite to eat before heading back. What do Americans say? You are the apple of my eye?" She said in strained English with a heroic tone. It was a laughably feminine, butchered attempt at mimicking All Might.
"...I don't think that statement necessarily applies here," he replied sheepishly. His eyes then widened, clicking his fingers together in frustration. "No, I missed my chance to make a joke and say it doesn't 'apples' here. That would have been a good follow up..."
He needed to work more on his comedic timing. Maybe he'd get to spend some more time around Lemillion and the Sir Nighteye agency this time? That was certainly one of the regrets he had that needed to be rectified. At this point, Mirio shouldn't even be there yet. Regardless, he hoped all the old members were doing well.
She looked puzzled at him, not quite understanding the joke, but nodded all the same. She took out her itinerary and pointed at a dessert cafe. "I could go for some apple pie, or some other dessert. How about it?"
The two of them would occasionally go jogging together, with his encouragement and tenacity to stay in shape. It still felt somewhat tense between them, but she had managed to avoid becoming overweight thanks to his dedication. That didn't mean she didn't like her sweets.
He nodded back at her knowingly. He'd already had dessert, but he wouldn't stop his mother from getting her fix, so the two began to exit the research area of the city by calling a cab to drive them away. Before they could so much as make it to the edge of the street, a thin shadow appeared over their heads as a tall figure suddenly dropped down in front of them.
"Howdy there, young boy!" Revealing themselves to be a large, muscular woman, they shot Izuku a proud grin and assumed a heroic stance. "I believe you're the one I'm looking for, am I not?"
He couldn't believe his eyes, his mouth gaping in shock.
"S-Star and Stripe?!"