Chapter Text
Izuku has been locked in a protective cell for about a week. It was a small room with the walls, ceiling and floor all being made out of metal. It reminded Izuku of ‘The Vault’ that Yoichi was held in but nowhere as inhumane. It had central heating and he was regularly fed; he was even given a notebook per his request. Which he is currently using to write down notes of the Kaiju he defeated. The minutes kept silently passing by while Izuku continued to write down notes on the beast. He had his hero costume taken as well as his provisional license and over the course of the week he'd be brought out for basic medical tests. Things like his vision, reflexes and hearing were tested and today was x-ray day.
“This is bullshit!” Banjo shouted, breaking the silence.
“Please don't suddenly scream like that. You scared the hell outta me.” En said, shock clear as day in his voice.
“We're all confused but now is not the time to be irrational.” Nana stated to her two predecessors.
“We've been here for a week!” Banjo yelled back. “And we still know as much about this place as when we first got sent here!” Banjo continued to rant loudly.
“Yes, and screaming into the void won't solve any of our problems.” Kudo sharply said.
“I agree with the second. We need to approach this situation calmly and logically.” Hikage chimed in.
“You're all forgetting something. Izuku is the one actually dealing with this situation. We're just along for the ride.” Yoichi pointed out silencing the rest of the vestiges.
“First is right.” Nana said “Do you have any ideas, ninth?” Nana asked Izuku.
“Unfortunately I do not.” Izuku answered.
“So we're just going to do nothing until I don't even know what! Tried? Interrogated?” Banjo angrily questioned.
“Given our current circumstances, what else can we do but sit and wait?” En counter questioned.
Izuku kept working on his notes while the vestiges continued to argue with each other. At this point he welcomed their arguing as a break from the only other noise in his cell, the air flowing through the vents. That's when a new noise began to make its presence known: footsteps. They began quietly but quickly got more noticeable as the person drew closer. The footsteps stopped right as they got to Midoriya’s cell door. The door opened to reveal Mina Ashiro.
“Come, Midoriya. You’re needed.” Mina said sternly.
“Right away Captain Ashiro.” Izuku said happily he was happy to leave his cell even if it was only for a little while.
Izuku quickly stood up and walked up to Mina. They then both left the cell with Mina closing the door behind them. They both then began walking down the same hallway Mina came from. After roughly fifteen minutes of walking the pair made it to the x-ray room. The door to the room slid open and a doctor walked out to greet them.
“Greetings Captain Ashiro.” The doctor said while saluting.
“At ease.” Ashiro replied.
The doctor stopped his salute before turning his attention to Midoriya.
“So this is the patient?” The doctor asked.
“Indeed.” Mina answered.
“Well then come with me.” The doctor beckoned before reentering the lab. Midoriya followed behind.
“I’ll be waiting out here for you.” Mina told Izuku before he fully headed in.
“Thank you Captain Ashiro.” Izuku replied before fully heading into the lab with the door closing behind him.
Mina was left standing in the hall. That was until a familiar voice echoed through the air.
“I didn’t know you adopted a son.” Soshiro Hoshina, the Vice Captain of the Third Division said jokingly.
“Hello Hoshina.” Mina said while turning to face him.
“So how’s the little guy holding up?” Hoshina asked.
“Midoriya is doing well.” Mina answered. “Strangly well considering if he’s telling us the truth about him from another dimension then he has friends and family he could potentially never see again.” Mina said, slightly concerned.
“Yeah that’s a lot to put a teenager through.” Hoshina said. “Does he know about the meeting he’s supposed to have later today?” Hoshina asked.
“I haven’t told him yet.” Mina admitted.
“I think you should tell him as soon as possible.” Hoshina told her. “It’s better for him to know now rather than let him be completely blindsided.”
“I’ll tell him as soon as he’s done with his x-ray.” Mina told Hoshina.
With that declaration the conversation ended. Both Mina and Soshiro stood there in silence. After a few minutes the door opened and both Izuku and the doctor walked out.
“Alright the scan came back and we can confirm he is 100% hu- greetings Vice Captain Hoshina.” The doctor interrupted his own sentence to properly greet Vice Captain Hoshina.
“At ease.” Hoshina said to the doctor.
The doctor eased the salute.
“Oh hello Vice Captain Hoshina.” Izuku quickly said while saluting.
“I like him.” Hoshina said happily to Mina. “At ease.”
Izuku eased his salute.
“I have a question though.” Izuku said, bringing the mostly calm mood to an end.
“What is it?” Mina asked.
“What did the doctor mean by ‘we can confirm he is 100% human.’?” Izuku asked, confused.
“Doctor, we would like to speak to Midoriya alone, please.” Hoshina asked, his tone easy and pleasant though it was clearly an order.
“Understood Vice Captain.” The doctor said before quickly saluting and entering his lab.
Mina let out a sigh. “Look, I'm going to be completely honest with you, Midoriya.” Mina started. “When you hear Kaiju you most likely think of giant monsters right?” Mina asked.
Izuku nodded.
“They mostly are but some of them are human sized.” Mina told Izuku. “Some of them have humanoid features too.” Mina continued to explain. “So we wanted to test you to see if you were a covert Kaiju.”
“I knew it! I knew something was off!” Banjo shouted in triumph for being proven right.
“Congratulations you wanna cookie?” Kudo replied sarcastically
“A cookie sounds quite nice actu- Hey wait a second!” Banjo shouted offended.
Izuku stood there in silence processing what he just heard.
“Midoriya are you okay?” Mina asked, concerned.
“Yes. I'm just.Taking all that in.” Izuku said, still trying to wrap his head around what he was just told.
“I'm sorry that I withheld information from you.” Mina said.
“It's. It's fine. Is there anything else I need to know?” Izuku asked, slightly frustrated.
“There is as a matter of fact there is.” Hoshina replied.
“Later today you'll be having a meeting with the Director General of the Defense Force.” Mina explained.
“I see.” Izuku replied. “When exactly?”
“At four o'clock sharp.” Mina answered.
“Understood.” Midoriya replied back. He then quickly checked his phone for the time 2:05.
“Your ride will be here in twenty minutes.” Hoshina told Midoriya.
“Ride?” Midoriya asked.
“The Director General is at the Ariake Maritime Base.” Mina explained.
“I see.” Izuku said. “Could I grab my notebook please?”
“I don't see why you couldn't.” Hoshina replied. “What do you think, Captain?”
“I think bringing your notebook should be fine.” Mina said to Midoriya. “I’ll take you back to your quarters so you can grab it.”
“Thank you.” Izuku said, genuinely thankful -- he had a great deal to add to his notes.
…
Izuku left the Tachikawa base at 2:30 and the drive to the Ariake Maritime Base took about an hour. When Izuku arrived the time was 3:36 he then spent the rest of the half hour waiting to be called. Finally at 3:55 he was called and he began his walk to the Director General’s office. He made it to the office exactly at 4:00 and opened the doors to be met with the Director General sitting at his desk. It was hard to gauge his height due to him sitting down but what was obvious was his muscular frame. His short blonde hair was slid back; he also had a moustache and beard as well as messy eyebrows. The most noticeable thing about him were his olive green eyes which radiated subtle intensity. Izuku silently eyed the desk and noticed a plaque with the following inscription. Director General of the Japan Anti-Kaiju Defence Force: Shinomiya Isao.
“Have a seat.” Isao said sternly. “We’re getting right down to business.”
Izuku quickly took a seat in front of Isao’s desk. “Of course sir.” Izuku said, attempting to hide the nervousness in his voice.
“We’ll start here.” Isao began while reaching into one of the drawers on his desk and pulling out a laptop. “I would like you to take a look at this.” Isao said before turning the laptop to Midoriya. The laptop showed video footage of his battle with the kaiju recovered after the attack.
“I have a question for you Midoriya.” Isao said while pulling Midoriya's Provisional License out from another desk drawer and sat it on the table. “It says here on your license that your meta ability is super strength. Which you did demonstrate in your fight. However the footage also shows you levitating. So my question for you Midoriya is this. Is there more to your meta ability than just super strength?” Isao questioned Midoriya in a calm tone.
Midoriya’s head immediately exploded with the voices of the previous wielders losing their minds.
“SEE I TOLD YOU SOMETHING WAS UP!” Banjo screamed at the top of his lungs.
“Yes we’ve established that.” Kudo said snarkily.
“He already knows about float. Do we allow ninth to tell him about One For All?” En began to question.
“If Isao already knows about my quirk then it’s only a matter of time before he puts all the pieces together about One For All.” Nana said calmly.
“I agree with seventh. It's only a matter of time before Isao learns the truth.” Hikage said.
“I agree with both of you but it is ultimately ninths decision to tell the truth about One For All.” Yoichi said to Nana and Hikage.
“Maybe we should consider what Isao and the wider Defense Force would do with that information. It is a government agency after all.” Bruce chimed in.
The vestiges continued their back and forth squabbling in Izuku’s mind. He quickly found himself overwhelmed by the arguing until it was interrupted.
“You seem distracted.” Isao said, returning Izuku back to the conversation.
“S-sorry sir!” Izuku stuttered out. “If I tell you my true power it won’t be leaked right?”
“The only people that will know will be me and the members of the defense force that need to know.” Isao replied, evenly.
“Alright.” Izuku said. “My quirk is called One For All. It's unique among quirks due to the fact it stockpiles the quirks of previous wielders.” Izuku explained.
“Previous wielders?” Isao questioned
“Yes, I'm the ninth wielder of One For All. I have six other quirks at my disposal besides One For All itself.” Izuku said.
“Could you explain these other quirks?” Isao asked.
“Yes sir.” Izuki said. “The first quirk after One For All itself is gearshift. It allows me to change the speed at which objects accelerate, including myself. It does have a major weakness however it's incredibly powerful and difficult to control. So it's used best as a last resort.” Izuku finished explaining gearshift.
“I see, continue.” Isao said.
“The next quirk is Fa Jin. It allows me to convert kinetic energy by performing repetitive movements into bursts of power and speed.” Izuku said.
“Next is Danger Sense. It's basically a radar that alerts me to any attack coming from any direction. It can be nullified if the individual attacking doesn't view their own actions as hostile.” Izuku said wearily realizing how strange the last statement sounds without the full context.
Isao seemed to be somewhat taken aback by the last statement as well.
“D-do you want to explain that or….?” Izuku asked.
“No, that's not necessary right now.” Isao answered.
“Okay, next up is Black Whip. I can shoot out Black tendrils of energy that I can use to swing around as well as grab, and subdue people and objects. It is tied to my emotions to a degree. For example if I become overwhelmingly angry Black Whip can activate without my consent.” Izuku explained.
“Second to last is Smokescreen. It's fairly simple. I can produce smoke that can be used to hide my current position from hostile individuals.” Izuku said.
“Finally there's Float. Float does what it says on the tin. It allows me to float.” Izuku finished explaining all the quirks at his disposal.
The Director General was silent for a long moment, long enough that Izuku felt the first prickles of a nervous sweat starting on his brow. Then, he nodded once, sharply. “Thank you for your candor, Midoriya. You have been commendably forthright with our investigators and medical staff throughout this…examination period.”
“Thank you sir I didn’t want to create any unnecessary distrust.” Izuku remarked.
“We appreciate that.” Isao replied. “Now then we have one final thing to discuss and that is your place in the Defense Force.” Isao stated. “As far as you know there’s no way for you to get back to your home?”
“As far as I'm aware, yes.” Izuku replied slightly depressed which Isao took note of.
“Well then I have an offer for you.” Isao announced. “The Defense Force entrance exam will take place a year from now. I’m offering a chance for you to join the Defence Force and in return we’ll do everything in our power to help you return home.”
“I appreciate the offer but what exactly will I be doing for the year in between?" Izuku asked.
“Over the course of the week it’s come to our attention that you have a habit of writing down an analysis of your enemies.” Isao stated while pulling a card out of his pocket and sitting it on the table. “Monster Sweeper INC. is the largest Kaiju disposal company in Japan and they’re always looking for new hires. So for the year in between now and the next entrance exam you will be working for MSI.”
“Okay. I have a question.” Izuku said. “Where exactly will I be living?”
“We already have that covered. The Captain of the Third Division Mina Ashiro has agreed to provide you with temporary housing until it's time for the exam.” Isao explained.
“Really?!” Izuku said in surprise.
“Yes. She told me that you have talent and after seeing the footage we managed to gather from your battle with that Honju I can safely say I agree with her.” Isao answered.
“You think that highly of me?” Izuku asked in silent shock. “T-hank you sir.”
“Id advise you don't let this praise go to your head. The Honju you took down is a small fry compared to the beasts that have ravaged Japan over the years.” Isao stated.
“I understand Sir.” Izuku replied. “So when do I start?”
“You'll start next week. It also came to our attention that your phone does not work and you'll be provided with a new one.” Isao answered.
“Thank you Sir.” Izuku said while giving a salute.
“You are dismissed. Captain Ashiro should be waiting for you downstairs.” Isao stated.
Izuku eased his salute before bowing and taking his leave from Isao’s office. Izuku made his way back to the lobby of the Ariake Base and true to Isao's words Mina was there waiting for him.
“Are you ready to go Midoriya?” Mina asked.
“Yeah.” Izuku answered.
Mina and Izuku began walking out of the Base.
“Although if you don't mind me asking. Why did you agree to take me in?” Izuku asked curiously.
Mina let out a small sigh before she spoke.
“I know what it's like to have your home and the people you care about taken from you. I couldn't in good conscience let you be completely on your own in this world.” Mina answered and her stern demeanor seemed to crack a little as she did so.
Izuku noticed this but he was unsure what to do so he hesitantly grabbed Mina’s left hand as they continued to walk out of the Base.
“I'm sorry I didn't mean to bring back uncomfortable memories.” Izuku said apologetically.
“It's fine, I know you didn't mean anything by it.” Mina replied quickly regaining control over her emotions.
The duo made their way out of the Bases front door and began their walk through the Bases parking lot. After a roughly two minute walk they made their way to Mina’s car. Mina got in first and Izuku got in the passenger seat.
“Seatbelts.” Mina said before pulling the car's seatbelt into place. Izuku followed suit.
Mina then started the car.
“I'm assuming you haven't had anything to eat since breakfast?” Mina asked.
“Ye-” Izuku's stomach grumbling answered Mina's question before his mouth could.
“Well what would you like for dinner?” Mina asked as she began to drive out of the parking lot and into the open road.
“Do you know any places with good katsudon?” Izuku answered Mina's question with his own.
“Yeah I know a place.” Mina replied back.
They began their drive to their destination. Izuku began to get truly comfortable for the first time since he got here. But he couldn't afford to get too comfortable after all his new life begins soon.