Chapter Text
Izuku had always been a good child. He obeyed his brother and father, helped his mom, and got good grades. He rarely got in trouble. He was a big boy. He was turning 5 soon. He wasn’t childish enough to be a bad kid to his parents. Izuku never purposely did anything, but to his dad he was always a disappointment. “Why do you want those All Might posters? Do you seriously like him? Izuku if you continue like this I won’t be happy,” his father would always say. Izuku liked All Might. He thought his father would understand. It was a hobby, a fun small idolization.
Izuku found himself really wanting to be like All Might though. He was so cool. He saved people too, so everybody liked him. He knew his father wasn’t liked. He wasn’t sure why though. People would come in and out of their house a lot. They had a big plot of land with a winding concrete driveway. The house was big, a little too big for Izuku. It was scary at night. There were only five people living in the house, just Izuku, his brother Kai, his father, his mother, and the butler Reno. It wasn’t enough for their mansion-like house, but father said it was good for “reputation.” Izuku didn’t really understand.
Izuku had always hidden away in his room after hours. All the lights would turn off in the house and it got really quiet. His room was in the upstairs private area, but his mother and father’s room was on the opposite side of the house. There were lots of other rooms near his, many of which he had never been into. The doors were scary though.
That night, Izuku sat on his bed, looking across to his brand new All Might poster. Reno had bought it for him, but Izuku felt bad since Father had yelled at him shortly after. He remembered his father pulling Reno to the side and saying, “These are bad influences! Are you trying to corrupt my child? We’re trying to mold him, Reno. Don’t ruin this for me.” His father had stormed off after that without really even looking at Izuku. He rarely spent any time with his father. He was scary.
Izuku climbed off the bed, walking closer to the poster. He wanted to be brave like All Might. All Might wasn’t scared of anything. He saved people. At least, Izuku thought he did. He never got to watch much of the programs showing him when his family was around. His mother would let him sometimes though. There was a small office they would use that had a computer. He would always watch one certain video of All Might. It was All Might rescuing workers from a factory explosion. All Might’s laughter always sparked something in Izuku. As he watched the hero save people so carelessly, it really made him wonder. He could be like that, couldn’t he? Especially when he got his quirk. He was so excited for his quirk. His dad’s quirk was weather manipulation. His brother had lightning. What would Izuku get? He really looked up to his brother, he had such a cool quirk. Father was more scary, but Izuku still liked his quirk. He wondered if he could still be like All Might with lightning.
Izuku was startled out of his thoughts by some yelling down the hall. He pushed the door open slightly and peeked through the crack near the door hinge. Father and Mother were fighting.
“He’s not just some—some pawn in your plan, Hisashi!” his mother snapped. She was towing a rolling suitcase behind her. “I’m not gonna stick around to watch you treat him like this!”
Hisashi scoffed. “What, so you’re just going to leave him then?” He stepped in front of Inko, blocking her from the stairs.
“Yes. I’m going to find some way to get him out of here, Hisashi. You’re not going to keep him prisoner forever.” Inko turned and pushed her way past Hisashi, beginning to descend the stairs.
Hisashi scoffed and followed after her. “I can’t believe this! Do you really think your family is going to take you back? Society? You can’t just start living a normal life!”
The two disappeared down the stairs. Izuku slid out of his room and began making his way down the hall. The hall was wide with wooden floors that creaked under him. The doors towered menacingly over him. Izuku hugged himself tightly as he began for the stairs. He hoped Mother was okay. Even though Father scared him, Izuku liked Mother a lot. They didn’t spend much time together since Father was always pulling Izuku and Kai around to show them the family business. Izuku didn’t understand it too well, but he knew one thing. His father was a bad guy.
Mother wasn’t. She was sweet. Her smile would make Izuku feel safe, especially since Father was scary. He was still family though, so Izuku still liked him. Mother would let him watch All Might. She seemed thrilled at his aspiration to be like him. He remembered her asking one night when they were sitting together on his bed, “Are you going to be a hero, Izuku?” She smiled down at him as footage of All Might played on a small TV in front of the bed.
“I want to be,” Izuku answered excitedly. “I hope Dad lets me.”
Mother’s smile seemed to drop. She almost had a look of pity. “Me too, Zuzu,” she said softly, wrapping her arm around him. Of course, Izuku’s dream was shattered quickly soon after the night Mother left. Hisashi came back up the stairs, pausing as he saw Izuku standing in the hallway. He bent down in front of Izuku. Neither of them said anything. Izuku studied his face, fear bubbling inside of him.
“Where did Mother go?” he asked quietly after a few beats.
Hisashi straightened back up. “That’s none of your concern,” he dismissed. After a couple of seconds, he asked, “Tomorrow is your birthday, correct?”
“Yes.”
“Then you better rest up. I have high hopes for you,” Hisashi said firmly as he turned and headed back for his room. “Back to bed, Zuzu.” Izuku watched his father disappear into the darkness. He heard the echo of a door shutting from down the hall.
His birthday was indeed tomorrow. He was originally excited but now felt rather scared. What would happen if he got a bad quirk? Their family had always had powerful quirks, which Father said was why they “ran the industry.” That just made Izuku even more scared of failure.
He quietly tread back into his room, shutting the door behind him. He had to hold back the urge to go racing after his mother. He loved his mother a lot, more than his brother, but Izuku knew better than to defy his father. Anyone that did that wasn’t seen again.
He remembered the old butler, the one before Reno. Her name was Yumo. It was a strange name, which was one of the reasons he really remembered her. She had been a butler since Izuku was 2 but disappeared around when Izuku was 3. He didn’t really remember her since he was so young, but Kai had told him stories. His brother had said that she wouldn’t complete a task for Father.
The butlers tended to help with the family industry. He remembered the stories Kai told well. “They’re not just butlers,” Kai had murmured to him as they had walked hand in hand across the estate. “They’re trained assassins! Awesome, right?” Kai had smiled brightly down at Izuku. Assassins? Izuku hadn’t responded and had bashfully looked away. His brother seemed oddly comfortable with the idea of assassins living with them. But if Kai thought it was okay, they had to be safe. Reno had walked a few steps behind the two brothers. He had appeared out of nowhere and addressed Kai, saying that he was now their personal butler.
Kai had seemed uncomfy with Reno though. It had scared Izuku. “Where did Yumo go?” Izuku had quietly asked Kai, squeezing his hand. He had liked Yumo. She was sweet and had also let Izuku enjoy All Might.
“Who’s Yumo?” Kai had answered, giving Izuku a little confused smile.
Izuku hadn’t said anything when Kai said that. But it sat with him up until now. He knew Kai was lying. He remembered Yumo. He just wished his family would tell him things instead of hiding stuff. His mom did especially. She always shielded him from the things his father did. Izuku wasn’t stupid. He knew his father did bad things. He wasn’t sure what exactly, but he knew.
Izuku wasn’t angry at Kai for not telling him though. He knew Mother probably told him not to tell. Izuku loved Kai. He would always play with Izuku around the house, even when Father would scold him because he wasn’t training. Kai was 9, which means he’d had his quirk for quite a while. Father told Izuku that when he got his quirk he’d start training too. He always wondered what the training was, but Kai wouldn’t tell him. He’d put on a firm smile and look down at Izuku. “You don’t need to worry about that yet,” he would always say. That really scared Izuku.
Izuku climbed back into his bed. He flipped on his lamp and light illuminated the room. He leaned over the side of his bed and reached into the darkness under it, tugging out a shoebox. He set it on his lap and began opening it. He pulled a small All Might figurine out of the box. The hero had his hands on his hips and looked strikingly confident. All Might had the signature smile plastered on his face, and Izuku could almost hear the laugh.
He held the figurine gently in his hands, examining it and running his fingers over the smooth surface. If Izuku became a hero would there be figurines of him? Did Father have figurines? He wasn’t a hero, but he knew he was famous. He would’ve asked him, but he was kind of scared to. Izuku dug through the box a little more and pulled out a small journal. Izuku had recently started writing in it. Mostly about Kai’s quirk. Kai liked to talk about it a lot. His brother was definitely proud. The first couple pages were about Kai, with the rest being sketches of All Might. He had drawn the figurine many times now, but he enjoyed it, so he continued to. Izuku pulled a pencil from the nightstand next to his bed and began drawing the figurine once again.
He took comfort in the nightly routine. Sitting in his room with the lights dim, sketching in his notebook, just felt safe. All Might had always kept him safe. He knew he’d always be safe with All Might here. Izuku touched the figurine again, rubbing his fingers against All Might’s quirky hair.
Suddenly a wave of tiredness washed over him. He shoved the things back into the shoebox and slid it back under his bed. He flipped the light back off and went to bed.
“Izuku, this is Doctor Daruma Ujiko. He’s going to do some tests on you, okay?” Father said, motioning towards a large orthodontist chair in the middle of the room. A short, plump man smirked at him from beside his father. He had a strange monocle, along with a crazy red mustache. His head was completely bald and sort of like an egg. He wore a white lab coat and purple rubber gloves. The man was hunched over creepily. Izuku didn’t like him one bit. The way the man quietly chuckled to himself didn’t sit well with him. Izuku stood quietly, grasping onto his father’s hand like his life depended on it.
His father seemed to get annoyed with Izuku’s hesitance and picked him up, placing him in the chair. “You want to find out your quirk, right?” He asked, frowning slightly. Izuku nodded quickly. “Then cooperate,” Father grumbled before stepping back to the doctor. “I’m glad we’ve finally come into contact, Ujiko,” Father said as he and the doctor shook hands. “You said you are ready to commence operation with the Yoha?”
The doctor laughed and wrung his hands together. The laugh was gross, almost like he was choking on something. “Yes. All for One has given you the address for the base of operations, correct?”
The two continued to talk about Father’s work. Izuku drowned it out since he knew he wouldn’t understand anything. He nervously sat in the chair, scanning the room curiously. They were in a laboratory of sorts. Izuku wasn’t sure where. The windows to the car they drove in weren’t see-through, on the outside or the inside. He remembered Father saying it was for protection.
Izuku glanced past the two adults still talking. There were lots of computers and vials. There were large test tubes too, human sized ones. He hoped he wouldn’t have to get into one of those. The room was big, but the entire room seemed to mostly focus on the chair. Cords attached to it, along with a small computer screen. The room was loud too. He could barely hear his father and the doctor speak over a constant, loud beeping.
The doctor made his way over to Izuku, smiling down at him. “Alright, Izuku. I’m going to hook you up to the computer.” Izuku nervously sat as a heart monitor was attached to him along with an IV. His nervousness was building up more. This wasn’t how he planned his birthday. The doctor sat down at a computer and glanced back at Father. “I’m going to start the tests now. Hopefully this will go quickly.” He smirked as he continued, “Your family all has powerful quirks, Hisashi. Shouldn’t be hard to get it to come out.”
Izuku felt really scared. They were going to force it out? Had they done that for Kai too? Was it going to hurt? Couldn’t they just let it come naturally? Izuku felt his heart rate speeding up. He wanted out of the chair. He wanted to go home. He grasped the arms of the chair, waiting for whatever was going to happen. Pain struck through him suddenly, the air completely knocked out of him as he sat forward out of shock. It felt like his insides were being clawed apart. His breathing sped up as he shook violently. Pain pulsed through him again, the intensity just getting worse. Izuku gripped onto the sides of the chair even tighter.
He felt a burst of energy dart to his hands, almost like a yawn you can’t hold back. Green electricity, almost a lightning of sorts, zapped from his fingers. It buzzed in his hand, crackling and popping. Izuku was so focused on staring at the electricity that he didn’t notice the machine turn off. The doctor’s sick laughter jolted him. Izuku looked up at the man who was smirking down at his hand. “See, Hisashi? I told you so!”
Father approached the chair and bent down, narrowing his eyes at the wisps of lightning sparking from the prints of Izuku’s fingers. He straightened up and gently nudged Izuku’s hand. The electricity sparked violently for a second before disappearing completely. The adrenaline from the quirk rushed out of Izuku’s body and left him feeling extremely wiped out. Father smirked down at him and ruffled Izuku’s green hair. “That was worth it right?” He stuck out his hand and helped his son out of the chair. Izuku clung to his father, still feeling terrified from the experience.
“You may have to come back for the next couple of days,” the doctor chimed in. “Sometimes quirks can be picky. It may only come out through force for a couple of days. Have him try to use it but if he can’t, bring him back tomorrow.” The doctor grabbed Hisashi’s shoulder roughly, smirking creepily at his father. “That’s an interesting quirk he has there,” he murmured. Father seemed a bit taken aback.
He grabbed Izuku’s hand and held it. “Indeed.” He glanced down at Izuku and cupped the back of his head, jostling him towards the door. “Thank you for your time, Ujiko.”
The doctor didn’t say anything, merely smirked at the two and chuckled before wringing his hands once more and turning back towards the computers. Izuku stumbled through the door with his father. He hung desperately on to his fathers hand as Hisashi quickly made his way through long hallways. Izuku wasn’t sure where they were still, but he had heard some mumblings from lingering people. It was another industry, like father’s. He guessed Father and them were working together, according to the conversation he briefly heard inside the lab. He was curious what they were doing in the industries, but he didn’t dare ask Father. Especially when he seemed rather eager to leave.
They exited the large warehouse like building. Thankfully no one was loitering outside. Father helped Izuku into the car before following in behind him. They never drove themselves. The butlers always did. Izuku was curious if Father even knew how to drive. It wasn’t Reno driving though, Izuku noticed as they climbed into the car. Izuku didn’t recognize the one driving the car. Most of the butlers changed frequently at their estate though, so he wasn’t surprised.
He quietly sat in the back of the limo, glancing at his father from time to time. Father seemed angry. He roughly tugged off his gloves and threw them down on the seat beside him. Izuku felt nervous now. Had he done something? “Are you disappointed in my quirk?” he quietly asked before shrinking into the corner when father turned to look at him.
“Of course not, Izuku.” Relief flooded through the boy. “I’m not angry because of you. Don't worry about it. It doesn’t concern you yet.”
“Okay,” Izuku answered. He looked down at his feet. Should he continue talking to him? He didn’t want to make Father actually angry at him though. Father’s phone rang, making Izuku look back up at him.
Hisashi annoyedly picked it up. “What?” he snarled. His anger soon diminished though. He fell silent as he listened to the other person on the other line speak. It must’ve been really important, Izuku thought. Father was usually yelling on the phone. “Yuki? They’re down?” Father kept speaking into the phone. Izuku curiously listened. “I’m taking Izuku home,” Father continued. He paused and listened. “You can’t seriously be asking me to come. Send an open unit. You—“ Father stopped talking and drew a violent breath. “All Might is there?”
That sparked Izuku’s attention. All Might was where someone was asking Father to come. He was with Father. Would he get to see All Might? He had always dreamed of seeing All Might. The hero through a TV screen was one thing, but in person? Excitement coursed through Izuku as he chimed back into his father’s conversation. “...with them. I’m on my way. Don't wait up.” Father closed the phone violently and leaned towards the front of the limo, sliding the glass window between him and the driver open. “Take me downtown, quickly.” The limo suddenly veered right. Izuku could hear the tires squeal and the honking of cars.
“What’s happening?” Izuku dared to ask his father.
Father pulled out a black mask from under the car seat. It was similar to one you’d see at a masquerade ball. Tall green feathers protruded from one side of the mask, sticking upwards. Father placed it on his face gently before putting his gloves back on. “Work,” Hisashi answered. “Don't concern yourself with it, Izuku.”
That’s what Father always said. Izuku felt bravery bubble up. “All Might is there?”
Father narrowed his eyes. “I don’t understand you and your All Might obsession,” he scolded. “You have your quirk now, Izuku. It’s time to grow up.” Father roughly pat the top of Izuku’s head as the limo screeched to a halt. He slid open the door and jumped out. Izuku could vaguely see smoke and some mild destruction. It was oddly quiet though. What was happening out there? Why did Father go? If he’s going where All Might was, was he a hero too? Not all heroes were liked. Maybe he was one of the ones people just hated. Izuku watched his father walk down the street, approaching a group of people. Izuku felt the urge to go after him, but he decided against it. Fathers wrath wasn’t worth seeing All Might. The limo door was slammed shut again. The car began moving, swinging back around and heading in the direction they had come.
Izuku slid to the front of the limo and peered at the driver. Could he talk to him? He liked to get to know the staff of the house. It was fun, especially since he didn’t get to interact with many people, save for his family and some of the butlers. “Hi,” Izuku quietly greeted as he pressed up against the window between them. He watched the cars change lanes through the front window. “My name’s Izuku. What’s yours?” he shyly asked, studying the driver. The butler was glancing back at him slightly, seeming nervous.
The driver clenched his teeth. “Sorry, kid,” he mumbled after a second, “I can’t talk to you.” He reached back and shut the window in Izuku’s face. Pouting, Izuku sat back and lazed down into the car seat. No one would ever do anything with him. Even Kai stopped recently. He was too busy training with Father. Izuku still didn’t know what the training even was. Was it really something that made Kai so busy? He sighed and looked down at his shoes. He missed Mom. She would always spend time with him, especially since it was his birthday.
“Happy birthday!” Kai greeted as he entered the living room. Izuku sat on the couch, sketching in his notebook. He snapped it shut as Kai sat down next to him. Izuku didn’t want Kai seeing the All Might pictures. He’d normally sketch in his room alone, but Father wasn’t home yet, so he took the opportunity for a change of scenery. “How was the appointment?” Kai asked gently as he smiled sweetly at Izuku. He ruffled his little brother’s hair.
Izuku stayed quiet, looking down at his notebook on his lap. He didn’t enjoy it. The whole experience was scary, especially the doctor. The only bright side was that he got to see his quirk. “It was fine,” he drawled out after a few seconds. He piped up as he turned to Kai, smiling brightly. “I got my quirk! I wanna show you but I don’t know if it’ll work.”
Kai tilted his head to the side. “You don’t know if it’ll work?”
“The doctor said we might have to go back since quirks can be stubborn sometimes. I haven’t tried it yet though. I don’t know if it works.”
Kai stood up and pulled Izuku up with him. “Try it then! Do you know how to do it?”
“No, not really,” Izuku nervously answered as he looked down at his hands. Kai seemed a bit disappointed. “But,” Izuku continued, “I can try anyway.” Kai took a step back and motioned at Izuku. Izuku took a deep breath and looked back down at his hands. How had it felt at the appointment? It sort of felt like a sudden buzz, a high. It had moved to his hands and suddenly the lightning was there. How was he supposed to do it without something forcing it though? He took on a wide stance and clenched his fists, concentrating on his hands. He didn’t feel anything though, other than the buzz of nervousness. Izuku sighed a little bit as he heard Kai quietly laugh.
“You look funny,” his brother giggled and stepped forward. “Try to keep a normal stance, okay?” Kai adjusted Izuku’s arms and relaxed him back into a neutral position. “Focus on the energy inside yourself. I always imagine a flower blooming and energy flowing out. But don’t force it.” Kai moved back again. “C’mon, Zuzu. Think about how thrilled Father will be if he comes home to your quirk!”
Izuku felt nervous again. The mention of Father didn’t help. Would he be angry if Izuku couldn’t get the quirk to work? Would he zap him until it worked? He rarely saw his father use his quirk but the idea of him using it on Izuku was always a fear. Kai would sometimes come out of training with burns. They always looked like they really hurt. Izuku didn’t want burns like that. He took a deep breath again, trying to get Father out of his mind. Kai and him were alone right then other than a few butlers. He didn’t have to worry. Izuku closed his eyes and relaxed, imagining what Kai said. A beautiful flower blooming, its petals opening up and kissing the sun. The serenity of the image was nice. It helped calm him down. He pictured the petals rocking in the wind, maybe one blowing off and gently landing on the surface of a lake.
Izuku was shocked out of his imagination. He felt something. A spark inside him. It was brief, but it was there. Something was there! “I felt something!” he shouted, opening his eyes and looking for Kai. He had sat back down on the couch.
“Really?” It seemed to excite Kai too. “That’s awesome, Zuzu!” He ruffled Izuku’s hair. He seemed to want to say something else but was interrupted by the sound of the front door slamming open. They both froze. Father. Only Father came storming into the house.
“Go to bed,” Kai quietly said, pushing Izuku gently and motioning down the hall to his room.
“But it’s only 7. My bedtime is not till 8,” Izuku answered. What was wrong? Father stormed into the house a lot. They would always avoid him, but Kai wouldn’t send him to bed.
“Go to bed,” Kai repeated more firmly. He gripped Izuku’s shoulders. “We can talk in the morning, okay?”
Izuku nodded and picked his stuff up from the couch. He slowly made his way to his room, glancing back at Kai some. He wanted to keep talking. They didn’t get out too often anymore. The sound of windows slamming shut deterred him though. He guessed Father did seem more angry than usual. Izuku climbed into his bed and snuggled into his pillow. It was only 7, but he definitely was exhausted. The appointment really took a lot out of him. He closed his eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.
Izuku was woken up in the morning by Reno. The butler had opened the window curtains and let the light of the early morning shine in. “Master Izuku,” Reno greeted, bowing slightly next to his bed. “I’m sorry to wake you so early, but Father has once again requested your presence.” Izuku sat up and rubbed his eyes. He nodded to Reno and tumbled out of his bed. Izuku quickly dressed himself with the assistance of Reno before heading downstairs sleepily.
Father sat in the main dining room. He was reading the newspaper, which seemed oddly normal. Izuku tread into the room and pulled himself into one of the chairs. Father glanced up at him. “Hello, Izuku,” he said blandly as he rifled through the paper.
“Hi,” Izuku squeaked back. “What are we doing today?”
“Going back to the doctor. Your quirk didn’t show up yesterday, as Kai told me.”
Izuku shrunk back into the chair. “But I felt something. It’s there.” Why did they need to go back? It was obviously there and active. It would eventually come out.
Father seemed annoyed. “You felt something?” he snorted. He folded the paper closed violently and set it flat on the table. “Feeling something is not enough, Izuku.” Father stood up, seeming to be done with the conversation. “Get in the car.”
Izuku followed Father out to the limo, which was pulled up into the driveway of the house. He hesitantly slid in, watching a butler he didn’t recognize close the door. Father got in soon after. He seemed to have exchanged some words with the house staff. They drove for about 30 minutes in silence. Izuku could tell they had gone into the city due to the large amount of noise. Father still seemed angry, so Izuku didn’t bother trying to talk to him. Was he still upset about whatever happened yesterday? He had come home awfully angry. Izuku fidgeted nervously in his seat.
The car pulled into the same warehouse from yesterday. Izuku craned his neck to see through the drivers window. They were swinging around the back to an open garage. Father got out and Izuku followed suit. A man stood at the entrance to the garage, leaning against the wall. He seemed pretty young but older than Kai. Maybe 7 or 8 years older. He seemed bored as he watched Father approach. He was wearing a brown suit, which appeared to be messily thrown on. The collar was untucked and crooked, and the blazer was creased. Izuku recognized some of the symbols lining the jacket. He has definitely seen them on Father’s things before. Did the two work together? He seemed different than everyone else Izuku had seen that was work partners. He wasn’t really special though. The main thing that stood out to Izuku was the man’s bright orange hair. It looked like he had just gotten out of bed.
The man stepped away from the wall and nonchalantly stretched. “Heyo,” he greeted Father. “This your kid? Jeez, he’s young.”
Father rolled his eyes. “Please, Zeke,” Father huffed. He seemed exasperated. He turned back to Izuku. “This is Zeke. He’s an,” Father paused, thinking. “He’s a business associate.”
Zeke laughed. The laugh was a lot better than the doctor’s. It was rough and a bit raspy, but it wasn’t scary. “That’s one way to put it,” Zeke said and stretched more. “How ya doing, kid?”
Father rolled his eyes again and began walking into the warehouse. “He’s coming with us. For work,” Father grunted. Izuku stood nervously by the car still. He studied Zeke’s face briefly. He had a very elfish face with a permanent look of smugness plastered on to it. It perturbed Izuku some to see a new person that interacted with his family. It wasn’t a common occurrence. Izuku decided not to answer, not even sure what to say. He instead decided to nod slightly before dashing after Father. Zeke strode behind him, following the two out of the garage and down one of the halls.
“This place always gives me the creeps. You can’t seriously be trusting All for One, right?” Zeke asked Father. He walked behind him, with Izuku hugging up against Hisashi, clasping his hand. Zeke seemed to be a mixture of playfulness, boredom, and annoyance. It confused Izuku. He was listening to what Zeke said, glancing back at him curiously. What was All for One? Was it some kind of brand? Did Father own a brand?
Father’s patience was withering quickly, Izuku noted. He could tell by the way his father clenched his jaw. “I’m not thrilled to be here either. Their organization has always had… interesting ideals. But I digress, Ujiko has made for a fine associate. Besides, they have connections. I was looking for a partnership.”
Zeke snorted. “What about All For One?”
Brands had weird names. Who names a brand All For One? Izuku tuned himself out of his Father and Zeke’s conversation, losing interest in brands. Instead, he studied the warehouse as they tramped the halls. The hallway was cramped, just like the rest of the building. Everything was dirty with cobwebs and random debris from outside. It was weirdly normal, what you’d expect from a warehouse. The only peculiar thing was the strangely large amount of doors. Izuku felt the urge to explore. He’d always wanted to have the freedom to do what he wanted for a while. He almost let go of his Father’s hand to pull away.
“Hisashi!” The doctor appeared from a doorway. “I’m very glad you decided to come back,” he said. He seemed too thrilled. “Oh, very happy. Who’s this?” He narrowed his small, swollen eyes at Zeke. Zeke seemed unbothered.
“You said you wanted to talk about the vanguard. I brought my leading man. We may talk while Izuku gets treated?” Father answered, escorting Izuku into the room. It was the same one from yesterday, except the chair seemed to have more hooked up to it.
“Oh!” The doctor seemed nervous. “Yes, yes of course.” His voice shook a bit. “I’m very glad you weren’t not, ah, offended by my offer yesterday. I do trust you knew I meant well?”
Izuku didn’t care about work talk. He wanted to get this over with and go home. Father glanced down at him. Izuku was starting to feel antsy. “Izuku,” Father said. Izuku noticed Zeke going to sit in the corner. “Ujiko has something to make your quirk more powerful. Go sit in the chair,” Father commanded. Izuku stumbled back over to the strange chair, climbing back into it. Father went over to stand with Zeke. The doctor came over, smiling down at Izuku. He hooked the same things up, though Izuku noticed some new contraptions being added. The doctor did say they were enhancing it this time though, so he didn’t think anything of it.
“We’ve been experimenting with lots of quirk technology,” the doctor called to Hisashi as he set Izuku up. “Amplifying quirks has become easy and efficient. Izuku’s quirk already seems to have potential, but with this! He’ll be unstoppable! I do trust you’ll be buying technology from us for your vanguard in the future?” The doctor pulled away, moving to the computer.
“Buying?” Father growled back. “You never mentioned this would require payment.” He was sitting at a table off to the side with Zeke now, glaring at Ujiko.
“Oh, no, no, no! For Izuku it is free!” the doctor reassured. “Think of it as a trial.”
Father’s anger seemed to fade, but he still seemed agitated. The expression he exchanged with Zeke didn’t sit well with Izuku. The doctor typed on the computer, mumbling to himself. Bars snapped into place around the chair, lining themselves up with Izuku’s limbs. There looked to be a sort of nail attached to the bars, the flat end facing him. The mechanisms raised, shuddering slightly before lowering themselves against Izuku’s arms. He braced himself and squeezed his eyes shut.
It pressed against him, digging aggressively into his skin. It was cold at first, but as Izuku heard the mechanism whirl it began to heat up. It scorched his arms, making him flinch away. He felt a weird sensation during the burning, almost like the feeling of something tugging on his clothes. It was like when he felt his quirk, the same kind of energy, but instead of bubbling up, it was being pulled away. Izuku felt like someone just pickpocketed him.
The sound of the machine was overwhelming. It was loud and getting louder. It was almost like an approaching train, and Izuku just wanted to jump out of the way. He started to panic. Why? Why did Father keep succumbing him to this? Was this some kind of punishment? Had Izuku done something wrong?
The machine stopped and slowly quieted down. That had been shorter than he had expected. Izuku hesitantly opened his eyes and met eyes with the doctor. “Well?” the doctor asked as he pulled the bars back, freeing Izuku. “How do you feel?”
Izuku didn’t answer and dropped his gaze. He just wanted to go home again. He rarely got to leave so he was originally excited, but this was too much. He wanted to go home and sketch or play with Kai. He slid out of the chair and quickly went back over to Father, grabbing on to his hand tightly. “Are we done?” Izuku squeaked out to his father. Izuku was shaking. He clung to Father desperately. Zeke was peering down at Izuku curiously.
Father ignored Izuku. “Did it work, Ujiko?” he asked harshly as he glared at the doctor across the room.
The doctor had wandered back to the computer and was staring intensely at the screen. He seemed nervous and was fidgeting weirdly. “Ah, yes! Yes, of course. You must simply wait 5 hours for the amplification to work. The body has to register it.” The doctor turned and waddled back over to Hisashi. “We are still planning to discuss, correct?”
Hisashi looked at Zeke and motioned towards Izuku. “Take him home.”
“Aw, what?” Zeke groaned loudly and slouched against the wall. “I don’t wanna take the kid home! You said I’d get to participate with the vanguard!”
“Your participation will be taking care of my child. I’m trusting you with him.” Hisashi pulled Izuku over to Zeke. “Go on.”
Zeke took Izuku’s hand roughly and led him out of the room, the door slamming behind them. Izuku could faintly hear Father’s voice talking. He sounded annoyed. Zeke leaned against the wall and looked down at Izuku curiously. “Where you wanna go, kid?”
Izuku blinked up at the man. “I thought we were going home.”
Zeke shrugged and began sauntering down the hall. “If you wanna, I guess. Hey, how’s your brother? Kei?”
“Kai,” Izuku corrected. He followed behind Zeke quietly.
“Yeah, whatever.”
“You know Kai? How?” Izuku gently grabbed Zeke’s hand again and curiously looked up at him. He was a lot taller than him. Izuku was about as tall as Zeke’s hip.
Zeke raised his eyebrow as he looked down at Izuku. “He’s helped with the vanguard. He’s pretty strong for a little kid. I’ve trained him some too. I’ll probably train with you as well if your dad wants me to.”
Izuku pursed his lips and averted his gaze from Zeke. He had always been very curious about what training was, but he was never brave enough to ask. Zeke seemed nice enough though, and Father wasn’t here. “Training?” Izuku asked softly. “What sort of training?”
“Eh, combat training mostly.”
“Like karate?”
“No, like quirk training.” Zeke rolled his eyes as they walked back down the direction they entered. “You’ve seen heroes fight on TV right?” Zeke asked. Izuku nodded. “It’s like that.”
“Like All Might?”
“Yea, sure, kid.”
Kai got to be like All Might? That was so unfair. Izuku hoped he got to start his training soon, so he could also be like his favorite hero. “When do you think my father will start training me?” Izuku asked as he bounced excitedly next to Zeke.
“Probably in the next couple of days since you got your quirk and all. Hisashi wants to hop on stuff as fast as possible,” Zeke lazily answered as they made their way back through the garage. Zeke half-heartedly helped Izuku into the limo before climbing in after him. “Yo,” Zeke called to the driver as he banged against the glass. “Take us to that ice cream shop downtown.” He slid back next to Izuku and laid his arms over the back of the seats.
“Ice cream?” Izuku quietly asked. Izuku rarely got sweets. Even for his own birthday he hadn’t gotten cake. The few times he had ever had desserts was with his mother. Inko had brought home a couple desserts before and shared it with Kai and him. Izuku remembered enjoying them a lot.
“What, you don’t like ice cream, kid?” Zeke raised his eyebrows at Izuku.
Izuku shook his head quickly. “No! I do.”
Zeke snorted. “Good. You’d be a weird kid if you didn’t,” he laughed before turning away from the boy. They fell into silence. Izuku was too scared to say anything. He didn’t want to say something wrong and have Zeke take his ice cream away. Zeke was weird, Izuku noted as he studied the other. He was very curious about him. Izuku didn’t understand him well.
“What’s your quirk?” Izuku suddenly found himself asking. It surprised himself. He hadn’t meant to say anything.
Zeke glanced at him absentmindedly. “My quirk?”
“Yeah,” Izuku stuttered out. “Sorry, you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”
Zeke snorted and sat up, smirking down at Izuku. “Nah, it’s fine kid. God, why are you so nervous?” Izuku flinched slightly from the criticism. Zeke laughed and continued, “I can turn into water.” The man held out his hand. His fingers seemed to fade some before turning into a blue-tinted liquid.
Izuku blinked down at Zeke’s hand. “Woah. Can your whole body turn?”
Zeke laughed again. “Yeah, if I want it to. I can also freeze it.” The watery part of his hand froze over.
“That’s so cool,” Izuku breathed out. It was exciting seeing someone outside of his family use their quirk. He only got to see heroes’ quirks through the TV, which even he rarely got to do. Izuku had always been very interested in quirks. His drive to be a hero always powered his want to see and explore other quirks.
The limo rolled to a stop. Zeke glanced up before shifting his hand back to normal and sliding the car door open. “C’mon, kid,” he said.
Izuku slowly followed after him. The limo had pulled into a small parking lot next to a strip mall. Zeke had stopped on the sidewalk outside a cozy building with the words “Taffy’s Ice Cream” displayed on a sign. The building was very small, and there were a few metal chairs and tables scattered around outside the entrance. It had a lot of potted plants inside. Izuku could see them through the large glass windows in the front. A little counter was inside too.
Izuku felt a little nervous as he caught up to Zeke and took his hand again. Going outside without his family’s presence, especially his Father, was a bit scary. It felt very strange. Izuku wasn’t used to seeing all these unknown people as well. Zeke scowled as they stood at the door to the ice cream shop, surveying the long line of people. Izuku stood on his toes to try to see through the people’s legs. “This won’t do,” Zeke grumbled. “I’m not waiting.”
Izuku glanced up at him. Zeke looked really annoyed. It scared Izuku some. “It’s a line. We have to wait,” Izuku advised quietly.
Zeke rolled his eyes once again. He bent down to Izuku’s level and gave him a little annoyed smirk. “Why are you such a goody-two-shoes? We don’t need to follow society’s rules.” Zeke stood up and stretched slightly. He dropped Izuku’s hand and turned towards the line. The tips of Zeke’s sleeves melted into water and shot out down the line of people. The water encased them briefly before freezing the line of customers solid. One of the people behind the counter shrieked.
Zeke stepped through the ice-covered pedestrians and approached the counter. He smirked devilishly at the woman manning it. She held her ice cream scoop firmly in one hand, it shaking violently. Her knuckles were turning white. “I’ll take a vanilla ice cream with some gummy bears,” Zeke said nonchalantly as he leaned down against the counter. He turned to look back at Izuku who stood frozen in shock at the back of the line. “What do you want, kid?” he called back to him.
Izuku didn’t know what to say. If he tried to say something he probably couldn’t. He glanced over the frozen forms of the people in line. They all looked calm still, just like they had been when they were waiting in line for their delicious dessert delights. It was oddly disturbing. The ice was thin, but thick enough to freeze the people over completely. It glinted against the lights of the restaurant, twinkling evilly at Izuku. What had he just witnessed? Why would Zeke do that? Izuku didn’t understand.
Zeke seemed to get annoyed with Izuku’s silence. “Gosh, fine, kid. I’m ordering for you then.” He turned back to the woman. “He’ll have the same, I guess. Oh, wait! Do you guys have those little hard candies? Like the ones from Valentine's day.” The woman stumbled and quickly nodded before running to make Zeke’s order.
Zeke hopped to sit upon the counter, feet dangling off of it childishly. “Why do you look like that, kid? You look like you saw a ghost.”
Izuku managed to be able to move and made his way slowly over to the man. “Um,” he spluttered. “I’m sorry,” he nervously answered. Was Zeke going to freeze him too if he did something wrong? The whole situation was bizarre, and Zeke was acting like it was some kind of game. Was Izuku missing something?
“You’re sorry? I just got us free ice cream, kid! Don’t know what you’re sorry for,” Zeke answered with a little antagonizing laugh. The woman came stumbling over again, holding two messily made ice cream cones. Zeke took them from her with a little smirk. “Aw, thanks, doll.” He hopped off the counter and handed Izuku his cone. “Alright, let’s go before some heroes arrive,” Zeke happily said as he took some licks from his cone. The ice-encased around the citizens faded back into water suddenly. The liquid flooded back to Zeke before absorbing back into his jacket. The people coughed and shivered as they came back to reality.
Zeke closed the door behind them as they left, effectively blocking Izuku’s view of the people. He strode back to the limo and helped Izuku back in. “That was fun,” Zeke said and motioned towards Izuku’s ice cream. “Pretty good, right?”
Izuku held into his ice cream firmly. He didn’t feel like he could eat it. He wasn’t very familiar with the public or laws, but he could assume what Zeke did wasn’t good. The way the woman had reacted scared him. Were heroes going to come to arrest them now? Izuku couldn’t go to jail. His entire dream was to be a hero. He couldn’t be a hero with a criminal record.
Zeke was looking at him curiously. Izuku felt really nervous, but Zeke didn’t seem bothered at all. Was what he had done normal? Zeke huffed and took another lick from his ice cream. “Why are you freaking out?” he asked, narrowing his eyes at Izuku.
“I’m not,” Izuku muttered.
“Yea, you are. Did I scare you? Sheesh, kid, aren’t you used to that kind of thing? You live with Hisashi and all.”
“I don’t see Father’s quirk often.”
“Hm.” Zeke studied Izuku quietly for a second. Izuku was so used to the man’s strange aura of playfulness that the sudden change in demeanor almost startled him. “Don’t feel bad for those people,” Zeke continued. He laid an elbow against the cup holder of the car and propped his head up. “They’re nothing but insignificant scum.”
There was a heavy pause. Izuku wasn’t sure if Zeke expected him to respond. “What do you mean?” he asked, lowering his ice cream and looking up at the man.
“They live under the heroes. They spend their lives everyday carefree like life is perfect. Their little hero obsession is like a cult. All they do is worship the little lowlife veterans.” Zeke scoffed softly. “Heroes are weak and fragile, just like society. They care about no one but themselves.” Zeke’s tone was harsh. It startled Izuku. “But Hisashi will fix it,” Zeke continued. “He’ll save us and them.”
Izuku didn’t understand. He thought heroes saved people. Everytime he would watch TV there were extravagant displays of heroes. The people liked them, almost worshipped them like Zeke said. If the public favored them so much, how were they bad? Saving people’s lives was a good thing. “I’m not sure I understand,” Izuku eventually stuttered out. “They save people. They’re good.”
Zeke gave him an annoyed side eye. “Sure, that’s what the media displays. But they pick and choose who they want to help. Most of them aren’t even good people. They do it for fame, money, glory, not because they actually care.” Zeke let out a little sour laugh. “They just have stupid hero fantasies. They sit at the top with their wealth and glory while the people like me, like us, suffer.”
Izuku recoiled back into his seat and looked down at his lap. The untouched ice cream dripped on to him. He felt a bit targeted by what Zeke said. He supposed he did have a small hero fantasy, but he still didn’t understand why it was a bad thing. Izuku had always tried to be the best he could be. Whenever he interacted with the butlers or maids he was always nice. He even offered to help sometimes. He listened to his father and Kai. He never did anything wrong. That was what a hero was about, being a good person and helping people. Izuku numbly stared at his ice cream cone. Maybe he was a bad person. The rest of the car ride was in a depressing silence. Zeke didn’t say anything else to him. When the limo pulled into the driveway of Izuku’s estate, Zeke merely waved for him to get out.
Father had come home not long after Izuku had arrived back. Father seemed calm for a while. Izuku had minded his own business away from his father. He had gone to his room and kept to himself for a few hours before Kai came to find him. Izuku played with Kai in the large acre of land behind the house. There were many fields of neatly kept plants that stretched all the way to a large gate surrounding the house. The two brothers were walking down the small path between the fields. “Hey, Kai?” Izuku asked as they walked hand in hand. He tugged gently at his brother’s pants.
Kai looked down at him and gave him a little smile. “What is it, Zuzu?”
Izuku gripped Kai’s hand tighter. “What’s it like being like All Might?”
Kai stopped walking and laughed. He ruffled Izuku’s hair. “How am I like All Might?”
“Well, Zeke said you were training like All Might.”
Kai narrowed his eyes in confusion. “I mean, I’m quirk training with Father, I suppose. I’m definitely not like All Might though.”
Izuku glanced away. Kai would always explain things to him, even if it was a muddled version to protect him. Zeke was Father’s associate. He was older than Izuku too. He must’ve understood something that Izuku didn’t about All Might. The way he had described All Might didn’t seem to fit the hero. His persona was always encouraging and inspiring, but Izuku never really knew much about All Might. He saw vague things on TV but that was mostly the limit. He supposed he never actually knew what All Might did. He saved people but that was the max Izuku ever saw. Father would always turn off the TV if he saw him watching heroes.
“Is All Might a bad person?” Izuku suddenly found himself asking his brother. He retracted slightly. Hopefully Kai wouldn’t react harshly.
Kai seemed oddly thoughtful. “He is a hero. Or, I guess, what society calls a hero,” he mused. “Father and I don’t want you being succumbed to hero things because they’re not good influences.”
Izuku sighed loudly. He had heard that before. It was similar to what Zeke said. “But why?” he urged.
“Izuku,” his brother groaned. “Why can’t you just listen to what we say? It’s hard to explain and you’re a bit too young to even understand.” Kai seemed like he was going to continue, but was interrupted by a high pitched squeal of tires sliding on pavement. Izuku and Kai both looked towards the noise, past the small fence separating them and the front driveway. An armored car had aggressively pulled up and a large group of sketchy people climbed out. Izuku noticed Zeke was among them.
Father came storming down the front steps of the house, looking angrier than Izuku had seen him in a while. “I warned you not to trust them, Hisashi!” Zeke barked as he shoved his way to the front of the pack. “You never should have-”
“Shut up!” Father cut him off. He spun towards the gate, his eyes landing on Izuku. Izuku felt Kai tense beside him. Father raised his hands to his face, massaging his temples. “Kai, take your brother inside.”
“Okay,” Kai peeped, obediently beginning to push Izuku towards the front door. Izuku stumbled and grabbed on to Kai’s sleeve. What was happening? Father was speaking harshly towards Zeke. He seemed very flustered. Izuku’s view of the situation was cut off by the front door gently closing. Kai held Izuku’s hand firmly. “How about we go play something, okay?” Kai said, smiling down at his brother.
“But… Shouldn’t we help Father?” Izuku squeezed the other’s hand.
“He’s fine.” Kai led Izuku up the staircase, past the blank walls and to his room. Kai grabbed an All Might figurine under Izuku’s bed along with a few other hero dolls Izuku had hidden. Kai sat cross legged on the ground and motioned Izuku over.
He scurried to sit, excited to play. Kai seemed distracted as they moved the dolls, giving them voices. Kai was the villain, Izuku was the hero. Izuku giggled and Kai smiled, though his attention seemed foggy.
There was heavy footsteps downstairs. There was yelling. Kai could hear his Father’s outbreak. It got quiet after a while though. They had left.
Izuku raised his All Might figurine and slayed Kai’s character. “You’ve lost, villain, because I am here!” Izuku let out a cute mockery of All Might’s laugh.
Kai smiled thinly and let his villain lay limp.