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Chapter Text

Izuku does not know where he is.

There is English signage lighting the sidewalk in neon blues and yellows, and further down a giant ferris wheel towers over the other shops and restaurants, reflecting its own technicolor light off of inky black water. That is another thing, it’s dark out wherever he is, and back home it was just barely hitting 10 AM. Despite the dark there is no shortage of people, and a large majority seemingly tourists, if their leisure strolling amidst the gimmicky establishments was anything to go by. Another distinguishable group of people were surely on their way home from work, expensive blazers and briefcases in tow as they quickly weaved in and out of the bustling crowds and away from the constant commotion.

If he is sure about one thing, he was definitely not in Japan. One moment he was out on patrol with Shouto for their work study, the next someone barrelled out from an alley right into Izuku. He had caught a glimpse of the culprit, a small boy with wide teary eyes, before he saw nothing but white. Which brings him to now.

A teleportation quirk? That had to be it, he just needed to find a phone and call UA, they’d help him get a flight back home.

A little overwhelmed by the situation, he walks along the pier in search of anything to give away his location. Okay, I’m on water, so a coastal city? Probably in the U.S. from what little snippets I can catch of passer-by conversations, there’s a city literally across the road, why is there so much construction? He stops in front of one of the tourist trap looking shops, American heroes plastered all over the windows, and a large furry… sasquatch? He walks in and straight over to the wire calendar stand, and he didn’t have to know a lot of English to recognize the fat print letters of SEATTLE on almost all of them. 

Izuku sighed and walked out of the shop, pulling his phone out from his suit. He had no signal, which wasn’t really surprising to be honest. Alright, Izuku stay calm. I just have to find a police station, or a hero, and hope they either speak Japanese or that I can get by with conversational English. Yeah. Good plan. He shook his head and set off towards… somewhere. He should ask someone for directions. He noticed a few people staring at him, it was probably his hero suit, he wasn’t a known hero in this area. I’m not even a hero at home yet. Just six more months. 

He scoped the mob of people trying to choose who he would approach. He saw the back of a tall man in a suit, and for some reason felt that was who he needed to talk to. Izuku jogged the short distance from the shop front to the man and was just behind him when he tapped his shoulder. The man didn’t stop walking, but turned his head back with a raised eyebrow.

“Can I help you?” He spoke in English, in the most ‘I don’t want to help you’ way possible. Right after he said that though, he quickly spun on his heels and leaned down so that he was at face level with Izuku, a baffled expression on his face. Then he began to mutter. Izuku didn’t catch much, just “she never told me she had relatives here,” and then he stood back up to his whole height, eyeing Izuku skeptically.

“Are you related to the Midoriyas by any chance?” His tone was careful, as if he was hesitant to disclose that information. Izuku couldn’t be happier that he did, as he struggled to decipher much apart from ‘related’ and ‘Midoriya’. He broke into a relieved smile, what are the odds that he’d run into someone that knew his family all the way across the world? His mom had never really talked much about extended family, although the family resemblance must be very strong. The man’s English was impeccable, though, and he didn’t want to assume he spoke Japanese. 

“Yes!” He said excitedly, then gestured to himself. “I am Midoriya, I need… help?” He was pretty sure that was what he wanted to say, it came out slow and fragmented, but it was the best he could do with a language barrier. The man nodded, the skeptical look had never truly left his face. He placed his hand on Izuku’s shoulder and guided him so that they weren’t in the middle of the sidewalk. 

“Do you know Inko Midoriya?” He had transitioned seamlessly to Japanese, he must have noticed Izuku’s struggling. Another surge of relief, he was so close to crying at finding help so early in this crazy situation.

“Yes, that's my mom! Wow I didn’t know she knew anyone in Seattle, I’m actually trying to get home, see, there was a quirk accident I was wrapped up in,” The man looked to be in shock, yeah, Izuku thought it’s a pretty impressive quirk, I just hope the kid who sent me here learns to control it better.

“Her son,” He was saying it as if to confirm it for himself, but Izuku nodded anyway. The man pulled himself together almost instantly, his face was wiped clean of any emotion, as he leaned down closer again to seemingly inspect Izuku. 

“Young man, can you tell me what year it is?” The question threw Izuku off entirely, his brows stretched towards his hairline. This was a space displacement, not a time one, right? A quirk would have to be ridiculously overpowered to be able to send someone through time and space. Maybe he was confused.

“Uh, 2256?” He answered. The man’s eyes widened a considerable amount, and he poked Izuku’s shoulder for some reason?

“And… you don’t recognize me?” That threw him off as well, he’s never been to Seattle, let alone the United States, how would he know this man? Unless maybe he didn’t live here and was maybe visiting? He was Japanese, maybe he knew his mom before he lived here, or visited, whatever it was. Izuku took in the man’s features to see if anything rang a bell. He was very tall, but built, he noticeably had muscle underneath his expensive black bespoke suit. His eyes were a deep wine red, a small collection of freckles fanned across his cheeks and sharp nose. His hair was stark white, contrasting with the deep black of his garb, but it was fluffy, it curled up at the ends and waved gently. He did seem familiar, in a vague muddled way. Izuku thought his voice was more familiar than anything else though, but couldn’t dig up where he would have heard it. 

“You do seem familiar, but I don’t think I know you,” he answered apologetically. The man looked troubled, and leveled with Izuku.

“The current year is 2238, and my name is Hisashi. Midoriya.” He hesitated, “And I’d wager to guess your mother is pregnant with you right now.”

Chapter Text

Hisashi was, for lack of a better word, confused.

There were many questions going through his head, but among them the most pressing were these:

1. Why did his son not know he was his father?
2. Why couldn’t he feel his son’s quirk with All for One?
3. How has he not found a time travel quirk ever?

Hisashi was leading the boy, Izuku, HIS TEENAGE SON, up to his current residence. It was about a twenty minute walk from the pier where they met, and a long elevator up from there. He stared at Izuku, picking apart the features he could see himself and Inko in. If Hisashi was currently in possession of a mind reading quirk he was almost positive he’d find Izuku to be doing the same thing. Hisashi grew out of his freckles as he got older, but Inko had never had any. They had similar hair textures, Izuku’s being a little more wild as it was kept longer. 

He didn’t only see himself and Inko, however. His slight stature and tenor voice were strikingly close to Yoichi. Even his eyes, a blazing vibrant green in comparison to Inko’s calm. This was undeniably his child. His child who didn’t know him.

There were only a few things Hisashi could think of that would cause such an outcome. Option one: he was dead in the future. Not great if true. Option two: he was caught somehow? Maybe technology advances enough for that to be possible. And Option three: he leaves Inko for some reason. He doesn’t see that happening as things stand with her at the moment. And he’d been making arrangements to be able to spend time with them over the years, as he’s wanted a bit of a break from supervillainy. And what better way than to play house for a while? 

He wants to question Izuku further, but without knowing the circumstances of his absence, Izuku may be incredibly overwhelmed at the moment. Was he under the impression he abandoned him and Inko? Was there any sort of contact? So many variables. Izuku had his hand over his chin, and a contemplative expression.

The elevator dinged and both Hisashi and Izuku startled. They shared a glance for a moment before Hisashi gestured for Izuku to follow. The walk down the hallway wasn’t long, as this entire floor was split into four living quarters. Not quite the penthouse but certainly not inexpensive. Hisashi stopped at the second door on the left side of the hall and let Izuku in. The suite was already furnished in a sleek and modern style when he bought it, and he hadn’t bothered to change anything. 

After hanging his coat and toeing off his shoes, he regarded Izuku. The two of them had hardly spoken a word to each other since the initial shock and Hisashi extending an offer to help him find a way back. Izuku donned a hero suit, a fact Hisashi was doing his best to avoid, and obviously had no other clothes or belongings besides what was on his person. Well. Time to be a father. Just a bit off schedule. 

“How are you taking everything thus far?” Izuku perked up at that, eyes wide, almost as if he was surprised Hisashi spoke to him at all. He quickly masked his surprise with hesitancy. 

“I’m uh. I think I’m handling it okay, considering.” He paused. “What about you? I mean it’s not everyday that your son who hasn’t even been born yet travels through time and space and disrupts your life, is this going to affect my timeline? Or your timeline? Or would this have always happened and because of that everything is going to work out how it was always going to? I wonder if this is a parallel universe and everything will be-” Izuku’s eyes widen and he inhales, hand flying up to cover his mouth. “I’m sorry, I do that when I’m anxious. Or thinking.” He adds quietly.

Hisashi is fighting off a smile, it seemed a few things were picked up from him despite Izuku not remembering him. 

“There’s no need to apologize, I understand completely. And you raise important points. Do you happen to know the nature of the quirk that did this? It may be helpful in finding a way for you to return.” Hisashi was compelled by the quirk responsible. Was there a bloodline he could trace back to scope out a time travel quirk? Was it a mutation? 

“The only thing I remember was a kid running into me, no words or anything, just um, he touched me and then everything went white. And then I was in another country. And time. I’m sorry, I know that’s not much to go off of,” Izuku rubbed the back of his head and turned his gaze to the floor. Hisashi shook his head quickly at that.

“No, no, it’s something. I can do some digging for that region of Japan to check for a similar quirk, likely from one of the parents or possibly a sibling. If this child happens to have a quirk mutation, then we’ll find another way.” He was going for reassurance but it perhaps didn’t come across that way judging by Izuku’s pinched eyebrows. 

“It’s just… I should have been more aware of my surroundings. I’m supposed to be graduating in a few months. And now I’m in this mess and dragging you along for the ride,” Some frustration bled through Izuku’s voice, and he paced in a small circle before turning back to face Hisashi directly. Hands clasped in front of him, the boy, well, young man, sighed deeply. “Thank you for your kindness in inviting me to stay with you for the time being.” His tone was reeled in to a practiced, pleasant politeness that had Hisashi impressed with his quick masking of emotion. 

“It’s no trouble, afterall I’m almost positive I can pull some strings to help you. And Izuku,” He locked eyes with him, “These things happen to everyone, I can’t count how many times I’ve dealt with a quirk accident. And I’m a quirk specialist.” A knowing smile and gentle eyebrow raise, and Izuku’s tense posture relaxed. “Now, let me go find you some better clothing while you’re here. Please, feel free to use whatever you’d like.” 

Hisashi got Izuku set up in the second bedroom he never uses, lent him an old T-shirt and some sweatpants, exchanged pleasantries, and left him to his own devices. In Hisashi’s own bedroom, he was still processing a few things. He has no idea where he stands with Izuku, because his child grew up without him. And the thought at that alone makes his blood boil, but without knowing exactly what things looked like from Izuku’s perspective, he doesn’t want to father him now , after years of apparently not being around. It may come across as disingenuous, or as if he’d be doting on him out of guilt. 

Would he be? He has no idea what he’s even done though. If he has-will do anything? The best case scenario for Hisashi to be in good standing with his son, unfortunately, is for him to be dead. However, with Izuku’s anxious demeanor around him as opposed to joy in meeting his deceased father, something must have gone wrong…

Chapter Text

Izuku spends a lot of time staring up at an unfamiliar ceiling before he even thinks about going to sleep, the time difference wasn't making things any easier. To say he was overwhelmed would be the understatement of the century. The soft cotton t-shirt Hisashi - his dad - lent him is a bit big on him, and he’s been scrunching up the excess fabric at the bottom in an effort to keep from biting his nails. Or pulling out his hair. Or both. 

Thus far, his father didn't seem like a bad guy, but he had never really gotten to know him over the years, it was sort of hard to build any sort of meaningful relationship over the phone, and then with time zones factored in, Izuku probably spoke to his father four times a year on average, and hadn't heard from him at all since sometime in his first year. No explanation for even his mom, who spoke with him more frequently. Having no real attachment or consistent communication in the first place made it a lot easier for Izuku to deal with it.

But now he was with his father. His father who just barely knew he was a father at this point in time, suddenly face to face with his almost adult son. How does Hisashi go from looking forward to having Izuku, to him just a distant memory? 

And if this apartment is anything to go by, he was loaded as well. Just so many unknowns.

After some pretty intense contemplation, aided by an adrenaline crash, Izuku eventually fell into a dead sleep. He does not dream.

-

Izuku awoke to unfamiliar surroundings and momentarily panicked until the events of the last night (morning?) came to him, after which he slumped onto his side with a groan. 

Time travel. Teleportation. His father.

It's a lot. So much, in fact, that he decides to shove away any previous feelings and thoughts he's had about his father being a deadbeat who couldn't even bother to call him or his mom after the war, or after the Shie Hassaikai ordeal, or Kamino, into a box. Taped shut and left to collect dust somewhere in his brain.

He's having to remind himself that Hisashi, at this point in time, hasn't done (or not done) any of these things, and seems to be at the very least okay with having a child. He’s having to remind himself that Hisashi is a person with individual motives and goals, and being his dad isn’t all he is. He's having to remind himself that Hisashi may have had a reason for keeping his distance, and Izuku, like the good son he is, is going to do his best to figure it out. He might as well if he's stuck in the past for an indeterminate amount of time. 

That's a whole other pressing matter. Could he even get back? If the quirk that got him here is a mutation he's probably screwed. But even if it isn't, and it takes on traits of the parents' family members, who's to say that wasn't the first of its kind? What if that child that sent him here is just one too many generations of quirk advancement and evolution ahead of his current time? There were only a few heros and public figures he knew of ever , that had even time travel related quirks. Eri being one of them, but her quirk is so unique in comparison to the others. That's not to say they don't exist, Izuku is sure that if someone was in possession of such a quirk that they would either be highly secretive, possibly government employed, and/or sought out by the criminal underworld. 

But the biggest nail in the coffin isn't any of that. It's the fact that if a quirk like that has ever existed since the dawn of quirks, Izuku is almost positive All for One would have it. And before he was stopped for good about a year ago (Izuku's time) the bastard never made mention of a quirk like that. And he really liked to hear himself talk, Izuku knows from experience.

Izuku shakes himself from his quickly spiraling train of thought and gets up to do a semblance of his morning routine before facing the rest of the day. Borrowed clothes, borrowed toothbrush, he really hopes his dad can figure something out. He scoffs at the thought of him relying on his father, as he has never been able to do so in his life. 

He opens the door quietly, his footsteps light on the dark hardwood floor, more from habit than anything else. He makes his way to the living/dining area, somewhat from memory and somewhat from the delicious smell emanating from the kitchen. 

Hisashi stood with his back to Izuku, wearing a perfectly ironed white dress shirt tucked into long black slacks, attending to something sizzling on the stove in front of him. After a moment of Izuku standing there in the threshold merely processing the scene in front of him, Hisashi looked over his shoulder.

“Good morning, I wasn’t sure what you’d like so I prepared a traditional American breakfast,” he turned to look back at the pan in front of him, “and it looks like the bacon is just about done.” Izuku was in a sort of daze, watching his father slide the bubbling slices of meat onto a plate in the middle of an already set banquet of breakfast foods. The table was set with two empty plates, one at the head of the table and the other directly adjacent to the right so that they were diagonal to each other. Hisashi made his way over to the kitchen counter, picked up something rectangular and flat, and came back to stand next to the seat at the head of the table. “Please Izuku, help yourself.” He says gesturing to the other place setting with his free hand. 

Izuku schools his shell shocked expression into something more neutral, and walks over to his designated chair. He sits down, and only after he scoots closer to the table does Hisashi sit down as well. There is a beat of awkward slilence before Izuku thinks fuck it and begins to load up his plate. Hisashi follows suit but his attention is mostly on what Izuku can now identify as a tablet. As Izuku pours himself some coffee, Hisashi sets the tablet down in between them, the screen angled so that it faces them both.

"I've gone ahead and pulled all the known information about time related quirks as well as similar warp quirks, because this incident has displaced you in time as well as space. Based on what you've told me about it, this quirk is a miraculous combination of both types, while also needing a familial connection to draw from. That is speculation on my part, however I believe you ending up right where I happened to be 18 years in the past, is too much of a coincidence to ignore, which is why I'm basing my main theory around that fact."

Izuku didn't have time to formulate a response, Hisashi continued.

"Now there is a family line in the correct region of Japan with consistent and powerful warp quirks. It seems to tweak just a bit for every iteration-as quirks tend to do, but so far at this point in time, there is no time related aspect. I couldn't find a similar time quirk to what we're dealing with so I have to assume that it's either a mutation, or the parents of this child do not meet for a long time. That eliminates the possibility of using the same line of quirks to return you, but we're not out of options yet, I-" Izuku cuts in.

"We have to wait and see if there's a limit of this quirk’s effect, like a 24 hour type drawback." He concludes, staring blankly at his syrup soaked pancakes. Hisashi gives him a look he can't quite decipher as he slowly nods along with what he just said. 

"Yes. With a quirk this powerful, it seems logical that you could be transported back due to some unknown limitations - considering this was a child I would expect anywhere from 12 hours, though we are now past that point, to up to four weeks. It's not ideal, but I'll keep looking, I can call upon a few favors if necessary as well." Izuku wanted to take the small comfort being offered in his father's words, he had someone willing to help him here, across the world and out of his time. But. Maybe it's the fact he’d never had a father figure growing up (not counting All Might), maybe it's resentment, but he finds he's only capable of holding Hisashi at arms length. He is grateful, but frustrated.

The breakfast Hisashi prepared was beginning to grow cold. 

Hisashi observed Izuku for a beat, probably thinking. 

"I was planning to go into work to peak at some records, to see if there is a possibility I've missed something further. You're… you are welcome to come along if you'd like to look for yourself? Of course I have some books and scientific journals on quirk theory and evolution here, if you'd like to stay and conduct some research of your own?" Hisashi is entirely professional in his delivery, but Izuku detects a hint of hesitancy, or perhaps an underlying tone of uneasiness. 

Izuku realizes Hisashi has no idea how to go about this, this being their basically nonexistent relationship, either. He offered for Izuku to stay here as a little reprieve of his presence, some alone time. The light he sees Hisashi in shifts slightly, it's a little warmer.

"I-um, yeah I think I'd like to look into things on my own for a bit, I'm already pretty familiar with quirk theory so you don't need to show me what to look for at least." He finishes with an awkward chuckle. Hisashi looks interested, however.

"We should talk about that when I return, quirks are my field of expertise afterall," he's finished his plate by now, somehow Izuku never noticed him eating throughout the conversation. He stands up and pushes his chair in. "Don't worry about the clean up, I have someone coming to take care of it in 20 minutes or so. Everything you need should be on the shelves over there, and feel free to use this tablet as well." Izuku gets up to see him off at the entryway. As Hisashi is shrugging on a long black coat, he turns to Izuku quickly as if remembering something.

"One more thing, I know you're almost an adult, and it seems as though I have no parental relationship with you, but please do not wander around the city. This area can be…unpredictable. Help yourself to anything in the fridge, and I should be back in a few hours." He maintained eye contact for a moment too long before nodding to himself and walking out the door.

A great sigh of pent up emotion leaves Izuku immediately after the door shuts, and he turns to the spacious living room before him. He grabs a stack of relevant quirk related books from one of the many book shelves that line the walls, plops down onto the dark leather sofa, and gets to work.

Chapter Text

Hisashi is practically vibrating with emotions he hasn't allowed himself to experience in a very long time. Izuku is so much like Inko, but he has an edge that Inko has never been capable of maintaining. He sees his son has carved a spot for himself in the future, without Hisashi, and it's difficult to accept. He knows nothing of what he likes to do, who his friends are, or anything about what he's been through. And that Hisashi can tell. 

He's been chalking it up to time displacement, but he also hasn't been able to sense Izuku’s quirk. It troubles him a bit, it's not as it would be with a quirkless person, it's more like a glimmer is in place, an illusion of empty space where a quirk would be. He's shelving that train of thought for now, but he feels like something is off about it. Izuku also hasn't mentioned his own quirk, maybe he could bring it up over dinner. 

Arriving at Seattle's Corporate Quirk Registration Building wasn't in his plans for the week, but he needed to pull some records and cash in a few favors. Even if he only got a whisper of the type of quirk he'd need to aid Izuku, he found he was willing to chase down any lead. He was fond of Inko, but he hadn't felt loyalty or concern this fierce since his days with Yoichi. It may not have been returned exactly, but he knows everything he'd done for Yoichi was from a deep place in his heart that rarely saw the light of day. Until now. 

He wonders…

If himself and Izuku couldn’t find a way to get him back to his own time, would Izuku stay willingly? He probably shouldn't entertain the idea, but what is the safest place for one's son, if not being under the protection of his father? Which he was not in the future apparently. He'll attempt to get more information about the issue of his absence later. Maybe he'll be able to avoid that particular outcome this time around. If that was even how the quirk worked, and this wasn't some parallel version of Izuku's past. God what a pain that would be.

Hisashi readies himself for a few select phone calls and meetings. And despite wishing (hoping) Izuku would stay, knows he needs to build trust. And so begins his official hunt for a time travel quirk.

-

Hisashi heads home hours later with a handful of new leads and an upcoming meeting with a U.S. representative to "discuss" the quirks they keep secret from the public. The rep doesn't know that's what the meeting is about but he's found the man has quite a few skeletons in his closet - so Hisashi doesn't think it will be a problem pulling the needed information.

After he's hung up his coat and toed off his shoes he steps into view of the living room from the entryway, and has to pause to take in the scene in front of him. Izuku was writing furiously in a notebook he must have pulled from Hisashi's desk while occasionally glancing at a white board (from the study, he notes) with equations and scrawled handwriting in front of him. He couldn't tell what he was jotting in the notebook, but the white board contained several advanced theory equations, as well as quite a few high level quirk analysis notations that effortlessly tied in with the equations. The living room was a bit of a mess. Books laid open all over the space, a quirk theorist podcast was playing from the tablet he'd left, and dozens of loose pages and files he assumes were printed off his computer were scattered on the coffee table and sofa.

"I see you've made use of your time," is all he states, but Izuku jumps and turns quickly into a fighting stance, relaxing immediately once it processes that it's just his temporary roommate. Hisashi wasn't positive, but he could have sworn he saw a fleck of green light begin to form from Izuku’s hand before being snuffed out. Interesting. Izuku collects himself for a moment before huffing a small laugh. 

"I- yeah I've kind of been on a roll, you have quirk theory and analysis books I've never been able to get access to in my time." He says as he walks over to pause the tablet. "And if I had your phone number I would have called and asked first but I did go into your office, as you can probably tell," he sheepishly rubs the back of his head and turns to Hishashi.

"I did narrow some things down though," he rushes to the white board and flips back through his notebook. "I'm almost positive this is time travel, and not some parallel universe quirk because-" Izuku goes on to explain his reasoning and provide evidence, as well as propose a few ideas about how the quirk that was used on him functions. They agree that there must be a family factor, blood leads to blood and all that. When Izuku is finished he's looking to Hisashi expectedly. 

"I must say, I'm very impressed, Izuku. I had concluded much of the same. Your understanding of the subject is at a much higher level than what is expected of students your age," he says as he steps closer to observe the white board. Izuku had documented a very likely joining of quirks and genetics in order to produce the exact effect it appeared to have. It seems they both agree on the fact that a power like that cannot exist in the current generation of quirks, as singularity would have made powers that exist now considerably more powerful a couple generations from now. There's not much they can do with the information of how such a quirk came to be , but it does highlight the fact that there must be an established family line of time travel and warp quirks that grows more effective with each generation. The secrecy of such quirks made their search that much more difficult, but Hisashi has enough people in the right places that he doesn't doubt it's possible, he-

"You do it too," Izuku says, with a calculating expression and hand on his chin. Hisashi immediately garners he must have been thinking aloud, which he'd noticed the day before when Izuku did the exact same thing. He feels something warm budding in his chest, fondness and perhaps kinship. 

"It's always been a habit of mine, especially when it comes to quirks." He smiles knowingly. Izuku opens and closes his mouth a few times, Hisashi let's him gather his thoughts before butting in.

"I just. I hardly remember you at all, and we've only spoken on the phone a few times in the last several years, for me, but now that I've met you, and observed your living space, I'm just kind of shocked by how much we…" he trailed off for a moment before finishing the thought, "...have in common." Hisashi had been fighting himself not to bring up any of the pressing thoughts he's had but it seems Izuku wants to open a dialog anyway.

"You know, Izuku, as of right now I can't imagine many scenarios in which I'd leave you and your mother. I've been wondering about that myself since you told me." Izuku looked down at that, fidgeting anxiously from one foot to the other. 

"Even if.. even if I didn't develop a quirk?" He mutters it so quietly, so shamefully , that Hisashi is taken aback. His eyebrows knit together as he observes his son. Was Izuku quirkless afterall? Was the green flash a trick of the light? He knew there was a higher than average chance Izuku would be lacking a meta ability, he has a first generation quirk afterall. But to leave his family because of this? If Izuku was quirkless, Hisashi could always provide him a quirk at his discretion. If things had gone his way, in the evident future, Izuku would never have believed himself to be quirkless. He would want for nothing. 

"Izuku, you're my son, I can tell you now that I wouldn't leave because of something like that." He pauses, and debates bringing up such a painful topic, but he wants his son to trust him. "My brother was without a quirk, and I loved him dearly. I worried about his safety of course, " he omits the part where he forcefully gifted Yoichi a quirk, a quirk that evades him even still. He places a hand on Izuku's shoulder, "It wouldn't be a problem for me, you have my word." Izuku bit his lip, and tearfully nodded. "Why don't we get some food, hm? We can talk more if you'd like." Izuku nodded, but excused himself to the bathroom for a moment. 

He was happy with the progress, but very unhappy that Izuku had clearly thought his quirk status was a factor in his absence. Something nagged at him, though. He couldn't shake what he saw when he caught the boy by surprise. There's the strange way his own quirk interacted with the space of where Izuku’s would be as well. He was missing something. 

He puts the thought off for now in favor of focusing on figuring out a meal for the two of them.

-

They order take out from a Thai place Hisashi likes, and take the same seats they occupied that morning. They chat about mundane things for a bit until the atmosphere shifts slightly, to something more serious. It's once again Izuku who begins.

"So, I have an uncle?" Naturally the boy would be curious about that. Hisashi sighs.

"Yes, although he is no longer with us unfortunately. My brother had always had a weak constitution, he'd been in and out of hospitals his whole life. I took care of him as long as he let me," he could tell Izuku wasn't necessarily surprised but he bows his head in reverence.

"I wish I could have met him, he sounds very important to you," Izuku pauses for a beat, "but then again I suppose I never really got to know you either." That comment was said quietly, like it was for himself to hear rather than Hisashi.

"He would have loved to meet you, Izuku. You take after him quite a bit." Now it was Hisashi's turn to steer the conversation. "I realize this may be a sore subject if earlier is anything to go by, but I'm curious. Do you have a quirk?" He said it in the most casual tone he could manage, he didn't want to push Izuku to talk about it if he wasn't ready to yet. But Izuku didn't look offended or hurt, just contemplative. 

"I was for most of my life, so far, that is. My quirk…developed late. Like 10 years late. It's a miracle I even got into UA." Izuku responds matter-of-factly. While not unheard of, Hisashi is surprised. Now he's just wondering about the nature of his quirk, especially if that green light is anything to go by. 

"Would you feel comfortable telling me about your quirk?" Again, he didn't want to be pushy, but quirks were his greatest weakness and his greatest strength. Izuku looked to be contemplating something again, before continuing.

"My quirk is…it's um, it's a mutation. It's not fire breath or attraction, it's not really like either of them at all. I have a strength stockpiling quirk. I'm not sure what he's up to at this point in time, but I have a mentor with a similar quirk. He did hero work abroad in the U.S. for a while so maybe he's somewhere in the country right now." Izuku shrugged nonchalantly and took a bite of coconut rice. 

Hisashi's blood had turned to ice. Mentor with a similar strength stockpiling quirk? Abroad in the U.S.? Quirk not developing for 14 years? He despised the conclusion he was coming to, but suddenly a lot of things were slotting into place. Izuku obviously had no idea who Hisashi truly was, or he wouldn't have divulged that information. He could work with this, but he was having a difficult time schooling his emotions. Afterall he's 90% sure his son, who has never had a real relationship with him in the future, inherited One for All. And if his mentor is who he assumed it was, that blond idiot had no right to teach his son and poison his mind with hero society dogma. Not to mention his own pursuit of the quirk, which he is now concluding the strange interaction of his own power with Izuku’s is exactly due to the time displacement. One for All exists at this time already, and if Izuku were to discover his identity separate from Hisashi Midoriya, heaven forbid, that would be two versions of One for All against him. He was certain that would be his end. He needed to do something. 

That disastrous train of thought occupied Hisashi for about 10 seconds before he snapped back into the moment. 

"How interesting, I imagine hero work is almost a breeze with an ability like that," He effortlessly keeps his internal thoughts separate from his external front. Izuku smiles at that, and nods along with his sentiment.

"I think I would have tried to be a hero without a quirk too, but I can help so many people now," he has a faraway look, and smiles fondly. Hisashi nods in return. He could take solace in the fact that Izuku was a hero for the right reasons at the very least. He makes a show of checking his watch and yawns.

"Well I need to be turning in fairly soon, I have an early meeting tomorrow morning." He stands from the table and begins clearing his plate. "I don't mind if you stay up later, thank you for talking with me Izuku," he reaches over to pat his head, a show of fatherly affection disguising his attempt to further visualize and feel One for All. Izuku smiles.

"Thank you for opening up about your brother," Hisashi's smile tightens a little, but he brushes it off and heads to his room.

He doesn't plan on sleeping, after all he has an entire new issue to deal with.

Chapter Text

After the emotionally taxing day Izuku wasn't surprised that he fell asleep almost immediately. 

It took a minute for him to become aware he was conscious, but not in the usual sense of wakefulness. He watched and listened as the shadowy room became clearer and voices began to carry. He knew he was within One for All, and as soon as he gained awareness of his own form everything else snapped into clarity. 

It was chaos to say the least, he'd never seen the vestiges this ramped up, all of them - which was strange considering the battle and bloodshed of his first year. The final fight with All for One. 

Before making himself known he tried to piece together what this all was about. 

"HOW COULD YOU NOT KNOW?" from Banjo.

"I'M STUCK IN HERE, HOW WOULD I KNOW?!" from Yoichi. 

Second had his head in his hands, muttering angrily to himself. Everyone else was in a similar state of disarray, pointing and shouting accusations, pacing anxiously, the works. The only one sitting calmly was the wispy vestige of All Might, though En was speaking animatedly to him. All Might would respond in occasional nods. This was weird, and as unsettled as he was he needed to try and help sort out whatever they were up in arms for. He took a deep breath to prepare to alert them to his presence, but was stopped when Nana popped up in front of him. She shakes her head in clear exasperation.

"There's a lot going on, kiddo. Don't worry about us though, we'll get over it." 

"Get over wha-" 

-

Izuku gasps awake. He sits up to catch his breath. What was that? Still reeling from the overload of whatever that was, he looked to the bedside table to check the time. 7:00 AM. He didn't feel well rested at all, but decided to get up just the same. 

He changed into another set of clothes Hisashi lent to him; he recognized the t-shirt as one his mom would wear occasionally. When he left his room there wasn't the smell of rich American breakfast foods like the day previous, but a gentle waft of cinnamon and brown sugar. Hisashi was at the stove yet again, stirring at a pot slowly.

"Good morning, Izuku," the man turned to smile at him and he returned a small wave and sat down.

"I have to leave for that meeting in a few minutes, but I've prepared some oatmeal," his face scrunched up like he was considering something. "I know your mother finds it a sort of comfort food, so I thought…" he trails off with a shrug and dishes it out into two bowls before bringing it to Izuku. 

He knows it was a comfort for his mom, she'd make it for him when he was having a tough time. Knowing that Hisashi knew that as well, and thought it may bring Izuku some familiarity brought the sting of tears he was well known for. He looked up to Hisashi with a watery smile and thanked him. Fondness was apparent on his father's face, but if he blinked he could have missed the tightening of his expression before he shook it off. Izuku chalks it up to this being difficult for him as well, and begins eating the porridge with him.

"How did you sleep?" The man says in-between spoonfuls. Izuku attempts -and fails - to blink the exhaustion from his eyes.

"Not the best, to be honest. But I can still continue what I was working on yesterday," he shrugs and takes another bite of warm cinnamon sweet goodness. He wonders if his mom had always made it or if it's something she picked up from Hisashi.

"Don't push yourself, it's natural to be feeling quite stressed considering the ordeal," before he knew it Hisashi had cleared his bowl and brought it over to the sink. "I need to be going right about now, I hope I can return with good news." Izuku follows him to the entryway to see him off again. Hisashi looks at Izuku a beat longer than normal, then pulls on his coat with a miniscule sigh. "Goodbye, Izuku. I should be back around the same time." Fixing him with one last smile, he leaves. 

He isn't sure if he's overthinking, but Hisashi seemed a tad more…distant than he had been the days prior. Did he say something? Was the conversation last night a bit much? He worried his lip as he paced back into the main room. Just as he thought before, it was probably because it was a lot to take in for the both of them. He knew he wanted to look into solutions for his situation a bit more, but he puts it off in favor of looking around his father's study. He hesitates to call it snooping , but realistically that's exactly what he's doing. He wanted a clearer idea of the man.

The study is a large room accessible from the living room, floor to ceiling bookshelves line the wall farthest from the door. A large dark wood desk sits facing away from the window that encompassed the back wall overlooking the bustling downtown Seattle. He pulled the blank white board from in here the day before, but didn't really take in the room apart from grabbing an empty notebook and some of the advanced quirk theory material. Something he didn't do yesterday, despite having the tablet, was search the internet for possible ideas and solutions. And while he could do that on the device just fine, he took a seat at the desk and turned on the PC. 

It must have been in sleep mode, because he didn't have to enter a password. There were several windows open on software he wasn't familiar with, but one in particular drew his attention. It was a database of contacts, and though it was perfectly reasonable a quirk specialist would have such a list, something urged him to dig into it a bit more. The first tab was nothing special, mostly made up of colleagues and others in his field. But as he clicked over to the messaging tab he recognized a name, and froze.

Dr. Kyudai Garaki - one of All for One's most loyal henchmen. The chief of human experimentation. The father of the Nomu. Recently messaged in his father's contacts. Izuku takes a shaky breath. Garaki was known for his knowledge of quirks, it probably almost rivaled All for One's, therefore maybe it makes sense, maybe, that the man was a consultant of sorts. For quirk matters. So why was he terrified to click into the tab?

A deep breath. Another. He clicks.

Garaki: the shipment was delayed, it will be another week.

Me: The reason?

Garaki: there was an issue with the transportation. As you know, the equipment is highly experimental and as such needs a stable temperature controlled unit, they aren't getting that truck back for another two days. 

Me: Thank you for letting me know.

And that was the end of the message history. The time stamp said the last message sent was from two days ago. 

Shipment of what? And what is my father's business with this man? 

Izuku was nauseated. This was not some back and forth about quirks like he'd been expecting. His father was involved somehow. Maybe he's been blackmailed into conducting some less than legal business with him. Although…he said he couldn't think of a reason he would abandon his family. Was he in leagues with All for One? Whether voluntarily or not? Was he silenced? Made to move away for their safety? Hisashi clearly cared for Izuku, despite not having met him in his time, that he was sure of. Was it too late? How deeply involved could he be? 

Izuku looked around the room from where he sat, trying to find any inconsistencies. It looked just like it did when he came in, a few spare composition notebooks on the desk to his right, pens and sticky notes to the left. Bookshelves filled to the brim with scientific journals and books and-

And notebooks. 

Notebooks that were color coded and organized on the shelf closest to the desk. If Hisashi was anything like Izuku, and he knew now that he was, there was important information there. Information he wants to keep readily available. 

He slowly pushes off from the chair and steps towards them. They're not outwardly labeled other than their color, and he had a choice between red, purple, and green. He found himself reaching for a green one and opened it to the first page. 

Photosynthesis - mid range emitter type. More exposure to the sun allows for large bursts of vines and plant life. Vines are controllable to some degree. 2 / 5

Radio waves - long range emitter type. Creates interference with radio signals to disrupt radio waves, malfunctioning communications. 4 / 5

Rivet - short range transformation type. Allows user to grow metallic rivets from parts of the body. Painful yet effective. 3 / 5

Izuku flips through more of the notebook to confirm what he already figured out. A catalog of quirks. He isn't certain, but he thinks he recognizes Rivet as a quirk All for One had at his disposal. 

He closes the notebook and returns the computer to how he found it before leaving the study. Was this what the vestiges were freaking out about? That his father was, at the very least, an accomplice? He mechanically sits down on the sofa once he's back in the living room. With the information he has, he has a few different conclusions. 

1. Hisashi is innocent and the conversation with Garaki was professional rapport with a colleague, and the notebooks are a hobby.

1. Hisashi is complicit with the illegal activity of Garaki and is working within All for One's network. This could either be willing or unwilling. This would perhaps explain his absence in Izuku's life.

1. Hisashi is responsible for tracking possible quirks for All for One to take. As a quirk specialist he's in the perfect position to do this. This could go along with the second one, but this conclusion would put Hisashi high in All for One's chain of command.

As much as he wants to believe it was an insane coincidence, he isn't convinced the first is a viable option. Hisashi was a quirk specialist, and a good one at that. Of course All for One would want him in his pocket. 

This was too much. He misses his room. He misses school. He misses his friends. He misses Shoto. He misses All Might. He misses his mom. He wants his mom to come into his room with a warm bowl of cinnamon brown sugar oatmeal and sit with him. He wants to go back to when he knew nothing about Hisashi, and he could go about life without having a taste of what life would be like with a father. 

That little box he shoved all his panic and grief into is bursting open, and the only thing he can manage to do about it is let it out. He curls in on himself and does what he's been holding back since that kid inadvertently altered the course of his life. He cries. 

-

Izuku comes to slowly, the golden light of late afternoon sun lights the apartment. He must have fallen asleep, the stress and exhaustion catching up to him finally. There was no visitation from the vestiges, just a dreamless unsatisfactory nap. He somehow felt more groggy than before, and the headache he felt budding at his temples told him he was dehydrated. 

He rolls to a sitting position and rubs at his eyes. Judging by the light, Hisashi would be returning in a little over an hour. He didn't know how he would handle interacting with Hisashi now that he knew he was an aid in All for One's empire - assuming his conclusions are correct. Should he not mention it? What if by confronting him he diverts his timeline enough that his life is completely different? As much as he loathes to admit it, he can't risk screwing up what he has going now without knowing the nature of the kid's quirk. All for One is imprisoned and awaiting execution, the remains of the Paranormal Liberation Front disbanded and imprisoned, the beginning of hero society reform, all of it. With no telling if he'd be changing the future for the better or worse, morally he can't try to change things now.

He resolves to work on getting back to his life, and starts up where he left off yesterday.

-

When Izuku hears the front door open he stills, attempting to fully reign in everything he wants to say. He thinks he is schooling his expression and outward appearance decently, as any residual stiffness could easily be attributed to the quirk accident. Hisashi breaches the living room with a couple grocery bags in hand and a smile.

"I've brought good news," Izuku says nothing, just raises his eyebrows expectantly. "The meeting this morning went very well, and a quirk has been located that could send you back." For a moment all the negativity he'd been stewing in all day was replaced with joy and relief. He beamed at Hisashi despite his internal struggle.

"Really? How soon could they get here?" Hisashi returned his same smile and walked over to the dining table to set the bags down. 

"The flight has been booked and they're arriving tomorrow afternoon, I hope to be able to get you back by tomorrow night," he puts some of the produce into the fridge and turns to Izuku. "Of course this comes with a risk of user error, but the advisor I spoke to has the utmost faith in Miss Garcia's abilities."

Izuku was thrilled, but the image of the journals filled front to back with quirks flashes through his mind, replacing his joy with suspicion. 

"That's amazing to hear, thank you for everything you've done for me." He tries to stop himself from saying it but it slips out anyway. "When is Miss Garcia flying back home?" Hisashi was clearly not expecting this thread of conversation as confusion flashed across his features for a second. 

"Well that I don't particularly know, the advisor handled the booking and everything," he says slowly, almost carefully . It's a subtle change but Hisashi's demeanor shifts towards something more dubious, like he senses the potential landmines involved in continuing this conversation. 

"Oh alright, gotcha," Izuku glances over to the digital clock on the stove. "I can't imagine she'd need to be over here for long if it's just to send me back, we could even meet her at the airport," he doesn't know what he's doing as he finishes with a shrug and a smile. 

It was another one of those blink and you miss it exchanges, but Hisashi's eyes narrow at that. But whether this was out of annoyance or suspicion Izuku couldn't tell. Hisashi goes on to rummage through the kitchen cabinets for the things he needs to, presumably, make dinner.

"I can ask the advisor," he stands up from a crouch with a saucepan, "but I believe we have a meeting set up at the quirk registration building. This quirk was difficult to track due to its secrecy upheld by the government, so I'm not sure if public use would be exactly legal . There's that as well as the fact that Miss Garcia requests privacy to fulfill this request." Hisashi said he could ask, but with the rest of his statement Izuku concludes it's not happening. If he was being truthful, however, he wanted to respect the lady's wishes. She was doing him a favor. But if she's not back on a plane after he's sent back, it puts her in the position of vulnerability as far as All for One is concerned. Has his father already told All for One about the quirk? Is there a plan to steal it? He couldn't imagine the chaos the villain could create with a time travel quirk at his disposal. Izuku can tell he's been thinking for too long, and tries to brush it off.

"Sorry I've just been kind of out of it today, is there anything I can help with for dinner?" He doesn't know if Hisashi is letting him off easy or if it genuinely worked, but the man smiles and nods.

"If you feel confident in your knife skills, feel free to cut up these vegetables," he pulls out a cutting board and an assortment of produce from the fridge and sets everything on the counter to his right. Izuku gathers this must be for something Italian. If nothing else, his dad had a decent taste in food.

Making dinner served as a good distraction from what had been plaguing his thoughts all day, and he and Hisashi maintained a decent chatter about non pressing matters. When they finally sat down to eat a pasta dish with a rich bolognese sauce, the amicable mood slowly petered out. And as much as Izuku chided himself, he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep at night if he didn't confirm what he knew.

"Can I ask you something?" Izuku gently sets his fork down. A pause.

"Go right ahead, I'm sure there are many things you'd like to ask about," he replies, neutral. 

Okay Izuku this is your last chance to not risk your future, an out is being presented to you, ask about his job, or his relationship with Inko, or-

"Are you familiar with an individual that goes by the name All for One?"

Why. Did he do that. Why did he say the most direct thing he could have possibly said? Izuku internally visualizes a scenario in which he could punch himself.

Hisashi stills. Fork half way down to poke at another mouthful of pasta. Eventually he sets the utensil down and turns directly to Izuku. 

"Why do you ask?" Izuku wrung his hands in his lap. That's a great question.

"I just- uh," he takes a moment, "I'm sorry but I went on your computer, a-and it's probably nothing but I also looked at…your…notebooks?" Was all he could spit out under the apprehension. Hisashi blankly stares at Izuku, this time there were no minuscule shifts or microexpressions. After what feels like an eternity the man reaches a hand up to rub at his eyes.

"You could say I'm familiar with the man. It is important to be aware of all possible risks when you have the job that I do, a job heavily reliant on me being knowledgeable of all kinds of quirks." Hisashi raises his eyebrows. "Was that all? Is there something else?" All his attention is focused on Izuku, and Izuku isn't sure how to take that sort of non-answer. It didn't confirm he was working for him, but he at least knew who he was. His reasoning makes sense, especially when you consider how much they found of All of One's reach was actually in the United States. Maybe at this point in time they hadn't gotten to Hisashi, and the messages with Dr. Garaki simply foreshadowed a doomed fate for his father.

"I don't think so, I'm sorry for going through your things I-I was just…concerned." He looks down, feeling shame and uncertainty. He wants to take his words at face value, and maybe it's the hero training in him, but there's something he's not seeing. He can just feel it. But he didn't want to press anymore and jeopardize his good standing with the man. The man who he'd never had a grasp of what kind of person he was. 

Hisashi nods and picks his fork back up.

"I assume your knowledge of said man comes from being a hero in training?" He prods, continuing the discussion on a more digestible level. 

"Let's just say I had a crazy first couple of years at U.A., he's hopefully not going to be an issue again." Izuku looks at nothing as he remembers that day. He sensed Hisashi looking at him for a beat before clearing his bowl from the table. Izuku blinks over at his father at the sink. "I apologize, this didn't make for great dinner conversation," he scoops the last few bites into his mouth before bringing over his bowl as well. 

"Yes well, I can't fault you for being curious, you have brilliant intuition my boy," Izuku smiles, but his heart pangs in a clear yearning to see All Might. To talk to him, to hear that from him. Tomorrow. He thinks. I'll see him tomorrow. Hisashi finishes washing everything up and turns to Izuku.

"Would you like to watch a movie on your last night here? We can avoid time travel plots if that helps," He smiles at Izuku, proud of the dumb little prod at their predicament. Izuku smiles but rolls his eyes.

"Sure, you can pick." 

Just one more night.

Chapter Text

The final credits of Return of the Jedi rolled across the screen, but instead of the feeling of satisfaction a rewatch typically brought him, Hisashi had found himself…uncomfortable. Logically he could understand why, as his man-out-of-time-hero-practically-adult-son with a sacred generations spanning oath to kill him, sat to his left. He'd been dangerously close to revealing himself by way of Izuku's snooping. 

"These are so much better than the remake they did 10 years ago," Izuku broke the silence with that terrifying implication. 

"They remake these in 10 years? What's there to remake?" Hisashi scoffs. He may be drawing some uneasy parallels this time around but he was always willing to defend the original trilogy. Izuku laughs, then goes to stand up and stretch.

"Oops, guess you'll be sitting on some insider information for a while," he smiles in that way that's so reminiscent to how Yoichi's teasing was. "I think I'm gonna be heading to bed, it was fun watching that with you," he gives Hisashi his full attention, his expression earnest, "I don't know why what happens in the future happens, but I'm thankful I got to spend some time with you. It's helped me put some of, just how I am, I guess? Into perspective." Hisashi returns his smile, melancholy creeping over him.

"Thank you for sharing your time with me as well, Izuku. You've given me grace I seemingly don't deserve," Hisashi stood as well. "I should probably settle down for the night as well. I need to prepare a few things early tomorrow."

-

The thing that was the most frustrating (besides One for All sitting right next to him, so close and yet still out of his grasp) is that he knew he had forgotten to do something. He typically wipes all evidence of his "extracurricular activities" at the end of the day, but the commotion of his soon-to-be-hero-practically-adult-next -one-for-all-holder son being spat in front of him had kept him a little preoccupied. And of course Izuku would want to snoop, he had no idea what kind of person Hisashi was. His hero training probably helped with that as well. Ugh. Not to mention his mentor was All Might. He couldn't believe the gall of that man, taking his son under his wing, giving him that cursed quirk, training him to murder his father someday. Though from their dinner conversation, he could glean that he himself is still alive in Izuku's time , though most likely in Tartarus. Surely an outcome of facing his son in the future. 

There is a lot Hisashi needs to do, needs to think about, but he has no time . He doesn't think he'll be sleeping tonight. With the activation of a few stamina quirks he retreats to his study.

-

The morning arrives more quickly than he'd like, but he managed to get a few things in motion. 

Of course he was furious, enraged even, with that idiot turning his son (although unknowingly) against him, but he thinks he's found suitable revenge. Nana Shimura had children, and one of those children has children of his own. Little Tenko Shimura would make due for a perfect bit of pettiness on his part. All he has to do is observe from a distance and move in when an opportunity presents itself. He can be patient. Tit for tat as they say.

And while he's not happy to know of his evident, but certainly not permanent, capture, he can begrudgingly admit there is some poetic significance in his son being the one to defeat him. If he couldn't have One for All, the next best thing was the quirk remaining with his kin. How Yoichi must be laughing at him right now.

Now as long as everything goes off without a hitch today, Izuku should be back in his time in about 12 hours. And though he still hasn't decided if he wants the temptation of having a time travel quirk in his arsenal (oh what he could do with one of those), he will have an opportunity to take one after Izuku is sent back. He feels an odd mixture of dread and anticipation, as he is eager to learn about said quirk, but he will have to bid Izuku goodbye. Two days and despite everything he was already quite attached to the boy. 

But he knows that any warmth or fondness they had shared over the last couple of days would vanish if Izuku found anything else that would clue him into his true identity, and if he were to stay much longer it would only be a matter of time. Though he is typically fairly good at covering up his tracks, Izuku is trained to look for cracks in the facade, and he's come fairly close already. 

Resolved to say goodbye to his son, he gets up to prepare the last meal they'll share in a long time. 

- 

Izuku arrives in the kitchen doorway right as Hisashi is finishing the last touch. He brings a tray holding white rice, miso soup, some grilled vegetables he didn't use the night before, and the tamagoyaki to the table. 

"Good morning Izuku," he gestures for him to sit. Izuku smiles in return, though it's subdued. 

"Good morning," he returns, as he takes his seat. They dish themselves up and slowly work their way through the meal as well as wakefulness. 

"So, today is the day, how are you feeling about everything?" Hisashi tries to go for more of a general question, but fears it comes across as desperate. Izuku pauses, taking the time to mull it over.

"I'm happy to be getting back to my life, but I think I'll always look back on this as an opportunity to.. know you I suppose? I have a lot to think about." He finishes while sightlessly staring at the center of the table. He quickly shakes it off though in favor of eating his egg. "What about you?"

"Well, after learning I don't play a role in your life at some point, I think I will cherish the time I've been allowed with you," he heaves a solemn sign. "I truly do not know what would pull me away from you and your mother. Maybe this time something could be different," he finishes wistfully. 

"You know I did think it was possible this could cause the timeline to branch off. Like I go back to my timeline, knowing this would always happen, and you're left in a timeline that you could change because you gained knowledge you didn't have prior. Probably not the most likely but maybe one day I'll be able to ask you about it." He smiles softly at Hisashi, somehow managing to find even more optimism in the situation. How did Yoichi bleed through so strongly? 

"I hope that will be the case, and if not I hope you have the opportunity to find out someday. Or not, maybe not knowing would be for the better." Hisashi gathers the plates and brings them over to the sink. "Well as I've been a little removed from my typical duties the last few days, I do need to go into the office and get a few things squared away. It should only be a couple hours, and when I return perhaps we can find one last thing to do together before your departure. Does that sound alright?" He turns to face Izuku to see he's maintained that small smile.

"I think that sounds good. And, um, thank you dad. You've helped me so much before even getting to know me." He pushes out of his chair to stand. 

"Well, I've always thought family to be the most important, I appreciate that Izuku. Thank you." Hisashi walks over to Izuku, and though little unsure of himself at first he opens his arms to embrace his son. Izuku returns the hug, sniffling occasionally. 

They walk the same path from the dining table to the front door they have the past two days, and Hisahsi slips on the same shoes and coat he had been wearing. Turning to regard Izuku with a smile, he pats the boy's shoulder and they exchange temporary goodbyes for now. 

-

Hisashi takes his heavily tread path to the underground laboratory he's currently managing here, down side streets and alleys, where he's eventually met with an unremarkable dwelling. Knowingly stepping past the illusion, he descends the steps to a long forgotten part of the city.

Chapter Text

As soon as the front door shuts Izuku is darting off to the room he's been occupying during his stay. He throws on his hero suit, then a loose fitting pair of pants and a large hoodie he's "borrowing" over it. He checks himself in the bathroom mirror to assure no parts of the suit are visible, and hurries to catch up with Hisashi.

Catch up isn't exactly the correct phrase for what he's doing, words like tailing and spying pop up in Izuku's brain but he squashes them down along with any guilt he's feeling. If he goes back to his time without knowing for sure , that his dad is just going to work, he knows it'll haunt him forever. And he's sure he must be way off base, regardless of any involvement with All for One, he had no reason to believe he was going to be out today doing…villain stuff, or whatever. Routine quirk specialist things. He's sure that's what he's going to find him doing anyway, and he'll laugh about how silly his hunch was on the way back. Yeah. That's what's going to happen. 

When Izuku made it down to street level, he thought about turning back around and ditching the idea all together, as Hisashi was nowhere to be seen. He almost did back out, but something inside him wouldn't let this go unanswered. 

He ducks in between the two closest buildings before using float to glide up the side and back around to the street, and this time looking out, he's able to see much farther down. About four blocks from his position he spots a tall man with white hair and propels himself forward to be at a better following distance. As he gets closer, retaining about a block and a half of space between them, he could confirm it was Hisashi. Phew . If that had been the wrong man he would have had to go back to the apartment, having no other leads as to where he would have gone. 

He's back on the ground now, trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible to passersby. It's another block before Hisashi turns down a less trafficked street. He maintains his distance, going turn for turn, noticing how the surroundings gradually change from bustling downtown to dilapidated buildings and deserted alleys. He's still about a block behind when Hisashi turns left. 

Izuku cautiously peers around the corner to find nothing. Seemingly a dead end. He slowly steps up towards the undistinguished backside of some warehouse and sighs. He doesn't know what to make of the worn brick wall he stands in front of. Hisashi couldn't have gone anywhere else, so where was he? Izuku almost turns around to go the opposite direction, thinking he must have gotten mixed up somehow, when he notices a shadow. 

There is no railing anywhere along the side of the wall, but the distinct outline of such betrays his surface observation of the area. Apprehension and dread cloud his thoughts, but he steps towards the building anyway. A few more feet and he is no longer looking at the same blind alley. He concludes there's a quirk at work here shielding the old stone stairway that would otherwise be visible along the building. 

He prepares to be confronted with anything, readies One for All, and descends.

It's about the third turn down a stark fluorescent lit corridor that there's finally a break in the monotony. He didn't know what to expect when he came down here, but compared to the dingy stone stairs that brought him, they didn't prepare him for the blank hospital-esque interior design. He has a lot of gut feelings - none of which are good. 

There's a metal black door at the far end of the hallway, and that wouldn’t stick out if every other door he's passed thus far wasn't a dull matte gray with no handle. He approaches quickly and presses his ear against the cold surface to see if he can hear anything of note. A few minutes of unidentifiable mechanical whirring pass before Izuku shucks his pants and sweatshirt preparation. He starts to turn the handle - slowly. It’s a heavy door, but clearly very old. There isn’t a lock mechanism, and the slight creak of the frame halts Izuku in place for a moment - before he realizes the machinery inside is loud enough to mask the sound. He keeps going. It’s like this underground building - facility? - was an old structure with a fresh coat of paint thrown over it. If his dad was here for nefarious reasons, he’s mentally docking off villain points for the lack of security.

Upon entry it's immediately evident that any deniability of working for/with AFO is, at this point, out of the window. Izuku mentally rearranges his collected evidence to include his current predicament:

1. In communications with Dr. Garaki about ‘highly experimental’ and ‘temperature controlled’ equipment
2. Has notebooks upon notebooks of quirks and their subsequent ratings - including at least one he’s positive AFO had
3. He had to bypass an illusory quirk in a dead end alleyway to follow Hisashi down to a hidden underground lair
4. He is currently staring at half a dozen biological crimes against humanity suspended in cylindrical tanks.   

So. Yeah. Not exactly looking.. good.. for Hisashi.

Now with this confirmation, what is Izuku supposed to do about it? His only known way back to his time is through Hisashi’s contact, through the efforts of Hisashi helping to find it. However he sees now that this could very well be a two birds one stone situation. Earn Izuku’s good graces by aiding him, as well as supplying AFO with a shiny new time travel quirk. 

The intense betrayal he’s currently feeling is somewhat overshadowed by the visceral horror of seeing more Nomu again, despite them clearly being in the early stages of development. 

He doesn't have much time to take it all in before he hears his father's voice, along with the distant clack of dress shoes. Ducking to the left behind an island counter cluttered with various scientific instruments and paraphernalia, he crouches outside of view, very carefully peaking around the corner. He’s still close to the door, but it directly faces the far end of the room, where a large archway reveals yet another long fluorescent corridor. If he needed to get out quickly, he'd be in direct sight and would almost surely be spotted unless he got lucky. He would need to sit tight until an opportunity struck. Everything within him that believes he is a hero is screaming for him to do something, but he's gambling with his ability to return to his own timeline, to get back to his life. Could he do that and live with himself knowing he did nothing about it? When faced with irrefutable proof of collusion with All for One?

His father emerges from the hall, holding his cellphone up to his ear. Izuku can't make out what he's saying yet, but his tone is jovial, warm. His ears pick up a name.

Inko

The surge of emotions that course through him have him spinning. He leans back around the counter to gather his bearings. Fury, betrayal, hurt, panic, he can’t afford to feel this right now, he needs to leave, to find an opening as soon as the man turns his back.

“I'm going to have to call you back,” is audible before the footsteps stop somewhere in the middle of the lab. Despite the loud machinery, Izuku holds his breath. Frozen.

The ambient noise of the room fills the air.

Idle steps. 

A sigh.

Subtle ringing, the sound of a call waiting to be picked up. 

“You have the package?” Hisashi's voice carried a different weight, a jarring difference from the previous call. In English this time, too.

“Bring it to the drop off. I'll have a team ready to escort you both to the premises.” A pause. “Of course, of course-payment is upon delivery. I'll be seeing you shortly.” 

His steps had purpose now as they got terrifyingly closer and closer to the counter. Izuku tensed, readying himself to move at any moment. He stops on the opposite side of the obstacle, grabs a few things, and turns to go back the way he came.

He doesn't release the breath he's been holding until the footsteps get too far to hear. He collapses against the hard surface and takes some deep breaths to really, truly attempt to calm down. The fear he's experiencing, the dread, he can't explain it. This villain was his father, which added its own very special layer of horror, but this reaction is deeper somehow. Instinctual. 

He jerks as he's struck with the intense, urgent, bone-deep need to get the fuck out . 

Peaking around the counter once more, Izuku rushes out the door.

He runs back the way he came, rounding the first corner. And the second.

It's as he comes up on the third and last corner before the stairs that he stops. The white of his father's hair stands out underneath the fluorescent lights, even from the opposite end of the hallway. One of the gray handleless doors to Izuku's right is open just a crack. He feels like an idiot. 

One for All boils under his skin, green lighting cracks around him, that sense of dread heavy in his gut. 

“Do you work for All for One?” The question rips from his throat, frantic and furious. Hisashi raises an eyebrow, a miniscule smirk emerges.

“It's going to be torturous to keep it from you for so long.” Hisashi's voice is quiet and mumbled, an observation. The expression he adorns is enlightened - as if Izuku just gave him the most incredible gift. It stokes the fire within him more, he wants to punch the smug bastard. “But this.. is an opportunity I will not discard,” the man continues, seemingly to himself. Izuku's brow furrows in confusion, everything about the encounter is throwing him. How did Hisashi know he was here? Did he know the whole time? Does he know Izuku followed him? Why does he seem so thrilled by the turn of events? 

Izuku feels like there's a blindspot, something he's missing, the last piece of the puzzle. Hisashi laughs. It's deep, baritone, familiar. Dread collides with a spinning sense of deja vu, the truth pulled from the back of his subconscious. That laugh rings through his head in nightmares, it taunts him when he second guesses himself, it taunts him now , as he realizes he's been hearing it for the last few days with no recognition. Even now, the evident reality was one he did not want to accept - could not accept. Denial. 

Izuku is going to be sick.

“I don't work for anyone. Everyone works for me. ” He says, finally addressing Izuku. 

“If someone other than myself had to inherit One for All, I can rest assured knowing Yoichi is safe with my flesh and blood.” 

“All for One..” Izuku whispers, staring behind the man at nothing, appearing entirely numb. The man claps and nods before quirking his head to the side with a knowing smile. “And what else?” He'd been getting closer throughout the encounter, in his shock Izuku had failed to notice until he was leaning over him. One for All sputters out, as glassy green eyes meet deep red ones. Izuku swallows.

“My father.”