Chapter Text
Izuku sat in one of the lounge chairs, settling down with a bowl of soba for the night. He’d been anxious all day, completely overlooking the need to eat something.
“The headlines are in”
He froze in his spot on the chair, a portion of soba not quite making it into his mouth before he set his bowl down in anticipation for either really great news, or…
It would be best to not think of the consequences if the news was bad. For the sake of his sanity, and maybe his career at the very least. God forbid Jun would have to give him another lecture about how “Dekiru would be dead if he didn’t sell albums because this is AM Entertainment owned by All Might and if they failed All Might they would be an embarrassment and they would lose funding and she would get booted and replaced and Izuku might lose his contract and-“
To say the very least, she’s terrified of failure.
AM Entertainment poured a lot of funding into the Dekiru image for Izuku, and they made it clear they’d continue supporting him as long as there was good performance on his end. They wouldn’t invest in someone that wasn’t worth investing in and who knows if they gave second chances when all they’ve done is consistently produce chart-topping idols.
Creating “Viridian”, the debut album, was draining. The debut creates the image, and if the public doesn’t like the image then your chances at success are all but gone with the wind. That’s why AME gave him so much trouble about revising and approving the album. He can’t blame them; nobody wanted Dekiru to end up being a waste. They believed in him. All Might believed in his potential as an idol.
That doesn’t mean the process was any less excruciating, though. It couldn’t have all been for nothing.
“Are they good?” Izuku asked, rushing over to Jun who’s eyes were glued to her laptop at the kitchen counter.
She cleared her throat before reading, “Dekiru: AME’s New Starry-Eyed Idol Captures the Heart of Japan”
She continued, her voice getting higher pitched with every new headline she read aloud.
“Dekiru is the Breath of Fresh Air We All Needed!”
Izuku felt his heart thrumming as Jun kept scrolling.
“An in-depth Review of Viridian: Japan’s Newest Chart-Topping Album by Dekiru”
The excitement boiled over, Jun shoving her laptop aside in favor of wrapping Izuku up in a tight hug, ruffling up his hair.
“You’re amazing Izuku! I knew you could do it!”
Izuku barely restrained the urge to mutter something like ‘Yeah, that explains why you rant about how we’d be doomed if the album didn’t sell’ but the compliment still made the impossibly large grin on his face even bigger. He embraced the hug. He liked when Jun acted more like his friend and not all “Izuku you have a shoot at 12 and then a meeting and dinner with this idiot and blahblahlah”. It’s a good thing he got Jun assigned as his manager and not someone else. She had her moments but in the grand scheme they were both just trying to reach their dreams. Jun wanted to own her own record label one day and Izuku…
Well, becoming an idol wasn’t exactly at the top of his list.
“A singing quirk?” Kacchan laughed. “How are you going to become a hero with a stupid singing qu-“
He shoved the memories back down.
“C’mon Izuku, this is a big deal! We have to celebrate!” Jun exclaimed, jumping up and down. She scrambled back into the kitchen, snooping around in the cabinets for supplies before dropping them all in a heap on the counter, much to the amusement of a very confused Izuku.
“We’re baking a cake.”
She looked rather proud, like no amount of convincing would sway her out of her plan to bake a cake that was doomed from the beginning.
“Jun…I’ve never baked a cake before.” Izuku admitted sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck.
“Me neither! There’s a first for everything”
The recipe seemed simple enough, but of course they managed to screw it up. They didn’t have all the ingredients needed, which Izuku resolved by falling back on his improvisation skills but then Jun wouldn’t let him put soy sauce in the batter because in her words “That doesn’t even sound like it would taste good, what is wrong with you” and they couldn’t look at the cake for more than a minute before breaking out into full-blown laughter on the floor.
The result of their antics was a sad, suspicious chocolate-flavored lump with “Congrats, Dekiru!” In fancy cursive written on top with icing, courtesy of Jun.
“To Dekiru!” She cheered, jabbing a fork in the cake to taste it and promptly spitting it back out.
“Hold on, I have to take a picture of this” Izuku said, getting up to grab his phone.
When he found it, he was surprised to see the message on the screen.
“I’m really proud of you, Izuku. I’m sorry I can’t be with you right now. Work is keeping me late.”
Izuku frowned, a mixture of sadness and confusion pooling in his gut. Mom always acted weird about the idol stuff, refusing to accept any money or the room he had reserved for her in the apartment. He barely even saw her anymore.
“Izuku, pictures!” Jun called out.
“Calm down a little, the cake isn’t going anywhere. I just had to find my ph-“
“No, idiot! Pictures of you, not the stupid cake! Your fans are probably expecting some sort of thank you post” Jun said as if Izuku was supposed to know that instinctively
“Taking pictures this late at night? Shouldn’t we just book a shoot and get it approved by AME?”
“Not while everyone has their eye on you” Jun said, suddenly sounding serious, her blunt-cut black hair seemingly sharper and her bright blue eyes more piercing. “You just had your big break, and now we need to keep delivering. We need this.”
“We need the label to see we’re doing good” she didn’t say, but Izuku knew it was implied.
Manager Jun was definitely back, full-throttle. Izuku suddenly didn’t feel too festive anymore. He doesn’t like Manager Jun.
He reluctantly raised his phone up to take a selfie, only for Jun to snatch it out of his hands, looking at him like he killed someone.
“Izuku, are you crazy? No hair and makeup? You look like a mess!”
Izuku pouted, already fed up with the ordeal. He liked the performances and the music-making, but the whole “you have to post things for you fans” thing would take some getting used to. It wouldn’t be so bad if not for the fact that Jun didn’t let him show his face without at least a little bit of touch-ups.
That’s how he ended up with the beauty crew invading his apartment.
He wondered if other idols went through this, getting done up way too late at night just to take a selfie, or if it was just Jun’s over-obsessiveness.
Or if other labels even had an on-demand staff for hair and makeup 24/7. But then again, this was AME.
The beauty process itself was actually pretty relaxing. All the staff were really sweet, if not completely devoted to their jobs. Izuku trusted them to not overstep his boundaries, and they never put him in an outfit he was uncomfortable with or made him look super different from how he does naturally so they kept his trust. They more or less were in and out of the apartment, leaving Jun critiquing him until he got a good selfie, one of him smiling and looking really happy while pointing to the failed cake.
Next he had to write a caption, but that was the easy part. He loves all of his fans and it’s not hard to be genuine.
“I know it’s late but I was just too excited to keep this all in. Thank you so much for the love you’ve been showing to Viridian! It was a really important project to me and I was a bit worried, but now I know I shouldn’t have doubted myself! You’re the best fans anyone could ask for. I made this cake to celebrate, but it didn’t turn out very well. Next mission is learning how to bake! See you soon -Dekiru”
He posted it with Jun’s approval, and the woman gathered her stuff up to go home, not before giving Izuku another hug and ruffling his hair as if she hadn’t insisted he get it fixed an hour ago.
The apartment was empty now, besides Izuku. Too empty, to the point where it was uncomfortable. AME bought it for him and he was eternally grateful but there was just way too much space for one person to not feel at least a little lonely. Maybe it would be nice to have a party sometime, though Jun would freak out. It’s not like he had many people to invite, anyways.
He thought back to Mom, and how she seemed to reject any sort of help he offered. Or how she chose to continue living in the old house, working as a lawyer even when Izuku offered her a chance to quit and just come to the apartment. She rejected all of it, and it was confusing to no end.
It wouldn’t hurt to get out tonight, and maybe catch some low level thugs if he’s lucky. Some fresh air would be nice at the very least. The open window in his bedroom suddenly seemed all too tempting.
He crawled under his bed, struggling to reach the locked briefcase that was hidden there. It held his vigilante costume, something he couldn’t thank Hatsume enough for.
AME sometimes got their clothing from Hatsume Industries, either for convenience because of All Might owning the label and being the number one hero, or because some idols needed clothing with accommodations for their quirks. It turns out that they aren’t just skilled at making support items for UA, but also at making some pretty fashionable clothes.
He’d been sent to them near the beginning of his idol training and all he really remembered was being tackled by a pink haired girl and promptly dragged away for an involuntary fitting. He found Hatsume weird at first but her recklessness and energy started to rub off on him a lot.
Really, all he’d gone for was some quirk suppressing earrings. His quirk, Charm, made it so that the world responded to his voice sometimes. When he was singing or talking about things, they tended to become true. One of the effects was that he had a great singing voice, which is what everyone thought the quirk was in the first place.
It was dangerous. He didn’t really have a hang on controlling it, hence the quirk suppressing earrings. He couldn’t risk it when he’d be singing to crowds of people. Luckily, the good singing voice was more like a mutation and it worked in his favor as an idol.
The other side of his quirk though, that was for when night fell and he wasn’t Dekiru anymore; for when he took to the rooftops to scout and help people because he wanted to be a hero but even All Might told him a singing quirk was only good for being an idol but being an idol wasn’t enough. Inspiring people with music only works to an extent.
It was too late to change paths, even after finding out his quirk was actually useful. All Might offered him a deal on the rooftop that day. To become an idol with AME and be bound to it by contract, and he accepted it.
Dreams don’t get crushed that easily, though, so vigilantism came into play. Hatsume noticed his scars that day while trying on a bunch of different clothes, and the endless interrogation began. He made her promise to not tell anyone about his midnight escapades, a mischievous glint appearing in her eyes before she told him she’d keep a secret as long as he swore he wouldn’t go to anyone else for his vigilante gear.
By the end of the day he had the quirk suppressing earrings and a new friend who just so happened to supply him with his gear and do repairs.
The skintight suit was a bit difficult to put on. Hatsume insisted he shouldn’t have any loose fabric if he’s going to be skipping across rooftops, lest he makes a wrong move and prematurely ends Dekiru’s time in the spotlight. She also mentioned something about it accentuating his, uh, assets but he got flustered whenever he thought about that part, much to her amusement. The mask he wore left nothing visible but bright green eyes that actually complimented the green gems in his earrings nicely.
He kicked the suitcase back under his bed and leapt out of the window, reveling in the wind that blew past his face as he dropped to a lower level building, kicked off into a sprint and leapt to the next in a fit of pure glee.
He’d charmed himself to have a bit more strength and agility. Some people might call it cheating, but is it really cheating if you’re just making use of the resources you were given? Besides, really impactful changes are hard to pull off with his quirk
He continued his pursuit. There wasn’t any particular target in mind besides any criminals he might hear, but the feeling of being free and nobody knowing that you were a useless Deku or that now you’re the “starry eyed idol Dekiru” was too hard to resist, like a drug or something.
The city is relaxing when you’re high above the rush of the streets. Not too high, like in the apartment where the skyline overpowers the view and everyone looks like little ants, but high enough like the convenience store he was perched on. A height where you can still observe everyone going about their daily lives, enjoying the playful spell that fell over the city at night.
Not everyone was enjoying it though, if the muffled screams he heard were anything to go by. He stood up from his perch, bounding off into the vague direction he’d heard the screams, concern rising in his gut.
He grew more concerned the longer he didn’t hear another scream which would usually be backwards but in this case he needed to know if they were even still alive and where they were.
Another scream rang out, and he realized he was much closer to the scuffle than he thought. He had to feel around his ears, assuring his earrings were still there and he didn’t unintentionally cause anything, but he felt the gems on his ears still so he must’ve just gotten lucky.
He peered down over the edge of the roof, taking a split second to assess the situation. The assailant must’ve had some sort of mutation quirk, judging by the way a blade sprouted from his arm rather than a hand. The victim was a young girl, not much older than himself. He hoped it was just a robbery in progress but he was going to take the man down all the same.
He stood up, a look of determination on his face before he stepped off of the roof, dropping down onto the man with a clear goal in mind. He landed firmly on his shoulders, thighs constricting his throat. He was hoping he’d get the chance to maybe just squeeze a little harder and knock the man out by restricting his oxygen intake, but the sudden weight of Izuku on his shoulders was too much. His knees buckled, sending both of them crashing towards the ground. Izuku jumped up, locking eyes with the young girl.
“Please alert the police and get to safety!”
She took that as her queue, scrambling out of the alley way. Assuming she actually did leave to get the police, he was on a time limit and had to end the fight quickly.
He turned around just in time to see a blade swiping at his foot, narrowly missing its mark. Izuku leapt back to face the villain who was eyeing him with something akin to shock.
Izuku made the first move, anticipating the bladed arm that swung out towards him as he closed in on the villain. He dove under it, not expecting that the man’s foot would become a blade too and he was sliding right towards it. He twisted his body in an attempt to redirect his momentum, the blade leaving a cut that stretched from his ankle to his knee as he slid between the man’s legs. He jumped up and took his chance to give the man a well powered kick to the back, sending him stumbling to the ground. Izuku kneeled onto his back to keep him from getting back up.
“You caught me. What now? You wait for the police to come and arrest both of us? They don’t take too kindly to vigilantes, and you don’t look much like a hero.”
Izuku laughed. It was a happy laugh, almost too happy like it had been forced, and the villain felt chills down his spine.
“Don’t worry, I won’t be staying here with you” he said as he unclasped his earrings, Charm activating. The villain watched his green eyes glow, unable to look away even as Izuku leaned into his ear. It was captivating, all thoughts of escape leaving his mind.
“It’s getting a bit too late for us to hang out anyways, don’t you think?” Izuku whispered. The villain couldn’t bring himself to answer the question, latching onto every word Izuku said instead.
He leaned into the other ear. “Besides, I think it’s time you go to sleep.”
The man’s eyes fluttered shut. He was completely unconscious, and right on time too if the police sirens he heard were anything to go by. Izuku jumped up from his body, running back around the other end of the alley so he’d be out of sight while he tried to make his way back to the rooftops.
He winced with every jump. The cut on his leg stung badly. That’s not to mention the damage to his suit which Hatsume would definitely be mad about but she had some explaining to do because it was supposed to be super durable.
The massive headache he had coming on didn’t help much either. The full force of taking off the suppressants after so long was hitting like a truck. He put the earrings back on in a hopeful attempt to ease the headache. It might’ve been a little overkill to charm the man, but in his defense he was on a time limit because the police were coming and traditional methods of asphyxiation might’ve taken too long.
In short, there were a couple of reasons why he was slower getting back to the apartment. Maybe because he was exhausted, had a pounding headache, and he’d inevitably have to hide the cut from Jun in the morning and he needed to get it wrapped up quickly because wow it was bleeding a lot. He briefly considered trying to charm it away but he’d never tried healing any injuries before and there definitely wouldn’t be any bodily experimentation going on while he’s on a random rooftop.
He kept on his way, putting a good distance between himself and the crime scene when he heard a shuffling nearby. He stopped and did a quick survey of his surroundings, not sure what exactly he was looking for. Maybe just an animal? Or maybe the headache was making him hear things?
He dismissed it, only to hear it again a couple seconds later and suddenly there was a white cloth wrapped tightly around his waist, trapping his arms against his sides.
“You may think you’re helping, but being a vigilante makes it harder for heros to operate.”
Izuku caught sight of the figure who had him trapped, noting the yellow goggles and simple black uniform. He squinted, some sort of familiarity behind his eyes before he realized.
Eraserhead! He got captured by his favorite hero!
And his first impression of Izuku was not good.
“Were you supposed to handle that guy back there? The one with the blades?” Izuku asked
Eraserhead contemplated for a moment before he decided to ignore the question.
“I’ve been watching you for the past month, hoping you would give it up before you get yourself hurt. Now you’re here with a sliced leg when you could be having a normal night in your home.”
Izuku had to shove down his excitement because Eraserhead was looking out for him? And he also never noticed that he was being followed for so long?
“I know” Izuku admitted, looking ashamed. “But I also can’t stop myself from wanting to help people, sir.”
“That’s great and all, kid, but you’re doing it without a license which means you’re putting lives at risk. I have to arrest you.”
“Anything but that, please!” Izuku exclaimed, and the man didn’t seem phased at all. If anything, the cloth felt like it was wrapping around him even tighter.
“Why have you made no attempt to escape? What’s your quirk?”
“I’m…good at singing” Izuku said sheepishly, which technically wasn’t a lie but he doubted the man believed it.
“Singing? Shouldn’t you be making music?”
Izuku scratched his neck nervously because he couldn’t be more right about that.
“I told you, I really want to help people.”
The cloth unraveled and he fell to the ground with a small ‘oof’
“Don’t think I’m letting you off the hook” Eraserhead said, and the way he stared at Izuku had him feeling pinned anyways so there was no chance he was leaving. Instead, he chose to sit down and catch his breath for a moment.
Eraserhead looked at Izuku for a moment with one brow raised before he slowly lowered down and sat down too. He was a good distance away, but close enough that he could have him captured again if he so much as flinched.
“You’re one of my favorite heroes, Eraserhead. You actually inspire me a lot.” Izuku said, not knowing what else to say. Eraserhead’s breath stuttered for a moment, shocked from being recognized.
“It’s not exactly flattering to hear that I’m an inspiration to a vigilante. I’m also not letting you go, despite your sentiments. The police are on their way.”
“I know, I know” Izuku said, unclasping his earrings for the second time in one night. “I’m just really grateful for heros like you. I’m also grateful that you let me go home free tonight.”
“I did not say I’m letting you go.” Eraserhead warned, feeling the impulse to ready his capture weapon but he just couldn’t.
“It was nice meeting you, Eraserhead” was all Izuku said before he bolted towards the apartment, head pounding from using Charm again.
And despite his desire to chase after the boy and arrest him, Eraserhead could do nothing but let him go.