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Izuku eased the sliding glass door open slowly and silently, crouched low on the balcony of a fancy high-rise apartment. He hadn’t scoped the place out for as long as he usually did when planning hits, but this apartment building didn’t have too many security features anyway. A little strange, considering it’s crazy expensive price range, but good news for Izuku.
The owner of the apartment also wasn’t home very often—from what he could tell through his limited scouting—and Izuku was desperate. He had been cutting it close this week and needed money badly. And so, tonight he was breaking in. Perhaps it was a rash decision, but it was a risk he was willing to take.
It helped that he hadn’t seen the man return home at any point that evening, meaning Izuku should be in the clear. But even if the owner was home, Izuku was sure he wouldn’t be too much of a threat. Not that Izuku ever—ever!—hurt the people he stole from. He had morals, and those morals included stealing only from the rich, and never physically harming anyone. He always preferred to get in and get out without being seen.
But if he was caught tonight, he didn’t think this man would be much of a problem for him to escape from. The owner of this particular apartment was a very tall and sickly-looking man with a wild mane of blond hair. He seemed feeble, and unlikely to try and attack Izuku if he caught him in his house.
Which made Izuku feel fairly confident as he crept inside the apartment with practiced silence. He took stock of his surroundings right away, categorizing what he could steal that would be expensive, easy to carry, and unlikely to be immediately noticed as missing. The longer it took for a victim to realize there had been a break-in, the better it was for Izuku’s chances of not getting caught.
He perused the bottom floor thoroughly, slipping items into his black backpack as he went. The place had a loft, which was likely where the owner’s bedroom was, and as Izuku headed through the living room for the stairs, he slung his backpack over one shoulder. Unfortunately, it hit a vase of flowers as he did so, knocking it over.
The vase shattered on the floor, breaking the silence of the apartment.
Izuku hissed through his teeth, annoying at his own carelessness. The owner may not have been home to hear it, but now he was going to know right away that someone had broken into his apartment. Oh well. Izuku always made sure not to leave any traces of his DNA behind, so hopefully it wouldn’t be a big deal this one time.
He skirted the mess with more care, mentally berating himself.
“Young man, what do you think you’re doing?”
The voice froze him in his tracks, one foot still raised for his next step. No one was supposed to be here! The owner lived alone, and Izuku hadn’t seen him return home at any point in his watch tonight! This wasn’t supposed to happen!
Izuku slowly looked up, and his jaw dropped. All the sirens that had been going off in his head went silent out of pure shock.
All Might stared down at him from where he leaned over the railing of the loft. All Might. His expression was caught somewhere in between disapproval and open curiosity. All Might. Oddly enough, he was wearing pyjamas, but that physique and those bangs were iconic. All. Might.
Izuku’s brain went blank, and the only thing that left his mouth was a high-pitched squeak. He dropped his backpack and booked it for the balcony.
He managed to make it three steps before a hand seized the back of his hoodie, and he found himself dangling in the air.
“Now, now, don’t be like that. It’s rude to run away when someone’s talking to you,” All Might chided.
Izuku knew there was no chance he’d be able to get away on his own. “I’m sorry! Please let me go,” he begged.
“Nonsense, you’re my guest. Why don’t you have a seat?”
Izuku was plopped onto the couch, and he shrunk back as All Might stood over him with his arms crossed, looking larger than life.
“Would you like to tell me what you’re doing in my home?” he asked.
“Your home?” Izuku repeated weakly.
“Yes, this is my home.” All Might sounded remarkably patient for someone who had just caught a thief in their living room in the middle of the night.
“Oh,” Izuku croaked out. He was stupid. He was SO stupid! He should’ve scoped this place out better, but how was he supposed to know this was the home of the freaking number one hero?! “Nice place you got here,” was the only thing he managed to say. He immediately cringed at himself.
“Thank you. I can see you’ve been appreciating my decor.” All Might glanced pointedly at the backpack full of stolen items.
Well. Goodbye world, hello jail. Izuku closed his eyes and sent off a brief prayer for his mom, hoping she would be alright. He heard a sigh, and opened his eyes again to see All Might’s face soften. The hero sat down in front of Izuku. At his size, he looked a little bit ridiculous perched so carefully on the edge of the coffee table as he was, but Izuku couldn’t bring himself to find any humour in the current situation.
“You seem like a nice kid, so what has a young boy like you going around breaking into people’s homes?” All Might asked.
Izuku squirmed, uncomfortable with the earnest glint in All Might’s eye. “Aren’t you gonna arrest me?” he muttered, fiddling with the hem of his hoodie.
All Might tilted his head. “Arresting people isn’t always the best solution.”
Izuku looked up in surprise. “But I’m a villain.”
“Really? You look more like a teenage delinquent to me.” All Might chuckled. “And I don’t think arresting you would solve whatever problem it is you’re experiencing that’s driving you to steal.”
Izuku was thoroughly confused. “But I broke the law…”
All Might nodded. “And I'm sure you have a reason for doing so.” At Izuku’s incredulous stare he sighed and placed a gentle hand on Izuku’s knee. “My boy, I’ve been in the business long enough that I can tell a desperate person from an evil one. The true villains are those who do evil deeds for no reason other than that they want to. They relish in hurting others and causing destruction.”
Izuku knew what true evil looked like. Red eyes and white hair popped into his mind, and he winced.
All Might continued, “Unfortunately, our society is quick to slap the label of villain on anyone who commits even the slightest misdeed—from loitering to running a red light. It has become people’s way to distance themselves from those that they deem to be ‘bad’. It allows them to dismiss the real people behind the crimes; to not have to look into the issues that cause people to break the law. Arresting those who do so, while being sometimes necessary, does nothing to fix the real problems in our society. It may be the legal solution, but it isn’t always the right one.”
Well, call Izuku dumbfounded. “Why are you telling me this?” he asked.
“Because I’d like to help you.”
“What if I don’t want your help?”
All Might laughed. “Giving help that’s not asked for—that’s the essence of a true hero!”
Ah. So he wasn’t actually being given a choice. Reminded him of someone else he knew…
“Now, my boy.” All Might squeezed Izuku’s knee and smiled encouragingly. “What is it I can help you with?”
Izuku thought for a moment. If All Might wanted to help him with his financial problems, maybe he would just give Izuku money and send him on his way? This could turn out positively.
“My mom,” he started slowly. “She’s really sick, and she can’t work. She can barely get out of bed most days. My father is…not around…so we have no income. Without any money, Mom can’t get the proper treatment and medicine she needs; we can’t always even afford enough food to help her keep up her strength. And I can’t get a job because I’m too young…”
At that, All Might reached up and plucked the medical mask Izuku wore to help conceal his face clean off, ignoring Izuku’s offended squawk.
“Oh dear,” All Might said mildly, “you do look younger than I thought. How old are you, exactly?”
“Thirteen,” Izuku reluctantly answered. “That’s why no one will hire me. So I—I started…stealing.” He winced at his own admission. He hated it. He didn’t want to have to steal. He’d told his father he would never become a villain like him, and look what he had made of himself.
All Might frowned in concern. “Are you not in school?”
“No. I can’t—I have to take care of my mom,” he explained. “She’s too sick to do anything, and we can’t afford help.”
“I see…”
“So I just…need money,” Izuku threw out hopefully.
All Might nodded, looking deep in thought. “Hmm, yes. It seems that that’s the best solution then,” he mumbled to himself.
Izuku perked up, eyes wide and hardly daring to breathe as hope bloomed inside of him.
All Might stood and clapped his hands decisively. “Yes! I will provide everything you need, and I’ll pay for your mother to be transferred to a medical facility, where she can get around-the-clock care and every treatment she requires.”
The bloom ruptured in a burst of relief, and Izuku could have cried with happiness. “Yes, yes! Thank you so much!” He leapt up from the couch. “If you just give me the money, I’ll be on my way and I’ll never bother you again, I promise!”
All Might looked down at him in amusement. “Oh, you won’t be going anywhere, my boy.”
Izuku stilled. “What?”
“Surely, you’re aware of the fourth clause in the Child Protection Act?” At Izuku’s blank face, All Might explained, “In the event that a minor has been found with no suitable guardians, a licensed pro hero can enact the ability to claim emergency guardianship over said minor.”
Izuku bristled indignantly. “My mom—”
“Cannot currently care for you, and is therefore an unsuitable guardian until she is well again,” All Might cut him off.
A pit was forming in the bottom of Izuku’s stomach. “Y-You—You’re…”
There was a puff of smoke, and suddenly in the place of All Might stood the thin, sickly-looking man Izuku had been spying on before. The man (All Might?) patted Izuku on the head. “I’m your new foster dad!” he announced cheerfully.
Izuku could only stare in horror.
“Not to worry, young—” All Might blinked, his face blanking in realization. “Er…what is your name, my boy?”
This had not turned out positively.