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Neito was sitting at his table and eating his pistachio ice cream, simultaneously taking notes in a notebook. On weekends, it is very convenient to explore the quirks of the population: whole families gather in shopping malls and inevitably show their abilities when communicating with each other. And while the citizens are figuring things out in an attempt to reach the shops, Neito manages to make a detailed description of their forces. Someone will say that this is a strange hobby, but the guy himself will say that having a copying superpower is very useful to analyze and type abilities. Helps to navigate easier after copying.
Someone will say that spending a rare day off on such a stupid thing. Someone will say that it is better to visit the family. But in the case of a blond boy, studying at a boarding school is already technically a pastime with relatives. More precisely, with one specific relative, which occupies different spaces and planes.Literally…
“HEY, NEI-NEI!!!”
…Speaking of the devil…
“I'm kind of uncomfortable, Mirio-sempai! You shouldn't take me for ice cream at your own expense! It's indecent on my part.”-Izuku said in vain.
“No worries, Midoryia!” - voted Mirio, “I have enough funds. To be honest, my parents have allocated money specifically for two.”
“Well, if so… And why “for two"? Who else did they give you money for? The green-haired boy asked with his usual curiosity.
“Welp, you see...” - the older teenager mumbled, “I was given money for a joint walk with my younger brother. But my brother got jealous and didn't want to walk with me. He said he had more important things to do.”
“Do you have a younger brother!?”
“Yep.”
“Huh…Doesn't he want to see his brother after a few months of separation? I mean, you're in your senior year longer on internship and you said you haven't been home for a long time. Although... Everyone has a different relationship with their brothers. Todoroki generally sees his brother every six months. AndhowdoIknowIamthesinglechild…”
“Okay, slow down! I won't have time to answer you.”sheeplesly asked Mirio, “You know what's the matter, we kind of see each other every school day.”
“So your brother is also studying at UA?”
“Correct, lil buddy!”
“So what class is he in, the course?...”
"...And he didn't tell you, did he?”- the blonde asked sadly, “However, it looks like my brother..”
“So who is he? Do I know him?...Izuku tried to bring his friend back into the conversation.
Mirio had already opened his mouth to reply, but when he saw something in the distance, he smiled slyly, as if he was preparing a new prank again.
“We are about to find out whether you know him or not.”
He grabbed Izuka by the elbow and briskly led him towards the food court. Coming close to the tables, Mirio yelled…
“NEI-NEI-NEE!!!!! I’M HERE!!!!”
“NOOOOOOOO!!! Mama, papa, older brother scaring me again…”- little Neito Togata cried for help, while his older brother Mirio, 6 years old jumped out of the wall to greet him.
“It’s a hug time!”
“No! Get off me, meanie!!!”-The 4-year-old started quickly slapping his brother's palms in the hope of getting free.
“Mirio, honey , I told you not to jump through walls to meet your brother…”- the boy's mother enters the room right in time to see her youngest slowly drowning in the floor, “OH MY GOD!!! DARLING, HURRY UP AND RUN HERE! NEITO PHASING NOW TOO….”
Yes, that day in this family was turbulent. When for the second time in your family, a child abruptly begins to pass through matter, various troubles arise, even when there is experience with the first child…And it won't help that both boys then almost drown in the floor…
“Damn it!!!! I TOLD YOU TO STOP SNEAKING BEHIND ME THOUSAND TIMES!”- Neito yelled in Izuku and Mirio’s direction.
“So you copy quirks?”What is it?" asked the girl with cotton-wool hair.
“Um... yeah. I can imitate a lot of quirks whose owners I will touch,” Neito cautiously replied.
At the age of 13, he knew perfectly well that I was talking about my non-standard ability, he risked getting himself into trouble. For some reason, people managed to take offense at copying their abilities. Which is strange, because copying is not theft, everything remains with them. But many were angry, as if their copyrights were being violated, although even after 200 years of the existence of quirks, such rights were not created. Maybe that's why there are still stories about a monster that steals quirks from time immemorial. Unfortunately, especially impudent people compared the blond boy with this creature.
“And you,like, can you do everything with other people's quirk?” - asked a guy with deer horns.
“Well, no. I can't learn what to do with every new quirk right after copying,” Neito began to explain, ”Knowledge is not copied. In addition, I can only use the quirk for about 5 minutes and at the same level of strength at which I copied it. It's like an eternal video game at the highest level of difficulty.”
“Lol, kinda sucks , but entertaining at the same time!”- girl with a dalmatian- like spots giggled.
“Well…”
“Hey, do you wanna hang out after classes?”- the girl with cotton - wool hair asked fervently, “You can try to copy our quirks! It would b e cool to try some competition of who better use it!”
Neito was taken aback. He was not usually invited to walk after classes. He was either going home, or his older brother and his friend were picking him up.“I w-”
“NEI-NEI-NEEE!!!”
Suddenly the aforementioned brother appeared from the wall that the kids were standing near. The blond older boy jumped out of it without half of his clothes with manic green. That is the perks of having Mirio as the brother which Neito get used to. As for the regular children…
“WHAT A HELL!?”
“BHAW-AWWH, it’s a creep!”
“Is that…Is that a prank? Did those two lure us to scare!?”
“I don’t know, let’s get out of here!”
And that’s how Neito’s meant-to-be companions ran away, while he stuck in the tight hug from his obnoxious brother.
“Mirio-kun, I asked you to wait, there was no need to greet Neito through wall…” Tamaki's nervous muttering sounded in the distance.
“So…Are you hiding a relation with a senior? Izuku asked when the three of them sat down at a table.
“I'm not hiding it. I just don't think it's necessary to mention this fact.” Neito replied.
“Yeah...But you found it necessary to change your surname to mother's maiden name." Mirio mumbled with the air of an offended golden retriever.
“Oh, I'm sorry that I have to change this so that I won't be bothered by my older brother's peers,” Neito snapped.
“Wait, but he’s part of the Big Three…” - Izuku meant to ask
“For now! But before we was “The Naked Boy of Sport Festival”! How do you suggest that I study with such a frank kinship!? I’m not Ingenium’s brother or Number #2’s son like your classmates!”
“But Iida get into UA himself, relation isn’t the only thing that matters in our school!”- Izuku tried to reason him.
“Of course it’s not!”- Monoma suddenly yelled, but when some concerned parents turns to them he lowered his tone, “But it’s one thing to have a copy quirk, that makes people call you ‘thief’ or ‘parasite’, and another thing to have a clingy brother who doesn’t care about your reputation.”
He looked at Mirio, who was sitting silently with his head down. “Who cares that his younger brother doesn’t have friends if we want to sneak attack on him with his quirk, right?”
“Nei-nei, I’m sorry. I was careless back then…”
“Yep. Like when I'm stuck in a playground carousel ‘cause your quirk.”
“You mean…on the carousel,right?”-Izuku corrected him.
“No, I said what I said.”-Neito answered, trying furiously to eat his ice cream. “The steel bars were in my torso for several hours.”
“I-..I’m gonna order something else…”- Mirio he said dejectedly and walked towards the stall.
“Monoma, Or Togata..kun, I think you are being too harsh on Mirio-sempai, to be honest.”- Izuku dared to say.
Neito sighed. “Look…It’s not like I hate my big brother. I care about him, respect him as the young hero that struggled with his own quirk, like myself. But… He never looks from my point of view! He never lets me have my personal place, my own friends! He genuinely thinks that I can constantly hang out with him and his pals.”
“ You don’t like Tamaki and Nejiro?”
“Oh no, they are great. They both actually ease up Mirio’s…extraness. But I’m the youngest one in that group, mind you.So , even unintentionally , I still get to be looked down upon.” And that is not really amusing to live in someone’s shadow, you know…”
“I actually know…”- Izuku replied, “ Is that why you are so… mad about our class? Are you afraid we will make you wait in the wings?”
Neito’s answer became his intense, challenging look on green boy.
“You know…I’m a single child and I might not know much about brotherhood, but…My dad said that he had a brother. Dad was older. He says that he and my uncle went through a lot, but… he lost him.”
Neito looked at Izuku with an irritated expression. “Look you-”
“I’m not guilt tripping you to be nice to Mirio! The point of that facts is that later, my dad disappeared from my life. And, I never really talked about him with anyone, but since I know your issues now, well I kinda started to understand uncle to go away from my dad.``
Neito froze. He did not expect such confessions from a small copy of the All Might from a parallel class.
“ I struggled with quirk too. I'm a late bloomer, so… There was many times I need some presence and company from this parent. But… if he failed to be around for his child, than what older brother he was that made uncle dump him?”
“ That is… sad and understandable, but what are you trying to tell me?”
“I am saying that you have a right to have a grudge. To be in someone's shadow is truly hard. But maybe, if your brother is still willing to be around you, you may try, just try, to figure out and talk about what you want from your brotherhood with him? You can also cut all contacts, but are there still chances that it can be resolved with communication? Huh?” - Izuku ask him timidly.
Neito knocked a couple of times with a spoon from nerves. After a moment of silence, he decided to answer: “You know what, 1A-classboy? I think you are right. I mean, I already have my dear class behind my back and appreciation of my skills in the academy. So, maybe my big brother can stop being the issue in my life too. Huh, I bet parents will be so relieved!”
The boy's answer pleased Izuka and made him smile with relief.’Still, you can negotiate with Monoma.’- he thought
“I'll talk to this amateur eavesdropper later. After he jumps out now.”
“Wait, what!?”
And at that moment, the older blond jumped out of the sofa.“NEI-NEI-NEE! I’M HERE!”
“If we get stuck inside the wall, call the teachers!”- Neito managed to say before he and his brother flew to the first floor. In the distance, the sounds of the two brothers' bickering became audible. Izuku decided to ignore them and finish his ice cream, once again making sure that he did not understand fraternal relations.