Work Text:
Smothered Wings
Izuku is out at lunch with his uncle Tony after a joint takedown of the Muscle Fiber villain: Tank. Tank's organization would hopefully dissolve within the next few weeks, now that Tank is no longer at its helm. The organization specialized in weapons manufacturing, something taken up from the vacuum left when Stark Industries had shifted their focus away from making weapons.
Izuku is lost in thought, absentmindedly eating his burger, when he's gently brought back to himself when his uncle taps a metal-gloved hand on his shoulder. Izuku blinks a couple of times, a bit jarred.
"Hey Izu, are you good kid? Did you even hear what I just said?” Uncle Tony asks him with a bit of a concerned look on his face.
“Oh sorry, Uncle Tony. I just kinda spaced out. I was thinking about Tank and the fact that we couldn't get that Ray gun.” Izuku said sheepishly.
"I know you're worried, but try to put that out of your mind for a little bit, alright? Your brother came by the house earlier and dropped off two front-row tickets for you. Maybe you could take your girl or your guy.” Uncle Tony smirks at him.
Izuku chuckles back at his Uncle. “Well Shouto doesn't really like hockey but Ochaco would love it. Who do you think I should take?” Izuku asks pensively.
“I think you should let me buy you another ticket and take them both. I'm pretty sure you know that Shouto would go if you asked him. It might be good bonding for the three of you. Didn't you say they were also getting closer to each other?” His Uncle Tony smirks.
“That's just a thinly veiled way to ask if we're having kids isn't it?” Izuku grins.
"What no? Definitely not because I'd spoil the hell out of it, and so would the rest of your Aunt's and Uncles... hmm, your dad, your mom, your old classmates from school, your brother, your sister…” Tony rattles off with a smirk.
“Ok ok I get it Uncle Tony we'd have a village if we needed it but I just don't know. I've never really thought about it and Shouto is a little iffy on having his own kids. He does great with Touya’s but he's been vocal that he's not really sure.” Izuku says in one breath.
“Whoa, whoa, I understand kid, I'm just prying where I don't need to. I get it but if you ever do..”
“Of course, we'd let you know. After all, who the hell else would build them a high-tech secure crib?” Izuku laughs.
“Only the best of course.” Tony smiles at him.
***
Izuku wakes up with a gasp and tears in his eyes. He's relived that last day with his family. His real family over and over again in his sleep and it never gets any easier. He had no way of knowing what that Ray gun would do. That it would send him to a completely different reality from what he knew.
Then Izuku hears a door open and his grandfather rushes into the room.
“Roberto are you alright?” His grandfather asks in concern.
Oh right.. his name.. he was Robert Robertson IV now. That was still a hard thing for him to get used to. He'd been in this reality for months now and he'd wished more than anything that he could just go back home. This entire place felt unloving and empty despite his mom and dad remaining just as caring in this timeline.
“Ah, I’m fine, Gramps… just a dream… not a problem.” The words sounded hollow even to Izuku. He hoped his grandpa wouldn’t pry.
“Ah, alright then. You want to have a cigar with me?” His grandpa questions.
"Usually I would Grandpa but not right now.”
“Ungrateful little shit.” He scolds. That makes Izuku wince a little before he gets up and gets dressed.
“Where the fuck are you going, Roberto?”
“I'm going out. I'm a grown man as you've screamed at me every time I've woken up crying the last 3 months so fuck off you old washed-up mother fucker!”
Izuku hurriedly gets dressed and heads for his bedroom door.
“Your father raised you to be a little bitch.” His grandpa mutters under his breath.
Izuku immediately freezes. He has to take deep breaths. He can't stand being in the same house as his grandfather right now.
“Never talk about my father like that again or I don't care what he says you'll find yourself in a home. He's 10 times the man you are and that's why you're even in his house right now.”
His grandfather totters off with his cane still mumbling obscenities under his breath.
Izuku immediately heads out of his room and to the front door but he's stopped by a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Hey, how about you run with me? I heard you both arguing.” His dad says from behind him.
That's how Izuku found himself running alongside his dad at a speedster's pace, each of them trying to outpace the other. Their pace slows to a stop outside of the SDN building. Izuku stares up at it. He'd never technically interacted with anyone here in this timeline but he can still remember his work study with Uncle Chase during his first year at UA. It makes a pang of sadness run through him again.
His dad gives him an odd look. Probably trying to figure out why he's looking at the building with a look of nostalgia. Izuku averts his eyes not wanting his dad to see the tears that are welling up in them.
“Hey hey, Roberto.. Why do you look like you're about to cry?” His dad puts a hand on his shoulder. “Is it about what your grandpa said to you? Do you want me to talk to him?”
That causes the tears to start flowing. That wasn't his name. This wasn't supposed to be his life. He wanted to hear one of his dad's many variations of Izuku.
He wanted to run with Uncle Colm again. He wanted to have knife fights with Aunt Janell. He even missed the way his uncle Chad would affectionately bitch at him.
He missed rocketing through the air with Uncle Victor while his uncle was transformed. Geeking out with Uncle Herman over the Hero rankings, even though they were heroes themselves. He missed his random gaming sessions with Uncle Bruno and Courtney.
He missed spending time with Aunt Mal. Demon summoning was another thing he was cut off from when he ended up in this new reality, so he couldn't even attempt to contact Lucifer for help. One of the few things that was able to still bring him comfort was Aunt Alice's music but even that wasn't the same as being able to spend time with her.
He missed the countless Hours of D&D sessions with Uncle Phenom. He missed the hours spent poring over every little detail of an invention with Uncle Tony until it was perfected. The joy both of them had when they finally got something working.
“I… really wish I could tell you, but you’d think I’m crazy, Dad.” Izuku swipes furiously at his eyes, trying to scrub the tears away. His dad immediately pulls him into a hug. Izuku cries into his shirt.
“Hey, I don’t know what’s changed with you in the last few months. All your mom and I can tell is that you’re hurting. I’m not going to push you, but you know you can tell me anything, right? I hate seeing you like this.” His dad rubs soothing circles on his back.
Izuku takes a few minutes to just cry in his dad's embrace. He's thankful that at the very least that his parents are the same here. After he finally calms down he takes a deep breath.
“I.. It's a lot and I don't know how you'll take any of it. You'll think I'm crazy.. and and I swear I'm not.. fuck..” Izuku says stressed.
“Try me Roberto I'm sure you can't say anything that would surprise me.” His dad says firmly while keeping a hand firmly collapsed on his shoulder.
Izuku laughs hard. There's a bitterness to it. “You wanna bet because I could bet a whole month's salary that this would startle you.”
"Roberto please I'm scared for you. You've never been like this. Please talk to me. I'll take you to the diner. Let me buy you breakfast.” His dad says gently.
“Fine but don't try to commit me to the hospital, after I tell you everything,” Izuku says, exasperated.
***
Whickman's Diner, Torrance, California
Izuku and his dad settle into a booth and look over the menu. Izuku gets eggs, bacon, and toast. His dad orders pancakes. As the waiter walks away to put in their order, Izuku takes a couple of calming breaths. His dad puts his hand gently over his.
"Do you want to wait for food or do you wanna start now?” His dad asks.
“Can.. we wait for food..? I don't want you to look at me like I'm crazy yet.”
His dad gives him a look between worried and hurt and Izuku hates it. He hates everything about this. That he's here in the first place. The way that his dad is looking at him. The anguish is tearing him apart inside.
“Take all the time you need.” His dad gives his hand a firm squeeze.
They sit in silence for a little while. Izuku is hyping himself up for how he's going to tell his dad about everything. He's hoping that his dad doesn't look at him like he's out of his mind. After about 20 minutes the waiter brings out their food and they start eating.
“So..” His dad stuffs a bite of pancake into his mouth. “Where do you wanna start?”
“Well…” Izuku tells him everything from the Z-Team to Shroud killing Robbie, and how he grew up without him initially. Meeting Uncle Tony. His time at UA. By the end of it, his dad's jaw is practically on the floor. Fortunately, he's not looking at Izuku like he's crazy but he does seem shocked.
“Alright.. So let me get this straight.. you just woke up here one day after getting zapped by some.. Ray gun?.. I lead a hero team made up of ex-villains who have all basically forcibly adopted both of us.. your brother was a forced hero and separated from you and your mom at birth.. your grandpa's closest friend murdered him because in your timeline he didn't let him join the Brave Brigade?”
“That covers it..” Izuku says, taking the last bite of his toast…
“Are you sure that nobody else came over with you?” His dad asks with curiosity.
“That's.. your only question?” Izuku raises an eyebrow.
“I mean I have more but that explains why you're so different from.. how I know you.”
“Well, I don't think anyone else came over with me or they'd be searching for me too I'd think,” Izuku says, taking a breath.
“Have you checked in on everyone in this timeline?”
“I have. Most of them are in jail. The Phoenix program was a thing for a little while but without you as their dispatcher, the team fell apart. Uncle Tony's company still produces weapons here. He never pivoted after returning home and you two obviously never met or he would've probably shown up here.”
“Can confirm I've never met the man although I'd love to pick his brain. Imagine what he could actually do to better society if he weren't designing weapons.”
“I can confirm he's done a lot of good As Ironman. You too were really close. You were also close with the rest of the Z-Team.” Izuku says.
“I want to find a way to get you home and I think I know who can help you.”
“I'm not going to Sh- I mean Elliott. He might be good here but I still can't get what he did to Bert a few years ago. I'd rather not have to interact with him much if I can help that.”
“Speaking of your brother, he comes home from deployment in a few days. Would you let him use his quirk on you so I could see these memories?” His dad asks.
“I actually wanted that when I first got here but when I figured out he was deployed overseas that plan sort of died out.”
“We'll figure something out for you Ro.. I mean Izuku.”
Hearing his original given name come out of his dad's mouth was like music to his ears. His eyes go slightly misty. Upon seeing this his dad grips his hand again with a firm grasp.
“I'm sorry you've gone through so much. Both here and where you come from. You might not technically be mine but you're mine and I'd hope your own dad would treat my boy the same.”
Izuku hoped that in time be able to return home.