Chapter Text
Izuku had been on the streets for a couple years now and, despite barely being 10, he’s been doing a decent job of surviving all things considered. It’s not an easy life by any means, especially for a kid like Izuku with no quirk to speak of, but he’s managing. He knows where find food, what stores are easiest to steal from, how to find safe places to sleep, and most importantly both how to defend himself and avoid fights he can’t win. The lead pipe he’d taken to carrying with him combined with his analysis hobby makes him rather formidable despite his small stature. After all, at his height it’s incredibly easy to bash his pipe into adult’s knee cap until it shatters.
When he was little and still had his mom he thinks he had dreams and aspirations, he thinks he might have wanted to be a hero, but he’s been on the street so long at this point he barely remembers being domesticated enough to think about such things. All his focus now goes into survival. Things like dreams, aspirations, and morals are for the privileged who haven’t become feral fighting tooth and claw against the world just to make it to tomorrow.
That being said, Izuku isn’t stupid; he’s still paying attention to everything. Everything he sees he analyzes, memorizing routs and territories, who belongs to what group, where they meet and when, all to keep himself safe. His home grown ability to analyze, quantify, and memorize information has probably saved him more times than his pipe has. He might not have actual schooling but his hard won street smarts are probably more valuable in his situation than whatever he’d have been taught in elementary school.
One day when he’s bigger and stronger, he’s going to carve out a territory of his own on the streets where he can keep more than just himself alive and safe. He’ll get a proper education then too, once he’s in a place where it’s safe for him to do so. Until then, he’s gotta keep learning and surviving. He’s going to make it to adulthood on his own no matter what, even if that that means beating, biting, and clawing his way through any villain, cop, or hero who tries to stop him, or worse, tries to put him in foster care.
Quirkless kids don’t survive foster care, especially not ones like him who have learned to fight their problems instead of submit.
All that being said, he is still a child with a lot to learn. In fact he was recently run out of his previous area due to increased hero patrols after he shattered both of a lower rank limelight hero’s kneecaps a few weeks ago. He should have known better than to draw that much attention to his existence but the guy had him cornered and he panicked. He’d honestly only meant to beak one of the guy’s knees but then the hero grabbed him and the only way he could think to make him let go was to break the other too and he had such a clear shot...
Regardless, heroes went on high alert and added patrols looking for him so Izuku made the executive decision to change locations and slipped into a less hero populated area. It sucks having to rebuild his reputation of being too feral to mess with again but he’ll manage. So far the streets here are rather quiet. Not to say he hasn’t had to fight his way out of situations already or anything, but there’s pretty much no heroes in the area yet crime is far more mild than in his old area. Someone or something is clearly controlling what crime is being allowed in the area and it’s put him on edge enough that he already has plans to leave once he’s not actively being looked for by heroes.
It might take a few months of hanging around here until he can make it through to a completely different city though. He apparently ended that limelighter’s career so he’s going to be a hot topic for the heroes of the surrounding areas for a good while yet. Oh well, he’ll just have to keep on his guard and use his time here to make a good plan of escape; maybe even do some research into the surrounding cities to find the best one to settle in next. An area with enough heroes to make running a trafficking operation difficult but not enough for them to pay much attention to one lone kid with a pipe would be ideal. Being a small unattended child tends to give the incorrect impression to would be kidnappers that he’s easy pickings and he prefers not having to deal with that regularly.
Maybe Hosu would be good to check out… he thinks absently as he bashes the thug that tried to grab him bloody with his pipe. He’s heard the Iidaten agency keeps the streets clear but knows when to leave well enough alone. It’s at least worth looking into as a potential option he decided as he finally stepped away from the barely conscious body of his wanna be kidnapper and turned to snarl at the accomplice. The woman that had partnered with the beaten man to try and lure him close in the first place looked terrified, clearly having realized already she picked the wrong kid to try and traffic. A simple baring of teeth had her running, abandoning her partner completely in fear.
Pathetic. Honestly they should have known better from the start. Izuku’s only been in this area for a few weeks and he’s already picked up on what type of crime is or isn’t allowed and trafficking very much isn’t. Those two were probably lucky to have only run into Izuku all things considered. From what Izuku can tell, disappearances here are clearly meant to serve a purpose or prove a point and being beaten unconscious with a rusty pipe is probably less terrible than what the boss of this territory would have done to them if caught.
Wait a second…
Izuku narrows his eyes and looks around. He had though the feeling of being watched was just the girl accomplice watching him bash in her partner’s knee caps in horror but she’s gone now and he still feels eyes on him. No matter where he looked, though, he couldn’t see anyone else hanging around; it was making want to shiver. How strange. This wasn’t the first time he’s felt this gaze since coming to this area but he’s yet to find its source. He’ll have to take the long way back to his current hideout to make sure no one is tailing him and focus on laying low.
He really hopes he hasn’t caught any unwanted attention.
-
Shouta watched the little stray kitten pause in the alley and look around, pipe at the ready, clearly sensing his gaze but unable to spot him hiding in the shadows of the building above. Such a cute little scrappy thing it was, and so very clever. Shouta’s been watching the little stray kitten since it became clear the boy had decided to make a semi-permanent home is his territory to learn the little thing’s intentions. He can’t have the wrong people thinking they can make moves on his turf after all but the boy had been careful not to stir any pots.
Normally, Shouta wouldn’t bother continuing to watch after it became clear the new meat’s not trying to be a start-up; he’s not too picky as long as his rules are followed and authority respected. This boy however caught his attention. The stray was such a tiny cute little thing, all claws and teeth and feisty determination that makes something in Shouta’s mind itch. He hasn’t acted yet, just watched, but the growing want under his skin to pet the poor thing just to see if the little kitten would try and bite his fingers was getting harder to ignore.
Shouta practically purred as the little stray left the alley, being oh so careful to keep his guard up and take as many twists and turns to lose anyone who might be following him. It makes Shouta want to play chase just to see how long the kitten could out maneuver him. Shouta didn’t follow the kitten for too long, choosing to let the kid think he’s safe for now, but oh he wanted to find where he hides. His hands twitch with anticipation but he takes a breath instead of giving into the urge to chase and catch. If he follows now, the kitten might run away from Shouta’s territory and he just can’t have that.
The little stray kitten was just too smart and observant to let waste away feral and alone; not when he learned the rules of the territory so quickly and always sensed Shouta’s gaze faster than even some of Shouta’s own people did. Such a cute, smart, fierce, perfect little thing really shouldn’t be left alone one the streets to be eaten by the wolves. No, Shouta can’t let this kid get away, not when he’s the first child to make Shouta want like this. After watching for weeks, though, he knows he can’t be hasty or the observant little stray will sense him and run.
The poor thing’s clearly been alone for so long he won’t recognize that he’s meant to be Shouta’s. He knows that after only knowing survival, the kitten will no doubt see Shouta’s safety as a threat. That’s ok though, Shouta will take care of him and make sure he learns where he belongs. The stray will become Shouta’s spoiled little house kitten and never want for anything ever again.
His papa did always say your heart just knows when you find a child that’s simply meant to be yours.
When he returns to his estate, a large sprawling thing with a large gate given to him by his papa so he can keep everyone that is his close, he immediately called everyone to a meeting even requesting his fathers to be there. It’s finally time to tell everyone about his kitten so they can start digging into his kitten’s information and make a plan. So far he’s been patient to just watch and learn instead of take, he can’t be hasty with such a skittish thing, but the kitten’s already aware he’s being watched so he needs to act before the kitten gets spooked enough to run.
Shouta walked into the meeting room to find the people who were his already present. Good, they know to be quick when Shouta calls them. Hizashi and Nemuri were lounging on a sofa while Oboro was in and armchair with a tablet. In addition to his friends, Nezu was already there and seated in a him sized chair sipping tea on one side of the room while All For One was seated in a chair on the other. Oboro must have used warp gate to retrieved both once Shouta called the meeting. He even remembered to keep them on opposite sides of the room. Good.
“As you know, there’s been a little stray kitten in the territory recently that I’ve been watching.” Shouta started the meeting. “The stray kitten is a scrappy little thing, barely a pre-teen, but he’s capable and competent. I watched him beat a would be trafficker half to death with a metal pipe tonight. He noticed he was being watched too, he couldn’t see me but he could tell I was watching.”
Shouta licked his lips at the memory of how clever his little stray was, expression turning indulgent. It made his friends share a dubious look and made his Dad and Papa sit up straighter.
“I want to know everything there is to find about my stray kitten and I have him brought here alive and unharmed.” Shouta stated.
“Isn’t pre-teen a bit too young to join the Yakuza? I thought we didn’t initiate kids?” Hizashi asked.
“My stray kitten isn’t an initiate.” Shouta clarified. “He’s going to be my son.”
“Your… son?” Oboro repeated hesitantly since Hizashi and Nemuri seemed to be too busy having a crisis to comment. “Since when did you want a kid?”
“Since I started watching my stray kitten.” Shouta said simply. “Papa was right, sometimes you simply know when a child is meant to be yours.”
“Ah yes, just like when I found you.” All For One mused. “You’re so good at listening to what I teach you.”
“Yes Papa.” Shouta agreed.
“And I’m sure he’ll be smart about it like I taught him.” Nezu added, shooting All For One a scathing look that was returned in kind.
“Of course Dad.” Shouta ignored the tension between his parents. “Now let’s focus; we’ve got a stray kitten to catch.”