Chapter 14: The Calm
(Izumi POV)
At home, I knock on the door to Izuku's room. "De-Izuku, are you there?" I wait for a moment, but get no reply. 'Not that I should expect one, even if he is in there.'
I can't help but sigh as I head over to my room. Inside, the walls are covered in All Might posters, as well as various weights that I use to train my quirk. Sitting on my bed, I decide to start out light, at one hundred and fifty pounds, then work my way up to the heavier ones.
While I do, I make sure to keep an ear out for the front door. Mom's already home, so the only people that would be coming back would be Dad or Izuku. Unfortunately, that still leaves me with my thoughts.
'What am I going to say to him? 'Sorry for making your life hell for ten years and being a shitty sister, I hope we can get along now'? Yeah… no. Maybe? He's never been one to hold a grudge, so maybe all it would take is an apology?'
'But that wouldn't make up for all the abuse. Maybe I can convince Dad to pull some strings to get Izuku into UA? Despite how secretive he is about his job, I know that the people he talks about on the phone are people with influence. Hooray for the power of the internet. But no, that's just stupid since Izuku isn't. Even if he can't get into the heroics course, he'd easily be able to get into their general studies. Maybe even their support course, depending on the exam.'
'Is there… actually nothing I can do other than apologizing? The more I think about it, the more I realize that there's really nothing I can do for Izuku that he can't do for himself. And even then, why would he want me to do something for him when he could ask Todoroki to do it instead?'
'It's pretty obvious that she likes him, after all. Well, obvious to everyone except him. And maybe her too. They're both pretty socially dense.' I wince at that last thought, the weight I'm lifting wobbling in the air. Refocusing on it, I see that I've already gotten to the five hundred weight, my usual one. Outlining different figures with it requires more focus, so instead of thinking more on my problem, I let my mind focus on my training.
'I guess I can just ask him what he wants me to do to make it up to him later.'
(Toshinori POV)
Closing the door to my home, I sigh, thinking back to what happened earlier on the rooftop. 'Maybe I should have phrased it differently. But I don't want to see him ending up like me.' Seeing Izumi rushing out of the hallway, I let out a sad smile. 'Neither of them.'
Opening my arms to receive a tackle hug, I'm taken by surprise when she instead stops with a disappointed look on her face. "Oh, it's just you."
Hearing that, I cough up blood in surprise! Slumping my shoulders, I mutter. "Oh, yeah. It's just me. Your dad. That you haven't seen all day. Who wants to see me? Maybe Inko? She'll probably be disappointed too."
Izumi rolls her eyes at my act. "Come on Dad, you know that's not what I meant." She sighs. "I was just hoping that it was De-Izuku coming home."
She says Izuku's name with a determined expression, confusing me. 'Why does she look so determined? And what was she going to say before she changed it to his name? A nickname? Wait, does Izuku even have a nickname?' But before I can continue that chain of thought, and why it's bothering me for some reason, I realize something.
"Wait a minute. Izumi, why didn't Izuku come home with you?" Don't they always come back home together?
She blinks at me in surprise. "What are you talking about? We never come home together." She looks away for a moment. "We… have different friends."
I blink before sighing. "Oh, well… Izuku might be a while. Something… happened."
Seeing the concern in her eyes, I rush to reassure her. "Don't worry, it was nothing major! But we did end up having a talk, and he needs some time to himself." I sigh again. "Maybe… don't push him for the next day or two. He took it pretty hard."
I can see her concern intensify, making me smile for how she cares for her brother. I pat her head as I pass. "Don't worry, with a supportive sister like you I'm sure he'll be fine."
I don't see her flinch at my words, having already walked past her to greet my loving wife.
(Katsuki POV)
I stare up at the ceiling with my arms behind my head, wondering about what Izumi was so mad about earlier. 'So what if I told Deku to jump off the roof. It's not like he'll actually do it. It's not like nobody else hasn't said it to him before.'
Things like that being told to him are just a drop in the bucket for what everyone does to him. I scoff at the idea of him actually doing it. Obviously nobody likes Deku, which means that everyone picks on him.
I scowl as a girl with a split hair color appears in my mind. She's the only one who hangs out around that Deku. He's also the only one who hangs out around her, but for a different reason. Unlike Deku, people have tried to be her friend. Given the fact that she has a powerful quirk, as well as being the daughter of the number two hero, obviously people would be climbing over themselves to get close to her.
Well, other than me and Izumi. We're good enough to make it as heroes on our own. We don't need to leech off of someone stronger than us like those extras. I smirk, holding a hand in front of me and letting off a small explosion. 'Not that there is someone stronger. Sure, Izumi and Icy-Hot have strong quirks, but mine is stronger. Especially since that icy bitch doesn't use her fire.'
'As for Izumi…' I frown before shrugging. 'She might be able to match my quirk's versatility and power. But she's too nice to bring out its full potential. But… I clench my fist. Even if she tries, she won't surpass me. I'm the best, and everyone will know it.'
Hearing the old hag screaming about dinner being ready, I get up and head down.
'Especially that shitty Deku.'
(Shoko POV)
I frown at my phone, 'unread' glowing on the screen. It's odd. Usually Izuku would answer within a few minutes. If he's busy, an hour at the most. But it's already Saturday, and he hasn't even read it yet.
I can't help but worry about it, even as I wince while grabbing a drink from the cupboard, having stretched too far and agitated my bruise. 'Did Izumi and Bakugou break his phone?'
If they did, I could probably convince my father to get him a new one. Ever since Izuku and I had that talk at the ice cream parlor, I've been learning to use my fire. It's difficult, not physically but emotionally. However, I've definitely made good progress. Much to my father's satisfaction.
Another thing that's been making progress is my training with him. After I started using my fire side, he's been going a bit easier on our spars. Not a lot, but enough for me to notice. It's like he… cares about me. Not as his tool to surpass All Might, but as his daughter.
It's a… weird feeling, but now I can see what Izuku meant back then about him caring.
"Shoko! Stop daydreaming. If you have time for that you have time to improve yourself!"
At least sometimes. As I drink from my can of Pepsi (look at my hair and tell me I wouldn't like it), I can't help but glance back at my phone. Something my father notices.
"Why do you keep looking at your phone? Are you waiting for a text from someone?" He pauses for a moment before continuing, a low growl in his voice. "Is it a boy? Are you dating someone?"
Imperceptibley, I blush. It's actually pretty difficult for someone to notice, since I can use my quirk to regulate my body temperature. Even without fully summoning it.
Izuku helped me figure that out.
"It's just a friend. The one I train with sometimes." He gives me a suspicious look, but grudgingly nods.
"You always come back from those with a great deal of determination to train. And they are the one who managed to get you to begin using your flames, correct?" I nod and he continues. "I would still like to talk to them. Thanks to them, you are much closer to surpassing All Might!"
I roll my eyes. He's still spouting that, but there's something different about it now. Maybe it's his tone. Or maybe there's less… intensity? in it. Either way, my training isn't as bad as before, and injuries that require me to stay home are now mostly by accident. I'm fairly certain.
As I throw away the can and head for the door, I hear my father speak up, clear hesitance in his voice. "Are you going to visit… her again?" I nod, not looking back. I open the door and wait a moment, wondering if he'll say more.
But he doesn't, instead I leave the house in silence, pondering if I should head to Izuku's house to check on him. But he doesn't want me to go to his house. He says I'd probably kill his family, and he doesn't want me to go to jail.
It's sweet, but paranoid. But I'll put that on the backburner. I can always talk to him on Monday, after all. For now though, I have someone else to see.
Walking through the sterilized walls of the hospital, I can't help but grow nervous. Sure, it's not the first time, but that doesn't change my feelings every time I come here. Standing in front of the door, I take a deep breath and open it.
Inside, I see a beautiful woman with long white hair and bags under her eyes from sleeplessness. But that doesn't really matter to me. What matters…
"Hello, Mom." Is that she's my mother.
(3rd POV)
The weekend passes by without incident, everyone with their own thoughts. Todoroki is worried about the fact that Izuku hasn't read her text. Izumi and Toshinori are realizing how normal it is that they don't see Izuku around the house. Something Izumi feels guilty about, and Toshinori feels confused about.
In opposition to these three, Bakugou and Inko continue as usual, unaware of anything wrong. But that's when Monday rolls around, and roll is called for the first class of the day. Shoko noticed of course, but she hoped that he would have come in at the last minute like he does sometimes. After all, despite all the abuse he's suffered, he's never been late for school. So when the teacher calls his name, everyone is surprised when he doesn't burst into the room, out of breath from rushing in.
Instead, Shoko stands, her chair falling backward from the force. She marches to Izumi's desk and glares down at her, ice frosting one side of her uniform while flames flicker in her hair. Izumi shivers, the coldness in Shoko's eyes terrifying her. Her voice rings out through the silent classroom.
"Where. Is. Izuku."
'~'
"..."
No one says anything as they watch Izumi knocking on Midori's door, for they already know she's too late to make amends. But for one of them, that prompts a question.
"Pardon me, Mr. Soahc." Nezu raises a paw. "But did you not say that Izuku is a focal point for change during our time period? If that is true, then would he not have survived in this universe?"
The students and teachers brighten up at this, their hope restored. Only to burn once again at the deity's words. "The death of an individual can bring change just as much as life. Isn't that what Tomura Shigaraki hopes to achieve by killing All Might?"
Everyone looks at the man in question, who looks startled at suddenly being the center of attention. But instead of him proclaiming some kind of goal that killing All Might will achieve, he simply shrugs.
"Why should I tell a bunch of heroes what I want to achieve." He focuses on the screen, obviously ignoring them. Instead they turn back to the screen themselves, where they see Hypo talking to his daughter.
-"Izuku might be a while. Something… happened."-
"Yeah, you crushed his dream and drove him to suicide you skeleton-looking motherfucker!"
"Ashido! Language!"
"He totally deserves it though! Not only does he neglect his son for ten years, but then he crushes his dreams the first time they have a real conversation! To quote Bakugou, 'DIE!'" She throws a bag of popcorn at the screen, causing All Might to wince. Sure, he can agree that his on-screen counterpart is pretty bad, but that's still technically him up there.
"Wait, where'd you get popcorn from?"Uraraka asks, prompting Mina to look at her.
"Oh, I said that this show could use some popcorn, then a bag of it just appeared. I also got a drink like that! Something called 'apple blood'. It's pretty good."
Blinking in surprise, everyone else except Nezu asks for their favorite drink, and it appears! Though Toga's blood gets substituted for apple blood, though in a different container than Mina's. Glaring at it, she gives it a try and finds that it has the same texture of blood while being a bit sweeter, causing her to nod in satisfaction.
The clip moves to show Bakubitch, laying in bed while staring at his hands. It doesn't focus on him for long, and he doesn't do anything while it does. Instead, one of his thoughts simply shows on the screen.
-"I'm the best, and everyone will know it. Especially that shitty Deku."-
"I don't think dead people know anything." Todoroki deadpans, though the others can't tell if he's being serious or not given his unchanging expression.
"OBVIOUSLY I KNOW THAT, ICY-HOT!"
"It's a manly thought, mostly, but since he knows Todoroki, shouldn't he be a little more humble?"
"HUH!? I WOULDN'T LOSE TO ICY-HOT!" Before he can continue screaming, Aizawa wraps him up with his scarf, still sitting down.
"Good. I wasn't sure that would work. Anyways, you're going on time out for a while."
The screen changes to Shoko getting a drink, though her wince doesn't go unnoticed. None of her thoughts play across the scene, though Todoroki does stiffen up when his father appears, shouting about how Shoko should be training, and will surely surpass All Might now that she's using her fire.
But his eyes widen when he sees her blush when they talk about Midori. So… Shoko likes him. He thinks on that for a moment, continuing the thought to its… next step? 'I wonder if that means I could like Midoriya? Am I even interested in guys? I don't think I've been interested in either gender before. Maybe I'll look up signs when we get back.'
Oblivious to Todoroki's possible awakening, the others simply watch as Endeavor expresses his desire to meet Midori, causing a few tears to be shed. But his next words not only pull Todoroki from his thoughts, but confuse everyone else.
-"Are you going to visit… her again?"-
"Who's he talking about? Do you know, Todoroki?"
He thinks on Uraraka's question for a moment and quickly arrives at one person his father could mean, but he shakes his head, having a hard time believing it.
"Let's just watch. We'll probably know soon anyways."
So they do. They watch as Shoko leaves the house. They watch as she walks into a hospital. They watch as she opens the door. They watch, and they see…
-"Hello, Mom."-
Her mother.
They look at Todoroki, and he nods. "My mother is in the same place as Shoko's. But I'm not talking about it."
Respecting his space, they just watch as a calendar appears on the screen, Monday being circled. Then it moves to the classroom, with one seat notably empty.
"Wait a minute," Tsukauchi says. "Has no one realized that he's been missing all weekend?"
His question is answered soon enough when Shoko marches over to Izumi.
-"Where. Is. Izuku."-
AN: Thank you Hedgeboar and Andre McFarlane for the support!
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