章 116: Chapter 115
With the Provisional Licensing Exam taking place the following day, Izuku was planning to take it easy, spend some time with his mom, and practice his Bass guitar. Instead, shortly after the email disclosing the CBE results came out, he received a message from Nezu asking him to come in.
Contrasting the cordial smile on the diminutive chimera's face, Izuku had a somewhat weary expression as he remarked, "No rest for the wicked..."
Amused by Izuku's 'greeting,' Nezu exhaled a light-hearted laugh before regaining his smile and musing, "Congratulations on passing your CBEs, Midoriya-kun. It's a shame only one other student from your class scored a passing grade. Yaoyorozu-san is quite exceptional, isn't she?"
"You're not wrong..." replied Izuku, narrowing his eyes slightly as he added, "But it was a bit mean-spirited of you to make them take the Third-Year exams. Without my Eidetic Memory and Momo's Encyclopedic Knowledge Perk allowing her to catalog and store information in her mind, we might not have passed..."
Shrugging his shoulders, Nezu responded with a casual "Perhaps," before adding, "Fortunately, you once again met my expectations. Had you failed, I would have needed to pull some strings to ensure you have the freedom you need in the coming months."
Closing his eyes and exhaling a faintly exasperated sigh through his nose, Izuku muttered, "I figured you were up to something..." before opening his eyes and asking, "Should I thank you?" in a sardonic tone.
"If you'd like," replied Nezu. "Things would be much more difficult for you if you had to tend to your growing number of 'companions.' This way, you can focus on preparing for the Meta World Transversal phenomenon while they train alongside your classmates or focus on their Work Studies."
"Is that all?" asked Izuku, knowing there was something more due to how 'happy' Nezu seemed.
Raising his brows, Nezu asked, "Have I, perhaps, wronged you in some way, Midoriya-kun? Given the circumstances, I believed this was, at the very least, the most prudent course of action."
Shaking his head, Izuku asserted, "It's fine. I just don't approve of you regarding the girls as a 'distraction.' They're bound to fight alongside me once the Meta World Transversal phenomenon reaches our shores, so I'd prefer you to show them the same 'concern' you afford me..."
Nodding in affirmation, Nezu adopted a serious expression as he replied, "I'll be certain to keep that in mind from now on. For now, however, there is a matter I require your assistance with."
Returning a nod of his own, Izuku remarked, "I suspected as much from the start. As much as you appear to enjoy forcing others to come to you, you wouldn't have called me here simply to congratulate me on my exam results..."
Regaining his smile, Nezu mused, "That's debatable. However, in this particular instance, you are correct. You see, I've been called to speak at the forthcoming United Nations summit meeting. Ordinarily, I would never leave the academy grounds, much less Japan, but this is a request from the Prime Minister and the Director of the Hero's Association. More to the point, I'd like you to come with me."
Raising his brows, Izuku incredulously inquired, "You want me, a student, to attend a meeting of world leaders...?"
"Heavens, no!" responded Nezu. "I'll be attending the summit alone, but there are some people I'd like to introduce you to during our stay in New York. More specifically, I have arranged to have you meet with Cathleen Bate and Historia Pendragon, the other two holders of Actualization-type Quirks."
"Ah...so you want me to use Digitalization to try and analyze their Quirks?" asked Izuku.
"Yes, and no," replied Nezu. "While it's true I'd like you to analyze their Quirks, the purpose of your meeting is more straightforward. Alongside little Ms. Chisaki, the three of you are among the world's most powerful assets. You will likely be fighting alongside one another in the future, so you should, at the very least, be aware of one another."
Though he suspected Nezu wasn't telling him everything, Izuku would be lying if he said the prospect of 'returning' to America didn't excite him. He was also curious to know the Levels and parameters of two of the world's most powerful Heroes, so he replied, "I understand. I'll accompany you to America."
"Splendid~!" replied Nezu, adopting a genuine smile as he added, "We'll be departing five days from now alongside Toshinori-kun and Ms. Shield. Her father will be meeting us in New York."
Furrowing his brows, Izuku asked, "What about Eri and my mother? If Toshinori leaves Japan, they could become targets of you-know-who and the less 'understanding' members of the Shie Hassaikai..."
"Hmmm..."
Adopting a thoughtful expression, Nezu remarked, "I'd like to say they're safe within the school grounds, but I can understand your concerns. If it puts your mind at ease, they are welcome to accompany us during our trip overseas. Just know that America is far more dangerous than Japan. Even if they remain in the hotel, there's no guarantee they'll be safe. New York has innumerable Heroes, but it's also the place powerful Villains go to try and make a name for themselves..."
Recalling the incident that occurred at I-Island, Izuku's frown deepened. The soundest course of action was to leave Toshinori behind or have him directly safeguard them, but that was a double-edged sword. He was the most recognizable Hero in the entire world, so if people saw him actively protecting two 'civilians,' news organizations and villains alike would spare no effort to uncover their identities or target them...
Seeing through Izuku's thoughts, Nezu mused, "Worry not. With all our recent hires and the upgrades to our security system, I dare say UA is as secure as I-Island and Tartarus. As an extra precaution, however, I will arrange to have your mother and Ms. Chisaki reside in a safe house while we're away. Would that be acceptable?"
Suppressing a sigh, Izuku nodded and replied, "So long as they're safe..." in a weary tone. He hated having to worry about others, but that was the price Heroes paid for having companions and close, familial bonds...
"Then we've nothing left to discuss," said Nezu. "I will notify you of the specifics of our travel arrangements the morning of our departure. Rest well now, and good luck with the Provisional Licensing Exam. I've made arrangements to ensure you receive your license, regardless of how well you do on the exam, but I imagine you'd like to participate and help your classmates?"
"Seriously?" asked Izuku, shaking his head before Nezu could respond. "Forget it. With the world's fate on the line, it wouldn't make much sense to restrict me because of a licensing issue. I'm more interested to know what you have planned for my Work Studies. Knowing you, you must have 'something' in mind..."
Perking up, Nezu happily mused, "Three things, actually. Would you like to discuss them now~?"
"Might as well," replied Izuku. "I mean, I'm already here..."
"Very well, then," hummed Nezu, explaining, "First and foremost, you will be conducting your Work Studies as an Apprentice Hero under Toshinori-kun. Secondly, I was planning to send the two of you to Europe. There is substantial pressure to have Toshinori on the frontlines, so if you choose to accompany him, you will attend Britain's Royal Academy of Heroics as an exchange student until breaches begin to appear in Japan."
Before Izuku could interrupt him, Nezu raised his hand, silencing him as he said, "The Royal Academy is about to introduce a program that would allow their top students entry into the breaches. Members of the program are called Knights, and the top thirteen students are assigned codenames that correspond to individuals from Arthurian Legend. If you're willing, I'd like you to become a member of the 'Round Table,' spending the next few months, quite literally, gaining experience within the breaches."
Though he was interested in investigating the breaches, Izuku couldn't help reaching up to massage his forehead when he heard what Nezu was asking of him. It likely wouldn't be more than 2-3 months, but that was a long time to be away from his family, his girlfriends, and the mother of his unborn child. Not as long as the average tour of duty, but still...
Observing Izuku's reaction, the smile faded from Nezu's face, replaced by a slight frown. Fortunately, before his expectations could be undermined fully, Izuku exhaled a sigh and responded with an exasperated, "Fine...I'll go to Europe..."
"Excellent," replied Nezu, regaining his smile as he said, "I wouldn't have condemned you if you declined my proposal, but with the current state of our world, I'm afraid we can't afford to remain idle. Your power clearly has some sort of connection with the breaches, so it's important for you to be proactive in their investigation..."
Standing a little straighter, Izuku's expression gained a hint of severity as he replied, "I understand. I will do my best to uncover their source so that we might bring an end to them. Permanently..."
Regaining his smile, Nezu said, "Thank you, Midoriya-kun. I know this is a lot to ask of you, but there are no others that can bear this burden in your stead. Toshinori-kun and I will continue to support you, but he's unable to enter the breaches, and I'm better suited to administrative tasks. The only people who can uncover the connection between those with Actualization Quirks and the breaches are those who possess them..."
"I understand..." repeated Izuku, knowing better than Nezu how vital his role in the coming events was. He didn't know for certain if this was one of his Trials, but he would have to be a complete ignoramus to dismiss the possibility outright.
"Then I will make the necessary arrangements," said Nezu. "Please enjoy these next five days, as you will likely be heading to London immediately following the summit."
Furrowing his brows, Izuku wanted to say that five days wasn't enough time to prepare, but, knowing that hundreds of thousands had already lost their lives to the breaches, the words failed to reach his lips. Instead, he bowed his head, responding with yet another "I understand..." before eventually departing Nezu's office in a daze...
...
..
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Instead of returning to his home and taking it easy, Izuku accessed the roof of UA's Main Building, sitting on its edge and staring at the horizon with a distant look in his eyes. He was more annoyed than troubled by his impending transfer, but, as a Soldier, he was willing to do what he must to protect those he cared about. If not for his mother, the girls, and Rumi, he wouldn't hesitate to head to London right then and there...
"Quite the place you've found for yourself. I hope you're not thinking about jumping..." joked a familiar voice, emanating a few meters behind Izuku.
Turning his head, Izuku adopted a faint but genuine smile as he said, "Long time no see, old man..."
Exhaling a throaty chuckle, Toshinori made his way over to Izuku, taking a seat next to him before saying, "I just finished speaking with the Principal. Are you really okay with this?"
Nodding his head, Izuku replied, "Even before I accepted the burden of One-for-All, I was determined to do what I could to protect this world and its people, not just those close to me. Now, more than ever, I want to fight to protect this world's future..."
Understanding the meaning of Izuku's words, Toshinori's smile became somewhat awkward as he asked, "I suppose some congratulations are in order?"
Nodding a second time, Izuku's smile became affectionate as he affirmed, "Rumi is pregnant...according to her Doctor, I'll be a father in the next five to six months..."
"So soon?" asked Toshinori, his expression revealing his incredulity.
Exhaling a light chuckle, Izuku remarked, "I was just as surprised as you are. According to Rumi, her mother was only pregnant with her for around nineteen weeks. Part of being a rabbit, I guess..."
Placing his hand on Izuku's shoulder, Toshinori adopted a toothy smile as he said, "Then, no matter what, let's be sure to return before then."
Returning a toothy grin of his own, Izuku added, "Emphasis on the word 'us.' I'm planning to make you my children's godfather, so you'll need to be present as well."
Blinking in surprise, Toshinori paused for a moment before adopting an even bigger smile and responding, "It would be my honor!" in a voice that seemed to carry across the campus, simultaneously erasing the wind chill that had permeated Izuku's body...
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(A/N: The plot thickens o3o...)
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