Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It's rainy night over in Shizuoka Prefecture in the City of Musutafu.
A young boy around the age of 8 was sitting in an alleyway shivering. This boys name is Izuku Midoriya. Now you might ask, why isn't this boy at home asleep, well it was simple really, he had no such place at least in his eyes.

At age 6 his mother had passed away in an unfortunate accident and he was taken in by some close friends the Bakugous. The Family of his childhood friend Katsuki Bakugou.
Now on paper this might sound great, getting to live with his best friend and with people who cared for him. This is not the case however.

Before his mothers passing he had been diagnosed quirkless and this put a strain on his relationship with his friend. who had already gotten his quirk. Friend turned to bully, and bullying turned into abuse, said abuse left rough burn marks all over Izuku's body from his friends quirk and as things go he was force to keep quiet to Katsuki's parents, this continued for the next 2 years before he could take no more and so he decided to run away in the middle of the night when everyone was sleeping.

So here he is in the middle of the night, in a dirty alleyway, contemplating what to do next, he took a deep breath and decided to just wander. He stood up on shaky legs, and grabbed his backpack that was packed with his most valuable belongings and mad his way out of the alleyway and following the sidewalk. To where? Anywhere was all he could think, he just needed to get away from here.

Ryukyu was on patrol, she wasn't sure why she had been dispatched in a city like this in the middle of the night but she didn't question it to much.

"Not much going on here either"

She looked around. Since it was the middle of the night not a lot of people were out but the ones that were had umbrellas and walked through the city, it gave her a nice sense of comfort with things being so calm even in the middle of the night. However something felt off like it was all just a calm before the storm and just as the thought crossed her mind she heard something in an alleyway a bit ahead.

She assumed and hoped it was nothing more then a cat but decided to at least check it out. She looked around the corner and scanned it with her eyes. Since it was dark it was hard to see however her quirk gave her slight night vision allowing her to see a bit better. Seeing nothing weird she took her previous thought into account that it was indeed just a cat and decided to move on however before she could leave she heard something or rather someone sneeze. She turned around and walked back into the alleyway and decided to take a closer look. She didn't find anything until she looked behind a dumpster and found something that made her eyes instantly narrow in worry and confusion. 

A child.

Izuku was running through the rain hoping to find somewhere he could hide out the night. However as he rounded the corner he saw police officer and not wanting to be caught and taken back, he instantly ran the other direction and hid into an alleyway. He took a moment to catch his breath and decide his next move. Looking into the back of the alley he found a wood fence. Finding no better way to go he decided to try and climb it. 

In the process of all this adrenaline he seems to have forgotten that he was a 8 year old boy with no muscle training and scars all over his body so he got no further then a third up the fence before he fell and landed onto some trash bags. It made a loud noise as he crashed and instantly he began to worry someone would investigate he had no time to try and climb the fence again so he did the next best thing and hid behind the dumpster.

He slowed his breathing the best he could as he heard someone walk by and investigate, doing his very best not to make a sound and just as the person was about to leave.

"Achooo!" He let out a small but audible sneeze and instantly clasped his hands over his mouth, he heard the person return and walk closer. His heartbeat raised more and more and hoped they would just leave

"Please leave..please leave, please leave"

When he could hear nothing else he opened his eyes and looked up, he was met with two glowing yellow eyes with thin black pupils, his breathing stopped and he looked at the person in fear before he react the person bent down and spoke to him in a gentle voice

"What's your name?"

Izuku didn't know what to say, however now when they were closer he did recognize the person as the Dragoon hero Ryukyu. He was doing a quick battle in his head weather or not to tell the hero his name. Would she take him to the police and make him return or maybe she could actually help him. He took a deep breath and with a shaky and nervous voice he responded

"Izuku.....Izuku Midoriya

"Hello Midoriya, I'm Ryukyu, i'm a hero. Please tell me why a young boy such as yourself out all alone in the middle of a rainy night such as this. Shouldn't you be at home?"

Izuku couldn't hold it anymore, it was all too much, all the adrenaline had rushed through his body when he was escaping so he didn't have time to really think about it but now it all broke and he started crying. Now, Ryuko was no idiot she understood that there must be a reason a young child is out like this in the middle of the night and clearly something she said must have triggered something. She gently started reaching her hand out

"Look how about we take you to the police station and-"

Slap

The young boy slapped her hand away. It was no hard slap, in fact it was weak and other then the surprise Ryuko had no reason to flinch but she did and looked at the young child. He was scared he was trying to crawl further back up towards the wall to get away from her. He had fear in his eyes as tears streamed down his cheeks.

Izuku stared in fear towards the heroine, he looked towards her face expecting anger, pity or just confusion but instead he found gentleness, tenderness and a comforting smile

"It seems that's a no go, Look Midoriya i won't press it and its clear you must have some reason, i'm gonna take a risk that i really shouldn't but i'm going to take you with me back to my apartment and we are gonna get you fixed up, let's get you a good nights rest and we can talk in the morning"

She held out her hand once more "I promise i won't take you to the police or take you somewhere you clearly don't want to go"

Izuku studied the Dragoness and contemplated what to do next, this felt almost too good to be true, but he was simply too tired to care so with a careful reach and grip he took her hand. She gently grabbed him and lifted him up into her arms and smiled at him. 

"I-i trust you Miss.Ryukyu"

"Very well then let's go home"

On the way back Ryukyu called in and talked about the situation in small detail, just that there was a hitch that forced her to return home early and that she would explain more at a later date.

Once Ryuko stepped into the apartment complex, Izuku was hit with a sweet warmth that made him yawn almost instantly, it was very comforting. Ryuko stepped inside and placed down Izuku whilst asking him to stay. She walked into the bathroom only to come out a second later with a towel that she used to dry him off. She managed to find an old T-shirt of hers that was far too small and handed it to Izuku as a change of clothing, it was a bit big for him but worked for now.

She decided to let him use her bed since it was clear he needed proper rest. She prepared it with fresh sheets before letting him jump in and make himself comfy

"Sleep well and we will have a talk in the morning when you're well rested"

He nodded gently and let out a yawn as he drifted to sleep very quickly. She watched him sleep for a minute or two before getting up and preparing herself for bed by changing out of her hero costume and into some loungewear. She prepared the couch for sleeping however before she headed to bed she decided to do some research. The name Midoriya rang a bell in her head and she didn't know why.

She grabbed her laptop and checked the time 1:43, she decided that was enough time for her to make some quick research.

The next morning Ryuko was back on her laptop and searching through some old files when she heard small gentle footsteps walk down the corridor. she looked up and saw Izuku stand there looking freshly woken up with half open eyes. She couldn't help but smile as she stood up

"Good morning sleepyhead, did you sleep well"

He nodded and let out a yawn "Mhm...very good"

"Glad to hear it Midoriya. Now let me prepare you some breakfast so i can ask you a few questions"

Seeing the boy nod and sit down at the kitchen table she decided to walk over to the kitchen and make him some simple food. She was no chef but she tried her best to make him something that will wake him up. She looked over to him and smiled as he stared at the table with those tired eyes.

After a little bit she placed a plate of food in front of him and a glass of Juice next to it and sat down opposite of him as he started eating. She smiled at seeing the boy eat the food she served him either he was really starved or she actually did a decent job. He finished his food and Juice and let out a big stretch before looking at her and smiled a bit.

"Thanks for the food Miss.Ryukyu"

She smiled happily and gave him a gentle nod "Not a problem kiddo, i'm just glad you're feeling better, now im sorry to get straight to it, but you must understand that id like to know your situation"

He looked down on the ground before he nodded and started explaining everything from the start, From his mothers passing to moving in with his honorary Aunt and Uncle to the Bullying and abuse he suffered all the way to the part were he had enough and ran way. As he talked on Ryuko just nodded and hummed in affirmation however underneath she felt her emotions build as she heard how this child's life had been the past two years

"So let me get this straight, the reason why you didn't want me to take you to the police was due to fear of being forced back"

Izuku nodded and looked down. Ryuko stood up and walked over to him and crouched down by his side

"Well its only for now but how about i talk to your guardians and tell them about what you told me and let you stay with me for a bit until we can figure something out?"

Izuku looked at her as if to confirm if she was serious and seeing her gentle eyes and smile he understood she was...he thought about it, for a good while it may have been 5 minutes before he turned to her and nodded. Ryuko stood up and smiled, gently patting him on the head

"Alright then, can you tell me the location of them and i can head over there right away, and don't worry you don't have to come with me, you can stay here if you want"

He nods and grabs onto her, her hugs her by the waist and starts sobbing a bit, but this time its tears of joy as he finally felt like he had a place to belong, all he could let out was two simple words. "Thank you" Ryuko just gently hugs him back and lets him let his emotions out as she rubs his back. 

"No problem, I will make sure things are better for you, I promise Izuku"

Chapter Text

Ryuko pulled up in front of the house with the label Bakugou and stepped out. She walked down the pathway towards the door while contemplating how to break everything down to the family. She rang the doorbell and waited. She was holding a stack of papers under her arm.

Didn't take long before the door was opened by a woman who Ryuko assumed was Mitsuki Bakugou. "Hello there Ma'am are you Mitsuki Bakugou?" The woman raised her eyebrows before nodding "Indeed i am, and who are you"

Ryuko took out her hero licence and handed it to Mitsuki "I'm the Pro hero known as Ryukyu i am here regarding a certain young boy by the name of Izuku Midoriya" Mitsuki's eyes widened when she heard the name of her honorary nephew and looked at the woman,

"Well this certainly is a surprise, i'm sorry to say that Izuku isn't here at the moment, in fact we have not seen him since late last night, we were actually in the middle of contacting the police about him we have sorta been up the walls about it and been worrying sick" Ryuko nodded and smiled "Well you don't need to worry Mrs.Bakugou as i know exactly where the boy is and he is perfectly safe, if you don't mind letting me in, i can explain everything"

Mitsuki looked like she had just heard the best news of her life, she nodded excitedly and moved aside and lead Ryuko to the living room "Masaru get in here!, we got a guest who got info about Izuku!" 

A man around his late 30's rushed into the room with a worried yet hopeful expression as he walked over Ryuko bowed down and introduced herself to the man "Hello sir, I'm the Pro hero Ryukyu and i'm here regarding Izuku Midoriya a child who has been in your care these past two years" Masaru nodded and held out his hand "Hello Miss.Ryukyu pleased to meet you, My name is Masaru Bakugou and that's correct, we woke up this morning and noted him missing and we have been kind of all over the place trying gather information. But please have a seat and you can tell us what you know"

Ryuko nodded and sat down whilst placing her stack of papers on the living room table, the two Bakugou's did the same and Ryuko started. "Very well let's start with how i came into contact with young Midoriya. I had a late night patrol inside city when i came across him hiding in an alleyway" Both Bakugou's looked surprised but nodded for her to continue.

"As i offered to take him back to the police station he flinched at me as if he feared the police for whatever reason, against my better judgement i took him with me back to my own home so he could relax and get a proper nights sleep, so we could tackle the problem in the morning. This morning after i fed him some breakfast and a good nights rest he told me his reasons and for what i understand his mother passed away two years ago and is the reason he is in your care?"

Mitsuki nodded "That's right his mother Inko was in a terrible accident 2 years ago on her way home, Inko was a dear friend of mine since high school so we decided to take Izuku in so he could live with people he knew well" Masaru nodded in affirmation.

Ryuko nodded and continued "He also told me how you two have a son around his age who has been a close friend of Midoriya since early childhood"

Mitsuki once again nodded "Yes Katsuki and Izuku have known eachother since a young age and has always gotten along, however for a few years now it seems they have had it rougher and not really mixed well"

"This info actually leads into the next part of the story he told me" Ryuko continued "That as of late it appears that your son has been bullying and even abusing young Midoriya, i took a look at his arms and they have clear scaring of burn marks. I wan't to confirm what your sons quirk is and if this adds up"

At this Mitsuki audibly gasped and widened her eyes "T-this is the first of i have heard of any of this, Katsuki's quirk is called explosion it lets him ignite his sweat and create explosions from his hands, but i would never have guessed he would be using it against Izuku to such a degree. But maybe i have just been blind and not noticed, Izuku always hid away whenever he got home, i only ever saw him at dinner and even then as soon as he was done he was gone back to his room. I always took it as him being depressed over his mothers death and i decided to just let him be..i didn't want to force him to do anything he didn't want" Mitsuki looked down on the ground, feeling a sense of guilt and shame build up.

Ryuko smiled and put her hand over Mitsuki's "Maybe it's true that you could have pushed more but i don't think that he would have let you anyway, he might have just fled further away" She removed her hand and leaned back.

"That being said however you two must understand that if this is true, this can be serious, young Bakugou himself is young and can't exactly be judged in a court of law, and even then Midoriya's scars seem to be minimal or at least healed enough to where it isn't a real danger. It seems all the psychological trauma combined over these two years caused the poor kid to finally snap and run away, for what i understand he wanted to get away from the torment"

Masuru who had been very quiet the entire time finally spoke up "While i understand and agree with you what do you think we should do, we obviously will have to have a serious talk with Katsuki but while we fix Katsuki's problem this wouldn't really be a good place for him to live the way i see it, neither do i think he'd enjoy living in an orphanage"

Ryuko nodded and let her smile drop "You are indeed correct, however i'm gonna propose a deal to you" Grabbing a paper from the pile and sliding onto the table so they could see "I'm willing to take the young boy under my wing for the foreseeable future and help him out, this might seem strange since i just met him however i think both you two and myself would feel safer knowing this trauma filled child was under the care of a pro hero and i promise to make sure he gets the help he needs. i just need you to sign this paper to revoke your rights to me to become his legal guardian"

The couple looked at each other before reading the paper and Ryuko could see the concerns on their faces "I want to make it clear..i want the best for him just as much as you two do, and there is nothing stating you can't drop by to check up on him"

Mitsuki sighs and looks at the Dragoness "I can't think of anything better and all i want is for Izuku to be safe and happy, i might be foolish to accept this so fast but the way i see it if you really are a pro and the way you have talked about this, i can only see this going up" Masaru nodded in agreement as they both signed the paper

They all stood up and Ryuko shook both of their hands "I promise that i will do everything in my power as a pro to make his future bright and make him happy" Mitsuki shakes her hand and smiled "We put our trust in you"

"Now we only need young Izuku's signature i'll talk to him and return here to pick up his stuff" As Ryuko was about to leave Mitsuki stopped her "Before you go, would you mind me comming with you to talk to him, id like to see him"

Ryuko smiles and nods "Of course"

They pull up to Ryuko's apartment and walk inside to find Izuku sitting on the couch whilst watching tv and writing in his notebook. He turned towards the sound of them returning and when he saw Mitsuki with Ryuko his eyes widened.

"Hey Izuku i'm back and i brought someone"

Mitsuki rushed over and grabbed Izuku into a hug. He didn't really know how to respond but hugged her back soon after "oh Izuku Im glad to see you're safe, you had me worried sick" Izuku looked down at the floor "S-sorry auntie" 

Ryuko walked over and placed the paper next to Izuku before sitting down and waiting the two to have their moment, she had a smile on her face and a warmth in her heart, it was nice to see
"N-no i'm sorry Izuku, i should have seen the signs, i should have noticed how Katsuki treated you and i promise i'm gonna do everything i can to set him straight, however that's not really the most important thing." Mitsuki looked towards Ryuko and Izuku did the same.

Ryuko began "Izuku that paper right there is a paper that with your consent will transfer the rights of the Bakugous to me so i become your legal guardian. I will do what i can to help with your life and get you where you want to be, however of course i will never force you to do anything, but if you can put your trust in me just sign that paper and i will let you live here under my care"

Izuku looked towards Ryuko with shock before he turned to Mitsuki who nodded to confirm what Ryuko was saying, he looked at the paper and contemplated his choices, he had to think carefully about it, 10 minutes passed before he picked up a pen and wrote down his name on the paper and handed it to Ryuko "P-please take care of me Miss.Ryukyu"

Ryuko smilled and patted the boy on the head "I promise i will. I did say i was gonna make your life better after all"

Mitsuki gave Izuku one last hug before standing up "Very well i will have Masaru make his way here with all of Izuku's belongings. Now Izuku we'll come visit every once in a while but make sure you behave and continue doing your best" Izuku nods and smiles, a smile that he has not given in years.

"I Will."

Chapter Text

Izuku woke up from the best sleep he has had in years and wandered downstairs to find Ryuko sitting at her laptop

"Good morning Miss.Ryukyu"

Ryuko looked up from her laptop to find Izuku coming into the living room. She smiled at the boy

"Good Morning Izuku"

Izuku walked into the kitchen and started looking for something to eat all while Ryuko looked on before returning to her laptop. however before long she looked up once more and looked at Izuku once again

"I think i forgot to ask but where do you go to school?, you're in elementary school right?"

Izuku looked at her and nodded "Umm yeah...i go to local elementary school in Musutafu...." Ryuko nodded and was ready to get back to work before he walked over to her and shyly tapped his fingers together as he tried to avoid looking at her "Um..M-Miss.Ryukyu?" Ryuko once again looked at the boy "Izuku please call me Ryuko, no need to be so formal" The boy nodded and tried once more "S-so Ryuko, would it be uhh...possible for me to maybe switch schools" 

Now Ryuko would be lying if she said that she didn't expect it to be brought up but not so soon let alone from a shy boy like Izuku himself. While she was pretty sure she knew the reason she decided to let him say it "Oh? It wouldn't me impossile but any particular reason?"

Izuku continued to dodge her eyes as he nervously moved his hands "W-well i g-guess its because i'm s-scared to return, i would rather not g-go to the same school as K-Kacchan anymore"

Ryuko couldn't say she blamed him, these past two years had been filled with abuse both verbal and physical for the poor child. It's not like she herself would be thrilled to go back to a place like that
"I understand where you are coming from Izuku. I will see what i can do, however as of tomorrow you will still have to return for a few days at least until i can finalize your transfer, think you can do that?"

Izuku looked at her with hope in his eyes if a bit of hesitance to return even for only a bit "I-i will try my best" He felt a hand on his head and looked up to see a smile from Ryuko "Good, do your best that's all i ask" 

The two of them had a nice and quiet breakfast together before Ryuko got called into work. 

"Alright Izuku i need to go and work, you sure you will be fine on your own?" Ryuko said whilst standing in the doorway 

The boy nodded "Yeah i will be okay, and i promise to not leave or open the door" Ryuko smiled at the boy and crouched down to pat him on the head "Very good, i'll be back in a few hours, There is food in the fridge, just be careful" She stands up and walks towards the door "Bye now Izuku" Izuku waves her off "Bye bye.."

After seeing her close the door she decides to head to the living room and start watching TV, he grabs his journal and starts writing in whilst watching some program about heroes.

Ryukyu was sitting in her office at her agency. After being called in to the agency to help with some small group of thugs, she decided to stay at the agency in case they needed her again. Something was nagging at her however in the back of her head she felt a sense of worry and a sense of need, looking down at her phone she knew what was bugging her. She grabbed the phone and decided to call a number

a few signals went through before she heard someone awnser

"Tatsuma residance..."

And just like that with such simple words all her dread and worry almost washed away and she smiled "Hey Izuku it's me i decided to call to check that everything is fine?"

"Mhm everything is fine here Miss.Ryuko" There's the Miss again Ryuko thought but decided to leave it be "Well I'm glad to hear that. I'll be home in an hour or two so you just relax and keep doing what you've been doing alright?......Good.....Bye bye" *Click* Ryuko hung up and put her phone back down, who would have thought just having Izuku around would make her maternal instincts flare up. She'll probably faint the moment he calls her mom. Ryuko gets lost a bit in her own thoughts as she keeps working and before long her shift was over.

Ryuko opened the door and stepped into her apartment, she heard the TV from the living room as she stepped inside. She found Izuku once again in front of the TV watching the same hero program as he had been when she returned with Mitsuki the day before. She took off her shoes and headed for her room sharing a wave and a greeting with the boy before she headed to her bedroom to change out of her hero costume. 

After changing clothing she sat down next to Izuku as he watched the program, she decided to watch with him, it was an interview with All Might she looked down at Izuku who had an excited smile on his face and Ryuko couldn't help but smile back "Hey Izuku?" The boy turned to look at her and titled his head and she continued "Do you like heroes?" He instantly responded with an excited nod "I love heroes! I want nothing else then to be a hero when i grow up!" after he said this however his smile dropped and he looked down on his hands "But...i guess it's not possible...since i don't have a quirk" 

Ryuko looked at the boy and frowned a bit, she had to think of what to say. What he was saying wasn't exactly wrong, without a quirk being a hero would be very dangerous however the more she thought about it, the more she found herself disagreeing with the idea, there are tons of quirks out there that are not made for combat and a ton of heroes who have quirks like that and even then a lot of quirks that can't always be used either. In fact her own quirk was a great example. Being able to turn into a powerful dragon had its positives no doubt however there were plenty of instances where she simply wouldn't be able to transform. Her own fix to this problem was to use some hand to hand combat skill or partial transformations. The more she thought about it the more she found herself thinking the opposite a person without a quirk could probably become a great hero considering they'd be able to be useful pretty much anywhere.  Nothing support gear and training couldn't fix.

Ryuko smiled and looked at Izuku "You know what i think Izuku? I think that you would be able to become an amazing hero even without a quirk however that would mean you'd need extra hard work is this something you'd be ready to work towards?" 

Such simple words, there was nothing new or ground breaking being said...yet it was as if his entire world had been lifted up once again. This woman, no this Pro Hero was saying he a worthless useless Deku could still be a hero even without a quirk. the water works broke he started crying was it happy or sad tears? he didn't know and he didn't care he just felt such a big weight being lifted off his shoulders and he couldn't be happier. He wiped his eyes and clenched his fist before looking up at his foster parent and nodded "I'll do everything it takes. I will be the greatest hero"

Ryuko smiled and patted his head once again "Very well Izuku, if that's what you want how about once we have managed to settle you into a new school we try and en roll you into Martial arts training?" 

Izuku looked at her and smiled happily and nodded "Can We?! Yes Please" He happily started bouncing up and down and Ryuko couldn't help but think somewhere in heaven Izuku's mother was at rest.

4 Years later

Four Years had passed since a young Izuku was rescued and taken in by the Dragoon hero Ryukyu and ever since that day every week Izuku had been learning martial arts. As a bonus Ryuko herself often tested Izuku in his combat skills to see how far he had come and today was the first time in these 4 years where he had managed to knock her down, of course she wasn't going all out however even while holding back a 12 year old being able to strike her down was impressive and Ryuko couldn't help but feel very proud. Right now the two of them were sitting in the kitchen and having a small snack after a long day of working out.

"You have improved a lot over the last years Zuku, you're really taking this whole thing seriously huh?"

Izuku looked up at Ryuko and grinned "Yeah of course! if i'm gonna be a hero i have to work super hard! Im always gonna be behind my peers without a quirk! so i have to work harder then anyone to become the strongest!"

Ryuko smiled fondly at her protégé "Well just don't overwork yourself"

It was currently early spring and very soon Izuku would start his first year in Junior high. Izuku had decided he was gonna avoid any schools near Musutafu to avoid having to go to the same school as Bakugou, it was mainly Ryuko's idea

Speaking of Ryuko she was having a bit of a mental crisis well more so mental drama that she was trying to figure out however deciding not to dwell on it she reaches for her bag and puts some papers on the table and slides them over to Izuku.

Izuku looks at the papers and starts reading them over his eyes slowly widened as he looked up at Ryuko who had smile on her face as she waited for him to finish reading "R-Ryuko are these?"

"Adoption papers yes...up until this point i have only been your legal guardian but if you want I'm willing to not only make us a family by bond, but also a family on paper, for me ever since the day you have been here, you have been part of my family and for me it matters not if we have it written on paper but maybe this can finalize that so you can always feel no matter what that i'll be here and have your back, not as a teacher but as family"

Izuku looked like he was about to cry but managed to hold it in before looking at the papers, he grabbed a pen and signed them before handing the papers to Ryuko

"I know i said it the day i got here but please keep taking good care of me Ryuko"

Ryuko happily smiled as she took the papers "From the moment these are turned in your not only legally my son but also this will change your last name to my name."


"Welcome to the family Izuku Tatsuma"

Chapter Text

"You're certain you don't want me to drop you off at the school?" Ryuko looked towards Izuku as he was grabbing his backpack "I don't have anywhere to be for another few hours, i don't mind driving you to the school, no need to take the train" Izuku shook his head and smiled "It's fine i will be taking the train most of the time anyway right? so i might as well start today"

He got out of the car and frowned a bit "plus i don't want to be the talk of the school already how i was dropped off by a pro hero" Ryuko had a bit of a grin on her face "Oh embarrassed over me dropping you off?" Izuku quickly shook his head "No of course not, i have nothing but respect for you but i want to try and fly under the radar as much as possible i suppose. You know? just to be safe" 

Ryuko frowned but nodded at him "Alright Zuku, i'll see you at home later, take care now" After Izuku closed the door Ryuko drove off shortly after and the boy walked over to the train platform and started waiting for the train, It was still a few minutes before it was set to arrive so Izuku gabbed the phone Ryuko had gotten him for his 12th birthday and started scrolling through hero news.

As he was scrolling he suddenly felt someone push again him and almost dropped his phone but managed to grab onto it in time, he looked up and saw a girl with Pink skin and hair rush passed him towards a few other girls she quickly turned around and waved at him "Sorry! My Bad!" before reaching her friends and starting to chat with them. Izuku looked towards them for a few seconds to process what had happened. Before long however the train arrived and he decided to just forget about it.

The train ride was uneventful as he braced his nerves, a new school, new classmates and a fresh start. This all lined up to be a much better time, his last few years of Elementary school was uneventful. Despite changing school Izuku still didn't make any friends since he was still very shy and decided it to be better if he stayed on his own much to Ryuko's dismay.

He arrived at his new school Mustafa Private Middle School. He landed in class B and whilst looking at all his classmates he saw the pink girl from the station. "Suppose she is in this class too huh...Well she seemed nice if a bit spastic, so i suppose its not gonna bad" He learned during callout that the girls name was Mina Ashido. 

The Day went on as normal however once first period was over he suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder, he looked to his side and saw Mina right next to him "Soo Uhh Heya, You're Izuku Tatsuma correct?, i saw you and realized you're the guy i ran into at the station and once again wanted to just give you a quick apology, i was in a bit of a hurry, hope i didn't startle you too bad heh" She grinned with a bit of embarrassment as she rubbed the back of her head

Izuku didn't really know how to awnser but eventually just shrugged and smiled "Y-yeah don't worry about it, you just surprised me is all, no harm done" Mina perked up and smiled happily "Oh Good! i was afraid you were gonna be angry at me but im glad we are cool, I'm Mina Ashido nice to meet ya hope we can be friends!" She grabbed his hand and quickly shook it, the startled boy just sorta went with it.

When she finally stopped she looked at him with a grin "So yeah my girl friends and i landed in different classes and while i can just go see them any time id still like to make some friends in my own class, so hope you're ready because you and me. We are gonna be besties" Izuku just looked around confused but eventually he chuckled at the high energy girl and stood up "Heh Alright Ashido, let's be good friends" He shook her hand again and smiled.

The rest of the day went smoothly as Him and Mina got to know each other, he learned a few things about her. Like her love for dancing and how social she truly is. Although Izuku could very easily guess that.

"So Zuzu.." Izuku looked up at the girl as they were sitting on a bench in a nearby park. He quickly tilted his head and looked at the girl "Is that suppose to be me?" Mina smiled and looked at him whilst nodding "Yeah i told you. Besties hello!, and all my besties get nicknames. Unless you'd prefer me calling you Tatsuma. I don't mind" Izuku thought a bit about it before shaking his head "Nah i don't mind. you're a strange one Ashido but that isn't a bad thing" Mina giggled happily as she continued "Right so as i was gonna ask, I was just curious. What's your quirk? You have not shown any special powers neither do you look different, No need to awnser just curious."

Izuku shook his head and smiled "I don't mind...I'm actully quirkless" Mina's eyes widened but before she could ask he continued "I know it's very uncommon these days and when i was a kid i used to hate it and it was quite the sore spot for me, but at this point i have kinda just gotten over it" Mina nodded before returning her smile "Well what is your dream?" Izuku responded quickly "I'm going to be a hero. quirk or no quirk it's my dream and i have been training even since i was eight in self defence classes. I know it's gonna be tough but no matter what i will become a hero no doubts about it!"

Mina listened to her new friend talk and couldn't help but smile more and more over his passion before she stood up and spun around on her heels to face Izuku "Well you know what?, I think, no i know! that you can do it and you got my support all the way Zuzu!" He smiled happily at her and stood up "Thank you Ashido, that means a lot."

Ryuko was sitting in the kitchen when she heard the door opening "I'm Home!" Izuku yelled from the entrance. Ryuko got up to greet him "Welcome home Izuku. Did your first day of Middle school go well?" Izuku happily nodded "Better then i thought....i even made a friend She is a bit hyper but very nice" 

Ryuko couldn't help herself as she rushed over and hugged her adopted son "Oh im so happy for you Zuku, I hope i can meet her someday she sounds wonderful. What's her name?" Izuku finished taking off his spring jacket and shoes before he gave answer "Mina..Mina Ashido she's got Pink hair and skin, I assume it has something to do with her quirk but to be honest she was so quick to ask me questions i never got the time to properly ask her"

"Well i'm just happy that you finally made a friend, but i must ask does she know about you being quirkless?" Izuku nods as he walks into the kitchen "Yeah actually and not only does she not care she also supports my dream of trying to be a hero, i can't help but think i rolled high in luck today"

"Im really glad that things are starting off well and if you keep her close i'm sure the rest of the school years will go well too"

Izuku nods and smiles he sits down at the kitchen table with some leftovers and starts eating. His phone starts buzzing. Grabbing it and seeing a message from Mina. 

"Heya Zuzu hope you got home safe, hate for my new bestie to get hurt on his way home   \(^-^)/!"

Smiling fondly at the goofy emoticon and how the message was just what he expected he quickly replied

"All good here, just got home in fact"

"Goodie! Stay safe Zuzu, I gotta go, ma and pa calling me to help with dinner. TTYL Byebye!"

Izuku put his phone down and chuckled in amusement before he continued to eat.

Izuku was walking from the station towards the school when was suddenly tacked by a pink blur who almost knocked him onto the ground but he managed to not fall over

"Good morning Zuku!, Sleep well?" Izuku looked down at the girl and smiled whilst blushing over how close she was being "G-good morning Ashido, Yeah what about yourself?"
Mina jumped away from her friend as she grinned "No problems here, got all 8 hours of my beauty sleep so i'm raring to go" She said as she flexed her arm "Hey Zuzu, you down to hang out after school? i got a place i want to show you!"

Izuku did a double take since it had been forever since someone asked him to hang out but nodded "Y-yeah sure i don't see why not i just need to let my Mom know"
Mina jumped up and down happily in place as she grinned and grabbed Izuku's arm to drag him along towards the school "Alright!, Hurry up slowpoke, we can't be late then!" Izuku almost stumbled as he was dragged along "Woah slow down Ashido!"

As if she had been waiting for it as soon as final period rang and they got out of the building. Like a rocket Mina grabbed a hold of Izuku and dragged him into town "Hurry Hurry!"
"A-Ashido what did i tell you about slowing down, are we in a hurry?" Mina looked back at her green haired friend and smiled "Nah but im too excited, i really want to show you this place!"

Izuku was dragged to a store which made his eyes widen "W-wait is this a?"

"Hero store, that's correct!, When we talked yesterday you sounded so into it whenever you talked about heroes so i thought id show you this place which i passed yesterday when i was out with the girls, and you instantly came to mind!" They walked inside and looked around at all the hero merch from floor to ceiling. Now it was Izuku's turn to drag Mina around as they went around and looked at things. Mina didn't really mind as she just followed happily behind her friend, happy to just see him this excited "So you got a favourite hero Zuzu?"

"Yeah! my it's A-" He stopped himself as he looked towards the All Might merch. He thought about it. It was true All Might had always been his favourite and nothing had changed he still admired the man a ton. However so much had happened in his life and he almost forgot that he had in fact grown more attached and grown even more respect for another hero over the past 4 years. All Might may have been the Nr.1 Hero and symbol of peace in japan but he wasn't the hero who took him in, who saved him that day, He wasn't the hero who had taken care of him for 4 years and treated him like their own.

"Yeah...the Dragoon Hero...Ryukyu she's my favourite." Mina looked at the boy and smiled "Ryukyu huh?, she's the Nr.9 hero correct? I've never really seen her in action or heard much about her but she seems pretty cool, any reason she's your favourite?" Izuku looked at the ground and smiled fondly "Yeah a lot of reasons, a lot of which are sorta personal. I hope you don't mind me leaving that out for now, It's not that i don't trust you just..you know" 

Mina dismissively waved her hand "Don't worry bout it Zuzu. We just met yesterday i don't expect you to tell me everything right away so tell me when you feel ready Kay?"

Izuku nodded before walking over to an area that had a small amount of Ryukyu merch. He looked at some posters and such but the more he thought about it the weirder he felt buying merch of the woman that was in other words his mother. His eyes landed on a white bracelet with the Kanji for Ryukyu written on it and a small dragon hanging off it. He picked it up and smiled. "Yeah I'll buy this" Mina tilted her head curiously at the trinket "Hmm? Why that, the other stuff here isn't that expensive wouldn't it be cooler to grab a poster or somethin?" 

Izuku nods before looking at the ground and holding the bracelet tight "Yeah but this feels right" Mina shrugs and smiles "Hey no biggie, i'm not here to judge, that be dumb since i brought you here" He smiles at her "Yeah, thanks for taking me here Ashido, It means a lot"

"Mina..." The girl looks down at the bracelet in the boy's hand before looking him in the eyes and smiling

"You sure?, i mean we just met" Mina smiles brighter "Yeah well i call you Zuzu, so i don't see the big deal in you calling me Mina, we're friends after all" He nods and smiles brightly "Yeah, That we are, Thanks Mina"

"No problemeo Zuzu!"

Chapter Text

About a month had passed since he first started school here and things had been great. His and Minas friendship had continued to bud over the last 4 weeks and the two often hung out after school. Right now Izuku was walking from the station towards school expecting Mina to jump and surprise him however she never appeared which Izuku thought was a bit strange at first, however any questions or worries he had was instantly quashed when he walked through the gate and saw Mina sitting on a bench hanging out with some of her girl buddies. He decided to leave her be and just talk to her later but right after he passed her she looked up and ran over and grabbed him.

"ZUZU!, Good morning!. I hope you're not trying to ignore me get your green butt over here!"

Izuku could not react and suddenly he was sitting on the bench with two girls looking at him curiously before turning to Mina for an explanation. She wasted no time

"Ai, Mio...this is Izuku Tatsuma my Classmate and a new friend, we met on the first day and clicked instantly. Zuzu, this is Aiko Handa and Mio Masaki my girl buddies from last year of Elementary school" 

Izuku who finally got his stuff together just waved and blushed a bit feeling embarrassed at meeting two new people so suddenly, the girls just smiled greeted him
"Sup, names Aiko Handa just call me Ai, not for all that fancy crap. Seems like Mina caught you in her trap too welcome to the club, you don't mind if i just call you Zu right"

The other girl who must have been Mio just slapped Ai on the arm and sighed "Ai have some manners with new people, Nice to meet you Tatsuma, im Mio Masaki, you're welcome to call me Mio i don't mind" Izuku just nodded and finally got his brain together "Uh oh umm, Yeah nice to m-meet you two and A-Ai i don't mind if you find it easier, same to you M-Mio you can just c-call me Izuku. As for mina i suppose you can say that, she's quite straightforward and suddenly i was just along for the ride"

The girls giggled a bit while Mina pouted "Hey, you make it sound like i'm some hooligan who just approaches anyone i see!" Ai just smirked and looked at her "But..that's exactly what you do though, its exactly how you and i met, you just approached me and said we were friends and dragged me along, i feel like that will get you in trouble girl"

Whilst the 2 girl argued and Mio just watched in slight amusement, Izuku couldn't help but smile. He didn't know what it was but he felt happy, all these people around him who didn't just detest his very being, it made him feel safe. 

When the first classes started the girls waved him and Mina goodbye and the 2 headed off to another class the rest of the day went great. Izuku ate lunch with the girls and in general had a good time. However on his way home things were about to change

Izuku was walking away from the station with Mina, they had decided to hang out a bit after school just to get (In Mina's own words) More bestie time. Izuku liked hanging out with the alien girl and didn't exactly mine anyway so he had agreed without much hesitation

"So what did you want to do Mi-"

"Holy SHIT is that Midoriya!"

Izuku froze and didn't move, meanwhile continued walking before she noticed her friend stopping "Hey Zuzu? you good?" No, He wasn't he couldn't move his legs that voice made his skin crawl
he looked behind him and saw what he feared two people who he had never learned the names off but knew all to well. Bakugou's lackeys. These two had been part of Izuku and Katsuki's class back in his year of Elementary school before he changed schools. They would often join Katsuki in the verbal bullying but always just watched on when he would get abused by Katsuki. One of them put his arm on Izuku's shoulder and grinned

"Haven't seen you since second year of Elementary school. We know you changed school but damn you have hardly changed at all" He looked up and saw Mina approach with hesitation "Who's this?, finally found yourself a friend? damn and a cute one too, Midoriya you lucky dog"

"its tatsuma..." He said quietly but the other teens heard him "Huh? oh right Bakugou did say something about you moving out from his place. So you changed name huh" He looked up at Mina again "Hey Pinky..are you aware of this guy being Quirkless?" Mina started frowning, she looked at Izuku to find him with a scared and meek expression "Yeah...i'm aware what of it? Who are you two anyway?" 

The boy raised his hands defensively and continued with his smirk "Hey hey, we are just old friends of this guy here no need to get hostile sweetheart" Mina's frown didn't drop she just scowled angry and clenched her teeth "Please just leave us alone, it's clear he doesn't want anything to do with you two..."

Now, Mina was a calm and laid back girl not easy to make her angry but she felt her blood start to boil, if there was one thing she hated with all her heart it was bullies and now these two were not only disturbing them but were also clearly making her friend uncomfortable. She was freaking furious. However she decided to keep her calm as the boy scoffed 

"Tsk...Whatever" He smacked Izuku in the back of the head before walking away from him and walking past Mina "Do what you want. You're wasting your time with a loser like him" They left quickly after.

Izuku fell on his knees before sitting down and huddling up and hugging his legs. Mina watched the boys leave before her face softened and she turned to Izuku. Obviously worried for her friend she decided to crouch down next to him.

"Hey...You okay Izuku?" When she didn't get an answer she decided to move him off to the side of the sidewalk and sit him against a wall, she then sat down next to him and just sat in silence for a bit. A few minutes passed before Izuku spoke up

"T-those two were some old bullies of mine from Elementary school...i had forgotten all about them until now but they used to...hang around the guy who....abused me and bullied me back then..."
Mina just sat and listened before she had to ask "They called you Midoriya, what's that about if you don't mind me asking?" Izuku took a deep and shaky breath before answering "T-Tatsuma isn't my last name...or at least it wasn't on paper until recently... It's a long story you sure you want to hear it?"

Mina nodded "You're my friend Izuku...and if something bad is bothering you id like to hear it so i can help you the best i can... so please tell me if you don't mind" Izuku nodded "Okay but...let's walk while we do it" Mina nodded and the two stood up and started walking.

"So....about 6 years ago my mother passed away in an accident...and My father wasn't around which is a story for another time.....it ended with me living with close family friends. These people were the parents of my childhood best friend...all of this sounds like despite the unfortunate situation it would turn out great, However at age 5 as you know i was diagnosed quirkless and because of this, My friend started treating me differently he started bullying and abusing me with his own quirk, leaving me with burn marks and scars all over my body."

The two arrived at a park and decided to take a break and sit down at a bench. Izuku grabbed a water bottle from his backpack and took a handful of chugs before he continued

"This abuse and bullying continued for the next 2 years even when i was still living there...i was forced to hide my scars from everyone. Eventually it all became too much for me and i decided to run away, I packed what i could and in the middle of the night i ran away. I had no clue were i was going neither did i have a plan all i knew was that i needed to get away from there away from him...eventually i was found by someone, a kind woman who helped me and let me stay with her. She took me in and made sure i was okay"

Mina had to interject "Sorry for interjecting but what about your guardians...didn't they get worried?"

Izuku nodded as he got up and gestured for her to follow as he continued "Yeah, they were worried sick for what i heard but the morning after she found me she went to them and explained everything, I wasn't there when it happened but they came to an agreement that this she would take care of me because of how she felt the household was not a good place for me to live after a bit of paper work everything was sorted out and i was put under legal care of this woman, for the next 4 years i lived with her. She was also the one who told me i could be a hero despite being quirkless and is also the one who placed me in martial arts training. Only a bit before starting school here we decided to have her legally adopt me. Because of this my name legally became her last name, Tatsuma."

They walked in silence while Mina processed everything she had heard. She eventually shook her head and smiled "Damn Zuzu that's a lot to take it. But it Make sense why you don't like talking about your past. But i promise you, i will always be your bestie and stay right by your side kay?, if you ever need someone to talk to i'll be right there to pick yo up!" She grabbed her bicep and flexed whilst winking and smiling 

Izuku smiled happily he felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders and also he felt incredibly lucky to have someone so kind as Mina with him "Thank you Mina, that means a lot and same to you" The girl smiled and spun to start walking backwards "Now onto another question...were have you been taking me?" He smiled and walked ahead of her towards a building "I'm taking you to see my folk...well my adoptive mom, after that entire dump the least i can do is introduce you to the woman who did save and take care of me" 

Mina's eyes got wider "Exscuse me WHAT?!, you're taking me to see your mom? just like that?!" Izuku titled his head "What? is that bad?" Mina shook her head "No its not that. It's just i thought it be months before i got to meet her"

Izuku chuckled "Yeah well your special so i don't mind, she isn't home right now so how about you come in and relax for a bit" She just nodded and followed him into the apartment complex

They got inside and Mina started looking around "So uhh Zuzu...you never told me what does your mom work with?" Izuku smiled "You'll see when she gets here....just try not to cause too much of a stir" Mina titled her head in confusion "What do you mean by that?

The two friends sat down at the couch and relaxed a bit and decided to move away from the heavy stuff to talk about some other stuff "You do know though Izuku that you bringing me starts the timer on when i bring you to meet my folk right?" Izuku chuckled nervously "Y-yeah i suppose it does and it's only fair, that does remind me you don't really talk about your family either, what's that about if you don't mind me asking?"

Mina just smiles and leans back "Oh there isn't any real good reason, i guess its because they are just sorta boring....i love them but we aren't really that special just kinda average, My mom is a stay at home mother who takes care of my younger siblings, and my dad is a lawyer, I got two twin younger siblings and an older brother who's in high school. You see just very average" Izuku nods in understanding "Yeah i understand, im sure they are lovely people either way and id be glad to meet them one day...just you know let me mentally prepare myself if they are anything like you" He chuckles whilst Mina pouts and starts punching him although not hard "Hey what's that meant to mean Zuzu?!, don't you like meeeee?!"

He laughs "Of course i do, but you're just very hyper active i mean and it could be a lot to handle if your entire family is like that" She huffs and crosses her arms "Hmph, You're a meanie" Izuku chuckles once more and smiles "Okay okay i'm sorry Mina" She instantly turns to him and hugs him happily "Apology accepted!" He starts blushing at her hugging him before laughing at her antics.

They hear the door open and someone step in "Im home Zuku! do you have a friend over? i see an extra pair of shoes here" Izuku got up and Mina curiously followed him "Yeah, you remember that girl Mina i talked about this is her" Ryuko smiled and looked at the pink skinned girl "Ah i see, Hello Ashido my name is Ryuko Tatsuma, Izuku's adoptive mother nice to meet you" Mina just stood there staring she couldn't believe her eyes, in front of her was THE number 9 hero Ryukyu...wait she quickly turned to Izuku

"THIS IS YOUR MOM?!, What the heck Izuku? why didn't you tell me it was Ryukyu!?" Izuku scratched the back of his head "I thought it be fun to see your reaction, plus its not really something i like to talk about..." 

Ryuko watched this interaction and chuckled to herself "It's all quite the long story, let's sit down shall we and i'll get us something to drink. She and the kids walked to the kitchen and sat down "Is juice alright with you Ashido?" Mina woke up from her still recovering shock and looked at her "Huh? Y-yeah that's fine Miss Ryukyu" Ryuko chuckled "Just call me Ryuko dear, i'm off the clock and just a civilian like you" 

She grabbed 2 glasses and poured some juice up before putting them down in front of the kids, she grabbed herself a drink from the fridge and sat down "So where to start.." Izuku quickly spoke up "I already explained most of my life before meeting her so she is already kind of up to speed on that"

Ryuko raised an eyebrow but nodded before looking at Mina "So the main thing you must be wandering is why Izuku is living with a Pro hero like me, and as you might have guessed i'm the one who found him that night and took him in, he's been living with me here the past 4 years and just recently i become his legal adoptive parent"

Mina nodded "So let me get this straight, the night Izuku ran away from home you're the woman who found him and brought him home, before he started living here, and just recently you become his mom....Okay so that explains why you're here, but that doesn't explain why you didn't tell anyone?, Imagine how popular you'd be if people at school knew you were the son of a pro hero"

Izuku sighed "Well to be honest first of all i don't like taking advantage of Ryuko's fame for my own benefit...second i feel as if it came out and people found out she adopted me that might make me seem unapproachable or even like i don't deserve it, I hope you're not gonna start treating me different after finding this out"

Mina sighed before smiling "Nah it doesn't matter to me, it just surprised me that's all, and of course i would never treat you different, you're still the same lovable nerd that i became friends with right?" Izuku smiled and nodded "Oh and please don't tell anyone else i trust you to keep this secret" She quickly put her fingers over her mouth and did a zip motion "My lips are sealed, nobody will know, not even Mio and Ai" 

Izuku nodded and smiled gratefully. Ryuko watched the two speak and smiled fondly over how nice it was that Izuku had found such a reliable friend. she decided to speak up "I want to put in my own words towards you Ashido that im very thankful for you being such a nice friend to Izuku, as you can imagine from his story and how he as more then likely told you how he's quirkless you can guess that he has never had a lot of friends so please continue staying friends with him and look after each other" Mina happily smiles "Leave it to me Miss Ryuko, i will keep this boy out of trouble!"

Ryuko nodded before speaking up again "And of course this means your always welcome here Ashido whenever you want" 

Mina nods and smiles more

"Thank you!"

Chapter Text

Izuku and Ryuko were sitting at the table having their breakfast. Ryuko was reading some news on her tablet when she suddenly put it down and looked at her adoptive son

"Hey Izu?"

Izuku looked up from his phone where he was messaging Mina...well more like Mina was sending memes to him either way he looked up at Ryuko and tilted his head "Yeah what is it?"

"I was wondering. You've been training hand to hand combat these past years but if you're going to be a hero without a quirk to edge you in combat, you might need a weapon, any idea of what type of weapon you would like to use? If you give me some info i could probably look into having something registered for you as a required support item"

Izuku looked at her before he started thinking, he hadn't really thought about anything related to his hero persona, no costume no nothing so he just thought for a bit until her remembered something. He got up and looked through his room until he found it. Walking back to Ryuko he handed her the notebook he had dug out

"Look at page 56 of that one"

Ryuko looked at him for a second before nodding and opening the book and flipping to page 56. On the page was a picture of two swords she looked at the page for a bit and reading all the notes "Yeah...i can see this working, i'll turn this in at my agency and someone there will help me get this sent in for actual construction, everything should be done in about a week or so"

Izuku's smile grew bigger and excitedly announced "Really?!, awesome! Now i need to just start thinking about ideas for the rest of my costume!" He quickly grabbed another notebook from his pocket and started brainstorming. Meanwhile Ryuko looked on in amusement at his antics

"That does remind me even if you're only in your first year of Middle school you want to go to U.A right?, after we get these things sorted i think we should push you into training with them the more training you get the higher chance of getting into U.A you got after all"

"Yeah i suppose you're right"

Mina was tired, confused but also excited, Izuku had sent her a text to meet her at a beach over in Musutafu called Takoba Municipal Beach Park, she had heard about the beach and Izuku had talked about it a bit how it was a beach that used to be a beautiful public spot, however due to the amount of trash the beach had become a dump.

Mina walked down the road in the early Spring morning and yawned to herself it was pretty early for a weekend only 7:30 but Izuku had been extreamly excited texting her so she decided to power through it, god knows she would do far to much for that cinnamon roll. She soon arrived at the beach and was both surprised and not to find the huge piles of junk, she looked around before finding who she was looking for. It was Ryukyu and Izuku chatting in an opening between two trash piles. She quickly ran over waved whilst having a tired smile on her face.

"...mmm Mornin Zuzu..." She let out a long yawn "Nice to see you as well Miss.Ryuko, now this better be good Zuzu"

Izuku smiled happily before grabbing something out of a duffle bag and attaching them to his back with some help from Ryuko "I wanted to show these" He grabbed a hold of each handle and unsheathed the two blades. Two Swords they had dragons scribed into the handle and small little ornaments hanging off the handles, in the shape of dragon heads, one Green the other White

Mina instantly awoke with excitement "Oh my GOSH!" She rushed over and looked at the swords "So you gonna use weapons to help you in combat, that's freaking awesome!"
Ryko spoke up her signature calm smile on her face "Izuku asked for the these weapons himself. He needed something more then his fist without a quirk as a crutch so i decided it be the smart choice to train him, however we won't be training using those swords yet. First we need to train you with something easier and safer"

Ryuko went over to her car and took out 3 Shinai Swords and handed two to Izuku "These are what we will train with, i'm no expert at Kendo but i should be able to be your opponent for a while so let's see what you got"

Mina smiled and rushed off to the side to watch as Izuku put his swords back in their sheathe and grabbed the Shinai one in each hand "I'm ready!"

Izuku rushed forward before swinging one of his swords at a sideways strike which Ryuko quickly blocked and pushed him back, he once again went on offence trying to attack, his footwork was sloppy and his balance wasn't much better, Ryuko easily pushed him off with simple blocks. however one thing was for sure as he had been training the 4 years his stamina was high and he continued going at it with quick and aggressive but sloppy strikes. Ryuko easily held him off. They continued this back and fourth for about 40 minutes before Izuku dropped to his knees and started catching his breath

"Haa...haaa All that and i got nowhere" Ryuko put down her weapon and walked over "Don't worry about it Izuku, you just need to train more and more, you got 2 years on you no need to worry"

Mina got up from where she was watching and got up and looked through his bag to find a water bottle which she handed to Izuku "Here you go Zuzu" Izuku sat up straight and grabbed the water bottle with an appreciative nod before he started gulping the water down "Thank you Mina...and i suppose you're right Ryuko i just need to train more, im going to try and train a bit every day" Ryuko nodded and smiled "Alright up you go its time for round two this time lets work on defence"

2 Days Later

Mina and Izuku were on their way to school, Izuku groaned and rolled his shoulders before streaching. Mina turned to him and smiled "Tired?" 

He let out a sigh and smiled "Yeah Ryuko went all out on training yesterday and my arms hurt like nobody's business, By the way Mina, i have yet to ask you but what is your quirk, its quite obvious you have some sort of quirk considering the horns and everything"

Mina tilted her head and smiled once more "I guess you never did ask huh. It's called Acid i can produce a corrosive liquid from my body, i don't have a ton of control of it yet but i can also control its potency and how corrosive it is" She held her arm out a bit with her palm towards the ground and activated her quirk letting some of the liquid drip from her hand onto the ground, it landed on the ground and melted the ground a bit creating a small hole about an inch deep before disappearing "See?" 

Izuku's eyes widened in amazement "That's such an amazing quirk Mina, imagine how great of combatant you could be! and you could even create walls of acid to protect people!" Mina recoiled with a stunned smile at the sudden shift in Izuku's normally calm and meek personality "Huh? i mean i suppose so, i guess i have never thought about it..." She looked down at her hands "My quirk as always been a bit unstable but.." She shook her head and smiled "I guess i can maybe join you in becoming a hero" Izuku's smile widened and he grabbed her hands "You could become an amazing hero and we could always have each others backs!"

A small blush dusted Mina's cheeks as Izuku got close to her and held her hands. Izuku finally realised what he had done and quickly let go before jumping back a bit "S-Sorry" Mina shook her head once again and just smiled "No worries, I'm glad to see you so excited for once. "He chuckled and rubbed the back of his head as they arrived at the gate.

Just as Izuku walked in he got bumped into to by someone else who ran into him they both fell to the ground and groaned, Mina rushed over and bent down a bit "You okay Izuku?" The boy groaned and sat up whilst rubbing his tailbone "Ouch...Yeah im fine" he heard a voice that wasn't Mina's in front of him

"Sorry about that man, i should have watched where i was going my bad." Izuku looked up to find a boy his age with black hair and shark like teeth he was holding out his hand for Izuku to take it. Izuku smiled and took his hand "It's fine no harm done, what about yourself, you all good?" The boy chuckled and scratched the back of his head "Yeah i'm all good i'm pretty tough, My name is Eijiro Kirishima, you're Tatsuma from Class B right? Izuku nodded "Yeah the names Izuku Tatsuma" he nodded towards Mina "And this is my friend and classmate Mina Ashido" Mina smiled happily and just waved at the Kirishima who waved back.

"So why are you in such a hurry Kirishima? first period doesn't start for another 10 minutes" Mina asked in curiosity as she looked down on the ground to find Izuku's Ryuko keychain that he bought back during their first day here, she handed to him as she asked her question and he took with with an appreciative nod

"Oh I just enjoy taking a run around the school yard before classes to get some extra cardio in, you know what they say training makes a real man...or something like that" He laughed a bit as she bashfully scratched his cheek.

Mina quickly reacted she looked at her bestie before looking at their new acquaintance and instantly knew these two would be good for each other, Mina loved hanging out with Izuku and she was sure he did the same but as much as she adored her bestie she felt like he needed some guy friends so why not try and get these two to click since this Kirishima guy seems nice, it would leave her some free time to hang out with her girl buddies

"Hey Kirishima why don't you take a break with us over by the bench, i'm sure you and Izuku would get along pretty well" She leaned forward

"He needs more friends"

Izuku gasped and pulled her back "Hey now i got friends" Mina just snickered "And how many of those friends are other guys?" Izuku raised his finger to object but lowered it "I guess your right" 
Kirishima just chuckled at the scene in front of him "I don't mind you seem like a cool dude Tatsuma so i don't mind hanging out for a bit

The two boys sat down at the bench and started chatting. Mina looked on with a smile before finding Aiko and Mio to talk to.

The end of the school day quickly came. Izuku and Kirishima walked side by side away from the station and chatted a bit with Mina following a few steps behind with a satisfied smile on her face, it appears her plan was a success and Izuku finally got another friend to hang out with "Hey!" Mina called out causing the boys to turn around "It's great to see Zuzu make a new friend and all but Izuku you know your house is that way right?" She quickly pointed over her shoulder to a turn further back "Can you two like exchange numbers so Izuku can get on the correct path before he gets lost" Izuku blushed when he realised that he had missed his turn before Kirishima chuckled a bit "Should probably listen to her dude, but i enjoyed talking with you and id be down to hang out some time" He held up his phone "Let's exchange ID's"

Izuku nodded and the two exchanged numbers before he walked over to Mina and the duo parted ways with their new friend as they walked the correct way towards Izuku's house Mina felt her curiosity take over "Sooooo what did you two chatter boxes talk bout?" Izuku laughed a bit before smiling "Not much we talked about some heroes and stuff, He apparently wants to be a hero as well so we just sorta clicked and kept talking he's a nice guy and very straightforward i enjoy that"

Mina smiled happily as he spoke about his new friend "I'm glad my plan to get you a new friend worked like a charm" Mina quickly ran in front of Izuku before she started walking backwards in front of him "Don't take my message the wrong way Zuzu, I love hanging out with you but i just felt you needed some guy friends there is only so much a girl like me can do for you"

Izuku nodded "I appreciate it Mina...but what me and Kirishima has is not ever gonna be the same as we have, i trust you with a ton and that won't change" Mina's smiled dropped as she stood silent, she watched him walk past her before her smile returned "Yeah, i guess you're right we are as tight as they come Izuku" She ran over to walk beside him.

Chapter Text

"Sorry Zuzu, Akio and Mio asked me to hang out after school i hope that's fine"

"Don't worry Mina i will just go train at the beach, you go have fun"

Izuku was hard at work training on the beach it was after school, for the first time in what must have been ever he didn't have anyone with him after school. Mina had felt very bad for leaving him to hang out with Akio and Mio but he was quick to reassure her it was fine.

He quickly swung is sword towards a thin metal plate sticking out of a trash pile. He had finally gotten permission from Ryuko to use his actual swords under the promise he would be careful and also only use one. The swords blade easily cut through the metal and he took a look at his sword with amazement "These things are incredible, they're really sharp" 

He looked towards the other sword still in its sheathe on the ground and thought back to a conversation he had with Ryuko the other day

"You're asking me for ideas for your costume?"

Izuku nodded at his foster mom "Yes! You told me the swords are very sharp so obviously i need protection all over my body but i am a bit stuck on the design, I wanted to ask if you had any ideas i know i want a dragon theme to pay homage to you but other then that i'm not sure"

Ryuko listened to him speak before leaning forward and placing her hand on his head and ruffling his fluffy hair "You're precious Izuku and it makes be very happy want to follow in my footsteps. Id be happy to help you figure something out, we better get on fast the U.A exam is in only 6 months after all"

He looked down at his rough slightly scared hand that he had gained from small injuries much to both Ryuko and Mina's worry. Him and Ryuko had spent the entire evening brainstorming ideas before eventually coming up with something they both felt happy with. 

Izuku grabbed his stuff and packed it up ready to head home. He threw the swords into the Bag before putting it on his back and starting to towards the station. 

As he jumped on the train he took a look outside feeling the urge to take a walk. He jumped off the train at an earlier station then normal and walked through the district near his school enjoying the late August breeze. He soon heard a voice call out for him

"Hey! Tatsuma!"

He turned around to the direction of the voice to see Kirishima. Izuku quickly waved back and approached him "Hello Kirishima you enjoying the weather as well?" Kirishima shook his head and gave him a sharp smile.

"Nah I'm out on some errands for my folk, i was on my way to the store when i saw you" He looks towards the bag on Izuku's back and tilts his head

"What's that? it looks like a bag for Swords"

Izuku gave a small smile "Oh that. I've been training all day since school stopped. As you know i'm planning to apply to U.A despite being quirkless so i've been training with these swords the past few months to get better" Kirishima looked at him as he spoke before smiling a bit.

"Damn dude i knew you wanted to be a hero but i didn't realise you carried such a handicap no offense. Of course quirkless people are worth as much of a shot to be heroes as everyone else but it can't be easy"

Izuku shakes his head and smiles "None taken and i'm very well aware how much being quirkless hinders my chances but i am NOT giving up, It's been my dream ever since i was a kid to be a hero and i've had two amazing people in my life that have been nothing but supportive and i'm going to make them proud no matter what"

"That's pretty manly dude" He grabs Izuku into a sideways hug "You got my support all the way as well, let's get into U.A together!" 

Izuku gives another nod "Thank you Kirishima i appreciate it"

The two of them continue walking down the street having a pleasant chat. They soon reach a crossing and quickly stop seeing some Giant dude looming over two girls threateningly the two looked terrified

"Look at that! who are those girls?" Kirishima says looking worried

"Where is the nearest hero agency?" The large man said looking down at the girls who shook in fear

"That's Akio and Mio...Mina's friends!" Izuku was just about to make a move as he saw Mina rush around the corner and jumped in front of the man to save her friends and tried to give the man an awnser

"Its-" She froze looking into the man..no monster's terrifying eyes, she felt her voice getting caught in her throat her legs starting to shake "it....it...its-" "Come on Mina! say it!...i can't find my voice"

"Hey!" Izuku suddenly yelled out getting the attention of the large man "We don't know where the nearest hero agency is p-please leave them and us alone Sir!"

The man let out a growl before nodding and wandering off grumbling about some master and stupid ants. As the man wandered off Izuku and Kirishima approached the girls "Whew that was close are you girls alright?" Kirishima said helping Akio and Mio up who were still a bit shook but gently nodded as they wiped the small amount of tears they had and tried to gather themselves, as he did that Izuku was being almost strangled by a sobbing Mina who was crying her eyes out into his chest out of fear.

"zuuuuzuuuu i was so scaaaared! you saved meee!" She held tightly onto her friend sobbing uncontrollably. most people would call it a bit much for such a small thing but he knew his friend more then anyone she's a tornado of energy and positivity but once she feels weak she breaks down. Izuku held her as she cried before turning to the others and blushed once he saw Akio's slightly puffy eyes but smug smile and Kirishima's grin

"I'm going to take Mina home i think she needs some rest, ill see you all at school on Monday alright?" 

Kirishima and the girls nodded before Akio and Mio headed off in one direction comforting each other and Kirishima headed off to finish the errands he was told to do. Izuku supported Mina onto him as he took her back to his place so she could calm down

Ryuko had prepared a lot to become a parent. she made sure to read up as well as getting help from the Bakugou's for tips when she first had Izuku move in. One thing parenting had not prepared her for was coming home to finding Izuku and Mina sleeping on the couch with the girl clutching to her friend like a comfort blanket with dried tear streaks down her cheeks.

Deciding to solve this mystery when the kids woke up, she grabbed a blanket and threw it over the kids so they could rest and decided to call the Ashido's to explain the situation

The Morning quickly arrived and Izuku woke up with the feeling of something heavy on him. He looked down to find Mina sleeping soundly on his chest gently mumbling in her sleep. Now if this was any other time Izuku would have jumped 10 feet in the air out of shock and blush up a storm however her had quickly realised what happened the day before and why they were like this, he looked over from the living room towards the kitchen to find Ryuko sitting grinning at him.

"Morning Zuku sleep well?"

Ah...there's the blush. He quickly but gently moved himself out from under his friend and made sure she could keep sleeping before he headed over to Ryuko and he yelled in a hushed tone "Why didn't you wake me up!"

"Because one you were sleeping like a baby and two Mina seemed like she needed it, mind indulging me in what caused this?" 

Izuku calmed himself down before sitting down and explaining the day before, Ryuko going from bemusement to concerned to deep in thought "So i see"

"This man who you described as looking like a giant were looming over a couple of friends of Mina's, she tried to save them, froze up and you saved them by making the man leave, she then cried due to the fear she felt and you took her here to rest and you ended up falling asleep" Ryuko sighed and smiled at her adopted son

"I guess i'll have a talk with the nearby heroes and police to see if we can track this man down and question him, you did good Zuku, you quickly defused the situation and nobody got hurt you also got Mina to safety. I made sure to talk to her parents and they know she's here so don't worry about that. I have to head to work but you make sure she gets up and is alright and i'll get home later with some take out" She gave Izuku a hug before heading out

After Ryuko left Izuku sat down in the armchair next to the couch and looked at the sleeping Mina. He let out a deep sigh and smiled at her "You might have frozen up this time but you rushed in as soon as you saw Akio and Mio, you will still be a great hero i'm sure and ill be right next to you."

12:26 and Mina starts finally stirring awake she looks around in confusion to were she is, her mind quickly realises that this is Izuku's home but she had a hard time putting together why she was here she looked over to the other couch to see Izuku writing in his notebook

"Mmm morning Zuzu.." 

Izuku looked over and smiled at his friend "Morning Mina i bet you must be confused, i'll explain what happened and why you're here" He says as he puts his notebook away "Pretty much after me and Kirishima found you and the girls yesterday and after you started crying i took you back here where we sorta fell asleep, Ryuko said she contacted your parents so they wouldn't worry"

Mina nods as she listens "I see, man that whole encounter must have drained me mentally" She lets out a big stretch and rubs her eyes feeling her cheeks being dry from crying "Damn i must have cried a lot sorry you had to see that but i suppose the fear and the relief of you rescuing us made me break down, thanks for that by the way Zuzu you're always the hero"

Izuku shook his head and smiled "I was only able to rush in because i felt you needed help, you tried your best too and even if you froze up you still tried" 

Mina looks at Izuku before smiling and nodding "Thank you Zuzu, that's kind and if you think i can be a hero despite that i won't doubt you" She grins at him "After all nobody is a bigger hero nerd then you so you must be right"

"H-Hey now!" Izuku blushes deeply as she teases him

The two friends keeps their conversations up for a bit before Mina decided to head home for the day but not before giving her friend another big hug

3 Months Later

"Haaah!" Izuku took a swing towards Mina with his Shinai swords who quickly dodges and counter attacks with some harmless acid, Izuku quickly sidesteps and takes another swing hitting Mina in her side and knocking her down"

"ngh!" Mina falls onto the sand and grabs her side before getting helped up by Izuku. Mina rubs her side and stretches her legs and arms "Damn you're getting darn fast with those swords Zuzu i can't even dodge anymore" She does a few back and fourth steps like she's dancing "If you keep this up the entrance exam isn't going to stand a chance, i need to work harder too so i don't get left behind"

Izuku lets out a chuckle "You're already way ahead of me Mina all we need to work on is your speed and i won't stand a chance, you're already quick on your feet thanks to your dancing but if we can work that into thinking quickly you will be like a ninja with your feet" 

Mina slumps down on the sand and grabs a bottle of water as Izuku does the same "The entrance exam is in 3 months....you think we'll get in Zuzu?" 

"I think you two will do great"

The two kids look over to see Ryuko walking over to them

"You sound pretty sure Miss.Ryuko not that im not confident"

She smiles at them "Izuku has been training almost every day since late July when i gave him his swords i have no doubt in my mind that even if he doesn't get in i'm without my doubt that he will give the contestants a run for their money. As for you Mina you're a very agile girl your quirk is extremely powerful, i trust you kids will train with each other until the exams and hone each others skills"

"I'll make you proud no matter what Ryuko, i owe you nothing more after everything you've done for me, same to you Mina! you've been by my side and given me hope so i WILL pass this exam"

"You don't need to prove anything Zuzu you're already a hero in my eyes and even if you failed you'd always be my best friend" Mina says rushing over to her friend and giving him a wide grin

Ryuko gives a nod in agreement "Im with Mina" She walked over and put a hand on his head and smiled "When i took you in i was worried that i would be a bad parent but now when i see what you've grown into i feel nothing but pride and love for you, we might not be connected by blood but you're my son and my biggest pride, i want you to go out there and ace that exam to show everyone your resolve and even if you don't make it i'll keep supporting you to the end"

Tears fall down his face he smiles at his friend and foster mother before pulling them both into a hug "ill make it through and live up to your expectations!"

The older woman and younger girl hug him back with smiles on their faces. Mina smiles as she leans her head onto his chest

"Let's be heroes together Izuku~"

Chapter Text

Hello everyone, this is not a Permanent Post and will be deleted as soon as the next chapter is released You might have noticed that this story has been pretty dead, however i want to reassure that its not and it will continue to whenever i get time.

As to where ive been. Life has just been keeping me busy. such as finding a job and everything as well as just general writers block. 

I want to thank everyone who has been waiting paitently and hope you will keep waiting. Hopefully i'll get the next chapter out soon, but no major promises however i want to reiterate that the story isnt dead, None of my stories are. i will make sure to let people know if they get put away.