Engine Roars: Starting Line Chapter 2
Summary: Iida Tenya would seem like an odd choice for Midoriya Izumi, but she chose him out of all the other suitors, and theyâre both ready to face what comes. Public events, middle school, training with family and friends, a secret torch passed down through the ages: theyâre going to make it together as they work towards their dreams! Even as old friends turned enemies, new enemies and family drama litter their path, they have each other and new friends to make it work! Watch them go for their starting line!
ON AO3
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 Life after choosing Tenya didnât change too much. She still emailed the others and went to school. The only significant change had been the shocking reveal of Keigo being Hawks. Izumi and her mom had been asked to come to the Commission office in Musutafu, where a nervous-looking woman revealed the truth.Â
 The people looking after Keigo wanted to run an experiment to determine if obscuring ages would have people fall in love. It had only been discovered after the fact what happened. So their ages were fudged and emails edited so that while they built a friendship, they thought each other was their age.Â
 âThis is so messed up,â Izumi said, sitting next to Keigo. He looked at her with a wince.
 âYouâre telling me.â He frowned. âIs it weird I still want to email you?â
 âI donât think so?â Izumi said. âI mean, we had our emails faked, but they werenât like⊠completely faked, right? I just thought your stories of Hawks were about your cousin, or they made it seem like you were training.â
 âAnd I thought you were in high school.â Hawks nodded. âWell then, Iâm happy to keep emailing and talking. Itâs nice having a friend.â The statement worried Izumi. She didnât have friends herself but why would Keigo not have any?Â
 The thoughts disturbed her for a while. How could someone not have any friends? Particularly a guy like Keigo? He was a workaholic, sure, but he was friendly and funny when you got to know him. Yet his only friend was Izumi, who was around seven years younger than him. It stressed her out, so when Tenya was allowed to come over to spend the weekend, given the slight distance between their cities, Izumi told him, horrifying the other preteen.
 âI canât believe the Commission lied!â Tenya said in disgust as he sat next to Izumi on her living room couch.Â
 âAccording to Keigo, heâs not too shocked,â Izumi said, grabbing some of the popcorn on the table in front of them. They were supposed to be watching TV, but Izumi just needed to get it off her chest. âPower and curiosity are deadly drugs.â She munched on the popcorn.Â
 âStill!â Tenya huffed. âIâll speak with Tensei about it and relay your worries of Hawks. Perhaps he may have advice.âÂ
 âThanks, Tenya.â Izumi said. She brushed her hands off on a napkin. âWhatâs your opinion on the fact theyâre going to be checking all of the hero polls now?â While the exact details of what occurred were not public, it had become known there was some corruption in the Commission ranks that cast some doubt on them. As a result, it led to various changes in how things would go from then on.
 âI believe itâs for the best,â Tenya said. âWe discussed the rankings before, but Iâve come closer to the thought that most are simply popularity grabs that have little basis in reality.â He frowned. âThough I would argue the top three are well suited for their ranks.â
 âIâll never say All Might doesnât deserve number one,â Izumi agreed. âAnd Endeavour has a highly adaptable Quirk with a long history of all types of missions, even if he prefers combat-oriented goals over others. But the other ranks tend to feel faker. I wonât deny that some of the top ten make sense where they are. I mean, we have Wash beating out so many heroes, and his thing is soapy water! ButâŠâ
 âItâs a highly versatile Quirk. It can keep people suspended in the air while also helping remove things like muck or slime. It can trap people, knock them out and even help lift rubble.â Tenya listed. Their show came on then, and they forgot their discussion to watch the anime. A simple story of magical beings hiding out in a hero school and having to explain away their fantastical Quirks that kept coming out with weirder ways to explain it.Â
 The two became engrossed enough in the show that the door opening barely startled them, Inkoâs voice hardly registering.
 âMitsuki, we are not having a meeting about this! I donât understand why you-â
 âCome on, Inko, we all know-â
 âOh!â a new voice joined the others, one the kids did react to. âSorry Mrs. Midoriya, I just got off patrol and-â
 âI told you to call me Inko Ingenium.â
 âThen call me Tensei.â Tenya and Izumi traded wide looks before getting off the couch and heading to the hallway. Izumi paused, spotting the fact there were five people in the hallway. Her mom, plus Tensei (he told her to call him that, too) still in his hero uniform, but there was also the Bakugou family. They were all dressed in nice clothes, looking startled upon seeing a hero.
 âTensei?â Tenya asked, stepping forward. âWhat are you doing here?â Tensei grinned.
 âComing to see you. Iâm helping out Zashi with some stuff here in Musutafu and knew you were here. Thought Iâd stop in, say hi and stuff.â He nodded to Izumi who waved shyly. âWhat were you two up to?â
 âWatching Magical Academia,â Izumi replied. Tenya nodded, bouncing a little.Â
 âYes! Itâs the newest episode!â He beamed. âItâs quite good! Iâm happy Izumi showed me it!â
 âAwesome!â Tensei laughed. Bakugou Mitsuki coughed sharply.
 âSorry, not to be rude, but what is a hero doing here?!â She looked at Tensei in confusion.Â
 âVisiting my brother who is here visiting his fiancĂ©?â Tensei asked, raising an eyebrow.
 âWhat?!â Kacchan asked mouth dropped wide open. âShe picked him?!?â He looked at Tenya, who frowned back at him.
 âYes, I did,â Izumi said. âI went through three hundred applicants, picked the six I thought were best and then picked Tenya.â She crossed her arms.Â
 âIâŠâ Mitsuki swallowed as Bakugou Masaru sighed. He shook his head, even as Izumi stared in surprise at Mitsuki. Sheâd never seen the woman look so stunned.
 âApologies then. Weâll get out of your hair.â He said to Izumi, who simply nodded in understanding. âKatsuki-â
 âNo!â The blonde boy shouted. âWhy didnât you pick me, Deku?!â
 â⊠why WOULD I pick you?â Izumi asked in bafflement. Kacchan opened his mouth but closed it a second later, his look matching his motherâs: stunned confusion. Masaru quickly ushered his wife and son away, apologizing to Inko once more. The green-haired woman shook her head before turning to the kids.
 âGo finish your episode. Tensei, would you like to stay for dinner?â She asked the hero.
 âIf itâs no trouble.â He said.
 âNone at all. Come in!â Inko motioned him inside. Izumi and Tenya went to finish their show, Tensei ducking into the bathroom to remove his uniform, leaving him in his athletic shorts and tank top. Inko went to start cooking, keeping an eye on the youngest two.Â
 A part of Inko wanted to smack Mitsuki. The woman hadnât stopped with questions about meeting to finalize things. No matter how often Inko had stressed that there would be no meeting, Mitsuki just happily bulldozed her way into obliviousness. Frankly, the entire thing made Inko worry. How could Mitsuki refuse to listen to words she didnât like? That would be the other part of Inko, worrying over her old friend.
 âHey, need a hand?â Tensei asked, entering the kitchen. Inko paused, torn between refusal as Tensei was a guest or accepting. âI can chop anything you need?â
 âAlright. Itâs just going to be some simple stir fry, so thereâs vegetables in the fridgeâŠ.â Inko motioned, and Tensei went to grab said items.Â
 âNo! Donât do it, Sakura!â Izumi cried out about her show.
 âThatâs possibly the most ill-considered option!â Tenya said at the same time. Inko chuckled.
 âItâs good seeing him be a kid,â Tensei said softly.Â
 âBecause of your parents?â Inko asked quietly.
 âYeah. I know they didnât mean to but⊠but people donât always mean to hurt others. It just happens.â Tensei shook his head. âTenyaâs had to grow up to fast; he deserves to spend time being a kid.â
 âHeâs a good boy,â Inko told Tensei. âIâm happy Izumi picked him.âÂ
 âIâm happy she did, too,â Tensei said with a chuckle. âNot just because sheâs a good kid, but I think this path will help the both of them.â
 âWe can only hope,â Inko said as she checked what meat they had. âAre you in Musutafu long?â
 âJust a week. My friend, Yamada though you probably know him as Present Mic, has a case he needed extra hands-on.â Tensei explained. Inko paused.
 â...I forgot for a second youâre a pro,â she admitted. âWow, Present Mic.â Tensei laughed.
 âYeah. If Hizashi wasnât such a BFG heâd probably be top ten.â Tensei shrugged. Inko gave him a puzzled look. âAh right, BFG means⊠well big fucking gun. Present Mic is a heavy hitter, able to tear down buildings with his voice. Issue is that while he can do smaller stuff, too, heâs limited in versatility. You donât wanna fight him hand to hand, but heâs not good for much else other than combat or capture.â Tensei motioned to himself. âLike me. Iâm only good for capture and combat, too, as my Quirk is located in my arms, I need those free so I can run. So I canât participate in things like rescue. Information gathering is out, too, since I canât block my Quirk paths without being unable to use it. So I canât hide them.â
 âHuh,â a new voice joined them. They looked to see Izumi poking her head over the couch to look into the kitchen. âThatâs interesting. So is BFG the actual term?â
 âUhhhâŠâ Tensei looked trapped. Inko just snorted.Â
 Things hadnât changed in the sense that day-to-day life was the same for the Midoriya family, but certainly, they found themselves with much more interaction than before. Or simply just completely different interactions than before.
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 After the weekend with Tenya, Izumi found herself suddenly facing off a flurry of bullying from Kacchan as the blonde boy seemed to decide Izumi was the perfect punching bag now. He worsened out of nowhere, his fists sparking as he chased the girl daily. He constantly taunted her, mocking everything about her with more intensity than before.
 âI donât know why heâs doing this!â she said over the phone to Tenya. âHe knows that using his Quirk is wrong, but he wonât stop. And the teachers donât do anything!â not that they ever had before, but theyâd make some attempt at stopping him. Now they just seemed content to let him run wild. It was so strange to Izumi.
 âThatâs horrible!â Tenya said in disgust. âAnd you said he was your friend?â
 âHe used to be,â Izumi muttered, hand going to her pocket where the friendship bracelet she made so long ago with Kacchan sat. Sheâd been carrying it around more, trying to remember the little boy who made her laugh and whoâd play with her.Â
 âWell, I hopeâŠ.â Tenya hesitated. âI hope you like Soumei.â the words were feeble, Tenya not sure how to tell his true feelings. Izumi accepted the change in the discussion, not wanting to speak of Kacchan anymore. She was going to hero con with Neito that month, and Tenya was curious about the other boy. They were young enough that jealousy or worry did not affect their thoughts, rather just simple friendship being their only thought.Â
 Tenya informed Izumi of his speaking about Hawks with Tensei, chatting about how his brother made a point to reach out to the younger hero. âTheyâre spending time together now, and I know that his friends have also spent time with Hawks.â
 âIs Tensei friends with a lot of heroes?â
 âYes, he is! He has multiple friends from his days at UA.â Tenya said. âI only really know three, as his other friends tend to be a bit much.â Tenya sounded annoyed over the phone, and Izumi wondered what he meant by much. Loud? Rude? Either option would annoy Tenya, even if it was a bit hypocritical with his loudness.Â
 The conversation continued for a while before Izumi had to hang up to do her homework. It left a smile on her face that continued until the next day. At least until Kacchan saw her and went after her, but it would be okay. It was September. She would be going to her new school in April.
 It would be okay.
-0-
 Things werenât okay. Izumi didnât want to admit it to anyone, too frazzled and confused as the bullying seemed to ramp up when Kacchan learned she would not be going to Aldera Middle School. Izumi spent more time hiding in the library, the nicer librarians hiding her in their backroom when needed. She emailed Tenya constantly and was given a phone when November came to keep in contact better, which led to texting. Something Kacchan seemed to hate whenever he saw her phone.Â
 He tried to grab it once, but Izumi blocked him, eyes wide.
 âWhat are you DOING, Kacchan? If you break it, I will tell my mom who destroyed it!â that made him back off, but he seemed angrier and angrier.Â
 âBreak it off,â Kacchan ordered one day. Heâd cornered her right outside of the library.
 âWhat?â Izumi asked.
 âYour fake ass engagement, break it off!â Kacchan demanded.
 âItâs not fake!â Izumi said in puzzlement.
 âPlease, you just want to leave Aldera!â Kacchan snapped.
 âI could have done that with the money we got from the lawsuit,â Izumi snorted. âMom was going to send me to Yavin.âÂ
 â...What?âÂ
 âKacchan, I donât understand-â Izumi shook her head, some of her curls bouncing around her face. Kacchan saw them, and a look of deep rage crossed his face, a hand going out to grab her hair. âKACCHAN!â she screamed as he let out an explosion. The library door flew open, and out stepped one of the librarians. Izumi didnât know her name; apparently, her Quirk was connected to her name. But it was one of the nicer ones.
 âWhat the fu- BAKUGOU!â shouted the librarian, eyes wide. âYou- LET GO OF MIDORIYA!â the woman lunged to grab the blonde, yanking him away from Izumi, who stood there, part of her hair now burnt, the smell of caramel in her nose as she shook like a leaf. âPrincipalâs office, NOW!â the woman said. The next few minutes were a blur. Someone came to look her over, making sure she was okay Izumi knew that. But she couldnât tell you if it was the nurse or another teacher. Her mother was called, and when Inko arrived, she screamed at seeing her daughter standing there in shock in the principal's office. The librarian was still there, glaring at the man behind the desk, with Kacchan leaning back in his chair carelessly.
 The scream launched Izumi out of her thoughts, and she flung herself into her motherâs arms.
 âMom!â she said.Â
 âBaby!â Inko sobbed, hugging her daughter tightly. âOh baby, what happened to your hair?!â The fact Kacchan was in the office should have been a sign, but Izumi didnât bring it up. Instead, she just buried her face into her motherâs stomach.Â
 âYour daughter provoked-â Principal Fujino said, the skinny man leaning forward.
 âShe did not provoke him, you moron,â the librarian snapped in annoyance, throwing her arms up.
 âWell, why else-â
 âBecause heâs a brat,â the librarian said. The door opened then to let in Bakugou Masaru. Kacchanâs easy posture lessened as he sat up straight to stare at his father.
 âDad?â
 âI got the call and decided to come and seeâŠ.â Masaru paused, staring at Izumi. âBakugou Katsuki, what did you DO?â Masaru asked dangerously. Kacchan opened his mouth before closing it, suddenly looking stuck. Masaru continued his speech, âBecause I know the only way you would have done that is by purposely grabbing her hair and setting off your Quirk. Which you KNOW not to do.â
 âMr. BakugouâŠâ the principal started, but the librarian bulldozed over him.Â
 âYour son has constantly been harassing Midoriya here and bullying her. Thanks to the policy, I have to toss both out of the library when I see it, but frankly, Iâm tempted to outright BAN your son from it due to his behaviour.â the librarian scowled. Masaru froze before turning to Kacchan.
 âWhat?âÂ
 âMr. Bakugou, the boy is simply teasing his fiance,â laughed Fujino.
 âHeâs not her fiance.â both Inko and Masaru said. The principal froze, eyes wide.
 âWhat?â
 âMy daughter is the fiance of Iida Tenya, the youngest child of the Iida family who currently run Iidaten,â Inko said calmly. Fujino went pale. âI trust Katsuki will be punished properly?â Kacchan looked so lost as he sat there. Izumi didnât look at him, instead being ushered out by her mom as the principal stuttered out assurances. The Midoriya duo walked away from the office, Izumi looking back to the ground. âAre you okay, baby?â Inko asked her daughter.
 â...Itâs just hair,â Izumi said honestly. âBut⊠it hurts.â she looked up at Inko, feeling tears begin prickling in her eyes. âNot⊠why? Why did he do it, Mama? Why did he decide to do this? Why does he bully me?â Izumiâs tears began swarming down her cheeks as she sobbed. âItâs not fair! I didnât do anything!â Sheâd never hurt Kacchan! Sheâs always looked up to him! He was strong and smart and always wanted to do his best! But no matter what, he just hated her. She didnât understand!
 Izumi cried long and hard as they walked away, Inko holding her hand. Letting it out would be easier than trying to stop and wait. Midoriyaâs cried long and hard after all. It was best just to walk and let it out.Â
 When Izumi finished crying, they were halfway home. Inko still kept a tight grip all the way to their apartment, where they faced the worried faces of Tensei and Tenya.Â
 âBoys?â Inko asked in surprise.
 âI⊠thereâs a fight going on with our parents again. I wanted to ask if Tenya⊠what happened?â Tensei asked. Izumi felt the tears begin to well up again, and she sobbed. Tenya moved quickly, walking up to her to hug her awkwardly. The two had been trading some form of physical affection each time they saw each other, but it was the first time heâd fully hugged her. Izumi hugged back, dropping her motherâs hand.
 âKacchan burned my hair! Itâs so dumb! Why am I crying?!â she sobbed into Tenyaâs shoulder.Â
 âThe kid did what?â Tensei asked. âAre you okay, Izumi?â Izumi didnât answer; she just kept crying. Tenya held her tighter, which felt nice. Sure, Midoriyas could cry and cry while walking it off. Being held felt way better, though, making her feel like Tenya understood that she was upset and wanted to make sure she felt better.Â
 Inko ushered the three inside, watching as Tenya carefully led Izumi inside, not stopping his hug. Seeing the boy treat her daughter so well made her heart warm. Especially after the recent incident at Aldera Elementary. God, it made her blood boil, walking in to see that and hearing that weasel of a principal try to blame Izumi. She wanted to rip his teeth out. But she couldnât. No, she had to remind herself to be strong for Izumi and to help her out first. Then figure out how to murder the man.
 Tenya and Izumi sat on the couch, the girl still crying as Tensei and Inko escaped to the kitchen to speak softly.Â
 âBakugou Katsuki, the boy you met, briefly burned her hair. The principal tried to brush it off as her provoking him and then saying it was teasing his fiance. I had to clarify that he wasnât her fiance. From the sounds of it, itâs been going on for a bit.â Inko explained.
 âWhat⊠Tenya said she was being bullied, but this?â Tensei shook his head. âDestroying hair isnât⊠itâs notâŠâ he huffed. âI donât want to diminish what happened, and Iâm not, but Iâm scared heâll escalate.â
 âDo you think he will?â Inko asked.
 âI donât know. Itâs possible.â Tensei said. âUgh, this⊠this right now and mom and dad and⊠shit fucking hell.â
 âWhatâs wrong?â Inko asked. Tensei laughed bitterly, shaking his head. He looked so much older than his 26 years.Â
 âWhatâs right? Dad wants to go back to work now, but mom is upset as hell heâs considering it. He tries to say Tenya will be fine and tries to push mom to go back, and sheâs just furious he thinks that you can step in for a parental figure.â Tensei explained. âPlus, he found out WHY mom has been refusing to do omiai for me.â
 â...Oh?â Inko asked cautiously.
 âI have a boyfriend,â Tensei admitted. â...two of them.â Tensei sighed. âAnd I honestly do not want kids. They freak me right out. JustâŠâ he shuddered. âI like them in small doses. And I could stand being an uncle, but being a parent? God no, that is one job I donât want. Dad hates it, and no, heâs not against the boyfriend stuff. But he doesnât approve of them.â Tensei ran a hand through his hair. âGod, this is a mess.â
 âTenya can stay for a while. Itâs the weekend.â Inko said. âGiven Izumi was attacked on site by another student, I can use that to get her to stay home for a week.â
 âThank you,â Tensei breathed. âI⊠the kid, he knows where you live. Is it safe here?â
 âHeâs eleven like Izumi,â Inko said. âI donâtâŠ.â Mitsuki would. Sheâd drag her son over to apologize, with or without Masaruâs knowing. And Katsuki would not react well to seeing Tenya. Mitsuki sure wasnât afraid to bombard Inko with messages disparaging the boy and Izumiâs choice of him as a fiance. Inko knew the woman would eventually give up but until then⊠âHis mother would bring him here,â Inko said. Tensei bit his lip and then nodded.
 âAlright. Iâll contact my boyfriends. They live here, I was⊠I was planning to move here, but then the agency and⊠itâs a mess.â Tensei groaned. âNo matter, Iâll contact them; theyâre heroes. They can watch the placeâŠ.â
 âIâm sorry for this,â Inko whispered.
 âNot your or Izumiâs fault Inko,â Tensei said. âSome people either are just born like that or are raised like that. Itâs on that Katsuki kid, not you.âÂ
  âHeâs a child, too,â Inko said.
 âThatâs true, but child or not, he should know better. Especially with a Quirk that allows him to create explosions. Any counsellor worth their degree would tell him that.â Tensei said. âOr his parents should stop it.âÂ
 âMasaru seemed very upset,â Inko agreed quietly. But Mitsuki⊠Inko didnât know about her.Â
 She didnât really know about anything.
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 Tenseiâs boyfriends showed up a few hours after Izumi had her crying session. Tenya held her through all of it, which made Izumi feel a bit weird. She wasnât used to anyone but her mom being so nice to her.
 âYouâre my friend,â Tenya said when she told him that, the boy baffled by her words. âWhy wouldnât I comfort you?â
 âHeroes donât cry.â
 âTensei cried at the beginning of that pre-Quirk movie Up,â Tenya replied.
 âHEY!â Tensei complained. âItâs a sad opening!âÂ
 âSee, heroes cry.â Tenya sniffed. Izumi giggled, covering her mouth and ducking her head. Tenya beamed at being able to make her happy.Â
 âIzumi honey, letâs fix your hair, okay?â Inko asked, seeing her daughter look happier. Izumi nodded and went over to her mom, whoâd gotten out the hair styling tools. Curly hair was much harder to deal with than most other hair, and despite how far Quirks came, people still didnât know how to handle it. So Inko usually cut her daughterâs hair or dealt with it. âWhat should we do with it?â
 âDunno⊠could we do a bob?â Izumi asked. Inko hummed, grabbing a kitchen towel to drape over Izumiâs shoulders.
 âA curly bob might be a lot of hassle, baby,â Inko said.Â
 âWell, how long can I keep it?â Izumi asked. Inko paused.
 â...curly bob it is.â she began cutting as the door rang.Â
 âIâll get it, donât worry,â Tensei told Inko, who sighed but accepted it. He was over enough that she was okay with it. Inko went back to cutting her daughterâs hair, trying to make sure it was all equal as Tensei went to let in his partners. Izumi quietly sat there until the two people came in. One was a black-haired man wearing a grey sweatshirt and jeans, a long white scarf wrapped around his neck, while the other was a blonde in a jean jacket over a band shirt and jeans.Â
 âHizashi! Shouta!â Tenya said in surprise. âYouâre dating Tensei?â
 âAre you actually that surprised?â laughed the blonde. Izumi frowned, staring at the man as he lifted his sunglasses to expose a pair of green eyes.Â
 â...Present MIC?!â she squeaked, staring at him in shock. The man did a double take, eyes wide as he looked at her.
 âYou recognized me that fast little listener?â he asked. Izumi opened and closed her mouth, swallowing once before she stuttered out.Â
 âYour eyes are unique, and umm, Tensei mentioned knowing you once, so it wasnât hard.â She shrugged as her mother cut more of the burned hair away. Both men watched the black-haired manâs face tightening for a second before smoothing out.Â
 âStill, kid, itâs impressive,â the dark-haired man grunted. âIâm Aizawa Shouta.â
 âYamada Hizashi,â Present Mic said with a slight bow of his head. âThanks for letting us into your home, MrsâŠâ
 âMidoriya Inko,â Inko said, pausing to bow her head as well. âAnd thank you, given I assume Tensei told you what was going on.â
 âHe did,â Aizawa said. âI donât mind hanging around for a bit. Or even changing up patrols to include this area.â
 âAh, I assumed youâd be a hero, too,â Inko said, checking Izumiâs hair. âHmm, I think itâs working. We might have to make an appointment at the Cut baby.â
 âYay,â Izumi couldnât help the snark. âA three-hour train ride.â The Cut was the only place that could handle her hair, and it was in another prefecture- further away than Tokyo. With the bullet train being expensive, it was why Inko was usually the one doing the cutting. âYou canât do it?â
 âIâm trying, baby, but some parts are going to be a bit jagged.â Inko ran a hand through Izumiâs hair. âNot all the burnt pieces were the same.â
 âCurly hair sucks. Tell dad his genes are dumb,â Izumi announced. Inko snorted, the two sharing the private joke. Perhaps a regular kid wouldnât be able to understand why their parents loathed each other, but Izumi did. It was something Inko took pains to explain to Izumi and something even Hisashi himself made sure to talk about. Incompatibility, forced marriage, a loss of friendship⊠it bred distaste and hatred. Inko never spoke to Hisashi if she could help it, barely being civil the three times he came to Japan to visit Izumi. But she tried not to let it affect Izumi.Â
 âYou can do that when you talk to him. Iâll warn Emily about it if she and him have a kid together.â Inko said plainly.
 âOh, youâre divorced?â Yamada asked. Izumi winced a little. Everyone asked that when hearing about Emily.
 âOh, no. Thanks to our marriage contract, we can't divorce without going bankrupt. Emilyâs from Quebec; she doesnât mind.â Inko shrugged. Izumi shrugged herself as Tenya shifted a little.Â
 âOh, thatâs cool!â Yamada grinned. Aizawa sighed, rolling his eyes.
âWould you like anything to drink?â Inko asked, snipping a burnt lock away. âI have water, juice, coffeeâŠ.â
 âCoffee, if you donât mind,â Aizawa said as Yamada agreed. Inko nodded, snipping one last lock away.
 âGo and change your clothes, honey. Tenya, the guest room is open. Go put your things in it.â Inko said. Izumi gave her mom a confused look before looking at the adults in the kitchen.Â
 âAlright, momâŠâ Izumi said slowly, getting off the chair to head out to her room. Tenya happily grabbed his bags, unaware of the looks the adults were trading. The kids moved to complete their tasks, Izumi making sure to change fast before darting out of her room to open the guest room. âTenya!â
 âIzumi!â he jumped, bags open as he unpacked.
 âCome on, if we keep our voices down, we can listen in!â Izumi said softly. Tenya gave her a wide-eyed look.
 âWe shouldnât be eavesdropping!â Tenya hissed.
 âYou really donât want to know what theyâre saying?â Izumi asked him softly. He opened his mouth before sighing. He couldnât disagree, and Izumi knew what listening in unseen helped with. She certainly made sure to keep an ear out for bullies when she could. And she was curious- three pro heroes and her mom? What could they be talking about?
 âFine,â he grumbled. The two preteens quietly left his room to lurk near the kitchen and living room entrance.
 âYou patrolled here before?â Inkoâs voice asked. âReally?âÂ
 âAbout⊠six or so years back, I was a pretty new underground hero. So I got drafted to patrol the area to watch out for attempted kidnappings.â Aizawa said. âSomething about a high-interest target.â
 â...Oh,â Inko said, her voice impossibly soft.
 âMrs. Midoriya?â Yamada asked.
 âThat was when Izumiâs information was stolen and released by the nurse,â Inko said.
 âStolen?â Tenseiâs voice asked.
 âYou didnât know? I told your parents.â Inko said as Tenya looked at Izumi in confusion. She shrugged. âA nurse at the doctorâs office we went to found out Izumi can pass on stronger versions of the sireâs Quirk. She was a Quirkist who became outraged a Quirkless girl wouldnât be having children with Quirks.â
 Izumi knew that. She did but hearing it put like that, without her mother trying to be gentle, made her stomach drop.Â
 âWhat the fuck?â Yamada asked a bit loudly. âThatâs messed up!âÂ
 âIndeed. More so since I couldnât remove Izumi from the list the agency published.â
 âThey published it without permission?! I saw the rules; they had to talk to a guardian!â Tensei said in shock.
 âWhy do you think they have that rule? The lawsuit from me and the fact I think the medical community got wind of it⊠it might have ended up on the news a bit. Not much, but it did enact that new rule for them.â Inko snorted.
 âWhy couldnât you remove her name if you hadnât given them the info?â asked Aizawa.
 âBecause her name was out. Aizawa, Iâm a small woman with a quirk that works on small things in my line of sight. I wouldnât last against a villain trying to take her or some asshole with money which could have bribed the right people. Endeavour sure showed how much someone with money could do.â
 âWhat?!â Yamadaâs voice was a squeak at the end. âShoooo!â
 âDonât use your Quirk.â Aizawa snapped. âDid Endeavour try something?â
 âHis son was one of Izumiâs potential suitors. Shouto himself was fine, and he still emails Izumi every week despite her picking someone else. However, Endeavour tried to bribe me three times, tried to bribe the agency, and then I got a message from the HERO commission about him trying something there.â Inko snorted. âLuckily, they messed up with Hawks and Izumi, though the agent I listened to blatantly said it was a waste of power and stupid he was trying. I trust that.â
 Izumi felt her knees shake as she stood there. She hadnât known that. She hadnât known anything about the whole situation other than it was annoying, marrying someone she didnât know. She hadnât known about Endeavour or thought about her name being out there.
 Her newly short hair fluttered in the corner of her eye, making her stomach drop and the smell of burnt hair fill her nose. Sheâd never been attacked like that, meant to seriously hurt her. Never had anyone done that to her. Being pushed or shoved felt little compared to being attacked as she had. The entire situation felt sickening.
 âSo the only reason you went along with it was because of her safety,â said Tensei softly.
 â...Aizawa, how many times did traffickers or villains show up?â Inko asked.
 âMrs. Midoriya-â
 âAizawa, please.â
 â... twenty times I know of.â the words made Izumi fall to the floor with a thump.
 âIzumi!â Tenya shouted, drawing the attention of the adults. Not that Izumi noticed, too busy with her panic. Twenty times at least, she was nearly taken. They had to call in a hero to keep an eye on the place.Â
 She could have been stolen at any time. She could have been forced into a marriage, had social workers bribed, and removed from her motherâs house. She could have lost her mom, could have lost everything. There would have been no way to fight back.
 âIzumi-â
 âI think sheâs having a panic attack-â
 âDamn it, kids-â
 Voices surrounded her, and then she found herself sitting at the dinner table. She was shaking still. The adults were looking at her in worry, and she looked back at them with wet cheeks from her silent crying during her panic attack.
 â... I could have been taken,â she whispered.
 âCould kid, not did or almost or anything, itâs could,â Aizawa said firmly. She laughed a little.
 âWhat difference does it make? I nearly was TAKEN. I could⊠god, I could have ended up a broodmare like that one American lady- except for me, it wouldnât have been consensual!â Izumi burst out.
 âHoney! What have you been looking up?!â Inko asked in horror. The case Izumi referenced had been an American woman with a Quirk that enabled her to be pregnant for only a month. She made a living being a surrogate. There was nothing wrong with it, but it had been something Inko hid, given some comments about it and how the American government contracted her for six years straight to produce a lot of kids.
 âThe teachers assigned the case,â Izumi muttered. Inko scowled, her chair creaking as it strained under a Quirk yanking at all the little pieces.
 âIâm going to have WORDS with them,â she growled.
 âI wouldnât be able to fight back,â Izumi said. Theyâd given the lessons back to the Commission in exchange for money after the reveal, nervous about using it. It meant they struggled to find someone to teach Izumi, though. âI-â
 âItâs not would, kid,â Aizawa said. âAnd it wonât be will either.â He took a drink from his coffee. âYou wanted us to watch the kids, right, Tensei?â
 âJust while mom threatens dad, yeah,â the speed hero admitted. Tenya winced slightly but kept silent, staring at his friend in worry.
 âWell then, youâll have a sparring partner for a while, but weâll make do after.â the erasure hero grinned at the surprised looks. âHey, the kid wants to be a hero. I think itâll be hilarious to see people when they realize sheâs kicking their ass without a Quirk.â
 â..Thank you,â Izumi whispered. The man gave a single nod.
 âDonât mention it, kid.â Aizawa grinned as Yamada smirked.
 âIt is going to be hilarious.â the voice hero agreed. Izumi felt hope hearing that, and a smile slowly began growing as Tenya started rambling about workout plans, and Tensei stared at his boyfriends dopily. Things were going to get brighter.
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
Notes:Â
-I wanted this out of the way. No weâre not getting a huge scene in any route but the Hawks one. Mostly cause like⊠thereâs no point in doing so since other then being an email buddy and now Tenseiâs friend Hawks wonât show up to much.Â
-The original chapter had Izumi quickly going to her new school which I decided didnât make sense because sheâs still in the middle of her last year of elementary. So instead she stays in Aldera.Â
-And Bakugou lashes out. Yay. Look, this guy has an entire âbackstoryâ plotted out for himself that he relies on constantly. You canât tell me he wouldnât lash out in anger if it ever ends up being threatened.
-I tend to vary a bit with Mituski and Masaru and their raising of Bakugou. In this version, Mitsuki was raised to be a trophy wife, but she ended up flourishing as a model and made it her own. She had her goals and met them, her life planned out and it happened. So for her, Katsuki should also get the life he wanted and how they both wanted it. Masaru though is much more aware and knows that Katsuki needs to grow up. Itâs just heâs a bit stuck because he loves his wife and son, and wants them to both get what they want. Itâs just⊠yeah.Â
-The principal not knowing is a mix of me going: why would they tell the teachers, rumours being spread by Katsuki and Mituski, and simply they donât think she would pick anyone else.
-Izumi breaking down about her hair over the rest is more because while I fully think Bakugou has used his Quirk on Izuku in canon and he does so here, I donât actually think it left scars. But destorying her hair? That was a shock to her.
-I didnât really do much with the Iida family in the previous version, but here I am trying to display a dysfunctional family. Time will tell where I go with this.
-Originally, I was going to cut the Eraser/Mic/Tensei pairing because it didnât work but I kept it in here because it gives me a reason why Tensei isnât being pushed into an arranged marriage himself.Â
-One of the biggest issues Iâve ranted about before on my tumblr with gender being/cis swap characters is that they donât ACTUALLY take the time to sit down and think how different the socialization would be. So with that in mind I also realized while plotting stuff that each route would end up with a different personality for Izumi. Sort of: at her core itâs still Midoriya Izuku the hero nerd who wants to save everyone. But like⊠socialization. It changes people. Why am I ranting about this here? Cause of the bob cut. This will be the only fic where she gets one. Just something I wanted to toss out. Itâs also fun to try and keep characters still their own canon character while adding in bits and pieces to show how the new world shaped them. Delicate balance.Â
-When plotting this, I discovered that Musutsafa is in a prefecture two hours away from Tokyo, which is said to have IidaTenâs agency in it. Now, Iâm Canadian- a two hour drive one way and a two hour drive back is a day trip for myself. I assume itâs for them to. Though it makes me wonder about Tenya and where he lives cause sure, a two hour drive isnât a big deal for me (and I used to drive and hour and thirty minutes to work and back each day when I was working 12 hours watching an abandoned gas plant) but for a teenager who is training to be a hero? That would be MURDER. Then I learned about bullet trains and realized: oh he probably takes that. Problem solved. (Transit is trash in my city and I only use it on weekends because thereâs a cute coffee shop near a train station)
-Yeah the only reason the hero commission didnât help Endeavour was because it was a waste of power and dumb as fuck. Basically the answer was: Thatâs dumb and just marry him to some wind person or whatever. (Endeavour would not do so, the entire reason he wanted Izumi was because there would be a more powerful Hot and Cold Qurik out there. He didnât want the change of a child not having that.)











