"Mom! I'm home!" shouts Izuku as he takes off his bright red trainers with a spring in his step and smile on his face. His gentle voice echoing across the small apartment, something that warmed his mother's heart.
"Izuku! It's so lovely to see you so chipper! What's my little man been up to hmm? teases Inko.
"Mom, I'm twenty, I'm not that little anymore" Izuku chuckles.
Inko couldn't help but grin as she squeezes his cheek, Izuku winces slightly but his mom could never help herself.
"You'll always be little to me baby. Now spill! What's got you in such a good mood!" she asks
Izuku smiles wide as he puts his hands on his hips and proudly states to his mother where he'd been, the reason he had found such positivity in such a short space of time!
"I almost died in a villain attack!" proudly declares Izuku.
Inko took a moment to fully absorb what her son had just said. She takes a deep breath in through the nose and out through the mouth, she blinks a couple of times. Yep. This wasn't a dream. Her face shifts to one of extreme concern.
"WHAT!? OH MY BABY BOY ARE YOU OKAY!? WHAT ON EARTH HAPPENED!? ARE YOU SICK? DO I NEED TO TAKE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL-" Inko screams as calmly as she can.
"Sorry! Sorry! I shouldn't have lead with that. But, yeah, I got attacked by a villain, I was saved though! So, that's pretty nice." Izuku says in a fluster as he attempts to calm his mother down. Hearing that, Inko lowers the paper bag from her mouth as she creaks back around to look at her son.
"Who saved you?" she breathlessly asks.
Izuku thought about it for a moment, he was saved by the one he looked up to, the one he'd always admired so much growing up. A moment that this morning would've made his whole life worthwhile. But, following the encounter he had, the fact that he didn't listen to any of what he had to say... It just felt hollow.
"... All Might." Izuku murmurs as Inko's jaw drops.
"You... Saw ALL MIGHT!? No wonder you're so chipper! That must've been amazing Izuku!"
"Yeah... although that's not the reason I'm so happy though."
Inko's head tilts, she was perplexed, All Might was the one that made Izuku so happy growing up and made him find sanctuary in his darkest days, how could that not be the reason?
"Oh... Really? What is the reason then? she inquires.
Izuku smiles warmly at his mom, he was so pleased to finally be at the starting line of his journey, he knew that she would be too.
"I got offered a job at a quirk research lab."
"WHA-"
"They said my notes were incredible and they're even exploring ways to transfer quirks between people! Which means... that after all this time... I-" Izuku's cut off by the tight warm enbrace of his mom. He almost coughs, he'd never been hugged this tight in his life.
"I'm so sorry what I said to you that day Izuku. I'm so sorry. All I did was apologise when that's not what you needed to hear in that moment." his mother solemnly says as Izuku's eyes start to water.
"Mom... I never held a grudge about that." he replies
"But it played on my mind, day and night. You can do anything you set your mind to my boy; just... Stay true to yourself along the way, okay?" Inko says with a smile as she stares at her son, emerald eyes looking into one another, she wipes the tears away from her son's face, as she'd always done.
"I promise mom. I'll always be the same Izuku. I'll make you proud!" Izuku states.
"My son... You make me proud every single day." Inko says as she starts to cry again as the two hug.
After the two had calmed down, which always takes a while considering the pair of them... Inko started preparing Izuku's favourite, Katsudon, as a way to celebrate Izuku's success! Meanwhile Izuku is sat in his room, tapping away on his phone, furiously trying to record some more notes from his copious amounts of notebooks so that he could refer to them on the fly if it was needed. This was his latest reason to keep trying, he wasn't giving any less than 110%! He fishes into his pocket to look for any scraps of paper, but he does find the card that he was given by Dr Tsubasa. His head ticks over for a moment before remembering.
"Oh shit! I was supposed to call him!" Izuku shouts as he frantically dials in the number on his phone and holds it up to his ear. The phone rings... and rings.... and rings.... Izuku sighs, fearing he'd missed his window of opportunity for the evening. However there's a click on the other end and the ringing stops.
"Hmm, yes?" a mature voice asks.
"Dr Tsubasa..? It's Izuku."
The voice on the other end shifts from one of curiosity to one of wholesome delight.
"Ah! Izuku! I entrust you got home safe, how are you?" asks the good doctor.
Izuku couldn't help but smile, it was nice hearing someone genuinely ask about his wellbeing outside of his mom.
"All good, thanks! Sorry I took so long to call, I was telling my mom about the whole day, haha!" states the boy in green.
"Ah, yes, I can imagine that must've been quite a shock for her, did she approve of your new role in my employ?" asks Dr Tsubasa.
"Absolutely! She was so so happy for me!" Izuku exclaims, he couldn't help but nod to himself as he spoke down the phone, he was that excited.
"Now... If my memory serves, her quirk was something telekinetic of sorts, correct? The ability to attract objects?"
"Attraction, yes! She can lift any objects under the weight of thirty pounds into the air and towards herself. Why's that?" Izuku states, even in small conversation, he was switched on when it came to quirks, something that made Dr Tsubasa chuckle down the line.
"Heh, you sure are a special kid. Just thinking about logistics Young Midoriya. Should we be able to transfer quirks from one person to another, the quirk you receive should be something similar, do you agree?" says Dr Tsubasa.
"That's a really good idea Dr Tsubasa! You're right!" Izuku says, it was the perfect cover, it would be like it just didn't manifest until now, nobody would be able to tell that he'd never not had one. Yeah! It's like he always had it!
"Naturally my boy. Now I do warn you, this work will be intense, both mentally and physically. But the strain in the pursuit of science and knowledge will be worth it. I assure you of that." Dr Tsubasa begins. Izuku stays quiet, letting him say his piece, he didn't want to interrupt. "Some of the things to get there, I won't sugar coat. It would make a normal person cringe, but you're no normal person. However I completely understand if you wish to back out, but-"
"When do you need me to start sir?" Izuku jumps in. Prompting the doctor laugh.
"Izuku Midoriya, you really are one of a kind. I'll forward you the details, there will be suitable transport of course, can't have all the money you make being spent on your commute now can it?" he says.
Izuku grinned from ear to ear, holy shit. He'd hit the jackpot, he'd really hit the jackpot.
"T-thank you so much sir!" Izuku exclaims.
"Well, with all that being said, I'll see you when we begin our work. Goodnight young man." Dr Tsubasa calmly utters.
"Y-yes sir, have a pleasant evening!" Izuku replies as he hangs up the phone. The phone line beeping as the doctor listens to it, ensuring the boy in green had gone before he too hangs up the call and puts the phone down.
He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but the good doctor couldn't help but feel something inside him talking to that bright eyed, optimistic young man, something he'd not felt in a very long time. He gets up from his desk and enters into the main chamber of the place of work he'd happened to be residing at. The room is dark, only illuminated by flickering screens and beeping lights, the screens and lights illuminating the sat figure in the room. The figure is hooked up to all manner of whirring devices and beeping boxes, his head was encased too in a glossy black helmet which had a small magenta glow to it.
"I apologise I acted so independently of you on this matter. However given such a person he could prove to be, I felt this opportunity was too good for us to pass up." states the Doctor.
The helmeted man chuckles. His gentle voice engulfing the room in absolute authority.
"If anything, I'm the one dependent on your plans these days Garaki... But, I trust your judgement indefinitely. Should he be the person you think he could be, he'll be rewarded appropriately, as will you." he states.
Kyudai Garaki discards his Dr Tsubasa persona and bows before the helmeted man. The man he single handedly put back together.
"Thank you sir."
Made by truen