"Damn it dad..." Izumi grumbled into the phone. "I just panicked, it was just a stupid nightmare." Restless, Izumi had wandered to the phone area to return her missed calls, and was thankful she was alone in the empty space. For the past day and a half she'd been smothered with attention and affection from her brother and boyfriend, and it was starting to get irritating.
"That's not what your brother is telling me. It's not like you to break down and cry like that Izumi. I want to make sure you're well taken care of. I've almost finished with my paperwork and when I do I'm heading to Hosu immediately." All Might said firmly even as his hand busied with the papers in front of him.
"Izuku exaggerates, and besides it's not like him and Todoroki have been giving me any chance to breathe since it happened." She clenched the phone in hand and stared down at the other. She couldn't quite pinpoint it, but something inside her was different... and the thought of it frightened her. "Dad... I really don't want you to come."
"Tough cookies, young lady, I'm going. I'll see you soon." He hung up before she had the chance to argue and she cursed hanging up. She scowled through her other missed calls. The bulk of them were from her dad, and grandfather... and there were a ton of missed calls and text messages from Tetsutetsu who'd seen the news and was apparently freaked out. She sent him a text to let him know she was okay... and he'd been blowing up her phone with questions ever since.
"So annoying." She started deleting them in bulk... growling between her teeth as he sent new ones to replace them. "Really FUCKING annoying."
"There you are..." Todoroki's voice spoke from behind her and her temple throbbed. "Izuku and I went to the cafeteria for food and you up and vanished. You have him frantically searching the halls."
"I think he's more freaked about this thing than I am." Izumi pocketed her phone and turned around. Though she knew it was bitchy, her tone snapped with annoyance. "I wanted a walk. Is that a crime?"
"No, but seeing as your connection hasn't been working since that night, you should have left a note." He gently brushed her bangs from her face. "He's just protective. You'd be the same in his position."
"Tch, not as coddling." She crossed her arms and averted her eyes from looking at him directly.
"No, you'd be the scolding type." He cupped her cheeks and bent his head down to press a soft kiss to her lips. She flustered and looked around, thankful they were alone.
"Baka, what are you thinking doing stuff like that in public?"
"I'm thinking I'm just glad you're back to normal." He stroked her cheek smiling, and had her blushing bright red. "I've seen you cry before... but never like this. I'm worried about you."
"Shoto..." She indulged him a little and leaned into his hand. She couldn't really blame him. The entire event of her supposed nightmare had shaken her entire being. She'd never felt so broken, and helpless, not even when she'd been quirkless. Taking a deep breath to calm herself she stepped into his arms and let him hold her. "I'm sorry for worrying you."
"Just try not to do it often." He kissed her forehead and held her close. Izuku chose that tender moment to suddenly appear gasping for breath from having run all over the hospital.
"There you are! Oh man I've been looking everywhere for you!" He ran to his sister, pulling her from Todoroki to hug her tightly. This made her grunt in complaint. "Are you in any pain? Can you make it back to your room? I've got you some food, and I snuck a soda from a vending machine. I'm sure just one will be alright... but you should drink it slowly, that way if you start to feel bad-"
"Damn it Izuku..."She shoved him off. "Just shut up." Izumi snarled at him and held her head as it began to pound. "For crying out loud, I'm so sick of everyone hovering over me! It's bad enough grandpa keeps poking his head in, and you and Shoto haven't so much as let me blow my nose without supervision, but now dad is dropping everything to come baby me, it's embarrassing!"
"Dad's coming?" Izuku's excited tone had Izumi's brow twitching in irritation.
"I'm serious! I just want to leave this place and get things back to normal." If she stayed here, in a hospital, she'd jump and cower at every white coat that came across her path. If she stayed here, she'd feel suffocated and weak from the love and affection her loved ones were giving her. "I want to get back to the internship. I'm willing to do anything Endeavor asks me to. I'll bury my head in paperwork for the remaining week if it'll just get me out of this stinking hospital!"
"I can call him if you want." Shoto suggested rubbing her shoulder trying to ease the tension out of it. "I don't think he'd agree to it but..."
"Todoroki-kun..." Izuku frowned at the contact. "Better not risk it. You said he wasn't in the best of moods."
"Call him, better yet I'll call him!" She flipped her phone out and her eyes went red with fury as Tetsutetsu called at that moment. She answered and screamed into it. "BAKA! HOW THE FUCK AM I SUPPOSED TO REST WITH YOU TEXTING AND CALLING ME EVERY FIVE MINUTES!? IF YOU WANT ME TO GET BETTER THEN LEAVE ME ALONE!" She hung up and tossed her phone across the room startling a nurse who came to check what the noise was. "That does it! I'm out of here!"
"Izumi! Wait!" Izuku raced after her as she stomped down the hall. Todoroki calmly walked to retrieve her phone and bowed to the nurse.
"Sorry for the disturbance."
"It-It's okay... just so long as everything's alright." The nurse held her hands up shaking. "Just try to be a little more courteous of the other tenants."
"We'll try... but when you're trying to confine a tornado in a jar there's gonna be some disturbances."
~Three hours later~
Izumi took a deep gulp of air as she stepped outside the hospital. Her waist and hands wounded still but she was given the okay to go with All Might's permission.
"Finally!" She let out a long sigh of relief. "Freedom! No more tests, no more doctors..." she glanced back at her makeshift entourage. Todoroki was flipping through his phone to call his father's driver, while All Might and Izuku were in discussion about his training with Valkyrie. "Now if only you two would get lost." She told Izuku and All Might, and grabbed Todoroki's arm hugging it with a big smile. "We've our internship to get back to."
"Now hold on just a minute young lady." All Might pulled her back and held up a finger. "I gave the okay to allow you to leave the hospital, but I did not give the okay for you to return to active duty."
"Dad! The internship only lasts a week. I've two days left and then it's over! I haven't been on patrol once, I need the experience, otherwise how the hell do you expect me to keep up with the rest of my class!"
"I'm thinking of your health first. You have a bad habit of going over your limitations. I won't allow it." He waved a finger in the air.
"Are you saying you don't trust me?" Izumi frowned.
"Yes... you haven't earned my trust in this regard. Until you show some good sense-" All Might started to lecture.
"Then trust me." Todoroki declared suddenly putting his hands on Izumi's shoulders. "I'll make sure she doesn't overdo it, and make sure my old man doesn't push her too hard."
All Might thought about it, looking between the two of them. Izumi, though angry, gave a pleading look. It was true she needed the experience... and with the Hero killer safely in custody he could allow some leeway.
"Very well. I'll leave her in your care, Young Todoroki. However, I will speak to Endeavor myself to make sure. I'm leaving her in his care, and I will not tolerate him just leaving her at someone else's agency."
"He may just resent it coming from you... but go ahead." Shoto told him, but pat Izumi's shoulders companionably as the Limo arrived to pick them up. "Let's go."
"Wait!" Izuku ran up to Izumi... he hesitated a moment before hugging her. "I'm sorry."
"For what?" She hugged him back leaning into him a little. "Todoroki was right about one thing. I would have been just as scared and worried about you. I'm sorry I snapped and took my temper out on you."
"It's okay...next time you can comfort me." He smiled and pulled back. "I'll bawl big tears and cry on your shoulder."
"I'd like that." She gently lifted her bandaged hand to Izuku's cheek. "I love you, Zuku."
"I love you too, Zumi."
"You two..." All Might sniffed and wiped tears from his eyes. "Oh my children..." He gathered them both up and squeezed.
"Owowow! Dad, mind the cut! Mind the cut!" She gasped as he released them quickly. "Whew... alright, alright, I love you too." She hugged her father. "Thanks for springing me out."
"Anytime, my girl. Now I'm taking your brother down to Valkyrie's... but if you change your mind, just give me a call and I'll come get you."
"Okay." She agreed.
"Eh?!" Izuku blinked and looked up, this was the first he was hearing about his father's plans. "Really!?"
"Yes, I want to talk to your mentor, partially to see how your progress is doing, but also to get a sense of what happened. I feel I'd have better luck with her than Endeavor."
"Good point..." Izuku murmured as the two of them waved Izumi and Todoroki goodbye. He bulked down for the train ride to central Tokyo, but the moment they were in view of the agency he bulked up and approached the building.
Once inside they were bombarded by women. Half of them coddling Izuku like worried mama's, and the others fangirling over All Might.
"Harem?" He muttered to his son who laughed and went beat red.
"I guess it gives off that kind of impression doesn't it?" Izuku admitted scratching his cheek.
"What's going on down here, I told you guys to stop looking at-" Valkyrie came down the steps, ready to scold her girls for slacking off... only to see All Might and Izuku at the door. When All Might looked in her direction arrows of love and admiration struck hard into her chest nearly making her fumble on the last step.
She tried desperately to remain composed. She could NOT let the greatest hero she's ever known see her giggle like a schoolgirl. She cleared her throat, her cheeks bright red and eyes sparkling but her face remaining stoic in expression.
"All Might, this... this is a tremendous surprise." She slowly stepped towards him and extended her hands. "It's an honor to finally meet you."
All Might looked into the beautiful eyes of this hero. He'd never met Valkyrie before, but had seen her work on TV and in newspapers and it had left a solid impression on him. He had wholeheartedly approved of his son's choice... and seeing her in person just solidified it.
"The honor is mine." He took her hand and placed a kiss on it. The girls around them squealed and Valkyrie felt her head was about to explode from the heat that suddenly rose into her cheeks. She felt two more arrows pierce her heart and she struggled to remain professional and composed.
"Y-Yes.. Well... Deku-kun." She cleared her throat holding the hand he kissed and quickly turned her attention to his son. "Why don't you show your father to my office. I need a word with my girls and I'll soon join you."
"Yes Ma'am!" Deku salluted and both he and All Might climbed the steps to her office. Once she heard the click of the door Valkyrie gave into her fan girl, hearts popping from her eyes, and flowers flowing out of her like a Shojo Manga character.
"KYA WHAT A MAN!!!"
~Endeavor Agency~
Izumi was stuck in the office for the rest of the day, but she couldn't very well complain when it gave her access to all kinds of useful information. On top of that he had a gym the size of an amusement park and if she got restless she could just sweat it off in there. She took the opportunity Endeavor had given her to browse the computer system and files... and do some research on something that had been nagging at her for days.
"High Rule... Kyro... Weatheman..." Izumi murmured, typing in the names Stain had listed out to her during their encounter. She found the reference numbers for their files and quickly searched through the massive wall of drawers and shelves. She pulled them out, their files relatively light in comparison to others. Opening them, She blinked in surprise to see pictures of former heroes pop up, attached with newspaper clippings.
Looking around, she quickly ducked away to find some privacy... and read them aloud to herself.
"High Rule, Quirk: Decree... Can make a person obey his every command, providing that the command is possible at that point in time. A hero for the just he captured villains by immediately having them surrender to him and give themselves up to the police. This changed, when a villain called "Silence" used his quirk to remove him of his voice. Unable to perform his duties properly he went looking for a successor to his agency, but escaped villains took revenge on High Rule, by murdering his young protege in front of him."
Izumi frowned and tried to find the continuation of the story... but found nothing.
"That's weird..."
She closed the folder and opened the one for Kyro... similar in story Kyro was a former hero, but after a brutal fight which killed his mentor, and best friend, he disappeared from the world never to be seen again. As for Weatherman, he was one of the first ever heroes of the silver age. He used his quirk to alter cloud formations to help save many lives during natural disasters... but had been committed to an asylum after the tragic death of his wife and children.
"Why did Stain want me to read about these people?"
Had he been trying to give her a warning? No, that didn't seem right. These were all heroes who had experienced tragic deaths of loved ones during duty... but something more had to happen to them. What happened to High Rule, where did Kyro go.. And was Weatherman still in the mental hospital?
"Izumi-chan!" One of Endeavor's sidekicks poked his head in smiling. "Ah there you are. Endeavor wants me to show you around the building, and get you familiar with the setup... hmm?" He saw her calmly putting away the files. Curious he read the names and raised a brow. "How come you're reading the vigilante files?"
"I was just killing some time... I found these at random." The lie burned her tongue, but curiosity had her pressing. "Vigilante?"
"Former heroes... Vigilantes are heroes that went off the grid, performed hero duties that went outside the law and order. Essentially they became villains, but instead of attacking heroes, they attacked other villains and continued to rescue people."
So... Izumi thought averting her eyes to hide the immediate shock and realization... That was it. That's what Stain had been hinting to her.
"There's no mention of that in their files... the only thing I found were newspaper clippings about their tragic stories." She handed them to her. "I didn't mean to pry."
"Don't worry about it. I don't blame you for being curious and it's good you're expanding your mind. There's no mention of it on file, because the Heroics Committee wanted to keep their stories as tight-lipped as possible... Even though they're not really doing anything wrong... we have laws and regulations for a reason. It keeps things from getting too complicated, and protects the image of lawful heroes."
"I get it... it's kinda what Endeavor had hinted at when we started the internship... if heroes just did what they wanted, the people wouldn't trust us, and things would become chaotic." The police chief had also said something similar. In the hero world, it wasn't about what was right and what was wrong... but what was fair. There had to be a balance among the heroes, the villains, and the justice department in order for there to be a level playing ground. "Thanks for the lesson."
"No problem, now come on, let's put these away and I'll show you more of the agency." He walked with her out the room.
"Sure," She looked down at her hands... she could still see the blood... could still feel the weight of her actions... but something was clicking into place. She may be stuck doing paperwork... but it had helped remove the tightening in her chest that had crippled her for days. She needed to stay focused, needed to figure out where her priorities lied. Once she did that, she was sure she'd find the right path for herself.
~Valkyrie Agency~
She'd managed to calm herself down, but Valkyrie still felt all the flutters and tingles of love and admiration as she stood in the office with All Might and his son.
"Sorry about the delay, All Might. Did you want to speak with me about your son's internship? Or..." she continued with some dread. "Are you here to scold me for not properly supervising him?"
"On the contrary..." He grabbed his son's head and the two of them bowed. "I want to apologize for the trouble he's caused. My son knows better than to wander into danger, but he can't seem to help himself."
"Oh..." flustered all over again Valkyrie held her cheeks, hearts still dancing around her head, turning her vision a misty pink. "It's no trouble... I got a little scolded from the committee but that's nothing new. Aside from the Stain incident your son has been a joy to work with. He's so attentive and eager and it makes him an incredible student."
"I agree," He pat his son's shoulder. "Izuku, my boy, why don't you go settle down in your room. I'd like to speak with your mentor alone."
"Alone!?" Valkyrie tried not to squeak as her face went bright red again. Izuku obliged quickly and she fidgeted and quickly decided to sit at her desk to calm herself down. She took a deep breath and gave her best impression of a serious face. "Something serious, All Might?"
"Yes... I've got the gist of the Stain attack already from my son... but I hear you were front and center at the Monster attacks."
"Yes..." She leaned on the desk, finding her calm as they spoke of work. "They were unlike anything I'd ever seen. Strong and vicious beasts, just destroying the town willy nilly. There was no goal, no method... just plain destruction and chaos."
"How horrible, and I commend you and Endeavor for disposing of such wicked monsters."
"It was your daughter who you should commend. I only met her for a brief time, but she's a very intense young woman. Despite being seriously injured, she didn't hesitate to leap at that monster and take it down." She folded her hands. "Though I have to say the manner in which she did was a bit... frightening."
"Izumi is a force of nature on her own. She doesn't like to lose."
"She had said, that she knew the person who created these monsters. That he was a man who had been attacking your family."
All Might tensed up, his body straightening. He looked into the serious and cool grey eyes of Valkyrie and nodded.
"I see... that explains it then. My daughter, though intense, is a sweet person. She cares for her family and loved ones very much... and it's that care that fuels her to become a hero. If she felt her brother was in danger, it would make sense why she wouldn't hesitate."
"The police have already questioned her about the matter... she said a man named Shigaraki Tomura and his associate were responsible for the break in at UA. They wanted to know where your children would be interning."
"Yes, the principle and I already deduced that was what the break in was for, but we couldn't be sure." He held his chin. "Thinking about it now, I should have informed you and Endeavor of the situation. The fault of your worries lies with us."
"No, please..." Valkyrie held up her hands. "As you said you couldn't be sure... and none of us knew of Stain's appearance. Your daughter, and the young Iida boy both said that Stain claimed to have met Shigaraki, and that the monsters were there solely to lure her out."
"Lure her out... so they were after my daughter. Those heathens!" He clenched his fists over his pants.
"There is more... about the monsters themselves. While fighting them I noticed they didn't have just one quirk each, but multiple. The police are running tests and autopsies to find out more, but I haven't heard back from them yet. When I do, I'll be sure to let you know."
"I appreciate that. I want to know everything about this matter. If you hear anything about this Shigaraki Tomura as well I want to know."
"Of course, and I'm going to keep a close eye on Izuku for the remaining of the internship. If he was after your children once I'm sure he'll try again. I advise you to speak with Endeavor about this as well."
"I already have. I spoke to him while on the train ride here. He told me to leave my daughter in his hands, and he'll make sure she stays out of trouble. Though my confidence in him wavers some."
"I wouldn't..." she smiled a bit. "I've met him a few times, and even though he's a sourpuss... he takes his job as a hero very seriously. Best Jeanist is a lot like that... though his manner is a bit prim and at times pompous, he's a good and strong hero."
"Sounds like you admire Jeanist." He chuckled some and her face went dark and ominous.
"On the contrary... I hate his guts." She laughed it off. "We've history... long story... but the point is your children will be well looked after from now on. I personally don't intend on putting Izuku into any further danger."
"Thank you for that, Valkyrie." He touched his heart. "You don't know what it means to me to have a hero like you mentor my son. I admire your work, your spirit, your sense of justice, and duty are all commendable. You lead your troops with an open heart and an iron fist, and it's exactly the kind of environment my son can thrive in."
"Oh my..." She held her cheeks trying to hold it in. "Oh I can't hold it anymore... to hear that from you, someone I've looked up to since..." she trailed off, trying not to think about their age gap. "It's such an honor!"
"You flatter me." He laughed rubbing the back of his head but Valkyrie stood and rounded taking his large hand in both of hers.
"No, not flattery... truth. You're so amazing. Your son reminds me so much of you, and to be chosen by him was a shock and a joy... but to be praised by you even after I blundered it in Hosu... You don't know what this means to me!"
He looked up at her, seeing this tough and confident woman turn to a puddle at his words, left him momentarily speechless. He tried to figure what to say to her, what he wanted to say and merely closed his hands over hers and stood up.
"I think I do."
"All Might..." Her heart was all a flutter as she stood so close to her idol. Meeting him in person had just intensified her already potent emotions. He leaned in, and for a moment, just a moment, she thought he would kiss her. The thought of it had her swooning.
All Might wasn't sure what had come over him. For a brief moment he looked down at this woman so full of light and eagerness... and had the desperate urge to kiss her. He leaned in, prepared to give into the urge... but suddenly thought of Inko.
Guilt, grief, and despair had him stopping part way to her lips.. And he brought her hands up to them instead pressing a firm kiss to them.
"I look forward to seeing what more you'll teach my son..." He immediately let go. "Thank you for your time." He exited leaving Valkyrie dazed and flustered. She slowly turned around watching him leave and held her galloping heart.
"No Problem."