Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It’s for the best…

That was the mantra she’d repeated for the last couple of days, using it whenever she found herself faltering in her decision. Though, sometimes she questioned if it was hers, or the one she supposed friends made for her.

In a cruel way, they had been right. There was no way she could raise him. Not after what the doctor had said.

Inko couldn’t raise a quirkless child. Not after what happened to Hisashi...it’d still been less than a week since she’d called to tell him. The shocked ‘what!?’, the screech of tires, and a loud bang before the line had gone dead. It was hours before she got the call from the police.

After they found the wreck...
  
It’s for the best…

Can you really raise a quirkless kid? On your own AND hold down a job? Those were the questions they asked her. In one form or another; now she asked herself.

She couldn’t…

“Where we going, Momma?” The four-year-old beside her asked, holding onto his favorite All Might action figure as they rode in the taxi.

She smiled and ruffled his hair. “Someplace special, sweetie. You may even make some friends there.” 'Liar...' Her conscience sneered at her. She detested the idea of keeping him in the dark, but she felt this would help with a clean break.

The workers there didn’t show it, but she could tell they didn’t think much of her when she managed to explain why she was there. Izuku was looking at some of the toys on a nearby table, so she felt some relief that this could go quickly.

“Are you sure you want to do this, Mrs. Midoriya?” The clerk asked. “Once you sign the forms, it’s set.”

She gave her son one last look. “Ye-yes.” She choked back the sob that threatened to come out. “I have to. I can’t…I just can’t…”

“Very well.” The clerk slowly pushed the custody relinquishment forms her way.

Her hands shook as she wrote her name, but she pushed through.

It’s for the best!

She managed to get her name on the last dotted line when Izuku called out. “Momma, they have the new All Might and Ectoplasm action figures!”

“That’s nice...sweetie.” She never thought a word would hurt as much as that one did now. “Maybe they’ll let you play with them in a few.” She had to turn away when a look of excitement crossed his face.

“You...are going to at least explain-?” The clerk started.

“No!” She cut him off. “N-no. This needs...it needs to be a clean break!”

It was evident they didn’t really approve, but Inko was set. With one last exhale, she steeled herself...and with one last look to a currently distracted Izuku, whispered ‘goodbye’ and went straight out the door.

“Momma, there’s a Crimson Riot puzzle too!” He turned back to the desk, his smile faltering some. “Momma…?”

It’s for the best! It’s for the best!

The mantra repeated itself in Inko’s thoughts as she nearly broke out into a run towards the car, needing to get away from there as soon as she could.

“Momma?” Izuku called out, making his way out to follow her. “You forget something?”

She bit her lip nearly to drawing blood, ignoring the calls and  quickly getting into the driver seat. The engine barely drowned out the calls of ‘Momma’, which quickly turned into worried shouts ...then finally screaming as she swiftly took off down the gravel driveway. A look in the rearview mirror showed Izuku, fear now on his face, running as fast as his small legs could take him; doing his best to try and keep up.

“Momma, wait! MOMMA!” He screamed. She couldn’t see it, but she knew the tears were running...since she was doing the same. One of the orphanage workers was catching up to him, calling for him to calm down. “MOMMAAA-!” He got out one last scream before his foot caught on a loose rock, and sent him sprawling to the ground.

Inko let out a quiet gasp when she saw his fall in the mirror, but forced herself to refrain from hitting the brakes. The workers, they’d take...they’d take care of him. Blinking away the tears when she turned back onto the highway, she focused on her way back home.

For the best. It’s for. The best.

3333

She was gone. Izuku’d managed to recover from his spill to see the car, and his mother, reach the road and swiftly disappear among the others

“Momma…” He sobbed, partly from fear, partly from the pain of skinning his knee when he fell.. She’d left him behind. Why? She’d never done that before. Why? Did he do something wrong?

“This is why we don’t recommend that!” The worker muttered, gently picking him up, and glaring in the direction she’d left. “It never ends well for either party.” He sighed, holding the sobbing child close. “It’ll be ok. Izuku, right?” He whispered, gently patting him on the back. “You’ll be ok, I promise. Here, let’s get you in and get that knee looked at.”

Izuku didn’t hear anything he said, or really notice being picked up. “Why’d she leave?” He asked in a faint tone, his voice breaking with each word. “What….what’d I do…? Momma, w-why?”

“I...I wish I could answer that, kiddo.” The man replied apologetically, already heading back to the orphanage’s main building. “I honestly wish I could…” 

The same employee was oddly surprised to see her come rushing back into the orphanage a few days later. But, he easily recognized her expression as one they’d seen more than one; the look of a parent/guardian that realized they didn’t think things through enough, or regretted it entirely.

“Where’s Izuku!?” She asked frantically as soon as she was near the desk.

“The boy with fluffy green hair and freckles?” He really hated this part of the job when he saw her nodding. “He…he was adopted just the other day.”

“W...what…?” Her eyes shrunk in panic. “By who!?”

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Midoriya, but we have a strict confidentiality rule…” He winced at the way she started to break down, the desk being the only thing that kept her standing.

“Are…are they at least good people?” She managed to ask between sobs.

He went back to when the couple came in, he hadn’t been there but his coworker had told them about it. Aside from being physically intimidating, the couple was as normal as anything. He couldn’t help smiling when she mentioned the both of them seeing Izuku - the poor kid was already being hassled by the older ones - and a friendly chat that led to them deciding he was the one. 

“The best.” He said. 

Chapter Text

"I still can't believe that scumbag still won!"

"More like a draw. I mean, we did destroy Bison's machine. We just didn't expect it to do, well...that."

"Ryu, it threw us both back in time by at least a decade! Sure we managed to find the others and let them know, but now we have to lay low to keep from running into the other you and me."

"That's why we're here, Li." The former wandering martial artist said, putting his arm around his wife. "You're worried all the fights and everything took a toll on you having a baby, and honestly, I'm scared to risk inflicting the Satsui no Hado on a child."

"...and this'll also give us a reason to settle down for the next ten years or so." She looked up at the orphanage. "You tell Ken he's about to be an uncle?"

"...knew I forgot something..."

"Ryu Hoshi...seriously?"

"Oh, like you remembered to tell 'Aunt Cammy'?"

Chun-li paused to try and give an appropriate retort, but settled for giving him a look. "Come on, you." 

The two made their way in the orphanage; inside, they were greeted to the faint sounds of kids playing, and workers trying to get more rambunctious ones to calm down a little.

"Hello?' She spoke up, getting the receptionist's attention. "We called the other day about possibly adopting."

"Oh? Oh, yes...Ryu and Chun-li Hoshi?" The receptionist asked, getting a confirmation from them both. "Yes, I believe Miss Ashia was expecting you. Let me page her."

They waited a few minutes while that happened, and the sound of light footsteps soon grabbed their attention. A young woman, apparently with a dragon Quirk that gave her scales framing her face, horns, and a long reptilian tail, came up to them. "Mr. and Mrs. Hoshi. I'm Hinata Ashia, welcome to Gaiden Orphanage."

"I understand adoption is a major decision, but as long as it gives at least one of these kids a home." Aisha said, leading the two down a hall with rooms were several children were playing and carousing.

"Come on, kid...please?" A worker pleaded, trying to coax a boy with a spider Quirk down from the ceiling.

Aisha shook her head. "And sadly, most of our children are here because their families deemed their abilities unacceptable at best...and villainous at worst."

"I hate self-righteous morons like that..." Chun-li hissed, wishing she still had the power to deliver a few hefty fines.

"Thankfully, we make sure to vet people so they see the child instead of the Quirk."

"Well, that's good to hear...hm?" Ryu stopped, catching something out of the corner of his eye.

"Ryu?" Chun-li asked, noticing her husband looking off to the side. "What's wrong?"

Aisha joined them. "Oh...I see you noticed little Izuku..."

Far off in the corner was a small boy, looking barely older than five. He was curled up in a chair, holding an action figure of All Might.. His face was down, hidden by the mop of fluffy green hair. 

"How come he's not with the others?" Ryu asked, looking concerned. Something wasn't right.

Aisha sighed. "Izuku is Qurkless, unfortunately. Soon as they found out, the other kids, and some now former staff, decided he didn't deserve to associate with the rest of them."

Looking like a man on a mission, Ryu began walking over to the boy. Meanwhile Chun-li had slipped back into investigator mode.  "Dare I ask who dropped him off?"

"His mother." Aisha replied. "Around three, four days ago."

"She give a reason why?" Chun-li felt a small ball of anger in her gut at the most likely one.

"Hey, kiddo." Ryu said, doing his best to not look intimidating when he got closer.

Izuku froze. "Th-the other kids are o-over there..." He replied, pointing slightly with his toy.

"How come you aren't with them?" He asked, crouching so they could talk face to face.

"I...I'm Quirkless." Izuku held his toy closer, like it was the only possession he still had from his old life. "Th-they said a...f-freak like me doesn't deserve to be around them...that that's why Momma l-left me here..."

"Please tell me you're joking." Chun-li tried hard to keep a growl out of her voice. Of all the selfish, idiotic...

"I won't defend the fact that she handled it badly. But the way she was acting, like she felt she had no choice." Aisha sounded pensive. "Like she was facing pressure from every angle you could think of."

"Wanna know a secret?" Ryu asked, leaning in a bit. "That makes two of us."

Izuku snapped his head up. "R-really??"

'Man, this kid's gonna be a heartbreaker when he gets older.' He thought. "Yep. Actually, me and my wife both are. And trust me when I say I've ran into my share of people like that." He shook his head. "They definitely traded in common sense for their Quirk." 

Izuku let out a snort of laughter at that.

'And the ice is broken.' He looked at the action figure in the boy's arms. "All Might fan?" 

Izuku nodded. "He's the reason I was hoping to have a Quirk, so I could be a hero like him."

"Really?" Ryu mused. "Tell me, why exactly do you want to be a hero?"

"'Cause heros help people. Like All Might...he just has to be there for everyone to feel safe."

"That's really what you wanna do, huh?"

Izuku nodded again. "Uh-huh." He looked at Ryu. "You...you think I can be a hero like that? E-even without...without a Quirk?"

Ryu grinned and ruffled his hair. "...kid, I'll make sure of it." 

"Frankly, I half expected het to come back looking for Izuku within the week." Aisha added. "And honestly, that would be far better for him than being here..."

"Ryu! We're taking him." Chun-li declared.

"You are?" Aisha asked, surprised at the sudden choice.

"Damn right! He needs parents he can rely on, not someone who needs others for strength of character."

"I'm ready, let's go!" Ryu said, having already picked Izuku up.

"Honey?" She gestured to Aisha. "Paperwork, remember?"

"Oh, right."

Chapter Text

Chun-li tilted her head. "Ryu, explain to me again..." Both martial artists and Izuku stood in front of a modest-looking two story house just outside Musutafu City. Surrounded by a fairly good sized yard and fence, it gave off a picturesque feel. "How did you manage to buy a house? And in one. Day??"

Ryu shrugged. "Ken convinced me to set up a bank account for the money I got from fights. Aside from food, medical supplies, and the occasional motel room, I didn't really use much." He scratched the back of his neck. "Kinda forgot about it sometimes."

"Ok, I'll buy that. Is the furniture still ok?"

"..."

"Ryu, there is furniture, right?"

"Um..."

"Ryu!" She lightly slapped his shoulder.

"Come on, Li, you know I traveled a lot! This house owning business is new to me!" 

"I know." She let out a resigned sigh, knowing he meant well. "Well, at least this way we can decorate it like we want."

They made their way up the gravel path leading to the door. Halfway, she lightly tapped Ryu's side to get his attention, then glanced to Izuku, still in his arms.

"Hm?" Ryu looked at the boy; Izuku was a ball of uneasy curiosity. Like he was worried they were suddenly going to change their minds.

Chun-li gave Ryu a pointed look, then gave Izuku a light tap on the shoulder. "I can tell what you're thinking, Izuku, and the answer is no." She smirked. "May as well get used to it, young man; you're stuck with us."

They both felt relieved when the unease seemed to fade a tad from Izuku's face; not much, but enough to let them know things were starting to head in the right direction.

"No, Ryu."

"But it'll fit!"

"No."

"But..."

"Ryu, we are not getting tv trays for the kitchen!"

Off to the side, Izuku remained quiet, never letting go of his All Might figurine. He didn't know what to say, or if he should say anything.

"Why does the shape matter? A table's a table."

"Aesthetics."

"Aes-what?? You forget I lived with a monk for most of my life, hon."

She sighed. "Izuku?"

"!?" The boy jumped slightly when he was addressed.

"What kind of table would you pick?"

Izuku looked puzzled for a second. "Um...a...an All Might one...?" He offered.

"...ok, even I  know that'd be tacky in the dining room." Ryu stated. "We can put on in your bedroom if you want, kiddo, but it won't work here."

Izuku stood there, multiple emotions flickering across his face. Mentally, he was pulled in multiple directions, between 'they really want my input...', 'I'm getting an All Might Table?'

And 'I'm getting a room of my own?'

"Of course you are, honey." Chun-li replied, making him look at her in surprise. How did she... "You said it out loud." She chuckled slightly.

"O-oh."

"Maybe beds first would be a good idea." Ryu looked out the window. "It's going to be dark soon." 

"And there's no way we'll be get anything delivered in time today." Chun-li yawned. "Looks like it'll be sleeping bags and futons for right now." A quick run through the house managed to procure a couple of aged blankets. Combined with Ryu's old sleeping bag, the trio had a makeshift bed of sorts...with a surprised Izuku finding himself tucked in between the two of them.

"Fair warning, Izuku; Ryu snores." Chun-li said.

"Coming from Miss 'Argues with cats in her sleep'?" Ryu shot back. 

"That was one time!"

"...sniff.."

"Huh/" The two looked at Izuku, and both started worrying when they saw his eyes welling.

"Whoa, Izuku, what's wrong!?" Ryu asked, looking around frantically for some idea of what to do. "It's ok, we always rag on each other like this...Chun??"  

Chun-li glanced around at the situation, and smile. "I think I know...Izuku?"

"H-huh..?' He got out between sniffles.

"You want a hug?"

"A hug?" Ryu paused when the greenette accepted, letting her hold him close. "Ohhh...being a parent is going to confusing, isn't it?"

"Eh, we'll get the hang of it." She replied, nuzzling their new son.

Chapter Text

The principal did his best to not look intimidated by the couple in sitting across from him. "Well, never let it be said that Saitama Elementary isn't open-minded. " He said, smiling. "So, Mr. and Mrs...."

"Hoshi." Chuni-li answered.

"Right. You're interested in enrolling your son here."

Ryu nodded. "That's right. Chun and I...well, we've been on the road for a long time, but with Izuku, it's pretty much time we settled down." 

"Understandable. Ok, let's get some basic info first. What grade is he so far?"

"Um...well, we adopted him a few days ago." Chun-li said.

"Ah. Then we can just give him an assessment to see where he stands." The principal took a form out of his desk and wrote something. "Did he have his Quirk checked yet?"

"...." Izuku spoke quietly

"I'm sorry?"

"I...I don't have a Quirk..." Izuku seemed to shrink into the chair.

"Ah...neither do I." The man grinned at the boy's surprised expression.

"Really??'

"Yep. My parent were heartbroken, but..." He held his arms out to his office. "Now I know some areas are...less than ideal in how they treat the Quirkless population. Some districts, too. However, it's not something that's tolerated here. 

Izuku seemed to sit a up a little straighter. "...even if I want to be a hero?"

"If that's what you want. Granted, you'll have to work a lot harder than most to compensate, but no one here will tell you it's impossible...and if there's anything school related you need, ask and we'll see what we can do. Now, just fill out this out and we can schedule the assessment."

The next day,  in a classroom that was empty aside from Izuku, the principal, and a teacher, Izuku was quietly scratching away at a testing sheet. Every so often he'd stop, look up in thought, then go back to the paper.

"Ok, class" The teacher spoke up, getting the attention of the students. "Before we start the day, I'd like to announce that we have a new student, Izuku Hoshi."

"Um..h-hello." Izuku said, standing by the woman and trying hard not to go red in the face.

"Why don't you tells everyone a bit about yourself?"

"Uh...I-I like All Might..."

"Think that's obvious, dude." One kid chuckled, pointing to Izuku's shirt.

"Oh..." He blushed. "And...and I like to study Quirks."

"What do you mean?" Another student asked.

"Well, I like to watch Heros using their Quirks and figuring out what it does, how it works, and what all they could probably do with it."

"MANLY!" A boy in the back with grey hair and shark-like teeth hollered.

"Tetsutetsu..." The teacher have him a look. 

"Sorry, Miss. Kobayashi." He said sheepishly.

"I think that's enough for now." She looked at Izuku. "Why don't you take the seat beside him?"

"Ok..." He quickly made his way to the desk and slid in.

The next couple of hours went by fairly quick; math and reading, then they were let out for lunch. Izuku took to following some of his classmates at a distance in hopes they'd lead him to the cafeteria.

"Hey, Hoshi!" The grey haired boy called out, catching up. "Let's hurry, I heard it's chicken tempura and sushi rice today!"

"O-ok." Izuku replied, walking beside.

"First day nerves?" He asked, seeing how quiet he was.

He nodded.  "Y-yeah..."

"Yeah, that's happens." He patted Izuku's shoulder. "Don't worry, you'll be fine. By the way, name's Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu."

Izuku gave him a puzzled glance.

"Yeah, I know. It's four different kanji, though!"

"Oh.  That's clever!"

Tetsu shook his head. "My folks sure think so." He seemed to realize something. "Hey, you said you like to study Quirks, right?"

"Yeah?"

It took a second, but his skin turned grey and hard.

"Oh wow!" Izuku was wideeyed. "Did you just turn into metal?"

"Just an outer layer, according to the docs." He replied, changing back. "But it's steel!"

"So you generate an...iron based coating...uh..." He tried to think of a better term.

"Trust me, I've heard them all." He rolled his eyes. "Pops won't stop making them...I threatened to go after his toes if he called me 'Rusty' again."

"So, can you do it at will, or...?"

"Kind of. It uses up the iron in me so I have to eat stuff that's got a lot of iron in it. You know, eggs, red meat, spinach, things like that."

"How long can you hold it, and does it affect your flexibility?"

"Well, depending on what I've eaten I can go about half an hour before I start feeling tired...and haven't really noticed any changes in how I can move."

"Does affect your full body only, or can you just change parts, like your arms of feet?"

"I..." Tetsu paused. "I-I don't know. Hadn't really thought about trying that."

"I mean, you could make a couple of fingers metal with a covering line over the back of your hand to your feet for grounding against electricity...or around your back the other hand to redirect them possibly-

"Like Iroh's technique?" Tetsu lit up like Christmas was early. "AWESOME! I gotta try that!"

Once he settled down, they made their way into the cafeteria. The room was filled with other kids chattering and laughing. The two quickly got their food and found a couple of seats. "I can't wait to tell my folks about this!" Tetsu laughed. "I think my odds of getting into UA just got better thanks you, man!" 

"You're hoping to go to there too?" 

"Too?' Tetsu grinned "Hey, that means we can both be heros together!"

"Well...I want to, but I don't know if I'll make it." Izuku said, looking down.

"Why not? I don't think it costs that much."

"No, I...I'm Quirkless."

"No Quirk?" Tetsu stared at him...then grabbed his shoulders. "Dude! You know how freaking MANLY that is!?" 

"M-manly??" Izuku squeaked.

"Yeah! You're not relying on a power to prove yourself, it's just all you!"

"But...some people, Pro-Heros included, that aren't all that fond of people like me."

"Ah, those are just unmanly losers!" Tetsu snorted.

"Unmanly?"

"Yeah, the girls too! Trust me, bro, if anyone's gonna getting into UA and becoming heros, it's gonna be you and me; you can count on that!"