Author's Note: Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all my readers and fans
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Story Arc: Welcome to a world of superheroes
Episode 1: The nomadic hero (III)
Chapter 3: Investigations and Muscle Cars
Plot: The encounter with Saver and Shielder has left its mark on Izuku, something only Inko seems to notice.
When the day comes to meet Saver again, Izuku begins to understand that he is about to mix in some rather... eccentric company.
XXX
Narrator's POV
Five days have passed since Izuku Midoriya met All Might, Saver, and Shielder.
All Might, the greatest Pro-Hero in Japan and perhaps the world, is convinced that a Quirkless cannot become a Pro-Hero.
Saver and Shield, two famous international Pro-Heros, I believe that a Quirkless if he commits himself, works hard and receives a helping hand, can become a hero.
These two contrasting opinions from such important people in the world of heroes have left their mark on Izuku.
From an external perspective, Izuku Midoriya's life is continuing as if nothing had happened.
But from an internal perspective, there were changes that only Izuku's mother, Inko Midoriya, noticed.
Inko is a 40-year-old Japanese housewife, 160 centimeters tall and slightly overweight.
Like Izuku, Inko has large, circular eyes.
His hair and eyes are also green, but in a slightly darker shade than his son's.
Her hair is straight and shoulder-length, with a small spiky ponytail at the back.
Although physically Inko seems like a happy and healthy woman, internally she is a volcano of anxieties ready to erupt.
Inko is worried about her son Izuku.
Okay, Inko is always worried about her dear child. Inko is not stupid, she understands that growing up without a father and being Quirkless is not easy at all.
Izuku, besides Katsuki Bakugo, has no other friends, and in recent years, Bakugo no longer comes to visit like he used to.
But somehow things were always bearable for Inko, her son went to school, got excellent grades and ardently cultivated his hobbies.
But, in the last few years Inko hasn't been able to sleep well, because something has happened to Izuku, she doesn't know what, but something serious must have happened.
For Inko, it all started five days ago, when Izuku came home with a strange expression and a bag full of high-quality pastries.
Before Inko could elaborate on where Izuku got pastry products that could cost 1/4 of his monthly income, the first strange thing happened.
Izuku locked himself in his room and took away all of All Might's marketing, putting it in boxes, then said he would sell everything online piece by piece.
When Inko asked why her son wants to sell his collection created over an entire decade, Izuku said: I don't like All Might anymore.
For a long moment, Inko thought she had ended up in another dimension or that her son had been replaced by another person.
Today, when Izuku Midoriya went to school, Inko did something she has never done, enter her son's room and investigate.
XXX
'I'm inside, now what should I do?' Inko thinks, never before having invaded her son's privacy to look for something he doesn't know what it might be.
Looking around, Inko sees a huge difference, without all the All Might stuff, Izuku's room is completely different.
Inko began looking under the bed and through Izuku's closet, finding nothing strange, just dust and clothes.
The worried mother approached Izuku's desk, opening the drawers, Inko was relieved to see that Izuku's numerous notebooks remained in place.
"Some things have remained the same, Izuku still loves classifying and observing Pro-Hero Quirks." Inko mutters, grabbing Izuku's newest notebook, titled: Mysterious Quirk.
Leafing through the notebook, Inko noticed that at the moment there are only drawings of two Pro-Heros, a kind of wizard with a scepter and a girl knight with a large shield.
Their pages are filled with question marks and theories about their Quirks, calling them a mystery or a puzzle.
Inko, not being as passionate about Quirks as her son, paid no further attention to the information and put the notebook away in the drawer.
"One last thing is I can put my worries to rest." Inko said, taking a deep breath, then proceeds to inspect Izuku's computer.
Luckily for his worried mother, Izuku didn't change his computer password, allowing him to look at the history.
Inko found dozens and dozens of addresses on forums, fan clubs and other material dedicated to an international pair of Pro-Heroes, Saver and Shielder.
"For the past week, these two Pro-Heros have been working in the area, yesterday they saved dozens of people from a fire in the heart of the city." Inko mutters softly, reading an article in the local newspaper.
Strangely, there are just as many scientific journal articles that talk about the work of certain doctors who work at Chaldea Labs.
"Nice to see Izuku taking an interest in something other than Pro-Hero." Inko murmurs, feeling slightly relieved that her baby is finding new passions.
Shortly after, Inko left Izuku's room, not having gotten a clear answer as to why her son no longer likes All Might, but she didn't find anything alarming either.
' Izuku probably saw this pair of Pro-Heros in action and was impressed by them. I admit this Saver has his charm.' Izuku thinks, blushing slightly at a certain image of Saver with his hood down.
Another woman has unintentionally joined Saver's fan club.
XXX
Classes are over, all the students are walking towards their homes or places to have fun after a long day of studying.
Izuku Midoriya, instead of going directly, finds himself in front of the school gates and is waiting to meet Saver or Shielder.
'I hope I made the right choice in accepting this offer.' Izuku thinks, very nervous, not knowing what is about to happen.
The green-haired boy is holding the visiting card offered by Saver in his hands, treating it as if it were his life preserver.
XXX
*Flashback*
Last night, Izuku Midoriya went through the same routine for the past five days, doing research on the internet.
After meeting Saver and Shielder he decided to do some research on the two international Pro-Heros.
His internet sleuthing revealed that Saver and Shielder have pretty busy careers for their short time in business.
The green-haired boy has gleaned a great deal of information about their public careers, though virtually nothing about their private lives.
Saver and Shielder made their debut near Hawaii, saving a small island from a tsunami.
Subsequently, Saver and Shielder have been spotted in Alaska, Canada, USA and Mexico, stopping criminals locally and regionally, as well as intervening in natural accidents such as avalanches, earthquakes and other dangerous situations.
Once they left Mexico, but not before dismantling several drug cartels, they traveled to South America, reaching as far as Argentina.
Taking a boat, they traveled to South Africa, crossing the African continent to Egypt and then Morocco.
Fighting crime has been replaced by humanitarian and rescue operations, as well as offering assistance in several archaeological digs.
Taking a second boat, Saver and Shielder arrived in Portugal, from there on they zigzagged across Europe, making waves by busting criminal clots and offering police assistance in solving museum thefts and more.
Then, the two of them continued to be nomadic heroes, moving eastward, crossing the entire Asian continent, leaving their mark against the underworld in Russia, India and China.
The latest news has officially confirmed that Saver and Shielder have arrived in Japan.
Izuku became very interested in the two international heroes he met, especially why they decided to travel far and wide without stopping.
The two heroes have set foot in all the contains except Oceania, the North Pole and the South Pole, something very few people can say they have done.
By some miracle, Izuku didn't lose focus at the numerous fandom theories or photographs of Shielder in a bathing suit on the beaches...
Shaking his head, not wanting to be controlled by hormones, Izuku began searching for information on Chaldea Labs.
Izuku's research revealed some pretty interesting things, Chaldea Labs is a worldwide chain of research laboratories not connected to government or other commercial interests, founded by Doctor Da Vinci and sponsored by Olga Marie Animusphere.
Chaldea Laboratories still has locations in Canada, USA, Argentina, Egypt, France, England, Italy, Romania and recently Japan, with a total number of locations of 21.
The Chaldea Labs appeared not even a year ago, but they are attracting a lot of attention from the scientific community due to their medical discoveries, finding cures or treatments for several Quirk-related illnesses and more traditional illnesses.
Izuku being Quirkless, not trying to learn the possible negative outcomes of gaining a Quirk.
Having nothing better to do, Izuku browsed the medical articles regarding Chaldea Laboratories' treatments for psychic Quirks and other types that can induce physical and/or psychic problems.
"I didn't know that Quirks like telepathy can induce neurological problems so much or that people with blood-based Quirks are more prone to blood diseases." Izuku mutters, turning slightly pale, after reading some serious cases, which fortunately, have been resolved by the treatments of Chaldea Laboratories.
Izuku for a moment feels happy to be Quirkless, not having to fear developing one of the diseases he has been studying for the past hour.
Closing his computer, the green-haired boy opens a drawer in his desk and takes out the business card he received from Saver.
' I investigated Saver and Shielder as much as I could, even the Chaldea Labs. Now, do I have to make my decision, accept or reject the offer?' Izuku thinks, reaching out to grab her Smartphone.
The green haired boy takes a deep breath, he's trying to keep his head cool.
I emphasize the word, he is trying.
The Pro-Hero fanboy is dealing with deep anxiety, combined with a lump in his throat and a feeling of stomach-churning.
Such a reaction doesn't happen even when a cute girl approaches Izuku.
"Keep calm, stay calm, stay calm." Izuku Midoriya murmurs under his breath, as if he were a mantra.
"This is just your first and perhaps last taste of becoming a true hero. Dial the number, talk, accept the offer, and then see what happens." The green haired boy mutters, trying and failing to gain some courage.
Somehow, Izuku slowly manages to type in the number on the card, then I check it once and again, all to make sure I didn't write the wrong number.
The phone rings for a couple of seconds before someone answers.
"Green boy, you've finally decided to call." Saver said in a calm and stoic voice, knowing that sooner or later they would hear from Izuku Midoriya.
"How did you know it was me?" Izuku questions in a slightly curious voice.
For a moment, the Pro-Hero fanboy's neurosis subsided, replaced by his innate curiosity.
"I'm not a civilian, I have a hundred disposable phones for every situation.
The visit card I gave you contains the telephone number 46, only you could call you on this number." Saver replies in a calm voice, while the sound of police sirens can be heard in the background.
"Is this an inappropriate time?" Izuku questions, not wanting to interrupt the important work of a Pro-Hero.
"No, fifteen minutes ago, Shielder and I stopped some smugglers, they were hiding drugs and more inside some stuffed animals." Saver said in an almost apathetic voice, as if stopping a smuggling operation was something of little consequence.
"The cops have arrived to clear the scene, confiscate the contraband and make several arrests. Shielder is taking care of explaining the situation in detail." Saver explains, adding some details.
The hero fanboy blinked a few times, not knowing how to react to such a situation.
' What should I say ? Congratulations? ' Izuku thinks, finding himself in uncharted waters.
Luckily for Izuku Midoriya, Saver gained the upper hand in the discussion.
"So, Green boy, have you decided to work at the Chaldea Labs and receive training from me, Shielder and my other associates?" Saver said in a neutral tone, hard to describe.
Taking a deep breath, Izuku prepares to give his answer.
"Well, I thought about your offer a lot and I decided to accept." Izuku said, trying not to stutter or make a fool of himself.
"One of the cops is requesting my assistance. Green boy, we need to finish this conversation quicker than expected." Saver said in a stoic voice that hides a hint of annoyance.
"I'll pick you up after school tomorrow, I'll take you on a tour of the Chaldea Labs." Saver said, before abruptly ending the call.
Izuku Midoriya remained silent for a long moment, having to pinch his cheek a little to make sure he was awake.
'Did Saver call the police names like cops and cops?' Izuku thinks, raising an eyebrow, remembering this detail.
Most Pro-Heros don't have a great relationship with law enforcement, but very few use such terms to refer to a police officer in such a rude manner.
'Tomorrow, Saver, come and pick me up after school... but how do you know which school I'm going to?' Izuku thinks, getting another question to his long list of trivia about Saver.
*Fine Flashback*
XXX
Izuku still stands in front of the gates of his school, Aldera Junior High.
'Maybe something happened? Should Saver and Shielder have performed their Pro-Hero duties on the road?' The green-haired boy thinks, looking for a sensible explanation for Saver's tardiness.
Izuku's train of thought was stopped by the sound of a very powerful engine modified to impossible levels.
Turning to his right Izuku can see a red muscle car speeding in his direction and it doesn't seem to want to slow down.
'How can a car that should be in a museum move so fast!' Izuku thinks as he presses his back against the gate of his school, not wanting to risk getting hit by the red car.
As if it were a scene from an action movie, the red car takes a turn and stops a meter away from the green-haired boy who is just about to have an accident in his pants.
If Izuku wasn't scared to death and was a car connoisseur, he might say that the red car is a 1970 Plymouth Cuda convertible with a 426 Hemi and manual transmission.
"Take notes, Green boy.
A hero must not come too early or too late, he must appear at the right time and make an unforgettable entrance." The driver said in a stoic, but amused voice, probably due to Izuku Midoriya's shocked expression.
Hearing the nickname he received from Saver, Izuku's brain puts aside the fear and focuses on the driver getting out of the red car.
The driver is an androgynous boy, with gray eyes and inky black hair, long and kept in a ponytail.
A silver hair clip keeps her bangs from covering her left eye.
He wears a white collared shirt, paired with a black leather vest with closed silver buttons, a red tie, and black leather gloves.
A red snakeskin belt with a silver buckle.
Rather tight black trousers, paired with red-black running shoes.
Finally, his last item of clothing is an old black leather coat, with a large number of pockets and zippers.
Long story short, the driver is dressed like he's a detective from a film noir.
But the most extravagant detail of all is the black eyepatch covering his left eye.
'I've already seen it somewhere, but where?' Izuku thinks, trying to remember where and when she met the driver.
An imaginary lamp lit up above Izuku's head.
An image of Saver appears inside the green-haired boy's head, flanked by the image of the driver.
The two overlapping mental images demonstrate that the two people are virtually identical in terms of body size and facial constructions.
The only differences between the two are the color of the eyes, the hairstyle and the color of the hair, but above all the lack of half-elf ears.
"You, you're Saver!" Izuku exclaims, not being fooled by the old trick: Clark Kent is Superman with glasses.
" Yes, but when I'm not in costume, you can call me Bruce." Saver, aka Bruce, said, confirming Izuku's guess.
" How did you change your appearance? Did you use hair dye and contact lenses?
But it doesn't explain the change in the ears, maybe a minor Shapeshifting power or were the elf ears fake?" Izuku mutters under his breath, presenting his thoughts on possible explanations for Saver/Bruce's cosmetic changes.
During this exposition of thoughts, a second person comes out of the red muscle car and stands next to Bruce.
"Brucy, is this the boy we should be training?" Ask for a lively voice that isn't too masculine or feminine.
Izuku sees that the person next to Bruce, is a fancifully dressed androgynous looking boy or girl.
" Green boy, meet Astolfo, aka Rider. Today it was his turn to accompany me around.
Before you ask, Astolfo is a man, but he likes to wear girls' clothes because they make him cuter." Bruce said with a slightly bored voice, surely having already had this discussion in the past.
Izuku Midoriya's brain stops working for a moment as he looks at Astolfo and the information is processed in his mind.
Astolfo is handsome beyond compare, 164cm tall, weighs 56kg, his three dimensions are: B71/W59/H73.
Her hair is red held in a long French braid and her eyes are purple.
Astolfo wears hair ornaments, which look like something a princess would wear.
Astolfo's clothing is very cute and attractive, making him pass off as an extremely pretty girl.
Astolfo wears purple and white shoes, black leggings, combined with a cute black miniskirt, held up by a thin blue belt.
Astolfo wears a purple jacket, with small black pom poms hanging from the laces, combined with a purple and white striped t-shirt.
But this shirt is not normal length, it is designed to show the lower part of the waist, i.e. abdomen.
'One of the prettiest girls I've seen in my life is a man!' Izuku thinks, turning slightly red in the face, feeling embarrassed.
'Will this be a regular thing? Meet international or European Pro-Heros with an androgynous or effeminate appearance?' Izuku thinks, hoping he won't have to face such an event.
Because if that happens, Izuku will probably start to have a problem not only with cute girls, but also with boys, drastically reducing his already low social skills.
'I wonder what he will look like when he meets Chevalier d'Eon and Enkidu.' Bruce thinks, finding Izuku's reaction slightly amusing.
"Your name is, Izuku, right?" Astolfo asks, approaching the green-haired boy.
The Pro-Hero fanboy nods, not too concerned about such gregarious characters.
" I welcome you to our unofficial Cabal of wacky heroes! " Astolfo exclaims in a joyous voice, trying to make Izuku feel welcome.
"Green boy, get in the car, put your seatbelt on, we're about to take a little trip to a Chaldea Labs facility." Bruce said, motioning for Izuku to get into the muscle car.
"Brucy, you are too serious and too focused on work, you should spend less time inside a laboratory or on the battlefield.
You know, sometimes I, and the rest of the Cabal, feel neglected." Astolfo said, sounding like a woman complaining about her boyfriend's bad habits.
" Number one, my experiments are important.
Number two, my work is crucial to myself and many others.
Number three, how can I neglect you, if not a single day goes by without seeing you or them, there are days when I can't even have a moment to myself." Bruce said, defending his duties and discrediting the last statement of Astolfo.
The Pro-Hero fanboy decided not to get between the two androgynous boys and got into the red muscle car.
"Your words confirm my statements, you are too serious and dedicated, you have your duties. Don't worry, my job is to entertain you." Astolfo said with a smile on his face as he approaches the driver's door.
"Astolfo, what do you want to do?" Bruce said in a serious voice, crossing his arms over his chest.
"I've decided it's my turn to drive, I'll take the scenic route, we'll make a stop at an ice cream shop and then we'll go to our destination." Astolfo said, getting into the driver's seat.
Izuku starts to shiver, the air is suddenly getting much colder, but it only lasts for a few seconds.
"Astolfo, if you weren't cute, funny and funny, you would have become a statue of ice the exact moment you touched my door handle." Bruce said, feeling himself in the seat to Astolfo's right.
The pink haired femboy blushes for a moment, appreciating his Master's words a lot.
"I love you too, Brucy, you're a Kuutsundere, but you're my unsociable, workaholic Kuutsundere." Astolfo said in a cheesy tone.
Izuku who has been sitting silently in the backseat can't help but turn red in the face, feeling embarrassed to hear this argument that sounds like something out of one of his mother's soap operas.
"Green boy, Astolfo wants to take a detour to get an ice cream, is it a problem for you if we post your tour of about thirty minutes or an hour?" Bruce asks, informing Izuku of the change in plans.
Izuku doesn't respond, simply shaking his head left and right, the universal sign for no.
"Great! Let's go get ice cream, then let's take Izuku to our base, where he will become our first recruit from Japan!" Astolfo exclaims in an energetic voice, raising his arm in the air.
'I have a feeling I'm about to meet a lot of people as eccentric as Bruce or Astolfo.' Izuku thinks, sure that his life is about to take a... bizarre turn.
Continues ...