Chapter Text
The sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm golden glow that faded into soft purples and blues. Shadows stretched long across the ground as the chirping of crickets began to fill the air. The rest of class 1-A moved with an awkward lurch, swaying from side to side as if struggling to maintain balance. Occasionally, some students would stumble forward, catching themselves with a heavy grunt before resuming the slow slow advance.
Eventually, they saw an empty patch of land, a large field and a cabin. A large fire burned at the center, a blackened iron grill and several logs set up as a makeshift table.
"Welcome, class 1-A, to Camp!" Ragdoll announced as the students stumbled into the clearing.
Minoru tripped to the ground, drool falling from his mouth as he looked at the surroundings. His eyes locked to Izuku and Ochaco spoiling Eri with treats. "Someone, give me CPR..." his hands reach out for the sky, "...I can see the light."
But the rest of his classmates walked past him, ignoring his theatrics.
"Oh? Itsuka-san, why are you cooking, kero?" Tsuyu asked, walking next to her.
"Ahaha! We got penalized for disappearing without permission and were told to prepare the food. And since Master already brought the meat..." Itsuka explained.
"I told you, I could've just cooked. It's my class that'll be eating it," Izuku told Itsuka.
"As far as I'm concerned, it's you and Eri eating it," she pointed at him with the ladle "The rest can have some too. I just can't sit around doing nothing."
"EXPLODE, YOU RIAJUU! Minoru screamed, still lying on the ground.
"Ignore the midget. I wanna eat," Katsuki said, sitting down, the other members following suit.
"Oh yeah, Midoriya, you feel...different, kero," Tsuyu stared at him.
"Now that you mention it," Hanta added, squinting his eyes to him.
"You must be imagining things. I'm still me," Izuku stated. "Now, let's eat before the food gets cold."
They didn't think it was their imagination, but decided to drop the subject. They were too exhausted to think about that now, especially in front of the meal in front of them.
The scene was immediately replaced with lively conversations, mostly complaints about what Pixie-Bob put them through. There were also lively conversations about the Quirk combos a few of them pulled through. Izuku thought it would've been fun being part of that. But then realized he'd likely just bulldoze through it and dismissed the idea.
With bellies full and laughter echoing in their ears, the students began to disperse, some heading for their rooms while others sought out quieter corners of the camp. Izuku made his way to the hot springs, where steam curled into the cool evening air, inviting him into its warm embrace.
Izuku settled into the water, its heat enveloping him, soothing the tension in his muscles after a long day.
He looked above, noticing the green moon illuminating the night sky. He leaned back against the hot spring's edge.
'Seriously, using Barrier against a child's punch? A barrier that can block any and all attacks, against a kid's punch?' X berated, making Izuku chuckle.
'Why not?' he responded to the sword in his mind. 'If anything, it lets me practice timing it. The window's too tight.'
'Well, we should be able to extend it the more control you have.'
'I can't do anything about control until we get to Booker so I can only work with what I have.'
He can only imagine X facepalming at him, despite not having a face...or a palm.
Minoru was at the fence, huffing as he was unable to look at the female students' bodies.
"Mineta-kun. I'm telling you this now, if you even attempt something, you will regret it," Izuku casually told him.
"Oh, come on! Aren't you curious? Don't tell me you're satisfied with just the princess!" Minoru protested.
"Most of them are also my girlfriends, so yes. I'm interested, but I'm not letting you see them."
Izuku paused. He was about to say he was also married to Ochaco. But saying it didn't feel right. He had been having these irregular, slightly invasive thoughts for years now, from taking a walk which led to meeting Ochaco to withholding certain pieces of information from other people, especially his mother. 'Maybe it was Sorcery all along?'
"Damn you, playboy!" Minoru shouted, his voice echoing. "Whatever. I'm going kamikaze!"
"Well, my daughter's also there with the other girls. So ask yourself if you really want to do that," Izuku smirked, looking at him with an amused expression.
Minoru gulped. No overt threat was made, but he couldn't help but feel he was scarier than before. With sunken expression, he went back to the hot spring
"Man, you're funny at times, but do you seriously need to keep targeting his girls? Didn't you already get lucky in I-Island?" Denki asked.
"Don't remind me!" he shouted.
Katsuki splashed water at Minoru, shouting, "Shut up!"
"Sometimes I'm not sure if you're really smart," Hanta told Minoru.
"Peeking at girls' baths is so unmanly," Kirishima commented, walking in from the sauna.
"It certainly lacks honor," Fumikage added.
Izuku noticed the little boy looking at Minoru with the eyes of a hawk. From what Eri told him, he was a kind kid that gave her his toy to cheer her up. 'It would be nice for her to have a friend her age,' he thought.
On the girls' side of the hot springs, Itsuka was listening in on the exchange, her enhanced werewolf senses letting her hear the conversation between the boys and the pervert. Relieved Izuku hadn't turned the continent into magma to deal with him, she turned to the others. "You okay, Eri-chan?"
The little girl nodded, clinging to Ochaco's towel.
Ochaco addressed everyone, "I would be departing tomorrow. I would appreciate knowing Izuku and Eri will be taken care of while I am gone."
"No need to ask us. We'll take care of Daddy and Eri-chan!" Mina said, giving Ochaco a thumbs up.
"Did you find a circle nearby?" Itsuka asked her. While not as easy to use as a Portal, a stone circle would make it easier to go back to Elsewhere. Otherwise, they would have to call Nana since she didn't want Izuku to accidentally use too much Power and set a continent on fire on that side.
"Yes. I have asked Mandalay if they found anything resembling it, and I believe I have a lead."
"We'll do our best, Princess!" Toru saluted.
"Thank you, Toru-chan," she smiled.
"We'll help too, shroom," Kinoko added.
"Mama, you're leaving?" Eri asked, her lips trembling.
"Yes, baby," Ochaco cupped the girl's cheek. "Mama needs to go back to her house so the three of us can live in it," she explained.
She looked down and nodded, her brows creasing as she held back her tears.
"Do not worry. Papa will be with you, and your nee-sans too."
"We'll play and talk lots of times too, Eri-chan," Mina told her.
"Okay," Eri murmured, looking down.
Seeing the scene, Tsuyu put a finger on her chin, "I've been wondering about it a lot, but I'm surprised by the lack of jealousy among all of you."
Somewhere in the Yaoyorozu residence, Momo sneezed, causing Kitsune to panic.
"Oh, there were jealousy, alright," Mina smirked knowingly at Ochaco.
"It was the way you went about it, Mina," Ochaco defended. "But still, I do see that let me be closer to Izuku, and accept the situation faster."
"Everything I do, I do for Daddy!" Mina cheered, her fist in the air.
"To answer your question, Tsuyu, I know how much he loves me so I accept him being affectionate to other women," Ochaco smiled. "And I know the others will help protect him. He is strong, but he can also be reckless, especially when it comes to others. If him being with them lets other women be invested enough in him to make sure he is safe, looking the other way is a small price to pay."
"That is very mature of you, kero" Tsuyu responded. "I don't think I can be like that with Tokoyami-kun."
"It's certainly not for everyone," Kyouka told her.
"Really? Kyouka-chan, even though you're part of it, kero?"
Kyouka's face went red as a tomato as she mumbled under her breath.
"What was that, kero?"
"I said, I'm okay as long as I have my own place beside Izuku and he treats me as I am," she confessed, breathing deep before settling into a smile. "Course, I'm glad I finally had an actual connection with him."
"I guess it doesn't work for most relationships, huh?" Tsuyu concluded.
"It does not, yes. I do not want you to think the same way. Izuku's case is just...special," Ochaco told her.
"Even ignoring scums who'd take advantage of the open relationships, most people can only give love for one person at a time, and that's fine," Itsuka lectured.
"My Lord's heart is big enough for everyone," Ibara said, cupping water with her palms and letting fall back down.
"Please don't play with the water, Ibara-chan, shroom," Kinoko chastised.
"Speaking of," Kyouka called out, "How was Tokoyami and Dark Shadow?"
"Dark Shadow's feels inconsistent right now even when she comes out. But was told will be okay in a few days, kero."
"Which reminds me..." Mina scooted over to Tsuyu. "Don't get me wrong, but why didn't you go after Daddy too? I thought you'll be one of the first to find him attractive, animal Quirk and all."
"I do find him attractive, kero," Tsuyu confessed. "But I also find him intimidating, and not in the flustered way, kero. Especially now."
"He can be scary when mad," Toru remarked, sinking further into the water.
"Really? I've never seen him like that, shroom" Kinoko pondered.
"You're just blinded by your crush on him," Yui teased with a flat voice.
Kinoko flushed, her mushroom growing from her head to hide her face and her feet kicking the water, causing little waves.
Itsuka looked at the scene, thinking how her 'Master' would start attracting certain types of girls from here on.
As Izuku dried his hair and reflected on the things his father shared earlier, he wandered through the dimly lit hallways of the camp. His thoughts shifted from laughter to concern as he spotted Kota, whose brooding demeanor reminded him of his own struggles.
"Hey there, buddy. You doing okay?"
"Humph! Why do you care? Just go away and leave me alone!" he huffed, stomping the ground before Izuku called out.
"I heard you tried to cheer Eri up when she was down. That's so nice of you," he said, patting the boy's head.
He shook his head, his hat nearly falling off. "Shut it! If you didn't leave your kid to do whatever, I wouldn't have to."
He smiled wryly. It wasn't like he could explain to him what happened. 'Or maybe I could simplify it?'
"Why are you smiling so creepy," Kota grumbled.
"I'm not washing my hands of the blame, but I didn't want to leave Eri behind. I was...protecting...her Mama so she wouldn't be taken away."
"Hmph! Probably just doing dumb hero work. Whatever," he said before walking off.
Izuku ran his hand through his hair, unsure of how he should handle him when Mandalay appeared from the corner of the hallway.
"I'm sorry about Kota, Midoriya-san," she bowed.
"It's fine. If you don't mind me asking, do you know why he seems to hate heroes?" he asked. It was for a moment, but Kota's mouth slipped.
Her eyes avoided his as her lips pressed together. Eventually, she told him about Kota's parents. How they died, and how the child took it heavily. By the time Mandalay finished telling the story, her eyes were welled up with tears as she herself grieved for her brother.
"I'm sorry for what happened. Thank you for telling me," he told her, his hand resting on her shoulder, gently squeezing it in reassurance.
"No, it's fine. I'm just glad someone's trying to reach out to Kota," she wiped her tears, "He put a wall around him, but I have a feeling you just might push past that. Strange. And also, your words might have more weight to it since you are trying to be hero while having a child."
"I'll try my best."
"That's all I can ask," Mandalay nodded, taking a breath. "Good night, Midoriya-san." She turned back and walked away, leaving the Izuku to himself.
He thought about Kota's situation, trying to find a way to convince the child, and was drawing blank. The situation was more complex than he'd like. It wasn't like he could just throw a fireball to the concept of parental loss and call it a day.
As the camp's evening settled into a quiet hum, Izuku and Ochaco found themselves in a rare moment of privacy. The air was chilly, the camp not having much insulation from the elements. A worn, soft wool blanket—slightly scratchy but comfortingly warm—covered both Ochaco and Eri, muting the evening's crisp edges.
Izuku, Ochaco, and Eri were laying on their bed, their hands locked together on top of their daughter, her steady breathing a gentle counterpoint to the camp's distant murmurs.
"When will you be back?" Izuku whispered, rubbing her hands with his thumb.
"Soon." Her smile soft with affection. Her fingers intertwined with his, communicating more than words. "I will need to find an excuse to go back to Japan. Perhaps some paperwork related to school or maybe the licensing exam. We shall sneak some dates together, before we can formally announce you."
"And when do we do that?"
"My birthday is in a month. Long enough to mourn a father, and stabilise a Court. Long enough for life to move on. We could organize a grand ball, and you can be formally introduced to the Court?"
"This is just a trick to get me into Court finery, isn't it?" Izuku joked, his voice light.
"Perhaps," she giggled. "But it fits perfectly. Or did you have other plans for December 27th?"
"If I have to wait that long, I will," Izuku said before sighing. "I just hate these damned politics."
"Politics is an art of making others do what you want them to do and making them think it was their idea the whole time. If we are to rebuild the Round Table, we will need the support of the great noble families, not their antagonism. And if all else fails, there is always you and the Companions."
"So, what they call BATNA?"
"Not something I am familiar with. What is that?"
"Best Alternative to Negotiated Agreement. If they won't play ball, they may not enjoy the alternative," he said, his eyes flickering with Power.
Ochaco gripped his hands, stopping his fingers from curling. "There is no need for that. Yet. You are a God and a Hero, and a man who can set an entire world ablaze. You do not need to burn a forest. At least not yet."
"Sorry, it just pisses me off to think what they might do to you both."
"Perhaps the Mantle taking effect on you. It is a War God's Mantle, after all. Izuku, I would rather avoid to start our reign with a bloodbath. But you are right. There is a hard limit for what concessions we will permit. The Crown must be strengthened to survive the coming storm."
"If you find any traces of the Cult, let me know. Those assholes won't play by your rules."
"If I find any traces, I will. I promise. If need be, we will rouse the Fae and sic the Hunt on them. But I suspect most of my problems will be recalcitrant nobles, hoping that a weak King will be followed by a weaker Queen."
"Well, they're in for a surprise," Izuku smirked.
Ochaco sighed, letting go of Izuku's hand to touch his shoulders. "I will miss this. Miss you two."
"We can just go back to the dorm, let the world take care of itself for a few days while we celebrate our wedding night?"
"Duty, My Love. I have a Duty to the Court. To bury my father...and set our House in order."
"I could still go with you. No need to bring the others. Just you and me. I'd feel better knowing I had your back."
"You are much too transparent, My Love. Anyone wanting the truth from you need only ask, and the truth is not exclusively our friends in this situation."
"It should be. Don't lie if you can help it, Ochaco. You're a Power now. Both Nemuri and my father warned against it."
Ochaco's eyes widened. "I am no...Power. Am I? Are you certain, My Love?"
"Pretty damned certain. Your eyes glowed when you cast Excalibur. X agrees; you definitely crossed the threshold to being a Power."
Her expression hardened. "That makes for a complication to my new life as a politician. You are right. Powers need to hold to the truth. Nothing but the truth, if not necessarily the whole truth."
"In that case, I can come along."
"I have a Court to stabilise, and you, my dear, are the opposite of a stabilising factor. If I need someone to knock heads together, I will call for you, but until then I will be safe and surrounded by loyal guardians."
Seeing Ochaco not budging, he let out a groan, "If you're really sure. I don't want to fight with you. Not when we have so little time before you leave."
"I love you, My Heart."
"I love you too, Ochaco."
She smiled before closing her eyes. Within a few moments, he could hear her breathing slow, a sign she was asleep.
His eyes glowed green in the night. "I will protect you, Ochaco. No matter what."