Chapter 1
Tony Stark dies.
He dies alone, on some godforsaken planet, at least half a solar system away.
He dies after slowly starving to death, a few feet from where the kid had turned to dust. After thinking way too much, and spending who knows how long trying to repair a ship that has soft- and hardware he has never seen before, together with an honest-to-God cyborg.
How is this his life? How is this his death?
...
No one is more surprised than him when he wakes up again.
It isn't supposed to be like this!! Why can't he just die already?!
He screams, loudly.
Only to shut up in shock immediately. Because what the hell?? That's not this voice... This loud shriek belongs to a toddler or any sort of small human – he has no idea how they age, so he can't say with certitude.
A loud bang and a lean woman with dark green hair appears next to him and immediately scoops him up in a hug.
Tony freezes.
It takes a minute for his brain to come back online.
"Izuku, baby, are you alright? Izuku? Baby, talk to me??" the woman whispers urgently into his hair as she swallows him in a hug. A hand gently inspects his limbs, checking for wounds.
He blinks. He easily fits in her arms.
This is his mother. He knows that, but she is not Maria Stark. She is not the mother he saw not even a year ago strangled on tape, but she is his mother nonetheless. Tears gather in his eyes.
"Baby, did you have a nightmare?" She asks soothingly now that she is done with her inspection and has found nothing to worry about.
All he can do is nod, because how could he ever start explaining this to her?
"Everything will be alright, baby. Dreams go away." she tries to soothe him.
He wants to scream because this isn't alright!! He won't let himself though, so all he can do is bury his face in his mother's shoulder and cry.
He's kept himself strong for so long. So many years without letting even the people closest to him see him vulnerable, and finally it becomes too much. In the end, it is not death, not Afghanistan, not Siberia, not even the kid turning to dust, but a simple hug that causes him to break.
Just a warm hug and the thought that even dying is something Tony Stark manages to screw up. His mom picks him up and she makes it look so easy, even for a delicate-looking woman like her.
How small is he?
She takes him into another room and lays him down next to her on the big bed.
They snuggle close, and he is completely drained, not sure how to feel anymore. Joyful and at peace, yet sad and exhausted at the same time.
He can't help but bask in the feeling of comfort and home. He's always been a mama's boy. With Howard, he's just never been allowed to act like one.
Now though, there is no father around to say anything about it, and his mom certainly doesn't seem to mind.
He spends whatever is left of the night in her arms. He's comfortable and warm. He relaxes, and by the time dawn arrives, he forces himself to think about what the hell is going on.
It takes a while to clear his thoughts.
He isn't Tony Stark anymore. Not really. Tony Stark died. Somehow, somewhere in maybe another universe, because while he recalls only vaguely this new life, he doesn't recall huge alien attacks in the news or in history class.
He is young still, so he will need to check to see if that is right, or just something his new self hadn't yet been aware off.
His name is Midoriya Izuku now.
He knows that. He remembers being Izuku, for as much as a six-year-old can remember his life.
Thing is, he remembers being Tony Stark as well.
Tony's life is much clearer than Izuku's. He can remember most of what happened to Tony, all the way back to his childhood. The earliest memories are a bit foggy, but he can recall them. He has a few memories as Izuku, but most are recent. He recalls his fascination with heroes, his obsession with All Might, his failing friendship (which he knows now as an adult is not a friendship at all), his quirkless status, and his dream of being a hero despite all that. He remembers the bullying and the explosions and he grimaces.
Another blond making his life difficult.
He's also not too sure he feels comfortable with his All Might obsession. Honestly, the man had too many similarities with Captain America.
No happy memories there.
Tony is Izuku and Izuku is Tony. Getting that straight takes a while, but neither of him are stupid. Even if Izuku is only about six years old, he is quite smart.
Dissecting quirks like he has been doing for a while now, is not a sign of stupidity.
Still, his brain feels unusually overloaded and his thoughts feel slow, but he doesn't stop thinking. He never does. He never has.
And probably never will.
So, he takes the time to think. His mom is cuddling him close, in her bed. She moved him here, because his own bed had been too small to fit them both comfortably, as he is a very small boy.
He can't quite recall her name (can any six-year-old? At what age do children learn their parent's names? When do they realize mom isn't called mom?), but that doesn't feel important. She is here. With him. She came when he was in distress. Did he scream? He can't recall anymore... Is that why she came? It feels nice. He can't recall ever snuggling like this when he had only been Tony. Howard never would have allowed it (and he hadn't been around to try it with either) and Maria… Tony had loved her, and still loves her, but he has learned to be honest with himself. Jarvis is the one who raised him. Jarvis is the one who taught him. He has more memories of their butler than his own parents.
So, this new mom is definitely a bonus. He has a dad as well, right? He can't remember the man ever being mean, or neglectful, but he is not around either. Isn't he somewhere overseas for work? What exactly does his dad do for work?
He doesn't want to think too much about the life he left behind. He has done enough of that, starving to death on that strange and desolate planet. He won't wonder again if either Pepper or Rhodey died... If any of his old teammates did.
He only briefly allows himself to think of them because as usual Steve's face assaults his thoughts immediately.
"He is my friend."
"So was I."
Definitely not the time for that. He looks around, over his mother's arms, and around the dark room. his mom's room looks pretty normal, much like how Pepper had decorated their shared room. With a flash, he recalls what his current bedroom looks like. Hero posters, notebooks and figurines… he's a real fanboy.
He's not ashamed of that. And maybe that is strange, but he's always been enthusiastic. Mostly about science and inventing stuff, and himself, if he is being honest.
But that is mostly because he can't help but be cynical. Always seeing the flaws in people. He was Tony Stark. Is Tony Stark, despite everything. But Tony Stark could not go all fan-boy on someone else, right? What a sight that would have been.
But Izuku is just a normal kid. He doesn't have an image to protect, a company to not disappoint. Izuku is actually looked down upon, because he isn't special… and isn't that strange?
It is also weirdly comforting. No one has expectations of him; he is free to do as he pleases. He can be anything.
His mom sings him a muffled lullaby and strokes his back. He is asleep within seconds.
Another nice surprise: his mom is still holding him when he wakes up. He is laying against her chest and she is quietly reading a book. Where did she get that one from? Wait... Right, her quirk.
He's in a different world altogether. It hadn't been all that clear yesterday, but now it all makes sense.
He's sure he'd have heard of All Might before if the guy had been that big a hero in America, and All Might is one of the most famous Heroes around. Izuku has always been a big fan, and his room definitely reflects that.
Also, all the other heroes popping out of the woodwork in the last few years are a clear clue. So, either another world or that world advanced way too quickly in not enough years. Because there was nothing to be found on the Avengers, aliens, or even half the population on earth suddenly turning to dust. AGain, he would need to check that to be sure, but he feels pretty confident in his assessment.
So, yeah, he is going with another world.
"Are you feeling better baby?" his mom asks as she puts her book aside. He nods, feeling a bit more balanced. "Are you hungry? I thought about making some yummy pancakes this morning." She smiles at him.
He feels a smile stretch on his face. "I'd like that."
"Alright, now you get out of bed, clean up, and I'll start breakfast."
She leaves him to it, and Izuku sighs in relief. Whatever happened to him, mom doesn't seem to have noticed. Yet? At all? That remains to be seen, but for now, everything is fine.
He escapes her room and ducks into the bathroom without entering his own bedroom. He doesn't want to see the hero on his walls that reminds him way too much of Steve Rogers: both blond, very buff, a stupid grin on their face, and walking around in an American flag for clothing, which looks like spandex.
He takes his little stool, so he can reach the sink and looks into the mirror.
Huh, he really is just a small child. Very round face, dark green curly hair, big, gorgeous (if he says so himself) eyes, and freckles. Freckles everywhere.
He is cute.
He is going to get things done with eyes like those. Manipulating people to get his way should be easy now; just flash them the eyes and they'll cave.
He nods at himself. Glad to have that confirmed. He knew what he looked like, it's just… after last night, he wanted to make sure he still looks like Izuku, and not some weird mash between Izuku and Tony gone wrong.
Breakfast is absolutely amazing. It feels so long since he's had a home-cooked meal. Tony is a genius in a lab, but let's just say Dumm-E's smoothies hadn't been a mistake. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Tony actually got banned from anything and everything resembling cooking and kitchens years ago. Pepper knows how to cook, but had never had the time, and any friend that had come over, like Rhodey… Well, long story short, Tony had chefs and they regularly ordered take-out.
Izuku is torn between savoring his pancakes and eating them as quickly as possible.
After breakfast, he convinces his mother to let him loose on the computer. It looks like a prehistoric thing, the screen is huge and big and the quality is just... Urgh...
No, those are worries for later. For now, he spends as long as he can surfing online, trying to get some general information about the world he now lives in.
Because what six-year-old knows anything about the world they live in? Izuku has no idea what country he lives in, or what society is like… Sure, he can tell you all the heroes that patrol this town, and who is in the hero top 5, and he can recite his phone number and address, but… that is about it.
He finds lots of things on the internet. He even makes a list of other things he thinks about. To research later, so he doesn't forget, and doesn't get distracted.
His mom will come in later and restrict his access to the machine, so he has to pace himself. It will take him weeks to satisfy his curiosity, but for now, he has enough to think about.
Quirks are something that hadn't been around before either. Such a fascinating subject, these quirks. They are as unique as every individual human. No two quirks are alike.
About a year ago, he remembers feeling devastated when a doctor told him he was quirkless. Izuku had dreamed of having an awesome quirk and becoming a hero.
Now?
It's a relief not to have one. Quirks look a lot like magic, from this new point of view, and Tony Stark has never liked magic. Oh, he doesn't deny it had been around – after Loki, Thor, Wanda, and even Strange, denial isn't an option – but Tony was/is a scientist at heart. While the rest of the world has gone crazy, he finds it a relief to know he is still just a human. No enhancement, no extra limbs, no special powers. Just pure him.
If you don't count the reincarnation thing gone wrong, of course. Can that count as a special power though? Aside from remembering, all it seems to do, is cause him nightmares.
Seems getting reborn doesn't get rid of your past traumas. Who would have thought?
But no, he is quirkless, hallelujah!
He spends the rest of his day with his mom, who is obviously very happy with this. She tries to help him finish up his homework (really? He needs to learn how to write again? Sure, Japanese is a bit more complicated than English, but honestly! He is a genius! It's not that hard!), but he quickly gets the hang of that and finishes it. He even finishes the rest of the writing exercises in his little workbook out of boredom.
"Well done, Izuku. You are so smart." His mom praises him.
It makes him feel uncomfortable because he loves praise, but this is so simple he doesn't feel like he deserves it.
With no more schoolwork to take his mind off of his boredom, he tries to keep himself occupied. This proves to be a challenge because his toys… have never felt more childish than now. He's obviously outgrown them overnight and there isn't really much to do in their little apartment other than watching television and playing with his toys.
Watching mindless television makes him anxious to do something, so he bounces around, leans out of the window to look into the city, and is even tempted to take apart and rebuild their old television, just to have something to do.
His mother despairs and thinks of a solution. She decides they can go take a walk to help him calm down. Holding her hand, he is humming and skips along.
It's not much of a solution, but it gives him new things to watch.
--
While Izuku now thinks being quirkless is a blessing, but he is obviously the only one.
It's been a week now since he woke up feeling more like Tony than Izuku, and this last week has been an eye-opener.
The kids at school bully him, his teachers ignore it, and his mother seems to think he is made of glass. She won't even let him go to the library by himself. It's just down the street… she says it is because he is too small to go by himself, but Izuku isn't sure. A lot of kids his age wander around after school hours, so he can't help but link his mother's worries to his quirkless status.
On one hand, she obviously cares for him, but on the other, she has deemed him not capable in the same breath. (Useless, as Kaachan, no Katsuki- damn it – Bakugo always calls him).
He isn't sure how he feels about that, especially since he feels more like a grown man than the little child he now is. Tony Stark had always done things his own way, from a young age. Mostly because no one could be bothered to help him out.
Tony Stark is a genius, no matter the life he is in, which makes life at home hard. It is downright boring. Watching TV and playing with hero dolls? Nope, no way, he needs to keep busy. His brain is flashing with questions, a need to find answers to lots of random questions, and he's never been good at sitting still.
His hands itch to get to work. It's always been his coping mechanism. Head too full with thoughts? Build something. Preferably a new Iron Man suit.
But he can't right now. He's six, for one, and he doesn't have access to a workshop either. Never mind that he doesn't have the funds to pay for the materials.
And that is only thinking about the suit, never mind its energy source.
Still, after years of being Iron Man, he's not ready to give it up.
Can he though?
There are lots of flashy heroes on the news every day. The most famous All Might is clearly empowered in a Steve Rogers kind of way. Which, as soon as he sees the resemblance, kills the hero worship he had felt for the man dead. The similarities are too big and he still wakes up screaming after dreaming of Siberia.
Either way, Heroes on TV or on the streets, are people with very flashy quirks.
Now, Izuku knows he can be a hero too. His doubts end, because he knows he can do it now. He has before.
The insecurity is gone, and he feels so much lighter for it. It's like a huge burden has been taken off his shoulders.
He is Iron Man.
The suit is just part of the equation. But the suits aren't Iron Man. Iron Man has always been Tony Stark.
He isn't ready to give that up. He won't. Still, he has time. He's not even in his teens. Hero work is something for adults; he had told Peter that enough times.
And part of him wants to just have a normal childhood.
He barely lasts a day.
Being normal is boring, killing his mind, and just no fun at all, so he commandeers the computer and does some research.
Mostly into the laws of this world, because a world so focused on its quirked population, must have laws in place.
Something like the ACCORDS have probably been put in place generations ago and he isn't someone who half-asses things and goes in blind. He likes knowing, he likes researching, and making things, and if that makes him the smartest person in the room? Well, that just proves that everyone else is stupid.
Not knowing puts him at a serious disadvantage.
It takes him a while, and some all-nighters (behind mom's back, because she won't allow him this long on the computer) to find everything he needs concerning the laws, and, all in all, he finds it very lacking.
Turns out, most laws don't apply to him.
Huh, another bonus to being quirkless. Most laws are worded in such a way, that being quirkless excludes him immediately. Being a Villain (or criminal) is using your Quick while harming people or things with the idea to do bad. Using your Quirk to help people out, but without having a license? Also illegal, and one gets named a Vigilante.
On the other hand, quirk discrimination is also impossible if one doesn't have a Quirk. There is no law that protects people without Quirks, which is a bummer. Apparently, the kids in his school aren't doing anything wrong when they beat him up. Sure, they should get into trouble when they beat up another kid, but only because that kid has a Quirk.
Huh, not so awesome that, but on the other hand no one can punish him if he stands up for himself.
Still, no laws actually limit Quirkless people in what they want to do. It's almost as if society has forgotten people like him exist. It is depressing in a way, but also good for him. He can exploit that as much as he wants.
If he manages to create an armor, nothing in the law says he can't go out with it, especially if he ends up helping people out.
So, he plans. He thinks and plots and plans. After weeks of thinking from one extreme plan to the next, he can only come to one realistic conclusion.
He needs funds, to build all he wants to build. He's too small to take a job though. He could go out and scavenge, or maybe put flyers in mailboxes to say he accepts broken electronics? It's a start.
But long term?
He needs to go to UA Academy. Their support program is known for only taking the best, and because they do, they can be very generous with the material they give their students to work with. UA also has a reputation for being the best high school in Japan, regardless of what people want to do later in life.
Even if he starts as a support student, he can transfer to the hero course if he wants to, should he impress the teachers enough. It's not a widely known fact, but it is actually mentioned on their prehistoric-looking website. Any student can be transferred to another course should a teacher see some benefit in that.
He isn't sure he wants to though. Well, being an official Hero could be very limiting for him, because he'd fall under a lot of new laws that he didn't before. Still graduating from the support course leaves a nasty taste in his mouth as well. Support course, as if that is all people like him are good for. Supporting heroes. It sounds so below what it really is, and heroes can be very ungrateful. Now, don't get him wrong, he has nothing against the idea. He himself has supplied the Avengers with everything and anything they'd ever needed, from food to housing to weapons, to anything he can think of, but he can't actually recall if anyone ever thanked him for any of it.
He has time though, to figure out what he wants. UA has an age limit for applications. So he'll have to be patient either way and find something else to occupy himself with until he reached general high school age.
He's never been good at being patient though... Everyone who knows Tony Stark can attest to that. So, what can he do in the meantime?
Ideally, he'll create another AI. Preferably an old one. He had never recreated Jarvis after the Ultron fiasco. Partially as a punishment to himself, partially because it hurt. He'd just lost his oldest friend and it would have been impossible to recreate him, just the way he had been by the end.
Now though? Now he longs for a bit of familiarity. He aches for it. However, trying to completely recreate JARVIS, or any other of his working AIs, is virtually impossible.
Tony Stark was/is a pioneer in the area of AIs. No one else could create what he did and, not only were his creations intelligent, they could think for themselves, and they learned.
That is the biggest issue. You can't recreate something that evolved to such a point. Sure, he can recreate the same base code, but there is no guarantee this new AI would turn out to be anything like his old ones.
He does recall a few of his AI's that had never had the chance to go online though. Brand new, and ready to go, yet never launched.
Determined he grabs a notebook and starts writing. His mother has gotten it for his previous hero obsession, but Tony tears the first few pages of scribbles out and starts anew. Just brainstorming for now: materials, coding, even where he'd store his AI's servers (and how many of those he'd need).
It will take years, he knows that but he's determined to see it through and the earlier he starts, the sooner he gets it done.
Again, money will be another problem though. Was he any older he would have thought to get a job, maybe something part-time, after school, but he is six, and anyone who thinks of employing a six-year-old, is not someone kids should be around.
Damn...
There are solutions for that… He could probably rob a bank at some point, and since he won't use a Quirk to pull it off, he should be able to go free. Those laws are really… lacking.
Not that bank robbery is an option right now, he's still too small.
Also, priorities Tony! Stealing is bad!
Still though, it seems like a big thing that 20 percent of the population is excluded by most laws...
A positive point of this world is that every insurance almost always includes some villain-hero damage claim. If you got hurt in such a fight or your property got damaged, your insurance took care of it.
No, brain, stop drifting off!
Money management isn't his strong suit. To be honest, he had never needed to manage money. He'd always had more than even he in his party years could ever completely spend.
So he has work to do.
TBC.
Chapter 2
The nightmares don't stop. Izuku dreams of his life as Tony every night since he started remembering. Some are nice dreams, like the first time any of his AIs turn online, Pepper, Rhodey, Happy – hell, even the kid features a few times.
Most of the time though, he wakes up screaming.
Mostly he dreams of Afghanistan and Siberia, but sometimes he sees Pepper fall to her death in a blaze of fire, Peter turning to dust, or he sees Rhodey plummet to the ground. Sometimes it's fighting Thanos, the terror he felt then, and the people dying afterward.
Honestly, he has enough bad memories to pick from that it's a surprise he doesn't wake up screaming every night.
He's never needed much sleep and has worked on all-nighters all his life so it is frustrating to be so dependent on sleep now. His body needs it, even when he fights against falling asleep. More often than not these days he ends up falling asleep at his desk. He's fallen out of his chair more than once after violently waking up from the memories.
It's not that big a trouble when the falling happens at home. His mother doesn't hover around him that much. She only notices a fall or two.
School is a bigger problem.
His teachers don't appreciate him falling asleep in their classes. They appreciate it even less when he can answer their questions correctly after rudely waking him up.
He can't help it if their lessons are too easy though. He already knows the materials (he's been reading ahead, way ahead) and it makes classes even more boring.
He tried making blueprints in his notebooks, but they don't appreciate that either. Really, there is no pleasing them.
Not that he is trying very hard, mind you.
The other children keep making fun of him. The bullying isn't getting any better. Kaach- no Bakugo, seems especially relentless in his pursuit.
Just yesterday, the kid had been all in his face, calling him Deku, as if being quirkless makes him useless.
Old habits die hard though, and he had flinched from the boy on instinct.
Izuku tries to simply ignore him and had continued walking. Bakugo had not been happy, and Izuku had only managed to avoid serious burns because he had immediately run off.
Running isn't Tony's go-to way of dealing with things like this, but right now, he is neither strong enough nor important enough to pull off his usual strategies.
He is going to be glad once he gets ahead in school and skips a few grades. No more Bakugo to deal with then.
Izuku tries to avoid the blond as much as possible. He just doesn't understand what the blond's problem is. So what if he is quirkless? How is that any of Bakugo's business? Why does he care so much? Especially if the kid wants to be a hero, because what kind of hero is also a bully? It just doesn't make sense!
Well, it makes more sense once Izuku takes a closer look at this hero society he now lives in. Being a hero is about being strong, and popular. For lots of heroes at least, that seems to be what it is all about. The more popular you are, the more money you make. Heroes actually get paid to do heroic deeds. Like, what?
It's not a bad idea, not all heroes are multi-billionaires like Ironman, but the grading system is wrong. If you are going to pay heroes, at least pay them for what they actually do. Just last night, a hero called Endeavour caused massive collateral damage! Sure he had caught the villain – and Izuku has never implied that isn't important – but how many people had been hurt in that fight?
The news had said dozens had been taken to the hospital with burn wounds, and still, people cheer like the man is some sort of rock star.
What?!
So, yeah he has issues…
Between the nightmares, the bullying, and his changed attitude towards everything hero… His mom worries.
After three weeks of non-stop nightmares, his mother takes him to a doctor. The same midget doctor who had proclaimed him quirkless.
Now, again, Izuku doesn't mind being quirkless now. He had before he remembered being Tony, but he's seen and met enough enhanced humans in his last life. He has seen magic and aliens and all sort of weird crap, which is why he's relieved he's a simple human being, just like his last life. Well, a very smart human being, but without any weird powers. He's never needed any powers before. His mind is amazing enough to make him anything he could ever need.
When the doc can't find an explanation for what is happening to him, Mon takes him to another one. And another one... Scared his nightmares are something more. Because it isn't normal for a six-year-old to suddenly have such frequent and terrifying nightmares.
It isn't, she is right, it is far from normal. But Izuku isn't going to try and explain what he thinks happened. Quirks or no quirks, reincarnation is something else.
And yes, the doctors are sure he really doesn't have a quirk. They checked, again. No quirk.
At least they stop thinking he has an intelligence enhancement quirk (the teachers at school think he is cheating somehow).
So they do more tests, and in the end, they admit defeat.
The only conclusion they can make is that Izuku somehow has PTSD.
And he has. He's had that ever since Afghanistan when he was still only Tony, but little Izuku? Nothing has happened to him to explain such a diagnosis.
Still, the doctor's visits have ended with a recommendation to a child psychiatrist. Which… is probably the right choice? But how can a psychiatrist ever help him without Izuku ever really talking to them? All his nightmares are from things that happened to him in his past life. How on earth is he going to handle this?
That he isn't fond of. He had created BARF once upon a time, to not need to go see a psych... and if he is being honest with himself, his current problems show that might not have been a very successful solution…
He's not getting out of this though, his mother is adamant.
So here he is, sitting with his mom in a waiting room and waiting to see the person who is supposed to help him get better. He doesn't want to be here.
Izuku looks around nervously.
"Midoriya-san?" the receptionist calls out. "Sensei will see you now."
He sighs as his mother gets up, she gently but firmly takes his hand in hers and pulls him up. He is forced to follow her.
This will be fun. Not…
He sighs as he enters the office. It looks… cozy. Central in the room there are about four one-person couch seats facing each other with a small table between them. There is a pile of board games on another table in the corner and a desk by the far wall.
He isn't sure what he had expected, but this isn't it.
The psychiatrist is a tall man, with weird purple hair and he smiles gently as they walk in. "Please, take a seat, both of you. My name is Shinsou-sensei."
They all sat down, Izuku right across the man, and his mom in the seat between them.
"Now, this is just a first talk, to see if Izuku-kun feels comfortable talking to me. If at any point you don't feel like you can talk to me, please let me know. We can then look for someone else to help you out." The man eyes Izuku.
"Is that possible?" Mom asks.
"It is very possible and very common," Shinsou-sensei reassures her. "It's important to have a bit of a relationship with patients before tackling the hard subjects. If young Izuku feels uncomfortable when we simply talk about the small stuff, then it is useless to try for more."
He turns towards Izuku once more. "Your mom will only be here for our first talk. Next time you and I will be by ourselves. Now, I have already talked to your mom about this, but will you tell me why you are here?"
"Nightmares."
"Nightmares, huh? That is a bother. Do you have them often?" the man asks. Izuku shrugs, not really feeling like playing along.
"Are you tired, Izuku-kun? Do you sleep during the day?"
He shakes his head. "I'm too busy."
"Oh, that is nice. What do you like to do? I hear you are very smart."
Izuku shrugs again. "School is easy. I like to make stuff."
"Make things, like art?" The man keeps on smiling, and while usually, that would piss Tony off, to Izuku it is simply reassuring.
"No." Izuku smiles a bit. "People in the neighborhood bring their broken electronics to our place and I take them apart. Then I use those parts to build new stuff."
"Wow, that is impressive. What have you made already?" the man looks impressed.
And while Izuku realizes his mom probably told the man this already, he can't help but relax a bit more.
They keep on talking about his hobbies, and before he knows it their hour together is done.
"Now, I think that went very well for our first talk. What do you think, Izuku-kun? Would you like to come to talk to me again, or would you rather try talking to someone else?"
"You're fine." Izuku shrugs with a smirk.
"Alright, let me know if that changes," Shinsou-sensei smiles back, "and I will see you in a few days."
**
They let him skip a grade. It would be a relief – should be, for any normal kid this smart – but Izuku isn't normal. Tony had never done school at a normal pace. It is slow. So slow. It reminds him that yes, he really is a genius. That isn't just a title people gave him to make him feel better about himself.
Well, either that or other people are even more stupid than he remembers... Still, it starts with one grade, and then a few months later another.
The only reason he hadn't graduated before now is that it worries his mother. Apparently, he doesn't have enough (any, really) friends, and skipping grades won't help him make friends.
So as the years pass, Izuku occupies himself as best as he can.
He takes online classes when possible and he has his little tech projects at home.
He really goes around the neighborhood, knocking on doors to see if anyone had any broken electronics, and he's gotten a surprisingly good haul the first time around. A broken tv, three old laptops, and a few of those brick cell phones they had in this world.
People are hoarders. If something breaks, something expensive, it's usually very difficult to just throw it away. Still, they are happy to hand over their things when he asks for them. Why does he need them? School project of course. Before he leaves, he gives them each a little flyer with his phone number. Just in case they have more stuff he can use in the future.
It works really well.
His mother, happy he has found something to occupy himself with, is very enthusiastic in helping him out. She takes him to a beach not too far from their place, which had been turned into a dumping ground years ago. He has never loved her more than on that day. It is a treasure trove! He spends half a day scavenging what he can, immediately stripping everything he doesn't need away, and only loading the parts he can use into their car.
Now, he finally has what he needs to start building his new AI.
Just in time too, because he finally graduates middle school at around the same time.
He is barely ten years old when he graduates, but Izuku is happy about it. He has long since left his bullies behind (Bakugo in particular) and he refuses to spend so much time on stuff he already knows. He'd rather learn something new.
Still, he takes lots of online classes when their budget allows for it, which is surprisingly a lot. His dad isn't around, like ever, but he calls and sends them enough money to accommodate quite a few classes.
The first few classes he takes are to accommodate past knowledge. Basic knowledge of physics, engineering, and stuff like that.
Even in this world, those classes are a breeze...
Still, he needs to occupy himself. UA, his high school of choice, has age restrictions, so it'll be another five years before he even starts that chapter of his life.
So he focuses on his AI, for now. He is taking a little break from his online classes (he thinks he has enough cover-up excuses for most of his suddenly-acquired knowledge for now) and focuses on building himself some servers that are big enough to house a learning AI, or at least that are a big enough start.
He gets very mucky with that. On his third visit to the beach, he actually finds a (in his eyes) very old computer tower (probably owned by the government at some point) and convinces his mother to take it home with them. It makes things easier, because, sure he needs to repair it and replace pieces, but the majority of the work is already done. This means he doesn't need to build one from scratch.
He installs old webcams and speakers in his room and the old guest room, which is now his 'lab space'. He doesn't want to wire the whole apartment in one go. He doesn't want to overwhelm his mother, and it feels better to start small. Also, Mom won't let him break apart their whole home to install the necessary cables.
Once the groundwork is done, he connects their computer (improved by himself) to the whole system and starts writing the base code that all his AIs possessed. It all takes time (he refuses to rush this, he needs to take his time and make sure no mistakes are made) and he is still very busy aside from all his work.
Therapy turns out better than he expected. Sure, he can't talk about everything with the man, but the talks they do have are nice. He feels lighter afterward and, more importantly, his mother seems happier as well. Less worried.
That is always a bonus.
He talks about lots of stuff with Shinsou-sensei. The bullying that still happens, even if he is done with school for a while (he's taken to avoiding as many of the neighbor kids as he can), his lack of quirk, and his tinkering hobby. It's just talking fin the beginning. They sometimes play a board game while he is there. They haven't touched on the nightmares yet, and Izuku doesn't mind. This helps plenty (and it's already more helpful than he ever thought possible) because, before Shinsou-sensei points it out, he had never even considered he might feel anxious. Like, all the time.
And he does. Well, not when he was nose-deep in his tinkering, but usually, when dealing with people? Yes, he is anxious, and it is only now that he realizes he felt the same way when he was Tony. Never sure what to expect, never sure how to react appropriately… generally, just waiting for things to go wrong. Oh, he had hidden it better as Tony. His image screamed arrogance and confidence back then. But deep down? Nope, deep down he was a mess.
Even now.
Especially now.
Here he can't lock himself in his lab for three days straight without coming out. He can't fool his mother like he fooled Rhodey and Pepper, who had been busy as well and couldn't babysit him all the time.
It's very confronting already, and they haven't even touched on the really bad stuff.
They talk about it, about how he deals with it (mostly by avoiding the problem and focusing on something else, even if that means simply having no sleep at all at night), why those ways aren't bad per se, but also not the healthiest. They discuss other ways of dealing with it, and what helps him feel better afterward.
Lots of cuddles turn out to be an answer to that. Cuddles make him feel better.
How embarrassing… He is still young enough to shamelessly cuddle with his mom. It is something he still marvels at, being able to go up to her and just cuddle, without having to explain anything.
Still, Shinsou-sensei suggests another possible solution, keeping in mind that Izuku might soon grow out of mommy's cuddles.
A pet. His psychiatrist has convinced his mother to get him a pet. Not that he meets a lot of resistance – his mom is very easy to convince. Convincing Izuku is the hard part.
An unofficial emotional support pet. Just an animal to have at home that he can cuddle.
He can cuddle plenty with his mom, alright. They do so every evening on the couch. Well, when he can convince her to put on a movie.
But either way, his mom is convinced. So, she asks him what kind of pet he wants. Izuku only shrugs. He's never been fond of animals.
"Well, we live in a small space. A dog would be very impractical. We don't have a garden, and honestly, going on walks a few times a day sounds very time-consuming." She muses out loud.
Izuku makes a face. "More time outside? No thanks."
She giggles at him. "A cat then? They are pretty self-reliant."
Well, a cat is probably for the best. He doesn't see himself cuddling with fish, though a tank would be awesome as well. Birds? Nope. No thank you? Some sort of … he doesn't want to say rodent, but he isn't sure what else to call them?
Nope, if he really has to get a pet, an uninterested cat is probably for the best.
She insists on going to a rescue center, and not just an animal shop. Izuku doesn't mind either way.
In the end, they go to a cat café, because why not start this experience by seeing lots of cats at the same time?
"This café works with the shelter a few blocks away." Mom says. "You can spend some time there and see if there is a cat or kitten you like."
Izuku grunts, not really enthusiastic. There is a reason he kept creating AIs in his last life instead of adopting a pet to keep him company… and he's never really had to take care of a living being before. People usually take care of him, not the other way around.
So, no, he's not looking forward to it.
He's still a bit grouchy when he waits for his mom to sign the paperwork. No, he is not allergic, yes he is allowed to adopt one cat if he wants to. Blah blah, boring.
He can already see the area of the café where all the cats are; there are some tables with cozy chairs. Lots the cat trees and other furniture the cats can climb up on, even loose cushions and toys everywhere.
There are already other people inside.
"Now, sweetie, you look around for a cat, and I'll be back after I'm done with our groceries, alright?" His mom smiles brightly at him.
Izuku can't help but nod. He huffs as soon as she is gone. So, he is big enough to do this on his own, but walking to the library is still too much? Really, mothers are so strange, or is that just something weird that is unique to this mother?
So lucky he's a boy this time around as well. He can't imagine what it would be like to be a girl. He'd probably rock it either way, but still… he is not going to complain about not being a girl. No sir.
The girl who talked to his mom lets him into the 'cat area' and he stands a bit lost at the door. They are everywhere. The cats, in all colors and shapes, everywhere.
It's a bit overwhelming, and he takes a moment just to take it all in and then goes to sit at the most cat-free table available.
Mom gave him money for a snack but he really doesn't want to get cat hair in his food. A waitress approaches him.
"So, do you want to eat something?" She smiles at him.
"Sure, just a sandwich and some lemonade, please." He replies reluctantly because he knows his mom will throw him a disappointed look otherwise when she gets back..
"You can go sit closer to the cats, you know." She says.
"I know." He warily eyes one of the smaller kittens making its way toward him on unsteady paws.
The girl giggles, but leaves soon after with his order.
An orange-colored kitten jumps at his shoes and attacks his laces. Not sure how to respond, Izuku nudges it with the foot it is striking.
The kitten, for some strange reason only sees this as a reason to continue its attack with more enthusiasm. The waitress gets back and places his food before him, giggling at him.
He looks up. Everyone in the café is smiling at him. He flushes bright red.
"Oh, that is so precious!" A man with long blond hair pulled together in a weird knot at the back of his head and glasses giggles loudly.
His black-haired and tired-looking companion nods indulgently, but he flashes Izuku a strangely toothy smile from behind his long white scarf.
He flushes even more, and looks away, focusing on his food.
He picks up his sandwich and takes a bite, determined to ignore the tiny animal now laying over his foot.
He flinches when tiny claws climb their way up his leg. The ginger kitten finishes its journey on his lap and Izuku can only stare at it.
It stares back. It has a little bit of white under its chin and down the front of its neck and it has darker stripes in its fur.
It looks cute, he supposes.
It looks with big eyes at his sandwich.
"Nope, that is not for you." He says resolutely.
The eyes grow bigger.
He feels his guard lowering.
No!
He narrows his eyes at the animal.
"Here, you can give him this." The blond guy from before suddenly stands next to him. He holds his hand out to Izuku and Izuku watches him warily.
The man's smile only grows wider. "This kitten is usually very shy. My friend and I come here all the time, and we bought some snacks for the cats at the counter. Here, why don't you give some to him?"
Izuku sets his sandwich down on the table (and out of the kitten's immediate reach) and accepts the treats. There are three of them and he holds one out to the kitten. The kitten pounces and bites on his fingers to get to it. It doesn't actually hurt but it does take him by surprise.
"Hey!"
The man laughs at him. "He sure is a little character. You haven't been around a lot before, haven't you?"
Izuku shakes his head, watching the kitten lazily eat its snack. Its little tongue runs over his finger, as he hasn't let go of the treat yet.
"I've never really been around animals."
"Then this is a big step."
Izuku shrugs.
The kitten is done with one snack and is sniffing his fingers for another. He sighs and takes another snack and holds it out. It doesn't bite him this time. The kitten eats it, laying on his back in Izuku's lap.
Its belly is lighter than the rest of its fur, and Izuku can't help but stroke it. It's very soft and the kitten starts purring really loudly.
"Oh, you two are so cute together." The man practically squeals. "I have to go back to my friend now, but you two have fun."
"Bye." Izuku barely watches the man leave, too busy petting the purring kitten.
His mom comes back sometimes later and coos over the two of them. By then the kitten has eaten all his snacks and had been sleeping on Izuku's lap ever since. It hasn't budged, even when other cats came over to inspect Izuku.
"Oh, you are so precious together." She coos at him with a smile Izuku flushes again.
He briefly looks up. The blond guy from before is still smiling at him, but this time his friend nudges him harshly to stop.
"What do you think? Do you want to take this one home, Izuku?" His mom asks.
Izuku thinks hard about it. He supposes, if he has to choose a cat here, then he would prefer this one. Sure it had tried biting his shoes and his finger, but it had also slept peacefully on his lap, letting him pet it.
"Sure."
Mom's smile grows bigger. "I'll go take care of that then."
And with that, she makes her way back out to the counter. Izuku watches the kitten. It wakes up, well it opens an eye, and stares at him, before closing it again and going back to sleep.
He snorts. "Yeah, you'll do. I think I'll name you Kitt-E."
Chapter 3
Tony Stark is Ironman. And Ironman is a hero. At least to this world's standards. He will always be Ironman.
Just... Being a hero? He isn't sure.
Ironman had been born out of a need for, well let's be honest, revenge and to right a wrong.
He'd been angry after Afghanistan. So very angry. And scared. He is man enough to admit that (even if he is only a boy right now).
His weapons in the hands of terrorists, harming innocent people. Harming people like Yinsen, and his family.
He had been disgusted when he realized he only cared when confronted with the idea. Before seeing it with his own eyes, it hadn't really sunk in. The horror of it all. The pain of other people.
Tony Stark has always been a selfish man, but at that point, he'd tried to better himself. He likes to think he succeeded. Everywhere, after fights, he had thrown money around and helped with the rebuilding. People might say money can't solve everything and that it was an empty gesture but when a whole city is destroyed, money can give people hope and the capability to rebuild. You can't rebuild a proper house out of broken parts. Not for long anyhow. Money bought food as well.
It wasn't perfect, but he likes to think he'd done what he could.
Still, even then people had always blamed him. For everything and nothing. While true, (Ultron was not his best moment) at some point, he never complained. Even when his teammates started blaming him too. The Accords? Not his idea. Why Steve had thought he had that much influence, he had no idea. No, Captain, he didn't invent this just to annoy you. Honestly... How petty did the guy think he was?
Had been?
So part of him is... Reluctant, if that is the right word, to go down the Hero path again, especially since it had led to him dying on a destroyed planet in one lifetime.
But he is nothing if not a realist... He longs for his armor. He misses the feeling of security it always gave him.
Just yesterday, Bakugo had gotten up in his face, and Izuku had (in true Tony fashion) mouthed back. It had resulted in first-degree burns. Nothing serious, but the kid had literally blown up in his face. (Why Bakugo keeps insisting on seeking him out even if Izuku is neither in his class nor his school anymore, is mind-blowing.)
He will get hurt a lot if not talking back is a requirement for that.
Now, Izuku is used to this kind of behavior from his former friend. It is his standard of life, or it was, until he remembered being Tony and knew better. Sure, Tony's life had been far from normal as well, but dealing with the ki-Peter had refreshed his memory on what had been considered normal.
Neither of his lives fall into that category.
So, yes, part of him longs to put the suit back on and just... be Iron man. Help people, and show these arrogant jerks that he at least doesn't need a quirk to be a hero!
That is a big part too. He is petty like that, even now.
Still, even after all these years, the whole Avengers fallout still hurts him. He had considered them friends. He really had. Not very close friends, like Rhodey and Pepper (close friends at least called to see if you were alive after your house blew up on national television! Yes, he is bitter about that, so sue him!)
So he hesitates. This world... It has rules in place. Laws to prevent heroes from going rogue, and punish them if they do. This world has dealt with heroes longer than his previous one has. That is good (even if most laws don't really apply to him…being quirkless and all. he'd been so surprised to find out he is excluded of most laws because they specify quirks or their use in them.), and while this system is mostly based on popularity (he can totally work with that), he isn't sure the concept is exactly what it should be.
He wants to keep inventing and tinkering though. So... Maybe a part-time hero? Is there even such a thing?
Giving up his tinkering is not an option. He wants to help this society move forward. Televisions are huge still (and he is not talking about the screen, the screen is tiny compared to the whole thing), cell phones are still so very basic (flip phones with only text and call options) - hell, it's a miracle the internet exists!
Well, that and he wants to help support his mother. By now she is working two jobs to keep up with his psychologist's bills and extra lessons and really paying for everything that catches his attention in terms of learning.
It would be nice if he could make enough money off of that to buy him what he needs to keep himself tinkering, but also to lighten her workload.
Having no money is tough.
Still, he is very undecided. He's searched the UA website for more information, but double majors don't seem possible. It is mentioned nowhere anyway. One either becomes a hero, or one joins the support course. There is no in-between.
Which sucks.
But, just because it isn't mentioned on the website... Does that mean it is impossible?
He will have to find out.
Still, high school is still far away. He has more pressing things to worry about first.
Having Kitt-E around helps. Cuddling the kitten helps keep his anxiety down. Even with his talks, anxiety isn't something that leaves him alone.
He hadn't been this way... before. At least, not like this. Not until lots of stuff happened and usually he had been able to control it. He might have picked up some bad habits along the way, but it had never been such a big part of him as it seems to be now. He hates it. It makes him doubt himself at the most inconvenient times. And it felt less... overwhelming, somehow, while being Tony. Early on in his life at least.
Shinsou-sensei has warned him he will have to deal with it his whole life. He's learning to get some sense of control over it, but depending on what happens in his life, it may peak again at times.
So, yeah, Izuku hates that bit.
The exercises help. A bit. Calming his mind is hard. Shinsou-sensei had started with the 'safe place' technique, but that hadn't really worked. When had Tony Stark ever be safe? Where?
No, the breathing exercises work better for him, but it's easier to just distract himself when he feels an attack coming. He starts recognizing the signs immediately nowadays. Just a bit of pressure in his chest.
So, he throws himself into his projects and starts tinkering.
Then, when he finally does need to go to sleep (his mom is being very watchful and will drag him away if he shows signs of staying up all night), he finds that falling asleep with Kitt-E on his chest, purring away, is the best and easiest way to do so.
He'd been reluctant to get the kitten but he loves it now. Loves him (and yes, Izuku found out the kitten was male when they adopted it, it says so in his little passport book).
Kitt-E has playful moments, but all in all the kitten is very calm and well-behaved. He tries to imagine Pepper's face. If she could see him now. Ha!
It still hurt to think of her. And Rhodey and Peter…
Time goes on though, and the pain dulls a bit. Well, it's not present in every waking moment. He's told himself he's only allowed to mourn them and pity himself during bathroom time in the morning. If he sticks to that time, he's able to manage the rest of his day without wasting away.
He keeps busy.
And, as mentioned before, Shinsou-sensei helps. A bit.
It's at the end of one of their sessions together, that Shinsou-sensei brings up a new idea.
"Now, I found something a few days ago, and when I saw it I immediately thought of you. I think this could be a great opportunity." He holds out a bunch of printed papers.
Izuku grimaces, but sensei immediately notices. Instead of making a big deal out of it, sensei just lays the papers on the desk and waits for Izuku to take them.
Tony had never liked to be handed things. No idea why, it was just a pet peeve of his. One Izuku seemingly inherited.
He eyes the paper, an eyebrow rising in disbelief as he read the first few lines. "A summer camp?" he asks skeptically.
"Yes." Shinsou-sensei says with a smile.
"Seriously?" Izuku mutters as he keeps reading. A whole week? With kids his own age? No reprieve? Urgh... That does not sound appealing.
"I see you don't like it. Why? This is a program designed for people with ambitions to make it into the support business."
"Huh? it is? Must have looked over that." Izuku mutters again, scanning the paper again. Shinsou-sensei hums a tune while Izuku reads the paper more seriously.
Izuku looks up, a grimace on his face again. "Yeah, I don't know... Do I have to go?"
"Of course not." Sensei blinks in shock. "I was never going to make you go, if that isn't what you want."
"Really?"
"Of course. It just seems like a good opportunity for you. We can talk it over? I can tell you my reasoning, you can tell me why you seem reluctant, and then you can do with this what you want."
Izuku nods. This is how it usually goes, though this is the first time sensei has suggested something so... directly. Usually Izuku's homework is more abstract. Try this, think about this... Stuff like that.
They fill the rest of the hour talking about it. And yes, sensei has enough good points that Izuku might just try this. This camp is meant to give people a better idea about what it means to get a support license. There is the tinkering and inventing part as well, and he is sort of interested in that as well. Plus, it's with other kids who have the same interests. He's still undecided about that. He is curious but apprehensive.
In the end, he decides to go and immediately talk it over with his mom. Once he tells her, and she sets things in motion, he won't be able to change his mind.
The most important reason he goes, or at least the reason that made his final decision, is his mom. As always.
He knows she worries. She keeps asking him if he made any friends and, until now, he never has been able to tell her yes.
Izuku doesn't really mind. He's never been someone with loads of real friends. Give him a few close friends he could depend on and he is happy. It's fun when people like you, and he had loved parties once, but there has always been a difference between those who thought they were his friends and the people he considered his friends.
The reverse had also been true, sadly. Well, lessons learned.
So, here is to hoping he'll meet someone both smart enough to keep up with him and mature enough to not chase him off.
A friend would be nice, especially for his mom. Mostly for his mom actually. He has Kitt-E and his soon-to-be AI. He is fine, but if a friend keeps her from worrying too much, he'll give it a try. No promises though.
His mom is overjoyed, so he already feels like he succeeded.
Yet all Izuku feels is dread already. Because now that the decision has been made, he can't back out anymore.
Only four more months to go until he leaves for one week filled with screaming teenagers.
Yay.
Anyway, Izuku has had Kitt-E for a month, when his AI project is finally done. All is in place and, after all his hard work, it is finally ready. All he needs to do is boot it up. He feels strangely nervous about it, and decides to wait until his mom isn't home. If the whole thing blows up (It shouldn't! Really...) at least she won't be around to get hurt.
He is sitting in his desk chair before the computer, Kitt-E sleeping in his lap, staring at the screen. One last ENTER should start the whole thing up, and he finds he is shaking. He gently pets Kitt-E, mostly to distract himself. The kitten starts purring, but otherwise doesn't move.
"I should have called you Lay-Z instead of Kitt-E." He grumbles playfully as he continues petting Kitt-E.
Still, this is a very important moment. He's spent years working towards this. And now it is finally time.
Izuku takes a deep breath and presses ENTER.
The codes flash over the screen, and he holds his breath in anticipation. It takes a while, but he doesn't mind. No matter how many times he does this, it stays nerve-wracking.
"What… Where am I?" A male voice sounds through the computer speaker.
Izuku hesitates. This is the first time since Jarvis that he gave one of his AIs a male voice. It sounds young, just like he programmed it. Young and hesitant.
Maybe he made it sound a bit too much like Peter's, after all.
"Who… who are you?" the AI says. "And who… What am I? What is my purpose?"
"My name is Izuku, I created you." Izuku says, ignoring the way his voice cracked. "Your name is Tadashi. It's short for Technologically Advanced Digital And Sophisticated Heroic Intelligence."
Tadashi doesn't acknowledge his words in the way a human would have. He is too new. He has so much to learn. Izuku looks forward to it. "What is my purpose?"
"Your purpose is to learn and help me out when I need you. You help take care of me and my mom, and little Kitt-E here."
"I… see?"
"Don't worry, I'll explain everything in time." Izuku tries to reassure him. "Do you feel alright?"
"I think so. I have knowledge of everything in my system. I am not yet connected to the… internet?" He sounds hesitant as if he has no idea what the word means.
Izuku isn't worried. Tadashi will learn. He hasn't connected him just yet, out of fear too much information might overwhelm him (like it had Ultron, once upon a time).
"No, not just yet. I didn't want to overwhelm you when you came online."
"That is… something?"
"I'll give you some time to process." Izuku suggests.
"No need, you made my processors fast enough. Question: Should I call you Izuku, creator, or something else?"
"You can call me whatever you want." Izuku grins. This is always the most fun part of bringing AIs online.
"Hmmm…? I shall have to give that some serious thought then." The AI says.
He is always delighted when his AIs first acknowledge they can actually think, and yes, he is very proud of that fact. He has every right to be.
"That is fine. Take your time."
Izuku feels so giddy he could squeal because this is definite proof that he once was Tony Stark. He isn't just hallucinating or going crazy (not that he ever doubted, but it's nice to have it confirmed). In either world, Tony Stark is the only person to have ever created real, functioning AIs.
And now, Izuku has done so too. Or again. Depends on how you look at this.
He spends some more time, just talking to Tadashi. It's nice, but before long he gets nervous again.
Introducing his mom to Tadashi is a bit tricky, as it turns out.
Having an unseen person answer him in an empty room, startles her, badly.
"Oh my." She presses a hand to her chest.
Izuku shuffles guiltily. "Sorry mom, I didn't think he would startle you that badly."
"No, no, it's fine. I just did not expect that." She says. "What exactly is this?"
"His name is Technologically Advanced Digital And Sophisticated Heroic Intelligence, or Tadashi for short." Izuku says proudly as he introduces her to Tadashi. "He is an artificial intelligence."
She blinks at him. "You… made a smart computer program?" she guesses.
"Well, he is smart, but that's not quite what happened." He winces "I created… an artificial person? Tadashi can think for himself, can learn, and he can help us out when needed."
She seems to think this over. "How exactly would he help out? And did you say you made a person?"
"Well, he doesn't have a physical body?" Izuku says hesitantly, not sure why she isn't just as excited as he is. "And I can wire him through the whole apartment! He could access all the electronics like that! It would be awesome!"
"Let's um… wait a bit, with that."
"Well, yeah, I don't want to overwhelm him. He is barely half an hour old! I haven't even connected him to the internet yet!"
Mom takes a deep breath. "Izuku, I trust you are being responsible about this? I know you are very smart, but…"
"I spend a lot of time thinking this through, mom." He says softly. He can sort of guess where she is coming from, why she is hesitant. Ultron will never be forgotten in his mind, after all.
"Alright. Well, Tadashi, my apologies for ignoring you like that. I am Midoriya Inko, your… grandmother?" she turns towards the computer.
"Grandmother?" Tadashi asks stoically.
"Well, Izuku is my son. And he did create you, so doesn't that make him your father? And thus, me your grandmother?"
Izuku snorts. "Sorry, I hadn't considered that. I am still a kid though, so 'son' might not be completely right?"
Mom watches him intensely and starts giggling.
"What?" Izuku asks confused by the sudden change in mood.
"I do not understand." Tadashi says, confused as well.
"I'm sorry, I am not laughing at you, Tadashi-kun. It's just... Your name… You really liked that movie, didn't you, Izuku?"
He pouts, refusing to acknowledge he knows what she is talking about. "What? I don't know what you mean."
"Come on now, you know which movie I am talking about." she teases him with a smile.
"So? That is a happy coincidence." He looks away as his cheeks heat up.
"I'm sure it is. There is no way you made his name especially so it would spell out Tadashi, didn't you?"
"You did?" Tadashi asks unsure.
Izuku flushes. "Of course not!"
And he really hasn't! Not really. Sure, he likes that movie, a lot (he is a kid alright! He has a good excuse! Now, anyway), but the basic coding of Tadashi had been created a lifetime ago. He had briefly hesitated when bringing Friday online, almost choosing Tadashi. He hadn't, in the end. Jarvis had just died, and the idea of... Well, he'd never brought another male AI online after him. It had hurt too much.
This is a new life though, he is starting (somewhat) fresh, and he lives in some version of Japan right now, so Tadashi seemed appropriate.
--
Life goes on.
Having Tadashi around helps a lot. In fact, Tadashi is awesome! Not only is his little AI smart like him, but Tadashi is adapting to this new life of his with a speed that leaves Izuku feeling delighted. No offense to his mom, but he now has someone around who can follow his train of thought when he starts rambling.
It's nice, and he needs to find things for Tadashi to do. It won't do for his little boy to get bored already, so Izuku gives him research projects to complete.
While he is still unsure of what he wants to study, he knows he will attend UA. It is the most prestigious school in Japan, after all. So he sets Tadashi on the school. Just some research, so Izuku knows all the options open to him. He still thinks a double major kind of would be ideal… Stupid website. They should put more info online.
Tadashi is hesitant, but with more time that passes, he gets more confident. Izuku gets the results once Tadashi is sure he has combed through all their data.
Ah, barely online for a week, and already hacking through systems. Izuku is so proud.
Turns out, there isn't much more to find. Sure there is a hidden rule that General course students can be transferred into the hero course if they impress enough teachers during the Sports festival, but that is only for GenEd students. No one from another course has ever been transferred into the Hero course. Though, there also doens't seem to be a written rule saying they can't. So, has it simply not happened before?
Could be possible... Not every kid dreams of being a superhero, he imagines. Not after a certain age, that is.
Also, until now, no one has ever done a double major at the school. It hasn't been tried yet. It's depressing, so he brushes it aside and focuses on something else.
He focuses so hard he barely leaves his lab in the weeks that follow. The only reason he can practically be forced out now is when Kitt-E starts howling for food. Or when his mom really insists. Which she does not.
Instead of trying to get him out, she merely makes sure he takes a break every once in a while, she brings him his food and insists he washes himself.
She finds an ally in Tadashi in this endeavor.
"Chief, you should recharge now. I read that humans, especially growing ones, need at least seven hours of sleep a day, or rather, a night." The AI says.
The young voice makes the scolding sound hilarious and Izuku has to fight a grin. He gets up though and starts preparing for bed. Tadashi is getting more confident every day, and he really doesn't want to discourage the learning AI. Izuku himself has enough moments of self-doubt now, that he doesn't want to encourage it in someone else. Besides his projects won't run away and it is already 2 o'clock in the morning.
And yes, he wakes up not even two hours later, and eats something small for breakfast (he really can't stand it when his mom looks all disappointed). Then he is back at work.
"Izuku?" His mom calls out an hour or two later, sounding rather alarmed. "The police are here to talk to you?!"
Izuku looks up from his latest project, an actual smartphone he is designing. not one of those flip-phone thingies. He is just finishing up the blueprint with Tadashi's help.
"The police? What for?" he asks out loud.
What on earth could the police want with him? He can't recall doing anything to attract such attention… He scratches at his head.
"The officer appears to be accompanied by what appears to be the current principle of UA, Nezu. At least according to the data available." Tadashi says.
"I am sure I have no reason to doubt you." Izuku says with a smile. Even after all his AIs, it is still so precious to see them learn and evolve.
This one is a bit more unsure of itself compared to the other ones (and how strange it is that a program/system can doubt itself), still Izuku is sure Tadashi will soon start gaining more confidence and stop this self-doubt.
He stands up, places a sleepy Kitt-E back on his chair so he can continue sleeping and makes his way to the common area of their apartment, and indeed their guests are sitting at the dinner table, between the half-open kitchen and their living room. (The apartment has a very open plan.)
There is a big animal sitting at their table. He had read about it – how the principal of UA is an animal with an intelligence quirk – but seeing it is still something else.
What kind of animal is he either way?
Izuku also studies the other (only?) adult male in the room. It's been decades since he has dealt with the police. Somehow he had expected a Fury-lookalike. The man before him could not be more different. He looks kind of plain, but very professional.
"Hi." He greets them both cheerfully.
Both turn to look at him.
"Izuku, you could have at least washed the stains off your face before greeting our guests." His mom gently reprimands him as she stands up from her chair.
He can only guess what he looks like. He had barely slept last night, and he had been so determined to finish his multiple projects. He picks up the fabric of his shirt around his collar, and wipes at his face. Huh, are those ... oil stains? Has he worked with oil since waking up? He can't remember? But he has tinkered with at least six different projects already today, so... Maybe? He should probably change into some fresh clothes, though. These are badly stained. His face must look great as well. The stains, probably some huge bags under his eyes... Maybe he should have brushed his hair, for the first time in days…
Oopsie?
"It is no bother, Midoriya-san." The animal says with a grin as Izuku sits down as well.
He eyes the two people at the table, trying to look relaxed. Which is difficult because now he feels a bit anxious, though he has no idea why exactly.
"Now, my name Is Nezu. Am I a bear, a mouse, who can tell?" Nezu continues on cheerfully. "I am the principal of UA and here next to me is Tsukauchi Naomasa, a police detective in the Police Force. We are here to speak with you."
"Well, you already know my name, so…" Izuku says with a shrug of his shoulders. "What did you want to talk about?"
"We were here because we have some questions. We already asked your mother some, and she insisted that we talk to you concerning everything computer and technology related." Nezu says.
"I'm good at it, sure." Izuku confirms, still not sure exactly what is going on. "What the matter?"
"Someone at this address hacked UA's systems." Tsukauchi says seriously.
Izuku blinks at them, looking from one of them to the other.
His mother throws him a frown. "And you think I did it?" He asks unsure, pointing at himself.
"The IP address pointed us to you, yes." Nezu smiles. "You stayed away from personal files; like those of students and staff, as well as our campus security, which is the only reason we are here, and not down at the police station." The principal frowns at him now. "You seemed very interesting in everything concerning the entrance exams and the general working of our school though."
"Nezu-san insisted on talking to you, which is why he is leading this conversation." Tsukauchi explains.
"Yes, we did some research on you. A brilliant young man you have there, Midoriya-san. Depending on how this conversation goes, we might just decide to not press charges."
"Charges? Izuku…" His mom sighs. "It is true my son is very smart in some aspects. In others, clearly not so much." She frowns at him. Izuku grins sheepishly.
And oh, wow, he definitely needs more sleep, because he only now realizes what they are talking about. But that is … a while ago now? Has it taken them that long to track him? And he had not expected the police to come find him.
Though, it has been ages since he got in trouble for something like this. The world had once given up on trying to reprimand Tony Stark for something as simple as a hack. If they even found out he did it in the first place. Because usually, his AIs go undetected.
Izuku hums. "Well, technically that both is and isn't my fault…"
Both adult raise an eyebrow.
"Explain." The officer says.
"Well, it wasn't me who did the hacking, but I did ask someone to do so? I got curious about the exam requirements." He shrugs with a grin, not sorry at all for what he has done.
"Who did then?"
"Tadashi."
Mom completely sags in her chair in exasperation. "Of course."
Tsukauchi only raises an eyebrow in curiosity. "There are only two people listed as habitants of this apartment."
"So, knowing that, who is Tadashi?" Nezu asks curiously, continuing the detective's train of thought.
"I could introduce you?" Izuku asks. "Mom isn't keen on giving him access everywhere in our house just yet, so for now, the only way to interact with him is either in my room or in my lab."
"Lead the way." Nezu stands up, and with a shrug, Izuku does as asked. He can't suppress a grin as he walks before both adults.
This will be fun.
He leads them inside his lab. Loose parts are lying everywhere, Kitt-E looks up when they come in (he actually woke up for this?) and both adults look around the room with wary eyes.
He can see them realize there is no one else in the room. Nezu briefly eyes Kitt-E like he's also a smart animal, but seems to dismiss the idea quickly enough.
"Dashi-kun, say hello to the nice UA teacher and the detective." Izuku says as they focus their attention back on him.
"Hello, sirs. It is very nice to meet you." Tadashi says dutifully.
Their eyes grow wide and Tsukauchi looks around as if someone is going to pop out of the wall. Nezu eyes Izuku with narrowed eyes.
"Where is your friend?" The police officer asks.
"He's all around. Tadashi is an AI, an artificial intelligence. I created him, and when I asked, he hacked into UA's system to get the info I wanted."
"Always glad to help. I'll need to get better though. Practice more. If they tracked me back here so easily…" Tadashi says disgruntled.
Izuku bursts out laughing.
"I'd rather you didn't practice how to hack, Tadashi-san." Nezu says with a grimace. "Midoriya-san, you made him?"
"Yeah, it took years though, I needed to wire him completely by hand, build his servers, write his code. It took a lot of time." He grins at them.
Tsukauchi grimaces, but Nezu looks interested. "What exactly can he do?"
"You could ask him." Izuku shrugs. "One of my AI's main protocols is to learn. He is free to learn what he wants."
"I prefer learning things that help me support Chief and his mother. It is… fun."
"Tadashi is still very young. He only came online about two or three weeks ago. It seemed like a good opportunity, and I was curious." Izuku explains proudly.
"Three weeks, Chief."
"You were... curious?"
"Well, yeah, I want to know my options. UA is by far the best high school around. Still, some people would say I am somewhat limited, despite my intelligence. Knowing my options seemed like the best bet. I'd rather not try out for your entrance exams, only to be denied entry."
"Why would you be-"
"I am quirkless." He says before they jump to conclusions.
"And why would you being quirkless be a reason you wouldn't be allowed into my school, Midoriya-kun?"
"Most people seem to think being quirkless is a synonym for being useless." Izuku shrugs. "I don't agree, but getting people to change their mind feels like a useless endeavor. It hasn't worked yet, and I have better things to do."
"While it is true no quirkless student has ever been admitted, there is nothing in the rules preventing them from doing so." Nezu says.
"I know." Izuku grins at the headmaster. "By the way, Tadashi looked up that information quite a while ago. Did it really take you that long to find us? Nice, Dashi-kun!" He beams at the webcam in the corner from which Tadashi has access to see what happens in the room.
"You flatter me." Tadashi actually sounds smug now. Izuku is shaking in excitement.
His little boy is growing!