Chapter Text
Chapter One
…
“The First Era Of Peace is a great leap for humankind but can it be trusted, how can we as humans, the flawed beings we are, entrust society to just a single man? I say we increase regulations and divide his power and hold these heroes accountable so that a true era of peace can begin.” - Hitoshi Demegawa Sakura TV News
…
Stranded on a rooftop a lone middle school boy named Izuku Midoriya pondered the circumstances that led him here. From the class discussion about their future's to Bakugo's bullying, being attacked by a villain then being saved by All Might only to end up ultimately rejected. The question he had always wanted to ask All Might had been answered leaving Izuku to either accept his fate or chase a dream even his hero didn't think he could do.
"I guess I can't be a hero, just a police officer." Izuku muttered knowing he was alone. All Might had already left him to chase after the Slime Villain and Izuku knew even in his weakened state he'd pull it off. He was All Might after all the greatest hero of all time. Still knowing his Hero's true thoughts made him regret so much of his life. Now he'd have to wait for someone to stumble upon him on the rooftop. Chances were that no one would come, and Izuku would be left here until the next morning when the cleaning crew did their routine checks.
Izuku walked over to the rooftop’s edge and looked down at the street below. Cars moved along with pedestrians all going though their daily motions. No matter what he did or accomplished he wouldn't reach them as a hero could. This was an era of peace, an unprecedented occurrence in human history. Many leaders had tried and failed to establish such an era. It was only thanks to the efforts of All Might that people could live without fear. While other Hero's helped keep the darkness at bay it was All Might that kept crime at a minimum.
He could travel across Japan in a flash, being able to take out multiple conflicts without any struggle. The chances of being caught by the Symbol Of Peace were so high almost eighty-five percent of all villain catches were made by All Might and his agency alone. Despite this Izuku had learned a secret about All Might he knew he would have to take to his grave. The hero had been injured and those injuries held him back from performing his duties as a hero. Despite still having his title his strength wasn't what it was and he still chose to keep the Era Of Peace alive and thriving.
His father had been a detective before he died but Izuku hadn't really known much about him. While he wasn't a police officer, the comment made by All Might earlier struck deeply at Izuku. Both detectives and police were noble professions in their own rights but it didn't change the singular fact that it wasn't a pro hero. His father had gone missing during an investigation into some rising criminal. Eventually his mother had decided to stop mourning her husband and that's when she started leaving Izuku at Bakugo's house while she worked extra shifts.
Izuku didn't mind Mitsuki and he rarely saw Bakugo's father so he did his best to help her out in the kitchen and avoid running into Bakugo who hated that Izuku was at his house. The two rarely ran into each other but when they did the pair didn't have words for the other. Despite threats from his mother Bakugo didn't come home to play with Izuku making sure the void between the two boys grew even wider.
All of this was just a consequence Izuku had to pay for due to his father's choices. If he had just chosen his family instead of the glory, money or whatever drove his father to place his job above his family then perhaps his mother would be home. He wouldn't have to intrude in Mitsuki's home and he could have had another dream that wouldn't leave him as crushed as he felt right now.
The door that led to the rooftop slammed open as a man walked out taking Izuku out of his self reflection. The man was taller than most of Izuku's teachers and wore a charcoal colored trenchcoat with a red and black suit underneath. A hat covered his eyes casting a shadow around him. A grin was the only sign of life on his face as his eyes were covered by a pair of round shades. Despite the quality that was put into his outfit Izuku could tell that this man was not the kind that could be trusted at face value.
"Green hair, freckles and dressed like a middle school boy aren't you Izuku Midoriya." The man spoke in a slow and cautious tone as if remembering details he read off his wife's forgotten grocery list.
"What are you doing up here, how do you know my name?" Izuku asked. He knew he should be grateful someone was here to help him but he clearly knew Izuku or rather of him. While he couldn't outright prove that this man was dangerous he didn't trust him all the same.
The man scratched his chin before gathering the words to respond. “You're Hisashi's son right, I'm a friend of your fathers, an information broker of sorts.” The man explained.
The words hit Izuku hard, his mother had always kept details of his father's work from Izuku. That included friends and contacts that wished to pay their respects to both Izuku and his mother. He had never met a friend of his fathers and while this wasn't unreasonable he couldn't help but wonder why he was here. “How did you know I was up here and why are you just now introducing yourself?” Izuku questioned as he began to step closer to the man putting distance between himself and the rooftop’s edge.
"That doesn't matter, what matters is that I have a job for you, nothing dangerous, just some science stuff your dad would have helped me with.” The man continued as if this were a game you would play while eating a freshly baked raspberry cake. He clearly knew that Izuku was curious and while he had rescued Izuku from the rooftop he could just as easily change his mind if Izuku made a wrong move.
"A job?" Izuku asked. A thousand thoughts ran though his head. First this random guy knows his name and now he is offering him a job. Every instance of stranger danger training made him want to run but a part of him felt empty. His dreams of being a hero seemed to have been cut with an unbreakable knife. His father was an unknown variable but it was a path that he could take to move forward.
Remaining on the rooftop guaranteed his safety but it wouldn't lead him anywhere. Izuku would remain stagnant. He would never grow and he would be exactly what everyone thought he could be. The path to being a hero was gone and while Izuku could still chase it he knew All Might was right. This was advice coming from the man who instituted the first era of peace.
"Think of it as more of an apprenticeship and if you want to continue I can give you a future, or if you refuse I can drop you off at your mother's and we just pretend this conversation never happened." The man said, tilting his hat while giving Izuku a toothy grin. He knew exactly what to say to push Izuku into making a decision.
"Well I." Izuku stuttered trying to calm his nerves in order to give an answer. He wanted to be in full control of his emotions before he gave an answer to the man. Making a rash decision would only lead to regret down the line.
The man clapped his hands together and got slightly closer to Izuku. "I can see what the problem is." He said the smell of cigarettes wafted out his mouth with every word. The odor was pungent enough for Izuku to tell the man had just finished a cigarette before coming to the rooftop.
"You do?" Izuku said shakily. Perhaps the stranger realized how odd it was to make such a proposal on a whim.
"You need to know the benefits." The stranger excitedly said his movements became more flashy as if he were pitching product on shark tank and not recruiting a dead friend's son to his cause. "You see Izuku comes with money, power, information and well pretty much whatever you want, I am very very flexible including telling you about your dear dad's fate."
Izuku took a step back not fully understanding what the man's intentions were. His motions were erratic and the way he said flexible sent a chill down Izuku's small spine. He was clearly trying to manipulate the boy but the prospect of knowing the truth behind his father's disappearance hit hard.
The man fiddled with his hat some more before speaking some more. “On top of my duties as a broker, I run a business that creates gear for quirk users and you seem to have a fondness for them." His eyes locked with Izuku’s as if to set in the revelation he had been watching Izuku.
This man knew he had a fondness for heroes, thoughts of being watched flooded Izuku's mind. Every letter this man spoke was another mentos being dropped into Izuku's anxiety cola. "You stalked me?" Izuku said trying to sound assertive but failing to sound anything but scared. He was just a boy after all and friend of his father or not he didn't like being watched.
"No it's not stalking, I made a promise to your father that I'd look after you which means I keep tabs on you occasionally." The man noticed Izuku's fear for seemingly the first time. "You spend a lot of time at the scenes of villain attacks writing in your notebooks. It just happened to be brought to my attention, after all a quirkless boy doesn't put himself in danger for mere spectacle does he?”
Izuku looked down at the ground, he had already lost his confidence and inside he knew this feeling would sweep himself into the depths of sorrow. Izuku wasn't important and if he was being followed it likely wouldn't stop if he refused now. If there was a chance he could solve the mystery of his father's disappearance he needed to take it.
"Don't look so nervous, how about this you come down with me and." The man said before being interrupted by the sky splitting apart. It was magnificent as light began to fill the city below as a thunderous roar shook the building. They both knew that it came from All Might and the man instantly sensed his prediction was right. All Might would give Izuku the safe advice and that would satiate the boy into looking for new options. "I'll show you everything I can offer you." He stretched out his hand and smiled, tilting his head to look right in Izuku's eyes.
Izuku looked at the outstretched hand and he knew it was a chance to start over. He had no other option so he took it. "What is your name?" Izuku asked, surprised he hadn't asked that question sooner.
"My name is Giran, and it is a pleasure to meet you, Izuku Midoriya.” Giran said, his smile stretching across his face as he shook Izuku's hand.
…