Izuku turned off his emotions as he took a seat at the kitchen table with Principal Nedzu and the cat-faced police officer, whose badge identified him as Officer Tamakawa. Thinking through the situation logically, if they thought he was dangerous and wanted to arrest him then the Principal wouldn't be here, so he could assume that at worst they were here to reprimand him. Nedzu was supposed to be a genius and Izuku wouldn't be surprised if he or the police officer could smell fear, so he had little hope of deceiving either of them. In that case, the best course of action was…
"I should start by confessing. I was the person on the hoverbike clearing the roads." He said, committing himself fully, then turned his emotions back on.
The police officer choked on his tea, making the bell at his collar ring, but Izuku barely noticed as his emotions came flooding back. It might have been the logical thing to do, but that didn't mean he liked diving in the deep end like that! "Ah, but - let me tell you about what happened in order, so you know the context and circumstances!" He backpedaled.
Nedzu sipped his tea with a smirk, motioning for him to continue.
He began with his arrival at the office, wanting to put off what was left of his confession for as long as possible. His Principal prompted him with questions occasionally while the feline Officer Tamakawa took notes.
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"The operation of the jetpack was a surprise to you?"
"I knew the design and that it was for a jetpack, but I didn't know it would work so differently to existing ones."
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"Shop right? That was generous of her. Of course, she would know that taking ownership of the patent herself would see Corellian blacklisted as an internship host by U.A."
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When he got to the pale Noumu, he had to turn off his emotions again. He couldn't bring himself to talk about it with them on.
"I estimate it was ten foot at the shoulder while crouched, with a full height of eighteen feet or more. It had large muscles and dead-looking skin. It noticed us at the end of the road and threw a car at us. I was paralyzed with fear as the car approached me, so Mr. Naimizu tackled me out the way and was hit himself. He received several broken bones and appeared mortally wounded. However, with his Quirk he was able to correct the damage and keep moving after the Noumu left." He said in a monotone, aware but uncaring that his mother was hugging him and sobbing as he explained.
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"You made your jacket more Heroic? Was that through some quick tailoring, or -"
He flipped the mental switch and the design changed again. "Just another Quirk thing."
Nedzu put his teacup down. "You may be surprised to know, that kind of secondary ability isn't without precedent. Does it only apply to your clothes?"
"Any of my possessions," he said. He picked up a teaspoon, and it became unquestionably Heroic in design for a moment.
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"The hoverbike also operates on unknown technology?"
"Yeah, the repulsors seem to need something to push off to lift the vehicle. I was able to tune them up a bit, but I still don't understand how they work and I can't make more."
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"How did you clear the wreckage? Another application of your Quirk, rapid deconstruction or something like that?"
"No, that was my nanites, I spread them over whatever was blocking the road and told them to break down that material. Um, I took lots of photos to help the owners with their insurance claims." He pulled out his phone and started scrolling through the before-and-after shots.
Nedzu didn't seem to care. "Nanites," he echoed. "Well, Tamakawa, your colleagues can stop worrying about a familial connection to the Villain with the disintegration Quirk from the USJ attack, at least," he said with an odd levity.
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"Then I got home, and here we are." Finally, Izuku reached the end of his story. He looked at the other people at the table with apprehension. "What kind of trouble am I in? Will Naimizu and Takasu be alright?"
Officer Tamakawa licked a pad on his paw delicately and flipped back to the start of his notes. "I can't comment on your internship hosts. Walking on the railway lines is treated as trespassing, but you did it for your own safety and the safety of others so it's covered by private and public necessity. Transforming your jacket was public Quirk use, which merits an official reprimand for a first offense. Taking your hoverbike out your… warehouse, that likely qualifies for several road safety violations and also air traffic violations, which are typically punished by different levels of fines, though it would depend on what kind of vehicle the hoverbike is classed as and how those laws apply to minors."
He flipped over to the next page and gave Midoriya a serious look. "Researching, producing, and using nanomachines are all banned under international law, and are subject to strict penalties that can include jail time. The public disclosure of your actions could even impact Japan's international relations, if we are seen as incapable of governing dangerous technologies within our borders."
Nedzu interjected. "That much, at least, is a failure on my part and on the part of U.A. as educators. Some research areas are too dangerous to spread awareness of recklessly, and so we prefer to inform students on an individual basis when they approach such topics with their work. Midoriya's extreme pace of development meant we did not notice and intervene in time to prevent his irresponsible behaviour."
"I made sure that they were safe, though," Izuku protested weakly.
"Were you 90% sure? 99%? Did you consider what would happen if your phone was lost or stolen at a bad time? Do you know that the safety measures your Quirk provides will persist beyond your death? Your Quirk had taken you by surprise just that morning with the performance of the jetpack design, had it not?" Nedzu's barrage of questions was merciless.
"No, you're right, I'm sorry," he said, tears running down his face. "I just… I just couldn't stand by like I had, the last time people were in danger." He wiped his face with a napkin that acted as a perfectly soft and absorbent tissue.
The Principal cleared his throat. "For future reference, the following research areas are prohibited for U.A. students: Genetic engineering. Artificial Quirks. Quirk modification, pharmaceutical or otherwise. Nanomachines. Self-improving artificial intelligence. Adaptive automated cyberattacks. Chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons. Knowingly pursuing them is grounds for expulsion, and I expect to be informed if you gain any more capabilities in these areas."
With flawless timing, Izuku's Quirk chose that moment to reach out.
[5.15 GOETIA - INSUFFICIENT CHARGE - 550 STORED]
Thankfully, it failed to drop any WMDs on the kitchen table.
"Onto our original reason for visiting," Tamakawa said, making Izuku blink. "Midoriya, do you recognize this formula?"
He pushed over a chemical formula that matched the one he received from his Quirk with his paw. Izuku nodded.
"How about these forum posts?" He held up printouts of "Can anyone tell me what this chemical is?", "Help! What does this mystery chemical do?", "Check it out! I discovered a chemical panacea, formula below!", and "LOL look at the shape this enzyme makes". Izuku nodded again, much more sheepishly.
"Um, I got the formula from my Quirk but I didn't know what it did. I also asked a research lab about making me some, to test out, and after the Sports Festival they gave me a complimentary sample."
"Can you -" "What happened -" The Principal and Officer both started talking at the same time. Tamakawa tried again. "Can you tell us what you did with the sample?"
"I asked Ms. Pinkerton to work out what it does, she tested half of it on some plants and I've still got the other half. I can show you, if you like."
"Yes please, Midoriya. Ms. Midoriya, can you call Ms. Pinkerton and ask her to come over?"
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Inside the warehouse, opened from the linen cupboard, Izuku gave the two authority figures a brief tour and pointed out the different items he'd mentioned in his testimony. The remaining half vial of the mystery chemical was still on the shelf where it had been stored. Of the plants, the two on the left showed some growth, the rightmost one had grown to twice the height of the officer, and the rest had withered away due to the roots of the rightmost one spreading into their pots.
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Inko and Izuku had some time alone while Ms. Pinkerton was being interviewed in the next room.
"Izuku, you know that I love you? I'm so glad you're safe," she started.
"I love you too, mom. I'm sorry I put myself in danger and got in trouble, but it seemed like the right thing to do," he said.
She sniffed. "Well, I'm still wrapping my head around all that. Grounding you, when international sanctions are being talked about? It feels so insignificant. But I am your mother, that's my responsibility, and you are absolutely grounded."
He couldn't help but smile at her fond tone. "Yeah, okay, mom. I guess I deserve that."
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"So, um, what happens to me now?" Izuku asked. They had gathered back in the kitchen, Tamakawa standing as there weren't enough chairs.
Nedzu and Tamakawa exchanged a look. The cat Heteromorph spoke.
"The Hosu forensics team found concentrations of your mystery chemical in the bloodwork of two of the Noumu. We believe it to have contributed to their power." The Midoriyas gasped. Izuku felt like he was going to be sick, that he had somehow contributed to the devastation.
"A search online led us to your posts, and to your identity. We have taken down the posts to remove the formula and the connection to you, but the Villains behind the Hosu attack are already aware."
"While we were interviewing Ms. Pinkerton, my colleague confirmed that the research lab that provided your sample also reported a break-in at some point in the previous week, and another batch of your chemical was among the stolen goods."
"For your safety, the safety of those around you, and for the general public, those Villains must not know about your nanomachines, or what else you might become capable of. For that reason alone, we will not be drawing attention to your actions last night by prosecuting you while this crisis is ongoing."
Nedzu spoke up. "You would do well to downplay your Quirk as much as you can, to give the impression your formula was a one-time event. Why don't you focus on running the best possible jetpack startup, as a safe outlet for your energy and creativity?"
Izuku clenched his fists under the table. "I… I don't think I can do that. Or not just that, I mean. Those Villains are using my formula to hurt people, and I have to share the responsibility. I have to do something."
"And what do you intend to do?" Nedzu prompted, steepling his fingers.
"I can… even if nanotechnology is out, I can still make the best Support gear the world has ever seen, unobtrusive items that conceal massive power, so that the Pro Heroes can stand up to anything the Villains attack with. And…"
He thought about the chemical his Quirk had given him, how Ms. Pinkerton had used it to make giant mutant plants and how the Villains out there were creating unstoppable monsters with it. His material sense activated, the internal compass swinging around to point towards Kamino ward.
"And I can find the rest of the formula." He pointed along the bearing of the compass.
Principal Nedzu gave a grin that bared his sharp teeth.
END OF ACT 1
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Wordcount: 1983/54956
A/N: We're off the rails! The next chapter will be an intermission, to belatedly feature all the interlude ideas I had. After that, we'll see what the League of Villains can accomplish with the Erskine Formula, and how Izuku can help the Heroes take them down.
I skipped a roll early on to avoid interrupting the interview, but the CP has been added. I'm a bit disappointed a WMD didn't get dropped on the kitchen table.
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