7

Chapter #7 | Scent of Iron

Chapter Text

Hatsume woke up like any other day in her schedule. She rolled out of bed with her body protesting, practically begging her to give it more of the sleep that she deprives it of constantly. She attempted to shower off some of the grime that had embedded itself into her skin before she passed out, brushed her teeth, and generally got ready for the day. She had decided that this morning she was going to check on one of the simulations that she had left running on her computer for the grapple gauntlet before heading to the private school that her family had enrolled her in.

Not that she needed the school, despite what her parents thought. She was so far ahead in her classes that it was a joke. She was fairly certain that if it hadn't been for the "social interaction" that they had apparently deemed necessary for her, then she would have been able to convince them to let her do that nifty schooling method Midoriya was currently doing. Her rival was getting ahead of her because of that. She stopped mid-step on the way to the garage that held her workshop. She supposed she shouldn't call him that, should she? He was someone she could consider her partner now, and it had been so long since she had been able to say that. He was brilliant and, she would admit, just as crazy as her, if some of his designs were of any indication. She knew he hadn't shown her his best stuff yet, either.

When she did finally step in the garage, she was surprised to find the man she had just been thinking of already sitting at one of the desks with a pair of magnifying glasses on, soldering what appeared to be the smallest chipset that she had ever seen in her life. She checked her watch just to make sure she hadn't gotten up later than she had intended.

I know that Midoriya told me he doesn't have to sleep much, wouldn't that be nice, but what is he doing here at just past six in the morning? "Midoriya," Hatsume tried to catch his attention, but he didn't respond. She tried rapping on the door rather loudly with a wrench from where she stood, but still no luck. He was just staring at the chipset without moving. Finally, she simply walked up and placed her hand on his shoulder. The reaction she got put her heart in her throat. Izuku jumped. Not the kind of startled, haha you scared me jump, but the kind you got from startling someone that was running on adrenaline.

Midoriya's hand shot across the desk to the handgun that he had finished several days prior. It was a sleek little thing that he had chambered in .45 ACP. It was mostly black metal except for the polymer grip. He had installed a flashlight just under the barrel, almost like a second barrel that had been filled. He also made the parts to rechamber it down to 9mm, as well as attach a silencer. Though none of it was technically legal at the moment.

He had opted to leave it in the workshop, as he hadn't had the time to go get the licensing completed to carry it. She would have shuddered at the thought of all that paperwork, were said handgun not now pressed against the carotid artery in her neck. Izuku's hand was clamped around the wrist of the hand that had been on his shoulder, and his wild, bloodshot eyes were darting around, searching her face. Finally, he croaked out a singular, "Hatsume?" before stumbling back and slapping the sidearm back down onto the table. "I'm so sorry, you startled me and I didn't hear you come in."

Mei frowned at him, not the slightest bit disturbed by what had just happened. If she hadn't died yet from her own babies exploding, many of which Midoriya had recently saved her from, then she wasn't worried about him grabbing a sidearm when he was so clearly scared of something. "What's going on, Midoriya? What's got you so spooked?"

Izuku shook his head. "Nothing. It's nothing. I just came in early to finish these chipsets." Hatsume frowned at him, now really looking at him. His eyes were ringed in black like a raccoon, his skin was a sallow, sickly shade that didn't fit him, and while his breathing was starting to calm, it was still ragged, as if he had just run several miles.

"Midoriya. When was the last time you slept? Ate something? You've been pushing recently for the completion of something or another. But you've not said anything to me as to its exact nature. Do these chips have something to do with it?" Hatsume gestured to the slew of chips in various states of completion.

Midoriya rubbed his brows and then his eyes, sighing. "Uh, just after I got back from the police station. After the Deli incident, my mother and I had dinner." Izuku chuckled, "She was really worried since the news outlets said 'villain attack' for the first day or so. And to answer your other question, yes, those do have a lot to do with it. Those will, when complete, allow me to finish the final stage of this little endeavor." Izuku looked up to find Hatsume staring at him, both impressed and utterly horrified.

"Midoriya! That was a week and a half ago!" Hatsume shook her head and stepped over to her desk. She pulled a protein bar from the drawer before throwing it straight at his head. They were the kind designed for people with heavy calorie quirks. As such, it was just what the doctor ordered. It pegged him in between the eyes before he could stop and catch it. "That right there should show you how out of it you are. You would normally never get hit like that. Now you are going to eat that bar and then lay down for some sleep." Hatsume cut him off before he could argue with her. Pointing her finger at him, "You are about to drop from both exhaustion and food deprivation. I'll finish these while you get some rest."

"Don't you have class, Hatsume?" Izuku was already unwrapping the bar and biting into it. While he didn't want to admit it, she was right. He was worn down. Hell, he'd let his flashback get the better of him to the point that he'd drawn a weapon on her for gods sakes. Besides that, he had seen Hatsume pissed only once. He had no interest in that happening again.

"Nothing that I can't afford to miss. Besides that, whatever this project of yours is, it seems important to you."

"Even if I told you that I was going to be breaking multiple laws when I finish said project?" Hatsume turned and looked Izuku in the eyes critically before shaking her head.

"If it's you, I'm sure you have a good reason for doing so. I trust you, Midoriya. Besides, you're my partner, right? In for a penny, in for a pound after all. And Midoriya? Just call me Mei." Midoriya was surprised. He knew she trusted him when she had begun sharing her workspace with him, but this was different. Izuku smiled at her, small tears forming in the corners of his eyes before he bit them back.

"Thanks. That means a lot." Izuku sat down on the sad old futon, and before he could say another word, as soon as his rear touched futon, he was out like a light. Hatsume put her back against the wall now, looking at his sleeping form. What has him so spooked? He can probably lift a car at this point without much trouble. Hell, for that matter, what is he? Even I can't go a week and a half without dropping. Hatsume was still debating this when her mother stuck her head in through the door to tell her to get moving. She caught sight of Izuku on the ground before pulling Mei outside.

"And who, might I ask, is that?" Her mother practically purred the words at her and just generally had that look about her. The one that screamed that she wanted to know absolutely everything. For as great as her mother was, when it came to her children's romance, she could be utterly overbearing.

"That, mother, is my business partner, Midoriya Izuku. I found him working and practically about to collapse from overwork. Which I know is rich coming from me." Mei frowned and looked back at the door, concern etching itself into her face. "Could you do me a favor and tell the school I won't be coming in today? Something's not right and I want to be here to deal with it." Her mother had stopped her girlish jittering now. She studied Mei's face closely. She had never seen her girl this concerned for another person outside of their family. Her girl had also never considered taking a business partner before. She knew what she was worth and knew others couldn't match up.

"How did you meet him?" She was calm now when she asked the question. This one was entirely serious. Mei smirked and looked back at her mother, just knowing that she would love this.

"He was the one cleaning up the beach like I told you guys about. I tried to brain him with my wrench and we got to talking." Her mother sighed. She had known that it had to be weird if it was Mei. Then she shook her head.

"I'll go call you in. Do what you need to do. And Mei?" It was her turn to smirk at her daughter, "You tried to brain him with a heavy metal object and he's still working with you? Don't let him get away." Mei was already heading back into the garage, so her mother didn't get to see the scarlet that was blooming across her daughter's face.

…

Mei initially spent time just studying the chipsets that had been completed. Once again, Izuku had created something ingenious and blew her away. The amount he was able to cram onto this board made it obvious that most of the pieces were custom made. No one made pieces this small because no one knew how to make pieces this small and have them still be functional.

After she was confident that she had spent enough time with Midoriya's design to start putting them together, she began piecing parts together. It became quickly apparent that Midoriya's eyesight had to be enhanced like her own because she was barely managing with both her quirk and the magnifying glasses that had previously been on Midoriya's face. Just how many secrets is he hiding? Hatsume took the glasses off and rubbed her eyes after completing the second to last.

She swiveled in her chair to look at Izuku asleep. He had managed to go from his calm, sleeping position to one where he was curled into a small ball, the pain on his face starkly contrasting the peaceful one he'd had barely an hour before. It was when he started to whimper like a kicked puppy that Mei couldn't sit there and do nothing anymore. But, unfortunately, she knew he needed his sleep. No matter how much she wanted to release him from the obvious hell he was in, she couldn't wake him. She sighed, sitting down beside him, and began rubbing small circles in his back.

…

After Izuku woke up, he thanked Mei and told her that he needed to retrieve something from his home. He excused himself, assuring her that he would be back once he'd retrieved what he needed from his workbench. Hatsume agreed to finish off the last two chipsets while he was gone.

When Izuku got back, he came in with two things that Hatsume had not expected to see him with. One was a black, unlabeled case used to transport delicate electronics that he held in his hands. The other, she recognized as an art tube, was slung over his shoulder. In their case, though, they tended more to be used to store and transport important blueprints than art. Izuku spoke up after he set the case down on one of the worktables and started to clear space on the one with their blueprints.

"I know you said you trust me, Mei, and I am incredibly thankful for that. But let me make something clear. What I said earlier about breaking the law? I wasn't joking with you. What I am preparing to do will violate about half a dozen surveillance laws on their own, much less the others. This is your last chance out." Hatsume shook her head before crossing the room and clapping her hand down on Izuku's shoulder.

"I wasn't kidding either, Midoriya. If it's you, then I'm quite sure you have a reason for doing it. You're my partner. That means we're in this together to the end of whatever crazy hole we're about to jump down." Midoriya chuckled at that before turning and clicking the black case on the table open.

"Alright then. Let's catch you up to speed, hmm?" Izuku opened the box and took a tablet out of the case, powering it up and tapping in a series of passcodes, a fingerprint scan, and even a retinal scan while he explained. "You asked what I've been up to this last week? I've been building an information network deep enough that I won't be surprised again. I suppose that's we now, though. We won't be surprised again." Izuku smiled at that. A happy, full-face smile that warmed the air itself and made everyone else feel fuzzy just for having seen it. She had only seen it a few times, but it always felt like her heart stopped when she did. Before she could wonder why that was, Izuku turned the tablet around, handing it to her and continuing his explanation.

"Every camera and database. Basically, anything that I could get into, I've been tapping and compiling into one large information network. Almost everything I could get into from here to Tokyo is now accessible from that tablet, as well as my workstation at home." To say that Hatsume was shocked was an understatement. What Izuku had just handed her was second only to what was likely the government's information network. Even if it were a limited area, the implications of him having been able to set this all up in the last week were terrifying.

"Meanwhile, these little babies, which you just finished the last piece of, are the pièces de résistance of the project, for now." What Izuku held up in front of her was barely any larger than her pinky nail and looked at her with the sleek, grey gleam of metal and lens. "These little things are barely 8mm wide and boast an eight-megapixel camera. Fully automated and manually directed when the need arises, these will fill the gaps in the surveillance net. But first, I'll be giving them an important little task. Do you remember what I said about my old school?"

It took Mei a moment to find her voice, so she merely nodded. "It was basically a hellhole, yeah? Bunch of quirkist assholes making the weaks' lives miserable because they can, right?" Izuku shook his head.

"For the most part, yeah. Though I left out some of the darker details. They once found a student that was afraid of the dark. They proceeded to lock him in the janitor's closet with no light until he had screamed his throat raw and torn up his hands trying to claw his way out of the closet." Izuku was seething with fury and Mei could see the hatred in his eyes. "The best part about it? When the teachers found out what happened? They laughed." Izuku practically spat the word. "They laughed and left the kid there. He didn't get out until the janitor found him at the end of the day." Izuku breathed deep, doing his best to calm himself, and Mei placed the tablet onto the table before sitting down.

That was beyond anything she could have imagined. She had imagined that the students had been assholes, sure, but she had never imagined they were that bad. Or would have ever imagined in a million years that the teachers were willing participants in it. Izuku snorted.

"That's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Aldera. Their star pupil is a kid who is proud to think that he put me in a coma for a year. Hero material, my ass." Izuku huffed before continuing. His tone when he did made Hatsume's skin crawl. There was something dangerous there, like a large animal hunting its prey. "The principal oh so graciously allowed me to leave the school without expelling me, after I broke said student's nose, on the condition that I don't go to the police." Izuku smiled now, a sharp smile full of malice. "Oh, I won't go to the police. But that doesn't mean that a certain detective won't find a nice little anonymous package of videos detailing precisely what goes on in that school."

Hatsume moved slowly now to place her hand on Midoriya's arm. "So that's what you've been working on this past week? A surveillance network and spy cameras to dissolve your old school? Not to belittle, but that hardly seems like it had to be so pressing as to run yourself into the ground." Izuku let the hatred slip away as if it were a cloak he was shedding. That, in and of itself, would have put her on edge were it anyone else.

"No, no. I got sidetracked. I'm sorry. That is more of a side project and a happy benefit from the network. The reason I wanted it in place, and the reason I wanted us to not be surprised, is for two reasons. First, I would like to be able to help people like Mr. Fujii last week before it gets to that point. I wanted to have the ability to find them first and decide if I need to get involved. Secondly, it's because of this." Izuku shrugged the tube off his shoulder now, extending it to Hatsume, gesturing for her to take it. "You put your trust in me, and that's a two-way street. It's time to put my trust in you, as well. You're right. You're my partner, so here's what I would like our first major project to be." Izuku let Hatsume take the tube from him and watched as she gingerly removed the cap before pulling out a series of blueprints.

It only took her a few moments to realize what she was looking at before her head snapped to Izuku. "Midoriya, if this works," she looked back to the blueprints again before shaking her head and placing her hands down on the desk around them. "Who am I kidding? It's your design. We'll probably have to do some minor tweaks, but it's going to work. Midoriya, this is a game-changer. I'm not talking sliced bread here, either. This is a complete paradigm shift to the very fundamental layers of our society. This will completely change how everything is done. Power grids, national security, hell, even household appliances." Hatsume looked from blueprint to blueprint. "We're going to need more than just what we have here if we are going to pull this off." Hatsume looked up at Izuku with a gleam in her eyes that was that mad glint of invention that Midoriya had become so familiar with. "I hope you're ready to clear that beach in its entirety, because that's the amount of usable material we're talking about here."

Midoriya smirked and rolled his shoulders, looking down at the plans on the table for a variety of sizes of fusion reactors "If you're ready to get to work, then I am too. Let's get to it. And Mei? Just call me Izuku."