Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Benjamin Tennyson had been known as many things over his 50 years of life; A superhero, the wielder of the most powerful device in the known universe, the one who had saved the planet multiple times over.

Currently, as he sat alone in his office room that doubled as a bedroom, he was simply one thing. Bored.

The Biomnitrix, a set of gauntlets that allowed him to become a nearly infinite amount of alien fusions, sat on his wrists. Previously, they had been used as a tool for both battle and for peace. Now they were little more than oversized bracelets that thunked loudly against the laptop he typed on.

It wasn’t like he had retired from hero work, not officially at least, but everybody else seemed to have a handle on it. Long gone were the days he felt he needed to solo each enemy that came to the planet with ill intent.

Now the world was protected. The Galactic Enforcers protected the planet from most attacks before they even reached the planet and the Plumbers fought those that were unfortunate enough to make it to Earth with malice in their minds. Gwendolyn, Ben’s cousin, now led the magic branch of the Plumbers, with Gwen, Ben’s daughter, as her apprentice.

Simply put, Ben wasn’t needed anymore, and by extension, neither was the Biomnitrix.

He looked around the room. Paperwork was scattered around the desk. Nobody had ever told him how many forms were involved in alien attacks. His wife’s sword, one of many she owned, rested against the bedside table. He assumed the sword wasn’t needed by her, she was currently on a peace mission on the planet Anur Transyl. His bed was unmade, the sheets still thrown from the last time it was used. 

He sighed to himself as he looked wistfully at the Biomnitrix. “I really should ask someone if this is a good idea,” he muttered to himself before turning to the empty room. "If this is a bad idea, now is a great time to tell me." 

"Well, I can't say that it's your greatest idea," came the exact voice Ben expected. Looking towards the source of the voice, he saw the man casually sitting on Ben's previously empty bed. "Especially not if you plan on leaving it in the bottom of your closet." The man looked the same as he did all those years ago when they first met. A tall and thin frame covered by a pristine lab coat, a metal right arm in the place of flesh.

"Bad idea?" Ben asked. "What happens?"

The other man shrugged jovially. "If you consider a distant descendant finding it and using it to become an intergalactic dictator to be bad."

"That doesn't sound like the best idea," Ben admitted with a sigh. "Any ideas?"

Paradox smiled. "Give it to me. I know someone that will use it well."

With a grateful nod, Ben gave a final look to the Biomnitrix. "Biomnitrix Decouple Code 1: Authorisation Me." Ben looked at his bare wrists as the device detached from his arms, handing them to Paradox. "So who are you going to give -" Ben began to ask.

But Paradox was already gone.

At age 10, Midoriya Izuku was known by many things. The Quirkless kid, the hero wannabe, Deku.

Currently, as he walked alone down an alleyway after school, he was simply one thing. Upset.

Kacchan, the one friend he was supposed to have, had gotten a little too rough when they were playing. The burn mark on Izuku’s chest was proof of that, the skin now burnt and raw. All Izuku had said was that he wanted to be a hero, and Kacchan had responded with an explosive punch, what he said a villain attack would feel like.

Now Midoriya wandered the empty alleyway, using the cold wind to soothe the burn and dry the tears that flowed from his eyes. At least he was alone, and could use the time to get over the pain.

He rested against a nearby dumpster, wiping his eyes with his sleeve. He squealed loudly at the unexpected voice. “Hello Izuku,” came the man’s voice. His outfit, a spotless lab coat, clashed horribly with the grimy dumpster he sat on, inches from Midoriya. The man had a polite smile on his face, completely unphased by the panic he had caused in the child. “Long time no see.”

Midoriya’s eyes furrowed in confusion, his heart still racing. “Sorry, have we met?” Midoriya scrutinised the man as he thought. Not a hero, not one I recognise at least. An underground hero? No, they wouldn’t just out themselves like that. Maybe he’s a friend of mom? No, no, she doesn’t have many friends and he’s not one of them. Lab coat, so maybe a hospital worker?

The stranger raised his hand, interrupting Midoriya’s train of thought. “I can see you still ramble to yourself when you think,” he said with a smile, Midoriya turning red at realising he had talked out loud. “And to answer your actual question, I last saw you around nine years ago.”

Nine years ago? I was only one back then. “Sorry, I don’t remember meeting you.”

“My apologies. It was nine years ago that I saw you, however this is your first time meeting me.” The man still smiled despite Midoriya’s growing confusion. “I suppose introductions are in order. Izuku, you may call me Paradox.”

“Paradox?” Strange name, he noted. Definitely not a real name, maybe the man really was a hero? On maybe an upcoming hero?

Paradox laughed. “I can assure you, I am not a hero. At least, not in the sense you use the word. I help those who need help. And I help those who will help others. And right now, you are someone that will certainly help others.”

Midoriya’s eyes turned to the ground. They were dry from the tears, the man providing a good distraction in the alley’s air, but the conversation reminded him of Kacchan’s harsh words from earlier in the day. “I can’t help anyone,” he said sullenly. “I’m useless.”

Paradox’s gaze turned steely. “I can guarantee you are the furthest thing from useless. Why would you suggest that?”

“That's what they all tell me.” Paradox raised an eyebrow, prompting him to continue. “The kids in my school. Even my friend, Kacchan.”

“Maybe Kacchan will change one day. But I can assure you, he is not your friend. He is a bully. A true friend would not tear you down or tell you everything your negative thoughts are telling you.” Midoriya silenced himself in thought, repeating the man’s words to himself. “Everytime you doubt yourself, just know one thing. You will be a hero.”

“I- I don’t even have a Quirk though. How can I be a hero without a Quirk?”

Paradox outstretched his hand, offering something. Midoriya looked at it; It was a set of gauntlets, both a dark forest green, with a vibrant bright green in the shape of an hourglass symbol with two equally green rectangles on either side. “Just because you are not born with power, does not mean you can’t be powerful. If I offered you a gift, would you use it to benefit others?”

Midoriya’s eyes widened. “Of course I would!”

“I know you will.” Midoriya reached both arms towards the gauntlets and they lept, shifting from a solid metal object to an almost liquid that engulfed the boy from his wrists to his forearm before returning to their metallic state. The man nodded, satisfied with the course of events. “Well then Izuku, as a good friend of mine used to say, ‘It’s Hero time.’”

And in the second it took for Midoriya to look up from his new device, Paradox was gone.

Chapter Text

Midoriya looked at the spot where Paradox stood, now devoid of any sign he was there other than the device on Midoriya’s arms.

The voice came from the back of Izuku’s brain, echoing as though someone had planted a thought there. 

Biomnitrix connecting.

Attempting to merge with the wearer's nervous system. 

Attempt successful. 

Attempting to merge with the wearer’s DNA. 

Attempt successful. 

Attempting to access Codon Stream.

Attempt failed.

Attempting to access known DNA samples.

Attempt successful.

Biomnitrix connected. 

Biomnitrix locked to the wearer’s DNA. 

“Biomnitrix? Is that what you are?” Izuku asked the device. He waited for a few seconds before accepting there would be no reply.

He stood for a few moments, poking and prodding the Biomnitrix, before a thought came to his mind. I need to get home! Mom will be worried. 

He began to run, leaving the empty alleyway and heading in the direction of his home. With all the time he had spent crying in the alley and conversing with Paradox, he was about 30 minutes later home than he normally would have been. He opened the front door, exhausted and sweaty from his sprinting, the smell of Katsudon filling his nose from the pork sizzling on the stove top and the rice boiling.

“Izuku?” his mother's voice asked from the kitchen area. “I was getting worried,” she said with relief. “Where have you been?”

He took a breath, half to recover from running and half to begin explaining. “I-I… I,'' he stuttered to a halt. What was he supposed to say? Hi Mom, sorry I’m late, a stranger found me crying in an alleyway and gave me a device that’s linked to my DNA? Paradox’s words echoed in his mind. “I think I’m being bullied.”

The sizzling ended instantly as the stove was turned off and the skillet was moved from its place. “By who?” Her voice was hard with barely restrained rage, leaving no chance for the conversation to end before she allowed it.

“Just some of the kids. Tsubasa and Nobutaka usually. But everybody joins in.”

“Everybody?” she questioned incensed. “Who was it today?”

Izuku withered under the glare. “It was Kacchan.”

Her eyes widened at his answer. “Kacchan?” Her mind went blank. Her and Mitsuki, Kacchan’s mother, were best friends, just like she had thought Izuku and Kacchan were. Sure Kacchan had a few flaws; he was arrogant, crude, loud, aggressive, prone to anger, and had a superiority complex … The more she thought about it, she wondered why her son would ever be friends with someone like Kacchan. “What do you mean he’s bullying you? Is it things he says, or … more than words?” She mentally begged it was verbal. At least then she could have a reason to have never noticed. If it was physical, what signs had she missed? Was he hiding everything until all spilled out, or was she just not as observant as she had hoped?

By the time her train of thought had ended, Izuku had unbuttoned some of his shirt, revealing the tender flesh around a fresh burn on his chest. “Have you told the teachers?” she asked as she scanned the burn. Maybe he had told somebody, had at least one adult on his side that could help.

He nodded, glumly, and the hope Inko had died instantly. “They say it’s my fault. For dreaming too big. Say I should just learn my place and stay out of the way.” 

She stared intently, and Izuku could see the thoughts running through his mother’s mind, her mouth opening and closing as though trying to find the words to say. “Get in the car,” she ordered with no chance to argue. “We’re doing something about this.”

Izuku began to rebutton his shirt. “I-I don’t want Kacchan to get into trouble though.”

Her glare hardened as she used her Quirk to pull her car keys to her hand. “Then you’re thinking about Kacchan more than he thinks about you.” 

Izuku opened his mouth to disagree, before realising he couldn’t. Everything his mother and Paradox has said was true. Kacchan - no not Kacchan - Katsuki. Kacchan was a name Izuku had used when the two were friends. And now he was beginning to realise the two had not been friends for a long time. Katsuki was a bully.

Eventually Izuku conceded and he nodded. “Ok, let’s go.”

The two made their way to the car, but not before Inko paused outside of the Bakugo’s front door, almost as if she was debating storming in and dealing with this herself although she seemed to talk herself out of it.

The drive was eerily quiet. Izuku almost asked where they were going but stopped at the determined expression etched on his mother’s face as she drove.

He looked out the window as they drove, the car eventually stopping. “Mom?” Izuku asked as he looked up at the towering building they parked against. “This is the police station?”

“If your teachers won’t do anything about all this, then I’ll take it to the next level,” she replied as she marched him to the door.

The woman at the desk had an obvious Mutant Quirk. She might have passed as an average person if it weren’t for the antlers protruding from beneath her auburn hair. “Can I help you?”

“My son is being bullied for being Quirkless. And you're going to do something about it.”