The Emperor's Dragon

Say It Isn't So

"Izuku?"

"Yeah?" he replied to Hitoshi. They were sitting against a wall at PE class. The class was gender split and the girls were currently doing something involving a ball. Izuku wasn't sure what game they were meant to be playing. That meant the boys were waiting their turn. Most were gathered into their small friendship groups, leaning or sitting against the wall as they chatted.

"Were you serious when you offered to help me get fit?" Hitoshi asked.

Izuku frowned. "What do you mean?" He didn't remember offering that but if his friend wanted then sure he'd help.

"At the beginning of the year you said you could come up with a fitness regime for me," the purple haired teen said.

"Did I?" Izuku mused. "Well, of course I'll help."

"Just not your routine," Hitoshi added and Izuku could hear the grin.

"You don't know what my routine is," he objected.

At that, Hitoshi gave a bark of laughter. "True, but I know it's more than I can handle," he admitted before he sighed. "I've been jogging but... that's not really enough," he said.

Izuku was a bit surprised to hear that. Hitoshi hadn't said anything. "What brought this on?" Had Hitoshi been serious about that joke at the beginning of the year, with becoming a hero?

"I just-" his friend began but was overridden by the teacher calling the change. It was the boys turn to play whatever that game was with the ball.

"Tell me tonight?" Izuku pressed. He didn't want to let this go. It would worry him.

"Yeah," Hitoshi said but he didn't appear enthusiastic and before Izuku could press further they were required in class.

-ted-

"Giran," All For One said as he answered his phone.

"I had an interesting client, the other day Sir," the man said without preamble. The broker had learned not to take up his time with chit chat. "She had a striking pendant."

"Ah," All For One replied with a smile. "That is interesting," he said. Giran wouldn't have mistaken the pendant for a fake. He brought to mind those who he knew had them but there was only one girl it could be. "Blonde, with an affinity for blood?" he said, making it a question.

"Indeed. I told her I'd let Dragon know I'd seen her when I saw him and give him her details."

Now, that was interesting. He knew his son still thought about his friend who's details had been lost when Kurogiri was forced to wipe his phone but he had not believed she would continue to think about him. It appeared his son had a skill for picking friends.

"You may do so," All For One said. It wasn't like Giran had contact with Izuku much, and with Izuku in the world, making his own choice, contact was even further reduced. "She is now a client?"

"Of course, Sir," Giran replied, giving him an answer for both his instruction and his question. Giran would give Izuku her details, when he saw Izuku, but the broker understood that would take time and the girl was now a client.

"What did she want?"

There was a pause before Giran answered. All For One knew what that was for. The broker was considering if it was betrayal of client confidentiality to tell him. There was a reason Giran was one of the better brokers. He took things like that seriously. "The type of equipment you'd expect with her quirk," he answered eventually.

"Ah," he replied. It was vague enough that Giran couldn't be accused of telling him, but specific enough that he could figure it out. "Thank you for letting me know, Giran. I will think on this," he told the broker.