All For Some

Chapter 53: Ingenium 2

The car turned into the hospital parking lot. The look on Tenya's face turned darker as soon as he saw the building and Izuku started regretting not bringing Hitoshi. He was better with emotional stuff. Izuku and Tenya got out. Izuku leaned in closer to the driver.

"After you take Todoroki to the other hospital, stay to wait for him and call me if anyone as much as thinks about him leaving the place any other way than in this car. If Endeavour, or anyone that might be connected to him shows up, don't even wait for that."

"I understand," the driver whispered back and closed the door. Izuku turned to face this hospital with Tenya, to focus on one issue at a time. He took a step forward, but Tenya didn't. Izuku stopped and half-turned to wait as his taller friend collected himself. He waited for as long as it took without a word until Tenya started walking.

Izuku followed as Tenya led them through the hospital. A nurse stopped them but escorted them to the room once Tenya explained why they were there. Tenya stopped at the door for a few seconds, then rushed in.

Tensei Ida, also known as the pro hero Ingenium, was laying on the bed, his stomach covered in some kind of band-aid and multiple cables connected to different parts of his body and running into devices all around the bed. His head turned, but he didn't raise it as Tenya and Izuku entered. The stare was tired, but he at least seemed to be in his full senses.

"How are you feeling?" Tenya whispered, like simply being too loud could have further hurt his brother.

"Couldn't sleep well, even with all the drugs."

"Have the doctors made any progress," Tenya asked, "so you can fully recover?"

Tensei slowly turned his head back and forth.

"They have investigated every option they can, even asked several quirk-based healers. Stain cut a piece off. Human body cannot heal something that is completely missing. I won't walk again."

Tenya collapsed by the bed, tears in his eyes. Only Izuku's training let him move fast enough to catch and support Tenya before he hurt his knees on the floor. Tensei moved his hand to Tenya's shoulder as Izuku settled him on the floor softly. Tensei's eyes rose to look at Izuku.

"So, you are Midoriya. I've meant to meet you for a long time. I should have made time before so we could meet under better circumstances."

"It is understandable. Your work isn't the most forgiving," Izuku responded.

"Wasn't. It's looking like my time as a hero has come to an end."

"So, no more Ingenium?" Izuku said. He still wasn't sure how to feel about that.

Tenya gasped next to them. Izuku knew exactly how he was feeling about that.

"No," Tensei said, "just no Tensei, right little T?"

"Don't say that," Tenya pleaded.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot do that. I spent hours with the doctors seeking solutions, but seems I will not walk again, let alone run. It's going to be a desk job for me from now on."

"What, what do you mean, just not you?" Izuku asked.

"Ingenium isn't merely a man inside the costume. Tenya can continue to carry the name." Tenya sniffed against the bed. "Once he is ready. It is not quite what he means when he says he wants to carry on the family name."

Izuku looked at his friend for a quiet moment.

"I should probably take this opportunity to thank you," Tensei said.

"Me, for what?"

"For being Tenya's friend. He's never been lonely exactly, but he can be a bit... stiff, for an average teen. He used to only talk about his studies and training and such when I asked how he was doing, until last year that is. At first, he mentioned this new classmate who didn't seem to care enough about the school, not the first such observation I might add. Then suddenly he was busy all weekends, refusing to schedule anything else at those times and even cancelled some things he had scheduled. He never does that you know. He talked more about things you did besides training and studying. Now that I think about it, I should have asked him to bring both of you. The last day has been a haze."