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Entry tags:
( my hero academia - riordan au ) nothing and everything
Title: nothing and everything
Fandom: My Hero Academia
Universe: Riordan-verse AU
Relationships: Tenko + Hana + Izuku (+ Katsuki)
Summary: Iris has asked Hana and Izuku to retrieve an item from a museum - and knowing how dumb those two siblings get, Tenko and Katsuki decide to tag along.
Notes: Written for the AU Yeah Autumn challenge, like a lot of recent fics; this sits at about ~4K and was too long for a comment, so it got a post of its own. It's set in the same 'verse as my other Riordan-verse fics, with a focus on Tenko Midoriya instead of Izuku or Shizuku.
This quest didn't make much sense. Typically, gods summoned demigods of relevant heritage to fetch important items or kill some nasty monster. Iris, goddess of rainbows and messages, had begun her request with the tired formula.
Except she broke said formula when she had demanded Hana's and Izuku's expertise in retrieving a very important item from the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena. Hana, a legacy of Mars, and Izuku, a double legacy of Mars and Bellona. Neither had the finesse necessary to retrieve anything unless it was heavily guarded or in a conflict zone; a Mercury kid would've made far more sense. Tenko had thought as much, straight from the get go - but then his dear sweet, stupid Hana had told him that she had planned to drive.
When Tenko heard, he had put his foot down and insisted on coming. His siblings wouldn’t know common sense if it smacked them in the face. Izu’s best friend Kitkat had tagged along for similar reasons, remembering Izuku's tendency to over-analyze everything in a room.
The four of them, after much discussion and deliberation, had then driven the six hours down from Camp Jupiter to Pasadena with only the bare minimum along with one of Dad's old cars and a couple of credit cards.
(Dad was off building his supervillain empire again. He wouldn't miss the car or the cards.)
Breakfast had started relatively well, too. Kitkat's hair was actually brushed; Izuku wasn't rubbing sleep out of his eyes; and Hana wasn't making moon eyes at the cashier. This quest might go well. They might fulfill it by the end of the day and go home!
"So," Tenko had began, clearing his throat and laying down the magical map the kids had been given. The important spots had been marked in big, bright rainbow-colored circles. "After we finish eating, we're going halfway across town. So if you need to go to the bathroom, I'd suggest you go now."
Kitkat scowled at him. "We're twelve, not four. I think we know when we need to go."
Tenko just leveled that stare back. "Do you, Kitkat? Do you?? Because I remember two weeks ago when you–"
"ENOUGH!" Hana slammed her fork down, glaring at them both with an intensity that rivaled the sun. "We're going. Katsuki, just make sure Izuku's all dressed and packed."
"I packed fine last time," Izuku grumbled in-between bites of pancakes. "I did just what Mom asked."
"Yeah, well..." Tenko sighed, feeling a headache coming on. "Mom also doesn't understand metal detectors, and how they're inside every single place we seem to visit."
Izuku laughed, his shoulders shaking with unspoken fear. "Soooo... I should have left the sword at home?"
Kitkat turned to face Izuku, furrowing his brow with genuine concern, "If you had to ask, dumbass, you absolutely should have."
As Izuku hung his head in shame, Tenko reached over and cut off a piece of the pancake stack for himself. If he was going to deal with idiots, he might as well have some good food as payment.
Luckily, Iris was a forgiving goddess. They were fortunate that she wasn't tracking them either, given her status as a messenger. She trusted them. Genuinely, wholeheartedly trusted them, and Tenko didn't want to let that go for the world.
“We're going to be normal kids,” Tenko said, mimicking Dad's air of authority as he gave Izuku and Kitkat scrutinizing stares. “Only bring the weapons you can hide. Everything else goes back in the hotel room.”
Izuku groaned, nearly burying his face in maple syrup, but Tenko didn't care. They were going to this dang museum, and they were at least going to try to succeed at this dumb quest.
Traffic had turned a mere ten minute drive into a forty-five minute one. The hotel had warned them, but Tenko hadn't listened. LA and New Rome were practically the same! Yet the roads had been at a standstill. A whole group of soccer moms were even performing yoga on the shoulder of the road.
“Is that even safe? Bikes and ambulances still need to use the shoulder and who knows when the roads will move again... Could be any minute now.” Izuku paused mid-sentence, jotting something down in his notebook. “Maybe one of them can sense when that'll happen? Like it's a quirk of theirs?”
“I think they're just being dumb.” Tenko fought back a laugh. “They're not even doing downward dog right.”
He must've been fairly loud, as all the moms snapped to glare at him. Izuku, however, kept writing, unperturbed by their acknowledgment.
Hana sighed, leaning on the armrest. “No one ever said they were smart in the first place.”
Inwardly, Tenko agreed with Izuku's observation. Considering this highway was typically a busy stretch, soccer moms were fodder for some reckless driver's front bumper. They would've been better off waiting for when they reached their studio.
Once the roads and soccer moms cleared out, Tenko and the others made it inside the museum. As Tenko paid with Dad's credit card, Hana and Izuku grabbed a few museum maps, and they were off.
Tenko glanced at Izuku and Hana, "So what did Iris want again?"
Izuku piped up, “Oh, a piece of pottery.”
Kitkat was already pulling out his phone to confirm its identity and location. Given the circumstances, Tenko should have chewed the kid out for endangering their whole mission. Cell phones were homing beacons - send one message out or leave the Bluetooth on and a whole flurry of monsters would descend upon them.
The news usually reported them as a flock of wild birds, or a pack of rabid wolves, but every demigod knew better. Monsters were real, and the Mist – the magical barrier that masked the gods from everyone else – was all that kept the facade alive.
Gods, he really hoped the monsters would stay away today. Tenko's hold on the Mist hadn't been the greatest as of late. If a monster attacked, he wasn't sure he could distort reality long enough for them to escape unnoticed - and Dad wasn't around to buy their way out of trouble.
Then again, Kitkat knew this more than any of the Midoriyas. If he was resorting to Google, he had a damn good reason for it.
"Here." Kitkat held out his phone, showing a picture of an enamel bowl, with seven stripes etched around its rim and sides. "Says it's a present from the Haida people, most likely for colonizers or another nearby tribe. It was made in the late 17th century, maybe early 18th. No one's got an exact date."
Tenko furrowed his brow. "Why would she want something like that?"
If this medium-sized bowl were of monetary value, he would understand. Had it invoked either of her domains, rainbows or messages, he would also understand. Gods were magpies when their domains were concerned, often hoarding pieces and snatching them away from the rest of the world. Yet the bowl was plain and unassuming. Its color had faded away hundreds of years ago, leaving only the etchings behind. In fact, it resembled the knick-knacks Mom cluttered the house with more than any priceless piece of art.
"Beats me." Kitkat snorted, his nostrils flaring up (literally) as he turned his body to face the others. "Hey, Deku!"
Izuku looked up from the map. “Honestly, I don't know why she asked me. I'd get it if the place had been heavily guarded, or if we had to break in, but it's right here in the 17th & 18th centuries wing.”
“Maybe she wanted our expertise? I’ve taken more art history than most of the campers,” Hana murmured, already turning towards the wing in question. “Though if she asked both of us, you’d think she wanted bodyguards…”
Tenko shrugged as he and the others trudged along after her. Shame that they were on an actual quest. Tenko would've liked to stay back and linger in front of a few paintings. Dad had once told him that all art speaks to the soul.
If he gazed at a painting, would it stare back at him? Would any of these drawings give him newfound meaning and ideas on how to handle his life, especially once he graduated high school and headed off into the real world?
He couldn't contemplate that now, when Iris's request weighed on him so heavily, but he vowed to come back later. For now, all he could do was follow after Izuku and Hana and hope for the best.
The wing was empty. Too empty, even on a summer weekday. Tenko could hear his footsteps against the wooden floor as he crossed the threshold. No coughs. No footsteps. No breathing, no whispered conversations. Just dead white noise and the soft hum of a nearby AC unit.
That couldn't mean anything good. Tenko sucked in a breath as he rushed after Izuku and Kitkat to outpace them. If someone were to attack them right now, better him than the kids. Better someone who could throw up a shield or fling a monster against the wall without breaking a sweat. Better him than -
"Kacchan?" Izu's voice was dry, almost hoarse. "Is that...?"
A shadow zoomed over Izuku’s head. A sinking dread filled Tenko's stomach as numerous large shadows were cast over them, blocking out nearby light. He swerved on his heels to face their opponent head on and -
The soccer moms from earlier were staring straight through them, with beady red eyes that could only mean trouble and mayhem.
I shouldn't have insulted their yoga form, Tenko first thought as he stretched out his hands, channeling the Mist to wrap around them and the entire wing. I really, really shouldn't have provoked them and –
"Hey, uglies!" Kitkat shoved Tenko to the side, pulling out a compact shield. "If you want Deku, you'll have to get through me first!"
Okay, Tenko AND Kitkat shouldn't have insulted them.
The soccer moms snarled, their athleisure wear ripping as they unfurled their wings and rose towards the ceiling. Four lunged for Kitkat; he barreled straight through.
Tenko thrust an invisible shield before the rest of them. The harpies snarled, rushing it. The foundation of the barrier shook; the wooden floors in turn creaked with sudden weight. As sturdy as this building was, it was still an art museum. It wasn't exactly built for combat.
"Dinner!" One of them called, claws outstretched as its mouth went for Kitkat's neck.
"Not if I grill you first!" Kitkat leaned back, his hands burning with Vulcan's flame as he seized their hands and burned the surface of their skin.
The harpies yowled, with a pain Tenko felt even in the depths of his heart.
They stumbled back, crashing into a wall and crushing the drywall underneath. Tenko winced; he sure wasn’t going to pay that renovation bill.
“We need to take it outside!” He yelled, scanning the room for a door, a window - anything that led them to safer pastures. “Hurry!”
“On it!” Izuku reached into his pocket and pulled out a charm. He threw it into the air, seizing it as it transformed into his favorite baton. As he swerved on his heels, he motioned to himself, then the harpies, before he bolted for the doors -
“He’s getting away!” One of them snarled. “Child of Mars!”
Inwardly, Tenko wanted to remind the harpies that three of them were technically children of Mars but that was neither here nor there. Instead, he threw his hand out and focused. If he imagined a portal, he could throw people - and Harpies - into it and reconvene somewhere safer. Like a safe or an open, grassy field…
A circular beam of light appeared before him. Tenko smirked, waving at the remaining Harpies, “You know, I still think you suck at yoga.”
The entire building seemed to creak at his insult. The Harpies eyes burned with fury as they turned on him. Tenko drew in a breath, stepping backwards into the portal as if daring them to follow through -
They lunged. He side-stepped them and the portal. As they fell in, two by two, the portal closed upon itself. Tenko only let himself breathe again when he felt the stark, natural silence of the museum.
He didn’t know where the portal led, but that was a problem for future-Tenko. Current Tenko had a piece of pottery to retrieve.
So he pulled out the crumpled map that Izuku had given him and he traced his steps all the way to the display case. The plain, unassuming bowl was encased behind protective glass, with a caption indicating its origin as a Haida item, ostensibly for everyday use in the 1700’s, or maybe the early 1800’s.
“I wonder what she wants with it,” Hana murmured behind him.
“Maybe it’s for her organic, non-GMO, free-range, whatever weird gimmick food stores are using this week, kind of store?” Tenko could only guess. He’d met the woman face-to-face maybe once or twice at best. Most of his messages had gone through Fleecy. “It is a bowl. She could, I don’t know, store figs in it.”
“And ask us to break into a museum and steal a bowl for… something she could buy at Pottery Barn?”
Tenko shrugged. “Technically, I’m not supposed to be on a quest.”
“Ah, yes, the noble big brother.” Hana laughed, reaching into her pockets and pulling out a couple of knives, which she threw at security cameras. “Always saving me from danger.”
“Only because you and Izu are so good at getting yourselves into it,” He had to protest, even as he was fighting back a smile.
If he were fully honest, he would’ve admitted that he wanted to keep traveling like this - as a family, where they fulfilled missions and traveled across the country as errand boys and girls. Despite the danger, despite Izu and Kitkat fighting their hearts out outside, they were a cohesive unit.
“They’re buying us time,” Hana reminded him. “We should hurry it up.”
“Right.” Tenko peered at the lock, wiggling his fingers and willing it to open with his powers. As he heard it ‘click’, he then levitated the bowl until it was safely wrapped in Hana’s arms. Just in case, he encased it in a layer of shield magic.
Hecate had never been specific about the incantation required for such a spell so much as the intent: as long as the instinct and drive to protect something or someone was there, the basic layer would stay.
Hana peered down at the bowl, at the shimmering emerald-and-red layer encased around it, and then back up at her younger brother with owlish eyes.
“She did ask you,” Tenko reminded Hana, as if that one sentence answered everything. “I’ll grab the boys, and then we’ll go home.”
The garden, as it turns out, was on fire.
Izuku waved with both arms from the tip-top of a statue, “We’re okay!”
Another sculpture tumbled to the floor, right as another’s head sliced off into two. Tenko and Hana twitched, exchanging uneasy glances.
“Okay, he says....”
Hana sighed, her eyes still twitching, “At least HE’s not on fire.”
“Oy, Deku!” Kitkat snarled, encasing another group of monsters in a ring of Fire. “Hurry it up already!”
“On it!” Izuku leapt into the sky, twisting and propelling his elbow forward into a few harpies’ faces, smushing them into the hard grass. Patches of dirt and grass flew everywhere - Izuku’s face, the statues, unfortunate passerby - as he jumped back and launched a flurry of punches.
While they were distracted, Kitkat rushed to the other side and unleashed a blast of fire at their backs. The harpies howled, clawing at the grass, broken statue pieces, anything to slow their descent –
“Not today, harpan,” Tenko taunted, side-stepping two that had lunged at him.
He reached for their forearm and focused on them dissolving - on them becoming one with the Earth beneath them. On their skin growing ashy and on their bones decomposing and on them becoming one with the bitter, rock-hard ground.
From dust all are born, and to dust they will all return. So the old saying had gone. Tenko wanted them - and their terrible yoga form - gone.
He closed his eyes, channeling that desire through his arms and -
A shriek, louder than all the ones before him, nearly burst his eardrum.
“Tenko!” Kitkat’s voice was frantic. “The hell, you moron! We have to get out of here!”
Tenko snapped to attention, feeling his arms - his entire being - dragged backwards towards their car as Hana and Izuku rushed towards the exit. In front of him, a pile of dust had slipped through his fingers; a growing pile, spreading from a harpies’ dissolved arm. No skin or bone remained; only the stub and a now-empty sleeve.
The harpy fell to the ground, clutching at a limb which no longer existed.
Tenko stared - had he - had he caused this?
“Stop,” he growled, his voice growing hoarse as he threw out what remained of his magic to try to fix her arm. “I didn’t mean for that to happen!”
The Mist covered the shrieks and the ashes - no doubt in the form of a newly fertilized lawn, or a bunch of guests leaving right after their impromptu yoga class - but Tenko could feel his hold weakening. He could feel the confusion of everyone who had remained behind at the museum; and the worry radiating off everyone dragging him away.
He couldn’t remember Izuku strapping his seatbelt on, or Hana backwards crashing into the sidewalk as they blasted off back towards Pasadena, bowl in hand - but he could feel his soul leaving his body. As if he had made a decision far too terrible for him to comprehend. The worst part was, it felt natural.
He did remember turning his hands, over and over, and feeling salty tears burn his cheeks.
“Hey,” Izuku’s voice guided him back to this reality. He clasped his hands in his older brother’s, intertwining his fingers before giving Tenko’s hands a firm squeeze. “You - you protected me out there. It’s going to be okay.”
It wasn’t okay for them, Tenko wanted to point out, but the words wouldn’t leave his throat. So he settled for nodding, feeling the warmth from his kid brother. He hadn’t meant to. Izuku knew that, Hana probably knew that….
“Just never do that again,” Kitkat growled, from the front seat. “That was terrifying, even for me.”
Tenko’s gaze met Kitkat’s. Even though his vision was growing blurry, even though he only caught sight of the bowl in Kitkat’s hands -
“I won’t,” he said, with conviction in his voice as he blinked back more tears. “I’m - I’m better than that.”
“Damn right you are,” Kitkat said with a laugh, his expression melting into one of relief. “Now, let’s go see Iris.”
Her store, as it turns out, was a mere ten minute drive away. As Tenko stepped inside, the overpowering scent of lavender and citrus greeted him. Hana and Izuku rushed to the register to deliver the bowl, but Tenko lingered back by the produce display.
He wasn’t supposed to be on this quest. Worse, he had made a mess of things by taking care of harpies in less than a humane manner. They were monsters. They also didn’t deserve that kind of screeching pain and almost-death.
“Hey, Tenten?” Izuku called, tapping him on the shoulder. “Iris wants to speak with you.”
Great. No doubt she was going to lecture him for taking the reins and ending this quest in a burst of fire and ashes. Tenko braced himself for the worst, balling his hands into fists as he stepped forward, next to Hana and greeted Iris.
Her expression softened upon seeing him. “Tenko Midoriya. I didn’t think I’d ever meet you face-o-face.”
“Likewise,” he had to admit, noting her softness and overall demeanor. “My siblings got the bowl you wanted.”
“Yes, with your help.” Iris’s smile only widened. “You know the importance of this bowl, right?”
Tenko had to take a wild stab in the dark. “For your… figs?”
Her store had no shortage of produce, or all-natural GMO free products, or homemade clothing. Figs seemed like something that would fit under her banner. Rainbows, messages, and figs. The three went hand-in-hand.
Iris laughed, leaning on the counter. “No, though that would be a lovely use of the bowl. Thanks for the suggestion. This… was a Mother’s Day gift.”
Izuku and Hana stared. “Huh?”
“Look at the seven stripes again,” Iris pointed out, tracing the lines with her fingertips. “Each stripe represents a color of the rainbow. The original potter was one of my daughters. She had meant to give it to me, but time and colonialization…”
“… meant a museum got their grubby hands on it first,” Tenko finished, standing up straighter with sudden understanding. Wasn’t the first time a museum had resorted to underhanded tactics to keep stolen property. “Wait, aren’t the Harpies your sisters? Technically?”
“Right, and you just dissolved one of their arms.” Iris’s expression sobered, though her gaze was curious rather than judgmental. “I had expected them to want it, but not so much that they’d actually try to kill you.”
“Yeah, well…” Kitkat sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Warning us would’ve been nice.”
“But it explains why she wanted us, specifically.” Izuku placed a hand to his chest, relief leaving his shoulders. “You want to rob something, you ask Mercury’s kids - but if you’re expecting a fight, you call upon Mars’s.”
“Yeah, and Mars' children also know how to avoid a fatal blow,” Tenko added, furrowing his brow. “I… I should’ve realized.”
He really should have, especially if he had been fighting Iris’s sisters for this stupid bowl, which in turn was a Mother’s Day present. But if the harpies wanted a simple present, one which held no special power whatsoever, then…
“They were jealous of your gift, weren’t they?” Hana’s voice was quiet, yet her gaze was certain as she leaned on Tenko. “They wanted it for themselves, and you knew they would want it, so you sent us to fend them off.”
“I’m sorry,” Tenko said, feeling something catch in his throat as he bowed his head. “If I hadn’t interfered, then…”
“Then it would still be at the museum, and I wouldn’t know how to fight all of them at once,” Izuku finished, reaching for Tenko’s other hand. “I’m sorry too, Iris, but Tenten was trying to help me and Hana-nee.”
“I understand that,” Iris said, giving them a gentle nod. “You wanted to protect your family. This bowl… it may not be much, but it’s all I have left of my child, and I’m grateful to you for bringing it back to me.”
Sure, the rainbow made the bowl a sacred object to her - but the rainbow alone didn’t make it special. Tenko could see that the indentations from the potter’s fingertips, the hard-lined seven stripes, even the potter’s signature meant the entire universe to Iris. On first glance, the bowl was plain and unassuming. On second glance, it still felt ordinary. Under Iris's gaze, however, this bowl could've held the stars, moon, and the very Heavens itself.
It represented hope, and family, and so very much that a museum caption wouldn't have dared to explain. The bowl was nothing, and somehow, everything.
“Of course.” Tenko was speaking for Hana and Izuku as he felt the tension leave him, but he could feel their warmth and love, even from here. “This was meant for you. I’m sure - no, I know you’ll treat it better than the museum ever would.”
“And fill it up with lots of figs,” Izuku joked, with a wide grin as he leaned on Tenko.
Iris laughed in turn, “I just might have to.”
Would Mom feel the same way about their art projects? Would she fight Heaven and Earth to get back what remained of her kids? He wouldn’t know unless he asked - but if Iris’s content gaze was anything like Mom’s, he already knew the answer.
Fandom: My Hero Academia
Universe: Riordan-verse AU
Relationships: Tenko + Hana + Izuku (+ Katsuki)
Summary: Iris has asked Hana and Izuku to retrieve an item from a museum - and knowing how dumb those two siblings get, Tenko and Katsuki decide to tag along.
Notes: Written for the AU Yeah Autumn challenge, like a lot of recent fics; this sits at about ~4K and was too long for a comment, so it got a post of its own. It's set in the same 'verse as my other Riordan-verse fics, with a focus on Tenko Midoriya instead of Izuku or Shizuku.
This quest didn't make much sense. Typically, gods summoned demigods of relevant heritage to fetch important items or kill some nasty monster. Iris, goddess of rainbows and messages, had begun her request with the tired formula.
Except she broke said formula when she had demanded Hana's and Izuku's expertise in retrieving a very important item from the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena. Hana, a legacy of Mars, and Izuku, a double legacy of Mars and Bellona. Neither had the finesse necessary to retrieve anything unless it was heavily guarded or in a conflict zone; a Mercury kid would've made far more sense. Tenko had thought as much, straight from the get go - but then his dear sweet, stupid Hana had told him that she had planned to drive.
When Tenko heard, he had put his foot down and insisted on coming. His siblings wouldn’t know common sense if it smacked them in the face. Izu’s best friend Kitkat had tagged along for similar reasons, remembering Izuku's tendency to over-analyze everything in a room.
The four of them, after much discussion and deliberation, had then driven the six hours down from Camp Jupiter to Pasadena with only the bare minimum along with one of Dad's old cars and a couple of credit cards.
(Dad was off building his supervillain empire again. He wouldn't miss the car or the cards.)
Breakfast had started relatively well, too. Kitkat's hair was actually brushed; Izuku wasn't rubbing sleep out of his eyes; and Hana wasn't making moon eyes at the cashier. This quest might go well. They might fulfill it by the end of the day and go home!
"So," Tenko had began, clearing his throat and laying down the magical map the kids had been given. The important spots had been marked in big, bright rainbow-colored circles. "After we finish eating, we're going halfway across town. So if you need to go to the bathroom, I'd suggest you go now."
Kitkat scowled at him. "We're twelve, not four. I think we know when we need to go."
Tenko just leveled that stare back. "Do you, Kitkat? Do you?? Because I remember two weeks ago when you–"
"ENOUGH!" Hana slammed her fork down, glaring at them both with an intensity that rivaled the sun. "We're going. Katsuki, just make sure Izuku's all dressed and packed."
"I packed fine last time," Izuku grumbled in-between bites of pancakes. "I did just what Mom asked."
"Yeah, well..." Tenko sighed, feeling a headache coming on. "Mom also doesn't understand metal detectors, and how they're inside every single place we seem to visit."
Izuku laughed, his shoulders shaking with unspoken fear. "Soooo... I should have left the sword at home?"
Kitkat turned to face Izuku, furrowing his brow with genuine concern, "If you had to ask, dumbass, you absolutely should have."
As Izuku hung his head in shame, Tenko reached over and cut off a piece of the pancake stack for himself. If he was going to deal with idiots, he might as well have some good food as payment.
Luckily, Iris was a forgiving goddess. They were fortunate that she wasn't tracking them either, given her status as a messenger. She trusted them. Genuinely, wholeheartedly trusted them, and Tenko didn't want to let that go for the world.
“We're going to be normal kids,” Tenko said, mimicking Dad's air of authority as he gave Izuku and Kitkat scrutinizing stares. “Only bring the weapons you can hide. Everything else goes back in the hotel room.”
Izuku groaned, nearly burying his face in maple syrup, but Tenko didn't care. They were going to this dang museum, and they were at least going to try to succeed at this dumb quest.
Traffic had turned a mere ten minute drive into a forty-five minute one. The hotel had warned them, but Tenko hadn't listened. LA and New Rome were practically the same! Yet the roads had been at a standstill. A whole group of soccer moms were even performing yoga on the shoulder of the road.
“Is that even safe? Bikes and ambulances still need to use the shoulder and who knows when the roads will move again... Could be any minute now.” Izuku paused mid-sentence, jotting something down in his notebook. “Maybe one of them can sense when that'll happen? Like it's a quirk of theirs?”
“I think they're just being dumb.” Tenko fought back a laugh. “They're not even doing downward dog right.”
He must've been fairly loud, as all the moms snapped to glare at him. Izuku, however, kept writing, unperturbed by their acknowledgment.
Hana sighed, leaning on the armrest. “No one ever said they were smart in the first place.”
Inwardly, Tenko agreed with Izuku's observation. Considering this highway was typically a busy stretch, soccer moms were fodder for some reckless driver's front bumper. They would've been better off waiting for when they reached their studio.
Once the roads and soccer moms cleared out, Tenko and the others made it inside the museum. As Tenko paid with Dad's credit card, Hana and Izuku grabbed a few museum maps, and they were off.
Tenko glanced at Izuku and Hana, "So what did Iris want again?"
Izuku piped up, “Oh, a piece of pottery.”
Kitkat was already pulling out his phone to confirm its identity and location. Given the circumstances, Tenko should have chewed the kid out for endangering their whole mission. Cell phones were homing beacons - send one message out or leave the Bluetooth on and a whole flurry of monsters would descend upon them.
The news usually reported them as a flock of wild birds, or a pack of rabid wolves, but every demigod knew better. Monsters were real, and the Mist – the magical barrier that masked the gods from everyone else – was all that kept the facade alive.
Gods, he really hoped the monsters would stay away today. Tenko's hold on the Mist hadn't been the greatest as of late. If a monster attacked, he wasn't sure he could distort reality long enough for them to escape unnoticed - and Dad wasn't around to buy their way out of trouble.
Then again, Kitkat knew this more than any of the Midoriyas. If he was resorting to Google, he had a damn good reason for it.
"Here." Kitkat held out his phone, showing a picture of an enamel bowl, with seven stripes etched around its rim and sides. "Says it's a present from the Haida people, most likely for colonizers or another nearby tribe. It was made in the late 17th century, maybe early 18th. No one's got an exact date."
Tenko furrowed his brow. "Why would she want something like that?"
If this medium-sized bowl were of monetary value, he would understand. Had it invoked either of her domains, rainbows or messages, he would also understand. Gods were magpies when their domains were concerned, often hoarding pieces and snatching them away from the rest of the world. Yet the bowl was plain and unassuming. Its color had faded away hundreds of years ago, leaving only the etchings behind. In fact, it resembled the knick-knacks Mom cluttered the house with more than any priceless piece of art.
"Beats me." Kitkat snorted, his nostrils flaring up (literally) as he turned his body to face the others. "Hey, Deku!"
Izuku looked up from the map. “Honestly, I don't know why she asked me. I'd get it if the place had been heavily guarded, or if we had to break in, but it's right here in the 17th & 18th centuries wing.”
“Maybe she wanted our expertise? I’ve taken more art history than most of the campers,” Hana murmured, already turning towards the wing in question. “Though if she asked both of us, you’d think she wanted bodyguards…”
Tenko shrugged as he and the others trudged along after her. Shame that they were on an actual quest. Tenko would've liked to stay back and linger in front of a few paintings. Dad had once told him that all art speaks to the soul.
If he gazed at a painting, would it stare back at him? Would any of these drawings give him newfound meaning and ideas on how to handle his life, especially once he graduated high school and headed off into the real world?
He couldn't contemplate that now, when Iris's request weighed on him so heavily, but he vowed to come back later. For now, all he could do was follow after Izuku and Hana and hope for the best.
The wing was empty. Too empty, even on a summer weekday. Tenko could hear his footsteps against the wooden floor as he crossed the threshold. No coughs. No footsteps. No breathing, no whispered conversations. Just dead white noise and the soft hum of a nearby AC unit.
That couldn't mean anything good. Tenko sucked in a breath as he rushed after Izuku and Kitkat to outpace them. If someone were to attack them right now, better him than the kids. Better someone who could throw up a shield or fling a monster against the wall without breaking a sweat. Better him than -
"Kacchan?" Izu's voice was dry, almost hoarse. "Is that...?"
A shadow zoomed over Izuku’s head. A sinking dread filled Tenko's stomach as numerous large shadows were cast over them, blocking out nearby light. He swerved on his heels to face their opponent head on and -
The soccer moms from earlier were staring straight through them, with beady red eyes that could only mean trouble and mayhem.
I shouldn't have insulted their yoga form, Tenko first thought as he stretched out his hands, channeling the Mist to wrap around them and the entire wing. I really, really shouldn't have provoked them and –
"Hey, uglies!" Kitkat shoved Tenko to the side, pulling out a compact shield. "If you want Deku, you'll have to get through me first!"
Okay, Tenko AND Kitkat shouldn't have insulted them.
The soccer moms snarled, their athleisure wear ripping as they unfurled their wings and rose towards the ceiling. Four lunged for Kitkat; he barreled straight through.
Tenko thrust an invisible shield before the rest of them. The harpies snarled, rushing it. The foundation of the barrier shook; the wooden floors in turn creaked with sudden weight. As sturdy as this building was, it was still an art museum. It wasn't exactly built for combat.
"Dinner!" One of them called, claws outstretched as its mouth went for Kitkat's neck.
"Not if I grill you first!" Kitkat leaned back, his hands burning with Vulcan's flame as he seized their hands and burned the surface of their skin.
The harpies yowled, with a pain Tenko felt even in the depths of his heart.
They stumbled back, crashing into a wall and crushing the drywall underneath. Tenko winced; he sure wasn’t going to pay that renovation bill.
“We need to take it outside!” He yelled, scanning the room for a door, a window - anything that led them to safer pastures. “Hurry!”
“On it!” Izuku reached into his pocket and pulled out a charm. He threw it into the air, seizing it as it transformed into his favorite baton. As he swerved on his heels, he motioned to himself, then the harpies, before he bolted for the doors -
“He’s getting away!” One of them snarled. “Child of Mars!”
Inwardly, Tenko wanted to remind the harpies that three of them were technically children of Mars but that was neither here nor there. Instead, he threw his hand out and focused. If he imagined a portal, he could throw people - and Harpies - into it and reconvene somewhere safer. Like a safe or an open, grassy field…
A circular beam of light appeared before him. Tenko smirked, waving at the remaining Harpies, “You know, I still think you suck at yoga.”
The entire building seemed to creak at his insult. The Harpies eyes burned with fury as they turned on him. Tenko drew in a breath, stepping backwards into the portal as if daring them to follow through -
They lunged. He side-stepped them and the portal. As they fell in, two by two, the portal closed upon itself. Tenko only let himself breathe again when he felt the stark, natural silence of the museum.
He didn’t know where the portal led, but that was a problem for future-Tenko. Current Tenko had a piece of pottery to retrieve.
So he pulled out the crumpled map that Izuku had given him and he traced his steps all the way to the display case. The plain, unassuming bowl was encased behind protective glass, with a caption indicating its origin as a Haida item, ostensibly for everyday use in the 1700’s, or maybe the early 1800’s.
“I wonder what she wants with it,” Hana murmured behind him.
“Maybe it’s for her organic, non-GMO, free-range, whatever weird gimmick food stores are using this week, kind of store?” Tenko could only guess. He’d met the woman face-to-face maybe once or twice at best. Most of his messages had gone through Fleecy. “It is a bowl. She could, I don’t know, store figs in it.”
“And ask us to break into a museum and steal a bowl for… something she could buy at Pottery Barn?”
Tenko shrugged. “Technically, I’m not supposed to be on a quest.”
“Ah, yes, the noble big brother.” Hana laughed, reaching into her pockets and pulling out a couple of knives, which she threw at security cameras. “Always saving me from danger.”
“Only because you and Izu are so good at getting yourselves into it,” He had to protest, even as he was fighting back a smile.
If he were fully honest, he would’ve admitted that he wanted to keep traveling like this - as a family, where they fulfilled missions and traveled across the country as errand boys and girls. Despite the danger, despite Izu and Kitkat fighting their hearts out outside, they were a cohesive unit.
“They’re buying us time,” Hana reminded him. “We should hurry it up.”
“Right.” Tenko peered at the lock, wiggling his fingers and willing it to open with his powers. As he heard it ‘click’, he then levitated the bowl until it was safely wrapped in Hana’s arms. Just in case, he encased it in a layer of shield magic.
Hecate had never been specific about the incantation required for such a spell so much as the intent: as long as the instinct and drive to protect something or someone was there, the basic layer would stay.
Hana peered down at the bowl, at the shimmering emerald-and-red layer encased around it, and then back up at her younger brother with owlish eyes.
“She did ask you,” Tenko reminded Hana, as if that one sentence answered everything. “I’ll grab the boys, and then we’ll go home.”
The garden, as it turns out, was on fire.
Izuku waved with both arms from the tip-top of a statue, “We’re okay!”
Another sculpture tumbled to the floor, right as another’s head sliced off into two. Tenko and Hana twitched, exchanging uneasy glances.
“Okay, he says....”
Hana sighed, her eyes still twitching, “At least HE’s not on fire.”
“Oy, Deku!” Kitkat snarled, encasing another group of monsters in a ring of Fire. “Hurry it up already!”
“On it!” Izuku leapt into the sky, twisting and propelling his elbow forward into a few harpies’ faces, smushing them into the hard grass. Patches of dirt and grass flew everywhere - Izuku’s face, the statues, unfortunate passerby - as he jumped back and launched a flurry of punches.
While they were distracted, Kitkat rushed to the other side and unleashed a blast of fire at their backs. The harpies howled, clawing at the grass, broken statue pieces, anything to slow their descent –
“Not today, harpan,” Tenko taunted, side-stepping two that had lunged at him.
He reached for their forearm and focused on them dissolving - on them becoming one with the Earth beneath them. On their skin growing ashy and on their bones decomposing and on them becoming one with the bitter, rock-hard ground.
From dust all are born, and to dust they will all return. So the old saying had gone. Tenko wanted them - and their terrible yoga form - gone.
He closed his eyes, channeling that desire through his arms and -
A shriek, louder than all the ones before him, nearly burst his eardrum.
“Tenko!” Kitkat’s voice was frantic. “The hell, you moron! We have to get out of here!”
Tenko snapped to attention, feeling his arms - his entire being - dragged backwards towards their car as Hana and Izuku rushed towards the exit. In front of him, a pile of dust had slipped through his fingers; a growing pile, spreading from a harpies’ dissolved arm. No skin or bone remained; only the stub and a now-empty sleeve.
The harpy fell to the ground, clutching at a limb which no longer existed.
Tenko stared - had he - had he caused this?
“Stop,” he growled, his voice growing hoarse as he threw out what remained of his magic to try to fix her arm. “I didn’t mean for that to happen!”
The Mist covered the shrieks and the ashes - no doubt in the form of a newly fertilized lawn, or a bunch of guests leaving right after their impromptu yoga class - but Tenko could feel his hold weakening. He could feel the confusion of everyone who had remained behind at the museum; and the worry radiating off everyone dragging him away.
He couldn’t remember Izuku strapping his seatbelt on, or Hana backwards crashing into the sidewalk as they blasted off back towards Pasadena, bowl in hand - but he could feel his soul leaving his body. As if he had made a decision far too terrible for him to comprehend. The worst part was, it felt natural.
He did remember turning his hands, over and over, and feeling salty tears burn his cheeks.
“Hey,” Izuku’s voice guided him back to this reality. He clasped his hands in his older brother’s, intertwining his fingers before giving Tenko’s hands a firm squeeze. “You - you protected me out there. It’s going to be okay.”
It wasn’t okay for them, Tenko wanted to point out, but the words wouldn’t leave his throat. So he settled for nodding, feeling the warmth from his kid brother. He hadn’t meant to. Izuku knew that, Hana probably knew that….
“Just never do that again,” Kitkat growled, from the front seat. “That was terrifying, even for me.”
Tenko’s gaze met Kitkat’s. Even though his vision was growing blurry, even though he only caught sight of the bowl in Kitkat’s hands -
“I won’t,” he said, with conviction in his voice as he blinked back more tears. “I’m - I’m better than that.”
“Damn right you are,” Kitkat said with a laugh, his expression melting into one of relief. “Now, let’s go see Iris.”
Her store, as it turns out, was a mere ten minute drive away. As Tenko stepped inside, the overpowering scent of lavender and citrus greeted him. Hana and Izuku rushed to the register to deliver the bowl, but Tenko lingered back by the produce display.
He wasn’t supposed to be on this quest. Worse, he had made a mess of things by taking care of harpies in less than a humane manner. They were monsters. They also didn’t deserve that kind of screeching pain and almost-death.
“Hey, Tenten?” Izuku called, tapping him on the shoulder. “Iris wants to speak with you.”
Great. No doubt she was going to lecture him for taking the reins and ending this quest in a burst of fire and ashes. Tenko braced himself for the worst, balling his hands into fists as he stepped forward, next to Hana and greeted Iris.
Her expression softened upon seeing him. “Tenko Midoriya. I didn’t think I’d ever meet you face-o-face.”
“Likewise,” he had to admit, noting her softness and overall demeanor. “My siblings got the bowl you wanted.”
“Yes, with your help.” Iris’s smile only widened. “You know the importance of this bowl, right?”
Tenko had to take a wild stab in the dark. “For your… figs?”
Her store had no shortage of produce, or all-natural GMO free products, or homemade clothing. Figs seemed like something that would fit under her banner. Rainbows, messages, and figs. The three went hand-in-hand.
Iris laughed, leaning on the counter. “No, though that would be a lovely use of the bowl. Thanks for the suggestion. This… was a Mother’s Day gift.”
Izuku and Hana stared. “Huh?”
“Look at the seven stripes again,” Iris pointed out, tracing the lines with her fingertips. “Each stripe represents a color of the rainbow. The original potter was one of my daughters. She had meant to give it to me, but time and colonialization…”
“… meant a museum got their grubby hands on it first,” Tenko finished, standing up straighter with sudden understanding. Wasn’t the first time a museum had resorted to underhanded tactics to keep stolen property. “Wait, aren’t the Harpies your sisters? Technically?”
“Right, and you just dissolved one of their arms.” Iris’s expression sobered, though her gaze was curious rather than judgmental. “I had expected them to want it, but not so much that they’d actually try to kill you.”
“Yeah, well…” Kitkat sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Warning us would’ve been nice.”
“But it explains why she wanted us, specifically.” Izuku placed a hand to his chest, relief leaving his shoulders. “You want to rob something, you ask Mercury’s kids - but if you’re expecting a fight, you call upon Mars’s.”
“Yeah, and Mars' children also know how to avoid a fatal blow,” Tenko added, furrowing his brow. “I… I should’ve realized.”
He really should have, especially if he had been fighting Iris’s sisters for this stupid bowl, which in turn was a Mother’s Day present. But if the harpies wanted a simple present, one which held no special power whatsoever, then…
“They were jealous of your gift, weren’t they?” Hana’s voice was quiet, yet her gaze was certain as she leaned on Tenko. “They wanted it for themselves, and you knew they would want it, so you sent us to fend them off.”
“I’m sorry,” Tenko said, feeling something catch in his throat as he bowed his head. “If I hadn’t interfered, then…”
“Then it would still be at the museum, and I wouldn’t know how to fight all of them at once,” Izuku finished, reaching for Tenko’s other hand. “I’m sorry too, Iris, but Tenten was trying to help me and Hana-nee.”
“I understand that,” Iris said, giving them a gentle nod. “You wanted to protect your family. This bowl… it may not be much, but it’s all I have left of my child, and I’m grateful to you for bringing it back to me.”
Sure, the rainbow made the bowl a sacred object to her - but the rainbow alone didn’t make it special. Tenko could see that the indentations from the potter’s fingertips, the hard-lined seven stripes, even the potter’s signature meant the entire universe to Iris. On first glance, the bowl was plain and unassuming. On second glance, it still felt ordinary. Under Iris's gaze, however, this bowl could've held the stars, moon, and the very Heavens itself.
It represented hope, and family, and so very much that a museum caption wouldn't have dared to explain. The bowl was nothing, and somehow, everything.
“Of course.” Tenko was speaking for Hana and Izuku as he felt the tension leave him, but he could feel their warmth and love, even from here. “This was meant for you. I’m sure - no, I know you’ll treat it better than the museum ever would.”
“And fill it up with lots of figs,” Izuku joked, with a wide grin as he leaned on Tenko.
Iris laughed in turn, “I just might have to.”
Would Mom feel the same way about their art projects? Would she fight Heaven and Earth to get back what remained of her kids? He wouldn’t know unless he asked - but if Iris’s content gaze was anything like Mom’s, he already knew the answer.