Chapter Text
Izuku read somewhere that mirrors speak the truth. They reveal what people don’t want to see in themselves. Invasive and meddling, they search viciously for imperfections. It’s easy to get lost in one’s image. The intimacy of a mirror is cruel.
Logically, Izuku knows that a mirror is only a reflective surface. It serves as a medium for light rays to bounce off of as they reach his eyes to replicate the world around him. He understands that it should only be a direct image of himself, so when Izuku’s reflection waved at him as he was drying his hands, he couldn’t believe his eyes.
Shyly, he waves back. Maybe his eyes deceived him, or the towel caught the light at just the right angle. His breath hitches as his reflection smiles widely at him. His hands reach up only to feel his face, but he isn’t smiling. Momentarily stunned, Izuku realizes his reflection is definitely moving on its own. He recovers quickly and begins to match its elation.
“Hi! My name’s Izuku. What’s yours?”
The reflection blinks at him. Izuku bites his lips.
"Can you talk?"
The reflection quickly shakes its head.
Izuku pouts. “Hm, that makes this tricky, but that's ok! We can start with yes and no questions and work up from there!"
Izuku began muttering as explanations and possibilities raced through his mind:
"Do you live in the mirror world? Can you only move if I do? Wait, I’ve already seen you move on your own. Can you grab things if I don't? Does everyone's reflection act like this? Can you talk with other reflections? Do you have mirror friends? Can we be friends? Can we switch places? Are you trapped in the mirror? Is this a quirk?"
Midoriya stares directly into his eyes.
"Are you my quirk?"
Izuku's reflection smiles at him again.
"Izuku! It's time for dinner." Izuku jumps as he hears his mother's voice reverberate through the hall. He takes another glance at his reflection, pausing to say a quick, "We'll talk later," and races out of the restroom.
The reflection doesn't follow.
Izuku scrambles excitedly into the kitchen, bouncing on the balls of his feet as he beams up at his mother.
"Mommy! Mommy! I got my quirk!" he yells, barely able to contain his excitement.
Relief flickers through Inko's eyes as she picks him up into a tight hug. His smile is contagious. She laughs gently at his energy.
"That's great sweetie! What is it?" she asks, setting him down at the table. "Maybe we won't have to see Dr. Tsubasa tomorrow after all," she adds as an aside.
"I can manip- manipul..." he struggles with the word. "I can change my reflection!" He anxiously watches his mother's reaction. His smile shrinks when he sees disappointment and concern run across her face. She smiles sadly.
"Ah, that's wonderful Izuku. Mirrors are cool, aren't they? I remember you telling me about the different types of light you learned about at school."
"No, it's more than that! My reflection waved back at me! I-I-I got to talk to it! It has to be a quirk! No teacher at school talked about reflections moving on their own before," he insisted.
Inko runs a hand gently through Izuku's hair. "Maybe it was a trick of the light. But how about you show me after dinner?" Izuku nods animatedly at her suggestion.
Throughout the dinner, Izuku continues to talk eagerly about how cool his quirk is and everything he could do with it:
“Will my reflection be able to travel without me in the mirror? Or do I have to be in the frame for it to move? How about in curved surfaces like a spoon? Maybe I can save people by interacting with their reflections! Or I can bend light like The Prism Hero: Spectacle!” he babbles, kicking his feet.
As Inko finishes putting the dishes away, she's suddenly pulled into the hall by Izuku. He leads her to the restroom. He stands proudly in front of the mirror and waves at it.
"I'm back! Did you miss me?"
He stares at his reflection. The reflection stares back. He tries making funny faces and waves his arms, but the reflection mirrors them perfectly. Growing anxious, he washes his hands again and grabs a towel.
"Maybe it's only activated by a specific action! I was drying my hands when it waved at me, so it has to happen again," he mumbles desperately. He quickly looks back to check his image only to see the way his hands tighten against the towel and the sad smile Inko levels at him. At first, she thought he must be a late bloomer. It’s been over a year since his quirk was supposed to develop, but when Hisashi left...
Inko sighs as she makes her way towards her son.
He watches her hand tussle his hair. His face burns.
"It's ok, sweetie. You're still getting the hang of it. We can have Dr. Tsubasa confirm it during your check-up tomorrow.”
He watches himself nod slowly as his mother presses a quick kiss to his head before walking out of the restroom. He sighs. Izuku reaches to turn off the light when he sees movement out of the corner of his eye. The reflection presses its hands against the mirror, an apologetic smile on its face.
"I knew I didn't imagine you."