Chapter Text
If you ask Midoriya Izuku where his life went wrong, his answer would probably be his quirkless diagnosis. Then again, he might say when his friends found that out, and there was also the time All Might told him he couldn't be a hero. There were a lot of answers to the question, but he supposed the number one would be when he didn't research suicide enough to know that his middle school was too short of a jump to die painlessly from. Hell, he wasn't even sure he was dying. Sure he was in pain, his body felt awful and he could see pooling around his head through his fuzzy vision, but none of it felt deadly. He was sure it was probably a couple bones and a decent size brain injury, but again, not deadly.
So, while he was passing out, he practically begged that the man hurriedly running over to him left him alone. The sound of concerned conversation lulled him to finally close his eyes, pain dulling through the exhaustion. Yeah, this was definitely where his life went wrong. Maybe Bakugou was right if he couldn't even kill himself properly. He was thankful he didn't dream, because it was always filled with the blonde.
When he woke up next, his body had a dull thrum of pain, but it was nothing like he expected. Eyes fluttering open, he tried to look around. Okay, so he was in a.. bar? Odd. He heard people talking, and he figured that was probably the guy from before. He could recognize that voice, along with a more scratchy and concerned voice, and then.. a voice that he recognized. He couldn't tell where from, but it sounded familiar enough that his eyebrows bunched. Right, he could probably sit up. Moving slowly, he groaned as his head pounded, rubbing it gently. He felt the bandage on it, and was thankful they had at least fixed him up a bit.
"Ah, you're awake," one of the voices said. Midoriya turned to see who it was, noting the fact it was the man who found him. He couldn't tell much about the guy, his suit was pristine and his facial expression didn't give away any emotions. Offering a gentle wave, the teen felt his heart thump in his chest.
He noted the stare from the blue haired guy, and while he probably should have been afraid, he didn't truly fear him. He had read about the villain in more underground forums, one's that talked about up and coming villains that people should fear. Shigaraki Tomura, if Midoriya's memory served right. The guy was known for being childish, but in this moment, he seemed terrifyingly adult to such a small teen.
"Good morning, Izuku," the familiar voice called out. Midoriya's eyebrows furrowed as he looked around, eyes finally settling on the TV. Okay, odd, but then again this whole situation was.
"Uhm.. hello."
"How are you feeling?"
"I mean, considering I jumped off a building, I feel pretty decent," the teen quipped, though he did note the way the wispy man cringed ever so slightly.
"Well, I suppose that's good. Our doctor did good work on you," the voice replied, earning a nod.
"So.. can I ask why I'm here?" Midoriya asked, gently wringing his hands out.
The TV man let out a hum, and Midoriya could see the way Shigaraki was practically staring at him. It wasn't as scary as he thought it would be, but that didn't mean it wasn't scary, just not as bad as expected. He couldn't tell if the stare was hatred or intrigue, but whatever it was, was beginning to creep Midoriya out. Maybe he shouldn't have been as blasé about attempting to die, but his brain was realizing that a little too late.
"Well Kurogiri here found you on the pavement. We were assuming that you were pushed, but I see we were wrong," the calm tone calmed Midoriya down a bit, earning a light nod from the younger teen. "We were quite worried about you dying. May I ask what happened?"
Right, there was a lot of reasons. He felt nausea hit him as he thought about all those reasons, fists reflexively tightening and loosening every second. He sighed a bit, running a hand through mussed up hair. Man, explaining this to a bunch of villains was probably a bad idea, but at the end of the day, they'd be nicer than anyone he'd met. That made it fine, right? He knew he was stretching for explanations, but he decided to explain.
Starting out with the quirkless diagnosis, going through Bakugou's bullying, and ending up to All Might telling him he couldn't be a hero, Midoriya explained the entire situation. Of course, he didn't truly mention the fact he saved Bakugou from the sludge monster, he knew that would end up with him getting scolded. As he explained, he noted the way Shigaraki's hand went to various objects, dusting them when he seemed to get a little too angry. He was surprised, truth be told, that the villain was even listening to him.
"And, I assume you didn't get proper credit for your little stunt."
"Stunt, master?"
"Ah, that's right, you don't usually watch the news, Tomura. Let me play it," the familiar voice hummed out. "Change the channel for me, Kurogiri," he instructed.
Watching the wispy man do so, his eyes grew wide at the news channel playing the footage of the sludge incident. Of course, they were all talking about how amazing All Might was, but he could see himself in the footage. Could see him help Bakugou and ensure that he didn't drown. It was cathartic, seeing the way no one mentioned it, and it only further cemented the pit in his stomach. He truly wouldn't be a hero to anyone, regardless of what he did.
It was silent for a moment before the sound of Shigaraki standing made Midoriya look up, and to see the guy angry was... Well, surprising, but also genuinely terrifying. That was when the blue haired man grabbed the chair he had been sitting on, going to throw it only for it to turn to dust. He stared in confusion, eyes wide and unblinking as he watched the other turn back to the TV. Watching the wispy turn it back to the other channel, he felt awkward.
"I understand that must be very frustrating. I wonder if I could help at all," the man spoke slowly, seeming to test the waters. Midoriya's eyebrows furrowed, but he was intrigued by the villain's offer. "I'm sure you're smart enough to realize we're all villains here, and yet you haven't run. I suppose that might be because you may recognize my voice, after all. Do you know who I am, Izuku?"
"No, I mean--your voice is familiar, but I don't know from where."
"You were pretty young. I apologize, Izuku, for leaving you at such a young age. I've been hurt horribly, and with that I was a coward and I ran," the man drawled, not allowing Midoriya to question him as he continued. "I'm Hisashi, Izuku."
Silence filled the room as Izuku seemed to mull over that fact, and it wasn't as troubling as it should be. The idea his father was some big villain who someone like Shigaraki called master was definitely shocking, but it didn't trouble him. Maybe it was the brain damage from his attempt, but he was genuinely not as bothered as he expected.
The conversations that took place after had his father explaining everything, with Kurogiri and Shigaraki pointing out key details. He learned about All Might's injury being related to his father's doing, and that definitely bothered him, but he also couldn't help but think about how interesting his father was. The man could pass quirks on, and that was definitely something he was interested in. Shigaraki admitted that he was ever so slightly jealous of this new revelation, but he was glad to accept his Sensei's new kin. Izuku was quick to point out that Tomura was far better suited for anything his father anyway, that his quirk was amazingly useful in both hero and villain situations. Apparently, Tomura had never been told that, given the absolute dumbfounded expression he earned.
The night was spent at the bar, questions and answers being exchanged, as well as talks of plans. Izuku was keen on making sure that Hisashi knew he wouldn't do anything villainous, even with his disagreement with heroes. His father seemed to understand, and while Izuku wondered if there was underlying motives behind it, he didn't question it. It was soon decided that he would get in contact with Inko and let her know what happened, and ask her to let Izuku stay with him for a while. He would, of course, be allowed to see her, but he didn't want his son around Bakugou.
It wasn't surprising his mother freaked out upon hearing the way her son had been treated and his reaction to it, but he was quick to nullify her and say there was no real damage done. Sure, he had a pretty bad scar on his back and his temple, but that was fine. It made him look a little cooler, in his opinion. Meeting up with her in a cafe, the two discussed what would happen, and she seemed happy to get him away from Bakugou. Hell, she even greeted Tomura and asked if he wanted to join their cafe date. He was surprised the blue haired teen did, though he had to look a little shady to avoid being noticed.
After that, it was months of training and receiving quirks. At first, Midoriya had denied the quirks, but after constant reminders of what happened when he was quirkless, he gave in. Training helped lessen the pain of receiving quirks, but damned if it didn't still hurt like an absolute bitch. He would double over in pain and cry for hours every time it happened, but he was thankful. Tomura, Kurogiri, Twice, Mr.Compress, and Spinner were all very supportive and helpful when the pain came and went. Stockpiling quirks may have been 'cheating' to most, but he was simply taking an opportunity given to him.
Of course, with all this, his schooling couldn't continue at Aldera. He transferred to online school, which gave him much more relaxation time given the fact he did most of his week's worth of work on the weekend. He met with his mother every Friday, practically dragging Tomura along even though he knew the teen was just as excited to meet Inko, and they all talked. His mental health was getting better, though there were still days he wanted to smash the mirror for showing his reflection.
It was decided 2 months before the entrance exam that Midoriya would go to UA. It wasn't surprising that the entire LOV were against it, but they didn't seem to get far in their protests when All for One shut them down. He knew well his father probably thought he would switch sides if he saw more of the professional hero scene, and while he didn't agree, he was willing to at least play along for a little bit. Tomura was the first to comment that he would gladly dust anyone who messed with Midoriya, regardless of any use they were. It was comforting, to say the least, and he was glad he had grown close to Tomura over the months.
His final, really big change from his younger self came from an afternoon with Mr. Compress-- or, Atsuhiro as he instructed Izuku to call him. The two had been out, casually strolling along when Midoriya mentioned being nervous because he still looked dorky. Atsuhiro seemed to pause, mulling over the comment as he threw an arm around Izuku, offering a gentle grin.
"Well then, let's fix that, shall we?" he asked. He didn't wait for an answer as he began tugging Izuku along, going to a barber first, then to get new clothes, and upon request, a piercing shop. Atsuhiro seemed surprised by that one, but Izuku admitted it was due to an underground hero he had seen with them. It made him look cool, and Izuku was trying that out. He wasn't surprised by Atsuhiro's good fashion, the guy was practically oozing entertainer charisma, he had to be good with clothes and all that. They even bought some makeup and nail polish, much to Izuku's surprise, as Atsuhiro explained that many famous heroes and villains alike wore makeup, and that the nail polish would look nice on the teen.
The finished product left Midoriya speechless. His hair that had once been overgrown and needing a trim had been shaved on the sides, leaving the overgrown top to rest right about his eyes and right below the normal neckline for his hair. His clothes were a simple dress shirt and some slacks, but the way the sleeves were pushed up to his elbows gave off a more relaxed look to the generally formal appearance. His lip piercing was a simple bar since he was still healing, but it was still more mature looking than he expected. Needless to say, he was definitely enjoying this new look, and he would gladly mess around with the makeup and nail polish in his free time.
When the entrance exam day came in, Izuku probably could've felt more nervous, especially with the fact he was still listed as quirkless to the rest of the world. He was going to see Bakugou for the first time in months, and he was sure that would be a mess. The entire situation was nerve wracking, but he felt nothing more than pride as he looked at himself in the mirror. He pulled the jacket for the uniform on, sighing lightly as he pushed the sleeves up. Kurogiri was the first to greet him, telling him he looked good and reminding him to be careful. Tomura commented to kill anyone who stood in his way, and while Izuku laughed, he was fairly sure the other wasn't making a joke.
Getting warped a few blocks away, he made his walk to UA casually, stretching as he breathed in. He had been sure to read the student manual, and while they said nothing on piercings, he made sure to just put something in so the hole didn't close. Nothing bit, and definitely not a ring, but a little niobium bar was enough to make sure it was still in tact. He hadn't been paying attention as he walked in though, tripping, he quickly went to brace himself. When he didn't hit the ground, he blinked and looked around.
"Ah, sorry!! I didn't mean to use my quirk on you, but--uh," the girl in front of him waved her hands, allowing him to position himself. She quickly tapped her fingers together, seeming concerned about him.
"It's okay, don't worry. If it weren't for you, I would've been eating concrete," the teen laughed casually, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Right! Still, sorry. It's nice to meet you though! I'm Uraraka," she greeted, sticking her hand out.
Izuku smiled lazily, shaking her hand easily. "Midoriya," he replied.
"Well, see you at the entrance exam, Mido-kun!"
He paused, quirking a brow as she turned to leave, but grinned casually. "See ya 'round, Ura-chan," he hummed out.
When Midoriya was about to move, he bumped into another person, and he cursed himself instantly for being so god damn clueless about his surroundings. As he backed up, quickly apologizing, he got a look at the other. He looked tired, was still pretty tall even with his heavy slouch, and he seemed generally done with life in that moment. Definitely an interesting type.
"Sorry about that! I wasn't paying attention."
"It's fine," the other replied, grunting casually as he began walking. Midoriya figured he might as well go in with a friend, quickly catching up to the taller. The purple haired teen looked over at him, furrowing his brow, before sighing out. "I'm not here to make friends. Besides, you wouldn't want to talk to me. I have a mind control quirk," he huffed out.
"..Is that meant to deter me or something? Cause that's a pretty cool quirk."
"It's activated by me asking you a question. Do you see my point?"
"Not really, no. That's a really useful quirk, you could do really well with no one knowing your quirk," and falling into old habits, Midoriya began prattling off what the other could do. He didn't look over at first, but finally noticing the other's shocked expression, he stopped. "Sorry, I kinda went off on a tangent, huh?"
"No. I mean, you did, it's more just.. I dunno, no one's ever really said that before besides my dad," the purple haired teen looked away, breathing out. Midoriya offered a grin then, clapping his hands together.
"Well then! Guess I gotta say it more!"
"Please don't, that's so embarrassing."
"Awww, c'mon! It's true! Your quirk's cool," the green haired boy grinned, throwing an arm around the taller.
"..Shinsou."
"Huh?"
"My name. It's Shinsou."
"Midoriya!"
"Well, we better hurry if we don't want to miss anything," Shinsou huffed out, lightly shrugging off Midoriya's arm. Izuku let out a light, amused snort, and nodded.
"I hope we're in the same class, Shinsou-kun."
"..Yeah."