Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Hello! It’s the author! This was rewritten and edited a day after the information chap was sent out! Not beta-read, if you find any confusing ways of wording or misused words (EX: tails and tales) please tell me!

Disclaimers: eventually lots of cussing. And mental trauma and bullying… but that’s normal in most MHA fics.

Have a nice day/night and I hope you will consider joining my discord! 

https://discord.gg/Uu8xBKUkJq

——————————————————

What did he do? Was it the dreams? The hope for a quirk of his own? What gave them the right to decide he was less? Because he was quirkless? Was it his bleeding heart for heroism or how he wore his heart on his sleeve? Was it his admiration for those with quirks that made him weak?

He wished they would just stop. Stop hurting him and laughing about it like he was some… some bug they could just step on for fun. The teachers, the students, the pedestrians who think someone else will help. When in reality, no one would.

Not even All Might the number one hero. The head of one of the largest quirkless rights activists groups did not see him as worth his dream. And when an explosion rocked the city, Izuku sat right there, hoping that someone, anyone, would save him.

His eyes hurt from crying, his heart burned, and a headache was beginning to form. He needed to get home.

The chill night air burned the raw tear tracks that cascaded down his face. He did not have the money for the train, thanks to Bakugou and his need to take EVERYTHING from him. But after about an hour and a half of walking, he finally made it home. Whether it was a good or bad thing, his mother was not home to see his face flushed with cold and sorrow. She wasn’t there to tell him it would be alright or that she would always be there for him. But… she needed to work, her work was more important, and he would never want to take her away from that.

So resigned to the ache in both his bones and heart, Izuku cleaned up. The slime villain smelled awful, and he did not want to be in that foul stench anymore. A quick shower and a fresh pair of clothes eased the ache but… but what could cure broken dreams? Most likely… most likely sleep. 

His room seemed to mock and yell at him as he laid there mind spiraling deeper and deeper into the depths of sadness. If he could not be a hero then, maybe it was time to break out those old architect notes he wrote on Cementos.

As sleep finally claimed him and the voices could not express their hatred at him, he could not help but wish the next day would be better.

——————————————————

"No mind to think."

In his dreams, he was never in control. For years they had repeated the words said to belittle him during the day. His nightmares made him relive the worst days and remember the saddest with uncanny clarity.

At first, he thought nothing of it; they were dreams. He would eventually forget them. But he never did.

"No will to break."

Eventually, he started to believe the voices. Their hatred spread through him, and the sirens screaming in his mind were maddening. He could not fight back. Not against the evil of his dreams. Not when they spoke the truth. He was useless. He was weak and scared. Undeserving of his mom, and he deserved his dad leaving them. HE caused everything to go to shit for him and his mom. HE should not have been born.

And he could not deny that they were right.

"No voice to cry suffering."

As his dreams only ever seem to get worse. It became harder to speak up against the bullying, against the blatant uncaring attitude against his life. Pain cries for help turned into quiet sobs and whimpers as he couldn’t bring himself to care anymore. The burns and cuts and bruises on his skin seemed to meld with everything. He could not seem to focus on anything anymore.

——————————————————

He was in a topless pit. It stretched infinitely towards the sky, yet even despite the odds against him, he kept climbing. The voices made him lose balance and fall. The scars distracted his eyes when he needed them most. The lack of any drive seemed to make the pit look even taller. But, there was always a light at the top. So he kept trying. Getting higher with every slight and defamation on him was another inch, every cut, bruise, and burn made him work harder to get SOMEWHERE. Whether it was a dream or reality, he NEEDED to accomplish at least this. At least he would have accomplished something.

The words of All Might, the anger, the disdain of his teachers, the dislike and pain from his classmates. The uncaring nature of all those who passed him in the streets, the fact he could not bring himself to speak with his own mom about any of it. The emotions weighed him down, but eventually, he made it to the light. His limbs burned and, his heart ached even more as he realized that he HAD done it. It was a dream but, he had done it.

He had been climbing this same dream since he was four. Since he was first told, he was useless and would never amount to anything. Since he got his first burn and scornful glare from Bakugou. Since he stopped thinking of Kachaan as Kachaan. 

He had always slipped at the top of the pit. He had fallen back into the infinite darkness of the void in his dreams. And was forced to awaken at the youngest hours of the morning.

But he made it. He sat in that shining light of the dream, enjoying the feeling of finally accomplishing something. The ache in his heart had let up. The burn in his chest that had taken over his heart seemed to leave him at peace. But just as the calm reached its crescendo, the floodgates opened.

Every angry thought and wish washed over him. That want to have a quirk vanished when Izuku was eight and forgotten when he was ten. His want to have someone to be friends with whole the world hated him. The first burn to the last. Every hate-filled insult, every look that told him how sorry they were to him for being quirkless. The one friend managed to gain leaving him when they found out he was quirkless. The word sorry being the only word said by his mom to his pain. All Might deciding to let up his hero persona only to hurt him.

And then the dream ended.

The hate.

The joy.

The want.

The pain.

All vanished at once. 

And then he was alone, the walls lined with one hero. The voice of that one hero mocking his dream. The void that had consumed him when he was four. The burning hatred in him. His want to prove this son of a bitch wrong took hold. He would not just be a hero, would not prove them wrong and stop. He would become the Number One Hero. He would take the spot All Might holds and usurp it for himself. 

——————————————————

He was still in a cold sweat from the rush of emotion from his dream. It was a common occurrence at this point but, he felt just a bit grosser than usual, so he took a shower. At first, nothing caught his eye. His scarred skin littered with freckles and painful reminders. But for some reason, some of the freckles looked… darker. Like when someone puts black paint on their skin, only no matter how hard Izuku scrubbed at the splotches, they never lightened up.

It started to frighten Izuku when he noticed some of them had grown in size since he started his shower. Not by much but worry was taking hold as he continued to shower. The panic only grew as hidden in his curls were two nubs that had never been there before.

Rushing out and drying off, he put on some clothing. His mind raced with questions, “what the heck is happening?” “Did some quirk do this? If so, why?” and many others like that. He should tell his mom… but what if she did not believe him? He knew she would but- but he could not help but think the worst. He had to figure it out on his own. If not for his safety, then for his moms.

A couple of hours passed with him researching dreams and even some less than ligament quirk theories. He stumbled on an article about how some quirks take time and an outside stimulation to activate. Some of the more common were emotionally reliant on their first activation. The stronger the power could be, the more positive and negative experiences the dormant quirked person needs to have. The longer the quirk was kept inert... The more it mutated. Say the power was telekinesis, but then. It was latent and changed into a mass gravity manipulation quirk. The most prolonged documented quirk activation took a kid till they were eight… He was fourteen. The eight-year-old’s quirk was a fire quirk that allowed them to both telekinetically control flames and produce heat nearing Endeavors level.

As time passed, Izuku boxed up and sold most of his All Might merchandise for money. He would need some training to get into UA, so he put some aside for that. Even with a quirk that could potentially do anything he needed to train. But the money was also used to buy a thick beanie to cover the growing horns on his head and some extra long-sleeved clothes and gloves to hide the fact his left hand was now black.

He was hoping the mutations to his body would slow down. But as time passed, his skin grew darker. The only place not going darker was his face, which grew pale. The whites of his eyes were getting darker but thankful only slowly, and the green of his eyes seemed to have darkened a bit as well. But the clothes and light changes to his appearance seemed to… well… piss off a certain pomeranian. That and Izuku had been avoiding and running from the blonde land mine.

But eventually, his luck ran out in the third period of school. It seemed like two weeks of not looking or conversing with Bakugou made him more pissed than ever and, right as the teacher walked in, attacked Izuku. The explosion was large for Bakugou and, it shredded and burned the cloth on his right arm but, instead of pain, he felt… rejuvenated. The heat did not affect him one bit and, checking over his arm showed that the black skin was not even burned.

The black skin that everyone could see.

Fear shot through Izuku as he bolted out the door, only just grabbing his backpack. He could hear the confused and angry shouts of his classmates but, he could not care. He was sprinting home, the trains were getting more full recently and, he could not sit in it with his quirk showing, hell he could hardly sit in them anyway.

He had made it home in record time, not even out of breath from a long-distance run and, the usual ache of running was absent. Hurriedly opening the front door to the apartment, he was faced with a sight he really did not want to see. Or have him be seen by. His mom was home. And someone grabbed his beanie…

Great.

11 months till UA Entrance EXAM

——————————————————

A thank you to all those that have commented on this fic!

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Dalyn Hughes (ff)

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For commenting though some I can't understand too well!

And all the guests and people that read my stories!

A special thanks to those who have joined the discord and especially Pink and Fluffy!

Chapter Text

Hello! It’s the author! This was rewritten and edited a day after the information chap was sent out! Not beta-read, if you find any confusing ways of wording or misused words (EX: tails and tales) please tell me!

Disclaimers: eventually lots of cussing. And mental trauma and bullying… but that’s normal in most mha fics.

Have a nice day/night and I hope you will consider joining my discord! 

https://discord.gg/Uu8xBKUkJq

——————————————————

“Calling my quirk odd is an understatement. Dormant for fifteen years and giving my body near-complete physical immunity, as well as immunity to heat and most dangers, is not something that normally happens. Sure the hero Captain Celebrity has a form of immunity but he can still be hurt if he is not careful. As far as I can tell the only weak point I have is my face… and that is still incredibly durable. (IE falling down a flight of stairs)” 

“It is odd… ever since my quirk awoke two months ago the dreams have stopped for the most part. Two months since All Might shot my personal dreams in the back of the head in a field of flowers. Two months since I almost died to a slime monster. But… personally, I think I'm doing fine. Well, as okay as a kid who was quirkless and started sprouting horns and growing a reinforced black carapace on my skin can be.”

“Sadly the whole school and Katsuki problem hasn’t changed much. Well… Other than he is even more volatile than usual. The only people that have backed down are the larger portion of the student body. However, that only happened after a dumbass with a strength enhancement quirk punched me in the gut and broke his hand. I guess he didn’t think the kid that tanked Katsukis explosions could take his fist. And now that the carapace is covering my body completely an assortment of things have started to happen.”

———————————————————

Katsuki was pissed. Deku, the little pebble that followed him around. The quirkless runt, the weakling and punching bag he had used for years. Had a quirk. It was impressive too, able to take an explosion and not even have a burn. That in of itself pissed him off. But what made Katsuki seeth with hatred… was that the fucker tried to HIDE it all. The audacity of the son of a bitch had to hide a quirk… How long had he been hiding it? A month? Two? A full fucking year? Was Deku hiding it from him the whole time? He had harassed the fucker for YEARS… and yet the fucker hid his quirk. He hid it like a coward. So what else was he supposed to do than follow the fucker home and teach him a lesson?

*BOOM*

Fear spiked through Izuku as he was launched down the alley he was passing. He knew his skins would be okay… but this WAS his last clean uniform. Sadly it was now a destroyed uniform. He had skidded almost twenty feet from where he had landed. Shredding and ripping any piece that was not already smoldering.

When he finally slowed down from the explosion, he was surrounded by the muck of the alley. The dumpsters were piled high and there were puddles of… substances here and there. The explosion didn’t surprise Izuku. Two months of good behavior from Bakugou was surprising in its own right. No… what surprised Izuku was the rage that flittered out of his heart. With each beat, the heat in him grew more and more. Sitting up almost hurt, not because he was flung down an alley, not because it was Bakugou, but because he would need to show his mother his now destroyed clothes. She did not need this, and by god has he grown tired of it.

“Is THAT all you got Deku?” Bakugou yelled at him with a sneer. The cold from the alley grew further as he stood up straight and stared down Bakugou. It reminded him of when he was five and used his body to protect a kid who was an average late bloomer from Bakugou. Only this time, it was different. That kid this time was behind Bakugou, much like all those he tried to help. And this time, he had a quirk.

The moment Izuku stepped forward Bakugou, launched off the pavement with a defining bang. Where he once stood, the ground was cracked and scorched and the air was filled with thick dust… only for his punch to miss Izuku. Izuku, however, did not feel like getting hit and decided to return the favor. A swift punch and Bakugou was thrown into the wall of the alley. A sickening snap and an audible drip of a liquid alerted all those around that something did not go well.

As the smoke faded from the alley the onlookers were paralyzed in fear. Standing tall as a pillar of darkness was Izuku… The wimpy loser they all once knew. Had knocked their leader flat on his back, bleeding and beaten with one hit. But… that was not the worst part. Where his bright green eyes once were, two sockets of darkness stare back. A pale white mask had formed on Izuku’s head, where his horns had been growing stood two large horns of ivory. The sight caused the group to panic and run away in fear. No one had ever beaten Bakugou.

Inside the mask… Izuku was astonished. He had meant to hit Bakugou but not send him flying. But it wasn’t just his new strength that astonished him. In the mask, he could breathe, and for once… it wasn’t difficult to. For years it was like someone had been choking him. For years it was hard to get in a breath when Bakugou would beat him to the point of not caring. But it was like the hands have never been there. The air smelled sweet from the bakery they were behind and he could smell the trees and the park. He could hear the laughter of some friends and the bustling city life around him better than ever. He also could hear the dripping of Bakugou’s blood. And his shuffling to attack.

As Bakugou swung at him, he staggered and tripped himself up. But no matter how much Izuku dodged, Bakugou kept coming. With every step, the explosions grew louder and bigger. But with every explosion, Izuku’s senses got sharper. He saw the slight twitches of Bakugou’s arms as he shot off another eruption. He felt the heat wash over him and be absorbed and contained. But he also saw the crazed look in Bakugou’s eyes, the look of a feral beast wanting to rip him into pieces.

A small slip-up allowed Bakugou a punch. But it only shattered his own hand as Izuklu leaned into the hit. A quick jab had finished the battle as Bakugou's already bleeding head was hit again. Causing him to fall into a heap on the ground. Three hits that had hit, and a lot that did not. Two of them from Izuku and one from Bakugou. It was the fastest fight between them. It was also the first one Izuku won.

Izuku felt the need to apologize to Bakugou. Not for the ass-kicking. Or the slight uniform damage he caused. It was more for not taking the fight all that seriously. Katsuki had obviously given it his all for how big the alley was. If it was bigger or he had more room to destroy, he could have done better. But Izuku was too occupied with the new part of his quirk. And the fact he couldn’t speak with it didn’t help.

With a quick grab, he had hoisted Katsuki onto his shoulder. He needed to get him to the hospital, which meant the police would likely be called because one kid with skid-marked and burned clothing was carrying a bludgeoning victim.

———————————————————

He was right about the police being called. After a quick check-up by the nurses, he sat in front of a police detective named Namosa Tsukauchi. The fear of Bakugou using the school’s influence to pin him for the assault was staunched by hearing what the detective’s quirk was.

The questions themselves were easy to answer. Was Bakugou hit by a car? No. Was I a part of a house fire? No. How did we get the damage to ourselves? He attacked me, and I punched him twice.

After a few more questions and answers were shared between the detective and Izuku, the detective gave him a card. “This is a quirk gym card, just call and they will get in touch with you, and considering how long your quirk was dormant they will go hard on you to find out as much about your quirk as possible.”

“Oh! I- umm th-thank you?” 

“Not a problem... Now let’s take you, home kid.” the detective said as he stood and walked to the door.

His mother will be so angry. Or pass out.

———————————————————

Thankfully his mom did not pass out from a police officer dropping him off at their apartment. The officer, with help from Izuku. Told his mom what had happened and why he was being taken home by the police. When the police officer finally left their home... well, Izuku felt horrible. His mom was tearing and looked ready to hug him to death. He… he wished he had told her about the bullying. But what could they have done about it? Told the principal? Transfer him to another school? It's not like either of those options would have changed much… He would have been ostracised from any school. Shunned by anyone who found out he was quirkless.

“I-Izuku? We… We need to talk.”

——————————————————

A thank you to all those that have commented on this fic!

DiabhalMayCry0 (AO3)

Mr.Catman (AO3)

geninegv  (AO3)

Jamiekeyblade123 (AO3)

Kkiwiroses (AO3)

ibara_best_girl  (AO3)

Scarlet_Shade_29 (AO3)

Whitetiger789 (AO3)

Ironmonger123 (AO3)

☆ByDeathsDoor☆ (AO3)

AngelBoots  (AO3)

Delicious_PanCakes (AO3) 

Arsuina (AO3)

Isi1dur  (AO3)

Tigertigertigger (AO3)

Passing_Cloud0  (AO3)

jack   (AO3)

Appolinariusthepurplegladiator43  (AO3)

Purpletrauma  (AO3)

Seiryujin  (AO3)

DiabhalMayCry0  (AO3)

Gamergek33  (AO3)

Zeldomnyo   (AO3)

XxXTavuXxX  (AO3)

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James Birdsong (ff)

Iron-slayer-dragon (ff)

BloodNBits  (ff)

ShortGaint  (ff)

Beingwithu (ff)

Tiguylerobot (ff)

crazybeebee  (ff)

Chiosebas (ff)

justus3138 (ff)

Dalyn Hughes (ff)

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Dalyn Hughes (ff)

SilverExcel115 (ff)

Draco1121 (wp)

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DanielCompton9 (wp)

For commenting though some I can't understand too well!

And all the guests and people that read my stories!

A special thanks to those who have joined the discord and especially Pink and Fluffy!

Chapter Text

Hello! It’s the author! This was rewritten and edited a day after the information chap was sent out! Not beta-read, if you find any confusing ways of wording or misused words (EX: tails and tales) please tell me!

Disclaimers: eventually lots of cussing. And mental trauma and bullying… but that’s normal in most MHA fics.

Have a nice day/night and I hope you will consider joining my discord! 

https://discord.gg/Uu8xBKUkJq

——————————————————

“I… I know that sometimes you can't speak to me. Whether it is from the thought that I would not or could not do anything- anything to help with the bullying but. But I wish you had come to me! I-I could have home-schooled you… I-... I could have done something to help you. Y-you, do know that… right? You didn't need to hide everything f-from me.” Izuku… did not know what to say. He didn’t want to burden his mom with his problems. He did not want to put her under unnecessary stress. And yet here he was, causing more than he ever wanted.

“I… I’m so- so sorry.... I- I just didn’t want to burden you with my problems… It felt wrong to lie to you. To tell you everything was fine. But I thought it was better than telling you. I-I-” once the words started coming out, they didn’t stop. The pain from years of social, emotional, and physical abuse from his schoolmates… from his teachers. Like a dam bursting from pressure, painfilled sobs filled the once silent apartment. The pain of nearly a decade of constant pain and hate fell from Izuku’s lips.

———————————————————

Once the conversation ended, Izuku was emotionally exhausted. In the last few years, he had kept everything bottled up, stowed away, so he never had to see it. But now that he had released most of it? He… kind of just felt hollow. The pain in his chest had been his anchor to the world around him. Where he once felt a bubble of happiness, felt empty. His mom had made katsudon. But even the joy from his favorite food felt mute in comparison to how his memories portrayed joy. 

After the filling meal and highly emotional experience... it was time to sleep. It’s not like Izuku had anything better to do. 

His dream of the night was odd. It was like he was suspended in darkness. The only light shone from a small sampling of a tree. Well… the tree itself was not glowing, instead, it held glowing orbs in its branches. A few had gone out, shattered, and their shards were thrown around the darkness. Now only emitting an ember of light. On one of his hands, he had a pin. It seemed to be a part of his hand in a way. It was an incredible shade of black, and its eyes were much like his masks, except white.

It was a dream, so Izuku wagered that touching the glowing spheres really couldn’t hurt anything. However, the moment his hand made contact with the glowing orb, it shattered. Shards of the glass-like substance shot through his hand; the pain was overwhelming. However, it was not done a second after the first broke two more followed suit to explode. The shards from the orbs carved deep into Izuku’s skin. It burned worse than any burn Bakugou had ever given him. It was worse than any cut or bruise Izuku had ever experienced. He wanted to cry out! Plead for the pain to stop! 

And suddenly… Izuku woke up. His hand burned as he got up slowly. The dream must have caused him to fall off his bed… he could guess this, mostly because he was on the floor. Checking his hand, the pin from the dream was still there. Whether it was a manifestation of his quirk or some ruse Bakugou was putting him through, Izuku couldn’t tell.

Quickly grabbing the charm with his other hand, he felt the charm pulse with energy. And suddenly, he was back in the void from his dream. Only this time where sampling with three unbroken spheres stood, now a much taller small tree stood. In its budding branches, tens of the spheres floated. Some were wrapped tightly by the tree and others almost floated freely. The tree itself wasn’t the only part of the dream that had changed. The empty void where the tree once floated a dark soil now held the tree in place.

As Izuku was admiring the changes, it became apparent that the wounds from before had NOT disappeared in the dream. The shards were still embedded in his skin but, now they were much smaller, seeming to melt into him as the minutes passed.

“What had caused this tree’s appearance? Was it my quirk? Has my quirk evolved slightly as time has passed? Children when they first get their quirk sometimes have three or four mutations to their quirk genes as time passes… But they were usually small, so how the hell does a tree make any sense for my quirk?”

And then suddenly he was back in his room. Seated on the floor, woundless and treeless.

———————————————————

The day had gone slow after the odd dream. No matter what he did, the pin seemed to reappear on him. The charm seemed to appear almost thirty seconds after it had left his person. Whether it appeared on his clothes or in his hair.

It took three hours after he woke up to call the number the detective had given him. The person on the phone sounded tired, but after hearing the specifics of his quirk, the man had told Izuku to head to a building near the shopping district… which meant people. At least he was going to a quirk gym.

The building itself was old-ish, it was worn but more by age than neglect. After Izuku quickly knocked on the door, it was suddenly flung open. In front of him was a... homeless ninja? He looked exhausted, almost like the man on the phone sounded like. On this man's neck was a scarf thick white cloth that contrasted with his all-black clothing. It kind of reminded him of the weapon Izuku had seen a hero use once.

The moment the door had opened completely, the man waved for Izuku to come into the building. The interior was completely bare, and there were cracks in the concrete floor. All the walls looked as if people had been flung through them... and it made Izuku uneasy.

"You are Izuku Midoriya, right? I have a couple packets for you to look through." The man said, exhaustion clear in his voice as he grabbed a couple packets from the only table in the room. "After you look through these we will conduct some tests to determine the extences your quirk has on your physicality."

A quick look at the papers, he saw a lot of exercises and meal plans. As well as a three-month membership to a gym. The gym membership allows its patrons to use their quirks using the equipment. Which was a plus.

"The first test we will conduct is an all-around test... prepare yourself." The man stated as he pulled on his cloth. Before Izuku could react, the scarf was flying at him. It trapped his limbs before he could do anything. Then he was suddenly flung into and through the only non destroyed wall in the building.

“Is that all you got kid? I am missing sleep to help figure out your ‘special quirk’ and you let that happen to you?”

The boredom lacing the man's voice made Izuku mad. It reminded him of how teachers never listened to him, considered him more of an annoyance than a student.

“You just going to lay there or-”

The man did not have time to finish his speech as Izuku rushed at him. Izuku was not versed in hand-to-hand, but he had been a punching bag for years. So he could at least copy what he had seen. The… ninja hobo, on the other hand, dodged every hit Izuku had thrown as the battle had continued around every room in the building. Sometimes even hitting Izuku through a wall a couple of times. At points in the fight, the man’s hair raised, and everything got warm for Izuku. Like his quirk stopped or something.

Eventually, the first floor of the room looked like a wrecking ball had blown through. What was left of the walls and the small amount of furniture had been crushed, and the floor had Izuku sized craters cracked into them.

The man after the 'test' had given Izuku a card. The card would make any accidental activation of his quirk in a public space passable by law. However, if it was ever to be used on purpose, the card would be revoked. The hobo had also given him a small packet on ways to figure out more on his quirk. And then he left… they had just destroyed an entire first floor, and this guy just left… that fucking ninja hobo just left him alone in a destroyed building...

——————————————————

"Three months since the villain and the duo of douchebaggery."

Drip... drip... drip......

With every drip, the black-colored pool under Izuku grew wider. His face, forced into a silent scream of agony as he cracked the mask guarding his face more and more... until finally, it gave way.

The snapping of the bone that protected his face broke the silence of the night, the shards falling to the ground, mirrored by more of his dark blood and tears. At first, he thought it to be a coincidence his mask could take more of a beating when it regenerated... But it would need to be broken first.

So he started his newest training regiment. A couple hours after his mom would go to sleep, Izuku would head into his bathroom. And then for the next couple of hours. He would sit in the tub and forcefully break and regenerate his mask over and over again. At- At first, He had to take breaks between every crack and shard... but now, sometimes he could not stop. Sometimes in the heat of the moment, he would recall how weak he is. How useless he has been for the last ten years of his life. And then he would dig his fingers deeper into the cracks and pull harder. He could be more powerful now! He can be! But first, he would need to break a bit more. Work a lot harder than he had before! S-Sure he would sometimes go too far. When his fingers dug too deep into the raw bone of his mask, he would sometimes freeze up. And every once in a while, he would push his regeneration too far. Making him have to go through days with the nauseating ache under his skin... But he could take it! He- He had too. He needed to get stronger.

Or... or else all he has done is for nothing. Worrying his mom... getting her caught up in Katsuki's anger. All those years of studying and trying his best to push past all the hate directed at him. If he does not become a hero, then what would he do? Become a vigilante? a villain? Then what, be the useless little shit he was always thought to be and be an inconvenience to more than he already is?

He NEEDED to become a hero.

——————————————————

Chapter Text

The room felt chilly on Izuku’s… hide? He still did not know what to call his skin yet. The final hour started twenty minutes ago, and the room was still. Well, almost, Bakugou was fuming over something, causing the air to be thick with tension. The teacher droned on and on about the same thing they had been learning for the past two weeks. 

Boredom was king of the class. 

Except for Izuku, he could not hear the judging whispers or the crackling of explosions. Much less the lesson; at least the teacher was trying to teach them, much better than their history teacher. The music from his headphones easily made school bearable for the last couple of weeks.

It was not his usual thing. If the room was too loud, he would usually manifest his mask. The room would go silent, either out of fear or in Katsuki's case, his explosions would get louder. He only did it if he wanted to hear what the teacher was teaching, so it only happened a handful of times. But he already knew what was being taught. Izuku already knew most of the things the teachers taught. It was chiefly due to not having friends to take up his time... or traditional hobbies that did not involve trekking across town to take notes on heros. 

Izuku thought that his school life would be better after he got his quirk. That, with a quirk... people would willingly talk to him, and he would be accepted into even the smallest of groups. But, that sadly was not the case, and in some ways, his days got worse. He was still picked on, and bullies hit him. But instead of getting in trouble for starting the altercation with the bullies. He now got in trouble for them breaking their fingers on his skin. Or, in one case breaking a chair that had been used to hit him in the head.

In his walks to the Dojo, he knew he was getting followed by Bakugou and his cronies. He knew they were trying to dig up some dirt on him, to frame him for something. But they could not follow him across rooftops without using their quirks. Izuku would know, the hero’s that patrolled rooftops were sticklers for quirk usage laws.

If he was eating out with his mom, he got dirty looks for what he could only guess was his eyes or horns. The horns were not all that odd; perhaps it was just his eyes. The black sclera was a bit of a newer mutation, and personally, he liked it.

The worst thing about how things have changed since Izuku's quirk appeared. However, was the heat absorption; He could not stay warm at night without a mountain of blankets. And, if there was too much heat, it caused him to overheat... it felt like a panic attack. And when he was surrounded by a crowd and overheating, sometimes it was both. He could not count the number of times he had broken down in the comfort of his bed because of how mentally exhausted he was after going SHOPPING.

But it was not all bad. Izuku had a quirk now! Izuku was part of a really friendly dojo and had people who wanted to be his friend there. It was not like he did not want to be their friend. It is just… The last friend he had left more scars on him than any villain ever could. What if they turned out to be the same? Would it be his fault for getting too close? Would it be his fault for letting down his guard for even a moment and getting hurt? Would the Nailmasters do anything about the bullying if it started? Would they watch and laugh like the teachers that liked to watch him be hurt?

There was a chance that they were good people, and he did not need to worry. There was a chance that he could have friends… But it was slim. Izuku did not know what he would do if these people turned out to be like the people at his school.

There was also another good thing that came from his quirk… And maybe because they could not hurt him as bad as they once could. His bully problem basically vanished. Other than Bakugou, Izuku was left alone by the majority of the school... well, other than them making fun of him still. And in comparison to how things used to be... Where his notebooks were taken and burned and his clothes torn. It was a massive upgrade. 

—

Midnight was not a time Izuku would usually be up, especially on a school night. But the cool breeze of the night air on top of the apartment complex was soothing. So here he was, watching the slow nightlife around his apartment, with half a sandwich and one of his thick blankets around his shoulders. Thankfully it was a Friday... Well, now it was a Friday, the school day was in six hours, so staying up would not make his life as bad as if he stayed up on Monday.

It's just... Izuku had a quirk now, after nearly fifteen years of being quirkless, and it only just hit him how surreal it was for him to have a quirk. Perhaps it was because he had not had time to think because of all the tests and extra training. But what he was living the dream of all quirkless people. And his dream… Well, a variant of it.

He used to want to be a hero like All Might. He used to look at Katsuki as the pinnacle of winning and victory, following both of them as his idols… But that landed him with Quirk Amplified Depression and a fear of crowds. Was it their fault he could not help but see every person in a crowd as a threat? No, but katsuki definitely started that fear.

———————————————————

Izuku was eight when they started crowding him. It began as an intimidation technique because “How else would we figure out what scares villains if we can't test it? And who better to test it on than a Deku!” 

Sure, it was not bad at first. It was kinda like a giant group hug! But the amount of heat and the constant pressure on all sides spiked his anxiety… But it was not all bad. Izuku could focus on the sky. But... then they started pinching and hitting him, all around him, every person fighting to hit and hurt him. By the time Izuku was freed from the group of bullies, he had countless scrapes and bruises. He could not help the fat tears that made their way down his cheeks as the rest of the other children went back inside to finish the school day. 

He was allowed to go home under the guise that he fell into a thorny bush.

Not long after that Izuku went shopping with his momma to get some groceries. The train ride was nice. It was open, and he had room to move his little feet and stare wide-eyed at the passing building. But when they exited the contained environment, when they stepped into the large crowd, and Izuku’s hand slipped from his momma’s? He froze. He was surrounded, but it was not by the kids at school. He knew that but, what if? What if these people found out he was quirkless? Would they hit him too?

In his frozen state, he was pushed by someone farther into the moving crowd. Izuku's tiny frame was lost in the sea of what-ifs and fear. It turned out that one of his school bullies had distracted his mom while another pushed Izuku deeper into the crowd, pinching him as they went. And what was he going to do? The other kid's skin turned into crystals, and he was a full head taller than Izuku. 

When his mom realized that she had lost Izuku, most likely thinking he was still around her as she gave directions to one of her son's friends… Well, she freaked out. Searching for nearly half an hour for her baby. But probably the worst part of how she found him was how he was just curled up on the ground crying in fear. Why hadn't a single person yelled out? Try to get the CHILD to safety from the colliding feet of the crowds?

That was the day Izuku had to have a cast for his leg and right hand. It was also the day that he was diagnosed with agoraphobia. 

———————————————————

Hospitals. Inko had been in them her entire life. Her stepmom never could find babysitters when Inko was younger, meaning whenever she was called into a hospital, Inko followed. But this was probably the first time Inko had ever been stressed out in one… Okay, the second time, the first time was Izuku’s quirk doctor appointment. This time they were there to get Izuku checked out for both his quirk and his emotions… disconnect since he got his quirk. It was likely QAD or Quirk Amplified Depression. She had seen it in many patients with limited physical drawbacks with their quirks. It was like depression… obviously, but it just hit harder. It was like depression kicked to anywhere from eleven to fifty. It was harder to keep in a manageable state. Some cases of QAD even simply got rid of a person's emotional range. And medicines that were used to kick depressive symptoms hardly ever worked. And in some cases, amplified it. Only in recent years have even slight advancements in QAD medicine happened.

“Okay, so we have run the blood tests and have your son in with the psychologists, but the moment your son entered the room the Shell's hair turned black… You do not need me to tell you what that means, do you Chief Resident Midoriya? You've worked with Shell before.”

She did not. The psychologist Shell’s quirk was Emotional Hair. It was an empath quirk that told her the emotions of whoever she was focusing on. The overall spectrum did not matter at the moment. Depression was grey… but black was QAD. 

Inko texted everyone who owed her favors. The list was quite extensive, pharmaceutical scientists, heads of the Medical Board of Japan, leading QAD researchers. Everyone.

She needed to know the best QAD medicine on the market, and she needed to make sure it worked. Because she could not take the lack of emotion her son showed, and she would be damned if she didn't try and help.

—

At first, Izuku did not want to take the medication. They were huge and dried his mouth out. But after a week of not being able to sympathize with his mom's emotions. And feeling sluggish and unmotivated, he agreed. The medicines came in sets, one set a week to test out the effects. And since quirks in the medical field nearly eliminated the side effects of medical drugs, it was a safe process.

The first sets of medicines did little to chip away at the haze that clogged Izuku’s mind. He could think clearly and, if anything. He could think sharper than he had ever in his life. The lack of… well, any emotion made it hard to not think clearly. It was disorienting. Not even a month ago, he had all the emotions he could ever want, even if most of them were bad. The only thing this set of medicine did was give him a headache for a few minutes.

The second set helped… kinda. He could feel the emotions. They were there, but they just were not tangible in any way. The sadness at his mom’s teary eyes just did not get him nearly as close to tears as it used to. Anger? It was there, burned as it should. However, it was dull. But he could not tell where it was pointed. At himself? The medicine? He could not tell.

After a month of different medicines, emotion struck. On week six of the sixth set, something happened. 

Izuku woke up like usual a couple seconds before his alarm, the comforting warmth of his heated and quilted blankets trying their hardest to keep him asleep… and then his alarm went off… and he threw it out of aggravation. It was not the first emotion he expected to hit him like a truck. But it got the day going.

After making a less than average breakfast because his mom was working early, Izuku headed to school like usual. It was most likely a bad idea, with him actually able to feel his emotions. And, they trigger responses as they used to... well, he might hurt Bakugou. But it was a risk Izuku was willing to take.

One thing he did not miss from his emotions, however, was his agoraphobia. It was nearly nonexistent without the medication, but the crowd outside the school made a pang of fear shoot into Izuku's heart. Thankfully the back entrance to the school was open, and by the time Izuku made it to class, the rest of said class had made it to.

Izuku was not given nearly enough time to prepare himself for Katsuki. Because the moment Izuku saw his bully's angry scowl, the urge to punch him quickly grew. 

Izuku was sent home for the day after knocking out Katsuki within the first minute of class.

Chapter Text

With every step, worry flooded Izuku’s mind. It was a dumb thought, him sword fighting? Not only would his mom never allow him to take a class like that, but the likelihood of them letting him even take the class was also slim… especially because his skin was now resistant to most forms of injury. It was sadly the life he lived in now. While he used to be turned away from most things for not having a quirk. He has now started to be turned away for having a mutation quirk.

It all started with an ad he had always considered looking into. The Nailmaster Sword Fighting Dojo was not new. But in comparison to some of the older dojo’s it was. It was run by the triplet heros Sheo, Oro, and Mato, who ran both the dojo and their own hero agency. It was also the most cost-effective dojo he could find, essentially because as long as you graduate from their dojo, you never have to pay a cent… beyond medical fees, of course… And he still has not figured out what nail master meant.

He had also found out during his research that they had basically the same quirk! Unlike quirks that were similar on paper theirs was so close it was hard to tell who’s quirk was being used! Which was a rare phenomenon that could only occur to identical siblings! Oro and Mato’s quirks were the closest alike, only increasing the strength of an object they could consider a weapon while Sheo could cause anything to become a superior weapon.

Finally, seven months from the UA entrance Exam, Izuku found himself walking the busy streets of Musutafu. The crowds caused a spike of anxiety to fill him with every step… But thanks to some kind deity. All the teens that were even close to him were from a different school. He had even seen someone with pink skin! It was really fascinating! He could not help hypothesizing what their quirk was, mostly because pink skin was not a conventional mutation for most quirks to cause… He sadly had to end his thought process early because he had finally made it to the front door of the Nailmaster’s Dojo.

He could not help but stand there for a long moment. He knew he was physically strong… That much was apparent from him accidentally cracking cement when he punched Bakugou into it. But he did not feel comfortable with punching things. It felt too much like the number one jackasses trademark. He at least knew the Nailmasters were better heroes. Their reputation had not been tarnished since their debut, and their popularity had remained relatively stable over the years.

So why did he want to learn sword fighting in the first place? To be honest, it was the powerful aura wielding a sword gave off. If he wanted to strike fear into villains, then what would be better than a sword? Well… a gun, but he did not like loud and obnoxious BANG’s. So those were out of the question.

—

Learning the basics of sword fighting was not difficult per se. But It still took longer than Izuku thought it would… It also did not help that Master Sheo held mandatory art classes once a week. By the end of Izuku’s first month in the sword fighting program, he had finally gotten a personalized Nail. 

They were incredible! Sheo’s husband made them in his forge, and with his quirk, he could bond a wielder's quirk to the metal with just a bit of DNA. Which could cause a plethora of things to happen. For the Nailmaster themselves, it caused their Nails to retain the energy their quirk’s put into them, which let them do longer and cooler combos with their nail arts! He had even seen this one guy who had a porcupine quirk that caused his nail to be able to sprout quills!

However, so far, he had only been able to make his nail go black… Which was not all that bad, especially if he was fighting in a dark room. At least he could draw an okay circle now. And well, he had gotten a slightly stronger mask after he had fallen into the corner of the weapon rack.

As time went forward, he could not help that he was falling behind his goal. He wanted… needed to beat Bakugou. He needed to prove All Might and his teachers and all his classmates wrong. It was probably becoming an obsession as he continued to practice late into the night. But as long as he could keep near heat, he could go all night. He NEEDED to beat the best, which meant he needed to climb the Dojo’s ladder. He needs to overcome all nail masters, even though they would likely be holding back. He needed to get into UA, he needed to finish first in the sports festival, and he needed to shove all his hard work into all those who doubted him in their faces.

But it would not be worth just beating them... he needed to obliterate them. If he wanted them honestly, regret the years of ostracisation, years of physical and mental abuse. Years of the worst people he had ever had the misfortune of meeting being horrible to him and all those who did not deserve it. Then he would need to be faster and more powerful than all of them. He would need to be better than all of them. Even if that meant he would have to start shooting explosions out of his hands to secure Bakugou's regret of it all.

—

After starting his training in swordsmanship, he began his newest training… Free Running, or parkour… Either way, he had recently beaten Mato in a fight… it was rigid because Mato did not even try! But that is unimportant. Izuku was two nail masters away from getting his support item card. The card only lets him use the nail as a support item. Which was vital to his plans.

But back to parkour, it first started as a way to get a bit more agile. He was covering his need to increase his strength by learning sword fighting and going to the gym. But he was not doing much but just running around town. Which definitely helped his endurance but, he still tripped over his own feet occasionally. So he decided to learn parkour… which was really just falling in style without getting hurt for the most part at the moment.

But he was getting better at climbing things. Izuku could now scale most fences without needing to stop and he was getting better at running while jumping across obstacles.

So far, these skills have only been good for watching hero fights from rooftops… and his newfound flexibility.

...

And he had also fallen off of a couple of buildings… But thankfully that only taught him that his quirk was great at saving him from death! When he had slipped off a building for the first time these climbing axe looking bones came out of his hands! Much like his mask they seemed to come out instinctually and they dug really deep in the cement slowing him just enough to not die!

—

Five months before the UA Entrance Exam, he had finally beaten Oro. It was a LOT harder than Mato, but it was also a lot alike. They had a number of the same tics in how they fought... they even favored the same side. It was also probably the most fun Izuku had had in months. The rush of adrenaline and blood in his veins, the danger of a sword swiping at him. It caused Izuku to find another new thing about his quirk!

As he got home from the Dojo he immediately went to test to see if he could do it again. It took a lot of concentration, but he could phase through people! It kinda felt like when he had to dash fifty meters at school… or when he needed to run away from Bakugou after school.

The dash would help immensely when it came to fights. The ability to just negate damage by going through it was an incredible ability to have. The only problem was the fact that Izuku did not know if he could beat Sheo before the next five months were up. He had been training harder than ever; he had discovered new things about his quirk he could not even imagine doing, and yet… It started to feel like it would all be taken away. It took nearly all of his younger years to become friends with Katsuki… and that was taken away in an afternoon. He spent months on his notebooks and TWELVE had been burnt. He has spent nearly ten years keeping the bullying a secret from his mom, ten years telling himself he was FINE… and it was all for nothing.

What if the months of hard work were for nothing? What if he lost all of it all because it was a dream... What if he stopped? Would it just be better if he stopped trying? If anything had ever withstood the test of time, it was people telling him to give up… But so had his resolve to not. He had fought through years of torment and abuse, years of unconstructive criticism and, if he gave up, then he would lose that too.

———————————————————

The soft pitter-pattering of cold rain blanketed the city. Most hurried to their homes, to their places of warmth and serenity. But Izuku had other plans. He had long since given up on heading to sleep early and started his regular rounds of endurance training. His quirk kept the burn of his legs and eyes to a minimum as he rounded the bend to his favorite convenience store.

He could not figure out why he was crying. Perhaps it was the rain. It used to make it hard to smile long before the abuse started… or maybe it was the worry? He had been practicing for the festival for months, but he still felt behind. Like his feet were encased in stone. But it was not all that bad Izuku no longer bothered because of his notebooks. He was given the same respect by his teachers… kinda. He had a quirk now… so why did he feel sad?

Was… was it the lack of friends? He had not had friends in years, yet he always had Bakugou. For better or for worse, he had the Nail Masters now. Which was a massive increase in socialization.

So why was he sad?

Chapter Text

Four days before the UA Entrance Exam.

Who in the hell would have thought that a paintbrush would hurt more than a sword? Because as it turns out, Sheo could cause more damage with PAINT than anyone with a standard weapon ever could.

Every time Izuku had challenged Sheo, he had lost. He had been painted red and green, blue and yellow; The paint could pierce his tough skin… so far one of the only things that could do so. It was always intimidating when he had to fight Sheo; the man was nearly seven feet tall and built like a brick house. And Izuku had just barely managed four nine… genetics suck.

But while he had been regularly stagnant when it came to fighting Sheo, Izuku had gotten better in other aspects of his training. The endurance runs he went on had gotten longer over the past seven months since he started doing them regularly. They originally started five miles, nearly causing him to pass out even with the athletic increase of his quirk, and then they escalated to almost ten miles. It was almost like he had a speed quirk, only every time he had been stopped and reprimanded by police and hero’s about illegal quirk usage… well, speed was not his quirk, so they could not do anything about it.

He had also gotten relatively good at parkour over his long months of physical exercise. The ability to traverse areas he usually could not be turned out to be incredibly exhilarating! He had seen so many fascinating quirks while just running around! He had even seen the lady with pink skin again! But even though he had wanted to speak to her about why her skin was pink… She seemed to always have a large group of friends with her. He- he was not spying on her! She just seemed to always be in the entertainment district! It was not his fault his usual run ran through there!

“What do you think he is mumbling about now?” 

“To be completely honest… I have lost count of the topics he speaks about while he mumbles... Last week it was his pink crush and quirk theory.”

“S-should we stop him?” The question from the newest of the dojo was sincere... But it didn’t dissuade the laughter of the rest of the group.

“If you can stop him, be my guest! Only Sheo has been able to snap him out of it at this point!”

The sudden sounds of water running in the art room caught the small group of friend's attention. Water meant the class was over and the paint messes were being cleaned… which meant Izuku would finally get his rematch.

“OI Zuku! You wanted a rematch right? Sheo just finished his art lessons!”

The storm of muttering was cut off abruptly as Izuku shot off to the art studio. He had waited all day for his rematch!... of many.

—

The busy husky and bustle of the outside street did not slow for the growing tension of one of the buildings beside it; Izuku had just declared another rematch between himself and Sheo. Izuku felt more prepared than the last… twenty-two times? He, like most of the dojo, had lost count.

On one side of the arena sat Sheo, calm, collected, and very ready to slam his student into the pavement. And Izuku sat on the other side, breathing deeply and focusing the heat built up inside of him to his nail. Each side was given five minutes before the battle to get ready. Sheo was picking his colors of paint carefully, sorting them by thickness and color. Izuku, on the other hand, was nearly totally still. The only sign he was preparing anything was the dark aura that seemed to bathe the room in shadow.

Oro walked up to the edge of the arena and spoke, “Your five minutes are up! We once again welcome Master Sheo onto the arena! And his small opponent Izuku Midoriya!" The excitement in his voice sounded forced to all present. They had gone through it many times. "You both know the rules! Quirks are permitted and the use of deadly force is prohibited! You may start when you are ready.”

.

..

...

The silence of the arena surprised many. Izuku was commonly the one to strike first. However, the only thing he did since the start of the match was called upon his mask. Sheo struck the first blow of the competition. A thick steak of thin yellow paint sliced through the air from sharpening and thinning as it flew to its stationary target. Only it never hit its mark. In a millisecond, the room seemed to darken, the bright shine of Izuku’s mask blazing a train as he seemed to appear behind Sheo, cutting at his instructor's exposed shoulder muscles. Only where blood should have started flowing, it seemed to harden around the wound.

A streak of thin blue paint cut deep where Izuku had been, digging inches into the thick cement wall of the arena. Sheo expected his protege to appear behind him again, anticipating it with another streak of blue where he should have been. Only to be landed on top of by his small student.

Izuku’s nail dug deep into his master's muscle, not enough to kill or even maim, but it definitely hurt. Wrenching, the now bloodied blade from Sheo Izuku kicked off, only for a thin purple spear of paint to pierced his shoulder. 

The paint went from the rigid crystalline structure it had formed into to liquid the second Izuku touched down on the concrete ground. Focusing back on the energy inside him and the heat around him, he sprinted straight at Sheo. The elder fighter, with practiced ease, dipped his paintbrush on his easel, focusing the energy inside him into the paint, and with a graceful wave of his large hand, sent a wave of color careening towards his disciple... Only for the sharp blade of paint to be consumed with a horizontal streak of black energy.

Sheo jumped into the air dodging the supercharged darkness as it passed, only to be caught in the side by another. The shredding black dug deep into his tough skin, but the greater of the two strikes hit the cement behind him, carving several inches into the wall. The sudden new move their little green warrior had produced caused all three of the Nailmaster's interest to be peaked. The little one must have been practicing for weeks on that attack.

The momentary lapse in concentration left Sheo open, and a sudden weight crashed upon his shoulders, and the cool edge of his student's blade pressed firmly on his throat.

A second passed… 

Then Two.

Then Oro spoke up, “Well! It took a while but today, Young Izuku WINS!”

The sudden escalation jarred the small crowd out of their surprise. The group of regular attenders cheered in joy for their small friend, and the hero’s themselves could not help but be proud. Sure it was not an all-out hour-long slugfest, but it was brutal; In a real fight. They all knew Sheo would win, but it was more of a test of determination. No one beat Sheo on the first try. Hell, no one had ever beaten Sheo when he went all out. But it showed that even when he lost, Izuku would keep trying. And that was all they needed.

A small party was held after the arena was cleaned of paint and blood. Izuku was given his hero-certified weapon carry license as well as his support item certificate. By the time the treats had been eaten, and the fun had been had… Izuku did not want to leave. The Nailmasters had always been kind. Mato had always been called dad teasingly for his doting nature when one of his students did something right. Oro had always been thorough in his teaching. And even a bit dense, but he always wanted the best for the students. And Sheo always thought of their futures. Teaching them art as a stress relief mechanism and a way to express their emotions… Going the hardest on them in training because he knew they could do it. 

So Izuku sat in the comfortable familiarity of the dojo that he had grown used to. Sure he could come back and train… But when he got into, UA he would not have the time. All the hero training plus his personal training and studying and trying to just make it through the hallways each day. Just the thought made him exhausted.

Heavy footsteps fell next to Izuku; the great shadow of Master Sheo engulfed him as Sheo sat next to him and began to speak. “Izuku… I do hope you make an appearance here every now and then, even if only to resharpen your blade. And do keep in touch, we’ll celebrate you getting in UA when you get the letter ya? Your mom already agreed to a small party, just you, her, and me and my brothers… How does that sound?”

The only response Sheo got was Izuku leaning on him heavily, lightly snoring.

———————————————————

Bakugou Katsuki hated silence.

Ever since his parent's clothing line started booming in both sales and requests, they were never home, always busy. Always too far away to pay attention to him… and when they did, it was only on Christmas and his birthday.

So he started acting out… childish? Yes, he knew that. But he couldn't help himself at this point. He wanted them to be mad, to yell, and STAY at home with him. But the school never reported him for bullying the damn Deku. They NEVER, in the ten years since he started tearing into the fucker tried to stop him… 

He knew it was not fair to Deku. They used to be friends. Until the fucker broke his promise until his parents left him alone. Katsuki remembered when Deku followed him. He remembered when the fucker used to look up to him. But he had his mom… And now he had a quirk that made him a powerhouse from the start.

It took Katsuki three years to stop making small fireworks with his quirk, and even then, the explosions were not strong enough to burn anything but the fuckers skin.

But when the police called his parents. When the policemen put bullying on his record… when the police said that the punishment would be handed out by his parents… He expected more than the disappointing silence they gave him. HE was expecting his mom's anger; He was expecting his father's judgment… BUT HE GOT NEITHER OF THOSE!

He got the silence. He got quiet disapproval. The reactions he had been expecting never came. And for the WEEK his parents were home, not a sound rang through the house other than cell phones.

And then they were gone, a letter on the coffee table, and the rage Katsuki had felt for years grew even worse.

———————————————————

Mina Ashido loved the arcades that littered the streets of the Musutafu entertainment district. The colorful atmosphere and people, she included, made the tires of a school day fade away. She enjoyed the food from the food carts and even the noisy hero wannabes running around as a form of training. 

One of the arcades was her favorite. They held bets once a week on who could beat the new hard track on the dance machine… She always won and, the manager hated it when she appeared, but it was always fun to see people try and beat her score.

So while waiting for her turn on the machine, she watched the crowds bustling about outside the small building, familiar faces from school appeared and waved. But one person always caught her attention. Scaling the side of a building, their small frame, and green, fluffy hair swaying in the wind as they hauled themselves up the ledge of a roof. Every day they were running across the building, jumping and rolling. Climbing and making everyone on the streets seem slow. They never seemed to need to stop when they started running. She had seen them at hero fights watching from roofs. And even watching people just walk around from their high vantage point.

She wanted to talk to them… but every time she tried, they seemed to jump in surprise and run away, their face always bright red as they did so.

She could not wait for the day she caught them one day. She would have to ask them some embarrassing questions just to see their response.

Chapter Text

The day of the UA Entrance Exam.

IZUKU WAS NOT READY. 

Everything had started off perfect. Izuku woke up early and took a shower. The hundreds of blankets he used to stay warm during the night were scattered across the room carelessly. He took his quirk drawback medicine while he ate breakfast… and then he headed to take the UA Entrance Exam.

The train ride was nice. No one came over and sat next to Izuku or even spoke to him. The number of people taking his train to the station near UA was thankfully low, and most of them were from his school and scared of him.

He felt ready for the exams themselves. He studied the week before religiously and had been training for months just for the physical part… But just because Izuku knew he could take the hits of whatever he was fighting, just because Izuku knew he could fight. Did not mean he did not fear getting hurt or failing. And what if he slipped up? What would he do then? Become a police officer? Go to another school? Would another school take him? He could not fail. Izuku did not know what to do if he did fail the exam.

Izuku felt that he was ready for the exams… But he was NOT prepared for the crowds in the slightest. From the moment he glimpsed the massive glass and steel structure that was UA’s main building, he became aware of the enormous mob of people in front of it. It just kept growing and expanding. Izuku saw people leave the crowd, but it never let up, new people, new threats, new people that could hurt him worse than those who came before them. He could hear Katsuki yelling at him and bumping into him, but he could not focus. He could not respond. The constant churning of the crowd and… and he could not breathe. Why could he not breathe? Why could he only gasp for air? Was he overheating? His diaphragm was contracting. The air went in, it stayed for moments, and then he relaxed, and it went out… SO WHY CAN'T HE BREATHE!

—

Mina felt like she was going to be late. The crowd was massive, and no matter how much she fought to push past it. It only seemed to get harder to move. Then she saw a familiar mop of green hair it was easy to miss due to how tall everyone else in the crowd was, towering anywhere from a foot or more above him. But the boy seemed to not be able to breathe, they were grasping their chest, and from what she could see, tears were running down their face… The boy appeared to be trying to push through the crowd. But the masses in front of him were fighting back, forcing him farther from UA. Why was no one helping him! He was freaking out! Did he have a phobia of crowds? Is that why he stayed on the top of buildings?

With a newfound determination, Mina pushed past the massive group. Nearly knocking over a surprisingly small kid with balls for hair, and grabbed the green-haired boy's hand. Initially, he glanced at her in fear, his eyes wide and glassy with tears. But once she started pulling him to UA, he gripped her hand tight. After she nearly bulldozed through the crowd-pulling him along the whole time, did she glance at his face for the second time. His eyes were closed tight as he gripped her hand as she pulled him past the crowd.

When Mina and the greenet passed the school's threshold, the crowds seemed to disperse, were most of the mob reporters? As they walked into the main building, she pulled the boy into an empty hall. They might be late because of this, but she couldn't bring herself to care. He needed quiet and a friend.

She sat them down next to a door and draped an arm around his shoulders. Which, with how he tucked into her side, he appreciated. A couple of minutes passed as his breathing started to even out.

When he finally peaked out of her side, she noticed something that she really should have before. “Holy shit! Your eyes are like mine!” 

Her happy escalation caused the boy to falter for a moment, surprised by her outburst. “Ah! Sorry, ya know it's just not everyday people have eyes like mine! But we should hurry, the tests start in… Three minutes… I think? But do not worry, we're really close! Oh we are so going to be besties!”

—

When Izuku came to his senses… he was NOT expecting to see the pink girl. SHE WAS SO PINK! And really energetic, and friendly. And tall… and pink. Really he felt like she was just being nice to put down his guard. But she seemed so genuine as she talked on and on about this and that. Especially when she noticed his horns. The laughter that came from her was incredible for his mood. She kept calling him an eye and horn buddy as she pulled him to the auditorium. And when she finally let go of his hand, she gave him a small piece of paper and told him to call her...

HE GOT A GIRLS NUMBER, HE TALKED TO A GIRL! She held his hand… OH GOD, A GIRL HELD HIS HAND! 

Okay, she talked to him and dominated the conversation, but it is not like he minded. And sure, she held his hand to pull him along… so maybe she wanted to be friends? The last time he had a friend was… what… kindergarten? First grade? Gods, it had been a long time.

“The written exam will start in one minute, please hurry to your seats!”

And with a yelp, Izuku entered the examination auditorium… with a massive blush on his pale cheeks.

———————————————————

The low rumble of the AC unit filled the cooling auditorium, its sound drowning the light scraping of pencils and paper being flipped. The occasional growl of frustration made its appearance, and Izuku couldn't help but jump lightly. It hadn't even been thirty minutes in the three hours allotted time when Izuku had finished the math and science portion of the test. Thanks to his hobby of writing an analysis on hero’s he could put his thoughts on paper as fast as they came. By the forty-five-minute mark, the English test had been cleared, and he was starting on the heroics section. Morality questions that were opinion-based, laws and regulations, and the occasional treatment question appeared before him.

By the time he finished the exam, it was an hour and four minutes into the allotted time. But the massive amount of people in the room made the wait unbearable. Three seats down, a kid looked around, glaring at all who dared to look at them. Eight seats to his right, another kid banged their head against the table. He needed a distraction. It was somehow too quiet and yet too loud in the auditorium. The unused scratch paper he had left would have to do.

By the time the three hours were up, Izuku had analyzed everything he could on the scratch paper. The girl next to him? Blond hair and horns, likely their quirk, had to do with that as the horns were massive in stature. The horns most likely played a part in their quirk. 

The pink girl? Ashido Mina if what her friendly ramblings that he remembered were correct. Pink skin and hair, as well as a dark sclera around her golden eyes. Pink hair was not all that rare. It was usually a mutation caused by an ancestor's quirk. If his research was correct. It would be kind of like how his green was a mutation of a plant hair quirk from his great grandfather. The color itself is likely a dominant trait of the hair in the family’s quirk gene for both of their cases... The black sclera now that one is a bit harder. Mutation quirks could cause a whole host of changes. An extra joint or body part like a tail could be caused by an entire muscular and skeletal mutation quirk. Mutations were the hardest to figure out the depth of changes some could cause. 

Eyes, however, were a bit rarer to get the off-shoot mutations. Izuku’s was due to the chemical imbalance his quirk caused. Which sounded like nonsense on paper, but the research told him it was true. For Mi- Ashido he, could not tell. It could be anything from a pigment mutation like her skin could be or, like his, a quirk drawback problem.

Her skin was either pink as a defensive mechanism from her quirks backlash a pigment mutation... or hell, magic for all he could figure out. His skin was black because of… the… why was his skin black?

"AND YOU, what do you think you are doing mumbling and writing during the presentation! No matter if we already have the information you should be paying attention! What are you even doing here? If you are here to distract us then, leave and let the people wanting to be heroes continue! This is an insult to all up and coming UA Students!"

"W-who are you?" WHO WAS THIS, AND WHY ARE THEY SO MAD!

"I am Ilda Tenya, and I am tired of you not taking this seriously-" 

"HEYOOOOO Examinee Number 7111, Please let the kid be. I was getting to the fourth robot so hold your horses! Now! The fourth BOT, don't fight it. It's a waste of time and energy and worth zero points. NOW ONTO THE PRACTICAL! Head to the busses out the exit to go to your testing grounds!"

—

As the bus drove to the faux city, the anxiety came to Izuku full force. He was on the same bus as the blue-haired mean guy… and he REALLY did not want to deal with him. As the bus came to its stop and the doors opened, the surge of kids kept Izuku from being able to exit his seat… not that he wanted to be in front of the pack anyway. But as he left the once crowded bus, he caught a glimpse of his… friends? Pink hair.

Three busses of teenagers in one area. Only one person who could possibly be a friend. And a whole lot of others that would likely hurt him. Thankfully he did not have Bakugou in his testing area… that would be bad. So Izuku hurriedly walked towards his pink-haired acquaintance. If only for safety in numbers, at least. 

She turned and saw him as he walked to her, his small frame making it easy to weave through the spaced-out students. As he made it about halfway to her, she waved… did he need to wave back? Want that what people usually do? It has been so long since anyone else other than his mom even spoke to him kindly. It was wild. He got nearer and nearer, and the spark of joy at having even a conversation with someone nice bloomed in his chest.

…

Only to be stopped by the blue-haired guy.

"YOU, what do you think YOU are doing distracting, this pink lady? Have you no shame! First, not paying attention to vital information and now distracting another participant when they should be getting ready!” 

Izuku was getting really tired of this blue-haired asshole . L-like what is his problem?

“Not to mention your clothes, those are not even for exercise! What, are you? A plant! you must be its the only reason someone like you would ever be here-"

"L-Look, I- we- I do not know who p-pissed in your iced coffee this morning, I B-but you need to chill. I'll- I’ll have you know I know her. I-I came over to her to wish her good luck! W-While you- you a-a-ass hole, came and distracted both of us. And I need these layers!” Izuku said indignantly, fluffing out his hoodie, “M-my quirk does not help with holding- con- warmth c-conservation. N-not all of us have good heat circulation." Swiftly, Izuku turned to the pink girl and said, "T-thank you f-for earlier a-and good luck! I-I hope you h-have fun!" Oh no… OH NO! Why does my mouth speak when I do not want it to but does not make noise when I DO! AHH, this day can not get any worse. Next thing you know, this guy punches me for talking back and, then I hit the pink girl with my body from the force... and then it just keeps getting worse! Oh no! How would she respond I-

Suddenly Ashido’s voice broke through his downward spiral of thoughts, "YA You go buddy! Tell him whats up!" She said, full of energy while giving him a pat on the head… which did not make him blush! And turned to tall blue and grumpy, "Look man, I do not know what you have against my friend here." F -f-f-friend? "But I do not appreciate you calling him out or insulting him! My name is Mina Ashido, and I do not tolerate bullies like you!"

The blue dude Iida, if what Izuku remembers was correct, had the gall to look offended, "I'll have you know that I am not a bully! I am merely stating what I perceive, and that is that he is a delinquent! And I will not stand by as he blatantly disrespects the school of U-" 

"GO!!!" Present-Mic screeched loudly from his tower near the door out of nowhere. And no matter how much Izuku wanted to stay near Ashido, he needed the head start. So he dashed forward.

Chapter Text

The entire testing group stood stock still… except for one hero hopeful. Seeming to be phasing in and out between the other students as a cloud of black smoke. And taking first place in the race to kill the bots was Izuku Midoriya, his pearly white mask and oversized hoodie disappearing into the distance as the other students finally realized what was happening. 

Izuku wasted no time. A bright smile is hidden behind his mask as the burn in his chest flared. Dark energy pulled along the length of his nail, flickering like a black flame, seeming to lengthen the blade by inches. The dark energy around his sword reached its crescendo as Izuku slashed horizontally against the first small pack of robots. The black power, melting its way through the four one-pointers as Izuku leaped over them. Leaving them as small piles of halves.

Landing with a short roll Izuku kept his momentum. The Beating of his heart a war-drum on his one-man crusade. Quickly switching his grip on his sword, letting the blade point behind him. Izuku ran over to the side of a building, using his speed and the small cleat-like spikes on his shoes. Izuku jumped his foot finding, purchase on the concrete as his quirk's bone-like shoe spikes into the wall. And then he pushed off towards a group of three-pointers.

He landed on top of one, using his reversed grip to stab into the robotic monstrosity as he slid down its back. The moment his feet hit the road, the other three three-pointers attacked. Izuku's mind went into autopilot as he dodged the surplus of attacks, not paying attention to the sparkly laser that burned through one of his opponents. Swiftly cutting through the offending limbs of the robots, Izuku quickly finished off the two that were left.

Before Izuku could leave, he saw a robot had pinned down another contestant. He wasn't Katsuki, so Izuku ran over to the downed participant, easily prying the massive hulking machine off the other. Before the other contestant could speak, Izuku was sprinting again. Talking was a waste of time in the heat of battle... and his mask was up, so he couldn't if he wanted.

The song of battle inside Izuku played aloud as he ran into the brunt of the robot's forces. His heart was beating fast, and his brain was working overtime as the pool of heat in his chest grew. A flick of his hand and his sword was gripped regularly, the fiery feeling of his slash pooling double time in response to the hoard of mechanical beasts. He kept it pooling into the blade as he hacked through a large number of robots. Jumping on top of them, aiming for what he could guess was their heads making his way to the middle of the group.

Once he had managed to fight his way deep enough into the hoard, Izuku let the heat in his blade go. Spinning around, letting the attack out in a circle around him, slicing through his foes with pitch-black energy. 

A wave of cold shot through Izuku as he caught his breath, standing in the middle of a robot graveyard.

Not a thought of doubt entered his mind as he carried on. His worries were forgotten at the gate as he pushed himself and his quirk further. He didn't count his points. He only left a path that spoke for him.

Izuku had just cut down another small clutch of robots as he saw another participant get pinned under another contestant's kill... and then the contestant left the other person under the robot. With a breath of dissatisfaction, Izuku headed over and pulled the other participant free. He had done it more than four times since the start of the trial. Everyone seemed to forget Hero's HELPED others first. Izuku got a small thanks from the other test taker as he headed back into the fray.

He couldn't tell how long he had been at it. The rhythm of battle and the tempo of his heart kept him too occupied to care. No matter how deep into the city he got, the robots seemed to keep coming from all sides. Izuku kept an eye on the other fighters near him as he cleaved into the crowd of robots. He couldn't let them get hurt while he was near. A grunt of pain alerted him to his right as a new fighter joined the fray. Their skin seemed to be a rock to a point. Their bright red hair made them easy to keep an eye on but, they were being swarmed fast by three-pointers.

Not wanting to watch a possible classmate get hurt, Izuku charged the hoard. Once again, he jumped on top of the closest robot. Izuku jammed his sword into where he could only guess a large number of wires laid. While punching another in its lenses. Pulling his blade from the downed bot Izuku used his arm, which was stuck in the other robot, as leverage to jam his sword into the ground. The blade pierced the concrete than using the new anchor Izuku pulled his arm from the robot, freeing him. A quick glance showed that Izuku's arm was covered in small white lines that burned lightly, most likely from where sharp metal dug in.

The two downed three-pointers were quickly replaced by two more as the other contestant behind him finished off another. With a hidden grin, Izuku struck. The fire, while running low, provided enough to paint his sword in dark blacks. Jumping forward at the first three-pointer, Izuku cut into it using the weight of the robot. Izuku kicked off it leaving his blade hilt deep.

An explosion of dark energy erupted onto the two three-pointers next to the first, his disconnection from physically the blade caused its built-up energy to be released. 

Landing hard next to his partner in the fight, Izuku slammed his fist into the leg of one of the bots, messing with its center of gravity leaving it open. Izuku rushed to his blade and pulled it from its temporary hilt, and looked at the redhead. There were two left, the one with the broken leg and the one red was fighting. So Izuku carried on.

--

"Four Minutes Remaining!!!" Present Mic Screamed from his perch.

The other teachers, however, we're sitting in the darkened viewing room. Watching the hundreds of screens that lined the walls. Most of the teachers were excitedly picking out the students that impressed them the most. Some eyes were firmly glued from time to time to the student with assault on their record. That one was constantly blowing robots to bits and yelling at other participants. While different eyes were set on the only student with a sword and never spoke a word. The two students had entirely different approaches to the test, but both worked well.

One chose to simply bulldoze through the enemy, going for both big and small amounts, blasting robots into bits even at the expense of their fellow test-takers. While the other went after the most abundant groups. While leaving smaller groups to the others. And even going out of their way to wound bots for those who were having trouble. And pull others from harm.

They were also the two tops of the leader boards.

And both had the attention of a very smart white rat.

--

"Four Minutes Remaining!!!" Present Mic Screamed from his perch.

It sent a surge of panic through all the testing grounds and echoed through the heads of those who feared they still hadn't made the cut.

Izuku, however, hardly heard the yell. He had climbed to the top of a building to search for people to help, as he seemed to be the only one doing that. Since he helped the redhead. He had pulled another three students out of the way of danger and becoming floor paste. And even had to take a sparkly laser to the back to stop it from hitting another. But if he was being honest? Izuku had never had more fun than the test. 

He had never been able to let everything out, the training arena in the Dojo was too small to parkour around, and he couldn't fight in the city without it being illegal. His smile hadn't disappeared since he started. And then the ground began to tremble. A massive plume of smoke billowed from a point in front of him. Then, suddenly a gigantic hand gripped the tallest building in the faux city... and snapped it in half.

The smile on Izuku's face vanished as he watched the giant robot crush buildings under its massive treads and swat at others with its great arms. Izuku took a step back, then two. But he couldn't seem to go further as he fell to his butt, looking up at the beast dumbly.

And then he heard it.

"HELP!!"

His headshot to look at who was caught near the great beast, and Izuku's heart stopped. He only saw a flash of pink as he got to his feet and sprinted forward. The pink had been nearly crushed by a large amount of rubble. Only one person in their entire area had any pink on them... much less were pink.

Izuku's mind worked a mile a minute as his feet pounded the pavement, bounding feet and cracking the cement under him, tearing his shoes as he went. The heat in his chest flared brightly within him, the pseudo cuts on his arm mending with every step.

The robot continued its path, closer to the only person in YEARS to be nice to him. He would be damned if they got hurt any worse. He wished he actually said anything during their conversations. Izuku wished he had met a kind person like her before the test. He could have used a friend.

The scream of absolute terror of the robot's size caught in his throat as he skidded to a halt next to the pink- Ashido. Grabbing desperately at the blocks, Izuku heaved them off, mentally questioning why she didn't melt them like the robots she had been fighting. Quirk overuse. Her hands were covered in cuts and raw as she helped push the blocks off.

By the time the final block came off, the robot was too close. The burning of Izuku's quirk and in his throat hurt to contain. So Izuku ran to the colossus. If he had learned anything, the burning meant something. She was free, not safe.

So he needed to make sure she was safe.

The fire clawed at his throat, pain cascading through his body as he made his way under the bot. The most insignificant movements of the robot shook Izuku as he neared it, the heat building as he pushed past his limits. His heat was nearly empty. His exhaustion was peaking, and he had only hope in the heat in his throat. Suddenly He came to a halt under the monster of metal and wire. Blood pooled in his mouth from biting his tongue, and he screamed.

The pain of releasing a thousand angry demons from his throat couldn't describe the agony he was in. He felt his vocal cords strain to nearly snapping as he howled in rage at the robot. Every ounce of energy he had poured out into the attack. For every moment, he felt hatred at Katsuki. Every tear and bruise and cut. For every moment, he absolutely hated his teachers and classmates. Every time, Izuku thought about giving up and moving to a different dream. All Might.

The shockwave of sound shattered glass and caved a pit into the concrete around him. The howl carried to all the testing zones drawing the attention of everyone to the spectacle above Izuku. Ethereal Shapes formed of dark energy slammed into the Zero-Pointer. The reinforced steel of its waist tore like paper as it was assaulted by wraiths of agony. Just as the apparitions finished their assault and faded, a second set seemed to form out of nowhere. Eviscerating the chest of the Zero-Pointer. And in an instant, a third wave eclipsed the entirety of the Zero-Pointer. Leaving only the massive treads stationary as any reminder it was even there.

The sheer lack of heat within the vicinity of Izuku caused frost to build on the massive treads. Taking a deep breath, Izuku stood the pressure of the attack had knocked him to his knees in the initial moments. His body was fighting for him to fall unconscious. But he had a friend to get to the medical team.

Walking and stumbling with nearly every step, Izuku came to a shocked Ashido. With pain blasting through his form Izuku leaned down.  And with effort, picked up the taller of the two and walked them to the entrance gate.

Stumbling with every step as Ashido seemed to realize what had happened. Right before collapsing in front of Recovery Girl. Unconsciously tuning to take the brunt of the fall.

Chapter Text

An echoing crash reverberates through the viewing room. Soon followed by a small laugh... That soon dissolves into mad cackling as Nedzu pulls out his backup teacup. Even though the cup was useless as the tea that he poured missed said cup entirely.

Nedzu wasn't laughing at the fact his new student collapsed and promptly latched onto the person they were saving... Even though that was HILARIOUS! No! The best part of the performance as a whole? The look of HORROR on his colleague's faces! It had been YEARS since he had managed to bring such a look of pure fear into any one of their faces! Sure he had turned his... pranks down since he made half of the janitors quit out of pure annoyance. But it wasn't his fault his joy brought them such horror!

Just as Nedzu's laughter came down to a manageable level, he grabbed at his tablet, pulling up the future student's information. What he found made his brow raise.

--

Izuku Midoriya, Age 15, Quirk: Hollow. Mutation, Emitter, Transformation Hybrid.

Izuku Midoriya was found quirkless at age four by the local physician. However, after ten years, his quirk came in, look under file Dormant Quirks. He has the most prolonged case of dormancy in history. Making his quirk incredibly powerful. From his blood tests, it was found out that his quirk has yet to stop changing his body. Initially, his skin was replaced with a black chitin-like shell, but further tests show that it is made of a different material. But at the time, his blood was still red like normal; However, a month later, it was found that his shell-like structure had hardened considerably, and his blood was a black semi-liquid. It is theorized that after tests that showed the liquid broke down foods and materials into their base components, like a digestive system, that he most likely has no organs. His heartbeat is nearly nonexistent, only seeming to become detectable when under stress or doing a strenuous action.

Izuku has also been found to conjure a type of bone-like mask to cover his face. Through testing, it has been found that his senses are increased and his speech is reduced to non-functioning while it is active. He has also been able to, in need, make other objects out of the structure. It seems to cost nutrients from his body. It has been observed that he loses weight depending on the mass of the item. Items that he has made so far consist of a type of climbing ax that can dig into reinforced concrete easily, small spikes that cover the bottoms of his shoes to increase climbing stability.

His quirk also gives him a thermal pull, much like those with thermal manipulation quirks. However, when watched with a thermal imaging camera, the heat disappears when it enters him. When exposed to a large amount of excess biological heat. His body can overheat, much like a coldblooded creature. Only it acts as a pseudo panic attack. However, when put under a large amount of heat from a non-biological source, he does not experience the drawback. What he does with the heat after absorption is unknown at the moment.

Addendum, Izuku Midoriya can form the absorbed heat into black energy that seems to erode matter much like decay quirks any future uses have yet to be found.

The main drawback is an extreme mental drawback. It has caused one of the more interesting cases of QAD the Musutafu Central Hospital has ever seen. It causes a large number of depressive symptoms but completely shuts off emotion. A quote from Mr. Midoriya on how it feels, "I-Its kinda like... Like tinted glass almost. I- I know th-that I can feel emotions... It's just... Really hard to even notice anything beyond the glass."

In the naming process of the quirk, Izuku decided to use the name we had given to his quirk's detriment as the name of his quirk... Both the drawback and quirk are called Hollow.

--

A ten-year gap between when a person is supposed to get their quirk and when Izuku Midoriya got his... fascinating! A thermal pull? Nedzu hadn't seen a thermal manipulation quirk in YEARS! And the energy? That was the most exciting part! Most energy quirks were bright and colorful due to their effects on the light spectrum. Perhaps that part of the boy's quirk isn't energy? And the fact it was a triple Hybrid type quirk! Only dormant quirks were this interesting! Nedzu's soft smile turned wide, the once hidden sharp teeth glinting in the light of the monitors. He will be watching this one closely. If only for his own amusement.

Sitting next to Nedzu, reluctantly, sat Aizawa Shota. And while no one could exactly tell what he was thinking, with his sourpuss exterior, he was kinda proud of the kid. In his line of work, one would think he would forget his one-time student. But he never did. Aizawa gave the kid the best start he could without taking hours out of his day to teach the kid. He got updates from the quirk gym about the problem child often, mostly about how his quirk proficiency had shot up over the last couple of months. And when he raided a quirk trafficking den with the help of NailMaster Sheo the other day? Well, he didn't expect to get an earful about a small green-haired child taking the exam today while tying up villains.

He was getting the green one... and the pink one... and the exploding one... if Nedzu's expression told him anything.

Letting out a sigh, Shota stood, grabbing the scheming rat of a principle by the scruff of his neck as he walked out the viewing room. It was about time to ask for that raise.

A couple chairs over Power Loader stared at the screen in absolute horror. It took MONTHS to make a single Zero Pointer from even slightly damaged parts... He stood up and followed Eraserhead. He was going to need a raise.

———————————————————

Mina's brain must have short-circuited, and she died. It was the only explanation for how she woke up on a stretcher being cuddled by the small green bean she saw EVAPORATE THE GIANT ROBOT... to save her. The same scared and shy green bean that she rescued from a crowd. Risked his life and protected her when her skin hurt from her quirk and she couldn't move.

Mina's day had started great. She woke up a while before her alarm, her mind busy with thoughts about the exam. And laid stretched out on her bed until her mom called her for breakfast. And after rushing to get prepared for the exam, Mina headed to UA. Where she helped a small green bean from a crowd and made them into a new friend. A very small, cute, and easily flustered friend that was a lot like her.

Mina had always been a sort of outcast. Colorful skin was par for the course in today's society... but something that always seemed to cause problems was her eyes. To a kid who could only imagine a monster with black eyes that glowed in the dark, Mina was considered the incarnation of a nightmare from her fourth birthday. She went from one of the most influential kids on the playground, leading the crusades against boredom and helping the shyest from bullies... to being the one who needed to be saved, the one that was excluded.

It was a common truth throughout her life that kids were assholes. One day you have a best friend, one you can tell your darkest secrets, and then the next day, they throw you away. Nearly eight schools it took for other kids to get over themselves and look past her eyes. But by that time, Mina had a hard time looking in the mirror, a hard time getting past that it was her that caused kids to scream in fear or run. So she acted friendly and foolish, and stupidly brave to make even SOME friends. But that act even seemed to cause more hate to come her way from those who really hated her. From the bratty stuck-up girls making fun of her skin and her looks in the changing rooms; to just making her life harder and harder with their 'Pranks.' To the jocks that only flirted with her to make fun of her behind her back and telling her to her face that NO ONE could like the black-eyed demon. There even were a handful of teachers that told her to use makeup to cover up her 'condition.'

But now, there was someone who understood.  Someone that most likely got the same insults, and they could be there for each other. Mina saw a lot of how she used to feel in the eyes of the small, shy boy with branching white horns and bright green eyes, eyes with black like her's. One word makes his cheeks flare in a rosy red blush and, his eyes actually seemed to sparkle when she called him her friend. He was socially awkward and easily tongue-tied, that much she got from their first encounter after she saved him. But he was brave when he needed to be. He talked back to the tallest guy in their entire exam group, declaring he needed the oversized hoodie with a pout on his face, and rushed the giant robot to save her.

But throughout the exam, she saw him jump to save people. To protect those who were having trouble and wounded bots for those who were having trouble taking down robots themselves. It made Mina push herself harder. She took out more robots than she ever thought she could. Mina wanted to be as brave as him. So she tried to be a hero like he was during the latter half of the exam. She corroded paths for those stuck in collapsed buildings near the Zero-Pointer. And pushed another girl out of the way of the rubble that caught her in the end.

So here Mina Ashido was, being carried off by medical robots on a stretcher... being cuddled by her savior. Hopefully, her new friend wouldn't mind Mina putting her contact info into his phone... And she could use a picture of them cuddling as her contact photo!

---

After Mina was patched up by Recovery Girl, who took photos of Izuku cuddling up to her while mumbling about sending them to Inko. And told her that her little savior's name was Izuku. Mina was given directions to Izuku's apartment after agreeing to carry him home... Did he know Recovery Girl? But after getting her little friend situated in her arms, Mina headed to the Midoriya apartment.

On her way to the train, Mina saw people giving her questioning looks... and an angry look from a guy with very sharp-looking blond hair. Who seemed to be heading to the same train. And once inside kept glaring heavily in her direction. The train ride was relatively short, relative to her own, but thankfully it was on the path to her own station. She made sure to stand up gently to not wake Izuku as she walked out of the stopped train... followed by the angry guy shortly after. And after checking her phone's map way too many times, Mina arrived with her sleeping savior, tired but thankful that the longest part of the journey was over. 

After knocking a couple times, the door opened... revealing the Nailmaster Hero's? First Recovery Girl took photos of her and Izuku while doting on him like a grandmother... and now three of the tallest hero's on record crowded his front door. Sure... why not. 

Suddenly Mina was quickly shooed deep into the house by a green-haired woman who pushed the hero's out of the way like large over-excited dogs, even going as far as to tell them to back up while waving her arm like one would a dog. Mina could only guess that the green woman was Izuku's mom considering the hair, and Izuku was, with effort, extracted from Mina and laid on a couch. Suddenly a paper plate covered in tin foil that weighed a hefty amount was placed in Mina's hands as she was escorted out of the house again...

What?

Chapter Text

Hello! It’s the writer! Been a while, been busy, and haven't had time to write in the last few months, obviously. But with the last update of The Want To Go Home I have gained a lot of free time! So updates will happen more often now!

If you wish to support me, I have a twitter! It is @kuro945235232, it is a place I will pose updates and stuff! It also has a link to how to support me!

And my discord- https://discord.gg/Uu8xBKUkJq

However, if you do not, that is fine! Patrons will gain access to patron-only stuffs!
The Patreon is solely for those who enjoy what I write to support me and gain some bonuses in doing so.

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As Izuku woke from one of the best nights of sleep he had ever had, a raging stinging fire burned in his throat. But... Why did it hurt so much? The last thing he remembered was... dissolving a robot behemoth. And then carrying a hurt Ashido to the medical bots and then falling. WHAT IF HE FELL ON HER! he could have hurt her even worse! What if he landed on her leg and caused it to never be able to heal correctly? WHAT IF HE CRIPPLED HER! She would never be his friend! She would hate him! wait... UA had Recovery Girl! She would be fine! Hopefully...
.
..
...
HE DESTROYED THE ZERO POINTER!

Izuku’s memories of the event itself were fuzzy, if not a little, blotched with pain. The initial scream was of fear and pain, fear of failing to save the first... friend he had had in years, of not being strong enough to do more. And the pain was from the fire that blossomed inside of him at the moment he had felt empty of the heat he had been running on to heal his cuts and fuel his sword's black energy, but in those last moments, it felt like every ounce of heat he ever had was used. At that moment, as the wraiths erupted from Izuku, the heat of the entire faux city dropped rapidly, and Izuku himself was not spared from the temperatures. He had felt cold, nearly falling over from exhaustion and cold as the empty air above him mocked the existence of the Zero-Pointer. The ground around Izuku was cracked and frosted, like a night of freezing temperatures had occurred in mere moments, and the metal of the Zero-Pointer that was left had an icy haze.

The sudden buzz of a phone startled him. Moving from under his mountain of blankets, Izuku checked his phone... it was a text! From Mina? Did he already text her? Why were there hearts next to her name!? WHAT HAPPENED WHILE HE WAS OUT?

-
<3 Mina <3: So... I know it is weird, but I put my number on your phone! You should REALLY invest in a password? or the face or even fingerprint scanner lock! BUT! It has been nearly twenty-four hours since I got u to your house, and I am REALLY worried!

Izu! Izu!: I am fine. I think? My throat hurts from that thing I did but, other than that. I seem to be okay. Why is my name Izu Izu? And thanks, I'll put on the scanner thingy and a password.

<3 Mina <3: OH! That thing you did? The whole obliterating and like... just deleting the Zero-Pointer? That was probably THE COOLEST thing anyone ever has done in the history of awesome! Not to mention you saved me! OH! I wanted to know if you wanted to hang out? Like tomorrow because it is already late and everything but do you!

His brain shut down for a moment... Mina- Ashido, a person that was not his family, wanted to hang out with HIM? Anytime that has ever happened always ended with Bakugou hurting him... But this was the nice girl, Mina- Ashido. Hopefully, her meaning for hanging out means it as friends doing something fun. And not her drawing him into getting beat.

Izu! Izu!: Sure, what time? And where?

<3 Mina <3: I am thinking we should go explore the Mall! Not the big one but the smaller one near the edge of the shopping district, fewer people go there and, I have wanted to see what they have! It will be the perfect place for our date! And I will come and meet you at your train station tomorrow at noon!

Izu! Izu!: Okay, I will see you there.

His hands typed the final message automatically after he finished reading her message... DATE! Did she want to go on a date with him? Was that a mistype? Him, Izuku Midoriya, the pest of Aldera Junior High, the useless Deku...

His mind continued to wander as he slipped out of the mass of blankets, noticing that his favorite sweater, his deep green one, was shredded... and his sheets were a bit worn out and losing a lot of their integrity... and fraying. Maybe he should get a new color? They were sadly still All Might themed too and were usually hidden under the pile of new blankets that he had collected, so maybe, red? Like his shoes or perhaps green? Pink?

Pink... like his first friend?

That sounded nice.

The sounds of Izuku getting ready to head to the shopping district caused the four other people in the apartment to get ready to greet him and tease him. The Nailmasters had stayed the night after Izuku came home passed out. They slept around the couch on mattresses much too small. Not that they cared much. Being uncomfortable was a small price to tease their boy early in the morning.

The four adults sat patiently around the small dining table, the three larger of them squished together for there to be enough room for Izuku to fit at the table. However, they soon became impatient, messing with the cutlery and twiddling their hands together. The small green boy they were waiting for came out… in an oversized pink sweater.

It was obviously his mothers; they had seen her wear it when it was colder out. She was also a couple of sizes larger than him, and he also did not own any pink sweaters. The nail masters, Oro, Sheo, and Mato, could not help but release small sounds of delight at the sight. The boy was the smallest in the room; that was just how he was. But the oversized sweater sleeves went past his hands and almost to his knees. Made for an adorable sight to the other occupants of the apartment. Not to mention the mess of green bedhead that hung in a mane around his head.

Izuku looked blearily at the group of gawking adults around the table. He had no clean sweaters, so he decided to borrow one from his mom… and even though she had some green and other colored sweaters, the pink looked the most comfortable.

That was the only reason!

The young green-haired teen walked to the table and sat down at his spot, entirely unaware of the snicking Sheo as the exhaustion that still plagued his system refused to let go.

"When were you going to tell us you had a girlfriend dear?" Much to everyone's surprise, the first to start the teasing was Inko. And by the cheeky grin on her face, she was going to have a blast with this new ammunition.

Izuku was not expecting it. His entire body jolted in his chair, and his knee hit the underside of the table. His face started to light up a vibrant red. Instinctively, his mask came on in an attempt to block the embarrassment, however much to his disappointment. And to the joy of the surrounding family, his blush went through his mask. Making a rosy tint on the polished white substance.

His face soon slammed into the table as the pain in his knee hit through the embarrassment.

The laughing of the Nail Masters and his mom faded to light chuckles. And Sheo soon leaned over to his apprentice. "So... Pink huh?"

The little knight sat through the copious teasing and fought off pinching fingers that went to his cheeks as he finished off the breakfast his mom made with a renewed zeal. In Between bites, he explained the events of the entrance exam, from him getting stuck in the crowd and Ashido helping him get to the building in time. To him obliterating the zero pointer, much to the entertainment of the Nail Masters. And after cleaning his plate in the sink, he headed out, promising to be safe, not realizing that the three brothers were hot on his tail… to protect him, of course….

And even they missed the hooded figure of Bakugou chasing after Izuku in secret as well. To talk... maybe.

The little knight ignorantly jogged to the subway, boarding it and looking up cool hero fights he missed recently. While it had been put on the back burner, he still loved analyzing heros! And due to the vantage points, he was given due to his parkour training. He had been getting better at seeing how to deal with enemies from all kinds of angles!

The ride from the station to the shopping district was around half an hour, and the whole time Izuku sketched out the figure of a new hero on the scene, The Mercenary Hero: Clip. Standing nearly seven feet tall. The new hero was built like All Might and carried an arsenal of weapons... on them... in them? With their quirk, storage. While a not very showy quirk, it allowed him to hold nearly anything in a pocket dimension, and the only limit seems to be weight. He can only carry as much weight in the pocket dimension as he can carry on his person, and due to his physique and his released training program, it is theorized he can easily hold around 600~ pounds in the dimension. It is also theorized that his quirk also gives mild strength enhancement.

As the train pulled into the station, Izuku slipped his notebook back into… well him. And put his phone in his pocket. It was inspiring to see a hero with a more powerful version of one of the mild bonuses of his quirk; Do so well at both fighting and rescue! So far, Izuku could easily store around 53 pounds of things into his quirk. And this allowed him to carry around a medical kit, his sword, a few knives, and some snacks. As well as his wallet without the chance of it getting stolen!

He would definitely need to figure out how to train that part to store more.

Caught in his musings, Izuku was surprised to have a hooded… Bakugou?! Grab his arm and pull him out of the subway before he could, get trampled. He was thankful, but also, an unsettling feeling in his gut would not go away. The last time they interacted was when Izuku had beaten Bakugou up… Sure, it was an accident, and Bakugou had started it, but that does not change what Izuku had done!

So here he was. Being dragged by Bakugou to… actually, this was the store Izuku had to go to anyway! The grip was pretty tight. At first, it was hardly noticeable, probably because of his strengthened skin, but the fact Izuku was unable to even pull his arm free told him that it would be a struggle to get out of the grip.

They were heading to the place with the soft sheets… after mulling it over for a few moments, Izuku picked up his pace, walking in line with his once abuser and now… rival? No, an associate he despises sounded more accurate to their current standing.

The crowd around the two teens parted like a hot knife through butter. Perhaps it was because Bakugou looked so done with everything, or perhaps, it was the aura of sheer anger he radiated, but it was nice to not be trampled by people not paying attention. The hand gripped tighter on Izuku's forearm as the glass door opened to the relatively small shop. The smell of honey and Citrus that he had come to know the shop for tingled his nose as he unintentionally forgot about the other boy. His eyes darted to the bedding section. And in seconds spotted a warm salmon pink comforter and sheets, with a very soft looking fluffy blanket on sale next to it.

Suddenly a heavily calloused hand gripped the green-haired boy's face and forced him to look at Bakugou, who looked even more ticked off than usual, “pay a fukn’ tension when I am speaking to you Deku!” It came out as a forceful whisper rather than the yell Izuku anticipated.

“I'm only ganna say this once alright! Stay out of my way. I'm gonna be the next number one, got it? And if I gotta destroy you in the process then I will.” Izuku stared at the flaming red eyes of his tormentor yet could not bring himself to fear him.

“Wh- I umm- good luck? I… I will not make it easy on you?”

“… tch”

That was not the response Izuku was expecting. Bakugou's eyes hardened, and his grip released as he pulled his hand away from the shorter boy before he stormed out of the store.

Quickly shaking off the shock of how… non-violent that interaction was, Izuku looked back to the bedding section… He was gonna buy a heated blanket too! Perhaps they had one that was weighted?

Outside the store, Bakugou was sprinting away from three angry helicopter dads.

———————————————————

Izuku was having the time of his life! Other than the constant fear that the people around him would sooner or later trample him into dust, his visit to the store had gone splendidly! He had his new bedding, some new hoodies, and sweaters, and he found a small box of chocolates that he could give to mina when they met up… for their date… how does someone dress for a date?

Izuku’s feet almost tripped over themselves and his entire world did a one-eighty.

—

Mina was lying on her bed, the vibrant pinks and other neon colors of her room violently leered at her for procrastinating. But who could blame her? She was just so excited about going out with the small broccoli boi! Sure, she should be doing her workout… that was supposed to start thirty minutes ago, but it was the day after the entrance exam! And she got… kinda hurt. So she deserved to procrastinate!

Suddenly her phone, which was deposited in a pile of folded clothes she had yet to put up, buzzed just loud enough to draw her attention. A glance at the screen and she immediately swiped it up and opened it to her favorite person to tease.

Izu! Izu!: MINA

Izu! Izu!: I MEAN ASHIDO

Izu! Izu!: HOW DO YOU DRESS FOR A DATE!!

<3 Mina <3: hahaha! What? Is this your first date or sumthin?

Izu! Izu!: YES… help? Please? I only have hoodies and sweaters… and some old t-shirts… non of those seem appropriate. What should I wear?!

<3 Mina <3: ... That's adorable. I say just wear a sweater or something, I do not care really! As long as you are comfy!

Izu! Izu! Thank you!

Mina could not help the smile from forming on her lips. She had no idea what possessed her to say date in the earlier text. He was cute, overly so to a point she thought he was going to be a creep, only so far, he had yet to be. Not to mention how alike they were. From the black sclera to the horns to the weird skin, it was almost funny to her; After years of wanting a friend like her, a friend that might understand the distrust people put in those with odd mutations, one fell into her lap. Well… more like she saved him from a crowd, and his blushing face made her smile, so she decided to dive into a friendship headfirst.

Mina curled into a ball on her bed, a goofy smile growing. It was her first date too.

Tomorrow was going to be a good day.

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HEYO!!!!! How are yall? Good? Bad? Tell me about your day! Have you eaten anything good? Make something good? And LOOK I MADE SOME CONTENT! It only took forever but I’m back baby!

Thank you all for your comments and support!

Chapter Text

Time for a cute chapter!

Maybe~

Also February 1’st, hopefully, the day this is uploaded, is writer's birthday!! woohoo!

If you wish to support me, I have a Twitter! It is @kuro945235232, it is a place where I will post updates and stuff! It also has a link to how to support me!

And my discord- https://discord.gg/Uu8xBKUkJq

However, if you do not, that is fine! Patrons will gain access to patron-only stuff!

The Patreon is solely for those who enjoy what I write to support me and gain some bonuses in doing so.

Oh ya, I got a comment complaining about power inconsistencies, and then they brought up the fact that Izuku overheated… while having a panic attack… with feeling hot and uncomfortable as one of the main signs of a panic attack… Well that and trouble breathing etc, etc. I’m just going to guess they were like 12 and don’t understand mental states and emotional problems and mental disorders.

But so far the only thing I think I have had a problem showing is the durability against damage, but anyway unto the fic!

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Izuku Midoriya, Age 15, Quirk: Hollow. Mutation, Emitter, Transformation Hybrid.

Izuku Midoriya was found quirkless at age four by the local physician. However, after ten years, his quirk came in. Look under file Dormant Quirks. He has the most prolonged case of dormancy in history. Making his quirk to be incredibly powerful. From his blood tests, the results showed that his quirk has yet to stop changing his body. Initially, it was believed that his skin was replaced with a black chitin-like shell. But, further tests show that it is made of a different material. 

At the time of the original blood test, his blood was still red like normal; However, a month later, it was found that his shell-like structure had hardened considerably, and his blood was a black semi-liquid. It is theorized that after tests that showed the liquid broke down foods and materials into their base components, like a digestive system, he most likely has no organs. His heartbeat is nearly nonexistent, only seeming to become detectable when under stress or doing a strenuous action.

 -Basics Continued-

Drawbacks: 

Drawback: Primary: Hollow: Mental:

-expand-

Medication: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) Lvl 12, quirk grown category. Named Antine Emotion Reactivator

Side Effects: Sleeplessness, drowsiness, high functioning emotions, confusion, derealization, stomach pains, headaches, migraines, anxiety, and may cause extreme panic attacks.

Drawback: Secondary: Physical: Overheat: 

After continued use of powers beyond the base durability and bone-like creations, such as the black energy he can form with conscious effort, the heat nullification ability of his quirk seems to malfunction. Working theories are that making the energy causes the heat his body stores to be brought out by force. This also brings up the odd question, why does his body fail at thermoregulating?

The original theory was that the lack of any base circulatory system was the cause. However, Izuku's body seemed to be able to limitlessly absorb temperatures of up to 300 degrees Ferinhight without effort, and heats of up to ~530 with some trouble. This leaves his chitin-like skin extremely hot to the touch if he cannot absorb all the heat. This however also makes the chitin brittle. The fact he can absorb so much however is the cause of a theory that heat may be the primary energy source of his body. Or at least, his quirk's other functions.

Heavy use of the abilities that use the heat likely drains him on a 7:1 scale (working numbers for now). Let's say, for instance, he uses a thin burst of energy, and it has a heat of 200 degrees Ferinhight. Then the theoretical heat his body would need to use is 1400 degrees of thermal energy that his body had stored up. And add on his body’s use of the heat for basic things like digestion. The chances of him draining whatever stores he has is likely. So when he uses a large amount of energy in moments, not only does it seem to reduce his body’s capabilities, but it is also bad for his health. As the fact that when he does drain the pool of energy, it seems that his quirk tries to devour what it can to replenish itself. 

Thankfully, he has yet to cause this outside of a quirk testing facility.

This information, however, does not explain his complaints of hot flashes when he has a panic attack. That can be attributed to the medication for his mental drawback. His body temperature does not rise. However, his mind believes it is. Thus the feeling of overheating; However, more in-depth study should be done before this can be taken as fact.

Addendum: 

Mrs. Midoriya has requested extensive research into more effective antidepressants and mental quirk drawback medicine.

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Sudden knocking on her door woke Mina up with a start. She had not been able to sleep well. Her mind had been racing all night and gave her no time to sleep. She had been going over what she and the little green bean could do during their date. Constantly making up plans and disposing of others that did not seem right, going to karaoke? That would put the ball of anxiety Izuku was into an instant panic attack. The movies after the shopping trip would likely work, but any new films would have a chance at being packed, and she did not know what he would even want to watch… What was his taste in movies? Did he like horror? They could watch Alien! And if he got scared, she could do some *romance!*

A second set of knocking and a doorknob clicking signaled the door being opened. Which came to reveal the silhouette of her brother, his gangly form and tall thin horns making it easy to figure out it was not her dad. 

"Hey weirdo," She definitely did not need to hear her brother's voice at this time of day, "me and the parents are going out for the day, do not destroy the house, capiche?"

Mina's dignified response was to throw a stuffed Zenomorph at him. Her aim went true and hit him square in the face. But he was quick on the retaliation and spiked the stuffed animal into her bed, into her. And he finally started to close the door, with a parting, "Dont touch my stuff," as the door clicked shut. And the darkness of the room took residence. Leaving the fluorescent stars that dotted the ceiling to greet her.

Then it hit her like a brick. Her family was going to be out all day. Izuku would likely not want to stay in public for too long, anxiety and all that. Where better to watch a movie than where she knew all the best movies were?

—

A sudden thump alerted the Ashido household that the resident ball of energy was up. However, ten in the morning on a Saturday… the world might have been ending. Not once in the last couple of years were they able to get Mina up on a Saturday before twelve, and that’s on a good day.

But watching the regularly sleeping girl rush around the house, her brush tangled in her hair, in her pajamas and sockless, was definitely one of the funniest mornings they have had in a while.

As the parents and oldest sibling walked out the door, Toketa Ashido, the mother of the family, decided to speak up about the whole lack of socks. “Hon? Please put some socks on… the floor is cold. And if you get a cold, we won't be able to watch a movie tomorrow like we planned.” And then she shut the door.

As for Mina, she was cleaning up basically the whole house. The houses' fabrics and furniture were acid resistant, and the wood floors were coated in an acid-resistant coat. So cleaning the floors of the thin layer of dust was a quick job. The next thing she needed to do…

Clothes! She had completely forgotten to get an outfit ready the day before! Scampering up the stairs of the house and back into her room, with a cup of coffee in hand, the pink girl slipped into her closet and threw nearly half its contents onto her bed.

What followed was nearly an hour of throwing on different outfits and finding that no, none of them did not have a midriff. Which would definitely make the boy who was as skittish as a rabbit shut down. But what could she do?

Okay so maybe she did have clothes that did not have a midriff, but those weren't cute!

She had eventually decided on a black top that said Acidic! With a chibi Xenomorph sleeping under it, a pair of black jean shorts, and a pair of long socks. And yes! She did look good! Her skin gave the outfit enough color as it was, neons were just not necessary!

Mina checked her phone and grabbed a small backpack covered in pins and random colored ornaments. It was 11:10, giving her time to get to the mall's station and even be a bit early! 

—

Izuku was used to all nighters.

That much he knew, however, the reason he couldn't sleep that night was not of the usual.

Usually, he was watching hero videos, writing analyses, and brainstorming how he, with his new quirk, could beat them.

This night, however, it felt like he was going to throw up. His stomach was aching as he laid under the pile of blankets, the soft new pink sheets were fluffy, meant for winter and the conservation of heat. But he still felt chilly.

What if she was in cahoots with Bakugou? Was earlier this morning, when Bakugou told him to stay out of his way, a warning? Mina seemed nice, yes, too nice. She had calmed him from a panic attack, stood up for him, and even took him home while he was passed out. But what did he do to deserve any of that?

She saved him from being taken by the crowd of people in front of UA.

.

.

.

Izuku slipped out of his bed silently with a practiced ease, from nights of sleeplessness and depression he had learned the floorboards and their notes, and how to not play them.

The soft click of the door as he snuck out of his room was the only tell.

Suddenly Izuku found himself on the roof of his and his mom's house, paid for by her lofty position in the medical field, and stared at the rising sun, its form peaking just slightly over the horizon.

He had cried up there before, caring for his small garden of plants out of sight of the neighbors who worried about how much time he spent on that roof when he was home. And out of the view of his neighborhood bullies.

But at that moment, he was using the bucket he kept up there to throw his guts out into. The stress of what was going to come that day was almost too much. It left his stomach in knots.

Somehow, even if she was really a good person, he would find a way to mess up the day, his first friend, the first person outside of his family he could say for certain seemed to find interest in him, and he was going to fuck it up.

He could only laugh as the small flowers waved in the wind, some of them knocking into his legs. A few hours had passed, and he had to meet Mina at the mall’s station at noon.

Izuku climbed back into the warmth of the apartment, a shiver running up his spine as he realized it was the twenty-seventh hour he had been awake without sleep.

Izuku got dressed in a black pair of jeans, lined on the inside with soft insulation, a shirt that had the kanji for sweater plastered in black on the front, and then the liberated pink sweater he wore the day before.

It was not much, but it was the best he had.

Checking his phone, Izuku realized that he had four hours before he needed to be at the mall, so doing a stretch, the young greenet ate breakfast with his mom and headed out for a run.

Perhaps he could run all the way to the mall?

It took a while. But Izuku found out that he could in fact run all the way to the mall and have thirty minutes to spare. Sure he stopped a few times along the way to pet some animals, but he made it! But here he was now sitting on a dirty bench in a crowded train station, with his legs burning, and no one familiar in viewing distance? He was not happy to be there.

Not at all.

In fact, he felt like he was going to throw up again.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, Izuku spotted a semi-familiar color of pink, and when he turned his head, he couldn't help but blush instantly,

—

Mina couldn't sit still the entire ride! She was constantly moving her feet, tapping to the beat of the song her earbuds were playing while scrolling through countless videos and pictures on the internet. She had even seen a few from one of her recent follows, @TheNailmasters_Sheo_Oro_Mato. Usually, she didn't follow many heroes, too much merch placement than actual media. However, their feed was amazing, small clips of their training, pictures of their top students, food that Mato found interesting, Sheo’s paintings, and even Oro’s stricter teaching.

More than once had she seen Izuku, the first she found was a post congratulating him on beating Sheo, which was surprising, in a training match. The next was one of Mato’s food videos, however, it was in a home and not a restaurant, and sitting just slightly off-screen, was a familiar head of green hair.

She continued scrolling through the account, finding him in every other picture or video, and after doing some digging through the comments, even found an account that theorizes that he is their adopted son.

Her mouth shifted into a smile, she already had pages of material to make him embarrassed, and she had just found more. Quickly screenshotting some of the more embarrassing photos, Mina got ready as the train reached its station. It’s a heavy hiss as it slowed to a stop, and the rush of passengers as everyone hurried to get out.

Mina made it out quickly, slipping between the crowd and keeping her eyes out for anyone with curly green hair. As she slipped between two groups of teens, she spotted him, his green hair with the pale bone-like horns that curved out of his head making it easy to spot, however, he looked kind of freaked.

As she slipped closer through the crowd she spotted his relatively heavy breathing, and as soon as she got close, how small his pupils were.

She quickly sat down next to him, making her movements over-exaggerated as she grabbed his hand and stood up with him, and led him through the packed station to outside.

New idea, don’t ask to meet in a crowded place.

As soon as they were outside the cramped station and into the open air, Mina set out to look for somewhere calm. She had been here before, so where could she go to help calm him?

Suddenly it hit her, there was a park nearby!

—

When Mi- Ashido sat next to him, his breathing was rough, and he felt overheated.

He had been fine! Just a bit winded from the trek to the mall, yet when the nearby trains opened, it revealed a massive swarm of people. His heart dropped.

And now here he was, being led somewhere, being saved again from his fear, he had gotten his breathing mostly under control as they entered through a large open gate, into a walking path in a small park.

She continued leading him over to the largest tree, which was vacant of people, and sat down, pulling him down with her.

He closed his eyes, being seated in a much more quiet place helped his heart rate, and the warm presence near him helped him even further, the heavy arm that was draped around his shoulders. 

He was being hugged, wasn't he?

.

.

.

Suddenly, as if shaken out of a trance, Izuku shot up, sitting straight up, while before he had been leaning, and nearly laying on Mina- Ashido.

Oh no.

Izuku’s face seemed to shift from pale to pink, to a flaming red. He was beginning to apologize to her before he was stopped by her hysterical giggling.

It was adorable…

And infectious.

Soon the boy who was on the verge of a panic attack was now giggling at something! He had no idea why!

Eventually, the two teens calmed down, and sat in the shade of the large oak tree, before a still grinning Mina grabbed Izuku’s hand and stood up, pulling him along. They had maybe sat under the tree for half an hour, enjoying the calm of the small park.

“Come on I-Zu-Ku! Were ganna watch a movie!” She said with a sharp-toothed grin.

“W-wait? What about the mall?”

She gave a slight giggle, “I'm glad you wanna try to go, but let's be honest, you’d be too scared to have fun. So instead, we're gonna go watch a movie at my place!”

She gave his arm a tug, and that was when he realized they were holding hands…

“Y-your place!!!”

——————————————————

Boarding the train with a pretty girl holding his hand. Two things that made him feel two great emotions, one brought anxiety and one brought embarrassment, and his mind couldn't figure which of the two to focus on.

His hand felt warm… hell almost all of him felt warm, it might have been the near full-body blush he knew he had. And his mind did want to focus on the group of teens that were whispering about them, or the middle aged salesman standing three feet away. Or the fact the train was almost packed.

But nothing could get past the constant thought that kept repeating in his head.

“Her hands are soft.”

It was like an anthem that only he could hear. Much like his fast heartbeat that beat in his ears. But he would be damned if Mina couldn't hear the words going through his head, because of the grin she was giving him. She had to know exactly what he was thinking.

Izuku hardly even noticed when the train stopped, his brain still fried, but he came to as he was led out of the train station, and after a bit of walking on auto pilot, they came to a relatively large home. Standing around two stories the home looked cozy, and unlike the other homes in the area, it was colorful, it’s main paint being a striking blue. And the garden around the house was filled with a large amount of pink and orange flowers.

He was tugged to the door and led inside, the smell of citrus and lavender hit his nose instantly. He quickly took off his shoes and put in the pink slippers Ashido handed him.

The entryway was well lit, and from where he stood, so was the rest of the house. The wooden floors had a sheen to them, and the furniture was made out of all kinds of different colors and covered in all kinds of patterns.

“S-so… what are w-we watching?” Izuku asked as he turned to the taller of the two, but instantly felt a spike of fear. She looked like she was planning something… dastardly.

“Oh, you know, we are just ganna watch my favorite movie of all time! I think you will love it! It’s got aliens~” as she said this she turned on the TV, where already ready, was a movie screen, with the word alien in bold. 

The font was already spooky.

Izuku situated himself in the leopard print couch, as Ashido got the place ready, bringing down a stack of blankets and bringing out a large bowl of popcorn.

Izuku payed the blankets over himself and the rest of the couch as she brought in the popcorn, and while he tried to keep a semblance of distance from the pink girl, scooting to one end of the couch. However she plopped herself down right next to him, and clicked play.

Thirty minutes later and what little room was between them had vanished, while inraptured with the movie, Izuku was still a scaredy cat. The bowl of popcorn had been forgotten as Izuku clutched to Mina’s side, the shit eating grin never left her face as she laid one arm over him.

And it only got bigger as the Xenomorph killed one of the cast. Causing the boy to jump in fright and dig himself deeping to her side.

By the end of the movie, the lack of sleep finally caught up to the smaller boy, the adrenalin of the day wearing out all resistance to sleep as he passed out pressed into the side of the pink girl. It was still early in the evening, the move and the actions of the day only taking place in around four hours, Mina’s family would not be home until late, so when she turned off the movie, flicked off the lights, and got ready to take a nap with the sleeping boy, she couldn’t help the smile.

Even through all the movement she had done, he was still attached to her like a koala.

Chapter Text

An hour and a half had passed since the two teens fell asleep for their nap. Mina lay awake for the last twelve minutes, the room's quiet only broken by the rhythmic breathing of the boy beside her. It was nearing dinnertime, and she knew the date wasn't over yet.

But her planning had been… distracted every few seconds by the light shifting of the boy next to her. Well… Next to her was a bit off. She was spooning him to be exact. And boy howdy did he fit nicely in her arms.

Mina’s thoughts were silenced as the smaller of the two rolled over in their sleep. Now he was facing her, the afternoon light shined onto his face, illuminating the freckled cheeks in a warm light. Mina herself had felt pretty warm the entire time of their nap, but it was then that she noticed that Izuku was shivering. He did say he wore his clothes for a reason right?

A sly smile placed itself on her cheeks, his reaction when he woke up will be worth the embarrassment.

Mina's arms, which were already loosely around the boy, tightened, pulling him closer until their chests touched. She could feel his cool body temperature through the fabric, and a tiny flutter tickled her stomach. She loved this—the feeling of him being close, the way he blushed whenever she got too close. She wasn’t entirely sure why it made her heart beat a little faster, but she decided not to think too hard about it. For now, she just wanted to enjoy the moment and see that adorable, flustered expression on his face. She quickly shoved the thought aside, but her cheeks remained flushed, a shade darker than her usual pink, closer to a bright violet encompassing her cheeks as she noticed how close she had brought him at that moment. Small curls of green hair lightly tickled her face as she lightly shook the sleeping boy.

“Come on Izuku~ Wake up~”Mina whispered, her voice soft with a mix of teasing and tenderness, her face still alight from the closeness.

Slowly, Izuku’s eyes opened, drowsily closing and reopening before staying open in a squint. His green eyes looked around for a moment, taking in the world around him before they caught Mina’s, who had been staring him dead in his eyes the entire time.

His breathing completely stopped for a moment.

And then the vibrant red blush began, and in moments he was wiggling, trying to roll away from Mina, who only held on tighter, her own blush stagnant but the smile on her face growing in intensity.

It was time to enact stage two of wake up the green bean.

Mina’s arms, which were tight around Izuku’s waist, left her hands in perfect positions for tickling. And tickle she did, she began moving her fingers fast against the thick cloth of Izuku’s sweater, her nails making enough friction through them for the sensation to hit Izuku.

A small giggle began budding through his throat, and Mina began tickling even more ferociously. The soft giggles turned into laughter, which turned into snorting and gasping laughs as Mina refused to give in. She had moved from being next to him to being on top of him, her position giving her leverage over Izuku and turning him into a mess of giggles. 

His training did not prepare him for such an attack.

His sides and chest heaved and ached from the copious laughs that were being forced on him, he could feel small pinprick tears on the edges of his eyes and his cheeks hurt from smiling.

“You awake now? Or do I gotta keep going greeny?~” A silly grin was plastered on her face as she kept tickling him, her words spoken in a sing-song voice.

“P- ahahha- ple- please! S-stop!” Izuku managed to spit out through his laughter.

“Haha! I don’t know, seems like you're still sleeping~” The cheery tone she used abruptly stopped as she was knocked off of the smaller of the two, now he was on top of her, his face flush and a wide grin plastered on his face. His chest heaved as he caught his breath, his hands keeping hers to the leopard print couch.

Mina felt herself freeze as the green-haired boy's smile went from tired to troublemaking, the glint in his eye mischievous. In a quick movement, her arms were pinned by one of his and his other was assaulting her sides. A cacophony of giggles began to dance from Mina’s lips, her entire body thrashing under the shorter of the two. 

Izuku felt his own smile get bigger as her cheeks began to tinge purple. 

He was screwed, wasn't he?

The tickling match continued for a few more moments, before it finally slowed, both of them panting and laughing. Mina was lying on her back, a big grin plastered on her face. “Okay, okay, truce!” she giggled, holding up her hands in surrender. 

Izuku, still breathless and blushing, nodded with a grin. “Truce,” he agreed, helping her to her feet. As their laughter faded, the two teens shared a warm smile, the kind that said they weren’t quite ready for the day to end just yet. 

After quickly making sure he had his wallet, phone, earbuds, and, in his “inventory” as Mina had called it, he made sure he had his nail and a few snacks. “All set?” Mina asked, already halfway to the door. 

Izuku nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. “Y-yeah, let’s go!" He spoke, a small bit more energy in his steps as he followed her from her house to the train station, they made small talk the whole way, taking a few alleyways to make it to the train quicker.

Once on the train, they sat in comfortable silence for a few moments, the low traffic train letting Izuku calm down for a moment. Mina leaned over to show Izuku a meme on her phone, one featuring a dancing cat in a hero costume. He snorted, trying not to laugh too loudly. “That’s ridiculous,” he said, but his eyes were bright with amusement. 

“Your turn!” she grinned. Izuku hesitated, scrolling through his saved memes—most of them were motivational quotes, pictures of Sheo, Oro and Mato doing idiotic things during training at the dojo. And many pictures of his plants he had growing on the roof of his house. He finally settled on one of the few actual memes he had, it was a confused raccoon looking at a pile of garbage, with the quote “why can't I hold all this trash?” Mina gave a small giggle at it, “Okay, not bad, Green Bean, but we gotta work on your meme game,” she teased, nudging his shoulder lightly. Before snatching his phone from his hand and scrolling back to the dojo pictures.

“Now these are treasures,” she said with a snort, zooming in on a picture of Izuku being carried by Sheo, Izuku’s pouting face visible while being carried like a briefcase. Izuku reached for his phone, only to get flicked on the forehead by Mina, “come on Izu~ you gotta share these cute pictures with me. I mean look at this one!” She revealed a picture of him sleeping in the dojo, Mato’s large cloak draped over him like a blanket, while Oro stares at the camera with a scowl, sitting still as Izuku leaned on him. 

They continued like this for a while, looking through his extensive photo library of his last 8 months with glee, and his face only grew redder the more she doted on the images. However the train was slowing down, she handed him his phone back with a cheeky grin, putting her own phone back into her pocket as the train came to its slow stop.

As the train pulled into its stop, Mina quickly pulled the small boy up and out of there, and towards a dainty little coffee shop she had found a few weeks prior, and as it was only ten or so minutes away from the station, it seemed like a nice place to start their evening off at. “You're gonna love it Izu! It's a cat cafe! One of my friends from school was talking about it, and said it had and I quote the best cat-themed coffee and sweets around!” Her voice was full of passion as she pulled Izuku into the pastel building. “That and i've been here once or twice!”

As they entered the pastel café, the rich aroma of freshly ground coffee and sweet chocolate filled the air, mingling with the subtle scent of vanilla. The soft clinking of ceramic cups and the gentle hum of quiet conversation made the place feel cozy, almost magical. A tabby cat stretched lazily on a pastel blue cushion by the window, while a fluffy white kitten batted playfully at a feather toy near the counter. Izuku smiled, feeling a wave of nostalgia wash over him, the warmth and scent of the place reminding him of his first parkour lessons and the comforting taste of his first real cup of coffee. He accidentally fell into this woman's back balcony, where he was given a cup of coffee and some pointers between terrible puns that made him giggle for no reason.

“Is that the little twerp who fell onto my balcony?! Well, I’ll be a monkey's uncle HAHAHA! Or would it be a monkey’s aunt?” With a swift, almost acrobatic leap, a woman vaulted over the counter, her pastel teal hair bouncing with each step. Her orange bandana flared like a pirate flag in a storm, and her grin was as bright as the sun. This happened as soon as the two teens walked into the pastel cafe, shocking them both.

“It's been like two months kiddo! and you seriously never came by since the last time! Did you make it into UA? I told you I might be able to get you a recommendation at Ketsubutsu if it didn’t go well… Now, who is this fine young lady you're with?” The very colorful lady raised an eyebrow at the two, elbowing Izuku as his face turned redder, “Well, look at you, scoring a date like a pro!” Ms. Fukukado teased, nudging Izuku with her elbow. “You couldn’t string two words together when you fell onto my balcony, but now here you are, all smooth and charming!” She winked at Mina, who stifled a giggle. “I’m so proud, kid!” she added with a hearty laugh.

“I… um hi ag- again Ms. Fukukado… S- sorry for not talking to you in a while… I- I did actually g-get into UA!” He finished off with a stutter, his eyes averted from her as he spoke.

“Well that's swell kid! I am so~ happy to hear that, I think this moment deserves a joke!” The woman closed her eyes for a moment, thinking deeply, before bringing up a gloved hand, “Aha! Got it! Why did the hero student bring a ladder to school?”

Izuku had a few ideas on what to say, but couldn't bring himself to guess wrong, “Uh… I-I don’t know… why?”

“To go to the next level! And it looks like you’re climbing it just fine with that lovely date by your side!” She exclaimed with a wink, bringing both hands to her mouth to make a goofy smile as she chuckled, clearly amused by her own joke. Mina burst into giggles and Izuku blushed even deeper, trying to hide a small smile. 

Ms. Joke was a great hero, even if she was on a small hero leave to get her cat stores up and going. Izuku hoped that he would see her more when the schools did large inter school tests. “Anyway kids,” The smiling hero looked over to Mina, “It's nice to meat you!” she spoke quickly, putting a cat toy that looked like a fish on the counter, “But what can I get ya? This is a cafe after all, I think I know what you want.” She made a nod at Mina, “you’ve been here a lot recently, but you never know, could decide to choose something different, like… Matcha maybe~” The laughter hero looked over at Izuku with a sly grin at that one.

Mina chose to ignore the teasing, preferring to not acknowledge the lilac blush on her cheeks at the hero’s teasing, “I want a M-” Mina had to suppress a blush at saying the name of this drink, “A Meow-Matcha please.” 

Ms. Joke kept a shit eating grin on her face as she turned to Izuku, “And you dear?”

“Uh, can I get a… Whisker Wonderland?” His voice barely above a whisper as he nervously eyed the colorful menu, his eyes scanning the various prices, “ah- a small one please.”

“Nope!” Ms. Fukukado started, grabbing two of the largest sizes she offered, “Kids who get into hero school get their drink on the house here.” She said with a grin getting all the ingredients for their drinks out in a few smooth motions, “Now go find a seat kids, I’ll bring them to you.”

Before Izuku could argue he was dragged to a small corner booth, the only other people in the cafe was a… person in a yellow sleeping bag with around twelve cats curled on top of it, and a purple haired teen passed out at their booth.

As they settle into the café’s corner booth, a small black cat sauntered over to the two, Izuku just settling into the thickly padded cushions with a content sigh, and Mina snapping a quick picture of the short greenett, a very loud and angry meow caught their attention. They both looked down at the small kitten, its wide green eyes staring up at Izuku, before it pounced at his sleeve. Its small hook-like claws catching onto the long sleeve began its vicious assault, chewing and biting at the fabric, releasing angry meows as it did.

In reality the small thing barely even affected the sleeve, but the sight was too cute for Izuku, and much less Mina to try and stop. A few minutes passed of them taking, nearly two hundred images of the cat between the two of them, and the smell of their respective drinks washed over them. Looking up from the cat, its rage subsided into it becoming a small void on his lap, its soft snores the only sound coming from it. Izuku’s eyes met Ms. Jokes “Ah, looks like Mochi’s chosen you! Better watch out; she doesn’t let go easily!” She spoke with a grin, setting the drinks down. Izuku’s was a white chocolate mocha topped with whipped cream and silver sugar sprinkles to mimic a cat's whiskers in the snow. It has a slight minty smell coming from it, which greatly piqued Izuku’s interest.

She sat down Mina’s which was a matcha green tea latte with a swirl of coconut milk, topped with a matcha powder paw print. “Now you kids enjoy it, I remember getting into my hero school, it was one of the best feelings.” she said with a small smile, before walking back to the counter as a new customer came in.

The two took sips of their drinks, enjoying the taste for a moment before they got into talking. Izuku’s eyes flicked across the room, taking in the details as Mina made a satisfied sigh while sipping her drink, before they began to stray to a news broadcast playing quietly on a TV angled to just be in his vision. The camera shows a distant dark forest, the headline speeding across the screen, “twelve elementary school students missing, hero investigations of the local forests underway.” 

The café's warm light seemed to dim for a moment. Izuku’s fingers tightened around his cup, his eyes narrowing slightly at the screen. The anchor spoke quickly, their eyes seeming to catch Izuku’s, while the tv’s audio was low, he could make out mentions something about strange phenomena and a ‘hero investigation’ underway, the only lead they had was a flash of light within eyes view of the elementary school. Izuku glances over, feeling a faint chill run down his spine, but shakes it off when Mina asks him a question. 

He gives a quick and small yawn, “I- i’m sorry, I zoned out hard, this cat is purring up a storm.” which he didn't lie about, the cat was very loud.

“I asked Izu, what's your relation to the sword hero’s? Is one your dad or something?” Izuku spat out a small mouthful of his sweet drink. 

However in the back of his mind, he couldn't forget the forest he saw on the screen.

“N-NO! None of them are my dad, they are just my masters at the dojo!” he spoke quickly, his face bright red.

Chapter Text

“N-NO! None of them are my dad, they are just my masters at the dojo!” he spoke quickly, his face bright red.

He did a double take to the TV for a moment, before finally pushing it from his mind. But as he looked over at Mina, her sparkling golden eyes were boring holes into him. “I swear none of them are my dad, if they were I’d be like… way taller!” he mumbled the last part into his drink.

Mina leaned back into her booth, still staring at him with those beautiful golden eyes. The cozy hum of the café buzzed in the background, and the faint scent of coffee mingled with Izuku’s minty drink. He tried to focus on the warmth of his cup instead of Mina’s piercing gaze.

Izuku must have timed out for a moment, stuck nervously sipping on his drink as she brought a hand to her chin and rubbed it for a moment. “So.. is one going to become your step dad?” her eyebrows were knit together in a deep contemplative expression, and before he could object to the question, she continued, “Or.. All three?”

Izuku sat down his drink, his face burned as he tried to find the right words, his fingers twitching nervously as he sat up in the booth, “No!” he sputtered out, his face continued to flush a deeper red, and he felt like his brain was overheating. Waving his hands frantically, almost knocking over his drink as his thoughts tumbled over each other in a panicked mess. “Listen! They. are. All. Friends.” he stammered out, her teasing question left Izuku flustered and without a comeback, he reached back to grab his phone and scrolled to nearly the bottom of his phone's pictures. He pulled up the only recent picture of his family together and he faced his phone towards the pink girl. “My Dad might not live in Japan right now, but that doesn't mean my moms looking for a boyfriend!”

Mina let out a quick giggle and grabbed the phone from his hand, “Ooh let me get a closer look greeny.” She took a few moments to look over the picture, nodding her head slowly. Mina zoomed in, her eyes flicking from Izuku’s younger self to the adults around him. “Aww, look at those chubby cheeks! And that shy little smile- adorable~. I bet you were like, a total mama’s boy, huh?” She chuckled out with a Cheshire smile as she zoomed in on ten year old Izuku’s far more round face. “So~ you're a late bloomer? Or were the changes slowly coming in? I haven't met anyone who went past five with their quirk still inactive.” Her face was alight with curiosity and a more soft something entered her eyes as she handed the phone back.

Izuku pocketed his phone quickly, the heat on his face more apparent, but not from normal embarrassment. He looked up at Mina, whose whole body was seeming to shake with excitement. The café’s cozy hum seemed to fade, replaced by the pounding of Izuku’s heart in his ears. The sweet scent of coffee felt suddenly cloying, and the warmth that had been comforting moments ago now felt suffocating. He struggled to find his voice under Mina’s unrelenting gaze. “I.. I was a late bloomer-” he began.

“That's crazy!” Mina interrupted him with a small outburst, which made him sink into his seat a bit, and sent the cat in his lap to jump and scamper away. Mina’s mind raced as she put the pieces together. A late-blooming quirk was almost unheard of, especially at Izuku’s age in the picture. Most kids had their quirks by four or five—six at the latest. But Izuku? He’d been almost a teenager. “I’ve read about dormant quirks before, but this... it’s different. What triggered it? A shock? A training accident? Or something else?”

Mina’s eyes sparkled as she leaned in closer, her fingers tapping rhythmically on the table in a show of impatience. “So, you were just this adorable green puffball waiting for something to happen, huh? But this picture… five years ago? That’s pretty late for a quirk to show up.” Her voice softened as she studied his expression, her playful tone edged with genuine curiosity. She took a sip from her drink, her eyes peering at Izuku over the cup, her eyebrows closed together a bit after a moment as she sat the drink down.

Mina’s playful demeanor shifted as she leaned forward, her hands clasped tightly on the table. Her usual carefree smile was replaced with a thoughtful frown, and her eyes softened, no longer just teasing but filled with a deeper curiosity. “That would make you the latest bloomer in history… How did your quirk manifest? When?... What caused it?”

Izuku’s fingers tightened around his cup, and he averted his eyes. He swallowed hard, the minty taste lingering on his tongue suddenly turning bitter. “It… it just happened, that’s all,” he mumbled, his gaze fixed on the table. Mina’s joyful curiosity faded as she noticed the change in Izuku’s posture. The way his shoulders slumped, the way his eyes no longer met hers—it hit her all at once. She’d pushed too hard. The lightness of their banter had vanished, replaced by a fragile silence that felt like it could shatter at any second.

Mina didn’t miss the way his hands trembled slightly, or how his voice wavered as if there was more he wasn’t saying. Mina’s heart sank as she watched Izuku shrink before her. The excitement she’d felt moments ago was replaced by a cold dread. She hadn’t meant to pry so deeply, hadn’t thought her questions would hit such a nerve. Seeing the pain flicker across his face, she felt a pang of guilt twist in her chest. 'I’m such an idiot,' she thought, wishing she could take back every word.

Mina’s gaze bore into him, he could feel her eyes scanning over his face. Long gone had the blush that almost constantly dusted his cheeks, as it was usurped by an even more ashen and sickly white. Mina’s heart sank further as she realized how far her playful teasing had strayed. She’d always been the one to lighten the mood, but this wasn’t a joke she could laugh away. Her gaze softened, “Something bad happened. Right?” Mina said softly, her warm hand came to rest on his own, softly rubbing circles on the back of his hand.

The warmth of Mina’s hand on his own was a small anchor in the storm of his thoughts. It was gentle, grounding, and for a moment, the chaos inside him quieted. He stared at her fingers tracing soft circles on his skin, feeling the crushing weight in his chest lift just a little. It was enough to keep the tears at bay- at least for now. Izuku’s mind was a whirlwind of memories he’d tried hard to bury. The sting of being quirkless, the endless whispers of doubt, the day everything changed… He wanted to tell Mina the truth, but the words caught in his throat like a thorn he couldn’t dislodge.

How could he explain it without tearing open old wounds? His mind while calmer still bubbled like a cauldron. Mina’s touch steadied him, yes, but fragments of the past kept clawing their way back—the sting of tears in his eyes as he stood alone on that rooftop, the scalding water biting into his skin, the crushing silence that followed every failed attempt to be like everyone else. Each memory was a sharp edge, Images flickered in his mind like a broken film reel: the night sky, endless and cold above him; the searing steam that clung to his skin; the sting of every insult that called him worthless. They were ghosts that never left him alone, haunting him even now. It was all a reminder that even if he had a quirk now. He was a Deku.

Mina’s mind raced as she pieced it together—the quiet tremble in his voice, the way he never spoke of friends his age; she may have only known him a few days but everyone mentions their friends once, even in passing. “I'm sorry.” she finally whispered out to him, her voice… full of emotions he hadn't heard from her yet. It caused him to look up, meeting her gaze he saw her own eyes glassy, “I shouldn't have asked so many questions, late bloomers never have easy stories. I shouldn't have tried to force you.” Mina felt her own heart break a little as he met her eyes, the vibrant green had all but replaced his pupils, the way his hands twitched for something to do as she looked into his eyes. It was obvious now, his fear of crowds from the entrance exam, and of the start of the day finally reconnecting to the fact that in all the pictures on his phone, there were no images of him with other people his age. There was something rotten she had just touched without meaning to, and it still clung to the boy in front of her like a curse.

Mina squeezed his hand just a little tighter, her thumb tracing soft, reassuring patterns against his skin. She didn’t know all of his pain, but she wanted him to feel less alone, even if just for this moment. “You don’t have to say anything, Izu,” she murmured, her voice steady despite the ache in her chest. “I’m here. That’s all.” She said what she meant, but she had so much more to say. She knew what it was like to be stared at, whispered about—to feel like you didn’t quite belong. But Izuku’s loneliness was deeper, sharper, and Mina couldn’t bear the thought of him carrying it alone. She vowed silently to be his silver lining, everyone needed one, especially him right now.

The soft clinking of cups and distant murmurs filled the café, a comforting backdrop that felt miles away from the turmoil inside Izuku’s mind. How was he supposed to respond? He was stuck, clinging to the feeling of her soft, warm hand squeezing his, the heat of the cup in his hands. Yet, he could feel himself slipping into that damn pit in his chest, the one that had always been beneath him and pulling him down. An endless pit, the one he had to climb out of in his dreams, but this wasn't a dream, there were no pitfalls in reality, no mazes of thorns and spikes. His mouth tasted of copper and mint, the realization he had bit into his tongue pouring over him. He let out a shaky breath. His eyes looked down at the table once more. However as Mina’s hand pulled away, he looked up. He needed that connection, if only to keep himself from falling. So he reached over and grabbed her hand, Izuku’s fingers trembled as he laced them with hers, seeking something solid, something real to hold onto. Her touch was a promise— a lifeline that kept him tethered to the here and now.

The tightness in his chest eased, if only slightly, and he let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. Mina’s hand was warm, her fingers soft yet strong against his. The simple act of holding on felt like a lifeline in a storm, something tangible to keep him anchored when everything else felt like it was slipping away. He squeezed her hand tightly, afraid that if he let go, he’d lose his grip on the present altogether.

Izuku’s thoughts were a tangle of fear and longing. He wanted to trust Mina, to let her in, but every time he tried, the words felt heavy, like chains pulling him back to the darkest corners of his mind.

He took a shaky breath, feeling the familiar sting of doubt. What if she looked at him differently after this? What if she saw him the way everyone else had? “I.. I was told I would never get a quirk when I was four and a half.” He started slowly, his voice shaking in a way it hadn't since he told his mom everything.

“Since that day, I haven't been able to.. To keep any friends, to make any.” He looked away again, his eyes catching the small black cat as it curled into a large tabby. “And,” he swallowed hard as he looked into her eyes, the gold shimmed in the soft lighting of the cafe, like pools of honey, and he felt his tongue become lighter as he stared. “And my best friend, a friend I had known since we were born, decided I was useless, a deku. A nobody that deserved nothing good to ever happen to him and someone undeserving of even making friends. He… he got a really strong quirk, it lets him explode the sweat he produces with his palms, like fireworks back then. It was really beautiful.” Izuku’s voice wavered, each word feeling like a jagged shard he had to force past his lips. He tightened his grip on Mina’s hand, drawing strength from her touch. His gaze drifted to the table, as if the answers to his pain were etched in the wood grain. The café noises faded into a dull buzz, drowned out by the pounding of his heartbeat. “Beautiful until it's used to burn you. Then it's just as scary as any other weapon.”

Mina’s breath hitched as she listened, her own memories of being judged and misunderstood flashing through her mind. She clenched her teeth, feeling a surge of anger not at Izuku, but at the world that had hurt him so deeply. She squeezed his hand, as if silently vowing that now that she was with him, he wouldn't be alone again. “You can stop. Don't push yourself. Please. Tell me more when you're ready.” Mina spoke softly, with a hard edge he couldn't pinpoint. “No kid deserved to go through that, especially at that age. So please, please wait till you can tell me without being somewhere else.” she said, her voice even softer, “You're barely here right now as it is. Just breathe.”

Izuku let out a shaky breath, the weight on his chest still pressing, the pit still tugging at his feet, but he fought it. He focused on his breathing, drawing in the familiar scents of mint and coffee that filled the air. He hadn’t noticed them before, but now they were grounding—tangible reminders that he was here, not lost in his memories. The faint scent of the wooden table mixed with something softer, Mina’s perfume, light and barely noticeable until now. Izuku breathed out slowly, only then realizing his eyes had been closed.

Mina watched as he steadied himself, his pale complexion gradually gaining a hint of color. It was subtle, almost imperceptible unless you were watching closely, but she noticed. His eyes eventually lifted to meet hers, still glossy but calmer now, the green that had overwhelmed his irises receding as his pupils returned to their usual size. She knew there were still things left unsaid, scars that ran deeper than words, but she didn’t need to know everything. Not right now.

A sudden sound of feral indignation broke the quiet between them, making them both jump. They looked down to find a large white cat—a full chonk of a feline, with blue eyes narrowed in what could only be described as sheer annoyance. It blinked slowly, surveying them both as if judging their entire existence. Without warning, it hopped onto the table between them, padding confidently toward Izuku. The cat raised a paw and gave him a light, deliberate bop on the forehead, as if scolding him for interrupting its day, before sauntering over to Mina. It gracefully hopped into her lap, settling down with an air of regal entitlement.

For a moment, they just stared at each other, hand in hand, the sun’s warmth streaming through the café windows and casting soft patterns on the table. Then, Izuku let out a soft giggle, Mina followed, her own heavy heart lifting at the sight of the blush creeping back onto his cheeks. They didn’t say anything, and neither made any move to pull their hands away.

The giggling broke out into full laughter from Mina as she watched the small greenet look down at their hands and blush bright red, the contrast to his hair making him light up the room. “I just realized something,” Mina began as her chuckles subsided, “how do you blush red when you bleed black?” The memory of them cuddled together on the stretcher resurfacing. He hadn't been bleeding much, but the slight trickle of a black fluid surfaced in her mind.

Izuku wiped a tear from his eyes as he blinked the final remnants of his emotions from his eyes, before he went still for a moment. How was he blushing red? He let out another giggle, first a free drink for competing in the UA entrance exam, and now a quirk question? If he hadn't almost had a panic attack earlier than he would have called this the best day ever.

Izuku met Mina’s eyes, the tension from earlier fading into a mischievous grin. “I have no idea!” He pulled his notebook out of his ‘inventory’ and a pen and sat it between them, the front of the worn notebook read "Hero Analysis For My Future #17. Ways to piss off Katsuki #32," With one hand, and a practiced ease, he flipped to the end, revealing a page full of detailed sketches of himself with his mask on, annotated with countless notes.

Mina’s eyes couldn’t help but skim the upside-down writing. Reading Izuku’s tidy script felt like a guilty pleasure, her snooping habit once again rearing its head. As she glanced over his careful observations, she felt both amazed and slightly overwhelmed.

“Abilities Granted by Hollow.” The title alone made Mina’s pulse quicken, a strange mix of awe and curiosity bubble up inside her.

“Additional Notation: ‘Most of the writing in this section is speculation. I have no Idea what the full extent or meaning of any of these abilities I've gotten are.’

The Dream Tree. Orb tree?? I have no idea what to call it.

The tree… it’s hard to explain. At first, I thought it was just another dream, but when I touched it, something changed. A charm fell from its branches—a piece of it that crossed into reality. I call it the ‘Dream Wielder.’ It’s sharp, and when I press it into my skin, I’m pulled back into that dream world, able to interact with the tree like it’s real. I didn’t even know my quirk could do that… but it’s all connected somehow. Look at Dream Wielder for any further info on this instance.

The tree itself occasionally has more orbs that are free of the tight branches of the tree, but when I collect them, nothing happens. Perhaps they have a prerequisite to being able to learn what each sphere does?” Mina blinked her eyes slowly after reading this section as Izuku scribbled quickly on the page. She was momentarily lost in the strangeness of it all. Izuku’s quirk could affect itself? It was unlike anything she’d ever heard of. She took a sip of her drink, needing the brief distraction, but her eyes never left the page.

“Dream Wielder,” Mina read on, curiosity gripping her. “Further studies into this charm show that I cannot induce sleep onto anyone but myself with it, however the sleep it does induce onto me is like a lucid sleep. For one every minute in that state is less than a minute in the real world. After counting fifteen minutes in the dream I left and found only around a minute had passed.”

Mina nodded slowly, her mind buzzing with everything she’d just read. Her eyes drifted to the small pin on the collar of Izuku’s sweater—simple but unmistakably significant. She’d noticed it earlier but hadn’t thought much of it, chalking it up to just another accessory. However it obviously wasn’t, it was an extension of his quirk. She shook her head and kept reading.

“In my mind I can visualize a sort of container. It's never full however as I collect more warmth it gains a brighter light inside it. I have a few names for it but right now I call it the Energy Gauge. I'll workshop it later.”

Mina glanced up, noticing how intently Izuku was scribbling more notes along the page’s margins. ‘He can’t even regulate his own body heat because of his quirk…’ she realized, her heart tightening. It made sense why he was always so cold.

“It's clear the gauge is just a mental visual for my quirks heat absorption ability. It allows me to heal, when I focus on my burning wounds I can channel the heat into them and watch them mend before my eyes. This works for my mask, which stays cracked for days until I manually either break it or heal it as it can stay cracked for days at a time. I've also found that when I focus my quirks' energy into my nail I can coat it in a black energy, which I can release in a similar manner to the Nail Heros.”

Mina chuckled softly, amused by Izuku’s methodical approach, but there was a hint of sadness, too. The boy seemed determined to document every facet of himself, as if understanding his quirks was a matter of survival… It probably was honestly. What would happen if he ran out of heat?

“Additional info, baths seem like the easiest way to fill the gauge, the hotter the better.” Mina let out a small chuckle as she continued reading, he really did keep detailed notes.

“The next ability I've been able to ascertain is my phase ability, called Dash. I can make my body intangible for a few moments; individual parts can stay phased out for longer, but it tires me quickly if overused. In full-body phase, I’ve been able to fit through cracks in doorways, pipes, and other tight spaces. I've tried to manually alter it but it's hard, keeping a tangible shape in this mode feels nearly impossible.”

Mina’s brow furrowed as she recalled seeing him vanish into the crowd during the physical exam. “Intangible…” she whispered, the revelation stunning. There was so much more to Izuku’s abilities than she had realized.

“My ‘Absorption’.” Mina noted the scratch-out, now replaced with ‘Inventory,’ and couldn’t help but smirk. She had suggested that name earlier today when he pulled his phone out of nowhere like a videogame character.

“The ‘Inventory’ took me by surprise. After nearly losing my spoon during breakfast, I figured out that I can absorb objects into my body, like extra storage. Right now, it’s limited. My nail fits, along with a few smaller items, but it’s growing. Slowly. I still don’t know the limits or what it’s taking from me when I use it.” Mina smirked at this one further, before her eyes scanned the final section again, it sounded almost like he feared his quirk… she couldn't help the smile falling a little.

“My bone like material, including my shoe spikes, climbing claws and mask are an oddity, it doesn't use any heat from my body to produce these items, however the doctors have noticed that when summoned I lose body mass. But it's not an equal conversion, the items seem to take more weight to make than what they have, for instance my climbing claws are 7.2 oz. It takes 14.4 oz of my body mass to produce it.”

Mina reread the lines, her gaze drifting back to Izuku. He wasn’t unhealthily thin, but he was small. She now understood the weight behind his slight frame. He was literally using pieces of himself. It honestly worried her as she read that line.

“Main Tool, The Nail, after months of training under the Nailmasters I got my own personal Nail, crafted by Sheo’s husband the Nailsmith, it took a lock of my hair and a week of waiting for me to get a bound support item. Thanks to Nailsmiths quirk, I am able to use it and channel my quirk into it like it's a part of my body. When I channel energy into it a black energy takes over it, allowing it to cut through even concrete like butter if I put enough energy into it.”

Izuku continued to write, filling out a section titled “Odd Physiological Abnormalities,” at the bottom of the page. His grip on the pen was tight, knuckles white as he detailed every abnormality, every fragment of himself. Mina’s hand squeezed his, her golden eyes staring at him as he looked up. The pools of liquid honey stared at him before she spoke, “Your quirk…” she started, voice softening, “I… I couldn’t help but read a bit of the sections you didn’t cover. It’s… it’s a lot.” She paused, choosing her next words carefully. “It sounds like you’re scared of it.”

Izuku’s eyes set onto her, pools of emerald met gold, “W… Well yea. Of course I’m scared of it.” His voice, though shaky, carried a new confidence. “Quirks are like tools and weapons. If not understood then they could cause all kinds of problems. If I'm not careful I could hurt myself and others. That's why I started these books.” His smile softened, eyes brightening with a memory that seemed both fond and painful. “It was to help my classmates learn their quirks better. To tame them. Unfortunately…” His expression darkened. “They thought it was more creepy than helpful.”

~~~~~~

A recap of “Hero Analysis For My Future #17. Ways to piss off Katsuki #32”

Abilities Granted by Hollow

Additional Notation: ‘Most of the writing in this section is speculation. I have no Idea what the full extent or meaning of any of these abilities I've gotten are.’

The Dream Tree. Orb tree?? I have no idea what to call it.

The tree… it’s hard to explain. At first, I thought it was just another dream, but when I touched it, something changed. A charm fell from its branches—a piece of it that crossed into reality. I call it the ‘Dream Wielder.’ It’s sharp, and when I press it into my skin, I’m pulled back into that dream world, able to interact with the tree like it’s real. I didn’t even know my quirk could do that… but it’s all connected somehow. Look at Dream Wielder for any further info on this instance.

The tree itself occasionally has more orbs that are free of the tight branches of the tree, but when I collect them, nothing happens. Perhaps they have a prerequisite to being able to learn what each sphere does?

My ‘Absorption’ The ‘Inventory’ took me by surprise. After nearly losing my spoon during breakfast, I figured out that I can absorb objects into my body, like extra storage. Right now, it’s limited. My nail fits, along with a few smaller items, but it’s growing. Slowly. I still don’t know the limits or what it’s taking from me when I use it.

My bone like material, including my shoe spikes, climbing claws and mask are an oddity, it doesn't use any heat from my body to produce these items, however the doctors have noticed that when summoned I lose body mass. But it's not an equal conversion, the items seem to take more weight to make than what they have, for instance my climbing claws are 7.2 oz. It takes 14.4 oz of my body mass to produce it.

“Main Tool, The Nail, after months of training under the Nailmasters I got my own personal Nail, crafted by Sheo’s husband the Nailsmith, it took a lock of my hair and a week of waiting for me to get a bound support item. Thanks to Nailsmiths quirk, I am able to use it and channel my quirk into it like it's a part of my body. When I channel energy into it a black energy takes over it, allowing it to cut through even concrete like butter if I put enough energy into it.

Odd Physiological Abnormalities-

Chapter Text

“They thought it was more creepy than helpful.” The words left Izuku’s mouth with a bitterness that surprised even him, his voice carrying an edge that hadn’t been there before. His already slouched posture seemed to fold inward even more, as if he were trying to make himself smaller, to take up even less space in a world that had rejected him. He gripped his drink tighter, the plastic cup bending slightly in his hand.

“This was supposed to help them,” he said, his voice cracking slightly but carrying a sharper edge, his hand, still held in hers softly motioned to the book before him. “I just wanted to be useful,” he continued, each word tinged with a frustration that had been brewing for years. “To them—kids I looked up to, people I thought could be heroes. They didn’t even have to try; they were just... naturals.” He let out a humorless laugh, the sound hollow and bitter, as if mocking himself for ever thinking he could be one of them.

Mina’s shoulders slumped at his words, the weight of his raw emotion pulling at her heart like a cold draft. The bright warmth that had once filled the café seemed to fade, replaced by the heavy, somber air of their conversation. She could feel it—the anger simmering just beneath his sadness, the frustration from years of trying to fit in and being pushed away. It was a side of Izuku she hadn’t anticipated, raw and painfully, honestly resentful. If she was truthful with herself, she’d never imagined that kind of emotion from the gentle, green-haired boy. It was clear there was so much more to him than she had ever realized.

Izuku’s gaze dropped to the table once more, his fingers toying with the edge of the cup. “I just thought... if I could understand quirks, if I could help them see what they were capable of, maybe they’d see me as... as more than just the quirkless kid.” His voice trembled, the bitterness, the resentment, giving way to something softer, something that hurt even more. “But all they saw was someone who was weird. A stalker. Someone who didn’t belong. Someone who didn’t have a place when they played at being heroes, someone not even worthy to talk to.”

Mina’s eyes shimmered, the weight of his words pressing heavily on her chest. Her gaze drifted to his notebook, filled with neatly scrawled handwriting. She could see the effort he poured into just the two pages laid open in front of her—detailed observations and meticulous notes. And there were 17 more books like this? Even the one in front of them was already more than halfway full. Though she couldn’t truly know how much time he’d spent understanding quirks, she could guess it was far more than most kids would ever devote to anything. It wasn’t just about becoming a hero; it was about helping others become the best versions of themselves. A soft pang tightened in her chest as she thought about it—16 whole books of notes, each one aimed at understanding and helping anyone he thought he could support, no matter how small. They had dismissed him, disliked him for reasons she couldn't understand, when it had never been about him alone. It had always been about them—about offering a helping hand and finding a way to matter to those around him.

She swallowed hard, her voice barely above a whisper. “They were wrong, Izu. You know that, right?” Her own emotions bled into her words; there was so much she wanted to say, so much she wished she could do to make him see that all his effort had value. She wanted to reach out, to comfort him, but a strange fear rooted her in place—fear that she might say the wrong thing, that she wouldn’t be enough. They had only known each other for a few days, after all. She knew she couldn’t heal his wounds overnight, couldn’t erase the years of pain he’d carried. It might take years—countless hours of listening to his worries, of holding his hand while he vented what had been bottled up inside.

But as she tightened her grip around his cold hand—feeling the strange contrast of the soft yet rugged texture of his black chitinous fingers—she felt her heart settle. She had faced her own struggles, dealt with bad people and moments of doubt, but her family and the small circle of friends she’d built over the years had helped her through. She wanted to be that for him now—a constant presence, a safe harbor in the storm of his thoughts.

Izuku let out a slow breath through his nose, his nostrils flaring as the frustration drained away, leaving his posture slumped and his gaze distant, locked onto a memory only he could see. “I don’t know,” he said softly, his voice edged with a quiet melancholy, but beneath it was a hollow weariness that seemed to seep into every word. “I don’t know if they were wrong. They were just... kids, like me. Maybe I was weird.” A bitter, self-deprecating laugh slipped from his lips. “Maybe I tried too hard, and it freaked them out.”

His eyes shimmered like polished emeralds, catching the light, reflecting the unshed tears he was fighting to keep at bay.

“No.” Mina’s voice was firm, cutting through the weight of his despair. The single word drew Izuku’s glimmering eyes to hers, the fog that clouded them seeming to recede as they met her steady gaze. She refused to let him slip back into the darkness he had fought so hard to escape. “No, Izuku, they were wrong.” Her voice wavered, caught for a moment by the raw vulnerability in his eyes, but she pushed forward, her resolve hardening with each word. She tightened her grip on his hand, a gentle but determined smile forming on her lips as she locked her fingers around his—a promise, a lifeline.

“You cared so much, and they... they just couldn’t see it. But I do. I see you, Izu.”

Izuku’s eyes widened at the passion in her voice. He could feel her grip tighten, the softness of her fingers intertwining with his in a way no one ever had before. The warmth of her hand seeped into him, absorbed by his quirk, yet it lingered—a warmth that softened his emotions, even if only a little. It was a lifeline, a gentle heat drawing him out of the shadows he had buried himself in for so long. A small part of him peeked out from that darkness, pulled toward her beautiful golden eyes. The café—the scents of coffee and mint, the golden sunlight streaming through the window—felt more real than it ever had before, grounded by the sincerity in her gaze.

“They didn’t want my help,” he said, his voice more fragile now, the bitterness cracking around the edges. “They thought I was just... some annoying, quirk-obsessed kid.” He gave a short, hollow laugh, but it lacked the venom it had before. “Maybe I was. Maybe I was too much.” He shook his head, looking down. “No, I was a quirk-obsessed kid. I’d walk the playground with my notebook, writing about the other kids, and when they asked me to stop, I would... but I never thought to ask if I could study their quirks.”

Mina’s grip on his hand tightened, her brows knitting together with fierce determination. “I wouldn’t have minded.” There was no hesitation in her voice, no room for doubt. Her eyes were bright, unwavering, as if daring him to disagree. “If you had come up to me and studied my quirk, if you’d given me notes on your observations, I would’ve been ecstatic.” She giggled softly, her voice like a light breeze breaking through the gloom. “You were a passionate kid, and that’s not something you should ever be ashamed of. The people who couldn’t see that—they didn’t deserve what you tried to do.”

Her words, so earnest and genuine, hit him like a wave. He didn’t trust himself to speak without breaking, so he just stared at her, letting the warmth in her eyes soothe the ache in his chest. Slowly, a deep lilac purple began to bloom on her cheeks, and her steady gaze wavered as she glanced down at their hands, then back at her drink, before finally meeting his eyes again. “I… uh…” she stammered, the color deepening. “We… We’ve been staring at each other for… for quite a bit…”

Izuku’s lips curved into a small, genuine smile, the first he’d given in a long time. “And… is that a problem?” His voice came out teasing, which startled them both. Mina burst into laughter, and Izuku found himself laughing along with her, the tension between them dissolving in a wave of giggles.

When they finally calmed down, hands still locked together, the silence that settled was different—softer, more comfortable. It wasn’t heavy with regret or pain but instead carried a sense of something new, a warmth that made their faces flush. It was a silence that didn’t need to be filled, a space that allowed the weight of what had been said to linger gently. Izuku’s fingers relaxed around his cup, and he released a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding—a shaky, trembling exhale that felt like letting go of a burden he’d carried for far too long.

Mina leaned in closer, her thumb gently tracing circles over the back of his hand. As their eyes met, there was a fierceness in her gaze now, tempered by a tenderness that softened her words. “I want you to study my quirk one day,” she said softly, her voice both teasing and sincere. “I expect at least a page on my awesome skills and quirk!” Her playful giggle rang through the café, and Izuku nodded, a laugh bubbling up in his throat.

Still caught in the moment, Mina snatched his drink and took a sip, her face twisting in horror. “That’s so minty!” she whined, setting the cup back in front of him with a dramatic shudder, before taking a long sip from her own drink to wash the taste away. Izuku chuckled at her reaction, still processing the fact that someone—she—wanted him to study her quirk. It was surreal.

He couldn’t believe it. He’d shared more of himself with her than he ever had with anyone, and she hadn’t flinched. She smiled at him, even laughed with him. His heart skipped a beat, his cheeks flushing hot as the realization settled in: she saw him. A small part, sure—but she saw him, and she didn’t turn away. His hunched shoulders slowly relaxed, and he nodded, a soft, almost shy agreement that held a world of unspoken meaning. He wasn’t alone anymore.

The café seemed brighter, the sunlight warmer as it poured over their table, casting soft shadows across the wood. Mina leaned even closer, her forehead nearly brushing his, her voice a whisper just for him. “I'm here for you, I-zu-ku~,” she said, her eyes never leaving his. “No matter what.”

Izuku’s smile widened just a fraction, and for the first time in what felt like forever, the tightness in his chest loosened, replaced by a warmth he thought he’d forgotten how to feel. With her hand in his, the weight of his past seemed just a little lighter. He took a sip of his drink, savoring the mint on his tongue before speaking. “So… anything else planned for today?” he asked, his voice hesitant but hopeful. “It’s… still pretty early, and most places are still open.”

Mina’s eyes sparkled, a playful glint returning as she tapped her chin in exaggerated thought. “Hmm… well, let’s see…”

She swayed slightly, a playful energy building in her movements. Her eyes brightened suddenly. “Well, how about we just wander around this part of town?” she suggested, a glint appearing in her gaze. “Isn't that dojo nearby? The Nail Masters’ Dojo?~” Her voice came out with a teasing lilt, almost a purr, sending a shiver down Izuku’s spine.

“I... uh. Yeah, it’s not too far,” he replied, caught off guard by the sudden change in topic. “It’s walking distance, at least... But I think they’re closed today.” He pulled out his phone, scrolling through notifications to confirm. “Oh, yeah, they are closed. Something about a big meeting they’re all attending. They sent out a notice about an hour ago,” he mumbled, sounding distracted.

His mind drifted back to the news report he’d seen on the café’s TV only moments before. A dark, shadowy forest, the words ‘Twelve elementary school students missing, hero investigations of the local forests underway’ scrolling across the bottom of the screen. He hesitated, shaking his head as if to dispel the unease gnawing at him. It had to be a coincidence, right? The Nail Masters were better suited for urban environments—places where their skills thrived in tight alleys and structured spaces. Dense forests, with their twisting trees and narrow clearings, would make using their techniques difficult. It didn’t make sense for them to be involved in anything out there.

Mina leaned forward, noticing the change in his expression, her brow furrowing slightly in concern. “Hey, you okay?” she asked, her teasing tone softened with a note of worry. “You kind of spaced out there.”

Izuku blinked and gave her a quick smile, trying to push away the uncomfortable feeling that had settled in his chest. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Just got lost in thought for a second,” he said, his voice steady, though the worry still lingered at the edges of his mind.

Mina didn’t look entirely convinced, but she let it go, squeezing his hand lightly before letting it slip away. “Alright then,” she said with a soft smile, though her eyes remained searching, clearly not fully buying his quick deflection. “Let’s just enjoy the day, okay? It’s not every day I get to hang out with a cutie like you.”

Izuku’s smile widened, but his face flushed a deep crimson at her teasing compliment, and he immediately looked anywhere but at her, feeling his cheeks grow even hotter. The warmth of her hand lingered on his palm, and he had to remind himself to breathe. “Y-Yeah,” he said, nodding. “Let’s just… enjoy the day.” His voice wavered slightly, the knot of unease in his stomach loosening a little at her words.

As they stood up to leave, the café door swung open, and a rush of fresh air swept in, mingling with the lingering scent of coffee and mint. Izuku’s shoulders relaxed as he followed Mina out, his resolve hardening to focus on the here and now, even as a faint echo of worry tugged at the edges of his mind.

Stepping into the bustling street, the noise of the city washed over them—laughter, chatter, the distant hum of traffic. Izuku’s gaze darted upward, taking in the towering buildings that loomed above, a familiar itch rising in his legs. For a brief moment, he considered it—leaping onto the rooftops, disappearing into the city’s labyrinthine skyline like he was used to doing. His fingers flexed instinctively, but then he caught sight of Mina, walking confidently beside him, and stopped himself. He wasn’t alone right now; he was with her, and he didn’t want to leave her behind.

Mina noticed his hesitation, tilting her head curiously. “Something wrong, Izu?” she asked, her voice light and teasing, yet with a note of genuine curiosity underneath.

He blinked, a little surprised she’d noticed, and scratched the back of his head sheepishly. “Ah, no, I just... I’m not used to, um, walking around the streets like this. I guess I’m more comfortable up there,” he said, gesturing vaguely to the rooftops above them. “It’s... quieter.”

Mina’s eyes widened with interest, and she nudged him playfully. “Well, don’t go running off on me just yet, rooftop ninja. I’m not as good at parkour as you are!” she laughed, her voice bubbling with warmth. “Besides, I like having you down here with me. It’s more... cozy.”

Izuku’s blush deepened, and he nodded quickly. “I-I wasn’t going to leave!” he said hastily. “Just... force of habit, I guess.”

They walked side by side, Mina’s presence grounding him, making the bustling crowd feel a little less overwhelming. Izuku noticed how she occasionally bumped into him lightly with her shoulder, almost like a playful reassurance that she was there. Every time it happened, his heart skipped a beat, and he couldn’t help but glance at her, taking in the way the sunlight danced in her golden eyes.

Mina glanced back and caught his gaze, her lips curving into a mischievous smile. “So, where should we go first?” she asked, tugging lightly at his sleeve. “We’ve got the whole day ahead of us! There’s that cute street market nearby, or maybe we could check out that bookstore down the block? I hear they have some rare hero books you might like!”

Izuku’s eyes lit up at the mention of hero books, the familiar excitement bubbling up in his chest. “Books?” he asked, unable to hide his enthusiasm. “Yeah, I’d love that! There might be some I haven’t read yet...” His words trailed off, a boyish excitement replacing the heaviness that had been clinging to him.

“Then it’s settled!” Mina said cheerfully, her eyes bright with shared excitement. She grabbed his hand again without hesitation, pulling him along down the bustling street. Her energy was infectious, and Izuku found himself laughing despite himself, the earlier tension fading like mist under the sun.

They wandered together, chatting about everything and nothing—about quirks, about hero gossip, about favorite snacks and weird dreams. It felt light and easy, and for the first time in a long while, Izuku felt like he could just be himself without holding back.

When they reached the small street market, stalls brimming with colorful trinkets and fresh food lined the narrow alleyways. The scent of spices, fresh bread, and sweet fruit filled the air. Mina darted from stall to stall, her eyes wide with wonder, and Izuku couldn’t help but smile as he followed her lead, finding himself more and more drawn into her contagious excitement.

At one point, Mina stopped at a jewelry stand, picking up a simple silver bracelet that caught the sunlight, her fingers turning it over as a curious glint sparked in her eyes. “Hey, Izu,” she said suddenly, turning to him with a playful smile. “If you were to buy a charm for good luck, what would it look like?”

Izuku blinked, caught off guard by the sudden question. His mind wandered to the strange charm he carried with him—the one that had appeared after he first touched the Dream Tree. “I guess... something simple. Something that feels... real,” he said softly, his eyes drifting as he recalled its sharp edges and unassuming design.

Mina tilted her head, curiosity lighting up her expression, but she didn’t push further. Instead, she held up the bracelet to the sunlight, watching it glimmer. “Yeah,” she said softly. “Something real.”

Izuku felt the knot of anxiety in his chest loosen just a little more. This—walking with Mina, wandering the streets, sharing simple moments—felt real. It felt solid. For the first time, he allowed himself to believe that maybe this connection, this moment, could be stable.

His fingers brushed over the trinkets displayed on the table, moving almost unconsciously until they stopped on a small, sharp-edged pin. As he picked it up, a strange feeling settled in his chest. The pin’s silver sheen shimmered in the light, and it twisted between his fingers like it had always been meant to be there.

The woman behind the stall noticed his interest and gave him a wide, toothy grin. “That one caught your eye?” she asked brightly.

Izuku startled at her words, the busy noise of the market rushing back in. He realized he’d been so focused on the pin and Mina’s presence that everything else had faded away. Around them, the crowd bustled and shifted, brushing past in constant motion. The woman studied him curiously when he didn’t answer. “Not much of a talker, hmm? Well, I’ll tell you what—if that pretty girl there gets the bracelet, I’ll throw that pin in as a bonus.”

Izuku opened his mouth to respond, but a faint smell caught his nose—smoke, distant but distinct, like a dying bonfire. He frowned slightly, distracted.

Before he could speak, Mina’s voice cut through his thoughts. “Deal!” she said quickly, but then added with a sly smile, “However, I did notice a dent on this bracelet. Would that perhaps mean you could sell it for a little less?”

Izuku found himself stepping back slightly as Mina and the woman began haggling. The energy of their exchange was quick and lively, the sounds of Mina’s laughter mingling with the vendor’s animated replies. He let out a quiet breath, his shoulders relaxing as the crowd seemed to thin around him. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his phone, scanning through notifications with a practiced glance.

Hero news reports, a fire in a residential area, a villain sighting—just the usual. Nothing jumped out at him immediately, but the smell of smoke was still faintly there, lingering on the edge of his awareness. He raised his head, his eyes searching the skyline, but Mina suddenly stepped into his view.

“Here you go, greeny~,” she said cheerfully, holding out the pin. Her eyes sparkled with satisfaction, clearly proud of her negotiating skills.

Izuku blinked at her, his mind still half-distracted by the strange smell, but her warm smile and the sight of the pin brought him back. “Thanks,” he said quietly, taking it from her hand. For a moment, he just stared at it, the edges pressing into his palm as if grounding him. The faint smoke smell tickled his nose again, and his brows furrowed slightly.

Mina leaned closer, her head tilting as she tried to catch his gaze. “What’s up, Izu? You look like you’re a million miles away again.”

He hesitated, the pin resting heavy in his hand. “It’s nothing,” he said, though his tone lacked conviction. He glanced over his shoulder, the crowded market alive with sound and motion, but nothing obvious stood out. Shaking his head, he slipped the pin into his pocket. “Just... thinking.”

“Well,” Mina said, grabbing his arm and pulling him along with an exaggerated sigh, “if you’re gonna be stuck in your head, at least do it while we check out the next stall! They have takoyaki!” Her grin was infectious, and he found himself nodding, letting her lead the way as his thoughts swirled.

Even as Mina’s laughter and the warmth of her presence filled the moment, the smell of smoke lingered in the back of Izuku’s mind. It was closer now, sharper, and more urgent.

His vision blurred, and a cold wave of dread clawed at his chest. Something was wrong—really wrong. His body reacted before his mind could catch up, instincts screaming as he surged forward. “Mina!” he shouted, tackling her to the ground just as a cascade of blue flames engulfed the market.

The evening sun dimmed, swallowed by the inferno. Waves of searing heat roared past, and Izuku felt the familiar crack of the chitinous armor on his back as it took the brunt of the flames. It burned—God, it burned—eating into his flesh even as his quirk absorbed the heat. His ears rang with Mina’s cry, her voice cutting through the chaos. His mask formed on instinct, snapping into place as if his body knew it would need to endure.

As the torrent of fire finally tapered off, Izuku didn’t waste a second. He wrapped his arms around Mina and bolted, his legs pounding against the pavement as he carried her away. His lungs burned with each breath, the acrid stench of smoke thick in the air. Turning down an alley, he laid her down gently in the shadowed corner, his hands trembling as he scanned her injuries.

Her right hand was red and blistered, her left foot showing signs of a light burn, all across her arms and legs were scattered signs of red. Not devastating, but enough to make his chest tighten. His mask receded in moments, relief warred with guilt as he murmured, “You’re okay… You’re okay…” He couldn’t tell if it was meant to reassure her or himself.

Mina groaned softly, her golden eyes fluttering open. “Izu… what…”

“Stay here,” Izuku said firmly, cutting her off as he rose to his feet. His body moved on autopilot, driven by an instinct he didn’t fully understand. He turned back toward the market, his heart hammering in his chest as he sprinted into the chaos.

The scene he returned to was a nightmare. The vibrant, bustling market was gone, replaced by charred ruins and choking smoke. The acrid scent of burnt flesh made his stomach churn as his gaze landed on the burned husks of people scattered like discarded dolls.

A few survivors stumbled away, screaming, their cries echoing through the twisted remains of stalls. And there, amidst the carnage, stood a man in a trench coat. He moved lazily, as if browsing the remnants of the market with casual indifference, the flicker of blue flames dancing along his fingertips.

Izuku’s blood ran cold. His fists clenched tightly, the sharp edges of his mask scraping against his skin. Every fiber of his being screamed at him to act, but his feet felt like they were rooted to the ground, his mind caught between fury and horror as the man turned slightly, his cold gaze sweeping across the wreckage—and landing directly on Izuku.

Chapter Text

Blood—if it could even be called that anymore—pounded through Izuku's veins like war drums. The thundering rhythm filled his ears, matching the tremble in his bones. Every heartbeat was a declaration, a reminder: he was still alive, even when faced with something that had scorched men and women to bones around him.

With a sharp breath, he flexed his hand.

The familiar weight answered his call. His nail slid free from its resting place within him, unfolding like a limb he'd long since grown used to. The metal shimmered darkly in the ghostlight of the blue flames, its edge catching the infernal glow. Heat soaked into his skin—eager, greedy—and his body responded in kind, swallowing the pain and transmuting it into something else. A pressure. A tremble. A fire in his chest that didn’t consume, only quickened.

The man before him didn’t speak. He didn’t need to.

A living patchwork of scorched flesh and apathy, the stranger twitched two fingers. That was all.

And death answered.

A wave of searing blue heat tore down the road, devouring stone, ash, corpses, stalls, and air alike in its path. It howled like a creature with no mouth, radiating enough force to peel skin from bone.

Izuku moved.

He didn’t think—he couldn’t. Instinct took the reins, dragging him beneath thought and into something deeper.

His body unraveled, dissolving into shadow and vapor. The black miasma surged forward, streaking through the flame, and for an instant, he was the dark—part smoke, part wind, part will.

He reformed in a blink, not behind the flame, but within its heart, bursting forth just inches from the trench-coated man. The heat clung to him like a second skin, blistering the flesh of his palm where the nail met flesh. He ignored it.

The nail came down in a slash, a breath away from his enemy.

And the man’s dead, colorless eyes widened—just slightly.

That was enough.

The nail struck.

Metal met flesh—then bone—with a sickening crunch. The trench coat tore, and blue blood sprayed from the man’s shoulder in a brief, burning arc. It hissed as it hit the ground, igniting the cracked cobblestones with a ripple of flame.

Izuku didn’t stop. Couldn’t. If he gave the man even a second of an opening, who knew what would happen.

He twisted with the momentum, letting his feet drag sideways as he spun, nail biting across the man’s chest with a follow-through slash that carved glowing embers into the air. The sound was wrong—too wet, too soft. Like splitting rotted wood.

The man grunted, but his eyes didn’t flinch.

Then he moved before Izuku could comprehend.

A knee rocketed into Izuku’s gut, and the world lurched. The blow was precise, brutal—fire trailing behind it like an afterimage. Izuku flew backward, his ribs screaming as he hit a collapsed food stall, the wood snapping like kindling.

He tasted blood on his tongue, but his mouth was fused shut with his mask that cracked and shards continued to fall to the street around him.

His shoulders shook with a repressed cough, but pushed to his feet, fingers still wrapped tight around the hilt of his nail. Smoke curled around him, and for a moment, he couldn’t tell if it was from the fire or himself.

Across the ruined street, the man adjusted his collar with one burnt hand. His other arm hung limp, twitching erratically—torn muscle scorched down to the marrow. But he didn’t seem to feel it.

“Interesting,” the man said at last. His voice was low and distant, like it had to claw its way up from somewhere deep and broken. “You sure you don’t just wanna lay down and die kid?”

Izuku didn’t reply, he couldn’t, he breathed in deeply and steadied himself.

The man smiled thinly. “No? You’re something else huh.”

Another flick of his fingers—and this time, the flames didn’t come in a wave.

They erupted beneath Izuku.

The ground exploded upward in a burst of azure fire, pillars of heat carving the air like spears. Izuku flung himself sideways mid-dodge, form warping into mist once more—barely clearing the blast. The fire clipped his ankle, and pain flared white-hot along the bone.

He wanted to scream, but with no mouth present to do so all he could do was focus on the task at hand.

He crashed into a side ally and ran, dashing and reappeared above the man.

And dived.

He didn’t strike like a swordsman. He fell like a meteor—nail reversed in his hand, body wreathed in the same twisting smoke that had once been deep within him moments before. The air shrieked around him, fire chasing his descent.

The man raised his uninjured hand, palm open—and caught Izuku’s wrist.

The impact cracked the stone beneath them.

They stood locked there for a heartbeat. Then two.

The man’s hand blistered, skin boiling as the weapon seared his palm. But he didn’t let go.

“I wonder,” he said, eyes narrowing. “How long you’ll last before you start to burn too.”

Izuku didn’t answer.

He went to pull his wrist free when the man's charred hand caught his neck and a flash of blue erupted.

Pain—raw and immediate—flashed through Izuku’s spine as the blue fire flared point-blank against his throat.

The world screamed in colorless heat.

His vision burst white as his body convulsed, jerking violently as if struck by lightning. Black chitinous skin charred and cracked. The fabric of his clothes, what was left from the surprise attack at least, caught fire in an instant. And for a terrible moment, something inside him recoiled. Something old and cold twisted, trying to shield itself from the flames—but the flames slipped through. 

Pain took grip of his mind and he could feel his mask shatter and cascade across the ground before the patchwork man.

His knees buckled.

The man didn’t let him fall. He dragged him forward by the neck, lifting Izuku clean off the ground like he weighed nothing. His face was inches away now, dead eyes half-lidded with vague amusement.

“Thought you had me,” he murmured. His breath smelled of burnt oil and cinders. “You’re fast. But you’re not used to fighting monsters like me, are you?”

Izuku’s feet kicked uselessly as his mind returned to functioning, the heat inside was growing too hot. The burning pain had numbed into something else—distant, thudding, like his body was trying to unfeel itself to survive.

From deep within, past the place where instincts lived, a whisper surfaced. Not words. Not thought. Just need.

A tremor ran through Izuku’s limbs.

Then the shadows poured out.

Black tendrils of black boiled from his back and shoulders, writhing like serpents. They lashed outward with a shriek like bending steel, one slamming into the man’s chest with enough force to make the man stumble, eyes widening barely a millimeter. Another struck his arm, breaking his grip on Izuku’s throat at last.

Izuku dropped like a stone, coughing violently as he rolled to the ground, steam hissing off his skin.

The man staggered back a step.

Only a step.

He glanced down at the charred crater in his chest where the tendril struck—and laughed. Low, broken, wheezing.

“Now that’s more like it.”

Izuku didn’t respond. Couldn’t. He crouched low, one hand gripping his knee to stay upright, the other dragging the nail across the ground for balance.

More black, void dark material leaked from his back—slow now, steady. Controlled. It didn’t lash. It moved and wrapped around his chest, filling in wounds and leaking cracked chitinous flesh.

Izuku lifted his head.

His mask had finally been shattered, mostly, portions still clung to his cheeks and across his mouth. His eyes burned—green rimmed with black as energy surged through his extremities, wounds knitted back together as the internal heat bled through him. Inch by inch the mask reformed, covering his eyes wholly before the surface smoothed out.

The man tilted his head, and his smirk returned. “Huh.”

Izuku launched forward—again.

This time he didn’t glide through mist. He tore through space.

The ground behind him shattered in a small crater, the black tendrils coiling like anchors around him as he launched forward. His nail flicked out, a horizontal strike aimed at the man’s neck—but the enemy ducked low with fluid, almost bored precision.

Flames erupted where the blade passed.

Izuku twisted in mid-air, both hands on the nail, bringing it down like a guillotine.

The man nearly dodged it entirely—nearly.

This time, the metal screamed as it bit into his shoulder, grinding past burned skin and warped muscle. The man’s face twitched—not in pain, but in irritation. His fingers tightened, catching the edge of the blade even as it sank deeper. Smoke rose between their locked grips.

“You’re getting annoying,” he said, voice flat. 

Izuku shoved forward, tendrils of black spiking around his waist and arms, forcing the nail downward into another strike at the man.

The man shifted his feet—and fire bloomed in a ring around Izuku.

A wall. A cage.

The flames howled upward, cutting him off from the ruined section of the city. Orange and blue clashed in the sky above as the heat warped the very air.

Izuku blinked through the smoke and caught a flicker—his opponent’s lips moving. He attempted to comprehend, but was caught off guard as fire exploded from the man's palm, point-blank into Izuku’s chest as he reached through the pillars of flame.

He coughed once—then twice.

He couldn’t seem to catch his breath as the flames licked across his body.

His body hissed and bubbled in protest to the sheer heat and fire, trying to reform—patches of armored black skin and coiling tendrils that melted and cracked. But it wasn’t fast enough.

The fire ate through him. Not just his body—but through the energy that had filled him, the writing warmth that ate all heat failed in contact with the blue fire.

Something deeper burned.

Izuku staggered, choking, his vision doubling. The nail clattered to the ground beside him with a dull metallic ring, scorched black. His knees hit the stone next, the tendrils at his back twitching in spasms—flickering, dying out inch by inch by the suffocating heat.

Across the flame, the man stepped forward with maddening calm.

“Not bad,” he muttered, tilting his head. 

His gaze lingered on the black twitching material that was still fighting to fill the wounds weakly around Izuku’s chest.

“Wonder what’ll happen when it runs out.”

Izuku lifted his head, barely. His mask cracked and split, revealing his face as he tried to move his lips, but no sound came out. Breath was fighting to return to his lungs, but failing.

The man watched him for a long moment. Then he rolled his shoulder—the wounded one. The skin there hissed, the char pulsing faintly with heat.

“Next time,” he said simply.

Then he turned.

Flames erupted beneath him. Not in attack—but propulsion. The blast launched him upward in a bloom of blue fire, the air shattering with the sound of it. He vanished in an instant—up and over the rooftops, gone into the smoke-streaked sky.

The ring of flame around Izuku flickered—and died.

Silence fell.

Izuku’s body dropped fully to the ground, half-curled, steam rising off his body in ragged bursts. His nail lay inches away, but he didn’t move to reach for it.

His hand twitched once, then went still.

Somewhere behind him, far off, there were the screams. People moving. Shadows stumbling through debris.

But it all sounded so far away.

The energy inside him pulsed once—like a heartbeat. Then faded.

His eyes fluttered shut.

Darkness took him.

When Izuku woke, it was to agony.

Not the sharp kind that screamed from one place. No—this was total. A full-body symphony of pain, a thrumming, vibrating ache that filled every inch of him like someone had turned his nerves into an overclocked speaker.

It was like being eaten alive by static. Not fire, not frost—something worse. Buzzing. Crawling. Endless pinpricks, like ant bites layered over every fiber of his being, each one multiplied and stacked until his skin didn’t know where it started or ended.

His eyes stayed shut.

They couldn’t open—something thick and cool had been wrapped around his face. A bandage, maybe. Or cloth soaked in something medicinal and alien. He couldn’t tell. He could barely tell if he was still alive beyond the physical sensations.

He tried to move—but his limbs were bound. Not tightly. Gently. A cocoon of fabric and straps that made movement impossible, whether to protect him… or keep him still.

Something cold and wet dabbed against his forehead.

He flinched—or tried to.

The motion barely reached his skull, more imagined than real.

Then came the sound.

Beep.

...

Beep.

...

Beep.

Mocking. Measured. Merciless. A machine near his head pulsing out a slow, steady rhythm, each chirp dragging the seconds out like hours.

He wanted to scream. To speak. To move.

Nothing answered.

No physical movement responded.

He was a body without weight. Limbs without form. A breathless presence buried somewhere deep in pain and silence.

Then—a whisper.

Soft. Muffled. Like someone speaking underwater just beside his ear. He couldn’t tell if it was real or imagined, words or just intention. The sound floated by, dragging threads of warmth in its wake.

Moments passed before something touched him.

A spreading warmth, gentle but heavy, unfurled through his left arm and traveled inward—through veins, nerves, marrow. Not fire. Not healing. More like a command to rest. A hand beneath sleep itself.

Then darkness swallowed him again.

He woke again.

Everything hurt—but less.

The sharpness had dulled into a raw throb, like someone had sanded down his nerves with grit and ice. His skin felt tighter, as if stretched over bone that didn’t quite fit anymore. The air was colder now—clinical. He could feel sheets beneath his back, but they didn’t offer comfort. Only friction.

Muffled voices passed overhead.

Then something clicked, and pressure bloomed in his arm.

Cold chemicals flooded in.

He tried to flinch. He couldn’t.

Then the dark returned.

The third time, it was harder to surface.

He was sinking even as he woke. Thought scattered too fast to catch. His mind was syrup, slow and failing.

Somewhere nearby, machinery hummed.

A hand brushed his temple—warm, then gone.

Another injection. This time through his thigh.

He didn’t feel the prick. Just the void blooming behind his eyes.

The fourth time, he woke up with a gasp.

Not loud. Not strong.

But real.

Light filtered through gauze, and for the first time, he could see.

Blurry outlines. A ceiling painted white with grime-streaked vents. Pale gray light washed over everything, the kind that never felt warm no matter how long you lay beneath it.

His eyes darted slowly left, then right. Everything was still wrapped in cotton and fog, but it was real. His body didn’t scream—it ached. Like stone weathered by time instead of fire.

He blinked.

A shadow moved across the light.

For a moment, Izuku thought it was just a hallucination—another passing blur in the blur that was his brain. But it stayed. Closer now. Familiar.

There was movement near his face, deliberate and cautious. He caught the faint scent of antiseptic and old ash, mixed with something softer. Sweat, maybe. Or warm skin. Then came the gentlest touch—fingertips brushing his cheek. A shape leaned in above him, and a soft breath whispered past his jaw.

“Izu?”

The voice cracked at the edges, tired, quiet—but undeniably real.

Mina.

He blinked again, struggling to focus. The world shifted as her hand came back into view, her fingers trembling slightly as they hovered over the gauze wrapped around his head. She paused. He could tell—she was staring, unsure, maybe afraid to see what was underneath.

Then, slowly, she began to unwind the bandage.

Each pass loosened the dim fog clinging to his sight, revealing more of the low-lit room around him. Her movements were careful, reverent, almost like unwrapping something sacred. The silence stretched, but neither of them broke it.

Strip by strip, the gauze came away.

The last layer peeled back with a soft pull, and cold air kissed his skin.

He blinked.

And finally—saw her.

Mina’s face hovered above his, haloed by a dull ceiling light. Her hair was pulled back hastily, strands falling out in wild curls. A thin bandage was pressed against her temple, and bruising curved down the side of her cheek, fading but visible. Her cute date outfit was gone, replaced by simple clothes and a blanket thrown loosely around her shoulders.

But her eyes—her eyes were the same.

Golden. Wide. Laced with relief and something heavier beneath it.

She looked down at him like he was a miracle. Like he was something she thought she’d lost.

“Izu…” she breathed again, voice barely holding steady.

He swallowed. His throat hurt, dry and cracked.

“…Hey,” he rasped.

A laugh—half-choked—escaped her. She swiped at her eye and shook her head, leaning forward until her forehead gently pressed against his.

“You idiot,” she whispered.

He didn’t argue. Couldn’t. He let his eyes drift closed again for just a second, her presence grounding him better than any hospital machine.

When he opened them again, she was still there, watching him with everything she didn’t have words for.

Chapter Text

He could feel her breath.

Warm. Steady. A rhythm against the storm still raging quietly inside his skin. It washed over the edge of his jaw, down into the hollow of his throat, and dulled the ache crawling across his ribs. Even the agony in his right arm, sharp and constant, was numbed for a moment—reduced to background noise beneath the nearness of her.

He didn’t remember what happened to it. Or what that man—that thing—wanted. Why he had scorched the market to ash, or why he had smiled like he knew Izuku’s name before Izuku had ever spoken it.

But none of it mattered now.

Not while Mina was so close.

Not while her forehead rested against his, her fingers gently brushing his temple, her breath easing the cold that bloomed like frost in his chest.

She didn’t speak. She didn’t have to.

Her warmth spoke for her.

He breathed her in—faint citrus, hospital soap, smoke. Beneath it, something unmistakably her. His body instinctively leaned toward it, toward her, like a flower curling toward light.

She shifted just enough to meet his eyes again.

“I was so scared,” she whispered.

Her voice wasn’t steady. It cracked in the middle, pulled taut with something fragile and too big to name. Her gold eyes shimmered as they searched his, hunting for something—maybe for proof that he was really here.

Izuku swallowed hard.

“I’m… sorry,” he managed. It came out as more of a breath than a word. “I didn’t mean to—”

“Don’t,” she said quickly, shaking her head. “Don’t do that. You don’t have to apologize for getting hurt, Izu. You didn’t ask for that freak to show up and—” She stopped herself, jaw clenching, eyes darting down to the bandages around his shoulders. “You were on fire.”

He flinched at the memory—not of the fire, but of her voice, screaming his name.

“I… don’t really remember it,” he admitted, closing his eyes for a second. “Just flashes. Heat. The ground… breaking.”

A pause.

Then softer: “You.”

Mina let out a slow, trembling breath. “You’re lucky I didn’t break your ribs dragging you out of there.”

He managed a tired smile. “Wouldn’t’ve noticed.”

She smiled back. Just barely. Then her face twisted into something halfway between a laugh and a sob.

“You’re such a little dumbass.”

“Yeah.”

They stayed like that for a while. Her forehead pressed against his. His good arm moving, slowly, shakily, to rest at the edge of her shoulder. He was still cold—but it didn’t bite as hard now. Not with her heat pressed so close. Not with the beep of the machine near his head forgotten and the pain just distant enough to ignore.

And for the first time since he woke up, since the fire, since the dream—

He felt like he might sleep again.

Not from injury.

But because her warmth bled into him like a tonic.

Mina stood up slowly, her hand lingering on his arm—her fingers pressing lightly into his skin as if afraid he might vanish if she let go too quickly. She didn’t pull away until she was just out of her own reach.

“I… my parents are here,” she said softly, voice cracking at the edges. “They want me to go home, but I’m… I’m really happy you finally woke up.”

Her eyes shimmered again under the sterile hospital lights. She blinked quickly, but the tears clung stubbornly to her lashes.

“Recovery Girl and your mom have been in and out the last… few days. You’ve been out for three and a half.” She paused. Swallowed.

“You… you were so hurt, I didn’t know if you were gonna make it.”

Izuku stared at her, heart thudding in his ears, the sound louder than the beeping machines.

“I…” he started—but the words failed. He reached for something, anything that wouldn’t sound broken.

“Ramen.”

Mina blinked. Her brows furrowed in confusion, her tearful eyes still glimmering with emotion.

“Ramen?” she echoed.

He coughed out a weak, tired laugh. “I’ll… I’ll take you on a date. For ramen. And a movie. As soon as I get out of here. Okay?”

The words tumbled out awkwardly, his exhaustion catching up to him mid-sentence. A small yawn escaped before he could suppress it. He raised his left hand and rubbed at his eyes, feeling how dry they were—how cold the world felt again now that her warmth was slipping away. He missed his hoodie. The hospital gown was far too breezy, too impersonal.

Mina let out a soft giggle, the sound gentle and frayed, like thread pulled loose from fabric. The tears didn’t fall, but the sorrow in her gaze began to retreat, replaced by something warmer.

“Okay, short stuff. You better.”

She stepped forward without hesitation and wrapped her arms around him. It was a soft hug, careful not to touch the worst of his bandages. Her fingers slid through his messy green curls, up and across the ivory curve of his horns with featherlight strokes. The gesture made his eyes flutter shut, and for a moment, he forgot he was hurt.

Then a yell echoed down the hallway—deep, loud, unmistakably parental.

“MINA! IF YOU DON’T HURRY UP, WE’RE LEAVING WITHOUT YOU!”

A woman’s laugh followed, lighter and amused.

Mina sighed, pulling back just enough to look him in the eyes. “I have to go, Izu. I’ll try to visit tomorrow, okay?”

He nodded and, despite the soreness in his body, pulled her back into the hug with his good arm. Just one more second. Just a little more warmth.

“See you tomorrow… pinky.” He gave her the best smile he could manage—tired, crooked, but real.

She gave him one last look, then turned and walked out of the room with a small wave.

The door closed behind her with a soft click.

And cold reclaimed the room.

He lay back, trying to breathe, but his chest wouldn’t rise right. His thoughts spun in tight, suffocating circles—flashes of fire, blue light, Mina’s face, and—Pain.

A sharp, crawling pain buzzed up his right arm, like static clawing under the skin. It shouldn’t have been there. Not like that.

His eyes snapped open.

He threw the sheet aside with his left hand, panic already catching in his throat before he even saw it.

His right arm—was gone.

From the elbow down, there was nothing. No hand. No forearm. Just the blunted, tightly-wrapped stump of his upper arm, covered in thick, hospital bandages stained with black. Not blood. Not pus.

Something worse.

The dark fluid pulsed beneath the gauze—moved. It writhed and wriggled like it was alive, slithering in slow circles, as if it hadn’t accepted the loss yet either. As if it was still trying to reach.

He choked on his breath.

“No… no no no—” His voice cracked, brittle, dry.

He clawed at the edge of the bandage with shaking fingers, tearing at the knot, unraveling layer after layer with growing desperation.

The gauze peeled away, and the air touched raw, exposed flesh.

Black chitinous skin covered what remained of his arm—cracked and webbed with jagged white lines that spidered through it like lightning scars. They glowed faintly, echoing the shape of fire, curling like tendrils up to his shoulder. Blue flames. His mind screamed the memory.

It was those flames.

His stomach twisted violently.

He had healed from everything before. Everything. Since this nightmare of a quirk awakened, nothing had stuck. No scars. No breaks. His body always pieced itself back together—if not instantly, then eventually.

He was certain it couldn't be permanent.

It wasn't supposed to be.

He refused to believe it.

Izuku scoffed, bitter and hollow, trying to suppress the spike of panic rising in his chest. He clenched his teeth and forced his focus inward—toward the flicker of warmth deep in his core. That heat. His fuel. His fire. What was left.

He forced it out—into the stump.

The stitched skin twitched. Then bubbled. The white scars glowed brighter for a second, pulsing in time with his breath.

But that was it.

No regrowth.

No bone.

No fingers.

Just pain—and the stillness of something missing.

His breathing came in short, ragged gasps now, sweat breaking out across his forehead. His good hand trembled as he gripped the edge of the bed hard enough to whiten the knuckles.

He wanted to scream.

He didn’t.

He just sat there, staring at the void where part of him should’ve been.

And for the first time since this whole nightmare began, he didn’t feel cold because of his quirk.

He felt cold because he was afraid.

Afraid.

Not just of the pain, or the sight of the stump. But of what came next.

He didn’t know how to make up for it. He’d trained with two hands. Parkour, combat, climbing—every motion, every instinct, every style he’d developed relied on symmetry, on balance, on reach. The Nail wasn’t just a blade—it was a dance partner, and he needed two hands to lead. One to guide, the other to strike.

Now?

He stared at the place where the rest of his arm should be and felt the future crumbling around it.

A knock startled him.

Just three soft taps, but they shattered the silence in his skull like glass. The panic didn’t disappear—it just dulled, fading to a background scream that still clawed at the edges of his mind.

He looked up.

A nurse stood in the doorway. She looked to be in her late twenties, black hair pulled back into a tired bun, skin a light tan with the soft sheen of someone running on too little sleep and too much caffeine. Her scrubs were neat. Her posture careful. Her expression—kind.

But when her eyes dropped to his arm, the smile that had rested lightly on her face faltered. She didn’t speak at first. Whatever words she might’ve had—It’ll be okay, or You’re so brave—died somewhere behind her lips.

Instead, she walked into the room and sat gently in the chair beside his bed.

“Good evening, Izuku,” she said, voice low, almost like she was afraid to wake him further. “My name is Lucia. I’ve been… caring for you these last few days. Your mother appointed me personally.”

She hesitated, thumb clicking the pen in her hand twice. “I wanted to know how you’re… feeling.”

He swallowed, trying to find the words, trying to feel something specific and pin it down.

“I’m… fine,” he said eventually. The lie stuck in his throat. “My quirk healed everything that hurt. I'm just… cold.”

His voice was heavy, like his tongue was a weight in his mouth. Had he taken pain medication? Probably not. This didn’t feel chemical. It felt… hollow. His mind curled and sought an answer… his quirk medicine, it must be wearing off after so long being asleep.

Apathy curled in his lungs, thick and grey, settling deep around his heart like ash. And with it, the panic finally slipped beneath the surface like a coin dropped into a well.

“I want to sleep,” he murmured, eyes already drifting downward. “Can I have more blankets?”

Lucia blinked—startled by the simplicity of the request. But she nodded quickly.

“I—of course, Izuku. I’ll bring you a few extra. And I’ll let your mom know you’re awake. Normally we’d need to run tests, but… considering your quirk…”

She didn’t finish.

She didn’t need to.

Her brows pinched with quiet concern as she stood and stepped away from the bed.

“Sleep well,” she said softly, then slipped out of the room.

Izuku closed his eyes.

He could still feel the shape of his missing hand—ghost nerves twitching with memory. But the dread, the pain, the fear… it didn’t rise.

It simply sank into the hollow that had opened in his chest.

And he followed it down.

His eyes opened—But not to the hospital.

The dark stretched around him like the breath between thoughts. Silent. Endless. Familiar.

And there it was.

The Tree.

The Dream Tree stood tall and still in the center of nothing, its branches twisting in impossible arcs overhead. Pale bulbs pulsed along its limbs, cradled like lanterns waiting to be lit—or extinguished.

He stared up at them, the ache in his right arm somehow following him even here, into this place where pain wasn’t supposed to reach.

His gaze dropped to the stump.
Even in dreams, it was gone.
His stomach twisted. Disgust crawled through him like rot.

Without thinking, Izuku reached up toward the nearest bulb.

His fingers wrapped around the smooth surface—warm, humming with quiet pressure. The moment he gripped it, the shell cracked, then shattered, the fragments evaporating in his palm like ash. What remained was only a piece—a third of the full sphere. Small. Incomplete.

But it radiated warmth.
Real warmth.
Like his core.

He turned slowly, taking in more of the dream than he ever had before.

Behind him, where once there had been only black, now stood a pedestal. Atop it sat a great sphere, a glowing orb of simmering white heat. The glow was dim—barely three percent of its shape lit, flickering low and cold.

His core.

He knew it without being told.

The orb felt just like that heat within him in waking life—quiet, starved, pulling at warmth wherever it could find it. Desperate. Slow. Alive.

Around the pedestal lay chaos.

His inventory scattered across the dream-space like the aftermath of a dropped bag: snacks, his notebooks, loose pens, his Nail lying flat like a sleeping creature. Everything was arranged in haphazard disorder around the base of the tree.

And there—resting against the pedestal, tilted like a broken relic—was his mask.

It was cracked, chipped, entire sections missing like teeth knocked loose. But it was still there. Still his.

Izuku stepped forward. The orb fragment in his hand pulsed gently in time with his heart. When he reached the pedestal, he noticed small alcoves carved into its base—just large enough to hold pieces like the one he carried.

He pressed the fragment into an empty slot.

It clicked into place with a soft chime, like a lock turning after a long time shut.

Something inside him stirred.

He looked back toward the tree.

Another bulb hung low, close enough to reach. Could he take one more? Would it help?

He stepped forward.

Then—a pull.

The ground beneath him lurched.

The dream trembled.

And he was waking.

His eyes opened. The hospital ceiling stared back.

The cold returned, and the ache in his right arm throbbed again—but it was distant, as if muffled by the memory of warmth.

And the pedestal was still there behind his eyes. Waiting.

But that didn’t matter—not now. He’d be back there eventually. When the time came, he’d figure out how his quirk worked, even if it still made no sense. If anyone was going to solve it, it had to be him. It's not like anyone else had a quirk as odd as his.

Sunlight spilled across the room, warm and lethargic against the blankets that piled on top of him like a lazy ocean wave. A creaking chair broke the silence as he shoved the sheets off his head—only for them to snag on his horn. He fumbled with them, frustration simmering beneath the surface. Doing anything with one arm was harder than it should’ve been. 

The feeling of lacking something once so intrinsically a part of him made his chest ache with a phantom emotion. It was unfortunate then, that the feelings he should have felt about it were drowned in the all consuming void in his chest.

A soft laugh pulled him from the spiral, weak, full of more than mirth. His mom sat beside him, her red-rimmed eyes shining as they met his. She tried to smile, but it trembled. Another flicker in his chest, weaker, softer.

It should’ve broken him. All of it.

But the aching nothing inside swallowed everything—the pain, the joy, the fear—until all that was left was silence.

He offered a weak smile, the best he could in the moment. She pulled him into a hug—tight, trembling, full of warmth he couldn’t quite feel through the numbness. Only the seeping heat of her body's warmth into his cold skin brought any form of comfort.

He just wished he had his medicine.

Maybe then, he’d be able to feel the hug as it should have been. Maybe then, it would mean something more than pressure and heat. He knew it was more than that, he acknowledged the love within the gesture, but his body refused to produce the chemicals necessary for it to matter.

She was here for him, even on a day she usually would work her long and exhausting shift, even when she could have been home. It meant a lot that she was here, somewhere deep inside of him, lost to his quirks drawback was a him that appreciated it.

He wrapped her in his good arm, his stump finding a place at her side, her sobs grew harsher, her body shaking when he did so. Regret filled him, because even with his soul consumed by nothingness, bringing his mother more things to cry about. That was something he hated.

Minutes passed, turning into an hour. He kept the conversation up the best he could with his mother. And when the police arrived, he told them what had transpired from his point of view the best he could. It grated on him, all of it, and even as the hours passed, he hadn’t seen Mina once.

In total it took around five hours after he had woken up before he was allowed to get out of bed. He dressed himself into a set of clothes his mom had brought him—which getting into was much harder than he anticipated—and was followed by a long, emotionally charged car ride home.

By the time he had flopped into bed, and plugged his dead phone into the charger, exhaustion had taken its merchants' share. He uncapped his medicine and choked down the large, bitter pill, too tired to get water to ease the slow, thick glob of it down his throat.

Ding. Then another. Three more. Twelve.

Notifications poured in—flooding his phone like rain in a drought. The hero forums were exploding. Tracked tags pinged one after another, flooding through the backlog like a burst dam. Normally this would mean hours upon hours of note taking and quirk theories, but he was becoming one with his bed with every moment. A few hours of doom scrolling would be fine.

He tapped the first one without thinking. The caption blurred—he didn’t care. He just wanted the hit of serotonin that always came when the meds kicked in and the videos rolled. He scooted into a better spot, his body sucking in the warmth of his heated blankets like a black hole.

Blue flames filled the screen.

The caption blinked on the top of the video: “Unknown Villain Strikes Again! Blue Flame Spotted – #12”

He swiped through the timeline, skipping ahead.

His breath caught.

There—in the heart of the flames—stood the villain. The one who took his arm.

But something was wrong. The trench coat was the same. His skin still a charred patchwork—fresh burns over older scars, some of them clawed or torn, not burned. His skin peeled in burning embers—falling away, only to be replaced by something new. Something wrong. Like the fire didn’t consume him—almost like it rebuilt him. Renewing the fuel with something not right.

Izuku’s heart pounded.

Charred buildings surrounded the man. Lights burst in their housings, sparks raining down—then a ring of fire exploded outward, distorting the video with heat waves. People screamed, shadows danced in the fire, in and out of buildings, holding things hidden in the flames.

He knew this place.
The realization hit like ice.
The cold of his room crept into his bones, draining what little warmth he had left. Even the heated blanket failed to do its job.

He and Mina had been planning to visit that mall. They didn’t go—because of him. She had planned something there, but he had been too afraid.

The arcade. The one Mina always talked about. He’d seen her there—dozens of times. It was also where he did most of his parkour. 

He swiped to the time stamp.
Today. 
Within the last six hours.

He sat up.
His hands shook as he opened his messages—Mina’s name near the top.
His heart dropped.
Her last message blinked at him.

Mina~: “That villain, he showed up down the street and something blew up.”

Mina~: “i don't know what to do, there’s some crazy people running around, corralling people, im hiding in the arcade, trying to melt the back of the building to help people escape but its not going so well. IDK WHAT TO DO.”

Mina~: “Izu, I think they found us. There was someone waiting around the back of the arcade, i think i found a safe place to hide but”

Sent: 5 hours, 42 minutes ago.

Izu: “Mina? Mina please respond.”

…

The typing dots appeared.

*Mina~: “help.”

Izuku’s whole body trembled as he stared at the message.
Fear wrapped around his heart like scaffolding.
What could he do?

The cold in his chest surged—consuming the fear, dissecting it piece by piece. 

What could he possibly do with one arm?

He wasn’t a hero. He barely survived one real fight.

A new ping hit his phone—Mina’s location. In the middle of a forest.

A headline surfaced in his mind like ice water: “Twelve elementary students missing—hero investigations underway in nearby forests.” The Nailmasters were already searching that area. There were heroes nearby.

The cold pulled back. Fear returned—propped up by a single thread of hope. He could report it. Leave it to the heroes. But could he really do nothing? Could he leave her there—scared, alone—without trying?

What else could he do but try?

The villain had already taken his arm—he had more than enough reason to go.

He’d still report it. He wasn’t stupid. He’d done it dozens of times—could probably fill out the tip form one-handed, half-asleep.

His body twitched with adrenaline.
His legs ached.
The stump throbbed.
He’d barely escaped with his life.
He had only just gotten home.
His mother’s tears were barely dry.
The cold creeped into everything around him.

But what kind of person would he be if he left the girl who made his heart stutter behind?

Alone. Scared.

He wouldn’t be the person he wanted to become. He wouldn’t be worthy of being the hero of any story.

He took a deep breath, steeling himself. The medicine was making his emotions spike and spiral. Fear rattled through his core, but he held on.

His mind was made up the moment he stood. His heart had been since he first saw the word help, his mind just needed the kick in the ass. He stumbled to the bathroom, dropped to his knees, and shoved two fingers down his throat.

Black, viscous fluid splashed into the toilet—thick and oily, laced with chunks of undigested meds. It was a waste to be sure, but if he failed, he wouldn’t need them anyway.

He watched it swirl.

He was afraid.

How could he not be?

He wiped the mess from his hand and staggered to the sink. 

Rinsed. Spat.

Doubt still clawed at him. But the only way through it… Was to trust his quirk.

Completely.

And if he died…

At least it wouldn’t be with fear in his heart.

Chapter Text

A low drone filled the air. Izuku pulled the thick fabric tighter around himself, time oozing by like molasses clinging to a cliff’s edge. The medicine was making its final rounds through his bloodstream, clashing with his quirk in spirals of heart-pounding fear. He had reformed his mask, piece by piece—focusing on patching the damage left by the villain. Each fragment that snapped into place released a pressure he hadn’t realized was building inside. It felt like a bone being pushed back into place after being ripped out.

The thick black hoodie draped over his shoulders, blending with the chitinous black of his skin until he looked like a shadow folded onto the train bench. 

A part of him wondered how he must look.

Like some strange monster, maybe—tangled green hair framing a bone-white mask, horns curling overhead, and pitch-dark eyes that stared into nothing.

He kept his eyes closed behind the mask, focusing on the heat trapped in the crowded train car. It should’ve been hot—yet everyone around him shivered, breath fogging the windows against the damp chill that saturated the compartment. The breath of the passengers clouded the air, murmurs threading through the frost like loose thread. This kind of focus had been impossible while medicated.

Not when the dose was strong enough to let him feel anything at all.

With each breath, he channeled the fire inside him—thin and flickering, but still there. Its heat glowed white, full of potential. He was drained—not just from the fight, but from the entrance exam too.

He’d never noticed it before. But as he visualized his core pulsing with white heat, his body responded.

The stump stopped aching. His mind cleared.
And the void that had claimed his heart… settled. It wrapped around a single emotion—gently, like a caretaker cradling something fragile.

Melancholy. Fresh and directionless.

He exhaled as the brakes engaged. The screech of metal on rail echoed through the car, and the crowd began to stir.

Passengers leaned forward, eager to escape the cold, still clinging to their coats and hair. Izuku rose and slipped through the crowd in a shadowy mockery of his body, too deep in his thoughts to notice just how loosely he was letting his quirk spill out in public.

He didn’t care.

A mark on his record was nothing compared to what waited ahead.

He felt a mockery of his smile grow on his face. If all he walked away with was a warning or even a crime on his record, he’d call that a win. 

Izuku checked his phone, pace increasing with each step. Mina’s location: three miles into the forest. If he left the walking paths, he could shave down the distance—more, if he pushed himself to sprint the whole way he could cut it further.

For once, he was glad he’d started running all those months ago.
Maybe he’d been preparing for this without knowing it.

One goal.
A single box to check off.
Save Mina.
He didn’t care about surviving.
That was tertiary.
Life was important. 
But not if it meant leaving her behind.

He opened the Hero Helper site with a flick of his thumb and hit send.
Nailmasters tagged: Mato, Oro, Sheo—plus every other hero operating nearby.

Sometimes, obsessive hero-tracking paid off.

He powered down the phone and slipped it into his inventory as his foot stepped past the last stretch of sidewalk—City behind him. Forest ahead. The boundary had been breached. 

He touched his stump and focused.
A thin fluid secreted from the end—shimmering, organic—before hardening into shape.
He’d lost the arm.
But at least he could make use of what remained.

The material twisted and settled—forming a crude mockery of a hand.

Four warped claws. Functional. Ugly.

He’d thought of other shapes on the train: a balled fist. A blade. A spike. But this one gave him leverage. The claws could brace against the pommel of his Nail—giving him back some of the control he’d lost.

And if something needed cutting… this stuff was strong enough to dig through concrete and steel.

A final rush of emotion spiraled out from his chest, coursing through his limbs.

Fear—of what lay ahead, of what death might feel like, of what might happen to Mina if he failed. Of what his mother would do if he never came back.
And hate—pure, gnawing hate for the villain who took his arm. Who took her, made her scared.

And—horrifyingly—
Excitement.

His heartbeat thundered in his ears, each beat chasing the last as the emotions tore through him.
Fear dissolved first—into cold.
Hate followed.
And all that remained was excitement.
A giddy, frantic ember that pulsed in his chest, whispering nonsense until— Even that faded.
All that was left was that bone chilling cold.
It whispered that he was doing good.
That this was what he should be doing.
Calculated.
Efficiency.

A deep breath.
In the nose.
Out the mouth.
No sound escaped the mask.
It never did.
And if he died?
He wanted the mask on.
He didn’t want Mina to hear his final words.
Because they’d be embarrassing.
Something stupid like…
“I love you, Mina.”
Or worse—“Trying to save you was worth my life.”*

It was all true.
Every word. And even knowing how foolish it sounded—
He’d still say it.

Because he was a love-struck fool. He knew that. Even if it was young love—barely real, barely a fraction of who he was. It was still a part of him he treasured.

Who said young love wasn’t worth fighting for?
Or that you shouldn’t give your life for something that made your heart move?

He bounced on his toes, loosening his legs with each motion. Blood—viscous and black—circulated through his limbs, cooling the air around him like fog. He was as ready as he could be.

His feet hit the grass with a crunch—his red sneakers worn to near shreds. Then he bolted into the forest. 

One foot in front of the other. 

His body—trained to master the concrete jungle of Musutafu—adapted quickly to the wild. Roots cracked beneath his soles. Branches splintered as he vaulted, twisted, flung himself forward.

A tree loomed ahead—and he faded, slipping around it like a shadow chased by the sun. Ridges gouged the bark in his wake—like claw marks left by something not quite human. Cryptids work.

Each step chewed away the distance.
Each breath—ragged, sharp—pulled him closer to Mina.

He burst into a clearing. His mind snapped to the map—Mina’s marker placed her in one of the abandoned buildings ahead. He remembered this place. Vaguely at least. Once, he and Katsuki had played hero here—gotten lost, scared, and rescued by a pro.

Back then, the danger wasn’t real. It was imagined, because back then these buildings held nothing. But now each one was a danger.

He drew his Nail in a quiet flourish, crouching low. Let his mind wander—just for a second—as he scanned the clearing. He relaxed his body, letting the white heat leak out in a slow, steady drip. The same motion he used to fade—Only now, it wrapped him in darkness.

The twilight swallowed him whole. Like kin finding a part of itself.

He slinked between the buildings—old, crumbling things forgotten by time.
It was strange.
How easy it was to abandon buildings.
Just like people.

His steps made no sound. He slipped past dry grass, over cracked twigs. Voices drifted in the distance—some far, others far too close. It reminded him of old video games he would play, when time felt endless and the world safe.

Crying echoed from the largest building—a warehouse. It was dark on the inside, not even a flicker of light. The smaller structures nearby glowed faintly from within, blue fire bleeding light into the growing dark.

Izuku crept toward the old warehouse. People prowled along its perimeter, each dressed like a walking fever dream.

Thick coats soaked in sweat.
Blue Oni masks hiding their faces.
Weapons slung over shoulders, all jagged and mismatched.

They barked in a language Izuku didn’t recognize.
Their words echoed through the clearing like gunfire.
Did they even realize the heroes nearby could hear them?
Or did they just not care?

Sheo alone could flatten them all in seconds.

He was glad he’d sent the anonymous report. They checked that site even on missions—he knew them. They were just those kinds of people. He was happy he had met them.

He just hoped they wouldn’t find his body in this forest.

Izuku slipped through shadows, circling the edges of the building, hunting for a way in. After two full circuits, he spotted a jagged break in the siding—two stories up. It wasn’t ideal, but he could do it.

He waited, still and patient. The guards paced in lazy turns, trading jokes and mockery between shifts. In between their laughter and mockery of the crying people inside, they would leave a section open, unwatched.

As soon as the opening came, he dashed—closing the gap in seconds. He jumped, higher than he ever had before. He reached up, fingers catching a jagged piece of rusted siding. It bit into his skin—but couldn’t cut through it. He hauled himself upward, stabbing the claws of his false arm into the wall. 

The metal groaned—not loud, but enough to raise suspicion. It made Izuku’s heart skip a beat as he listened anxiously for any sounds of them being alerted.

Thankfully, the guards’ laughter outside must have drowned out the noise. 

He slipped through the gap in the siding, landing quietly inside. Sobs and gasps echoed through the structureHe ignored them. Dozens of people stared—young and old alike, eyes wide in disbelief. 

Even at a glance, he saw half of them were bound. He smelled scorched rope. The distinct odor of chemicals that corroded and burned. Mina had been busy. A smile curled beneath his mask. He dropped to the cracked concrete floor with barely a sound. He slipped his nail neatly into his inventory as he stood from his crouched landing.

The crowd parted as he approached. The empty sockets of his mask sent a ripple of fear through them. The youngest huddled behind the older.
A middle-aged man with scaled skin raised trembling fists—the strongest of them, or close to it. Izuku admired the man’s resolve, even if it was pointed at the wrong person.

He dispelled the mask with a flick of his quirk. The feeling of the stale air on his face made him uneasy, exposed. The building smelled raw, like residue oil and trash, underlined with sweat and human stink.
Still eyeing the crowd, Izuku pulled out his phone.
One bar. Maybe less.
He sighed and stored it back into his inventory. No calling Sheo, Mato, or Oro directly to inform them. No real line to backup or a lifeline.

He wondered how Mina’s message got through. Then decided not to think about it. Data providers were all different, so likely this area was covered by hers better than his.

He shook his head. He had to focus. He had his job to do, to get Mina and leave, maybe save all the abducted people. 

How?

He was still working on it.

He scanned the crowd. His voice barely rose above a whisper. “Mina?”

The word echoed through the ruined building. Quiet—But compared to the fearful silence, it rang like a firework.

A beat passed—then came the familiar shock of pink hair threading through the crowd. It was matted and dirty, pulled back into a loose bun that barely held it from her face. Her golden eyes found him, sclera dark and gleaming in the low spill of light through the broken walls. He couldn’t ignore the flutter of a dull emotion in his chest, so insistent to be noticed.

Her face was streaked with grime, save for a few clean tracks—evidence of recent tears. The clothes she wore were ripped in places, the sleeves of her shirt completely ripped off. Izuku spotted the missing fabric—now wrapped around the wounded. 

He forced a smile, flexing the muscles like he’d practiced—relief without substance. It wasn’t what she deserved, but it was all he could offer.

She almost called out, but instead it slipped out soft—“Izuku?”
Tears welled instantly. The shimmering beauty of her eyes gleamed with emotions too heavy for her to hold alone.

She rushed into his arms. He hugged her back—She smelled of sweat, oil, and a faint trace of vanilla. He held her a little tighter—memorizing her scent—then let go. His mind had already made the trade: her safety for his life. 

He would have made the decision even if he was on his meds. 

“Let’s get you out of here,” he murmured. “First—we free everyone.”

She nodded, swallowing thickly. Wiping away fresh tears, she stepped beside him. 

Within minutes, the last rope hit the ground.
Acid and Nail made quick work of the frayed restraints.

Once the last strand hit the ground, Izuku pointed to the back wall, “How long to melt through the back wall? The second floor’s thinner—maybe half an inch. Down here could be worse.”

Mina rubbed her hands together nervously, her eyes darting around. “Can we… talk about why you’re here? I—I didn’t think you’d come alone. Your arm…” She looked away from the twisted material of his makeshift claw.

“Let’s talk after we’re out, okay?” His smile was soft. Reassuring—he hoped.

“Start melting. I sent the location to the Nailmasters—they’re in the area, and should be close. I’ll distract the villain and his gang until they get here.” He sucked in a breath, his stomach churned.

“You just get them and yourself out of here.” His words came out soft and quiet, but full of conviction. 

He ignored the weight building within his chest.

“You were just—hurt. Yesterday you woke up from nearly dying.” Her voice came out harsh, but faded as acid pooled in her palms, its sting tickling his nose.

“I’m sure. And when we’re out—we’ll go on that date.”
He smiled, confident this time, and gently patted her shoulder.
“Trust me.”

She looked into his eyes, her golden gaze searching—so bright, so close, he had to fight not to get lost in it. He nearly missed it when she spoke again.

“If you get hurt… I won’t forgive you.
And if you die, Izuku—”
Her voice sharpened, eyes narrowing as he tried to hide behind a shy smile.

“I’ll try not to. I mean—hey, I survived last time, didn’t I?”
He stood in a flash, leaned down, and kissed her forehead. It was warm, slick with sweat—but hers.

“See you soon, Mina.”

He didn’t give her a chance to answer—he was already climbing, already gone, slipping through the broken opening. 
He didn’t look back.
He dropped into open air, the twilight chill sharpening into the cold grip of night.

His shoes met grass with a crunch.
The mask reformed.
He drew the Nail.

—When Green Meets Gold—

Grim is the night,
When love must hide—
When warmth gives way
To fear and pride.

Green and Gold, like jewel-toned flame,
Flicker in silence, bearing no name.
Eyes blurred with tears not shed,
Hearts loud in chests, words unsaid.

What truth lies wrapped in trembling breath,
When danger whispers love, to death?
Still, through the dark, one vow holds tight:
To reach the dawn, to fall or fight.