Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

This was going to be a long day.

Izuku woke up and just felt in in his bones. He liked to think that after breaking them so many times, he can just tell when they're in danger. Figuratively of course. Or not.

Either way, Izuku knows today is going to be difficult to get through. But he's going to be a hero, so he's prepared to deal with it.

It's okay, everything will work out. He's going to be fine.

______\(^-^)/______

Aizawa Shota is an experienced Pro Hero. He was also a good teacher. The two sides of himself didn't agree sometimes.

This class has been especially difficult on him. From continuous villain attacks, to just be annoying kids.

It was hard, when his kids acted much too old for their age. It was harder when he had to act like it was normal.
How is sending children to war normal? Why are they ok with it?

Though his class in general is difficult, one particular student made everything much worse.

Izuku Midoriya, resident Problem Child, was a villain magnet and had next to no self preservation. He's managed to improve since first year on that front fortunately. Not much, but some.

It's not like he was even a bad kid, he was just so incredibly hard to deal with. Shota loved all his kids, something his husband spent months trying to convince him of. It's true, however much he wished it wasn't.

So Midoriya was just as important as the rest of them. But Shota will admit he needed more work than the lot of them combined. It wasn't anything bad either, and it was definitely worth it.

That kid would be an incredible Hero, and Shota was proud to call him his student.

But he walked into class that morning and saw the little menace and just knew. Today would be a bad day.

______\(^-^)/______

Izuku walks to school, despite everything in his body screaming at him to stay home and hide in his blankets.
When he was little he learned that being surrounded by an excess of soft things makes him feel better, so he had ample supply of comfort at home.
But Izuku is going to be a hero. So he trudged on to school.

He got about halfway to UA, immersed in his thoughts, when he is abruptly brought back to the real life. Because he was slapped.

Someone actually walked up to him, and slapped him.

Now, Izuku Midoriya is not stranger to being hit, but this is only the second time in his life that he's been slapped. The first being when Ocha saved him from becoming mush on the ground.

He doesn't think this person was trying to save him.

"Izuku Midoriya." Yeah, definitely not here to save him.

Running through the likelihood of the unknown being friendly leaves him with staggering low probability. Which means Izuku might have to fight at 7 I'm the morning. Awesome. Great.

"... Are you even listening to me? I'm spelling out your doom, and you're tuning me out? Are you kidding me right now?" Oh shit, the villain.

"Wha- No! I'm so sorry! I was listening, I promise! Totally! I just- Um. If you could repeat it, to make sure I um, got everything that'd be helpful!" Nice save Izuku. Tell a possible villain... Whatever you just said.

"Look kid, I'm not even going to bother with.. Whatever you just said." Thank You kind stranger who is most likely a villain "I'm only gonna say this once, so listen up brat! I will be in the Audience to your Misery!" And then the man ran away.

Actually ran away. After slapping him.

This is going to be a long day indeed.

______\(^-^)/______

"Problem Child." Izuku never liked that name. He likes it even less when his teacher glares at him like that.

"Yes, Sensei?"

"Care to tell me what's happened today?" And now the class is staring. Izuku's never liked it when people stare at him. It usually means he's about to be hurt.

"I have no idea what you mean Sensei." Because no way in heck was Izuku about to be blamed for things not his fault for the umpteenth time. It really isn't a big deal anyway.

"Sure. If anything happens report to me immediately. I mean it, Problem Child."

"Of course, Sensei. I'll tell you if anything happens."

God how much he regrets not just saying something. He could have spared them so much pain.

But of course, Izuku didn't know how much he'd come to regret it.

______\(^-^)/______

Shota wasn't stupid. He knew Midoriya was lying to him. He just didn't know about what, because his student happens to be one of the most stubborn people he's ever met.

But Shota had been a teacher for years now, been Midoriya's teacher for long enough to know he wasn't going to say anything.

It couldn't be too bad though, his student knew to ask for help when people's lives are on the line.

He doesn't look hurt, so at worst he's kidnapped another child.

So Shota proceeds as normal. No reason to worry too much. Though, he can't shake this uneasy feeling.

He's lying in his sleeping bag when it happens.

The world tilts just so, and Shota can't make up from down. Then he hears the screaming.

Shota hears it every time his students are in trouble, and he bolts up so quick he gets whiplash. When he's standing, he actually listens to what his students are yelling, and he swears he's going to scold his problem child So Hard later.

"Midoriya's passed out!"

Shota is going to quit once his kids graduate. He swears it on Midoriya's bones.

Chapter Text

After reassuring his students that Midoriya really just passed out Shota started to question exactly what was going on.

He had jumped to his student when he first heard what had happened, and had immediately ordered Iida to go tell recovery girl he was on his way.

Iida promptly ran face first into the door.

Shota usually wouldn't bat an eye at this, his student sometimes forgets you have to Open doors to get through them.

Except that his student does try to rectify his mistake, only to find he Can't Open the Door. That's when Shota really questions what's going on.

______\(^-^)/______

Resigning himself to being stuck in what he's not so sure is the classroom, Shota sets out on damage control.

He gets Midoriya into a more comfortable position first off, then has his students attempt to contact someone with their phones. None have service, which is just another reason why Shota knows something is off.

There's not much one can do in their situation, so Shota orders his students to settle in as this might take a while to figure out.

It's only when everyone is seated that the videos start playing, and of course it starts with screaming.

____________

Izuku loved his Mama so very much. She reads him stories, and cooks his favorite foods, and stops daddy from hurting him sometimes.

She was his favorite person in the world.

But she wasn't here right now, and Daddy is angry.

That was the first time he felt fire on his skin and screams in his throat. It wouldn't be the last.

____________

The second time Izuku was hurt by his dad was when he first heard his mother scream in pain. He hadn't even known his Dad was home until then, as he was napping.

But Izuku heard his Mama scream and felt so scared he wouldn't see her again that he ignored his body and ran to her. Ran to them.

His Dad had a new target after that, and the scars would never fade.

Late that night, when his Mama was tending to his wounds, she cried so much the tears cooled his burns slightly.

She wouldn't stop, and kept asking him why he would do that. Why he didn't just run and hide. She wouldn't stop apologizing.

"It's okay Mama. I'm okay." He whispered, just like his Mama did. He didn't want to wake his Dad.

____________

Class 2A, the most promising students of the generation, could only stare as time and time again they watched their sunshine child be beaten and burned.

Many were crying, most had tried to look away and stop listening to the screams. But something kept pulling them back, forcing them to watch their friend break.

Aizawa could nearly breathe. He didn't know what was going on, why they were forced to watch this. All he knew, was that when this was over, and it would end, he would get his kid some fucking therapy.

____________

"Deku!" It wasn't a very nice thing to call someone, but Kacchan had learned that it's a different way to read his name and hadn't stopped calling him it since. It didn't help that Izuku hadn't gotten his quirk yet.

"Could you please stop calling me that Kacchan? It's not very nice."

"Don't tell me what to do Deku! I'll call you whatever I want. Maybe if you hurried up and got you're quirk I'd stop." Kacchan huffed, like Izuku without his quirk was an insult to him.

"I can't control when I get my quirk Kacchan. But you can control whether you call me names or not." He had changed when he got his quirk. He'd gotten mean. Not a day had gone by that Kacchan didn't stomp around like he was the boss of everyone.

"You're the only one without a quirk, idiot! You might as well be Quirkless!" They had learned about Quirklessness just a few days ago, when the teachers were talking about quirks with them. It wasn't a nice feeling when they kept looking at Izuku during that part.

"I just haven't got it yet Kacchan. I'm leaving if you're going to keep being mean."

"Go ahead! I don't want to play with a freak!" Izuku flinched. Kacchan had always been loud, only recently been mean, but he hadn't ever been cruel. His Mama had taught him what that meant, and that's how Kacchan was acting.

It was the first time someone was cruel to him.

____________

It felt like forever until they stopped watching Izuku be hurt by his father. Finally though, they saw as Izuku was called names by their resident bomb.

Many glanced at Bakugou when he was first shown on the makeshift screen at the front of the classroom.

Only a handful heard him, quieter than ever before, as he whispered his horror. "Oh god. We have to watch everything?"

Shota knew all his students were bright. He wouldn't shy away from saying Bakugou was one of his brightest. He was also reminded of the fact that he knew Midoriya, seeing them as children right then.

So he knew his student had come to the conclusion he had, and with that reaction Shota was terrified what else Midoriya had gone through.

Class 2A would have to watch everything Horrible that had ever happened to the boy who smiles.

Shota wasn't sure his students could handle it, if Bakugou was so scared of whatever happened.

____________

"I'm sorry, your son is Quirkless." Izuku knew it was most likely. He just hoped beyond hope that it wasn't true. But he was at the doctors, and they said it so it must be true.

He didn't want to know how Kacchan would react.

"Can I still be a Hero, mom?"

"I'm sorry, Izuku! I'm so sorry!" She wouldn't stop crying.
She wouldn't stop apologizing.

____________

If Kacchan was bad before, he was worse now.

He didn't want Izuku to be around him, unless he was being mean to him. He would say cruel things to Izuku, and the other kids would laugh.

But Izuku knew what happened to Quirkless kids who are alone. He had looked it up when his mom was sleeping.

He didn't want to go away, he wanted to stay with his Mom. So Izuku would follow Kacchan, and stay safe.

It was just words, after all. Izuku didn't mind too much after he got used to them.

It was okay, as long as his mom was there.

____________

Izuku's teachers weren't very nice to him.

At first they would look at him all sad, like Izuku was dying soon. But then they would ignore him, and not call on him to answer questions.

If Izuku didn't understand something, they told him to ask his Mom. Even though they knew his mom had to work a lot after his father left.

It's fine though, Izuku got used to learning on his own.

____________

Kacchan wasn't only mean to Izuku anymore. He would target other kids too, now. It was always the people he saw as less than him, so always kids with weak quirks.

Izuku didn't like that, and so whenever he heard the screams, he ran. He didn't even know he had, until it was him being hurt instead.

But Kacchan's quirk didn't hurt all that bad, compared to his Fathers.

Izuku never stopped running to the screams, even when Kacchan's quirk reminded him more and more of his Father's, as it grew stronger.

How could he? People were hurting, and Hero's help people!

It didn't matter that no one ever thanked him.

____________

Shota was reminded of every time Midoriya didn't ask for help. Every time he ignored direct orders from his teachers. Every time he flinched when he was called in class.

Shota had never regretted anything more than how he had treated Midoriya, and he wasn't even in middle school yet.

Chapter Text

The first time he was told to kill himself, Izuku was 10.

It was by some older kids, who cornered him after school let out.

Izuku went home with bruises and cuts instead on burns that day.

They were easier to treat, so Izuku thought it was okay. Better than burns that blistered and scarred.

____________

Older kids like to pick on him a lot. He was younger and Quirkless, it was like a gift to the angry children.

No teacher would scold you if they agreed with what you're doing

____________

Izuku hurt himself when he was 11. His teacher had told him he'd be better off dying and Izuku remembered the first time someone told him to die. How the pain from the beating had helped him forget the pain from their words.

He started wearing long sleeves after that.

Because it's okay, he's okay. Everything's fine.

It doesn't matter. (He ignores the whispers saying if it didn't matter he wouldn't hide it.)

____________

Shota can picture the uniform modification form in his head, and has never felt so stupid.

His students aren't faring much better, because they're hero students and one of their own had been hurt so bad and they couldn't help.

He knows the feeling.

Though a handful of them look worse off than most, and Shota will be checking in on them after this is over.

No child should look at self harm and feel empathy.

____________

The burns on Izuku's clothes and body get worse in second year of middle school.

Kacchan has been training his quirk, now that his body can handle it more.

If he's going to be a hero he needs to be strong after all.

____________

Izuku's Mother comes home early one day. She hadn't been coming home as often, now that Izuku is old enough to take care of himself.

But she home now, and Izuku still has blood on his arms.

"Izuku, honey? Are you okay?" Inko Midoriya is a worrywart, and if Izuku ever told her anything she would never forgive herself.

"I'm fine mom! I'm about to take a shower, though."

"Oh, alright dear. I'll start on dinner then." Izuku hadn't eaten with his Mother in months.

So he rises his arms, ignoring the pain, and looks at himself in the mirror.

"It's okay, I'm okay." And he almost believes it.

They have Katsudon for dinner.

____________

Kacchan calls him worthless daily now. Izuku goes home with burns just as often.

He also goes home with bruises and cuts and his things destroyed.

He stops bringing anything he can't replace himself to school, and learns to sew. He can't have his Mother find out what's happening.

If the teachers never call her to tell her, which they won't, she'll never know.

She'll Never Know.

____________

Shota is beyond worried about Midoriya right now. After however long of watching his students life, he knew he would never be able to stop worrying.

But he had assumed his home was safe. That his mother was safe.

He's not so sure anymore.

____________

In his last year of middle school, Kacchan finally crosses the one line izuku never thought he would.

He supposes he should have seen it coming, Kacchan just gets worse and worse as the years go by. But his treatment of Izuku had stagnated, and so he let himself believe that was the worst it could get.

But Kacchan is mad. Izuku understands though. He isn't supposed to encroach on Kacchan's glory. To even insinuate that he would, is punishable,

"Why don't you take a swan dive off the roof and pray for a quirk in your next life!"

By death.

It's not supposed to be like this.
Izuku is supposed to be an unstoppable force of determination. A few words shouldn't hurt so much. Especially if they're from Kacchan of all people. His words stopped hurting a long time ago.

It shouldn't make him hesitate like this.

Because it's okay. It's fine.

"Im okay. Everything is fine." He says, to an empty room filled with nothing but a sad little boy broken beyond repair.

____________

Izuku is almost suffocated to death and used as a meat suit and can't quite feel bad about it. If he was helpful to at least someone then maybe he can die happy.

Life has other plans, of which include crushing him once again.

"Can I be a hero without a quirk?" He just needed an answer. Please. He needed one person to believe in him. He can't go on with everyone telling him how useless he is. He knows. He knows! Please.

"Without a quirk? No I don't believe so. " Of course. Of course He wouldn't think so. It was a fact of life, Izuku Midoriya is useless and he'll never be a hero.

All Might was still talking, but he couldn't hear him. His ears were fuzzy, his eyes out of focus.

With no clue how long he'd been there, Izuku looks up when he can hear again. All Might is gone, because of course he is. Izuku isn't worth his time.

His arms feel heavy.

It's only when he realizes this that he notices where exactly he is. Honestly, what a perfect place to have his dreams crushed. To have his last bit of life be crushed. A roof.

A very tall roof.

His feet move before he consciously decides to do anything. He's at the edge when he tries to reason with himself. Just like all the other times.

It's the first time he's come up with nothing to live for.

But that can't be right. He's being irrational. Everything is fine. His life isn't so bad. He knows his mother loves him. She's just over protective. She over thinks things.

That's why they hadn't eaten together in years.

And...

Well what else is there? Who else?

Kacchan made it clear today that he doesn't want him around. Honestly, he'll be glad he listened to him for once.

His father has been gone for years.

All Might met him so briefly, and even he knew Izuku is worth less than the dirt on his shoes.

Everyone who has ever known of Izuku Midoriya had wanted him gone.

Why had he never listened before?

It's okay. Just one step and everyone will be happy.

Yeah... One step.

__________

"Oh god."

"Midori..."

"You don't think...?"

"He couldn't, he's here. It will... It will be alright."
___________

An explosion sounds in the distance, and Izuku Midoriya breaths another breath.

Chapter Text

Izuku has one foot metaphorically and physically over the edge when he loses his hearing once again. This time his sight and breath goes with it.

Because an extremely large, extremely familiar explosion goes off not a block from the roof he's on.

And that's Kacchan. It's Kacchan, and he's in trouble.

Izuku knows he can't do anything, knows he's so useless and worthless, and could never help Kacchan if he's in trouble.

How could Izuku, Quirkless weakling possibly help Katsuki Bakugou, destined hero.

But Izuku is already halfway down the stairs when he realizes this.

Not 5 minutes later Izuku screeches to a halt and sees the slime villain that had captured him earlier strangling Kacchan.

His feet were moving before he even realized.

______\(^-^)/______

Class 2A wakes up to a dark room, lying on the floor. They have no idea how they got there.

But then they hear his voice, soft and sweet while he hums some non existent song. And they all sit up at extremely concerning speeds.

Izuku Midoriya sits at the front of what seems to be their classroom, having fallen from Aizawa's chair after squeaking when they sat up.

He stared at them in open confusion, before breaking out into one of his beautiful smiles.

"You woke up!"

If half the class started bawling at that, that was their business thank you very much.

______\(^-^)/______

Shata had never been so confused in his life. Well he probably has, but that's not the point.

The point, is that he and 19 of his students are on the ground and his 1 student who Should be passed out is awake and alert.

He's also happy, and Shota is so disappointed that he can say he hasn't seen that in a while.

He's not sure what's going on, but half his students are crying and at least five look ready to commit murder on Midoriya's behalf.

Though the latter is nothing new, Midoriya looks so confused and Shota thinks an exchange of questions is needed.

"Midoriya." The boy looks at him like he's worried Shota hit his head. It takes a moment to figure out he's confused Shota called him by name. He's ashamed to admit it hadn't happened in a long time.

"What happened?" Ignoring the guilt piling up, Shota does have a job to do.

"Well, about 15 minutes into homeroom all of you passed out at once. Schools been over for a few hours now, but we've been quarantined in case the effect was contagious. I called for help immediately, and the Villain responsible has been caught. We've just been waiting for you guys to wake up." If there was one thing his student had learned, it was how to give clear comprehensive reports.

His explanation seemed to shock his classmates out of their despair, as no less than four people lunged at him. Izuku Midoriya was now trapped in a hug pile, and Shota had no plans of stopping it.

"Um, Hi? Why is everyone hugging me? Not that I mind! It's actually quite nice. But I'm just a bit confused? What happened when you were unconscious?" And wasn't that the root of the issue. He didn't think his students had the mental capacity to respond, and was about to give some explanation but to his surprise Shinsou beat him to it.

"We were forced to watch every horrible thing that happened to you. It started when you were a toddler." And it was only because he was watching so closely that Shota saw Midoriya flash through multiple different reactions before settling on guarded.

Confusion, shock, horror, despair, pain, and finally cautious. He was afraid of what they saw. He was afraid of Them. The power they now held over him.

Izuku Midoriya was a textbook case of Abused Child and Shota had never noticed. He didn't know if it was because the boy was a good actor, or if Shota was just that oblivious.

He saw everything, all the signs. He had all the puzzle pieces, he just never put them together.

He'd never felt like such a failure.

______\(^-^)/______

If they had seen everything, if that were true, Izuku was in for a world of trouble.

He glanced a Kacchan, and knew it was. He and Kacchan had reached a sort of friendship this past year, they had been proper rivals. Izuku knew him his whole life, knew him when he was small and now knew him when he was grown.

And yet Izuku had never seen him look that broken. Had never seem him look at Izuku with so much regret and sorrow.
Izuku knew he was sorry, but this was the first time he truly looked it.

Kacchan looked at Izuku the way Izuku looked at himself in the mirror on the bad days.

So he held his friends closer, and whispered to a room full of sobs, "I'm so sorry."

Chapter Text

Izuku knew he was well and truly screwed when all of class 2A passes out 15 minutes after homeroom starts.

It really served him right, forgetting the foreboding feeling he got when he woke up. Honestly, how could he be so stupid?

Fifteen minutes into homeroom, Izuku felt some sort of power serge in the classroom, and next thing he know everyone is passed out.

And yeah, he's freaking out a bit, but he's a hero, so he knows what to do.

So Izuku jumps into action to immediately check that everyone is Just unconscious and nothing more serious. It's only when Izuku get to the front and checks that Aizawa-Sensei is alright that he calls for help.

Well, he grabbed a phone at least. What he really did next was look through his teachers contacts for someone familiar, while beginning to block off the door.

Izuku has never been more happy that he knows his teachers password.

____________

Yamada Hizashi loved his students. He loved his jobs, and most of all he loved his family. He had a son, aa daughter, and a husband and loves them with all his heart.

His husband has a habit of adopting children who need help, and who was Hizashi to deny him?

So when he answers his husbands call in the middle of the school day, he was expecting some sort of rant about Shota's students.

He was not expecting his husbands unofficial kid, his 'Problem Child', to be on the other end.

He most certainly did not appreciate the heart attack that came with it, but he digresses.

And then, the kid says that his husband and all of class 2A passed out for no apparent reason.

Two heart attacks in one day is not appreciated, but at least now he knows why Shota calls him 'Problem Child'.

____________

Izuku has just finished barricading the door what Yamada-Sensei arrived. He sounded worried.

"Midoriya!? Hey, open the door!"

"Ah, I can't do that Sensei! I think-"

"What do you mean you can't do that?! We have to make sure everyone is okay! Open the door, Midoriya!"

"I've already checked, and they're all just unconscious! Like I was saying-"

"Midoriya you're a child, open the door so I can't check!"

Okay, now Izuku loves all his teachers very much. Present Mic is even in the top 5! And he knows the man is stressed because his husband and son are in here, but if this man doesn't let Izuku finish his god damned sentence he's going to jump out the window.

"Now, now Yamada. Let's listen to the boy, shall we?"

Izuku has heard his Principal talk before, so he knows who is now outside the door. He just doesn't know how the heck Nedzu knew something was going on, there's no cameras in the classrooms.

"Thank you, Principal. As I was Trying to say, I think I've been affected by a quirk and I don't know the parameters of it yet. I can guess of course, but for precautionary sake I don't think anyone should come into the classroom for now."

"Hm," The Chimera sounded amused. "And if you were to guess, what would you say has happened here today, Izuku Midoriya?"

People say that Izuku's principal is scary, but he could never see it. Izuku knows scary, and Principal Nedzu is not, and has never been scary to him.
Izuku thinks this is a time when he should think otherwise, if Present Mics audible step back is anything to go by.

"Um, well this morning I was kind of attacked? I think? Honestly I'm not sure, but this person came up to me and slapped me, said something and then ran away.

But, about 15 minutes into homeroom everyone collapsed, and I of course checked that they were okay and everything, but then I started thinking on Why it happened.

Um so I think, the person who attacked me has a quirk that has a delayed sleep affect of some sorts, and that I'm the epicenter. Seeing that I've not been effected but everyone I've had continuous exposure to Has, I don't think it'd be wise to allow anyone else in the room.

It could be a Time Exposed effect, or it could be a Deleted but Continuous effect, or it could be a one time thing at a specific time. So with the limited information we have it's better to be safe than sorry."

The Principal was laughing. Izuku knows he's a little socially unaware, but he doesn't think laughing is the correct response to his classmates and teacher being affected by an unknown quirk. But who is he to know, his Principal is older after all.

"Wonderful, Midoriya. Simply wonderful! I believe we should listen to you for today's incident, and I will contact the police department to let them know they have a Villain to catch!" And then he was gone.

"Midoriya."

"Ah, yes, Present Mic sensei?"

"Do you- Do you need anything? I'm sure we can find a way to get something in there without risk of exposure." If this is the hero's way of apologizing, Izuku very much appreciates the effort.

"Um, could you get Recovery girl please? I want to make sure I've not missed anything that could be dangerous. There's already blankets and stuff in here from the last class movie day. And I'm sure Aizawa-Sensei has a stash of food somewhere in here I could find if I get hungry.

I just... I just need recovery girl please."

It was silent for a few moments, and Izuku thought he might have missed the hero walking away, before, "Of course, Midoriya."

Izuku knows how to read a persons tone, to see what they're feeling. He learned when he was young.

Present Mic sounded sad.

____________

It was hours later, after school ended and only few people remained in the school when Izuku fell off his fucking chair.

To be fair, all of the previously resting figures in the middle of the room, shot up all at once and scared the shit out of him.

But then they were looking at him, and he was looking at them, and suddenly he registered what that meant.

"You woke up!"

And then he was tackled.