Chapter Text
At four years old, Midoriya Izuku found out he was quirkless.
Nothing could ever top the pain that had opened his skin, so cruel and nasty he felt like puking. "Sorry kid, you don't have a quirk," had been the simple words that crushed the dreams of an innocent young child.
Izuku cried for days, maybe even months. Laying in bed while trying to sleep with his little All Might night light on, the tears had soaked the pillow to the point he wasn't able to sleep with it.
Hands clashed together, eyelashes pressed against each other firmly, Izuku prayed to any high being above that everything was just a big misunderstanding.
Let me be a hero.
At five years old, Midoriya Izuku listened to a piano recital for the first time.
With his mother next to him, green eyes shining as much as when he saw All Might on television. Izuku had grabbed the edge of his seat, the emotions the pianist was feeling being completely expressed through the notes Izuku was hearing. Like a soft breeze in the summer air, Izuku felt himself involved in the life of the pianist.
Izuku was fascinated.
For the first time in a long time, a genuine smile had morphed on his lips. So tender and real, even Midoriya Inko shared a tear.
Izuku heard the standing ovation, the silent sobs of those the pianist had reached out to and Izuku came to a realization.
I want to be like him.
At six years old, Midoriya Izuku touched a piano for the first time.
Sparks were sent through the keys, to his fingers, making his heart bump quickly inside his chest when they got to it. An instant connection was formed between the instrument and him.
Midoriya Izuku had fallen in love.
However, he learned quickly that love wasn't enough if there was no respect between him and the piano. He learned how to hear the piano's needs, acknowledging them while the piano understood his feelings and helped him express them.
At nine years old, Midoriya Izuku performed in front of an audience for the first time.
It was a small show. Could count less than twenty people inside the room. That didn't matter to Izuku. He would share his emotions even if there was simply one person to hear him.
He had been nervous, nonetheless. His limbs had shaken, his stomach had twisted and he had swore his fingers had frozen up.
There was a moment, though. The moment when Izuku sat down in the silence that was echoing through the air and his hands touched the keys after a deep breath.
Nothing else had mattered. It had been just Izuku and the piano and the connection they had formed. He had heard as the music spread in that deep oxygen, making him feel light and alive. Izuku had been so satisfied with the voices he had expressed, his eyes swelled with fat tears the moment he bowed down to hear the applause.
And a thought he had pushed through the back of his head sounded in his head loud and clear as the small audience smiled at him with shining eyes,
I can be a hero with my music.
The notes slipped through his fingers the moment the tips touched the keys.
Such a tender smile on his face while his eyelids closed, hearing the sounds the piano was sharing with him, loving how the gentle beat of his heart matched the music.
The balls of emotions could be heard floating in the air, brushing on every single person watching him at that moment.
At twenty-one years old, Midoriya Izuku played for the biggest audience he had ever played for.
Izuku got up after the finishing note and the comfortable silence made his heart big on his chest. It allowed him to hear every hitched breath, every surprised gasp, every clench of hands at the overwhelming feelings.
It allowed him to hear the first clap of hands, that was quickly followed by more than a hundred.
The exhilarating feeling after the end of a performance rushed through Izuku's veins as he bowed to receive the earned cheers.
A soft smile on his face, eyes shining with the thousands of lights hitting on them. He couldn't see anyone's faces, however he didn't have to. He could hear them. Hear how his music had affected them, had reached their souls deep inside. Hear the tears streaming down their faces while the sound Izuku had shared made their hearts beat stronger.
That was the reason why he did that, played the piano with all his being, so he could extend a hand to people with his music, make them feel they weren't alone struggling with whatever emotion they had been keeping inside.
Bowing once again, crouching down to grab a couple of flowers that had been thrown at the stage, the sweet smile everyone loved so much disappeared in a split of a second.
A whole formed on the wall on the left side of the stage. A spiral of wind throwing those that were close, far away.
Some bodyguards tried to approach Izuku, protocol for dangerous situations like that one trying to be followed, however, as soon as they got close, a strong gust threw their bodies to the yellow wall on the back.
A shocked noise left Izuku's mouth, eyes so wide open they could fall at any moment. A shadow appeared in between the wind coming from the whole, a creepy smile being directed at the stage Izuku stood on.
The loud screams of the scared people running echoed through the air. They were rightly panicking, stepping over each other, delaying the process of evacuation with their fright.
Izuku wanted to help them, tell them to calm down and take a deep breath that he was there, he would save them. However, he couldn't.
Not when a tornado involved him, making his air get caught on his throat while he spiraled inside. His fingers clenched around the tie on his chest, eyes closing tightly as he tried to take it off. He wasn't able to, not with his fingers shaking and his head spinning.
Izuku hit his hand on his chest, throat hurting from being closed up, his mind begging for his lungs to start working again. He hit it one, two, three times. Yet nothing was working.
He could feel himself starting to get blue, his heart beating rapidly, forcing the blood to reach every part of him while there was still time.
And then his body hit the floor with raw strength. Izuku saw stars, his vision going white as his head met the wooden ground. His muscles complained loudly, his bones almost ripping through them. He coughed when the air was strongly pushed inside his lungs once again, the quantity overwhelming him.
The tie was ripped off the second after, the color getting back to his face and Izuku finally recognized the muffled explosion coming from behind him.
Pro Hero Dynamight.
Izuku didn't have to look. He had been the one requesting that Pro Hero Dynamight patrolled the area of the place where he would be performing.
Perhaps he had been hoping the hero would somehow listen to his music while patrolling, perhaps his gut had told him they would need a strong hero that night. Whatever it was, Izuku was glad he was there.
Getting back on his feet, he felt dizzy on the spot, sitting on the bench he had sat down on just a couple minutes ago. Izuku opened the first three buttons of his shirt, taking his jacket off as more explosions echoed through the air.
His green eyes finally found the fight, eyebrows coming together when he was met with a struggling blonde hero. Another blast was sent in the direction of the villain, however, it was quickly directed to the hero again. Dynamight's back hit the top of the comfortable chairs, a loud cursive complaint leaving his lips.
"Right. The wind can make the explosion disappear, leaving Dynamight at a disadvantage against the villain," Izuku mumbled to himself as the hero got up to a fighting position. "Not only that, but the wind can be used against Dynamight just like now, and not even giving him a time to react since it's right on top of his attack."
Izuku held the back of his head when it pumped in slight pain. Another explosion went off, quickly being shut down by another gust of wind.
Dynamight can't even get close like this, Izuku shook his head, trying to think.
"The villain seems experienced, or at least smart enough to not take his eyes off of Dynamight. All he needs is a small opening, a small distraction to be able to attack without having his explosion be muffled right away," Izuku forced his mind to think.
And suddenly a lightning bulb lit up inside his brain.
Quickly standing up, his vision went black for a moment, head still dizzy. Izuku forced himself to keep going, blinking a couple of times and climbing down the stage. Both men were distracted with the fight they were having.
That was until Izuku tripped on a piece of ciment from the broken wall and both attentions had been quickly directed to him.
"What the fuck? You're supposed to be miles away from here already. Can't this fucking people do their jobs?" Dynamight sounded angry, a scowl deep down his eyebrows.
The hero blasted through the air, grabbing the opportunity put in a platter in front of him and exploding the villain away. He grabbed Izuku the second after, putting them both on the stage, close to the exit.
"Get the fuck out here," it came in a scream.
"I can help," Izuku was about to explain his plan when furious red eyes met his firm gentle green ones.
"What the fuck can a quirkless musician do to help a pro hero? You being here is just difficulting my damn job, so get the hell out here before I fucking make you."
His hot glove pushed Izuku back, eyes darting to the emergency exit so the green haired could run there.
The villain had been thrown against the broken cement pieces on the floor, back cracking when it had hit them. A couple grunts were heard from his part as he tried to recover quickly.
"You won't be able to win this on your own," Izuku insisted, still not moving from his place.
"Huh?! Are you underestimating me, you fucking bastard?" His breath was hot and angry and Izuku almost jumped back when he stared at him.
"No! But he needs to be distracted for you to attack him properly and you can't distract and attack at the same time."
Dynamight's jaw jutted forward in fury, "Watch me."
Izuku's eyes got wide as he shook his head, "Dynamight, I really don't want to watch you get hurt."
The man growled, the corner of his eyes attentive to the villain still recovering from his previous attack.
"The only person who's going to get hurt is you if you don't get the fuck out of here."
The villain started getting up, cracking his bones as he did.
"If you would just listen to my plan–"
"Get out!" Dynamight screamed.
The villain was already ready for another attack. Dynamight cursed under his breath when Izuku didn't move, turning to the other, right hand quickly directing at the direction of the villain as the left one was about to push Izuku away.
However, before he was able to do so, a gust of wind could be felt from far, about to hit the two of them.
Wide furious crimson eyes shifted to look at Izuku, a silent beg could be seen in them as the wind started turning in a tornado.
Adrenaline climbed through Izuku's spine as an enormous wall of ice formed in between the wind and them, however, as it appeared in front of his green eyes, a rough demanding voice was already saying,
"I told you to get the fuck out of here," his glove pointed at Izuku to push him away.
Izuku saw it in his red glowing eyes, the hero hadn't meant to send that blast in his direction. Izuku noticed the way the blonde tried to pull his hand away. However, it wasn't in time. An explosion hit him on his side, directly on his ear.
A couple of seconds passed in muffled noises. Time seemed to start moving in slow motion.
Izuku didn't move from his place, green eyes focused on the piano as his breath got caught in his throat. His lips parted slightly, shaking hands climbing up to his ears, fingertips brushing against the red liquid falling from them.
The piano started to get blurry, an excruciatingly loud ringing erupting inside his ears. Weak knees fell to the floor, Izuku felt himself shaking uncontrollably while his hands covered the sides of his head completely.
The piano disappeared in the tears welling up in his eyes, darkness surrounding Izuku when he let his eyelids close. Flashes of memories flickered before him, when he had been told he was quirkless, the first time he had heard someone playing piano, the first time he had touched a piano, the first time he had performed in public.
The sounds, the notes, the music, the emotions he had heard, everything was being muffled by that awfully loud ringing.
Izuku felt the fat tears streaming down his cheeks, his head fell down as his fingers clenched around his ears. The agonizing pain made his throat sore from an aching scream he couldn't even hear.
At twenty-one years old, on a beautiful warm night, Midoriya Izuku lost his sense of hearing.