Chapter Text
Admittedly, Izuku Midoriya has been considering telling Aizawa-Sensei some of his secrets, but this is definitely not how he planned for that to happen.
“I’m quirkless.” Izuku blurts out. The words escape his throat before he can even think about choosing to say them.
“Midoriya. I’ve seen you use your quirk. Quite a few times. I’ve erased it a few times, too.” Aizawa stares at Izuku with his trademark deadpan look.
“Yeah, but it’s not my quirk.” Midoriya slaps both hands over his mouth, eyes wide. Luckily they’re alone, at least. This was just supposed to be a simple trip to the store. Izuku really should start expecting things like this to happen. There was an attempted robbery at the store. Aizawa had easily and quickly apprehended them, of course, but then they had to wait around and hand the robber over to the police. The police that happened to include a green cop straight from academy with a quirk use license and too much excitement. The cop had let off their quirk in what was essentially a smoke bomb. The quirk based gas had been too thick for Aizawa to have a clear line of sight for Erasure and too all encompassing to avoid. They had both gotten a few lung fulls. The officer apologized and explained that their quirk, Confession Cloud, made it so that those affected would be compelled to voice their secrets. It’s not a truth quirk, those affected can still avoid questions or lie, but they will be essentially unable to stop themselves from confessing anything they are hiding. Aizawa had sighed, asking for the duration of the effect. The officer had assured it only lasts a couple hours, at most. So now, Izuku and Aizawa are walking back through the campus gates and Izuku has just confessed his biggest secret without meaning to.
“It’s the quirk, isn’t it?” Aizawa sighs. Izuku keeps his hands clamped over his mouth and nods.
“Alright. Let’s just go to one of the private meeting rooms. I’m going to need to know more about what you just said.” Aizawa turns away from the path that leads to the dorms and heads to the main building instead. Izuku has to jog to catch up.
“I miss Oboro and still blame myself for his death.” Aizawa says unexpectedly. He glances back at Izuku as if he’s hoping the boy didn’t hear him, but it’s not like he said it quietly.
“Who’s Oboro?” Izuku can’t help dropping his hands to ask. Aizawa sighs again and shakes his head.
“Not right now. We’re addressing your confession first.” Aizawa holds open the main door, ushering Izuku inside. Izuku nods, hurrying through the halls toward the teachers lounge where he knows the private meeting rooms are.
“In here, then.” Aizawa opens one of the meeting room doors. It’s one of the more casual ones with a couch and comfy looking chairs. Izuku sits in one of the chairs settling back into the plush cushions and closing his eyes for a moment.
“I still sometimes wish I could just give up.” The admission leaves his mouth without him realizing he had even opened it. His eyes are still closed but he hears the stuttering of Aizawa’s movements. He cracks open his eyes to watch his teacher as the man adjusts the other chair to be facing him and sits down, leaning forward on his elbows.
“Problem Child… what do you mean by that?” Aizawa’s voice is still the same droning emotionless growl but, if Izuku didn’t know better, he’d think it almost has an edge of cautious concern.
“Umm. I.. uh.” Izuku sighs. He’s not going to be able to talk his way out of this one. He can at least control how he says it.
“I just mean it’s a lot of pressure, you know? Ugh. It’ll be easier if I just start from the beginning and tell you the whole story.” Izuku begins, pulling his legs up into the chair and peering at his teacher over his knees.
“Alright. Go ahead.” Aizawa nods.
“Right. So, sometime around the dawn of quirks there were two brothers.” Izuku pauses. Teacher and student blink at each other. That wasn’t exactly the beginning he was planning to start with but he guesses it will work. He just shrugs and opens his mouth to continue.
“One brother, the younger one, had a rather poor constitution and kept getting sick. He was also presumed to be quirkless. The other brother had a quirk that could give and take other quirks, as well as the ability to use them while he has them, I guess, but anyway. He didn’t like that his brother was basically dying, so he gave him a strength stockpiling quirk to try to help. Well, the younger brother didn’t really want this new quirk because he didn’t agree with how the other guy was getting all these quirks. He was basically building an underground evil empire, so I can imagine he wouldn’t really approve of it, if he had any sort of common decency, right?” Izuku pauses here as Aizawa’s mouth opens like he’s going to say something.
“I’m trans.” Aizawa’s jaw clicks with how fast he snaps it back shut. Izuku just blinks at him.
“Sorry. I was going to say I’ve heard stories of a big bad that could steal quirks. Please, just continue.” One of Aizawa’s hands comes up so that he can pinch at the bridge of his nose before waving at Izuku in encouragement for him to continue.
“Okay. Well, the brother that was presumed quirkless actually had a quirk. It was some kind of transference quirk so it merged with the stockpiling one and became the quirk that is now known as One for All. The first holder must have passed it on but not much is known about the first few holders. Eventually, Nana Shimura, Pro-Hero Airess, ended up with the quirk as the seventh holder. She chose Yagi as a quirkless teenager with dreams of becoming the symbol of peace to mentor and pass the quirk to.” Izuku pauses again, this time just to suck in a deep breath as he realizes he hasn’t really been breathing so far through his explanation. Aizawa stays quiet, though he is back to leaning forward with apparent interest in the story.
“The older brother, the one that can give and take quirks, must have gotten some sort of immortality or longevity quirk at some point, because he became known as All for One and is apparently the one who has killed all of the previous holders, including Shimura-san. All Might fought him six years ago in a fight that was carefully not publicized, which is where he got the injury that took half his organs and started the time limit on his buff quirked form. He believed that he had killed All for One at that battle and so, at some point, decided to look for a successor to carry on the quirk and take on the mantle of the Symbol of Peace. That’s why he originally took the teaching position here, you know? Sir Nighteye wanted him to pass the quirk to Mirio-Senpai. He doesn’t think I was a good choice. Thinks I’m not worthy of the quirk and should give it to Mirio-Senpai, but I’m getting ahead of myself. So anyway, at that point, All Might is the eighth holder of One for All and he’s looking for a successor. You know the sludge villain that attacked Kacchan?” Izuku had plowed through the sharp intake of breath at the inadvertent mention of what Nighteye had said to him, keeping his eyes averted until he finished his question.
“It’s in his file, yeah.” Aizawa confirms. He sounds even more exhausted than usual.
“Right. So, before he attacked Kacchan, he attacked me? All Might saved me with a Texas Smash. I’m actually not sure if it was the suffocation by sludge or the force of the smash that knocked me out. All Might woke me up after he had contained the villain in some soda bottles. Once I was awake, he went to jump away but I was just so desperate to talk to him and I wasn’t thinking and, now that I think about it, I was probably in shock, but I grabbed his leg and ended up having to cling on for dear life as he tried to shake me off midair. We landed on some roof and I tried to ask him if a quirkless person could be a hero and then he deflated and I was so surprised I thought he was an imposter or something. He showed me the injury on his side, which, honestly? Gross. And then he told me that those without power can’t be heroes. That I should choose a more realistic dream. Then he left down the stairs.
“I left a few minutes later but when I was walking home there was this crowd. I heard an explosion and thought it might be Kacchan, so I got closer and saw the same sludge villain. It was my fault it escaped from All Might. It must have fallen out of his pocket while I was clinging to his leg. And it was Kacchan! And he just looked so scared and I knew what it felt like to be choking on that sludge and the heroes weren’t doing anything and I didn’t really think, I just ran in and threw my backpack at him and tried to grab Kacchan but it wasn’t working and then All Might saved us and disappeared again. The other heroes were really mad at me and yelled at me for needlessly rushing in and endangering myself. Then Kacchan yelled at me, too, because he ‘didn’t need my help.’
“I was almost home when All Might approached me again, in his small form, and told me he was wrong and that I could be a hero. With his quirk. I’ve never wanted anything other than to be a Hero but everyone told me I couldn’t and treated me like trash because I was quirkless so I agreed. I mean, of course I agreed. All Might was offering me his quirk. He had me clean up Takoba beach to train. He told me if I inherited the quirk as I was that my limbs would pop off. So, I cleaned the beach and ran and gained muscle and on the morning of the entrance exam, I ate a piece of All Might’s hair in order to receive the quirk. The only advice All Might gave me for using the quirk was to clench my butt and let my heart yell ‘smash’! He never even taught me any proper fighting techniques. So, that’s what I did at the entrance exam and I ended up mostly broken. I’ve finally got it somewhat figured out now and I can use up to like 8% power through my whole body with spurts of up to 20% without breaking anything. Which is still barely anything and he probably should have picked a different successor or maybe I should just give it to Mirio-Senpai, but All for One isn’t dead and even though he’s in jail now, he has Shigaraki and who knows how many other followers. I mean the man had an entire evil underground empire! I don’t know how All Might thought it would be safe just because All for One was gone.
“I don’t know if it even matters whether they know I’m the ninth holder or not since Shigaraki is obviously already interested in me. I was one of the targets for the summer camp. Did I ever tell you that? They were there specifically to get me and Kacchan. Mr. Compress tried to take Tokoyami purely on impulse and I was so close to grabbing Kacchan when Dabi pulled him through the portal but I couldn’t do anything with two broken arms, which I broke myself by going over the limit with the quirk because I wasn’t strong enough to beat Muscular without doing that. I’m getting off track again. Sorry. Long story short, I grew up quirkless. I am quirkless. And I’m also the ninth holder of a transferable stockpiling quirk, that may or may not be haunted, with the responsibility to become the next Symbol of Peace as soon as possible.” Izuku finishes, taking a moment to breath and settle back into the chair from where he had uncurled and begun gesturing along with his words.
“Kami, kid. That’s one hell of a secret and there are quite a few things in there that need to be addressed. First, let me go grab you a water. Want anything else?” Aizawa rubs a hand over his face as he stands.
“I am kinda hungry. I-I mean.. no! I’m fine.” Izuku responds. He’s getting kind of tired. It feels like his brain to mouth filter is failing about six hours of sleep deprivation ahead of schedule. Aizawa only gives him a calculating look before he leaves. Izuku takes the couple minutes of solitude to consider the affects of this confession quirk.
“I love Hizashi.” Aizawa announces as he walks back into the room, tossing a protein pack and water bottle at the teen.
“Of course you do. You are married, aren’t you?” Izuku gives him a confused look. That confession doesn’t seem to align with what he’s noticed about the quirk effects so far.
“What?” Aizawa’s voice and features are still emotionless but Izuku thinks he catches flashes of surprise and confusion in his eyes. He’s probably not supposed to know about their relationship, which would make sense as to why the confession happened, but the wording still doesn’t make sense.
“I mean, the way you interact with each other and with some of the things you say, I figured out you live together… or at least did before the dorms and it certainly seems like you love each other. Mic-sensei is always wearing tons of rings but he never wears one on his left ring finger even though he commonly fidgets with that finger specifically, especially when you’re around. Not to mention that I’ve been listening to his show since I was five and he regularly talks about his ‘favorite listener’ and dedicates love songs to them. He called you his favorite listener once before and he was so worried about you after the USJ. So I just figured..” Izuku waves his hands around trying to explain himself.
“Huh. That’s some impressive social analysis but we’re not married. I’ve never told him.” Aizawa sinks back into the other chair and opens an energy nutrient pack. It’s mango flavored.
“Oh. You should probably tell him. That makes more sense for your phrasing, though. I know the officer said it’s not a truth quirk but it would be really hard to lie like this. It seems to be more than just the confessions but like a general weakening of brain to mouth filter where you’re speaking before you can even really think about what you’re saying. It also seems to be bringing secrets and more guarded thoughts to the forefront, so that they are more likely to be spoken.” Izuku offers. He continues speaking with observations and theories about the Confession Cloud quirk but it has devolved enough into a low volume mumbling that Aizawa can’t make out all of it.
“Problem child.” Aizawa cuts in. Izuku’s bright green eyes snap up to his.
“I think Todoroki is being abused.” Izuku slaps a hand over his mouth again but Aizawa still hears the muffled “Fuck, that wasn’t my secret to tell.” Aizawa has to take a visibly deep breath before he continues.
“Maybe so, but now that it’s out, please explain.” After a pause, Aizawa nudges the water bottle still sitting unopened in his hand. “After a drink.” Izuku obediently goes to open the water bottle. The twisting motion twinges through his wrist and he gentle rolls it out as he takes a few decent sips of the water. He places the now half empty bottle on the nearby coffee table, leaving the cap off.
“Are you hurt?” Aizawa’s voice causes Izuku to snap back to those narrowed dark and calculating eyes.
“Oh. Umm.. I just sprained my wrist during training today. Used a little too much power without my gloves. It’s fine. Really.” Izuku tries to brush it off. Aizawa gives a disbelieving grunt.
“Why didn’t you go to Recovery Girl?” Aizawa’s eyes are still studying him with that calculating quality that makes it feel like he can see into his soul.
“Sh-she told me after the sports festival th-that she wouldn’t heal any more quirk based self-inflicted injuries.” Izuku tries to calm the stammer that he thought he had already gotten past.
“She what.” Aizawa growls. Well, it seems like a growl at least. It’s mostly just a slightly more gravelly and lower octave version of the same deadpan statement questions he always uses.
“I don’t blame her or anything. I need to learn quirk control without relying on miracle cures and she’s really overworked being the only school nurse at a large hero school with an affinity for dangerous activities, and now villain attacks, not to mention the amount of explosions in the support department, especially with Mei-Chan there, and she still heals all the heroes that are on staff or related to the school in any way and helps a lot at local hospitals and has essentially become the primary care physician for about 600 teenagers since the dorms were put in place..” Izuku rambles on, picking at the seal of the protein pack. It’s matcha flavored, which is his favorite. When Izuku looks up, Aizawa is sitting forward again, but now he has his head in his hands, fingers digging into his hair.
“Are you okay, Aizawa-Sensei? Is the quirk giving you a headache from not confessing enough?” Izuku finally opens the protein pack when Aizawa shakes his head.
“I am getting a headache, but that’s not why. For all that you have an affinity to talk as the class sunshine child, you sure do have a lot of concerning secrets. It seems I have failed you, as your teacher, on multiple counts. I apologize for that.” Aizawa picks up his head from his hands only to perform an aborted seated bow with his apology.
“What?” Izuku squeaks. “No! No, Aizawa-Sensei! You are literally the best teacher I’ve ever had. You never yell at me or call me out for mumbling or grade my work wrong or make fun of me. You put your life on the line to save us, twice now! You came when Shigaraki showed up at the mall. You stopped Kacchan when he tried to attack me on the first day. No one’s ever done that before.” Aizawa is staring at Izuku again and he is getting the distinct feeling he said something he shouldn’t have.
“You’ve always been a problem child, haven’t you?” Aizawa sighs, and though he doesn’t drop his gaze, Izuku does.
“I’m sorry! I don’t mean to be such a burden.” Izuku mutters. There’s another sharp intake of breath followed by a groan as Aizawa slumps backward into the chair.
“I’m an idiot. Everything you say this evening is making me realize this more and more.” Aizawa grumbles and stares at Izuku from just above his capture scarf which is now covering half his face from how he has slumped. Izuku curls into himself feeling both confused and like he’s about to be scolded.
“Midoriya, I don’t call you Problem Child because you are a problem or a burden. It’s meant as a fond nickname stemming from how you seem to have a propensity for running into trouble. You tend to be surrounded by problems, but you, yourself, are not a problem. Understand?” Aizawa drawls. Izuku stares at him. He thinks there might be the slightest pinkish tinge to the tops of Aizawa’s cheeks, but he really can’t tell for sure with the capture weapon in the way.
“See? This is what I mean about you being the best teacher I’ve ever had. All the other teachers that called me a problem child were just calling me a problem.” Izuku gestures vaguely toward his teacher before grabbing for the water bottle once more. Aizawa sighs and there are a few bone creaking sounds as he leans forward once more.
“Midoriya. Izuku. Are you okay with me calling you that now that you know it is meant to be fond? If it makes you uncomfortable, it stops now.” Aizawa watches him carefully as he shrugs.
“It’s okay. I don’t mind it.” Izuku stops then, but he hasn’t met Aizawa’s eyes. Aizawa sighs for what must be the twentieth time this evening.
“I don’t believe you, so I’ll stop using it.” Aizawa decides, then he pulls out a notepad and pen from inside his scarf.
“Now, then, Midoriya. You’ve mentioned many concerning things in the past hour that I think we need to go into further detail about. I believe the effects of the quirk may be lightening, but not quite gone. We can start with the Todoroki comment, your experience growing up quirkless, the heroes who have wronged you, or if you need a break, I can tell you about Oboro. It’s a story I was considering telling you anyway. I will not be elaborating on anything else I’ve said.” Aizawa lists the options while Izuku nods along.
“Umm. Could you tell me about Oboro first? Then I’ll answer any questions you have on all of the stuff I’ve said. I trust you, so I don’t feel like I need to hide anything anymore. I was actually planning to talk to you about most of this stuff soon, though I had intended to ask All Might about it first..” Izuku trails off before he can get rambling too far away again. He does feel less compelled to share secrets now, but it still feels like his brain to mouth filter is practically nonexistent. Aizawa gives a grunt of acknowledgement and adjusts himself more comfortably into the chair.
“Oboro Shirakumo was a hero course student in my class when I was going here with Hizashi and Tensei. He was my friend. A dear friend that was always smiling and always trying to make everyone else smile. You remind me of him sometimes. He would also find trouble a lot and never hesitated to dive straight in to help.” Aizawa takes in a deep breath that could be a little shaky.
“In our second year, during work studies there was a villain attack in an area where a bunch of nursery school kids were in a building within the attack zone. Oboro went in to evacuate the kids while I tried to help our mentor with the villain. He saved the kids but then the building collapsed with him still inside. It wasn’t until after the villain was subdued that I realized he didn’t survive the collapse. He was 17. I still miss him. And apparently still blame myself for his death. Logically, I know there’s very little I could have done differently that would have kept everyone alive. I’ve talked it through with my therapist multiple times. Maybe it’s time to bring it up again.” Aizawa sighs, tossing the empty jelly pack to the trash can so that he will stop fidgeting with it.
“You see a therapist?” Midoriya asks. He’s still curled up in the chair, face half hidden behind his knees, but he at least seems comfortable and not tense.
“I do. Most Pro Heroes do. You can’t save people if you aren’t healthy enough to do it. That’s why taking care of yourself is so important. That includes mentally. Are you not already seeing a therapist? You should have at least had a couple mandatory sessions with Hound Dog after the two main villain attacks.” Aizawa confirms, picking up his pen.
“Ah.. Well. They kept getting pushed around and rescheduled, until I think All Might just did something to excuse me from them. He said training was more important.” Izuku offers, fingers twiddling with one of his shoelaces.
“I never really liked All Might or Endeavor. This evening just keeps giving me more reasons for that stance.” Aizawa grumbles. Huh. Maybe the quirk isn’t quite worn off yet.
“Why?” Izuku questions, head tilting like a confused puppy.
“Midoriya. You do realize that a lot of how All Might has treated you is wrong, don’t you?” Aizawa asks carefully.
“What? No! I mean sure he was a little harsh in the dream crushing speech when we first met but he apologized for that and it’s not like he was wrong.” Izuku’s hands wave slightly in front of his shins as if to dispel the very idea.
“We’re definitely getting you into therapy. Izuku. I’m going to tell you a story and I want you to pay attention to how many times the hero in the story violates standard procedures, okay?” Aizawa notices the kids position shift slightly showing his attention is clearly on him and Izuku nods.
“A hero arrives on a scene to a single villain, single civilian hostage type situation and immediately uses a concussive force attack. The hero contains the villain before checking on the civilian victim, who is clearly unconscious. He then moves to leave the victim on scene to go turn in the villain without notifying paramedics or even advising the victim to seek medical advice. With me so far?” Aizawa checks in. Midoriya’s face has gone pale, but he hesitantly nods.
“When the victim reasonably panics at being left alone after such a traumatic experience that definitely would have caused the body to go into shock, said Hero yells at them and tries to drop them from an unknown height, reveals a National security level secret to said civilian, I’m guessing without even checking an ID, and then proceeded to leave said victim alone, again, this time in a dangerous location, in a guaranteed compromised mental state, and still without even advising medical treatment.” Aizawa finishes.
“I know you’re a smart kid, Midoriya. You know standard Hero protocols better than most kids your age know pop song lyrics. What are the violations in that story?” Aizawa is actually struggling to keep his voice level and emotionless as he feels the rage boil beneath his skin.
“Umm.. pretty much all of it.” Izuku whispers and Aizawa gives a sharp nod.
“Also, Izuku, he wasn’t just harsh in telling you those without power can’t be heroes, he was wrong.” In this, Aizawa’s voice is firm. Izuku’s eyes snap to his again, as if they’re trying to search their depths.
“Quirks are just tools. If you don’t have a powerful quirk, you just have to find other tools. My quirk only levels the playing field, but it doesn’t work at all on mutant type quirks. I fight essentially quirkless in those cases. That’s why I trained with the capture weapon. It’s why I trained with knives and various fighting styles. It’s why I trained in strategy and analysis. You have a lot of those skills and tools already, Izuku. Even without your quirk -because it is your quirk now- you have many of the tools needed to be a good hero. I think you could have done it.” Aizawa had meant that to be more of a lecture than a pep talk, but it doesn’t seem to matter because now the boy is sobbing anyway. Aizawa moves to grab a pack of tissues from one of the cabinets and holds it out to the kid.
“Thank you.” Comes a strangled whisper between sobs. Aizawa sighs. He’s really not good with tears.
“There, there.” Aizawa gently pats the top of the kids head for a moment.
“I’m going to get you another water. Maybe two.” Aizawa grumbles and moves to leave the room. By the time he gets back with four water bottles in hand, Izuku has pulled himself together with only a few sniffles interspersing his slightly ragged breathing. Aizawa places three of the water bottles on the coffee table and retreats to his chair.
“Alright?” Aizawa questions, picking up his pen.
“Yeah. I’m okay. Thank you, Aizawa-Sensei. I’m ready to answer your questions, now.” Izuku responds, looking determined. Aizawa hums for a moment, jotting down a few notes on his pad of paper, then meets Izuku’s eyes once more.
“Alright, based on a few things you’ve said, I will be starting an investigation into your middle school. Would you mind telling me a bit about your time there and your previous teachers so that I am better prepared to conduct that investigation?” Aizawa watches the surprise flicker through Izuku’s eyes before they settle into something that he can only think to describe as fond determination. Izuku nods once, curling his arms around to hug his knees. Aizawa notices just how small he looks and it hits him again just how young his students are.
“Umm, well, my teachers, and everyone in my life really, have always made sure I know that quirkless means useless and worthless.” Izuku starts hesitantly. Aizawa holds up a hand at that, making Izuku pause.
“You know now that isn’t true. Right, kid?” Aizawa’s eyes crinkle slightly in what Izuku identifies as clear concern this time, bordering almost on pain. Izuku can only nod uncertainly, which causes his sensei to sigh. He flips to a new page in his pad to jot something down as he begins speaking again.
“I’m starting a list of things I want you to talk to Hound Dog about. I’ll be contacting him tonight to get an appointment set up for you, that you will be attending, even if it means sending you during class time. You can afford to miss a class or two. We can not afford to put off therapy any longer. The view you have of yourself and your worth isn’t healthy, kid. I know one person telling you isn’t going to fix it. You probably won’t even really believe me through this one conversation alone. But, kid, Izuku. You have worth. Just by being you. You matter. You are not useless, and even if you were, you would still have worth. You deserve love and kindness and to be treated with human decency. Quirks are tools. They do not determine a person’s worth. The quirkless are no less human than any of the rest of us and deserve the same love and kindness as everyone else. It does not mean useless.” Aizawa finished firmly, before sighing as he reaches forward to open another water bottle and pass it into Izuku’s hands. Izuku gives him a wobbly smile through the tears that are once again streaming down his face.
“Do you… do you want a hug or something?” Aizawa looks mildly uncomfortable as he offers and Izuku giggles.
“That’s okay, sensei. I’m alright.” Izuku hugs his own legs a little tighter, taking a sip of water. Aizawa nods, looking distinctly relieved.
“Are you okay to continue, then?” Aizawa prompts.
“Right. Sure. So, the teachers would tell all of us that quirkless were either weak or worthless and so, depending on the teacher, would either not let me participate in recess and PE and tell the other kids to be gentle with me, or would basically ignore me. Most of them would go as far as to blatantly ignore the bullying that happened right in front of them. Some of them accused me of cheating when I would do too well on assignments or purposely take off points when I didn’t actually get anything wrong. I got detention a lot. Yelled at for distracting class because I was mumbling, or when I was late because of the bullying, or blamed for instigating fights.” Izuku stops there to take another sip.
“They were wrong for doing those things. You mentioned bullying. What kinds of bullying?” Aizawa directs Izuku.
“The usual kind?” Izuku shrugs.
“If you could be a little more specific?” Aizawa sighs.
“Tripping, writing slurs on my desk, calling me names, pushing me around, leaving tacks in my shoes, beating me up, using their quirks on me, pushing me down the stairs, leaving spider lilies on my desk, suicide baiting, stealing and or destroying my stuff, that kind of thing.” Izuku lists all of these things rather casually but he stares at a loose thread on his sleeve instead of looking at Aizawa.
“Kami. That’s not just bullying, kid. That’s straight up abuse.” Aizawa runs a hand through his hair. Izuku only shrugs.
“You and Bakugou went to the same middle school.” Aizawa states suddenly and watches as Izuku tenses, eyes flying to his face.
“Please don’t expel him!” Izuku nearly shouts.
“So, he did bully you.” Aizawa writes something else on his notepad and Izuku straightens in his seat.
“You can’t expel him. He’s going to be a great hero. He’s already gotten so much better. I’m pretty sure he basically apologized.” Izuku explains frantically.
“Basically? Did he ever thank you for saving him?” Aizawa looks Izuku in the eyes.
“Umm. No. But that’s just how Kacchan is. He doesn’t say thank you. He doesn’t apologize for anything.” Izuku mutters, still arguing but only half-heartedly.
“Mm. Whatever consequences Bakugou faces for his actions will be his own fault as they were his choices and his actions. You don’t need to worry about it. I will take your opinion into consideration, however. He is still here because I believe he has potential as a Hero, but I believe I may have underestimated some of his issues, as well as misjudging your relationship with each other. I apologize again for failing as your teacher. I really should have noticed that his actions have continued to be nearing abusive even since you’ve been here at UA. No decisions will be made until I have reviewed his actions both from your time together in Middle School and since coming to UA. At the very least, I will be rearranging the seating chart so that you two aren’t seated so close together.” Aizawa makes a few more notes on both pages of his notepad as he speaks.
“Alright. I understand, Sensei.” Izuku responds softly. Aizawa studies him for a moment before simply nodding.
“What about your parents? Did they never notice the bullying or try to talk to the school?” Aizawa moves forward.
“Umm. Well, it’s just me and mom. Mom says Dad left for a job in America when I was little but he never calls or visits and I don’t think he sends money anymore, so I don’t really know what happened to him. Mom tries her best. She’s always been really busy with work and worries a lot, so I stopped telling her about the bullying a long time ago. I’ve gotten really good at hiding injuries, so I don’t think she knew. She’s a really great mom, though. We didn’t get to spend a ton of time together, but she loves me a lot.” Izuku is smiling again by the end.
“Good. That’s good. Does she know about One for All?” Aizawa questions and watches Izuku’s smile falter.
“Ah. No. All Might has always been adamant that it is a very dangerous secret and so no one could know. He’s already mad at me for telling Kacchan.” Izuku responds, though the last part is muttered. Aizawa stiffens slightly, but Izuku doesn’t notice.
“Who all knows about One for All?” Aizawa asks evenly.
“All Might, obviously. Gran Torino. He’s the one I did my internship with that helped me learn how to use it without breaking my bones? He was All Might’s homeroom teacher. Recovery Girl. Sir Nighteye. Detective True Man? The one that came to question us after the USJ? I’m pretty sure Nedzu knows. And, umm, I told Kacchan when we had that fight at Ground Beta? He wouldn’t listen and it just came out.” Izuku cringes at the last one. Aizawa sighs.
“Alright. You mentioned that Nighteye doesn’t think you’re a worthy successor. What exactly happened there?” Aizawa taps his pen against the notepad.
“When I went to meet him about the work study, he said that he doesn’t approve of me because Mirio-senpai was a far more suitable candidate. He called me a nobody. He did accept me in the end, but he said something about showing me who is really worthy of the power. I’m not sure if he intends to train me or just make me realize that I should give the quirk to Mirio-senpai.” Izuku ducks his face back behind his knees.
“Are you still wanting to do the work study with him?” Aizawa questions.
“I think so? As long as he’s willing to actually teach me, he’s the best choice, and really my only choice.” Izuku mutters.
“He’s not your only choice. The work studies aren’t required either. I’ve always respected Sir Nighteye. He’s one of the best intelligence Heroes out there. He’s also another Hero that fights essentially quirkless. He also can be a little… harsh in his initial judgments. With his quirk, he tends to have a rather black and white view of things. I agree that he could be a good mentor for you, but if he is not going to treat you with the respect you deserve, you don’t have to work with him. If you’re uncomfortable or decide at any point that you do not wish to continue the work study with him, let me know and we will work out a way to break the contract.” Aizawa instructs, making more notes.
“Alright. Thank you, Sensei.” Izuku whispers, grabbing at his water.
“Alright. Next thing. You do not have to be the next Symbol of anything. All Might has taken a lot of weight on his shoulders as the Symbol of Peace, and now that he retired, society is floundering. We will be dealing with a lot of unrest among both the Heroes and Villains in the near future because the Symbol is gone. Which is why the idea of a Symbol is inherently wrong. I’ve never liked the idea. You can’t hold up a time of peace with only one column of support. One for All is your quirk. What you do with it and how you choose to use it is your choice. What kind of hero you are is your choice. You’re exceptionally smart, Midoriya. Just through this evening, I can see you have amazing observational and analysis skills. In our training, you have shown leadership, strategy, and determination. Your quirk requires more training, but it is a versatile quirk. You could be any type of hero you want. You’d make a great intelligence hero. With training, you could be a great underground hero. If you want to, you have the charisma and leadership abilities to be a top daylight hero. We would need to work on your confidence outside of a fight, and you need better self-worth regardless, but I have no doubt you have the potential to be a Symbol of Peace or Hope or something if that is what you really want. But you do not have to. And please, for the love of all that is holy, do not try to do it alone.” Aizawa knows he’s losing some of his normal stoicism. He’s just so tired. And the stupidity behind the idea of the Symbol of Peace has always been something he’s passionate about. He needs Izuku to realize that some of the pressure he’s feeling is unnecessary. Izuku giggles and it eases some of the tension in Aizawa’s shoulders.
“You really think I could be a great underground hero, Sensei? I kind of thought it might be what I would do as a quirkless hero, when I used to think I could do that. Or well, maybe more twilight. I do want to have some public influence at least. I want people to know I’m there and feel safe. I want to inspire people. I wanted to be proof that you can be a hero regardless of power. I’d still like to inspire that kind of thinking. You know, make a stand for quirkless rights, or something?” Izuku rambles, moving to sit cross legged in the chair. Aizawa smiles into his capture weapon.
“I think you can do whatever you want to do, Midoriya, and I’ll help you get there.” Aizawa assures. Izuku beams at him.
“Thank you, Aizawa-sensei! I’m so glad I told you about everything.” Izuku admits, knees bouncing slightly, even as a second later, the kid is yawning. Aizawa hums.
“I know it’s getting late, kid, but there’s still a couple more things to discuss.” Aizawa flips back to the front of the notepad and skims what he has written.
“Okay, sensei. What else did you want to ask?” Izuku nods along.
“Did you say earlier that your quirk might be haunted?” Aizawa looks up from the notepad with narrowed eyes.
“Ah. Yes? You know Hito, right? I mean, Shinsou? Wait. You’re training him, of course you know him. But, you remember our fight at the sports festival?” Izuku rubs at the back of his neck looking sheepish. Aizawa grunts in affirmation.
“Well, when he brainwashed me I saw these sort of misty figures? I’m pretty sure they were the past users of One for All. That’s how I ended up activating the quirk and breaking out of the mind control? We haven’t tried it again, yet. I’ve been too scared to. Well, and Hito is still getting used to the idea of even using his quirk. Which you know. And we only recently became actual friends. We kinda bonded over the middle school bullying. He doesn’t know about One for All! But he knows I didn’t get my quirk until the entrance exam.” Izuku stops rambling when Aizawa holds up a hand.
“So, you think the past users of One for All are somehow still connected to the quirk, but you don’t know how? All Might doesn’t know anything about it?” Aizawa redirects.
“I, umm, haven’t asked? It’s all just so much already. I haven’t wanted to deal with the idea that my quirk might be haunted.” Izuku admits.
“Alright. That’s fine. We’ll deal with that idea later. Last thing. Todoroki?” Aizawa prompts, flipping to a new page.
“Right. Umm. I don’t really want to tell you exactly what he told me. I think he would probably talk to you though, if you asked? Things are okay now, with the dorms. I just think that Endeavor probably shouldn’t be a Hero.” Izuku trails off awkwardly. Aizawa sighs.
“Okay. I’ll approach Todoroki about it then. At minimum, we can make sure he doesn’t have to leave the dorms on breaks and such. If he needs help, I will help him. It is my job to make sure you kids are safe.” Aizawa assures, flipping the notepad back closed. Izuku gives him a small smile and nods.
“Okay, Aizawa-sensei. Thank you.” Izuku yawns again. Aizawa checks the time. It’s nearly midnight. The quirk should definitely be worn off by now. At least to the point that it should be safe to be around other people without spilling their secrets. It’s past curfew anyway.
“Let’s get you to bed then, kid. You have your work study to get to tomorrow. You have my number if you need it. I’ll have a therapy appointment set up for you by homeroom on Monday.” Aizawa says as he stands from the chair and motions to the door. Izuku nods, grabbing the last water bottle as he stands to follow him out.
“Yes, sensei.” Izuku mumbles as he passes him, moving out the door. The walk back to the dorms is quiet as Aizawa mentally reviews the list of issues this talk has brought up.