Chapter Text
It’s only a single word, he reminds himself.
Just.
One.
Word.
The doctor’s still speaking, but he can’t hear him. There’s a ringing in his ears that won’t stop, and tears threatening to spill from his eyes. The world is blurring, and his has been destroyed. Memories from the day before flood his mind, images and voices pouring in.
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“Look Zuku! I got my quirk!”
“Wow, Kacchan!”
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His mother hugging him.
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Kacchan and him playing heroes.
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“Don’t worry my little Emerald, you’ll get your quirk soon!”
“Okay, Mommy!”
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Kacchan again. He’s showing off his quirk. Explosions. So destructive.
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“I am here!!”
His mother smiles at him, before giggling and hugging him. Again.
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An image of his father ruffling his hair.
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There’s someone talking to him.
Lifting his head, he makes eye contact with the doctor. The man is saying something about… toe joints? What does that have to do with the diagnosis? Oh. Nevermind. Moments later, his mother is tugging him along behind her. He stays silent for the car ride home. He doesn’t speak when they get out of the car. He doesn’t cry or say a word as he walks to the computer. Not a single tear falls from his eyes, not until he presses play on a video he’s seen so many times, it’s embedded in his memory.
Turning in the chair, he makes eye contact with his mother. Tears pour from his eyes as his mouth opens, and he asks the question. This question destroys him. Well. Not the question. The answer. Inko, who should have given reassurance, as is the role of a mother, but instead, she apologises. He needs reassurance, now more than ever. With two simple words, she tears apart his world.
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This is the moment. The moment of creation, where the emerald is separated from the stone. Most gems remain attached, or at least partially attached, to their stone for most, if not all, of their lives. Some have their stone destroyed and are left alone. Most of these lonely gems, are picked up and rejected repeatedly by a new stone. Occasionally, a gem will find the perfect new stone, who will nurture the gem’s journey to either become a stone itself, or… something else.
A rare Emerald. Alone. This Emerald doesn’t shine. Most gems that don’t shine shatter. They don’t get put back together.
Surrounded by glittering crystals, the Emerald cries, left all alone. It’s stone watches, apologises, and stays watching. A nearby stone creeps closer, sees the dull gem, and leaves.
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Inko cries for months after Hisashi leaves. The moment he heard the word Quirkless, Inko lost her husband, and Izuku lost his father. She receives the divorce papers, and signs them through a haze of tears. This is the moment she begins to resent her son. The moment he loses both parents.
She throws herself into work, taking the night shift as much as possible, sleeping through the day so she won’t have to see her son. The failure. Weak, useless boy.
No one is there to comfort Izuku. He cries alone. He nurses wounds alone. He finishes homework alone. He cooks his own food alone from the age of 5. He wipes his own tears. Everything he does, he does alone.
At the age of 6, Inko starts leaving money on the counter. 6-year-old Izuku learns how little 2,000 yen can buy. The money only comes every 2 days. Lucky him.
Most of his days are spent in his room. He hasn’t seen Kacchan in days. He doesn’t want to. Something in the back of his mind tells him it’s a bad idea.
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Bullying and whispers constantly surround him. There is no way to escape them. Pre-school, Junior/Primary School, and Middle School. There is no way to escape them. Kacchan bullies him the most. It’s not Kacchan’s fault though. Izuku needs to be reminded of how useless he is. Kacchan’s helping him. He knows that. He still believes he can be a hero. It doesn’t matter that he’s weak and useless. Saving people is still important. It’s possible. Hard work and dedication will get him there.
It seems impossible, but Izuku can do it. He knows its possible. It has to be possible. It needs to. Being a hero is all he could ever be. It is vital.
He.
Needs.
It.