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He flew through the air, wind whipping gran’s cape every which way. It was midday, and yet the sky was cloaked in clouds and smoke so thick it let no sunlight through. The city was in ruins, abandoned buildings crumbling under the oppressive rain.
Danger sense pinged, a knife to his skull, and he bounced off a building, rocketing towards the threat, sending his foot into the villain’s stomach before anyone even turned to face him.
He caught the villain with blackwhip, skidding to a stop as his battered boots scraped against the concrete. His eyes darted around, searching for the victim, but when his eyes landed on her, he only found panicked tears and a bloodied face, eyes blown wide with fear.
“Are you injur-“ he started, but the woman didn’t let him finish, grasping a rock and hurling it in his direction. He flinched, but did not dodge, despite danger sense’ warning. The rock banging painfully against his shoulder, and the woman scrambled to her feet and fled, yelling one word that shook him to his core.
“Kaibutsu!”
He had heard the whispers. It was hard not to, hard to ignore the entire country convinced of his guilt, hard to ignore the screams and panic when he tried to help.
But some small part of him had thought that maybe, just maybe, someone would believe him.
He lowered his head, catching sight of his reflection in a puddle of dirty water. Limp, greasy hair, hallow cheeks, skin coated in a lair blood and dirt, and dull green eyes stared back at him.
He wasn’t Deku the useless freak, nor was he Izuku the hero student. He was Kaibutsu, the monster. The abomination.
The Nomu.
A drop of water fell from his nose and distorted the puddle, snapping him out of his thoughts.
Slowly, limbs heavy with exhaustion, he turned and staggered to the wall of a building, leaning against it as he fished a stale protein bar out of his utility belt, nibbling at the peanut butter and nut brick before tucking the now empty wrapping back into the pocket it came from.
As he crouched down, preparing to leave, he had one thought.
Maybe I am a monster.