Chapter 21 It Burns Inside Of Me
Izuku woke up to the sound of his own screaming. His eyes snapped open, as he shot straight up. He looked around in panic, and was met with the darkness inside of a room. His mind raced, looking for an unseen danger.
Dad.
Dad. Where's Dad?
The last he remembered was seeing his body lifeless on the floor, surrounded by blood. He had no memory of anything afterwards. And he needed to find his Dad. Needed to know he was still alive. What happened? Why don't I remember anything? Where's Dad? Is he-
"Izuku?"
Izuku whipped his head around, both startled and relieved when he heard the familiar voice. His rapid breaths hitched as he scrambled to get off the hospital bed. He let out a desperate whine as he struggled to pull out the saline injection. The pain of pulling it out barely even registered. He stumbled over to the other bed in the room,
"Dad? Dad- are you okay? What happened? Are-Are-" Izuku stuttered. Struggling to his words out through the panicked mind.
"Shh, everything's okay now." His Dad interrupted. "Take a second to breathe, Izuku."
"But-But-" Izuku stuttered.
" Breathe. " His Dad insisted.
Izuku snapped his mouth shut and nodded even though his Dad probably couldn't see it in the dark. He took in loud and deep breaths until his heart didn't feel like it belonged to a rabbit on chase, and his mind didn't mimic a typhoon.
"Better?" His Dad asked.
"No-No." Izuku whimpered. Not that his mind was finally calm, the terror and fear of loosing his Dad he had felt earlier finally registered. And like a dam breaking he started crying. "You-You could've- You-You almost died. And-And I couldn't do anything."
He clutched onto the sheets, and buried his face into the mattress as he cried. All the while Shouta stayed quiet, letting him cry out his emotions until his sobs quietened to hiccups and soft whimpers and sniffling.
Izuku whined when something heavy and hard bumped the top of his head. He activated Night Vision, and in the dark, he realized it was the plaster around his Dad's hand. The sight of it drew out another sob from his mouth.
"I'm sorry-"
"You're such an illogical child sometimes." Shouta sighed, "What do you mean you didn't do anything? You saved everyone there. Including me."
Izuku hiccuped and blinked, "Huh?"
Shouta grunted lightly as he tried to move, and sit up. Izuku immediately rushed to help him sit up.
"You don't remember?" Shouta asked, sounding slightly concerned.
Izuku shook his head before realizing his Dad couldn't see and mumbled, "Not really. I just… the last thing I remember is the Nomu…" He trailed away. Unable to verbalize the memory.
Shouta stayed quiet for a short moment before asking, "Have you checked your quirk? It got updated again. That should help you remember."
"Huh…" Izuku tilted his head. All his injuries were healed so he was sure that Regeneration had worked. And everytime after Regeneration finished healing him, his quirk had to be manually opened afterwards.
"Open Status." Izuku muttered. Izuku jumped back in surprise as blue notifications brust in front of his eyes, appearing faster than he could read. "Oh god…"
[System Online]
[Congratulations, you have leveled up!]
[Congratulations, you have leveled up!]
[Congratulations, you have leveled up!]
[Congratulations, you have leveled up!]
[Congratulations, you have leveled up!]
[Congratulations! your skill Pull has leveled up!]
[Pull has upgraded!]
[You have learned a new subskill!]
[Congratulations! your skill Sprint has leveled up!]
[Sprint has reached maxed level!]
[Congratulations! Fire Breathing has Leveled up!]
[You learnt a new skill!]
[Congratulations! Dominance has leveled up!]
[Congratulations! One For All Has Leveled!]
[You have acquired Black Whip!]
[Name: Midoriya Izuku]
[Age: 15 years]
[Username:
[Language: English, Japanese]
[Level:26]
[Rank: C]
[Status:]
[Title(s): Born To Be Hero (L), He Who Cheated Death (M), Ninth User Of One For All (S)]
[HP: 1950/1950 | EP: 3100/3100]
[Statistics:]
Strength: 115
Dexterity: 135
Agility: 136
Speed: 145
Charisma: 72
Intelligence: 155
"I.. what? When did I level up so much?" Izuku mumbled, "And I got two,,, no wait, three new skills- what?"
"I don't know either." Shouta replied, "I was unconscious, but I woke up earlier and I saw the footage then. You used a new skill. Or at least, I think so."
"...what." Izuku blinked. He had no memory of it whatsoever. All he could remember was watching his Dad nearly die and be unable to do anything about it.
"What's the time?" Shouta asked, "You should call Inko."
"It's…" Izuku turned around to look at the clock and-
"Fuck."
"Just because you were injured doesn't mean you get the pass to cuss." Shouta scolded.
"No, no, it's almost midnight." Izuku said, voice rising in pitch as dread born from, experienced hell, filled his body. "I still had 5 kilometers left to run."
Shout was silent for a while before he asked exasperatedly, " Why did you leave for later?"
"I'm sorry,I woke up late and I didn't have the time!" Izuku panicked. "I don't want to go. I can't- You're still-"
"Hey." Shouta interrupted, placing his casted arm over his head once again, "Finish the penalty and come back quickly. I'm going to be here when you come back. And I'll be fine."
Before Izuku could protest, he felt the tell-tale signs of his body being teleported. His vision blurred before all his senses were cut off and everything went dark.
***
Shouta watched silently as the spot where Izuku had just been standing moments ago, now became empty. He gnawed on the inside of his cheek as he continued staring at the empty spot. The beeping of the ECG machine attached to him slowly rose in speed.
Shouta hadn't said it out loud, but he was terrified of letting Izuku go. The last memory he had was seeing him try and fight the Nomu head on before he passed. He had woken up in panic, and with bone chilling fear. Half expecting to find his kid dead. He hadn't believed Hizashi's consoling and reassurances until he had been shown the salvaged footage from the USJ. He hadn't been sure how to feel after seeing it. On one hand, he was so glad that Izuku was safe, and on the other he felt so utterly helpless to see his kid standing, bloodied and broke protecting him when it should've been the other way around.
For the first time, after a long time, Shouta had been genuinely scared to his core.
Though he was somewhat consoled knowing the other students were completely safe. The ones who were transferred to the farthest sectors were helped by Hawks, the moment the hero broke into the place.
Inko, Dabi, and Hawks all had been there when he woke up. All equally panicked and worried. It had been a weird, and new feeling knowing there were so many people caring about him. However, right now, all that little comfort he had gotten was gone.
Shouta sighed and looked away. He was going to be anxious until Izuku came back safely.
***
This time, Izuku was able to land on his feet properly. However, the moment his foot touched the ground, his feet sunk a few inches into something wet and soft. Izuku scrunched up his face in disgust and looked to find his feet deep in a few inches of snow.
"Huh?"
[Cold Resistance is in effect!]
[Penalty Quest: Exceed Yourself!]
[There will always be someone stronger than you, better than you. There is no guarantee to be the strongest. You can just become your strongest self.
Goal: Increase the temperature of your Fiery Breath to produce more damage, and grow a stronger defense. Fight back the intense cold feeling of helplessness!]
[Time Limit: -NA-]
[The quest will be over when the progress is completed!]
[Progress: ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ 0%]
Izuku pursed his lips together, and curled his hands into fists as he frowned at the notification. He had been expecting another survival quest. He had been dreading it. But this was so much better, even though the implication from it stung his heart. He knew he needed to get stronger if he wanted to protect the people he cared about. The bitter feeling he had felt while he watched his Dad get hurt was something he could never forget. The image, the emotions would haunt him for the days to come. He needed to make sure a situation where he couldn't protect his people didn't ever arise again.
Currently, apart from One For All, Fire Breathing was the strongest skill in his arsenal. Moreover, he had achieved knew Active skills that he has yet to check.
However, after Izuku stared at the notification for a while longer, he didn't understand why the System would bring him to—he looked around to find himself surrounded by snow on all sides— mountain top. Wouldn't training and fighting be the best way to level up his skills?
And he had no idea where he was either. For the first time, the System didn't provide him with the name of the location.
" Woah! A mountain!" Shigaraki whispered-yelled with awe, " I've never been to a mountain before? Is it really as cold as they say? "
" Oh um… " Izuku blinked out of his dark thoughts when he heard Shigaraki's voice, " Yeah. But, um, I can't feel it right now 'because of my skill ."
" It's good ." Nana nodded, " You're not dressed up to be in a cold region like this. "
Izuku looked down and realized he was still wearing the infirmary clothes from UA. The striped blue shirt and pants will barely provide any protection against the cold.
Izuku flinched slightly when he felt a touch on his shoulder. He looked behind him to find En watching him with a calculative gaze. The Sixth User stared at him silently for a few seconds before asking, " Are you okay? "
Izuku opened his mouth to say yes out of habit, but there was something so compelling about En's gentle voice that he hesitated. Lying to him made him feel guilty. He wasn't okay. Far from it. The feeling of helpless he had felt at USJ, the fear, the terror, the anxiousness, all of it were still gnawing away inside of him. He couldn't shake off the feeling of something bad happening while he was gone.
" It's okay if you aren't, " Shinomori said, " It would be unnatural, if what happened earlier didn't affect you, Izuku."
Izuku chewed on the inside of his cheek as he looked away, "I… I'm not okay, but there's nothing to do about it either. I couldn't keep them safe. I need to grow stronger. That's the bottom line."
" Letting yourself process your emotions is also important, " Nana said kindly.
Izuku nodded silently and looked down at his hand. Then, he recalled something he had seen earlier which bothered him.
"That villain, with the decay quirk," He looked at Shigaraki, "Why did he have your surname?"
Shigaraki's expression grew solemn,"I…I don't know him. But, I might have an idea. However, I'll need to discuss this with the other vestiges. I… we'll need time. "
"How long?" Izuku asked.
" Perhaps, after your quest is over. " Everyone whipped their heads around as a new voice was heard. Izuku blinked in surprise as the Third User appeared. He bowed his head slightly, " I… I apologize for my delay, but I've come to my decision. "
" Allow me to reintroduce myself, " He said, " I am Kuramoto Saburo, the third user . "
" So, you've decided to help him? " Banjo asked, just to confirm.
Saburo looked slightly guilty as he nodded. " Yes. The recent incident proved my previous judgment wrong. "
Izuku was unsure what to reply with. He had no idea what prejudice they had against him in the beginning. Although, he was slightly glad that the Third User accepted him. Only the Second was left.
But that was a problem for another time.
"So, how do I do this? " Izuku asked, rubbing his arms. He was starting to feel the numbness of the cold despite the effect of his skill.
Shinomori raised his hand slightly ," I might have a clue. "
Izuku turned to him, earnestly waiting for him to continue. The quicker he can complete the task, the quicker he can go back.
" Due to the nature of my quirk, I spent my time isolated in a forest. '' Shinomori said.
Izuku recalled Shinomori's quirk— Danger Sense. He wasn't given much information about it due to not having it unlocked until now.
" My Quirk allows me to detect any potential threats in the surrounding area, thus giving me the opportunity to properly react to them quickly, similar to a sixth sense . " Shinomori explained. " However, you will feel the detection as a sharp pain on the back of your head. "
"Like Aural sense?" Izuku asked.
" If I'm not wrong, Aural Sense gives you the position of your enemy. It doesn't apply to inanimate objects. Danger sense will detect anything that could hurt you irrespective of it's nature. And… I'm not sure but I believe Danger Sense has a much wider range as compared to Aural Sense. "
"Ah, I see. " Izuku nodded.
" The pain from detection however can be reduced with training. "
"How did you train?" Izuku asked.
" Use it as much as I can. " Shinomori simply replied, " A forest is full of dangers. Every second my quirk would detect something and alert me. It took a long time to be able to fine tune it. Even after that, you need to understand how important a detection is and which one you need to react to immediately . "
"For you, I suppose, you'll have to continuously use Fire Breathing." Shigaraki concluded.
Izuku looked down at the snow. I'm in a cold place. I'm supposed to continuously use Fire Breathing.
He looked up at the sky and let out a sigh, "... Ah man. Suddenly being chased by animals seems like heaven. "
***
"... Do we really need to do this? " Izuku yelled in order to be heard over the sound of a thundering waterfall.
"If you use Fire Breathing to melt the snow, it won't grow ." En replied sympathetically. His voice cracked in the process.
" This is going to be so much fun !" Shigaraki cheered. All solemnness from earlier melted away at the very sight of the waterfall.
Izuku looked at him with an unamused expression and muttered, "Yeah, because you're not going to do anything." He turned back to the crashing waterfall, "I'm going to die from hypothermia and then Mom and Dad are going to kill me the second time."
" That's the point. " Shinomori replied, " Try not to die."
Izuku let out a shuddering breath before getting a move on to trek down. The he went lower, the more he could feel the splashes of the cold glacial water sprinkle on his skin. Just that was enough to make him want to run back up. But he knew if ran away it won't be of any use because he won't be able to go back home.
This time, running away wasn't an option like before.
Once he was standing at the bottom of the falls, he could barely hear anything above the sound of the water crashing on the rocks below. Even though all his hearing based skills were activated. Izuku shivered just by standing close to the waterfall, with the sprinkles of bone chilling water falling over his skin.
" Don't go in all at once." Shinomori said, " Dip your toes and then try to use Fire Breathing. "
Izuku let out a whimper and nodded. Then, ever so slowly and hesitantly (to the point of making Banjo and Shigaraki wail in frustration) Izuku dipped his toe into the clear, cold water. However, the moment the tip of his toes touched the water he let out a shriek and pulled his legs up.
It's too cold, too cold. I can't. Izuku thought. But just as he was about to turn around and leave, he stopped. The memories from earlier the day rolled in his mind, as if taunting him. Daring him to leave to this freezing hell.
Taking in a deep breath, Izuku turned back around and sat down on the edge of the gushing river. He breathed in loud and long until his chest burned from the fire before dipping his toes into the water.
"Deactivate Cold Resistance." He muttered as he lowered his leg down to his ankle. At first, the moment Cold Resistance stopped working, it felt like his legs were going to freeze and fall off from the rest of his body. However, a few seconds later, the water around his ankle slowly started getting warmer to the point he could bear it.
The challenge was to heat up around him to the point the moment the water approached him it heated up before it touched his skin.
" Go lower. " En urged.
" Let him do it at his own pace ," Nana frowned.
" He doesn't want to ." Saburo sait, sitting on top of a rock in the middle of the river while he watched him. " Do you? "
Izuku gritted his teeth. Part of his mind was screaming at him to give up and leave. But the rest was so, so terrified of being not enough to protect the people around him that he forced himself to stay. There will always be dangerous villains. There will be threats. How could he give up when there were so many people who needed help?
Shaking his head, Izuku dipped his leg lower down to his knees. Clutching onto the wet rocks to keep himself from being pushed away by the gushing water. Even though they had moved away far from the point where the water fell on the rocks, the current was still strong enough to destabilize him.
His knuckles turned white with how hard he was gripping onto the rocks to keep himself from getting washed away.
" Breathe, Izuku. Remember to breathe. " Shinomori reminded him.
Izuku let out a whimper as he nodded. Then, he took quick, deep breaths through his mouth before inhaling deeply with his mouth. The cold water was making him numb until it slowly grew warmer.
[Progress: █▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ 5%]
A strong shudder wracked through his body as he tried to get himself to dip in further. The more his body came in contact with the water, the harder it was to get himself to warm. Moreover, he wasn't achieving what he needed. He was just turning the water from freezing ice cold, to winter cold lake water.
" Get out of the water ." Saburo said. " Your lips are turning blue. At this rate you'll go into a hypothermia shock ."
Nodding, Izuku quickly pulled himself out of the water.
"Shit, shit, shit, shit." Izuku cursed, tumbling down to the ground while clutching his legs. However, the moment he touched his freezing skin, he realized he could no longer feel anything.
" Warm yourself up. " En said, " Hurry. "
Izuku nodded as he forced himself to take in deeper breaths. The marks on his skin glowed once again as condensed white fumes escaped past his clattering teeth. It took a few minutes until his senses came back to his leg and he could once again feel when he touched them. He pulled his legs closer to himself as he rubbed them. Toxic green flame condensed in his hands before spreading out over his legs. It took a few minutes, but he managed to warm himself up enough to feel comfortable.
"Try running around to make sure your legs work." Banjo advised.
Izuku drew in a sharp breath before sighing and getting up. He did as he was told, running a few laps around the river before sitting down at his spot once again.
" Alright now back in the water. " En ordered.
"Ugh…" Izuku frowned. But despite his reluctance he forced himself to repeat the process.
Then slowly, very slowly he managed to lower all of his leg down the water for a minute at most before scrambling to get on the banks once again. He had to start up a small fire to help warm up his legs, but Saburo and En protested against it after a while.
" That's cheating Izuku. " En said with a disappointed frown.
" The point is to use Fire Breathing to fight the cold. I know this might feel cold to you, but there are a lot of people with ice quirk, and their ice is a whole lot colder than this ." Saburo said. " Or people with a quirk to manipulate temperature ."
" I get it ." Izuku said while vigorously rubbing his arms and legs. " I know. Just-Just give me a second, please. "
He glanced up to check the progress bar.
[Progress: ███▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ 18%]
"..." He scrunched up his face in distress. Apart from the painful and numbing cold, he was also getting restless as time passed on. He guessed it has already been a few hours since he had left. Usually he would be back by 5 in the morning. However, this time there was no such guarantee. His family would be so worried. Especially his mother.
"Focus." En scolded light. The Sixth User so far had barely raised his voice by a few decibels, but Izuku still felt like he was being badly scolded. He licked his dried lips before taking loud, deep breaths and getting into the water once again.
***
" Make the fire around your body burn stronger and hotter. " Saburo muttered.
"I'm trying!" Izuku cried as he shivered in the cold water.
" Let's take a break ." Nana suggested. " There's barely been any progress in the last two time."
" You keep pampering him. He's not going to improve like this. " Saburo complained as he got off the rock he was sitting on and followed Izuku out of the water.
" Oh, mom and dad are fighting again !" Shigaraki commented, popping his head out of the water.
" Shut up, you're on timeout." Saburo snapped.
If Izuku wasn't trying too hard to keep himself from freezing to death, he might have laughed at their interaction. Saburo despite his reserved gaze and closeted look was a vocal person. While he went along with most of the suggestions from others, he still had a few principles he wouldn't budge from. For example, when Shinomori tried to convince him to let Izuku keep the fire burning.
"If the fire stays, then he's going to subconsciously start relying on it. And then instead of trying to fight the cold with his own skill, he will start waiting till he's allowed to get back and warm himself up in front of the fire." Saburo countered.
Izuku couldn't even say anything against it because it was entirely true.
[Progress: ████▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ 35%]
" Is this even moving? " Banjo asked, staring at the progress.
Izuku let out a strangled noise in support of Banjo's words. It had possibly been an hour since the progress bar had last moved even by a percent. He laid down on the wet, rocky ground while trying to warm himself again. Once he could move his fingers once again without them hurting, he pushed himself up just enough to start a fire with his quirk.
He laid on the ground long enough to get on the verge of falling asleep. But Shigaraki and Banjo's loud voices woke him up just in time.
" Don't fall asleep ." Saburo said, " Don't ever fall asleep while you're this cold ."
"Right." Izuku pushed himself up to sitting position, "I'm sorry."
Saburo stayed quiet for some time while Izuku watched the dried wood crackle under the amber fire. " You're a strong kid, Midoriya. " he said softly, " I'm sorry, I judged you otherwise ."
Izuku sniffed and shook his head, "It's fine! You don't have to apologize. I-I understand." He rubbed his hands together after blowing onto them, "If it wasn't for my Dad, I probably wouldn't have grown up to be this strong though."
Saburo tilted his head, " I don't think so. Sure, if it wasn't for your father you might not have grown up this confident while living in a society that despises the quirkless kind, but I believe you would have grown this strong nonetheless. "
"I.." Izuku faltered, unsure what to say. Sure his chest pooled with pride and warmth because of the words. But at the same time, he didn't completely agree with him. He believed he grew up to be as strong as he was because of his Dad, and All Might. He grew up to be kind and gentle because of his mother. He was who he was because of the people around him.
" I've been watching you all this time, Midoriya ." Saburo said, " Your strength comes from your urge to protect others. You're at your strongest when you're protecting someone. "
Izuku looked away from Saburo and started at the fluttering flames. Am I? He wondered. How can I be called strong if I couldn't even protect Dad?
He shivered. But this time from the daunting image of his Dad lying battered and bloodied on the ground rather than the cold.
"I..I-I think I should go back. I need to get back as well." Izuku pointedly refused to meet Saburo's gaze as he stood up and walked towards the river.
***
Izuku wasn't even sure how long it had been since he had forced himself to step back into the water. After the conversation with Saburo he had left abruptly from, he had resolutely dipped himself in the water. Ignoring the numbing coldness, and the pain from the cold feeling like a thousand knives digging into him at once.
He screwed his eyes shut as he lowered himself into the water up to his neck. He took in as air much as he could in one normal breath, and then pushed himself to inhale a bit more before squeezing it all out in one swift exhale.
The marks on his skin glowed under like sparkling gems, while the flames around him grew brighter and brighter. He focused all his concentration on imagining a green burning fire inside of him. Just like the fire he had been studying a while earlier. He imagined it to grow larger and larger inside of him at a slow place, until it was big and strong enough to defend and attack as needed.
He needed to be stronger. He needed to protect the people. He needed to become someone who wouldn't feel as helpless as he did today.
[Progress: ██████▒▒▒▒▒ 50%]
***
Shouta stared mindlessly at the empty bed next to him. It had been an hour past five, the usual time Izuku returned, and yet there was no sign of his kid. He tried to keep a calm, rational mind, come up with all the reasons he could to justify Izuku's still ongoing absence. But as the second ticked pass, he was losing all of his calmness and rationale.
He flinched as the door slid open and someone walked in. Much to his surprise, it was Hawks. The Number Three Hero walked in with an unkempt appearance. His red bloodshot eyes were a clear sign he hadn't been able to sleep the night before. Most likely he went out for an impromptu flight around the city.
"Where's Izuku?" He asked in a hollow voice. Eyes slowly widening as Shouta could clearly the panic rising up inside of him.
"He's fine." Shouta replied. He knew it was going to be difficult to keep someone as sharp and determined as Hawks calm until Izuku came back. If he-
No. He's coming back.
"What? Aizawa he-he's injured and missing right now-" Hawks stuttered out. His wings uncurled behind as a few feathers detached themselves from it. "Did someone come in last night? What- How are you not panicking?"
"Because I know he wasn't kidnapped." Shouta replied in a flat voice. Forcing down the feeling of restlessness and anxiousness inside of him. "And… don't bother looking for him. You won't find him."
Honestly, if his hand hadn't been rendered immobilized for the time being, he would have long used the ring around his neck to track down Izuku's location.
"Aizawa what-"
"You're panicking unnecessarily." Shouta muttered, although he wasn't sure who it was meant for, "Izuku's fine. " He insisted. He needed him to be fine.
The door slid open once again, as Recovery Girl walked in, with Inko and Todoroki right behind her. "What's the ruckus about in my infirmary?" Her eyes felt onto the empty bed and dread and shock slowly spread around her expression. "Where's Midoriya…?"
"Is he doing his penalty once again?" Inko asked. Izuku had finally told her about it after the third time he had to suffer from a penalty and she panicked after walking into his empty room.
"Yes." Shouta replied.
"Is he okay?" Inko asked.
"...I-I'm sure he is."
"Wha-What are you guys talking about?" Dabi asked, "Where's Izuku? What penalty?"
Shouta bit the inside of his cheek as he looked at Inko. This was Izuku's secret and he wasn't keen on sharing it without his permission. But he also knew that if he didn't give them something in this situation, the chaos was going to unfurl into something bigger than necessary.
Shouta, however, was saved from the need to say anything as Izuku suddenly appeared right above his bed.
Despite being the one to ask Hawks to keep calm, he was the first one to move and rush over to the other bed. He immediately noticed how cold and pale Izuku was. Also, the wet hospital clothes were sticking to his body.
"What the fuck-" Dabi cursed.
"Izuku?" Shouta called.
Izuku held up his hand, before quickly turning his body to the other side of the body and bending over the edge to throw up water over the floor. He threw up an alarming amount of water before falling into a coughing fit.
"I-I'm fine-" He coughed out.
"What are you talking about, child?" Recovery girl asked, panicked and alarmed. "Your lips have turned blue. Where were you? You need to warm up soon. Where is the thermal-"
"Wait! Don't-Don't. I'm going to be fine. Just-Just let me breathe." Izuku coughed out. Then, he wiped off the water from around his mouth and closed his eyes. Slowly he took in deep breaths and exhaled.
"What-" Shouta shook his head when Hawks moved, probably to use his wings to provide warmth.
"Don't." Shouta said, before turning his head back to Izuku. From under the wet shirt, Shouta could see the glow from the green dragon shaped marks on his skin. Condensed white fumes left his mouth, as bright toxic green flames burst into life around him. Enveloping him like a blanket.
Shouta noticed how the flames were so much brighter than before. Slowly the wetness on his skin evaporated away. The healthy pinkish hue to his skin returned, replacing the sickening greenish blue.
Slowly he opened his eyes. And the first thing he said was, "I'm hungry."
Shouta so badly wanted to ground him on the spot. But he was more glad to see his kid back safe and sound. He could keep aside the repercussions for some other time.
Chapter 22 And Clings To Me Like A Shadow
"I'm sorry!" Izuku whined while nibbling on his fifth berry flavored energy bar. "It's-It's just, Regeneration takes away a lot of my energy to heal me. And it makes me really hungry afterwards. Plus, I haven't been able to eat anything since I woke up!"
"Why were you soaking wet?" His Mom asked.
"Oh um…" Izuku recalled the way he almost drowned at the very last moment, just after his progress was complete. He hadn't realized when his progress started rising at a steady rate, too concentrated on making the imaginary fire in his mind burn brighter and stronger. The ping from the progress bar being completely filled had startled. And when he realized his Penalty was finally completed, he got a little too excited and lost his foothold. The strong current of the river wasted no time in dragging him with it. If it wasn't for the System's automatic system to transfer him back after the Penalty was over, he might have died.
"So is anyone going to tell me what the ever loving-" Dabi stopped when Izuku's Mom glared at him, and quickly corrected himself, "So, what's going on? Where did you disappear off to? And why did you come back five minutes away from being a human popsicle?"
"Oh um…" Izuku glanced at his Dad.
"I didn't say anything until now." Shouta replied, shifting until he could rest his plastered arms.
Izuku blinked. And then blinked again. Why are you just handing over such an important decision to me? Say something!
And his Dad, much to his desperation, only looked away, staring at the bedside table. Then, he looked at his Mom. But she was more busy fuss over his health than the internal mini criss in his mind. Izuku made a slightly offended noise before turning back to Hawks and Dabi. Recovery Girl had left a little early after making sure Izuku wasn't at an immediate danger of dying, or had any serious injuries. It's not that he didn't trust Hawks, and Dabi enough to share the truth about his quirk. It's just that… he hadn't talked to anyone apart from his Dad about it.
"I um…it was 'cause of my quirk." Izuku pathetically mumbled, stuffing the rest of the energy bar in his mouth so he could get an extra few seconds to come with proper sentences in his mind.
"Okay, yeah… no." Dabi shook his head, "You use that excuse to get away with way too many things. None of your 'quirks'-" he made exaggerated air quotes, "are related to each other. And none of it makes sense."
Ah… I finished eating the energy bar. Izuku licked the crumbles off his lips, and fiddled with his fingers.
"But, I'm telling the truth though." Izuku pouted. He took a deep breath and sat up straighter. His Dad's silence probably meant he left the entire decision to disclose his secret to him. And his Mom was… Izuku glanced at her still panicked posture and decided to let it be.
"My quirk, it's called System Synthesis." Izuku started, "The best way to describe it is… it's like an RPG. You know how the characters in games like that have a status profile, and sets of skills they can learn and level up?"
Hawks frowned, "Yeah…"
"My quirk is basically that. But…as for the skills. There's no preset to what I can learn. Or so I assume so far. I have two different kinds of skills, just like the games— passive and active skills. Passive Skills are the ones that activate by themselves, and Active Skills are something I have to manually activate."
Dabi crossed his arms across his chest, and leaned his body forward, "What?"
Izuku let out an awkward chuckle and scratched his cheek, "Yeah… Like," he paused realizing he hadn't yet checked his profile after Regeneration had healed all the injuries he got from hitting the rocks because of the water current.
"Oh um, can you give me a minute?" Izuku requested. "I uh.. Need to check my… profile."
"Don't tell me you leveled up again." Shouta looked at him.
Izuku considered it, "I'm not sure."
"Biased." Shouta mumbled before looking. Although he was yet to move away even by an inch from where he had settled himself right next to Izuku.
"Open Status." Izuku said out loud.
[System Online]
[Congratulations! Your skill Fire Breathing has Leveled Up!]
[Congratulations, your skill Analytical Mind has Leveled Up!]
[Congratulations, your skill Selective Focus has Leveled Up!]
[Congratulations, your skill Concentration has Leveled Up!]
[Congratulations, your skill Strategize has Leveled Up!]
[Congratulations, your skill Heat Resistance has Leveled Up!]
[Congratulations, your skill Cold Resistance has Leveled Up!]
[Congratulations your skill Dragon's Domain has Leveled up!]
[Congratulations, your skill Telempathy has Leveled Up!]
[You can now connect to three people at once! And, the range for connection has also increased!]
Ah. Izuku was a little surprised to see Dragon's Domain in the list of skills that leveled up. He had expected it to be difficult to raise the level of, just like Fire Breathing. It also started at Level 0, just like the main skill had. Though, despite the level up, he had no idea when and how he got it. Or how it works.
"Right um.. So," He looked at Hawks and Dabi, before activating Telempathy and connected Hawks and Dabi. ' This is one of my active skills, Telempathy. '
Dabi jumped in surprise. And if Hawks was surprised too, he didn't let it show.
"You can use telepathy?" Dabi asked in disbelief.
"It's um, Telempathy." Izuku corrected, "Along with their thoughts, I can feel their emotions." He bit the inside of his cheek as he recalled the horrifying feeling he had felt earlier. The feeling of the connection being ripped apart forcefully was still fresh in his mind. Subconsciously, Izuku moved a little closer to his Dad until his arm bumped against his. He shook his head to get rid of the painful memory and looked back at Hawks and Dabi.
Not now. Not now. Not now. Please.
He deactivated his skill before Hawks and Dabi felt his anxiousness.
"And um, some of my other Active Skills are… Pull, like the quirk Mom has, but a bit different. And it it's not just limited to small objects. And the other skill is… Fire Breathing. Which…" Izuku frowned, "I got it from my…" He looked away from his mom and mumbled, "sperm donor."
"Izuku!" His Mom immediately exclaimed, "You shouldn't say that! That's not nice, sweetie."
"What?" Izuku raised his shoulders defensively, "I just called him as what he is, the sperm donor!"
"So he did say it, I thought I heard him wrong." Shouta mumbled.
"Shouta! Say something." His Mom looked at him.
Shouta blinked. Taking three whole seconds before realizing he's supposed to scold Izuku or something along the lines of it. "Oh um… Izuku you shouldn't call Hisashi that."
"Hisashi? Who's Hi- Oh, is that what his name is? I didn't know that." Izuku mumbled.
His Mom did not look happy with either of them. But Izuku wasn't about to call a man that was absent since he was born his Dad, or anything similar. He has a Dad and he's right next to him.
"Wait, okay so you have a freakishly overpowered quirk. But how does that relate to you disappearing for hours?!" Hawks asked.
"Um…. So um, some of my skills are really strong. And my body currently isn't strong enough to handle it's entire power. And, also because in order to level up, I need to work hard. So, I get a set of Daily Tasks that I need to complete before midnight. And if I don't, then I get a penalty. It can be anything."
"... How did you manage to do this as a kid? " Dabi asked, concerned.
Izuku pressed his lips together in thin line and glanced at his Mom and Shouta.
He established a telempathic connection with his Dad. Subconsciously letting out a relieved sigh as his Dad's presence enveloped his mind. Tension he didn't know he had in his body melted away.
Um… should I tell them?
'It's your decision, Zuku. If don't want to, you don't have to.'
Izuku pulled and tugged his fingers as he considered. Deep in his thoughts he didn't realize when he had started pulling with a little too much strength until he felt something heavy and solid hit his head.
"Ow." Izuku rubbed the part of his head Shouta had hit with his plastered hand.
'Don't overthink.'
"Um… I…" Izuku glanced at his mother. She gave him a comforting, warm smile to encourage him. "I-I was declared quirkless when I was 4, so I didn't have to do any penalties as a kid."
He finished with a nervous laugh. Scared of the reaction he might get.
There was a short period of silence that felt too long and too short at the same time.
"Then how did you get your quirk?" Dabi asked.
Izuku whipped his head up, eyes wide with surprise.
"What? What did you think we're going to say? '' Dabi asked. He rubbed the back of his head and said, "I know I'm not the best person you know of, but I'm not an asshole that thinks Quirkless people shouldn't exist. "
Izuku looked at Hawks. The Number Three Hero shrugged, "Man I didn't even think Heroes were a real thing until I was seven."
"What?" Dabi turned his head towards him.
"Long story." Hawks shrugged.
"...anyways." Dabi turned his attention back to Izuku, "If you were quirkless, how did you get a quirk?"
"I turned out to be a False Negative. My quirk apparently manifested when I was four, but didn't activate because I wasn't old enough to understand. However, due to a life or death situation during the Sludge Villain incident, it-it got triggered."
"...is it just me or do you get into far too many life and death situations than you should." Dabi mumbled.
"Yes, please tell him to stay away from dangerous situations." His mother added.
" Mom! " Izuku whined. While he understood that his mother was worried about him, how he could stay away when people were in danger right in front of him. Moreover, the last two times weren't even that bad. The people he was protecting were safe. They were fine.
Izuku glanced at plasters around his Dad's arm, and the bandages covering his face and body. He turned his gaze away as tears strung his eyes. How could he stay away? How could he ever look away when people are in danger?
How could he have just stood by and done nothing. His Dad could've died.
Izuku shook his head. He couldn't think about it. Couldn't bear to even think about the alternative. About what could've happened if he hadn't stepped in.
'Izuku?'
Izuku flinched slightly when he heard his Dad's voice in his mind, before realizing he hadn't deactivated the Telempathy connection. Subconsciously wanting to stay enveloped by his Dad's presence in his mind.
'What's wrong?'
Izuku knew he couldn't lie. He could feel the concern bubbling his Dad's chest through the connection. Could feel the slight anxiety in him. It was a weird feeling. Sure Izuku had learnt the hard way that heroes are but humans like him. They hurt and they bleed. But it's so much different when it involves one's parents. It felt so much from earth shattering and incredulous knowing his Dad was scared.
But despite the fear and anxiousness, his mind was still steady and tranquil like an ocean. And Izuku knew he was safe.
Nothing, Izuku answered because he genuinely didn't know what was wrong. He had no idea why there was an uneasy feeling in his stomach. Or why his chest felt heavy like there was a boulder on top of him.
Izuku flinched slightly, alarmed and panicked when the door slid open once again. The Recovery Girl walked into the room. "Don't mind me, I just need to grab some ice-packs."
"Was it Vlad?" Shouta asked.
"It was." Recovery Girl answered, sounding done with her life, and job.
Shouta snickered while Recovery Girl threw him an unimpressed look before walking out of the infirmary once again.
"I still find it so surprising when Aizawa laughs." Hawks muttered.
"Well, I am human, so I don't know why people think I don't laugh." He said, sliding off the bed and heading to the door. Izuku panicked momentarily before realizing that the connection would cut off before realizing that the radius of the skill's field had increased. Despite it, Izuku softly said in his mind, Please don't go too far away.
'Don't worry, I'm just going to get some jelly pouches. You want some?'
Strawberry flavored.
'I knew you were my favorite kid for a reason'.
But I'm your only kid .
'Irrelevant.'
"Also, Hawks don't call me Aizawa. It's weird to hear my surname when I'm with my family." Shouta muttered, displeased and somewhat irritated as he walked out of the room. There was silence for a short while after the door closed, before Hawks asked in a trembling voice.
"Did he just…Did he just call me family?" His lips quivered.
"Are you crying?" Dabi asked.
"No, no, no" Hawks replied shaking his head, even though his nose and cheeks were slowly turning red, "I'm not crying, you are."
"You're adorable."
"Ew, Mom they're being gross again!" Izuku complained.
"Oh sweetie, let them be." His mom replied, waving her hand dismissively.
Izuku pouted. This is why I complain to Dad.
'Complain what?'
Oh right! You can hear me. Dad, Dabi and Hawks are being gross again!
' Kick 'em out.'
Izuku giggled. Just the reply he wanted.
***
Izuku had expected UA to declare a holiday after the USJ attack, but unfortunately they didn't. When he heard the reason, he did quite understand the reason, if not completely agree with it. UA was a stronghold for training students. No one unintended could enter without Nedzu knowing. And yet, more than fifty villains had infiltrated and attacked a group of students. If the news of it came out to the public, it was going to be chaos. A place as safe and sound as UA can't afford to lose that image. Izuku also had an inkling of doubt that the school body was somehow being pressured by the Hero Commission. Because there is no way they didn't learn of the attack while two of their top Heroes worked here.
However, for the students who were attacked, their parents were involved and they were not happy. They were given the permission to take leave for a few days if they would like. Izuku wasn't sure about the rest, but he wasn't taking any leaves. He can't stay at home. All by himself while the terror from the USJ attack clung to him like a shadow. At school, he was with Dad, Hawks and All Might. It was safe. They were safe.
Luckily for him, Katsuki seemed to happen similar thoughts, since he was the first person he saw (apart from his family) on the day after. From the deep frown etched on his face, and waves of irritance rolling off of him, Izuku knew his best friend had been terrified because of what happened. It was one of Katsuki's idiosyncrasies. Whenever he felt scared, or helpless, he grew extremely irritated. He hated the feeling of not being able to do anything. Not being strong enough to fight.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Katsuki spat the moment he saw him. "How the fuck do you always get into trouble? Why the fuck were you unconsicious for a whole day? Who the fuck do you think you are. Huh?"
Izuku smiled, "I'm sorry Kacchan."
"Shut the fuck up loser." Katsuki grumbled. He clicked his tongue, popping a few small explosions on his palm, before stuffing his hands into his pockets and looking. Izuku while a few seconds, and just like he expected, Katsuku asked, with his frown still present on his face, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah." Izuku nodded. Izuku was sure Katsuki wanted to know how he healed so quickly. Izuku himself wasn't sure how badly he had been injured, given that a huge chunk of his memory was missing from the day before, but he assumed it was bad enough. His Dad, Hawks, Hizashi, and All Might, all had been worried for him.
He considered telling Katsuki the truth about his quirk. He was his best friend after all. And Katsuki has never spilled his secrets to anyone before. (Him being quirkless doesn't count. It wasn't a secret to begin with.)
"Oi nerd, I have questions and you better answer them." Katsuki threatened.
And there it is.
"Sure Kacchan!" Izuku chirped. While Izuku wanted nothing more than to run from every conversation that included the USJ (because thinking about the USJ attack meant thinking about the way his Dad lay limp on the ground, surrounded by blood, on the verge of dying. And Izuku couldn't even bear to think about it without having a panic attack.) Katsuki deserved to know the truth. He had put up with all the trouble Izuku ever caused.
***
Surprisingly, everyone had decided to come to school. Izuku had expected at least some of them to take an absence, but no one did. He had no idea how they convinced their parents, but he was glad everyone seemed okay. The moment they walked into the class, and noticed them, they all fussed over him. So many questions about his health and condition were thrown his way. Izuku wouldn't lie, he did feel a little overwhelmed, while feeling extremely touched by their worry. He would have cried, if Katsuki hadn't yelled at the rest to shut up because they were being too loud.
Katsuki had taken the truth of his quirk better than Izuku expected. Honestly, Izuku was expecting Katsuki to be mad for having a quirk like his, but if anything Katsuki just shrugged and said, "That makes sense… I'm still going to be better than you though."
"Midoriya! Good morning!" Iida greeted as he walked into the class. Then he frowned, "Should be here? You were gravely injured yesterday."
Izuku pointed towards his body and said, "All healed."
"Still…"
As if on cue, Uraraka walked in. The moment she saw him sitting in class, her face lit up. She rushed her way over to his desk, earning a curse from Katsuki (which she entirely ignored). "Oh my god, Midoriya! I'm so glad you're okay. You are okay right?"
"Yes," Izuku nodded. Failing to not match her enthusiasm, "All healed. Recovery Girl is amazing!"
"You were so amazing yesterday, Midoriya!" Uraraka chirped happily. Tossing her bag towards her seat (and failing by a whole foot.) "Eek! Sorry Kirishima!"
"It's fine." Kirishima replied. "Didn't hurt."
Uraraka looked apologetic until Kirishima hardened his skin and winkes. Uraraka giggled and turned her attention back to Izuku.
"I really didn't do much." Izuku said, chuckling awkwardly.
"What are you talking about Midoriya?" Uraraka exclaimed, "The way you beat up all the villains was amazing!"
"Yeah!" Kaminari joined in, "You were so cool. Like a Hero straight out of a movie. And then at the end, you were standing there protecting Sensei, Asui, and Aoyama, all bloody and wounded. Like-Like some gladiator!" His expression shortly turned serious as he muttered, "It was morbid." And then he lit up once again, "But really cool!"
"About yesterday…" Shinso hopped in on the conversation, " What happened at the end? Like, I wasn't close enough, but I could still hear and see you.And it was just.. What the fuck was that, honestly? What even is your quirk?"
"Oh um…" Izuku glanced at Katsuki for help. But the blond looked farthest from being interested in the conversation.In fact, he looked more interested in figuring out to kill Kaminari who was invading his personal space and get away with it.
"MyMy quirk.. It's like-like… I-I really don't know how to explain it." Izuku sighed, mentally cursing his stutters and lack of words when required, "It's like a game." But far more powerful.
"My mom's quirk is game based, but I don't think I've seen anything this strong." Shinso muttered. "That's cool."
"Yeah! And his voice at the end was just mind blowing! I was so scared, I couldn't move. It was like several speaking at once." Kirishima added. "And the entire place was shaking just from your voice?"
"...is that what happened?" Ojiro asked with a confused look. "I'm sorry, Midoriya. I have no idea what was going on. I was trapped all the way in the City Disaster Area."
"It's fine." Izuku was honestly glad. The farther they were, the safer they had been.
"By the time we reached the plaza everything was already over." Mina said with a pout, "But! Hawks came to save us! He just swooped in from the sky, and beat all the villain's asses."
"Huh? Hawks was there?" Izuku tilted his head. He had absolutely no recollection of any other heroes being present apart from his Dad and Thirteen.
"Yeah!" Sero nodded, "Along with all the UA teachers." He frowned slightly, "Don't you remember?"
"I um…" Izuku nervously glanced around. Everyone seemed to have drawn into the conversation. Even Yaoyorozu and Todoroki who were the farthest from him, sitting at their respective seats. However, from the way their bodies were turned towards Izuku and then kept glancing ever so often at them, Izuku knew they were paying attention to the conversation. "I don't really remember much of the fight. I-I guess I had hit my head too hard."
He had tried rewatching the supposed fight against the Nomu, and Shigaraki, but even his System didn't have any recording of it. It was like his mind had completely shut off during that period of time, working purely on emotions and instincts.
The school bell rang just as the door slid open and his Dad walked in. All of Izuku's trains of thought derailed as he watched his Dad enter the room. He was dumbfounded. His Dad wasn't supposed to leave the bed for at least three days. But at the same time, he wasn't too surprised that his Dad came to teach despite his injuries. He was kind of expecting it to happen. And he was a little glad he did.
"Sensei? Should you really be here? Your injuries haven't healed!" Iida asked, sounding concerned.
"Glad to see you wel, Sensei!" Kirishima chirped.
"If you can call that well…" Jirou muttered.
"My welfare isn't of importance." Shouta said.
Izuku, who had been digging in his bag for his notebook, whipped his head up so fast he almost gave himself a whiplash. Nonetheless, he stared at his Dad in a way that clearly said, Excuse me, what?
Shouta pointedly refused to look in his direction as he continued speaking, "Because your fight isn't yet over."
"Huh?" Izuku frowned. Are there more villains-
"Because," Shouta moved something on the table with his casted arm, "The UA Sports festival is fast approaching."
"That's so ordinary!" Someone exclaimed. Izuku didn't pay too much mind to it. Too surprised by the fact that Nedzu decided to continue with the Sports Festival despite the recent Attack.
***
Izuku collected his books and pens and stuffed them in his bag once the bell rang. Since the announcement during the homeroom period, Izuku couldn't help but stew over the topic afterwards. He barely paid enough focus during classes. His mind was too busy being a terrified and concerned mess. Half of him was trying to shrug off the terror from yesterday, and the other half was trying to figure out why Nedzu thought continuing with the Sports Festival would be a good idea. Sure, the Sports Festival was important for all First Year Students. Given that's the way they get internships offers. But still, from what little Izuku knew about Nedzu, he was sure the Principal would never do anything that would put his students at risk.
"Midoriya! Going for your Elective Classes?" Sero asked, hopping out of his seat with his bag behind him.
Izuku flinched slightly at his quick movement, "Huh? Oh… yeah."
"Um…" Sero looked hesitant as he rubbed his neck, "It's probably pretty late to ask right now, but are you okay? You know… after yesterday?"
"Ye-Yeah." Izuku replied reflexively.
Sero frowned a little more, "Are you sure? It's just… you've been looking really nervous since morning. And deep in thought."
"Have I?" Izuku let out an awkward laugh, "I-I didn't realize. Guess I'm just tired from being healed by Recovery Girl." It wasn't entirely a lie. He was tired. But not because of Recovery Girl's quirk but because he couldn't get any rest after coming back from finishing his penalty.
"Yeah, I get it." Sero said, "I couldn't even sleep last night." He pulled out a chocolate bar from his pocket, "Well have this. My sister like to eat a chocolate bar whenever she's upset so I just carry around one with me" Sero said, "Though she doesn't know that."
Izuku looked down at the chocolate bar. Fear Resistance had been online for unknown reasons since he woke up, and it was draining away his energy at a steady rate. He could use some sugar right now, "Oh um, thanks." Izuku took the bar, with a polite smile.
"Don't mention it!" Sero smiled, "And um, thanks for saving us yesterday. We were so scared we couldn't even think. If it wasn't for you, and Sensei, we'd probably be in more trouble."
"I-I-"
"Lalalalal!" Sero clamped his hand over his ears, "I won't hear any denial. Take the thank you, man. You were a hero yesterday."
Izuku pressed his lips together in a thin line and nodded, "Thanks."
Sero flashed another bright grin before heading back to his seat and chatting with Kirishima and Kaminari. Izuku clutched onto the chocolate bar and headed out of the class. Sero's words rolled in his mind as he tried to convince himself but as he did, a bitter taste filled his mouth. Izuku knew Sero didn't lie to him. He genuinely meant what said. But to Izuku, it felt like a lie. He wasn't a hero. He did the bare minimum. People were hurt. Someone could've died. Things weren't okay.
He wasn't okay.
He shook his head to get rid of the thoughts. Right now, he had a class with Nedzu and he wanted to ask him about the decision regarding the Sports Festival. If Nedzu sensed that his mind was clouded with other thoughts, the chimera would immediately start to deduce what he was thinking. Study him like a science experiment, dissect his brain open and read him like a book. Izuku would rather not have to go through that today. Because he knew Nedzu would catch onto the uneasy feeling in his chest, and Izuku was not prepared to deal with it yet. He was not prepared to hear it out loud. Because hearing it out loud would make it so much more real and he wouldn't be able to take it.
Just like any other time, the door to Nedzu's office slid open by itself the moment he was close to it. Izuku flinched slightly at the sound of the door fitting into the gap between the walls. Technically there was no fixed room where Nedzu taught him. Izuku would be informed an hour before the class started. And it could be anywhere on the premises. Which left open the possibility Izuku might have to run across the campus if Nedzu decided to take his class somewhere else.
"Ah Midoriya!" Nedzu chirped happily from his seat, "Good morning!"
"Good Morning Sensei," Izuku said, bowing slightly as he stepped into the room. The door once again closed behind him on its own. Izuku could never figure out how it worked. There weren't any sensors like the automatic doors like the ones in malls and offices.
"Please, take a seat." Nedzu said. His smile was a little sharper than usual. Which meant, he had questions and Izuku had nowhere to run. "Would you like some tea?"
"Um…Yes, please." Izuku said as he took a seat.
"Perfect!" Nedzu chimed, "No intelligent conversation is ever complete without some good tea."
I'm screwed.
Izuku could never imagine that something as simple as pouring tea could be intimidating but here was, nervously waiting in his seat, trying to make himself as small as he could, feeling like a helpless prey.
"I'm sure you have questions," Nedzu started as he pushed the cup and saucer towards him, "I believe Aizawa did announce the news about the Sports Festival."
"Yes.", Izuku nodded. There was no point in being hesitant while talking to Nedzu. Chances are, if you had thought about it, Nedzu already knows. "Is it really okay?"
"If you would kindly elaborate on that question, Midoriya." Nedzu requested.
"I-I mean, I'm not saying you-your decision was wrong, but is it really okay to host a festival that is watched by thousands of people right after the attack?" Midoriya asked, "Isn't it risky?"
"It is." Nedzu answered, "However, there are other factors involved as well."
"Is it about the image of the school?" Izuku asked.
"Not quite, it's about symbolism, Midoriya." Nedzu explained, "UA is more than just a highschool, and the Sports Festival is more than just an event. As much as it brings me displeasure to say this, but UA has unfortunately been infiltrated twice. There is an obvious enemy targeting us, but we can't afford to stray from the usual. Because the moment we do, it'll be a sign of showing weakness. We have no idea what kind of an enemy is targeting us, why they are targeting us. Because while yesterday's attack may have been to harm All Might, the one before it was not."
Izuku did have an inkling of doubt, but Nedzu just confirmed it. There was no way the press was able to get into UA's ground despite the gates being closed. Someone had to have helped them and-
"The gates." Izuku mumbled, "It had disintegrated." He hadn't seen it for himself, but he had overheard some of the faculty members, and senior students talking about it. "The villain from yesterday had a disintegrating quirk."
"Yes." Nedzu nodded. A glimmer in his eyes, "I have reasons to believe that the incident from yesterday wasn't an actual attack. They were testing us. And if they are, and we were to show any sign of weakness, they might just attack us. And for real this time."
The attack from yesterday was just a test?
What…?
Izuku frowned with confusion.
"And like I said, UA is more than just a highschool. Parents send their students here with complete belief in our ability to keep them safe and help them grow into heroes. And so-"
"If UA was to cancel the Sports Festival, it would make UA look vulnerable and it would break their trust in us." Izuku cut in.
"...yes, and it's not something we can afford." Nedzu finished.
"But, what about the students' safety?" Izuku asked.
Nedzu grinned all teeth, and edges like a predator, "You don't have to worry about that dear Midoriya! I have taken care of it."
Izuku shuddered. He had no idea what Nedzu did, but he was sure of one thing. No would be able to forcefully enter UA like they had in the past.
But of course, variables were always a thing.
***
By the time his elective class with Nedzu was over, Izuku was dead on his feet. Today, Nedzu had made him do timed challenges, with problems getting progressively difficult with each question. And while Nedzu didn't scold him, or demoralize him for failing a few questions, his politeness stung Izuku anyways. Izuku knew Nedzu wouldn't think less of him if he messed up a few questions, but it was hard to take his kindness when he couldn't solve the questions. It made him feel quietly and upset.
From early in the morning, he was physically exhausted, and now he was mentally exhausted as well. He wanted nothing more than to crash somewhere safe and secure, but he couldn't. He still had three more classes after break, including Fundamental Heroics with All Might.
"Midoriya!" Izuku mentally sighed with slight frustration upon hearing Urarak's bubbly voice before quickly regretting it, and feeling guilty. Uraraka had done nothing wrong. She didn't know he was exhausted, and didn't do anything to receive his irritation.
So, he sucked in deep breath to calm his mind, and turned around to greet his friend, "Uraraka!"
"I was looking for you. I wanted to eat lunch with you, if that's okay!" Uraraka chirped with her usual enthusiasm, "Iida was looking for you as well."
Now, Izuku felt even worse because Uraraka was just so sweet, and didn't deserve his annoyned behavior.
"Midoriya." Iida greeted with a polite bow.
Honestly, Izuku wanted to say no and go find some corner to take a nap but he couldn't refuse Iida and Uraraka without feeling horribly guilty. So-
"Izuku, my dear boy!" Izuku jumped up in surprise, activating his quirk out of pure instincts at the sudden loud voice. His chest rose and fell heavily as he jumped a few steps back to create distance between whoever was coming. He pulled Uraraka and Iida behind him, and stood in front of them to create a barrier. He needed them to stay close by so he could protect them and-
Wait.
…why would a villain call me dear boy-
Izuku blinked. The loud voice, the name, and the words finally registered in his mind. He blinked, and found himself staring at All Might's surprised stature. Immediately, Izuku loosened his offensive. He looked behind to find his friends equally surprised. Watching him silently with a wide eye, and ajar mouth.
"I-I-I'm so-so sorry, I-I-I didn't mean-I just- I got surprised and I–I-" Izuku stuttered, struggling to find words to explain his action. But he himself had no idea what just happened and why he did what he did.
There were so many things baffling his mind. Things that didn't sit right with him. Like he hadn't heard All Might come behind him. Which never happened. He could always hear All Might's footsteps from meters away.
He didn't even recognize his voice right away. And the sheer loudness of it had taken him by surprise. Activating his fight or flight mode.
"It's alright my boy." All Might said kindly. His usual press smile softened around the eyes, as his eyes crinkled slightly, "It was my fault to have surprised you like that."
"I-I-I-"
"Yeah! It's fine Midoriya, you just got spooked!" Uraraka smiled.
"Your mind took the sudden stimulus as a threat, and your immediate reaction was to protect your comrades." Iida pushed his glasses up, "That's rather commendable, Midoriya."
Izuku didn't know what to feel anymore. He was tired, and scared. Confused and alert. Guilty and frustrated.
"If you wouldn't mind my dear boy, would you like to have lunch with me?" All Might asked.
"Um.." Izuku glanced at his friends.
"Oh! Don't mind us, you can go ahead!" Uraraka said, waving her hand in front of her face. "We get to see you in class anyways!"
"Yes, it's fine, Midoriya." Iida, "It would be disrespectful to All Might if you were to reject his invitation."
"Um… if-fi you say so." Izuku hesitantly mumbled.
"Thank you, younglings." All Might said before turning around to walk to the teacher's room. Izuku waved goodbye to his friends before jogging to catch up to All Might.
"Um All-All Might, I-I'm sorry about what-what I did earlier. I-I just-" Izuku stuttered.
"It's completely fine my boy, you don't have to explain yourself." All Might said in a softer voice, "You look rather exhausted. I shouldn't have spoken so loudly earlier."
"I'm still sorry…" Izuku mumbled.
"I'll accept your apology if it makes you feel better, my boy. Now tell me, would you like to rest somewhere?" All Might asked.
Izuku ignored the looks he was getting from the other students as they walked down the corridor. Too tired and exhausted to be conscious of it. "Yes, please."
"Hmm, If I'm not wrong, Aizawa isn't currently in the teacher's room, but his sleeping bag is still there." All Might said.
Izuku immediately perked up. "It is?"
"Yes."
"...um, can I go get it?" Izuku asked.
"I'll wait right here." All Might said, opening the door to the other faculty room that was barely ever used.
***
Izuku blinked in silent surprise as he looked around. Pitch black darkness stretched around him endlessly. He couldn't see any walls or edges. Making it hard for him to gauge his location.
"Dad?" Izuku called. He had no idea why he was looking for Shouta, but something told him he had been with him just earlier before getting separated. "Dad, where are you?"
He took a step forward, only to stumble. The sound of something splashing echoed after his step. He looked down in confusion and found dark coloured liquid reaching up to his ankle. It was only then that sticky wetness registered around his feet.
"What-" The strong smell of copper attacked his nose. Panic rose in him in surges. His breaths quickened as his heart started speeding in his chest.
"Dad!" Izuku called once again as he started running. "Dad, where are you?"
The more he ran, the higher the blood rose until it reached up to waist. His lungs burned and eyes stung with unshed tears as he looked around desperately. He had been looking for Shouta for ages, and yet he couldn't find him. The uneasy feeling inside of his chest kept growing and growing. He felt like something horrible had happened and he needed to find Shouta as soon as he couldn't. Something told him that he couldn't be able to breath till he could. Suddenly, he spotted a dry land in the distance. And as soon as he spotted it, he started running once again.
"Dad! Dad! Dad where are-"
"Izuku!" Izuku woke up with a gasp. Eyes flying open. He tried moving only to find his limbs restricted. In his panic muddled mind, he let out a strangled cry trying to free himself from whatever was restricting him and-
"Izuku, breathe." A hand pressed against his forehand. It was warm, callused and gentle. And the voice. The voice he recognized. Izuku gasped once again and stilled. He was gasping for his air as his brain finally registered his surroundings. He felt restricted because he had been sleeping inside of his Dad's sleeping bag.
He hadn't even realized when he fell asleep. The warmth and softness of the sleeping bag had knocked him out right away.
"Dad?" Izuku blinked away the tears from his vision. And once his vision cleared he saw Shouta in front of, crouching.
"Yeah, I'm here." Shouta answered. His face was as impassive as ever, and yet it was the most comforting sight to Izuku.
"Nggh-" Izuku let out a strangled sound as he wiggled his hand to a position from where he could open the zip of the sleeping bag. And once he was free, Izuku sat up, breathing heavily.
".... I-what-what happened?" Izuku asked.
"You were crying in your sleep, " Shouta replied.
"I tried waking you, but you wouldn't wake up." All Might added, sounding concerned.
"You had a nightmare. " Shouta informed. Izuku was silently grateful to it because he couldn't think straight through his fear clouded mind. "Do you remember what it was about? "
Izuku tried to recall but all he remembered was a horrible feeling coiling in his chest. Akin to what he had felt when the telempathic connection had been forcefully broken.
"... No. "
"That's okay. " Shouta said, comfortingly.
"Um… is the-the break over?" Izuku asked, trying to steer the conversation away from the nightmare.
"No. There's still ten minutes left. " Shouta replied. "If you want to rest for a while longer, I can write you a note to go to the infirmary."
"No… it's fine." Izuku shook his head. "Um where do you have class next? "
"I got a heroics class with 2-B." Shouta replied.. "And then, I'm coming to your class to look over heroics with All Might. "
"Ok-okay."
A phone pinged and Shouta grunted as he checked his phone. "Nedzu's calling. There is a meeting."
"Ah, I got it as well." All Might said.
"Oh." Izuku slipped off the couch. "I'll head back to my class then."
"Are you sure?" Shouta asked.
Izuku considered it and decided he would rather not be alone. And spending time with his friends might help him distract himself. "Yeah."
"If you need me, let me know." Shouta stood up. albeit hesitantly and bumped his casted arm on his head once again. Izuku was starting to think that it was substituent for the usual hair ruffles. "Okay?"
Izuku suppressed the urge to ask him to stay and nodded with a small smile, "Okay."