Chapter 1: The Hero You Made Me
Chapter Text
“I can’t believe I’m doing this.”
Izuku stood at the gates of UA trying to get it through his head that he was actually there. Granted, it was just for the entrance exam to the hero course, but it was still a big deal. This is where he’d either start to achieve his dream, or have his hopes shattered.
“I can. You’re going to do great, kid.”
Izuku grinned at his father’s words and took a tentative step forward. “Thanks to you. We’re going to do great.”
Hisashi laughed and picked up the pace. “Sure. Let’s go show UA who you are.”
------
The day his father died was one of the happiest days of Midoriya Izuku’s life.
He was four years old, almost five, and waiting in the living room for his mom to come home. She was later than usual and Izuku was starting to worry.
Just as he was considering trying to make dinner himself, the door opened.
“Mom!” He shouted, and ran to greet her.
But he barely had time to register her stricken expression before freezing. There was someone standing behind his mother. Someone he knew from pictures and video calls.
Izuku tried to wrap his mind around it. How was his dad here? He hadn’t known about it, was it a surprise? Was that why his mom was late?
“Izuku.” Inko’s voice shook. “There’s something I need to tell you about your dad.”
Izuku nodded, ideas flying through his head. He was so concentrated that when she started to cry it startled him.
“Oh Izuku, I’m so sorry. There was an accident, they just told me. Your father’s dead.”
Izuku still felt frozen, now in confusion.
“No he’s not.” Is all he could formulate.
Inko sank down to her knees and reached out to hug him, but Izuku needed to understand what was going on first.
“Izuku sweetie, I know it’s hard but there was an accident at Dad’s work.”
“But he’s right there!” Izuku argued.
Inko’s face crumpled.
“Mom, he’s right behind you, he’s not dead!” Why couldn’t she see that? All she had to do was turn around.
Izuku looked up at his dad, who was staring at him in astonishment.
“Izuku?” He asked. “You… you can see me?”
Izuku nodded happily. He couldn’t remember a time where he’d spoken to his dad in person.
“Of course! Are you here forever now? Why does Mom think you’re dead? When did you get here?”
Hisashi opened and closed his mouth a few times, then knelt down so they were all level with each other. Inko was sobbing now, face buried in Izuku’s hair.
“I suppose I am here forever now. But Izuku… your mother’s right. There was an accident at work. I died, and now I’m here.”
That didn’t make sense. “But you’re not dead.”
Hisashi shook his head. “Izuku, I think you’re using your quirk.”
Izuku gasped and smiled. “My quirk? Really?” Most of the other kids had already gotten theirs, and it seemed like Izuku had been waiting forever. “What is it?”
“I am dead, Izuku. I think your quirk is letting you see me.”
Izuku had seen some things like this in movies and comics, but most of those types were too old for him. Still, he knew enough to understand what his dad was saying.
“So I can see ghosts, and that’s why Mom can’t see you?”
“Stop it.” Inko ordered quietly. “Please stop it. I really am sorry honey, but your dad is gone.”
She didn’t believe him. How could he make her see?
Hisashi looked at Inko, heartbroken. “Izuku, you need to tell her I’m not gone. I’m still with her. Tell her it’s like that day at the beach when I went under the water.”
Izuku dutifully repeated his words. When he finished, Inko sat up and looked around with wide eyes.
“...Hisashi?”
Now Hisashi was crying too, and Izuku didn’t like that. He tried to grab his hand, but passed right through it. Izuku narrowed his eyes and tried again, but there was no change. He pouted in frustration, and instead grabbed his mom’s solid hand and led her to the couch. He wanted to try out his new quirk, but he also wanted to talk to his dad and had to tell his mom what he was saying.
Even if he couldn’t touch him, Izuku was overjoyed to have his dad with him. And to have his quirk. When he finally burst into tears like his parents, it was simply because he was overwhelmed. And happy.
------
The written test was a breeze. Izuku had always done well academically. It was the physical test that scared him.
Izuku was released into a simulation of a city with robots. He took off running, not being able to afford wasted time. He’d formulated a plan as soon as the test had been explained, but there was no guarantee it would work.
“Dad!” Izuku had to utilize his quirk’s potential, and needed his dad to help him. “Try and see inside of the robots, maybe there's a weak spot. I’ll get some sort of weapon.”
Hisashi nodded and made his way over to one of the robots, and Izuku looked around for a weapon. The city was already filled with destruction from the robots and other potential students using their quirks, so there was plenty of debris to loot through. Izuku found the nearest piece that was sharp but small enough to hold, then went to catch up with his dad.
It was an interesting thing about ghosts, how they interacted with the world. Izuku had been fascinated by it when he was younger, dedicating many notebooks to the subject. Ghosts couldn’t touch anything in the real world, and often passed through solid objects like walls. But they were also able to interact with them normally, like being able to stand the ground or sit on a chair. It all seemed to be a matter of perception and what the ghost intended with their actions.
Now, Izuku was hoping there was a hollow part of the robot like a panel or something that his dad could look into and Izuku could cut through to disable the machine.
He met Hisashi at an already destroyed 2-Pointer. Seeing it made Izuku’s stomach clench with anxiety, there were so many promising candidates with quirks suited far better for the task.
“I think I found something.” Hisashi said, leading Izuku in a run towards another target. “There’s a bunch of wires in the neck area. The metal’s pretty thin too.”
So maybe all hope wasn’t lost after all! Time was running out, but he just had to get a few. There.
Only a 1-Pointer, but it would do.
Izuku ducked low and carefully but quickly weaved his way to the machine. At the right moment he jumped, and clambered up to the place his dad indicated. The robot fought to get him off, but it didn’t really register to Izuku. He’d had enough training to deal with something like this.
When Izuku told his dad he wanted to be a hero, he’d been met with fierce determination. Hisashi had missed out on the beginning of his son’s life, and was now limited in his ability to be a father, but would take as much as his second chance could give him.
He’d helped Izuku train his body to be stronger and faster, helped him learn to organize his ideas and write them down, and helped him be more confident in himself. Izuku had taken all those lessons to heart, treasuring every moment he had with the dad he’d never expected to have. He cleaned up the beach so his mom could enjoy it again, he wrote notebook after notebook on his and other heroes’ quirks, and didn’t let the kids at school get to him with the insults they threw when they thought Kacchan wasn’t looking.
Izuku loved his quirk, even if it wasn’t one most people would think of, or even consider heroic. Izuku loved it for himself, and he loved it for hero work. The main part of his quirk, his Sight, would be valuable in rescue and recon missions. If there were ghosts around, Izuku could get their help in locating civilians or scouting out villain bases. Izuku could help people.
Holding onto the robot with one arm, Izuku raised his chunk of metal and brought it down.
A small dent appeared, but nothing else.
Well that wasn't good. Izuku didn’t have time to spend on just a single 1-Pointer. He tried again, but his metal still didn’t pierce the robot’s body.
Plan B.
“Dad, I need you to take over. You can weaken the metal by heating it up. I can’t do this otherwise.”
It hurt Izuku to accept, but without a physical quirk he wasn’t strong enough to break through the armoured machine.
Lucky for him his quirk wasn’t just Sight.
------
About a year after he first realized his quirk, the novelty wore off and Izuku was frustrated by its limitations. He could see his dad and talk to him and it was great because he’d never gotten to do that before. But Izuku wanted to hug him and be picked up like his mom said his dad used to do and wanted his father to be there, not a ghost.
He was still learning how to write, but tried his best to put his ideas down in a notebook he mainly used for drawings of All Might. There must be a reason he couldn’t touch the ghosts when he could use his other senses. He just had to figure it out, like how heroes figured out the best way to use their quirks against villains.
Izuku loved quirks. They were so interesting and could be used in such cool ways. All Might was obviously the coolest, and even though his quirk was pretty straight forward Izuku knew he used it to do all sorts of things.
So. Izuku couldn’t touch ghosts. He could hear them perfectly, and could see them. But when he actually looked hard he could tell they were ghosts because they were sort of hazy around the edges. That's what he could do.
That was all easy to think about, Izuku had already tried to learn about his quirk already. Maybe he had to think about the ghosts themselves instead.
They could see everything normally but couldn’t interact with the world. They could go through things. If Izuku didn’t have his quirk, it would be like they weren’t even there at all.
That thought caused Izuku to think harder. If ghosts were real then they must be able to interact with the world in some way. So why couldn’t they?
He spent a long time wondering, and doodled a couple All Might faces to keep his hands busy. He thought about what others said about ghosts and dying, which wasn’t much because most people didn’t talk about that stuff with him.
There were a few phrases though, like ‘he’s in a better place’ and ‘he’s moved on.’
The answer came to Izuku in a flash.
The ghosts couldn’t interact with the world because they weren’t in the world! Not exactly. They must be in their own world! And Izuku’s quirk let him see between the two!
His ability to see and hear ghosts must be the most he was able to connect to the ghost world. He could see, but couldn’t touch because his body couldn’t go to that world and the ghosts couldn’t come to this one.
Izuku thought some more.
He had to find a way to go to the ghost world. Ghosts were just the souls of people who had died, right? Izuku had a soul. They were also called spirits and All Might talked about having the spirit of a hero which Izuku definitely thought he had. He had everything a ghost did so he should be able to go to them even if they couldn’t get to him because they didn’t have bodies anymore.
Izuku tried to focus. He had to leave his body behind. He tried for ages, but didn’t quite know what to do. He had to stop to go and have dinner, but didn’t say anything to his parents because he wanted to show them when it worked.
He watched some hero videos to try and get ideas by watching their quirks. Then he tried again.
And eventually, without even really knowing what changed, Izuku did it.
He stood next to his body, frozen in excitement and nervousness. It was weird, looking at himself. He still had a body like the other ghosts, but his real body was where he left it. And Izuku’s mind was in this new ghost body, but he could still feel the real one if he concentrated.
Doing that hurt his head though, so Izuku stopped and remembered what the point of this was.
“Dad!” He called. “Dad come here!”
Hisashi was in his room instantly, but halted in the doorway when he saw Izuku. His eyes flickered between the two bodies.
“Izuku? What’s going on?”
“I used my quirk and now I’m in the ghost world!”
Izuku smiled and flung himself at his dad, wrapping his arms tight around his legs.
Hisashi gasped, then scooped Izuku up for a proper hug. Izuku giggled and squirmed around until he was comfortable, then relaxed into the embrace.
“How did you do this?” Hisashi asked between pressing kisses to Izuku’s curls.
Izuku was more than happy to outline the process he’d gone through, quite proud of himself. Hisashi was proud of him too.
It was so nice and easy and normal to be with his dad like this that Izuku almost forgot about the body at his desk. But apparently he’d left it sitting in a way that it could slip, because it fell to the floor with a thunk.
Hisashi rushed over to check it and Izuku looked over curiously. His eyes were rolled completely back, and since he wasn’t in the body it just lay where it fell without so much as a twitch. Strangely enough, Izuku had felt the fall, just barely, in the back of his mind. Like he didn’t feel it in this body, but knew it happened to the other one and how it felt over there.
He opened his mouth to tell all that to his dad, but then his mom rushed in.
“Izuku what was that, are you-” She paused upon seeing his fallen form, then was next to him in the blink of an eye. “Izuku? Izuku baby answer me, are you okay?”
She looked him over and saw he was breathing, but there was no response. She held his face in her hands and tilted his head this way and that, checked his eyes, but nothing.
Izuku started to tear up, feeling awful that he was scaring his mom like this. But he had just figured out how to be with his dad, he didn't want to go back yet. If only Mom could see Dad too, then he could tell her it was alright.
In that moment, more than anything Izuku wanted his mom to be able to see his dad. He gripped Hisashi’s arm tightly, channeling that wish. He didn’t even know what he was doing, but something was happening.
And then Inko gasped again, her hand fluttering to her mouth.
“Hisashi?” She asked breathlessly.
Hisashi stared at her. “Inko? You can see me?”
Inko’s tears came out in full force. She reached for him, and while the body she touched wasn’t warm, it was solid.
She started moving towards him, but stopped.
“Hisashi, did you see what happened to Izuku? Is he alright?” Her worry for her son wasn’t lessened by the appearance of her husband.
Hisashi laughed. “He’s figured out a new use for his quirk. Said he’d… what was it?” He turned to Izuku.
Inko followed his movement, but didn’t register anything there. Izuku realized that she must not be able to see him. He looked at himself, and saw he was more transparent than he’d been before. Was he giving his power to his dad? He could write that down later.
“You’re a spirit so I made my spirit leave my body so I could be with you!”
“Right. He separated his spirit from his body and is in the same place I am now.” Hisashi rephrased.
Inko nodded, wiping her eyes.
“So he’s okay?”
At Hisashi’s reassurance she relaxed, then started to cry again. “H-Hisashi. I can’t believe you’re really here.”
They leaned in the hug, and Izuku scrambled away to avoid getting crushed. Or passing through his mom, which he really didn’t want to do.
Inko sucked in a breath. “Hisashi?”
She couldn’t see him anymore. Izuku grabbed Hisashi’s hand again and tried to make him visible. It worked, meaning he had to touch the ghost to make them visible.
Later, they’d name this power Manifestation, along with his power of Astral Projection.
Izuku learned so much about his quirk in the days that followed. When he’d gone back to his real body he’d been so exhausted he’d slept for a day and could hardly eat, which terrified Inko. After a few tests and experimenting with the new abilities, they found that Projection was pretty simple for Izuku, as long as he didn’t stray far from his body, but that Manifestation drained him to a dangerous degree. As much as Inko had loved seeing her husband again, she made Izuku promise not to use his power unnecessarily.
The next thing Izuku was excited to do was tell Kacchan about his new powers. Kacchan was his best friend and had the coolest quirk. He was going to be the number one hero someday, and Izuku would be a hero with him. Kacchan sometimes said Izuku’s quirk was too weak for a hero, but he didn’t let anyone else say things like that so Izuku knew he didn’t mean it.
The day they finally saw each other Izuku was about to burst with the news.
“Kacchan! I learned a new way to use my quirk!”
Bakugou crossed his arms. “Alright then. I bet it’s not as cool as my power but I guess you can show me.”
Izuku nodded and was so excited he immediately Projected himself. His body fell in a crumpled heap and Bakugou’s expression was taken over with panic.
“Izuku?” He shook his shoulders. “Izuku stop messing around.” He took in the rolled back eyes and inhaled sharply.
Whoops. Izuku hadn’t thought to explain it first, and there weren't even any ghosts around to Manifest since his dad usually spent the days following his mom.
He quickly returned to his body.
“I can make myself go to another plane of existence!” He quoted the words the specialist had told him. “Thats where the ghosts are, and I can make you see them but it's really hard so I’m not allowed to right now.”
“Seems pretty dumb if it's hard and you just leave your body lying around.” Bakugou responded with a shaky voice. “Looks really weird too.”
“Oh, Kacchan I’m sorry if I scared you!” Izuku felt bad. His quirk kept scaring people. He had to remember to explain himself better.
“What? I wasn’t scared.” Bakugou argued. “I’m going to be a hero, I’m not scared of things like that.”
Izuku thought differently though. “It’s okay if you were. Heroes get scared sometimes too.”
“Maybe if the hero’s someone like you , but I’m gonna be Number 1. I’m not scared of anything.”
“Kacchan…”
“Shut up, I wasn’t scared!” Bakugou yelled. “You’re being such a Deku! That’s what your name can be read as you know.”
Izuku didn’t really get why he was saying that, but if it made him feel better about being scared then Izuku owed it to him to let the topic change and turn on him. He knew it was hard for Kacchan to admit when he was anything but perfect.
The name stuck. Izuku knew it seemed kind of mean, but he liked it. It was funny to him to remember that day, especially as he grew older and their behaviour looked a bit dumber. Kacchan only meant it in a teasing way anyway, so it was more like an inside joke than anything else.
It was thanks to Kacchan that Izuku learned the final aspect of his quirk: Possession.
It was at the end of elementary school, and Kacchan had managed to get a scary movie for him and Izuku to watch without their parents knowing. It was about ghosts, and Izuku thought that maybe he was trying to scare Izuku because of his quirk, but that just made him think of the Projection incident and the whole night seemed funny.
But in that movie ghosts could possess people, and that got Izuku thinking. He got his dad to help him with some experiments, and they unlocked a new power.
When Izuku Projected he left his body unattended, without a spirit. When that happened, another spirit could move in. Izuku could still feel his body, and could fight to kick the other spirit out. It was pretty cool, but also gave him something else to worry about. He had to make sure no spirit he didn’t trust tried to possess him, because it's hard to keep track of the split consciousness and to fight a resisting spirit.
The coolest thing about Possession though, was that the spirit could use their quirk.
------
Hisashi breathed out a plume of fire that easily began to soften the metal of the robot’s casing. Izuku decided to make the most of his time as a spirit and went ahead to try and find their next target. Time was running out, every second counted. But all the robots were destroyed already, and Izuku could only run so fast. He was too late. After all their work, he’d only gotten 1 point.
Then the earth shook and a scream sounded.
Izuku ran towards the source. There was a massive machine, the 0-Pointer, making its way through the exam grounds. The force of its steps were causing buildings to fall from afar. Some of the debris seemed to have landed on a girl.
She struggled to get free, but was pinned and the 0-Pointer was getting closer. Izuku had to help her, one point would have to do.
Izuku snapped back to his body. His dad always had a loose grip when he possessed him for moments like these.
Izuku took off in the direction of the girl, and filled his dad in on the situation. He wanted to ask if it was the right call to give up on the points, but didn’t want to waste his breath.
By the time he arrived, the giant robot was almost upon them. Izuku rushed to lift the piece of rubble pinning the girl, but there was too much stacked on top to lift it easily.
The girl was thanking him for his help, fear and pain clear on her face, but Izuku could hardly listen as he tried to think of a way to get through this.
He couldn’t stop the robot, so he had to get the girl out. Those were the facts. Maybe if he made a sort of lever he could give the girl enough space to wiggle out?
He took a larger piece of metal and wedged it under as best he could, then pushed down. The concrete hardly moved before the metal slipped out.
It had been working, it just needed to stay put. He only had seconds left before he and the girl would both be crushed, which was a crazy thing to happen in a school test but he supposed that's what UA was like. This was going beyond.
“I need to make a groove to keep the lever in place.” He realized, and quickly bent down to do so.
As he did, he Projected and Hisashi took his place. He breathed a concentrated amount of fire that made the concrete malleable enough to push the makeshift lever in, then stood back up and pushed. Izuke bent down to see how much space was created, and when it was large enough he yelled for the girl to move.
His dad repeated his command, and the girl pulled herself forward with her arms.
Izuku took his body back as the robot took the step that would end on top of them. He considered helping the girl stand, then decided she was too shaky and her legs were probably in no shape to run, she instead he scooped her up and ran himself.
He dodged to the side of the step and threw the two of them into the wreckage of a nearby building, safely to the side as the speaker crackled to life and the exam ended.
Izuku and the girl stared at each other for a beat, then broke out into relieved laughter.
By his side, Hisashi laughed in disbelief. “God, kid, you sure this is what you want to do?”
Izuku laughed harder, and registered the tight, almost painful grip the girl had on his arm. He gently pried her fingers open and changed his arm to his hand.
Since there were cameras watching them for the exam, he assumed, hoped, medical assistance was coming to them because of the girl’s injuries.
“Are you alright?” He asked, finally able to talk to her for real.
“A bit shaken up, and I think my leg is broken, but honestly? Not that bad, thanks to you.” She looked at him with wide eyes. “I thought I was gone for good. Thank you for saving me, thank you so much!”
Izuku flushed, and waved his free hand nervously. “Oh no, don’t thank me! Really what was I supposed to do, leave you? We’re here to be heroes right, and heroes save people so it's really not that special, I'm sure if anyone else had found you they would have done the same. And the teachers wouldn’t have let you be that hurt I’m sure, they probably could stop the machine at any time,”
Hisashi gave a pointed cough that shook Izuku out of his mumbling.
“Uh, uh anyways!” He stuttered. “I’m Midoriya Izuku, what’s your name?”
She laughed again. “Uraraka Ochako. It’s nice to meet you, Midoriya!”
He talked with her a bit more, glad to be able to distract her from her pain, and to distract himself from the cuts covering his hands, until Recovery Girl appeared.
Izuku couldn’t stop himself from fanboying, but managed to say goodbye to Uraraka before she was taken away on a stretcher.
Once she was gone though, he started to panic. He'd only gotten 1 point. That wasn't at all what he wanted to show the examiners.
Hisashi tried to make him feel better, but Izuku couldn't trust him because it was his dad.
Before dinner Izuku went over to Kacchan’s place. They sat in his backyard and Izuku was excited to hear how his friend's day had gone.
“That written exam was a joke, what a piece of cake!” Bakugou snorted. “I’ll pass top marks no problem.”
Izuku was glad he could agree with this. “Right? I thought for sure there'd be at least some tricky parts but it all seemed pretty basic.”
They laughed about the written test a bit more, singling out questions that had been really easy or stupid, but eventually the conversation turned to the practical.
Izuku was happy to hear Kacchan had scored so many points, not that he doubted it.
“Try and beat that Deku, what did you get, zero?” He laughed.
Izuku knew he was just teasing and being himself, but it hit a bit closer than he would have liked.
“I got one, actually.” He mumbled.
Bakugou paused. “Just one?”
Izuku shrugged, willing himself not to cry. “Yeah. There was this girl I had to help and then I ran out of time. But maybe the written will pull me through!”
Bakugou clenched his fists. “Why the hell would you waste time on some extra?” He yelled. “I knew you were stupid but this is a new level. I thought getting into UA was the dream, or do you think you're too good for it now?”
Izuku was growing angry now, unable to handle Kacchan's personality on top of his own overwhelming feelings.
“The dream is to be a hero Kacchan, so of course I had to help her! I already feel bad enough about it, I know I should have gotten more points, you don't have to tell me that!”
Bakugou grabbed the front of Izuku's shirt and yanked him closer. “Don't tell me what to do!
Izuku pushed him away, and before he knew it they were tumbling to the ground in a flurry of limbs.
By the time they stopped fighting, Izuku had to run to make it to dinner. Only once he started getting ready for bed did he realize Kacchan had distracted him enough that he’d stopped worrying.
Izuku laughed to himself. Kacchan was an interesting person, to put it mildly, but he could be a good friend sometimes.
Izuku didn’t really have any friends other than Kacchan. But he hoped that if everything worked out, he could be friends with Uraraka.
------
When the letter came, Izuku was so stressed he barricaded himself in his room and didn’t dare to open it until he was sure his dad wouldn’t pop in.
‘Okay,’ He thought. ‘Here we go.’
He was completely unprepared to see All Might.
“All Might!?” He squeaked. Then All Might began to talk, speaking directly to him, and Izuku thought it wouldn’t even matter if he passed, because All Might knew who he was. Though if he was speaking in this results letter, that meant he was probably involved in the school and if Izuku went then he’d get to actually meet him. So scratch that earlier thought, Izuku wanted to get in more than ever now.
And he did. He’d passed with flying colors thanks to the rescue points, and Uraraka had even tried to give him some of hers. She was so nice, Izuku hoped they’d be in class together.
He took a moment to cry out his relief, then went out to tell his parents.
Inko burst into tears and hugged him, and told him he’d be a great hero. When she had calmed down, she went to start making a celebratory meal and Hisashi took her place.
“I’m proud of you, son.”
Izuku lay down on the floor and Projected so he could hug his father.
When they released, he knew his dad had felt him shaking.
“You’re going to do great.” He reassured him. “You’ve worked hard for this, you deserve it.”
Izuku looked to the ground.
“I couldn’t have done it without you.” He said quietly. “I wasn’t even the one who took down the robot or finally freed Uraraka, I couldn’t do it as myself. You should get as much credit as I do.”
Hisashi placed a hand on Izuku’s shoulder, not warm, but comforting.
“You’re wrong.” He said with such certainty that Izuku couldn’t help but look up. “You would have found a way. But as it is, everything I did is because of you. That was your plan that let us take down the robot, and your plan that saved Uraraka.”
“But-” Izuku tried to interject, but Hisashi didn’t let him.
“And me? I was only able to use my fire to help things along because it was your quirk that let me possess you. You passed the exam, Izuku.”
Izuku sniffled, too cried out to form full tears. “Y-yeah. Okay.”
“I knew way back when I started helping you train that you were going to be a hero. You were so passionate, and determined, I had to work twice as hard as you just to figure out what to throw at you, because you faced it all without hesitation. With a smile. You’re going to do just fine at UA.”
Izuku threw his arms around his dad and hugged him tight again. He hadn’t known he’d needed to hear that, but now that he had he felt so much better. He leaned back, but didn’t fully break from the hug.
Hisashi looked at him with glistening eyes and ruffled his hair.
“Yeah.” He said firmly, “You’ll be just fine.”
And then Izuku’s arms fell into empty air.
Chapter Text
Izuku had never experienced death before, not like other people did.
He didn’t like experiencing it now.
Inko was sad of course, but she’d had time to adapt to a life without Hisashi. For practically everyone else, Hisashi had been dead for years.
He hadn’t been to Izuku.
Hisashi had been more alive in death than he’d ever been in life, in Izuku’s mind. He’d been more of a father than the living man Izuku had hazy memories of. He’d never thought of his dad as dead, never really had it sink in that he had died. Because his dad was right there.
But now he was gone. And Izuku felt incredibly alone, because nobody seemed to understand that.
On top of dealing with his grief, Izuku had to prepare for UA. And he was excited, don’t get him wrong, but in all the dreams he’d had of going to the hero school, he’d thought his father would be there to see him do so.
Now it was the weekend before the first day, and Kacchan was hanging upside down on Izuku’s bed because his mom had invited him over. But even Kacchan wasn’t enough to distract Izuku from the thoughts and feelings that swirled around inside him.
His nervousness about going to UA, his doubt in his quirk, replays of the entrance exam, his father’s last moments, the loneliness-
“So are we walking to school together or what?” Kacchan’s question brought Izuku back to earth.
He thought about it, but came to a decision quickly. “No, that’s okay.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “You probably want to go ahead of me, make some cool new friends before I show up.”
Bakugou narrowed his eyes and scoffed. “Don’t be fucking stupid, I’ll only know if any of them are worthy of being my friends after I’ve seen them fight. You may be practically useless, but I know you can hold your own.”
He looked at Izuku like he dared him to argue.
“I can’t have you moping around and making me look bad for associating with you.” He continued. “So tell me what your problem is right now.”
Izuku lay down on the bed, overtop Kacchan’s legs, so he didn’t have to look at him.
“I just… I can’t get my head around the fact that Dad isn’t going to be there. I always thought he’d walk me to the gates at least. I think… I just need to go by myself. Figure it all out.”
Izuku knew Kacchan hated talking about feelings. So it surprised him when he didn’t change the subject.
“Look Deku,” He started, uncharacteristically quiet. “You’re going to be a hero whether your dad’s here or not. So take your little sad walk, then focus up. Or aren’t you still gunning for my spot as Number One?”
Izuku actually managed to chuckle at that. “You aren’t Number One yet, Kacchan.”
“Damn right I’m not. I’m going to train my ass off, so don’t start thinking you’re better than the rest of us and can do it without putting in the work. I expect you at your best when we start class, you hear me?”
Izuku smiled, his first smile in days.
“Yeah, okay. You’re right.”
“Course I am.”
“... Thanks Kacchan.”
“Shut up Deku.”
------
Izuku stared up at the gates of UA in awe. When he stepped through them he’d officially be a hero course student. A UA student. But all the thinking he’d done on his walk hadn’t been enough for him to move on completely, because looking at those gates, Izuku could only think of his father.
Who, despite what he’d said, was the reason Izuku was here. How could Izuku make it in there without him? He was little more than quirkless.
Tears started to flow from his eyes, and Izuku tried to wipe them away to no avail. He couldn’t cry, he had to focus, like Kacchan said. Had to make his dad proud, prove that he was right to believe in him.
Thinking that only made the tears come harder.
“Hey Midoriya!” A cheerful voice called out.
Izuku turned around instinctively to give a greeting back. Uraraka’s happy expression dropped.
“Midoriya? Are you alright?”
“Y-yeah, I’m okay.”
She moved in closer. “Do you want some time to yourself or can I help you? You can talk to me, or I can just be here.”
She was so kind, Izuku could tell she’d make a great hero.
“I… It’s just a lot seeing the school, it makes it feel more real, you know? And…” He found that talking was actually helping, especially to someone who didn’t have any preconceived ideas of what he should feel like. “My dad passed on after I got my acceptance letter. So being here…”
Before he could figure out how to finish his sentence, Uraraka was wrapping him in a hug.
“Oh, Midoriya! I’m so sorry.”
Izuku was too grateful for the comfort to be flustered, so he rested his head on her shoulder and took a few deep breaths. When he pulled away, he felt better, clearer, than before.
“Thank you Uraraka.”
“Of course! If you ever need anything, or want to talk, I’m here okay?”
“You’re going to be a great hero,” Izuku said, voicing his earlier thought. “You don’t even really know me.”
She swatted him on the arm. “Sure I do! You saved me, being kind is the least I can do. Besides, I can tell we’re going to be great friends!”
Izuku smiled broadly. “Yeah!” Then he realized how long they’d been standing there. “Oh no, we should really get to class. We can’t be late on the first day!” He panicked.
Uraraka laughed and pulled him along, the two of them speed walking to their homeroom.
The door was massive, and if it wasn’t for Uraraka’s presence Izuku didn’t know if he would have had the resolve to open it.
Inside, they were met with Bakugou being his usual self.
“K-Kacchan!” Izuku yelped. He was getting into a fight with that glasses kid because he wouldn’t put his feet down. Typical. Kacchan probably wouldn’t even be sitting with them up if it wasn’t for the other telling him what to do.
Bakugou ignored the other kid in favor of turning to Izuku. “Oh so you finally showed up, huh? I thought you were going to chicken out.”
Uraraka bristled beside Izuku, but he knew Kacchan well enough to read between the lines. What he was really saying was ‘You took a while, are you okay? How’s the whole dad thing going?’
“I got a bit overwhelmed at the gates, but Uraraka helped me out.” He explained before Uraraka could say anything.
“Oh?” Now Bakugou’s eyes swiveled to Uraraka. “So you’re the extra the damn nerd almost failed for.”
“What-”
“Kacchan!”
“That is rude-”
Before the fight could escalate, their teacher showed up. Izuku wouldn’t say things went smoothly , but it wasn’t that bad. Until they were told to change into their gym clothes and go through a test of their abilities.
A test where the person who came last would be expelled.
And Izuku couldn’t be expelled, not on the first day. He couldn’t let his dad down, couldn’t give up on his entire future.
He took deep breaths, and focused on the weight of Uraraka’s hand on his arm where she’d grabbed him after noticing his panic.
He could do this. Hisashi had trained him, had built him up for situations like this. He could do it.
Izuku didn’t come first by a long shot, but was comfortably in the middle. He’d done better than most of the others without helpful quirks, who in this exercise were as essentially quirkless as he was.
Another success he owed his father. While Hisashi had spent most of his days following Inko, at home he was there for whatever Izuku had needed. He’d done research over Inko’s shoulder into how to best train him, had encouraged him whenever he felt down, and had made him strong enough to overcome obstacles like this test.
He wasn’t in first, but it felt like a win to Izuku.
At the end of the day, Bakugou grabbed Izuku by the wrist and dragged him out before he could even say goodbye to Uraraka.
“Kacchan! Come on, let me go!” Izuku struggled to get free. “What’d I do?”
Once they were out of UA’s gates, Bakugou’s grip loosened.
“Listen, nerd, Auntie Inko is going to ask you about today, you know that. And you’re going to tell her it was great and you’re happy, so she’ll be happy. So if there's anything you can’t say without getting all sad again, get over it now.”
Izuku was having a hard time reading between the lines on this one. On one hand, this could be another example of Kacchan trying to see if he was okay while pretending not to care. On the other hand, Kacchan really did like Izuku’s mom and could genuinely want to make sure she was happy.
“I’ll be fine, Kacchan. Honestly, having gotten through the day I feel a lot better. I can’t just ‘get over it’ but I’m not about to burst out crying anymore.”
“Pft, like I believe that. You’re always a second away from tears.”
“Hey!” Izuku laughed. “So what are you gonna tell your parents?”
“That I’m the best in the class, obviously.”
“Even though Iida spent the whole day yelling at you?” Izuku giggled.
Bakugou let off a few small explosions in his palms. “That bastard was so annoying. I saw you getting all buddy buddy with him, you trying to form a nerd pack? For once I think someone has you beat with that title.”
Being in the UA was hard. But being in 1-A wasn’t.
------
The hero course was super interesting. They still had normal classes like math and English, but also learned more specialized heroic topics. And, of course, they had hero training. Hero training led by All Might.
Izuku couldn’t stop from fanboying when he first appeared, though he thought it was a big enough feat that he hadn’t fainted.
Now he was trying his hardest to capture every word the hero was saying, wanting to remember every moment of this.
The class was standing outside a training building, clad in their hero costumes. Another awesome part of the class, they had actual hero costumes! Izuku hoped All Might didn’t notice or feel weird that his costume was inspired by him.
Izuku’s costume was a dark green, dark enough that if Izuku ever needed to Project and scout ahead, he could leave his body hidden in a dark or shadowy place, hopefully unnoticed. The green was because he liked the color, and didn’t want to just be in greyscale. That didn’t feel right with the type of hero Izuku wanted to be.
Izuku, for all his training, didn’t quite know what kind of hero he was heading towards. He wanted to be someone like All Might, but didn’t have the raw strength it took to take down villains as easily. But he also didn’t want to be super underground like Mr. Aizawa, because he wanted people to know who he was and feel safe around him. Hisashi’s training had been to make him physically and mentally strong, but it wasn’t very specialized, especially since he didn’t feel the most equipped when it came to learning about Izuku’s quirk, and Inko had been so worried about him overdoing it.
That’s what Izuku was hoping UA could help him with. To discover better ways to use his quirk, to fight, to help him figure out who his Hero self would be.
As it was, Izuku and his costume were pretty basic.
He was happy to be paired with Uraraka for the assignment, even if they were going against Kacchan. That was a good thing because Izuku could use his knowledge of his friend, but also a bad thing because no matter how this played out Izuku would get an earful later.
As soon as he and Uraraka entered the building, he laid out his plan.
“Uraraka, Kacchan is going to come find us and leave Iida to guard the bomb. I can locate it quickly by using my quirk, but that would leave me defenseless if Kacchan finds us. Can you hold out against him if I’m not back? Once I find the bomb I’ll keep him occupied, he’ll want to fight me more than you, so you can secure it and win.”
Uraraka nodded determinedly. “You got it! But wait,” she looked confused. “How will fire help you find the bomb?”
Izuku froze. “...Fire?”
“Well yeah, that’s your quirk right?” She tilted her head. “I saw you use it back when you saved me.”
Izuku felt his breaths speed up. He shut his eyes tight and willed himself not to cry. “N-no. I mean yes, you did see that, but it’s not my quirk. My quirk is called Medium.”
When Izuku opened his eyes he found Uraraka looking at him with concern. He waved his hands and tried to move on.
“Look we don’t have time to go through it all, I’ll tell you later okay? Just trust me.”
She still looked concerned, but accepted his plea. “Alright. I do trust you. Let’s get your plan started.”
They found a partially hidden spot and Izuku sat down with his back against the wall. Then he took a breath, trying to calm his heart that still beat in his throat at the mention of his dad’s quirk, and Projected.
He didn’t waste time waiting to see how Uraraka reacted, just started to run. He passed through the walls without problem and made his way to the stairs. He could check the bottom floor on his way back if the villain team hadn’t gone for height, but Izuku knew they would have.
He passed through wall after wall and cleared each floor in record time. When Izuku finally found the bomb, he was unsurprised to see just Iida guarding it. He tried to glimpse through his real body, prodding that split off section in his mind, and got the vague sense that yes, Kacchan was there.
Izuku snapped back to his body with ease.
Uraraka was standing a little ways away, but solidly in front of him in a way Izuku knew meant she was protecting him. He scrambled to his feet and ran to her side.
“Hah! There you are Deku!” Kacchan laughed, and sent out a giant blast.
Uraraka dove to the side, and Izuku could see that while they hadn’t been fighting long, she had received some damage. But she hadn’t fallen. In fact, Kacchan didn’t look like the undisputed winner at all.
“Good job Uraraka!” Izuku exclaimed, and pulled her to her feet. He told her the location of the bomb, and she bolted away.
Izuku clenched his fists and prepared for a fight.
“Fighting me one on one? You know you can’t win that Deku!” Bakugou roared, and charged with a right hook.
Izuku dodged and used his friend's momentum to unbalance him. Kacchan was right, he couldn’t win. They’d fought many times over the years, and though Izuku didn’t always lose, he never won. But he didn’t need to. He just had to keep him busy until Uraraka won for him.
Now that he had more time to think his plan through though, Izuku could see a flaw. He was depending on Uraraka, but there was no certainty she would win. Izuku didn’t doubt that she could do it, but this was a timed exercise.
He had to give her some more help. But how?
Kacchan’s explosions had created a bit of debris from blowing holes in a few of the walls, and that gave Izuku an idea.
He kept the fight going, but made sure Kacchan came to him. And slowly but surely, he led him to the stairs.
“Don’t run from me Deku!” Bakugou yelled, catching on. “You think that bomb is more important than me? I’m the one you should be worried about!”
Izuku scampered up the stairs, much to Bakugou’s frustration. Good. He was mad so he wasn’t thinking clearly enough to wonder why Izuku was doing this.
They kept up their game of cat and mouse until they were where Izuku wanted. Directly under the bomb room. He stopped running and began to fight Kacchan in earnest, who gave him a snarled smile.
Izuku waited until he saw Kacchan prepare for another big blast, using his hero costume (Which was so cool by the way, he’d seen the plans Kacchan had but seeing it in real life was much better and he couldn’t wait to tell him that later.)
Just as he released the trigger, Izuku rushed forwards and grabbed Kacchan’s arm, pushing it up. The explosion ripped through the ceiling, and dust and debris rained down on the two boys.
From above Izuku heard Iida yelp. That was all he had time for, as Kacchan was on him in a second, knocking him to the ground with a few solid hits and then kneeling on top of him.
“You bastard!” He yelled, but there was a light dancing in his eyes that Izuku knew meant he was amused.
And then time was up. And the hero team won.
Izuku grinned as Bakugou scowled, getting up and walking away without helping Izuku.
“There's always next time Kacchan!” He teased in a signsong voice.
Bakugou turned back around in a rage and ran for him. Izuku laughed and started to run as well, navigating the hallways with ease thanks to his fantastic sense of direction. He made it out of the building and into the area with the rest of the class before Kacchan could catch him (he always was the faster of the two) but apparently the presence of all their classmates and All Might wasn’t enough to tamper down Kacchan’s fury as he leapt at Izuku and dragged him down from the back of his costume.
And okay maybe Izuku could see where Kacchan’s uncaring attitude came from, because what was he supposed to do, not fight back?
By the time they finally rolled away from each other another team was going through the activity, but all eyes were on Izuku and Bakugou instead of the screen.
Izuku all at once came back to himself and remembered where they were. He flushed bright red and scrambled up with a squeak.
“Sorry! Sorry, please ignore us, forget about that actually!”
Nobody said anything, still looking at Izuku like he’d grown an extra head.
“The fuck are you extras staring at?” Bakugou yelled as abrasive as always. “Pay attention to the goddamn class!”
Iida was the first to react, immediately chopping his arms. “Yes! Everyone, these exercises are extremely important, they can help us learn from watching, and we should support our peers!”
Izuku glanced out of the corner of his eye and met Kacchan’s equally quick look. He held back a laugh, but then heard Kacchan snort quietly and that did him in. He erupted into a fit of giggles, pressing his hand to his mouth in an attempt to muffle the sound.
“Midoriya.” Uraraka said quietly, coming to stand next to him with a dazed look. “You are so much crazier than I originally thought.”
Bakugou didn’t hide his snort this time, and Izuku doubled over from how hard he was laughing.
------
Izuku was still not over the fact that all the teachers at UA were Pro Heroes. Every time they met a new teacher he thought he was going to die from over excitement. It didn’t matter how well known they were, they were Pros, and that meant they were amazing.
Take Thirteen, who Izuku was listening to with rapt attention. They were a great rescue hero, and had such an interesting quirk.
Izuku was torn between thinking about Thirteen or the USJ, both incredibly interesting topics, when the portal appeared.
And then there were villains, and so, so many ghosts.
The one who seemed like the leader, with hands all over his body, had a whole family of ghosts around him. Izuku felt sick to his stomach, wondering if they were where the hands came from.
And then he noticed the mist looking villain. The villain Izuku couldn’t get a good look at, because his body was overlaid by a flickering ghost.
Izuku had never seen anything like it.
He slowly edged away from the rest of the class, trying to get a better view. The ghost appeared to be inhabiting the same space as the villain, which Izuku supposed was possible, but just wasn’t done. But even so, the flickering indicated that the ghost was in literally the exact same space as the villain. How was he doing that?
Before Izuku could figure out what it meant, portals were opened up and things went crazy.
Izuku dove out of the way and found cover, and watched helplessly as his classmates disappeared in purple mists. Then he noticed them reappearing across the USJ, and was relieved that at least they were still in the building. But they weren’t safe.
There were so many villains, and he itched to run and help his friends. But there were still villains where he was too.
Izuku watched as Aizawa started taking on the large group, fear churning in his gut. Mr. Aizawa was a Pro, was talented and smart, but he wasn’t the type of hero who could take on this many villains at once. He was going to be hurt.
There was a giant, inhuman looking creature with an exposed brain that made Izuku’s skin prickle just to look at. Raw strength… He had to help somehow.
He crept closer, but quickly backed up to try and hide his yelp as the fight turned bad.
Mr. Aizawa was failing. Izuku wanted to scream, but kept his hands firmly over his mouth as he tried to think of something, anything.
Then he registered that he wasn’t the only one worried for his teacher. But the voice wasn’t one of his classmates. Wasn’t one anyone seemed to hear.
“Shouta! Shouta!” The voice sobbed. “Stop it!”
With a start, Izuku realized the voice was coming from the strange ghost. He tried hard to look at him, but could only catch glimpses as he and the mist villain flipped between each other.
Shouta? That was Mr. Aizawa’s first name, wasn’t it? Did this… teenager… know him?
Something wasn’t right, not by a long shot. Izuku couldn’t do anything else, so he focused on the ghost and tried to learn more. Maybe there was something there that could help.
“Why are you hurting him, stop!” The pain in the ghost’s voice brought tears to Izuku’s eyes. “Shouta please! Just stop it, let me in! Let me in, let me in!”
‘Let me in,’ what did that mean? Izuku narrowed his eyes. The ghost was moving his arms, and almost looked like… like a mime ‘trapped’ in a box. Like he was trying to beat his way out.
Or in.
A thought fluttered through Izuku’s mind, and he did his best to follow it.
This ghost was tied to the villain in a way Izuku had never seen before. Some ghosts were tied to specific things or places, though it wasn’t actually that common, usually when it was of extreme significance. The ghost didn’t seem tied to the villain, but to the body. He was flickering in and out like he and the villain couldn’t exist at the same time. He wanted to be let in.
The villain’s body was the ghost’s body.
It didn’t make any sense, yet at the same time it was the only thing that did.
The ghost gave a particularly gutwrenching scream, and Izuku didn’t want to see what had happened to Mr. Aizawa. Enough time had been spent collecting data, he had to do something.
And clearly the ghost wanted to do something as well.
Izuku made sure he was hidden, then Projected.
Now that he was in the spirit world, Izuku could see the ghost more clearly. He really was just a teenager, with blue hair and was wearing what looked like it could be a hero costume.
Shouta… could this boy have been Aizawa’s friend when they were younger?
“Um, excuse me!” Izuku wasn’t quite sure how to go about this. “Are you a friend of Mr. Aizawa’s?”
The ghost snapped his head around to face Izuku, shocked. “I- You-” He seemed to deflate, bringing a hand to wipe his face. “Mr. Aizawa? Oh please, please tell me he hasn’t lost a student.”
Izuku realized the miscommunication and hurried to fix it. “No no! I’m not dead! It’s my quirk.”
That seemed to help the ghost a bit.
“What’s your quirk?” Izuku asked, knowing they didn’t have much time if they were going to help save his teacher.
The ghost obviously didn’t know why he was asking such a thing, but went along with it. “I can make clouds.”
Okay, so not the best for a physical assault but better than nothing, which was what Izuku had.
“Look,” he tried to explain, “When I’m out of my body like this other spirits can possess it and can access their quirks. You look like maybe you were a hero student, and you want to help Mr. Aizawa, so take my body. Help him.”
Normally Izuku would never let some stranger into his body like that. They’d practiced, he and Hisashi, and if the possessor didn’t want to let go it was a struggle to get them out. But this ghost was a friend of Aizawa’s, and was clearly wanting the same thing as Izuku. He could make an exception.
But the ghost’s expression just remained pained. “I can’t.” He choked out. “I can’t leave. Whatever they did to me to turn me into that- ” He gestured to the body underneath his ghost self, “I’m stuck.”
Izuku was struck with the force of the need he felt, the need to save Mr. Aizawa, and the need to save this spirit, who just confirmed that the villain somehow had his body. But what could he do? He was nothing. If the ghost couldn’t possess him, he was powerless.
But then he remembered there was one aspect of his quirk he hadn’t used yet. And if the villain was the ghost, and they were stuck in the same space, then what would happen if the ghost took up that space in the real world?
Izuku got closer to the ghost and hastily outlined the plan. Not that it really was a plan. “I’m going to Manifest you, that means you’ll be in the real world. I don’t know what that’ll do to you in your situation, just, try anything. Try to help.” It wasn’t much, but it was all the explanation Izuku could offer.
The ghost didn’t have time to finish nodding before Izuku grabbed his arm and let all his power flow between them. He pushed as much energy as he could, knowing that using so much of his own life force was dangerous, but also knowing that if he used too little this whole thing would be for nothing. He was in UA, he had to Go Beyond.
Izuku could already feel the headache, the loss of energy throughout his body. He didn’t stop. Plus Ultra.
And with a particularly large tug at his gut, Izuku saw as the villain in the real world seemed to swap places with the ghost. No, that wasn’t right. The villain wasn’t really in the spirit world either, he was… nowhere.
The ghost cried out and Izuku turned to look at the fight, where a misty portal appeared under Aizawa’s crumpled body. It closed, and Izuku was thrown back into his body with so much force that it was all he could do to struggle for breath.
His vision was swimming and he could hardly move, though from use of Manifestation or whatever had just happened Izuku didn’t know. He tried to look back at the villains, tried to see what had happened, but there was too much going on for his woozy mind to handle.
He tried to find the ghost, but when he looked at the mist villain, Izuku couldn’t see the boy.
He needed to go back, to find him, he needed help and everything that was happening was wrong , but all Izuku could do was wheeze as his vision darkened.
But even in his unconscious, Izuku was plagued by all he had just witnessed.
------
Izuku waited impatiently, hating everything about the hospital waiting room. Hated that Aizawa was in here.
Izuku knew the first thing he should have done was go to the police and tell them what had happened, but he needed to talk to Mr. Aizawa first. The whole thing was too confusing to explain properly, and Izuku just needed to get a better understanding before he started to figure it all out. An understanding like who was that ghost and what did he have to do with the villain Kurogiri.
He knew it was probably important, having this information about the villains, and he would tell the police! Just after he talked to Mr. Aizawa. After the hospital staff let him in, which he felt they should considering he’d been waiting there for hours. Mr. Aizawa should be able to receive visitors, and Izuku didn’t like what the fact that he hadn’t been admitted yet implied.
And then someone called his name. Not a nurse, but… Present Mic?
Oh, had he been with Mr. Aizawa and that’s why Izuku hadn’t been allowed in? The relief that swept through him was a welcome change from the nerves and panic.
Present Mic sat in the chair next to Izuku, and looked him over.
“You alright there little listener?” He asked cheerfully, but there was a tired edge to his voice. “You gave us a bit of a scare earlier.”
Izuku nodded. Apparently he’d been so unconscious that even Recovery Girl hadn’t been able to wake him
“What happened, if you don’t mind me asking? Sho- Eraser didn’t recall seeing anything, and we didn’t find any signs of damage.”
“That’s what I wanted to see Mr. Aizawa for.” Izuku explained. “There was… a lot that happened that I can’t fully wrap my head around and I think he might be able to help fill in the blanks.”
Mic nodded thoughtfully. “Eraser’s not really in the mood for visitors right now, is there anything I can help you with, or pass along for you?”
Izuku wanted to argue outright, but paused to think about it. A lot of facts were being presented to him about his teachers’ relationship with each other, like the fact that Mr. Aizawa was only okay with Mic Sensei visiting him and that Mic had almost called him Shouta. Clearly they were very close, and Izuku was starting to guess how close , but that also meant that Mic might also know a bit about the situation. But he still wanted to talk to Aizawa.
“I really do need to talk to him in person, but maybe you can help too!”
Mic gestured for him to continue.
“There was this ghost, and something was really wrong with him. But I really noticed him because he was calling Mr. Aizawa ‘Shouta’ and was really upset about the fight.”
Mic stilled, and focused his eyes on Izuku with such intensity that he felt the need to scooch back a bit.
“A ghost?” His voice came out strangled. “What did he look like?”
“He wasn’t much older than me, and he had blue hair.” Izuku would have said more, but Mic was already standing. He took Izuku’s hand and helped him up, then led him through the corridors of the hospital.
Apparently that information was enough to convince him that the situation was serious.
Present Mic left Izuku outside the door as he went in to warn Aizawa he was coming, and Izuku took the time to steel himself against whatever he’d see inside.
He hadn’t seen much of the actual damage despite his close proximity to the fight because he’d been so focused on the ghost. But if the ghost’s reactions were anything to go by, things hadn’t been good.
Izuku tried not to flinch when he took in the bandages. The top of Aizawa’s head, as well as half his face, was covered, and his arms were in casts. But he was alive, and Izuku held that information close to his heart.
“Midoriya.” Aizawa spoke in his usual firm and gruff tone, but there was a slight shake to it that betrayed his emotions. “Tell us what happened.”
So Izuku did. He tried his best to explain everything as clear as possible and point out why things appeared wrong, which was a bit difficult to explain to someone who didn’t know anything about ghosts and the spirit world, but by the time he was done both teachers were staring at him with such dismay that he knew something had made an impact.
“I knew…” Aizawa whispered. “I thought I was seeing things, but I did, I saw him. Hizashi, I saw him.”
Mic put a hand over Aizawa’s cast (And if Izuku had any doubt before he didn’t anymore) and took a few deep breaths.
Izuku was a bit tentative to intrude on this obviously emotional revelation, but he still needed his answers.
“Um, so, do you know who he is then?”
The silence was incredibly uncomfortable.
“His name was Oboro Shirakumo.” Aizawa finally said quietly. “He was our classmate.”
So he was a hero student like Izuku had thought.
“He died in our second year, but you’re saying- You’re saying that villain somehow has his body?” Izuku had never heard Mic Sensei sound like that. Like he was vibrating with both grief and rage, his voice cracking under the strain of keeping his quirk in check.
Izuku knew a bit about grief now, but he couldn’t imagine what his teachers were feeling. Just in the short time he’d seen the ghost- Shirakumo- he’d felt the wrongness of it all, had felt deeply upset by the injustice and the need to help him. But for the people who knew him? No, Izuku would never be able to understand at all.
He sat in the hospital room for a long time after that, he and his teachers discussing what it all meant and what could have possibly happened. How the villains must have taken Shirakumo’s body for experimentation after he died and somehow managed to create Kurogiri, the use of his body as a living vessel somehow trapping Shirakumo’s spirit. The theory was backed with the presence of the genetically modified Nomu but that just sent a wave of nausea though Izuku’s system.
Had there been other ghosts like Shirakumo? If Kurogiri and the Nomu were the same principal, was there someone Izuku hadn’t seen, because the Nomu was so big? Were they trapped inside?
Aizawa noticed Izuku’s panic and quickening breaths, and reached out to bonk him lightly on the head with his cast. “We’ll figure this out. You’ve done a great deal to help us with the information, we now know more about these new villains than they’d expect.”
“And you saved Shouta.” Mic added on. “For that I can’t thank you enough.”
Izuku’s eyes widened and he hurried to try and brush the credit away. “What? No- no, I didn’t do anything really! No need to thank me, it was really Shirakumo that helped him, it must have taken an immense amount of effort and intelligence for him to use a quirk that wasn’t even really his-”
“Midoriya.”
Izuku’s mouth snapped shut at Aizawa’s voice.
He leveled him with a glare, and while it was hard it wasn’t angry. “ You helped me. You did .”
Izuku could only stare, and try to nod.
“But don’t do something like that again.”
Izuku furrowed his brows in confusion.
“You recognized the situation was unlike anything you’d experienced and that something was wrong, yet you still decided to use the most harmful aspect of your quirk without knowing the consequences. Getting knocked out like you did was lucky, you don’t know how much worse it could have been. I am your teacher, and a Pro Hero. Do not endanger yourself for my sake again.”
Izuku nodded stiffly and swallowed hard against the tears he could feel coming. Mr. Aizawa was right of course, but at the same time he couldn’t really accept that. Yes, he had been lucky, but what if he’d done nothing? He couldn’t just do nothing and watch his teacher die, he was supposed to be a hero! He had to help.
“We’re not angry at you, listener, we just need you to understand that your behaviour was dangerous.”
Izuku couldn’t speak.
“Problem Child.” Izuku looked up at the nickname. Aizawa’s frown flattened until it was almost a smile. He sighed. “Thank you.”
Izuku burst into tears.
Notes:
And Oboro makes his first appearence! The plot thickens...
Chapter Text
Izuku looked at the matches with a growing sense of dread. He’d manage to make it to the third and final round of the Sports Festival without needing a quirk so far, but with one on one fights he couldn’t depend on anything else to help him. And Izuku wanted to win, he realized that now he was faced with the possibility of losing.
He needed to win to prove that he belonged in UA, that on his own he was capable, and that his father had been right to believe in him.
Suddenly, the Sports Festival felt a whole lot more real.
------
The announcement had been just what class A needed after the incident at the USJ. The Sports Festival was normal and exciting, it was something to look forward to and distract from what they’d seen and done.
Izuku tried to pour all his energy into preparation for the festival, but couldn’t shake all that he’d learned. Every time his eyes met Mr. Aizawa’s an understanding flashed between them, a connection born of sharing this secret, and Izuku felt sick to his stomach. He wondered how Aizawa and Mic Sensei were holding up when it had to be so much worse for them. He wondered how they’d been able to hold it together when he’d shared the story in the first place.
As far as the rest of the class knew, Izuku was basically the only one who hadn’t fought any villains or really been involved in the attack at all. He’d told them, under Mr. Aizawa’s suggestion, that he’d been hit with a quirk that knocked him out from the beginning.
Kacchan had tried to tease him about it, but had let it go after seeing Izuku’s response. Izuku could control what he said, but he had a much harder time controlling his expressions. As emotional as he was, Izuku was an open book to everyone, and more so to his childhood friend. Kaccchan knew something was up, but thankfully didn’t press it.
So Izuku focused on the Sports Festival. He would try his best, his hardest, because he couldn’t afford to do anything else. Couldn’t afford for his concentration to waver and his mind to return to the USJ.
------
Izuku was a failure. Ojiro had warned him about Shinsou’s quirk, and he’d still fallen for the boy’s taunts. Hearing him make fun of his friend had set him off, and now he was going to walk out of bounds in his first match.
Izuku scrambled for any idea to help him. His body was moving on its own and was getting closer and closer to the boundary. His mind was sluggish, but he could still think. It was just that he couldn’t connect his thoughts to his body. Like his thoughts and his mind were separated, he was himself but Shinsou controlled his mind.
And just like that the solution came to him.
His body was disconnected from his spirit, but needed his mind to control his body. If Izuku were to leave his body though…
Like a puppet with cut strings, Izuku’s body ceased its robotic movements and crumpled to the ground a hair’s breadth away from the boundary line. Izuku winced as he felt the twinge of his face hitting the ground, but ignored it in favor of feeling intense relief at stopping before it was too late.
The crowd had erupted in confusion, and Shinsou was looking at his body with a dumbfounded expression. He wasn’t expecting this, obviously, and Izuku had to take advantage of the fact that he had no idea what was going on. If only he could push Shinsou out of bounds as he was, he’d win in an instant.
Unfortunately, he had to return to his body to do anything. As soon as he did, Izuku rushed at Shinsou.
The other boy tried to get him to speak, but although each barb hurt, Izuku stayed silent.
“You in the Hero Course have it so easy! Everyone already thinks you’re the best!”
Wrong.
“What do you have to prove?”
Everything.
Shinsou managed to land a hit or two, but Izuku was trained for combat while he clearly wasn’t. It didn’t take long to get him out of bounds.
Izuku stood panting, looking over Shinsou who lay winded on the ground. “You’re wrong.” He said.
“What?” Shinsou responded harshly.
Izuku didn’t flinch. “Everyone in the Hero Course is working their hardest to earn their spot, to learn and get better and become the heroes we want to be. Everyone has their own reasons for being here, and we’re all working towards that goal.”
He offered his hand out.
“I hope you see that, and we can work towards being heroes together.”
Shinsou stared at Izuku with something unidentifiable in his eyes. He brushed Izuku’s hand away and got up himself, walking away without looking back.
“I don’t know how you managed to break out of my control, but next time it won’t be so easy. I’ll meet you at the end, Hero.”
…
That wasn’t exactly the response Izuku had been looking for. He wanted to run after Shinsou, but also had to get ready for his next match and fix up his face. Now that he was thinking about it, the scrapes really stung.
He’d managed to get Shinsou out of bounds because he was untrained, and for once Izuku was physically stronger. But whoever he fought next would probably be a much tougher challenge.
------
Todoroki. He was going up against Todoroki.
Indisputably one of the strongest people in the class, that Todoroki.
Izuku’s mind raced as he tried to think of any way he had of winning, scratch that, of just lasting more than a second. Unlike poor Sero, who’d been frozen in an overwhelming show of Todoroki’s ice.
Ice… maybe that was it. Izuku had noticed since the beginning of the year that Todoroki didn’t seem to use his fire for anything other than thawing his ice. He had no idea why, when it had such potential for all sorts of situations.
He resigned himself to using that as best he could and digging deeper at a later date, (giving himself a mystery he could actually solve might be a good thing) but then Todoroki dragged him away from the others and straight up told him right then and there.
And Izuku’s plan went up in smoke, because there was no way he could let things continue on the way they were. There was no way he could let Todoroki continue to reject his power, to let his father have that hold over him. As long as he was trying to be a hero, Izuku would never ignore a person in need. Even if that meant sacrificing himself.
Of course, in this context the sacrifice wasn’t that large, he’d just lose the match, but that was already going to happen anyway so he didn’t feel too hung up about it.
Words had failed him when his mind was still reeling with new information, so he had to use his time to think of what to say. He had to get Todoroki to see that he was more than his father’s vision, that he was his own person. And that meant Izuku had to stay in the match long enough to get that idea across.
Standing across from Todoroki now, Izuku felt a prick of doubt. Could he really hold his own? The match started, and before Todoroki could finish his stomp and capture him in ice, Izuku did the only thing he could. He Projected.
Izuku didn’t waste time thinking about the crunch of his nose before reentering his body. He rushed at Todoroki, who had paused in confusion. He just had to get in close, then he wouldn’t be able to use his major attacks.
“You know Todoroki,” he yelled. “When I got accepted into UA I thought I didn’t deserve it. It was only because of my father that I passed the exam!” Izuku didn’t know how to start his speech, so he tried to explain as best he could by drawing from his own experience.
Todoroki sent out a wave of ice, but Izuku was close enough now that what reached him was thin enough to jump over.
“Not all of us have strong quirks like you, yet you won’t even use yours to its full potential!”
They were too close for ice to be useful anymore, so Todorki shifted into a fighting stance. Izuku Projected again, and when he returned Todoroki’s hesitation allowed Izuku to land a hit.
“But we’re all working our hardest to be the best heroes we can! Don’t you want to be a hero?”
Todoroki grabbed him, but the dead weight of Izuku’s body when he Projected caused him to stumble. Izuku escaped his hold and tried to sweep his legs.
He could see that his words were starting to make some sort of impact. He had to press his advantage.
“We’re all giving it our all! So come on Todoroki! Show us you care enough to give it your all as well!”
Izuku Projected to avoid his attack, face hitting the ground for what seemed like the tenth time. He’d never thought to use his quirk this way, but now he could see the advantage. Todoroki had no idea how to fight against him like this because nobody had ever acted this way before. No one went dead weight and then kept fighting.
“I won’t use his quirk! I told you why, so why are you saying this?” Todoroki yelled, finally responding to Izuku’s shouts.
“Because it’s not his!” Izuku took Todoroki’s shock as an opening to push him down, but got punched in the face for his troubles.
“When I thought I owed everything to my father, he told me differently. I got into UA because of me and I’m still here because of me, just like you! My dad helped me, but only because it was my quirk that let him!”
Izuku thought of what his father had said, what had meant so much to him even if he couldn’t quite accept it. Thinking of Todoroki now, seeing the similarities in their situations, Izuku finally started to believe those words
“Don’t you see Todoroki? It’s yours! Your quirk, not his! So use it to be the best hero you can be!”
Todoroki's eyes widened, and the temperature started to heat up. It had worked, Izuku had found a way to break through the other boy’s barriers. He’d said his piece.
Izuku dove out of bounds in a panic to avoid getting roasted alive and bounced a few paces before he came to a stop. He could see the light of Todoroki’s flames reaching high, and the sight was beautiful. But now that he was out of the fight and no longer moving, Izuku could feel the consequences of his determination.
There were cuts and slashes all over his body from shards of ice, and every part of him was screaming from his fight and the repeated falling. But the worst was his face. Izuku could taste the blood now that he was paying attention, and it was all he could smell. He coughed, and the movement hurt.
His nose felt like no pain he’d ever felt before. His eyes were watering, but that was also likely to try and wash the blood out from where it was dripping from his head.
Izuku tried to stand up, but found he didn’t have the strength. And then there were hands on either side of him, lifting him up and supporting his weight. Izuku squinted (when did his vision get so blurry?) and lost his balance.
“T-Todoroki?”
The boy held tight so Izuku didn’t fall, the different temperatures of his hands filling Izuku with unnameable sensations. He didn’t say anything, just helped Izuku along to Recovery Girl.
When she saw him, Recovery Girl immediately started fretting and tried to lead him away, but Izuku had to say something to Todoroki first. But he didn’t know what, didn’t know what there was he could possibly say after that match.
“Todoroki!” Heterochromatic eyes met his. “Thank you.”
Todoroki’s expression changed to one Izuku thought was confused, until he saw the slightest twitch of his lips.
“I think I’m the one who should be saying that to you.” He finally spoke, in his usual calm manner. But there was more to it now, or maybe Izuku was just finally able to see past the mask of indifference he wore, because Todoroki almost sounded shy.
“Just win for both of us, okay?” Izuku requested with his brightest and most genuine smile. Though the effect was probably ruined by all the blood and by how beat up his face was. His voice wasn’t much better, slightly gargally from the blood he couldn’t cough out.
Todoroki averted his eyes to look instead at his left hand, but gave a small nod.
Izuku could tell there was more to say, but he really did need to go with Recovery Girl. So he just smiled again and tried not to be too delighted when Todoroki smiled back.
------
Todoroki didn’t win.
He stood on the second place podium with a closed off expression that made Izuku’s heart ache. Next to him, in the first place spot, Bakugou sulked with an angry expression and crossed arms. The happiest person on the podium was Tokoyami, which was saying something, who was standing by himself since Iida had left for a family emergency.
As soon as the medals were received and the participants let go, Izuku rushed to meet them. He ducked past a ranting Bakugou, knowing he would talk to him later, and caught up to Todoroki.
“Midoriya.” He sounded like he’d been expecting him. “I’m sorry.”
Izuku’s brain seemed to reboot. “Uh- huh- what?” He stuttered, his voice raising. “What are you sorry for?”
Todoroki looked at his hand again. “I didn’t use it. I lost.”
Oh. Izuku grabbed that hand and held it tightly. “Don’t be sorry. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have expected you to just be okay with everything so quickly.”
“What? No, you shouldn’t be sorry!” Todorki argued. His hand was warm in Izuku’s. “I let you down. I’m sorry.”
“You didn’t let me down, don’t say that! You did great! All I wanted was for you to think about what I said, and not feel the need to hold back anymore!”
“But-” Todorki broke off, his eyes widening as he finally took in Izuku’s face. “You… your nose…”
Izuku winced. “Yeah… Apparently I broke it so much that it can’t fully heal properly.”
Turns out that continuously dropping nose first onto the concrete with his entire body weight behind it wasn’t the best idea. Now Izuku’s nose was mostly healed, in the sense that it was no longer bleeding and he could breathe through it again, but it wasn’t exactly how it’d been before. It was a bit crooked and had a bump on the bridge that would definitely take a bit getting used to. There were a few small scars, but those Recovery Girl had been able to mainly heal. It was an adjustment, and obviously Izuku wasn’t happy about it, but he also didn’t really mind. He’d helped Todoroki, and if a broken nose was all it took then so be it. He’d wear his scars proudly.
“I-” Todoroki started to say, horrified, but Izuku cut him off.
“If you’re going to say ‘I’m sorry’ again I’ll give you a nose to match.” Izuku stared Todoroki down as best he could, until the ridiculousness of the conversation became too much for him. He started to laugh and, incredibly, Todoroki joined in.
His laugh was small and quiet, but quite possibly the most wonderful sound Izuku had ever heard.
------
That night, once Inko had stopped fretting and Izuku had listened to Kacchan’s rants as well as gotten chewed out for the nose situation, he was finally able to think properly.
There were a lot of things he could think about, namely Todoroki, but Izuku wasn’t quite ready to dive into all that yet. Instead, he got out his notebook.
It was one of the oldest and most worn down book he owned, and contained everything he knew about his quirk.
The fight with Shinsou had got him thinking, but then there was so much else going on that he couldn’t chase the thought.
What if he could Manifest himself?
Because why shouldn’t he? Manifestation used his energy to bridge the two planes of existence, allowing a ghost to bleed through to the real world. Izuku didn’t give them bodies, he just let them into the world as they were. So there wasn’t any reason why he shouldn’t be able to do the same for his own spirit self.
Izuku muttered under his breath as his hand moved frantically across the page, writing down everything he was thinking. If he could do that it would seriously change, well, everything.
He was always operating under the assumption that he would never be able to take down villains like All Might, that without a physical quirk he’d be of more help as a scout. But if he could Manifest himself…
He could get into places and actually do something about it, he could unlock locked rooms, he could fight without putting his real body in danger, there were so many possibilities.
Manifestation was the most draining aspect of Izuku’s quirk, so Inko had stopped him from using it. But that also meant that he’d never been able to grow into it, to improve the way he’d gradually increased his range while Projecting. If he could learn now there were so many applications, not to mention how it would strengthen his quirk.
Izuku set the pencil down. He couldn’t get too carried away before he even tried it, right now he was just risking disappointment. They had the weekend before going back to school, so he had that time to practice. He’d get it down.
Izuku lay in bed and Projected. He looked down at his body, at his newly broken face, and felt proud. He may not have won the Sport Festival, but after seeing Todoroki use his fire, after seeing him smile and laugh, it sure felt like he won something. He may not have a medal, but he had proof that he’d helped someone. That was enough for him.
Izuku sat on the end of his bed and closed his eyes, hoping it would help him focus. He hardly knew how to explain Manifesting someone else, it was just something he did, so how would he do it to himself?
While Manifesting it felt like he was giving ghosts energy, if he gave himself energy then he shouldn’t end up tired right? It should be like a sort of loop. If he could figure out how to do it.
Izuku opened his eyes and looked at the blanket underneath him. He rested his hand on top and willed it to become solid, to feel the softness of the blanket. But he remained intangible.
Being a ghost was all about perception, right? Because he thought he could sit on the bed, he did. He had to believe he could touch the blanket. But believing wouldn’t help him cross between planes, he needed power to do that. If ghosts got their power from him, but he wasn’t enough for himself, maybe he had to look at a different part of him.
Izuku drew into the back of his mind, feeling that link to his physical body. He imagined that body, the weight of it against the bed, and imagined he had that weight as well.
He sat there, trying to draw upon his connection to the real world, and eventually the blanket shifted under the press of his hand.
------
By the time he returned to school, Izuku was able to hold his whole body in a physical manifestation for a few minutes. He’d spent practically every waking moment practicing, and while it was tiring he wasn’t experiencing side effects at all like when he Manifested others.
Izuku knew this kind of power would be invaluable in fights, which was why he was waiting at the UA entrance before the school opened. There was someone he needed to talk to, who he hoped would be able to help learn a new style of fighting, and he couldn’t risk missing him.
Izuku waited for half an hour before he arrived. In that time he hadn’t seen any of his friends show up, which wasn’t so unusual considering how early it was, but even Iida didn’t appear.
Izuku was worried for his friend, having heard the news of Ingenium, but didn’t know what to do about it.
Izuku’s target walked into UA with an arm around another student Izuku knew of. Who in the school didn’t, when they were members of the Big Three.
Before they could pass, Izuku stepped forward. “Uhm, Toogata-Senpai?” He asked hesitantly.
The blond boy turned to Izuku with a kind grin. “Hey there! What can I do for you?”Amijiki hid behind Toogata, and his anxiety seemed to rub off on Izuku.
“Well, um I was hoping I could talk to you.”
“Seems like you’re doing pretty well so far then!” Toogata joked.
Izuku felt simultaneously put at ease and also more awkward. “Right, well, um, I wanted to ask you a favor. I’ve just learned a new way to use my quirk and I was thinking I could use it a lot like yours so I was hoping maybe you could show me how you use yours and get me on track because I’m not that sure what I’m doing but you seem really good at it, I mean you are in the Big Three so of course you are. And I know you’re busy but I was hoping you could at least hear me out and even though we have internships and you have work studies soon but maybe you could take the time to think about it and answer me when we get back? Thank you.”
Izuku knew he had spoken too much too fast, but hadn’t been able to stop himself. Now he blushed and ducked his head in embarrassment while Toogata worked through what he’d said.
“Wow, that was a lot! How about this? After school, meet me at Gym A and I’ll see what we’re working with, okay?”
Izuku nodded his head so fast he was scared it would fly off. “Great! Thank you so much Toogata, I really appreciate your time!”
“Just be sure you don’t waste it, kay?” Toogata laughed and continued on, dragging Amajiki with him.
Now Izuku was a bit scared to mess up. He went up to class and sat down before pulling out his quirk notebook and reviewing everything he’d found out. Then Iida finally showed, and Izuku put it away in favour of talking to his friend.
Even though he was awaiting the end of the day, there was still plenty to be done in class. Mr. Aizawa explained the internship process, and they received their offers. Izuku got a handful, more than some but definitely not as much as a lot of them, like those who had been on the podium. He wasn’t sure where he wanted to intern, and decided to look through it all after school when he could focus without the distractions of the class.
The most important part of the day though, was picking out their hero names. Despite knowing his whole life that he wanted to be a hero, Izuku hadn’t actually thought of what he would be called. He’d always been more focused on what being a hero would mean for others, like how he’d help people, rather than the actual details that related to himself.
Izuku knew his name had to reflect who he was, and should make him identifiable. Most people went with names that related in some way to their quirk, so Izuku started with names like that.
He thought about the kind of hero he wanted to be, the kind that helped people and made them feel safe. He thought of Shirakumo, and how he wanted to save him as well. He thought of Hisashi Midoriya, and of All Might talking about what made a hero.
Izuku flipped his whiteboard around and displayed a name that reflected not just his quirk, but a part of him.
Spirit.
------
Say what you will about UA, they sure know how to pack a lot into one day. Izuku had already done so much; he’d got some internship offers, chosen his hero name, continued to befriend Todoroki and even got him to sit with the group at lunch… he just hoped things with Toogata would go well.
Not long after Izuku arrived, Togata’s face popped out of the ground. Izuku shrieked and fell back, and Toogata jumped up beside him with a laugh.
“Oh man, that was pretty funny!” He fixed his eyes on Izuku. “So, Midoriya. Tell me what you can do, why you think I can help you, and why you think I should. Convince me.”
He said it so nicely, but Izuku heard the challenge. ‘Why are you worth my time?’ That’s what Toogata was asking.
“Well, my quirk is called Medium. I can see ghosts and Project my body into the spirit world, where I basically become a ghost myself. When I touch a ghost I can manifest them into our reality so others can interact with them, and after the Sports Festival I realized I could do that to myself too! And since I have better control over my own body I can choose to Manifest only some parts of me, which I think could let me fight like you do with your Permeation!”
Izuku took a breath and tried to gauge Toogata’s opinion, but he just looked as smiley as ever.
“And I think it could be useful for you to help me because it would require you to go in depth into your quirk and if all goes well you can see how you fight from an outside perspective!”
Izuku tried to keep his fingers still while he waited for Toogata to respond.
“Okay!”
Izuku choked on air at the older boy’s sudden declaration.
“Okay? You’ll help me?”
Toogata smiled. “Yep! Let’s see what we have to work with first, so do you thing!”
Izuku grinned, relieved things were going as he wanted. He walked over to the corner of the gym, where he was less likely to be disturbed, and lay down. He could feel Toogata’s questioning eyes on him, but ignored it and Projected.
When Izuku was back in front of Toogata, he Manifested.
After practicing all weekend it came a lot quicker and easier, but it was still difficult to maintain his concentration. He no longer had to consciously think about drawing a connection between the two planes, but had to focus on every part of himself making that link.
Toogata’s eyes widened as Izuku appeared.
“Wow!” He exclaimed. “So you start out not here and then make yourself solid?”
Izuku nodded.
“Okay then, so that’s basically the opposite of my quirk!” He looked thoughtful. “That might be a bit more difficult. I have to think of what parts I want to go permeable, but you’ll have to think of the parts you don’t want to. How much effort goes into… what’d you say, manifesting, yourself like this?”
Izuku could see what he meant, on the surface he should be able to replicate Toogata’s style, but in actuality he would be doing something completely different. “Right now I have to really think about it, but it’s getting easier each time.”
Toogata nodded. “Alright. Let’s see how you hold up in a fight while just maintaining this form. Don’t worry, I’ll go easy on you!”
Izuku gulped, but was never one to back down from a challenge so he gave everything he had against his challenger.
After a few minutes of sparring, in which Toogata definitely went more than a little easy on him, Izuku had lost his control an annoying number of times. A few times it hadn’t affected the fight, but many of them ended in hits simply passing through his opponent.
“That's enough!” Toogata called for the end of the round. “I don’t think I can help you with what you want right now.”
Izuku’s face fell and he suddenly felt small. His face burning, he nodded. “Right, yeah, okay. Thanks for your time though, it means a lot.”
Toogata’s smile disappeared for the first time since Izuku met him. “What? Oh, no wait! I don’t mean that I’m done with you or anything, just that I can’t teach you to fight like me before you’re done learning to manifest yourself fully!”
Izuku looked at him with hope. He still had a chance, he just had to get better. He could do that.
“I’ll practice as hard as I can!” He vowed. “After the internships, I promise I’ll be ready!”
Toogata put a on hand on his hip and one against his chin in a thinking pose. “What if we didn’t wait that long? You think you could get it down sooner?”
Izuku didn’t know where he was going with this, but knew he’d do whatever it took to make this happen. “Yes! I can do it!”
“I’ll talk to Sir… he doesn’t usually take interns but if I asked he might make an exception. Don’t commit to any of your internship offers just yet, okay?”
Izuku blinked at him. Was he offering him an internship where he did his work studies? But that was with Sir… Sir Nighteye! As big of a hero and All Might fan he was, Izuku knew all about Sir Nighteye.
“You really want me to have my internship with you?” Izuku asked, needing to hear it clarified out loud, hardly daring to believe it.
Toogata laughed. “Why not? Like you said, it could be beneficial to both of us! You’ve got drive, intelligence, and plenty of spirit so I’m sure Sir will like you. Why waste this opportunity?”
Izuku thought he might cry. This was more, far more, than he’d even considered. Deep inside, a warmth blossomed at the unintentional validation of his new hero name. “Thank you.” He choked out. “That’s really kind of you, I promise I won’t let you down.”
“I don’t doubt it! But don’t thank me yet, I still have to get approval.”
That wasn’t what Izuku was thanking him for. Even if it didn’t pan out, the fact that Toogata had offered meant more than Izuku could explain. He resolved to spend every second he could practicing Self Manifestation and improving his hold over his form.
He’d make himself worthy of Toogata’s time and caring.
And when he was accepted as an intern at Sir Nighteye’s agency, Spirit knew he was on the right path to becoming the hero he’d dreamt of.
Notes:
I don't remember the exact order of these events in canon like how soon the hero names and internships were, so I'm just going with a timeline that makes sense to me. Hopefully I'm not too far off.
Chapter count keeps going up because I greatly underestimated how much I was going to write for each event and keep having to space them out more, whoops.
Chapter 4: Learning the Unimaginable
Summary:
This was my favorite chapter to write, and I was looking forward to it since I started. Enjoy... :)
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Izuku walked into the agency trying not to show how nervous he was. But this was a big deal, he was in a real actual hero agency and would be working with real actual heroes. Of course, he saw heroes everyday at UA, but this time they’d be doing actual Pro work, not teaching.
And Izuku was here when Nighteye didn’t even take interns, so he had to prove he wasn’t a mistake. Nerves caused his stomach to clench, but Izuku did his best to keep smiling.
He started to walk up to the reception desk, but before he could reach it Toogata appeared.
“Midoriya! Sir wants to see you, follow me!” He bounded forward, not realizing how intimidating his words were.
Izuku followed at a brisk pace, and soon they were outside of the door to Sir Nighteye’s office. Toogata smiled and clapped Izuku on the shoulder. “Good luck!”
“Wait, what?” Izuku called after him as he turned to leave. Toogata just waved cheekily and kept on going.
Even more nervous now, Izuku knocked on the door. He heard an answer, and stepped in with tense shoulders. The door closing behind him sounded ominous.
Sir Nighteye sat at his desk and inclined his head in greeting. Izuku inched closer and bowed. “Thank you for having me! I promise to do my best and learn as much as I can!”
Izuku straightened and was met with narrowed eyes. “There is certainly much you do have to learn.”
Izuku froze.
“Even if I did usually take interns, if it weren’t for Mirio I would not have picked you.”
The words felt like blows. Izuku couldn’t breathe. How had he already failed?
“Your actions in the Sports Festival were reckless and displayed a lack of concern for your own safety. I do not approve of such behaviour. Here at my agency we value critical thinking, we do not rush into things without a plan. That is the first thing you must learn.”
Izuku felt like a little kid getting scolded, and while part of him wanted to nod meekly and move on, another part of him was angry. His face was permanently scarred from his actions, did Nighteye think it meant nothing to him? He wasn’t wrong in saying Izuku had been reckless, but he didn’t have the right to act like he knew what had happened. He didn’t know Izuku.
“I disagree, Sir.” Izuku wanted to slap himself as Nighteye looked at him with an unreadable expression. What was he doing? “Everything I did was necessary to reach my goal. I wasn’t rushing in without a plan.” He struggled to keep his voice from sounding too defiant, and waited for Nighteye’s response.
“Is that so? To me it looked like you were injuring yourself only to prolong a fight you couldn’t win.”
Hearing his fight with Todoroki reduced to Nighteye’s interpretation made Izuku’s anger burn hotter. But he couldn’t get emotional, not here.
“It may have seemed that way, however my goal was to talk to Todoroki about something important, not to win. Once I’d done that I forfeited before I could get injured any further.”
Nighteye wanted a calm, clear, argument. Evidence. And Izuku would defend his and Todoroki’s match for the entire internship if that's what it took.
Nighteye seemed to be considering Izuku’s statement. “Good. During your time here we’ll work on less harmful tactics, as a hero will not last long if they don’t protect themselves. During the day I, along with a few of my sidekicks, will work with you on areas of heroics aside from combat. At this point you will not be going out into the field, we will focus on tactical and behind the scenes knowledge.
“After Mirio completes his duties for the day the two of you will work on your quirk. I will be available for assistance if needed. Understood?”
Izuku gaped at him. What was with the sudden shift in attitude? Nighteye suddenly seemed like he’d never had a problem with Izuku, and he’d planned all this out even if he didn’t really want him so what…
Izuku closed his mouth with a snap. That had been a test. Nighteye valued intelligence, not force, and was trying to see who Izuku was as well as how he would react to being antagonized. Izuku had no idea how to feel about it, partially relieved and partially stuck with the anger and nerves and sadness Nighteye had induced.
But Izuku had passed the test. He did have a place here. That’s what was important. “Uderstood, Sir.”
Nighteye’s lips twitched into what could almost be called a smile. “Just one more test.”
So he was confirming it! He must know that Izuku had figured it out. But another test, what could it be if he was telling him upright?
“Take this seal from me.” Nighteye held up a seal between two of his fingers.
Izuku looked at it closely. It sounded easy enough, but he knew it would be anything but. With a lunge Izuku reached for it, but Nighteye had already moved it away. And thus, the game began.
Nighteye kept the specifics of his quirk private, but Izuku knew he must be seeing into the future to avoid his movements. The only thing Izuku could do to possibly get ahead of him was to Project. He didn’t know if Nighteye had to see him to see his future, but if that was the case he could avoid it. Unless he’d already seen Izuku do that and it wouldn’t make any difference.
But it was the best option Izuku had, and he could show Nighteye his quirk. Knowing he couldn't just drop after Nighteye had chewed him out for hurting himself, Izuku quickly sat down before Projecting. Nighteye paused and looked surprised, the most emotional expression Izuku had seen on the man so far, and held the seal firmly in his grasp.
Izuku got closer and reached out for it, then realized he was being too obvious. Even if Nighteye couldn’t see him, he’d expect Izuku to try and grab it. Instead, Izuku walked so he was behind Nighteye and reached around to the seal instead.
Izuku considered reaching through Nighteye, but he wasn’t confident in keeping only a part of him manifested in a situation like this. He couldn’t risk messing up and losing the element of surprise.
Izuku wrapped his hand around the seal and Manifested.
Nighteye jerked away, but Izuku’s hand had already been in position and safely clutched the seal. He jumped away and showed it off, but kept his grip tight in case the challenge was still going and Nighteye tried to take it back.
The surprise on Nighteye’s face had grown to disbelief. He didn’t try to make for the seal, so Izuku thought he must have done it. He smiled.
“Got it! So did I pass?”
Nighteye blinked at him then nodded his head. “... Yes. Good job.”
Now that Izuku had proven himself and had gotten out some of his frustration with physical activity (you don't grow up with Kacchan and not pick up a few habits) he was feeling much better about the internship and his mentor. Nighteye’s test had been smart, and it wasn't that much different from the logical ruses Aizawa liked to use.
Izuku handed the seal back to Nighteye and let go of his manifestation. He watched curiously as Nighteye looked at the seal and then at Izuku’s body.
Izuku snapped back and held in a laugh as the hero flinched at Izuku's return, eyes rolling back into their proper place.
Nighteye helped him up and returned to his desk.
“We will discuss what happens to your body at a later point.” He started with what was a very concerning sentence without context. “For now, Mirio is next door and will show you to your room. Once you've dropped off your things, head to conference room B.”
“Yes Sir!” Izuku nodded excitedly, looking forward to actually starting the internship. “Should I stay in my uniform?”
“Unless told differently you may wear your own clothes, provided they are formal. If you haven't brought along proper attire your uniform will do fine.”
Got it. Izuku thanked Nighteye and went to find Toogata. He took in Izuku’s cheery expression and matched his enthusiasm.
“It went well?”
Izuku nodded. “Not at first… but then I realized it was a test and I think I was reacting in an okay way.”
Toogata winced. “Oh man, it’s tough when he gets harsh isn’t it? But trust me, you’ll love him when you get to know him! He’s a great guy once he warms up to you!”
Izuku smiled at Toogata’s obvious love for his mentor. And although Izuku was already willing to give Nighteye a chance, Toogata’s claims made him feel a lot more secure.
“I’m sure he likes you.” Toogata added.
Izuku shrugged. “I hope so. I mean, I passed his tests but he looked really surprised when I got the seal. I feel like he didn’t think I could do it, so I’m not really sure how to take that.”
Toogata stopped suddenly, and Izuku barely caught himself before crashing into him. Toogata turned to him with wide eyes and a slightly open mouth.
“Wait- You beat the test? Like, you actually took the seal from him?”
Toogata hadn’t expected him to do well either? That stung. Izuku knew they hadn’t known each other long, but so far nobody seemed to be taking him seriously and he didn’t like it.
“Yeah, I did.” His voice betrayed his hurt.
Toogata just stared at him. “You- no, Midoriya, you don’t get it. Nobody has ever done that before. The test is to see how you react and adapt as you keep missing. You’re intended to fail.”
Now it was Izuku’s turn to stare in disbelief. “I- What- What?”
That couldn’t be right. But now that Toogata had said it, the test made a bit more sense. After that whole first test about Izuku’s behaviour and seeing his ability to face antagonization, a test of purely physical talent didn’t fit. But a test of reacting to failure, that seemed more Sir Nighteye’s style.
But Izuku had won. He let out a giddy laugh. If he hadn’t made a good impression before, he wondered what Nighteye thought of him now.
Toogata joined his laughter, and put an arm around Izuku’s shoulder. “Come on, let me show you the rooms. You’ll have to tell me all about what happened later.”
Izuku’s wonder at the test soon gave way to curiosity about where he’d be staying. Toogata led him to a floor containing a kitchen, bathrooms, a small common area, and bedrooms.
“This is where members of the agency can stay if they’re working late, need a break, or have to be here early in the morning. Sir prioritizes efficiency, which means everyone here should be well rested and cared for. As of now we’re the only two here, but you may see others during your stay.” Toogata explained.
Izuku looked around in awe. That was a really smart idea! It made so much sense for there to be a provided space to help the heroes and other members stay in top shape. And if there was a really serious case going on that required a lot of effort and they felt like they couldn’t abandon their post to go home, staying at the agency was a great option!
“That’s right!” Toogata chuckled, and Izuku realized he’d been muttering. “Now this is my room. I don’t always stay here, but since I’m going to be working with you it just seems easier doesn’t it?”
“Toogata! You don’t have to do that for me, you’ve already done so much so please just do what you normally do!” Izuku panicked.
“Hey, I’m the one that invited you here. As long as you take this seriously, I’m happy to spend time working with you!”
Izuku felt overwhelmed. “Thanks Toogata. You’re a really great guy.”
Toogata’s smile widened. “Aw, thanks Midoriya! And call me Mirio.”
“What? Are you sure?”
“Yeah! Everyone else does. It’s honestly a bit weird hearing my last name around here, it’s usually Mirio or Lemillion.”
Izuku nodded. “Okay. Oh, right, Lemillion is your hero name!”
“Yep! It represents how many people I’m going to save! What about you Midoriya, you must have chosen your name by now, right?”
Izuku glanced at the floor. Now that he was in an internship, his hero name was going to be put out there for real. It was a bit intimidating.
“My name’s Spirit.” He declared.
Mirio’s eyes twinkled. “That’s a great name, it totally suits you! I’m looking forward to seeing what you can do!”
Yeah. Izuku was too.
------
Izuku was meeting so many cool people and learning so much, he really owed Mirio for the opportunity. He’d met Nighteye’s sidekicks Bubble Girl and Centipeder, who were really nice and helpful, and didn’t seem too weirded out by his fanboying.
The day’s lessons were about planning patrols and judging the best combinations or tactics for different tasks. As someone who grew up analyzing hero fights and quirks, Izuku quickly excelled in creating match ups while he learned about different routes and ways to gather information.
Izuku was enjoying himself immensely, and was looking forward to learning as much as he could while he was here, but he was also on the edge of his seat waiting for the time he and Mirio could go practice with his quirk. That was the main goal after all.
Once Izuku had time to think for himself he started replaying his time in Nighteye’s office, and came upon a detail he’d missed with all his nerves. A very very important detail.
“WAIT YOU HAVE THE SUPER RARE LIMITED EDITION ALL MIGHT POSTER?” He yelped when he realized. The meetings for the day were over and Nighteye was just about to leave, but now he turned his full focus on Izuku.
From there, the two found themselves in a deep conversation about All Might including heroics, merch, and Izuku’s impressions of his teaching. It was only after they had eaten dinner than Izuku remembered what he was supposed to be doing, and they put a pin in the conversation to continue at a later time. Then Izuku and Mirio made their way to the agency’s training center.
“It seems like you and Sir are getting along!” MIrio exclaimed happily.
Izuku grinned, an extra bounce in his step. “Yeah! I think we understand each other better now, and we both love All Might so we have something in common!”
Mirio laughed. “All Might isn’t the only thing the two of you have in common, I heard about your skill in the lessons today. He’s impressed with you. And that’s not even mentioning the whole beating the unbeatable test thing!”
Izuku flushed, cheeks burning. “It’s not that big of a deal…” He argued weakly. “You really think so?”
“Of course! He’s probably beating himself up over the fact that he didn’t get to you himself. I’m expecting a thank you gift anytime now.” Mirio joked.
But when they reached the gym, it was time to be serious. “I’ve improved a lot!” Izuku announced proudly. “I can hold my manifestation while fighting now.”
“Wow, already? Let’s see it then!”
Izuku left his body in a corner and Projected. Projecting had always been the easiest part of his quirk to control, but now that he was doing it so often it was as natural as taking a step. Manifestation was getting easier too, and he thought that with more practice he’d get it down no problem. It was a bit annoying actually, knowing that this whole time he’d just needed to practice. But he couldn’t fault his mom for worrying, and it’s not like ever gave it any extra thought himself.
Izuku manifested in front of Mirio, ready for a fight. This time, he didn’t slip up, and after a few minutes of sparring Mirio gestured for them to stop.
“Okay, I think you’re ready to go further!” Izuku straightened up and listened attentively. “Now, let me just try and explain how I use my quirk first, okay? The way I use it so effectively is because it’s just a natural reflex after years of training. Just like you would flinch or duck when a punch comes your way, I make the target area permeable. You’ll need to practice a lot until it becomes second nature, because in a fight you can’t waste concentration when you could be figuring out how to win.”
Izuku wished he had his notebook, but for now he just had to do his best to remember everything Mirio was saying to write down later.
“The difference between us is that I have to apply my quirk to the areas I want to make permeable, where you will have to apply your manifestation everywhere except the target area. It’s good you’ve improved with holding your form, because I think for this to work well you’ll need to be able to hold it unconsciously.”
Mirio had clearly put a lot of thought into this, Izuku was moved. He hadn’t expected the older boy to do so much for him, and every time they interacted Izuku was reminded of how good he was. Lemillion was going to be the best hero. (Don’t tell Kacchan.)
“Try letting go of your manifestation in your arm but not your hand.” Mirio ordered.
And training really started.
During the day Izuku learned about all sorts of different sides to heroics from Nighteye and the others. In the evenings Izuku learned to spread out which areas of himself he manifested and to make the change quicker, how to use it in defense and offense, and to improve his reaction time. It was tiring, but every day Izuku got better, stronger.
Nighteye offered some tips in maintaining concentration, as well as helping Mirio with some of his explanations. He was almost as great a resource as Mirio himself, considering he had been one of the people to train him in the first place.
Izuku felt like he was really on his way to being a hero. He was capable of being Spirit, it wasn’t just a name. Things were going great, and he knew he was making his dad proud. He was making himself proud.
So Izuku was wholly unprepared for his world to turn upside down.
------
Izuku sat at a table with Sir Nighteye and Mirio, as well as a couple sidekicks, watching the new reports from Hosu city. Nighteye was using this opportunity to teach Izuku about responding to large scale attacks and predicting the fallout, what needed to be done.
“I’m sending out extra patrols tonight, and will continue to do so in the days to come. Why?”
Izuku thought for a second. “To make people feel safe.”
NIghteye inclined his head. “Correct. Though our jurisdiction is not directly affected by the current attacks, citizens will be rattled. A show of strength will keep tensions from rising, and will lower the risk of panic or violence.”
Right. Heroes didn’t just stop villains, they tried to prevent incidents from occurring in the first place. Like how All Might being the Symbol of Peace brought the crime rate down.
But Izuku couldn’t help but wish they could do something against the actual threat. There were Nomu and fires and panic in Hosu, and Izuku's mind was filled with frightened people waiting for a hero to save them.
But that wasn't his place. Here at Nighteye's agency, Izuku was ensuring that he would be prepared to handle these types of situations in the future. He'd be ready, and he'd save everyone. For now, he put his all into taking notes and answering Nighteye's queries.
The meeting progressed as they watched the terror unfold, plenty of heroes joining the fight. The Nomu’s suggested that the League of Villains were to blame, and Izuku wondered how Shirakumo was doing. But that thought was too distracting and painful, so Izuku shoved it aside. And then-
“Did they just say Hero Killer?” Bubble Girl brought their attention to the reporter on screen.
“-headed this way. There’s Endeavor now, Endeavor!”
The reporter jogged towards the flame hero, the video shaking as the cameraman followed. Endeavor was walking with a group of police officers, and between them was the injured and unconscious figure of the Hero Killer: Stain. Endeavor brushed the media’s questions about the villain and his involvement in the League's attacks aside, but something about his behaviour seemed off to Izuku. Then the reporter touched an earpiece and thrust the microphone forward.
“Endeavor! Is it true there are casualties from the fight against Stain?”
The atmosphere in the room tensed, all whispered chatter ceasing. Endeavor glared at the reporter, but the usual anger in his eyes was overshadowed by something else.
“Information will be released by the police. Move aside.”
The air felt colder. That was as good as a confirmation. Of course with such devastation there were bound to be casualties, but it felt different hearing it like this. Knowing that it was from Stain, one man instead of the monstrous Nomus.
The escort continued moving, and the camera shifted to show a new figure.
Izuku gasped. “Todoroki…” He breathed out in horror. His friend was shakily walking behind Endeavor with his eyes trained on the ground, so close he seemed like he was hiding, and he was covered in blood.
“Shouto, what can you add to your father’s statement?” The reporter pressed.
Todoroki looked at the camera with wide, unfocused eyes. Endeavor turned back and grabbed the microphone, then crushed it in his grip before tossing it aside.
“Leave my son alone!” He roared.
The reporter wisely backed off, and returned to commentating what they knew.
Izuku was horrified. He’d never seen Todoroki look like that before. Endeavor was almost acting protective, and Todoroki was accepting his help- hell, it looked like Endeavor was the only thing keeping him going. And knowing how Todoroki felt about his father, that scared Izuku.
The volume in the room rose as everyone started speculating, but it washed over Izuku. What had happened to Todoroki? Who was the casualty, or who were the casualties, as it seemed implied that there were more than one. Was Todoroki okay, was that all his blood? And what of the other people Izuku knew in the Hosu area, were they okay?
Suddenly, it wasn’t faceless civilians crying out in fear. This wasn’t an exercise. There were real people out there, some of whom Izuku cared for. And he couldn’t do anything to help.
Izuku jumped at the weight of Nighteye’s hand as he clasped Izuku’s shoulder. Izuku didn’t know if he’d said any of that aloud or if it just showed on his face, but the hero looked concerned.
“Mirio.” He said, eyes not leaving Izuku’s. “We’ve done enough here for today. Take Midoriya to train with his quirk.”
“Yes Sir.”
Izuku wanted to protest, but was honestly relieved to leave the room. He followed Mirio to the training room and tried to give a good fight, but was so off kilter that his form kept flickering.
Like Shirakumo. His brain whispered.
Was he watching the destruction? Did he feel as helpless as Izuku did?
Despite not doing well at all, Izuku didn’t let up or slow down until Nighteye appeared a little less than a half hour later.
“Midoriya.” He called. Izuku couldn’t identify his tone, but it did nothing to ease his worry. “Come with me please.”
Though he didn’t know what was going on any better than Izuku did, Mirio gave him a sympathetic look and waved goodbye. Izuku returned to his body and followed Nighteye to an empty planning room, one of the more casual ones. Nighteye sat on a couch and gestured for Izuku to sit beside him. There were two fresh cups of tea on the table, evidently Nighteye had set this up before collecting Izuku.
Izuku took a small sip, and while the taste was soothing it did little to calm him down.
“Midoriya.” Nighteye started again, and Izuku just knew whatever he said next would be bad. “I’ve received the identities of Stain’s victims.”
Izuku’s heart dropped. There was no reason for Nighteye to take him aside for this unless there was a personal connection.
“There were two losses by the time Endeavor arrived on scene. One was the hero Native.” Nighteye paused to steel himself, and Izuku’s dread worsened.
“I’m sorry Midoriya. The other was your classmate Iida Tenya.”
Nighteye was already reaching for the cup when Izuku dropped it.
Iida. The Hero Killer. Izuku couldn’t breathe. After Hisashi passed Izuku thought he knew what grief was, but now he was suffocating with it. Because as lively and involved Izuku’s dad had seemed to him, he hadn’t truly been alive. But Iida…
He had a future. He had goals and dreams and was warm to the touch. He was strong and gave great hugs and Izuku had accidentally burned himself by brushing against his engine one time after training. He was the class representative and kept them all in line. He had a family who loved him and the name Ingenium to carry on.
But not anymore.
He would never grow up and achieve his goals. Izuku would would never be able to say sorry.
Because Izuku had known Iida was hurting, that he wasn’t taking his brother’s attack well, but he hadn’t known how to help. He’d reached out a few times but was met with resistance to any attempts at pushing deeper. He’d hoped that taking his internship and becoming Ingenium would help Iida, and had ignored all the dangerous signs.
Iida had tried to fight the Hero Killer, and now he was dead. And Izuku should have known, should have done something, anything, to help him, to stop him before it was too late.
Some friend he was. Some hero he was.
Izuku’s vision was going spotty from the lack of oxygen, but he still couldn’t draw in any air. Instead, his body kept heaving out empty breaths, convulsing with dry sobs. Distantly he thought he could hear Nighteye’s voice, but it was drowned out by the ringing in his ears.
Iida was dead. Izuku had abandoned him and he had died, alone and in pain.
Even when he was worrying earlier, Iida had only been a passing thought. Izuku had been so caught up on Todoroki-
Oh god. Izuku brought a hand to his mouth, the other digging pits in his arm with his nails. Todoroki. He and Endeavor had taken down the Hero Killer, he must have found Iida. No wonder he looked so broken.
In an attempt to escape his overwhelming hysteria, Izuku Projected.
He curled up on the arm of the couch and watched as Sir Nighteye cradled his vacant body, frantically calling his name.
Had Todoroki held Iida’s body like that? Had he called out for him? Had Iida still been alive? Izuku could picture it so vividly, Todoroki dropping to Iida’s side, trying to stop the bleeding from his wounds, (because oh god, that was Iida’s blood wasn’t it,) having to watch as the life left his body. Or had it already been too late? Todoroki would have tried to save him anyway, would have held his body and yelled for Iida knowing he was gone.
Was he wondering when it happened? How late he had been? Was he thinking, ‘if I had just been a little quicker’?
Izuku didn’t blame Todoroki. He blamed himself. He should have known. He should have been there, regardless of his own internship, because his friend was suffering and needed him.
Mirio was in the room now, though Izuku hadn’t seen him come in, and he and Nighteye were holding Izuku’s body in a protective, comforting hold. They were speaking to him with words he couldn’t understand in gentle voices, but Izuku could tell they were panicking.
Was Iida panicked when he was dying? Was he sad, or angry, or simply in pain?
Izuku couldn’t do this, couldn’t be here anymore. He had to move, to get away. He jumped off the couch and made his way through the building and out the exit, then started walking. He had a vague notion of getting to Hosu, but of course he’d only gone a few blocks when he reached his limit. Izuku ignored the tugging and struggled forward. But the tugging was more like yanking now, like there was a hook in his chest digging into him sharply with every step he took. His form was hazy, like it was barely there, and a blinding pain exploded behind his eyes. He felt his body twitch back on the couch.
Izuku sunk to the ground and watched as people went about their lives as normal. He pressed his hands against his temple to try and counteract the pain, but he was so incorporeal that he could barely feel the weight.
What was he doing? Even if he could get to Hosu, it was too late. There was nothing he could do but snap back to his body and accept it.
When Izuku’s eyes rolled back in place he was met with worried faces.
“Midoriya! There you are!” Mirio exclaimed, more subdued than usual.
“Midoriya. Are you alright?” Nighteye asked.
Izuku had thought they would have gone by now, his adventure outside hadn’t been quick. But they were still sitting with him on the couch, holding him safely between them.
And blessedly, the tears finally came. Izuku took deep gulping breaths and sobbed. He pressed his forehead against Nigtheye’s chest and curled his hands around the fabric of his shirt. Nighteye rested a hand on Izuku’s head and gently combed through his hair, while Mirio wrapped him in a big hug. The three of them sat like that, no speaking, no prying, and eventually Izuku’s breathing finally steadied with hiccups as the only disruption.
They didn’t ask him if he was okay again. They just sat there until the windows revealed the rising of the sun.
------
Izuku couldn’t sleep. He was exhausted, don’t get him wrong, but no matter how tired his body was his mind kept racing. And every time he stopped moving, gave himself time to think, his mind would come up with different images of Iida’s death.
Izuku hadn’t slept since he’d heard the news, which was just past 48 hours ago. He knew he couldn’t keep going like this, but couldn’t see any alternative.
In the days following the news, Izuku had thrown himself into his training. He hadn’t been there to save Iida, but he’d make sure nothing like that ever happened again. He would be there next time, and no matter what the situation was he would save everyone. He’d be strong enough.
And despite his exhaustion, Izuku was improving. He was getting better at fighting using changes to his manifestation offensively, though he wasn’t able to use it defensively like Mirio yet. That was what would take practice to turn into reflex, and it wasn’t all that attainable in his current state.
Izuku was also faltering in his more academic lessons with Nighteye. Thankfully the man was willing to go a bit easy on him, but Izuku felt terrible about it. He had to use every resource at his disposal to improve as a hero, and he was wasting it. And what’s worse, he was letting Nighteye down.
Izuku felt a lot closer to the hero, and to Mirio, after the night on the couch, which meant he now wanted to make them proud and show his gratitude. But the harder he tried the slower he got and that just made him spiral more.
Izuku lay in bed desperately begging the universe to grant him just a few hours of rest. Then he could get right back at it. But as Izuku had learned before, he had no idea how to deal with death or grief. And it was too much for him.
He couldn’t talk to Nighteye or Mirio because he didn’t want them to worry even more, he wanted to show them he was better than he’d first been. He didn’t want to worry his mom and Kacchan wasn’t really the best option when it came to dealing with emotions. Izuku really wanted to talk to Uraraka, who had helped him so much when his father passed, but she was grieving too now. She had been Iida’s friend too, and Izuku couldn’t burden her with his feelings when she was dealing with it herself.
Then Izuku thought of another person who was likely dealing with a lot. Todoroki. He was probably feeling worse than any of them and he wouldn’t have anyone to talk to either. Just his father, (as if,) and siblings he hardly knew.
Before Izuku knew what he was doing his phone was already ringing. He didn’t even have time to panic before Todoroki’s face appeared on his screen.
“Midoriya?” He asked with concern.
“T-Todoroki! I’m sorry I shouldn’t have called, it's pretty late.”
“That’s alright, I can’t sleep anyway.” Todoroki didn’t seem upset, more relieved.
“Right, right, me neither. I uh, I wanted to see how you were doing.”
There was a pause on the other end. Was Izuku overstepping? He and Todoroki had only become friends recently, and with all that was going on maybe Todoroki just wanted to be left alone but Izuku was prying and now Todoroki wouldn't want to talk to him again and Izuku was making things worse instead of helping-
“Midoriya.” Todoroki’s calm voice jolted Izuku from his spiral. “I’m glad you called me. It’s… It’s been hard. Being on my own.”
Izuku’s embarrassment at having rambled aloud was overtaken with concern for his friend. Poor Todoroki. But his honesty was admirable, Izuku hadn’t been able to voice his own troubles yet. Todoroki’s room was too dark to properly see his expression, and Izuku was kind of glad for that. He didn’t know if he could handle seeing Todoroki upset.
“I meant to talk to you sooner, but…” Izuku didn’t even know how to explain himself. “I don’t know. It’s been a lot and I can’t even think straight anymore and it's just- ugh. But I was worried about you.”
“Midoriya, when was the last time you slept?”
He didn’t think his eyebags were that noticeable, did he really sound that tired? Or maybe he just seemed loopy. “I haven’t.” He admitted. “Not since…”
Todoroki easily filled in the rest. “I understand. I haven’t really either. Every time I try and close my eyes-” He cut himself off as his voice filled with more raw emotion than Izuku had heard from him before. “It’s good to hear from you.” He said again instead.
And it was. Izuku hadn’t realized how badly he’d needed to just talk to someone, someone who understood. Or maybe he’d just needed to talk to Todoroki. Because he had been worried about him, he really had been, and half the tangents his imagination went on involved Todoroki dying right alongside Iida.
“Yeah.” Izuku agreed. “It’s good to hear from you too.”
Part of Izuku wanted to ask, needed to know what had happened. What Todoroki had seen. But not yet.
Right now all he wanted was to talk to his friend and be grateful he was alive. Izuku didn’t know how long they stayed on the call together, but eventually, listening to Todoroki’s voice, Izuku finally drifted off to sleep.
------
When Izuku woke up he was still tired, but in a ‘just five more minutes’ kind of way, not the bone deep exhaustion of before. He blearily reached for his phone, which had fallen off the bed during the night, to check the time.
But the phone was dead, so he plugged it in and decided to close his eyes just until it had enough power to turn on. He fell asleep before it could.
When he woke up the second time, he bolted out of bed as soon as he checked his phone. It was one pm. Why hadn’t anyone woken him? He was so late for so many things!
Izuku was just reaching for his clothes when he saw the paper laying on the floor, looking like it had been slid under his door. He picked it up tentatively.
Midoriya,
Rest is an important factor in heroics. An unrested hero makes mistakes. A smart hero takes what rest he can get and ensures he’s at his best, ready to go, at all times. This is your lesson for the day.
Take as much time as you need.
- Sir Nighteye, SM.
Izuku clutched the note tightly and took a few deep breaths. Nighteye was right of course, Izuku felt immensely better now that he had slept. Not just physically, but mentally as well.
Though maybe that second part had something to do with talking to Todoroki as well.
Speaking of, Izuku didn’t even remember how the call ended. He opened his phone to their chat, and saw that Todoroki had left him a few messages.
Todoroki Shouto - 3:37 a.m.
You seem truly asleep so I'm hanging up
Call me back if you wake up
Sleep well
Izuku’s face burned. He’d fallen asleep while they were talking??
Midoriya Izuku - 1:26 p.m.
aaaah todoroki im so sorry I didnt mean to fall asleep on you!!
Todoroki Shouto - 1:26 p.m.
It’s alright Midoriya
I’m glad you got some sleep
Izuku was a bit caught off guard by how quickly Todoroki responded, but was also happy to be able to talk to him again. He sat back on his bed. Nighteye said to take time, so Izuku was going to use it.
Midoriya Izuku - 1:27 p.m.
thanks haha
what about you did you sleep??
Todoroki Shouto - 1:27 p.m.
Yes, shortly after I ended the call
I think talking to you helped
Izuku forced himself to remain calm and respond normally.
Midoriya Izuku - 1:28 p.m.
I’m glad!
same here yk
thanks for talking with me for so long even tho it was late
Shouto Todoroki - 1:29 p.m.
Of course
Maybe
We could call again later?
Midoriya Izuku - 1:29 p.m.
Yeah!
That would be great
Shouto Todoroki - 1:30 p.m.
Okay
And Midoriya, what is ‘yk’?
Texting Todoroki was nice. Even if he wrote with correct spellings and grammar and didn’t know abbreviations. Izuku didn’t imagine he had much experience, but he would change that!
It was only when Todoroki wrote that Endeavor was growing impatient that Izuku realized how long they’d been talking. He quickly said goodbye and got dressed, then went out to the kitchen area hoping to find something to eat.
Izuku had eaten little more than he’d slept the past few days, but now his stomach felt like a yawning empty void. In the fridge waiting for him was a parcel with his name on it.
Izuku’s eyes prickled as he unwrapped the ready made meal. There was no doubt Mirio had done this. He really owed him and Nighteye for everything. Especially considering how out of it Izuku had been.
It wasn’t like everything was miraculously better, Izuku’s emotions were still frayed and his mind in turmoil, but the knowledge that he had Todoroki to talk to eased the burden. It was like how yelling at Todoroki during the sports festival had made Izuku truly accept his father’s words. Wanting Todoroki to talk and take care of himself pushed Izuku to do the same.
He finished eating quickly and left the residential section of the building, and made his way to Nighteye’s office. He ran into Bubble Girl on the way, who immediately started chatting with him and walked him over. And for the first time in days, Izuku could listen without picturing her lying dead in an alley.
------
“Todoroki!” Izuku shouted in greeting and waved as he jogged to meet his friend.
Todoroki smiled and straightened from where he was leaning against the wall. “Midoriya. It’s good to see you.”
The two of them had gotten a lot closer during the remainder of the internships, calling each other every night and occasionally in the mornings or breaks as well.
They spoke about everything, no topic was too personal or off limits. After all, Izuku already knew about Todoroki’s family situation and it was nice to talk with no need to hold back. At times the conversations turned to Iida and what Todoroki had experienced in Hosu, how Izuku had reacted, and how they were coping. But once they voiced those things it felt lighter, less oppressive. Izuku could say with certainty that he knew Todoroki better than anyone, and that was a privilege he cherished. In turn, Todoroki knew more about Izuku than his other friends, as he and Kacchan didn’t really have deep talks and it didn’t feel right to be so deeply personal with Uraraka. Maybe one day he would be that close to her, but for now he felt safe and comfortable being open in Todoroki’s presence. There was a trust between them.
Even though he felt better, Izuku continued to push himself past his limits in training and often stayed up far too late talking to Todoroki instead of resting his tired and beaten body. Because all he could do was try and get better, stronger, so he could be at his best whenever the time came that he was needed. Nighteye and Mirio were still concerned for him and tried to get him to slow down, but gave it up as a lost cause and helped as best they could as long as he got enough sleep and food.
Todoroki had been too shaken to go out in the field again, but continued his training with Endeavor. Izuku hadn’t liked the thought of his friend being back in that position while he was still suffering, but Todoroki assured him that Endeavor had been uncharacteristically understanding.
Izuku had also learned why Todoroki always managed to respond within seconds of Izuku messaging him. It had come up in one of their late night confessions, that Todoroki had switched all his notifications to their loudest setting and would drop everything to check them. Iida had been alone, but Todoroki kept thinking that if only he had reached out he could have gotten there in time. Now he was prepared in case anyone else was ever in need of help.
That had led Izuku to an idea to ease his and Todoroki’s anxiety about others getting into trouble. They shared their locations with each other through their phones and were able to check it at any time, which made both of them feel significantly better. Now that they were going back to school they were going to propose the idea to the rest of their classmates, and while Izuku knew not everyone would be on board he hoped at least some of them would be.
He and Todoroki had talked about how they felt about going back to school while they were getting ready this morning, and both of them were simultaneously relieved to be back in the familiar environment with their teachers and classmates, but also dreading returning without their class president. Todoroki was especially wary, not wanting to be asked about Hosu or to be looked at with pitying or accusing eyes. Izuku swore to stick by him and fight off anyone who made him uncomfortable.
They had decided to walk in together, which was why Todoroki was waiting outside for Izuku’s arrival. They chatted a bit as they walked, but the energy was subdued. It took both of them to get the classroom door open.
And then Izuku’s body was crumpling and he didn’t even pause to register Todoroki’s strong arms catching him as he Projected himself forward with a sob. All else faded as Izuku latched on to the ghost of Iida Tenya.
Notes:
Teehee angst. But also Tododeku! This really is my favorite chapter.
Thank you for all the comments and support, I may not always reply but it means a lot and encourages me to keep writing as much as I can! See you next time!
Chapter Text
The rules in the spirit world were weird. Izuku’s tears felt hot against his cheeks, yet as he clutched Iida close with a vice-like grip he felt no warmth. Neither of them had heartbeats.
But Iida was solid and his arms were around Izuku’s and he was there . Izuku buried his face in Iida’s chest and tried to get himself under control, but there were so many emotions washing over him that he just tightened his grip.
Izuku hadn’t cried since the night on the couch. Crying was second nature to him, it was how he dealt with practically all emotions. But what he’d felt had been too much, too oppressive, and tears were too little of a consolation. But now, as everything from the past week came to head against Iida’s presence, Izuku cried.
Iida looked just as shocked and grateful for Izuku's appearance, and held him with just as much strength. He would have been alone, and that thought made Izuku fist his hands in Iida’s uniform as if to keep him from disappearing, to reassure them both that they were there.
“Midoriya.” Iida finally spoke, but looked uncertain about what to say. Izuku didn’t let him go, but loosened his hold enough that they could actually look at each other.
Iida looked normal. He was wearing his school uniform and there were no signs of any injuries. Izuku knew that ghosts didn’t always take the exact form they’d died in. They normally looked as they saw themselves, taking shape in the best representation of who they were. But they couldn’t exactly choose that, and couldn’t change their appearance at will. Hisashi had tried.
“Iida.” Izuku replied with a wobbly voice. But what did he say? Should he say sorry or was that weird? People said ‘sorry for your loss’ when you knew someone who died, but Iida was the one who died so did it apply? ‘Sorry you died’ seemed a bit ingenuine.
“I- I’m sorry.”
But it wasn’t Izuku saying it.
“What?” He blinked at Iida like it would make things clearer.
Iida shifted on his feet, a guilty and ashamed look on his face. “I acted rashly and selfishly and entirely unbecoming of a hero. You and all our classmates had so much faith in me, but I threw it all away in desperation for revenge. I’m not worth your tears, Midoriya.”
He tried to pull away, but Izuku held fast. “Iida.” He said in angry disbelief. "You're our friend and you were hurting and you died for it. If I’m going to be mad at you it’s for thinking you can tell me how to feel.”
Iida wouldn’t meet his eyes and you know what? Thinking of all those sleepless nights and hazy days, Izuku was mad.
“What did you think we were going to feel?” He asked with a rising voice. “You died and we just had to go on? Like it was okay? Well it’s not okay Iida! And yeah, you acted stupidly! We were there for you, we were trying to reach you and all you had to do was take our hand!” This was getting less about the class and more about Izuku himself. “Screw being a hero, you’re my friend! I would have been there with you, I would have helped you, so why? Why didn’t you let me?”
Izuku’s chest heaved with breaths he wasn’t actually taking. Iida wasn’t responding, so Izuku let him go to push him instead.
Iida caught Izuku’s hands the second time. “I was blinded.” He stepped back. “I’m sorry.”
“And I’m sorry I wasn’t there anyways.” Izuku whispered and pulled Iida back for another hug. “How are you handling being a ghost? It must have been hard on your own.”
Now that he’d gotten the bubbling emotions off his chest, Izuku felt better, and could talk things through more clearly.
“I… I don’t know actually. Before you showed up it’s all kind of… foggy? I remember… dying… and I must have gotten here at some point, but I don’t know how.” Iida shook his head in frustration. “I’ve even changed into my UA uniform, how’d that happen?”
This, Izuku could explain. He told Iida about ghosts and how they’re drawn to important places or people, about their self representation and needs. “When my dad died he appeared at my mom’s side. He’d been overseas my whole life, so I think when he died without being a part of his family he made up for it in death. You said you felt unheroic? Maybe what you wanted was to keep learning to be better.”
Iida stared at him. “Yes, that sounds right! I was very confused and lost in my anger, but here at UA I know the order and the potential for growth! It makes sense that I would appear here!”
Then his shoulders slumped. “But I am no longer a hero student. I wasted the lessons all our teachers have given me and I’ve died in shame. Native… I didn’t even think of saving him.”
Izuku’s mind was reeling, a half formed plan rising to the front.
“Then improve.” He ordered firmly. “Take every new lesson to heart and move forward. You feel bad, then make up for it!”
Iida gave him an incredulous look. “Midoriya I would like nothing better than to learn from my mistakes and make amends, but my time is up. It’s too late.”
Izuku shook his head fiercely. “It’s not! Because I am here!”
Iida’s eyes widened with understanding.
“You will be a hero, Iida! I couldn’t save you in Hosu but I can save you now, I won’t let your fight with Stain be your final act!” Ideas were flying through Izuku’s head at dizzying speeds. “You’ll stay here with us, I’ll talk to Mr. Aizawa and Principal Nezu. I’m not sure if you can legally graduate but you can still learn with us! And we can be hero partners, with your speed you can scout ahead and report back easily, being a ghost does have its advantages, and, and! I’ve been improving my fighting style while Projected so I’m already leaving my body unattended, you can take it over for me and we can fight side by side!”
Izuku was bouncing with excitement, a welcome feeling made all the more potent by contrast to the darkness that had been stifling him for days.
Iida took a few seconds to catch up. “You- But- You’d truly do that for me?” He asked haltingly. “After what I’ve done? You think… you really think I can still be a hero?”
Izuku nodded and smiled, with no room for arguments. “You want to make amends? Then be the best hero you can be. Be Ingenium, and save people.” The message was almost through. “Start with me. Start with letting me help you this time.”
Because Izuku had mistakes to make up for too. He was not letting Iida go again.
And when Iida agreed, the hole in Izuku’s heart that had been growing since his death began to patch itself back up.
With all that out of the way, Izuku started to remember exactly where they were. “Oh my god, okay, we need to talk to Mr. Aizawa and everyone and they’re going to be so glad to see you Iida, do not start spouting that self deprecating drivel again please-”
“Midoriya, I think they’re more worried about you right now.”
Izuku looked out at the class in confusion, and became suitably abashed after taking in the commotion. Izuku’s body was lying on the floor, his eyes rolled back in the telltale sign of Projection, which was likely the only reason they hadn’t taken him to Recovery Girl. His head was pillowed on Todoroki’s lap, which brought a blush to Izuku’s cheeks, and the rest of the class was crowded around him. Izuku felt bad about worrying them, but felt most awful when he took in Todoroki’s expression. They’d come to class together because they were going to support each other, and Izuku had just left him the second they got there with no explanation.
He quickled Self Manifested. “Uh, hey guys! Sorry about that, I’m okay!”
There were a few screams and Izuku realized belatedly that not everyone in the class knew about his new talent.
“Midoriya.” Todoroki sounded relieved.
“What the fuck Deku?” Bakugou yelled angrily, and Izuku flashed back to the first time he’d Projected with him.
The rest of the class chimed in with various ways of saying ‘what’s going on are you okay what the hell.’
Izuku looked to his side and sent Iida a question with his eyes. ‘Ready?’
Iida straightened with tense shoulders and nodded. And through their still clasped hands, Izuku Manifested.
The noise in the room went up an exponential amount. More screams, yelling, sobbing, the whole class one by one attached themselves to Iida until they had formed an insanely large group hug. It was a fight to keep hold of Iida in the chaos, but Izuku dug in his nails and refused to let go. He was quickly swarmed with his classmates, but through gaps he caught a glimpse of Todoroki’s pale, shocked face as he remained in the corner of the room with Izuku’s body.
——
It took a while for Aizawa to get the class back in some semblance of order. Iida had tried to help, but his signature arm chops had just resulted in another wave of hysteria. Izuku pretended not to see Aizawa wiping his eyes under the cover of his hair.
But eventually his peers backed up enough to give them some space, and quieted enough for them to talk. Some were still crying, like Uraraka, Hagakure, Kirishima, Kaminari, Ashido, and Aoyama, but had latched onto their friends for support.
Izuku had a hard time following the next few minutes, still reeling from this development and the strain of manifesting both himself and Iida. He’d never tried Dual Manifestation before, but if they were to carry out his plan he’d likely have to get used to it. They proposed the idea of keeping Iida in their class, and the students immediately yelled their support. Izuku could see Aizawa wanted to talk it through, but was more drawn to the corner where Todoroki still sat.
“Mr. Aizawa?” The yelling died down as he spoke. “Could, um, Iida and Todoroki step outside for a moment while we think this through?”
Aizawa glanced at Todoroki and sighed knowingly. “Alright. Iida, Todoroki, go talk. Midoriya, I’ll inform the principal, we can discuss this and bring him a plan later. As for the rest of you-” The class stiffened. “Just… don’t be too loud. If any of you need to see Hound Dog - which I recommend - You may go register with him now or wait until lunch or after school.”
The class nodded and took their seats, though most moved their chairs to be closer together. Izuku led Iida over to Todoroki and his body. Todoroki blanched when Iida drew closer, eyes wide.
Izuku wanted to apologize, but knew he could do that later. Right now, Todoroki needed to talk to Iida.
“Iida, um, you possess my body so you can go talk to Todoroki while I stay here.” He instructed.
Iida started. “...Possess your body?”
Izuku gestured to where it lay. “It’s empty right now, so you can just, like, take over. I trust you won't do any harm to it, and we’ll have to get used to it if we’re going to pull the partner thing off.”
Iida grew determined. “Right! But, how do I do it?”
Izuku thought for a moment. It really was a bit difficult to explain. “It’s like, there’s a door you can’t see and since I’m projected the door is open. You can just step through, but you’ve got to find it with your mind and instead of physically stepping you have to make a connection.” Iida looked at him blankly. “I don’t know how to explain it! It’s not like I’m the one who’s done possession before, just try it!”
To make it easier for Iida to focus, Izuku let him go. There were a few gasps and cries from the class, and Izuku almost panicked before remembering that they couldn’t see Iida anymore.
“It’s okay, he’s still here.” Izuku assured them.
A few moments passed, where Iida had his eyes closed and Todoroki opened and closed his mouth without managing to speak. And then finally, Iida did it. Izuku knew he would be able to, Iida was incredibly smart and a great learner.
Seeing his body while it was possessed was always strange to Izuku. Mainly because he was looking at his body move around on its own with rolled back eyes, but also because he could see the ghost under the surface. It brought back images of Shirakumo sharing Kurogiri’s space, but Izuku pushed them aside. His focus was Iida right now.
Izuku could feel what his body was doing in that back section of his mind, and that was another strange experience.
Iida sat up and looked himself over in awe. He stood up with help from Todoroki and said a respectful goodbye to the class along with assurance that he’d be back soon.
The door closed behind them, and the class filled with whispered chatter.
“That was so fucking weird.” Kaminari blubbered.
Izuku went back up to Aizawa’s desk and tried to tune them out. He had work to do.
——
The plan was simple. Iida would remain a student of 1-A, just off record as UA could not legally register someone who was dead. He would take a desk next to Izuku’s and would listen to lessons as usual, and when they took tests or did written work Izuku would Project and then Manifest the two of them by hooking their ankles.
Izuku was a bit intimidated by the prospect of using his Manifestation so much, considering it was his weakest area. He’d improved quickly with Self Manifestation, but that didn’t have nearly the same draining effect. But he’d do it, he’d go beyond. For Iida.
Aizawa contacted the other teachers and cancelled their next few classes, so there was plenty of time for the class to recover. Todoroki and Iida came back in and Aizawa brought Iida over so they could all start drafting a proposal for Principal Nezu. Izuku hoped Iida’s talk with Todoroki went well, and resolved to ask Todoroki about it later.
The class, and Aizawa, decided that no matter what Nezu said, Iida would stay with them. They pushed the desk next to Izuku’s until they were right against each other, so it would be easy for Izuku to reach Iida, and Sero moved to sit in Iida’s old desk. Everyone wanted to talk to Iida, and Izuku let them. He still had more he wanted to say as well, but could do that later. He and Iida were partners now, they had time.
Todoroki came and stood next to Izuku, looking significantly better than when he’d left the classroom. Izuku winced with guilt.
“Todoroki, I’m sorry for just projecting without any warning earlier. I shouldn’t have left you like that.”
Todoroki shook his head. “I understand. It’s alright.”
“It’s not.” Izuku argued. “We were supposed to come in together.”
Todoroki smiled softly. “Fine then. You worried me, I admit it. You want to know how you can make it up to me?”
Izuku nodded eagerly.
“Learn to stop falling face first.” Todoroki deadpanned.
“Huh- What?” Izuku floundered.
“If I hadn’t caught you you would have smashed your nose again. I think you’ve broken it enough, don’t you?”
Izuku’s face burned. “You caught me? I- uh, you’re right, I wasn’t thinking. Nighteye would lose it if I hurt myself like that again.”
That smile was still on Todoroki’s face, and Izuku couldn’t stop looking at it. In all their video chats over the internships, he hadn’t seen it once.
“Considering the damage was because of me, it’s the least I can do to stop you from worsening it. However, I’d feel better if you would simply avoid putting yourself in harm’s way altogether.”
Izuku rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
“Right, I’ll try to remember to sit down first next time.”
“Maybe just settle for falling backwards instead.”
Izuku laughed.
Aizawa had been unexpectedly lenient with them in giving them time to adjust, (then Izuku remembered how he’d lost a friend at their age and it didn’t feel so out of ordinary anymore,) but they couldn’t go the whole day without doing any work.
Izuku felt a bit bad, but asked Iida for the body back. He couldn’t hold his manifestation forever, and was starting to feel an itch at the back of his mind that wanted him to return. Iida agreed easily, thanking him for his assistance so far.
Izuku remembered to tell Iida to sit down first under Todoroki’s watchful eyes. Iida said a temporary goodbye to the class and left Izuku’s body, which Izuku immediately entered himself.
Todoroki’s hand was the only thing that kept his head from hitting the desk.
“Midoriya.” He sighed, part exasperated and part worried.
Izuku wanted to respond and apologize for immediately failing in his promise, but couldn’t get his mouth to move. Couldn’t get any part of him to move, actually.
Todoroki tilted his head back upright and held him steady with hands on either side of his face. “Midoriya are you alright?”
Izuku could only blink in response, and even that was a challenge.
“Midoriya? What’s going on?” Iida asked beside him.
Todoroki’s hold loosened and Izuku slipped forward again, his whole body tilting out of his chair. Todoroki lunged forward to catch him, and Izuku smiled even though he was kind of embarrassed. He was so nice.
“Deku you dumb fuck!” Kacchan yelled from the other side of the room. “He overused his weak-ass quirk. Nerd’s gonna be out for ages.”
Aizawa sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Problem Child… Todoroki, Bakugou, take him to Recovery Girl’s office.”
“HAH? Why do I have to go?”
Todoroki was already picking Izuku up, and through the fog in his head Izuku marvelled at how strong he was.
“You know Midoriya’s quirk, you can explain what’s happened. Go.”
Bakugou continued to grumble, but begrudgingly followed Todoroki out the door. He didn’t offer to help take Izuku’s weight, and Todoroki didn't ask.
——
Izuku’s training with Manifestation apparently meant that he was now able to stay conscious as he dealt with the side effects. His mind was foggy and slow, and he couldn’t move, but it was definitely an improvement to falling completely unconscious. A small improvement, but one Izuku could work with, considering it was only based on Self Manifestation instead of the actual problem. He hadn’t actually manifested a ghost in months, so if he were to start training with Iida now he should be able to get better quickly.
He lay on one of the beds in the hospital wing while he waited for the effects to wear off. When he was better he’d write all of this down in his notebook, along with plans for Iida, but he couldn’t think straight enough to get a head start on planning.
Instead, Izuku listened to Iida talk. He talked about a lot of things, but the topic came back around to the main one. He talked about his fight with Stain and what he’d learned about his actions, how he needed to atone, seeing Todoroki, and how he wouldn’t let Izuku down again. Izuku felt a bit like he was sitting at a confessional, but was more than happy to listen. It saved him the awkwardness of asking.
By the time Izuku had recovered the day was almost over. Iida fretted over his state and repeatedly asked if he was sure he was up to returning, but Recovery Girl gave him a pass and off they went. They could just catch the tail end of History, and then their final class of the day.
When Izuku entered the classroom, all eyes turned to him immediately. He startled at the sudden attention, but quickly realized what they were after.
“Iida’s right here, guys.”
Everyone relaxed.
Izuku sat down and Iida took his new seat, but everyone was still looking at him. They were trying to be more subtle about it now, but he could still tell. Ms. Midnight wasn’t even trying to start the class again.
“This is improper!” Iida complained. “We still have plenty of class left and our utmost attention should be given to the subject!”
Izuku huffed a laugh, glad to hear Iida was still his usual self. He turned and addressed the class. “Everyone, Iida says we should focus on the class.”
That worked as effectively as Aizawa’s quirked glares. In a second everyone was sitting straight in their chairs, looking at Midnight intently. Huh. Maybe now that Iida was dead they’d start listening to him.
Izuku tried to pay attention in class, but still had a bit of trouble focusing and was much more interested in the Iida situation. Aizawa would get back to him on Nezu’s response tomorrow, so there wasn’t much Izuku could do there. What he really wanted to do was figure out the details of being hero partners. It was new territory for Izuku, and he was excited about it.
The school day ended quickly, and Izuku stayed back to talk with his friends since he hadn’t gotten a chance to at lunch. He especially wanted to talk to Uraraka, considering they hadn’t spoken during the internships.
Before he started heading home, Izuku thought of something.
“We should go see your family, right?”
Iida stilled. Izuku took one look at his face and knew exactly what he was thinking.
“They’ll want to see you Iida, They won't be disappointed in you.”
Iida shook his head. “They will be. My family is filled with incredible people. I… I don’t even want to imagine what Tensei would say.”
“They miss you and would want you back no matter what happened.” Izuku insisted. “I have to tell them. After that, it’s up to you. Actually, what do you want to do while we aren’t in school? You can stay with me so you’ll have someone to talk to and we can plan things out better. You can sleep if you want but you don’t have to, and there will be significantly less you can do for fun… my dad liked to listen to audiobooks and we can also set up some movies or music, you know, things that can play without anyone needing to touch it…”
Izuku realized he was getting off topic. “We can figure it out on the way to your house! Lead the way.”
Iida chuckled bemusedly. “I guess my first lesson as a ghost is not to argue with you. You’re stubborn, Midoriya.”
“Hey!”
Izuku really did think it was best for Iida to see his family, but as they got closer he realized that meant he would have to meet them and explain that Iida was a ghost. He and Todoroki were one thing, but this was Iida’s actual family. Izuku didn’t know how they’d be dealing with his death or how they’d take the news.
And Iida’s family was rich and lived in a giant house which wasn’t daunting in the slightest.
Izuku stood awkwardly at the gate and tried not to let his anxiousness show.
“So I just ring this buzzer?” He confirmed again.
“Yes.” Iida was already exasperated. “Mr. Kimura will answer and let you in.”
Right. Because they had someone to answer their door.
Izuku pressed the buzzer before he could chicken out. It buzzed for a few seconds, then crackled and a man’s voice came through.
“Hello, who is this?”
Izuku glanced at Iida for support, and he gave him a thumbs up. “Hi Mr. Kimura!” He squeaked. “I’m Midoriya Izuku from class 1-A. I have something very important to talk to the Iida family about.”
“Uh-” The man was clearly caught off guard by Izuku knowing his name, oops. They were trying not to seem too weird, that’s why Iida didn’t just give him the code to enter himself.
“It’s urgent.” Izuku added. That was kind of stretching the truth, but he thought they’d want to know about Iida as soon as possible.
The gate buzzed again and Izuku stepped through. When he got to the house Mr. Kimura was waiting, and led him to a large sitting room. Izuku looked around in appreciation before Iida’s parents arrived.
The first to appear was his mother, a woman with short hair and glasses. Iida drew a sharp breath when he saw her, and Izuku didn’t dare look at him for fear of getting emotional himself.
“Hello.” She greeted as her husband joined her.
Izuku bowed deeply.
“Hello, thank you for having me. I promise I won’t waste your time.”
“You… were… a friend of Tenya’s, correct?”
Izuku straightened up with a nod, wincing at the use of past tense.
“I take it this is regarding him?”
Both of Iida’s parents looked so tired. Izuku’s heart broke just looking at them.
“There’s something really important I need to talk to you about, but, um, it would be best if the whole family were present.” Izuku didn’t want to break the news just yet, he didn’t think he could handle explaining the ghost thing more than once.
Mr. Iida put his arm around his wife’s waist as her shoulders slumped. “Tensei is still recovering from his injuries, I’m not sure we should disturb him.”
It was very hard not to look at how Iida reacted to that.
“Please.” Izuku implored. “He’ll need to hear this. I swear it’s important.”
The two shared a look, but gave in.
“Very well. If it’s about Tenya…”
They led Izuku deeper into the house and told Izuku to wait while they talked to Tensei, and Izuku was struck by the memory of waiting similarly outside of Aizawa’s hospital room. That conversation hadn’t gone happily. There was another ghost out there who needed Izuku’s help.
Izuku finally glanced at Iida, who looked pained.
“This isn’t Tensei’s room.” He said quietly. “It’s part of the infirmary.”
Ah.
Having to deal with Tensei as well as Iida’s death… it was a lot. Izuku just hoped the ghost news would make things the slightest bit better.
The door opened and Mrs. Iida invited him inside. The room was cozy, almost like a normal room except for the large amount of medical equipment present. Tensei was pressing a button to raise his bed into a more upright position. He looked even worse than his parents, which was to be expected, but he still greeted Izuku with a kind smile.
Izuku bowed. “Thank you for seeing me.”
“Of course. You’re a friend of Tenya’s, Midoriya right? He talked a lot about you.”
Iida made a noise of embarrassment and turned red, causing Izuku to snort. Then he remembered that probably seemed highly inappropriate.
Tensei’s eyes narrowed, then widened as understanding dawned on him. “You… you have the ghost quirk.”
His father gasped. Izuku was glad Tensei had figured it out, it saved him from having to come up with the topic himself.
“Yes. That’s why I wanted to talk to you.”
“Is he here?” Mrs. Iida asked intensely, eyes darting around the room. She collapsed into a chair at Izuku’s confirmation. Mr. Iida pressed a hand to his mouth, and Tensei squeezed his eyes shut.
“I can’t let you see him for very long, I’m sorry. I overused my quirk when I first saw him this morning so I probably shouldn’t try at all, but I think I can handle a minute? Then I’ll let him possess my body and you can talk.”
Izuku knew they probably didn’t understand a thing he was saying, but they nodded anyway. Iida did know however, and immediately started to protest.
“Midoriya you can’t overexert yourself! You just got out of Recovery Girl’s office, do not hurt yourself for my sake.”
Izuku turned to him with his best unimpressed face.
“I thought you learned not to argue with me.”
“Yes, but this directly affects your health! That is completely different and with how much you’re doing for me I cannot be the cause of any harm.”
Izuku sighed. He knew Iida meant well, and was probably being the more responsible of the two, but Izuku would always put helping others above his own needs. (Sorry Sir Nighteye.)
“Like you can stop me.”
“I can run faster than you!”“But would you? Your family wants to see you, I told you.”
Izuku gestured to the other occupants of the room, and realized they were all gaping at him, astounded.
He chuckled nervously. “Right, so, can I take this seat? Thanks.”
He quickly sat down and Projected. Iida looked like he really was considering running, but in the end he let Izuku grab hold of his blazer. Izuku tried to pick a spot that wouldn’t be too hard to hold onto, then Manifested.
And don’t tell anyone, but he may have held it for a bit longer than the minute he promised. But with the way Iida’s parents held onto him, and Tensei struggled to reach out and pull him close, what was Izuku supposed to do?
“I have to let go.” He reluctantly admitted, and Iida gave his family one last hug.
Izuku let go of him, and then made his exit as Iida possessed him. He didn’t need to intrude on this reunion.
He didn’t stray far, but explored the areas of the house close by. He hoped Kacchan had told his mom what was going on because he’d forgotten to say anything and she would probably be getting worried by now if she didn’t know the situation.
But he didn’t mind waiting, he was just glad he could do something to make the whole horrific situation better. There was a large clock in the sitting room, so Izuku was able to keep track of the time. It was over an hour before Iida came to get him back.
When Izuku reentered the room everyone still looked exhausted, and they’d clearly been crying, but they also seemed much happier. Less like the weight of the world was crushing them down.
Iida was about to leave Izuku’s body when Todoroki’s stern face flashed through his mind.
“Wait! Um, Iida sit down first.”
“Oh, of course! I’m sorry Midoriya, I forgot.”
He sat, and Izuku almost let him continue, but then he thought again of the morning. “Maybe put the head on the bed.”
Once that was done and there was no way for Izuku to hurt himself, he and Iida switched places. He raised his head, but was instantly overcome with a wave of disorientation so he put it back down.
“Ssrry,” He slurred, knowing he was in Tensei’s space. “Need a mmnt.”
Beside him, Iida frowned and gave him a disappointed look. “Midoriya!” He scolded. “You weren’t to go past your limit!”
With a big push, Izuku managed to sit back. “Yeah yeah.” He groused.
“Midoriya.” Tensei reached to put a hand on Izuku’s shoulder. “Thank you. Truly.”
His father echoed his statement. “We can’t thank you enough for bringing us our son, and for all that you’re doing for him.”
Izuku flushed under their gratitude. “I assume Ii- er- Tenya told you about our plans for school?”
“He did.” Iida’s mother leaned forward with glistening eyes. “And it’s a very kind and selfless commitment.”
Izuku waved his arms in panic. Well, he tried to but they just ended up flopping by his sides. “Oh no, it’s really no big deal. In fact, he’s really going to be helping me!”
“Be that as it may…” Iida’s father clasped his hands. “We have a substantial amount of funds set aside for Tenya’s education, UA and university should he have chosen to take that path. Those funds are now yours.”
Izuku wondered if he was still experiencing side effects of quirk overuse. His brain slowly sifted through the words, trying to find any other meaning, any meaning that made sense.
“I- You- What?” He stammered.
“After you graduate we will transfer the money to your account, and should you wish it, there will be a place waiting for you at Iidaten. For now, consider all your UA expenses taken care of.”Izuku gaped at them. There was no way… Out of the corner of his eye Izuku saw Iida smiling, clearly pleased. Izuku made a choking noise. They were serious.
“I- That- That’s too much, please I couldn’t possibly accept.” He tried to argue, but none of the Iidas would hear of it.
“Our son is dead.” Mrs. Iida stated, before swallowing hard. “But through you, he can be a hero. He can live. All we had for him is yours, Midoriya. Take care of him.”
Izuku opened and closed his mouth, then nodded dumbly.
“You’re going to be a great hero Midoriya, you and Tenya both. Let us help you.” Tensei said softly.
Start with me. Start with letting me help you this time.
Izuku looked up and met Iida’s eyes. He didn’t say anything, but he didn’t have to.
Izuku stood on shaky legs and bowed as low as he could go. “Thank you. I accept your offer. It’s really too generous, but I promise I won't let you down.”
Tensei laughed. “Oh Midoriya, I’m sure you won't. But it never was an offer. We weren’t going to take no for an answer.”
Izuku chuckled, then almost fell over as a wave of dizziness hit him. He quickly reclaimed his seat.
“All we ask is that you stop by for dinner now and again.” Mr. Iida added. “Keep us updated on how you and Tenya are doing.”
“O-Of course! I’ll bring Tenya over as much as I can, and I’ll get better with my quirk so you can see him without my body!” Izuku vowed.
Mrs. Iida shook her head. “Thank you, Midoriya. But we aren’t asking just because we want to see Tenya. We do of course, but we’d also like to get to know you better. You’re part of the family now.”
Izuku was caught completely off guard. The way they were all looking at him… his eyes started to prickle but he willed himself not to cry. “Okay.” He whispered.
By this point he really did have to start heading home, he started to try and leave, but Iida crossed his arms and told him that he was not allowed to walk.
“You’re struggling to stay upright, you can’t go home on your own like this! We have a driver, he’ll take you.”
Izuku didn’t want to ask for a ride on top of everything the Iidas had just given him, but from his one side of the squabble Mrs. Iida figured out what was wrong and insisted they drive him home.
And Izuku was very quickly learning that he couldn’t say no to her. They said goodbye to Tensei and walked out to the car, where a few more heartfelt goodbyes were exchanged along with more thanks from Izuku. Then they were off, and Izuku settled into the comfortable seats.
“Iida…” He started, but the other boy interrupted him.
“Tenya. Like Mom said, you’re family now. If we’re going to be partners, and you’re practically the only person I can talk to most of the time, it doesn’t make sense for you to keep calling me Iida.”
Izuku’s tired face lit up with a smile. “You’re sure? Okay then Tenya! Call me Izuku!”
Sitting in the fancy car, the full weight of what had just happened hit Izuku. He started giggling quietly, maybe he was a bit delirious from the quirk exhaustion, and the more he thought about it the harder he laughed.
“Uh… Izuku are you alright?” Teny asked awkwardly.
Izuku hiccuped. “Yeah, sorry. It’s just, today was a rollercoaster, you know?”
Iida chuckled. “I suppose you’re right. It’s hard to believe it’s only been a day.”
“And Tenya,” Izuku had to pause to overcome his laughter. “DId your parents just, like, adopt me or something?”
“They kind of did, didn’t they?” Iida remarked before joining Izuku in his fit of laughter.
Iida was dead. But he wasn’t gone. Things would never be the same again, but that didn’t have to be a bad thing. Izuku hadn’t lost a friend, he’d gained a brother and a partner.
And together, they would be heroes.
Notes:
And our lovely boy Iida is back! Is this angst? Is this fluff? Who knows!
Hope you enjoyed, comments are always appreciated! :)
hauntedmoontimetravel on Chapter 1 Wed 13 Aug 2025 03:32PM UTC
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Alina306 on Chapter 1 Fri 05 Sep 2025 08:02PM UTC
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hauntedmoontimetravel on Chapter 2 Sun 17 Aug 2025 04:18AM UTC
Last Edited Sun 17 Aug 2025 04:18AM UTC
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OneBodaciousBabe on Chapter 3 Thu 28 Aug 2025 02:21AM UTC
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hauntedmoontimetravel on Chapter 4 Fri 29 Aug 2025 08:18AM UTC
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Amethyst Jackson (RhymesAndDaydreams) on Chapter 4 Fri 29 Aug 2025 05:46PM UTC
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Gustav Ygor (Guest) on Chapter 4 Thu 04 Sep 2025 12:36AM UTC
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MoonR1se on Chapter 5 Fri 05 Sep 2025 06:52AM UTC
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Amethyst Jackson (RhymesAndDaydreams) on Chapter 5 Fri 05 Sep 2025 04:50PM UTC
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