Chapter Text
”I am Here! I am Here! I am He—” As the faded imitation of All Might’s face finally fell silent, Izuku brought his hand back from the snooze button. Sighing contently, he snuggled down even further into his bed. He’d been having a great dream about a rabbit and a witch, and a little more sleep couldn’t hurt.
“Izuku, I know I didn’t just hear you turn off your alarm clock!” he heard his Mother yell from downstairs. He groaned moodily, but finally started getting out of bed. He shuffled around the room grabbing his morning things, only pausing for a few seconds to admire how pretty the morning light looked shining on his massive collection of vintage Hero memorabilia.
His family may never understand his need to absolutely cover his new bedroom with merch (especially the older kind) but he wouldn’t have it any other way. Well, aside from adding even more, but that was a given.
Taking a moment to check with his Howler-themed calendar (First Edition!), the smile slowly dropped from his face as horror dawned on him. As he realized exactly what day he had been trying to sleep in on. He gave a full-body jerk and rushed to grab what he needed, tripping three different times as he ran around the room. He paused briefly to rub the hair tufts of his vintage alarm for good luck, and then took off sprinting down the hall for the fastest shower of his life. After all, he had no idea when his ride would get here.
Stumbling down the stairs, he was met with the usual morning routine. His mother was just finishing cooking up breakfast, her dark green hair pulled back into the high ponytail she’d been partial to lately. She’d said it was just easier to keep it up after her morning run, and he had to admit it looked good on her. She glanced up as he walked in and gave him a knowing smile. “Forget what day it was?” She teased.
Izuku flushed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Um, maybe. Where’s everyone else?” he asked, looking towards the living room but finding no sign of his siblings.
A quiet “Behind you” Was his only warning he got before the assault began. Well, he thought it was supposed to be a hug, but it ended up more like a tackle. The next thing he knew, he was sprawled on the ground with a new weight on top of him and a mass of white hair in his face. He tired to get up for a few seconds and, failing that, accepted his new fate as a floor pillow.
He heard his Mom sigh. “Aiko, please get off of your brother. What did I tell you about practicing sneak attacks in the house?” The hair finally retreated from his vision as the weight rolled off him, and he was rewarded with the sight of his sister standing silently with a solemn look on her face. She looked the picture of elegance with her tightly braided white hair and deep red eyes, if one ignored the fact she’d just pounced on him.
“That we should only do it outside.” She calmly responded to his Mom’s earlier question, and a slight smile broke out on her face at the head pat she received before she fought it down.
Used to his sister’s eccentricities, Izuku ignored the weirdness and instead started dishing up the pancakes his mother had made. They didn’t normally have much American food, but he supposed today was a special day. That thought sparked a new round of butterflies in his stomach, which he studiously ignored. As he sat down at their old wooden table, he glanced down the hallway Aiko had attacked him from but found no trace of his brother. “Is Asa still sleeping?”
Aiko frowned slightly before explaining “No, he said he wouldn’t help me sneak up on you anymore after you broke the TV.”
Izuku scoffed. “Well it’s not my fault you appeared out of nowhere to divebomb me.” She glared at him and opened her mouth to continue arguing (It was definitely her fault, he didn’t care what anyone else said) before a look from Inko silenced the both of them. They shared a quick glance confirming that this wasn’t over, but decided that eating was a better use of their time; anything to avoid that disappointed gaze. Though Aiko did stick her tongue out at him before returning to her usual cool expression.
He'd just about finished wolfing down his breakfast when Asa finally stumbled down the stairs. He shared the same coloring as Aiko, but while her hair was pristine and collected, Asa’s was a rat’s nest even worse than Izuku’s own green mess.
“M-morning,” he mumbled, giving Inko a hug before taking a seat at the table. Izuku noticed that he seemed to be nodding off every few seconds before suddenly sitting up again. He really shouldn’t have snuck Asa that new high-caffeine coffee last night, but he was weak to the puppy dog eyes.
Izuku honestly had no idea why he’d wanted to stay up so late to watch TV, but chalked it up to some form of teenage rebellion. Given that he hadn’t thought Asa would ever even be capable of acting like a normal teenager, that was a big step... Or he just really wanted to watch his shows but was anxious that everyone else would tease him about it. That would be much more in character.
He was so lost in theorizing that he didn’t even notice he’d finished his plate until a loud revving noise came from outside. He turned around, and his heart thumped a little in his chest when he recognized the old pickup truck waiting outside. It was really happening today.
“Oh, look, Toshinori’s here!” his mom cried, before turning to her eldest. “Izuku, would you be a dear and help him carry in those boxes? I have him pulling double duty driving today.” Nodding his assent, he put on his favorite red shoes and slipped out the front door.
“Hey Toshinori! Mom wants me to help you move some boxes?” he called out, a bit louder than he’d intended. He really was full of (completely justified) nervous energy today. His trainer looked up before beaming at him.
“Ah, Izuku my boy! Just what I need! Yes, Inko had me bring the last of the moving boxes from your apartment. Would you mind helping and old man out a little?”
Laughing, he replied “Of course,” before taking a second to study his mentor. He was still on the thin and reedy side (hard to avoid with his massive frame), but much healthier than he’d been a few months ago. Izuku felt a challenging grin spill onto his face. “Want to race?”
Toshinori gave a large laugh, before suddenly sprinting to his truck and grabbing a box. Izuku rushed to keep up, and they spent the next few minutes running back and forth to the house.
Izuku won in the end, but it was much closer than he’d expected. It seemed like Toshinori’s surgeries were finally healing correctly. He didn’t even seem out of breath, compared to a few months ago where he wouldn’t have been able to stand at all after that much activity.
Izuku followed him into the house, which unfortunately meant he got an up-close view of his mom greeting her fiancée in the entryway. While he’d come to (mostly) accept their relationship, that didn’t mean he wanted to watch them make out! He quickly slipped by them back into the main room of the house and shared a solemn look with his siblings: it would always be weird watching those two be so lovey-dovey.
Once the adults finally made their way back into the house proper, they seemed to mostly have gotten it out of their system. Izuku eyed their still clasped hands closely, but a warning look from his mother kept him from making any comments.
“Kids, what did I do wrong? Izuku ran out to see me, but am I not important enough to even warrant a hello?!” Toshinori cried out, the large smile on his face betraying his humor. “My heart will never recover.”
“Hello Father,” Aiko deadpanned while hopping down to give him a quick hug. “Can you tell me the wedding month now?” Izuku rolled his eyes at the question she asked (conservatively) 3 times a day, and caught Asa doing the same. Aiko was more than a little obsessed with the idea of being a magical flower girl; Toshinori, of course, took it in stride.
“Actually, yes!” Izuku froze in his seat, not expecting an actual answer. Last he knew, they were still arguing over the perks of a winter or summer wedding. He thought he’d have more time to get used to the idea! Completely oblivious to Izuku’s internal freakout, Toshinori continued. “We had a long discussion about it last night, and your mother managed to convince me that a February wedding would be perfect.”
Izuku was mostly catatonic at this point, but thankfully Asa was still somewhat functional. “Wait, you’re getting married NOW!?” he yelled, eyes bugging out and at odds with his normally quiet demeanor. Aiko, of course, looked pleased as could be and was doing a very poor job of hiding it.
“Wha-NO!” Toshinori coughed out, reaching for a handkerchief to clean up the little bit of blood on his lips. Inko gave him a worried look, but at his nod turned back to her son.
“What Toshinori means to say is that we’d like to have a February wedding next year. I think we’d have a pretty hard time setting everything up in just a few days.” Izuku relaxed slightly at her words. He could deal with a year away; anything was better than having it this week. He loved Toshinori, but he was not emotionally ready to call the man ‘Dad’. At least not to his face.
“Yes, we’ll have a year to prepare. Speaking of preparation, are you ready young Izuku? Got all your accessories?” Izuku wilted a little under Toshinori’s gaze, but took a deep breath, centered himself, and nodded confidently. He could do this. He’d been training for over a year, he was prepared, and nothing could stop him!
Asa helpfully decided to burst his bubble. “Your taser is still in my room from last week.” Izuku’s cheeks pinked a little, before dashing upstairs to quickly grab the last item he needed. By the time he came back down, Toshinori was already waiting by the door.
“Oh, I can’t believe it’s finally the day!” Inko bustled over to give him a quick hug before stepping back and taking a deep breath. Tears were already rolling down her cheeks, and he felt his own eyes tear up as well. “You’ll be amazing, Izuku. Just do your best.”
“Y-yeah, Izu-nii, g-go kick some butt!” Asa added, smiling shyly at him from the table. Aiko simply walked over and gave him a hug, whispering a quiet “Good luck Oniichan. Kick Ass,” which earned a startled “Aiko!” from his mother, but she just returned to her breakfast.
“Alright, alright. Traffic is terrible today, and we don’t want Izuku to be late! Let’s get this show on the road!” Izuku rolled his eyes at Toshinori’s obsession with American sayings (current count: 728), but obediently followed his stepfather mentor out the door and towards the UA Entrance Exam, pointedly ignoring the roiling in his gut.
“... and remember, you don’t need a high voltage to electrocute someone. If they’re already wet, as low as 40 Volts can do the trick. Remember to be careful though, you could really hurt someone. And also, don’t forget—”
“Toshinori, I already know all of this,” Izuku interrupted quietly, staring out the window. “I’m as prepared as I’m going to be. I just have to go in there and try my best.”
“Hey now,” his teacher said, frowning at him.” You’re not just going to go in there and try your best. You’re going to go in there, try your best, and absolutely destroy this test. Now say it with me!” he shouted, and some of the other cars parked next to UA turned to stare at them.
Izuku tried to pull on the competitive fire he’d felt that morning to respond, but couldn’t find it and slumped down, not meeting Toshinori’s eyes. He heard him let out a long breath, and a hand reached up to clasp his shoulder. “Izuku, please look at me.”
He slowly tilted his head up to meet his stepdad's gaze, and shied away from the pain and understanding he saw there. Izuku stared down at his own nervous hands, pinching his eyes closed as he was pulled into a hug.
“No matter what happens,” Toshinori began, he chest rumbling against Izuku’s head, “We will all be so proud of you. You’ve worked so hard, and I have no doubt that you deserve to be here. You will make it as a hero, my boy, no matter what obstacles are put in front of you. Now please, tell me what’s really wrong?”
Izuku shuddered, before finally admitting to the fears that were plaguing him.
“I know I’ve trained really really hard, and that I’m as prepared as I possibly could be. But I’m up against people with quirks,” He breathed out, tears brimming in his eyes.
“Izuku, we talked about this. Remember, Quirkless doesn’t mean weak,” His mentor stressed. “Maybe we can’t make fire shoot out of our limbs, or force people to dance, or teleport around a room. But what we can do is be as prepared as possible, and figure out how beat those lucky people who can tell physics to take a hike. We use the environment, support gear, and our smarts to save people. Do you think that I’ll never earn my license?”
“N-no,” he stuttered out, clenching at the folds of his jacket. “But you’ve had decades of training. I’ve only been training since I met you. 18 months is nothing in comparison.”
His father (Wow, he’d acknowledged it three times in one day, he really was out of it) chuckled; once again Izuku marveled at how much stronger the movement of his chest had become. “I spent most of those decades just trying to find the right things to learn, or even just people who would teach me. Everything I’ve learned, I’ve taught to you.” Izuku could feel a smirk form against his hair as Toshinori leaned down. “You’ve got the best training example in the world. I’d say that even pre-quirk Olympians would be jealous of our physiques!”
Izuku blushed, but did sneak a quick peek to admire his own toned arms. It was true that he had a bit of a leg up on those old athletes given the human baseline had gotten stronger since the advent of quirks, but he was still proud of the work he’d done to get into this shape.
He shook his head and slapped himself on the cheeks, trying to pump himself up. Now was not the time to have doubts. He’d been training for this test for months, and he wasn’t about to let all of that effort go to waste right before the finish line. He lifted his head back up, and gave his hero the most feral grin he could. The proud smile he got in return only fueled his newfound excitement.
“Well then, go knock ‘em dead kid!” Izuku let out a whoop in response, and blushed again as every head in the vicinity again turned towards their car while Toshinori laughed. Izuku gave him a quick hug, grabbed his bag of gadgets, and hopped out of the car towards his future.
The UA grounds were absolutely massive. Izuku had seen them from a distance before (he lived nearby after all), but it wasn’t until he finally set foot inside the gate that he appreciated the sheer scope of it.
The entire campus was a maze of futuristic buildings and beautiful parks. Everywhere he looked, there was something new he’d never seen before. Nedzu really had outdone himself since taking over the institution.
Thankfully, UA seemed to realize how overwhelming it could be to first-time visitors; all Izuku had to do was follow the hundreds of signs pointing prospective students towards their shared goal.
He almost tripped on the way there, just barely avoiding a brick he’d missed until the last second. He actually did trip from the avalanche of noise that hit him as he entered the reception hall. He felt his neck flush as he scrambled to get up, and did his best to avoid the stares he’d attracted from everyone nearby.
And there really were a lot of people nearby. The memory of the one time he’d managed to convince his Mom to take him to HeroCon rose in his mind. It had been loud, sweaty, uncomfortable, and the best day of his life. He was getting a serious case of deja-vu with the crowds of people milling around in athletic or hero-themed gear. All that was missing were a few way too expensive cosplayers, though the few heroes (actual pro heroes!) he could see running security were more than an adequate replacement.
Suppressing his inner fanboy as much as he could (Wait, was that NOVA?!), he made his way over to the reception desk.
“Hello dearie, are you here for the exam?” a kind lady with loose brown hair asked. At his nervous nod, she gave him a gentle smile and continued. “Well then, all I need is your name and then we can get you your examinee information and where you’ll take the written exam. After you finish, just let the proctor know and sit tight. They’ll tell you what’s next after everyone’s finished the test.”
“U-um, do you need our legal names or the ones we applied with?” He asked, and she paused to give him a considering look before answering.
“We use the national registry to get information on our applicants, so your legal name will do; However, if you’d like to use a different name with the school, just let me know and I can give your file a quick update.” She said, shuffling some some papers around.
“My legal name is H-Hizashi Mi-Midoriya, b-but I really prefer my middle name, Izuku,” he stuttered out, trying to calm his nerves. This wasn’t even part of the test, but being surrounded by the mass of other applicants really impressed upon him just how difficult his dream was going to be. Over a thousand kids applied to UA’s hero course every year, but they only accepted the very top scorers.
This year it would be even harder than normal, given they’d announced that only the top 35 would be accepted rather than the traditional 36. They hadn’t given a reason, but Izuku was fairly certain that they just wanted one more slot for the flashy recommendation students.
Despite the long odds, he hadn’t come all this way just to be a quitter. So, he thanked the lady one last time as she handed him his information packet, squared his shoulders, and headed off to find a good place to read.
Izuku shifted around a little as he sat down in the quiet little corner he’d discovered. Most of the tables near the center were full of other examinees talking loudly with each other, and he didn’t feel confident enough right now to try and maneuver that social minefield.
As far he knew he was the only one from his High School to actually apply to UA, so he didn’t even have the out of hanging out with someone else from Aldera (not that he’d really want to hang out with any of his classmates, but the option would have been nice. Less depressing, at least).
He was so engrossed in the pamphlet in front of him that he completely missed the boy approaching him until he spoke up. Toshinori would have cuffed him for such terrible spatial awareness before launching into a lecture, but come on! This information was important! He absolutely had to read these biographies UA put together on past graduates. How else was he supposed to learn that Mr. Bozo had three cats as a kid!?
“Ah, I see that I am not the only one dedicated to learning the rules of our upcoming assessments! I suppose it is to be expected of a prospective student of this august institution!” Izuku jerked his head up as a voice spoke from right in front of him, having completely missed their approach.
The boy his eyes landed on was tall, with shiny metal glasses and dark blue hair. He stood a few inches taller than Izuku and was extremely rigid, like every bit of him was made of metal. However, he had a large smile on his face, and Izuku unconsciously found himself returning it.
“W-well, how else are we supposed to do our best?” he replied, conveniently leaving out the fact he’d been more focused on the trivia section of the booklet. “We need to be ready if we want to be heroes.”
“Ah, so you applying for the hero course!” the boy cried happily, relaxing his posture a little. “I myself am applying as well! I am Iida Tenya, from Somei Private, and I wish you luck today!” He said, before pausing to add, “Though admittedly, not too much luck. I might need to save some for myself!” He smile morphed into a smaller grin at that, and Izuku let out a surprised chuckle, not expecting the joke from a guy who seemed so straight-laced.
“Well, I’ll take whatever luck you can share with me. I’m Izuku Midoriya, from Aldera High. Nice to meet you!” He responded, reaching out for a handshake. Iida responded in kind, giving him a strong handshake that belied the muscles Izuku could see through his track suit. “Are you looking for a place to sit down?” he asked, noticing the glance the taller boy gave the spot next to him.
“Ah, well, yes, but I would not want to impose,” Iida replied, more flustered than Izuku expected. “If you would like to read in solitude, I will not interrupt that.”
“Nah, it’s fine,” Izuku replied while laughing. “I don’t have a monopoly on this spot, and I wouldn’t mind the company. Are you looking forward to the exam?”
“Thank you, then,” Iida hesitated for a moment, before sitting down next to him carefully. “I find myself more nervous than I expected, but I also cannot deny that I am incredibly excited for the practical.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean,” Izuku replied, leaning back to rest his head on the wall. “The written exam is cool and all, but there’s something about the idea of the practical that always gets my adrenaline going.” He saw Iida nod out of the corner of his eye, before he responded.
“Yes, I must agree. The written exam is of course important for our academic futures, but the chance to use my quirk without restrictions is certainly appealing. I assume you feel the same?” He asked, giving Izuku a curious look.
Izuku shrunk in on himself slightly, not sure what to say. “Actually, um, well, you see, I’m sorta… Quirkless.” He finally managed to spit out, looking away from the boy sitting next to him. He didn’t want to see what expression might grow there, not after being disappointed so many times. “I know it’ll be hard, but I can’t not try. All I’ve ever wanted to be is a Hero, and if I need to work twice as hard as everyone else to make it, then I’ll work ten times as hard instead! Anything to save people!” He finished passionately, before finally chancing a glance over at Iida. He found him staring back at him, a considering expression on his face.
He started slowly, gazing out over the mass of people in the hall. “Well, I can’t say that I’ve ever heard of a Quirkless hero before.” he said, a strange expression on his face. He glanced over at Izuku and tiled his head in consideration, before his expression firmed into determination. “However, you seem dedicated to your dream, so I wish you luck on becoming the first! Perhaps we could team up occasionally as heroes!”
Izuku exhaled shakily, estatic that his new friend wasn’t acting too differently after finding out about his Quirklessness. Too many times, He’d made friends only for them to turn cold and distant after finding out about his “condition”. He knew he was lucky the treatment wasn’t worse considering the historical treatment of the Quirkless, but it still hurt whenever someone dropped him over something he couldn’t control.
“Thank you. Really, just… thank you.” He said, before chuckling lightly. “I wouldn’t actually be the first though. Null was really popular in Australia a few decades ago, and a few other international underground heroes came out as quirkless in the 70’s.” he continued excitedly, happy to share his hero knowledge with someone new.
Iida gave a considering hum in response, before asking the obvious question: “Have there ever been any in Japan?”
Izuku deflated a little, but kept his voice even as he responded. “No, there’s never been any in Japan. My mentor is also quirkless, and he was just about to get his license before he got seriously injured. His recovery period didn’t go great, so it’s taken him a few years to get back into shape. He should be ready to try for his liscense again this fall though!”
Izuku decided to leave out why exactly Toshinori’s surgeries hadn’t gone well. Iida didn’t need to know that his soon-to-be parent had met his mom because Toshinori needed a lawyer, and he really didn’t need to know about the Midoriya family’s Might-size grudge against the HPSC that came with him.
Before either of them could continue their conversation, a burst of audio feedback made them both wince before it cleared up into an excited-sounding voice.
A high, reedy laugh rang out, distorted slightly by the speakers. “Hello, my dear prospective first years! I am Nedzu, the Principal of this fine establishment!” it said cheerfully. “This is a notice that the written examinations will start within the next 15 minutes! If you are not looking to fail, please be seated within your assigned auditorium before the tests begin. I wish you all luck on your examinations, and remember, go Plus Ultra!”
“I can’t believe I forgot to read the pamphlet! Oh, my brother would be so ashamed… It was nice to meet you, Midoriya, but I’m afraid I must head to my assigned testing center as soon as possible and prepare. I hope to see you here next semester!” Iida rushed out, speedwalking away before Izuku could even think to ask him about his quirk or get his contact information. Oh well, Iida was right. He could just ask him when they were both UA students next year.
Smiling lightly at his bold thoughts, Izuku (much more sedately) made his way toward his own test.
The written exam was much more exhausting than he thought it’d be. He knew UA was no slouch when it came to academics, but this was several notches above even the hardest standardized tests they’d taken in school. By the time he finally finished, his head was spinning and he almost melted into pure relief when the examiners finally let them go get lunch. They had an hour break before they needed to return for the practical examination, and Izuku was going to use every spare second to further mold his plan.
He quickly grabbed a lunch tray and headed out to find a spot. He tried finding Iida, but after a while of milling around with no luck he settled down in another corner.
The meal truly was incredible (He was eating LUNCH RUSH cooking!), and he quickly scarfed it down. Any spare calories he could get would be useful for the next round. Just as he was finishing up though, another, much less welcome announcement crackled over the PA system. As it continued, he felt his heart slowly drop.
“Oh dear, this is Principal Nedzu speaking again. I have just received some unexpected news. Due to a recent ruling by the Hero Public Safety Commission, I regret to inform you all that any non-essential support gear will no longer be allowed in any hero exams nationwide. I am afraid this means that if you have any support gear that does not pertain directly to controlling your quirk, we must ask that you leave it behind or face disqualification.”
There was an audible shuffling of papers before the Principal continued, “The HPSC believes that upcoming hero students should not be reliant on support gear to be effective, and that students need to learn to use their quirks first before including any technology in their arsenal. I apologize if any of you were planning on using support gear that falls under these new rules, but I and UA as a whole have no say in the implementation of these new rule changes. If you did bring any now-banned equipment, please notify an employee and we will ensure it is returned to you after the exam. Again, I apologize to any of applicants that are affected by these rule changes, but I still implore you all to go Plus Ultra!” The rodent might not have finished his speech there, but it was the last thing Izuku heard over the ringing in his ears.
Of course. Of course. Right at the precipice, right when he might FINALLY make real progress towards his dreams, the rug was pulled out from under him. Of course it would be the fucking HPSC. They were so obsessed with quirks and narratives, nevermind the fact that nearly every member of the top 20 used support equipment, and a quarter of the top 200 were essentially quirkless without their gear. No, they needed to make a statement and make sure the top hero prospects in the world had strong, simple quirks to dazzle the masses with.
Nevermind the potential effectiveness of a good quirk that synergized well with the right equipment, or god forbid a hero that really relied on their gear and non-quirk abilities. No, they’d make it plenty clear exactly what kind of heroes they wanted. Natural-born gods with the luck to match.
Ignoring the little voice in his head that said blaming those lucky kids for his misfortune wasn’t fair, he stood up slowly. Without even really processing it, he grabbed his bag and started walking. He didn’t even really know where he was going, just wandering around the school halls. Anywhere but this cafeteria, surrounded by people excitedly living their lives like his own hadn’t just ended.
He tired to focus on the positives, that he could still take the test, that he still had a chance, but he just felt empty. Empty, save for the small spark of rage he could feel growing in his chest. He disliked the Commission for the role they’d played in Toshinori’s years of medical hell, but that was a cold, detached feeling. He knew the HPSC as a whole wasn’t truly at fault for his situation, that it had simply been a product of bad luck and greedy managers.
This new feeling was different. It was a hot, burning thing that curled up in his chest. He wanted to raze the entire organization to the ground. He wanted them to understand just how agonizing it was to be robbed of a chance. The marketing execs, obsessed with their images of a perfect hero. The mission analysts, constantly downplaying the importance of non-quirk skills in any operation. Every last secretary or janitor who contributed to the toxic workplace culture that shaped Japan into a society obsessed with strong quirks to the detriment of all else.
Idly, he wondered if this was how villains were born.
But no matter how hotly that anger burned, it still couldn’t compete with the absolute feeling of defeat that spread through him. Tears began to burn at the corners of his eyes, and he hurried to find a quiet place to break down.
He ducked into the first out-of-the-way bathroom he saw. He didn’t even have the energy to find a stall, just leaned against the sink and tried to ignore the pathetic reflection in the mirror through blurry eyes.
It just wasn’t fair. He’d worked so hard these last 18 months for an opportunity, and now it was all for nothing. It wasn’t supposed to end like this. He was supposed to get in, cry a little, and then his family would take him out for a celebration dinner. Toshinori was supposed to take him aside that night and tell him how proud he was, and then nervously ask one more time if Izuku really was ok with him marrying his mom.
They’d share a laugh, Izuku would give his final blessing, and he’d be sent back inside to play Ultimate Hero Fighter 2 with Asa and Aiko until 2 in the morning when their Mom caught them and grounded them for a week.
Hell, even if he’d failed, he’d still have been able to try again. They wouldn’t celebrate, but after a few days of moping Toshinori would drag him out of his sadness cocoon and they’d look into other schools, other paths to being a hero.
The Commission had taken that and every other dream future away from him.
Again, that hot rage he’d never felt before swirled through him. It was like a wounded animal, trying desperately to claw its way out of him. He tried to force it down, tried to focus on meditation techniques, but every second more and more anger built within him at the commission, at the world, at himself for getting his hopes up again that when he saw his tear-stained reflection again, he couldn’t take it anymore.
With a mighty shout, emotions burning through him and vision clouded, he did something a little (a lot) stupid.
He punched the mirror as hard as he could.
The first thing Izuku expected to feel was pain. The rip of glass shards through his flesh, the crack of his bones breaking under pressure they weren’t meant to withstand. That's what's supposed to happen when you do something so idiotic. Instead he felt cool, open air around his fist.
He tried to blink away the tears and dust (since when had the bathroom been dusty?), and when he finally succeeded he didn’t find the bloody sight he expected.
Instead of a red-smeared hand smashed against a broken mirror, he only saw his arm.
Specifically, the upper half of his arm. The other half was currently buried in the wall, and if he had to guess, partially into the girl’s bathroom on the other side.
What.
The.
Hell?
Izuku stared at the ruined mirror before him, unable to believe his eyes. He noticed a green glow reflected in the shattered remains of the mirror, but before he could focus on it he saw a dark splotch move in the corner. It was inky and swirly, like some kind of abstract painting.
The dark splotch inched closer, and Izuku suddenly realized that it wasn’t a misguided attempt at art. No, it was a person. A person right behind him.
“You know, we usually try to save destruction of school property for the actual test, Problem Child.”