Chapter 2: A Hero's Burning Training Montage Part 1
'Is this really not a dream?' Izuku thought to himself. 'Developing a Quirk, saving Bakugo, All Might telling me I can be a hero, this is something out of my fantasies'
This is no dream, child. Izuku perked up as the voice spoke into his head again, it had been quiet since the sludge villain, and Izuku could feel his curiosity burning a hole in his mind.
Izuku took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. "What ARE you really? You said you were the embodiment of fire, but you said you were the materialization of my soul too, so how can you be both, and, with that in mind, why have you only activated now, instead of ten years ago when Quirks normally activate? Are you even a Quirk, rather, are you MY Quirk or are you the effect of someone else's? I mean Quirks are supposed to activate at 6 and mumble mumble mumble-"
The voice chuckled. Slow down child, we have time yet for you to get your answers
Izuku snapped his head up, feeling embarrassed yet put at ease by the voice's comforting tone.
Tonight, while your body rests, I will grant you audience, and I will answer your questions then. For now, I must sleep child, the day's events have taken a toll on me.
Izuku was about to acquiesce before he remembered something important.
"Wait!" Izuku cried "C-can I still access the fire when you're asleep? And what do I call you?" He waited, heart beating out of his chest, for an answer. He needed the fire, not just as proof for him mom, but proof for himself, that he wasn't worthless, that he wasn't a liability.
I sense your conflict, child, but you need not be worried. The flames may originally be mine, but the body I and the flames reside in is yours, therefore, the flames are yours. As for my name, for now you may refer to me as whatever you wish, you are not ready for my true name, nor the power it brings.
Izuku nearly fell over in relief, he had been fighting the voice and the instincts it bought for years now, unknowingly fighting against himself.
'I wonder what else I can do' Izuku mused. 'The fire the voice told me about was stronger than Endeavor's, will I reach that height, one day?' He imagined himself about 2 feet taller, with a beard made out of fire and shuddered. 'Maybe model myself after a different fire hero'
Lost in thought, Izuku almost walked past his house. Walking up the steps, he reached to grab the handle when he stopped. 'What am I gonna tell Mom?' He worried 'I can't just walk in and pull my sword out of the air, I'll give her a heart attack! What do I do what do I do whatdoidowhatdoi-' Izuku's spiraling was cut off by the door opening to show his mother on the other side, looking like she was going to throw out the trash before she saw him. He froze, standing in front of her with his hand raised to open the door. His brain shorted out, and, in lieu of a better idea, decided to do what came naturally.
"Oh, hey honey, do you mind throwing this-"
He pulled the sword out of midair.
His mother fainted.
After carrying his mother inside(and throwing out the trash), Izuku waited for her to wake up. "Oh man what did I do that for? I was supposed to bring it up calmly and show her carefully not pull a fire sword out of thin air! What if I scared her too bad and she doesn't wake up? Did I kill Mom? Am I a murderer? I can't go to jail!"
As Izuku questioned his actions, he saw his mom begin to wake up, and rushed to her side feeling a mix of relief and fear. Relief that he had not, in fact, killed her, and fear over her reaction to his new sword.
"Izuku? When did you get home? You know, I just had the strangest dream, you came in and pulled a sword out of the air! I mean what kind of-" As she turned to face her son, she realized he was, in fact, holding the sword she thought she had dreamed about.
She fainted again.
Izuku continued his murder spiral.
"So, the voice in your head is actually your Quirk"
"Mhm"
"And that Quirk is also the 'embodiment of fire' which allows you to summon a sword?"
"Mhm"
"And that sword lets you create and control fire?"
"Mhm"
"And you used it to save Katsuki from a villain made of slime?"
"Mhm"
"And All Might saw you do that and said you could be a hero?"
"Mhm"
"..."
Izuku wasn't sure how to feel. He knew his mother believed him most of the time, but he couldn't help the fear that was rising up within him. What if she took him back to the psychiatrist, but to get medicated this time? What if he washallucinating the sword right now? He felt tears prickle the back of his eyes as worst-case after worst-case flashed through his mind before he felt hands on his face.
He looked up through teary eyes to see his mother looking back at him with an equally teary gaze, regret and sadness flashing through her eyes.
"I'm so sorry Izuku." He felt a pang of…something in his stomach. Those words had echoed in his head for so long, but something felt different this time, he didn't know what, but the sense of anticipation he felt was almost unbearable.
"I'm so sorry I didn't support you, or believe you." She apologized again, tears falling freely now. Izuku felt terrible, what kind of son was he to make his mother cry? He opened his mouth to console her, but before he could speak she raised her hand, halting his speech before it could start.
"I should've supported you that day, Izuku. I should've believed you when you said the voice wasn't yours. I should never have told you what you could and couldn't do. I was a terrible mother to you Izuku, I never believed in you. I should've trusted you from day one and instead I chose others over you again and again, I let my worry for you control me." Her voice was wobbly now, Izuku noticed, as tears fell down his face.
He curled up, starting to sob as his mother apologized, but something was missing, something was wrong and he couldn't help but think back and remember-
"So let me try again."
He looked up, past the tears to see her give the biggest smile she could, and his sobs redoubled at the sight and at the sound of what she said next.
"You CAN be a hero, Izuku."
He couldn't hold it anymore, his voice breaking and the volume of his sobs increasing as he rushed towards his mother and held her closer, all he could do was repeat thank you's into her ear as mother and son bridged the gap created 8 years ago.
Izuku lay in his room, eyes tracing the ridiculous amount of All Might merchandise. He wanted to forgive his mother, at least, he thought he did, but if he really wanted to forgive her, why couldn't he get rid of the pit in his stomach when he thought about accepting her back into his life, back into his dreams.
'After all,' He thought, uncharacteristically darkly, 'the last time I trusted her, she sent me to a shrink.'
His thoughts stopped, unsure of the darker path his memories had taken, but shook his head to clear it out.
'Enough of that, Izuku!' He slapped his face to clear his mind 'Mom changed her mind! She says I can be a hero now! And so did All Might!' He paused, a smile forming on his face as he recalled his Hero's encouragement, and the task he had been given.
FLASHBACK
"You CAN BE A HERO, YOUNG MAN!"
As Izuku took in the words and sobbed, All Might deflated again, wiping the blood off of his chin as he stood in front of Izuku, who looked up at his idol, eyes glimmering with tears as the man larger than life yet more fragile than glass turned to leave.
"Meet me at Dagobah Beach tomorrow at 6AM, Young man, I'll make a hero out of you!"
With those parting words, All Might walked away, Izuku's eyes following the man's path before he turned to leave as well, trying in vain to wipe the tears that flooded his eyes.
END FLASHBACK
Izuku smiled at the memory, before a sobering thought flashed through his mind,
'He only told you you could be a hero because you have a Quirk now.' what sounded like a twisted version of his own voice sneered. 'If you hadn't followed Bakugo's advice and tried to kill yourself via Villain, you'd still be a worthless Deku, a liability.' He shook his head again, trying to rebuke the words as he settled in to a fitful sleep.
Izuku's eyes opened to what looked like the ceiling of a boiler room. As he sat up, he took in his surroundings, and saw he was in some sort of hallway, brightened slightly by a dim yellow light. A maze of pipes stretched along the walls and ceiling of the passage he found himself in, some dripping a strange orange coloured liquid. The hallway seemed to stretch forwards with no other passage to turn or retreat into, an unending path towards a heat that tried to pull him in.
"Where am I?" He mumbled groggily, still sitting on the damp floor. "Did Kacchan and his friends throw me into a sewage tunnel?"
As he regained his bearings, he shot up, eyes widening as he remembered what the voice had told him,
I will grant you audience.
"This must be where the voice resides." Izuku guessed, "Which means this is…my soul?"
As he looked around, Izuku felt decidedly unimpressed by the state of his maybe-soul, 'a sewer? Really? Does this mean my mind is dirty? Am I a pervert?' The sound of a water droplet hitting the ground drew his attention, knocking him out of his thoughts. He looked towards the pipes, and walked towards them, his eyes focused on the orange liquid that dripped from them constantly, his thoughts filled with curiosity of what the liquid could be. He reached the wall, and tentatively placed his hand directly under where the liquid was dripping from, waiting for the next drop. He watched a drop form as the liquid collected directly over where Izuku's hand waited, and he watched in fear and anticipation as it fell onto his hand, marveling at the sight of the strange liquid, until it began to burn.
Izuku yelped, shaking his palm to get the drop of burning liquid off of him, before frantically blowing on his palm to soothe the burn. He hissed, grabbing the wrist of his hand, feeling like he had put his palm on a branding iron, but when he looked at his palm he noticed the lack of reddened or burnt skin.
He looked back at the pipe, palm stinging with pain, and felt his interest in the oddity rise.
"Liquid fire? Or maybe Lava? It's orange so it can't be water, but what's making this…flame ooze flow through my body?"
Izuku debated the properties of the mystery liquid for a little longer before facing the outstretched passage once more. He gulped, feeling the heat radiating from in front of him dry his skin and throat of all moisture, before steeling himself and moving forward, to the center of his soul.
Izuku walked forward, the heat continuing to increase until he felt like he was being steamed alive by the fiery pressure. He stopped in his tracks, doubt rising in his throat as he looked at the seemingly infinite path before him.
'I can't do this.' He thought despairingly. 'What was I thinking? Deku can't be a Hero. I'm better off giving up and turning around before I get myself killed.'
He started to turn, pivoting halfway around before he froze, remembering the voice's declaration.
"I am the strength behind the Sun!"
Izuku gritted his teeth and faced forward once again, drawing strength from the power of the voice. 'It believes in me!' He thought desperately, 'it thinks I can be strong, that I can be more than Deku!'
He moved forward, eyes fixed on the floor as he forced his feet to move, one in front of the other, trudging through the heat that settled over his body like he was being burned alive.
"You CAN be a Hero Young Man!"
'All Might believes in me! He thinks I can be a hero like him!' Izuku was forced down by a new wave of pressure, his body folding until he was hunched over, shaking as he tried to keep moving. Taking a deep breath, clenching his teeth and glaring forwards, he pushed his body past it's limits as he continued to walk forward. He could feel his muscles screaming, his bones rattling and his brain warning him to stop, to take a break but, still, he marched forwards, overcoming the oppressive climate. He walked while the heat continued to increase, and the pressure pushed down on his already crooked posture. He walked until the heat felt like a million little knives pushing into every inch of his skin, like he was being burned alive, and the pressure was what he thought being at the bottom of the ocean would feel like, and he was forced to stop, his body unwilling to put itself through more pain. Izuku glared at his treacherous limbs, willing them to move, but not even All Might could make his body undergo this torture, he grit his teeth and dug deep, forcing his body to take just one more step until-
"DEKU"
He froze, involuntarily letting the air hiss out of his locked jaw, as the word seemed to echo around him, he felt the name like a physical weight atop the already immense pressure on his body, still he remained standing, legs shaking as the weight grew until-
"Not gonna happen, kid."
This time, the words were whispered into his ears, he could feel them like a pressure in his mind, like his head was going to pop, explode like Kacchan's Quirk. He was forced to remember the day his dreams died, the day he was diagnosed as lesser, as subhuman. Now, he was forced onto a knee, the pressure on his body and in his mind growing until-
"Take a swan dive off the roof and pray for a Quirk in your next life"
The words surrounded him, blanketing him in the rage they caused and increasing the heat until he could resist no longer, falling to his hands and knees as tears welled up and evaporated instantly in the blaze that surrounded him, he was being consumed by the flames it burned, burned BURNED-
"You CAN be a Hero, Izuku."
His mother's voice felt like a cool breeze in the heat around him, lightening his burden and lowering the heat around him. His eyes widened, tearing up once again before they sharpened in determination.
'One more.' He grit his teeth. 'I can do this one more time! Stand up Izuku! Stand up and make your mother Proud!'
A vicious cry ripped its way from his throat, resounding in the air around him as he stood up and forced his unwilling body forward.
"Move damnit!" He screamed at himself. "Move Deku, Move!"
The sounds of his footsteps echoed as he stomped his way forward, his body straightening as he recalled his mother's words and drew as much courage as he could from them. Soon he was walking again, slowly and painfully, but with his back straight and his head held high, resisting the pressure of the words as he started to increase his pace. He sped up, as much as he could until he was running through the halls, the words of his Quirk, his idol, and his mother propelling him forward until he collapsed as he ran past the exit and collapsed as the heat and pressure vanished.
He staggered as he stood, body aching and stinging, his skin feeling like he had been burned at the stake, and felt like an ant in front of the spectacle he beheld. He saw a grand chamber, with golden pillars surrounding him and brilliant, blue flames upon rows and rows of torches. He saw walls plated with gold and artwork, a ceiling bejeweled and shiny, and, in the very center, a blindingly bright and gargantuan flame, almost reaching the ceiling of the equally large chamber. Behind the fire was a throne, golden and covered with jewels, amethyst, ruby, sapphire, a purple sword sheath resting against one of the arm rests. Before he could continue to lose himself to the room, Izuku's attention was drawn back to the fire when it started to speak.
Congratulations on passing my first test, child.
Izuku blinked. "First test? That was a test? Theres gonna be more tests? Are they gonna be worse than this one? I don't think I can handle worse than this one! Oh man what if the next test is to light myself on fire Ican'tdothatmomwouldhaveaheartattackan-"
Enough, child. Izuku gulped, his jaw clicking shut as he stared at the fire ahead of him.
The voice was stern now, almost disappointed.
I do not mind your inane speech, but I will not suffer a coward as my wielder, if there is another test, you will undergo it, or you will lose the flames. Do not make me withhold them from you, child.
Izuku was sweating now, his mind overtaken by the fear of losing his newfound powers, of being Deku again, of being worthless again- "NO" Izuku slapped his face with both hands. "No, I will not be afraid again, I will be a Hero, and I will not fail!" He glared at the fire ahead of him before taking a deep breath and letting it out, straightening his back, pulling his shoulders back and lifting his chin.
"I have questions for you, Voice, and I would like it if you would answer them" His voice was alien to his hear, steady, not confident but not stuttering or mumbling either. Voice was silent for a time, allowing Izuku to stew in his thoughts, and while the exterior was still in his most upright and confident posture, his thoughts were not.
'Oh my god that was so rude, what if Voice decides to just get rid of my fire for talking to it like that? Am I going to die?!'
The voice broke its silence with a laugh, deep and throaty, its amusement clear through its tone.
Good, child! My wielder must be strong, both in body and in spirit! I might listen to a brat but I won't listen to a spineless one!
Izuku nearly sagged in relief, but caught himself before he could relax too much, the voice seemed to have a volatile temper, and he didn't feel like antagnoizing it further.
"F-First of all" He cleared his throat as his words started to catch, his throat still recovering from the intense heat he had placed on his body.
"First of all, are you really my Quirk, and if you are, why did you show up so late?" This was the question Izuku had been desperate to ask, he needed to know what this power was and, if it was his, why it had taken so long to manifest, why it hadn't saved him earlier.
The voice hummed, apparently pleased by the question, before it answered.
Let me start by putting you at ease, child. I am what you would call your Quirk. If it noticed Izuku collapse in relief, it didn't show it, continuing to talk. I was born of your soul's desire to change the world. You prayed for a Quirk that would let you be seen as normal, yet you despised that a Quirk is what would make you normal. I am formed of that hatred of the system, of that desire to destroy and rebuild.
Izuku swallowed hard, it felt like a jagged ball of glass was forcing its way down his throat as he processed the words spoken to him. "Destroy and rebuild" felt awfully like something a Villain would say, but as he opened his mouth to refute the voice, he paused and thought back to his childhood.
'Would I want another Quirkless child to go through what I did?' He questioned himself. 'Do I want more "Deku's" in this world?' He shut his mouth and swallowed his argument, as he realized that the voice was right, he did want the world to change, and he was willing to be the one to do it.
The voice continued, ignoring Izuku's aborted attempt to argue.
As for why I manifested so late, here, the voice paused, apparently considering something. Why don't you try and guess? It suggested, based off of the test today, why did I not awaken sooner?
Izuku felt his anger rise, but shrugged it off and thought about the question instead.
'It said 'based off of the test today', but what could that have to do with a late manifestation?' Izuku brainstormed for a little longer before an idea flashed into his brain.
"The test was PAINFUL!" He exclaimed. "If I had gone through this test at a younger age, I would've failed!"
The voice hummed, not quite satisfied.
That's partially right. You might have failed this test at a young age, but at the same time, you hadn't suffered as much at a young age, so the test might also have been easier then."
Izuku blinked "But then, why-?"
The fire would have cremated you.
Izuku rocked back as the words hit him like a truck.
"W-what?"
Your body would not have survived the fires of your soul. The voice continued, mercifully patient. Until yesterday morning, the fires were too strong for your body to handle, you would have been immolated almost immediately.
Izuku stared at the ground, searching for the question that was itching in the back of his brain.
"What changed? Why can I use the fire now?"
Your vessel has matured. The voice answered, simply. You have reached an age where the fires will no longer harm you.
Izuku focused on breathing as he struggled to understand, before drawing himself up and exhaling.
"When you spoke to me before the sludge villain, your voice was more…coaxing then it is now. It's like your attitude changed overnight, and speaking of, why do you call me 'child' anyways? Wouldn't you have been created at the same time as me?"
The voice huffed, slightly amused.
I was nicer to you before because I needed you to talk to me, now that you're here and listening to me, who do I need to persuade?
Izuku hung his head and sighed
"So, you're going to keep acting like this?"
The voice chuckled
This is my true self, after all. For the second part of your question, I call you child because, compared to me, that is what you are. I am much older than you child.
Izuku's brow furrowed as he considered the words, turning them over in his head.
"But you said you were born of my hatred, if anything, you should be younger than me!"
That would normally be right, but time flows differently here, child. In your mindscape, your soul, five hours have passed, including your test and our conversation so far, but in the outside world, only one hour has gone by. For every minute you are alive, it has been 5 minutes for me. The eight years between my waking and now has been 40 years for me. I am effectively almost triple your age, child.
Izuku's jaw dropped. His quirk had been growing five times faster than him! If that was true, it was no wonder the voice called him child, it'd been forced into self-reflection for 40 years because of his actions. Izuku couldn't imagine it, having only one person able to hear his voice, and then having that person ignore him the whole time, it sounded like torture.
'Though,' He mused, 'it does answer the question of how it knows its abilities so well. 40 years stuck in this space? It must have trained itself to its limits out of sheer boredom!'
Izuku was overrun by guilt, he had forced the voice into solitude out of ignorance, detained it in isolation out of fear. He bowed to the fire, arms trembling as he struggled to find the words to apologize.
I forgive you, child. He looked up, confused. I know what you're thinking, I know your actions were born of ignorance, not of malice. Ask your next question before I lose patience.
Izuku straightened, taking a moment to recenter himself after what he had learned.
"Alright, next question. Where am I, and what was the liquid leaking down those pipes?"
This room that we are in now is the root of your power. The voice explained. This is where your fire is generated, and the room closest to your soul. The hallway you arrived in is your mindscape, a reflection of your mental state.
"Talk about down in the dumps." Izuku joked weakly, his mind running a thousand miles an hour as he tried connecting the dots. "So the pipes, I'm guessing they carry the fire from here to the rest of my body?"
The voice laughed again, delighted.
Correct, child! The pipes carry the flames through your body. Once your body awakens, your very blood will run with the power of the blaze.
Izuku felt a smile come to his lips at the sound of laughter, but schooled himself to ask his last question.
"You said earlier that the fire is of you, and that you can control how it acts in my body, but now you say it's mine, so how are you the fire, yet the fire is mine at the same time?"
The voice was silent for a minute or two before speaking again.
The fire is mine, that is true, but I am yours to wield. I hold the power of fire, and I am your weapon, therefore you hold my power as yours.
Izuku tilted his head to the side, confused at the answer.
"But, I thought you were the fire?"
The voice 'tsked' in disapproval, causing Izuku to look at the ground in shame.
The fire is of me, not part of me. You are a smart boy, I know that, so think back and recall what allowed you to wield my flames.
Izuku, afraid of disappointing his Quirk again, wracked his brain trying to recall the moment he had used the flames for the first time, unconsciously looking down as he thought.
'My body heated up, and then I shot a wave of fire from the edge of the-!'
He snapped his fingers together and rocketed his head up, gazing at the fire with confidence in his eyes before walking forward and reaching into the core of the blaze, his fingers touching and then grasping the handle of the sword, pulling it free of the inferno and holding it above his head. The voice laughed, the sword vibrating as it did so,
Good! You understood quicker than even I was expecting! I will be your blade, child, and I will grant you permission to wield me!
$$$$$$$$$$$LINEBREAK$$$$$$$$$$$
When Izuku woke up the next day, it was in confusion. It was a weekend, so why was his alarm going off? He thought about the question as he opened his eyes and saw his usual All Might poster's staring back at him. He squinted at the posters, dissatisfied. After all, the posters couldn't match the real thing.
'Wait, the real thing?' He thought for a second before he remembered his promise to meet All Might. Jumping out of bed, he scrambled to get dressed before rushing out of his house, pausing to gaze at himself in the mirror for a second before he bolted. He paused, staring at his reflection and was disappointed in what he saw. He wasn't awfully short, at an alright 5'4, but he wasn't as tall as a lot of his classmates, and he was scrawnier than a noodle. He rolled up his sleeve and tried to flex, staring embarrassed at the visible lack of muscle present despite his strain as he tried to make anything pop out of his arm. He sighed, putting his arm down and preparing to leave before he could discourage himself further, but before he could a now familiar voice rang out in his head.
Now that we have opened dialogue, The voice began You must begin to develop this twig of a body. At present, if you tried to swing me more than once you would be liable to dislocate both of your shoulders from the weight of my blade.
Izuku put his head down in shame for a moment, before recovering and lifting his head with determination shining through his eyes.
"I will make myself worthy of wielding you, I swear!" He declared, before deflating as the voice snorted.
Didn't I make myself clear, child? Currently, I am only allowing you to wield me,I am permitting you to borrow my power, you have a long way to go before I acknowledgeyou as my wielder and give you reign over me.
Izuku nodded again, determined once more.
"I know, but I will make it happen, I swear it on my soul!"
The voice hummed, approval radiating from it before it spoke again, a teasing lilt now present in its tone.
Don't you have to go? There's only 10 minutes until your promised meeting time after all.
Izuku's eyes bulged as he confirmed the time, before resuming his wild dash out the door and down to the trash beach that was Dagobah Municipal Park.
By the time he got there, Izuku was panting like he had run for an hour rather than the mere eight minutes he had managed, but he wasn't late! As he looked around, searching for the sight of All Might, a hand clapped on his back, startled, he jumped up and turned around to see All Might in his skinny form, grinning down at him.
"ALL MIGHT!" He shouted before All Might's hand grabbed his mouth while the man looked around furtively to make sure no one was nearby to hear his slip up.
"Keep it down young man! Do you want the whole city to surround us?" Izuku shook his head sheepishly, before peeling All Might's hand off of his face.
"All Might," He said, quieter this time, "Can I ask what you called me here for?" The hero grinned again, wider this time.
"Firstly, when I'm in this form, you can call me Yagi." He paused as Izuku almost squealed in excitement, vibrating as he listened.
"I know All Might's name!" He crowed, before realizing something important. "Ah, my name is Midoriya Izuku, Mr. Yagi!" He beamed up at his idol, feeling joy well up in him at the previously impossible situation.
The man chuckled, ruffling Izuku's hair as he did (with Izuku barely holding in a squeal at his idol touching his hair), before continuing.
"I asked you to come here to ask you a question, Young Midoriya." He paused as Izuku nodded vigorously, waiting for him to continue. "To be a Hero is not just to beat Villains, it is to keep your community satisfied and happy with your presence." Izuku nodded slowly, wondering where this was going.
Yagi's grin widened, a hint of malice present now, before pointing behind him at the piles of trash.
"Don't you think all of this is stopping your community from being happy?" Izuku paled at the insinuation, Yagi letting out a booming laugh that failed to provide him the comfort he normally derived from it. "A true Hero is one that helps on every level of society! Let's start you off with some community service! You task is to clean this beach up before you finish your first year of High School, we have three years to make a Hero out of you, and it's going to start here!"
Izuku swallowed as he stared at the monumental heaps of trash that surrounded him, as far as the eye could see. He inhaled sharply before squaring his shoulders and turning back to his new mentor.
"I'll do it!" He spoke earnestly and with all the goodwill he could bring up, hoping that Yagi would see his determination.
"Amazing!" Yagi's smile stretched out before dimming slightly. "Before that, however, Young Midoriya, I must ask you something important." The serious tone the conversation took shook Izuku out of his starstruck state, looking nervously as the Number One Hero put a hand on his shoulder.
"Where did that sword come from in the slime villain attack?"
Izuku relaxed as relief washed over him.
"Funny story, actually!" He laughed. "Turns out the voice in my head was a Quirk!" Yagi paused for a second before taking a deep breath.
"What does that mean, Young Midoriya?"
One long, convoluted explanation later.
Izuku watched as tension seemed to drain out of the Symbol of Peace's body, confused about what had worried him so much. Before he could ask, however, the man clapped his hands together with a smile back in place.
"Well, Young Midoriya, I think we've dilly dallied enough! It's time for us to get to work! And by 'us' I mean you! With this "Become a Hero American Dream Plan", you'll be a hero in no time!"
Looking over the booklet, he saw not only hours of training, but eating and sleeping times along with time to study neatly mushed into a schedule for him to follow, moved over how much time this must have taken his now-mentor, Izuku felt his body heat up as he gathered his determination.
Izuku gulped as the trash began to look even bigger as he imagined cleaning it, but before he could panic over the logistics of cleaning a whole beach, the voice spoke out once again.
When you finish cleaning this, I will teach you how to use the powers of the fire, and how to use a sword skillfully. Don't waste time here, lest you be clumsy with your flames.
Izuku perked up as he heard that, his determination renewed as he imagined himself, taller, more muscular and swinging his sword to save people, providing people with hope and reassurance that He would be there, and walked towards the first pile of trash, grabbing the first thing he could see.
Month One, April, 2213
"The first month will be the hardest." All Might had warned. "You're going from almost no physical activity to heavy lifting basically immediately, you MUST follow the plan unless you want your muscles to tear and your body to break."
Izuku nodded, feeling like he had understood, but now, with the month almost over, he felt like Yagi had understated the difficulty, if anything. His body was in pain almost constantly, and while he was managing to keep his grades high so far, it was still the beginning of his third middle school year, and things were only going to get harder. Izuku steeled himself, 'this is what it takes to be a hero!' He reminded himself. 'This is only the beginning, I have to keep going, I have to be a Hero!' His determination renewed, Izuku continued to clean the trash, ignoring his body's pain.
Month Five, August, 2213
Young Midoriya was overworking himself, Yagi noticed, frowning as we watched the boy struggle to stay focused. He had almost collapsed the other day, Yagi was beginning to worry the boy would permanently damage himself, after watching him flinch while carrying a microwave, Yagi decided enough was enough.
"Young Midoriya." The man's voice stopping the boy in his tracks. "You haven't been sticking to the schedule, have you." It wasn't a question. "I made that schedule as the ideal way for you to develop, Young Midoriya. If you work too much then you will only harm yourself in the long run." Moving towards the boy, he put his hands on his shoulders and kneeled, looking the boy in his teary eyes. "Why aren't you following the plan?"
Izuku took a second before explaining. "I-I was a late bloomer. Everyone else has been working to be a hero their whole lives, and I've only just started taking it seriously! I need to finish this training so I can learn to use my Quirk like they can, and to learn all the other skills that they already have! I can't fall behind anymore than I already have!" The boy was heaving now, his words having spewed out of his mouth with a fiery passion. Yagi was moved almost to tears, the boy knew his shortcomings and was determined to overcome them, how could he not be proud! Buffing up, he enveloped the boy in a hug.
"YOUNG MIDORIYA! YOUR PASSION HAS INSPIRED ME, I TOO WILL WORK TO BE A GREATER HERO THAN I WAS YESTERDAY!" Yagi held the boy close as he shouted out his encouragement before deflating again, now holding the boy like a kitten from his shoulders.
"But seriously, follow the plan. You'll cripple yourself like this."
Izuku nodded fearfully as the possible consequences of his actions sunk in, Yagi could only hope the boy continued to listen.
Month Nine, December, 2213.
It had been a long nine months, Izuku thought as he stared out over the clean expanse of sand from the road above the beach. Not only had be cleaned the beach ahead of schedule, he had done it perfectly, not a single speck of trash remained on the now pristine sand, and the water glimmered in the cool winter air, free of the junk that had once floated on its surface. The beach was beautiful when it was clean, Izuku had realized, white sand and azure waters, it could've be a resort location had it not been for the piles of trash. Staring out into the ocean and lost in pride for his work, he was startled by his mentor's voice from behind him.
"Oh my, oh my GOODNESS!" Came a shout from a buffed All Might, astonishment, pride and awe present in his voice as he took in the work his pupil had put in. "This is beyond any expectation I had, Young Midoriya!"
Izuku smiled wearily, it had been a long morning of him cleaning the beach before school started, but still pride surged within him at the words from All Might.
"I went Plus Ultra, Mr. Yagi!" He replied, beaming up at his mentor. "I wanted to get it done before the New Year so I could bring Mom here to celebrate!" All Might laughed heartily.
"I couldn't have given you any motivation greater than a mother's love, Young Midoriya! But what I can give you, is my blessing upon you, in the hopes that you become a Hero even greater than I one day!" Izuku felt tears sting his eyes as the words of the man sunk in, before pride and awe turned to worry as he saw the time.
"Oh shit I'm gonna be late for school!" He screamed as he checked his phone. "Sorry, Yagi-sensei, I have to run!"
Yagi watched the boy sprint to his school, noticing his broadened back and shoulders, the new cords of muscle that bulged out of his arms as he gathered his belongings and smiled fondly, before his expression morphed into a more pensive one.
"I can't offer you my power yet, Young Midoriya." He muttered, taking a page from his apprentice's book. "But maybe if you get into U.A. I can keep an eye on you, make sure you continue to uphold the ideals of a Hero." He smiled at the thought, imagining a bright future, before walking back to his truck. A hero's job never stopped!
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Izuku wasn't completely out of breath, surprising, he thought, given he had been running at a steady pace for almost 15 minutes now, hoping to make it to his class on time. He had taken his uniform's jacket off and was running with it slung over his shoulder on top of his bag, leaving him in a tight, black undershirt that he had worn to clean up the beach. Arriving at the gates, he slowed and took a tentative sniff of his shirt, hoping desperately he didn't stink too much, sighing in relief as he couldn't pick up any unbearable smells coming off of him. He checked his phone for the time and blanched. 'I only have two minutes before class starts!' He screamed internally, picking up speed as he ran through the halls, bursting through his classroom door before the bell rang, and bending at the waist slightly to catch his breath. As he straightened up and began to walk to his desk, he was confused as the usual jeers didn't follow him as he proceeded, most of the class staring at him quietly, he was confused further as one or two girls near his seat blushed as he approached them before sitting down. 'Why are they looking at me like that?' He wondered, 'Do I have something on my face?' Looking down in an attempt to understand what had caused everyone to forgo their usual insults, he blushed, mortified, as he realized his jacket was still off, revealing the tight black shirt underneath, clinging to his newly developed muscles. As he fumbled with his jacket, trying to put it back on, he missed the ruby-red eyes glaring at him from across the class under a cloud of ash-blonde hair, and the sound of teeth gritting from a familiar face.
Izuku nearly jumped with joy at the sound of the bell, eager to wash the grime of his early morning training off of his body and crash for the rest of the day. Swinging his backpack over one shoulder and walking towards the door, he made it halfway to the door before a hand gripped his shoulder and the voice of his nightmares cut through his hopes of rest and relaxation.
"Deku" Bakugo growled. "I thought I told you to give up on your bullshit dreams, did you miss the fucking message?" Izuku shivered, starting to sweat as he recalled the numerous times Bakugo had tormented him, his body freezing as an instinctual response to his tormentor.
"I've been watching you, you know" He continued. "Ever since that FUCKING sludge villain, you started acting differently, acting like you forgot your place again." A grin spread across Bakugo's face as he raised his hand, sparks and smoke emanating from his hand as he readied himself to ruin another of Izuku's school uniforms. "Lemme remind you, Deku, just how useless you really are!" Izuku watched the hand descend towards him like it was in slow motion, still frozen in fear, he closed his eyed, awaiting impact.
Move boy! His Quirk roared. I told you I would not suffer a coward as my wielder!
Izuku's eyes swung open at the reminder that he was different, the reminder that he wasn't useless anymore before they narrowed as he felt heat run through his body and reached for the fire in his soul, grasping and pulling the sword out of his mindscape and, his body moving before he could think, leveling it at the blonde's face, heat rising off the blade in a visible haze. Bakugo froze, sweat dripping down his face as the tip of the sword rested in between his eyes, his hand inches away from Izuku's face, still sparking as he looked at the sword, confusion and fear running through his face.
"I'm not 'Deku' anymore, Bakugo." Bakugo's eyes snapped to him at the name, confusion flitting across his expression at the lack of the usual 'Kacchan'. "I awakened my Quirk late, the day I saved you from the sludge villain. I'm going to U.A.U, and I'm going to be a hero. Nothing you can do will stop me."
Izuku's eyes glowed with confidence in the words he spoke, far removed from the stuttering boy he had been almost a year ago. Izuku blinked as the heat filtered from his body, his eyes raced across the room as he struggled to understand what he had gotten himself into, taking in the sight of his bully in front of him, eyes still focused on the blade pointed at his head. His face blanched, realizing what he had done, stumbling away from Bakugo, the sword disappearing as he did so, he ran through the door before Bakugo decided to kill him, his mind racing at the unforseen situation.
'What did I just do?!' He wailed in his head. 'I just threatened Bakugo! He's gonna kill me! Oh God where did that come from! I could've sworn my body was frozen!'
His Quirk preened within him, he could feel the fire going larger as if it was puffing its chest out.
I gave you a little boost It boasted. No wielder of mine will cower before trash like that!
Izuku stopped in his tracks as he thought about that.
"You can affect my emotions?!" He shouted aloud, drawing strange looks from the students in the hallway around him. He blushed, before continuing his run out of the building. "I mean," He continued at a whisper. "You can affect my emotions?"
The voice snorted, as if offended
What I can do is not as simple as 'affecting' your emotions, I effectively burned the fear you felt towards that boy out of you, leaving the anger you felt towards him as the main emotion you felt towards him. The fear, as you noticed, came back, that is because I cannot burn away your feelings permanently so recklessly, it would almost certainly destroy your psyche. What I did instead was let the fire 'toast' it a little, before pulling it back.
Izuku hummed, entranced by the explanation. "So, whatever you burn is replaced by the next strongest emotion I feel towards them? And you aren't actually 'boosting' me, you're just removing my strongest emotion towards things, right?"
That is correct, child. Now, rest for the day, tomorrow I will begin teaching you how to wield me!
Izuku almost hollered in excitement before remembering his surroundings. He contained the sound, but was unable to stop the mile wide smile that spread across his face.
"Yes, sir!"
Unfortunately for Izuku, he would not have time to rest, his mother ushering him out of his room only an hour after he had gotten home.
"We have to get you checked by the doctor again, there's no way you're missing the toe joint if you developed a Quirk!"
Izuku was reluctant to go to the doctor again, he had been diagnosed as mentally ill the last time he had hoped for a change after all, but he steeled himself and followed his mother into the car. As they approached the clinic, Izuku fought with the words that seemed to be stuck in his throat, his voice choking as he tried to express his worries to his mother.
"Mom." He managed to croak out as they parked. She looked at him curiously, halfway out of the car already. He licked his lips, struggling to shape the words through them.
"You, uh, you'll believe me this time, r-right?" He hated how desperate his voice had gotten. "You won't, won't take me to another psychiatrist, right?" His mother softened.
"Oh, honey, didn't I tell you? I should've believed you from the start, I'm not going to break that promise now." She cupped his cheek as she spoke, wiping the unshed tears from his eyes. "Now come on, I'm going to rip that doctor a new one." A shocked laugh burst its way from Izuku at his mother's statement. As his worries were assuaged, he felt like he was deflating like All Might did, stress leaking out of him like a broken pipe. He followed his mother into the clinic, a small part of him wishing he would see his mother talk down to a doctor.
Izuku received his wish, and then some, as the doctor cowered under his mothers wrath after it was revealed he had simply looked at Izuku's old Xrays from when he was six, not taken new ones after her son described a voice in his head. After Izuku pulled his sword out and made it emanate heat, and the doctor pulled his jaw off the floor, new X-rays finally confirmed Izuku's hopes, he only had one joint in his pinky toe, he was Deku no more. The physical confirmation of his newfound Quirk eased Izuku's heart more than he thought it would, he felt like his body fithim, like he was at peace with himself. He wondered if it was ridiculous to feel like that over a single joint, but threw it aside for the joy he was bursting with at the moment.
In the comfort of his room, Izuku was still riding the high of his newly registered Quirk, and as he slept he smiled, mumbling the newly named Quirk in his sleep.
Burning Soul The voice mumbled quietly, hoping not to wake it's wielder. Not a terrible name, but it's nothing compared to my true name. I'll accept it for now, boy, but you had better become worthy fast, before I run out of patience.