MY HERO REJECTS Chapter 1: Look Death in the Face and Laugh!
In a world where super human abilities are common place, what is someone without a quirk to do? This is the question Sugimura Noboru asked himself as he walked to school with his friend Komine Yuriko. Yuriko bobbed along cheerily next to Noboru, seemingly oblivious to her friend's inner turmoil as they continued along the sidewalk in silence.
Today was the day of the UA High School Entrance Exam for eligible freshmen students. However, Yuriko and Noboru wouldn't be in attendance. All his life, Noboru had dreamed of being a hero, but making it in the big leagues just wasn't possible for someone like him. He had to be the unluckiest kid in Japan. Both his parents had regenerative quirks, which would be unusual enough for the making of a great hero, but on top of that, a quirk never manifested in Noboru anyway. His family never said anything to him, but with his father being an esteemed doctor who used his quirk to heal people and his mother a botanist with a quirk that could nurture and grow plants, he always imagined himself as a big disappointment. They probably thought he was a good for nothing bum.
Normally Noboru's cheerfulness and good nature was a match for Yuriko's. He'd had years of practice to master the art of putting on a smile and a laugh to hide the disappointment with his lot in life. But today there was nothing he could do to hide the emptiness in his heart. His quiet contemplation was interrupted by the excited squeal of Yuriko next to him.
"Oooooh look Noboru!" Yuriko's eyes grew impossibly wide as she stared up at a giant billboard advertising UA High. Contrasting sharply against its bright blue background was the symbol of peace and justice himself, the legendary All Might. "He's so handsome!" Yuriko swooned, bobbing her head from side to side with a stupid grin on her face. Komine Yuriko was considered by most of the people around her as a typical fangirl, but those closest to her like Noboru knew she took things a step further than "typical". She had posters of heroes, (mostly the manly, muscular variety) plastered all over her room at home. She kept track of hero meet and greets all over the city, skipping a dangerous amount of school days standing in line to add to her growing autograph collection. All Might was her #1 favorite hero, which she made abundantly clear to everyone she walked by thanks to her red, white, and blue All Might backpack. Despite worshipping professional heroes and the culture around them, Noboru had never once heard her claim she wanted to be a hero like he did. This bothered Noboru, especially on days like today when he was feeling so depressed. Unlike him, she had a quirk. How could she be satisfied from simply admiring heroes from a distance?
Yuriko quickly had a notepad in hand, muttering to herself and scrawling down street names, then next to it a doodle of two hair spikes and some sparkles.
"Masuo-kun will have to get a picture of it for me!" Yuriko's joy was comical and infectious. Noboru couldn't help a small smile from appearing at her enthusiasm. Masuo Hajime was a mutual friend of theirs who worked as a freelance photographer for the news companies in Musutafu. Hajime was only several years older than the two freshman students, but since he dropped out of high school, he had built quite the portfolio for himself by capturing spectacular shots of heroes in action. His photographs had made front pages several times since he'd began his career. Of course, he liked the recognition but that wasn't why he spent so much time photographing heroes. Like Yuriko and Noboru, Hajime loved the thrill of pro hero culture and his photography gave him a way to be a part of it. For the past year, ever since Hajime had started renting an apartment with his older sister, the two of them had been hanging out at his place after school. They would unwind by playing computer games, watching TV, and most importantly discussing the latest revelations in the world of heroes. Yuriko wanted to call the trio of friends the "All Might Fan Club" but it didn't really seem to stick to either Hajime or Noboru.
Noboru wondered where he and his friends would be in the future. Hajime had found success despite not getting a chance to go to UA, but Noboru couldn't picture his own future without being a hero. He'd been born with all the willpower of a hero, but none of the ability. Why did life have to be so unfair? That question hung in his mind as he and Yuriko waited at a traffic crossing and watched cars drive by.
"I can't wait to check out the results of the UA exam after school. I hope Tenya passes." Yoriko exclaimed as they waited. Iida had been a student at their middle school and was the only one to take the hero exam from their class. Noboru guessed Yoriko might have a crush on him.
"His quirk is super speed, he'll be able to rack up plenty of points early and then take it easy. I'm sure he's a shoo-in for a spot at UA. He'll make a great hero." Noboru replied for the first time that morning as the crosswalk light lit up. As they walked across the road, something suddenly seemed horribly wrong to Noboru. His eyes darted to the right as he heard the screeching of rubber against the pavement. A car slid onto the road and though Noboru wouldn't be able to remember the color or kind of car, in the moment he knew that it wasn't going to stop at the traffic crossing. With no time to think, Noboru did the first thing his instincts told him to do. He shoved Yoriko forward with all his might. He saw her stumble and fall to the other side of the street, then in the next split second he couldn't see anything at all. All he perceived was the stomach churning crunch of bones meeting against metal. Countless hard smacks followed until he finally felt and heard nothing.
"NOBORU!" Yoriko's scream pierced the already loud intersection as citizens quickly realized what was happening and started to panic. She'd watched helplessly from the ground as the car barreled into Noboru, sent his body flying across the street, then swerved uncontrollably and crashed into the side of a building. People began to get out of their cars, some running from the scene, while others stared on, too shocked to do anything. Three figures climbed out of the smoking car. Two carried large black duffle bags and guns, while the third stood out as his fists transformed into two giant rocks.
"Alright everyone back the fuck up!" The one with the rock quirk yelled to the bystanders. Chaos ensued as more people scrambled to get away. Ignoring the danger and the words of the villain, Yuriko, who was back on her feet with no injuries beyond scraped knees, ran to the motionless body of Noboru.
Suddenly, muffled cheers sounded from the side of the intersection opposite the villains. Out of the crowd walked a man in a black jumpsuit with wooden armor covering his body. Kamui Woods, a hero, had arrived on the scene.
"Stand down Boulderfist, you've got nowhere to run." Woods tightened his hand into a fist as he spoke.
"HA! You think one second rate hero is going to get in my way? If you try anything, my men will fire into the crowd, so I'll ask you kindly to get the hell outta here." Woods didn't move a muscle at the threat. Instead he asked a question.
"How about two?" Behind Boulderfist, there was a crack of a fist colliding with a jaw. One of the villains went slack and fell to the ground. A single shot went off before the second hero who had appeared behind the group slid over the trunk of the crashed car and delivered a swift kick to disarm the second grunt followed by a punch that sent him smashing into the concrete siding of the building. Before Boulderfist had a chance to turn back to Kamui Woods, he was already being wrapped in strong wooden roots that protruded from the hero's hand.
"GIVE ME A FAIR FIGHT YOU MOTHERF-". Vines grew over Boulderfist's mouth as he tried in vain to fight back. There was a second of silence as the heroes stood victorious, before the crowd erupted into an ecstatic cheer.
"Thanks for the assist Native." Woods gave an appreciative nod to the second hero in the fight.
"That kid…" Native's face was grim. Together they looked to see a small group of people gathered in a circle off to the side of the fight. At their feet lay a body.
"Step aside." Kamui Woods ordered to the concerned bystanders as they approached. The crowd did as they were told, and the two heroes kneeled at either side of the boy. His head was propped up in the lap of a young girl who looked the same age as him.
"He- he saved my life- ". Slightly dried tears clung to the small girl's cheeks as she stuttered with her words. In different circumstances Yuriko would be thrilled to see heroes, but she was still shocked by the encounter and by Noboru's sacrifice to protect her. She knew she didn't have that kind of courage inside her. If he died to save her, how would she ever be able to live with herself?
"I saw the whole thing. This boy showed true bravery." Native set a hand on the trembling girl's shoulder while Woods leaned in to listen for a heartbeat.
"He's breathing!" Cried Woods in surprise. He hastily unbuttoned the boy's school uniform. "This shouldn't be possible, that car had to be going 80 kilometers per hour!" The bystanders began to crowd around again as they all stared in awe at the boy's chest. It went from purple to red to peach in seconds right before their eyes. Woods swore he saw the ribs realign. Astonished voices whispered in the crowd. Native whistled.
"That's one hell of a quirk." He smiled for the first time. Yuriko's eyes grew as wide as they'd ever been. All this time, Yuriko thought Noboru was quirkless. There was no way he could have been lying to her. To go all these years without discovering your quirk only to have it revealed by saving a life, well, Yuriko saw it as luck beyond imagination.
It was then that Noboru finally snapped back into consciousness. His eyes flickered as he stared up at the heroes over him.
"You did a good thing today kid, dare I say heroic. This city would be a much darker place without your courage." Woods said.
Noboru's eyes glanced up, straight into Yuriko's. He was glad she was alright. The more he tried to piece things together in between his lapse in memory though, the more a single question rose to the forefront of his mind.
How am I still alive?