Part 2 - Destiny Promises a Future (Izuku)

Midoriya Izuku worked hard every day. It was the only way to succeed.

In a world of talent and a world where no magic meant no life to most, working hard was everything. Working hard meant survival, meant helping at least one more person. For All Might's sake, he'd definitely do it.

That didn't mean he didn't come home from class and work and everything exhausted and flopping into bed. But he had his friends and they helped. His mom helped. Everything was fine.

Then he met Overhaul, and everything was decidedly not fine.

Mirio was still not fine, Sir Nighteye was dead and he… he was…

Well he was something that's for sure.

His mother's soft hums of worry lulled him to sleep, a guilty sort of rest, but he needed it. He was working for two. She was so good to him. She was still blessing his fight, a thing that not all families did to their careers. Part of the reason Kacchan was so powerful was because he had both of his parents' blessings to fight.

Which was fine! It wasn't Kacchan's fault. But that help would have been nice in a battle or two.

His scarred hands would have been better off that's for sure. There was the rest of him but still. Still.

He wondered how Eri was doing. They were teaching her to explore, to survive, while they worked on healing her heart, her magic, her time.

Her unstable gods darned magic.

Sometimes the League has a point, he thinks. But it's not good enough. It can't be good enough.

He ached to do something right.

…

Izuku dreams of Sir Nighteye's blood dripping into his hair, caking it with a bruise. His monotone voice is expectant, speaking of a failed future. Another sad ending having been written. Another and another and another.

Kirishima's screaming as his skin slowly softens and the nerves return and the pain races over his shield magic. Uraraka vomiting blood from her space magic. Asui's tongue split-

Overhaul's raspy, unforgiving, mocking everything, coaxing little Eri into a cage and crashing it down onto her until there wasn't a person to be reassembled.

He twists in his sleep.

He hurts.

His mother's voice, much like it lulled him to sleep, woke him up. People were over. Izuku hopped up, the hope it was a little girl with white hair who couldn't smile with Aizawa-sensei burning in his stomach. He fixed his hair a little, pulled down his clothes and wiped off the drool (ew!). Then he hurried out of his room and was smacked by the familiar form of Himiko Toga.

"Toga-san, hey!" He didn't sound disappointed. She'd understand. She'd been there. She'd understand.

(Izuku hated the League, hated its founder, hated what it stood for. But the longer his time went the more he understood it was going to exist. Maybe unnecessarily but heroes and villains were things people created for themselves. Like symbols. Like the truth.)

"Izuku," she chirped. 'You've gotten so thick!"

"Uh… thanks?"

Uraraka cackled at his misfortune. The girl behind Uraraka was also grinning, eyes bright underneath her hat and framing her catsuit. Were catsuits normal attire? Or was she dressing up? Oh well, that was a rude thought, he didn't even know who she was anyway.

"She's bored," Uraraka told him. "Entertain her."

Oh gods. A bored Toga was never good. "I'll try my best," he said. "Who's this?"

"Sup," The other teen flashed him a peace sign. "I'm Camie, the rockin' roommate. I heard you were smart."

"I told her you were hot," Toga added and he flicked a loose lock of hair before leading them up to his room. "Both are true."

Uraraka sighed. "Don't make me jealous of you. I don't get to feel up to my best friend like that."

"Uraraka-san!" he protested. It wouldn't be so bad if he could stop looking at Camie and her look of zen joy and not feel embarrassed. Sure it embarrassed his mom but Toga was just like this and Uraraka didn't mind her girlfriend being like that so he'd had to get used to it. Admittedly it was a bit… tighter than usual. So she was bothered by something.

He didn't ask because he knew better. It would come up anyway.

A few hours passed and Eri retreated to the back of Izuku's thoughts. Not gone or anything, but like a little shadow waiting to haunt him again.

And of course she came up from the mystery roommate. "So I met this kid at my job," she said casually. Her eyes flicked to the way Toga had stopped wiggling on Uraraka to distract her from the latest blue shell. "White hair, bandages, red eyes, and a horn. Ring a bell?"

Izuku almost choked on his water, almost but Toga's eyes flickered and he bit his lip instead. "I… uh… yeah. I helped rescue her from a recent mission. They're supposed to be slowly showing her the outside world."

"She didn't look that well shown to me. All dirty and stuff."

Izuku's control almost slipped. Almost. "She probably ran away. She did that before when she was… where she was. Old habits die hard."

"Huh." Camie blinked a bit, then she rolled her shoulders. "Guess so."

"They'll need to get her back," Izuku said. "She must be lonely and scared. Could you tell me where you work? I'll tell Aizawa-sensei and All Might-" He ignored Toga's twitch. He was used to it by now. "And they can guide her back."

Camie regarded him under the brim of her hat and he waited, impressed by how she could look cool as a cucumber and like she was thinking the hardest in the room at the same time.

"Nah," she finally said and he goggled at her. "I like keeping my job as is, ya know? You can come pick her up from it though. Like, I always want a new audience member."

Izuku regarded her carefully. There was a lot to unpack there. Magic wasn't forbidden, exactly. But it had to be regulated and controlled with care. Just like technology really. You couldn't be an adult living as a mage and freely use your powers. Vigilantism was frowned up and there were some good reasons.

Still, her power couldn't be that bad. Her magic was probably fine. And the laws didn't stop anyone really. Sure hadn't stopped him.

"Sounds good," he finally said. "I look forward to it."

Toga looked about to cheer but then she cursed as Uraraka smacked her car with a blue shell.

Izuku laughed and turned to watch, but he felt Camie's eyes on him the whole rest of the race.

"My turn next?" he begged, in order to avoid it. And to pretend he wasn't kind of enjoying it a little.