A/N: This was writing alongside the final chapter of Momo's Admirer, which I'm happy to admit will receive a sequel in the future, a series of one shots between Momo Kitty and her new boyfriend, Kyoya Teddy. I'm calling it Kitty and Teddy.
Anyway, this is a one-shot I've been thinking of for about a week and had to write it. I hope you enjoy it or at least receive the same feeling I did when thinking about it.
Expect some characters being out of their norm. I really tried to stick with the original characterization so feel free to constructively criticize me about what I got wrong. I'm really trying to improve.
Enjoy!
Sometimes, the students of Class 1-A really hated their homeroom teacher. He was lazy, sadistic, and knew how to make them anxious. Of course, the students respected Aizawa highly. Despite his flaws, he proved to be an effective teacher. He didn't coddle them. He pushed them beyond their limits, Plus Ultra and all that. The students knew he wanted them to be great heroes/heroines.
Although the students respected Aizawa, that did not give the man the right to dump his paperwork on them, claiming it as practice for "When you become Pros, you'll have documents to sign, stamp, and file. Better to practice now than later."
So, for the first period, Class 1-A sat at their desks with a stack of paper divided amongst them. Until the bell sounded for the next period, they were to complete as much as they could. If finished early, they could leave early, but only if EVERYONE was finished.
"Hey," an aggravated Kaminari broke the tense silence that washed over the classroom. No one wanted to do the paperwork, and everyone cursed their teacher for swindling them.
"Yeah, bro?" Kirishima kept his eyes on the paper when responding.
"I know Aizawa-sensei put us up to this, but why are we here?"
"On a Friday no less!" cried Mineta, his fingers cramping, "Who does this to their students?"
"The bastard we call our sensei," Bakugo growled. It amazed everyone how the explosive teen reigned in his desperate urge to set fire to the papers. He heavily considered it, but the resulting headaches warranted his refusal.
"He's not technically wrong," Momo was the second least bothered by the assignment. However, the occasional wish to make a flamethrower remained fresh in her mind. "No one is safe from filing paperwork. It's something we must all tackle in the future."
"Why do I get the feeling someone in this classroom messed up, and Aizawa-sensei chose to punish us all alongside them?" Jirou gave select classmates the stink eye.
"Don't look at me!" Mina whined, "I had nothing to do with this."
"While I share everyone's sentiments," the model student, Iida, was the least bothered by the assignment. As student president and hailing from a high-class institution, he already had his fair share of paperwork skills. Although, even he was frustrated by his teacher's laziness.
'A teacher of U.A. should be setting a better example! This is inexcusable!'
"Unfortunately, there's nothing we can do."
"Oh, there's plenty we can do," Kaminari sneered, "But I'm too afraid of what sensei can do to us if we did. He's not even here to supervise, so again, why are we here?"
"It's one of life's great mysteries, isn't it?" the students turned to Izuku Midoriya, whose writing utensil moved so fast the students swore they saw smoke rising.
"Why are we here? I mean, are we the product of some cosmic coincidence, or is there really a God watching everything? You know, with a plan for us and stuff. I don't know, man, but it keeps me up at night."
Silence fell over the room. The class, halting all writing, stared straight at the green powerhouse with stunned countenances.
"Midoriya?" Sero called out, "What the hell was that?"
"Yeah dude, I was talking about our teacher's prank, not the secrets of the universe," Kaminari tugged at his uniform. It got heavy real quick.
"If there is a so-called plan, why the hell are there too many sacrifices being made?"
It was like Midoriya slapped them in the face as he ignored them, the brassiness of his words stinging the cheeks of his audience.
"Is the plan to make people suffer and test the limits of humanity? If so, why isn't everyone created equal then? Why are others given more advantage than others just because of a simple whim?"
"D-Deku-kun?" Uraraka tried to get through to him but to no avail.
"Bro, you okay?" Kirishima didn't like where the usual bundle of sunshine was going.
"Humanity fucked up a long time ago, and we're the ones having to fix it because of course. Of course, it's us who has to clean up the disaster burned in history. It's our generation going through some of the worse of it, losing life and limbs to appease the abysmal standard of living. It's not like we're under a lot of pressure, dealing with high-level villains at such a young age. The civilians believe we're some sort of invincible force, but what about those born unlucky? Those who didn't even have a quirk to belong?"
No one noticed Bakugo tensing up.
"We're not created equal, and that becomes more apparent when you live in a world where quirks are valued above all else. However, it's worse for people without a quirk. They're not even considered people. Others don't look at you with pity and empathy. They don't see you as worthy of their time. You're not a person. You're defective, an abomination, a damn mistake!"
Anyone walking by the door immediately sped up, not liking the dark aura coming off the gate, and not wanting to know what horrible secret lied beyond it.
"You're told as soon as it's known you'll never amount to anything, that you'll always be the same waste of living that plagued this quirk-infested world with your impurity. The whispers go ignored. You try to ignore the things they say behind your back, but each day gets worse and worse. No matter how hard you try, it's never enough. It never brings satisfaction. Then, you start to listen to the voices."
A cynical laugh that contrasted horribly with the cinnamon roll left Midoriya's mouth. Intense chills went up his classmates' spines.
"You listen to every word and slowly start to think it's all your fault. Even though you had no control, it's somehow your fault. You never asked for a quirk, nor did you ask to be quirkless, but you're still at fault, and you live with that hatred, a hatred of yourself that's rooted in your soul. You can't even look at yourself, ashamed of your very existence to the point that your mom's life and everyone else's would be better if you stopped trying and killed yourself!"
"DEKU! YOU FUCKING NERD!" Bakugo exploded.
"WAHH!" Midoriya jumped and almost fell out of his seat. "Kacchan, sorry, what were you saying? Oh, did sensei say we can go?"
He turned to face his friends with a bright smile, his usual jovial self seemingly restored, but the various looks on their faces made him uneasy. Aside from Bakugo, who refused to meet Midoriya's gaze, the rest were flabbergasted. Some of them, including, Uraraka, Kirishima, Kaminari, and Mina had waterfalls of tears leaking from their sockets.
"What's the matter, guys?" The green boy went into a panic. His friends were distraught. Izuku hated seeing people sad. "Did something happen? Did I screw up on the paperwork? I'm sorry guys. I'll fix it!"
'He doesn't even know and thinks it's his fault.' Was the collective thought.
"Midoriya," Iida adjusted his glasses, gripping his desk so fiercely it threatened to crack.
Izuku noticed how solemn Iida's tone was.
"You were muttering again," the student president told him.
"O-Oh, I'm sorry," Izuku scratched the back of his head. "I didn't mean to distract you guys. I'll be quiet."
"Izuku, we heard everything," Todoroki pointed out.
The ninth inheritor of One for All tilted his head. He stood with no clue as to his friends' observation. Yeah, his thoughts took a sudden wrong turn, and it was something he kept deep to his heart, but he mumbled his thoughts all… the… time.
Izuku realized the situation and clamped his mouth shut with his hands, lowering his now ashamed and fearful face to his embarrassment.
"D-Deku-kun," Uraraka was blinded by grief, "Do… do we need to talk?"
"Forget talking," Kirishima and several others rose from their seats, "Do you need a hug, bro?"
Izuku instinctively took a step back.
"N-No, I'm fine, guys," he assured them.
"That was not the inner monologue of a person who's fine!" Jirou retorted, "Your heart rate's skyrocketing, dude! Don't lie to us!"
Izuku quailed under the class's glare. Every fiber of his being screamed at him to run away, but he knew that would worsen the situation. Reprimanding himself for his bad habit, Izuku tried to come up with a plan. He let Kaminari's question wallow around in his subconscious, but as he contemplated an answer, his thoughts took a dark turn. Things were normal until Izuku started to think about his life before All-Might chose him as the next inheritor of One for All.
When he was just a quirkless nobody.
When he was considered less than human.
He didn't mean to go back there. He pushed away those thoughts long ago and focused on the future, but in his moment of weakness, it happened.
Why was he here? Was becoming a hero all he wanted? Once Izuku obtained Pro Hero status, what was next? He didn't know the answer.
'What if I stayed quirkless?'
The bundle of sunshine was positive he could've found another way to live out his dream.
'Why am I here? Why was I born quirkless? … Why was I born?'
"He's hyperventilating," Jirou announced, "His heart is pounding and getting heavier by the second."
Uraraka and Iida were the first to move closer, forcing Midoriya to retaliate. He activated Full Cowling, but Sero was quicker on the draw and wrapped his bandages around Izuku's arm to hold him back, long enough for Uraraka to throw her arms around Izuku in the biggest embrace she could muster.
"Stop, you don't need to do this," Izuku attempted to break free, but Uraraka refused to let go, "I'm not worth it."
To stop the boy from struggling, the anti-gravity brunette used an unexpected ace.
She kissed Midoriya's cheek, effectively stopping him cold, and allowing the others to rest easy knowing they didn't need to apply force.
"It's okay, Deku-kun. Why? Because we're here," Uraraka said in a soft voice.
"We're here for you, Midoriya," Iida placed a hand on the frightened boy's shoulder.
He flinched, and the class hated how badly he did. The class was aware a lot of things held them under so much pressure, but they all seem to take it relatively well. Midoriya was the same, training, studying, and hanging with his usual circle, but they were oblivious to the scars that ran deep. Midoriya, the worst liar known to man, was a master of hiding his pain when he truly wanted to. He did everything in his power to help others, but when it came to his well-being, it was like he didn't care. He could be beaten within an inch of his life, have blood and organs strewn over the place, and he'd still try to be a hero.
Class 1-A hated how little Izuku regarded his life.
"I'm sorry," he began to cry. "I'm sorry for being such a bother."
He remembered them, the stares from civilians, teachers, and students. The predatory glare that haunted him since childhood.
Predator, they were the predator and he was their prey. When the hunt started, he was the first target.
"Midoriya!" Jirou brought up the panicking teen's hyperventilation again. His condition worsened, especially how fearful he became when more got closer. He could never accept praise with a clear face, but when it came to physical content, Class 1-A always noticed how desperately he tried to avoid it. It was like he thought they were…
Uraraka, Iida, and the rest shared the same look, all arriving at the same conclusion.
"Deku-kun? Did someone?"
"Who put their hands on you?!" multiple classmates raged.
Let it be known about Class 1-A that while they don't always see eye to eye, that did not stop their strong camaraderie. They were family. Mess with one and you mess with the whole class, and there was one unspoken rule enforced by the students.
Never put your hands on the cinnamon roll.
Someone was going to pay. There was an individual or group of assholes who did the unthinkable and justice needed to be administered. No one puts their hands on the greatest model of a hero and not suffer the consequences. The radiant sunshine that breathed life wherever it went was replaced by a dark, ominous cloud.
"It's been a long week," Izuku's voice was barely above a whisper. With her super-sensitive hearing, Jirou relayed the message to the class.
Uraraka pecked the boy again on the other cheek.
"We can talk in private if you like," she offered, motioning with her head for the crowd to give them space.
"Breathe, Midoriya," Iida said gently. He didn't want to upset the boy even more. "Everything's going to be okay. We are here to help."
"… I don't want to be more of a bother."
"Stop!" Jirou slammed her hands on her desk, face livid and threatening to cry at the situation. "You're not a bother to us, dude. Why do you see yourself as a nuisance?"
"She's right, bro," Kirishima stated, "You're one of the manliest guys I know. There's no way any of us would be bothered by you."
A moment of silence washed over the class, waiting for Midoriya to react.
"We live in a fucked up society," it was Bakugo who growled. As Midoriya lost his mind, the ash-blond teen took a trip through memory lane. He recalled the attacks, hurling the insults, and even the suggestion. There was no mistaking the damages he caused the quirk enthusiast. He flinched when Midoriya mentioned killing himself. Bakugo was the one who put it in his head. It was his fault he turned out like this.
He broke Midoriya.
The hero fanatic, the one person who admired all heroes regardless of how unknown, loved all quirks regardless of versatility and flashiness, had seriously considered taking Bakugo's advice, and Katsuki hated it.
"It's already too late to fix him. He's been like this since we were in junior high."
Izuku shot Bakugo a worried and pleading stare.
"Don't tell them!" His eyes begged, but since when did Bakugo listen to Midoriya?
"Oi, Pikachu, we're here to make sure no one becomes like fucking Deku. That's it. We bash villain's skulls and deal with the depressed," he stared back at the green-haired cesspit of nerves.
"Izuku," Todoroki called out. If looks could kill, he and Bakugo would have the highest count. "You don't have to say anything, but I need to make sure I didn't mishear anything."
There was no doubting the string of words that flowed from Midoriya's lips.
"This is my biggest issue. Your mom's life and everyone else's would be better if you stopped trying and killed yourself," the half-hot, half-cold prince of 1-A noticed Midoriya bury himself deeper in Uraraka's embrace, "Did I hear that right?"
Jirou nodded his suspicions, whereas Midoriya never responded. He remained silent, but that was what Todoroki expected.
Abomination, monster, defective; who would say these things? Was that the kind of society they lived in? Did people look down on the unfortunate that harshly?
The world truly was broken.
"That's not true!" Surprisingly, Koda was the outburst. The animal lover had enough. Like his classmates, he couldn't stand to see a guy like Midoriya suffer so badly for matters he didn't deserve.
"No one would be happy, least of all your parents. You are more loved than you give yourself credit for. Without you, things would never be the same. You're a ray of sunshine that can brighten up the darkest day."
"Damn right," Sero declared, "Whoever hurt you needs to have their whole world re-evaluated."
He didn't deserve it, the total support of his entire class. He didn't deserve their friendship.
"Thanks, you guys."
"Oi, Deku," Bakugo stood up, "I don't give a damn what the world says. The only one who gets to kill you is me. If I hear you spout that kind of shit again, I'll blast you out of existence, resurrect you, and kill you again. You're gonna let shit you couldn't control in the past dictate your life? You're gonna let old Deku hold you back, or are you gonna be less of a wimp and beat old you into submission?"
"That's what I'm talking about, bro!" Kirishima gave the explosive delinquent a thumbs-up. Of course, Bakugo turned away dismissively and bared his teeth. His choice of words wasn't the most encouraging, but the class was proud Bakugo offered any encouragement at all. They fell in line and offered poor Midoriya more comfort, the girls and Black Shadow giving him a much-needed hug, and the guys patting and ruffling his head to soothe the darkness latching onto his heart. Slowly but surely, there were bringing the bundle of sunshine back with a bigger glow.
'To protect this moment and fix the world for the better, that is why I'm here.' Izuku allowed himself to smile and hug the main girl, Uraraka. 'To make sure everyone can live without fear and not have to suffer the same pain I did, that's what I'm here to accomplish.'
"Thank you, guys," he gave one last sniff and cleaned his face, the blinding grin dazzling once more. The class had succeeded. "I can't begin to say how much this means to me. I promise to pay you all back for your loving support."
"Tch, just don't get any funny ideas," Bakugo stated, "I have a bad enough headache as is with all this stupid fucking paperwork."
"Bakugo, language!" Iida chastised with his chopping hand.
"Bite me, four-eyes!"
"We really should get back to the paperwork before Aizawa-sensei…"
It was already too late.
"Oh no, don't mind me," the sudden appearance of Eraserhead had the kids frozen in place, "By all means," his hair began to levitate as his eyes glowed a sinister crimson, "Give me some ideas."