Chapter 1: Itsuka Kendo: Origins
"Helpless as ever, Itsuka. How do you expect to be a hero if you can't even help pass a simple test?"
Eyes linger at their conversation in the hallway of their school as Momo and Itsuka look at their mid-term test results. Momo, like always, is at the top of the board, and Itsuka is at the bottom.
Helpless... that's one of the many names Momo called her. Along with weak, useless, worthless, or any degrading insult. She constantly used the same mocking tone. Skipping stones, athletics, or, right now, academics, it didn't matter. Whether through performing better than Itsuka did, passive-aggressive comments, or downright telling her she was useless, Momo always found some way to tell her Itsuka she didn't have any talent.
Itsuka hated it. She detested being recognized as the quirkless loser. She despised being regarded as someone to be protected and not the other way around. Most of all, she loathed that the only person to give her the time of day was content with flexing her own superiority instead of acting friendly.
The only thing Itsuka wanted to do was be a hero, to be the shining light for others. Was that too much to ask?
"Stop calling me that Yaomomo! I'm not helpless!" Now everyone's eyes were on Momo and Itsuka since she raised her voice.
"Could've fooled me! When was the last time you were good at anything?" Asked Momo in a patronizing tone.
Sweat rolled down Itsuka's face as she stared at the floor in silence.
Reaching deep into her mind, Itsuka tried to recall something that she was good at, but she came up blank.
Itsuka was broken out of her thoughts at the sound of Momo's condescending laughter.
"Wow, you're pathetic! You have to think about it!?" Itsuka's anger grew as everybody else in the hallway joined in on laughing at Itsuka. This could sum up the entirety of Itsuka's school days'. Something to laugh at. The butt of a cruel joke. When someone else failed, it was fine. It didn't matter. Just try again later. When she failed, everyone thought it necessary to laugh at the quirkless Itsuka. Did she want to actually try to be someone? What an idiot! She should know her place. It seemed as if the universe just loved to see her suffer.
But she promised herself she wouldn't let any of it get her down. So what, she wasn't good at a lot of things? So what, she didn't have a quirk? That didn't make her worthless. She was going to prove it. Right here, right now.
"I'll prove I'm not weak! I'll… I'll… I'll fight you!"
The entire hallway went silent. What was Itsuka thinking!? Why would she say something so foolish!? Momo had top marks in gym class, and Itsuka was just skin and bones. It would be like a house cat fighting a lion.
Momo's eyes widened, and then she let off a smirk. "Humph! Helpless and stupid!" Momo gripped Itsuka's shirt collar. "You can't even decide on a struggle, and you think you can fight me!? Get real!" Itsuka fell flat on her back after Momo threw her to the ground. "Now c'mon. I don't want to be late for class." She walked off until she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm not done yet…." Itsuka grumbled.
"Huh?" Momo asked, confused.
Itsuka balled her hand into a fist… "I SAID I'M NOT DONE YET!" and punched Momo in the face.
The punch was sloppy, but it was still enough to make Momo stumble. Momo reached a hand up to her face and felt her lip. She checked her fingertips, and sure enough, she was bleeding. Her face changed from confusion to pure and utter anger in an instant. Her eyes became bloodshot, and she was shaking from utter rage.
Itsuka knew she fucked up.
"YOU BITCH!" Momo tackled Itsuka to the ground and started whaling on her face. Each punch felt more brutal than the last. Itsuka, try as she might, couldn't fight back. Momo's relentless attacks and pure strength negated all her attempts.
"Who the hell do you think you are!?"
"A nobody. I know that. But I want to be more."
WHAM
"After everything I did for you!"
"After all the abuse, you mean?"
WHAM
"You up and hit me!?"
"I guess I did."
WHAM
"Do you think that makes you somebody?"
"I just wanted to prove I was more than some quirkless freak. Why is Yaomomo so mean?"
WHAM
"It doesn't!"
WHAM
"You're useless, helpless, Itsuka!"
"Shut up…"
WHAM
"You're a nobody!"
"Shut up."
WHAM
"You still think you can be a hero!? You'll be lucky to be a janitor!"
"Shut up!"
WHAM
"On top of all that, you're quirkless! It's no wonder your parents left you!"
"SHUT THE HELL UP!"
BASH
Itsuka bashed her forehead against Momo's nose. Momo let off a scream of pain as she got off Itsuka and buried her hands in her face. Itsuka stood up. Her vision was blurry. Her legs were shaking. She could barely hear anything. All she tasted was her own blood on her tongue, but she got into a sloppy fighting stance and looked at Momo with anger.
Momo took her hands off her face and returned the glare. "You bastard!" Momo lunged at Itsuka, prepared to repeat her last beating. But massive arms pulled her back.
"Both of you to my office. Now!"
"Fighting!? Seriously, you two!? I honestly expected better, especially from you, Yaoyorozu."
Momo sat up in her chair with her hands in her lap like she was taught, with a straight face. However, internally she was freaking out. Fighting!? Itsuka of all people? She wasn't even worth the time of day, let alone fighting. What would her father think? He wouldn't approve of this! He hoped he didn't hit her like he used to do, mom. She knew the training was going to be extra harsh for the rest of the week.
It was all Itsuka's fault. Itsuka started the fight. Momo simply finished it. Why was she being punished? It was completely unfair. Now she had to deal with the consequences of Itsuka's stupidity.
Since they were toddlers, they have been friends, even after Momo figured out what Itsuka was. She was useless, helpless, and reckless. Despite this, Momo always treated Itsuka with kindness. She tried to at least. Sometimes an insult couldn't help but find a way out of her mouth, or sometimes she would show off just to show her up. But Momo was always nice to Itsuka. But she dared to fight her, in front of the whole school, no less.
Momo honestly did not know why she even still hung out with Itsuka. Maybe it was a sense of obligation? Perhaps she just stayed around her out of a sense of familiarity. Whatever the case, all Itsuka did was hold her back. It was time to listen to her father's advice.
Cut off all useless things.
"Fortunately, this is both of your first offenses, so I'll be lenient. 2-day suspension for Yaoyorozu and 3 for Kendo since she started the fight, from what I heard."
"Yes, sir." They said simultaneously.
The principal dawned a soft look and looked at the two girls. "Yaoyorozu, you are a straight-A student with top marks all around. Kendo, you may not be as academically gifted as Yaoyorozu, but you are a good student. Please try to do better."
Both of them nodded their heads.
"I'll be calling both of your parents and inform them of the situation."
"That won't be necessary. I'll tell father myself." Said Momo.
"Are you sure Yaoyorozu? I know your father can be rather... strict." Said the principal.
"I'll be fine. Thank you for your concern. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll take my leave." Momo got up, walked out of the door, pulled out her phone, and called her father.
"Hello?"
"Father. Will you please come to pick me up?"
"Why? Did you get in trouble?" Momo's father asked in a harsh voice.
Momo took a deep breath before she answered. "Unfortunately, yes. I… I got into a fight."
The other line was silent. Was he mad? That was a dumb question. Of course, he was angry. He was probably furious that Momo tainted her perfect record. The silence on the other line was scaring Momo. What was he going to say? What was he going to do to her when she got home?
"... whom were you fighting?"
Momo gulped nervously. "I-Itsuka K-kendo, sir."
"I see… I'll pick you up shortly. Meet me out in front of the school."
"Thank yo-." Before she could finish, her father hung up. Momo could finally relax. She knew it wasn't over, far from it. But she could at least enjoy the few moments she had before she fell into the wrath of her father.
Momo fixed herself and made her way to the front of the school. It was going to be a long day for her.
"Itsuka!" A young brunette woman tackled Itsuka into a bear hug.
"Hey, Miss Sakura." Itsuka greeted
"I told you to drop the formalities. I adopted you, so we're family now. So please just call me Yua."
"Okay, Miss Yua." Itsuka said cheekily
"That's close enough, I suppose." Yua said
They smiled at each other fondly, happy to see each other…
… Until Yua karate chopped Itsuka in the head.
"Ow! What was that for!?"
"C'mon, Itsuka! Fighting? I thought you knew better than that?" She was usually so good at home too. So what could make her want to start a fight with someone? Wait? She is Itsuka's parent now! That meant this was her responsibility! Was she teaching her wrong? Has Itsuka become a delinquent? Her heart couldn't take it.
"Miss Yua! Calm down!" Unbeknownst to Yua, she started shaking like she was vibrating and crying enough tears to flood the streets.
"I'm sorry. I just never expected you to get into a situation like this. You didn't get hurt, did you?"
"No, I'm fine. I just… I've had an awful day. Can we go home?" Itsuka asked.
"Yes! Of course!" Yua replied.
As they walked to the train station, Yua noticed Itsuka had a dejected look on her face. Her shoulders were sagging, and she didn't have her usual optimism in her step. She really looked like she could use a break. What could cheer her up? Oh! Yua could make Sukiyaki. Itsuka would love that! But she needed more udon noodles. Yua looked at the shops on the street and saw they were rounding the grocery store. Perfect timing! Operation: Make Itsuka the happiest child in the world has commenced!
"Hey Itsuka, before we go home, I have to make a quick stop at the grocery store. Do you want anything?"
"Just get me some instant coffee, please."
"Coffee? Aren't you a little young to drink that stuff? You just started Junior High a few months ago."
"Please?" Damn. She couldn't argue with those puppy dog eyes.
She sighed. "Okay, fine. I'll get some."
Itsuka let out a small but genuine smile. Progress! Haha! Yes! Step one; make Itsuka smile was complete. Step 2: Make Itsuka's favorite dish and wait for Itsuka to praise her as the best foster parent ever! Wait? She was getting a little ahead of herself. That wasn't until she left for college.
"You going to come inside or wait out here?"
"I'll wait out here. I need some time to think."
"Alright, if you need anything, call me."
Itsuka nodded her head once again with a dejected look in her eyes. Dang! She was sad again. Unacceptable! Yua adopted her intending to make her a happy child, and she didn't plan to give up so soon or ever!
Yua walked into the supermarket with renewed courage, intent on making the best gosh darn Sukiyaki ever made.
Itsuka sat on the park bench near the supermarket with a blank look in her eyes, remembering exactly when her life took a downward spiral.
Flashback
A 4-year-old, Itsuka, ran up to her father, jumping with excitement as he put his shoes on. "Dad! Dad! The computer!"
His teal eyes looked at his daughter and smiled apologetically. "Sorry, kiddo. You're going to have to ask your mother." Said her black-haired father.
"But I saw you first! Please!?" Itsuka put on her best pleading face. Her father tried his best to resist, but alas, he fell victim to the infamous puppy dog eyes.
He sighed and smiled. "Okay, okay. Go wait by the computer. I'll be there in a minute."
Itsuka nodded and ran into her room. "Hurry!"
"I'm coming. I'm coming!" Her father walked up to the computer and typed in the password.
"Put on All Might!" Itsuka said in excitement
"Again? I swear you've put at least ten thousand views on yourself. What's so great about All Might, anyway? I'm a cool hero too, ya know?"
"But All Might is the coolest!" said Itsuka
"All Might can't be any cooler than me. I mean…" He gestured to his lightning blue hero costume. "Just look at me."
"You're great too! But he's the coolest in the universe. So I'm going to be just like him."
"Is that so?" Itsuka stuck her chest out and nodded her head proudly. "Well, then I wouldn't want to impose." A few clicks later, and the video pulled up on the computer screen. "There we go! Make sure you turn it off when you're done, okay?"
Itsuka already tuned the world out. Instead, her eyes sparkled with childlike wonder at the video disaster footage, anxiously waiting for the video to start.
It was terrible. Crowds of people watched as buildings' collapsed and fires raged on in the background, desperately praying that things would turn out okay. All hope seemed lost until one man stepped up.
"Can you see that? He's already saved a hundred people! That's crazy! It hasn't even been 10 minutes!"
Itsuka watched on in glee, anticipating the arrival of her hero.
A long man climbed on top of a destroyed bus with injured civilians on his back. His boisterous laughter and wide smile easing all the fear the citizens once had.
"He's laughing!"
At this point, the rest of the world didn't even matter anymore. Itsuka's only focus was on the man who single-handedly brought an era of peace.
"Fear not citizens! Hope has arrived!... "
She was lost in her own little world. Itsuka's eyes shined brighter, and she smiled even wider at the sight of the number 1 hero on the screen.
"... Because I am here!"
He said it! He said it! Itsuka squealed joyfully. All Might was so awesome! Saving everyone, inspiring hope even scariest situations, what more could you want from someone!?
"He's so amazing! Once I get my quirk, I'm gonna be just like him!" She let out a boisterous laugh reminiscent of All Might. But, unbeknownst to Itsuka, her father and mother watched on with sad looks in their eyes.
"You should probably give up."
…
…
…
…eh?
Itsuka dropped her All Might action figure out of shock. She should what now!?
"What's going on? Is there something wrong with her?" asked Itsuka's mother.
The doctor let out a tired sigh. "Excuse me, but your husband, Raijin, was it? He is a fourth-generation quirk user, correct? May I ask what your quirks are?"
"Well, my husband can generate blue electricity around his body and use it as a body enhancer. As for me…." She enlarged her hands just a little bit. "I can make my hands a bit bigger, nothing major."
"I see. Typically, by age four, young Kendo would have manifested your husband's quirk, your quirk, or a combination of the two." The doctor pulled up an X-ray of Itsuka's toe joints. "In the past, when superpowers first started showing up, the results of an early research study were published. It became common practice to see if the pinky toe was missing from a joint or not."
Itsuka's mother looked on in sadness as the doctor explained the process of testing for a quirk or, in Itsuka's case, lack thereof. Why couldn't the people she loved just be happy? That's all Makaira wanted. That wasn't too much, was it?
Continuing his explanation, the doctor said. "When parts of the body aren't used, they're deemed unnecessary. People who didn't have the joint were thought to be a newly evolved form because their bodies adapted to handle the strain of their powers." The doctor tapped on the pinky toe joint x-ray. "As you can see, your daughter has 2 joints. It's unusual these days, but that means she has no quirk."
No, it couldn't be. Why Itsuka? What did she do to deserve this? This didn't mean she couldn't be a hero, right?
Right?
The house was dark. Each room was filled with feelings of emptiness left from the void of the doctors' revelation. Silence spread throughout the entire home except for the downpour outside and the sounds of All Might's boisterous laughter coming from Itsuka's computer.
Quirkless; without a distinct trait. How could this have happened? Where did she go wrong? Makaira knew it was just plain bad luck, but she couldn't help but feel it was her own fault. All of Itsuka's dreams were crushed in an instant. How could she possibly become a successful hero without a quirk to separate her from the rest. All of these thoughts and more rang through her hand as she was exiting Itsuka's room.
"He's laughing!"
"Hahahaha! Fear, not citizens! Hope has arrived! Because I am here!"
"Mom…" Itsuka's hoarse voice called out.
Makaira stopped in her tracks and turned to look at her daughter.
"All Might always saves people with a smile, no matter what trouble they're in… He's so cool…." Itsuka turned her chair around to look at her mother, and her mother almost burst into tears. Itsuka's face was red, along with her baggy eyes, which were welling with tears threatening to explode any second. Dry tears stained her cheek as she shakily pointed at the computer screen. She looked like a mess. But despite this, Itsuka had a desperate and hopeful smile on her face, and she asked a question that would change her entire future.
"Do you think… I can… I can be a hero too?"
Makaira took slow steps toward her daughter, trying to hold back her tears. She tried to be strong. She really did. Makaira wanted to be Itsuka's hero. To tell her that she could be a hero. That all it required was a little effort. But she was no All Might. She couldn't just pretend that everything was fine.
Makaira broke down and hugged her daughter with all the love and strength she could muster and apologized. "I'm sorry, Itsuka! I'm sorry! I'm so so sorry! I wish things were different."
Crocodile tears were pouring down faster than the rain outside as mother and daughter hugged each other like lifelines. The father leaned outside the door frame, not making a sound.
As the Kendo family grieved the loss of a child's dream, Itsuka would learn one of the biggest lessons she's ever known.
Not all men are created equal.
Flashback end
Ever since then, she could swear that the universe thrived off of her broken dreams. Almost every day, someone or something would mock her desire to be a hero. She zipped open her bag, grabbed a blue notebook that read "Hero Analysis For the Future," and flipped through her notes, and landed on the page she made of the number 3 hero, Tornado. Each page detailed a different hero and their unique abilities, but her hard work felt redundant. What was even the point? These heroes have different powers that make them useful in different situations and help them stand out from everyone else. All she had was a notebook and below-average test scores.
How would she even become a hero? Technology? She didn't have any knack for inventing. Anything she would make could easily be replicated. Exercise? What was this? One-Punch Man? Although she could stand to do some workouts, it wouldn't close the gap between her and someone like Endeavour or All Might.
Any solution she could think of would easily be counterargued by one thing. A quirk. Something she didn't have. Any amount of hard work she would put into training would be futile because nothing she did could put her on equal footing with someone with a powerful quirk. The notes are an example. As detailed as they were, all of them were… useless.
Huh. Was Yaomomo right? Was she just a helpless little girl? Considering that right now, all she was doing was whining, the answer was probably yes. So maybe she should just give up. But, of course, everyone else says that anyway. Even her parents thought it was impossible. So they can't all be wrong, can they…?
"No!" Itsuka thought. "They are wrong! You'll prove them wrong! You decided back then, didn't you? So hold your head high and keep smiling. Just like All Might."
Itsuka stood up triumphantly and pumped her fist in the air. "Ahahahahahahaaaa! Aha-"
"Would you shut up!"
"Ahh! S-sorry!" Itsuka apologized. Where'd this guy even come from?
"What are you even laughing at anyway? The park is empty." Said the green-haired newcomer
"It's nothing! Just a funny joke I heard earlier! Hehe! It was a knee-slapper. You had to be there!" Itsuka lied.
Green eyes turned to stare at her. Itsuka could swear those eyes were staring into her soul. Of course, the freckles made him a bit less intimidating, but it was pretty jarring nonetheless.
"...Pftttt! Did you just say "knee-slapper!?" Ehahahahahahaha!" Itsuka snickered a bit. Did she actually say that? Her snickers turned into chuckles which then turned into full-blown laughter.
Soon enough, the laughter died down a bit. There were still a few chuckles here and there, though. But, man, did It feel good to laugh at something?
"Aha! Oh, man! Hehe… seriously though, why are you upset?" He said with utmost seriousness.
The mood change caught Itsuka off guard. Wasn't he just laughing his ass off?
"You don't have to answer if you don't want to. I'd just rather not leave a stranger looking like a bird pooped on their ice cream."
Itsuka chuckled at that. This guy was weird. He goes from intimidating, goofy, then carefree within a minute. Though she would admit that he helped cheer her up a bit. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to confide a bit.
"Have you ever felt your only purpose in the world is to be something to laugh at?" Itsuka asked.
"Can't say I've felt exactly like that. Though I think I understand what you mean." The kid replied
"Well, that would be my life in a nutshell. I can't go one day without someone calling me useless or insulting my dreams. I get it! I'm a loser! I don't understand why everyone just feels the need to remind me that!" Itsuka vented.
"What are your dreams?" He asked
Itsuka hesitated on this. She didn't really feel comfortable telling this guy about her desires. He'll probably just tell her what everyone else told her. That she was delusional. Dreams were for children, after all.
Noticing her silence, the boy spoke up. "As I said, you don't have to answer it. I'm just asking. Who knows? Maybe I could help."
"Unless you can give me a quirk, I doubt you could help me." Itsuka grumbled.
"A quirk? Do you not have one?" Did she say that out loud? Damn it! She should really work on that mumbling habit.
Guess there was no point in hiding it now. "No, I don't have a quirk."
"Man, that sucks."
"You have no idea."
…
…
…
"…So what's your name?" Itsuka asked.
He didn't answer for a bit. Instead, he seemed content with staring off into space. But eventually, the boy came around. "Izuku, Izuku Midoriya."
"I'm Itsuka Kendo. It's a pleasure to meet you!"
"Likewise."
Another awkward silence filled the air after Itsuka's attempt at small talk. Jeez, she was terrible at socializing. It was no wonder she had no other friends. Midoriya seemed nice, though, so she was hoping that would change.
After a long insufferable (at least to Itsuka) awkward silence, Midoriya spoke up. "Life sucks, doesn't it."
Itsuka sighed and nodded her head in agreement. "People always say it gets better, and in some ways, mine has, but it's not nearly as good as it could've been."
Midoriya nodded and slumped on the bench they were sitting on. "I could drink to that."
"You drink?"
"It was a joke. I was agreeing with you."
Kendo rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "Hehe, I guess that makes more sense."
Midoriya smiled and let out a tired sigh. "Yeah. Life sucks balls. But at the same time, I'm so grateful."
Kendo raised a brow. "What do you mean?"
"Despite how much I complain about it, I really love my life. I've been blessed with so many things that I rarely ever think about the things I don't have."
Itsuka just listened as he continued, "It's so easy to sit down and complain how much more someone has than you instead of treasuring what you do have. My Mom told me that no matter how bad you have it, there will always be someone out there who has it worse. I didn't get why she told me that, but I think I do now…."
Izuku turned to look into Itsuka's eyes, his pupils filled with sincerity. "Kendo… do you want to be a hero?"
"H-how did you know?"
Itsuka jerked in surprise as her Hero Notebook suddenly started floating midair and floated to Midoriya. A rainbow-esque aura surrounded him and the notebook, and Midroiya's hair was flowing from the energy. "This yours?" Itsuka nodded. "I thought so. Can I look through them?"
"Sure." Itsuka said.
Midoriya nodded his head in thanks and started flipping through the notes, slowly analyzing each page. Finally, after about 3 minutes, he closed the book and floated it back toward Itsuka. "These notes are very detailed. You must be pretty smart."
Itsuka, surprised by the praise, stuttered a response. "T-thank you. But I'm not very smart. I don't even get good grades in school."
"So? Schoolwork doesn't measure a person's intelligence. Those notes had a lot of good insight on pro heroes and quirks in general. And judging from the lack of eraser marks, you wrote most of these in one go. That's pretty impressive."
"Are they? Most people say they're creepy." Itsuka said.
Midoriya smirked and shrugged his shoulders. "Eh. Maybe a little." Itsuka flinched. "Then again, it's not like you're stalking anyone to get these notes, so it's okay." He dropped the smirk and looked at her again. "But you never answered my question. Do you want to be a hero?"
Itsuka's eyes lit up. "Of course I do! More than anything! I think saving people is the coolest thing anyone can do! But…" Itsuka's eyes lost their spark as she dipped her head and stared at the ground. "I can't."
"And why not?"
"You know why!"
Midoriya just stared at her, genuine confusion on his face. "Is it because you don't have a…"
"It's because I don't have a quirk! I don't get it! Quirks are everything in this society! I can't go one day without being reminded that I'm different from everyone else! And not in the way I want!" Tears of frustration built in Itsuka's eyes. "It's so frustrating seeing people get the praise they don't deserve just because they have a strong quirk. Meanwhile, I sit in the background, building up dust." At this point, angry tears were running down her face. "I don't understand! Everything I love gets taken away! My dreams! My parents! My only friend! Why does the world hate me so much!?"
Midoriya scooted closer to her and pulled Itsuka into a hug as she bawled her eyes out in his chest. All of her frustrations poured into her tears while she sobbed into Midoriya, staining his shirt with tears. Soon her sobs turned into sniffles. Then they stopped altogether. Itsuka snuggled into Midoriya, content on enjoying his warm embrace.
"I'm sorry. I just messed up your shirt."
"It's fine. It's just a shirt." It was his favorite shirt, actually, but what she didn't know wouldn't kill her.
Itsuka pulled herself out of Midoriya's embrace. "Thank you, Midoriya. I really needed that."
"Call me Izuku. Pretty sure you can drop formalities once you cry into someone's chest like that." Izuku said
Itsuka smiled. "You can call me Itsuka then."
"Okay then. Itsuka, are you afraid of heights?" Izuku asked
"Not really." Itsuka said.
Suddenly Itsuka felt really light. Like gravity disappeared. She looked toward Izuku and saw he was once again covered in the rainbow aura.
"Hang on. We're going for a little ride."
"Wait, what! I can't go anywhere. I'm waiting for Miss Yua. What if she comes back?! She'll be so worried! She'll probably panic and call the police! Oh jeez, I love her to death, but she can be so overbearing sometimes. Not to mention she'll probably cry herself to the point of dehydration. Now that I think about it, she's been gone a long time. Is she alright!? Oh shoot, now I'm worried. Please be sa-"
"Itsuka, calm down. We're not going anywhere far. I just wanna show you something."
"I don't know… It's not that I don't trust you! Well kinda! I mean, you are still a stranger."
"I'm pretty sure we're past the stranger phase. C'mon, I swear it'll be worth it." Izuku said
Itsuka still looked reluctant, but in the end, she caved. She took a deep breath and looked Izuku in the eye. "Okay."
Izuku smiled, and they took off into the air above the entire city. It was indeed a surreal experience. Itsuka could see all of the tallest buildings in the city and smell all the smells of the passing restaurants. Each second they traveled, Itsuka felt the cool Autumn air hitting her skin as she and Izuku soared through the mid-afternoon sky. All of Itsuka's problems were insignificant at the moment. Her pain, torment, loneliness, none of it mattered. Right now, it was just her, Izuku, and the clouds in the sky. For the first time in a long time, Itsuka felt free.
Soon Izuku started slowly lowering them to the ground as they finally reached their destination.
Wait a minute "...Is this the mall?"
"Yup!" He pointed toward the food court. "You hungry? I'll buy."
"No thanks. Miss Yua is cooking something when we get home."
Izuku shrugged his shoulders. "Suit yourself."
Soon they find themselves at the food court. Izuku, with a bowl of Katsudon in hand, looked at the people at the other tables. "There are a lot of people here today."
"Yeah, I guess. I don't really come here often enough to tell." Itsuka said.
"I don't come here often either. But when I do, I notice all these families, couples, and friend groups. They sure look really happy together, don't they?"
"Yeah… look, why did you take me here? Did you just come here to get something to eat?"
Dodging the question, Izuku said, "You know if there's one thing I learned throughout my life, it's that you gotta learn to appreciate the little things."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Tell me, Itsuka. What do you see?"
Itsuka looked around, and she didn't really see much, "I just see people going about their business."
"That's one way to look at it. You see those guys over there?" Itsuka looked over at a happy-looking family laughing and joking with one another. "To you, they may just look like a regular family. But what I see is a loving mother and father who can take care of their kids without worry and children with bright futures ahead of them."
Itsuka snickered. "That's really corny."
Izuku cracked a smile. "Yeah, it is. But do you get what I'm saying? There is way more to people than meets the eye. This can apply to anything. Sometimes you gotta open your mind to the possibilities."
"Open my mind to the possibilities?"
"Yup! Sorta like how you come up with possible ways to use a quirk."
Itsuka sighed. "I really appreciate you going out of your way to help me. But what is the point of telling me all this? It doesn't change the fact that I still don't have a quirk."
Bop
"Ow!" Why do people keep karate chopping her on the head
"None of that self-depreciation stuff. Despite what you think, quirks aren't everything. There is more to being a hero than having a strong quirk. Strength comes in many different ways. And one of your biggest…." Izuku pointed at her forehead. "Is that brain of yours. Use it. It'll help you, I swear."
"How exactly? I'm not the first person to be smart." Yaomomo is the person to come to mind.
"You're not, but everyone is smart in their own ways. You just gotta find your way of doing things, ya know. Something that'll make you stand out." Izuku said. Something to make her stand out? How exactly was she supposed to do that?
"I'll...keep that in mind. So why did we come to the mall for this." Itsuka said.
"Huh? Oh. I… uh… Boy, the weather sure is good this time of year, isn't it?"
"You came here to eat, didn't you?"
"Cut me some slack! This place makes a mean Katsudon."
Itsuka just gave him a deadpan stare.
"Don't judge me! I guarantee you would do the same thing if you were me!" Izuku said.
"Izuku's a weird guy." Itsuka watched on as Izuku explained why Katsudon was secretly the key to unlocking the universe's secrets. "But he's great. I hope we can become friends."
After Izuku finished his magnificent meal, both he and Itsuka took off into the air. Izuku couldn't help but notice Itsuka was in a much better mood. Mission accomplished! He wasn't gonna lie. He only went to the mall because he was hungry, and he knew the mall made really good Katsudon. He took Itsuka along because he didn't want to be alone, and it'd be pretty messed up to just leave her on the park bench after she just poured her heart out onto him.
Speaking of which, jeez, did she have a lot on her plate? How could the universe let down such a pretty face? At first, Izuku was just trying to be nice, but he knew she needed a friend almost as much as he did after talking to her. He could relate to Itsuka much more than he thought he would. Izuku would swear the world had it out for him sometimes.
He thought back to what she said about people with strong quirks. It was completely accurate. Ever since his quirk manifested, people would flock toward him with shallow praise and empty compliments hoping to be his friend. It was exhausting. The only friend he actually had… Well, he was a complete ass now. Apparently, Kacchan couldn't handle someone else having his spotlight, so he made an effort to put Izuku down whenever he had the chance. Of course, Izuku would just ignore him, but it was irritating being called Deku all the time. What does that even mean?
Still, he was glad he didn't have it as bad as someone like Itsuka. He hoped his advice helped. Honestly, he kinda just pulled a lot of that out of his ass. As much as he went out of his way to help Itsuka, he knew he had a lot to work on. But maybe they could do it together.
Izuku and Itsuka found themselves back at the park. Itsuka's guardian was nowhere in sight. He hoped she was okay. Itsuka seemed really worried about her.
Itsuka sighed. "As fun as it was hanging out with you, I'm gonna go look for Miss Yua."
Izuku nodded. "Yeah, I should probably get back home too. My mom might be worried."
They were about to go their separate ways until Itsuka called out to Izuku. "Wait!"
Izuku curled a brow, wondering why she stopped him. "I just wanted to thank you for everything you've done for me. I probably would still be moping if it weren't for you. So I just wanted to say…." Itsuka bowed her head. "Thank you very much!"
Wow. Itsuka was really grateful for even the slightest bit of compassion shown to her. He'd find it adorable if it weren't so sad.
"There's no need to thank me. I just wanted to cheer you up a bit. I mean, what are friends for?"
"F-friend?" Based on her reaction, Itsuka was just as surprised as he was. Don't get him wrong. He wasn't opposed to the idea of being friends. In fact, throughout their time together, he found himself wanting to get to know her more and more. Izuku just didn't expect to warm up to the idea so quickly.
Whatever. What's done is done. Whether he liked it or not, Itsuka was someone he cared about now. "Yeah. Friend. Do you not want to be friends?"
Itsuka's eyes widened, and she started frantically shaking her hands. "N-no! Of course, I want to be friends! It's just that… I didn't expect to have one so soon after what happened earlier."
He could understand where she was coming from. If a random guy came from nowhere and started talking to him like he's known him for years, he'd be a little overwhelmed, too. "Sorry if I caught you off guard, but it's your fault."
"My fault?"
"Yup. I'm charging you for being great company. Your penalty is hanging out with me on a daily basis." Itsuka just stared at him. Oh man, that was God awful. Did he really expect her to laugh?
But to his surprise, she laughed. "You're funny. Ya know that."
Izuku felt his face get hot as he bashfully smiled. "I try."
Itsuka smiled, and he swore the world stopped. Damn, she was beautiful. He could get lost in her teal blue eyes. Itsuka's lustrous skin glowed like a shining sun. And she smelled really good too. Yeah, she was a beauty.
"Um, Izuku. You're kinda staring." Wait, what. Dang it! Now he looked like a creep. And he was! Did he just say she smelled good? Man, he was an idiot.
"A-anyways! It was nice talking to you, but I really gotta go." Izuku took off into the air, trying to run away out of fear of embarrassing himself any further.
"Wait! We haven't even exchanged numbers!"
"Check your notebook!" Izuku said as he disappeared in the air
Itsuka grabbed her bag off the bench, and she flipped through the pages. Sure enough, she found his number on the page with The Telekinetic Hero: Tornado.
Buzz
Was that him? It had to be. No one ever texted her. Itsuka pulled out her phone, and she was correct in her assumption.
Unknown number: I'm telling you Katsudon is God's gift to earth. It'll be the catalyst for the evolution of mankind.
You: Sukiyaki is better.
Unknown Number: You fool!
Itsuka snickered and put her phone back in her bag. She really should go look for Miss Yua. What was taking her so long?
Answering her question, Miss Yua finally came out of the grocery store with… Oh jeez.
The woman had God knows how many bags in her arms, struggling to carry all of them. Itsuka rushed over to her and took some of the load from her. "I'm sorry, Itsuka! I just wanted to get some Udon noodles. But then I saw a bunch of good-looking snacks and baked goods, and I thought you might like them, and I got a bit carried away!"
She got all of those things for her…?
Itsuka just shook her head. Honestly, the woman was a mess, but Itsuka loved her all the same.
"It's okay. Let's just go home. You're probably exhausted."
Miss Yua perked up at this. "What!? No way! I'm perfectly fine! I'm up and at 'em! I could take on an army."
Itsuka smiled. "You know you don't have to cook tonight. I can just order takeout."
"You'd do that for me?"
"Of course. I'll always help out family."
Yua looked at Itsuka in shock before tears started brimming her eyes.
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to make you cry."
"It's okay, Itsuka. I'm just really, really happy. Let's go home."
While they were walking to the train station. Itsuka thought about the conversation she and Izuku had at the mall.
You know, if there's one thing I learned throughout my life, it's that you gotta learn to appreciate the little things.
The little things… She was starting to get it. Seeing Miss Yua cry tears of joy filled Itsuka with such satisfaction. She looked around her and saw couples happily holding hands, groups of friends laughing and joking with one another, and loving families enjoying each other's company. Seeing these people so content with each other's lives, she remembered why she idolized All Might so much. He would do everything in his power to protect these lives, even if it meant giving his own life. It was that very ideal that brought him the status of the Symbol of Peace. And Itsuka still wanted to be just like him. She wanted to give her charity to the world.
But first...
"...Hey, M-Mom?"
...Charity started at home.
Yua looked at her in surprise. Was she talking to her? "Y-yeah."
Itsuka looked her foster Mother in the eyes, her pupils filled with admiration, and pulled her in for a hug. "I love you."
Yua froze for a minute before she returned the hug with vigor. "I love you to Itsuka."
Itsuka learned long ago that not all men are created equal…
...But that wouldn't stop her from being the greatest hero the world's ever seen