Blank Canvas: Convictions

by jokeraddict0

Part 2 of Blank Canvas! Izuku and Hitoshi have done it. A Quirkless and a Villain have faced every challenge and set back and have successfully fought their way into the Hero Course. Now all that was left was to become Heroes and make a better world. If the world lets them that is. Will their convictions hold out? Only time will tell!. (Tuesday updates, Tododeku, mxm)

22. A Tired Man Comforts The Green One

Shouta walked to the Support studio with purpose. One, to return the cleaned thermos to Midoriya and two, to also check in with what the kid had planned for the week. The tired man knew he had a lot of work ahead of him with rebuilding his gear. Which was why Nezu and he had coordinated with Hizashi and Maijima to ensure the green one had as much time to work on his Support Items as possible. And potentially extending into the internship week if needed. Because they would be spending time at UA anyway for training. It was logical to take advantage of the school's facilities.

The tired man knew he would have to be mindful about Bakugou of course. The explosive blonde would be on campus as well to serve his remaining week of in-school suspension. But he would be kept far away from the mentor's charges during that week. As well as kept busy serving out his punishments in essentially isolation save for the teachers and visiting experts who would come to lecture the troubled teen.

Upon arriving at the studio, Shouta expected to find Midoriya hard at work. But that wasn't what he found. Instead, he was met with the sight of Todoroki of all people sitting near the excitable pink one as she tinkered away at her station. The tired man quirked an eyebrow at the odd scene as he nodded towards Maijima before heading over to the pair.

The two-toned one was quietly watching the other work as she fiddled with the object in her hand. Shouta too watched for a few moments as neither had noticed him approach. Which informed the teacher that he should probably include a lesson on situational awareness at some point. Because that skill was very important in a Hero's line of work. There was no telling where danger would pop up.

Shouta cleared his throat to gain their attention before asking, "Where's Midoriya?"

To their credit, neither teen jumped. Todoroki most likely from the 'training' he received at home and the pink one probably from being used to sudden explosions. What was a clearing of the throat and a couple words compared to that?

Without stopping what she was doing, Hatsume answered, "He texted me that he was meeting with a teacher."

A teacher? For what?

"Do you know who exactly?" the tired man asked.

The pink one shrugged while Todoroki replied, "He said it was Yagi-sensei, but it's not a name I recognize. Do you know who that is, Aizawa-sensei?"

I sure fucking do, Shouta thought, irritation internally prickling under his skin.

"I see," the teacher said, not letting his emotions show. "Did he say when he would be done?"

"No, only that he would come back here when he was done," Hatsume replied with a shrug.

The boy seated next to her nodded in agreement as he added, "He told me it shouldn't take too long. That's why I'm waiting here for him."

The Hero let out a hum in reply. So, Midoriya was meeting with All Might who he apparently was on a civilian name basis with. But when and how Shouta didn't know. Same as he didn't know how the teen knew about the Number One Hero's smaller form. As well as why Yagi needed to talk to Midoriya in the first place. They had met before to discuss the kid's analysis notes from the training sessions he had observed. But since then, they hadn't been in contact as far as he knew.

Though, there was that moment this morning.

Perhaps that was what happened when Midoriya had looked back on their way to 1-A. Maybe it was the kid getting a text from the skeletal blonde requesting this meeting. That answered the how but still not the why. Another question on top of all the others Shouta had about their relationship. A pile that was growing higher and higher as time passed and all he wanted answers to. Now was as good a time as any to get those answers he sought.

The tired man bid the students goodbye before leaving the studio in pursuit of the green one. He wasn't sure exactly where they were but figured he would check the meeting rooms near the teachers' room as a start. But he didn't have to wait long to find them for as soon as he arrived, he recognized the very pissed off voice of a certain green haired boy.

"Fuck you, All Might."

What the…?

Those four words held the same venom as when the green one had yelled at Bakugou that he had 'enough of his bullshit'. And, when the door was swiftly opened, the kid's ire was just as clear on his scowling face. The boy was so pissed he didn't even notice Shouta was there as he stormed off in the opposite direction. From the room poked out the skeletal form of Yagi who looked distressed and about to call out to the teen. However, he stopped upon taking notice of the other Hero present.

Black eyes watched as a myriad of emotions crossed that gaunt face. Sadness, worry, but ultimately landing on guilt for some reason. The Erasure Hero didn't say a word but he did send a scolding glare towards the blonde to silently tell him to stay the fuck there to be 'talked' to later. Yagi sheepishly nodded before going back into the meeting room and closing the door. Shouta let out an exasperated huff. He would deal with the skeletal man later. For now, he needed to find Midoriya.

Walking quickly, Shouta made off in the same direction the kid had while keeping eyes and ears open for any sign of him. The hallways were empty as he went with no signs of life. Not surprising seeing as it was after school and most of the students were either heading home or somewhere else on campus for their various personal projects. Meaning that the hall was silent and allowed the Underground Hero to hear the muffled sobbing coming from one of the empty classrooms.

The man cautiously approached the door as he listened to the quiet weeping that had to be coming from Midoriya. It wouldn't be the first time he had experienced the kid's crying. The green one seemed to cry over a lot of things. Not that that was bad or anything. He was just more on the emotional side that Shouta was. But this crying was different. It was filled with grief and he could already picture the distraught expression on the boy's face. Whatever Midoriya had talked to All Might about, it had not ended on a good note to leave him like this.

After taking a steadying breath, the Hero knocked softly on the room as he calmly called out, "Midoriya?"

From inside the room, the crying cut off but he could still hear wet sniffling and hiccups leaking out. Other than that though, there was no response.

"Midoriya, it's Aizawa," Shouta said just as softly. "Can I come in?"

The tired man waited for a reply. He wanted desperately to just go in there and comfort the boy, but he didn't want to push the distraught teen. Inside, he could hear some shuffling around before the door was cracked open an inch. From the opening peeked out a reddened green eye that scanned him as well as his surroundings. Most likely searching for any sign of All Might.

"He's not here," Shouta answered the unspoken question. "I don't know what he said to you to make you this upset. Whatever it is, I will be talking to him about it later. For now, I want to make sure you're alright."

That single green eye gazed up into his of black searching for something. Whatever it was, he found it and opened the door more to invite the Hero in. Shouta could then see the tear tracks and snot showing just how distressed the teen was. He let out a saddened sigh as he stepped into the room and closed the door behind him.

Midoriya stood there awkwardly wringing his hands while he continued to sniffle as stray tears ran down his reddened cheeks. Shouta wasn't much better awkward wise because he wasn't the best when it came to comforting people. He still could with being a Hero and saving people. But typically, his interactions with those he saved were brief and he could quickly pass them off to the police or paramedics alike.

But this was his student. One he had gotten to know over the past month and finally had in his homeroom. Shouta had more responsibility and emotional attachment when it came to the green problem child before him. And man, was he indeed a problem child. Interrupting his nap all those weeks ago leading to the tired man offering to help train him and his friend. Which was by his own choice but still their faults for having so much potential.

Then there was the USJ incident. The attack itself wasn't anyone's fault except for the Villains themselves. But it just had to happen when Midoriya was with his class to observe. He had taken it in stride and managed to help keep himself as well as everyone else as safe as possible. Including Shouta himself for cluing him in on Shigaraki's Quirk before the decayer could use it on him. But still, why did it have to be his problem class with one extra problem child?

There was also his confrontation with Bakugou. One that had been long in waiting unbeknownst to anyone except the two students involved. Well, for the most part. There had been hints with Midoriya feeling the need to hide in plain sight. And it seemed that some of his own class had prior knowledge of their…'relationship'. But it still came to a head with the explosive blonde attacking the green one's person and property with no consideration of the consequences.

Now there was this. Whatever it was. Shouta still didn't know what had happened. But he wanted to find out. However, first he needed to help the kid calm down. To show that he was there for him. As a Hero, a teacher, and a person. Because the tired man could see a hint of distrust in those green eyes that were watching him like a hawk. Which was understandable considering how the kid had grown up with incompetent teachers who had mistreated him just because he was Quirkless.

Between him and his husband, Hizashi was the better of the two when it came to comforting others. Not surprising because the cockatoo was way more of a people person than he was. But Hizashi wasn't here. Shouta was. And in front of his was a very upset teenager with a history of being turned away by most everyone in his life outside of family. But UA was different and so was he from any teacher the boy had in the past.

Because Shouta cared.

So, in the privacy of the empty classroom and fueled with the need to give comfort as best he could, Shouta opened his arms in invitation for a hug. Most would think he wouldn't be willing to do such a thing. Like, come on, the grumpy hobo looking man offering a hug to a distraught teenager? No way. But the Hero knew that people take comfort from different things.

For Hizashi, it was through tactile touches but also in music. It was part of the reason why he had started his radio show. As for Shouta, he was happy with peace, quiet, and a good old nap. But the tired man knew that Midoriya was more like Hizashi than himself. Specifically, from all the sort of subtle contact he shared with Todoroki. That and the kid seemed to like getting his hair ruffled despite playing it off. Which was why Shouta believed that offering a hug was the best course of action.

Those sad green eyes stared at him where he stood. Searching once again for something before a fresh wave of sobs broke out as the teen rushed forward into the hug. Shouta was nearly knocked over by the force of it but he quickly caught himself and the boy. The tired man wrapped his arms around the problem child who was sobbing into his chest. The snot and tears were getting soaked up into his shirt but the Hero didn't care. The only thing that did was comforting the boy in his arms.

Keeping hold of the kid, Shouta carefully maneuvered them to the floor. The teacher leaned against the wall while the teen sat beside him holding onto him like a lifeline. The man rubbed calming circles on his back with one hand as the other carded through his green curls. Slowly the sobbing quieted down to wet sniffles and hiccups again. The Hero didn't let go though as he listened to the boy's breathing settle to a more normal rhythm.

"S-sorry," Midoriya said as he drew away.

"For what?" Shouta asked, calmly letting him go.

"Your shirt," the kid answered quietly.

The tired man let out an amused huff. Of course, the problem child would worry about that.

"It's fine, Midoriya," Shouta assured him. "You're not the first to do that and you won't be the last."

Which was true because Hizashi had a penchant for watching movies that made him sad and would end up crying into his shoulder. The cockatoo had soiled plenty of his shirts that way. Then there were those he saved while on the job seeking comfort. Not to mention the fights themselves where he usually ended up rolling around in literal garbage. Snot and tears from a teenager? Not so bad in comparison.

The Hero directed the kid to stay there while he went to a nearby cabinet. From inside he pulled out a packet of tissues and a bottle of water before he sat back down next to his charge. Close but with some personal space between them. The green one wiped some of the gunk off his face before he took a shaky drink of water. All the while black eyes observed him silently. It wasn't until Midoriya closed the bottle that Shouta asked his question.

"So, want to tell me what happened back there?" the teacher asked.

The green one remained silent as he collected his thoughts. The tired man could see it in his eyes so he patiently waited for him to be ready to talk.

"I…don't know what I can say," Midoriya finally said while he fiddled with the water bottle. "But he…I…we…? Ugh…he offered me…but I don't want…uh, I just don't know what to think right now."

Doesn't know what he can say? What does he mean by that?

"Why don't you tell me what you can," Shouta offered earning a nod from the student.

"You know about All Might's…other form, right?" the green one asked.

"You mean the one where he looks like a walking skeleton?" the tired man quipped that actually gained him a chuckle from the teen.

"Yeah, that's the one," the kid replied. "Though I think of it as more like he deflates."

"Like an old balloon?" Shouta asked, imagining it in his mind. "Yeah, I could see that."

Again, the teen laugh which he counted as a win.

"Well, I, um, I met him, All Might, before UA," Midoriya admitted. "About a year ago, there was this Sludge Villain attack. Do you remember?"

Indeed, he did. It was one of the points they had talked about after Bakugou's meeting. Bringing up questions of what exactly happened after the attack. As well as frustrations with how the veteran Hero had handled the situation like a rookie. For now though, the tired man simply nodded for the boy to continue.

"I was the one he saved from that guy," the green one confessed. "At the time I was overwhelmed. I was almost drowned by some random person who wanted a 'body suit' to get away. Then All Might shows up, my favorite Hero at the time, and he saves me with a wind inducing punch. I think I blacked out for a bit and woke up to him tapping my face and my notebook was signed. I was freaking out and had so many questions I wanted to ask, but suddenly he was leaving and I just acted on impulse and I…"

"Wait, wait," Shouta interrupted while gesturing a stopping motion with his hands. "You almost drowned and blacked out and he was just going to leave you?"

"Uh, yes?" the kid replied.

There was a moment of silence before the Hero growled, "He is so dead. That is completely irresponsible." Then he remembered what the kid was saying before he had interrupted him "Wait, impulse? What impulse did you act on?"

"I, uh, maybe sort of grabbed onto his leg just before he jumped away?" Midoriya said nervously fiddling with the water bottle.

Again, the man was silent for a second before saying "…that is also completely irresponsible."

"I-I know…" the teen said as he cast his eyes down. "I just…I wasn't thinking. I just…did it."

Once more the room was silent but with an awkward aftertaste with the boy feeling ashamed while the man was silently judging him. But eventually Shouta had enough and sighed as he asked, "What happened next?"

"W-we landed on a roof and he scolded me," Midoriya replied. "He was going to leave, but I…I had to ask him one question before he left. Just one."

"What did you ask?" the tired man prodded.

"I asked if I could be a Hero like him without a Quirk," the green one answered nervously. "I was explaining more of why I asked that when I looked up and saw him all gaunt and skeletal. Of course, I freaked out because with how big and muscular he is, who would have thought he could look like that?"

"Oh, I feel you," Shouta said with an understanding nod. "Seeing him like that for the first time was an…experience."

"Yeah," the kid said with a huffed chuckle. "Anyway, that's why I know about his deflated form. He even told me a bit about how he got it and his time limit. After insisting on my discretion of course."

Shouta internally seethed at that. All Might really was an idiot. He allowed a random teenager to see his weakened form, explained it, and then just swore him to secrecy and called it good? Just another point to 'talk' about with the dumb blonde.

"So, what was his answer?" the man asked.

"Huh?" the kid let out confused.

"To your question," Shouta said. "What was his answer?"

"Oh, um…h-he said…he said no," the green one replied dejectedly. "That becoming a Hero like him without a Quirk was impossible. That I should make my dreams more attainable and realistic. And then he just…left."

Midoriya sat there quietly waiting for his teacher's reaction. While Shouta was raging inside. All Might was so dead. He saved a civilian who had blacked out after almost drowning, but then intended to leave them instead of providing proper care. Then he exposed his weakened form to said civilian, explained it, and just considered the situation handled are making a verbal promise of secrecy. But then he went and told the victim he just saved a dream crushing answer with no regard to how his power of authority as a Hero could affect the situation. However, that wasn't even the cherry on top.

Leaving a traumatized victim was bad. Exposing a nationally kept secret was worse. Telling the kid as the Number One Hero that he couldn't become one was even more so. But the worst was that All Might had left Midoriya devastated and hurt on a fucking roof. On the same day Shouta knew that the teen had been told to kill himself. Regardless of if Yagi knew that or not was irrelevant. It was a matter of fact of the situation and the idiot could have made it worse with his careless words.

He was pissed. Oh, very much so. But the anger just waiting to burst out of the man was purposefully locked away. Leaving it to simmer while he focused on the kid sitting next to him. Because there would be plenty of opportunity to let off the building steam later when Yagi and he…talked.

"What happened after that?" Shouta asked, easily hiding his ire within behind his well-trained neutral expression.

"I, um, I sat there on the roof for a while," the boy said. "And then…"

The green one's voice faded out as he seemed to be hesitating about what he would say next. As if he had something to hide or just wasn't sure how to say it. But Shouta let him have a moment to figure out what he wanted to do. He didn't have to wait long for the kid to continue.

"I…met someone," Midoriya admitted, green eyes peeking up at black nervously. "On the roof. We…talked."

"Who?" Shouta asked curiously. "Was it a Hero?"

"No," the teen answered simply with a shake of his head.

"A civilian then," the tired man inferred, receiving an unsure nod for the boy. He noted it but didn't press. "What did you talk about?"

"About why I was on the roof," Midoriya answered while fiddling with the water bottle. "About All Might and what I asked him. About his answer. Then they asked me why I wanted to be a Hero. I told them I wanted to help people in any way I could. That I wanted to be a Hero even though I don't have a Quirk."

Black eyes observed some of the light coming back into green eyes. They were still red rimmed from crying but they weren't as grief stricken as he talked.

"This person…they have strong beliefs when it comes to Heroes," the teen explained. "And, after talking to me, they told me that I could be a Hero. All I had to do was find my own edge to do so."

"Hence the Hero name," the teacher stated, remembering his reasons for the code name from earlier.

"Yeah, they saved me that day," the teen said before letting out a soft chuckle. "Which is kind of ironic considering they're a…not a Hero."

The tired man took another note of the slip up and recovery. It piqued his interest in who exactly was this person who the kid was purposely being vague about. But he wouldn't press for now because that wasn't why they were talking. Perhaps in time and further built trust he would reveal who it was. Regardless, Shouta couldn't help but be a bit grateful to them for raising the kid's spirits by telling him 'yes'. They certainly had a major influence on the green one's motivations for becoming a Hero. Which means they were on the good side even if they weren't a Hero. Right?

"After that, I went home," the boy said. "I didn't see All Might again until that first training session I observed. At the time I had been worried it would be awkward which it was but not as bad as I thought it would be. We talked and seemed to get along. I hoped that maybe if he got to know me, he would change his opinion about me."

Green eyes then cast down somberly into his lap.

"But I was wrong," he said dejectedly. "He still thinks a Quirkless Hero is unrealistic."

Shouta let out a slow sympathetic sigh for the boy. He knew the green one admired All Might. His room was basically a shrine to the Hero. He even had that themed pen case to carry a piece of the man with him at school. So, it was understandable that having the Number One Hero himself be among those that didn't believe was devastating to the kid. But the idiot was wrong about the potential for a Quirkless Hero. Especially when it came to the teen next to him.

Midoriya Izuku was still young but he had strong convictions beyond his years. Way more than a lot of the Daylight Heroes today. The ones who paraded around in their flashy costumes but would turn tail if they faced any of the scum Shouta had to put up with on a daily basis. But not this kid. The Erasure Hero felt it in his gut that Midoriya would face danger head on and do everything he could to help. It was just the kind of person he was.

So what that he didn't have a Quirk. There were many Heroes who essentially had to fight Quirkless because their Quirks were not ideal for most situations. Even Shouta himself essentially fought Quirkless. All Erasure did was help him turn off most Quirks and after that it was all up to his physical fighting abilities. And when it came up against mutant types that Erasure had no effect on, his training and fighting instincts were all he had to rely on. Not to mention his capture weapon.

Midoriya was essentially doing what he was but without a Quirk. Building up the tools in his belt with ones he had built himself. Taking the Quirks around him and remaking them into his Support Items. Who says you need a naturally born Quirk when you could just make them yourself? It was an ingenious idea and one of the reasons why the teen was in UA in the first place. That and that big brain of his.

The analysis the kid could do was incredible. An ability he had developed through hard work and determination. It was on par and even above some of the professional grade analysis out there today. With the training with Nezu, who knows how much the teen would improve? He had the natural smarts to think his way through any situation. Including how to work around the Quirks of anyone he would go up against.

This rejection from the Number One Hero only spurred Shouta to do the opposite. Midoriya would become a Hero and he would do it well. His convictions and drive to help will take him far. Showing all those naysayers in this Quirked world that they were wrong. That a Quirkless Hero was entirely possible and they could all suck it. Same as Shouta had when everyone had told him Erasure was too weak of a power to be used as a Hero. Yet look at him now.

An Underground Hero who was skilled in espionage and quick take downs. Able to disarm an opponent at a glance. Taking advantage of their typical lack of fighting skills to defeat them with practiced ease. Not bothering with the press so he could just do his damn job. Which was saving the innocent and beating down the criminally corrupt. A win like that was all he needed at the end of the day as proof of a job well done.

Perhaps Midoriya would do well as an Underground Hero too. Shinsou already showed an interest in that which Shouta highly approved. The anonymity of the Underground would be ideal for his Quirk. Same could be applied to the Quirkless teen. Keeping his Hero identity on the down low so that when he showed up to a fight the enemy would have little to no idea what they were up against. Then he could surprise them with whatever gadgets and gear he had on him at the time.

The arsenal the kid was building made it so his power set was extremely versatile. He could literally have an infinite combination of 'Quirks' at his disposal to work with. Not all Quirks of course but any of the physical ones he could. Like fire, electricity, and such like he already had. But also, other elements and effects as well. It all depended on what the green one could imagine was possible. And knowing how smart he was, Shouta figured he could imagine quite a lot. All he needed was time and time he would get.

"What exactly did he say to you?" Shouta asked, moving the talk along so he could get the kid back to the studio. And also, so the tired man could go yell at an idiot.

Green eyes peeked up at him as the boy cautiously asked, "Do you know about his Quirk?"

The Hero quirked an eyebrow at the question but shook his head in response.

"It's not really my place to say anything if you don't," the green one said looking out across the room. "But he offered me a, um, way to become stronger. He said it would 'help' me be a Hero, but if I accepted, everything I've worked towards until now would be wasted."

Shouta had no idea what the kid was hinting at, but it pissed him off that Yagi offered whatever this was. Midoriya was his problem child. One of many under his charge. And he along with Shinsou would be specifically his during the coming internship week. It was not All Might's place to offer such a thing. Doesn't matter what it was. The student beside him was his responsibility.

"You've worked hard to get where you're at, Midoriya," Shouta stated as he placed a comforting hand on the boy's head. Not ruffling the green curls but merely giving a supportive pressure. "If that buffoon can't recognize that, it's his problem, not yours."

The tired man didn't know if it was his actions or his words that caused it, but the green one leaned into the touch. The Erasure Hero in no way found it endearing. Because it no way reminded him of a cat. Nope. Not at all.

"Thanks, Aizawa-sensei," the teen said, letting out a small chuckle at his insult.

This time he did muss the kid's hair before letting go.

"It's the truth," the Hero said simply. "What else did he say?"

"He, uh, he told me about his Quirk," Midoriya replied. "But he also told me it was a secret and I couldn't tell anybody. Not even my parents."

The tired man's eyebrows twitched in anger at that. Yet another secret that All Might had shared with the boy that he shouldn't know. What was so important about the blonde one's Quirk that it had to kept a secret? What privilege did Yagi think Midoriya had to it? Questions he hoped to get answers to during their 'talk'. Also, as to why he was denying the parents from being involved while Midoriya was a minor.

"He congratulated me for winning the Sports Festival," the boy continued. "It made me think that he might have believed in me. But then he told me that my Support Items would only 'take me so far'."

Black brows began to furrow in irritation as he asked, "Why?"

"All Might said that relying on Support Items was a trap," the teen answered as his shoulders slumped dejectedly. "That they were good to reinforce one's power, but since I don't have a Quirk he thought that if I didn't have any of my gear, I would be defenseless. Becoming like others who he said became 'lost and unable to hold their own in a fight after losing them'."

Shouta had to physically hold back the growl that was threatening to leak out. He himself used Support Items in a fight. Like his capture weapon along with the various things in his belt. But he could still hold his own without them. Midoriya proved he could do the same with his last fight. Having only that small black disk as a last resort and even then, he didn't need it. The green one knew the other teen's Quirk and could have simply not responded.

But it was clear from the civilian made transcripts that Midoriya had purposefully answered ever question thrown at his after initially pinning the purple one down. All of them being jokes of course. Typical for the two problem children who were hell bent on irritating him to death. And the green one had even roped Hizashi into it too with the obnoxious commentary.

However, both of those had been done with good intentions. For the narration of the festival, it was to keep the knowledge of the students' Quirks to a minimum while still keeping the audience entertained. As for the fight, it was Midoriya once again trying to help someone. Allowing both him and Shinsou to showcase their skills while exchanging playful banter.

Smart and strategic as always.

The Erasure Hero didn't understand how All Might couldn't see the kid's potential. Midoriya had it in spades. The desire to help and the drive to follow through. Like when he had taken the task of cleaning the beach by himself. But also having no care for the limelight same as Shouta when he didn't seek attention or praise for his hard efforts. Which the tired man could stand behind though he was pleased that more people knew about it. Because after the shitty childhood he had, Midoriya deserved some recognition.

"Well, that's stupid," Shouta said, earning a snort from the teen for his bluntness. "Clearly he's too blinded by his own Quirk to see that you can be a Hero just fine without one. If I didn't think you could, you wouldn't be in my class."

Green eyes turned to him open wide with admiration as if he had hung the moon. A wobbly smile spread across his face paired with budding tears in those same eyes. Shouta merely rolled his own as he hid a soft smile in his scarf.

"Is that all he said to you?" the Hero asked, wanting all the facts before yel…talking to Yagi.

The smile on the green one's faced fade as he shook his head.

"No, but I can't tell you what exactly," Midoriya replied. "It has to do with his Quirk. He told me something about himself before he…got his Quirk. It just…it made me so angry. That he would make all these assumptions about me when he…when we have nothing in common. It also turned out to be all a misunderstanding to begin with."

"How so?" Shouta prodded.

"The day I met him, I asked if I could be a Hero like him without a Quirk," the kid explained. "For me, the question was about if a Quirkless Hero was possible. But to him, he thought I was asking if I could be a Hero like him. As in exactly like him. The Number One Hero going up against the biggest bad guys. Which even to me I could see as pretty much impossible without a Quirk."

The Hero simply hummed in response. Neither agreeing or disagreeing. Just letting the kid know he was listening.

"But that's not the kind of Hero I want to be," the green one continued, looking up at the man next to him. "I don't care about the rankings or being a flashy Hero. I want to be a Hero who works hard to save people but doesn't care about the credit. Who is a Hero just for the sake of helping. I'd rather be a Hero like you."

Despite having finally been free of the bandages since the USJ attack, Shouta found himself missing them in that moment as a subtle blush formed on his cheeks. He lowered his face into his scarf in an attempt to hide it as the teen looked at him. But whether the green one saw it or not he made no comment.

"Thanks, kid," the tired man said as he gave a grateful elbow nudge to the boy's arm. "Well, despite what Dumb Might said, I think you can be a Hero. It's a tough line of work and you'll have to try harder than the others, but I believe you have what it takes to pull it off. We'll make a Hero out of you yet, Midoriya."

This time it was the teen's turn to blush though what else was new. Much like his crying, it happened on regular occurrence. Whether from praise, signs of friendship, or holding hands with Todoroki. It was just part of who he was. And also, probably due to him not being used to such things after being ostracized by his peers growing up. Having no immunity because it was all so new to him.

But UA was different and would allow the boy to grow after weeding out the negative parts from his life. Stopping bullying and discrimination in its tracks. Surrounding the kid with supportive teachers and friends. Giving him the opportunity to shine when others had tried to snuff out his light. Letting him learn and grow into the person and Hero he wanted to be.

Shouta would help with his physical training. Hizashi with his sign language. Maijima with Support. Nezu with his analysis and hopefully not turning the kid into an evil mastermind like himself. Shuuzenji had informed them of her offer to teach him first aid and they were still working out the scheduling for that. But it was another skill that would be helpful to have in the field. The other teachers were also behind supporting the boy who had been worming his way into their collective hearts while conversing with him in sign.

The only outlier was Yagi. He was the only one on staff who couldn't see Midoriya's potential. Couldn't see past the fact he was Quirkless. Had praised him for his efforts during the festival only to devalue all of them all because he lacked a Quirk. To admonish his use of Support Items because they were a crutch to the blonde apparently. Which was ridiculous because a majority of Heroes used Support Items on a daily basis. They were just tools in their belts.

All Might may be able to rely on his super human strength, but the rest of them could not. They could only rely on their own skills whether that was related to their Quirk, Support Items, or general fighting skill. Which Shouta did on a daily basis whether it was against criminals in the streets or training with his students. The Erasure Hero firmly believed that you shouldn't be a one trick pony and he tried to drill that into his students' heads. It was a lesson that needed to be learned.

Unfortunately, it seemed that it wasn't one Yagi had learned. Focusing so much on the Quirk aspect that he was blind to everything else. But he would soon learn that he was wrong about that. Shouta was rearing and ready to go full throttle in lecturing his idiotic ass. Midoriya was so much more than his lack of Quirk. He was conviction, self-discipline, and spite. Smart as hell and selfless to a fault. And if All Might couldn't see that then screw him.

It didn't change the fact that the Number One Hero had hurt Midoriya. The kid was still somberly sitting beside him despite the rare praise the teacher had given. He wasn't one for pretty words and fluffy stuff like Hizashi who was quick to give a compliment. Instead, his endorsements were through blunt comments and silent praise which he left his students to interpret for themselves. Because for him, if he wasn't criticizing them then that meant they were doing just fine.

Most students this worked with. Well, the ones that managed to meet his standards of potential. But sometimes there were ones like Midoriya. The ones who needed that extra bit of attention because they never or barely had any before. Which the teacher was willing to give though only when absolutely necessary. Like now for instance after the kid had been denied for a second time by a Hero he looked up to.

It was obviously still affecting him. Not surprising with all the All Might crap he had at home. Shouta hoped the kid would be alright when he returned to that after school. Only gods knew what would happen once he did. They were still trying to figure out scheduling for the teen since he had so many different teachers offering various mentoring for this or that.

On top of that was the green one's clear need for therapy. Something they had been contemplating waiting on but after this, he didn't think they should anymore. Midoriya needed support. Not just with his education but also for his mental health. Keeping the mind health was just as important as the body. Shouta would see to getting the kid in to see Inui sooner rather than later.

As for now, he needed to get the kid to the studio for several reasons. One to get the boy's mind off what happened while allowing him to be productive in his limited time this week. As well as to let his friends take over comforting the boy. And two so that Shouta could go yell at the Symbol of Stupidity for being an absolute moron.

"You feeling better?" Shouta asked getting a nod from the teen. "Good. Let's get you to the studio. You've got a lot of work to do."

"Right," Midoriya replied with another nod.

Together they got up and left the room. Along the way, Shouta asked what the green one had planned for the week. The student filled in his teacher with the ideas he had. It was nice to hear his usual enthusiasm returning to his voice again. Letting the tired man know that the kid would be fine in the long run. He had just found another bump in the road but was going to be able to get back up.

It wasn't long until they arrived at the studio. Shouta released the green one to go to his friends while he headed over to Maijima. He briefly informed the other teacher what had happened so that he could keep an eye on the kid. Because while he seemed fine didn't necessarily mean he was. Because sometimes those who smiled the brightest wear it as a mask to hide the pain within.

The tired man glanced over to see the kid chatting with his friends. Well, more to the pink one while Todoroki stood quietly next to him. But Midoriya was interacting happily with them as he did with most people. It almost brought a smile to the Hero's face if only he didn't have a reputation of a hardass to maintain. Satisfied that his student was in good hands, Shouta left the studio to go do something he had been wanting to do for a long time.

To verbally tear down the Symbol of Peace.

...

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Notes extension: post/658517117155606528/part-2-chapter-22-a-tired-man-comforts-the