Izuku was extremely grateful he was enrolled in UA. He had never felt so cared for by a teacher until now. It had been overwhelming enough when numerous teachers had offered to train him for one thing or another. Then there was their support after the confrontation with Bakugou. But for Aizawa to go out of his way to comfort him after that shit storm of a meeting with All Might, that took the cake.
The Quirkless teen was still getting used to his current teachers actually caring for his wellbeing. His past ones sure hadn't and had turned a blind eye to his numerous problems with some even adding to them. But UA kept surprising him again and again that it was different. That the teachers actually gave a shit about their students no matter who they were or what their Quirk status was.
He had been prepared to cry alone in that empty classroom he had found after storming away from All Might. The teen had just been so angry that he couldn't stand to be in the Hero's presence any longer. But the farther away he got the more the anger faded away as despair took its place. He had managed to escape into the first room he found empty before succumbing to his tears.
When he had heard that soft knock on the door, Izuku had been terrified that it was All Might having come to continue their 'conversation'. That the greenette would have to hear more of how the Number One Hero believed he could be a Hero but only with a Quirk. So, he had tried his hardest to stifle his sobbing in hopes that whoever it was would go way. But to his surprise they didn't and it had turned out to be Aizawa.
Izuku had only known the Erasure Hero personally for about a month. While he was still hesitant to trust a teacher, Aizawa had proven again and again that he was someone the teen could trust. Along with most of the other teachers but Aizawa specifically.
He was the first to offer training and was the one to who introduced the boy's analysis to Nezu. He was the one who continued to train Hitoshi and him with Yamada's help even after he was injured during the USJ attack. All to help them prepare for the Sports Festival in hopes of transferring same as he had as a student. Had come to Izuku's aid during the confrontation with Bakugou and stood by his side unlike any of his past teachers who had all chosen his bully's side no matter what the circumstances.
It was because of this that Izuku had been able to make himself get up and open the door. Not entirely, just a crack. Enough to look out and see if All Might was out there with him. Because the teen did not want to talk or even look at the Number One Hero right now. But without him having to say a word, Aizawa knew who he was looking for and had assured him that Yagi wasn't there. That his homeroom teacher was there to check on him and would be talking to All Might later. That he was putting Izuku first.
Before UA, no one at school had ever put him first. It was always other students, especially Bakugou, who were considered more important that the useless Quirkless Deku who would never amount to anything. But here he wasn't pushed aside. Wasn't ignored or written off because he was Quirkless. Instead, the teachers of UA were going beyond to help him in any way they could.
One month at a school where the teachers actually cared wasn't enough to erase an entire decade of teachers who didn't. But it was a start. Izuku was still hesitant to reach out for help but for this man, this Hero, he was willing to try. Letting him into the room though unsure what would happen next. Because this was still so new to the Quirkless teen. To have the support from teachers, people, who actually gave a damn about him.
The teacher and student had stood there for an awkward moment until the Hero did something that Izuku did not expect. Aizawa, the hardass teacher and badass Hero, willingly opened his arms in offer of a hug to the distraught Quirkless teen. Izuku only hesitated for a moment to see if he meant it and when the man didn't back down the greenette practically ran into the embrace.
The built-up emotions had poured out of him as he hugged his teacher. Too overwhelmed by the situation to do anything other than cry and hold on tight. Was easily maneuvered into sitting as he sobbed into the Hero's chest. Aizawa didn't say a word as Izuku soiled his shirt. Merely provided comfort through touch as the boy let everything out.
When he had finally found some composure, Izuku was embarrassed for crying and soiling his teacher's clothes. But Aizawa waved it off as nothing and instead proceeded to ask him what happened. Which was a very loaded question because so much had happened in that meeting.
All Might was given a Quirk. A Quirk that was from the beginning of Quirks. One with a long history and came with an immortal nemesis like an accessory. A power that can be passed on from person to person like a family heirloom without needing to be family. A Quirk that the Number One Hero wished to give to the Quirkless teen.
Had it been a year ago when he had first met All Might, Izuku may have accepted. Wanting so much to receive any kind of outside validation of his dream to be a Hero that he would have taken One For All with enthusiasm. Though he would like to think he would have still insisted on telling his parents. At the very least his mother who would have stopped at nothing to understand the drastic change.
But this was here and now. Izuku didn't want or need One For All. He was adamant on becoming the first Quirkless Hero in history. To prove to everyone that it was possible. That no matter who you are and no matter the Quirk or lack thereof, you can become anything you want as long as you had the will to try with your best effort.
That was where Yagi and Izuku were different. They may have started with very similar in circumstances. Quirkless with a dream to be a Hero. But the difference was that Izuku was willing to fight for that dream despite not having a Quirk while Yagi had not. Instead, the Hero had only become one after he was blessed with a once in a lifetime chance of being gifted a Quirk.
One For All made All Might strong. There was no doubt about that. It allowed the man to be seemingly invincible and withstand any fight. Even against the Quirk's own personal demon though just barely. But while Yagi wanted to become the Number One Hero and Symbol of Peace, Izuku didn't. He simply wanted to be a Hero. That's it. Not the strongest, flashiest, or any other -est. He just wanted to be a Hero who helped.
It was clearly a concept that Yagi didn't understand. For him, it was go big or go home. Plus Ultra with every waking breath. And that worked for him. But not everyone was All Might. Every person was unique and had their own set of skills and strengths. Yagi's was his literal strength and his ability to give people ease of mind. Though the greenette worried what would happen when the Symbol of Peace was suddenly gone.
A system with only one pillar was fragile. Like a skyscraping jenga tower that was precariously perched on a single wooden block. If that one piece was ripped out or even the surface it stood on was shaken enough, the entire thing could come crashing down at any second. The current system was in desperate need of more support from other Heroes to prevent that from happening.
Izuku believed he could help be that support with the kind of Hero he wished to be. To help keep society standing though he would very much like to rearrange some pieces. Fix what needs fixing and the like. Such as the ranking system and the stark black-and-white view most of society held. As well as holding Heroes actually responsible for their transgressions instead of sweeping them under the rug. But such a change would take time and help to be implemented. Fortunately, Izuku wasn't one to give up easily.
The greenette had told Aizawa what he felt he could about the meeting. All Might did ask for him to keep One For All a secret after all. And he wasn't one to betray someone's trust by breaking promises and spilling secrets. Like with Shouto and his shitbag of a father. He may want to and even pushed that boundary with setting Chizome on Endeavor with vague accusations, but Izuku felt it wasn't his place to outright reveal all the dirty details.
It was actually relieving to finally tell someone about what had happened on that roof a year ago. Of his impulsive actions leading to him learning about All Might's weakened form. Knowledge he had let slip back when they had first arrived at the USJ. But so much had happened since then that it wasn't surprising that Aizawa was finally able to learn about how he knew that now.
The Erasure Hero had been quick to berate All Might's lack of action when it came to ensuring Izuku's wellbeing. Which the teen hadn't even considered until now. He had been more focused on being told 'no' by his childhood idol. But now that he thought about it, the way Yagi had handled the situation was even poorer than he had realized.
When Aizawa had asked about what happened after All Might left that day, Izuku hesitated to tell him about Chizome. But he felt that he couldn't lie to the man who was making the effort to talk to him. Taking the time to hear him out much like Chizome had the first time they had met. And so, Izuku felt compelled to tell Aizawa about the man who had finally told him 'yes'.
The greenette stayed vague on the details. Going along with Aizawa's assumption that it was a civilian if not a Hero and keeping the fact that it actually was a Villain to himself. What was important was what the man had said to him that day. That Chizome had finally given the encouragement that Izuku had needed all along. That even though he didn't have a Quirk, as long as Izuku found his own edge he would be able to become the Hero he had always wanted to be.
Chizome believed. Aizawa and the other teachers believed. His mother and friends as well. So why didn't Yagi? The elder Hero clearly saw his potential and had said as much. But All Might still saw Izuku as lacking despite all of his hard efforts to win the Sports Festival and gain a transfer to the Hero Course. Because he was so focused on his own goals of being the Symbol of Peace and passing that role along with his Quirk to Izuku that he couldn't see the teen wanted something different.
But Aizawa did and acknowledged all the hard work the greenette had put into becoming a Hero. Could see the flickering light of his potential and wanted to fan that flame into an inferno. To help mold him into the first Quirkless Hero.
Izuku was grateful for their talk. As well as the physical signs of support from his teacher. Before he had been so upset all he could think about was hiding away to let his tears flow. To let out all the negative emotions swirling inside alone as he had done so many times before. But he felt so much better having someone to talk to about what happened. Making him hope that they would start his therapy soon because the teen seriously thought it would help.
The walk to the studio was nice. Filling in Aizawa on what he had planned. A step back to normal after that world altering meeting. Because the existence of a Quirk that could be passed down to literally anyone was mind boggling. Just as much as there existing a person who could give and take Quirks at will. Who could possibly be still alive to this day living on as the boogey man of the underworld. The thought sent a shiver down the greenette's spine.
Hopefully the closest Izuku ever got to that particular Villain was his potential connection to the League of Villains. Because if All For One was a bad as he heard, meeting the man in person would most likely be absolutely terrifying. The thought made Izuku wish for the safety of his father's arms that he had sought numerous times growing up. Cradled and protected from the dangers of the world. A touch he hadn't felt for six years.
But before he could get lost in thoughts of how much he missed his dad, they arrived at the studio and Izuku was released to go join his friends. The greenette thanked his teacher before walking over to Mei and Shouto. The pinkette was hard at work while the bi-color teen sat nearby watching her.
"Hey, guys, sorry I'm late," Izuku asked as he walked up to the pair and placed his bag down on the ground.
"Izuku!" Mei chirped, briefly abandoning her baby to pull her best friend into a hug.
The greenette returned the hug with a squeeze before letting her go. Upon release Izuku turned to Shouto who was stoic as ever. But green eyes could still see the hints of want in those of grey and blue. With an encouraging smile, Izuku held his arms open in invitation and his friend gladly accepted. The embrace was brief but still managed to bring that fluttering feeling to his gut.
"Thanks for waiting," Izuku said as he let the other boy go. "Sorry I took so long."
"It's fine," Shouto assured.
"Yeah, no worries, Hero-kun," Mei added. "Shouto here has been serving as my own personal audience."
She gave the bi-color teen a wink in thanks who simply nodded in reply.
"So, how did your meeting go?" the pinkette asked as she turned her attention back to Izuku.
The Quirkless teen did his best to hide the still lingering pain inside with a smile as he answered, "It was fine."
Both of his friends eyed him critically before Mei crossed her arms and quirked a disbelieving brow. While next to her, Shouto tilted his head slightly in silent question of if that was true. Izuku gave a relenting sigh. This was the drawback of getting closer to people. You can't keep your problems to yourself. Which was good because then you didn't have to deal with them alone but it sucked for someone who hated to be a burden to others.
"How did it really go, Izuku?" Mei pressed.
"Did this Yagi-sensei do something bad?" Shouto asked, eyes full of underlying worry.
"He, uh, yes and no?" Izuku replied hesitantly, again unsure what all he could share. Even more so because they didn't know that Yagi was actually All Might. "We…talked and somethings he said were…not good."
"Like what?" the pinkette asked, lowering her arms.
"Yagi-sensei offered me a sort of, um, training," the greenette answered. "A way to get stronger."
"But isn't that good?" Mei asked tilting her head slightly. "Heroes need training, right?"
Izuku hesitated in responding. Green eyes shared a brief moment with Shouto's own of grey and blue. Because the other knew that not all training was good. Though while All Might's offer was very different from what Endeavor got up to at home, it was still on the not good side of the spectrum. The bi-color teen sensed his distress and shifted closer to link their pinkies together.
"They do, but not all training is necessary," Izuku replied as he turned back to Mei. "And this one really wasn't."
"What was it?" Shouto asked as he gave their linked digits a comforting squeeze.
"I can't really say what exactly," Izuku replied as he returned the gesture. He paused for a moment to think of a quick on-the-fly explanation. "Yagi-sensei, he, um, he's a teacher but he also…works for All Might."
"Like an assistant?" Mei asked.
"Uh, sure," the greenette responded. It was a good enough label as any even though the two personas were one and the same person. "Anyway, he offered the, um, training on behalf of All Might. But if I accepted, it would make all of my efforts to get where I am now a waste."
"Why?" Shouto asked. "Aren't you going to intern under Aizawa-sensei?
"I am," Izuku answered with a nod. "But this training I think would have been outside of that. I turned it down though. I don't need it to become the kind of Hero I want to be."
The trio fell into a companionable silence. Mei and Shouto knew of Izuku's goals and they fully supported him in anything he chose to do. Including this even though they didn't know the full details. Because everyone was privileged to keep their secrets and could choose to share them or not. The two friends would not push him for more information and instead would stand by his side no matter what his decision was.
But neither liked the underlying sadness that still radiated from the greenette. Shouto offered comfort through their connected fingers. While Mei alerted Hitoshi of the situation via text before going to dig around her pile of babies. The Purple Panda had already gone home for the day and so offered his own support through texting. Asking what happened but assuring him that he didn't have to say if he wasn't comfortable. As well as flooding his inbox with memes and cat pictures to cheer him up as per usual. Izuku couldn't help but smile at his best friends' various signs of support.
"Here we are~!" Mei sang gleefully having found what she had been looking for. She turned around with fierce enthusiasm and shoved the baby in Izuku's face. "I had planned on giving this to you later, but you're sad and I don't like it so you're getting it now."
She handed off the item to the greenette who took it in his hands. Tears welled in his eyes but they were ones of joy rather than sadness. He was overwhelmed by the gift that all he could get out was a wet, "Mei-chan…"
"It's your own Inventor's Special!" the pinkette chirped putting her fists proudly on her hips. "All the features of the one you borrowed before but in red because you love your clashing complimentary color."
The belt in Izuku's hands was indeed red. With pockets filled with all the tools an inventor needed. It would be perfect for working in the studio and the greenette eagerly put it on. Once he did, Izuku pulled Mei into a hug in gratitude.
"Thanks, Mei-chan," Izuku said, giving her a firm squeeze before letting go. "I love it and I'll use it every day."
"You better! And look," Mei said before putting on her own belt that was the original black one. "We match!"
Izuku laughed at that and offered her a fist bump which she returned. They then both turned to Shouto offering a twinned fist bump to not leave him out. The bi-color teen was surprised but also returned the two friendly gestures.
After that, the two inventors got to work. Izuku found his notes for Shouto's Support Item and gave them to the taller boy to hand in with his request form. The bi-color teen excused himself to do just that. While he was talking to Maijima, Mei requested to take some pictures of Izuku's notes on his Quirk Replicating gear so that she could reference them when he wasn't around. The greenette easily gave her permission because it would make sense and be more convenient for the both of them.
Shouto returned to watch them work and the rest of the afternoon passed as they continued to tinker. Maijima let them work until the five o'clock chime at which time he kicked them out and sent them home to rest. Which was more of a chore when it came to dragging Mei away from her babies. But Izuku was long used to it and was able to coax her out of the studio.
The bi-color teen waited patiently for the other two to change back into their uniforms. Then together they headed off campus. Along the way, Izuku decided to tuck his recognizable hair into the same beanie he had used for his Hiro disguise. He had had enough attention for the day and wanted the anonymity his plain looks typically allowed him. The three friends walked together before parting ways at the station.
The ride home was thankfully uneventful. No one paid him any attention on the train or on his walk home with the beanie serving its purpose well. Izuku enjoyed the peace and quiet of it after the day he had. First day in the Hero Course. Presenting Hero names. Making new friends. Getting a head start on rebuilding his arsenal. Having a debacle of a meeting with All Might, but comforted by Aizawa. Ending the school day tinkering with friends.
All in all, a busy day with its own share of ups and downs. Izuku felt better than he had after he left the meeting with Yagi and thereby removing himself from a toxic situation. Having the support of Aizawa and his friends also helped. The greenette kept himself entertained by texting with his friends and scrolling through all the pictures Hitoshi had sent him. The cat pictures and memes brought a smile to his face, but Yagi's words still rolled around in the back of his mind. That his childhood idol still didn't believe in him all because he was Quirkless.
Izuku physically shook his head to clear out negative thoughts. He didn't need Yagi to believe in him to be a Hero. His friends, mentors, and mother do. Chizome too. The Quirkless teen didn't need All Might's support or approval. Even though if he did it would mean so much to Izuku. But he didn't and there wasn't much the teen could do about it. All he could do was keep pushing himself forward and reaching for his dream. And so, he would.
"Mom, I'm home," Izuku called out as he entered their apartment but received no response.
Huh, she must have gone to the store or something.
With a shrug, he pulled off his beanie while he routinely took off his shoes and left them at the door before making his way to his room. Though as he approached the door, his breath caught and he stopped in his tracks as green eyes stared at the All Might name plate. Before, the sight of it every day had filled him with hope and inspiration. But now, knowing his idol still didn't believe in him even after everything he had done to get into the Hero Course, all he felt was heartache.
Letting out a shaky breath, the greenette reached up with his free hand and took the name plate off the door before opening it and walking through. Again, he paused as he took in his room. A room that he had lived and slept and played in for as long as he could remember. One that was so familiar to him but in this moment felt so foreign. All Might's face was everywhere, gazing out at him with the Hero's signature smile. But Izuku knew behind that smile was a man who put more faith in a genetic anomaly better known as a Quirk than in all of the Quirkless boy's efforts.
Izuku took another steadying breath and forced himself to walk into the room. He placed his beanie on his desk before he took off his backpack and placed it on the ground. With name plate still in hand, he slowly turned on the spot to take in the sheer amount of All Might. Representing just how much the Hero had meant to him. Posters, figurines, pencils, bags, books, and even his bedspread. All of it sported the Number One Hero's image in some way. His face, his catchphrase, his colors. The greenette felt for the first time that he was drowning in a sea of red, yellow, and blue. That he was surrounded by disapproving eyes in his own bedroom.
All Might…Yagi-sensei…I've looked up to you for so long. Wanted to be a Hero because of you. Not to be the strongest but to help. To be useful to others so they may have a better life. But you don't really believe that I can. That a Quirkless Hero is waste of my time and effort. That I could be more of a Hero with a Quirk. That it would be more realistic to become a Hero like you.
They say to never meet your Heroes as they would only disappoint you. That the actual person will never match up to the idealistic image you create in your mind. But Izuku had never wanted to believe that. Never thought that All Might the Symbol of Peace himself could ever be anything but pure good. A true Hero as Chizome said.
Sure, when Izuku had first met All Might, the man had told him 'no' because of how dangerous Hero work was. That without power he would be a liability. And Izuku knew this and 'agreed' with him to a point. But after talking to Chizome and then meeting Mei, the Quirkless boy decided to make his own power. His edge. An edge he used to land in first place of the UA First Year Sports Festival becoming the first ever Quirkless winner. A feat that he had accomplished by putting in his all into every challenge, every fight. He thought that would be enough to prove that he had what it took. But apparently it still wasn't. Not for someone who was Quirkless.
'Never meet your Heroes.'
Izuku had forgiven and even understood All Might's initial rejection. Had moved on and even had the pleasure of meeting other Heroes who did believe in him. Maijima with his assurances that any discrimination would not stand and welcomed him openly into his studio. Who was no longer his homeroom teacher but still considered the teen his student.
Aizawa with offering to train them despite not being his students or even in the same course. Who again and again came to his aide whether it involved the boy's personal bully or the Number One Hero himself. A teacher, Hero, and person who actually cared for his wellbeing.
Nezu with his interest in his analysis and taking him, Izuku, as his personal student. Who was willing to do all he could to bring the Quirkless teen justice. Including defending him in the media as well as raining down consequences to those who deserved them. All while sharing his favorite teas.
Yamada with his dedication to teaching him a whole other language on top of his regular English class. Had even playing along with his pun idea for the festival. Quite enthusiastically in fact. Who had always given encouragement and support no matter what the issue was in or outside of the classroom. Had even gifted Izuku an Eraserhead figurine as a thank you for his efforts during the USJ attack.
Shuuzenji with her offer to teach him first aid out of the blue. Who he didn't know all that well as of yet, but she praised him for his analysis and wished to work with him to help his fellow students. The teen looked forward to working with her once he had time to do so.
All of these Heroes believed in him. Saw some kind of potential that deemed him worthy of their time and care. They are what made UA so very different from his past schools. Had given him hope that maybe now he was at UA and in the Hero Course that Yagi…no, that All Might would believe in him too. But he had been wrong.
'Not if you want to be a Hero like me.'
The feeling of something wet landing on his clenched fist broke Izuku from his stupor. Looking down at his hand still holding the name plate, he saw a single drop of moisture.
A rain drop? But how? I'm inside.
He let out a shaky breath that he didn't know he had been holding.
Why do I sound so…?
He reached up with his other hand and felt that his cheek was wet.
Oh…I'm crying. When did I start crying?
He honestly didn't know. From the moment he saw the name plate in his hand on his door to now, it was all sort of a blur. Taking in a choppy breath, he started to use a meditation technique to calm himself down. Preventing the spiral down into a full-blown panic attack.
Looking again at the name plate, he walked over to his bed and dropped it on the bedspread. Then he turned around and gazed at all of his posters. With shaky legs, he approached the closest one and took it down with trembling fingers. He then walked back over to the bed and laid the poster down before turning back for another.
One by one the posters came down revealing the bare walls behind them. The pile on his bed grew and grew as the minutes passed. When all the posters were down, he started to collect everything else All Might. Every pin, every figurine, every bauble and trinket that featured anything All Might. Even his pen case from his backpack leaving the pencils and such that had been inside on his desk. It all had to go. Not destroyed because he never could or would ever do that to Hero merch. Even if he had come to realize that merchandising was part of the problem in today's Hero society, he couldn't bring himself to destroy them.
Well, maybe Endeavor's if I had any.
But definitely not All Might's. He was a good Hero and generally kind and caring. His only fault is his lack of faith in Izuku and Quirkist views despite having been Quirkless once himself. That and his tendency to reveal his smaller form on accident as well as poor teaching abilities. But he was still a good Hero, a good man. He just…Izuku just couldn't stand to continue sleeping in a room surrounded by the image of a man who didn't believe in him. And so, it all had to go.
Maybe I could sell it.
"Izuku! I'm home!" a familiar maternal voice called out.
Inko was back.
"Hey, mom," Izuku replied, taking pause in his work.
"How was your day?" the mother asked, busying herself with something in the hall.
Nerve-wracking, exciting, depressing.
"It was…good," he answered instead. "Hey, mom? Do we have an empty box by chance?"
"Hmm…I might have one in my closet," she replied, the sounds of rustling came from across the hall. "Ah, there it is. Now, what do you want the box fo…?"
The mother trailed off as she entered the room with box in hand. Inko stood there frozen in shock as she took in the drastic change to her son's room. The walls and other surfaces were practically bare, empty. Every trace of All Might had been removed and was now a pile on the bed.
"Izuku?" Inko asked in concern.
"I, uh, decided it was time for a change," Izuku replied giving a poor excuse for a smile.
"Sweetie, what happened?" Inko asked, knowing there was more to it than that.
"I…" Izuku uttered, taking a deep breath to steady himself. "I had a talk with All Might today."
The mother took a step forward. Her motherly instincts telling her it didn't go well. That and her son's dismantling of his All Might collection.
"And?" she asked as she took a step closer.
"H-he said I could be a Hero, but not as I am now. He offered me…" Izuku said, taking pause as he knew he couldn't tell her about All Might's Quirk. "…help with training to be a Hero. But…"
"But?" Inko pressed with another step.
"But he still doesn't believe I can be successful as a Quirkless Hero," the son answered with fresh tears welling in his eyes.
"Oh, my baby," the mother cried as she shot forward and dropped the box so she could wrap her boy in a hug.
The pair of Midoriyas stood there crying into each other's shoulders. Well, more Izuku into his mother's hair and Inko into his chest. But they took comfort in each other's arms as the Midoriya tears fell. Both greenettes let their emotions out in that moment. Izuku's despair of his childhood idol not believing in him. Inko grieving for her son's loss of love for the Hero. And both of them a hint of anger for All Might and his refusal to acknowledge his potential without a Quirk. Eventually the mother and son calmed down and ended the hug.
"Can you tell me what happened, sweetie?" Inko asked, bringing a hand up to her son's face to wipe away a stray tear.
"Not all of it," Izuku replied. "We, uh, talked about somethings that All Might needs to be kept secret. Didn't even want me to tell you."
The mother glared at that as she said, "That man wanted you to keep secrets from me? Wanted my son to lie to me and keep me, your mother, out of the loop? Who does he think he is to ask such a thing?"
"It's okay, mom," Izuku tried to placate her.
"No, it is not okay, Izuku," Inko shot back. "I am your mother and you are my son. My baby. And he has the audacity to want you to lie to me? No, that is unacceptable. I will not let this disrespect for you and me stand. Why the next time I see that man…?"
The mother was so angry that her voice trailed off as she fumed. Imagining all she wanted to say to the man. Forgoing pleasantries of introductions having never met the Hero in person and instead going full throttle in yelling at him for all he had done to her son. Telling him he couldn't be a Hero again and again on top of failing to render aid after saving him from the Sludge Villain. Leaving the teen to walk home alone after almost drowning and coming back to her smelling like a sewar. It just made her so angry!
"Mom, please calm down," Izuku said, taking her hands in his to ground her. "Aizawa-sensei said he would talk to All Might about what he said to me. He also made sure I was okay before he did."
Inko was very much in mama bear mode and really wanted to yell at All Might for upsetting her son. But she forced herself to calm down and was pleased that the Underground Hero had done such a thing. Bless that man for everything he's done for her son. No amount of gifted coffees could show how grateful she was of him and his care for her baby.
Letting out a final huff of frustration the mother said, "Alright, Izuku. So, what do you want to do about…this?"
She gestured towards the pile of All Might merch on the bed.
"I think…I think I want to sell it," Izuku replied letting out a sad huff of his own. "Not the highest bidder. Just…the first person who wants it. I just want it gone."
The mother nodded in understanding and with that they got to work. Having not been the first time she's sold something online, Inko led her son through the steps. Taking pictures of each item which they did in the living room to get the best light. Noting measurements, details, and any flaws they found. Carefully storing them in the box to be wrapped for shipping later after Inko went out and bought the required packing supplies.
They didn't include all of Izuku's All Might merch in the lot. His clothes and bedspread they would donate after cleaning what was dirty or used. But the rest including posters, pins, and the like would be. There was only one piece that Izuku was hesitant to let go of. An All Might figurine he's had since he was very young.
It was a figure of All Might in his Silver Age costume. An arrangement of his signature red, yellow, and blue with a big circle on his chest. Which might not have been the best design choice because it could have also served as an easy target. But thankfully he changed it on his Golden Age costume. A detail that Izuku hadn't thought about until recently.
The reason he was hesitant to get rid of this particular piece of merch was because there were so many memories tied to it. It had been a gift from his father despite his distaste for Heroes. Overcoming that to make his son happy. It was also the toy he had with him when the doctor had declared him Quirkless. There was a little chip in the paint on the Hero's hair from when Izuku had dropped it in shock at the diagnosis.
This figurine and he had been through a lot. They played together, took baths together, and even slept together. Serving as his best friend when he had no one else growing up. It was one of the pieces of merch that he had wanted to keep when playing around with the idea of minimizing his collection earlier that day. But now, despite the history he had with it, Izuku couldn't stand to keep it anymore.
Too many memories now tied with hurt feelings. Too much of a reminder that the faith he had in the Hero and himself was more than what All Might had for him. And so, it had to go. Was placed in the box along with everything else.
The mother and son did what they could that evening. Rolling up the posters. Folding and tying up the clothes and such. Getting as much done before calling it a night. Finishing off with changing Izuku's bed to a plain set of sheets and one of the spare comforters they had for Inko's bed. Removing any and all signs of All Might from his once highly decorated room. Leaving behind a room that was for the most part bare since the majority of his collection had been All Might.
But now his room as well as his wardrobe were as much of a blank canvas as Izuku was. Giving him an opportunity to redecorate his room and refashion himself. As a start, he took the figurines of Eraserhead and Present Mic and put them in a place of honor on his desk. He also rummaged in his desk and managed to find a replacement pen case. It was an older one and had no special design. Simply black in color and good enough in functionality to suffice until he found a new one he liked. Satisfied the teen put the pen case back in his bag before finally changing out of his uniform.
That night Inko made katsudon to cheer him up and they spent some time cuddling on the couch before going to bed. It was an odd experience going to sleep in his room that night. Bare walls surrounded him instead of ones covered in posters. But it was a change he was grateful for because he didn't think he would have been able to sleep surrounded by All Might like he had for years before. The greenette did his best to fall asleep quickly and let this long day finally become the past. Because tomorrow was another day.
...
Tumblr blog name: ja0-s-blank-canvas-fic
Notes extension: post/659792212644757504/part-2-chapter-24-never-meet-your-heroes