Mark of a hero

by Sonnie Celanna

The first time he met the black eyed-man, it had nothing to do with his abilities or lack thereof. It had nothing to do with the boy's emotions or fears. It was mere coincidence he came during a moment when his life was in danger. "Izuku Midoriya, aren't you quite the interesting puzzle piece of history." "I am the outsider...and this is my mark."

8. Chapter 8

Midoriya groaned as his eyes slowly fluttered open and he took in his surroundings. Looking around he saw the familiar interior of the school infirmary and he could hear All Might's voice not too far away.

"-e's ended up here again." The exhausted teen only heard the end of the number one hero's sentence. As the boy slowly rose up from his bed he saw the skinny form of his mentor talking to Recovery Girl, who looked ticked off.

"All Might? Recovery Girl?" The boy asked, his voice sounding as tired as he felt. The two heroes looked over clearly surprised.

"You're awake." The blonde said, walking over and taking a seat beside the bed the greenette was in. Recovery girl had also gotten up and was checking some equipment around him. "How're you feeling?"

"Honestly, really tired. What happened? Last thing I remember I was fighting Kacchan in that big room." The boy said, clutching his head which felt as if it was throbbing lightly. Did he have a headache?

"You don't remember?" Midoriya just shook his head at the question and immediately regretted it, hissing slightly. "Woah hey take it easy! We still don't really know what happened."

"I have a pretty darn good idea though." Recovery Girl muttered, discontented. "You had better tell him what happened All Might, instead of risking putting more strain on him."

And so the blonde did, explaining every detail of the small boy's stunt he had pulled. When he finished a wide smile formed on the skinny man's face. "While the finger flicks were a bit more on the insane side I want you to know I'm proud of you young Midoriya. Had your Far Reach not failed you perhaps would have won without Iida aware of your presence at all. Your fight with Bakugou embody the most important part of any fight, avoiding one. Had it not been for me helping you learn how to train Far Reach I would have thought you'd had it for years!"

The greenette smiled slightly while the nurse stood up on a chair to be eye level with him. "I certainly can't say I'm happy you're a regular patient but I suppose in that particular situation it couldn't be help. For the love of quirks though please be more careful from now on."

"Sorry Recover-AGHH!" The boy cut himself off with a shout of pain as he accidentally tapped his finger against the metal bar of his bed. Looking down he saw it bandaged but it still felt sore. Not as bad as the previous times he remembered hurt himself but was still sore.

"What did I just say? I wasn't able to heal your body, and still can't yet If you're tired. I know you used your power enough that your body tired out and stopped your power working. That plus your reckless plan using One for All and It's no wonder you passed out." The smaller heroine chided him. All Might put his hand to his chin as if in thought.

"I'm not so sure about that. I saw your limits in that warehouse. You passed out way to quickly for it to just be tiredness from using Far Reach too much. Did anything happen in there I might not have seen?"

The greenette sighed, resting his head against the wall behind him before his eyes shot open wide. 'Crap! I know what I did wrong!'

"All Might…." The greenette started, lifting his left hand and looking at it. "Do you remember how you thought It was a quirk? The mark?"

"It is a quirk? Didn't we already agree about that?" The blonde asked confused before suddenly coughing up blood. "Wait don't tell me you think it's something different?!"

Recovery Girl looked on intrigued. Midoriya shook his head. "Ok, I won't tell you I think it's not a quirk because I KNOW it's not a quirk."

"Well this sounds like there's a story to it." Recovery Girl thought aloud. The small boy cringed slightly and tried not to fidget with his bad finger as he looked up at All Might.

"Promise you won't freak out until I'm finished at least?" The greenette pleaded. All Might's gaze hardened but he nodded slightly. "It was back during the day we first met, just before you saved me from that slime villain."

And so the boy regaled the tale of his visit from the Black-eyed man, how he called himself a god named 'The Outsider' and offered the boy powers. How the boy thought that it was his only option unless he wanted to die and how the god had removed his memories until just earlier that day. Finally he told the two heroes about his discovery of his new power in the middle of the exercise and how the 'Outsider' had given him a vague warning about not over-doing it lest he hurt his eyes.

"You have another power?!" All Might asked surprised before chuckling despite the situation. "Holy crap kid you're never satisfied are ya? That's uh….."

"Quite the story." The healing heroine finished the skinny man's thought for him. Midoriya just sighed and looked away.

"I get it if you don't believe me-"

"No, I do." The blonde quickly assured him. "I've genuinely heard weirder, not by much but I have. I know you, you're not one to lie about this kind of thing. Still that someone can grant powers like that…"

The greenette looked up. All Might almost seemed reminiscent, though not of any fond memories. "I have no idea what kind of drain that vision power could have, that's probably why when I combined it with the overuse Far Reach and One for All I passed out. He never told me of any limit to the powers I might unlock, the outsider I mean. For all I know 20 more could be on the way. This new one is easy to hide but new ones could be a lot harder and if I have no idea of what will activate them the first time… how do I hide them?"

"Don't" The blonde answered without hesitation, causing the green-eyed boy to look up shocked. "If the powers are coming from the mark then there's not really any exposure risk, in fact it would probably lower the risk. Your classmates might get a little jealous, but well….you're a unique case now. I'll go talk with the principal and Aizawa as soon as I'm done here."

"Thank you…." Midoriya said before hearing a tutting come from Recovery Girl.

"It's a darn good thing you'll have more powers, then I won't need to worry about you being a regular here!" She said. "Now you get back to sleep, you still need rest! All Might, you had best go see Nezu and Aizawa right away, I think they're both in the principal's office."

"Right." All might bowed slightly then turned to Midoriya. "I'll see you later Young Midoriya!"

"Bye All Might." The boy replied before setting his head down on his pillow as he heard the door to the infirmary open and close. He would've tried to wander around a bit first but he had a feeling Recovery Girl would be pretty unhappy with him if he did. It didn't take long for his eyes to start feeling heavy.

Before long the boy drifted off, dreaming about spending a day out with Iida and Uraraka.

Midoriya yawned as he wandered down the hall to his classroom as he thought about what the nurse had told him before he was dismissed.

The boy had woken up late in the afternoon and had still felt exhausted, though he certainly had more energy than last time he woke up.

"You're still far too tired for my quirk to be safe to use. Don't put too much strain on that finger for the rest of the day. I recommend going straight to bed once you get home. On the bright side, it's healing faster than expected. Maybe that's another thing that mark of yours does, would explain why you're still so tired." Recovery girl told him as she gently bandaged his finger.

"You think so?" The boy asked surprised at the observation.

"It's possible and if it's true, then you won't be able to use my quirk when you really hurt yourself. Now you be careful! I don't want to see you in here for the rest of the week!" The nurse said, shooing him out the room.

The greenette sighed as he saw his classroom come into sight. 'I missed all my afternoon classes. Mister Aizawa is probably going to choke me with my scarf. At least my memory came back in my sleep.'

The boy stifled another yawn as he opened the door. When he walked in he seemed to attract everyone's attention.

"Hey, It's Midoriya!" one red-headed teen called out before a crowd suddenly surrounded him. "Good to see you back, sneaky. I have no idea what you were saying in that match but you were amazing to watch! I didn't think it was possible to make retreating look so cool!"

"I can't believe you held your own against Bakugou when you did have to fight! That dudes as strong as you are smart!" A boy with jet black hair said.

"Those dodges were amazing! That tentacle is so cool!" A girl with curly pink hair and pink skin exclaimed.

"You guys really set the bar high in your round so we all made sure to do out bests as well." A bulkier boy with tan skin and brown hair said.

"You weren't the most elegant bu-" "Seriously what is that tentacle?! It seems so useful!" A blonde boy in one of the front desk had started to speak but the pink girl had cut over him. All the greenette could do was look between everyone in shock as he felt a light blush come on. He wasn't used to getting this much praise.

"Hey I'm Eijirou Kirishima." The red-haired boy introduced himself before pointing to the black haired boy behind him. "We've been going over training results while you were in the infirmary."

"Heya, I'm Hanta Sero. Seriously well done on that 'fight'." The black haired boy said with a massive grin.

"More importantly I'm Yuga Ao-" "I'm Mina Ashido! And I just gotta say you're dodging and misdirection was so awesome!" Once again the blonde boy had started to speak before the pink girl had interrupted, flailing her arms about.

"Tsuyu Asui, but please call me Tsu." Another girl peered out from behind the pink one. She was a normal color and had green hair, just a few shades darker than Midoriya's own.

"Hey, Satou!" The bulky teen in the back said.

"Um….h-hey guys!" The greenette said, unsure of what to say to all the sudden attention. Another boy with purple ball-like hair who was probably only as tall as Midoriya's knee jumped out in front of him catching them all off guard.

"And I'm Mineta!" He exclaimed. "Woah Where'd you come from?!"

Everyone broke down into conversation while not too far away Iida tired (and failed) to scold a boy with a bird head apparently called Tokoyami for sitting on a desk. 'Iida never relaxes, huh?'

"-Do you say we grab a bite sometime? What'cha like?" A male voice came from the other side of the classroom. Looking over Midoriya saw a boy with blonde hair that had a black streak through it. With him was Uraraka.

"Anything sweet-DEKU!" The girl immediately cut herself off. once she noticed the boy. She rushed over with a look of concern on her face. "Are you ok?! You really scared me when you just passed out like that."

"I'm sorry for scaring you Uraraka." The boy apologized before he remembered the end of the exercise. "Oh, and sorry for calling you that name in the exercise, I just thought I had to shorten the sentence as much as possible with how fast Iida moves."

"Nah, its ok! I actually like it, it's cute." She said, closing her eyes and tilting her head to the side with a smile. Midoriya tried his hardest not to let his blush show when his brain betrayed him and supplied the thought 'Like you.' "And you let me call you Deku, so it's only fair."

That did get the greenette to blush, and he really had to fight back his urge to flail his arms around like he normally did considering what he was supposed to not put too much pressure on his finger.

"So why didn't she heal your finger?" Uraraka….Urachan asked. 'Well that's gonna take some getting used to.'

"Well it has to do with my stamina, it could kill me if I'm too tired when she uses her quirk." Midoriya explained. Everyone around him seemed surprised at that. "As it is I'm honestly still super tired, It takes a lot out of me to keep Far Reach active like I did in that fight."

"Oh is that why it failed when you tried to climb outside the building? We saw that mark of yours light up but nothing happened." Kirishima asked and the boy nodded before looking around. He couldn't see Kacchan anywhere in the room.

"Hey where's Kacchan?" He asked, continuing to survey the room in case he just didn't see him.

"Bakugou? He left a few minutes before you showed up, he seems really angry. He's probably near the gate by now." Mina told him. Midoriya's eyes widened and he turned around.

"I'll be back!" The boy called behind im as he ran off. The blonde's words from earlier in the day played over in his mind.

"DAMMIT, YOU WERE TRICKING ME FOR YEARS! BET YOU'VE BEEN LAUGHING BEHIND MY BACK! WHERE'S THAT FLASH POWER OF YOURS NOW?!"

He hopped one of the last flights of stairs and ran out the door into the long stretch of path was between the gate and the school. Just ahead he could see the explosive teen stalking towards the gate with his hands in his pockets. "KACCHAN! Wait up!"

The blonde froze, and almost looked as if he was shaking. He slowly turned around with a glare that could kill and growled out "What?!

The greenette flinched slightly but held his ground. He needed to tell the blonde the truth behind his powers, or at least most of them. "I need to tell you something. I know you hate me but please just listen for a couple minutes."

"Why the hell should I?!" Bakugou turned around still glaring and set off a few small explosions in my hands. "After everything you've tricked me about why should I listen to a damn wor-"

"I didn't trick you." The greenette bit out, interrupting the explosive boy. Now he was really starting to look pissed off but Midoriya stood his ground, raising his marked hand to show it to the blonde. "Look at my left hand, Kacchan."

The blonde didn't say anything, just grunted discontentedly but he complied. The smaller boy started summoning Far Reach but didn't let the tendril actually escape, as he didn't know what it would do to his finger. Still he managed what he wanted to do as the mark glowed blue in response. "What the?!"

"You were there when it first showed up Kacchan, when I first found out about the mark. You know I was just as confused as you." The greenette said before staring into the ground. "I had no Idea until recently that it was a quirk and I mean really recently. I only found out during the exam. I wasn't trying to trick anyone, do you really think I'd hide finally having a quirk from all our classmates when it could have stopped them bullying me?"

The blonde growled as more explosions set off, but he made no move to do anything. "Really you damn nerd?! You wouldn't hide it? THEN WHY THE HELL DO YOU KEEP LOOKING DOWN ON ME DAMMIT?! WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU ACTUALLY TRY IN THE DAMN EXERCISE, WHY DIDN'T YOU COME AT ME AT ONE HUNDRED PERCENT?!"

"That's what you think?" Midoriya asked as he looked up, meeting the harsh gaze of the explosive boy with a glare of his own, still holding out his hand. "You Idiot! Look at my finger! That's what happens if I use 100%, I can't control the power output of my strength yet! I wasn't going to use it at all but then Far Reach failed and I was gonna smash into the ground! I know you're better than me, I can't beat you in a head-to-head fight. I DID COME AT YOU AT MY STORNGEST, THE STRONGEST I CAN DO RIGHT NOW!"

The blonde let off another explosion, He seemed at a loss for words.

"You're amazing, that's why I wanted to beat you but…. I'd never be able to, you're too strong…That's why, I'm gonna learn to control this power, then I'm going to beat you for good." Midoriya said as he clenched his good hand into a fist before his eyes widened. 'Crap where did that come from!? I just meant to show him I wasn't tricking him.'

"Dammit...You...NEVER, I'LL NEVER LET YOU GET FUCKING CLOSE TO THAT POINT YOU BASTARD!" Bakugou suddenly exploded in rage, but in his eyes there was a hint of fear, as if he was worried about something. "DAMMIT! You already made a fucking fool out of me in that training exercise. So?! Did you come here to rub it in? I lost and to make matters worse it was to you! I may have come in first in the exam but that's not enough! You aren't the only one, dammit. When I was watching that Ice guy, I realized I couldn't beat him in a head to head fight. CRAP, I even agreed with what that girl said, MY ATTACK WAS SO STUPID!"

Midoriya had completely lost track at this point. 'I guess he means Todoroki when he says ice guy but which girl is he on about?'

"DAMMIT, DAMMIT, DAMMIT, DAMMIT! Enjoy that fucking win Deku, I swear it'll be the last you ever get!" The blonde screamed at him. "I'M JUST GETTING STARTED! GOT THAT?! I'M GOING TO END UP THE NUMBER ONE NO MATTER WHAT."

The explosive boy had teared up at some point in his rant. He wiped away the tears as he turned and walked away. "I won't let you beat me again you bastard, don't even try."

The greenette watched him walk away for a couple of moments before he let out a sigh of relief. 'Why does dealing with Kacchan have to be so scary and stressful?'

"THERE YOU ARE." A Familiar booming voice sounded out. A strong gust of wind almost knocked the smaller boy over before he saw the towering muscle form of All Might holding Bakugou by the shoulders. "Bakugou! I found you! Just so you know, pride is important attribute to have but while you certainly have the abilities to become a pro hero, there's still plenty you have to learn."

"Let go of me, All Might. Right now" The boy growled before looking back at the pro. "Save your speeches, I'll be more famous than you and I'll do it without your help."

"Uhhh...Right." The man let go of the teen, clearly at a loss for words. The greenette ran to his mentor's side as Bakugou walked off. 'Kacchan's fuse has been lit now, there's a raging fire in him but… That doesn't change what I have to do, I'll keep chasing after him and one day.., I'll beat him.'

"Midoriya, what were you saying to Bakugou before I arrived so heroically?" The blonde inquired. The boy looked up at him before looking to his mark.

"During the exercise, He thought I was tricking him. That I'd been hiding my power for years. I felt guilty, so I wanted to set the record straight" The boy explained and the blonde nodded.

"Understandable! It's good that even despite your adversity you are willing to accommodate his feelings." The muscular blonde said with a tone of approval. "Oh by the way, tomorrow just before lunch Aizawa will come to collect your from your class. He'll take you to one of the gyms. We'll need to test your new power first so we have the proper idea as to how we should approach this development."

"Right!" Midoriya nodded his head as the two went back inside. Al Might took off in the direction of the teachers' lounge leaving the boy alone. He was about to return to class but first…

"I know you're still there." The boy spoke up, looking around the empty room. "If you're not gonna tell me how my powers work fine, but you could at least tell me the names of the powers."

"Hm, yes I suppose that much I can do." The voice of The Outsider spoke inside his head, causing him to shudder. He didn't think he'd ever get use to that. "I believe the two who had this power before called it Dark Vision. Quite a dramatic name, though I wonder if it was really the best choice."

Dark Vision…. Midoriya smiled slightly as he walked back to his class. Honestly, He liked the name.