A/N: Howdy welcome to chapter 2. This is the last Pre-UA chapter so buckle up after this it starts to get real!
Chapter 2: Resolve to be a Hero
(Michael Age: 15)
Huffing slightly as I stopped at a bench to catch my breath before taking a huge swig from my water bottle as a familiar clop clop sound came up behind me. Looking back I see the Prussian blue eyes of my best friend: Pony Tsunotori. Smiling down at her I am reminded of how she came to be my best friend-
(Flashback: 10 years prior)
Waking up after a rather eventful previous day, I yawn as I slowly make my way into the kitchen where I could smell food being made. Walking in I notice more people than usual, two of them being the little girl and her mother from yesterday. Smiling and waving excitedly "Hi Pony, Mrs. Tsunotori, what are you doing here?". Receiving a kind smile and a shy glance my mom answered "After yesterday Little Pony wanted to thank her hero again and I thought it'd be nice for you to play with someone your own age".
"Oh, ok! Pony, do you wanna see my toys?" Smiling at her shy nod we take off entering my room. Grabbing my box of hero action figures I spread them out. I picked up one and realized something: "Hey Pony, this one kinda looks like your mom".
Seeing her freeze up a bit I looked closer at the figurine and then at Pony before my eyes widened "YOUR MOM IS COW LADY!"
Pony looked down before nodding "yes.. My mom is Cow Lady. She's a Pro-hero"
Stars in my eyes I look at her "Your moms quirk is so cool. Her Momentum Charge when she fought Rabid Razor was one of the best debut's I've seen!"
Seeing her look so down cast he stopped the fanboying "H-hey Pony what's wrong?"
"I don't like that you know my mom is a pro-hero, everyone only wants to be my friend because she's Cow Lady" lip trembling she looks up her eyes watering "Your not gonna only be my friend cause my moms Cow Lady right?"
Shaking my head, I put her mom's figurine away and picked up my "Stars and Stripes" figurine "No, I wanna be friends with Pony not with the daughter of Cow Lady. I wanna be a Hero so I hope you won't be my friend only because I'll be the super cool hero".
Seeing her pick up an All-might figurine she taps it's fist against Stars and Stripes "Nope, me and you will be friends forever no matter who we know or who we become".
While the children played, the two mothers who came at the shout couldn't help but coo at the cute scene. Looking at the taller lady Marissa motions them to move away from the door "So your Cow Lady huh? I'm guessing that's what pulled you away yesterday".
Nodding in slight shame she twiddles her fingers "Yes, I felt bad but I was the only Hero around. I'm sorry, that was a fail as a mother wasn't it?"
Setting a hand on her shoulder as she sat on the couch she shook her head "Maybe, your daughters a smart girl she most likely understood".
Nodding her head she changes the subject "They sound like they're having fun though" giggling "She has never been so open with someone. Pony is a shy girl".
Marissa smiles, covering up a giggle of her own "Yes, Michael tends to be on the shy side as well. Why don't we make them some snacks?". Getting up the two mothers head to the kitchen to make their kids some snacks.
Back in the room, the children stopped playing with toys and started watching tv, an animated tv show about Stars and Stripes, cheering everytime it showed her quirk changing. It was the start of a great friendship that would hopefully last decades…
(Flashback end)
And lasting a decade it had: through school drama, distance, and the onset of puberty. Handing her a bottle of water she downs it quickly "You're too fast nowadays Michael! You don't let me use my horns".
"That's because quirk use is illegal Pony, you can't use it. Especially since this is stamina training not "use your quirks to be faster than your bestfriend" training".
Pouting she huffs, looking away while drinking her water "whatever… meanie"
"I am not mean, plus you know that you just become cuter when you act like that. I can not take you seriously until you're actually angry" he chuckles when her face takes on a more reddish hue at being called 'cute'.
After hydrating we sit at a bench to relax and watch the ducks "Less than a year until the U.A entrance exam, Are you ready for it? How's your japanese?". Her face gets bashful as she looks away "it's better but it isn't fluid like it should be".
Chuckling, I stand up "Well, we can keep practicing until you get a better handle on it. But for now I gotta head home, I'll catch ya later pony". Getting a wave as a response I head back towards home deciding to stop at the nearby market.
Walking through the supermarket searching for a few things his mother asked him to get for dinner he hums a simple tune. Grabbing a few things he goes to move on but hears the sound of something breaking. Raising an eyebrow he rounds the corner to see something that makes his blood boil: bullies. Getting closer I catch a snippet of the conversation, one of them saying "How many times do we have to tell you? Quirkless losers like you shouldn't even look at us, much less give us this attitude".
Placing my basket down on the ground my fists clench as I approach the group. Stepping behind one of the boys I tap his shoulder, causing him to turn around with a sneer, only to punch him in the face. His head rocks back before he is shoulder checked into the second boy causing them to fall. Turning to the third boy, who at this point has his hands on fire, I charge at him.
Ducking the right cross I slip behind him, interlocking my fingers around his waist, and Suplex him into the ground. Glaring at the two who are getting up my voice growls out "Leave or end up like him". Gulping slightly the two boys, I guess knowing that with all the people around using their quirks would get them in more trouble, grab their friend and walk off.
Turning to the person being picked on, I get a good look at her: Long green messy hair, emerald eyes, and a splash of freckles across her face. Looking at me as if scared she stutters out "T-thank you, S-sorry you had to get i-involved". Giving her a small smile I shake my head "Don't apologize, bullies like that deserve it and I wouldn't be much of a hero hopeful if I let such a cute girl be picked on".
Her face lights up as if on fire "c-cute" she stutters out making me chuckle. Holding a hand out I introduce myself "My name is Michael Mercury Future No. 1, nice to meet you". Slowly and shakily taking my hand in hers she responds "I-I'm Midoriya Izumi, nice to m-meet you". Pulling my hand away I pick up my basket before walking back over "So those boys called you quirkless, is that true?". Seeing her flinch and look away answered my question better the words could "Well, I don't see an issue with that-" Her head jolts up as if surprised "It's not like it's something you can control and as long as you do you best at everything you try to do that's all that matters to me".
Seeing her eyes stare at me in wonder I chuckle "Well, I gotta get back to shopping, catch ya later Midoriya". Walking away I hear a loud "IZUMI" making him look back to see a plump green haired woman hugging the girl I was just talking to crying enough to flood the pasta aisle. Chuckling again I finish my shopping and head home.
Getting home he gives his mother the groceries and he tells her what happened at the store. Giving him a hug for defending the girl and then admonishing him for beating up other kids he goes into his room to text Pony.
(text chat)
Michael: Hey, Pony
Pony: 'sup
Michael: Saved a girl today from people bullying her for being quirkless
Pony: That's terrible, hope you beat them up good for it
Pony: wait- a girl?
Michael: Yup, green hair and freckles. Stuttered a lot but it was cute.
Pony: So… this girl was cute?
Michael: I mean, yes she was cute, but that's not why I saved her
Pony: I see
Pony: I gotta go, I will talk to you later Michael
Pony has left the chat
(chat ended)
Staring at his phone in confusion, he shrugs and puts the phone away, curious about the future.
(1 year later, UA Highschool in Japan)
Smiling as he and pony disembarked from her mothers car, he gazes upon the gilded gates of UA highschool. As we approach the testing area we are separated into separate groups and are listening to Present Mic "Alright little listeners, listen up! You've been split up into groups and will be put into different areas to fight robots. It's pretty simple, you just gotta destroy the robots. There are three types of them, each worth more points and more difficult then the one before".
Somewhere from my right a bespectacled young man with blue hair raises his hand "Excuse me sir! On the pamphlet it says there are four types of combatants. Is this a typo, cause if so it is extremely unbecoming of a prestigious school such as UA! Also, you with the green hair who's mumbling, You're distracting everyone, if this is a game to you just leave". The description of the individual made me look over and around student's to see who he was talking about. Not seeing who he was talking to made me shrug and look forward as Present Mic continued "Don't worry little listener, it is not a typo. The fourth one is just an obstacle and is worth no points so it's best to avoid them".
Hearing the Blue haired kid apologize, Present Mic is able to continue his explanation in peace. After he was done we were all lead to our individual groups towards battle center B. As we enter the battle center Michael cracks his neck and stands at the entrance with everyone else. To his left he hears the blue haired kid berating someone again so already being sick of this kid he turns and marches that way. Closing the distance I grab the kids shoulder "Hey that's enough dude, what is your problem?"
Spinning around the boy waves his arms in a manner similar to a robot "Stay out of it, this person has been a distraction since Present Mics explanation with her mumbling and just now she was gonna distract another examinee!" Blinking owlishly he takes a deep breath "Look I don't know what stick you have up your ass, but the only distraction I've seen is you. No one else has distracted me so far except you. Also, do you have proof or are you just assuming? Because it's very unhero-like to assume something so mean about another hero hopeful".
Sputtering as he tries to come up with an answer I turn to the girl he was speaking to. Upon looking at her a smile appears on my face "Oh midoriya it's you! It's been a hot minute hasn't it?" Looking up at him, her face breaks out in a nervous smile "Hey, Mercury-san i-it's good to see you too". Opening his mouth to say something else he stops once he hears the buzzer go off and Present Mic's voice echos "There's no starting announcement on the field of heroes Little Listeners! Get to it!". Jumping a bit he waves to Midoriya saying "Catch ya later girlie, we can catch up then" before taking off into the Battle Center thinking 'this is it, let's go!'
Chapter En