Welcome back to another update! So this one is going to be different from the previous chapters. I hope you enjoy!
Notes:
Rumi Usagiyama is 26 at the time of her appearance and Izuku is 16. That means she's 10 years older than Izuku, making her 22 years old now. So about 4 years into her hero career.
The sky was a bright blue with fluffy white clouds floating about. It was nice and warm with a breeze that kept it from being too hot. Overall, it was a perfect day.
A perfect day to somehow get stuck in the middle of a fight between heroes and villains.
At least Izuku could say this time was not his fault he got involved in trouble. Nope, he was an innocent boy walking down the streets when a bunch of villains and heroes burst out of an office building and began fighting in the streets. Izuku was a little irked at how a bunch of pro-heroes put him and a group of civilians in danger by fighting around them. He swore he caught a few heroes smirking to themselves seeing the captive crowd and the audience that gathered just a ways away. Though Izuku could not blame the other civilians with him for being excited about being able to watch the fight with front-row seats when he was excited to. It's just that these particular heroes are known to be arrogant showboaters.
Though there was one hero that Izuku focused on, The Rabbit Hero: Miruko. She was a hero that was rising in the charts. One that was very big on personal strength instead of relying on teams. While Izuku thinks that's foolish in a way, he cannot help but admire her internal strength to keep on fighting alone even if the rest of society calls you foolish for doing so.
The minute the fight broke out onto the street Miruko appeared from the rooftops and took to fighting off three villains.
Izuku found himself mesmerized by Miruko's fight. There was not a wasted movement. Every attack was precise, perfect, and powerful. He was not the only one memorized by Miruko either. A little girl with red hair and large mouse ears was just as mesmerized as he was moments before.
A flash from another fight caught Izuku's attention. Some flashy hero with a lightning quirk blasted a building after missing the villain. The hero and villain were too focused on their fight and did not bother to pay attention to the crumbling building in the background. The falling debris was not even worth a passing glance between those fighters.
To Izuku, it was all he can focus on.
Most of it was small negligible pebbles that could be ignored. What really concerned Izuku was how the wall building was still crumbling. Izuku flinched when the lightning hero crashed into the building. That was all it took for the wall to give way and start to fall in large boulders. The hero and villain simply scattered without a care. The small mouse girl that was too close to the building was stunned to see the large debris coming straight to her.
There was not even a second upon seeing that did Izuku hesitate to run forward.
He could hear the shouts of the other civilians and heroes but Izuku paid them no mind.
All Izuku could see was the scared little girl that was scared stiff. With one final leap, Izuku tackled the little girl. Making sure to wrap his arms around her head as they landed roughly on the floor. Izuku grunted as he felt his elbows get scrapped but said nothing as he braced for impact.
An impact that never came.
Izuku peeked through his eyelashes to see a pair of muscular legs standing before him.
Opening his eyes fully, Izuku found himself staring up at Miruko. Her usual snarl of excitement was gone as she gazed down at Izuku and the little girl with soft eyes and thin lips. Izuku shifted himself to let the little girl look up to see that Miruko had kicked the debris to dust.
A sigh escaped the rabbit hero when she saw they were both conscious. She gave them a soft smile before looking at where the other heroes and villains stood frozen. Fury exploded onto her face as she snarled at them.
"You damn pieces of worthless meat bags! I'm going to kick all your asses for just standing there when kids' lives were in danger!" Miruko disappeared in a flash and in a few moments villains and heroes alike met her wrath.
While Miruko dispensed her justice, Izuku looked down at the little girl. Her eyes were tearing up, but she seemed to be trying to hold it in.
"It's okay now, you got nothing to fear. I'm here now," Izuku said with a soft smile. The little girl gave up holding it in and immediately started to cry. Izuku felt himself tear up a little as the girl latched onto him. Picking up the girl, Izuku gently rubbed a circle on her back as he carried her back toward the crowd.
Many were giving him thumbs up, encouraging words, and pats on the shoulder. Though a few were glaring at him and made snide comments about getting in the heroes' way. Izuku gave those folks a cold glare. The crowd soon forgot about him as they cheered Miruko and the heroes as they escort the villains to the cops.
Izuku found a quiet spot on the sidewalk and sat down. The mouse girl had calmed down at this point and was just silently clinging to Izuku. Judging by how tightly she clutched Izuku's shirt, Izuku figured she was not planning on letting go anytime soon.
A looming shadow broke Izuku out of his thoughts. Looking up, Izuku found Miruko staring down with an emotionless face.
"You're aware of how reckless and dangerous your actions were right? Not just for yourself but for her as well." Miruko kept her voice monotone as she stared down.
For a second Izuku was ready to curl into himself before he felt the girl's grip tighten. He looked Miruko in the eye as he hugged the girl.
"Yes, but I would not and could not forgive myself if she got hurt and I stood by and did nothing."
A long heavy silence hung in the air as the two stared at each other.
Miruko broke the tension with a large grin and boisterous laughter.
"I like you brat," Miruko held out a hand, "you got some guts and will make a fine hero one day. For today, let's complete your heroic deed and find missy her parents."
Izuku took her hand and squeaked when he got yanked to his feet. A blush rushed to his face as Miruko and the little girl laughed at his squeak. Miruko got the two kids checked by the paramedics before walking towards the crowd behind the police line.
It didn't take long for them to find the mouse girl's mom.
What took a long time was convincing the girl, Bae-chan as her mom called her, to let go of her hero, Teiboku-nii (Teiboku = shrub).
Izuku was a blushing sputtering mess as Miruko and the mom laughed. Bae-chan just stared up at Izuku with starry eyes.
"Teiboku-nii, Teiboku-nii, will I see you again? Are you going to be on the TV saving more people?" Bae-chan asked.
"No, you won't see me on TV for a good few years."
"But why? You're a hero! You should be on TV!"
Izuku shook his head, "Not all heroes are on TV. Some of the best one refuse to go on TV to focus on helping people."
"There are secret heroes? Can I be a secret hero tlike you too?" Bae-chan asked with wide eyes.
With red cheeks, Izuku felt his heart skip a beat at being called a hero. Giving Bae-chan a soft smile Izuku asked, "We have to see. First, tell me, why do you want to be a hero?"
Bae-chan went silent. Her brows furrowed while her ears twitched. Izuku noted with amusement how her nose wiggled as thought.
"I… I want to save people. To have no fear, cause I am there. Just like you!" The beaming smile that the girl had nearly made Izuku cry.
"Hold onto that belief and I'm sure you become one of the greatest heroes. Just promise me that you stay safe okay. You can't be a hero if you get hurt."
"Okay Teiboku-nii!"
The girl finally started to squirm so Izuku set her down. The second she was set down, the mouse girl sprinted for Miruko.
"You are super awesome Usagi-nee! I want to be cool like you too!" The little mouse girl hugged Miruko's leg before dashing back to Izuku. She hugged his leg too before dashing to her mom and tugging her arms. The mom just sighed before bowing in thanks to her daughter's two heroes before letting herself be dragged away.
Miruko and Izuku watched in silence as Bae-chan dragged her mom away saying how she was going to become a great hero one day. The two could help but to smile.
"I fight for many things," Miruko said breaking the silence, "Most know that I fight because I enjoy it. Really enjoy it." Izuku snorted at that causing Miruko to bark out a laugh. When she calmed down she wore a soft smile. "But at the end of the day, nothing makes me happier than seeing kids being able to walk away from a villain fight with a smile on their face."
Izuku was silent for a moment before speaking, "I want to be a hero. Just like you and All Might. To be able to make people smile just because you're there. To assure everyone that they will be alright with just a smile. That's all I ever wanted to be."
A lone tear ran down Izuku's face as his eyes watered.
Miruko said nothing as she put a hand on Izuku's shoulder. She gave it a soft squeeze.
"When I was young, they told me I could never be a hero. I was a small weak fragile bunny rabbit that needed to be protected. Those words never left me. I fought in underground rings just to prove to others, and to myself, that I was anything but weak and fragile. I went into hero school with no other desire but to fight others. It wasn't until my first internship that I was smacked in the face with reality. The harsh truth of being a hero." Miruko looked down at Izuku before grinning.
"You, however, already have your heart in the right place. Just like you told little Bae-chan. Hold on to that desire and you will be a great hero." Miruko tapped Izuku's arm with a fist. "At the end of the day, it isn't the quirk that defines the hero. Do something to toughen up that scrawny body of yours and I'll be looking forward to seeing you rank in the charts."
Izuku dried his watery eyes and gave a resolute nod.
"I do my best to be a great hero."
"I'm rooting for you kid. Stay safe."
Miruko gave him one last smile before being called away by the police.
Gripping his shirt over his heart, Izuku couldn't help but cry a little. While his friends and peers called him a hero. It was something else to hear it from one of his idols. Izuku vowed to himself that he was not going to waste her belief in him. The minute Izuku got home, he was going to figure out how to strengthen his body.
I feel that Izuku starts to become reckless when he gains confidence. I figured a little something dealing with a young kid wanting to be a hero would remind Izuku that he too is just a kid. That and just wanted to write Izuku dealing with a kid cause those stories are fun to me.
This one was not supposed to be my next chapter but the idea wouldn't leave me alone till I wrote it and I thought right here would be a good spot for it. So yeah, Izuku met Miruko and they were able to chat. Did Izuku help Miruko with something? Who knows, I don't. Or do I?
Next chapter will be slower paced. I hope you all enjoy!
PK OUT!
