Shoto was a sheltered child. One that only knew life through a fish eyed lens. The little knowledge he possessed on life and that of people, were based on his own experiences with his unique family.
Growing up with three mothers had been an... experience. Or so Midoriya's reaction to the knowledge had led him to believe so, at least.
Shoto only really knew how to utilize his quirk and fight with it. He didn't know much of the world, aside from the odd and somewhat highly confusing lectures from his mother's.
Rei, his birth mother, was a kind woman. She never rose her voice, never got truly anger and was always supportive of him and his goals.
Esdeath, his 'second' mother, was... She was cruel. Not to him, or his siblings, but in general. It was who she was. According to his father's words, Esdeath was a retired Pro Hero from Russia with 'baggage'.
She never spoke much about her past and Shoto never seen a reason to intrude. If skeletons wished to remain hidden in the closet then he wouldn't go searching.
His 'third' mother, a dark skinned woman who went by the name of Tier Harribel, was much like himself. She was a Pro Hero from Mexico, a very high ranking Pro Hero to boot, that eventually settled down with his father after a joint mission gone wrong.
She was stoic, not unlike himself and very rarely spoke unless directly addressed. Though for all her silence and stoicism, she was as supportive, if not moreso than his own mother, of his dream of becoming a hero.
Each of his siblings, aside from his eldest brother, were all half-brothers/sisters. The only true blood he shared was with Touya.
They had a... strained relationship. Years before he had been born, Touya had possessed a lofty goal that was only achievable in a false reality, or so Esdeath had said one night in her rare bouts of sanity.
Touya's quirk was powerful. A fire that burned brighter and hotter than even his own and father's. However, Touya's quirk came with a severe drawback.
He was not resistant to the flames he conjured. He was however, highly resistant to ice, taking his mother's resistance to the power with ease but his flames...
They more often than not burned him severely if he wasn't careful. The man possessed his bevy of scars from overusing his quirk and seemed to show little care for the pain.
Tier had complimented his eldest brother, saying that a bull would struggle to achieve his level of stubbornness.
Touya and he...
Shoto never knew where the animosity came from. Perhaps it was due to the perfect blend of father and mother's quirk, perhaps it was the encouraging words that father would say to him (Shoto)...
Who was to say?
Touya had long since abandoned his dream of becoming the Number One Hero in Japan. A goal that Shoto had taken to heart upon happenstance when he was first learning how to wield his flames and ice.
Shoto did not necessarily blame his elder brother. The resentment and anger at seeing something you wanted so badly, only to have it crushed before your very eyes, had to be soul shattering.
He was everything that Touya wanted to be.
He was resistant to both his flames and his ice. He could wield his fire without harm. He didn't need to worry about harming himself. He was the perfect blend of his mother and father.
Shoto pitied Touya. Not out of dislike or hate but due to circumstance. He wanted to bond with his brother... He wanted to know about him.
In his fifteen years of life, Shoto only possessed the bare basics of Touya's life. He didn't know what the man liked, what he enjoyed to do in his free time, or even what his favorite food dish was.
It was...
It stung.
So, it came as a major surprise that the first person he awoke to in his infirmary room, was that of Touya.
Shoto's tired, heterochromatic eyes gazed at his eldest brother, watching the man as he stood in front of the windows of the infirmary room, gazing out into U.A High.
"Brother...?" Shoto spoke quietly, eyes creasing in the rather dark room. He watched the man's shoulders tense, head snapping towards his direction. Shoto's mismatched eyes briefly dipped to his brother's bandaged arms before the man hid them behind his back.
Touya's turquoise eyes were indecipherable for a moment as he stared at his youngest sibling. He resisted the urge to pick at his scars, eventually turning back around to gaze out the window.
"Shoto..." He spoke quietly. "I heard what happened..."
The aforementioned teen remained silent, fingers clenching against the thin blanket from the bed. His near death at the hands of the Nomu sprang in his mind followed by the debilitating feeling of watching his friend nearly die, being helpless to prevent it.
Shoto's palms itched with a ferocity he hadn't thought possible. His quirk begged for release, to be used as an outlet for his frustration and feelings of uselessness. He clenched them tightly, grimacing as his nails bit into his palms.
"Father is on his way..." Touya continued quietly, gazing out the window but not really looking at anything. "How are you feeling?"
Shoto was silent as he digested the question.
How was he feeling?
Useless.
Angry.
Frustrated.
Disappointed.
...scared...
He had seen his life flash before his very eyes. He'd been helpless in a situation to save someone who really needed it.
That fear had even managed to cause his flames to burn blue.
It should have been seen as an accomplishment. That was the first time that he had managed to alter the heat of his flames to such a degree.
But it was hollow at best... His flames hadn't mattered.
That... That monster had just kept coming! It didn't matter how much ice and fire he spewed at it, it only continued towards him, hellbent on snuffing his life out!
Shoto's eyes fell to his hands, just now noticing the shakes and trembles. "I..." He spoke quietly, licking his lips. "I'm scared..."
Touya didn't react.
"Yeah..." The bandaged man spoke quietly. "I can see that." He paused for a moment, eyes straying to his brother in the reflection of the window. "How did it feel?"
Shoto furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.
"To kill someone?" Touya clarified.
Shoto's eyes widened to an abnormal degree. "W-What... What are you... saying?"
Touya's eyes narrowed sadly before he closed then, refusing to look at his distraught brother. "Shoto... You killed people today."
The youngest Todoroki could do nothing but stare at his brother's back, mouth agape in shock. Blood pounded through his ears, eyes dilating and becoming unfocused.
His thoughts began to spiral quickly...
He hadn't... He only wanted to... He was trying to save...
Shoto blinked, finding himself on the floor of the infirmary, dry heaving into a trash bin. His eyes were slick with tears, throat burning from the stomach acid that continued to fling from his mouth. He heaved once more into the bin, feeling a hand gently rubbing against his back.
Shoto's thoughts continued to race, tears streaming down his face as he continued to puke into the trash can.
He... killed people?! How?! When?!
Another bout of vomit spewed from his mouth, spraying the bin and coloring it in a disgusting shade of browns and greens.
Touya only sighed quietly as he crouched next to his younger brother, providing what meagre comfort he could.
It wouldn't be enough. Touya knew that.
This wasn't supposed to happen.
He may have resented his youngest brother when he was growing up but... He didn't envy his brother. Touya hadn't envied him for quite some time.
But right now... He only pitied his brother.
The beeping had long since grown incessant. It grated his mind, causing a cacophony of sounds to erupt in his mind, furthering angering his already crippling migraine.
Izuku very nearly snarled as he resisted the urge to rip off the cloth covering his eyes. He knew not where he was, other then being somewhat familiar with the smell of antiseptics.
A vicious throbbing nearly had him screaming, hands desperately trying to claw at his skull to somehow soothe the pain he was in.
Odd... He couldn't actually move his arms.
Izuku took a moment to try to move his arms and found his wrists being somewhat snatched once they reached a certain point.
It was almost as if...
Ahh. He was being restrained to his bed.
It was probably for the best, if he was being honest. Overusing his quirk would lead to vicious migraines. Migraines that tended to have him scratching and clawing at his temples to try to soothe the pain.
It was irrational, Izuku knew. It wouldn't soothe the pain but it'd momentarily distract him from the mental pain.
After all, physical pain was more bearable than mental. Or atleast he believed so.
"Izuku!" He heard a familiar voice yell. "My baby!"
He was prepared for the crying that came, even somewhat prepared for the extraordinarily powerful hug that came from his mother.
What he wasn't prepared for however, was the cries of surprise from two other familiar voices.
"Midoriya!"
"Izuku!"
The green haired teen could only groan in minor discomfort as the weight upon his body nearly tripled.
"A-Ashido-san?! J-Jiro-san?!" He mumbled in surprise, grunting at a particularly powerful squeeze from who he assumed to be was his mother. "Mom?!"
"My babyyyyyyy!" The older woman cried dramatically as she held onto her child, crushing him against the bed.
"M-Mom, please?!" Izuku squeaked harshly, hissing in pain as his head pounded once more due to his fading migraine.
The fire user released a sigh of relief as the women released their holds on him. It was shortlived, blissful as it was.
"Ladies, please!" An older woman's voice spoke out sharply. "Give the boy some room! He's suffering from a major migraine and all your yelling is going to reignite it!"
Miracles do exist!
"And as for you, young man...!" Recovery Girl half-hissed/yelled. "How could you be so reckless?! Using your flames like that! You're in deep water, mister!"
Dammit! It was all a lie! A fallacy! Miracles were a con!
Izuku's pitiful groan was enough to dissuage RG's wrath. The elderly women slowly saddled up next to the teen, monitoring his vitals whilst writing several notes on a document attached to a clipboard.
"Midoriya-san is prone to extreme migraines from overusing his quirk?" The elderly Pro Hero questioned Inko.
The petite mother dipped her head, speaking with a minute frown. "It's been years since I've seen it so bad... What happened?"
The room quickly became uncomfortable, something that Inko immediately took notice of. Her green eyes shifted towards the two teens, frown growing larger at the way they curled in on themselves.
Inko could see the wounds they sported clear as day. The pink skinned girl, Mina, had bandages wrapped all along her hands, ending near her elbow. The shorter girl with purple hair, Jiro, had bandages wrapped along her unique looking ears.
"What happened to my son?" Inko demanded, eyes snapping towards the elderly Pro Hero.
"M-Mom... It wasn't..." Izuku tried to interject, only to get railroaded by his mother.
"You! Be quiet." Inko demanded, sparing her beloved son a glance. "I want answers! I want them now! What could have been so drastic that forced my child to overuse his quirk to such a degree that he has to be restrained in bed for?!"
She was livid! She knew that Izuku craved the day where he could be a hero. But she wouldn't allow it to happen at the expense of his health!
Recovery Girl frowned at the irate woman. "That..." She was silent for a moment before ultimately sighing. She went to open her mouth before the door to the infirmary room slowly opened.
Several men came into the room, ranging from police officers and what Inko could assume to be lawyers or businessman of some kind.
"That will be all, Recovery Girl." One of the men spoke, briefly flashing a badge. "Detective Tsukauchi." He greeted with a nod to Inko. "I have the answers to your questions... But you won't like them, Mrs. Midoriya."
"Ms." She corrected instantly, eyes hardening as she shifted her body towards the detective. "Ms. Midoriya." Her eyes narrowed at the men in the room, briefly shifting towards her son. "Why is there multiple police officers in this room? More importantly, what would merit the appearance of such? Has my son committed a crime?"
"That is to be determined, ma'am." One of the officers spoke briskly.
Mina's face scrunched up at the man's tone. "Hey! Whaddya mean 'to be determined'?! Izuku didn't do anything wrong! He saved us! He saved everyone today! You can't treat him like a criminal!"
"A-Ashido-san..." Izuku grimaced, trying to raise the cloth from his face. "Can someone remove these restraints...?"
Inko's eyes shifted towards her son, utilizing her quirk to undo the leather straps on her son's wrists. "What is the meaning of this?!" She exclaimed, stepping in front of her son and shielding him from the police. "My son doesn't have an evil bone in his body! What crime is he being accused of?!"
"Murder." The same police officer stated in annoyance.
The Detective released an aggravated sigh, shifting towards the officers behind him. "I told you to let me handle this. Get out. You're only going to escalate the situation."
"M-Murder?!" Izuku croaked as he ripped the bandages off his face, cringing as the light assaulted his face. "W-What?!"
Ashido and Mina squawked in disbelief, eyes widening in shock as they stood ramrod straight. Inko herself was completely floored at the answer, not even able to entertain the idea that her son could murder anyone.
The detective sighed quietly to himself, escorting the police officers out of the room while massaging his temples.
"Just my luck..." He grumbled quietly, seeing the open animosity beginning to form in Inko's eyes. Tsukauchi could see the disbelief slowly turning to anger in the two teen's faces as well.
This was going to be a long day...
"Ms. Midoriya, I ask that you please remain..."
"I will not!" The woman practically barked out, rudely interrupting the detective. "You cannot expect me to believe that my son has the capacity to murder someone! You come here in a show of force with your little puppets and accuse my baby of committing such heinous actions...?! Are you daft?! You take me for some kind of idiot?!"
Izuku cringed at his mother's words, never having seen her so angry in all his years of life. It was terrifying to say the least.
Recovery Girl, wisely, vacated the room after Inko's words. She was far too old to get involved with a mother protecting her son. It was not her business.
Detective Tsukauchi cringed at the woman's words. Possibly not the best thing to say to a woman, let alone a mother.
"I meant no disrespect, Ms. Midoriya..." He rose his hands in a placating manner, briefly shifting his gaze around the room and spotting a chair in the corner of the room. "I only came here to question Midoriya-san about today's events. I had no intentions of accusing him of committing murder."
Inko watched the man like a hawk, crossing her arms against her bust and standing her ground. "I find that hard to believe, Tsukauchi-san. Please, explain yourself. Slowly."
The Detective released a quiet sigh before slowly moving towards the open seat in the room and sitting himself down. He scratched at his cheek for a moment, clasping his hands together before speaking.
"Before I can get to my questions, you must be made aware of crucial information... Information that has yet to be released publicly." He spoke slowly and concisely, noting that the woman seemed to understand the undermeaning of his words. "Ms. Midoriya, what I'm about to tell you must remain in this room, for now atleast. We cannot afford to allow this sensitive information to become public. U.A High is under enough scrutiny with the HPSC... This event will only cause a domino effect."
"What are you getting at, Detective?" Inko questioned calmly, briefly glancing at the teenagers in the room. She noticed the way they grimaced, nearly huddling together like...
Her shoulders began to slowly droop. She recognized the looks in their eyes. The way their shoulders tensed and how their eyes flicked across the room rapidly.
What had caused such stress and trauma?!
"What happened to these children, Detective?" Inko demanded harshly.
The Detective rubbed his face with one of his hands before speaking slowly. "Class 1-A was targeted by a group of Villains on U.A High soil. They were ambushed by nearly sixty villains, forced to fight and fend for their lives..." Tsukauchi bulled through his explanation, trying to ignore the horror growing in Inko's eyes. "The scale of this attack is currently unknown, as details have been incredibly sparse. We have not interviewed all of the students and are still piecing the puzzle together. However..." He grimaced here, knowing how volatile his next words could come across.
"Several of these villains were confirmed dead..." The Detective paused for a moment, eyes falling to the table in front of him as he ignored the gasps from Inko, Ashido, Jiro and Izuku. "Several villains were shot. The caliber of bullet... .308. The casings matched with the rifle used by one of your classmates, Momo Yaoyorozu. Seven men and women fell to Yaoyorozu's rifle... They did not suffer."
Tsukauchi continued to stare down at the table as he briefly covered his mouth. "A confirmed eight villains were..." He paused for a moment before slowly raising his gaze to stare directly into Izuku's eyes. "Immolated... Several of those individuals sported burns in the third degree and some had even been charred to near unrecognizable levels..."
Tsukauchi hid his grimace, watching as Izuku nearly fell from his bed, dry heaving on the floor. He closed his eyes at the sight of the boy's mother rushing towards her son, comforting him as best as she could.
The detective bowed his head with a frown, hearing the crying emanating from the mother and son.
These were children.
Children that had been forced to kill to protect themselves.
His line of work was never sunny. Dull and grey, usually. But this?
This was disgusting. How was a child supposed to react to this information? How could one stare into the eyes of an innocent, accusing them of committing an atrocity so heinous that they'd never see life the same again?
Tsukauchi saw the look in the boy's eyes when he mentioned Yaoyorozu's confirmed kills. He had seen the disbelief, the righteous anger and shock.
Protecting yourself was one thing. Self-defense laws existed for a reason.
"I should also mention that another six of these villains succumbed to hypothermia..." Tsukauchi muttered quietly. "Yaoyorozu-san, Todoroki-san and you, Midoriya-san..." He paused before shaking his head.
"The evidence presented in the USJ building points to you three... you three, in self-defense, killed twenty-one men and women today."
Momo hadn't spoken a word since learning of the information and the aftermath of what had happened today. She stared blankly out the window of the Principal's office, ignoring her surroundings.
Nezu had not the answers she desired or needed. Human emotions weren't his expertise. Familiar with patterns and stigmata? Yes. But to deal with these issues? No.
Momo had been forced to kill today. Simple and plainly.
A child was not meant to think of survival. A Hero School they were but a military organization they were not. Their only worries should have been on the homework due the next day, not if they were going to survive an insurmountable event with their backs against the wall.
Nezu could only offer what he believed to be a realist's words.
"Those deaths... Are not on you."
Momo didn't react. Eyes still blankly staring at nothing. In a monotone voice, she replied. "I don't care... anymore." She rested her forehead against the window, closing her eyes. "Where were the heros... when we needed them...?"
Nezu remained silent at the question, glancing towards the door, noticing Toshinori's looming figure.
"It doesn't matter if they were villains." Momo continued. "It doesn't matter if my actions are excused. It... doesn't matter..." She paused for a moment, placing one of her hands on the glass of the window, biting back the tears that wished to fall. "We were forced to kill... What can you realistically say to me, Principal Nezu? That 'It was you, or them.' ? It shouldn't have had to happen in the first place..."
Momo's eye slowly opened, spotting her Sensei in the reflection of the window. "None of this would have happened had you been there, Sensei." Her fingers scraped down the glass of the window. "But you weren't... You weren't there. You weren't there when I... when we needed you..." Tears began to slip down her cheeks, though her face remained blank. "Where was our hero... when we needed him the most...?"
All Might had no words for his apprentice. What could he realistically say to Momo? That he was sorry?
It'd do nothing. An apology could not cover the fresh blood that stained the girl's hands. Weapon or not, a death was a death. It was less visceral, of course, but Momo was not a soldier.
She was only a child. Ambitions of being a Hero, yes but a killing machine that only followed orders? No.
All Might could only stare at his student's back in shame. He had no excuses and he wouldn't make any. He knew he was limited these days. Three hours were the best he could do on a good day. The fact he had used all of it before the day had even began was telling.
His students wouldn't have had to suffer. Wouldn't have had to stain their hands... They wouldn't have been traumatized in such a manner.
Momo refused to wipe her tears as she stared at her Sensei's reflection. A sad smile framed her face as she abruptly shifted on her heel. She was silent as she walked towards All Might.
"You chose the wrong person, Sensei." She said simply, a pained smile on her face before departing the room.
All Might only gazed down at the floor, watching Momo leave the office without another word.
He had failed.
Shame painted his features, knowing he had truly failed at being the Hero he used to be.
Izuku was numb as he stared at the ceiling of his room. Darkness enveloped his vision, shadows twisting and roaming along his room.
It had been two days since the incident at USJ. He hadn't left his room since then.
The police had broke the news of the attack and life was...
Izuku glanced down at his phone, frown growing larger at the time.
3:07 A.M.
'Three students involved in the killing of twenty-one villains at U.A High!'
'Twenty-one men and women parished at the hands of three Heros in training.'
'Heros in training defend themselves, slaughtering nearly two dozen and men!'
The headlines were sickening. A tragedy being made a mockery at the hands of the media. Blood was spilled and like the sharks they truly were, feasted on the buffet.
U.A High was under no small amount of scrutiny due to the events.
News stations berated the school, questioning how an institution as prestigious as U.A High was unable to handle this unforseen situation.
Izuku scoffed, covering his face with his arm as he rolled in his bed. How was any of this truly U.A's fault? Laws were formed once the crime had been ultimately committed.
Izuku highly doubted that another situation was to occur like this. Atleast not directly within U.A High. Perhaps on a field trip of some kind, exposed to the cruel nature of this world and all its misgivings.
Izuku shook his head, rolling around in his bed once more, unable to catch even a moment of sleep.
The traumatic events had left him scarred. Every time his eyes closed, he'd see that hulking monstrosity. He'd dream of his death at the hands of the Nomu, unable to defend himself. In a detached manner, he'd see it target his classmate's, decimating them and ripping them apart.
Izuku cringed at the memories, rolling in his bed once more.
He called upon the power of his quirk. The familiar warmth of his fire offered him no respite. He could only see the burnt carcasses of the men and women he'd killed.
Izuku stared at his flames in a detached manner. He knew his quirk was deadly. Fire was an unforgiving element. It could save you. It could burn you.
Fire was beautiful in a twisted way. For as bright as it was, it could also produce no small amounts of darkness.
Ash, cinder and smoke...
Fire was beautiful.
Fire was deadly.
It possessed a mind of its own.
Fire was neither evil nor good. It distinguished between no one.
His quirk wasn't any different. Its only caveat was that it was attached to him. His fire... It was the embodiment of who he was.
He had used his fire to kill. Not knowingly, of course. He had merely been trying to protect his classmates and friends...
Did he regret it?
Izuku frowned as his flames grew brighter, illuminating his room brightly.
No. Why should he?
His flames shifted, growing larger while twisting in the air. The flames expanded, life being breathed into them as Izuku mindlessly guided the element around his room.
Those villains wouldn't have gave him and his classmates any respite. They had only wished to cause harm and chaos.
Izuku clenched his fist, causing his flames to spontaneously combust. A small implosion spread throughout his room as he snuffed the flames out of the air.
Soot slowly spread along his room and he ignored it with ease. He'd long since grown used to such trivial byproducts of his quirk.
His flames had saved him. Saved his classmates... Saved his friends.
Why should he look at them any differently? Those villains had chosen their path that day...
He'd spit on their grave if given the chance.
VVRRTT. VVRRTT.
Izuku blinked slowly at the quiet noise. His eyes shifted towards his phone as he reached for the item. His eyebrows furrowed for a moment, spotting the text message that had appeared on his home screen.
Ashido : u up..? i cant sleep /
Me : You too?
Ashido : how u holdin up..? everything okay?
Izuku briefly smiled at the girl's question.
Me : As best I can really... What about you? Everything okay?
Ashido : my hands still hurt but atleast i can finally use the bathroom by myself! wiping was a real pain in the butt.. literally ;)
Izuku released an embarrassed groan at the girl's text. Why?!
Me : Ashido, please! TMI!
Ashido : hehehe! what izu? we girls gotta poop too!
The boy only grumbled again, rolling over his pillow as he responded.
Me : You're too much, Ashido.
Ashido : dont act like u dont like it!
Ashido : do u knw when were supposed to go back to schiool?
Me : Friday. Or atleast, that's what I've been told.
Ashido took a few minutes to respond this time. He could see her typing a response, then immediately deleting it and rewriting something else.
Ashido : jiro and i are goin to visit yaomomo tiday.. wanna come with?
Me : I'd love to. What time?
Ashido : like an hour or so... (;
Izuku's face scrunched up at the girl's words. His eyes shifted towards the time on his phone and he nearly dropped it.
3:47 A.M.
Me : It's almost 4 A.M Ashido!
Ashido : ye, so? u comin or not?
Izuku sighed quietly to himself, gaze turning away from his phone. He slowly stood to his feet, shuffling over to the window in his room. He leaned against the object, staring out into the darkness with pursed lips.
Well, it wouldn't hurt right? He'd been holed up in his room since the USJ Incident and his mother was likely worrying herself sick.
He released a quiet sigh before glancing back down at his phone.
Me : Sure. Let me take a shower. What's her address? I'll meet you guys there.
Ashido : ooooooh~! send pics! lemme see the goooooodieeeesss!
A fierce blush erupted on his face at the girl's text.
Me : ASHIDO, PLEASE!
Ashido : i love a boy who begs (;
Izuku very nearly feinted at the girl's words.
Throwing his phone on his bed, he shifted through his drawers, searching for a fresh pair of clothes to wear. He took a shower, brushed his teeth, applied his trusty All Might deodorant and left a note explaining that he'd gone to visit a friend and he'd be back later.
It'd probably only worry his mother even more considering he was leaving in the middle of the night but he just had to get out of his room. Izuku loved being alone and the silence it provided but after the USJ Incident...
Being alone with his thoughts was the last thing he really needed right now.
He glanced down at his phone, riding alone in one of the subway carts.
Me : I'm on my way.
Ashido : jiro and i just got here. take ur time.
Izuku merely responded with a thumbs up emoji, one that Ashido teased him for. Rolling his eyes with a smile, the teen placed his phone back in his pocket and awaited his stop.
A couple of minutes passed by before the cart stopped, allowing Izuku to get off. He walked through the darkened city, noticing how much wealthier this precinct was compared to others.
It was almost like night and day. Some of these houses could fit nearly a dozen of his apartments in them!
As Izuku neared the address given by Ashido, he spotted the two girls under one of the street lights, talking to each other.
Waving to get their attention, he began to jog their way, idly glancing towards the manor he assumed to belong to Yaoyorozu. It was a gated mansion that sported a giant stylized 'Y' on the gate.
If it wasn't the Yaoyorozu family he'd eat his red sneakers.
"Izu-kun~!" Ashido exclaimed with a large smile, waving her hand back and forth rapidly.
"Yo, Midoriya." Jiro waved with a soft smile.
He stopped a few feet in front of them, offering them a once over.
Ashido was wearing a yellow sundress that sported several colorful flowers on it. It was a simple dress, incredibly short, but simple.
Jiro wore a crew cut black sweater and a pair of black leggings. A bit of jewelry was wrapped around her neck and wrists, slightly surprising him.
He himself wore a simple white hoodie with black joggers and his trusty red high tops.
"How are you?" He asked with a small smile, glancing towards Yaoyorozu's mansion. "She's uh..."
"Loaded." Ashido spoke with a smirk.
"Filthy rich." Jiro piped up with a similar smile.
"Your comments are completely unnecessary." Momo's voice spoke dryly from the intercom on her house's gate. "I'm unlocking the gate. Please, come in. The butler will see you in."
"So modest~!" Ashido cooed with a teasing smile, causing Jiro to snicker in amusement.
Izuku only shrugged with a small smile, following behind the two girls as the gate opened.
"Have you heard from Todoroki, Midoriya?" Jiro asked curiously, idly bouncing atop the fancy rocks leading to Momo's home.
Izuku sighed quietly at the question. "We spoke very briefly on Wednesday after the news was dropped... Todoroki texted me last night asking about the assignments from Wednesday."
"You think he'd come over if you'd ask?" Ashido questioned curiously as she hopped from rock to rock like Jiro.
"It's almost five in the morning Ashido-san." Izuku responded with a quiet sigh, resisting the urge to yawn.
Jiro shrugged her shoulders. "Couldn't hurt to ask, ya know?"
The fire user shrugged his shoulders before pulling out his phone and sending a text to Todoroki.
Me : Todoroki-kun. You up?
He was about to place his phone back in his pocket before his phone immediately vibrated.
Todoroki-kun : Do you need something, Midoriya?
Me : I'm currently at Yaoyorozu-san's house with Ashido-san and Jiro-san. They wanted to know if you wanted to come over and hang out. It's okay if you can't.
Todoroki-kun : Address?
Izuku rose an eyebrow before typing Yaoyorozu's address and sending it to the fire/ice user.
Todoroki-kun : On my way.
Izuku blinked at the response before sending the boy an affirmative text and putting his phone away.
"Todoroki-kun is on his way." He stated simply.
Ashido and Jiro glanced his way, slightly surprised at how fast Todoroki had responded.
"He's up?" Jiro questioned curiously.
"He's already coming?" Ashido asked right after.
Izuku shrugged his shoulders at the questions. "M-Maybe he's having trouble sleeping too..."
His words caused a pair of frowns to form on the girl's faces. It wasn't a secret anymore.
The news had practically plastered Todoroki, Midoriya and Yaoyorozu's faces in each and every headline. Principal Nezu had tried to diminish the damage as much as he could but the media were like rabid dogs.
Their faces were plastered along each and every headline, stating that they were the reason the villains had suffered such casualties.
It was disgusting how low the media companies could get. They were just kids. Where was their privacy? How had the police even allowed this? It was an invasion of privacy of the highest degree. Sure, some of the more egregious headlines and outlets had been taken down but the damage was done.
Everyone knew about the trio that had killed twenty one villains on U.A soil.
It was an unnecessary burden placed atop their shoulders. It would affect their lives forever.
"C'mon, Izu-kun!" Mina spun on her heels, grabbing the green haired teen by his arm and spinning him alongside her. His yelp of surprise only caused her grin to grow larger. "Wanna dance?" She questioned with a cheeky grin.
"E-Err..." He coughed with reddened cheeks. "I don't know how to... how to dance."
Ashido laughed the boy's words off, gently taking one of his hands with her bandaged ones, before placing one of them on her hip and the other on her lower back.
"It's simple!" She spoke with a smile, staring into his eyes. "Just follow my lead, yeah? One-two step to the left, then repeat to the right. Don't worry about anything else, 'kay?"
Izuku mumbled in embarrassment, nearly tripping on his feet as Ashido guided them side to side. His smile began to grow softer before a random song began to play.
His eyes snapped towards Jiro, watching the girl holding her phone up while playing some kind of classical music. His cheeks exploded red at the gesture while Mina giggled.
"Jiro is a perfect wingman~!" The pink skinned girl spoke with a sly smile, eyeing the purple haired girl.
Jiro rolled her eyes with a snort. "Shaddup!"
Izuku only blushed as he clumsily followed Mina's guidance, allowing the girl to dictate the speed at which they moved. As he allowed himself to relax, he fell into a rhythm with the pink skinned girl, smile growing more genuine.
"Spin me!" Mina spoke with a small grin, suddenly detaching herself from the boy who scrambled to follow through with the request.
Izuku clumsily allowed the girl to twirl, awkwardly moving his feet to match the girl's own movement. Mina paused briefly, bandaged hand holding unto the boy's own. Clasping her fingers through his own, she twirled her back toward the boy.
With a small smirk, the girl molded her back against his chest, holding his wrist and forcing his arm to encircle her body. She felt his breath hitch at the action causing her smirk to grow larger.
"Awww... Nervous?" She cooed with a smile, tilting her head to gaze into his green eyes.
"J-Just a little." He mumbled with reddened cheeks, trying not to move against Mina's body.
"Just kiss already!" Jiro piped up from the sideline, laughing as Midoriya immediately pulled away from Mina, spluttering in embarrassment.
Mina only smiled at the boy's action, giggle as he profusely apologized. "C'mon, Izu-kun. If I didn't want you all over me, I'd have said something." She offered the boy a wink as she walked passed him, sashaying her hips.
"Quit starin' dude!" Jiro teased with a grin.
"I w-wasn't!" He squawked with red cheeks.
"Suuuuuure." The purple haired girl called back teasingly, catching up with Mina as they both giggled.
...
Was that a setup? It had to be! He had been conned!
Izuku rubbed his face before seeing a pair of headlights slowly approach. He twisted his head towards the direction, spotting a car parking itself next to the curb leading up to Yaoyorozu's gate.
Spotting a familiar head of crimson and white, Izuku turned towards his classmates before calling out to them.
"Todoroki-kun is here. I'll meet up with you two."
The two girls merely offered a simple wave, acknowledging his words before closing the distance to Momo's house.
Walking down the large driveway that led towards the Gate, Izuku tilted his head, overhearing Todoroki speaking with his... mom?
"If you need me, call." The woman spoke quietly.
"I will." Shoto responded quietly, bowing his head.
The woman nodded her head before her eyes shifted towards Izuku's direction. A blond eyebrow rose, recognizing the child immediately.
"You must be Izuku Midoriya."
Todoroki shifted away from the car's window, revealing a woman that most certainly wasn't Todoroki's biological mother.
This woman possessed olive skin with blond, practically yellow, hair. Her face was completely unreadable, nearly resembling a robot as her aqua green eyes stared directly at him.
Izuku offered a small, awkward wave with a nervous smile. "Y-You must be one of Todoroki-kun's mother's... It's n-nice to meet you."
The woman rose an eyebrow, briefly glancing Shoto's way before returning towards him. "You would be correct." She said nothing for a moment, eyes seemingly scrutinizing the green haired teen. "Take care of my son."
Without another word, the woman drove off, leaving the two teens alone on the side of the street.
Izuku blinked at the sudden departure, glancing towards Todoroki who didn't seem the least bit affected.
"Who... Err, I guess, which mom was that?" Izuku questioned awkwardly.
"Tier Harribel." Todoroki responded simply. "She was father's third wife. She was a high ranking Pro Hero, specifically being the 3rd Ranked Pro, in Mexico. After a joint mission with father, which ended poorly, they began to see each more frequently. The rest is history, I suppose."
Izuku didn't really have a response for that. "That's... neat." He stated awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.
"I agree." Shoto responded with a nod. "I assume that Ashido and Jiro are already inside?"
Izuku nodded his head before gesturing for Todoroki to follow. The two quietly made their way up the driveway, spotting a butler standing near the entrance of the large mansion.
The butler said nothing, merely gesturing with his arm for them to follow. Upon entering the home, Izuku couldn't help but gawk at the absurdity of the home.
Paintings, marble busts, statues of all kinds... It was kind of cliche to some degree. Izuku had kind of hoped that rich people weren't so...
Flippant? Flippant was probably the word.
Flippant with their money. What was the point of all these unnecessary items? Perhaps it wasn't fair of Izuku to think these things. After all, he didn't need all those posters, action figures, and merchandise of All Might. But he definitely wanted all of it so it kind of made sense.
After a few minutes, (isn't that crazy to think about), the butler offered his arm towards what Izuku and Shoto assumed to be Momo's room. The elderly man knocked on the door, awaiting for a response.
"Come in!"
The butler opened the door for the two boys, holding his arm out for them to enter. They did so immediately, the door being closed for them soon after.
Izuku and Todoroki blinked at the sheer size of the room. It was nearly the size of Izuku's entire apartment. The girl's bed was gigantic. Almost twenty people could comfortably sleep on it!
"Is such a bed truly necessary?" Shoto questioned curiously, tilting his head.
"It may not be necessary, but it's hella comfy!" Mina responded with a giggle, hanging her head off the bed while flipping her feet, unknowingly flashing the other two girls on the bed.
"Dude!" Jiro groaned, turning her head away from Ashido. "Why am I always seeing your underwear?!"
The pink skinned girl giggled as she continued to flip her feet. "Don't act like you don't like it, Jiroooooo~!"
"I don't play for the other team." Jiro mumbled whilst rolling her eyes.
"What a shameeee~!" Ashido teased with a smile. "We'd make a cute couple."
"Dude!"
Mina's carefree giggles caused a bout of smiles to form on everyone's face. Well, everyone aside form Todoroki. Not that he didn't find it amusing, he was just incredibly stoic about most things.
Izuku slowly rotated his head around the room as he neared the bed. He was in a girl's room. This was a first. Didn't help that it was huge.
How odd.
"Speaking aloud, cutie." Mina playfully sang, scrolling through her phone as she checked various social media apps.
Izuku made a choking noise as his cheeks bled red. Always with the mumbles! When would it end?! Was he forever cursed with a speech impediment?!
"Still talking aloud, Midoriya-san." Momo spoke simply, idly brushing her hair.
NOOOOOOO!
As Izuku mumbled to himself, coincidentally having a mental breakdown. Shoto made his way towards Momo's bed before removing his shoes and taking a seat upon the furniture several feet, (yes, feet) away from the girl's.
"Huh... It is soft." He spoke quietly to himself, hand stroking the bed as he laid down, allowing a faint smile to form on his face.
"Told yaaaaa." Mina responded with a small grin.
Izuku finally calmed himself down as he removed his shoes. "Is it okay if I... Well, if I join you on the... bed...?"
"Are you asking me a question or are you confused, Midoriya-san?" Momo teased lightly, giggling at the embarrassed stammers from the boy. "It's fine, Midoriya-san. Please, make yourself comfortable."
Izuku offered the curvy girl a shy smile before taking a next to Shoto, a foot away, before slowly laying back unto the unnaturally comfortable bed
"Wow... This is the greatest thing I've ever laid on..." Izuku mumbled softly, closing his eyes and allowing his body to sink further into the furniture.
"You ain't lyin'." Jiro mumbled quietly, one of her ear jacks plugged into her phone as she listened to music. "This is by far the most comfortable thing I've laid on."
The teens descended into comfortable silence, the into sound being heard was the muffled giggles of Mina as she watched various videos.
The minutes trickled by for the teens before Ashido suddenly spoke, directing a question towards Shoto.
"Hey, Todo-kun?" Ashido shifted her head towards the boy, watching as he creaked an eye open. "This might sound kinda disrespectful and I don't want it to but... Uh. How did you get that scar on your face? Ya don't have to answer if ya don't want to, I'm just curious."
Todoroki blinked at the question, shifting his gaze to the others, noting how their curious gazes. "It happened when I was younger. I was training to use both of my quirks at the same time. My father suggested I boil water using my fire and then quickly try to freeze it." He paused for a moment, hand grazing along his scarred skin. "I lost focus for only a moment. I flipped the pan of water, splashing scolding water across my face."
"Damn dude..." Jiro mumbled with a frown.
Izuku grimaced, knowing the feeling of scolding water all too well due to his own quirk.
"Oh man... That sucks." Ashido mumbled. The girl rose her bandaged hand in the air, resisting the urge to pick at the dry skin under her bandages. "I remember the first time I hurt myself with my acid... Safe to say I've been alot more careful since then."
"I can sympathize Todoroki-kun." Izuku mumbled, glancing at the boy. "Even with my resistance to fire, I've burnt myself multiple times. Coupled with my quirks mental lash backs... Migraines and burns aren't the best combination."
"Damn... Your quirks are brutal." Jiro spoke, tucking a pillow under her head as she grabbed one of her ear jacks. "My ears start to bleed if I overuse them... It definitely hurts but most of my pain stems from incredibly loud things. I guess that's a pretty crappy drawback..."
"I can't utilize my quirk if I don't eat a specific amount of calories." Momo commented as she laid her brush down. "If I use too much of my lipids, I grow weak, physically. My body becomes gaunt and it's a struggle to remain conscious."
Izuku blinked at the response. "Speaking of your quirk... How did you manage to get so strong at USJ?" Izuku asked curiously, eyes gleaming. "Instead of creating objects, you somehow managed to augment your physical body... Didn't you say your quirk was centered around creating things?"
Momo glanced at her classmates, noticing their intrigued stares. Well, it wasn't as if she hadn't prepared an explanation in the off chance she had to reveal One For All.
"While the basis of my quirk centers around the ability to create inorganic matter, I've also managed to single out and control those cells. Using the extra calories from the food I eat, I can transform those extra lipids into pure energy to suit any particular need, so long as it is in reason with my body."
Momo demonstrated this by holding out her arm and channeling OFA. Her arm began to glow a bright pink, similar to the effect of using her Creation. Before their very eyes, Momo's arm seemed to bulk up, gaining a significant amount of muscle to her otherwise, curvy frame.
"This potentially may just be how my quirk functions... Who's to say?" She shrigged her shoulders before deactivating OFA, allowing her arm to return to normal. "I've always been able to alter and control my body's caloric intake to a degree that baffled scientists. Augmenting the physical parts of my body using my own lipids doesn't seem that far off."
She mentally breathed a sigh of relief as Izuku seemed to accept her words at face value. He was far too perceptive for his own good.
Watching the boy and Todoroki synchronize their quirks during the USJ had been a thing of beauty. And terror.
Izuku seemed to understand what exactly he could and couldn't do in regards to working around his fire/ice classmate. He had even managed to match Todoroki's output of fire, matching the strength and heat of the boy's quirk with ease.
It was a frightening thing. Izuku was a terrifying opponent due to this. He was methodical in his approach to combat and possessed the intelligence to boot.
"That's interesting..." Izuku mumbled quietly to himself, stroking his chin as he contemplated the potential uses for such a quirk. "I know that quirk evolutions are a thing. They're rare, only happening when the mental state of the user is deteriorating or their life is in danger."
"I assume Todoroki-san experienced this when he managed to super charge his flames to make them blue?" Yaoyorozu questioned, glancing at the boy.
"That was the first time I ever managed to conjure blue flames. I originally didn't think it was possible. Only my father and older brother are capable of utilizing blue flames." Todoroki responded, raising his left hand in the air whilst staring at it. "I... I didn't want to die..."
His words caused the teens to grow silent.
"The only thing in my mind was getting away and saving Midoriya. I pushed everything I had into my flames." He closed his eyes, allowing his arm to fall upon the bed. "Even with all of that, it still wasn't enough... How could something like that exist...?"
Izuku frowned at Todoroki's words. "No matter how much I burned it... It just shrugged it off. What kind of biological monstrosity did those villains make...?"
"Hey... Ya don't think... we'll see it again... do you?" Mina asked quietly, slightly trembling at the thought of facing that monster once again.
"I hope not..." Izuku answered quietly while closing his eyes. "But atleast this time we'll be more prepared. In hindsight, I should have targeted that guy with all the hands over his body... That monster had low intelligence. Despite all of its quirks, it lacked any semblance of actual sentience. It would only attack after that guy ordered it too... Had I just targeted him then maybe..." He trailed off after his words, shaking his head.
"We did the best we could while under duress." Shoto stated simply, gazing up at the ceiling. "Even if it wasn't enough..."
Momo chuckled though there was no humor in it. "And then the media spins our story as if we're some trio of murderous robots... As if we weren't forced to fight for our lives against something that couldn't be killed..." Her eyes began to water as she shook her head. "I still hear that damn sniper... The recoil of the shot... The smell of gunpowder... The burning sensation of the ejected casings... I haven't slept since that day."
"Yeah..." Izuku mumbled as he covered his eyes, visions of his fire reigning from above, incinerating the groups of villains and burning them alive. "I haven't either..."
Shoto said nothing as he gazed blankly up at the ceiling. He merely closed his eyes, seeing his death at the hands of the Nomu as he tried to put it down, his dual quirk failing to cause any damage as it shrugged off his fire and ice.
"Look at us..." Mina mumbled quietly as she squirmed in the bed. She proceeded to move towards Izuku, laying her head atop his stomach. She ignored how he flinched in surprise. "Just a group of trauma bonded children. Trauma buddies~!"
There was silence for several seconds following her words.
Jiro snorted at the girl's words, causing the rest of the teens to laugh at her words. Even Todoroki managed to break a smile.
"Dude, you're so dumb." The purple haired teen spoke through chuckles.
"It's a talent." Mina giggled as she closed her eyes, using Izuku's stomach as a pillow.
A couple minutes passed by before the room grew silent, each teen slowly falling asleep.
A group of broken children, bonded by a traumatizing experience.
It was the start of one of the greatest Hero Teams to ever grace Japan.
AN: WOWEEE WOW WOWWW
The aftermath of USJ on full display. Momo, Shoto and Izuku basically got off scott free for the killings of the villains, self defense and what not. However, that doesn't erase the traumatizing experience they all suffered due to this event.
PTSD is one helluva disorder. As a former U.S Army soldier, I cannot speak for everyone, but the things I've seen and done while stationed in Afghanistan during 2016-2017 changed my life. Everyone is different with how they handle their trauma.
Anyway! I feel like I need to clarify something in regards to the title of this story and the summary.
Some of you seem confused as to why the story is called "Painfully Average" when Izuku himself is anything but Painfully Average. And you'd be correct. However, Izuku is not the only main character of this story.
If you haven't noticed, this story is following five specific individuals. Izuku, Momo, Mina, Kyoka and Shoto. These five will be the main characters of this story. While not every chapter is going to be dedicated around one character, Izuku will be taking the main role on that note, the other characters are important and are an integral part of the story.
It should be very obvious who the 'Painfully Average' individual actually is.
That's all I'll say about the matter! Enjoy the chappy update!
