He trembles as Mr Aizawa hands him a piece of paper, though whether it's a side-effect of the exercise he's performing or his nervous anticipation, he's not entirely sure.
In truth it doesn't really matter who sent the offer; his gratitude at someone asking for him specifically would be no lesser if they were amongst the lowest ranking of Professional Heroes.
Even so, knowing that doesn't fully ease his strange apprehension.
He breathes deeply for a moment and then as quickly as opening a present (or perhaps ripping off a bandage) he looks down at it. Green eyes widen in numb befuddlement.
Mr. Midoriya.
I am pleased to inform you that you have been offered the opportunity to be mentored by Ms. Usagiyama, also known as the Rabbit Hero: Mirko, for your upcoming First Year Professional Hero Internship.
If this is a proposition you wish to accept then we will be more than happy to arrange it. We eagerly await your response.
Mr. Ogino,
Hero Public Safety Commission.
Surely this is wrong. Somebody somewhere has just made an error of some kind, the sort that happens all the time. A tiny mix up that would soon be rectified.
After all, there was no way in hell that the Rabbit Hero was looking for an intern. It just doesn't make any sense.
Izuku knows she's never made an offer to work under her before. To anyone. In fact, her dislike of even fighting alongside established Professional Heroes was well known throughout the community - as were her mocking remarks about those who operated in teams or with sidekicks.
Was this truly the ruse he's been dreading?
"Hey, Midoriya, who'd you get?" A voice chirps curiously.
He doesn't reply, cannot reply. Instead he sinks back into his chair, muscle training abandoned.
"Mr Aizawa… is this real?" His voice cracks as he barely manages to ask. "There isn't a mistake?"
Tired eyes land upon him for a brief moment.
"It's legitimate," is Aizawa's only response as he continues to hand out lists, some personalised ones to the few who'd managed to draw sufficient attention and a generic tally of less discerning Hero Agencies to everyone else.
They have two days to pick their options.
With only one draft pick he's hardly spoilt for choice but even if he'd been as inundated in offers as Kacchan was, this is undoubtedly better than he could have dreamed of.
'Mirko wants to team up with me?' The thought reverberates around his head, growing louder with each pass.
One of the Top Heroes had not only saved his hide but additionally seen enough potential in him at the Festival to actually want to teach him personally.
Just as All Might had.
Even now it remains somewhat hard to believe; he cannot help but still fear that one day he will suddenly discover it has all been a fantasy, that Kacchan had been right and he would always be nothing but a Quirkless nobody.
He pinches himself, just in case. The classroom does not shift into his bedroom. The markings on the paper do not change.
A joyous yelp burbles within his throat and he fights hard to keep it from escaping.
Had Mirko remembered him?
It was amazing to think that she'd even watched the Festival, let alone viewed his less-than-stellar performance as being worthy of her time. Surely only the winner would have been enough for her.
He chances a peek at Kacchan but the surly blond's back is obscuring the massive list he's been given.
All around him his classmates' voices ring out, eager to use their break by discussing who had picked them or who they in turn would pick.
"Hey Deku? Dekuuuu."
This time a new voice, one accompanied by two fingers tapping his shoulder. He glances up at the round, pink-cheeked face of his friend.
"Are you alright?" She asks, eyeing him with a little concern.
Izuku wills a tear to not fall from his eye and doesn't quite succeed.
"I… Y-yes, I'm alright, Uraraka. Just… feeling grateful, that's all. Have you made any decisions yet or are you still thinking it over?" He deflects, now curious as to what her own options are.
"Uhuh! I'm thinkin' I'll go for the Battle Hero: Gunhead's Agency," Uraraka declares happily.
He stares silently for a moment, slightly stunned by this unusual choice.
"You're not going for a more rescue-oriented Hero, like Miss Thirteen? Gunhead's a more combat-focused Hero than I expected," he murmurs in surprise.
Other classmates crowd around as Uraraka nods and adopts a battle pose, throwing some mock punches.
"That's right. After my fight with Bakugo, I realised that I wanna get stronger! That way I can be ready for all situations... plus learning from a fighter will help to not cement my way of thinking, y'know?" Uraraka explains, still in her stance.
Kacchan growls slightly, though Izuku is so well-tuned to the sound that he doubts anyone else nearby can hear it. Still, he does his best not to react but nods instead, impressed by her decision.
"Right. That's smart!" He says as Asui and Ashido also voice their approval.
"Well, I'm going to study under Captain Selkie," the frog-Quirked girl offers. "He's a sailor. Ribbit."
"The Spotted Seal Hero? That's interesting. I have wondered how your Quirk works in the ocean as opposed to salt-free freshwater. Frogs generally aren't well suited to such environments, but you're not an actual amphibian so maybe that doesn't matter as much. Then again, you suffer from other frog-based effects, such as a weakness to cold temperatures, right? So, logically speaking…" Izuku begins to mutter to himself, overwhelmed by his thoughts.
Ashido giggles at him briefly, shaking her head and sticking out her tongue in amusement.
"I haven't made any choices myself. We've still got a couple days though, so who knows?" She admits, looking fairly blasé.
"I'm still surprised you didn't get picked by a Hero or two," Ojiro replies. "Your showing wasn't bad at all."
"I know right, me too!" Ashido frowns for second. "What the heck!"
Izuku is surprised as well - while her loss against Tokoyami had been rather decisive, a Quirk as versatile as hers (especially when combined with her distinctive looks) seemed like a surefire candidate to be showered in offers.
"So, Midoriya, you still haven't said who you got," pipes up Mineta as Izuku continues to ponder Ashido's misfortune. "C'mon, spill it. Is it a chick? I bet it is, right? Is she hot?!"
"Oh. Uh." He's caught off guard a little. "Well, actually… It was Mirko."
His quiet confession is met with a sudden drop in volume as all nearby conversations halt, replaced by gasps of surprise. Even Kacchan abandons his list, turning around to glower at Izuku.
"No way! A personal invitation from an absolute babe like her? You lucky dog!" Mineta gripes, grasping his ball-like hair in frustration.
"Mirko? The Rabbit Hero? I didn't know she even had an agency," Ojiro murmurs.
"That's right, she actually doesn't. So this was really unexpected to be honest," Izuku confirms a little sheepishly. "I don't think she's ever offered an internship to anyone before."
Kaccan's glare intensifies but Izuku manages to suppress his habitual shiver.
"Big deal, you damn nerd! So what if you got an offer from her? I got Top 5 Heroes asking for me - Mirko's a fuckin' nobody in comparison!" The brash explosion-user boasts, slapping his desk.
"W-well, that's great Kacchan, you-" Izuku attempts to respond even as the other boy gets up and walks away with a derisive scoff.
Part of him still burns with indignation as he watches his former friend push his way out of the classroom. It is easily buried, though. He's had lots of practice.
"Well, I hope it goes well Deku, good luck!" Uraraka says, though her smile seems a little tight.
"Y-yeah. Same for you - and everyone else. Guess this will be our first real taste of what it's like to be proper Heroes," he responds, starting to gather up his things and holding onto the offer he's been sent tightly.
The chatter begins to fall off as the students disperse to their next class though their excitement for the experiences yet to come still lingers in the air.
At the end of the day, Uraraka calls out to him once more as the class prepares to leave. He gladly waits for her, though it is a shame Ida is not also there to join them as he often does.
Upon opening the door they are ambushed by the unusual greeting of someone who's been lying in wait. The sight of the Number One Hero bending forward and almost vibrating on the spot is an unexpected shock.
"I am here!" The Symbol of Peace exclaims as Izuku takes a reflexive step backwards. "Standing strangely!"
His confusion at All Might's unusual behaviour doesn't have time to settle though, for his teacher swiftly attempts to pull him elsewhere. He can only offer Uraraka a somewhat guilty smile though she waves him on, unbothered.
"Go ahead Deku, I'll hang around," she says cheerfully, taking out her battered flip-phone.
All Might is suspiciously silent as they leave her standing there until Izuku can no longer contain his boiling-over curiosity.
"What's this about, All Might?"
But All Might merely shakes his head until they are in a more secluded location.
"Young Midoriya. There's been a new development; another draft pick for you came in earlier!" He finally answers.
He stares at his mentor in amazement. More Pros were interested in him? His luck really was increasing it seemed.
But as he looks at his Hero he can see a noticeable strain to the ever-present smile, a hint of a drop of sweat beading on his brow. Something is definitely wrong.
A few tense moments pass before he responds.
"Wow, that's great... Who is it?"
"Gran Torino is his name. He was once employed at UA, though it was just for a year. I was a student like you then - he was actually my homeroom teacher!"
'All Might's actual teacher? That's crazy! What incredible insights could such a Hero be able to offer, having taught the Number One himself?' Izuku thinks, desperately trying to picture such a man.
In fact, he is so wrapped up in his imagination that he almost misses All Might's next statement.
"Also, he knows about One For All."
Izuku freezes, staring at him with wide eyes.
"That could be why he's seeking after you, even."
"H-he does? How? You've never mentioned him before," Izuku says in disbelief.
"I… may have forgotten about him a little. He was good friends with the user of One For All before me but retired quite some time ago. We've not really kept in touch but I did send him a letter recently..."
Strange though All Might practically bowed before him had been, it was nothing compared to the sight of him literally shaking with fear, beating his own body in a futile attempt to quell his shivering.
"…Perhaps that prompted him to watch the Festival and he decided to send the offer because he thought my training wasn't good enough! I can't believe he sent it under his old Hero name, it's so scary. Scary!"
What manner of demon had All Might's teacher been that the mere thought of him put the strongest man into the world in such a state?
"W-well, h-here's his address, i-if you're sure you want to go for him," All Might gingerly proffers him a piece of paper.
"Um. Thanks, All Might," Izuku says as he takes it from the still-shaking fingers. "But I've already submitted my choice to Mr Aizawa."
"Ah, yes! Your other offer was from Mirko, was it not?" All Might exclaims.
His smile returns to its normal state, all fear promptly forgotten as Izuku nods.
"A rather spirited young Hero, that one! I must confess I was surprised to hear that a request for a student was placed under her name. A sign of maturity, perhaps! In any case, I'm sure she will be an interesting Hero to intern for."
"I sure hope so. It's a great opportunity. Though I am sad to miss out on learning from your former teacher too," Izuku admits, frowning just a little.
All Might rubs the back of his head, his grin edging back into a grimace.
"To be frank, kid, you probably aren't missing out on a lot by not going. Gran Torino was… not the most patient of teachers if I'm honest - and I doubt he's mellowed with age. If you think Aizawa can be rough sometimes, hoo boy… Anyway, good luck! Oh, before I forget, your costume's been fixed up too so make sure to grab it!"
"Right, thanks All Might!" Izuku smiles as the Symbol of Peace waves him off.
Even as he returns to meet up with Uraraka again, he can't help but wonder - if the offer had come before he'd submitted his choice, would he have made the same decision?
"A high-ranking Hero who personally saved me, plus is also super pretty and incredibly strong, not to mention I might be the first person she's ever wanted to team up with… or an old man I've somehow never heard of but seems to scare the pants off even All Might himself?"
Okay, he probably still would.
Civilians are constantly staring at them as the group clusters together at the station. Such attention has been becoming more and more commonplace but is definitely still a little nerve-inducing.
Mr Aizawa seems unperturbed by the growing crowd admiring them as he explains the process they need to follow. Izuku listens intently, though his sweaty fingers are struggling to grip his costume case.
This is it. In just a few moments he'll be on a Bullet Train all the way to Hiroshima Prefecture! Then he'll meet up with one of his idols for his first real mission as a Hero-in-training.
Izuku licks his lips, nerves once again rising up. Is he really ready for this?
'I can do it. I got through the All-American Dream Plan, the Entrance Exam, the Grocery Store Incident, the USJ Attack and the Sports Festival. Can't keep doubting myself after all that.'
Still, he'll be away from home for a whole week - a fact that had his mother bursting into tears when he'd revealed it to her.
In fact it seems like she's been doing that a lot more lately, constantly half-proud of his achievements and half-terrified of the events that have been occurring.
He'd barely managed to assure her that he'd be safe with such a highly ranked Hero - after all, the more prominent the Pro the more danger they were in, she'd argued. Only his sincere promise that he'd be as careful as possible had eased her fears enough to let him go.
He hopes he can keep to his word.
Mr Aizawa soon finishes his explanation and gives them a swift dismissal, so his classmates begin to head off to their respective trains. He catches sight of Ida breaking free of the group in a brisk march.
"Ida! Wait up!" He calls out, taking a few steps after him, Uraraka in tow.
Their friend stops, his broad back standing as still as a statue.
The attack on Ingenium… it's clear it weighs heavily upon Ida, despite his efforts to not to show it. His stiff formality seems more pronounced than ever and Izuku fears that he might be drifting down treacherous paths.
Is it his place to intervene? He's not sure. All he can do is reach out a hand and hope Ida will take it.
"If you need to talk, we'll listen. That's what friends are for," Izuku reminds him as Uraraka echoes the sentiment.
For a moment there is no response until Ida finally turns to face them.
He's smiling as though nothing is wrong but his eyes are colder than Izuku has ever seen them before - dark and foreboding.
"Of course."
The words leave a sinking feeling growing within Izuku's heart as Ida stalks off, vanishing into the crowd.
"Deku… I'm getting kinda worried about him," Uraraka whispers at his side.
"Me too," Izuku admits. "But what can we do? We just have to trust he'll open up to us at some point."
"I guess so. It's just so sad, though. His brother didn't deserve that, I can't even imagine…" Uraraka breaks off, looking down at the ground, a few teardrops spilling against the asphalt.
Izuku's fingers tighten around his costume case.
"No one deserves it."
The thought that the Hero Killer is still at large is a chilling one - how anyone could be so evil is beyond him. To deliberately target those who seek to do good in this world…
Even so, there seems little more they can do to ease their friend's pain at the moment.
"I'm sure Stain will be caught and brought to justice soon. Come on, we don't want to miss our trains. You're off the mainland, right?" He sighs, trying to return to the topic at hand.
Uraraka takes the bait, cheering up a little as they resume walking.
"Uhuh, that's right, I'm goin' to Shikoku!" She explains with a sniff. "It'll be my first time leaving Honshu, so I'm a little nervous, but this is me trying new experiences after all."
"You're not going to be that far from me then - relatively speaking. It'll be a long trip though…" Izuku says.
He's not exactly thrilled for the journey itself, but he knows he'll just have to get used to it. Disasters can happen anywhere and Heroes need to be able to respond and aid those affected no matter how far away they are.
"Hope you remembered to charge your phone," Uraraka replies and giggles as he frantically checks, just in case.
"Aha, I did, thank goodness! Alright Uraraka, this is my train. Talk to you soon?" He asks as the train doors begin to open.
"Sure thing Deku, see you later!" Uraraka waves him goodbye as she jogs off to catch her own train.
He settles into a seat and before long the scenery is rushing past him, taking him towards the next stage of his journey of becoming a Professional Hero.
The address he'd been given is thankfully not too far from the station, just your average not-overly-noticeable apartment block.
The door is electronically locked and appears fairly heavy-duty - though a determined Villain would probably be able to break it down quickly enough. Next to it is a control panel with a speaker and an assortment of buttons.
He rechecks the address he'd been given. This is the one. Probably.
Gingerly he presses the largest button.
"Uh…I-I'm visiting Number Eleven. I-it's Midoriya, i-if that helps..." He speaks into the panel.
There is nothing but static for several moments until suddenly the door slides open silently, disappearing into the frame. He stares inside, feeling a touch apprehensive about taking the first step.
'Here we go, I guess.'
The inside is fairly homely, faded blue carpet under his feet and red wallpaper with swirling patterns on it. The windows he passes are all sparkling clean, both inside and out - clearly whoever the caretaker of the block is, they take pride in their work.
Distantly he wonders if their Quirk aids in their job, perhaps some sort of soap-dispensing ability or a mutant Quirk that gave them fluffy hands for wiping.
"Seems nice," he murmurs, some confidence returning.
Most of the doors he passes have a nameplate of the occupants attached to them. Number Eleven is one of the few that don't, the dark wood barren and somewhat mistreated by comparison, clear scratches and dents dotting the surface.
As he raises his hand to knock, it swings inwards to reveal red eyes staring into his.
He freezes, staring at the person on the other side. A gorgeous, brown-skinned woman in her twenties wearing a loose-fitting grey t-shirt and short leggings is scrutinising him carefully.
Now that they are face-to-face, he is struck by the fact that the Rabbit Hero is actually looking up at him slightly. He'd hardly had the presence of mind to notice it when they'd previously met, but in the numerous videos he's watched of her she'd always seemed to be taller than she is in the flesh.
Perhaps it was her ears that gave the illusion of height or maybe her somewhat larger-than-life personality. Either way, short or not she could certainly crush his skull in an instant if she felt like it.
Somehow the thought wasn't as terrifying as it ought to be.
"Well, you gonna stand there forever?" Mirko asks him brusquely. "Come in already."
"Oh! I-I'm sorry," he squeaks out, quickly scooting inside. "I-I don't know if you r-remember me but-"
"Midoriya Izuku, yeah? The kid who's ass I saved, I do remember," Mirko interrupts as he closes the door behind him. "You can put your stuff on the table."
"G-great. Um. T-thanks for h-having me, Miss Mirko," Izuku says, placing his costume case atop the small wooden table.
He glances around, quickly noticing just how spartan the Hero's home is compared to the outside complex; the walls are painted a simple off-white and besides the table and three accompanying wooden chairs there's not much in the way of furniture here outside of a small kitchen area that's little more than a sink, a sideboard with some cupboards above it and a fridge.
Further along the hallway are several closed doors, though one is ajar enough to show a decently-sized room with quite a lot of rather worn-looking training equipment scattered within.
In fact, the only real personal touch he can see are a few framed photographs on a wall opposite the kitchen. All of them are of a smiling dark-skinned woman and a snowy-haired man gazing fondly back.
'Those must be her family,' he thinks, though he notes neither has her distinctive ears.
He's so caught up in looking around that Mirko's belated response catches him off guard.
"Don't mention it," Mirko's face is an impassive mask as she speaks. "I'm just gonna be straight with you Midoriya; I don't really want you to be here."
His eyes widen in shock as he stares at her and his heart sinks.
It had been a mistake after all then.
"Y-you… don't? But wh-"
"Actually, it's more like I don't want anyone to be here," she interrupts once again. "If you're as big a fan as you've claimed, I'm sure you're aware of my stance on team-ups."
"I am, y-yes. You've never had an intern or e-even a sidekick before, you don't even h-have a Hero Agency. Instead you just go a-around fighting Villains across Japan… on your o-own," Izuku says, a little bewildered.
"Right. I guess you do know your stuff. Y'see, the Hero Public Safety Commission 'asked' me to sign up to their little program - and sadly I wasn't in a position to decline," Mirko explains. "So yeah, not entirely thrilled about this whole event. I like to be free to do my own thing."
The Hero Public Safety Commission. Now he could remember - he'd been too amazed by who the offer was about to pay much attention to who'd actually written it. It certainly hadn't been Mirko herself.
But why would they send-
"Oh... I-is this about the Villain you saved me from?" Izuku realises, his voice choking.
Mirko winces slightly, no longer meeting his eyes.
"Well, I guess you could say that's a part of it," she confesses, ears dipping downwards slightly.
Tears begin to fill his eyes now.
What a fool he'd been. He'd gotten it all wrong - Mirko hadn't chosen him for his potential or anything of the sort; he'd actually been forced upon her.
If only he'd kept his head down when that Villain had showed up, she'd be free to continue doing her job and helping people in need instead.
"Oh no, I'm so, so sorry! I should have - I-I-I mean, you didn't need to, m-maybe if I speak to- to Mr Aizawa, or someone, we can-"
She glares at him, holding up a hand to silence his word-vomit before running it over her face and sighing.
"Listen. I just wanted to set the record straight beforehand - there's no sense in lying about it. It is what it is. Don't get me wrong; I did ask for you specifically, so I'm kinda glad you accepted. I wasn't sure what those damn suits were gonna do if you decided to go for some established Agency's offer instead."
Izuku blinks, still stunned by this new revelation, before he shakes his head.
"I, uh, only got one other offer… a-and that was after I'd already accepted y-yours," he admits.
She squints at him before shrugging.
"Huh. That' a little unexpected; you did decent enough in the festival."
He rubs the back of his head in embarrassment.
"I-it's probably due to my Quirk. It's… it's kind of… volatile?" Izuku says, his freckled cheeks painted pink.
"Hmm, yeah. Guess that could put people off," Mirko grunts in agreement.
Turning away from him, she cocks a thumb at the adjacent room.
"Anyhow, since you're staying for a week, I've set up a futon for you to sleep on. I'm sure you've been taught not to go looking through other people's things - but just in case I'll warn you to keep out of my bedroom."
"I would never-" he interjects but she holds up her hand once more.
"Yeah, I don't doubt it but I still gotta lay out the ground rules. That's the bathroom over there, obviously keep a wide berth when I'm usin' it as well. You're free to use my lifting gear if you want to, I guess. Otherwise, try not to break anything…" she continues, tapping off on her fingers.
"Let me know if there's anything ya need as well. Think that'll do for now, you eaten yet?"
"Um. N-not since breakfast," he says.
He'd brought a light snack for the train journey but a protein bar was hardly a filling meal.
Mirko nods, gesturing to the tiny kitchen.
"There's probably enough ingredients and such if you feel like making yourself something - I'm not much of a cook, to be honest, don't really have the patience for it. But I'm happy to get a takeaway or something too, though, if you want."
He glances over at it and considers his options.
"Er, i-if you'd like I c-can probably make s-something for us b-both."
She raises an eyebrow at him before grinning in a way that makes his already fast-beating heart speed up.
"Alright then. Fuel's important for a Hero, kid, this'll be your first chance to impress me," Mirko says, barking out a laugh.
'No pressure there then.'
"I'll t-try my best. Any r-requests?" Izuku asks, pulling his rucksack off and setting it beside his costume.
"Nah, whatever's good with me, really," the Rabbit Hero grunts dismissively.
"Alright t-then. I'll s-see what I can do."
Squaring his shoulders, he rolls up his sleeves and prepares to go to work.