A/N: Still don't own MHA. Who woulda known?
Omnipotent X: Yeah, thanks. Don't have a lot of it planned though.
ER-47: Thanks, and I will from time to time.
Where was he? Izuku was always home by now.
Inko Midoriya worriedly paced the living room as she awaited her son's return. He was always home by now.
Had he gotten caught up after school? But even if he did, she couldn't think of anything that would take this long.
Maybe he saw a hero in action and got distracted? He did always have a habit of losing track of his surroundings whenever a hero was nearby.
She glanced at the clock again; it still read 8:17. The same time it read when she looked at it what felt like three minutes ago.
Someone knocked on the door. She eagerly rushed over, ready to hold Izuku and scold him for worrying her so much. She would tell him not to stay out so late without texting her, then drag him into the kitchen and make sure he ate the food that she would have to reheat.
When she nearly tore the door off the hinges, she was instead greeted by a man in a light tan coat and a matching hat.
"Hello, I'm Detective Tsukauchi Naomasa. Are you Mrs. Inko Midoriya?" the man asked, not meeting the woman's eyes.
"Yes, that's me. Is something wrong?"
He didn't answer right away, choosing to first look around the room.
"You...you might want to sit down first. May I come in?" His voice was filled with an emotion that shouted, "Don't make me say it."
Inko nodded and led the detective to the couch placed right in front of the television set.
The two sat down, and Naomasa took a deep, regretful breath, which he then slowly released through his nose.
"Before I begin, I need you to know that nothing I say is guaranteed yet. It's just something we need to warn you about."
"Please, what is going on? Does it have to do with my little Izuku?" Mrs. Midoriya begged. Her question was too spot on for Naomasa's liking.
"See, there's been a suicide not too far from here. It was only a few hours ago, so we've been going around and warning potential parents. The body disappeared before anyone could get a good look, so there's no telling for sure who exactly it was."
Tsukauchi heard the woman beside him start to babble a painful series of "No, no, no, no, no, no." This wasn't his first time being the bearer of bad news, but that never meant it got easier.
"I'm not saying it was Izuku, but most of the few witnesses that got a good enough look pointed out emerald green hair and eyes. There are some DNA tests being done with some blood samples, and we'll let you know whether or not it was your son when we get the results." He stood up and prepared to leave. It was never pleasant leaving so soon after bringing such terrible news, but that was part of the job at times.
"I am sorry ma'am. I hope for the best, but there's just no telling right now," Tsukauchi offered before letting himself out.
It took a long time for the shock to finally set in. Her boy was dead. She didn't need to wait for any fancy lab reports to know it was Izuku. He had always gone through a lot, ever since he found out he would never have a quirk.
She knew something went on at school. Every day he would come home with a new bruise or light singes on his uniform. Sometimes his skin itself was burned. But he always tried to put on a happy face. Inko knew he was hiding something. Something bad.
She could tell that Izuku also went through something that wrecked him internally; he just came home one day and trashed all of his All Might memorabilia. He threw his hero analysis notebooks around the room and tore up his costume ideas he had spent so much time and energy on.
She wanted to help him more than anything, but he never let her know how to. And now he was dead because she wasn't smart enough to find out on her own.
She wouldn't get any sleep that night, nor would she get much for the following nights. All she could do was repeatedly ask herself where she had gone wrong as a mother.
His head hurt. It felt like someone had taken a hammer to everything above his neck. His eyes hurt just as much, and even when he managed to open them he saw darkness.
He tried to rub his head, but something stopped his wrist from moving more than a few inches. Metal rattled, sounding uncomfortably like a pulled chain.
He tried again, and was once again stopped. It was like someone had cuffed him to a chair or something. He couldn't tell. All he knew was he needed to get out of wherever he was.
He began to squirm, thrash around and throw his weight around. But no matter, the restraints on his wrists held. He couldn't escape from whatever his current situation was.
"Do not struggle."
That voice, he recognized it. It was familiar to him somehow.
"You will be fine. So please, relax," the voice said again. "I'm sure you have questions, and I'll answer them all in due time."
For some reason, hearing the voice made him feel at ease, like he wasn't alone and someone was there to help if needed.
"First off, tell me what you remember," the man requested. Izuku thought back as recent events replayed in his mind.
"Well, I met All Might. He saved me from a sludge villain, and I asked him if I could be a hero." He stopped talking as his former idol's answer rang in his ears. "He told me I wouldn't be able to without power or abilities. After that, I went home."
Izuku heard a thoughtful "hmmm" before the man spoke again. "Is there anything else? Anything more recent?"
"Let's see. I...went to a rooftop. That's where I met a man. That man and I spoke for a little, then he told me to jump. That's the last thing I remember."
"So, very little memory loss, if any. That's good. I had to transfer one of my Regeneration quirks to you for a few minutes, but you're clearly pulling through."
All at once, memories flooded his thoughts. He met this man, he asked him strange questions, he told him to jump, then he did. But now he was alive because of something the man did.
"What do you mean when you said you transferred a quirk? And you mentioned that when I met you on the roof. What does all of this mean?" Izuku asked.
Before he received a response, he felt something on his head wriggle around before cracks of light finally met his eyes. He winced at first, but soon adjusted. Apparently some kind of device had been connected to his head. After taking a quick look around, Izuku noticed he was strapped to a medical cot of sorts. Many probes were connected to his temples and his bare torso, which another man began removing.
"Hello there, I'm Kyudai Garaki. Please pay me no mind, I'll be out of your hair soon enough." With expert diligence the man removed any and all equipment until Izuku was free to stand up unrestrained and disconnected from the machines he just now noticed.
"I suppose some answers are due. My quirk allows me to transfer quirks to and from others. I can give you any one of the quirks I have stored just as quickly as I can take away a random stranger's quirk for myself."
At some point, the man had removed his mask. To say his face was disfigured was an understatement; he hardly had any face left. All that remained was his mouth, and anything above his top lip looked like it had been covered by excess skin. Multiple tubes ran into the man's neck and cheeks, and the chair he was sitting in was connected to numerous devices with all sorts of figures and displays.
"As of today, your new life has begun. Anyone you knew beforehand is no longer of your concern, nor are any of your old responsibilities. Understood?"
Izuku was about to agree, but a single person came to mind.
"But...what about my mother?"
"I am sorry to say, but chances are she has gotten the news about your 'suicide'. I cannot say for certain that she will be alright, but you must put that out of your mind. As I said, anyone you knew before is no longer part of your life," the man scolded.
"Yes, sir," Izuku weakly offered. Just the tone of voice he used was more than enough to warn that arguing with him would only end badly. "But, if I may, why did you have me kill myself if you were going to just revive me?"
"An excellent question. Simply put, I wanted to test your resolve. To end one's own life requires much more will than most expect. But even had you failed, I would have found another way to test you."
Izuku took the response and thought it over. Surely this man wasn't a sadist, was he? Did he go about telling any potential recruits to kill themselves, or was he just a special case.
"Uh, I...I have one last question, if you don't mind, sir?"
"Very well. You may ask. And please, call me 'Sensei' from her on out."
"Oh, ok. Why me? Why not anyone else? What makes me so special?" Izuku questioned. To be treated like he was important enough to take in after years of being shunned was an admittedly quick transition.
"As I said earlier, I can sense your determination. Despite everything you've gone through, you still strove to be something great. No matter how many times society told you to give up, you never did. But the truth is, you could never be a hero. The very people around you just won't allow it. I, on the other hand, will teach you. The time has come to accept that if the society we live in will berate a child for wishing to be a hero, they must face the consequences."
Give up on being a hero? That was ridiculous; being a hero was the one thing that Izuku Midoriya swore he would never give up on.
However, even before this day, his faith in himself had started to waver. The remarks from his teachers and classmates etched themselves in his soul, as did the countless beatings and putdowns.
"I understand that this must be difficult for you. But Izuku Midoriya is dead; he died the moment his beloved idol told him he couldn't be a hero. This is a chance to start fresh, to chase a dream that others around you will support."
If there was one thing Izuku would learn, it was that his Sensei had a way with words, and possibly a few quirks that aided in swaying opinions and feelings. What he said was at least partially true, that meeting with All Might shattered most of whatever determination he had left inside. As much as he hated to admit it, a change was long overdue.
"You're right. This will be hard for me. I've looked up to heroes for so long. But, if you're the only one willing to give me a chance to prove myself, then I will do whatever I can to do so, Sensei," Izuku admitted.
"Very good, very good. To begin, you will need a new name. Starting now, you shall be Rin Arai. Everything you may need, from a savings account to an ID, has already been prepared," the man stated.
"Wait, a savings account and ID? Already?"
"Yes. You are not the first I've taken in. And financial issues are of little concern, as I have accumulated much wealth over my lifetime."
"I understand. Thank you."
"Now, you will need to meet a few people," the man started as he pushed a button on the armrest of his chair. "Kurogiri, if you would?"
At his command, a dark purple vortex formed between Izuku and his new Sensei. Two yellow points lit up from within, staring right at him.
"This is Kurogiri. He will be responsible for getting you from place to place. For now, he will take you to your first lesson. Just walk through."
Izuku hesitantly approached the swirling purple mass in front of him.
"Do not worry, teleportation is completely harmless, and any side effects you may experience your first time will quickly subside," the mist spoke, urging the green haired teen to proceed. Izuku nodded and finally stepped through.
The fog condensed and reformed into a more human-like shape with a metal collar. "So, how will he fare compared to the others?" the being known as Kurogiri asked.
"Truthfully, I am not sure. However, I do have a feeling that he will be the first truly successful experiment," the man replied.
"If you say so, Master. But even should he fail like the others, he'll still be useful," Garaki added, thinking about his beloved projects.
Izuku stepped out of the warp gate into...well, he didn't know. Judging by the appearance, his first guess was a dojo of sorts, maybe a gym.
"I take it you are Master's new student?" a voice asked from behind him. Izuku twisted on his heel and saw a man in a karate gi. He was tall and had an athletic build visible under the robes.
"I-I think so?"
"The question was rhetorical. He already told me I was to train you. And just from a quick glance, there is much to do."
The man took a fighting stance and glared at the green-haired teen. "Come at me. I wish to see what you are capable of."
Was he going to learn martial arts? Okay, that was a stupid question; why else would he be here? But he had no fighting skill whatsoever, and countless attempts to stop Bakugo from beating up random kids had taught him that getting into fights was by far one of the worst things for his health.
"I don't-don't think that's a good idea."
"Why? If you are to learn, you must start somewhere."
"But, I can't fight," Izuku pleaded, hoping the man would get the hint.
"If you insist, then we can begin working out. Follow me," the man instructed, then started leading Izuku down a hall.
"My name is Akio Nakamura. I will be your martial arts teacher and personal trainer. You and I will be spending a lot of time together for the foreseeable future."
"Uh, I'm Izu...Rin Arai. It's nice to meet you."
The short remainder of the walk was silent, Izuku taking in the details of the surprisingly bland hall until he stepped into a moderately large gym.
"You will be working a lot here. Your body is weak; you must fix that. Lay down," Nakamura ordered with a point at a regular bench.
Izuku nervously sat down, then leaned back on the bench and gripped the bar, which was already set with enough weight for an average kid his age to lift. He rolled his shoulders and pushed.
Nothing.
He grunted and pushed harder, clenching his teeth and groaning as he put as much effort as he could into lifting the bar. He managed to push it just under half an inch before giving up.
"I-I'm so-sorry, Nakamura," Izuku sadly offered, already embarrassed by his pathetic performance.
The teacher was silent as he removed some of the weights and ordered Izuku to try again. The teen reluctantly grasped the bar and pushed, this time managing to lift it from the rack before lowering it to his chest.
"Not too bad. You're still weak, but that will be fixed. Keep going until you can no longer."
Izuku gave a weak grunt and repeated the motion for twelve more reps before the bar refused to lift off his chest. Nakamura grabbed the bar and returned it to the rack. Glad that he was done, Izuku stood up and stretched his exhausted arms.
"Sit-ups," Nakamura ordered with a point to the floor. The teen complained internally, then sat down and started.
One, two, three.
Izuku felt fine at first, and hoped that this time would be more impressive than the bench press fiasco.
Fourteen, fifteen, sixteen.
He was feeling kind of sore, but pushed himself to keep going.
Twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty.
He managed to get to forty-three in the span of a few minutes before he finally gave out.
"Don't think we're done yet; the night is young, and your workout has just begun."
Many, many, many hours later, Izuku was finally allowed to rest. His entire body wasn't sore as much as it was completely numb.
"You have a drive, I can tell that much. Maybe you'll progress faster than I first predicted," Nakamura said before pulling a cell phone from his pocket. A quick dial was all it took to reach the other side. "I am sorry if I am interrupting anything, but he's done for the night. If you can, drop him off in his bed; he's not standing up any time soon."
Seconds later, the warp gate returned, this time beneath Izuku. He was already thoroughly exhausted, and the soft bed he landed on lulled him to sleep before he realized his eyes were closing.
"Master, who's this supposed to be?" a blue-haired man with horribly scratched skin asked towards the monitor.
"This is Rin. He is the newest addition to our ranks, but he is not yet part of your League," the man Izuku knew as "Sensei" replied. The green-haired teen, who had been staring at a bowl of cereal for the past five minutes, looked up and gazed at this "Tomura Shigaraki".
"Will you also be one of my teachers? Or do you have other business under Sensei's lead?" he asked.
"I am to be Master's successor. And, no. I'm not going to spend my time babysitting some child."
"Wow," Izuku silently mouthed at the response. Talk about a high horse.
"Speaking of teachers, it is almost time for you to leave, Rin," Kurogiri said.
Izuku nodded and downed his cereal before walking though a portal Kurogiri made.
Instead of Nakamura's residence, this time the portal dropped him off into a library.
"Hello there, my name is Kennohbee. It's a pleasure to meet you, Rin," a friendly looking woman greeted. Truthfully, the only way Izuku could describe her was "plain", not taking into account her enlarged cranium.
"I will be teaching you anything and everything there is to know. Tell me, would you rather start with history, science, or the arts?" the woman questioned as stacks of books dropped from shelves into neat piles at his feet.
"Uh, science?" Izuku replied, more than one question on his mind.
"Good. Which branch? There's chemistry, engineering, physics, computer sciences, and so many more!" This woman definitely belonged in a library, as her voice rose in pitch with every option she listed.
Izuku chose engineering to start with and spent hours flipping through textbooks and diagrams, soaking in knowledge like a sponge. It helped that Kennohbee's quirk gave everyone within a ten foot radius temporary photographic memory. He also found the idea of tinkering and making things to be interesting enough to drive him to keep reading.
"It's almost lunchtime. Can I offer you some ramen or soba?" Kennohbee asked.
"Yes, please," Izuku replied without looking away from the picture in front of him. At the moment, he was studying the inner machinations of combustion engines used in most gasoline powered vehicles.
The woman quickly returned with the meal, which was quickly slurped and set aside.
"You are quite a character. Most people aren't as interested as you when it comes to reading. They prefer to mess around with whatever they have in front of them."
"Well, I guess it's just part of who I am."
Another three hours went by before a familiar black portal opened next to the green-haired teen.
"Can I take this? I promise I'll be careful with it," Izuku requested as he closed the book he had been working on for the past forty-five minutes.
"Absolutely. See you again soon."
Izuku eagerly grabbed the tome and hopped through the gate, reappearing in the bar that served as his new home.
"How was your day?" Kurogiri asked upon his return.
"Good, actually." Izuku sat himself at the bar and flipped through a few pages. Once he found where he had left off just over a minute ago, he resumed tracing the words and taking in whatever knowledge he could.
"I do believe you made a good choice, Master."
"Yes, yes. He is special, I must admit. It would be a shame if he turned out like the others," Izuku's savior replied.
"I suppose," Garaki half-heartedly offered with a stare at his most recent creation.
Maybe it would be a shame. Or maybe it would be his greatest success. Only time would tell.
A/N: First off, I want to apologize for the pace of this. I know I jump from here to there, but that's just how I sometimes write. Also, if you're still reading this, I wouldn't mind feedback on what I have so far.
Have a good day, and I'll see you all when I finally update this again!