Huffing and puffing in the soothing chill of the morning air, Izuku Midoriya jogged past the beach, reaching the 25th kilometre mark since he started around 5AM. With the sports festival coming up in less than 2 weeks, ensuring that he was in peak condition took precedence. With a few minutes on the clock before the sky lit up in blue, he sprinted across the sand only to stop just inches by the teeth of the creeping sea.
"It is not the ability that makes the man, it is the man that makes the ability."
Those words rang in his head ever since they were uttered about three weeks ago, shortly after the alleged intrusion into the principal's office. Diavolo, who had been oddly silent after his run-in with the red-haired lady, chimed in while he was deep in thought over the conflicting emotions he had been experiencing that day. Annoyed as usual, the gruff Italian mob boss rambled on about the importance of Fate and berated him for 'senseless rambling' for what seemed to be the third time in a span of fifteen minutes. Sometimes, Izuku thought that Diavolo was even worse than him in that department. At least he mutters to himself. However, upon reaching the subject of powers, Diavolo's grating scowls softened.
"How are you coping so far with your abilities?" he remembered him asking, his voice uncharacteristically gentle. He flinched a little, shifting around to regain footing.
"Uh, to be honest, Diavolo," he sighed, "I don't know. The Stand that I have, King Crimson, and the Quirk that allowed me to pass the Entrance Exam, One for All, are not mine. They're powers and abilities that have been handed to me, passed on to me, not something of my own. It's like I'm stealing from them, you know? I'm nothing but a parasite that piggybacks off the success of others. If it weren't for these powers, I am nobody."
Suddenly, he found himself being flung a few metres, a brutal blow to his right cheek being the tell-tale clue to the cause. He grunted as he nursed his struck cheek, staring back at Diavolo with silent disbelief. His mouth moved but no words came to be.
"Feel like a nobody now, brat?" growled Diavolo, his face contorted into a scowl that rivalled that of King Crimson's. Izuku, while well aware that both of them were in his subconscious, feared for his life. "Do you?!"
"D-Diavolo, I-I…"
"What? You what? You're sounding pretty nobody there, kid." Izuku felt like running away. Wanted to run away. Run away from the slow heavy footsteps storming towards him yet he stood there. "C'mon! Say something!" shouted Diavolo. "If you're nobody, why're you here, huh? Why didn't you off yourself while you had the chance, huh?"
The boy's heart felt his blood freezing with every shove. Tears welled up in his eyes, sobs stuck in his lungs, his body stiff yet he stood still, taking every shove. He wanted to cry, to sob, to take his suggestion to heart and do it but why? Why was he soldiering on? Diavolo kept spitting truths to him and he knew it. But why were his legs planted firm? Why did he feel the urge to fight his words? Why?
"Answer me!"
"I…"
"Come on, spill it," he commanded, planting a firm grip on his shoulder.
The dam holding him back cracked. "I wanted to prove them wrong!" he cried, his voice cracking in between choked sobs. "The doctor, my mother, Bakugou, everyone; I wanted to prove them all wrong! I can be a hero, damnit! I know I can! I…know…I-I-can! I…can't just let it end there. Not like that."
He let out an anguished cry as he fell to his knees, pounding the ground. "And not like this! Every day I can feel my sense of self slipping away. T-there's something that's steadily changing who I am inside, Diavolo and I know for a fact it's you." He shot a glare towards the pink-haired Italian man that stood watch over his state of grief. "Ever since you decided to fuse with me—something which I don't even know how—I became stronger. But, at the same time, I found it increasingly difficult to feel for others. I don't want that, Don. I'm scared."
The don said nothing. Instead, he pulled him back on his feet and straightened his back. Then, he struck his face with a light backhanded slap.
"So, you're afraid, are you?" he asked.
"Yes," he replied with confidence. However, still reeling from the slap, it came out as a soft whisper.
"Good."
"…huh?" Izuku did not expect that.
"You feel fear. That's good. That means you still have a heart, kid," said Diavolo with a genuine grin. "The fact that you're even thinking about it and aware about it shows that your will is strong. You're still you, Izuku, so don't you worry about that."
"What do you mean, Diavolo?"
"A man had once said that power can corrupt a man and absolute power corrupts absolutely," he smirked with a glint in his eye. "The average man who finds himself with a great deal of power often gets drunk on the power given to him. However, you have found yourself with not one, but two incredible powers at your disposal; one that grants you immense strength and speed beyond that of a human being and one that allows you to foresee the future and change it as you wish. If it were anyone else, they would have abused these abilities to hell and back.
"But you, kid, somehow flipped that notion on its head. I expected you to use King Crimson for selfish gain. You know, escaping the villain attack scene by yourself, punishing those classmates that talked behind your back—"
"Hey!" Izuku protested. "They apologised already, okay? Besides, it was a silly misunderstanding on both sides." He winced as he recalled hearing the context behind it all from Kirishima.
"That's not my point, brat," he snapped. "The point I'm trying to drill into that dense skull of yours is that you have the integrity to use your powers responsibly. Seriously, I'm amazed you haven't tried picking up chicks with them yet. You could easily snag that Uraraka girl, you know? Just show her you can make a killing with it and boom! Instant girlfriend."
"Hey!" Izuku's cheeks flushed a brilliant red as he felt his ears steaming. "Don't say it like that! Jeez!"
"You're right!" chuckled Diavolo. "It's that earphone chick you're after, right?"
"Diavolo, come on!"
"I swear, kid," he playfully sighed, ignoring the kid's protests. "If only she were older, she'd be a woman after my own heart. Probably plays guitar too." He chuckled again when he felt his arm getting slugged.
"Alright, alright," he said. "That's enough about your girlfriends."
"They're not my girlfriends!"
"Not my point," deadpanned Diavolo. "You're feeling a lot better now, right?"
This snapped him out of his embarrassed anger. He was right; he no longer felt the heaviness in his heart. "Yeah, guess so," he replied. "But did you really have to punch and slap me?"
"Eh, you were being too much of a pain so beating it out of you made sense." Before Izuku could say anything else, he continued. "Besides, you've got guts and a lotta will, kid. Not many teens can say they got both."
"Hey, what's up with you?" Izuku asked. The words and tone that flowed from the Italian's mouth did not match up at all with his usual demeanour. It began to make him feel uneasy about it.
"Nothing." Sharp and simple. A quick refusal masked behind a gentle smile. "But, as I was saying, you can shape your Fate however you see it. It is not the ability that makes the man, it is the man that makes the ability."
And just like that, their talk ended. Now, he stood still by the seaside, his posture ready to fight. With those words in mind, he tried to view One for All in a different light. He sucked a deep breath and closed his eyes. The rays of the early morning sun kissed his skin as he clenched his fists tight. The sea breeze helped him focus. One for All was not just All Might's power and One for All was not All Might; this power he had, the overwhelming strength that could shatter his limbs was his and his alone. Therefore, he must try and see how he could harness it rather than how to do as his mentor did.
"It is not the ability that makes the man, it is the man that makes the ability," he whispered to himself. He could feel the energy flowing through his veins into his right arm.
The seagulls flew in circles that morning, their caws the song of the morning beach. The waves crashed lazily onto the shore. This was his daily routine for the past few weeks but this day marked the first time he will attempt it for real.
"SMASH!"
The gulls cawed rose in pitch as the resounding crack thundered through the air. Droplets of seawater fell down in a gentle mist carried by the wind as Izuku stood motionless. His eyes were still shut tight and his right arm rigid and straight. Ten seconds. He counted down to ten, praying that this was not just adrenaline numbing the pain of an arm pulverised to the shoulder joint.
Then, with careful gentle twitches, he relaxed his arm. No pain. Then, he let his arm drop to his side, his hand bouncing off his thigh. No sign of mushy fingers either. He did it. He really did it. He could now use One for All and leave his bones intact!
'Wait, wait, wait,' he told himself, urging himself to calm down with little success. 'We need to make sure that this wasn't a fluke.' Positioning himself by the teeth of the crashing waves again and returning to proper fighting stance, he stared towards the open sea with purpose as he prepared to let loose another punch.
"SMASH!"
Much like before, the resulting crack from the air breaking the waves and the sound barrier echoed into the distance. More importantly, however, his eyes saw it all. How the sudden gust of wind split the surface of the sea apart and threw water into the air; how the gulls scattered and an arm in perfect, unbroken condition. He could not hold it in much longer. His body trembled with excitement as involuntary tears pooled in his eyelids.
"Yahoo!" He yelled and cheered at the top of lungs as he ran along the coastline. He pranced, skipped and sprinted his way back home. Even though the topic of his mentor's power was still a secret to his mother—she only knew that he can punch really hard—he could not wait to tell her that she can worry about him no more! The thought of her being able to watch him do his best in the Sports Festival with pride instead worry filled him with a profound sense of fulfilment and joy. After all, what good can all the power in the world do when you cannot ease the minds of your loved ones? He was what gave his Quirks purpose, not the other way around—Diavolo had told him that.
Suddenly, he heard an enthusiastic "Deku!" from behind him just as he was about to turn toward the corner that led to his home.
"Uraraka?" he called out as he turned.
"Hey, Deku!" said the cheery bob-haired girl. "What are you doing here?"
"Heh, just finished my morning jog," he sheepishly replied. His eyes then lit up. "Wait, I should be asking you that!"
"Huh? Why?"
"Um, I live here."
The glow in Uraraka's eyes brightened up. "Really?! That's so cool! You live so close to the beach and the municipal park!"
Izuku did not respond, not sure how to answer that. His inexperience with the fairer sex becoming apparent, he tried to bring the conversation on track. "A-anyway, you, uh, jogging too?"
"Yup! How did you know?"
"Oh, uh…" His eyes made a quick check on her appearance. He cursed himself for blurting out that question. He made a mental note of her clothes; black Adidas tracksuit and shoes. Alright. "That's because you're wearing jogging shoes."
Uraraka's face glowed a shade of pink as she fumbled over her words. "O-oh, o-of course! Silly me, how could I forget about that?"
They both shared a hearty laugh at that. Then, Izuku asked her where she lived considering that he only saw her today out of all non-school days.
"Oh? Haven't I told you already? I live in an apartment in the city," she answered.
"Eh?! Isn't that quite far from here? Why jog here instead of there?"
She seemed to fidget a bit as she thought up of an answer, something Izuku found odd. He found himself if she was okay out of sudden curiosity. The slight flinch she made did not go unnoticed.
"Don't worry, I'm fine, Deku!" she said with a smile. "Just wanted to exercise in fresher air, you know?"
That response only fuelled Izuku's gut suspicion but he did not want to press further into it. Him not knowing where she lived proved that he did not know her that well despite being good friends so he gave her the benefit of the doubt. Then, a low grumble followed by a red-faced Uraraka was heard.
"Ah, s-sorry!" she flustered.
Scratching the back of his head, he assured her. "No worries! I was just about to head home and have breakfast myself. You can even tag along if you'd like."
"W-what?! It's fine! Really!"
"Come on, it's not that far. It's literally just a block away from here around that corner there."
The flustered brunette fidgeted around the spot as she muttered a barely audible, "Ok."
xxx
Breakfast went by without incident. He did not think much about it as he was still overwhelmed by the joy of his success at keeping his arm in one piece. However, after Uraraka had left, the mischievous grin on his mother's face suddenly brought the social significance of what he had just done come rolling over.
He, shy and awkward Izuku Midoriya, had just talked to a girl, invited said girl over to his home for a meal and got her details—which he asked for in front of his mother.
It all made sense now. Uraraka's flustered speech, her constant bright red face, her odd timid behaviour when speaking, the blissful look his mother wore all throughout breakfast; he asked a girl out for a meal. Speaking of his mother, hearing her mutter how her 'little Izuku' had become grown up while doing the dishes did not help at all.
"Mom, stop it, it's not like that!" he weakly protested as his face burned crimson.
"Sure it isn't, Izuku," his mother replied with a smug grin while putting away the last of the dishes. "And friends blush when in their friend's home too."
"Mom!"
"I must say, I can't believe you've become more confident and daring! Asking for a girl's details so brazenly like that. In front of your own mother! I swear, I'll be disappointed if I don't have grandkids after you graduate."
"Mom!"
Your mom's right, you know?
'Shut up, Diavolo!' he mentally hissed. 'I've got no time for your commentary right now!' The chuckle in his head forced him hold back a grumble as he focused back to his mother.
"Alright, alright, Izuku," she relented with her hands in the air in mock defeat. "I'm just proud that you're growing up fine." A small smile formed on her face. "As long you're happy, as long as you're still breathing, I'll be alright."
"Mom?"
"Because you're my son, Izuku," she said with moist eyes. "I've always blamed myself when you were a small child because I knew I should have tried to support you. You could have stood up to that Bakugou and have a happier childhood but because of me, you have been let down your whole life. You've grown more confident and passionate now, Izuku, and that alone makes me happy as a mother."
Izuku said nothing and walked up to her, rubbing her shoulder gently. "Mom, don't say that. You did what you thought was right and I'm okay with that. Dad wasn't around much to begin with so it's not right for you think that." He then pulled her in for a hug, his own eyes moist too. "Besides, while All Might was my idol, you are the one that I truly look up to."
While tears had been shed that day, there were no sobs to be had. Just a peaceful household as mother and son had a heart-to-heart over the past. With the occasional teasing over girls, of course.
However, the people in the van that had just parked in front of their house had other plans.
A/N: Hey there, KobeNiku here! Here's some nice filler-ish content to make up for the long gap between updates last time! Hope you guys enjoy it! Oh, and don't feel shy to drop a review or two! Follows and favorites may let me know how the story is doing but reviews help me understand how it's doing by telling me what you liked or hated about something so please, drop one for yourself, eh? I'll try to respond every one of your responses.
Darkness in shadowland: Don't you worry, buddy. They've already apologised in chapter 9. I just gave it a brief mention, is all. As much as I enjoy some good misunderstanding-induced drama, this isn't really the kind of drama I'm gunning for so I'm sorry to disappoint.
Karlos1234ify: Thanks for the kind words as always. Care to tell me why you think so?
Guest: But is this really the person you're thinking of? :3
TakatoMakino: Thanks for the compliments! Now to answer your questions,
a) I may include the Speedwagon Foundation later down the line but I want this story to be more MHA with a side of Jojo rather than the other way around. Therefore, even if I do include it, it might not be as central to be plot as imagined and therefore I'm sorry. This is pretty much one of the main reasons why I did not put this into the crossovers category as most stories in that category tend to have the crossover-ed part overpower the elements of the other (I learnt that the hard way.)
b) Izuku and Jirou are an interesting combination, not gonna lie. However, when I started this story I did not have romance in mind. So, to avoid the classic shoe-horned romance, I just want to let the characters develop their relationships organically. If that makes any sense. :p Glad you liked what limited 'screen-time' Jirou had in the story, though.
c) I live for the memes, my dude, so don't you worry. I will make them as subtle as I can, though. Need the memes to stay fresh.
