Chapter summary: Itsuka values the friendship she has with Izuku more than anything at the moment. So what happens when she finds out her friend has much more emotional baggage than she realized.


Chapter 2: Toronado of emotions

"Stop running away!" Itsuka said.

"I'll stop running away when you stop eating me!" Said Izuku.

"Don't be a coward just because you suck at Smash!"

It's been a few weeks since Itsuka and Izuku became friends, and Izuku became very precious to Itsuka in that short amount of time. No amount of torment from Yaomomo could dampen her mood when he came around. Izuku always brought Itsuka out of a funk, whether it was a funny joke, flying around the city, or just being there. Their hangouts were always the highlight of her day.

Currently, the two friends were playing Super Smash Bros. Ultimate in Itsuka's room. Izuku was playing with Sonic, and Itsuka was playing as Kirby. Things were getting a little… competitive.

"I don't suck! You keep spamming the same move." Izuku said.

"It's not my fault you keep falling for it!" Itsuka said.

"You know what!? Fine! You want me to come to you!? I'll come to you!" Sonic activated a spin dash and dashed toward Kirby, but Kirby dodged and hit Sonic with a mallet, knocking him out of the ring.

"Game!" The announcer announced.

"Ahahahahaaaa!" Itsuka raised her fist in the air in triumph. "Once again, I am the victor! What were you saying earlier? Something about not sucking? I certainly would hope not! You'd never lie to me, right Izu~?"

Izuku blushed and turned his head away bashfully at Itsuka's teasing. "Whatever… I barely play this game anyway." He grumbled. "Hey… what's that smell?" Izuku sniffed the air. "It smells like… Sukiyaki?"

"Oh! Mom must be cooking!" Itsuka took a big sniff of the air and regretted it immediately. "Ugh! You're disgusting!" Itsuka covered her nose and threw a pillow at Izuku, causing them to burst out in laughter.

Little moments like this made Itsuka's entire day. Her and Izuku just being themselves around each other. Laughing and joking. It was always so much fun. She wished it could last all day. But, unfortunately, she had school to worry about. She really needed to get her grades up. Her foster mother told Itsuka she didn't want her to stress about grades so much, but Itsuka couldn't help but get frustrated. Not to mention the stuff going on with Yaomomo, Itsuka had a lot to deal with.

Noticing her mood change, Izuku asked. "Hey, are you alright?"

Itsuka, not wanting him to worry, smiled and said. "I'm fine. School just got me down a bit."

"I told you, don't stress about grades too much. They're important now, sure. But, they don't decide your entire future." Izuku said.

"I know. That's not what's getting me down. It's just… never mind. Anyway, I'm fine."

Izuku apparently wanted to push the issue. "Itsuka, what's wrong?"

"Don't worry about it. It's really not that bad."

"Well, it's clearly bothering you. No one is hurting you, are they?"

He's so sweet. She really was okay. Yaomomo may be a jerk, but that was something she was used to. She mostly ignored Itsuka nowadays anyway. So it isn't something for him to fret over. "Izuku, I promise I'm okay. You don't need to worry about me."

"Just because I don't need to doesn't mean I won't."

Itsuka sighed. "I know, but I'm just telling you that everything is fine." Itsuka got up and stretched much to Izuku's pleasure. "I think I'm done kicking your butt in Smash."

"I was very close to winning those last few rounds."

Itsuka gave him a deadpan stare. "Sure, pal. Anyway, I'm starving. Wanna get something to eat."

"Katsudon?"

"How many times have I told you this? You will not transcend outside the "mortal realm" If you keep eating Katsudon."

"You're a mere mortal. My goals are beyond your understanding."

"I think your goals are beyond your own understanding."

"Whatever. Don't ask for clearance once I transcend."

Ignoring Izuku's crazy rants, Itsuka walked out of her room and went downstairs into the kitchen. "Hey, Mom! Me and Izuku are going for lunch."

Yua turned around with a dejected look on her face. "But I made all these sandwiches and cookies for you guys!"

Itsuka smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. You know how crazy Izuku gets with Katsudon." Itsuka took a sandwich from the plate and a cookie from the pan. "If it makes you feel any better, these taste great."

It did make her feel better if the smile was anything to go off of. "Thank you, Itsuka! Do you want me to save them for later?"

"That'd be awesome!" Itsuka said.

"Itsuka, you coming!? Katsudon awaits!" Izuku said.

"I'm coming! Jeez, I still don't understand his weird obsession with Katsudon." Itsuka grumbled. "Oh right! Do we need anything while I'm out?"

Yua looked like she was going to say something, but Izuku called out. "Times-a-ticking Itsuka! I can hear the Katsudon calling my name!"

"Well, tell it to wait!"

Yua shook her head. These kids were crazy. "We've got everything we need. Just have fun."

Itsuka nodded. "Alright. I'll see you later. Love you, Mom!"

Mom… Yua could swear just yesterday that Itsuka was still calling her Miss Yua. It's incredible how much can change simply from having a friend. He could always be there when she couldn't. Izuku was indeed a blessing to both Yua and Itsuka. "I love you to Itsuka! Stay safe."

"I will!" Itsuka ran to the door…

...And promptly tripped. Already, Itsuka was a failure.

Before she had a makeout session with the ground, a rainbow aura surrounded her, and Izuku had his palm facing outward, surrounded by a rainbow aura. "You can beat me in Smash, but you don't even know how to walk? Get your priorities straight, Itsuka."

Itsuka just blushed in embarrassment.

Yep, her daughter was in safe hands.


Izuku knew something was up with Itsuka.

Every single time they met up, she always looked down. Izuku would always do his best to cheer her up. It seemed to work, but he still knew something was bothering her. Izuku was going to find out what was making her upset, or more accurately, who.

But before that…

"Oh, my baby, how I've missed you!" Izuku took a big sniff of his Katsudon. Oh yeah. That was the stuff.

Itsuka rolled her eyes as she slurped her pork ramen. "Do you have to do that every time?"

Izuku gasped in betrayal. "How dare you!? How else can I let her know that I love her?"

"Well, you can let it know by just eating it instead of "basking in its glory" as you say." Itsuka said.

"Shhh. It's okay, baby. Some people will just never understand."

Itsuka shook her head and went back to eating her ramen. They both happily ate their food until Itsuka looked up, and her eyes widened in horror.

"Itsuka, are you oka-"

"We gotta go. Now."

Huh? What's going on? Was she okay? He probably never would have said this if he never met Itsuka, but the Katsudon could wait. "Itsuka, what's wrong?"

Itsuka frantically grabbed her bags and threw her ramen in the trash, trying to leave the food court as soon as possible. "Hurry. She's coming."

She? Who was she talking about? Then, before he could ask, Izuku heard one of the most condescending tones he's ever heard from a human being.

"What are you doing here?"

5%

Itsuka stopped in her tracks as her eyes widened in fear. She slowly turned her head to meet the condescending voice. "H-hey Yaomomo. F-funny seeing you here."

Ignoring her, the now named Yaomomo (Weird name) repeated her question with much more bite. "What the hell are you doing here? Didn't I tell you I didn't wanna see your face outside of class?"

13%

Okay, she's only said two sentences, and Izuku already hated her. The way she carried herself as if she was the shit pissed him off. Her cat-like eyes were narrowed at Itsuka as if she was owed an answer to her question. Everything about her just screamed God complex. Never before had Izuku wanted to punch someone in the face so badly.

Poor Itsuka couldn't even let out an answer; instead, she just stayed silent and shook in fear. So this must've been the person who's been bullying her. God, he hated people who picked on others just because they could. It showed how cowardly they are. But as much as he wanted to put her in her place, now just wasn't the time he had to get Itsuka out of here. "In case you haven't noticed, this is a public place, and last I checked, she was allowed to be here."

Yaomomo pointed her gaze towards him and frowned. "And who are you?"

Izuku ignored her, left his Katsudon on the table, and grabbed Itsuka by the arm. "C'mon, let's get out of here."

Yaomomo scowled. "I asked you a question! Who are you?"

28%

"I'm Itsuka's friend. Now fuck off."

"Friend? Tch. How much is she paying you?"

46%

"Even if she were paying me, no amount would be enough if I had to deal with people like you."

Izuku felt his emotion running wild, feelings of rage being most prominent. Each second he saw that smug face, he couldn't help but be reminded of his childhood friend turned bully and all the people he "put in their place." Both of their faces were so punchable it was ridiculous. Just looking at her pissed him off to no end.

"Izuku, calm down. Let's just get out of here. We're making a scene." Itsuka whispered.

Izuku took a deep breath to calm his anger. She was right. He was getting too worked up. He couldn't afford to lose control here. Begrudgingly, he followed Itsuka's advice, and they walked off. But Yaomomo wanted to get one last word out before they left.

"Don't think having one friend makes you any less pathetic. You're still the same worthless loser, Itsuka. Honestly, you'd be better off dead."

"You should just take a swan dive off the roof of a building and hope we don't meet in the next life."

87%

Izuku could hardly keep his wits together. How did Itsuka deal with this every day? He could feel the power inside him fighting to escape. His conscious mind barely holding out against his pure and utter rage. "Keep it together, Izuku. She's not worth it."

"Izuku, are you okay? Why are your eyes turning red?" What? Already? He must be way closer to breaking than he initially thought. He needed to get out. Fast.

"I'm fine. Let's just go."

Izuku left the mall with a bitter taste in his mouth. For once, Katsudon couldn't solve all his problems.


An awkward silence filled the air as Itsuka and Izuku aimlessly walked down the street. Itsuka had no clue where they were going, and she was a little afraid to ask. Izuku had this furious look on his face. His eyes were still red, and his hair floated a bit like he was using his quirk. She watched as everyone on the street steered clear of Izuku and his murderous aura. Itsuka also made sure to stay at least three feet back in fear of angering him any further.

Izuku wasn't usually an angry person, but Itsuka was guessing Yaomomo pushed him over the edge. Itsuka had no clue that Izuku could be so scary. Yeah, his quirk was powerful for something he simply dubbed as telekinesis, yet the subtle but noticeable power he was radiating now was enough to give Itsuka a cold sweat.

Perhaps she could talk to him. I mean, he was still Izuku, right? He was still the carefree jokester that she got the pleasure of getting to know. Well, "getting to know" wasn't really an accurate assessment. She still didn't really know much about Izuku. Itsuka told him about many of her insecurities, but he mostly stayed silent about his inner feelings. Right now, it seemed he was suppressing his anger in an unhealthy way. Izuku looked like he would explode at any second, and it was worrying her.

Feelings of fear turned into concern the more she thought about her friend's distress. Now she had to talk to him. What kind of friend would she be if she just left Izuku in this state? Gathering her courage, she marched forward and put a hand on his shoulder. "Izuku. Is everything alri-"

His red-raged-filled pupils froze Itsuka in her tracks when Izuku turned to look her in the eye, but they immediately softened when he saw who he was looking at. His eyes turned back green, and his hair stopped floating. Izuku turned his head in shame and said. "I'm sorry. I never wanted you to see me like that."

"It's alright. It happens to the best of us." Itsuka said.

"That still doesn't justify the way I was acting."

"Well, you weren't bothering anyone, if that's what you're thinking." Of course, it was a bit of a lie, but maybe it could bring him some peace of mind.

Izuku didn't seem convinced though, and he kept walking in guilt. Finally, Itsuka sighed, pulled him aside, and said. "Look, Yaomomo is a real jerk, so I understand why you're angry. But trying to bottle up your feelings like this isn't good for you." She took his hand in hers. "You've spent so much time helping me with my problems that I think you've neglected your own. So I'm going to let you know from here on out…." Itsuka offered him a comforting smile. "If you have any problems, we'll go through them together."

Izuku stared in wonder for a few seconds before he smiled and blushed. "Thanks, Itsuka."

"Of course! What are friends for!"

"Yeah… friends… Hey Itsuka, I have something to show you. It's at my house, though. Do you want to see it?"

Wow, that was out of nowhere, but who was she to refuse. "Sure! Now that I think about it, I've never been to your house."

He nodded his head, and the familiar feeling of weightlessness took over her body, and they took off into the air.


Itsuka didn't know what she was expecting when she was offered to go to Izuku's house, but she sure wasn't expecting this.

"Holy crap! It's huge!" How was it she kept making friends with rich people? Itsuka and Izuku were floating outside the gate of a mansion, and Izuku's freaking HOME! The front yard comprised impossibly green grass, healthy gardens, and vigorous plants. The gardens perfectly complemented the modern style of the home. The estate itself was HUGE! It was at least what, 45,000 square feet!? Itsuka was overwhelmed. She's been in an enormous home before, but she didn't take Izuku for the rich boy type. Her foster mother was pretty well off with her job as a designer, but jeez, Izuku made her feel broke. What did his parents do!?

"It is pretty big, isn't it?" Izuku said nonchalantly.

"Are you kidding!? You could get lost in that house!"

Izuku sighed and flew them through the gate. "C'mon. I didn't take you here just to gawk at my house." Right. He wanted to show her something. It sounded like it was pretty important too. What could it possibly be?

They entered the house, and… oh God, she needed a minute. If she was impressed before, she couldn't even think of a word for what she felt now. The house entrance had 2 sets of stairs, each leading to different parts of the house. The floors were so clean she could see her reflection, and the house smelled so nice too. Itsuka was still coming to terms with the fact that Izuku lived here.

Itsuka felt a hand on her shoulder. Then she remembered she was here for a reason. "Sorry, Izuku. This place is just really nice."

Izuku shrugged. "It's fine."

Why did he sound like he didn't want to be here? This place was amazing! Although she supposed that if you lived here your whole life, this stuff doesn't really amaze you much. Oh well, she'd respect his wishes, no matter how much she wanted a tour of the house.

They walked up the steps (the hallways were so lovely, why couldn't they stay?) into Izuku's room, and it was surprisingly normal. It reminded her of her room, actually. It was still bigger than her room, but not by that much. It had some hero posters, a tv, a gaming console, and a PC, the same stuff she had.

Izuku went to his computer desk, opened the door, and pulled out a notebook. He sat there for a couple of seconds, contemplating whether he actually wanted to go through with this. Then, finally, he took a deep breath and said.

"Before I show you this, I think you should know the true nature of my powers."

"True nature? But you just have a telekinesis quirk, right?"

"Itsuka, do you know what an Esper is?"

"Yeah, they're people with psychic abilities, right?" Wait… psychic abilities. "Izuku, are you saying…?"

"Yes. My telekinesis isn't a quirk." Izuku's rainbow aura surrounded him and a tiny spider lily sitting on his dresser drawer. The flower then grew to immense proportions in just one second. "It's one of my many psychic abilities."

There was no way this was real, right? Espers were just a myth, weren't they? There have been many discussions about the true nature of psychic quirks, but this just doesn't make any sense. Having multiple abilities is beyond anything science up to this point has even studied. How would being an Esper even work? What makes them different from people with quirks? Do they even have quirks? Are the abilities hereditary? Or are they just the random luck of the draw? Can you have a quirk and Esper abilities? Can an Esper and quirk user produce a baby with the Esper's psychic abilities combined with the functions of the quirk? There are so many questions the concept of Espers' existence raises.

"...Itsuka, I think you're overthinking this…."

This just wholly shatters everything we knew about the super-powered phenomenon, to begin with. Apparently, there is a whole different group of superpowered individuals that no one knows about. How is this even possible? When did this happen? How long have they been around? Longer than quirk users? So many questions she didn't even know where to begi-

Smack

"Ow! you could've just asked me to stop."

"I did. Multiple times. Like always, you didn't listen."

Itsuka blushed in embarrassment. "Okay, so you're an Esper. That explains the multitudes of powers you have. So what does it have to do with your notebooks?"

Izuku sat in silence and pulled his notebooks to his chest while he held them like a lifeline. Then, finally, he said. "What I'm about to show you is really… personal. I'm still not really sure if I want to show you."

Itsuka's eyes softened, and she placed her hand on his shoulder to comfort him. "Izuku… you really don't have to do this. If it's really this hard for you, you keep it to yourself."

Izuku stood there for another few seconds. She gave him an easy outing. He could just say screw it, put the notebooks back, and forget that this happened. Truth be told, he wasn't ready for anyone to see these yet. Hell, he wasn't prepared for anyone to see these ever. All of his deepest secrets and insecurities were written in this notebook. This could change Itsuka's entire perspective of him, for better or worse. But he was afraid if he didn't show Itsuka, he wouldn't ever be able to tell her his feelings normally. It would be too much for him.

He couldn't find the courage to man up and tell Itsuka about the true nature of his powers. Pathetic right? He was a coward. He knew that. Itsuka had more bravery than he ever would. She poured her heart out to him when he was a complete stranger, but he could barely even tell her his burdens, despite how much he trusted her.

Trust… Did he really trust her…?

So I'm going to let you know from here on out if you have any problems, we'll go through them together.

"It's… it's alright. I trust you."

Izuku slowly handed Itsuka the notebooks. Itsuka grabbed them and gave Izuku a small smile. "I'll handle them with care."

Izuku smiled. "I know you will."


What was he thinking!? Why would he do that!? Ugh! Itsuka was going to hate him now.

"No, don't think like that. Even if she doesn't like what she sees, Itsuka deserves to know what she's getting into." Izuku thought. He knew the risk when he did this. He shouldn't be a wussy now. Still… the thought of Itsuka thinking him a hypocrite, or just outright not wanting to be his friend…

Damn it, brain! Stop it!

...Oh, who was he kidding? It terrified him. The short amount of time they've had together was some of the best in his life. Every day he would look forward to seeing her smiling face and pretending his problems didn't exist. His desire to rid himself of his powers. His longing for some peace of mind. His yearning for a purpose in life, Itsuka was the cure to all of it. Seeing Itsuka happy filled Izuku with a warmth that he couldn't really describe. The best he could do was it felt like having on a heavy blanket with the fan blowing at maximum speed, but even that was selling it short. Without her, he'd still be aimlessly wandering the path of life with no destination. In terms of goals, he still has none, but Itsuka was slowly but surely helping him find something to strive for. In other words…

Itsuka was his hero

It was corny, but it was true. Before Izuku met her, he was like scattered pieces of an incomplete puzzle, but Itsuka found each piece and put them together. She made him feel emotions that he didn't want to suppress for once in his life.

But he had to. If he didn't, he'd hurt her just like he hurt everyone else. He wished he could tell her everything. Hiding this stuff affected him every day, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. So that was what the notebooks were for. His mother gave them to him as a means of controlling his overwhelming emotions or, at the very least, making them bearable. And they have… in a way. It was still a struggle to keep himself from exploding, but it made things a bit more manageable. The notebooks were all he had until he met Itsuka, so he'd promised himself he would treasure them.

He still wasn't sure if he made the right call showing them to Itsuka. They've only known each other a few weeks, but in those few weeks, he bonded with her as he'd never bonded with anyone else. And hey, she confided in him. So maybe it was time he did the same and confided in her.

The door to his room opened, and there stood Itsuka with an expressionless face. She held the notebooks close to her chest, keeping the promise of handling them with care. For a while, she didn't say anything, and she didn't need to. Izuku knew what was coming.

"I understand if you don't want to hang out with me anymore. I told you all that stuff when we first met, but I don't even practice what I preach." Itsuka remained silent. "For what it's worth, you really were the best friend I've had. Granted, I haven't had many friends, but that doesn't make our time together any less special." Izuku smiled sadly at the fond yet small amount of memories with Itsuka. "I'm really glad I got to know you."

It was fun while it lasted, but all good things must come to an end. But did it have to be so soon? He knew it would happen eventually. He was prepared for this outcome. That didn't make it hurt any less.

Finally, after a long silence, she slowly walked toward him and whispered. "Izu…."

"You don't need to say anything. I'll take you home, and you'll never have to see me aga-" He was interrupted by Itsuka, who tackled him into a hug.

50%

"Itsuka…?"

"You know…" She whispered. "Someone once told me strength comes in many different ways. If that person practiced what they preached, they'd realize how strong they actually are."

"I-I'm not strong. Without my psychic powers, I-I'm nothing." Izuku chocked out.

"You're a good person. That has to mean something."

"But I'm not a good person Itsuka!" Izuku cried. "I'm a monster! You know about all the horrible things I've done! All the people I've hurt! I'd rather be powerless than live like this!" Saying that in front of someone who was quirkless may have been a bad idea, but it was how he felt. Living in constant fear of himself and the safety of others was no way to live. Maybe Kacchan was right. Maybe…

"...I'd be better off dead."

Slap

"Bullshit! I don't ever want to hear you say that!" Itsuka hugged him tighter. "I'm not gonna pretend like the things you've done weren't horrible…." She released the hug and looked Izuku in the eye. "But I'm also not gonna let my best friend think he's a monster. Ever since we became friends, you've shown me nothing but love and kindness. More than any monster ever would."

83%

She reminisced about the times Izuku would cheer her up after a bad day or when he would indulge her in her weird heroic fantasies. "You've done way more for me than you'll ever know. I wouldn't trade our friendship for the world. I won't lie. You've done some bad things." Izuku flinched a bit until Itsuka took his hands in her own. "But your moments of weakness don't define you. You're way more than just the sum of your flaws…." Itsuka then gave him the brightest smile Izuku had ever seen from her. "You're Izuku Midoriya! The best friend I've ever had!"

100%

Izuku's power exploded, letting a rainbow-like aura surround the entire room, but Itsuka didn't feel any hostility coming from the energy. Instead, she recognized the feeling of weightlessness surrounding her as she and Izuku started floating in the room. Itsuka looked to Izuku and saw him rubbing tears out of his eyes while sporting a large grin. She smiled and then did her best to break out of Izuku's psychic hold. Her best was enough because she managed to get some freedom and movement and made her way over to Izuku. When she was making her way over there, she couldn't help but notice the beautiful ever-changing colors of the psychic energy. It had a calm and encouraging aura. It felt like she could do anything. Like, for example, running towards Izuku full speed and tackling him into another hug in midair.

When she made contact with Izuku, foreign memories flooded into her head. She saw bloody bodies all over the playground, a blonde-haired kid calling her Deku and a freak, the kids at school isolating her because she was a "villain" and a "demon." With these new memories came to an overwhelming amount of emotions like fear, shame, and loneliness.

But along with the bad memories and negative emotions, there was a small but bright torrent of memories with the people he trusted. His worrisome yet strong and kind mother bonding over her homemade Katsudon. Him watching the same All Might video she had on repeat. And he and Itsuka just chilling in her room, enjoying each other's company. The warmth from these memories filled her body, along with the warm embrace of Izuku's arms, and she cherished both of them.

Izuku also had the same experience with Itsuka's memories. All the torment he was facing from the harassment of his classmates was quickly made up for by just the tiny amount of fond memories Itsuka carried.

Soon, the psychic energy settled down, Izuku and Itsuka slowly floated down to the ground with a newfound understanding of one another. They knew now that no matter how big the problem, they would get through it together.

Still though… Itsuka had just one question.

"Dude… Your mom…" Itsuka looked at Izuku with the utmost seriousness, and Izuku got a cold sweat down his face. "IS THE NUMBER 3 HERO!?"

"I… um… erm… no?"

"No wonder your powers are so strong! She must be an Esper too! So the psychic abilities are hereditary! Does she have a different set of abilities than you? How does she make tornadoes? Can she control the temperature? Can I get an autograph!?"

"Itsuka, slow down! And where did you get that notebook?"


The longing for some peace of mind plagued Izuku's life daily.

But he knew now he didn't have to go through it alone.


Authors notes: Wow, I did not expect this story to get as many visitors as it did, but here we are. I'm back with the second chapter of this story, which mostly serves to grow Itsuka's and Izuku's friendship. If you haven't noticed Izuku's powers are based (read: straight-up taken) off Mob's powers in Mob Psycho 100. If you haven't watched the show, I really recommend it. It's one of my all-time favorites.

I know we're only 2 chapters in, but I'm just gonna let you know that this story might start a little slow. We'll get to the good stuff, I swear. I don't plan on making you guys wait too long. By chapter 4, we should be starting the canon storyline. After that, I'm gonna try to deviate from there. I'm only saying this so you guys don't stick around only to get disappointed by the lack of progression.

I also plan to write a couple of other fics. One will be a crossover with RWBY, and another will be with Black Clover. The RWBY fic will see Izuku transported to Remnant from where he is at the current events in the manga. The Black Clover crossover will see Izuku transported (shocking, I know) to the Black Clover world, but this time he'll come from where he was at the beginning of MHA after the entrance exams. But those won't happen until I get this one fleshed out.

I have nothing else to say, so with that, I'll take my leave. Until next time!