The Hero Effect

Izuku looked at the letter in his hand like it was there to personally stab him. He had never really gotten a lot of mail, it was mostly for his mom from his dad but for as long at Izuku could remember it had always been just him, his mom. His dad lived somewhere in the states. Truthfully if it wasn't for the the pictures of him all over the house he wouldn't even know what he looked like. He wished he didn't. the man wanted nothing to do with him, after he found out he was Quirkless and that was fine by Izuku, he wanted nothing to do with him either. It was right after the sports festival that he tired to talk to him, finally believing his wife about their son having a quirk. The second his mother handed him the phone he hung it up. His mom had been pissed but Izuku for once held his ground, he didn't want to talk to the man. Ever.

Looking down at the letter in his hand his name neatly printed across the it, he had at first it was another attempt to contact him. It wasn't his father. It was from Tartarus Correctional Facility. The name Chizome Akaguro. Izuku felt panic, why would Stain be sending him a letter? Not many people knew Stain's real identity, he was the hero killer, and it seemed any attempt to humanize him failed. He was just Stain to the world. He walked back from the post office and gave the rest of the mail to his mom… He kept the letter in his pocket as he headed to his room. This was not how he wanted to start his summer. He sat the letter down and glared at it. He really should throw it away. It was probability just the rantings of a madman. His phone beeped, and he smiled All Might was calling.

"HELLO Young Midoriya! You passed the final exams are you excited for the summer training camp!" Came All Might's bright booming voice from the other end of the phone. Izuku had to hold it away from his hear to keep from going deaf.

"Yeah! I'm really excited all of class 1-A is going to the mall to get the stuff we need for the camping trip… Hey All Might, can I ask you a question?" Izuku asked he was now fiddling with the letter in his hand.

"Of course my boy, you can ask me anything! Something wrong?" He asked him and Izuku marveled at how much more dad like he was than his own father, it made him smile a little.

"I'm not sure, I got a letter in the mail today." He started and then paused to gather his thoughts. "Its from Stain, I haven't opened it yet and I'm not sure I want to. Should I?" He asked he was at a loss for what to do so who better to ask than All Might himself.

"Hmm let me tell you a story my boy. When I first became a hero, a LONG time ago," He was cut off by Izuku telling him he wasn't THAT old, which was promptly ignored by the older man. "I stopped a villain. She had killed a man and I stopped her from escaping. A few months later she wrote me. I will never forget what she told me. The man she had killed was her abusive boyfriend, she had done it in self defense… but still she was in jail and he was dead, there was no changing those facts. No one had listened to her, about WHY she did what she did. She had been put away by ALL MIGHT HIMSELF! She had to be guilty. I wrote her back, I believed her when no one else would. I was just doing my job and by doing so made it hard for people to hear her and her story because She was caught by the symbol of peace himself. I went to her parole hearing and thankfully she's now free. Evidence was found that she acted in self defense, it had been there The whole time but no one looked. You may be wondering just why I'm telling you THIS story, we both know Stain is guilty he tried to kill you and your classmates." There was a long pause and Izuku tried to take in all he was hearing. Some girl got sent to jail because she was caught by All might, not because he was guilty... a pit sat in his stomach, that wasn't right! She didn't deserve that!

"It's called the hero effect. You won't really read about it in class that's for sure. When a popular hero saves someone that person becomes a somewhat celerity, if only for a while. A popular hero stops a villain… that person a lot of times close to 8/10 times, is always convicted, it's hard to have a fair and unbiased trial when your alleged misdeeds are plastered all over the media… Anyways back to the woman, she got out, thankfully and she now runs a bakery, all because I read her letter. I wasn't planning on doing so you know, I thought she was just some crazy killer who wanted to rant and rave at me. So consider this a lesson on being a hero, young Midoriya: Being a hero doesn't stop once the person goes to jail. Sometimes you have to be a hero to the villain as well as the victim. You don't have to read his letter, it just might be his rantings but what if it isn't? I'm not saying he's innocent like the woman from my story, but sometimes it helps to be heard. He will never be set free from prison but maybe he can find some peace." All Might finished. Izuku looked down at the letter in his now shaking hand. He had a lot to think about.

"Thanks All Might, I'll think about it… but I'm just not sure."

"No problem my boy, just think about what I told you."

Dinner had been uneventful, once again his mom had brought up his father and he kept his mouth shut about it. Not wanting to cause an argument between him and his mother. After dinner he worked on his Hero Journals, trying to take his mind off the bright white letter sitting on the desk next to him. He glared at the paper, how dare it ruin his few hours of down time he got. Looking at the clock I was nearly 11 at night. His mother would have already left to work her shift at the hospital that night. Just him and Stain's letter. He picked it up, hesitated a moment and opened it.

It was a single page folded neatly, and for a long moment Izuku didn't want to unfold it, like it would come to life and bite him if he did. He took a deep breath gathered his hero courage and started to read.

Midoriya,

So one of two things will happen with this letter, the asshole guard won't send it, or you will throw it way, both are reasonable and acceptable. If by some chance you are reading this I will consider myself lucky, but I've never been lucky a day in my life so why would this be any different?

There is not much to do here, I guess that's why It is a punishment, but I did see a rerun of the sports festival. At least I they let me do something other than sit here all day and stare at the walls, so imagine my surprise when you appear on the screen, Its nice have a name with the face. That fight with Endeavor's son was hard to watch, if you had done that with me you would have been left completely vulnerable to attack. That was some fast improvement in such a short time, I think I was right, you are truly worthy of being a hero. You probably think I'm going to rant and rave at you don't you? I'm not. I've made my feelings on heroes and this society very clear. So the reason that I'm writing, is simple. It's to wish you luck. I truly hope you become a hero as great a All Might, and I think you might even become greater, either way, I can only hope you can see whats wrong with his world and try your best to fix it. Some one has to.

Chizome Akaguro

P.s. I know this is more than likely in the trash, but I hope that you are all right after that monster attacked you. I don't remember much from that point on.

Izuku read the letter a good 6 or 7 more times and each time he felt the whole range of emotions from fear to pleasant surprise. He didn't know how he felt about a hardened killer knowing his whole name but it wasn't like he was ever leaving prison. He was surprised that the hero killer actually though he was worthy of being a hero, he didn't know if it meant much coming from a killer but it felt kinda nice to have that validation that he had been working hard, that he had grown a lot. He wasn't that helpless child from middle school anymore… If he could get his mother to understand that, things would be a lot smoother at home then maybe… Izuku could tell her what he needed to tell her.

Reading the letter one more time, Izuku decided that overall it was a good letter. Now, to decide if he should mail him back, he had two weeks before summer camp, he would decide before then.