TW: For hallucinations, will place a warning before the section
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Rhythmic, constant, controlled.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
He couldn't lose control again, not now.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Who cares if it was self defense? You're a metahuman. You'll always be in the wrong.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
He stepped away from the tree, the last one left standing in the clearing. All others were broken, shattered remnants of their former selves.
But not this tree. Its surface was free of bark, smoothed over by the thousands of punches the boy drove into its surface.
"Control…don't let it loose…control." He muttered, his knuckles were scraped and bleeding, but they weren't too bad.
It took a lot to hurt him.
The scene changed and he was running down a destroyed street, cover to cover barely escaping bullets and quirks alike, dead officers all around him.
"We have to use it!" A man with dull red hair snarled at him, pushing him up against an overturned squad car.
"We'll be detained!"
"If we don't we die!"
"E….a?"
He froze, head coming up a bit to stare at a figure in the distance?
"Hello?" He called, walking towards them, but they seemed to move further away.
"E…a…"
"I'm here! Wait!" He shouted, running after them, but they never got closer.
"Eeazuku?"
"Izuku?"
"Izuku?"
Izuku shot up, looking around wildly while his mother tried to calm him down.
"Izuku! It's okay, you're safe!" She reassured him frantically as he got his breathing under control.
"Mom? What…what time is it?" He asked, looking around bleary-eyed.
"Six in the morning, your alarm got unplugged," She said with a sympathetic smile.
He groaned and fell back on his bed before he got up and got dressed
"You've been having these dreams more often." It wasn't a question.
Izuku nodded. "Ever since I started training with Yagi." He mumbled, throwing a muscle shirt and shorts on before sliding into his red shoes.
"Do you want to talk about it?" She prodded.
Izuku shook his head. "I barely remember what I dreamed about," he said honestly. "Besides, I'm late." He kissed her forehead before heading out, the cool morning air waking him up as he started a jog at a leisurely pace, not slowing until he reached Dagobah bebeach.
Ten months ago, it had been a veritable landfill, abandoned heavy machinery and trash creating tall hills of rubble that blocked the ocean view. The trash left a horrid smell in the air that drove off anyone even pretending to think about setting up shop around the area.
Currently the pristine white sands were revealed to the world, the view of the horizon marred only by the last pile of trash that Izuku was already working on moving into the giant dumpsters Toshinori had set up.
"A real hero helps the community," he muttered under his breath as he dragged a trashed car towards the dumpsters, sweat drenching his body as he worked, "couldn't let me walk old ladies across the street. Nooooo, gotta clean up the beach." He grunted as he finally stopped pushing the car, looking at its warped frame for a few moments before turning around to grab the next piece of trash.
And found the beach clear.
Stunned silence was all Izuku could muster for accomplishing this feat, at least at first; slowly, a large grin began to spread across his face, a quiet chuckle escapes his throat, followed by tired giggling, "I did it…" he said, looking around, as if trying to find someone to celebrate with, "I did it!" He cheered, climbing the pile of trash he'd just finished moving. He threw his shirt off as he reached the very top, staring out across as the sun slowly rose, illuminating a beautiful clean beach.
"I did it!" Izuku cheered, jumping up and down in excitement, fist in the air, "I did it! I did it!" He felt something welling inside him and he let it out in a full bellied roar, disturbing a couple of birds as it echoed across the empty sands.
"Holy…SUPER CRAP!"
Izuku whirled around, "All-Might!" He called with a large grin, clambering down the pile as he babbled, "I did it! I did it All-Might! Ten months of bone breaking work and I did it! Look at it - oof!" Izuku grunted as he tripped a little before fully dismounting and running over to his mentor, "L-look at it! I did that! I-I can't believe it!"
"Believe it, young Midoriya!" All-Might boomed, "under your own power and might, you cleaned this beach in ten months! The fruits of your labor have shown!"
He was right. Izuku had put on a strong layer of muscle, and had gained another inch of height, putting him right at 5'11. "I couldn't have done it without your help, All-Might!" he said with a watery grin.
"Bask in the glory of your achievements, Midoriya. I had nothing to do with the drive and commitment you showed to clean not just the section of beach I told you to, but the ENTIRE BEACH!" he laughed, "No, Young Midoriya! You deserve this win, and you deserve the reward that comes with it."
Izuku stood taller as All-Might plucked a hair off his head, "This was earned with all the strength and passion you could have possibly mustered for this task! Young Midoriya…" he presented the hair, "Eat this!"
"...Come again?"
"To inherit my power you have to eat my DNA, so go on! Eat!"
"...God damn it." Izuku groaned as he snatched the hair and swallowed it as quickly as he could, gagging a bit, "why is it sour?"
"Hehe - probably my shampoo," Toshinori said sheepishly, "sadly it'll take a few hours to digest, so we won't be able to give it a trial run before the test."
"That's fine," he said confidently, "I think I can get points without it if it comes down to it."
"I am LOVING the confidence, kid! Now go home, get showered and eat before the test! We need you at your best!"
"Yes, sir! You can count on me!"
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Izuku was on his way out the door when his mother stopped him.
"Izuku, honey! Can you come to the kitchen for a second?"
"I gotta get going." He said as he walked back into the kitchen, stopping short when he saw his mother holding very familiar bracelets.
"This won't take long," She said gently, handing him the bracelets. Izuku ran his hands over the cold iron, about two inches in width. The Kanji script that he knew ran along its edges, but how did he know?'
"When I was younger, my grandmother - your great grandmother - told me about my grandfather," she helped him put the bracelets on, talking softly, "He was a police officer who was one of the first allowed to use his quirk in the line of duty. These were his, and if you feel the side for a groove-"
Izuku did so, smiling when segments of metal slid out, covering his hands in fingerless metal gauntlets mirroring MMA style fighting gloves. "The metal was from original gauntlets worn by our ancestors in the Edo Era. My grandfather had them reworked to be like this; in many ways he was the first hero…Izuku, I can't tell you how proud I am of you, and I know that he would be proud to know you're wearing his gauntlets."
"Thank you, mom." Izuku said, hugging her, "I'll make you all proud."
"You already have, son, now go out there and do your best!" She cheered for him as he took off, smiling the entire time.
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Warning: hallucinations start here
By the time Izuku got to UA he felt a restless energy begin to take hold. He wasn't sure what it was, it felt like he was on the verge of a panic attack but he couldn't place why - nor were his usual exercises working in alleviating the feeling.
Nevertheless, he forced down the feeling and continued on, keeping his gait as easy as he could.
Which is probably why he tripped on the out of place brick.
So this is how I die again, Izuku thought absentmindedly as the ground came rushing towards him, only to stop short. "Wha-" he gasped as he began to float in the air.
"Sorry!" A girl giggled as she guided him to his feet and pressed her fingers together, with a pink glow Izuku felt gravity return. "Sorry for using my quirk on you!" The brunette said giving a small bow, "but I figured you wouldn't mind."
"O-oh, yeah! It's all good," Izuku stuttered, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, "any excuse to not bash my brains out, right?"
"Right!" she agreed, "and besides, it's bad luck to fall before an exam!'
Izuku's retort was cut off by a rough shoulder that had him falling hard on his butt, "Are you alright!" she cried out before glaring at the passing Katsuki Bakugo. "That was rude, you jerk!"
"Fuck off, round cheeks," Bakugo snarled as he kept walking, "and stay out of my way! You shitty Deku!"
Izuku growled as he pushed himself up, thanking the girl as she helped him. "Always a pleasure, Bakugo." He sneered.
"That guy's a jerk," the girl huffed, "are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm good." Izuku let out a shaky sigh. His hands were starting to feel tingly. Was he about to have a panic attack? No, this was different.
"Don't we need to go soon?"
Izuku's head turned sharply, for a moment the brunette girl was gone, and in her place was a woman with a plain face and kind, emerald eyes, "W-what?" Izuku choked out.
"I said, we should probably get going to the atrium," and just as quickly the brunette girl was back, her eyebrows creasing in worry, "are you alright, Deku?"
"Deku?" Izuku asked, afronted.
"Oh, I'm sorry, is that not your name? That's what that Baka-guy said," she pondered aloud.
"Uh…his name is Bakugo," Izuku mumbled as they started walking towards the school once more.
"I know what I said."
Izuku chuckled a bit. "It's a nickname he calls me, to remind me I'm useless." he explained, "My name is Izuku, Izuku Midoriya."
"Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to be rude," she apologized, "but I kinda like Deku, it gives off a 'you can do it' vibe, you know?"
"Haven't heard that one before," Izuku admitted, "still, I prefer Izuku, Or Midoriya."
"How about Midori?" she exclaimed.
Izuku blinked, "I…guess that's alright." he said awkwardly, but not awkwardly enough as the girl seemed to celebrate a bit.
"Alright! I'm Ochako Uraraka! It's nice to meet you, Midori!" she jutted out a hand, prompting Izuku to shake it.
"Likewise, Uraraka. I hope we can be friends and both achieve our dreams!"
"Agreed! Let's ace this test!" she cheered, skipping ahead. Izuku followed, his gait faltering when his eyes caught a glimpse of a red-haired man in a police uniform striding towards the school. "Is that-" Izuku started, but he blinked and the man was gone, nowhere in sight in the empty courtyard.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Uraraka asked.
Izuku looked over, surprised to see she had waited for him."Y-yeah! Fine, just…been up since six." he said weakly.
"Why would you be awake THAT early on a Saturday?"
Izuku laughed as he followed her into the atrium, doing his best not to look around as they said their good-byes and went towards their sections; Izuku paused for a moment when he saw who he'd be sitting next to, but pushed forward with a fortifying breath.
Bakugo sneered at him the entire time, but said nothing when Izuku took his seat.
"You really think they'd let a Mutant take the test?"
He'd heard it before, it wasn't anything new, but he still had to suppress the urge to clench his fists, the other recruits around him chortling and snickering at him.
"Come on, mutt, you're just wasting your time."
"ARE YOU READY!?"
Izuku jolted in his seat, looking around and was mildly surprised to find that the orientation had already started.
"Better not be falling asleep, Deku," Bakugo grunted, "bad enough you couldn't stay the fuck away, now you're falling asleep?"
"Fuck off," Izuku muttered, trying to suppress the shakes that ran through his body. It felt like it was too cold in the atrium, but he knew it wasn't, and the tingling in his hand had turned into dull needle-like pain that ran up his arms and down into his core. He focused on keeping his eyes on Present Mic as the man went through the packet, his hand tapping fervently against the table in front of him, eyes shifting a bit as phantom figures seemed to float in and out of his line of sight.
"Oi Deku, you better not be freaking out on me."
His gaze shot to Bakugo, who actually looked something akin to concerned for him, "The fuck is wrong with you?"
"Pre-workout kicked in," Izuku lied, "I'm fine."
"You'll blow your heart out your chest with all of that shit."
He turned around to glare at his partner in the squad car, "My quirk prevents that." He boasted, "Besides, keeps me awake through the red-eye."
"Oi, Deku!"
Izuku snapped back to Bakugo, whose eyes were narrowed, "The fuck is wrong with you?"
"I HAVE A QUESTION!"
Both boys snapped back to the front, where apparently one of the other candidates was berating Present Mic.
"You said there are three different villain-bots we'd face, but in the hand out it says there's four! If this is an error on UA's part then it is a disgrace! And you two! Spiky haired and green! You two have been talking since the presentation began! You're very distracting to the rest of us who want to be here!"
"Oi, fuck off, four eyes!" Bakugo snapped while Izuku sat back in his chair, his hands were noticeably shaking, and a cold sweat had popped up on his brow. What is going on?
"Alright kids, settle down!" Present Mic called, "Thank you for calling in, examinee 1117! We didn't forget about the fourth bot, however it's worth zero points so there's no point! It's only an obstacle to get around!"
"Thank you, sir! Please excuse my interruption!" With that the boy sat down as Present Mic gave his parting words and dismissed him.
Before he could move off Bakugo had grabbed him and slammed him into the wall.
"I don't know what the fuck is up with you, but you better get. Your shit. Together. If I don't crush you at your best then there's no point!"
Izuku shoved him off, and unknown fire stirring in his chest, "Fuck off, Bakugo." He snapped, brushing past him while Bakugo glared after him, neither noticing that Izuku had cracked the wall behind him when he'd pushed off of it.
He struggled through the written portion, but was confident he passed even with weird apparitions fading in and out of view, and a migraine beginning to spring up in the base of his skull. By the time he was stepping off the bus his head felt like it was splitting open, and the shakes were getting bad. Now voices were starting to echo through his head as he settled down in a squat holding his head and trying to sort through the voices.
"-Should've taken the bullet when you had the chance, Mutt-"
"-always have your back, Ena, you know that-"
"-welcome to the new Mustafu Special Reaction unit-"
"-I'm a cop like you, only I don't carry a badge and report to the guys that oppress our people-"
"-I know it wasn't for love, but I can't live without you, Ena, and I like to think you can't live without me-"
"-we need back up! Multiple enhanced personnel at this location! Sergeant Booker is down! I repeat Sergeant Booker is down!"
Silence.
Izuku opened his eyes as the voices all stopped at once, silence reigned supreme even with all the other applicants milling around and talking. All he had was silence, and a steady wind blowing his hair to the side.
And then it was back.
A warmth in his chest that began spreading out into his limbs, driving away the cold sweat and shakiness as the pressure in his head seemed to bleed out into the air around him. It was like a part of himself that he was missing had rejoined him, rolling and writhing in his chest like a beast contained, the warmth quickly turning into a burning heat that was attempting to burst out of his chest.
The beast wanted to stretch, and Izuku obliged.
Slowly, carefully, like he did in his youth so long ago he let the power bleed into his limbs, the pressure in the air increasing as he let more and more of it loose. Much too soon for his memory the air began to crackle with plasma, arcs of electrical power danced around his frame. And still Izuku let the power flow, until his limbs felt like they were about to burst.
And he knew he wasn't even close to hitting his threshold.
"E-EXCUSE ME!"
Izuku blinked and looked to the side, surprised to find most of the applicants looking at him, with the blue haired boy from the auditorium being the one calling out to him. "Y-you are distracting everyone with your little display of power!"
Izuku took a deep breath and pulled back on the power, barely containing it enough to stop the power from leaking out of him.
But the pressure was still there, it was warm and seemed to exude a reassurance and pride that not many had. "S-sorry…" Izuku muttered, taking an unsure step back as a few voices began whispering once more. "I, uh - I'm just…nervous."
"While that is understandable, you cannot let it distract others! It's very unprofessional!" The boy berated him.
"Being nervous is unprofessional?" He asked, distracted by Present Mic stepping out atop the walls in front of them. He activated his gauntlets with a well practiced flick of the wrist. "Thought that was being human."
Before the boy could retort, Present Mic's voice rang through the air. "GO!"
And Izuku was off with a burst of static, everyone feeling his departure as that pressure seemed to expand.
The beast was on the hunt.
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Toshinori watched in awe as his protege broke through the first wave of bots like they were nothing, sliding on his heel and using his hand dragging through the street to make the harsh turns. "Wow, he took to the power almost instantly," he said with a proud grin.
Oh, if only he knew.
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Izuku didn't slow down as he blitzed through the street, fists and feet lashing out in devastating attacks that left robots twisted slag in the street. He was moving so fast that everything was a blur.
Which was fine because the memories were flooding back and playing like a movie reel in his mind as he increased his speed.
Tossing his gun to the side as he ran towards a giant rock-like man, easily meeting the man's incoming fist with his own and blasting the area around them with an intense wind pressure.
Running alongside the red haired man through Yakuza tunnels, fire sending thugs running for cover before he was shooting in with powerful punches to send them flying.
He was definitely at half strength right now. The only person keeping up with his speed was the blue-haired boy, who stared in shock when Izuku seemed to hit a second gear, tearing past him and destroying every bot on the street.
The raid had gone wrong; an S-class mutant was rampaging through a factory warehouse. Beat cops were running as Ena and his men ran forward. "Should've just let us mutts do our job from the beginning! Let's go, Todoroki!"
"On it, boss!"
Time was drawing to an end. Izuku landed hard on top of a building, his chest heaving with rapid breaths as he tried to calm his racing heart. The voices were reaching a crescendo in his head, and the headache was back fiercer than ever.
A rain soaked street, his precinct destroyed in one attack.
The sound of a giant machine tearing through a building had Izuku moving to a safer location, until he heard it.
"HELP!"
Fighting a losing battle, knowing he wasn't going to survive, blood soaking his uniform and gear as he forced his quirk into overdrive
"Persistent little gnat."
The building shattered as Izuku lunged for the zero-pointer, windows shattering all throughout the street as he broke the sound barrier, pure power leaking out of the corners of his eyes and mouth as his lips curled back into a rage filled snarl.
His fist sinking into rubber like flesh before rebounding, rain and blood soaking the street as he reared his head back.
"YOUR END WILL COME BY THE HANDS OF A MIDORIYA, AND I WILL LAUGH WHEN YOU JOIN ME IN HELLFIRE.
Silence.
His fist connected with the underside of the zero pointer's head.
He was Ena Midoriya.
He was Izuku Midoriya.
With a roar that Izuku found out later was him, sound returned once more with a resounding CRACK! as the head was torn from its joint. It was sent flying into the sky with a massive updraft that had people clinging to buildings to stop themselves from being swept up by the sudden gale-force winds. The buildings around them shook and trembled, with one completely shattering a few blocks down.
Izuku landed with an emphatic THUD!, his feet cracking the asphalt under him as he tried to sort through his new found memories. He then shook it off and looked at the rubble, where Ochako was looking at him in awe.
"Are you alright?" he asked shakily, walking towards her on unsteady legs. He reached out towards her and froze when he saw the state of his arm, purple and uneven in several places. The gauntlet was the only thing to have survived the punch, a crack marring its surface. "More power than I thought," he mumbled, slightly delirious as he helped her up with his non-injured hand. No one tried to offer them any help, nor did they say anything. They simply stepped out of their way, in awe of what the boy just did.
What power, Tenya Iida thought as he watched Izuku lead the way to an approaching Recovery Girl, and not only that, but I could've sworn I saw - his thoughts stuttered to a stop as a drop of water landed on Tenya's head, drawing his attention upwards. Soon, a soft rain began to fall, further stunning everyone around.
He…he changed the weather…
