Light Within Shadows
Chapter One
RebirthThe feeling of being worthless can often give birth to a determination to be better. If someone told you every single day that you had no worth, then some people would collapse under that stress. It can bring them lower than they ever thought possible. Some people buckle under that strain, break into millions of pieces to never recover. Myself? I was one of the lucky ones, I guess. Despite being born with a crippling disadvantage, treated like lower class citizen for being quirkless, I had support systems in place. I had pillars to help me hold up the strain. Like Atlas holding up the world, I too, had the burden of loneliness. Unlike Atlas, however, I had my mother to help me shoulder that burden, and eventually others, until it no longer felt like a burden, but something I could instead use to train my body and sharpen my mind. I turned the weight of the world against them, and used that very weight to strengthen my resolve.
I'm getting ahead of myself.
People in this world are not equal. They never were, to be fair. Quirks just made it more blatant, and easier to prosecute those beneath you. Made it easier for prejudice to reign, as there were clear defining differences between people beyond status. The lesson instilled in children of the unfairness of the world is rooted deep into society. Katsuki Bakugou, Kacchan, was born above others in the eyes of this society. With the ability to sweat nitroglycerin, he could create explosions from his palms.
I, however, was born with nothing. I was simply born with a smaller frame and pale skin. It was due to this unique lack of uniqueness that I was bullied for years by my peers. The only one who stood by my side was my mother and Kacchan. He earned my respect twice over for not being pressured into the societal norms of belittling the weak and praising the strong. He always said he would be a hero to help people like me. I told him I would be right by his side.
It just made the sting of his awkward smile and deflection of the conversation that much worse. Despite his aggression and his fiery attitude, he stood by me. But he didn't see me as an equal. He saw me as… something that needed protection, something fragile. Despite his encouraging words, they were hollow, empty. Heroes. I will be one. So I did, though in the end I guess Kacchan's awkward deflections and empty words of comfort were right. I didn't become a quirkless hero.
When quirks first appeared, there was chaos. People suspected quirks remained hidden for a small while, but eventually they arrived. Famous vigilantes were born, and even more famous villains. Soon, these vigilantes were sponsored, and we got the frame for modern heroics. One hero rose above all others. All Might, the Symbol of Peace. Known as the modern day superman, he was unstoppable. Crime rate dropped rapidly wherever he was.
So, obviously, the younger me wanted nothing more than to be like him. So, imagine my surprise when I finally met my hero. Yeah, getting there was a bit rough, constant harassment from my peers, someone putting spider lilies on my desk only for Kacchan to blow them up and glare at everyone, and to top it off he got dragged off by some of his friends so I had to walk home by myself only to meet a villain! What a day!
Back to meeting All Might. Truly, a bright star in a dim world. I respect him. He single handedly lowered crime rates in Japan to the triple digits in incidents. He was powerful. So imagine my surprise when, upon meeting him, I didn't see that power. Instead, I saw a man barely clinging onto ideals in a shriveled, hollowed body. Broken inside and out. But, he was still clinging. He held on! Even still. So, yes, he is still All Might to me, the Symbol of Peace.
"Sorry, kid. You can't be a hero." Yeah, ouch. I was a little devastated. Ignore that I almost committed suicide. Oh, wait, I did. Technically? Attempted? Anyways, so there I was, falling. Images of spider lilies, red wings, long fingers, and flying fists flew through my mind. Then the splat goes to the Izuku. Give him a round of applause! Sorry. Yaomomo says I have some issues I still need to work through. Apparently enjoying the peacefulness of death is a red flag™.
But yeah, death is nice. It's peaceful, no sound, no panicking emotions, just a gray, monochromatic world where no one would bother me. It was pretty nice. I remember standing above my body, staring down at it was an apathy I doubt I could ever replicate while alive. I remember seeing All Might run over to me in Little Might™ form. I remember seeing a kaleidoscope of emotions swirling and churling together, colors flickering in and out, but always dominated by the sheer brightness of his yellow. I didn't know it at the time, but the fact that he had multiple souls probably should've tipped me off about his quirk. Even if they weren't complete. White, blue, red, green, orange, purple, pink, and yellow. Eight colors.
I remember him crying by my corpse, begging for something to be different. I remember feeling something spark in my chest, breaking through the apathy of death. So, I made a decision. I wanted to stop him from crying. I stepped back into the land of the living. Sensations were weird. I remember the sound came first, crying. Then numbness throughout my body which was slowly giving way to a sharp pain next to my skull. I smelled the metallic scent of blood and a lot of it. Then, I remember opening my eyes to Small Might. I tasted copper. Brilliant.
"Young Midoriya..? All Might croaked out. "How?" I remember looking towards him and nearly throwing up at the dizzying kaleidoscope of colors that was his soul. Luckily, I was able to look past them, the colors giving way for his face, gaunt and skeletal. His soul was warm. I remember it comforting me, and I was able to muster the strength to give a sad smile.
"All Might?" He crushed me in a hug, sobbing. I remember hearing him whispering apologies. That he wasn't fast enough, or that he pushed me over the edge. I reassured him that it wasn't his fault, and I remember my own breakdown. All Might put hands on my shoulders and pushed me away enough to look at my face.
"How is this possible? You were dead!" He began tilting my head this way and that, checking for wounds. He froze, and shakily a hand came up to the back of my head, tracing the jagged scar that lined it. A line of red at my right temple, which extends back into a large bloody patch of skin. Jagged.
"I… I don't know how I'm alive either, All Might. I- I feel okay though.." I furrowed my eyes in bafflement. "I… I thought I was quirkless? I'm seeing strange things. You… you were shining a brilliant light, a golden yellow with shifting colors flickering in and out of you. I don't know what it is…" All Might shook his head.
"We can figure that out later, young man. First, we need to get you to a hospital!"
"W-what about the sludge villain?" All Might paused, before a hand went to his pants pocket and patted it for a moment. His gaunt face paled, and I followed his gaze. His fingers were poking out of a hole in his pocket. Both of them? Almost as if Fate had designed it, she assured me she didn't have anything to do with it this time, there was an explosion and smoke began to rise from a nearby street. I staggered to my feet, ignoring the protests of All Might, and made my way to the commotion. There was already a crowd, who I shouldered my way through. All Might was by my side the whole time, acting like a mother hen. A few people gasped at my appearance, but I paid them no mind. Finally, I broke through to the front of the crowd, and froze.
"Kacchan?" There he was, restrained, eyes panicked and explosions forcibly being drawn from his body by the villain completely enveloping him. Eye contact was made, and before I knew it, I was running towards him. I stumbled the first step, but my gate became more sure, and everything seemed to slow down. My thoughts were empty, motivation driving me to save him. The heroes holding back the crowd attempted to stop me, but I was already past them. I didn't have anything but the bloody clothes on my back.
That was enough.
I felt bones shift inside my body, and I reared my fist back and punched towards the villains eyes. White spikes pierced the skin of my knuckles, and flung out, carried by the momentum of my body. Green blood oozed from the sludge villain's eyes, and he bellowed in rage. I grabbed Kacchan, and pulled him out, an unnatural strength vibrating through my core, my very soul.
Moments later, All Might appeared, scattering the villain, the force of his fist changing the very weather. Sometimes I wonder how he wasn't considered for becoming an Aspect, but that's not really my decision to make. Kacchan heaved next to me, before red eyes glared towards me.
"What the flying fuck were you thinking, Izuku? You could've gotten killed!" Immediately, upon seeing me covered in red, and though I didn't know it at the time, the difference in my appearance, he paused.
"What happened to you?" Before I could answer, All Might swept me up and lunged away.
"No more delay, off to the hospital for you, young man!" I remember blacking out then. Or rather, I don't remember anything, so I assumed I blacked out. I awoke to the bright lights of the hospital, with Little Might standing by the wall and Mom hovering over me like the concerned parent she was. Kacchan was in the corner, his arms crossed, pouting.
Correction, brooding, or so he claims. Yes, Kacchan, I'm talking to the outsiders. No, I'm not saying that! You're incorrigible, Kacchan. Thanks, dear, for gagging him.
Sorry.
"Mom?" my mouth was filled with cotton, and my tongue was heavy, but I managed to croak it out. My mother jumped on top of me, causing a wheeze to escape my lungs as she crushed me in a hug.
"I'm so glad you're okay! You were covered in blood, and the d-doctors said you were involved in a villain attack! I-I was so worried!" She began to sniffle, which was swiftly followed by bawling. Which, as any Midoriya would, led to me also bawling.
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, Mom!" I sobbed into her shoulder, my hands clawing at her back and bunching up the cloth of her shirt.
Kacchan! Don't call me a pussy! Momo! Kacchan's bullying me!
Small Might stepped forward, and coughed into his hand. Mom reluctantly stepped back, and eyed him wearily.
"Mrs. Midoriya-"
"Ms."
"Sorry, Ms. Midoriya, I am All Might's secretary. I was sent to make sure young Midoriya was okay. He.. he really impressed him today. I was told to tell him something." He turned towards me. "You can be a hero."
"Fuck yeah he can." Kacchan called out from his corner, red eyes watching me like a hawk. This time, though, his words weren't hollow. They weren't empty. They… he meant them. I didn't know how to feel at the time. Why… Why did I need a quirk before he really supported me?
Kacchan, you don't need to apologize again! I know, I know. It's okay. Momo, where'd the gag go anyways?
Anyways, eventually the doctors shooed them out, Small Might giving me a card and saying All Might wanted to speak with me tomorrow. The doctors said I had a scar lining my spine, and I explained that the villain managed to deal a lot of damage to me when it attacked me the first time. A near-lethal amount is what I said. They theorized that my quirk granted me the ability to manipulate my body, and had a failsafe to expend a lot of my energy to reverse heavy casualty on my body. I didn't correct them.
Then, I saw my appearance.
"Oh, I don't look like Mom anymore." I'm honestly still a little upset about that detail. I know, Momo, I'm glad you find it attractive. Kacchan, stop making gagging noises! Not my fault you don't have someone yet! …Oh? Who's the lucky girl? Guy? C'mon, tell me! Aw, look Momo, he's blushing!
Oh, sorry Outsiders. Readers. I think you'd probably enjoy reading the words of the world better without me interjecting. It's only natural that a Reader wouldn't want their story interrupted, I get it, I totally do! Usually, we can't interact at all, so I kind of enjoy these little moments. So, I'll take a step back, let you read without my input.
So, enjoy! This is the story of the birth of a new incarnation of your most loyal companion, the being that you know is inevitable, but shouldn't fear.
Death.
Dammit, Kuro, stop butting in!
You love me, Shiro.
I hate you.
Muah.
Gross! We're basically the same person!
I'm cooler though.
Ugh.