Chapter 1: It Shown Itself
It is a rule of nature that evolution cannot be stopped. It is the driving force that shapes and molds every living being, from the tiniest microbe to the mightiest mammal. And yet, in this world, evolution took a turn that no one could have predicted.
As humans, we have always prided ourselves on our intelligence and ingenuity. We believed that we had reached the pinnacle of our development, that there was no further room for improvement. And yet, every day, more and more of us were born with a gift that surpassed anything we had ever known.
A glowing baby, born with a power beyond our comprehension, was just the beginning. As more and more people began to develop their own unique abilities, we found ourselves in a world that was both wondrous and terrifying. At first, we called these abilities "quirks," but as they became more and more commonplace, they simply became a part of who we were.
But what of those who were born without these gifts? The "quirkless," as they were called, were the last remnants of a forgotten era, an era when people were content with what they were given. They were looked down upon by those who had been blessed with these abilities, as if they were somehow less worthy.
It is a cruel and unfair world that we live in, where those who are given advantages are praised for them, while those who are not are left to struggle. And yet, this is the way of nature. The strong survive, while the weak are left behind.
But there is a new step in human history, a step that is being taken by those who did not have a choice.
Do you believe in gravity? It is a force that cannot be seen, but we know that it is there. In the same way, the power of evolution is unseen, but it is a force that we cannot deny. And as we move forward into this new era, we must remember that adaptation is key. Those who can adapt will thrive, while those who cannot will be left behind.
Izuku Midoriya's heart was racing as he stumbled back against the wall, his breaths coming in short gasps. His eyes widened in shock and fear as he stared unblinking at the figure standing nonchalantly in his room. How had the man gotten in? The lock on his front door was still secure.
His mind raced with questions and possibilities, but he couldn't shake the feeling of dread that washed over him like a cold wave. He had just come back from the doctor's office, where he had been told that he would never have a Quirk. Tears still stained his red T-shirt, a reminder of the crushing disappointment and hopelessness he had felt.
And now this. An unknown person, or perhaps something else entirely, stood before him, its skull-like face and war bonnet adorned with feathers and a purple jewel seeming to mock his lack of power. It wore yellow robes with red roses on its chest, and gray armor on its arms and legs.
For a moment, Izuku couldn't move, couldn't even find his voice.
As his mother, Inko Midoriya, approached his room, her heart quickened with worry. She was a slender woman with the same vibrant green hair in a neat ponytail, and she had been anxious about her son ever since she learned he was Quirkless. But the utter silence coming from his room was even more alarming.
When she pushed open the door, her heart broke into a million pieces. There was her beautiful, kind son, trembling on the ground with terror etched on his face, his body pressed tightly against the wall.
Without hesitation, she rushed towards him, dropping to her knees and enveloping him in a tight hug. But he didn't respond, didn't hug her back. He was still staring unblinkingly, his eyes fixed on some point in the distance.
Tears streamed down her face as she repeated, "I'm so sorry, Izuku. I'm so sorry." She didn't know what had happened to her son, but she knew that something had broken him.
The entity kept his grin on his face, his vibrant green eyes clashing with Izuku's own, as if daring him to do something. Izuku felt a chill run down his spine, his heart racing as he tried to back away, but found himself frozen in place. The entity seemed to be enjoying his fear, relishing in it as it continued to stare him down.
`Go away!' was all Izuku could repeat in his head, his voice trembling with each syllable. He could feel the sweat beading on his forehead, his palms slick with it as he tried to find a way to escape this terrifying situation. But by some unknown miracle, the entity suddenly vanished into thin air, leaving Izuku alone with his mother who hadn't stopped crying since she found him.
Her tears were like raindrops on his skin, her sobs echoing in his ears as she held him tight, apologizing over and over again. And finally, after holding it in for so long, Izuku cried with her, letting out all the fear and pain that had been building up inside of him.
It was only in the next morning that Izuku knew he wasn't dreaming about the events of last night, of the entire day. He had hoped that it was just a nightmare, but the reality was just as bleak as before.
He was quirkless, there was no way to make it not sound like an insult. Like he was a handicapped person. His strength seemed to leave him as he remained in his bed, knuckles gripping his bedsheets hard. Yesterday he felt utter despair and hopelessness in his eyes. Now, the only thing that he felt was sadness and an eerie emptiness.
Collecting all his positive energy and summoning his determination, he sat up in his bed, ready to face another day. But as soon as his eyes scanned the room, he immediately froze, regretting ever waking up.
The man, the thing was there again, across his bed. Right at the door. Staring at him.
This time, Izuku didn't feel fear as much, still enough to freeze him, as he felt a burning curiosity. He had so many questions that he wanted to ask, but his mouth was dry and his throat was tight. He took a deep breath and managed to croak out, "Who, Who are you? W-why are you here?"
The figure stood there, unmoving and unresponsive to Izuku's presence. Even when his All Might alarm began blaring across the room, the figure remained motionless, making no attempt to silence the obnoxious noise.
A foolish thought crossed Izuku's mind, and he couldn't help but voice it aloud. "Uh, excuse me, could, could you m-maybe…?" he trailed off, pointing towards the blaring alarm.
He immediately regretted his words. What was he thinking? There was a strange man in his room, the same one who had been there the day before, and here he was trying to make small talk. Izuku chided himself for his sudden urge to socialize, especially with someone who seemed so ominous and menacing.
To Izuku's utter surprise, the man swiftly and silently moved in front of the blaring All Might alarm, silencing it with one bony finger. Izuku gulped, the man's back exposed to him. He tried to distract himself by observing the man's unusual choice of clothing - were those sewn-on music notes and real feathers?
Desperate for the man to do anything besides stand there, Izuku heard footsteps approaching. Before he could say anything, his mother burst into the room. "Izuku, at this rate you're going to be late for-" she stopped abruptly, her eyes widening at the sight of her son's terrified expression. Her heart sank, and she could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. "You don't have to go today, Izuku. Just... rest for a while," she said softly, before closing the door and walking away, her footsteps fading into silence.
Izuku stared at the closed door for a long moment, his mouth hanging open in shock. How had his mother not noticed the tall, strange man standing in the room with them? He turned back to the man, his fear growing stronger. With a shaking hand, he grabbed one of his notebooks from his nightstand and threw it at the figure.
To his horror, the book simply phased right through the man's body, knocking the alarm clock off the desk in the process. Izuku felt his panic intensify, wishing the man once again vanished like last night.
And just like last night, although now less obscured by the darkness, the man became translucent in a matter of milliseconds. In a sudden rush of terror, the man's translucent form flew towards him. Izuku let out a shrill scream, shielding his face with his elbow as if that would make the apparition disappear.
After what felt like an eternity, he opened his eyes again. The man had vanished just as quickly as he appeared, leaving Izuku feeling both relieved and uneasy.
He slowly climbed out of bed, taking care to scan his room for any sign of the mysterious figure. There was nothing. He let out a long exhale, relieved to be alone again.
Approaching his alarm clock, he picked it up and checked it for any damage, relieved to find that it was still functioning properly. But the encounter with the strange man left Izuku with more questions than answers. What did he want? And why was he haunting him?
And before he could try to answer any of these questions, footsteps once again reminded him of the other person in his home. His door opened and a worried head of a mother peeked in, her eyes scanning the room for any sign of trouble. Upon finding her son, she spoke with a gentle tone, "Izuku, come on, let's go eat breakfast."
Izuku slowly nodded, his mind still reeling from the strange encounter he had just experienced. As he dressed himself and prepared to leave the room, he couldn't help but cast a nervous glance over his shoulder.
The room was empty, but the feeling of unease lingered. Izuku took a deep breath and closed the door behind him, locking it with trembling fingers. As he walked down the hallway towards the kitchen, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched.
It had been months since the strange man appeared in Izuku's room, and the experience had taken a toll on him. Not only did he have to deal with the constant fear of the man's presence, but he also had to endure the bullying of the other kids in his kindergarten.
Katsuki Bakugou, the hot-headed boy from Izuku's kindergarten group, was the worst of them all. He taunted Izuku for his quirklessness, making him the laughingstock of the class. Despite this, Izuku was grateful that Katsuki at least talked to him, unlike the other kids who completely shunned him.
One day, while on a walk in the forest, Katsuki slipped on a log and fell into the river. Izuku, trying to be helpful, offered his hand to help him up. But Katsuki, in a fit of anger, slapped Izuku's hand away and insulted him for his quirklessness before storming off with the other kids.
Izuku stood in the cold river for what felt like an eternity, his feet freezing in the icy water. It wasn't until his mother's panicked shouts broke through his daze that he realized how long he had been standing there. He had developed a high fever that lasted for days, with doctors amazed at how severe it was considering the circumstances.
The experience left Izuku feeling more isolated than ever, his physical and emotional pain too much to bear.
It didn't help that Izuku spent most of his days in the sterile hospital room, hooked up to various machines that beeped and whirred, monitoring his every breath and heartbeat. The rhythmic sound of the machines had become a sort of background noise to Izuku, but it was a constant reminder of just how fragile his body was.
But then there was the man - the mysterious figure that had been haunting him since his visit to the doctor. At first, the sight of him had sent Izuku into a panic, but over time, his fear had turned into a strange sort of comfort.
It was as if the man was there to take care of him, to watch over him while he slept and make sure he had everything he needed. Izuku couldn't explain how or why, but he felt like he could trust the man.
And so, as the days stretched on and Izuku's condition slowly improved, he found himself talking to the man more and more. At first, it was just simple things - asking for water or a blanket - but soon enough, Izuku found himself confiding in the man, telling him about his fears and worries, his hopes and dreams.
To his surprise, the man listened. Not with his ears, of course - he didn't even have those - but with his eyes, which seemed to sparkle with a strange sort of understanding.
As Izuku talked, he began to realize that the man was more than just a figment of his imagination. There was something deeper there, something that connected them in a way that he couldn't quite explain.
And so, as he lay there in his hospital bed, surrounded by machines and sterile walls, Izuku found solace in the company of the man. It was a strange comfort, but it was one that he clung to fiercely, knowing that without it, he would be truly alone.
It didn't matter that the man didn't speak back, or even have a mouth to speak with. Izuku found comfort in the fact that he could confide in someone, even if that someone was a skeletal figure with glowing eyes.
As he talked, he began to feel like the man was listening, really listening. He began to notice subtle nods and gestures that seemed to indicate understanding, and it made him feel less alone.
Over time, Izuku's conversations with the man grew more meaningful. He began to talk about his hopes and dreams for the future, about the things he wanted to do when he finally got out of the hospital.
It was a strange, almost surreal experience, but it made Izuku feel like he had a friend, someone who truly cared about him.
And as he slowly recovered from his illness, Izuku found himself looking forward to the moments when the man would come to visit. It was a strange sort of companionship, but it was one that had gotten him through some of the darkest days of his life.
If it weren't for the times the man had physically interacted with the environment around him, Izuku would have thought that his mind finally snapped and conjured an extension of his psyche to deal with the isolation he had experienced for the last few days. But the man's actions were too real, too tangible, to be a mere figment of his imagination.
As Izuku lay in his bed, he watched as the man moved about the room, retrieving a water bottle and fixing his blanket. It was like the man had become his own personal caretaker, always there to attend to his every need.
But what was even more strange was the fact that no one seemed to notice the man's presence. Not the nurses or doctors, not even his own mother when she came to visit. It was as if he was invisible to everyone but Izuku.
As the days passed, Izuku's condition slowly improved. His fever had subsided, and he was finally able to sit up and move around. And yet, even as he got better, the man's presence never wavered. He was still there, always watching, always listening.
It was then that Izuku realized that the man was more than just a caretaker. He was a friend, a companion in his time of need. And even as he prepared to leave the sterile hospital room and return to the outside world, Izuku knew that he would never forget the strange, skull-faced man who had helped him through his darkest days.
As life went on, he had learned to accept his quirklessness, having long given up the hope that it was just a late manifestation. He decided to attend a public school and his first interaction with his peers went smoothly. However, things took a turn for the worse when the teacher asked everyone to introduce themselves.
As it came time for him to speak, he mustered up the courage to share that he had no quirk, hoping to be met with understanding and friendliness. Unfortunately, as soon as the words left his mouth, hushed whispers and snickers erupted among the students. The teacher quickly silenced them and gestured for the next person to introduce themselves.
During lunch break, he soon realized that the once friendly students now wanted nothing to do with him. They either ignored his attempts at conversation, left the table when he sat down, or even snapped at him outright. It was a harsh reality that he was now facing, one that made him feel even more isolated and alone.
In the next few days, things didn't seem to improve for him at school, but his outlook on the situation did. He no longer expected anyone to sit with him during lunch or for the teachers to intervene on his behalf during disturbances. He also prepared himself mentally for sports games, where he was often accidentally hit during play.
After a full week of school, he came home and let out a deep sigh, closing the door to his room behind him. As he began to open his school bag to start his homework, a strange noise caught his attention. Looking up, he saw the man, his grin and eyeless feature as present as it was in the hospital
His heart skipped a beat as a small smile spread across Izuku's face. "H-Hey there! I'm sorry for not talking in a while. N-not that I don't want you here, I just- I don't even know where you come from or how to contact you since you don't even have a phone. B-But I'm really happy to see you again." Izuku continued to chatter away, talking about anything and everything as he unpacked his school supplies and began his homework. Despite the challenges he was facing at school, this unexpected visit brought him a sense of comfort and ease, even if it did leave him a bit flustered.
The man continued to stand by Izuku's side, silently helping him with small tasks like retrieving a book out of reach or pouring him a glass of water. After Izuku had finished his homework, he delved into his hobby of analyzing heroes and their quirks, passionately rambling on about quirks.
Furiously scribbling away in a fresh notebook labeled "Hero Analysis for the Future," he wrote down every detail about quirks that caught his attention. At the moment, he was studying an Italian hero with the ability to communicate with animals and use them as companions in battle.
Meanwhile, the man simply stood and observed, occasionally glancing over Izuku's shoulder but otherwise remaining motionless. When Izuku's mother entered the room to check on him, she found him sound asleep with the notebook still open on his desk and the lamp casting a soft glow on his green hair.
She couldn't help but chuckle at her son's dedication and picked him up, carrying him to his bed and tucking him in with his blankets. As she closed the door, she didn't notice the blankets shifting on their own before settling into a more comfortable position for Izuku, who let out a contented sigh in his sleep.
As the weeks turned into months, the man hardly left Izuku's side, and the young boy was grateful for his company. He didn't care if the man was just a figment of his imagination or a hallucination. He was just happy to have a friend.
However, people around him began to notice his tendency to talk to himself. Kids at school started saying that he had mentally snapped, and teachers even addressed the problem with his mother. Izuku tried to reduce the amount of times he talked to "Grim," as he called the man, as much as possible.
Despite this, he continued to work diligently on his schoolwork and became the top student in his class. This infuriated Katsuki, who started bullying him. It started with verbal insults, but then things turned physical. The first time Katsuki attacked Izuku behind the school, something drastically changed.
"Deku, you fucking nerd!" Katsuki shouted before pulling his fist back. As he was about to hit the young boy, something stopped him. Katsuki looked down at his fist, which was mid-air, and felt a larger hand pressing against his lower arm with considerable force, making his arm shake.
Izuku locked up in shock, but he didn't feel any pain. He saw that Grim was stopping Katsuki's fist with one hand. Katsuki growled angrily, "Deku, if you don't turn you're fucking quirk off, I will use my own."
"B-but that, it's... stop it!" Izuku yelled out to Grim, but he was ignored. In the deepest, darkest part of his subconscious, he didn't want Grim to stop gripping his arm. He would rather have him keep him safe.
Katsuki, thinking the scream was addressed to him, only saw more red. "So finally growing a damn spine are we?! It's too late for that!" he shouted, sparking a small flame in his hand before it exploded with his sweat. Izuku flinched and tried to jump back, his mind racing with fear. 'Please don't let it hit me!' he thought desperately.
To his surprise, he found himself hurtling backward through the air, flying a distance of at least 14 meters before crashing to the ground. "W-what!?" he exclaimed, dazed and confused.
Izuku looked around, searching for Grim, but the mysterious presence was nowhere to be found. Instead, there was a big blue "Boing" sound effect located where he had been standing just moments before. He couldn't believe what had just happened, and his mind reeled with disbelief and confusion.
"What the hell did you just do, Deku?" Katsuki asked, his voice surprisingly calm compared to his usual explosive anger. Izuku was taken aback by the change in tone.
"I-i, I don't know?!" Izuku stammered, still in shock from the sudden burst of power.
Katsuki's temper flared once again. "What do you mean, you don't know?! You think I believe this shit?!"
Izuku backed away from Katsuki, his hands up in defense. "I swear, I don't know!"
A lot of shouting later, an ominous threat from Katsuki and Izuku was walking back home again. MId-walk, he heard the all too familiar sound of Grim appearing. He quickly looked up just to make sure, but equally quickly looked down again.
After a long pause, Izuku finally mustered up the courage to speak. "Um, Grim...did you make me jump back there? To avoid the threat?" he asked, turning to where Grim was standing.
There was no response, and Izuku wasn't surprised. Grim never spoke, and even when he did communicate, most of the time just flashing his eyes more, it was usually so cryptic that Izuku struggled to understand.
Still, he couldn't help feeling grateful to Grim. If it weren't for him, Izuku might have been hurt by Katsuki's outburst.
"Thank you," he said softly, "For protecting me. I don't know what I'd do without you."
Again, there was no response, but Izuku didn't mind.
He didn't continue their conversation after that, simply enjoying the company. Before he knew it he stood in front of his door already. "I'm home!"
As soon as Izuku stepped into his home, he felt the weight of the day lift off his shoulders. He let out a deep sigh of relief and walked towards the kitchen, where he heard his mother shuffling around.
"Ah, Izuku! Dinner is almost ready… Are you alright?" Inko asked, noticing her son's downcast expression.
Izuku's forced smile faltered for a moment before he quickly regained his composure. "Yeah, I'm fine, Mom. Just had a tough day at school," he replied, trying to sound convincing.
Inko gave him a concerned look but didn't press any further. "Okay, well, dinner will be ready in a few minutes. Take your time and freshen up if you need to," she said before turning back to the dinner,
Izuku let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding and quickly made his way to his room. Once inside, he closed the door behind him and leaned his back against it.
Izuku let out a heavy sigh and slumped onto his bed. He pulled out a familiar notebook from his backpack, the only difference being a new "2#" at the end of the title. As he flipped through the pages, his mind was still preoccupied with the events of the day.
"You never told me about your quirk," he said, turning towards Grim. "I always assumed it was your appearance and you're...you know, invisibility." He rubbed his neck, feeling a bit embarrassed. "I've known you for months now, and I'm still not sure if you really exist. I mean, I know you can interact with the environment and all, but why can't anyone else see you?"
Grim remained silent, as he always did. Izuku sighed again, knowing he wouldn't get a response. He looked around his room, taking in the familiar surroundings. It was his sanctuary, the one place where he could be himself without fear of judgment.
But even here, he couldn't escape the constant nagging of his quirklessness. It was a constant reminder of his limitations, of the things he could never achieve. He opened his notebook and began jotting down some ideas, hoping to distract himself from his thoughts.
"I wish I could show everyone that I have something to offer," he muttered to himself.
Most people he told he was quirkless would simply nod and turn away after. But those who he interacted with for longer periods of time would notice the strange occurrences around him: pens writing on their own, objects flying towards him, and doors opening and closing seemingly on their own accord. Izuku didn't think much of it, because all he could see was Grim doing these things, not him.
It wasn't until now that he realized Grim always seemed to know what he wanted before he even said anything. It was as if his ghostly companion could read his mind. This ability made it seem like Izuku had a telekinesis quirk, similar to his mother's. But he knew the truth: Grim was the source of these peculiar happenings.
Whenever Izuku was confronted about the strange things happening around him, he would always explain that it was his invisible friend who had the ability, not him. But the more he talked about Grim, the more people began to avoid him. It wasn't until he spoke to his mother about Grim, which turned out to be an adventure in itself, that she suggested they go back to the doctor and update his registry to list "Telekinesis" as his quirk.
Izuku learned to keep his quirklessness and Grim a secret from others, as he was constantly met with skepticism and ridicule. His classmates continued to call him "crazy" and "insane," while even his teacher seemed to distance himself from Izuku. It became easier for him to accept their misunderstanding rather than trying to explain the truth to them.
He looked up, catching Grim looking over his shoulder. "Can… Can you do that again?" he asked, eyes widening with curiosity. Grim walked towards a cup on Izuku's desk, one that he had forgotten to clean, and picked it up. He stared at it for a few seconds, as if considering something, before violently throwing it to the ground. The resulting sound was a loud "SLAM" that should have destroyed the cup beyond any hope of repair.
As Izuku quickly tried to come up with an excuse for the loud noise, he heard his mother's voice calling out from behind the door. "Is everything okay, Izuku?" she asked with concern.
Taking a deep breath, Izuku replied with a forced calmness, "Yeah, Mom. I just tripped over a cup, but everything's fine." After he heard his mother's footsteps recede, he turned back to Grim, who had picked up the cup again.
But this time, as Grim picked up the cup, Izuku noticed a small green kana stuck to it. Grim lazily threw the cup at Izuku's alarm, and everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Izuku watched as the cup slowly descended towards the clock, the green kana still attached to it. The impact was immediate and devastating. The glass face of the clock shattered into a thousand tiny pieces, sending sharp fragments flying in every direction. The small plastic All Might figure perched on top of the alarm was flung to the ground, its limbs breaking off on impact. The protective plastic case housing the delicate interior folded in on itself as if it had been crushed by a powerful force.
Izuku was left in utter shock, his mind racing with a million questions. He couldn't believe what he had just witnessed. His alarm clock, which had been with him for years, was now a pile of broken pieces. But he couldn't bring himself to be angry or upset about it, not when he had just witnessed Grim's power firsthand.
He turned to Grim, who was still standing there, seemingly unaffected by the chaos he had just caused. Izuku's eyes were wide with wonder and amazement as he studied his invisible friend. He couldn't believe that all this time, Grim had been hiding such a powerful ability.
He looked back at the destroyed alarm clock, then back at Grim. This went on for a few moments until he finally turned back to his notebook, determined to document Grim's quirk.
He flipped open a brand new blank page and began to jot down his thoughts. "Force Manipulation?" he wrote. "No, probably storage. That makes more sense. Does he need to throw the object, or does any force suffice? Can force be already stored in an object?"
He paused for a moment, considering these questions before continuing to write. "Does Grim have control over the stored force? Can he release it at will, or does it happen automatically? And if it happens automatically, what triggers it?"
Izuku's mind was buzzing with theories and ideas, and he scribbled them down as fast as he could. "What about the green kana?" he mused. "Does it have any significance, or was it just a coincidence?"
He only stopped writing when his mother bursted through his door, yelling for the fifth time that dinner was ready.
Izuku Midoriya could hardly contain his excitement as he sat on the old, rusty fridge. His heart was pounding with anticipation, his body shaking with the sheer thrill of it all. The smell of rotting garbage filled his nostrils, but he didn't care. All that mattered was the power he was witnessing
He looked around at the piles of broken electrical devices and other debris that surrounded him. It was a scene of chaos and destruction. Takoba Beach was really disgusting, but it was also the perfect place to witness Grim's incredible quirk.
Izuku's mind raced with excitement as he scribbled down more entries on Grim's page in his notebook. Grim's power was not about storing physical force, but sounds! This was a game-changer, and Izuku could barely contain his excitement.
He had always been fascinated by quirks and their potential, but Grim's ability was on another level. It was versatile, practical, and had endless possibilities. Izuku couldn't wait to see what other surprises Grim had in store for him.
He glanced over at Grim, who was standing next to him, invisible as always. He wondered what it would be like to have such a powerful quirk and what it would be like to use it. But for now, he was content to study and learn all he could about Grim's ability.
Grim's quirk, Sound Storage, was truly remarkable. Izuku couldn't believe the possibilities that came with such an ability. He marveled at Grim's power, which was able to store any sound in an object and apply it to other things with the physical manifestation of the sounds, represented by the kansas on the objects.
The implications of this quirk were astounding. It meant that Grim could create a weapon out of any object by simply applying the sound of an explosion or a gunshot. But, like all quirks, it had its limitations. The only downside was that Grim had to be near the sound or create it himself. He couldn't create a sound out of nothing. However, he could still store sounds in objects if they were made in his radius by someone else. That was still pretty impressive.
As Izuku scribbled away happily in his notebook, he didn't even spare a second glance at the chaos around him. The floor was littered with the broken remains of microwaves and other small appliances, all sacrificed in the name of his necessary research. He was so absorbed in his theories that he barely even noticed Grim strolling past with another microwave in hand, poised to smash it against the stairs.
He didn't notice the plain blond boy watching him from the streets, studying him curiously from afar. The boy looked both ways before crossing the street, then walked down the stairs.
It wasn't until Izuku heard a loud, jarring smashing sound that he finally snapped out of his research-induced trance. His head swiveled around, searching for the source of the noise. That's when he saw the blond boy, lying on the ground and groaning in pain.
Izuku didn't waste any time. He jumped off the fridge, hastily stowing his precious notebooks away, and sprinted towards the injured boy. As he got closer, he noticed something peculiar - a tail protruding from the boy's back.
The blond boy was of a similar age to Izuku. His short hair was swept forward, and he wore a plain gray shirt, black shorts, and white sneakers. Izuku knelt down beside him, apologizing profusely as he tended to the boy's injuries.
"I'm so sorry! I didn't know someone else was here, are you okay?! Do you need an ambulance- is your back hurt- Are you ok!?" Izuku's words came pouring out of his mouth without stopping. Until the boy slowly sat up again, letting out a groan before turning to him and saying, "Don't worry, I'm fine, man. It doesn't really hurt anymore." Mashirao Ojiro winced as a slight pinch spread through his back. "Although I'm surprised that it hurts more than when I usually fall."
Quickly, Izuku put his arms up again, tears forming in his eyes. "That's my fault- if I wasn't so careless you wouldn't be injured- I am so sorry!" His tears started to flow down his cheeks, causing Mashirao to feel a bit put off.
"H-hey, hey. It's alright! Here, see!" Mashirao stood up without any hesitation, holding out his hand to help Izuku up. "I'm really fine. Mashirao Ojiro," he said, introducing himself.
Izuku hesitated for a moment before accepting the offer and standing up. "Izuku Midoriya," he mumbled quietly, still wiping away his tears.
As Ojiro walked around, taking in the destruction around them, he turned to Izuku and asked, "So Midoriya, what are you up to?"
Izuku froze, feeling caught off guard. He had never expected someone to catch him in the act, let alone someone as strong-looking as Ojiro. "I...uh, I was just...experimenting," he stumbled, not quite sure how to explain himself.
Ojiro let out an impressed whistle, "With your quirk?" he asked, his curiosity piqued.
Izuku hesitated, "A-ah, no I- yeah, my quirk.," he finally admitted.
Ojiro chuckled, "Did you use your quirk to break all these things, or did you do it the old-fashioned way with your fists?" he joked.
Izuku blushed, realizing how silly he must have looked punching a microwave. "No, it was my quirk," he replied, feeling embarrassed.
Ojiro nodded, understanding, "That's pretty cool. What does your quirk do, exactly?"
"I…" this was the longest he had a normal conversation with someone that wasn't his mother probably, he really didn't want to lie, really he didn't. He heard the cranking sound again, Grim appearing next to Ojiro who was patiently waiting for him to finish. One look at Grim, his eyes flashing brighter than usual, and he steeled his nerves.
"Sound Storage."
Grim's light lit up once again, this time brighter, before reappearing beside Izuku, not catching Ojiro's attention. "Sounds cool, at least cooler than 'Tail'." Ojiro sighed, not noticing Izuku's sudden change in demeanor.
"That's not true, the quirk might be simple, but you can do so much with it. How much can you lift with it, how well can you control it, how durable is your tail ..." Izuku continued his chatter without looking Ojiro in the eye, took out his notebooks again and began to write intensely.
Ojiro was taken aback and remained in stunned silence for a few moments, watching as the boy continued his rapid-fire speech without pausing for a full twenty seconds. It seemed as though he hadn't even stopped to take a breath.
Another twenty seconds went by and Izuku was still talking, which now greatly worried Ojiro. Without realizing it, he attempted to interrupt the boy. "Hey, hey!" he said, snapping his fingers in front of Izuku's eyes and attempting to block his view with his hands. But it was as if Izuku wasn't really looking at his notebook, his hands automatically moving to keep up with his speech. Ojiro then took hold of Izuku's hands, attempting to prevent him from continuing to write.
Izuku's head shot up, realizing how long he had been talking. He blushed in embarrassment as he apologized to Ojiro. "I'm sorry, I mumbled again, didn't I? It's just that quirks fascinate me so much and I can't help but talk about them," he explained.
Ojiro chuckled and reassured him, "No worries, man. I was just afraid you'd pass out from lack of oxygen, the way you were talking non-stop."
Izuku couldn't help but let out a nervous laugh. "Yeah, I tend to get carried away sometimes," he admitted.
Ojiro's gaze then shifted towards the notes Izuku had written. "So, what did you write about?" he asked curiously.
"Oh, those are just some ideas I had about things you could do with your quirk. But since I don't have all the information, they're probably just wild guesses," Izuku explained, his voice trailing off as he became more uncertain. He had never been asked by someone his age about his notes on their quirks before.
As he listed off his theories, Ojiro looked at him with a puzzled expression. "Spinning... Catapult... Flight?" he repeated, his tone questioning. Izuku's face turned red with embarrassment. "I thought maybe you could spin your tail so fast that you could take off," he muttered, avoiding Ojiro's gaze.
Ojiro stared at him for a moment before his expression suddenly broke into a smile and then a laugh. "Like Tails from Sonic?" he exclaimed, amused by the thought. Izuku's blush deepened. "Um, not exactly what I had in mind, but yeah, something like that," he admitted, feeling foolish.
He continued to chuckle, "Can you imagine me flying with my tail spinning like a propeller?" he said, still laughing. But when he noticed Izuku's downcast expression, he immediately sobered up. "Hey, is everything okay?" he asked, concerned.
Izuku hesitated for a moment before blurting out, "I'm sorry, I'm late for dinner," and then quickly ran away, leaving Ojiro alone on the beach.
"...Was it something I said?"
After spending several days cooped up in his house, Izuku's thirst for knowledge became unquenchable. Even after his mother discovered all the broken cups in his room and forbade him from conducting experiments, he couldn't resist his curiosity.
With shaky knees, he returned to the beach, choosing a different spot to avoid running into anyone. He scanned the area to ensure he was alone before taking out his notebook once more. But just as he began to write, he heard the familiar sound of Grim's emergence. Despite sensing his presence, Izuku looked up to see Grim standing beside him.
His gaze remained fixed on Grim, unsure and hesitant. Izuku's mind was racing, unsure of what to make of the situation. It felt like something was off, buried deep in his thoughts and only now surfacing. With a calm mind, he couldn't help but ponder over how peculiar Grim truly was.
While his appearance could be attributed to his quirk, Izuku had seen many individuals, including heroes, with mutations that didn't add anything to their abilities. It was everything else about Grim that fascinated him.
He was an ever-present companion, appearing out of thin air in places he shouldn't even know about, but always by Izuku's side. No one else could see him, and he possessed a second quirk that was vastly different from his first, leading Izuku to question whether it was truly a dual quirk at all. Dual quirks typically had some connection or similarity, yet "sound storage," "invisibility," and "warping," an incredibly advanced form of it, seemed unrelated. Izuku couldn't fathom how it was possible without causing biological chaos, and it remained an enigma to him.
Not to mention his ability to apparently read minds, at least Izuku's thoughts, how else could it be explained that Grim knew what Izuku was up to with him. Every time he wanted something, Grim would get it for him without him having to say anything. Every request he made of him, he dutifully fulfilled.
This made Izuku think, and a dark chasm formed in his stomach.
'Raise your left arm' was what he wanted. It wasn't thought out loud or in his head, it was like he was moving a third appendage, Ojiro would probably approve of that metaphor.
Grim raised his left arm.
Izuku's dark stomach pit grew.
'Go'.
Grim walked.
No...
"I am Izuku Midoriya," he said. But not out of his own mouth. Grim's mouth moved for him, the sound came from his throat.
Tears formed in his eyes and Izuku Midoriya wept.
'Go away'
Grim flew towards him again like that night.
He now knows why.
'In A Silent Way.' Izuku mused absentmindedly during his math class. His quirk was always present, but In A Silent Way.
Grim wasn't a separate entity watching over him; Grim was Izuku. It was his own quirk. He should have been overjoyed to have a quirk that could potentially make him a hero, but instead, Izuku felt a profound sense of emptiness. His only companion was himself, always.
No wonder people would call him insane or crazy, the lessons finished, school was over, he was essentially talking to himself! He walked without thinking, not that they ever thought of something else but Izuku at least always thought he was talking to someone, someone who was real, his nose picked up an unpleasant stench but he ignored it.
He didn't care if he was just a fragment of his psyche, his earlier statements going through his mind. He knew it was different thinking about a scenario and having the scenario played out. And yet, he couldn't be less surprised as someone who didn't know.
Even with shoes on, he felt the sand beneath him and he didn't know how to proceed. What should he do now? He had been given a Quirk, his mental health had been badly affected and he had lost his only friend. A sigh escaped his mouth.
"Midoriya?" a voice asked from behind, a familiar voice.
Izuku immediately tensed and looked around. Takobah Beach. How did he get here! He turned quickly and found himself facing Ojiro again. Only this time he was wearing a green shirt and blue shorts with red shoes.
"Hey, do you remember me? I'm Ojiro!" he greeted Izuku with an uncertain smile, pointing to himself with his thumb. Izuku, standing tensely, nodded quickly in recognition. "Good to see you," Ojiro rambled, unsure how to continue the conversation.
As they stood there in silence, Izuku could sense that Ojiro was thinking about something, but he couldn't quite figure out what it was. He felt a sense of unease, desperate to escape the situation without offending him. He searched for a way to politely excuse himself, hoping to leave without causing any harm.
Ojiro began hesitantly, "Listen, about last time...I'm sorry." His words trailed off lamely, leaving Izuku looking confused and unsure of what to say.
"Huh?" Izuku responded, his posture slacking.
"You just took off like that, with a lame apology at that. It was probably something I said, right?" Ojiro asked, now even more uncertain than before. He rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding eye contact.
"N-no, no, it wasn't your fault!" Izuku replied quickly, trying to reason. "I-I just...I don't know." Izuku's mouth closed again, unsure of how to answer.
"Y-you see!" he said, his voice trembling. "It was my fault!"
Izuku quickly shook his head. "No, no!" he replied, his voice even more heated. He slumped back down, looking meek and defeated, gazing at the sand. The tension between them was palpable, and both teens were unsure how to proceed. But then Izuku took a deep breath and whispered, "Have you ever been lied to so well that after it turned out to be a lie, your whole world shattered?"
Ojiro listened carefully, his expression growing more concerned. "Not really," he said uncertainly. "What exactly do you mean?"
Izuku stammered, struggling to put his thoughts into words. "Well, your quirk, for one!" he said, his voice rising in frustration. "What if one day it turned out you didn't have a tail as a quirk? What if you actually had wings, and the tail was only there because you were still growing into them..." He trailed off, realizing how ridiculous he sounded.
"What would you do then?" he finished lamely.
The boy with the tail appeared perplexed, scratching his cheeks thoughtfully as his tail rested on his left shoulder. "Well," he began, "first of all, I'd be devastated. Taily and I have been inseparable since the day I was born. Losing it, no matter what I get in return, would destroy me," he said firmly, chuckling at the nickname he had given to his tail.
Izuku looked down, anticipating this answer. "But then, I suppose I would try out my new wings," he continued, looking up with a smile.
"I mean, at least I would get something in return," he said, gazing up at the sky where a few seagulls were soaring. "And hey, flying doesn't seem so bad, right?" He looked back at Izuku, who stared at him in awe.
"Y-yes, it doesn't sound so bad," Izuku muttered, still amazed by the boy's positive outlook.
Ojiro frowned, concerned at the teenager's somber tone. "Did... something like that happen to you?" Izuku averted his eyes. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry..." Silence returned once more.
"...Hey, a new Italian restaurant opened up a few streets away," he gestured behind him and Izuku looked up, surprised by the sudden change of topic, "'Would you like to go there with me next Saturday?" Ojiro asked, his tone hopeful but unsure.
Izuku's mind whirled. Had he just been asked to do something with him? Something like a friendship thing? He was so surprised that he didn't answer for a few seconds, which made Ojiro uncomfortable with the renewed silence.
"You don't have to if you don't want to!" he quickly added, backpedaling. But before he could say more, Izuku blurted out, "No, no, I will!" His face flushed with embarrassment, but he couldn't help the smile that crept across his lips.
Ojiro fell silent before a smile spread across his face, "Great, next Saturday then!" Izuku nodded. "Looking forward to it!" he hollered as he ascended the stairs and waved goodbye.
"Y-yes!"
Izuku watched as Ojiro walked a few feet before stopping and sprinting back. "I almost forgot, we should probably exchange numbers," he muttered, chuckling.
"O-ok!"
A few minutes later, as Ojiro disappeared into the horizon, Izuku watched him go before turning his gaze to the sea. Despite the rubbish surrounding him, he took a deep breath of salty air and closed his eyes. The sound of seagulls made him lift his head to the sky and a small smile spread across his lips.
"Yeah," he finally said to himself, "flying doesn't sound so bad."
I originally planned for this to be a One-Shot, but after realizing how slow I am and how much I want to make it good, I decided that it could be a fun side-project or future project. I only have two chapters left for Awakening, and they're very long, but I still need to plan things for Shippuden and figure out how the story will continue. I have some ideas, but there are too many plot holes, and I'm burned out on Naruto to rewrite the structure of Shippuden.
The reason I decided to write this was that I'm a huge Jojo fan, and MHA has grown on me since the last time I watched it. After reading many MHA fanfictions to get a feel for the fandom, I stumbled across many crossovers of MHA x JJBA. My favorite ones are "Heroic Acts Performed at a Reasonable Price" by Son of Caliban and "I, Midoriya Izuku, Have a Dream" by CygusLorman. I really liked the character interactions, the ways in which the abilities were used, and the treatment of Stands in general.
I decided to give it a try, and no one can fault me for at least trying, right? I want to write what I'd like to see, and I'm open to feedback on how to make it better and more canonically correct. Pacing is also a struggle for me, so any advice on that front would be appreciated.
Have a wonderful day!