Midoriya's nervous to be changing in front of his new classmates. At Aldera everyone always averted their eyes, assuming his scars were the marks of bullying. There's a constellation of scars on his back, a mixture of bullying and his early vigilante days. There's a few scattering his arms and legs and a small one that stays hidden just beneath his bangs.
He wonders if he'll be labeled a delinquent by his peers. He can feel the stares of a few people, probably checking for hidden quirks. But, they'll only see long straight scars instead of gills, and red, fleshy burn marks instead of wings. They quickly avert their eyes and Midoriya flushes with a shame he shouldn't feel.
He pulls the shirt over his head, but the sleeves only come down to his elbows, leaving the few scars on his forearms still exposed. Many of his previous injuries came from saving people, he shouldn't be ashamed of them. But to him they double as marks of weakness, proof to their viewers that he wasn't suited to heroism.
But, his worst scars are ones that no longer exist. He studies his hands for a moment, a phantom spike of crystal protruding from his palm, mocking him. The sound of small, bare feet hitting the pavement whispers in his ears. But it's all gone just as quickly as it appears and the noise of the locker room floods back all at once.
He flinches at a locker slamming shut. What few people remain give him wary glances as they head out.
Midoriya shakes himself, if he takes much longer he'll end up being late.
"We're going to be doing a basic physical assessment. Shouldn't be any different from what you did in middle school. No quirks, I'll be watching for them," Shouta tells those gathered.
Aizawa had gone over the list of students' quirks before class so he could be on the lookout for any cheating during the tests. There were several that stood out for possible usage during the assessment and several that stood out for the exact opposite reason. The first was Shinsou Hitoshi, quirk, brainwash. It was obvious from his file that he had at least attempted the hero course exam. But, with the entrance exam geared more towards those with physical quirks it's no surprise that the teen hadn't passed despite how useful his quirk could be in the field. Looking at him it's obvious that the boy intends to rely completely on his quirk alone. He'd need to fix that. The second student that caught his attention is Midoriya Izuku, quirkless. He hadn't thought much of the fact before calling roll, quirkless students weren't unheard of at UA given how big it was. Shouta's taught one or two quirkless kids during his time at UA, all of them within the general education department. He remembers them as quiet students, weak if he's being honest. They spent too much time honing their minds while neglecting their body, not unlike many hero hopefuls who tended to rely too much on their quirks. And while the kid in front of him is as nervous and skittish
looking as those before him he's still built better than any of his classmates. "We'll start with the ball throw. Who wants to go first?"
Aizawa keeps an eye on everyone as they take their turns, scores usually averaging where he had expected them to. The Midoriya kid is only bested at the ball throw by a girl with a mutation quirk.
He stops a girl from using her adhesive quirk when she makes a solid landing in the standing long jump, watching her face plant in the sand instead. He's forced to do a double take when Midoriya takes his turn at it, something about movement tickling at his memories. But, his score is still only average, even if it does score within the top percentile of the class.
He stops a boy with a mild elasticity quirk from cheating during the toe touches and threatens to expel the girl with the adhesive quirk when she tries using her powers again during the grip strength test.
He saves the mile run for last, watching everyone's earlier spirits crumble as the laps drag on. The Midoriya kid only takes third, but it's obvious that he's barely even broken a sweat compared to any of the other students.
Aizawa can't help wondering if the kid could've done better. He's been a teacher at UA for years and something about the kid's performance was telling him he was holding back.
Shouta can only draw his own conclusions about the fact. Of all people the hero was no stranger to bullying, especially when he was growing up. People feared his quirk and therefor feared him. He'd been the classic outcast loner up until he'd clawed his way into the hero course. But, even then he'd still been ridiculed for his quirk. He doesn't doubt that the Midoriya kid has also faced discrimination growing up. Aizawa had managed to catch sight of a few of the scars littering the teen's skin and is wary of calling a majority of them purely accidental.
He could understand trying to lay low when you're used to being a target like that.
Then again the kid was quirkless, perhaps he had actually tried his best and just happened to be weaker than the others. It seems a little unfair to Shouta that even after training as hard as that kid probably has he's only able to keep up with his untrained peers. But that's just how the world works he supposes. "I'm sure he'll still manage to find a good job somewhere," he mutters.
He pushes the thoughts aside, shifting his focus to where the Shinsou boy had scored compared to the rest. The hero's frown only deepens. "He'll need some work if he wants to make it into the hero course."
Their lunch period comes like a blessing, granting Midoriya reprieve from his thoughts. He escapes from the locker room with little fanfare, managing to make it out before anyone else. He makes his way back towards the classroom to meet with Reo, fighting the crowd just to get there.
He feels like his nerves are shot as he walks back, flinching at even the slightest brush of human contact. He'd tried his best to hold back on some of the physical tests, others he'd completely forgotten to in his panic. Physical activity is something that has always been able to calm Midoriya down. And trying to force himself into not pushing his body to the limit when he has near panic attack levels of anxiety? It was a Herculean task to say the least. He'd be impressed with how much he was able to hold back if the lingering panic he felt about Eraserhead being his teacher
wasn't busy trying to choke him.
Reo's already waiting for him by the time he makes it back to the room. He's staring down at his phone, brows furrowed before he looks up to see the boy walking towards him. He immediately looks concerned. "What happened?"
"P.E." Izuku mutters. "With who?" "Eraserhead."
Reo curses, gently pulling him away from the classroom as his peers begin returning. They slip down a nearly abandoned hall, tucking themselves into an alcove. He makes sure no one's nearby before finally speaking. "Are you okay?"
He's definitely not okay, but he doesn't say as much to Reo. "I'm fine." Lie. "There's no way he knows who I am, it's just that there's not many that've seen... both sides."
There's a moment of silence as Reo thinks about how to address the issue before he finally replies in a quiet voice. "If you can out maneuver my uncle as many times as you have then I'm sure you'll be able to do it to some heroes you've only been around once or twice before this."
Reo's words help ease his anxiety somewhat, forcing him to think from a more rational view point.
He's right, there's no way they'll be able to tell who I am. I've only met Snipe once and Eraserhead twice, as long as I don't let anything slip. I'll be okay. Everything's fine.
"You seem so certain for someone who's nearly been caught so many times," the voice in his head laughs. "Your luck is bound to run out eventually."
Reo gently squeezes his shoulders in a show of support. "How about we go get lunch?" Midoriya can only nod absentmindedly.
One of the things Midoriya has been silently worrying about since he'd discovered Reo attended UA was lunch. He suddenly remembers this as they follow the last remaining students into the lunch room. Even though Izuku knows Reo well, even though he is Midoriya's best friend, the fear of public rejection still sits firmly in his chest. Behind closed doors everything was fine, but school was a different challenge entirely.
No matter how you put it, Midoriya was quirkless. To his prior classmates he was a loser. He was a loner, he was weak. He was a deku whose puppet strings had long since been cut. And Izuku is wary to believe that the students here will think any differently. What would happen if Reo was faced with the discrimination Izuku faces? Would he defend him? What if Reo's friends were the ones doing the discrimination?
Reo never talked much about any friends he had at UA, always claiming many of the support students are too wrapped up in their inventions to really socialize outside of the classroom. Midoriya has always wondered if this story was told solely because he was trying to spare Izuku's feelings, or if there was something deeper to it. He feels fear gnawing at his belly, the voice in his head whispering his malicious input.
There's really only one way to find out though.
The lunch room is swarming with students, the roar of what must be hundreds of teenagers talking at once hurts his ears. There's a loud crackling of palm sized explosions going off somewhere nearby and Midoriya flinches violently, enough to draw Reo's worried gaze. Bakugou's vice carries easily over the crowd. "Shove off, Shitty-hair!"
Reo sighs just ahead of him, reaching back to drag him through the crowd. "Idiots," his friend murmurs, "Any more of that and they'll end up with detention." Reo doesn't know his tormentor by voice, doesn't even know him by name or by quirk. He marches on, ignoring the one person that hates Midoriya more than the voice in his head does with an ease that comes only from ignorance.
But, they make it to the lunch line without Izuku ever having to lay eyes on his childhood bully and for that he's grateful. The lunch room is big enough for the two of them to never run into each other and loud enough where he can't hear the teen when he yells as long as they're far enough away. It's... a strange feeling. An unknowing coexistence. It makes his chest feel just the slightest bit lighter. This place, UA, was an easy place to get lost in, a miniaturized Musutafu. Suddenly it feels all too easy for him to merge seamlessly into the crowd and never be seen again. He could survive here, just beneath the radar.
Bakugou would never see him, Eraserhead would never know his secret. He's just another student here. None of his classmates knew he was quirkless and there were only very few people who would be able to tell them otherwise. He could make it.
Reo points animatedly at some of the food, making suggestions here and there. Izuku takes the katsudon with hopes of it fueling him towards the end of the day.
"Where do you wanna sit? I usually just take whatever space is available to look over blueprints." The teen doesn't claim he wants to introduce him to anyone and he doesn't direct them towards one area of the cafeteria over another. Maybe... maybe Midoriya had only been overthinking again. He knows Reo, he's the only friend he has. He wouldn't... The image of Reo standing idly by as someone calls him useless turns his stomach, but it's so wildly unrealistic.
A small smile tugs at Izuku's lips before he eyes the area he'd heard Bakugou earlier. He uses his elbow to point in the opposite direction. "Over there maybe? It looks like there's a few seats." Compared to everyone else the duo had arrived at lunch rather late. Most tables were either filled up by now or only sported an extra seat or two at opposite ends of the table. That is until Midoriya spies a familiar shock of lilac hair.
They make a beeline for the relatively empty table. What few kids sit there are all keeping to themselves. Izuku and Reo take seats next to each other.
Shinsou sits only two seats down from them on Midoriya's side
"So who are your other teachers?" Reo asks, already busy digging into his food.
"Well I have Snipe for history," Izuku mutters, glancing around.
Reo nearly chokes. "That's–"
"Yeah," Midoriya huffs a sad laugh, picking at his food, "Here I thought that'd be the worst of it. Then Eraserhead walks in looking every bit as tired as I am and talking about P.E. of all things."
"That's literally the worst class you could've gotten him for," Reo mutters, taking another bite of rice.
"Hey," Shinsou suddenly speaks, startling them, "It's Midoriya right?"
"Y-yeah," Izuku stutters out, startled by his sudden interruption. "That's... me." It sets him on
edge. Did we say too much?
But his classmate only nods. "You did pretty good on those physical tests. Was it because of your
quirk or something?"
Midoriya freezes before laughing weakly to cover the pause. "Nothing like that. I've been training at a dojo since I was a kid. Everyone there probably would've scored similarly."
Reo eyes him nervously.
"Are you aiming for the hero course?"
Izuku feels his stomach sink lower. Reo's presence can only offer him so much support. "No." He feels his sun collapse with that one word, the stars in his eyes flickering out. A void yawns open in the remains of his chest, held back by his ribcage alone.
He'll never be a hero.
For some reason this fact only hits him now. Midoriya Izuku was within the home of heroes. Despite this, he himself would never be one, forced to watch from the sideline as people more privileged than he were able to so easily achieve the dreams he'll never be able to come close to. He feels much colder than he was before.
Midoriya smiles. But the light in his eyes is gone. He feels like he's running on autopilot. Why is he here? Why did it have to be UA? Why did he feel the need to torture himself like this?
"What about you?"
To the ignorant ear the question Midoriya asks sounds genuine. To Reo it sounds like a boy on the brink of collapse and he doesn't know what to do to fix it.
His heart breaks at the look in his friend's eyes. He's seen darker, seen the boy in more deteriorated forms than this. But Izuku's done many dangerous things with those eyes.
"I am. I heard if you do well enough in the sports festival they'll give you the option to move classes," Shinsou states.
Midoriya blinks slowly. "They will?"
Shinsou nods, turning back to his food. "Yeah."
Reo watches his friend with wide, worried eyes as a light flickers back on like a broken bulb finding the will to continue.
The grip on his chest lightens, his friend would be okay.
They eat in relative silence after that, the cogs in Midoriya's head carefully turning over his options for the sports festival. He could do it. He doubts he could win, but he's certain he'll be able to hold his own. Just enough, he needs to last just long enough to prove himself.
Lunch ends with little fanfare as he and Reo say their farewells, Shinsou leaving just ahead of them. They promise to meet up again after school ends before heading back towards their own classrooms.
Having finally reached the last half of the day Midoriya feels a special kind of relief. He'd thought lunch would be a time for him to regain himself after his first few classes. But, somehow his lunch period had almost managed to turn against him as well. There's still a dark weight hanging over him that's trying its best to drag him down, but in the end lunch had given him more hope than it had taken all thanks to the lilac-haired boy just behind him.
Their science class goes by easily and Art History earns Midnight nothing but uncomfortably undivided attention from at least half the class. But he's able to pay attention during both, consciously writing notes throughout both periods. Math is more or less the same, though he can't deny how excited he gets when Ectoplasm uses a clone to pass out worksheets while he starts writing examples out on the board.
Eventually 1-C's day draws to an end the same way it had started with Present Mic walking in as brightly as he had that morning though this time he's ready to teach English. "Can I get a yeah!"
There are fewer responses than that morning, but Midoriya would be lying if he says he hadn't responded this time.
His anxiety dwindles as the lesson drags on. This was no different from learning at Aldera, this was better than Aldera. He isn't getting bullied, the teachers actually care about what they were teaching, and Bakugou isn't waiting for him just a few seats over. He can do this. The sports festival would be his redemption arc. He'd show everyone that he wasn't weak, that he wasn't a deku, that he was more than just his quirklessness.
The final bell rings and there's an immediate sigh that escapes the fifteen-year-old. Today feels like one of the longer days that he's had.
He packs his things carefully, waving goodbye to Shinsou who returns it with only a hint of confusion. The other teen doesn't yet know about his quirklessness, but he'd saved Midoriya with the same breath he'd nearly destroyed him. He gave Izuku hope where before there had been none and for that Midoriya would always be grateful.
He's slinging his backpack over his shoulder when Yamada approaches him. He's smiling brightly, posture open. "Hey little listener. The principal wanted me to tell you he'd like to speak with you before you head out today."
Any thoughts of becoming a hero abandon him. The vigilante feels his heart sink into his stomach.
Why the principal? Have they found me out? Do they know? Should I run?
Present Mic must see the fear in his eyes. "You'll do fine, it's not anything serious. He just wants to talk to you about some stuff." Yamada offers him a reassuring smile that doesn't actually reassure the boy all that much.
Midoriya can only nod in response.
"Do you want me to show you where the office is? I doubt you'll know your way around the place yet," his teacher asks.
Izuku's brain ticks through at least twelve different panicked responses before finally replying. "Um, I'm sure my friend can show me, he's a third year here. Thank you for offering though."
His teacher seems to brighten at the word 'friend' and Midoriya wonders what it is that makes adults so happy to hear it from him specifically.
"Alright, you two have a good chat then. I'm looking forward to having you in my class Midoriya." Yamada grins at him and Izuku gets the distinct impression that the man's resisting the urge to ruffle the teen's already unruly hair.
Izuku bows respectfully on his way out. "See you tomorrow Yamada Sensei."
Reo all but jumps him when he steps out of the room. "What took you so long?" he asks, pausing when he sees the look on his face. In a lower voice he asks, "You look like you just watched someone die."
"My teacher pulled me aside for something."
"For what? Don't tell me you already got in trouble?" Reo laughs, trying to lighten the mood he can tell Midoriya's fallen into as they make their way down the hall.
"He said the principal wants to see me," he whispers quietly, not quite believing the words himself.
His friend's stride stutters, obviously not having expected the news. "What? Why!" he hisses lowly, glancing at the people around them.
"I don't know." "Do you think..."
Midoriya shakes his head. "I don't know what to think. It's either something stupidly mundane or it's something major and I don't take the principal of UA as someone to call me into his office just to talk about something small." There's a moment of silence, both using it to catch up with their thoughts. "Do you know where his office is?" Izuku asks.
Reo looks at him with wide eyes. "You're actually going?"
"Well I can't just not go," Midoriya hisses sourly. "If I run away it seems like I've got something to hide and even if I come up with a good excuse I'll still have to talk to him eventually."
Reo glances at him nervously. "Right... I'll take you then. If anything happens I'll... I'll do what I can to help."
"If you're talking about that then you're going to act like you don't know anything about it," Midoriya hisses, glaring at his friend. "There's no reason for you to get dragged down with me."
Reo frowns, but says nothing to dispute words, instead silently leading the way towards the elevator. The trip up feels like a death sentence, it feels like the end. They don't have any evidence, they have nothing on me. It's only been one day. I've been careful. They can't know.
The elevator chimes like a bell of warning, urging him to turn back, to run. But Reo steps out first and Midoriya forces himself to follow.
"I'll be waiting out here," Reo whispers upon reaching the door.
Izuku knocks softly, heart in his throat, pushing the door open gently when there's a call for him to enter. The door shuts behind him louder than he anticipates, making him flinch.
UA's principal is a rodent-like creature, somewhere between a small bear and large mouse. His eyes are all pupil, small and hard to track. "Midoriya I presume?" he asks with a smile.
Izuku nods. "Yes sir."
The principal's smile is kindly, but part of Izuku, the instinctual part, tells him he's being scrutinized. "I apologize for calling you in here so suddenly. I wanted to have a brief chat with you before classes began, but time restraints would not allow it." He motions the boy towards a set of couches. "Would you like some tea?"
"No thank you," he mutters, quietly taking a seat. He wonders if the other can hear his heart racing. He forces himself to breathe evenly.
"Well I hope you don't mind if I drink some then." "Not at all."
Nezu nods, carefully pouring himself a cup before making his way towards the opposite couch. "I hope I won't take up too much of your time. I understand you usually have an extracurricular activity after school."
"It's no problem," Izuku replies. He needs to be calm, he can't show any weakness in front of his newest opponent. He had to skip into the mindset of Musutafu's most wanted vigilante. "With today being everyone's first day back to school we've been given the day off." He softly cocks his head, forcing an easy smile to his lips.
"It's good that I chose today to talk to you then." The principal takes a small sip of his tea. "I'll jump straight into it. I am no stranger to the prejudices of this world, Midoriya-kun. I assume you are the same way, no?"
Izuku's facade crumbles, finally understanding what this conversation with Nezu was about. He doesn't know if he should be relieved or not.
"Judging from your reaction it seems my assumption is correct." Nezu is carefully composed, feelings and intentions hidden by the soft smile he wears. "I'm certain that our experiences in life have been rather different," he murmurs, "But, we have both suffered at the hands of modern day society."
A small burn scar pickles on the back of Izuku's hand as he listens quietly. He runs his thumb over it without realizing, Nezu's eyes tracking the movement.
"Of course you don't have to respond if you don't wish to. Many students prior to you have not. I'm not here to pressure you into telling your life story. I simply wanted to reassure you in saying that any and all forms of discrimination in UA are strictly prohibited. Even actions taken off campus
are punishable to the fullest extent. There are not many quirkless individuals enrolled here, but we take their well-being very seriously." He takes another sip of tea. "I noticed that your previous school has very few cases of bullying and discrimination filed, but I am always wary to believe everything I read. Especially in cases such as these."
Midoriya watches as the principal takes another calming sip of tea and part of the boy wishes he hadn't refused his offer for some earlier. The situation seems a little unreal to him. The principal of UA is sitting before him, reassuring him that any bullies will be held accountable for their actions. Aldera had never reassured him with such words, let alone said them with such conviction. Middle school had disillusioned him of the idea that teachers would protect their students. Even coming
from UA's principal he's still too wary to actually believe the words.
He wonders if Nezu's mind will change upon discovering that the main culprit of his previous bullying is a hero course prodigy. Midoriya wonders if he too will overlook the tears and the burns and the mental anguish Izuku has suffered for the sake of the furtherment of hero society.
Bakugou's words are carved into the back of his skull, resurfacing every time the teen starts spiraling.
"Take a swan dive off the roof."
"Take a swan dive off the roof."
"Take a swan dive off the roof."
Nezu would not be the first to avert his eyes. He locks his gaze with the principal, eyes hollow.
And Nezu can tell with that look alone that the boy doesn't believe a word of what he's said. But, he can't blame the child for that. After all, he too has refused to believe the words humans used in attempt to soothe him after his escape from the labs their kind had locked him in. For people like he and Midoriya, for those who have been betrayed by society itself, trust was something hard earned.
The green of his eyes are dull, the bags hanging just beneath them the mark of long nights spent mulling over the state of society. Like Nezu the boy's body is scarred, the aftermath of flash fire sparked in bullies palms.
The principal doesn't wish to fail the boy. He isn't aware that he already has.