The trio continue their preparations for UA, and find out they have all been having new, strange occurrences in their lives. Whatever could cause this?
I couldn't wait to publish chapter 2 lol, so here we are! I'm done with 5 and working on 6 as I speak! XD
"Yes mother," Himiko demurred, keeping her head bowed as she listened to her mother's rants at her for 'improper' behavior. Not that she was even sure what she'd done wrong this time, but to be fair, it didn't matter what she did, to them, it was never good enough. She was always and forever going to be the black sheep of the family and she'd long ago accepted that they'd never love her (probably no one ever would.) She just has to bite the bullet and deal with it until the day she could get out of there.
Although…her dreams had been super weird lately and not very cute. It was making it hard for her to sleep, with how weird they had been. Every night, the same dream…a green/black blob and a pink/brown one approaching her. They always smelled so good, so familiar, so right, like she just should be around them…but she knew that was just some wish fulfillment her mind was inventing because she was a danger to those around her no matter what she did.
And the energy she had lately, she always felt so amped, so energetic, so hyper at times, like she was full of a roaring, running river that made her feel so much faster and stronger. Ever since the dreams had started this had happened and she just did not get it. And she felt so powerful sometimes, just this flame was burning inside her that just wanted out…and it scared her.
She knew she'd never be what her parents wanted. Every time she had to sneak out at night and hunt another alley rat reminded her that she was dirty, unclean, a demon as her parents used to put it before she learned to hide who she was. She was always going to be no good, to be a monster, and even though her promise kept her going she was terrified of what Izu and 'Chako would think of her if they could see her. Deep down…she hoped she wouldn't run into them again, because she knew she didn't deserve to be near them.
But she couldn't help but miss them, every single day, every single moment. She had 'friends' at school…but it was all an act and everyone involved knew it. She had to be the perfect daughter for her parents, to make sure they let her apply to UA after all. So she did what she had to do…she was part of the 'in' crowd at school, always getting good grades, always soft and demure, always smiling without showing her teeth and using contacts to hide her slitted eyes.
She never let the mask slip, never let the face fall, to the point she felt like she was suffocating every single day. Some days she just wanted to snap, to lash out and bare her teeth, to show the monster inside her that her parents claimed she was. She just wanted to latch onto someone's throat and drink them dry, ripping and tearing, becoming the monster…but she had a promise to keep. A very very small part of her had just enough hope, just enough belief that the other two would keep their promise, that she might even find them once again.
Every day was worse and worse, ever since the dreams began she always felt such a longing, a desire to see 'Chako's cute smile and hear her giggle, to watch Izu as he gushed about a new hero he'd seen, his eyes lit up and glimmering. Sometimes she hugged herself at night, pretending it was their arms, their friendship and affection that she so sorely missed.
But it had been a decade…she was sure they had forgotten a silly promise made to a monster like her. Still…she had just enough hope left in her to keep a single candle lit, just in case, just one tiny flickering flame in the dark…she didn't want to think about what she would become if that flame went out.
Two months of training taught Izuku three things…one, All Might was an awful teacher (and too nice to a fuckup like him). Two, Gran Torino was terrifying and yet helpful enough so Izuku stopped breaking his arm every time he threw a punch. And three, his dreams are really weird. Ever since he got One For All, every night was the same dream…he'd see the pink and brown blob and the golden and red blob and they'd come closer and closer and ever so slightly they'd be more and more visible, more and more clear, and yet he still didn't get it!
He'd tried talking to All Might about it, but the pro had no insights into a repetitive dream featuring two multicolored vaguely humanoid blobs. He'd suggested they try talking to Nezu about it, but Izuku had been quick to demur from that, saying Nezu was probably far too busy (and Izuku didn't deserve taking up any more time). He felt bad enough about the time All Might was spending with him, no matter how often the older pro reassured him with gentle smiles and soft words, Izuku knew he was just wasting All Might's time. He should have picked up on how to use One For All much faster, two months in and the best he could do was fifteen percent and still that wasn't enough. He wasn't enough.
But…could he tell All Might that? He was already afraid of disappointing the man who'd become more of a father to him than his actual father ever was. Could he tell him how bad a choice he'd made? Maybe…maybe he should ask his mentor to take the Quirk back and give it to someone more deserving.
'No!' he hissed internally, focusing as he jogged down the path, breathing slow and steady. He had been given this chance and he wouldn't squander it, he had to pay All Might back for giving a worthless Deku like him a chance to stand in the ring…a chance to keep his promise. Unbidden, he thought of them again…cheerful blonde hair, glinting teeth, a playful smile and teasing joke…chocolate brown eyes and pink blushing cheeks, happy giggles and playful touches to lift things into the air for him to examine. Everything he was doing was part and parcel of keeping his promise.
Though…he was certain they'd be disappointed in him, once they knew the real him. The boy who had given up, who'd become nothing but a doormat, a punching bag for others to take out their pain and aggression on. He was weak, had been weak, and would always be weak.
But he supposed…somewhere deep inside, he hadn't fully given up. He couldn't. He owed it to them, to All Might, to his mother for all her support. He had to make up for his mistakes, his failings, his weakness, and he would bend and break and shatter himself no matter what it took to prove himself, to make up for what he'd done wrong. He'd keep his promise, no matter what.
If he couldn't…
Another day, another task done for the sake of finding some food to put on the table. Not that it seemed to help…she could barely sleep thanks to her dreams anymore, and the energy she felt so constantly filled with was getting to be too much for her. Ochako was getting sick of being so damned hungry all the time because she kept having to go training just to bleed off some of this excess energy!
It was nice that her Quirk seemed to be getting stronger though…even if it was causing her more headaches. She hadn't figured out what her upper limit was anymore, but she'd also accidentally crushed something when she somehow added gravity to it? Or so she thought. The boulder had simply crushed itself beneath her touch, and she was pretty sure that it was because she'd somehow made it heavier. And…she felt stronger. Not a ton at first, but she kept getting stronger. Sometimes she swore she saw glimmers of light on her skin, but they'd be gone the second she looked at them closely.
But she didn't really care that much. She was so focused on working as hard as she could for her parents, she didn't have time to focus on that. She had work to do. As she strode confidently towards the busted warehouse down the street, where she always managed to find someone who needed someone to lift and carry stuff for them, she found herself stumbling and almost falling over, only managing to avoid it by catching herself against a wall.
Her stomach ached, another pang of hunger shooting through her for the hundredth time, and once more, she dismissed it. She'd find something to eat later. If she managed another day like the day before, she could come home with a whole five sandwiches! That's enough for her parents to get two and she could have one and be set for the day! She just had to knuckle down and focus. Hard work pays off, her papa always said, and she was going to live up to that.
Her vision swam for a moment, making her realize she'd yet to stand up straight from where she was leaning against the wall of the corner store near her house. She swallowed, taking a few deep breaths to focus. After a moment, she managed to straighten up, gently dusting her hand off as she took another second to center herself.
Eyes closed, deep breath, count to five. Okay. She could do this. She could manage this. One foot in front of the other. The dizzy spells were nothing she hadn't dealt with. She was fine. All she had to do was keep at it for another couple months, and she'd be at UA! She'd pass the exam no matter what, and get into the school, and be able to provide for her parents.
Her mama had taught her, set one long-term goal, and then a bunch of short-term ones that'd lead to that. Long-term, become a pro hero and support her parents. Short-term: Train her Quirk, keep up her workouts and exercises, provide what she could for the family. Get into UA and start her classes. Once she moved into the dorms, she'd be able to work even harder in the training gyms too! She heard UA had dozens of Quirk training places and it was all legal! And with other hero students there, she could maybe study with them!
…especially if she found Himi and Izu. Not that she really expected to. She was sure they'd move onto bigger and better things, or even if they were there, they wouldn't care about some poor country hick. She was a dumb kid back when she made her promise, and those two were bright, shining stars she knew would be so much better than she was. But that was okay. Ochako Uraraka would never break a promise, no matter what…she was going to become a hero. No matter what it took.
Toshinori Yagi was vexed. Exceedingly so. He couldn't help it, sitting in his office in Might Tower, staring down at the papers in front of him where he'd been marking down Izuku's training regiment and progress. Izuku was proceeding extremely well in Toshinori's eyes, he was so proud of the boy, but the boy didn't see it and it was so very frustrating!
The boy thought he was slick, and to be honest, he was good at hiding how he really felt. It took a while for Toshinori to catch on, but he finally did and realized that Izuku had one of the best poker faces he'd ever seen, for all the fact the young man was often very emotional. Even with his moments of anxiety and the times he cried, a lot of those were surface level only…the true emotions he kept hidden, locked away, only visible to someone who was looking for them.
For a while, he worried about Izuku's home life…especially when he asked the boy what his mother thought of him getting One For All and Izuku saying he hadn't told her. That worried Toshinori, and he insisted they tell her as soon as possible, even against the boy's protests. But his worries about Inko were unfounded…the woman was as anxiety ridden as her son, sure, but the love and affection the two shared was not faked, no. It was clear she loved her son deeply, and he certainly seemed to reciprocate…but Izuku still lied to her.
He told her about One For All and his true identity, and his choice of Izuku as successor. She was, understandably, concerned and worried, but Izuku was effusive in his praise of Toshinori as a mentor and nearly burst into tears as he expressed his gratitude over and over again. Toshinori really really needed to get Izuku to understand the one who should be expressing gratitude was him, since the boy had given him such a great successor with a huge heart…but for now, he just wanted to get through this talk.
And get through it they did…at least, for a while. Toshinori kept some of his suspicions secret, not wanting to air them in front of Izuku, but after sharing his number with Inko and a look, he prepared for a future conversation the two would need to have.
One day unbeknownst to Izuku, while the boy was out training, he managed to get a sit-down with Inko and ask her if she noticed what he did. To his consternation and further concern, she had. She knew Izuku was hiding things from her for many years now, but nothing she did would ever get him to admit to it.
She told Toshinori her suspicions…about the school and how it mistreated her Quirkless son, about the burns he'd come home with or the ripped and torn uniforms, about how when she confronted him about it years ago he suddenly never came home with burned clothes again (but he had bought multiple new uniforms and she suspected he was just changing before coming home). But still, he wouldn't open up to her. He would not admit to anything…and thus Toshinori was now here, sitting in his lonely tower, vexed.
In the privacy of his tower, he could admit the truth…Izuku had truly become close to him, the closest thing to a son he'd ever had in his many, many years of life, and yet he felt like he wasn't doing enough for the young man. His successor was everything he could have wanted…determined, far more intelligent than he himself was, and had the biggest heart Toshinori had ever seen in all his years.
And yet…the boy was hurting. He was hurting and refusing to show it and Toshinori simply did not know how to get through to him. The Quirkless were not treated well when he was young, and he did not imagine it got better. He could only imagine how poorly he'd been treated. And knowing that his father walked out on him just for being Quirkless? Toshinori's blood boiled at the thought that he could just abandon his wife and child for that…but that was neither here nor there.
He shook his head to clear it. That wasn't important. No, what was important was figuring out how to help his successor. He'd tried gently suggesting some help therapy but Izuku had been incredibly resistant to the idea and Toshinori didn't want to push. Not yet, anyway. Gran Torino had little advice either, but he'd noticed the same things Toshinori had. Gran's only real advice was, for once, not delivered with trademark snark or a kick to the back of his head. He'd simply said being there and being a positive influence, showing his encouragement and his belief, was the best Toshinori could do for the boy.
Which he was trying his damndest to do. He made sure Izuku knew how proud he was of him, every single day he managed to get over and help train him. He was even more proud the boy had unlocked that 'Full Cowling' technique within only a day of Gran's training! So much progress in so little time, why, he would ace the entrance exam for sure…and Toshinori would make sure Izuku knew he had full faith in him.
With a sigh, Toshinori set his pen down and rubbed at his eyes tiredly. He glanced over at the clock and let out an even more annoyed sigh as he saw it was nearly three in the morning. Once again, he'd worked too late. Oh well…time for a quick power nap, before he got up to prepare to meet Izuku at the beach and work some more. Maybe after they finished training for the day…he'd take the boy out for lunch. Yeah, some time away from training would do him good. Toshinori nodded, shuffling out of his office and flipping the lights off as he went, preparing to head home and get a little bit of sleep. Tomorrow was a new day, and he would be sure to do his best to help his successor.