2 Years Later

Mustafa Private Middle School

I ran out the door, doing one last check of myself.

Bag? Check.

Phone? Check.

Train pass? Check.

School uniform on right? I hoped so.

I quickly made my way down the stairs, rushing to the station. Hopefully the train wouldn't be delayed, or I would be late for the first day! That would be the second most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to me.

First goes to still not being able to use my quirk. It wasn't bad at first, but some classmates decided I was a good target to bully. Not like I could blame them, it was embarrassing.

Or was it pathetic?

I nearly tripped on the steps up to the platform. The random negative thoughts had become more frequent. I had the same nightmare a few times a week. Sometimes everyday. Luckily I could forget all about it. I was finally allowed to do serious training after trying to convince my mother for a whole year straight. After 4 years of tutors complaining, she realized I didn't need to have them anymore.

As the train pulled in, I heard someone out of breath approach from behind me. I turned to see one of my two only friends, Mina Ashido.

"Oh good, I didn't miss it- OH, hey Morita!" She quickly composed herself, walking next to me as we got on the train. "Sooo, you nervous?"

"Ashido, when am I not nervous?" I sat down, putting my bag by my feet. I was thankful that any seats were open at this time, let alone a whole row of them. Ashido sat next to me, placing her bag on her lap. "True, true. It's also the first year where we don't share a class." She looked almost sad about that. Kirishima wasn't in my class either, and it almost felt like karma after all the trouble the 3 of us caused last year.

"Well, we can still hang out during lunch, and we take the same train home. It won't be that bad." I shifted in my seat, my words meant to calm my nerves rather than reassure her. I knew she'd be fine, she had way more friends, and could make them better than I ever could. Ashido was arguably the most popular person in our primary school. Kirishima had other friends too, even if he mostly spent time with us.

Come to think of it, I was the weird one for only having them. Maybe that was why it was easy for the rest to target me, the kid who couldn't remember how to make friends.

I pulled myself out of bed, slowly shuffling to the bathroom. I flipped on the light, rubbing my eyes as I let out a yawn. Between school and training, the last couple months were hell. I looked into the mirror, seeing the bag under my eyes. The same nightmare happened almost daily now, but it was normal at this point. Sure, it made it hard to stay awake during school, but I was already ahead anyway. I could sleep during lunch and on the train home now that Ashido had clubs. She had lunch with her friends too, and Kirishima was usually focused on his studies or his own clubs. It all worked out, even if I hated every second we drifted apart.

After brushing my teeth, my morning workout, and a shower, I had plenty of time to check my phone. Kirishima sent me another clip of a pro hero fight. I didn't bother to respond as I got dressed, moving to the kitchen as I yawned again.

"Hey hun, I'm making breakfast if you want." My mother stood at the stove, her hair tied up and out of the way. She didn't have to work, so she did this every morning, even if I didn't always wake up on time. I had no idea how we afforded everything, or anything for that matter. Maybe aunt Shizu helped out? Did that make me a burden? Probably.

I sat at the table, noticing the mail sitting there. Normal bills, normal ads, something with a flower on it.

Before I could even ask, I had a head splitting headache.

I saw images flash in my mind. A flower shop surrounded by overgrown plants. Nobody had taken care of it, nobody was there to care for the flowers.

I gripped my head in pain, the images subsiding with the headache. I didn't notice that a plate of food was in front of me. "You should really stop staying up so late. You need more sleep than you think." My mother sat across from me, already having finished her food. The letter was gone, and she was typing away on her laptop. Had I fallen asleep?

I quickly ate what I could, grabbing my coat and bag as I slipped my shoes on. They were a bit too small, but I refused to tell my mom about it. It was better if I saved her the stress of worrying about all my issues. She was happiest she's been since the accident, and I'd protect that happiness, even at the cost of my own.

I said goodbye, making my way to the station as I checked my phone. Villain attacks got more common, but so did heroes. If you paid attention to everything though, it was obvious things were getting worse. All Might wasn't around as much, and newer heroes weren't experienced enough to pick up the slack. Some of them even put more focus on their image and merchandise than saving people.

What kind of sick joke was that? How could they call themselves heroes? Even vigilantes cared about saving people more than themselves.

I shoved my phone into my pocket, waiting on the platform. It was still early, so the air was cold. It made me shiver as I pulled my coat up to cover my face, trying to ignore the ache in my hands. My quirk still hadn't resurfaced, but I could feel it at times, moving through me like the waves in the ocean.

The train pulled in as I heard voices behind me. I turned my head, seeing Ashido and a few of her friends. I smiled to myself, stepping on to the train and moving to the left as they went to the right. I'd talk to her when she wasn't busy.

Lunch rolled up before I even blinked. Did I really zone out that long? I stood up, stretching as I moved to leave the room. Ashido was free for the first time in a while, and she asked to hangout during lunch. I didn't need the nap that bad.

The spot she chose was under a tree, out of the way of everyone else. I sat across from her, letting out a sigh. "Yo, Morita! Did you- oh. Are you ok?" Her face contorted in concern while I waved it off. "Yeah yeah, just haven't been sleeping well." I put my back against the tree, stretching out before closing my eyes.

"If you say so. Did you hear about Kirishima? He dyed his hair!" Her smile was bright, and I couldn't help but smile myself.

She talked while I mostly listened, letting her tell me about her clubs, her friends, things she's read and new songs she's heard. It was like no time had passed, and we were just catching up. She shared a bit of her food, showed me pictures of things she thought were funny or cute. Despite all of this, something felt off. The feeling I've been struggling with for years crept up.

"Hey…. you fallin asleep Morita?" Ashido poked my cheek, pulling me from my thoughts.

"No no, just thinking about stuff." I opened my eyes, feeling tired once again. "Ok maybe a little."

She grabbed her phone, moving to sit next to me as she extended her arm. "We haven't taken a picture together in a while. Smile!"

Before I could even put on a full smile, she took the picture. "You know…. If you're dealing with something, you can talk to me or Kirishima." I could hear the sadness in her voice. I knew they would be willing to listen. They could help me.

I didn't want help. I wanted to save myself.

"It's just my amnesia, don't worry about it, ok?" I offered a weak smile, hoping it would ease her worries. I leaned into the tree, feeling myself drifting off. As I closed my eyes I could barely hear her.

"I gotta go, I'll leave the rest of this for you, just bring it to me after school, ok Kazuma?"

The last bell rang, some kids rushing out, others leaving in groups, some staying to chat for a bit. The teacher called me over with a tired look on his face.

"Morita, I know you get perfect scores on all your tests and assignments, but please stop using that as an excuse to sleep in your classes. Being gifted does not excuse laziness." He slid a pamphlet on insomnia towards me. "It's a warning this time, so please take better care of yourself. You have a bright future." I took the pamphlet, stuffing it into my pocket.

"Yeah I know. Just not used to my schedule yet, I'll do better." I walked off, gathering my belongings and the container Ashido left me. I made my way to her class, trying to ignore the looks people gave me in the hall. Looks of pity.

I stopped just outside the door, out of view from anyone inside. I didn't want to weird anyone out by just walking in.

"Hey Mina, where were you during lunch?"

"I heard she was with that liar Morita!"

"The quirkless kid? Don't tell us you like him!"

"Wh-what? He's not quirkless." Ashido snapped back.

"Oh please. He probably doesn't even have amnesia either. I can't believe you like him at all."

"He's not a liar! AND I DON'T LIKE HIM!" She shouted, her words piercing my ears like a cold knife.

Everything started spinning. My blood became cold. Noises were too loud. I dropped the container I was holding, causing everyone to look in my direction. Ashido's eyes went wide, opening her mouth in shock. My vision became blurry as tears formed in my eyes. Before she could say anything, I turned around and started running.

"Wait, Kazuma, I didn't mean it like that!"

I didn't wait to hear her out. I didn't wait to receive her pity. Was I really so dumb to think she was really my friend? That I was anything more than the 'probably quirkless liar' that everyone decided I was? Did Kirishima feel the same way? Is that why they drifted away?

I didn't notice dropping my coat as I ran out of the building. I didn't care that it started raining as I kept running in the opposite direction of where I usually got on the train. I ignored my phone constantly buzzing in my pocket. I ignored how my eyes burned.

I wished desperately that I was anybody else. A part of me wished I never came back after the accident. An accident I knew little about, a past that wasn't mine.

I wasn't Kazuma Morita. He died that day, and I was just the husk left behind after he was erased. A mistake that wasn't corrected.

A burden.

There was a weight on my shoulders, one that always threatened to suffocate my entire being at a moment's notice. I was carrying everyone's worries about me, trying to solve them myself for a reason I didn't know. They were all stronger than I was, so why was I trying to save them from something that didn't affect them?

My legs finally gave out, dropping me onto the wet sidewalk. I felt my hands scrape on the pavement, causing them to bleed into the water. I looked around, finding myself in an unfamiliar area. A sudden headache forced me to clutch my head in pain. This area wasn't unfamiliar, I just haven't been to it as myself. I looked to my right, seeing the same overgrown flower store. I felt relieved and terrified at the same time. I didn't have time to decipher my feelings on this as my body screamed at me to move.

I wasn't ready for this. I couldn't face this part of my past yet.

I pushed myself back to my feet, ignoring the pain coursing through my entire body. My headache grew worse as my senses were becoming overwhelmed. I could feel every drop of rain in my mind as I ran. My clothes clung to me, suffocating my skin. I moved my hand up to wipe my eyes, hoping for some relief. When I opened them again, I was far away. Standing in front of me was a bridge, connecting to an abandoned building. An old aquarium.

Before I could take another step, a hand gripped my shoulder. I spun around, falling backwards as my legs gave out again. I stared up, struggling to see through the tears in my eyes or the rain.

"Young Morita. You sure gave your mother a fright." The voice boomed. All Might stood there, staring at me for a few seconds before kneeling down, pulling a small umbrella from his pocket. "Here, you look exhausted."

I could hardly keep my eyes open, but I took it anyway. I opened the umbrella, struggling to hold it over my head. The thoughts I tried to run from finally caught up, and everything came crashing down. My mind became a tidal storm, my heart pounding in unison. I couldn't catch my breath as I felt my whole body shut down. My eyes became heavier than they've ever been as I felt myself being moved. I could see All Might's face contort in sadness. Another look of pity.

No, a look of regret.

I saw the lights of several emergency vehicles in the distance. I heard my mother crying out to me, and before I slipped into unconsciousness, I heard All Might speak to me.

"Even heroes must share their burdens with those they care about."

I walked the halls of the building, people I didn't recognize smiling and waving as I passed them. I didn't know any of them, but they admired me. I stopped at a large door, the symbol illegible. I slid it open, walking into the classroom inside. The students' faces were blurred, as were the edges of my vision. I sat down, all of them talking to each other, yet none of the words reached me.

I felt like I belonged. I was an equal here, liked even. Someone else walked into the room, all the students facing forward in their presence. This person commanded respect, yet I didn't know why. They spoke, and we listened. Everything was incomprehensible to me, yet clear at the same time.

The figure turned to the board, writing something out on it. Something I could read.

'Hero Studies: Battle Training'

As sudden as the breath I took, I was pulled by an invisible force, throwing me through the wall of the room.

I was somewhere else, surrounded by more people I didn't know. A giant presence stood in front of me, unmoving as my heart pounded in my chest. It lurched forward slowly, forcing me to shift my stance before it shot forward, it's fist reared back. I pulled my own fist back, yet before I could throw the punch, I was ripped from my own body.

Harsh beeping hit my ears, the sound making the encroaching headache ten times worse. I opened my eyes to an empty hospital room. Someone had been here, the half finished plate of food an obvious sign. I looked to my right, seeing a glass of water sitting on the tray beside the bed. I reached out, just short of my fingers touching the tray itself.

Then the water in the cup tipped it over, moving to meet my hand in unison. It felt like a glove sliding over my fingers. Like running cold water over a burn.

The feeling left as quickly as it came, spilling the water on the floor as I became aware of how dry my throat was. The glass rolled off the tray soon after, shattering on the floor. A doctor rushed in, someone else trailing right behind him. I could feel the tears forming in the corners of my eyes already.

"S-sorry for worrying you mom." I smiled weakly. She rushed to hug me, knocking the wind out of my lungs.

"Don't ever worry me like that again! You were missing for 8 hours!" She cried into my shoulder as my own tears started spilling onto my face. "I thought you were caught up in a villain attack…"

"I'm sorry, I didn't- I never meant to-" What could I even say? All my pain and regret came spilling out in the form of tears. We stayed like that for a while, sobbing to each other. I couldn't keep my problems to myself anymore. I broke down because I felt like I was alone, despite having people trying their best to help me. I ran instead of facing it.

I wasn't ready to be a hero, but I can try again. Even if I fail again and again, even if I stumble a thousand times. I'll stand up again, and push against the self doubt in my mind. I'll find out who I'm meant to be.

This is my starting point, and I'll crawl to the finish if I have to.