The Quirk of Solitude by ShadowAlchemy

Chapter 3

Starrk stared at the moonlit sand dunes of this strange new environment. This was the first time seeing them but felt like he could call them home. He gazed down at his hands and lifted them up to examine them. They were real. He was real, but a part of him knew he shouldn't be. Both hands were brought up to cover his face in a vain attempt to ease his confusion. Clenching his teeth and hands he tried very hard to rationalize this situation,

'I'm here...Why am I here…Have I always been here…No…I feel I was never supposed to be here.'

Frustrated, Starrk took a seat and tried to organize what he knew. With his non eyepatch eye closed he focused on his memories. Scores of 2D images played in his mind. Scenes of Izuku reading and speculating about him including dozens of illustrated panels picturing him talking and fighting shot through his mind like one long time line. It was swirling in him and it was like the universe answered his question and then some. Starrk's eye shot open and he had a horrifying look of surprise on his face.

"IS THIS ME!? ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?" Shouted Stark into the surrounding space.

Izuku was still in the middle of reading his book when he heard a voice inside his own mind shouting those words. A completely caught off guard Izuku threw his book up towards the ceiling, clutched his head in case it was going to burst, and immediately stood up from his desk chair but failed to clear the desk.

"OUCH!" Izuku involuntarily exclaimed, rubbing his sore thighs and then got clocked in the head from his momentary airborne book. "AH!"

Now it was Starrk's turn to get surprised as the images of Izuku hitting his legs and getting bonked by the book flew into Starrk's mind as if he was watching it happen in the room.

Anyone who would be looking at Starrk right now would probably be worried that both of his bulging eyes were threatening to jump out. Even his left eye being covered by his protective eye patch seemed to be straining against it.

"What in the world is happening?…" rhetorically asked Starrk to no one in particular

Finishing rubbing his thighs and head, Izuku paused when he heard Starrk speak. His normal distant looking eyes were filled with heightened alarm. Cautiously and scanning his room for any kind of transmitter or device that may have caused this unknown but strangely familiar voice.

"...Who's there?" asked Izuku to the empty room while getting ready to bolt in case it was an intruder.

Starrk saw and heard the same boy from moments ago in his head ask that question but he didn't respond right away.

'This boy can hear me.' thought Starrk while giving this a serious assessment 'but I can only see him when he talks…can he see me too?'

Starrk was given many colorful nicknames and slanders for being slothful and indifferent in most of his free time but no one questioned his battle instincts or power. He was not ashamed of erring on the side of caution. There was so much he needed to know and this kid wasn't guaranteed to help or hurt him in that endeavor. The momentary silence of conversation caused Izuku to slowly relax and sit back in his chair, albeit slightly pulled away so his legs wouldn't hit again if he was startled like before.

"Maybe all my solitude is finally catching up with me." Izuku speculated while bending down to retrieve the fallen book.

That word caused Starrk to give the boy an intense but stoic look as the scene when the boy passed through his mind. The image didn't last long. Again, Starrk had a suspicion that he was somehow watching this kid in real time whenever he spoke but he needed to know more.

A strange sensation occurred within Starrk and a bunch of images and information flew into him from out of nowhere. Silently he was given a full recount of Izuku's life and experiences like watching a film. Everything about the kid, which now Starrk knew to be Izuku, from his first cognitive memory to the comical pandemonium that happened only a minute ago. Starrk learned what Izuku knew and felt a portion of what he felt. The cold treatments, the cruel actions against him with their absurd justifications, and the strong emotions Izuku felt while yelling at the manga Starrk apparently originated from.

Starrk looked to the unmoving crescent moon which bathed the surroundings in its gentle curtain of light. He understood. Somehow Starrk was made to understand everything why he was here and what he was supposed to do. However he was not given information regarding the specific mechanics of How he was here but that didn't matter too much. Starrk was here now and knew his purpose. Calmly he gathered his words to speak,

"Kid. Do not be alarmed."

Izuku jumped out of his seat again into a ready stance and threw the book in a direction away from his head this time. His eyes returned to full alert and he was trying his best not to freak out. Starrk mentally face palmed. This kid has almost non existent social skills thanks to the pieces of shit who did this to him and Starrk really underestimated that.

"I mean you no harm and in fact I'm inside you"

Wrong answer. Izuku started to panic and started to rapidly check himself over looking for any suspicious or reasonable cause. This time Starrk physically face palmed

'Okay that one is on me. I'm not good at talking to people, let alone children.'

Suddenly an idea came to Starrk and he spoke again.

"Kid, you are fine but please calm down and look at the back of your left hand."

Izuku stopped checking himself over and slowly brought up the back of his hand. What he saw dumbfounded him. On the back of Izuku's left hand was a large number 1 and it was glowing in gentle blue flames.

"Good. This will be here anytime I want to talk with you."

But why? Thought Izuku Who is this person and why do they want to talk with me?

Starrk wasn't able to read Izuku's mind, but he was able to get a feel for the type of emotions it was feeling: Confusion. Fear. Slight excitement. He thought of his next words carefully.

"Kid. I am a part of you. I am your power. I am your quirk."

Best answer today. Izuku froze. Not daring to look away from the still glowing number 1 on his hand because he was afraid it would disappear. Everything good Izuku ever had or should have ever had was taken from him. He wanted to be happy. He wanted to shout for joy and scream in happiness but he couldn't. Instead Izuku brought his left hand up next to his heart and cradled it. Tears were already silently flowing. Izuku clenched his eyes shut and pleaded in his mind to whatever deity would hear this desperate prayer not to take this away from him.

Izuku slumped down to his knees, still cradling his left hand tightly. He started to sob and didn't care they were getting louder. This was something he wanted so badly but was forbidden to hope for, a quirk. And with this quirk he can finally end all the torment and loneliness he's been collecting for his whole life. When Izuku started to cry hard into the floor, Starrk looked away while scratching his head. He tried to give the kid some privacy and himself a reason not to make it awkward.

Starrk felt Izuku's heartfelt thoughts: Gratitude. Relief. Happiness. He had also severely underestimated this kid's reservoir of pain and anguish. Starrk never felt these emotions this strongly as far he knew and was a smidgeon jealous that the kid got to experience it. He looked at his own left hand and the moonlight illuminated his tattoo'd number 1. It represented power, respect, and to most a level of danger. He briefly chuckled at an amusing thought how he and this kid were polar opposites of the coin of solitude. He wanted to be weak so he could surround himself with comrades, and this kid wanted to be strong so he wasn't tormented and isolated from people stronger than him and live a normal happy life.

Starrk glared menacingly at the night sky while remembering Izuku's worst memories. He will help this kid to be strong and he was very curious what he would do with such strength.

Would this kid help people like him? Would he punish those he deemed to deserve it? Would he do neither and find a different path?

Starrk shook those thoughts away. Dreams are nice and all but they require effort and this kid needs to leave this environment before anything can start.

"Oi kid. Are you ready to calm down and listen yet?" asked Starrk while crossing his arms. He never taught anyone before but he will give it his best.

Izuku got up and used a couple tissues. It was a good cry and after letting a lot of his negative thoughts go he had a small smile on his face.

"Y-Yes I am!" Declared Izuku while returning to his desk chair and pulled out a notebook to write.

Starrk raised an eyebrow. "Kid, you already wrote everything down. Bring out your white notebook and flip it to page 100."

Puzzled. Izuku did what his quirk asked with quiet anticipation. Upon reaching the page titled Coyote Starrk. The Primera Izuku froze again.

"No way this is possible…" he muttered but gave it an honest hard thought. Lifting his left hand to gaze at the still flaming number 1 his doubts turned into other questions.

"Listen kid, don't fret about the details because even I don't know. There is no room to argue that I am indeed the same Coyote Starrk you read and wrote about here and I am now your quirk."

Looking down at the notebook's picture and details, Izuku was stunned. Somehow a fictional character is now his quirk. But an urgent question came to the front:

"A-Am I still human? Am I going to be a bad guy like you?" he asked without thinking over the last part. Izuku was ready to apologize for such an impolite question but Starrk answered him first.

"You are still human and will remain as such but why do you see me as a bad guy?"

"Because you and the other Espada were evil and fought the good guys!" Izuku quickly answered.

Starrk hummed to himself and replayed the collected knowledge Izuku had of him and continued,

"That was because that was the world I lived in and the situation I was in. Tell me, what makes a person evil in your eyes?"

Now it was Izuku's turn to think for a moment, "Using power on people who can't defend themselves or exploiting people for personal gain or satisfaction. Being cruel to animals and the innocent."

"Not a bad answer so tell me also, when did I do any of those things here?" asked Starrk

"You sided with people who did such things!" countered Izuku

"That was in the story where I was written to exist in. I am asking you, have I done anything evil now and here?" replied Starrk stoically

"Well you, um, probably will or um, want to." Izuku responded in an unconvincing tone

"Kid, let me make this abundantly clear. What you saw me do was in a story and nothing else. I am now your quirk and power. I can teach you to grow stronger and use some of my abilities. This is YOUR story and choice to use the power in the manner you see fit. If you want to be a hero, a villain, or neither, I will support you the whole way. The only condition I have is that you listen when needed to keep us alive. We are both one in the same until the end and you need to respect that."

Izuku soaked in Starrk's words and contemplated them. After a brief moment a sharp glint threatened to appear in his eyes and said, "I understand and look forward to whatever you can teach me."

Starrk mischievously smiled with an idea, "First, let me show you something."

The blue flames on Izuku's left hand started to trail forward and condense into a ball shape in an open area of his room. The flames didn't burn anything but gave off a kind of calming blue light. The condensing ball of flames contorted and took the shape of an adult man.

"I cannot keep this form for very long," said the flame shaped man and eventually the man became detailed. The figure of Coyote Starrk in his Resurrección form appeared. "These flames represent my presence. They will disappear when I retreat back into your mind to avoid taxing your body but I wanted to tell you something to your face."

Starrk approached a wide eyed Izuku and kneeled down to meet him at eye level.

"I am here and I will NEVER depart from you."

Izuku smiled happily and tears were threatening to burst open again. He tried grabbing Starrk in a hug but harmlessly passed through the flame form and landed with his face on the floor. Izuku quickly looked up and saw Starrk grinning at him. He seemed ethereal as the blue flames reformed the disturbed portion where Izuku passed through. Before either could say anything else Starrk's form reverted into a mass of blue flames and returned into Izuku's left hand but this time the number 1 was missing.

"Doing something like that is exhausting for me and we have not trained together to interact yet." Starrk said with an amazing yawn coming from him and he lay down on the ground. "After I rest I will be able to keep a watch over you. Try not to force me to reveal myself because it could be disastrous. When your Espada number returns to your hand, that is an indicator when I have enough strength to take a more active role in your life."

Starrk was just about on the verge of falling asleep when Izuku quickly asked "What should I say if someone sees the number 1 on my hand?"

"Say it's the manifestation of your quirk…think of a name." And with that Starrk was sound asleep and Izuku was left to his thoughts.