Authors Note:

Thank you to the reviewers that immediately left a review that was constructive and kind. I hope to meet your expectations for this story, and if I don't I hope you enjoy it anyway!

Chapter Two

Néa Elpída

In hindsight, inviting a complete stranger to stay with you is probably a bad idea. But I have already done it, so there is no going back. The two of us were standing outside of my apartment door, and I was just standing there, mentally panicking as to how to explain to Mom the decisions I had made. Why did I trust this lady's word? What if she was a villain? No, then she would've attacked immediately, right? Why did she claim she was a goddess? Is she a goddess? How am I going to explain this to Mom?

"Izuku?" I snapped to attention to see a bemused Artemis. "You were mumbling." Oh. Yeah, that sounds like something I would do. I took a deep breath and opened the door.

"Mom! I'm home, and I brought my… friend." I mentally panicked. What do I even call her? Is she my friend? Inko Midoriya shot around the corner, tears already spewing from her eyes and she engulfed me in a bear hug, and I promptly started to turn blue.

"My baby! You made me so worried! Don't ever do that to me again, you hear?" Mom released me from her death grip and started patting me down, looking for injuries that could've possibly have delayed me from returning home or have prevented me from answering. I heard a cough, and apparently so did Mom, as she looked up to see Artemis, standing in the door frame with a soft smile on her face.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, I forgot Izuku mentioned he was bringing someone." Mom bowed. "I am Inko Midoriya, Izuku's mother. I apologize for not acknowledging you sooner!" My face must've been burning red with how embarrassed I was, and I started shooing Mom further inside.

"Let's at least take a seat, for proper introductions, don't you think, Mom?" My smile must've been pretty strained, as she obeyed without any hassle. Artemis followed in after us, closing the door behind her and peering around the modest apartment with curiosity. I flustered. This is the first time I've had a girl over! I let out a mental gasp. I talked to a girl!

The three of us sat at the kitchen table, and it was then that I realized there was a heavenly smell permeating through the room. Apparently, Mom cooked. My stomach grumbled, being echoed by Artemis, and we both flushed. Mom let out a sly smirk and put some plates of food on the table in front of Artemis and me. It was some Sukiyaki, and I smiled.

"Thanks, Mom," I said.

"Yes, thank you for the meal. I should introduce myself, I am the Goddess Artemis." I mentally panicked at her introduction, and my face shot towards my mother to see how she would react. She froze stiffly, looking towards Artemis.

"G-Goddess!" She yelled. Like Mother like son I guess. "You must be joking!" Mom yelled, and I flinched. It wasn't an angry yell, but a shocked one. Artemis giggled, and let loose her… godly aura? I think she called it arcanum. Anyways, she started to glow the memorizing rainbow of colors that entranced me for a split second before I shook it off. The same feeling of awe-filled me at the sight, and I found myself unconsciously smiling.

"How- How do I know that isn't just a quirk?" Mom asked, and I realized that, yeah, how do I know it's not just a quirk? I peered over at Artemis, my eyebrows furrowed in question. Yet when I looked at her, all I saw was confusion.

"Quirk?" she asked, I was astonished to realize she genuinely didn't know what a quirk was. "What's a quirk?" I looked back towards Mom, my neck feeling like I was about to get whiplash from how often I was looking between them.

"Y-You're serious?" Mom stuttered, and she slumped in her chair. Artemis looked confused at our reactions and simply nodded.

"O-okay. Goddess Artemis, a quirk is something 80% of the population is born with, a mutation in the human genome that gives us unique abilities. Anywhere from growing extra long fingers to being able to create explosions from their hands. That's what quirks are." I explained, giving the short version of the answer. Artemis nodded slowly, and sighed, looking downcast.

"I- I think I know what happened. The Gods and Goddesses are aware of the different worlds, but most of us are focused on the World of Adventurers. I vaguely remember this world, but the last time any of us interacted with it actively was… 3500 or so years ago? It was sometime before we descended to interact with our children, so… I'm afraid I am around 2000 years behind the times…" Artemis let out a shaky smile, and I think Mom and I were thinking the same thing. "2000 years?!"

"Okay. Um… do you have any more proof of being a Goddess? I dislike the idea of having a complete stranger in our home who claims to be a Goddess, so I apologize for the scrutiny. I cannot let anyone harm my baby boy." Mom looks scary with her eyes focused directly onto Artemis. Artemis appeared to be thinking before her eyes lit up.

"The Blessing!"

"The what?"

"When the Gods and Goddesses descended onto the World of Adventurers, we bestowed a blessing upon individuals to go fight in the dungeon, a way for them to grow past their mortal limits and succeed. We called it The Blessing, and individuals with it adventurers. I-" she turned to me and smiled. "You said you wanted to be a hero, right?"

"Y-yeah. But, unlike the 80% I mentioned… I'm quirkless. I don't have any abilities to help me fight. I- I was told earlier today by All Might- he's the Number One Hero in Japan- that I couldn't be a hero." Artemis frowned, before brightening again, and I vaguely wondered why I said so much to her.

"I believe you can be a hero. And, if I get your permission," she glanced towards Mom, "and your mothers, I can bestow my blessing upon you. It will allow you to be a hero, and it should prove my status, right?" Mom hesitated, but I knew. I knew, from the look in her eyes, that she meant every word. The words 'I believe you can be a hero' resonated with me, and I began to tear up. No one had ever said that to me. Not- not even Mom.

"I- I want to try it." I looked towards my Mom, crying. "Please, Mom. Just let her try." Mom hesitated, before sighing and giving a nod. The food was cold by now, and I vaguely wondered how exactly this came to be. This wasn't how I anticipated things going. But… somehow, this stranger… this Goddess… She's giving me hope. I need to believe in her.

"Okay then!" Artemis stood up and grabbed my sleeve, pulling me towards the couch. "Take your shirt off and lay on your stomach, please!" What. My face went bright red, before nodding slowly. Mechanically, I took off my shirt, before realizing something. Oh no. I heard a light gasp and a muffled choke of surprise. I knew what they saw. Scars and burns decorated my torso like little star pops.

"I-Izuku?"

"Not right now… please. Just, let's get this over with." The excitement I had been feeling just a few moments ago had died now that I knew I had accidentally revealed what I had been hiding from Mom for so long. I heard Artemis gulp. I laid down on the couch, face down, before feeling a weight settle on top of me. Peering up behind me, all that worry jumped right out of my mind when I realized a girl was straddling me!

Wait, is that a knife she's holding? What? I panicked for a split second before I saw Artemis prick her finger and a single droplet of... gold? Wait no, ichor. Ichor bubbled up on her finger and it fell. To my perception, it fell impossibly slow, like the entire world had settled in on that one moment before it finally impacted against my naked spine, and I felt agony. The burning agony of being set on fire, all centered on my back, and I did everything I could to not scream, biting into the couch.

I vaguely heard my mother's worried calling, and I wondered for a split second if I was wrong, and that this girl was actually killing me, before, abruptly, the pain vanished. I blinked the tears out of my eyes (when did I start to cry?) and stood up, looking at Artemis, who was sitting back, smiling apologetically.

"Well, Izuku, it worked. Welcome to the Artemis familia, as the newest member!" Her smile turned sad, and I could've sworn I heard her mumble something. "And last." I got off the couch and looked towards Mom. She was shocked.

"Izuku, your back... and…" I turned and tried to look over my shoulder, and saw something there, before going to the kitchen and looking in the mirror. And there it was. The symbol of a bow and arrow tattooed onto his back, words written around it in a language I could not interpret, and I stood shocked. Because beyond that, my back was smooth. Unblemished. All the scars that were there just moments before were gone. In its place was the bow and arrow, and muscle definition. Not much, but a definite difference.

"Izuku, can you come back here for a second?" I heard Artemis call, and I walked back in, feeling... Different. Not just different, amazing! I haven't felt this well in a long time. Artemis was sitting on the couch, a piece of paper in her hands (when did she get that?) and was smiling at me, Mom still standing stalk still, likely shocked.

"Yes, Goddess Artemis?" Because what else was I going to call her? There was no longer any doubt. This beautiful woman sitting in my living room was a Goddess, an immortal being that had just given me the greatest gift I could have ever asked for. Hope. Artemis handed me the sheet of paper, and I looked down at it.

Izuku Midoriya

LV 1

STR I 0 → I 77

VIT I 0 → I 13

DEX I 0 → I 93

AGI I 0 → H 148

MAG I 0 → I

MAGIC:

SKILL: Argonaut

Elios Passion

"What is this?" I looked up at Artemis to see her smiling.

"It's your status. It's essentially your basic abilities, skills, magic, and your level. It's how powerful you are. When I gave you the blessing, it awakened your untapped potential and used up the excess excelia you had to raise your status. It shows how far you've progressed. When I gave you your falna, the tattoo on your back, I also updated your status, your blessing. Any experiences you had before I gave you the blessing all accumulated into your current status." Artemis explained.

"What's excelia?"

"Excelia is experience. It's also the source of magic and life."

"Magic?!"

"Yep, Izuku Midoriya, you'll be able to use magic. You're on your way to becoming a hero!"

"Y-yeah… I guess I am."