MY HERO: NEW AGE OF HEROES
~ Part 03: Reignite the Ashes ~
Across the city, there was a tragic incident on full display for everyone in the area. A large transport truck had crashed into a young white haired boy and threw him down the road. The police were on sight as well as a ambulance parked nearby, overlooking the severly wounded boy. Because of the impact, the child was suffering from a concussion and his blood almost covered his entire face. His eyelids were heavy, fighting with all their might to keep his eyes open. But the pain was slowly causing him to black out, his hearing also waning at the same time. So much of the noise around him was blurring together.
Child: (loudly crying, tears pouring down his cheeks)
Driver: I-I swear, officers! I looked away for just a SECOND! I didn't think the kid would..!
Child's Mother: Oh sweetie! Thank god you're all right!
Paramedic #1: He's going under! Hey! Hang in there kiddo!
Paramedic #2: Does anyone know whose child this is?! Please speak up NOW!
As he was close to passing out, he saw someone else arriving at the scene but he wasn't capable of making out who it was. The figure was Deku, just arriving in his battlesuit onto the scene. He quickly scanned the accident before seeing the wounded child, hurrying over.
Paramedic(s): D-Deku!
Deku: (gasp) Hey! Can you hear me?! Hang on! (presses an ear piece) Uravity! Come in! Are you there?
Unable to take the pain anymore, the child blacked out just as Izuku was calling for Uraraka's help. The only thing he could hear now was the sound of his heartbeat.
~ A While Later ~
Approximately half the day passed since the accident and the child was quickly rushed to Jaku Hospital by the combined efforts of Uravity's Float and Deku using his lightweight to safely move him into the ambulance. As the sun was now beginning to set outside the windows, the boy is laying motionless in a hospital bed with an IV in his arm, bandages wrapped around his head and other wounds on his body and his face was cleaned of the blood. Though he was out cold, his ears picked up a few key moments of speech.
Doctor: He's lost a LOT of blood. I don't know if we'll have enough time to get a transfusion set up.
Deku: D-Doctor? You said he has Type "O" blood from the collected sample?
Nurse: Y-Yes…?
Deku: Then…I implore you! Give him my blood! I'm the same type!
Uravity: Deku…
Doctor: B-But…he's already lost…
Deku: PLEASE! Use my blood for the transfusion! He deserves even a SLIVER of hope for a future!
Doctor: A-All right. Thank you so much, Deku.
Maybe, if its your blood, we can make a miracle happen…
The clock in his hospital room read 5:47 pm as the setting sun's light peeked through the nearby room. At his side was the likes of Deku and Uravity, the heroes who arrived in time to help him, along with an extra visitor who was using her Quirk in an attempt to undo his injuries. Seated at the boy's side was Eri, using her Rewind in small doses by resting her hand on his chest. Though a lot of time had passed, everyone's hard work began to show as the boy's eyes slowly began to open again. He had bright hazel colored eyes as his hearing came back, picking up Izuku and Eri's conversation.
"O-Oh! He's…He's waking up!" Eri said cheerfully. Izuku sighed heavily, along with Ochaco.
"Thank goodness. You really ARE a miracle worker, Eri. Have you maybe considered being a licensed hero like Recovery Girl?" he said, looking her way. The boy's eyes slowly shifted towards Deku, seeing he was in casual clothing but with a strand of bandage wrapped around his right arm, evident of the transfusion procedure. Soon, both Izuku and Ochaco turned their attention to him.
"Hi there sleepy head. You feeling any better?" Ochaco asked softly. The boy groaned, looking around him before turning back to Izuku.
"If you're wondering, you're at Jaku Hospital. The doctors had to do a blood transfusion while you were out. They weren't sure if you were going to make it. But…you're a real trooper." he said. Ochaco nodded, commenting that the police said the reports from witnesses was that he was trying to save another kid from being hit.
"You have the heart of a hero…just like All Might." Izuku continued.
"W-Where…W-What…happened?" the boy muttered "Where…is my…brother?" The others gasped.
"Brother? Wait. Did the police say anything about his family?" Eri asked. Izuku shook his head.
"The mother of the other child said she didn't know him but was very thankful he was in time to push hers out of the way." Ochaco said. He slowly tried to get up in bed, Eri's Rewind allowing him to sit without serious injury to his body. But Ochaco still advised him to take it easy before he looked Izuku in the eyes.
"I…heard someone's voice. W-Was that…you?" he asked. Izuku looked confused at first before looking back at his bandaged arm.
"Oh…yeah. The doctors transferred my blood to you. You probably heard me begging them to perform the procedure." he replied "Ah! Right. We probably haven't been introduced yet. My name's Izuku Midoriya, a licensed Pro Hero that was at the scene to help you. But…you can call me by my hero name, "Deku"." Ochaco then introduced herself, chiming in mention of her name "Uravity" before introducing Eri.
"M-My name's Kazuto. Deku…" the boy said, tears beginning to well up in his eyes "T-Thank you…so much. You…You saved my life." Izuku softly smiled before gently placing his hand atop his head.
"It's okay. That's just what Heroes do." he said "You should take it easy and let your body recover. We won't be going anywhere anytime soon." Ochaco looked to Izuku.
"But..what about his family? I didn't hear any confirmation about his family until he mentioned a brother." she said. Hearing those words appeared to hit Kazuto hard, everyone gasping from surprise, as he cried more.
"M-My parents…? They…They abandoned me…a-and my brother! A-All because…we were born QUIRKLESS!" he exclaimed, sobbing inbetween his words. Deku gasped, eyes shaking, as he thought back to his mom comforting him and then to him asking All Might his question.
Is it possible to become a Hero…even if I don't have a Quirk? I'm just a normal kid without any powers. Could I ever hope to be somebody like YOU?!
Ochaco was utterly shaken, covering her mouth while Eri's mouth simply hung open. She began having flashbacks to the incident that led her to be abandoned by her birth mother and eventually in the claws of Overhaul.
"That's….horrible!" Ochaco shouted. Izuku's eyes grew stern as his story continued.
"Since we were six, m-me and my brother had been…living on the streets. T-Then…HE goes missing and I try to find him…leading me t-to saving a COMPLETE STRANGER that I thought WAS my brother from being hit!" Kazuto exclaimed. Izuku quickly moved in, kneeling down next to his bed and enveloped the boy in a hug.
"I-Izuku!" Eri exclaimed. He began rubbing the back of his head with his hand, the boy's tears becoming trails down his cheeks.
"Don't make light of your accomplishments, Kazuto. You saved that child's life…even if it meant getting hurt yourself. You…are amazing." Izuku said softly "It'll be okay. I'll help you find your brother. I swear…both of you boys are going to be okay. I PROMISE." Just then, there came a knock at the door before it was opened by Toshinori and another man in a doctor's jacket. The man had short slick brown hair, beard stubble and a pair of under rim glasses. In Toshinori's hands was bags of take out from a fast food joint, meant for Izuku and the others.
"Hey, Midoriya. Sorry I was late. Not only was the place crowded…but I also ran into this gentleman when I entered. He said he was looking for you…I think?" Toshinori explained. The doctor approached Izuku as the two moved away from the hug.
"Pardon me. I don't mean to intrude…but you're Izuku Midoriya, correct?" he asked, offering a hand "My name is Doctor Takeda Takashi, a specialist in the study of Quirk Evolution theories. I've wanted to meet you for a LONG TIME now." Toshinori took his place at the boy's side as Izuku shook the doctor's hand.
"H-Hello. I'm Izuku all right. But you can call me "Deku". Is there something I can help you with?" he asked. Takashi looked at the boy in the bed before looking back to Izuku.
"Uhh…well, I can see you must be busy with this young man. But if you can spare a few minutes, can we talk in the hallway?" he asked. Izuku glimpsed towards his friends before seeing Toshinori giving him a thumbs up.
"Sure. Let's talk outside." he said. He followed Takashi outside just as Toshinori handed the food to everyone else. Izuku leaned against the door shortly after closing it, Takashi clearing his throat before continuing.
"Deku, I was out of Japan when the League of Villains overtook the country…doing research into the evolution of Quirks with American citizens. I wasn't able to come back to the country until after the rebuilding was completed and the airlines opened again." he explained "But…I will say that I DO know about the efforts and contributions you gave to the Heroes when faced with an overwhelming evil such as All For One. It was all over the news channels from the hotel I was staying at and…well…your Quirk, One For All, greatly sparked my curiosity." Izuku lightly gasped before looking away, slightly dejected.
"W-Well…I'm sorry to tell you this. But…I no longer have One For All. I destroyed my Quirk in order to defeat All For One…to save Japan and those I cared for. The embers are long gone as well." he said. Dr. Takashi seemed a bit shaken at first, pausing briefly to ponder, before looking back to Izuku.
"I see. I had no idea…it worked that way." he said, falling silent again. Izuku nodded, apologizing for crushing his hopes. But the doctor suddenly put his hand on his shoulders, causing him to look back.
"But I can work with this. Dek-? O-Oh. Sorry. I mean…Izuku MIdoriya? What if I said the fruits of my research can be of great use to you? What if I told you…we have the means to "reignite" the smolders of One For All inside you?" he asked, looking sternly at him. Izuku gasped, shaken to his core by the doctor's proposal.
"Y-You mean…you have a way to REVIVE One For All?!" he asked, making sure he heard correct. Takashi nodded.
"From what All Might told me…One For All is a Quirk that was built off the combined growth passed down from eight previous wielders before you inherited it as the ninth wielder. It was a source of great power that he used to make sure those who needed a hero's aide got it." Takashi continued "My results have shown that Quirk awakenings can, in special instances, be tied to the strength of our core beliefs and our connections to those we cherish…sowing the seeds needed for it to evolve and grow. I believe the ties you have with your friends from U.A. have the potential to reawaken One For All's core, to reignite the spark necessary for you to wield it." While they continued talking and Toshinori tended to Kazuto, Ochaco was leaning against the door eavesdropping on them.
"Deku…" she muttered.
"W-Whoa! Hold on! This is a lot to take in at once!" Izuku shouted "Like I said, I had to essentially destroy my Quirk in order to bring down All For One! Whatever is left in me is LONG GONE!" Dr. Takashi shook his head.
"You say that. But I have found scientific proof, in all my years of studying Quirks, that those whose Quirks become unusable because of our factors or physical condition still leave behind a lingering flame within its user…like a wick of a candle that can be used again." he said, making Izuku gasp "I strongly believe that we CAN reawaken One For All…even if its smolders in the breeze! But…the decision is ultimately yours." He then extended a hand to him again, leaving Izuku dead silent.
"I wish to offer you this proposal, Izuku Midoriya. Will you lend yourself to the future of my research? If you do, I promise…no. I SWEAR to do all I am physically capable of…to reawaken One For All so you can wield its strength again." he said "If you need the consent of your classmates and family also…I'll make the same proposal to them. I want to make sure you are one hundred percent comfortable before going any further. Your personal feelings WILL be my top priority from here on out." The hero didn't know what to say, looking on with eyes quaking from a rekindled flame of hope, the same that he felt when All Might told him those fateful words.
"Young man, you too…can become a HERO!"
His hand began shaking, hesitant to agree. But after remembering the growth he amassed while at U.A. and wielding his Quirk to protect others, he grew the confidence to shake his hand.
"A-All right. I'll agree! Yes!" he shouted. Dr. Takashi smiled, wiping a brief tear from his eye.
"Thank you, Deku. I promise to not let you down. I swear." he replied. Just then, there came a knock at the door behind him. Izuku looked back to see Toshinori, Ochaco trying to hide her eavesdropping by casually whistling. A confident smirk lined his lips as she looked back.
"I had a feeling you would accept, young Midoriya." he said "In that case, don't forget these words. You have EARNED the right to wield One For All with your OWN hands. And you have the support from not just me…but also from the vestiges of the previous wielders, my master included." Izuku nodded, sharing a fist bump with his master. Ochaco then chimed in with her own fist, smiling brightly.
"You also have ME backing you up, Deku, as well as the rest of our class. We chipped in to get you that prized battlesuit…and we'll do it again if it means bringing back One For All." she said "After all, we've been a team since the beginning." Izuku then noticed Eri sneaking her hand in as well, her nod signifiying she wished to help as thanks for rescuing her and the motivational support to control Rewind.
"Thanks…you guys!" Izuku proclaimed, smiling purely with tears in his eyes.
"Remember! Go Beyond!" Toshinori shouted.
"PLUS ULTRA!" Ochaco and Izuku yelled in unison. From his bed, Kazuto watched on in silence. He was completely amazed by the number of people lending help to the hero that just saved his life.
"M-Mister….Deku…" he muttered.
TO BE CONTINUED…