The grass crunched under his feet as he ran. Commotion could be heard behind him as Izuku Midoriya pushed a low tree branch out of the way, practically smacking himself in the face with it on the rebound. He was young had to be at least nine or ten. Shaking his head his big bush of green hair swayed to and fro, leaves falling out of it as he ran, a few stray sticks poking out of it. Stumbling a little he quickly caught himself, only staggering for a second before he continues his mad dash. The sound of multiple boys shouting could be heard gradually getting louder.
"Where did he go?"
"He's so fast for someone so short!"
"I think he went this way!"
Ignoring the shouts he ran under a tree, zipping from spot to spot to avoid being spotted.
He was almost home, only a few more blocks now and he was home free! He...
Turning a corner around a bush he found himself running straight into an arm, knocking him to the ground. Staring up at the blue sky two arms of a bigger boy wrapped around him, pulling him to his feet and holding him still against his chest. Izuku tried to kick his tiny feet in a vain attempt to get free of the boys hold but to no prevail.
The sound of multiple footsteps got closer and closer until the trees branches before him parted, Kacchan marching through it with a big stick he found walking around the little park they used to play at. Behind him a group of other boys following quickly behind him. Every once in a while he would swing it down on a low branch or random bush to show his dominance as he walked.
"Gotcha Deku." He smugly chuckled at him.
"L-let me go Kacchan!"
"Not until you learn your place!"
Shaking his head Izuku could feel tears start to form in his eyes. "I-I didn't do anything!"
"Oh no?" Spoke one of the other boys, walking forward from the group he smirked. In his hands was a notebook...his notebook. "What's this then?"
"H-hey! G-give that back!"
Ignoring his cries the boy tossed it to Kacchan which he easily caught before looking down at it with a frown. Opening it he turned a few pages before frowning even more, Izuku could tell that he was getting angrier after every paragraph he read.
"Hero notes for the future 5?" Kacchan angrily muttered to himself before tossing it to the ground. Raising a foot he brought it down on the flimsy notebook, grinding it into the dirt with her heel. "You're still trying to be a hero."
"K-Kachan it's n-not what it looks like!"
"It looks like you're not listening to me...AGAIN!"
He involuntarily flinched at his shout before shaking his head quickly, Izuku tried desperately to think of an excuse. "N-no! I wasn't! I was...I was!"
The entire time he was talking Kacchan was staring at the ground. Turning his head in thought he growled. "Let him go jumbo. I can deal with him."
The boy immediately let him go, Izuku falling to his knees from the force. Getting up slowly Izuku looked up to see that the other boys were now standing in a circle, Kacchan walking closer to him.
"K-kacchan please!"
"How many times do I have to tell you you can't be a hero until you get it through your thick skull?" Cracking his fist Kacchan frowned. "Whatever...I don't even need a quirk to show you your place."
Taking some steps back Izuku raised his hand, green embers moving along his fingers. "S-stay back!"
They paused for a split second before the circle of boys laughed at the display, their voices coming from all around him.
"What are you going to do with that Deku? Heal my cavities?"
Raised his arms in a poorly made guard, Kacchan's fist hit him clean in the stomach, knocking him to the ground.
That was the first time he was ever hit and boy did it sting.
Crumbling to the ground Izuku coughed, throat burning stomach aching. Curling up into a ball tears ran down his face. More laughter rang out around them.
"That's it? One hit and you crumble? You're pathetic Deku." Grabbing him by the hair he forced him to look up at his red burning eyes. "Let me say this again. All you will ever be is support for the people that really matter. That's all you can ever be."
Letting his head go he stood back up, t urning he continued his march. The other boys smirking at him before turning to follow after him.
Midoriya.
"But don't let it get to you too much! Every hero needs his fans. Who knows maybe one day you'll have the honor of healing my wounds."
Midoriya!
"Just hang in there! You'll make a cute nurse one day!"
MIDORIYA!
"Midoriya are you even listening to me?"
Opening his eyes he jerked his head, looking around the train in a hazy gaze. Eyes flickered over the packed train of young adults. The first thing he immediately picked up on was that a good chunk of them were watching him, annoyance evident in their eyes. Looking from person to person however he could see it wasn't all of them. A few of them looked amused however, one girl in the crowd staring back at him and giggling softly when he turned to her. Running a hand down along his face he wiped some drool from his lip before turning to his right to find the source of the voice and his best friend Itsuka Kendo. The seats bouncing in a slow hypnotic motion that he found almost peaceful, probably why he fell asleep...or he was just tired from training too hard.
Letting out a yawn Izuku Midoriya sat up a little, raising his arms in the air to give a big stretch. He was older, dressed in his high school's black uniform, a uniform that he had to have replaced multiple times because he kept outgrowing them. Normally buttoned up his was opened, a green t shirt peaking from underneath. Rolled up sleeves revealed thick, strong looking arms, faint scars tracing along his right hand. Thick curly green hair up top and a buzzed undercut beneath.
Just a dream. I haven't thought of that in a long time...
Looking out the window of the train he watched the skyline of buildings zip past, a moving horizon where the recent rising sun had just started to change the color of the sky to a beautiful blue. The morning sun shone against his face making him squint. Looking back at Kendo he stared.
She was wearing a different school uniform, her orange hair tied up into a long ponytail swaying lightly in the wind. A long jagged scar ran along her cheek, her arms crossed as she lightly tapped her foot.
Uh oh, whatever he missed made her angry, better fix it.
Giving her an easy smile he nodded. "Yes...I was drinking in every word you said."
Raising an eyebrow at him she continued to frown her hands going to her sides. "Oh really? What was I saying then?"
...
Ok if he was honest he wasn't listening at all. He was too busy thinking about...stuff. Shrugging he let out a sigh as he ran his fingers through the top fluff of his green hair.
"You were talking about how awesome you are...and to tell me to eat my veggies?" Almost instantly he winced when he felt the familiar feeling of her fist hitting his shoulder, not super hard but just hard enough to hurt. A couple chuckles could be heard around them as he rubbed it.
"Like I need to tell you that, I'm the coolest person you know." Jabbing a thumb at herself she smiled before thinking for a second. Her eyebrows raised in thought before looking back at him. "Ok fine I'll just ask. What's wrong?"
The mask didn't move, his head tilting slightly. "What makes you think something is wrong?"
Letting out a scoff she rolled her eyes before gesturing to him. "Because it's you. You may pretend to be all tough and strong now but you forget, I grew up with you. I know you're still that stuttering, anxious cry baby deep down."
Ok ouch, that was a little harsh...even if it's a little true. He could never completely fool her huh? No matter how much he tried to play it off she always worried about him. That's just the kind of person Kendo is he guessed.
Sighing he sagged a little in his seat before shrugging his shoulders casually. He made sure not to meet her eyes.
"I'm just feeling a little nervous. Happy now?"
"Always, it honestly feels great to be the one that constantly wins. You should try it sometime."
Huffing he waved her away with his arm before turning to stare out the window again, watching the city fly by.
To think it's been three years since he met Kendo. Just trying to think back on everything that happened within that time made his head want to spin. His mom suing Aldera into the ground. The big juicy settlement. Him transferring districts and being flung into a new school just to still get bullied. Signing up for karate classes. Meeting Kendo and practically getting adopted into a family of very protective gingers. All of the hardships in between...who would've guessed it all would lead to this. Taking a train to UA for their entrance exam with his best friend.
How time flies.
Snapping out of his thought process he felt Kendo pat his shoulder, slowly turning to look at her.
"Don't sweat it too much big guy." She said in a more gentle tone. "We've trained forever for this, all we can do now is go out there and kick ass."
Looking over at her he could feel a small genuine smile peek from behind the mask. "Yeah...you're always right."
"I know." She smiled back at him, raising her closed fist out to him. "Now what do you say, rivals?'
Returning the smile he leaned forward tapping her fist with his own.
"Yeah. Rivals."
The rest of the train ride to UA was pretty peaceful all things considered. Him and Kendo mostly quizzed each other on a few topics for the written part of the test to pass the time before devolving into other conversations. She was currently excitedly talking about the junker motorcycle she found at the dump and was ranting about how she was going to turn it into "the coolest bike ever" when he felt the train lurch to a stop. He could practically feel the nervousness in the air as everyone got up one at a time and formed a big line to get off. A wave of other students participating in the entrance exam flowing out in droves.
Letting out a breath he closed his eyes, his hand gripping the seat rest tightly before letting it go.
This was it. Now or never.
Stepping off of the train he looked up at the massive campus. The main building a sheer monolith practically blocking out the sun.
He remembered reading once that the main building of UA consisting of four long towers with bridges connecting the four of them together in the shape of a giant H. The rest of the campus consisted of smaller buildings scattered all around that were mostly used for separate classes and dorms. A long high wall stretching completely around the campus like the gate to a castle.
From what he heard the protection system was one of the finest in the world.
He had seen what UA looked like on tv since he was a child but even then he had no idea how BIG it truly was. How awe encompassing it was. Pictures simply did not do it justice, he couldn't even imagine how much money something like this would cost.
Following the large crowd down and off the train he gripped his day pass tightly to his chest as he walked through the gate, a soft ping sound ringing out followed by a green light telling him he was good to enter. Turning a corner with Kendo in tow he was a little surprised to find the place was already packed full of people. The train they were on was packed but there was even more people inside the campus. Groups of young adults from all walks of life talking amongst themselves and wandering about...it was a little intimidating.
So many people and only a few actually allowed into the hero course...
Feeling Kendo brush her shoulder against him she kept walking, looking over her shoulder for a second she raised her eyebrows at him before disappearing into the crowd of people.
Yeah she has the right idea. No point in psyching himself out.
With a shake of his head and a double palm slap to his cheeks he followed after her. Walking past some people and further onto the campus.
Kendo's bright orange hair stuck out like a sore thumb in the massive group of people making it easy to follow her. A plus to being on the taller side of things. Muttering excuse mes as he went he waded into the crowd, trying to be as polite as he could as he walked past.
Placing a hand on a woman's shoulders he gently smiled down at her before easing her out of the way, unaware of her blushing face as he moved past.
Moving across a wave of students he was unaware of a familiar group of eyes watching him from a far. A handful of girls stopping their conversation to stare. The group of punk rock girls wore all black spikey vest and were adorned with all kinds of buttons and patches. They looked so different then any other person that were in their high school's uniform.
Leaning against the railing to the stairs on an upper floor Yoshimura took in the sight of Midoriya, her tail swishing softly behind her.
Her voice was like a soothing purr as she spoke. "Oh my, is that Midoriya?"
He was here? Now?
Sitting up quickly Jirou put everything in her not to quickly look at where Yoshimura was looking. Instead she lazily turned her head, her eyes immediately zeroing in on his green hair. He looked so different now, taller and really strong looking yet radiated an aura of confidence and kindness even from here.
Next to her Yoshimura let out a small giggle as she tapped her long finger against her mouth.
"I know right!" Bouncing up next to her Sango took in the sight of him as well, her short bright blue hair constantly moving like it was in the wind. She watched him for a few minutes before letting out a sigh, flopping down next to Jirou to place her head in her lap. Waving her arms around she puffed out her cheeks. "I tried to flirt with him a few days ago and all he said was 'Sorry I don't spend time with bullies' but he didn't look like that before! It's not fair!"
It sounds like she got off easy all things considered...
Letting out a whistle Shika placed two hands on her hips. "Huh. Who knew the little guy had it in him."
She knew.
Leaning in she lightly elbowing Jirou's side. "Kyo girl, you used to be his friend before hanging out with us. Be a gal pal and put a good word in. I'm sure he misses you."
Looking over Midoriya's disappearing frame she felt a wave of sadness come over her before shaking her head. Getting up from her spot she started to head farther into the campus, her arms raising to rub at her neck. "Sorry girls, I'm pretty sure I'm in the same boat as the rest of you."
The sounds of disappointed boos from her girl friends could be heard behind her as they followed after. Unable to see the depressed look in Jirou's eyes.
Finally catching up to Kendo she smiled up at him for a second before looking back at one of the many UA maps that looked to be spread out about the campus grounds. Her eyes flickered across the screen before frowning.
"Looks like they're separating us based on school." Raising a finger she poked at where she was supposed to go before pointing to his school's meet up location. "Our meet up points are on opposite sides of the auditorium. Guess they plan on filing us in from different sides of the building to avoid over crowding."
Looking up at the map he frowned slightly before nodding, made sense. He was hoping to spend a little more time with Kendo, especially since she was helping to keep his anxiety in check, but splitting up looked to be unavoidable. Looking back down at her he was a little surprised to see that she was looking up at him like she could read his mind.
"You gonna be ok?"
"Me? You should worry about yourself. I hear the written test is pretty hard this year. Especially the math part."
He smirked as she went rigged for a second before letting out a huff. "Shut up. I'm great at math." Looking away she started to head off towards her group before turning to face him one last time. "See you on the other side."
Raising a hand he gave her a small wave as he watched her orange hair disappear amongst the waves of other classes. Lowering it slowly he sighed.
Great.
Turning to head where he was supposed to go he tried to hide his shaking hands in his pockets. He hates to admit it but stress was building way higher then he originally thought. He couldn't help but feel that people were staring at him wherever he went. Looking over his shoulder a couple people that he walked past quickly looked away to avoid eye contact.
Did he look that out of place?
So lost in his own thoughts Izuku wasn't looking where he was walking, walking straight into another potential classmate, both of them stumbling for a second before writing themselves. Izuku was so used to looking down he was surprised to find someone just as tall as he was. Staring back at him surprised through a pair of glasses was a young adult about his age. He was broad, cleanly cut blue hair parted to reveal strong looking blue eyes.
"Oh uh, my bad. Are you ok?"
The blue haired man stared at him for a second before raising a hand to cough into it. "Yes. I am alright. My apologies, I came early today in hopes to beat the crowd but I'm afraid I did not secede. I am in a bit of a hurry to make it to my designated entry point."
Huh. Talk about uptight.
"I get it, I'm kind of in the same boat. Sorry again for running into you."
"This is not a boat? It is a campus!"
...
"...what?"
The blue haired man paused for a second before blushing slightly. "I apologize. My brother always says it is best to break the ice with a joke. I may be a little nervous."
Blinking a few times at the odd man he couldn't help but let out a laugh.
"That's alright, I think everyone is a little nervous right now." Reaching a hand out he smiled. "I'm Izuku Midoriya."
Firmly taking his hand he shook it with a smile of his own.
"Tenya Iida. It has been a pleasure Midoriya but I must hurry to my spot post haste! Hopefully I will see you in there." Turning Iida quickly power walked off leaving Izuku alone again. "And don't forget to button up your school uniform! First impressions are important!"
He weirdly felt a little better. Shaking his head he turned to head back into the crowd to fight his way to his spot.
Kendo would probably get a kick out of that guy.
Leaving the test room Kyouka Jirou found herself funneled into another room down the hall. Signing a stack of papers and forms she was handed a piece of paper and then ushered into a seat with the rest of her school.
The second auditorium was just as massive. Seats lining along the room in the hundreds. Walking past a few people she saw around school she stopped at her designated seat before turning to stare at the person sitting next to her.
Oh my god. Are you fucking kidding me!?
It had been a long time since she's seen him, the last time was through squinting blurry tears in the rain.
Looking back at her with a smile he looked surprised for a second before smiling again. The smile looked different then she was used to, more strained.
Something twisted in her gut. Despite all of her avoidance and all of her efforts Izuku Midoriya stared back at her with his bright green eyes yet again.
They stared at each other for a long moment, she so desperately wanted to say anything to him but instead her mouth refused to move.
What do you even say? Sorry I abandoned you, I'm a terrible person? Hey good to see you again, how's back after I stabbed it? Man you're kind of hot now?
She could pretend like it never happened, like the two years of them not speaking was for no reason? But she knew that wouldn't work. She could beg on her hands and knees for forgiveness infront of all of these people?
No. She was too big of a coward to do that.
Before she could think about what to say Midoriya spoke first, giving her that same smile and a nod before looking back to the stage.
"Hello Jirou, good to see you."
...
This entire time she was so worried about seeing him again, about how he would yell at her and scream about how horrible a person she was. But what just happened...was somehow worse then him yelling.
This entire time she was so worried about how badly he would act if he ever saw her again she never once considered what she would do if he didn't yell or scream at all.
If instead he just met her with cold indifference.
The written part of the test wasn't too bad honestly. He was feeling anxious before the test and he had hit some snags here or there but overall the questions weren't terrible. He had been good at Math his entire life and Science was a memory thing more then anything. Izuku was so excited to see that Ectoplasm was holding the test this year he was half tempted to ask for an autograph...but he decided against it.
The bus he and a group of other students sat on rolled down the road. An uncomfortable silence hung over everyone's heads as they took the long drive to the testing sight. Present Mic said it would only take about fifteen to thirty minutes but the drive felt much longer then that. Rubbing a hand along his scarred hand he felt his anxiety spike with every bump in the road.
Slow deep breaths. Think about the situation strategically and don't dwell on the what ifs.
Fighting robots, because of course their test was fighting robots. The test couldn't have been something more physically possible for him huh? He was unsure how well he would even do against big chunks of metal, it's not like his quirk could help him in a fight...and then there was the whole thing about a mysterious secret robot that wasn't worth any points. Because he clearly didn't have enough to worry about.
Pulling up to a stop the buses sliding doors opened. Izuku found himself getting off of the bus and following the rest of the participants to a section with their number written on it, a long white line painted in the dirt a distance away from a massive door that he assumed was their entrance.
Walking to the front he toed the white line, his gaze flickering over the set up. Over the big wall he could see the tips of buildings that kind of reminded him of a construction site.
From his research most villain activity was within city lines. Dark alley ways and branching halls made it easy to sneak around from prying eyes.
His best guess was this was their way of replicating that.
Getting down into a wide fighting stance he punched forward his uniform swished with a rippling sound, his left arm going to his hip before punching forward again. Swinging his opposite arm forward the sleeve to his arm shifted with a crack. Each punch was an attempt to knock his anxieties away. It was something he learned at the Kendo's dojo. Doing katas helped him resurface himself, be more calm under high stress. Taking a deep breath he closed his eyes before standing up straight again, his fist cocked and held at his sides.
Opening his right hand he stared down at it, the rough callouses and net of twisting scars staring back at him.
How was he supposed to tear apart robots with his bare hands?
Frowning he felt the anxiety start to come back in full force. This was crazy, deep down he knew he couldn't do this. Maybe he could sneak away and just lie saying he got lost or something along the way...
The flash of a memory came to him.
Kendo was younger, her face bruised and her clothes dirty. Smiling big at him he saw that blood flowed down from an open wound on her cheek. With shaking knees she stood up, raising her bleeding hand out to him curled into a fist.
"We may not be amazing now but together...you and I can become the best heroes this world had ever seen."
Reaching a clenched fist forward he thrust it forward like he was fist bumping a memory. Opening his eyes his eyes flashed a bright green, a spark of green fire flashing from his mouth for a mere second.
No, he wasn't going to just give up. What was he doing? He was a Midoriya damnit! There are two things Midoriyas are known for in this world and that is crying way too much and never giving up!
He thought of his mom. The smiling Kendo family. His sensei.
Itsuka...
Marching forward to the line painted on the ground he unbuttoned his uniform. The two ends billowing in the wind as he punched his hand.
Not only is his mom cheering him on but he made a promise to Kendo. He had something to fight for. Time to prove everyone wrong.
Present Mic's voice could be heard deafening the tense silence.
"AND BEGIN!"
...
Everyone looked amongst each other confused. Heads shooting up and looking around before looking up at the sky. Izuku blinked a few times before turning around to stare up at the announcement tower a bit away.
Wait what? That was...very weirdly timed.
"WHY'S EVERYONE JUST STANDING AROUND STARING AT THE SKY LIKE A BUNCHA TURKEY'S!? Present Mic shouted back down at them. "THAT MEANS GO! YOU DON'T GET COUNT DOWNS IN REAL LIFE! GO GO GO!"
Whipping his head around to the big doors he was surprised to find that the door was already opened. A handful of other student's already running through the gate in a frenzied blitz. People ran past him in an attempt to join the moving crowd. Taking one final deep breath Izuku got down into a runner stance, muttered something under his breath and bolted into the growing chaos.
Izuku may not have a powerful flashy quirk like the rest of the people taking the test but he learned fairly quickly that he had something the others didnt...
He was physically fit.
After he was left behind by the rest of the class he was a little worried that he would not be able to catch up to them but was surprised to find that passing them was pretty easy. Being one of the last people in made it easier to avoid being corralled into the crowd all rushing the big doors at once.
Zipping past a bunch of other contestants he noticed that a good chunk of them were already out of breath, like most of them were not used to running at all. Running past a flying laser he noticed a one pointer off by the side. Running full speed at the smaller robot he flung all of his weight into it, toppling it over onto it's side before climbing onto it and slamming his elbow into it's face. Watching the neck snap upward it twitched a little before it stopped moving.
Not dwelling on the excitement that he got a point he rolled off of the robot before diving back into the fray. Ducking under a rocket he dived down a branching alley way out of the way of the big fight going on in the middle of the street, instead deciding to go pick off stragglers.
He may be stronger then some of them but even he couldn't out perform a student that can make sound waves or shoot lasers in terms of power.
The sounds of battle echoed around him as he ran, explosions going off left and right off in the distance. Every loud explosion was putting him on edge, his body jerking after ever big bang.
Guess I have some left over trauma with the whole Bakugo thing huh?
Shaking it off as best as he could he pushed his advance through the alley way, spotting a second one pointer running down a hallway. It didn't look like it saw him...
Jumping onto the back of it he wrapped a forearm around it's neck, wrenching it to the side before pulling it to the ground. The single wheel spun in place in a desperate attempt to free itself but to no prevail. Crashing his fist into it over and over he didn't stop hitting it until it stopped moving. Letting the limp body go he panted, running a hand along his sweaty face.
That was only two points and he was already a little out of breath...this may be a problem.
Rolling backwards against the blow his back hit the wall, his hand clutching his chest.
What the hell? That really hurt! Who the hell programmed these things to be so ruthless!?
Not finding a chance to breath he ducked under a second strike from its massive tail. Raising his fist it collided with cold harsh metal, his teeth gritting from the punch. Reeling back he hit it again, the metal bending under his fist this time before caving in. The massive frame of the two pointer collapsing into a pile of scraps before him.
Panting he looked down at his bleeding knuckles. That was only the fifteenth robot...he could take on the one pointers fairly easily but the two pointers and three pointers were a completely different story. The difference in size between the three types were crazy, three pointers were basically tanks!?
He could hear numbers being shouted all around him and they were way bigger then that. This wasn't working. He didn't seem to have time to process that information before another, much bigger three pointer came out of an alley way barreling at him like a bat out of hell. He was unable to avoid the screeching metal death trap, feeling it clipping against his shoulder before being fling back against another wall, knocking a trash can over in the process. Sitting up slowly he winced at a sharp pain in his shoulder, looking up he saw the three pointer start to back up slowly, turning to face him again.
"Oh common."
Grabbing at the trash can Izuku desperately flung it at the machine, covering it's three eyes for a second. Turning he started to run, bolting as fast as he could towards an incoming wall. The sound of metal screeching behind him told him it was getting close again. He could practically feel the tips of metal of the grill poking at his back. Sweat ran down his face as he ran, leaping at the wall he took a few steps up it before diving back over the massive tank like monster. Landing back onto his feet he wobbled slightly falling to one knee, watching as it ran face first into the wall, the brick wall cracking under the force.
Not giving it a chance to back up he ran up the back of it, climbing down to its face. Raising a fist he slammed it against one of the three red eyes on the massive machine, the glass of the eye cracking under each blow. After the fourth hit the glass shattered, the red eyes going dim before collapsing on the ground.
Letting out a harsh cough Izuku Midoriya slowly crawled off of the robot, rolling his shoulder before wincing. That little stunt really messed up his shoulder.
Great.
Leaning against the wall for support he walked down the alleyway. Following the sounds of destruction he wandered back into the street, his hand holding his injured shoulder. Standing in the entrance of the alley way he could see a bunch of other examines destroying robots like they were nothing.
A massive hairy beast tore threw one pointers with his bare hands, grabbing one by the waist he lifted it into the air before taking hold of it's head and wrenching it from it's body with a loud roar.
Running past him he watched Iida from early spin and slice a robot in half with his engine like legs, not even bothering to look behind him as he ran on.
A blonde haired man shot lasers out of a belt on his waist, ripping through a two pointer like it was nothing.
God, he was an idiot for thinking he could pull this off wasn't he? Of course the most sought after school in the country was going to weed out the weak ones. All of those years of training and it still didn't match the power of a quirk...
Watching a pink girl throw acid at a three pointer's eyes blinding it he wondered what it felt like to be born with such a power. Being able to blow away a robot with a laser or be able to run fast and kick a robot in half. Watching some of the other contestants destroy robots like they were no big deal all he could really do was let out a harsh self deprecating laugh.
I wonder what Kendo would say right now if she saw how pathetic I looked...
B O O M
The ground shook beneath him, his legs shaking in a vain attempt to stay up before falling to his knees. Gazing around he saw that everyone else was doing the same, a panicked look in their eyes as they tried to figure out what was going on.
"What the hell was that?"
Almost like it was answering his question the ground shook again. A series of bangs getting louder and louder as it got closer.
Placing his hand on a nearby wall he pulled himself to his feet, leaning against the wall for support. Turning the corner he saw it. His gaze starting at the wheel before looking up and up and up again.
A massive behemoth of a robot, its lumbering frame crushing the street as it went. The concrete cracking under the sheer weight of the thing. Smoke of destroyed debris covered the bottom of the robot like a smoke screen. Raising a massive fist Izuku watched in horror as the thing punched a hole in a building. The ground shook, the building falling apart under it's own weight.
...
What. The hell.
Izuku's heart skipped a beat at the sight. The thing was massive! As big as a building! Staring up at it people ran past him, attempting to get as far away from it as possible. Others seemed to dive down alleyways in a frantic move for more points.
What the hell was he doing? This was insane! There's no way that he could do anything against something like that. Watching it in awed terror it turned a corner before destroying a second building. Driving through the remains of the building as if it were just a speed bump It started to head down a street not even seeming to care about the ant sized people taking the test. This thing was going to kill someone.
Fear ran down his body, a feeling of fight or flight coursing through his veins. Flight won.
That is until he saw her. Turning to run from the monstrous machine a hint of brown caught his eye. A brunette woman face down on the street with a massive slab of rock on top of her. She didn't even make a sound. Her body limp and unmoving amongst the chaos of the battle field. She just laid there unconscious, a small pool of red forming around her head.
He froze, his eyes unable to leave her unmoving body. Time could've stopped or slowed around him for a solid minute and he would not have noticed. Shouts and screams erupted around him yet he did not move. All of the sound drowning out and only leaving the noise of the beating of his own heart. The machine was heading in her direction, maybe it didn't see her or maybe it just didn't care. His heart continued to race at the sight, his good arm clenching. He only really noticed he was walking towards it when a person shoulder checked him running past.
What the hell was he doing? There was a reason he wanted to be a hero.
Making a mad dash into the fray he stumbled into the smoke. Sliding to a halt at the unconscious girl he bent down, gripping under the large slab of rock. Closing his eyes his muscles tensed under the strain, his bad shoulder flaring up from the exertion. Letting it go he groaned, his hand rubbing at her bad shoulder.
Shit, again.
Trying to lift it a second time seemed to do just as little, he was too hurt right now. Not strong enough. If he still had his good shoulder he might be able to move this on his own.
Turning to look around he franticly looked for someone to help. His green eyes stopping at a familiar blue haired man with glasses. Iida was just...staring. He was obviously shell shocked. His eyes hazed over and wide.
"IIDA! DON'T JUST STAND THERE! HELP ME LIFT THIS!" Izuku screamed at him, panic in his voice.
That seemed to snap him out of it. The man shook his head before looking over at him nodding. His voice was loud as he weirdly enough saluted him. "R-right!"
Running towards him he settled next to Izuku, his hands going under the other side.
The zero pointer was way too close for his liking. The ground rattled as it got closer and closer. A rumbling so strong that it was shaking his bones.
With a third heave he felt the rock move, if only a little.
Yes common, almost there.
Screaming under the pain he tried a fourth time, pain rocketing through his shoulder. The shadow towering over them stretched as it got closer. Encompassing them in an overcast of dread. Staring at the ground he could see the stretching shadow getting closer and closer.
So this was it huh? Dying under a giant robot trying to save a girl? Honestly he could think of worse ways to go out.
Maybe life really does flash before your eyes right before you die...or maybe one of those blows gave him a concussion. But he thought about the past again.
A guidance counselor giving him THAT look when he said he wanted to be a hero. The teacher shaking his head before sliding him a job pamphlet for being a nurse.
The angry tear covered eyes of Kyouka as she spun around to glare at him. A group of girls watching them with amused looks on their faces.
A single, lone shot of Bakugo when they were still friends. Turning towards him he smiled, showing off that he just lost a single tooth.
Eyes shooting open he channeled all of that anger. All of that pain. And he screamed. His knees buckling as he strained to lift it. Tears prickling at his eyes.
If this really was the end...he was going to go out the same way he came in. Kicking and screaming.
"GOD DAMNIT!"
The rock moved, shifting and lifting under his grasp just to fall back down again.
He really thought that was the end for him, dying surrounded by strangers trying to do something everyone told him he couldnt. Well...if he did go out he's kind of glad he went out trying. Closing his eyes he accepted his fate.
The sound of footsteps running not away but towards them. Snapping his eyes open he turned just in time to watch a red spikey haired man run past. Red lightning covered his body as he knelt down and leapt into the air, soaring past him at an insane speed. His green hair shook with the force of his leap, wind parting around them. Reeling a fist back the mysterious man destroyed the zero pointer with a single punch. The head of the robot coming clean off, pieces of it shooting off of it's body. Chunks of robot fell around them as the zero pointer toppled backwards with an earth shaking bang. The red haired man falling from the sky and collapsing in the horizon.
Oh god he hoped he was ok.
Over the intercoms a buzzer went off. The few remaining robots immediately stopping in place before shutting down.
Guess that's it for the test.
Turning in time he watched a third guy with crazy purple hair run up. His tired eyes stared at him before leaning down and wordlessly helping them lift. With a third person they were finally able to get the rock off of her, sliding her out into the open. Izuku immediately checked her palm for a pulse, relieved to find that she still had one. It was there...just really faint. Channeling the medic classes he took a year ago he checked her over.
It looks like she for the most part has a messed up ankle, hip, and the back of her head is split open.
"Is she dead?" Grumbled the purple man, his eyes looking her over.
"Bite your tongue! There is no way such a prestigious school such as UA would allow someone to die on their grounds. We need to get her to a hospital tent! I saw them on the way in, they should surely help us." Bellowed Tenya Iida, turning to shout at the tired man only for the tired man to stare back at him unblinking.
"I don't know...we did sign wavers on the way in."
Tuning their argument out he sighed, the faded sound of their voices bickering behind him. Looking down at his hand he closed his eyes. Focusing on the warmth coursing through his body he focused it down to his closed hand, imagining the flame. Opening his hand with a pop, a jade flame sparking across it before covering his hand. Not turning around he reached his hand forward as he spoke, the other two staring at him with wide eyed stares.
"There's no need, I've got it."
Running his burning hand over her ankle he took a deep breath. Focusing on the static coursing through her he took hold of it and pulled it towards him, absorbing it into himself. Sliding his hand farther up his flaming fingers danced along her hip caressing it for a second to do the same thing before moving up again. Sitting her up slowly he leaned in close, his head pressing against hers as his hand went over the injury at the back of her head. One deep breath in he pulled the hand away, revealing the injury completely healed. Speaking the words like a mantra he whispered it to her.
"It's going to be ok...because I am here."
It's safe to say that Ochako Uraraka was not having a good day. Leaving her folks over a month ago to move to the big city was probably one of the hardest thing she had ever done. There was a lot of crying during their goodbyes but they told her repeatedly how proud of her they were. It hurt, it was painful, but she knew it was for the best.
The sooner she becomes an amazing hero the sooner she could go home and save her family from back breaking labor after all. Heading into town she was thinking about all of the things she was going to shower her family with when she came across her first road bump on her journey.
The place her parents rented out for her was not the best...sure it was close to UA and sure it also had a kinda comfy bed but it was so small! No kitchen in sight and a small closet for a bathroom. The bathroom didn't even have a light!?
She's never been super picky about what her parents could afford but even she was a little put off from the whole thing.
But that's fine right? Just gives her more of a reason to succeed. All she had to do was get into the hero course and she would be able to live on campus rent free!
Then came the second road bump...she had no idea so many people were shooting for UA! Staring at the massive crowd of people made her stomach twist and jump around like a dog doing tricks.
She had never seen so many people in her life! Was half of japan trying to get into UA's hero course!?
Channeling all of her courage she could muster she pushed on to the campus grounds and joined the wave of hero hopefuls. She put all of her late night studying to good use, challenging every test with all of the attitude and spunk of a country girl!
All that was left was the physical test. Beat up a bunch of robots, go home and eat celebratory mochi. Easy right?
Then here comes big road bump number three. AND SHE DOES MEAN BIG.
A massive robot the size of which she has never seen! It's no wonder Present Mic said to leave it alone!?
But sadly with giant robots there also came giant chunks of rock. The last thing Uraraka saw was the giant robot punching a building and then...darkness.
Was that it then? One mistake and she ended up dead? That hardly seemed fair...but she supposes life was never fair for her.
From the darkness she saw a flickering flame. A green light in the distance, a small drop of warmth in a very cold world.
She felt a wave of pain against the back of her head, a throbbing kind of hurt that made her toes want to curl and then...nothing. A numbing sensation that slowly gave way to a light that seemed to get brighter and brighter...the last thing she heard was a gentle voice that put her at peace.
"It's going to be ok...because I am here."
Eyes flickering open, her hazy mind immediately thought of one thing. Everything was blurry, like looking through a grainy filter. Blinking a few times her vision started to come back to her, colors shifting and moving around her before it started to focus. Blinking a few times the first thing she truly saw was a young man.
He was about her age, with bushy green hair up top, an undercut hiding beneath. Bright beautiful green eyes stared back at her, shifting jade green like an emerald she saw once. The sun was shining against the back of his head giving him an other worldly golden glow. She also thought she saw cute freckles on his face but it was hard to tell right now.
Did she die?
Coughing a few times she attempted to speak, her mouth opening to weakly ask. "Are you an angel?"
The angel stared at her confused for a second before letting out a soft laugh. His laugh was so nice she couldn't help but let out a weak giggle as well. Shaking his head his green hair swayed bobbing with the motion. Setting her back down on the ground, he smiled gentle down at her.
With the small amount of energy left in her body she turned her head to see the buildings of the test exam in the background, more information slowly coming into focus in her tired haze filled brain.
She really wasn't dead? She somehow survived a giant rock?
Looking back at the smiling man he was currently checking her for more injuries, lifting her arm to look at it before scanning the rest of her body. Heat ran up her face as he checked her out before he pulled away.
If she truly wasn't dead she wanted to know his name. Opening her mouth to ask another question he cut her off.
"No sorry, you're not dead just yet. Just be careful when first standing up, you're going to be out of it for a bit. Walking is going to feel weird."
Getting back up to his feet he turned to two other people to talk to them, their faces were blurry and hard to make out from where she was laying. "She should be ok now but can you watch her for me? I'm going to make sure no one else is seriously hurt."
An unknown voice responded. It was loud, making her squint. "Of course! We will make sure she gets properly checked out!"
Nodding at them her angel stood back up and started to walk away.
No wait, please come back. Tell me your name.
She tried to speak but nothing came out, her mouth hanging open desperate to call out to him.
Wait come back, do you like mochi? We, we can go get mochi! Her treat!
His green curly hair stood out amongst most people as he walked out of sight.
Whoever he was she hoped he got in so she could thank him properly. Her eyes slowly closed as she suddenly felt really tired. Once again she went back into darkness except this time she was filled with a calming warmth. Soon sleep found her, embracing her in a deep sleep.
She dreamed of curly hair, freckles and kind green eyes.
Heading towards where he saw him last he limped a little as he went. Coughing black smoke came from his mouth as he looked around. It didn't help that the pain of the girls ankle and hip was added onto his messed up shoulder. He's surprised he could even walk around right now.
"C'mon, where did you go mystery man?"
Looking over the wreckage of the destroyed robot he found him. The red haired man was laying on his back, slowly sitting up to rub at his hand.
Oh good, he was ok.
Waddling over to him he called out, hoping not to spook him. "Hey! You ok over there?"
Standing up the mysterious man looked over to him and smiled to reveal rows of sharp jagged teeth. Waving his hand he spoke. "Hey dude, yeah I'm ok."
Sure enough the guy looked basically ok, his hand was covered in a type of armor that was broken and flaking off but injury wise he looked ok, from the looks of it he looks like he might've sprained his hand.
Interesting. So he could cover himself in armor and then destroy it for explosive power? That sounds really useful, he could jump between the two depending on the situation.
Shaking his head to stop himself going on a tangent he smiled. "That's good, you saved us back there and I don't know what I would've done if you weren't ok."
"Yeah man! I saw that manly display back there and I just had to help. You were super cool dude."
Blinking a few times he tilted his head a little.
Manly? Dude? Oh my god...he's a himbo.
Smiling he reached his good hand out to him. "Izuku Midoriya."
The red haired man smiled wide with rows of shark like teeth before taking his hand and shaking it. "Eijiro Kirishima."
Chuckling he returned the smile. Glad it was all over.
A pulse of pain went through him making him grown.
No never mind, it's not all over.
He was already in so much pain. On top of that he also took that woman's pain as well...and it was all coming back to him in waves. Swaying a little he fell back onto the ground staring up at the sky. Exhaustion quickly came over him, his eyes were already starting to close. Through his blurry vision he could see Kirishima screaming questions at him, shaking him with his hands. That's not what you do to someone who just collapsed...
He was going about this all wrong but he was clearly worried for him...he seemed like a nice guy.
Even though his power seemed bullshit.
Notes:
That's another chapter in the bag!
We're now at UA. Izuku had a little hard time punching robots with his bare hands cause well...robot. Even if they were built to be destroyed they're still metal. How Hagakure got in in canon is beyond me.
Also surprise! Kirishima has One for All. I just think it'd be a fun change in the story. Before you say stuff like "but isn't that gonna shorten his life?" I honestly hate that in canon so its not a thing in this story. Otherwise only like...3 people in all of My Hero could use One for All and that's no fun.
