Pain. There was so much pain swarming Izuku's body, crawling from head to toe. There's a throbbing pulse stabbing at his brain. It's stabbing all around. Izuku's side made it hurt to breathe. Of course, Izuku had to be a target. Why couldn't he be left alone and be normal for once? He shakes his head. Izuku shouldn't think like that. Except, maybe he should. If he hadn't run away from his problems, none of that would've happened. He's a coward.

Izuku can call himself all the names he wants, but he must tell All Might about the bus driver. Whatever he did to him, those few seconds felt like insanity.

The hospital room is quiet. The morning doves chirp their hymns as the sun sneaks into his room, basking him in a comfortable warmth. Bandage wraps are on every wound on Izuku's body. His arm was in a cast. He could feel numbing cream around his legs. The room was warm. It seemed like a hospital room but more furnished and home-like, with wooden floorboards and soft chision armchairs surrounding his bed. The room seemed to be made to bring comfort. Izuku doesn't know why a hospital room would require that as they are for patients to recover. It seemed more like a room for a V.I.P., which Izuku was not. Nor deserved or desired to be a V.I.P.

It was probably All Might's doing.

Izuku wonders how Inko is fairing. Is she angry? Most likely. And why wouldn't she? Izuku exploded during dinner because they told him to express his feelings. To think Izuku thought he was mature. But he's still a snot-nosed child. It's not like he doesn't want to open up. Izuku doesn't like to burden them. Inko has to be responsible for both Akane and him. Akane should focus solely on her schoolwork and not on him. No matter what her quirk senses.

Another thought peered through. Of course, Izuku can't do anything but think. Why did he see Itachi? His older brother. Was it a dream? Maybe not. Izuku suddenly found himself teleported outside the city. Then again, he ran far. Farther than he has ever run before. You could call it a fugue state. If it was a fugue state, it's the most violent one in recorded history.

Footsteps echoed down the halls. There are many—at least six people. One heavy man stepping harder than an elephant. You could tell it was a man by the way he stomped. He's rushing. The rest of the party quickly followed behind. By the way, their steps are uneven, and without rhythm, they can't keep up with the large man. Their voices are whispered. A couple of shushes and hushed arguing.

"All Might," he's here, "you can't rush in." the womanly voice cried softly. "You may be the number one hero, but without Sensei's permission, no one can enter."

All of their moment comes to a complete halt. "That boy is my responsibility. Under Law, I am his guardian. Are you telling me the guardian cannot see the boy? Is this how a hospital runs? By keeping families apart?" All Might says.

Family, Izuku thinks. All Might doesn't call the two of them family. Inko is also his guardian. But she doesn't heave around the fact they're family by law. Only All Might does. Of course, he only waves that fact around when it's convenient for him. All Might hasn't been family in a long time. But now—"I am here!" All Might slams the door open. The windows shake slightly. He used too much of his brute strength.

"Izuku, my boy, I'm glad you're alright. How are you doing?" his smile is wide like usual, grinning from ear to ear. His laughs are haughty. He looks over to the nurse. All Might give her a slight now before looking back to Izuku.

Izuku pauses briefly before responding," I'm doing fine, All Might." Izuku looks away toward the window. He could see the tops of lush trees brimming with activity. Leaves shake and fall off while birds zoom in and out. The wind crashes into the mighty tree.

The nurse outside is nervous. She bites her lip in anticipation, wondering what she should do. Izuku watches her slowly move away, closing the door behind her. He hopes no one else comes in.

All Might laughs once more before wiping the beaming smile off his face. "Now that we're alone," All Might strolls toward Izuku, grabbing one of the couch chairs lying about, setting it down next to Izuku's bed.

"What happened?" All Might's stare takes aback Izuku. It's like All Might is staring at a villain.

"I... I don't know," Izuku says. All Might raises an eyebrow. "What do you mean you don't know? My boy, you ran away. Inko called me to find you in the middle of the night. When I do find you, you're collapsed in a building knocked from its foundation. Dozens of people were murdered and burned to a crisp, and thousands in untold damage. Now explain to me, I don't know is not an answer." All Might's voice is stern.

"I understand that. I know I ran. But I'm telling the truth, All Might, I don't know. There was this dream. I saw my clan, the Uchihas. My brother. I was transported outside the city. There was this bus driver and a rampaging beast. They tried to kill me. It was too strong. Nothing could stop that hulking thing. For a second, I thought they cloned you."

"Cloned me?" All Might interrupts, "What do you mean you thought they cloned me? Izuku, my boy, you aren't making sense."

Izuku drops his head. "All Might, it was built like you—a monstrous version. It held no thoughts other than killing me. It was a force of nature. There's no other way to describe it. I don't know where it disappeared. But I think I'm being hunted. They knew I was a Uchiha and knew I had the Sharingan." Izuku's eyes glance up slightly to meet All Might's gaze. It was a worried look.

All Might stood from his chair and moved to the window, watching the tree dance. "You know Izuku, I was going to let you live your life as you want. I made you a promise to catch your clan's killer—to arrest your brother. But after the event of last night, I can no longer trust you to make your own decisions. You're going to UA as a general studies student, right?"

"Yes, All Might." Izuku stares at All Might with curiosity. "Why do you ask that?"

"Because Izuku, I don't think you're safe enough as a general studies student. I want you to be in the hero course where I and other teachers can watch you."

"What? How's that fair? You already won't let me go to a school of my choice, but now you won't let me choose my own study. You know that's bullshit, All Might." Izuku yells as he tries to get up from the hospital bed. All Might place a palm on Izuku's chest. His strength is on another level. A stinging pain envelops him.

All Might stands from the couch chair and returns it to its original position in the far corner. "I would say I'm sorry, Izuku, but this is for your own good."

All Might didn't look him in the eyes. What does he mean for his own good? Izuku doesn't believe him. Why does he have to go through the hero course? He's just as safe as in the general studies class. Every teacher in UA is a pro-hero. Are they going to make him become a hero?

Izuku looks into the window as he covers his eyes. Are they doing this because of his eyes? That's what All Might and the HPSC. To secure him on the hero's side. Yes, that's all the heroes want—the Sharingan.

Izuku slams his body into the bed. "It's all bullshit."

If only he didn't have these eyes. Izuku would rather be quirkless than suffer. It would be better if he hadn't been born at all.

The end table next to Izuku buzzes. He looks left, staring at his vibrating phone. It had to be his left. That side sat in a cast, quite unfortunate. But it didn't matter. Izuku's curiosity poked him to grab his phone. With a button push, his bed rose to a suitable angle where Izuku could hold his phone with the other arm. If Izuku was honest, it was too much work to get his phone when he could call a nurse to bring it. But a slight tingle in his brain gave him an optimistic pang.

Izuku reached as far as he could, twisting his waist and back as much as he could before his body cried. Only his fingers could reach. But it was enough. Izuku grabbed the ends of the phone with his middle finger and thumb. Izuku gave a small laugh of victory. He looked toward the notification,

AKANE sent you a message

Izuku's eyes stared at the screen for a second. Should he look at the message? What if she tells him she's disappointed? Or upset, or his actions make her cry again. Despite Izuku's worries, he took a look at the message.

Good morning, Big Brother!

How are you feeling?

I heard a building dropped on you, lol.

You kind of deserved it for being a jerk.

I hope you are feeling well.

Mom is worried sick, but she knows you're okay since you have always been strong.

Mom says when you come back, we're having katsudon, you're favorite.

When you come back, I found a show that you'll love.

It's about a guy who looks for his lost watch in a well and ends up in another world.

It has some lame character designs, but it looks really cool.

I hope we can watch it together.

Get well soon!

Izuku grinned. Of course, Akane sent him a message like that. It made him feel warm. A better feeling than the one All Might left him with. Izuku laid his phone on his chest, leveled his bed, and stared out to the window with a sense of catharsis.

It takes Izuku two weeks for the hospital to discharge. He still had a cast over his arm. It went big and bulky as it was back then, but it's still uncomfortable to move in. Yet, All Might still wants him to be a hero. Despite Izuku's many opinions, All Might is still hell-bent. He getting a teaching position at UA teaching hero basics like 101 class. Izuku wondered why the Number One Hero in Japan would want to teach a bunch of teenagers how to be a hero. What reason did he have? If All Might wasn't going to be a teacher, would he not be in his situation? Doesn't UA have an entrance exam as well? How will he get into UA when the entrance exam accepts less than 0.2% of examiners?

A car rolls up in front of him, a sleek, black four-door car. It was All Might. Except All Might drove in his tweaked form, which made him look like a sunken skeleton with long blond hair. His showing up irked Izuku. He thought Inko was going to pick him up. The front window rolls down.

"Good Afternoon, my boy," All Might says with a smile, "how are you feeling?"

It took Izuku a second to respond. He had a few weeks to consider his next conversation with All Might. He has a lot to say. There were strong words Izuku wanted to speak, yet "I'm doing good, Toshinori" was all that came out of Izuku. All Might taught Izuku to call him by his real name in public. Even in the afternoon, outside the hospital on a lazy Sunday, Izuku covered All Might's Identity. He didn't know how many ears were listening. After all, they have been watching Izuku for some time.

"Come in, my boy, come in, don't stand in the sun all day."

Izuku sighs and enters the car. "How are you feeling, Izuku?"

"Fine."

"Great." All Might said. He drives from the cul-de-sac into the street and onto a busy highway. Vehicles zoom in as the air makes a crashing sound, smashing on the side of the car. Izuku isn't fond of the noise. He'd rather have the sun warm his face and the wind blowing his hair than have the car keep the right vacuum.

"Izuku," All Might calls. Izuku doesn't answer.

"Izuku, how are you feeling?"

"Good."

"How was your morning?"

"It was well."

"Good, my boy."

"You know Izuku, it may not be in your interest to become a hero. You may hate me for forcing a future that you may not want, but to me and your family, you have to be safe. Inko and Akane are scared. I reassured them. You will never be in danger when I'm watching you. I'm not sure if my answer satisfied them. I will make sure you're safe. Hate me for a thousand years, but I'll be here for you. You know you could tell me anything, Izuku. I may not be a great caretaker. I'm always not there. I'm always away saving people and being a hero. I hope you know I am here for you. Just call me, you know?"

"I know."

"Good, my boy."

There was a pregnant pause. Izuku stared outside the window while All Might focus on the road before him. All Might didn't say anymore. Izuku felt uncomfortable in their car. All Might and he stopped talking altogether. He wants to get out of the car and into his room. Maybe a nice nap will clear his head.

As they come close to Inko's home, Izuku fidgets in his seat more than usual. "Are you excited to come home?"

"Maybe." Izuku immediately replied.

"It's fine Izuku, they're quite excited for your return. Especially your sister, Akane, that girl is restless. She reminds me of Inko when she was young. Truely the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." All Might laughs.

"Is that right?" Izuku said.

"Yes, my boy. But I think you should take it easy. What are you going when you get home?"

"Study. I'd rather sleep, but I have to study for the exam."

"Ah, that's right."

All Might halts te car just before the house. It's a quaint two-story home colored mint. There is some white showing where the grass touches the wall, but only Izuku can notice the white stripes. The front yard grass grows a little wild. Izuku's life looks toward his window.

It's hard being him, or so Izuku believes.