Chapter 1: The World Ends With You
- MUSUTAFU, CITY STREETS -
Heavy footsteps trudge through the streets of Musutafu. Each step beats at a slow down-cast pace fighting against the up-beat atmosphere of the city. A pair of thick, red shoes continue on through this daily song and dance. The rest of the world seems to dodge or avoid the one going counter to them.
A tired sigh escapes the lips of a young man. His fluffy green hair hangs low over his eyes. His large eyes, which once had a spark of life and innocence, of dreams and aspirations, now seem empty and dull. His most distinctive feature, a set of four freckles on each cheek set in a diamond pattern, were covered by dirt and dried tears.
"W-why? Why can't I do more?" The young man whispers out.
His middle-school uniform is dirty, tattered, and covered with small burn marks across it. Another one ruined. Won't be the last one either. Through the damage, you can see the beginnings of an athletic build on the young man from the time and effort he put into working out when he could. A yellow backpack hangs loosely off of his shoulder. Thankfully unscathed. A large pair of red headphones hangs around his neck. He raises a hand as he touches the left side of them, reminding himself that they are still there.
"At least I kept these in my bag this time... Took a while to be able to replace the last pair," he mutters. He continues to look to the ground, avoiding the people around him as some look at him with concern, others seem to avoid him just as much as he avoids them, and others don't seem to even notice him there.
Midoriya Izuku, a 14-year-old student of Aldera Middle School, had recently just been on the receiving end of what his classmates call a "reminder of his place." Or that's what they justify it as. In reality, he saw them harassing someone and he decided to step in. Again, just like always. After all, what sort of hero doesn't stand up for others? He helped the person get away at the cost of becoming the new punching bag.
Some part of him was impressed though. He managed to get a few hits in. Those self-defense classes helped.
But sometimes that just meant the others had to be a bit rougher with the lesson.
Quirks were used. Because of course they were. Eighty percent of the whole world is full of people with unique abilities after the first Quirk appeared over a hundred years ago. To the amazing and the mundane, almost everyone had one that could be used. Some used their abilities for themselves and causing problems for others, while others used their gift to help those around them.
Thus the world of heroes and villains was born out of that chaotic start.
Izuku had a Quirk. However, it didn't seem to be useful for anything. Or, could be used at all. He was reminded of that fact by everyone.
At the age of four, when most Quirks develop in children, his Quirk didn't. His mother, Midoriya Inko, was concerned for him as the days passed. She had seen his emotions clear as day on his face. Where he was happy others got their Quirks, much to his own excitement to look at them and learn all he could about them, he couldn't hide his sadness or frustration when his Quirk didn't come in. His best friend got his Quirk and was being praised constantly for how powerful it was. How his friend could be a hero. A great hero.
Izuku, however, had to sit on the sidelines watching others show off how unique they were.
When they were able to finally make it to a Quirk Doctor, that sadness seemed to vanish when he learned he did have a Quirk. The problem was that not even the doctor knew what to make of it.
"Well, I can say your son does have a Quirk. We ran every test and he does have a Quirk factor within him. The only real oddity is his pinky toe having an extra joint, but that just means he will have a hard time finding comfortable shoes," The doctor chuckled briefly before continuing, "I do need to confirm some things, what are yours and your husband's Quirks Mrs. Midoriya?"
"Well, I have a minor Telekinesis Quirk, though that only lets me attract small objects to myself. My husband, Hisashi, has a Fire Breathing Quirk," Inko turned to look at her son, smiling softly as she saw him nodding along with stars in his eyes as she talked about her and her husband's Quirks. She fondly remembered how much Izuku would imitate Hisashi, trying to breathe fire like him when he was home from work.
"Hmm," The doctor hummed as he looked through the documents he brought in with him, flipping back and forth between the papers in the folder making sure he hadn't missed anything. "The reason I ask is because normally Quirks get passed down or sometimes evolve characteristics from parents to their children. It's why sometimes a child's Quirk is stronger than their parent's or sometimes is similar, but different."
"Like Kacchan's!" Izuku exclaimed excitedly, bouncing in his seat, "He said his Quirk was a mix of his mom and dad's. That their Quirks came together and made his work."
The doctor nodded along, "That is a good example, young man." Izuku smiles brightly at the doctor. "Izuku here seems to be a different case. Where most children gain a Quirk based on their parents, or even their grandparents, Izuku is the opposite. His Quirk is totally different from yours or your husband's. It seems to be an emitter-type Quirk of some kind and it is stockpiling energy, but it needs a special trigger for it to activate," the doctor explained to the pair of verdettes.
Inko expressed her concerns as Izuku was trying to figure out what the doctor meant on his own, albeit with a mutter storm of verbal thoughts. "What do you mean doctor?" She asked.
The doctor took his time to respond, carefully going over his words in his mind. After a moment he answered. "Izuku's Quirk requires something specific for it to work. There are some Quirks that do need a specialized support item to help a person use them or protect them should their Quirks get uncontrollable, like say a pair of sunglasses for Quirks that help a person with a Quirk tied to their vision. It could prevent them from straining their eyes or could allow them to see things normally. The issue is what Izuku needs specifically," the doctor finished, giving Inko the time to take in what he said.
After a moment of understanding Inko questioned further, "What exactly would he need?"
'If it was simple support gear that shouldn't be too hard to get,' she thought.
"It's not even a support item. His Quirk is stable and won't cause him issues otherwise I would tell you. What I can't tell you is exactly what it is he needs, which is rare that we don't know. I just know he needs something to use that stockpiled energy. At best, experiment safely with anything you think could be the activation trigger. The few people who do need something like Izuku does, do say that they feel something within their Quirk letting them know they found their activator." The doctor rubbed his temples as he explained the issue. This Quirk was a mystery to him and just thinking about it was a hassle.
Silence filled the room. The doctor was still contemplating the boy's Quirk. Inko started to worry about her son. She had begun to notice how the other children were treating him. If they weren't able to learn more about his Quirk or how to activate it, she was concerned about how he would continue to be treated in the future.
The boy in question though, only worried about one thing, "Can... Can I be a hero with it?"
The two adults looked at the boy. The doctor thought about it for a moment before he responded, "Once you figure it out, you could be. You have to decide that yourself."
Izuku with a serious look in his eyes, gave a simple nod. "Then I'll figure it out. And when I do, I will be a hero like All Might!" He proudly proclaimed, pumping his fist into the air.
Inko could only smile at her son. She still had her worries -what mother wouldn't- but her son had a dream and she would do her best to support it. She brought her son into a side hug, causing his smile to grow even brighter. "Then let's figure it out together, Izuku. Two minds are better than one."
The doctor watched the mother and son as they had their moment and gathered up Izuku's documents. Waiting until they finished, the doctor spoke up again, getting their attention. "I will go ahead and get his Quirk registry updated. I will also put in a note about his Quirk's name. It will be listed as 'Stockpiler' in the meantime, and once he figures out how to activate his Quirk, you will be able to get it changed later. You will just need to fill out some forms either here or at another Quirk doctor's office."
Inko and Izuku got up from their chairs ready to leave. Taking her copy of the documents the doctor brought in, she gave him a small, grateful bow. "Thank you for your time doctor." She turned to her son and nudged him to do the same. "What do you say, Izuku?"
"Thank you, doctor!"
That was when most things started to go downhill.
Despite having proof of a Quirk, unless he showed it off most of the other kids didn't believe him. Some ignored him while others started calling him a liar. Some of the worst ones were the kids who said he was Quirkless. It didn't stop him though. He still dreamed of being a hero despite it all.
But things only seemed to get even worse.
His former best friend, Bakugo Katsuki began to spearhead the efforts to make fun of him and his dream. Bakugo began to place himself at the top of all things by his own words, it's where Izuku belongs. He was the best, and he was sure to make Izuku remember that every day of his life.
After all, Izuku's Quirk was nothing compared to his.
Izuku's was useless.
That made him useless. A Deku.
Despite it all, Izuku held his head high. He knew he had a Quirk. It was just up to him to figure it out. And he tried everything. If it wasn't a support item that he needed he tried anything he could get his hands on. From sticks to toy swords, balls to toy guns. Anything was tried to use that stockpiled energy he had. But nothing worked. And it started to wear him down.
It came to a head one day.
Izuku hadn't left his room. And Inko was worried. After some coaxing, she was able to get him to leave his room and decided to try and lift his spirits. She turned on the family computer and pulled up the video she knew would better his mood. His favorite video of All Might. And it worked, for the most part. She saw his mood improve but could see some of that moroseness linger. It wasn't until she heard him ask a question that she would know what had him so down.
Through shaky tears he asked her an important question. "M-mom, can I s-still be a hero, l-like All Might?"
Inko could only look at her son with concern. She wanted him to be safe. But she knew his dream was to be a hero. And to look at her son who was slowly losing sight of that dream, hurt her.
"Izuku..." She wrapped her son into a warm hug. "I know it seems like a dream for now, but if you want to be a hero..." She paused to make sure Izuku was paying attention, "You will have to work hard. I know you will be the greatest hero out there if you do. Don't let anyone else say otherwise."
Izuku smiled as his mom pulled him into a tighter hug, laughter filling their apartment.
From there, things changed for better and worse.
His mom helped as best she could. She knew about the bullying he suffered, Izuku didn't hide it, but he did hide how bad it was. He couldn't tell her that Bakugo Katsuki was his main tormentor. Their moms were friends, he didn't want her to lose her friend because he lost his.
Izuku finally learned to stop calling Bakugo that word. Part of him even tried to justify Katsuki's actions to some degree, but the Kacchan he once knew was no longer there. Izuku wanted to hope he was though. That Bakugo would completely turn around and be his friend again.
But that was just a wish.
As time went on, things had gotten worse. Izuku would come home bruised up, with ruined clothes, cuts, and scratches. All it did was make his mom worry more. More than once the house flooded due to the mysterious secondary Quirk of a tearful Midoriya. Izuku was tired of it, but it didn't stop him. He asked about learning martial arts of some kind. After all, a hero needed to know how to fight. He argued his points with his mom, using everything he could think of to get her to side with him on it. She had finally agreed after several hours of debate.
And it helped. Somewhat. The skills he learned kept some of the minor bullies away and made some of the worst ones wonder if it was worth the effort to mess with him. Or it could have been the bruises they received from Izuku in turn... probably the bruises.
Izuku did make sure he could throw a mean right hook. It didn't stop all of them, and oftentimes it would make things worse for Izuku. Especially when he came to the defense of someone else. Bakugo was sure to make his opinion clear on that matter. Painfully.
It was only a year ago when Izuku finally made some headway on his Quirk.
The freckled young man smiled softly as he remembered that day. As Izuku and his mom were out shopping one day, he decided to stop by a hero merch store to see if there was anything new that caught his eye. Mainly any new All Might merchandise.
As he was looking through the store's stock, he stopped at a small jar. It was filled to the brim with pins, each showing off well-known heroes, a few who were starting to make a splash on the hero scene, and even some veteran heroes. As Izuku dug through the multitude of merch something inside him hummed.
For the first time, Izuku had felt his Quirk, although it still seemed distant, like it was too far out of his reach. It was there, though.
All throughout the year, Izuku bought pins of all kinds. Hero pins, brand pins, and even the most random pin. Each one gave him that small hum he felt, but none of them gave him something more. His Quirk was still out of his reach.
Izuku let out a drawn-out sigh, his right hand gripping tightly around several small objects in his grasp. He spotted a trash can nearby and started making his way to it. As he moved, he brought up his hand and stared his palm, getting one last look at a set of broken pins. There was nothing else to do then to thrown them away.
With the deed done, Izuku carried on. Another failure trying to activate his Quirk left to be forgotten like all the others. As he walked down the street he put on his headphones and began playing music to drown out the world around him. It helped him forget how tired he was of it all.
How close he was to giving up.
'Maybe it won't be a bad idea to take the scenic route home?' He thought. After a quick message to his mom letting her know he would be late getting home, Izuku started his lonely trek through the city. He didn't know where he was going but he didn't worry about it. He just needed to clear his head. 'Might even get to see some heroes in action. They haven't ruined my analysis notebook... Yet.'
As the beat of the song began to pick up, Izuku was lost in his own world. Winding through the city streets and back alleys, he began to hold his head up higher. Bobbing to the rhythm, walking in step with the notes and drums. He hummed along with the lyrics as they appeared, filling his heart with a serene emotion. Song after song it continued. Even as the evening sun began to set over the horizon he didn't stop, Izuku didn't slow down.
That was until he came across a city park. Something caught his eye.
Izuku stopped in his tracks, his music seeming to end and fade out as his attention was elsewhere.
On a wall was a street mural. Colorful graffiti covered almost every inch of the stone wall that was its canvas. Seemingly random lines flowed to and fro from its center. Gold rays spread out like a sun, highlighting a figure he knew all too well. All Might. Right in the center was a stylistic All Might with his bright and ever-present smile and larger-than-life hero standing proud. He was depicted with his hand held out with a ball of energy, if Izuku had to guess, glowing brightly in a multitude of colors out of his palm. The only other thing that seemed to draw his focus was that of a black cat with a cross and star for eyes that made its presence known among the mish-mash of graphics and images.
Izuku slowly took off his headphones and placed them around his neck. He stood in awe of the mural as it seemed to call out to him. In his deep state of sadness and loneliness, his frustrations and failures were forgotten as it seemed to revitalize him. To see his hero in such a way that even then he could hear his catchphrase.
I AM HERE.
He didn't know when he started to move closer. Not until he noticed he had his hand outstretched and touching the ball of energy. He smiled. He felt like All Might was there with him at this moment helping him stand back up again, telling him to not give up. And that ball of light seemed to be a torch passing on to him. He just had to reach out and grab it.
"So, enjoying the artwork I see."
Izuku jumped back, startled by the voice that made its presence known. He quickly scanned the area around him when he finally noticed a man standing near him. He was looking at the mural as well but Izuku could make out the smirk on the man's face. Seems he got a small laugh out of Izuku's skittishness.
The man was taller than Izuku, about a foot or so. His black hair cut short with it being a tad messy, the front of it slicked up. A light stubble of facial hair lined his lower face with a pair of sunglasses sitting just under his eyes. He wore a white button-up shirt with the top buttons left open and his sleeves rolled up. A dark gray vest worn over the shirt and a silver watch on his left wrist completed the look. Slim, black pants led to the only thing that contrasted the whole look, a pair of black sandals seemed to clash with it all.
"O-oh. Y-yeah," Izuku weakly replied before he returned his attention to the mural. "Something about it, just kinda speaks to me I-I think."
"You just think or do you feel it? A big difference in how that message gets across based on your answer there," the man replied, turning his head to look at Izuku. "What do you feel like it's sayin'?"
Izuku paused. He focused on the mural while really thinking about his answer. Or, started to feel for his answer.
"It feels like All Might's passing the torch in a way or maybe letting people know that they're safe. I... I want to be a hero like him. A-always wanted to be one ever since I first saw All Might's debut. To see this, it's like All Might is saying, 'It's my turn now'. B-b-but that's just what I feel," Izuku turned to look at the man. He didn't know a lot about art, aside from the various hero merch covering nearly every inch of his room or the pictures of heroes he drew for his analysis journals. He was kind of hoping his answer was the correct one, if there ever was one for art.
The man hummed in response. He returned his focus to the mural and rubbed his chin in thought. After a few seconds, he responded. "I think that's a good interpretation. Art will always have two kinds of those. One is definite, the other is more open."
Izuku couldn't hide the confused expression on his face after hearing that. "What do you mean?" He asked, curious about the man's thought process.
"Easy," the man said with a shrug before gesturing to the mural. "The definite interpretation comes from the artist. After all, they know what they're making. They know what message they want to get across in what they make. Pictures, paintings, poems, stories, music... They all have that," He turned to face Izuku again. "The second interpretation is from everyone else. You can find a meaning in something, and someone else can see the same thing you see but find a completely different meaning than what you did." He chuckled as he continued. "Even if the artist specifically tells someone, 'This is what I meant', you can't stop people from feeling what they feel. For finding their own meaning in something."
Izuku took in what the man said and looked back at the mural. It made sense to him. He thought about himself and Bakugo. They both wanted to be heroes, but it seemed like they had two very different ideas of what a hero was to them. Bakugo wanted to be the best, to never lose. Izuku just wanted to help people, to let them know that they were safe because he was there.
He was brought out of his thoughts when the man addressed him again. "So I gotta ask. Are you alright, Phones? You look like you have been through quite the scrap." He raised his hand as he gestured to the more notable signs of scrapes, cuts, and bumps on Izuku.
Izuku tilted his head at the man in confusion. "Phones?"
The man chuckled again, "Don't really know your name so just calling you something in the meantime." The man pointed at the headphones around Izuku's neck. "Your headphones stuck out the most."
Izuku's eyes widened at what the man said. "O-oh! Sorry. I'm Midoriya Izuku. P-pleased to meet you, sir." Izuku said, giving the man a bow.
The man waved a hand at Izuku, getting the freckled young man to rise. "Name's Hanekoma Sanae. You can call me Mr. H, though. I don't care too much about formalities." A moment of silence filled the air as Izuku began to relax, if only a little. "So... Are you alright, Phones?"
Izuku seemed to pout a little at Mr. H's continued use of his new nickname, even hearing the man chuckle a bit as he did, but Izuku thought it was better than everything else he has been called. He paused, though, wondering if it would be alright to unload his problems to someone else, even if they asked to know. 'It couldn't hurt to vent a little, right?'
"J-just... just a rough day today. It's not the first time though. Won't be the last." Izuku let the response hang in the air as Mr. H listened, intent on letting Izuku speak. "Just dealing with life I guess. T-there were some guys at my school and they were harassing another student because of his Quirk. I happened to walk by and... a-and I couldn't just stand there. Someone was in trouble and I-I just wanted to help."
"And so they decided you got in their way I'm guessing," Mr. H said, picking up the pieces from Izuku's tale.
"Y-yeah." Izuku looked down at the ground. Talking seemed to help, but it still hurt to recount what happened. What always happened.. The reminder that he wanted to be a hero but life seemed to want to make it near impossible for him. How can he be one if he couldn't save someone... Or even himself?
Mr. H watched as Izuku struggled with his feelings on the matter. He let the kid mull over it all before he spoke up. "You said this isn't the first time it's happened, yeah? So this is just a usual thing?" Izuku nodded. Mr. H hummed in thought. "And yet you still get back up, right?" Mr. H turned to face Izuku, who slowly lifted his head to meet Mr. H's gaze. "I think that you are on the right path to being a hero already, Phones. It must be hard, having to deal with that. But you do and each time you get back up. I think that's one of the better qualities of a great hero."
Izuku could only stare at Mr. H. Aside from his mom, no one else thought he could be a hero. They mocked him constantly, reminding him that he was either a liar about his Quirk or that his Quirk was useless since it couldn't be used. But here, someone, a complete stranger, told him that he had the qualities to be a great hero. Not because of a Quirk, but just from being able to take what life dished out and standing right back up.
But even then, Izuku's insecurities rose up to quell any happiness he felt from the moment.
"B-but, my Quirk is u-useless. I-I can't even use it..." It was a quiet declaration on his part, barely audible, but Mr. H heard him all the same.
"And? Quirks just happen to be one aspect of a person, Phones. You can have the greatest Quirk in the world, but that doesn't make you a hero. It's how you use that power you are given that makes you one." Mr H. turned fully to face Izuku, wanting to make sure the message stuck with him. He lightly poked Izuku's chest to drive the point home. "So tell me, why do you want to be a hero?"
The fluffy-haired verdette stared at the man, awed by his words. Izuku knew why he wanted to be a hero, and there was no hesitation in his response. "I want people to feel safe knowing I'm there for them. I want them to see me with a smile on my face knowing I can face anything, just like All Might! I want to inspire them to be heroes, just like All Might did for me!" Izuku turned to face the mural again. That was the real feeling he got from it. Just like the words he got from Mr. H.
He can be a hero.
Mr. H could only smile at the kid in front of him. Gone was the stutter, the hesitation, and the doubt. All that stood there was the conviction and drive to do good. "Will you have any regrets chasing this dream?"
"No sir!" Izuku turned to face Mr. H again. His eyes filled with determination to achieve what he set out for. What was once dull was full of life again, Izuku's emerald green eyes seemingly sparkled in the light of the setting sun.
Mr. H smirked once more. "Good. Keep your head held high, Phones. Work hard for this dream. Only you can achieve it." He paused and thought a bit before continuing, "I think you should consider what a hero is. To the rest of Japan, and the world for that matter, it seems to be a job. It shouldn't be. Being a hero isn't just a job, it's a calling. Anyone can be a hero, from the smallest interaction to the biggest action. You doing all you can for others can make you a hero to someone."
Izuku let those words sink in and thought about it. To him, it was a validation that he didn't know he needed. As he was lost in his thoughts, the voice of Mr. H broke him out of them.
"Let me leave you with one last thing." Mr. H raised his hand and pointed at Izuku, "The world ends with you. I want you to figure out what that means to you. You got it, Phones?"
Izuku gave a curt nod. He really didn't understand what he meant by that but it wouldn't hurt to think about it. The man in front of him had done more for him than anybody else, besides his mom, by just talking to him for a bit. 'He did say to find out what those words meant to me,' he thought.
Mr. H reached into his pocket and pulled out a card and pen, scribbled something on it, and handed it to Izuku.
- Café WildKat -
"If you ever need a place to relax or just want to talk, that's where I'll be." Mr. H then turned away and began to leave the park. He lazily waved his hand before speaking once more. "See you 'round, Phones."
As Mr. H disappeared in the distance, Izuku took one last look at the mural. He wanted to be sure to remember this moment so he took a minute to soak in everything. Every color and line. Every word that Mr. H shared with him.
This, to him, was the moment that changed everything.
As Izuku walked away, he took one last look at the card before quickly looking back at the mural, focusing on the black cat with the cross and star for eyes. He smiled again and left the park, making his way home. The weight on his shoulders had lessened drastically and his steps now had much more energy in them.
Izuku put his headphones back on as music began to play, making his trek home a little more enjoyable
- MIDORIYA HOUSEHOLD -
"Mom! I'm home!" Izuku called out as he closed the door behind him.
He heard his mother's voice ring out in response as he took off his red shoes. "Welcome home Izuku!"
Izuku made his way out of the entryway and tried to sneak toward his room and the bathroom. He was still scuffed up from earlier and wanted to clean up a bit before his mom saw him. He didn't want to worry her too much. The faint smell of dinner being made in the kitchen made him think he was in the clear. "I'm just going to clean up real fast. I'll be back out in a minute." He only made it three steps in before his mom appeared in front of him.
"IZUKU! What happened? You're not too hurt are you?" His mother began to rapidly fire questions at him, her voice filled with concern. She began to look over his body, checking every bit of him to see the damage done this time.
Midoriya Inko was a woman in her early 40s who had long green hair, with some of it put up into a small, off-centered ponytail, and green eyes that seemed to match. She was just a bit shorter than her son with a somewhat thin physique due to the exercising she did with him when she could, helping her keep in shape over the last few years.
"I'm fine, Mom. Just a few scratches. AH!" He winced a little as she pinched his cheek lightly.
"Izuku, you told me you wouldn't downplay your injuries. I don't care if it's a cut or sprain, I can't help you if you don't let me." Her expression softened as she spoke to him, releasing his cheek as she cupped it. "And to do that I need to know how bad things are."
Izuku let out a sigh before giving her a small smile, "Okay, Mom. I'll tell you more about it in a bit, I... I really just want to get out of these clothes."
She returned his smile, happy that he was listening to her. "Okay, go change. I'll get the aid kit while you do so."
Once Izuku changed and cleaned himself up, both Midoriyas sat at the kitchen table while dinner finished cooking. Inko, using her training as a nurse, worked on cleaning up Izuku's wounds as he told her what happened. Tears began to fill the corners of her eyes and Izuku acted quickly trying to ease her concerns as best he could to avoid her flooding the apartment again.
"Oh, sweetie. I'm sorry you still have to go through this." She let out a tired sigh. They had been doing this for years now but no matter what she did for Izuku, be it talking with the school or even going to the police, nothing came from it. Her own frustrations began to come out as she continued. "I just wish someone would finally realize how wrong they are to let this happen."
Izuku seemed to match her energy with the exhaustion of the day finally catching up to him. "I know, Mom."
Silence filled the Midoriya household as Inko finished tending to Izuku and went to finish up dinner. They began to eat as Inko continued to ask him about his day. "I take it your walk was to clear your head?"
"Yeah." Izuku took another bite of his dinner. "Just wanted to calm down I guess. I didn't want to come home angry. But I did see something really cool today!"
Inko could see his eyes fill up with excitement. The same kind of excitement she recognized that happened when heroes were the topic. He finally gave her a wide smile as he recounted the rest of his walk.
"So you know that park not far from our apartment?" Izuku asked. Inko nodded. She remembered hearing something going on around there rather recently from her colleagues but never looked into it herself. seeing her nod, Izuku continued recounting his day. "So there was this mural, or maybe it was more like graffiti? It looked like graffiti with how it looked but IhaveneverseengraffitisoIcan'treally..."
Inko let out a chuckle at her son's antics. "Izuku, sweetie, you need to slow down a bit. I can normally follow along but you seemed to up the speed this time."
Izuku paused and gave her a sheepish smile, "Sorry, Mom. A-anyway, there was a mural painted there recently. It was a picture of All Might. I saw it and... It spoke to me. But that wasn't the only thing." He began to scratch his cheek as he thought about how to explain this next part. "There was a man who showed up while I was just looking at the mural. He kind of helped me understand some things about it."
Inko listened intently to what her son was saying. Her own thoughts ran a mile a minute on wanting to remind Izuku to not just talk to strangers but from the sound of things this man seemed to help Izuku a little. So she would let it pass.
At least until he was done. Then she would reinforce that lesson.
"Then, he just asked me if I was alright. He wanted to know what happened to me and then that led to him telling me some things I think I needed to hear." Izuku stopped and looked at his mom. He wore a thoughtful expression before that changed to a gentle one. One that had a certainty to it, one that seemed to show that same determination he had as a child. "He told me that I was already a hero in the making in a way. That I didn't need my Quirk to be one. That who I already am meant I already was one or meant that I was on my way to being one. It was nice to hear it. I had you in my corner for so long Mom, not to mention Dad... but it was just nice to have someone else see something I couldn't."
"Oh, Izuku." Inko gave her son a warm, kind smile. "I will always be in your corner. And I know Hisashi still is, even if he's not with us." Inko gently put a hand on her son's cheek as she spoke. "Will the idea of you being a hero make me worry more than usual? Absolutely, but I'm your mother. I have the right to worry about my son. I'm glad someone else could help you when you need it. He sounds like a smart man."
Izuku gave her a nod as he spoke. "I know, Mom. Don't worry, I will always try my best to not get into too much trouble."
Inko gave him a smug look as one of her eyebrows arched.
He quickly tried to amend his words, "I mean it! I just can't stand by and let something happen to someone else..."
"I know sweetie," Inko replied, her expression softened. "It's just one of those things that makes you a hero already."
Small tears began to fill the corners of Izuku's eyes as he quickly rubbed them. "Thanks, Mom. For everything."
Dinner continued on without much issue. Izuku listened to his mom share her day with him. Both made jokes or comments that caused both of them to laugh. Izuku did flinch when she gave him a lesson about talking to strangers but it was rather quick. Soon they finished and Izuku went back to his room as he worked on his school work. It didn't take him long. Not wanting to remain idle, he opened one of his Hero Analysis notebooks and looked through some hero news online to either make new entries or add to older ones.
As he worked his mind kept going back to his talk with Mr. H, his last words lingering in the green-haired teen's mind. He thought back to what Mr. H had said about art and interpretation. Mr. H said he wanted Izuku to think about his words and to find meaning in them, but the young teen struggled with that. The phrase just seemed too broad.
"The world ends with me..."