Chapter 26: Things I'm Thankful For
The break, though it wasn't much of a break, ended quickly, much too quickly for Midoriya to feel satisfied. So many loose ends had unraveled themselves in the short span of barely a day: his dying confidence, Ishihara's inadvertent killer, new training material, and of course, the introduction of the League of Villains. And while some of those things could definitely be considered much more important than others, it all stressed the teen out equally. The fact that he was pressed for free time and was forced to choose what mattered amongst all that mattered certainly didn't help.
Another car rushed dangerously close to him by the sidewalk, and he found himself flinching in the opposite direction, away from the street. In reality, the car was really nowhere near him, but every loud noise, every rush of air terrified him to no end. It was pathetic; he knew it was all psychological, but that wasn't enough to convince his subconscious to man up and get over it. Gami's gentle comfort was always appreciated, but there were times, times like this, where he wished the ghost would just yell at him to move on. Because maybe he couldn't convince himself to stop, but his brain had to listen to his mentor, right?
It was something he'd never know the answer to, because he knew for a fact Gami would never yell at him.
At least, he thought so.
He returned to a natural, moore relaxed pace, letting his shoulders drop and breath release. The flinches weren't extreme, but they were noticeable enough that he knew he needed to stop before getting to school. The last thing he really needed right now was one of his classmates pointing it out, god forbid a teacher. That'd be as embarrassing as it'd be pathetic, and it'd surely be plenty pathetic.
As he fixed the backpack slumped on his shoulders, he failed to notice another vehicle creeping up from behind him. Ever since the invasion at USJ, his senses had been out of whack, to which the duo guessed was from the sheer amount of stress he'd been under in the aftermath. Of course, he was eager to head back to school to begin restoring the little skills he did have, but as of now, he was pretty prone to most spooks and startles.
He was pretty thankful to have Gami around, even when he didn't realize it at first, because he was too distracted to notice the ghost pull him gently away from the street and then move himself to stand between him and the incoming car.
When the car passed them, he jumped a bit, but considerably less compared to the other few times. He looked up out of instinct, only to realize the switcheroo that had taken place, before smiling awkwardly at the spirit beside him.
"Ah… thanks Gami," he breathed out, like it troubled him to speak, though the ghost didn't take offense to it in the slightest. His hair was subsequently ruffled in response, and the two continued their morning walk to U.A.
It felt a bit off to just be walking the two of them, but Aizawa and Yamada left earlier at separate times. The heroes had discussed the media aftermath that was inevitably coming once the school opened up again, and decided that it was safest for everyone if they all arrived at the building separately. Midoriya could admit, it was certainly lovely waking up later than normal and having the house to himself, but on that same note, being the last person in the house meant he had to lock it up before he left. And while he was no stranger to owning a pair of house keys, as he inevitably had to copy his mother's at one point, he certainly wasn't expecting to receive one for the Aizawa-Yamada household anytime soon, if at all.
The key rested weighty in his uniform pocket, and he unconsciously shoved his hand back there just to check it was still present. He had checked the locked door maybe three different times before leaving, paranoid that he'd screwed something up despite having done this countless times before. He probably resembled a madman, if anyone was watching, even more so now, constantly flinching from passing cars and checking his pockets. But with the reassuring feeling of sharp metal against his gloved fingertips, as well as Gami floating beside him, he sure didn't feel like one.
Recognising the massive quad-pillared building that slowly grew larger, he picked up the pace slightly. It was strange not arriving as early as he did, and he found himself wanting to seat himself in his classroom as soon as possible. Maybe, if he was lucky, he'd get some time to conversate with Yamada, or maybe even Aizawa, but that was unlikely. He was arriving just a bit earlier than the general entrance time, but even then he was certain he'd find Iida seated as he walked in.
Of course, even then it could never be that easy.
Like a flock of seagulls on Dagobah Beach, the horde of reporters Midoriya was so desperately trying to avoid all snapped their heads towards him. To be fair, he wasn't exactly trying to conceal his presence, but that was just because he had to use the student entrance, not the staff entrance that Aizawa and Yamada unlocked for them. There wasn't really a point in trying to sneak towards the entrance, because he'd have to pass through them eventually.
Still, he should've expected the stampede he was met with.
The mob raced towards him, microphones and cameras and notepads all being shoved in his face. He didn't even have enough time to panic as he was absolutely swamped by people all desperately trying to fill their quotas. He hopelessly attempted to escape the whirlpool of tension and tech, but found himself helplessly trapped in the center. How was any one of his classmates supposed to get through this mess?
Thankfully, he was lucky enough to have a Gami to assist him
"Goodness, they really are bloodsuckers."
There was a sudden tug on his wrist, and he was yanked through the mass of people roughly. He felt just the tiniest bit bad for the yelps and groans as reporters were pushed off their feet, but shook it off remembering how they mobbed him first. He stumbled to keep himself from falling as Gami pulled him through without hesitation, but as he finally reached the sunlight, he felt balance return to his stance.
The ghost let go of his hand, but he still continued the frantic pace he started at, making it through the entry arch. He turned over his shoulders for a second, but was reassured at the halt of the bloodthirsty crowd who had clearly learned their lesson from the last time. He sighed in relief, letting his heart rate die down before turning his gaze forward again.
The entryway was as beautiful as always, luscious green leaves draped over sturdy bark, a few fluttering to kiss the brick path below. It was a staple that had enamored him since first arriving to take the entrance exam, and Gami seemed to think the same way.
But he couldn't remain here forever, and was determined to at least make it to class somewhat early. So he picked up the pace and readjusted his backpack, hopping up the front steps with a bit more pep in his step.
As he pushed open the front doors, he hoped his other classmates would make it though in one piece.
His classroom was on one of the higher floors, and it was a true shame that the elevators were staff only with exceptions. Of course, he didn't mind walking up the stairs, but he'd grown accustomed to riding up with his teachers. And so he depressingly walked past the shut elevator doors and continued down the hall, of which the stairs were at the center so they could be equally accessible with the entrance on the other side.
And he almost made it there too, but it seemed the universe was really out for him today.
"Ah, Midoriya dear! Good morning!"
He couldn't help the slight flinch, and it wasn't just because of the sudden noise.
"Oh, Recovery Girl." He smiled a halfhearted, pathetic smile to cover up the hesitance in his voice. "Good morning to you as well."
The older woman strolled towards him, her signature giant syringe turned makeshift cane clanging against the smooth metallic flooring. His fingertips dug into the leather straps of his backpack, the gloves preventing his nails from doing any serious damage. It was easy to see her squinted eyes as she moved closer to him, and yet he couldn't find the motivation to leave it at that. He really wanted to leave, their last encounter playing like a broken record in his ears, but his heart wanted so badly to trust her. Was this aura common with all medical professionals? Surely not, and yet here was considering the very thought.
In the time he'd spent rethinking his own emotional understanding, the nurse had closed the gap between them, now standing right in front of him. It didn't take a doctor such as herself to see the conflict that shone in his pupils. Even now, her sharp gaze caught the small specs of white bandage peeking out from underneath his black sleeve, and the frown pulled at her lips before she even realized it. Before the boy could tell she'd been staring, Recovery Girl averting her eyes back upwards, settling on that hesitant expression once more.
"There's a little time before class officially starts," she began, "If you don't mind, I'd like to check up on your condition."
Midoriya couldn't stop the furrow in his brows, the skepticism evident on his face. He was here, upright, walking, about to head up a few flights of stairs. His breath wasn't labored, his skin was returned to its tanned glory, and all his ribs were perfectly in place. There was no drop of red out of place, not by his mouth, not on his arms, not in his lungs.
"That may not be such a terrible idea," The ghost beside him added, his monotone voice doing nothing to pierce the tense silence that had creeped into the atmosphere, "After all, your breathing was fairly ragged on our walk here."
The teen turned to shoot his mentor a glare with no real malice behind it despite his scowl. "You know that has nothing to do what happened at the USJ-"
"You know-" Recovery Girl interrupted, any mocking of him inadvertent, "despite not being able to hear your ghostly friend, I'd imagine I'd agree with whatever he's saying right now."
He shot back to look at the heroine, a flabbergasted glint now in his eye, before turning back to look at Gami, who despite having his face obstructed, was smirking for certain. He could feel irritation bubbling under his skin, but instead of boiling over like an erupting volcano, he sighed and dropped his tightly wound shoulders in defeat.
Recovery Girl sent back a smirk of her own, clasping her hands over her cane quite regally.
"I'll write you an excused absence note if that makes you feel any better, dearie."
That, in fact, did not.
Midoriya left the nurse's office only a few minutes after the start time of class, in his hand a slip of excused absence as promised. Recovery Girl had given him the "ok" to scurry on back to class, and he did so without a second thought. His uniform was slightly wrinkled from having to take it off, but he did his best to smooth it out on his fast pace to class 1-A.
The woman wanted to check on his ribs again, which was fair enough for an individual of the medical profession, but what was she expecting to find? He'd already been cleared the day of the USJ invasion, and due to his immortality she'd healed even the aches away from his body. Of course there'd be nothing of interest in her quick examination, he was perfectly fine. In the best shape he'd ever been in. Totally healthy.
He readjusted his sleeves, pulling them further up his wrists. He ignored the feeling of the fresh bandages that held firm against his touch. They were expertly wrapped around his right wrist, and no longer peeking out from his turtleneck. She'd also wanted to take a look at the scar that stained his skin, of which she commented was "healing nicely."
He scowled at the thought.
Though, he did appreciate the rewrap of his bandages, even if it was unintentional. It was hard enough to dress his blemishes by himself, and even harder to find someone to do it for him.
Thankfully, he had confidence that his homeroom teacher wouldn't be waiting on him, in fact it was more like the class would be waiting on Aizawa, which wasn't really a great thing to be confident about. The underground hero's semi-lax attitude was certainly a blessing, one he'd be relying on as he skidded to a stop in front of the massive sliding door. Taking a breath that he hoped was enough to prepare him for any of the countless scenarios playing through his head, he gripped the handle and pulled it open slowly.
It was a similar scene to the reporters crowded by the front entrance, except the seagulls weren't nearly as bloodthirsty this time. Still, heads snapped on their necks, enough for the teen to realize he was the one being waited on.
He couldn't help but draw parallels to the battle training on the second day of class, where he had saved the lives of his friends at the cost of his own well being. Of course he'd ended up alright, just as he had now, but that didn't stop people from worrying. And it sure didn't stop people from crowding him at the door in their shock.
Surprisingly, the first to approach him was Kirishima, as if that battle training incident was repeating itself. Though, it could have also been the fact his desk was fairly close to the door.
"God, Midori!" There was this unnatural look of horror and guilt upon the redhead's face, one that didn't suit his tough guy aura in the slightest. "I'm so sorry!"
Midoriya knew the return to school probably wasn't going to be the smoothest, but he wasn't expecting to get confused this early, much less be confused at all. "Sorry? I-I don't think I underst-"
"I was right next to you that whole time, and I didn't even notice how bad you were!"
But still, he wasn't quite following what his classmate was saying. Was he missing some context? Probably, but at this point, with not only Kirishima's worries, but that of what looked to be the rest of the class, asking for clarification likely wasn't appropriate.
Thankfully, he was lucky enough to have a Gami to assist him.
"When Present Mic rushed you from the building and into the ambulance, he had to cross through the front entrance, where the rest of your classmates were congregated at the time…"
So basically, the rest of his class had seen him bloody and unconscious, carted off limply in their English teacher's arms and into an ambulance? So everyone had seen him that pathetic? Wonderful, absolutely wonderful.
That would've been nice to know from the start.
"I thought we all agreed not to overwhelm Midoriya if he arrived!"
It was impossible to not recognize the signature authority held in Iida's voice. And clearly the rest of the class got that too, as those who did join Kirishima out of their seats to crowd around the green haired teen backed off a bit.
Although, it was a bit hypocritical when the stiff boy himself moved forward to approach Midoriya.
He placed his hands firmly on the other boy's shoulders, and he couldn't stop the flinch, which Iida noticed as well. He softened, but kept his hands planted.
"Let me see your phone."
It wasn't a question, and Midoriya found himself fumbling to follow orders as he slipped it out of his uniform pocket, quickly unlocking it and handing it over obediently. And while he knew that Iida certainly had no malicious intent, he couldn't convince his instincts of the same.
The navy haired boy took it from him snappily, only removing one of his hands from his shoulders to do so. He proceeded to use that one hand to scroll through, his purpose unclear as Midoriya was unable to see the phone screen from the angle it was at. But after a short search, Iida must have found what he was looking for, because he began typing using that one hand, which was a feat within itself.
"Do you have any idea how worried I was?" the class dad continued, still looking down as what he was typing while keeping his free hand on Midoriya's shoulder, "I wasn't able to contact you for that entire time!"
It was only about a day and a half, but he would never say that aloud, remaining silent and letting Iida finish whatever he was doing. His phone was then promptly handed back to his shaky hand with a slight press.
"I've added myself to your contacts so this incident never occurs again."
If it were under different circumstances, Midoriya would've probably laughed at his friend's parental nature, but he couldn't even muster up a smile now. He wasn't even sure what to say at this point. What could he say even?
Though, one bubbly brunette came to rescue before he had to think about it.
"Don't mind Iida too much, Midori," Uraraka reassured, though her face still held this worry that he desperately wanted gone, "He's just as worried as the rest of us."
She looked down towards his hand, which was still holding his phone out limply.
"Do you mind if I put my contact in too?" She pointed down at it.
Finally his mouth booted back up again. "Y-yeah, sure."
Uraraka gently took the phone from him, a great contrast to how Iida had done so before, and made her way to his contacts as well. And before he even knew it, his phone was being passed around like hot potato, with everyone gathered around him also wanting to exchange numbers. He would have said something, maybe even protested the sharing of his phone like a juicy rumor, but he just couldn't find the words, despite just having spoken before.
"Well, this certainly doesn't seem like bad reception."
He wasn't sure if he could call this good reception either.
He wasn't keeping track of the whereabouts of his phone, but if he was, he'd have seen it pass through one particular set of fingers. One particular set of webby, padded fingers that held onto it long enough to enter her number just as everyone else had.
It wasn't until she got close enough that Midoriya noticed Asui worming her way to him through everyone else. Actually, it wasn't even he himself who noticed, rather Gami, who pulled away and pulled his successor's attention along with him.
Asui, walking comfortably on her own.
Asui, heart rate steady at a normal rhythm.
Asui, blinking and breathing with her face still intact.
He wished he could say smiling, but her face was laced with the same nervousness he'd been seeing everywhere.
Once she stopped in front of him, everyone began to quiet down, interested in what she wanted to say. Because she was going to say something; why else would she squeeze her way through to the front?
"M… Midori?" Her voice was wet, like she was about to burst into tears.
Gami knew that voice all too well to want to hear it again. And while he wasn't going to make his successor make sure she didn't cry, the parent in him really wanted to tell him to do just that.
"I-I'm sorry… I'm sorry that I left you."
And Gami felt his heart break into a million pieces, which wouldn't be all too big of a deal on its own, but this was the first time it had even cracked for someone that wasn't his successor.
And it seemed as if Midoriya felt the same way, because he took a confident step forward, and then an indecisive pause on what to do next.
"Tsu, I'm fine. Everyone's fine. It all ended alright…" The ghost felt his heart break even more, because while that was the perfectly right thing to say in this situation, it wasn't true in the slightest. "Besides, I told you to go with Aizawa-sensei. You have nothing to feel sorry about."
Though, at that last part, it was clear she didn't agree. But she was already doing her best to keep herself from crying after all that, so she simply shook her head softly.
No one was expecting it really, so much so that Midoriya didn't even flinch when his froggy classmate wrapped her arms around him. Sure, he hesitated a bit, his arms hanging awkwardly in the air, but slowly enough, he returned them in a light embrace, doing his best to console the girl in front of him. No one was expecting it really, but after the whole mess that was the USJ incident, who could really blame any of them? They were heroes in training sure, but in the end they were just kids. Kids who were thrust into a cruel and unforgiving world far earlier than they needed to be.
That left the most sour note of all.
Uraraka and Iida watched anxiously from his sides as Asui pulled away, rubbing at her eyes embarrassingly. Midoriya tried to smile, to show her all was well, but even he couldn't make it as convincing as he intended.
"Midori…" Uraraka murmured, her voice so hushed it was like she was afraid it would break him, "Are you really ok?"
And here was where he had to make his decision, though, the decision was practically already made for him as he summoned the largest, brightest smile he could muster and pressed down all the trauma that had resurfaced in the past day or so.
If Gami didn't know him so well, he would've praised the boy for his superb acting skills. Though, that didn't mean he didn't file away the moment for discussion later.
"Trust me."
His voice didn't miss a beat, steadier than the spirit had ever heard it since the USJ invasion.
"I'm ok. I really am."
That was all Uraraka needed to practically tackle him into a hug, her energetic personality seeping into her worry. Maybe she just needed confirmation before sweeping him into her rough affection, which he guessed was fair. After all, the last time he'd been injured as severely, at least to his classmates' knowledge, a simple pat on the back from Ashido sent him wincing into the next day. In a way, he appreciated the brunette's consideration, though he wished she would've asked before squeezing the life out of him. But, then again, he wished he could hug her back without this sickening nausea creeping up his throat.
There was a second, stronger pair of arms that joined the fray, and it didn't take a genius to figure it was their class president. Midoriya could admit, it was different, alien, not really something he was used to. Maybe it was something he would never get used to. But, he also couldn't deny how lovely it felt, how warm and reassuring. He was sure the hug was really for them, but that didn't mean he couldn't enjoy it too.
It didn't last forever, which was both a disappointment and a relief within itself, and Uraraka and Iida pulled away. There were these wonderful, bright smiles on their faces, almost akin to his own, shining with a sense of ease and peace. It was so infectious, spreading from him to Uraraka and Iida, and now, he could see it break the worry from Asui and Kirishima, and soon everyone surrounding them was smiling. Bright, wondrous smiles that made the aching in his heart die down just enough.
Uraraka yelped, ruining the moment, though no one could really blame her as she was shoved aside to make way for one small, purple haired boy.
"What were you thinking?!" Mineta squealed once he arrived at the front, "Trying to take that monster all on your own? Were you asking for a death wish?!"
And the smile he wore morphed into awkwardness, his fingers fumbling around nervously. It was inevitable, conversation was bound to circle back to his actions that day, as stupid and reckless as they were perceived. Because of course he seemed naive, what was he thinking taking on a beast meant to pummel All Might into oblivion? If that were all there was to the story, then there was all the justification in the world to believe he really was an imbecile.
It's unfortunate things couldn't have worked out that way. That really would've been easier.
"That Nomu sure was something, and I only saw the tail end," Kirishima added, bouncing off of Mineta's comment, "But Midori, you gotta tell me the rest!"
"Nomu, go play…"
Oh no.
"Yeah! Didn't you fight the thing?" Kaminari asked, pointing out the obvious to everyone listening… which was everyone. Midoriya was surprised he even remembered his name, but he figured traumatic experiences would do that to someone. "You have to spill the details! A story like that has gotta be awesome!"
Uraraka looked around in what seemed to be disbelief, uncomfortable at the sudden shift in attitude. "Um, isn't it a little soon for that?"
"Nomu, stop playing around and end him."
God please no.
"You must have done some crazy dodging!" Ashido exclaimed, pumping her fists excitedly.
Iida seemed to agree with the more responsible sentiment however, waving his hands through the air in a desperate but unsuccessful attempt to quell the brewing storm.
"Enough. If you're really going to stupidly sacrifice yourself, then I guess you'll be a perfect warm up for Nomu until All Might arrives."
No…
The breath was caught in his throat, sharp and stuck like he was choking on it. No, he was choking on it, silently and unnoticeably to the rest of the world. He wasn't that strong, he really wasn't. Everyone here was acting as if he was some great force, to have gone against that biological abomination and come out as ok as he said he was. But he wasn't; he'd been terrified and anguished and hopeless for more time than he'd ever like to admit. And he certainly didn't want to talk about it now, to spill the acidic truth of his guts for all to see.
Asui looked especially uncomfortable, fidgeting around in her spot. Her hands were curled into her chest timidly as her eyes darted around like the very flies her familial species targeted. Daresay her eyes looked even the slightest bit watery, but it didn't make the glint of burning in her irises disappear.
"Do none of you have a shred of empathy?" she croaked out, the wetness in her throat triumphing over any trace of anger that might have remained afterwards.
"As a hero, I'm supposed to make people feel safe, but sometimes I forget that I'm not invincible to fear either."
Aizawa had definitely put it best yesterday.
"Come, let us get you to your seat. You are not obligated to answer if you do not wish."
That was the easy way out, and he would've taken it in a heartbeat. That was, if his feet weren't glued to the floor.
It never surprised him how easily Gami could read him. They were a unit, mentor and successor, Death and Death, truly the closest of close. He could never hide anything from him, not that he tried that all too often. Besides, the ghost's presence was more than enough on most occasions.
But right now, he really wished Gami wasn't as invisible as he was.
It was sickening, seeing everyone so eagerly waiting on him for details he didn't want to share. Details they didn't really want, but had no real clue. And what was he supposed to say? How could anyone believe he was alright if all it took was this to close him off?
"Alright, enough with the chatter."
The room went pin drop silent, and that's when Midoriya remembered he hadn't really gotten to move away from the door, much less shut it. He wasn't the only one who turned around slow and wary, despite knowing exactly who they'd see.
Aizawa really did look like a knight in shining armor, in a reliving, thank goodness way, as everyone, including him, scurried back to their seats like mice.
The boy loved that his desk was in the back of the classroom, directly in the corner. He had a full vantage of the room, with no space behind him to be snuck up on. It was truly meant for him, and combined with the sudden absence of peer pressure, he couldn't help but sigh in relief.
He looked around at his other classmates as they filed back to their seats. Mineta sat directly in front of him; his purple hair would be a distraction if it wasn't for how short he was. Tokoyami sat diagonal to him, and he couldn't fight the smile that grew on his cheeks when Dark Shadow sent him a wave. He sent a secret little gesture back, and snuck his gloved hand back under his desk. Todoroki sat to his right, well, no one was sitting to his right as of currently, but it didn't take long for the candy cane haired teen to fill his spot accordingly.
Midoriya certainly wasn't waiting around for his friend to text him in the aftermath of the USJ incident. He wasn't, not at all. In fact, he was eager to check in with Todoroki, but wasn't really sure when to shoot him a text, if at all. He had an idea of how he spent his time at home, and from the little he really knew, it sure wasn't pleasant. And so he decided that waiting for him to text first would be safer, and bottled up his concerns until then.
Not that he was waiting or anything.
But even then, he'd never received a message from Todoroki in the day or so after the invasion, which was odd since they talked pretty consistently. For some time, which in reality was maybe about an hour, Midoriya wondered if he had done something wrong. Maybe he'd done something stupid and couldn't remember it because he fell unconscious? It was a bit of a stretch, but he couldn't really think of any other reason.
Not that Todoroki had to text him or anything. Of course, he wasn't obligated to just because he had practically every other night. Maybe he just wasn't in the mood, which was totally reasonable. Maybe it was wrong to expect some kind of communication after an event as traumatic as that. Maybe it was just too messy for words.
"Whatever you are debating, I advise you to avert your gaze, as I doubt you realize how intensely you are staring at Todoroki."
Midoriya shook his head lightly, refocusing his gaze, as to his horror, his sight confirmed the ghost's claim. He turned away embarrassingly, faster than humanly possible, hoping that by some miracle of the universe his friend beside him hadn't caught his awkwardness.
When Todoroki turned to him and leaned in, however, he swore his heart stopped right then and there.
The monotone snicker that came from behind him also didn't help. Though, that didn't mean he didn't file away the moment for discussion later.
He turned back hastily, seeing the teen leaning towards him in an effort to close the gap between their desks. Midoriya leaned in a bit too, although not without some embarrassment concerning his previous actions. But he had no idea what to say. Should he apologize? Probably, that was the most appropriate action.
But he didn't even get the chance as Todoroki's hushed whisper came first.
"I'm glad you are alright after the events that transpired at the USJ," he spoke under his breath, likely to prevent others from eavesdropping, "I wanted to check in with you after seeing your condition… but my father kept me fairly occupied throughout the duration."
Midoriya waved his hands dismissively. "No no, it's no big deal. Recovery Girl healed me good as new! I'm glad you're doing ok as well."
The other boy nodded. "Though, I can admit, I did want to ask you something."
He could feel himself growing nervous for no real reason. "Yes?"
"You aren't related to that villain… Shigaraki by any chance, are you?"
And Midoriya's face grew pale anyway, though not for the reason he was expecting.
There was a snort that echoed from behind him, but he did his best not to pay it any mind.
"No!" Even his whisper came out defensively, so he hushed himself and calmed down. "I mean, our quirks are similar, but that's really about it. I've never seen him before the USJ incident…"
Todoroki gave another small nod. "I figured, considering what you told me already about your family. Though, the coincidence was difficult to deny, considering decay-like quirks aren't exactly common."
If Todoroki knew the truth about his powers, he'd probably short circuit at the sheer amount of coincidence it all was.
"That's fair. I guess it is a weird coincidence when you think about it…"
But they weren't able to exchange any more commentaries, as Aizawa cleared his throat from his front desk.
The teacher was swaddled in bandages, much like how he first arrived home after being cleared by Recovery Girl. From so far away, the way he hobbled about was heart wrenching, and made him look so small amongst the rest of the class. But Midoriya knew better than to actively think that. After all, Aizawa was one of the strongest people he knew, much stronger and more admirable compared to himself. He wouldn't be here in class if he was truly as injured as he seemed.
Then again, no one was indestructible like he was.
"As I'm sure you all know," his raggedy voice began, hushing all into silence, "U.A. waits for no one, and nothing, which is why the school is already focusing on their next event."
Murmurs riddled the class, but they all died down as the teacher began speaking again, taking a heavy breath before doing so.
"You all have two weeks to get ready, because after that is the U.A. Sports Festival."
And the class was sent into chaos.
Shouts and cries erupted from every corner, all focusing on completely different things, all of which were reasonable to their own extent, but one voice managed to pierce the crowd. And upon closer inspection, Midoriya found himself a little surprised at its origin.
"The Sports Festival so soon after a villain attack?" Jirou questioned, echoing the thoughts everyone was thinking, "Is this really the best move?"
Aizawa seemed to understand her concerns, sending a slight nod.
"It's necessary to demonstrate that U.A.'s crisis management protocols are sound," he explained rationally, "That's the thinking, anyways."
Though, by his body language, Midoriya wasn't so confident the hero really agreed with what he was saying as reassurance.
"Even so, the Sports Festival isn't an event that can be canceled over a few villains. Though, that doesn't mean we won't take precautions. There will be 5 times the police presence compared to previous years."
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Gami give a halfhearted shrug.
"I guess that is reasonable, though, this truly does not seem like a smart idea."
And while his mentor wasn't wrong, he wished he had a softer way of phrasing it.
Though, not all of the class seemed to agree with Aizawa's smooth talking, as Mineta hunched in on himself in front of him. "You sure about that?"
Yaoyorozu turned back around to face him, reminding Midoriya that she was sitting in his old spot, and vice versa. "The nation's top heroes will all be watching. They'll be there to scout us out!"
The energy in her words seemed to revitalize the class, giving everyone the boost of morale that was necessary after such a dreary couple of days. Chatter arose once more: talk about scouting, sidekicks, and general semblances of the future from every corner of the room. And Midoriya couldn't deny it, it did leave him slightly invigorated. Though, he'd have to really work hard in the two weeks before, because as he was now simply wasn't good enough.
His mind traveled back to the guide Aizawa had given him yesterday; he'd have to start tinkering with that. After all, the events of the Sports Festival were switched up every year, but the last event usually always was one-on-one sparing, and there was no way he'd use DT on anyone during that, no matter how desperately he wanted to win. He needed to up his game, work out some new moves concerning combat with his weapon, maybe even experiment with his new blasts. He had his notes on Bakugo's quirk to work off of, and alongside the material given to him by Aizawa, he had plenty to focus on in the next coming weeks.
He pushed aside the small feelings of guilt concerning accepting material from his teacher though.
"Naturally," the pro started up again, and everyone voluntarily quieted themselves to hear, "you'll gain valuable experience and popularity if you're picked up by a big-name hero."
Midoriya couldn't stop the slight self loathing, thinking about the possibility of getting scouted. Who would want to associate themselves with a power like his? A power deadly and destructive and not hero-like in the slightest of qualities.
"You don't belong as a hero, especially not with a dangerous quirk like that."
There was a slight press to one of his shoulders, and a cold chill seeped into his bones. He couldn't stop the small smile that crawled onto his cheeks just as the chill had down his spine.
What would he do without him?
"Of course, your time is limited. Show the pros what you're made of, and you'll make futures for yourselves."
A future? What would his even consist of? Sure, being immortal, his future was limitless, but was it wrong not to feel excited by that? Limitless was great, sure, but it was also daunting, overwhelming, stressful, packed full of responsibility he didn't even want to touch right now. He was just 15, he had his whole life ahead of him, and yet, that was the last thing he wanted to think about.
"This only happens once a year, so you've got three chances."
Three chances, three shots to prove to the world what he could do. To prove to the world that he could be a capable hero. To prove to the world that he could help people. To prove to the world that he wasn't someone to be feared.
No pressure, right?
"If you're hoping to become a hero," Aizawa finished, his voice laced with determination coming from who knows where, "this is an event you can't miss!"
For Midoriya, there was so much more riding on this than just that. He really couldn't afford to screw up, not if he wanted all of his hard work to be worth something. He couldn't let the date slip from his mind. He couldn't go lax thinking he had free time to spare. If he wanted to be prepared to give it his all, to win, then he'd have to work for it, just like he had with everything else in his life.
He may not be ready now, but he was going to be by the time those two weeks passed by.
That… he just knew.
Finally, fourth period drew to a close as Cementoss packed up his materials and left the classroom. And as excited as everyone usually was for lunchtime, even that couldn't match the excitement brought on by Aizawa's homeroom announcement, which had thoroughly distracted everyone to some extent throughout the rest of their classes. Even after all that had culminated at the USJ, the class seemed to jump right back into their usual selves, which was as unnerving as it was relieving.
He moved to stand from his cemented position from the last few hours, but even his rise out of his seat wasn't nearly as fast as the rest of his classmates. He reached to push in his chair, feeling the back of it press against his bandaged wrist.
Midoriya found himself a bit slower to adjust, but he certainly had his reasons.
"Everyone's so excited…" he muttered out in amazement, watching his peers congregate at the door.
"I would imagine," the ghost agreed, "This festival seems to have seriously captured their attention."
"It is time in the spotlight, so I guess it makes sense," he replied back under his breath. Sure, while the Sports Festival was a grand opportunity to get a foot in the door as an up and coming hero, the teen didn't quite enjoy the thought of being watched by hundreds of thousands of eyes, if not more. The whole entire country would be watching, and it would take having no heart at all to say that didn't unnerve him. "Though, I'm surprised you haven't heard of it at all. The U.A. Sports Festival is a pretty big deal-"
"And you aren't?" Iida's voice pierced from behind him, causing him to jump right out of his skin and shoot around.
His friend seemed to understand his sudden presence was startling and placed a hand onto his shoulder as a calming gesture. But that did little to actually quell the massive pool of anxiety in Midoriya's stomach, as he stood there mortified, trying to figure out just how much of his partial conversation Iida had heard.
"This is our chance to add our names to the ranks of heroes!" he added without missing a beat, "Of course we're in high spirits!!"
And that sent his rising stomach acid right back down to where it belonged, and he couldn't stop the quick sigh of relief that escaped him. Thankfully, it seemed Iida only caught his first comment, and was responding to that, not actually having heard the rest of his conversation. And while that was a small miracle he wouldn't take for granted, he really needed to be more vigilant about how he handled his relationship with Gami. The last thing he needed was for one of his classmates to come up to him and ask who he was speaking to.
"Yeah, I get that…" Midoriya slipped in just to let Iida know he was listening, but hoped it was vague enough to end that topic of discussion.
Thankfully, some other fortunate force of the universe had that covered.
"Midori… Iida…"
Said boys turned around to see their third friend, Uraraka, standing menacingly in front of them, her head drooped and eyes overshadowed by her hair.
She then looked up at them, brows furrowed and an unnatural gleam of psychotic determination in her eyes. Midoriya nearly took a step back at how similar she looked to Bakugo, the mockery sending chills down his spine, and not the comforting kind.
"At the Sports Festival, let's do our best!"
The line was inspiring, but her face truly did no wonders on portraying that.
"What happened to your face, Uraraka?!" Iida gawked, and the rest of his remaining classmates seemed to do the same.
"You're not looking very… Uraraka," Ashido added, cocking her head to the side.
But the brunette didn't pay their comments any head, instead crouching into an aggressive position. Her face became even more shadowed, and she pumped her fist into the air.
"I'm gonna crush this!!"
Some of the other students still in the classroom weakly pumped their fists alongside her, though more out of awkwardness than anything else.
"Is she attempting to increase her own confidence with this display or intimate others?"
Midoriya wouldn't have been able to tell him.
"As I have confidence you will!" Iida rebounded, "But… are you ready to head down to the cafeteria?"
And just like that, Uraraka seemed to snap back like a rubber band, reverting back to the bubbly, ditzy girl he was more familiar with. She straightened out almost instantly, and the shadows on her face, as well as that Bakugo-like expression, disappeared into thin air.
"Yeah, sure." She began moving towards her desk at the back of the classroom. "Just let me grab my stuff."
The transition seemed to weird out enough people, because by the time the trio exited the classroom and began walking towards the cafeteria, the classroom had emptied out. In fact, they were the last to leave, abandoning the room in search of food and chatter. Well… more substantial chatter than whatever back there was, at the very least.
Gami usually was a fair source of chatter himself, at least when he was alone with his successor, but right now, he found himself more silent than usual. He'd been quietly observing the rest of his classmates throughout the day, from boredom to intrigue. After all, watching people was one of the few things he could do, and so he did it often, conscious or not. And so he noted the especially chipper mood that everyone seemed to be experiencing. He noted the sudden mood shifts like Uraraka had displayed, seemingly originating from nowhere. He noted the increased want to chatter, and the conversations that took place regardless of the teacher present.
He also noted the stressed look that never seemed to leave Iida's face.
He noted the lack of usual overwhelming cheeriness in Uraraka's attitude.
He noted constant strive for ambient noise, no matter the source, in a desperate attempt to keep the silence from crashing in on itself.
With every new thing he noticed and filed away, the ghost couldn't help but frown and become a bit more observant. And then he would see something else, and the cycle would continue until he became more dissatisfied that he currently was.
He wasn't perfect, or the best, but at least with Midoriya, he was able to help him through the events of the USJ attack bit by bit. He was able to offer support, or distraction, or something insignificant at the very least. But the rest of his classmates were just as young and impressionable as he was. By god, they were just kids after all. They all were just kids, heroes in training sure, but kids first.
None of it was fair, really.
The walk was silent, which was fine in Midoriya's opinion, but after Uraraka's little display, he was a little desperate for some background noise other than three sets of footsteps. Even Gami, who he could feel was trailing behind them, hadn't said a word, which was a bit odd considering he liked to talk whenever there was a free moment. Maybe it was because even if he did, the boy wouldn't be able to respond back. Regardless, he needed to say something, because ambient noise simply wasn't cutting it.
"Hey, Uraraka? You seemed pretty pumped up back there," he began, letting his mouth run in whatever direction it seemed to choose and hoping it didn't end in disaster for him, "What made you come to U.A.? What made you want to be a pro hero?"
He guessed that was a fair question for his subconscious to have. After all, Iida explained his motivations for heroism the day the reporter broke through the front barrier, and he never got to hear Uraraka's. But considering how noble and respectable his were, he had only the best of expectations when it came to his other friend.
Maybe he should have gone into this with a clearer slate.
The brunette seemed to shrink in on herself, muttering out inaudibles and hashed out sentences. Midoriya wondered if he had said something wrong, watching Uraraka sweat bullets. It didn't help that Iida was also interested in her response, as he too burned holes into her while waiting in anticipation.
"Well… you know…" She finally stumbled out some coherent words. "They get paid really well…"
Her voice died off, but that was all Midoriya needed to hear for his throat to run dry.
"You wanna be a hero for the money?!" he exclaimed, unable to apply his filter in time.
She rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly, looking off to the side. Her expression screamed embarrassment, and eventually she couldn't take it as her shoulders hunched in and her face collapsed into her hands. The teen felt extremely guilty at that, after all, Uraraka was his friend, someone he had grown really close to. And yet, he couldn't dismiss the part of him that was just slightly disappointed at her motivations.
"Sorry, I know it seems shallow," she admitted somberly, "and really embarrassing considering Iida's noble motivations and all."
But thankfully, their class president was quick to action. "But why? There is truly nothing wrong with seeking a more comfortable lifestyle!"
Midoriya wanted to agree, to show her his support, but he continued to keep quiet to his dismay. And while he couldn't hide the fact he was a bit disappointed, he felt that same disappointment fire back at himself tenfold.
Heroes were supposed to be heroes to help others, because they were lucky enough to have abilities that could protect. They were noble, honorable people because they chose to put their lives on the line each and every day for the less fortunate. And any other motivations took away from that: revenge, fame, greed. It was the reason he had grown so attached to All Might as his idol growing up, and the same reason it hit so hard to hear those words from him that fateful day.
But… Uraraka was his friend, and a genuinely wonderful and kind person. She pulled through during the battle training to win them the round. She was responsible for floating Iida up so he could calm everyone during the break in. She put her life on the line at the USJ, and gave everything she had to protect Thirteen. But… did her motivations make her a bad hero? A bad person?
He really didn't know.
And that made him feel worse.
"My family runs a construction company… but business is bad," she continued rambling, nervously rustling her hair with her hands, "We're poorer than poor. Don't mention that to anyone, okay…?"
Both boys gave instant nods, but Midoriya couldn't help but feel even more guilty. Here Uraraka was spilling her guts out to the two of them, and here he was judging her for her motives. If only she could see what was going through his mind, she'd probably stop immediately and never speak to him again. Or maybe it was a good thing she couldn't see his thoughts, maybe that was for the better. But even still, even through all that mess of judgement and reevaluation, her words managed to filter through his analytics rather than anything else.
"But, if you got permission to use your quirk, wouldn't it help cut costs?" he blurted out, which caught her attention instantly.
"Right?!" Uraraka agreed, "That's what I said to my dad way back, but…"
She died off, her words stopping completely. Her gaze trailed, and her hands fell from her hair and bunched into fists at her sides, balling into her skirt. It was impossible to miss the emotions passing on her face, from desperation, to guilt, to longing. It struck a chord within his heart, and unbeknownst to him, Gami, who had remained quietly behind him, felt the same pain.
"But my dad wanted me to follow my dreams instead."
Midoriya's throat grew even dryer, so dry in fact that he was sure it was closing in on itself, and that he was slowly suffocating on every word that passed through his ears.
"So I'm going to be a hero. I'm going to make enough money-" Her head shot up, and that determined look from earlier returned to her eyes, though this time, it was much more confident, and much less terrifying. "So that my mom and dad can have easier lives!"
Iida began to say something, probably spouting praises or something of that sort, but all that he heard was white noise that slowly drowned out into nothingness. His eyes glazed over, but no one looking in from the outside could really tell.
Uraraka wanted the money to support her parents. She wanted to thank them for allowing her to live her dreams by repaying them with financial security. She wanted to thank them for giving her freedom with her quirk by letting them live easier lives.
Those were noble and respectable motivations of a hero. Hell, they were the innocent motivations of a child. There was nothing more righteous than helping others, and that's what Uraraka was doing, just in a way he hadn't ever considered before. And even then, did that even matter? Even if she wanted the money for herself, as long as she was helping people, did that matter at all? If it were another hero, this mental debate would've been over by now, over and filed away never to be thought of again, but Uraraka was his friend.
Uraraka was his friend…
"Izu, you have been quiet for a while…"
He needed to say something. But he couldn't get the words out.
Why couldn't he get the words out?
"Ah, Young Midoriya!! Found you!!"
And that was loud enough to snap him out of his head, only to send him right back in.
All Might slid around the corner into the hallway with macho grace, startling all three of the students currently standing about. He straightened out his suit as he pulled to a stop, keeping one hand clutched close to his chest as the other reached behind him. He revealed what looked to be a lunch package held by a cutesy, yet poorly wrapped bunny printed cloth.
"Wanna eat lunch with me?!" He asked in front of all of them.
Midoriya felt his mind run blank, like a dying car sputtering out its last moments of life. His instincts sent him right back into fight or flight mode, and he had to willingly fight against every ounce of blood in him not to step back hesitantly. He could see his friends turn to him to see his response, and he knew he couldn't afford to stay silent like he had before.
"Well, I… uh…"
"You do not have to!"
Midoriya had promised, he knew he had. He had promised that if he had made it out of the USJ attack, he would work towards repairing his view of All Might. He had recognized, though the adrenaline and pain and sweat and blood, that hating All Might for what he said that one day was not the way. He wasn't denying that what he said was wrong, but immediately detaching himself from the hero and being sickened at even the sight of him was petty. And it took about a year and a traumatic experience on the field, fighting alongside the pro for their very lives and the lives of those around them, for him to realize what he was doing wrong, and what he could be doing better. Sure, what All Might said was out of ignorance, which certainly wasn't the making of a hero, but what he had done in return definitely wasn't the making of a hero either.
And despite that, despite all of that reasoning, he still found himself hesitating to take that first step.
"You are not obligated to go with him!"
"Ah, don't worry about it Midori!" Uraraka cheered from beside him, "Iida and I will be fine on our own!"
"Indeed!" Iida agreed, "I'm sure you have great matters to discuss, which we will leave you to! In fact, Uraraka and I will head over to the cafeteria now, hopefully to beat the incoming classes!"
And then they left. Uraraka and Iida walked right past him, right past All Might, and continued down the hall to the cafeteria. They left, leaving him alone in the hallway to stare blankly at the number one hero. And as he could still see their fading forms, he found his subconscious desperately calling out for them to stay.
Please… don't leave…
"So, Young Midoriya?" All Might called out again, this time much quieter, "Ready to go?"
"Just leave with your friends!"
He couldn't move, well, he could, but barely. Surely not enough to take that first step, figuratively or literally. His hands trembled slightly at his sides and his fingers curled in, though only grasping air, and not his uniform pants like he was looking for.
But what was he to do? The hall was empty, save for the two of them, and Gami was there in the back too. But what could the ghost do really? Neither of them could really do anything. Why was this so hard? He found himself screaming, loud, echoing around in his skull like it was bouncing off the insides. He wanted this, right? Then why couldn't he just do it? Why did it feel like such a travesty, to have been left alone with All Might with no way out?
Well, he wasn't technically alone. Gami was there too.
"Please! Please just walk away!"
Thankfully, he was lucky enough to have a Gami to assist him.
"Sure."