System Chapter 3

Kaylee reads Chapter 3 of System Synthesis titled "You Have Died. Restart." Shirata buys Ichigo an Analysis Notebook, and Ichigo becomes obsessed with analyzing heroes. Shirata recognizes Ichigo's exceptional observation skills and encourages him to develop his talent. Ichigo's analysis skills improve rapidly, surprising Shirata and Inko. Shirata secretly messages Inko about Ichigo's progress. Meanwhile, Shirata takes Itsuku grocery shopping and runs into Nomuri, who mistakenly assumes Itsuku is Shirata's son. Nomuri teases Shirata and reveals she sent his resume to UA for a teaching position. Shirata chases after Nomuri in a panic. Itsuku appears upset, but doesn't reveal why. Inko and Shirata try to get him to open up. Hello, it is Kaylee. I will be reading Chapter 3 of System Synthesis, entitled, You Have Died. Restart. Shirata was the person to buy Ichigo his first Analysis Notebook and wrote, Hero Analysis for the future, number 1 on the top in black marker for him. Ichigo was elated and immediately rushed to search up videos of heroes fighting before he started analyzing them. It's a good skill, Shirata told Inko after Ichigo ran away. If he develops it, it'll help him a lot in the future. It's that good, Inko asked. Ichigo was surprised as he stacked up groceries in their, his, pantry. I've seen him do it ever since he learned how to write his ABCs, but I never took it that seriously. Shirata sat down. It's that good, he replied. For his age, his observation skills are exceptional. He's smart. It'll be a good activity for him. He looked at the scattered pages on the ground and frowned. Plus, I won't have to clean up his mess every time. Inko laughed. He hadn't noticed the change three days later. Ichigo's analysis took a sudden, unexplained jump. More detailed, more explained, and more accurate. He blinked and surprised, pride swelling in his chest. Oh, look at you! Inko was cooed when Shirata showed her Ichigo's work. You're so proud of him. Shirata flushed and looked away. It's not like that. I'm just surprised. There, there. Inko patted his shoulder. You're still on the aisle. I see. It's okay. You'll get there. I don't know what you mean, Shirata huffed. He did painfully well, too. Are you, are you messaging someone? Hisashi asked incredulously, disbelief written all over his face. Nope. Shirata answered as he quickly typed his reply to Inko, who had sent a video of Ichigo swimming across the length of the public pool in freestyle. Shirata had taken him to the pool a few times, despite the fact that he hated public pools, or public places in general. But Ichigo had looked at him with his big, bambi eyes and pout, and Shirata crumbled. It took a week for Ichigo to learn how to swim freestyle properly. Granted, Ichigo already knew how to keep himself afloat, but still, the speed at which he learned was astonishing. Shirata had taken several videos the first time Ichigo had managed to swim freestyle for a few meters. Dude, you're still typing, Hisashi pointed out. Shirata moved, hiding the screen of his phone when Hisashi tried to read over his shoulder and hit the send button. Then he closed his phone and stuffed it in his pocket. You're hallucinating, Shirata replied. I've never messaged anyone in my life. Hisashi scoffed. Who was it? I'm right here and Marie called like three minutes ago, so it wasn't her. And Tensei's on a mission, so I know it's not him either. It paused, and then he gasped loudly and dramatically. Shirata, do you have a part- Nope. Shirata answered before he could finish smacking his friend with his capture weapon. Oops. Rude! Hisashi swatted the capture weapon away. But who was it, Sho? I don't know what you're talking about, Shirata replied. Sho? Oh, look, Namuri's here, yay! Shirata said in a deadpan voice, once again interrupting his friend. Shirata, who was it? Hisashi ignored his friend's pathetic attempt at changing the topic while waving at Namuri. You were smiling, Sho, and you looked so proud, too! Again, never happened. You're hallucinating. Am not! Hisashi protested. Tell me! What's up? Namuri asked, lips curling into a smirk. Her eyebrows were raised in amusement. Shirata was smiling while messaging someone. Hisashi replied, ducking when Shirata tried to use his capture weapon to shut him up. Namuri gasped, eyes widening and his smirk widening. Oh my! Really? Shirata groaned and turned to Tsukasa, who was watching them with amused expression. He groaned once again as Tsukasa took a sip from his cup of coffee. Everything President Mike said so far is true. Tsukasa unhopefully added. Shirata groaned yet again and promptly slammed his head against the table. Completely ignoring his dumb dumb ass, he loved some friends. Katchan! Itsuku whined, tugging on his friend's shirt as the blondes ignored him. Don't talk to me, Tsuku! Katsuki huffed. They were playing a video game and Katsuki lost to him three times in a row before throwing his pillow cushion and stomping out of the room. That was 30 minutes ago. Itsuku was still being ignored. Katchan! Itsuku whined again, louder. Shut up! I know you cheated somehow! But I didn't! Then how the fuck did you win three times in a row? Itsuku grinned. I'm just that good! A peach-colored cushion came hurling his way before Katsuki pounced on him. I'll kill you, Tsuku! Seven-year-old Itsuku only squealed and laughed out loud. Shirata, let's race! Itsuku tugged on Shirata's shirt. The pro hero took the item Inko handed him before putting it in the cart. No. Please! Itsuku pleaded, giving him his signature puppy look. Shirata pointedly looked away from it because he knew he would crumble the moment he looked at it. No. Shirata, pretty please! Itsuku pleaded once again, tugging his arms and making himself look even cuter. Shirata sucked in a deep breath, sending a glare when he heard Inko stifle a laugh and look for his favorite brand of snacks. We can go a little faster, Shirata said finally. Yay! Itsuku cheered, climbing into the cart and settling himself at the front. Shirata rolled his eyes at the excited cheers before pushing the cart forward. They only made a couple rounds around the aisle and a few more on the other side, stopping every now and then when Inko needed to put something in the cart. Itsuku happily pretended to be a delivery man each time. Shirata was the delivery van, apparently. He was in the middle of bickering with Inko and Itsuku about what flavor of fruit juice was superior when it happened. So, a very familiar voice called. A voice he didn't want to hear at the moment. A voice that could make him want to run the other way. But before he could, oh my god, it is you! Cursing his luck to hell and back, he stiffly turned around and threw a glare at Nomuri. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Inko look at him curiously. And behind him, he could feel Itsuku slowly climbing up his back. Hello, Nomuri. Oh, is he your friend? Inko asked. No. He answered at the same time Nomuri said yes, with a smile. I've never met this woman in my life before. Shirata said, pushing the cart and trying to walk away. But Inko grabbed him by his shirt and slapped him in his face. Shirata sighed and ducked his head in defeat. Really show, Nomuri asked, leaving instead of introducing me to them. Shirata tried to hide Itsuku in front of him, but he was too late. Oh my god, Nomuri gasped, and Shirata cursed his luck even more. Don't tell me that your son and you've been hiding your family from us all this time. I'm not Itsuku's dad, Shirata hurriedly said. Whatever you're thinking, you're thinking wrong. Stop thinking. Nomuri raised an eyebrow and turned to Inko. Inko waved dismissively in the air. We're his neighbors. He's still part of our family though. Shirata felt his heart do something weird once again at the mention of the word family. Aww, Nomuri cooed. Is the little one yours? Yeah, Inko replied, and then stretched out her hand for a handshake. Hello, I'm Inko Midoriya. Kayama and Nomuri, Nomuri replied, taking her hand with a smile. Then she turned to Itsuku. Hey little one, nice to meet you. Shirata hid Itsuku behind him, pressing him against his back to keep him close, while he narrowed his eyes at Nomuri. Nomuri, in return, narrowed her eyes at him. What are you suspiciously looking at me for? Itsuku's not yours. Back off. Hello! Itsuku's reply became muffled, but she saw him waving his hand from behind Shirata. Nomuri grinned widely, and it was the kind of grin that told Shirata of an oncoming disaster. Do not, he said as soon as he saw Nomuri reaching into her purse. Nomuri did stop, and only grinned wider. I'm gonna do it, she said in a sing-song voice, taking out her phone. I will kill you. His threat failed to have the necessary amount of scare factor. As Shirata trailed away, frowning in confusion, when Itsuku dropped down from his back without a word. I'm gonna do it. Shirata snapped his attention back to his supposed friend. No one will ever find her body. Do not. Hey! Here's Ashi! Nomuri sprinted. Shirata ran after her. I'll wait at the counter! And her voice came while he chased after his annoying friend. As it turned out, five minutes later, he was too late. Oh, by the way, I sent you a resume for teaching at UA. You'll have an interview soon. Nomuri grinned cheerfully, while Shirata panted like a dog in summer. How the woman managed to run so fast in her heels was beyond him. Then he registered her words. Shirata swore no one will be able to trace her mysterious disappearance back to him. Not even Tsukatsu. Shirata knew something was wrong with Itsuku as they headed back. He was too quiet, too calm. He didn't even pay attention to the new all-night advertisement on the TV screens inside of the shops. Or any hero merch on the shop's display. Ingo looked at him with concern. Okay, so he was worried, too. Something was definitely wrong. Which is something I did. Shirata acts confused as he put aside the bag. Ingo gave him a look. A look that said, I know you're better than that. Try harder. God, she's such a mom. What? Ingo sighed and shook her head. Then she walked over to Itsuku, helping them put away the groceries and placed her hand on his back. Itsuku, sweetheart, what's wrong? Why are you upset? It's nothing. Itsuku replied disheartenedly. Ingo let out a sigh. Come on, sweetie. If you don't talk to me, how can I help you? I'm fine. Itsuku replied, though his voice wavered this time. Ingo shot him a look and mouthed, You try. Shirata let out a puff of breath and nodded. Itsuku, I don't want to talk to you. Shirata stopped, Eyes widening when Itsuku cut in between his words. He looked at Ingo. Ingo looked back with an unexplainably smug look. Shirata shook his head. What was that? Ingo sent him another mom look. Don't think I don't know. Shirata frowned. What? Still confused. After looking at Ingo for help, he walked over to Itsuku's side and cropped down. What did I do wrong, buddy? Itsuku looked at him with such a pitiful expression. Shirata was ready to apologize for anything. Buy him anything he wanted. Then, in a very soft and shaky voice, You said you weren't my dad. Shirata faltered for a second, but forced himself to answer. But I'm not, kiddo. But I want you to be my dad. Itsuku replied pitifully. Shirata hesitated, and apparently, that was the wrong thing to do, because before he could say anything, Itsuku ran back to his room and closed the door behind him. Shirata looked up to Ingo helplessly. Don't even try to say that you don't look at him like he's your son, Ingo said. But Ingo sighed and sat down. Then, she plodded the empty chair next to her. Shirata slumped his shoulders and pulled himself up to sit on the chair. Shirata? Hisashi? He left even before Itsuku was born, Ingo said. She picked at one of the few scratches on the table and continued, Look, I know it's a bit unconventional and weird. A lot for some people, maybe. But, she looked up. I stopped caring about what was conventional a long time ago, shou. If this is what you want, I promise you, you're not crossing any lines. Shirata ran a hand through his hair and looked away. He knew he was in denial all this time, but right now, he didn't have a choice to pretend that he didn't think of Itsuku as his own. It was either accept the truth or lie and ruin everything. I want whatever Itsuku wants. Shirata shrugged at the end. Ingo smiled. Bingo talked to him. With a nod, Shirata stood up and walked over to Itsuku's room. He knocked on the door and announced himself. I'm coming in, Izu. Once he opened the door, Itsuku didn't protest, but turned his back towards him with a huff. Hey, kid. Shirata walked over to Itsuku's bed and sat down. Are you mad at me? Itsuku didn't answer him and only sniffed quietly. Look, kid. I'm not your stepdad, he started. You know what a stepdad is, right? Uh-huh. One of my classmates has a stepdad, Itsuku replied after a few seconds of silence. Okay, okay. I'm not going to be your stepdad. Why not? Itsuku asked innocently. Shirata bit back a sigh and replied, I don't want to marry your mom, kid. Why not? Itsuku spun around, determined she's cool, well, for one, she's a lot older than me, and I'm not into that, and I don't like her like that. I like just being friends, Shirata replied, sniffing a laugh when Itsuku pouted hard. But, but, his lips quivered, but, Shirata continued, I can be whatever you want me to be, your brother, dad, friend. We can go back to Sawa if you want. Itsuku sniffled and rubbed his nose. Really? Yeah. So you're family? Shirata closed his eyes for a second, pushing his lips to hide a smile, and ignored the way his chest warmed at the question before he answered, Yeah, buddy. Then he was tackled by the seven-year-old, knocking all the air out of his lungs. But he didn't mind. Shirata let out a quiet chuckle. Are you still mad at me? Now, Itsuku answered, burying his face into his chest. Thank goodness, Shirata replied. He glanced back to see Inko standing at the doorway, watching them with a smile. When she noticed him looking at her, she grinned and threw a thumbs up. Shirata rolled his eyes at her, and buried his face in the green tufts of Itsuku's hair. Shirata was really, really sleepy, and that is why he made that mistake. It was late in the afternoon in February. The temperature was just perfect for a nap, not too cold, not too hot. So that is exactly what he was doing, taking a nap on the couch in his apartment, with Itsuku's coat up on his chest. He had woken up with a start when he suddenly found it hard to breathe, only to open his eyes to see the kid drooling on him while he slept soundly on his stomach. Shirata used to it more than he would like to accept, only pulled him upwards and shifted him until he could breathe freely. Then he turned around and tucked Itsuku's head into the curve of his neck, before promptly falling back asleep. He woke up to the jingle of keys. In his sleep-clouded mind, he assumed it to be Inko, completely forgetting the fact that it was three in the afternoon, and she wasn't supposed to be back until seven. The realization did eventually hit him, but it was already too late. There was only one other person who had their keys to his apartment apart from Inko, his best friend, Yamada Hisashi. What? Shirata shot his eyes open just as he heard the voice and saw Hisashi standing in front of the couch, eyes wide, mouth hanging open, and fingers pointed towards them. Shirata knew his friend liked the back of his hand, and so he knew his friend was going to squeal at the sight of Itsuku sleeping. It was an adorable sight, Shirata was aware, and the fact that he looked younger and smaller than the kids in his age group did not help, and he was going to squeal loudly. Shirata held up his hand out in front of him, activating his quirk just in case, and glared. Hisashi, having decent survival instincts, stopped right away. Do not wake him up, Shirata whispered, tucking Itsuku's face further into his neck and slowly sitting up. He nodded exaggeratedly and clamped his hand over his mouth. Then, he quickly looked at his phone and started typing. Seconds later, Shirata's own phone buzzed on the table. Shirata threw him a deadpan look. Really? Hisashi let out a muffled noise, stomping his feet on the ground. Shirata hissed at the noise it made. With a roll of his eyes, he reached out and took the phone, while pointing to the empty couch for Hisashi. Loud Dumbass, you have a kid and never told me? Loud Dumbass, show what the fuck, how could you? Loud Dumbass, was this what Namuri was hiding from me all this time? Loud Dumbass, why does she know about your kid before me, show? Loud Dumbass, I'm your first best friend. Is my position in danger? Do I need to fight Namuri because I will fight a bitch? Tired Pigeon, I'm sending a screenshot of that to Kayama. Let me know when you two fight. I'll bring popcorn. Loud Dumbass, show! Shirata sighed and threw a tired look at Hisashi. He leaned against our armrests and shifted a seat to win his laugh until he was comfortable. Hisashi let out a muffled squeal at the sight. Tired Pigeon, Is Shirata my son, but not really? Loud Dumbass, did you kidnap him or something? Do I need to help you hide your tracks? Can I keep him if it's not official yet? Shirata threw an affronted look at his friend. Loud Dumbass, show! Start explaining before I lose my mind. Tired Pigeon, he's my neighbor's kid. Tired Pigeon, I met him like two years ago, and I don't know exactly how it happened, but I got adopted into their family apparently, and I'm co-parenting Izuku. Loud Dumbass, can I get adopted too? Tired Pigeon, no. Loud Dumbass, watch me. Smiley face. Loud Dumbass, how long is the baby gonna sleep? I wanna meet him. Tired Pigeon, he's seven years old, not seven months. Loud Dumbass, okay, and? Shirata sighed and checked the time. They've been napping for a good hour. I should wake him up, or he won't sleep at night. Putting down his phone, he looked at the kid so fast asleep on his chest. Izuku, he called. The kid mumbled in his sleep and curled up further against him. Feeling only slightly guilty, but also petty for all the times Izuku abruptly ended his nap time, he gently nudged Izuku, pushing him back a little. Shirata huffed out an airy chuckle when Izuku's head rolled back without any sign of the kid waking up. He held him steady and shook him lightly. Izu, wake up, we have a guest. He nudged the kid once again, ignoring the snap from Hisashi's camera. Izuku whined and scrunched up his face before slowly blinking his eyes open. He yawned, stretching backwards like a cat. Once he was satisfied with his stretch, he stopped and blinked at him. Clicking his tongue, he absentmindedly wiped away his drool. Uh-huh, did you have fun drooling all over me? Shirata deadpanned. Izuku, despite not being fully awake, grinned cheekily at him and giggled. Shirata rolled his eyes fondly. Up yet? We have a guest. Shirata then nodded his head towards the other cats. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Hisashi recording the entire thing. Izuku slowly turned his head towards Hisashi and blinked twice. The moment he registered who the guest was, all signs of tiredness left him in an instant. His face lit up with recognition and a wide smile spread across his face. Present Mike? Hey, you recognized me, little Izuku. Hisashi greeted back with equal enthusiasm. Oh my god, Present Mike knows my name. Izuku gasped, squealing at the end. He turned to Shirata with wide eyes and said, I completely forgot you're friends with someone as cool as Present Mike. You're so lucky. Hisashi sniggered while Shirata gave Izuku an unamused look. Alright, get off. He pushed the kid. No, I'm sorry. Izuku replied, not sounding apologetic at all, as he clung onto his shirt. In fact, he was grinning as if he was a picture of innocence. Shirata rolled his eyes. I don't care. Aw, show, are you jealous? Hisashi teased. Shirata shot him another glare before pushing Izuku off of his lap and got up to find the new shirt for himself. By the time he came back, Izuku was already comfortable with Hisashi. Of course he was. It was Hisashi's secret ability of sorts to be able to make anyone feel comfortable with him, and it didn't help that Izuku was such a friendly child. It was Izuku's eighth birthday when he first asked Shirata to train him to become a hero. It happened like this. Izuku walked up to him and tugged him down as if he was about to share a secret. Then, very hesitantly, he asked in a soft voice, Dad? Shirata sucked in a quiet breath. It had been months since Izuku first called him dad. He almost cried at that. Almost. Though Inga would argue otherwise. But still, Izuku felt his heart warmed up with disgustingly domestic emotions. Can you, um, how to teach me to be a hero? I know I'm quirkless, but, um, I, I was reading about some pre-quirks heroes, and I found a few. Of course, they were all stories, but one of the heroes was a normal human like me without any special powers. But he was super smart, so built himself a really cool armor, and he was like one of the best heroes. Oh, oh, and another, there was another who used bows, a bow and arrows. Another girl who came like crazy good at fighting. A really cool spy, can, can I be like that too? Of course, Izuku read about pre-quirk heroes. No matter how hard it was to find copies of those stories, they had been out of the market for decades now. Shota did have a few copies, albeit in a not so good condition. He'd show them to Izuku sometimes. Of course, remember what I told you about quirks? Izuku nodded obediently. Quirks are tools, they don't make you a hero, but rather yourself. That's right. So after the little party was over, Izuku had gotten all his gifts, an exclusive Mercuro merch set, along with a Hawks themed stationery from Shota, present Mike limited edition merch from Hasashi, a gray scarf that looked awfully similar to Shota's capture weapon from Inko. As soon as he got it, Izuku pretended to be a race head, flapping around the ends of the scarf. Shota spent the entire time in the kitchen to hide his smile and maintain his reputation. Kayana got him an iridescent pendant that he absolutely loved. Later on, Izuku came up to him and whispered that his favorite gift was this scarf, because now we match, dad! They went up to the rooftop, where Shota taught Izuku how to walk as noiselessly as possible. Izuku's a fast learner. Shota had learned that a long time ago. But there was something off about it. He learned almost too fast and never made a mistake. It went beyond being protocol. Seriously, Inko, are you sure he doesn't have a quirk? Izuku rushed down the empty street on his way back home. Last week, there had been a villain attack near the train station, and two rising rookie heroes fought against the villain with a glue quirk. They both had unique quirks. One of them had a wind quirk. They could compress the air into tiny pellets that looked like air bullets. And the other had an electric-type quirk. Shota had given him the task to make an analysis of their quirks, how he could use them to fight against a villain of his description. It was tricky, because the villains Shota had described had advantages against both of them with a sandstorm quirk. He had come up with three different ways, only for him to find flaws with the plans afterwards. But finally, after ten hours of grinding, he came up with a fool-proof plan. He couldn't wait to show Shota his new analysis. Plus, he had come up with a new design for Katsuki's hero costume. Even if his best friend was okay with the last design, it didn't mean Izuku was. Even if it was good, it can always be better. And Shota was supposed to have gotten off early from his work as a UA teacher. His dad was an underground pro hero, and a teacher at the best hero school in all of Asia. How epic is that? It's been five years, but Izuku still found it hard to believe. That means they could train for more hours before Shota had to leave at night for patrol. Izuku was brimming with energy and could barely wait to go back. Or at least, that's how he would have liked they'd go. But his luck never seemed to be on his side. Problem Child was what Shota called him fondly, because Izuku seemed to garner a special skill for attracting trouble all the time. And Izuku really wanted to prove that nothing was wrong. He really did. But as soon as he entered the tunnel under the bridge, a strong, vented smell attacked his nose. Over the years, his senses had gotten sharper instead of the other way around. And right now, his nose burned from the horrid smell. He gagged internally. But before he could inspect the source of it, he felt something slimy, cold, and utterly disgusting around his body. A medium-sized body. A slithery voice said. Izuku felt the hair on the back of his neck rise. And before he could do anything but run and scream for help, he found himself trapped. Trying to scream for help was his mistake, because as soon as he opened his mouth, he felt it being violated by the sludge villain. Tears brimmed his eyes as the thick sludge went down his throat, choking him. I- Just hijacking your body. Calm down. It'll only take a few seconds, the villain said. Izuku felt the wetness on his cheeks as the burning, hot-like-lava sludge slid down his throat. Am I going to die? Is this it? I don't want to. Please, someone save me. Mom, Dad, someone. Texas. A gust of wind hurled past them, scattering the sludge and dropping his body on the ground like a ragdoll. The last he saw before he passed out was a blur of blue and yellow and a loud, boisterous voice. When Izuku woke up again, he felt someone gently slapping his face. Blinking his eyes open, he found himself with All Might. If someone had told four-year-old Izuku Midoriya that one day he would get captured by a sludge villain, but then get saved by All Might, he would have freaked out, possibly pissed himself from happiness, and then be out like a light. Because, holy shit, his number one favorite hero was standing a few inches away from him. All Might was still his number one hero. But his dad, Shota, was a pro hero too. A really freaking cool one at that. So the first decision was currently shared by two people. Izuku snapped back to his sentence, just as All Might held up the bottle that contained the sludge villain. In an autograph, my notebook, he spotted his notebook laying on the side and grabbed it. Ah, he already did it! Now, I must bring this fellow to the authorities. You can catch me again on the TV, All Might declared, holding up the bottle that contained the sludge. Should I tell him that it doesn't seem like a good idea? Nah, he's the number one hero. He knows more than I do. Wait, I could ask him my question. Wait, no. Izuku reached out helplessly. I need to ask you something. I need to know if I... And before he knew it, he was blasting up towards the sky while hanging off of All Might's leg. Hey, now, All Might said when he noticed him hanging off his leg. This is a bit too much. I'm so sorry. I didn't think... I didn't realize you were going to jump. If I let go now, I'll die. And once Shota and his mom find out about my dentistry, Shota will find a way to bring me back just so that he can strangle me with his own hands. And then his mom would ground him for eternity. And then Katsuki would kill him afterwards. That's right. Oh, just damn it. Izuku prayed to every god he knew the name of when his feet safely touched the ground. And he also prayed that they save him from Shota. God, he's going to be so disappointed in me. I can already see his face. Please, if I see... If I have to see that again, I'll cry. He planned suicide just in time to see All Might prepared to leave yet again. Wait! He blurted out as if embarrassing himself once wasn't enough for him. No, I will not wait. Izuku realized that All Might's Japanese had a unique accent to it. I just wanted to ask you one question, Izuku stuttered. Can I become a hero even without a quirk? He looked down at his hand, and he fiddled with his fingers. He didn't know what answer he would get. Anxiety and nervousness bubbled inside of him. He could hear his still thundering heartbeat boom in his ears. Quick, All Might started, and Izuku hopefully looked up only to find a much shorter, thin, and wobbly man in his place. What? You've shriveled up! Are you... Were you an imposter? Oh my god, this is it. This is the day I die. Midori Izuku, cause of death, idiocy. I am All Might, the man said. Izuku recognized the accent to be American. No way! You know how people hold in their gut at the pool? It's like that. The man sat down against the fence. Izuku panicked. How was he supposed to react after finding out his childhood favorite hero wasn't actually as big and strong as he knew him to be? That he actually looked much weaker, and... Izuku's thoughts came to a standstill when he pulled up his shirt to show the nastiest scar Izuku had ever seen. Five years ago, an enemy did this to me. My respiratory system was nearly destroyed, and my stomach had to be removed. I'd been wasting away because of those surgeries. I'm sure you were alive because of those surgeries, and not the other way around. Now don't go sharing about this on the internet, okay? All Might continued. This was never made public as I requested it, because the symbol of peace should never be daunted. Izuku shook in a sharp breath. The reason I smile is to stave off the overwhelming pressure and fear I feel. A pro hero should always be willing to risk their life. So, can a person without a quirk become a hero? No. He slowly got up, completely oblivious to the raging storm inside of Izuku. The look on his face, the desperation. If you want the help, you can always become a police officer. Those villain custody officers are often mocked, but that too is admirable work. Izuku barely resisted the sound to the metallic door creaking open over the sound of his own heartbeat. It is not wrong to dream, but you need to be realistic. Be realistic. You can't be a hero. Without a quirk, you can't be a hero. Be realistic. Be- No. Shirota told him he could become a hero even if he didn't have a quirk. Even Kacchan believes in me now. Mom, Sashi, Nami, they all believe in me. He looked up and saw All Might leaving without another word. If Shirota or Hisashi or Nomuri hadn't been there for him all this time, Izuku probably would have taken All Might's words to his heart. But now, how could he? Shirota told him the first day he started training him, the first step to becoming a hero is to believe in yourself. If you can't believe in yourself, how can the people you are saving believe in you? Izuku frowned as he picked up his bag. All Might would always be the number one hero, but how can you just crush my dreams and leave me like this, on a rooftop? Izuku kicked a rock as he walked down the street. Slightly miffed and upset from the conversation from before, he tugged his backpack higher as he mumbled with a pout on his lips. He was exhausted, both mentally and physically, and wanted nothing more than to just go home and plop down on his bed, face first. In the corner of his mind, Izuku imagined a razorhead giving an approving nod to the idea. He stopped in his tracks when he heard a commotion and looked up to see a huge crowd at the entrance to the market area. Is there another villain attack? Izuku mumbled to himself as he crossed the road. Well, I'm feeling upset anyway. Might as well cheer myself up with some analysis. Izuku stopped abruptly in his path when he saw a large group of people crowded in front of the shopping district. Curious, he crossed the road and squeezed his way through the crowd. Is this another villain attack? I wonder what kind of villain it is this time. With much struggle, he was finally able to find a spot from where he could watch the fight. It was a villain with a slouched quirk, or something like that, Izuku decided the moment he saw them. But there was also fire spreading around the shops behind the villain. It didn't quite make sense. He watched backdraft, working with his sidekicks to take out the fire. Well, Izuku frowned as he noticed the other heroes, coming with Mount Lady and Death Arms, stood on the sidelines and didn't do anything. In fact, taking a second to look around, he noticed several things that were wrong with this situation. Police stood at the front with their arms outstretched like some sort of human barrier. Izuku frowned even more. Why aren't they evacuating everyone? Civilian safety always took first priority. Shota had reminded him of it, over and over again. And yet, here they are, only a few steps away from an ongoing attack. He's pretty sure this violates at least three protocols. Those explosions, that blonde hair, and those red eyes were something Izuku could recognize any time of any day. And that same person was captured by the sludge villain that had attacked him only moments ago. Izuku knew right away how much pain his friend must be in right now. He cupped his hand over his mouth, horrified at the scene. He looked to the heroes, confusion stacking up in his mind. Why aren't you doing anything? Captain's going to die! He heard one of them say, the kid needs to hold on until someone with the right quirk comes. Someone with the right quirk? Is that what's left to do? To let the kids suffer the pain of drowning while they wait for a hero with the right quirk? Izuku was terrified. His legs shook violently as he had his hand clasped tightly over his mouth. He knows how much being captured by the villain hurts. And yet, for a split moment, Izuku cut Katsuki's eye, and his body moved without his consent. He knew he was probably going to regret it later on, but he couldn't just stand and watch while his friend was getting hurt. He tore through the crowd and shrugged his bag off his shoulder. He ignored the shouts of the heroes. Izuku always loved heroes, admired them, idolized them. But all in one day, that rose tinted glasses of his was snapped away without words and crushed with action. Don't get him wrong, he still loved them, respected them, admired them, and will continue to stockpile their mergers. It's just that previously, he was ignored by every single hero. Now, they weren't, because so far, only a few heroes actually acted like one. Izuku shrugged his bag off his shoulders. Even if he had been building up his body since he was ten and was learning how to fight for a little over a year now, he was still nowhere good enough to fight villains, especially the tricky ones like the one in front of him. But, always look for weaknesses, is just their advice. No matter how strong and powerful everyone has weaknesses, try to keep yourself calm, spot the weakness, and exploit it. Izuku observed the fudge villain. He knew it was pointless to hit its body with his bag. The villain probably won't even feel it. But, all of his body can't be made of fudge. There has to be one solid part. His eyes. Izuku grabbed his bag, grabbed the book, then he hurled it at the fudge villain. And just as he had hoped for, the bag hit the fudge villain in the eye, causing him to loosen its grip on Katan as it cried out in pain. It's you, the villain growled as soon as he noticed him. Yeah, hi. Izuku replied out of habit. Oh my god, I'm a nervous talker. Why are you, Katan, growled? Izuku was terrified already. The blonde's threat made no effect on him. Izuku dodged the first attack of the fudge villain towards him and jumped. It's slow. Because of his sluggish body, he didn't have good control over. Izuku landed right near where he assumed was the villain's shoulder, if that was a concept for the sludge body, and jammed the corner of the book into the villain's eye. The villain cried out in pain once again and almost let go of Katan's body in order to grab him. Izuku planned to move, but the villain was made of sludge and he slipped, narrowly missing the sludge's limbs. And he was pretty sure he used up a heavy chunk of his future luck preserve, which was already depleting at a steady rate. Keep calm. Keep calm. Keep calm. Calm. Calm. So calm. Izuku! Katsuki shouted, Get away from here! Why are you- I- I don't know! My legs just started moving! Izuku shouted back, grabbing Katsuki's arm and yanking him out. You- you looked like you needed help! The sludge villain roared and whipped another sludge arm in his direction. Izuku yelped and jumped to the side. His hand slipped away from Katsuki in that moment. Izuku realized that despite having an anemoid body, the villain's limb is limited to the same number as a human. Which meant if one of his hands was on Katsuki, he only had one free to attack him. Major disadvantage! But then again, not like he had an advantage either. His surprise attack wasn't going to work anymore, and he didn't have anything to blow away the thick sludge with. So all he could do was dodge, grab, pull, and run. Stop getting in my way! The villain cried, raising his gigantic hand to swat him away like a fly. Izuku knew that there was no way he could escape that. But he could use the force to pull Katsuki out. All he had to do was grab his friend by the collar and then grab on the other hand so he could use the villain's own power and momentum to pull his friend free. But before any of that could happen, a big hand grabbed a hold onto the villain's. The lesson I've left you with, I should be practicing my own features, a familiar voice said. And then as if a hurricane knocked him over, All Might's punch blasted the villain into smithereens. Izuku walked half fascinated and half worried about Kacchan as the air pressure dropped due to the sudden air void being formed from the punch. And then it started to rain. Wow, he just changed the weather with one punch. He could probably use his skill to put out big fires. And he doesn't even need a water quirk for it. So cool. Afterwards, some of the heroes started collecting the bits and pieces of the sludge villain. And while Katsuki was getting praised, the heroes were scolding him and belittling his actions. That was reckless and stupid. Reckless and stupid? My friend was going to die. And you all heroes were just standing there and watching him. Watching it happen just because you didn't have the right quirk. Izuku really didn't mean to but he couldn't help but slowly raised his head and glared at the heroes criticizing him. What he didn't know was how terrifying his glare was. You would have died for nothing. Death arms scolded. Izuku swore he heard something snap. Snap? For nothing you say. He started. He had no idea how he sounded or if his words were loud enough. Most of the noises around him were drowning under the thumping of his own heart. I almost died for nothing? That's right, kid. Kame Woods added. Oh. Izuku nodded sagely. I'm sorry. I had no idea a boy's life was worth nothing. He stopped and took in a deep breath before looking up and meeting the heroes' eyes. Is that why you all stood by on the sidelines and did nothing except for watching the boy nearly die? Because his life was worth nothing? He tilted his head and took in their silence before giving a nod. No answer I see. Let's ask someone else. Izuku turned around and smiled. He waved his hand in the air. The other heroes followed his line of sight. As soon as they did, they froze. Because Izuku was smiling at a reporter who enthusiastically smiled back at him before skipping his way towards him. Hello, I'm Takamine Kazuda from Japan News today. Can we get a statement about the villain attack? Izuku smiled. Of course, sir. Yes, sir. That's right, sir. Incoming word, sir. Just told me that none of the heroes on site moved to help the boy nearly dying. Because he looked back at the heroes and his smile dropped. It would have been for nothing. Now, death arms started and Izuku could practically hear him gritting his teeth. I didn't say that. I said you would have died for nothing. No one said anything about us heroes. We had the situation very much handled and there was no need for the citizens to get involved at all. Handled? His friend was dying. Because I was standing in the crowd for a good three minutes. And during that time, none of the heroes made any move to help the boy. Except for Backdraft who was putting out the fires. Because, Kamiwood said finally, none of us had a suitable quirk to tackle the villain. We were keeping the villain at bay until someone with a more suitable quirk arrived. Now, bad quirk match, Izuku asked in an innocent tone. How was a bad quirk match up? What do you mean, Kamiwood asked? Izuku felt, really felt bad. Because from the news coverage he had seen of the man, he knew he was really emotional. But his childhood friend had almost died. For as I said, I was only here for three minutes. And I, after all, a dumb child who doesn't have that many ideas. But he tugged his bag. Don't what I saw. Anyone could have done what I did. Target the weakness of the villain, as in the eye. Apart from that, wet wood doesn't catch fire easily. Or, you and Deatharms, sir, would have teamed up together to take the villain down. Or, if even that would have been difficult, Izuku turned and looked at Mt. Lady. We're pretty close to the mouth of this district, he pointed. So even if Ms. Mt. Lady couldn't have come in, she could have, you know. He mimed picking up something from the ground. Picked up the sludge villain without needing to enter the place. So yeah, forgive me, but I don't see how it was a bad quirk matchup. Deatharms opened his mouth to reply. But before he could, Katsuki butt in. Shut up. He tried to save my life. Well, all you pros did nothing. He growled and grabbed his hand. In the moment, Izuku's eyes fell on all my enemy foes. The words from the roof echoed in his mind. Katchan, Katchan, let's go. Izuku murmured. Huh? What? Hold on, I gotta deal with these. Katsuki grumbled, glaring at the pro heroes. Izuku ignored all of it and pulled his friend with him. Away from the crowd. Away from the press and the heroes. And away from the person who said his dreams weren't realistic. Oi, Oi, Izuku, why are we leaving? Don't you wanna talk to All Might? The others are all fucking extras, but All Might. We should have at least gotten his autograph, nerd. Katchan asked incredulously, running along with Izuku, who kept pulling him until they were far away from the scene. I know, Izuku replied through gritted teeth. I met him and he gave me his autograph. Huh? Katsuki shrieked. The fuck? When? Izuku sighed and stopped running, then pulled his bag to the front. He dug inside to force out the notebook where All Might had signed. Katsuki snaps it away from his hand and flips through the pages until he found it. Holy shit. Izuku heard him whisper. On my way here, Izuku replied, the sludge villain attacked me earlier. Katsuki snapped his head up, eyes widening and shocked. And then... Oi, why are you crying? Katsuki said, sounding as concerned as he could. Despite his grumpy personality, I, uh... I wanted to ask him if I could be a hero, you know, and, um... I didn't realize he was replete, so I held onto him. Somehow, we ended up on a roof and... Izuku bit his lip and let out a shaky breath. He said I couldn't become a hero and left. For what felt like a long time, Katsuki stared at him. And then, all of a sudden, he grabbed on the pages that held the autograph and ripped them out. Goddamn what? Fuck him, Katsuki said venomously. Exploding the crumpled paper in his hands and tossing away the ashes of it into the air. Fuck what he had to say. You're going to become a hero. You fucking promised. Don't you dare give up on it because of what he said. I'll punch you through the fucking sun if you give up on it, nerd. He grabbed Izuku by the collar of his shirt and shook him violently. I'm going to be the number one hero and you're going to be my sidekick, remember? Izuku let out a wet chuckle. Yeah, Katsuki let go of him and he wiped away his tears, even though Izuku already knew. Despite all my words, he was still going to try and be a hero. But still, it felt nice to see Katsuki's faith in him. Thanks. Don't fucking mention it, nerd. Katsuki pissed and started walking. Fucking number one hero, my ass. We should hurry back. My dad's going to be so mad at me when he finds out what happened. Izuku chuckled, jogging to keep up with his friend. Katsuki stopped abruptly, causing Izuku to slam into his back. His friend turned around with wide eyes. You have a dad? Izuku blinked and gaped. Then he snickered. You... Didn't know? But I thought the fucker was gone or something. Katsuki spluttered. Oh. Oh. Izuku laughed. You never actually met Shota after that one time. Oh my god. Who the fuck is Shota? My dad. Huh? You've met him, Kacchan. Bitch, when? When we were kids. The fuck? Izuku laughed at the look of utter bewilderment on Katsuki's face. He was about to reply when a familiar scent attacked his nose once again. He froze. What? What? What's wrong with your face, nerd? Izuku asked, quickly catching on to the swift change in his expression. Everything that happened next happened too quickly. One moment, he saw the immune blob of sludge squeeze its way out of the gap between the gaps of the manhole cover. Then it hurled towards him. Izuku moved on instinct and pushed Katsuki out of the way. Then something heavy and solid slammed into his head. It was over as quickly as it started. Izuku was on the ground, bleeding from his forehead. Ugh. Guess I was supposed to get out of the way. I hope Kacchan's okay. And then everything went black. You have died. Game over. Life's left. To continue. Yes? No. Alright, that's the end of chapter three. I hope you enjoyed. Bye bye.