5 Consequences
Izuku sat at his desk, his notebook open, diligently scribbling away before pausing to take a deep breath. He flipped through his numerous attempts at designing his costume, searching for that perfect concept. After a moment of contemplation, he settled on a simple yet aerodynamically designed green suit. It featured shoulder and knee pads to reduce pressure on his joints, along with white gloves designed to withstand high heat – at least, that's what he hoped, given his current understanding of his quirk.
Just as he was about to make some final adjustments to his design, a trembling voice called out from behind his room's door. His mother, equally nervous, peered through the gap in the door and stammered, "I- Izuku, it's here! The letter." She handed the letter to him and then left, leaving Izuku alone with the weight of his dreams, hopes, and ambitions condensed into that one piece of paper.
This letter held the key to his future, the path he would tread, and he couldn't be sure if he had made the cut. His palms grew sweaty, hesitancy filled his gaze, and his throat felt dry. With trembling hands, Izuku tore open the envelope and found a hologram device inside, complete with a button in the center. Placing it on his desk, he activated the device, and suddenly, the room was bathed in light as a towering, blonde-haired hero appeared before him.
"Am I on screen?" a voice thundered from the hologram, leaving Izuku in silent shock as he stared at his idol. "Examinee Midoriya Izuku, I'm here today to inform you that you didn't gather enough villain points to make the cut," All Might stated, causing Izuku's expression to shift into frustration. "Damn it. Damn it! ...huh?" he whispered, puzzled. The blonde-haired hero's hologram continued, "That is, if we only measured the worth of a hero by that merit." All Might finished, resuming after a brief pause during which Izuku now reeled from the relief of hearing those words, firmly grabbing the fabric of his shirt.
"Behold this screen!" All Might beckoned as Izuku was presented with a recording of numerous examinees attempting to transfer their points to him. Some realized they weren't cut out to be heroes, while others were willing to bet everything on him. However, more than that, he saw the auburn-haired girl now standing amidst the confessions and remarks, delivering the final punch to his metaphorical gut.
"Excuse me, do you know the boy with curly hair and freckles?" she began, her focused expression giving way to a gentle smile that hinted at gratefulness. "I saw him selflessly save dozens of other examinees, completely ignoring his own personal wants. And then, he risked his own safety to save my life. Can I share half of my points with him? If anyone deserves to be a hero, it's him," she finished, turning the blonde-haired hero's attention back to Izuku.
"We have an additional category for heroics that assesses the character and actions of examinees who help each other out of harm's way. Young man, you have inspired everyone around you, embodying the true essence of what a hero should be. As such, all judges have unanimously agreed to award you a full 100 points, totaling 115 points, the highest passing score in recent history. I hereby welcome you, Midoria Izuku, to your hero academia," All Might concluded as the hologram powered down.
The green-haired teenager was now releasing all of his pent-up stress, a deep exhalement of air left his lungs. "haah.." he gasped silently as his eyes closed, a hint of sweat racing down his face. The boy had finally achieved his first step towards becoming a hero.
- | | -
Izuku stood by a graveside, rain pelting the grass, his tears mingling with the downpour, searching for the contours of his face. The raindrops, like mournful petals, cascaded around him, as if the world itself grieved Katsuki's passing alongside him. It had only been a couple of weeks since the U.A. Examinations, leaving Izuku little time to grapple with his new reality. The acceptance letter had arrived just the days before the funeral was to take place.
He couldn't celebrate the moment of being admitted to U.A., not after everything he had gone through. It had taken every ounce of his will just to hold himself mentally together during the exams. But now, after finally learning the results, he could grieve properly. And in that time of respite he was able to attend Katsuki's memorial service which was filled with an abundance of candles and featured a portrait of the blonde-haired boy, captured in his broadest grin, hidden beneath a canopy—a vivid symbol of will and vitality. What surprised Izuku the most was that nearly half of their former class had gathered to express their empathy and share their grief.
Izuku however could only stand still until everyone had started taking their leave slowly before kneeling on the grave as he placed his hands together.
"Kacchan I made it into U.A High.. I'll blow everyone out of the water just like you." Izuku chuckled lightly as he continued weeping before placing a page of a notebook with burned edges on the grave. It had a detailed description of his former tormentor's quirk and its potential uses with a couple of codenames he thought would fit him well with a certain name circled out with a red pen.
"Watch over me kacchan, okay?" he said before leaving the graveyard in silence.
- | | -
Weeks later..
The sun began to rise on the horizon, and Izuku's slumbering form started to twitch, ultimately jolted awake by his All Might-themed alarm clock sitting on a small table next to his bed. Now fully awake, Izuku gently silenced the alarm by placing his palm on the clock, and then he commenced his morning routine, stepping into the shower.As he lathered up, a familiar call came from downstairs. "Breakfast is almost ready, Izuku sweetie. I'll have to leave for work before I'm late, okay?" his mother informed him before he heard the sound of the door creaking downstairs, indicating that she had left.
These past couple of weeks had proven challenging for the green-haired teenager as the new reality slowly took hold. He had come to terms with the fact that Kacchan was truly gone, leaving him with no choice but to press onward. After all, it was his first day at U.A., marking the beginning of his journey to become a hero. All focus had to be put into amping up his training routine and studies.
Finishing his hearty breakfast, which he had asked his mom to tailor to his ever-increasing calorie needs, Izuku chuckled to himself. "Turns out running as fast as a top-tier sports car can really drain a guy," he thought. He made final checks of his belongings before gently slinging his backpack over his shoulder and heading out of his apartment.
It didn't take long for the U.A. Campus to come into view on the horizon as Izuku was met by the sight of a familiar, enormous gate that, after a brief moment, began beeping as it scanned him. "Student No. XX58 identified. Izuku Midoriya," the machine informed, and the gates gracefully opened before him, leaving him in awe. "So... Cool," Izuku whispered under his breath as he stepped into the campus yard before making it to the school's hallowed halls, navigating his way to the homeroom class. Soon, he spotted a nameplate above a towering door that read '1-A'.
Upon entering, he was met with a classroom filled with his fellow students, most of them engaged in small talk, exchanging names, and getting to know each other. However, one student stood out, glaring at him with an expression of absolute annoyance, reminiscent of the ones he had received in the past but this time it was filled with something akin to rage.
This student was considerably tall, with fluffy white hair and pitch-black skin, a result of his unique quirk. His black eyes locked onto Izuku, causing him to subtly flinch. He then exhaled and moved to an available desk, only to hear a familiar voice from behind. "Would you look at that, Midoriya! You made it, dude," a female voice called out, prompting the green-haired boy to lock eyes with her.
"J-Jiro-chan," he promptly answered before noticing the silhouette of a blond boy beside him. "And...?" he asked as the girl wore a grin, now patting the blonde's head. "That would be my dumb brother, Denki," she smirked before Izuku sported a confused look. "How?" he asked, to which they both replied, "Fraternal twins."
"But I'm the more awesome and fabulous half," Denki remarked with a smile, offering his hand, which Izuku promptly grabbed. "We woulda probably met in the exams but mine was arranged on a different day sadly. Nice to meet ya," Denki added. "Ah, likewise," Izuku replied as they began casually exchanging a few words.
A new feminine silhouette appeared at the door, beaming with cheerful excitement. "It's you! Curly-haired kid! You made it, just like Present Mic said!" She grinned as she approached him and the Jiro siblings. "You guys should've seen him in action. He was all swoosh and bam on the big zero-point robot," she reminisced excitedly, causing Izuku to start scratching the back of his head.
"Ah, I- It was not really that impressive, I was just doing what I felt was the right thing to do," he tried to downplay it before she courteously introduced herself. "I'm Uraraka Ochako nice to meetcha by the way." Uraraka beamed. Some students began to approach him a moment later, offering their greetings.
"Midoriya, I have to hand it to you; you saw the true nature of the exams, didn't you?" a blue-haired boy started. "And I was... blind to it! Teach me your ways," he asked earnestly, chopping the air with.
"That is so manly," another red-haired boy admiringly declared, tapping his chest with his fist. "Eijiro Kirishima, and the negative nelly in the corner is Shihai Kuroiro. He acts annoyed but is a really nice guy," Kirishima continued before getting interrupted by a beaming Uraraka, who locked gazes once again with the green-haired boy. "I wonder if the entrance ceremony is today and what the teachers will be like," she wondered aloud, though the only thought going through the green-haired teenager's head was 'Too close!' as she was literally centimeters away from having them bump into eachother.
Suddenly, everyone's attention was drawn to the front of the class, where a voice could be heard.
"This is the department of heroics. If you want to make friends do it somewhere else," the now visible black-haired man in a sleeping bag snapped in annoyance. Before a silent moment passed everyone now locking their gazes towards the man.
"Huh. It took you 8 seconds to quiet down. You really are lacking in common sense" he said in a blank tone before continuing. "I am your homeroom teacher Aizawa Shouta. A pleasure to meet you" their teacher introduced before showing a gym uniform made out of entirely blue fabric with lines of yellow and red on it. He instructed everyone to get their own outfit and head to the gymnastic facilities outside.
- | | -
As everyone stepped outside in their U.A.-issued gym uniforms, they were met with an awe-inspiring gymnasium that seemed to stretch as far as the eye could see. The ground beneath them was a rugged expanse of sand, while nearby, a pristine area of white sand offered a striking contrast. This space had been meticulously divided into various sections, each tailored to different activities. Racing tracks, weightlifting areas, and distinct measurements on the ground marked the different zones.
Amid the confusion, Aizawa's calm tone reassured them. "You remember the tests that measured your physical attributes, right? Well, this is similar, but this time... you'll use your quirks."
"What about the ceremony?" Uraraka wondered.
"We don't have time to play nice with the other kids. Now, Izuku, how far were you able to throw a softball in junior high?" Aizawa inquired, his gaze fixed directly on Izuku.
"I- I believe roughly 20 meters," Izuku responded hesitantly. Aizawa then beckoned him to step forward.
"Great. Now try it with your quirk. Just don't leave the circle; anything else is fair game," Aizawa said, holding a measuring device and closely observing Izuku.
The green-haired boy stepped inside the circle, widening his stance and slightly bending his knees. He took a deep breath, allowing the burning sensation to fill him momentarily. Lightning began to crackle around him as he wound up, exploding into a powerful throwing motion. With a mighty scream, he released his grip on the ball. "...go!" The ball shot into the air, disappearing into the horizon a second later.
Everyone watched in astonishment, their mouths now wide open. Aizawa turned the measuring device to face all the students, and it displayed '1,005m.' "It's important to know your upper limits. That is the first step in determining the kind of heroes you will become," he explained before the students erupted into cheers.
"Seriously, what's up with that?" Denki exclaimed, and Kyoka followed up with an impressed whistle. "This is awesome!" the purple-skinned girl grinned.
The cheerful atmosphere was abruptly shattered as Aizawa's demeanor shifted, his expression turning ice-cold. "You think this is fun and games? You're here to become heroes in three years," he began, his tone growing colder by the moment. "The one with the lowest score will be expelled and judged unfit to continue their studies," he finished, an air of finality settling over everyone.
Safe to say, Izuku excelled in most of the activities that allowed him to utilize the acceleration of his body to his advantage. Nearly everyone was left in awe as they witnessed the green-haired hero showcase incredible feats. But what truly left them speechless were the moments that followed. It was the 50m dash and endurance running, and he was competing against Iida, who prided himself on his great speed. While Izuku could exhibit blinding speed in bursts, Iida was capable of
maintaining a consistent momentum that would favor him in situations requiring longer distances.
With everyone's eyes fixed on the 50-meter dash track, Izuku and Iida took their positions. They crouched in a form reminiscent of professional runners, with one leg firmly placed on the starting rack and the other bent to allow for an optimal amount of force to propel them into motion. Izuku sucked in air into his lungs once again, allowing it to build within him as lightning started crackling around him, sending heat from his legs throughout his entire body. His eyes glinted, almost sparkling, as a countdown began. "3... 2... 1... Go!" Aizawa shouted in a blank tone.
Izuku exploded from the starting line, leaving gusts of wind and shockwaves behind, forcing nearly everyone behind them to brace for the shock. They then gazed back at their teacher with stupefied expressions. Aizawa was grinning from one end to the next as he faced the students with his time-measuring device in hand. It read '0.9 seconds'.The green-haired teenager could be seen stopping his momentum while simultaneously causing some of the sand to yield as he halted his speed. He then exhaled air in and out while maintaining a confident demeanor. A few drops of sweat ran down his now calm features, his eyes laser-focused somewhere on the horizon, as if for a brief moment, he was almost fading out.
Lida arrived seconds later, wearing a look of absolute resignation and frustration on his face as he checked his own time. "3.04 seconds... I am nowhere near him, huh?" he exhaled with a sigh as he walked over to the green-haired boy, extending his hand. "That was an excellent race, Midoriya-san." The green-haired boy, now bringing his attention to Lida, bowed down and grabbed his hand in return, giving it a firm shake. "Ah, thanks, Lida-san. You were amazing too!" Izuku replied before both of them were enveloped by the air-piercing cheers of the other students who began surrounding them.
"Right..." Lida whispered, his tone briefly carrying a hint of venom before he shifted his demeanor back.
"Your race was so manly...!" Kirishima stated while grinning before a feminine giggle joined in. "You went all sploosh and woosh and then suddenly you were at the end of the race track!" Mina chimed in.
The air of happiness lasted for a moment before a contrasting angry tone suddenly silenced everyone.
"I knew I recognized you from somewhere. You were there... weren't you?" a pitch-black-skinned teenager interrogated, locking his eyes with Izuku. The glare grew more intense with each passing moment.
"H- huh...?"
"Yeah, everyone else might think you're a saint, but I know otherwise," he said, grabbing everyone's attention. Even Izuku was confused as to what was going on. He certainly didn't think he was a perfect human being – who really is? But this felt weird to him; it was as if the teenager in front of him was hurting. The sensation felt eerily familiar to Izuku.
"What do you mean?"
"Ha... Haha! This is rich. You're seriously telling me you didn't even bother to remember the faces of people you've hurt? A kid lost his arms in that incident because you and that blonde piece of shit did not think what kind of damage your quirks could cause, he was bleeding out, and they... they didn't even bother! I begged and begged... lil bro.. " he seethed in frustration.
"No..," Izuku pleaded as the other teenager continued.
"This is on you...! You shithead. Hear me!? What's my brother going to do now, huh?" he goaded the green-haired boy in frustration.
"NO...! I- why..!?" Izuku began, but he was swiftly cut off.
"No cares about a quirkless person. They deem them bottom of the barrel after all," he spat out with poisonous hostility. The green-haired teenager now wore an all-encompassing blank expression, devoid of any life. His throat felt dry as he clenched his fist, and nearly everyone else looked at him. Some regarded him in contempt, while others glared in disappointment.
A moment of silence passed before the white-haired teenager raised his voice, now a mix of frustration and anguish. "Say something! Are you fucking kidding me...!? Why did you have to go and play a hero, huh, Midoriya...!? Why! He would have been okay if you..!" He grabbed Izuku by the chest area of his gym uniform, and that's when Kyoka and Denki were about to intervene simultaneously, attempting to activate their quirks with him before a chill spread to everyone as Aizawa glared at everyone who now realized their quirks could not be activated.
"Cut it out. Now," Aizawa demanded in a commanding tone, his red eyes locking onto the situation as his hair and white paper floated in the air, prompting instant recognition from Izuku.
"Tsk," Shihai spat in response as he released the hold on Izuku's gym uniform.
"Erasure Hero: Eraserhead...!" Izuku gulped in shock.
"I didn't realize someone knew who I was," Aizawa responded, briefly amused. He then positioned himself between Izuku and Shihai before giving both of them a sharp chop on the head.
"We don't have time for your childish games. If you want to blow each other off, you can do it somewhere else," he stated before returning to his typically bored expression. "Class is dismissed. Go cool yourselves off."
- | | -
It was evident that some of his classmates had recognized him and his quirk from the television broadcast. As a consequence, the class had split into two distinct groups: one group empathized with Shihai's anger, while the others preferred to maintain a safe distance, motivated by both a desire to avoid any potential confrontations and, in some cases, the sheer fear of the power his quirk possessed. After all, what Izuku had displayed just moments ago was only a fraction of what they had witnessed on television. Consequently, a large portion of the class had chosen to ignore and steer clear of Izuku for the time being
The day continued, with Izuku keeping his distance from everyone until lunchtime arrived. Gradually, students made their way into the cafeteria to savor their lunches. Uncertain about how to process everything that had happened, Izuku found himself sitting alone at one of the tables. He absentmindedly toyed with his food, his stomach churning, his posture slumping, and his head held low as he stared at his plate.
'Alone at it again, huh?' Izuku thought. He could understand the contempt his newly acquainted classmates held for him. After all, his actions had led to Kacchan's death, and now, on top of it, he had caused a quirkless kid to get hurt. He was just like he used to be, and now his life would be twice as hard due to the consequences of his actions.
A brief, silent moment passed before Izuku could hear a couple of distinct steps approaching him from a short distance away. "Yo, mind us eating with ya, Midoriya?" a feminine voice inquired. Izuku raised his gaze from his plate to see Kyoka, Denki, and Uraraka giving him wide grins.
"Why?" he asked, with a conflicted look in his eyes.
"What do ya mean, why? We're friends now, aren't we?" Denki responded as they took their seats, with a blonde-haired teenager sitting opposite him and Kyoka sitting next to him.
"I- I thought you were angry or disillusioned with me," the green-haired boy stammered, a hint of stress evident in his eyes.
"Of course not, ya dummy. Everyone else can stick their stupid egoes up their literal a-" Kyoka scornfully began before Denki intervened with a nervous laugh. "What she means to say is that we believe in ya, okay? And besides, whoever gets my dear onee-chan out of her shell like this is good in my books," he chuckled.
"Oi shut up!" the purple-haired girl glared at her now nonchalantly food-munching brother, and the rest of them joined in the laughter.
"What? Ya know I'm right If anything I'm wondering when was last time you were this intense," he responded in a pondering tone before getting his eyes poked by her ear jacks."Ouch. ear jacks off me woman.. argh! Not there" the teens began their sibling scuffling.
"I... Thank you so much," Izuku said, now chuckling calmly.
"Do you... you know, want to talk about it?" Uraraka asked with a concerned look in her eyes as the Jiro siblings now focused on them. Izuku locked eyes with the auburn-haired girl, a calm and focused expression in his eyes, and gently shook his head.
"Not right now. But don't worry, I am- No. I will be okay," the green-haired boy said.
Sensing that he didn't want to elaborate further, Uraraka decided to drop the topic with no one else attempting to follow up. Their conversation shifted toward small talk, followed by happy laughter as they enjoyed the remainder of their day at school. Despite everyone else's attention on him, Izuku now had a few people he could call his real friends.
As the day neared its end, the newly formed friend group found themselves walking together toward a train station. However, Denki suddenly halted his movement, feeling his pockets. "Ah, I forgot my phone," he exclaimed before continuing.
"I'll have to go back and grab it, okay? You two can go ahead and leave without me," he said as he disappeared into the horizon.
Baffled by his sudden departure, the remaining trio decided to continue traveling. Upon reaching the station, Uraraka usually took a train in the opposite direction to Izuku and Kyoka, so she boarded the first train that arrived, leaving the purple-haired girl and green-haired boy alone. With just the two of them, Izuku was now a stammering nervous mess. It was the first time they were truly alone together that day, and despite having gone through a lot and experiencing unexpected changes, he couldn't help but lose his composure when it came to the opposite gender and her especially.
A moment of silence enveloped them as they waited for their train to arrive. Izuku, deciding to turn his head to look at her properly, locked his gaze with hers, and it felt like everything faded into the background around them. He noticed her brows slightly furrowing, her biting her lips, and a frustrated look in her eyes.
"A- Are you o-okay, Jiro-chan?" the boy wondered, his concern evident. The features of the purple-haired girl softened.
"Why are you doing it again?" she asked, biting her lip once more.
"Wha-" Izuku began, wearing a confused look before Kyoka jabbed his ribs with her earjack.
"You...! You're just taking everything on the chin and not complaining. Not even blaming anyone but yourself... why?" she asked, her curiosity palpable. Izuku had no immediate answer. Was it because Kacchan would toughen it out too? Or perhaps he was desperately trying to accept responsibility for his actions, believing the only way to atone for them was to let everyone treat him poorly. The green-haired boy pondered these questions in silence.
But no matter what he was trying tell himself there was no real reason for it, perhaps he was truly broken beyond measure when all was said and done and now the only thing left for him was to push forward to make it up to kacchan and the little kid who he had no idea was physically hurt before today.
"..Because thats what a hero would do right?" he whispered in a nervous smile, his gaze firmly locked with the purple-haired girl's, who now felt her chest tighten.
"I see," she responded, wearing a slightly sad smile in response as their train arrived. Both of them stepped onto the train and sat shoulder to shoulder on the available seats. Another serene, quiet moment passed before Kyoka felt a head on her shoulder, accompanied by a light snore and steady heartbeats that nearly caused her to jump out of her seat. But then, something shattered her entire reality right then and there.
Kyoka's shoulder started feeling a little wet, As she gazed to the boy she saw tears running across his cheek racing to find the shape of his features. Time seemed to halt entirely around them. The bright sun alternated between shining directly on them and casting them into shade. The composed purple-haired girl's eyes widened as she listened to the boy, her cheeks flushing a tint of red. Her mouth hung open in stupefaction, while her heart raced, showing no signs of slowing down. The colors that were once bland now became vibrant, and her eyes gained a hint of moisture.
"You are an idiot, ya know?" she whispered under her breath, her fingers gently playing with Izuku's hair using her earjacks. She could have immersed herself in that bittersweet moment for hours, but the time came to a close as she reached to wake the teenager up, knowing they were just minutes away from her stop.
"Oi, broccoli head," she poked the boy in the ribs.
As Izuku's eyelids opened, he realized their precarious situation. A fruity fragrance entered his nostrils, making his entire face go blue as he quickly jumped up, eliciting a surprised "Eep..!" before promptly starting to bow down.
"I-i-i-i-i am so sorry! I did not mean to fall asleep on you..." Izuku stammered incoherently, now scratching the back of his head, a shade of red on his cheek, and a nervous smile forming from one end of his lip to the other.
"Relax, greenie. You looked really tired, so I didn't mind, okay? I hope you liked the pillow because if that was anyone else I'd have sent them to the afterlife," she responded snarkily with a sly grin as the train finally arrived at its next station.
"Wha..?" Izuku stammered, his entire brain seemingly fried with nothing functioning, as the purple-haired girl stood up and exited the train. She gently waved back to the boy without anyone noticing.
"Bye," she said, her tone now gentle, a small, barely visible grin, leaving the green-haired teenager utterly frozen.
