2 Chapter 2 - The Sponsorship

The next couple of weeks were really hard for Izuku. His attitude had taken a turn for the worse. Gone was the timid, shy boy of before. He became more aggressive, angrier. Students would still pick on him for being quirkless would wind up with a bloody nose from him. The fact that he was getting in trouble for fighting was a shock to both students and teachers alike. This was not like Izuku. Not like him at all.

"You need to shape up, young man!" His teacher scolded after another fight. Izuku had gotten beaten up pretty bad. The student had a strong quirk and despite Izuku's knowledge of hero combat, he hadn't put it into practice very often. "How do you expect to get into UA if you are labeled a delinquent?" The teacher continued.

Izuku said nothing. He had given up trying to get into UA. Even if he managed to get in, there was no way he could keep up with the rest of the students there. UA was out of his league.

Uraraka had been texting him periodically. They had developed a friendship, and her texts had become the only ray of light in his life. She told him that she was applying to the UA high hero program when she graduated at the end of the year. She had encouraged him to apply as well. He always let the conversation drop from there.

Izuku still blamed himself for the death of Kacchan. What was worse, is that Izuku couldn't tell anyone about what happened without risking exposing All Might. All Might, Izuku thought bitterly. Why should I care about keeping his stupid secret? He was the one who crushed my dream, who didn't stop the villain from killing Kacchan. He's no hero. But despite this, Izuku still kept his mouth shut.

His mother was worried sick, this he knew. He felt guilty for how he was making her worry, but he couldn't pretend that he was the same happy kid he used to be. He had changed, and he knew it. He had told her he no longer wanted to be a hero and was shocked. She tried to talk to him about the fights he was getting into at school, and about Kacchan's death, but Izuku would just shut down. He knew she was worried. But he didn't know what else to do with himself. As far as he was concerned, his life was over before it even began.

"Izuku, honey?" He heard his mother call to his room. He sighed and lifted himself off his bed, walking towards the living room. To his surprise, she wasn't alone. Seated on the couch across from his mother was a man in what looked like an expensive suit. He was a foreigner, probably American if he had to guess. He stood as Izuku entered the room.

"Izuku," His mother said. "This is Bruce Wayne. He's a businessman from America."

"A pleasure," Said Wayne, extending his hand. Izuku didn't take it. "What's this about?" Izuku asked plainly.

"Izuku! Don't be rude," His mother scolded.

"That's quite all right, Miss Midoriya," Replied Wayne. Despite being American, he spoke impeccable Japanese. He was tall, standing at least at 6' 2", and had a large, powerful build under his suit. His speech and demeanor were friendly, but his eyes suggested a power behind them that would make even the strongest of men crumble to dust. He sat back down on the couch. "He's a man who gets straight to the point. I like that." He reached into a briefcase and pulled out a few pamphlets, handing them to Izuku and his mother.

"The reason I came," Said Wayne. "Is that my company, Wayne Enterprises, represents the Martha Wayne Foundation, an organization that assists in the funding of certain special interest projects: artistic ventures, hospitals, research, and so on. The Martha Wayne foundation also has a strong interest in schools for the gifted. Specifically, here in Japan, we are a large benefactor to UA High School, as it is the premier Hero academy in the Nation."

Izuku narrowed his eyes. "Because of this," Wayne continued. "I have the opportunity to sponsor a potential student of my choice to attend UA High." He looked Izuku straight in the eyes with a powerful stare. "I believe that you are the right choice for this opportunity."

Izuku didn't know what to say. His head was swimming with questions. Why did he want to sponsor him, of all people? On top of that, he had finally begun to put the pain of not being a hero behind him and was ready to move on. Now, this stranger drops into his life and starts dangling it in front of him like a steak to a starving dog. Finally, after a moment, Izuku found his words: "Well you're wasting your time. I'm not gifted. There are dozens of kids at my school who are a much better fit than I am for sponsorship."

"Your mother tells me that you helped stop a mugging the other day," Said Wayne. "You rushed in to save a stranger from a potentially dangerous situation without hesitation. I believe this makes you uniquely qualified."

Izuku sighed. "Well, you'd be wrong," He replied. "Uraraka was the one who actually stopped the attacker. I simply provided a long enough distraction for her to use her quirk."

Izuku met Wayne's gaze with the same intensity, but Wayne didn't falter. "I don't know if this is some publicity stunt or what," Izuku said after a minute. "But you'd be better off sponsoring someone who actually has an interest in becoming a hero, not to mention someone who actually has a quirk."

"Izuku!" His mother said, incredulously. "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity! Of course, he'll accept your offer," She said to Wayne. "He'd be foolish not to."

"No," Said Izuku flatly. "I'm being realistic. The quirkless have no business being heroes." He turned and began to walk away, but Wayne stopped him, holding onto his arm.

"Before you go, young man," He said. "I'd like to tell you something: I don't make this offer lightly. It doesn't matter to me if you have a quirk or not. I believe that a hero can be anyone, even you."

Izuku pulled away. "No," he said simply. "They can't." And with that, he walked away, returning to his room. "I am so sorry," Izuku's mother said, tears welling in her eyes. "He recently lost his childhood friend to a villain. He hasn't been the same since."

"It's quite all right," said Wayne. He gave Miss Midoriya a business card. "The offer still stands. Let me know if he changes his mind."

Izuku had gotten quite a lashing from his mother. She burst into his room, tears streaming from her eyes. "Why did you act in such a way?!" She had shouted. "What has gotten into you?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Said Izuku, turning away from her on his bed. His mother was having none of it. "He had offered you an opportunity you have dreamed about since you were little! A week ago you would have jumped at the chance!" She began to tremble, her tears flowing freely now. "What has happened to my little Izuku?"

Izuku didn't budge. "He grew up, mom." And with that, she slid the door shut with a loud "bang!", and Izuku heard her stomp away.

Izuku knew she had every reason to be angry. But she didn't understand how upsetting the situation was to Izuku. As far as he was concerned, fate had dealt to him a cruel hand of wanting to be a hero but had given him no quirk to make it possible. Even the Symbol of Peace told him his dreams were unrealistic. And yet, fate still continued to torment him by sending Bruce Wayne to him with sponsorship. It was as if he was a starving leashed dog being dangled a succulent piece of meat, just out of reach. It was torture.

He rolled over onto his bed, fighting his tears. He wanted to forget it all: All Might, UA high school, the Professional Heroes, all of it. He looked all around his room, at the posters and action figures of All Might. His unending smile once inspired confidence, hope, and safety in Izuku's heart. Now, all he could see is the thin, sickly shadow of his former self that he had become. Just looking at the memorabilia that lined his room made him sick and angry.

Picking himself up, he tore the posters from his walls and packed up all the action figures and merchandise that represented his former hero, All Might. Putting them all in an old box, he went out back to the dumpster behind his house to finally put an end to the pain they gave him, once and for all.

The box dropped into the nearly-empty dumpster with a satisfying "clang!" Brushing his hands against each other, Izuku turned to leave. But as he did, in the corner of his eye he saw one of the All Might figures at the top of the box. He was wearing his Silver Age costume, his never-ending smile seemed to shine, despite the lack of light.

Izuku paused. The reality of what he just did weigh heavily on him. It was the end of an era for him. His passion to become a hero had been the driving force in Izuku's life for so long, and All Might represented all he aspired to be. Now that he knew the truth, it felt as if his entire life was a lie and all that he worked for only fed the lie.

The thought of All Might made Izuku angrier. He slammed the lid of the dumpster down hard, the sound it made scaring a couple of alley cats away. Izuku sighed, collecting himself. He had done it. Every last bit of his past possessions that represented his desire to be a hero was gone. It was all over.

"I thought that All Might was the symbol that all heroes aspired to be."

The voice spoke behind him, causing Izuku to jump out of his skin, falling on his rear. He hadn't seen the figure before, as his outfit had hidden him well in the shadows. The first thing Izuku saw were his eyes. Ghostly white that glowed in the darkness. As he became focused, Izuku was able to see the massive figure the eyes were attached to.

It was a man, Izuku was sure of it, but not like any man he had seen before. The man was large, standing easily over 6' tall. His hulking, muscular frame was hardly hidden beneath a skin-tight dark grey bodysuit, which appeared to Izuku (who regularly studied hero costumes) to be some form of kevlar armor. He wore thick black combat boots that stopped at the knee, with matching black gloves and bracers that covered the forearm. Each bracer had three curved blades protruding from them. A black billowing cape that reached just above his feet was attached to a black cowl, open only at the jawline and below the nose. Two ear-like spikes protruded from the top of the cowl. Finally, a large, black bat was stretched across his chest, a symbol that Izuku vaguely recognized.

The man advanced on Izuku, who was too frightened to move. He stopped at Izuku's feet and folded his arms as if expecting Izuku to do something. After a pause, the man spoke. "Do you know who I am?" He said in that deep, gravelly voice. It was quiet, but it shook Izuku to his core. He imagined it was the very same voice the Grim Reaper would use.

Izuku racked his brain, trying to answer the question. But he was too frightened to speak. After studying the symbol on his chest, he finally found his words. "I've heard stories about you," He said. "But I wasn't sure if you were even real."

"Most aren't," Said Batman, extending his hand for Izuku, helping him up. "What have you heard?"

"A lot of things," Said Izuku. "You're like a modern-day boogieman. Some people say that you can disappear in a wisp of smoke, like a ninja. Or transform into a savage beast. They all call you. . ." Izuku Swallowed, pushing out the word. "Komori."

"The Bat." The man nodded, a small smirk appearing on his dark face. "Stories that criminals tell each other that fuels their fear of me," He said. "I am vengeance. I am the night incarnate. I am justice. I am Batman."

"W-what are you doing here?" Izuku said quietly. He couldn't believe that he was standing just a few feet away from a legend itself. Very few people claim to have seen the Batman, and their stories always varied. One man, after his encounter, claimed the Batman burst into a thousand bats that attacked him all at once. Another said that he moved faster than lightning in the shadows. Another account claimed that he had emptied an entire clip of bullets, but was ultimately useless against the hero.

The Batman considered him for a minute. "Since you were a small boy, you dreamed of being a hero," He said, surprising Izuku. How could he know that about him? In fact, why did he know that about Izuku? Of all people, why him? What would this dark hero from America possibly want with him?

"But now it seems you have revoked that dream," Batman continued, looking at the All Might merchandise Izuku just discarded. "But why?" Izuku stared at him. It didn't make any sense. "I don't want to be a hero," Izuku replied plainly.

The Batman raised an eyebrow under his cowl, which seemed to be made of a material that was able to contort with his facial expressions. "Really," He said, more of a statement than a question. He lifted his hand, a small circular device resting in it. In an instant, the device sprang to life and revealed a holo-projection of Izuku and Uraraka with the knife-wielding criminal.

"You saw the situation and acted without thinking," He said. "Brash and careless, running headlong into danger without a plan. But nonetheless, the intention was clear: you wanted to save this young woman."

He put away the holo-projector, leaving Izuku stunned. How had he gotten that footage? Maybe a mobile phone, but it looked like it was taken from an aerial position. He didn't remember seeing anything or anyone flying around them, but he was distracted at the time.

"These actions," Continued the Batman. "Do not reflect someone who does not wish to be a hero."

"I was just doing what anyone else would have done," Said Izuku, trying to brush it off.

"Wrong," Said the Batman flatly. "Anyone else would have gone for help, or call the police."

Izuku's fear was rapidly being replaced with annoyance. Why did he have to explain himself to this stranger? What did he even want from him? "What does it matter what I did?" Said Izuku, finally rising to his feet.

"Because you still acted in the face of danger in an effort to save someone who was in distress, despite not having a quirk," Said Batman. Izuku froze. "How did you know that?" He said.

The Batman pulled up the holo-projector again, this time displaying some sort of file with Izuku's picture. "Midoriya, Izuku," Said the Batman. "Age 15. Quirk: None. Born to Hisashi Midoriya, Quirk: Firebreath; and Inko Midoriya, Quirk: attraction, limited to small objects." The projection changed to his medical records, indicating lack of manifestation of quirk. "There's nothing I don't know about you, Midoriya," Said the Bat, sending a chill down Izuku's spine.

Izuku had had enough of this. "What do you want with me?" He said angrily, a little louder than he meant to. The Batman didn't react. "You're angry," Said the Batman. "That's good."

"Good?!" Spat Midoriya. What was good about being angry? He was making less and less sense by the minute. "You haven't answered my question! Why are you bothering me? Why do you have all this information on me? What do you want with me?!"

The Batman drew closer. Izuku wanted to run away, but he couldn't. He rose his fists defensively. The Batman stopped. "I have no intention to harm you," He said, a slightly amused look on his face. One of his gloved hands that were concealed by his cape held out on object for Izuku to take.

It was his notebook. "How did you get this?" Izuku said, taking it. Despite the anger he felt when he discarded it, having it returned to him undamaged was a somewhat welcome sight for Izuku. "Even at your age, your analytical abilities are impressive," Said Batman, ignoring the question. Izuku flipped through the pages, stopping once again on the All Might signature. He felt the anger again before, but it quickly evolved into . . . Izuku didn't quite know but like a strange feeling of bitterness.

"It doesn't matter anymore," Izuku said finally. "Neither does wanting to be a hero. You know I don't have a quirk. Some villains just can't be beaten without a quirk."

"Is that you talking, or All Might?"

Izuku's head snapped up. Batman's face was passive. Izuku swallowed hard. If he knew what All Might said to him, then he would know All Might's secret. But even so, he didn't want to bring it up and test his luck, so he remained silent. The Batman didn't press him. "If hearing that all throughout your life didn't stop you then, what is stopping you now?"

Kaachan flashed through Izuku's memory. He felt sick again, as he usually did when he remembered him. Izuku could feel the tears returning to his eyes, but he pushed them away. "I don't deserve to be a hero," He said finally. "I can't save anyone."

"Not everyone can be saved," Said Batman.

Izuku felt himself trembling. The guilt had been building up inside him for weeks. He didn't know how much more he could take before going crazy. "What if," he said quietly. "What if you were the cause?"

Batman said nothing, tilting his head slightly. He was waiting for an explanation. "What if," Izuku continued. "Someone died because of you. Your actions caused someone to be killed. That would mean that you weren't meant to be a hero, right?"

"You're asking a question that's not really a question," Said Batman. "Something did happen, didn't it?"

This time Izuku said nothing. He felt as though his heart was going to burst from his chest. His throat swelled and despite his efforts, tears began to form again in his eyes. He felt something resting upon his shoulder. Looking up, he saw it was the massive, gloved hand of the Batman. He was looking down at Izuku, this time with what looked like. . . compassion, understanding.

"Don't fight it, Midoriya," He said softly. "Feel your pain. Own it. Master it."

Izuku broke down, dropping to his knees. He could feel the tears streaming down his face, the weight of all the pain and guilt he felt since Kacchan's death pouring out of him through his sobs. "It's all my fault," He said finally. "If it wasn't for me, Kacchan would still be alive. If it wasn't for me, All Might would have stopped that sludge monster. I caused it to get away.

"All Might said I couldn't be a hero without a quirk, and that I should give up and do something else," Izuku continued. "And Kacchan died because of me. And the monster is still out there. It's all my fault!"

Batman waited for Izuku to calm down. Finally, he lifted Izuku up to his feet. "A hero's life is laced with tragedy," He said. "It's an unavoidable part of the mission. You can't undo what you did, but you can use it to make you stronger. But what if I told you," the Batman continued. "That you could bring your friend's murderer to justice?"

Izuku could hardly dare believe it was possible. "How?" He said. "That is up to you," Replied the Batman. "And whether or not you are prepared to do what is necessary." He took a device from his belt and handed it to Izuku. It was a smartphone, but one that Izuku was not familiar with.

"You are to keep this on you at all times," Said Batman. "When the time is right, we'll be in touch." He then backed away from Izuku and began to walk away. "W-wait!" Izuku called after him. "When the time is right for what?"

The Batman glanced over his shoulder, taking a gun-like device from his belt. "Your training," He replied. "You, Izuku Midoriya, will become a hero. That I promise." And without another word, the gun device fired a long cable, and the Batman disappeared into the night, leaving Izuku alone with his thoughts.

For the first time since his talk with All Might, he felt a small ray of hope shining in his heart.