Chapter 2: ̶I̶= Us

As he walked back home, he thought about what happened at school.

"Someone without a special power..."

They wouldn't be wrong, he has nothing special. That's what they told him when his mother took him to the hospital when he was 4 years old. Usually, powers are inherited from parents to children and normally manifest in preschool. You can inherit your mother's or father's powers or even a combination of the two. But according to the doctor's explanation, he was a fourth-generation individual, a generation born without any power.

"That's how it should have been but....No, that doesn't matter now, I can become a hero with enough effort, I will prove to everyone that they are wrong, that I can become a hero like him with my own determination."

As he regained his determination, he walked under a bridge. At that moment, he felt his skin prickle. At that instant...

"Eh?"

As he turned around, he could see a being made of a green and viscous fluid. What the hell was that? His mind kicked into gear and he immediately backed away to start running but was caught before.

"A medium-sized invisibility cloak... don't worry kid, I'll just take your body for a minute, relax in 45 seconds it will stop hurting."

He was trapped. The villain had caught him. At that moment, he felt something sliding down his throat. Disgusting. His throat was being completely violated. That thing was getting deep into his throat. At that moment, by instinct, he tried to get it off him but it was useless. His hand slipped off; it was a being made entirely of fluid. Little by little, he was suffocating and his mind was running out of oxygen.

"Thanks for your help, you're my hero. I never imagined that guy would be in this city."

Fear, fear, fear, fear, fear, fear. He was terrified. His strength was weakening. He was running out of air. Something... He must do something or he will be killed. Something... someone... someone... someone...

He will die...die...die...die...die...die...die...die...die...die...someone help him...anyone...

「You will be completely killed if you do nothing. Are you really so selfish? Izuku-chan」

He needs help. Someone... He can't die here; if he does, he won't remember himself. His mind was going blank; his body was starting to convulse due to lack of air.

Someone...he needed someone's help...he will die...die...die...die...we will die...we will die...

「Can you use it you know? But you're selfish, you only think about yourself」

He could hear a voice; no, it was his own voice scolding himself. Although he noticed it was very different from his inner voice. Now that he thought about it when was the last time he heard it? He didn't remember; although it was a long time ago...

"YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ANYMORE YOUNG MAN, BECAUSE I AM HERE."

He heard a different voice; one that seemed too familiar to him; at that moment his consciousness left his body...

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"Hey"

"Hey"

"Hey"

He felt something hitting his cheek at that moment; he opened his eyes.

"Oh, you're okay."

He could feel that he was on the asphalt, did he pass out from lack of air? Wait a minute before passing out he.... At that moment he backed away, that's when he realized.

"All-might?"

The person who was in front of him; the person who motivated him to want to be a hero, the reason why all these years he had been working hard; the pillar that reminded him when he was about to give up, that person is now in front of him.

"You seem to be okay, I'm sorry for involving you."

As he joined his hands together, he apologized in this way, no words came out of him, he was surprised with his gaze fixed on him as All-Might continued speaking.

"I don't usually make these mistakes but I got excited about my day off in this new place."

While he laughed, he said that, at that moment his hands were shaking, All-might was in front of him, Wasn't it a dream? If this is not a dream then...

"But you were very helpful, Look, I was able to capture it without problems"

While showing him two soda jars that contained the slimy monster he found under the bridge, he finally recovered, he needed to ask him, He always fantasized about meeting him and asking him a question, This was an opportunity that would never present itself in his life, So...

"Well, I'm leaving, I should go deliver it to the police, See you young man"

As he flexed his legs he prepared to leave.

No-no, he needed to ask him that question, The reason why he tried so hard, He wanted to hear his hero affirm that he was not wrong to follow this path, If someone like him encouraged him, even if the whole world opposed him being a hero he would keep trying until he achieved it, So...

"W-wait, I-I need to ask you a question"

Before he left he grabbed his pants, at that moment all-might stopped to look at the boy and with a smile replied

"A question? If it's a quick one it's okay, Heroes are very busy people, we can't waste so much time, I hope you understand young man"

As he stopped, he looked at Izuku attentively waiting for his question, Apparently he will listen to him, With his lips trembling and his heart racing he would ask him that question, A question that he would not ask anyone else but him, A question that his answer would definitely mark his future as a hero.

"S-someone who can't use their quirk, No, Someone without a quirk... C-can they become a hero like you?.. Can I save people with a smile even without a quirk?"

He let out the question, What he always wanted to hear and what no one told him. Everyone laughed at him when they heard his dream. But he always ignored them because of his determination to become someone like his hero. Someone who smiled in the face of adversity. Someone who saved people with a smile even if they were badly hurt. All this time since that incident. The only words he wanted to hear were...

"Without a quirk? Young man...That's impossible. If you want to help others and you don't have a quirk you can opt for other types of jobs. Although being a hero...That's just a fantasy if you don't have a quirk."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

He didn't remember how much time had passed. He was walking aimlessly through the streets. He bumped into people a couple of times but that didn't stop him. His mind was blank. He couldn't think of anything. At that moment something caught his attention and diverted his gaze there.

"Smoke?"

Now that he remembered it. Wasn't All-Might in that direction when they finished talking? In fact when did they finish talking? He didn't remember clearly. When he heard his answer his mind went completely blank and his body started working on autopilot. He ignored the smoke and kept walking.

At that moment he bumped into something. A wall. For some reason it felt better when his head hit the wall. He did it again. It felt good. A third time. It felt good again. At that moment his vision was stained red. His forehead was bleeding and staining his face.

He unconsciously raised his gaze and there he could see it...

"A building"

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

He was on the roof of the building, he doesn't remember how he convinced the manager to let him in but he didn't care, he positioned himself on the edge and looked down

"What should I do...now?"

It was still raining, he was soaked with water, But his gaze was fixed down from the building, His purpose of being a hero, his life goal was destroyed by the pillar on which he stood, right now...

"Should I....jump?"

While he whispered that, he put one foot into nothingness, if he leaned just a little he would fall into the void.

「You're super selfish, you know Izuku-chan?」

When he was about to jump, he could hear that guy's voice, more precisely his own inner voice.

"Selfish?"

While whispering that, he answered himself.

「Of course! If you die now, who will remember me? You're the only one who remembers me now, if you die my existence will disappear from everyone's memory」

He could hear his own inner voice getting annoyed with himself.

"_"

「Seriously, what does it matter what All-Might said? If you need a new pillar to lean on I'm here, it's my duty, after all you helped me that day, remember?」

While saying that Izuku diverted his gaze to the sky.

"On a hot summer day..."

On a hot summer day was when he met that boy, after their first encounter that day, they became good friends, they went out to play every day, even his mother started to get along well with the boy's family, but one day...

「You devoured my name and memories, that was very bad Izuku-chan, although it wasn't your fault, you know?」

While his gaze was looking towards the sky he asked himself.

"What should I do? The person I admired most, the hero I wanted to be, that person rejected me..., The reason to become a hero, my main reason was to amend what I did to you but now.."

「Didn't I tell you? I will support you, you know it very well, you can make use of my peculiarity as much as you want, I give you freedom to do so」

At that moment Izuku lowered his gaze and slowly moved away from the edge of the building.

「What does it matter if that person rejected you, you want to save people, don't you? If you use your peculiarity you can do it」

His peculiarity.

"No...I can't do it, even now your body..is still in a hospital, I don't want that to happen again."

「 I forgave you, remember? It wasn't your fault. Besides, you shouldn't use your peculiarity completely. Just use it to use mine. That way it will be safe」

"Really...have you forgiven me for doing that to you? Even your family..."

「Yes. I forgave you the same day. Remember? My family... They don't remember anything. So they didn't suffer」

"_"

「In a few months you'll apply to U.A., won't you? You have enough time to get used to my peculiarity and show that guy that he was wrong to deny you the right to be a hero」

While touching his forehead which had stopped bleeding he looked towards the sky. It had stopped raining.

"We...will do it. I will do it."

After convincing himself with the devoured memories of his friend. He headed for the building door...

N/T: Some clarifications. He really can't talk to the people he devours. Simply by deciding to commit suicide a defense mechanism was activated that uses convenient memories so that he desists. Basically he was talking to himself all the time.