Chapter 2 - Izumi Midoriya

{2} - Evans Smith: Izumi Midoriya

"W-Where am I!?"

The light faded, and before him stood a girl with striking green hair. Her eyes were just as green, if a little brighter. Her head turned left and right in panic, most likely confused as to how she'd somehow found herself in this classroom. It took her a whole minute before she realized that he was there.

"Who a-are you!?"

"I am Evans Smith." He said. His name sounded foreign on his lips, but he pushed on. "Or Smith Evans, I suppose." He smiled. "It's nice to meet you."

"Ah-, um, I'm Midoriya Izumi." She bowed. "I-It's nice to meet you sir!"

He closed his eyes. She was just as polite as her canon counterpart, it seemed. That was good. He was worried he'd get some punk version of Izuku or something. "It's nice to meet you too." He said. "I'm guessing you're wondering how you got here?"

She looked back up at him, and slowly nodded. "Y-Yes. Last I remember, I was-" Her words froze, eyes wide.

He stayed silent. He could see her slightly crumpled uniform, and her clear lack of shoes. He wasn't Japanese by any means, but he'd seen enough Japanese media to know what that meant.

She hiccuped, tears building in her eyes. "I was-" She choked back her tears. It wasn't working. "I was about to-"

He hugged her before she could say anything else. "It's fine." He whispered. "Cry. Cry out. Don't hold it back."

She trembled, and before long she began to cry. She held him tight as she sobbed, her wails loud and anguished. He could only grit his teeth as he held her. He knew full well why she was like this. She knew exactly the moment he'd pulled her from. Knew just what she was about to do.

Had she been brought minutes later, a corpse would have showed up in the classroom.

Her tears subsided after a few minutes. He loosened his hold on her, but she didn't let go. He didn't push her away.

"Better?" He asked as he rubbed circles on her back.

He felt her nod. "K-Kinda." She sniffed. "Sorry about crying."

He shook her head. "It's fine. You look like you've had a bad day."

She giggled. "Y-Yeah. A really, really bad day." Finally she pulled away. Her eyes were somewhat red, and her smile weak, but she definitely looked better than she was minutes before.

He smiled. "Still confused about how you got here?" He repeated his question. She blinked at him, and nodded. "In truth, I'm not sure either." He shrugged. "All I know is that you were brought here because you needed help." 

On a whim, he brought his hand onto her hair. He gently rubbed her head. "I'm a teacher, of sorts. I can help if you need something."

"...a teacher?" She whispered, awed yet confused.

He could understand. All her life, teachers had been people she had to fight against. Oppressors that put her down as lesser beings compared to others. All because she lacked a Quirk.

The thought made him snarl. He forced himself to smile right after.

He purposely introduced himself as one to help shatter her preconceptions. If everything played right, then she'd soon attend UA. Many things could be diverted if Izumi trusted UA's teachers a little more.

"Yep." He said. "If you need anything—if you want to ask anything, you can."

She stared. He had an idea on what she wanted to say, but she looked unwilling to speak. He didn't pressure her to speak. He knew she'd just barely come to know him, and-

"I…I'm Quirkless."

He blinked. He…hadn't expected her to admit that. He pushed the thought away and raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, and?"

She pursed her lips. "B-But I'm Quirkless?"

"Most humans from the past are Quirkless." He said simply. "Scientists that defined entire eras, knights from the past, kings and queens—they were all Quirkless once."

She looked down. "I know." She whispered. "But I can never be a hero."

At that moment, he felt rage. The world of My Hero Academia was dominated by Quirks. He could admit that. But there were tools and weapons that allowed the normal man to fight toe-to-toe with Heroes and Villains. 

In the end, it was the fault of teachers that did nothing but put her down, of classmates that treated her worse than dirt, of a society that didn't allow her to dream,

Of that damned Kacchan that threw her away.

"And who decided that?" He snarled.

Her eyes snapped up to his. He didn't bother to smooth out his snarl. "Just because you're Quirkless, means you can't be a Hero?" He asked, beyond pissed. "Who decided that?"

"B-But the teachers were-"

"And are they Heroes?" He asked back. She fell silent at that. "Were there laws that forbid you from doing that?" He grinned, wide and encouraging. "You're smart—I know you can become a Hero if you want to."

She stares at him. She looked at him as if he'd just given her the world. Considering the life she'd lived, he supposed that wasn't all that wrong. "C-Can I really…?"

He smiled wide. "Cross my heart and hope to die."

He knew she could. For as many fanfictions had Deku wield some Quirk, there were just as many that left him Quirkless. And in them Deku became just as much, if not more of a menace than his canon counterpart.

Because in the end it wasn't the Quirk that made Deku who he was. It was his grit, his smarts, his determination, and his tactical mind. It was the fact that he was Izuku Midoriya that allowed him to become the greatest Hero to have ever lived.

And his confidence must've shown, because she broke into tears once more. She was smiling this time, and the hug she gave him was soft and thankful. She sobbed into his chest, but she didn't wail. She sobbed with a smile on her face and hope in her eyes.

[Conditions Fulfilled. Izumi Midoriya has learnt to Hope once more.]

He blinked, and then smiled. It'd worked, it seemed. He was glad he'd gotten through her.

[Izumi Midoriya has taken her first step to averting the end of her world. But your task is far from done! Will you accept Izumi Midoriya as your student?]

He blinked once more. It seems like it won't be that easy, he cursed to himself. He should've known, really. But the…System, or whatever it was, was now asking him to take Izumi as his student. And if he assumed right, this would allow him to start getting that Mentor Exp he needed.

[The Scorned One is correct.]

…it can talk back to him? He'd keep that in mind.

That aside, he reached out and accepted the prompt. The panel glowed, and suddenly he felt something inside him shift. It was an uncomfortable feeling—as if his organs were being pressed down—but he didn't let it show. He didn't want Izumi to worry.

He did his best to maintain his expression, but it seemed he didn't do well enough. Izumi caught his winces, and she pulled back in worry. "I-Is something wrong-?" Her words were cut off when a panel suddenly appeared in front of her, and she shrieked in surprise.

His discomfort faded right after, and following it a panel appeared.

[Rewards for Completing the Preliminary Mission has been stored in the Inventory.]

[Izumi Midoriya has become Evans Smith's Student.]

"W-W-What is this?" She stuttered out. The panel remained, floating right in front of her eyes. 

He had a feeling he knew what it was. "Can you show me?" He asked. She nodded, pinching the panel and turning it around towards him. His smile became wry.

[Name: Izumi Midoriya]

[Age: 18]

[Level: 3 (372 Student Exp to Next Level)]

[Strength: 3]

[Endurance: 4]

[Agility: 2]

[Intelligence: 17]

[Skill: 6]

[Skills: -Analysis Lv 42- ]

[Student Exp: 0]

"I knew it…" He laughed. She looked at him and showed her his own Status. Her eyes went wide. "Mine looks pathetic compared to yours, but I'm not complaining. I just came back to life after all."

"C-Came back to life!?"

He laughed some more. "Funny story, really." He gave his chest a tap. "Died from a heart attack and somehow I'm not dead, so…" He shrugged. He didn't explain further. And it seemed she was more than content to leave it at that.

He turned to the collage of panels floating just off his sight. He read through them all, and raised an eyebrow at one of them.

[Izumi Midoriya is ready for her Lessons! Begin today's Lecture?]

Izumi stared at him, wondering what he was reading. He turned the panel towards her, and she blinked. "Lecture?"

He smiled. "I did say I'm a teacher, after all."

"Ooh…" She smiled back. "I'm ready, Smith-sensei!"

Needless to say, he accepted the prompt.