Swan Dive

Chapter 24: An Explosive Lesson

With a grin, Izuku raised his own hands. "I understand sign, Koda. No worries! Kacchan does, too!"

Koda's expression brightened considerably and he brought up his hands again. "Really?! That's so great! I've only met a handful of other people who know it!!"

"I know some sign, but it's mostly the basics. I can't do it nearly as fast as you." Shinsou spoke up softly, and Koda set him a smile too.

"Maybe we could help teach you?" Izuku offered. "My pa's parents are deaf, so he taught me sign so I could communicate with them."

"I... If you're okay with that." Shinsou looked down, and Izuku was abruptly struck by just how meek he seemed in that moment. Meek and unsure and bitter. Much like how Izuku himself had been before he met his dad. Was Shinsou okay at home? Had he been bullied at school, too? Could he also be Quirkless?

"Oh! Shinsou, I totally forgot to ask!! What's your Quirk?!" Ashido beamed.

"I don't think we saw yours either, Yamazawa." Hagakure added.

Shinsou scowled a bit. "You'll find out eventually, so I'll just tell you. My Quirk is Brainwashing. It's response based, so I understand if you don't want to talk to me."

There was a beat of silence as the room processed that. "That's so cool!" Izuku grinned. "It's perfect for hero work! You could stop robberies, or save hostages without any collateral damage! Keeping injuries and casualties to an absolute minimum! Oh, wow, I couldn't imagine all the people you could save with that! Is there a limit to how many people you can control at once?! How complex can the commands be? What happens if you ask someone to do something beyond their natural physical capabilities?"

"Zukkun." Kacchan poked his shoulder with a snort, and he abruptly realized he was rambling.

"S-sorry! I just find Quirks so fascinating!" He laughed a bit.

"Y-you don't..." Shinsou was staring at him owlishly. "You don't think it's a villain's Quirk?"

"Of course it isn't a villain's Quirk!" Iida butted in. "You're in the Hero Course, aren't you?"

"Whatever anyone else has told you, ignore it." Kacchan huffed. "They're idiots who wouldn't know All Might from a purse snatcher."

"He's right, kero." Asui spoke up. "You're in the Hero Course. Your Quirk doesn't determine what kind of person you are, your decisions do."

"I..." Shinsou blinked a little rapidly, and Izuku caught a bit of a shine to his eyes. "Nobody's ever told me that before."

Eyes turned to Izuku expectantly. He shared a look with Kacchan as he ran a hand over Yuki's soft fur. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I've got zilch." He chuckled a little at their confused looks. "I'm Quirkless. I don't have anything special."

They stared for a long moment. "You... wait, that's a thing?!" Ashido gaped. "I thought only old people were Quirkless!"

"I mean, I'm probably one of the only Quirkless people in our age group in Musutafu..." He trailed off, eyeing his classmates warily. "You're all taking this rather well."

"Well if a Quirk doesn't define a person, then the lack of one doesn't either, kero." Asui sent him a smile. "You're still one of the top scorers for the entrance exams."

"I remember watching you fight." Iida clenched a fist. "You were remarkable! Even more so now that I know you did it all without a Quirk!!"

"Damn, I'd pegged you for an intelligence Quirk." Kirishima laughed. "That's so manly!! You got top score with Bakubro and didn't even have a leg up!"