Not powerless

chapter 4: jump

He didn’t stop running, not until his lungs were screaming and his legs were burning. Even then, he only stopped because he collapsed to the ground. Around him, the buildings were less dense, further apart from one another. The smell of the city was less, overwhelmed by the scent of nature. In the distance was a small patch of trees, threatening a forest up ahead. Izuku caught his breath, gathering his thoughts and trying to make them coherent.

This must be the outskirts of Musutafu. Ages ago, his family had gone on a walk through those woods, but that was a very different time, and the forest had grown thicker and less traversable. It was back when he could say with certainty that his family loved him.

Now though…

Toshinori had a quirk that could be passed on, and never even considered giving it to his quirkless son. Oh god! Izuku just ran away from the number one hero’s home! How could he have been so stupid! They were just going to drag him back there to suffer through their disappointment. Any infinitesimal chance he had of getting into UA was completely destroyed. Izuku would be lucky to be able to leave the house at all! What’s worse, they would consider themselves justified. Obviously Izuku couldn’t be trusted to take care of himself. He ran away after all.

The looming threat of his own family’s judgement spurred him to keep moving. If he could get away from Musutafu, then he could try and make something for himself. As much as he hated it, Toshinori would never consider he’d be able to get that far on his own. It would be the perfect disguise.

And it only took ten years of neglect to make it so.

Izuku walked, skirting the edge of the city and the forest, looking for anything he could use as shelter. The sun was setting and he didn’t really want to be out and about at night. It would be harder to move safely, and the night also brought villains, villains who’d think nothing of taking advantage of a lost teenager.

Just as the sun disappeared, he found a small shack. It might have once been a shed for a building that had been demolished, but it was four walls and a roof with a closing door. The walls were mostly intact as well. It was perfect shelter! He managed to pry open the door enough for him to slip through. Inside was basically empty. A few old tarpaulins were draped over the gutted remains of an engine. It was a bit drafty, but Izuku got to work and made a makeshift bed. It wasn’t comfortable, but it was better than the cold hard ground.

As the night settled in, Izuku’s thoughts drifted back to his family. Would any of them care that he was gone? Mizuki probably wouldn’t even notice. In all likelihood, neither Mom or Toshinori would either. Haru would, and not just because he’d chased after him. Thinking about his brother hurt, but Haru was better off without him. When he was an amazing pro hero, he wouldn’t need to worry about his weak, quirkless younger brother.

Thinking about his family hurt.

Somehow he managed to fall asleep, though it was fragmentary and not all that restful. Many times he’d startle awake, either from a nightmare of being locked in his room at home, or because he was sure he’d heard something moving outside the shack. Needless to say when the sun had risen enough that the light was unavoidable, Izuku was still bone tired. It was useless though, he had to keep moving. He needed to get as far away from home as he could.

A clattering from above spooked him. Jumping to his feet, he looked up to see a bird sitting on one of the ceiling supports. At first glance he thought it was an owl, but it wasn’t like any that he’d seen before. Maybe a barn owl, but barn owls did not have purple and blue wings, nor did they stare quite so intently at people. It was unnerving, so much so that Izuku didn’t really want to stay there any longer.

Squeezing back out into the bracing chill of early morning, he pondered which route he should take. Ideally he needed to get to a train station. With that thought in mind, he retraced his steps from the day before and headed back into the city. Once he found a station, he could sneak on board a train. Even if a conductor kicked him off, it would still be far enough that his family would never find him.