With Love, Comes the Pain

Backlash

Midoriya didn't know what to feel.

Or, actually, to be more accurate, if he could even feel in the first place.

He was sure he was angry. Angry at Toga, that she had somehow come back again to attack everyone and hurt his friends.

He was supposed to be able to trust Sakamata. He was a pro hero, after all.

But then he attacked them, and hurt his friends.

Rage filled his mind. Anger, guilt, regret, that burning urge to stop Toga once again, even though he had no other reason as to why Sakamata might be Toga in the first place other than his skewed intuition.

And then, all of a sudden, nothing.

Everything disappeared.

Nothing was wrong, but Midoriya suddenly felt that something was wrong. No more anger, no more panic, no more desperation and rage and everything else he felt. Emotions don't just disappear like that, do they?

He heard a thud behind him.

"Izuku, hey, you okay?"

Midoriya turned around to face Aizawa, as the pro hero's hair floated down and rested against his capture weapon, and the red glow faded from his eyes.

Suddenly, he felt like a freight train had crashed into him at full speed. His emotions like a tsunami, and Midoriya grasped at his chest, unable to comprehend what had just happened, and his legs gave way as he wheezed in pain.

It has never hurt so much before. What was going on?!

He couldn't tell what was wrong before. But now, as he tried to focus and ignore the pain in his chest as his emotions flooded back, he understood one thing.

His emotions had been cut off.

He felt empty just now. He couldn't feel anything just now. And that was because he really couldn't feel anything.

He felt a strange chill run down his spine, as he breathed heavily, trying to process what had really happened. He tiredly glanced up at Aizawa, his eyelids drooping in exhaustion as he tried to piece everything together.

"Izuku? Are you okay?" Aizawa crouched down beside the downed boy, watching as Midoriya's weary eyes trailed upwards to look at him.

He was exhausted. Not just physically, but mentally too.

Midoriya was emotionally drained as well.

His entire body was shaking, and his breaths came in so quickly, he looked like he had a horrible fever.

"Sen.... Sensei... what.... What did.. you do?"

He was scared.

"I erased your quirk. Are you okay?"

Oh gods. Midoriya almost choked as the realization hit him.

He attacked Sakamata. He used his quirk. Aizawa erased his quirk.

Then the emptiness.

His emotions were tied to something that he never wanted, something that he shouldn't even have in the first place. Something that he had grown to not be reliant on, even though it was a burden that was forcefully shoved onto him.

Now, he had no choice but to be reliant on it.

Aizawa carefully reached out for the boy, placing his hand on the boy's shoulder and pulling him closer.

"Please. Sensei, don't do it again. I promise I'll be good, please."

Aizawa's heart clenched as Midoriya's voice wavered, and he reached up to grasp Aizawa's jumpsuit weakly, knuckles turning white as he did so. Tears were brimming in his eyes as he shook even more violently, his breaths coming in quicker.