They say he can use multiple quirks.
He can beat down any enemy within mere seconds.
That he looks more like a villain rather than a hero.
These were a few amongst the many rumours that had spread out. The rumour of a person donning a tattered green hero suit, their face covered by a mask and a green hood. Two holes for the cold, tired eyes to peer out of.
This was almost essentially everything the heroes had to work with when trying to find Midoriya. Needless to say, it was going to be difficult. He had removed his GPS tracker a few days ago and left it at a random yard. Seemingly deciding to get rid of any ways to trace him.
The hero search group consisted of Edgeshot, All Might, Kamui Woods, Mt. Lady and the hospital discharged Ryukyu.
Typically rescue missions weren't her slice of cake, but considering how she knew of his contributions and strength of the Overhaul case and the fact that her aerial search would prove to be incredibly useful, she decided to get out to search for the boy. Even if it meant that she had to leave a bit earlier than she could.
They decided to scan near the last area the GPS tracker last gave off a signal, a few miles to the west of Kamino ward. Meaning Midoriya was clearly aiming to help the civilians while combatting the villains.
Spending a few hours of to search the areas, the search they thought would be quick turned a bit more...annoying.
He was clearly off the radar at this point, the rumours they had were based off certain directions, but the fact that villains were basically robbing every store possible nearby and the fact that the people were so uncooperative, meant that information wasn't very easily procured.
Regardless the day ended with them, deciding to set up in the roof of a building and to try and find him the next day. It was an awkward atmosphere for those trying to find Midoriya but they sat silently as Ryukyu talked to Endeavor on the phone.
"yes. That's right," she replied on the device, "we are yet to find him. He does seem to have saved a group of young girls near the station, when we somehow managed to ask them if they knew where he went, they only pointed towards West and said they saw him run that direction."
It was painstaking but after a few more minutes of conversing with Endeavor, he finally hung up and Ryukyu let out a sigh of exasperation.
"I cannot believe that he of all people would end up like this..." she commented seemingly out of nowhere. She remembered about the brief moment of when she had praised his actions in saving Eri.
Throughout the entire process, with trying to save Lemillion (Mirio Togata) and Nighteye, Deku had managed to protect both himself and Eri while fighting Overhaul.
That's not something many heroes could say after all, he was but a student, not yet grown yet. He had promise however. She had decided to perhaps send an offer for a work study but he ended up joining with Endeavor before she sent it out.
It was hard for her to believe though that they same boy she had found impressive for a 16 year old was now known by the old and young, in the city. He may as well be the most popular hero in the city as of right now, although the main reason being heroes being disliked in general, it seemed that the people thought rather highly of him.
They described him as caring and prioritising the others more than himself. He was a hero through and through, yet it didn't mean that he didn't have to pay a price to grow up so quickly.
To mature this much within a few months, no first year high school in the entire world could ever claim to have fought one of the strongest opponents possible at the tender age of 16 years old.
"Deku is smart for someone of his age. I doubt there would normally be any need to worry, but considering his erratic movement now... he's aimlessly walking a path he has no idea of. He doesn't know where it starts or ends." Mt. Lady commented as she used her marker to cross another area that they had checked.
"It seems stupid but chances are, he is very low in strength right now. Assuming he hasn't had any rest or food in the last 3 days, he will be running out of energy very soon. We need to find him as quick as possible."
"tch...damn kid, hurry up and be found. What'll you do if I start getting eyebags?" Mt. Lady muttered under her breath. Although they all managed to hear, they decided not to press on that issue.
"well, for now, we should get to sleep. We will split up tomorrow morning and search for him." Ryukyu advised them as they all soon got up and made their way to sleep for some time.
Yet sleep didn't come to them very easily. For a couple of them, it was the worry of the current situation of the country that kept them awake. Whilst for another it was the worry of his successor and disappointment at his own impotence.
Whilst finally the last stared into the pitch-black night sky. The stars shone barely even though they were so far away. On this cold and dark night, a hero was running around helping others, whilst they tried to sleep.
______________________________________________________________________________
To say Izuku Midoriya was tired was an understatement. He currently found himself walking slowly as he swayed from side to side. Days with no sleep and hunger was finally starting to break him down a bit.
Yet he couldn't stop moving. No place was safe. Not for him but for others. He was literally a walking bomb, one that would explode and harm anyone no matter who it was.
His goal had originated from a young boy's desire to be a hero even though he was quirkless, then to show the proof of strength. And now? It was to protect every little soul he could, even at the cost of his life, just to allow them to smile.
Once more.
He didn't care if his body gave in nor did he bother to take care of himself. How could he sit down and eat lunch while someone else is being killed at that very moment? Someone could be on the verge of death, drawing upon their last breath while he selfishly filled his body with nutrients.
His eyes were clouded and lifeless. The fact that he himself is a human is something that was long forgotten, now he was the robot who needed no rest. With the sole purpose of moving forward, no matter what.
Yet he wasn't as alone as others would think.
" My friend 9th... you must let your body recover from your injuries. At this rate, you will collapse."
"When was the last time you ate? How will you combat villains with an empty stomach?"
The spirits of his predecessors of One for All, now residing in his body all tried to reason with him. To get him to stop moving forward incessantly. Bring back his human self.
What started out as an ingenious plan and a heroic journey had quickly become a foolish path. His eyes looked forward tiredly, his lips quivered every few minutes or so and his entire body shook from the cold that originated from lack of energy.
How was his body meant to conserve heat if it wasn't given the necessary energy to do so?
"I...'ll be fine..." he whispered out, barely audibly. His now chapped lips looked so dry that it could break with a single touch. "I c...an keep moving."
His brave stupidity thwarted all the warnings and pleas he had received. Every time a spirit from within spoke, he once more realised that his goal wasn't just his anymore.
On the tiny shoulders of his, he carried the hopes and dreams of the dead. Of all the people that sacrificed themselves to cultivate the power within his grasp right now.
He couldn't stop moving.
He. Was. Not. Allowed.
Meanwhile in his mind,
"It's my fault. I pushed my worry and increased his burden even more." Shimura Nana, the 7th user of One for All said as she sat in the ring of seats.
"It's not just your fault. That's how he is. He's being blinded by duty." Lariat, the 5th user huffed.
This was the mind space within his body where all the spirits of the predecessors resided. They looked up to see the dark mind space even more gloomy than before.
"Gods his soul was damaged before, I didn't think it could get any worse." the 4th user spoke. As Izuku could feel the emotions and desires of the predecessors within him, they too could feel his feelings.
The overwhelming feeling of powerlessness. The heroic desire to save everyone with a smile on his face. The thirst for power to save one more person. His longing to return to his friends.
Even the hopeless depression that had once sent him to death's door and back.
They knew what he felt throughout his life. The bullying from being quirkless, the inferiority complex and the constant idea of self-worthlessness.
It won't just disappear just because he had inherited a quirk. It wasn't so easy to simply forgive and forget. The scars of the body may heal when given time, yet there was some sort of scars that just wouldn't fade no matter how many decades passed.
Perhaps it was this that allowed him to simply do what he thought was best without a care for his life. After all, everyone was worth more than he was.
Yet amongst of the predecessors, one thought differently.
"he is doing what he should be." the first inheritor spoke. The man to have held a helping hand to Shigaraki, even though he was the enemy's own brother. He looked past the blood ties and decided to save the original holder of this power.
"With the power, he is holding, all our hope and the fate of the world rides with him. He shouldn't be allowed to stop." the scarred man ruthlessly told them.
"H-How could you say that? Can you not see he is a child. Have you even bothered to check through his memories? Do you know what sort of state he is in?" Nana shouted losing her patience, the 1st inheritor simply looked at her but spoke no words, "He is literally 1 step away! 1 more problem and his mind and body won't be able to hold up. How he has survived this long I don't even know. He doesn't even know the meaning of the word happiness."
"Neither do we." The 1st replied. Silence came after as he turned and looked at her, " the time period we were in was the peak of despair. Happiness? Never heard of it. We spent our entire lives fighting against the monster called AFO. Forget being a child, we were newborns whilst AFO had achieved his might."
The 1st told her harshly, instantly shutting her up. His words made logical sense, but even so, Nana couldn't emotionally accept what was going on right now. She felt bad for him, especially since the main villain is her own grandson.
If she hadn't left her son, chose her blood over her duties, perhaps they wouldn't be in the position right now. Maybe, just maybe OFA could've ended with All Might and not continue.
"I understand that he is on the verge of collapse. But is this the first time? The entire reason we even appeared was because of his tenacity. If he crumbles, who can blame a bunch of dead people that are barely wisps of their original self?" he argued. "Besides, if the boy needs help. The people who call themselves heroes should appear. Allowing a 16 year old boy to roam the streets in search of his enemy while he neglects himself should be one of the last things they should allow. Yet here we are."
Often people depended on heroes. Expected them to be the invincible force that always saves the day with a smile on their face. Thinking of them as gifts from God, made for the sake of saving and protecting the people.
Yet sometimes a few questioned. If heroes were there when they needed saving...
who would be there when the heroes needed saving?