He awoke in his room. And, of course, the first thing he heard was a voice.
Respawn Point Set.
Confused, especially by the lack of pain, Izuku looked at his hand, noticing it was slightly more refined than his usual look. Careful to get up quietly, he immediately noticed he was taller than ever before, nearly hitting his head on the short ceiling. This building may have some extra height, but it was clear that he was. Checking the hall, he heard his family downstairs, so he carefully made his way to the restroom, only for the mirror. When he turned on the light, he had to stop himself from shouting in surprise. He was now 6' 8", basically a properly developed version of himself. His musculature was lean but still strong. His hair was long, but instead of stress induced silver, it was pink, as if blood had been used as a dye.
Yep. Definitely.
Plot Twist: Blood was used as the dye.
Ignoring them, he noticed his eyes... they had turned red. That was what shocked him the most. They were clear, cruel, calculating, and piercing rubies. Far from the fearful dark jade they used to be. Smiling, he cried a single tear as he realized that this had to be a manifestation of his quirk. And a way to finally be free of their shackles. I have a quirk... I have one... I can be a hero now... but is that what I want? He consulted the voices, as they were the only support he ever had... What is the right choice?
Blood of the heroes! Those who hurt us deserve no mercy!
They're right.
Of course we are!
None of them are worthy.
Since when have they done anything for others without themselves in mind?
Never.
He reflected back on his history studies... Of the many subjects he learned, history resonated with him. Of course, part of that was the quirkless who made up the majority of the past, but also the tactics. The Ancient Greek heroes never had happy endings... they suffered, but persevered... this era of peace is making them complacent and corrupt. There's nothing I can do... Nothing... He looked out over the city. This society is beyond saving. All of them eventually become tyranny. The only way to save everyone is to free them from their shackles.
The only way to do that is to fight. And I can't do that here.
Hear Hear!
Finally!
I was hoping this story would break his Stockholm syndrome!
The Yagi family had dinner, and didn't notice Izuku's disappearance. They laughed, talked, and had a wonderful evening without him. Tomorrow was Izumi's birthday, after all, so it was good to spend time with... family...
The next day, everything was set up, and everyone was ready. Guests started to arrive, with the Bakugos being first, then Izumi's other friends. Then Toshinori's friends, Izumi's aunts and uncles arrived. Everyone was celebratory of Izumi's birthday, but one person noticed something, well, noticed the continuing pattern. "Toshinori, where's Izuku?"
Surprised, the older man asked. "What do you mean, Shota?"
The dark hero scanned the room, as if still searching for him. "It's his birthday too. You can't just ignore him."
"I'm not. He hasn't been one for celebrations, and he's grounded from his... attitude the other day."
Now that raised his eyebrow. "Really...? Seems strange." The Izuku he knew wouldn't act out unless there was something seriously wrong. While he hadn't seen the boy in a while... he did care for him, despite his uncaring attitude in the public.
Yagi, with a terrible nonchalance, basically said to the underground hero: "He's probably in his room."
Shota Aizawa left the main party and went up to the bedrooms. One was clearly Izumi's. A sign with her name hung on the wall, and a peek in there denoted all her interests. However, he had to check for Izuku's. And when he found Izuku's room, he found a shocking scene.
It was empty. The window was opened, and most of the hero merchandise was trashed. The Allmight poster on the wall, the most prominent and expensive piece in the room, was torn to shreds, irreparable.
A notebook was open on the desk, one page with Allmight signature, covered up with a word: NEGLECTFUL HYPOCRITE. YOU AREN'T A HERO... YOU ALWAYS CARE FOR HER. WHY DO YOU HATE ME?
A lot of similar things were held within that journal. It was vitriolic, and the darkest thoughts of a hurting child. Something that Izuku shouldn't be. Not only that, but it was implied that the boy knew found out who Toshinori was... but in the worst way possible. What happened here...?
Gripping the book, he went downstairs, just in time for Izumi to receive the cake... He couldn't stand it. "Yagi, where is your son?"
The confused question alone was more than enough cause for alarm. "He's not in his room?"
Narrowing his eyes, the underground hero sharply asked: "You... haven't seen his room recently, have you?"
The blond skeleton's silence was more than condemning. And concerning.
"You mind telling me what this is about?" He showed him the page, filled with pain and misery. Ramblings of a child who had been long abandoned. Of someone who didn't veiw their family as safe. Now that was a cardinal sin.
Everyone stopped to hear this conversation. Even Izumi. She started pouting as soon as the topic of conversation was apparent. Like a petulant child, who hadn't met old man consequences yet.
A blank look escaped the man's gaunt visage. As if he didn't understand what Shota was asking. "What..."
It was then that the dark hero decided to stop beating around the bush: "You neglected your own son, Yagi?"
Like any sane person, nevermind a hero, would say, he refused the allegation on principal. "I never neglected him!"
"The fact he wrote this... and ran away contradicts you... How did he find out your..." He paused for a moment, looking at Izumi. Does she know? Ah, fuck it. She'll learn anyway. Better in the same way as my nephew did. Clearing his throat, he broke the secret in front of everyone. "...that you are Allmight?"
Izumi couldn't believe what Uncle Aizawa just said. Dad was Allmight?! They looked nothing alike! Well... they do have the same hair color, but his is all matted and stuff... and the bangs... but they're crooked and face down... and the eyes... those are similar too... But, as Izumi's world perspective was shaking, not necessarily crumbling, her own father confirmed it through his words. "I was chasing the sludge villain yesterday. He was a hostage, so I freed him, took the villain, and as I was about to leave he does the idiotic thing and grabs my leg. And then when we land, he asks me if a quirkless person can become a hero."
As soon as those words left his mouth, you could hear a pin drop. Considering the man's quirk, he had every right to question the man's opinion. Without it, he was the same as Izuku. Maybe that gave him a little more sympathy for the boy than most, but the principle was there. "You. Said. What?"
And Yagi, the absolute ass, reaffirmed his position. Not beaming, but not backing down, either. "That a quirkless kid like him can't become a hero."
That was the final straw. "I fight effectively quirkless! Especially against mutant types, since I can't cancel those out! If I can be a hero, he could as well!"
"He has a weak character, and I was frustrated with him due to the fact that he immediately blames Izumi for his faults!"
"From what I know from talking to him, he isn't the kind to blame others. He sees his own flaws and tries to improve on them. He would try to be stronger if..." The horrifying thought reached his mind. "If the bullying of the quirkless wasn't so terrible. Have you seen the figures?" Glancing to Izumi, Shota nearly scoffed, "I'm sure she even got involved, considering the... choice words he left behind."
Toshinori couldn't handle the different perspective. The cognitive dissonance was making him mad, angry, and unable to be reasoned with. "He blames his sister for breaking things he clearly did, for hurting him, and just being a weak little coward!"
The rhetorical question he gave was enough to drive the argument to new heights. Neither side would back down now, and it was on display for everyone. "Did you ever try to find out who told the truth?"
And being driven to this point, he made a bold claim, one that would require evidence... and the key witness was the subject of this very party: "Izumi would never lie to me!"
Instead of Shota asking... a feminine voice asked: "Are you sure?" It was Nemuri Kamaya, another hero who was invited to the party, just as Aizawa was. The whole group looked back at Izumi, who was trying to remain unnoticed ever since the topic shifted to her.
The R+18 Hero asked the young greenette: "Well? Did you lie about Izuku?"
With a bit more force than she needed, as if to push the topic away, Izumi snapped, "What? No, why would I?"
Aizawa answered that question. "Because he is gone. Ran away. And he blames you three..." Aizawa gestured to Toshinori, Izumi, and Inko, "...for his "Hellish life". Answer me honestly, did you lie about him to Toshinori?"
Her silence was the answer none of them wanted to hear. Inko was horrified, but Toshinori... he was... muted. The mother sped over, carefully and tenderly reading another page of the book, what they found chilled the party to the core. "You... bullied him with a... Kacchan? Katsuki was involved?! Izumi, is this true?!" Mitsuki Bakugo, the mother of Katsuki, gasped.
Izumi, embarassed at being caught out for once, tried to refuse. "No, of course not!"
Nemuri, one of the few who kept up contact with Izuku on a semi-regular basis, spoke up again. "Izuku has never lied to me, why would he lie to himself?!"
"Because he is a quirkless Deku!" Katsuki said before Izumi covered his mouth. Mitsuki and Inko were both horrified at what he just said. Inko left down the hall, clearly on a panicked mission, with Mitsuki leaving to comfort her.
Kamaya was furious. "What the hell did you call my Nephew, runt?"
The girl tried to cover for him, unaware that she was digging both their graves at this point. It would've been better to cut ties. "He mispoke."
Aizawa approached the blond, glaring with his quirk on, despite the irritation it caused. "Oh, no, he meant what he said. I can tell because its the same tone killers use after they get revenge. He has no remorse. If I were in charge of UA's tests, you would automatically fail."
Katsuki removed her hand, furious at the hobo who dared speak up against him. "Yeah, he was just a shitty extra who thought he could be a hero. What a joke!"
Nemuri couldn't take it anymore and left the party crying. Aizawa was still furious. "Unlike you, he has potential to be a pro hero. He uses what he sees and acts with it. He doesn't threaten, demean or belittle. He was brilliant at his analysis."
Izumi protested, defending the clear abuser. "He only got a 74 in his tests though!"
But... yet again, there was another rhetorical question lined up. One she couldn't answer. "Did your teachers hate him too?" The rest of the pro heroes there were disgusted by the further silence around that question, leaving the house as if it would taint them as well. Before the underground hero left, he turned back to the two Yagis still in the room. "There is only one way to make this right, Yagis. Fix your mistakes. Before it's too late."
Inko was searching. She had to. Needed to. She was a pro hero, she wouldn't be anything... anything like Izuku claimed... right? Scrambling through album after album, she scoured through countless photographs. Every photo they took after 2604 did not have Izuku. I need to find one. I need to... I'm not a terrible mother...
However, a gentle hand gripped her shoulder. Her best friend tried to be there, soothing with her voice: "Inko, calm down."
But, the heroine couldn't. There had to be something to prove otherwise. At least for her. Right? "I can't, Mitsuki... I..."
The woman sighed, directly understanding what she was feeling. Inko was a very, very compassionate woman. Her job greatly benefitted from this. The fact that this happened at all is almost breaking her sanity because of the magnitude of the fuck up. Mitsuki was in the same boat, at least with that part. Not raising her kid right, anyhow. She accepted her flaws. "I know this has been a long day but..."
"Am I a terrible mother?" She burst into tears, unable to come to terms with what's been said. She had always tried to be there, but... things have been too much lately, and...
The older woman knelt down and embraced her friend. She needed support, and, more importantly, something to aspire to. To counter despair, you need hope. Hope that you can be better. "You forgot about your son, Inko. You were great for Izumi, but I didn't know that you left him behind. You all did. All you can do is improve and be better. I need to be better." Mitsuki hugged her friend, attempting to comfort her.
Regret laced her voice as she asked Mitsuki a simple question: "Why are you still friends with me?"
The blond huffed in amusement, as if the question was rediculous. "Because if I chose not to be friends with you, then I'd have to abandon Katsuki. It'll be hell, but I'll try to fix both your problems. And you're my best friend, Inko. I know you didn't mean it in your core, at heart."