It dawns on you, one day, how beautifully fragile we truly are. A single moment is all it takes to alter who we are, forever. Yet, we never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory, destined to fade as time slowly ebbs away.
Izuku learned just how precious life really was in that fateful night. It took losing everything he ever loved for him to finally see how truly short and priceless life was.
Losing her was like having a hole shot straight through his heart. A painful, constant reminder of an absence he could never fill.
He would henceforth, walk this earth, if only for a short time, completely and utterly alone. This beautiful and stunning world, which he will never be able to see again, will go on without him. He will not be able to watch the sunset as his mother hums to her favorite song on the radio. He will never be able to see the mountain tops, the pine trees, the world...
It's been two weeks since the incident, nurses are starting to give up on interacting with him.
This boy, once full of vibrant life was nothing more than a husk of the person he once was. Izuku had completely shut himself off, he'd only respond if addressed directly. His answers were short and straight to the point. His voice quiet, tone icy as dull green eyes stared into complete darkness. His now milky green eyes held an emptiness that no kid should ever have. His gaze spoke of sadness and loneliness but also of pure and blatant anger. Anger at the world who took everything away from him. The world that took his mother, his sight and his dreams away.
His lifelong dream of becoming a hero before the accident felt attainable, hard but not impossible, no one believed a quirkless kid could ever be a hero but he was going to show them how wrong they were. However, now, sitting here, in his hospital bed, blind and alone with only about eight years to live. That dream seemed so far out of his reach.
The social worker came in yesterday, informing him, that given the fact that he had no other known family members and they couldn't get a hold of his father, he'd be sent to the local orphanage as soon as he was fully recovered.
She assured him that they'd give him whatever he needed to cope with his blindness. The hospital had already provided for him a proper walking stick. However, they didn't know that he didn't actually need it.
Over the past few days, he'd gotten the hang of controlling his senses, at least, to an extent where he wasn't constantly overwhelmed by the onslaught of information his brain was receiving all at once.
They didn't know about the abilities he gained from the chemicals in his system. The chemicals that were slowly killing him had altered his DNA apparently. The doctors didn't know how it was possible and what would be the consequences but it happened nonetheless.
He was somehow able to visualize the sound waves coming from any movement around him, whether it was the slow gust of wind coming from the window, to the heartbeats of every living thing in his vicinity. He could smell the perfume of the head nurse even if she was at the other end of the hospital. He could sense the swift flow of energy and electricity humming in the walls, count the people present in the building by visualizing the heat coming from their bodies. His senses were heightened to an unnatural degree, he didn't know what else the chemicals had changed but he'd make sure to find out as soon as they let him out of this place.
He couldn't wait to leave the hospital. The people here were treating him like glass and he hated that. He hated being handled as if he would break. You're already broken. A voice in his head whispered. He shook his head, trying to kick those thoughts away. He wasn't broken, he couldn't be. He needed to be strong.
He wondered what life was going to be like now. Trying as hard as he could to ignore the dread pooling in his guts. He hopes whatever life had in store for him now, it won't be that bad right? His life couldn't get any worse right? He hoped so...
___________________________
Soon enough, he found himself being ushered into an old mansion. He could feel the dampness in the walls, smell the mold and weeds that were surely growing in the cracks of the building's walls. He followed the social worker up the stairs, leading to the main entrance, his walking stick clicking with each step.
The woman opened the front door, the wood creaking as it scrapped the floor with a hiss. Hesitantly, he walked into the house in which he'd stay until he was, hopefully, adopted.
From now on, this would be his home. He hoped the people here were nice, that they'd care for him, maybe become his family. However, a part of him knew that no matter what, he'd never get back the feeling of being cared for, loved, as his mother once did. He'd never get back the feeling of pure and unfiltered safety.
An old woman greeted them in at the reception desk. She stood quite tall and slim, her short hair was styled in a neat bun. Izuku gulped as he felt her eyes land on him. Her gaze sent chills down his spine. Even though Izuku couldn't see the details of her features, he could feel the frown that adorned her face.
"Hello, I'm assuming this is the boy you were talking about?" Her voice was low yet stern, her tone cold and unwavering as she ignored him. Her attention solely focused on the woman beside him.
"Yes, Miss Akane. This is the kid we informed you about, his mother recently died in a car crash. As you can see, the accident rendered him blind as well."
"I see... Well, step forward boy." She demanded in the same cold tone.
He slowly made his way towards her, stopping short of a few steps in front of her.
"Well? Are you going to introduce yourself? Such manners will not be tolerated in my orphanage."
"Hello, my name is Midoriya Izuku. It's nice to meet you, Miss." His voice didn't waver, his tone rivaling the woman before him in its dullness.
She hummed in acknowledgment, he could feel her eyes piercing through him, taking in his appearance. Her gaze analyzing and judging him. "If you are to stay here, you will follow my every order, you will respect the house rules and make sure to do everything I say. I will not tolerate delinquents and disobedience. Understood?" She asked in a steeled voice, leaving no room for argument.
"Yes, ma'am." He responded immediately, his voice lower than he would have preferred.
"You will refer to me as Miss Akane. Am I clear?" His only response was a nod to the head. Clearly, the wrong thing to do. "You will speak when spoken to."
"Yes, ma- Miss Akane." Seemingly satisfied by his response, she called one of the receptionists over.
"Now, you will follow miss Luna here upstairs, to your room. Make sure to pay attention boy, she will not be there every time you need to move. Your blindness is no excuse for incompetence." With that, she walked away. He stood there, now noticing the absence of the social worker, she must have left earlier. The receptionist, Miss Luna, her voice was soft.
"Hello there, Midoriya. Don't mind Miss Akane, she's just a little strict. Now, follow me. Your room is upstairs. But I'm guessing you'd want to explore a little?" Taking a hold of her hand they slowly made their way upstairs. He could tell the woman was uncomfortable, her breathing was slightly different.
She led him to his room, his senses taking in his surroundings, making sure he memorized everything around him. He was going to live here, after all. As they walked through the wall, he could feel the lingering gazes of the people around them. Kids, smaller and older than him would stop and watch them with curious glances as they passed. They probably thought he couldn't see them.
Once they entered, she herded him towards a small bed in the corner. The room was small but he didn't really care. With one last huff, she retreated back to the hallway. Leaving him to settle on his own.
___________________________
Days turned to weeks, as he slowly but surely got used to his new home. By now, he could navigate the building with little to no hindrance. His senses and awareness increasing by the day.
The kids there were mostly avoiding him though. At first, they had tried talking to him but no one had the courage to get close to the creepy new kid. The blind green haired boy that never seemed to smile or laugh. They were intimidated by dull green eyes and the scar that adorned the left side of his face, crossing vertically, splitting his eyebrow and going all the way down his cheek.
He could sense their nervousness whenever he walked in the room. He could feel their lingering gazes following his every move as if he was a wild animal on display. Their looks made him uncomfortable but he couldn't get himself to care. Soon enough, they had gotten used to his presence and opted to just ignore him.
However, not all the kids acted like that. There was one group of boys that weren't satisfied with just staying away. Rumors had spread in the orphanage about the blind kid that didn't interact with anyone, somehow, they had found out about his quirklessness and some of the older boys took it as some kind of challenge.
The leader of the group, Denji, one of the oldest kids of the orphanage, was particularly adamant on making Izuku's life a living hell.
He'd find one way or another to torment him, whether it was senselessly beating him up with his friends or just making fun of him and his disability and his worthlessness.
Izuku cursed under his breath as he recognized the figure that was marching straight towards him, followed by two other boys.
"Oh! Look who we have here fellas! It's none other than Midoriya himself!" He announced proudly as he shoved Izuku with his shoulder." You need to look where you're going, can't you see I walking there, you idiot!" The boy scuffed, earning a couple of snickers from his followers.
Wanting to avoid any problems, Izuku elected to walk away, keeping his head low as he hoped that this would be the end of the encounter.
Life wasn't that easy though.
"Where are you going rat? Are you seriously ignoring me you, worthless idiot?" Frustration and anger were apparent in the older boy's tone, but Izuku kept walking. He didn't have the patience for this. However, this was the wrong move because just as he was taking a step forward, Denji used his quirk to attract his metal stick towards him. Tripping Izuku in the process.
Denji had a moderately powerful electromagnetic quirk. He could attract any metal object towards him. This particular power, allowed him to intimidate and basically lead the kids here.
Lifting himself off the floor, Izuku ignored the burning from the newly acquired scrapes on his knees. However, before he could steady himself, Denji had closed the space between them, using Izuku's own stick to hit his back.
Pain flared down his spine, as the metal connected with his back at full force. He wheezed as the breath was knocked out of him. Yet, before he could regain his bearings, another blow to the stomach sent him tumbling to the ground again. His glasses falling to the ground, in the process.
"Stay down Rat." The boy huffed, throwing the walking stick at him before he walked away. His two friends, each one taking a turn in kicking him and crushing his glasses before following the boy's lead and leaving.
Izuku doesn't know how much time passed as he stayed there, sprawled on the floor. His sense of time was nonexistent with his current state. Slowly, he got up, wincing as pain erupted from his newly formed bruises. Picking up his skewed glasses and his walking stick, he made his way back to his room. He could hear the commotion downstairs, signaling the beginning of dinner. Oh well, no one would care if he didn't show up either way.
_____________________________
Weeks turned to months and it was getting harder and harder for Izuku. Every day, he would lose a little bit more of himself. Like the memories of his old life, the kind memories of his mother were slowly fading away. His thoughts plagued by the things he lost, good and fun moments replaced with more and more suffering.
The only highlight of his days now were the times where he was allowed to hang out in the orphanage's courtyard. Going outside, smelling the fresh air made it easier for him to relax. To ignore the constant flow of information that accosted his brain. He could focus on the beautiful sent of the flowers and plants that surrounded him. He would sit there for hours, listening to the soft flow of the water coming from what he assumed to be a fountain in the middle of the courtyard. Drinking in the radiating heat coming from the sun and enjoying the peaceful silence. Izuku had found the perfect spot, concealed by the bushes around him, he would sit alone away from the playing and laughing children. Away from the world that surrounded him.
He wished he could see the flowers again. He wished he could see the grass and the trees. He wished he could see the world again.
He was beginning to doze off when suddenly he felt movement next to him, stiffening on instinct, he waited with bated breath for the figure to say something.
The man was tall, his silhouette outlined in a way that hinted and gave away a well-toned body.
Izuku opened his mouth to speak but the man beat him to it.
"Hey kid, mind if I sit here?" The disembodied voice was gruff, it gave off an impression of an older man.
"S-sure..." Izuku didn't know what to feel about this, the man sat next to him, close but keeping a proper distance between them. He knows everyone here, their silhouettes had long since been etched into his mind. However, he had never seen this man before.
"The names Ryu, what's yours?"
"Midoriya Izuku" Silence hung between them as the man hummed under his breath, the tune oddly familiar.
"You know Midoriya" Ryu began slowly "It's a really nice day today." His tone was light and uncaring.
Izuku didn't know how to respond to that.
"Would you like me to describe it to you?" He asked earnestly.
With a little bit of hesitance, Izuku nodded.
He would be lying if he said that he didn't yearn to be able to see the sky again, gaze at the onslaught of bright and vibrant colors that painted the world around him. To see.
"Well, the sun is brighter than usual, the flowers surrounding the yard are made of every color you could imagine, there are roses and sunflowers. Beautiful, red and yellow are the most prominent colors here. Uhm, there's a small fountain in front of us, the sun hits the statue just right, making it shine and shimmer in the heat. The sky is a perfectly clear blue, no clouds in the vicinity." Izuku can't help the pit that forms in his stomach at the thought that he'd never be able to see the beauty this man was describing. "At least it's how I imagine it to be kid." This, however, makes him pause.
"Imagine? W-What do you mean?"
"I can't actually see it, kid. Yet, there's nothing stopping me from imagining it, is there?" He replies with a huff, the slight change in his breathing makes Izuku think that the man is smirking.
"Are you- Are you... blind?" The last word comes out as barely a whisper, the confusion, and shock obvious in the boy's tone as his expression twists in disbelief.
"Been blind for years." Ryu's heartbeat is steady through the whole interaction, this man wasn't lying. How can he imagine something so vividly and beautifully if he's never seen it? "You know kid, I've heard a lot about you, I've been here for a few days and the people here sure as hell talk a lot." He chuckles lowly. "You've been through and lost so much in such a short time. But believe me when I say that I understand what you are going through. I lost my sight in a fire on one of my missions. It was hard, at first. But my friends and family were there for me when I needed them and believe me when I say that it does get better. You may feel alone right now like the world is against you but a little hope, some kind of determination to be better, to do better will go a long way."
The words hit Izuku hard, knocking the breath out of him as his mind went a mile a minute. He wanted to scream at the man for thinking he understood what he was feeling but he couldn't, could he? Ryu, this blind man sitting next to him understood. He had survived an accident just like Izuku, even ended up blind. if anyone comprehended him it was this man, right?
Can he hope to get better? Is he not too far gone? Too broken to be able to get back up?
What could Izuku say to something like that? A lump formed in his throat as the dam finally broke. Weeks of pent up emotions breaking and rushing to the surface. Izuku cried that day, he cried for his mother, the most loving and caring woman he ever knew, the woman that gave up everything for him. He cried for a world he would never be able to see again, if only in his dreams. And finally, he cried in relief, relief settling in his chest as a tiny ray of hope shimmered to life, maybe he wasn't broken beyond repair.
He doesn't know how much time passed as he held onto this man, his hands shook with every sob that racked his body, knuckles white as he clenched the fabric of the man's shirt like a lifeline.
This man, this stranger had managed to break through the walls he'd put up around himself with just a few words. Ryu kept whispering comforting words to him, rubbing circles on his back as he slowly calmed down.
Time went by as Izuku recovered. He'd talk more and react more. The light in his eyes was ever so slowly returning. The blankness in his expression was fading away with every stroll he'd take in the courtyard with Ryu. Their outing had become a daily occurrence, the bond between them was growing with every passing second. This man managed to get through the boy's thick walls and was slowly saving Izuku from drowning in his own bitterness and sadness.
These past few weeks, they had learned a lot about each other. Izuku learned that Ryu used to be an underground hero before he retired. He lost his sight a long time ago, while he was on one of his patrols. A fire had erupted in one of the apartment complexes on his route. However, the incident didn't stop him from being a hero. He worked hard and trained and learned to adapt and he managed to save so many people because of his determination and hard work. He later retired when his age was no longer suited for hero work.
However, Ryu couldn't stay forever and tried to see Izuku whenever he could.
Yet, in the short time they spent together, the man had lit a fire in Izuku. His dream didn't seem too far from his reach anymore.
The man promised Izuku that he would train him, he would help him hone his sense and he would teach him how to fight and defend himself. The man would help Izuku learn that his blindness wasn't something that would hinder him. He would learn how to use it in his favor.
It will require a lot of work but Izuku was prepared to do anything to accomplish his dreams. Life was short, Izuku knew that all too well. He was going to make a difference and save as many people as he could. Even if it took all of his time and energy. He would become a hero.