♯ 𝖗𝖊𝖈𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖈𝖍𝖊. ( 𝐒. 𝐓𝐎𝐃𝐎𝐑𝐎𝐊𝐈 )

𝟑, 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭... 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭?

― 𝐤𝐨𝐢 𝐦𝐢𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐲𝐚!

⤹  "YOU DID WHAT??!" I SHOUTED AT MY GREEN-HAIRED cousin in disbelief. It was after dinner and we were both stuffed from the meal we just consumed. I was in my comfortable pajamas and was currently sprawled on his bed, laying on my stomach as I listened to him recount the events of his day after we had separated.

"Y-Yes!! I literally met All Might! I could barely function, let alone breathe." Izuku recollected and let out a chuckle while scratching the side of his face.

"Wow!! That's... that's crazy! But more importantly, you ran towards the sludge villain? To save Bakugo? Knowing you don't have a quirk??" I repeated the main points of his story, still unable to wrap my head around what he was saying. 

He laughed heartily at the surprise written all over my face. "Yeah, I-I know it sounds crazy but... Kacchan was in trouble, and the heroes that were there didn't have the right quirks to defeat the villain; I couldn't just stand there. Next thing I knew, my feet were moving on its own. It was so scary... but I felt... I don't know it felt... good to help someone." 

I arched an eyebrow and my soft cousin. "Even if that someone caused you years worth of emotional trauma and bullied you?"

He glanced up at me taken aback, but smiled softly and looked down at his bare feet. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Yes.... even Kacchan. Because I know he wasn't always like that. I hope that he and I can one day... maybe, be friends again." 

My heart softened at his words, and I had the sudden urge to get up from my spot and hug him. So I did. I crouched down to his level since he was sitting in a rolling chair and wrapped my arms around his neck. He returned the gesture instantaneously.

"I felt like you could use one of these." I whispered into his fluffy emerald hair. 

"Thanks. Turns out I did need one," Izuku whispered back to me, sniffling. He's so adorable, I love this guy.

After a few more moments, he pulled back and dropped his hands from my shoulders and began twirling his thumbs in his lap. "Oh and uhh, speaking of quirks... I don't exactly not have one... well at least not yet."

I sat back and gave him a confused glance. "What do you mean 'not yet'? You told me the doctor said you wouldn't be getting a quirk." I asked, the last part sounded more like a question then a statement. 

"Well.... technically I'm not supposed to tell anyone about this. But I already told you I met All Might and had a conversation with him so... I guess I can tell you the rest..." his already soft voice trailed off towards the end.

I gave him another suspicious look before I reclaimed my spot on the bed, at full attention and curious as to where Izuku was going with this. 

"Oh! You can't tell my mom! Or anyone for that matter... p-please.." he blurted out suddenly. I blinked at him before letting out a chuckle and nodding my head. "Of course! Who am I gonna tell? I barely have any real friends." 

He smacked his lips and playfully rolled his eyes, clearly not believing my statement. Then resumed a more solemn expression as he further explained his encounter with All Might.

"So, uh, when I was walking home, All Might suddenly appeared but, it wasn't All Might... I mean i-it was but it didn't look like him. He was shorter and skinnier, much skinnier. He just looked different." I stared at him puzzled, trying to envision an All Might that was short and skinny. It was hard to visualize.

"But he thanked me, and said I inspired him I... imagine your idol telling you that you inspired them? It was like a dream. " His voice was pensive as he seemed to be thinking about his encounter with the world famous hero. "And then... he told me the secret of his quirk. He said it was..."

Pausing, he looked around his room as if he felt someone was watching or listening in our conversation and scooted towards me. "His quirk was passed down to him. He wasn't born with it."

I let out a soft gasp and sat back a bit. "What? All Might wasn't born with his quirk? But.... but how is that possible I-"

"I know! I was shook when he told me! Something like that is just... completely unheard of in our society. But he explained to me that each owner for his quirk― called One For All― looks for a successor to pass his quirk down to, which is how he got it; someone thought he was worthy and chose him. And now...."

Izuku slightly raised his right hand and clenched it into a fist. A determined look flashed in his eye and that's how I knew he was serious and passionate about whatever he experienced, or what was running through his head. "He's passing it on to me. I'm going to be the next person to inherit One for All!"

Surprised, I raised my eyebrows and stared at him. I couldn't help but smile and grabbed him again for another hug. "Izuku that's so amazing! I'm proud of you already!" I could hear Izuku sputtering and laughing nervously behind me. 

"Do you know the amount of power you'd be getting? It's just crazy!" I added, getting excited about my cousin's news.

He nodded, now feeding off my excitement. "Yeah I know! This is something I've been dreaming about since I was a kid. And to think it's actually going to come true... I'd finally have a real chance to get into U.A.! But, All Might said my body wouldn't be able to handle all his power, and I'd have to train my body every day to prepare for his quirk. I'm starting tomorrow actually, since U.A.'s entrance exam is in just a few months."

My heart unconsciously began to beat faster at Izuku's mention of attending U.A. High School. That reminds me....

"I really am proud of you, cous. Speaking of U.A., there's a good chance we might be going to the same school." I said with a faint smirk gracing my face. 

It was Izuku's turn for his eyes to grow wide, looking very glossy. His arms were flailing in all directions and I shook my head and laughed out loud. "W-w-what?? You? U.A.? B-but how? You don't even use your quirk? Don't get me wrong, I would love to have someone I know be there with me but just.... what?"

I grabbed my water bottle that sat on his desk and took a swig of it. "Okay so, when we separated, your mom told me to go to the police station because she was there waiting, and so was a detective and real teachers from U.A."

I proceeded to tell him about the discussion that was held a few hours ago. I also mentioned the pro heroes from U.A. that were there and he was nearly about to jump out of his seat. "Wow!! You had a way better day than I did!"

I laughed to myself quietly. "Meh, I guess it is a little cool. But the thought of using my quirk again, especially in front of other people where they're studying me, just makes me so anxious. What if I lose control and hurt someone? I wouldn't be able to forgive myself." 

At this point, my hands were clenched in my lap and my leg began to bounce uncontrollably. A hand on my knee ceased my movements and I looked up into Izuku's caring, green eyes. "Hey. It's okay. You're not going to hurt anyone; I know you won't. Even if you haven't used your quirk in a while I know how strong you are without it. Stronger than me anyway." We both let out a sad chuckle. "You'll be just fine, I promise."

I paused for a moment and let his words solidify in my head. "Thank you Izu. You always seem to know what to say." 

The green haired boy shrugged and sat back in his swivel chair, a smug look now playing on his face. "No problem, that's just what I do."

I giggled at his silliness and brushed him off, "Yeah, yeah, yeah sure."

"Hey," I added suddenly, Izuku responding with a 'hmm?', "Can I come with you to meet All Might tomorrow morning? Maybe watch you train?"

⟳

      The clock struck 1:24 a.m.  I sighed quietly to myself as I stared off into the distance, past my window, to the city outside. It was quieter, since most normal people were asleep at this hour.

I was not normal.

I'm not sure why it so difficult for me to fall asleep on this particular night. Right now, I wanted nothing more than to slip off into the unconscious world of dreamland. But my mind raced with other things. Visions of my time at the police station appeared in my head, and words bounced off the walls in my mind.

"We're going to need to test your quirk."

"We may have a lead on the person responsible but we're not sure."

"Look at it this way, you'd get the opportunity to become a hero!"

Everyone was saying so many different things at once. I shook my head back and forth, as if the voices were going to disappear. I turned my body the other way to face my nightstand, that held a reading lamp, a remote control for the LED light strips that lined my room and.... my lighter. 

Out of all the memories running around in my skull, one voice overpowered the rest; I could practically feel it sneering at me. 

"Do it," the voice demanded, "You know you want to..." 

I inhaled sharply, and whispered meekly to myself, "No.. dammit go to sleep."

"Do it. Do it. It's right there. Do it! Just do it! DO IT NOW!" Its taunting only got louder and louder and I shut my eyes tighter and brought the blanket closer to my neck and faced the other direction, back towards the window. No, no, I said I wouldn't do it anymore....

But, I could already feel my rationale chipping away. Like my mind went into autopilot, it sat up on its own and I slowly shifted my eyes towards the red lighter that sat idly on the wooden nightstand.

Without really thinking, I reached my arm and grasped it between my fingers, the feel of the cool plastic giving me some sick sense of comfort and familiarity. As if like second nature, my thumb pressed on the tab and flicked the silver wheel, and out came the flame. And that sound. 

"What a delicious sound. Now do it. Burn...yourself." the voice seemed to warp into something sinister, something devious. Even though it was something of my imagination, a chill was sent down my spine. 

Despite this, my left arm moved on its own and was out stretched, ready to be burned. My hand with the lighter inched slowly, closer and closer, until the fire kissed my delicate skin, singeing the layers of my flesh. I let out what sounded like a sigh of relief or satisfaction.

I still didn't feel anything. 

I never could feel anything. The damage of my quirk from that night had done a number on me; physical pain was a foreign sensation.

"Worthless piece of shit." I heard it hiss again.

I lazily eyed my self-destructive behavior, finding the numbing warmth comforting. I took notice of how red my skin got at first then continued to grow dark in color. After a few more minutes, and from switching from my forearm to a section on my shoulder, I flicked the lighter again and the flame disappeared, setting it back in its original place on my nightstand. 

Letting out another heavy sigh, I laid my head back down on my pillow and stared at the ceiling. A single, silent tear slid down from my eye onto my cheek.

Even though I couldn't feel anything, I knew that was definitely going to leave a mark.

➷

﹙𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 3, 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙚!﹚

i'm sorry if this chapter seemed a little dark near the end but i just wanted to add something else because before i put that part in, the chapter was looking a little short. i also thought i'd shed some light on the self-destructive behavior i hinted at earlier ;/ 

things will start to speed up a bit in chapter 4 so don't worry :)

are you guys still excited ? because i am!

and ik what you're thinking, but trust me, daddy icy hot is coming really soon i promise sdkjskdfsdd. it should be in the next few chapters. i just have to build up to their first encounter and i want to do it right in a way that you guys will LOVE!

so tell me, how do you like this chapter?
the bond between izuku & koi?
koi burning herself? 
i want to know your thoughts!

and per usual, thank you everyone who has supported me and my ideas and shared my excitement for this book. let ppl know that there's a new shoto todoroki story! i wanna see what others think.

also, 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐢 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝? 𝐢 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐋𝐌𝐀𝐃𝐒𝐀𝐈𝐃𝐉𝐀𝐒. if so comment here!!

i love you all so much.