Key
'Guess' - Thoughts
"Who's" - Speech
"Back!" - Demon

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~ I Guess I Couldn't Stay Away ~

It was just another day. Another monotonous day that Izuku would have to bear with.

Rising from his bed, he rubbed his eyes to wake himself. With a yawn, he stretched out, letting the bones holding his scrawny body stretch and loosen up. Then, with a satisfied smile, he left his room and entered the bathroom to get ready for his day.

Brushing his teeth, he had heard the sound of someone rising from bed and dismissed it, believing it was his mother. After he was done with his oral hygiene, he washed his face and looked in the mirror. But he didn't like what he saw.

At first, he saw his reflection. A scrawny teenage boy with freckles and the most peculiar green eyes and hair. There wasn't anything out of the ordinary at first. Given a few seconds, the reflection on the mirror started to ripple and change its form entirely.

Now, there was a woman. A woman with horns attached to her forehead that broke apart her messily arranged red hair. Apart from the heart-like shape of her face and her amber eyes, there was nothing more Izuku could see. Yet this hadn't even startled him.

"Child, accept my power." The woman said. Though to Izuku, it had seemed more like an order.

He didn't answer her. He looked at the reflection with a blank stare. "Is it the same deal as last time?" He slightly stuttered the question out though that seemed to be expected from the woman.

"Of course," she began, a smirk ever-present on her tanned face. "I will give you power and you will be my vessel. Nothing more, I promise."

"No." He answered firmly, clenching his fists unknowingly. "I will not be your puppet," he mumbled, barely audible to anyone but himself.

"Do you not want to be a hero? It will only be possible with power and I am offering you that very power." She asked, trying to convince the freckled child with a more convincing offer to him.

"I will be a hero." He said, his hands trembling as he spoke. "But not with your power!" He shouted at the mirror, only to see her reflection had vanished away. Now, he could only see himself in the mirror. Grabbing onto the sides of the sink, he dipped his head down and stared down at his scrawny body. "I will be a hero. No matter what."

All of a sudden, someone had knocked on the door, making Izuku jump slightly and look toward the sound. "Izuku, are you okay in there? I heard you shouting." It was just a concerned Inko. That was all it was.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He stuttered out, turning back to the mirror. "I'm... okay." He said again, looking at his reflection carefully.

"Well, if you need anything, I'm always here for you," Inko replied before heading off into the kitchen.

"Thanks," he mumbled before washing his face once more.

Continuing along with his morning, he took a brisk shower before adorning his school uniform. Satisfied with his appearance, he entered the kitchen and shared a small conversation with Inko over breakfast.

When both of them were done eating, Izuku had slipped away to get his bag while Inko loaded up the dishwasher. By the time Izuku had gotten everything he needed for school, he rushed toward the door and tied on his red shoes. Once those were secured onto his feet, he reached the door, only to be stopped by Inko's voice.

"Be careful, Izuku!" She shouted from the kitchen. "Remember, I love you!"

"I will, Kaa-san! And I love you too!" He shouted back.

Rushing out of his apartment building, Izuku jogged calmly toward his local school, hoping not to miss his first class for whatever reason. Thankfully, the only thing that had stopped him was a very brief encounter between a one-time villain and Kamui Woods, only for it to be interrupted by Mt. Lady's debut.

Nonetheless, he had gotten to class before his teacher had entered, even before some of his classmates. Sitting down in his assigned seat, he pulled out one of his notebooks and quickly started to jot down notes on a new page.

'A size-changing Quirk, specializing in close-range combat in large areas unless gigantification can be focused and moderated at certain levels,' he thought, jotting the very same thoughts as quickly as he could. Finishing up the last of the notes, he stuffed the notebook into his bag before anyone could get a good look at it.

Right on time, the last of the students entered the room, followed shortly after by the teacher. That very teacher was carrying a small stack of papers and set them down on a podium built into the front of the class.

"Good morning, class." He said, only to be met with silence. "I was going to give you a career aptitude test, but," he paused to throw all of the papers in front of him into the air. "I know you all want to be heroes anyway!"

Instantly, the class had broken into cheers and nonsensical uses of powers. It all seemed hectic to the eye of a spectator until they heard similar cheers from other classrooms.

"Shut up, you extras!" A scrawny blonde student had shouted from the back. Standing up on his desk, he held open a hand and showed off his explosion power. "If anyone here is gonna be a hero... It's me!"

Immediately, all of the cheers had reverted into arguments against his statement.

Narrowing his eyes, the teacher said, "Bakugo-san, didn't you apply for UA?"

"That's right!" He cockily shouted in return, looking at the shocked stares of his peers, all of which knew how few people get accepted into UA.

"If I remember correctly, Midoriya-san also applied for UA," the teacher mumbled, scratching his chin as he did so.

Upon hearing his words, every pair of eyes turned to look at the green-haired student sitting at the very center of the class. A few seconds later, all of them erupted into harsh laughter directed at the freckled boy.

"What makes you think you can get into UA, Deku!?" Katsuki shouted, silencing the class once more.

"I... I can still try," Izuku stuttered quietly, trying to hide his face with his arms.

Again, every student just laughed at his expense.

"You're Quirkless! I bet you won't survive the entrance exam, Deku!" The blonde teen shouted over the laughter.

"Settle down!" The teacher shouted, slowly silencing the class. Sighing in relief, he finally began the real lesson of the day, although not every one of his students had decided to pay attention.

Throughout the day, Izuku tried to keep his attention focused on the lesson. It wasn't as easy for him today. Other students would snicker and laugh at him every once and a while, but that was only a normal occurrence. What concerned him more was the nagging voice that would capture all of his attention whenever he had drifted off.

She had made the same offer, only for it to be rejected another time. Yet after that, she just talked. Listening to her, Izuku heard her talk about how strong his classmates were. It was no surprise that she had claimed Izuku as the weakest among them.

But she said he had potential. At first, he believed it was because she could give him power. That wasn't the case. Instead, she believed he was more open-minded of the group and leagues above them in intelligence.

He almost smiled when she had said that. Yet he stopped himself. He would not fall for her tricks.

By the end of the school day, Izuku had drifted off again and listened to the woman's silky voice. But that was interrupted when he was blown out of his chair by an explosion.

"Deku." The blonde bomber had said, venom laced into his voice.

"Yes, Kacchan?" Izuku had stuttered out, looking at Katsuki while two more students watched from behind him.

"Don't even try to get into UA. You hear me?" He spat out, his palms open to emit smoke for pure intimidation.

"Stand up for yourself." The freckled student heard within his mind, but that was easier said than done.

Lowering his gaze, Izuku looked at his own body. He was scrawny and weak. And he knew Katsuki already had an advantage over him.

"Okay," he stuttered out.

"Good." The red-eyed bully said, turning away to leave.

Once he had left, the other two students quickly followed after him. Getting up, Izuku grabbed his large neon yellow bag. With it on his back, he treaded slowly out of the school, observing everything around him to distract himself.

Then, he stopped at the school's fish pond. Watching the fish for a moment, the woman's reflection rippled to life on the water's surface.

"Why did you do nothing?" She asked, curious about his choice.

Taking a moment, he watched the koi in the pond devour the plans growing in the water. Approaching the plants, he saw a smaller fish that tried to eat as well, only to be smacked away from the others.

Walking around the pond, Izuku picked off a piece of the plant and placed it near the fish. Seeing it eat, he smiled slightly. Now, he had figured out his answer.

"Because I'm different. I don't belong in the same league as Kacchan." He said, hardly a stutter in his voice.

"A difference is good. It makes a person special." She retorted. "That is why I need you. You will be my vessel and I will be your strength."

"No," he shook his head, still smiling at the small koi. "I don't need you or your power. A hero is more than their power."

"Those are wise words, but I believe there will be a time when you will need my power." She insisted.

"Maybe," he mumbled, walking away from the pond as her reflection rippled away.

Taking a longer route home, Izuku kept thinking. He had always wanted to be a hero yet he didn't know how. Of course, there were accounts of Quirkless heroes, though they had appeared when Quirkless individuals had made up more of the population.

Lost in his thoughts, he had started to walk along a trash-filled canal. Avoiding the trash and dirty water, he had made his way under a bridge. Ignoring the odor, he walked right past the manhole cover, only noticing it when it popped out of place and slammed against the underside of the bridge.

Oozing out of the hole, a creature made of pure sludge created a barrier on one side of the bridge. "A little plain, but you'll do as a disguise." The creature had said, beginning to loom over the boy.

Jumping on the boy, the sludge captured every limb of his body, keeping him still. Forcing open the boy's mouth, the creature invaded his body, consequently making Izuku taste sludge.

"Accept my offer before it is too late." The woman said with a calm voice.

'No... A hero... will... save me.' He replied, slowly losing grip of his own mind and body.

"You are a fool." She said before her voice faded into nothing.

For nearly a minute, the sludge continued to spread out within Izuku's body. There was no sign of rescue. Well, that was until an internationally famous catchphrase was shouted.

"Have no fear, for I am here!"

Following the cue, an overly muscular man had punched the air, just a few inches away from the sludge. Despite that, it had still produced a reaction. Out of nowhere, a gale blew under the bridge, literally tearing the sludge monster away from Izuku. In another gust of wind, the muscular man zoomed around the canal and collected every last piece of sludge into empty soda bottles that were littered in the area.

Turning to face Izuku, the man watched as he coughed up pieces of sludge. It was disgusting but he took those pieces and shoved them into the bottles too.

"Thank you," Izuku stammered out, regaining his breath after his coughing fit.

"I'm just doing my job, young man! But now, I must get going!" The hero shouted before crouching down to leap away with the villain stored in his pockets.

"Wait!" Izuku shouted, grabbing his bag. "Can I get your autograph?"

In a blur of red, white, blue, and yellow, one of Izuku's notebooks had been opened to a blank page before "All Might!" had been written in English.

"There you are!" All Might shouted once more before leaping away and out of sight.

Slightly blown away from the leap, Izuku scrabbled to stand up and grabbed his newly signed notebook. Shoving the notebook into his bag, he hurried home, hoping to see All Might on the news.

In a matter of minutes, he had returned home to see his mother watching an interview with Mt. Lady after another villain fight. Slipping off his shoes, he ran to his room and left his bookbag in there before returning to the lounge.

Watching the tv screen, he could see Mt. Lady speaking with a reporter. It wasn't the most interesting interview, it was mostly about her experience and training. Thankfully, Izuku could still be entertained by the fight going on in the background, though that quickly ended as well.

Standing up from the couch, Inko headed toward the kitchen, not particularly acknowledging her son. "Dinner will be ready in an hour, Izu."

"Okay, Kaa-san," he replied back. Moving around the room, he kept his eyes focused on the screen. There still wasn't anything special, though he did recognize the background. The interview was happening in the middle of the city. Around that area, he was familiar with the comic book shop and the grocery store near there, though only one of the two interested him. "Kaa-san, I'm going to go to the comic book store, I'll be back by dinner!"

Already, leaving the apartment, he could hear Inko shout, "Stay safe!" Keeping those words close in his mind, he set an alarm on his phone and started to jog.

After a few minutes had passed, he was already tired, though he was also already in the area. Looking around, he couldn't see any news crew or a single hero. With a sigh, he decided to go into the comic book store called Timely Comics.

In there, he could see the usual teenage girl reading a comic behind the register, but he could also see an elderly man wearing sunglasses while he read an American comic. Ignoring those two, Izuku retreated into a corner of the store near the elderly man.

The comics he delved himself into were about a man who received powers from a bug bite and decided to use them to help people. To him, it was the story of a true hero, something he dreamed to be.

"With great power comes great responsibility, right kid?" The elderly man said, holding his book by his side.

Putting down the comic, Izuku looked at him in surprise. "Yeah, I guess so," he stuttered in response.

"Try this one, I think you might like it." Holding out his comic, the elderly man handed it to Izuku. Observing it, the freckled boy could see a man in a red and gold suit flying through the sky.

"Thanks, I think I'll buy it." He replied before looking for the first few issues in the series.

Finding them fairly quickly, he read the words, Marvel Comics Group, at the very top. Satisfied with his selection, he turned to go and buy the books, only to be forced forward and to the ground.

Groaning, he pushed himself up and looked outside. In the middle of the street, he could see the sludge monster once again. But this time, there was a mess of spiky blonde hair trapped in it, and looking closely, Izuku realized it was Katsuki.

Rushing over to the counter, he slammed down his comics on the counter along with some bills. "Please, keep this in a bag for me!" He stammered out to the cashier before running outside.

Immediately, he could feel the ground shaking beneath his feet. Turning to his left, he could see Mt. Lady rushing to the scene. Already on the scene, he could see Kamui Woods keeping the small crowd back.

Rushing to join the crowd, he tried to peer over the others, hoping to see the rest. Yet he couldn't. Kamui had blocked the view and Mt. Lady had done so too.

"He is in trouble."

'I know!' Izuku mentally shouted back, trying to force his way to the front of the crowd.

"Are you trying to play hero?" She asked first.

'I just want to know he'll be okay!'

"Then accept my power. If you do, we will save him and guarantee his safety." She offered this time.

'No. There are already two heroes.' He told her, believing two heroes were already more than enough.

"Izuku, watch the heroes carefully. Then you will know you need my power." She said before her voice had faded away once again.

Ignoring her statement, he pushed through the crowd and watched the scene play out.

At the moment, he could see Katsuki struggling to free himself. Though that had created problems for the heroes since he was making explosions everywhere.

Closest to him was Kamui Woods who feared the explosions due to his wooden shell, so he had to keep moving out of the way of whichever direction Katsuki's hands were turned towards. Along with that, Mt. Lady could barely fit in the street when she was in her giant form, so she focused on controlling the crowd.

Gritting his teeth, Izuku was only relieved when another hero arrived. This time, Death Arms was on the scene and he charged straight toward the villain after bumping his fists together. But when he had tried to punch the villain, his hands slid right through the sludge body. Jumping back he looked toward the other two heroes on the scene.

Looking back at the villain, he shouted, "Release the boy!"

"No! He's mine for the taking!" The sludge villain yelled back to the hero.

The heroes continued to negotiate with the villain, hoping for the boy's release. Watching this, Izuku knew that the sludge monster was invading Katsuki's body, and in a matter of minutes, he'd be defeated, or worse, dead.

"I... I want to help," Izuku mumbled to himself, tears already forming at the corners of his eyes.

"You know what you have to do." Her voice came back and he knew she was waiting for his answer.

"I, Izuku Midoriya, accept your deal, Shiori."

~ Brought To You By The Cliffhanger Company ~

A/N: Yeah... I'm back. And this bold text does not make me a Demon!

Anyway, I hope this story does well since I've tried to write it to the best of my ability. Though updates will be a bit random, but hopefully I'll be able to update around once a week.

But if you want to argue with me or just talk, Discord link is up at the top.

So, see you next time, lovelies!