chapter 2: rescue and confrontation

When he arrives, he sees an alleyway engulfed in flames with the same sludge villain that attacked him earlier with another hostage. Izuku knows that he should be feeling fear or guilt for distracting All Might and letting the villain get away, but he doesn't feel anything and isn't even disturbed by that, just indifferent. He hears the heroes constantly make excuses for why they can't save the hostage, but Izuku has already thought of three different ways they could use their Quirks to save the hostage in a matter of seconds.

Death Arms says aloud "We need to wait for someone with the right Quirk to show up." Izuku comments to himself in the same cold tone "Fools."

Izuku suddenly appears before the sludge villain, he's not sure how exactly he got there, but he doesn't really care, because if those 'heroes' aren't going to do anything then he might as well do something. The sludge villain jumps back in surprise "You again! What the hell are you doing here, what the hell happened to your eyes!?" Izuku thinks to himself "My eyes?" Izuku doesn't notice how the hostage's eyes widen in shock along with All Might who is in the crowd.

The sludge villain raises a tendril to attack Izuku "It doesn't matter, I've already got a hostage so I'll just kill you!" The villain swings the tendril downward but to Izuku it's almost as though he's moving in slow motion before he raises his left hand and chops through the tendril with such speed and finesse that the sludge splatters against the wall.

The villain stares in shock and fear before Izuku asks "You'll kill me?" Izuku gazes into the villain's eyes "I've already tried killing myself, so what makes you think you could do any better?"

The sludge villain backs away as fear begins to consume him "What the hell is this kid, it's like he's a completely different person!" Izuku then demands as he lowers his arm "Release the hostage now or else I'll have to use my newfound power against you." Death Arms yells out behind him "Get out of there kid, that villain'll kill you!"

To the civilians it looked as though the villain's tendril had just exploded before they notice that Izuku had moved his arm. Izuku should feel surprised and shocked by the power he suddenly possesses, but he doesn't and instead focuses on the task at hand; saving the hostage.

Izuku ignores Death Arms and the other heroes as his eyes bore into the villain; the villain overcome with fear turns to flee down the alleyway, but just as he turns Izuku appears before him again with the same detached expression. Izuku then says "If you won't surrender them peacefully, then I'll just have to force you to release them."

In an instant Izuku flashes in front of the villain and grabs his left eye before ripping it out and crushing it in his hand causing the villain to scream in agonizing pain and subsequently release the hostage who falls to the ground coughing out sludge.

It's at that moment Izuku realizes as he looks down that the hostage is Katsuki Bakugou, the person who made it his mission to make Izuku's life a living hell, but still Izuku feels nothing.

After Bakugou regains his bearing he looks up to glare at Izuku,but he quickly notices that Izuku has changed. He notices that Izuku's hair is completely black instead of its usual green, his pupils are slit like a cats, his skin is pale white, and he has green tear tracks running down his face from his eyes, but what uneases him most is the cold unfeeling eyes staring down at him as though he were an insect.

The sludge villain now completely enraged yells out as he raises a tendril at Izuku "You bastard, I'll kill you!" Izuku's eyes glances upwards at the villain and readies himself to defend, but before he has the chance All Might swoops in in his hero form who defends Izuku and Bakugou from the attack "I really am pathetic, I told you what it took to be a great hero, but I see now that I wasn't living up to my own ideals!"

Izuku thought that he should feel inspired or perhaps frustrated, but he doesn't so he looks on with emotional detachment as All Might yells out "Detroit Smash!" Bakugou, the heroes, and the civilians all cover themselves from the gust of wind that destroyed the sludge villain's body, but Izuku stands still completely unmoved and unfazed by the attack.

After the battle is over Izuku looks at his right hand as he thinks to himself "What's wrong with me? Where did this sudden power come from? Why don't I feel anything? Is this a Quirk? Is this my Quirk?"

Izuku looks up as he hears Death Arms yell out as he stomps towards him with Kamui Woods following behind him "What the hell were you thinking back there kid?! Do you have any idea how dangerous it was to run into a situation you couldn't handle?!"

Izuku replies as he stares at the hero before him "It's a hero's job to save and protect others whether or not if they think they can handle the situation." Death Arms and Kamui's eyes widen in shock at such a quick yet cold reply "Besides, if I recall correctly you said that you had to wait for someone with the right Quirk to show up, you didn't specify a hero. So, would you have preferred for me to stand idly by like you and the other heroes were doing while Bakugou was suffocating?"

"He's right, though."

Death Arms answers shaken by Izuku's words "You're just a kid and completely untrained, you could've gotten the hostage killed or even became a hostage yourself, or gotten yourself killed." Izuku calmly retorts "But I didn't."

Death Arms looks at Izuku in shock as he explains "I've been studying Quirks since I was four, their strengths, weaknesses, applications, as well as combinations with other Quirks. I've also studied heroes as well, including yourself and Kamui Woods."

Death Arms takes a step back as he and Kamui woods stare in shock as Izuku continues "Any hero here could've taken this villain down if you had simply gone for the eyes like I did, or for Kamui he could've simply reached in with his wood and pulled Bakugou out, or Backdraft could've used his water to dilute the villain's body, even Mount Lady could've simply reached down and plucked Bakugou from the villain, yet none of you did anything." Death Arms and Kamui woods take a step back in fear as they were dissected by this fourteen-year-old boy.

Izuku then asks "So then, should I have just stood by while you all were willing to let a child die by the hands of a villain?" Death Arms and Kamui Woods both begin to tremble in fear "Who the hell is this kid and why am I so afraid of him?!" What really unnerves them is the fact that Izuku hasn't changed expressions once and hasn't even blinked since the battle ended, it's like he's staring into their souls.

Both heroes back away as they feel a vast difference in power between themselves and the boy that stands before them, but they're shaken out of the stupor as Izuku closes his eyes and walks passed them without a second thought. All Might watches Izuku leave out of the corner of his eye as the crowd split apart to let Izuku pass.

As Izuku walks home he thinks about what had happened and how he got his Quirk "It seems that when I tried to kill myself my Quirk had manifested, it kind of reminds me of hysterical strength where a person suddenly becomes immensely powerful during a stressful situation, that would explain my Quirk's sudden manifestation. However, I still don't understand why I don't feel anything, is it due to the shock of my suicide attempt or does it have to do with my Quirk? Will this be permanent or will my emotions suddenly return to me over time?"

Izuku is broken out of his thoughts when he suddenly hears a familiar voice call out "Deku!" Izuku stops before he turns to look at Bakugou who is standing a few feet away from him trying to catch his breath,

Bakugou then asks with a glare "What the fuck happened to you?" Izuku then replies "What do you mean?" Bakugou yells "Don't bullshit me! What the fuck happened to you!? How did you suddenly get a Quirk?! Have you been lying to me this entire time and laughing at me behind my back!?"

Izuku answers completely unfazed "I have never lied to you Bakugou," Izuku's answer shocks Bakugou more than he thought it would "I have also never laughed at you behind your back because there was nothing to ever really laugh about. As for how I got my Quirk, I'm fairly certain I got it when I tried to kill myself."

Bakugou's eyes widen in shock as he quietly asks "W-what?"

Izuku explains "Before you were attacked, I had met a famous hero, at the time I was of course Quirkless, so I asked him if I could become a hero even without a Quirk. Of course, the answer was no," Bakugou is completely overtaken at how calm Izuku is "after that I realized just how painful my future would be as well as the fact my mom would be better off without me. So, with nothing else to live for I fell off the top of a building." Bakugou starts trembling at Izuku's explanation of his own suicide attempt.

Izuku continues "I never felt any pain, I'm guessing that at the point of impact my Quirk had manifested and likely prevented my death. From what I can tell my Quirk has enhanced my speed, strength, and perception, but for some reason I no longer feel any emotions. I'm guessing that has something to do with my Quirk or perhaps I'm still in shock from my suicide attempt or the attack, I'm not sure when or if my emotions will come back and to be honest, I don't want them to return."

Bakugou asks in shock "Why?" Izuku answers as he looks Bakugou straight in the eyes "Because emotions are useless,"

Bakugou falls to his knees at Izuku's statement "all they had done was cause me pain and suffering, they drove me to my suicide attempt just as much as the rest of the world did. So, I'd rather not have emotions if it means that I won't have to deal with that kind of pain ever again." Bakugou's lips tremble as he holds back his tears in frustration, he caused this it's his fault that Izuku tried to kill himself, he's the one who suggested it. What kind of hero tells someone to kill themselves?

Izuku breaks Bakugou from his thoughts as he asks "I'm curious though, why do you care?" Bakugou looks up at Izuku in surprise as Izuku continues to look down at him with those same cold eyes waiting for his response.

Bakugou opens his mouth and closes it before he answers "I…I don't know why. I…I hated you, ever since we were kids, I hated you. I always felt like you were looking down on me, that you thought you were better than me, because…because you tried to help me when no one else did."

Izuku waits as Bakugou explains "Back when I had fallen into that river, no one else had come down to check on me, I was supposed to be the best, I shouldn't have needed anyone's help! Then you, you came down and tried to help me like I was some sort of weakling!" Bakugou glares at Izuku "I didn't need your help then and I don't need your help now!"

Izuku stares down at Bakugou before he comments "I think I understand now, you hated me because you didn't understand me." Bakugou's eyes widen in surprise as Izuku continues "I was the weakest one of all, so to see me trying to help you, you thought that I was somehow looking down on you. However, that wasn't the case, the reason why I went to help you was because you were my friend." Bakugou stares in shock at Izuku's words, as if the very thought that Izuku cared about him had never crossed his mind.

Bakugou then asks almost begging "Then why, why did you save me back there?!" Izuku answers simply "Because saving people is what heroes do." Bakugou's entire world shatters from Izuku's words, "I didn't save you because you were my friend, because we haven't been friends for a very long time, and I didn't save you for any personal reason either. The villain had a hostage, the heroes on the scene weren't doing anything, and I knew that whoever was being held captive wouldn't last much longer without a breath of air. So, since no one else did anything at the time, I did."

Bakugou lowers his head, closes his eyes as tears force their way through, clenches his fists and punches the ground as he yells out "Damn it!" Bakugou continues punching the ground "Even when you're fucking broken, you're still trying to be a hero, even after trying to kill yourself you still try to save someone else!" Bakugou looks up at Izuku as he yells "What the hell's wrong with you!?" Izuku waits for a moment for Bakugou to catch his breath before he answers "I don't know." Bakugou looks at Izuku in shock "All I've ever wanted to do was help people, that's all there is to it."

Bakugou realizes in that moment that even when Izuku is so damaged to the point he no longer has any emotions, to be put through so much pain that he would try to kill himself, to finally manifest a Quirk after so many years of pain, Izuku is still and always has been more of a hero than he has been. No matter how powerful Bakugou was, Izuku was always more of a hero than him, because heroes don't just win for the sake of beating villains, they win to save, protect, and help others. Bakugou may have been stronger than Izuku, but it was always Izuku's heroic spirit that surpassed him no matter what. Yet still, after everything Izuku has gone through, despite how broken he is, he's still better than him.

Izuku then says "I'm not going to tell anyone." Bakugou looks up at Izuku in surprise as he quietly asks "What?" Izuku answers "I'm not going to tell anyone what you did, because if I did it would only cause more problems than it would solve. If you still want to be a hero then that's up to you, if you want to be something else then that's also up to you. I'm not going to stand in your way; however, I won't let you hurt anyone else like how you hurt me ever again."

Bakugou swallows tightly as he stands up with blood on his knuckles "I'm never going to give up on being a hero, I'm still going to be the number one hero and I will beat you even with your newfound Quirk!" Izuku replies with a nod "I look forward to it." Even though Bakugou knows that Izuku no longer has emotions he feels as though for the first time in a long time he managed to make a connection with him.

As Izuku and Bakugou part ways All Might appears out of an alleyway "I am here!" Izuku blinks before he asks "What do you want All Might?" All Might coughs before he deflates into his civilian form "I came to find you to apologize." All Might says as he looks Izuku in the eyes "I'm sorry for what I said to you back on that rooftop, I see now that you had more than enough potential to be a great hero." Izuku replies "It's fine, I understand that you meant well."

All Might then says with a small smile "Thank you young man, but there was another reason why I wanted to come looking for you." Izuku states "It's about my sudden Quirk, right?" All Might replies caught off guard "Err, right." Izuku answers "It appeared shortly after you had left, at the time I was drowning in my pain and despair, so I guess after all the stress I've collected over the years my Quirk had finally manifested."

All Might asks "What do you mean?" Izuku answers as he looks All Might in the eyes "It isn't a secret as to how Quirkless people are treated, I'm sure you've heard or read enough horror stories to have an idea of what it's like for Quirkless people." All Might understands what Izuku means, it had been hard when he was still Quirkless and he had read online of the disturbing things Quirkless people had to endure as well as the suicide rates. Suddenly it clicks, All Might then asks as his chest tightens "Young man, you didn't…"

Izuku answers before All Might finishes his question "It doesn't matter what I did or didn't do, I have a Quirk now which means I won't be treated like I'm Quirkless anymore." All Might immediately realizes that Izuku hadn't answered his question which means that what he thought Izuku did had actually happened. Izuku says "It's getting late, I'm sure my mom's worried especially if she's seen the news, so goodbye All Might." Izuku leaves All Might who is still standing there realizing what he had done to the innocent, hopeful, young boy he had met earlier that day and how different he was to the cold and detached young man he just spoke with.

As Izuku opens the door to his apartment he calls out "I'm home." His mom crashes into him as she pulls him into a tight hug "Izuku, why would you run in like that! Do you know how worried I was?! I thought I was going to lose you!" Even though Izuku doesn't feel guilty, he still apologizes "I'm sorry mom, but I couldn't just stand by and do nothing while someone needed help."

Inko pulls away as she finally takes in Izuku's appearance "Izuku, what happened to you?" Izuku answers simply "My Quirk finally manifested." Inko's eyes widen in shock, she doesn't know whether to be happy, shocked, or frightened of the idea that Izuku somehow manifested his Quirk. Inko asks "How-how did it manifest, what happened?" Izuku considers to tell her the truth, but recalls how emotional she was and the thought that he would try to kill himself would no doubt destroy her, so he says "I don't know, it just happened."

To be fair Izuku only assumed that his Quirk manifested due to the stress of his suicide attempt so there's no real way for him to know for certain if that is the case. Inko concedes as she let's go of Izuku "Alright then, tomorrow we'll go see a Quirk specialist and get it registered. Why don't you go get cleaned up while I get supper ready, okay?"

Izuku replies with a nod "Okay mom."

Inko heads into the kitchen while Izuku grabs a clean pair of clothes and heads to the bathroom to take a shower. Izuku locks the door behind him and starts by taking off his shirt, when he does, he glances at the mirror and notices his new appearance. However, what really catches his attention is the gaping hole in his chest, he should be frightened and panicking, but instead he feels nothing, just like before.