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Izuku Midoriya paced back and forth backstage, fingers drumming together nervously as his eyes flicked between everything in the room rapidly.
Jirou was sitting nearby, tuning her guitar and working out all the kinks. Kirishima sat next to her, doing vocal warm ups. He would be singing, with Izuku providing the back up vocals. Kaminari was on the other side of the room, playing air drums with his eyes closed, most likely running through the song in his head. Uraraka was sitting on a crate next to Izuku, lightly playing the electric guitar in her hands. Jirou had given her a crash course and the girl took to it like a fish to water.
Izuku hoped everything was in place. He wasn’t sure why he suggested they do this for the cultural festival, they don’t even know the importance of this song to him. They didn’t question him on why he would write a song so sad, which he was glad for, but he just didn’t understand. Ofcourse, this wasn’t the only song they were playing, Jirou had made a few for them to play, Izuku was even going to be singing one of them solo (Why did he agree to that again!?).
Leaning against the crate Uraraka was on, Izuku heaved a tired sigh, even as Uraraka patted his hair calmingly. Closing his eyes, Izuku lost himself in his memories.
They were running. It was raining out, they had their raincoats on, and they were running through the puddles laughing gleefully. “C’mon, Deku! Or we’ll be late!”
Katsuki bakugou yelled from in front of him, making Izuku smile wider and run faster, even as their mothers chuckled behind them as they walked in a stroll.
They were on their way to get a limited edition all might hoodie that released that day, along with anything else that caught Izuku’s fancy, seeing as it was his 6th birthday and his mother wanted to spoil him.
“I”m coming, Kacchan!” The younger Izuku yelled, running to catch up with his friend. When Izuku neared him, he slipped with a yelp and tumbled onto his friend, causing both of them to tumble to the ground with a cry.
Inko and Mitsuki watched worriedly as their boys layed on the ground for a moment, before sighing and smiling as they both broke out into wild laugh’s “You’re so clumsy, Deku!”
“Ne ne, you fell with me too, Kacchan” Izuku said, teasing his friend. Katsuki grumbled, but he was smiling so Izuku knew he wasn’t mad. The two got back up quickly, completely ignoring their wet pants, and continued their way to the store, though they were much more careful now
Izuku was shook out of the memory with a shake as Uraraka looked at him with a small smile. “We’re up, Izuku”
Standing up, Izuku nodded and slipped on his headset. Walking over to Kirishima, Izuku waved with a small smile. “You ready, Kiri?”
Kirishima gave him a sharp toothed grin and slammed his fists together. “I was born ready, man!”
Izuku took in a deep breath to help steady his nerves. “Then let’s go put on a show, shall we?”
The others grinned at him excitedly, making Izuku feel much more confident. Walking out to the cheer of the crowd, Izuku set himself up in his spot slightly behind and to the left of Kirishima, who stood directly in the center.
Kaminari hopped over to his spot on the raised platform that had his drums, the blonde winking at the crowd as he did little tricks with his drumsticks.
Uraraka was next to Kaminari, electric guitar hanging off her shoulder and hands in place. She had a determined look on her face, along with an excited grin as he waved at the crowd.
Jirou was a little more out of the way, not really wanting to be the center of attention. Her shyness was warranted, giving they had a decently large crowd, but Izuku knew as they progressed she would get bolder.
They all looked down at Mina, who was going to give them the countdown to start. She held up three fingers and began to lower them one by one.
3
2
...1
“I Just can’t escape~” Izuku started singing in tandem with Jirou playing her guitar. “ It's like you're here with me now, But the words you say They always seem to fade out”
“Since you been away I'm just a face in the crowd Someday, someday I know you're coming back-” Izuku sang, finishing his part as Kirishima picked up where he left off.
“Down in the dirt your blood on my hands I blacked out-”
Izuku was 4 again, and he was his way home from the depressing doctor’s visit. He didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know how his friend was going to react, especially since he was waiting at his house for the good news. But Izuku wouldn’t be able to give him the good news they had both hoped for.
Walking into his apartment somberly, Izuku was pulled into a hug by Katsuki. “How did it go?”
Izuku couldn’t hold back his tears anymore and hugged his friend desperately, clinging to the blonde as he sobbed pathetically. “I-It’s horrible! I… I” Izuku hiccuped “I’m quirkless!”
Katsuki froze, and Izuku feared his friend was going to push him away. To scream at him and call him names, but Katsuki didn’t do that. Instead, Katsuki pulled Izuku close and whispered soothing words into his ears.
“Who cares about that anyway. You don’t need a quirk when you’ve got a big a brain as you do, Izu!” Katsuki declared. Izuku looked up at him with his slowly drying tears and grinned happily
“Does… Does that mean i can still be a hero, Kacchan?” Izuku asked, desperate to hear the words yes. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see his mother looking at him pityingly. Izuku wanted to scream, but kept his mouth shut. Katsuki scoffed
“Of Course it does! You just have to work harder than everyone else! People like me have been given a boost, but you’re starting all the way at the bottom!” Katsuki declared, and Izuku’s eyes shone like stars up at his friend. “We’ll train together and be the best hero duo the world has ever seen!”
Izuku laughed happily and nodded, wiping a few stray tears from his face as the two continued on as normal. Izuku quickly forgot about his quirklessness. As Long as Katsuki was with him, he would be okay.
“But now I do understand That you were too good For this world so you left it-” Kirishima continued to rap, even as Izuku blacked in and out of reality and his memories. This song had that affect on him.
“Everything turned red And then you made an exit” Kirishima paused to take a breath and Izuku was sucked into another memory.
Izuku stood by with wide, scared eyes as he stared down the sludge villain that had held him captive earlier. The sludge villain that All Might lost because of Him . Now that villain held his best friend hostage and when pleading red eyes met scared green ones Izuku was off.
Izuku pulled dual throwing knives from his sleeve’s. He kept them on him at all times, even if he wasn’t a master with them yet. Leaping onto the wall to bounce off it, Izuku tossed the knives at the villains eyes.
One of them missed, getting buried in the sludge, but one hit its mark and the villain screamed.
Katsuki managed to free his mouth and gulp in some air while the villain was distressed and Izuku ran and sunk his hands into the sludge, grabbing ahold of his friend and pulled as hard as he could. Katsuki tried to move his hands to grab Izuku in turn, but he couldn’t move his body no matter how hard he tried.
Suddenly, Katsuki and Izuku were grabbed and watched in awe as All Might blew the villain away. “I wasn’t practicing what i preach! Thanks, kid!”
Izuku and Katsuki clung to each other after that. When the hero’s tried to berate Izuku for being reckless, Katsuki defended him “If he hadn’t stepped in i would be dead! Back off!”
They tried to praise Katsuki for his quirk but he yelled at them again and stormed off, Pulling Izuku with him.
“I don't even know If it was your time But like all good things That pass you by-” Izuku doesn’t know how Kirishima can rap so well without needing to pause for air. Maybe he’s part shark after all? No that can’t be right…
“Its like a lost soul In the time of need It made me grow up fast And put some blood on my knees!” Kirishima was pouring his heart and soul into this song. Izuku wondered idly is he understood the importance of this song to him.
“And you don't even know What's beyond you Thinking you could never die Like you're bullet proof” Uraraka and Kaminari were doing very well, and from his spot her could tell that both of them were very focussed.
Izuku couldn’t believe what he was hearing. It was impossible. “Wait wait wait! You’re telling me you can pass your quirk on to someone else!?”
All Might laughed and nodded. “Yes! It is a sacred torch that is passed on from user to user”
Izuku could not believe what he was hearing “And you want… And you want to give it me of all people!?” Was All MIght going senile? He had to be if he thought giving Izuku his power was a good idea.
“You proved to me earlier that you have an incredibly heroic spirit. Earlier, you moved without thinking, right?” All Might said. Izuku nodded slowly.
“I saw the fear in his eyes when we met gazes and suddenly i was off. I’m honestly surprised i could do as much as i did” Izuku looked down. He’s lucky he didn’t have a quirk to use, or else he probably would have been in even more trouble for vigilantism
“Ah yes, speaking of that, were those throwing knives you used?” All Might didn’t even know the young man was armed. Usually people can’t hide weapons that well.
“Uh- Yeah. i’ve been training in knives for about 3 months now. Throwing knives and sniper rifles are specialty” Izuku said proudly. All Might blinked
“You… Know how to use a sniper rifle?” What the hell was with this kid?
Izuku fidgeted. “Uh- yeah. I’ve only ever used paintball versions, but they function the same way. Mine and kacchan’s instructor thought it would be good for me to know how to shoot firearms. I needed every way to protect myself as i could get if i was going to go into heroics”
All Might hummed “I guess. As long as it wasn’t a real gun then i don’t need to worry. I’d have to stop your lessons if they were giving you real guns”
Izuku laughed and shook his head. “If anyone wants to learn with real firearms our sensei sends them to be taught by the police. I’ve watched a few of those lessons, but i’m too young to participate”
All Might nodded and relented on that front. “Either way, what do you say, Young man? Would you like to inherit my power?” All Might held his hand out and Izuku looked at it thoughtfully.
“I have one condition” Izuku said. All Might blinked but motioned for the boy to speak. “I can tell my mom and Kacchan about this. This isn’t something i can hide from them and they wouldn’t believe any lie i made up anyway”
All Might frowned and thought about it. The mother he could understand, he needs parental permission to train him anyway, but his friend? He wasn’t so sure. In the end though, he relented “Alright, you can tell those two, but no one else. This secret is dangerous and the less people who know the better”
Izuku nodded with a determined glint in his eyes as he shook All MIght’s hand. “You got yourself deal, All Might”
“My civilian name is Yagi Toshinori, call me that when i’m like this, please” All Mi- no, Yagi-san said. Izuku nodded
And So Izuku became the ninth holder of one for all
“So I guess you had to leave You were born with wings But you were never happy Til the angels sing!” kirishima finished his part and Izuku realised it was his turn to sing
“I just can't escape It's like you're here with me now But the words you say They always seem to fade out” Izuku sung, his eyes closed and his heart aching for someone who wasn’t there. “Since you been away I'm just a face in the crowd Someday, someday I know you're coming back down
Someday, someday I know you're coming back down”
“I'm ashes to ashes I'm dust to dust And when a man Turns to ashes Forget about love-” kirishima picked up again, and Izuku smiled sadly. He was glad he didn’t sing too much in this song. He doesn’t think he could handle it
When Katsuki had found out about Izuku becoming All MIght’s successor, The boy hugged his friend so tightly and congratulated him. Despite all his training, Izuku still couldn’t beat most people in a fight and the two were getting worried that Izuku wouldn’t be able to pass U.A’s entrance exam. Now they had no doubt that they would both get in.
“Dude this is awesome. Tell me when you get the quirk and i’ll come and do some quirk training with you!” Katsuki said, Patting Izuku on the back. Izuku laughed and nodded
“Of Course! I doubt i’ll be able to control it very well at first anyway…”
When Izuku met up with All Might at dagobah beach the next morning, The man was surprised to find that Izuku was actually decently fit. The teen had the outline of a 4 pack forming. All Might hummed “You’re fit for your age, but you still need more work. Luckily, this does cut down the time i think it will take you to be physically ready for OFA”
Izuku nodded with a grin “I do gymnastics too, if that counts for something. I’m super flexible apparently”
All Might looked at Izuku curiously. “What all do you do, My boy?”
Izuku thought for a moment. “Well, i do Gymnastics on tuesdays and Fridays from 4 to 6. I have close combat courses on Mondays and wednesdays from 5 to 8, who also teaches me my firearms and knife fighting, and then i do yoga on thursdays from 4 to 5”
All Might blinked and shook himself out of his stupor. “That is… more than i expected. Perhaps what i originally planned is not what you need then” All Might turned thoughtful for a minute, before grinning as he thought of something “Have you ever thought of doing parkour?”
Izuku blinked and shook his head “No, not really. That’s never really crossed my mind before”
“There is a pro hero i know who is very well versed in parkour and if i can get him to agree to it, he may be willing to teach you.” All Might said, smiling brightly
“Why can’t you teach me?” Izuku asked, slightly disappointed. All Might rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly
“I don’t actually know parkour. I’ve never really needed to, but i believe with your build and fighting style it will suit you well” All Might explained
“Damn right it will!” Izuku whipped around at the voice, and grinned as Katsuki came into view with a wave of his hand. “Yo. So this is All Might, huh? Sup” Katsuki greeted the hero lazily
All Might laughed and waved right back “Hello, Young bakugou! Young Midoriya has told me quite a bit about you!” All Might was nervous about the boy seeing him like this, but pushed that aside, this was his successors best friend, and he needed to trust young midoriya’s judge of character
Katsuki and All Might got along well, and All Might began to teach Katsuki how to deal with the public, as the boy couldn't go around shouting insults at people who pissed him off all the time. Katsuki took these lessons to heart and slowly but surely, began to yell at people a lot less. He was still loud and brash, but he wasn’t as offensive about it anymore. Izuku thought it was a great improvement.
“Like the feeling inside you With the bottle beside you You both end up empty Like an angel just died too-” Kirishima’s voice snapped him back to reality again and Izuku nodded his head along with the beat as he held back his tears. He refused to cry in front of half the school.
“I look to the heavens To the sky and the rest I looked inside myself I felt my heart in my chest!” Kirishima was doing even better then Izuku had heard before. He’s glad he picked Kirishima to do this, the redhead did the song true justice.
“Something so point blue There's nothing to say Some hearts to stay true When falling away” Kirishima took in a big breath, and Izuku worried that he might not be able to handle all the rapping, but the redhead looked more determined then Izuku has ever seen him
“Come lay down beside me What could unlock mean It's only what I've seen It's only just one dream” Looking around, Izuku could see smiles on the others faces, and the crowd was nodding their heads along with the beat.
“Tell my baby I love her And I wish I could hold her It's hard to say goodbye When you know that it's over!” kirishima finished his part and Izuku picked it up perfectly.
“I just can't escape It's like you're here with me now But the words you say They always seem to fade out Since you been away I'm just a face in the crowd” Izuku poured his heart and soul into his singing, there was so much raw emotion in his voice
“Someday, someday I know you're coming back down Someday, someday I know you're coming back down One day, one day I know you're coming back down” They were nearing the end of the song. Izuku was grateful for that.
“I know you're coming back
Know you're coming back
I know you're coming back down
I know you're coming back
Know you're coming back
I know you're coming back down (down)
I know you're coming back
Know you're coming back
I know you're coming back down
I know you're coming back
Know you're coming back
I know you're coming back down
I know you're coming back down” Him and Kirishim switched back and forth in their singing, and Izuku thinks that their voices fit together nicely.
“I just can't escape It's like you're here with me now But the words you say They always seem to fade out” Izuku felt another memory take hold and felt tears brim the edges of his eyes as he desperately held them back
Izuku held his throwing knives in front of himself protectively as he stood in front of the villain. Katsuki was next to him, glaring down the man and sparks shot from his palms. The giant of a man chuckled “ohoho~! You two have some spark in you! I love it when they fight back!”
The giant man reared his fist back and muscles exploded from his skin, covering his arm and making him stronger “IT MAKES IT SO MUCH MORE ENJOYABLE!”
Izuku and Katsuki jumped out of the way of the arm, but the man was faster and Izuku was too slow. The man grabbed Izuku’s foot and threw him into the alley wall. Izuku screamed and coughed out blood as he fell to the ground.
Katsuki glared at the blonde villain and jumped at his face with speed the villain didn’t think he possessed. With an angry yell, Katsuki detonated a large explosion in the villains face, burning his face forcing one of the mans eyes closed.
“You little shit! YOU’LL PAY FOR THAT!” The villain rushed Katsuki and before Katsuki could react, the man had grabbed the blonde and was lifting him by his neck.
Izuku tried to get up, but everything hurt. His vision was blurring red and he was pretty sure his leg was broken. “Katsuki!” Izuku called out weakly
Katsuki kicked and screamed in the villains hold, explosions going off in his palms but the villain batted them away like they were nothing. Katsuki was slammed into the alley wall and Katsuki screamed in pain as he felt his skull crack.
“ahahHAHHAHA” The villain laughed gleefully as he punches Katsuki in the chest, causing the blonde to wheeze before the villain snapped his arms like a twig.
Before anything else could happen though, a hero duo showed up, Water hose, Izuku idly noted. They forced the villain off of Katsuki. They attempted to help them both but Izuku shooed them off to fight the villain. “I can take care of us, go stop the villain before he hurts anyone else!”
They were reluctant to leave, but did so when they heard scared screams coming from the street. Rushing off to stop the villain, Izuku crawled his way over to Katsuki. “Katsuki!”
Katsuki’s breathing was ragged and fast but shallow. His head was bleeding heavily and bones were protruding from his arms. There was a bone protruding from his chest and Katsuki was spitting out blood, so Izuku knew that he had internal bleeding.
Izuku’s own broken leg was at least still in it’s semi proper place, and Izuku knew he had a concussion, along with a hand fracture and lots of bruising.
Izuku pulled out his phone and called for an ambulance, but with the villain still raging close by Izuku doesn’t know how long it will take
“i-Izu...ku…” Katsuki got out weakly eyes wide as he looked down at the bone protruding from his chest. Izuku felt tears roll down his face
“D-Don’t talk! You’ll… You need to save… save your strength!” Izuku begged. Izuku tried to stop the bleeding. He ripped off parts of his close and wrapped them around the wounds he could but it was coming too fast and there was simply nothing Izuku could do.
“You… be… n..ber… one…” Katsuki hacked up more blood and Izuku begged him to just stop talking please- “For… me…”
“Shut up! You’re not dying! You here me!?” Izuku screamed, but Katsuki only smiled weakly at him as the red in his eyes slowly got duller.
“B...e… bet...er… th...n… me…. Kay…?” Katsuki’s eyes lost their light and Izuku sobbed
“n-No! Katsuki!” Izuku shook him. Katsuki’s blood was all over the alley and on Izuku. Izuku’s blood mixed with Katsuki’s, swirling as his clothes absorbed the red liquid. Izuku sobbed until the paramedics arrived.
They pulled him off his friends body and Izuku kicked and screamed, refusing to leave him. Izuku’s voice was hoarse and Izuku blacked out from exhaustion.
When Izuku woke up in the hospital 3 days later, Izuku demanded to know what had happened to the villain, and became enraged when he found out that he had gotten away and had killed the nice hero duo who had saved him.
His wounds were easily healed by the hospital and he was released a week after waking. He attended therapy and was told he was suffering from survivors guilt.
Izuku just wanted to know why Katsuki had to die. Why did his best friend need to die?! Katsuki had such a bright future ahead of him and now he was dead!
Izuku cried himself to sleep for a month after the event.
When he finally went back to school, people ignored him as they usually did. The school held a memorial for Katsuki but other then that nothing happened. The school moved on but Izuku continued to grieve.
His emotions changed at the drop of a hat and people began to tip toe around him. To help with his grief, Izuku took up song writing, where he worked tirelessly to write a song dedicated to Katsuki.
Katsuki’s parents had him buried in the local cemetery, and for the longest time Izuku couldn’t bring himself to visit. Still couldn’t, really. He tried, but he would always run away.
Was Katsuki angry at him for not saving him? In the afterlife? If there was an afterlife.
It wasn’t until he was standing in front of U.A as a hero course student that he started to heal. He made friends. Uraraka, Iida, Kirishima, Todoroki, Asui, Yaomomo, Jirou, Kaminari, his whole class.
They didn’t know why he was sad sometimes. Why whenever he saw something that reminded him of Katsuki he would stare off into space or tear up.
The wound closed, scarred over, but Izuku still got phantom pains. Some nights he had nightmares of the incident, some nights he felt completely empty, laying awake and staring at his ceiling, some night’s he cried himself to sleep.
Those nights slowly went away, but they still happened. Izuku would never truly heal from the experience, all he could do was move on. So he did
When the USJ happened, he thought he was going to lose all his friends again and he had nightmares for weeks afterwards.
When the incident with stain happened he was prepared and this time he saved his friend. He didn’t have to watch another one die.
When he was cornered by Shigaraki at the mall he stood his ground and gave the man honest answers.
When the training camp happened and Tokoyami was kidnapped Izuku was the first person to suggest going to save him.
When they moved into the dorms, Izuku told his classmates about his weird living habits, and his sometimes sleepless and screaming nights. They accepted him regardless and Izuku was thankful.
“Since you been away I'm just a face in the crowd Someday, someday I know you're coming back down Someday, someday I know you're coming back down One day, one day I know you're coming back down…” Izuku finished the song, breathlessly, and as the crowd cheered and he ran offstage, he let his tears fall.
Izuku stood in front of the cemetery gates nervously, orange and black flowers clenched tightly in his left hand. Taking a deep breath, Izuku stepped into the grave yard and made his way through.
Despite having never visited even after all these months, Izuku knew exactly where Katsuki’s grave was.
The grave was neat, a cinnamon smelling candle sat in front, and Izuku idly lit it as he sat down in front of the tomb. “Hey, Kacchan”
“It’s been awhile. I’m sorry i didn’t visit, but i was scared.” Izuku spoke softly, and the wind ruffled his hair. “I made it into U.A’s hero course. I’m still aiming for heroics, i didn’t forget our promise.”
“I made new friends with my class. There all eccentric and a bit weird but i wouldn’t trade them for anything”
Izuku put a hand on the tomb with a somber smile. “Wanna hear my hero name?” The only response he got was the wind blowing.
“I am the Survival Hero: Dekiru”
Izuku left about an Hour later, a feeling of content he hadn't felt in months making him smile. Izuku left the cemetery happier then he's been since the incident.
As Izuku was talking to the tomb though, he couldn't see it, and he couldn't tell, but all those wind ruffles was his friend.
Katsuki's ghostly form sat on the tomb with a sad smile, and waved his friend goodbye. He was happy that the boy had finally decided to visit. "Make me proud, Deku"
Izuku stopped and turned around, a confused look on his face. That's strange, he could have sworn he had heard Katsuki. Though, that's impossible. His mind must be Playing tricks on him.
Shaking his head, Izuku left the graveyard behind, not noticing the ghost that attached it's self to him.