random special guest ftw

also this chapter sucks...

its kind of a pre-real chapter kinda thing but i didnt wanna put 'em together yk aszrjfk

anyways its being updated today coz i didnt on friday xD

(also idk where like 100 words disappeared to from the original version, but if something seems iffy...

i guess that might be where B))

---

The sound of a clicking keyboard accompanied the muffled sets of music and ragged breaths of the gym, only minor chattering in the background until the man at the front desk finally spoke up.

"Mikumo Akatani?" he asked, barely looking up from his computer.

Unimpressed at the man's absolute monotony - especially in such a setting - Izuku's eyes flicked towards the reflection in the man's eyes before he put on a smile, forcing a hint of cheer into his voice. "That's me!"

"Alright," the man said, waving him along, "You can go through."

The freckled boy gave a quick nod, only to turn around and roll his eyes as his smile fell. His thumb flicked at the meager 14 dollars in his pocket, and he mumbled something about 'greedy bastards' under his breath.

Once he had gotten past the annoyance about his money, though, Izuku ducked his head and squeezed in between the muscle heads that littered the gym. Ignoring the stench of sweat and the huffs of breath, he found himself walking towards the treadmill.

After earning a decent chunk of money from Giran, Izuku had decided that his best bet was to lay low. And, while it may seem unconventional to some, he came to the conclusion that a gym membership would help in his goals. At the very least, the boy reasoned, he'd be able to get some showers in along with much-needed workouts.

Although Izuku had somehow managed to survive his past encounters on pure adrenaline, he knew it wouldn't last; in order to keep himself alive and afloat, he'd actually need to put in the effort.

As he walked to the treadmill, though, it seemed as if everything came crashing around him.

He'd been pushing away - disregarding each incident as if they were nothing. He never had the time to think about them with everything happening all at once.

But as soon as he had time to himself, it felt like he was being hit by a truck.

Stumbling forwards with wide eyes, Izuku found himself leaning against the treadmill, his ears filled with nothing but his rapid breaths and untameable heartbeat.

Each speck of blood that stained his hands seemed to rise to the surface, causing his stomach to churn with an indescribable sickness. His skin pricked and burned with the memories of having to stitch his own wounds with nothing but a spool of thread, a tiny needle, and a bit of alcohol, screams escaping his throat each time the needle pierced. His fingers trembled as he remembered the feeling, not realizing just how awful it was before.

His memories of other incidents weren't kind, either.

Having to pop his shoulder back into place. Having to wipe his injuries clean, ignoring the stings of pain with each swab. Having to gag at the smell of his father's rotting corpse as he cleaned up the bloody, disgusting mess. Having to withstand the prodding needles and horrifying pain that came with his kidnapping by the League.

Having to survive on his own in a pain-inducing world.

The throbbing of Izuku's skull transformed into a rhythmic buzz, his vision darkening and becoming fuzzy. His breaths became erratic and he didn't notice as his hand flew up to fall upon his chest.

He reached to grasp at his throat, body shuddering and slick with sweat. He wasn't there anymore, he told himself. But he swore he felt as the needle pierced through his skin, pinching painfully and causing shrill screams to escape him. He swore he smelled the decomposing bodies and saw the bloody pools underneath. Panting after he wiped the blood away, the air stinging his bloodied wounds and-

"Hey man," a voice said, breaking Izuku from his thoughts. "Are you alright?"

Izuku stiffened as a black-haired boy beside him placed a hand on his shoulder, staring dizzily as the darkness in his vision retracted and his breaths became slower.

"S-sorry," he let out, choking back the bile that had risen in his throat.

"It's fine," the boy said with an awkward smile, worry hidden within his eyes. "But seriously, is something wrong? Should I get someone?"

The freckled boy blinked before pulling himself away, watching as the other's hand fell to his side. "I'm... okay...," he mumbled, not quite believing it himself. After noticing the unease in the black haired boy's eyes, he chewed on the inside of his cheek, forcing out a half-assed excuse. "I'm just... not used to having so many people around."

The black-haired boy straightened slightly, a curious look in his eye. "Oh, you're like, anxious in social situations?" He offered a kind smile as he rambled on. "Yeah, I have a friend who gets like that sometimes. Honestly," he laughed nervously, "Me too. Like, friends are nice and all, but sometimes you wanna be alone, y'know? And when you meet people that you don't know...," he trailed off, realization dawning on him. He turned towards Izuku in horror, frantically apologizing. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry man. I really didn't mean to freak you out or anything!"

Izuku paused for a moment, eyeing the boy before forcing out a slight laugh and causing the other to look confused. "It's alright," he replied. "I... haven't actually talked to anyone in a while," he mumbled, clenching his fist in order to stop his trembling hands, "So I guess some interaction is nice..." Not that you'd treat me the same if you knew that I was quirkless, he thought bitterly, only to quickly shake his head.

"Ah," the boy said, visibly relaxing, "I'm glad. Anyways," he grinned, "I'm Eijiro Kirishima! I've never seen you here before."

"Iz-," he corrected himself, "Mikumo Akatani. This is my first time ever going to a gym, so that makes sense." He wore a smile, but it was quite strained and he couldn't seem to swallow back the lump that remained in his throat.

Kirishima grinned, and Izuku forced himself to pay close attention to the boy, hoping that it'd make it easier to ignore the images that were flashing in his mind. "What are you here for? I mean," he mentioned, "I'm here to become a hero, but I'm sure not everyone's here for that."

The freckled boy visibly stiffened, though he forced himself to smile. "Ah, that's nice. I...," he glanced towards the side, "I'm really just trying to be more active."

"That's always good," Kirishima laughed, only for his smile to dim slightly. "My plan's to apply for U.A., though I'm not sure I'll be able to make it. My quirk isn't all that flashy and every time I try to help someone," he said, attempting to find his words as he gestured, "I just... Freeze up. Y'know?" He gave Izuku a half-smile, rubbing the back of his neck. "Maybe I should just stick to a normal workout like you..."

Izuku stared at the boy as if he were studying him. His mind ran with familiar thoughts. He remembered that awful feeling - the one buried deep underneath all of the years of learned uselessness that just barely shined through the rubble. The feeling of wanting to be a hero, but being too far away to ever achieve such a dream.

Now he knew it was impossible.

But he wasn't about to crush some kid's dreams, so instead he glanced towards the treadmill. "You don't have to have some flashy quirk to be a hero." The words felt like acid on his tongue, but he continued nonetheless. "I'm sure you'll do just fine."

Before Izuku could completely turn back, he saw the corners of Kirishima's mouth curl upwards. "You really think so?" The freckled boy hesitated for a moment - not because he didn't think the other could achieve his dream, but because he seemed so dependent on his answer. Nobody had bothered to ask him what he thought before - especially not someone he just met.

"...Sure, why not?" Izuku finally let out, fighting to keep his lips from pursing together bitterly. "As long as a person can use their quirk well, anyone can be a hero."

Kirishima's lips twitched into a more genuine smile. "Thanks, man." He laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm sure it's kinda weird to have some random guy walk up to you and complain. Sorry."

"It's fine," Izuku replied without meaning to. He internally scolded himself, but couldn't help but feel a bit of gratefulness towards the boy. After all, he was inadvertently keeping his thoughts away.

Still, he didn't mean to allow a question to escape his lips. "What's your quirk, anyway?"

"Hardening," Kirishima replied instantly, and Izuku tensed at the naivety. He clenched his fist, showing off the effects in his hands. "It's... It's kind of weak, if I'm being honest," he admitted, "But I can basically harden my skin to something like rock. It's like a built in shield." He frowned. "I can't move very well when I'm concentrating on it, though. And I can only hold it for a few minutes..."

Izuku huffed, shaking his head. "I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out. If you want," he began without even realizing it, "I can write a few notes to help you out.

Kirishima's eyes widened, and the freckled boy sighed when he realized it was too late to retract his offer. "Really? How?!"

"Ah, well," Izuku mumbled, "If you gave me a video or a demonstration or something I could take some notes and let you know how to improve, I guess." He sunk his teeth into the inside of his lip. I suppose I could use this as practice... "Analysis is my speciality."
The black-haired boy's eyes seemed to light up, and Izuku suddenly wished that he had brought sunglasses. "That's so manly, dude! Can you analyze heroes and stuff?"

Izuku felt his cheeks heat up. He was used to being scorned, not praised. "That's what I normally do...," he answered awkwardly, eyes flicking away once he remembered his deal with Giran.

"Awesome!" Kirishima exclaimed, clapping his hands together. "Who's your favorite hero? Mine's Crimson Riot, though All Might is my second favorite. Anyways, Crimson Riot is super manly and I like his whole shtick. I was actually thinking about dying my hair," he mentioned," taking a piece of his hair in between his fingertips.

The freckled boy blinked at the sudden word vomit, only for his question to set in. "My favorite... hero...?" he said, a sour taste settling in his mouth.

"Yeah," he replied, laughing. "I mean, don't you have one?"
If he had been asked the same question just days before, Izuku was sure his immediate answer would be All Might, along with a follow-up about how absolutely amazing he was. Now, though, he could only stare in an awkward silence as Kirishima waited expectantly. "Uh...," he scratched his chin, "I guess... Eraserhead...?" Technically, Izuku didn't have a favorite hero anymore, but underground heroes seemed to be the only ones not in it for the fame. Especially Eraserhead.

"Eraserhead...?" Kirishima said confusedly, face scrunching up. "Who's that?"

"Most people don't know him," Izuku answered quickly, waving him off. "He's an underground hero. I just like his fighting style and whatnot."

The boy paused before nodding, hand on his chin. "I can respect that. Underground heroes are pretty manly for focusing more on villains than the spotlight."

"Then why don't you be an underground hero?" Izuku asked suddenly, causing the boy to blink in surprise.

"Well...," he said after a moment, "I do think what they do is pretty admirable but..." He smiled, a sort of dreamy look in his eye. "I want people to know who I am. Not for money and all that, but in a sort of All Might way." Izuku forced himself not to wince at the name, instead focusing on the boy's words. "I want to be a hero that people can see and think, 'I'm safe.' Feel calmer and all that." He turned towards the freckled boy, letting out a slight, nervous laugh. "That's pretty far-fetched, though, huh? After all, I'm nowhere near All Might's level."
Izuku scoffed, and Kirishima looked at him in surprise. "You don't have to be All Might to make people feel safe," he said, turning. "And even if not everyone knows who you are, the most important part is that people who do know you feel good, right?" He looked a bit sad for a moment before shaking it off. "Anyways, yeah. You can be strong without being strong."

Kirishima stared at him for a moment, and Izuku began to wonder if he'd said something ridiculous. However, after a moment, he broke out into a grin. "You're so manly, you know that?"

The freckled boy blinked in surprise. "Huh?"

"I mean," Kirishima gestured towards him, "You're awesome at all this hero-stuff. You know a bunch about them - from what you've said anyways - and you're super smart too. Plus, you're great at cheering people up." He chuckled lightly, jabbing him playfully in the arm. "You sure you don't wanna be a hero?"

Izuku smiled, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Definitely sure. I'm content just being your average civilian." Even if he did deal with back-alley information selling.

"Aw," he laughed, "I was hoping we could go to U.A. together or something." At that moment, it seemed as if he realized something. "Oh hey, I never asked your quirk, man. What is it?"

It was a simple question. One that any normal person would answer without hesitation - and with a sense of pride in a lot of cases.

Izuku, however, found himself staring dumbly at the boy. He technically did have a quirk now, but would it be smart to reveal such a thing? But if he told him he was quirkless...

Suddenly, Kirishima stiffened, a buzz emanating from his pocket. Izuku's eyes followed him as he pulled out his phone, a sigh escaping his lips. "Sorry, man. I actually have to get back home." After a moment, he put his phone away, putting on his usual grin and waving towards the freckled boy. "See ya later, alright?"

Izuku simply blinked, slightly raising his hand in an awkward wave. "Ah... sure..."

---

Izuku sighed as he fumbled with the keys on his flip phone (though he couldn't complain too much since he didn't pay all that much and the w key worked perfectly fine). While scrolling through, his eyes flicked upwards to see a notification, seeing that the source was the information market he had discovered in the library.

Unknown: Hey kid, i've got a mission for ya

The green-haired boy raised a brow, though he had his suspicions on who it was.

Deku: who is this?

Unknown: Giran. Have to switch accounts every now and then.

Izuku nodded to himself before thumbing in another message.

Deku: why are u messaging?

Giran: Told ya, a mission

Deku: Which is

Giran: I'd letcha know but it'd be better to mention in person

Deku: alright...

Deku: the previous spot then?

Giran: No. There's some unsavory characters around there right now, from what I'm told.

Deku: k, where then?

Giran: Your professionalism in typing astounds me.

Deku: i'm not wasitng effort on a flip phone if i dont have to

Deku: wasting*

Deku: well that was ironic

Giran: I getcha.

Giran: Anyways, I'll send ya an image.

The conversation ceased for a brief moment, though Giran was quick to send a map link. Tilting his head, Izuku opened the link and moved his way around until he figured out the general route.

Deku: k got it

Deku: when are we meeting?

Giran: Are ya good in about 2 hours?

Deku: yeah

Deku: but can you give me a little debriefing, at least?

Deku: like what kind of mission is this exactly

Giran: Well, i'm not here to buy more of your notes, if that's what you're asking.

Izuku's face scrunched up. Although he wasn't opposed to doing other tasks, he hadn't given Giran a reason to ask him for help elsewhere.

Deku: ??

Deku: why r u asking me

Giran: I figured this thing was up your alley. Besides, you mentioned needing to make more connections.

Deku: still

Giran: Don't worry about it. If you hear it and still have issues, you don't have to do it. I'm just offering an opportunity.

Giran: At the very least, it's information based. I'll fill you in more at the meeting spot. I'm afraid I'll have to get going for now, though.

Deku: see u then

Giran: Mhm.

Giran has left the chat.

Izuku stared blankly at the screen before pursing his lips and placing his phone in his pocket. He did want to get more involved in the underground area, but he wasn't sure just how deep in he was willing to go.

After a moment, though, he simply sighed, running his fingers through his hair and raising his head.

Pushing himself off of the wall, Izuku brushed himself off and shrugged. "What's the worst that could happen?" he mumbled with a sigh.

---

Izuku sucked in a breath as he entered the building, stale air entering his lungs. He placed his hand over his mouth to hold back a series of coughs, glancing to the side as he waited for Giran to show.

"Hey, kid," a familiar voice said, drawing the boy's attention. Giran, as if on cue, stepped inside, a lazy smirk on his face.

"So?" Izuku said immediately, straightening himself, "What are you wanting me to do here?"

Giran chuckled, pulling a box of cigarettes from his pocket before slipping one out. "Straight to the point, I see." He paused for a moment in order to light the cigarette, taking a quick drag before raising his head once again. "Anyways, I happened to show some people your analysis and talked you up a bit. Luckily for you," he said with a smirk, "A certain someone took an interest." Noticing the boy's slight suspicion, Giran waved him off. "Don't worry too much, kid. This is a trusted customer. And, as you requested, not a member of the League of Villains. I don't know your whole reasoning, but I didn't show 'em anything about ya."
Izuku's shoulders slightly relaxed, and he motioned for the man to continue.

Smoke drifted from Giran's lips as he spoke. "This guy was hoping that, with your small stature, you could sneak into some warehouse near the edge of the city and do some information gathering'. According to him, it's just a character profile on some minor drug dealer. However," he sighed, "I'm not gonna lie; this particular customer is known for making things sound a lot easier than they are. I wouldn't be surprised if this guy was actually a drug lord or something. Still," he said, tapping on the end of his cigarette and watching as the ash fell, "The offer's there if you want it."

The freckled boy paused, placing his hand on his chin. The mission, admittedly, did seem to be his sort of style. Even if he wasn't able to sneak around, Izuku was sure he could at least gather a decent amount of info from the surface.

Then there were the dangers to consider.

Number one, Izuku could be caught and, if worse came to worst, he could be killed, kidnapped, and/or be caught up in some other mess.

Number two, drug businesses often used the term 'small' leniently. More likely than not, there'd be at least 20 mules, admins, and various other types of employees.

Number three, even if Izuku managed to get away, word might get around of his spying, and he did not want to piss off any-sized drug ring.

And, number four, the biggest concern: The possibility that everything was ten times worse than anybody could expect. He could, for example, somehow find himself caught up with the Yakuza or another similar operation.

It might've seemed like a no-brainer to most - ignore the request and survive. However, Izuku found himself seriously contemplating the decision.

Not only was he half-used to near-death situations by that point, but doing the mission could build him some serious connections - some that he might never have the opportunity to gain again.

So, with a sigh, Izuku reluctantly nodded. "Yeah. I'll do it."

Giran's lip quirked upwards. "Ya sure?"
The boy pushed his hand through his hair, looking upwards. "It's not like I have much else to lose...," he mumbled.

"Great," Giran chuckled in reply, turning around. "I'll let my guy know. You'll get a message within the next few days with any information."

Izuku nodded as the man walked through the door. "Got it."

---

poor izu didn't even get to use the treadmill

and dang that foreshadowing is delishus (and definitely not obvious at all)

errr

merry egg B)

Thanks for reading! <3

(and thanks to urararararakaistoocute for editing B))

note: this chapter, out of any, is the most likely to earn a rewrite (so uhhhh dont oof me ;,D)