Chapter Text
Izuku has had his quirk for as long as he can remember. He knows it because he could see the glow all quirks have. It has been there even when the doctor told him and his mother that he doesn’t have one because of the extra joint on his toe. At the time he hasn’t said anything because he has been confused. Now he doesn’t because he was told not to.
The first time he uses his quirk, which is only a few days after they went to the doctor, his mother seems so happy, until she realises she can no longer use hers. That day Izuku also learns he can give quirks back.
Then his mother tells him nobody can know what his quirk is, and forbids him to ever use it.
Faking quirklessness turns out to be easy. The paper from the doctor is enough to convince anyone and everyone.
(He doesn’t understand why his mother thinks it is better this way. He really doesn’t. At first, it was okay, but that probably was only because nobody really understood what it meant. Once they did, everyone turned on him. His friends started mocking him, and didn’t want to play with the “useless Deku”, which not long after grew into outright bullying. It started with Kacchan, and then spread so far, even teachers and other adults stopped caring about Izuku.)
Quirks in general become a taboo topic in their house. He’s not allowed to talk about his classmates’ or teacher’s or neighbour’s or heroes’ or anyone’s quirks. He is not allowed to ask about anyone’s quirk either. He is not allowed to watch hero fights. He is not allowed to keep quirk analysis journals. He is not allowed to use his quirk. Ever. Not on his mother. Not on strangers. Not on bullies. Not on anyone. No. It doesn’t matter if he would give it back. Just no.
With all of that, Izuku finds it hard to find what they can talk about. There’s less and less to say each passing day. He and his mother almost don’t talk now. With her taking on not one but two jobs, they barely even see each other.
When Izuku reaches the age of ten, he starts a quiet rebellion. So what if his mother took away his first quirk analysis journal when he has been six? He just gets a new one and keeps it hidden. If it is found out, he will start again. After another three lost, he finds a hiding spot that is yet to be discovered by anyone else.
He starts sneaking out at night, while his mother is sleeping. The first time he goes outside, while it’s dark, nobody knowing what he just did, he has no idea why he has done that. His heart is beating like crazy, a heavy feeling of fear or maybe even guilt in his chest making each step away from the house incredibly hard to take. But he is tired of everything in that house, of suffocating rules that control his every action and every word, of eyes with no more warmth, just fear and apprehension watching him every second he spends in there. So he takes another step, and then the next, and walks away, enjoying the fresh air and the silence only sometimes disturbed by a passing car or another person, until he notices the time, two in the morning, and reluctantly walks back into his cage.
After that he figures out a way to make the most out those moments of freedom. It is like people watching, but he also tries to figure out as much as he can about their quirks too, so… Quirk watching? Yeah, he will probably call it that. His ability to see the… “glow” that accompanies every quirk helps a lot. Because each quirk has a different glow. And if he learns how to judge a quirk by it, it might help him in the future when he becomes a hero and has to deal with the villains.
With two years of quirk watching he can tell what type the quirk is, and how it may affect the user, the other people, and everything else. Now it feels almost wrong that he couldn’t do that before.
After a while Izuku becomes really good at it, with all the running, lying, hiding his things from bullies and his mother, finding secret spots nobody ever visits, and sneaking out. He knows he’s good because he hasn’t gotten into trouble for any of it in years.
Izuku is on his way to school when he hears crashing sounds from a few building blocks away. He looks at the time on his phone, and decides that he has more than enough to go and inspect what is happening, and maybe he can win a few more if he runs afterwards. So he goes in the direction the sound is coming from, and as he comes closer he can feel five or six strong quirks being used and a crowd collecting around them.
If it happened to be another hero fight, his mother doesn't need to know.
Fortunately, it ends in just a few minutes, and he gets to see one of the newer sidekicks use their quirk. He leaves once the fight is over and the interviewers start crowding the Pro Hero and his team.
School is… Well... It goes on as always. He isn't late, so that's a plus.
(Things are a little different now that he is in middle school, but not by much, that’s for sure. It’s been a month, and his classmates apparently are starting to get used to the new environment, comfortable enough that the bullying is back to it's previous intensity. Maybe even worse, if he thinks of it. They were just shy at first.
Izuku has been foolish to hope his new teachers would be nicer. He even dares to approach them about the few bullies at first, that weren't intimidated by the change. Being told yet again that he should “not provoke them”, or that he should “know better”, or “toughen up”, “learn to deal with his problems”, “stop relying on adults to magically solve his problems” (even though that has never even happened before) or that “it prepares him for life”...
He loses all trust in them. Just like with his old school. Just like with his mother and any other adult.)
He has no idea how schools are able to keep such large groups of kids seated quietly in the classrooms in such hot days, but it somehow manages that of all things. Everyone is trying to deal with the hellish weather, barely focused (if at all) on what the teachers are saying. Some are using their copybooks as fans, while a few are lucky to have quirks that help them. He can feel the girl two rows behind him using hers to create a weak current of cold air around herself, and someone in the next class activating their transformation type quirk. He thinks they could turn their hands into different small things.
Lessons pass, during the breaks Izuku tries his best to make himself as invisible as possible (by some miracle only a few people call him names and just one paper ball is thrown at him, it's nothing much), and once the last bell rings he darts outside, so that Kacchan and his lackeys friends don't catch up to him.
As he exits the classroom he hears them laughing, but doesn't dare stop. He keeps running, sometimes bumping into others, and when he reaches the first floor and the crowd that's already collected around the entrance, he pushes through, not allowing it to slow him down by much. He can feel two of his classmates following him still.
Leaving the school grounds, he takes a turn in the alleyway, and travels the maze he has learnt and knows as the back of his hand, and when he is sure he got rid of the tail, he slows down to a walking pace.
That allows his brain to wander into lands he doesn't really want it to. Like the plan he has been working on for weeks now. Today is Friday. Today is the day.
His heart is beating like crazy even after minutes since he stopped running.
Reaching his apartment his unease grows tenfold. He opens the door with his key, and is met by the silence he has long since used to. He still needs to make sure though. For a moment he regrets taking her quirk in the morning (and a few others on his way out of school) since he can't tell if she’s home. But he can't undo it until he sees her next time, and if all goes by plan that will not happen. She has not called or texted him about it yet, so she hasn't yet noticed.
“Mom? I’m home,” he calls kicking his sneakers off. No answer.
Izuku walks over to her room and knocks. Still nothing. He tries turning the doorknob. Locked.
He lets out a sigh of relief. She doesn't lock it when she's home. So he should have about five hours to leave before he risks either her coming back from work early or crossing paths with her outside. Five hours, which… To be honest, he doesn't know if it's a lot or not. He has never tried this before, so he can't really judge. He just hopes it's enough.
Entering his room he empties his bookbag, just leaves a few loose papers with today's quirk analysis, and puts everything else away on the shelves.
He then moves the carpet and lifts one of the floorboards. Reaching in there he takes out nine journals, a small stash of money he has been saving up and an old phone (his mother thinks this one has been destroyed by Kacchan) from between the heating system.
Moving on to the bathroom he takes a new toothbrush and a few things from the first aid kit, just in case, like bandages, a few bandaids, rubbing alcohol, and a medicine for a headache.
Collecting a few clothes that he has prepared beforehand he puts everything in his yellow bag. After hiding his current phone inside his pillow Izuku turns on the other one and starts adjusting it. When he’s done he notices that even an hour hasn't passed since he has come home.
Okay. Maybe he's hurrying a bit.
He should have time to change out of his school uniform and maybe even have dinner.
From the clothes that are left he chooses a plain blue hoodie with a t-shirt saying “flannel shirt” on it to wear underneath. And some dark jeans he doesn't remember having that he found in the depth of his wardrobe he never saw before. Wow.
Now he has four hours and two minutes.
He heads to the kitchen to prepare himself some quick dinner, but then notices that there are still some leftovers from yesterday (that he left for his mother before going to sleep. Huh. She hasn't even touched them. Again), so he decides on them instead. He's surprised he finished a whole dish without getting nauseous while also being so nervous. (He has not expected the hum of several quirks under his skin to be so soothing.) Cleaning after himself takes about only a few minutes.
Dragging it from here would be a waste, he concludes. It's better to leave early anyway.
Izuku takes the bag he has just prepared and puts on a cap, a facemask and his bright red high-tops instead of the sneakers he has been wearing for a week now. He is about to leave when he remembers that by the time his mother is supposed to be home it should be the night already.
Putting a few extra pillows in his room under his blanket so it looks like he’s lying in bed turns out to be easy. Speaking of blankets! Izuku almost forgot about the picnic plaid that can be folded and then locked with a zipper to turn into a pillow easy to carry. He has planned to take it. It is one of the first things he has decided on taking.
Now, that he has everything, probably, and is standing in front of the door (maybe) ready to actually leave he goes through the list in his head to make sure he has done everything right.
Clothes to take? Check. Clothes to wear? Check. First aid? Check. Money? Check. The phone nobody else knows about? Check. The charger? Check. Hiding the other phone without turning it off? Check. Eating? Check. THE KEYS! He should leave the keys on the hook, or his mother will notice it too early!
But before he leaves he should use a copy of his key, so he can lock the door.
Having to use one of the new quirks…
It… It suddenly makes him realize what he's doing… it's real. It is actually happening. He… stole seven quirks today. Seven quirks… From seven people… And he's… He's about to run away from home. For real...
His vision blurs for a moment, and that makes him hurry even more than he did before.
No. He doesn't need this. He doesn't need to live with a person he barely sees. She probably doesn't even want him here. She's been nothing but cold these years, and he doesn't think he has been anything but a burden for her. He doesn't need the bullying in school. He doesn't need the lies he tells everyone. He doesn't need to have to hide everything he likes and everything that makes him him. He doesn't need any of that. Nor does he want it either.
So, he decides he will not miss it.
As fast as he can he uses the transformation quirk and tries to turn one of his fingers into the key. After a bit of work he finally manages that, hangs his keys on the hook near the front door and leaves, locking the apartment behind himself. He uses another quirk to stay hidden from the cameras.
Izuku has thought that reaching the next step would ease the heavy weight in his chest. He could not be more wrong.
He lives on the second floor. The time between leaving the apartment and reaching the building’s exit should not feel so long.
It should not feel so hard and suffocating.
He runs.
He runs outside, because it feels like the building is trying to keep him there. Because it feels like it won't let him out.
And then he keeps running because suddenly he feels like someone is following him. He hears steps running behind him.
He doesn't stop. He keeps running and running.
Until he realizes that no. Nobody is behind him. He can't feel anyone with his quirk. And the steps he heard were just an echo of his own.
It… That feels just stupid! He ran from his own echo!
He wants to cry from how dumb he feels, but has to remind himself. He has no time for that. He should keep going if he wants to escape.
Step after step, he starts walking away. This time he hopes he left for good.