My Hero Academia: From The Ground Up

Chapter 17: Just Like Him

Izuku ran to Mariko still under the giant hand. He reached underneath out for her. "Mariko! Take my hand! I'll pull you out!"

She groaned and reached for him.

All Might flew across the outside windows and slammed his fist directly into Igneous's face. The impact shattered all glass in the area and knocked them both to the earth.

Igneous's hand lifted up.

Mariko lunged out from under to Izuku and held on to him tightly.

Ochaco and Katsuki had removed much of the debris, placing it to the sides of the open room.

"Everyone! Clear the building now!" Ochaco announced.

"Are you hurt?" Izuku asked.

"N-no. Just a few scratches..." The girl in his arms said. She gave him a warm smile and refused to let go of him.

Ochaco turned to check on Izuku and felt her heart snap seeing them together.

"Roundface! Can you lift anymore of this crap?" Katsuki called to her.

"N-no... I don't feel very good anymore. I'm sorry." She said. Her eyes still glued to her friend with the new girl.

"Here, you can help the rest of the people get out. I think All Might brought that villain down. It's not moving." The explosive blonde said. He looked at her then, puzzled, he turned to where she was facing. "Hey. Don't worry about him."

Being their friend for a few years, he's noticed the looks they gave each other when the other wasn't looking. Even before, as a childhood bully, he figured they liked each other. Seeing that tore something in him almost as much as it did Ochaco. "Don't worry about him." He repeated then ran back to help people out of the rubble.

"I have an idea..." Mariko said. "Let's go survey the situation from the roof."

"The roof? It's probably not a good idea to go up higher when dealing with a villain like that." Izuku protested. "And you could need medical attention."

"C'mon." She said letting go only to grab his hand and pull him along to the stairs.

Ochaco looked back but couldn't find them now. She could feel tears in her eyes, as if her lifelong chance had now slipped away.

"Alright, let's go." Katsuki said behind her again.

"Okay..." She sniffed.

Meanwhile, Mariko snuck Izuku up to the roof of the convention center still intact. They walked to the edge and looked around. The villain had not only been brought down by All Might, he shrunk down to a much smaller size, only a little bigger than a man like All Might, and was now being wheeled into a heavily armored police truck.

While All Might was no where to be seen.

"I wonder where he could have gone." Mariko thought out loud. "All Might."

"Maybe he went inside to help the people. Let's go back down." Izuku said.

Mariko seemed very hesitant to leave. "Izuku, can I tell you something kinda personal?"

He stopped and looked at her worriedly.

"Do you...know what it's like to be born quirkless while everyone else around you has all these amazing powers?" She asked.

Izuku sighed. "I..." He sighed again. "Yes. And to want to be a hero more than anything but..."

"You just feel so weak." Mariko sighed back.

She turned to face Izuku and look him in the eyes. "Do you want to go out? As part of the Hero Festival, there's a restaurant not far from here with specials."

"Aren't the specials for people with quirks?" Izuku asked.

"Who cares." Mariko shrugged.

They were suddenly cut off by the sharp sound of coughing.

On the roof they stood, there weren't many places to hide. Izuku's eyes turned to something behind the roof access door to the stairs.

"Who's there?" Izuku asked.

"D-Don't be alarmed, children!" All Might called from behind. "Just....g-go back inside! I need a moment."

"Is that All Might?!" Mariko squeaked.

"He doesn't sound very healthy. Maybe we should let him have his privacy." Izuku said.

"But... Izuku, I may never get this chance again! I didn't get to see him in line and that was all I was looking forward to today!" She protested.

Izuku felt pressure from this poor girl he could relate to more than anyone else in his life. How could he say no?

Before he could say anything, she assumed that was the "okay" and ran to see the hero.

Izuku groaned and ran after her. He nearly bumped into her as they both stared face to face with the mighty hero. Only he was hunched over with some blood dripping from his mouth.

"Please! Just... Go! Now!" All Might hissed. "Augh.... Not now! Not now!"

"Mariko, we have to leave him alone!" Izuku warned her.

"All Might...? Are you alright?" Mariko asked. She seemed to be in a trance.

In her mind, she could only think back to the day she wanted to become a hero. Ironically, it was the same day she discovered she was quirkless.

She was a little girl standing with her parents watching as a villain tore through city streets with such ferocity. She was crying with them hopelessly, feeling her whole world crumble beneath her.

But then she saw him. All Might in his glory came lunging from the sky and slamming his foot into the villain's face.

As they took the villain away into a police truck, All Might walked to her family to see if they were alright. As he finished talking with her parents, he ruffled the hair on her head and smiled.

"Raise this little hero right! She's a fearless one." He told them. Then with a salute, he kicked off and jumped back up into the sky and out of sight.

Now, Mariko was standing before All Might once again. As if she jumped after him and now caught up.

"URGH NOOOO!" He suddenly yelled.

Izuku and Mariko jumped back in shock.

Then the hero groaned and...popped. Steam filled the air around him and in his place was a very scrawny sickly man with messy hair and blue eyes.

Izuku was the first to scream.