The Emperor's Dragon

Teenage Dramas

Izuku enjoyed the lunchtime sun. His friends had noticed that he was always energetic in the sunlight and he wished he could tell them why but he knew he couldn't. He just joked that he was solar powered, making fun of the truth. Today was particularly nice. The sun was just the right temperature without being too hot.

"Are you sure you aren't a cat?" Hitoshi asked, amused when he stretched.

"I'm sure," Izuku said, as he sat down and opened his eyes again. He gave both his friends a smile.

As he pulled out his lunch, Izuku looked at them both. "I'm sorry I've been-" he paused. He wasn't sure how to phrase it.

"Upset?" Hitoshi supplied.

"Tetchy?" Ochaco tried.

"Worried?" Hitoshi said.

"Sad?" Ochaco giggled.

"Concerned?" Hitoshi tried again.

"Hey, that was me!" Ochaco complained.

"You were concerned?" Izuku asked.

She nodded. "You weren't yourself, Izuku," Ochaco told him.

"I'm sorry," Izuku immediately said. He put his lunch down. "I was being silly," he said.

"Hmm?" Ochaco asked.

He took a deep breath, just letting himself enjoy the sun for a moment longer before he explained. "With everything that I've told you about heroes, I was surprised when you said you put down hero on the career's counselling form," Izuku told her.

"I know," Ochaco said. She sounded regretful but still sure of her decision. "I get everything you've told me. You haven't lied. It's just that... I want to give something back to my parents and, I want to be a rescue hero so that I could have rescued your dad. I want to do it so that I can help people the way you do, Izuku."

Izuku frowned at that, trying to determine what she meant. "Help people like me?"

Ochaco nodded. "You help people, Little Dragon. You helped me. You helped Hitoshi. You help just by being you. I want to be someone people can rely on, and that's why I put it down."

He still didn't get it but he nodded. He looked at Ochaco. "I think you would make a great Hero, Ochaco." He told her.

"You do?" She seemed surprised by his admission.

"I do. You are going to be a fantastic rescue hero! It's not just that your quirk is so suited for it but, you are suited for it. But that's one of the reasons I don't want you to be a hero."

"I don't get it," she said, looking to Hitoshi for a translation.

The purple haired boy shook his head. "Izuku's explaining this," he murmured as he ate the sandwich he had for lunch.

"Everything I've told you about heroes is true, Ochaco. I don't want you going into a system like that. It's going to hurt you," Izuku said, biting his lip to keep from crying.

He was fifteen! He didn't cry at the drop of a hat anymore.

"The way most heroes work..." He shook his head. "They don't care for people. They care for the system, for maintaining the status quo and that's going to hurt you."

Ochaco shook her head. She wasn't sure if she should be annoyed or touched that Izuku cared so much.

"They won't hurt me, Little Dragon. And maybe I can make it better," she suggested. She remembered everything Izuku had shown her about heroes. She'd checked his information. It was right. Some of them... well, let's just say if she saw some of them, she'd promptly head in the other direction. It would be safer.