System, Please Not Again!

Chapter 2

When Izuku was 5 he and Kacchan, Bakugo Katsuki, had a falling out of sorts. It was also the first time he had been punished by his quirk. It was very unpleasant all around. He lost his best friend, and failed a task for the first time on the same day. He was just lucky to have gotten home when it had started.

He was following Bakugo and some other kids walking on a fallen tree over a stream. A blue screen appeared right before Bakugo fell, telling him to go down there and help him up, make sure he was ok. Naturally he was happy, this was his friend, and friends help each other. This was only natural. Bakugo thought otherwise, and he had rejected his help. He stood up on his own and was saying something, but Izuku had tuned him out, staring at the blue screen that had appeared in front of him after his help was rejected. The screen told him he was going to be punished for failing the task in the next 10 minutes. He was confused and scarred. This would be his first punishment by his quirk, and he didn't know what to expect. He started to run home, ignoring the other kids as they called out for him. He just knew he needed to get home soon, before it happened.

He was out of breath when he reached his door, and had just made it inside when System slithered off of him and in front of him. "Kid, the punishment is starting now." Was all the warning he got before he was assaulted by painful volts of electricity shooting up and down his whole body. If he could move and look down, he would see electricity crackling over his body as it shocked him. As it was, he was curled up in a ball clutching his legs to his chest as he sobbed. Tears were running down his face and soaking his shirt already. Midoriya' tended to cry a lot. This was what made Inko come running into the room, having been in the kitchen making herself a cup of coffee. She arrived to the image of her baby on the ground crying his eyes out as he was electrocuted for a full minute. When it had ended shortly after her arrival, she was kneeling beside her unconscious child and cradling him to her chest. System slithered up onto her and around her shoulders watching Izuku. Contrary to popular belief, System did very much care for Izuku, as it was always with the boy and became his closest friend in spite of their connection. Seeing the boy in distress like this was not something they wanted to see again, and vowed to do what they could to help him complete his tasks.

Inko scooped up her son and grabbed her purse, leaving the apartment in a rush, coffee forgotten and growing cold. She drove as fast as she dared to the hospital, wanting Izuku checked out and making sure he would be alright. She wasn't sure what had happened, but she was still shocked about what she had seen. The image of Izuku being electrocuted was going to be in her mind for a long time after this day. When they got to the hospital, they were taken back quickly as she hurriedly explained what happened. The check up was quick, and they said he would be in a state of shock when he woke up. He would be sore, and they said he should be on bedrest for a day or two just to be on the safe side. As they exited the hospital Inko was finally able to breathe properly again. Her baby would be ok, sore, but ok. She would find out what exactly happened when he woke up, but before that she needed to get home and make something easy to eat for dinner. She didn't want Izuku to go hungry because he didn't have the energy to properly eat his food.

When Izuku woke up, his whole body hurt. A few hours had passed, and it was well past midnight. System was curled up on his stomach, and his mother had fallen asleep beside his bed in the computer chair. She had pulled it into his room to stay with him until he woke up. Izuku opened his eyes blurrily. He tried to move his arms to wipe his eyes but groaned and stayed still, moving sent jolts of pain coursing through his arms to his shoulders. Hearing him, Inko stirred and woke up as well. Seeing her son awake she quickly got closer to him and grabbed his hand.

"Sweetie, do you remember what happened? I was worried sick. Here, let me get you some soup and some more pillows. I'll be right back." Her voice was a bit rushed, frantic with worry as she smoothed his hair back and kissed the crown of his head. System slithered up to him as she left his room.

"Glad to see you awake kid. You really scared us." System moved and curled up on his stomach. Izuku was glad that it was over, but he really wished it never happened. He had just experienced his quirk drawback, like every other quirk user had. If he failed a task given to him, he would be punished via electricity, maybe it would vary as well, throw in some other form of punishment. He didn't want to find out anyway. He tried to wiggle his fingers and toes hoping to lessen the pain and be able to sit up. As he did this a blue screen appeared before him.

'Your new task is to start a notebook analyzing quirks. This will help you in the future. Your time limit is 3 days.'

System read the screen as well, and seemed to find the limit acceptable seeing as he was still recovering from being electrocuted. Izuku was just happy he had 3 days to complete this task. He was also kind of excited to study and analyze quirks, he already found them very interesting. He could start with his mothers quirk, and then he could draw her and she'd be super proud of him.

"Kid, when your mom gets back we've gotta let her know about your new task, and she could help, alright?" System asked, well, it was more like he was giving Izuku an option but knowing he'd agree anyway. Izuku just nodded along anyway, he was already going to tell her cause he needed to ask about her quirk anyway. They both looked up as Inko walked back in with a soup mug in her hands. Placing it on the bedside table, she takes a seat again.

“Here sweetie, I warmed up some chicken noodle soup for you.” She held the cup out for him to grab. He took the mug from her and held it in both hands, close to his chest. Clearing her throat, she spoke again. 

“Now, sweetie, can you tell us what happened?” She looked at him worriedly as she asked. He tipped the mug and drank some of the soup, chewing the little pieces and swallowing. Looking back up at her he began telling them what had happened.

“I was with Kacchan and the others, we were walking through the woods and going over a stream, walking on a big log. A blue screen appeared telling me to go help Kacchan, right before he fell into the stream. So I went down there to help him up, like friends do, right? He refused, and then another screen appeared saying I had ten minutes before I was going to be punished and I ran home.” He finished his explanation a bit fast, taking a big gulp of air when he had finished. Inko leaned forward to hug her son, careful of the mug still clutched in his small hands. Carding her hand through his hair she murmured reassurances to him. 

“I-I think that the ta-tasks can be influenced by other things.” Izuku was crying a bit as he said this, comforted by his mothers embrace. Inko just nodded, and continued to soothe her child. 

“We’ll just have to do our best then, won’t we.” She stated, letting go of him, she took the mug so it wouldn’t spill, setting it aside she moved to sit on the bed with him. Pulling him back into her arms, now cuddling with him in her lap, she continued to run her hands through his hair. 

System spoke up, seeing as the kid had forgotten, and informed Inko. “the kids got to get a notebook, and he needs to start learning more about quirks to analyze them. He’s got three days, and I know this can be completed in the time limit.” Inko nodded, and made plans to take Izuku to the store so he could pick out everything he wanted for this new task he was given.

In a warehouse, different than the last, still hooked up to different tubes, All For One was in deep thought. It seems that this quirk could also hurt the user if they failed to complete a task, it was all so intriguing. He told the boys watchers, criminals loyal to him, to take notes on everything they could about the boy. He might come in handy in the future.

Now, if only he could take this for himself with no punishment. It would be a great addition to his collection, and maybe it could’ve helped him heal. But alas, he didn’t want to be shocked, the boy would just have to become one of his pawns. He just needs to be patient and let the boy grow up some, see how the quirk will evolve as he gets older, and see if it’s worth taking for himself later on.