Villain's Origins || A Twist in Time [Boku no Hero Academia Villain Au Book 1]

Chapter 9: Acceptance

Deku's POV:

"Young Midoriya." I breathe heavily as I was cleaning up the beach, sweat dripping down my body. I was pushing a refrigerator with All Might sitting on top in his muscle form.

   My now beat up shoes dig deep into the sand, which only made it harder to push the weight. "Y-Yes? Hah.. urg-!" I ignore the throbbing of my slowly developing muscles and push, knowing I'm growing stronger with every inch I move the heavy objects.

   I could hear the waves crashing onto the shore as All Might was adding another 560lbs to the weight of the fridge. "Why don't I see you go to school like you used to when we first met?"

   The heaviness of my breathing made it literally impossible to talk. I took a small break, placing my hands on my knees to catch my breath. I wait until I have enough strength to talk. "My f-father said.. he wants me.. h-homeschooled.. hah.."

"Homeschooled?" All Might repeated, changing into his normal form to take a break as well. "It doesn't make sense for you to be homeschooled during your last year before graduation."

   My brows furrow a little and I wipe the sweat from my forehead. I swallow nervously, thinking about how much I can actually say. "My mom.. didn't want me to switch to being homeschooled either. I didn't like the idea, but.. I'm a minor. I don't get to choose if that's what they decided in the end.."

   Toshinori jumps down from the top of the fridge, looking down at me worriedly. "Young Midoriya, if there's something troubling you, you know you can talk to me. I want to help you become a hero, one far stronger than I am."

"I know.." I felt a heavy burden on my chest. I could hear Izumura's cold voice warning me not to spill our secrets to my hero out of impulse. "I'm going to become a hero who saves everyone one day. If I want to do that, there are certain things I need to handle myself."

   I smile with a determined look in my eyes, hoping to reassure my hero and mentor that way. It takes a moment, but Toshinori soon returns my smile. "I have high hopes for you, Young Midoriya. If you ever need help from me, I'm not the No. 1 hero for no reason. Please don't hesitate to rely on me."

   The thought of Izumura comes to mind and I wanted to tell All Might. I knew I shouldn't, it could jeopardize our relationship. I decide to be vague about. "Actually, there is something that's been on my mind recently.."

   Toshinori looks at me and Izumura was screaming in my head, asking me if I was crazy. I stay in control, refusing to switch with him at a time like this. "Tell me about it. Maybe this old man can help you somehow."

"Well.. sometimes, it feels like there are two sides of me. On the one hand, I really want to do everything in my power to become a hero that others can trust. I want to save people, I want to become just like you and smile in the face of danger.."

   I look up at Toshinori with a weak smile. Izumura tries to take control by force, but I don't back down. I could see what he was afraid of, but his fear was misplaced. I wasn't trying to get rid of him, not at all.

"On the other hand," I continue, "there's a part of me that's a little more selfish. I just want to become stronger, strong enough to protect the people I love. I want to make sure no one can hurt my mom or my friends, they're the most important to me. That side of me thinks the rest of the world doesn't matter if those I care about aren't safely by my side. At times, I feel like I'm so focused on doing what is right, that the side of me who just wants to become stronger feels like he shouldn't be a part of me."

   My heart throbs and I knew Izumura felt betrayed by my words. We had a conversation just this morning about trusting each other, and now he was losing his faith in me. Even so, I wanted to reassure both Izumura and myself.