Izuku Midoriya walked through the bustling hallways of U.A. High School with the same disinterest he carried everywhere. Gone were the days when he aspired to be the greatest hero like All Might. Now, he was a shadow of the bright-eyed boy he once was, stripped of any ambition, stripped of care. He still had One For All coursing through his veins, but to him, it was just another burden—a power he never asked for, and one he could live without.
His green eyes, once filled with curiosity and passion, were now dull. His classmates greeted him as usual, but he offered nothing in return. There was no smile, no acknowledgment, just silence.
"Hey, Midoriya!" Kirishima called out, jogging to catch up with him. "You ready for today's hero training?"
Izuku shrugged. "Does it matter?" His tone was flat, his gaze never meeting Kirishima's.
Kirishima scratched his head awkwardly. "Uh, well, yeah. I mean, we're gonna be out there fighting real villains someday, right? Gotta be ready for anything."
Without replying, Izuku turned away, his hands stuffed in his pockets, and headed to class. Kirishima stared after him, confused, but said nothing more. It had been like this for months—ever since the battle with Overhaul. Ever since Izuku had come to the conclusion that saving people, becoming a hero, none of it mattered. People were always going to get hurt, and no matter how hard a hero tried, there would always be more suffering.
---
In the classroom, Bakugo glared at Izuku as he took his usual seat near the back. There was no explosive outburst today, just an intense stare. Even Bakugo, for all his rage and pride, had noticed the shift in Izuku. His rival had become something unrecognizable—cold, distant, indifferent. And it pissed him off more than anything.
Todoroki sat nearby, also sensing the change. He had once admired Izuku's drive, the way he never gave up. But now, Izuku was a ghost walking among them, performing the minimum to pass his classes, excelling in combat only because it was second nature.
The bell rang, and Aizawa-sensei entered the room, his face as tired as always. "Alright, today's lesson is simple. We're heading to Ground Beta for another rescue training simulation." He looked over the class. "This time, it's focused on teamwork. Don't forget that."
As the class shuffled out, everyone paired off quickly. Izuku, as usual, stayed back, not bothering to partner with anyone. He didn't care about teamwork. He could do it all on his own if it came down to it. He always had.
---
At Ground Beta, the simulation began. Explosions rocked the mock city, buildings crumbled, and debris littered the streets. Izuku watched from the sidelines, leaning against a wall as his classmates rushed into action, calling out to each other, strategizing. He knew he could jump in and save the day in seconds, but why bother? They'd figure it out eventually.
"Midoriya, you're up," Aizawa called, his voice tired but firm. "Team up with Todoroki and Bakugo."
Izuku sighed. He hated being forced into these things, but it wasn't worth the hassle of defying Aizawa. He walked over, meeting Todoroki and Bakugo, who were already eyeing him with suspicion.
"We'll take the east side," Todoroki suggested, his voice calm but filled with the usual determination. "Midoriya, cover the north."
Izuku didn't respond. Instead, he simply nodded and took off toward the north, moving faster than any of them could track. He blitzed through the simulation with ease, his apathetic mind not even registering the challenge. His opponents were dispatched quickly—almost too quickly.
"Midoriya, stop showing off!" Bakugo barked from a distance.
Izuku didn't even turn around. He had no interest in Bakugo's usual tantrums. As long as the task was done, who cared how it got done?
---
After the simulation ended, the team regrouped. Aizawa gave his usual feedback, but Izuku barely paid attention. He stood off to the side, staring blankly at the fake city, wondering how much longer he could go through the motions.
"Midoriya, you did well out there, but you need to cooperate with your team," Aizawa's voice broke through his thoughts.
Izuku shrugged again. "Does it really matter if we win or lose?"
Aizawa's eyes narrowed. "Yes, it does."
Izuku's expression didn't change. "Why? People are still going to die. No matter how strong we get, we can't stop everything. Heroes are just delaying the inevitable."
Aizawa stepped closer, his voice low. "That may be true, but it doesn't mean we stop trying."
Izuku turned away, walking toward the exit without another word. Behind him, his classmates exchanged worried glances. They all saw it now—Izuku Midoriya, the boy who once wanted to save everyone, no longer cared.
And that terrified them.
---
As Izuku walked home, his phone buzzed with a notification. A message from his mother.
"Are you okay, sweetie? You've been distant lately... Please, talk to me."
Izuku stared at the screen for a moment before locking the phone and slipping it back into his pocket. No response. There was nothing to say.
Because in his mind, nothing mattered anymore.
