The Green Flame

Rich With Pain

Bitter. Spiteful. Furious. Hateful. These are the feelings running through Zu's entire being as he stared at the news on his phone.

Green Devil Attacks Children

"The vigilante menace known as the Green Devil has severely injured two middle school kids in a dark alley the other night. The victims were covered in severe burns and bruises before the no.30 hero: Teleki arrived on the scene. Apparently, the vigilante has the ability to make his trademark green flames burn with intensity. In what could be described as a volcanic eruption, he incinerated four disarmed men on the ground, already incapable of defending themselves. The victims are Katsuki Bakugo and Izumi Yagi."

It hardly came as a surprise to Izuku that he would be painted as the bad guy while the brats received sympathy and praise for their 'bravery'. It's the same infuriating story on loop. The only thing keeping Izuku from exploding with fury is that he knows the "victims" aren't pleased about being pitied by others. Most people feel bad for them, saying they're "just kids". He knows that'll cut them down.

The faux white and black-haired boy walked through the streets under the hot sun with the coldest eyes imaginable. As he walked, a familiar truck passed him by, and he locked eyes with the driver. Toshinori Yagi. For the split second their eyes connected, the world froze. Both mens' hearts stopped beating. Just one moment between them lasted an eternity. Zu saw the direction Toshinori was driving in. The same hospital Bakugo and Izumi were kept in.

'He's... going to see them...' Izuku clenched his good hand into a tight fist. 'He's worried about them...! Being a parent to them!' He clenched his other hand, ignoring the pain of a wound that hadn't fully healed yet. The burning in his chest returned, causing him to debate setting Toshinori's truck on fire. Regardless, he held himself back, and walked away with hellish green eyes and an aura that kept everyone at arms length.

This was meant to be a simple trip to the mall for new shoes. If he was going to run into people from his past, he needs to eliminate a recognizable feature: his red sneakers. They could work for his civilian alter ego, but not the Green Devil. The last battle caused them to suffer burns from his explosion of rage. Izuku walked into a clothing store and browsed around. He saw a section for hero-themed items, and unsurprisingly, he saw All Might's face. The face of another who had brushed him away like he was nothing. He released a small growl as he reached for a pair of black men's combat boots.

"Are you okay?" He whipped his head to his side, and was met with the concerned raven eyes of a black-haired girl. She immediately took a step back when met with his intimidating eyes. Izuku's eyes softened ever so slightly. His burning heart cooled down a bit as he looked at the girl's features. 'Her eyes... her hair... she looks like...' The young lady looked away, a bit frightened by his intense stare. "Y-You seem like something is b-bothering you." Her voice, while shaky, was dignified, as were her clothes. Though she appeared to be at least a year older than him judging by the height difference and her... prodigious proportions.

Izuku turned away from her and walked past her. "I'm fine." his voice came out hoarse. The young lady wasn't convinced by his words. Outside the store, Izuku was lost in thought. 'She was concerned? About me? But she was clearly put off by my demeanor. And her looks... she was like a younger version of-'

"Ew, poor!"

His thoughts were interrupted by a mocking hollar by two approaching teens. "Dang, dude! Look at this guy's kicks!" one of them pointed at Izuku's partially burned sneakers. "Right!? Where'd you get em, the dumpster!?" they both laughed. Izuku knew these pricks from Aldera, even if they didn't recognize him. Today was not the day for this, so he pushed his way through them.

"Not so fast! There's no way you can afford whatever's in that bag. We'll take it off your hands before you can steal it!" He was grabbed by the back of his hoodie and his bandaged hand, which made him wince. The pain that shot through his body from there was almost paralyzing. This feeling of helplessness while bullies held him down. It was all too familiar. He was breathing heavier and having trouble moving his body. Despite how much physically stronger he is than them, he still has mental issues derived from a decade of torment.