Paradox [Quirk! Deku AU]

[2]: Why Am I Like This?

dis•tort•ed (adjective)

pulled or twisted out of shape; contorted.

~ ~ ~

Izuku had always been a wimpy kid. Cowardly and weak. He could never defend himself, even as he was beaten down to the ground while his bullies shoved dark insults up his ears, to the point that it was permanently etched into his brain.

Katsuki knew this. And since he knew, he took advantage of this fact. Every chance he got, he would use to violently strike against the vulnerable boy. 

Izuku never said anything back. So the first time he spoke up for himself, Katsuki sure was surprised.

He's weak. He's a coward. So why was he speaking up to him?

It started not too long ago. It was a normal school day, or at least, as normal as it ever gets. Izuku had been minding his business, packing up his textbooks as he prepared for the end of the school day, when someone approached him.

"What's this?" Katsuki asked, grabbing the notebook out of Izuku's hands.

"Hey! Give that back!" Izuku blatantly reached for his notebook, but failed to grab it.

Katsuki sneered at him. "Oh? And why should I?" The thin sheets of paper started to sizzle between his fingers.

Izuku cowered in response, close to giving up before he saw Katsuki flick his wrist towards the window, about to release his grip on the journal.

"No!" Time appeared to have slowed down as Izuku leapt towards Katsuki's outstretched hand. For a second, he seemed to phase out of sight, only to reappear again in front of the window. But it was too late. Katsuki had already let go of the notebook, and Izuku could only watch in despair as it fell through the air and into the koi pond.

Izuku went still. "You..."

"What? You have something to say?" Katsuki challenged him, confident in his superiority. He expected Izuku to shut his mouth as usual, but instead, he turned around to face the older boy. His eyes glittered a bright rainbow of distorted patterns, sending chills down Katsuki's spine.

"W-What the—! What's wrong with you?!"

"What do you mean?" Izuku tilted his head in confusion, before his mouth gaped open in realization. "Oh... it happened again, didn't it?" He lifted his hand and brought it to his face, covering his eyes. Giggling in amusement, he whispered to himself, "No matter how hard I try to suppress it, it always comes back to haunt me."

Katsuki grabbed Izuku's collar, shouting in anger. "What the fuck was that?! Were you lying to me the whole time?! Looking down on me?!"

Izuku sighed, timidly turning his head away from Katsuki. 

"Answer me!" 

"Kacchan..." Izuku's mouth pressed into a thin smile. "I guess I can't avoid my destiny after all."

~ ~ ~

It all happened in an instance. The fire. The explosions. That helpless look on his face.

Izuku quickly moved, reaching his hand out in a last desperate attempt.

"Kacchan!"

And then Katsuki was on the ground, coughing and gasping for air. The villain had disappeared into thin air. Simply vanished.

Did Izuku just save Katsuki's life? Why? 

Katsuki had no time to think about the answer though. Izuku had collapsed, his still body laying on the ground in front of the crime scene.

"Deku, what are you hiding?"

~ ~ ~

Notes:

It is currently 1 am over here. I'm too tired to type right now.

(BTW I was busy playing Pokémon Let's Go Eevee, which is why it took me a while for me to update)

Published: April 15th, 2019