Green Phoenix (A Deku Fic)

2: Quirkless to Quirk OP in a Leap

As Midoriya fell, he couldn't help but feel - painfully - the tingling in his back get hotter. He ignored it.

Everything seemed to turn slow and pause, allowing him to think.

The view was pretty. He had jumped from the roof of the school building - which he had somehow gotten to - and everything was deserted. Not a soul strolled the school grounds.

He felt the air tug and push at his hair and clothes. He saw the sky, dotted by a few lazy clouds, leaking into a beautiful orange, red and pink. He smelled the blossoms from nearby blossom trees. He heard birds' songs chirping in the trees.

And then he remembered.

He remembered his mothers beaming face as she presented him a dish, still steaming.

Wait...

He remembered petting stray cats as they purred in satisfaction at his gentle touch.

No...

He remembered licking ice cream - tasting delicious foods.

No, no, no--

He remembered watching heroes fight villains, fanboying over them and analysing their weaknesses and strengths.

Wait- NO--

...

He didn't want to throw these memories away, he didn't want to take them for granted, he didn't want his mother to be alone when he was gone, he didn't want her to cry, he didn't want Kacchan's victims to be left alone either--

He didn't want to die.

As soon as he'd realised, he shut his eyes, tears pooling at the edges as time unpaused and he hurtled towards the ground.

He didn't want to die, he didn't want to die, he didn't want to die--

And the prickling between his shoulder blades got significantly hotter.

He didn't want to die, he didn't want to die, he didn't want to die, he didn't want to die, he didn't want to die, he didn't want to die, he didn't want to die, he didn't want to die, he didn't want to die--

His eyes snapped open... they now glowed green.

He didn't want to die, he didn't want to die, he didn't want to die, he didn't want to die, he didn't want to die, he didn't want to die, he didn't want to die, he didn't want to die, he didn't want to die, he didn't want to die, he didn't want to die, he didn't want to die, he didn't want to die, he didn't want to die, he didn't want to die, he didn't want to die, he didn't want to die, he didn't want to die--

He tensed whatever back muscles he had and the prickling in his back turned into the feeling of tugging. Before he knew it, two large, emerald wings sprouted from his back and erupted in green flames, the colour matching his glowing eyes.

On pure instinct, he beat as hard as he could, lifting himself several feet in the air, before landing back on the rooftop. His feet hit the ground at a stumble and he fell to his knees.

He was there for a few moments. Time went past unconcerned to him.

He was breathing. He was smelling. He was hearing. He was seeing.

He was alive.

He suddenly cried out in uncontrollable laughter, happy tears streaming, yet again, down his face and hitting the cold concrete of the roof. He had never felt so relieved.