Canary

Chapter 18: The Power of Music

Instead of heading straight back to his seat beside Shinso, Midoriya instead hurried right the way around the inner workings of the Sports Festival stadium's corridors, to locate Recovery Girl's temporary office and check that Iida was ok.

He would have gotten there a lot quicker, if he hadn't bumped into someone on the way there.

"Sorry, young man," the tall, gaunt figure replied, holding out his hand to pull Midoriya to his feet.

It was then when they made eye contact.

"All Might," Midoriya breathed, scrambling to his feet without the man's help. "H-Hi..."

All Might blinked at him, utter surprise washing across his face. He glanced down at his deflated self and then back to Midoriya, "You know who I am?" he frowned.

Midoriya's heart skipped a beat. 'Does he... not remember who I am?'

"We... met," Midoriya started hesitantly, surprised his voice was still working at all. "J-Just under a year ago now... actually."

He narrowed his sullen eyes as his mind whirred – then they lit up, as much as they possibly could whilst still concealing the white colour of his sclerae. "You're the... kid from that sludge villain incident, aren't you?" he realised.

Midoriya nodded unsurely, backing away slightly, "Y-Yes... that was... before I knew I had a Q-Quirk..."

"That's right..." the hero murmured. "You said you were Quirkless back then... But look at you now! You're doing very well for yourself, Canary," he smiled.

Midoriya looked up at him slowly. This was the man who used to cover every inch of his wall at home. Now, only one faded poster remained – beside an ever-growing collection of other posters, and a string of Aozora's photographs.

Midoriya's descent into muteness was gradual. Over many years, he simply said less and less until the words just didn't come at all. At first, this was only towards his classmates, but then others too, slipped into this growing sense of distrust, until only his mother ever heard Midoriya speak. But it was that fateful day, the day he met All Might, that he truly stopped talking.

He remembered, after All Might had told him to find a career which was more... attainable – running towards the sludge villain as it slowly suffocated Kacchan – attacking its weak points in a frenzied attempt to free his old friend. He couldn't just stand there and watch him die.

But Midoriya couldn't bring himself to put on a brave smile, like All Might could, whilst he did his best to save Kacchan – nor did he utter any of these things aloud.

After the other heroes berated him for being so stupid... Midoriya realised his dreams really were... unattainable.

To think, Midoriya could have just plodded on through life, completely unaware of the power he possessed, if it weren't for the people who trod him down – and for the people who pulled him back up again, he wouldn't be standing there today.

"Are you ok, young Midoriya?" All Might frowned.

Midoriya flinched, he must have been standing in silence, thinking, for a little too long. He nodded, in response.

"Well, this is fortuitous timing, because I had just been told to go looking for you," he continued.

Midoriya, becoming increasingly uncomfortable in this situation, simply nodded a second time in hopes that this would be over soon.

"We saw you singing before getting into the arena for Iida's match," he explained.

Midoriya's eyes grew wide, his head snapping up and his head beating faster in panic – was he being told off? Would he be disqualified?!