My Hero Academia: From The Ground Up

Chapter 3: Barriers

Inko and Izuku Midoriya walked slowly up the stairs of their apartment. Both were fighting back tears ever since their last visit to the doctor less than an hour prior.

Izuku clutched his mother's hand tightly and whimpered. She was speechless.

She unlocked their front door and walked inside. Meanwhile, Ochaco watched from her window. She wanted to play with Izuku but she could see they were feeling down.

Inko collapsed on the couch after the long, emotional day while young Midoriya shuffled to the family computer and turned on his favorite videos of All Might.

Mrs. Midoriya sat up when she heard a soft knocking at their door. She waited for a moment then the knocking came back louder and longer. Izuku didn't move from his seat at the computer screen.

She stood up, walked to the door, and peaked through the peephole. She could only see the top of a light brown head of hair. A light smile grew on her face knowing who it was.

Ochaco nearly rushed in as the door opened. "Mrs. Midoriya-san! I'm sorry. C-can Izuku-kun come and play?"

Inko chuckled but frowned. "Well sweetie, today's just not been a good day for Izuku... We found something out at the doctor's today..."

Ochaco immediately ran for Izuku, whom she noticed sitting in a big chair in front of a computer screen. "NOOO!" She shouted and tackled him, holding him against the chair in a tight hug. "I don't want anything to happen to him!" She cried.

Izuku groaned but didn't say anything as he sniffed from all the crying he was on the verge of doing.

"Ochaco-san, sweetie, Izuku isn't hurt or sick. He's..." Inko stopped herself. She bit her index finger and walked away. "Y-you're welcome here if Izuku is okay with it."

Ochaco let go of her friend and looked at him. "Izuku-kun? What happened?..."

Izuku didn't say anything. He just turned the volume up on his video playing. It happened to be the very footage that gave All Might the recognition of the world. Carrying many people at once to safety while boldly assuring them all that everything would be okay. His eyes glued to All Might as tears finally began to fall.

"D-d-do.... Do you think I could ever be.... l-l-like All M-Might?..." He sobbed.

Ochaco put her arms around her friend again. "Izu... I know you can be just as good as All Might is."

Izuku continued to cry against her. "E-e-even without a... a quirk?"

She quickly sat up and looked in his eyes. "Izuku-kun?..."

He only shook his head as his cheeks stained with tears. Inko watched them with tears of her own. Ochaco buried her face against her hurt friend.

After a moment, she raised her head and kissed his cheek. He abruptly stopped breathing altogether. "Izuku-kun. I still believe in you. You're still cool to me, quirks or no quirks."

Inko smiled through her tears, doing her best to keep silent.

"Th-thank you..." Izuku said calming down.

"I really mean it, Izu." Ochaco said. She wiped tears from her eyes with her now gloved hands, then started wiping his. Due to the situation, she felt impressed not to do anything hero related with her friend for a while, but she got an innocent idea.

"Hey?" She asked him.

Izuku looked at her again, a light blush gathered on his cheeks finally recognizing how close they actually were together on the computer chair.

"Knock knock." She smiled.

He looked at her, puzzled.

"You know knock-knock jokes, Izu. I tell them to you sometimes." His mother said behind them.

He turned back to Ochaco. "Ohhh. Who's there?"

"Doctor."

"Doctor who?"

Ochaco threw her arms up. "Moisturize me, Doctor!" She giggled.

Izuku didn't get it completely but he did giggle with her. While Inko really doubted whether Ochaco knew what she referenced but gave a smile.

"What has four wheels and flies?" She rhetorically asked him. "A garbage truck!"

This time the two friends giggled harder, understanding that joke more fully. Inko smiled much bigger and got up to go make some snacks. Ochaco continued to tell jokes her father taught her, cheering both of them up and taking their minds away from earlier.

After some time, their laughter died down as Ochaco couldn't remember any other jokes. Their attention turned back to the computer screen to an interview a talk show host had with none other than the hero All Might, dressed in a big yellow two piece suit.

"It's great to have you on the show, All Might." The host said with a big, warm smile.

"Richard, it's great to be here! I always jump to any chance I get to speak to the fans and future heroes!" The large pro-hero proclaimed.

"One thing many have asked over and over, and have submitted to us over and over, is how does one become a hero? What is your advice for that?" The host asked.

"Oh my. That's a great question, indeed. Seems to be a question on everyone's mind! Haha!" All Might said. "First I'd want everyone to know that they can be a hero if they so desired. It's all in choice. Next, the life of a hero... It's not for everyone. Many come to want it but few make it because it's one of the jobs in society that taxes you every minute."

Izuku sat up to listen.

"Sure, you get fame and maybe some wealth. Great interviews like this! And legions of adoring fans in support! But the darker part of a hero's life goes so unnoticed. From the moment you decide you want to be a hero, all forces of darkness and evil no matter what form they may take, will be against you." All Might explained.

Izuku lowered his head.

"What about for people who don't think their quirks are strong or cool or useful?" The host asked.

"Well it's the individual's choice. Unfortunately, life is harder on those who may not have the most astounding quirks to watch. But... it's not impossible. If you have desire to be a hero, that determination alone could carry you farther than even the strongest of characters."

Ochaco smiled and squeezed her friend's hand in support. "Whatever it takes, let's be heroes together, okay?"

Izuku smiled back to her. "Okay."