[UP FOR ADOPTION] Nozomu (A My Hero Academia fanfic)

Chapter 4: Awakening (Ver. 2)

'Beep.'

'Beep.'

'Beep.'

Midoriya woke suddenly, every thought in high definition. His eyes take in every ray of light and without a doubt he knows he's slept too long. The noises are of a day in full swing, traffic heavy.

The hospital room is a concrete pen with a window the size of a biscuit tin lid. It has a stagnant smell, like it's cleaned with plain water instead of disinfectant. The bed sits low to the ground, the frame littered with the scars of rust and the mattress worryingly thin.

Izuku attempts to stand but stumbles just as easily. How long had he been here? He does not know. Pivoting his head, he discovered a TV conveniently mounted too far from where he now sat, enough so that he could comfortably view it without being subjected to the inevitable visual assault of colour. Eventually, Midoryia's eyes adjusted to the pastel cream of the interior to make out what was actually being conveyed via the screen. It was a news channel, Mustafau Prime he recognised, displaying what appeared to be a recent headline.

'Breaking News! Quirkless Laws updated!'

"In an unexpected turn of events, the Hero Association has tightened restrictions on the quirkless population, specifically barring those without a quirk factor from attending any and all Hero schools - effective immediately. This has already seen widespread impacts in the hero industry, as hundreds of students already enrolled had their status revoked and were sent home last night. Since the Hero Association themselves have yet to make an official statement regarding the new regulations, it is still unclear as to why they decided to implement this change, and what it will mean for the hero profession going forward. As always this is Veronica of Mustafau Prime, Signing off-"

The air is suddenly rent by the sound of breaking glass; a tawny plank lodged itself into the centre of the screen. A series of cracks run across the glass, finding the weaknesses that were once invisible. Across from it sat the perpetrator of the act, shaking. His nerves were pulsating, twitching and his eyes were obscured by his mop of hair. From a distance, one may perceive his emotions as not dissimilar from extreme grief over his apparent fate, however, closer inspection unveiled a far darker sentiment.

If there was such a word to encapsulate his response, the closest would be unmitigated rage yet not even that could personify the tempest plaguing his every action and inaction alike. This shouldn't have come as a surprise to him, but it did. 
This shouldn't have angered him beyond reason, but it did. 
This shouldn't have changed him, but it did.

From a young age, Midoriya had experienced first-hand many of the issues associated with lacking a quirk, though it usually only extended to social interactions at most. There would be the occasional instance of a store either increasing the price of their produce or flat-out refusing to serve 'his kind', however that would be the furthest it got. Heroes were meant to be impartial on societal biases, no matter their personal grievances; their job came first and foremost. Recent Pro-Heroes like Mt. Lady were pushing what was or was not defined as impartial thanks to the glorified popularity contest instilled by their advertising. But this?

If this was how hero society was now, then Midoriya wished to be no part of it. 

What else then? Being a hero was his dream from the beginning. Everything he had done up until this point was for the sole purpose of getting into UA when he was of age. To have that dream forcefully ripped away at the last minute both disheartened and riled him up even more so. Yet it all lead back to the same point: What was he to do now?

A scream tore through the air like a great shard of glass. Izuku felt his eyes widen and pulse quicken, his heart thudding like a rock rattling in a box. The scream came again, desperate, terrified... human. The blood drained from his face, and before he was even aware of making a conscious decision his legs were pounding furiously on the dirtied floor of the alley, having lept out of the hospital window. Midoriya's ears were straining for more sounds, more clues as to where it had come from. He had no clue as to what he'd do when he got there, just that he had to get there, fast.

Approaching the epicentre of the disturbance, he came upon what was an apparent mugging. The perpetrator's face was mostly masked by a handkerchief. The knife that was being toyed with in his thick fingers glimmered in the moonlight as it was twirled so deftly. The businessman ,on the other hand, was not as calm in his demeanour. Incessantly shaking, their eyes darted between the man before him and the disheveled walls adjacent to the two. His eyes were brimming, leaking ever-so-slightly. 

Finally, the poor individual noticed another individual concealed in shadow, his face relaxing for a moment before being reminded that a knife was dangerously close to his forehead. The victim's swift return to his previous frightened posture resulted in the criminal remaining unaware of the boy that etched closer behind him. Eventually, the crook swivelled around to discover far too late that someone was about to apprehend him, being met with an abrupt and forceful punch to the face, knocking him out cold.

Immediately, the sufferer rose to his feet, thanking the boy profusely. The man did not care that what his saviour did was illegal, he was just happy to be safe. This made Izuku come to a realisation of his own. A new path, that had not even crossed his mind beforehand, became obvious to him. He will be the protector of those who couldn't protect themselves. He will inspire hope in others that had none. Illegal or not, Midoriya will become a vigilante.

"What's your name kid?" The businessman asked the boy. "Call me Nozomu," he confidently responded, escaping into the darkness once more to return home.

Meanwhile, a door swung open to reveal a certain small bear/mouse, confusion written on his face. Papers scattered from his paws, scuttling across the concrete floor.

'Where is he?'

**End of Act 1: New Beginnings**