Quirkless Rejects

A New Man

Izuku woke up on the first day of winter break. December 23.

Eight more days...

He went to the bathroom to "brush" his hair but froze at the sight of himself, or better yet, the lack of himself. His curly green hair went past his shoulder blades and his hands touched the tip of his nose. Was this the face of someone who was going to change the world or die trying? He thought not! The man in the mirror was weak, a coward, a child.

It's time for a change, Izuku decided.

He quickly got dressed and ate a light breakfast before leaving the house. Izuku did something he hadn't done in four years: he entered a hair salon and got a haircut.

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It took everything in Christoph to not make a face when a teenage boy came into his salon with what was possibly the worst hair he's ever witnessed. Still, he smiled and greeted the kid.

"Good morning! What can I do for you, sir?" asked Christoph.
"I want something that'll make me new."
An odd request but not an unusual one. He sat the greenette down and cloaked him. Christoph studied the boy infront of him long and hard.

He wanted something bold. Something to give himself vigor and show himself off. No... he wanted something else. Something deeper.

What this kid wanted was confidence. Christoph got to work.

He thoroughly washed the mop of hair and took at least half an hour blow drying it cause it was A LOT of hair! He finally got to trimming it and boy those clippings had to fill at least two gallon bags. Christoph whipped out an electric razor and turned it on. The boy flinched.

"Are you okay, sir?" Christoph questioned. The boy nodded and replied, "Yes. Do what you need to."
"Okay," Christoph replied and continued.

He shaved the left of the kids head but not so much that it was bold. There was approximately two centimeters of green. He split the rest of the hair to make bangs flowing over the right side of the kids head. It stopped halfway over the ear and just above the right eye.
Now that he could see the pale skin and emerald eyes of the teen, he could see just how perfect this style was for the kid. Save for the freckles dusting his cheeks the greenette looked like an idol! It was a shame that this face was covered for so long but it wasn't hidden any longer!

Christoph smiled. "Are you ready for the reveal?" The teen nodded frantically, practically shaking in his red hightops. Christoph took off the black cloak and turned the chair towards the mirror. He will never forget the pure happiness that spread across this strangers face. He wouldn't have noticed the muscles on the teen if it wasn't for the sudden hug Christoph was pulled into.

"A- air!" he gasped. The greenette immediately let him go. "I'm sorry! I- I love it, thank you so much!" Christoph waves his hand. "It's no problem."

After the greenette paid and left Christoph couldn't help but think to himself, What an innocent kid, I hope he has a good life.

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To say Izuku was happy would be an understatement. He was ELATED! His head felt so light and there wasn't that constant brush of hair on his nose. It felt so good! His decision to get ear pieced wasn't bad either. The silver diamond pendant hanging from his left ear suited the new look quite well if he said so himself. It was like Izuku was walking on clouds as he practically skipped home. His good mood instantly dropped like a rock when he opened the apartment door Inko waiting for him in the hallway.

She looked taken aback by Izuku's new look. Like she hadn't see his body getting more tone as days go by, like she hadn't seen her son's face before, and, to be realistic, she hadn't.

"Izu-"
He walked past her but she turned and grabbed his forearm. "Izuku dear, please wait..." He didn't look at her.
"Let go, Inko." He didn't call her mom, it hurt too much.
"I'm sorry, Izuku! I'm so, so sorry!" His eye twitched at those wretched words.

-----

"C- can I be a hero too?"

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!"

-----

"Ple- AH!"

Izuku ripped his arm from her grasp causing her to fall to the floor. His emerald eyes help nothing but anger when he looked down at the petite woman. "Don't you dare say those words to me," he hissed. Izuku stormed off and slammed the door behind him.

Izuku tried his hardest to believe that his heart didn't twist at every sob he heard from the hallway.

Izuku looked at himself in his phone camera and he like what he saw. This, this was the face of the man prepared to change the world. These were the eyes of a man who would go on to greatness, who would leave a mark. He liked that face.

The next time those who wronged him would see Izuku, they wouldn't see the weakling they pushed around all those years. No, they'd see the person about to serve them justice on a gold platter.
His new comrades may never see his face but what they would see is a strong confident leader who, teen or adult, would lead them to a new dawn.

Yes, Izuku very much liked the man he saw. He was confident, good-looking, and a "take no junk from no one" kind of guy.

But underneath the character Izuku was creating, he knew he was still the same old Izuku who gushed at kittens and still took exotic hero notes, even if they were for a different reason now. The same Izuku who loved his mom's katsudon and looked up to his childhood friend to some degree. And even though a little part of his consciousness echoed that he should stop what he was doing, Izuku ignored the cracks in his heart at Inko's wails and the longing for the hero world he knew he'd never reach.
Yes, Izuku Midoriya was still the same weak boy he was before.

He'd never let anyone know that though...