Rejected Stones

Social Skills

This document beta'd by kylekatarn77

6. Social Skills

You can't go back and change the beginning. But you can start where you are and change the ending.

-C.S. Lewis

Part of Izuku felt like the day he started High School was the best day of his life. He was going to UA, his dream school, and for once he had a real friend in his class that he was excited to see.

Another part of him felt like someone had just walked over the grave of his dreams. Could you really be a hero, him? Quirkless, rejected by the Hero Course, and with not even his parents believing in him.

"Izuku, I'm so proud of you! Here, this is from your father in America. He says 'congratulations!'"

Izuku took the wrapped box, feeling his heart pound slightly. He almost never heard from his father. He opened it and his excitement came to an abrupt end. It was a set of precision tools, finely made, and very expensive. With them was a note:

Good job son, you'll be a great support. - Dad.

Of course. His father didn't believe in him. Not that Izuku expected anything better of a man he barely knew. He forced himself to smile. "Wow, it's great. I'm sure this will be helpful to Mei and I as we build things."

He would use these tools. He would use them to make himself into a hero, the greatest hero in the world, one who saved lives, and believed even in those who no one else did. He hugged his weeping mother one last time, and headed out of the door.

Izuku was early to UA, but not as early as Mei was. He wasn't surprised to find her already at the support building, her uniform already dirty from grease and sweat as she worked on the Power Suit.

"Don't worry baby, mommy's here, and she brought upgrades, just like she promised!" Mei was saying to the invention when Izuku walked up.

"Good morning, Mei," Izuku greeted her.

She looked up at him and smiled. "I already calculated the area of the classroom and the volume! It's safe and we can work on our babies here! Ready to become a hero?"

Hope stirred in Izuku's heart. "Yes! I will be the world's greatest hero!"

"Ha! And it will be our babies that get you there! Hey, what's that you got?" Mei jumped down off of the Power Suit and hurried over, and Izuku set up the tool set.

"A gift from my dad. They're really nice."

"Oh ho ho, these are beautiful, Izuku! We'll make such wonderful babies together! Now come on, I found a better power source just sitting around in Mr. Power Loader's lab!"

"Right!" Soon Izuku was also up to his elbows in grease and sweat, only remembering to make himself and Mei take off their jackets. The new tools were useful, and soon Izuku was underneath the suit, rewiring the new power source.

"It looks like we need higher grade wire, Mei!" he called. "This set is being overloaded by the voltage. And also some new capacitors, these ones are burning out."

He reached out a hand, and someone placed a set of well wrapped thick copper wire in it. "Thanks, Mei!"

"I'd say you're welcome, but it's time for class to start. Come on, kid. At least let me take roll before you get started."

Izuku sat up with a jerk, banging his head on the chassis. He let out a groan, then slid out from under the Power Suit to look up at the amused face of Power Loader.