Internet Sensation {| Vigilante Midoriya |}

2 || Quirk This, Quirk That

   It hadn't taken him too long to reach the source of the noise. Midoriya panted a little, noting that he'd need to work on his endurance someday. He was about to turn the corner to see what exactly was happening when he heard concerned heroes and an awfully familiar yell.

     "It's taken someone hostage!" Whoever it was seemed closer, while the other sounded as if they were moving fast, most likely towards the villain. "How dare you prey on a child!"

     "I'm gonna send you back to whatever sewer you crawled out of! Let me go!"

     Kacchan. It had to be, he'd recognize that voice no matter- 

      Midoriya's mind cut him off. 'Sewer? Could it? No, All Might had captured him!'

     Midoriya sped up, sliding to a halt around the corner. Fire encircled the lane and raged inside the buildings that lined its way, a rescue hero desperately trying to put it out with their water quirk.

     Another hero Midoriya could see clearly, he recognized as Kamui Woods, who was using his quirk to pull citizens out of the danger zone.

     Other than that, he noticed several strength heroes standing by as the awfully familiar sludge villain laughed maniacally.

     There, Izuku spotted his classmate, Katsuki Bakugou, struggling uselessly against the villain's hold. His mind raced. Why weren't the strength heroes doing anything? Was it because their quirks weren't designed for this?

     If that's the case, what's the point in being a hero if you're just going to give up as soon as your quirk fails you?

     Rage blinded his sense of self-preservation. He forgot that, while he may grimace at the heroes who stood near the fires, he was not a hero- nor did he have a quirk. His feet moved before he could stop them and his fingers gripped the rough material that coated the strap of his backpack. He didn't seem to realize what he was doing until he was too close to turn back.

     Fear swallowed his heart and Midoriya was terrified at the idea of fighting this villain, but he couldn't afford to stop now, not with Kacchan's life on the line. Izuku gripped his bag harder, if possible, and swung it at the villain's eye, the only solid-seeming part of his liquid body.

     One of the hard-cover books in it spilled out, piercing its eye directly. The villain's sludge reeled back, twisting and bubbling in pain. A gasp and a few short coughs escaped Bakugou as the Villain reflexively let go of his face, letting the teen breathe again.

     "Kacchan!" Midoriya yelled as he saw he was able to breathe again. He was sure his classmate would've passed out from lack of oxygen if the villain hadn't let go. Izuku gripped at the slime, pulling it away in a vain attempt to free Bakugou.

     "What the hell! Why are you here?" Bakugou barked at the quirkless boy as he continued to struggle against the villain's grip. Izuku wondered that himself. Why was he here?

     His mind flashed to the heroes who stood by as if they were no more than a simple civilians who couldn't do anything.

     "Because they aren't." He mumbled, loud enough for Bakugou to recognize he'd said something, but not loud enough for him to hear, "Kacchan- I couldn't just stand there and watch you die!" He yelled this time, digging even harder at the sludge monster.

     "Get the hell off of me!" The explosive teen yelled, pulling his arms away from the villain even harder now. Midoriya wasn't sure if he was yelling at him or the villain anymore.

     "I'm done playing with you!" An angry, watery voice screeched, bringing up a newly-formed liquid hand, far above Midoriya. If he felt fear before, it increased ten-fold now. The hand moved down quickly, and a blast of impact blew Midoriya back.

     He'd expected darkness, but the scene continued on when the smoke cleared, revealing a buff All Might holding off the villain. Midoriya gaped.

     'Where did he come from?'

     Midoriya didn't have time to ask anything, as two strength heroes grabbed his arms, dragging him away from the fight. Izuku was too in shock to fight them, although their hold was firm and hurt his arms. Soon, he was settled near an ambulance, which had just arrived.

     Izuku couldn't believe it. He was being lectured by several pro heroes. The media bustled behind them, most of them seeking an interview with Bakugou, but a few waiting to see if they can talk to him. The boy who had been stupid enough to intervene.

     "Kid, that was reckless. You can't just put yourself in danger like that! Not to mention- you didn't even think to use your quirk," Woods scolded.

     Izuku mumbled something, and the pros looked at him in confusion, "Kid, speak up," Backdraft told him, having joined Woods after helping put out the fires. Izuku sighed, looking at the cracked asphalt.

     "I don't have a quirk, sir." He said, loud enough for the heroes to hear. They stood silent, perhaps too stunned to respond. Then came the yelling.

     "You don't even have a quirk!  You could have easily died! Why would you even think it would be okay to-"

     "Shut up!" The angry words flew out of his mouth before he could stop them. He'd never felt so angry, not only at himself- but at heroes, too. He considered for a moment stopping and apologizing for his outburst, but then he remembered.

     Nobody apologized to him for the constant bullying. No one had apologized to him for the blatant discrimination he faced for something he can't control. Nobody apologized to him when even his own idol told him he wasn't enough. So he wasn't going to apologize now. Not ever.

     "Kid-"

     "Shut it! No- why didn't you-" Midoriya turned to one of the strength heroes who had stood by earlier, who was near the group, "- do anything? Literally anything! You stood by and you watched a child almost die of suffocation!"

     Silence. Even the media had quieted, Midoriya's yelling catching their attention and cameras. The strength hero, Death Arms, stiffened at being yelled at, "My quirk..."

     Midoriya didn't let him finish, "Your quirk!" He let out a tired, sarcastic laugh, "Your quirk! Quirk this, quirk that! Use your brain, you idiot! If the only thing keeping you a hero is your quirk, then there's nothing to stop you from becoming a villain but basic morals!" He ranted.

     Maybe he'd been thinking it for a while, in some deep, dark part of his mind, but he'd never said it.

     Silence. Again.

     "Of course, you have nothing to say for yourself. I wouldn't either if I'd done what you did. I'm going home." He said, yanking his bag off the pavement and walking away. He kept his head high and ignored the stare of the media, the stunned glances of the heroes, and most definitely the glare of Bakugou. If he wasn't being treated for an injury, he'd probably have followed Izuku to beat him up.

     Once Midoriya was out of sight, he let out a breath he'd been holding for a little too long. Panic flooded him as the adrenaline left his system. Had he just yelled at several pro heroes?

     "Oh my jeez, I just yelled at several pro heroes," He breathed the words out, barely believing it. He walked home, trying to comprehend the day he'd had.

{1205}
{Edited}