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Izuku Midoriya smiled to himself as he walked down the dorm hallways. It had been about two months since Tomura Shigaraki’s defeat, and society had been slowly reconstructing itself since then. But most of that work was designated to the pro-heroes and politicians (read: Nezu). As such, the students of Class 2-A were finally allowed to live relatively normal school lives. Which was good for Izuku, he didn’t realize how much he missed the days when exams were his biggest issue.
Speaking of exams, that was the reason Izuku was walking down the dorm hallway in the first place. He was walking to Ochako’s room to return the notebook she let him borrow. As he approached her door, he raised his fist to knock, but paused when he heard something from the other side.
“C’mon! Just admit it already!” Izuku heard Mina plead.
“I’m telling you, Mina, there’s nothing to admit,” Ochako replied sternly.
“I doubt that highly, ribbit.” He recognized the voice of Tsuyu.
“Tsu, why are you suddenly teaming up with her?” Ochako protested.
“Because it’s painfully obvious you like him, and it’s unhealthy to keep bottling up your emotions, ribbit.”
Now this got Izuku’s attention. He knew it was rude to eavesdrop, but he had no idea his best friend liked someone. It stirred up a weird feeling in his gut, but he was curious to learn more.
“Tsu, even if I did like someone, there just wouldn’t be any time for romance. We’re here to be heroes, for god's sake!” Ochako huffed.
“Tell that to Iida’s parents,” Mina chimed in.
“Mina has a point,” Tsuyu admitted. “There are a lot of pro heroes who have relationships, too. In fact, being in high school would give you more time for that kind of stuff. Might as well strike while the iron’s hot, ribbit.”
“Yeah! The war’s over. You ought to take advantage of our downtime while you can.”
Ochako sighed as Izuku heard her slump onto her bed. “I… I don’t know.”
“Listen,” Izuku heard Tsuyu sit down next to her. “We’re only pushing you to do this because we care, ribbit. A lot of us barely scraped out of that war alive, and we don’t want you to have to live with any regrets if something happened to him.”
“…You really think he’ll feel the same about me?” Ochako asked quietly, a twinge of hope lacing her tone.
“Girl, he has been all over you since the beginning of the year.” Mina slapped Ochako on the back. “If he doesn’t reciprocate your feelings, then I’ll freely admit romance was a lie.”
“Okay.” Ochako stood up from her bed and let out a determined huff. “I’m gonna do it. I’m gonna confess to Deku.”
Izuku could feel himself freeze up at that last word.
Deku.
Him.
Izuku Midoriya.
She had a crush on him.
Izuku stumbled away from Ochako’s door as his mind raced.
She liked him. Him. Ochako Uraraka liked Izuku Midoriya. No matter how many times he repeated to himself, he couldn’t wrap his head around it. Why would she like him of all people? Sure, he knew why they were friends, but he didn’t think those traits carried over to a romantic partner.
He was naive, inexperienced, he stuttered and muttered a lot, and he was always too nervous for his own good. There was no way someone as cool and confident and nice as her would be into someone like him.
Did he even like her back? The thought had never crossed his mind. But playing back just about every interaction he had with her, he couldn’t deny it. She’d always lifted him up. Always encouraged him, she redefined what it meant to be Deku. How could he not have feelings for her after that?
But no, she was too good for him. He always knew that deep down, but he subconsciously convinced himself he was content with just being her friend. There were way better people out there for her. Just look at him! He was naive, inexperienced, and…
Izuku paused as he realized his mind was going in circles, a feedback loop of the same thoughts and ideas. It was also at this point he realized he was walking through the halls of UA. How long had he been pacing in thought? He felt he could answer that question if he could figure out where exactly in UA he was.
Izuku would receive his answer when he heard an explosion from behind him. Turning around, he saw a large metal door get blown off its hinges. Okay, he was near the Support Lab. And if his memory served him right, then there was only one person who could have been responsible for that explosion.
“AH HA HA HA HA!” Mei Hatsume madly cackled as she walked out of the lab. “It’s finished! It’s finally finished!”
“What’s finished?” Izuku couldn’t help asking.
“Oh, Ten Million!” Mei grabbed Izuku by the arm and dragged him into the lab. “You’re just in time to witness history! This might be my greatest baby ever!”
“What is it?”
Mei stopped and gestured to a large white cube attached to a control panel covered in buttons, switches, dials, and levers. “Behold! The Time Talker 2000!”
“Time Talker?”
“Yes!” Mei pushed a button on the control panel, and a door formed on the cube, which Mei opened. Inside was a room as white as the cube on the outside, with five cylindrical seats arranged in a pentagon. “Once you enter this chamber, you’ll be able to summon and communicate with past versions of yourself. Unfortunately, they won’t remember anything once you send them back, but it’s still a huge leap in time travel technology!”
Izuku’s eyes widened at the description of the machine. “It really is! I mean, they say hindsight is twenty-twenty, so imagine learning from your past selves. In fact, I could think of a few things I’d like to say to my past self right now.”
Izuku paused as he realized what he just said, and an idea formed in his head. He was having trouble processing the news regarding Ochako just a minute ago. If he talked about it with a past version of himself, maybe that could help him sort out his thoughts better.
“Say, Mei,” Izuku said calmly, “How much have you tested this thing?”
“Enough to make sure it doesn’t explode!” Mei answered confidently. “Though I haven’t taken the completed model out for a test run yet. So, since you’re here, would you like to run an experiment?”
“Of course!” Izuku smiled. “I just have one request: Could you not watch or record me while I’m in there? Things might get a little personal.”
Mei groaned and rolled her eyes. “Fiiiiiiiiiiine. Just promise you’ll fill out a questionnaire once you’re done.”
“I promise!”
“Great! Now let’s get started!” Mei pushed Izuku into the Time Talker, and he sat in one of the five seats. Izuku was surprised when Mei threw a rectangular remote in his face.
“What’s this?” He asked.
“Just pick a date from that remote, and it’ll summon a version of you from then. Have fun!” With that, Mei closed the door, leaving Izuku alone in the bright white room.
Looking over the remote in his hands, Izuku already knew which version of himself he wanted to talk to: The one from right after orientation day. After he imputed the date and pressed the big red button in the center, the remote began to shake and emanate a bright blue light. That light formed into a floating blue sphere, which hovered over to one of the other seats and took the shape of Izuku Midoriya in his UA uniform.
After a few moments, the Izuku-shaped ball of energy gained color across its entire body, and he opened his eyes in panic.
“What? Huh? Where am I?” Past Izuku asked worriedly.
“Don’t panic,” Present Izuku assured, “I’m you from the future. I called you here because I wanted to chat.”
Past Izuku didn’t look like he believed his future self. “Really? Prove it?”
“When you were six, you fed a raccoon who lived under your apartment every day for two months. You named it Raccoon Might.”
“Okay, I believe you. Or, I believe… me?”
“Yeah, time travel is confusing. I don’t even know what to call you. How about UA Izuku?”
“Wait, aren’t you still in UA? I mean, you don’t look that much older.”
“I’m a little more than a year older than you. But I brought you here specifically because I wanted my perspective from when I was just starting out.”
UA Izuku nodded in understanding. “So, before we get started, could I ask you a few questions about the future? How do the first few days of classes go? Do we ever get control of One for All? How many heroes do we meet? Do we make any more friends?”
Present Izuku gawked as he was bombarded with questions by his past self. So this was how it felt to be on the receiving end. It was… kind of flattering.
“I would answer your questions, but you won’t remember anything once I send you back,” Present Izuku explained.
“Dang it.” UA Izuku snapped his fingers. “I guess that makes sense. Wouldn’t want to cause any paradoxes. So, what did you want to talk about?”
Present Izuku bit his lip as he mulled over his words, unsure of the right way to bring up the topic. “Um… How do you feel about Uraraka?”
UA Izuku’s face immediately reddened at the question. “Uraraka? I mean, I haven’t known her for too long. But I think she’s really smart, and sweet, and friendly, and cheerful, and she thought the name Deku was cute.”
“I know. I still get that feeling every time I think about it.” Present Izuku said as he mimicked the blush on his past self’s face. “But… you don’t know what that feeling really is, do you?”
“Well, um, I never really thought about it.”
“Of course you didn’t. You were too occupied with everything else.”
“Oh, sorry.” UA Izuku guilty shrunk in his seat, and Present Izuku immediately felt bad for himself. He never realized he radiated such kicked-puppy energy. Had that always been the case?
“Don’t be sorry,” Present Izuku tried to assure, “I understand how you feel, both then and now. The thing is, Izuku… The reason I called you here… I just learned Uraraka has a crush on us.”
UA Izuku froze in place upon hearing the news. Present Izuku felt an odd sense of deja vu. “You - you can’t be serious,” UA Izuku said.
“I heard it straight from her mouth.”
“No, no, no. You must have heard wrong. I mean, there’s no way someone like her could be into a guy like me. She saw how I broke myself during the entrance exam and the Quirk Apprehension Test. She could do a lot better than a guy who can’t even control his Quirk.”
Present Izuku, upon hearing his own insecurities shouted back at him, felt the urge to cut his past self some slack. “I mean, you did save her at the entrance exam, and you do get control of One for All eventually.”
“When does that happen? Because I’m not sure how long I can keep breaking myself.”
“During internship week, after the Sports Festival.”
“After the Sports Festival?! That’s nearly a month from now! What was I doing that whole time?!”
“Well, you and your class did get attacked by villains at the USJ. So a few setbacks were to be expected.”
“We got attacked by villains?! I couldn’t do anything then, could I? Even with a Quirk, I’m still as useless as ever.”
As UA Izuku buried his hands in his face out of shame, Present Izuku came to a stunning realization. “Have I always been this self-deprecating?”
UA Izuku peered up at him. “What are you talking about?”
“It’s just… I’ve always known I wasn’t the most confident. But hearing it out loud kind of hits differently.”
“I’m sorry.” UA Izuku couldn’t bear to look his future self in the eyes. “Now that I have One for All, I felt like I had to live up to All Might’s legacy. I just wish I could do more.”
“Seriously, don’t be sorry.” Present Izuku insisted, “I get what you’re feeling. I’ve literally been where you are right now. I just can’t help but wonder… How long have I been like this?”
“I… I don’t know. Can’t you just ask yourself from further back?”
Present Izuku’s eyes turned to the remote that had been in his hand the whole time. “You’re right! I can!” He fiddled with the dates for a moment before pressing the big red button again.
“Who did you call?” UA Izuku asked as the blue ball of energy shaped into another version of himself, this one wearing his middle school uniform.
“Second year of middle school.” Present Izuku answered, “We’ll call him Aldera Izuku.”
When Aldera Izuku became conscious, he immediately fell to the floor in shock. “Wha! Who are you people? Where am I? Please don’t hurt me!”
“We’re not gonna hurt you. Please calm down.” Present Izuku said softly. “We’re versions of you from the future. We just wanted to talk.”
Aldera Izuku squinted his eyes. “If you’re both really from the future, tell me something only I would know.”
Both Izukus spoke at the same time. “When you were six, you fed a raccoon who lived under your apartment every day for two months. You named it Raccoon Might.”
“That was a little creepy, but I believe you.” Aldera Izuku seemed to calm down as he sat in his seat, but the other two Izukus still noticed his general shakiness. That, combined with his slightly shorter stature and less muscular build made them feel like they were talking to a completely different person.
“Alright, so what did you want to talk about?” Aldera Izuku asked while nervously twiddling his thumbs.
“Well,” Present Izuku began, “Let’s say there was a girl you liked, but you didn’t realize it.”
“Mm-hm.” Aldera Izuku nodded apprehensively.
“And let’s say you overheard this girl saying she had a crush on you, and that made you realize your own feelings for her. What would you do?”
Aldera Izuku glared at his future selves. “Are you messing with me?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“C’mon, guys. I’ve seen the way girls look at me in class. There’s no way anyone would be interested in some Quirkless, useless Deku like me.”
Both Izukus wilted at how Aldera Izuku said ‘Deku,’ like it was some kind of poison or disease.
“Looks like our suspicions were confirmed.” UA Izuku said to Present.
“What suspicions?” Aldera Izuku asked.
“We’ve been like this for longer than we thought,” Present Izuku answered. “Always so self-deprecating and hard on ourselves.” Before Aldera Izuku could feel bad about that, he was quick to clarify. “But it’s not your fault. It’s not any of our faults. It’s just… I can’t help but wonder where this all started.”
“Kacchan. It was Kacchan.” UA Izuku replied bitterly.
Aldera Izuku nodded glumly. “Yeah. That checks out.”
“Wait, Kacchan?” Present Izuku shouted in confusion.
“Yeah, Kacchan.” UA Izuku repeated. “Don’t you remember? All the stuff he did to you? All the things he said?”
“I mean, yeah, I remember. But he’s gotten a lot better since then.”
“I wish he got better a lot sooner,” Aldera Izuku grumbled as he scratched at his arm. The other Izukus had a strong feeling that there was an old burn mark under there.
“Yeah. I really hoped we would be in different classes at UA,” UA Izuku admitted.
Aldera Izuku perked up at that. “Wait, I got into UA? In the hero course?”
“Yeah. In the same class as Kacchan. Not that it matters since you won’t remember any of this.”
Aldera Izuku slumped in his seat. “Aw, man. Now there’s no point in even being excited.”
“H-hold on, guys.” Present Izuku tried to steer the conversation back on track. “Can we really blame Kacchan for all this? I mean, he apologized for everything not too long ago. It feels wrong to throw him under the bus again.”
UA Izuku placed a hand on Present’s shoulder. “I get how you feel, but that doesn’t erase what he did in the past.”
“He burned my notebooks, he practiced his Quirk on me, he isolated me from the entire class, he reminded me of my place at every possible turn…” Aldera Izuku recounted in horror.
Present Izuku sat there in shock. “I… never thought too hard about all of that.”
“I could tell.” UA Izuku said. “Listen, I know you’re trying to forgive and forget, but we haven’t forgotten. Especially him,” He gestured to Aldera Izuku. “I’m sure he’s gotten better, like you said. But judging on where you’re at now, judging on the lasting emotional scars he’s left, I think it would be good for both of you if you guys took a break.”
“I agree,” Aldera Izuku added. “As much as I admire Kacchan, I know he can be a bit much sometimes. A little distance could do you both some good.”
“I… I need to think about this.” Present Izuku admitted.
“That’s why you’re here, isn’t it?” UA Izuku pointed out.
“I came here because of Uraraka.” Present Izuku began, his voice dripping with frustration. “I didn’t think it would devolve into whatever this is. I didn’t think this would lead to a conversation about my own self-worth and my relationship with my friend/former bully!” He felt tears begin to prick in his eyes,” I just - I still don’t know how long I’ve been like this. When was the last time I didn’t freaking hate myself?!”
There was a long silence after that revelation, the only sound being Present Izuku’s frustrated breaths. The truth began to sink in for the three Izukus. Did Izuku Midoriya really hate himself? Sure, he was hard on himself, and there were parts about himself he didn’t like, same with anybody. But did that translate to full-on self-hatred? They weren’t exactly sure, but they knew they couldn’t dismiss the idea once it had been raised.
Eventually, Aldera Izuku quietly spoke up. “I - I might have an answer to your question. But I’m not sure if you’ll like it.”
Present Izuku gave a long, hard sigh as he tossed the remote to his past self. “Here. Pick a date and press the red button.”
After a few moments, another blue sphere of energy emerged from the remote and formed into the shape of Izuku. Except this one was much smaller, with a much bigger head and eyes.
It was him as a child.
“Woah! Where am I?” Kid Izuku gazed around in wonder when he gained consciousness. His eyes immediately locked onto the three versions of himself. “You guys look just like me! Are you from the future or something? That’s so cool!”
Present Izuku just stared at his much younger self in surprise. He looked so cheerful, so pure, so free of burden. He knew there was only one time in his life this Izuku could have come from.
Before the Quirkless diagnosis.
He instantly felt a wave of emotion wash over him at the realization. His mind raced at all the things we wanted to say to his youngest self. After the emotional rollercoaster he’d been on so far, he had no idea how he could smooth over all the issues with himself that had arisen throughout this conversation.
He quickly realized he couldn’t. But that wouldn’t stop him from saying what he thought his youngest self should hear. Even if he was mostly going with his gut on this one.
“Yeah… We’re from the future.” Present Izuku answered, the shocked expression not leaving his face.
Kid Izuku ran up to Present and started hopping up and down excitedly. “I have so many questions! Do I get a Quirk? Do I go to UA? Do I become a hero?”
Present Izuku could already feel tears threatening to burst out of his eyes. “…You do. You do get a Quirk.”
“I do?! Is it as cool and awesome as All Might’s?”
Present Izuku gave a weak smile, “It’s even cooler.” He reached out his hand and activated Full Cowling. All three past Izukus stared in wonder and amazement at the green lightning dancing in the palm of his hand.
For UA Izuku, this was confirmation that he would indeed learn to control his new Quirk and take the next step to becoming the hero he’d always dreamed of.
For Aldera Izuku, this was confirmation that maybe, just maybe, he could be more than the useless Deku everyone at school saw him as.
For Kid Izuku, this was confirmation that his dream could in fact be realized. That one day, he could be just like the heroes who inspired him.
“So do I do it?” Kid Izuku asked, “Do I really go to UA and become a hero?”
Present Izuku picked up his child self and placed him on his lap. “You do. You become one of the greatest heroes ever. I’m not gonna lie. It’ll be hard. And a lot of the time, you won’t think you’re good enough. You might even think you aren’t cut out for heroics. But when I look at you, when I see that eagerness and wonder in your eyes, I’m reminded of why I wanted to be a hero in the first place. And that’s a feeling I want to cherish, something I want to hold onto and never let go.
The oldest Izuku pulled the youngest into a deep hug. “And I know I don’t say this enough. I sometimes forget it myself, but I want you to know that, no matter what, I love you, me, us… Izuku Midoriya.”
Tears openly streamed down all the Izukus’ faces as they joined together for one group hug. Throughout all the sniffling and quiet weeping, they all thought the same thing: If they could love, they could be loved. And this display of love and affection would be something they would all hold onto as tight as they could.
Eventually, the Izukus broke the hug as they all wiped stray tears from their eyes, each feeling a little lighter than before.
“So,” UA Izuku said, “Do you think you’re real to try your luck with Uraraka?”
“Who’s Uraraka?” Aldera and Kid Izuku asked at the same time.
“If everything goes right, hopefully his girlfriend.”
“I‘ll do my best,” Present Izuku said. “I’m not gonna lie, this is only the first step for me. I should probably schedule an appointment with Hound Dog after this.”
“Wait, Hound Dog’s at this school?” UA Izuku gawked.
“Oh right, you skipped orientation.”
The whole group laughed before Aldera Izuku asked, “What about Kacchan?”
“You guys might have had a point with him. We’ll still be friends, but I think I’ll try and distance myself from him. Just for a bit. We’ll see how it goes from there.
“Then I guess that’s everything,” UA Izuku said.
“I guess it is.” Present Izuku couldn’t help but be saddened by the idea of saying goodbye to himself. A fact that the other Izukus quickly picked up on.
“Hey, don’t be sad,” UA Izuku placed his hand on Present’s shoulder, “We’ll still be with you.”
“In fact, we’ll be you pretty soon.” Aldera Izuku added.
“I can’t wait to be you guys!” Kid Izuku cheered.
Present Izuku gave a watery smile. “Thanks, guys. I’ll never forget you.”
“And we can’t wait to remember you.” That was the last thing UA Izuku said before the three younger Izukus faded away into nothingness.
As Present Izuku (the only Izuku) smiled to himself, he heard the door open behind him.
“Looks like the test run’s done, Ten Million,” Mei grinned. “How do you feel?”
Izuku turned to Mei as he gave a small smile and gently placed a hand on his chest, where he could feel his beating heart. If all went well, hopefully, he could share that heart with another.
“Better.”