Capítulo 3: Diverging Choice
Standing in place at the back of the classroom, Izuku stared at the screen invisible to others. Suddenly, he was shoulder checked as someone walked by. He looked up to see Katsuki and two others walking by.
"Don't just stand in the way, Midoriya," Katsuki grunted. He and the other two continued to leave the room.
Watching them leave, Izuku looked back to the screen to consider the options.
Izuku thought, "…The second option is obviously wrong; I can't be responsible for a villain escaping. That leaves options one and three…" he raised his hand and hovered over the screen. "The first one says my life will be put in danger…but the third says someone will be attacked by a villain…however, a hero will show up to save them…"
Izuku wanted to spare whoever would be attacked later and choose option one. However, there would be a hero who saves them. Meanwhile, in the option targeting him, he did not see such a guarantee. His fate would change? He questioned what this meant. He thought back to the first screen he saw claiming he was 'popular in the omniverse'. However, his doubts began to set in. What if it was just a joke? What if he really was just hallucinating? Most importantly, what sort of hidden effects would happen as a result…
Unsure of what to do, Izuku decided to rely on and put his faith in heroes and chose the third option.
[Events have deviated from their original path. A moment that would forever change your future may not take place. Choose a course of action:]
[After leaving school, you will have a life-threatening experience that forever changes your fate. Obtain the ultimate legacy of this world and no longer become a Quirkless Hero.]
[Soon, a villain being pursued by a hero will escape capture and go into hiding. They will then undergo a bizarre mutation granting them great power.]
[Later today, someone will be attacked by a villain and a true hero will come to save them. Events will begin to diverge from canon - a subtle shift, a missed but not lost opportunity that could have untold changes.]
Reading over the added text, Izuku felt even more indecisive over his decision. Ultimate legacy? What did this mean and how did it relate to him having to give up on becoming a hero? Furthermore, he felt incredibly concerned over what the third said about missing but not losing an opportunity. He decided to put on his backpack and hurry to leave school while focusing on the solace that he did not choose option two - abetting in the escape of a villain and somehow making them stronger.
As he left the building, Izuku paused for a moment. Still feeling guilty that someone would be attacked - even if he had faith a hero would save them - because of him, he decided to take a detour. He instead headed toward Tatooin Station to do some shopping in the hope some hero merchandise would settle his nerves.
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Izuku had been milling about the station for a little while, but nothing had caught his eye. He could not stop thinking about how he had effectively unleashed a villain on someone. No matter how he looked at it, they were going to be attacked because of him. What's more, the more he thought about it, the more he considered how badly things could go.
The victim would be saved, but they might not be unharmed. What if other people got caught up in whatever would happen? No matter how he tried to assure himself that this 'true hero' would be able to handle whatever would happen, these thoughts continued to writhe within him.
Izuku stopped walking. "What am I doing," he thought. "This system…If it really is real and this isn't all just some dream or hallucination, then…Why me? There's no way I'm actually popular. Even if it's all true, what right do I have to make these decisions. I changed Kacchan and everyone else…"
Suddenly, an explosion jarred Izuku from his spiraling thoughts. He looked to see smoke rising nearby. Perking up some, he began to step forward saying, "A villain!? I wonder who'll-" But he stopped himself.
Izuku's instinctive impulse was to go see what heroes would arrive on the scene. But it occurred to him that this might be the villain he let attack someone. He swallowed heavily and hesitated. Could he do it? Bear witness to what he had done? "There's no avoiding it is there," he thought. "I'm responsible for this. I could have stopped it, but…Whatever happens is my fault."
Screams were heard, and Izuku began running toward the scene.
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Arriving at the scene, Izuku saw a crowd of people surrounding what seemed to be a street enveloped in smoke and fire.
Although his mind felt paralyzed by fear and guilt, Izuku subconsciously moved closer to the scene. He saw heroes he knew standing between the crowd of civilians and whatever was happening.
Death Arms from the incident that morning stood in the center. He had a head of messy white hair held back by a metal forehead guard with a design resembling yellow and black traffic lines. He had a thick neck and prominent, strong jawline. He cast an imposing image that inspired safety due to his large, muscular physique. He wore a long-sleeved top or jacket that left his midriff and chiseled eight-pack exposed and blue jeans. In a similar style as his forehead protector, he wore a chest-plate, belt, and thick gloves that almost reached his elbows.
Kamui Woods was present but had to stay back due to the fire - instead using his extendable limbs to pull out people unable to escape from the chaos.
Mt. Lady was at the end of the street unable to enter due to the road being too narrow.
Izuku could hear Pro Hero Backdraft somewhere asking where the firefighters were as he worked to hold back the fire himself.
There were two or three other heroes present, but Izuku was not able to put a name at the moment as his attention was elsewhere.
Izuku looked past Death Arms to see a mass of writhing liquid that seemed responsible for all this. Furthermore, he could see someone struggling in the grasp of that mass. He clutched his chest as he began taking deep breaths.
"This is my fault," Izuku internally panicked. "I did this. If I'd just picked a different option, none of this would be happening!!" He began frantically looking around at the heroes present. "Why isn't anyone doing anything? A 'true hero' is supposed to save them, so why aren't the heroes saving then!?"
Izuku could hear the people around him asking the same question and being told of the hostage situation. However, he did not care. The only thing on his mind was the guilt he felt for causing this situation and pleading for someone to end this.
Then, a thought occurred to Izuku. Remembering the option he chose, it said a true hero would arrive to save the victim; not that the victim would be saved. Coming to the idea that the option was no better than the first and only that someone else had become a victim. Feeling sick and covering his mouth, he thought, "What have I done? This- I…I have to do something!"
Suddenly a screen appeared before Izuku.
Desire Decision
[Someone is in trouble. Will you save them?]
[Yes]
[No]
Izuku hesitated at the options before him. He wanted to hit [Yes] and save them, but he was paralyzed by doubt and fear he would make the wrong choice. A conversation in the crowd then got his attention.
"Hey, that villain…isn't it the one All Might was chasing?"
"All Might!? No way! He's really here!?"
"Yeah, I saw him earlier."
"Then what's All Might doing now!?"
Hearing this, Izuku looked up - his face a mix of horror, despair, and the slightest trace of hope. "All Might's in town…It…It must be him. He's the true hero who's supposed to show up. He'll definitely save the victim. J-Just hang in there…I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I'm sure he'll be here soon. So please…"
Izuku began to move his hand toward the option to refuse to intervene. He continued to offer his apologies to the victim and looked toward them. Then, he saw it. They had managed to turn toward the crowd with a look pleading for help. The victim was Bakugo Katsuki. Izuku's breath hitched.
Absently selecting the option to save Katsuki, Izuku had already slipped passed the crowd and heroes and was rushing in. "Kacchan," he yelled out.
[Someone is in trouble. Will you save them?]
[Yes, how can I hope to be a hero if I refuse to help? Touching the villain will render them unable to move.]
[No, I am not a hero and have no place trying to be. Unfortunately, the victim will not be able to hold out and will die.]
Izuku barely registered the screen as the words changed and a pulse was released before it vanished.
"Who's this brat," the villain demanded in a gurgling voice.
Weakly, Katsuki said, "Deku."
As Izuku neared, the villain reared back one of his large hands to smash him. "You're dead," he yelled.
"What do I do," Izuku internally panicked. "What do I do!? At a time like this…" Izuku then remembered his notes on Kamui Woods. "Page 25!!"
Ducking under the villain's attempt to swipe at him, Izuku also spun around to slip off his backpack and hurl it toward the villain's face. This caused the villain to reel back - giving Izuku an opening to get to Katsuki and allowing for Katsuki to pull his face free to breath.
Seeing Izuku reaching out to try saving his victim, the villain scoffed. "Nice try kid, but my body's fluid," he internally mocked. However, the villain gasped as he suddenly found himself immobile when Izuku touched him.
Izuku plunged his hands into the villain's mass. Though thick, he was met without resistance and was able to grab Katsuki by his school uniform. The villain was unable to keep hold of Katsuki and Izuku was able to pull him - albeit slowly - from the villain's body.
However, once Izuku was no longer in contact with the villain, he was able to move again. "Why you," he yelled in outrage as he collected himself and readied to attack.
Katsuki was still coughing from having just been freed from the villain's suffocating him, and Izuku had no idea what to do now as the villain took another swing at them.
Suddenly a pair of branch-like limbs wrapped around both boys and pulled them to safety back behind the police line. Once they were out of the way, the heroes were able to rush in to confront the villain.
Once he had finished coughing and was able to speak, Katsuki demanded in a strained voice, "What the hell were you thinking, you idiot!?"
Breathing heavily from the adrenaline, Izuku thought about the question. Why had he rushed in? Because it was his fault and he needed to make up for it somehow? Because the decision system had given him a way to do something to help? "No," he concluded, "I wasn't thinking about any of that. In that moment…"
"My legs," Izuku said aloud, "they just started moving." He turned to Katsuki with a shaky smile. "Kacchan, you looked like you needed help."
Katsuki's expression then twisted and he gritted his teeth. He then looked away and scoffed, "You're lucky you didn't get killed."
Izuku nodded sadly, "Yeah."
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The incident was resolved. Without Katsuki fighting back and setting off explosions with his Quirk - Explosion -, the heroes were able to detain the villain and put out the fires. Afterwards, Katsuki was praised for his bravery and tenacity - even being offered sidekick positions after becoming a hero. On the other hand, Izuku was chastised due to his recklessness, but he was commended for saving the victim. Once everything was done and the paramedics were able to look over the two, they were allowed to go.
Izuku had retrieved his backpack and was tiredly walking home under the setting sun when he heard someone behind him.
"Deku!!"
Izuku turned to see Katsuki running after him. "Kacchan," he uttered questioningly.
"De- Midoriya…," Katsuki breathed heavily with his head down. "Don't get the wrong idea! I was doing fine on my own! Got that," he then raised his frustrated gaze to meet Izuku's. "I wasn't asking for someone to save me - least of all a Quirkless nobody who would just get themselves killed. I could've beaten him on my own, so don't think you can look down on me! Got that!!?"
"Did he really come here just to say that," Izuku thought wearily. "So much for the two of us being friends again."
Izuku smiled sadly. "Yeah, I know Kacchan. I got it."
Katsuki started to turn as he barked, "You better. I would've been fine without you. But…," his tone then became more subdued and quiet, "thanks anyway, I guess." He then fully turned away and started stomping away - leaving Izuku in a daze.
Izuku watched Katsuki leave with a dumbfounded, disbelieving expression. "Did Kacchan just…thank me!!?"
It took several moments for the mop-headed boy to process this. Even then, he was still left in a daze as he began continuing to walk home.
It was not until he was greeted by his mother that Izuku snapped out of his shock.
"Oh! Izuku, you're home late. Did something happen, sweetie?"
"Huh, oh, uh, no," he replied. Choosing to not tell her what happened to avoid worrying her, he explained, "I just went to look for some new hero merch and there was a villain attack. I got caught up in seeing which heroes would show up."
Inko looked at her son worriedly. "I know you love heroes, but please, promise me you'll be careful. What would happen if one of those villains slipped past the heroes and attacked you? I don't think I could handle it if anything happened to you."
Unable to look his mother in the eye, Izuku chuckled nervously, "I promise I'll be careful."
Inko became concerned. "Izuku, are you sure you're okay? You're acting strangely."
"Y-Yeah," Izuku replied with his palms raised defensively. "It," he sighed. "It's just been a long day and I'm looking forward to getting to bed."
Inko did not look convinced. "Alright, honey, dinner will be ready soon, though. Will you be having any or do you want me to put it in the fridge for you?"
"I'll eat," Izuku answered before shuffling off to his room.
Closing the door behind him, Izuku flopped onto his bed. Placing his arm over his eyes, he began to think, "The system…Kacchan was attacked and almost died because I made a wrong choice. But, it's only because of the system that I was able to save him…I don't know what to think. I wish there was a way I could know more about what I'm deciding…"
Letting out a sigh Izuku moved his arm from over his eyes and was surprised to find a screen hovering in front of his face. Despite his exhaustion, he read.
Desire Decision
[Your past decisions have left you wanting to know more about the world around you. Do you wish to gain knowledge of events as they were supposed to unfold?]
[Yes]
[No]
Izuku stared at the screen as he processed what it said. Not seeing anything wrong or how it could backfire, he accepted.
[Your past decisions have left you wanting to know more about the world around you. Do you wish to gain knowledge of events as they were supposed to unfold?]
[Yes, I wish to gain access to canon knowledge. An application has been loaded onto your phone and computer that will allow you to view canon events as they were meant to unfold without the system's interference.]
[No, I do not want access to canon knowledge. Nothing around you will be how it is supposed to be. What should happen will not happen or become twisted in an unexpected direction to leave everyone guessing.]
Blinking at the added text, Izuku fished around his pocket to pull out his phone. Opening it, he browsed the screen and found there was in fact a new app. It was a stylized capital 'M', 'H', and 'A' in red, yellow, and blue colors. He opened the app and found it opened straight to a yellow screen with a column of slots. The top three slots each had a video to play while all the rest only had dates with the fourth slot labeled as 'February 25th'.
Izuku closed the app deciding to wait until after dinner to watch them and see what this all entailed.
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Three hours later, a scream was heard as Izuku finished watching the last episode.
"EHHHHHHHH!!!"
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Next Time:
Okay, I had planned to get chapters 2-5 out this week. It's not going to happen, but it occurs to me that it's kind of a dick move on my part to ask for reader impute while already deciding what decision is going to be made. I'm going to justify it by saying it was a tie of one-to-one and I chose the one I voted for. Sorry to JohnnyK who voted for Izuku to remain All Might's successor and thank you for the comment. I promise, as an apology, Izuku will become All Might's successor later but it will happen a little differently from the anime.
The episodes Izuku is given access to are based on the manga chapters and not the anime, so what he sees is based on that. (Episode 3 = Chapter 3)
In the meantime, here is the decisions for next chapter to be released in two-to-three weeks from now:
Random Decision:
[A key aspect of life is love and connections with others. Please choose a course of action:]
[You are an adorable cinnamon roll who earns the affection of those around you.]
[You are a plain-looking nobody who questions why anyone would be interested in you.]
Goal Decision:
[You are working hard toward your dream, but there is only so far you can go without proper guidance. Choose a mentor:]
[Kekashi Hatake, become a ninja]
[Kisuke Urahara, delve into the world of souls and hollows]
[Silvers Reighley, learn the power of kings]
[Biscuit Kruger, learn the meaning of Nen]
[Gojo Satoru, become a jujutsu sorcerer]
[Genkai, delve into the world of psychics and apparitions]
[Master Roshi, learn Turtle School marital arts]
[Izumi Curtis, learn the science of alchemy]
[Dante Vale and chat, become a dungeon crawler] (Evil Pokemon AU + Huntik)
[Steven Rogers, delve into the secret world of heroes]
[Tommy Oliver, become the first in a new line of heroes]
[Anna Koyama, delve into the world of shaman and spirits]
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