by thecuriouscatisback
Summary
"The only thing Izuku Midoriya ever wanted in life was to be a hero. What he didn't expect, however, was for the universe to grant him that wish in the most roundabout way possible. It was almost comical, really, how he became the most powerful being in existence instead."
Izuku grew up quirkless and bullied his entire life until he found himself barely hanging on by a thread. He wanted to give up, but he wanted to be a hero even more. He wanted to hate the world the way villains did, but he just didn't have it in him.
That attitude apparently inspired the angels of heaven who were scouting for a new god. Now blessed with the power to do literally anything he puts his mind to, Izuku starts his journey to become the world's greatest hero. If only it wasn't so hard to hide his powers or deal with the moral dilemmas and mental breakdowns that came with his new title.
And just who is this mysterious evil lurking behind the scenes? Surely they pose no threat to a god, right?
COMPLETE
Notes
Hello hello!
This is the first fanfic that I've ever posted, and wow am I excited to finally be posting this. I have a couple of chapters pre-written already, and I have no idea what my schedule is going to look like (edit: it's a new chapter every Monday), but I have way too many ideas for this story!
I love AUs where Izuku has a quirk and/or is super overpowered, as well as some good old hurt/comfort fluff and found family, so be sure to expect some of that! This story will be very long, I can already tell.
Please note some *Trigger Warnings* for this story, though I would genuinely say they're barely touched on and mostly just implied:
-talks of suicide and suicidal thoughts
-talks of abuse (verbal and physical)
-talks of sexual assaults (nothing explicit and only briefly mentioned in certain parts)
I think that should be all regarding potential triggers, but please let me know if I've missed any and I'll add them to the list as soon as I can. I might add some more as the story progresses, but most chapters should include no more than canon-typical violence, if any. Stay safe!
And without further ado, I hope you enjoy!
Inspired by (OLD, ABANDONED VER) The highest achievement by AMothNamedTsu
Thou shalt be found
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
The only thing Izuku Midoriya ever wanted in life was to be a hero. What he didn't expect, however, was for the universe to grant him that wish in the most roundabout way possible. It was almost comical, really, how he became the most powerful being in existence instead.
It all started with a normal day at school. He rarely went a day without his childhood friend-turned-bully Katsuki Bakugou and his crew tormenting him when the teachers weren't looking – although, frankly, they often were and just didn't do anything about it.
You see, Izuku was quirkless. In a world where 80% of the population had some kind of superhuman abilities, called quirks, being quirkless was practically a death sentence. You were worthless, you had no value, and you were treated as such. It was an unspoken rule that quirkless people took their own lives before even turning 18.
14-year-old Izuku was no exception. He'd actually lasted longer than average. His own mother loved him dearly, but even she had doubts that he would amount to much in life. She feared that one day he just wouldn't come home, only to be found with a cracked skull next to a high-rise building. It haunted her, but she didn't lie to herself either. It was a cursed existence for mother and son alike.
And this is how, once again, Izuku found himself on the floor of his classroom, helplessly watching Bakugou explode his newest Hero Analysis notebook, which promptly landed outside in the water, the Koi fish already attempting to eat it.
"Do you seriously think you could ever become a hero, stupid Deku?!" Bakugou snarled, seemingly more pissed off than usual that day. "I'm the only one who's gonna be a hero around here, you got that?!"
"K-Kacchan…"
He forcefully grabbed his victim off the ground by his arm and pushed him against the wall. Izuku winced and didn't dare look his tormenter in the eye. After years of going through the same routine, he quickly learned that the easiest way out of it was to stay quiet and compliant. That usually resulted in the fewest bruises and burns.
He wasn't lucky that day, however. Bakugou placed his arm on Izuku's shoulder and, while grinning like a maniac, started activating his explosion quirk. The black uniform quickly burned away, exposing the pale flesh underneath to a similar fate. Izuku barely stifled a pained scream as his skin was literally burning away. The smell was traumatising.
Before he could even begin to wonder if maybe screaming would make Bakugou stop sooner, he was released from his pinned position, and promptly collapsed to the floor once more. His tears were flowing freely now, and he clutched his arm and gritted his teeth in a desperate attempt to make the pain go away. He nearly touched his new wound, which made him hiss in agony.
Bakugou and his lackeys on the other hand were howling in laughter, the former practically glowing with pride as the latter showered him with motivational cheer.
"Ha! Look at him! He's so scared!"
"This is what you get for thinking you can be a hero, you freak of nature!"
Finally, Bakugou lifted his foot and kicked the boy in his stomach with vigour, earning him a pained groan. "Oi, Deku," he spat. "You're tired of this, aren't you? Why do you even show up anymore?"
Izuku, still clutching his arm and barely listening at this point, found his hair being yanked upwards. With another yelp, he found himself looking straight at Bakugou's face. Bakugou, in turn, sneered at him, before chuckling.
"I have the perfect solution for you! Take a swan dive off the roof and pray for a better quirk in the next life!"
And with that, it was over. He was finally left alone.
He stayed on the ground for a while to catch his breath. He honestly just wanted to fall asleep and never wake up, but he figured his classroom wasn't the best place for that. Besides, his mum would worry. Well, not like she didn't already.
Finally managing to stand up on shaking legs, he went to grab his yellow bag, which was thankfully left alone for once. He reached into the secret pocket at the back and took some pain meds for some much-needed relief. How on Earth he hadn't developed some kind of immunity to his pain meds was a mystery to him.
Now outside the school, he wondered what he should do. He needed to treat his practically still smouldering shoulder, but he didn't want to go home yet. His mother would be starting her shift in about two hours, so he had some time to kill. He sent her a quick text that he was going to a café to study, which she seemed to accept.
With that out of the way, Izuku quickly made his way to a spot he knew would be safe. It was hidden, and he could have a breakdown in peace. He couldn't do that yet, so he was still operating on autopilot. With his bag slung over only one of his shoulders, he made his way to one of the taller buildings in the neighbourhood.
It was an old building from the pre-quirk era which had fallen into disuse. He knew it would be torn down eventually – he kept his eye on any news so he wouldn't find himself on a crumbling building one day – but for now, it was safe. No cameras, no people. And most importantly – an epic roof.
He'd found this place a while ago and promptly made it his hideaway. He only used a hidden corner of the roof so at to not attract any attention – one of the many habits he'd picked up at school apparently. Some furniture was placed around and the various old blankets and fairy lights he'd brought here made it a cosy rooftop paradise. For a finishing touch, he brought some of the plants upstairs that had been abandoned in the offices below and brought them back from the brink of death. His kindness was repaid in kind by their presence alone.
With a sigh of relief, Izuku practically collapsed on the couch. He wanted to break down. He wanted to cry. He wanted to scream! And yet his vocal cords failed him. It was stupid, he knew that. There was no one else around that could possibly hear him, but all he could do was to bury his face in a somewhat clean pillow and sob. And sob he did.
He couldn't help but ask himself the same questions over and over again. Why?! Why was this his life? Why did he have to be born quirkless? All he wanted was to be a hero. To help people. To risk his life in an effort to save countless others. It was a noble endeavour, wasn't it? Something only the bravest and most dedicated people out there could do. He was all of those things, so why couldn't he do it? If people wanted him to die so desperately, why couldn't he at least do it in a meaningful way?
In an effort to make up for his disability, Izuku spent his entire life analysing heroes. He analysed their quirks, of course, but also their fighting style and their gear. Over the years he found many heroes that had quirks, but they could hardly be considered flashy, which meant that they basically fought quirkless. Even heroes like Midnight, who could produce sleeping gas from her body, could easily be replaced by simple gas bombs!
But that realisation which once motivated him meant nothing to him now. As Izuku unbuttoned his uniform and started patching up his burn with a first-aid kit he had bought a long time ago, his mind started to wander back to what Bakugou had said.
Take a swan dive off the roof, huh? To think you even know what a swan dive is, Kacchan.
He turned his attention to the fence near him. If he vaulted that and jumped, like his bully had suggested so poetically less than an hour ago, he really could end it all. There was no way he would survive that – even a Deku like him could manage that. But… was that really what he wanted?
His dreams of becoming a hero were becoming more and more elusive. It was a pipe dream at this point. Maybe he really was useless.
Was there anything else that he could see himself doing, though? He considered the support course at one point. It was more realistic, and he was sure he could pick up the skills if he wanted to. If he couldn't help people directly, then his inventions could do so via other heroes!
Ha. As if.
He'd quickly realised that even that was pointless. Everyone in the support industry had amazing quirks too. Technology ones, metal manipulation, you name it. There was no point.
It was the same in other industries. The police, hospitals, literally everywhere there were people who had some kind of quirk to help them.
Quirkless people were useless. That's just how it was.
With his shoulder treated to the best of his abilities and the pain more manageable now, Izuku groggily stood up and made his way over to the fence. He wasn't going to jump, just… look. The height was dizzying, the wind in his hair just adding to the effect. And yet, he felt strangely at peace. Nobody knew he was up there. He was free, albeit momentarily. He could forget about his nightmares, even if just for a moment.
Izuku closed his eyes. He let the wind guide his imagination. He imagined the world and all the places he'd love to see one day. He saw blue waterfalls, green forests, golden desserts, dazzling cities in the night. He swam with dolphins, he flew with birds, he ran with cheetahs. He felt liberated.
Until he opened his eyes again with a sigh.
Letting his imagination run wild and detach himself from reality was one of his favourite coping mechanisms. It offered some reprieve which he desperately craved.
Looking down at the people of Musutafu once more, he thought about society and how it treated him. He should hate it, really. In another life, he was probably a villain at this point, taking out his grief with all he had, to make others suffer as he had. And yet… he couldn't find it in himself to even consider that path.
Izuku always tried to see the best in people. Even if they were obviously mean people, he wanted to be kind. The world doesn't need more villains and punishment. Sure, villains should go to prison, but more needs to be done to prevent that from even happening. Villains wouldn't be a thing if people were treated with kindness and respect. That's why Izuku could understand villains, to a degree. He understood their pain.
His train of thought was interrupted by a loud thump at the other end of the roof. The green-haired boy turned around only to find… All Might?
What is happening?!
Too dumbfounded to believe what he was seeing, Izuku stood there voicelessly. All Might, the number one hero in Japan, had jumped onto his roof. But he was steaming, and the next thing he knew, All Might was replaced by a scrawny blonde man hacking up his lungs.
"All Might?!" Izuku finally shouted as he made his way over to the man. "Is that you? Are you okay, Sir?"
The man in question looked at him like a deer in the headlights. He sighed.
"I'm fine, Kid."
"But, you're clearly injured."
"It's an old injury."
With that, All Might lifted up his shirt to show the boy his nasty scar on the left side of his abdomen. Izuku gasped and put his hands on this mouth.
"You can't go telling anybody about this, you got that, boy? If villains or the public found out about this, there would be chaos. As the Symbol of Peace, I have to keep on fighting."
Izuku hastily nodded.
"Thanks. See you around."
"W-wait!" Izuku stuttered. "Can I ask you something? Please?"
All Might sighed, "Fine. What is it?"
"Can I become a hero even without a quirk?"
All Might didn't answer for a moment. He studied the scrawny boy who had clearly been crying and was sporting an injury.
"No, sorry Kid. You would just be a liability. Maybe become a police officer instead? They always need people. Less recognition, but it's still a noble job. Be realistic."
And with those words, Izuku's world officially shattered.
Izuku couldn't even remember what he said after that, or when All Might left. As the sky turned a dazzling orange and the sun begun to set, he found himself unable to move.
Is this what people feel before they jump?
Slowly, he shifted his feet over to the edge of the roof and looked down. He wanted to jump. Oh, how he wanted to jump. He couldn't take it anymore. The pain, the uselessness, the torment. Seriously, what was he holding on for? The future never looked so bleak.
And yet he couldn't do it, like the coward he was.
He wanted to hate everyone, but he couldn't. He couldn't even hate his worst bully or All Might. Sure, he certainly wasn't his favourite hero anymore. But hate him? Did he? He wasn't sure. He disliked him. He never wanted to see him again. Was that what hate was? He had never felt hate before, it was so foreign to him.
He really was broken, wasn't he? He couldn't ever do things the way literally anyone else would. He couldn't kill himself like other quirkless kids, he couldn't be a hero like people with quirks, nor could he be a villain like others tormented like him.
Oh, what a joke.
Why did the universe decide to play a cruel joke on him like that? Life would be so much easier if he had even the weakest of quirks. Sure, he'd most likely still be bullied, but he wouldn't feel so worthless. Because no matter what quirk you have, you can never be as low as the quirkless are on the social ladder.
And why did his entire being insist on wanting to be a hero, anyway? To help people, when he clearly didn't have the skills or the power to do so? Why didn't Izuku want to be a… an artist? A teacher? Or literally anything else? He couldn't think of any good examples, since even the ones he could think of had plenty of people with matching quirks.
"Why can't I just be a hero?" he asked out loud, not expecting a reply. Except that he did.
"You can."
Huh?
Izuku turned around so quickly it almost gave him whiplash. And what he saw, well, let's just say that he would remember this as the moment where it all began. Where his life changed forever. Where the world changed forever.
Sat in front of him was a creature. It certainly wasn't a creature of this Earth, although in hindsight it could have been an animal with a quirk.
It was a snow fox. Its fur was the purest of whites, and it had some kind of antlers or horns with foliage on its head. Its face, paws and fluffy tail had spots on them in a multitude of different colours, all of which were shining brightly, and its eyes were a brilliant shade of pink. It was majestic, and maybe a little cute, too.
Izuku shook his head. "Did you just speak to me?" he asked.
"I did. I'm happy to finally meet you, Izuku Midoriya."
Again. Huh?
The snow fox chuckled. "I realise you must be quite confused."
"Um, yeah. Do you have a quirk?"
"No, at least not in the way you would think. But it's true that I am more than just a regular snow fox. I have come to find you."
"Find me? Why would you want to find me?"
Izuku, still as dumbfounded as ever, watched as the little creature stood up and jumped up onto one of the crates next to the wall they were standing at. Now that they were a bit closer to eye level with each other, he could better see just how beautiful the fox was. The sun's golden-hour rays added to the picture-perfect sight.
"I have come with an offer for you. And, should you be willing, I am to be your guide. Would you be willing to come with me for a moment? I'll drop you off right back here in no time at all," it said with a smile.
Izuku was mesmerised. It sounded so soft, so kind. It had been a while since anyone had spoken to him like that. Even his mother never spoke with such genuine, positive care anymore.
"Um, okay?"
In hindsight, it was probably kind of weird to just agree to something like that. But as he had just realised, Izuku never really did things as anyone else would. It seemed like accepting offers from random creatures was part of that category now.
The snow fox chuckled again, a bit livelier this time. "Great! Let's get going."
If someone had been watching that roof at that very moment, they would have seen a boy and a fox disappear in an instant, leaving only a few sparkles to twinkle in the sunlight behind. And Izuku Midoriya was no longer on Earth.
Chapter End Notes
And so it begins.
Random little creature: come with me and you can be a hero!
Izuku: damn, they taught us about stranger danger but imma trust you anyway
Next chapter: Izuku meets some angels!
Thanks for reading!
-Curious Cat
Chapter 2: Thou shalt be reborn
Chapter 2: Thou shalt be reborn Summary:
Izuku finds himself in heaven, an audience of angels awaiting his arrival. What could go wrong?
And what's this about a new best friend?
Notes:
Hello hello!
Here's the second chapter! Our favourite green bean is about to make history. Kinda. Heaven doesn't really feature in any history books.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
If someone had been watching that roof at that very moment, they would have seen a boy and a fox disappear in an instant, leaving only a few sparkles to twinkle in the sunlight behind. And Izuku Midoriya was no longer on Earth.
There were many different ways to describe Heaven, otherwise known as the afterlife. Opinions differed across the board, and with no way to prove it, it was one of the great, unsolvable mysteries in life.
Izuku had never really thought much about it, honestly, despite having thought about killing himself more than once. He basically just expected… nothingness. For things to finally be over. Which is why he certainly wasn't exactly believing his eyes at that moment.
He found himself surrounded by vibrant colours. Flowers surrounded him on all sides, and there were small streams of water around, producing one of his favourite soothing sounds. In front of him was a massive willow tree, helpfully blocking out some of the sunlight coming from above. In front of him, meanwhile, was what looked like a round table, where some people sat.
Wait, people?
There was no mistaking it. There were five people sat at the table, some of them talking amongst themselves. They were drinking some kind of beverage, but it was their appearance that was truly striking. Flowing robes in white with gold accessories, in addition to spots of colour in some areas. They all had long hair in different shades, with feathers and leaves that almost looked like crowns or halos.
And speaking of feathers – their wings. They had wings. Massive, powerful, majestic wings.
Angels?
It took him a moment to realise that he was staring because he was nudged in the leg by the creature that had seemingly brought him here.
"Come on Izuku, I'll introduce you to everyone. They've been looking forward to meeting you!"
It took them a minute to reach the table, and when they did, the fox jumped up onto it. The angels, meanwhile, finally turned to look at him. Izuku gulped. He was nervous.
The angels smiled at him, and the one to his left rose and turned to him.
"Midoriya! You made it, we're so glad. You're probably a bit confused, huh?"
Izuku merely nodded in response.
"That's alright, come, please sit."
The only empty seat at the round table was the one in front of him, so he sat down and pulled the chair closer to the table. It was then that the angel on his right spoke up.
"Dear, we're so happy you could join us. We know what a tough day you've had. We're so sorry we couldn't intervene, but it was necessary for us to wait."
"Huh?" was all he could say in response.
"As you've been told, we have an offer for you, but it will undoubtedly be overwhelming for you. And for that, we sincerely apologise. It was yet another necessary element of what has enabled us to make this offer to you."
It was then that the angel across from Izuku spoke up. "We believe it would best to show you first before we do anything else. Would it be alright for us to show you some visions, as you would call them?"
All five angels and the snow fox, who was still sitting in the middle of the table, looked at Izuku for an answer.
What the hell.
"Oh, um, I mean- I guess? Sure."
Great stuttering, idiot.
The fourth angel reached out to him and placed their hand on the table. "It's okay to be nervous, child. Don't talk badly about yourself like that."
"You can read my thoughts?"
"Well, more or less. It's not so much hearing them, rather, we can feel them."
"I... I see."
The fifth angel spoke up then. "So, can we show you everything?"
"Yes," he answered.
And oh, what happened next.
The little fox stood up and moved to sit right in front of Izuku. Then, it lifted up one of its paws and placed it on his chest. He closed his eyes and his mind was flooded with information.
God. The afterlife. Angels. The universe. It was all there. It was all real. Not quite like the bible taught it, however. Heaven and hell weren't separate, ghosts existed, as did reincarnation. But God was real. Had been real.
Had been real?
Oh. He was gone now. The World God decided to retire, for lack of a better word. Or did the universe force him to? It wasn't actually clear. And that led to the current situation. The angels needed a new god. Someone new to rule the heavens and life on Earth. And, apparently, for whatever reason, they wanted Izuku of all people to be their new god.
With a jolt, Izuku awoke. He was panting due to the sheer volume of information his poor human brain was trying to absorb in such a short amount of time.
Well, at least the angels weren't lying. It really was easier for them to just show everything to him like that. It would have taken ages to explain everything otherwise, and even then, he would have had trouble believing them most likely. And yet, for some reason, Izuku found himself believing everything he saw just now with absolute certainty. And Izuku wasn't even religious. How ironic.
He found himself… strangely calm, for once, once he caught his breath. Usually, he would be hyperventilating in a corner right about now, but he was actually at ease and could think clearly.
"That… really was much easier," he finally managed to get out.
The table laughed, but not like Bakugou and everyone else in his life. No, they were laughing with him, not at him. It was a strange feeling, given that he had never before been in that position.
"It's one of the benefits of our powers, you could say. We are not limited by Earthly conventions here."
Izuku turned his attention to the fox, who was the one who had spoken. Pink eyes and colourful fur gleamed back at him.
"So now you know why we brought you here. Your soul is the purest amongst all humans. We needed to let you develop as a regular human for a while, and now that you have, we have come to ask you to take on these cosmic responsibilities."
The first angel spoke up. "Indeed. It can be a lot to take in, but we speak the truth when we say that your soul is in perfect harmony with that which we seek."
Izuku pondered those statements for a moment before speaking up. "How come I'm the one? And how come you needed me to be a human up until now, when all I have lived through was bullying from all sides?"
It wasn't meant to come across as malicious or ungrateful, but thankfully the angels could feel his thoughts and emotions, as it were. The fourth angel decided to be the one to answer.
"We needed you to understand humanity. You see, our previous god was never human to begin with, so he had an objective view on things. But this was too strict, too black and white. His lack of understanding of how complex human life had become and his harsh judgements were the beginning of his end."
The third angel chimed in. "Exactly. If he had lived as a human for even just a year, he would have had a completely different perspective on things, but he refused to even consider such a thing."
The second angel spoke. "Furthermore, dear, it was your reactions to the most beautiful but, more importantly, the most hideous sides of humanity that led us to you. You see, everyone has their own unique way of reacting to positive and negative situations – the latter of which you were unfortunately privy to on a regular basis."
Everyone grimaced, especially Izuku, who averted his gaze for a moment before turning his attention to the fifth angel.
"And yet you, you beautiful thing, you never let hate cloud your heart. You saw through everything. You saw everything that's amazing down on Earth, and as for the ugly… no matter how much you were suffering, you still just wanted to help. Do you have any idea just how extraordinary that is?"
Izuku cocked his head at that. "Uh, no?"
The first angel chuckled. "It's one in a million billion, kid. We've been waiting for you for a long, long time, and it will be a long, long time until someone else even comes close to you."
"You're a miracle."
Izuku stared at the fox, and then the other angel, in complete shock. Sure, he was somehow calm and could think clearly for once in his life, but he was still very much human, and thus very much in shock. They thought he was a miracle? Him?
He then looked at his hands for a moment to think. And yet, did he even have to think about anything, really? He could either accept this proposition and become the new god in town, or he could go back to his regular life, where he would probably kill himself before the end of middle school if he was being perfectly honest. And he always was.
His mind drifted back to the rooftop for a moment, which made him decide to ask a question.
Looking back at the little snow fox, he asked, "When you came to find me, you said that I could be a hero. How can I be a hero and a god at the same time? Wouldn't I have to stay here at all times?"
The fox laughed. "I meant it! You can be a hero! You can be whatever you want to be, Izuku!"
The table of angels laughed at the creature's energetic antics, waiting for it to continue.
"Listen. When we showed you what the previous God did, that was just how he decided to live. He lived on his heavenly throne and rarely interacted with humans, especially towards then end, leaving them to their own devices. But you, Izuku, can live on Earth, or wherever you want! You can live with your mum, go to school, be the best hero this world has ever seen, and still be a god. You can have the power to do anything."
"Oh my God," Izuku exclaimed, the realisation of that statement catching up with him.
"You might want to choose a different phrase there, kid," the third angel chuckled.
It took Izuku a moment before it hit him. "Oh! Gosh, I'm so slow. 'Oh my God', ha, that's actually funny."
He was smiling now, which he only then realised was something he hadn't done all day. Or for a long time, actually. When was the last time he had smiled?
"Of course, there are some rules you need to know about. But it boils down to just two things, really, which is that you can't take away free will, and you can't interfere with death. That means you can't bring people back if they're already in Heaven. Apart from that, you can technically do what you want."
"What would happen if I broke those rules?"
"Well, it's not like you really can, to begin with, actually. But if you did, well, you'd no longer be a god, I suppose," the fourth angel helpfully answered.
He continued, "Apart from that, there are just some guidelines on our behalf. Recommendations, if you will. You should remain neutral when it comes to religious beliefs. You can disagree with their actions, particularly if they harm others, but you shouldn't try to make them believe something else.
"In a similar vein, you also should refrain from revealing your godly status to mortals. It would shatter their perception of existence and warp their final judgements."
"Oh, right, that… yeah, that makes sense," Izuku agreed, a pensive look on his face.
"And a final thing," the second angel quipped. "Prayers are a real thing. You don't have to do anything with them, but if you genuinely want to, then you can consider answering them at your discretion. You probably don't want to go around performing miracles left and right, though, and there are plenty of prayers that should never be answered. After all, you shouldn't kill someone or have everyone win the lottery."
"But, um, can I kill people?" Izuku asked, suddenly nervous. "Not that I want to or anything, of course! But, I mean, it's not the same as taking away free will or anything?"
"Not at all. Think about it this way: As a human, you could kill everyone around you. Sure, they would try to stop you, but there's nothing stopping you from doing it otherwise. But nobody would be able to make decisions for you. You always have your own thoughts and feelings. Even if you were brainwashed, it would be your body that was hijacked, not your spirit. Does that make sense?"
"I think so, thank you."
"I'm glad," the second angel smiled.
With that out of the way, Izuku didn't see any reason why he should say no. He could actually live out his dreams. And as a God, he could actually do more than he could have ever dreamed. Was this what it was like to be blessed?
With tears starting to form in his eyes, he smiled at the table.
"In that case, I gladly accept."
And on that day, Izuku Midoriya became a god.
-x-
He didn't feel any different, actually. He still felt human. The five angels had stood up from the table and guided him to the willow tree which stood proud on the meadow.
They gathered in a circle with Izuku in the middle and closed the circle with their hands. The little fox, meanwhile, jumped up into Izuku's outstretched hands. Izuku closed in eyes in anticipation as the fox placed a paw on Izuku's chest, right where his heart was beating.
All of a sudden, the wind picked up, and Izuku felt a warm presence flowing around him. This feels right, he thought. His instinct was telling him that he was home. He'd missed that feeling; he hadn't felt it since he was four.
The next thing he knew, the flow of warm energy around him faded him. And while he still felt like himself, it took him a moment to realise that, actually, he really wasn't.
His torn middle school uniform was gone and instead, he found himself wearing a robe similar to those of the other angels. It had an ancient Greek vibe to it, but with the vibrant, shimmering colours, it felt like so much more. Like it had some cosmic flare added to it.
But the biggest change of all was the added weight on his back which definitely hadn't been there before, along with bones and muscles and feathers. He had wings! Two glorious, majestic wings tentatively spread out behind him. They were white, a little bit of green towards the tips, with a faint gold shimmer to complete the look, and they were very large.
He reached up to his head and felt leaves, flowers and some more golden accessories, which he assumed looked similar to the other angels. It mimicked a crown or even a halo of sorts. His face probably changed slightly too, if the colourful spots on the others' faces were anything to go by.
Speaking of which, what the angels did next surprised him. They disbanded from the circle they had formed around him and moved to stand in a line in front of him, their encouraging smiles never leaving their faces. And then, they kneeled.
The angels of the heavens kneeled before their new god.
Izuku, in turn, let his wings expand fully, letting them shimmer and granting him a regal presence. And then he bowed. While most leaders would never dare bow to everyone, Izuku was, once again, different from everyone else. He did things his way, in every sense of the word. And if he was going to have these angels support and effectively serve him, then he was going to show his appreciation in the way his upbringing taught him.
"I look forward to working with you all," he smiled.
The angels and the snow fox smiled back at him. This was the start of a new era.
The little creature met his gaze. "And we look forward to working with you even more, Izuku!"
The angel to his right caught his attention. "By the way, is there a new name you would like us to call you from now on?"
Izuku pondered that question for a moment. He had always been Izuku, and he never expected to be called anything else, really. Sure, there was Deku, but he wasn't about to ask someone else to call him that when it was an insult.
"No, I don't think so. Maybe one day. For now, though, I'll happily go by what my mother named me. But you can forget about Midoriya. I like Izuku, if you'll accept that."
"Of course, with pleasure".
Now it was the third angel's turn to speak up. "Now, we think you probably want to go home. Your new companion will show you the way."
"Companion?"
"Me, of course!" the fox squealed. "I was created to be your companion. My purpose is to show you the way and give you advice whenever you need it."
Now that made Izuku happy. "So, what I'm hearing is that you're going to be my new best friend?"
The fox's eyes lit up and its entire body jumped around. "Yay! I can't wait!"
With that, it jumped up into Izuku's arms and snuggled into his chest.
So soft.
"By the way, what's your name? And everyone else's, for that matter?"
"You can find out everyone's names later, but as for me, I don't have a name yet! Since I was created to help you, it's up to you to give me a name. Have anything in mind?"
"Oh! Hm, let me think…"
He wasn't prepared for this! How was he supposed to come up with a name at a moment's notice? Sure, he could say something random, but he didn't want something boring or unsuitable. However, the more he thought about it, the more he realised he actually had a name in mind already, which was odd. But he liked it, so he figured it would do.
"How do you like Kimiko?"
"Kimiko? I like it!" Kimiko nuzzled her snout into Izuku's neck, giving him a hug in the best way she could. "Thank you, Izuku. I will treasure my name forever."
Izuku's heart swelled with emotions he never knew he could feel as he hugged his new friend back. This truly was the beginning of something new, wasn't it?
"How about I take you back now, Izuku. You have the power yourself, of course, but you must be emotionally exhausted by now. You literally have all the time in the universe to figure everything else out."
"Yeah, I think I'd like to go home now too," Izuku replied. "I guess I'll be seeing everyone again soon?"
The fifth angel stepped forward. "Of course. But as Kimiko said, you have time. You have no obligation to come back here if you don't want to, although the opposite is true as well. You may live your life however you see fit from now on. But we know you will do great things," they said with a wink.
"I will do my best!" Izuku declared. And for the first time in his life, he knew those words actually had meaning. He was going to do some amazing things, and he couldn't wait.
I can be a hero!
Notes:
Angels: We want you to be our new God.
Izuku: Mkay.
Angels: Really?
Izuku: Do I look like I've got something better to do?
Kimiko: Friend!
The cute little fox gets a name! She's my baby and I love her.
Much like how Izuku just accepted One for All in canon without even sleeping on it, I would imagine he would accept literal divine powers without much thought either. As he said, he really didn't have much going for him in life.
As for why he's not freaking out even just a tiny bit? Well... that's venturing into spoiler territory!
In the next chapter, Izuku is back on Earth. But wait, what happened to dear old Kacchan on his way home?
Thanks for reading!