Walking through the streets full of all kinds of people, Izuku headed towards Tagoba Beach. Once clean and picturesque, it had long ago become a dumping ground. The soft, warm sand was now strewn with small trash and debris. Mountains of waste towered like a monument to human laziness. Venom, unaware of the many intricacies of life, asked a logical question - typical of a child:
- With quirks ranging from changing hair color to controlling atoms, can't people just clean up after themselves?
Izuku wondered the same thing. After a few articles on the internet, he found out that Tagoba Beach was once owned by a private individual. The owner had died eight years ago, and since then, it had become nearly impossible to clean up the trash - requiring seven circles of bureaucratic hell. No one wanted to waste time or money dealing with this hated process - not just in Japan, but all over the world.
The streets were clean - no trash, no plastic bottles. The smell of fried food and sweets beckoned not only to Venom, but to Izuku himself. The temptation to stop and eat something delicious was great, but that wasn't why they had left the house. Venom hissed quietly in his head, trying to convince him to buy something fatty or sweet.
- No, Andy, we have to go.
Izuku had a backpack with food and a change of clothes on his back, just in case he got dirty while cleaning up. There were police and heroes patrolling the streets, which wasn't surprising: the news kept talking about increased security measures. This made it very difficult for him to act unofficially as a hero.
Quickening his step, Izuku quickly made his way to the beach. Mountains of trash towered before him, from plastic waste to car parts that exuded the rotten smell of rubber and metal. The waves, as always, lazily rolled in. Surprisingly, the beach was empty-except for a strange figure digging through a pile of trash. It was hard to tell if it was a guy or a girl.
- Who was it?
The figure was trying to pull an old microwave out of the ground, but to no avail - it didn't have enough strength. Izuku smiled and decided to approach, hopping from foot to foot. Placing his backpack on the ground, he made his way towards his potential cleaning partner. The stranger was dressed in black baggy clothes, with pink dreadlocks sticking out from underneath. She - as it turned out, it was a girl - was amusing to watch. Her effort was clearly not enough to get the microwave out. From her voice and appearance, she was about the same age as him. Stepping closer, Izuku coughed into his fist, smiling:
- Ahem- Ahem... Hi!
She turned around, removing the mask and strange glasses that resembled a steampunk style from her face. She was pretty, but looked at him with suspicion, as if he'd been watching her the whole time. Ignoring his presence, she continued to struggle with the stuck machinery.
Finally, tired of being ignored, Izuku stepped closer:
- Can I help you?
He tried to keep a friendly tone and approached, ready to assist.
- Then why did you come here? - She snapped at him, clearly annoyed. She'd been trying to get the microwave out for about half an hour now - the one she needed to assemble her inventions.
Shrugging his shoulders, Izuku clutched the casing with his hands and applied all his strength. He succeeded - but he damaged a few parts along with it. The girl watching this was clearly not pleased.
- What are you, a crooked hand?! - she shouted irritably, leaping closer and snatching up the mangled microwave. For her, this beach was a treasure trove of surprises - you never knew what you'd find among the junk.
- It took me almost an hour to dig it out, and you ruined it!
Izuku recoiled, raising his hands in a conciliatory gesture.
- I'm sorry... I didn't realize it was important. I thought it was just trash...
The girl rolled her eyes. He was a stranger to her, appearing out of nowhere. No one had ever come here before. And then suddenly, out of nowhere, a green-haired guy.
- Trash to you, details to me! - she shook the dirt off her gloves. - What's the point of helping if you don't know what you're doing?
- I... I just wanted to help," Izuku replied quietly, feeling the internal tension building up. Venom inwardly already noted that he liked the girl. Despite her baggy clothes, her face was attractive. Her yellow eyes with their unusual crossed pupils widened and narrowed as she spoke.
- I'm here to clean up, too. I'm not a hero... just... doing what I can.
The girl hummed and glared at him. She had seen heroes and enthusiasts come here more than once, loudly promising to clean up the beach in a day - but it never came to action. Everyone was just showing off for the cameras.
- So you're the "just doing what you can" type. That's great. Do you have a name?
Izuku perked up a bit and smiled:
- Midoriya. Izuku Midoriya.
- Hatsume. Mei Hatsume. I'm from middle school," she replied, taking out a wrench and starting to take apart the microwave. Unlike many teenagers, she was adventurous and obsessed with inventions.
- Why do you want Hatsume's details? - He asked. She wanted to call him by his name, but she'd forgotten it. She tried to remember at least one thing: green hair, freckles, and eyes of the same color.
- What kind of stupid question was that? For inventions, of course, green head," she snorted.
The venom hissed. Its host had a name. She didn't even bother to ask for a last name, treating him with disdain. But Izuku didn't let the symbiote loose - he shouldn't have made a fool of himself over it.
Finding nothing of value, he turned around, deciding to leave her alone with her problems. He had better things to do than waste time talking to a stranger.
- Wait!" a loud shout made him turn around. He looked at her in surprise.
- This microwave is useless because of your crooked hands. Find me something better," she demanded.
Unaccustomed to being obeyed, Izuku only shrugged.
- If I do, I'll let you know. But don't rely on me too much.
Leaving her behind, he walked back to the beginning of the beach, to where there was almost no trash. His boots made indentations in the smooth sand. Crunching his fingers, he started picking up the junk.
- Hey, where are we going to put all this trash later? Just leave the sorted stuff on the beach? - Venom inquired.
Izuku, ready for that question, only grinned.
- If we pile everything at the entrance, next to the road, social services will clean it up and send it for recycling.
Venom didn't answer anything, only hummed quietly.
Izuku walked leisurely along the littered shore. His breathing was steady, but his body felt the strain. He approached each pile of trash as a training phase. Plastic, metal, chairs, motors, car wheels-all of it was not just trash, but equipment for strength and endurance.
He crouched down, keeping his back straight, and lifted a heavy sheet of metal, slick with moisture. His muscles tensed, sweat dripping from his forehead, his shirt sticking to his body. He carried the sheet over to the dumpster by the road, where there were already neat stacks.
- Are you seriously going to carry junk around every day? - Venom whispered snidely. - Maybe you're a masochist?
- I train for strength... You said it yourself: the more I train, the stronger we are. Enemies will only get stronger," Izuku replied mentally.
He walked over to an old washing machine, partially buried under sand and a concrete block. Taking a breath, he began to rock it. He could use the power of Venom, but then victory wouldn't be his. He wanted every muscle to ache, every second to make sense.
The metal creaked. The palms of his hands trembled. Finally the car yielded. He set it on the ground and straightened up, breathing hard. His body ached and his heart pounded, but his face remained focused.
He found a cart and began sorting plastic and aluminum as he read on the Real Heroes forum, a community of those who helped people without a license, without cameras, without praise.
The sun was slipping toward the horizon, the sky turning orange. The sea brought a chill, overpowering the smell of garbage.
- You do realize that no one will appreciate this. Not the heroes, not the regular people. They don't care.
- But not me," Izuku whispered, looking at his dirty, scratched hands. He continued until he had cleared at least this stretch of beach. Each bag he took out was like a challenge to himself: he was worthy of more than pity.
A figure flashed on the horizon. Hatsume was still rummaging through the junk. She looked at Izuku - his hands busy, his forehead in sweat, his movements confident. Something resembling respect flashed in her gaze for the first time.
The first day of cleaning didn't mean much to her, but she appreciated those who backed up their words with action. It was an approach that appealed to her pragmatic nature.
When darkness fell, Izuku was the first to leave, followed by Mei, leaving the dump until the next day.
School
Sitting at his desk, Izuku waited for Fuyumi to arrive. Until she showed up, all he had to do was listen to the gossip of his classmates and his alien "neighbor".
- If we want to be heroes, we have to work in the shadows," Venom whispered.
Izuku pecked his nose in exhaustion: after only six hours of sleep, he couldn't stand the monotonous lessons.
- Have you seen how many heroes are on the streets? We need to change tactics.
Venom adjusted to the host, trying to think alike. He had noticed that people liked those who looked like them, and it didn't surprise him. What was strange was how calmly Izuku took it.
- We can attack from the shadows, knocking out enemies quickly and silently. But we need to give up swinging on tentacles. It's better to jump on rooftops, carefully.
The tentacles were useful in both combat and mobility, but now it was up to Izuku for their freedom.
- Did you hear that? The new girl might be a foreigner!
- Yeah, she speaks Japanese! That's so cool!
- Imagine if she's from America!
- You think she's heteromorphic?
- Yay, I can practice my English!
While the girls were making plans, the guys were discussing their own.
- Do you think she's pretty?
- I don't know... But if she's smart, I'll keep an eye on her.
- A foreigner doesn't belong here. This is outrageous.
Izuku, lying on his desk, heard the whole thing half-heartedly. To his surprise, the bullying became less and less. Once he used to hide from bullies, trying to be invisible. Now when they saw him, they did nothing.
- 'That's a credit to Fuyumi-san,' he thought with a smile. He admired her. She had changed the atmosphere in the classroom by using gentleness rather than force. The previous teachers didn't care, but with her, the school became calmer.
- We should thank her after graduation..." Venom grinned. Izuku usually brought her food to thank her, and the symbiote thought it was funny.
- I hope you get her something other than food," Venom said snidely.
Izuku instantly opened his eyes at the thought - that would be the most ridiculous gift ever.
- What could I possibly get her? She's from a rich family, she has everything...
Venom grinned evilly, issuing another 'genius' option.
- Well... you can give her your virginity.
Izuku nearly jumped on the spot. His cheeks flared and he coughed, trying to suppress a sudden wave of shame.
"What are you talking about!" - he mentally shouted, leaning over his notebook and pretending to take careful notes.
"You asked, I answered. It's a rare, valuable gift, after all. And you obviously care about her," Venom smirked, enjoying the young host's reaction.
"You don't understand anything... That's not how it works. I respect him as a teacher and..." - muttered Izuku, burying his face in his palms. His thoughts were getting confused. He knew that Venom often said provocative things to test him, but sometimes got too precise.
At that time, a girl with golden hair passed by outside the window, and the conversations in the classroom immediately quieted down. The students at the window began to whisper:
- Is that her?
- Yeah, that's right, a foreigner.
- Wow, she has style...
- Do you think she'll be in our class?
Izuku took a glimpse of her. He saw something strangely familiar in her eyes, the same slight aloofness he felt every day. He didn't know who she was, but his gut told him she was different.
The door to the classroom creaked open, and Fuyumi entered the room with a folder in her hands. Her stern but warm gaze slid over the rows and lingered on Izuku. He straightened up, hiding the remnants of sleepiness.
- Good morning, class. We have a small announcement today," she said, walking over to the blackboard and placing the folder on the desk.
The whispers increased. Everyone was expecting something unusual. Even Venom froze inside, as if anticipating the change.
- A new student would be joining us. She has just recently arrived from abroad and will be studying with us for the rest of the school year. Please be polite and open," she nodded towards the door and it opened again.
A slender, tall girl with long yellow hair down to her elbows entered the classroom. Her skin was slightly lighter than usual, making her stand out from the rest of the class. Round glasses hid sky blue eyes. She wore the standard school uniform: black skirt below the knees, black shirt and tie.
- Class, meet your new classmate, Melissa Shield. Please take care of her," Fuyumi added with a bright smile.
Izuku held his gaze on her as well. She was undeniably beautiful, but noticing how nervous she was under the stares of her classmates, he felt sympathy for her.
- Hi..." her voice had a soft accent, but her Japanese sounded almost flawless. - I'm glad to be here. I hope we can be friends.
Noticing a vacant desk behind Izuku, she sat down there, casting him a brief, slightly odd look.
"Interesting fate you have, Izuku. One blonde gone, a new blonde has come along. Ha ha," Venom snickered, and Izuku could barely restrain himself from turning around.
The class went on as usual, except for the whispers about a new classmate. It was gym class next, and everyone was leaving the classroom, including Melissa, who was already surrounded by new acquaintances. Izuku lingered - he wanted to talk to the teacher.
- Izuku-kun, I have a favor to ask of you," Fuyumi called out.
He was surprised. She rarely asked for anything.
- Yes, Fuyumi-san? - He replied nervously.
- Take care of the new student. She's just like you,' she said, and he frowned without interrupting.
- 'She's quirkless. I'm afraid that discrimination might show itself at the worst possible moment. Right now, she's new, doesn't know anyone yet...
Fuyumi remembered what Izuku had been like 3.5 months ago - broken, lonely, friendless. Since then, she had become a mentor and support for him. She had eradicated discrimination in the classroom, but she still feared a repeat of the past, only already with Melissa.
Izuku lowered his eyes. The last queerless he'd befriended had died in his arms. Besides, he knew how foreigners were treated.
- 'I promise, Fuyumi-san, I'll do everything in my power to make sure that doesn't happen,' he replied, causing her to smile warmly.
- I believe in you. Now go, or you'll be late for gym class," she said.
Izuku quickly walked out, leaving her in silence. Left alone, Fuyumi checked her notebooks, enjoying the peace. Suddenly, the phone rang.
It was her older brother.
- Hello, Fuyumi. How's school going? - she heard.
Fuyumi rolled her eyes: it was a catchphrase he had used since childhood.
- Checking homework. Is something wrong?
A heavy sigh came from the other end of the line.
- Don't tell Shoto or Natsuo this, but mom and dad are hiding something.
Fuyumi switched the phone off speakerphone and put it to her ear.
- Tell me.
- When I wasn't home, I found out that the Himura clan was scheming again - about me, you, Shoto, and Natsuo.
Fuyumi shuddered. Her face turned pale.
- How did you know that?
- It's not important. But I heard about some kind of pact with them. And I don't like it at all.
Fuyumi remembered a long ago conversation with her mother that she still kept secret from her brothers.
- It's about both you and your student without a quirk," he added.
The pen fell out of her hands. She was shocked. Surveillance?
- Wait...they're watching us? - her voice shook, and the excitement made part of the table frosted over.
- I'm trying to find out. Nothing concrete yet, but I'll get to the truth. Don't worry, Foo," he said and soon ended the call.
---
After PE, most of the students were disappointed: Melissa came in last place. Rumors started - perhaps she's quirkless. But until she spoke up, it was just speculation.
Melissa felt uncomfortable. She knew: only results mattered here. Her status as a foreigner gave her no privileges. When everyone returned to class, the students crowded around her, asking about life in America. Conversations were friendly, with innocent jokes.
- Show me where Europe is, Shield-san! - Shouted someone, referring to an internet meme. Without hesitation, she accurately pointed to the map, eliciting laughter and approval. But suddenly someone asked:
- What's your quirk? I hear they're cooler in America than we are.
A chill ran down Melissa's spine. She hadn't expected that question so soon.
"So now we show up and save the girl. Then she falls in love with you and you have kids. Sweet," Venom muttered, but Izuku ignored him. He walked over to her desk, making his way through the crowd, causing a gasp of surprise.
He stood next to her. It was unexpected. The quietest student in the class suddenly decided to step in.
- I think we should take our time. I understand your curiosity, but isn't it a bit early to pry into Shield-san's personal space? - he said calmly.
The students froze. In their imagination, Izuku stood in front of her like a shield. This was unlike him. But no one resented it - on the contrary, many smiled.
- Wow, I can't believe it. Midoriya had his eyes on the new girl. Bold! - A voice boomed out.
To Izuku's surprise, no one judged him, no one hinted at his whimsicality. Everyone reacted good-naturedly. He looked around at his classmates suspiciously.
"Is it really thanks to Fuyumi-san...? Or did I just not notice?"
Melissa, standing next to him, also looked surprised.
- I think you're right, Midoriya. But we'll still recognize her quirk! - The brown-haired classmate said cheerfully, pointing a finger at him. He only shrugged his shoulders.
The students went to their seats, and Izuku stood stiffly, digesting what was happening. Melissa gently touched his hand and whispered softly:
- Thank you.
He, unaccustomed to gratitude, only nodded silently, smiling demurely.
- You're Izuku Midoriya, right? - She asked.
Izuku blinked slightly, surprised that she knew his name. He wasn't popular in class - he was more often remembered as 'the quiet one' or 'the one without a quirk'.
- Yeah, that's me..." he replied, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment.
It was strange for Venom to see his host - a hero who had defeated more than one villain and even some heroes - embarrassed in front of a seemingly ordinary girl. Maybe he's just not in the right frame of mind to talk? - Pondered the symbiote.
Melissa smiled and adjusted her glasses.
- Fuyumi-sensei mentioned you. Said you were... 'special'."
Izuku felt a chill run down his spine. Special? What did she mean by that? Because of being quirkless?
- Oh-oh, well..." he stammered, not knowing what to answer. No one but her had ever spoken positively of him, and that suddenly warmed his soul.
Venom chuckled inwardly, amused at the way his host was lost when spoken to politely by a grown woman.
- "Special, yeah. Especially dumb at times like this," the symbiote muttered.
Izuku ignored him, focusing on Melissa.
- Thanks anyway," she continued, lowering her voice. Fearing they might be overheard, she covered her mouth with her hand and gestured to Midoriya.
- Can we talk after class?