Chapter 2: Grounded
I stood there, staring at the floating chaos—my desk, my notebooks, a pencil spinning lazily in the air. My Quirk. My Quirk. The words felt foreign, like they belonged to someone else, but the proof was right in front of me. but my mind was racing. If I had a Quirk now, I needed to figure it out. I couldn't just let it… float around.
"Okay," I muttered, flexing my hands. "Let's try this."
I focused on the desk, imagining it settling back to the floor. It wobbled, dipping slightly, and I felt a faint tug in my chest, like a string pulling taut. Encouraged, I pushed harder—down, down, down. The desk jerked, then the notebooks twitched, and for a split second, I thought I had it. Then the string snapped. Everything crashed at once—desk slamming into the rug, books thudding in a messy pile, the pencil clattering against the wall. I flinched, heart jumping into my throat.
"Izuku!" Inko's voice came from the doorway, sharp with worry. She rushed in, her slippers slapping the floor, and threw her arms around me again. "Are you okay? What happened?"
I froze, her embrace tight and familiar in a way that wasn't mine. This wasn't my mom, not the one I'd known before waking up here, but her warmth was real, her worry genuine. It felt… weird. Awkward. But I didn't pull away. "I'm fine," I said, my voice still too high, too small. "Just… lost control, I guess."
She pulled back, hands on my shoulders, her round face beaming despite the tear tracks. "Oh, honey, that's normal! It's your first day with a Quirk—of course it'll take time. I can't believe it, Izuku, I just can't!" She laughed, wiping her eyes. "We need to call your dad. Hisashi's going to lose his mind when he hears this! And maybe the news—oh, they'd love a story like this, a late bloomer awakening his Quirk at ten!"
My stomach twisted. Calling Hisashi? The news? I hadn't even processed being Izuku, let alone parading it to the world. The headache from earlier pulsed faintly behind my eyes, and the weight of it all—the transmigration, the Quirk, this life—pressed down on me. I needed a minute. Or a day. "Uh, Mom?" I said, testing the word. It came out shaky. "Can I… can I take a break today? I don't feel so good. Maybe skip school?"
Inko's smile faltered, concern creeping back in. She pressed a hand to my forehead, her touch cool and soft. "You did collapse earlier… Are you sure you're okay? Does your head hurt?"
"Yeah, a little," I admitted, which wasn't a lie. "I just need to rest, I think."
She nodded, her expression softening. "Of course, sweetie. You've been through a lot today. Stay home, take it easy. I'll call the school and let them know." She squeezed my shoulder, then stood up straight. "I'll head to the kitchen and make you something warm—maybe some soup. You rest, okay?"
"Okay," I said, managing a small nod. She gave me one last smile, then turned and shuffled out, her footsteps fading down the hall.
I exhaled, the room quiet except for the faint clatter of pots from the kitchen. My legs felt heavy as I shuffled back to the bed and flopped down, the mattress creaking under me. I stared up at the ceiling, then let my eyes drift to the wall All Might's bright smile, Endeavor's serious face, heroes frozen in mid-action. A slow grin tugged at my lips. I could be one of them. Not some bleeding heart savior like the Izuku I knew from the show, running around to help every single person. No, I had bigger plans. Fame. Money. The top heroes like All Might, Endeavor they had sponsors, merchandise, action figures with their names slapped on them. Every sale meant a fat commission check. If I played this right, my life would be set. No more scraping by, no more worrying about bills. Just me, a flashy costume, and a bank account that'd make Bakugo's explosions look like firecrackers.
I bolted upright, the thought hitting me like a spark. Wait. The Quirk those floating objects it came from Inko, didn't it? Her "Attraction of Small Objects," telekinesis lite. But Hisashi… he had Fire Breath. In the show, Izuku never got anything from either of them, stayed Quirkless until One For All. But I wasn't that Izuku. I'd already changed things, awakened something. What if I was lucky? What if I'd gotten a piece of both?
I scrambled off the bed, standing in the middle of the room. My heart raced as I held out my hands, palms up, like I'd seen fire users do in a dozen episodes. Focus, I told myself. Feel it. I clenched my jaw, picturing flames, heat, the rush of power. A tingle prickled under my skin, faint at first, then sharp. A flicker small, orange, dancing—burst to life in my palms. Fire. Real, honest to god fire.
"This is awesome," I said to myself, grinning as the flames licked higher, casting shadows across All Might's poster.