Summary:

Izuku grew up seeing the world in various shades and types of threads. It was overwhelming at first, trying to make sense of the threads and why they were and what they meant to the people they were attached to. It never became any easier to deal with the motions that came with the strings, but Izuku would be damned if he let his quirk deter him from becoming a hero. Especially when he had yet to meet the person his red thread lead to.

Notes:

Posted from my AO3 Account under the same username.

Ever since Izuku could remember, his world was covered in an array of threads of all colors and intensities. He had no idea that everyone else couldn't see the threads like he did, and when he was grasping at the strings with his awkward and still developing limbs, it looked like he was grabbing at air.

As he got older and learned more about the world around him, he and his mother realized he had been born with a quirk since birth. The doctor had praised the rarity of his mutation and Izuku was as ecstatic as a child could be when they were given praise for their quirk. The only thing that Izuku hadn't told anyone was that the threads were centered in people's chests; as if there was something they were protecting in their delicate hold.

There were millions of different variations of color among the strings and each one had varying results that came from them. So far, Izuku had seen a majority of blue and yellow strings that swamped the rest of the colors people had trailing off of them. But it was common for Izuku to see people being made up of a majority of one or two colors.

The blue strings were quiet, but comforting despite their reluctance to interact with strings outside of their own color. Yellow strings were quite sad, despite their bright color. Izuku didn't like seeing how many intense yellow strings people could have sometimes, it made him feel concerned for them.

His mother, her threads were beautiful. Soft, forest greens and dark browns that reminded him of the earth and its soft grass and warm soil. Greens were usually tied to people who were constantly active and looking for ways to improve themselves. Although, pale greens could mean the opposite and Izuku thought their strings looked sickly. Browns were some of his favorite strings, these people were usually open to helping others and mingled with the other string colors often.

But there was one, dark, dark red thread trailing from her pinkie that looked so sad and appeared to fray more and more with each day that passed. Inko was the one to explain the folklore around the red strings that Izuku would see tied to people were supposed to connect them to their soulmates in a sense.

"You see Izuku, The two people connected by the red thread are destined lovers, regardless of place, time, or circumstances. This magical cord may stretch or tangle, but never break." Izuku didn't know how to respond to this since he wasn't sure how true the statement could be unless the person who made it could see the threads like he did.

His mother's red string didn't inspire any hope in him either, as he grew to dislike the person it tied his mother to. It wasn't until Izuku had pointed out to her that certain people's red strings didn't lead to the person they were in love with that Inko told him that people were complex and that sometimes, they might never meet their soulmates, but it doesn't mean they can't live a happy life or love someone else.

"But what about you mama? You love papa, but does papa love you?" He asked only for Inko to falter in her steps as they walked up the stairs to their apartment room. Inko tightened her grip on the grocery bags in her hand before sighing and patting Izuku gently on his head. "I'm sure papa still loves me, Izuku. But, it's ok if he's not here because mama has Izuku who loves me, don't I?"

Izuku was quiet for a moment before he smiled and hugged her legs, "Of course mama!" Inko giggled at his cuteness, not realizing that Izuku's eyes were trained on her red thread. He wanted to know where it led, who it led to. Would his mother's soul mate be his absent father? Or was it someone the both of them had yet to meet?

He wanted the best for his mother, and if it meant he had to find the person at the end of her string, Izuku would do so. It was just so difficult because the strings could go on forever and ever, at least in Izuku's opinion, and he didn't want to just pull on the string, in case he did something to hurt it. As his thoughts trailed away from his problem, Izuku looked up at his All Might posters and smiled.

Besides the colors of the light spectrum, there were also very special colored strings he had told nobody about. Izuku had stumbled upon them by chance, because these strings were so well hidden in the sea of the other colored strings that wrapped around people. Gold and Silver Strings. Quirk strings.

It had taken Izuku a bit of trial and error before he could properly understand that they were quirk related strings since they weren't strings he could easily touch. But when Izuku first watched a video of All Might again, after a couple of months analyzing his quirk, Izuku had seen it. Gold strings were beautifully woven between other strands of dark brown, black and purple threads.

Power exuded from them as they shone so brilliantly and Izuku was star-struck as he took the sight of them in. He tested his theory again, by observing hero videos even closer than before as well as scanning the local heroes he would sometimes get a chance to see in real life. The heroes were like everyone else, made up of different colored strings that reflected their true self.

But each one would have either a gold or silver thread that was tightly protected by the other strings and were held close to the center of their chests, where all the threads pooled together. After a few more months of observation and learning, Izuku concluded that the gold strings represented quirks that required conscious activation while the silver strings represented quirks that were inborn and do not require activation.

There was only one problem with his amazing quirk, and that was, Katsuki and the others liked to make fun of him for having what they deemed was a 'useless' quirk. His teachers and other adults would always come to ask him about whether or not he could see who their red strings lead to and whether their current love interest was their 'soulmate'. After the first few incidents where a few adults got angry at him for telling them the truth, Izuku decided it would be best to remain silent to their questioning.

His quirk also made it difficult to focus on the real world around him since the strings would overload his vision and senses more often than not. Whether he sat close to them and accidentally brushed against them or noticed them from a distance, it always seemed like the strings were trying to whisper stories to him about their owners' life and current mood.

Another thing that scared him, was that when he took a hold of someone's strings, they would seize up and go wide-eyed, making Izuku drop the strings in fear of hurting them. He didn't want to know what would happen if he accidentally tore a string. The only reason he had grabbed them in the first place, was because Katsuki and his minions had been antagonizing him one afternoon and Izuku was already feeling frustrated with the emotions he had to second-hand experience all day.

Unbeknownst to him, Izuku's eyes reflected a dark galaxy like image when he reached out with his quirk and grabbed onto Katsuki's strings. The kids all noticed this, but were too intimidated to say anything in the face of such an intense power that exuded from his gaze. Katsuki tried to brush it off, but anyone could tell he was scared by what happened as he walked away from Izuku, his minions following along quietly.

Izuku's relationship with Katsuki hadn't improved from then on, although the blond tended to ignore him more often now. Izuku tried substituting the loneliness he felt in his chest by working hard in school and using his free time to learn more about the strings and his quirk. It was difficult at first, socialization is critical to development after all, especially with peers of his own age.

But everyone in his class and grade had already outcasted him as that strange kid who could see things others couldn't. It wasn't until Inko had decided to let him have some freedom to roam around their relatively safe neighborhood that Izuku finally found what he was looking for. It first started out on a sunny day, Izuku noticed there were a few intense yellow strings and pale green strings leading to an elderly couple that ran the flower shop near his apartment.

He had walked in, the doorbell ringing lightly to alert the couple of their newest guest as they raised an eyebrow at his presence. "Can we help you, my child?" The elder woman asked as Izuku looked around to take in all of the flowers and lack of customers before asking, "I came because your strings were sad, so I thought you needed help!"

The couple was confused but watched as Izuku squatted next to a potted plant that had few flowers budding from it, their color and form as weak as the couple in front of him. "Oh ho? And what do you mean by that sonny?" The man asked, as Izuku hummed. "It is lonely here and hard to grow. I will make it so that you are not so lonely anymore. Everyone will stop by to look and talk and laugh."

Izuku's eyes changed once again as the couple gasped in surprise, his small hands gently wrapped around the pale green threads trailing away from the flowers and plants before he clapped them together and closed his eyes. In a language that the couple couldn't recognize, Izuku chanted a prayer before an energy pulsated through the strings and turned them a brilliant evergreen shade before Izuku turned around to hand the couple each their own half of the strings.

They were confused on what to do at first as Izuku looked at them expectantly and waited for them to hold out their hands. As soon as they did, he grasped their wrinkled and aged hands tightly as the green strings flashed and intertwined themselves into the couple's own strings. The couple had to gasp as they felt a strangely refreshing sensation wash over them and watched with wide eyes as their previously mediocre flowers bloomed with life.

"W-What did you do?" The woman asked as Izuku's eyes returned to normal before he shook his head confusedly. He smiled before giving them a cryptic message. "Your blue strings have become pale, you should talk to each other more! Obaa-chan has a lot she wants to change about the store, but Ojii-chan hasn't noticed. Now, the green strings are young again and are waiting for their chance to be seen. I hope the yellow strings don't mind disappearing."

He continued his mutterings as they looked wide-eyed in confusion and amusement at the incident that just happened. "Dear...do you know what just happened?" The woman asked as the man laughed. "Not a clue my love, but what is this I hear about you wanting to tell me about your ideas for changing up the shop?" He responded as her eyes sparkled and she smiled, explaining her plans for how they could market their shop better to consumers.

Izuku had walked by the store again, a couple of weeks later and saw that the couple had begun gaining more customers now and the store looked much more open and colorful than before. Izuku smiled as he nodded his head, the rainbow of strings leading to the store were a good sign that they were happy and doing well. The elderly man had seen him as he went outside to clean the windows, but before he could call out to the mysterious boy that came in before, Izuku had skipped away.

The next time, Izuku had followed a dark blue thread only to blink in surprise as he comes face to face with a friendly dog, albeit a bit confused since it seemed to have gotten lost. The thread had a gradient that became paler as it led to the other end of the string. It had taken most of the afternoon, since the dog, whose collar read 'Waffles', was quite excitable and would run off when Izuku was distracted with following its string.

Eventually, he ended up in front of the police station as Izuku blinked and gave Waffles an order to be quiet as the dog followed him in. Inside, he saw that the pale end of the string was tied to a distraught looking young lady who was trying to file a report for her missing dog before Waffles had perked up at the sight of her and bounded over.

Izuku giggled before he decided Waffles and the lady would be ok now before he walked back out of the station, never realizing a few of the officers looking after his retreating figure as they were too slow to question him about finding the dog. Izuku had seen Waffles once or twice again as the owner thanked him the first time she had been able to meet him properly, recognizing his appearance from what the officers had told her.

Izuku merely patted her arm before checking on the string and smiling now that both ends were a deep blue. "This is good, your strings are happy again. Waffles must mean a lot to you Onee-chan." She blinked as the comment sounded innocent, but weighed heavy as Izuku looked at her with a gaze beyond his age. "He does...he means a lot to me." She replied quietly as Izuku patted Waffles on the head. "You mean a lot to him too you know?"

Izuku laughed before finishing the last of the dessert she had bought him as a thank you and telling her goodbye. Incidents like these, both big and small kept occurring since Izuku was too curious to think about whether or not he should actually meddle in other people's lives. Everyone in the neighborhood and city began to become familiar with Izuku's spontaneous appearances and talk about strings and colors.

Whether it was the restaurant owners two blocks over who made the really yummy Katsudon that Izuku had to admit secretly, was better than his mother's, or the group of schoolgirls that were able to make up and strengthen their bonds after Izuku had told them to sit down and talk to each other without holding back, or the amused police officers at the station he frequently found himself going to.

Everyone seemed to know him or knew of him and his uncanny ability to notice when something was wrong or when people needed help. Izuku was quite popular with them as well as some of the minor pro heroes who regularly patrolled his city. They were a bit confused at first, with why everyone seemed to accept the fact that a kid was wandering around on his own and getting involved with everyone's business.

But it was interesting to learn that even the small-time crooks and gangs had a small amount of respect for the green haired child. Or at least, they declared him as an off-limits neutral party. When one of the pro heroes asked why they were so lenient on Izuku, a couple of the members laughed before responding.

"The kid's a sweetheart. Doe-eyed and always looking like at people and things with a childlike wonder we don't see a lot of anymore. He doesn't care who you are or where you came from. You could look like an alien for all he cares, just likes to help people. Always know when and how to help them too."

"He saved me from getting shot once, the little bugger came up to me all mysterious like and I was wondering what sort of drugs he was on, but I decided to play along with his prediction and it saved my life it did."

Despite how often Izuku seemed to frequent the neighborhood and city, the pro heroes could never actually get a hold of him for long enough to ask him about his quirk or about himself. The people they asked laughed as well, stating that if Izuku wanted to talk with them he would. "You could always try visiting the restaurant he likes going to every other Wednesday. A few of us were actually able to eat and talk with him since it was Katsudon Wednesday."

A few of the heroes were interested enough to go through with the idea as they decided to stop by the next Wednesday they had off. At first, a couple of hours passed by and they weren't too sure the kid would show up until the door opened and the owner and a few patrons greeted the person warmly and loudly. "Izuku! My boy! Another Katsudon special today?" Izuku giggled before shaking his head no.

"Not today Yamamoto-san. Just a chocolate mousse cake to-go for my mother, please. I saw there were some black and orange strings that were calling me to come talk to them today." Izuku then turned and looked straight at the pro heroes who jolted slightly at his intuition. They were dressed in their civilian outfits after all and it wasn't like anyone had told Izuku they had decided to come today.

After receiving the cake, Izuku walked over and greeted them politely before sitting across from them. "Hello, I'm Midoriya Izuku. Who are you?" He asked as the adults shared a look before one of them cleared their throat and replied. "Nice to meet you Midoriya-san. My name is Murakami Hinode, but you can call me by my hero name, 'Graffiti.'" Izuku giggled before he responded, "Just call me Izuku silly! I'm still a kid you know?"

Hinode flushed red, slightly embarrassed as his companions chuckled. "Hello Izuku-kun, my name is Matsumoto Suzume. Hero name, 'Sparrow'!" The pro hero cheered as she gave him a thumbs up, confident in herself. Izuku nodded before waiting for the last pro hero to introduce themselves. "Ishikawa Shouhei, I'm a support hero named, 'Debuff'".

Izuku smiled as he shook their hands, excited to meet pro heroes up and close. "Your strings are beautiful! You have wonderful purple strings Murakami-san! It's quite ironic considering you have purple in your name as well." Izuku giggled as the heroes raised an eyebrow in amusement, the townsfolk had already mentioned Izuku's obsession with string already.

"Matsumoto-san you have very nice coral orange strings, competitive but friendly. You and Ishikawa-san work well together I can see it! Ishikawa-san, your strings are a nice mix of purples and browns. That's a good mixture, especially for heroes!" Izuku muttered as he wrote notes about them down in a journal he had pulled out from his backpack.

The heroes blinked before Shouhei asked Izuku, "Is your quirk something related to strings kid? Sounds kind of obvious, but it's not like we have a clear idea of what you're talking about." Izuku finished writing his sentence before he looked up and nodded. His eyes roamed over the heroes strings without much care to look at the physical people themselves.

"Yes, although I call them strings, a more accurate description is that I see 'threads'. I'm sure you've heard of the red thread of fate before?" Suzume gasped before she nodded and looked excitedly at Izuku. "Oh my gosh! Of course, it's one of the most cliche romantic story plot devices. Although it doesn't make it bad, red string aus are always soooooo good!" She gushed as the other two heroes sweatdropped at her enthusiasm.

Izuku laughed before he continued with his explanation, "Well, I see those strings. But also every other color as well. They each have their own meanings and connections with and between people. There's still a lot I don't actually know for certain about them yet since I'm the only one with a quirk like this that I know of."

Hinode nodded as his artist side came out from the curiosity of wanting to know how Izuku sees the world. "What is it like Izuku? Seeing the world that way?" Izuku hummed before he looked at the rest of the people in the restaurant and then the ones walking on the streets before returning to the heroes. "Overwhelming."

Hinode blinked before the three of them waited for Izuku to elaborate. "I can't exactly turn off my sight and when I say I see people's strings, I see all of them . I feel all of them . When I walk around in the streets, I not only have to focus ten times as much as other people, but I usually get overwhelmed by things. There are too many colors, too many sounds, and too many emotions." Izuku shook his head as the heroes felt sympathy for him.

"People can't see or understand what I go through because they don't have my quirk, so to most people I seem like I'm crazy or have something off about me. It's hard, sometimes I have trouble telling apart what I'm feeling and thinking compared to what others are feeling and thinking." Izuku stopped as Suzume quietly spoke up.

"Do you...not like your quirk Izuku-kun? It must be quite a burden on you at such a young age." Izuku blinked before he laughed and reassured them. "For all the trouble that my quirk gives me, I would never trade it for anything. It has helped me help others and touch their lives even if it is the smallest gesture that people would overlook."

The pro heroes felt a sense of hope bud inside of them as Izuku's smile infected the rest of the people in the restaurant who were eavesdropping on the green haired boy. "You would make a great hero Izuku. Your words alone could motivate people to do good you know?" Shouhei said proudly as Izuku looked at him with surprise.

"Th-thank you Ishikawa-san, I-I've always wanted to be a hero but I was never sure if my quirk was suited for heroics." Izuku confessed as Hinode ruffled his hair. "It's not a quirk that makes a hero Izuku, it's the spirit. Most people forget that heroes are just regular people with quirks and licenses. Some heroes can even be bad people, but what makes up a hero should always come from what you believe helps others."

Izuku's eyes sparkled as he stared at the blushing pro hero who was being teased by Suzume for his cheesy words. "Thank you Murakami-san, Matsumoto-san and Ishikawa-san. I really needed this pep-talk today...I have to go home soon, but I hope I can see you all again."

The three smiled at him before giving him their phone numbers and telling him to call them if he ever needed help. "Stay safe kiddo, we just wanted to see who the popular wanderer of Musutafu was." Suzume said before the group split off. Izuku watched them leave as the beautiful threads that lead him to them wrapped around his core and changed to a sky blue and indigo. Before they were too far away he remembered something and called out to them.

"Murakami-san! Matsumoto-san! Ishikawa-san! You all have magnificent gold threads! Your quirks would work so well together as a team. Keep them bound tightly now ok?" Izuku laughed heartily at their confused expressions before he disappeared into the oncoming crowd of people. The three pro heroes never having the chance to ask him about what he meant.

"You know, if we hadn't all met him at the same time, I would be convinced we talked to a spirit or deity." Shouhei joked as the other two nodded. "What do you think?" Hinode asked as the other two looked at him questioningly. "About what Hinode?" Suzume responded as the artist-hero smirked, "While we all knew each other beforehand, why not team up like the kid suggested? He's right you know, our quirks could go well together."

Shouhei widened his eyes in slight disbelief before he chuckled. Suzume did the same as she smiled, "Sounds great in my book. Think the kid planned this out?" Shouhei shook his head. "Maybe, Maybe not. When his quirk deals with literal strings of fate, it's hard to tell isn't it?" The three shared a laugh before heading home for the night.

Inko called out fondly as she heard Izuku unlock the front door to their apartment and greet her. "Welcome home sweetie! Did you meet someone new or go on another one of your 'threadventures' again?" She teased as she knew of her son's escapades helping the people around the city.

Most of the people Izuku ended up helping took the time to find her and give her their phone numbers and contact information. Since Izuku didn't ask for much in return for helping them, they wanted to pitch in and help Inko with raising him since she was essentially a single mother. It was a bit strange at first, since some of them would ask why she let Izuku go off on his own, but over time everyone understood that letting him have that freedom was better than the alternative before.

Inko wasn't stupid, she knew that Mitsuki's son, Katsuki would bully her Izuku along with his other friends. While the bullying stopped being physical after some time, Izuku was still outcasted by his peer group and was so lonely. Inko couldn't always look after him at home since she had to work, so instead of trapping him inside the apartment whenever she was at work and he wasn't in school, she let him have the apartment key and gave him a cell phone with a built-in emergency button.

Fortunately, he had yet to use the button and was able to brighten up again as his efforts to unconsciously help people by following their strings gave him confidence. Izuku gave her a big hug as he nodded, "Yes mama! Today I followed this curious combination of black and orange strings and I met three really nice pro heroes. It's ok though, cause they were off duty. We met at the restaurant you like to order the chocolate mousse cake from mama, also congrats on your job promotion!" Izuku said in one breath as he set the cake down on the table and spun around before hugging her again.

Inko laughed as she asked him, "Oh Izuku, I thought your quirk let you see strings of fate, not look into the future! How did you know I had a promotion today?" Izuku paused before his eyes stopped on her various threads. "Your orange strings turned more of a Tea Rose Orange while you were at work and they were joined by some new green threads mama. It was only a guess from there. You could have met a new coworker you liked or were able to successfully finish one of your jobs, but I wanted to think you got a promotion instead because you're awesome!"

Inko ruffled Izuku's hair before she opened up the cake box and cut a slice for herself and then Izuku. "Oh, you little detective you! Come on then sweetie, tell me more about these heroes while we eat." Inko said as Izuku nodded, excited to relay the events of what had happened earlier.

Things were going well for Izuku, besides his still awkward social stigma at school that is. He had just finished school for the day and was wondering about whether or not he should go straight home today or try to find a new string that led him on another adventure. As he began walking home, he passed by an electronics store and the news reporter caught his attention. "-Rising pro hero group consisting of Graffiti, Debuff and Sparrow have just arrived on the scene of the crime."

Izuku's eyes widened as he smiled and walked over to see what was going on. His hands pressed gently against the glass as he watched his pro hero friends fight against the villains. "Their aid is crucial since the villains seem to have taken hostage the entire bank and were able to stall the other pro heroes who had tried to come help before." She stated as Izuku watched as Hinode used his quirk to create painted creatures that slinked around the villains to help protect the civilians.

Suzume paired up with Shouhei to attack through the front of the group, Shouhei's quirk reducing their aim and attack abilities so that it was harder for the villains to land any hits on Suzume while she used her quirk to turn into a human boomerang and launch herself at them, knocking quite a few of them unconscious.

Izuku cheered before his eyes fell over the rest of the people there before landing on something that made his blood freeze and his breathing stall. If he wasn't looking closely, he would have completely glanced over it due to how inconspicuous it was. There, nestled in between countless threads of blaring yellow, was a stark, white thread.

Izuku had yet to see one of those before, and as he watched as the thread moved around and twisted to overwhelm the yellow, his feet were already moving him towards where his friends' strings lead to. 'Please move faster legs! Don't let me be late!' Izuku thought desperately as he ran past several people, some of which knew him and looked on in concern.

'That string is bad ! It's hurt, it's going to hurt-' "Please let me make it there in time!" Izuku prayed before he heard the oncoming blare of a taxi and had to snap back into reality and jump back in order to avoid being flattened. "Jesus! Izuku? What the hell are you doing? Trying to get killed?" Fortunately for Izuku, he knew this particular cab-owner.

His eyes are wide with fear and concern as he stumbled to his feet and pleaded, "Please! No time to explain! The bank! The bank they said is being robbed on the news! I need to get there now!" "W-What the hell? Izuku why do you-" "PLEASE!" Izuku yelled as the cab owner blinked before rubbing the back of their head in frustration.

"I do owe you one kid, hurry up and get in. The bank being robbed on the news right? Put your seatbelt on and hold tight." Izuku could only furiously nod as he strapped in, the taxi speeding away the moment his seatbelt clicked in. "I hope you know what you're doing kid. I've never seen you spooked before, I hope you aren't getting into something dangerous."

Izuku shook his head, "I saw-I saw a white thread and I need to make sure-I need to make sure it doesn't hurt anyone!" The cab owner knew a little bit about Izuku quirk and they clicked their tongue at the ambiguous response. "Breathe Izuku, and tell me what's wrong with the white thread." Izuku was shaking as he remembered the feeling of hatred and anger dripping off from the inconspicuous thread.

"I-I've never seen white before so I didn't know-All the colored strings have different feelings and mean different things, but white-it...It was so hateful , so evil . Like all it wanted to do was tear away at all the other colors." Izuku explained as the driver widened their eyes in response. "Izuku...was this string you saw, did it belong to a villain?" Izuku nodded jerkily as the cab sped up some more, well beyond the speed limit.

"I'm not exactly sure what's going to happen but your intuition is insane kid, so if you have a bad feeling about this, we need to hurry. Turn the radio onto the news station, see if you can catch an update on the situation with your friends." Izuku nodded before he quickly searched for any news of the bank robbery.

"-Lo lovely listeners welcome to another-" "For only 14.99 you can have-" "So what are your thoughts on the latest All Might-" Izuku grew frustrated with each channel he turned to having nothing to do with his friends before he finally found it. "-Bank! I repeat! The villains have resumed control over the bank after stunning the pro heroes with a trump card and severely injuring one of the pro heroes during their antics. As of now, Pro hero 'Debuff' is in critical condition as the remaining four heroes try to protect both the hostages and Debuff!"

Izuku felt like he was going to throw up as the car lurched forward. "Kid! We're here! Hurry and do whatever you need to do!" The cab owner exclaimed as Izuku's fingers fumbled with the seatbelt and he jolted out of the cab and towards the barricaded front of the bank. He could see Hinode and Suzume from here as they were trying to shield everyone else from the gunfire and quirk attacks. The other two pro heroes Izuku had yet to meet were doing the same as they tried moving Debuff's body toward the police quickly.

Izuku felt his breath hitch as he saw the large puncture wounds trailing up the side of Shouhei's torso. The man's face was scrunched up in pain as he tried clutching at his heavily bleeding wounds. Within seconds of opening them, he made contact with Izuku's frightened face and his eyes widened. 'No! Izuku don't come here it's not safe!' He tried to say, but couldn't find the energy to open his mouth.

Izuku felt detached from his body as he looked from Shouhei to where the man with the white thread was being protected by his fellow villains and his eyes focused in on the thread. Raising a hand up he imagined the string in his hands; its white, sharp fibers digging into his palms as Izuku looked at it apathetically.

'This string is bad, the person it belongs to is bad. They hurt Ishikawa-san...I won't let it hurt anyone else. This string has to go! ' Izuku thought as his small body was filled with a burning rage and urge to protect that he didn't understand before he ripped the thread violently apart. He didn't stop with just one tear, Izuku kept tearing at the string until most of its fibers were frayed and torn apart.

He gave it one last yank before an agonized scream brought his focus back to the present and Izuku watched as the villain screamed, before falling down seemingly comatose. After a few moments of everyone wondering what the hell had happened to the man, the pro heroes snapped back as they took advantage of the sudden collapse and quickly took down the rest of the villains.

Izuku could only stare at the deteriorating white fibers in his hands before his body shook, his mind realizing what he had done. Shouhei was immediately rushed to an ambulance they had called much earlier and Hinode and Suzume had noticed him in the crowd as well, but with the chaos of everything that happened, the two couldn't stop Izuku from running away.

Inko was concerned as Izuku was dropped off by an equally as concerned cab owner that told her the gist of what they knew happened before Izuku returned to their cab. "I don't know what he did, but the kid has been staring at his hands like he has blood on them Midoriya-san. Whatever happened has shaken him up...Your best bet is to contact the pro heroes he went there to help. One of them might have an idea of what happened."

Izuku had stumbled, dazed, into his room without turning on his lights and pulled the covers over his head as Inko could only watch, fearing that pushing for answers now would only drive Izuku away. "Sweetie?...You don't have to tell me what happened, but I'll leave your dinner outside of your room later ok? Just-Just tell mama if there's something I can do to help." Inko said weakly before she closed the door quietly.

Taking out her phone, she scrolled down to find the contact information for the pro heroes Izuku had introduced her to a while ago. She decided it would be best to message them instead since they must have been busy dealing with the aftermath of the event. 'Suzume-chan...Izuku came home in near tears today. He was there, at the bank when you all were fighting. I think something happened, but I don't know what. Please..message or call me back whenever you have the time.'

Inko was pleasantly surprised when not even a few seconds later, her phone rang. She almost fumbled picking it up as she answered, "Suzume-chan?" "Inko! I saw your message! While Hinode and I are fine, we want to wait for Shouhei to be in the clear before we come over to your apartment if that's ok. Speaking in person would be best in this situation."

Inko agreed before the two finished their quick conversation. Hours later, when Inko was debating on whether or not to open Izuku's door and walk in and ask him what happened, the doorbell rang, filling her with relief. She peered through the peephole before confirming it was Suzume and Hinode before letting them in.

"Thank goodness you two are alright and came so quickly!" Inko said, hugging them as they patted her back reassuringly. "I'm sorry we couldn't get here any sooner Midoriya-san." Hinode replied as Inko locked the door behind her and led them to Izuku's door. She knocked lightly before receiving no response. "Sweetie? I'm sorry but mama's gonna open the door ok? Your friends are here to talk to you as well!"

A sudden pattering of feet alerted them that Izuku was up before a soft thump hit the door, pushing against Inko who was trying to open it. "Please-Please don't open the door mama, I-I don't want to talk about it right now." Izuku's voice trembled as the three of them could hear how distraught he was.

"Izuku-kun please, whatever happened we just want to talk about it ok? We can't help you if we don't know what's wrong." They heard some quiet sobbing before Izuku twisted the doorknob open and stared up at them with teary eyes and a snotty nose. Inko used her sweater to wipe away some of his tears as Izuku hugged her tightly.

"Now that we can speak properly, why don't you tell us what's wrong Izuku?" Hinode asked as Izuku shook his head. "I-I don't want you to-to hate me." The three of them scrunched their faces in confusion. "Why would we hate you Izuku-kun? You didn't do anything wrong-" "But I did! That man! The villain that suddenly knocked out and cracked his head on the floor! That was my fault!" Izuku cried as he balled up his fists and tried covering his face.

"W-What? What do you mean Izuku?" Hinode asked as he and Suzume shared a look. Izuku stared at them miserably as he looked down at his hands before closing his eyes. "He...He was the first person I ever saw with a white thread...it was a bad color, it wanted to hurt people and do bad things so I-so I!" Izuku choked as he remembered what he did to the man's string.

"I tore his string up before yanking it out. I-I hurt him! I'm no better than he was! But I couldn't think straight when I saw Ishikawa-san hurt and I-I…" Izuku sobbed before Suzume hugged him tightly, followed by his mother and then Hinode. "Izuku, sweetie...It's not your fault. I know using your quirk without knowing what it can do to people is frightening, but that man isn't dead and you were able to save Shouhei by helping us end the fight quickly." Suzume tried to reason, only for Izuku to shake his head.

"It-it doesn't make what I did right! I-No one should hurt another person that way I did!" Izuku cried only for Hindoe to pat his hair gently. "Ok. Ok...It was wrong of you Izuku, but this isn't the way to cope with what you did. If you truly believe what you did was wrong...Then let us help you Izuku. Let us help you, talk to us! Repent by training with your quirk more and using it, not to hurt others, but to help them."

Izuku was calming down as Hinode continued, "You have a wonderful quirk Izuku, yet it holds a burden no one but you can understand. Just like you have been helping everyone in the city for the past couple of years, keep training so you can continue helping others. Don't let fear cloud your way Izuku!"

Suzume pitched in at this point, "Remember what Hinode told you when we first met? A hero isn't determined by their quirk, but their spirit. So don't give up on yourself just yet Izuku." The green haired boy looked at the three of them for a moment before he started bawling again, only this time he seemed to just be venting out the rest of his emotions.

A week later, Izuku was finally able to meet with Shouhei again after the pro hero was discharged from the hospital. It was a tough week since Izuku was still trying to cope with his actions and the kids at school noticed his gloomy mood as well and used it as an excuse to try to push him around to rile him up.

The three pro heroes had decided to meet with him at the same restaurant they had first met at. Izuku had walked in like a tornado had hit him as the owner laughed and told him his friends were already waiting for him at their regular table. "Ishikawa-san! You're better!" He exclaimed as he hugged the larger man's torso carefully.

The man's strings had returned to their regular intensity as the purples and browns went from pale lilac and hazelnut to their normal violet and chocolate shades. "Izuku, I see you're just as lively as ever. It's good to see you again, you gave me quite the scare when you suddenly ran up to the barricade at the bank you know?" Shouhei confessed as he hugged the boy back.

Izuku looked guilty before he sat down. "I'm sorry Ishikawa-san...I-my feet had already taken me to where you all were before I could think." Suzume sighed before she flicked his forehead, "I-zu-ku~, you have to stop beating yourself up for what happened. You're only a child, and this type of guilt can consume you sweetheart." She said, voice full of concern.

"Hinode and Suzume had got me caught up to speed with what you told them Izuku, and I just want to tell you...What you did wasn't good." Izuku winced only for Shouhei to continue, "But it wasn't bad either. You won't learn this until maybe high school or college, but what you encountered was a 'moral dilemma'. Heroes have to face these things everyday Izuku. Don't feel bad for being forced to make a tough choice."

Izuku looked down at the Katsudon the owner had delivered while Shouhei talked and he nodded. "All I can say is, you were able to help us save those hostages Izuku. You also helped save my life and for that, I will always be thankful to you." Shouhei finished as a comfortable silence fell upon the group.

Izuku picked at his plate for a moment before he set his chopsticks down. With determined eyes, he looked back up to the pro heroes who were watching him carefully. "I-I think, I'm going to aim for U.A Academy and become a pro-hero who is able to protect not only the physical well being of people, but their spirits as well! But-But I'm going to need help training with my quirk so that I don't hur-hurt anyone like that again by accident!"

The three heroes smiled before holding out their glasses of juice and water, Izuku blinked before he fumbled with his own glass and clinked it together with the others. "And we will do our best to help you along the way Izuku." "We can't always be at your side, but" "We will give you the resources that you need so that you don't feel hopeless."

As Izuku drank his juice, he couldn't help but feel thankful for the gentle embrace of the black threads wrapping around him protectively along with the deep purple, soft orange and browns Izuku had come to know belonged to the trio. They sat comfortingly on his being along with the blue threads that linked him the three of them. The blues had darkened to a cobalt now as they intertwined and braided together with the other colors. He wouldn't fail them or anyone else anymore.

In the way that only he could do, Izuku was determined to be a hero to anyone his hands could reach and that his eyes could see.

Notes:

Anyways, I hope you all liked the first chapter. It was long and I still need to smooth out some details in the next chapter but I hope this is an interesting change on the strings of fate concept. Although I'm not sure if anyone has written something similar before.