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(silence, save for the quiet ambiance of an evening cafe. Then,)
MIDORIYA
(quiet) …I’m sorry.
NEDZU
What for, Midoriya-kun?
MIDORIYA
Izumi Kouta, I… I saw him in my dreams, months ago. I wanted to witness his passing, but Nagano is too far for me. That… it wasn’t a pleasant way to go.
NEDZU
Nonsense. The only one to blame is already locked up in Tartarus. Besides, I feel like Kamino Ward was quite far enough for you.
MIDORIYA
Yeah… Kamino.
NEDZU
Kamino.
(silence)
NEDZU
On the bright side, I suppose it could have been worse. (wry) We could have lost All Might as well.
MIDORIYA
(a weak chuckle) I guess so. Still, thousands of lives ended so quickly…
NEDZU
You saw it, didn’t you?
MIDORIYA
(an affirmative hum) A while ago. It’s… how I first learned of All for One. I kept getting dreams of this… cataclysm, all but wiping out an entire city. And then I saw their deaths.
NEDZU
Them, Midoriya-kun?
MIDORIYA
All for One… and All Might.
NEDZU
All Might? Another fate avoided, then?
MIDORIYA
(a bitter laugh) Forgive me if I don’t celebrate too much. But… yes. I dreamt of them both dying at each other’s hands in Kamino. All for One, I’m sure was always meant to die there; he’d cheated death for far too long. But, I’ll admit… All Might’s survival was a surprise.
NEDZU
(takes a long, slow sip of his drink) How was he meant to die, originally?
MIDORIYA
Not die, per se, as opposed to simply… stop. You and I both know of his affinity with the Hunt, I’m sure. Well, it turns out that he was deeper than anyone could have guessed. By Kamino, the only thing that was holding him together was his Quirk and his connection with the Hunt. And since his hunt was focused on All for One specifically…
NEDZU
…Once the hunt ended, so would he.
MIDORIYA
Exactly. According to my dreams, when All for One died, he would… collapse, in a sense. Like a puppet with its strings cut.
NEDZU
(a hum) That raises the question, then, of how he survived.
MIDORIYA
I… have a theory for that.
NEDZU
Oh? Do tell.
MIDORIYA
(hesitant) Well, I don’t exactly have any evidence for it, but… it’s possible he found something else to live for besides the hunt. Maybe his friends, or his students… maybe he found a successor?
NEDZU
Oh? Had he not passed on One for All in your dreams?
MIDORIYA
No… as far as I can tell, it died with him. Maybe that’s what changed, then; maybe he found someone.
NEDZU
I’ll have to ask him when he’s recovered.
MIDORIYA
(a noncommittal hum; long pause)
…So many people died.
NEDZU
…Indeed.
MIDORIYA
I remember all their names, you know. I’m… I’m not really sure if that’s a blessing or a curse. Maybe it would be better to just… forget. Move on to the next tragedy.
NEDZU
It would certainly be easier. Better, though, I’m not so sure about.
MIDORIYA
It just… hurts. I saw an entire city of people die, months before it could happen. I know I couldn’t have changed their fates, but why do I have to remember them afterwards?
NEDZU
Because, despite it all, you’re still human.
MIDORIYA
(a scoff) Because it’s so human to be paler than paper and colder than death.
NEDZU
With Quirks, more is possible than you think. (a chuckle) But no, what I am referring to is you, Midoriya-kun. You who, even a year later, still travels wherever he can to give dying people some small comfort. Who remembers every single person he’s seen because they deserve to be remembered. To me, there is nothing more human than that. That grief, that pain of remembrance, it is a reminder that you are still human, despite your master’s influence.
(silence)
MIDORIYA
(a sniffle) I… I guess so. I just… wish I could do more.
NEDZU
(wry) Ever the hero, hmm? But, Midoriya-kun, you are doing enough. You are doing all you can. Heroes come in all forms. Sometimes, that form is simply a hand to comfort a dying man. By working with me, and being careful about what you say, you’ve given us the best chance we have of averting some of the fates you’ve seen.
Midoriya-kun, in your own way, you are a hero.
MIDORIYA
(silence; then, a wet chuckle) I’ve wanted to hear those words for years. (a wistful sigh) I always wanted to be a hero, you know? That was my dream for as long as I can remember. I’d call myself something stupid, like “Small Might” or whatever and I’d just… be able to go outside and help people with a smile.
NEDZU
You still can.
MIDORIYA
(hums) It’s probably best if I don’t. I can feel myself… slipping, sometimes. Not in a concerning way, just… (a long pause) It’s like I said. It would be much easier if I could just… forget all the things I’ve seen, all the names I know, and move on. I already do, sometimes. I used to be so attached to… well, just about everyone I saw in my dreams. Now… they’re just faces to me. Their deaths have been tragic, yes, but… I don’t have the same passion anymore.
I guess it’s like watching a horror movie, and all the characters are dying in front of you, and maybe you feel a little bad about it because you liked some of them, but… they aren’t going to occupy your thoughts once the credits roll.
NEDZU
(softly) Perhaps that’s for the best.
MIDORIYA
(taken aback) Nedzu-san?!
NEDZU
Midoriya-kun, you must understand; the human mind can only handle caring, truly caring, about so many things at once. Truth be told, I’m sure I would fare much worse in your situation. Yes, the loss of human life is a tragedy, but it is also a part of life. No one lives forever, as you well know, and all around the world, every minute of every hour of every day, countless people are dying. Indeed, since we started talking, I’d wager thousands of people the world over have met their end. But do you worry about all of them?
MIDORIYA
No…
NEDZU
Because you don’t know them. You don’t know their names, faces, lives, anything about them. As harsh as it sounds to say, you cannot waste your time mourning every single dead person in the world. (softer) You must live your own life, after all.
MIDORIYA
But… where does that stop? What if I keep slipping and… and I can’t even care about my mom anymore? What if, one day, I dream of her dying, and I can’t even bring myself to cry about it.
NEDZU
Then don’t waste your grief on strangers. You can observe them, yes, and offer them a comforting hand in their final moments, but those emotions, that grief, must be saved for those who truly matter to you. Do you understand?
MIDORIYA
(quiet) Yes… it’s just…
(silence, then)
My life… feels like a barren desert. A place completely devoid of life and hope, where the only sign that anyone ever existed there is some shattered ruins of who I used to be. (a bitter laugh) “Here lies Midoriya Izuku! Son to one, friend to none, and harbinger of death!” (long pause) And then stretching out into the horizon, there’s just… nothing. Just sand, dead and empty.
Do you know, you’re probably the closest friend I’ve ever had?
NEDZU
(sadly) Midoriya-kun…
MIDORIYA
Years ago… I had friends. I think we were friends, anyway. But, well, no one looks kindly on the Quirkless kid, you know?
(sigh) Since I lost them… all I’ve had is my mom. And now you.
(silence, then)
NEDZU
(slowly) Midoriya-kun… why not come to UA with me sometime?
MIDORIYA
(chokes on his drink) Wha- You know why I can’t do that, Nedzu-san!
NEDZU
How so? It’s not like you’ll tell anyone about their death, is it?
MIDORIYA
That isn’t the point! Just me being there, it could have any number of unforeseeable consequences! I’m not going to risk the life of every UA student, just because I’m feeling a little lonely!
NEDZU
(calmly) I fail to see how your presence could possibly affect anything. It’s not like you’re going there with the intention of meddling in people’s fates, after all.
MIDORIYA
But-!
NEDZU
The way I see it, you are a child, and I have been quite remiss in my duties as an educator by allowing you to continue on like this with only my support. Midoriya-kun, please understand, I am not making this decision rashly. I have considered every possible angle, and this is what I have chosen. A single visit to UA is hardly likely to change anything, for better or for worse, and neither will your prolonged presence and interaction with my students.
MIDORIYA
(bitterly) Your students. Like Asui-san, Mineta-kun, and Todoroki-kun? I think we’ve already seen what happens to UA students in my presence. (a chair scrapes against the ground) Nedzu-san… I appreciate what you’re trying to do… but I think it would be best if we stopped these meetings. I’ve told you everything I know about the Entities and their Avatars by now; I’m sure you can gather any more information you need yourself.
Goodbye, Nedzu-san.
(footsteps retreating, fading away, then silence)