UA's Immortal Teacher

Part 41

Izuku looked out of the tinted window of the car, sitting quietly in the backseat. Tartarus had sent someone to drive him there, for security reasons. The world was rushing along in a blur, colors blending together in a gray swirl. Anxiety was rising in his chest, the familiar caged-in feeling coming back to him. Like all the walls were closing in. He was sure it would get worse when they got inside the cold stone walls of Tartarus.

The driver was silent, gazing straight ahead at the road, not even glancing back through the rearview mirror. It was almost like he was completely alone in the car.

Okay... don't let him control the conversation like he always does. He's going to try and get to you, make you give something up. He'll probably have some shocking secret to reveal to see your reaction. Don't let him inquire after the students, and we'll treat One For All as a need-to-know basis. He probably doesn't know Togata is the new user. Make sure it stays that way.

Don't let him get under your skin.

He tried to direct his gaze to a single point and hold it there, but the colors just blended together faster and faster. Dark shadows reached out and shrouded everything visible as the sun was hidden by a dark and ominous cloud. He closed his eyes, trying to avoid thinking for just one moment. Just one moment where his mind wasn't running a thousand miles a minute, one moment where he could just breathe.

But he couldn't. His mind tried to push out the memory, but it was pushy and stubborn and just wouldn't go away. He hadn't thought about this in a long time...

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Around 200 Years Ago...

Izuku leaned against the wooden backing of the chair, rubbing his eyes roughly. In one hand he clutched his notebook with an iron grip, guarding it from anyone who might pass by him. His foot tapped nervously against the cold hardwood floor of the library.

Maybe he was being paranoid, and nothing would actually happen, but he had this odd feeling in his chest all day, telling him something was wrong. He had been using the library for his... activities for a while, and he couldn't just stop for the day because he felt strange. He would just have to deal with the paranoia.

Crash! One of those moving carts tumbled to the ground, sending books and magazines flying everywhere. The sound does nothing for his nerves, and he finally decides enough is enough and makes to leave. Whatever.... I've gotten what I needed out of the computer here, I'll just copy it down into my notebook from memory.

Izuku had been hacking the government systems for a while now, trying to find out what they had been doing with those who had quirks. So far, he hadn't found much, at least not much that had been documented. He was mostly doing it just so he could find out all the strange abilities that were popping up all over the globe. He didn't understand what was happening and he wanted to.

His feet made soft pattering thuds as he ran his way up the metal stairs leading to his small apartment. Once high school was over, he had immediately left home, knowing that both him and his parents weren't exactly comfortable with each other anymore. He still loved them... it was just hard being around them, and he was sure they would say the same.

The memories had driven him away from the city where he grew up, hoping to avoid running into anyone who had gone to school with him. He wasn't interested in the bullying continuing in his adulthood.

So he had gotten rid of his last name, Mikumo, and had just started introducing himself as Izuku. He didn't really care one way or the other. It wasn't like the name held any special significance for him.