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Izuku, at a whopping 9 years old, had only recently gotten home from school. It had been another hard day of dealing with Bakugo and his cronies, and Izuku hadn't even had the energy to tell his mom about his day. He was instead resting in his bed, trying to forget today's events. Or, at least, he was, until someone he had never met suddenly appeared right next to him. Izuku jumped, but didn't scream. After all, he didn't know if this person was dangerous yet, and he didn't want to worry his mom over a false alarm. The guy who appeared seemed to be wearing a mask of some kind, along with plenty of gear, and Izuku couldn't help but wonder if he was a hero.
"Huh, I guess it worked," the mystery guy mumbled as he observed the room he had popped into.
"Uhh, what worked?" Izuku asked, not sure if he should be talking to this person.
The mystery guy startled, apparently forgetting about the child next to him.
"Oh, hi! That's my bad, I honestly kind of forgot where I was..." the mystery guy said, rubbing his neck awkwardly. "This might be a little hard to believe, but I'm you! Well, you from the future, but still you!"
Izuku knew the other boy had gone into a muttering storm, but he had stopped listening after he said future self. Did that mean he got to be a hero in the future!? His future self's attire certainly looked like a hero's would.
"Does that mean we're a hero in the future?!" Izuku yelled.
His older self, seemingly coming out of the his mutter storm simply looked at him, confused. "A hero? Why would....OH. No, sorry, I know my outfit looks kinda like a hero's would, but I'm not really a hero. I mean, I guess I could be? Depends on how you look at it," his older self simply shrugged, like it wasn't a big deal that he didn't achieve their dream.
Izuku's smile fell from his face immediately, understandably upset that he never got to accomplish his goal, upset that maybe Bakugo was right.
His older self, seeing the change in demeanor, immediately corrected himself. "Don't worry," he said, near shouting and waving his hands around urgently. "We still get to help people! It's just not exactly...legal," his older self looked sheepish as he said this.
But Izuku was still confused. How could he possible help people if he didn't have a license. Wait...no, he couldn't seriously mean?
"You're a vigilante? But that's illegal! How could you do that!"
His older self shrugged once more. "Just because something's illegal doesn't mean that it's necessarily wrong," he said. "Vigilantism is one of the gray areas."
"That can't be right," Izuku said, frowning. "If it's illegal, then it's wrong. That's why we have laws in the first place!"
"Maybe I should teach you this lesson myself. If you learn it now, it might be easier to accept it later," his older said smiling in what looked like a very bittersweet way.
"What do you mean?" Izuku asked.
"Just listen," his older self said. "Right and wrong, cruel and kind, who's to say?"
"There's a code that I believe in!" Izuku chimed in.
"Every choice, you're gonna find there's shades of grey."
"There are rules for a reason," Izuku argued.
"Robin Hood?"
"Yeah?" Izuku asked.
"Awesome guy?" His older self asked.
"Yeah!" Izuku replied.
"You'd agree?" His older self said, smirking.
"But he stole for the poor!" Izuku argued.
"So you could then cross that line, theoretically?"
"I don't know you anymore," Izuku retorted.
"The decision's always up to you," His older self said. "When there's only one thing left to do. Gotta get your hands dirty, just jump headfirst into the mess. Gotta get your hands dirty, give it your worst, give it your best. Bad and good, shouldn't and should, isn't always black and white. Gotta get your hands dirty to get it right. Alright? Alright."
"Okay, but there's some universal truths you must recognize."
"Like?" His older self asked.
"Valiant Heroes, pure and good, guaranteed," Izuku said, honestly.
"That depends on what they're fighting for," His older self answered with a grin.
"Creepy villains, selling potions for evil deeds," Izuku said, once again trying to make his point.
"They could have kids they're providing for," His older self retorted.
"If you're good, good things will come to you," Izuku said, hand held over his heart.
"The bullying shows that's not true," his older self pointed out.
"That's not fair!"
"But that's how it's going. You're a nice kid, but your naivety is showing," his older self stated, not unkindly.
"Life's a complicated game it seems," Izuku sighed.
"Sometimes you can't afford to play it clean," his older self said, nodding. "Gotta get your hands dirty!"
"I don't know," Izuku said, frowning.
"Just jump headfirst into the mess," his older self continued. "Gotta get your hands dirty."
"Maybe so," Izuku admitted.
"Give it your worse, give it your best," his older self kept going with a smile, glad that Izuku was getting it. "Bad and good, shouldn't and should, isn't always black and white. Gotta get your hands dirty to get it right."
"Right," Izuku repeated.
"Alright?" his older self asked.
"Alright," Izuku replied. "But just how far do you go? How much do you compromise? Oh, tell me, how do you know? Where do you draw the line?"
His older self seemed to consider the question.
"There's nothing I wouldn't do, if my heart tells me it's right. If it's for someone I love, if it's to save a life," his older self carefully replied.
"To save our life," Izuku mumbled.
"Gotta get your hands dirty," They said together. "Just jump headfirst into the mess. Gotta get your hands dirty. Give it your worst, give it your best. Bad and good, shouldn't and should, isn't always black and white. Gotta get your hands dirty to get it right. Gotta get your hands dirty to get it right."
"Alright?" His older self asked.
"Alright," Izuku replied confidently.
"So we really save people in the future?" Izuku asked.
His future self smiled, happy that Izuku was no longer caught up on whether what he was doing was technically "right." It was an important lesson after all, but to answer his question. "Yeah. Yeah we do, and it makes us happy as well."
Izuku smiled at that, happy that at least if he couldn't be a hero, he could help in another way.
His older self ruffled his hair. "I've got to go, but I want you to remember what we talked about, don't always get so hung up on what's 'right' and 'wrong.' Follow you're heart and I know you'll end up right where you're meant to be."
Izuku smiled, and nodded, watching as his older self popped out of existence, almost as quickly as he appeared.
"Dang," he thought to himself. "What a crazy day."