Work Text:
Goodbye by Bo Burnham
The opening bars of the song play over images of a party. All of class' A and B are there drinking with some of the friends they've made over the course of the show. They all look older and as the first vocals draw near the camera shows wade shot of the entire room, revealing a banner that reads "Congratulations Graduates!". Soon after it cuts over to Izuku who is laughing with some friends, but obviously distracted, before he dismisses himself with a wave and walks off camera.
The shot changes once more to show a much more nervous looking, but still smiling, Izuku inching his way closer to the exit. As he passes through the door he opens his mouth to mutter something in time with the songs first lyrics.
" So long.. "
Izuku is now walking down the street, slouching but with a barely there smile still gracing his lips as he glances back towards a building where the party visibly continues in the background.
" Goodbye… "
The smile finally drops when Izuku mutters the word to himself, his eyes turning to face forward with a focused and intense gaze.
" I'll see you when I see you, "
Izuku stops at a seemingly empty street, gazing across at the vacant sidewalk
" you can pick the street, I'll meet you, "
A truck flashes by, briefly obscuring the spot on the other side of the street that Izuku was focused on, when it passes a lone shadowed figure is visible where before there was nothing.
" on the other side. "
The figure steps out of the shadows to reveal Shigaraki Tomura, scowling forwards with a gaze that conveys pure hatred towards whatever is caught in it.
" So long… Goodbye! "
The two stand on either side of the street, completely still and focused entirely on the other.
" Do I really have to finish? "
Izuku says something to Shigaraki, a cocktail grin adorning his face
" Do returns always diminish? "
Shigaraki's scowl deepens as he shouts a response.
" Did I say that right? "
Izuku's grin turns mocking as he responds to whatever Shigaraki just shouted, his own words likely meant to anger the villain even further.
" Does anybody want to joke when no one's laughing in the background? "
Izuku's smile quickly disappears and both parties clench their fists before charging towards each other.
" So this is how it ends. "
The two clash. Shigaraki attempting to make contact with Izuku and activate his quirk, tearing apart the street in the process, as Izuku dodges and attempts to safely counterattack, only enough only using his enhanced strength and not any of the vestiges quirks that he should have access to.
" I promise to never go outside again! "
The two clash one last time as the screen flashes to white, before fading away to show a battered and screen Izuku sliding back in a crouch from what was obviously an intense blow.
" So long… "
He attempts to stand up before collapsing onto his knees, his head hung low and the only thing keeping him from falling onto his stomach being a single fist firmly planted on the concrete below.
" Bye!~ "
Izuku raises his head to reveal a beaming smile, not a grimace but obviously hiding his pain and worry at his inability to stand.
" I'm slowly losing power, "
Steam begins to waft off Izuku's body similar to when All Might would run out of time in his buff form before his quirk had failed completely.
" Has it only been an hour? "
Izuku notices the steam rising from his form, surprise and panic mark his face before fading to a look of resignation, like he knew this would happen.
" No that can't be right! "
Izuku's head tilts back as he's engulfed by a fit of laughter. Tears now flowing from is eyes.
" So long, goodbye! "
The camera turns to focus on Shigaraki, a shocked look on his face that quickly gives way to rage as he stomps towards the disabled Izuku.
" Hey, here's a fun idea!
How 'bout I sit on the couch and I watch you next time. "
Shigaraki begins assaulting the downed hero, kicking Izuku thrice in time with the emphasized lyrics of the song.
" I wanna hear you tell a joke when no one's laughing in the background! "
Shigaraki stands over Izuku, who is now lying on his side, curled up in pain from the assault he just endured. The villain begins screaming something at the downed hero, spittle flying from his mouth as a look of rage two steps beyond anything he's displayed so far adorns his face.
" So this is how it ends…
I promise to never go outside again. "
Shigaraki continues to scream as the camera turns to focus on Izuku, who's eyes scrunch shut and hands raise to cover his ears as the shadow of the villain that stands over him begins to gesticulate more and more frantically.
" Am I going crazy? "
The rest of the world fades to white as the camera pans around Izuku, changing its angle in the process so that the hero now appears to be sitting upright in the fetal position.
" Would I even know? "
Eight shadows appear behind the frightened Izuku, the vestiges would normally be reassuring but in this situation they only serve to box the terrified hero in.
" Am I right back where I started fourteen years ago? "
The shadows collapse in in Izuku, completely obscuring him from sight as they swirl around him like a tornado before bursting away and briefly filling the entire screen with nothing but darkness and a now-four-year-old Izuku, who's position has changed so that, while his eyes remain just as teary and his face remains just as terrified, he appears to be sitting in some kind of chair.
This is quickly proven right is the darkness gives way to reveal that Izuku is now in the same doctor's office as the day he was diagnosed quirkless, with the doctor's silhouette present in the form of a shadow on the floor to the left of Izuku's chair while his mother's arm reaches over from the right of the screen to clutch at Izuku's hand.
" Wanna guess the ending? "
The screen blurs as the camera rapidly jerks to the right, stopping on a silhouetted image of All for One, piercing All Might through the stomach with what looks like a gigantic Lance that has replaced his arm. The only colour in the entire scene is the bright red splatter of what is obviously blood that bursts from All Might's back at the spot where the Lance Arm exits.
" If it ever does. "
The scene blurs once more as the camera jerks back to the left. The image it stops on this time is a first person view of a brightly smiling Mirio Togata, the background makes it obvious that this moment took place at the graduation party that Izuku had left earlier. At the bottom of the screen, Izuku's scarred right hand can be seen handing Mirio a blood red drink, likely spited with some of Izuku's DNA to allow him to transfer One for All.
" I swear to God that all I ever wanted was "
The memories finally fade away as the scene returns to Shigaraki, who's outstretched hand is slowly approaching Izuku's vulnerable form before…
" a little bit of everything all of the time! "
*BOOM* An explosion rocks the scene, smoke covering up the audiences view of whatever just happened as Izuku is flung away, rolling to a stop on his stomach but with his head raised to get a view of the action.
" A bit of everything all of the time! "
The smoke is blown away to reveal a grinning Bakugou Katsuki, shooting a determined and reassuring look in Izuku's direction before turning back towards their opponent.
" Apathy's a tragedy and boredom is a crime! "
The rest of Class A arrive from off-screen in various ways unique to their quirks, each and every one of them smiling as they take up fuching stances in between Izuku and Shigaraki, who wipes some soot from the explosion off his face looking almost as angry as when he was kicking Izuku around earlier.
" I'm finished playing and I'm staying inside. "
Without any further hesitation both sides leap at each other, the students of UA hoping to finish the battle that Izuku and Shigaraki had started without them earlier.
" If I wake up in a house that's full of smoke ,
I'll panic,
so call me up and tell me a joke. "
Various scenes from the ensuing battle flash across the screen interspersed with Izuku's desperate attempts to get up one last time and join his friends. Neither side has a clear upper hand over the other. At the word "smoke" the montage is briefly interrupted by a brief shot of Izuku's closed fist impacting the ground as he finally musters the strength to lift his own weight. After this however, he is absent from the rest of the montage.
" When I'm fully irrelevant and totally broke- "
Bakugou crushes Shigaraki under an explosive fist, only for the villain he attacked to disintegrate, revealing itself as a clone. The real Shigaraki appears behind Bakugou, prepared to deliver the finishing blow before-
" -ken damnit , call me up and tell me a joke "
Izuku comes in from off-screen, his fist impacting Shigaraki in sync with the music. At the same moment Shigaraki reorients his attack to hit Izuku as well. Shigaraki is sent to the ground unconscious and, after a brief stumble, Izuku stands tall, raising his fist triumphantly.
" Oh shit! "
Suddenly Izuku doubles over and coughs into his hand, as he pulls his hand away the camera angle changes to reveal that it has been covered in blood, the camera just as quickly returns to it's original position as Izuku, now with blood dripping from his lips, falls over, causing everyone nearby to look over in a panic.
" You're really joking at a time like this. "
Especially Bakugou, who screams the lyric as he runs over to Izuku's collapsed form and attempts to stop the bleeding from a newly revealed hole in Izuku's chest, right where his heart should be.
The camera switches to a close top down view of Izuku's pale and bloodstained face, his eyes half-lidded and unfocused as he struggles to maintain consciousness. The camera slowly pans out and reveals the crowd of worried classmates who have gathered around their fallen comrade as well as the flashing red and blue lights of off-screen emergency vehicles as the final bars of the song continue to play…
" Well, well, look who's inside again.
Went out to look for a reason to hide again.
Well, well, buddy you've found it.
Now come out with your hands up, we've got you surrounded. "