"Stupid Deku!" Kacchan says, and pushes Izuku to the ground. "Stop talkin' shit- quirkless losers like you can't be heroes!"
The children around Kacchan crow in agreement. Izuku sniffles. "B-but if I work, r-really hard-"
Kacchan groans. He stomps towards Izuku again and kicks the ground, scuffing dirt into Izuku's eyes. As the green haired boy whimpers and raises small hands to grind against his eyes, Kacchan let's off a series of explosions from his hands. To an outside observer, it looks as harmless as a sparkler igniting. To the children of the playground circling Izuku, its proof of why Kacchan will become a hero, and Izuku won't.
Quirkless people, after all, can't be heroes.
"Stop yabbering that you're gonna be a hero, Deku! I'm the only one from this fucking school that's gonna make it to UA. So just give up! Worthless, quirkless, loser!"
Izuku bows his head, but doesn't say a word.
Kacchan, however, takes this apparent nod as a victory. He happily laughs, a delightful and child-like sound that is at odds with his domineering position over the smaller, scuffed up boy. Kacchan turns, and the other children follow, leaving Izuku behind to lie in the dirt.
XXX
That night, Izuku searches through streams and streams of All Might videos on the news. The hero just saved forty-two people from a collapsing building. Some maniac with a vibration quirk tore the supports apart, but that didn't deter All Might, who raced in and out of the crumbling building to save everyone inside, then turned and defeated the shrivelled old grouch of a villain with a single punch. He always saves the day.
The man is a god to Izuku, the perfect hero with the perfect smile- and the perfect quirk.
But… Is the quirk really the most important thing?
Izuku fervently searches the wide web to see if this is true. He doesn't just limit his search to Japan- he scours the United States, China, and even the small sect of heroes from the European League of Justice.
Tide Master- Quirk: Can push or pull all water based liquids.
Best Jeanist- Quirk: Can control clothing fibers.
Ultragirl- Quirk: Can force continuous momentum in objects and herself.
Bomb Barrage: Can detonate the hairs of his head at will.
And the list goes on.
They all have incredible quirks- abilities acquired at birth in the world's greatest lottery. Luck of the draw has led them to become the symbols of heroism that they are now. No matter how much Izuku searches, he can't find what he's looking for. After six hours, he finally concedes what he always knew to be true.
It's like Kacchan said. There are no quirkless heroes.
(That night, Izuku cries- he cries and cries, until he never wants to cry again. He knows he will, anyways. Kacchan's always called him a crybaby, and Kacchan's always right. This is Izuku's average life. A series of disappointments, injustices, and breakdowns.
Humans are not created equal.
Of course Izuku drew the short straw.)
XXX
Four years later, Izuku is ten year old, and he's about to watch the UA sports festival that changes his life forever.
As is per tradition, his mom and him bundle up on the Saturday that it runs (it's always placed on the weekend so that other students can watch and be jealous of their heroic peers). She makes Katsudon and her ultimate eight layered nacho dip that is sure to leave them both bloated and disgustingly satisfied.
As per Izuku's own personal habits, his sixth hero journal for the future is in hand, and he eagerly awaits the opportunity to scout out the future heroes.
The third years are usually the most interesting. They are the ones who have been training the longest, and their abilities show it. They are confident in their quirks, and to match, the challenges they face are more daring, more pressing. Last year, every student had a handicap placed upon them- an arm tied behind the back, a band around the eyes, etc- and they all still managed to dominate the first challenge which was racing across a three-stories-up tightrope maze complete with lasers.
Needless to say, Izuku has a field day watching these students, but he still enjoys the show that the first and second years put on, even if they aren't as skilled. He always enjoys seeing new quirks in action, and likes to imagine what he himself could do with said quirks if one of them belonged to him.
Kacchan can remind him he's quirkless on Monday. Until then, he can dream.
The first years, as always, start off the show. The announcer gives a grand welcome to the two hero classes, and a cursory introduction to the general, support, and management departments. Izuku pays close attention to the boy giving the opening note, who has a strange halo of light around him.
Is it energy being generated? Or does his presence bend light? Is the boy capable of illusions?
Inko pats Izuku's arm, and he whips his head up from where he's scrawling notes in his journal. "The first event is starting, sweetie," Inko says, and points where the first years are being outfitted with a large bracelet each. "It's a multi-game of tag. They have to stay within the boundaries of the arena, and not be one of the fifteen ones 'it' at the end of the fifteen minutes."
Izuku blinks. "Are those… cannons along the edge of the ring?"
Yes. Yes they are.
The bracelets of the students keep track of those who are it- a green glow is free, while a red glow means you are it. The cannons keep things interesting, randomly firing netting, Styrofoam shells, and fog into the arena, but it's the quirks themselves that steal the show for Izuku.
There, a boy who apparently can swap the position of two objects, just traded places with another student so that they would get shot by a cannon-
Oh! A girl with horns just set herself on fire, so cool-
AH! The boy who gave the opening speech can generate energy blasts!
Izuku's fanboying is interrupted by a boy that blurs across the TV screen.
The newcomer hurls energy-blast boy outside of the ring, dodges with slick precision as a boy with a red bracelet slingshots towards him, and squares off to face a projectile launched at him point blank by one of the cannons. The boy grins, and punches forward.
The projectile is hurled backwards by the sudden draft created by the boy's fist.
So are seven other people.
Izuku is spellbound by the boy. His quirk, at least at this first glance, looks just like All Might's. He even acts like the man. He smiles, and grins, and laughs. The bowl cut is a little offsetting, and his face is rather plain, but the sheer passion and strength in every single one of his movements shakes Izuku to the core.
This boy- only a first year- already feels like a hero to Izuku.
"W-well look what we have here, folks! Saito Ren of class 1-C BURSTS ahead with explosive power, literally knocking down the competition! The students of the hero courses better watch out for this general studies major!"
It's an apt warning. What follows is a trio team event. The students have to link arms so that only the two on the outside have a free hand, and they have to work to capture flags from both a maze, and when encountered, other teams. Saito is the center man, and he literally carries his team. His teammates on his back reach a hand and numerous tentacles (a good quirk for the boy of Saito's team to have considering he only has to lock off one arm) out as Saito whips them along, and they succeed in capturing over half the points. They probably could have gotten more if they hadn't run out of time.
In the following tournament, Saito continues to shine. He's not just strong. He has technique. While in one battle he's forced to slam a fist through upheaved rock, in the next he disables his bird boned competitor in three second flat with minimal force, not damaging her slight form at all. He already has mastered the superior strength he was gifted with, and Izuku wishes he could have been blessed like this boy.
In the very final battle, Saito grins, throws out a thumbs up to his opponent, and shouts out a happy Yosh! Then he curbs stomps the poor kid, and clean sweeps the competition.
On the podium, the announcer is head over heels with the dramatic turnaround. He shoves his mic into Saito's beaming face.
"Congratulations on your impressive win, Saito! I'm sure you'll be transferred to heroics in no time! Would you like to say any words?"
"Yosh! I Would, Most Youthful Sir!"
The boy snatches the mic into his hand, and turns to face the audience with a beaming grin. His bowl cut and teeth are practically shining, and he stands proudly in the spotlight that he has earned. "I Would Like To Thank My Parents, For Being So Youthful!, My Leg Warmers, For Keeping Me In Fighting Shape," here, Saito lifts his pant leg, and also his leg, to reveal gaudy, bright orange and puffy leg warmers. The audience laughs at the perceived joke as Saito drops his pant leg and carries on.
"And Most Importantly, I'd Like To Thank Gai-Sensei, Who Isn't Here Now, But Always Believed In Me! I Will Continue To Live A Youthful! Life Here, And Do You Proud! YOSH!"
Izuku isn't sure what happens next. The video doesn't pick up anything odd, but the announcer and the two girls that got second and third place cringe away from Saito as he flashes a thumbs up. The announcer coughs into the mic he kept for himself. "Ah… It would appear your quirk has a secondary trait, this… 'rainbow'." The announcer shudders. "Ah. Well!" the announcer grins and leans in to take the mic from Saito, only a slight eye twitch hinting at his previous discomfort. "Neverless, with a wonderful quirk like yours, I think we can expect great things from you, Mr. Saito!"
Before the announcer can take the mic though, Saito tilts his head quizzically and utters the words that change Izuku's world forever.
"Uh, Quirk?"
Saito blinks.
"Sorry, But I Am Quirkless."
The announcer freezes.
The stadium freezes.
Izuku freezes.
Saito carries on, heedless of the way he just flipped reality on its head. He grins. "It Is Through The Power Of Hard Work And My Youthful! Spirit That I Succeeded!" Saito laughs. "You Do Not Need A Quirk To Be A Hero!"
Izuku's eyes widen, and his mouth hangs open as the announcer finally breaks from his stupor to take Saito's mic. He doesn't notice the way the man spasms, or the sudden roar from the crowd.
All he focuses on is Saito's smile.
A smile that, now, doesn't feel or look like All Might's.
It's somethings new.
Something amazing.
Saito, after all… Is the first person to say the words that Izuku has always wanted to hear.
Saito Ren is proof that Izuku can be a hero.
XXX
Four years later, All Might lunges from a sewer grate, prepared to save a boy being strangled by slime, only to find a green haired kid smiling as he punches his would be captor in the eye with an exuberant Yosh!
As the grate lid clatters to the ground, the kid spins around to face All Might, his hands dropping into readied fists. At the sight of the number one hero, his eyes widen, and his smile breaks momentarily with awe, but he regains his composure and gives a "Good Guy Pose" to All Might as he stands amidst the sludge of his moaning victim.
It would be more impressive, Yagi dazedly thinks, if the kid weren't wearing bright orange leg warmers.
A/N: Just a fun little idea that I wanted to read, couldn't find, and so decided to write. This story will likely just be a few chapters, more omake-like than an actual story, and it'll update when motivation strikes- so if you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them :)