Phoenix

by emiamami

"I wasn't disappointed in his answer. I was disappointed in myself for believing that I could do what was obviously impossible."

1. Chapter 1

"Enough, Kacchan! Can't you see he's crying? If you keep going, I- I- I'll never forgive you!"

A smirk quickly overtook the blond's surprised features. "Even though you're Quirkless..." He loomed over me, my body flinching back as he fired an explosion from his palm. "...you're pretending to be a hero, Deku?" I didn't have the time to respond before Kacchan and his friends charged forwards, fists drawn back. It was over in a flash. The blinding sun passed over me as I lay on the ground, body throbbing with pain. I was weak. I was defeated. Just like always.

'People are not created equal.'

That's the hard truth I learned at the age of four. But that was my first and last setback.

It all began in Keikei city in China. With the news that a bio-luminescent baby was born! After that, 'exceptional' individuals began popping up all over the world. The cause was unclear. Time passed, and the 'exceptional' became the norm. Fantasy… Became reality! At present, 80 percent of the world's population consists of superhuman with special abilities. The world is in chaos! And a profession everyone once only dreamt about… Entered the spotlight!

Along with the exceptional abilities came an explosion in the crime rate. While nations struggled to overhaul their legal systems, brave individuals took up the mantle of heroes straight out of comic books, protecting people from evildoers! With public support, some quickly acquired the right to serve as heroes in an official capacity. Depending on their performance, they have the potential to earn: Government pay! And Fame and glory!

"You're also going for U.A., aren't you, Midoriya?"

I had been ignoring the excited shouts of my classmates, my head on my desk, trying desperately to drown out their voices. However, when I heard those words I felt my body involuntarily twitch, and I cautiously raised my head, only to see the whole class stare at me in shock before simultaneously bursting into roaring laughter.

"Huh?! Midoriya?! No way!"

"Good grades alone can't get you into the hero program!"

I swallowed pathetically at their words, meekly countering their taunting. "Th-that's not necessarily true! Sure, there's no precedent, but…"

"COME ON DEKU!" Before I could retaliate, I was blown from my desk by a loud explosion issued out by an equally loud blond. "Forget the crappy quirks. You're totally Quirkless! And you think you can rub shoulders with me?!"

I could feel the air around me grow warmer with the crackles that threatened to burst forth from Kacchan's palms. I didn't know how much more damage I could do by talking, but I figured it would be better than staying silent in case he was to take it as if I was ignoring him. "Wa- Wait, no, Kacchan! I wasn't…" I felt the air heat up even more, now actually able to see the smoke pouring off of Kacchan. Quicker that I thought could move, I had scurried away from the twitching blond, only to find my back hitting the wall behind me. "I wasn't saying I could compete with you! Not at all!" I lowered my head to stare at my knees, hating how I couldn't stop myself from trembling in his presence. "It's just… It's always been my dream. Since I was little. And well…" I gathered my courage to look him in the eyes. "There's no harm in trying…"

Apparently that was the wrong thing to say.

"Try?! Try what?! The entrance exam?! You're taking the exam just to 'try'?" That brought forth another burst of laughter from the class. I found myself shrinking away from them even more, their faces becoming blurred, shadowed masses with haunting grins. "What can you even do?!"

I was left speechless.

The bell rang, signalling the end of the school day. I quickly gathered my notebook titled Hero Analysis for my Future, No.13, and prepared to leave. However, as soon as I turned around, my notebook was snatched from my hand by the one and only explosive human bomb.

"We ain't done here, Deku."

I felt my heart rate increase. That book meant everything to me. It contained my hopes, my dreams, my aspirations, and all my hard work, research and analysis on heroes. "C-come on. Give it back!"

Two of Kacchan's friends gathered around him. "What's that, Katsuki?" "'For my Future'? Seriously?! This guy, Midoriya."

Kacchan didn't respond. He simply stared at my notebook in his hands, a dark expression crossing his features. Without any warning, Kacchan brought his other hand up to the cover of my notebook and blasted it until it was blackened and burnt. He glanced at it, a small 'Hmph' escaping his lips before he carelessly tossed it over his shoulder.

I was frozen in place, trembling. I wasn't sure if it was from shock, fear, or pure rage.

"The best heroes out there, well… They showed signs of greatness even as students. I'll be the first and only hero from this crappy public middle school! The first to win the honour of becoming a student at U.A. High. I guess I'm just a perfectionist." Regardless of how correct his statements were, I couldn't help but think to myself of how vain he was. He wasn't finished though. "In other words…" I jolted as his hand came down heavy on my shoulder, a crazed smile on his face. "…don't you dare get into U.A., nerd!" I couldn't move. I was dripping in my own sweat, the smell of burning material reaching my nose. It was obvious that Kacchan had burnt my shoulder, but I couldn't feel it. I could only hear my heartbeat in my ears, the blood rushing past my face.

"He's pathetic. He still can't face reality."

Kacchan turned to me one last time before he exited the room. "If you really want to be a hero that bad, there's a quick way to do it. Believe that you'll be born with a quirk in your next life, and take a last chance and dive off a roof!" I was in a state of shock, helpless to do anything but watch his retreating form. His ever-retreating form.

I found myself pulling my soggy notebook away from the nibbling lips of the Koi fish in the school fountain. I could feel my frustrations burning. My frustrations at fate for allowing people with mindsets like Kacchan's to be born with amazing Quirks. My frustrations at Kacchan, for being so ignorant and vain. But most of all, my frustrations at myself for being so useless.

"Stupid... Stupid... STUPID BASTARD!"

"Again?! Izuku, I think you're responsible for tens of thousands of this video's views. It's a little too scary for Mommy to watch." I could hardly contain my excitement as my mother set up my favourite video. It was an old clip. There was this big disaster a while back, but in the aftermath, a certain hero made his debut.

"He's so cooooooool! When I get my quirk, I wanna be just like him!

"I'm afraid there's no hope for him."

I felt my body go stiff. I just froze. 'No hope… No hope… No hope…' those two words kept replaying in my mind like a broken record that refused to move on.

"No! There must be some mistake?" I could hear my mother, but it felt like her voice was so far away, as if I was hearing it from the other side of a glass panel. "The other kindergarteners have all started showing signs, but…"

"Pardon my asking ma'am, but you're the fourth generation, yes? As far as Quirks, I mean."

"Yes, of course…" My mother shot my motionless body a concerned glance before continuing. "I can pull small objects towards me. And my husband can breathe fire."

"By the age of four, a child should manifest either one of his parents' quirks of a composite of the two. However, early Quirk research discovered one important finding. It has to do with the presence of absence of the extra joint in the pinky toe. Humans have no need for extra parts they don't use, you see. And those without the joint represent the next stage of evolution. Izuku here has two joints. It's becoming quite rare nowadays, but… He possesses no Quirk at all.

"And he's smiling! Mom, no matter what kind of trouble you're in, he'll save you with a smile." I turned to face her, tears filling my eyes as I tried to keep my own smile on my face. "Mama, I can still be like All Might, right? I- I can still be a hero?"

"I'm sorry Izuku! I'm so sorry!" Mother had run over and wrapped her arms around me, but I had just felt numb. Hollow. 'No... No, mom…'

That was when I decided. I decided not to care what anyone says! To keep my chin up and keep moving forward! I clenched my fist and smiled to myself, walking home with a determined spring in my step. I was so preoccupied with my thoughts, that I had failed to notice the voice whispering in my ear.

"A medium-sized body… To hide in…"

By the time I noticed, I had just enough time to turn my head before something cool and wet enveloped me. 'A villain?!' My nose and mouth were quickly covered by a slime-like substance, vicious, and unable to grip. I couldn't breathe, but my other senses were on high alert.

"Don't worry. I'm just hijacking your body. Clam down. It'll only hurt for about 45 seconds… Then it'll be all over. I'm saved. You're a real hero. I never thought he'd show up in this town."

I continued to struggle pointlessly, my chest convulsing with the lack of oxygen. I knew it was pointless to try to scrape my way out, but my oxygen-deprived state wasn't allowing me to think clearly.

The villain took note of my struggling and decided to remind me anyways. "No point in trying that. I'm fluid, you see!"

My mind went into a helpless panic as I felt my body get heavier with each passing second. 'I can't breathe! My body… Getting weak… I'm dying! I'm gonna die?! Someone help! I'm dying! No…' Tears began to escape the corners of my eyes. Whether from lack of oxygen or the fact that I was seconds away from death, I'm still not sure. Just as my body was about to give in, I heard another voice, this one much more familiar.

"Fear not, kid! I am here!" My eyes had drifted shut, but my brain was still functioning and I could still hear. The voice was so familiar that I was sure it was him… My theory was determined as true when I heard his signature battle cry. "Texas… SMASH!" The last thing I remember was the face of my idol and a strong gust of wind propelling me backward. Then darkness.

I awoke to tiny slaps upon my cheek. "Hey… Uh. Thank goodness… You're okay! Excellent!" By that point, my senses were back to normal and I scurried away as fast as I could. I couldn't believe it! All Might! In the flesh! Right here in front of me… And he had saved me too! "Apologies… For getting you caught up in my villain hunt. Mistakes like that aren't my style, but… This is a strange land to me. And besides, I'm off camera! But my success here is all thanks to you! I've contained the villain!"

'All Might! He's here… He's really here! Up close, I can really see!' I quickly scrambled around looking for my notebook, desperate to get an autograph from him. I located it then frantically flipped through it looking for a blank page before seeing his name scrawled out with thick black ink. I was absolutely floored.

"Wowww! Thank you so much! What a treasure! It'll be my family heirloom!" I couldn't help but bow my thanks to him. Unbeknownst to me at that time, All Might hadn't even spared me a second thought. While I was busy bowing, he had already walked away.

"Now I must bring this fellow to the authorities! You can catch me again on TV!"

"Um! Wait… Is that it…? I…"

"A pro battles not only enemies, but also time."

'Hold on! I still… I need to ask you…'

"Until next time… Thanks for your support!" Before I could think, I had reacted purely out of instinct. My arms had latched onto All Might's leg, and we were soaring fast through the skies. "Hey now! Release me! Such enthusiasm is a bit much!"

"If I… Let go now… I'll… I'll die!" I could hardly believe my own foolishness, but that question meant a lot to me. "I… Need to as you… So many things… Gah! You…"

"Okay, okay. Just do me a favour and close your eyes and mouth." He didn't really have a choice, but I couldn't believe that a pro had complied to a nobody like me.

Finally, we touched down on the rooftop of an abandoned building, and I could have kissed the concrete. I had never been happier to have crashed into a solid surface. "Scary…"

"Of all the…!" I was brought out of my post-traumatic state by All Might grumbling to himself. "Hopefully the people downstairs will help us get down. I've no time though! Truly!" I saw him prepare to jump again, and made a split second decision.

"Wait! Um…"

"No! I will not wait."

I knew he was limited on time, but I just had to know! I clenched my eyes shut and inhaled sharply. It was now or never. I'd probably never get another chance to talk to him. "Even without a quirk… Can I still be a hero?!" All Might had to know… He was the number one hero after all! He was the epitome of heroism… the very best! "Can someone without a quirk… Become a hero like you?"

"Quirks are…" I barely heard him though. I had to get it all out! I could somewhat make out him muttering something to himself, but I continued on anyways.

"Because I don't have a Quirk… Well, maybe that's not the only reason. But I've always been picked on… That's why… Maybe that's why… I think saving people is just about the coolest thing someone can do. The way you save people with a fearless smile! I want to be the strongest hero, just like y- WHAAAAAT?!" In front of me was a shrunken skeleton of a man. Hollow cheeks, gaunt skin, and droopy blond hair. "You're all shrivelled up! Huh?! A fake?! An imposter?! So thin!"

The blond just stared at me, an impassive look on his face. "I am All Might." Blood spurted from his mouth, the man lifting his arm to hastily wipe it away.

"Woah! No way!"

"You know how people hold in their gut at the pool? It's like that!"

"No way!"

The man before me slumped to the ground, resting his back against the railing. "A fearless smile, huh… You've seen the real me, kid. But don't write about it on the internet, okay?" I wasn't sure if I was dreaming or not. The number one hero… Was he really this shrivelled up and frail looking man? "Five years ago… An enemy did this to me." He slowly lifted up his shirt to reveal a scar, veins running out from it like a shattered mirror. I barely held back a surprised 'Eep!'. My body shuddered involuntarily, despite trying to keep my face passive. "My respiratory system was nearly destroyed, and my stomach was removed. I've wasted away because of the after-effects of those surgeries. I can only do my hero work for about three hours a day now."

He paused a moment to let his words sink in. "Five years ago…? Was that when you fought Toxic Chainsaw?" He looked surprised that I knew that, but continued on regardless.

"That lowlife? He could never do this to me! This was never made public. That is, I asked that it not be made public. A symbol of peace who saves people with a smile… Must never be daunted by evil. The reason I smile… Do you know why I smile? I smile to show the pressures of being a hero, and to trick the fear inside of me. Pro heroes are constantly risking their lives. That is why I cannot simply say, 'one can become a hero, even without power.'"

His words struck a chord within me. I felt a cold through my body, and I could swear I felt my heart stop. For the second time in my life, I felt completely empty and hollow. But this time was different from before. While I was frozen by shock at the age of four, this time, ten years later, I was filled with disappointment. I wasn't disappointed in his answer. I was disappointed in myself for believing that I could do what was obviously impossible. I didn't hear the words I had been hoping to hear, but surprisingly that wasn't the worst feeling. The worst feeling was that I had allowed myself to be so optimistic even though I knew myself that it wasn't possible. I was ashamed.

"If you desire to help people, becoming a police officer is always an option. Those villain custody officers are often mocked, but… That too is admirable work!" I stood in silence as All Might shakily got to his feet. He was almost out the door to the stairs when he paused to say a few words of parting. "It's not wrong to dream. However… You need to be realistic, kid." Those were the last words he said before he turned away, the door slamming shut with a metallic finality.

"You need to be realistic."

"Even as a third-year, he still can't face reality."

"It's time to start thinking seriously about your futures!"

'Even… The best of the best said it… Don't cry! You knew already, right?! This is reality… It's because I knew… That I tried to damned hard…' I found myself on the long, slow trek back to my house, my throat feeling unnaturally tight. I fought back the tears that threatened to spill down my cheeks, my face feeling stuffy and warm. 'So hard not to see. To ignore reality. Yeah.' A sudden explosion caught my attention, pulling me from my thoughts. 'Hey… That explosion…?' I was so used to gawking. I told myself to stop, to just stop it because I'd only make myself feel like a loser. But I couldn't. When I saw the scene, I couldn't believe my eyes. 'Is that him?! How?! All Might let him go! Did he drop him?! That means…'

"This is my fault!"

I took in my surroundings, seeing multiple pro heroes already at the scene. They were focusing on the other citizens and the surrounding buildings. However, they weren't doing anything about the sludge villain.

"Why're the heroes just standing there?" I quickly elbowed my way into the crowd, listening to the conversations going on around me.

"Seem's the villain's grabbed a middle schooler."

'Grabbed…? So he's enduring that same pain?! There's a person in there?! Why aren't the heroes moving to save them? They might not be suited for the villain's quirk, but are they really going to let the person die?!' My mind flashed back to the moments I had spend in the clutches of the sludge villain. The crushing feeling of not being able to breathe, the fear of impeding death… "Unbelievable…" I focused my attention back on the conversations around me, hoping to get more information on the current situation.

"Hey, that villain… Isn't it the one All Might was chasing?"

"All Might?! No way! He's really here?!"

"Yeah, I saw him earlier."

"Then what's All Might doing now?!"

My breaths were shaky as I moved in closer, my hands coming up to cover my mouth. "It's all my fault All Might can't do anything! This guy can't be caught. We have to wait for someone with the right quirk to show up!" This frightened me beyond belief. Heroes were a pillar in society that reassured citizens of their safety. I had never accounted for times that no hero had a suitable quirk for a situation. It had never even crossed my mind that sometimes heroes might not even be able to save everyone. It was a fragile justice system, and I could see just how thin the threads holding it together were. My heart went out to the middle schooler. 'Hang in there… I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! Someone will come to save you soon… A hero's bound to come…' I felt desperation set in the time ticked by. The student's head was barely visible. I stuffed my shaking Hands into my pockets, before suddenly noticing a tuft of blond hair sticking out from the sludge. I watched in horror as the person fought back, their head finally facing in my direction. As I caught a glance at their face, I felt my blood run cold.

"You're Quirkless. What the hell can you do?"

Those were the words spoken by the boy I had grown up with. The boy who I had admired. The boy that was now in front of me, struggling to get free from the sludge. As much as he despised me, I still considered him a friend. And I wanted him saved. But nobody was daring to run in to save him. I glared at the heroes around the scene. 'And you have the right to call yourselves heroes?! I thought heroes were always risking their lives!'

My feet moved purely on instinct, and I sprinted towards Kacchan and the sludge, skirting around the flames rising up from the ground. I ignored the heroes as they cried out, trying to get me to stop. "Get back here, you fool! Stop!"

The villain noticed my presence, and I saw his eyes light up in recognition. "It's that kid…"

'Why am I running? What am I doing? Why?!'

The villain began advancing towards me with an intimidating smile that rivalled Kacchan's. "You're dead." His voice sounded garbled, almost animalistic.

'What do I do?! What do I do?! At a time like this…' I suddenly remembered my notebook. Page 25 'Always blast to keep damage to a minimum!' With that in mind, I desperately flung out my school bag, hoping to hit something solid. I knew that I couldn't grab hold of the sludge because it was fluid, but the creature must have some form of a physical core, or at least something that I can hit. To my surprise, I had managed to hit him in the eye with one of my books, causing him to stumble back a bit. That gave Kacchan a moment to get his head free again, coughing and gasping for air.

"KACCHAN!"

"Deku you idiot, why are you here?!"

"I- I don't know! My feet moved me!"

"Why are you doing this?!"

'There were any number of reasons.'

"There's no hope."

"It's my fault."

"You think you can rub shoulders with me?!"

"Kacchan."

"No harm in trying."

"My dream."

"A super cool hero."

"You need to be realistic."

"Saving people with a smile."

'But at that moment…'

"You- you looked like you were asking for help!"

Unfortunately, I didn't get the response I wanted. It was what I was expecting though. "Stop… It! Just a bit longer. So stop getting in my way!"

Before I knew it, the sludge had decided to retaliate against me. I could hear the pro heroes faintly yelling to each other over the adrenaline rushing in my ears. "Does he have a death wish? He'll die for nothing!" I braced myself, but to my surprise, I felt no pain, no suffocation. Shocked, I looked up to see All Might. He grabbed my arm, pulling me and Kacchan away from the villain's clutches.

"The lesson I left you with… I should practice what I preach!" I was astonished. I thought he had already gone over his limit today! "A pro should always be ready to risk his life! DETROIT SMASH!"

A gigantic burst of air was directed upwards, and I felt a raindrop as the dust settled. "Rain?"

"No way. The air pressure… That rising air current…"

"Hey hey hey hey hey hey hey."

"He changed the weather with a single punch!"

"Amazing. That's… All Might!"

Afterwards, the heroes collected the villain's scattered body, and it seemed like the police had managed to get him into custody. The heroes were really mad at me. "There was absolutely no need for you to put yourself in danger!"

Kacchan, on the other hand, got all the praise. "You were real tough out there! And that quirk! Consider becoming my sidekick once you go pro!"

I could feel a slight tick of annoyance in my forehead as I watched. Kacchan was getting praised for being a victim who happened to have a powerful quirk. I was getting scolded because I attempted to save someone, yet I lacked a powerful quirk. That's just it. That's how unjust society is, and how having a quirk can get you places in life that you don't even deserve.

With the reporters begging the heroes - along with Kacchan - to give them interviews, I managed to slip away unnoticed. I made my way back to my house in silence, the day's events playing themselves over and over in my mind.

"I wanted to apologize to All Might, but… I guess I'll just leave a message on his website when I get home."

"Oi Deku!" I turned upon hearing my nickname, seeing a blond male running towards me slightly out of breath. Before I could fully comprehend what was happening, he was jabbing a finger in my face.

"I- I don't know what kind of stunt you were trying to pull back there, but you didn't do anything. I wasn't asking for help, and I sure as hell didn't ask for help from you! As if you could! Huh?! I could've beaten him myself. You didn't help me, and you never will help me. Got it?!" I nodded my head. "Good. Stupid nerd!" And with that, I was left seemingly alone once more.

"He's right though. I couldn't do anything. I couldn't change anything. But still… I'm glad. Now I can finally focus on a more realistic future…" For some reason… I remembered what my mom said.

"I'm sorry Izuku. I'm so sorry!"

"No mom… back then, what I wanted you to say was…"

"You can be a hero."