Fire's Rage

by Dragongirlie

He's sick of dealing with his father. He knows he can't properly use his Quirk, but that wasn't the point. The point was to revolt and prove that he could do what All Might couldn't: save everyone. Despite his hazy thoughts, even he knows the latter is impossible. But the least he could do was to become a hero with his own power, on his own terms. M for language aka Bakugo.

1. Chapter 1

A/N: This obviously isn't done! It needs revising and full-blown editing that's probably going to take a year and a half. I'm only uploading this one chapter,*just so you can get a taste of what it's about. It'll be a lot better once everything has been written and finished and thought through. So once the whole story is done, I'll upload it all at once! (And it'll take forever to write :D) Hopefully, this is enough to spark some interest. Also, there's cursing. Haha, I love you, Bakugo. Go beyond... Plus Ultra!

*(Yeah lol all that was a total lie, you push over. XD Heh, anyway, I did upload up to chapter five. I'm only gonna be adding onto that for special holidays and such. Christmas is right around the corner, so keep your eyes peeled! I'm working on chapter nine, and ten is in the works. I'm currently working on rewriting these first few chapters to touch up on some things I wanted to add. Anyway—Plus Ultra, you nerds.)

It took a long time. It took a long time to get used to the feeling of uselessness. It took a long time to get used to the aching pain in his heart. How long had this lasted for? How long was it since he felt the approval and admiration of peers?

It seemed that it would never happen. Of course, it hadn't ever happened before, so there was no point in trying. What more could he want other than to end the pain? What more could be done other than to finally relieve his heart of this crushing, clutching, burning, killing ache that never faded?

What more could be done other than to end it?

Those were the thoughts that plagued his mind before something grabbed his shirt. A thick, green, wet substance that leaked into his clothing. It was cold. It snapped him out of his depressing thoughts.

Izuku's scream ripped through the air, only muffled by the thick slime that was forced into his mouth, up his nose, down his throat. He couldn't breathe. He was choking, choking, dying.

His vision turned hazy and blurred. Everything burned. His lungs longed for the sweet bliss that was breath, something that he couldn't provide. He could feel his strength dwindling. He couldn't fight. His limbs passed harmlessly through the slime. It wasn't tangible. He couldn't grab it and pull it away. He couldn't bite or claw at it. This was killing him.

For perhaps the first time in years, he didn't want to die.

He felt his eyes drift closed. His lungs still burned with the need of air. Everything became distant and foggy.

All at once, the slime rocketed out of his throat, air rushing into his lungs in desperate gasps. His knees and palms hit the asphalt as tears and saliva dripped down as a result of the painful coughing. His throat felt like it was torn to shreds. The coughing fit didn't cease. Something in his head told him that he was still dying. He was still choking.

Black dots danced in his vision, merging and swelling and bubbling up, stealing his consciousness away.

"Hello, young man! No need to cry, for I am here now!"

That voice—

Something grabbed onto his shirt, pulling him up to his feet with a steady grip. Izuku risked a glance up, his breath catching in his throat. Standing in front of him, costume and all, was the number one hero. All Might, with his yellow hair, brought up like horns, and his signature grin taking up a fourth of his face.

The boy heard a whisper in the back of his mind, telling him. This was the Symbol of Peace. Air rushed into his lungs as he looked up at the man. The smile was blinding. When had the boy last seen a smile so wide? The whispers came forth once more. Not since he was four.

All Might shifted his stance. "Well, it was nice meeting you, loyal fan, but I must be off!"

The boy had half a mind to cover his face, run away, forget this had ever happened. But he grabbed the cuff of All Might's costume, giving a light tug. "W-why weren't y-you there?" The stuttered, soft-spoken words were simple enough to understand, and yet so soft that they could barely be heard at all. His grip tightened. "W-why didn't y-you s-save her?" The words were in the same voice but seemed to have taken on a louder, more desperate tone. "Y-you c-could have s-saved her."

The Symbol of Peace's smile turned forced. Izuku then realized it was a show. A show put on by a hero that tried all too desperately in promising peace and hope and light against the darkness. "I'm not entirely sure what you're talking about, but I must be going." Izuku held tighter on his uniform cuff, not letting up. His next words were inaudible. It was as though they were muttered out of embarrassment, though no such expression was on the boy's face. "What was that?" the hero asked.

The boy's gaze snapped to meet All Might's eyes. "I have a dangerous Quirk," he said, his words just barely perceptible. Izuku leaned forward. "It hurts my body every time I use it, but I want to be a hero. A hero that, unlike you, can fight and win every time."

The Symbol of Peace was silent for a moment. "I must go now. It was a pleasure meeting you, Midoriya."

The boy flinched back, releasing his hold on All Might's uniform cuff. The hero squatted down before rocketing up into the air, streams of smoke flowing from his skin.

An unasked question burned at Izuku's tongue. How does he know who I am? He began his walk home once more, rotting soles scraping the sidewalk as he forced himself onward. He didn't want to die. His chest still hurt and his heart still ached with that distant pain, but it was progress. He didn't want to die. Not anymore.

His walk home was interrupted once again. The ground trembled, and explosions disturbed the air with a burning heat, forcing shockwaves careening through the area. Those explosions were exactly like Kacchan's.

Izuku started running, his legs aching and his head full of any horrible possibilities that could be going on. There was another explosion followed by a guttural scream. That was Izuku's final validation.

The boy continued his sprint, turning a corner and freezing in place. Pro heroes were lined up along an opening to an alleyway. There were policemen, and even Endeavor and Kamui Woods were standing there. The expressions they wore gave the boy almost no context. The furrowing of Endeavor's brow could mean literally anything. Kamui Woods was naturally stoic, but Izuku was at least smart enough to make out that something bad was happening. Something very bad.

Another explosion ripped through the air. Izuku forced his legs forward, toward the heroes. Just another few feet forward before two police officers stepped in front of him, blocking his path. The male officer placed his hands on his hips. "Sorry, kid, but you can't come back here. The pro heroes have got this under control."

From where he stood, Izuku saw that it was indeed Kacchan who was in the clutches of the slime-Quirk villain. His gaze snapped back to the officer. "That's my friend."

"I know, it's worrying, but they have this under control," he insisted. The officer pulled out a notebook and pen. "Could you tell me his name?"

"They're not doing anything," the boy said, disregarding the question. He just stared up at the man. "My friend is suffocating."

"As I said, the pro heroes are taking care of it," the officer assured.

Something in the officer's voice made the boy angry. "They're not doing anything," the boy growled, his tone sharp and low. "They're just standing there, watching, letting him die."

"Look, kid," the officer muttered, rubbing his chin. "Your friend is going to be fine. The heroes are—what are you doing, get back here!"

His legs had already started off, beating against the asphalt in a mad rush. Something about Kacchan trapped in the slime like a panicking bird didn't sit well with him. Kacchan wasn't one to simply give up, and that pure, unbridled fear in his eyes was horrifying.

Almost against his will, Izuku's fingers grabbed his book bag strap and slung his bag off his shoulder, heaving it forward. The zipper was tugged open by the force, his folders and books flying out and embedding themselves in the villain's slime-Quirk body. A roar resounded through the alley. Izuku had gotten closer, stopping right in front of where Kacchan was struggling for breath. The boy had started to claw uselessly through the slime as Kacchan struggled to break free.

Kacchan brought a hand to his own slime-covered face and let another explosion loose. The slime pulled away from his mouth.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!"

The boy winced slightly, sweat pouring down his face. "You looked like you needed help!" he yelled, taking heaving breaths as he tried to keep the slime away from Kacchan's mouth and nose. It wasn't very effective.

A betrayed sort of look crossed Kacchan's face. It turned to pure fury. At least it wasn't fear anymore. "WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING THIS?!"

The boy opened his mouth to speak, only to be cut off by a burst of wind from behind him. A yell of Texas Smash followed as All Might showed up, pulling back a fist and letting his Quirk loose, wreaking havoc on the villain. The slime bled away, and Kacchan dropped to his knees, gasping and coughing. Izuku saw that tears and sweat that flowed down his face.

All Might's skin was smoking, and as soon as he showed up, he was gone, having leaped away with his Quirk. Izuku watched him silently, his fists clenched at his sides. That slime villain was going to pay for messing with Kacchan. Maybe not that day, but someday. Anyone who makes Kacchan cry out deserves to be destroyed.

Izuku's attention snapped back to Kacchan, who still heaving breaths on the ground. His red eyes were narrowed and angry. "Why..." he gasped.

"Because you were helpless," Izuku stated, despite Kacchan's growl of anger at his words. "I saved you because seeing you so desperate and fearful makes me sick. Now get up, stop acting like a victim."

Kacchan forced himself up, his fists tight. "I'll fucking kill you—"

Izuku shoved his hands in his pockets. "Shut up. Go talk to the officer with the bat ears. He wants your name."

Those red eyes held an endless amount of fury. "I'm going to fucking kill you tomorrow."

Izuku ignored Kacchan's promise and waved him toward the officer. He picked up his book bag, which was now soaked with slime. He sighed, dropping the bag and proceeding to pick up the remains of his books. Just another day until middle school was finished. Just one more day until he could finally start actively training to get into U.A.

Just one more day.

He started home, four books and two binders in his arms. His pens and pencils were in his pocket. His walk home took a long time. There weren't many straight roads for him to cross, and he had to zigzag through the city to get there.

Izuku entered the apartment building, his arms aching. The smell of alcohol and mildew burned his nose. As he walked down the hall, he sighed. The apartment building's elevator was broken again. With luck, it would be fixed within the next month, but even that seemed to be rare.

Letting out an annoyed exhale, he started up the stairs. It took perhaps two minutes to get up to the third floor, but it was exhausting. He walked down the hallway, stopping in front of his and his father's apartment. Not even knocking, he dropped his books and kicked the door with his sole, letting it swing open and slam against the inside wall. There was a shout of protest from the neighboring apartment.

"SHUT UP, YOU DO THE SAME THING!" Izuku shrieked. Another shout from the neighbor. "IT SOUNDS EXACTLY THE SAME!" When there was another yell of anger, the boy grabbed the doorknob and struck it once more into the neighboring wall. "NOW SHUT UP!" They fell silent.

Izuku kicked his books inside, letting the door slam behind him. He kicked his books further into the living room, then into a corner of his own room. He fell back onto his bed, pulling out his phone and scrolling through the news feed. Sure enough, All Might's victory was on the news, and Kacchan's signature angry face was plastered beside the words "Ambushed Boy Saved By Hero."

Izuku groaned, throwing his arms up above his head. He was so tired of this world. This life. He wanted it to stop.

The phone vibrated. A new message. He eyed it for a long moment, hesitant.

He grabbed it and unlocked it. Opened up his messages.

Hisashi
Why did you save him?

Izuku
He's my friend.

Hisashi
Bullshit.

Izuku
You don't have the right to call friendship "bullshit."

Hisashi
I have every right to call anything bullshit.
Are you at home?

The boy didn't type anything for a long time.

Hisashi
I'm taking that as a no.
You better have a good excuse.

There was an unmistakable threat in those simple words. Unfortunately, text messages weren't the best at portraying emotions, especially ones from that man.

Izuku
I'm home.
I've been home.

There weren't any more messages after that. Izuku forced himself out of bed, stretching his back and his arms out as far as he could before relaxing. He went ahead and entered the bathroom, took a shower, got dressed, had ramen for dinner, and finished the last of his homework before Hisashi got home.

There was no mistaking that loud pounding on the front door. Izuku swallowed the last bit of broth before leaving the dish in the sink. He went to the door and opened it up. Hisashi stormed inside, roughly shoving the boy out of the way.

Izuku slammed the door shut, spinning around to glare at his father's retreating back with gritted teeth. The man paid him no mind, simply stomping into his own room and pulling it shut with a loud bang. Izuku could already feel his bridled anger welling up in his chest. He couldn't help but mentally curse at his father. For all the things Izuku dealt with, one could only think that the boy's father would be more understanding.

That wasn't the case. The man even reminded Izuku of Endeavor, and that certainly wasn't a good thing.

—

By the time Izuku woke up early the next morning, he changed into a T-shirt and shorts, pulled on his sneakers, picked up his books and binders and left the apartment room. He trotted down the stairs, reached the bottom, and proceeded to walk out the door of the building, down the road to the nearest coffee shop.

They were local, which meant anything bought there would better boost the economy. Besides that, Izuku knew that he could make Hisashi mad by paying full price for something that could've been less when bought somewhere else.

But their hot chocolate had gotten really good over the years; much better than anything Izuku had gotten store-bought.

He entered the cozy little shop, setting his things down on a nearby table before walking up to the counter.

The lady behind the counter gave a small wave, a slight smile on her face. Faint but real. "Hey, Izuku."

"Hi."

"Same as usual?"

"Yes, please."

As the lady went ahead and fixed his drink, Izuku went and sat down at his table. There was the little ting of the tiny bell, signaling that another person entered the shop.

"Hey, Deku."

Izuku turned, looking at Kacchan from over his shoulder. His tone took on a sarcastic manner. "Hi. What happened to 'I'll fucking kill you'?"

Kacchan sneered, walking around to sit in the only other chair at the table. "I figured your son of a bitch dad would do it for me." Izuku shrugged, looking out the window at the passersby. "Don't give me that silence, I know you hate him as much as I do," Kacchan muttered. Izuku knew not to mention the whole "trying to save you" thing. Kacchan had a short temper, and it was surprisingly easy to throw him off the wall.

"I do hate him," Izuku admitted, sinking his nails into his palms. "I hate him more than anything else in the whole world."

He would've said more, but the lady had brought over his drink. "So, Izuku, I saw you on TV last night. You fought a villain?" The boy didn't even look at her, carefully sipping at his hot chocolate. He hummed in response. He didn't miss the angry tic under Kacchan's eye.

There was a silence until Kacchan ordered (demanded) a drink. Izuku knew that Kacchan didn't even like what they had on the menu at the shop. It was obvious he was just trying to get her to leave. Kacchan stared him down. "So. You're going to try U.A."

That wasn't a question. "Yes, I am," the boy said. "Your point is?"

"Why are you even bothering? You can't even use your fucking Quirk without fucking yourself up," Kacchan stated.

Izuku nodded absentmindedly, taking another sip. "I know."

The lady brought over Kacchan's drink. The latter's fists tightened. It seemed he was forcing his anger down. "But why are you bothering?" Izuku was silent for a moment.

"I guess I mostly just hate Hisashi," he said finally. "I think becoming a hero will kill two birds with one stone. First, I can piss off Hisashi by rejecting villainy, and two, I can finally help people. I can finally save people."

"You're stupid."

"I know."

They didn't stay for long. They really couldn't stay for long. The school started in half an hour, and it took just about that amount of time to walk. Izuku stood up, got his things, paid for both drinks, and left with Kacchan by his side. Izuku didn't miss it when his friend tossed his untouched beverage in the trash on the way out.

"What'd you order?" Izuku mentioned.

Kacchan shoved his hands in his pockets. "Some dumb-as-fuck tea."

"How imaginative they've become with their names."

"I'll fucking kill you."

Izuku snorted. "Yeah, right."

Their walk to school consisted of simple, ignorant things that kids usually talked about. It was a welcome change, considering what had happened the preceding day. They got to school four minutes early, which gave them both just enough time to put their things away and get seated before the tardy bell rang.

And of course, like always, Kacchan kept up his bully act.

It was lunch when Kacchan and two of his lackeys approached him. Izuku raised a hand in greeting, his expression bored. "Hey. What do you want?"

Kacchan gave a toothy grin, shoving his fist into his open palm. "A bit of fun. C'mon, Deku."

Izuku swirled his ramen around in his bowl absentmindedly. "I dunno, I'm actually kind of busy." He took another bite.

"Lunch's almost over. We'll beat you up at recess." Kacchan shoved his hands in his pockets but looked no less intimidating.

Izuku just shrugged. "Cool with me."

Recess ended with burns and bruises on his face and arms. Soon after, with just one class left, he felt the burns finally healing. The ache remained, but the on-contact pain had faded.

Finally, the class was over and the kids started cheering for the end of the year, yelling about how they were going to be heroes. Izuku followed most of them out, keeping a steady pace with the rest of them. He heard whispering about U.A.

I heard it's really hard to get in.

Yeah. And apparently, only twenty-four kids can be in the hero class.

Aw, that sucks!

Though Izuku studied everything he could about the prestigious U.A., he hadn't heard about that. And it seemed that getting in would be a lot harder than Izuku first thought.

A/N: Edit: Changed Midoriya's manner of speech from quiet and reserved to a louder, more outgoing kind. But don't worry, that shyness will definitely be back soon enough. Other than that, nothing's changed!