And here I am, with the brand new chapter. Thanks for all your reviews and support for this story. I am grateful for all your kind and supportive reviews. Special thanks goes to FoxOnPie. You know, man, gotta be honest here.

You rock. I mean, really, your reviews can be really thorough and insightful, especially when it comes to giving valuable advice for improvement. Hope to see the same from more of you guys. Any piece of advice or feedback or praise is cool.

Anyway, just a quick question, since not all of Class 1A characters are genderbent, which characters should fill in the six spare places? Any suggestions are welcome.


Nobody is born equal.

Some people are born smarter. Some are born stronger. Some are born richer. You could work harder than anyone else. But in the end, you could never fight your own nature. None of the people were ever created equal. Just like everything in nature, it was a simple truth.

One single empirical truth.

"Tacchan, when we grow up, can we work together as heroes?"

Boys can't be heroes. It wasn't an insult or a bigoted opinion. It was just a fact. Simple and empirical truth. It wasn't prejudice or some twisted discrimination. It was just the nature. Pure Genetics. And nothing more.

Was it sad that the boys like Deku could never be heroes? Yes. But what could anyone do about it? In the end, it was their responsibility to accept this fact and move on like the rest of them did before.

"I don't care that I don't have a Quirk! I will become a hero no matter what!" he looked her way, hopeful and excited. He wanted her to speak. To say that he was right. That he could be a hero. "Right, Tacchan?"

He wanted her to lie. He didn't want to face the truth. All he wanted was just hear someone say he could be a hero. If she was a stranger, she would do it. She would lie to his face and say he could be a hero if he tried.

But she was his friend. And friends only said the truth.

Sooner or later, all of them had to grow up and face the reality. And reality was that the boys, no matter what they did, could never be superheroes. They could use whatever tech or drugs or training they got their hands on, but it would never be the same as natural Quirks.

Deku was a boy.

Deku couldn't be a hero.

"Why do you do this?"

It is the first time he yells at her like that. He is crying. But those tears are more bitter, filled with anger and hatred. His cheek is swelling and reddening. It is the first time she used her Quirk on him. She can't even remember why she did it or how situation escalated to this.

Was it so hard to accept the truth? He couldn't be a hero. Then why did he keep bothering her and the other kids? Why couldn't he just fucking grow up like the rest of the boys did? Was he just that stupid?

"Why do you hate me so much, Tatsuki?"

It was that day when she saw Deku for who he really was. He wasn't a kind and shy boy. He wasn't an idealistic idiot or a kid who wanted to do good. There was nothing good or noble in his desire to be a hero.

He was just a selfish brat who wanted to play hero.

He could be a doctor and save lives. He could work as a police officer and protect people. He could get rich and help people through charity. But it just wouldn't be good enough for him, would it? Those jobs would never garner him the same attention and worship as being a hero would. That was why he wanted to be a hero.

But whom would he help?

He was weak. He was vulnerable and cowardly. He could never protect anyone. What was his plan anyway? Learn some martial arts? Get some tech? None of those things would mean shit when facing people with powers!

People who relied on him would die. He would die if he entered the world of heroes. He would die and leave his family behind because of his selfishness. Why did he want to be heroes so much? Because of his pride? Some childhood bitterness and desire to prove everyone wrong?

That was idiotic.

And now, because of how fucking selfish he was, he was going to die.

"Tatsuki?"

She looked him in the eyes, the mixture of regret and anger boiling in her blood. He was a fucking idiot. Why did he have to get involved? Why did he have to play a hero? Why couldn't he just accept the reality and move on?

"I am sorry."

She looked Deku straight in the eyes and watched them widen in fear. He screamed something. He reached out towards her as if he could do anything. And then, before she could push the retard away, there was heat.

Her blood curled at the intensity and volume of the shriek that Deku let out. It was one of the strongest of her attacks. Every once in a while, alone in a junkyard, she would test it out on whatever was strong enough to take it. Steels doors, trucks, entire hills of metal and concrete. All were reduced to the piles of ashes and cinders.

And now it hit Deku.

At point-blank range.

The time slowed down as she watched his body fall. His skin was scorched black, patches of it flaying off and displaying burnt red muscles. His clothes were practically molten into his flesh, the revolting smell of flesh mixing with burnt fabric. His hair completely burnt off, Deku's face was nothing but a skull with pieces of meat and skin patched all over.

And his eyes...

The haunting look of false hope would always be set in those empty and lifeless eyes.

And just like that, with no meaning or worth, Deku died. By her own hand.

"Y-You..." she heard Helitack whisper. "Monster!"

She said nothing, eyes locked onto the black and red corpse of her friend. She couldn't say anything even if she wanted to. The pro heroes rushed towards her. She could see that they had enough. That she would be stopped no matter what.

And she hoped they would.

Tatsuki knew that she wasn't a nice person. Maybe it was because she hated pretending or lying. Maybe because she just liked talking how she felt. Regardless of the reason, she wasn't a nice and polite person.

But that didn't mean she was a monster. They shared one mind. And although she couldn't break the control, she could hear the thoughts of the parasite. She knew what the bitch in control of her body was going to do. She knew of the destruction and death she was going to cause with her hands.

The scorched body by her side proved that much.

Deku was dead... Scorched, burned and roasted alive. He would never come back. God, what would happen to his parents? They loved him so much. She told him he should have stayed away from heroics. That he would only risk his life. And now... Now he was dead because or his fucking bleeding heart.

It was only their rotten luck that these three were the heroes caught in this situation. Lifeguard was a pure strength hero. Helitack produced and manipulated water. And Kana Woods had plants as her main weapon. Against her explosions and, as a consequence, growing fire, these three were possibly the worst combination of heroes.

It wasn't the only problem, however. Physical exhaustion could be overcome if only for a brief amount of time. What truly weakened the emotional and psychological fatigue.

And what was more demoralising than watching a defenseless kid burn alive?

Heroes were pushed back. Streets were scorched and burned. The heat kept rising, making her sweat more. And the more sweat she produced, the more destructive her powers became. At this rate, it would an hour maximum before she had enough power to bring down buildings with one strike.

She tried to fight against the control. But her body was weak. So weak from all the damage it sustained by this point. Her mind was no better. She was a mess. A complete and total fucking mess. She didn't have any willpower left. She had only one thing: rage.

And so she raged. She screamed. She roared. Deep within her mind, locked into the furthest corner of her consciousness, she tore and bit and clawed through the endless darkness. It wasn't about taking her body back anymore.

It was about making the bitch scream.

But she only laughed at her impotent rage. She drank in her despair and anger as she continued abusing her power and body. One after one, the heroes fell. On their knees, exhausted and broken, they could only glare and grit their teeth in frustration and anger.

"So you don't have the guts to kill me, after all." the parasite chuckled, raising her hands. "No wonder heroes like you fall dead like flies. You are just too weak to do what we are more than happy to do to you. But hey, better life for people like me, right?"

She could feel the heat rise in her body. Her bones shook and ached, muscles burning and begging for a breather. But it her who needed it, not the parasie. As long as her body could produce sweat, the bitch cared little for how much the abuse damaged her.

"Make sure to drink this one in, heroes."

There was the surge of heat through her flesh.

"Say your prayers."

Sparks flew from her body, smoke and steam rising.

"And go to Hell!"

She felt cold.

Not an instant drop of temperature but rather the slow and painful spread of cold. All over her skin, through her flesh, to her very bone. As if all the heat was drained from her arm, her limb went numb and rigid. Shaking, she looked at her arm, the faintly glowing limb attached to it.

Then she looked at the owner of the hand.

Both of them froze.

Impossible.

That was the thought that ran through their collective mind as they stared at the dead standing and grasping their hand.

It was Deku. Alive and standing on his own two feet. His body, still torn and burnt and battered,started... healing? The patches of black and scorched skin were falling off him like dry clay, the new and still pink skin and flesh taking their place. The scarred and torn tissue of his arms and legs grew.

Her initial shock only grew as she saw the light flare coming from him. It was weak and pale but it was there. Golden yellow lines spread all over his skin like pulsing veins. The faint red flared from deep within his chest. And his eyes shone white gold. It looked like a... No, it couldn't be.

A Quirk... Deku had a Quirk. But that was impossible!

And a dead man walking and breathing was? She barked at herself. But it sounded so weak. So unlike her. All of this was just too much. Too much for her to stay calm and rational. Could it be... that Deku has a Quirk?

"Tch," the parasite scoffed. With a slight force, she tore her arm away and glared at Deku. "Aren't you supposed to be dead, kid?"

No answer. This unnerved her. Both of them. Any lack of emotion on Deku's face as he stared at them made the parasite uneasy. Especially since she had killed him only a few moments ago.

"Are you going to just stand there all day?" Despite the bravado, Tatsuki knew she was panicking. Even the dumb bitch like the parasite knew that something was wrong. She could feel that, whatever she stood against, wasn't to be taken lightly. "Or are you going to fight me?"

There wasn't nearly the same amount of confidence in her voice. Because she had no idea what she was standing against. What she was dealing with was unnatural and, therefore, intimidating. With the roar, she unleashed the series of explosions and blasts into his face. But it did little to ease her fears.

In fact, watching him just stand and take it only made things worse.

So she raised her hands again, ready to keep blasting Deku until he was nothing but a pile of ashes. Something didn't feel right from the very start. There was no power. No strength. The air around them cooled down, her sweat freezing on the spot. The parasite balled her fists again and again. But to no avail. She couldn't feel any power in her body. As if every bit of warmth was sucked out of her, leaving only this numbness and cold.

She could hear the parasite breathe. Heavy and panicking. It must have been very terrifying. To have so much power at your hands and find yourself weakened by someone's sheer presence.

She was feeling the same way.

Deku stepped forward, with the same serene expression as before. He said nothing. His eyes, pure white gold, just looked at her with no emotion. No anger. No fear. No sadness. Nothing.

He walked towards them, the nearby fires coiling and flying towards him like snakes. And as each bit of flames went into his flesh, she could see the glow grow stronger. The bright red light in his chest grew brighter and his skin looked less and less humane.

"S-Stay back!" she threw her fist, hoping that at least a spark would come out. But none appeared. She took a step back. She stumbled and fell. "D-Damn it, I am telling, get the fuck away!"

She, on the other hand, was the collection of all the worst emotions one could experience during the battle. Fear. Confusion. Panic. Anger.

"What are you?" she whispered. "What the hell are you?!"

Tatsuki felt something boil in her stomach. Her stomach... She felt it again. Though happy at first, she soon doubled over in pain as the said something boiled even hotter and started going up her guts, cutting and eating through her in all but literal sense.

She let out a scream, the pained and relieved sound as the parasite escaped through her mouth. The wave of black slime with red eyes and yellow fangs and teeth hovered above Deku, its expression twisted in anger and hunger. It was clear what she wanted now.

Tatsuki was exhausted. Her body, now cold and numb, was too weak for the parasite to benefit from. With no parasite in her body, Tatsuki felt all the pain and damage inflicted on her body. She felt her bones fracture and breathing, her muscles tore and ached, her body bleeding in so many places she didn't feel up until now.

She was useless.

But Deku wasn't.

The parasite screeched in hundreds of diferent voices and lunged forward. There was the predatory glint in those eyes as she reached towards the greenhaired boy and opened her giant mouth.

But there was no reaction from Deku. He just stood in front of the towering and advancing monster, his expression not serene or calm but blank and confused. As if he had no idea what exactly was happening around.

"You are mine!" the parasite cheered as her slimy flesh wrapped around the hero fan. She immobilised him, cutting off his air supply with her own body. And as the boy sinker deeper and deeper into her, she laughed.

But among the loud cheering and laughter, Tatsuki heard something else. So quiet and calm that it should have been unheard. But there it was. Cutting through the noise and screaming like a knife through flesh.

"Enough."

It looked like a scene in slow motion. The smallest bit of gold shone through the black of the slime. But then it grew. Bigger. Brighter. Stronger. And as more and more light spread, the parasites expressions changed one after another.

Surprise into confusion. Confusion into frustration. Frustration into anger. Anger into panic. And panic changed into fear.

Her vision grew blurry, dark spots spreading across the corners of her eyes. She wouldn't see what happened next. She wouldn't know if the villainess was dead or arrested until she was found - if she was still alive by that point.

But that expression of fear on the villainess' face and victorious smile that was on Deku's face?

Those she would never be able to forget.

A

When Inko first took newborn Izuku in her arms, she could only gasp in shock at how small and fragile he looked. She told herself back then that, no matter what happened, she would protect her son from all thepain of the world.

She couldn't keep her promise.

She did all she could but that wasn't enough. Because, as much as she tried to protect him from harm, she never could help him with the pain and disappointment over his future. The things that he would never be able to do no matter how hark he worked for them.

Being a superhero.

It was the life he wished he could have. The future he dreamed of up until today. And yet... As much as seeing him smile was important to him, this future was the last thing she wanted him to have. Inko didn't want this dream to become a reality.

Heroes were icons. They protected, saved and inspired people for so many things in life. There was no doubt in her, or anyone's heart, that heroes were important.

But she would never let her child become one.

It was just too dangerous. Too risky and unpredictable. Even those born with Quirks were never truly safe. It wasn't just armed robberies or burning buildings that they fought against. Natural catastrophes, terrorist attacks, monsters and madmen running and plotting against the peace of the society. Those weren't even the scariest part of what being a hero meant.

How would Izuku feel when he couldn't save someone? When somebody got hurt because he was too late to arrive or too weak to do anything? And what about his normal civilian life? His friends? His family?

Inko knew all too well how hard it was for some heroines to live a normal life. Those with families had it especially hard. Her grandmother, a respected if not famous heroine, spent much more time fighting crime on the streets than taking care of her own children.

As a result, she was rarely home. Whenever she was home, she was always anxious,as if every second she spent with them could cost someone a life. Dad was always on her side, cheering her up whenever mom wasn't home or missing another birthday of hers. But even as a child, she could see that he was just as miserable and worried as her.

She understood that her mother was helping people. And she tried her best to be happy and proud of her mother. After all, what were a few missed birthdays compared to saving the town and people in it? Mom would always come back and they would always be a family,she used to tell herself.

Until the day when she didn't return.

"This is Daikaku Miyagi, here with an update on Mutsufasu City Incident." the man in his late forties looked at the camera, his expression stoic and calm. "As many of you remember, two days ago, Mutsufasu City, the country's main residence of heroes, has experienced the biggest act of terrorism in the last five years. The culprit, now identified as Kaoru Bajiru, is currently under arrest and awaiting trial."

Numbers were displayed on the screen behind the man. Five people confirmed dead. And around fifteen more injured or missing under the ruins of buildings.

It was a tragedy like this that took away her mother. And wasn't it ironic that Izuku ended up in one as well?

"However, the untold amount of destruction wasn't the most shocking news of the Incident. According to the reports from several witnesses and professional heroes, a young man, now identified as Midoriya Izuku, displayed a Quirk and used it to apprehend the villainess and extinguish the nearby fires. We have invited Nemuri Kayama, AKA The Nightwatch Heroine: Midnight, to join our discussion on the topic of this Alpha-Y manifestation. Nice to have you here, Kayama-san."

"Good morning, Miyagi-san. A pleasure to be here," the woman dressed in black suit smiled at the host. Inko could remember her as the one who brought her here to this place.

Lazarus Clinic was the country's top medical facility. Every piece of the latest technology was delivered here first. The place hired only the top graduates of medical institutions and Quirk research centers to ensure that the heroes of their country were always in their best condition.

But what this place prided itself in the most was its secrecy. Heroes wanted to appear invulnerable. Everlasting and unbreakable. And that is why many of them went to be treated here. The only place in the entire nation where they could be weak.

And now her son was here, unresponsive ever since the incident.

For the last two days, there was no change. While his vitals remained stable, the doctors refused to share anything until they were through with all the necessary procedures. The fact that she was kept in the dark about her only child's health was driving her crazy.

"But it's not like this is the first time we had this groundbreaking discovery, right?" The host said with a bit of scepticism. The screen behind him flashes, several images of men from all over the world displayed. All of them wore superhero costumes and, seemingly, possessed superpowers. "Pardon my lack of faith, but haven't we dealt with accidents like this before?"

"Are you saying that Midoriya-kun orchestrated the entire thing and somehow faked having a Quirk?"

"No, what I am saying is that the heroes on sit have been fighting in extreme conditions and were exhausted. The heat, the panic and the amount of destruction have taken a toll on them and made them see things that weren't there."

"But what about the fires? There were a lot of witnesses that claim the boy absorbed the flames before collapsing."

"While I don't dismiss the witnesses' claims, we should all remember that we, as people, always see things that we want to see. For all we know, it could have been a work of some other heroine that decided to remain unknown."

"Miyagi-san, pardon me, but you sound almost like you don't want to believe in a boy having a Quirk. While unheard of until today, it is no secret that males do have the necessary Alpha Plus gene. The only problem is the matter of its activation."

"And many have tried activating it before," the man countered. "For almost a century by now, people have used methods from radiation exposure to chemical baths to deliberately endangering themselves. And none of those methods worked. However, if he is the first male superhero, then I can wonder how much he has ahead of him."

"Indeed. The numerous news stations are already going through every bit of the boy's background and are interviewing every single soul that might know anything about him. And that is only now. Imagine the kind of spotlight he will find himself in should the tests of his Quirk come in positive. "

They wouldn't. They couldn't. No matter what heroes or those people saw, she knew that her child didn't have any power. She prayed to every deity that would listen that he didn't.

It was selfish, she knew that. But she prayed from the bottom of her heart that it would all turn out to be some sort of misunderstanding. Some fluke or mistake on the heroes' part. She hoped that her son was normal.

"Midoriya-san?"

Chiyo Shuzenji. Recovery Girl. The only person right now who could make all her worries go away with just a few words. One of the top healers of the country stood near her, the expression unreadable mixture of emotions.

"Good morning, Shuzenji-san," she greeted politely, though hardly keeping her anxiety in check. She took a deep breath in. "H-How is Izuku?"

There was a pause, the elderly hero seemingly choosing her words cautiously. Before Inko assumed the worst, however, the heroine finally spoke.

"He is awake, Midoriya-san."

Awake? That was great. That was good. And yet it wasn't. She didn't say he was alright. Or that he was Quirkless. He was just awake. If things were good, then why did she have this sinking feeling in her stomach. "I-Is he alright? Please, tell me that he is okay!"

Another moment of silence. Another reason for her anxiety to was something else. Something the heroine didn't want to say. Could it be? No, it had to be a mistake.

"Is he...?"

Quirkless?

Powerless?

Normal?

The elderly woman didn't reply. It was clear as day that she knew what was going through her mind. The realisation made Inko weak in her knees, her world spinning. No... It had to be a mistake. It just couldn't be true.

"Please, come with me."

A

Izuku never saw himself as a lucky person.

He was born in the world of wonders, with no opportunity of ever becoming one. No matter how hard he tries, the world kept reminding him that he could never fight his nature. His dream forever unattainable because of being born with Y-chromosome.

And yet, maybe someone up there felt pity on him?

Izuku Midoriya looked through the papers, his heart beating faster with each positive mark inside small cages. No, none of this could be true. It had to be a mistake. It just couldn't be possible. And yet, no matter how many times he checked the results over and over, it all remained the same.

All the results were positive.

"I... have a Quirk?"

Could it be? No. No, it couldn't. He squashed whatever excitement and hope he had. No, it just wasn't true. It was impossible. No man could ever have Quirk. Let alone him. It was just a mistake. Another joke.

Right?

"T-There has to be some sort of mistake," he looked at Recovery Girl, the veteran hero. She was old, she could have accidentally mixed his papers with the results of someone else. "I-I... It's impossible. I am a guy, I can't have a Quirk."

He wouldn't fall for it. He wouldn't let himself believe that he could be a hero. It was a mistake. Yes, it was just a mistake. A small mistake on some doctor's part that all but him would have a good laugh at.

"I assure you, Midoriya-kun, there was no mistake. Trust me, we checked every single piece of equipment and sample of yours over ten times." the elderly heroine spoke, her voice showing just how little she believed her own eyes or words. "All of them are in perfect condition and all of them confirm one thing: you have activated your Alpha Plus Gene."

No... It wasn't true. It just couldn't be true.

"I am sorry."

Everyone said he couldn't be a hero. Mom. Dad. Tatsuki. Even All Might. It was his nature. Nobody could change that. Nobody.

"You can't be a hero."

He could never be a hero.

"Are you absolutely sure about it?" Mom asked in an unusually serious tone for her. Izuku tore his eyes away from the pile of papers and looked at mom. Her usually soft eyes hardened as she looked at the healer. "Please, tell us, are you absolutely sure that this isn't some mistake?"

There was something in her voice. Something that Izuku wanted to have right now. It was hope.

"Your son has been dead for several minutes, Midoriya-san." that shut both of them immediately. He was dead? But... How did he come back to life? "One of our doctors analysed his body cells and confirmed that over seventy percent of his current body is no older than a few days. Which confirms what the three heroes from the attack described to us."

"B-But... What kind of Quirk is that? Regeneration?"

"Not necessarily," Recovery Girl shook her head. "While we may not know this for certain, our working theory is that it has something to do with the manipulation or absorption of heat or other kinds of energy. This is just a theory, mind you. But, for now, this is the best guess we have."

Heat absorption? It could be possible. Mom's Quirk allowed her to attract small objects. And his paternal grandmother had Heat-treated Quirk, which could have been passed down to him through dad.

"I know this is a lot to take in," the heroine said reassuringly. "But trust me, things will work out. You just need to make up your mind on what you are going to do with your life now."

Make up his mind?

Ever since the meeting with All Might, all he could keep his mind was how he could never be a hero. And now the fate threw him a genuine Quirk. He wasn't sure if it was a gift or some twisted joke from above.

Someone entered the room.

They all looked towards the door.

He froze.

"You couldn't let the kid process it all, could you?" Recovery Girl sighed.

At the sight of the elderly woman in black suit, Izuku felt the mixture of bitterness and disbelief course through his body.

"Good morning, Midoriya-san," the woman bowed to his mom lightly, not facing him. "My name is Nana Shimura."

The same hero he had worshipped since the age of four.

The same person who made him give up on being a hero.

"On behalf of Yuuei High faculty," she continued, still looking only at mom and not him. "I am here to extend an offer to join the Department of Heroics starting from next year."


And that's it for today!

Izuku gets the invitation into Yuuei? But is it fair? Is it just? And what will it mean for him in the future?

Hopefully, you weren't disappointed. But if you were, then let me know what you didn't like and I will work on it. Seriously, this is how you improve your writing after all, right?

Now, as for your question, FoxOnPie, hopefully I cleared it up in this chapter. But to clarify, Quirk Combination still works the same way. It just takes one extra step of learning the man's mother's Quirk and that's it.

Like always, any suggestions for pairings, plots or Quirks are welcome.

Till next time!