Thanks to those who have already shown interest in this story. To be honest, I figured I wouldn't get so much as ten views for a few days at least, so I definitely wasn't expecting follows and favorites (and even a few short reviews) within a few hours after posting the story. Hopefully I don't disappoint you all going forward! Also, I'm having problems with the fanfiction site screwing up my format so I apologize if that happens and will try to fix it the moment I see it.

Disclaimer: I do not own My Hero Academia or any of the characters.

Izuku could feel a familiar wetness on his cheeks. A line of warmth that slowly crawled from his eyes down to his chin, growing heavy and then falling to the ground.

He had known what would happen. He had known it even before he had asked the question. So why?

Why did it hurt so much to hear that he couldn't be a Hero when he had already known what All Might would say? Izuku had known that he couldn't be a Hero for years now. He had even spent those years doing research in the hopes that one day he could support Heroes, knowing that he couldn't be one himself. He was too weak to be one, completely unable to protect anyone due to being Quirkless. For the most part he had come to accept this fact, knowing that attaining the title of 'Hero' was almost certainly impossible for him.

So why did it feel like he was four again, feeling just as he had that day he'd been sitting in front of his computer screen and watching a video of All Might saving people while he sat there with his dreams crashing down around him? Standing there on the rooftop where his idol had left him, Izuku Midoriya let out a scream. It was a guttural scream full of all the pain, anger, and shame he had felt and bottled up over the years whenever someone would make fun of him for being Quirkless, from all of the times his mother would sob and apologize to him, from every time Kacchan would bully him. He let all those pent up emotions tear away from him in one horrible scream, until finally his lungs ran out of air and he dropped to his knees like a marionette cut from its strings. Turning his tear-stained face towards the sky, the boy stared blankly at the clouds above him as a memory slowly rose through the haze of his mind.

"…I forgot to mention something earlier. There actually is a method for you to become a Hero. I hear that if you pray really hard and jump from the roof, you'll have a Quirk in your next life!" Kacchan's words from earlier kept going through Izuku's mind. Over and over the words of the blond boy would run through his mind, followed by his laughter. Slowly, the laughter in his mind grew as Izuku remembered the laughter of everyone that had ever mocked him over the years for being Quirkless. Gripping his head in his hands, Izuku covered his ears as if he could somehow block out the laughter that was ringing through his mind.

The longer this went on, the more difficult it became for Izuku to draw breath. He felt as if there was some horrible, crushing weight settling upon him. The pain of it felt like he had suffered some terrible wound to his chest, one that would surely kill him if he didn't…

Izuku's eyes shot open, the laughter in his mind slowly dissipating and his breath coming easier. The thought of his pain being likened to a terrible chest wound had brought up a different image to his mind, a more literal wound that was on the chest of the No.1 Hero. A wound that, by all rights, should have stopped All Might from being a Hero.

And yet…he still presses on. Even if it's only for three hours a day, he does everything he can to save people, to be their Symbol of Peace. If it's to help others, he pushes past his own weakness and gives it his all to protect them. Izuku clenched his fists at this, a sense of conviction slowly gripping him. Even if I'm Quirkless, that doesn't mean I'm powerless! I can still make a difference with my research, I can still help save people even without being a Hero!

His resolve strengthened, Izuku looked around for his bag so he could grab it and head home. Seeing it several feet away, he took a step away from the guardrail and froze before he could take another.

…guardrail?

Looking between his bag and the guardrail, Izuku gained a confused look upon his face. Why was he standing here? In fact, when did he even move away from his bag and walk all the way over here? He hadn't even realized the change in location when he had first opened his eyes. He vaguely remembered screaming and dropping to his knees, and then…and then he had remembered Kacchan's words from earlier when they were leaving the school. Stumbling away from the guardrail to stand by his bag, Izuku's face paled as he looked at where he had been standing in slight horror. Had he nearly…without even having been aware of his actions, did he try and…

Izuku shook his head violently, refusing to finish that line of thought. Grabbing his bag, Izuku rushed to the door All Might had gone through earlier and threw it open, leaving the roof without looking back.

Seeing a familiar scene before him, Izuku debated for a moment on if he was up to doing research right now. Similar to this morning, there was a large crowd gathered at the street ahead of him and he could see a few Heroes and police officers trying to keep the crowd out of harm's way. Izuku recognized the Heroes he could see and already had research on them, but judging from the sounds of explosions, there must be a rather powerful Villain wreaking havoc. Knowing he would be filled with regret later if he didn't at least check it out, Izuku sighed and began pushing his way through the crowd to a spot where he could get a look at the Villain.

When he finally caught sight of the Villain, Izuku was shocked to see that it was the same one that had tried to kill him earlier. But that…that doesn't make any sense! Izuku thought. All Might captured him already! Did he somehow escape the police? No, impossible! They're way too careful when securing the Villains that Heroes catch. So how…Izuku paled when he realized what must have happened.

It was his fault.

The Villain must have somehow gotten free because of him, back when he had selfishly delayed All Might from turning the Villain in just so that Izuku could ask a question.

"Why are the Heroes all just standing around and doing nothing to stop this guy?" asked a blond-haired man in front of Izuku.

"From what I have heard, some schoolboy was caught by the Villain and is being held hostage inside the sludge," replied a tall man standing next to him.

Overhearing what was said, Izuku's blood ran cold as he stared at the Villain as it rampaged. This, all of this, was entirely his fault. If he had just let All Might do his job as a Hero, none of this would have happened. If he hadn't screwed up, then that Villain wouldn't be free, those familiar sharp red eyes wouldn't be staring at him with a look of desperation…

"What the – hey! Stop!"

"You moron, what are you doing?!"

"Do you have some sort of death wish?!"

…and he wouldn't be running toward a Villain with no way to defend himself.

"Death by explosion, kid!" the Villain yelled with glee as he saw the boy approach, recognizing him from their meeting earlier in that tunnel.

Seeing the Villain preparing to attack him, Izuku did the only thing he could think of and swung his bag as hard as he could towards the only weakness he knew the Villain to have – its eyes. The bag hit the Villain in the right eye, causing it to recoil in pain and let out a shout. Not slowing down in the slightest, Izuku reached out and latched onto the boy who had been held hostage all this time.

"Kacchan!" he yelled, not even noticing as a smile began to form on his face.

"Why? Why are you here?!"

"I saw the look on your face…like it was calling for help, and…my body just moved on its own!" the green-haired boy yelled, desperately trying to pull Kacchan out of the Villain's grasp. "I'll get you out, I –"

"Get out of my way you little pest! Die!" yelled the Villain, reaching towards Izuku. His right arm began to sink into the sludge that made up the Villain's body, but just before he could sink into it very far there was suddenly a large hand gripping it tightly. The eyes of everyone present turned towards the owner of the hand, and were greeted with the sight of the No.1 Hero standing there with small wisps of smoke rolling off of his body and his legendary smile on his face.

"The lesson I left you with…how could I not remember that those words apply to myself as well?! A Hero must always be ready to put themselves at risk!" Though only Izuku could see it, a spurt of blood came from All Might's mouth as he said this. "Detroit…SMASH!" yelled the Hero, completely blowing the Villain away with the raw wind pressure that resulted from throwing a punch using his free hand, while at the same time pulling Izuku out of the way with the other. Kacchan was pulled free as well, Izuku still having had a grip on him when All Might pulled him away from the Villain.

"Rain?"

"What the…did All Might just…?"

"He changed the weather with a single punch!"

"As expected of the No.1 Hero, All Might!"

From where he was sitting on the ground after All Might had released his arm, Izuku found himself just as amazed as the rest of the crowd, if not more. Not only had his idol displayed his extreme power by changing the weather with a single punch, but thanks to their talk earlier Izuku also knew that the man had done so despite being past his limit. He had pushed aside his own weakness for the sake of saving someone, exactly as Izuku had known he would do.

Just as I will do, Izuku promised himself as a small, relieved smile came onto his face. Looking around, the green-haired boy saw several of the Heroes and some police officers gathering up the Villain's scattered body. A few feet to his left, he could see Kacchan sitting on the ground while a couple Heroes were loudly praising him for resisting the Villain for so long and for having such an impressive Quirk.

"Hey, kid!" came an angry voice from Izuku's right. Snapping his head towards the sound, the boy quickly lost his smile as he saw an extremely agitated man whom Izuku recognized as Death Arms, one of the Heroes that had been at the scene long before Izuku had arrived. Behind him stood another Hero by the name of Slugger, though Izuku couldn't be sure on whether or not the man was angry thanks to the white mask he wore as part of his costume.

"What in the world were you thinking?!" Death Arms yelled as he looked down at the boy. "There was absolutely no need to put yourself in danger! Do you realize how stupid it was of you to run in there? Had All Might not shown up, it's very likely that you would have died! Did you even…"

Izuku was kept there for another ten minutes, Death Arms lecturing him the entire time while Slugger watched on in silence. Izuku knew that Death Arms would have said more, but he had been called over by a police officer who needed him to lift a large piece of rubble. Slugger didn't leave immediately, seeming to stare at Izuku a moment longer before shaking his head and walking over to help the other Heroes. Seeing his opportunity to leave, Izuku hurried and gathered up his bag from where it had landed after he'd thrown it at the Villain. Keeping his head low in the hopes that he wouldn't be noticed, Izuku quickly fled the scene and once again began to make his way home. He briefly considered going back and apologizing to All Might, but the man had been surrounded by reporters and Izuku didn't even want to imagine what would happen if they recognized him as the one who had run towards the Villain.

Maybe he'd actually get home without something crazy happening, this time.

"Hey, Deku!"

Spinning around, Izuku covered his face with his arms out of reflex upon hearing the angry voice of Kacchan. Peering past his arms, Izuku slowly lowered them and relaxed a bit once he saw that there was still a few yards between himself and the other boy, who looked angrier than Izuku had seen him in a long time.

"K-Kacchan –"

"I never asked you to save me, you hear me?! I could have beaten that Villain myself, got it?! I don't need the pity of a Quirkless failure like you. Don't you dare try and mock me, acting like I needed your help! You stupid nerd!"

With that, the blond-haired boy spun on his heel and walked down the street. Watching him round a corner and leave his sight completely, Izuku let out a small sigh. In a way, Kacchan was right. Even though he had tried to help, Izuku ended up being unable to accomplish anything after running towards the Villain. Part of him was still glad that he had done so, regardless of not having made a difference. Between his talk with All Might and his failed attempt to help Kacchan, Izuku felt like he was finally starting to truly accept that he couldn't be a Hero. Now, he could focus on a more realistic future. One where he used his research to help Heroes, but never be one himself. A future where –

"I am here!" yelled All Might as he suddenly dashed onto the street in front of Izuku, striking a pose in his Muscle Form.

"All Might?! What are you doing here? Weren't you surrounded by reporters?" Izuku yelled in shock.

"Reporters? Ha! Shaking them off is nothing to me! After all, I am All Mi –" blood began spouting from All Might's mouth, wisps of smoke rolling off of his body as it reverted back to its true form. Wiping the blood from his mouth, All Might looked straight into Izuku's eyes. "Kid, I – no, before I say my piece, tell me your name."

"M-Midoriya…Midoriya Izuku."

"Well then, young Midoriya, I've come here for several reasons. First off, I must thank you. If it wasn't for you, I would not have been able to save that boy earlier."

"I…I wasn't able to do anything," Izuku said quietly, shoulders slumping and turning his eyes towards the ground in shame. "Not only was I unable to do anything, but everything that happened was my fault! I got in your way earlier and stopped you from taking the Villain to the police. If I hadn't been so selfish, the Villain never would have gotten free! Even though I'm Quirkless, I dared to ask you if…"

"That's exactly the point!" All Might said strongly, interrupting the young man in front of him. "Of all the people at the scene, it wasn't the police or one of the Heroes that stepped in to try and save that boy! Not even me, the one hailed as the No.1 Hero, the one seen as the Symbol of Peace! Instead, it was a timid and Quirkless young man. You, Izuku Midoriya! It was you who inspired me to act! When I saw you charge in to help that boy, I remembered what you said on that rooftop. That more than anything, you wanted to reach out and save someone. To wear a smile that knows no fear!" Raising his right arm, All Might pointed at Izuku. "Your face held a smile, young Midoriya, one I have seen on my own face countless times before!"

For some reason, Izuku could feel a familiar heat in his eyes and going down his cheeks as All Might spoke.

"Most of the best Heroes show signs of greatness even as children. Many of them claim that, when they see someone who needs help…their bodies simply moved before they could think!"

Clutching his chest as tears poured down his face, Izuku sunk to his knees in the middle of the street, never looking away from the man he'd admired his entire life.

"That…that's what happened to you back there, isn't it?!"

"Y-yes!" Izuku answered, choking back a sob.

"I apologize for what I told you back on that rooftop, young Midoriya. I have never been more wrong in my life…"

Shutting his eyes as tight as he could, Izuku was suddenly reminded of that day when he was four, asking his mother if he could be an amazing Hero someday. Rather than apologizing to him as she had done, what he had wanted to hear, was…

"You can be a Hero, Izuku Midoriya!"

Finally hearing the words he had craved so desperately his entire life, Izuku let out a scream for the second time that day. Unlike the first one, however, this one wasn't fueled by his pain, or anger, or shame. It was filled with the passion of his rekindled dream, with all the strength of what made up the boy known as Izuku Midoriya.

Izuku Midoriya…the boy who would become a Hero.

Bit of a short chapter, but I rather liked the idea of ending it here. Not to worry though, I went ahead and uploaded chapter 3 as well to make up for it. Like I said in my first Author's Note, it's a bit slow at the start with only small, somewhat subtle changes but eventually I hope for it to become something impressive. Also, I don't have anyone to beta-read this story for me, so I apologize for any mistakes as I'm unlikely to catch them all myself!

Feel free to leave a review on what I'm doing right and what I'm doing wrong! Thanks for reading!