Yay! I got the chapter a week earlier than I said I would. First, let me address what the reviewers have said,
Whitetiger789- While, yes, he will be as strong as Garou, because he has a more powerful motive and greater determination, Izuku will be stronger than Garou, even though he has the same technique. That is also something that his teacher and everyone who knows about Garou would bring up.
Karlos1234ify- His harem may or may not be expanded upon, but, since I know that there are very few stories about Melissa, Ochako, and Izuku, and how the girls would deal with loving one guy who is oblivious to their feelings, and the rest of the pressures put on them for their dreams of being a hero, I wanted to start with that part of the story, and try to add more to the harem. Suggest in a review which girls to include. However, it has to make sense, both chemistry-wise, and age wise. Unless you can give me a very good reason as to why you guys want a specific character in the harem, like Midnight, Pixie-Bob, or other female superheroes, and a time and way for them to fall in love with Izuku that makes them have chemistry and surpasses age, I am mostly going to include girls from 1-A, 1-B, and from the other schools.
Thank you, reviewers, for reviewing and criticizing this, and helping me improve it, and thank you, readers, for reading. Within a few days, this story shot up and got more than 1000 people reading it, so thank you. If you like the story, write a review, subscribe to my profile and story, and subscribe to my youtube channel, American Theorist Bros. Now, on with the story, The Strongest Hero. PS, this might shift perspectives later in the story.
I was getting ready for my day for school when my mom stopped me.
"Mom?" I asked.
She then proceeded to hug me, but softer than the day that changed both of our lives. She felt warm, happy, and filled with positive emotions. After she pulled away, I walked out of our apartment and waved at her. I went to school and into my classroom. As I came into the classroom, my teacher started discussing our career paths, but, while the teacher was speaking, I spaced out, thinking of how I have grown.
I gained a significant amount of muscle mass, and it showed. I now had a solid six-pack, along with a lot of muscle on my arms, legs, and upper chest, despite my size. I also helped my community. I made sure that, regardless of how strong I was, I wouldn't think that I was better than anyone else, so I made sure that I helped people. I cleaned up the entirety of the beach that was near my house and after cleaning it in a month, I ran across it, then back to my house. Then, from a suggestion, I started doing 100 pushups, situps, and squats, and a 10km run across the beach, but, eventually, that became too easy, so I pushed the numbers higher. I could now run at 40 miles per hour easily. I could now lift 50000 pounds, with only me being 145 pounds in weight. At first, I was amazed how I could get so strong, so, I went back to my old teacher so I could ask how I could improve, and how I became so strong a month ago.
Flashback 1 month ago
"Master," I said, taking off my shoes while bowing towards him with respect, and came on the dojo's wooden floor.
"Yes, Izuku? You haven't been here in a while, have you?" He said softly. "What ails you?"
"I have come to ask; how have I improved compared to people with quirks?" I said, revealing no arrogance, glee, or expectation.
"You have improved to the point where you can be able to achieve that dream you had told me of. You have the strength and a mind that makes sure that now, no one can now claim that you are powerless without being out of their mind." He and I shared a laugh. He had helped me get away from Katsuki and protected me from them on days where I was weak. He stood up for me when no one else did. He was my first good friend in a long time, asking no payment whatsoever for the dojo from my mom or from me, just want the recognition of being my teacher. He taught me the technique Fist of Flowing Water, Crushed Rock. As he said, it was absolute hell to experience it. However, not only did it develop my body, it made me able to think quicker, and always aware of what's happening around me. With my dedication to becoming smarter, and with my skills that I had gained up to that point, I had an IQ of nearly 200.
"Actually, why don't we test that?" He challenged, as he set up his stance. "Why don't we have a sparring match, one on one?"
"Are you sure, Master?" I asked with confusion.
"Yes, let's spar. You have gone in many tournaments now, haven't you?" He said.
He was right. Over the years, I competed in many tournaments, from Breaking concrete blocks to showing my creative form to, yes, sparring, I have won every single one since I was 8.
"Yes, but none of them involved fighting you," I said, worried if I would be able to beat him.
"Yeah, I guess so. Come, Izuku, show me that you can overcome me, and make the student beat the teacher." He said with energy.
"Yes, sir!" I said as I centered myself on the mat, and stayed in the same stance. I saw him get in a similar stance, and we started the fight.
I knew that, even though he had challenged me, he was going to give his all, based on me seeing him take a more serious stance then what I have seen him take in a while. His arms and legs were tight, and he bore an expression that I didn't see before. I heard my heart beat through my teeth, and I prepared myself mentally for the hardest spar of my life. I felt my arms rippling, my legs tightening, and I thought was ready. However, he made the first attack, punching me at my side. I slid back a little, but I didn't leave the mat or tap out, which would make me lose in non-point sparring.
"Remember what I said, young man." My master said, "Don't overthink your situation, otherwise, someone will react and defeat you beforehand. Have you learned nothing that I have taught you?"
I remembered his teachings and realized what to do. As quickly as I could, I ran up to him and kicked his knee and shin to try to disable him, but he anticipated that and moved while trying to slice me with his hand. I jumped over it, and, without any successful hits on him, I moved back, planning something. He took this time to attack, but I knew he would do this and moved behind him, and planted a sidekick on his back, landing my first hit on him, but not one he would take lightly. For some reason, his expression now bore desperation. Now, he started using the fist of flowing water, crushed rock to try to hit me, but more through desperation and him wanting to finish the fight, rather than the focused and calm actions I knew him for. He also kept his defense on the rise, keeping me from just beating him. However, he knew it was weak, and I knew that the least defended point was his head. So, when he came close to do attack me with his technique, I did a quick jab to move him back. However, this sent him flying into the wall, creating a huge amount of dust.
"Master!" I yelled.
From the dust that was created, I saw a shadowy figure, one in the shape of my master, and he said, "Don't worry, I am fine. That was a strong punch you got there." The dust then cleared, but I saw that his confident face that I used to see from him had shattered, and all that was present was a pained expression.
"Sorry, Master!" I immediately bowed to him. "I didn't mean for it to be that strong!"
Then, I heard him chuckled. I saw his expression change, from one of pain to one of pride. He then laughed, with a wholesome and kind-hearted laugh, as I looked at him, confused.
"Well then, the student truly has become the master." He said with pride, with not a hint of anger or sadness. "That means I have nothing more to teach you, Izuku. Congratulations, my boy. You really have grown."
I started crying, and I hugged him. He seemed shocked by my hug, but he reciprocated the hug and patted me on the back. Eventually, I pulled away, and I vowed to come back here when I had gotten into UA. Then, afterward, I ran several miles to go back home. I eventually reached home, and I saw my mom waiting for me at the door.
"Mom? What…" I wasn't able to ask my question before my mother immediately hugged me, softly. Unlike the hug I remember, it didn't feel like desperation, even though she was crying. She felt loose, and, when she pulled away, she was smiling, not a fake one, like the one she would use when I was injured from working too hard, but a genuine smile, one with real happiness and pride behind it.
"I heard from your master, and he said that you beat him in a sparring match. You beat the best martial artist in the world." She looked like she was going to cry tears of joy again, with her smile never waning. "I can't express how proud I am of you, son. At times, I was worried about your health, but I never stopped believing in you. Now, you have become so strong, and without becoming like the people who have hurt you." She then proceeded to hug me tightly for a few seconds, before pulling back.
"Hey, for your victory, I will make your favorite Katsudon." She said as she opened the door and we both went in. I waited by the table, as she told me to, and she gave me my favorite dish. I said, "Thank you for the meal." and took my time to really enjoy the food instead of rushing to eat it, like I would eat other foods. Katsudon was, and still is, one of the foods that, for me, I ate for pleasure and taste, rather than just eating it to survive and get stronger. I savored the taste of it, along with the smell, and my body relaxed to the food. I finished the bowl of Katsudon and asked my mother for seconds, knowing, after this point, I might not be able to enjoy it thoroughly.
'I have to rush through life, so there are very few times where I can just live in the moment and feel instead of think. This is one of those times, so I have to savor it.'
I finished the second bowl of Katsudon and stopped in front of my mom.
I smiled widely before going to bed, and I bowed to my mother, "Thank you, mom. Both for the meal, and for supporting me."
She touched my back, indicating me to stand up, and she hugged me for the final time that day, and said, "I'm your mom. As long as you aren't hurt, and you aren't hurting anyone, I will always support you."
Those words made me feel important, and I vowed, from that day and onwards, to never severely worry my mother.
Flashback end.
"I ASSUME YOU ALL WANT TO BE HEROES!" My teacher said, snapping me out of my thoughts, and, as I saw many other people being excited, I raised my hand determinedly.
"Now, excluding Midoriya, you all have wonderful quirks." My teacher said, calling me out, and making everyone chuckle at me. I scoffed and chuckled myself, knowing how little they knew about me. "But make sure you don't use it in school."
"HEY TEACH! DON'T LUMP ME IN WITH THESE LOSERS!" Bakugou came in, interrupting the teacher and the students.
Many of the students didn't look visibly happy, but they stayed silent, knowing Bakugou's abilities and his anger management problems.
"So, you are also going to UA high school?" The teacher said.
"ALSO?! WHO ELSE IS GOING?!" He screamed, with his eyes and tone leaking venom into the atmosphere.
"Why, the quirkless Izuku is going as well." The teacher said cockily.
'My teacher threw me under the bus.' I sighed as I stood up. 'However, I know what to expect. In less than 3 seconds, everyone will turn around, and say the words that I have gotten used to by this point.'
"You can't be a hero."
'Screw that.'
"I will become a hero, and no one will stop me," I said with no hesitation, with confidence sparkling within my voice. However, I knew exactly what was going to happen, and I knew no one would take that seriously. In their mind, it was like trying to become the best despite being the worst. Everyone had laughed at that, especially Bakugou.
"Oh my goodness, you really are a loser and an idiot, are you Deku?" He said as he calmed down from laughing so hard. "You think a Quirkless nobody like you can get into the best school in the nation?" Bakugou said.
"Yes, I know I can," I said, as a powerful, almost angry aura appeared around me, breaking my stoic demeanor while surprising everyone in the room. "I have done more training in a month than any of you have done in your entire lives. I AM STRONGER AND SMARTER THAN YOU. So why don't you sit yourself down in your desk before you, along with me, get sent to the principal's office?"
That, as I expected, pissed Bakugou, to the point he was using his quirk. Using it, Bakugou sped towards me and crashed through the wall. He broke through it, and destroyed the science classroom next door, and the next 2 classrooms, before stopping in the middle of another class. I looked through it, and I saw everyone look at me. My teacher was pissed, and said,
"MIDORIYA! BAKUGOU! OFFICE NOW!"
I groaned. This was going to be a case against me, and I hoped not to get a problem from this school, possibly hurting my chances to be in UA. But, I reluctantly walked out of the classroom and towards the principal's office, with me crossing my fingers. I sat down, with Kacchan coming later. The principal came to meet with us, and he sighed while looking at us.
"Now, Midoriya, what you did was unacceptable. You threatened Bakugou's life and made him feel unsafe, forcing him to use his quirk on you. You will be facing consequences. You will be forced to do detention today, and you will be required to pay for the damages you have caused." The principal said to me as he handed me a bill.
I was furious, but I didn't let it show yet. He showed me the bill, and, despite the overwhelming amount of money they asked me to pay, my expression stayed purposely blank. On the inside, I was filled with rage. Because of something I didn't even do, I was going pay, which would be more than what my mother and I earn over 10 months. All because many people had discriminated me for not having a quirk. So, people with a quirk have protection, and the quirkless are discriminated. I looked at the now mummified Katsuki. He looked even more furious than I was, looking ready to explore the entire building if one bad thing happened. After the Principal spoke, he exploded.
"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?! ME, AFRAID OF A QUIRKLESS NOBODY?! YOU ARE A…" He stopped as his mom came after hearing what happened to him, presumably.
"BRAT?! YOU ARE PICKING ON WEAKER KIDS AGAIN?! HOW DARE YOU HURT IZUKU AGAIN, AFTER HE DIDN'T TOUCH YOU!" Ms. Bakugou said.
"How did you know, Ms. Bakugou? I am certain you weren't in school today." The principal pondered
"Well, Principal, from what I know, Izuku would never hurt, nor threaten, a person's life. Even if he did, he's quirkless. You think that people without a quirk would be able to even hurt someone else's life, much less someone with a powerful quirk like my son?" She said, changing her entire tone of voice. If I didn't know her, and if I didn't just hear her, I would almost think she was a similar mom to mine. Almost.
The principal took her words into consideration."Well, that is a good point, but why would Bakugou attack him if he hadn't been aggravated or attacked?"
"My brat over here, he likes to think he is superior to everyone else, and whoever doesn't listen will be made sure that they…." She suddenly looked at me in confusion. "Wait, you don't even have any scars or burn marks. How?"
"He tried attacking me," I pointed to Kacchan. "And I defended myself by moving out of the way, thus making him crash into the wall."
"How you were able to dodge this brat's attack is beyond me, but the important thing is that none of you are hurt, and I will pay for any of the damages. This Brat was the one who caused it, so I will be responsible for it," said Ms. Bakugou, as she slapped her son for the bill.
"I guess you are right, Ms. Bakugou. Izuku, you are still going to be in detention."
I was still mad, but I knew if I questioned it anymore, I would end up with heavier consequences. So I shut up, silently thanking Ms. Bakugou, before going back to my class. After that, I went to detention, then, I waited for my mom to pick me up. She came, not worried, but confused.
"Are you okay son?" She asked as we went to the car, and opened the driver's seat door. Our car looked rather new, despite my mother and I had it since I was four. It looked clean, with no mud, dirt, or even dust apparent on, in, or around the vehicle.
"Yeah, I don't have a scratch on me." I sighed as I opened the door to go into the passenger seat. "However, many people are discriminating me, calling me weak because of my lack of any quirk, and many people are trying to stop my dream of becoming a hero." Then we talked inside the car.
"Then why don't you show them that you are strong? You have defeated the best Martial Artist in the world." She said from the driver's seat.
"Then something like this would happen. If I showed them my strength, they would think that I am someone like Garou." I said from the passenger seat, realizing that my mom doesn't look on the internet for these kinds of things.
"Garou? Who's that?" My mom asked.
"He was a person who, through sheer determination and hard work, became so powerful that he could defeat almost everyone. He was quirkless like me, and, because of that, people thought he was weak. People picked on him, and hurt him, so, when he became strong, he hurt anyone who was in his way. Some of the most powerful pro heroes fell to him. The only person who was able to beat him was the One Punch Man, also quirkless, who was a pro-hero who would be able to beat all of the other pro heroes without even giving it his full effort. But, after they died, they were mostly treated as exceptions to the established rules, and that is what the quirk population told themselves to make themselves seem superior. However, with me following their path, it would create another exception that society wouldn't want to occur because then, I would have nothing that could be limited, and people would fear me." I told her solemnly
"But you aren't like Garou. You are more like The One Punch Man. You want to be a hero." She said with her face towards me, filled with faith in my abilities and in me in general.
"Yes, but people will look at me differently, and they don't think I am like you say I am, Mom," I say disappointedly, which doesn't go unnoticed by her.
"Okay. So what do you want me to do?" She said calmly while facing backward as she pulled out of the parking spot she was in.
"I want to be able to handle this, because, once they get to know me, they will think twice before either fearing or feeling superior to quirkless people," I say with confidence, and with nothing that could indicate I doubted what I said.
She laughed as she drove out of the school. "I had a feeling you would say that. That is one of the reasons I love you son."
"Yeah, I love you as well mom," I say sincerely.
While we had been driving for several minutes, she decided to ask me, "So, when shall you get a girlfriend?"
I was confused by where this was coming from, as she never asked about this beforehand.
"Honestly, I am not sure. I don't know whether I should even be dating now." I admitted reluctantly. I guess what I thought beforehand was right, and there wasn't time to just relax and go on a date with someone. I never had thought of that life until she asked me about it.
"You should, otherwise, you will miss your life. There are going to be people out there who would love you besides me. Plus, I want grandchildren someday." She teased, with the expectation of me being a blushing mess.
"Mom, please don't say that," I say, slightly embarrassed. My face was pink, and, despite me trying to control it, I wasn't able to. I was annoyed with myself for having stupid hormones come up at this time.
"Well, it is true. But, you don't have to have a girlfriend right now, as there is a lot of pressure that we have on ourselves. But, I am sure, once you get into UA, you will be able to have multiple girlfriends." She said, again, teasing me.
"Mom, please don't say that," I say again, embarrassed. I was getting annoyed now, not at my mother, but at myself, for not being able to control my emotions, but I failed to register what she had said.
However, at that moment, I didn't know how right she was.
And that was my second chapter. Sorry that it took a while, but I had to deal with a lot of crap happening in my life. However, now that's done with, I can finally start writing. I made Garou relatively the same as he is seen in the manga, webcomic, and anime, being the person who took down many pro heroes, but Saitama stops him, multiple times. However, my version of the story has Saitama taking the hero name One Punch Man, because he can defeat an enemy in one punch. I also wanted to include them as an allegory for discrimination within the world nowadays. Garou is the MHA equivalent to the bad that one person did being attributed to their race/religion/culture, and Saitama being the good that a person has done is attributed to their race/religion/culture, and both being a physical representation of how any person of any race/religion/culture could go to either path. Anyway, review down below and say what you thought about this chapter. Also suggest other ways to include a more realistic race/religion/culture discrimination, and what I should do with the discrimination placed in the story. Also, suggest characters I should include in the harem, subscribe to my profile and story, and subscribe to my youtube channel, American Theorist Bros. We will release a video by this month.