Quirks were a rarity at the Grace Field orphanage.
It wasn't surprising, really. All of the books that filled the House said so. Only 20% of the world's population had quirks.
Sure, the statistics were a little outdated, considering the newest books they had were published way back in 2015, over two full decades prior. But it wasn't as though a whole lot could change during that small period of time, right?
Ray was one of the few who developed a quirk at age four, to the bewilderment and surprise of everyone at Grace Field House.
They were playing tag when it happened, the autumn air forming a sharp chill that cut through their clothing and brushed goosebumps along their arms and legs. Emma had been hiding with Ray, anxiously awaiting the time when the older kids would look upwards to reveal their position in the treetops.
He rubbed his hands together absentmindedly, adjusting his position on the tree branch as he did so as to assure that he wouldn't fall. Then, without warning, a small spark flew out.
The two of them paused, carefully watching the single, burning ember as it sputtered and dissolved into the breeze. Ray's skin was warm against Emma's touch as she excitedly begged him to do the trick again.
He snapped his fingers together, and another spark flew outwards into the cold November air.
They lost hide and seek that day, with Emma being too excited to sit still and her shouts drawing the attention of the 11-year-old who had been playing the role of "it".
The kids all hurried back to the house, Ray snapping his fingers frequently, creating several small bursts of warmth as they excitedly went to tell Mama of the magical trick Ray could do.
His fingers were covered in blisters and burns for the following week.
If his food tasted any different that night, he didn't notice.
A few days later, Ray found that it was growing increasingly difficult to create the familiar sparks. Mama told him not to worry, that quirks often appeared with much more flair than the user could normally wield. If he couldn't create any sparks, it would be better not to force any.
She wouldn't want him to accidentally hurt himself, after all.
He develops a raging fever soon after, and his body temperature never quite returns to normal.
Several months later, Ray figures out the dark truth behind Grace Field House, and begins to plan.
(Emma and Norman never develop any quirks, although Norman's test scores began to spike exponentially shortly after the situation with Ray.)
Over the years there are few quirks that developed fully. Most of the children are sent away to their foster parents far before their quirks have the time to grow to their full potential, and the few kids with mutations never seemed to stick around long past age six.
That didn't mean that Grace Field was completely void of quirks. Most of them were just… weak. Small things that were never very flashy.
Anna could heal small cuts and bruises, Conny had two tall bunny ears on top of her head, Nat could stretch his fingers so that he could play the super difficult chords on the piano. They weren't anything like the epic powers they'd see in the library's books, the ones about heroes and vigilantes and super villains.
(Mama said this was because powerful quirks didn't exist in real life-only in fictional stories.)
Ray's quirk never grew past creating a small flame atop his fingertips, more similar to a small candle light than anything else. Weaker than the lanterns they used to illuminate the dark late at night.
(Mama always hated when he created the small candle. The orphanage was built from wood, it would be too easy for something to catch fire.)
They're eleven when Conny gets sent to her "foster family".
They're eleven when the homely orphanage Emma and Norman used to love turned into a nightmare none of them would've even begun to fathom.
The image of Conny was burned into Emma's mind. Lifeless and pale as she was lifted by long, spindling claws and dropped into a tank of liquid, chest pierced by a large, blood-red flower.
Grace Field House was nothing more than a meat farm.
Every sibling before them had been shipped off and killed. That was why they never received any of the promised letters.
None of the children at Grace Field were meant to live past the age of twelve.
They eventually tell Ray the truth.
He already knew.
Sister Krone arrives, and they slowly begin to pull together a plan. Krone helps them, in a way. She gives them information, fully intending on double-crossing them in the end.
Mutation quirks cause a reaction in a child's genetic makeup. Their flesh tastes different, less appetizing. All mutant type children are sent off early, despite their scores. There was a very selective breeding process for the kids at the farms. The demons couldn't afford powerful quirks to develop in any of the cattle children, lest they discover the truth and use their abilities to escape.
Quirk suppressants were incorporated into the diets of those who developed them.
Mothers were chosen accordingly. Quirkless girls who showed promise and met all of the prerequisites.
(Emma hated the fact that she met all of those prerequisites.)
They tell Gilda and Don the truth.
Sister Krone is eliminated.
Mama breaks Emma's leg.
Norman is shipped off.
It isn't until several months later that they escaped.
Emma's leg heals, and Ray tries to kill himself with his own flames.
They burn down the orphanage and escape that night, with two ear-related casualties and every kid aged five and up.
Ray's quirk very quickly became a problem. While they are under Mujika and Sonju's care, he accidentally sets the forest on fire.
It was quickly contained, although Ray was left in a frazzled state. He hadn't been thinking, and all of the sudden flames began to sprout from his hands, catching on nearby overgrowth before he could think to contain them.
Mujika and Sonju tell them about the human world.
They leave to Bunker B06-32, and Emma is held at gun-point by a man with a teacup. She escapes his hold, of course, and the kids of Grace Field threaten him in turn.
There are a lot of books at the bunker, although they are all a bit outdated. It's more than they had at the farm, though. The information about quirks isn't censored. They learn about older heroes, about powerful quirks that allowed normal humans to become heroes. They learn about heroes like Crimson Riot and Gran Torino, of terrifying villains and the massacres and tragedies they caused.
Quirks were exactly like how they were portrayed in fiction, despite what Mama had told them.
People had supernatural abilities, ones that ranged anywhere from super strength to the ability to fly. Ray's newfound ability to create fire was nothing in comparison (although his level of control was concerning enough to portray a notable threat).
Things are looking up when they force the man with the teacup to take them to A08-63.
Goldy Pond leaves them battered and bruised, but alive.
Some Emma more battered and bruised than others, but alive nonetheless.
Their family was quickly growing, more and more quirks being added to the mix.
As it turned out, quirks were a rarity, at least within the demon world. Selective breeding caused the only quirk presences to be oddities, flaws that the demons had yet to find a way to prevent. Being isolated from the rest of humankind for over a thousand years tended to do that sort of thing.
The man with the teacup (Yuugo, his name was Yuugo) reluctantly became a father figure to the Goldy Pond and Grace Field kids, along with Lucas (one of the leaders of the Goldy Pond resistance).
Few kids at the bunker had quirks, which, in the end, happened to be more of a blessing than anything. Emma couldn't count the number of times Ray had spontaneously burst into flames during their time there.
The quirks that did exist were manageable, for the most part.
Nigel could soften and bend metal with his bare hands, Gillian could create minor illusions, Zack could numb the skin around injuries to more easily treat wounds.
Needless to say, Ray's quirk was the most concerning.
Emma is eleven and Ray is twelve when they decide to reforge the Promise.
The location of Bunker B06-32 is compromised, two of the kids are killed and one is shot in the head. He survives, eventually.
Yuugo and Lucas stay behind to fight while the rest of them escape.
Yuugo and Lucas die when the two of them trigger an explosion that completely decimates the bunker.
Three more kids die in their escape.
It isn't until a week later that they arrive at William Minerva's secret hideout.
It isn't until a week later that they discover the fact that Norman is alive.
He'd been sent to plantation Lambda-7214. He'd been too smart to kill off immediately.
As it would turn out, he did have a quirk. Every kid sent to the plantation was tested upon arrival. Norman's quirk wasn't physical, but mental. His IQ was far above that of a normal human, his intelligence only heightened by the testing he endured.
And so, after months of careful planning, he escaped Lambda-7214. Along with several other kids who had the unfortunate pleasure of being held there.
Norman isn't the same though, not really. There's a dark, haunted look in his eyes, and blood staining the gaps between his teeth.
The look lingers as the three friends reconvene, as they talk about the human world and discuss the incredible truth about quirks.
Ray had gotten much better at using his flames over the year, the lack of control stemming from years of repression and the frequent non-consensual ingestion of quirk suppressants. Even now the power of the flames was steadily growing, Ray's body temperature being stuck at an concerningly high level from the fire that ran through his veins.
They're thirteen when they allow themselves to think genuinely of a life in the human world, to think of a life as pro-heroes, saving both the cattle children and those who were lucky enough to never know the terrors of the demon world.
They're thirteen when Norman plans to exterminate demon kind.
They're thirteen when Emma intervenes, and Norman fails.
They're thirteen when Emma and Ray attempt to reforge the promise.
They're thirteen when Emma succeeds.
They return to Grace Field, free the remaining kids, and watch heartbroken as the woman they once called "Mama" dies in their arms.
The cattle children finally arrive in the human world, bleary-eyed and exhausted as they're greeted by unfamiliar faces, heroes clad in colorful costumes, and a world filled with more quirks than any of them would've ever been able to imagine.