On this episode of Authors Note Time, we got a couple of things to say.

Xpherus left a review asking what I was going for on the romance side of things. The answer is [REDACTED].

Sorry, but no spoilers from me about pairings or anything else for that matter. It makes the actual events less fun to read later on, so that's my personal reasoning for it.

The encouragement is greatly appreciated and sorry if it's slow to get to UA, but I want to get world building right for the extra parts I've added. On that note I hope everyone can enjoy this upcoming chapter.

One Year later, Izuku

Stumbling back home from another training session with Gin, we wander down the path to go under the overpass when I heard a soft voice ask "Can I become a hero, even without a quirk?" as my heart aches remembering those years of suffering and disdain at others hands. The students went to town on me and the teachers never cared to stop them, some even joined in on beating or the mocking. Kazumi stares at her feet in shame as her past deeds resurface in her memories and Himiko just silently hugs us, having learnt bits and pieces of our past in an attempt to anchor us.

Halting our footsteps to avoid walking in on a personal moment, the wind moves the branches just enough for us to make out what was happening and who they were talking to. The one who responded with "I'm sorry young boy, but it's not possible to fight villains that can level buildings and tear up streets without a quirk. Maybe you should become a doctor or a policeman if you want to save lives. It's not wrong to have dreams, but you have to keep them realistic". The one who broke their hopes and dreams leaving the child our age in despair.

All Might.

The man who inspired so many others, who said that anyone could be a hero, who was the person I worshipped as the embodiment of everything heroic. He broke a child's heart and just leapt away, to be adulated as the number one hero, the Symbol of Peace. No one would know what happened here today, still fooled by that blinding grin and inspirational quotes he didn't even believe. No one except for the four of us.

Walking around the corner we saw the broken gaze of a person who had lost their reason to keep on going, who didn't know what to live for. The same gaze I had when I was declared quirkless all those years ago.

Without a moment's hesitation, I strode forwards, hoping to save at least one person from that familiar despair. "I heard what happened and I've never seen so much bullshit from someone before. Even without a quirk you can be a hero" I chuckle.

Kane

Collapsing to my knees I silently wept, not caring if anyone saw or heard me. No one was going to care what happened to a worthless quirkless freak, so I might as well take advantage of it.

All Might, the person who said anyone could be a hero. I thought that if anyone would give me hope, would tell me it's possible then it would be him. He's the Symbol of Peace, he brings peace and hope to everyone, so why wouldn't he do the same for me. As all the admiration and respect that I had once held for him twisted into consuming hatred and rage towards this world, I felt myself falling to despair.

I never asked to be quirkless, I never wanted to be a useless burden that couldn't do anything right, I didn't want to bother people with my dead weight. I just wanted to help people, even after getting abandoned at an orphanage, after the daily casual abuse and hate. I idly wonder if Rosa, the only member of the staff who cared about me would be upset if I vanished. I held my doubts, after all even the Symbol of Peace didn't care enough to pull me out of despair.

Rosa was a volunteer at the orphanage, four years older than me at sixteen and as gentle as could be. She never complained about the workload, she snuck those of us who were considered "undesirable" treats to try and bring us some joy to our miserable existences. The "villainous" and the mutant quirk possessors...even the few quirkless like myself. After this moment all my illusions about All Might shattered, she was closest person to a hero that I could think of.

A bolt of lightning seemed to strike me as I heard a young voice call out to me. "I heard what happened and I've never seen so much bullshit from someone before. Even without a quirk you can be a hero" came that calm, confident voice not caring hide their chuckle at the idea of people being that stupid. A light of hope, just barely hanging on surfaced in my chest as I turned to see them.

A group of three children my age, one with fluffy green hair and emerald eyes, another with long yellow hair in a braid wrapped around their head in a braid with golden cat eyes and the last with wild spiky blond hair and crimson eyes.

Meeting those emerald eyes that gaze at me in confidence, I mumble in disbelief "But All Might-" only to be cut off by his enraged snarl "Is a blithering idiot so far up his own ass with the amount of power he has that he forgets that most quirks aren't anywhere near as powerful as his or the ones possessed by those he fights. If someone with a simple claw quirk that has the same effectiveness as some gauntlets that I could cobble together in about two hours can do it, why can't you? Besides I can tell you now with full confidence that not having a quirk isn't a problem, especially if you don't mind doing some intense training"

A strange sensation arose in my chest as my warm bronze eyes remain locked with his emerald orbs. This child the same age as me believed in me and encouraged me when even All Might thought I wasn't worth helping. Hoping against all reason that it isn't just false hope I ask "How do you know? How could I be strong enough?"

With a slight laughter the golden cat eyed girl explained "That's simple. We are using that training ourselves. Izuku-" pointing to the green boy that was comforting me ",Kazumi-" flicking her finger to point at the spiky haired person next to her "and I all had to use it to strengthen our bodies in order to use our quirks. If we hadn't..."

With a slight sight Izuku continues where she left off and said "What Himiko" nodding towards the cat eyed girl "is trying to say is that if we hadn't strengthened our bodies, our quirks would have killed us the moment we tried to fully use them. In my case I've only been able to use my quirk for the last year and a half. Before that I was considered completely quirkless, so I understand what you're going through"

Suddenly the pieces clicked into place, he'd gone through that hell of being less than human himself. He knew the darkest side of people and despite him gaining a quirk, one that must've been powerful to have such limitations, he didn't let it go to his head. He wanted to help me achieve the dream he once thought impossible himself. To become a hero without a quirk.

Everything else faded away until it seemed it was only the two of us left here. He extended a hand to me and asked "Do you wish to become a hero, to prove them all wrong and show the world that quirkless doesn't mean useless or worthless? You could become a light that shows a path to the peak of the world for those who are told they are less every day, an inspiration and a role model to look up to for those who are where you are today. You could become a Symbol of Hope for them. Take my hand and let's prove all of them wrong together, as friends and if you wish so later on, a family"

As I took his hand and he helped me to my feet I turned and in the eyes of the two girls saw a faint nostalgia, a memory floating up to remind them of their own past. The questioning gaze was met with a small nod from each of them, answering my question. He had saved them too, given them hope and the determination to achieve their dreams.

Standing up beside him my determination soared as I swore to become a hero, for myself, for those lost in despair and for the memory of the people we once were. It didn't matter how harsh the training would be or the pain I would go through. Nothing would shake my conviction now.

I will become the first quirkless hero.

Izuku

Seeing the fire blazing in his eyes once more I pulled him to his feet, only now remembering a slightly awkward problem. I didn't even know the guy's name yet.

Fortunately, he swiftly introduced himself with some measure of confidence returning to him "Apologies that you all had to see me in such a mess. My name's Kane, I live in an orphanage and as you heard I'm completely quirkless, not a trace quirk factor to be found in me. It's a pleasure to meet you all"

Finding his super formal manner of speaking slightly odd after his emotional outpouring earlier, I adjust to his vastly different manner of speaking and mention "Yeah give me a few minutes, I'll need to talk to our teacher. Hopefully he isn't busy right now". Praying to any and all divinities that may be feeling merciful I call Gin and say "Sooo...Gin-sensei...don't suppose you'd mind teaching someone else?"

Thankfully used to Gin's antics I held the phone far away from my ear, though it seemed the phone speakers hit their maximum volume limit for a good three-minute-long scolding that could terrify just about any hardened criminal into line. Completely unfazed by my request he sighs so deeply I start to worry he's deflating on the other end he just groans "Just bring him here tomorrow. I swear by all that is good in this world boy, bring me another innate magic user and I'm breaking open the emergency liquor stash to deal with this madness of yours. Don't make me wait around too long kid"

Aside from Kane who didn't know the severity of those words we paled on the spot remembering the last time Gin got drunk on that stuff and decided to "enjoy himself" a bit. Turns out Gin isn't an angry, sad or happy drunk. He's a special kind of nightmare in his own league. A sassy, perverted old drunk.

A drunk capable of casually slapping a hardening quirk using thug into the ground with enough force to leave an imprint a foot deep in solid concrete and the poor sod with multiple splintered bones and other assorted injuries. That entire debacle was a "light warning tap", but I think that our teacher has a very different view on what exactly "Excessive Force" actually means.

After that particular piece of dark history ran through our minds, I hear the tone of Gin cutting off the call coming from my phone. Turning to Kane with a sense of pity for the poor guy "If you want to it's still possible to escape and pretend you never heard about this. For him to actually be dipping into those..." my voice trailing off as shudders take over my body as the memories return in full force.

Kane that brave, innocent boy asked "It'll be worth it to get stronger. I mean, how bad can one drunk teacher be?". Himiko and Kazumi nod in agreement before Kazumi replies "Pray that you never have to find out" before moving ahead.

Swapping numbers, I tell him to meet up with us tomorrow at ten outside the station near Gin's. He's about to see how bad it can get the hard way.

The next day

As much as it pained me to have to say it (read not at all), I looked at where Kane is sprawled over one of Gin-sensei healing pads and cackle "Well I hate to be the one to say it...well actually I think I'm going to enjoy being able to say this...I told you so" with a little singsong delivery of that infamous line to the battered guy to which he just shuddered and responded "Why didn't you mention this would hurt so much before?"

On closer inspection and reviewing the training he had done that day I realized it was slightly different to what we had gone through. Nudging Gin-sensei I mutter furiously "Seriously sensei, what the fuck did you change about the training? That looks even worse than my tenth forging and they get worse each time. What's up with that?" seeming to pester Gin into resignation he calls us all over before dragging the healing pad and Kane's splayed form over to listen, with just a little too much amusement might I add.

Locking eyes with Kane Gin starts his little welcoming routine. He asks why he wants to train, accepting his desire to prove to people that he and others like him aren't worthless and threatening him with death should he ever turn out to be cruel or bloodthirsty. Standing up to the killing intent with disturbing ease he just smiled and said "I'm hardly afraid of being threatened with death anymore, I mean there's only so many times you can have something happen to you before it loses all its inherent impact. Although I have to say that you can consider your point taken."

Suddenly a chill filled the air as the room seemed to fall into the middle of the polar ice caps and for the first time ever, I saw what happens when Gin-sensei got angry. A killing intent that spoke entire libraries worth of information on exactly how badly he wanted to see someone die screaming in utter agony. A growl filled the air as he kept himself in control long enough to ask "Where do you live, what have those bastards been doing and who do I need to have a 'little chat' with? I might be willing to cross some lines if you ever turned out to be cruel, but you've shown nothing that makes that a reason to hate you. Why the hell would someone say stuff like that to a kid?"

Kane's answer chilled us to the bone, both in its bluntness and the hopeless bitterness that dripped off every word "If you're quirkless then you might as well not even be considered human, you're treated as less like you might as well be a damn animal. The same applies to those with mutant or 'villainous' quirks, though not quite to the same extent. People truly are cruel, aren't they?"

Gin-sensei was officially done with these people's shit.

Gin

Alright that does it. I'm getting back in touch with Inko as she now calls herself and I'm going to join in on this lynching session. What kind of adult treats young children like that? Rage started to tinge my sight with red, planning the imminent demise of these misbegotten wastes of flesh in a manner of cruelty I hadn't felt the urge to give into for years. Kane staggered up to me and begged "Gin-sensei, if you're going to take them down there's at least one person there that tried their best to help. Please don't get her involved in any of the punishment, she snuck us 'undesirables' treats, tended to wounds, comforted us and read bedtime stories to the younger ones. She doesn't deserve to get hurt for not being able to stop it all"

Jerked out of my descent into fury I pause for a moment, almost forgotten memories returning to remind me of the strange paradox that is people's hearts. "What's her name? I don't want to hurt or trouble someone who doesn't deserve it". Kane looks at me thankfully and utters "Rosa".

With a nod of understanding, I stride into my bedroom and grab my phone from the drawer. Punching in a recent number I let out a chuckle that my long-time acquaintance would recognise as a clear sign that someone needed to have a very bad time and spoke "Heya Inko, I remember you have a rather major thing against those that hurt children and thought you might want some news on more people to screw with. If what happened last time is anything to go by the rodent is going to want in on this, if only to try and pay off those favours he still owes. Here's the deal..." and after my rant she giggles in dark joy at the prospect of ripping these people a new one.

"You know what is actually really funny Gin is that I still have some favours to call in. You know what that means" she spoke in what could be mistaken for a happy sing song tone if it wasn't so thick with malevolence and sadistic glee. For a few minutes the room echoed with spiteful cackles and those fuckers currently had no idea what was coming for them. I would almost feel sorry for them, but that would imply that I have some sort of sympathy for these monsters.

There would be no mercy for them.

Sorry for the delay and the short chapter. Writer's block + weather leaving my fingers half frozen = not exactly ideal circumstances to write stuff in. The weather is clearing up and the writer's block seems to be easing off a bit so I might be able to start throwing out chapters at the previous rate.

Take care of yourselves and see you next time on Runic Legacy