A/N: Hi everyone. This is a new project I've had percolating for a while. It's a Dark AU, Slightly inspired by The Boys/Wanted/other dark superhero/villain stories.

I hope you like it.

Please R&R

Thank you.

Disclaimer

I do not own My Hero Academia. This is purely a fan work and no money is being made.

Chapter 1

A wise man once said "Life sucks and then you die." Izuku Midoriya had experienced plenty of the first part and there were days that he dearly wished for the second. Now, for instance.

"Aw, what's the matter Deku? Does it hurt, you fucking faggot?!" Katsuki Bakugo taunted as he threw another punch.

Despite Izuku's best efforts to block, the punch connected with his face cleanly, knocking him to the ground.

It was hard to believe that the two used to be friends, though that WAS a long time ago. They had known each other since preschool, their mothers having been childhood best friends. Then, when they were five, everything changed.

Eighty percent of people had a super power, or "Quirk", but he had somehow managed to beat the odds.

Katsuki had discovered his Quirk was the power to create explosions. Izuku discovered he didn't have a quirk and never would. Ever since then Katsuki never missed an opportunity to victimize him. He seemed to change overnight from a headstrong, though goodhearted, child to an absolute demon. Whether it was ridicule, robbery, or even assault, he grew into sadism like it was his calling. Izuku, on other hand, had not changed much since his early childhood. He was still kind, meek, and absolutely determined to help people.

Izuku tried to get up but Katsuki rushed him and kicked him in the stomach. The pain caused Izuku to retch and soon his breakfast poured from his mouth, decorating the ground. The crowd that had gathered to watch his latest humiliation snickered at his pain. Whispers of "Ew, gross!" and "What a loser!" played through his mind. Izuku felt like crying, but he knew that would only make things worse, so he held in his tears.

Bakugo knelt down next to him and grabbed him by his green hair, pulling him up. "When I tell you to hand over the money, you hand it over. Understand?!" he snarled at Izuku. "I'm the star. You're just a worthless extra, got it?!"

"Please, Kacchan, just sto-" Izuku began to plead, but he was cut off as Bakugo's fist smacked into his face again, hard. Blood poured from his nose.

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO CALL ME THAT YOU FUCKING NERD!" Bakugo screamed in his face. Then the ash blond haired boy flashed a sadistic smile. A wave of terror grew in Izuku. " Hey, maybe your Quirk is being fireproof! You want to test it?!" Bakugo threatened, igniting a small explosion in his other hand.

Izuku was certain he was about to meet God. However, as he was preparing what he was going to say when he was face to face with the deity (Chief among those were "What the hell?!" and "You suck at your job!"), he was saved by the arrival of his teacher.

"All right, show's over! Everyone get to class!" he yelled, cutting through the crowd. The classmates obliged, dispersing. Bakugo simply stared at Izuku, before tossing him to the ground and spitting on him.

"Fucking loser." he said disgustedly before walking off.

Izuku groaned with pain as he wiped the blood from his nose and the vomit from his mouth. His teacher walked over and helped him up. Izuku was about to thank him, when the teacher pointed a disapproving finger at him. "How many times have I told you, Midoriya?! You need to stop provoking Bakugo!" he lectured. "He's Aldera Jr. High's star pupil! What would you have done if he had been injured!?"

"Thrown a fucking party." Izuku imagined himself saying. He didn't though. He was far too meek to actually talk back. Instead, he just looked at the ground and quietly apologized.

The teacher shook his head. "Just, get to class." he sighed "I'll have a talk with your mother about your delinquent behavior."

Izuku picked up his bag and headed inside the school. The minute he stepped inside, he could feel all eyes on him. Everywhere he looked it seemed someone was mocking him. He felt like a wounded, two legged gazelle crawling into a den of starving lions.

Izuku had heard about the concept of a second class citizen, though in his experience Quirkless people were treated closer to third, maybe fifth class citizens. Many people seemed to take his absence of a Quirk as license to make his life miserable. He had to keep his head on a swivel, on constant lookout for predators.

Kaachan wasn't the only one to bully him, though he was the most vicious. Plenty of other people had taken shots at Izuku over the years. One had tried to drown him at the local pool, innocently claiming he had no idea Izuku was Quirkless and thought he could breathe underwater. Another tripped him down a flight of stairs, causing him to break his leg. One particularly devilish asshole had a Quirk that made clothes disappear. He stripped Izuku in front of the girls in his class while they were on a field trip, nearly leading to Izuku being charged with public indecency.

Izuku finally reached his classroom and breathed a sigh of relief that no one had attempted to manhandle him. He made his way to his desk and frowned when he saw what was on it. Someone had carved a number of charming messages like "DIE!" "FAGGOT!" "QUIRKLESS!" and especially "DEKU!" into the surface. He heard a sound and looked to his right and saw a group of girls tittering at him. He once again felt tears welling up in his eyes, but he bit his lip and sucked them back in.

At the end of the day, Izuku took out his notebook and left the classroom, looking both ways to make sure Katsuki wasn't around. The notebook was a favorite possession of his. It contained facts and trivia of all kinds of Quirks and Pro Heroes. In spite, or more likely because, of the fact that he didn't posses a quirk of his own, he was absolutely fascinated by them. He wanted nothing more than to become a Pro Hero, saving people with a smile, just like his idol All Might. Admittedly, he had never heard of a Quirkless Hero, but that just meant he would be the first. It had to be possible.

Izuku was so engrossed in his notebook that he didn't notice the five fingers creeping up behind him like tentacles. In a flash, they snatched the notebook from his grasp. He turned around, trying to grab it it back, but he froze when he saw the culprit. It was one of Kaachans goons, and sure enough standing right next to him was Kaachan with one more goon flanking him. Unlike Long Fingers, this one was tall with rippling muscles.

"Hey, Hey! Look what we got here, Katsuki!" Long Fingers laughed. He looked at the cover. " 'Heroes and their Quirks #7'? You still going on about that shit, Deku?" Izuku remained silent, frozen in fear.

Katsuki flashed a wicked smile. "Shiroyama, would you kindly bring Deku over here? I think he needs another lesson!" he asked the second goon. He nodded, activated his quirk (Izuku noticed it was a transformation type, transforming his arms into that of a gorillas.) and advanced toward Izuku. Fear gave way to flight, and Izuku scrambled to get away. Unfortunately the goon was too quick and caught up with him. He grabbed Izuku in a bear hug from behind, pinning his arms to his side and restraining him easily. He picked up Izuku and brought him back to Kaachan.

Katsuki grabbed his notebook out of Long Fingers hand and held it up in front of his face. "You don't need this." he said cruelly and ignited it. Hours of meticulously written and researched notes went up in smoke and ash. Izuku looked crestfallen. "Give it up already, Deku! You're nothing but Quirkless trash and that's that!"

"I'm just a late bloomer!" Izuku managed to retort.

Katsuki smiled. "How many joints does your pinky toe have?" he asked rhetorically.

Izuku went silent. People with Quirks only had one joint in their pinky toe. Izuku had two.

"Thought so." Katsuki replied smugly.

Izuku hated that look. He gathered up his courage and confidently asserted "Even if I don't have a Quirk, I'm still going to apply to U.A."

Katsuki looked shocked for a microsecond, but then he and his goons erupted into laughter. "That's the top Hero academy in Japan! They'd NEVER accept a Quirkless piece of shit like you. You'd get eaten ALIVE, pussy!" Katsuki taunted. "Besides, I'm getting into U.A. and I'm not letting you any where near the place." he said pointing at himself.

"Dammit Kacchan, why the hell do you care wh-" Izuku started to say, but he was muzzled by Katsuki's left hand. Katsuki pressed his right hand to his chest and ignited a small explosion. It hurt like hell and Izuku tried to scream, but his voice couldn't reach past Bakugo's palm.

"DON'T. FUCKING. CALL. ME. THAT." he threatened. He brought his hand away from his mouth and Izuku tried to catch his breath. "I care, because you thinking you can make something of yourself, tells me I've failed to pound some sense into that thick skull of yours." He cracked his knuckles and smiled wickedly. "So let's rectify that!"

He began to viciously beat Izuku while continuing his sadistic lecture, each point punctuated with a blow. "You're weak!" CRACK "You're gutless!" WHAM "You're just a stepping stone on my path to greatness!" SNAP "Your pain..." THUD "IS MY GAIN!" SMACK

The beating mercifully ceased. Bakugo nodded to Shiroyama. The goon nodded back and dropped Izuku on the ground. He crawled onto his knees, his face black and blue, his body wracked with pain. Katsuki knelt down next to him and put a friendly arm around his shoulder. "But hey, if you really want a Quirk, I know how you can get one..." he smiled evilly. "Pray to get one in your next life and take a header off the roof!" He then slammed Izuku's head into the ground and walked off with his goons, laughing all the way.

The tears that had been welling up inside Izuku all day finally burst and he broke down in a torrent of sobs. He hated his life! Why the hell did he have to be born without a Quirk?! Why did so many people hate him just because of a stupid accident of birth? Why did an evil piece of shit like Kacchan get everything handed to him?! Kacchan had an amazing Quirk, was popular with the girls, and had the best grades in the class. Even though Izuku studied for hours, he was still only number two. He HAD to become a Pro Hero. Once he did, not only would he be able to help people, but they would all see that he MATTERED. That there was more to him than just "not having a Quirk".

Izuku picked himself off the ground and dried his eyes. His mom was waiting for him at home. She would find some way to cheer him up. She always did. He left the school and headed for home.

On his way back, he wasn't looking where he was going and heard a loud squelch. He looked down at his feet and frowned. "God dammit" he thought. Apparently, the nearby sewer had backed up, and he had just stepped into a large pile of sludge.

Izuku blinked.

Was it just his imagination, or was the sludge moving?

The sewer grate exploded and a voluminous torrent of sludge rushed forth, congealing into the approximate shape of a giant man. Before Izuku could react, the sludge at his feet wrapped around his legs and dragged him towards the creature. Izuku screamed for help and clawed at the ground, but it was no use. He found himself swiftly enveloped by the blob. Izuku shut his mouth and pinched his nose shut but could still feel the sludge trying to ooze inside of him. "Sorry kid, but I've got lay low for awhile, and you'll make the perfect hiding spot!" he heard a voice say from inside the sludge.

Then came a loud masculine voice and Izuku knew he was saved. "Unhand that boy, you disgusting villain!" The creature turned to look at the figure, and what passed for it's eyes held a look of pure terror. If Izuku's eyes could have been seen, they would have contained immense glee. He knew who that voice belonged to. It was his idol, the number 1 hero in Japan, All Might!

"Do not worry child, everything is OK, because..." All Might flexed his rippling muscles. "...I AM HERE!"

"B-b-back off All Might or the kid g-g-gets it!" the creature stuttered in fear.

All Might simply smiled. "You won't get the chance!" All Might planted his feet and threw a hard right. "TEXAS SMASH!" he yelled. It was one of his signature moves. The punch was so powerful it didn't need to connect to cause damage. The shock wave ripped into the monster scattering him across the street.

Unfortunately, it also knocked Izuku far off and high into the sky. "Oops." All Might simply said, before leaping into the sky and catching him in mid air.

They landed with a massive THUD, cracking the pavement. "There you are, child! All safe!" All Might said, setting him down. The sludge cleared from his eyes, Izuku was able to get a good look at his savior. No poster or video could do justice to the blond giant. Standing seven foot, two inches and weighing over five hundred pounds, there did not appear to be ounce of fat on the man. He had a body that could shame a Greek God, overflowing with rippling, powerful musculature. His red, white, and blue skintight body suite only served to further draw attention to his impressive physique. Finally, there was that bright, beaming smile he always wore. It simply radiated confidence and security. Izuku was speechless in presence of his idol.

"Well, stay safe citizen!" All Might waved goodbye and prepared to leap off into the distance.

The words left Izuku's mouth before he could stop himself. "Please, wait! Mr. All Might sir!" he yelled.

All Might turned and looked at him curiously. "Yes, child?" he asked.

Izuku had never been so nervous, but he couldn't let this chance pass him by. "I-I've been your b-b-biggest fan ever since I was little." he nervously stammered. "You inspired me to become a Hero, to save people. I don't have a quirk..." he screwed up his courage and blurted it out. "...B-b-b-b-but even so, do you t-t-think I could ever be a great Hero like you!?"

The question hung in the air. All Might scratched his chin, deep in though. Izuku looked at him hopefully.

All Might smiled.

"Of course not!"

Izuku's world fell out from under him.

"A Hero without a Quirk?! What a ridiculous notion!" All Might said, laughing at the sheer absurdity. "Listen child, eighty percent of the world has Quirks. That makes you a genetic failure, a throwback to a darker age. By merely existing, you are holding back the evolution of all humanity. If you truly wished to help people, you would end your life to ensure your corrupted genes do not spread any further." All Might sighed "But if you must continue with your wretched existence, use what little talents you posses to enrich and uplift your natural betters! Become a stepping stone on THEIR path to greatness!"

Izuku was speechless. His idol had just taken his dreams, stomped a mud hole in them, and walked it dry. He was shaking with pain and anger. "Are you kidding me?" he whispered, before raising his voice to a shout. "ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!" he yelled. "All my life people have spat on me, smacked me, held me down and told me to kill myself because I didn't have a Quirk! I needed comfort, someone to tell me I mattered, AND YOU TELL ME THEY'RE RIGHT?!"

All Might never lost his radiant smile. "Would you prefer I lie to you child? You DON'T matter. Quirkless wastes of flesh like you NEVER do."

Tears welled up in Izuku's eyes. "You're no Hero! You're just an...ASSHOLE! I'll tell everyone what you're really like!" The threat was feeble but it was all his despairing mind could think of.

All Might easily called his bluff. "Please do." he said, walking towards Izuku. He bent down to look Izuku straight in his eyes. "Who do you think the public will believe? Me, All Might, The Symbol Of Peace..." All Might glowered at him. "...Or a worthless little Deku like you?"

All Might then ruffled Izuku's hair playfully and waved goodbye. "Have a good day!" he exclaimed happily as he leapt off into the distance.

Izuku couldn't move. His head hurt. His heart hurt. Everything hurt. His reason for living was shattered.

Then he heard screams. That snapped him out of his fugue. He ran towards them, wondering what could possibly be happening.

When he came to the source of the screams, he came across a hellish sight. There was a crowd gathered around a blazing alleyway. In the center was the sludge monster from earlier, though somehow he appeared to be throwing off sticks of dynamite. Izuku took a closer look. That wasn't dynamite causing the explosions. It was Kacchan! His tormentor was frantically throwing explosions around trying to get the monster off of him. It was useless. When ever a blast would hit the creature, it would just reform, and soon it had him trapped. Meanwhile the detonations had the side effect of igniting the buildings on either side, sparking a raging inferno.

Izuku noticed there were several Pro Heroes in the crowd, including Death Arms, Backdraft, and Mt. Lady. Other than Backdraft who was at least attempting to put out the flames, the other two were just standing there. What the hell were they doing? Then he noticed the looks of fear in their eyes. They were scared?

Izuku took in the insane tableau and decided someone had to do something. With every passing minute Kaachan was causing more explosions. As long as he was there, those fires would never abate. Someone had to get him out.

Someone.

Him.

He had to get Kacchan out.

"No." Izuku thought fear rising up inside him. He couldn't do this. He was just a De-

No.

NO.

Fuck All Might, Kaachan, and anyone who had told him otherwise! He was a Hero, dammit! It was time to start acting like one! Steeling himself, he ran towards the crowd, intent on saving the day.

Izuku cut through the crowd and ran towards the monster. The crowd gasped. His heart was pounding with terror, but he continued forward, dodging fire and explosions. He somehow made his way to the creature and began clawing away the sludge, desperately trying to free Kacchan. Katsuki saw him and for the first time in his life, looked genuinely shocked.

"DEKU!? What are you doing here?!" he yelled.

Izuku gave the most heroic answer he could think of. "I couldn't just let you die, Kacchan!"

The sludge quickly accumulated around him and slammed him to the wall, sticking him there. He watched in horror as the sludge completely enveloped Kaachan, forming a rictus grin over his mouth.

"You're that kid from earlier!" it said, it's voice wet and dripping. "Did you miss me that much?! Don't worry I'll be inside you and your pal here in a jiffy!"

The sludge began to creep towards his mouth and nose. He struggled but he couldn't break free. Dammit, this wasn't supposed to happen! He was supposed to be the hero!

Just before the sludge covered his eyes, Izuku saw a flash of red, white, and blue. "DETROIT SMASH!" yelled a mighty voice. The next thing he knew, the sludge was cleared, blasted to smithereens by the force of All Might's attack. The air pressure traveled into the sky and it began to rain. The rain washed away the remains of the sludge monster and put out the fires. The crowd cheered for the number one hero! All Might walked up to Kacchan. The boy wasn't moving. All Might checked his pulse. "Thank goodness." he sighed with relief. "It's all right everyone! He's merely unconscious!" he announced to the crowd. The crowd cheered. All Might picked up Bakugo and handed him to Backdraft. "Here. Make sure he wakes up safely." All Might turned to face the crowd and snapped off a salute. "Farewell citizens!" he yelled as he leapt off.

Most of the crowd dispersed, following All Might. The rest hung around, getting autographs and taking pictures with the remaining Pro Heroes. Izuku sat on the ground, sprawled against the side of the building like a discarded tissue. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone walking up to him. It was the Pro Hero Death Arms.

"What the hell is your problem, kid?!" the hulking man snarled.

Izuku blinked at him.

He tried to get up to leave but Death Arms shoved him. "You could've gotten killed! Next time, leave the heroics to the Heroes!"

Izuku couldn't believe the balls on this asshole. "Heroes?! You were all sitting around pissing yourselves! I did better than YOU!"

He immediately regretted his choice of words.

He had said it loud enough that the entire crowd heard. All of the oxygen seemed to be sucked out of them at once. He saw Mt. Lady mouthing "Big mistake" to him. Izuku felt a pit of fear begin to form in his stomach. He looked at Death Arms, and the Pro Hero looked absolutely livid. Then he broke out into a wide, fake smile and placed a firm hand on Izuku's shoulder.

"Don't worry kid! I'll make sure you get home safely!" he announced, making sure the crowd heard. He then hoisted Izuku up onto his shoulders, carrying him off in a direction that Izuku couldn't help but notice was in the exact opposite from his home.

Pain exploded in Izuku's back as he was thrown against the wall. Death Arms had dragged him a couple of blocks away into an alley near a vacant building. No one around to hear his screams. He tried to catch his breath but Death Arms responded with a powerful slap, knocking a tooth loose and sending him reeling. Izuku spat out blood.

"You want say that again, you fucking pussy?!" he growled. He grabbed Izuku and pinned him to the wall.

"I'm Death Arms, the 347th ranked Hero in this country!" he yelled as he began to work Deku over." I aint scared of shit, you little bitch!"

A jackhammer exploded in his midsection, a pile driver went off on his head. The man had a super strength Quirk and he clearly knew how to use it. Izuku was beaten black and blue.

"Hey!" came a shout from the front of the alley. Izuku and Death Arms turned to look at the voice.

It was Kacchan. A small flicker of hope began to grow in Izuku. Izuku had tried to save him. Surely Kacchan would recognize that. His hope died when he saw Kacchan flash his signature sadistic smile.

"I'll take over from here! Me and the nerd go back a long ways!"

Death Arms looked at him, then back to Izuku. He smiled. "Sure thing! Have fun kid!" he simply said, as he tossed Izuku to Bakugo and walked away from the scene.

Izuku looked up and was filled with panic. Something was different about Kacchan. While never a pleasant person, he had usually tormented Izuku with a sadistic glee. Now, there was no trace of any kind of happiness. His face was a mask of pure, incandescent rage. "Hiya, Deku!" he spat, before kicking Izuku in the face. Izuku tried pathetically to crawl away. Blood flowed freely from his nose and Izuku was certain it was broken. Kacchan stalked towards him, murder in his eyes. "You taking pity on me, nerd?!" he screamed, grabbing Izuku by his hair. "You're useless!" he boxed Izuku's right ear. "You didn't do shit!" he boxed his left ear. He spun Izuku around so he was facing him and unleashed a torrent of hard shots to his stomach. "I. DON'T. NEED. YOUR. HELP!"

Then with grim finality he wrapped his hands around Izuku's throat and squeezed. Izuku feebly tried to claw at his fingers to break his grasp, but Bakugo's grip was like a vise. He could feel himself fading.

"I'm the main character, and I'm tired of having to look at a worthless extra like you." Katsuki growled at him. "I ever see your faggot face around me again..." he leaned in close and hissed in Izuku's ear. "...I'll blow your house up with your fat ass mom still inside it!"

Something inside Izuku snapped. Kacchan could kick the crap out of him all he wanted, but he would be DAMNED if he laid a single finger on his mother. Izuku would NOT let that happen. He gathered all of his pain, all of his rage that he had ever felt and channeled it into a right hook. For the first time in his life, Izuku Midoriya fought back!

Unfortunately, his body had taken so much punishment that day that his punch was unable to have any power behind it. All it managed to do was mildly annoy Kacchan. He slammed Izuku's head against the pavement. That caused Izuku's vision to darken. Then he began to stomp on his head. The first stomp eased him into unconsciousness. The second stomp put him there.

It was dark outside by the time Izuku came to. He debated whether or not to get up. To say he was in pain would be a massive understatement. He was utterly crushed. Defeated. Broken. He ran through a list of people who would miss him if he were to take Kacchan's advice and do a swan dive off a roof. It was a short list, containing only one name, but it was the only name that mattered to him. His mother. Peeling himself off the pavement, he managed to limp home.

Opening the door, Izuku stepped inside and removed his shoes. "I'm home." he announced. Almost immediately, he was wrapped up in a fierce and warm hug. Still tender from his injuries, he hissed a little, but returned the hug. This was the reason he got out of bed every morning. All of the torment and abuse he suffered through out his life seemed to wash away whenever he was around Inko Midoriya. She had gained some weight since he was a child. Izuku thought it was from stress. She had always blamed herself for him not having a Quirk. He still felt awful about that.

"Hi, mom." he said softly.

She had tears in her eyes. "Where were you?! I was looking all over town, I was so worried!" she cried. She released him and dried her eyes. Then she saw the extent of his injuries and was shocked. "Oh my God, what happened to you!" she gasped. "Was it Katsuki again?!" she asked angrily. "If it was, I swear I'm going to strangle that kid! What the hell is Mitsuki thinking letting her child act like that?!"

Izuku desperately wanted to tell his mom what happened, but Kacchan's threats hung in his ears. "It wasn't Kacchan, mom." he lied. "I just got jumped by some assholes on the way home." It wasn't THAT far from the truth.

"Would you like me to make you something special?" she asked, concerned.

"No, I'm not feeling very hungry. I think I'm just going to turn in." he said simply.

"OK, just call for me if you need anything." she said gently.

"I will."

He began to walk to his room, then stopped and turned back to his mother. "Say, mom..." he gulped. "...If i never became a Hero , would you still love me?" he asked.

Inko looked shocked for a moment, then put on her kind, warm smile. She waved him over. He walked over to her. She embraced him, cradling his head close to her heart. "Izuku, you're my special boy." she reassured him. "There isn't anything that you could do that would stop mommy from loving you. I know sometimes life can be hard, but I've never regretted a single second I've spent with you. Quirk or not, Hero or not, you are going to be amazing. You ARE amazing." She kissed him lightly on the top of his head, then met his gaze with the most loving, bright green eyes he had ever seen.

"And I am so proud that you are my son." she finished, giving him a caring smile.

Tears started to well up in Izuku's eyes. God, that felt good to hear. "Thanks, mom." he said quietly, as he hugged her and went to his room.

He collapsed on the bed, sobbing. He desperately wanted to believe his mothers words, but a torrent of voices from his past held him back. They screamed in his mind that he was nothing but a worthless failure.

You're my special boy.

You're just a worthless extra, got it?!

Quirk or not, Hero or not, you are going to be amazing.

Give it up kid. It's not happening.

I am so proud that you are my son.

By merely existing, you are holding back the evolution of all humanity.

You ARE amazing.

You DON'T matter. Quirkless wastes of flesh like you NEVER do.

He stared at the posters of All Might in his room. They mocked him. He ran up to one and tore it off in a rage. He proceeded to vent all of his pent up rage, sadness, and pain. He threw out all of his All Might clothing, cut up his notebooks, ripped his posters to pieces, and smashed his figures to irreparable bits. His anger wasn't spent, but he had run out of targets. All he could do was cry himself to sleep.

Hating society for deeming him worthless due to an accident of birth.

Hating Heroes for letting him be abused.

Hating Kacchan for trying to kill him.

Hating All Might for crushing his dreams.

And absolutely despising himself for being too weak to stop it all.