"Excuse me?" the old sounding voice said from the other side of the phone, "He's what?"
"Q-quirkless, Mosashi-san," Inko repeated herself, a cold feeling of dread running down her spine as she heard the man moving on the other side of the phone.
She'd dreaded this. Phoning her relatives to tell them about Izuku's quirk. Or more accurately, his lack of one. All of them had been at least somewhat understanding, or at least apologetic. It made Inko's skin crawl the way their tones changed the moment she had mentioned it. Mosashi Midoriya, Hisashi's father, had been the last person on the list.
"We're coming to visit," the man grunted as he sounded like he was lifting something, surprising Inko, "We'll be there tomorrow. Hanaha! We're visiting Inko!"
Inko stared at the phone as the man hung up, looking worriedly over to her son, who was sitting on the sofa, staring blankly ahead.
"Inko, dear, so good to see you!" Hanaha Midoriya said as Inko opened the door, almost immediately being pulled into a hug by the older woman, "How are things?"
"Hello, Hanaha-san," Inko said, watching as Mosashi nodded politely behind his wife, before walking past them into the apartment, "It's been…well it hasn't all sunk in just yet."
"That's fine, sweetheart," Hanaha said soothingly, "Izuku will be perfectly fine in our care."
"In your…?" Inko pulled out of the hug as she stared at the softly smiling woman in confusion, "What are you talking about?"
"Pack your bags, boy," she heard Mosashi say from Izuku's room, "You're moving in with us. Training starts tomorrow."
Inko blinked as the last of their furniture was loaded into the moving van, a quick call to Hisashi the night before resulting in her husband giving an exasperated sigh and an apology.
"Sorry Inko, my dad can be like that," the man explained over the phone, "When he makes a decision, it's final. Don't worry, he'd never hurt Izuku. I promise."
"I'm going with them," Inko had said, Hisashi remaining silent for a moment, before responding.
"That's…probably for the best," he'd sighed, "Just…don't be surprised when dad starts training Izuku."
"Ji-san?"
"Yes, boy?" the old man said as they sat on the train.
"Can I be a Hero?"
"Why?" the man asked, looking down at the four-year-old as he clutched his All Might action figure to his chest.
"I…I wanna save people…" Izuku muttered, "L-like All Might."
"And how do you expect to do that?" Mosashi asked, Izuku flinching.
"I…I'd need a quirk," Izuku whispered, jumping when his grandfather spoke.
"Peh," the old man spat, "Quirks this and quirks that. People these days are too obsessed with the bloody things! They've forgotten the power of the human body. I never had one of the damn things, and I turned out fine."
"Y-you're quirkless?" Izuku breathed as he stared at his grandfather, a look of reverence on his face.
"Yes," Mosashi said, his own face softening for a moment as he reached out to pat Izuku on the head, "And I'm plenty strong. Bet I would even be able to go up against that All Might fellow and hold my own!"
"That's impossible, Ji-san!" Izuku giggled, "All Might is unbeatable, Kacchan said so!"
"No one is unbeatable, Izuku," Mosashi hummed as he smiled at the laughing boy, "And I'll prove it to you."
"One hundred," the man barked as the ten-year-old lowered his weighted bokken, panting heavily, "Good. Take a rest then go bathe, your mother is making supper for us now."
"Yes, Sensei!" The boy replied as he sat on the ground, taking deep slow breaths as he brought his heart rate back down.
He looked up at the evening sky, amazed as always by the beautiful hues and gradients that painted the sky out here in the countryside. He and his mother had been living with his grandparents for almost six years now, and it was nice. Sure, it had been hell at first. His grandfather had handed him a bokken almost the moment that he'd stepped into the house, before ushering him outside and teaching him how to swing it properly. Then had come the drills. The endless drills that lasted for half the day at least, the other half being dedicated to his studies. His grandmother, a retired teacher, had worked at filling his head with more knowledge than he thought could fit.
He was well on the way to finishing the middle school syllabus already, though his grandmother had slowed down on teaching him that so he wouldn't be too far ahead of his peers when he rejoined society. Instead, his education had shifted, becoming more focused on history and tactics, anatomy and medicine, all things that would help him become a better Hero. Because yes, his dream had never died. He still wanted to be a Hero, and he was going to be. Quirkless or not.
And there was no way he'd fail with his family behind him.
"Izuku," he heard his grandfather say, the boy looking up as the old man approached, a long bundle of cloth in his hands, "I believe it's time to start properly training you. Familiarize yourself with this. We start tomorrow."
Izuku stared at the bundle in his hands, feeling the weight as he looked up at the man standing in front of him.
"Yes, Sensei!"
The crowd of students whispered to each other as they stared at the strange teen standing in their midst. He was dressed in what could only be described as a classical Samurai outfit, complete with Hakama, Haori and Jingasa, a pair of wooden swords tied to his hip.
"Excuse me," an older man said to the teen, the boy tilting his hat back to reveal emerald green eyes above a diamond of freckles on each cheek, "But you can't have those here."
"Hmm?" the teen said, looking down as the man pointed to the swords on his hip, "Oh, I have permission. They're my Support equipment. I filled in all the forms."
"That's fine," the Procter sighed, "But you can't take them into the written exam, only the practical."
"OH!" the boy gasped, suddenly bowing low as he pulled the swords free of his belt, "I apologize, I didn't realize."
"That's quite alright," the Procter said as he took the wooden blades, blinking when he almost stumbled forwards under their weight, "I…I'll make sure you get them back before the practical."
Off to the side, a pair of red eyes glared at the strange boy, a hand kiting through spiky blond hair as he tried to remember why the stranger seemed so familiar.
Izuku took a deep breath as he stood outside the large gates to the testing area, surrounded by a number of other examines. He patted the two bokken at his hip, their familiar weight comforting him as anxiety boiled in his chest. He could do this. He'd spent the last ten years training specifically for this. It didn't matter that he was quirkless, he would show the world the power of his family. And become a Hero while doing it.
"BEGIN!"
The shout startled the other examines, Izuku barely reacting as he simply began to walk forwards, his steps measured as he shot forwards far faster than he should have been able to.
"He has the right idea!" the cockatoo-like man that had explained the exam format to them shouted, "There are no countdowns in real life! Go, go, go!"
Izuku looked up as the first of the robots approached him, arm raised to attack.
He swung his bokken, the limb detaching and falling to the ground before Izuku slammed the base of the hilt into the side of the constructs head, shattering it. Another robot was on him in a flash, before it split in two, the two halves falling cleanly to the ground.
Around him, the other examines charged into the testing area, firing off their quirks wildly as they began to destroy robots of their own.
"Focus in on that one," Nedzu said as the teachers watched the exam, the main screen changing to show a teen in traditional garb walking calmly through the chaos of the exam. A robot loomed over him for a moment, before it suddenly split apart, the teen easily avoiding the falling pieces as he continued to make his way slowly through the faux city. The Principal of UA grinned as he watched the teen dispatch a robot that had knocked another student over, barely seeming to move as he passed by.
"How the hell is he doing that?" Midnight asked, "Is it his quirk?"
"I wouldn't say so," Nedzu laughed as the final two minutes were announced, watching as the massive zero-pointer rose up from the ground, the examines fleeing in terror, "I wonder what he'll do now?"
"Dammit," Ectoplasm growled, pointing at a screen, "There's a girl who got trapped right in the path of the Zero-pointer. Someone needs to get out there to save her!"
"Wait," Nedzu ordered as the teacher began to move, all of them looking at him strangely as he pointed to the main screen, the boy from before suddenly beside the girl, crouched into a stance as he gripped the handle of one of his bokken.
"What is he doing?!" Snipe gasped, "Is he about to attack her?"
"Midoriya style, Iai technique," the teen said as he stood over Ochako, the brunette looking up into his eyes as he spoke, "Jōshō Suru Kaze (Rising Wind)."
She gasped as the air around her seemed to shift, the teen's hand shimmering for an instant before the weight on her leg suddenly vanished. Looking behind her, she stared at the piece of rubble that had trapped her only moment's before, now cleanly split down the middle. She gasped as a hand grabbed her arm, easily lifting her into the air before she fell into a pair of strong arms, the green-haired teen smiling down comfortingly at her, before looking up at the massive robot.
"Best to run," he seemed to muse, "I doubt I'd be able to cut that with only a wooden sword."
"WHAT THE HELL DID HE JUST DO?!" the room shouted as they stared at the teen, now running from the zero-pointer with the brunette girl held gently in his arms.
"Our cameras are capturing at 60 fps," Powerloader growled as he rewound the video, playing it in slow motion, then frame by frame, the teens arm blurred even on the high definition monitors, "Yet his arm was only moving for less than ten frames. That's some serious speed."
"Is that his quirk?" Cementos rumbled, "Though that doesn't explain the clean cuts he's been making."
"Izuku Midoriya," Nedzu squeaked as he scrolled down the information on his tablet, "Apparently, he was raised by his mother and grandparents in the mountains, where he was trained in their family's sword techniques. Oh, and he's quirkless."
"I'm sorry, HE'S WHAT?" Midnight shouted as the rest of the teachers looked at the teen with more than a little respect.
"Please take you feet off the desk!" The blue-haired boy shouted as he chopped his hands towards the blond, "It is disrespectful to the school, the makers of the desk, and our seniors!"
"Shut the hell up," Bakugo growled as he tried to ignore the boy, instead focusing his gaze on the green-haired teen that was sitting calmly at a desk at the front of the class.
"It seems we've started on the wrong foot," the blue-haired boy said stiffly, "I am Tenya Iida, I went to Somnai Academy and-."
"Somnai?" Bakugo spat as he got up from his seat, "So you have a silver spoon in your mouth? Get the hell away from me!"
Iida watched in surprise as the blond stalked over to the green-haired teen, before slamming his hand on the desk in front of him, smoke rising from his palm.
"Who the hell are you?" Bakugo growled, "I recognize you from somewhere, and it's pissing me off!"
"Hmm?" the other teen looked up, a wide smile gracing his lips as he stood, suddenly pulling the surprised blond into a hug, "Kacchan! I haven't seen you in years! How have you been?!"
"What the fuck are you doing?!" the blond screeched as he yanked himself free, "And who the fuck are you calling "Kacchan"? The only person to ever do that was…wait…DEKU?!"
"Oh, I haven't heard that name in a while," Izuku laughed as he patted the shocked Bakugo on the shoulder, "Yes, it's me! So good to see you again. How are your parents? Hopefully, your mom has calmed down a bit, she was always pretty hands on!"
"What the fuck are you doing here?" Bakugo spat as he stepped back, shrugging off Izuku's hand, "You just fucking disappeared one day when we were four!"
"Oh, yeah, sorry about that. My mom and I went to live with my grandparents in the mountains," Izuku laughed, the sound loud and infectious as he stepped towards the blond again, "I guess we should have told our friends about it, but it happened so suddenly we didn't have time."
"Why?" Bakugo asked, jumping when the door suddenly slammed open, the class turning to see a caterpillar-like thing lying in the doorway.
"Get to your seats," it growled, before standing and shedding the sleeping bag it was wearing revealing a skinny and disheveled man in a black jumpsuit, the class scrambling to find a seat, "I am Shota Aizawa, your Homeroom teacher. You took 8 seconds to get to your seats, that's too…Midoriya, what are you wearing?"
The class froze as the teacher looked towards the green-haired teen, blinking as they realized that his uniform looked almost nothing like theirs. Instead of the expected blazer and slacks, he was wearing a white and black Jingasa with a grey Haori over the top, styled to look like the school uniform.
"They said we could modify the school uniform if necessary," the teen shrugged, "I feel more comfortable in this kind of outfit."
"That's only for quirks," the older man sighed, "From tomorrow, make sure to wear the proper uniform."
"Oh, I'm sorry!" the teen said as he stood, bowing low to the teacher as the rest of the class watched.
"Whatever," Aizawa muttered, reaching into his sleeping bag, and tossing out a few gym uniforms, "Go change into these and meet me on the main field."
"Midoriya, you got the most points on the entrance exams," Aizawa muttered as he tossed the softball towards him, the teen snatching it out of the air, "How far could you throw a soft ball in middle school?"
"I don't know," Izuku replied, the rest of the class whispering behind him.
"You…don't know?" Aizawa sighed.
"I was homeschooled, I've never had to do these tests before," Izuku explained as he stepped into the chalk circle, a look of excitement on his face, "All I have to do is throw it as far as I can, right?"
"Yes," Aizawa sighed, "Normally I'd tell you to use your quirk to do it, but-."
He was cut off as the atmosphere changed, the Pro blinking as he felt the intense air coming off the teen in front of him.
"Midoriya style, no sword technique," the teen muttered under his breath as he wound up the throw, "Kōtō Hikō (Soaring Flight)."
The air cracked as Izuku brought his arm forwards, the limb blurring as he moved. Suddenly the ball was gone, the phone in Aizawa's pocket beeping a moment later.
"Huh," the man grunted as he pulled it out and looked at the result, "923 meters."
"Woah! We can use our quirks?" the pink-skinned girl gasped, "This is going to be so fun!"
"Fun?" Aizawa said, a wicked grin spreading across his face, "You think this is a game?"
"Alright," Aizawa grumbled as he displayed the results of the tests, the class stiff as they looked for their names.
Bakugo stared in shock, staring at the three names above his on the list, eyes darting to their owners. The tall black-haired girl looked proud of her first place, while the candy cane bastard that had got third was staring at Izuku, the green-haired teen seemingly non-plussed despite placing second.
"NO! I'M LAST!" the ball-headed boy sobbed as he fell to his knees, "HOT BABES! I'VE FAILED YOU!"
"Ooh, that has to suck," the lanky boy with large elbows asked as the other sobbed on the ground, "And what was that about babes?"
"Yeah," the yellow-blond with a black lightning bolt said as Aizawa grabbed the teen and dragged him off, "Well, we'd best get back to class, don't want to give our new teacher a reason to expel us."
"Uhm…" the sound drew the attention of the class as Izuku watched the two figures disappear through the door, "What does "expelled" mean?"
"Hey, dude, what's your quirk?"
The question caught Izuku off guard as the blond, Kaminari, and the red head, Kirishima, suddenly crowded around his desk.
"Yeah, you said some super manly thing just before you threw the ball! But you didn't seem to use it at all during the other tests!"
"Oh, I don't have one," Izuku replied with a smile, making the class fall silent as they stared at him.
"You what?" Kaminari asked.
"I don't have a quirk," Izuku repeated, "I'm quirkless."
"YOU'RE FUCKING WHAT?!"
The shout shook the room as Bakugo spun in his seat, glaring at Izuku in shock, "BULLSHIT! HOW THE FUCK DID YOU THROW THAT BALL SO FAR THEN?!"
"I used one of my family's sword techniques," Izuku replied, a confused look on his face, "Why?"
"Why?" Bakugo growled as he grabbed Izuku by the collar, "WHY?! BECAUSE THIS IS UA! IT'S A SCHOOL FOR HEROES, NOT QUIRKLESS FREAKS!"
"So?" Izuku hummed, reaching up to squeeze Bakugo's hand, the blond gasping in pain as it was easily pulled off, "I don't see the problem. I'm quirkless, but I'm not a freak."
"SHUT THE FUCK UP, YOU WORTHLESS DEKU!" Bakugo snarled, "NOW I SEE WHY YOUR FAMILY RAN AWAY! THEY WERE ASHAMED OF YOU!"
The slap echoed through the classroom, Bakugo blinking in shock as his head was twisted to the side, snapping it back to continue shouting at the other teen before the words caught in his throat. The glare Izuku was giving him sent a shiver down his spine.
"You ever insult my family again, and I will end you," the words were clear and crisp, sounding almost like the drawing of a sword as the green-haired teen picked up his bag and walked out of the classroom.
"Wow, that was…intense," the brunette, Uraraka, said as she run up behind Izuku, the teen letting out a slow breath as he calmed himself down.
"Yeah, sorry about that," Izuku muttered, "Can I help you?"
"Oh, I just…uhm…I just wanted to thank you for saving me during the entrance exam," she said, her pink cheeks darkening slightly, "And I wanted to ask you if what you said was really true."
"Oh," Izuku grinned back at her, "No problem, it's what Heroes do, after all. And yes, I really am quirkless."
"Then how did you cut that rock?" she asked, falling into step beside him as they walked.
"I used one of my family's sword techniques," Izuku said, his face lighting up as he spoke, "It's called "Jōshō Suru Kaze". It's an iai technique that can be used to cut only a single object."
"Oh wow!" she blushed as she looked at his bright expression, only half listening as he began to explain it in more detail, "That's really cool."