He breathed deeply, a vain attempt at steadying his breath. He'd never done something like this before, and truth be told he wished he'd not agreed to this. It was silly, he was a hardly representative of his peers. That bight and hopeful majority who would be departing that day and taking their first step towards being the protectors of tomorrow.

Most, but not all.

He took another steadying breath, and his fingers fumbled slightly against the papers of his speech. He realized with a start that he had been standing there in utter silence for entirely too long, the faces of his fellow classmates staring up at him, expressions mixed with either boredom or utter exasperation.

Steeling his resolve, he scanned the crowd briefly in the hopes of finding something to focus on, and found his mother's face, her eyes already welling with unshed tears of pride and joy. Her attention on him was enough to calm his freeing nerves, he took one last steadying breath, and spoke,

"Have no fear, for I am here." He began, "We all know to whom those words belong, we've all heard them before. For those who know me, it should come as no surprise that I chose to begin this address with those words." There were some snorts of amusement from the crowd, "But for those who don't, and for those who I did not have the privilege of meeting these last four years, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Midoriya Izuku, and I can say with the utmost sincerity, that I am the biggest hero fanboy in the country."

More laughs.

Izuku smiled, all those years of speech therapy were finally coming in handy.

"Growing up, I wanted nothing more than to be a hero. Wanted nothing more, than to be exactly like All Might, to save as many people as possible, with a smile on my face. My mother can attest to that, would be happy to tell every person here how I probably, and this is not an exaggeration, watched the video of All Might's debut in Japan no less than forty-thousand times."

Another round of laughter.

"But when I was five, my world turned upside down." He gripped the podium tightly, his stomach clenching uncomfortably, "I was diagnosed with the unthinkable. Unlike eighty percent of the population, I was born with the rare genetic mutation, of having an extra joint in my pinky toe. I would never have a quirk, and I would never be a hero."

He took a shaky breath, he still had never quite gotten over it, but he knew he couldn't lose his composure, not here.

"But for a long time, I didn't believe it, and bless my mother for indulging me. Whether it was leading me in grueling exercise routines, enrolling me in self-defense classes, or whatever ridiculous idea I got in my head, my mother supported me. I still, fruitlessly, strived after my dream, my life's ambition. I wanted to be a hero more than I'd ever wanted anything in the world. To join the leagues of professionals who dedicate their lives to protecting us from the many evils that walk our world. Regardless of who told me I couldn't, I was going to be a hero, I was going to be like All Might."

He gulped, and turned a page on his speech.

"But then, five years ago, I watched alongside the rest of the world, as our Symbol of Peace did battle with the most formidable foe he'd ever faced. I'm sure I don't need to remind you of how brutal that particular battle was."

There was a brief, and momentary pause, as every person in the field seemed to momentarily lose themselves in their memory of battle that had captured the attention of not just Japan, but the entire world.

"I watched as my idol, as the man I had grown up wanting to emulate more than anything, gave his all and sacrificed everything to save us all." Izuku was momentarily overwhelmed for a moment, the image of the Symbol of Peace's emaciated body lying prone amongst the rubble, that strange villain's broken corpse lying amongst the wreckage only a few yards away.

"That fight ruined me. Seeing All Might broken, defeated, forced into retirement. It nearly destroyed me. I gave up my dream, I couldn't fathom doing the things that All Might did, when I didn't even a quirk of my own." He looked up from the podium, and caught his mother's eye fiercely,

"But I had someone there, someone to catch me, to guide me through one of the most trying times in my life. My mother. Midoriya Inko." He pointed out to his mother in the crowd, and she flushed crimson as nearly every head in the yard turned and looked at her.

"My mother helped me, supported me. And eventually, I realized something, something that, in hindsight, I should have understood far before then. Being a hero…it's so much more than wearing a costume, having a flashy or powerful quirk, or a famous catchphrase. Being a hero…it's about being able to help someone. About being there in someone's time of need. Whether that means you're running headfirst into a burning building, or just lending a supportive ear to someone who's having a bad day."

A large, proud smile spread across his face, "As I look out at all of you, I see the future. The future professional heroes, the future doctors, lawyers, firefighters, police officers, and even politicians." He paused, "Okay…hopefully not that one, but you get the idea."

There were some genuine laughs from the audience.

"While a great number of you want, and I have no doubt will, go on and pursue careers amongst the number of professional heroes who work so hard to keep us safe, there will still be a number of us who will still be heroes. Who will do heroic things. Once we leave here today, we take our first steps to being the heroes of our own lives. We will no longer be the ones looking up to our heroes, the giants standing amongst us, but we will be the giants that others look up to. So, graduating class of 2234; go forth, start your journeys, and tell the world that it should never fear…" He smiled widely,

"Because we are here."

BREAK

"Oh Izuku, that speech was so beautiful." His mother blubbered into his shoulder. He wrapped an awkward arm around her, patting her comfortingly on the back. Not for the first time, he was thankful for the growth spurt when he was sixteen, it was uncomfortable enough for his mother to be causing a scene, but it would have been so much worse if he'd been so short, he was barely taller than her too.

"Thanks mom," He said, as he rubbed what he hoped was a soothing circle on her back, "Just…said what I was feeling, you know?"

Inko nodded, pulling away and dabbing gently at her streaming eyes. Gripping her son's hand tightly in her own, she began walking them away from the fine garden his commencement had been held in.

It hadn't quite hit him yet, in spite of the fact that he was holding his certificate tight in his hands. The end of his high school experience had been such a whirlwind of activity, that he hadn't had the time to sit still and really comprehend the end of it all. As valedictorian of his class, he'd been asked, or rather told, that he would be giving the final address of the ceremony. He had spent the final weeks, where the other students had been relaxing and rejoicing in being done with their academics, locked away in his bedroom, slaving away at writing what he hoped was an impactful speech.

Though judging by the way most of his peers had fallen asleep, he supposed he hadn't been all that successful. But that was to be expected. He'd never exactly been the most popular, partly due to his own quirklessness, but even more to his own social awkwardness. While he'd gone to great lengths, even going to speech therapy, to combat some of his insecurities, he'd always struggled at talking to people, and even worse at making friends.

His eyes unconsciously darted over in the direction of the dirty blonde-haired youth getting berated by his mother a few yards away from him and shuddered involuntarily.

He was even worse at choosing the people he thought of as his friends.

"I know you did sweetheart," Inko said, beaming up at him as he returned his gaze back to her, "And that's why it was so beautiful. You spoke honestly, something that sadly become increasingly rare these days," She tugged at his hand and dragged him away from the garden,

"Come on, I've got all your favorites waiting at home, it's time to celebrate!"

Izuku smiled down at her, but he hesitated, he was feeling a little antsy, and was still buzzing with the nervous excitement that came from speaking at the ceremony,

"Do you think we could take the long way home? I'm still feeling a little jittery, kind of want to walk off this excess energy before we wait." He scratched nervously behind his ear and chuckled uncomfortably,

Inko smiled in understanding and pat him on the arm, "Of course dear, come, the market district is beautiful this time of night."

They meandered slowly through the streets, walking in companionable silence as both simply revealed in the happiness of the day. It had been a hard life for the pair of them, between the social stigma associated with raising a child without a quirk, Midoriya Inko had been forced to raise her child on her own, Izuku's father having succumbed to a sudden and terrible brain tumor when Izuku had been only a baby. But she had persevered, whether it had been working three jobs, signing Izuku up for self-defense classes, calling in favors to old friends to get Izuku books or lessons, or his much-needed therapies. She had done anything and everything she could to give her son the best life he could have.

Izuku had repaid her kindness and efforts as best he could. He realized full well how much his mother had sacrificed on his behalf. How much she'd given all to make sure he lived as happy and normal a life as possible. He'd worked hard, studied harder, and done all he could to make her proud, and reward all she'd done for him. His efforts had born fruit when he'd gotten into Tokyo University, as well as having a variety of credits in his disposal so he would be entering as essentially a third-year student.

He was going to go to school to become a doctor, he'd be able to support his mother as she'd supported him. Take care of her as best he could, and make sure that she'd want for nothing ever again.

His attention was drawn from his thoughts as they passed an electronics store, with several televisions on display in the window facing the street. Izuku watched, barely restrained awe and envy dashing his expression as he watched a fight occurring in the financial district of Musutafu. The one of the most popular up and coming heroes, Lemillion, was doing battle with some villain with a mutation type quirk that had transformed the man into a half-rhino hybrid.

He stopped in his tracks, his eyes transfixed on the screen, and watched as the young hero disappeared from sight, seemingly sinking into the street. He reappeared on the other side of the Rhino-hybrid, and a strange crackling green energy, almost like lightning, danced across his skin. He swung down and his fist connected with the cheek of the villain, which was launched through the air with such tremendous force that it was embedded in the side of a building nearly a block away.

Izuku had been keeping a close eye on the career of Lemillion over the last few years. The young man had rocketed onto the national scene three years ago, when he'd absolutely destroyed the competition at the national U.A. sports festival. The man seemed to possess multiple quirks, and powerful ones at that. Izuku had no doubt that when he graduated, Lemillion would likely be the number one ranked hero within a year. He still wondered at the man's apparent quirks however, just what kind of quirk could it be? Clearly, he had some type of transmitter type quirk that allowed him to phase through materials, but there was also an enhancement type quirk as well, that gave him that tremendous, almost All Might-like strength.

"You're doing it again dear," His mother chided softly, and Izuku colored,

"Sorry." He apologized quickly, realizing that he'd once again been muttering under his breath. It was an old habit, one that he'd not exactly been able to rid himself of.

His mother laughed softly, padding him on the arm gently.

"It's quite all right sweetheart, he really is something, isn't he?" She gestured towards the television,

"Yeah…he really is." Izuku said, not quite able to keep the bitterness from his voice. In spite of having long since abandoned his dream of one day becoming a hero, his chest still ached whenever he watched one of those mighty defenders of justice. His heart hurting at the knowledge that he'd never be able to join their ranks.

"Come on, Izuku," His mother prodded gently, sensing his thoughts, and tugging gently on his jacket sleeve. He allowed himself to be dragged away, his eyes shooting one last glance at the television before turning his back on the screens.

They walked some time in silence, and his mother gripped his hand a little more firmly,

"I know I say it to you a lot, but I just want you to know just how proud of you I am." She said, "I know things haven't been easy, that you've…had to deal with a lot. But I am just so proud of you, how hard you've worked, and how far you've come." They stopped in front of a ramen shop. The lights on the inside were off, and the blinds shut, a small neon sign hanging in the window flashed in incandescent light indicating that it was closed.

"Thanks mom," He said, smiling down at the smaller woman, "And I…I know things have been hard for you…I know I haven't made your life easy-"

"Izuku…" His mother started to say, but Izuku cut her off, "I'm serious mom," He stressed, grabbing her hands in his own. "I don't think I can thank you enough for everything you've done for me. You've done nothing but support me, help me through all of…through everything."

Tears danced in the corners of his mother's eyes, and she leaned in and wrapped her arms around Izuku's larger frame, a gesture Izuku matched.

"Your father," Inko sniffled, "Would be so proud of you. I just wish-I just wish he were here with us to see this. He'd be so proud of the man you've become; I know it."

Izuku tightened his hold on her. He didn't have the words to describe what he was thinking, to describe how much he wished he'd gotten to know the man that his mother had loved so deeply.

They held the embrace for a few moments longer, before Inko finally stepped away, still gripping his hands tightly, tears still streaming down her face, in spite of the happy and proud smile on her lips.

"Come on," She said, gesturing with her head, "Don't want dinner to get-"

His mother never finished the sentence, and the world seemed to begin moving in slow motion.

The door to the ramen store exploded open, splinters and debris thrown into the street, shards of woods slicing across Izuku's skin, specks of blood dancing through the night sky. A form erupted through the doorway, a large and burly looking man, dressed in an immaculate and finely dressed suit. Wrapped around the man, like a strange spider-web of splinters, was what appeared to be a tree root. Red, pulsating veins danced along the strange roots, and the roots appeared larger, thicker, and far more durable than any tree root had any right to be.

There was a gist of wind that blew across Izuku's face, blowback from the sudden explosion of the doorway and his eyes were forced closed of their own accord, his body's natural reaction to the sudden shockwave. He felt a strange lightness in his hands, as though some load he'd been carrying had been lightened considerably. There was a scream, a loud and high-pitched feminine scream, but the scream was choked off as quick as it rose. There was a strange crunching sound, followed by a short thudding, similar to a sack of potatoes falling to the ground.

His eyes finally opened; his eyes drawn to the thick tree-branch like structure in front of him. He followed the tree branch, his eyes tracking every knot, twig, and sprout on the strange structure. At the other side of the street, impaled into the building on the other side of the street, was the man. The tree branch had wrapped around the strange man, enclosing him in an almost peaceful cocoon of wood and splinters. Izuku watched, enraptured in a strange trance of almost fascination. Blood was trickling down from the man's head, his mouth open in a strange contortion, as though he'd been screaming but no sound escaped him now. Izuku's eyes traced the line of blood, watched as it trickled down the man's cheek and mouth and stained the starched white dress shirt under the man's well-tailored suit coat. His teeth, Izuku noted in shocked amazement, were stained red, as bright red blood bubbled up from the man's throat.

There was a strange sucking sound, similar to a plunger being pulled from the ground, and the tree branch quickly began to retract, and Izuku's fascination turned to horror as a large wooden spike, sharpened to a spearpoint, was pulled free from the poor man's chest cavity. Blood stained the spearpoint, the once deep color of rich mahogany was a deep red. Flecks of gore and innards had gotten caught up on some of the knots and twigs on the tree branch.

The hole in the man's chest was nearly six inches wide, and was so deep that Izuku could see through the poor man and into the building behind him. He noted with some horrified curiosity that the hole of the man was far deeper than a man his size should have been, and he could have sworn that he saw a second pair of intestines deeper in the man that it should have.

There was a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye, and a figure leapt through the hole in the building. It was a man, at least Izuku thought he was a man. He was dressed in a strange blue jumpsuit, and was wearing boots of the same color of wood as his face mask, which was also made of thick wood. Over the man's shoulder was a large duffel bag, strapped protectively around his side.

Izuku realized with a start that he recognized the man, he was an up-and-coming young pro, Kamui Woods he was pretty sure. Izuku had been watching his career with interest, he'd proven to be a driven and capable hero, and had defeated some fairly impressive villains in the short time he'd been on the scene.

The pro turned his head, and met his Izuku's white and shocked face. The man's eyes were strained, strange flecks of red pulsating through his orbs giving him a strangely manic and demonic look. He almost looked like he was sweating, and was having difficulty breathing. His eyes darted from Izuku to the body at the other end of the street, and then back to Izuku.

"I can't-" The hero panted, "I-I…you…. can't stop…. have to leave-" Without another word, the pro hero turned, and one of his wooden arms lengthened and wrapped around a nearby light pole, and swung himself up and into the sky. For a minute, Izuku just watched the man go, looking off into the darkness of the evening until the hero's blue uniform had mixed entirely with the darkness of the evening sky, and he could no longer be seen.

Izuku's eyes fell back to the street, his eyes darting back to the body in the middle of the street. Had…had Kamui Woods just killed that man? Had he killed him and-and just left? Izuku couldn't fathom the idea, couldn't understand how the hero could have taken a man's life so casually, and then fled the scene without so much as thinking about calling for help and assistance. What had he been thinking, what was going on, and more importantly, where was his mother? He would have thought that the impish and normally passive woman would have been screaming herself hoarse at the carnage and brutality they'd just been subjected to.

He turned to look at her, trying to find his tongue, but when he turned to where she'd been standing, he saw that nothing was there. Confusion flooded him and he looked around the quiet street, but he saw nothing there. Not even a passing bystander. His eyes unconsciously turned back to the body at the other side of the street, and his blood ran cold. There was something on the street, something he hadn't seen before.

Under the body of the poor dead man, were a pair of legs. Smooth, creamy skin, one shoe still attached to a foot, while the other was red raw, having been dragged across the hard city street. His eyes spotted the missing shoe in the middle of the street, the small green dress flat looking intimately familiar to Izuku, though he refused to allow himself to believe how and why it had gotten there.

He was unconsciously aware of something warm and wet covering his face, and something trickled down his cheek and dripped into his open mouth. It was warm, and tasted coppery.

Blood.

Was he hurt? It was likely possible; he did remember the stinging pain of flying debris slashing across his face. He raised a hand to wipe at his face, when he became aware that he was holding something in his hands. Looking down, his mind went strangely blank.

He was holding a pair of hands.

At least…he thought that they were hands. They certainly looked like hands, even though there was no body attached, and blood, muscle, and viscera were protruding from the short stubs where the forearm would normally meet bicep, but there was no bicep. There was only air.

The hands looked oddly familiar, and he could have sworn that he recognized the ring on the finger on the left hand. Though it was difficult to tell, as the beautiful diamond had been stained red, as flecks of blood dribbled softly down the fingers.

He looked back to the body one more time, realization slowly dawning on him, though he scarcely wanted to believe it.

"Mom…" He said softly, his voice coming out as a croaky whisper, though it seemed to reverberate around the small and deserted street.

"Mom," He said again, mild hysteria and shock starting to well up inside of him. His stomach constricting and restricting, as panic and horror washed over him, rising to a horrific and terrifying crescendo.

"MOM!" He screamed.

There was no reply.

AN: So because I'm a child with no self-control, here's a brand new story that I've been sitting on. Unlike my other stories I haven't written out the full arc to this yet, as this is my first story of this type and I want to test the waters a little. If it's not clear, this story will be very AU, and I mean very AU. The main plot of MHA is basically not there and that's because I want to tell a very different story. So please, let me know what you think of this so far! I really like this idea, and I'm going to continue it regardless but I couldn't sit on this any longer. Shoutout to Double0Sxvxn for being an awesome Beta and dealing with my bullshit and as always if you enjoyed this but haven't checked out my other work, give them a try you never know you might find something else you like. I'm also on discord now, where I and a bunch of other writers hang out, chat and brainstorm ideas, you just have to copy the link that's in my profile bio if you want to come and hang out with us. Stay safe, stay healthy and have an awesome week!

All My Love,

LilDB