There are many unspoken truths, inadvertently upheld by those who live by them, understand them, suffer by them; accepted as irrefutable. These truths form every foundation of life, be it in the grand halls of civilization, or the untouched soil following the natural progression of the world. In this world, the first truth has been a unyielding and unpredictable force that came to light in the emergence of traits that gave humanity feats long thought to be in the realms of fantasy, mere fiction. It came so suddenly, without rhyme or reason. Reminding humanity of the first truth felt by the whole world upon its birth.

Change

Izuku Midoriya stands above it all, quite literally. While the world itself continues on, adapting to the ever-changing mutations quirks bring, a small fringe of society exists without said abilities. A portion of the population deemed quirkless, seen as nothing more than the outdated stretch of humanity that seemingly continued to exist. They were…of a different stock, to be sure. Their treatment in the face of those with extraordinary abilities was overlooked. In a society where the majority have powers, those who don't are simply labeled the last bits Darwinism needed to cut off from the rest of the line. A dying breed one could easily avert their eyes from in lieu of a more positive outlook.

And there were a good few who were more than eager to push them towards that path.

For Izuku, a quirkless child standing at the edge of a building, his shoes placed neatly beneath the steps, and with the breeze gently dancing with his locks, the sight of the city was on cloudy cold day felt appropriate given the day he'd had.

No. That wasn't right, it was his entire life that had him on edge. Every glare, every sneer, to the simplest insult; it all amounted to the very thing the rest of the world had but he didn't; a quirk. Every waking moment was the same, the constant reminder of what he was and what the world thought of him.

His heart so dead set on proving every one of them wrong, that he could indeed become hero. What he lacked in a quirk, he had hoped to make up for it some other way…and yet, the last was to have it all come crashing down. The weight of it all was a burden he could no longer shoulder. Many had their own little escapes, a place in their lives they could retreat to escape the harsh reality of an unforgiving world. But for Izuku, there was no haven now.

His hero, someone he admired and looked up to for years had told him what he'd been told for a long time now. Only, this time, it stung harder than any other insult thrown his way.

His mother had a quirk, as did his father, his grandparents from both lines had quirks as well…so then, why not him? What was so different about him that he should be denied one?

With a long drawn-out sigh, his head dipped down, eyeing the very much distant cement beneath him.

'If you want a quirk so bad, why don't you take a swan dive off a roof and pray you'll get one in the next life.'

The burns and scars would stay with him, but they would be a passing memory, he often forgot how each were engraved on him. But the words they spat at him; those were the hardest to live with. Because they never went away. The only kind words he ever received were from his mother.

Speaking of…

If there was one thing he took from her, it was the inability to lie. She was never good at it, despite how hard she tried. But he found the letters, the prescriptions…with every passing day she showed signs.

Inko Midoriya was many things, emotional being a rather big one, but subtlety was something she couldn't pull off. In the months prior, her coughing fits grew in their intensity. And at some point, he swore he saw a tint of red from her last fit. He wasn't old enough for a part time, and even if he was Inko would never allow him to divert from his studies. So instead, all he could do was sit back and watch. For the last few months he did all he could to make her life easier, praying and hoping for some miracle…the urn waiting for him back home was proof that no deity was listening to a quirkless deku. Why would they? A quirkless child who could only sit and watch as his own mother hack and wheeze for the last days of her life. How pathetic was that? To just sit there, knowing you couldn't do anything and watch as the one good thing in your life crumbles away slowly. It took every ounce of will power to not snap at his father for not answering his calls, not even in her final moments.

The only words the boy ever remembered hearing from him were the very reason his mother quite literally threw him out of their home all those years ago.

The least Izuku could do was be with her, if only to just hold her hand and whisper honeyed words and promises of better days to come.

That was three days ago.

He'd told no one, why should he? No one seemed to care either way. His mother's friend, the mother of his tormentor…perhaps she would've cared to know, but it was too late now.

The sight of the city, at peace, in this day and age, was soothing. He could feel small pricks of rain splash against his cheeks. It wouldn't take long for the heavy pour to come down on him. the feeling of wet cloths didn't bother him, rather, it was what his next step would entail.

Would it hurt? Was there an afterlife?…would he be able to see her again, just once…if only to tell her…

'I love you so much'

And the tears came again. How easy it is to forget how fleeting life is. A simple heartbeat keeps the memories going, keeps the lungs flowing so you can hear the melodic tune of someone…the only person that matters tell you the words that keeps it all together.

How easy is it for it all to end in the blink of an eye? Up until the last moment, there's nothing to say, what can you say in those fleeting moments? But when the light fades every word that comes after has lost its meaning.

So what comes next after that?

What can a child do to come to terms with all of it? What can a son do when all he's ever known is taken from him? His entire world, gone, and he couldn't bring himself to come to terms with it. Every time he opens his eyes, there's a constant reminder, as he wanders through his empty home; she's gone.

He reached into his blazer, retrieving a set of earphones and adjusting the volume just right. It didn't take long for him to choose; he had few selections to pick from. Old tracks from long ago, the days before quirks. And yet, even now, generations later, their words still held up.

So cliché, so pitiful…and yet, what else was there? In this fleeting moment, he felt some semblance of comfort in a world that didn't want him.

The rain was beginning to pick up, and he with each lyric spoken he felt his tears rolling down in full force, the final verse in particular hit him harder than he wanted.

He could feel his body swaying forward, every ounce of guilt and self-hatred had finally taken their toll. As he tilted slowly, flashes of his childhood came into his vision, his mother was still there, hugging him and kissing every inch of his face with adoration. His friends were running around, screaming and laughing as they played their games and dreamed of being heroes. His father was there, if only for fleeting moment. Every happy memory played out before him, there were only a handful of them. The weight of his drenched cloths ushering his fall ever onward. He closed his eyes, fully ready to embrace, he hoped, something better…

But the ground never came. In fact, he still felt himself tilting. And a tug at his sleeve.

Turning to the side, he could see a hand grasping his. Or rather, a paw?

With unprecedented force, the greenette was yanked back on to a vertical stance.

It took a moment for his confusion to subside, turning his head towards the owner of the paw, he saw a face he had only ever seen on tv, alongside her little group.

"Woah there, that was a close one." She exclaimed, sounding both tired and relieved. "Had me worried there for a second." Her smile was a farce, he knew well enough. Judging by her ragged breathing she must've rushed here. She must've been patrolling and caught sight of him. Although, she was far from home, that's for sure.

"Y-…you're the h-hero; Ragdoll." His voice was somber, his expression unchanging, and his want to go over still prevalent.

"That's me." Now both her arms were on him, yanking him a bit tighter toward her. And yet, it wasn't so much as with the force to bring him down, but rather, to keep him from slipping out of her grasp. There was a piece of him that was tempted to try, but even for a support hero, this one was no slouch.

His head tilted downwards with his eyes averting from her gaze. "No offence, but a hero is the last thing I wanna see right now." He muttered, loud enough for her to hear. But, he knew she wouldn't oblige him…of course, if she discovered what he was, then maybe she'd feel tempted to give him that little push too. Everyone did.

"Well, sorry to disappoint but a hero is what you're getting." She tugged again. "So why don't you come down from there and have a little chat with me?"

He inched forward, and she tugged back harder. "I'd rather not." He couldn't understand why she wouldn't let him go.

"Hey now, don't be like that, I'm sure we can talk this out." She was now actively tugging him towards her, he remained still. "What's your name?"

"…why do you care?"

"I'm a hero, kiddo."

"So you only care because it's your job?"

He heard a faint clicking sound, it was barely audible thanks to the rain, but as he side-eyed the hero, he saw her one of her paws grasping something and clicking it rather profusely. Her eyes remained focused on him.

"'course not, I care because I do. Whatever you're going through right now, I really doubt this is the answer. What would your folks say about this? You think your dad would want to see you up here?" She was grasping for something, possibly to get him to come down.

To which the boy just shrugged. "I wouldn't know, haven't seen him since I was four."

His words had a small affect, he felt her grip loosen, only for it to come back stronger as she tugged on him again. "O-ok, b-b-but what about your mom?"

"…I wish I could ask her." Why wouldn't she just let him go? Did he really have to spell it out? Why would a hero waste their time on a quirkless? He tried inching forward again, only to have Ragdoll actively bring him towards her. It hurt, the way she pulled him, but it brought him away from the edge. Still, he remained atop the ledge. His head still tilted downwards, eyes focused on the pavement and city below him. "…c-can you please let me go?"

"I'm not gonna do that." She seemed to have lost whatever pep she had, whatever she managed to hold up at least. She must not have been thinking clearly, because without warning, she jumped up on the ledge beside him. They were roughly the same height, one of her paws was now holding a vice grip on his shoulder. The other was being pressed against his chest. "Why don't you tell me your name."

Why was she doing this? No pro should be this reckless over a quirkless. "Deku." It was a mantra at this point, as if he wasn't worthy of his actual name, the only title he was worthy of was the one he'd been given by someone he thought was his friend long ago.

Ragdoll kept a steady hand on his chest, gently nudging him back each time she felt him drift forward. When she had set out on patrol today, the last thing she expected to see was a child on the edge of a building. She had approached cautiously at first, so as to not startle the poor thing. She assumed, at first, he was merely enjoying the sight of the city, just from a really dangerous vantage point.

That was her first thought…once she saw the shoes, placed neatly beneath him the gears in her head clicked and she bolted into action.

When she saw him lean forward, her heart skipped a beat, her legs moved far faster than she thought they could. And when she managed to catch his sleeve, relief washed over her. And yet, when he turned his head, seeing his face still puffed with youth's last tuff of baby fat, Tomoko felt a ping in her heart. So many things rushed to the forefront of her mind, such as hauling this little one away from the ledge; being the biggest priority.

But with each passing word they shared, hearing the defeat in his voice, the dull light in his eyes with which would be snuffed out with merely a soft breath; her want and need to comfort this little one grew.

She felt him try to pull away, but she reinforced her grip each time. What she needed to do now was either talk him down, or buy time till her teammates arrived, Shino was better at this than she was, all she needed to do was wait.

"Ok Deku." She hated how tired and weak her voice came off as. "Would it be ok if we talked about it? I'd like to help if I can?" She tried to keep her voice smooth and comforting. To the best of her abilities. But she was far from her comfort zone. Her image was one of boundless cheer and optimism, here, though, she found herself playing a part she was not accustomed to.

She watched him carefully, his hair stuck to the sides of his face thanks to the downpour, it allowed her to see his face, to gauge his emotions.

He tried to remove her grasp; she didn't budge. "…why…?"

"Hmm, why what?"

"…why are you a hero?"

Tomoko kept her paw up, not pressed too tightly against him, but just enough to encourage him to stay where he was at. His question was one she'd been asked on several occasions, and her answer was always the same. "Because I want to save people. I want to go out everyday and try to make someone's day just a bit brighter."

The greenette finally glanced her way, and she had to keep her heart from breaking just by seeing the defeat in his little eyes. "…all of that, and with a smile, right?" It was faint, but there was a tug at his lips, a ghost of a smile. She couldn't help but want to keep it there, to protect it.

She nodded; a strained smile etched on her own lips. "Y-yea, just like All Might."

He flinched, she noticed. Her vice grip returned as he tried to slip away from her. They stood together in silence, if only for a short moment before the single earphone dangling on his chest chose this moment to play the next track. From the distance the two were at, she could vaguely hear, the volume seemingly raised with the intent to drown the rest of the world out.

"Who are you listening to?" She asked, cautiously reaching for the earpiece and taking a little gander into what he seemed fond of. Since he made no move to dissuade her reach, she took it as a small gesture and placed the earphone in.

…

"O-oh, a foreign artist, I don't recognize this one, is he new by chance?" If the tone of voice in the music wasn't enough to clue her in, the repetition of what she assumed was the song's title gave her a clear idea of what the boy was going through.

"No, he's a pre-quirk artist."

"Really?" She spoke with genuine curiosity. "I wanna be surprised, but there's something about the classics that just calls people."

The sounds of sirens down below blared as if on cue with the tune of the song, if only so faintly.

Frustrated that her team was still not responding to her beacon, and realizing the boy in front of her might lose patience with their little conversation, she chose to try and tackle the topic head on. "Deku, why are you up here?" He didn't respond, not at first, but she noted the way his eyes turned away, as if he were ashamed of something. "Are you frustrated? Angry?"

Izuku, for his part, did a damn well job at keeping himself composed throughout the entire conversation. But for the life of him, he couldn't understand what was happening. Why was she pretending as if she cared, why give him some false sense of hope that in this world filled with supers, this one gives the slightest damn about him? Why couldn't she be like the rest, it was so much easier to anticipate the insults, the beatings were easier to deal with.

Why was she giving him hope?

But to stand here, and have someone actively trying to help him, to keep him alive…it almost felt insulting, to waste any effort on a deku.

Yet, when his eyes met hers, if only for so brief a moment, he could see the heartfelt honesty that coincided with her words. They weren't the false smiles filled with sneers and jeers, a lifetime of those made it easy to spot one a mile away. Realizing this, the greenette felt a pit in his stomach threaten to close, for once in his life, someone, who actually gives a damn about him, is currently putting their life at risk to get him to safety…someone spoke to him not with condescension but with empathy.

And she came to him at a point where this was supposed to be his escape…

His head tilted to the sky, the rain now washing over his face. "This is cruel, even for you." His whisper was, akin to his words, cold and hollow. His words were not meant for her.

"Huh?" The hero beside him felt confusion, wondering if he was speaking to her or simply mouthing at some memory.

Izuku's head remained upwards, allowing the rain to cascade down his face a thinned smile tugged at his lips once more. His emotions, ever worn on his sleeve, were being threatened with the thought of having an ear willing to listen, a voice that didn't bite back, a shoulder to lean on. Where was this when he yearned for it since the day he was pronounced quirkless? Why now, when he was at his lowest, did the universe decide to send someone?

"…do you think someone quirkless can be a hero?"

Quirkless? A moment of confusion froze her gears, the cogs slowly taking in and analyzing what she'd been told. Her eyes drifted downwards, noticing his blazer sagging with the weight of the rain. Her golden orbs were instantly drawn to faint patches of purple hues and marks resembling burns.

Absent parents

Quirkless

Possible scars…

The gears finally clicked in place, the image came into view, and it broke her heart.

It was no secret of how the general populace viewed the quirkless. It wasn't as openly malicious as in other countries…but, that was because people tended to treat it the way they would any form of embarrassment; keep it out of sight and out of mind. There were stories every other week, teens or children; abandoned or mistreated for something that was out of their control. For being born without a of quirk, they were deemed the underbelly, the leeches; the branch of humanity that overstayed their welcome. It was heartbreaking, seeing so many young faces on the screen, to live in a world that chose to ignore these last remnants of a bygone era.

The justification was always the same; the quirkless persecuted them first, this was simply karma…or the evolution of society, however those defenders liked to phrase their actions.

But she'd never met one, her experience with quirkless folks tended to be only from watching a documentary or headline. Here, however, standing before her was a child, scarred and beaten down to the point that being atop the roof was appealing to him.

And that reminder that what he was going through wasn't uncommon, it left a bitter taste in her mouth.

If his conversation with her was of any indication; this child had nothing, whatever held him together up until this point was either too weak to continue keeping him up or it was gone entirely, and she had a feeling even if she were to bring him down; it wouldn't be the end-all-be-all.

It was easy to think all she needed to do was being him down, restrain him, and have him admitted into a psych ward to keep him from trying again…but the pain would still be there. 'Saving' him that way doesn't heal the mental and physical wounds he shoulders.

Without warning, she turned him so he would face her, and with a firm yet gentle tug; she brought him into an embrace.

It was instinctive, something that existed in every human, but was only ever prevalent amongst those with an inclination to sentimentality; the need to protect.

She wanted to protect him, she knew that right now, whether he wanted it or not, he needed a hero. And therein lay the bigger issue, his question regarding heroes. Could a quirkless person be a hero? Her first instinct was to say no, that such a thing wasn't possible if they were facing off against a villain…but, the more she thought about it, the more her mind wandered to what life was like before quirks.

There were plenty of heroes then, all of them came in every shape and form, going to lengths that was often deemed extraordinary. And they were, humanity, before the rise of quirks, seemed hell bent on exceeding their limitations. But could a quirkless child…could someone without power be a hero in this day and age?

Her mind pondered for a moment, while gently stroking his head. "Why do you want to be a hero?" She was straining herself from breaking down. After he had struggled for a moment in her grasps, the greenette eventually broke down and just opted to silently cry on her shoulder.

"I…I wanted to save people…to h-h-help people." A choked sob escaped his lips, she felt warm drops falling onto her shoulder. "P-protect them…bring a smile to everyone I meet." It was a faint whisper. "I wanted to be like All Might."

Her hand gently stroked his head, her head tilted just slightly enough to rest against his head. Just from his words alone, she knew what she had to say. "Oh sweetness…" She felt him shudder under her touch. He was hesitant in returning the affection, though, as time went on, the initial shock subsided, and his body slowly laxed into the embrace. "I want you to listen real good to what I'm gonna tell you, 'mkay?" She gently moved away from the hug, noting his hesitance to drift away from warmth. His eyes slowly drifted upwards to meet hers. The pain was still there, but she could see a small flicker of hope, desperately reaching for a reignition. A soft smile embraced her lips while she spoke. "There've been heroes long before quirks came around, and there will be heroes long after. Quirk or not, if you wanna be a hero; you can be. 'Cause it isn't the quirk that makes the hero." Her voice was soft, gentle, it reminded him of her. Ragdoll's paw tapped against his chest. "It's this right here where heroes like All Might find the courage to shine the brightest." She paused, seeing the starstruck look in his eyes caused a chain reaction to somehow swell a sense of joy in her heart. "Yes, you can be a hero." And she meant it.

Izuku felt his eyes swell with tears, the words he wanted to hear for so long finally rung in his head, spoken by this hero. A hero he often saw amongst a group of four, whacky and always with a smile, crying tears for him, risking her own life to save his. It really was cruel, to see her not smile felt like a sin. It riddled him with guilt. But he also couldn't deny the happiness he felt just hearing her say he could achieve his goal. Without thinking, he hugged her, catching the hero by surprise. "Thank you." His voice was low, shuddering with each word spoken. "Thank you." He continued whispering, feeling her return the hug only brought on more waterworks. And he couldn't blame the rain for it, the feeling of sharp drops against his skin had ceased.

"…" An idea came to mind, and her mouth acted before her mind could process it. "I will train you." It wasn't a suggestion; it was a proclamation. She gingerly pulled him away and again stared at his confused, awestruck eyes. "I may not be the strongest hero, but I can teach you how to fight." That wasn't enough, she needed more. "Not just me, I know my team will be more than willing to give you pointers. We will help you be a hero." She was making promises she wasn't sure she could keep, and that was a dangerous gamble. Being a hero had its perks, and she could most definitely take this one under her paw.

She could hear the comments from her team echoing in her head.

"He's too young."

"Dearie, it will be hard for a quirkless to make it in the hero course."

"How will you get permission for this?"

Semantics, details she could tackle later.

"I will protect you." Oh no…this was more than just the promise of training, this was something else entirely. She could hear Shino chewing at her ear, Tiger too. But she couldn't stop herself. Something about this child just made her want to protect him, to see him become the hero he yearned to be. "And when the time comes, when you're a hero, can I count on you to be my hero?" Her voice had gone soft, the realization of what she had just promised him finally hit, and the weight of responsibility was lingering just behind the corner. She wasn't scared of it…rather, she scared of the possibility of this backfiring.

She should've kept her mouth shut, tried to talk him down or wait until Shino came…but now, if he took her on her word, trained to be a hero…what would become of him if he failed?

"Why?" She flinched. "Why me?"

She wanted to embrace him again, to brush away the pain that lingered in his voice.

Instead, she chose to give him a warm smile. "Because I see someone who wants to do some actual good in the world, and I have the power to give him what he needs to achieve his goal." She braved herself for what she was about to do, but kept her eyes locked firmly on any sudden movements. Ragdoll hopped down from the ledge and offered her hand to him. "Will you let me help you?" God how she hated the fragility her tone gave off, a hero was supposed to be confident, ready and willing to brave the fires of hell for those who need help. And yet, she finds herself fragile and eager to save this little lamb.

He doesn't say another at first, he just stares at her. It takes him a minute to fully process her words. And when they do, doesn't bawl, he doesn't curse her or the world, and he doesn't take a step forward.

With clear hesitation, he takes her hand and climbs down.

She allows herself a moment to sigh in relief before embracing him again, this time a bit tighter than when the two were on the ledge.

"I promise…you'll never be alone again, Deku."

"Izuku." She blinks, confused. "My name is Izuku." He mutters softly, resting his head against her smile as her lips test the name.

"Izuku." She smiles, with honesty this time around.

"Well, ain't this heartwarming." The two were startled, jumping at the sound of a newcomer, Tomoko turned to the source and found her teammates staring at her, each with a varying degree of emotions. Pixie-Bob's was mischievous, as if she walked in on something she probably shouldn't have, but was enjoying the scene, nonetheless. Tiger's was…well, the tears streaming down his eyes was evident enough that he was processing quite a bit. There was a tint of pride in his stance, indicating he was immensely adoring how this was playing out.

Mandalay…

"How long have you been there?" She whimpered out, holding Izuku closer to her upon noticing the curious gaze on the blonde that was directed at the younger greenette.

"Oh, just a bit before hearing 'Will you let me help you'." Pixie-bob swooned, twirling a bit as she spoke those words.

Tiger was the first to approach them, his eyes fixated on the hero greenette. "Such words, such conviction. And a pupil to call your own, I'm proud of you Ragdoll." He gave her an encouraging thumbs up, indicating his approval of the situation.

"Tomoko." She stiffened, hearing her name, from her leader of all people, was usually never a bad thing, but it was the tone that made her instincts kick in. Upon meeting eyes, the two heroes were silently staring the other down, Mandalay's was calm and neutral, whilst Ragdoll responded with burrowing the younger greenette unto her shoulder, her eyes furrowed at the brown-haired member of their team. It was an act that, surprisingly enough, garnered a look of mild astonishment from Shino before she released a low sigh. "We'll talk about this later." She decided, and yes, there would be a talk, but Tomoko had already decided too; she wasn't going to yield on this. "We need to head back, the other heroes are still dealing with the sludge-"

There was a quick flash, followed by a deafening…

*BWOOM*

All eyes shifted towards the sound; a small mushroom cloud was seen rising from the section of the city they came from. The team was just about ready to jump into action when they heard another boom, only this one was a strong gust of wind, Tiger could've sworn her heard some yelling the word 'smash' before the wind blew a great deal of wind in their direction. Debris and dust flew past them, worrying sizes of metal chunks and concrete struck the sides of the nearby buildings.

Being shielded by the hero, Izuku could see the direction from where the wind attack came from. And from it, he saw something shimmering in the sky. It wasn't so much that it was in the sky, but the fact that it was growing larger by the second that he felt himself pale.

It was coming straight for them, or more correctly, in Tomoko's direction.

Without wasting a second, he freed himself from her grasp, confusing her. What happened next, she would never allow herself to live down.

He pushed her, distracted by the wind she tumbled back. She was confused, why would he push her, why would-

*Shnk*

Oh

'…no…'

She was on her feet in an instant.

'...please no...' but by then the wind had died down. She rushed towards him while he stumbled back. He tripped, tumbling back with the light in his eyes dying way too quickly. She reached for him, only to feel a pair of arms grab her from behind. She struggled, she screamed, and she cried. But seeing him fall over the ledge, the bile in her throat was nothing compared to the wail she unleashed when she finally did free herself and see, what was supposed to be a future hero, reigniting the idea of hope and being embraced warmly by the world…now broken on the cold dirt below.

It was sick, it was twisted. All he wanted was to be a hero…and in his final moments, he was allowed that.

It was cold.

Was that normal?

Was he supposed to feel anything? He felt tired, weightless, yet also heavy. With a small flurry, his eyes opened, greeted by the sight of emptiness…and color? Above him, he saw ripples in the sky, or rather, something akin to what one would see when submerged in water. Beneath him he saw nothing but an abyss. He wasn't sinking, but he wasn't rising either. Small pockets of air bubbles escaped his lips, but there was no sensation of drowning.

Was he dead?

He remembered falling off the building, the chunk of metal piercing his chest, the sting of hitting concrete, followed by awakening in this…place.

By instinct, he reached out; he had his limbs. He quickly touched himself all over, everything was in place. And he could still feel, go figure. Although, there was the issue of him floating in this sea of nothing…in nothing but the skin he was born with. His fingers trailed over his entire body, flinching as he felt some of the older scars and burns that had already settled in, permanent marks across his body set as a reminder of what he had to endure simply for being born.

As his fingers trailed upwards, they came to a grinding halt at his chest. He felt something, or rather a lack thereof, that sank his stomach. He tested the area, it was a perfect shape, circular. And with each attempt at testing its depth, his fingers delved further in that should be humanly possible. That is, until he could feel his fingers gripping at the upper flesh on his back. He couldn't see it, but he could guess what it was.

There was a hole right where his heart was supposed to be.

He wanted to freak out, to cry out and grasp for any form of logic. But what good were lungs submerged in water? And who would he call for, who would answer, in this void?

But, more importantly, was this really the afterlife, the other side? Or was this merely a dream, and he was left here to wait until it was his time to return…and if so, how long would he left here?

'That would depend on you.'

His head snapped in every direction, emerald orbs searching for the source of the voice echoing around him. when he couldn't find it around him, his body stiffened. As if playing the part of a cheesy horror film, he braced himself before drifting his gaze downward.

Nothing.

As his head tilted upwards, he felt fear force out a short yelp as he desperately swam backwards. If only for a fleeting moment. A figure clad in white, it hovered, just a few feet in front of him. He didn't move, and neither did the unknown…though, after the fear had subsided, and his eyes allowed a moment to wander over the better details of this unknown visitor, Izuku found himself both intrigued, and furiously embarrassed.

The white sections, which were focused primarily on the arms, legs, and partial covering of the chest and face; appeared to be a type of bone, resembling something of an exoskeleton. There were what looked like dorsal fins extruding from the shoulders, and a rather large one from the center of her back…oh, which brought him to the finer detail of what the bone didn't cover. Which was to say, he had a more than generous view of this one's torso, which had bone fragments on it, yet they seemed to be more inclined to cover the around beneath the breast rather than the sections that would normally be covered.

The other more interesting feature, and one he chose to focus on for fear of his chest threatening to burst…though, whether there was anything there left to damage was up for debate.

Her right arm, from the elbow, resembled more akin to a shark's tooth.

The unknown's eyes never left him, looking over him with a sense of curiosity, but also something else he couldn't quite out a pin on.

"Am I dead?" His first question, and perhaps the only one that mattered to him. For if this was his afterlife…

'Yes… and no.' His eyes widened, focused directly at the teal blue orbs staring at him from behind tuffs of golden hair and a white mask, glowing in a pool of darkness. 'There is no doubt; you died even before your body went over the ledge, in most cases, you should be well on your way to whatever afterlife awaits you…however.' Her left arm gestured upwards, then downwards. 'A part of you wishes to continue living, while another seeks the comfort of death. You are one, and I am the other, care to give a guess? Which of us is which?' Her head tilted upwards, watching what he assumed to be the surface, the waves were gentle and calm. 'It has been too long since the waters were so calm. I'd almost forgotten what the sky looks like.'

"I'm dead?" When speaking that phrase, one would think they would feel a sense of solace. And yet, what lingered in him were doubts, questions…and regret. Once the confusion subsided, but not placed aside, Izuku attempted to ask again. "Where am I?"

'Nevermind that now, we another matter to discuss.'

"W-what about?"

'Whether I allow you to wield me…'

"Wield?"

In a fragment of a second, her eyes shone, narrowing as she drifted closer to him, towering over the teen. And her voice…in any other circumstance, perhaps it would've been alluring just to hear alone, but as it stood now; it served to intimidate him.

'…or I take your body for my own and devour what's left of your soul.'

Her hand reached out to grasp his cheek, staring softly into his own, peering deep into his soul.

'Hmm, you have potential, but you are weak, timid, and if you chose to wield me; you must be strong.'

"I don't understand."

Another hummed followed, her talons caressed the freckles across his cheeks, idly drawing circles across the surface. 'Then I will make this simple; do you desire power?' That caught his attention, emerald eyes met teal, filled with uncertainty and wonder. It was…endearing, but a mild distraction from the point. 'Do you want the power to stand as equals amongst these 'heroes', to rid yourself of this feeling of helplessness? I have the power to give you this chance, you would only need to accept-'

"YES!" He shouted out, a bit louder than she expected, and much easily accepting that she predicted…but a deal was a deal. Still, she needed to confirm one thing before establishing their bond. Was she cutting a few corners, stepping over certain blocks that should normally take years, if not decades to achieve? Yes. But even she, as she was, longed for an end to the rain within this world. And she had no desire to return to the abyss just yet.

Holding out her right arm, a green glow encompassed her giant fin before shrinking down. Once the light subsided, the greenette saw a sword being held in her hand. It was a short blade, and what it lacked in length it more than made up for in width. The guard was as long as the blade, with three holes on each end. The handle was purple, and its more eyesore feature; the middle was completely hollow.

The pit in his stomach worsened upon seeing the tip of the blade be directed to him and placed gingerly over the hole in his chest. 'Why do you desire this power? What will you do with it?'

He didn't hesitate, a fire was alight in his eyes, brimming with renewed vigor. "I want to protect people, to fight for those who can't, save people with a smile that promises them they'll be safe." In a startling twist, he grasped the tip of her blade with both hands. "I don't want power to be stronger, I want to be stronger so I can help hope thrive."

He uttered every word with such determination, the conviction…she would've loved to be have chosen this one. They have the same ideals, both had green hair too, curious.

Well, it matters little now; this one was hers.

The fire in the boy's eyes subsided, if only for a moment. His eyes peered curiously into hers. "W-what's y-y-your na-me?" Ah, they'd have to work that out of him. In time.

A mirthful chuckle escaped her lips, she leaned forward, the blade still positioned over his chest, but close enough she was able to boop his nose tenderly.

Right before driving her sword forward. A warm light emanated from his chest as the whole of this world began to fade to white.

'Ah, well, for that; you will have to earn it. For now, however, return. When the time is right, we will meet again. Farewell, Izuku.'

It was long before the scene had been cut off, a sheet was gently placed over the corpse of the victim, the large piece of shrapnel was removed not too long ago placed aside as the body was being prepared to be bagged and tagged. Tuffs of green hair tinted with red protruded from the edges of the sheet. There were a few pros on the scene, after watching All Might deal with a sludge villain and rescue an ashen haired teen, a few caught wind of the passing sirens and pounced into action.

Only to find another pro having to be pried from a mangled corpse. The front of her costume drenched in blood, none of it hers. Her wails were enough to affirm what they could see from a glance. But up close, those with weakened hearts regret the push their curiosity itched them towards. It was a child, a teenager, they couldn't tell the age, but they knew the child was far too young.

When they were able to distance her from the body, she was immediately surrounded by her teammates. The officers on the scene were only able to obtain a few scattered words from the distraught hero…that is, until a small team, tasked with combing the area, found a pair of shoes near the edge of the building. Pieces clicked into place, and many of the pros came to the conclusion that Ragdoll either wasn't able to talk the boy down, or she wasn't fast enough to stop him.

Though, judging from her reaction, a few took a hazard guess that perhaps the dead greenette was of some importance to the Pussy Cat. None would approach and ask, the scene was still fresh, but there would be questions floating around, many of them would go unanswered.

But, even from where they stood, a few caught small snippets of her whimpers and of her teammates attempting to comfort her.

"You did all you could, dearie, I'm sure."

"If I had -hic- just reached…just a little more, he'd still be here."

It was evident the pro hero was taking this loss hard, but then, who wouldn't? To see someone, just inches from your reach, fall to their deaths and there's nothing you can do but watch. Some of them wanted to offer their sympathies, but right now, it was decided to just leave the poor woman be for now.

Tomoko was…breaking down. It was the only word she could use to describe how she was feeling right now. She made him a promise, to protect him and be his support; be his hero. She was to take him under her wing and help him reach for his goal, to give him the hope he needed in his life…and in some sick twisted sentiment, he did. He was a hero. The stray piece of scrap, aimed at her, was taken instead by Izuku, who pushed her out of its direction and ended up being the recipient of the debris. The paramedics wanted to ease her troubled thoughts, claiming the metal that pierced his heart likely killed him before he even went over the edge. But she knew better, there was light in his eyes, that hope she helped reignite. From the moment she watched him fall, to the ragged breathing he hushed out while on the ground. For a moment, she thought it a miracle, that perhaps the shrapnel was off by a few inches, and in some way he could bounce back from this fall…but that was her optimism high on adrenaline, clouding her mind with the hopes of a miracle only to hear his last words exhaled along his final breath.

"Ms. Ragdoll." A voice broke her out of her brewing storm, if only temporarily. She glanced up, seeing the face of a friend to many pros; Naomasa Tsukauchi, a solemn expression painted across his face whilst he held what appeared to be a bloody id card and a clipboard. "I was told you were the hero on the scene."

She nodded, head tilted downwards.

"Forgive me for being brazen, detective, but have you contacted the next of kin yet?" Tiger asked, causing Ragdoll to stiffen, she had an idea of what the detective would say, but to tilt upwards and see his saddened gaze…

"I'm…I'm afraid there is no next of kin." His words shocked three of the four, his eyes lingered on the greenette, her reaction, or lack thereof, garnered his attention. "Hisashi Midoriya, has not reentered the country for a little over ten years. And from our attempts to contact him, we have to assume he is either missing or has changed numbers and not updated his contract's contact list …as for the mother." He flipped the sheet to the next page. "Inko Midoriya, 41 years of age, passed away in her sleep three days ago at Dagobah Memorial." This garnered a reaction from the young pro hero, it seems.

A soft whimper escaped her lips, tears pooled near the corner of her eyes. So…he really was all alone.

"Did you see that?" The detective took his eyes off the distraught hero to glance back at the men who were supposed to be loading the boy's body into a bag and taken to a coroner. Only to see one of them pointing to exposed hand outside of the sheet.

"The hell are you on about?" The other asked, to which his partner gestured vigorously at the digits on the limb.

"It moved; I saw it move." He wasn't lying.

The partner scoffed. "Yea, the muscles are contracting while the body is shutting down. Kid's dead, Sei. Dead bodies twitch." Just as he finished that quip, the two men were forced back by fear as the chest of the corpse arched upwards. It was sudden, and the yelps from the two men garnered the attention of those around. Without warning, the body fell back down, the fingers twitching more with each passing second.

Feeling some form of confidence take hold, Tsukauchi cautiously stepped forward. That is, until the body began convulsing, growing ever more violent with each passing second. And then, it stopped. Laying deathly still once more.

There was an air of confusion and fear that permeated within that alley. Both the pros and officials on scene were quick to notice the corpse reanimating, only to see it flop back down. The scene itself was frightening enough, but one hero seemed to lack the fear the others had. When she rose up, it confused her teammates. When she approached took steps forward, she felt their fingers attempting to grasp her, only to slip and have the blonde of their team fall over.

But for Tomoko, a part of her wanted to back away as well, to run for cover and wait for this bad dream to end. Though, there was also a piece of her that wanted to know, to see his face. She knew this wasn't a good idea, but she had to see. In her mind, he was still alive, somehow, and fighting for his life. She wanted to believe that so bad, she negated all the voices urging her to back away. From where she stood, she heard something, like running liquid. It might've been the runoff from the rain earlier, and she would've written it off…had it not been for the faint shifting beneath the sheet. In sickening succession, she watched as his bent and broken legs twist and form back into a sense of normalcy. There were sounds of sickening crunches and…something spreading from the center of his chest. It almost looked like veins, reaching outward and focusing on encompassing the upper torso and possibly chest of the greenette.

It felt like an eternity as her fingers reached for the sheet. When her fingers finally did grasp the white cloth, whatever lurked beneath grew impatient with her hesitance and chose instead to shot upright. Ragdoll yelped at the sudden action, scooting back a few feet, yet never allowing her eyes to leave the young teen.

With the sheet off, however, she finally saw what would probably give her nightmares for years to come. Though he was hunched over, there was a noticeable hole right where his heart would be. And if she could hazard a guess, it ran straight through. But the more pressing issue was the white liquid substance originating from within the hole and spreading across his body. It was like some grotesque horror flick, in the places where the liquid had settled, it hardened, resembling bone. It almost appeared to be an armor made of bone, and it just kept expanding with each ounce of liquid extruding from the hole.

But it wasn't just the sight that unnerved her; the noises the boy made also troubled her. For if one took a moment to listen, to focus your senses solely on the boy being encompassed by the white mass; you could hear chocked sobs, grunts of pain and discomfort, and a labored breath of someone struggling to breath.

It was only when Izuku turned his head that she felt the overwhelming need to run fully encompass her instincts.

The liquid formed a mask over the left side of his face, the teeth were jagged. The white part of the eyes were now a pitch black color, with his pupils glowing a bright teal color.

When he stood up, he'd taken to growing, standing at least twenty centimeters higher than her. Where the two were once head-to-head, her eyes were just a bit above where the gaping hole in his chest was.

The pros weren't just standing around, the rest of the Wild Pussy Cats jumped to action the moment the body sat upright. Though, upon seeing the current state of this supposedly cadaver, they and the rest of the pros and officers present on the scene were at a loss. What was a crime scene for an unfortunate accident came the sudden revitalization of the teen, along with what many were beginning to assume was his quirk taking hold of his body. At least, that was what the consensus of those present were jumping to. In truth, there was no precedent to this, quirks were still a mysterious thing to humanity, and often what one expects a quirk to behave as tends to show differing results. a few were reading themselves for a fight, others seemed apprehensive of taking on what they rightfully assumed was an unknown entity and chose to relay their location to other pros in the area.

Meanwhile, with Ragdoll, though she stood before the boy, his eyes drifted every which way, taking in his surroundings. He either didn't see her, or he was passively unaware of her presence. A low guttural growl escaped his…opened jaw as he saw more heroes arriving on the scene. So many unknowns were bringing him on high alert, more so with each one arriving being more powerful than the last. His caudal fin swaying idle, talons flexing, eyes carefully darting between each hero that was present. his behavior coincided with that of a cornered creature, back pressed a literal wall as the predators were pressed to pounce on their target.

"Izuku?"

It stopped, stiffened in place. Teal orbs drifted downwards; its head titled forward as it looked to the young heroine with curiosity. The entirety of his mouth was now covered with thick bone, its jaw opened slightly, allowing its growl to continue sending shivers up the spines of those who could hear it. All she could see of his innocent face that wasn't tainted by the white liquid was his left eye, gazing at her with both interest and concern.

She was…familiar? Was she? Did he know her? Should he know her? His instincts didn't flare at her presence, there was no need to preserve himself. If anything, seeing her face, hearing her voice filled him with peace. She was bloodied, and that both worried and enraged him. Something in her chest ached, a flurry of emotions raged in his chest, but he couldn't understand these emotions.

Flashes appeared before him, small instances of neglect and ridicule, a woman in a bed with tubes attached to her. All of these images surged across his eyes at once, bringin forth a pain in his, unrivaled to the other licks he was forced to take…but amongst that sea of anguish and fury; a greenette, no two, were smiling at him and promising everything was going to be fine.

And he believed them…he wanted to believe them. For his sanity, he NEEDED to believe them.

"Izuku…" One of her hands acted before her thoughts could catch up, reaching tentatively towards his cheek, keeping caution in mind. Though, his eyes paid no mind to her hands, rather, he focused his attention solely on her. "Do you…know who I am?"

Her voice was strained, a mix of fear and exhaustion took up the weight of her tone, though, there was also a sense of desperation. She prayed for something, a sign, anything to let her know the little one she tried to save was still in there, that this was nothing more than a late bloomer's quirk reacting and saving the host. It was a long shot, a prayer for a spontaneous child was possibly more sensible. And yet, her hope remained.

"…" He said nothing, only keeping his stare intact whilst remaining perfectly still. Her hopes were hanging by a thread, on its last few digits. "…Rag..doll…"

She fought back the tears and the fear that came with hearing his voice. There was something else in between, an echo of sorts followed each word he spoke. It was unnerving, but it mattered little. He spoke to her, he remembered her name. Which meant; he was still in there, alive. Her hands reached forward, gently caressing his cheeks as tears cascaded down her. "Oh sweetie, you're alive. Thank goodness." A joyful sob escaped along with her relief. She pulled him towards her, gently placing her forehead against his.

The growling ceased, replaced with a faint whimper from the boy.

"…hurt…"

Which prompted her tears to flow freely once more, guilt ridden that she couldn't protect him like she promised. Something nestled in the pit of her stomach when she felt a cold bone talon gently wipe at her tears. When she looked into his eyes, she saw the same emerald iris that were filled with pain and hurt, but now, they showed worry, though, not for himself.

"…are..you..h-hurt?..." A lump got caught in her throat. He was hit with shrapnel, fell over a ledge to his supposed death…and his first thought after regaining consciousness was to affirm if she was fine.

She found herself a little gem.

She tried to give him a genuine smile, strained, but enough to pass for a feeling of assurance. "I'm fine." She was lying, internally, she was breaking down, but just knowing he was still in there, alive and thinking of her safety; it gave her hope.

His shoulders sagged, content with her words.

Looking into his eyes once more, she could see the confusion and fear present, but there was also relief at seeing the hero who saved him still in one piece.

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!?" Came a booming voice that sent dread to slither up into her conscious. If no one knew whose voice that belonged to, they will never forget after having to deal with the flame hero the first time around.

Turning her head to side-eye the new arrival, the number 2 pro arrived with a small entourage of sidekicks.

One of the pros on the sidelines choose to chime in, if only to keep Endeavor from doing anything drastic.

"..." And for a good moment, the flame hero had nothing to say. The explanation was surreal, and his initial reaction was to brush the nonsense aside…and yet, standing there before him, being coddled in the arms of a lesser hero was the object that caused several pros to call in reinforcements. If his appearance wasn't jarring enough, the white liquid seemingly dancing around his uncovered limbs, hardening and forming a form of exoskeleton. To top it off, though he it was faint, the flame hero swore he saw a clear hole in in the middle of the boy's chest.

"Why hasn't it been restrained?" A few of the officers flinched from the tone, some shifted in place with cuffs and rope in hand. Truth be told, they were supposed to detain the boy, protocol dictated that an unknown quirk or someone undergoing loss of control over their quirk; detainment was an absolute. And yet, seeing the supposedly dead child reanimate and reform into a tall, seemingly feral creature that appeared ready to pounce at the slightest twitch.

Seeing the officers and fellow pros shift awkwardly in place, the number 2 pro snarled lightly, retrieving a pair of cuffs from his person and choose to approach the unknown.

"Endeavor, wait!" One of his sidekicks, a girl with copper green hair called to him. Though, he instead chose to ignore it.

Whatever this thing was, he would show these 'heroes' what a proper pro should do, how one should react. Still, he wasn't stupid, he wouldn't approach this so brazenly.

Seeing the hero approach, Ragdoll was about to turn and address the issue, only to feel herself be ushered behind Izuku. Another guttural growl resonated from his open maw.

A protective nature, interesting. If anything, Endeavor linked it to the possibility the creature still had half a mind, rather than be some mindless beast.

"Stay…away…" Now that was unsettling, even he would admit that. Two voices, one stern and feral, the other; broken and desperate.

"I can't do that." It didn't flinch at his tone. Rather, it only seemed to narrow its brow…even though its face was masked in bone. "You've caused quite a stir. Coming back from the dead is no little feat, but this…" He gestured to Izuku's new form. "Is concerning. What exactly is your quirk, boy?"

Izuku didn't answer, rather, the glowing orbs he attributed to being eyes narrowed at him.

"I'm...Quirkless." It stated, its jaw opening further to reveal…nothing, it was pitch black within his-no. It took a moment, but Endeavor saw a pair of teeth, the contrast in color allowed the bone to be seen from abyss. Though, there were no signs of anything else being present in the nothingness.

He wasn't the only one to hear, a few of the pros who chose to follow the number 2 hero were murmuring amongst themselves at this blatant lie. "Do you intend to lie to me, boy?" He huffed, continuing his approach.

There was a flicker, a faint but noticeable one; the vibrant emerald orbs shifted to a bright teal. He twitched, as if being flicked, the greenette flinched.

"Leave." There was no longer an echo, no second voice following the first. Given the tone, he could determine the creature to be around the same age as his youngest. Of course, for him to so boldly assume he could order the flame hero to simply leave, well, he was in for a rude awakening. Whatever quirk this boy yielded, it would either be a great benefit for his agency, or it could rot away with the rest of the lot with rampaging quirks.

Another snarl escaped Izuku's lips as the pro ignored him and came ever closer. His knees bent, talons extended, maw closed. A deep inhale brought the approaching pros to a halt, set to defend themselves, with only Endeavor set to take the oncoming hit head on, what they didn't expect was for the teen to raise his head into the air.

What followed would forever haunt those within hearing distance.

The warning was only a snarled growl, akin to a beast, what followed was a roar that shattered the resolve of the sidekicks on the sidelines. Some were quick to cover their ears, unable to listen further. The pros merely winced, not entirely intimidated by it, but they couldn't deny how…malicious it felt. If you were to ask someone who heard it that day, they would say it sounded like a caged beast, free from its confines and yearning for blood. Others would say it sounded like the cry of a soulless spirit on a path to end all in its tread. For Endeavor, what he heard was the sound of a soul ready and willing to kill all in his way.

It was a fraction of a second, and he wouldn't deny it, but the touch of death brushed his shoulder, this boy in front of him was setting himself as a reminder that even heroes were mortal, and he could be their grim reaper. It was a tingling sensation, a rush of excitement, a challenge. He readied himself, set to clash with this unknown and test his strength against what was announcing itself to be a harbinger of death.

It only took a step, and the bones cracked. The upper portions of the bone on Izuku's face dissipated into nothing, leaving only his mouth, his entire neck, and parts of his upper torso covered in bone. The rest of the exoskeleton around the boy fell apart as well, fading away like dust. His blazer was ripped to shreds, and the bone fragments remained across his shoulder and upper torso. he took another step before collapsing onto the still wet concrete and allowing darkness to take him.

On his right pectoral, imprinted on his skin and large enough for the flame hero to see, was only a number.

3

Izuku's last vision before unconsciousness took him was the sight of a confused Endeavor still smirking at him.

"IZUKU!" He heard Ragdoll cry out to him, and before he could linger on the guilt of worrying her; he slept.

So, Let me be the first to say, the focus of Izuku's powers was chosen for a reason, and I know there were other's I could've chosen for him to wield, but I stuck to this one because, while this story will revolve around the greenette, he will not be the strongest of the rest to come. Who are the other members? Well, I suppose you'll have to stick around to find out.

And for a quick recap, I don't intend to make Ragdoll a love interest, despite the fact that there are a criminally low number of them...at least that I can find. If anything, I'm making this a mama!Tomoko relationship. Haven't seen that yet so i'll be having fun with it. I don't intend to make Izuku, or the others like him OP, but they will be crazy strong, but not without their weaknesses. I do have seven members listed off, and each of them are from the show so no OCs.