Chapter 1: Desperate Assault

"I'm sorry ma'am, but I'm afraid there's no hope for him."

Those words were spoken to Izuku Midoryia ten years ago. That day his mother had taken him to the doctor to be evaluated regarding her concern for his Quirk or rather lack of one. The event would be something that he would never forget and he would always remember how the conversation went down.

"This can't be! There has to be some mistake?", Inko, his mother, questioned worriedly.

"Pardon me if this question seems a bit intrusive, but regarding Quirks you are fourth generation, correct?", the doctor asked.

Inko shook her head in conformation before responding, "Why of course. My Quirk allows me to pull small objects to myself and my husband's Quirk allows him to breathe fire."

"At his age he should have displayed either your's or his father's Quirk. Furthermore, research has shown that the presence or absence of a joint in the pinky toe indicates whether an individual will manifest a Quirk. Those who do possess a Quirk lack the extra joint as they represent the next stage of evolution. However, those that possess two joints are typically quirkless. If you direct your attention to this x-ray, here you can see that Izuku has two joints. I'm sorry ma'am but it's more than likely that your son will not manifest a Quirk.'

Those words had crushed him. He always had the desire to become a hero, however to have to try and become one without a Quirk made his dream seem unattainable. His quirklesness also gave birth to the bane of his existence. It's name was Katsuki Bakugou. Even before Katsuki had obtained his Quirk, he had always been sure of himself ,however once he started to manifest his quirk his ego went from being massive to practically unbearable. But for whatever reason unknown to Izuku, Katsuki would single him out.

He would never fail to give him hourly reminders of how weak, worthless, and pathetic he was. Even through his nickname 'Deku', he would be reminded that in Katsuki's eyes along with the eyes of others that he was useless. The torment just didn't stop at the verbal abuse. He would receive frequent beatings from his Katsuki and his cronies. Izuku would do his best to fight back, and in some cases surprise his tormentors along with himself, dodging a blow and landing some solid hits. However, the numbers would eventually overwhelm him and he would go home beaten and bruised. His mother would often look horrified as he came home from his bouts with Katsuki but he would feed her lies so as to not worry her.

Ten years after being told that he would most likely not manifest a Quirk, his situation had remained stagnant. He still had the dream to be a hero but it seemed like his dream would remain just that. He was in his final year of junior high, and he still didn't have a Quirk. Granted, Izuku had been training his body to be stronger and faster to suffice for his lack of a Quirk and his grades were stellar, but he couldn't shake the feeling that as hard as he had worked it wouldn't be enough. He pushed that thought to the back of his mind. If he wanted to become a hero, he couldn't afford to be pessimistic. The sound of his teacher's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "You guys are all third-years now, so it's time we seriously start thinking about your careers...bah who am I kidding? You all want to be heroes, right?" The class answered his question by giving a display of their Quirks.

"Yes you all have wonderful Quirks! But you know the school prohibits the usage of them.", the teacher responded trying to calm the class down.

"Sensei, don't lump me in with these chumps! Their crappy Quirks could never compare to mine!", a smug voice called out.

Everyone turned their attention to the source of the voice and found that it was none other than Katsuki Bakugou. The class started to berate Katsuki for his rude comment and he in turn responded by dismissing them as 'extras'. Anxious to defuse the situation the teacher asked the sandy haired teen, "Bakugou, you mentioned that you were applying for the hero course at U.A, correct?" Everyone within the class started to voice their disbelief of what they just heard.

"I heard that the acceptance rates for that school were extremely low."

"You must have a lot of confidence in yourself if you applied there!"

"I mean your Quirk is pretty strong. I'm not surprised."

"Are you sure you have what it takes?"

"You might as well apply for another school. Getting into there is impossible!"

Katsuki relished in the criticism and praise he was receiving in that moment. The praise served to inflate his ego whereas the criticism served as more fuel to go about proving his doubters wrong. He jumped on his desk and exclaimed, "I already aced the mock exams so getting in will be a piece of cake! Soon I'll become the number one hero and not to mention become filthy stinkin' rich!"

"Midoriya you said that you were also applying for the hero course at U.A, right?"

Suddenly all the eyes in the classroom fixed themselves on Izuku. He had never wanted to have a shrinking Quirk more than at that moment. The question posed by the teacher was met with laughter and ridicule.

"You know good grades alone can't get you into U.A?"

"What makes you think you can pass the entrance exam?"

"Just because you're a bit stronger and faster than some, doesn't mean you can keep up with Quirks!"

Katsuki started to approach Izuku with a cruel smile on his face. Ten years of being bullied, gave Izuku foresight on what was coming. Katsuki slammed his fist on Izuku's desk, a predatory glint in his eyes. "Come on Deku! It's one thing to have a crappy Quirk then another to be quirkless. What, do you actually think you can hang with me?"

Izuku thought about this question. Despite being quirkless, he still had a dream to become a hero. Allowing those sleepless nights spent studying and those exhausting days spent training to go in vain because of self-doubt wasn't an option for him. He had put in too much time and effort to let his blood, sweat, and tears go to waste. He still had doubts and acknowledged them but he would damned if he allowed them to hinder his progress towards being a hero. He took a deep breath, before giving his response.

"Kachaan, I have worked hard in pursuit of trying to be a hero. Like you, my goal is to try and become the best. If you're someone I have to surpass to reach the top, then so be it."

"..."

Silence filled the classroom after Izuku said those words. Even though he meant every word that he said it didn't make him any less terrified saying it. Truthfully, he was surprised that he hadn't stuttered in his response. As Izuku looked up to meet Katsuki's eyes, his face turned white. A massive vein was bulging in Katsuki's forehead and the scowl that was framed caused his face to be littered with wrinkles. Izuku could hear him gritting his teeth in anger at what he said to him. Explosions were popping off in his hands and he looked ready to attack at any second. "Any chance you want to repeat that you damn nerd?", Katsuki asked through clenched teeth.

Izuku knew better than to further antagonize him so he kept his mouth shut. Eventually, the teacher had Katsuki return to his seat but for the rest of the class Izuku could feel his red eyes bore holes in the back of his head. He knew Katsuki would try and confront him at the end of class so once the bell rang for dismissal he scrambled to try and get out the door. However Katsuki was a bit faster and managed to block the doorway before he could leave. "You think I would just forget how you disrespected me earlier, Deku?!" Izuku knew that there wasn't a way for him to escape so his only option would be to stand his ground and fight. He slid into a fighting stance to get ready to defend himself.

Katsuki eyes' went bloodshot at seeing Izuku stand up to him. He was quirkless therefore supposed to be underneath his foot. Although Izuku was bashful he didn't outright cower in front of him like his classmates or teachers. And the fact that he didn't infuriated him. Did quirkless Izuku really think he was better than him? No longer being able to hold back the anger, Katsuki rushed in and threw a massive right hook at Izuku. However, it was too wide and Izuku was able to counter with a straight to the nose. Katsuki gripped his nose in pain as a warm stream of blood poured from his nostrils. Taking advantage of the situation Izuku tried to zip around him to escape however one of Katsuki's cronies grabbed the back of his collar before he could make the getaway. The lackey proceeded to put Izuku in a full nelson but he managed to escape his grip by using the back of his head to deliver a devastating headbutt. A scream of pain pierced the classroom as Izuku tried to escape again.

Katsuki, having somewhat recovered, saw Izuku attempting to flee and tackled him to the ground. Bakugou then started to strike the green haired teen repeatedly while on top of him, Izuku barely managing to put up a guard. Izuku's guard eventually broke due to the ferocious blows, and as a result his face became bloodied and bruised. After getting a couple more punches in, Katsuki held his palm over Izuku's face and released a small explosion. Izuku finally fell unconscious, his face shaded black with streaks of red running down. Katsuki didn't anticipate the fight taking as much out of him as it did, and as a result he was exhausted. Heavy breaths escaped his lips as he attempted to recover from the fight. The lackey that attempted to stop Izuku earlier offered Katsuki a hand seeing his "friend" in that state. Katsuki responded by punching him square in the jaw.

"What the hell was that for?"

"I don't need your damn hand! Also I don't ever remember asking your ass to interfere in my fight!"

"He was about to escape! Plus he got you good in the nose! I just thought you needed help."

"It sounds like you're doubting my abilities and whether you thought I needed help or not is irrelevant! In the end you didn't even do anything! Next time you interfere like that, I'll do more than just punch you!"

A teacher having heard all the commotion made their way to the classroom and saw a bleeding Katsuki sitting atop an Izuku that was starting to regain consciousness.

The two boys found themselves in the principal's office and it was obvious to both that he was nothing short of livid. The principal slammed his hands on the desk, demanding an explanation as to why the fight occurred. Katsuki gave his testimony first saying that earlier in class Izuku had said something which angered him and he simply wanted to "confront" Izuku about what was said. He claimed that Izuku started getting ready to attack him before he could say anything so he had to defend himself. The principal could sense that he was leaving out some information. He slowly massaged his temples and gave a deep sigh. "Bakugou, I'm sure you are aware that the use of quirks in school is prohibited. And to use your quirk to attack another student like that puts you on grounds for expulsion. So I hope for your sake that you are telling me the truth."

While Katsuki's face remained unchanged the principal could see the emotion in his eyes change. While he was giving his side of the story they shone with confidence however now they were filled with worry. The principal made a mental note of it and directed his attention towards Izuku. "Now that Bakugou has finished providing his perspective of the altercation, would you like to share your's, Midoriya?"

Izuku swallowed the lump in his throat. This was the first time he found himself in the principal's office and the thought of getting in trouble terrified him. However, if he told the truth it would result in Katsuki getting expelled. Even though Katsuki treated him harshly, he did not want to be the reason for him failing to reach his dream of becoming a hero. Despite being a prick, Katsuki was undoubtedly a hard worker with drive and ambition, and Izuku knew the pain of being told that his hard work would inevitably be fruitless. He did not want Katsuki to endure the same tribulation so he fed the teacher the same story that was told to him earlier. Katsuki's eyes widened in surprise whereas the principal's narrowed in deep thought.

After a period of silence, the principal said, "This type of behavior is unlike you Midoryia. With that being said you should have known better than to provoke Bakugou into engaging in a fight with you. Since this is a first time offense, I'm going to let you off easy with a week-long lunch detention." That punishment didn't affect Izuku that much, considering he ate by himself anyways. The principal continued to speak. "Bakugou, I apologize for assuming you were the culprit in starting the fight. As of now, you are free to go." Katsuki quickly gathered his things and made his way to and out the door with haste.

"Now that Katsuki isn't here there is no need for you to lie anymore.", the principal spoke.

"W-What d-do yo-"

"Do you take me for an idiot Midoriya? I know without a shadow of a doubt that it was indeed Bakugou that started the altercation. His attitude has proved to be a huge problem for both the staff and students. Not to mention that since you started here you haven't given me any issues at all. So I'm going to ask you again, what happened?"

"I-It was l-like I said b-before! I-"

"Midoriya listen, I understand that you don't want to get Bakugou in trouble. However, he hurt you and he hurt you bad. I have a feeling that this hasn't been the first time either, correct?"

The look in Izuku's eyes promptly gave him the answer.

"All you need to do is tell me. If you do I can make sure that he won't harm you again. I just need your cooperation. You're a fine kid and I would hate for you to suffer through Bakugou's torment if there was something I could do to intervene."

Izuku kept his eyes to the floor not bothering to meet his principal's gaze. He already made his decision. After it became clear that Izuku wasn't going to talk, the principal shot him a disappointed look before dismissing him. "Midoriya, be sure to remember that next Monday, that lunch detention starts for you." Izuku looked back and nodded in confirmation before continuing towards the door. As he opened it the sound of his principal's voice rang out once more. "Oh and Midoryia, if you ever change your mind please come back and let me know."

The walk home for Izuku had been rather uneventful. After the situation with the principal, he was rather anxious to get home and see his mother. He had made his decision, but he was questioning whether it was the right thing to do. Truth be told, if he did get Katsuki expelled it would definitely have improved his life. Mentally and physically he was sure he would be better off. Not to mention the attitude and aggression that Katsuki displayed was unbefitting of a hero anyways. Additionally, with his absence his cronies would stop picking on him. Then finally, if he was expelled his classmates would get to see the image Izuku projected of himself and not Katsuki's. That in turn, would possibly lead him to making a couple of friends. So just why did he cover for Katsuki? Izuku told himself that it was for the reason he thought of earlier. He really didn't want to be responsible for crushing Katsuki's dream but to say that was the only reason was a lie. He became embarrassed as he acknowledged the secondary reason; which was him hoping that holding back from expelling Katsuki would get him to like him.

It was a childish reason, him being the optimist he was, had hoped that Katsuki would start to view him as a friend after that deed. However, the more Izuku thought about it the more he realized the low probability of the plan actually working. As Izuku was kicking himself for being so naive he began to make his way through a tunnel under an overpass. As he exited the tunnel he heard a wet squelching sound behind him. As he turned around his face shifted from confusion to horror as he saw a giant, green, wet glob lunge at him and surround itself around his body. Izuku struggled as hard as he could but it was to no avail. He slowly felt himself suffocating as tears started to stream down his face from the fear and pain.

As he was about to lose consciousness, he heard the words, "TEXAS SMASH!". The green glob of slime was suddenly blown off him and he then got a good look at who was responsible. In his view was a man with two strands of hair protruding from the top of his head, with a huge smile plastered onto his face. Izuku knew then that it was the No. 1 Hero: All Might that saved his life. Whether it was from the shock, fear, or exhaustion Izuku eventually fell to the ground, his vision fading to black.

"Hey, hey...hey" A disoriented Izuku eventually woke up to the sight of All Might repeatedly patting his face. Once his eyes opened, All Might gave a huge sigh of relief. "Thank goodness, for a second I thought we lost you there!" Izuku's eyes widened in surprise as he began to grasp who was standing in front of him. "I apologize that you got caught up in this incident", All Might began, "however your involvement was not in vain as you have helped me successfully contain the villain!" All Might finished, holding up the bottle the villain was contained in for Izuku to see.

Izuku was star-struck seeing his idol. Since childhood, he had adored All Might. It was evident in all the miscellaneous All Might paraphernalia he had in his room. It was especially evident in conversation. Izuku knew practically everything about All Might, from his accomplishments, team ups, nemesis, etc. Izuku fumbled around in his backpack trying to find his notebook so that All Might could sign it. His eyes lit up seeing that All Might had already put his John Hancock on one of the pages.

"Thank you so much! This item will be treasured for generations to come!", Izuku exclaimed, the giddiness in his voice evident.

"No problem young man! Now I must take this fellow to the authorities! You can catch me again on T.V!", All Might exclaimed getting ready to leave.

"Wait...i-is that i-it?", Izuku asked, looking disappointed.

"I'm afraid that a pro's battle is not only limited to enemies. A battle against time is a battle that can easily be lost if one is not vigilant."

Izuku still had questions for All Might. Even though he had met his childhood hero, he still couldn't help but feel disappointed from his encounter with the slime villain. For ten years, Izuku had been diligently training to improve his strength, speed, and his ability to defend himself. However, that ten years of experience didn't amount to anything when facing the slime villain. He had been overtaken easily and quickly. If he struggled like this now, how would he fare against far stronger and more cunning villains? For the longest time Izuku had pushed the doubts he and others had of him becoming a hero to the back of his mind but after almost losing his life to the villain he wasn't so sure of himself. "Thanks for your support!", All Might yelled as he leapt up into the air. However, the pro hero failed to notice that the young boy had latched himself to his leg before he jumped.

"Please release me young man. I respect the dedication, but this is a bit much!", All Might said to the boy that was hanging onto his leg.

"I can't let go now, otherwise I'll die!", Izuku screamed.

"Oh right."

All Might then felt a trickle of blood slip from his mouth while in the air. He mentally cursed to himself knowing that he had to get somewhere private soon.

To say that Katsuki Bakugou was confused would have been an understatement. He was sure that he was going to be expelled the moment the principal's threat left his lips. After the principal had dismissed him he hovered around the door to listen to the rest of the conversation. Never did he anticipate that Izuku would cover for him. The only question left was exactly why he did.

It couldn't have been out of fear considering that he was more than capable of defending himself and additionally he showed no hesitation when needed to do so. Could it be that he was trying to blackmail him in some way? Katsuki quickly dismissed that idea considering that he wasn't the type too blackmail and if he was, he wouldn't have gained anything out of it. Not many things left Katsuki stumped, but in this instance he couldn't conceive any possible answer. The voice of one of his lackeys snapped him out of his thoughts.

"You've been pretty quiet Bakugou, did the nerd get you in trouble?"

"And if he did what did you get hit with? Detention? Suspension?", the voice of the other lackey rang out.

Bakugou continued walking, not bothering to look back.

"The nerd didn't get me in trouble. I'm pretty damn fortunate because my ass would have been expelled if he decided to spill."

"Deku didn't rat you out?! Well I'll be damned. I for sure thought you were toast. I wonder why he didn't say anything?"

"The quirkless loser probably was afraid of the beating Bakugou would have given him if he said anything."

"Ha! You're probably right!"

As the two lackeys stayed engaged in conversation Katsuki began to tune them out. Quite frankly, he couldn't care less that they were present. He would have preferred to just walk home by himself to reflect on what happened that day. Due to being so immersed in his thoughts, Katsuki failed to notice the giant brown blob that hovered in front of him. He heard screams and the sound of footsteps and afterwards he immediately felt pain.

"Can someone without a Quirk become a hero like you?" Izuku looked to All Might with a desperate and pleading look in his eyes. He was desperate for a response and he was pleading that the answer to his question would be a resounding 'yes'. "Many have picked on me because I'm quirkless, and maybe that's why I think saving someone is the coolest thing you can do. I want to be like you, saving people with a fearless smile. I-" Izuku suddenly screamed as All Might had been replaced with a man that looked extremely malnourished.

"Who are you?! You're not All Might, you're a fake! All Might has never been this thin and scrawny!", Izuku squawked.

"I am All Migh-"

Izuku screamed as the man started to cough up blood.

"No way, this can't possibly be you!"

"Relax young man, I assure you I am All Might. You know how people suck in their gut at the pool? My situation is similar. What you're seeing is the real me but don't write about it on the internet, okay?"

All Might then lifted his shirt and revealed a nasty looking scar. The sight of it made Izuku queasy however he did his best to calm himself down for what All Might was about to tell him.

"Five years ago, a foe did this to me. Because of that fight my respiratory system was nearly destroyed and my stomach had to be removed. The after effects of those surgeries has caused me to wither away and now I'm limited to about three hours of hero work a day."

"Five years ago? Was that when you fought Toxic Chainsaw?", Izuku asked.

"Ah you know your stuff young man. But no, my battle with Toxic Chainsaw was not responsible for these injuries. Someone of Toxic Chainsaw's calibre could never do this to me. The battle that caused these injuries were never made public, because I requested so. That way the smile of the Symbol of Peace could remain unwavering. And the smile that you see is not one of fearlessness rather it's to stave off the overcoming pressure that I feel. As far as whether you can become a hero a pro must have the desire to serve and protect, however behind that desire there needs to be power. If there is no power, one can't adequately fulfill his role as a protector."

Izuku had expected that response but he nonetheless felt crushed. Even the number one pro hero had told him that he couldn't become a hero without a quirk. He felt his eyes start to water at the realization that the years of hard work and dedication he put into his pursuit of becoming a hero were useless. All Might continued to speak. "If you have the desire to help others why not strive to become a police officer? One of my closest friends is a detective and I have nothing but the utmost respect for him. Young man, it's not wrong to dream but you have to be realistic in your expectations."

All Might then left, leaving an emotional Izuku on the roof. He knew that All Might didn't mean any harm with what he said but it still stung. He had essentially dedicated his whole life to being a hero. He had trained, read everything to know regarding Quirk usage laws, he had studied every Quirk he'd seen, and he maintained a 3.9 GPA so that he could qualify to get into U.A. To be told that still wasn't enough was frustrating. And for something that was beyond his control being the hindrance in his plans of becoming a hero made him all the more upset. After holding back the tears for so long he slumped to his knees and sobbed bitterly.

Izuku made his way back home feeling utterly disappointed and emotionally drained. He reflected on the words All Might had spoken to him earlier as he walked. All Might was right, it was time for him to be realistic. The incident with the sludge villain had proven to be more than enough evidence of the fact that without a quirk, Izuku was under qualified to be a hero. He still wanted to help people, so he set himself a new goal. He would try and become an officer just as All Might suggested. Granted, the position didn't come with all the glamour nor respect the job of a hero did but nevertheless it was still an avenue for him to make a real change. Izuku continued on his way home until he noticed a crowd starting to gather. He made his way over to see what the source of the commotion was however what he saw made him widen his eyes in horror.

The same villain that had tried to take over his body earlier was making a second attempt on another individual. Izuku then came to the realization that he was responsible for the villain escaping due to him distracting All Might. He heard murmurs amongst the crowd, some questioning the present heroes hesitance in helping the victim, while others were openly scrutinizing All Might for having not arrived. He felt an overwhelming sense of guilt because he knew that he was to blame. He made his way past the crowd to get a good look of just who the sludge villain was trying to take over, and he saw an unmistakable set of sandy blonde hair and a pair of piercing red eyes. However, the eyes that usually held confidence were now filled with an overwhelming amount of fear.

Izuku ran towards the villain despite the protest of the pro heroes and civilians present. He didn't see Bakugou the bully nor did he see Kachaan his childhood friend. What he saw was a citizen that was in peril, and without thinking he was rushing in to save that individual. He threw his backpack at the villain desperate to try and inflict some type of damage upon him. It goes without saying that the attack proved to be futile. Having realized that he closed in on the villain and started trying to pry Katsuki from the sludge.

"DEKU, ARE YOU CRAZY?! WHY THE HELL ARE YOU HERE?!", the blonde teen exclaimed.

"I don't know, my body just kinda started moving on it's own! Also it looked like you needed saving!", Izuku said with a forced smile on his face.

Katsuki then felt himself involuntarily relinquish his body towards the fiendish villain. The blob of slime having been fed up with the kid, decided that enough was enough. He raised his arm preparing to strike Izuku. He braced himself as he saw his impending end. He was cornered and there was no way possible for him to escape. He hung his head as he awaited the finishing blow. However, the blow never landed. Both Katsuki and the villain's eyes widened as they witnessed Izuku seemingly dodge the killing strike at the last second. Not to mention that he had done so with relative ease. Angered, the villain took another swing at Izuku attempting to decapitate him with the blow. Izuku again dodged at the last second leaning his body backwards to avoid the hit. As Izuku rose back up, Katsuki noticed something strange. The bright green eyes that he normally had were now replaced by luminescent azure ones. Not to mention the look of panic that was held by Izuku prior had now been replaced by a stone cold stare.

The villain took a step back. The overwhelming pressure that was now being emitted from the boy had caused the air to become very thick. Losing all sense of rationale, the sludge villain threw a flurry of attacks at Izuku hoping to hit him. The boy simply dodged all the attacks as he drew nearer to the brown pile of sludge. Growing desperate, the villain emitted a full powered point blank explosion once Izuku was in range. He couldn't help but smirk knowing that the green-haired boy couldn't have possibly dodged that. However, the untouched frame of Izuku emerging from the smoke had proved him wrong. Izuku then leapt up towards the villain. The fiend tried to strike Izuku while he was in mid-air but he easily dodged the blow and he then landed a solid knee to the exposed eye of the slime criminal. The villain roared in agony and as a result the grasp he had on Katsuki's body slipped. Seizing the opportunity, Katsuki squirmed out of the villains hold and scrambled away.

He heard the villain yelp again as Izuku struck him in the eye again. Katsuki could only gawk in amazement and confusion on what he was witnessing. The quiet, timid Izuku he had known had been replaced with one that radiated confidence and composure. However, the personality change wasn't the only thing that surprised him. The fact that Izuku had a quirk was what really threw him for a loop. 'Has the damn nerd always had a quirk?', Katsuki wondered. However, a bigger question started to plague his mind, 'Why do I feel that I've seen this before?'.

A ten year old Izuku Midoryia was surrounded by Katsuki and his posse. Earlier that day at school, Izuku had stood up for a boy Katsuki was picking on and called him out for it. Not wanting to let the slight against him go unpunished, Katsuki decided to trail Izuku home and ambush him when he was most vulnerable. When the time came, Katsuki and his lackeys rushed Izuku, throwing a flurry of punches, elbows, and kicks at him. A couple of minutes later, Izuku was still standing however blood was trickling down his face as a result of all the blows that had landed.

"Back up extras! I want to be the one who delivers the knockout punch!", Katsuki exclaimed. He grinned like a maniac as he went in to finish the fight. His eyes grew wide with anticipation as the punch was literally moments from impact. Katsuki's grin quickly disappeared as Izuku dodged and countered with a brutal uppercut to the stomach. The momentum from Katsuki's punch only furthered the impact, and he felt his breath leave him. He looked up and for a moment could have sworn he saw a glint of silver in the boy's eyes but they quickly shifted back to their normal green and Izuku collapsed to the ground. Katsuki held his stomach, as it was still tender from the punch he just received.

"Bakugou, are you okay?! That punch looked like it hurt!", one of his lackeys asked.

"The punch that worthless Deku threw barely tickled! It was only beginner's luck that he hit me!", Katsuki exclaimed.

However behind the mask of bravado, Katsuki knew he was lying. Not only did the punch carry a lot of force but the dodge that he pulled off was perfectly timed. To do something like that, one would need almost inhuman reflexes. However, this was just one incident. In all the other encounters he had with Izuku, he had never done anything of that magnitude. Plus Izuku himself had told him that he was quirkless. Katsuki narrowed his eyes at the downed form of the green haired boy. Eventually, he walked off incidentally deciding not to give the matter further thought.

'The way Deku is fighting now is like how he did four years ago! So that means the damn nerd had a quirk all this time! Why the hell has he been hiding it?!' Katsuki was internalizing everything as Izuku continued to fight the sludge monster. At this point, the villain was throwing wild swings as he couldn't see out of either eye. The sludge villain swung downwards but Izuku parried his arm, and then delivered a precise chop to the limb effectively removing it.

The villain started to fume in anger at the display, and made another futile swing to hit Izuku. As a result, the other limb the villain had was dismembered. Izuku's eyes flashed green then back to azure briefly as he leapt into the air, intent on delivering a kick that would decapitate the villain. The villain was helpless as he knew the finishing blow was bound to strike in a matter of seconds. However, instead of decapitating the fiend, the kick had simply thudded against the slimy mass. The azure color in Izuku's eyes had disappeared and a wave of exhaustion then struck the boy.

Izuku fell to his knees as he gasped for breath. His muscles ached and he couldn't find the energy in himself to even scream for help. The villain forcing an eye open, had approached him with a wicked grin on his face. Having regained his limbs, he raised an arm excited to finally put an end to the green haired teen. The limb was caught by a man he had encountered earlier. The man with the unwavering smile All Might, had made his way onto the scene. All Might reared his fist back and threw his signature 'Detroit Smash' attack. The force of the punch scattered the villain's body to various areas in the vicinity and additionally had changed the weather as well. The crowd present cheered as All Might once again swooped in to do what he always did; save the day.

Needless to say the pro heroes that were present were furious that Izuku had recklessly rushed in to save Katsuki. However, most present didn't do a good job of masking the amazement they had of seeing his quirk in action. One hero in particular who had made her debut that day had approached Izuku to give him praise.

"Despite acting like a dumb-ass, I have to say that I'm impressed with what I saw. With that quirk you have real potential to become a great hero."

"To add on to what Mountain Lady is saying, it's evident you have a lot of potential, kid. However, in situations like these please leave it to the pros. Had you had a weaker quirk or had you been quirkless the situation could have ended a lot worse. Even with the quirk you had things were starting to get dicey.", said Kamui Woods, another rising hero.

"Not to mention, it would have been a shame if a boy as cute as you ended up dying.", Mountain Lady said as she gave Izuku a teasing wink.

Izuku blushed vehemently at the praise he was receiving whereas Katsuki watched the situation from afar as he seethed in anger. Part of Katsuki was angry that the 'damn nerd' was receiving a lot more attention than he was. He was the victim and had fought valiantly against the villain from taking over his body. All Izuku managed to do was get in a couple of blows and get in the way. So the fact that everybody was praising Izuku like he was the second coming of All Might infuriated him.

However, Katsuki was also angry with himself. Once he got away from the villain, he never went to go help Izuku. 'It was because you were scared.' Katsuki tried to deny this thought but he couldn't. The fact that he almost died during the encounter made him scared. It made him feel vulnerable and contrasted everything people had said about him. He was told many times that he was special but to be defeated by a no name villain so easily was humiliating. Katsuki looked around to find that Izuku had already started walking off from the scene. He wasn't far ahead so he started to jog to catch up to him. He had questions for the boy and he would be damned if he didn't get answers for them that day.

'Hopefully, I don't get caught up in anything else. My mom is probably worried sick about me.', Izuku thought as he made his way home. A lot had happened to him that day and he needed time to process it. He had: been sent to the principal's office, attacked by a villain, saved by All Might, fought a villain after awakening his quirk, saved by All Might again, and had been called 'cute' by the pro hero Mountain Lady. Izuku still couldn't fathom the fact that he had a quirk all this time and the fact that pros had said it was a powerful quirk boggled his mind even further. All Might had said that in order to serve as a protector one had to have not only the desire but the power to do so. Since Izuku had both, he still had a chance to make his dream of becoming a hero a reality. He smiled too himself as he held his notebook firmly to his chest. Even though his day had it's ups and downs in the end everything had managed to work out.

As he continued down the street he heard a voice call out his dreaded nickname. "DEKU!" Izuku turned around and saw the form of Katsuki Bakugou. Katsuki had his head hung low, different from how it was normally hung with pride. "I just wanted to let you know that you didn't save me, All Might did! Plus, I didn't need your damn help anyway! I could have escaped the sludge bastard anytime I wanted to!", Katsuki exclaimed. Izuku sighed deeply at the statement. It seemed like a typical thing for him to say. "Also, do you get your kicks and giggles playing me for a fool?!" Izuku hung his head in confusion at what Katsuki was asking him."Don't give me that clueless look! I know that you've been hiding your quirk from me! Did you enjoy using the opportunity to 'save' me as a way to show how much better you are? Well I hope so, because that'll make it all the more sweet when I get the chance to crush you!"

Izuku could only look disappointed at what Katsuki was suggesting. Did Katsuki really think that he was petty enough to bring personal vendettas in a situation that involved life and death? Anxious to clear the air, Izuku responded, "Kaachan, I rushed in to try and save you not to show that I'm better than you but because you needed the help. Had it been anyone else in your position I would have rushed in the same way."

Katsuki rolled his eyes at the response. He expected that answer from Izuku however just because he expected the answer it didn't entitle him to believe it.

"Admit it Deku! You just want to play savior so that you can have something to laud over me with! Why else would you have avoided squealing on me earlier?"

Izuku's eyes grew as large as saucers. "H-how did y-you kn-"

"After the principal dismissed me I hovered around the door to listen in! Imagine my surprise when you decided to remain silent despite the chances the principal gave you to rat me out! While you may have everyone fooled with your self-righteous act you aren't fooling me!", Katsuki exclaimed.

Izuku knew that if he tried to defend himself it would be fruitless. However, he at least wanted to give it a shot. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves and responded, "Kachaan, you don't understand how difficult it was for me to make that decision. You quite frankly, have made my life a living hell. For whatever reason, you decide to pick on me despite the fact that I just genuinely want to be friends with you. To be degraded on an everyday basis gets disheartening. What's worse is the fact that not only you do it but you encourage others to do it as well. There's been times where I have contemplated ending it all but realized how unfair it would be to my mom."

Katsuki flinched at the last sentence that was spoken. He knew he treated Izuku harshly but driving him to the point of suicidal thoughts? The behavior seemed unbefitting for a hero and Katsuki knew this. He tried to rationalize that Izuku wouldn't have the will to take his own life however what if he did? Could he live with the guilt of knowing that he drove his former best friend to end his own life? Could he look the mother in the face and tell her that he was the reason for her son abandoning her? Izuku continued to speak as Katsuki was entrapped in his thoughts. "You as well as myself know that the abuse isn't just limited mentally." Izuku rolled up his sleeve which showed a variety of burn marks. "These marks are a result of your harassment and there's plenty more hidden away as you are aware. In all honesty you deserve to get expelled. Not just for what you have done to me but what you have done to others as well."

Izuku was surprised to see a look of shame cross Katsuki's face. He had been expecting Katsuki to try and justify his actions but instead the red-eyed teen had sat and listened. "Kaachan, even though you have messed up, I believe that you still have the potential to become a great hero." Katsuki raised his head and met Izuku's eyes. It was obvious that he was genuine in what he was saying. "I believe that you will become a great hero not just because you have a strong quirk but because you are the hardest worker I know. My decision to start training despite my quirk despite not being active yet was inspired by you. I know what it's like to be told that your hard work and dedication won't pay off. However, in my case it was because of a situation I couldn't control. As for you Kachaan, the decision to let your hard work go in vain rest squarely on your shoulders. I just wanted to give you a second chance before you made a decision that would permanently impact your life." Izuku refused to tell him the embarrassing secondary reason.

An awkward silence ensued as Katsuki was processing everything that was said to him and as Izuku was awaiting a response. After having some time to formulate a response Katsuki spoke. "Tch whatever, your sappy story won't get me to prostrate myself before you if that's what you want!" Izuku gave a deadpan expression at Katsuki's rebuttal. 'Maybe the idea to not get him expelled was stupid.' As Katsuki started to walk off he turned around and met Izuku's gaze.

"But Deku! You...may not be as worthless as I thought you were." The tone in his voice was neither malicious nor patronizing. Izuku could only gawk. Even though it wasn't the words 'I'm sorry' for Katsuki it was pretty damn close. Katsuki noticed Izuku's stare and snapped. "Oi nerd, quit staring at me with that dopey look! Don't you have any manners?! You know it's pretty damn creepy to just gaze at someone!" Izuku blushed at the realization that he was indeed staring at him. Katsuki on the other hand kept speaking. "Now that you have a powerful quirk to go alongside that damn brain of yours, I'm sure that I'll be seeing you at U.A! However, don't let today go to your head! I will become the number one hero and I'll crush you like a bug if you get in my way!" Izuku smiled. 'I wouldn't want to have it any other way', he thought. Katsuki, having said his piece, started on his way home with his bag slung over his shoulder.

As Izuku turned around to leave he was startled by a voice ringing out the words, "I AM HERE!". Izuku gasped as he saw All Might standing a few feet away from him.

"All Might, why are you here?! How did you get past all those reporters?"

"I stand for justice not sound-bytes because I am All Migh-"

Izuku shrieked as All Might once again started hacking up globs of blood. All Might now stood in front of him in his weakened form.

"Kid, I've come to apologize about what I said to you earlier and also I have a proposal for you. But first things first you told me that you were quirkless yet what you did to that villain says otherwise. Care to explain?"

"Well I thought I was quirkless. This was the first time I can recall something like that happening to me.", Izuku stammered.

"So it must have been a case of your quirk being dormant. While cases like this are rare they do exist. Most who do have a dormant quirk often live the rest of their lives without knowing they have one. Regarding dormant quirks it's often circumstantial on how they're triggered. For some it's based on emotions while for others it's based on different substances such as food, medicine, so on and so forth. The fact that you were oblivious to having a quirk makes what you did all the more admirable."

"Well I wouldn't say that, since I was the one to cause the situation in the first place.", responded Izuku with a sheepish look.

"No young man, the praise is warranted. Of all the people at the scene the person to respond was you; a timid and 'quirkless' boy. It was because of you that I was spurred into action! Most top heroes show signs of greatness even as children. Many of them claimed that their bodies could move before they could think. I don't need you to confirm to me that's what happened to you. I already know. Young man, what I said to you on the roof was wrong. You can become a hero!"

Izuku broke down and started to cry tears of joy. After the sludge villain event many of the pros praised him but Izuku knew that it was in admiration of his Quirk and not necessarily his decision to try and rescue Katsuki. However, to be told by his idol that he merely didn't just have the Quirk to become a hero but also the spirit to become one made him overwhelmed with emotion. For the longest time everyone he knew had never believed that he could achieve his dream of being a hero.

Even his own mother hadn't believed in him. The day he was diagnosed to be quirkless he tearfully asked his mother if it was still possible for him to become a hero. Instead of telling him 'yes' she told him 'I'm sorry' as she held him close trying to console him. Izuku didn't hold it against his mother as she was still an overwhelmingly positive influence in his life but those words didn't sting any less. "Now it's time to get to the proposal.", All Might said, getting the attention of a tearful Izuku.

"I want to make you my successor and I believe you young man, are worthy of inheriting my power!"

"Wait wha-"

Hopefully you enjoyed the first chapter of the fic. This is the first story I ever wrote so any feedback would be appreciated. I just wanted to go over a couple of things regarding the future of this story. First, regarding an upload schedule be prepared to get an update at the latest every two weeks. As far as the size of chapters go you can expect 6k words at minimum and 20k at max. Also for the anime only people out there, after the Overhaul arc the content within this story will be spoiler heavy. If you don't mind then by all means continue to read however if you do you might want to consider dropping the story off after that arc. As you all may be aware, this story features a slight DBZ crossover. Please note that for any DBZ characters that appear in this story they will be nerfed HEAVILY. To have characters in the story that can casually destroy planets isn't necessarily beneficial from a narrative standpoint. Not to toot my own horn but I think I have come up with some clever concepts as far as Quirks go for the DBZ characters that'll be introduced. As far as pairings are concerned I intend to follow canon. For characters that don't have a pairing yet, you'll just have to wait and see. For those that are worried that Izuku will basically become Goku 2.0 (in terms of power), have no fear. I intend to keep him fairly balanced. Obviously he'll be more powerful than he is in canon but don't expect for him to be one-shotting AFO or something of that nature. As for the readers that still don't really understand how Izuku's Quirk works it'll be explained more in the next chapter. Please read and review and until next time stay healthy and be safe.