Deku The Spirited Hero

Written By AnimayWriteY0

Disclaimer: I don't own My Hero Academia except for the original characters in this fanfiction.

Chapter 1: Struggles and Burdens

There is a saying, everyone is created equal. Yet in a world full of super powered beings, that phrase has slowly became a dull and nearly void concept when the twenty percent of quirkless people has faced discrimination, segregation, and prejudice. Not only that, but their population had also rapidly decline down to a mere percent because of cases of quirkless people committed suicide and unable to live past twenty to thirty years. No matter how much they'd try to build themselves up within this flawed society, the cruel reality is the fact that they'll never have a chance to succeed especially the one profession that monopolize the public interest. Becoming a hero to protect, save, preserve peace, and fighting crime from villains. Such a job would catch the attention for those who wanted to prove themselves worthy of the position. Unfortunately, those who are born with inadequate quirks and with no quirks at all are more than likely to not achieve such a title. Thus comes the story of one Izuku Midoriya.

After getting the test results from the quirk doctor. Izuku Midoriya's entire world in his whole being shattered when he's been told that he won't have a quirk and never will. But that didn't stop him from letting his slowly fading dream die out. Ever since his exposure of heroes, his love to become one has stubbornly made him push himself to try despite the impossible odds. He never let those who belittle him, telling him off that he's worth nothing, even physically and mentally abusing him bring him down. Izuku wouldn't let that go especially how much he idolize the number one hero that started his path to heroism in the first place, All Might. The Symbol of Peace, protector of the people, the inspiration for new generation of heroes. He is the ideal role model for the broccoli haired toddler, he never missed an opportunity to plead his mother to buy merchandises dedicated to the number one hero. He wished to be like him, to be the greatest hero who help others no matter the circumstance.

Then again, his quirkless status made him question whether he's able to actually fulfill his dream and it got him thinking. Would All Might give his blessings to believe in a quirkless person to become a hero? Izuku wished to ask the number one hero himself someday. One night, Izuku had been in his room with the lights off staring blankly at one of All Might's heroic deeds behind the screen. Soon enough he hears a door creaking knowing who entered in, his mother Inko Midoriya. The way she looked at her son further made Izuku hesitate to ask the same question he wish to say towards his hero idol. His self-esteem decreasing with each passing second, the freckled boy slowly and shakily points at the screen with his eyes filled with insurmountable number of tears flowing down. "M-Mom do you think, I-I'll be a great hero just like All Might even without a quirk?" Unfortunately, the answer he got from his own mother is her embracing him with a mournful hug while crying out. "I'm sorry Izuku, I'm so sorry!…" That alone, broke his last remaining self-esteem he still had. Not even his mother believed in him, and it hurt even more when she told him there are other professions, he can take than heroism.

If his mother not believing him wasn't heartbreaking enough. He come to realize that his father who had been out working overseas sent a letter regarding to him and Inko after getting the notice of Izuku's quirk results. Inko being the first to look at the letter read the contents, she immediately dropped the letter forcing onto her knees and involuntarily clutch her chest right where her now broken heart ache. Revealing a letter of Hisashi disowning them with derogatory comments towards his own son of his quirkless status. To add insult to injury the bastard added a detailed picture of himself with another woman who he cheated Inko with.

For the first time, Izuku despite being hurt from those around him because of what he couldn't control felt the one emotion he thought he would never experience. Anger, all Izuku could do is curse at the world for putting him in an impossible life. He wanted to try and understand his place in a world where individuals with quirks are treated like outstanding members in society while those without it like Izuku are shunned, looked down on, and scorned. Time and time again there were times where Izuku wanted to lash out, bring his frustration out at anyone who looked at him funny, or spewing nonsense that would further humiliate the green haired toddler. But he knew better than to do such a thing, he would only be no better than a villain who would strike out just because he didn't get his/her way. Visions of All Might standing tall with his unwavering smile look down on him with a thumbs up helped quell his ever-growing hatred towards the quirked society.

Even his friends abandoned him because of the same reason, but one person stood out that took his dilemma a few steps too far. His former best friend Katsuki Bakugou. They both had known each other all due to their mothers being close friends. The two would hang around at their respective homes playing hero toys and watching their favorite channels that include heroes doing their jobs by ensuring safety for the citizens and bringing justice against villains who committed array of different crimes. Their admiration for heroism skyrocketed when their idol All Might came into picture, to them All Might is the ideal hero they'd strive to become.

At first it went well as they spent time together for a few months when their quirks haven't manifested yet. Soon enough during kindergarten, Katsuki Bakugou finally manifested his quirk during class. His quirk is explosion, a combination of his father's acid sweat and his mother's glycerin quirk. Many of his fellow kindergartners along with Izuku are in awe to his quirk. The nonstop praise from the others began to change the ash blonde boy's overall attitude and perspective on a person based on their quirks. As soon as Katsuki unlocked his powers, he began his many attempts to talk down on others and building himself up to be the best of all heroes especially surpassing the number one hero.

Bakugou aware of his former best friend's condition didn't bother to help him, instead he began to torment him, hurt him not only physically but emotionally as well. Scarring him further, he would tell him that he would never amount to anything no matter how hard he tries while nicknaming him Deku as a means to call him useless and worthless. Izuku became his number one target to test his quirk on. However, despite all of this the ash blonde could not get a reaction from the broccoli haired boy. What he got is a cold glare. One that defines defiance and steadfast resolve to not give up on his dream. This infuriates the blonde even further believing the worthless Deku is better than him. It didn't help his ever-increasing hatred for his living target practice dummy.

Every time Bakugou tries to bully another kid who happened to be quirkless or manifest a weak quirk. The blasted Deku kept getting in his way every time. The damn nerd even told him that his actions is not worthy of heroes. Bullying others is an act of villainy and that didn't sit well for the ash blonde. He would use his explosions on the green haired boy with more added power given his increased rage. However, hoping the useless Deku would learn his place in the pecking order, what shocked him is the fact that Deku continued to bring himself up and looking at him with that damned cold stare. Nothing Bakugou did would keep Deku from giving him that stupid look. And it got worse when the kids he bullied began to cheer and rally onto the damn nerd's side. Due to this, it made the mad bomber back off temporarily.

After experiencing the taste of reality by Bakugou's explosions. The messy green haired boy now knows that this so-called best friend is clearly someone he shouldn't admire and follow behind like a lost puppy trying to find someone to cling to. Izuku Midoriya made it his mission to try and protect those who felt the same way he did. Yet, he knew he couldn't do anything at the current condition he's in. When he looked at his small frame, he could tell he looked like a twig that could be beaten with just a small love tap by one Rated R heroine. And so, he began his early training session. It started with simple pushups and sit ups. Then he used anything heavy to help build up his upper body strength. Izuku even build a sloppy exercise routine. Despite all this, his initial workout plan in just a month only gained him some resistance to deal with some minuscule quirks but with Katsuki's quirk, that's whole different story. So, he just threw this plan right out the window. It's only effective in a short term.

While at home, his mother frantically tries to demand why her son has so much bruise and burn marks on his arms and upper part of his body. Unlike, his previous naive and submissive self. Izuku Midoriya finally developed a spine to actually tell his mother exactly what transpired between him, the kids, and his former friend's bullying on himself and other kids who happened to be struggling just like him.

His mother's reaction was on point in Izuku's perspective. She was livid, not only did her son had been treated so poorly and cruelly by the people who her son once trusted. She's even more enraged on the things Katsuki had said and done to her son. Before she could confront Mitsuki about her son's horrid behavior. Izuku stopped his mother by grabbing both his tiny hands onto her left and shook his head.

"As much as I dislike the thought of him doing this, I can't bring myself to get you involved with my problems mom…" Izuku said while looking at his burned hands and clutching it. He looks up at his mom and gave her a big smile that shook Inko, she never seen that smile in such a long time. The same smile she missed for so long before the reveal of Izuku's crushing quirk status. "I-Izuku…" Of course, her mother's eyes began to well up and soon enough proceeding to let out waterfall of tears. Izuku could only sweat drop at how much her tears of joy began to slowly flood the entire living room. Yet he came up to her and hug her with his tiny arms around her neck while nuzzling her cheek with his. "No matter what others say, I'll never let the people who hurt me put me down. I'll still continue to become a hero even if the odds are stacked against me!" His speech is powerful and charismatic that even his own mother could only watch on with awe at how much her son changed. She did notice the sharpness of his eyes; they seem to mature in some way and it utterly worried her.

Has her son been forced to grow up this fast because of the exposure of the negative bias against the quirkless? She wouldn't know but it brought her back to the issue as to why her son doesn't want her to inform Mitsuki about her son's heinous actions. "I don't understand Zuku...He hurt you...made you feel worthless, hell he even used you as target practice with his quirk! That's not something a hero he claimed he wanted to be should do!" Now her anger and righteous frustration has risen again wanting to make sense as to why he's protecting the ash blonde.

Izuku smiled sadly while he looks down on the ground while clutching his hand. "As much as I dislike him, heck even resent him for everything he's done. I just can't bring myself to blame him for it." Inko raised an eyebrow. Her son continued. "Just, please let me do this. I know it's selfish mom, but I just got this feeling that this is something I have to do on my own." His mother stared at him with a hard long minute until she let out a tired sigh but gave him a reassuring smile. "Whatever you have in store with your plans ahead. I'll be there for you Zuku." She envelope herself onto him with a motherly embrace and run her hands on her son's messy hair. She got up and smiled. "Now on to the kitchen young man! Your favorite dish is ready!" Now that got Izuku hooked for an awesome meal tonight! "Katsudon! Katsudon!" The young boy cheered happily.

[At a small creek and bridge]

The young broccoli boy is currently taking a good jog to keep his body in check. He usually takes his routine jog at the local creek bridge. Izuku came here to simply admire the greenery and pick flowers to help decorate his mother's small balcony garden. However, there's a scene that catches his attention and his facial expression changes to a frown. Under the bridge just ahead, there are three boys and one girl. When he took a closer look, he notices the sheer amount of fear the little girl exude. However, the boy in the middle have a very familiar spiky ash blonde hair and it sends red flags for Izuku. "Bakugou…" Izuku whispered scowling. Then what drove him over the edge is the comment he heard. "Oi fucking dotty?! Did you really think I needed your damn help?! You're nothing but a quirkless wench! So don't fucking look down on me!" The enraged Pomeranian lifted his palms up making it spark resulting in small explosions for further intimidate factor.

So, it wasn't just me Bakugou targeted. He's going after other quirkless kids! Izuku thought clearly upset that his ex-best friend who preached to be the best hero he dreamed to be is acting like a villain. Without hesitation, Izuku ran down a nearby slope that allows him to meet them on the same ground level. As soon as he got into a good distance in towards the three bullies Izuku called out to them. "Hey what the heck are you doing?!"

This got the three punks to look behind them. One of Bakugou's cronies with wings growled seeing the same worthless kid who tried to play hero. Bakugou, however began to grind his teeth in frustration as soon as he saw his former victim here of all places. "Why are you always around you stupid Deku?! Why do you always come and ruin my fun?!" The ash blonde yelled while adding more power to his explosion. His display of trying to scare Izuku is met with little to no results. As always Izuku without a care in the world, stood tall and resolute at his convictions of never allowing his former friend to hurt him anymore.

The green haired boy gave him his signature glare before glancing at the terrified girl and back at the three bullies. "Bakugou...I never pegged you to being anti quirkless. I always thought you only hated me for not helping you grow stronger because I don't have a quirk." Izuku remembered those days, the broken oath that the two boys shared. To be the best hero duo in Japan. Of course, that plan changed when Izuku became quirkless. "Shut up you damn nerd! Even if you did develop a quirk! You'll just be a stand in sidekick nothing more! So don't think I'll ever let you tell me what to do!" Izuku narrowed his eyes on the angry Pomeranian and glance back at the scared girl. "Why are you three attacking her?" The girl has wild and loose raven colored hair, her eyes are ocean blue, on one of her cheeks sports a small mole. Her choice in attire is a casual light blue summer dress with a white waist tied bow in the middle of her waistline, she wears a simple blue tong sandals to match her dress.

Bakugou's two lackeys began laughing while pointing at the girl. "She looked down on Bakugou Aniki that's what!" One lackey with pathetically small wings for his oversize build taunted. "She even has the nerve to ask him if he's hurt! Ha like our Bakugou Aniki could get hurt from a fall like that!" The other lackey kept laughing between words. Izuku narrowed his eyes as he slowly approaches them. Seeing this, Katsuki Bakugou grin manically while raising both his palms sparking small explosions. "Oh, you're approaching me? Are you this dense to think you have a snowballs chance of beating me you damn nerd?!" There's no response, Izuku just continued to walk until he passed them which shocked the three bullies. D-Did he just straight up ignored us?! Were the thoughts of the three.

Standing in front of the girl Izuku let out a small smile and lend one of his hands to her. "Are you alright? Sorry about those three. I hope they didn't hurt you right?" The petite girl looked up at him in shock before she hesitantly holds his hand. When she grasps his hand, she couldn't think but feel the young boy's strong yet gentle touch. His hand...it's so warm...there's not a single hint of malice coming from him. The young girl thought before she could hear screams behind the green hair boy.

"DEKU YOU ARE DEAD! YOU THINK YOU'RE BETTER THAN ME! I'll KILL YOU" Bakugou screeched as he savagely ran towards Izuku who had basically turned his back on him. Never had he felt so insignificant especially by a quirkless loser like Deku. He never understood why the damn nerd changed so much. He had thought that the worthless runt would end up a gibbering mess after all the punishment he took by his explosions, he'd hope the nerd would feel helpless, hopeless, and unable to think highly of himself so he couldn't even think of becoming a hero. To Bakugou, Deku is worth nothing in this world full of powerful quirk users, his place should be in the very bottom of the food chain. The bottom feeder of the rising tower.

Getting ready to attack him with his signature right hook. Bakugou's momentum stopped abruptly when he could feel a strangely painful feeling on his entire face. To those present, there's a collective gasp from the two lackeys' while the girl looked up at the green haired boy in awe at what he did. Right in front of them, Izuku have manage to dodge Katsuki's surprise attack and punched him straight at the ash blondes face. After taking the hit, Bakugou landed hard on the grass patches in front of the two bullies. Both boys looked down on their leader/boss in shock noticing Bakugou sporting a broken bloody nose as they stared back at Izuku. They involuntarily stepped back at how scary his eyes are. "W-What the hell Deku?!"

"Wow…" Was all the girls quietly said before she heard her savior say something. "Run! Get out of here!" Her eye's widened hearing how desperate and scared the green haired boy commanded as if something horrible is about to happen. She looked at the bullies and come to understand why. She'd seen the eyes of a person, no a raging uncontrolled maniac wanting nothing but carnage for what had happened to him. The girl wanted to protest but Izuku isn't having it. "Just go damn it!" He yelled which was enough for the girl to run away from the incoming slaughter fest.

Bakugou got up, his teeth grinding, his arms shaking, his hand clenched with so much anger and rage he could barely contain. He'd never thought to even get injured. But this coming from Deku of all people who had the gall to actually hurt him. Now, there's nothing he wanted but to beat him senseless. Make him pay for the very first humiliation he felt. BOOM, BOOM, BOOM. Bakugou assaults the distracted Izuku with multiple strong explosions to the point where his arms began to burn slightly but that didn't stop him, he needed to blast Deku with everything he's got. "DIE! YOU FUCKING HERO WANNABE QUIRKLESS LOSER DIE!" BOOM, BOOM, BOOM. The moment his arms couldn't take anymore from the force of his own explosion. The pissed off red eyed boy stopped and take in the scene in front of him. He notices something on the creek and saw Izuku covered with so many burn marks around, his body faced up where the water won't enter his mouth. He laid there completely limp and still. The blonde boy grinned viciously and called out at the nerd. "Let this be a lesson you damn Deku. If you ever dared to challenge me again. You won't see the light of day ever again!"

With that, he and his cronies decided to leave the unconscious body of Izuku Midoriya to his fate. Unfortunately, what they didn't realize is the fact that Izuku began to be pushed away by the currents of the creek taking him to an unknown location where no one not even the pro heroes would cross.

[Unknown location]

Somewhere deep within this unknown forest, someone who is currently fishing for some trout notices something being drifted alongside the flow of the small creek. A woman with short white hair, crimson red eyes, and clothing that resembles fishing gear got up and inspect the strange object. What she didn't expect is that said object is a young boy. She took in his features and frowned at what she saw. She could tell the boy has so many burn marks around his entire body. Without any time to spare she immediate got into the creek and successfully capture the boy before the flowing waters continue to take him aimlessly away.

[Within a small cabin]

Izuku slowly got up and shook his head lightly. When his eyes blurry vision became clear he noticed a few things in front of him. One, he could tell he's in some sort of cabin filled with hunting gear. He turned to his right and sees a boiling pot filled with what he could assume is a recently hunted game being cooked. Soon enough before he could move, he winces at the slight burning pain on practically every part of his body. Just when he's about to go and inspect the surrounding interior, a door opened to reveal a woman who looked to be at her late twenties with a rifle at hand. Izuku suddenly felt alarmed at that but soon calmed down when the woman put it down by the dresser next to the door.

The strange woman proceeded to walk towards the boy and sat across from him with a perplex glance. She looked at the pot and grab hold of an empty bowl; she opens the lid of the pot and used a ladle to scoop the contents while pouring it with the bowl. After it's filled, she proceeded to place chopsticks and hands it to the broccoli haired boy. Izuku still felt unsure of this, but the woman gave him a nod letting him know it's okay. And so, the young boy got closer and took the bowl filled with food, he inspected it and took a slight sip of the soup. His eyes widen and look at the woman with great appreciation and proceeded to devour the dear meat stew. The woman could only smile heartily at the boy's antics.