Fire, it was one of the key aspects of Izuku's life his quirk was fire based, his father's quirk was fire based and yet it was his biggest fear, the smell of smoke the sickeningly beautiful way the flames danced on whatever was unfortunate enough to be consumed by them. He wasn't afraid of being burned he couldn't be burned no, he was afraid of what fire could do of the damage it could do the pain it could inflict, anyone who had been in Mustafu that day would be considered mad for not being afraid of fire. But today his fear and his resentment towards his quirk was lessened today he realized that as long as he kept a brave smile and gave his all into helping people no one else would have to face the same fear or the same hatred over who they are.
Izuku walked out the door his brother Hakuryu followed behind him, Haku's head was a mess of spikey white hair with two white horns poking out, his brother was much taller and more visibly muscular than Izuku, but Izuku was still older than him even if it was by just five minutes. His brother's draconic features were much less visible though his hands, while still clawed, were more rounded and less intimidating, and his eyes were more human-like. Whereas Izuku was much more pronounced in his draconic features, his claws were long and sharp, the slitted pupils more befitting of a reptile than a person. But the most prominent features were his horns, two thick black spikes that parted Izuku's curly hair.
"Hey Zuku, have you thought of any good places for us to train without getting locked up?" Haku said a bored tone in his voice, Izuku had been thinking of good places they could train without getting spotted. He had found a couple abandoned warehouses with some underground areas that used to be villain hotspots, but he had also found an old beach that people had used as a dumping ground for any kind of trash.
"Well there's the old warehouses down in Kamino, or Takoba beach no one ever goes to either and it's pretty isolated." Izuku says smirking as Haku trips over seemingly nothing and lands face first on the concrete.
"Oi, what are you dumbasses doing, why is Ryu kissing the concrete" the gruff voice of Bakugo or as Izuku called him Kacchan, "come on Kacchan we all know that the ground is Haku's true love, he has to show it somehow" Izuku says chuckling when Haku flicks him off. When Haku gets up he checks his watch and shouts "OH SHIT! we're gonna be late" then he takes off running down the street, Izuku looks at his own watch and follows his brother's example of running like hell. He quickly catches up with his white haired sibling, they can hear Bakugo gaining on them Izuku decides to turn it into a race and calls back "LAST ONE TO CLASS HAS TO DO DOUBLE TRAINING" taking off in a dead sprint sliding around the gates to school his brother right behind him Izuku sprints up the stairs so fast the other students on the stairs are blown back slightly by the wind. Izuku bursts through the door at a decidedly slower pace jumping and landing gracefully in his chair, Haku is not so graceful tripping at the doorway and tumbling into the room. Then they both notice Bakugo sitting calmly in his seat smirking at them, "HOW THE HELL" they say simultaneously, "you dumbasses forgot that i learned parkour in my freetime. " Bakugo snarks back, then the bell rings.
"Ok class settle down" their teacher says with the same tired look in his eyes, "now you all are in your last year of junior high it's time for you all to start thinking about your futures" the teacher continues. "Now normally I would hand out these career application forms" their teacher pauses an excited glimmer in his eyes, "but I know you all wanna go into the hero course!" The man shouts, tossing the papers he had been holding into the air the man smiled as the class erupted into excited shouts and conversation, some kids showing off their quirks.
"Oh come on, teach, don't lump all of us into the same category" Bakugo sneered, he hated when people thought they were better than him, especially when those people were nothing but extras on his path to greatness. The only ones worthy of being his friends were Ryu and Zuku, "I mean most of these extras would be lucky to even survive a petty criminal, let alone fighting actual villains" Bakugo reveled in how the shouts and jeers about how he couldn't say that were replaced with admiration when teach revealed he was going to U.A. "Ah yes Izuku, Hakuryu don't you two plan on going to U.A as well." All noise in the classroom stopped as all eyes but Bakugo's turned towards the two boys, "oh yeah the villain brothers are going to try and become heroes yeah right" some brat scoffed. That was what opened the floodgates the entire class started mumbling some of them were chuckling, and Katsuki was pissed, standing up Katsuki's eyes narrowed looking around the room he said only one thing "who, the fuck, said that''
Izuku was terrified for whoever had made the comment, Katsuki was rarely ever quiet and he was even more rarely pissed off and quiet, so the growl that he let out when he stood up silenced the entire class. Izuku had learned not to care when people made the villain comments, he was comforted by the fact that no one could hate him more than he hated himself. Izuku was brought out of his musings by the teacher telling everyone to calm down and specifically telling Bakugou to sit down. Then the same kid who had made the comment decided to speak up
"I said it, what are you gonna do sparky," the kid let out a tch before he continued "I don't see how you can defend those two soon to be villains," the kid said his voice raising in volume "you three disgust me laughing and talking as if you don't care about the damage your family caused." At the mention of his father Izuku could feel power swell underneath his skin all it would take was a thought and the spark would be ignited that would prove them all right the barrel contained power of his flames and of his true form shifted under his skin. Now the kid was yelling standing from his desk, his face contorted into an expression of rage, then Izuku realized who the kid was his name was Tanaka he used to have a brother who could extend his fingers but his brother had been killed during his fathers rampage. Now Izuku felt guilty Tanaka was just another victim of his father, another life that Izuku would have to make up for when he was a hero, Izuku put his head down, his thoughts began to swirl into a mess of guilt and self hatred.
Izuku was shaken out of his spiral when he heard a loud BANG looking up he saw Kacchan standing over Tanaka's singed desk glaring daggers into him, Izuku was sure that the stare's effect was doubled by the smoke floating off of the desk. "Shut the hell up about my family, they might not be blood but those two might as well be my brothers, fuck with them and you fuck with me." Kacchan growled, "and those two chikenshits might be too pussy to fight back but i'm not i'll beat your ass into the ground and smile while doing it" Bakugo continued his glare turning into a manic grin. He honestly scared Izuku sometimes with how violent Kacchan was but Izuku knew that Kacchan was the perfect balance to him and Haku, seeing as Izuku was hyper but quiet, Haku was a combination of Izuku and Kacchan and Kacchan was their hot headed defender.
Izuku was then brought out of his musings as the bell rang and they left for their next classes, the rest of the day went by quiet and boring, Izuku had decided to take the long way and walk home alone. He had told the others that it was ot clear his head but in reality it was to talk with Dyre the dragon he shared his body with, the dragon was the core of his quirk it was uncommon to have a sentient quirk even more uncommon for that quirk to be a transformation type, "Dyre, what the hell was that in class" Izuku growled he hated his quirk even if the reptilian beast was a paragon of good, the creature was still born from his father's dna and so he was just as responsible for fixing the crimes committed by their father. "Just because he was justified doesn't mean he was right, insulting and attacking someone because of who their family is-" The draconic beast said the deep rumble of its voice echoing through his head. "Yeah well y'know what else isn't right wanting to kill someone because they said something you didn't like" Izuku said his voice rising in volume ever so slightly, "you seem to forget that you are in my body not the other way around you only have control when i give it to you, so next time you try some shit like that i'm listening to their advice and taking the swan dive" Izuku's voice had lowered into a threatening growl. "Why do you hate us so much I have ever done anything but push you to do good, and you have gone beyond even me in terms of how good you are, so why do you hate yourself why do you hate me" now Dyer's voice was pleading as if Dyre truly thought they had done nothing wrong, "Dyre we both know that we aren't good merely having his blood in our veins taints us and how could we possibly be good if everyone hates us if everyone is afraid of us how could we be truly good." Izuku said finally calming down from his anger, right as he passed under the underpass a massive bang reverberated from behind him the manhole cover that had been right where he stood moments ago was now in front of him.
Then Izuku was enveloped by a massive shadow and a voice sounded out behind him.
"Wonderful a medium sized, a crazy one to no one will notice when i take control" the voice was disgusting and slimy, then Izuku was enveloped in a thick sludge the voice started up again "there's no use in struggling this'll only take about 45 seconds" the villain kept speaking after that but Izuku was trying to escape the villains grasp as the thick sludge forced itself down his throat. The disgusting sludge tasted like sewage and spoiled milk, Izuku tried to gag but the villain pushed even harder, Izuku's eyes started to water and his vision began to go black, then he was unconscious. Izuku was now looking at the situation as if he wasn't in his own body and he wasn't he had let Dyre take control, Izuku wasn't sure how but Dyre had escaped the villain , now Izuku's body was taller his skin covered in thick green scales his horns had doubled in size now curving backwards his hair had turned into a thick maine. HIs hands began to glow a glaring red and Dyre charged, the sludge villain the villain whether brave or stupid didn't move. Until Dyre had his claws stuck inside the villain and ignited his hands the back of the villain was blown outwards as the pressure of the sudden heat exploded out the chunks of villain that had been blown back, coincidentally hit a hero in the face as they exploded form the same sewer the villain had come from. Then in a blur of gold and blue a shockwave so powerful it knocked Dyre unconscious blew forward, once Dyre was unconscious Izuku snatched back control.
Toshinori Yagi was confused, when he had burst from the sewer he had expected to have to continue chasing the sludge villain, what hadn't expected was to be hit in the face by chunks of the villain. When he had cleared his eyes, he saw a tall man covered in thick green scales, and two large curved horns sticking out from thick green fur, pulling his hands out from inside the sludge villain. Toshinori decided to end this quickly rocketing forward ge sent out a punch that blasted the sludge villain into pieces and sent the monstrous boy flying backwards, knocking him unconscious. As the boy lay there his body began to shrink scales slowly disappearing, his horns shrinking, the boy was a lot smaller in his normal state, his shirt was ripped and in tatters. The boy's body was thin and muscular, then the boy began to get up, opening his eyes and sitting up, the boy's messy hair fell in front of his face.
The boy pushed his hair out of his face, then looked around "Hello are you okay my boy" Toshnori asked, when the boy heard his voice he looked at Toshinori in confusion and then shock. "All Might, oh my god it's really All Might" the boy shouted, scrambling towards his bag to grab a notebook, while the boy was rummaging through his bag Toshinori grabbed an empty soda bottle and began to collect the pieces of the villain into it. Then Toshinori felt something poke his side, looking to see what it was he saw the small boy holding out his notebook "can you sign this notebook for me" the boy asked excitedly. Toshinori obliged quickly scrawling his signature onto the cover page of the notebook, handing the book and pen back to the boy Toshinori smiled, "well if you're okay then I must go and turn this guy into the police" Toshinori said, getting ready to leap away.
Izuku had not been prepared for today, he wasn't expecting to be attacked by a villain and he definitely hadn't expected to meet his idol All Might, and he definitely hadn't expected to be latched onto All Might's leg flying through the air. "HEY KID I GET YOU'RE A FAN BUT THIS IS TOO MUCH, LET GO" the man yelled, his booming voice nearly being drowned out by the wind. "But if i let go then i'll die" Izuku shot back barely able to hear his own voice, then he was hit with the sudden sensation of the ground hitting him in the gut, letting go of All Might's leg Izuku scrambled to get up, only to see All Might getting ready to leap away again. "Wait please" Izuku cried out, he was desperate, "I'm sorry young man but I will not wait" All Might said his voice much lower than before, then Izuku noticed something strange there was steam coming off of All Might's body. It was then that Izuku decided to ask the question that had caused him to latch onto the symbol of peace's leg "can I be a hero even if i have a villainous quirk, can I be a hero even if my father is an unforgivable monster who gave his curse of a quirk to me" Izuku spoke quickly as if his mouth was moving faster than his mind. Tears fell from Izuku's eyes as he looked up only to see a tall gaunt man who looked like a skeleton whose skin had forgotten to rot. The man wore the same clothes as All Might was wearing he had the same blonde hair only it now hung limply at his side, and he had those same piercingly determined eyes, now Izuku's mind was racing he didn't know whether to freak out and ask who the hell this guy was or if he should question his own sanity since people don't just turn into skeletons so he was probably hallucinating.
"Oi kid are you okay" the man asked, and that was what cemented the one thought Izuku had above all others 'was this All Might' the man's voice was the same as All Might's if a little bit raspier. "A-all Might, what happened to you" Izuku asked, the man looked surprised, "huh I figured you would freak out at seeing my true form, well you've already seen what I actually look like might as well tell you why I look like this," All Might said sitting down against the wall of the rooftop. All Might lifted up his shirt to reveal a massive scar that snaked along his torso, the center of the wound was a large gnarled and twisted wound, it looked like he had survived a cannon shot.
"I got this wound in a fight five years ago, half of my respiratory system was destroyed and my stomach looks like a piece of Swiss cheese. I can only do hero work for about 3 hours every day." All Might explained, dropping his shirt, "Wait five years ago, was it your fight with black dragon that did this?" Izuku asked with a sudden twisted feeling in his gut. "no but that fight is what led me to fighting the man who gave me this wound" when All Might said that the twisted ball of anxiety in Izuku's gut dissipated slightly. "Oh and kid, to answer your question it isn't the quirk that makes the hero it's the person and how they use the quirk, and it isn't the parents that make the person, you are not defined by your quirk or by your parents. You are defined by how you act and how you use your powers" All MIght said a smile spread across his gaunt and deathly face, "so to answer your question yes young man you can be a hero and I hope to see you in the future" All Might said walking towards the door to the roof Izuku just stood there a smile spread across his face and tears spilling from his eyes.
As Izuku walked home he heard a resounding boom from behind him, despite his exhaustion Izuku turned around and ran towards the sound. He was never able to pass up a chance to watch a villain attack. When Izuku reached the area the explosion had been set off he listened to the crowd to figure out what was happening, but he froze when he heard someone say that it was the same guy All MIght had been chasing earlier, and that he had taken a middle schooler hostage. Izuku realized that the soda bottle the guy had been trapped in must have fallen when Izuku latched onto All Might's leg. He realized that someone was going through the same thing he had and they didn't have an effective way to stop it, pushing his way to the front of the crowd, Izuku met eyes with a familiar set of crimson eyes and blonde hair. It was Kacchan, the look that Kacchan sent Izuku conveyed one message with overwhelming force "HELP ME"
Katsuki was terrified, he would never admit it out loud but the thought of dying before he was able to make his mark on the world terrified Katsuki to his very core and he was even more terrified because the heroes weren't doing anything the situation seemed truly hopeless. Then he saw the horrified face of Izuku, his brother in all but blood and he started to fight harder, he still had to protect the two chicken shits who could barely defend themselves from some lettuce. But for all his fighting Katsuki was only human even if he was the best he still had limits, as his vision began to go spotty and black he saw Izuku charging past the heroes, a look of terrified determination on his face.
As Izuku ran his body began to grow thick scales appearing on his skin, and Katsuki realized what the dumbass was going to do. Izuku tossed his backpack into the sludge villain's eye causing him to recoil in pain. The recoil was all Izuku needed shoving his hand into the villain Izuku grabbed onto Katsuki's uniform and snatched him out of the villain, "You again, fuck this, it isn't worth the effort i'll just kill you both and escape" the villain growled it's horrid voice piercing Katsuki's ears. Looking up, Katsuki saw Izuku lifting his arm and releasing as much fire as possible, then Katsuki was caught off guard by the loud booming voice of All Might quickly approaching them. "YOU WILL DO NO SUCH THING, WHY BECAUSE I AM HERE" All Might yelled, "DETROIT SMAAASH" the cry echoed so loud that Katsuki felt it in his very bones.
Izuku was knocked out of the tunnel and into the line of heroes and police keeping the civilians out, Katsuki was right beside him, when Izuku got up he realized that it was raining, All Might's punch had carried enough force that it caused the weather to change. Izuku didn't know why but that one fact filled Izuku with an immeasurable amount of hope for the future. The rest of the ordeal went by in a blur he was both admonished by the pros but also complimented by them. Izuku just wanted to get home and go to sleep and when he and Katsuki were released they didn't say anything to each other they both just went their separate ways to get home Izuku had not been prepared for today at all, but he was filled with hope for the future. When he went to sleep that night Izuku felt a little bit better about himself.
Toshinori went to sleep that night with a vision for a bright future, especially if that boy becomes a hero, someone with a powerful quirk like that, and such a strong heroic spirit. He had thought about offering the boy one for all but he felt that the boy would want to become a hero on his own skill and power.