Here's a simple truth: All men are not created equal. This is a truth I learned about society at the age of 4.
He put up his fists to me, standing in my way, like he was going to somehow stop me. "Why are you being so mean, Kacchan? You already made him cry! If you don't stop hurting him, I'll stop you myself!"
And I had to laugh a little. "So Deku, the quirkless wonder, wants to play hero, huh?" I guess that sounds mean ,doesn't it? Like I was some kind of bullying bad kid. Truth is, what I am is a chosen one. I'm one of those few who can stand up with Pro-Heroes, toe-to-toe.
Let me explain.
The first incident was in Qingqin City, China, with news of the birth of a miraculous child who radiated light. Shortly thereafter, similar phenomena popped up all over the world. The tigger for these newfound powers was never determined, but as time progressed, what was once extraordinary became ordinary. Dreams became reality. Of the planet's population, around 80% have developed unique abilities, or 'Quirks'. We have entered a new age, a society of superhuman. In this world whirling in chaos, a certain profession that used to exist only in daydreams has stepped into the limelight. That of the Hero.
Third year in middle school at Mustafa. Stifling April day, classroom full of noisy losers I've known for years with nothing quirks. And the teacher at the head of the room, saying "It's time to start thinking seriously about your careers, but let's face it - I don't even have to ask! I'm guessing you all wanna be heroes."
You all. Talking to me like what, lumping me in with my class full of low-quirk losers with no potential whatsoever?
"Teach, don't throw me in the same bag with them! As if I had anything like their crappy quirks." What, my classmates who can pull out their eyeballs or blow up their faces, and they think they're gonna be heroes, with powers like that? Are they high?
"Get over yourself, Katsuki!" says some loser whose name I don't even know.
"Shut up! Extras should act like extras!" I snap back. I mean, what else are these losers, but extras in the background of life. Teach goes on with "You want to go to UA, right Bakugou?"
"The national school? They've got like a 3% acceptance rate, don't they?"They barely accept anyone!" HA! Like that's any problem for me.
"The stupid chattering of extras. I aced the mock exam! I'm the only one here with the stuff for UA. I'll end up more powerful than All Might himself, my name will be inscribed in the lists of the top earners, I'll be the new #1 hero!" I know it, too. No doubt about it. I'll be the only kid from this dumb loser school to go to UA, the one to be the new #1, the one -
"Oh, and Midoriya, don't you want to go to UA too?"
It's like my world stops turning. The extras are laughing, but it's just background noise. I turn around to look. In case this is some kind of joke. To get a look at him.
Midoriya. Izuku Midoriya. Deku.
Growing up, my favorite hero was - still is - All Might. He's the #1, the greatest hero of all time. I'd watch these videos of him, all the time. There's one I love, where he's up against this horde of villains.
"You see that just now? All Might's the greatest! 4 against one, you think he'd lose for sure, right? But look, look, see? Dodge and then punch! No, it's a feint, and - look, he wins! No matter how much trouble he's in, he always wins in the end."
That's what it means, you see, to be a great hero. You have to be strong enough, powerful enough, that nobody can ever beat you. To win against impossible odds and take out any loser villains who try and make trouble. And to do that, you need a strong quirk. You need to fight and train and work your ass off to be strong enough, powerful enough, that no loser can ever hope to take you down.
I've always been good at things. I can kick ball. I could read kanji before half the kids in my grade were past hiragana. My grades are the best in class. I can skip stones and overcome odds, I was always the leader of our little group. You see, there's nothing I can't do.
When I was four years old, I got myself the strongest quirk there is. Mine's called explosion. A nice little fusion of mom and dad's quirks. I give out nytroglycerin-sweat and make it blow up. Everyone told me, from day one on. "What a fantastic quirk! It's a flashy power, for a future hero, Katsuki! It'll be easy to become a hero with a power like that." Makes sense, you see? I'm awesome. I'm better than everyone else. I was born that way.
Like I said, not everyone is created equal. Like Damn Deku there…Oh, who is he, you ask?
One day I was fighting off a group of big bullying 4th grade losers. This was before I got some quirk, BTW. I was kicking ass and taking names long before I could blow up a building with one hand. My usual fan club, Bat-wings and hands guy (no reason to tell you their names, they're losers, extras, really), they ran up to me and started congratulating me, like they should. And I suddenly realized someone else was watching me.
Behind a tree, staring at me, was this tiny little kid with wild green hair and gigantic green eyes. Smiling like crazy at me, looking at me like he thought I was the greatest thing to ever walk the earth.
I'm used to people thinking I'm cool, of course, but…but he was different. Not sure why. I'm not sure why, but I wanted him to…to like me, more than the others. And he did, you know. He was always running around praising me, following after me. But thing is, I think it was because Deku - he's an even bigger loser than everyone else. He can't do anything, really. Oh sure, he gets good grades. He's nice and good to people and full of energy, and likes All Might like any sane person should, just a little less than I do - but he can't do anything physical. He's a loser who trips over his own feet. He's no good for anything at all.
And when he turned four it turned out, he didn't even get a quirk at all. He's got no powers whatsoever, he's a quirkless, useless loser. That's why I started calling him Deku. It's a version of his name, Izuku. Means a puppet. A loser. Someone who's no good at anything.
Because it's true, you see. No point in calling someone something they're not. I'm the best, the elite, the strongest hero candidate from this crappy school, and Deku is the lowest. He's no good.
And he thinks he's gonna go to UA?!
"Good grades alone can't get you into the hero course," all the extras are laughing, and Deku is talking.
"They got rid of that rule, there's just no precedent!"
I jumped over to his desk and slammed it with a good explosion, knocking him over. "You damn nerd! You're worse than the rejects, you're a quirkless wanna be, and you think you can stand in the same ring as me?!" There he was, kneeling on the floor, back to the wall, looking scared and freaked.
"Wait - no, that's not it, Kacchan! I'm not trying to compete with you or anything. It's just…it's been my dream since I was little. And there's no harm in trying, is there?"
"Try?! You're taking the entrance exam just to try? What can you even do?!" I screamed at him, getting more and more frustrated. And he said nothing. Just stared at the floor. Like usual, you see, he's useless. There's nothing he can do.
The teacher shooed us all back to our seats, and class went on, but I couldn't get that damn nerd off of my mind. I kept thinking it over. How damn insane he is to even try and think of this. What the hell is wrong with him.
After class, I cornered him, grabbed his notebook off his desk. Written on it is "Hero Analysis for the Future, book #13". Seriously. He's writing notes about how to be some great hero.
"We're not done yet, Deku," I said, standing over him. Without hesitation, I went in for it, and blew the notebook to pieces.
"Hey! That's mean!" he says feebly. I tossed the damn thing ou the window.
"They say that all heroes have great stories about their childhoods. Stories about who they were, signs of greatness even back then. I'm going to be the first one from this crappy school to make it into UA. I'm a perfectionist. I want that title for myself."
He isn't even paying me attention, too damn occupied with his precious notebook. Grabing his attention once and for all, I leaned over and grabbed his shoulder. Preparing for an explosion.
"Don't apply, you damn nerd. Got it?"
And he doesn't say a damn thing.
"At least try to say something," says Extra #4 as we go to leave.
"He can't, it's so pathetic, that even in third year, he still can't face reality," says Extra #3.
Something in me just snapped as they were chattering, it felt like I still hadn't said enough, because he hadn't conceded. Deku, he's like that, you see. Stubborn as hell.
"You know, if you really wanna be a hero, there might be another way. Pray you'll be born with a quirk in your next life, and take a swan dive off the roof of the building."
Now he's pissed, turning to glare at me. I ready my hand, like I'm really gonna fight him, and he just backs off and does nothing.
I know, it sounds mean, but it's true. There' s no such thing as a quirkless hero. Like, how the hell else could a quirkless loser like Deku become a hero, unless he got one in his next life? I mean, there's just no other way.
I mean, that's the truth, isn't it? There's no other way around it. I kept saying that to myself. Me and the extras were walking downtown after school, and they brought it up and asked me "Weren't you guys childhood friends? You were a little harsh with him today."
I'm not wrong. I don't make mistakes and screw up. I know that. I'm right and I know it. No way I made any kinda mistake or was too harsh or wrong. It's him. "It's his fault for getting in my way. Seeing him so full of stupid dreams like when we were kids just pisses me off." I exploded the can in my hand in rage.
That's Deku, you know. We've always been around each other and I know him. I know him better than these extras do, better than anyone else probably. He's this stubborn little nobody who talks a lot of big talk about how great he is and can't do anything to back it up, unlike me. Nobody can -
"Hey, hey Katsuki!" The extras are yelling at me, pointing behind me. Something's casting a shadow over me.
This giant mass of pungent sludge wrapped itself around my entire body like being plunged into quicksand. Arms and legs and face and neck. All of a sudden I couldn't breathe, as toxic sludge invaded my mouth and nose, and could barely move. The extras were running, I could see through the one eye left exposed.
"I like me a meat-sack with some fire!" hisses a gross sounding voice in my ear, and it hits me. This is some villain. Some villains' horrible quirk that's trying to swallow me alive. Like he could! As if I'd let myself be absorbed by some damn slimy bastard!
I set off my quirk - two good quick explosions, one from each hand, waiting to see the sludge go flying off of me. It doesn't. It just squeezes of my hands tighter and projects my blasts off of it, into the surrounding area. Everything's catching fire.
I can register around me that pro-heroes are gathering. They were already around here from some incident earlier today. Kamui Woods, that damn tree hero, is grabbing the extras and pulling them to safety. Mt. Lady, that growing heroine, can't get in close enough because the lane's too narrow. Fireman hero and Death Arms, all of em are standing back and doing nothing. They won't jump in to do anything about it, because let's face it - what are they going to do?
It 'doesn't matter. I don't need a hero to save me, because I'm strong enough - I have to be, strong enough that nobody can ever mess with me. The #1 greatest hero always wins in the end.
"It's useless! No one here can stop it! We can only wait for someone with the right quirk to come along!"
Damn useless pros. No wonder they ain't in All Might's league. A real hero can always win. Always break out of a tough spot, that's what All Might says. I've got to. I've got to do something. I'm me, you know? This can't be happening to me - can't be! The damn villain is just absorbing me more and more and everything I do to make it go away just makes it worse. I'm trying everything I can think of, my quirk, my strength, everything but nothing's helping. I can't breathe.
And it occurs to me all of a sudden that I'm gonna fucking die. I can't breathe for shit. This thing isn't letting go and nobody is doing anything and there's nothing I can do. I can't beat this guy. I can't stop him. He's still on me and I can't beat him. He's gonna kill me, I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die.
"You idiot, stop! You're gonna get yourself killed!" some pro-hero - death arms - is yelling out, I can hear it through the sludge. And I can just see now - running from the midst of the crowd, straight into the fiery inferno and looking absolutely terrified…there he is.
Deku. Running from out of nowhere straight at me, with nothing but his school backpack. Running straight into the fray at a villain that I can't do a damn thing against, right at me, like he's looking to die.
He throws his backpack at the villain's eye and then he's right in front of me, grabbing at the sludge. My mouth is free and I can breathe and I can scream.
"Why? Why are you here!?"
"I don't know! My legs just started moving! Because…you're face, you looked like you needed help."
You looked like you needed help.
Deku, looking down at me after I'd slipped and fallen into a creek, holding out his hand like he thought he could save me. Deku, you see…He looks down on me. I know it. He's a nobody, he's got nothing, no power, no skills that could make him any stronger than me, but still, no matter what I do, he always comes back. He looks down on me. He thinks he's better than me. He acts like he knows, he smiles like he's taunting me. No matter what I say or what I do…He thinks he can save me. Like I need saving. Like I'm no good and he believes he's better than me.
"Stop it, stop it!" is all I can barely say to him, before the villain covers my face up again and raises a hand, knocking Deku back. He's ready to smash him. I can't move or do a damn thing, because this villain creep - he's going to kill him. My own worse nightmare is playing out right in front of me. Deku's gonna get himself killed because he thinks I'm just not good enough.
I wanted him to look at me like everyone else. I've wanted him to believe in me, like everyone else does, and stop looking down at me. But he doesn't. He thinks he's better than me even though he isn't. And that's gonna - I'm gonna - get him killed.
"I really am pathetic…I told you the traits that make a great champion, but I realize, I wasn't living up to my own ideals!"
That booming, powerful voice is suddenly echoing around us. Grabbing my hand and his, intertwined together, is a hand that's larger than either of our heads. Towering over us is the man - the legend. HE is here. All Might.
"Pros are always risking their lives. That's the true test of a hero!" he says, and with a punch, the villain is gone. I can breathe. Deku and me are on the ground as the air swirls around us, and everything is abruptly over as All Might stands over us. The legend. My favorite - our favorite - hero is there in person.
The pros cleaned up all the scattered sludge, carried 'em to the police station. The pros who'd been on the scene were swarming around me. Complimenting me on being brave. "What great strength, what a cool quirk!" says some extra pro. "If you become a pro, I'd love to make you my sidekick!" It's all white noise to me.
Because there's something kind of off. I can't explain it but…hearing all this praise for once, it doesn't feel like my due. It feels just plain wrong. Like I really shouldn't be getting all the credit. I mean yeah, All Might was the one who saved me, and he's getting plenty of credit.
But over to the other side, the pros are yelling at Deku, chastising him for being dumb enough to run into danger without a plan and do nothing and get himself killed. And they're right, of course. They're absolutely right. No need. I had it. I had it. I would've - I -
Something is very wrong here, says some part of my head.
I can't stop thinking about it. Like always, I can't stop thinking about him. Did he actually - did he somehow, quirkless, nobody, loser Deku, did he somehow…save me? No way. No way that's even possible. How could he.
Why would he.
I found him walking home. I know where he lives, used to play there all the time. Back before I realized Deku didn't like me, that he thought I was the loser and acted like he could save me.
"Hey, Deku!" I yelled at him. He turned around. He didn't look happy. I have to make sure he gets it.
"I never asked you to help me. I didn't need your help at all! Got it? I can take care of myself! I don't owe you anything, got that! Got it!?" I had to tell him. He had to hear me. "Damn nerd."
He didn't say anything. Just kept straight on looking at me, and I had to turn away. And just get the eff out of there.
I didn't know at the time what was really going on that day. I don't know what would've happened if I'd decided to go back and tell him off again, or if I'd missed my mark by a moment. Things might've been different. But things changed around for me that day…suddenly I was this famous kid who survived a villain attack before even starting high school, a future pro, someone to keep an eye on. Like at long last, my dream was really coming to pass.
Cause you see, this is my story about how I become the world's greatest hero. I've always known, you see, that that was what I was destined to be.
