Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. All characters and locations are owned by Kohei Horikoshi.
Chapter 1: Who I Am
The birds chirped amidst the midday of summer cheerfully, as if singing a chant in order to bring nature to life. The young children were within a forest, surrounded by luscious trees, which faced a nearby playground, thus nobody could see them or hear them, considering the distance.
A boy kneeled down as he held his arm, which burned with agonizing pain, driving him to tears as he shook with fear. He was powerless and weak. He couldn't do anything to protect himself because he was weak. That was the law of nature, which all of life adhered to.
Through his tears, he looked up to the three young children that looked down at him mockingly, clearly taking pleasure in the spoils of their victory.
"Was that all you can do?" mocked the leader of the three, his sadistic smile widened ear-to-ear as he spoke. "You're such a crybaby!"
The two that flanked him simply snickered and laughed at the slobbering mess before them.
This was reality. At the age of four, I faced the infallible truth that humans were born unequal, thus if you were born with power, you had the right to subjugate those beneath you. Me? I'm nothing special. But even so...
The boy that cried stood in place and looked around frantically for help, his eyes averting around. The three boys merely watched on in amusement, to observe the futility of the teary-eyed youth.
Luckily, he noticed another youth, who looked about his age, sporting contentious, dark green hair. Snot came out of the boy's nose and tears continued to drop onto the soil, leaving splattered droplets on the ground.
"H-Help me!"
The ash-blonde boy merely smiled sadistically at the defeated boy, who cried for help.
"You rat! When will you learn to stand up for yourself when you have to go crying for others? And you say that you'll become a hero!? What a joke!"
As he spoke, the leader of the three grew furious, displaying his anger with a malicious smile of mockery and annoyance. Thus, he extended his palm upward, emitting several explosive sparks that danced around his palm erotically.
The boy looked on in fear and closed his eyes, waiting to get beaten once again by the superior child.
"K-Kacchan, you're hurting him!" yelled another voice defiantly, which intruded on the scene that was about to occur.
This boy sported the contentious dark-green hair and he was terrified just as much as the boy that called for help.
"Oh, so you want to play hero now, Deku? You should learn your station in life, Quirkless wimp! You're even weaker than the wimp behind you!"
Mocked Kacchan as he grew slowly in anger at the defiance of such a weakling and the mere fact that someone with no power was attempting to order him around, much less play the hero.
"E-Even so, what y-you're doing is wrong...! P-Please stop it!" pleaded Deku, his voice quivered in fear as tears began to stream down his cheeks. He felt that he had made the wrong choice in trying to save the boy. But how could he turn a blind eye when someone was begging for him to help?
Doubt plagued Deku's mind as he trembled in his place, staring at Kacchan, who was exceedingly powerful. It was clear that this was a losing battle. He was alone against three. This was an unfair battle. The world was unfair and he suffered for it because he was weak.
He wanted to run away and attempted to devise a strategy, but he remained in place, and his head reared at the young boy behind him. His arm was bruised red from the brunt of Kacchan's explosive attacks. Bruises and dirt covered him as his knees were scraped as well.
Deku hated himself and his own weakness. He was a coward.
I-I will not run away! If I want to become a hero, then I have to stand my ground and fight, even if I know I'm going to lose, because it's the right thing to do!
However, if he ran away, he wouldn't be able to forgive himself, so he remained in his place, shaking.
"I see... so you want to play the hero, huh, Deku?" mocked Kacchan, punching his palm, unleashing an explosion, which caused Deku to jump slightly in fear from the jolted noise.
The boys that flanked him began to unleash their powers as well. The boy that flanked Kacchan's left smirked and his fingers began to protrude outward, to the height of a baseball bat.
The boy to his right smiled slightly as he began to focus, flapping his huge wings, allowing him to take flight a few meters in the air, looking down at his prey.
All three of them now lunged toward Deku. Deku's eyes wavered to the three opponents that ganged him with no hesitation or dignity about fighting fairly. Thus, he came to the conclusion that he couldn't win. The victory was impossible. Maybe they would have a chance if the boy behind him helped as well!
Deku threw a right straight at Kacchan, who jumped toward him, but he wasn't able to reach him, due to being forcefully pulled back and restrained by the boy with the protruding fingers, wrapping him up.
He was powerless to do anything and he struggled in vain, but it was too late. Kacchan grabbed a handful of his hair and unleashed a devastating right hook, pummeling him repeatedly, until he was knocked out with his explosive ability.
The boy that kneeled on the ground in tears watched in horror, stood up, and left, leaving Deku to rot and suffer.
Deku's eyes widened due to this and he understood the harsh truth.
He was weak.
After Kacchan and his lackeys had their way with Deku, they left him bruised and beaten on the ground.
The birds chirped happily as if mocking the young boy.
At the age of four, I finally came to understand that humans are not born equal. You are either weak or strong. The strong prey on the weak. But even so...
Tears began to stream from Deku's eyes as he lamented his own weakness.
...even if the world tries to break me, I will still become a hero, with or without supernatural powers, because it is my dream!
Although it had hurt him that the boy who pleaded for his help ultimately ran away when he himself was in trouble, Deku came up with a handful of logical reasons, to excuse the boy, putting him in a state of naïve denial.
He couldn't have been able to help me fight because he was already hurt, of course...! His arm was bruised and his legs were scraped. After all, I was fighting to buy him time, not to win!
These were the thoughts and excuses Deku made up, denying himself. He blamed his weakness and felt selfish for expecting the weakened boy to help him. He was still weak.
Deku's tears continued to well as snot began to drool from his nose. He felt humiliated and his pride was wounded. Today had made it clear just where he was in the world. He hated being weak. He hated himself because he was weak and he couldn't win. Even if he did the right thing, he wasn't thanked for it and he was the loser in the end.
Ultimately, Deku raised his arm and his eyes and began to scream.
"I'm going to become a hero! Just you wait...!"
His words reached no one and it merely echoed throughout the forest. No response. Deku was left there alone.
Eventually, the boy stood up, dried his eyes, and went home. At the age of four, he had experienced his first setback. He steeled his resolve, never to be humiliated ever again. He was going to become a hero. His name was Izuku Midoriya.
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The world is filled with many abnormalities and mysteries. Sometimes, these complex questions that fascinate humanity are answered through science. Other times, they're left for interpretation and cannot be explained through modern science, no matter how hard humanity attempts to make sense of our natural existence.
What is the soul? What is existence? What is fictitious? What is God? Can an ephemeral, corporeal being with so much infinite power and wisdom exist? What happens after we die? Do we simply die and disappear into infinite darkness, with no hope of ever returning? Perhaps, we'll never come to the answers to any of those questions.
However, one abnormality was soon discovered, an incredible, new source of unfathomable power that had not yet been discovered or seen by humanity! It all began in Keikei city in China with the news that a bio-luminescent baby that embodied the light of life was born. Where did this unknown power come from?
There was never a clear answer, but scientists theorized that it must have been due to an abnormality in the human gene, concluding that this was merely the next step of human evolution. Thus, the rest of humanity began to believe that this power was meant for the talented and naturally born gifted. Humanity desired to obtain this power and harness it.
After the prolific discovery to the next step of human evolution, "exceptional" individuals who were born with the gift began appearing all over the world, and eventually, the "exceptional" became the norm after many years, thus beginning a new generation of humanity that thrived.
Consequently, fantasy became reality. However, with this new power and the evolution of humanity, how will the government restructure itself and coexist with these normal abnormalities? It embraced it and evolved along with humanity itself.
At present, 80 percent of the world's population consisted of superhumans with special abilities, and thus, humanity was ever closer to answering the unanswered questions. Humans themselves were beginning to slowly achieve power that followed closely to God.
Soon, the world fell into a state of disarray and amidst the darkness, a light was inspired and peace was brought, conceiving a profession that everyone once dreamed about. This newfound power and the next step to human development inspired all, prompting them to enter the spotlight, in hopes of making history!
These powers were known to humanity as Quirks. And they were the key to guiding humanity to evolution or extinction, depending on the hands that grasped this power. This power was relative to the eye of the beholder. However, only one hero who grasped the light of justice and became the symbol of peace stood above all; the number one hero, All Might!
A new generation of heroes was beginning to slowly unfold and mark its place in history...
"GET AWAY!" growled a large figure, whose height measured approximately to a two-story building.
He was ferocious and attempted to claw away at an unknown figure that maneuvered around him as if he were attempting to swat a fly away.
Kamui Woods, a new and upcoming hero, stood before the enemy, bravely facing him.
"I cannot do that," replied Kamui calmly, staring up at the taller figure, "I must stop you, here and now. You're abusing your power during rush hour while using it for your robbery and assault. You are evil. I will stop you myself."
Kamui Woods stood up, facing the villain.
The villain roared, attempting to scare Kamui Woods psychologically, but he remained unflinching. However, the power held in that roar forced the spectating crowd to cover their ears, blowing some civilians back due to the wind.
Kamui Woods merely glared at the opponent and sized him up, attempting to figure out the best way to disable the opponent, without bringing too much damage to public property.
He's a huge opponent. But he's also angry and in a hurry, so he won't be caught; however, he doesn't want to be chased either, so he'll settle things with me here and now. I'll have to restrain him by attacking from his blindspots, thus I will use his size against him!
While Kamui Woods planned a strategy, the villain clenched his fists and rained them downward on Kamui Woods, in an attempt to smash him where he stood. The threshold that Kamui Woods stood on was crushed and collapsed. There was no trace of Kamui Woods, though.
Had his reaction time been slower and he wasn't on guard, Kamui Woods would have been crushed; fortunately, Kamui Woods backflipped out of the way of the strike, running up the villain's arm in an attempt to deal the finishing blow.
"YOU PESKY INSECT!"
The villain grew angry and due to this, he had become hasty and desperate, grabbing his other hand to smash his own arm, in order to crush Kamui Woods.
"I will never lose to you, so long as I continue to breathe."
Crap! I'm going to miss it!
A young boy with messy green hair thought as he ran across the street with a backpack strapped on his back and a look of excitement plastered on his face.
He had almost missed the fight that was transpiring, so he reached the crowd, pushing himself through in order to get a better view.
"It's Kamui Woods! He's a new upcoming hero that's become popular lately! It looks like he's fighting against a villain with a size enhancement Quirk!" spoke Izuku Midoriya out loud, who was in a state of awe and wonderment, as the battle began to unfold right before him.
He had always loved heroes ever since he was a child and always admired them for what they stood for and the courage that each and every one of them possessed. He had always wanted to be like them because they gave him courage.
He covered his mouth and his eyes sparkled, barely containing the immense happiness that he felt.
"...But the fight seems to have gone on for a while, so it might be reaching its conclusion soon, unfortunately," bemoaned Midoriya as he gave a slight smile of disappointment.
An old man, who stood right next to him paid attention to the green-haired male with curiosity and kindness, smiling right at him.
"Kid, are you a fanboy?"
Izuku froze. He didn't really know how to answer or respond to the question, so he turned to the older man and looked down sheepishly. His face was red and he stammered, rubbing the back of his head.
"Uh, n-no! I-I just... It's just my passion is all!" Midoriya willed himself, giving the older man a cheery smile as he answered.
However, the conversation was interrupted as Kamui Woods was finally about to conclude the fight, preparing to unleash his final move, in order to restrict the villain completely.
Kamui Woods crouched as the villain attempted to smack at him while he remained on his arm. However, Kamui Woods had manipulated the wood that surrounded his body, creating several wooden limbs behind him, propelling himself forward toward the opponent, evading his attack.
"It's time to face your punishment," spoke Kamui Woods, his right arm beginning to take shape, transfigure, and branch outward, in order to inhibit his opponent with his wooden claws.
"Here it comes!" Midoriya declared, pointing right at the wooden hero excitedly, "it's his 'preemptive binding'..."
"...'Lacquered chain prison'!" shouted Kamui Woods, his protruding, wooden limbs beginning to envelop the villain.
Bam!
"Canyon Cannon!"
However, a tall woman, taller than even the villain launched herself amidst the near-conclusive battle, knocking out the assailant with a dropkick that was enhanced through speed and accumulating power. The battle was over. The villain was knocked unconscious and the day had been saved.
The tall female with luscious blonde locks stood up and held the defeated villain, reaping the reward from Kamui Woods, thus she took the credit for ultimately defeating the villain.
The crowd fell silent momentarily, stunned by this turn of events, but silence soon turned into mirthful cheer, welcoming the new heroic hero!
"Today is my debut! Pleased to meet you all! Call me Mt. Lady!"
It didn't take much longer soon after for the paparazzi to show up. Soon enough, they began taking pictures, spreading the news about the debut of a new hero and how they heroically prevented the villain from escaping.
Izuku Midoriya frowned as he looked up to Kamui Woods, who looked defeated, even though he had done most of the work.
Poor guy... And after how hard he worked to stop that villain, it was seized away from him.
Izuku Midoriya felt a swell of pity for Kamui Woods, but even so, he forced himself to smile.
...But even so, even if the world doesn't recognize you, I'll always see you as the hero today! You're incredible!
Oh, how he would love to shout those words out to the hero, but he kept these thoughts to himself, which made him smile uncontrollably from how much it made him giddy like a child.
Midoriya took out his notebook from his backpack and began to jot down notes feverishly, recalling the Giantification Quirk that Mt. Lady utilized.
"Gigantification, huh? It's a common and strong Quirk, I won't deny that. However, though it may not be flashy, it certainly packs a punch, but could it be useful in cities or metropolitan areas? I would imagine that the usage would inhibit itself, making her Quirk a double-edged sword. Well, it ultimately depends on whether or not she can manipulate her size, but if she cannot, then her ability will likely cause more damage to public property," muttered Izuku Midoriya, who had lost himself in his own thoughts.
The old man smiled genially at Izuku Midoriya, and then he spoke.
"Kid, judging from those notes, you must want to become a hero, right? If so, I'll believe in you! If this is your passion and it's what you love, then aspire for it! Go on!"
These were words from a stranger; a complete, total stranger. They may or may not ever cross paths ever again, but even then, Izuku Midoriya's heart swelled with joy from the assurance and unexpected kindness that the old man displayed to him affectionately. He wanted to make him proud, letting him know that his words of encouragement will not fall on deaf ears.
"Y-Yeah, you have my word! I will become a hero! I promise!" declared Izuku Midoriya, his eyes shined, sparkling with joy as he fought back tears of happiness that desperately wanted to burst out. He smiled uncontrollably.
Quickly, Izuku Midoriya turned around and covered his eyes with his arm, wiping away whatever tears that he had conjured. It was about time that he himself made his first step to become a hero.
Slowly, the distance between himself and the old man grew, but even so, Midoriya wouldn't forget the kindness of a complete stranger and cherished the small moments in life. He vowed to himself that he was going to become a hero, no matter the cost. They may have been separated, but for that instantaneous moment, their hearts became one.
As he ran forward to his next destination, he was moving toward the uncertain future and his dream.
New story and new beginning of a dark journey from the world of Izuku Midoriya to life, not only from the supers society but to the general one. This is just the beginning.
