Disclaimer ~ I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn or My Hero Academia

"If you want a quirk so bad, take a swan dive off the roof and pray to be born with a quirk in the next life."

Something in Izuku broke hearing those words from his childhood friend. Though...if he was being honest with himself, Kacchan had stopped being his friend long before now. Friends don't use their quirks to leave scars on your skin. Friends don't destroy your things. Friends don't call you by a name that means useless. Friends don't corner you and beat you until you can hardly walk home. Friends don't tell you to kill yourself.

Izuku felt numb. All his life he's looked up to Kacc- no Bakugo, as his hero. The other's strength and determination to be a hero always filled Izuku with wonder. Now he just wondered where it all went wrong. Where did the Kacchan that carried him home after he scraped his knee go? The Kacchan that would tell everyone that they would be the best hero team ever. Even greater than All Might himself.

So lost in his thoughts, Izuku barely registered his body moving on autopilot. He gathered his fallen backpack and headed outside to the koi pond, where his dreams were being nibbled on by the fish. Izuku could only sigh. It seems appropriate that the notebook he poured his heart and soul into would be reduced to such a state. Even so, he couldn't just abandon the ruined notebook. He had to at least try to salvage the notes. They've been his passion since he was four. He owed it to them to save as much as he could. Even if it meant having to rewrite the whole book.

The next thing Izuku knew, the manhole cover he just walked past burst off and some sort of slime crawled out. Somebody with a quirk that turned their body to slime. Normally Izuku would be excited at the prospect of the quirk, but considering the slime had grabbed him and was trying to shove its way down his throat, Izuku had other things to worry about. Like getting air to his lungs.

He struggled and thrashed but it was all for naught. The slime villain was too strong and Izuku too weak. There wasn't anything he could do. He was...useless. Bakugo was right.

Izuku wanted to cry. Scream. Run. Anything that might help him escape. But he couldn't. His lungs burned from his slowly depleting oxygen. He couldn't move, for his body was restrained by the slime. The worst part? Izuku could feel the slime entering him, forcing its way down his throat and into the rest of his body. And there was nothing he could do about it. He was too weak.

'This is it huh? This is how I die?' Izuku thought, shockingly calm in his own head as his body lost the battle with the slime. 'Sorry mom. I don't think I'll make it home in time for dinner.'

The last thing Izuku registered before the darkness claimed him was a flash of yellow and a strong gust of wind. Then darkness.

He didn't expect to wake up, so when he opened his eyes and saw All Might looming over him, he was fairly sure it was a dream. Then the burning pain in his lungs demanding air told him otherwise. Izuku coughed, trying to drag in as much air as he possibly could.

"I'm glad you're alright young citizen!" All Might's booming voice said from above him. Izuku's attention immediately snapped towards his hero.

"A-All Might!" Izuku cried out in shock. He could hardly believe it. All Might saved him from that slime villain. HIM of all people!

"Sorry you were dragged into my fight young man! I should have caught him much sooner! However the sewer system is very confusing!" All Might laughed and Izuku found himself smiling just a little. He couldn't believe the man he's looked up to his whole life was right in front of him.

"W-what h-happened to him? I-I don't see h-him a-anymore," Izuku stuttered. Then internally cursed himself. This was All Might! He obviously captured the villain while Izuku was unconscious. Luckily, All Might didn't seem offended by his question as the hero let out another of his signature laughs.

"Fear not young man! I have secured the villain in these bottles! There is no way for him to escape!" All Might declared, patting his pockets. Izuku looked and yep. There were two bottles filled with slime. Izuku could even see part of an eye in one of them.

"Well young man! I must be off! I need to deliver this villain to the station! Then I must track down my groceries! Crime doesn't stop for shopping I'm afraid!" All Might said. He tensed up, as if preparing to jump away, and Izuku was filled with panic.

"WAIT!" he shouted, lunging forward desperately. "Please, I just have one question!" Izuku needed to ask this. If anyone could answer it, it would be All Might.

There must have been something in his expression that caused All Might to nod and relax from his jumping stance. "I'm afraid I don't have much time right now so please be quick," All Might said. That was fine, Izuku only needed a couple seconds.

"Can I be a hero even though I'm quirkless?" Izuku asked, his voice barely above a whisper. He couldn't muster up the courage to look at All Might as he spoke, instead staring at his shoes, a bright red against the gray pavement.

It was quiet for several long moments. Long enough that Izuku thought All Might didn't hear him. Just when he was about to repeat his question did the hero speak.

"I'm sorry but you can't be a hero without a quirk," All Might said seriously. Izuku felt his world shatter at that sentence. "Even with a quirk, being a hero is tough. Every day we fight against villains with strong quirks. Many heroes get injured or even die in these battles. Without a quirk it's simply too dangerous. But you can still help people by becoming a doctor or policeman. They get a bad rap because heroes are the ones to catch the villains but they're just as important jobs. Sorry kid, but that's the world we live in," All Might said. With that, the hero turned and jumped away.

Izuku didn't know how long he stood there with All Might's words ringing in his ears.

They say don't meet your heroes. Well, those people were right. Izuku wished he had never met All Might. He almost wished the slime villain had killed him. At least he would have died still believing in his dream.

Izuku gathered his backpack and notebook off the ground, then walked the rest of the way home in a daze.

Okay so head's up! I'm still working on my rewrites, so this fic probably won't be updated for a while. I found it while I was reorganizing my fanfic folder, and decided to post this chapter since I had already finished it. It's set to be a long one, but I'm looking forward to writing it when I can. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter! Please Follow, Favorite, and Review! I'll see you all the next update!