"All men are not created equally."

This is the truth 4-year old Izuku Midorya learned early on. After yet another beating by his ex-bestfriend and his goons, Izuku stares with a tired glance into the sky. First and second degree burns decorate his body.

His ex-bestfriend posseses something which 80% of the worlds population posseses called quirks.

Quirks started appearing 200 years ago with a baby in china that started glowing. There are three categories in which quirks are put into.

Ermitter: Any quirk which would create or manipulate, for example fire, ice, wind, shadows or even brainwash. Any quirk in that categorie are more often then not seen highly positive.

Transformation: Quirks which allow someone to change or manipulate their bodies. For example turning big or small, turning into an animal or growing extra limbs like a wing or tail. These quirks are seen by the society often times negatively.

Mutation: The last type of quirks where one gain additional features which are without an extra quirks effect or an inherited part of an quirk (Mutation quirk with elements of transformation qualities) like wings, tails, an extra pair arms and legs, spikes coming out of the spine or any other changes in appearence that are permanent. These quirks are often highly discriminated.

Quirk discrimination is a very big problem in todays society. The flashier ermitter quirks are almost always praised to be worthy of being a heroic quirk while mutation or for example brainwashing quirks are often the cause of the person having that quirk to be called a villian, freak, monster or abomination. Those who possess transformation quirks are more often ignored. Not many praise them just as many do discriminate them.

If someone has a very weak (only creating liitle sparks from their fingers) or a useless quirk (like changing their hair color based on emotion) they still have a part in todays society, even if it is a bad one. Those however with no quirks, also called quirkless, dont have a place in todays society.

Those without quirks are dicriminated, even worse then those with "freakish, useless or villianous" quirks by far. As a 4-year old gains their quirk their place in society is decided. Due to how the quirkless are beeing treated the death and suicide rate of quirkless children is very high. Only 20% of the worlds population have no quirks, but from these 20%, 90% dont even reach adulthood. Very often are those children abused, abandoned, bullied, discriminated, killed, tortured, sold for money or to get rid of them, experimented on or suicide baited.

Time skip 10 years

Its been 10 years since Izuku found out how society treats other based on quirks. Though the years Izuku documented every moment of discrimination he goes through. He also writes down several tips on how to avoid beeing a victim or at least left alone more often. Because of his state as quirkless people treated him more lika a wild animal in a zoo than a human. The students steal his belongings on an almost daily occasion, beat him up or belittle him on how disgusting or ugly he is. While he is neither of those the effect of hearing such things on a daily basis caused him to develop a low self esteem and self worth.

The teachers either encourage the students or they watch with uncaring eyes. When Izuku was younger he tried telling the teacher about the bulliying and discrimination from but would only be told that its his fault that he angered them so much. That it is his duty as a mistake of society or as a freak to just take it and be their punching bag, along with doing whatever they are telling him to. Thankfully they only made him carrying their bags, do their homework or take over the others cleaning duties of the day. Usually Izuku would be silent or nod to this, seeing as he learned that talking back would only result in beeing beaten up.

The main aggressor in all these is without a doubt his ex-childhood friend, Katsuki Bakugou. Duo to his quirkless status his ex-best friend took it up to himself to gift Izuku with a "fitting name". This name beeing Deku (DEfenceless IzuKU), which is a way his name can be read. Katsuki is often followed by his own group he labelt as extras. Because his quirk explosion is flashy and seen by peopüle as a "heroic quirk" he is beeing praised by neighbours, students, teachers, doctors and parents ever since his quirk came in. Beeing told that he was the best, is determined to be greatest, he startet to develop a superiority complex and a very big ego which only grew over time.

In a society where people get their own powers for over 200 years the appearence of superpowered criminals otherwise known as villians gave birth to the age of heroes where civilians would go to a hero school in order to learns on how to be a hero and how to behave or deal with certain situation or scenarios, in order to get a hero license, which allows a person to legally use their quirk to save lives (or to beat people up in a dck measuring contest). Those who dont have a license but still use their quirks to save others are called vigilantes. Vigilantes are seen but a nuicence or annoyance by villians, or as nothing but villians by heroes and police.

Katsuki Bakugou aspires to be the number one hero like how the current number one All Might is. His reason is not kindhearted or aspiring. For him beeing number one means to be the strongest. He doesnt want to save lives but to fight and beat up others to his heart content. And as number one nobody would go against his judgement if he were to declare an innocent as a villian and beat them up or even kill them.

"Good morning students. Today we are talking about your plans for the future." With that the teacher got the attention of all 20 students of the class in Aldere junior high. Standing in front of the class stood the teacher with a stack of papers in his hand. The teacher itself doesnt look like much. When it comes to looks, clothes or behaviour, this teacher deserves the tiltle of extra. " Ah,who am i kidding , you all wnat to become heroes right?" broadly announced the teacher just as he threw the stack of papers into the air. The students meanwhile cheered loudly and all but 2 showcasted their quirks. One is for example able to pull out his eyes from his sockets and stretch them about half his arm. Another has any rooks put together as hands in a bigger but still familiar shape. "Dont lump me with these extras. I am the real deal. I am going to be the number one hero, be the most popular and richest hero of all time. These extras would only able to become some shitty D-listers or sidekicks!" With that a all students but one, who is silently sitting in the back and keep to himself, screamed together in outrage. Katsuki just calmy sits on his chair proclaimed with an arrogant smirk:"If you want to fight go on. I take you all on". "Settle down students! Bakugou dont you want to go to UA?" asked the teacher as he read what Katsuki wrote on his sheet ) which the teacher trew around).

"Dont they have an 0,2 % acceptance rate?"

"The entrace exam is supposedly one of the most difficult."

"He probalby will be accepted. He has a very powerful quirk."

While the students whisper and gossip with each other the teacher read through a specific sheet and ask the students it belongs a question, gaining the attention of the whole class.

"Dont you also want to go to UA Midoriya?"

The students look at said students in the back and begun to laugh loudly at the boy. Izuku, who became the center of attention only could keep his head down and endures the mockery from his classmates. While one students stay silent and endures the treatment anther is neither silent nor passive. Before the bell rang Katsuki was only able to scream "Deku". As the bell rang students stopped laughing and hurried packing their belongings and went out of class at a very fast pace. Izuku coleects everything of his at a normal speed. The only thing he had left to pack was his hero analysis book volume volume 13. At this point all the others students but 3 were finished and left. Before Izuku could react his notebook was snatched out of his hand and held outside of his reach. All Izuku could do was to listen to the threasts of his bully. During one threat Katsuki used his explosion on the notebook, which while intact was heavily damaged and singed before it was thrown out a window and into a fish pond. Before Katsuki and his lackeys left for good Katsuki left Izuku with a few parting words.

"If you want a quirk so badly, take a swandive of the roof and hope you get a quirk in the next life."

Shocked at what was told to him Izuku could only stand there horrefied of what his childhood friend told him, while Katsuki and his lackeys leave the room laughing at him and his missfortune.

`If i were to do that you would never become a hero kaachan.` thought Izuku angrily. But he knew that even if he were to commit suicide, he will just be another statistic or any evidence about who made him do it would be sweeped under so he wouldnt ruin Katsuki`s future as a pro hero. The police wouldnt even believe him if he were to go to the station and report the bullying and suicide baiting. They would rather spat at him and call him an attention seeking brat wanting to destroy someones future career". His mother would claim it must have been a joke or he had missunderstood it. The only ones who would believe him and would try to do something would be aunt Mitsuki and uncle Masaru, but unfortunatly beeing scoldet or punished would only worsen his situation as even if Katsuki`s parents would punish him he would assum that his wrongdoings are Izuku`s fault and that he was in the right.

So with a heavy heart Izuku cllect his belongings and makes his way home. Duo to not wanting to encounter Katsuki, Izuku took an alternative route. While coming across an underpass he sees the manhole ahead of him starting to rattle. With a loud bang the manholecover hit the ceiling of the underpass and out of the manhole. Out of it came ot green sludge easily reaching 4 meters in height. Frozen Izuku could only witness how 2 eyes and a big mouth with large teeth are clearly becoming visible.

"Ahh, a medium size body i can hide in. Don`t worrykid, i will only borrow your body for a while. I will only have a few seconds and you will help me get away from HIM. You really are my hero."

With that the slude villian restricts Izukus body and forces himself down his throat.

`No, no, no, this cant be. Please, anybody help me!"

"Are you not gonna do something yourself?" resonates a voice in Izukus head. The voice seems to sound like a dignified lady. It sounds soft and caring, borderline motherly. The view of Izuku ceasing to struggle seems to excite the villian, thinking his hostage gave up resisting. A delightful look of glee took over the villians face but before he could do anymore a booming voice, originating from the sewer, takes the attention of Izuku and the villian.

"Don`t fear ... for i am her!"

With these words the number one hero All Might breaks through the ground in a dramatic fashion.

"Texas Smash!" shouts the pro-hero as he punshes the villian with a force which splatters said villian all around the underpass. The hostage lost conciousness very soon after only to be woken up by beeing slapped to the face weakly mutiple times.

With a groan Izuku opens his eyes only to see the number one hero smiling at him, the sludge of the villian collected in 2 liter bottles loacated in the heroes pants pocket.

"Sorry that you were caught by the villian young civilian. The sewer system is quite confusing when your chasing someone. But now i have to go and get this villian to the police. Have a nice day citizen."

"Wait i have a question All Might!"

"A question?"

"Can someone like me become a hero like you without a quirk?"

"Without a quirk? No, i dont think that you can become a hero without one. Heroes get hurt very often during duty and they have strong quirks. Its nice to dream but make sure your dreams are achivable. You could become a doctor or police oficer. They often get made fun of but you would still help people. I already called the hospital to send an ambulance to come her and check up on you. They will be her shortly to take you to the hospital and check for any deseases or wounds and infections you got from the sludge villian. Farewell young boy."

Izuku could only stand there in shock as his idol like everyone else told him that he couldn`t become a hero. A few minutes later the ambulance came and drove Izuku to the hospital. The progress of beeing beeing brought to the hospital, get testet for anything wrong or looked over for wounds, beeing administered a bed went all in a blur. Izuku only came to full conciousness in the late evening. While not moving from the bed Izuku thought about everything. From family to friends, classmates, teachers, heroes, doctors ands his future. That went well into the night. When the clock struck midnight the TV in the room suddenly begun to turn itself on, yet it was not the usual programm. The screen was completly covered by yellow fog. Slowly rising from the hospital bed Izuku walks towards the TV. On the screen a vague figure is able to be seen now. The figure seems to becon Izuku closer and with no idea whats going on, despite his efforts his own hand rised and came in contact with the TV screen. While trying to get control of his arm again, said arm slowly goes through the TV pulling the restof his body with it. Panicking Izuku screams for help but before someone could come his body is already completly sucked in. With a thud Izuku lands on cold stone tiles. When opening his eyes Izuku looks in panic around to try to see an exit but to his horror there seems to be none. Surrounded by the same yellow fog he saw on the TV a sole buildings becomes clear in the distance. Izuku decides to walks towards the building and manages to identify the details.

The building reveals itself to be a grant castle covered in a rich deep red. The castle has several towers reaching far into the sky making the whole castle intimidating yet for him it feels strangly inviting like it welcomes him home. The garden in the courtyard has several batches of roses of different colours, reaching from classic red to pure white. The scent seems to calm his racing mind. The walls of the castle are decorated with soft curving tendriles which evoke an impression of elegand grandeur. The whole place looks similar to the grant castles from some of the anime he watched when he was younger.

"Welcome home little prince." comes a voice from behind Izuku. Shocked Izuku turns around to see a golden eyed girl dressed in a gorgeous soft pink ball gown decorated with red roses. One located on the decollete necklines. She wears opera length gloves and dancing shoes. The dress possesses a corsage decorated with a single rose. The a-line also has 4 roses on it. The girl has black hair which seems to be straight and reach her waist. On her face are on each cheeks 4 freckles which look like little stars. Along with a gentle and dare he saymotherly smile Izuku cant help but avert his eyes zo his shoes and blush a gentle red with a small smile forming on his face. Her appearence and posture reminds him of princesses of a royal family.

An amused giggle comes from the girl, strangly it doesnt seem unfamiliar to him to hear her voice as if he had heard it before. Suddenly Izuku remembers the voice which appeas when the sludge villian tried to take over his body. While the girl and the mysterious voice are very similar its still is different. With a shaking voice Izuku caefully asks: "Excuse me, who are you,where am i and do you know where that voice i heard earlier today i heard is?"

The girl seems to lose her smile, making Izuku fell bad for upsetting her, thiking he hurt her feelings or asked something he shouldnt have.

"Whilst i understand that my voice seem different now, because i thought with me looking your age would make you at ease, i still thought, no, hoped that you would know who i am."

Do you not know wo you are?" asked Izuku the girl, bewildert why he should know who she is as he doesnt remember ever meeting her before.

"I see. Maybe your not the one i cared for all these years ago."

"What do you mean all those years ago? Have we met before? Could you give me a hint please?"

After the question the girl seems to be in thought. After a few tense moments the says:" I know a way. My name."

Your name?" asked Izuku not knowing whats going on.

"Yes, my name. You have 10 minutes to say my name. If your succesful, that, what was meant to be yours will awaken. If you fail your gift will be gone forever. But i will leave you with a hint as i understand the severity of this situation. We played together, we sung together and we danced together. Your words also were "you look good in red". The time limit starts now. You have 3 chances to guess right." With those words she conjured a sakura tree and sat down leaning on it with a blank face betraying no emothion on how she felt.

Izuku, panicking tried to remember a time and name, absentmindly wondering what it is he lost. He doesnt miss the feeling that the tree she made appear familiar and important. When she asked him if he knows who she is Izuku doesnt think she meant who she is but who she is to him.

8 minutes later and 2 chances gone Izuku looks at the dissapointed look of the girl. While she seems dissapointed she also has gained a look of sadness after his first wrong guess. Seeing that look on her face makes Izuku ashamed of himself for hurting her. Ashamed that he forgot her when obviously there is a history between them which appear bigger and deeper than Katsukis. The sharp pain in his chest that appeared ever since the moment the girl realized he doesnt remember her only grew stronger the more time passed and the wrong name guessed.

When the last few seconds roll in to the cooldown Izuku closed his eyes, not wanting to see the devestated look on her face. Without thinking Izuku, still with his eyes closed decided to pour all his emotion and felling in his last words to her even if he is only able to whisper them. With a tear in his eyes...

"Im ...

"3"

...so sorry ...

"2"

...

"1"

Konohana Sakuya"

Silence.

Absolute silence.

Nothing was heard or said. Not knowing whats going on Izuku carefully opens his eyes looking around to find the change he felt. The pain in his chest is gone but begins to fill with a sense of sheer happiness. He knows that the area around him felt different too. Before it doesnt seem to be much different from the hospital room he was in. It didnt feel natural but fabricated as if it were fake. Now the air feels refreshing and is fells relaxing for his body making it fell like he is waking up from a long sleep. While the appearence of the place didnt change the girl at the sakura tree did. Izuku turns towards the girl to ask her whats going on, yet he stops himself at the shocked look on the girls face after he whispered her name. He doesnt know why he said it or where it came from but he fells it must have been the right one. Tears running down her face at a very fast rate. With seeing Izuku runs to the girl carefully hugging her which she returns strongly, her arms not wanting to let go of him which he doesnt mind at all as he felt a sense of right fell him at that action. Carefully asking whats wrong and if she is hurt.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt? What happened?"

"My name ..."

"Your name?"

"You said my name. Please sai it again. Please!" cried the girl out with desperation and ... hope?

Without thinking the name he only said mere moments ago leave his lips before he realized it.

"Konohana Sakuya"