I figured I'd take a crack at this finally, I had the idea bouncing around in my head for a while and wanted to let it out. So I hope you enjoy my take on a villainous Deku AU! Things are going to get grim at times in the future, but I'm going to try to mix in some more soft moments as well. While the fic is labeled Drama and Angst, there will also be some romance and adventure obviously.
I have lots of things planned, with plenty of good twists of fate. This chapter will be low on the dialogue side, and basically a retelling of the first two episodes but with key differences included. Mostly details into character mentalities and some other tidbits that'll be revelation later on in the story.
Big thanks to my beta reader, my girlfriend, Roxy~
Life was a rollercoaster for most, ups and downs, highs and lows full of frowns and smiles galore. Some people were more blessed than others, and their track seemed to constantly be at a climb with no drop in sight. For some to succeed, however, others must know the sting of failure. For every one person set upon a track aimed towards the heavens, there is another doomed to fall into the foreboding pit of failure. For years Izuku Midoriya was ignorant to much of this, for he was but a simple child with a single dream. Izuku held on to his innocent dream of being a hero for years, even against the odds when he was found to be Quirkless.
"You should probably give it up."
The doctor had said it so nonchalantly, at the time he just thought he was being rude, little did he know it was just a prelude to a series of nigh constant disappointments.
"As you can see by this X-ray, Izuku has two joints in his pinky toe."
As a child when he first heard that doctor talking about toe bones and Quirks being related he thought it was a silly joke. As he got older and actually came to terms with that statement, he realized what the doctor was actually saying to him on that day. He was unevolved, an ape trying to exist in the world of men as an equal. He came to feel this reality be thrust upon him when all his peers began to look down on him like it was a national past-time. He wasn't sure how long it took him to realize it wasn't just the other kids, it was everyone who came to realize he was Quirkless. Even his so-called best friend turned his back on him with haste, Kacchan even encouraged all of their friends to turn on him as well. Even as they wore on his confidence, he never gave up hope.
"You're below the rejects, you're Quirkless!"
The saddest part of having Kacchan turn on him wasn't the fact he did it, but rather how easy it was for his friend to abuse him knowing full well he couldn't defend himself properly. There was never any hesitation in his ways, no doubt came across Katsuki's face as he scorched Izuku and his property all for meager entertainment or a moment of egotistical elation. A literal decade of unmitigated unwarranted abuse and Katsuki Bakugo was still honestly the closest thing Izuku had to a friend. Sadly though that was more so because most of the school never spoke a word to him if it wasn't a taunt or an insult, he got more conversation out of the faculty than the other students most days. Even when he tried to protect other kids from Bakugo's wrath, all it did was earn him a few more lumps, or worse, steal away some of his scarce amounts of faith in others. There was certainly more than once when one of the students he tried to save would turn on him to join in on abuse against the wannabe hero for being willing to stand up to the schoolyard bully.
"I'm sorry, Izuku…"
That one stung in a whole different way than the others, it struck him deep. When his mother said that he couldn't help but feel the pity in her voice seep into him, she pitied him because he was pitiful. After all, he was damaged by design. She blamed herself, though the reality of it was there wasn't a single soul to blame, apparently, twenty percent of the population is Quirkless, not that you'd know. Quirkless people rarely were able to compete with their Quirk wielding counterparts in many fields, and the media was one of them for sure. The world was obsessed with heroes, hell even he was. So when his own mother spoke those words he never really let them out of his head. She never did answer him, but those words spoke enough.
There was nothing but love for his mother, especially since his father's constant failings making her all the more precious in his life. Yet he never wanted to go that way, he never wanted to be a quitter. His mother quit on him then and there, and his father quit on them years ago, he refused to follow their lead. Giving up was something he knew to be unheroic as a fact, to fear is to be human but to surrender to fear is to be a coward. He loved his mother, but he idolized heroes nigh indiscriminately. It was his passion since as far back as he could hope to remember, there wasn't a moment he hadn't adored them. His idol was always All Might, and to be like All Might he had to be bold.
He needed to keep up his smile, and stay brave, and stand strong for himself and others. A beacon of hope, just like All Might. Izuku stood firmly behind these ideals, the values of a true hero. The values of the 'Symbol of Peace' weren't just the guide he lived his life by, they had helped him countless times when his mind was beset by wild bouts of self-doubt and the stray bout of depression. He had countless reasons to feel sorry for himself and live in gloom, but he fought to keep that proud smile plastered on his face no matter how much the people around him hurt him. True heroes always kept a bright smile against all odds, no matter how dire the situation was, All Might always kept a powerful vibrant smile to ease the spirits of all who beheld him. The truest hero of all, the Symbol of Peace, All Might was an inspiration to many, and Izuku was no different.
In hindsight, the phrase ''You should never meet your heroes'' was far too accurate.
His dreams were dying and he just never realized it until one brisk afternoon came about, just another seemingly ordinary day of abuse at school followed by a lonely march back home. In a bid to avoid any wayward crossing with Bakugo or cronies Izuku had taken a path less traveled, it was an honest chance encounter that changed his life that day. Perhaps if he hadn't been brazenly laughing like an idiot to lift his spirits at the time, he would've noticed the villain of coiling sludge rise from the depths of the sewer sooner. It wasted no time, the moment it rose from the manhole the amorphous blob of gunk leaped upon him, the disgusting ooze tangled around his limbs and began to force itself down his gullet and into his lungs.
As Izuku felt the cold grip of death approach, even as his vision began to blur and dim all at once, he still fought and struggled as best he could. He knew better than to give up, he held on to that flickering flame of hope. By chance that dwindling flame of hope managed to roar to life in the form of a familiar iconic bellowing declaration his muffled ears could barely make out, but he heard it all the same despite his consciousness finally slipping away.
"TEXAS SMASH!"
Waking up to the sight of All Might was like waking up straight back into a dream, it left him speechless and bright-eyed. Before he could even come to proper words, that obsessive child came to behold with wonder the preemptive strike that was his favorite Pro Hero's signature emblazoned proudly within his charred notebook. At the sight of this icon of everything Izuku cherished in the world, the literal beacon of Hope easily overcame the bitterness that had plagued this day so far. All he could do was bow rapidly at mere consideration, thanking All Might furiously. He had even gone so far as dismissing the poor state of the notebook in question simply out of awe of having been graced so readily twice in one day by this living legend!
At that moment Izuku honestly could feel nothing but elation, a stray beam of hope breaking through the clouds of doubt like the vibrant sunlight it was. No sooner had that hope came to him, did a daunting question return to plague his mind once more. He had to ask, he had to know if there was even a slight chance he might know. 'Anyone can be a Hero!', it was plastered on so much All Might merch was nearly a motto at this point
Though it seemed Professional Heroes had little time to chat. Izuku didn't think twice about grabbing on to his Hero for dear life, he needed to know the truth from the icon himself. The word of god, as it were.
That Rooftop
"Good grief. If you talk to the people downstairs, I'm sure they'll let you down." Nonchalant and to the point. "I'm seriously out of time, so I really must go." The number one Hero in all of Japan was sure to be busy, but this only drove Izuku to act with even more haste.
"Wait! Umm-" he started, losing his train of thought with that one meager outburst only to be cut short.
"No! I will not wait!" That one stung a bit, the sharpness in his tone nearly deflating the young boy where he stood.
Nearly. Now wasn't the time to hesitate, he had one chance and he was going to damn well take it. He cried out his plea, casting it out with a faint gasp of strength. "Even if I don't have a Quirk, can I become a Hero? Can even someone without a Quirk be like you?"
All Might paused, or perhaps hesitated, he wasn't sure himself.
That question was rare, it was wild, but it was familiar. Deep in this wizened hero's heart he wanted to shout out that anyone could be a hero, that it was always possible through grit and determination. That was the voice of Toshinori Yagi, a bright and hopeful Quirkless man born in a ruthless era of violence, but that man wasn't the one who carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. All Might stands as the Symbol of Peace, an icon for all things good in the world, and with that great power comes the most bitter of responsibilities.
He had seen many greats come and go before and after his prime, taken long before their own; he felt his chest tighten for a moment as those thoughts drifted back to the woman who vested this very power in him. He faced reality so many times before, and he knew now that dreaming too hard tended to get people hurt just as hard. In spite of his years of heroics, All Might was not blessed with the memories of those he saved, rather he was plagued by white-hot flashes of all those he had failed in these years, each unanswered cry burning in his gut like bitter burning coals. It felt like his injury was aching.
"Oh fuck..." All Might hissed under his breath as the ripple of pain washed over his body, along with a few other swear words he dare not raise in front of a child. He had gotten distracted by this boy's antics long enough to lose the last bit of his precious time, and now he even lacked the energy to hide himself from the boy.
Izuku on the other hand was simply lost in his own world for a moment, laying out a brief retelling of his life and his admiration for heroes, especially All Might himself. His confidence began to rise as he didn't find himself silenced or mocked instantly, but as his head didn't rise as well, he hadn't noticed the change until it was too late.
Once the smoke had cleared away, long gone was the powerful visage of All Might, instead, this frail skeleton of a man stood hunched over in his place. He had vibrant ash blonde hair that dangled listlessly by the sides of his face, his hairdo alone seemed too heavy for his frame. His attire was just as bulky when compared to the stick like protrusions the man called limbs. He wore a frown on his face, maybe a scowl, though from his posture Izuku could tell he was struggling to catch his breath.
In Izuku's eyes, this pathetic bag of bones was the total opposite of All Might. The blonde man was frankly so frail in appearance Izuku was certain even he'd have been able to beat him in a fight. Not that he relished the thought, it was merely an observation of this...
"A-An All Might Im-imposter?!" The boy stammered out in a sudden bout of confused panic at the sight.
Toshinori's frown only deepened at the boy's reaction, in return he held up a hand to stop his raving.
"I am All Might." He tried to muster the firmness of his tone, but only managed to hack up blood that oozed past his lips. He silently cursed his foul luck as the familiar metallic taste violated his taste buds, knowing full well he looked more akin to a horror show at this point rather than his old self. The Pro Hero could only imagine how horrific he must look now of all times, that boy who stood there shaking like a leaf looked downright disturbed at the sight of him.
"N-no way! That's impossible!" Izuku screamed back in obvious utter disbelief at the very thought.
There was no way All Might could actually be this ragged corpse-like man that stood before him. All Might was the hero with such great strength he could create blasts of wind pressure with the mere flick of a finger, and this glorified skeleton claiming to be that very hero looked as if a breeze would be the death of him. Yet no matter how much he wanted to refuse, the man's words slowly began to make sense to the perceptive teen, there were some similarities he couldn't deny.
'Blond hair, but anyone could have blond hair. The hairstyle is close but if you styled it with some strong hold hair gel?' Even Izuku could style that, and he couldn't even manage his own hair most of his life. 'Check.' Still, not good enough.
'Skin color? Maybe a single degree off? He looks slightly paler...' A coincidence, at best right? 'Check?' The more his thought on it, the more uncertain he became.
'The outfit was perfect, the sag of his clothes would definitively fit snug on someone as massive as All Might...' Those were pretty normal looking clothes from what he could tell, just stretched out over a thin frame. If this really was All Might, then perhaps he had a transformation quirk after all? Nobody knew what All Might's quirk really was so it wasn't entirely impossible.
Still, that wasn't the most damning thing by any margin. As Izuku properly met his eyes, his verdant glossy orbs peeked into a deep-set chasm of darkness emblazoned by twin beady sapphires. In those sunken eyes he found a familiar gaze, one he had seen at least a hundred times before in interviews and the rare photo op. The seemingly weak man had a fire hidden deep in him, a spark of life that was strangely unique, the passion of a steadfast hero. 'That's not everything, I mean, anyone could...' he wanted to doubt the reality he was struggling to resist.
The more Toshinori tried to explain, the more dire Izuku's expression grew. The boy even let a few words slip, muttering to himself in disbelief it seemed. It was clear to the Number One Hero that no simplistic answer would cut it, even though he wanted nothing more than to avoid this, Yagi decided to reveal the bitter reality of his own injury. In his mind, he hoped it would deter this boy from dreaming so boldly, it wasn't out of spite for the boy's dream but rather his duty as a hero in itself. In his mind this was simply the best way to educate the boy that the world of Heroics is far more brutal than the lofty lifestyle the media promotes nowadays.
He knew it to be a sign of the times really, rarely did tragedy sell as well as glorious tales of heroics simply due to the marketing of potential pro heroes. It was a cycle really; heroes are expensive and they need to look good to keep the public feeling safe and secure, so they get companies to sponsor and market them during their career, this, in turn, produced profits off the merchandise. Everyone got paid, and the government filled their coffers with tax dollars from all the parties involved regardless. So to keep this profitable sustaining cycle going, first and foremost the heroes needed to win, visibly at that. In his youth that meant standing tall after defeating a cruel villain despite any pain or strife, but in this new age of peace visibility became a tool for income first, then morale. This meant every media outlet benefited from heroes being successful in some way, in spite of that a scandal was just as tempting at times for those damned vultures if the potential outrage outweighed the possible backlash.
That's why he was in this situation himself, All Might could never be seen as weak. He was the Symbol of Peace, the crux of that very system.
"Make sure you don't go running around telling anyone about this, no telling your friends or making internet posts, I need you to keep this safe for me." he simultaneously demanded and requested of the boy with a hint of somber resolve. The elder of the two of them let out a tired sigh and resigned himself to his fate as he lowered himself to the ground. He lifted his shirt and awaited the telltale gasp of horror.
A morbid deformed scar stretched all along the man's left side, but it was far from some aged battle scar you might expect to seem on some grizzled veteran of battle. Countless branching scars from stitchwork splayed out from a visible crater, the deformation clearly revealed the injury reaching beyond the safety of the rib cage and into the delicate vital organs no doubt. The entire injury seemed to warp his body into that single piercing point, clearly the work of a quirk aimed with intent to kill.
Instead, all Izuku could do was grimace in silent empathetic agony, mouth slightly agape at the sight. It filled him with disgust and horror in equal measure, he immediately covered his mouth with a hand to hide his twisting expression as he took it all in.
"Take a good look. Five years ago I got injured fighting a villain. Half of my respiratory organs were destroyed." That was the start of it, but it only got worse as All Might continued. The loss of his entire stomach and the aftereffects of countless surgeries made it all the more reasonable now, but the reality of All Might being stricken down to a paltry 3 hours of activity a day? That coupled with his current appearance began to fill the youth's stomach with a sense of dread.
"Five years ago? Was it Toxic Chainsaw?" The boy questioned.
"You're well informed, but no. Chainsaw had some good moves and got some hits in, but a punk like that wouldn't take me down." All Might declared with some degree of vigor, or least what seemed like it. He shook his head, further dismissing the notion. "No, this fight was kept under wraps, and for good reason too. It's the same reason I'm telling you any of this right now. It needs to be that way, for me to be able to save people with a smile, they need to know that smile is true. The Symbol of Peace can not be daunted by evil. My smile is the smile that represents the power of Heroes, and to trick the fear deep inside me."
'The fear?' The revelation shook the boy visibly, even letting a faint gasp slip from his lips. 'All Might, is living in fear?'
"Pros are always risking their lives," he continued with a sudden grimness to his tone, in unison his eyes began a glare that struck Izuku's very soul without hesitation. "I cannot simply say, "You can become a hero even without power."
Izuku heard it again, and he swore this time hurt a thousand times worse than ever before. It felt like his entire body was on fire from the inside out, and the roar of that fire made him deaf to everything around him. Once again he had been told to accept his lot in life, to give up, all because he simply wasn't good enough. It was because he was born different, born defective by design. There was nothing he could do but surrender to his fate it seemed, even All Might thought so. He barely managed to fight back tears at those words.
"...I see." he almost broke down there as his mind raced a mile a minute, desperately his mind tried to find some response worthy of being heard. It didn't matter what else he had to say, Izuku zoned out, his mouth still left hanging agape in shock as his words failed him once again. All his senses failed him for a moment, it took time for his brain to finally come to terms with what had just happened. From meeting the Symbol of Peace, to the reveal of that heinous injury, and finally, the rejection from the very Pro Hero Izuku idolized his entire life. His mind finally managed to process what was happening just fast enough to catch a few parting words.
"It's good to dream, but you need to be realistic as well." he spared Izuku one last glance, looking over his shoulder at the boy briefly. He could see the pain and his shock on his face, the dismay, but he knew there was nothing more he could do for this boy. He had already given him far more time than he had intended. Toshinori began to walk past the threshold to the stairwell but found himself stuck for a moment. "Please, go home safely." Swallowing back his feelings for a moment, Yagi left the boy up there on the roof.
No sooner had the man left the roof did a wild explosion rock the city, stirring the earth between their feet with a tremor.
All Might, having figured out his error, readily made his way to the scene of the crime.
Izuku, despite being plagued with all manner of doubts even more now than ever, managed to pull himself from his stupor. He saw the explosion too, he would've felt it regardless. Normally he'd go off running to the scene, a showdown between heroes and some villain no doubt, but now all those voices from before wore on him. 'What would be the point?' he could only accept his lot in life. "I'd just get in the way." he spoke softly to himself, but the words were filled with venom and laced with disgust. His tightly balled fists, knuckles turned white by the hidden fury of a downtrodden boy.
Tatooin Shopping District
"Damn it." Izuku groaned aloud but kept his words down to a whisper. He didn't really have the time to realize what he had done till it was far too late, after all, he was already at the literal scene of the crime, no sense in turning away now. While not much could be seen beyond the massive crowd that had begun to gather, the smell of smoke coupled with frantic shouts and the flickering flames that along the buildings painted a decent picture. As he tried to peek through the crowd of onlookers, their words began to reach his ears even if he didn't intend to eavesdrop. Each sentence he gleaned from the crowd formed vital pieces to the puzzle, just before his eyes laid upon the spectacle beyond his reach. He could only watch the scene unfold further before him, and to be curt, it was as abysmal as the crowd said.
The fires raged indiscriminately, the nearly lone warrior battling the blistering and consuming blaze was the Pro Hero, Backdraft. The man was frantic as he could be, he was the only Pro Hero capable of impacting the fires in any meaningful way, and the Musutafu Fire Department was nowhere to be found it seemed. Still, he stood firm against the rising flames, even then he still spared glances at the more active threat lurking just beyond. Izuku's eyes followed and his heart leapt into his throat, then smashed back down into the pit of his stomach bitterly.
"No..." It was all his fault. Everything was his fault, it only took him a glance to realize his failure. The Sludge Villain got free, and no doubt he had played some part in why he escaped. All Might had him sealed away, but he was buff back then, and now he wouldn't have been able to do much. All because he wasted his time by distracting him. Worse still, some kid was going to be offered up in his place. That poor blond ki- 'Wait, is that?'
'Kacchan.' Izuku paled at the realization, his eyes growing wider than ever before in horror. He felt his entire body lock up, and instinctively his eyes began to scan around the area for something or someone who could help. 'I need to do something, I can't let this happen, I can't do nothing!' his knees trembled with raw adrenaline and fear coming to him.
The other Pro Heroes, all aside Kamui Wood, were basically immobile at this point. Not for the fault of being trapped, no, rather they simply either seemed to be stuck evading or assessing the situation. In other words, they were simply standing around trying not to get smashed. It was a sad sight to see so many Pro Heroes basically useless in the face of a single villain. Kamui Woods himself couldn't even engage, he was busy trying to relocate trapped customers. Mount Lady was essentially a hazard more than a help in this situation, from what he could see she was half-way between the crowd of spectators and taking up the lofty rears from the action.
"Isn't anyone going to try to save him?" Izuku felt his stomach twist into knots, and his brows furrow deeply, practically meshing together. Raging bile began to rise from him, along with the bitter sting of helplessness he knew far too well. 'Just grab him and pull him out, you idiots, work together, not one at a time, this isn't turn-based combat!'
He almost didn't realize a few of the crowd turned back to cast strange looks at him, sending glares the boy's way in many cases. His habit of speaking his mind aloud unintentionally was a curse.
"Stupid fucking kid." At least one barked dismissively. The other comments were either more slightly more apathetic or simply non-existent. Yet, strangely, Izuku didn't care. Despite everything, Izuku couldn't deny, he still didn't want to see Bakugo die like this. A part of him did hate his old friend, but he couldn't let this happen; much less allow this to be his fault.
'What happened to All Might? Did the Slug- no, if he overpowered All Might, he would've been using his body by now.' Things just got worse and worse the more he thought about them. Every second counted because it was a second Bakugo was losing, and it seemed like practically nobody seemed to pay that much mind. 'Was nobody really going to t-?' That's when he caught the sight of a familiar billowing mane of blond hair. He almost completely walked past the man earlier, but he had been there as well the entire time. Izuku had to crane his neck to get an eye on him properly.
All Might, the once-grand Hero, was just a wither husk, watching the scene unfold with a forlorn face. Not a smile to be seen. All he did was stand there, clinging to a light pole and not lifting a finger beyond that.
It made Izuku cringe, the sight of his Hero being reduced to a mere insult of what he once was, what a morbid reality to see him submit. Izuku realized nobody was coming, at least nobody close enough. Somebody needed to do something, somebody needed to act.
Apparently that somebody was him.
"WWAAAAHHHH!" Izuku bellowed out as he broke free from the crowd, making a mad dash for the very heart of all this drama. He didn't realize what he was doing until after Death Arms failed to snatch him up, by then he had passed all others. Honestly, it was a blur, but nearly everything was, even his peripheral vision was still foggy as he charged for the Slime Villain. 'Why did I run for it without thinking?!'
'A plan, I need a plan, quick!' The gears in his head began to race, it was already a burdening thought but, in those milliseconds between here and there were all he had. A quick scan was all he could afford, rapid thoughts that were merely half-formed, it was desperate, but time wasn't on his side. The Slime Villain was almost entirely comprised of slime, almost. The eyes, hit the eyes, blind him, grab Kacchan, fallback to the safety of the Heroes. It wasn't his best idea, but it was something that made sense and had at least a chance. He'd give anything to save Bakugo right now, not just because of their old friendship, or his need to play hero, but when Izuku looked into Bakugo's eyes he couldn't see his anger anymore. Bakugo was scared, he was a teenager afraid of dying, just like he was over an hour ago.
'I'm going to save you, damn it, even if I have to take your fucking place!'
Izuku flung his backpack with as much deftness and strength he could muster in his thin arms. Bullseye. Right in those ugly eyes. There wasn't anything stopping him as Izuku practically flung himself upon the Slime Villain and began to hastily tear away at the creature, ripping out glob after glob of oozing sticky gunk that reeked a foul odor. Izuku never took his emerald eyes away from the burning scarlet of Bakugo's, but that fear was gone, replaced by a look of confusion.
Bakugo gasped for air when he could, the feeling of the blistering smokey air still managed to refresh him plenty when compared to the vile gunk that was forced down his throat. "Y-you idiot! Get out of here, Deku! You're useless!" he spat at the wound-be savior with utter contempt even when facing death.
Izuku didn't know why, or at least he couldn't pick one definite answer. So he settled for what sounded best to him. "I couldn't help myself, you look like you needed help!" he spoke with a tremble, both vocal and physically as fear and adrenaline fought one another in the young boy's body. Even Bakugo's hateful words wouldn't turn his heart now, it was far too late either way. His hands never slowed as they dug into the clumps of sticky slime.
"Comeoncomeoncomeonco-" His gibbering was cut off as a thick rope of slimy tentacle wrapped around his torso, and once it coiled around twice it began to squeeze the air of his lungs. Still, he managed to keep his hands up, fingers still entwined with slime.
"Two-for-one sale today? Exclusive!" The Slime villain cackled in manic delight at the sight of the two helpless boys looking up at him with a mixture of anger and dismay. The tentacle wrapped around Izuku began to tighten with haste. "I'll make sure to use you as a shield, Brat. You're better off that way, I could tell you're Quirkless when I tried to jack your body. This kid actually has firepower, so make yourself useful!"
'I tried. I'm sorry, Mom and Auntie Mitsuki. You deserved better.' Izuku began to accept his fate as the air started to leave his lungs. The villain's strength far greater than anything Izuku could muster, but despite even that he still tried to fight. He still wanted to live.
Suddenly Izuku found himself lifted off his feet and spinning around, the world was a blur again, but this time there wasn't even a point of focus, everything was a haze.
"DETROIT SMASH!"
A sudden whirlwind whipped the shopping district with a massive force, the sheer wind pressure generated from the attack blew the Slime Villain apart in small blobs that flew off into the distance. Just like that the battle was over, All Might had dashed in out of nowhere and ripped both boys free from the villain's grasp, then blasted him away.
"Ahhh..." Izuku gasped, taking in a breath of fresh air as the aftermath began to play out before him. Everything was out of his hands at this point. The fanfare for All Might was as powerful as ever. Yet Izuku noticed All Might wasn't as solid as tried to appear, a smear of crimson spread across his left arm told him only made that more apparent. The reporters came by once the heroes regained some order, they instantly flocked to All Might while the crowd was practically chanting his name. Some of the Pros and the Police went off to gather the disabled Slime Villain before he managed to reform. Some pros, not all.
Some stayed to praise Bakugo, they praised him for not dying and blowing stuff up with his strong quirk. That's what the gist was.
"Kid, you got a deathwish or something?! Some kinda suicidal nut?!" Death Arms practically screeched in the boy's face. A few droplets of spit even scatter against Izuku's face much to his disgust.
"No matter your intentions, all you had done was make the situation worse. This isn't a place for middle schoolers, young man!" Kamui Woods scolded in a much more subdued manner, but Izuku could tell he was forcing himself to stay calm.
The boy could only bow his head and offer woeful apologizes, it wasn't much, but he didn't know what else to do.
"I-i'm sorry, I just couldn't help myself, I wan-" Izuku tried to offer some explanation, but it didn't matter.
"Young man!" A familiar deep voice rang out over the buzz of the onlookers. Izuku felt his heart sink rapidly, anchored down by a renewed sense of panic. He looked up to see All Might had begun to walk over to him, but there wasn't a smile on his face again. Izuku would never get used to that look, All Might without a smile just felt unnatural to him, and a bit unsettling too.
"You wanted to help! I understand, but you are the one who needs to understand now. It is not about what you want, it's about reality! I told you to return home, Young..." All Might paused, trying to desperately recall the boy's name, he had skimmed over it when writing his signature in the notebook earlier. "Young Mi-Miz-"
"You heard him, go home, Deku!" He heard Bakugo call out with a snarl, cutting Midoriya off just as the boy managed to open his mouth. Izuku was left with his mouth agape; as if being lectured by his idol wasn't bad enough, Bakugo's pride simply couldn't exist without trying to crush Izuku's own.
All Might nodded in Bakugo's direction.
"Yes, listen to your friend, Young Deku! The world of Heroics isn't for you, so please, return home safely. Don't be so reckless, it's dangerous out there for Quirkless people!" All Might tried to be firm, but not cruel. He felt like the advice was very called for, if the boy simply acted a bit more rationally none of this would've happened. Still, it's partly his own fault, and the boy had no malice in his intent. It wasn't pleasant being the bearer of bad news, but the boy needed to hear it before he got hurt like today.
"Young Deku"
"You're below the rejects, you're Quirkless!"
"The world of Heroics isn't for you"
"You should probably give it up."
"It's dangerous out there for Quirkless people"
"I'm sorry, Izuku…"
All he could manage to do was be broken down by those words that never left his head. Izuku stood there, unable to move, unable to think, just unable. It was as if he just disconnected from his body, stuck in a bad dream. He turned his head downward, incapable of looking All Might in the eye. He wanted to melt into a puddle and slink away into the sewer, to be washed away and never have to be seen again. The feelings of shame, anger, and despair began to take root in his very soul, leaving him lost in a violent whirlwind of emotion. Still, he held back his tears, only because he was too shocked to cry at this point.
"He's Quirkless?" A bystander murmured.
"Wow, that kid's dumb." Another added.
"Probably suicidal, or maybe he thinks he can be a hero?" That last one was sarcastic and loud.
"So really dumb then, got it." The second replied.
To his credit, All Might turned around to face the crowd as they began to turn into a more vocal audience in the more distasteful of ways. Instead, he got a face full of cameras and microphones.
"All Might, would you repeat that? What's this about Quirkless people and danger?" A picturesque blonde reporter seemed to burst out from the pack, eager to gain the attention of the number one Pro Hero. Unfortunately for both her and All Might, the rest of the reporters were just as eager to get more of Japan's hottest commodity.
"Ah! J-just give me a moment, please!" All Might held up his hands in, entering a defensive posture as the crews approached. He took a glance over his shoulder, expecting to find that green-eyed boy once again, but instead, there was just empty space where he once stood.
'Huh, guess he ran off.' All Might turned back to the crowd, eager to end this whole ordeal.
"Whywhywhy am I so damn useless!" Izuku sobbed furiously, wet hot streams of glistening tears rolling down his cheeks without end. Each breath he heaves and wheezed as the sobs rocked his body. No matter how much he hated being a crybaby, he couldn't stop himself now. Everything that happened to today was his fault, it was almost going to be that way, but he couldn't even help! Nothing he did would matter outside of freeing the villain. His eyes opened wide even as they burned with the sting of tears.
'I really did more to help the villain than I did to help All Might. I really did get in the way, all the way from the start."
He slid down against the concrete wall he had pressed himself against, clutching his disheveled bookbag to his chest and soaking it with his tears all the while.
"There is no place for me in the world of Heroics." It felt wrong on his lips, the words tasted like poison to him. Yet it was true, and he hated that.
'There is no place for me in the world.' He shut his eyes together tightly, trying to fight back the fresh tears. The bitter thought wearing on his mind for a moment, only to push it away. He knew that wasn't entirely true but also knew that's exactly how it felt most of the time for him. He wondered if that's what it was like being Quirkless, or was he just exceptionally cursed.
"I'll-I'll become a p-policeman." he spoke between sobs, slowly managing to regain his breath. It wasn't what he wanted but maybe facing reality is what he needed after all. 'All Might said he couldn't be a Hero, Kacchan said the same thing for years, they're both better than me, of course they're right.' Izuku let out an embittered sigh and began to dust himself off, finally regain some control over his tears as well.
He never really came to terms with how hopeless his dreams were, but he never accepted it was just him clinging in denial to a dying dream. It's not that he wanted it to give up and just accept his role as a quitter, but Izuku couldn't help but feel like the universe had it out for him sometimes. All Might, the man he looked up to as the literal embodiment of justice and peace, the man he practically worshiped for nearly his entire life, fed him the bitter truth he refused to confront all those years ago in that doctor's office. That day was the start of his descent, and everything after that just felt like more salt being rubbed into the wound.
He hated how powerless he was, that he just had to accept it.
He hated how much everyone reminded him of his place.
He hated how nobody ever actually believed in him.
Most of all though, he hated himself.
AN: There you have it! I know this first chapter is a bit heavy on internalized thoughts and feelings rather than dialogue, but moving forward there will be an equal mix. This chapter was pretty much a retelling of the first two episodes which I know can be a slog, but all of this serves to explain the mentality of All Might and Izuku in this AU, that's the biggest divergence. All Might wasn't being malicious, and Izuku is still the same Izuku from the show, it's just that All Might is less idealistic in this one.
Any reviews are welcome, suggestions, and critiques. I'll take them flames too mf'er.