A/N- Hello everyone! This is my first story, so bear with it for a while until I get better at writing. I hope you enjoy it.
Please review and give your thoughts. I want to know how to make this story better in any way, shape, or form.
And let me be forthcoming and apologize upfront for the Himiko and Izuku relationship. The relationship is not my focus for the story, but I'll try my best to pace it right and keep it consistent with the characters. If you still have a problem with it, then I'm sorry for not meeting your expectations, and I thank you for giving my story a chance. I hope you find the story you're looking for here or elsewhere, or you can power through my story and curse me out in the reviews, or DM me. ;)
Also, if you guys could point out inconsistencies, that would be extremely helpful for making the story much better and easier to read.
And please, for the love of God, tell me where I missed a letter or word because there's a good chance that if it's there in the story, I don't know about it.
Martyr: someone who is killed for their ideals or beliefs, or someone who suffers constantly due to their beliefs.
A genetic mutation known as a quirk gives an ordinary individual an arbitrary superpower. The world's balance was permanently changed when these superpowers first emerged. Power balances were broken, and people could do almost anything with their newfound powers.
Gifts like quirks were given to 80% of the human population, while 20% remained quirkless.
Those in the 20% are usually members of the elderly population, but sometimes a quirkless individual slips through the cracks and becomes part of the younger generation. Those kids typically don't last long because they don't have the strength of character or mental fortitude required to keep moving forward.
And even when a quirkless individual has the strength to keep pushing, almost everyone they interact with pushes them down and forces them into submission in one way or another. In the modern era, the quirkless have only ever known the feelings of defeat and rejection. It doesn't matter how strong a quirkless person is; that feeling of rejection and constant abuse will eat away at them for their whole lives, constantly breaking them down.
Usually, the modern quirkless individual commits suicide before ever getting the chance to live. For those strong-willed people who try to keep moving forward, they typically become bitter and cold, which enables them to adapt to their new painful life. From that bitterness comes a strong, burning fury that will never extinguish until retribution for those who hurt them is achieved.
But what if a quirkless person never had these feelings? What if they went their whole life forgiving all the people who wronged them? What if they had never experienced the rage and hatred they had built up for years? What if someone so good-natured never acknowledged the rage, hate, and vengeance they had a right to feel?
What would happen if that person suddenly felt the repressed emotions they never knew they had? And what if that repressed rage continued to grow alongside them as they moved through life?
It is impossible to try and comprehend a situation like that because it's never been seen or thought of. No one alive would know how to handle an event in which someone suddenly felt years of hatred and wrath that had formed a forever burning flame powered by pure emotion. The world is unprepared for such an event, but because nothing similar has ever happened, no thoughts about preventing such a catastrophe have ever been formed.
Except everyone forgot one simple fact in life: all it takes to change a person's nature is one bad day.
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Izuku Midoriya, the weak, quirkless kid who suffered from relentless bullying and abuse, had one thing many people didn't have. He had a heart of gold and a clean conscience. His mindset allowed him to forgive and forget everything that ever happened to him. It allowed him to keep moving forward despite being ignorant of the dormant fury inside him.
He was a firm believer in justice. He was so devoted to the idea of being a protector that he wanted to be a hero. Except Izuku didn't know that his justice would end up transforming into a completely different kind of fairness.
They always say, "Don't meet your heroes," and that is exactly what Izuku did. He met his hero, All Might. The man was a beacon of hope for Izuku. He was responsible for helping Izuku create his morals and justice. And now Izuku could finally talk to him, on top of a rooftop they happened to fall onto after Izuku desperately grabbed him.
But All Might unknowingly made a mistake. In his haste to leave, he would accidentally be responsible for crushing Izuku's hope and creating a person hellbent on defying the odds. All Might destroyed the last light in Izuku's soul. The act of that would allow far darker forces to begin infecting Izuku's heart, effectively sending Izuku deeper into despair, where he would discover more and more about who he is and what he's capable of.
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"I'm sorry, but without a quirk, becoming a hero is practically impossible. You need to be realistic. Maybe try becoming a police officer or a villain containment specialist. There is admirable work in those fields." All Might said calmly yet sorrowfully as he turned his back to the poor child, "I hate to do this... but I have to leave now."
All Might looked down at the ground, full of guilt as he crushed a boy's hopes and dreams. But he had no choice; he was out of time, and there was nothing he could do about it. With a cough, All Might hoped Izuku could recover by himself. All Might leaped into the sky, the wind whipping around him as he soared through the air.
After All Might left, Izuku just stood there, emotionless, staring ahead. No movement was made as a soft breeze blew past him, causing his loose school uniform and bushy green hair to wave in the wind. Out of nowhere, Izuku smiled with no emotion as the scene played over in his head like a video on repeat.
"I guess that's that. I got my answer. At least I know now." Izuku began laughing loudly with a lifeless gaze as he kept thinking about the situation.
"Hahahaha... hahaha... hahaha... hahaha... hahaha... hahaha... hahaha... hahaha... ha... *sob*" Gradually, Izuku's laughs turned into heavy sobs as tears rushed down his face and went around his sad smile. Izuku's quivering voice got sadder and sadder as his tears filled his eyes and dropped onto the roof floor.
Through his tears, Izuku felt his burned hero analysis book in his tight grasp. The sight of the notebook only made him cry harder as he lost all his hope. With a quivering voice, Izuku dropped the book as more sobs came forth, and he spoke to himself in a desperate tone. "I-I guess I am just a Deku."
Izuku felt the strength in his legs leave him. He fell to the floor and rested on his legs as he continued to cry. Izuku gasped for air as his world collapsed around him. Everything he fought for, lived for, and believed in was snatched away from him by the one man he looked up to.
Izuku felt everything leave him. He had nothing left. He was nothing. He screamed in a fit of mixed emotions, "AHHHHHHHHH, WHY ME OF ALL PEOPLE!?"
With no clear thoughts in his head, Izuku slammed his hands onto the ground and started banging his fists onto the concrete floor in frustration while tears fell from his eyes. Intense sobs started to find their way out of his eyes as all his emotions began to mix. Izuku ignored the sudden explosion of extreme emotion; instead, he vented his pent-up frustrations through tears and pounding fists.
"Why am I always the one suffering!? What did I do to deserve this!? All I wanted to be was a hero to help people!" Izuku wiped away some tears as he reminded himself that his dream had been denied. He suffered for so long, wanting nothing more than to be a hero and help people. But Izuku was turned away every time while being abused by people he thought were his friends at one point. "What do I do now, suffer more!? No one is coming to help me! And no one will ever come!" With one last punch to the ground, Izuku yelled into the sky, expelling all his emotions from his body.
Silence filled the air as the breeze continued to fly past Izuku.
With a desperate and defeated gaze, Izuku looked ahead.
"... All of this happened because I'm weak and useless... I really am a Deku..." Izuku stayed on the floor a little longer as he began to feel nothing. He soon got up, defeated, and noticed his hands were scraped heavily after slamming his fists into the floor.
But Izuku didn't have any emotions left to care about his health. Izuku looked at his hands a little longer, feeling empty. Sadness and hopelessness began leaking into his core and filling his head with dark thoughts. 'Maybe I should just take Bakugo's advice; killing myself will end the suffering that I never deserved in the first place.'
Izuku turned his empty and lifeless gaze to the edge of the building he was on, and with nothing but sadness going through his head, he picked up his notebook and walked over to the edge. Izuku stared longingly at the street below as he stood on the edge of the building, contemplating ending it all.
"... All I wanted was to help people. Why does that make me the bad guy?" More sadness, coldness, and depression entered Izuku's mind. Sending him deeper into despair. Izuku looked at his notebook and felt more negative emotions enter his mind. Without hesitation, Izuku dropped the notebook from the building and watched it bang into the ground.
'... I can't be a hero... He said, I can't be anything... I can't do anything...' Izuku came to his conclusion, which centered on him being nothing. His thoughts got darker and darker until they resembled a black hole that sucked in all the hope he had left.
Izuku dangled his foot off the edge of the building as his breathing and heartbeat accelerated. "Am I really going to do this...?" Izuku closed his eyes, searching for any answer that would tell him not to drop. But all Izuku found was a meloncholic peace as he prepared to take the final step.
"… I guess it's time..."
Izuku's weight shifted forward as he was about to fall.
But Izuku felt a sudden and powerful urge flare up deep inside him. Izuku shot his eyes open, and they refilled with life as he looked down at the street. He was about to fall... to his death.
Terrified, Izuku frantically swung his arms to regain his balance.
Falling back, Izuku hyperventilated as the events that had just happened ran through his head. "What was that!? Why was I about to do that!?" Izuku calmed down as he thought about it, and again all his depression started to leak into his head, replacing the life he had regained and reminding him of his uselessness.
"...That's right, I have no chance out there to be a hero." Izuku curled up into a ball as he sat on the roof, feeling his sadness and depression. "But what's the point in fighting for it? I can't do anything." Izuku felt like crying again, but he just didn't have the mental energy to do it again.
Izuku wanted to go on and continue to fight for his dream. But he knew that there was no way that was happening. Deep down, Izuku always knew that, yet he still had the desire to go on. Izuku clutched his head in distress as he fought off these dark feelings and suicidal thoughts.
"This isn't right! But what is correct!?I can't be a hero! I'm just useless! So what do I do now!? I don't know anymore!" Izuku was in deep distress as his mind began tearing itself apart trying to find a solution for him. Izuku had no idea what to do with his life now that his goal had been ripped away from him. Izuku found the strength to cry again as tears began to fill his eyes. His dark thoughts won the internal battle, and they began to drown his mind in sadness once again.
A single tear dropped from his eyes, and Izuku quickly clutched his head in pain as he felt his brain burn and ache. It felt like a firestorm was ripping his mind in half, trying to destroy it. "GUAAAAHHHHHH!"
Izuku didn't know what was going on, so he shut his eyes to try and dull the aching pain in his head. It felt like he was being rapidly slammed headfirst into a concrete wall while on fire. The pain was incredible and overwhelming, making Izuku scream into the sky.
"AAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Izuku closed his eyes tighter and screamed in absolute pain as he felt the rush of a burn enter his head. It traveled through his brain and body like a tsunami of fire. All the dark and sad thoughts that had been drowning Izuku's mind were instantly incinerated and replaced by a clear mind with a focused fire powering it all.
As if a light switch were flipped, the pain disappeared entirely. Izuku clutched his eyes shut, afraid of the possibility of the pain returning. But when nothing happened, Izuku began to calm down.
Izuku opened his eyes to see a lingering flash of a black abyss and a face with green emerald eyes above a wide, sinister smile. Blinking rapidly, Izuku saw the darkness leave, and his vision cleared as his eyes darted around to try and spot what that was.
Izuku got up with caution, feeling all the pain leave his head. He looked around and realized he was still on the roof, wondering what he had seen. Izuku brought a hand up to his head and concluded that he must have hallucinated. He had a mental breakdown, so it was understandable that his mind briefly broke.
Izuku's eyes widened as he realized that he no longer felt sad. He wondered what caused his depressed emotions to just disappear. Closing his eyes, Izuku felt around in his mind to see if he could come up with a solution, but none presented itself.
Suddenly, an electric-like jolt of some emotion shot through his body, and Izuku felt a wave of scorching determination flow through him. Giving in to the feeling, Izuku opened his eyes and was greeted with a beautiful, bright blue sky, which made him regret nearly killing himself over his goal.
A mixture of determination, confidence, and ambition shot through him, blending with his newfound resolve. Izuku sharpened his mind, and a new goal began to emerge in his head. Izuku stared off into the distant city with resolve in his eyes while the searing feeling ever so slightly grew.
As he observed the city, a strange, burning emotion began to fill his head. Izuku balled his fists and began to shout due to the overwhelming aggressive feeling he was now feeling. Due to the feeling, Izuku felt all his anxiety and shyness briefly burn away, giving him confidence.
"I hope you can hear me, everyone! I don't care what you do to me! I will be a hero! And I'll save more people than anyone ever has! I'll be there for everyone and anyone! I'll save those that the heroes don't want to save! I don't care who gets in my way! I will show them all that I'm not useless!"
Izuku breathed deeply as he refilled his lungs. His shouts reached just outside the block, but they cemented his goal in his mind. Izuku relaxed his scraped hands and felt his new goal of saving all the people the heroes ignore burn itself into his soul.
However, as his objectives shifted to favoring the role of savior, Izuku felt a small amount of the unfamiliar burning emotion, and it made him want to aggressively try harder. It fueled his resolve and determination, driving him to achieve his goal by any means necessary. The foreign emotion ignited Izuku's vocal cords once again, so he shouted his thoughts out to the world without worry.
"I don't care what I have to survive through! I don't care how much suffering I have to endure! I will save those who need saving!"
Izuku breathed deeply to relax as he mentally laughed at the declaration he just made. He suffered for so long due to his beliefs and ideals. He giggled at his new goal. Izuku was the one who wanted to remove some suffering from the world by taking his pain and suffering and using them to rid the world of other negativities. Izuku decided to use life's sick game of suffering to save people from suffering.
Weirdly, that strange emotion left again, and Izuku noticed it only showed up when he started to think aggressively, but he shrugged it off since he didn't see a problem with it at the moment.
After descending the building, Izuku decided to take the long route home. He thought that it would enable him to think. It did give him time to understand these new goals and this newfound emotion that had infected his very being, which he was very curious about.
Have I always had this emotion in me? ... What's the point of questioning it? It's there now... But I do want answers.' Deep down, Izuku knew these feelings were always there; he just didn't want to admit it.
After all his years of suffering at the hands of others simply due to his dreams and ideals, these emotions finally surfaced. These feelings were always within him, just buried under many, many layers of denial and memory repression. They were so foreign to Izuku since he had never felt these locked away emotions.
All Izuku cared about was helping others. He never once cared about how he felt.
But today was the final straw. All of his suppressed rage and hatred for the world and other people were finally revealed to him. Izuku couldn't name these emotions because he had never felt them before and he had never needed them, but now they had begun to infect him after being unleashed.
Except Izuku didn't care that these emotions showed up; he was going to use them to be a hero; he was going to save people and help them. Izuku didn't care what it took or how much more suffering he was going to have to go through because of these emotions.
He would be his own kind of hero.
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Izuku walked and walked through town until he accidentally went into a foul area because he wasn't paying attention as he walked. Once Izuku entered the district, he came across a group of thugs. Averting his eyes, Izuku tried not to make himself known to them. Unfortunately, the thugs eyed him and started to make their way over to him. Thoughts of running away entered his mind, just as he was feeling ready to run away at full speed.
Walking faster and averting his eyes again, Izuku tried to escape as he began to sweat a little due to his nervousness. Unfortunately for Izuku, he looked like easy prey for the thugs. Izuku tried to get out of there, but one of the thugs caught him and held him in place by his shoulder.
"Hey man, how you doing? Me and my friends here are wondering if you can… donate… to our cause." The thug stated as he gripped something in his pocket with his hand.
"I-I-I'm sorry, b-b-but I d-don't have a-any money to s-spare." The other thugs made it over and looked at Izuku with predatory eyes.
"Aw, don't be like that. I'm sure you can give us something." Another thug said while staring at Izuku, who was sweating bullets as he tried to think of a way out, but unexpectedly, that strange new burning feeling was aggressively telling his mind to just run away. But every instinct in Izuku was telling him not to do that because something bad could happen. Izuku's mind was made up for him by the thugs though.
Izuku was taking too long to respond, and one of the thugs was getting frustrated, so he slapped Izuku. "Hey, anyone home? We asked if you had anything for us." Izuku just took the slap as he was thrown off balance, causing him to fall to the floor with his hands and knees under him.
Tears started to come to his eyes, but strangely, Izuku felt calm and not scared anymore as the blazing feeling took control. And he knew why; this new feeling was affecting him mentally, but Izuku wasn't going to question it since it was a blessing right now.
With a clear mind, Izuku finally built up the confidence to act as adrenaline shot through him in anticipation.
Without a second to spare, Izuku bolted down the road.
The thugs quickly followed since they wanted to mug him. However, Izuku managed to outpace them with his feeble body, but due to his clear head, he was able to think while running away.
'... I'm running away...? I'm running away! This is the first time I've ever done this. Why does it feel so good to finally have the upper hand?
Izuku had lost the thugs by running around the block and sprinting past corners, but Izuku didn't notice the refreshing grin on his face as he ran from them. However, Izuku did notice that once he stopped, he was sore and tired; the adrenaline rush he had gotten wore off; and he had no physical ability left.
"Ow, I need to get in shape. This fucking hurts." Izuku's eyes shot open as he spoke. He had never used the word 'fuck' before. Izuku was aware of what it was, but he had never used it. It wasn't a word in his immediate vocabulary, and he never relied on using it. Strangely, it felt somewhat good to say it, but his consciousness made him dislike the word and scold himself.
Feeling a little guilty about it, Izuku decided he should stop using it since it didn't feel right. Feeling his stamina refill, Izuku slowly walked back to his home since his body hurt.
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Once Izuku made it home, he placed his ear on the front door and listened to make sure his mom wasn't home. Walking into the apartment, Izuku went straight to his room so he could reflect on the day and the new emotions he felt in himself.
Izuku flopped onto his bed and took a much-needed deep breath. Relaxing into the softness, Izuku found the new feeling in him again, but it disappeared just as fast. But he didn't mind. It flared up when Izuku needed it to or when he began to get a bit aggressive, which wasn't a bad quality in his eyes.
As Izuku relaxed, he thought about everything that happened with those thugs, but he was hyper-focused on how free he felt as he ran, almost like his mind was no longer holding him down. Izuku felt more confident and comfortable in his skin when the strange, sizzling feeling rose in him. It was almost like the burst of emotions forced his mentality to spontaneously change into something else, something necessary to move forward.
'I like that feeling. It comes and goes. It makes me feel alive, and I can accomplish things I've never done before with it. I wonder what will happen to it in the future? Is this how All Might feels?—' Izuku's train of thought stopped at the mention of All Might. The recognition of his name filled him with that burning feeling again, but this time it felt sharper, almost like the thought of All Might amplified it. As he thought about it, Izuku ignored the aggressive sensation rising in his mind.
'All Might thought of me as weak. If anyone can be a hero, then why can't I be one too? That's what I always thought. What a load of lies! Everyone thinks I'm weak, even All Might, and I suffered for it. Well, I'll prove them all wrong and then show them all that I can be a stronger hero than anyone else!'
Izuku's thoughts then focused on a singular idea: the idea of becoming stronger to save people. A smile formed on his face as the strange emotion aggressively told him to pursue strength. He'll get strong enough to help people carry the weight of their suffering, so they won't have to do it alone anymore.
Izuku got up and went to his desk to begin researching exercises, diet plans, health programs, and anything that would make him stronger than he already is. But he stopped himself when he noticed all the All Might merchandise on his desk.
Izuku turned around to look at his room. All of the fanfare filled him with that sharp sensation again, so he breathed deeply and calmed down as best he could so he could focus, but the sight still annoyed him.
It annoyed him… which was weird for him. Izuku loved All Might, but now the sight of the hero made him too annoyed to even think about keeping the merchandise. Izuku quickly got up and proceeded to aggressively take it all down so he could focus. There was another reason: he figured his desire for strength would require money, and he had none of it. So, Izuku began to see how much money he could make by selling his stuff online.
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When Inko Midoriya got home, she noticed that her son was home before her, but she also noticed his shoes, which were dirtier than usual. Feeling her motherly instincts flare up, she went to check on him. When Inko opened the door to Izuku's room, she was shocked. She saw Izuku taking down and storing all his All Might stuff and appraising most of it in a notebook.
"Umm... Izuku... what are you doing with all of your All Might stuff?" She asked, concerned as she looked at the barren walls, "I thought you loved all that stuff?"
"Oh, hey mom, I didn't see you there. I'm just taking down and storing all of my All Might stuff." Izuku casually replied, trying to hide his rising aggression towards the merchandise.
That answer shocked Inko, along with this sudden change in her son. She noticed that his stutter was gone and he carried himself in a different manner. A more confident and assertive aura covered him. She wondered what could have happened to force Izuku to change into this. "... Oh... okay, well, if you want help, then just ask, and what would you like for dinner?"
"Thank you for the offer, and katsudon would be nice if you don't mind making it," Izuku responded with a small grin.
"Okay, I will get right to making it. If you need anything, just tell me."
"Alright, thanks, bye."
Inko took note of the new person her son had started to transform into. She wasn't exactly opposed to the new Izuku since he was more confident than before. But it worried her. She had no idea what had caused such a drastic and noticeable change in Izuku so quickly.
Forcing the thoughts to the back of her mind, Inko went off to make the food and decided that at the dinner table she would talk to him.
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Some time passed as Izuku cleaned out his room and Inko made dinner. Soon they both sat down to eat, and while they ate, Inko got her chance to talk.
"So, Izuku, did anything happen today? I saw that you were taking down your All Might stuff." Inko noticed how Izuku changed his demeanor and looked down at the mention of All Might, almost as if he were distressed. "Izuku, what happened today?"
"...Well… I finally found the determination I needed to be a hero; it just came to me, so now I need to work hard." Inko looked shocked. Her son had changed. He had never actually prepared to be a hero, but now he was. "Now I'm going to focus my time on improving myself and doing other training things."
Izuku purposely left out the part where he started to feel aggressive because he didn't want to worry his mom over anything else. He was sure that seeing him like this was already worrying for her.
With a shift in mindset today, Izuku was given the new goal of saving as many people as he could, and now he's going to take that goal and do whatever he can to fulfill it. But that doesn't give him an excuse to worry his mother.
After dinner, Izuku began making a list of the exercises he would need to do to become stronger. The exercises he listed made him realize just how hard he would have to push himself to succeed. Izuku had no quirk, so anyone could win against him. He was far behind everyone physically speaking, so he needed to push his body all the time and accept some of the risks that come with that decision. But the aggressive feeling made Izuku want to try even harder to get stronger.
Making a diet plan Izuku made sure to list all the ingredients he would need to buy. He also researched all the materials he would need to buy to make his goal a reality. Lastly, Izuku proceeded to put all his All Might stuff up for sale, so he could make the money he needed. "I don't care about how hard I have to train or what I have to do. I will show them all that they were wrong about me! And I will save anyone who needs saving!"
[2 WEEKS HAVE PASSED]
Two weeks passed after Izuku began aggressively getting stronger. Izuku was aware that he couldn't ever be the strongest hero. But he doesn't care; all he wants is to save people, and he just needs to be strong enough to do that. Izuku had gained a small amount of muscle, and it was starting to become clear just how hard he was pushing himself to achieve his goal.
Izuku had asked Inko to stick to the diet plan he had made for himself, which she had no objection to. Izuku was surprised that almost all of his All Might merchandise had been sold rapidly and for good amounts of cash, but money is money, so Izuku didn't care about the merchandise as long as he got rid of the source of the annoying feeling.
Over the next week, Izuku made it an objective to have an intellectual edge over most people. He realized a week ago that his body isn't going to cut it most of the time, and he can't keep up physically with most quirked people. But his mental abilities could give him the edge he was looking for.
So Izuku began trying to learn as much as he could in chemistry, physics, and other knowledgeable fields to make himself some support gear to have an advantage in his hero work. He didn't know if science fields would help, but he figured it was a good start for entering design and engineering.
Izuku continued to analyze quirks to find their weaknesses and strengths and ways to improve them since it was like a hobby to him. Plus, he was sure it would come in handy at some point. Izuku even began expanding his analysis notes to cover villains since it was a good way to analyze their fighting styles.
Strangely, as time passed, that foreign burning feeling grew to be slightly more intense when he spent time looking at villains or heroes. It was almost like he was beginning to be aggressive towards both heroes and villains, not particularly caring for one or the other.
At school, Izuku was still bullied, but instead of reacting, he just kept his reactions and growing annoyance towards his abusers hidden as best he could. Which helped Izuku realize how disappointed he was with himself since he didn't understand how at one point in his life he called these jerks 'friends'.
The only thing school did for him was annoy him more. Izuku's scorching feelings were growing by the day, and they spiked when he laid eyes on Bakugo. He needed ways to cool off, so he opted for excessive training and long walks around the area. Izuku didn't care where the walks took place, just as long as he walked to work off some of his aggression.
Feeling slightly confident in himself, Izuku started to go to more dangerous areas when walking to and from school. He found that seeing new quirks all the time helped his analytical skills, so he kept at it. Occasionally, Izuku ran away when he needed to, but he never understood why he subconsciously began putting a grin on his face when he got into the smallest of confrontations.
As Izuku went on his walks, he came to slightly dislike those who had powerful quirks. It was strength he didn't have, and they flaunted that strength in the form of abuse and inflicting pain on others. Izuku saw people discriminated against for their quirks simply because they were weak or heteromorphic. Those were people he could sympathize with because he was weak and abused too, so he knew how they felt.
On all of his walks, Izuku found himself getting aggressive with the people who hurt others because they were weak. He saw himself in the shoes of the weak, and it filled him with even more mood-shifting annoyance while growing the scorching feelings he had.
'Why is it always the weak who get trampled on? Why do we get kicked around? The weak are always the ones suffering for what we believe in. All we want to do is help, but they prevent us from doing that! This is so unfair!' These were usually the thoughts running through his head.
It certainly was an odd thought, except Izuku wasn't opposed to that train of thought. Sure, he still wanted to prove to everyone that he was strong enough to save others, but now he wanted to show everyone that the weak can be strong in more ways than one.
But Izuku was about to learn how hard that was going to be.
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Later in the week, on one of his walks home, Izuku came across a man who wasn't right in the head or was intoxicated with something. Izuku tried to meekly go around the man to avoid unnecessary trouble, but the man kept getting in the way, which inevitably led to a confrontation that sapped his confidence.
The man looked tipsy and slurred his words as he spoke, "Hey kid, what are you doing here on this street? You don't belong here; now get going." Izuku was slightly cautious of the man, and he began feeling his head fill with annoyance and aggression.
"I-I was on my way home, b-but then I was stopped by you." Izuku cursed himself for getting nervous enough to let his stutter out, but there was nothing he could do about it now.
"I don't care what you're doing here. You're here now, so now it's time for you to pay up." The drunk got in Izuku's way, and Izuku could feel his annoyance rising, which fed his aggressive emotions.
"Look, just leave me alone." Izuku's meekness and stutter disappeared once the burning feelings began rising. Izuku tried to pass the guy, but his arm shot out and blocked him.
"I didn't say you could leave!" That burning feeling Izuku had rose higher and higher until Izuku let his control slip. It took control of his thoughts and actions.
"Fuck off, you drunk!" Izuku regained control and was taken aback by what he said. He never intended to do that. He was about to apologize for his mistake, but the man was having none of it. "I'm so sorr—"
"What did you say, you stupid little brat!? Do I have to teach you not to say that shit to your elders?" The drunk man said angrily.
"Of course not, sir," Izuku tried to apologize while looking the drunk in the eyes, but it didn't work on this drunk.
"Oh, then I guess I need to take you back to school!" The drunk man said, not paying attention and ignoring Izuku's words.
What followed was the man sending off an air blast and hitting Izuku square in the chest. Unfortunately, the air blast had the man's smell in it, and Izuku could smell the ungodly amount of alcohol this guy drank. Izuku internally yelled at himself, 'Why did I do that?! I don't know how to fight, and this guy clearly is drunk enough to ignore my apology, and now he's attacking a kid!' Izuku got up, ready to run, but was stopped by the man sending another air blast at him.
Izuku barely dodged as the air blast grazed his arm. Izuku began to think about what to do. 'I can't get away with him using ranged attacks, and it looks like his quirk allows him to condense air and send it towards a target. Does he have to be stationary for that?' Izuku tried to think about how to handle this, but the man quickly closed the gap between them and punched Izuku in the head.
Izuku fell to the ground. Pain shot through him as he grabbed his head, but the man came back and proceeded to kick him in his gut and chest.
Izuku yelled in agony and nearly threw up on the man. He tried to stand but was kicked in the side and pushed over onto the ground again, where the man continued to attack him.
Izuku was given a serious beating in a short amount of time. Minutes passed until the man decided he had enough and wandered off somewhere else. Thankfully, it felt like nothing was broken. Izuku felt like he could barely move with the number of bruises he had. He was covered in bruises and bleeding from cuts he had received.
Izuku struggled greatly to stand up. Blood dripped off of him and covered his bruises, and tears of pain formed in his eyes as his bruises ached. Izuku took some breaths and calmed himself.
Fortunately, this assault served as a big wake-up call for him. Izuku needed to get stronger so he could defend himself against these people and save others from people just like that guy.
"How could the heroes let guys like that wander around doing as they please? Why are they never there when someone actually needs them?" Izuku held a hand on his bruised side and tried to quell the pain, but it was hard to concentrate. He sucked in air as the sharp pain from his bruises filled up his body.
"I have to do something about the heroes if I really want to save anyone. The heroes need to fundamentally change if the world is to be fixed, and they need to change now." The scorching emotion he'd become accustomed to stuck itself to that idea, and it drove off with it.
The idea was cemented in Izuku's mind, and it was now the only thing he could focus on since the new emotion made it stick out in his head. The burning emotion made Izuku think he was the only person who could fix it all and that he needed to do it now. He didn't know why he thought this, but he shook his head to clear his mind.
'I can always fix the heroes when I become one.' That was what Izuku was trying to focus on.
Izuku knew he needed to get stronger as soon as he could if he wanted a remote chance to save others with his own power. He began sharply sucking in air as the pain of putting his foot down hit him. Izuku slowly limped home while thinking of the best way to go about getting stronger so he could have the best chance at fixing hero society. Izuku was completely absorbed in these thoughts as he limped, so absorbed that he failed to observe his surroundings and the people around him.
Izuku missed a blonde girl with messy twin hair buns and a light tan loose cardigan staring at him from around the corner. Peeking around the corner were golden, cat-like eyes and sharp canines, helping to make a toothy smile. She also had a huge blush on her face as she watched what just happened. "Wow, that was so hot! He looked amazing covered in blood. I hope I'll see him again... I wonder if he'll let me cut him up some more?'
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Once Izuku got home, he got in the shower to clean off the dried blood he had all over him. When he got out of the shower, Izuku put some of his mom's makeup on the visible bruises that he had received. He wanted to calm her emotions and not panic her once she got home.
It hurt like hell to apply the makeup, but that's what Izuku got for being stupid and letting his burning emotions control him when he wasn't prepared to take on anyone right now. But the beating showed Izuku that he should learn how to fight and how to compose himself to prevent another random outburst. The assault also served to remind Izuku that he needed to do something about heroes right away, or events like this would continue.
After getting some clean clothes on, Izuku slowly limped to his room and began to research a type of fighting style that would allow him to win fights if he got into one. Plus, it meant he could finally defend himself from his abusers. Of course, he would treat it as a last resort to fight Bakugo.
Izuku paused typing and concentrated on the fact that he no longer addressed Bakugo as Kacchan... He figured it was for the best. Izuku realized a week ago that Bakugo was never a friend, and he hasn't been for a while now. For many years, he was only his tormentor, the source of all his pain and suffering. And Bakugo was the current root cause of this foreign burning sensation inside Izuku, causing it to feel like a searing flame.
Hours passed as Izuku researched fighting styles that would best suit him for combat situations. He learned a lot in a short amount of time, but there were still styles he needed to learn and practice if they were ever going to be useful.
Hearing the door to the apartment open, Izuku knew Inko was now home from work. Izuku slowly got up and went out to greet his mom. Despite how annoyed and aggressive Izuku was all the time, he still loved his mom. She had the effect of calming him down when she was around him. Inko cared for him when no one else would, and she was always there for him when no one bothered to show up to help.
But right now Izuku didn't want to be around Inko because worrying her this late in the day was not a good course of action. The love she showed him could only handle so much, and his inner turmoil wasn't helping that. "Hey mom, I'm going to go take a walk around the area for a bit. I just need to clear my head." Izuku walked out of his room and began putting on his shoes to leave.
Inko noticed her son had a slight limp and makeup on his body, but decided to ignore it for the time being so she could ask about it later. "All right, dear, just get back in time for dinner; I know it's getting late, so be careful, okay?"
"Okay mom, you won't need to worry about me."
Inko stared at her son with a worried gaze, but she knew Izuku needed his space at the moment, so she let him go. "I know, I'm just being a mother."
Izuku grabbed a jacket, then left the apartment and slowly walked to a nearby park. The sun was already setting, so there were fewer people out in the street, which gave him enough time to get there even if he was in pain. As Izuku walked, he was still trying to figure out the best way to get stronger and fix heroes at the same time. He knew he needed to learn how to fight. He should also make tools to aid him in fights. Izuku knew that intelligence and tactics were key factors in battle, so increasing them was now a requirement.
As he approached a park, Izuku got the feeling he was being watched from the shadows, but he shook it off because he didn't see anything, and who would want to watch him anyway? Izuku walked over to a bench that was close to a street light, which was currently illuminating the darkness where the setting sun had failed to. Izuku slowly sat down as the pain from the bruises persisted. He got comfortable and sighed, deep in thought, as he closed his eyes.
Izuku didn't notice that a tall man dressed in a black suit approached and sat down on the other side of the bench. Izuku paid no attention to the man and continued to keep his eyes closed in relaxation. But Izuku was disturbed from his peace when the man spoke in a deep, calming voice that had a tone of power.
"Why are you out here this late in the day? Or should I say evening?" The man said as he put his hand on Izuku's shoulder. Izuku was annoyed at how his thoughts were interrupted by this stranger. Izuku internally questioned why he was annoyed at this man who was just trying to make conversation; it wasn't like him to get irritated with strangers trying to be nice. 'That was unexpected. What's going on with me and these new feelings?'
"I-I'm just out here on a walk, trying to relax. Why are you out here?" Izuku again chastised himself for the stutter, but he asked a question, attempting to sound friendly to get the man to go away so he could continue thinking.
The man simply chuckled in a dark tone. "I'm out here looking for you... Izuku Midoriya." The man calmly stated. Izuku tensed up and went pale. 'How did he know my name?!'The man spoke again with a knowing tone.
"I see I have your attention now. Good. I bet you're thinking about how I know your name."
Izuku gazed upon the man and saw that he wore a heavy metal mask to hide his face, although it looked like he only had a mouth with no hair, nose, or eyes. If the intimidating presence was to be believed, Izuku had a feeling this man was not one to mess with.
His nerves were getting the better of him, and Izuku began to shake slightly while breathing deeply to try and not freak out. One thing Izuku knew was that he should not piss off this man. Izuku hesitantly responded while sweating slightly. trying his best to suppress his aggression to keep a level head.
"Yeah, t-that is a question I h-have for you." Izuku replied as calmly as he could, "W-What do you want with me, stranger?"
"Ah, straight to the point, smart. I want to ask for your help, Midoriya." Izuku got a confused face but relaxed a bit and asked.
"Why do you want my help? I-I'm not sure you're asking the right person for help." Izuku spoke, trying desperately to get this guy to go away. But his emotions were not aiding him on that quest as they forced him to hear this man out.
"No, you're the right person. You wrote this after all." The stranger held up Izuku's charred quirk analysis journal. Izuku was stunned that someone had found it and held onto it. The stranger continued, "I like your work, and the notes you took on quirks are amazing, better than anything I can produce or find by myself."
"...Yeah, I wrote that, but it won't help anyone... n-not anymore." Izuku cautiously said as he wondered if this man would take "no" for an answer since he couldn't escape. He didn't seem like a bad character since he came off friendly, but Izuku got the feeling this man wanted something, and that worried him.
"It may not help you, but it will help us. That's why I want you to join me and my group. If you're interested, just say so, and I can give you information on where to find me. And we can help you just as much as you help us. It's a mutual agreement to aid each other."
Izuku was caught up in the offer. He wanted to refuse this offer right on the spot, so he opened his mouth to do so. But Izuku stopped opening his mouth, and no words came out as he sat there frozen in thought.
Izuku's thoughts went to how he could benefit from this. Right in front of him was a person offering him an opportunity to go and help him. This was a one-chance deal. Izuku couldn't pass this up since the man said he could help, plus the man looked like he had an abundance of resources to give to him. Izuku also couldn't forget how much help he needed right now, but he needed more information if he were to join this stranger. "W-What exactly would I be doing for you if I joined you? And what could you help me with?" Izuku asked.
"Ah, good question. If support is what you seek, we can give you opportunities like never before. Your analysis journal mentioned that you want to be a hero. I can help you achieve that if you'll let me, of course." Izuku was stunned. Here was a man who knew who he was and no doubt knew more about him, offering him a helping hand. Izuku was speechless, but nothing was a guarantee, and every deal has a price, so how was Izuku supposed to know if this guy could help him?
"H-How can you help me? I don't know what you can offer." Izuku meekly spoke, trying not to offend this powerful man. He got the feeling the stranger was grinning at him, so Izuku tried to make a good impression on him. As Izuku carefully watched the stranger, he got a sudden sense of dread.
Then the man started chuckling darkly as his shoulders rose and fell. "... This is most unexpected; hardly anyone has the confidence to ask me questions after I state my demands. You interest me, so I'll help you right now as proof of what I can offer. Do you know what that weird, aggressive, but warm feeling you get from time to time is called? The one that, when it grows too much, gives you a hot, sharp burning sensation and a feeling of confidence." Izuku's eyes widened in worry because he didn't know how this man knew about that feeling.
"I can see from your expression that you do not know the name. Then let me tell you, it's called… rage, or wrath, or hatred. If you prefer those, the point is that it's anger." Izuku stared at the stranger blankly. There was no way he was angry all the time; it just wasn't possible.
"No, you're lying! I'm not an angry guy; I'm nice and kind to anyone in need! I do not need anger or rage!" Izuku jumped off the bench and raised his voice at the man who just sat there and took the verbal assault. Izuku finally calmed down and realized what he had done, so he started to shake, but the man stayed still. Then he spoke, with the hint of a smile forming under his mask.
"Just now, did you feel the emotion?" Izuku hesitantly nodded. The man signaled for Izuku to sit back down, which he did. "It's rage, wrath, hatred, fury, and many other things. I know that you've suffered your entire life and have repressed all those emotions so you could be a hero. I can help you come to terms with your true self and help you control it while assisting in your goals."
His words made Izuku feel better. He told Izuku exactly what his situation was, and he was right... he was angry... at everyone and everything. After being denied his dream and told he had no chance for so long, Izuku's intense rage surfaced, and he finally had the drive to pursue his dreams. Izuku could only be a hero if he controlled this, and now a man has offered to help him. Izuku was sure there were other options, but when would he ever get an opportunity like this again?
"... O-Okay, I believe you, but what will I do for you in return?" Izuku asked, which made the man grin under his mask.
"I will tell you when, not if, you come to see me. That way, we can begin to help each other immediately." The stranger gave Izuku a small flip phone. Izuku cautiously took it and looked towards the man who spoke. "Use this when you want to find us so we can aid you. Tomorrow at five in the afternoon, call the number on the phone, and we'll give you further instructions." He promptly got up and walked off into the night after giving Izuku the burner phone.
Izuku watched the man walk off into the darkness. He was left worried and curious about what he had just agreed to do. Izuku was sweating bullets at the intimidating presence he had just felt. It was amazing he was able to remain calm for most of that, but then again, his now-named rage let him do that. Izuku got the feeling that if he didn't agree to the man's offer, then something bad would have happened to him, which only amplified his meager anger.
But Izuku was intrigued by the new opportunities that had been presented to him. Maybe he could get stronger with the help of that threatening man, but that was a thought for later. The only thing Izuku could do was wait to see what this man could do to help him control his newfound rage.
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All for One was pleased with the outcome of the interview with his newest recruit. He didn't even have to use several quirks to make the boy think a certain way. He was elated to find out that Izuku was unaware of his incredible rage, which made Izuku consider the offer by stopping the logical side of him from speaking up.
Yet it was also slightly terrifying to get a glimpse at the sheer amount of suppressed fury Izuku had unknowingly stored up in him. Eleven years' worth of rage, fury, wrath, and many other negative emotions were held back by the sheer will Izuku had. But his willpower was starting to waver due to him beginning to lose hope in the heroes, and All for One wondered what could have made the hero fanboy change so drastically to the point where good and evil existed separately inside him.
All for One was curious about what Izuku would turn into if he combined his good and evil natures and unleashed his anger, but that wasn't his goal. His true aim was to get Izuku to help him end the modern world and take it over without letting the boy know too much.
But All for One was weary of Izuku. He was about to give Izuku a way to sharpen his rage and use it as a weapon. He just hoped that Izuku kept his rage in check with his good side and never pointed that weapon at him; it would be a waste to lose such a valuable pawn.
All for One just hoped that when he destroyed the good in Izuku and unleashed the furious demon inside of him, it wouldn't want revenge.