"Can someone become a hero without a quirk?"
Clenching his notebook tight, knuckles turning white as flecks of burnt ash flake off the edges of its pages, Izuku felt a painful pang stab his chest as All Might's words reverberated through his head. After his fateful encounter with the Number 1 Hero, one that had sent his fragile worldview into its death spiral, Izuku was left in a despondent state, the corners of his eyes burning from unshed tears, yet none would fall.
What was there left to cry for?
"No, I should think not."
Shaking his head, trying to rid himself of that horrid feeling as his idol finally confirmed his greatest fear, struck the final nail into the coffin that housed his dream of becoming a hero. There really was no hope. There was no one who believed in him. His mother. His teachers. Not even the very pinnacle of the hero world, the Symbol of Peace himself All Might, believed it was possible. There was no one in the world who thought someone without a quirk could become a hero.
"It's not wrong to dream."
"He's right." Sighing heavily, Izuku could feel his resolution fade with every breath passing his lips, the reality of life pressing down heavily upon his chest like a weighted stone, threatening to crush him. "I shouldn't live in a fantasy world."
"However, you need to be realistic kid."
"What's the point of constantly hurting myself like this?" Staring at his palm, his fist repeatedly clenching open and closed as if in a trance, Izuku felt how truly weak he really was. "I should just give up. It's for the best."
It was time to let this dream die.
'Today has been a productive day already!'
Grinning brightly, her entire being alight with pure elation as she deposited another set of criminals off with the police, Mt. Lady was happily stomping through the city's desolate streets with a spring in her step, the ground rumbling in a playfully rhythmic manner with every ponderous footfall as she scanned the streets for any possible ne'er-do-wells. Just one more successful nab and she could consider this the perfect day. A new record of arrests, several crowds cheering her every appearance without a single paparazzi or amateur 'photographer' in sight, and, best of all, not a single bit of property damage to her name!
She might be able to splurge on the good bento this time!
Passing a large intersection, Mt. Lady blinked a couple of times before quickly backtracking, the gigantic hero peeking out from behind a multistory building, her bright smile turning luminous as she spotted a familiar sprout of poofy green hair. It was that sweet, yet awkward, boy from the other day! She needed to talk to him!
'This really is my lucky day!' Mt. Lady thought as she stepped out from behind the building and rushed down the two-lane street toward the unsuspecting greenette, her purple eyes shining dazzlingly as she approached his diminutive form, the young boy having not yet noticed her approach. Lumbering toward him, each footfall making the ground gently shake, Mt. Lady, too excited at getting to meet her new favorite fan, forgot to deactivate her Gigantification quirk, his already small stature practically insignificant the closer she got to him.
Stopping in his tracks, finally registering the giant hero's earthshaking approach, Izuku was pulled from his mental spiral by familiar thundering footsteps, the green-haired boy lifting his head up, and up, and up, to stare into the grinning face of the pro-hero Mt. Lady. Skidding to a stop a couple feet in front of the diminutive schoolboy, the distance negligible to her immense frame, Mt. Lady placed her hands on her knees as she bent slightly at the waist to get a better view of the greenette by her feet, her purple eyes alight with joy at their unexpected reunion.
"Hey there short stuff!" Lifting her hand, Mt. Lady gave the startled boy an enthusiastic wave, a series of delighted giggles passing her lips as she greeted the green-haired hero fanatic. "Fancy meeting you out here again. You must have really become smitten with me, huh?"
Staring up into the pro-hero's smiling billboard-sized visage, her gorgeous purple eyes looking at him with warm affection, her beautiful face framed by glittering golden locks of dazzling blonde, Izuku felt the shadow over his heart dissipate slightly as the dull, cloudiness in his eyes returned to its usual sparkling green.
"So how are you doing, little guy?" Shooting him a toothy grin, mentally trying to figure out a bunch of fun nicknames for the little guy, the smile on Mt. Lady's face slowly fell when the green-haired boy averted his gaze, a deep, sorrowful expression marring his boyish features. He looked…crestfallen, practically depressed as he sharply bit his lip, his steady breathing growing labored as he tried to hold back a flood of tears.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Falling to her knees, the ground rumbling as her entire weight impacted roughly with the ground, Mt. Lady's voice was fraught with worry for the poor boy, his demeanor completely different from what she saw just the day before. While, yes, he was a bit awkward and downright jumpy, he still was enthusiastic and full of life. His excitement when asking about her quirk, his brilliant smile when she gave him her autograph, the brilliant spark of admiration in his emerald eyes when he looked at her. It was all gone.
Seeing him like this, so sad, so broken, made her want nothing more than to pick him up and cuddle him until he was happy again.
"Do…do you…" Hesitating slightly, his head hung low, Izuku wasn't sure if he could ask her the question, the green-haired boy afraid to be disappointed again by someone he looked up to. His entire life, with all of its setbacks, every time he was knocked down, Izuku kept dreaming, kept believing it could come true. Not his mother, not the doctor, not Kacchan. None of them could make him stop believing.
All it took was one man to make it all crumble to dust. Can he really afford to have it trampled on by another?
'But…just maybe…' Looking up at the towering pro-hero, seeing the genuine concern on her face, her purple eyes fraught with worry, remembering how wonderful she was to him last time, Izuku knew he had to take the risk. 'Maybe things will be different.'
"Do…do you think someone without a quirk can be a hero?" Izuku's voice came out barely above a whisper, filled with dueling emotions of dismay and hope, but his words nonetheless hit Mt. Lady as if he had shouted them at the top of his lungs. Straightening up slightly, purple eyes wide with confusion, Mt. Lady stared at the green-haired boy in stunned disbelief, his question having caught her completely off guard.
'Wh…what the hell do I say to that?!' Mt. Lady internally screamed as she tried to keep a cool facade on the outside, the boy's question having thrown her completely for a loop, the titanic hero unsure of how to answer. Realistically, the chances of someone without a quirk becoming a hero were less than stellar, if not downright zero. It had never been done and it would be ill-advised and reckless for her to tell him they could. Someone without a quirk going up against someone who did, even if it was the most benign quirk imaginable, would have a hard time dealing with them, let alone a villain who had no qualms about ending someone's life.
No, she didn't think it was possible.
But...staring into the green-haired boy's eyes, seeing that desperate hope shining in their emerald depths, remembering how dejected, how hopelessly lost he seemed earlier, gave the towering hero pause. Yes, she didn't believe it was possible. But, something about this boy, whether it was his sheer enthusiasm or the kindness in his eyes, his heart clearly one of a great hero, how he had encouraged her simply by being himself, made Mt. Lady believe.
She believed he could be a wonderful hero.
Leaning a little further down, the pair practically face to billboard-sized face, Izuku jumping slightly at the sudden movement of the towering woman as her warm breath washed over him. Gulping softly, slightly intimidated by the sheer, overwhelming presence the gigantic hero exuded, especially with her face so close to his, the hero fanatic's emerald orbs growing wide with shock, Izuku caught off guard by the gentle warmth in her immense, purple eyes as she gave him a kind smile.
"Of course they can." Gasping softly, his whole body freezing in place, Izuku felt a dull, throb within his chest at her words, tears slowly trailing from the the corner of his eyes down his freckled cheeks as he stared into Mt. Lady's beautiful smiling face. "Anyone can achieve their dream. What might seem impossible just hasn't been done by the right person yet."
Grasping the edge of his school jacket tight, knuckles turning white, Izuku's face lit up with a brilliant, broken smile, his heart bursting with joyful pain as tears rolled unbidden down his cheeks. Chocking back a strangled sob, his chest burning hotly as he felt the painful crushing weight resting upon his heart lift for the first time in years, the young heart, who had dreamed endlessly of being a hero, free to hope once more. Lowering his head, overwhelmed with joy, teardrops falling soundlessly to the pavement, Izuku sobbed loudly as he thanked her over and over again, the green-haired boy drowning in his emotions but he was not afraid.
Because he had never felt so happy.
"Hehe, you shouldn't be such a crybaby." Giggling softly at the young boy's emotional display, Mt. Lady, using only her pointer finger, gently pet the top of his head with an amused smile. Izuku simply cried harder, the dam fully burst as he let out of his doubts and frustrations, all of the years of mistreatment and disappointment, only to be washed anew with a wellspring of hope.
'He really is quite cute.' Mt. Lady thought as she continued to absent-mindedly pet his head, loving the feeling of his fluffy hair, a warm smile curled on the colossal hero's lips as she did her best to soothe the emotional boy. Running her large finger over the broccoli-shaped poofball he called hair, trying to be as careful as possible with the comparatively smaller boy, Mt. Lady gently tilted her head as she pondered something that had been bothering her for a bit.
'Though…does this mean he's quirkless?' Mt. Lady wondered as she continued her gentle ministrations, his cries slowly subsiding under her caring touch, an inkling of worry starting to worm its way into her thoughts. 'If it does…things will be much harder for him from here on out.'
'Maybe I shouldn't have told him that it was possible.' Mt. Lady mentally chastised herself with a shake of her head, mad at herself for possibly encouraging him to go out and do something reckless, to do something that might bring himself or another harm. Seeing his reaction, knowing how much her answer meant to him, Mt. Lady was worried she may have given him false hope, the titanic pro-hero not a hundred percent convinced that someone without a quirk could become a hero.
Lifting his head, Mt. Lady stopped her subconscious petting of his hair, Izuku, gently placing his hand upon her large finger, gave the blonde hero a warm, tearful smile as he whispered a quiet thank you.
And yet, looking into his eyes, seeing them shine so brightly, hope and determination burning within their emerald depths as he stared up at her, she truly believed he just might be able to do it. She believed he could do the impossible.
She believed he could become a hero.
*BOOOOOOM*
A sudden, loud explosion pulled the pair's attention away from each other, Mt. Lady's eyes growing wide as she noticed a billow of smoke rise up nearby, the distant sound of sirens and terrified screams filling the desolate streets with a growing cacophony of chaos and dread. Rising back to her feet, a serious expression crossing her features, Mt. Lady's ears perked up as she heard the message ring out, calling for help from any nearby hero to deal with a sludge-like villain, the titanic hero rushing off without a second thought.
"Boy, get to safety!" Mt. Lady yelled over her shoulder at the stunned boy, her amplified voice echoing through the empty street, the gigantic pro-hero had no time to get him to safety herself, praying desperately that her little fan heeded her command. She didn't want anything to happen to him.
"S…sludge monster. B-but…but All Might caught hi-" eyes growing wide, realization dawning on the green-haired boy as he rushed after the retreating titan, his mind replaying the moment when he grabbed onto All Might's leg, a strange object flying past his peripheral vision as they struggled in mid-air, "oh no…"
Passing through alleyways and side streets, following the rising swell of cries and sounds of destruction, punctuated by intermittent explosions, Izuku's eyes grew wide as he came upon a throng of people watching helplessly as chaos unfolded before them. Pushing through the sea of people, their fear-stricken faces locked on the horror unfolding before them, too busy to notice the young boy struggling to make his way through the crowd, a dark chill running down his spine as he laid eyes upon the destruction and its epicenter.
Standing amid a sea of carnage, one of his own making, the sludge villain swiped violently at one of the heroes daring to get close to him, their attacks unable to harm his malleable form, Izuku letting out a horrified gasp as he saw a human-shaped figure wriggle helplessly beneath the surface, ensnared in his unrelenting cage. Just as he had been earlier.
'This is my fault.' Holding his hands over his mouth, a rolling sickness overwhelmed his senses as he watched the horrifying events unfold before him, helpless to do anything but watch as this poor person suffered a fate originally intended for him. And it was all his fault.
If he hadn't grabbed onto All Might's leg, hadn't taken up all of his time with his useless questions, all of this would not have happened. The villain would have been released to the authorities without a problem or at the very least All Might would have been able to beat him again. But, with his time limit for the day reached, there was nothing even the strongest hero could do.
A loud, familiar rumbling reached Izuku's ears above the din of noise, his gaze snapping toward the street's main entrance, the faint glimmer of hope sparked by Mt. Lady's arrival was snuffed out immediately as the titanic hero failed to enter the one lane street.
"Damn! I knew they should widen the roads!" Mt. Lady shouted in frustration as she hovered her foot over the narrow street, desperately searching for any safe purchase, her large frame unable to squeeze between the narrowly constructed buildings without causing any more problems. "I'm sorry! But I can't get there!"
'I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.' Izuku mentally cried for forgiveness, his stomach rolling painfully as another cry of fear rolled across the crowd, the figure's struggles within the sludge villain's grip growing weaker with each passing second. 'Just hold out a bit longer. Someone…someone will come to sav-'
With a desperate tug, fighting fiercely for survival, the sludge covering the person's face briefly gave way, revealing the frightened face of Izuku's classmate, his former childhood friend, and his lifelong tormentor Katsuki, his red eyes, full of fear, begging silently for help.
Before Izuku had a chance to think, he was already passed the throng of civilians and heroes, their cries for him to stop falling on deaf ears, his legs having long stopped listening to his head. Why? Why am I running? What am I doing? What can I do?!
"Of course they can. Anyone can achieve their dream."
Grabbing the strap of his bag, Mt. Lady's voice ringing loudly and clearly in his head, Izuku, with a resounding cry, threw the oversized schoolbag into the villain's face, the contents within spilling out, the corner of his textbook poking him in the eye. Briefly stunned by the unexpected attack, his limbs occupied with keeping the explosive boy trapped, Izuku managed to avoid the villain's slimy tendrils as he began clawing and ripping at his viscous body, trying desperately to free the trapped Katsuki.
"Deku!? Why!?" Katsuki's voice, scratchy and hoarse as he gasped for air, was filled with indignant anger as he watched that quirkless loser, that eyesore of a human being rip and tear at the villain's tendrils ensnaring his body. What did he think he was going to do?! What could he possibly do?!
"My legs just started moving on their own!" Izuku screamed as he continued to desperately claw at the villain's body, his grip slipping off as he failed to find purchase upon his viscous form, the green-haired boy refusing to give up. He couldn't stop! He needed to save him! Even if it was hopeless, he had to try!
"What might seem impossible just hasn't been done by the right person yet."
"You…you looked like you were crying out for help!" Fearful tears welling in his eyes, his whole body numb with paralyzing fear, Izuku nevertheless did his best to smile, to give his childhood friend some hope, even if he was hopelessly terrified.
"Stop getting in the way!" Roaring with unbridled rage, annoyed by this pest's incessant swatting, the sludge villain morphed his body into a gigantic fist as he went to grab the diminutive schoolboy, prepared to squash this pathetic, quirkless nuisance for good. He just needed a little more time and this body, with its powerful quirk, will be all his. He just needed to remove this pathetic speed bump.
"Boy! Watch out!" Eyes wide with fear, Mt. Lady futilely reached out over the street sign toward the green-haired boy, her body growing cold as she watched the villain's enlarged hand rush toward the helpless boy, the titanic hero unable to save him. She was going to fail! She was going to lose him and she was powerless to stop it! Someone! Someone please save him!
Just as the sludge villain managed to grab a hold of the green-haired boy, his slimy tendrils wrapping around his wrist, a large, powerful hand stopped him in his tracks, a shocked gasp passing Izuku's lips as he stared at the man who had come to save them. The Number 1 Hero, the Symbol of Peace.
All Might was here.
"I really am pathetic." Growling in anger, his voice rife with disappointment, directed solely at himself, his electric blue eyes glowed brightly behind the veil of shadows covering his face as he glared viciously at the sludge villain. "Even though I admonished you, I wasn't putting what I said into practice!"
Ripping his arm free from the villain's grasp, the malleable tendrils snapping under his powerful grip, All Might reared his arm back, blood spurting from between his clenched teeth as he went way beyond his limits.
"A Pro should always be ready to risk his life!" Clenching his fist tight, steam billowing off of his body, All Might channeled all of his power into one devastating attack, prepared to eliminate this threat for good. To make up for his mistake.
"DETROIT SMAAAAAAAAAASH!"
Like a hurricane tearing through the countryside, All Might unleashed a furious attack that tore the malleable villain into tiny pieces, his vice-like hold upon the pair of students dissipating just like his body, Izuku and Katsuki's arms held firmly within the pro-hero's grip. The force of the blast tore through the one-lane street as they parted the clouds overhead, Mt. Lady protecting the crowd of people from the shock wave, the gigantic hero gritting her teeth as she was buffeted by the powerful winds.
A silenced hush fell over the crowd, their heads turning skyward as a gentle rain began to fall over them, before a raucous cheer rang out, celebrating the heroics and amazing power of their number 1 hero. But all All Might could do, as he tried to remain on his feet, his body already having past its limits ages ago, was stare at the green-haired boy lying semi-conscious on the ground.
"Hey! Hey, boy!" Shrinking back to her regular size after the initial chaos had died down, purple eyes wide with concern, the titanic hero quickly rushed to the green-haired boy's side, a pair of paramedics giving the young hero fanatic one last look over before giving him the go-ahead to leave, Mt. Lady grabbing him roughly by the shoulders as she began shaking him wildly. "What the hell were you thinking?! That was so goddamn stupid I…I can't even-grah! How dare you make me worry like that!"
Lowering his head in shame, feeling terrible for making her worry, Mt. Lady felt her anger wash away as she gently placed her hand atop his head, her palm gently running across the poofy green locks of hair. No…she wasn't angry with him. Quite the opposite really.
"You were a real hero today." Lifting his head, his emerald eyes sparkling with hitherto unseen joy, her words making his heart soar, Izuku, tears rolling down his face, whispered a silent 'thank you'. Giving him a bright grin, eyes closed in an expression of pure happiness as her hand continued gently running through his hair, Izuku felt a soft blush color his cheeks, his heart beating loudly in his chest, drowning out his surroundings, the young boy unable to tear his gaze away from her smiling face.
She was…beautiful.
As the crowd cheered and congratulated their beloved hero, showering All Might with love and affection, as pro heroes and civilians alike praised Katsuki for his tenacity and his amazing quirk, Izuku and Mt. Lady were left in their own world, the green-haired boy's heroics known only to her. She was the only one to truly see the young hero who slumbered within this awkward, brave boy. He was the only one to see the truly great hero she was.
Unbeknownst to either of them, as emerald met purple, their hearts felt a spark that would bloom into something greater than they could ever imagine.
"Huh…is that…?"
Wiping the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand after removing another pile of rubble, Mt. Lady cursing once again at the fact that the narrow street kept her from using her Gigantification quirk, making all of this damn cleanup work take ten times longer, the blonde pro-hero spotting a familiar looking notebook laying on the ground.
Bending down to pick it up, being careful of its charred edges, Mt. Lady briefly wondered what happened to it as she flipped through the notebook pages, her eyes lighting up as she came upon a familiar entry.
It was the one about her.
Looking over the diagrams and notes, Mt. Lady noticed that there were a lot more than the other day, the young boy having added a bunch of new info, much of it being from the answers she gave him. Flipping through the rest of the book, seeing more pages dedicated to her, with possible ideas for civilian clothing that could grow with her and some dynamic sketches of her battle with the giant villain, Mt. Lady's eyes grew wide as she came upon a personal note scribbled beneath a close-up of her face.
'One of my new favorite heroes! She's a true inspiration!'
Smiling happily, the edges of the book flaking slightly as her hands began to gently shake, small tears began pooling in the corner of the pro-hero's eyes, Mt. Lady feeling her heart swell as she read those lines over and over. Shaking her head softly, unable to understand how this boy could get to her so easily, Mt. Lady decided to keep this notebook safe in case she saw him again, telling herself she will up to his expectations.
She wanted to make him proud.
Lethargic, heavy footsteps trudged slowly through the quiet suburbs, Izuku weakly readjusting the strap of his bag, the long, arduous events of the day becoming noticeable as a stiff soreness radiated throughout his body. After his brief chat with Mt. Lady, the giant hero had to excuse herself to help with the relief efforts, but not before giving the boy one last pat on the cheek and a teasing wink, Izuku left completely dazed as Death Arms gave him a stern talking to about his reckless actions.
Even Katsuki had given him an earful, the explosive blonde laying into him about how useless he had been, a fact Izuku couldn't really deny. Despite Mt. Lady's encouragement, Izuku knew he couldn't really become the hero he envisioned, that he just wasn't strong enough, that without a quirk, he was just a boy with a foolhardy dream. He had to move on and start being realistic.
He had to train much harder if he hoped to become the first quirkless hero!
"I AM HERE!"
"Uwah!" Izuku let out a terrified scream as All Might came screeching from around the corner, his heroic form melting away as he expelled a terrifying amount of blood from his mouth. "All Might?! Why are you here?"
"Kid. I've come to thank you and to revise what I said earlier…" Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, the scrawny version of All Might gave the boy a stern yet gentle look, his sunken eyes glowing with regret. "I also have a proposal."
"But…It was all my fault." Sighing heavily, his shoulders drooping as he thought about all the trouble he caused, the selfish questions he had asked All Might and Mt. Lady, Izuku knew there wasn't anything he could possibly be thanked for. "I got in your way. Even though I'm quirkless, I dared ask if-"
"Exactly!" Snapping his head up in shock, his heart beating loudly in his chest, Izuku stared at All Might in quiet disbelief. "Of all the people at the scene, it was only you, timid and quirkless, who acted! It was you who spurred me to action!"
"Most of the top heroes show greatness even at a young age." Grasping his chest tight, All Might words hitting him like a ton of bricks, Izuku felt an overwhelming emotion wash over him as he continued to speak, each word breaking through the years of doubt, of pain, of hopeless dreaming. "Many of them claim that their bodies simply moved before they could think. That's what happened to you back there, yes?!"
"Yes…" Tears flowing from his eyes, his words coming out as a strangled sob, Izuku fell to his knees, his mind replaying that one moment, the moment his dream almost died. It was the moment when his mom held him, her tears soaking his shirt as she apologized over and over, when all he wanted to hear, the thing he wanted her to say was…
"You can be a hero."
A/N: A future hero is born.
Well, call me a liar as we are already here with Chapter 2! What I said earlier is still true, that this story will have intermittent breaks, but I decided to ride the current momentum and with that, we got this chapter. Plus, having actual time off to work on stuff has been helpful lol.
Hope to see you for the next one!