AN: Hi. Let's say I've been seriously burnt out and been posting to other places recently, but decided to post on here too. I'm also trying different fandoms. I'll also be updating it as I go and making edits. This is just a little trial to see how it goes again and will probably be slower. If you become invested the story is like 90% done on ao3. Anyway, hope you enjoy!

TWs: Character Death, Manipulation

Chapter 1

July

Happy Birthday baby!"

A woman with long green hair kissed her son on the cheek as he went to blow out his candles on his All Might cake. All day she had to keep her nosey son out of the kitchen because he wanted to see. She told him it would ruin the surprise and she almost locked him in his room with his computer on to keep him occupied. It brought such joy to her when she finally brought it out for him to see. Such pure awe engulfed his eyes with adoration for his mother and his favorite hero.

Colored with red, blue, yellow, and white she tried her best to make it look like a costume she'd seen All Might wear in her son's room. His green eyes grew big and she thought he was about to cry of sheer joy!

The boy grinned as he attempted to blow out the ten candles as he jittered with excitement finally seeing and eating the cake his mom worked so hard all day before their guest arrived. Granted the guests were his mom's friends and their son, but it was still so nice of them to come even though said son didn't look happy. He remembered going up to Kacchan at school inviting him but the boy simply burned his invite before stalking off laughing that no one was going to show up and he should learn that. Izuku's eyes flashed in surprise seeing he missed one! Uh oh. He quickly took another breath to blow it out real quick. Hopefully no one noticed and he'd get to keep his birthday wish! If he wished with all his might it might actually come true! His mom said so!

"Stupid Deku can't even blow out his candles on the first try…" A voice grumbled.

Only two people heard the voice being Izuku and the boy's mother who proceeded to smack her son across the back of the head. The boy growled at his mother, but kept his mouth shut, having promised he'd behave while at Inko's house. He might disrespect his hag, but never her.

"Hush." She growled before a smile turned as she enveloped the boy in a tight hug. "Happy Birthday you little runt!"

"Auntie too tight!" Izuku squeaked trying to squirm his way out of her grasp.

"Don't care pipsqueak! My brat doesn't let me hug him anymore so I have to get them where I can!" Mitsuki said as she nuzzled his cheek.

"Mitsuki please. We still need to cut the cake then we can do presents." Masura said to his wife and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Alright." She grumbled releasing the poor boy.

Cake and presents were the best! The cake was so good as it was light and fluffy! Plus the icing was sweet that almost melted in your mouth! Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves and Izuku believed even Kacchan seemed to like it too! For gifts, Mom got him new notebooks, cool All Might pens, and a couple shirts. He couldn't wait to crack them open and write down the next analysis for the future. Writing about heroes and their quirks was the best part of his day. However, what always stumped him was he could never fully figure out how any of their quirks worked! If he could get better at that part then helping take down villains and generally being a hero would be so easy!

The Bakugous got him a new All Might figure that recently came out that Mom said that they'd see about getting later. Izuku couldn't help notice the sad look in her eyes when he opened it. It almost looked like she was crying. Quickly thanking his aunt and uncle for the gift he quickly turned to his mom with a bright smile.

"Thank you so much Mom! It's been the best birthday ever! I can't wait to write in these!" Izuku said, flashing a one million watt smile.

Inko took in her son's smile and words and burst into tears as she hugged her son thanking him for his kind words. She would never tell him, but that meant the world to her. She had been so worried the past week that she wouldn't be able to give her dear son what he wanted, a good birthday. After no one came last year she was concerned that this year was going to be the same until she ran into Mitsuki at the store and offhandedly mentioned Izuku invited people, but no one confirmed they were coming. Mitsuki said Katsuki hadn't said anything and simply insisted to her friend that she and her family would come by to help celebrate. Inko already told her that just them being there meant the world to her and probably to Izuku too. He'd be so happy to see people come!

Inko wasn't a blind woman as her son probably thought she was. She knew Izuku didn't have any friends and the other kids at school bullied him. Sadly it was just what followed being Quirkless. She couldn't give her baby the life she wanted because the world was too cruel. They beat, bruised, and bloodied people like her baby and she only hoped she could give him sparks of light during those dark times. It was the dark times that she felt most powerless during. The problem was that she knew she couldn't confront him about it because he was such a gentle soul. He would deny everything and that would get them nowhere. So, she'd watch and be patient until he came to her unless it got to a point where her baby was in serious harm.

"Why don't you two brats go play while the adults clean up?" Mitsuki said.

"Okay!" Izuku exclaimed as he ran off toward his room with his presents.

"Izuku put away your clothes! Don't just throw them in a closet!" Inko yelled after him.

"Don't want to." Katsuki grumbled.

"Katsuki, I don't give a damn. Go." Mitsuki said glaring down at her son who was giving it to her right back before he conceded and angrily stomped off to follow the birthday boy.

Katsuki was appalled at being told that they were going to Deku's house for his birthday. Apparently the hag met with that nerd's mom and they just had to talk about it. He didn't last year, or the years before that so why did he have to go now? When his mom questioned him about the invite he told he didn't want to go and forgot. She said he was being a bad friend. Katsuki reminded her he was not Deku's friend. He got smacked for that one and his Dad did not come to his rescue on that one. Stupid Deku had his hag and his old man wrapped around his boney weak finger! Not only that, that stupid Deku was getting the action figure he wanted and pestered his mom weeks ago when they first announced the release. Granted he'd never tell the hag that, but she had to have known he wanted it too. As many times he mentioned that it was cool, she had to have a hint. Just like the useless Deku he was, he had to ruin everything just because he was born.

Izuku quickly put away his new clothes like his mom asked and set the All Might figure out on his desk where he could see it everyday. Seeing the greatest hero first thing when he woke up every day would spur him forward in his dreams of being a hero just like him! A smile to remind him what it's supposed to look like! He added the notebooks to the bookshelf next to the one he was currently working on. Hearing heavy footsteps he grabbed the most recent one and turned to the other boy who reluctantly entered his room and flung himself in his computer chair without care that it might break under the intensity. Izuku was so excited. After talking with Auntie and Uncle he thinks he finally figured it out…how Kacchan's quirk works! The other boy refused to tell anyone anything about it because in his words, he didn't need any extra getting the upper hand on him. While Izuku said he'd never, Katsuki refused to believe him.

"Isn't it cool Kacchan? I think I figured out how your quirk works! Because of your mom and dad's quirks you sweat out nitroglycerin from your palms and make it explode! And I bet if you were to store it could make even bigger explosions or even something close to a chain reaction. There are so many uses…"

"Will you shut it!" Katsuki yelled and Izuku squeaked silent. "I didn't want to come, but my old hag forced me too. If I'm gonna suffer being here at least don't make it fucking weird. One more word out of you and I'll show you how my quirk works!"

"Sorry…"

"What did I say!" Katsuki yelled as his hand's sparked in Izuku's face.

Izuku flinched back at the heat and put his hands up in response to protect himself. Anything to make sure the blast wouldn't hit his face. He couldn't get burns on his face because Mom would worry and he could never let that happen. He could hide those on his hands or arms easily. However, instead of feeling the intense heat of his explosions Izuku felt the familiar heat erupt from his own palms as a small explosion met Katsuki's effectively blocking it.

"What the fuck?!" Katsuki yelled as the initial shock seeing Deku essentially use his quirk wear off.

"Katsuki language and stop messing around! You know better than to use your quirk in any house!" Mitsuki yelled from the living room.

"What the fuck Deku." Katsuki growled. "You just stole my quirk you shitty nerd!"

"No I didn't, I swear!" Izuku panicked. He didn't have a quirk! There was no way he could have taken Kacchan's! From how the blond's hands were still sparking in anger it was clear that the boy still had his quirk. "It might have just been yours!"

"That came from you dipshit!" Katsuki screamed.

Before either boy could carry on arguing about what just happened they were glass shatter from the kitchen that echoed through the small apartment.

"What the fuck are you doing here?!" Mitsuki's voice carried.

Both boys got quiet as they tried to listen to what could have caused Mitsuki's outburst. As far as Izuku knew no one else was to be coming by today. Quiet voices were heard, but they couldn't make out anything they said.

"No!" Inko's voice screamed.

Moments later screams were heard and both boys were thrown into full blown panic, forgetting about what just happened, and raced out of Izuku's room toward the living room. What they both saw would be forever etched into their minds, permanently remembered and scared. A tall man with white hair and a black suit stood there with hand stretched out. His fingers were coated black with red prominent cracks that extended into tendrils branching out in a frenzied mess. The entire living room was in tatters with holes in the walls and broken furniture. What stood out the most unseen, was a broken picture frame of Izuku and Inko playing together happily.

Izuku gasped sharply and the breath was lost as his eyes widened seeing some of the tendrils were impaled into his mother's chest. There was also one through her leg, another through her shoulder that held her up suspended in the air. However, the most prominent one was running straight through where her heart was. Her eyes wavered as they were slowly losing their life they once had moments ago. She looked over and saw Izuku.

"Baby…r-run." Inko said before coughing blood. The tendrils then pulled away with a disgusting slosh as her body then hit the floor with a resounding thud and proceeded to rapidly bleed out. A pool was instantly made.

"Mommy!" Izuku screamed as tears erupted from his eyes uncontrollably. N-no. No. NO! She was going to be fine. He could go find help and they'd take her to the hospital. Doctors would patch her up and be good as new. The blood pool only grew by the second and his mother wasn't moving.

"You bastard!" Katsuki yelled as he charged the man with his hands popping. How dare whoever this bastard was come in and do that to Deku's Mom! She might have been Deku's Mom, but she was nice and even gave him chili pepper for his cake to make it a little spicier! If Deku wasn't going to do anything about this man killing his mom then he would! He was going to be a hero damnit! He would take this villain out and save the day!

"Insignificant." the man said as he backhanded Katsuki hurtling the boy back toward his parents.

Katsuki harshly hit the floor with a familiar thud Izuku only heard moments ago. Still in a trance Izuku flinched and tears also came out harder.

Mom.

Kacchan.

"Katsuki!" Mitsuki screamed as she then ran to his side cradling him as she checked him over to make sure he wasn't badly hurt.

At the sound of her yelling Izuku snapped out of his stupor before attempting to run toward his mother only to be stopped by a large figure standing in front of him. The red eyed man only grinned as Izuku looked up at him with fear. As Izuku attempted to back away the man reached out and harshly gripped his shoulder. Izuku winced and attempted to pull away, but found he wasn't strong enough as the man's fingers pressed into his shoulder. Izuku didnt want to think the kids at the playground hurt him worse than this.

"Izuku, fucking run!" the blonde woman yelled as tears still streamed down her face as she held onto her son who was luckily only dazed and a little bruised.

"Now, now. Running isn't what a hero would do, is it?" the tall man with white hair said patronizingly as he moved his hand up to twist into Izuku's curls.

Izuku didn't answer as he shook and could barely look past the man to see his mom or the other family. Mom still wasn't moving and her skin had gone pale white. The blood on the floor now pooled everywhere and completely flooded and dyed the carpet. Looking at his auntie and uncle, their eyes pleaded with him to do anything. Not to stand there like a useless and defenseless boy.

"Answer me Izuku." the voice commanded and Izuku jumped at the boom.

"N…no."

"Good. We'll fix that stutter later. Now, come along with me. A hero knows what must be done to save people right. Self-sacrifice is the most noble act a hero can make. Can you do that Izuku? Can you sacrifice yourself to save these people?"

The boy trembled as his mind raced with thoughts, questions, and pleas. He pleaded that All Might would come bursting in through the window and save them with a reassuring smile. A bright light that let him know everything would be alright. At this point any hero would do so they could save them. But it seemed like no hero was going to be here to save. Clinching his shaking hands he looked up at the man with tears running down his determined face.

"I-if I come w-with you, you won't hurt them."

The man smiled as he chuckled and ruffled his curls. Similar to ones he had as a boy but kept them short and tame. Just how everything should be.

"Of course not. I am a man of my word."

"Izuku no!"

If a hero wasn't going to save them, then he was going to have to be one. He wanted to be a hero just like All Might. He knew he couldn't fight this man. He even took out Kacchan! Despite being a villain, he had a point. If he went with them, if he saved them, then they could get help for Mom and come and get him. They could tell the heroes and they'd save him! Plus they needed to make sure Kacchan was alright. Izuku was then pulled from his thoughts as a rough hand grabbed his arm and pulled him.

As the man dragged him away toward the window screams erupted and echoed throughout the building. As he got closer to the window Izuku looked out and saw someone he knew that lived on the first floor run out being chased by something. Whatever it was had an exposed brain and viciously grabbed the man before crushing him in its grip. The monster roared before it fell over. It was almost like it died…

"What…"

"Tch. I'll have to inform the doctor that his creations still need some work after all."

"You promised!" Izuku yelled as he tried to fight his way out of his grip.

The man smirked before snorting down at the naive child.

"Oh dear child. I said I wouldn't hurt them, that didn't include anyone else in the building. They still might be collateral though. Only time will tell. Not that you'll find out."

Izuku's eyes widened. He wasn't a hero after all; he was hand in masacre. Blood was soaking his hands as screams echoed in his ears. As he looked back green eyes met dazed awakened red that showed a hint of fear, guilt, and determination. At least he tried to be a hero…but apparently Kacchan was right. He was useless and it only got people hurt. The least he could do is give them a smile to let them know at least they'd be alright. They had to be.

April - 5 Years Later - After the first day of UA

A black shaggy haired, scruffy man rubbed his eyes as he entered his quiet apartment at close to 2 in the morning. Patrol had been surprisingly quiet and he wished he could just crawl into his bed until the alarm would go off in a couple hours. However, school files don't read themselves. Even if school just started he had to make headway on them before expelling anymore kids. Two of them were already out of his hair and didn't feel the slightest sorry. One was just a pervert who just wanted to score with girls and another who barely even tried just wanting fame and glory thinking he'd skate by with his powerful quirk. Yeah, see how those kids like General Studies. Already he submitted a transfer notice to switch one of the General Studies kids to the Hero Course. The kid showed promise at the entrance exam, but didn't score high thanks to his quirk not working well against robots. Something he strongly related to and was often vocal about to the board and principal. The last seat was up for debate and he'd see if the bigot could earn his place back or he'd give it to another more deserving student that came along. The pervert wasn't going anywhere. The pro refused to budge on that decision.

Even without looking at the files he could tell some students were going to be more interesting than others or as he liked to refer to them as problems. Some were going to be straight laced while others looked like they were going to need a little extra help academically. Not a problem, but they certainly wouldn't skate by. However, one stood out more than the others. He did extremely well in the quirk apprehensive test, but as soon as anyone tried to talk to him he snapped to leave him alone. He wasn't here to make friends and nothing was going to get in the way of his goal. A blond haired kid with an explosion quirk who seemed to have this haunting look in his eyes all day.

He couldn't place where he had seen this kid before. Might as well start with him and see if he could find out what had been nagging at him. Name…Bakugou Katsuki. Quirk…Explosion. There was a note.

Has been noted to harass the local police stations into looking into the Musutafu Massacre.

Aizawa sighed. Of course that's where he recognized him. He remembered being at the station once and watching a pro escort the kid out who was literally swearing up and down that no one was doing anything to find him. He was lucky they didn't charge him for improper quirk usage, but he could see that some of the morons there wouldn't.

Sighing he got up from his chair and walked into his office that was also the guest room. It wasn't much, just a simple futon for when Hizashi or Nemuri needed a place to crash after a rough patrol…or spent the night out karaoking and drinking. Underneath the small desk was a lock box. He kept his more sensitive cases there under lock and key.

After that night he pulled the file although he had only glanced at it and he wished he hadn't before. He needed to know what could have gotten this child so worked up to harass the police. That kind of shit could stay on one's record and hurt his future. Pulling out the files he sighed again feeling the impending headache. When asked the officers just said it was a cold case and nothing much mattered about it. All those people were dead and so was the supposedly missing kid. Aizawa had to stop himself from punching them. Bakugou Katsuki, along with his parents, were one of the few survivors from that night and the 'he' that he was referring to was Izuku Midoriya, a child who had supposedly been kidnapped. 'Supposed' being a keyword as no one reported the child as missing beside the Bakugou family and his mother was dead. He was just gone…and no one bothered to care because he was registered as Quirkless.

Nothing at the scene suggested kidnapping as all but three people were killed who didn't even live there. The place was condemned to be torn down as all anyone could think about when looking at the place was the corpses of people who had been slaughtered by God knows what. Teeth marks. Tears off body parts. It was horrifying to even look at the photos. Aizawa couldn't imagine being there. God, he hoped this kid was in therapy. He really didn't want to open that bag of cats…yet. Well, this sounded like tomorrow's problem. Might as well try to take a nap.

...

An almost 16 year old boy with red eyes looked at the almost 6 year old figure sitting on his desk. After that night he had to go back for it. Granted he had to sneak in as the complex was closed off, but he didn't get caught. Plus if he did he could always pull some therapeutic shit or a sob story. People ate that shit up. He grabbed all he could from Deku's room including some of his merch, a picture of him and Inko, the figure on the desk, and…the notebooks. He grabbed all ten of them, shoving them in his duffle, at first rather roughly, before realizing the mistake. He wasn't stealing; he was keeping them safe until he could return them to their rightful owner. Deku would want him to hold on to this until he got back. After he was safe he'd let that nerd ramble on as much as he wanted and finally see what that night was all about. How did Deku use his quirk and what did that man want with him? Katsuki needed to know and no one was giving him any fucking answered because he was child and no one cared about what happened to the kid who was still out there waiting for a hero! A hero that Katsuki promised himself to be as he laid on the cold floor in his mother's arms as he watched his auntie lose her life and that man drag Izuku away. As he watched that shitty nerd…bastard...maybe even his friend who had the audacity to smile at them before being taken away.

'Don't worry, Izuku. If no one will believe me, then I'm going to find you myself. I got into UA like I said I would. I can finally do shit about it, and no one will get in my way.'

AN: That's the first chapter! Hope you enjoyed it! Feel free to leave any reviews and/or favorite or follow! Thanks! See you next chapter!