Author's Note:
It feels good to be back writing again, especially since this will be the successor of the first fic I wrote on this platform. Well, I won't bore you with a long author's note but if it wasn't obvious from the story's introduction the remake won the poll that I posted and talked about in Voice of Power.
One last thing this chapter does start a bit slower than I usually write and that's got to do with my newer style I hope you enjoy it.
"Not all men are created equal." That was one of the three lessons that Izuku Midoriya learned at the age of four. He learned it while listening to his family's doctor tell his mother that he'd been born without something that all of his peers had.
"Sorry kid it's not gonna happen." The doctor spoke with a callous nonchalance tone that could only be achieved by those truly uncaring of the situation they were a part of. The man casually placed an X-ray on the board to his left and continued. "Izuku should have already manifested one of you or your husband's quirks or a combination of both, but after viewing these X-rays I don't think he's going to. Doctors discovered a link between the bones in a person's foot and their likelihood of developing a quirk. People with powers have one joint in their pinky toes but Izuku has two joints like roughly twenty percent of the population, so all available research says he will never develop a quirk." With his piece said the man stood to leave the distraught family behind since he didn't see it as his job to provide comfort.
"Wait isn't there anything we can do for my son?" Without really thinking about the situation Inko Midoriya called out after the doctor desperate to try to give some semblance of hope to her devastated son.
"He just needs to give up on being a hero, but there's nothing wrong with him so there isn't anything to be done." The doctor then walked out the door and gave the family some last parting words that crushed Izuku's heart like a vice. "Besides the boy will be able to live an ordinary life without any powers."
The second of Izuku's lessons was one he took longer to learn but the boy was a quick study so it only took two experiences to engrave it into his soul as well. The young boy sat in a dark room in his family's apartment, the room had been used as his father's office but when the man went overseas for work it turned into the family computer room. The screen on the old computer glowed dimly as the boy had turned the brightness down and the lights in the room were turned off, the dull glow of the screen was all that illuminated his tear-streaked face. His favorite video of All Might his hero played on repeat before his eyes, the door behind him creaked as Inko warrily poked her head into the room.
"Izuku, honey are you alright." Her voice cracked with emotion, and her tone was watery as she held back the tears she didn't want her son to see.
One could almost hear creaking as her son turned his tear-stained face towards her like his head was on a poorly oiled swivel. "M-mom, can I be a hero like that? A-a hero who is always smiling?"
Inko surged forward and wrapped her son in a hug while he remained stuck to the chair stunned. "Izuku I'm so sorry." Tears continued to leak from both of their eyes that night. The next morning Inko noticed her son moved like a zombie, with bags under his eyes that were still red from crying and held a vacant far-off look to them. As if the young boy was looking at something in the distance only he could see. But even with her husband sending them money from overseas she still needed to work to support her son, so she scooped the boy up, loaded him into the car, and left to take him to daycare.
For most of the morning, Izuku sat by himself in the corner of the room unresponsive to his classmates as they talked about the boy's new status in life. "Did ya hear Izuku won't get a quirk?"
"No way everyone gets a quirk."
"Nu-uh, he's something the teachers called quirkless."
The green-haired boy stayed silent in his corner of the room while a boy with spiky blonde hair was being praised for the popping balls of light that danced across his palms. He heard the other children talking and smiled to himself as he decided what game he wanted to play now during recess. The ringing of a bell soon cut through the air signaling that it was time for the children to head outside so the adults could prepare their lunch. The kids made a mad dash out the door and towards the playground that awaited them, Izuku lagging behind his peers. Once he reached the playground his eyes began to scan through his peers looking for his only friend that he could count on, and to his surprise, he heard a familiar voice call out behind him.
"Deku, come here we're gonna play heroes and villains." Katsuki Bakugo was being followed by his two new "friends" not that he saw them that way as he made his way over to Izuku.
"Hey kachan, why are you calling me Deku?" The young boy was confused at the unfamiliar nickname.
With a smirk, the blond boy picked up a stick and wrote a few kanji in the playground sand, "See it's how you spell Deku but it can also spell Izuku, and it fits you since Deku means useless."
Tears welled up in Izuku's eyes as he looked at his oldest friend in disbelief, "Kachan why would you say that?"
"Because you can't do anything without a quirk, now get ready villain 'cause we're the heroes that will stop you." The three boys descended on Izuku for their "game" and it was somewhere between the first fist fall and the ringing of the lunch be that was punctuated with the other kids kicking dust into his face that his new situation settled into the young boy. He watched the back of his friend since infancy disappear within the building and thought to himself, 'You can only see what people truly think of you and how they'll treat you when you're at your lowest until then you can't trust the faces they show you.' At the tender age of four Izuku's second harsh lesson about life had already imbedded itself into his psyche all it took was the pity and contempt aimed at him by those he held the closest to his poor naive heart.
Almost a year later Izuku found himself standing between his old friend behind him were the two boys who had latched themselves onto the blond boy like leeches and the younger boy who had earned the spikey blonde's ire. "S-stop Kachan, can't you see he's already crying." Despite trying to sound brave Izuku didn't sound like he was far from following the younger boy's example. Izuku kept his arms outstretched in his best effort to shield the boy behind him.
"I'm just teaching him a lesson Deku, powerless little shits should know better than to get in my way." The reply came quickly from the explosion user and his arrogance dripped off of every word. "Besides what are you going to do about it?"
"I-if you keep acting like a villain I'll stop you." Raising his fists Izuku put himself in a shakey fighting stance.
"Would you look at that, it looks like Deku needs a lesson too." Without giving Izuku any more time to prepare the three surged forward. Small explosions with the strength of medium firecrackers went off against Izuku's torso, upper arms, and upper legs. Elongated fingers racked their nails across and skin on his torso that was exposed by the explosions burning holes in his clothes small cuts and scrapes formed drawing small streams of blood as the nails dragged across his body. The last boy who had a larger physique but whose quirk gave him red draconic wings ended the scrap by lifting himself slightly above the downed Izuku and letting himself fall on the smaller boy's chest, driving the air from Izuku's lungs and punctuating the end of the "fight". Bakugo looked at the pathetic sight of the gasping boy whom he used to call a friend, "Remember Deku the weak don't get to tell the strong what to do. That's what you are a weak useless Deku." With that he turned his back and left trailed by his too goons or extras as he'd taken to referring to them.
When he finally forced his breath back into his lungs Izuku cried to himself realizing even the boy he tried to save had left him behind. "All Might says anyone can be a hero but without power, no one will listen to me. But I can't get strong without a quirk." Tears pooled into his eyes and began to stream down his face as he pulled his knees into his chest. Izuku was so absorbed in his sadness that he almost missed the sound of footsteps on the playground sand.
"What do we have here?" Turning quickly Izuku saw a tall man in a dark three-piece suit looking down at him. His skin was tanned as if he spent most of his day on the beach instead of the office building his suit suggested he worked at and his white hair contrasted with that giving it the appearance of the snow atop a mountain which fit given the man's hieght over Izuku. The man's sharp red eyes seemed to catch every detail of the world around him and the last thing Izuku noticed about the man was that there was another boy about Izuku's age half-hidden behind his legs. The boy had light teal hair and red eyes as well but unlike the man, the boy's eyes were dull and seemed uninterested with everything around him. "Are you okay?" The man's voice was calm, soothing, and somewhat comforting, soon Izuku felt his tears slowly stop flowing.
"M-my mom told me not to talk to strangers." Despite the man's concern for his well being Izuku was painfully aware that he had been left by his "friends" which were the only reason he'd been allowed to go to the park without his mother.
"Haha, she sounds like a wise woman, but I bet she also told you not to play so rough hmmm." Izuku looked away as the man teased him, "Tomura why don't you go play on the swings while I see if I can't help young..."
Izuku stared at the man before realizing the pause was for him to introduce himself. "I'm Midoriya Izuku."
"If I can't help young Midoriya get ahold of his mother."
The now-named Tomura eyed Izuku with disgust. "Why he's just a little crybaby?"
"Tomura go play, you'll become a maladjusted person if all you do is play video games and never talk or play with anyone else. I'd even accept it if you just read a book or something." The boy just shrugged and walked off leaving the man who suddenly sounded far more tired than he had before. "Now then, young Midoriya, if I gave you my phone to use, do you know your mother's phone number?" After receiving a nod he handed over the thin black phone that was in his pocket and sat on the park bench waiting for the boy to finish talking and hand the phone back. His eyes landed on the chess table that the park had set up for the adults who waited for their children to tire out while playing, he pulled the table over with a quirk and a wave of the hand the pieces had set themselves up. It was far from the nicest set he'd seen but it would do.
It had taken longer for Izuku to return his phone than he'd expected but that hardly mattered, however, Izuku sat down across from him and eyed the board with interest. "Is your mother going to pick you up?" Izuku nodded but gave no verbal response, "hmm, have you ever played chess before?"
"No, I've seen my dad get it as a gift for his boss."
"Hmm, well the game is fun and we have time while we wait, why don't I teach you." Izuku walked to the other side of the board and sat down. "Before we get started do you mind if I ask why you were in that state when we arrived?"
"I was beat up by my friends because I'm not strong."
"Because you're not strong?"
"I don't have a quirk."
"It doesn't sound like you have very good friends young Midoriya. Friends don't hurt each other on purpose for no reason." The man spoke as he began to demonstrate each of the pieces' movements for the young boy.
"Friends shouldn't hurt each other at all." Izuku sulked as he watched the pieces being moved.
"There are exceptions to that and I'm sure when you learn some your thoughts on that will change just like your thoughts on being quirkless meaning you can't be strong." The man said as he reset the board and moved his first pawn forward.
"I can't think of any reason to hurt a friend, and how can I be strong without a quirk?" Izuku asked as he mirrored his opponent's move.
"Let's say your friend was going to hurt someone because they were angry would you step in to stop them?"
"Of course." Izuku's answer was immediate and unlike how he usually spoke it was confident.
"Even if you had to hurt them to do it?" The man smiled as he watched Izuku hold his hand to his chin as he contemplated the question. 'He already thinks more critically than Tomura despite being at least two years younger, speaking of Tomura.' Looking up the teal-haired boy could be seen disintegrating the small animal spring that children could shake back and forth like they were riding a horse. 'Of course, he's destroying the park.' Sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose in displeasure it was Izuku's voice that stirred him from his musings.
"I think it depends but I would want to do what I can to bring the most happiness to people." Izuku had an innocent smile adorning his face as he gave his answer and moved another piece. "Check."
If there was ever something for Izuku to do to earn the man's undivided attention that was it, he surveyed the board, and sure enough, the young boy had moved his white bishop correctly and checked the black king. An ear-to-ear grin matched Izuku's smile quickly. "Very good young Midoriya, are you sure you've never played before?"
"Nope."
"Well, your quick thinking makes me think you'll be a fine hero someday." The praise he was giving now was honest, but it left a bad taste in his mouth since the gifted boy in front of him was going to disappear again and his protege was currently trying to see if bitting the merry go round to see if that would turn the bars to dust. 'This boy is too gifted to be left to the heroes and better yet his line of thinking "I can bring the most happiness to people" would make it so easy to turn him to my side.' "Young Midoriya why did you think you couldn't be strong without a quirk if you don't mind." 'There might still be hope.' He then moved his knight to get his king out of check.
"Kachan... my friends told me that people without quirks will always be useless and weak." The young boy had returned to his shy self and then pushed his rook forward.
'Perfect, some encouragement, and then I leave him to society then the "friends" in his life will drive him towards me, I just have to wait.' He smiled at the board as he pushed his rook across the board. "What a foolish thing to say, no matter the quirk your mind is the strongest tool at anyone's disposal. Check."
Izuku moved his king out of the rook's path. "Really." The hope in the boy's voice spoke volumes of his self-esteem.
"Of course." Then he moved his knight forward as well. "Checkmate." Seeing Izuku's now downtrodden face the man chuckled slightly. "Don't worry young Midoriya this was your first game you did very well. Your friend was right about one thing and you should remember it, if you want people to listen to you, you need to be powerful. Don't forget that."
Determination returned to Izuku's face as he etched the words into his thoughts and replied. "I won't I promise."
"You have a brilliant mind, keep growing and I'm sure you'll do great things in the future."
Izuku opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by his name being yelled from across the park, turning towards the voice the pair saw the form of Inko Midoriya rushing to her son. "Oh, I gotta go Mr..."
"Oh, I never introduced myself, did I? My name is Shigaraki Oshiro. It was nice to meet you young Midor..."
"Izuku."
"Hmmm?"
"You can call me Izuku. You were the first Sensei that has been nice to me since I became quirkless."
"Well, then it was nice to meet you young Izuku." With a smile and a wave, Izuku turned and ran towards his worried mother, leaving the older man to his thoughts. 'Sensei huh? Actually, I like the sound of that.' Oshiro looked back out towards the charge that he'd brought to the park. "HEY! Tomura don't break that!" 'I told him not to stand out, the last thing I need is that Blonde buffoon on my trail.'
Those three early Childhood lessons became Izuku's three fundamental truths about the world, especially after enduring the treatment of his peers throughout his school years. He'd never given up his dream of one day becoming a hero, it was just his idea of a hero that changed. Instead of the Herculean figure catching cars and buildings to save the day he planned to be a hero who planned out everything and caught villains by outwitting them or by planning disaster prevention. To that end, Izuku found more of his childhood was spent in a library or at home with a book reading anything he could get his hands on. If your mind was your greatest tool there was no telling what information would be useful for you to have later. His newfound draw to find new information isolated the boy to some extent from his peers and their treatment of him reinforced this leaving him distant and curt with others. Towards the end of elementary school, Izuku began studying heroes and villains, their quirks, tactics, and even habits that became predictable in fights. For example, Endeavor was the number two hero but always raised his fist in an All Might-esque pose when he'd decided the fight was won, usually before launching what he thought would be the last attack. It was showboaty and easily exploitable, Izuku already had enough weaknesses without picking up any more from such habits. It was the final semester of his last year in high school and the young man was more than happy to leave Aldera High behind it wasn't like he had many happy memories there and he'd only made one friend while attending. Unfortunately, she'd moved to a different school, something about too much damage to the shop room. Now left to his own devices Izuku sat quietly at his desk with his notebook in one hand and a book on the US S.W.A.T. teams' breaching tactics.
His notebook is filled with a mixture of his notes on various hero fights he watched with blank pages for notes on what tactics from his books that he thought would have helped in the situation. 'So wall breaching is used not only to avoid traps but to confuse the suspects they're after. If Edgeshot had done that he might not have had the injury on his leg that put him out for three weeks. I'll need to remember that when I get to the professional level.'
Izuku continued to write quietly in his notebook as the teacher walked into the room. "Alright settle down everyone." He slapped a large stack of papers down on his desk. "I'm going to pass out the test you all took before we left for break and unlike the last test I curved this one." Unlike when most teachers announce a curved test this earned a rather lackluster reaction. "What's the matter all my other classes were so excited when I announced the curve?" The knowing smirk on the man's face suggested he already knew the answer to his question.
"Sensei you gave us a twenty-point extra credit if that counts in the curve we'd get almost no benefit from the curve." It was one of Bakugo's cronies who called out their teacher on his game.
"Hmm, I see your point since the highest score on this test was a perfect one hundred and twenty percent, congratulations Izuku." The teacher's smug congratulations caused Bakugo to growl to himself. The man walked over and placed the perfect test on the boy's desk before turning back to distribute the rest.
Izuku watched the scene before him with a mixture of exasperation and amusement. 'I know since his quirk is on the weaker side he likes seeing the more stuck-up students getting humbled however he can but he really shouldn't show so much favoritism.' Calling the man's quirk weak was rather generous as all it did was give his wispy white hair a permanent cow lick that stood lick a wave on the top of his head and no amount of combing or gel could make it lay down.
Once the tests were handed back the students were subjected to a particularly boring high school civics lecture which Izuku only half paid attention to, opting to continue with his notes. The lunch bell pulled the class from their stupor and after dismising them their teacher retreated to the teacher's lounge to enjoy his own free time. Izuku loaded his books into his bag while lost in thought until he heard his name. "Um, Midoriya?" Looking up he noticed a brown-haired girl standing nervously in front of him.
"Yes, Shishido right? Shishido Saki?" Izuku remembered the girl and her quirk Mood which was a mutation type that made her eyes match a color to her emotions.
"That's right."
"What can I do for you?" Izuku would be a liar if he said he didn't have a sneaking suspicion of what the girl in front of him was after. It wouldn't be the first time and certainly not the last if he had to guess.
"It's about the last test. I uh didn't do as well as I wanted and you're the smartest person in the class so I was wondering if you could help me study." She leaned in putting her hands together in a pleading gesture as she invaded his personal space.
'How dare you.' Izuku's mind lost focus on the girl in front of him as it pulled him back to the beginning of the year.
The teacher stood at the front of the room directing his students to their seats just as the first bell of the day rang. "Alright class settle down my name is Hoga Fumio, welcome to my class. To start the year we're going to do a get-to-know-you activity I want you to give your name, dream university, the profession you're hoping to get into, and one interesting fact about yourself. I'll give you three minutes to come up with your answers."
Just as specified Fumio began calling students forward to introduce themselves to their peers, Izuku waited diligently his slip of paper in hand for his name to be called. Only for another familiar name to be called first. "Bakugo."
The spikey blonde stomped his way to the front of the room in his usual aggressive manner. "My name's Bakugo Katsuki, my quirk is Explosion and I'm going to UA University for the hero course. An interesting fact is that all you extras have the honor of being in class with the future number-one hero." Izuku nearly slapped his palm into his face as Bakugo walked smugly back to his seat while the class erupted into jeers and irritated shouting.
"That's enough Midoriya your next."
Izuku made his way to the front of the room. "I'm Midoriya Izuku, I'm quirkless, and I hope to get into UA University for heroics as well." Izuku didn't even bother to give his interesting fact as the laughter that the class broke out in made it hard to even hear the teacher yelling to settle down.
"Midoriya kun?" Shishido had leaned in even closer in an attempt to both get his attention and persuade him to help.
Izuku could almost feel his veins on the back of his head bulge as his annoyance over the thinly veiled attempt to manipulate him continued. 'I've already seen your real face and you can't convince me people change just like that.' "Shishido san I'm not sure you want my help, if people heard you got help from a quirkless they might laugh." The girl's face turned red with embarrassment as she quickly took a step back, Izuku's calm statement clearly brought some memories to mind. "If you need some help you might want to ask Kachan," Izuku smirked as he heard a tisk of annoyance from across the room, "he might not have scored as highly but I bet it was a close second." He gestured to the test Bakugo was trying to stuff into his own backpack to hide the bright red eighty-seven percent clearly written on it. "If you still need help you can come back I just don't want you to be made fun of."
"Oh, um thank you." Her face was red with embarrassment and her eyes soon matched the shade since she hadn't even considered the shy boy rejecting her even if he did so as nicely as possible. Without looking back Izuku picked up his bag and left for lunch.
The rest of the day went the same way they always did Izuku wrote in his notebook while the teachers lectured over subjects he had already studied while his classmates paid differing amounts of attention to the lecture. It was only the last period of the day that was noteworthy, an older blonde man with a receding hairline walked to the front of the room. He was Izuku's least favorite teacher Kojima Masato, a man who cared more about the fame that he could get by teaching the next big heroes, politicians, and doctors than the well-being of his students. As such he tended to stick to those he thought were gifted like a leach, but he avoided Izuku because to top every other part of his nasty personality, the man was also a quirkist. Those with mutant quirks had always found themselves being given the cold shoulder but they didn't receive the hate Izuku got as a quirkless from Kojima. "As fourth-year students, it's time to start thinking about your futures and what you want to do with your lives, we can do aptitude tests but why bother you all want to be heroes anyway." He punctuated his statement by throwing the aforementioned tests into the bin as the students cheered and showed off their quirks. "Yes, yes your quirks are all very impressive but need I remind you all that public quirk use is a crime so control yourselves." His bored tone told the students there would be no repercussions from him regardless but they settled themselves since another teacher might hear them and not be as forgiving.
Soon a harsh voice cut through the silence that had settled over the class. "Sensei don't lump me in with these extras." Bakugo stood with one foot on his desk, small explosions danced across his palms while he was just shy of yelling at the class. The students didn't stay quiet as they made their displeasure at being called extras known. "Shut it losers, I'm the only one at this trash school that has a chance to be a hero the rest of you might cut it as sidekicks if you're lucky."
"That's right Bakugo if I recall correctly you applied to UA."
"That's right, I already aced the mock tests and with my amazing quirk, I'm a shoe in for the practical portion. I'm the only one in this trash school that has a chance to get in."
Kojima had a smirk on his face that Izuku had learned to hate since it usually meant that his life was about to get harder. "Oh, Midoriya you applied to UA too didn't you?"
Laughter began to ring out in the classroom but it wasn't as loud as Izuku had thought it would be, and a few people whispered about how it sense for Izuku to go to UA. "I can't see him not getting into the general or business courses."
"Even the support courses should be no problem for the Genius of Aldera High."
Everything was instantly drowned out when Bakugo slammed his open palm onto Izuku's desk causing an explosion that turned the desk's surface into toothpick-sized shrapnel. The way the blonde angled his hand sent the lion's share of the wooden projectiles at the desk's owner. One piece of the desk cut Izuku lightly along the cheek causing him to fall backwards onto the floor. Luckily the desk had absorbed most of the blast so the shards of wood had lacked much destructive force. "Deku what the hell do you think a quirkless wimp like you is doing applying to UA, are you trying to compete with me?"
Izuku backed up hoping to avoid being hit with an explosion today. "No, Kachan I'm not trying to compete with you, I'm trying to follow my own dream."
"What makes you think they'll take a quirkless nobody like you when they could have someone like me?"
Izuku wiped off the small trail of blood that ran down his cheek as he looked defiantly at his Ex-childhood friend. "My 4.0 GPA, 36 ACT, 1600 SAT, and my high placement career aptitude tests." The boy's tone came off as innocent but he and the spikey blonde in front of him both knew he was bragging.
"Why you little."
Kojima however knew what could and couldn't be overlooked by the school board. "Alright that's enough, get back in your seats. Midoriya I trust you know we will be requesting you notify your family that the school will be seeking payment for the desk that was damaged due to your actions."
Glaring at the man a strained "Yes, sensei," was given. Bakugo continued to glare at Izuku and mouthed "We'll finish this later," as the class waited for the final bell to see what later would bring.
When the final bell rang Izuku began to put his books into his bag starting with his library book and when he moved to put in his notebook which was labeled Hero Notes and Tactics Vol 23 it was ripped from his hand. His eyes snapped up to see Bakugo holding the notebook in one hand while his goons flanked him on both sides, their teacher lowered his head and ducked out of the room as quickly as possible to avoid being held responsible.
"What's that Bakugo? Hero Notes and Tactics Vol 23, you have to take notes on how to be a hero now that's sad."
"HAHA, very funny guys but that's my book so give it back." Bakugo looked at Izuku in an almost bored way as he slammed his hands together on the notebook causing small explosions on both sides scorching it, then he cracked the spine of the book and tossed it through the open window. "Hey, do you know how much work went into those notes?"
"Listen Deku, I'm the only one at this school who can get into UA, and that's not arrogance I'm just that good." He then placed his hand on Izuku's shoulder and activated his quirk causing smoke to rise as he burned through the cloth and into the soft skin of Izuku's shoulder leaving a scar that would be easily hidden with the change of a shirt. "But I'm a bit of a perfectionist and I want to be the first and only person in this school's history to make it into UA and I don't need a quirkless nobody trying to mess that record up. So do yourself a favor and withdraw, besides all pros show talent during their early life and you don't have that without a quirk." The blonde turned and began to walk out of the room followed by his "friends" before looking over his shoulder and giving one more remark. "If you really want to be a hero so bad, why don't you take a swan dive off the roof and pray for a quirk in your next life."
With his piece said he ducked out of the room leaving his shocked peers behind. Izuku looked around at his peers who had witnessed everything but they refused to meet his eyes or to speak up on his behalf. Running out of the classroom he tried to ignore the hot tears that threatened to escape as he thought about just how alone he truly was. Izuku found his notebook floating in the pond that sat in front of the school, the Koi in the pond were nibbling the edges of the scorched book as if it were a new kind of food. He plucked it from the water and began thumbing through the pages. 'Most of the pages are fine or at least still readable, I'll need to move all my notes into a new notebook though to make sure it won't fall apart later.' The pages still dripped water onto the concrete and Izuku was left to wonder how long he'd have to borrow his mom's hair dryer to dry it out as he trudged home down the underpass since the main road had been damaged by MT. Lady when she captured a villain the week prior. He was too lost in thought while walking home to notice that the manhole he passed had begun to gurgle and a green slime poured out onto the path.
"What a perfectly convenient meat suit." A mouth and two eyes sat in a pile of sentient green sludge that seemed to have tried to look human but gave up after forming his arms opting for his body to stay as a pool of slime. Tendrils of slime shot out wrapping around Izuku's torso and pulling him into the slime cutting off his access to oxygen. "I'm going to borrow your body kid, I need it to hide from him. don't worry I'll take good care of it after you're gone."
The slime soon began to be forced down Izuku's throat effectively drowning him in his captor's hold. 'Think, think what can I do to get out of here. I don't wanna die like this I still need to help people.' His vision had started to blur around the edges and the world was losing its color as he was asphyxiated. 'His eyes, his eyes are solid if I can reach them he might let go.'
A pale hand reached for the villain's eye as he continued to mock the boy. "Thanks kid you really are my hero." Fingers wrapped around the jelly-like organ, and then the fist closed. "AHHHGGG, WHAT THE FUCK!" The villain writhed in pain and then ejected the boy from his grasp which caused him to rip the eye out of the slime. "I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!"
As Izuku sailed through the air he lost his hold on the eye which hit the wall coating it with optical jelly as it ruptured on impact. His back landed on the pavement first and then inertia bounced his skull off the pavement as well. His vision swimming Izuku tried to make peace with his situation as the blurry form of the newly minted cyclops angrily made his way towards him. In what Izuku thought would be his last moments a vision of the kind man he learned to play chess with swam into his mind, that was the first person, and the only person to tell him they believed in his dream. 'I'm sorry I couldn't live up to your expectations.'
Then there was a flurry of movement and a voice called out. "HAVE NO FEAR YOUNG MAN FOR I AM HERE." That's when Izuku finally lost consciousness.
Pain, that was what Izuku noticed first. His left cheek was in constant pain and his head swam with what he could only pray wasn't a concussion. Cracking his eyes open he felt a new kind of stabbing pain as sunlight tried its best to melt his brain through his eyes. A constant slapping was making his vision swim more than it needed to, the slaps weren't hard but they weren't soft either. They'd definitely leave a mark. Then like magic they stopped and a large silhouette filled his view. "Thank goodness, I thought we'd lost you, young man."
"W-who are you?" With his vision as blurry as it was and the sun behind the man blinding him, Izuku still couldn't make out his savior's face.
"You... don't watch the news much do you? I didn't think there was anyone in Japan who didn't know me. HAHAHA." The man's laugh was boisterous and somewhat familiar to Izuku but he couldn't place it yet, and then his vision began to clear. "Well, young man you can call me All Might the number one hero."
"Wait, All Might?" Izuku got to his feet and began to sway in a concerning manner that pointed to a concussion. "I have a notebook I'd like you to sign." Without missing a beat the notebook in question was pushed into his hands, the hero's signature was on the cover as the pages were still damp from their time in the fish pond. 'That's strange I thought this was in my bag how did he get it?' "Thank you sir I'll treasure it."
"Sounds good young man now I'll be off I need to get him to the police." All Might held out a soda bottle that had the injured sludge villain inside. "Stay safe."
"Wait I have a question for you."
"No time, I have to stop crime wherever it appears and villains won't wait for heroes to arrive." With that the hero flexed his legs and took to the sky in one mighty leap, only to notice a strange weight hanging from his legs. Izuku was hanging onto the hero for dear life as the winds rushed by distorting his face in a rather disturbing manner. "Now listen here young man I love my fans but this is too much you need to let go now."
"I can't if I do I'll die."
"Oh... Good point, hold on for a moment until I find a place to land, and keep your eyes and mouth shut you'll give me nightmares looking like that." All Might refocused on the task at hand as a bit of blood trickled from his mouth. "shit."
The two stood safely on the roof of a tall building overlooking the city, Izuku shook like a leaf in the wind. He'd never been so close to death in his life. "Young man that was incredibly dangerous and stupid I can't imagine what possessed you to do that but if you knock on the door someone should let you in. Now I need to be off."
All Might was already preparing to take off again. "Wait I need to ask you something."
"No time."
"Can someone without a quirk be a hero?" Izuku's earnest and unexpected question stopped the hero in his tracks. Steam began to leak from the blonde man's body as Izuku carried on. "I've wanted to be a hero all my life but everyone always told me it was impossible or they just looked at me with pity, but you always say that anyone with the drive to do the right thing no matter the danger can be a hero. So can you see a path for me to be a hero someday?" Looking up to see what he hoped would be the reassuring smile of the hero he'd idolized all his life the boy got the fright of his life. "W-who are you? What happened to All Might?"
A skeletal man now stood where the imposing form of All Might stood moments before. The straight blonde hair with two antenna-like strands at the front was now haggard and two frayed strands fell in front of his face. He looked sickly and weak with blood running from the corners of his mouth. "I assure you kid I am All..." It was at that moment he coughed up a large amount of blood onto the roof.
"There's no way All Might is big and strong, and he saves everyone with a fearless smile."
"There's plenty of fear behind that smile kid." The blond wiped the blood from his mouth before carrying on. "Look now that you've seen the real me I don't wanna see you writing about it on the internet." The skeletal man lifted his shirt revealing a large scar that sank into his body near his ribs. "Ten years ago a villain did this to me and it left me weakened, I can only do hero work for three hours a day now."
"Ten years ago, I don't think Toxic Chainsaw could have done this."
"Ha, you know your stuff kid, no that upstart didn't do this. It was a fight I asked to be kept out of the news in order to keep the public calm."
Izuku moved closer and began to inspect the scar itself. "It looks like it crushed your twelfth through seventh right side ribs, I'd expect you also had fractures on your sternum and upper right ribs. With that depth damage to your right lung, liver, and stomach would be very likely."
All Might quickly dropped his shirt to hide his wound. "It's really creepy that you know that from just looking at it."
"Well if I became a hero I might need to treat people during rescues so knowing the extent of someone's injuries is important."
"About that kid." The blonde man rubbed the back of his head and wouldn't meet Izuku's eyes. "Look a hero needs to be able to hold back overwhelmingly powerful forces in order to make people feel safe. So do I think someone could be a hero without a quirk... I'm sorry I just can't see it happening." He still refused to look at Izuku as he ripped the image of the supportive hero away from the boy so he missed the hope draining from his eyes only for it to be replaced with despair. "It's not wrong to dream but you need to be realistic. Try out to be a police officer, sure it's not as glamorous as a hero but it's a necessary job and you can still help people." Then the man disappeared through the roof exit and into the building leaving the stunned Izuku behind.
'Even All Might doesn't believe in me. The man who says anyone with the drive to do good can be a hero took one look at me and said I wasn't cut out for it.' Izuku trudged to the chainlink fence that walled off the edges of the roof and looked out at the city. It only took a moment before his thoughts turned his eyes down to the pavement below. His ex-friend's words hummed in his ears, "If you really want to be a hero so bad, why don't you take a swan dive off the roof and pray for a quirk in your next life." Izuku had brushed the words off before but now the sidewalk below held his gaze practically beckoning him into its embrace.
In an instant, a familiar voice cleaved through the darkness that was Izuku's thoughts. "Oh, I didn't know there was anyone else up here today." Glancing over his shoulder Izuku saw a man in a wheelchair his face covered in bandages and a male nurse behind him pushing the chair.
In an alleyway, three boys were kicking stones down the path. Bakugo Katsuki was leading them while the two "extras" were trying to get his attention. "Hey, why don't we go to the arcade and play some games."
"With what change? Besides we should try to sneak into one of the bars I hear they take card and I borrowed my parents' this morning."
"WOULD YOU TWO SHUT UP." Bakugo kicked a bottle down the alley causing its contents to spill out. "I plan to go to UA do you know how much that would damage my chances if we're seen there?" Then the blonde snatched a box of cigarettes out of one of the boy's hands. "And how many times have I told you not to smoke these things around me?" The two boys backed away from their leader terror written on their faces causing him to smirk. 'Good they should know better than to cross me.'
"That's perfect I like a skinsuit with some fire."
"What the?" Bakugo's vision went green as a semi-opaque liquid obscured his face and through it, he could see his "friends" leaving him behind. Panic set in as the boy realized he couldn't breathe and then his hands began to spark.
Shishido Saki ran through the halls of Aldera High ignoring the teachers' shouts to slow down or walk as she made her way to the office. Standing in front of the wooden door with the word PRINCIPAL written in bold she reached out and knocked twice. Her thoughts turned towards her genius classmate with green hair and what were in her opinion the cutest freckles ever. 'I was horrible to him once but I will change I won't leave him alone. Once I help him here I'll make sure to tell him exactly how I feel, I just hope he can find it in him to forgive me.'
"Come in." A chill went up Shishido's spine because the principal did not sound like he was in a good mood and he definitely wouldn't like the news she was about to bring him.
'You can do this. You can do this. Do it for him.' Steeling her nerves she pushed the door open and entered the office. Inside she saw Principal Nishi Shou sitting behind his desk. The principal looked like he would be more at home in an office building than in a school, he wore his usual three-piece suit, and his black hair was slicked back.
Nishi eyed one of the documents on his desk carefully before addressing Shishido. "What brings you to my office Miss Shishido?"
"You know my name?" She was fairly sure she hadn't spoken to the man before and had no idea how he knew her.
He set down the document and smirked. "I just finished signing off all this year's graduates and your school pictures are on the documents, but I don't think that's what brought you here today."
"You're right Sir, I came here today because I have a very important incident to bring to your attention." Now she had the man's undivided attention. "I would like to report a very serious bullying incident."
"Any incident of bullying is a serious incident, and I tolerate none of it in my school. Now why don't you tell me what happened."
"Of course Sir." 'I won't let you face this alone anymore Izuku.'
Meanwhile, Izuku found himself in the living room of a nice apartment the man in a wheelchair sat across from him, his face still bandaged, and his nurse had left to grab some food. A glass coffee table sat between the two and Izuku found himself sinking into the soft couch he was sitting on "So young man, I don't think I got your name."
"Oh, I'm Midoriya Izuku Sir. I'm sorry to intrude but I am also curious why did you want to speak with me?"
"Hmm, oh that was just a passing thought to sate my curiosity. I was going to ask what you were doing up there since it is so rare that I run into someone as young as you out and about without their phone covering their face." The man then reached under his chair and pulled out a checkered board which he set on the table. "Young Izuku huh, I wasn't sure I'd see you again young man." With a wave of his hand, two drawers on the sides of the board opened and the chess pieces contained inside flew out and arranged themselves on the board.
Realization rolled over the green-haired boy as the memory of the only person who'd believed in his dream crossed his mind. "Shigaraki Sensei, I'm sorry I didn't recognize you."
"HAHA, I'm honestly surprised you remembered me at all. We would have met when you were about four or five." 'He's even more impressive than I thought.' "Though I must admit I do miss the nickname you gave me of just Sensei it was an endearing one."
"Oh, um I was born with a photographic and phonographic memory and you were also the first person to say they believed in me so there's no way I would have forgotten you." Izuku had turned red due to the embarrassment of the path the conversation had taken. "It was due to your words that I studied so hard to improve myself."
"That's amazing young Izuku, then I trust you still remember how to play chess." Shigaraki's smile was fully visible now despite the mask of bandages covering most of his face. 'With that memory and thirst for knowledge, I regret finding Tomura first more and more each day.' His thoughts wandered from the young man in front of him to the one who was in their hideout who just played video games and destroyed the league's assets when he was mad every day.
"Of course, it became my favorite game after you taught me, I even taught myself to play Shogi after people stopped wanting to play chess with me."
"Well, then why don't we play another game."
A smile split Izuku's face from ear to ear. "Sure."
"Don't forget to call out your moves since I can't see anymore."
"Oh of course, by the way, Sensei if you don't mind me asking what happened?" Izuku inquired as he called out his move of one pawn to D4.
At the most inopportune time, the nurse decided to make his reappearance. "Why would you ask such a rude question to your host? Could you not see that is a sensitive subject? What were..." Izuku flinched at every question and the man only stopped because a chill ran up his spine one that told him, he may not get to keep his tongue or his life if he went further. His eyes snapped to the most dangerous person he'd ever worked for, as unassuming as the wheelchair-bound man was he knew being useful wouldn't save his life from his patient who was deceptively powerful.
"It's not that big of a deal so please calm yourselves. Young Izuku I was injured in a workplace accident and I had a large portion of my face damaged so I find myself in poor health these days. You needn't worry yourself I took no offense from your question." The affectionate and kind tone he used to refer to Izuku told his nurse the most important things he could learn today. One the green-haired boy was on good terms with his boss and was not to be disrespected and two the ancient villain had his eyes on the boy so he should tread lightly and help however he could if he didn't want to end up like those things his mentor the "Doctor" was working on.
"I'm sorry for any discomfort my careless question might have caused."
The sickly man waved him off. "Think nothing of it young Izuku, but I greatly appreciate your concern. Now then, I've told you about myself how have you been since we last met? Still working on being a hero?" Another wave moved a black pawn to D5 mirroring Izuku's move as a joking reminder of their first game.
The mood in the room instantly dropped as Izuku lost his smile once more. "Actually, I think I'm going to give up on being a hero."
"Whatever for?" Shigaraki was listening to the almost high school graduate with rapt attention.
"I was recently told by my hero, someone I'd idolized my whole life that they couldn't see anyone without a quirk becoming a hero."
"Why that's nonsense..."
Izuku however wasn't finished. "And just today I was attacked by a villain, it was my first encounter with a villain and I was helpless. First, he tried to drown me, and went I managed to hit him and get free he threw me into the ground I hit my head and lost conciseness. Everyone was right I am useless." Hot tears welled in Izuku's eyes as he tried to not flood his first Sensei's nice apartment.
"I don't believe that for a second."
"What?" Just like that the tears that threatened to pour out were gone and a bewildered expression took their place.
"Even when you were a young child I saw the potential for greatness in you and I still see it now. Young Izuku don't let other people tell you differently don't let them dictate who you are and what you can do. I know for a fact that you can still help lots of people it may not be in the way you expect but there is no doubt in my mind that you can make their lives better."
A new kind of tear began to stream from Izuku's eyes, tears of joy and hope. "Thank you Sensei, you don't know what that means to hear that."
"I'm glad I could help, and speaking of helping let's have Tokunaga take a look at you. You said you hit your head and Tokunaga has an interesting quirk that allows him to accurately identify any light to moderate injury and treat them with his energy. It's very similar to Recovery Girls in a way. Unfortunately, my face didn't quite make it in the moderate category."
Izuku cracked a small smile at the man's joke as the now-named Tokunaga moved over to him. "Don't you have to have supervision to use a quirk like that?"
Tokunaga cracked a small smile as he placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. "I have a special license as an at-home nurse to treat light injuries but I would need supervision for the moderate ones." He winced as he accessed Izuku, "I'm willing to consider concussions light injuries today if you're willing to keep a secret."
Izuku gave a small nod and suddenly his vision cleared as if a fog he didn't realize had moved in was cleared away. "How bad was it?"
"You had a severe concussion, had the blow been much harder you might have fallen into a coma." Seeing Izuku's face turn beat red Tokunaga smiled. "You didn't mean to say that did you?"
"No, I was just..." The gong of a grandfather clock that was hidden in a different room went off alerting the occupants of the apartment that it was now five o'clock. "Oh, no I need to get home." Izuku gave a swift bow to both of his hosts. "Thank you both for taking care of me but I need to leave or my mother will worry. I'm sorry we weren't able to finish our game Sensei."
"Think nothing of it young Izuku. You are always welcome here so feel free to come back and finish the game another time." With another bow, the boy was gone.
"He's a good kid."
"That he is. Since you treated his injury I will forget how rude you were to my future protegee."
"Thank you, Sir."
Outside of the building Izuku turned himself towards home and began to walk down the street. 'I need to work even harder I won't betray Sensei's expectations of me I will live up to the potential he saw in me.' Then the street rattled as an explosion went off in the distance. 'What was that? People might be in trouble Sensei this will be my first chance to show everyone what you saw in me that even I can help people.' With that one thought guiding him Izuku's legs carried him down the street like a gazelle across the savanna towards his destiny.
Author's Note:
Hey everyone I had a crazy time with this chapter not only because it marks my return to writing but it is also the longest chapter I have written to date both in words which is just shy of 10,000 and in the time taken to write it all. Halfway through writing, I had my first bout of COVID which I was told I had an unnaturally fast recovery from so instead of being sick and quarantined unable to do anything I was up and fine but I didn't have my computer to write with so I just got to sit around bored. But this whole thing was a blast I am glad to be back and writing again for you all.
I assume most of you know what the Japanese honorifics mean but I plan to use them mostly for people who are peers as it's a bit weird to see students addressing teachers with honorifics they'd use for their classmates. But here's a very brief meaning/usage guide: (-san: if someone is a peer or friend but is formal) (-chan: a more friendly and less formal honorific for females) (-kun: a more friendly and less formal honorific for males) (-tan: for someone who is seen as inferior or less than the person addressing them) (-Sama: for someone who is seen as superior than the person addressing them). I hope that was helpful.
I hope you all enjoyed this since I did things differently than I used to but let me know what you think and for the first time in a long time.
Dante Out