Huzzah! I am alive!

If you're one of the (thankfully few) people who read my prior story and have been wondering if I fell into a ditch somewhere and then proceeded to make a Robinson's-style life for myself there instead of returning to the civilized world... Here's proof that I still remember what a keyboard is!

It's been a bit over two years since I was happy enough with my writing to actually publish something, but I've made a lot of progress in that time. I'm much happier with my quality standard, and actually understand the words plan, outline, and draft now, which helps avoid writer's block. Who knew?

For those of you (in the majority, I imagine) who've just stumbled across this while browsing...

Welcome!

We have complementary cookies for you on your left. No, your other left. The sinister one, not the dexterous one.

Anyway, here's my latest project! It's absolutely absurd, and I'm taking a stupid idea like this far too seriously. But, really, I just liked the idea I got from a 4chan CYOA, and now I can't stop writing... what're you gonna do?

Because of character limits that prevent it being the proper story summary, here's a complete inside-cover-style summary of 'Waifutrix!'

Summary:

A different beginning can go a long way...

When Midoriya Izuku asked All Might the most important question of his life... the man dashed his hopes with a single word: 'No.' Hopeless and miserable, his life takes a different direction when he goes on a camping trip with his mother and an asteroid changes his life forever with its contents: an impossible watch that turns him into iconic characters, waifus, from other worlds-not that he knows that part.

What will he do with this power? What will become of him? Can he be a hero?

Find out in this darker, but also more comedic, take on the world and story of MHA.

With that out of the way, I only have a few final remarks for you, dear readers.

For one, I'll be uploading Chapter Two at some point in the next day or two, and will aim to maintain a (roughly) weekly upload schedule from there. To, hopefully, cure you of your doubts about such a promise, I am currently several chapters ahead of what I plan to upload and writing more on a daily basis. If that ever changes, I'll be sure to mention why instead of disappearing for a couple years.

For two, I feel obligated to mention that Chapter One's tone is not indicative of the entire story. Given it's purpose is to get the ball rolling, it wound up being a very emotional and impactful chapter. While there will be, and are more chapters to follow that have a similar serious vibe, I don't plan to inundate you with over-the-top heart-wrenching content. Such things are best experienced infrequently, to further reinforce their punch.

Finally, I just want to mention that I'll be using the Japanese name order (family names preceding personal ones) for this series, as well as attempting to use the metric system for measurements in my descriptions. If you all find this annoying, I'll start leaving notes at the end of each chapter with the American name order of all characters that're relevant, as well as conversions and deeper descriptions of whatever is measured with the metric system.

Edit:

Fixed some formatting issues.

Edit 2:

I'm putting a disclaimer here about my intended direction and plans for this story, because I know some things are deal-breakers for people or they won't enjoy. I don't want to waste anyone's time by baiting them into a story and then implementing something that takes away any enjoyment they may have gotten so far, so here's a few things (spoiler free) that I'm doing with this story that I know some people may not like.

1. This story is an AU, even at the basic level.
Though most of this story's alternate universe content originates from the butterfly effect, there are some things that are going to be different even without that. I'm interpreting the settings, narrative, and characters of My Hero Academia in my own way, making adjustments and alterations to better suit my vision for this story. If there's something different between this story and canon, it's intentional, not a simple case of me forgetting something and making a mistake.

2. I intend to write Bakugo as a proper rival and secondary protagonist.
Despite his many flaws, I see potential for a character that Bakugo could have been in canon that was far more compelling and complex, while actually being a rival for Izuku. In canon, he already lost the symbolic fight for being the future 'Number One Hero' in the moment Izuku gained One For All, because they both idolized the man and saw him as their end goal-even if it was for different reasons. In this story, Bakugo and Izuku will have different mentors, different interactions, and hopefully a more compelling rivalry. I do plan to take a 'warts and all' approach to his character though, so he's still going to be quite the asshole until he manages to grow out of it.

3. I am reworking the power scaling of MHA and the 'waifus' that Izuku receives his powers from.
One of the unique challenges of writing a crossover (particularly a multi-crossover like this), is balancing the different levels of power between characters. An example of how this can become problematic is the fact that one of the waifus is canonically a 'planet-killer' at the peak of her potential, and could thereby completely trounce even the strongest characters in MHA with raw power. However, this wouldn't be interesting at all to read, and would have no dramatic tension or weight for the story.
To combat this overall problem, I've upped the strength of a lot of MHA's characters, which also fits into how I'm re-interpreting the source material to match my vision for how they could have been, while I've also re-balanced the 'waifus' to be useful and important without them being too weak or too strong. There's something of an actual explanation for why this happens contained within the narrative, but even then I've had to just flat out nerf or buff certain characters beyond that to keep the story from falling apart.

4. This will be a long story, taking it's time to establish its narrative instead of rushing to get to various plot points.
I plan to move at a pace that balances being believable and being interesting without skipping around too much. The biggest example of this is the fact that the ten or so months between Izuku meeting All Might for the first time and U.A. are not going to be skipped. This period will contain it's own plotlines and build up to U.A. and the content that follows. However, I also don't want to show every single little thing and keep the story moving at a snail's pace because I want to keep the story interesting and entertaining to read.

5. This story will not contain Baku/Deku shipping.
No matter what happens or what various jokes may imply, this story will never have a Bakugo/Deku romance. It doesn't line up with how I'm characterizing them and would ruin my plans for their character development along with the course of the narrative.

Now... On with the show!

"Can someone without a quirk be a hero like you?!"

He'd done it. He'd said it. Finally, after years of torment, painstaking notes, and stubbornness, he would have his answer. His idol, the man he looked up to so desperately, was his last hope. Every single person he'd ever mentioned it to had denied his dream. Some politely, some with laughter, and some with anger… but All Might was different. He would smile the way he always did, give the encouragement he was known for, inspire Izuku to push past all his doubts and worries—

"No."

W-what…?

All Might turned to face him, his ever-present smile replaced by a solemn frown.

"You can't be a hero. I'm sorry, kid… I can't just lie to you about this. Being a hero is dangerous."

The despair Izuku felt in that moment must have shown on his face... since All Might was quick to continue—his brilliant smile hastily replacing the frown.

"But—!"

With that single word, light returned to the green-haired boy's world.

"You could be a police officer, or a fireman, or any number of things that protect people! They're heroes in their own right, after all! Why, one of my best friends is a— "

The brief burst of hope was smothered like a candle in the rain. He'd heard that advice before. So many times that he'd started counting how often people suggested specific occupations. Fifteen times for 'police officer,' twelve for 'fireman,' a frankly ridiculous amount—fifty-six—for 'hero agency clerk,' and many more besides that.

All Might clearly saw the inefficacy of his words and quickly stopped his rambling. The solemn frown making more appearances in the past two minutes than Izuku had ever seen in any video of his role model. The man was always smiling. He had to!

"I know it's not what you wanted to hear—"

The thoroughly muscled arm reached out with a gentleness contrary to its strength, seeking to comfort the boy.

Before he could do so, Izuku spun on his heel, his shoulders trembling miserably.

"You were supposed to be different…" he whispered before walking into the stairwell and departing.

The giant of a man stayed there for several long moments, frozen in place as steam began to waft from his form. With a sigh, he shrank down massively, steel-like muscle and chiseled features replaced with withered cords and sallow expression.

The arm he had extended turned palm up, slowly tightening into a frustrated fist.

"I'm a hypocrite…" he muttered.

…

It's not the same…

Why did no one get that? Sure, he could become a police officer, or a fireman, or whatever else he put his smarts toward, but it wasn't what mattered. There was something different about being a hero. It wasn't the money, 'cause frankly, only the top fifteen or so heroes got a paycheck worth competing for, nor was it the fame that was just as elusive.

Being a hero was more than such things. There was a meaning to it that he struggled to put together, even in his own mind, but it existed—he was certain.

"No… You can't be a hero."

But who was he kidding? Quirkless Deku, the loser, the kid so focused on writing up reports on heroes that he forgets to turn in his schoolwork. There was no way someone like him could be a hero. Why should he even try? It's not like he had the means to be use—

Bang!

He toddled backward, blinking away stars and rubbing the rapidly forming bruise on his forehead.

"...I just walked into the front door."

Perfect… just what I needed today: a bruise and a headache.

"Izuku, is that you? The door's unlocked, dear!" A familiar voice called from within the small building.

Smiling bitterly, uncharacteristic as it was, he opened the door and walked into his home.

"Hey, mom…" He began.

The next words out his mouth made him almost sick to his stomach, but he forced them out through the tears that were beginning to fall. It needed to be said. It was the cold, hard, and undeniable truth.

"You were right. I can't be a hero."

Bakugo Katsuki was an angry young man.

He knew it, his mother knew it, the teachers knew it, everyone knew it. But that was okay. He didn't need to be cheerful or pleasant to be a hero, Endeavor's existence proved that fact.

Yet…

He didn't want to be like Endeavor. Like many young men his age, there was only one true ideal to look toward, and that man was named 'All Might.' The greatest hero in living memory, the 'Symbol of Peace...' There was something about him that was genuinely special; that set him apart from all the other pro-heroes.

...and if there was one thing Bakugo knew, it was that beyond his anger, he was special. Blessed with a powerful quirk, book smarts, and athletic ability, he had it all! It only made sense that he would follow in the footsteps of the best of the best. After all, that's what he was for his generation.

So he spent his youth accordingly, training his quirk and putting his nose to the grindstone. He would attend U.A., just like All Might had, perhaps even spend some time in America—their hero community may have nothing on Japan, but All Might had clearly seen something of value there, so it was worth consideration…

There was only one problem…

Midoriya Izuku. Deku. The useless, quirkless kid that followed him around for as long as he could remember thought he could be a hero. Not just any hero, but a hero like All Might. The idiot thought he could be Number One!

It was laughable, insulting even, that someone like him—someone so abjectly un-special that it was almost a quirk of its own—thought he could be Bakugo's equal. No, that he could surpass him. There was only one seat at the top, and the worthless wonder thought he could have it…

So he made it clear to the boy who thought they were 'friends.' Bakugo tormented him, insulted him, sicced the sycophants that followed the blond around on him… yet nothing seemed to stick. He never gave up.

It. Was. Infuriating.

This kind of stubbornness was something he'd only seen in his idol, and the fact that this weakling was imitating the only man Bakugo considered his superior only served to make him angrier.

So angry, in fact, that he'd finally snapped—crossed a line that he'd only toyed with before: he'd told the boy to jump off a roof. Maybe he'd be born something useful in his next life!?

It was funny, right? A good joke!

Yet he couldn't shake the feeling he'd gone too far. It was a rare moment when he genuinely looked at someone and paid attention to what he saw there; he had better things to do with his time than be considerate. But when he said those words he could see how much he'd hurt the other boy. It was then that he felt a rare emotion, subverting his anger in the moment: regret. He'd gone too far…

...and now he'd never get to do something about it.

Shortly after the incident, he'd shooed away the extras and walked home alone, scowling for once at his own actions. He didn't like regrets. They were for background characters without an ounce of confidence. He lived his life looking forward, moving toward the future doggedly without ever looking back.

During his rare bout of reflection, he was so distracted that he didn't notice the greenish liquid sliding out from the alleyway while he waited for the crosswalk light to signal a crossing, nor did he notice when it spiraled around his leg and up his torso.

By the time he realized what was happening, it was too late. The thing had him trapped. He struggled anyway, he was Bakugo Katsuki, he wasn't going down without a fight!

Explosions burst from his palms as he twisted his body, attempting to launch himself into the air and out of the villain's grip.

"Not gonna work, kid!" the slime giggled. "You're gonna be my little meat-puppet until I get All Might off my trail!"

This thing escaped All Might?!

"Fuck you!" Bakugo declared, kicking out with his leg and flinging his sweat at the ground.

It exploded a second later, launching him and the villain wrapped around him across the street and through the window of the local bakery.

People were screaming as he fought to get the thing off him, doing everything he could to keep it away from his face. He dived and tumbled, explosions adding force to his movements and destroying the glass display for the various pastries and bread. The next thing he knew, he was in the back of the shop, crashing into metal appliances and narrowly avoiding broken bones. The bruises he was certain he was racking up didn't register in his mind, the fear, panic, and anger all added up to a cocktail of adrenaline that numbed all sensation.

Enough so he couldn't smell the gas in the air...

He let out a roar of defiance as he thrust another explosion, the largest yet, at the main body of his opponent. The moment the sweat lit up, his world was awash in light as the gas caught fire.

Everything faded to black…

…

Dazed and confused, the first thing Bakugo noticed upon returning to consciousness was the fire. It was everywhere. Had… had he done this?

"Back off!" the villain screamed.

Bakugo blinked, glancing around until he saw why the villain was shouting. Several pro-heroes were on the scene. Between the concussion he was sure he had and the slime that partially obscured his vision, he wasn't too sure who they were… only that they were vaguely familiar. Probably two-bits getting their fifteen minutes of fame before fading into a career of obscurity…

"Back off or the kid gets it!" The villain declared.

The monstrous words rang in his ears and his vision blurred.

Shit… definitely a concussion…

Blinking again, he struggled to remain awake. It was a very-bad-thing to fall asleep with a concussion. At least, that's what he'd heard from health class and his own studies. All he had to do was stay awake and the heroes would save him… then he could go back to his studies and—

"Fuck that!" He shouted, his words partially muffled by goo.

Immediately, he returned to struggling. Instantly, his mouth was covered and his nose sealed.

"Keep moving like that and you die, get it?!" the villain hissed into his ear.

Bakugo's first thought was the spit in the face of the asshole who dared threaten him, but logic stopped him… His prior efforts proved he wasn't strong enough to escape, and that was a lesser hold than the perfect grip the villain had on him now. What if…

Despite the sting to his pride, he nodded slightly and ceased his efforts, bringing his hands together in a subservient gesture.

The slime villain's face tilted into a leer, the liquid that made up his head slipping around to the other side to return to yelling threats at the heroes. They were currently focused on the fire. It was everywhere and rapidly spreading, and since there clearly wasn't much they could do to help Bakugo, they'd made the logical choice to focus on the more immediate problem.

Aside from them, a few side-kicks had been left to guard some people, at the edge of the danger zone, where frightened escaped bystanders and idiots without a self-preservation instinct stood by.

Despite being encapsulated by slime, Bakugo's hands were firmly pressed together and creating a small air bubble; the sweat gradually escaping his glands now that slime wasn't obstructing it. He took his time here, forcing sweat out with the limited control his quirk granted him and building up as much as he reasonably could. Steadily, a small pool formed in his hands…

There. Done.

Gleefully, he opened his hands and allowed the pool to be absorbed into the slime. The consistency of the two liquids was vastly different however, just as he'd hoped, so the sweat circulated throughout the slime man's body similarly to oil pockets in water.

With a feral grin, he cackled one word: "Boom!"

For the second time today, everything went white.

When he came to a moment later, he knew he'd screwed up and that wasn't the best decision. His left arm dangled limply in its socket, agony echoing from the burns that covered his limb. Though they were most extreme there, the rest of his body was covered in pock-mark injuries, varying in intensity and pain.

But… It was worth it. The slime man was gone. Reduced to atoms, maybe?

"Hehehe…" he chuckled deliriously.

He'd won. He'd won! This was the first step toward Number One! Maybe he'd get a scholarship? Oh! An internship offer at a Hero Agency!

"AHHH! HELP!"

His head whipped around, causing a wince from agitated burns.

The people he'd dismissed earlier were reduced to a panicked mob. A telephone pole, with all it's wires, had fallen behind them and cut off their exit.

D-did I…?

More importantly, the slime-man, who looked disturbingly unharmed… was advancing on them. The sidekicks there clearly had no idea what to do and were almost visibly shaking in their boots. The heroes were too far away, too focused on the fire to get there in time. Someone had to do something or the villain would have a whole crowd of hostages.

But… there was nothing he could do.

Bakugo was covered in injuries, his left arm worse than useless and he was sure he'd have a limp for a few days… The logical thing to do was to accept his loss. He'd done his best, even managed to escape! It wasn't his responsibility to protect all those people… he wasn't a hero yet. It was their job, their asses on the line, and their duty to protect the innocent…

So why was he standing up right now?

"Grrrrgh… DAMNIT!" he yelled, steadfastly ignoring the pain as he set off an explosion behind him with his good arm, careening him up and over the slime villain to land in an exhausted heap a few steps between the criminal and his would-be victims.

What was he doing? This was the opposite of a good idea! There was no way he could do anything to hold off the villain! All he would do was worsen his injuries, maybe even cripple himself and end his career before it even started.

Everyone was staring at him. The world was frozen, waiting for something, anything to explain what a horribly injured teenager thought he was doing here. He needed to say something… and really, there was only one thing he could say, wasn't there?

"It's alright," he began, glancing back at everyone behind him. His whole body trembled, but his expression never wavered. A massive smile forced onto his features in a way that abused muscles he hadn't bothered to exercise in years.

"WHY?!" He shouted, returning to look at the thoroughly confused villain in front of him. "Because…"

"I. AM. HERE!"

There wasn't much he could do after crushing a boy's dreams. Yagi Toshinori, better known as All Might, was helpless in the face of that reality. A quirkless boy could not make a difference in today's world.

'But you did…' whispered his subconscious.

Pushing the discomforting thought away for the moment, he set to walking down the stairs in his true form, content to return the slime villain he'd captured to Tsukauchi. The detective knew of his… situation… and would easily deal with the paperwork for him.

There was nothing I could do to help him… he would have gone down a dangerous path and ended up dead within a year of graduation. Assuming he even managed to get into a Hero Course somewhere.

Gradually, he walked towards the police station.

'Yet you managed it…' his subconscious whispered back.

I had Shimura-sensei and One for All. I had all the power I could need.

'The boy could have earned those too…' it suggested.

What are the odds he would've been worthy? He certainly couldn't have handled it without training. Training I wouldn't give him without evidence of his character.

'So you crush his dreams and spit on the ashes just because he might have been a poor fit? Have you fallen so far?' it said, its words cutting deeply.

Where there's life, there's hope. Better to endure the pain now and get over it instead of being strung along until he dies painfully.

'What happened to the Symbol of Peace, the man who inspires all with his smile and never gives—?'

An explosion interrupted his inner dialogue, causing him to blink back to reality. Without even realizing it, he'd begun running towards the sound. Someone could be hurt, someone would need—

He tumbled to the ground, coughing up blood and spit before he forced himself to his feet.

Damn you, All for One…

A few moments later, he joined a crowd of spectators, watching in horror as an entire street and strip mall was engulfed in flames. At its center was a man made of slime, almost guaranteed to be his quirk.

Does he have a hostage…?

Thoroughly wrapped and constricted was a blonde teenager, perhaps fifteen or so, that was clearly unconscious. All Might breathed in deeply, moments away from forcing a transformation and damning the consequences to his health… when other heroes arrived on the scene.

Kamui Woods, Backdraft, and Death Arms were all on the scene. They'd brought sidekicks and a few other heroes All Might didn't quite recognize. He'd ask them for their names at some point. He made it a rule to know as many heroes as he could, as it helped spread good cheer in the Hero Commission for the Number One to know everyone.

Sighing, he let the breath go and his nearly summoned power with it. 'The Symbol of Peace' wasn't needed here.

'If you just did something, the situation would be over already… Who knows how many casualties there are already?'

Biting his lip in a frustrated grimace and clenching his fists in anger, he forced himself to remain put. If he moved now, the situation may be over, but it was certain to cause some damage to his already deeply injured body. He'd used up his time for the day, and there was no way of knowing how long he would be able to keep the embers of One for All alive. If he pushed it even further, there was a very plausible chance they may go out.

The Symbol of Peace could not die until he had a successor.

In the distance, he watched the poor boy that was being held hostage wake up and begin to struggle. It didn't last long, the villain clearly doing something to frighten the boy into compliance.

Good. Don't risk yourself, kid.

The brief standoff between the heroes and the slime man didn't last long. The fire was spreading and emergency services simply couldn't get to the scene as fast as heroes could. They'd need to delay the spread until the proper people arrived to deal with it. It was the best decision, the logical one… yet all that All Might could think of was the terror he could easily imagine on the trapped teen's face as he was held in such a terrible situation. His teeth began to ache from the force of his grimace as he sat there, unable to do anything as a spectator.

It was a figurative kind of agony for him to stand there, unmoving, while there was someone in need of saving just in front of him.

That's when it happened. A massive explosion enveloped the villain and his hostage. For the briefest of moments, All Might realized his inaction had cost a young man his life, along with the life of a villain that may have been rehabilitatable.

Then the dust cleared away.

Slime dotted the destroyed street, which was even more thoroughly damaged now. Slowly, the liquid began to congeal, inching toward a centerpoint in the middle of the flaming street. Less than a minute later, it had reconstituted into the man. A terrible scowl was on his face, which swung around inhumanly to check his former hostage.

The boy was covered in burns and utterly limp. Assuming he'd survived the blast, he would need swift medical attention. Accordingly, the villain dismissed him as a useful hostage, choosing instead to stalk towards the crowd. At first, the sidekicks that were guarding them stood firm, already shooing away the people behind them to reduce the danger they were in.

Suddenly, behind the small mob, a telephone pole—already burning—lost what structural integrity it had and toppled to the ground. Electricity sparked from tangled and torn wire, effectively cutting off the only escape route available to normal people.

The sidekicks will manage. The next generation needs their own challenges…

Unfortunately, with their exit cut off, the people began to panic. The junior heroes, few and unskilled as they were, likely would not be able to protect everyone there. They knew it... and it scared them. Their reasons for fear were their own, but there is a lot of pressure on heroes to save people. It's what they did.

Yet here I am…

The slime villain was steadily approaching, his grin widening into a parody of far worse evils as he realized that all he had to deal with were unconfident sidekicks.

A second, smaller explosion rang out—and the boy was there.

Golden hair spiking upward like a child's image of the sun and a body so clearly pushed beyond its limits that it caused phantom pain in All Might's old wounds… the boy should not be here. He was putting himself unnecessarily at risk and likely about to get himself killed.

"It's alright!" the boy called.

All Might's eyes widened as the boy, no, the young man in front of the crowd turned and gave a familiar grin. It may not have reached his eyes, the pain he was no doubt feeling prevented that, but it was no less radiant.

"WHY?!" he called, turning to face the monster ahead of him.

All Might stared in wonder, blinking away phantoms of his younger years and his master at the boy's back. This was it. He'd found him. This was the one he was waiting for…

"BECAUSE… I. AM. HERE!"

How could he have forgotten what this young hero so clearly knew, deep in his bones? Being a hero wasn't about logic. Lives are not something to be measured in a game of weighted importance. Being a hero was about flying in the face of reason—saving everyone no matter the cost to yourself. When the world forced you to choose between the many and the few, you were supposed to deny the choice and save everyone anyway. Being a hero was about going further, beyond the limitations reality and logic imposed on you. Plus Ultra was U.A.'s motto for a reason.

"TEXAS SMASH!"

Less than a second later, the Symbol of Peace had annihilated the threat—catching the bits of slime remaining from his powerful strike and slipping them into the containers in his pockets. Ignoring the pain in his gut, he turned to the young hero behind him, the injured boy who was staring up in awe. All around them, raindrops began to fall from the clouds formed as a result of the air pressure of his blow.

"Young man… What is your name?"

The sun-haired teen blinked away tears and smiled. Properly this time, with pain overridden by relief and joy in equal measure.

"Katsuki… Bakugo Katsuki," was the shaky reply.

The crowd began to cheer, their minds finally catching up to the new, more hopeful, reality of their situation.

"Well, young-Bakugo, I believe I will be speaking with you later…"

The young man blinked in disbelief… and promptly collapsed. Saved only from worsening his injuries by All Might's steady hand. For the first time in a long time, All Might smiled for real. He had hope again.

He'd found his successor.

It's hard to pay attention to the flow of time once its progress loses all meaning. Izuku was becoming disturbingly familiar with that sensation. A week had already passed since his dream died, and he'd barely left his room.

Empty water-bottles and half-eaten meals dotted his floor and desk respectively, the curtains covered haphazardly by blankets in an ill-fated attempt to keep out the light. The remainder of his bedding was wrapped around his huddled up body, lit up only by the screen of his tablet.

"H-he's already saved a hundred people! It hasn't even been ten minutes yet!"

It was a very old video that he was watching.

'Ah-hahaha!'

The debut of a hero. His hero.

'He's laughing! Laughing!'

Whenever he was sad, or scared, or needing a push to keep going, he would always retreat back to this video.

'It's alright.'

How could he not? If there was anyone who would believe in him when no one, not even his own mother would, it was someone like this.

'Why?'

Someone who stood face to face with the worst the world had to offer and answered with a smile…

'Because—'

"I am here…" Izuku finished, blinking away tears.

He stopped the video, hugging the tablet to his chest.

"But you weren't. You weren't there, All Might…"

Clenching his eyes shut, he waited for the tears to come again. Trailing their way down familiar paths on his cheeks like they had many times in the past few days.

But this time, they didn't.

Instead, for the first time he could remember, Izuku wasn't sad anymore. He was angry.

Instantly, he was on his feet, the tablet forgotten in the lump of bedding as he stared at the walls around him. All Might memorabilia surrounded him, staring at him, judging him.

'You can't be a hero…' They all seemed to whisper.

In a rage, he tore them from the walls, wadding them up and tossing them into the corner. He stomped out of his room, startling his mother—who was about to knock on the door and leave him food—and waltzed into the kitchen.

He grabbed a garbage bag, the largest size they had, and pulled it from the box. After a moment's hesitation, he left the bag and brought the whole box instead.

Quickly, he returned to his room and started tossing everything away. The posters, the books, the action figures, the plushies, even the autographed out of print comic he'd gotten from a bidding war with other die-hard fans. All of it had to go.

What was the point of it all? There was no reason in having a symbol of hope there to remind him he had none.

His mother stared the whole time, confused, horrified, and happy in equal measure. Her son was finally up and about, yet his actions… They were so out of character as to make her briefly consider looking for cameras. Was this truly her Izuku?

Thirty minutes later, his room was barren of merchandise. His collection tossed into the bin along with his dreams.

"A-are you okay, Izuku?" his mother asked, finally working up the nerve to interrupt him.

The green-haired boy turned to her and gave a bright smile. It felt fake to him, but that didn't matter.

"Yeah, mom. Sorry about that. Just needed to get rid of some trash... It was driving me crazy," he said with a shaky laugh.

…

He returned to school the next day, making a point to ignore his classmates. He remembered all their taunts and jibes, and he refused to give them the satisfaction of knowing they were right.

So he cruised through his classes, putting in enough effort that the teachers wouldn't give him a hard time. This got him a few odd looks, since he wasn't daydreaming about heroism or writing in one of his infamous notebooks.

At the end of the day, though, is when things took a turn for the worse.

"Oi! Deku!" a familiar voice called.

Reflexively, Izuku froze at the title.

"I'm talkin' to you!" Bakugo Katsuki stated.

Sighing, Izuku turned around to face his tormentor-in-chief.

"What do you want, Kachan?" he asked tiredly. He was in no mood to deal with this today.

The blonde paused at that, somehow thrown off by his 'tormentee.'

"I just wanted to… Well, er," he began, "I wanted to tell you that—"

Izuku saw red, hearing years of vitriol playback all at once before the other boy could even finish his sentence.

"That I'm just a loser?" He interrupted. "That I'm a quirkless nobody that will never amount to anything?"

"No, I—"

"Oh, so you just want to remind me that I'm a weakling wannabe hero with delusions of grandeur, huh, Kachan?" Izuku demanded. "Well guess what?"

The blonde gaped at him openly, empty air falling from his hanging jaw.

"You. Were. Right. I'm useless. I am a 'Deku.' I'll never be a hero, no matter how hard I try. I finally get it, so there's no need for you to waste your time repeating it." The green-haired boy declared.

"But—" Bakugo started, trying to get a word in.

"Oh, right!" Izuku exclaimed, smacking his fist into his open palm to signal his realization. "My U.A. application! I need to change that before they send it! Thanks Kachan!"

He turned away, beginning to walk away before coming to a sudden halt.

"You know what?" He asked aloud. "I just realized. All this time, you were just trying to save me from myself. I guess you really are meant to be a hero, huh?"

The days after the incident were a pain, both figuratively and literally for Bakugo.

A dislocated shoulder, torn ACL, second and third degree burns all over his body, and a concussion caused him no end of issues. Thankfully, with his own innate resistance to heat and flame combined with quirk technology and healing quirks common in hospitals nowadays, he wouldn't have any permanent injuries. He would only have a few tiny scars and some pain for the next few days.

Oh, and he had to wear a sling for his arm.

He'd been tempted to give the doctors hell for that suggestion, but the presence of All Might put a pin in any such behavior. The man had taken an interest in him after his 'fight' with the slime villain, frequently making visits to check on him.

"Young-Bakugo," the man spoke up, startling the teen from his thoughts.

"Yeah?" he asked, picking his ear with his pinky.

Despite his apparent disrespect, he sat up straighter in the hospital bed the moment the man started speaking.

"Hmm… How do I put this?" he began, his voice booming with restrained power. "Ah! That's how!"

Suddenly, steam rose from the giant man, like his body was a stovetop with water dribbling onto it. Within moments, All Might, the 'Symbol of Peace…' was replaced by a sickly looking man with limp hair and a gaunt face.

"W-what the—?"

"I'm getting old, young man," the decrepit hero interjected. Though his voice was the same in tone, it lacked the booming quality he was, among many things, known for. "I have been for a while."

Bakugo wasn't stupid. Whatever was happening here, it was special. There was no reason for the Number One hero to share such valuable information with a random teenager, much as he may dislike the accuracy of that description.

Feh, I'll be important eventually.

"No man lives forever, not the great, nor the small…" All Might continued. "But there is a way to last beyond our own years."

Bakugo's eyes widened into saucers.

"W-what are you saying?" he stuttered, his mind already jumping ahead to wild speculation.

The hollow cheeks spread into a familiar grin, toothy and bright, that was eerie to see on a face like this.

"A legacy, young man. That's how any man can live forever," he stated. "But a legacy is more than just a thing, it's an ideal. Unfortunately, ideals tend to be forgotten shortly after their creators pass on."

He was. All Might was seriously saying what Bakugo thought he was.

"The only way to avoid that, is to hand it off to the next generation… and you, young man, are exactly what I've been looking for. You reminded me of something important, when you stood up for that crowd… Something I'd let myself forget over the years of my career. And so… Bakugo Katsuki… I have an offer for you."

"You can be a hero."

…

Once he was discharged from the hospital, he quickly returned to school. Before, he'd been driven to shoot for the stars and be number one. Now? He had the direct support of his idol, no, his mentor, to motivate him to impossible heights.

He was mentally ready to start training as soon as he had the conversation with All Might. Unfortunately, his body wasn't quite ready to keep up. As such, the man had told him to focus on his studies for the next week or so. He would be in touch, he'd said, and tell him when they would start his training.

Currently, he was mostly healed, though he still had some bandages he was expected to wear for the next few days. While irritating, he put up with the indignity… though he still snapped at anyone who glanced at the proof of his failure.

On the other hand, his popularity at school had shot to new heights. He'd already been king there, with the teachers practically trying to curry favor so they could attach their reputation to his. As soon as he made it big, they would proudly declare he was there because he went to this highschool.

Ugh, shitty side-characters are nauseating.

Still, it was a pleasant boon to his ego to see everyone looking at him in an even better light. Especially once he found out about the news reports he'd appeared on.

There was only one problem now… Deku.

The boy hadn't shown up to school since… since the day he'd crossed the line. The first day, he didn't even notice, too busy riding the high of his boosted reputation. The second, still, he wasn't paying attention. But on the third, he realized the green-haired boy was missing.

Initially, he wasn't too worried. The idiot had probably caught a cold, or something equally pathetic. After several more days of absence, he was ready to kick down the boy's door to make sure he hadn't done something… stupid.

He would never be able to live with himself if his words were the final straw for Midoriya. Pathetic he may be, but no one deserved so much pain they gave up on everything.

It was an incredible relief when the boy showed up the next day.

Deku was different, though—acting oddly.

He paid attention in class, not once looking out the window at his side to have those shitty fantasies of his, nor was he scribbling in those notebooks he brought everywhere. Surprisingly though, that wasn't the weirdest change.

Midoriya wasn't stuttering. Not once. There wasn't even the nervous mumbling he did whenever he remembered the reality of his patheticness for a moment. All his answers to the teachers were perfectly stated. Had he somehow grown a spine?

In the end, none of that mattered.

Bakugo needed to speak with the other boy. He had to apologize. The blonde was many things, plenty of them bad—if you listened to his bitch of a mom anyway—but he was not a coward. The line was crossed, and he was obligated to fix his mistake.

So when school ended, he followed Midoriya out of the classroom and waited until they were alone.

"Oi! Deku!" he shouted.

Though he may not be a coward… he was a creature of habit.

The green-haired teen froze.

"I'm talkin' to you!" he continued, stomping over with his hands in his pockets.

"What do you want, Kachan?" Deku responded tiredly.

The look on his face startled Bakugo. The other teen looked deeply annoyed, kind of like the blonde when he dealt with suck-ups or side characters. Even more surprising, his eyes were hard. There was no fear here. Not anymore.

"I just wanted to… Well, er," Bakugo began. "I wanted to tell you that—"

This is where he lost control of the conversation.

"That I'm just a loser?" Deku interrupted angrily. "That I'm a quirkless nobody that will never amount to anything?"

No! That wasn't why he was here at all! It may be true, but—

"No, I—"

"Oh, so you just want to remind me that I'm a weakling wannabe hero with delusions of grandeur, huh, Kachan?" Midoriya demanded. "Well guess what?"

What the hell is happening?

"You. Were. Right. I'm useless. I am a 'Deku.'"

Bakugo blinked, trying to say something, but the sheer absurdity of the interaction halted his ability to reply.

"I'll never be a hero, no matter how hard I try. I finally get it, so there's no need for you to waste your time repeating it." The green-haired boy declared.

This was wrong. Deku shouldn't be talking like this. He may be worthless, quirkless, and a general waste of space, but his one redeeming trait was the fact that he never gave up. What happened to him...?

"But—" Bakugo started, trying to get a word in.

"Oh, right!" Izuku exclaimed, smacking his fist into his open palm to signal his realization. "My U.A. application! I need to change that before they send it! Thanks Kachan!"

He turned away, beginning to walk away before coming to a sudden halt. There was no time for Bakugo's brain to reboot, so all he could do was stand there awkwardly and listen.

"You know what?" Deku began, "I just realized. All this time, you were just trying to save me from myself. I guess you really are meant to be a hero, huh?"

With that, the other boy walked away. Leaving Bakugo to his thoughts.

This is my fault.

He'd been so focused on the future, his future, that he failed to realize the importance of what he said and did now. All of his actions had led to that moment on the school roof, and he'd finally gone too far. He'd broken the unbreakable and taken away the one thing he'd grudgingly respected about Deku. His statements may have been accurate, but he had... on some level, anyway... been trying to help. But hindsight is 20/20, and it was too late to consider a different path. There was only one way to accurately describe that realization...

Well… shit.

A few months passed quietly for Izuku.

After altering his U.A. application, he'd adjusted his courses to suit his new goals, since it was barely early enough in the year for him to be allowed to do this. Although it had taken some serious convincing to get the teachers to agree. First term was ending soon, after all. Summer vacation was upon them, and he would need to pass several tests before the second term started if he wanted to be caught up enough to join class.*

This was all because he had only filled out the paperwork for U.A., anyway, and hadn't bothered applying elsewhere, so they were somewhat sympathetic.

Despite his propensity to research and take notes on things, he wasn't really someone who excelled at planning. Then again, it's also possible that his steadfast denial of reality made him unwilling to consider what he would do if he failed… Hence, he hadn't looked into any other schools besides U.A., so he was somewhat stuck with that option, given that applications needed to go out now.

As such, he signed up for the Support Course. If he couldn't be the one saving people with a smile, he could at least be the one outfitting and equipping those who did. Thousands of hours of his life had been spent theorizing how Heroes' quirks could be best utilized, as well as how their gear could synergize with them to maximize their potential. He would probably never be thanked, never know if his creations made a difference… but that was alright.

It was the perfect place for a nobody like him.

The courses he'd chosen to take for his final year of Junior High were demanding. Incredibly so. Physics, chemistry, mathematics, computer engineering… He was lucky that his school offered good classes on these subjects, and he knew he should be thankful, but the bags under his eyes and the coffee addiction he was steadily developing were enough to make him reconsider that sentiment.

Surprisingly, he found he was rather good at them, too. Well, physics and computer engineering, anyway. Advanced math made his head hurt and chemistry made his eyes ache from all the diagrams he was expected to memorize. No matter what he did, nothing he tried to learn there ever fully 'clicked' with him. He kept consulting his textbooks for every class and annoying everyone with how long he took to answer questions. His grades were good though, so there was that.

But, through it all, he found he was actually becoming content with his new lot in life.

It hurt to think about his abandoned dream, yes, but it was steadily becoming a dull ache rather than a gut-wrenching twist. It sucked to move on, but he could actually see himself being happy on his new path.

"Izuku?" his mother called.

Blinking crusty eyelids, he turned away from the latest torture his math teacher sought to inflict upon him. His mother pulled open the shutters of the room's window, the sun's rays smashing into him with the force of a freight train and forcing him to squint from the unexpected light.

"...Yeah?" he coughed, coughing once before repeating himself at proper volume.

What time is it…? Wait… what day is it?

"How long have you been working, sweetie?" she asked, her brow lowering into a worried frown.

"Uhh…"

"You didn't leave your room after getting home on Friday, and it's already Sunday morning," she stated.

Izuku's eyes widened.

"Oh."

"Yes, 'oh' is right, sweetie." she nodded. "...I'm worried about you, Izuku."

With the way she was standing there, so clearly distraught on his behalf, he couldn't help but feel guilty.

"I… I'm sorry, mom, it's just there's a lot of work, and I need to catch up since I joined these classes almost a whole term behind everyone, and—"

"I know that honey," she interrupted. "Which is exactly why you shouldn't be pushing yourself too hard. It's okay if your grades aren't perfect at first, your health is more important."

"But—"

"You need a break," she stated. "You don't have a… hobby… anymore, and you need to give your mind some time to rest."

Real subtle there, mom. A 'hobby,' huh?

"Err… I get that," Izuku began, cautious of being interrupted again, "but I really do need to get this done."

"Of course," his mother nodded. "But, I think you've lost track of more than just the day of the week, sweetie. It's the end of July."

Blink. Blink. What was she—?

"Oh! !" Izuku exclaimed. "I don't have school! Wait, that means…"

"Exactly!"

"I can finally work on extra credit/You can finally take a break!" They both exclaimed at the same time.

Instantly, his mother glared at him. Despite her kind demeanor, Midoriya Inko was terrifying when she was angry.

"I-zu-ku..." she sang. "You are not doing a single page of work today, or tomorrow."

"But—"

"Not. A single. One," she growled.

"Got it!" he squeaked.

How can she be this scary?!

"Good," the woman nodded. "We're going camping."

"We are?"

"Yes, we are. Pack some clothes and a book or two, if you want, but…"

"...No textbooks?" Izuku asked glumly.

"No textbooks," she nodded.

She stepped toward the door, pausing in the frame.

"We're leaving in an hour, so get ready. You can sleep in the car, sweetie," she explained. "Oh! I almost forgot! There's supposed to be a meteor shower tonight, so bring that telescope you got for your birthday a few years ago."

Izuku nodded tiredly. There was no point in protesting. Once his mother got to the point of being forceful, there was no way to sway her. He was going on this trip, whether he wanted to or not.

Accepting his gesture as proof of agreement, his mother left the room with a smile on her face—presumably to pack her own bag.

Oh well. I guess I could use a break. Besides, it's just a camping trip…

Pausing to yawn, he turned to look for his backpack.

What's the worst that can happen?

* The Japanese school year starts in April, with summer vacation following at the end of July and finishing in late August. The school year continues from there, the second term lasting the remainder of the calendar year and with a third term that ends in March.

The setupid in this chapter is that Izuku switched his courses just before summer and will continue them if he can catch up over summer. I doubt that's actually allowed, but it fits the rest of the timeline and is too minor a detail for me to worry about making perfect.

AN:

So, what did you think?

I'm rather happy with it, but I'd love to hear well-intentioned criticism. This project has taken over the last couple weeks, and I really am looking forward to maintaining it going forward. Thank you for taking the time to read, however much you do, and I hope you enjoy the story-both now and going forward.

I'll see you all, hopefully, in Chapter Two!