— Midoriya Yagi Izuku?
— Yes? Here we are, sir — responded a woman with green hair and a trained physique, named Midoriya Inko.
— Please, come in.
Both entered, the green-haired woman and a boy with green hair and blond tips, around 4 years old.
— So, tell me, what brings you here today? — asked the doctor with some interest.
— Oh, we just came to see what my son's quirk is — responded the woman with some expectation.
— Sure, come on, kid, follow me. We'll be back in half an hour after running some tests.
The green-haired woman just nodded, and the boy stood up excitedly, hoping to have a quirk as strong as All Might's.
— Please, sit there. I'm going to take a blood sample for a quick analysis.
The boy just nodded and sat down. It was quick and painless, probably because the boy's excitement masked any discomfort from the sample.
— Perfect, to confirm, lie down there — the doctor said, pointing to a machine that could fit a person, probably an X-ray machine or something similar.
The boy complied, and a few minutes after entering, he began to feel drowsy.
— Elemental Kinesis, a very interesting quirk for you, young master.
That was the last thing the boy heard before "falling asleep."
...
The boy woke up feeling strange, as if something had been taken from him, but everything seemed to be there, or so he thought. The doctor helped him stand up and told him to go out to his mother, promising to join them shortly. The boy did as he was told and went out to his mother.
— Oh, son, you're back. How did it go? — asked his mother with interest.
— Well, he took a blood sample, but I didn't even feel it.
His mother just laughed, thinking how excited her son was that he might not even notice if he broke an arm.
— Mrs. Midoriya, I have your results.
The doctor sighed, looked at the boy with some pity, and pronounced the words that would change his life completely.
— Kid, you should give up. You don't have a quirk.
Those words hit him like a bucket of cold water.
His dreams.
His goals.
His hopes.
Shattered.
— The blood test showed nothing, and to corroborate, I took an X-ray — explained the doctor, showing an image of a foot — Izuku has two joints, which means he doesn't have any individuality.
— How is this possible?
— What is your quirk, Mrs. Midoriya?
— My quirk allows me to attract small objects, but I almost never use it because of my office job.
— This tends to happen being from the 4th generation, and with your quirk being "weakened," it reflected in your son not having that need.
...
The boy just stared into space the whole way back home, not even greeting his father, Yagi Toshinori. He just went to his room and lay down.
— Toshi, what are we going to do about Izuku and his dream of being a hero? — asked the boy's mother.
— I don't know, Inko, I have no idea. It's going to be even harder to tell him who we really are — responded the father worriedly — But let's leave him to process it for now. I'll talk to him tomorrow.
The night passed like that; the poor boy couldn't even sleep, thinking that his dream wouldn't be possible just because of the lack of a quirk.
...
— Son... good morning, how are you? — Toshinori asked Izuku.
— D-dad... will I never be a great hero like All Might? — he responded.
— No, son... I'm sorry, it's my fault. Just like you, I'm quirkless too, and we can't be heroes.
A heavy silence settled between them.
Until Izuku broke it.
— It's not your fault — he smiled, falsely. Toshinori believed the problem was solved and everything was fine.
Big mistake.
Months passed, and Izuku came and went, with his parents absent due to their office jobs in Tokyo, the mistreatment from Kacchan/Katsuki calling him Deku, and his growing fascination with heroes, All Might, and the number 10 heroine, Mikesis, who had an impressive ability to subdue villains and perform rescues. He often wondered if his mother could have been similar if she had practiced her quirk more.
Izuku became an independent child, broken, but independent, and despite everything, he always smiled.
At age 6, the abuse he suffered shifted from verbal to physical, all because he tried to protect a child from Katsuki.
...
— Son, we're back — his parents said as they entered the house.
— Good evening, Mom, Dad — Izuku responded as he quickly went up to his room.
Inko and Toshinori overlooked this and just went to sleep.
This happened every time they returned home; they didn't spend time together, and they didn't pay attention because they believed everything was fine.
...
Izuku's 10th birthday was approaching. His parents had promised to spend it with him. He was waking up; it was a Saturday.
The house phone was ringing, so he got up to answer it. It was probably nothing important, but he preferred to avoid the curiosity.
— Hello? — he answered.
— Izuku? — one of his father's friends was on the phone — Izuku, it's about your parents. They had a very serious accident.
At the same time he received this news, the door to his house opened, revealing Mitsuki Bakugo, his mother's friend.
— Izuku, where are you? —
At that moment, Izuku began to hyperventilate and dropped the phone, leaning against the wall as everything went dark and he lost consciousness.
...
Mitsuki had laid Izuku on the living room sofa. He was breathing calmly now, but still asleep. With her were Masaru, her husband, and Katsuki, who were waiting for him to wake up.
— Izuku, Izuku —.
Izuku heard faintly and felt a hand gently stroking his hair.
— You can relax, your parents will be fine —.
He felt somewhat comforted, though he didn't know why he had reacted that way. After being diagnosed as quirkless, his contact with his parents gradually decreased. It hurt him to think they hated him for it, that they were ashamed to have him as their son. But right now, he was genuinely worried because, after all, they were his parents.
He opened his eyes slowly and brought his right hand to his face, wiping away the few tears that remained.
— So... they had an accident... Can you leave me alone? —.
Mitsuki was about to object, but seeing Izuku's expression, she realized he really needed some time alone. — Alright, if you need anything, you know our number. Rest well, little one —. With that, the Bakugo family left Izuku's house. Katsuki was the last to leave, glancing back at Izuku with an annoyed "Tsk" before slamming the door shut.
Izuku simply got up, went to his room, sat on his bed, and hugged his knees while crying. He felt terrible about himself. His body was covered in bruises and scars from the mistreatment by Katsuki and other kids. He felt like a loser, a worthless "Deku" as everyone called him.
This thought was just the beginning of a great mountain Izuku would have to overcome.
...
— Oh, look, it's quirkless Deku. How are your parents? Have you seen them yet? — they asked mockingly.
— Maybe they got into the accident to avoid seeing you. Yeah, that must be it. Who would want a useless person like you — Katsuki taunted.
— Shut up, Kacchan — Izuku muttered through gritted teeth, cursing his bravery.
— Oh, are you angry, Deku? — the blonde/ashen-haired boy asked.
— Are you angry because you know it's true? —
— Are you angry because you're so useless they stay away from you? —
— Or are you angry because you'll never be a hero? —
— Shut up! — Izuku shouted, pushing Katsuki as he tried to get away.
— What did you say, you damn nerd?! — Katsuki's face twisted in anger as he got up and lunged at Izuku, using his quirk to cause injuries on his face, torso, and arms.
Izuku didn't fight back; he just stayed still. His mind was filled with insults towards himself and other thoughts.
— "Useless, you're useless" —
— "Stupid quirkless" —
— "You'll never be a hero" —
These words echoed like a curse.
Several minutes passed. When it was over and they left, Izuku went back home. He undressed and took a long shower, hiding his tears among the water running down his face.
He got out and went to his room, where he took out a first aid kit and sat in front of his mirror. He tended to his wounds and bandaged the larger ones. Between the stinging and pain, it took him more than an hour to finish.
...
It was morning, and he was just waking up from a small ray of light that passed directly onto his face.
He had gone three days without any news of his parents, only that they were hospitalized.
Once again, he had to go to school, endure the insults, and carry that burden on his back, all at just ten years old.
He spent the entire morning at school, hearing the usual mockery, nothing he hadn't lived through before.
When he left school, knowing what awaited him in his bitter routine, he decided to change his path. He would take a different route to avoid running into Katsuki and his bullies. Little did he know, that change would potentially alter his life.
Upon reaching a corner, he heard screams and threats.
— Please, let go of my daughter. I'll give you whatever you want —.
A villain was holding a girl with jet-black hair, probably the same age as Izuku. In front of him were two men in suits and a woman behind them, utterly terrified.
The worst part was that they were in the middle of a crowd, and no one was doing anything. The "heroes" just watched helplessly.
— You don't get it, do you? I don't want money; I want your daughter. I could probably put her to good use —.
Disgusted, Izuku watched the scene in disbelief. No one did anything. But, suddenly, he found himself grabbing a metal lid and running toward the villain. His body moved on its own.
No one tried to stop him. The heroes watched in disbelief, some of them frustrated. The villain, still unaware of the boy's presence, was hit in the head and, in reaction, was about to use his quirk to strike the girl, his fist turning black.
The girl braced herself for the blow, fearing for her life. But when the blow was supposed to land, it never came.
Instead, she felt arms around her, providing security. But suddenly, they were propelled with force. The girl saw the wall dangerously approaching her, and in an instant, she was facing the other way, feeling the impact stop.
She didn't process it.
Her mother rushed to her and hugged her tightly. The man with her father, whom she thought was just a businessman, had subdued the attacker in seconds.
But then, she turned and saw him.
A boy with green hair and blonde tips looked at her intently.
— I'm glad you weren't hurt — were his last words with a genuine smile before he coughed up blood and lost consciousness.
She didn't understand it. She didn't know him at all, and he had saved her.
When no hero could move, he was the only one who did something.
The boy didn't know it, but at that moment, he had unconsciously taken the first step toward becoming a great hero.
...
The boy slowly opened his eyes and found needles connected to his arms.
— I see you're awake. I'm glad to see that —.
He turned his head. A man, around 30 years old, with black hair, dark eyes, and a refined and sharp gaze, was looking at him.
— I - uh - uh, I don't know what happened — he responded timidly and fearfully.
The man relaxed at the boy's timidity. It surprised him to think that this was the same boy who had acted so heroically eight hours ago.
— You were very brave there. Why? — the man asked, looking at the boy intently.
— Because that's what a hero does, and I want to be one who can save everyone with a smile — the boy replied genuinely. The confidence in his voice surprised the man — But... uh, I'm quirkless —. That surprised him even more.
Was he really quirkless?
When he acted so heroically, it didn't seem like it.
— Uh... so, young man... —.
— Izuku, my name is Izuku —.
— I see, young Izuku. I should scold you — he sighed while analyzing him — But, I must thank you. Your intervention was magnificent, though I'm curious why you have so many injuries. Now that you've told me you're quirkless, I suppose I understand. But why don't you say anything? —.
— Because it won't matter — he murmured, though the man heard him and was moved —.
— Aguilar — the boy looked puzzled — Jose Aguilar, that's my name. I'm an international businessman, originally from Mexico —.
Izuku felt strange. The name Aguilar sounded familiar until something clicked in his head.
— Wait... you're the owner of Monarch Inc?! — he asked excitedly.
— Uh... that's right. I didn't expect a child to recognize me — a slight nervous laugh escaped his throat.
— Uh, but... I'm not worthy of your concern —.
— What are you saying? — he placed a hand on his hair — You're a brave, smart kid, and above all, you could be a great hero. If I could, I'd take you as my apprentice —.
— Really? Do you think I can be a great hero? I want to be your apprentice! Please! —.
— Izuku — he looked towards the window — Anyone can be a hero, even a man who does something as simple and comforting as putting a coat around a child's shoulders to let him know that life goes on — he turned to look at him — So yes, Izuku, you can be a great hero —.
By this point, Izuku was crying, his face reflecting a great smile. The adult just patted his hair, noticing that the boy might have parents, but they certainly weren't a father figure to him. So he decided that he would be.
...
He spent the night in the hospital. Mr. Aguilar had told him he would come to see him in the morning. Interestingly, when morning came, the first to arrive were a man and a woman, accompanied by the girl he had saved the day before. The girl was a bit shy, half-hidden behind her mother.
Shortly after, Mr. Aguilar entered.
— Mr. and Mrs. Yaoyorozu, good morning. What a surprise to see you here — he said as he greeted both adults.
— We just came to see the brave boy who saved our daughter — the older man responded, turning to look at Izuku as he slightly bowed — Thank you very much, young man —.
— N - no, you - you don't need to do that, Mr. Yaoyorozu — he responded, completely blushing and nervous.
— Calm down, calm down, boy, we're not going to bite you. Are you feeling better? — he laughed, seeing the boy's nervous attitude. How could someone so brave be so nervous?
— Yes... I'm better now. Thank you for worrying about me — he said while lowering his head, in an imperceptibly sad tone, but two people in that room didn't miss it.
Mr. Yaoyorozu approached his wife, who then left with their daughter, leaving the three of them alone in the hospital room.
— Izuku, may I know your last name? — Mr. Aguilar asked.
— It's Midoriya Yagi, sir. My parents aren't married, so I have both their last names, my mother's first. I don't even know why —.
— And where are your parents? — Mr. Yaoyorozu asked.
— They had an accident a few days ago... I don't know anything about them, except that they're in the hospital. Most of the time, they aren't home. They work as office workers in Tokyo, according to them — he responded in a sad tone — The accident happened on the day they promised to come and celebrate my 10th birthday with me —
This moved the adults. Shortly after, a doctor entered and introduced himself to Mr. Aguilar.
— Sir, here are the test results you requested — the doctor said as he handed over an envelope.
— Thank you. You may leave — he waited for the doctor to leave before opening the envelope. Immediately after, he was surprised by the results — Izuku, when they told you that you were quirkless, did they give your parents the test results? Do you remember what happened that day? —.
This surprised Mr. Yaoyorozu, as he couldn't imagine that a "quirkless" boy was the one who acted to save his daughter. But he didn't judge him for that.
— Uh, I remember that... we arrived, and the doctor did a test on me. After that, I hardly remember anything until he told me I was quirkless, saying that I had a double joint in one finger —.
— It's worse than I expected... — Mr. Aguilar responded.
— What do you mean? — Mr. Yaoyorozu asked, quite puzzled.
— Izuku does have the quirk factor, but he indeed doesn't have a quirk. And that's not possible. This has only been seen in heroes who have lost their quirk after fighting a certain villain —.
— Wait, then, are you saying that Izuku originally had a quirk, right? —.
— You're not joking, are you? You don't have to lie or pity me to make me feel better. I'm quirkless; there's no other explanation — Izuku responded in an annoyed/resigned tone.
— I'm not joking, Izuku. And here's the proof — he placed the blood analysis beside him — You do have the quirk factor, but your quirk disappeared. So, it's likely that the same doctor stole it from you — Mr. Aguilar concluded.
— I see. Can you leave me alone for a while, please? —.
The adults didn't respond, they just left. Meanwhile, Izuku clenched his fists while growling.
He had a lot of information to process. He actually had a quirk. He had to live being mistreated and hated just because a doctor managed to take it away from him. Why?
— What will we do to cheer him up? — Mr. Yaoyorozu asked.
— He said that his birthday was recent, and it's obvious he didn't have a good time. So that's what we'll do, we'll throw him a small celebration here — Mr. Aguilar responded enthusiastically.
...
Izuku was looking out the window, lost in all the information he had received that morning. Without a doubt, he felt even worse now.
A tear rolled down his cheek but was interrupted by the sound of the door opening.
He quickly wiped the tear and turned to see the same four people who had come to see him in the morning. He was surprised to see that they had a cake with them.
— Congratulations, Izuku — the adults smiled as they said it. The boy couldn't help it, and several tears ran down his cheeks as he smiled, a smile filled with many emotions: happiness, sadness, confusion. He wanted to ask why they were doing this, but he didn't want to sound rude.
— T - thank you — he said in a whisper while drying his tears and giving his best smile.
The girl, shorter than him, approached and handed him a small gift.
— T - t - thank you for saving me. I'm Yaoyorozu Momo — the girl said, a bit shy and nervous.
— N - no w - worries about that, it's what a h - e - hero would do — he spoke, extremely nervous — I'm Midoriya Yagi Izuku, a p-pleasure to meet you, Yaoyorozu-San —.
— It's a pleasure, Midoriya-Kun. Do you want to be a hero? — the girl responded, nervous and slightly blushing.
— Yes... I do, but... I'm quirkless — the girl noticed the sadness in his voice.
At that moment, the three adults tensed up a bit. Momo's parents were worried about what their daughter would say. While they were sure they had raised her well, there were still moments when she spoke without fully thinking, often sounding hurtful without meaning to.
— I'm sure you'll be a great hero. After all, you saved me, didn't you? — she responded with a warm smile that melted the boy's heart. She was the first person his age who knew about his condition and didn't reject him.
— Of course, I also want to be a hero, so I hope to count on you, Midoriya-Kun — she added, extending her hand to the boy in a gesture of trust.
— Of course, Yaoyorozu-San, you can count on me — the boy smiled — What's your quirk? —.
— My quirk is "Creation." I can create anything as long as I know how to make it —.
Izuku's eyes lit up when he heard about her quirk. He looked into his backpack and took out a notebook titled "For the Future - Hero Analysis #9" and started jotting down the information he had just received while muttering aloud. This made the adults sweat a bit and caused Momo to laugh and feel curious.
— Um, Midoriya-Kun, what are you doing? — she asked.
— Oh, uh, I'm taking notes on your quirk. I always carry this notebook, and when I see a hero in action or someone with cool quirks, I write it down. You don't mind, right? — Izuku asked.
"Cool quirks." That phrase echoed in her mind. Someone considered her quirk to be cool. She shook her head and was about to speak.
— Izuku, Momo, are you going to eat cake, or should we eat it ourselves? — Momo's father interrupted.
— Y - yes — they responded in unison. Izuku was getting up carefully when he felt someone take his arm. It was Momo, who decided to help him.
— T - thank you, Yaoyorozu-San — Izuku said, with a hint of red on his cheeks.
— No need to thank me, Midoriya-Kun. It's what f - friends do — she responded.
"Friends." That word echoed in Izuku's mind. So this is what a friend is. Then Katsuki hadn't been a friend for the past six years. Now he fully understood.
They both approached and took a piece of cake. Then, with Momo's help, Izuku returned to the bed and sat on it, leaving a space for Momo to sit with him.
Momo saw this and just sat down, though her cake fell to the floor, causing her to pout and look sad.
Without waiting any longer, Izuku gave her his piece of cake and, as best as he could, got up to get another one. He returned and showed her a big smile, causing Momo to blush and her parents to smile broadly.
— Izuku, starting tomorrow, you will come with me to my offices. I want to put you to the test —.
— Yes, Mr. Aguilar — he responded with complete certainty.
Maybe Izuku couldn't spend his tenth birthday with his family, but unknowingly, a few days later, he had found a new family that would pull him out of his loneliness.