Izuku was used to the looks his classmates threw him growing up. The silent judgement, the barely concealed disgust, the seemingly innocent questions that made him uncomfortable. He was used to them all. But what he wasn't used to was the fear. The averting eyes, the change of topics whenever he walked into his homeroom, and worst of all, he wasn't used to the fear in Katsuki's eyes.

The blonde could hide it all he wanted, but Izuku was perceptive if nothing else. The green-haired boy knew Katsuki's mannerisms like the back of his hand from years of trying to figure out whenever the explosive boy was mad or particularly aggressive. Usually using it as a way to make judgment calls to slip out of class early or to avoid the blonde whenever he was in one of his moods.

Katsuki, the star of Aldera with the perfect quirk, the boy who pledged he'd surpass All Might, was scared of little Izuku. If Izuku had thought that a month ago- no, just a few days ago he'd quickly shake his head and his body would quake just from even thinking that.

But for Izuku to actually see it? To experience being feared? He couldn't decide what was worse. The intoxicating feeling of finally being noticed as something more than useless, or the the usual loneliness he experiences becoming even worse.

Whispers of "Villain" and "upcoming psycho" began to flood into his ears whenever Izuku walked by his classmates. All because he defended himself?! Oh.. right, how could Izuku forget. He 'attacked' and 'bullied' their golden child.

Home wasn't any better. Once he got back, his mother's usual greeting was stopped short when she saw the lines of blood flowing down the edges of her child's mouth. The crying, the worrying, and the fragility she treated him with gave Izuku a sort of awakening. He realized even his mother thought of him as weak. Maybe not in the same way as his teachers and his peers, but probably in a way that a parent would treat their sickly child as glass.

After the fussing of his worrywort of a mother, and the hastily written words on his notebook explaining haphazardly what happened, they first went to an emergency clinic. Thankfully, the actual wounds in his throat were minimal, and the substantial blood was due to the abnormally strong blood flow that goes through his neck, much more than normal. The real shock was when the nurse said Izuku suffered from quirk overuse. Quirk. Overuse.

And that's how Izuku found himself back in that dreaded Quirk assessment clinic. Izuku didn't know where all of this hatred came from, but once that same Doctor entered the room, he physically felt himself tense and glared hatefully at him. His throat felt like it was burning again, It was the same feeling that he had back in the classroom with Katsuki.

The instinctive opening of his mouth was stopped when the Quirk specialist coughed into his hand. Izuku blinked when he realized his mother was staring at him with worry and... fear. The same couldn't be said for the Doctor; if anything, the man seemed strangely excited, or more accurately, giddy.

"My my! It's only been eight years and you've certainly changed! Don't see that sniveling child you once were, worked up quite the backbone haven't you?" His words were tinged with a strange mixture of sarcasm and genuine curiosity. With a sigh he hopped onto his chair and gave a glance at Izuku's mother.

"So, how long have those marks of his been black?"

The Midoriya matriarch went to look at her son for a moment before glancing back at the Quirk specialist. "Well, he came home yesterday with blood coming from his throat. My son told me it only happened when he.. spoke."

Now that he's got the Specialist's attention, his goggles gaze instantly flicked towards Izuku. He leaned forward in his chair to be as close as he can get to the green-haired boy. "Really now. Intriguing. And has he spoke before? Has he ever attempted to?"

Getting annoyed at being ignored, once again, Izuku shook his head negatively. The Specialist stared at Izuku a moment longer before nodding. "I see, so, a quirk awakening, huh? Oh well, sometimes we get things wrong!" Wheezing laughter grated on Izuku's frayed nerves. 'Sometimes get things wrong? Sometimes?!' His life was ruined because of a simple MISTAKE?!

The laughter was getting to Izuku; perhaps the frequency or maybe just the Specialist himself caused the noise to be even more infuriating. He just wanted the laughter to stop; he wanted the bastard to just-

"SHUT UP!"

Sounds of desperation and grunts filled the air, making Izuku come out of his trance and stare at his mom with fear. She was clearly afraid, her hands reaching for her mouth, as if she couldn't-Oh.. so his quirk can affect others, right, that's what happened back then.

But, how did he stop it last time?! He doesn't want his mom's mouth to be stuck shut! How- how- how?! As if just thinking it or maybe just losing concentration, his mother's mouth finally opened freely, taking air through it more out of relief than actual asphyxiation.

Izuku wanted to hear his mother speak again, not that quack's continued wheezing laughter. Jaded green eyes flick to the doctor, glaring at him through his peripheral. "Hahaha! Ahem- apologies, it's just been so long since a quirk actually intrigued me to this extent! The possibilities with that quirk of yours.. fascinating."

Izuku whipped his head towards the doctor. If the damn quack was so interested in his quirk and didn't care about the severity of the situation, then the bastard would get real intimate with how his quirk works. Maybe he'll even figure out the limits of it. If all it takes is a simple word, then he has quite the vocabulary to use on this- Shaking hands clamp on Izuku's shoulders, causing the green-haired boy to jerk out of his spiraling thoughts.

Izuku looked back at his mother. Her face was set in a forced and distorted version of her usual reassuring expression. "L-Let's head back home, Izuku. I think this.. 'visit' was very enlightening, hm?" Izuku continued to stare at his mother before slowly nodding. She seemed to let out a breath that even she wasn't aware she was holding.

With one last withering glare at the doctor and a gasping cough, Izuku was pulled along with his mother out of the office. Leaving the rotund specialist alone in the empty room. A soft but aged chuckle left the man's chapped lips. "What an incredible thing, hm. Master would want to know of this boy."

Izuku panted as he stared at the crumpled soda can in front of him. He was alone in his room after the visit with that damn... Izuku huffed out a calming breath. Ever since he'd gotten his quirk, he'd had all this... anger spewing out of him in waves, anger he didn't know he had or harbored. Izuku shook his head and focused on the next empty soda can.

He's been testing his quirk (just being able to say that was enough to make Izuku smile again) ever since he's gotten back, wanting to use his quirk more than ever. Sure, the incident during the visit still didn't sit right with him, and it may have taken him over 4 hours staring at the soda can to even attempt using it again, but the rush! To be able to use a muscle he's never been able to before was intoxicating! To feel normal.

"Crush"

Instantly, the soda can imploded in on itself, the crumpled aluminum clattering on the wooden desk with a satisfying clink. Green eyes gleamed with glee as he stared at the destroyed can. It was even better when he didn't feel any pain in his throat. It seems objects (the ones he's tested so far) put less strain on his throat, or maybe it's the size? Questions, questions.

The smile on his face grew just slightly bigger, the void black markings around his mouth stretched with it. He could actually be someone, be somebody! Not some useless or pathetic lower class being just because of some misdiagnosis.

Maybe... maybe his dream isn't so impossible, maybe he can become a hero with his quirk. It would be kind of dumb if he went ahead and lived a boring life with something like this, right? He could save people, he could protect them! He could even beat down on all the- no. That isn't-

Izuku shook his head and stood up from his chair. Thoughts like those need to disappear before he gets into U.A. He can't—he can't become just another Katsuki. Another cog in the wheel of hurting others because he was hurt.

But it's so difficult to stop thinking about crushing his enemies.