"So, the quirkless wonder thinks he can save people like a hero, eh?" A brash blonde child rhetorically questioned his opposite.
"I-I won't let you hurt him, Kacchan!" Said the opposite – a green-haired kid – with shaky confidence.
A few minutes later, the four-year-old with green hair was left lying alone, bruised and bloodied.
What would a child do to deserve such brutal punishment? Daring to help someone in need without having a superpower.
–
"D-do you think I could be a cool hero like All Might, M-Mom?" The crying child asked his distraught mother.
Unfortunately, his mother didn't have the words he wanted to hear. Instead, with tears in her own eyes, she held her son close.
"I'm so sorry, Izuku!"
–
By the time Izuku broke out of his grief-induced trance, his mother had left to give him some space.
As he stared at the computer screen, emotions swirled within him. The All Might debut video, once a source of inspiration, now filled him with a sense of disgust. He closed the page, his resolve to become a hero unshaken despite his new feelings.
He was determined to find out if there had ever been a quirkless hero before, to see if it was truly possible for him to be a hero without a quirk.
–
After three hours of rabbit holes, articles, interviews, and statistics, Izuku realized a terrifying truth.
Not only has there never been a quirkless hero, but there are dozens of anti-quirkless heroes, including the second-ranked hero in Japan, Endeavor.
Adding to his despair, the statistics for Japan's quirkless population suggested that Izuku wouldn't even survive through high school, let alone in a hero world.
He found multiple forums dedicated to discussing quirks. Some were kind to the quirkless, and those with conventionally unattractive and useless quirks, but a vast majority shunned them if not outright called for their extermination.
Kacchan–
No, Bakugou. No reasonable, good person would ever beat up their friend.
Bakugou's mentality was not uncommon, and his actions weren't even as rare as he hoped they would be.
The sad reality of this world is that not everyone is born equal in society's eyes. People like him, those with "useless" quirks, "villainous" quirks, and no quirks, have no place in a hero society except as villains to be jailed and civilians to be saved or killed.
However, despite all the frightening information Izuku found, he also found some that made him more hopeful.
One of the older forums, established by quirkless people shortly after they became the national – and global – minority, had a link to an archive that kept media and history from before the dawn of quirks.
During the Quirk Wars, which lasted most of the 21st and 22nd centuries, lots of physical media and digital data were destroyed. Thankfully, because nerds and data hoarders exist, a decent chunk of the destroyed media was restored to hundreds of archives and servers to prevent it from being destroyed again.
One of these surviving archives is where Izuku found information on the revolutions of the past.
The American and French revolutions, the Haitian slave revolt, and the Russian revolutions that led to the creation and dissolution of the USSR, among other successes and failures across time.
Throughout history, minorities and the oppressed have led change by force when they were continually pushed down and ignored.
Maybe it's time for a new revolution… A revolution that could bring about a brighter future filled with hope and endless possibilities for his kind.
Of course, he's only four and doesn't understand a lot, but he has plenty of time between now and high school. The sooner he starts, the sooner he can help turn the nobodies of the world into stars.
Maybe he can see if his mom will enroll him in online school so he can avoid Bakugou and learn faster.
–
Katsuki Bakugou felt on top of the world as he stood on the makeshift podium to give the student pledge. As expected, he scored first in the entrance exam for both the written and practical portions. He would've preferred more space between him and second place, but he wiped the floor with all the extras in sheer villain points, so it evens out.
Those losers going for rescue points would never reach the top like he would, as evidenced by his placement. As a reward, he's giving the pledge at the Sports Festival. With all eyes on Class 1-A, thanks to those dumbass villains at the USJ, he'll make sure his grand declaration of victory keeps those eyes on him and him alone.
As he opened his mouth, ready to state that he'd win over all of the stepping stones called schoolmates, a static sound erupted across the stadium.
Looking behind and above him to one of the main screens, he was met with a sight on the screen that froze his blood.
A youthful boy flashed a dark yet hopeful smirk as his green eyes pierced the screen underneath his cowl. Despite covering most of his face, Katsuki instantly knew who it was. It may have been years, but those bright green eyes were unforgettable.
"Deku…?" he shakily asked himself to the shock of the entirety of U.A.'s staff, forgetting that he was mic'd up.
–
"Hello, Japan!" The masked boy on Nedzu's screen cheerfully stated. "Some of you more in tune with the underground know me, but for those who don't know, I go by Dekiru."
Yes, he knew of Dekiru. That name began making its rounds among petty criminals and disadvantaged civilians years ago. They were hopeful revolutionary, based on whatever they could get from anyone they questioned.
That questioning wound up not meaning much in the end, though. Information on Dekiru's identity was scarcer than information on All Might's quirk – and One For All was helped kept secret by Nedzu himself, unlike Dekiru. Those who had more information knew how to dance around the limits of truth quirks and the limits of legal questioning, no doubt coached by Dekiru themselves or someone else with experience in those fields.
Nedzu and Tsukauchi found it surprising that it wasn't fear or even blind, undeserved devotion that kept any followers they asked so tight-lipped; they stayed quiet out of genuine, justifiable faith in their motivation and actions.
What was that motivation? Every follower they posed this question to had the same answer: the light of day.
It didn't take a genius to figure out that this answer was metaphorical. Petty criminals, minor villains, and those perceived as such due to their quirks or lineage were the ones who spread Dekiru's message the farthest and spoke about it the loudest.
Dekiru hoped to bring those shunned by society to the forefront and give them a chance to shine like their perceived betters.
One might see Dekiru's message and think they were just another fanatical idealist without a clue about how to act on it, but they would be very wrong to assume that. Firstly, around the same time Dekiru's name emerged, a new political party started preaching a more concrete version of the message.
The Public Sun Party campaigned for more strict yet flexible accountability laws for heroes, the dismantling of the HPSC to decrease the amount of corruption bureaucracy getting in the way of heroic duties, – a policy Nedzu can actually get behind – repealing laws restricting public quirk use, and the reallocation of funds from prison contracts to social programs. Whatever issues the party spoke about, their rallies almost always ended with a declaration to bring the light of day to those deprived.
They supported more transparency in government activities and finances like many other parties did. What separated the Public Sun Party from any other party that advocated such, however, is that they began acting on it before they took office. Almost everything not tied down by non-disclosure agreements or other legally binding measures was available on the open web for anyone to easily access. They actively avoided making deals with, and even publicly denounced, corrupt businesses and individuals who tried to bribe, extort, or threaten them. A few party members expectedly went missing, but the surprising level of backlash from the public kept those seedier factions from trying again.
The party was staffed and controlled by a wide variety of people, as expected of one that preached such a welcoming, all-encompassing message as theirs. Despite this expectation, it was still a surprise to see all classes welcomed into the party since most other parties consisted almost entirely of people who benefited the most from their message and their actions. Heroes like Ingenium, Ms. Joke, and Snatch officially joined the party, while others like Shishido, Gang Orca, and even Crust voiced their support. The former Japanese vigilante turned American hero Skycrawler also supported the Public Sun Party. Former villains Gentle Criminal and La Brava joined their ranks, too. Those with mutant quirks, transformation quirks, "villainous" emitter quirks, and the quirkless have all been accepted into the party, and none have been barred from advancing to higher positions.
Since their formation, more party members have been elected to the National Diet every year. While none have been elected Prime Minister, some have served in the Prime Minister's cabinet. With such power, they've made some of their policies law. Those laws turned out to undeniably improve the lives of everyone, albeit only a little at the moment, since they had to compromise with other parties.
Nedzu knew that there was more going on, though. While the heads of the Public Sun Party were elected by the members of the party, it was an open secret that Dekiru was the actual party boss and the one who secured the membership and support of various high-profile individuals. It's not uncommon for off-the-books bosses to be in control; Empires, democracies, and even local groups across history often have the true power behind the throne. What had Nedzu genuinely scared, though, is what has happened in the past year.
Rumors began spreading that Dekiru wanted to stage a full-on revolution and take power for himself. Nedzu spent countless hours using all of his connections and resources to find any hint of truth, and he found nothing. There were only two breakthroughs in the Dekiru case, one a month before the beginning of the school year and one last week, and that breakthrough sent chills down his spine.
– Late February –
"I already told you everything I know. Besides, I wouldn't betray my friends and give away any secrets I don't have!" Shuichi Iguchi, the vigilante Greenlight, spat.
Detective Tsukauchi sighed. "Look, Iguchi, we both know you're lying. You do know something you're not telling us. All we want is a bit of information on who Dekiru is or what he wants; we're not asking you to tell us everything."
"Though that would be nice and would help your situation." Eraserhead snarked.
"Bite me, asshole," Greenlight growled back. "I don't care if I go to Tartarus for the rest of my life. Dekiru gave me a new lease on life, and I will stand by the movement until I die!"
Tsukauchi, raising an eyebrow in confusion, took a gamble. "Movement? Like a revolution?"
"Of course not, we're not tha– WAIT NO!" Greenlight shrieked.
The detective's face lost all its color. That was all the confirmation the other two in the room needed to know that Greenlight lied.
Dekiru was planning a revolution.
– Last Week –
Nedzu stared at the massive trio of packages sitting on his desk with concern. He had called All Might, Gran Torino, Sir Nighteye, Recovery Girl, Tsukauchi, and Melissa, as requested in the note attached. It wasn't lost on any of them that only those who knew of One For All were named.
Yokumiru Mera, the former vice president of the HPSC and current Public Sun Party leader, delivered the packages to Nedzu at Dekiru's request. The note was interesting, to say the least.
Greetings to those in attendance reading my letter!
I hope you're having a good day. If you haven't already guessed, this is Dekiru. I'm sorry that Greenlight gave you so much trouble so close to the school year, but Helmuth von Moltke the Elder said no plan ever survives contact with the enemy. It seems he continues to be proved right. I'm surprised Greenlight let the revolution leak, though. He's usually more calculating. Perhaps being around his favorite hero, Eraserhead, must have brought his guard down.
Anyway, if you're reading this, Mera delivered my gifts without issue. If you have not rearranged the packages, you should open the top one first. Its contents hold no personal value to you, but it does to me given his preaching. Metahuman liberation is a righteous idea, but might does not make right.
The other two packages will interest you all as the current keepers of One For All. All Might should especially enjoy the contents of package number two and Nedzu package number three. I hope that these gifts help you understand that while we will likely remain adversaries, I'm ultimately on the side of good.
Sincerely,
Your friendly neighborhood revolutionary, Dekiru!
Nedzu took a deep breath before opening the first package Dekiru mentioned. They did reorganize them so they weren't stacked, but he didn't even need High Specs to remember which was on top.
Maybe he should've taken more deep breaths, though, because he lost his breath upon looking at the first "gift" Dekiru had so graciously given them as a peace offering: the severed head of Detnerat CEO Rikiya Yotsubashi.
All Might coughed up an alarming amount of blood; Melissa averted her eyes and vomited to the side, and the others had reactions in between.
"What the hell is wrong with this freak?!" Nighteye shouted in disgust.
Nedzu grabbed a USB drive from the package and a second note. "Dekiru gave us a hint in their introduction letter. This second note claims that Yotsubashi was also known as Re-Destro and was the leader of a new generation of the Metahuman Liberation Army. This USB should have all the evidence. He says he would've had Yotsubashi arrested, but his Stress quirk and the number of civilian soldiers in Deika City would've been too much of a risk."
"Hasn't Deika been a point of interest among Dekiru-aligned vigilantes and civilians?" All Might asked.
Nedzu nodded. "It seems if what Dekiru claims is true, then we can assume that raids will be conducted in and around Deika to arrest MLA members during or after their revolution."
"Why is Dekiru making these moves now? Did Greenlight accidentally trigger the revolution early?" Melissa asked.
"I don't think so," Nedzu responded. "Given Dekiru's knowledge of history, they would know that revelations of such plots require immediate action. It's been too long for the revolution to be viable if triggered early."
Melissa considered Nedzu's words. She recalled looking up historical topics when she was younger using the quirkless forums she had access to. Was Dekiru quirkless, too? Before she could voice her thoughts, though, Nedzu continued.
"Given current events, with the Public Sun Party finally gaining a majority in the Diet alongside the waning support and some arrests of their polar opposite, the Hearts and Mind Party, and the USJ attack sewing concern in the public, Dekiru is in a comfortable position to start the revolution whenever they want.
"Moreover, I believe these packages are Dekiru's way of signaling the start of the revolution."
While everyone absorbed the weight of the speculation, All Might took the initiative and opened the second package after steeling himself.
He's glad he took more time than Nedzu because, like the first package, inside was a severed head. This head was disfigured from the nose up, though, covered in ugly scar tissue. He grabbed the note in the box and began reading it, paling as he did.
"This… this is All For One's head…"
Gasps rung out.
"Th-that's impossible!" Gran Torino shouted. "You killed him!"
"I'm inclined to believe Dekiru's correct." Nedzu once again spoke, drawing all the attention to himself.
"Remember the villain factory a few years ago? And before that, we never confirmed the body was secure."
Tsukauchi cleared his throat, trying and failing to steady his voice. "I was going to bring this up after the Sports Festival in an official meeting, but we analyzed the Nomu taken into custody after the attack on the USJ. It had multiple quirk factors and the DNA of multiple people."
Nobody was able to respond to that. Unless someone else developed an All For One-type quirk and created a massive criminal empire in the past 5 years, this was definitely the work of One For All's eternal nemesis. At the same time, this head proves that All For One is definitively dead, meaning Melissa is no longer in danger of being chased down.
Nedzu grabbed the third and final package and opened it, not bothering to take the time to steady himself since he felt he knew what to expect.
His instincts were correct as he held up another severed head. This time, only Nedzu and Tsukauchi recognized it. Tsukauchi's face turned ghostly white while Nedzu's fur stood on end with a snarl.
"I-isn't that the quirkless doctor Kyudai Garaki? He's responsible for a ton of orphanages and quirk-related science! Why would Dekiru murder him?!"
Nedzu's voice cut through the disgust in the atmosphere, freezing everyone's blood with his tone. "That's Daruma Ujiko, the scientist who led my experiments. He was testing processes to copy and implant quirks into other beings. I've been hunting him down for decades."
A tense silence filled the office as they digested Nedzu's bombshell. Tsukauchi looked in the box and found another note, just like the last two.
"It… it says here that the doctor was also the pediatrician known only as Dr. Tsubasa. He–"
Tsukauchi stopped reading the note aloud, his eyes traveling down the page in a mix of horror and glee.
"What does it say, Tsukauchi?" Recovery Girl pressed.
Tsukauchi gulped before continuing. "It says that Tsubasa was the doctor that 'diagnosed'" – Tsukauchi mimed quotes in the air with one hand to replicate how it was written on the paper – "Dekiru as quirkless about a decade ago. The doctor had a telomere quirk that exponentially slowed the aging process and gave an enhanced copy to All For One to show his loyalty and usefulness. The doctor is responsible for most of the actual work on the villain factory and the resulting Nomu."
The revelation that Dekiru was a quirkless teenager somehow floored the group more than anything else. This literal child was able to found a movement with significant political backing and was able to not only find but assassinate three of the world's biggest threats.
"Doesn't the fact that they revealed their quirklessness, the doctor who gave the diagnosis, and the time frame for when it happened mean that we could easily find Dekiru's identity?" Gran Torino brought up, to which everyone nodded along.
"Yes, it does," Nedzu said. "However, I believe Dekiru did this on purpose."
"What do you mean, sir?" All Might asked.
"Dekiru mentioned that Greenlight wasn't supposed to leak the revolution but implied the leak didn't stop their overall plans. Dekiru knows that we would read this and use any information it gave, meaning they meant to leak that information."
All Might nodded, following Nedzu's logic but not quite getting the point.
"If my assumption that these 'gifts' signal the beginning of Dekiru's revolution, then that means finding their true identity no longer matters. Dekiru has likely already reached a safe place and covered their tracks enough that finding them before their plans are carried out will be next to impossible."
The tension in the room returned in full force while everyone looked to the ground, desperately trying to figure out a solution to the deep shit they were in.
"I think the only thing we can do now is to try our best to stop Dekiru." Melissa declared firmly. "We might not be able to stop them, but we can't give up now. Even if the odds are against us, they're not zero, so we still have a chance."
All Might smiled with the rest of the office occupants. I knew I made the right choice in you, Melissa.
"Then let's do our best," Nedzu said.
– The Present –
So yes, Nedzu knew who Dekiru – Izuku Midoriya – was, and he was dreading this day. We failed…
"It's finally time for me to come out of hiding in the underground and take my rightful place," Dekiru announced with a confident and welcoming smile before removing the cowl and revealing his face to the world.
"My true name is Izuku Midoriya. I am a quirkless 15-year-old boy, the founder and true boss of the Public Sun Party, and the leader of the Starlight Initiative – a secret group of vigilantes, villains, heroes, and police helping to establish connections and power across the country."
Interesting… Nedzu remembered whispers of the Starlight Initiative during his investigations.
"Ever since I was told I was quirkless, I've been bullied and oppressed by my peers and by the systems in place," Midoriya continued. "I'm not the only one, either. I've made connections with thousands of people who have been beaten down and abused. People with unsightly, 'villainous' quirks, people born to villains or corrupt people, and other quirkless people have all been hurting for decades with no end in sight. The end of that begins today."
Midoriya's kind expression grew stone-cold and determined. "I won't try to dress up what I'm doing: my goal since the days I found out I was quirkless has been to incite a revolution across Japan. Any successful revolution does nasty things to succeed, just as any political movement. Those in power want to stay in power, often even at the cost of others' lives and safety. Because of that, revolutionaries have to show the same ruthlessness.
"You may have heard things coming out in the past few months about powerful individuals going missing or showing up dead under suspicious circumstances. I'm responsible for them. I have either ordered or personally gone out to assassinate multiple people, including the Meta Thief known as All For One and the secret leader of the new Metahuman Liberation Army, Rikiya Yotsubashi or Re-Destro. I have also led investigations and arrests of political rivals, including the Hearts and Mind Party leader Koku Hanabata, who was a member of the MLA."
The revolutionary lowered his head and spoke solemnly. "I make no claim that my motivations were at least partially political or that what I've done has been justifiable. That said, I also believe in the lesser of two evils, which is what I'm trying to be. If you check the internet right now, you'll likely see waves of posts about mass arrests and skirmishes across the country."
Nedzu nodded while Midoriya monologued. He had other monitors keeping tabs on the news and social media. Indeed, police and politicians are making arrests like Japan had never seen before, and fights are breaking out near HPSC buildings, government buildings, and agencies of controversial heroes.
"I've been waiting for the Public Sun Party to gain a majority in the Diet and for the Starlight Initiative's connections to grow deep enough before I fully began my revolution. You might think this is because I want us to have an easier time going uncontested, and while you would be right, that's not the whole story.
"I truly believe in the policies and rhetoric that my organizations preach. That's why I've retained power in both groups, and that's the other reason why I've waited to trigger my insurrection. Before a revolution can succeed, a strong foundation must be built. With every victory of the Public Sun Party, the more power we hold in government, and the easier it is for us to push our agenda. You'll notice that every policy the party has campaigned for and passed into law has objectively benefited everyone in the country. Every new law each session and every amendment to laws from previous sessions have closed loopholes and tightened the leeway, making things even better."
Nedzu could hear the volume from the arena lower. Shouts and clamors of protest started the moment Midoriya took control of broadcasting, but now that he was explaining himself, people began realizing he was making sense.
Midoriya's actions as Dekiru have had a profound impact on societal issues. Discrimination has significantly decreased since the implementation of the party's anti-discrimination laws. The nation's GDP and per capita income have seen a notable increase, and crime rates have dropped, even with All Might's reduced activity. These improvements, among others, have been felt across Japan.
"However, I know how deep the cracks in society go," Midoriya said. "If things continued, progress would still be made, but eventually, groups opposed to it would rise and try to take back control since their power would be threatened. I know the HPSC, some heroes, and other groups like the Creature Rejection Clan and the Inhuman Supremacy Party are hating what we've been doing. To keep this eventual push-back small and minimize the violence that would occur with it, we are initiating a preemptive strike by using the power we have now to remove the most significant pieces from the board.
"The Starlight Initiative has been investigating the HPSC, the CRC, and the IHP for years now, and we finally have the evidence to guarantee convictions on all the members of each group we're currently arresting. The Public Sun Party is beginning to abolish dozens of discriminatory laws and executive policies now that we have a Prime Minister from our party…"
Midoriya re-donned his cowl, flashing the camera a joyful grin that exuded both hope and threatening power.
"And it's time for me to make my grand statement to ensure that no matter what happens to me, the light of day will shine upon the downtrodden. Make no mistake: I don't intend to take power myself. I'm still only 15, and while I am subverting the law, I don't intend to dismantle the government and replace it. I know changes must be made, but I want to keep as many actions within the system as possible.
"In any case, it's my time to shine."
The camera suddenly flickered, showing the stadium of the Sports Festival, sending waves of dread through Nedzu's core.
"Did he infiltrate U.A. for this?"
His question was soon answered as the field in front of the podium shook. A circular shape in the center emerged as the field slid apart. As it did, multiple students rushed forward. Yuga Aoyama, Mina Ashido, Denki Kaminari, Koji Kouda, Mezo Shouji, Kyoka Jirou, Shouto Todoroki, Tooru Hagakure, Momo Yaoyorozu, Kinoko Komori, Ibara Shiozaki, Jurota Shishida, Pony Tsunotori, Kosei Tsuburaba, Setsuna Tokage, Kojiro Bondo, Neito Monoma, Rin Hiryu, Mei Hatsume, Hitoshi Shinsou, and Chikuchi Togeike all sprinted to the field and created a functional barrier to protect the rising platform, revealing Izuku Midoriya, the revolutionary Dekiru.
Nedzu immediately recognized Dekiru's outfit as a sleek suit of armor. Green plating was the primary color, with dark golden accents in the shape of the letter P on both sides, starting at his ribcage. His sleeve plating was a dark red, ending in white skin-tight gloves. The leg plating was a grassy green all the way down, just like his chest plates, and he wore thick black boots with red outer soles. Black and white plates reinforced his body's weaker and more vulnerable areas. A cape as yellow as the sun adorned his backside, flowing in the wind. Around his waist, he wore what Nedzu assumed to be a utility belt.
Honestly, the principal found himself impressed with Dekiru's costume. Despite its sleekness, it's clear that underneath the armor were many useful tools to keep himself safe. He cared enough about his image to make himself appealing and approachable to the average citizen, not going over the top like a hero or villain. A balance between flash and function.
"DEKU, YOU STUPID FUCKING NERD!" Nedzu heard young Bakugou shout, causing Nedzu to stiffen in fear. He wasn't afraid for himself or for Dekiru, no, but for Bakugou.
After using what he left in his letters, he discovered who Bakugou was to Dekiru.
–
"DEKU, YOU STUPID FUCKING NERD!" Izuku heard Bakugou's voice screech from behind him. He turned partway to see his blonde childhood tormentor rocketing toward him, propelled by his explosions, too high and too fast for his stand's protectors to stop him.
He simply held out a hand and blasted Katsuki with a clear liquid. Said liquid drenched Bakugou, throwing him off enough for him to drop to the ground. To his credit, he regained his composure quickly and tried to take off again, only for nothing to happen.
"Surprised, Bakugou?" Izuku said into his mic, making Bakugou freeze at the choice of address. "I doused you in a special mix of triethylene glycol, acetone, and sodium hydroxide, or lye. These three mixed are sometimes called 'N.G. Killer.' I'm sure you can guess why."
The color draining from Bakugou's face gave him all he needed to know. He snapped his fingers, and Momo slapped a pair of quirk-canceling handcuffs onto the explosive boy's wrists alongside heavy manacles to his feet.
"Thank you, my dear Momo." He thanked his girlfriend before turning his attention to the crowd.
"I'd like to bring everyone's attention to the original target of my ire from my childhood, the one that eventually sparked– pun intended – my interest in staging a revolution: one Katsuki Bakugou, U.A.'s star student."
Bakugou whipped his head up to his former best friend with a look of sheer terror and indignation. "Y-you… you wouldn't dare, Deku!"
Izuku chuckled, giving Bakugou a frankly terrifying grin in response. "Still calling me by that name, are you? You're only playing into my hand more, Bakugou."
He cleared his throat. "Originally, the name Deku was just a name Bakugou, who I used to call Kacchan, called me when we were kids and had a tougher time calling each other by our given names. However, he quickly learned that the kanji used in my name was the same as that used in "Dekunobou," a useless wooden doll. Again, it was a harmless name at the time, until I was revealed to be quirkless."
Izuku's poker face shattered, becoming a harsh scowl. "From then on, Deku was an insult meant to remind me that I'm a worthless waste of space. All my classmates called me Deku, and the teachers eventually did too. Bakugou and his friends would beat me up whenever I 'stepped out of line' as a means to 'keep me in my place,' especially if I was trying to protect another poor kid from being abused by him."
Gasps and shouts exploded throughout the crowd. "Yes, Bakugou didn't bully just me, but anyone he saw as lesser, as an 'extra.' From what I can infer, his record was kept clean because his explosion quirk was seen as perfect for heroics: powerful and flashy. Even if keeping his record clean enough for U.A. meant blaming his victims or letting him continue to abuse him, they let it happen. The Aldera school system isn't exactly well-known or heavily respected, so they likely thought someone so clearly destined to be a top hero would be perfect for them.
"I'm not special, though. My followers present today include people with quirks considered weak, unsightly, or villainous. I know people who were born to villains, people who were poor and had to resort to petty crimes or villainy just to keep surviving. I know people who are victims of reckless or bigoted heroes."
Izuku sighed as he continued. "My heart hurts for all those treated like me, abused and put down for the way they were born or who they were born to. Nobody should be mistreated and hurt for things they can't control, and ideally, nobody should be mistreated and hurt, period; however, we as humans have free will, so bad things will always happen. What heroes are supposed to do is stop as much of that as possible. What politicians are supposed to do is prevent as much of that as possible. I don't believe they've done everything they could, so I've taken matters into my own hands."
His eyes returned upward to the audience, blazing with determination as music started to play. "Today marks a new beginning, where the downtrodden will see the light of day, for now and forever!"
Eyes widened, and voices silenced across Japan as they watched the platform Izuku stood on rise into the sky, bringing his followers into the stadium with him while the music swelled.
"My name is Dekiru, the big boss of the Public Sun Party and the Starlight Initiative!"
–
~Now we've made the journey… Now here we are~
The audience watched as Dekiru, as Izuku Midoriya, began to sing.
He has quite a beautiful voice, Nedzu thought to himself as commanded U.A.'s staff to stop him. I wasn't expecting this.
~Where the mighty crumble, Before the stars~
Midnight and Cementoss charged forward, the only two heroes on the field. Cementoss used his quirk to chase after the rising platform, only for his cement to be compromised and stopped by Komori's mushrooms and Shiozaki's vines.
~They make pariahs from delinquency… The persecutors should not go free!~
Midnight used her athleticism to jump in between the uneven platforms. Tsuburaba stopped that with platforms of solid air preventing her ascent.
~Our revolution was incomplete. The stars shall fall on society!~
Nedzu chuckled, drinking his tea while the chorus arrived. "As much as I hate to admit it, he might succeed."
~Here, the brightest minds will shine, But not as bright as mine, With better designs~
Present Mic and other heroes arrived on the scene. Mic sent a wave of sound up the platform, attempting to at least stop Dekiru's singing. His sound wave was stopped by Jirou's own, amplified by Momo's created gear, canceling each other out.
~Now, that we are flying high, I'll find a world where we don't have to hide!~
Ectoplasm sent his clones to make a second attempt to scale the towers. Hiryu's scales and Tokage's split body parts powered through each clone, keeping them at a stalemate.
~They leave behind all the flowers on the wall, Trapped in the shade, while the poppies grow so tall~
Snipe fired rounds of tranquilizers and nonlethal pellets, only to be stopped by Bondo's glue.
~And if rewarded are the cruel, Then educators are the fools, Who try to steal the glory that belongs to all!~
Vlad King tries to send his blood upward to block the students' projectiles, but he doesn't have enough without running dangerously low.
~Here, the brightest minds will shine, But not as bright as mine, With better designs~
Power Loader and Hound Dog use their enhanced strength to break through the solid air blocks and shrug off the projectiles. Kouda sends flocks of birds to harass them, forcing them to retreat.
~Now, that we are flying high, I'll find a world where we don't have to hide!~
Nedzu continued reading the news articles and social media posts, finding that the Starlight Initiative was pushing back resistance by police and heroes aligned against the plot.
~Break free of higher learning's spell, Stand up, unleash the rebel yell:~
Eraserhead finally got past Recovery Girl and shed what excess bandages he had on, using Erasure to try and suppress the students. Aoyama and Hagakure combined their quirks to blind their teacher, forcing him away before he permanently lost his quirk.
~Here's to the losers, loners and geeks, Stand for the quiet, stand for the meek!~
All Might cursed himself, holding his wound with a dissatisfied growl. Shit… I can't risk going over my limit right now. I'm powerless again!
~We're all special, we're all unique, Stand for the trodden, stand for the freaks!~
Endeavor shouted in frustration, finally having enough himself. He rocketed up to the tower, intent on incinerating this foolish villain for daring to lead a revolt. He's stopped by his creation, using his ice and fire. He's torn between fury that he's standing with these nobodies and excitement that his masterpiece is finally embracing his fire.
~Here's to the losers, loners and geeks, Stand for the quiet, stand for the meek! We're all special, we're all unique, Stand for the trodden, stand for the freaks!~
Thirteen, Recovery Girl, and Lunch Rush grit their teeth in annoyance, aggravated that they can't help stop this.
~Every star deserves the chance to shine! The ignored should never be maligned!~
Death Arms, Kamui Woods, and Mt. Lady enter the stadium from outside. Shishida immediately engaged with Death Arms, knowing that the hero's strength would pose a problem if left to get any closer.
As Mt. Lady expanded, she was shocked unconscious by Kaminari, who kept from short-circuiting thanks again to Momo's gear.
~We've spent too long trapped in-to this terrible ride! Now we're free and we're fly-ing high!~
Kamui Woods used his quirk to create a network of branches as he ascended the tower, but his efforts were torched by Monoma copying Todoroki's quirk.
~They made pariahs from delinquency… The persecutors should not go free!~
Despite being a Public Sun Party Member, Ms. Joke, not on board with a revolution, rushed into the fray, hoping to distract some students. She was called out to by one of them. She responded, hoping to ensnare them within her quirk, only for her to be ensnared by Shinsou's Brainwashing.
~Our revolution was incomplete, the stars shall fall on society!~
With all of the heroes capable of intervening tied up and nobody else willing to stop the well-meaning revolution, all Nedzu could do was watch the finale and accept that Japan was undergoing an inevitable change of power.
~Here, the brightest minds will shine, But not as bright as mine, With better designs! And now, that we are flying high, I will find a world where we don't have to hide!~