All men are not created equal. This was the reality Izuku learned about society at the young age of four. And that was going to be his first and last setback. Or so he hoped…
Izuku had always dreamed of being a hero like All Might but without a quirk, his dreams were squandered by fate itself. Despite this Izuku hoped that he could become a hero someday, and this caused the people around him to mock his hopes, efforts, and aspirations. The worst of the bullying came from his former childhood best friend Katsura Bakugo: Kacchan, who seemingly made it his life goal to torture Izuku, calling him "Deku" and making him feel worthless. But soon everything was about to change for Izuku for better or for worse.
During a trip to the cutting-edge labs of the Musutafu Genetic Research Institute (MGRI), on the outskirts of the city, Izuku was engrossed by the research and technology on display, vials filled with volatile chemicals, machines showcasing bones of various individuals with quirks that affect their bodies heavily and lightly, and pictures of various animal anatomy on display but one caught Izuku's eyes the most, Desmodus Rotundus; the common vampire bat. Izuku went in closer to observe the intricate handcrafted detail of the picture seeing its skeleton and organs drawn on the left-hand side of the bat when suddenly he heard a voice reach out to him asking if he was ok when Izuku turned around he was met with a lean figure putting his hand on the back of his shoulder he had brown hair and was wearing a lab coat.
"May I help you, young man?" he said, wondering if he could help the young lad.
Izuku turned his head to the man with a bit of shock and fear on his face, not expecting to be approached by anyone. "N–N-NN-No I'm fine. I was… uh… just checking this place out, it seemed pretty interesting." Izuku said shyly and timidly.
"Well, that's good to hear that not many people find my field of work too exciting." He said appreciative of the boy's appreciation for the field even if it was just a casual look around.
"Uh… you're welcome Dr… Uhh…" Izuku froze trying to guess the name of the scientist in front of him but before a word could escape his lips the stranger regarded him and said, "Oh, my name's Kirk Langstrom. I'm the head scientist at this institute with my wife Francine but you can call me Kirk if you like." He said casually. "But Don't mind if I ask you your name?" he said, interested in Izuku.
"Oh, my name's Izuku Midoriya. It's so nice to meet you Mr Langstrom. I'm just here because I saw this place in an ad online and thought it would be nice to see something new." He said nervously sweat dripping off his forehead and into his eyes.
"Well, then you came to the right place, Izuku. Here we pride ourselves on genetic research to improve everyone's health and the study of quirks to see what makes us tick, if you'd like I can give you a personal tour of our facilities." Langstrom offered a hand to Izuku for the chance at a private tour.
"Th-That would be great Mr Langstrom." Izuku said with glee as he followed Langstrom through the labs there was a desk filled with unorganised beakers, with machines accompanying the desk next to it and various calculations organised neatly on one another; it was so clean and well organised the papers almost blended into the top of the desk. Izuku marvelled at the work being done by Kirk at this place; it was like nothing he had seen before and as Izuku followed Dr Langstrom into a room focusing on Langstrom's study of Bats he was met with a mild-mannered and short-tempered old man.
"What are you doing here kid?" The man spat demanding answers from Izuku.
"He's with me, Dr. March. I'm just showing him around the labs." Langstrom spoke out trying to calm him down.
"I thought I told you not to bring anybody here while I'm working, Kirk." Dr. March spoke with annoyance in his voice. "Calm down Dad, it's not that big a deal. Kirk was just being nice to our visitor. I don't think it would set a good precedent if you didn't allow the public to see what we're doing for the greater good." A voice speaking out defending Kirk Izuku turned his head to see a blonde woman with red glasses walking over. Dr. March grumbled and walked away not wanting any more trouble.
"Why hello there young man" she greeted Izuku with a beautiful smile on her face "My name's Francine Langstrom I'm sure my husband mentioned me to you, sorry for my father's temperament he can get a bit batty all coupled up in here." She said apologetically with a smile on her face. "What's your name, young man?"
"I-It's Izuku, Izuku Midoriya and I-it's alright…" Izuku said nervously "Wait did you say your father is Dr March?" Izuku questioned someone trying to double-take who he had just seen "Yes, why?" Francine mused. "Isn't he the person who wrote the book 'Non-Quirk Based Mutations and Abilities' suggesting it to be highly plausible to not only inherit qualities and traits from origins outside of Quirks but also the possibility to create these abilities in man-made environments?" Izuku stood there for a second waiting for a response when Francine answered: "Yes, he did, my father believes it's possible to gain superhuman abilities from outside of quirks."
"Is that what you're doing here?" Izuku questioned. "No, here we test out medicinal effects on various animals then we change certain aspects of the medicine to work for potential human application." Kirk butted in chuckling to try and continue this messy tour.
Francine said, "So now that you know what we're doing I must wonder what you're doing here?" Francine asked curiously "Oh my mum said I needed to look for other things that might give me opportunities since my dreams of becoming a hero are impossible to reach without a quirk and this place seemed pretty interesting, I'm hoping for a job here when I'm older." Izuku nervously answered with sweat beading from his forehead awaiting a response.
"We'll Izuku. We have a spot open for kids your age to get a boot of work experience and we'd love to have someone as smart as you on board in the future." Izuku couldn't believe that he got himself a Job prospect for his future, something that didn't require a quirk. The future was looking bright for him.
As Izuku begins his internship with the Langstroms, he's tasked to learn how to grab one of the bats with Dr March. Dr March teaches him how to care for the bats and how to move them from their cages properly, "Alright kid, when you're grabbing one of the Bats, remember to be calm and quiet the smallest movement can set them off." Dr. March spoke irritably, wanting to spend as little time teaching Izuku so he could get back to his work.
"Yes, Dr. March," Izuku said anxiously, not wanting to annoy Dr. March. Izuku followed Dr March to a door leading to a room containing the bats, as Izuku treaded behind March he stopped in his tracks as Dr March spun around and pointed Izuku to a cabinet to his right. "Alright, kid if you want to move some bats you have to get the proper equipment!" March said with a stern and demanding voice. "Grab some gloves, a towel and a cage to transport the bat."
Opening the cabinet Izuku was met with a powerful stench of dust like the cabinet hadn't been opened for months as Izuku grabbed the items he was ready with a cage in hand, Dr. March opened the door to the room, total darkness enveloping them. As they approached one of the sleeping bats, March instructed Izuku to wrap the bat in the towel gently and put it in the cage. Izuku's palms started sweating profusely in the plastic gloves as he carefully wrapped the sleeping bat in the towel like a burrito with its head visible allowing it room to breathe his heart was beating faster and faster as though it were about to explode any minute at the slightest wrong turn as he put the bat in the cage making sure not to startle the animal his heart started to slow down. Dr March waited impatiently with a scowl on his face wanting to get it over with so he could return to his research.
"Good job kid now if you're done take the bat to Kirk he'll examine the specimen and give you more work to do." Dr. March said irritably, "And don't forget to lock up the room before you leave." Dr March threw Izuku the keys to the room. Izuku failed to catch the keys quickly, causing them to fall on the floor.
As weeks pass Izuku starts to get a hold of the job and impress Kirk and Francine with how fast he completes his tasks with impeccable speed, skill, intelligence, and ingenuity. After a while Izuku began to form a strong bond between Kirk and Francine, learning their other interests and their pasts and how they met each other.
"Hey Kirk, why did you and Francine decide to study bats?" Izuku inquired, his voice filled with curiosity and wonder as he looked at Kirk with a starry-eyed gaze.
"Well Izuku, I guess it all started when I was a little boy back in Gotham City." Kirk recalled his tale of his childhood in Gotham City to Izuku as he listened to Kirk's exploits.
"When I was 6 I had captured the hearts of a nation when I had gotten myself lost in a system of caves for six weeks," Kirk spoke with joy as he recalled his memories, each feeling as though it was yesterday. "And just when they called off the search I crawled out of the caves and news of my return shook the nation."
Kirk looked at Izuku with a sly smile on his face as Izuku looked back at him with a gleam in his eyes as he was completely enthralled by his story "It was in those caves that I found myself in the roosting of numerous bats, the only creatures that gave me any sort of company while in those caves, that's when I became infatuated by the creatures." Kirk said with tenacious enthusiasm.
"I was a survivor, people believed I would've died immediately from a fall and if not that I would've died from the cold, the flooding." Kirk spoke with pride as his face lit up with a grinning smile "I'd have died of exposure in a matter of days."
"I can't recall how I survived in those caves and I remember not wanting to tell anyone what I did at that age." Kirk scratched his head unable to remember how it was he survived that long as he bit his lip in a moment of confusion. "While everyone was happy and cheering for me to return safely, I had a tear in my eye, even as my parents were running up to embrace me, I looked back at the cave — and I whispered, Goodbye."
"Goodbye?" Izuku questioned Kirk with a confused look on his face.
"I was an odd child." Kirk remarked as he let out a slight chuckle, "I didn't want to leave the bats, as they had become my only friends at the time, that was until…" Kirk paused for a moment for dramatic effect leaving Izuku on the edge of his seat.
"Until what?" Izuku questioned as he was almost about to fall on the ground as he shifted closer to the edge of his seat.
"...Until I went to the theatres with my parents the same night so they could make up for me being lost for all that time, we went to see an old western movie and my parents gave me at least $50 to buy some snacks." Kirk said with a calm and collected voice as he watched Izuku holding onto each of his words waiting patiently while being unable to wait for him to finish his story. "As I explored the snacks I met a boy the same age as me, he looked at me with clear recognition as he blurted out my name 'Hey you're Kirk Langstrom.' He said and I remember the look of shock and surprise on his face as he looked at me."
"We ended up playing together that night. We crawled backstage where we found a dead bat, of all things." Kirk said with a slight amount of disgust in his voice while also having a hint of nostalgia in his eyes remembering a simpler time in his life, "The boy asked me about my time in the caves I told him an embellished story that while I was in those caves that I discovered a group of large creatures called Batmen."
"I'm pretty sure he knew I was making it up, and probably didn't want to call me out on it because he thought that I was a good storyteller, as he hung onto every word. Like you." Kirk commented on the parallels between the boy he met that night and Izuku now, "Later I confessed that I may have exaggerated certain aspects of my story, but I clung ferociously to the basic truths."
"After that night I never saw him again… At least in person." Kirk said to Izuku who was confused by what he meant, but as he looked at Kirk he knew that he already had the answer to a question he hadn't asked yet, "But before we parted ways I asked for his name and he said 'My name is Bruce, Bruce Wayne.' and as I learnt his name I was pleasantly surprised that I had met someone else who's pretty famous." Izuku's jaw dropped at the sound of his name. Most people knew about Bruce Wayne the billionaire playboy, philanthropist and humanitarian but he never knew anyone who actually met him.
"From then on I decided to study bats, to understand what makes them tick and how we can use them for potential medical applications." Kirk finished as he looked at Izuku who had the largest smile that displayed nothing but pure wonder and awe on his face, "And now that you're here Izuku I hope you'll help humanity with Francine and I."
"O-Of course Dr Langstrom." Izuku said his eyes were full of hope and a head so big of ideas you could almost pop it with a needle, "Attaboy. I know one day you'll be in the history books alongside us for your contributions." Kirk said as he patted Izuku's head, everything was looking up for Izuku now he had two supportive mentors, and his mother backing him up, but what the world gives it can also take away.
Another week had passed and the skies outside were starting to get swarmed by light-grey clouds, glistening in the skies from the harsh sunlight, as thunder began cracking within the clouds, the sunlight almost hiding the clouds lighting up with blue and purple energy. Izuku had gotten comfortable with the Langstorms and Dr March, he had finally gotten a hold of the ropes, Izuku was sitting at a table checking up on a bat making sure that they were healthy before testing could begin.
As Izuku carefully handled the bat Francine walked into the room she eyed Izuku's precision and care, elegant as a ballerina gliding through the air as his hands caressed the fur of the bat as he took its temperature. As Francine watched Izuku's gentle and caring nature, holding the bat in his left hand and writing down the recordings on a piece of paper with his right.
Francine smiled warmly as she watched Izuku put the bat in its cage, "Well looks like someone's getting the hang of things." She said, catching Izuku completely off-guard, "Aggh!" Izuku gave out a little yell as he turned around to see Francine, "Oh sorry did I catch you off-guard." She said as she gave out a little laugh, "Oh, yeah I just didn't expect to see you here is all." Izuku answered nervously as he let out a tiny chuckle.
"So… Do you need anything, Francine." Izuku asked anxiously, "Oh yeah, Kirk needs you to go grab some paperwork from the printer downstairs, I'd do it but I have to go feed the bats. Is that ok?" Francine asked warmly, "Of course." Izuku answered quickly as he sprinted downstairs to grab the paperwork from downstairs for Kirk; he was stopped by his former childhood friend Katsuki Bakugo.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE NERD?" Bakugo yelled, "I-I-I'm doing an internship here Kacchan that's all." Izuku said scared for his life. Bakugo eyed the paper he was holding and snatched it from Izuku's arms "What's this Deku? Some important documents." Bakugo said as a twisted smile spread across his face "Hey give it back Kacchan they're significant." Izuku cried out In anguish Bakugo simply responded "Oh really, then it would be a shame if something bad happened to them…" and with those words, Bakugo Put the papers between both palms of his hands and activated his quirk destroying the papers in a small explosion.
Izuku looks in shock as he sees the papers burnt to a crisp almost illegible, Izuku tries to stand up to Bakugo saying "What have you done, Kacchan?" only to be pushed down as Bakugo taunts him saying "You're pathetic, Deku. Always trying to play the hero." He spat, and Bakugo decided to walk away leaving Izuku covered in cuts and bruises.
As Izuku lies on the ground crying, Kirk comes down the stairs to see the commotion that is going on. He sees Izuku covered in cuts and bruises crying on the floor, "IZUKU!" Kirk yelled out "Izuku what happened to you?" Kirk said worry filling his voice as he looked at Izuku. Izuku sniffled as tears ran down his face like waterfalls, unable to talk about what happened, Kirk took him to his office to clean some of the cuts.
As Kirk cleans Izuku up he asks Izuku "What happened Izuku, did someone hurt you?" Kirk asked, trying to comfort Izuku. Izuku didn't want to speak and just sat in front of Kirk sniffling still "(Sighs) We'll Izuku I'm going to have to inform your mother about this I'll let you take some time off. You need to collect yourself and when you tell me what happened here today, only then will I let you back in the lab." Kirk said reluctantly he didn't want to let Izuku go home but it was clear he needed some rest after whatever happened today.
While Kirk is on the phone ringing up Izuku's mother Dr. March walks in carrying a beaker full of a purple liquid as Dr. March walks through the lab Dr. March stumbles and breaks the beaker. Izuku goes over to help clean up, grabbing a dustpan and brush. As Izuku cleans up the broken glass he doesn't notice a small cut from the glass not feeling the initial cut, unbeknownst to anybody a small amount of the liquid enters Izuku's bloodstream. When Kirk hangs up the phone with Izuku's mother he takes over the cleaning saying "Izuku it's time to pack your things your mother will be here to pick you up in 15 minutes." Izuku solemnly nods and begins to pack his things all the while Dr March's liquid is slowly taking its effect on Izuku.
As Izuku's Mother Inko rolled up to the lab Izuku had a sombre expression on his face as Francine walked him out of the building to the parking lot where Inko was waiting as Izuku walked up to the car door he tossed his bag gently to the floor of his seat and sat with a defeated look on his face not interested in what his mother was talking to Dr. Francine about as he looked at the dark clouds off in the distance moving now and then to show the blue sky accompanied by a ray of light that shined onto Izuku's face.
As Inko hopped back into the car Izuku remained silent not acknowledging his mother or her questions, the car ride home was filled with awkward silence, with no music coming from the radio as Izuku was not feeling himself he didn't want to turn on anything he just sat in his seat looking out his window. The skies filled with storm clouds with thunder illuminating the world before the cracking boom, as he looked on to the yonder distance, Izuku started feeling tense in his body his muscles tightening out of nowhere, his stomach churning and gurgling, he grabbed his stomach in pain wondering what it was he ate that would make him feel sick to his core.
"Izuku is everything alright you don't look so well?" Inko inquired about her son with apprehension as Izuku looked in some pain, his skin looked pale resembling that of a spectre. His hands were shaking violently while his face twisted and contorted various feelings of discomfort, Izuku bit his lip in pain as his stomach felt bloated as though someone was inflating his digestive tract like a balloon.
Izuku turned his head to his mother and said: "No Mum, I'm fine." He spoke Weakly trying to force a smile to hide his pain, and he went back to his silence looking out the window while grimacing in pain. Izuku felt tired and regretful he had something going for him. Still, Bakugo ripped it away from him, Izuku always wanted to be a hero but being quirkless made it hard for him to get anywhere with that. Still, the Langstroms made him feel welcomed and appreciated for who he was and not just what he could do, he felt like he could help people in another way.
Izuku had a bright future ahead of him with the Langstroms but now his future looks like the clouds and the rain outside the car, a heavy downpour shrouding everything in a fog unable to see what comes next. As Inko drove through the heavy rain towards their apartment complex Izuku started dozing off into slumber unable to keep his eyes open as his eyelids became heavier than anvils forcing his eyes into the dark abyss.
Izuku found himself in a dreamscape reliving memories from his early childhood when he first stood up to Kacchan "That's mean, Kacchan. Can't you see he's crying? If you keep going… I-I-I'll never forgive you!" The words from his past reverberated sending echoes around his mind as he heard them thousands of times over, he remembered what happened when he stood up for someone else when Bakugo used his quirk to hurt others and prove his superiority, he remembers being covered in burn marks and bruises from Bakugo and his friends.
No one dared to punish Bakugo let alone point out his wrongdoings, everyone believed he'd be the greatest Pro Hero in the future, because of this Bakugo developed a superiority complex combined with his explosive quirk was a match made in hell for Izuku and Bakugo made it his sole duty to torment Izuku. He had suffered the brunt of Bakugo's ego believing Izuku to be inferior for being quirkless calling him Deku meaning someone who can't do anything, for years Bakugo mocked and belittled Izuku calling him Deku every waking moment.
Izuku re-lived every painful moment of his childhood remembering everything Bakugo and his friends did to him. He felt every scorch mark again as though he was experiencing it for the very first time, he felt every bruise, every punch and every explosion, his skin became a canvas for Bakugo's anger and an outlet to unleash all his jealousy and frustration onto Izuku.
Izuku lay languishing in the pain and belittlement he had spent his entire life anguishing in Bakugos fury in his callous words and hateful actions as Izuku saw his childhood memories consumed by darkness, everything becoming a hazy fog. He felt his leg encased in cold steely arms grow out of the pitch-black ground one after another grabbing onto his petite physique and dragging him down to the slimy pitch-black pits beneath his feet covering his entire body.
Izuku fought with tenacious determination breaking one arm but like a hydra, every arm he broke free from two more took its place to yank Izuku down to what felt like the coldest pits of hell. Izuku found his will to fight slipping away his mind felt like a haze as everything went away before his eyes he lost the warmth of his body his breathing became heavy as a Tidal Wave and the last thing he saw was his memory of himself trying to help Bakugo so many years ago.
