The Legacy of Villains and The Inheritance of Heroes

by TheNovelistsApprentice

It was an average day for Izuku. A simple errand run with his mother. Until a boy stumbled into their path. This meeting would bind their fates together as brothers. They'd find a lot in common, the desire to be heroes, a desire to learn, and quirklessness. That is until All Might gives them an offer they can't refuse. But it brings with it Great Revelations and Grim Implications.

2. A New Story Begins: The Midoriya Origins

Chapter 1

A New Story Begins: The Midoriya Origin

---

So… I will admit that how Izuku and I first met wasn't the most… Ideal. But hey! It worked out in the end, right?

If you say so… Anyways, I think we best move on to the main story, wouldn't you agree?

Indeed I do, but where exactly do you want to start?

I say we start on the day we learned how the world truly worked and then move on to the day it all began. The day we met All Might.

Doubling down on the dark and dreary, huh? Fumikage would be pleased.

Yeah, I guess he's rubbed off on me some.

He has done so much more than just rub off on you. Hey Yooooo!

GAAAH! MOVING ON! LET'S SEE, WHERE WAS I?! OH YEAH!

Ariden and Izuku

---

It was the summer of 2406, and it had been a bright sunny day in Musutafu, Japan. Everything was just right, not too hot nor too cold. A light breeze blew through the air as it rustled the hair of Ariden and Izuku as they played on the playground together.

Since the day they had met, they had practically been connected at the hip. Some would even think they were related to each other. Even in the eyes of the two boys, they considered each other a brother in all but blood.

"Tag!" Ariden smiled brightly as he managed to snag the end of Izuku's shirt. "You're it!"

"Ah, man!" Izuku smiled. "I just tagged you only a minute ago!"

"Then run faster!" Ariden teased.

"Oh, I will!" Izuku said as he charged.

Ariden tried to turn and run but was tackled to the ground by Izuku

"Hey! No fair!" Ariden whined.

"You should have run faster then." Izuku smiled cheekily.

The two laughed merrily as they got up from the ground and dusted themselves off.

"So what do you want to do now?" Ariden asked.

"Well, how abou-"

Suddenly the sound of an explosion behind them cut Izuku off, the boys turned around to see what had caused it, and they smiled when they saw the source.

"Hey, it's Kat!" Ariden cheered.

A few yards away, under the shade of some trees, stood their friend Katsuki Bakugo. Even with his back turned to the two, his explosion of blond hair was unmistakable, and so was his literal ability to make explosions. Along with him stood a couple of their other friends, A brown-haired boy who could extend his fingers to extreme lengths and a shorter fat boy with red demon-like wings sticking out of their back. They all seemed to be gathered around something.

"I wonder what they're looking at?" Izuku wondered as he turned to Ariden.

"Well, let's go find out!" Ariden smiled as he started towards the group. "Maybe if we ask, they'll come play with us!"

The idea of playing with friends was all Izuku needed to start racing to catch up with his brother.

However, as they approached the group, the first signs that something wasn't right manifested themselves. Katsuki let off another explosion. However, this time Ariden and Izuku heard the faintest sound of a cry, followed by another blast from Katsuki. They could see the group talking though they couldn't hear anything. The looks on their faces showed nothing but vicious glee.

When they reached the group, they felt their hearts sink. Katsuki and his friends had cornered a hunched-over crying boy. His body was marred with burn marks, his clothing scorched and singed in spots.

"Look out!" Katsuki laughed as he rewound his fist. "This one is really going to sting!"

But before he could unleash another explosion, Ariden grabbed his wrist and held it back with all his might. At the same time, Izuku rushed past the group and put himself in between them and the crying boy.

"Kat, stop!" Ariden pleaded, hoping not to anger him. "Can't you see you're hurting him?"

Katsuki turned and glared at Ariden with his burning red eyes as he ripped his wrist from his grip.

"Get out of the way!" He growled.

"Why are you being so mean, Kacchan!" Izuku said warily. "If you keep hurting him…." He began even as his body trembled in fear. "We'll stop you ourselves!"

"Oh?" Katsuki questioned, as a wicked grin formed on his face. "So the quirkless wonders think they can play heroes, huh?"

Katsuki cracked his knuckles, and small explosions went off with each pop.

"Come on, boys, let's see what the dynamic duo can do!" Katsuki shouted before he rushed at the pair.

The beating went as well as Ariden and Izuku expected. Katsuki made a frontal assault as he slammed his fists into their faces, adding an explosion to make the blow more painful. Ariden and Izuku went down immediately.

Ariden felt his body lift off the ground. He looked up and saw that the short fat kid had grabbed hold of his ankle and had started to fly higher and higher with the beat of his enormous wings. Ariden attempted to grab the boy, only for the boy to immediately drop him. He felt weightless for a split second before he felt the ground slam into him. A dull throb of pain pulsed through his body as he lay there.

Izuku fared no better. While Ariden was dragged into the sky, Katsuki and the boy with the spindly fingers focused on Izuku. The brown-haired boy elongated his fingers, grasped Izuku by the head, and held him in place. Katsuki then grabbed Izuku's collar, rewound his fist, and punched him as hard as he could, an explosion included with each punch.

Eventually, Katsuki got bored of beating Izuku up, turned his sights toward Ariden, and beat him the same way. Izuku, however, wasn't given a reprieve. As soon as Katsuki started beating Ariden, the winged boy took his turn with Izuku.

They didn't know how long the beating lasted, but they ached all over when it ended. Sickly reddish purple bruises had begun to form, covering them from head to toe. The burns Katsuki's quirk had given them felt like fire dancing across their skin.

"You better not forget this lesson, or else I'll have to beat it into you again!" He warned, "This is what you get for thinking you two quirkless losers could ever be heroes!" Katsuki taunted as he and his goons walked away from the two boys.

---

The Lesson we learned that day… All men are not created equal. Six simple words, and yet they are some of the most important we know.

Before we continue, I have to ask that you don't judge Kat harshly for his past actions. Cause the man was a prick back in the day.

Yes, quite a bit, especially on the day we met All Might.

Before you start that bit, I feel we must take a quick detour.

Are you just trying to get out of telling this story?

No, no! I would do nothing of the sort. I just think some things require context to fully grasp their significance. Now, how much do you know about the history of quirks?

"…"

Nothing? Absolutely nothing!? And the rest wonder why I complain about how the teaching curriculum sucks dick.

Oh, jeez, don't go off on this tangent again. Last time you almost started a civil war with Momo on one side and you on the other.

All I'll say is I would have won. Anyways, as I was saying, the history of quirks! It is a long and winding subject, but I want to focus solely on its beginnings. If I recall correctly, The first quirk came into existence back in the 22nd Century, in uhh… Izuku, where was it exactly?

The first quirk was in Qing Qing City, China, in 2203 on December 1st at 1:45 A.M., where a glowing baby was born.

Of course, you'd know the exact date and time as well.

Eh, what can I say? I am a stickler for details.

Ain't that the truth. Soon after, more incidents of people with supernatural abilities began to pop up worldwide.

They never did find a cause for it, though.

Yeah, and they still haven't found a cause to this day, though I am pretty sure nobody gives a shit anymore. At the time, there was a theory that it was caused by a virus carried by rats. However, everyone thought it was batshit insane since there was no evidence.

And now, 400+ years later, 99.6% of the planet's population has Quirks. In contrast, only .4% percent have no powers at all.

And that is where we come in… What's that? How do we have powers if we are Quirkless? Shut up. We haven't gotten to that part yet!

Just listen, and we'll tell you. It all started on January 15th, 2407.

Ariden and Izuku

---

"Hurry Up!" Izuku called out with a cheerful smile. "We don't want to be late for School!"

"Dude! Slow down!" Ariden huffed in exhaustion. "School doesn't start for another hour!"

It was a crisp winter's morning in Musutafu, Japan. The two boys' breaths misted as they huffed and puffed. They ran block after block dodging the puddles of slushed snow as they went, Izuku always ahead while Ariden tried to keep up. He managed to catch up as he and Izuku turned the corner of a building and were stopped dead in their tracks.

"Oh fuck me…." Ariden cursed in awe.

"That's a huge villain!" Izuku said as his smile grew wider.

Standing on the top of a train platform was the largest man Ariden and Izuku had ever seen. He was nearly 3 stories tall. His head looked like a cross between a shark and a horse, with brown dreads and a reddish beard. He wore a pair of blue jeans that had thankfully grown with him and a tattered brown open vest with no shirt, which showed off his brawny physique and tan skin.

As they moved closer to the spectacle, they saw that a crowd had gathered, some there just to watch, while others were stopped in their commute to work by the Villain. However, amongst them, Ariden and Izuku could make out the blue uniforms of police officers as they blockaded the area, And beyond them were the heroes.

---

See, the world was thrown into absolute chaos after the advent of quirks.

Oh yeah! Crime became a significant issue, and people who today would be called villains began to use their Quirks for all sorts of nefarious doings.

And the police force was unable to stop them! Society teetered on the brink of collapse!

Soon, however, The common citizenry collectively said, "Fuck this shit." and took matters into their own hands.

Fantasy became a reality as a new job profession was born. The Superhero!

---

"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME," The Giant villain roared in rage as he swatted at a hero wearing a jetpack.

As he swatted, his arm cleaved a metal pylon as if it were nothing. The force of the blow sent the twisted metal hurtling toward the ground. Before it could crash, however, a Burly well-built Hero rushed under it, caught it, and grunted slightly as he strained to hold up the massive weight.

The man was an impressive specimen of the human physique. Broad shoulders and rippling muscles already gave him a massive form, but he stood almost a foot above everyone else. His clothing clung to his body like a second skin. His blue cardigan only covered his arms and shoulders, leaving his pale chest and abs on full display. His blue and white track pants looked more like leggings, and his yellow and black headband slicked back his short white hair and emphasized his already square face and jawline. To add to his already impressive form were two massive cylinder gauntlets that weighed at least 100 pounds each.

"Wow!" A bystander in the crowd shouted. "It's Death Arms! He'll take out this Villain in no time!"

"You people need to get back." He grunted in a deep gruff voice as he laid the pylon to the side. "Backdraft! Cordon off this area! Don't let anyone pass you! got it!"

"Say no more!" came a mellow but authoritative voice.

The crowd looked over and saw another hero making his way toward them. He was a short skinny looking man. He had on the traditional garb and helmet of a firefighter. Over his face, he wore a white mask with a single orange lens to see out of. He was a peculiar sight for sure, but it was made even more strange by the Red fire hydrant he had slung over his back that was attached to a water cannon that came over his left shoulder and also from the fact that his hands were water spigots.

When he finally reached the crowd, he turned around and lifted his "hands" till they were level with his shoulders. Then abruptly, water shot out from both spigots. The streams kept going until they reached either side of the streets. The water never once spilled onto the ground; It remained level with his shoulders as if it were in suspended animation. However, as if to show off, Backdraft grunted, and the water snapped like an actual rope. Once it returned to form. However, the universal do not cross sign appeared at equal intervals down the streams of water.

"You heard Death Arms!" He replied cheerfully. "This area is too dangerous, so please stay back!"

"Wow!" A female bystander swooned. "I feel so much safer now that Backdraft is here!"

Ariden watched as Izuku leaned left and right, stood up on his tiptoes, and huffed in frustration as he tried to get a better look at the fight.

"You know we could always just push our way to the front of the crowd, right?"

"Yeah, I know." Izuku replied sheepishly, "But pushing past people would be rude, wouldn't it?"

"What's that? I can't hear you!" Ariden mocked as he began to make his way through the crowd. "I can barely hear you from the front!"

Izuku just shook his head and began to make his way to the front. As he passed person after person, he heard snippets of conversation that added context to the situation. A small smile danced across his face.

"Man, this guy must be desperate to go full monster in the middle of the city. Do you know what happened?" A Businessman asked.

"Just some amateur." Replied a younger-looking man standing next to him. "Idiot stole someone's bag and got himself cornered."

"Man, a quirk like that, and he is just a common thief." Replied the businessman disappointedly.

Izuku continued onward as the idle chatter filled his ears.

"I got held up." Another Businessman said, exasperated, into his phone, "Yeah. Another Villain, The train's out, Don't know when I will make it in."

When he reached the front, he looked around. He saw Ariden standing next to Backdraft, a notebook in hand, asking him question after question.

"So how come your water doesn't freeze during the winter?"

"I uh…" Backdraft faltered. "I never really thought of that."

"Another question, can you drink your water?" Ariden asked, his head tilted sideways like a dog.

"..."

"And also, if you can manipulate your water to form hands and hold things, Why don't you use it to form things like a ladder or even whips in case you need to fight?"

"Kid, I need to focus. So stop trying to give me an identity crisis." Backdraft rasped through what Ariden assumed were gritted teeth.

"Alright, alright, just curious." He put his hands up placatingly. "Ah, Izuku!" He smiled brightly, "So nice of you to join us."

"Not like I had much of a choice in the matter," Izuku complained

"As if you would actually want to miss out on a front-row seat." Ariden chuckled heartily.

"So, who's fighting him?" Izuku asked as he pulled out his notebook and turned his attention to the villain.

"Honestly, can't say." Ariden shrugged. "Air jet was the last person we saw. But he fucked off somewhere, and Death Arms and Backdraft are busy playing defense. But I could have sworn I saw someone else."

Suddenly a shadow passed quickly overhead. As Ariden and Izuku turned to look up at it, a crowd of girls began to squeal.

"AHHH!" They all gushed. "It's Kamui Woods! We're your biggest fans!"

Kamui Woods landed with an elegant grace right in front of the barricade Backdraft had made. He was shorter than average though not by much. Kamui wore a simple dark blue bodysuit that clung to him, showing off his impressive muscular physique. Over it, he wore a belt with a garland of roses attached, some knee pads, and shoes, all made from wood. His head was covered by a wooden mask reminiscent of an acorn, his eyes visible through two holes cut into the mask. The only exposed part of his person was his arms and hands, which appeared to be made of the same dark wood used to make his accessories.

"Oh shit, it's Kamui!" Ariden rubbed his hands excitedly

"It's amazing how far he's come since his debut a few months ago!" Izuku smiled with enthusiasm.

"Doing a running commentary, eh?" a voice interjected.

Both boys looked to their right and saw an old man with caltrops on his head looking at them while he chuckled happily.

"You two are fanboys, aren't ya!" He laughed. "I can tell by those big dopey smiles you got!"

Both boys turned away quickly and rubbed the back of their necks in embarrassment.

"Heh heh… Uh… no." Izuku said sheepishly.

Kamui wasted no time. As soon as he had landed, he made a mad dash toward the train platform. As he got closer, he launched himself into the air once again. He landed briefly on a traffic light before leaping onto the bridge the platform was on. However, as soon as he touched down, the villain swung at him. Kamui dodged in time as the massive fist crashed down onto the concrete ledge and crushed it to dust.

"FUCK OFF BEFORE I BREAK YOU TOOTHPICK!" The Giant howled in rage as he glared at Kamui.

He then took another swing but missed as Kamui activated his quirk. One of his arms extended rapidly and turned into a twisted and bent tree branch. It snaked through the air until it wrapped around a nearby metal pylon. Kamui launched into the air and used his arm like a grappling hook. As he somersaulted in the air, he uncoiled his arm from the pole. The limb retracted instantly and returned to its natural form. Kamui spun gracefully through the air, deftly landed on the train station's roof, and glared at the villain with righteous indignation.

"Assault, Robbery, and Illegal use of powers during rush hour traffic. You are the incarnation of evil!" Kamui said with vitriolic disgust.

"As cool as he is, he can sometimes be a bit overdramatic." Ariden sighed

"Hey! Look!" Izuku pointed excitedly, "He's about to do his ultimate move!"

"Come on, tree man! Show us something flashy!" The old man called out.

Kamui raised his arm and activated his quirk. His arm started to grow out, multiple branches sprouting from the base. They twisted and tangled as they grew, looking like an old gnarled tree. Kamui then swung the arm back and got into a defensive stance.

"It's over!" Kamui said in a tone of absolute finality.

"Pre-emptive!" Izuku began with joy

"Binding!" Ariden joined in with a smile

"Lacquered chain prison!" Kamui and the boys sang out at once.

Kamui threw the tangled branches forward. The branches rapidly snaked out and expanded to encompass the entire villain. Before the branches even touched the villain, a giant woman in a hero costume appeared out of nowhere, flying through the air in a jump-kick.

"CANYON CANNON!" She boomed out in a rich regal feminine voice.

Her foot connected with the Giant Villain's jaw, and blood gushed from his mouth as a sickening crack was heard. The force of the blow sent the villain flying off the bridge and onto the ground with a loud thud.

Everyone watched silently and dumbfounded as the woman landed on the ground. She wore a tan and purple skin-tight bodysuit, showing off her curvy and robust figure, the purple covering her ample chest, hands and forearms, and legs. Where the purple and tan met was outlined by a line of orange that divided the colors, she had a rounded face with fair skin, platinum blonde hair, and purple eyes, over which she wore a purple domino mask with large horns attached that jutted up just above her ears.

She walked over to the unconscious villain, bent over, and picked him up by the leg. As she did so, she turned her head towards the crowd with a pleasant smile while also purposely showing off her nice curvy ass. Ariden and Izuku heard the clicking sound of camera shutters as they heard a bunch of male and female simps behind them.

"Money shot, money shot, get that money shot." That was all they chanted as they took picture after picture.

"Hi, everyone, I'm Mt. Lady, and today is my debut." The woman said in a somewhat sultry tone. "So you don't have to worry about this bum anymore," she said as she stuck out her ass further to emphasize the point.

---

As time passed, these Superheroes gained a vast majority of the public's support. So much so that the government took matters into its own hands and let them serve in a more official capacity.

Because obviously, letting the government take control of something is always a good fucking idea and has never gone wrong whatsoever. Especially in this situation specifically!

Please don't start on one of your political tangents again. You nearly gave Tenya a heart attack with some of your views.

Oh, I'm sorry! Do you like that the hero business became a competitive in-fighting slugfest where everyone had to one-up each other?

I didn't say that, and I would have to agree with you about how poorly the government had made the system. See, depending on how well you do, the higher rank you were, and the higher rank you were, the more government pay you got as well as more prestige, The prestige… Well… as Mei would say, the bigger the brand, the better.

All of this to say, it led to the rise of greedy glory hounds masquerading as heroes. Needless to say, it caused a fuck ton of problems.

---

Ariden and Izuku stood there and examined the crater Mt. Lady had made as the crowd dispersed. Each had a notebook in hand and rapidly took notes of their observation. At the same time, they also conferred with one another.

"She definitely has the looks and attitude to be a crowd favorite, and her quirk is really showy," Izuku explained to Ariden, not even looking up from his notebook.

"However," Ariden interjected, not looking up as well. "Gigantification is a common quirk. She could lose her show factor easily. Not to mention that it would limit what fights she could participate in and not to mention the property damage."

"So…" Izuku mused, "If Mt. Lady doesn't play her cards right, she'll be out of the spotlight before long, but if she does, she'll be a star."

"My thoughts exactly." Ariden chucked as he continued to write.

"What are you fanboys doing?" The old man from earlier chuckled. "Taking notes, eh? Wanna be heroes yourselves? Well, good luck to ya, boys!"

The boys looked up from their notes and smiled brightly at the old man.

"Thanks! We'll try!" they said in unison.

It had been an ordinary day at Aldera High School. Classes came and went. The students chatted about the usual topics, drama, gossip, and the typical stuff teens were prone to discuss. However, there was particular intrigue about the villain attack that had happened earlier that day. It was the day's last class, and Ariden and Izuku sat at their desks and waited for the teacher to begin.

"So…" The teacher's brusque voice interrupted the still chattering class. "you are coming close to the end of your second year. Normally around this time, I'd pass out the career aptitude tests so that you all have a goal to focus on in your third year." He explained as he held up a stack of papers. "But…" He looked at the class with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

In a flash, he tossed the papers into the air with a broad smile.

"I know you all want to be heroes!" He laughed mirthfully

The classroom exploded into cheers and shouts as each student showed off their quirks, save for Ariden and Izuku and a student with ash blond hair that sat in front of them. One student had turned his hands and hair into gray stone while another had extended his neck, his head almost scraping the ceiling. Another had even grabbed his eyeball and stretched them out, looking somewhat like a snail with its eye stalks. It was a menagerie of powers and abilities.

"Yes, you all have very impressive quirks, but you all know it's against the rules to use them in school!" The teacher scolded, though, from the tone in his voice, it was apparent he didn't care.

"YO, TEACH!" The ash blond boy shouted in a strong baritone voice. The class turned to look at him.

"Don't lump me in with these losers! I'm the real deal, but these extras would be lucky if they ended up as sidekicks to some busted D-Lister." He laughed derisively.

Immediately the class glared at the boy in anger.

"You think you're better than us, Katsuki!" A student asked.

"Let's go! I'll take you all on!" Katsuki Bakugo laughed

Katsuki Bakugo was tall, standing close to six feet, while the black gakuran uniform wasn't skin tight. You could still see he had a fit and lean build with broad shoulders and a clean jawline ending in a pointed chin, giving him a commanding presence. He had short spiky blond hair with choppy bangs that hung over his eyebrows, With sharp red eyes set in a permanent glare.

"Well, you do have impressive test results." The teacher mused, "Maybe you will get into U.A. University.

The class was taken aback by the statement.

"U.A.?!" One student gasped, "That's the most prestigious hero school in the world! Tens of thousands of people from all over the world try to get in every year!"

"There is no way he could get in!" another said incredulously. "They have an acceptance rating of just %.2!"

"And that's why it's the only place worthy of me." Katsuki cut in.

With a grunt, Katsuki launched himself from his chair and landed on his desk.

"I aced all of the mock tests!" He bragged. "I am the only one in this worthless school that stands a chance of getting in!" he puffed his chest out in bravado. "I'll end up more popular than All Might and be the richest hero of all time!" He began to shout excitedly. "People all across the world will know who I am! And it all starts with U.A. University!" He ranted.

"Oh yeah, you two are also interested in getting into U.A., right, Midoriya?" The teacher interrupted in a blase tone of voice.

You could hear a pin drop. Katsuki was struck dumb. Everyone was silent as the slowly craned their necks back to look at the two brothers. Izuku had put his head on his desk and covered it with both his hands trying to look as small as he could, while Ariden had leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed with a scowl.

"Oh, just fucking kill me now," Ariden grumbled as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

Immediately the class burst into raucous mocking laughter.

"The Midoriyas! You gotta be joking!" The student with the long neck mocked.

"There is no way you two are getting into the hero course without a quirk!" Another student snorted.

"A-actually… they got r-rid of that rule." Izuku countered timidly, "S-so we could b-be the first ones!"

In a flash, Katsuki got down from his desk, slammed his hands down onto both of the brothers' desks, and created a small explosion. The force sent the boys flying out of their chairs and almost into the room's back wall.

"Do you two quirkless losers have a death wish!" Katsuki seethed with rage. "You idiots wouldn't last a second as a hero without a quirk, and yet you have the gall to try and take a spot at U.A.?!"

"This isn't a competition, Kat. We aren't trying to steal your spot." Ariden held up his hands placatingly. "Hell, with your quirk and skills, you are guaranteed to get in."

"It-it's just…." Izuku chimed in. "It's always been our dream to be heroes…." He looked down in solemn contemplation. "There is no harm in trying, right?"

The class began to laugh again at the pitiful display. Katsuki's expression softened before it hardened into a fiery glare.

"Try!? Try the entrance exams!?" He shouted at them angrily, "You two fucking idiots would get killed! Ari! Deku! you two should quit before you get hurt!" He snarled through gritted teeth.

Elsewhere…

---

It was high noon in downtown Musutafu. A few clouds drifted across the clear sky as a light winter breeze blew through the busy market street. The street was alive with chatter as people were still discussing the excitement from earlier that morning.

"Man, that fight this morning was something." A man bantered with a woman that was walking with him.

"I know! It was awesome!" the woman smiled excitedly. "And that Mt. Lady…" She wiggled her eyebrows at the man.

"Please." The man drawled in faux indignation. "She is trying too hard to look sexy, now Kamui Woods, on the other hand…." He countered. "Effortless," He said with a chef's kiss.

"Oh?" The woman raised an eyebrow. "And what about me?"

"They both pale in comparison to you." The man smiled as he hugged her shoulder tighter.

"Nice save." the woman smirked.

They both laughed as they continued to walk along but were stopped when a piercing shriek rang through the air. They looked across the street to see the commotion and watched in morbid fascination at the sight.

A large man comprised of semi-transparent green sludge wearing pants had burst out from a convenience store. Yen banknotes were stuck in his gelatinous body, some flying from it as he ran away from the scene. Next to the door he had fled from, a woman in a business suit lay on the ground, her purse lying next to her with its strap snapped. Both were untouched as a spherical translucent blue shield with hexagonal patterns surrounded her.

"GET BACK HERE!" A man shouted as he ran out of the store. "THIEF! SOMEONE STOP HIM!"

"YELL ALL YOU WANT!" The sludge man shouted defiantly in a deep, tremulous voice as if he was speaking underwater. "YOU'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO CATCH ME!"

Everyone watched the spectacle with so much interest nobody noticed as a tall skeleton of a man walked out of a convenience store behind them carrying his groceries. As he exited, he saw the commotion and scowled.

He was a giant of a man, standing at 7 feet tall and then some. He was excessively lean to the point that he looked gaunt, further accentuating his already formidable height. His face was equally as thin as the rest of him, with sunken cheeks and a very sharp chin. He had wild shoulder-length blond hair brushed back and looked like a lion's mane. Save for two tufts of it which were at the forefront of his forehead and flowed downwards well past his shoulders. There was no hair on his protruding brow, which overshadowed his glowing bright blue eyes.

"Sheesh, where are all the heroes? You'd think one would swoop in right away." He overheard a young man say.

"Maybe they are all still busy from that scene this morning." A young woman speculated.

"Jeez, there are just too many people who don't know what to do with their quirks." another man standing next to them complained. "There just isn't an end to them."

The skeletal man turned to look at the fleeing villain. The sludge man had a smug grin as he trampled anyone who got in his way. The man knew he had some time left, so he'd be damned if he just let the scum get away. He knew what he had to do.

He took a deep breath and strained all his muscles, he felt a familiar dull pain in the background, but it wasn't strong enough to interfere just yet. As he flexed and strained, he transformed. His once baggy white T-shirt and green jeans fit snuggly against his skin. No longer was he the gaunt skeleton. He was now a tower of pure muscle.

"Yes, there is." He called out in a deep rich voice that rumbled like thunder.

The man and the couple turned at the sudden intrusion and gasped in delight at who they saw.

"You know why?" He thundered as he stepped out of the shadow of the awning.

Everyone then focused their attention on the imposing man, including the sludge man, who flinched at the sight of the man.

"Because!" The man said with a wide bright smile. "I am here!"

Ariden and Izuku

---

The final bell of the school day had finally rung. Most of the students filed out of the classroom, save for some who lingered and were busy making plans with their friends to hang out. Ariden watched his brother in amusement as Izuku scrolled through the news feed on his phone, oblivious to the world around him.

"Man, that fight from this morning is all over the news!" Izuku said as he turned and showed his phone to Ariden.

"No, duh!" Ariden chuckled as he looked at all the news feeds, "The news is always quick to report the debut of a new hero."

"Speaking of that, while in class, I thought of a few more notes to add, so do you mind hanging out here a little longer?"

"Yeah, sure." Ariden shrugged. "I was going to hang around for a bit anyways."

"What for?" Izuku quirked an eyebrow

Ariden cocked his head over his shoulder. Izuku glanced past and saw Katsuki on a desk with two of his cronies on either side of him.

"Aren't you curious why he hasn't invited us for a music session in the past two months?" Ariden asked.

"Now that you say that, I am curious." Izuku said as he stroked his chin, "He would have said something if he didn't want to do it anymore."

"Said something?" Ariden smirked, "More like shouted in our faces that we can't carry a tune to save ourselves and that he didn't have time to waste on extras," He snorted.

"Yeah…" Izuku gave a reluctant sigh. "He would."

"Anyways," Ariden continued. "While I am over there, could you add your notes to my book?" He asked as he pulled out his notebook

"Sure, no problem."

"Sweet, thanks, be back in a second." Ariden gave a brief nod before he walked away.

Ariden walked towards Katsuki and his cronies with reasonable caution. While you'd typically have to provoke Katsuki to get him pissed at you, Ariden figured Katsuki was still somewhat miffed about what had happened earlier in the day. as Ariden drew closer, Katsuki took notice and turned to meet his gaze, immediately ending whatever conversation he was having with his lackeys.

"We'll talk later," Katsuki said as he looked at his two underlings. "Now go."

They both got up and walked past Ariden, though not before one of them shoulder-checked him.

" Fucking prick, " Ariden scowled as he turned to glare at the one who did it.

He quickly turned back towards Katsuki, still glaring at him with a sneer.

"The fuck do you want?" Katsuki curtly snapped at him.

"Relax, dude, I'm not trying to pick a fight," Ariden assured as he raised his hands placatingly. "I was just going to ask a question."

"Then fucking ask already." Katsuki huffed brusquely as he crossed his arms and reclined back in his chair.

"It's been two months since you invited us to jam out. Is everything alright?"

Katsuki glared at him and scoffed.

"Of course, everything is alright?" He said testily, "Have you forgotten who you're talking to?"

"No, Kat, I haven't." Ariden glared back at him, "It's just that we've been playing for years, and suddenly, you just up and stop without warning." He continued, "So forgive me for wanting to know why you suddenly quit playing music with us." He snarked as he rolled his eyes.

"Don't get testy with me, Ari!" Katsuki growled as a few mini-explosions popped off in his hands. "As to why, it's 'cause I've been training for the U.A. exams for the past two months, and I've just been too busy to tell you." He explained, "There, happy?"

"Yes, thanks, Kat, that's all I wanted to know."

"Piss off, dumbass," Katsuki grumbled

Ariden couldn't help but chuckle at the response.

"So…" Ariden began after a brief silence, "What's your training like?"

Katsuki immediately perked up and gave a cocky smile.

"Well, I start with 30 minutes of Intense Cardio, and then…." Katsuki began to brag

" I am going to be here for a while, aren't I? " Ariden lamented.

Izuku scrolled rapidly over his phone while writing notes in both notebooks. He was almost done, but suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see who it was, and his heart sank. On either side of him were Katsuki's goons.

"So, what are you doing?" The one with spindly fingers asked.

"Oh, J-Just taking notes! T-that's all!" Izuku squeaked timidly.

"Can we see?" The other with razor-sharp teeth asked.

"Well, I suppose so." Izuku acquiesced, "Just be careful with them, please." He said as he offered his notebook to them.

Razor-teeth snatched the book from his hand and skimmed through it.

"The fuck is all this?" He asked as he cocked an eyebrow

"Just some notes and observations my brother and I made about heroes."

"Dude, you gotta check this creepy shit out!" Razor-teeth smirked at Spindly fingers

Spindly used his quirk instantly, extended his fingers, and snatched Ariden's notebook off the desk before Izuku could react.

"Hey, please put that down. That's my brother's!" He cried.

His pleas went ignored as both of the goons looked over each notebook.

"Death Arms is strong but not fast, giving him a disadvantage when in open spaces and against ranged enemies?" Spindly Fingers read aloud, a look of incredulity on his face.

"See!" Razor Teeth exclaimed. "This shit is fucking creepy, right?! I mean, look at the fucking cover, dude!"

Spindly Fingers closed the book and looked at the cover.

"Hero Analysis for the future!?" Spindly squinted as he read it aloud. "Are you fucking serious?!"

"There is nothing wrong in planning for the future," Izuku said meekly.

"What future?!" Razor Teeth laughed. "You and Ariden are both quirkless weaklings! There is no future for either of you!"

"Hey, Katsuki!" Spindly Fingers shouted over his shoulder, "You gotta check this shit out!" He said as he waved the book above his head.

Ariden looked over to see the commotion. As soon as he saw his notebook being held aloft, he knew he had to make sure Katsuki never got a hold of it. He started to rush over to reclaim his book, but as he reached the group, he felt a hand grab him by the collar. Ariden slowly looked behind him only to meet the angry glare of Katsuki.

"Where the fuck do you think you're going?" Katsuki growled.

With a quick yank, Ariden was pulled back behind Katsuki.

"This shit better be good," Katsuki complained as the spindly-fingered goon handed him Ariden's book.

"Oh, it is. It's Deku and Ari's hero analysis books." the razor-toothed goon chuckled. "Can you believe these losers think they can be heroes?"

"Yeah, talk about being deluded." The spindly-fingered goon joked

Katsuki ignored the two goons and quietly read the book. While Ariden quickly scurried to Izuku's side.

"Dude, we are so fucked" Ariden whispered to Izuku.

"Maybe it won't be so bad this time around?" Izuku shrugged.

"This is Kat, dude. He is going to kick our asses."

Their conversation was interrupted by the loud clap of the notebook being closed. They both looked from one another to meet the gaze of Katsuki.

"You know these aren't half bad." Katsuki wiggled the notebook in his hand. "You two would make for some good hero managers. Who knows, maybe you'll get lucky, and I'll let you help manage my office."

"That isn't why we are writing those!" Izuku blurted out, much to his surprise. "We wrote them to use as inspiration when we become heroes."

Katsuki's gaze turned into a scowl, and he quickly grabbed the other book from the razor-toothed goon. He held both books in one hand and sneered at the boys. In a flash, he slammed his other hand down onto the books. Ariden and Izuku watched in dismay as an explosion engulfed their notebooks. As the smoke faded, Ariden and Izuku saw that their books had somehow managed to survive, though just barely.

What was once lovely and pristine, the books were blackened from smoke and fire, and some of the corners glowed with residual embers. Ariden and Izuku sighed in relief, seeing that their work could still be saved. But relief was cut short as Katsuki scoffed and chucked both of their books from the open window.

"WHY!?" Both boys cried out in dismay as they raced toward the window.

"Did you know that the best heroes out there all showed greatness when they were young?" Katsuki explained. "I am going to be the only student from this dogshit school to become a student at U.A. University. You wanna know why?!"

"Why Katsuki?" Ariden asked wearily

"Because I have the same greatness in me!" Katsuki proudly proclaimed.

Katsuki then casually walked towards the brothers and put a hand on each of their shoulders. The lingering heat on his hands from the explosion slightly singed their shirts.

"As for you two." He said with a fake smile plastered on his face, "You haven't done shit in your lives, let alone show greatness, so quit with these delusions you dumbasses have" His face turned into a malicious sneer. "And if I catch you trying to get into U.A.…." Katsuki trailed off. "Well, you already know what will happen." He smiled and let them go.

"Noted." was all Ariden said as he and Izuku stood there dourly

Katsuki turned and started to leave. His goons watched him as he went and then turned back to look at the brothers.

"What? aren't you guys going to say something?" The razor-toothed goon goaded them but was met with only silence. "I would have thought they'd have at least some spine. God, you guys are so fucking pathetic." He laughed as he followed after Katsuki

"You guys need to quit dreaming and face reality." The Spindly-fingered goon sneered. "You'll never be heroes."

"You're wrong!" Izuku shouted as tears welled at the corners of his eyes. "We will be heroes! No matter what any of you say!"

Katsuki stopped in his tracks and turned around. A malicious smile danced across his face.

"You want to be heroes that bad?" he said calmly, a cocky grin on his face. "Then pray that you have a quirk in the next life and take a swan dive off the roof!"

The room was as quiet as the grave. Everyone was stunned and looked at Katsuki in surprise. Katsuki winced a little at what he had just said but quickly returned to his usual frowning self. His two goons looked amused more than anything else, with big shit-eating grins plastered on their faces.

Ariden and Izuku couldn't believe what they had just heard. Izuku felt his chin tremble involuntarily, and his vision blurred. Ariden, on the other hand, ground his teeth and glared daggers at Katsuki.

"You can be a real asshole sometimes, Kat." Ariden scowled bitterly. "But that was low, even for you. I thought you were better than that."

"Let's just go, Ariden." Izuku sighed dejectedly

Katsuki quietly stood in the doorway and watched as Ariden and Izuku walked past him.

After the better part of an hour, they managed to find their notebooks, which had landed directly into the school's koi pond. The boys looked at each other, sighed, and started fishing for their ruined notebooks. The notebooks were decimated. What the smoke damage hadn't touched the water had.

"It's not that bad." Izuku said, "you can still make out enough to read it. All we have to do is get a new notebook and salvage what we can still read. It shouldn't be that hard."

"..."

Izuku looked up when Ariden didn't respond and was met with his brother's gaze as he stared somberly at him.

"He told us…." Ariden said, his brow furrowed and jaw clenched. "to jump off the fucking roof."

"I know!" Izuku frowned. "That idiot needs to think before he says things! I mean, what if we did jump? He'd be arrested for bullying, ruining his whole career!"

"That- That's not the point I was trying to make…." Ariden shook his head. "You know what, never mind." he huffed. "It's just that I can't help but somewhat agree with what was said…."

Izuku immediately stood up in alarm.

"Hey, I am here for you. You can talk to me," Izuku said as he put a hand on Ariden's shoulder.

"Relax." Ariden chuckled as he brushed Izuku's hand off his shoulder. "I ain't looking for a short drop and a sudden stop." He said as he put his tattered notebook into his bag. "If you had let me finish, you'd have realized that."

"Then maybe rephrase it better next time," Izuku said as he and Ariden began walking home.

"Noted." Ariden nodded. "Anyways, as I was saying, I can't help but somewhat agree with what was said," he said. "Are they right? Are we refusing to face reality?" he turned and asked Izuku.

"We both know the reality of our situation." Izuku sighed. "But we made a promise to each other, remember?"

"How could I forget?" Ariden smiled.

---

We made a promise to each other when we were four years old, which we have kept to this day.

You know, if we keep going off on tangents like this, we will be here for the following year.

H-Hey! Context is important! The story wouldn't be as meaningful if we went on without explaining anything.

I know. I just like giving you hell.

Ugh, anyway. It all started with a rather old video of a massive natural disaster.

It was pretty fucking bad. The total damages were in the billions.

It was also where a particular hero made his debut.

13 Years Ago

---

"MOM, HURRY!" Izuku shouted as he jumped up and down in front of his mother

"YEAH!" Ariden shouted from the doorway of his and Izuku's bedroom. "IT'S COMPUTER TIME!"

Inko Midoriya couldn't help but laugh at their enthusiastic display.

"Okay, boys, give me just a second." She said as she began to make her way towards the computer in her sons' bedroom

Inko watched as Izuku ran past her and raced Ariden to see who got to the computer chair first, and like always, the race was a tie. The boys scrambled into the chair, sat side by side, and rocked back and forth in frenzied excitement. After a few moments, Inko was next to them, and she started the computer. Inko knew there was no point in asking the boys what they wanted to see. It was the same thing every time.

"Boys, I think you've added at least 10,000 views to this video by yourselves," Inko chuckled. "I don't know why you two like it so much. It's a little too scary for me to watch."

The video began to play, and the image on the screen showed absolute tragedy. Fire and destruction were all around. Buildings had crumbled into dust, and streets and cars were upheaved and scattered everywhere. What was worse was the sound. Above the din of the flames was a chorus of anguished cries of fear and pain.

Quickly the camera focused on a man who was standing close by. In the background behind him were dozens of people all huddled together. Some looked like emergency response personnel, but most looked like they had been caught up in the calamity. The man then turned to the camera and addressed the person operating it.

"Are you seeing this?" the man asked, his voice distorted by the low quality of the audio.

"Do you know who this guy is?" He asked in both desperation and awe. "This guy's already saved a hundred people, at least! And it hasn't even been ten minutes!"

The man quickly turned back toward the group of people

"This… This is crazy! I can't believe it!"

A few moments passed when out of nowhere, a deep, bassy laugh full of mirthful energy resounded about the area.

"Look!" The man holding the camera cried. "He has more!"

The camera panned over to a toppled-over bus. Behind it, an enormous man's figure began to scale the wrecked vehicle. He had two people in each arm and seven people on his back, and on his face was a broad smile that radiated serenity. As he reached the top, the light of the fires illuminated him for all to see.

The man was made of pure muscle, his entire body was massive, and he stood taller than everyone around. He had chiseled features on his face, a strong square jawline, and pronounced cheekbones accentuated by the broad smile. He had bushy eyebrows and short blond hair, swept backward, with two distinct tufts that stood above his head and pointed in opposite directions.

His outfit was a skin-tight blue bodysuit with a red and white design running down the middle. His sleeves were golden with sharp fins and blue and white stripes wrapped around the wrist. His boots were the same golden color with a band of red and white that circled the trim. On his waist was a golden belt with a silver buckle shaped vaguely like a bird's head. On it were two red spots that looked like a bird's eyes.

"Fear not, citizens!" The man boomed with confidence, "Hope has arrived!"

Ariden and Izuku looked at each other in exhilaration. Their eyes gleamed brightly, and they both turned back to the video. Their favorite part was about to come up.

"Because I Am Here!" The man proudly declared as he smiled wider.

Ariden and Izuku smiled wide as they felt a frisson of excitement rush through them.

"All Might's the coolest hero in the universe!" Izuku cheered as he pumped his fist into the air. "When we get our quirks, we're gonna be heroes just like him!"

Ariden looked at Izuku with delight.

"Do you really mean that?"

"Of course I do! We'll be heroes together, no matter what! I promise!" Izuku said as he extended his hand to shake.

Ariden smiled widely and reached towards the offered hand, but he stopped just as both hands were about to meet.

"What's wrong?" Izuku asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing." Ariden said as he blinked and shook his head for a second "this just seemed familiar, is all." He explained as he took the offered hand.

---

Oh, how young and naive we were.

It's not like we could have known what life had planned for us.

Yeah, I know, that's the real bitch of it. Life's plans are always different from yours.

---

"I'm sorry, doctor…." Inko asked, still stunned by what she had just heard. "Could you repeat that?"

It had been eight days since Izuku's fourth birthday and eleven days since Ariden's. Still, their quirks hadn't manifested. This caused Inko to worry some since it was common knowledge that a child's quirk manifested within seven days after their fourth birthday. Which is how she and her sons found themselves in a doctor's office getting a check-up.

The Doctor looked at Inko, adjusted his yellow gear-shaped goggles, shook his head, and sighed.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but there isn't any hope for them." He answered in a gruff, baritone voice.

Ariden and Izuku turned catatonic. The All Might toy that Izuku held slipped from his grasp and clattered onto the sterile white floor of the examination room.

"Surely there's been some mistake." Inko said as she looked down at the All Might toy on the ground, "I know the other kindergartners have all started to show signs of their quirks, but…."

"Pardon me asking," The Doctor interrupted, "But you and your husband are both 4th generation quirk users, yes?"

"That is correct."

"What exactly are your powers?"

"Well, nothing too special. I can pull small objects towards myself," Inko said as she demonstrated her quirk.

With a few brief beckons of her hand, the All Might toy levitated through the air toward her. It paused and hovered between each hand motion until it got close enough, and Inko grabbed it from the air.

"And my husband can breathe fire." Inko continued as she looked over at her sons, who were still catatonic. "They're useful enough, I guess." She shrugged.

The portly doctor gave a brief grunt as he swiveled his chair over to the lightboard with x-rays of both boys' feet.

"By the age of four, a child should manifest either one of his parents' quirks or a mixture of the two," he explained. "However, during the early days of quirk research, doctors discovered one important finding."

The doctor pointed at the pinky toe on one of the feet.

"They discovered a link between the bones in a person's foot and their likelihood of developing a quirk," He tapped the board with his index finger. "People with quirks have only one joint in their pinky toes. Their bodies have evolved into a more streamlined human form." He turned back toward Inko and motioned toward the board. "As you can see, both Izuku and Ariden have two joints in their pinky toes. Which only .4% of the population have. Which honestly makes this whole ordeal rather peculiar."

"Why is that?"

"You see, the earth's population is 13.6 billion people," The doctor explained. "And .4% of that population would be 40.8 million, so the chances of being quirkless are 1 in 340 people."

"Well, when you put it that way. It doesn't sound that uncommon" Inko nodded her head.

"Do you know the statistical probability of having not just one but two quirkless children?"

"No, what is it?" Inko asked.

"0.0009%, that is 1 in 122402 people." The doctor shook his head. "Ma'am, forgive me if I offend you when I say you and your family have the worst luck I have seen in my life."

Both Ariden and Izuku looked down at their feet in despair. All their hopes and dreams had crashed, all because of an extra digit and sheer bad luck.

"Now, in the past, some people who had an extra digit in their foot gained quirks," The doctor said.

Ariden and Izuku perked up at the doctor's words.

"So there may be some hope!" Inko's face lit up.

"But…" He raised a hand to stop their excitement. "In the past 100 years, there hasn't been a documented case of someone having a quirk and an extra bone in their foot."

"Why give us hope if you were going to just rip it away!" Inko shouted as she stood up in a fury.

"Because I think it best to rip off that band-aid here and now." He grunted, "I'd rather you know the reality of your unfortunate situation than you being blinded by false hope."

"For a doctor, your bedside manner is horrible!" Inko scowled at the man. "Come on, boys, let's go."

A storm raged outside the Midoriyas' apartment. The dark clouds and the heavy rain that clattered against the window made the already dimly lit bedroom bleaker. Inko stood in the doorway, her crestfallen face illuminated by the computer screen's dull light.

Inko knew they had repeatedly been watching that video since they had gotten home. That was 4 hours ago. She chewed on her lip and crossed her arms as she approached the chair where her sons sat. The floorboard's creaks and groans sounded like the thunder that rumbled outside.

"Ariden…" Izuku said, his voice trembling as he spoke.

"Yeah?" Ariden asked, his voice just barely above a whisper.

"Do you see that All Might is always smiling no matter when things get bad?" Izuku's voice cracked. "Or how even when things seem impossible, he never gives up?"

"I do…" Ariden murmured

"If he can do the impossible, so can we."

The computer chair turned, and Inko's heart broke.

"Right, mom?" Izuku asked as he pointed at the screen, his eyes filled with tears. "We can be heroes… Right?

Inko rushed forward and embraced the two boys in a bear hug, the dam of tears she had been holding back burst forth.

"I'm so sorry, boys!" She cried as she squeezed Ariden and Izuku tight. "It's not your fault that life is so unfair!"

Ariden and Izuku didn't respond. They just sat there as tears streamed down their faces and stared at the smiling face of All Might.

---

The promise we made that day was a vow between me and Ariden, and it is one we have never broken.

We swore that we would never stop following our dream and that anyone who tried to stop us could go fuck themselves.

Present Day

---

"So what's on the agenda now?" Ariden asked.

His voice echoed off the tunnel walls of the underpass they walked through.

"How about we go to the Arcade and blow off some steam."

"Tempting, but not right now." Izuku said, "I'd rather get home as fast as possible so we can salvage as much as we can from our notes."

"Yeah, about that," Ariden said as he shielded his eyes as they exited the tunnel. "We are out of notebooks."

"Wait, really?" Izuku said, eyebrow cocked. "I thought we had at least one more for each of us."

"Yeah, we used those up last month."

"If you noticed we were out, why didn't you buy more?" Izuku stopped walking and frowned at his brother.

"In my defense, I wasn't expecting to have to buy more so soon," Ariden said as he held up the burnt book.

"Good point."

They stood there awkwardly outside the tunnel for a moment before they started to laugh.

"So, shopping?" Izuku asked with a fond smile on his face.

"It would seem so." Ariden said, nodding, "Hey, why don't we call mom and see if she needs anything."

"Oh, good idea!"

Just as Ariden took out his phone, a sewer grate behind them burst open. The boys jumped, turned around, and were horrified by what they saw. A massive creature of green sludge rose before them. It kept getting bigger as it emerged, 4 feet, 6 feet, then 8 feet. Its pale red eyes bore its' gaze into the two boys before it. Its massive maw of yellow teeth grinned in delight.

"Two perfect skin suits. Which to choose, though?" It said to itself in a gruff tremulous voice.

Its' gaze shifted toward Ariden, and it noticed the phone in his hands.

"Can't have you callin' the police, kid, so it looks like your number is up."

In an instant, the sludge creature lept at Ariden. Tendrils of green slime arced out and reached for him. Ariden was frozen on the spot as he watched the fiend barrel towards him, then he felt something shove him out of the way. As he fell to the ground, he looked up into the fearful eyes of his brother and watched as the monster took him instead.

"Well, hey now!" The Sludge Villain said with glee, "Looks like we've got ourselves a volunteer! Now quit struggling. It'll all be over in forty-five seconds or so!"

Ariden was on his feet in an instant. He rushed towards Izuku, who clawed widely at the sludge surrounding him. As he reached Izuku, he grabbed one of his legs and pulled with all his might. Izuku grabbed at the wet sludge but failed as his fingers passed through it without any effect.

"It's useless!" The Villain said, "My body is made of fluid!"

Ariden let go of Izuku and looked at the villain in his entirety. He was right. He was made of fluid, the only exceptions being… Was it possible? An idea sparked in Ariden's head, and he ran away.

"You need to pick better friends, kid. What a coward." The Sludge man asked

"Good, get away from here! At least you'll be safe." Izuku sighed in relief.

Ariden stopped a few yards away and turned around. Izuku saw there was a determination in his eyes.

"No! Stop! What are you doing? Keep running!" Izuku cried in his head.

"Count to four. Inhale. Count to four. Exhale," Ariden centered himself as he prepared.

Ariden locked eyes with Izuku and charged at them.

"Back for more?" The villain asked, "Let's see what you've got! You aren't gonna land a scratch on me!"

"I hope to god this fucking works!" Ariden prayed to himself. "

Ariden made a fist and drew it behind him, and as he got within a few feet, he lept at the villain and threw a punch at his eye.

"LET HIM THE FUCK GO!" He cried as he swung

A sickening squelch reverberated off the tunnel walls as it made contact. The Sludge Villain recoiled in pain.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" The Sludge man roared in pain, "YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT!"

Izuku watched from his prison of sludge as a tendril shot forth and wrapped around Ariden's neck and lifted him off the ground.

"Damn, that smarts!" The Villain said as he blinked his right eye a couple of times. "So, was it worth it, you little shit? All that effort just to die a slow death."

Ariden didn't respond. He just clawed at the tendril that tightened around his neck.

Izuku started to claw frantically at the sludge. He had to reach Ariden. He had to save him somehow! But it was getting so hard to lift his arms, his head was getting fuzzy, and his lungs screamed for air.

"I didn't know he was in this town." The Villain said as he talked to himself.

Izuku stopped his struggle when the villain turned his gaze upon him.

"I gotta say, kid. I'm pretty lucky to have run into you. You're a real hero to me!"

Izuku felt his stomach churn at the perverse statement.

"So I'm gonna do you a little favor. I'm gonna kill you last."

Both of the boys' blood ran cold.

"Seein' as that little bitch punched me in the fuckin eye, it only seems right he dies first."

Ariden felt the grip tighten around his neck.

"Say goodbye to your little friend, kid. He won't be here much longer."

Ariden started to kick and thrash, anything to loosen the noose around his neck. After a few moments, however, he felt tired, oh so tired. His arms fell limp as all his energy left him. He just stared into the tearful eyes of Izuku in resignation.

"Shit…this feels familiar for some reason…." Ariden thought as he felt darkness claw at his mind. "I'm sorry, Izuku… You got caught because of me… I'm sorry I couldn't save you, Hell… I couldn't even save myself… Izuku… Mom… I am glad to have met you..."

Izuku watched as Ariden's eyes rolled back in his head and went limp. He had to get out. He had to save Ariden, but how? It was too difficult to think, move, or do anything but resign himself to his grim fate.

"No… It can't end like this!" Izuku thought as he fought to stay awake. "Someone! Anyone! Katsuki! Help us! We can't die here. We have so much more to do! Mom… we're sorry for making you cry again…."

Izuku felt his mind give way to unconsciousness and made one last attempt to break free. He feebly grasped at the goop but once again found no success. The Villain just watched in amusement at the pathetic spectacle.

"Kid, you've got guts. I'll give ya that." The Villain said, "But give it up already. You ain't got the strength to break free. No one does!"

"That's where you are wrong!" a bassy voice boomed.

Izuku, with the last vestiges of consciousness, turned towards where the voice had come from. A Man holding a grocery bag emerged from the Manhole the Sludge Villain had come from, and Izuku recognized him. While his awareness was in a haze, he recognized that smile and those two golden tufts of hair from anywhere.

"Have no fear. You're safe." All Might said with a smile, "Now that I am here!"

"Oh hell no, you ain't taking me in!" The Sludge Villain said. "You take another step towards me. I break his neck!"

The tendril that held Ariden shifted towards the space between the Sludge Monster and All Might.

"Only a coward takes hostages." All Might said, a smile still on his face. "But very well, I won't take another step towards you."

"I'm warning you I'll…." The Villain trailed off. "Wait, you won't?"

"I won't." All Might nodded. "Because I don't need to!"

With blinding speed, All Might drew back a massive fist and instantly threw a punch forward.

"TEXAS SMASH!" All Might cried at the apex of his swing.

A massive gale of wind rushed through the tunnel, the tight space acting like a focus, and channeled the blow directly at the Villain. The Sludge Monster didn't stand a chance. His body was torn asunder and splattered against the tunnel walls as the wind blew him apart.

The Boys felt the villain's grip disappear. They were finally free. Ariden and Izuku coughed and gasped as air rushed back into their lungs, except there was no air. The gale wind that had saved them had also sucked out most of the air in the area. They both gasped and sputtered as the same feeling of asphyxiation overtook them.

"At least… All Might is here." They both thought as they passed out… again.

---

To have All Might himself save us! I still think fate wanted us to meet that day.

Why couldn't we have been fated to meet him under better circumstances? You know, one that doesn't involve almost fucking dying!?

But that would lessen the All Might experience! What more tremendous honor is there than to be rescued by him?

Christ, after all these years and you can still be such a goddamn fanboy.

---

As Ariden and Izuku came to, they awoke to the sensation of someone lightly slapping them on the side of their faces. They both opened their eyes and winced as the light of the sun momentarily blinded them. The light slapping continued.

"Hey!" All Might said, "Come on, up and at em' boys!"

They both opened their eyes and met the looming figure of All Might.

"Oh, it's just All Might…." They both thought

It took them a moment to process that thought, then the two boys turned and looked at each other as if seeking confirmation.

"You see him too?" Ariden mouthed

Izuku just nodded dumbly, and The two boys sprang up in a flash

"A- All M-Mi-Might!? W-What!? H-How!?" Izuku stuttered out

"I'll tell you how!" Ariden said. "We're fucking dead, and this is heaven, 'cause there ain't no way in hell this is real!"

"Fear not, boys! I am glad to say you are both far from dead." All Might said, his signature smile plastered on his face. "But I must also apologize to you two. I didn't mean for you two to get caught up in my villain hunt. I must admit this is not my finest moment!"

"Wha-What are you doing in Musutafu City!" Izuku asked.

"But! In my defense, I'm new to this city, and those sewers were hard to navigate!" All Might continued as he ignored Izuku's question, "I must also thank you as well! Without your help, I probably wouldn't have caught this criminal!"

All Might raised a two-litre bottle of soda into the air. It contained a viscous green liquid and two eyeballs.

"How the hell did you fit all of him into that bottle?" Ariden thought out loud.

"Holy crap! It's really him! In the flesh!" Izuku said as he trembled in excitement. "We have to get an autograph!"

Izuku scrambled in search of his notebook. When he found it, he was relieved to see it had made it through the struggle unscathed, well... as unscathed as a burnt and soaked book could be. He grabbed it and opened it to try and find an unmarred page for All Might to sign. Only to see All Might's signature smiling back at him in big, bold text.

"Wow! You already signed it!" Izuku said as he hugged the book to his chest. "Thank you so much! I'll treasure this forever and pass it on as a family heirloom!"

Ariden grabbed his notebook as well and found the same thing.

"Damn, talk about planning ahead of time! That's the number one hero for ya!"

"Thank you for the kind words, boys, but now if you'll excuse me, I must take this villain to the authorities!" All Might said as he began to stretch. "Now run along and try to stay out of trouble this time!"

"Wait, you're leaving already?" Izuku asked with a frown.

"Sorry, boys, but a hero is always on the clock. I don't have any more time to spare."

"But wait!" Ariden said as he raised his hand to stop All Might. "Shouldn't we go with you? You know… to uhh… give our testimonies to the police! Yeah, I'd imagine that's important!"

"There's no need!" All Might said as he turned and gave them a thumbs up, "I was a witness to this Villain's actions both earlier and now. My testimony, along with other evidence, shall be enough."

"But… there is so much we want to ask you! Please let us come with you!" Izuku said as he inched closer to the hero.

"I'm sorry, boys, I just don't have the time." All Might said, his smile a little less broad than before. "Who knows? Maybe we will meet again but until next time…." He said as he crouched down and tensed all his muscles.

Ariden and Izuku looked at the man. They had so many questions they wanted to ask him. However, one question above all the others burned inside their minds. But with each second that passed, the answer they had so desperately sought after slipped from their grasp. The brothers turned to each other and nodded. They didn't need to say anything. They knew what they had to do.

"THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT!" All Might shouted as he rocketed into the air.

All Might flew through the air, lost in thought. He spared glances at the buildings below as he flew past. He was in this city for a reason. All Might mused about what had led him here and what needed to happen next. He shook his head at the thought. He needed to focus on getting the villain in his pocket to the police station. All Might reached back to ensure the bottle was securely in his pocket and was surprised when his hand landed on a patch of fluffy hair.

"What the?!" All Might said as he turned around to look.

All Might was aghast at the sight. The two boys he had saved clung to his legs for dear life, their faces blown back by the wind as if someone was holding a leaf blower to them.

"Boys, I admire your dedication, but I'm going to have to ask you to let go," He said as he shook his leg in an attempt to shake them off.

"If We… Let go… We're dead!" Ariden shouted over the sound of the wind.

"Good Point."

"Please…" Izuku said, his eyelids and mouth rippling as the wind rushed past. "We need you… to answer… so many questions!

"Oh god! Why are their faces so elastic!" All Might thought as a shudder ran down his spine. "Okay! Alright. Just do us all a favor and close your eyes and mouths!"

They did as he asked without another comment, satisfied All Might turned back around and started looking for a spot to land. As he did, a sharp spike of pain ran through his body as if someone had stabbed him with a white-hot poker. All Might felt the familiar sensation of warm blood as it climbed its way up his throat. He tried to clear his throat to force it back down but felt a drop trickle out from the corner of his mouth.

"Shit, time's almost up!"

He never did check if the bottle was still in his pocket.

Katsuki

---

Katsuki walked along the dingy back alley with a grimace across his face. Behind him walked those two dipshits that always clung to his side like the coat-tail riders they were. They each had a cigarette hidden in their hands. Katsuki had gotten onto them before about it, and they had supposedly dropped the habit. But he could smell the acrid fumes that only cigarettes could produce.

"How many times am I gonna have to tell these shitbags-"

His train of thought was interrupted when one of the piles of trash in the alley spontaneously shifted. He looked up and saw nothing besides a disgusting-looking 2-litre bottle filled with foul-looking liquid that rolled his way.

"Ugh," Katsuki said as he kicked the bottle away.

"You alright, man?" The guy with the long fingers asked.

Katsuki still hadn't learned his name, nor did he care to.

"I'm fine." Katsuki scoffed.

"You still thinking about earlier?" The other one with black hair asked. "Haven't you known those guys since you were kids?"

Katsuki didn't know his name either. He also couldn't remember what quirk the guy had. It was either the ability to have a long neck or razor-sharp teeth. Both were equally worthless in Katsuki's eyes.

"I would be, too, if I were him." Long fingers said, "That was some intense shit you said back there, Kat. Don't you think you went a little too far?"

He felt a prick of shame as he recalled what he had said, but the feeling faded as righteous indignation took its place.

"A little." Katsuki huffed. "I was only trying to get them to realize just how delusional their dream was. All I did was make them see the reality of their situation."

"But to tell them to die, man…."

Katsuki raised his hand and clenched it. A small explosion erupted between his fingers.

"If they had just listened to me in the first place, I wouldn't have to tell them this shit!" Katsuki yelled. "Goddammit! I know I'm right, and they know I'm right! Yet they still continue to piss me off by ignoring everything I fucking say!"

"Tell us how you really feel." The long-fingered one joked.

Katsuki wheeled around and glared at them. They were both in the mid-drag of their cigarettes. Their eyes widened, and they started to choke on the smoke as they scrambled to hide their dirty little secret.

"How many fucking times do I have to tell you! Stop fucking smoking!" Katsuki shouted as he grabbed the lit cigarettes from their hands. "If you get caught, I go down with you as well! I don't need that shit on my record!"

The two lackeys didn't respond. They just stood there flabbergasted.

"What?! Got nothing to say for yourself?!"

They both raised a trembling hand and pointed behind him, eyes wide in terror.

"A Bodysuit with some firepower." A deep, warbling voice said behind him, "You'll do perfectly."

Katsuki felt tendrils of slime wrap around him. It was already too late to escape.

Ariden, Izuku, and All Might

---

The Building rocked violently when All Might crashed down onto the roof. Ariden and Izuku detached themselves from All Might's legs as the dust settled. They crawled away from the hero on hands and knees just to make sure they were, in fact, back on solid ground.

"L-let's never do t-that again," Ariden said as he trembled.

"S-scary," Izuku said as he tried to catch his breath.

All Might walked over to the railing and surveyed the vast cityscape.

"That was incredibly irresponsible! You could have gotten killed!" All Might said, his tone far less cheerful than his usual demeanor. "The door is over there. You can make your way downstairs from it. Now goodbye."

Izuku shakily stood up at All Might's farewell.

"H-Hey w-w-wait!" He said as he reached a hand out to stop All Might.

"No! I will not wait!" All Might said curtly as he hunched over the railing.

"Can we be heroes even if we don't have quirks!" Ariden blurted out as he rose to stand. "Can someone without a quirk… can they be a hero? …Just like you?" He said more meekly, his gaze cast down towards the ground.

Izuku turned and looked at his brother in surprise. He had never seen him so hesitant.

"Quirks are…" All Might began to say.

But before he could finish what he was saying, a paroxysm of pain raged throughout his body.

"Oh, dammit! No… Not here! Not in front of them!" All Might thought to himself as steam began to rise off him as he hunched over in pain.

"It's just… My brother and I were born without quirks." Ariden said, "We've been bullied and picked on, Hell, someone today told us to go, and fucking kill ourselves." He scoffed bitterly.

"But…" Izuku interjected as he placed a hand on Ariden's shoulder. "We still haven't given up on our dream! Ever since we were kids, we always thought that saving people and defeating the bad guy were the coolest things someone could do!"

Through the pain and the steam, All Might stared at the boys in contemplative silence.

"And we still think the same to this day!" Ariden said, his hand raised, fist clenched. "We want to be Pillars of Society like you All Might! The Symbols of Hope and Justice!" He proudly said as he raised his head with a wide smile.

"We want everyone to see our fearless smiles and feel safe!" Izuku said, "and be heroes everyone looks up to just like yo…."

Izuku trailed off as he watched the last wisps of steam dissipate from the skeletal stranger that stood before them.

"Hey, Ariden."

"Yeah?" Ariden said flatly, his eyes trained on the figure.

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

"Yeah."

After a moment of silence, they both lost their shit.

"Who are you!?" Ariden shouted as he pointed a finger accusatorily. "What did you do with All Might!?"

"Why are you so thin!?" Izuku yelled. "What!? How?! Are you a fake?!"

"Boys. I am All Might," All Might said through a deluge of blood that flowed from his mouth.

"No way!" Izuku shrieked.

"Oh fuck, dude. You alright?" Ariden said as he pointed at the blood.

"I'm fine, thank you." All Might said as he whipped the blood with his shirt sleeve.

"But… How?" Izuku gestured to the entirety of All Might's body.

"You know when you go to the pool, you always see that one guy holding his gut to make himself look more muscular? It's like that."

"No way," Izuku said again, his brain completely fried.

"Wait, if what you said is true, how does your hair get like that?" Ariden asked

"The face has a lot of muscles, kid, that and I use a lot of hair products." All Might said as he sat down and rested his back against the railing. "You've seen the real me, boys, and now I ask that you don't go share this with your friends or blab about it on the internet."

"We won't." Ariden nodded. "Not like anyone would listen to what we have to say anyways."

All Might stared at the two boys with pity. He, too, once knew the pain they were in.

"No, this isn't possible!" Izuku shook his head. "There is no way you are All Might! All Might is big and strong and saves the day with a fearless smile on his face!"

"A fearless smile, huh?" All Might said. "Boys, I'm going to tell you something only a few people know about."

All Might lifted up his shirt. There was a horrendous scar on the left side of his torso, just below the heart. It was sunken like a crater, in the center a mass of scar tissue, a spider web of surgical scars stretched out from it until they took up almost the entire left side of his chest. The boys recoiled in horror at the ghastly sight.

"Disgusting, right?" All Might asked.

The boys both nodded mutely, though a wave of familiarity came over Ariden

"Why the hell am I getting deja vu?"

"I got it in a fight that happened five years ago." All Might explained."My respiratory system was nearly destroyed, and my stomach was and had to be removed."

The boys noticed just how different he sounded. His energetic and grandiose voice was gone, now replaced with the sound of a gruff and tired middle-aged man.

"And after so many surgeries, I began to waste away. My stamina was completely ruined." All Might shook his head morosely. "My time to be a hero went from twenty-four hours to fifteen, then eight, five, and finally, here I am." All Might sighed and let his shirt fall back down. "I can only do hero work three hours each day."

"Wait… Five years ago?" Izuku said as he stroked his chin. "That was when you fought Toxic Chainsaw, wasn't it?"

"Not bad. You know your stuff, kid." All Might smirked. "But that punk may have given me a few cuts and bruises. But he couldn't have done this."

"T-then w-who did?" Ariden asked. A shudder ran down his body at the thought of the villain capable of such a feat.

"The fight was never made public." All Might explained. "And I did everything I could to ensure it remained that way." He lifted his gaze and looked at the brothers sternly. "The public doesn't need to know that their symbol of peace, the hero who saves people with a smile. Can be hurt and daunted by evil. The reason I smile… It's to stave off that overwhelming pressure and fear I feel."

The boys were speechless, their minds reeling from what All Might had just said. The Symbol of Peace, afraid?

"Boys, I won't lie to you. This job isn't easy. A Hero must always be ready to risk their life."

All Might squeezed the bridge of his nose and sighed. He knew what he would say next would hurt these two kids, and it would hurt them badly. But he'd be damned if he let them run into hell itself and die in vain. All Might hoped they would forgive him down the line. He summoned his resolve and pressed forward.

"Can you be a hero without a quirk?" All Might repeated the question. "No. I'm sorry, boys, but I don't think it's possible. Some villains just can't be beaten without power."

His words were like a dagger to the heart. Ariden and Izuku felt a cold stab of pain as their dreams of the future shattered before them. Even All Might didn't believe in them. Their mother was right. Life was unfair.

"...Ah." Izuku rasped, his expression crestfallen

Ariden just stared off into the horizon, a scowl on his face, but All Might could see the young man's bottom lip and chin quiver, much to the young man's frustration.

"If you truly desire to help people, consider becoming a police officer. Sure they are mocked, but that line of work is admirable." All Might said as he got up and walked over towards the door. "It's not wrong to dream, boys. Just…" All Might paused. "Just make sure it's obtainable."

The door closed behind him, and the brothers were alone.

"I wish things were different for them." All Might slid his hand down his face. "God, this has been one hell of a day, and it ain't even over yet. I still have to deal with this guy."

All Might reached down into his pocket and grabbed empty air.

"What the? I could have sworn I put him in this pocket."

He then checked the other pocket. It was empty.

"Shit! Shit, shit, shit!" All Might cursed as he frantically searched himself all over.

The Bottle was nowhere to be found.

"Where the hell did it go!?"

A large explosion went off in the distance as if on cue, and the shockwave hit the building after a moment.

"Fuck."

When All Might arrived, the man was run ragged. He gasped for air as he approached the gathered crowd. He saw a lamppost at the back of the group and staggered towards it. He leaned against the post and caught his breath. Being over seven feet tall, All Might could easily rest there and still be able to see over the crowd. His heart almost stopped when he saw the destruction.

Hell had been unleashed, and Flame and ruin had consumed the area entirely. Some buildings and storefronts had partially collapsed, while others were ablaze with fires that were impossible to put out. In the center of the chaos stood All Might's quarry and a myriad of heroes, and his worst fears were confirmed, the sludge villain had captured another kid, and the heroes could do nothing about it.

"AAARGH! GET THE FUCK OFF ME!" Katsuki shouted as he struggled and strained against his sludge confines.

Katsuki tried to use his quirk again, but the villain maneuvered Katsuki's hand like a puppeteer would a marionette doll and sent the explosion directly into another building.

"Such strength!" The Villain said with a wide toothy grin. "I hit the jackpot with you, kid. With your quirk, I could easily take out All Might!"

"Let him go, you bastard!" A hero in a white jumpsuit and a yellow bird mask shouted as he rushed to Katsuki's aid.

The villain only scoffed and aimed Katsuki's hand at him. The hero immediately faltered and scrambled back as the explosion almost consumed him. Death Arms caught the hero and checked him for injuries. As he did, Kamui Woods landed next to them.

"It's not good. No one here has a quirk to stop him!" Kamui shouted over the roaring flames.

"What about Mt. Lady? She could stop this guy!" The bird-masked hero said

"No!" Kamui shook his head. "She'd only make things worse! This area is too small! She'd crush everyone!"

All Might looked across the way, saw the giant woman, and saw that Kamui was right. She could barely fit a leg into the single-lane market street.

"What about you, Kamui? Couldn't you just grab the kid with one of your branches?"

"In case you hadn't noticed, fire and wood were still enemies! I'd be burnt to a crisp!"

"Hey! For now, we need to be on damage control! There are still civilians in the area that need our help!" Backdraft shouted at them while he tried to put out some fires.

"Dammit! I know you're right! But we just can't leave the kid in the hands of that monster!" Death Arms shouted back, his fists clenched in rage. "If only I had the power to blow him away!"

Kamui placed a hand on Death Arms' shoulder.

"I know, but all we can do now is wait and hope," Kamui said as he squeezed Death Arms' shoulder. "Hope that a hero with the right quirk will show up…" Kamui paused. "And Hope that the kid holds out for as long as he can."

"Why aren't the heroes doing anything?" A bystander next to All Might asked.

"Yeah, I know!" A younger man said, "C'mon, heroes! You've got this!"

"Dammit!" All Might cursed to himself, "How could this have happened?!"

All Might retraced his steps from when he caught the villain to when he noticed he was gone. There was only one moment where he could have possibly dropped him.

"I dropped him when those boys and I scuffled in the air!" All Might thought, "I got careless! I was too worried about my time limit to notice! God, what a rookie mistake to make after lecturing those two boys on what it takes to be a hero!"

His injury throbbed in pain as if accusing him of being derelict in his duties. And he knew it was right.

"Pathetic! I'm so damn Pathetic," He thought as he gripped the injured spot.

Ariden and Izuku shuffled down the street in silence. The day's events replayed over and over in their minds, from the villain fight in the morning, to their confrontation with Katsuki and all the way up to here.

"E-even A-All Might said… w-we couldn't be h-heroes." Izuku rasped as he grew misty-eyed.

"Don't fucking cry!" Ariden snapped, a bitter scowl on his face. "We both fucking knew the truth deep down!"

"But that's why we tried so hard in the first place!" Izuku stopped and shouted.

Ariden looked over his shoulder at his brother. His earlier anger had vanished, only to be replaced by melancholic resignation.

"I know…."

The Brothers didn't know how far or how long they walked. They continued to walk without saying anything else. It was only until the sound of a massive explosion broke them from their stupors. The boys looked around to see what had caused it and saw a large crowd gathered around a shopping area that the boys frequented from time to time.

"Wonder what's going on?" Izuku said as he began to walk across the street, "I wonder if it's another villain fight!"

"So what if it is?" Ariden asked as he followed after.

"I mean, we could get some new… notes…." Izuku trailed off, his face downcast.

"Come on, man, let's just go home."

The brothers both turned around and started to walk away.

"Hey! Isn't that the villain All Might was chasing earlier?"

The boys immediately rushed back towards the crowd, and as they peered through the gathered mass, they saw the sludge villain amidst the rubble and flame.

"What?! How!?" Ariden asked

"I don't know!? Did All Might drop him!?" Izuku said as he clasped his hands to his mouth.

"Wait… If All Might dropped him…." Ariden said, his eyes wide with realization. "Fuck! This is all our fault!" He ground his teeth and clasped his hands to the sides of his head.

"Hey, did I hear someone say something about All Might?" An onlooker asked

"Oh yeah! I saw him earlier chasing this guy." another replied

"If he was chasing him earlier, where is he now?"

All Might winced at the question, and so did the two brothers, who unknowingly stood only a few feet away.

"Worthless!" All Might cursed.

"Dammit, this is on us!" Ariden thought in shame. "If we hadn't gotten in All Might's way, this wouldn't have happened."

"I don't know, but you'd think he'd be here by now, especially since the villain has some hostage." another bystander said

"Whoa, a hostage! For real!?"

"Yeah, some high school kid."

Ariden and Izuku's blood ran cold at the statement. They rubbed the bruises on their necks, knowing fully what the victim was feeling. They peered closer and saw the figure of a young man in the Sludge Villain's center.

"All our fault…." Izuku whimpered. "Someone has to stop this guy!"

The hostage began to struggle again, though the effort was in vain.

"We're so sorry…." Ariden said, "Please, just hold on a little longer."

The hostage thrashed his head around and fought to break free.

"A hero's bound to come…."

The Sludge Villain turned to look at the crowd, forcing the hostage's head to spin. Ariden and Izuku met the hostage's eyes. It was Katsuki.

Ariden and Izuku ran toward their friend without another thought. All Might recognized them instantly and felt dread coil in the pit of his stomach. They erupted from the crowd of onlookers at a breakneck pace as they rushed through the fire and ruins of the market street. It took the heroes a second to realize what had just happened.

"WHAT ARE YOU IDIOTS DOING! COME BACK! YOU'LL GET YOURSELVES KILLED!" Death Arms shouted as he raced towards them.

The Villain turned to look at the commotion and glared.

"It's those two little rats again." The Villain snarled.

"Deku!? Ari!?" Katsuki's eyes went wide. "Run away, you fucking idiots. You'll only get yourselves killed!"

The brothers continued to run, much to their own surprise.

"Dude! What are we doing!? Holy shit, this is insane!" Ariden yelled, his eyes wide with panic.

"Why are we running!? Why is this happening?!" Izuku shouted as he stared at the villain up ahead.

The Sludge Villain scowled and wound back a giant fist.

"You two are so fucking dead!"

"Shit! We gotta act fast!" Ariden shouted to Izuku

"I distract, and you go for the eye!" Izuku said.

"Got it!" Ariden nodded.

Izuku swung his backpack from over his shoulder and flung it at the Sludge villain. As it hit him, the bag burst open, and its contents rained down upon the villain, who angrily swatted away the books and school supplies. When the sludge man had cleared his vision, he turned and glared solely at Izuku, who still ran towards him.

"All you're doing is pissing me off, kid!" The villain snarled. "Did you really think that was gonna work!"

"No," Izuku shouted.

"But this might!" Ariden shouted from the villain's left side

The Villain turned around and watched as Ariden leapt at him. Ariden had also removed his backpack and turned one of the straps into a handle. He spun the bag around and around with blurring speed. As soon Ariden reached eye level with the villain, he swung the bag down hard as a makeshift flail.

"GAAAH! MY OTHER FUCKING EYE!" The Villain howled in pain as all his attention went to his injury.

The slime receded from Katsuki and gave him enough room to breathe again. Ariden and Izuku quickly rushed to Katsuki's side and began to claw away at the sludge.

"Kat!" Ariden called out

"Kacchan!" Izuku shouted at the same time.

"Deku! Ari! Get the fuck out of here before you fucking die! What the hell are you dumbasses doing!" Katsuki screamed at them, his face a contorted ball of anger.

"Our bodies just started moving on their own! Why!? We don't know!" The Brothers said at the same time.

---

At that moment, there were so many reasons why.

It was our fault, after all, and we got Katsuki wrapped up in our fuck-up.

It was our dream to save people and beat the bad guy with a smile.

We had a fucking death wish.

But when it came down to brass tax, we both knew deep down there was only one reason.

---

"You looked like you needed saving!" Izuku said as he grinned widely, tears pricking the corners of his eyes.

"And we'd be damned if we didn't help!" Ariden grunted as sweat rolled off his brow as he pulled to free Katsuki.

In the distance, All Might caught all of their conversation, these two boys were willing to risk their life, and here he was off to the side like a bystander too weak to act.

"Enough! You pathetic little man! Get up and FIGHT!" All Might screamed at himself as he dug deep for the strength he desperately sought.

Katsuki, spurred on by their words, attempted to free himself.

"GET… OFF… OF… ME…!" He cried out as he strained against his bonds.

Unfortunately, their window of opportunity closed as the sludge man shook the pain away and took another swing at the two shitstains that had hurt him.

"Times up for all of you!" He shouted. "Now die already, you little bastards!"

"Go! Protect those boys at all costs!" Death Arms cried as he and the other heroes charged toward them.

Ariden and Izuku knew the heroes would never make it in time. They looked at each other and nodded.

"Been a hell of a run," Ariden smirked.

"At least we went out as heroes!" Izuku smiled

"NO!" Katsuki raged as he impotently tried to break free.

The blow came, and the world stopped. A second passed, then another. And both boys opened their eyes and saw they were still alive.

"How?" Ariden asked

"Look!" Izuku pointed up.

Standing over them was the ever-smiling form of All Might in all his muscular splendor. Steam rose from him as he fought to maintain his physique. The blow meant to kill them simply splattered and soaked All Might's left side. The large hero looked at his shoulder and laughed as he brushed a piece of sludge off it. He turned his attention to the two brothers and patted both on the back.

"I really am pathetic." He chuckled " That lesson I left you two with… I really should practice what I preach!"

In a flash, he grabbed all three boys with one hand and had the other cocked back, ready to strike.

"A HERO SHOULD ALWAYS BE READY TO RISK THEIR OWN LIFE!" All Might shouted as a raging torrent of blood flowed from his mouth.

"DETROIT SMASH!"

All Might slammed his fist into the ground. The force of the wind that came from the punch was so great that it lifted the boys and Katsuki off the ground. It blew the dust off the buildings surrounding the area and extinguished the fire that still burned. The crowd of onlookers was protected from the brunt of it. Thanks only to Mt. Lady, who used her arms as barricades. Above them, a small tornado appeared as the air warmed by the fires clashed with the winter air from All Might's gale.

After a few moments, things settled down. Everyone in the crowd, whether bystander or hero, was awestruck into silence. They all stared at All Might as he stood there, steam shrouding the fist he threw the punch with. It only took people a few moments to notice it had gotten a lot more cloudy, and some even felt a few drops of rain as they fell.

"Holy shit… Don't tell me…." A civilian gasped in awe.

"He changed the weather with a single punch!" Another onlooker cheered.

"All Might is the greatest!" shouted another.

Soon the crowd went wild as they cheered for All Might and splashed in the rain he created. Camera crews and news reporters rushed to the area. They swarmed All Might as each crew wanted to be the first to interview the legendary hero. But All Might never said anything. He just stood there and looked at the two unconscious boys on the ground.

---

Afterward, the heroes collected the villain's scattered body.

I was surprised that the police managed to get all of him into custody. That fucker was blown apart.

Also, the heroes were pretty mad at us.

Understatement of the fucking century. Death Arms looked like he was about to have a conniption fit.

---

"You idiots! You could have gotten yourselves killed!" Kamui Woods said as he glared at the two brothers with crossed arms.

"That was absolutely insane and irresponsible! There was no reason for you two to put yourselves in danger like that!" Death Arms shouted, his face a violent shade of red.

Both boys held their heads in shame as Death Arms tore them a new one.

---

Kacchan, on the other hand, got praised.

Which is fucking bullshit if you ask me. Kat didn't do anything.

Thank god he isn't here to hear you say that.

---

"You did great out there, kid! You really held your own for sure!" The hero with the bird mask said, "and not to mention that quirk! Consider becoming my sidekick when you go pro! I'd be more than happy to take you!"

Katsuki didn't say anything. He stared at Ariden and Izuku in quiet contemplation.

Things had started to wind down after such a tumultuous day. The Afternoon sun had begun to set and colored the city in hues of vibrant yellows and oranges. The snow had long since melted, and puddles littered the road of the residential area that Ariden and Izuku walked through.

"I had hoped we'd be able to apologize to All Might for what happened, but all those reporters got in the way," Izuku said as he frowned.

"We could always just email him on his website when we get home." Ariden shrugged.

The brothers continued along until they heard rushing feet behind them.

"Deku! Ari!" Katsuki yelled as he ran towards them.

The boys turned around and met face-to-face with their friend. Katsuki seemed to gasp for air for a moment before his head snapped up and glowered at the two.

"You… You…" Katsuki said through gritted teeth. His whole body trembled with rage. "You fucking idiots! I never asked you to save me! I could have handled that scumbag if you two dumbasses hadn't gotten in the way!" He ranted. "If you fucking losers try to pull some shit like that again, I'll kill you myself!"

Katsuki then turned around and began to walk away, only to turn around and start another rant.

"Also, you two better not think you're better than me! Don't forget you two are still two quirkless dumbasses!"

With a final huff, Katsuki stormed off the way he came, leaving the brothers bewildered.

"Was that a thank you or a death threat?" Izuku asked

"With Katsuki, it's probably both," Ariden shrugged. "Still, it's one of the nicest things he's said to us in a while."

"You also have to admit he is right," Izuku said. "We did get in the way in the end."

"Yeah, god, what were we thinking?!" Ariden said as he slid his hand down his face. "But hey! At least we got to be heroes for just a brief moment."

"Yeah, I'd say that was a dream fulfilled."Izuku nodded in agreement. "Now, I guess it's time we moved on to more realistic dreams, but honestly, I don't know where to start."

"We can figure it out when we get home."

The boys tried to walk forward but were blocked as All Might burst out of a back alley in all his.

"I am here!" All Might shouted in jubilation.

"What the fuck!?" Ariden shouted as he fell backward.

"All Might? What are you doing here!" Izuku asked, "I thought you were still busy dealing with the press."

"Shaking them off was nothing, young man!" All Might said as he wagged a finger and laughed heartily. "After All, I am All Mi… *Hack*"

All Might exploded in a cloud of steam and reverted back to his true form as he hacked up a fountain of crimson.

"Christ, you alright?! Is that going to happen every time we see you!?" Ariden grimaced.

"Boys." All Might said as he wiped the blood from his mouth. "First things first, when I look like this, call me by my name Toshinori Yagi. Mr. Yagi or Mr. Toshinori will do fine."

"Can I call you Mr. Miyagi?" Ariden said with a shit-eating grin.

"I could just leave without you hearing what I have to say, you know," Toshinori said as he stared at the young man.

"Mr. Yagi, it is then," Ariden said, his hands raised in surrender.

"But why are you here? All… I mean, Mr. Yagi?" Izuku asked.

"I came here to thank you both and to revise what I said to you two earlier," Toshinori said. "I also come with a proposal."

"Thank us? But why?" Izuku asked.

"If it weren't for you two today… if I hadn't heard your stories, I'd be nothing but fake muscle and insincerity!".

"Fake muscles?" Izuku whispered to Ariden.

"Not a clue." Ariden shrugged.

"So I humbly thank you!" Toshinori said as he bowed before the two boys

"But we just got in your way! It was our fault this whole thing happened!" Ariden said

"We wasted your energy, your hard work, not to mention your time," Izuku said as he gestured to Toshinori.

"Let me finish, boys," Toshinori said severely. "You both told me that you two had no power. So when I saw these two scared shitless quirkless kids try and rescue someone when no one else would. Well, it inspired me to act."

Ariden and Izuku's bodies started to tremble as a wellspring of conflicting emotions began to swell within them.

"There are stories…." Toshinori continued, "All of them about every great hero and how they started. All of them claimed that their bodies moved on their own! That is what happened with you two, isn't it!?"

"Y…yes." Ariden croaked out between trembling lips.

Izuku just nodded his head, unable to answer.

The boys felt tears well up in the corners of their eyes as they started to become overwhelmed by his words. They felt such excitement at what All Might was implying, but they also felt all the pain of all those years of hardships dampen that feeling.

---

"I'm so sorry, boys! It's not your fault that life is so unfair!", Our mother's words, for some reason her words echoed in our minds that day.

We understood what she meant, but it didn't comfort us. Though we don't hate her for it, it wasn't what we wanted to hear.

And here All Might was to tell us those words we had so desperately chased after for all those years.

---

"Boys, You can be heroes," Toshinori said as he looked at them firmly and nodded.

The dam of emotion exploded within the two boys. Tears streamed down their faces as they fell to their knees, clinging to each other and sobbing. Vindication was theirs at last, all those years of hell, the beatings, and the abuse. All those people who told them they would amount to nothing. They were all wrong! Someone believed in them and that someone was the greatest hero who ever lived.

---

Our hopes had been rekindled, and our dreams had become reality!

But don't think that this story is over just yet. After all, The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. This was ours.

---

Authors notes- Well, that took longer to post than needed too. But hey, at least it's done. It probably took me so long because of procrastination and going down the rabbit hole that is worldbuilding and storyboarding. Though I must say, that aspect of writing is actually really fun and somewhat cathartic. Anyways here is another chapter for you to enjoy or hate. I don't know how you'll react. But you read it anyways, and that is enough for me. as always, please be sure to share your review and comments. I do relish reading through them. Until next time, take care.

-TheWritersApprentice