10 Years Ago

The Midoriya family was your picture perfect family. A mother who was a pro hero, a father who looked after the kids, two adorable three-year-old twins. They lived a good life. Until one day, Hisashi was killed by a villain. The kids cried, but not as much as Inko. She felt anguish and extreme guilt for not being able to protect her husband. She felt like a failure, as a hero and as a wife.

5 months later

Inko remarried to Toshinori Yagi, a blonde man of average height, less than average body mass and sky blue eyes. He was a kind, humorous and humble man who got along greatly with the kids, and helped Inko realize she is not at fault for what happened to her late husband. "Sometimes, not everyone can be saved. It's part of being a hero." It took some time, but they put the pieces back together. The Yagi family was happy.

1 Year Later

A 4-year-old Izuku was standing still in the middle of the living room, looking at the framed photos of his deceased father, Hisashi Midoriya and his step-dad's teacher and mother figure, Nana Shimura. Izuku held a great resemblance to Hisashi. His hair was more of his father's black than his mother's green, and in the same wavy bush as his father. Unlike his sister, Izuku talked their father's picture as if he could communicate with him. As soon as he learned how to write, he wrote about the good memories he has with his old man to make sure he wouldn't forget. As for the person who could've been his grandmother, Toshinori told him stories about her being a great hero. Someone he hopes to live up to.

"Hi Dad, hi Grandma. Izumi and I are gonna learn what quirks we have today. We're gonna become sibling heroes and make you proud! Just you watch!" As Izuku finished talking to his family members, Izumi came and dragged her brother out the house. "C'mon, Izuku! I wanna find out what quirk I got!" Izuku nearly stumbled over his sister's eagerness. He was excited, too, but this was something important to him. "O-Okay! Bye Dad, bye Grandma!" he said. "They're just pictures, they can't hear you, silly!" Izumi finally got him out the door and into the car.

After The Hospital Visit

Izuku's world was shattered. Izumi was blessed with the same quirk as her mother, practically making her predestined to be a great hero. Meanwhile, Izuku had nothing. He was quirkless, as the doctor put it. Among the 20% of people who never developed a power. That was when things went off the rails for the boy. His sister was praised by their parents, and he received looks of pity and dismissal. Izuku tried to be happy for Izumi, but it was hurting him inside that he was overshadowed by her. As if being quirkless made them see him differently. Izuku went to sleep apologizing to his father and grandmother for being a disappointment.

Kindergarten

Things at school were somehow worse than home. While Katsuki and Izumi were put on the pedestal of gifted children, Izuku was mocked and made fun of by everyone in class. Even his friend and sister joined in, saying he'd never be as great as them. It was like a blade to his heart. To have the two people closest to him turn their backs for something out of his control.

Middle School, Second Year

"Alright, we're about halfway through the school year, and it's about time for you kids to consider your futures." The teacher said with a stack of papers. His students were only paying half attention, except for one who was writing down notes on heroes he encountered on the street. "I could pass out a bunch of boring career questionnaires... But what for!?" He threw the papers and the students began using their quirks carelessly. All but three. "I know you all want to become heroes!"

"Hey teach," A smug blonde with his feet on his desk piped up. "Don't get these extras' hopes up, else they'll think they have a shot at the big leagues like us!" The moss ball next to him leaning in her seat had a smirk just as cocky. "Sad to say, but most of the quirks here are only good enough for D-list heroes." Katsuki Bakugo and Izumi Yagi, the most "gifted" students in their grade. The class outraged at their arrogance, but the pair just dared everyone to fight them to prove their worth. 'Why are they always like this...?' Izuku thought as he buried his head in his notebook.

The teacher pointed out that because of their impressive test results, that they had a genuine shot at making it to U.A., the most prestigious hero school in the country. The room filled with surprised gasps and murmurs, but the pair proudly proclaimed that U.A. would be lucky to have them. Aiming to surpass All Might and Teleki, they would dominate the hero rankings and be the richest duo of all time! People all across the world would know their names and revere them, and it all starts at U.A. High!

"Oh, Izuku, you wanna go to U.A., too, huh?"

Everything was silent except for Izuku shuffling nervously in his seat. The whole class burst into laughter. "You must be kidding, right!?" "How's a quirkless kid gonna get into any hero school!?" Izuku stood up out of his seat. "A-Actually, they got rid of that rule! I-I could be the first one-"

"Rrraggh!!" Katsuki released an animalistic growl as he blew up Izuku's desk. As the blast knocked him off his feet, Izumi sent him crashing into the wall at the back of the room. "This again? When will you learn?" she spat with disdain, looking disgusted and ashamed at her own twin. "Listen up, Deku!" Katsuki began with the most insidious grin. "Just because your step-dad's gonna teach there doesn't change what a hopeless failure you are! You're even worse than the rest of these damn rejects! Think U.A. would take you in when they could have us!?"

Izuku tried backing away from them, but his back was already against the wall. "N-No! That's not it at all! I-I know I'm not in your league, but..." he looked down at his feet. "I've wanted to be a hero since I was little. L-Like Mom and Grandma. I can at least try, right?" Smoke rose from Bakugo's hands as he and his sister loomed over him. "What the fuck kinda delusion do you live in!? Fine, go on and try! You'll be remembered as a martyr, that's the best you could hope for!" Everyone loomed over him with their quirks like a pack of demons in hell. And the pomeranian and the moss ball were the pack leaders.

Deku looked down with despair in his eyes, trying desperately to tune out the mocking laughter. "Defenseless Izuku, it's one thing to want to embarrass this already crappy school, but you're family too!?" "Old Dad and Grandma must be rolling in their graves."

A Few Hours Later

After a not-so-terrific morning, Izuku was finishing up some notes on heroes. 'Midnight, Miruko and Mt Lady. Welp, that's the last of the pages in this volume. Now, what pro am I gonna start this one off with?' As Izuku pulled out a fresh forest green notebook, it suddenly went flying into the air and out of his grasp. "What have we here, Deku?" Izumi mockingly asked with Katsuki and their followers. "What is this, your 14th hero notebook?" Bakugo asked. Izuku tried reaching for his property, but Izumi just lifted it higher. "You're gonna need to go a little higher, Deku." Katsuki said with a sick smirk. Izuku looked at them with horror-filled eyes. "P-Please...not this again..."

The heartless faces of his once best friends told him he didn't have a choice. Sighing out his hopes, he stood on his desk and tried to reach for his empty book. "Jump for it." Izumi said, making Izuku fall deeper into misery. 'Here it comes...' Izuku jumped off the surface of his table. The moment he did, Katsuki had an explosion waiting to blast him off his footing. Izuku screamed in pain as he landed on the floor in a smoking heap. "Hahaha! Oh, that never gets old!" Katsuki chuckled while wiping a tear from his eye. 'It got old about four years ago.' Izuku thought. "C-Can I-I h-have it back, now...?" he asked in a broken down voice. Izumi and Katsuki smirked evilly as a better idea formed in their heads.

She threw the book to Bakugo for him to explode and toss out the window. 'Why do I even try?' Izuku wondered, hardly even feeling anything at this point. The constant repetition dulled his responses to this torment they loved so much. He just prayed that someday there would be an end to this cycle. The bullies grabbed the rest of their things and walked away, leaving the broken and burned greenette on the floor. Katsuki had some parting words. "You know, if you really wanna be a hero, there might be a chance for ya," Izuku's ears perked up ever-so slightly.

"Just pray that you'll be born with a quirk in your next life, and take a swan dive off the roof."

Suicide bating. But that's not nearly as bad as what Izumi said. "Kacchan, don't tell him that! What if he listens to you?" For a brief moment, Izuku's heart beats with a long forgotten emotion.

"Imagine how pissed Old Dad and Grandma would be about being stuck with him." Only for his hopes to be shattered once again. The sick punks left, leaving a motionless Izuku still on the floor. After a few minutes of laying still, he got up and grabbed his things. 'Another day, another burn and bruise to treat...' he thought as he left the building. Before doing so, he looked out the window for a concerning amount of time. 'Maybe next time I'll jump out the window. It's definitely a fast way to escape them.'

...

Izuku was glad he hadn't written anything in his new notebook yet. The forest green cover was now covered in grey soot, and most of the pages were all a burnt caramel brown and the ashes on the corners fell off. 'Ruined before I had a chance to try it. At least they're switching things up.' Izuku thought as he took a different route home to avoid the people who hate him most, not that it mattered. Once he got home, he practically didn't exist. While Izumi was the golden child of the Yagi family, Izuku was the cast off, the black sheep. The outcast of his own family. On rough days like today, or most days really, he has to patch himself up from all the abuse he suffered. If his parents saw, Izumi would tell them he picked a fight and got beat up for attention. That got him something worse than neglect. Unjust punishment.

As poor Izuku walked through an underground tunnel, he heard something rumbling beneath his feet. He turned around and saw a living pile of sludge bursting out of the sewer! "Hello skin suit!" He exclaimed before lunging at the petrified child. Izuku tried to flee, but was caught in the villain's body. He tried to scream, but the villain was working his way into Izuku's mouth to control his body like a puppet. "Nothing personal, bud, I just need a disguise to help me skip town! Thanks for being so charitable!"

Izuku dropped his notebook as he felt himself becoming weaker. 'Is this... it? Is this really how I leave this world? Well, I just hope you won't be too disappointed... Dad... Grandma...' He faded out of consciousness and was ready to face death. The sludge monster continued to force himself into Izuku's body, but something made him stop. He could feel something in the kid pushing back, even though he had gone limp. The force pushed back harder, and as it did the villain felt a mysterious chill up his spine. 'The hell is this?'

"Where are you, villain!? You can't evade the long arm of justice forever!" That voice really made the sludge man shiver. 'I don't have enough time to take over this brat! Oh well, thanks for nothing you useless runt!' He quickly ejected himself out of the boy and retreated back into the sewer. By the time he escaped, a huge mass of muscles arrived to find an unconscious boy.

...

"-ey... ake up...! Hey!" Izuku's eyes fully snapped open. He looked up to see the infamous smile of his idol. "Welcome back to the living, my boy!" Izuku was starstruck before he immediately shuffled backward to maintain a comfortable distance. "A-Al-All M-Might!" he stuttered, too amazed to believe his eyes. "The one and only! Apologies, Young Izuku, but I've been chasing that dastardly villain all day! I'm sorry I allowed him to cause you harm. You wouldn't be able to tell me where he went, would you?" Izuku snapped out of his shock to shake his head. "Sorry... I blacked out after he started taking over my body."

All Might's smile didn't waver. "No sweat, kid! You did your best, and you get live to see another day! Hahaha! Now then, if you'll excuse me!" All Might got into a lunge, ready to take off. "W-Wait, please!" Izuku called out to him. "I-I have to ask! C-Can, c-can I... Can I become a hero even without a quirk!?"

...

Heartbreak. A feeling that Izuku Yagi knows better than anyone. Except now, it was magnified to a degree he had never known before. He asked his idol, the no.1 hero if it was possible, and it was the same as everyone else. Some villains can't be beat without power. Without a quirk, you'll end up dead. Don't give your family something to worry about. Tears fell freely down his face as he trudged his way home. His face reflected nothing but anguish, pain, apathy. If he were to run into anymore villains, he wouldn't put up a fight.

Finally, he made it home to his family's large house. When he walked in, he went straight to the family members that didn't make him feel like a burden or a punching bag. 'Hi Dad, hi Grandma. Today was rough. Rouger than usual. I don't know how much more of this I can take. Please keep watching over me.' A final tear hit the floor as he finished his prayer. When he went to his room, he passed Inko in the kitchen preparing dinner. She had the day off, so. Izuku didn't know why, but for some reason, he felt compelled to try to talk to her. Have a conversation about his day for the first time in years. With almost no hope in his eyes, he went to the kitchen.

"Hi Mom..." Inko was too busy slicing vegetables to notice him. "My day was horrible, almost died-" Inko stopped what she was doing to look at Izuku. "What!? Don't just come here and make jokes like that! You know how I feel about the topic of death!" she yelled at her son, but she didn't see him as such. "I don't know what I was thinking..." Izuku muttered to himself. Inko took that in the worst way. "Don't tell me you were making trouble for yourself again! Go upstairs!" Izuku dragged his feet, wishing he hadn't said anything, wishing he hadn't given her a chance to be a mom to him.

He reached his room, if the poorly insulated attic could be called that. The Summers were unbearably hot and the Winters were freezing cold. It was mostly bare wood that he tried to keep clean, but dust always piled up here. He threw his bag down and plopped on the mattress on the floor. 'Why do I have to endure this? What did I ever do to deserve this? Be born? Why won't somebody tell me? I can't keep going like this!' Izuku pulled himself up out of his old mattress and saw his burned notebook was out of his bag. He reached for it and opened to the first page. An autograph from All Might. 'Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse.'

He tore the page out and was about to throw it away. But something caught his eye. A pen. A thought came to him. He wasn't ready to commit suicide, but he couldn't stay in this house, surrounded by people who hate him any longer. Izuku shook his head, dismissing the thought as stupid. He got dressed in more casual clothes and went down for dinner.

...

Inko, Toshinori and Izumi were eating dinner around the table while Izuku 'volunteered' to wash the dishes. The same scene was playing over again. The Yagi family at the table, chatting, smiling, enjoying each other's company. But, Izuku is never at that table. He wishes he at least knew why, even if fixing whatever was wrong was beyond him. After he finished, the cold emptiness in his heart (and stomach) returned. He had enough allowance to buy himself a meal at a shop down the road. Ramen may not be the healthiest meal, but it's better than going to bed hungry. Again.

As he walked up the stairs and sat in his room, he contemplated what to do. 'I need to know. I've already tried Mom, but Dad and Izumi... don't let me down, please.'

...

Izuku knocked on the door that was once his and Izumi's shared bedroom. He was greeted by an unpleasant face. "What?" she asked irate. "What did I do?" he simply asked, confusing her. "Huh, what are you on about?" "Why do you hate me? What did I ever do? We're twins, but you can barely even look at me. Why, Izumi?" Izuku's eyes were begging for an answer and praying for an honest one. Izumi sighed. "You were born." she closed the door in his face. Izuku didn't cry. In all honesty, he was expecting something like that. This always happens when he tries to get close to his sister again. A cold-hearted rejection.

...

Izuku went to the kitchen and heated up a container of leftovers. While that was warming up, he found Toshinori. "Dad, I need to ask you something important." Toshinori sighed. "Can't it wait, Izuku? I've had a stressful day." Instead of walking away like usual, Izuku stood his ground. "Why do you favor Izumi over me? You and Mom? Why do you treat me like you'd rather not have me?" Toshinori paused as Izuku's words caused painful memories to resurface. "Go." he coldly said. "I'm not in the mood for this right now. We'll talk later." Always later. Izuku's eyes were overshadowed by his hair as he went back up the stairs. There wasn't anything left to say. His family told him everything he needed to know to make his decision final.

'There's no place for me here.'

...

Izuku wore black pants, a green hoodie and red shoes with his backpack slung over his shoulders. In his pocket were small pictures of his biological father and heroic grandmother. 'I know running isn't right, but I tried everything to rebuild our relationship. But clearly, they don't want that. They don't want me.' His books were strewn across the room, and a burned All Might autograph was taped to the structural beam above his mattress. The sim card to his phone was removed and tossed in the trash. He walked into the kitchen and grabbed the leftovers out of the microwave. As he went to the door, he turned back one last time. The Yagi's were watching a movie together. He was invisible again. "Goodbye."

Streets of Musutafu

Izuku doesn't know how far he walked, how many turns he took or what direction he was in. He was just lost. Somehow, he wandered back to the tunnel where the villain attacked him. Where he almost died. He just broke down on his knees and cried. No whimpers, just his heart weeping silently. 'This is... for the best... I was never family to begin with... My family died a long time ago.' That coldness returned. His eyes were closed, so he didn't notice a light slowly covering his body. But someone did.

"Far from home, ain'tcha kid?" Izuku flinched at the voice coming from behind him. "You know, you shouldn't be walking around like a nightlight. That could attract the wrong crowd...!" Izuku was confused by what he meant, and decided to open his eyes. They blew wide open when he saw his entire body was engulfed in green fire. 'Is this...my quirk? Fire... like Dad. But Dad had orange fire. And I'm not hot. It's not burning me... Why?' Izuku's attention turned back to the thug with a blade in his hand. "I'm gonna make this simple, kid. Hand over yer stuff, and you live." Izuku looked back at the criminal. "No." The man chuckled lightly. "Kid, those flames o yours don't burn anything. You're literally on fire, and there's no smoke or anything! Now hand over your shit, or I can set up a ransom for your folks to get you back!"

Izuku's eyes dimmed. "Sorry to disappoint, but no one would want me back. You're waisting your time." He stood up as the criminal started looking pissed. "Fine then! I'll kill you and take your shit!" He lunged at Izuku with the knife. The boy's eyes widened and he put his hands in front of him in defense. He unwittingly sent a blast of cold green flames at the criminal. It blew him back, but didn't injure him. 'Flames that don't burn!? How fitting, a useless quirk for a useless person! I'm just a paper tiger! A... Deku. Wait... Why isn't he charging anymore?'

After the blast of harmless flames, Izuku's attacker was on the ground, shaking. 'What the fuck!? Why am I freezing up!? By some runt and his weak flames! They're not ice cold, but why is my body...not listening!?' The criminal stumbled up to his feet and dropped his knife. Izuku analyzed what was happening. 'He looks... afraid. My power didn't affect him physically, but his mental state took a blow.' The attacker picked up his knife and readied to charge again. "D-Damn runt! I'll k-kill you!" he charged again, but it was slower. Like he was forcing his body to go in the opposite direction it wanted to.

Izuku felt invigorated enough to strike back. 'Time to find out what I can do!' Izuku threw his hands behind himself and launched two pillars of green fire from his palms. He rocketed towards his attacker like a flaming javelin! He cocked his fist back, and decked the scumbag right in his gut, following up with his strongest wave of flames yet! The bastard was blown to the other side of the tunnel, coughing blood in his mouth, before losing consciousness. Izuku breathed heavily, the amount of power he used taking a toll on him. That's gonna take some getting used to.

When he calmed down, the flames covering him were put out. 'I have a quirk! Of all the times for it to show up! Cold flames that scare people!? It has potential! With a quirk like this, I could... I-I could...' The memories of the day were replayed in his head. He could go back to the Yagi's, but would he really want to be part of that family? Shaking his head, Izuku went to inspect the punk. He was unconscious, and dropped some things. Money, white hair dye, a silver-colored metal respirator, his knife, his phone and a coupon for two free drinks at a restaurant. Izuku debated with himself whether or not he should take this, but it came down to one question. Who needed it more, a child on the run, or a gutter punk? He wasn't proud of it, but Izuku picked up everything of value.

"What's going on here!?" the boy bolted away when he heard a police officer shout. He ran to the other end of the tunnel and flew off into the night by igniting his feet. When the officer found the punk, he was knocked out and surrounded by lingering green flames. He tried to stomp them out, but they still burned. He tried pouring water on them. They still burned. He sacrificed his ice coffee. The same result. Despite how stupid it sounded, he put his hand into the fire. He retracted it when he felt a coldness running up his spine. 'Green flames that give chills? That's a new one. We don't have a quirk like that in our database. Not a hero's work, so could it be...'

The fire went out as the criminal was hauled away. "...A vigilante." the cop finished.

Meanwhile

Izuku was jumping from rooftop to rooftop in the city, hardly noticeable among the bright lights of the evening. He used the propulsion of his quirk to make jumps and landing easy, and he landed with a tumble on a rooftop. He finally had a moment to catch his breath. He looked at his hands. "I'm still alive..." Green flames ignited in his palms. "I have a quirk..." He remembered what he used it for. "I don't have a license. I didn't have the authority to stop that guy... but, a criminal was arrested thanks to my actions." That was the closest he'd ever come to actual heroism.

Izuku walked to the edge of the rooftop and looked over the city. "What I did wasn't within the rules, but it was the right thing. I was attacked twice today. And the second time made me feel... like I did something good." Izuku reached into his backpack and pulled out his charred notebook. He remembered wondering what hero he would catalogue. 'Let's switch things up.'

Not A Hero Or A Villain
The Vigilante

Izuku walked put on the respirator and looked out over the city. 'Even if people will never see me as a hero, I'll still do everything in my power to help them. And this time, I won't let anyone hold me back!'

Izuku

Age: 13

Affiliation: None

Quirk: Psycho Flames