The whistle shrieked out its banshee-like wail and like a stumbling herd they took off, the semblance of order fluttering away as the class broke apart and divided into their natural parts. Friends broke into groups, stragglers began to slow, and those that could, forged ahead under the watchful eyes of their apathetic teacher. The sun bore down through clear blue skies as crisp spring air danced between and collided against the running students, flowering trees swaying to the song of trilling birds ;picturesque and beautiful.

And Midoriya felt perfectly numb to it.

No warmth from the sun's rays, no chills from the breeze's caress, nothing at all.

It'd been three days since the dream, three days since he imagined himself choking upon Nurgle's gift, three days since he'd seen the garden. He had perhaps expected some grand quirk awakening, a mutation similar to what he'd seen from the unholy abominations back in unreality. Some sign that he'd truly been blessed or rewarded.

Something.

Anything.

Nothing.

Nothing but the cold numbness.

It made him wonder if it really had been just that, a dream and nothing more; his mind's way of twisting reality so that he could come to grips with All Might's words. Be realistic, dream a new dream, give up.

He sighed out, exhausted. He'd just have to find a different way to be a hero..

He turned his head towards the school , taking in the sight of its imposing structure, of how the sun reflected off its windows, of the shadows lingering in defiance of the light.

The whistle cries out again joined by the screams of the bell. Class is over. School is done.

He blinked as he was brought back to this moment, of his body running, his feet impacting against synthetic rubber again and again, of his peers gasping and struggling after their intense run.

Why wasn't he tired?

No burning of his lungs or legs, no desperate gasps of air.

Nothing.

Why?

The coach sighed, head shaking in disappointment. "Midoriya didn't even break a sweat huh?" The man said, sighing. "You think any school would take a slacker Midoriya? You gotta take your classes seriously if you wanna get anywhere."

Midoriya simply stared at him before looking back at the class, their strained forms all around him as they struggled to breathe and recover.

"Alright, go get cleaned up everyone." The coach waved, to the groans of many as they struggled to stand, stumbling their way towards the locker rooms until he was left behind. Eventually mustering the will to join them in the lockers, his mind still reeling in confusion at his lack of fatigue as he entered the locker room.

The sound of flesh hitting metal greeted him, stealing his attention just in time to see Kaachan looming over a trembling boy. The crackle of miniature explosions filled the air with sweet smoke as Katsuki's ever present sneer and scarlet predatory eyes bore into the pudgy snake tongued mutant. The extras, as Katsuki called them, stood behind snickering in glee. All the while the other students looked away, hoping their inaction would end the torment.

Pathetic.

Katsuki slammed his hand once again making the boy whimper as others flinched. "Wanna run that by me again?" Katsuki slammed his sizzling hand once more. "Answer me!"

"I-I I just!"

"Trying to look down on me, huh?" His hand went up grabbing the boy's shirt collar. "Do I need to remind you of what happens to extras around here?"

Midoriya stepped forward, his hand wrapping around Katsuki's wrist, prying it off the locker.

"Enough."

The words sounded wrong to him, there were no emotions in it, no pleading with his old childhood friend.

Nothing.

The room was paralyzed, Katsuki blinked, his quirk ceasing for a moment as the two childhood friends stared at each other. Crimson met emerald, why had he been so afraid before?

Why wasn't he now?

Katsuki yanked his hand out of Midoriya's loose grip, the extras letting out teasing whistles as the class looked on. Katsuki's snarl returned, his sharp eyes narrowing into daggers. His palms crackled as he turned his looming figure lowering coming face to face with Midoriya.

"What did you say?" The growl brought forth memories of the past, memories of him trembling in fear before Katsuki, pleading, begging for him to stop.

There was nothing now.

"That's enough Kaachan." The words were cold, harsh, unnerving when compared to his normal overly emotional stuttering mess.

A hand slams against a locker, the extras snickering as they circle around him. "Got a death wish or something Deku?"

An extended finger jabs at his cheek. "Yea man, we were just talking what's the matter wi-"

The snarl was unexpected as Katsuki turned at the extra. "Shut it!"

The boy flinched, his finger retracting from Midoriya's face as he shrank like a beat dog. "S-sorry."

Katsuki let out a rage-filled snort. "You looking down on me too?"

"You know better."

"That right?" He snarled, his canine on full display as he reached out his hand landing on Midoriya's shoulder, the sound of soft crackling pops filling the space next to his ear as the scent of burning cloth began to rise. "Sounds to me you need to learn your place."

Nothing.

"You know better."

"-Than you."

"-Than this."

The explosions intensified. "You know I'm getting real fucking tired of telling you to stay the hell out of my business you quirkless little freak" Katsuki's hand shoot out one maintaining his quirk on Midoriya's shoulder the other grabbing him by his collar, spittle landing on Midoriya's cheek as Katsuki eyes narrow. "What is it? Think you can act better than me after that slime bastard? I took it easy on you then but you're trying my patience."

The extras let out anxious laughs, as the class watched on in stunned silence as stuttering, muttering, creepy deku stood against the rising star. All with no emotion, no fear.

No pain.

Nothing.

Katsuki's rage-filled face morphed looking like the snarling face of a rabid dog, teeth bared as he slammed Midoriya against the locker. "What, too good to answer me now, huh?" The surrounding students flinched as flesh hit steel, Katsuki's hands joined, grabbing Midoriya by his collar and pinning him against the lockers. "All that shit and look at you now, too chicken to answer." The snarl changed again, becoming a contemptuous smirk. "Guess I'm just gonna have to make sure you learn your lesson this time Deku." He said finishing as he reared a right hook.

Nothing.

Nothing but the tense awful silence between them, Midoriya stared back. Why had he ever been so afraid? "Does that sound like a hero to you, Kaachan?"

Katsuki snarled his hands moving to grip Midoriya's shoulders before igniting, a faint warmth filling his mind as his ears popped all the while the world spun as he realized he'd been flung towards the ground.

He'd felt something, a gentle warmth. How long has it been?

"What do you know about heros-!" Katsuki stopped, his red eyes widening as he stared down at Midoriya as gasps filled the room.

"Oh my god."

"Look what you did man!"

Midoriya, confused, looked down at his left shoulder. Laid bare for all to see was the burn mark from Katsuki's palm, pristine white cotton had been burned away curling onto itself due to the heat of the quirked barrage. Yet so had the skin underneath, Izuku's pale shoulder was now a burned mess, his skin having charred away under the concentrated heat of bombardment. Splotches of scarlet flesh throbbed as the darkened veins and arteries underneath pulsed,layers of skin in horrid charred display. How had he not reacted, the pain would've made anyone cry out, made them beg to end it.

Yet, he hadn't felt anything, save a gentle momentary warmth.

Katsuki stared at his work, his eyes wide with horror, the hands that once held Izuku in place against the locker trembling like a leaf. All the while Izuku stared back at him, his face a porcelain mask.

"Do you feel like a hero yet?"

Katsuki flinched before finally walking away with a "tsk", the gaggle of extras not far behind. The class, unsure how to respond to what occurred, slowly dispersed; leaving Izuku alone once more.

He reached towards the wound, droplets of blood clinging to his morbid curiosity.

"Huh."

Even his interest felt muted now, just as numb as his body. He wiped his hand and made his way to his locker feeling a slight tug as the charred cotton clung to his burnt skin, and for a moment he mused on how his mother would respond.

He had yet to find an answer to his question as he returned home, as he ran his thumb along the burnt edges of his ruined shirt, the ever beaming All Might figure watching on silently as he contemplated what to tell his mom. She'd ask to see what happened, demand answers, breaking whatever status quo the school had with him. He sighed, his hand running through his wild messy mane of green curls as he sat hunched at his desk. He could lie and say it was an accident while ironing the shirt, but this was beyond the usual concealable injuries he'd received, pain or no. She'd demand to see it, and once the full extent of the bullying was out in the open the quiet tenuous disregard for reality would be broken. Actions would be taken then ignored and the stress in her life would reach heights he never wanted.

To his surprise a flicker of irritation formed and escaped from his lips before the spark was smothered in apathy. It was the most emotion he'd felt all day. He let go of the ruined shirt, his head turning towards a ticking All Might clock. She'd be home soon, two hours at the latest. He would have enough time to stage a lie if he acted now. Maybe an accident while ironing his laundry? Believable, simple to achieve. With a way forward planned, he rose grabbing the damaged thing and made towards his hamper, then towards the washer.

He barely had any time to react when the apartment door opened, his mother's warm smile greeting him. "Hey honey." Her eyes fell upon the bundle of dirty clothes in his hands. "Getting started on some laundry?" She then let out a sigh. "I appreciate the help but honestly you should probably be resting." She stepped close her hand going to his forehead. "No fever, are you feeling alright honey? You know you can tell me."

The question catches him off guard. "I feel fine."

She gives a small smile, her hand going to his cheek. "If you're sure hun, why don't you head upstairs? I can handle the wash tonight." Her small hands reached out and taking away the lump of worn clothes. "I'll be starting dinner soon, just let me know if you're hungry."

He wanted to argue, to hide his damning evidence but his mother wouldn't entertain the thought and soon managed to pull it away. "Just go rest for a bit, ok?" And with that she walked past the now mentally scrambling teen, he turned to assure her that he could do it but stopped his eyes landing on his reflection in the steel fridge.

He blinked and as if for the first time since his return looked at himself, understanding his mother's concern. His cheeks had lost their rounded soft curves becoming gaunt and hollow, his vibrant green eyes were dimmer now sunken and lined with dark heavy bags. When was the last time he'd eaten? Or slept?

When was the last time he felt like he had to do either?

His self reflective trance was broken by his mother's soft questioning voice. "Honey, what happened to your shirt?" He turned his sunken eyes landing on his concerned mother holding the burnt shirt. "Did…did something happen at school?" His eyes slowly landed on his left shoulder, the scent of burnt flesh and cotton still fresh in his memory. His mother reached out catching the unspoken admission, logically he knew he should stop it to keep her from knowing the truth, to keep her from seeing the damage yet he couldn't bring himself to do so.

Her hand reached up gently pressing against the fabric covered muscle, he mused then that he never once thought to disinfect or do some basic treatment for it, never once crossed his mind to check on it to see how bad the damage was. Why would he? It was numb, its creation painless. With an almost unnatural disinterest he watched as the shirt was tugged, he expected the worst, expected the need for a doctor, to see charred burnt skin throbbing on top of damaged veins and arteries, the screams of a heartbroken concerned mother.

There was nothing.

His eyebrow raised in muted intrigue as his mother let out a confused if albeit relieved sigh, his fingers ran along the undamaged skin, his mind wandering as he took in the miracle. Izuku was not a doctor by any means but he could tell he'd been given a third degree burn. He could tell that he'd never feel anything in that shoulder again. It should've been life changing.

But there was nothing now.

Nothing save for sickly pale skin.

"I…I tried to iron it earlier but I got distracted." The lies came easy now that any evidence to the contrary had healed itself. "I was going to try fixing it later, I'm sorry."

"Oh Izu." She smiled a hand cupping his cheek before pinching it gently. "You could've just told me." She sighs out her hands going to stretch out the damaged shirt. "Tell you what, how about I give it a try fixing it, if not we'll go and get you a new one ok?" He nods, and like that he escapes rushing towards his room leaving his unaware mother behind.

It was impossible, even the best regenerative quirks took days at best to heal grievous injuries like the burn he had. A quirk he knew he didn't have, his hand ran through his hair as memories of smiling diseased abominations surrounding him while a living mountain boomed with laughter filled his mind. He had doubted its existence, written it off as a nightmare during the worst day of his life. It'd happened, it was real. He couldn't deny it any longer. He'd died and made a deal for power with an eldritch god.

What now?

I think one of the major things that i want to change in this rewrite that my awesome beta reader Toastykit kept urging me on in the first go was the pace of the narrative, originally when I envisioned this story it was going to be one massive one shot but with their encouragement it became the full series that im striving towards. However i think i wanted to keep treating it like a oneshot going from epic scene to epic scene, when i shouldve taken into account things like developing his powers and this imagining of the mha world. Hope you enjoyed it and didnt wait too long for it.