Chapter 1: The Awakening
"That's mean, Kacchan… Can't you see he's crying? I-If you come any closer… I-I'll get angry!" A green-haired kid yelled as he took his fighting stance to protect a kid behind him. But despite having the courage to act, the green-haired boy knew well that he had no chance to win this fight. In fact, he was scared, shaking, and had visible tears in his eyes, but he just wanted to protect his peer who was being bullied by his so-called best friend.
"Hahaha… Even though you're Quirkless…" The bully called Kacchan said while he and his lackeys activated their superpowers. "You're pretending to be a Hero, Deku?" He added with an evil grin before he and his lackeys began their assault on the poor green-haired boy. Once the beating started, so did the pain that was followed by his shrieks.
All men are not born equal, this is the harsh reality that Izuku Midoriya learned at the age of four. He was now lying on the ground and panting after getting beaten up by Katsuki Bakugo, aka Kacchan, and his lackeys for defending his peer. The same peer who ran away once the bullies started beating the shit out of Izuku. Izuku wasn't sad, though. He knew that his quirk will soon manifest. That way, he'll have the chance to become a great Hero who can save everyone, or so he thought.
At The Hospital:
"You should probably give it up." The doctor pointed out without any care in the world.
Once the doctor's words registered in his head, Izuku's face was ripped of any emotions he initially had. He didn't know how to react to this announcement. He was just told that he's Quirkless and should give up on being a Hero. The boy was so shocked that he dropped his All Might action figure and any other words the doctor said fell on deaf ears.
"Is there something wrong with my Izuku? Most of the other kindergarteners' Quirks have already manifested… He's the only one…" Inko asked, before collecting Izuku's toy that he just dropped. She was worried about her son and didn't want to believe the doctor's words. She knew that if they were true, then that would mean that Izuku's dream will be crushed. It will end right here.
The doctor then proceeded to explain that from what he saw from Izuku's X-Ray, the boy had two joints in his pinky toe which meant that he'll never manifest a Quirk. The second announcement that served as a confirmation left Inko with a very devastated Izuku.
That night, Izuku was watching his favorite video, the one about his idol's debut, All Might. That video never failed to put a smile on Izuku's face, but tonight things were different.
"HaHaHa! Everything is fine now. Why? Because I am here!" The Number One Hero All Might exclaimed while saving the civilians.
"Mom" Izuku called his mother with a weak, monotone voice and stripped of any emotions. "No matter what trouble you're in, he'll save you with a smile." Izuku slowly turned his chair to face his mom, his eyes already watery and filled with tears, ready to be unleashed. "A super cool Hero… That's what I want to be. Can… I still be-"
Izuku didn't get to finish his sentence because before he could, Inko immediately rushed to her son with tears coming out of her eyes too.
"I'm sorry, Izuku! I'm sorry! I-I wish things were… different." Inko exclaimed as she pulled her only son in a tight hug in an attempt to comfort him, but truth to be told they needed someone to comfort them both.
That's… not what I wanted you to say. Izuku said in his mind as waterworks poured out his eyes. Mom… I want to be a Hero…
And that was how Izuku Midoriya was dubbed Quirkless, having no superpower at all in a society where 80% of its population had a Quirk. This made him a social outcast, deemed worthless, and being a constant target for bullies, especially from his former best friend, Kacchan, who gave Izuku the insulting name Deku, which simply means Useless.
However, unbeknown to anyone and Izuku himself, fate had different plans for him. He was destined to walk a different path from everyone else, a path filled with sadness, hatred, and defeats, but also happiness, joy, love, and many victories until he reaches the end of his goal!
Around 10 Years Later:
Izuku had just arrived at his school, Aldera Junior High, after witnessing this morning the debut of the new Pro Hero: Mount Lady, and taking notes on her Quirk in his Hero Analysis Journal 13.
"Since you're all third years, it's time for you to think seriously about your future. I'll pass out handouts for your future plans, but… you're all… pretty much planning to go into the Hero course, right?!" The teacher pointed out with enthusiasm.
"YES!" The class shouted back and cheered except for Bakugo and Izuku. The latter was just looking down at his desk and slightly raising his hand.
"Yes, yes, you all have wonderful Quirks! But using your powers in school is against the rules!"
"TEACH! DON'T LUMP US ALL IN THE SAME GROUP. I'M NOT GONNA BE STUCK AT THE BOTTOM WITH THE REST OF THESE REJECTS!" Bakugo pointed out, much to his peers' anger. "YOU ALL SHOULD SHUT UP LIKE THE EXTRAS YOU ARE!" Bakugo replied to his classmates.
"Oh, if I remember correctly, you want to go to UA High, right, Bakugo?" The teacher questioned the ash blonde haired student. The rest of the students were surprised since UA is the best Hero Course high school in Japan, as well as the hardest to get accepted to. However, they knew that if someone had what it takes to make it to UA then it must be their talented classmate, Katsuki Bakugo.
"THAT'S EXACTLY WHY YOU GUYS ARE JUST EXTRAS! I ACED THE MOCK TEST! I'M THE ONLY ONE AT THIS SCHOOL WHO COULD POSSIBLY GET INTO UA. I'LL DEFINITELY SURPASS ALL MIGHT AND BECOME THE TOP HERO! MY NAME WILL BE INSCRIBED ON THE LIST OF TOP EARNERS!"
"Oh yeah, Midoriya wanted to go to UA, too, right?" The teacher announced which made Midoriya flinch in his seat and look nervously at Bakugo. The whole class immediately laughed at their teacher's words, as they thought it was so funny that Izuku, the Quirkless kid was thinking that he could get into UA.
However, Bakugo, his bully, immediately fired an explosion at Izuku's desk and proceeded to threaten him with his explosions. "OI, DEKU! YOU'RE BELOW THE REJECTS! YOU'RE A QUIRKLESS FREAK! HOW CAN YOU EVEN STAND IN THE SAME RING AS ME? YOU DAMN NERD!"
"No, wait, Kacchan! I-It's just that it has been my goal since I was little… And well… I won't know unless I try…" Izuku nervously stuttered.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, UNLESS YOU TRY?! YOU PIECE OF SHIT! ARE YOU TAKING THE FUCKING TEST FOR FUN?! WHAT THE HELL CAN YOU DO?! YOU'RE QUIRKLESS, DEKU!" Bakugo growled, while Izuku just remained silent, he was too afraid to retaliate after all.
Izuku looked down and clenched his fists. I won't give up! I know that I can be a Hero too, I'll just have to show them. He mentally thought.
The school's bell rang, meaning that it was the end of the school day. Everyone began to pack their stuff and leave, but Bakugo decided to continue bugging Izuku. He stole his Hero Analysis Journal 13 and burned it with an explosion, before finally throwing it from the window. Izuku just screamed in panic as he saw his latest Hero Analysis Journal being thrown away.
"If you wanna be a Hero that badly, there's a quick way to do it. Believe that you'll be born with a Quirk in your next life and take a last chance dive off the roof!" This was the last thing Bakugo harshly said without a care, before he and his lackeys left while laughing, finally leaving Izuku alone. However, Izuku was so disturbed and devastated. He was so sad, disappointed, and angry at Bakugo. How could he say something like this to him?
After picking up his journal, which he managed to find, Izuku took a shortcut to be able to return to his home faster. Bad days like this one always made him want to go back home as fast as possible. But as he was passing through a tunnel, he was captured by a Sludge Villain who was trying to take control of his body. Izuku started to cry, struggle and lose his consciousness as he couldn't breathe.
Is this… it? Is this really the end of my life…? Izuku thought, as his mind began to drift away. Luckily for Izuku though, the Number One Hero, The Symbol of Peace, All Might came out of nowhere to save the day.
"It's all right now, Young Man. I am here!" The Top Hero said his catchphrase, before dodging the incoming attacks. He then pulled his arm to punch the Villain. "Texas Smash!" The Hero shouted, before his attack landed on the ugly Sludge Villain, freeing Izuku from his grasp.
When Izuku woke up from his unconsciousness, he immediately entered fanboy mode as the sight of his idol registered in his mind. He asked him to sign his Hero Journal Number 13 but gasped in delight when he saw that he already signed it. But then Izuku wanted to ask All Might one last thing… A question that mattered more than anything to him. A question that still roamed his mind for over 10 years.
Can I become a Hero… even if I'm Quirkless? Izuku said in his mind.
However, Izuku saw that the Number One Hero was about to leave saying that he had to turn the Villain to the authorities. This caused Izuku to panic. This may be his only chance as he doesn't know if he will ever have the opportunity to meet All Might again. After all, All Might is a very busy person. So, in a desperate attempt, he decided to take the risk and grab onto All Might as he took off and jumped high into the air. All Might noticed that Izuku was hanging onto his leg for dear life, so he was forced to land on a roof, even though his transformation was running out…
When they landed, there was a considerable puff of smoke, and when it cleared, it was revealed to be a skinny almost anorexic looking version of All Might.
"Eh? Eh?! Y-Y-You're deflating! Where's All Might?! Wait, don't tell me… an imposter? Are you an imposter?!" Izuku panicked and asked with visible confusion. He wanted to know where did his idol go.
"I'm indeed All Might, and this is my true form, my real name is Toshinori Yagi." All Might replied, deciding that it would be best not to lie about his secret identity. However, the blood coming out of his mouth wasn't doing a good job convincing Izuku.
"No way!" Izuku shouted in panic again. He was having a hard time processing all of this.
All Might then explained to Izuku that 5 years ago, he fought a Villain who mortally wounded his respiratory system and destroyed his stomach. He visited countless doctors, but neither one could do a damn thing. This injury has now limited All Might to only being able to complete 3 hours of Hero Work each day.
All Might also explained that the public doesn't know this information because he still has to keep the persona of The Symbol of Peace. If word got out of his true condition, then Villains could take advantage of the situation and cause more havoc. That is why it is necessary for All Might to never show any weakness and to always have a smile on his face so that the people won't have to worry because "I am here!"
After All Might's explanation, Izuku decided to ask THE question… "Can I become a Hero even though I'm Quirkless…?" Izuku finally asked.
"I'm sorry, but I cannot simply say, you can become a Hero even without a Quirk." All Might replied with a serious tone. "The job of a Hero is too dangerous for somebody without a Quirk. Rampaging Villains would do anything they can do to achieve their goals and that means killing as well… It is alright to dream big young man, but you also need to put reality into consideration." All Might explained, while Izuku felt as if pieces of him were being shattered, just like the day when he discovered that he was Quirkless.
"I see…" Izuku weakly murmured, trying his best to hide his pain and hold his tears.
"If you want to help others, then you could also become a police officer. They're often teased because they get villains delivered to their doorstep, but that is also a fine occupation." All Might added. Finally, All Might asked to keep all of what he told Izuku a secret as the public don't need to know that The Symbol of Peace was at all vulnerable. After that, he exited the rooftop and left Izuku alone…
Izuku Midoriya was speechless. He didn't know how to react. He had just been told by his idol and Hero that he blatantly could not be a Hero no matter how hard he tried. All because he wasn't born with a Quirk. Something that was completely out of his hands. All Might was the only light left for him in this world, his last hope. But now, the last embers of hope he had, disappeared…
He then looked around and remembered that he was on a rooftop.
"Believe that you'll be born with a Quirk in your next life and take a last chance dive off the roof!" Bakugo's words came into his head.
"I-Is this really… the only way?" He asked himself, as he took a few steps towards the edge of the building. He was considering taking Bakugo's advice. Izuku stared at the street below, the building was sure high enough, and if he jumped headfirst… then he'll definitely die. It may hurt for a second, but it's not like he wasn't used to pain. He has already endured quite a lot as it is. He took one more step, but then, he remembered his mother. "No! God, no… What am I thinking? I would break my mother's heart if I did that. I already promised her…" He said to himself, as he backed away.
At that time, he failed to notice the smoke coming from a district far away.
With All Might:
"It really pains me to break a young man's dream like this, but I think it was the right thing to tell him." All Might murmured until he remembered something. Wait a minute… Midoriya, no way… could it really be? All Might questioned the boy's identity in his head but was quickly cut off by the sound of an explosion.
Back To Izuku:
There were so many emotions going through Izuku at that moment. Sadness, anger, hurt, depression, but the biggest one was definitely disappointment. Disappointment in himself and his idol. How could he say that? He's supposed to inspire hope into people and motivate them to achieve their dreams. These were the thoughts of Izuku Midoriya as he left the rooftop and proceeded to the ground, but then suddenly he heard an explosion.
"What was that?" He questioned while rubbing his eyes. They were itchy for some reason. Damn Izuku, you shouldn't cry, you already knew the answer. He thought to himself while rubbing his eyes before the itchy feeling finally went away.
Izuku then proceeded to run towards the place where the explosion came from out of habit. He walked towards the large crowd to see the fight that started earlier. Why am I even here? Izuku questioned himself as he remembered All Might's words and the disappointment he felt. It was no use observing Quirks and analyzing them anymore since he finally understood that he'll never become a Hero.
However, when Izuku took a closer look and saw the Sludge Villain, he felt guilty. It's because of me that the Sludge Villain escaped from All Might, it's my fault, I'm so sorry. He mentally apologized. And from the looks of it, the Villain was causing a lot of trouble.
"Damn it, I really am useless!" Izuku said in frustration. He hated himself, he hated the fact that he was useless, that he would never amount to anything, but now he hated himself because he caused more trouble to All Might and the other Heroes. He didn't even realize that the itchy feeling in his eyes came back.
Then he looked to see a bunch of Pro Heroes unable to do a thing as the Sludge Villain had a hostage, when he looked again at the Villain, he realized that the hostage was none other than Bakugo, who looked like he needed help. At least from everyone's perspective minus Bakugo. Izuku just kept staring at Bakugo until their eyes met.
*Music: You Say Run*
At that moment, something began to build up inside Izuku. It was a piece of him, one which he thought he cast away, but no, he couldn't because after all Izuku was a: True Hero. Yes, and that piece was his will to save those in need, it was his Heroic Spirit. So, without hesitation, Izuku rushed towards the Villain so fast without thinking, he couldn't even hear the Pro Heroes shouting at him to step back.
"STOP!" DeathArms shouted, trying to stop Izuku.
What the hell, that Quirkless kid! All Might thought as he saw Izuku running towards the Sludge Villain.
While he was rushing, Izuku started to remember his past, everything he has gone through. But as he was going, Izuku's eyes began to change, their color was a glowing red and his pupils appeared to be surrounded by a black ring, his right eye had one tomoe (a comma ",") on the ring while his left had two. He suddenly realized that everything was moving slower and slower. He didn't know what was happening right now and he didn't care, he just kept running. The Sludge Villain tried to attack him, but Izuku easily dodged the attacks as he was able to see them coming from a mile away.
"Deku, stay back." Bakugo murmured weakly, before losing his consciousness.
"You looked like you were asking for help!" Izuku said with tears in his eyes, as he didn't know if he'll survive this battle, he only knew that he had to save Bakugo. Izuku then grabbed Bakugo and tried to free him, but then dodged as the Sludge Villain used the latter's explosion quirk to fire an explosion.
I really am pathetic! While I'm standing here doing nothing, an innocent child is risking his life in my place. All Might thought as he was carefully watching Izuku. "Wait… his eyes are different?" All Might questioned in shock, as he noticed Izuku's eyes.
Just as the second explosion was coming, Izuku grabbed Bakugo's wrist and pushed it, so that the palm of his hand would face the villain's eye, and with that, the second explosion was shot directly at the villain's eye blinding him. The Villain yelped in pain, and Izuku seized the opportunity to free the unconscious Bakugo from his grasp and grabbed him.
However, the villain managed to regain his composure and shouted "I'll kill you kid!" And as he was rushing to attack Izuku and the unconscious Bakugo, All Might appeared, blocking the attack.
"Huh. I really am pathetic, huh? I really need to practice what I preach."
Izuku's eyes shot open and he turned around slowly, feeling intense relief wash over him. The towering figure of All Might stared back at him with a smile as wide as he'd ever seen, the back of his shirt dripping with presumably the slime he shielded the teens from.
"Apologies for taking so long but have no fear. Why? Because I am here!" He said his catchphrase, before pulling back his arm to punch the Villain.
"Detroit Smash!"
With that, All Might delivered the mother of all uppercuts, splattering the sludge villain, extinguishing most of the fires, and creating a freaking rainstorm, that was proceeded by a moment of silence.
"Holy shit! He changed the weather with one punch!" A bystander cried out in awe as the crowd erupted into triumphant cheers.
After the incident, Izuku's eyes became normal again and the Pro Heroes didn't wait for any second to scold him for rushing out there against the Sludge Villain.
"There was absolutely no reason for you to put yourself in danger!" Death Arms scolded Izuku. However, Kamui Woods followed by Death Arms praised Bakugo for his bravery and even offered him to become their sidekick once he becomes a Hero. Izuku just rolled his eyes at the irony. He wanted to apologize to All Might but the Hero was currently overwhelmed by an army of fans and reporters, so Izuku decided to go back home.
On his way back, Izuku was thinking about apologizing to All Might on his website, when he heard his insulting name. He turned around to see Bakugo.
Great… He thought. His day was becoming worse by the second.
"DEKU! I NEVER ASKED YOU FOR HELP! AND YOU DIDN'T HELP ME! GOT IT?! I WAS FINE BY MYSELF! YOU'RE A QUIRKLESS FAILURE PLAYING WITHOUT A FULL DECK! DON'T THINK YOU CAN LOOK DOWN ON ME! ARE YOU TRYING TO MAKE ME OWE YOU?! DON'T LOOK DOWN ON ME YOU DAMN NERD! "
After Bakugo's unique thank you for saving my life, Izuku took a couple of steps to go on his way until someone familiar appeared from an alley.
"I am here!"
"All Might?!" Izuku was surprised to see his idol in front of him once again until he transformed back to his skinny form. "AAHHH!" He screamed when All Might transformed back.
"Young man, I came with a thanks, a correction and a suggestion" All Might began. "If you hadn't been there, if you hadn't told me about your life, I wouldn't have been able to act, you, the Quirkless timid boy have inspired me to act and go over my limit!" All Might said while Izuku was in awe from his words.
*Music: You can become a Hero*
"Top heroes have stories about them since school days, but most of their stories have one thing in common: Their bodies moved before they had a chance to think." All Might exclaimed as Izuku began to tear up. He slowly understood what All Might was trying to say.
Izuku clenched his fists and looked down. Was this really happening? Is he going to find a new light of hope?
"That was true for you, too, wasn't it?" All Might said while looking at Izuku, who was now sure of what the older man was trying to tell him.
"Yeah…" His voice cracked because he was crying. He then held his chest and fell on his knees, before remembering all the hardships and pain he faced in his life because he was Quirkless.
Izuku remembered his mother's words: "I'm sorry… I'm sorry Izuku!"
That's not it, Mom. Back then what I wanted you to say… The words I wanted to hear were…
"You can become a Hero." All Might said to Izuku, who was crying even harder as he clenched his chest, the former understanding what Izuku has been through. After all those years of hardships, he finally heard the words he always wanted to hear, the words that will fix his broken dream.
Then, after about a minute All Might looked at Izuku, his Sharingan was activated again. "Oh yeah, you told me you were Quirkless yet you possess a Quirk, you were even using it while fighting the Sludge Villain, what does this mean?" Izuku looked at All Might shocked as if he said that the Earth was flat.
"I'm sorry All Might, I think I didn't hear you well but did you say that I have a Quirk?" All Might then proceeded to take a picture of Izuku and showed it to him, which made the latter tear up again but then he started to mutter at a great speed, making it impossible for the writer to comprehend what he was saying.
"Shut up! It's like your quirk gives you the power to spout nonsense at an incredible speed!" All Might shouted and let out a sigh. "It seems like you didn't know you had a quirk which is weird, but we'll talk about it tomorrow, more importantly, do you know how to activate it and deactivate it?" He asked to which Izuku replied with a no. "Maybe you can try to remember what made it activate back then and what made it deactivate." All Might suggested.
Izuku thought about it for a moment, before remembering that all he was thinking about earlier was saving Kacchan, he couldn't let the villain hurt him or worse because of him, he wanted to save him, even if he was a jerk. But that's not only it, he hated himself for being useless. And right now he was remembering his sad and cursed past, but All Might's words really made a great emotional impact on him. So, he deduced that his new Quirk activates from emotional stress, or at least he thinks so. So, he then proceeded to relax, before his Sharingan faded.
"Did you figure it out?" All Might asked the young teen.
"I think." Izuku tried to concentrate and reactivated his Sharingan, the itch in his eyes that he felt for a second confirming it until he felt tired and deactivated it. "Yeah, I figured it out, but I still don't know its powers."
"Well, we can leave that for tomorrow. Anyways, Young Midoriya I want you to inherit my power."
"Your power?" Izuku questioned, totally surprised by what he just heard.
"The tabloids called it Superhuman Strength and a Boost, and I constantly dodged the question during interviews with a funny joke. Because the Symbol of Peace, All Might, had to be a natural-born Hero. But young man, I will tell you the truth. My Quirk was passed on to me like a sacred torch." All Might explained.
"It was passed on to you…?" Izuku questioned in complete shock.
"That's right, and next it's your turn."
"W-Wait! Wait a minute! It's true that your Quirk is something hotly debated as one of the world's greatest mysteries. So much so that not a day goes by when I don't see someone talking about it online. But, well, I don't really understand what you mean by inheriting or passing on a Quirk. I've never heard of anything like that before, and it's never even been conjectured in the debate. Why is that? Is it because since the dawn of history, a Quirk like that was never confirmed? In the first place, it's…" Izuku began to mutter again, but was thankfully stopped by All Might who gave him a chop on his head.
"Nonsense! I may hide a lot of things, but I don't lie! The power to transfer power… That is the Quirk I inherited! I was crowned with One for All!" All Might exclaimed as a white light shined from his palm.
"One for All…"
"That's right. One person cultivates the power and passes it on to another person, who also cultivates it and passes it on. It is the crystallization of power that spins together the voices of those who need help with a courageous heart." All Might further explained.
"Why are you… Why are you giving me something so great?" Izuku asked. Was he really worthy of such power, All Might's power?
"I have been looking for a successor. And then, I thought it would be right for you to inherit it. You were just a Quirkless hero fanboy or so you thought, but you were more heroic than anyone else back there!" All Might said as Izuku started to tear up again. "So, I'm giving you this offer… Izuku Midoriya, I want you to be my successor."
Izuku didn't need to think about it twice. After what All Might did for him. After he gave him hope again. Hope that was so much stronger than ever as the past embers became a roaring inferno. There was no way he could refuse his offer.
"I accept" Izuku responded and All Might smirked at his successor.