Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

'We are going to the US! Come on kids pack your things and be quick the flight leaves in a few hours' It was sudden, none of the children were expecting it. But they weren't going to complain, going to the US meant seeing their father and really, what kid wouldn't want that? He watched as Hina and Tanaka made a mad dash for their respective rooms, a wide smile adorned on each of their faces. Izuku arched his back letting him slide off the front of the family sofa, a rare smile plastered to his lips. after all, his mother had said kids, not just Hina and Tanaka. That meant him too, right? Right?
As if reading his mind Inko moved her arm to intercept his movement. The boy looked up meeting the gaze of his mother, confusion and fear mixed into his eyes. Inko smiled wider 'Hmm Izuku where are you going?' Inko sounded surprised and slightly curious, of course it was all an illusion to play with him. Izuku not seeing through the mask of his mother begun to question why he wouldn't need to go. Was his stuff already packed? Or were they going to pack together?
Izuku looked towards his mother l his head slightly turned, it was reminiscent of an innocent puppy. One that had not felt the despair of being abandoned.
'Just like the pet you are' Inko silently thought. Her smile had grown wider by the second, as her eyes became slits, Izuku knew that smile. He hated it. It meant he was in trouble.

'Why ever would you need to go pack Izuku dear' once again seemingly reading the young boys' thoughts. Her gaze bore a hole in his heart, as she left a pause in her speech allowing him to feel the fear to settle. 'You're staying in Japan. After all...' her face darkened only allowing the emerald glow of her eyes to shine through. She grinned while moving forward, with each step she forced the boy back, step after step until his back hit the wall. Izuku ignored the slight sting of his skull. He began to slide down from the wall, lowering himself beneath her. Inko stood towering over the young child as he slid further. her smile grew even wider at the sight of the young boy shivering in fear at her feet. coiling inwards at her cheeks her lips took on a comical shape, Just like a devil. 'Your just our worthless PET!'.
The world around him fell into darkness, colour drained from the walls like wet paint. The boy looked into those emerald orbs, much like his own they seemed to shine but hers..hers were filled with something sinister. She grew in size looming over him. A shadow has been cast, covering his entire being. His vision was covered, not a single piece of his surroundings was visible. Only that smile. He was scared, alone and worthless before it. Feeling the fear oozing out of the child, Inko cackled, it was fuelled by joy, but each breath made Izuku fill with dread.

'Rawhaha rahaha Ri-Haha Ring rahaha Ring Ring Ring RING RING'

*Thud*

A hand lay to rest onto a crimson beat up alarm clock, his aggressive thump doing it no favours. He had been lucky finding it at a local pawn shop for a rather cheap amount, and with having limited savings he had elected to buy it. Regretting the decision as he did every morning, he let his hand slide from the now silent machine. With a practiced groan he slumped out of his bed. As usual he was careful when putting a large amount of weight onto certain spots, since much like his alarm clock his bed was old and used. tape had been horribly plastered to corners to close up holes and he definitely knew some springs had just been removed altogether, but it was one of the things he could at least say he truly owned, so he stuck with it instead of sleeping on the floor in a futon. Pulling of his cover, he pulled his legs to the side of the bed, his feet touched the wood floor, nearly jumping at the sensation on reflex, he raised his toes only allowing his soles to be affected by the cold. Standing up he swiftly moved towards the bathroom, hoping to avoid contact with the main floor as much as possible he took wide steps wincing each time as he headed towards his bathroom.
Walking inside he looked towards the rooms only appliance, it was a fusion of both a toilet and sink with the sink part sat just atop the toilets water tank, any water that went through the sink would then be used to flush. It was great when it came to saving water, and in turn money, but not much else. The walls surrounding the toilet were a pasty yellow white. Any paint had been scrubbed off over the years what he hoped was just regular cleaning. The black and grey tiled floor was probably the worse off having half the tiles either missing or cracked leaving little space to manoeuvre unless he wished stepped onto even colder concrete. Silently cursing as he awkwardly positioned himself above the toilet, he had a lot of work to do so he might as well get ready for the day.
'That makes 100. sigh just another few hundred to go'. said Izuku sliding an orange ad leaflet into the brass letterbox of a random apartment building. His left arm was growing stiff from holding the stands of paper and with his elbow threatening to drop loose, Izuku knew he should speed up. Moving towards the next door, repeating the same process of with one hand. Opening the brass flap and sliding the orange slip inside, all whilst trying to avoid losing a finger to the rather aggressive snap of the springs inside. Taking another slow breath, he kept going. He had a time limit before school started and a few other jobs he needed to get done. Feeling a warm sensation on the back of his neck he turned around looking over the balcony of the apartment complex. His brow furrowed as he was met with a piercing light. The sun was peeking through the edge of the city. With yellow rays piercing his vision, Izuku quickly turned and looked back towards the doors of the apartment complex. With his deadline getting shorter he forced himself to ignore the almost audible groan of his arm as he made haste to finish his job.

An hour, a bit of mental swearing and a run in with a policeman curious to what the teen was doing so early on a Monday morning. He finally made it back to the office. Lucky no one else had shown up yet, the boy decided to not waste his luck, he swiftly made his way to the front doors of the agency building.
Adalin Ads. What started out as a family business, was considered a reliable and resourceful ad agency able to turn a near bankrupt store into thriving business, all for a price of course. And Izuku had the privilege, if you could call it that, to work there. Unlocking the front gate and waiting patiently as the metal sheet, there to protect the mainly glass doorway, was slowly dragged upward to give him access to the front entrance. Izuku then quickly went to change into his work uniform, after all he didn't want to ruin his new school uniform on his first day. Once changed into a light blue striped overall he made his way towards an isolated corridor, passing by each desk giving a cursory glance at every workspace for anything out of place. Satisfied that he won't have to worry much about the main office floor, he swiftly went and grabbed the cleaning trolley from the cupboard stashed away in the side corridor. Pulling out the cleaning trolley, a broom and a mop, he set to work.
A few minutes into cleaning the main office floor, a few of the more diligent workers started to arrive. Each gave a polite nod to the boy which he would reciprocate and then they would head to their respective desks and prepare for the onslaught of work Mondays seem to bring. It was all done in a peaceful quiet, something the few of them had grown to enjoy before their manager arrived. After cleaning the office windows, floor, and polishing a few of the emptier looking desks, Izuku made his way towards the cleaning cupboard. After depositing his cleaning supplies and reverting back into his new school uniform. It was a simple black Male sailor setup. It was a size larger than needed, so if he grew, he wouldn't have to worry about a new one. Content he was ready for his first day Izuku made his way towards the front doors. A slight bounce in his step, that didn't go unnoticed by the clerk as she raised a brow in curiosity, he reached for the silver handle...only to meet the gaze of the office manager.

Clint Smith was born and raised in the state of Texas. He was a natural leader to some, with him being a member of the football team along with being one of the smartest students in his school. His life should have been a breeze. Until some fuck faced no name quirkless 'prodigy' went and stole his college scholarship. Now he had to sit in some ass wipe country called japan, deal with all their stupid customs and work with around 50 damned quirkless himself! Honestly, he believed he had been sent to his own personal hell; he was too good to deserve this.

Today was likely to be like any other but something inside of him gave him hope. He had elected for one of his fine suits, going with a purple three piece with golden lining, his newly waxed oxford shoes and the latest Shield-watch designed by none other than David Shield himself! He didn't know why but today seemed special. Sure, he would probably spend it doing the same old, telling some quirkless runt to work harder, while continuing to gain the interest of his secretary Senasa. Yeah, the same old, same old. With a rare grin adorning his lips, Clint opened the doorway to enter the agency building. His agency building. Not even a step inside and he was met bump to his chest and the sound of something rather large hitting the floor. Looking down the grin turned into a full-blown smirk as his day seemed to get better.

Izuku fell to the floor rather gently, the only reason he even lost his footing was from the sheer fear of who he had run into. It was no secret that Clint hated the quirkless and that fact that the majority of those working here were part of that minority made it stand out like a sore thumb. If you were even a minute behind a deadline, he would cut pay, add more to your next workload or just straight up fire you. What made things even worse is that the board let him do it. The more people work the more money they make, and Clint knows how to slave people away. It was something he definitely took pride in.

Regaining his bearings, Izuku sat forward intent on getting back to his feet as quickly as possible in order to apologize. He only made it to one knee before he was knocked back down, his head collided with the floor and his vision faded for a few moments. His right temple was screaming in pain while the left side of his forehead started to ache from the impact. He looked forward; mind still dazed only to be met with another impact. He landed on his spine as the air was robbed from his lungs. Once again, he tried to balance himself, a hand moved towards his nose, the familiar feeling of crimson soaked between his fingers. With eyes beginning to burst in tears, Izuku fought the pain, he bent forward barely keeping his composure as he bowed towards his aggressor. Izuku shook with fear and pain, as he watched blood pool on the floors he had just cleaned. His broken nose forcing him to breathe through his mouth, he tasted the iron liquid run past his lips. His head had quieted down, so the main point of pain was currently his most likely broken nose. He kept his head plastered to the floorboards; any movement would only add to his misfortune.

Clint on his part was rather pleased. He rarely had chances to exercise his quirk and with a useless body bag like the quirkless janitor around, who needed a quirk gym? He looked down towards his work, a sharp smile raised his cheeks. He placed a shoe onto the boy's head and applied some pressure, pleased to hear a muffled whimper from the boy. After a few moments of sadistic glee, he allowed his foot to rest on the floor once again and simply walked past, not bothering a secondary glance at his disposable body bag.

Chapter Text

Fuck. He was soooo going to be late to school. He was lucky enough that the company’s on site nurse let him go without too many questions, all he had to do was mention Clint and was let go. Any longer and he would likely miss more than half the school day. Being quirkless already put him at a lower level than everyone else, the thought alone left a bitter taste in his mouth, it’s why he couldn't ruin this chance…. Not after coming this far. Deciding he would rather be a breathless and sweaty mess than in more trouble, Izuku tightened the straps on his beat-up forest green backpack, one of the few possessions he’s held onto since his time living with Inko. He shook his head, not allowing the memories to take hold. Sliding out a cracked, half exposed phone from his trouser pocket, he pulled up the map’s app hoping to find a shortcut to his destination. After a few swipes, Izuku spotted an alley that could shave off a few minutes on time, noticing the corner he’d have to pass to reach it he started sprinting, making a mad dash in the direction of Aldera middle school.

Toshinori was currently heading home, paper bag in hand from the local grocery store with ingredients for tonight's hotpot. He had Tsukauchi coming over tonight so they could brainstorm over one of his more stressful cases. With some hope, Toshinori hoped he could get the detective to sleep, his eyes seemed to grow dimmer with each meeting and the bags underneath were an unhealthy shade of black. It reminded him of some of the more… enthusiastic underground heroes he has had the chance to meet. Deciding to worry about his friend when he actually saw him, Toshinori continued the walk home. With a sigh he turned the street corner...only to be pushed aside by a green blur. He landed backwards with his elbows suffering the majority of the damage, he felt his skeletor figure almost buckle under the force, only barely able to keep himself from completely collapsing to the ground.

Regaining his bearings, Toshinori snapped his neck to the direction of the emerald projectile, only to see a small child no older than 14 sprint away from his view rounding the same corner he had just turned from, eventually leaving his line of sight. With a second sigh in just as many minutes, he pushed himself upward, feeling the groan of his joints as he did. Wiping away at any loose dirt from his excessively baggy clothing. Toshinori wasn't one to judge others based off first appearances, or at least he liked to think he didn't, but kids this generation seem to only be getting ruder than the last. Deciding to let things be, he once again set about making his way home. Only a few steps into his journey and Toshinori felt a lack of weight in his left hand, mentally cursing, he turned on his heel with a blank expression eyeing the scattered remains of his hotpot groceries. His head dropped and a cloud of despair formed above his shoulders only extenuating the point. “Damn kids. What would have him running so fast?”. His first and immediate thought was a villain possibly attacking the child. Toshinori buffed up into his All Might form, only to look around and see. Nothing. Closing his eyes hoping to use his heightened hearing to locate the possible villain. Again nothing. A moment later he deflated, releasing a bated breath as he did. Looking back down to his ruined hotpot and casting the thought of the wild child aside, he pinched the bridge of his nose, turning in the direction of the farmers market. “Whatever. I have the money, might as well go and buy some more.”.

Izuku quickly ran through the alleyway, he felt bad for that sick guy he knocked over…. but not being late for school was equally important. Ok. Maybeeeee he was stretching its importance a tad bit. But, not many schools accepted quirkless students anymore, the few that did would tend to add a large fee for who knows what. He only got into Aldera because he had grades comparable to their best students or student as the rumours went. Aldera was no way considered an elite school, in fact it was even seen as one of the worst in the prefecture, even so they were willing to let Izuku attend without having to fork over an arm, leg and kidney. It was honestly a once in a lifetime opportunity for him, and rumours were that Aldera had a UA candidate, so if Izuku had grades at that level then he should be alright even if he was a tad late. Right?

WRONG! He was so so wrong. His new homeroom teacher gave him a week of detention right off the bat. No questions as to why he was late, no leniency since it was the first day. He popped through his classroom doors only 3 minutes after the bell, got dragged back out just outside the door and he got slapped with his punishment. He once again entered the class, of course all eyes were on him. He was new, so even if he had shown up on time, it was likely he would be at least given a curious glance or two. Directed to his new seat with a slight gesture and barely a glance, Izuku compacted his shoulders and hastily stepped towards his desk. Lucky to have not been tripped on the way, he loosened the straps of his bag and slung off of his shoulders onto the crappy excuse of an oak desk, even the metal legs seemed to groan under the weight of a few hard backed books and a store bought bento. Mentally sighing as not to draw any further attention, he took out the necessary supplies. Unwillingly his eyes wandered towards the blossoming cherry trees, the pink and white wind filled dance captivated him as his eyes tracked each movement, eventually to get lost into the vast expanse of the outside world.

Brought from the daydream he didn't realise he was having, Izuku turned to the sound of a door being slammed into the wall. Hard. The resounding crack made nearly everyone jump, everyone but the teacher who wore an almost bored expression. Was this a common occurrence or something? Does the teacher have no fear? Where was that bored expression when he was talking to me? once again interrupted from his thoughts, he kept his focus on the boy who had just arrived. His hair was unnaturally spiky with a golden white tint, it only helped to show off his ridiculously radiant ruby eyes, both were as sharp as any diamond with a ferocity that would make lions cower in pure terror. The other notable feature was his comically stretched grin, it screamed arrogance and seemed too large to fit on his face with his other features.

I hid a grin as the boy strutted across the front of the classroom, his ego seeped out of every action he took, every step radiated confidence, even his slumped shoulders and baggy clothes showed off his overzealous pride. With a knowing glint in his ruby eyes, he stepped towards the teacher. “What up teach. Looks like I'm only going to have to deal with you and these extras for one more year.”. He made sure to tilt his head to the class when 'extras' left his lips, Izuku dropped his grin for one of confusion. Who would be stupid enough to insult an entire classroom of students? His statement of course brought an uproar from the majority of the students. Some stood from their seats, quirks on full show as some form of intimidation. Even Izuku was unimpressed. Most of the students just scoffed or verbally challenged the boy, the ones that did speak up did so by the safety of their seats. The few of the more mature students just rolled their eyes on their otherwise monotone faces, bored of the alpha male act while they patiently waited for the commotion to quiet.

One such girl, at the desk just to his left, had her head resting in the palm of her left hand, her elbow was propped on the desk. She had short red hair, they seemed to be as soft as silk, the ends only narrowly passing her pierced ears. It only helped to frame the glowing emerald eyes sitting atop her sharp nose and passive smile. Taking a closer look at the redhead, his eyes travelled downwards. Stupid puberty. His sights could only wander just below her desk when he spotted it. She had her phone out! Not only that she even had earbuds connected. Raising his gaze back towards her face, Izuku noticed how upon closer inspection, her ear buds were the same colour as her hair. No wonder she hasn't been caught yet. Gaining a new appreciation for his fellow classmate, Izuku turned back towards the front of the class. He had been so caught up in his thoughts Izuku missed the deathly glare said girl was giving him.

“Bakugo, it's nice to see you actually attend your first lesson. Please quiet down and go to your seat.”. Wait, that's it? Where's the lack of patience and over the top discipline he had to receive? Why does that guy get off Scott free and he gets a week of Detention? The blonde was even later than him! His face must have given away his thoughts as the redhead to his side scoffed, drawing in Izuku's attention. “Bakugo is a shoe in for the UA hero course. Why would anyone get in the way of his success by adding a silly scratch mark to his record?”. She had a grin on her face and it only grew wider as she was pleased with his reaction. Izuku on the other hand just knitted his brow in thought. “So, for us normal kids, we get a week of detention for being late, but that jackass gets away free cause he was born strong?”. He knew he shouldn’t say he himself was normal, but he was adamant none of the students knew that. Yet. He turned his sight back towards the redhead. His gaze was intense, and she nearly flinched at the pressure. She thought back to what he said, his own seriousness possibly rubbing off of her. “Well yeah. I mean, why get in the way of his hero career, when instead you can ride his wave of success?”. Izuku again sat in silence contemplating her reasoning. She was right, he knew that, but it still felt wrong. Before he could go down the moral rollercoaster, the red head spoke again, this time her voice was less sarcastic as it had been before, but instead one of confusion, or maybe closer to disbelief. “Wait, you got a week of detention?” Izuku nodded, his gaze trained on her decorated fingernails as she gripped her chin in thought. “Wow, you must have pissed him off if he gave you a week. I've never heard him dish out more than 2 days at a time.” Her features furrowed, she seemed to find the mystery intriguing If she was in such deep thought. Izuku on the other hand connected the dots. His eyes shadowed at the realization.

He was such an idiot. Of course, the students wouldn't know of his.... disability, but every teacher had access to his student records, so they probably knew. His hands clenched into fists, knuckles going white with frustration. Feeling the pain in his hands and not wanting to risk bleeding, Izuku slowly breathed out allowing his anger to dissipate along with the tension in his fists. He couldn't afford to ruin this, even if it meant that he would suffer, public schools were almost impossible for anyone without a quirk. He couldn't go to high school without actual schooling and without a high school degree, college was completely off the table, and he needed to have the qualifications to make it. No one would need him otherwise. Taking a deep breath, Izuku gripped any semblance of determination his heart could muster and promised himself to make it through the school year.

Chapter Text

One second. One second was all Izuku had to himself in silence before he was assaulted with an orchestra of questions, each layered over the other, not a single coherent word, let alone sentence to enter his ears. It was deafening, he felt like he had been swallowed in noise. Unable to react, all Izuku could do was sit statue still with a similar stone cold expression as the classroom funnelled the last of their oppressive inquiries down his ear canal. The class started to silence, maybe from understanding that they may have overdone the interrogation or rather boredom because of Izuku’s lack of responses. A tap on his shoulder drew his attention, he jumped slightly but quickly anchored himself. His gaze followed the retreating hand of the redhead he had spoken to at the start of homeroom.

She gently brushed the light pink and white nail of her index finger over the curvature of her ear bringing her silky red hair along with it, it was like a sign saying she would listen. A knowing smile appeared on her lips as she noticed the attention the previous action had garnered from the boy. Seeing the greenette calm slightly was reassuring, he seemed to lack social skills based on how he practically froze when given the slightest amount of attention. Home schooled maybe? Whatever, those questions could wait. She eyed the… colourful group of students around them and pointed to the door with her emerald iris. The action was picked up by most of the girls and some of the less ignorant boys, soon after most of the class had slowly walked out and off to the school's excuse for a gym, they had PE first so she was lucky the boy wouldn’t have to be the centre of attention for a whole hour of class. Speaking of which, he seemed rather confused at how robotic most of the previously crazed pack of students had acted. That was understandable. He looked towards her again after surveying the retreating students. His own emerald orbs gazed into hers as she offered a calming smile. His breathing became less erratic and his motions became far more natural. That was a good sign.

“Hina Suji”. His gaze grew more confused as he mentally deciphered the words, his head even tilting to the left like a lost pup. It was relaxing. “Hina Suji, it’s my name. You seem like you could use a familiar face right now.”. Understanding replaced confusion as his head lost its puppy like tilt and the tension in his brow loosened. “How are you a familiar face if I only met you today?”. The question was filled with curiosity and maybe some anticipation. Did he think we had some secret past only I remembered? How cute. A small laugh rushed past my lips before I could calm myself at the thought. He again tilted his head in confusion and curiosity, his eyes stared into hers begging for an answer. How could she refuse. “Well we spoke during homeroom aaaand now you know my name. That means I’m a familiar face…”.

It took a second but Izuku understood the hidden question hidden beneath her silence, he jumped in realisation, placing the palm and fingers of his scrunched up hands onto the fabric of his trousers, his head dipped slightly as he eyed those very same hands. “Izuku Midoriya, it’s very nice to meet you.”. They sat in silence for a moment, possibly too long, Izuku kept his gaze fixed to his whitening knuckles, he didn’t know why but he felt that his statement would be less sincere if he allowed his head to rise. The now uncomfortable silence was broken by the laughter of Hira. Shoulders tensing at the sudden outburst. Eyes widened, they darted forward focusing on the movement in the outskirts of his vision, he noticed Hira’s shoes rise and fall in synch with the lullaby of laughter. Dual Green iris followed the appendages till he reached straight strawberry hair.

Hira was currently having the time of her life. She had no idea why he was so timid, but the stark contrast to every other student at Aldera had somehow set her lungs into rhythmic motion. Had Ms Joke used her quirk nearby? She just couldn’t stop. Emerald eyes poking open, they soon latched onto the confused gaze of Izuku. His head tilt wasn’t present this time, but his unease was clearly growing. Shit. Slowing breath, Hira allowed herself to calm down. “Sorry Midoriya, you were just so timid, you’re really different from the rest of us so I found it funny you would even think of coming here. Sorry” Hira tried to be sincere, her grin even coiling into a dissatisfied smirk. “Come on, we have PE first and most of our class must be changed already.”

Izuku passed through the old school halls, his steps silent, breath shallow. If he were lucky then the class would have started by now, which meant he didn’t have to change in front of the other students. Izuku had hoped he could ask for a separate place to change, but everything with Suji had held him back from catching his gym teacher. He turned towards the gym door; eyes cast downward as he recounted the recent ‘friendly face’ he had made. Lips curling slightly upward at the corners, he quickened his pace.

Izuku stood still in front of the changing room doorway. The windowless door was dark brown from years of neglect, the wooden structure towered over his smaller figure. His slightly trembling hand clasped the bronze handle, it was smooth, but continued use has reduced it to a muddied shine. Pulling the metal handle downward, Izuku applied some pressure towards the worn-down doorknob. Rusted hinges refused to cooperate with his forceful request, He decided to lean forward allowing for his minuscule body weight to fall atop the wooden obstacle. Closing his eyes, Izuku pushed forward, legs pinned at the ground and arms bent at the elbow allowing his lack of muscle to assist. A groan from both boy and door, followed by the scraping of oak and lino, Izuku had finally gained access to the changing room.
Green sheet metal lockers lined the interior of the bleach white concrete room. Stepping forward Izuku was met with the familiar felling of concrete, hard and stable, he found it quite funny. Everything about this school seemed to be balanced on a paper card, things crumbled under a light touch, objects moaned at each action and yet it all seemed to hold together. A mocking laughter flew from his lips, this school was perfect for the boy known as Izuku Midoriya. Fragile, crippled and archaic. It was like the boy himself. Quirkless, someone who lived like those of the past, insignificant. Unneeded. The thought hurt cutting through his moment of hysteria. A knocking off the block of wood echoed throughout the concrete chamber. Izuku stood straight eyes wandering the dark obstacle before him, its murky brown contrasted heavily to the white stone and lime metal. Another knock, this time without a pattern but rather rushed. “Anyone in here?”.

The voice was stern, gruff, he sounded old probably around his fifties, it was clear the man had been a drinker with the gravel in his throat. Izuku realising the question was to him, was the lone boy in the white stone room. “Yes sir, uh, sorry just changing, I’m uh, I’m new. It took a while to find the gym sorry sir.” Izuku started off timid, his rambling gaining confidence he was only allowed while not under the man’s direct gaze. A gruff reverberated through the brown border as steps lingered onward. The steps acting as quasi countdown forced Izuku’s mind into a state of panic. Eyes travelled his surroundings till they fell upon the last unlocked locker. Bag still latched to his shoulder, he made an effort to change, calm down and sort through his upcoming supplies. The last few remnants of steps belonging solely to the green haired child.

At the gym, much like homeroom, he was received with a mix of curious gazes. A few snickering girls, and most of all, the overzealous embarrassment Izuku had exhumed from his anxiety ridden brain. Quirks were of course banned from the physical activities, of course mutants were given special privileges, but it was traded for a few freedoms. They were generally split apart from the core class, since Aldera was a rather low-class school the discriminated mutants unsurprisingly made up nearly half the class. Izuku could only assume the school was reflected in the same light. With mutants and a transformer/mutant hybrid who had somehow been given access to the other side of his quirk, the dominant half of the class went and played a game reminiscent of volleyball. There had been a second net placed 3 meters above the first, both had tears and holes, yet the colour and lining seemed to show that the netting was new or at least recently replaced. Deciding to focus on his own game of badminton with his very annoyed partner and smug opponents.

The first week had been a relative easy-going experience, apart from detention. He didn’t really fit into the rough crowd, most of the class could tell he was different. That didn’t matter much, Suji acted as a buffer for him, it was rather comforting to know he was being protected and he felt like she wanted to be around him. But why? It was a question that hung firmly in his mind, she had admitted to only meeting him that first day. Was she using him somehow? He didn’t feel like he was being used…maybe she thought he was rich? He shook his head, dispelling the thought. No, he was clearly living in a rough situation if the dirty uniform and his unkempt hair said anything. Izuku stood before the school gates, it was now Monday once again. Breathing in, he allowed his mind to silence. He had a test today, Izuku decided to think about Suji’s reasoning after he had finished his exams.

For the past week Izuku had kept to himself. Green curls always absent from the lunch hall. Emerald eyes unable to be spotted in the halls. Izuku spent his time on the roof, it was windy and cold, but he was used to that by now. Handing out flyers all morning helped him build a resistance to cold weather. Maybe he could say that’s his quirk, a slight resistance to extreme temperatures. A chuckle escaped his lips, he had caught himself doing it more often lately. The bell's chime rang throughout the ragged building, he had another test to take. Izuku through all his years only prided himself on one thing, hjs intellect. It wasn’t genius level or even considered ‘smart’ if most of the world is involved, but he had built his mind himself, he had gotten through obstacles through the use of his mind and purely his mind. So test week seemed like something he would enjoy from here on out, a way to prove to others that he isn’t useless, that he can have worth. Standing up, knees nearly groaning under the constant use, a hopeful grin spread across his face. Maybe, just maybe, he could make it.

Chapter Text

Katsuki was fucking pissed, well, more pissed than usual. He stomped towards the cafeteria, clothes loosely clinging towards his figure, his hands forced deep in his pockets, fingers closed in a death grip. He eyed the twin green metal doors leading into the cafeteria. In a swift and decisive motion that portrayed the appearance of a sleazy delinquent, he kicked the surprising loose and light metal doors open. As planned the sudden scraping of metal and moaning of rusted hinges brought the attention of the main student body. To most, the attention received from such an action would fluster even some of the most straight-faced individuals, but to Katsuki, his grin grew wider. He looked toward the students eating their daily lunch. All their eyes bore into him, some displayed annoyance, a few of the more stupid students even scoffed, he would find them later and remind them of their manners. His hands robotically twitched at the thought. Keeping himself composed, Katsuki glared towards them as he caught the eyes of the few who had the gall to scoff at his entrance. Looking back at the general populace, he saw it. The one thing found in every pair of eyes, it was tunnelled deep, grown, and fed over months, even years, of servitude. Fear. On most days Katsuki would have displayed a grin of superior might with glee. Today was different. He took a calmed stomp forward, hands still locked into the pockets of his trousers, allowing his quirk to fester and pour into his palm, ready for detonation.

“Where. The Fuck. Is. Izuku Midoriya!” Katsuki roared, his chin raised with inflated pride as he addressed what he would refer to as his current kingdom.

All eyes turned inward, faces of confusion and curiosity filled the cafeteria once the masses learned that Katsuki’s fury was directed at some other poor stranger. The extras all eyed one another, mentally questioning the whereabouts of Bakugo’s newest target. “Well?” he moaned, annoyance dripping from the word. He let a pause fill the already tense air, stretching out the silence as he awaited an answer. Nothing came. “You useless extras! You better not be hiding him! If you are!” A pop ended his sentence, hands that were once warmed by trouser pockets now exposed to the dusty air of the school cafeteria. Another pop, although this time it was far louder. A few of Bakugo’s previous meat bags jumped at the sound, likely from remembering their past experience. Those children knew to crawl inwards, to hide any trace of their presence. To fear him. Just like Izuku Midoriya would.

Izuku sat on the chilling roof of the school's main building. His lunch, as always, was wrapped in the confines of a blue organic plastic bag. Some guy in Germany had developed the polymer with the help of his quirk. The material looked like a regular plastic bag; he even mistook it for one at first sight. What was different was how it could heal itself from minor tears and cuts. It was easily the most expensive thing he owned. A light chuckle filled the solemn silence around him. It was funny to know that he used his most expensive object as a lunch bag. That something as rare as a living plastic bag was used to hold rice balls. Pulling out one of the white balls of fluff, he took a large bite through it, the fatigue of the daily morning run slowly fading. With each bite he thought back to the day he had received the bag, more of a pity present than anything else but he wasn’t one to complain. He kept eating, but his mind wandered over to the memory, it happened just a few weeks ago.

Izuku walked towards the Adalin Ads building, school was another two weeks into the future and he still had to buy a uniform. He let out a pressured sigh, with the uniform costs and rent coming up he was going to be stressed for food this week. Dammit. The yellow sign came into view, it ran off the electricity of one of the quirked users, apparently the guy was pretty well off because of it. Walking through the double doors, Izuku took in the silence as he made his way towards the cleaning cupboard.

As usual a few minutes into cleaning he was met with the quiet presence of some of the earlier workers. A slight nod and he continued his duty. Window to wall, Izuku made sure to clean each surface. Only half an hour into his cleaning, he had done a decent job as usual, soon the clacking of metal soles engulfed the comfortable silence of the office. Everyone in the office lowered their gazes, those in cubicles relinquished quiet breaths of relief while those in the sight of the doorway soon began to sweat, each drop only adding to the tension. Izuku was in the latter category, he still had to hover the last corner of carpet before he could leave, if he were caught rushing, he would probably end up having to visit Saisei the company healer. Usually their visits would be a quick exchange of how he received such an injury, which normally is a broken nose, then he would have it painfully healed. He let out a sigh, he didn’t hate Saisei, far from it, but she always gave him a look of concern, as if he were pitiful. It hurt every time he saw it.

Each step, a clapping of metal and ground as the sound haunted ever closer, Izuku looked upward only to meet the grinning disaster that was Clint. Short dusty blonde hair covered the majority of his skull, with shaven sideburns, a pure white smile and a highlighted jawbone. He held himself with effortless pride as he allowed his clothes to reveal his status. A fine maroon 3-piece suit with a pearl white showman shirt and a black undervest hugging his well-built figure. A silver watch built to betray the mechanical marvel it secretly held itself to be and it was accompanied by an assortment of golden rings, each of course being tampered with an estranged quirk, only adding to the image of wealth.

Blue ocean eyes set themselves onto forest green. the forest was shaking from the ocean breeze as fear met pride and pain. “kid quirkless.” Clint spoke with a calm yet gruff voice as his lips twitched in knowing excitement. ‘kid quirkless’ was the nickname he gave to Izuku, with the rest of the staff he at least used their names. Izuku swallowed the anger as he took a step forward already knowing what was next. However, before he could even move, he felt a weight on his spine as he was pushed towards the ground. Catching himself with his hands, he landed on his already aching knees, he went to stand up only to feel a cold hard-flat surface step onto his head pushing his forehead into the recently cleaned floor.

Clint looked on with a predatory gaze as he stamped the kid quirkless into the concrete, the fucker had the balls to look him in the eye and not bow on the spot and apologize. He needed to be punished. With the majority of his weight balanced on his right foot, the one currently pressing into dirty unkempt green hair, he allowed his left foot to leave the ground a tad. With a near silent grunt escaping the child and the looks of pity that followed it from all those present, Clint deemed it enough for now. Releasing the pressure from his right foot and slowly dragging it off the boy's head letting any dirt from the shoe become mixed into the forest of hair. Pivoting on his heel Clint turned towards the stairs, and with a shameless bounce in his step he made his way out, glad to have relieved some stress so early in the morning.

Izuku awoke in the clutches of one of the two hospital beds housed in the A-A office. Vision still blurry, but he knew the room inside out. He had spent enough time at the agency to know those pulsing blue lights, made to make people feel calm and safe, or those hero posters plastered across every wall that are supposed to remind people that heroes will save you no matter the danger. They were supposed to anyway. He took another look around as his eyes cleared and his mind gave a dull throbbing pain. Looking down upon his person, Izuku spotted the copious amounts of bruises adorning his appendages, some were new but most were a few weeks, even months old. Shifting himself so his legs neared the edge of the bed, he slowly pushed forward allowing gravity to control his descent. His feet unimpressively buckled under the weight of his sluggish and battered body, Izuku fell forward just as the doorway opened.

Saisei was having a surprising good day, her hair was easy to brush and mold into her signature bun, her clothes felt comfortable as they hugged her figure and she had woken up feeling much like the 18 year old she wished to be. Only if she was #$ years younger. She had journeyed to work by her usual bus, which came just as she entered the bus stop becoming an added bonus to her nice morning, and despite the few lecherous gazes she felt from men and teens accompanying her on the public bus, her mood stayed bubbly and optimistic as she took the gazes of lust and desire she received as a compliment rather than in insult. She stepped off the bus as she hoped forward towards the agency building ready to start the day, although most knew her as the agency's private nurse she had a bit more to her job than just healing whoever Clint chose to beat up which, as appalling as it is, tended to be izuku. She felt bad for him of course, he was quirkless for one which despite everything she should believe only showed how much value he lacked in today's society. With her mood slightly soured at the thought of the green haired kid, saisei stood at the office doors. Only for her mood to drop from nice and joyful to downright horrified.

Izuku fell down as the doorway slowly opened, his face met with the linen floor for the second time that day as his limbs gave way to gravity. He went to look upward at most likely Saisei when he felt something land next to his head. It wasn't heavy or hard, I fact it was rather light and seemed to mold itself to his skull as it draped over his sight like a curtain, crackling much like a plastic wrapper and a familiar sensation of cold soon flooded his senses. With his eyesight blocked by a green layer of material other than his own hair and his ears drowning in the cascade of creasing and working of said material as he squirmed from the pain of slamming into the ground once more.

Saisei looked at the fallen child, the frozen peas she had retrieved lay on his head as they slowly consumed his green curled locks. Dammit, that probably added to the pain he's under right now, it’s bad enough her quirk doesn't work on the unconscious, the fact that she's made him feel more pain than needed caused a wave of guilt to flood her system. She was a nurse and an adult yet she lets a goddam kid get beat nearly everyday. She knelt down, not caring about her modesty or the fact her underwear would show, and in all honesty even if he did snip a peek she wouldn't have minded, she considered it an apology at the least. What! She was a single and lonely adult, forgive her for having a dirtier mind than most.

Breathing out a stressful sigh, she cleared her mind and gently carried Izuku back to the main bed, He was awake but his eyes seemed unfocused almost like he wasn't even there. Maybe it would be better that way, if he wasn't completely lucid then the pain might not be as severe. Setting him onto the chair, she watched him clutch onto the cold green bag, for whatever reason Saisei couldn't bring herself to take it from him, the bag itself was pretty expensive and she was being stupid to use it only for carrying frozen food. Looking at the boy he seemed like a stray cat, lost and alone. She didn't like that, why would his parents push him to work here if he came home beaten and bruised. She wanted to get child services involved and even Senasa showed interest. There was an issue however, whether it be his quirkless-ness or by some other unknown factor whenever the name izuku midoriya was brought up an official investigation came dry, it left her to wonder who his parents were. Then there was Clint, he would always be around to stop anyone from helping the boy, Senasa even had to stop being openly affectionate to him after Clint's jealousy took hold and he snapped the poor kid's arm in half. She had secretly called the police once to investigate but they let him off with a warning to never break the boy's arm again, which he did right after they left as a show of anger and childlike maturity.

Broken from the slippery slope of self loathing she heard a cough from the green haired child. Gosh he looked so thin, Clint must have done a lot more internal damage than she realised. Grabbing a soda and a pack of crisps from the side table she reached out to the slowly waking boy. Healing him had taken its toll and with him being barley couscous she wasn't surprised to see him fall asleep as quickly as she did, his eyes closed as his hair obeyed the laws of the universe, shadowing his features. With him regaining his bearings, he reached for the food provided, his usual show of objection gone. Taking slow and meaningful sips of the soda between bites of crisps, he slowly ate and drank in silence as Saisei watched on with a motherly care she was rare to exhibit. She cared for the boy, more than others may realise and despite the pity she felt for his circumstances she wouldn't have him any other way. He was polite and humble, and although clearly intelligent and mature he never bragged about such things, choosing to remain in the background silently cleaning the office with a discipline that was lost on other people his age. She stared him down, unable to notice the sense of pity she broadcasted with such a gaze and how belittled he felt. She wanted him to grow up happy, not whatever this was, he barely ate and she would sometimes have to feed him before she could even begin to heal whatever Clint had done to his malnourished body. And the scars.

She knew that he tried to hide them, he did well enough at the start. Clint had sent him into the infirmary with a goddamn dislocated shoulder. The boy had passed out from most likely pain, laying on the bed still as a statue, the only sense of life was the slow and subtle intake of breath and rising of his chest. He looked so peaceful. She had undressed the boy down to his waist in an effort to not only relocate his shoulder but to also see if any other injuries were present, god knows Clint can go wild, that damned quirk of his. Her brow knitted and eyes became slit as she glared down at the myriad of scars along his torso. Something wasn't right. Her quirk allowed her to heal others even better than Recovery Girl, this meant no scars, no lasting damage and no sign of an injury ever taking place. This meant he had to have taken care of these himself, which begged the question. How did he get these? These cuts and burns that littered his white skin must have been from a quirk, she knew that, but who would be able to do such a thing to him. Clint only got away with it because Izuku was his employee and as a whole didn't have much protection within the law. Parents were the first thing to come to her mind. Her vision blurred as tears filled her vision, was Izuku not even safe at home? Even if none of these scars looked new, the fact they were deep enough to scar and that someone had even burned a good portion of his left shoulder left a horrible taste in her mouth. She solemnly promised to look after him that day, even if it was only through food and comfort. She would no matter the cost.

Izuku opened his eyes, light pouring in as he did but he felt no pain or the usual sudden need to blink. It seemed like he had kept his eyes open the entire time, already used to the light, but only a moment ago did he realize he was actively awake. The feeling was common, times when he felt too weak to continue or his heart was too shredded for repair, he would just shut it out, all of it. He sat upward, confused as he felt no irritation or pain but he put that thought away for now, looking around he found himself still tucked away in the infirmary. The blue pulsing lights brought a sense of warmth he lacked at home. There was no sign of the nurse, only a green plastic bag sat atop the side and a contrasting pink sticky note attached to the handle. Leaning forward he snipped the note with his fingers pulling it towards him, he was slightly shocked to see it fail to relinquish its grasp on the bag as he ended up dragging both towards him. He peered into the bag and found a few cups of instant ramen and some snacks. Confused, he looked towards the pink note. ' Izuku take this bag home and eat it up, I was able to heal you while you were semi lucid so I hope you don't feel much pain. Keep the bag, I think the color suits you, it's from Europe and costs me a pretty penny so don't lose it. P.s. if you try to give it back I won't heal you for a week.' Izuku grabbed the bag and shifted himself off of the bed, luckily not face planting for the third time today. He stepped forward as he reached for the doorway.

"MIDORIYA!!!". Izuku jumped at his name, dropping the second rice ball he had only half eaten onto the ground.

Chapter Text

Izuku didn't have time to respond before Bakugou’s fist was thrown into his face. Izuku moved a step backwards only able to get so far on reaction alone, his left foot lost ground as he slightly fell backwards, adding on with his earlier movement and Izuku was close to falling on his butt. Even if his falling didn’t do anything to help him dodge the attack, the force of the blow was softened. Izuku slammed into the ground much harder than he expected, his gaze was losing focus and his lungs lost their grip onto his breath as his spine flew into the railing. With his back slapped against metal bars, his mouth gained the familiar taste of copper, Izuku eyed the rampant boy who once again lunged towards him with a feral grin and a sharp almost chaotic look in his Ruby eyes.

"Midoriya, who the fuck do you think you are?!". His fist once again impacted with his cheek however the distance Bakugou had to cover allowed his punch to lose force, Izuku still fell to the ground, but he was pretty sure his teeth and jaw were still intact, for someone in their teens Bakugou could hit hard. Izuku looked upwards, his eyes only able to make out spots of colour and a fuzzy shape of his aggressor. A moment passed, Bakugou steadily walked towards him, his arms now tucked into his pockets. Izuku’s eyes slowly gained, he looked towards Bakugou knowing his type lived off the attention and if he decided to look away or focus on something else, it would only enrage him further. The boy sneered at him, teeth on show and Izuku couldn't help but compare him to a hyena ready to pounce on rotting flesh. His rotten flesh. Expecting an answer, Bakugo pulled his hands from his pockets only slightly and allowed his palms to pop. Izuku only tensed at the noise, the sensation of heat and pain mixed together brought memories he would much rather forget. Bakugou grew impatient at Izuku’s unwillingness to answer, sweat became fuel to an explosion as he slammed his fist onto a clear patch of concrete just a few inches from his face. With now ringing ears and his other senses preoccupied with either pain or the all too familiar taste of copper, Izuku slowly brought himself to his elbows. Legs too petrified in fear to move, muscles refusing any instruction, halting in place allowing for the fear of being trapped with a deranged living missile to wash over his already flooding system.

"Well? Answer me fuckface!" Another explosion, placed only a few centimeters from his left ear. Izuku’s breathing became rapid, his eyes gazing off to the distance. Bakugou, slightly confused at a response no one had previously shown to him, backed off, although he kept his guard up and eyes trained on the green haired student . Izuku, noticed Bakugou’s semi retreat, electing to calm himself before he spoke, he settled his breathing, looking into the eyes of yet another person who seemingly hated him for a reason he couldn't decipher. He looked around the rooftop, only hearing the echoing steps of the few students who had attended the roof at lunch, so much for help. Another pop, and his eyes scarily focused onto Ruby iris.

"W-what do you mean? I-umm I'm izuku midoriya'' his voice was only slightly above a whisper, his lungs refused to expand and he felt himself short of breath. Another pop, thanks to his distance, Bakugou's quirk didn't scare him as easily now, but it was far too close for comfort.Seemingly not happy with his answer, Bakugou stepped forward, his hands pulling on Izuku’s shirt collar. Whether it be Bakugou’s lack of control or the instability of his sweat, his right palm ejected another explosion. Izuku soon found his eyes blinded and pained with a slight burning sensation. He pulled shaky hands towards the crevice of his cheeks, rubbing any lasting pain as he allowed his eyes to re-adjust. The pain was fleeting and although his vision was slightly blurry he could stand, wobbly, but he could stand.

“I know that dipshit!, who do you think you are? getting better test results than me!” Bakugo roared, the nervousness of losing control for a second, only adding more fuel to his endeavor. Literally. The boy he was looking at was meek and seemed easily frightened, perfect for a punching bag. Long uncut green locks shadowed his features and his frame looked to be that of skin clung to a skeleton with no indications of having any muscles, if he wasn't so pissed right now he might have felt bad for the weakling. He noticed Izuku curl onto the floor, anger boiling over as his prey refused to answer such a basic question, and had the gall to ignore him. “Stop being a Useless Dog and answer me”.

“Izuku, stop trying to be like your brother and sister. You will never be someone as great as them. You're just a useless pet.”.

It was only a moment, a single moment on the school rooftop, but one Izuku dreaded with every fiber of his being. The colour of his surroundings were ripped from his sight, different shades of grey looming over him. The face and body of Bakugou dropped into a black pile of murky sludge, it only stayed that way for an instant before it wobbled and defied gravity, rising up. What rose from such a substance was all he ever feared. Short shoulder length green straight hair attached to a face much like his own, but far more feminine, eyes of lime green tucked under black mascara and a smile so fake one could assume it was made of smoke and mirrors. The figure only took one step, but the walls to Izuku’s mind fell. Mind numbing pain was all that remained as colour washed back onto the scenery and the deathly form of his mother warped into the spiky blonde mane of Bakugou. Still slapped against the concrete, hands suffocating ears and tears burning eyes he lay there, fear all encompassing, echoing pains of his past all too present as his mind fell one more chip away from shattering. The sound of metal that was forced to scrape concrete and a mixture of sounds remained as colour faded once more and his mind went to rest hoping to escape the spectors of his past.

Suji rushed towards the school rooftop, hands frantically gripped dull iron railings, her feet pushing herself forward, skipping a few steps at a time. Her face flushed white with fear and filled with unease. A desperation rarely seen by one so young. Bakugou was after Midoriya. That single sentence sent her hairs on edge, she knew someone like Midoriya would be no match for Bakugou the kid didn’t even have a-. No, she promised her dad not to think of him like that, it wasn't right. She focused on the steps, skipping them 2 at a time as she pulled on the railing to fling her body onward. She felt tired already, Suji herself wasn't in peak physical condition, he quirk didn't require her to be fast or strong so she never put in the effort, she made a note to start working out after this.

Nearly slamming into the metal doorway, Suji quickly peeked through the slightly open doorway. She didn't even have to focus on the pair to know, the loud bang alerted her and likely most of the school of the situation. Midoriya had been found, which rang through the school on the Monday lunch. Even with Bakugou's history of torment and the school constant leniency, he never went over a certain line. Midoriya's ear was clearly bleeding, the blood drops contrasting with the grey floor, he sat there, staring at his tormentor, confused by his features. Even Suji was confused, why had bakugou gone as far as to likely permanently damage the new kid. Her eyes opened in possible realisation, did he know? Did he know of Midoriya’s disa-condition? Her thoughts never got their answer as Midoriya sat in silence, his eyes trained onto the blonde and his body rigid. Then came the scream, a scream of one who was about to die, someone who knew true fear. His chest expanded as his lungs forced air through his throat only adding to the pressure of his painful roar. His hands went straight to his ears, his left hand cupping in the blood letting it pool from the gaps in his fingers. Midoriya fell to the floor, body curling into a ball, breathing relaxed and silent, the echoes of his screech bouncing in hallways and down the stairway only reminding Suji of the horror she had witnessed. Bakugou looked even more confused as he hesitantly took a step back, hands reflexively pocketing themselves. Suji rushed out, deciding bakugou was likely too shocked to attempt anything to her right now. Passing the blonde she kneeled down towards the boy, bare hands hovering over his body ready to pounce at any sign of a seizure. As much of a curse her quirk was, she wouldn't lie and say she wasn't grateful for them in these situations.

Her mother was a nurse and her father a blacksmith. An odd couple for sure but they were her only parents. Her mother had a quirk perfectly suited to her profession, the ability to control one's muscles and organs with a touch. It may seem villainous at first but her mother is proud of it. She was great in situations where a quirk or persons mentality would disrupt an operation. Her mother Hisami Suji worked to forcefully constrict patients, all things considered Hira saw her mother as an idol. With a quirk others would fear and pity, she took it and used it to save nearly over a thousand lives. To Hira her mum was a hero in all but name. The only negative was how her own quirk seemed inferior to her mothers.

Her father was an ordinary man. A blacksmith raised to forge and born to bend metal. A simple man with simple dreams that he fought tooth and nail to obtain. If Hira’s mother was an idol then her father was seen as something of a symbol. He was born quirkless, something that wasn't as rare as it was today, yet he was still treated as inferior. He was anything but. Her father had told her stories of him out classing others in the field of Smithing, even if they had quirks more than suited to the task. Even if they could make theirs faster, last longer, or sharper. None came close to the level of craftsmanship Kazama Suji displayed.

Izuku Midoriya was just like her father. Quirkless, she knew even if he didn't tell her. The way he made himself hide away in the background, the tucked in shoulders, the slow silent breath, the lack of showing off in class. She saw his grade, most did, why else would bakugou want to hurt him, he got a higher mark than the blonde, some random nobody beat a U.A candidate in academics. The whole school was shocked, especially when bakugou got 298 out of 300 while Midoriya aced the entire exam, it just doesn't happen. She could only respect the person named Izuku Midoriya, quirkless and pushed down, only to come right back up and show them his worth. Her chest would thump whenever she saw the boy, she had only known the guy for a week but she couldn't help it. Her ideal guy was someone like her father, strong, dependable and kind. She wasn't likely to find someone like him again.

Time slowed as teachers funneled onto the rooftop, an ambulance already on call and about to arrive. She hadn't needed to use her quirk once, he just flopped onto the floor and froze. Mumbling too quiet to hear and breathing far too calm and controlled for someone who had screamed bloody murder and then some. The teachers escorted her and bakugou out and into the corridors below, a phone call to her parents and only a few minutes later she was on route to her home with her father. Little did she know that this would be the last time she would see Izuku for a long time.

Izuku slowly woke up, he was used to this feeling, the world wrapping itself around him as he tried and failed to come to his senses. Nose filled with something similar to bleach, eyes blinded by white, all manner of touch flooded by an ache and echoes of pain. What was new was his hearing, something was off, the usual ringing was there much like the rest of his senses but it was shifted, uneven, he turned his head towards the right and the looming sounds of shuffling dulled, moving his head in the opposite direction only had the opposite effect. Something was wrong. Half the world was silent while others raged on, it was a new feeling, something Izuku had never felt before. With the discovery of this new sense, or lack thereof. He quickly brought his mind to full speed, his torso rising while propped on shaky elbows.

Nurses had arrived not a minute later, prompted by his increasing heart rate they entered the room in haste, only to find the green haired child slung off the side of the hospital bed, iv and cables the only defence from his somehow magical connection with concrete. It wasn't long after, maybe an hour, that he was told the sad reality. He had suffered a concussion, nothing new, but the action that had caused the injury had also severely damaged his left ear canal and his hearing is likely never to heal again. Izuku grabbed at the bed restraints once the sentence left the passive looking nurse, she seemed to not care about his condition at all, she and a few others had even gone as far to treat him slightly rough in their care. A needle hastily jabbed here, the bandage on his face pulled too hard there, and they all seemed to ignore his presence in the corridors making Izuku and his magical connection to the floor grow somewhat.

The worst part was how long he was set to be there. The school had paid for his injuries thankfully, but at a severe cost. He had to sign and nda with the bastards. His knuckles grew white around the bedsheet at the thought. Bakugou would be let off scot free and Izuku would not only lose his place at the school but he wasn't even given a recommendation for another place. He was just thrown to the side at the cost of his medical injuries. He wanted to say they could screw off, that he would sue them. But with not only his head slightly jarred, he had no money to sue, no lawyer to help and no grounds all because of one thing. Quirkless. Everything is different for him because he doesn't have a fucking quirk! If his quirk gave him green hair then he would at least be treated as a human being, not some trash bin that wandered too far from the alleyway.

The glass heart gained another chip.

Chapter Text

Izuku slowly stepped up the stairs towards his apartment. Green locks blocked his line of sight, water droplets devoid of his attention. His clothing soaked, the burns from Monday still showing through. Today was Thursday. He probably should have been grateful they didn't dispose of his clothes, he would rather this than going back in whatever they had in the lost and found section. Accepting his fate, Izuku continued up the stairs towards his apartment, the icy wind only farthing he wanted for home and needed to be dry. His eyes met the brown wooden doorway of his not so sweet abode, a yellow note plastered to the wood drew his attention. Curious, he pulled the note from his doorway, now noticing the plastic sleeve used to contain it and likely to protect it from the rain, Izuku opened it with delicate fingers noticing the importance of such a thing.

Evicted.

No. No no no no no no no no………..

Izuku clutched the ragged clothing loosely covering his chest, his shoulders rose and dropped at an increasing speed, the corners of his vision slowly turned black. He fell to his knees, ignoring the pain from the sudden drop as his head followed with his body and connected with the floor. His hands clung to the outskirts of his ears, trying to drown out the mashed and scrambled song of the world, a sound he was reminded had half its audio missing. Eyes, somehow dry and yet dripping with a bleeding emotion. Fear.

He couldn't go back, not to the streets. He could handle the mouldy food, scraped from the innards of alleyway rubbish bins. He could handle the haunting frost and the nagging rain. He could even handle the sorrow filled stares that found him through the alleyway. No, what he couldn't handle were the others. The other homeless people, the men too fed up with life to care about the law. Or the feelings of a young child. He couldn't handle that feeling again, the pain that continued the tamale in places one shouldn't have to experience. It nearly broke him permanently. For a short time it did, as the few months were washed away by the weekly visits of vulgar men, no matter where he would travel to no matter how far he had gone. They always returned, he wouldn't realise at first but the sound of metal unceasing or a slow zip unfastened would give it away. Then there would only be pain.

He would rather be beaten bloody by those horrid people than suffer THAT again. He would rather… he would rather die.

A moment of clarity consumed him, the once shaky, almost unstable rise and fall of his back became slow and organised. His eyes once washed over with fear; fear of a past one would give everything to forget, that fear cleared as emerald eyes focused. Forest green turned lime as rain continued to beat down upon his back, his soaked clothes stuck to his skeletal figure. His head rose, Izuku watched the rain fall, silently, each drop reflecting the face of a broken boy. The broken boy who had decided he suffered enough. A broken boy who would rather die than suffer again. So that's what he would do.

Izuku had pushed through life, through the dark swamp that was his preteen years. He had pushed through the sewers of his early teens and he was only halfway through the desert that was his young adult life. Izuku thought he had found an oasis in the dry desert. A vast pool of clear, sky blue water, surrounded by a mesh of green grass and life. Trees stood tall, light brown bark layered its outside like scales, all to protect the treasure at the top. A sigh had been placed on the outskirts of such a paradise, it was the adalin ads logo.

Thats what it was in the end, a paradise lost in the never ending sea of sand and dust. Even clint, the horrible man that he was, only accounted for a small burnt patch of land that was the oasis. It had given him a home, a way to earn and eat, a way for him to have a future, a way to push through the rest of this desert. Where he could finally find a home, a real home. All it took was crossing this ever expanding desert and he was free. But that small burnt patch, hidden in the vast expanse of greenery, became red and orange once more, eventually burning down the oasis, his oasis to the ground. That was it, he was done. If the world wanted him gone so much then why fight it, why even try.

Izuku opened his eyes as the world around him seemed to change. No longer at his old apartment doorway, the lined doorways disappeared as he found himself staring down upon the city that had caused him so much grief. The sun was rising, had he been here all night? Why wasn't he cold? No, he was, he could feel the shiver in his limbs, the still wet clothing shift and stir as the chilling wind wrapped itself around him. His green hair pulled down blocking off most of the sky around him, the only view given to him was down below. The ground. It made sense, just fall and everything would be over, the pain, the loneliness, the fear and dread. Just snuffed out in a moment. All he had to do was fall, so why was it so hard to take even a step forward.

Izuku looked towards the rising sun, his eyes slightly burned at the image, but the view…it was magnificent, he wouldn't mind if it was his last. A moment passed, lost to time and a black silhouette emerged from the sun. A shadow cast down towards Izuku, helping to cover his already shrouded face in darkness. It continued its approach, growing in size while shrinking in distance. Noticing its very obvious speed, Izuku quickly turned with his body once again under his command and ran towards the exit. Of course with his body being in the horrid shape it was he only made a few short steps before his body gave out. With a short eep, Izuku met with the concrete...again.

All Might landed onto the desolate rooftop with almost no time to spare as he became shrouded in a puff of smoke, it parted like a curtain to reveal a husk, a figure too hollow for what it represented. He glanced around the rooftop, seemingly glad for the lack of attention...until he saw wide lime eyes stare back into him. He continued to stare in disbelief at the boy laying backwards on the rooftop, a face of equal confusion resting on his features, he was short, clearly no older than 13 yet despite his young age his eyes held despair one shouldn't ever have to carry. He knew those eyes, his master held them with her just hours before her de… Toshinori hung his head, chastising himself on comparing a young boy to his own teacher.

Noticing the silence of the boy, Toshinori stepped forward, making sure to move as openly as possible, despite his clear lack of academic intelligence, experience has taught him to always be calm and slow when it came to talking and interacting with frightened individuals and if a boy collapsed onto the floor he was likely Scared by his sudden appearance.

"Hello young boy." He kept his voice low, more like he kept his voice as calm as possible, with only one lung he struggled to project his voice unless he was in his buff form. The boy reacted to his calling, slowly creeping back a desperate pleading look on his face. Noticing the boy's discomfort, he stopped his slow advance and moved to sit onto a metal exhaust. The boy relaxed as soon as he did, maybe the young boy thought he was a villain who had a quirk that could change him into another such as AllMight himself? Aizawa had thought such a thing a month ago when he first appeared at U.A, this boy needs to know he is the real deal or at least not a villain using the appearance of AllMight as a disguise.

"It's alright young boy, I'm not an imposter or a villain...its probably hard to believe but I'm the real deal" The child tensed as soon as he spoke, but confusion and fear turned into confusion and curiosity as he finished, Toshinori could see gears turning in his mind and he allowed himself some rest as he waited for the boy to process and react, he had the time, with his time limit done for the rest of the day and the slime villain captured by that new wood hero,Toshinori had some time to spare.

The child, very awkwardly, sat forward. With him sitting somewhat upward Toshinori could see his clothing and figure, it wasn't something he would have liked to wander across so early in the morning. His clothes were clearly damp and ragged, the noticeable creases and patchy holes were a dead give away. The clothing allowed Toshinori to see one more thing about the green haired child...he was starved, kid looked like he hadn't eaten in days, the clothes stuck to his nearly non-existent figure and all it did was show how famished the boy was, eyes sicken in, arms as thin as his wrist and a waist smaller than Toshinori's buffed arm bicep. Just looking at the child was painful. Why was such a young person even doing one rooftop so early in the morning. The more toshinori thought about the situation the more questions would reveal themselves, it was tough but during his mental monologue it seemed the boy had finished his own.

"Is your quirk that buff form? Kinda like a transformation quirk that makes you super strong?" The question made things much simpler, he could just say that the boy was correct and that he had a limit and be on his way, thinking harder Toshinori realised that this boy had given him an out for his quirk, he could just say his quirk was a transformation type similar to gigantanizm. He thanks the gods for giving him such an easy out, until he saw the boys gaze. It was cold, almost threatening, maybe he should leave out the limit.

"Yes, it's something similar, I can't go into details but you're smart for figuring that out so soon" the praise rolled off of his tongue, rehearsed and the young child seemed to pick up on the stale way he expressed it. Maybe he should have been more genuine with that comment. Toshinori was about to come up with a no doubt ingenious excuse to leave, but the boy's hand extended, it trembled under the wind. His fingers were pearl white, delicate like a while rose and held no strength, it reminded him of ….. First his master and then her, why did this boy seem to remind him of his past so much.

"Can I see your hero ID, that way I know you're telling the truth." It was odd, but Toshinori saw no reason to lie, his bony fingers latched onto the thin metal in his cargo jeans and revealed it to the boy. He walked forward, holding out for the child to grab, even if he tried to do something with it Toshinori knew he could get a replacement in a matter of hours, it wouldn't be the first time this would have happened and likely not the last.

Gazing back at the boy Toshinori watched as he inspected the metal ID, lime eyes traced the object with keen enthusiasm. Toshinori mentally tossed the idea that he could have handed the boy a well made fake, it was plausible, with the quirks being what they are he had no doubt there was someone capable of making a near identical copy. Of course there was one failsafe in every card to prove its genuine to the hero commission.

"What's your hero name again?" The question surprised him, how did this child not know of the symbol of peace? Toshinori was so taken aback by the idea of a child not knowing his identity, he failed to remember his hero name was on the card he just gave to the boy. Without thinking further, Toshinori responded to his question.

"How don't you know who I am? Not to sound pretentious young boy but I am the symbol of peace, AllMight". The second he uttered those words realization dawned upon him and he knew this child was far too smart for his own good. The card glowed a bright white as a 12 digit code displayed itself just a few centimeters above the plastic. It was the secret identification all heroes received in the multinational heroes Union. How a child knew top secret information blew his mind as he stared at the Greenette, most likely with a dumbfounded expression slapped onto his face.

"Y-your the real AllMight! What are you doing in Japan? Why are you in mustafu? Am I in trouble now because I know your quirk?". Shoulders were compact and arms were frozen as Izuku stood to attention, facing down japan’s-no, the world's greatest hero. Not only had he revealed he knew classified information, he had also revealed the man's quirk…. He was so getting arrested, maybe that isn't so bad. He could have a permanent roof and be fed daily…

“Young man, i’m not arresting you”. A bead of sweat traveled his sideburn, just thinking about how, ok the child was with being arrested of all things, it scared him. The boy was still locked together, he seemed rigid in form and even a buffoon such as himself could tell he was rigid with anxiety more than actual fear. Once he had spoken up the boy seemed to deflate, shoulders drooping showing off the little amount of muscle he owned. His knees started to bend and shake, whether it be exhaustion or the cold, he didn't know. But this kid was dangerous, he was smarter than he originally let on and he knew far too much.

“I apologize, but I have to get going. It was… it was nice meeting you, young…?”. An Eyebrow raised, even if he planned on leaving quickly it wouldn't hurt to get the boy's name and if he was lucky then Nezu may have some information on why this kid knew so much. Looking back to the boy, Toshinori watched as he stared blankly into his ocean eyes, it seemed he was a bit slow on the uptake.

“Your name, may I know what it is?”. The boy jumped, or rather lurked forward at his insistence. His eyes wash over in a jade so milky he almost thinks it is white. The shimmer of emerald only peeking from the eclipse. Toshinori knows, he knows he should leave him be, he should just accept his silence and move on knowing his secret is 1 person more closer to being revealed. He doesn't follow his gut today.

“Your name.”.

“Izuku Midoriya.”.

“Midoriya? As in ”

“Yes.”

“That explains it. But I only knew him to have 2 children. Are you a nephew?”

“No...I'm his son, he didn't want me. Because, because i'm quirkless.”

“Quirkless? It's been awhile since i've met a quirkless person.”

“AllMight?.”

“Yes Mirdoriya?”

“I have a question, I just don't know how to phrase it.”

“Go ahead young midoriya, I can answer your question but then i'll have to leave, i've got some important things to go through today.”

“Ca-Can a Quirkless person ever be like you. Someone who can make the world a better place, can a quirkless pers-can I be like you.”

The air stilled, the wind frozen in time, the sounds of life becoming a distant white noise. It was as if the world was watching, waiting, pushing him to answer. But he couldn't give the boy the answer he wanted, what he likely needed. A HERO'S life is dangerous. A quirkless person couldn't survive and he would be damned if he sent a boy to his death when he could do something else to benefit society. The wind once again pushed forward, the sounds of the city becoming more distinct, the world moving on, accepting his decision. Whether it be the right one he hoped to never truly know, Toshinori was always a coward.

“No, you can’t.”

“So just because you have a fancy power I'm useless, my brain, my body, you’re saying it's all useless because I can't punch a man through a wall or scream loud enough to shatter glass or turn into some mythical animal.” The child fell to his knees, arms dropped to his sides, hands scraping along the floor. He looked like a doll without its strings. He couldn't see the boy's eyes, his green hair made sure of that, the wind only allowing for the sight of his mouth, moving in quick speed. It was like the boy was doing some sort of indentation from one of the magical manga Naomassa’s nephew keeps going on about. He reached out a hand, merely an inch or so from his head. Toshinori was always a coward.

Retracting his hand, he moved towards the doorway. Turning once more, Toshinori looked towards the drenched child. A sigh slithered from his lips, eyes downcast and head lowered.

“There are many jobs that can benefit society, but I’m sorry, you can't be like me.” Pulling the eroded handle, tugging at the metal. Toshinori left the roof, mentally reciting the boy's name, adding it to the list of people who knew his true form. It was a short but valuable list.

Cold, vulnerable and damaged. Words used to describe himself by whatever mess his mind had become. Words licked at his skull, wracking around, forcing images into his eyelids; memories. Even AllMight thought he couldn't do it. The man who could do no wrong, the man who became the hope of society, who made evil cower, who gave a new meaning to justice, who said he wouldn't. No, couldn't become someone that others could rely on, he couldn't be someone who mattered in society, someone irreplaceable.

The wind beat his tattered clothes till they became dry, hardening as they encased him. The shivers died down, his body finally accepting the cold at the cost of limiting his movement.

A sneeze echoed through the air. Only furthering the feeling of loneliness.

What was the point of this, of him. Was he just fodder for some rich man's business? Was he going to be a point in another person's rise to glory? Why could his siblings be given golden paths to follow, while he sat at a dead end. Cause that's what this was right? A dead end? His end, if the majority of people believe that he can't be who he wants to be, what's the point in continuing on with who he is now.

Should he just jump? The question seemed to beat at the back of his mind, making its presence known. He entertained it knowing it would only push him further into the pit he had been born in. Would his parents even find out? How would they take it? Hina and Tanaka would probably be upset, they probably didn't even get told that he was abandoned. Probably assumed he ran away. He did, just not from them.

It was midday now, he could tell from the noise. It polluted the silence creating catastrophe in his ears, the wind only aiding in the ringing the abundance of noise caused.

Should he jump? How far down would he need to fall for his death to be quick and painless. Should he go headfirst or just fall on his back? Could the wind blow him into the building?

Blinking similar to the shutter of a camera, Izuku found himself half over the small block of concrete the building pathetically called a wall. The alleyway looked so tempting, just one push.

All he heard was the slapping of wind against his ears, the beat of his heart a thunderstorm in his chest. Eyes unaware to the impending doom, his fate sealed.

The body landed on a dumpster that had long been forgotten, neck snapping in the fall, head seeming half fazed into the ground. An island in the sea of blood. The few animals nearby fled in surprise. A lone black cat leaves the alleyway, spooking the few people walking nearby.

No one checks the alleyway.

Chapter Text

The room was too small for her taste. Sure she could fit her bed, piano, personal make up booth, her desk and a few dozen shelves for her books. But it didn't seem to give her enough room to practice with her bo-staff. Maybe she should ask father to see if he could turn one of her closets into a personnel training area. Then she could do training even when she isn't in the main training area with Sabuki-Sensei. She could use the area for her quirk training, it would be a great place to make cannons and speed up her creation process.

Doors opened to what the occupants called the first dining table. Ivory pillars held up the silver bordered glass ceiling as it allowed light to pour in and reveal the room's features. Red silk covered the surface, it was lined with gold as it weighted the crimson silk to the saharan wood table. The walls displayed mosaics each depicting a member of the Yoayorozu family, her fathers being directly opposite to the oak doorway. The room was finished off with a small army of servants as they rotated around the room, silver platters of food in hand each holding a delicacy they themselves will likely never get to experience.

“Daddy dearest.” A tight smile, eyes softly open with no visible marking of ever experiencing stress or sorrow. Ebony hair left to flow with her strides, not a single split end in sight. She walked with a grace many forgo in their lifetimes, back straightened to reveal a bountiful cleavage. She was covered in a sage green robe, hugging her figure yet deforming her silhouette as she stepped towards the octagon shaped table. She allowed her hips to sway, beads of sweat forming on the heads of the male servants, the man she addressed smiled warmly knowing what she was about to do.

“Yes cupcake?”. A pet name he had used since her birth, affectionate, which meant she was alright to ask. The tight smile widened, eyes gaining a shimmer as she wiped the hair from her side behind her ear. Taking the seat to his left, she leaned forward making sure she was practically attached to his left arm as she looked upward into her softening father's eyes.

“Daddy, can we turn one of my closets into a personal training room? Pleaseeee.” Her father sighed, the smile still attached to his lips, head moving to the right as if trying to pry itself from his daughters unrelenting affection. A moment later he turned back, eyes more solid.

“What will happen to the clothes? And which closet would it even be? Surely you thought this through before asking, right cupcake?” He closed his eyes as he spoke, the smile becoming more stretched, voice more condescending the further along in his questioning. She turned her head to the side, her features collapsing as she mentally went through each of the questions.

“Closet 7, it has all of last season's clothes, we could even give them to a nearby charity as a way to help our families' image. Please, daddy. You know how much I want to become a great hero. ” the final sentence seemed to force the man to fold, sighing once more this time without his endearing smile. He pulled a servant from the side with a wag of his finger. The servant leaned forward, ear just shy of her father's mouth as the muffled whispers of her father filled the now awkward silence. A moment later and the servant retreated, a silent but curt nod and he was off towards the double oak doors, his stride long and swift, clearly in a hurry to follow her father's command.

“Father?”. His head turned at the lack of affection, his daughter's stare was almost frightening, almost. Closing his eyes he allowed his head to rattle, mind suppressing the stress his only child had caused. He had only built closet 7 last year and yet she was already asking for it to be refurbished into a training room for her to do who knows what. It was only made worse by her obvious change in mood, stop giving her attention for one moment and she starts to become as cold as ice. He shook his head once more, fingers squeezing at the bridge of his nose

“Momo, dear are you sure? We just had the fourth closet built not too long ago, besides why not just use the main training room where you have lessons with Sabuki?” She began to pout at his insistence, her eyes becoming cold. She waved her head to the side, hair she had previously pulled behind her ear falling to her side. She turned to leave, her hair swatting at her father's fingers.

“Fine, I'll just ask mother about it.”. She turned to face the door, her steps deliberately slow, the steps of her slippers only adding to the effect. Like a clock each movement seemed to sound like a timer, ticking, spelling his doom. A smile pushed her cheeks outwards, only small in size yet a smile all the same. She reached for the door, a small amount of sweat forming at her brow, he was taking too long. She pulled at the ivory handles, the oak following suit, a smooth and eerily silent movement and the treasure filled corridor entered her sight. Her smile becoming more strained with each second passed, she stepped forward finding herself in the wide corridor more than the dining room.

“WAIT!” She stopped, pivoting on her right heel, back to the doorway and corridor and now in sight of the now standing Gin Yaoyorozu. Her smile was brought back full force, her cheeks slightly irritated from the over use. She ran forward, slender legs peeking from green robes. In one movement she found herself hanging from her father, showing him in praises. He took to them kindly, repeating ‘thank you’s and the like.

“Daddy you're the best, i'll make sure to tell mother about you deciding to help support a local charity, im sure she will be delighted to know.” He waved her off, balding head shiny with liquid fear. Knowing Aoi would likely go overboard and create a second gym on top of whatever momo had planned. He found himself airing his stress for the third time in less than a full minute, he loved his two girls, but they came with higher costs than the company he had inherited.

He watched as his daughter ran towards wherever she assumed her mother to be. The moment of serene silence crumbled as a buzzing made itself known, the table that held the device became a catalyst to drag Gin’s attention from his daughter to the second most stressful part of his life. Pulling the device to his ear, the phone automatically connected the call.

“It’s been far too long Mr.Yaoyorozu, I was starting to believe you were trying to hide from me.” The threat was clear, and he found himself somehow manifesting liquid fear over his entire being.

“Sensei, how could i ever hope to hide from you, i've been busy the past few weeks, my daughter has started to become more...excitable with her recommendation to UA. Once again thank you for allowing my daughter to pursue her dreams.” A small cackle escaped the speaker of his phone, the echoing beep of a machine filling the silence that followed. Gin found himself gripping at the crimson silk, his phone pressed into his shoulder as he waved to the servants to discard from the room.

“No, no, I must thank you, your hospitality and your willingness to help dispose of certain...failed assets has been greatly appreciated. Can I assume that next month's shipment will be delivered on time? I would hate to find out that your daughter had...lost her value, hero and woman alike.” The once overly warmed skin, icened, blood retreating in fear as skin became a sickly shade of white. With his blood he found himself losing strength as his hands shook, the silk creasing under his shivering grip.

“Of Course Sensei. I’ll make sure it's delivered on time to the usual location.”

Momo strutted through the central plaza on her way towards the front gate. Her milky green robe, swapped for a cream turtleneck and green skirt. Her slender porcelain legs now covered in a thin layer of tights as her feet slid into knee high brown boots. A small black purse hung from her left shoulder, her right hand clasping the strap, a golden yet simple watch adorning her wrist. She waved to her personal butler, who she had chosen to refer to as sebastian much to his displeasure. He nodded in understanding at her gesture as he pocketed what seemed like an old fashioned flip phone and made haste to the front doorway.

“Milady, where shall we be heading to today?” A curt bow, right hand resting above his torso pocket and a pale white rose peking from the fabric. His century old hair showing no obvious signs of regression, the snow white hue being the only reminder of his age. Much unlike his employers, his now raised head revealed a myriad of strokes in his skin, cracks at the sides of his eyes and an ocean of folds above his permanently crossed brows.

“Shopping, Father has allowed me to turn closet 7 into a new training room and as such we will need to go and buy some supplies shall we not? Thinking of, I should probably get a new yoga mat as well, I’ve had the pink one for nearly a month now and the colour is already showing signs of use. Maybe I should also see about getting some new gym we...” The young lady proceeded to monologue, her pace becoming faster with her speech as it proceeded to quiet into a pleasant hum of thought.

He walked towards the currently parking limo, his steps far wider than usual in an effort to out pace the young lady, who had started to speed walk in her lapse of concentration, or rather her concentration on today's events rather than the impending vehicle in front. It was times like this that he saw the inner child that the young lady saw to compress, as her teaching and thirst for knowledge had blossomed, the child-like wonder and excitement had turned into only a tool for her to use against her own father. But, in moments like these, where she would retreat into a world of her own and allow the mask to slip, it was these few moments he had begun to appreciate.

“If I get a new staff then I'll have to learn it’s specific structure in order to be able to create replicas which would make it harder for me to upgrade my base gear. In that case I’ll have to ask Sa-”. A white gloved hand found its way to her shoulder, a second black sleeved arm hovering over her stomach as she found herself face to door with today's limousine. Turning towards her personal butler, a small smile pulled at her lips mouthing a small thank you as a blush took over her facial functions.

Sebastian gave her a cheeky grin, emerald eyes shining in obvious self enjoyment. He outhed back a ‘anytime’, going along in her little game of badly played secrecy.

Shopping was a usual chore for the servants of one Momo Yaoyorozu, Sebastian, now a mountain of paper bags, a range of colours, from the punk pink to ocean blue. Each bag filled with supplies, clothing, a few newly released books, some more clothes and some more clothes.

The young mistress had seen to it that they visit every store in the newly opened kiyashi ward shopping mall. Despite most of the shops having sister stores in locations the young miss had already visited. Breathing a sigh of relief, the mountain of bags claimed three more, forest green paper boxes filled with, most likely, the store's newest trainers. It was the last store on the second row, and the last store they had to visit. Nodding to a second much smaller mountain of bags, their limousine soon found its way to the southern entrance, the opposite of where they had started their shopping spree turned mall buyout.

Momo casually strolled down the surprisingly empty sidewalk towards her now crowded black limo, the new hire and driver of the vehicle stubbornly pushing through the excited crowd in an effort to reach her. She turned to what she thought was Sebastian and…. Whoever the other person was. An eyebrow raised as she tapped her foot in silence, allowing for the piles of goods to crawl closer.

"Sebastian, have you and...that guy fill the limo with what I've bought, from what I can tell, there won't be any room for me afterward so please call another limo to pick us up." The biggest pile of her newly bought belongings did a small dip, in what she guessed to be a bow as the highest bags almost tipped forward. She moved to the side allowing the small mountains to trudge their way through the herd of commoners and make their way into the vehicle.

"My lady, apologies for the crowd, they refuse to give space for you to enter. If you wish I can call for the mall security to disperse the crowd." His head was hung low, even more so than his bowing posture allowed. His right arm covering his right breast pocket, just like Sebastian he held a white rose inside as the petals peeked over. He was slightly shaking, his knees clearly about to succumb to the weight of his body and whatever he had imagined that weighed on his back.

"It’s fine, mother says common people tend to be attracted to things they can't obtain, so I think it's fine to let them look. Anyhow I'm not riding in this limousine anyway." She looked downward, her head naturally rising and basking in the glow of the sun as she did. His knees bent slowly, he didn't even look upward yet it seemed he knew what she was doing. It felt nice, as usual. A moment of silence passed, Sebastian had already become visible through the cracks of paper and cardboard.

She turned towards the second pile of goods, much smaller than Sebastians yet still a formidable thing. She caught it’s attention with a wave of her hand, the pile humorously turned over, a peek of orange hair capping above a special fluorescent green bag. Momo pulled her left arm upwards, her arm horizontal to the floor as her palm closed into a soft fist, her right index finger tapped at the top of her wrist, as she pulled a sloppy angered expression. It seems to be a good enough motivation as the pile closed in on Sebastian's side and in just a matter of moments she could see the face and beard of her servant.

“My lady, the second car has arrived for your pickup. I’ve instructed Futsu to head with the first car while we use the second so he can keep an eye on your luggage.” He eyed the young lady, her head tilted to the side as she stretched her smile and gave a blank almost accepting face.

“He’s the other man who helped with your luggage my lady.”

“The ginger one?”

“Yes...Miss did you forget who he was? You do know he has been around almost as long as i have.”

“Of course, Sebastian, I would never forget the name of my most loyal staff, Fatso is one of my most prized manservants.” Her features never faltered, she straightened herself and set about moving towards the rear limousine. Sebastian sighed, aching arms raised as he pinched the bone of his nose and shook his head in tandem. He lowered his head as his eyes searched for his young mistress….only to see her closing the door of the car, he soon jogged over towards the passenger side as the vehicle started to move.

Momo sat slacked, right thigh over her left as her hands clasped together rested above her knee. She looked towards the skyline, towering cuboid structures encased her vision. Rows of neon and colour blasted her senses as they drove past a small turning, people of all shapes and sizes were frozen solid as they all peered to the sky. Curious, Momo followed their dumbstruck gases as her irises followed fingers till she came across the sight of an almost floating giant. He passed the sun in only a moment, it was as fast as blinking as missing the entire encounter. But, she saw it, saw him.

“ALL MIGHT!”. She lurched forward, her chest becoming tight against the polyester sash. She shot her head forward, eyes trained on the rear view mirror and onto the sight of a now trembling...it didn't matter what his name was. She breathed deep, her shoulders allowing the tension to flow as she openly sighed, scooting herself back onto her seat as elegantly as her lack of patience allowed. Undoing the clasp and sliding it over her likely bruised figure she swung her legs to the door as it opened at her motions. Sliding sideways and allowing for ease of access, she slid over to the edge allowing gravity to assist her escape. She walked round to the passengers door, Sebastian already chewing out the idiot beside him.

Tapping at the glass for a few moments she allowed Sebastian to slowly turn his head, a smile spread to her lips, her eyes lighting up from its previous dullness as Sebastian jumped backwards with a gasp. The window soon found itself retreating into the doorway, a mechanical hum accompanying it.

“My lady, I apologize for his...sudden mistake. We were both surprised when you screamed ‘all might’ that we failed to notice a cat come running from a nearby alleyway. I once again apologize for the inconvenience. May I, Young Yaoyorozu, ask why you decided to scream ‘AllMight’ so suddenly?” The young lady turned her back to the car, an arm rose to her chest, the other’s elbow resting in her palm as the other hand shielded her face from the yellow glow of the evening. A quiet groan filled his ears, Sebastian turning to the lady, left eyebrow raised and curiosity getting the better of him, he asked a question burning in his mind.

“What cat? I don't see it, and you don't need to know if you haven't figured it out already.” Her arms dropping slightly yet still crossed under her chest.

“The young lady isn't planning on trying the hire AllMight as a personal chauffeur, is she?” She stiffened, her sleeved arms falling to her sides as fists closed with enough pressure to shake. Spinning round she once again came face to face with her manservant, a small smile to his lips as the man behind him paled.

“I won’t lie and say the thought hadn't crossed my mind….but think for a moment, what possible reason would i have to scream all might out of nowhere in particular?” Sebastian pulled a white gloved hand to his chin, softly stroking the small beard and allowing for his mind the wander.

“Well, my lady, I would assume you thought of an answer to a question and that answer being AllMight that or you saw him. But, with how he was seen in tokyo just yesterday it would be more likely that he was an answer to a question you were looking for, perhaps about your qui-?” A small *Slap* caught Sebastian off guard, his mistresses’ hand was connected to her face as her brows crossed and her smile dropped.

“He’s in japan, Sebastian. What question could possibly have an answer of ‘AllMight’ and yet be of such possible importance that it would make me, Momo Yaoyorozu scream like a 5 year old. Other than ‘Who was jumping over us just now?’ hmm, well Sebastian?” Palms faced away from her figure as she placed wrists to hips with the accompanying beat of her foot to the sidewalk. Sebastian felt the hair on his neck defy gravity, collar become tight and hands sweat beneath silk.

“Whatever. Sebastian, tell father that the imbecile behind you is fired and that I'm going to walk home instead of having to deal with such reckless and unintelligent overpaid idiots.” Pivoting on her heel, turning towards the incoming traffic of people, she gave some of the closer people a glance.

A Blonde tenager, probably around her own age. Hands clamped to his pockets, he walked with a clear arrogance and a wide toothy grin, head slightly raised to the sky it was nearly as naturally done as her own. He turned to what Momo assumed were his friends. A pudgy teen with dragonic red wings, head unusually shaven. He was floating ever so slightly off the ground, he swung around the group of three facing the final teen. A red headed girl, clearly distraught as she yelled at the blonde, only receiving a shoulder in return.

Momo continued to watch their silenced argument with bright eyes. The redhead had taken to openly screaming at the pair by this point, the blonde still completely ignoring her, the pudge teen acting as a buffer, both figuratively and literally, tried and failed to calm her. It seemed to be all the blonde could take as a bright white consumed Momo’s vision, having been looking directly at the explosion she found herself blinded with feet staggering to a stop. A multi coloured inky blot remained in sight as she watched the girl storm off with a noticeable clap of her shoe, turning her back to the boys and face Momo, she walked away.

Removing her straying eyes off of the red haired girl she attached them back onto the cause of her curiosity, the blonde boy had taken to kicking an extremely old bottle, the beverage inside having turned a murky green over its neglect. She turned to leave in the direction of her estate, curiosity satisfied, eyesight returning fully.

She came face to chest. Standing in place she displayed a monotone expression to the sentry stood Sebastian. Leaning her upper body to one side, she gave a quick glance to empty pocket of air her limousine had recently taken. Pulling herself back straight she continued to stare at her butler, eyes narrowing each moment that passed.

"Is there a good reason why your still here?" Crossing her arms and rapping her shoe along the sidewalk. Having taken up enough off her precious time, Momo swiveled around her manservant, her pace large and her steps fast, she paced towards her estate.

Sebastian turned to follow, knowing the young mistress would rather he stay silent instead of echoing her father's words. He took two quick strides allowing for him to catch a suitable distance to his liege, soon falling into step. Only travels a few meters, both came to a sudden stop, the new sounds of small pops becoming a blast. Both turning in theatrical fashion they bore witness to the high street engulfed in a moss coloured mass.

Only a moment of silence, deafening to those present. Time slowing for all, the mass of sludge spreading further and further along the sidewalk, buildings being consumed in all directions.

Then the silence went, and in came the screams.

Chapter Text

Hands clasped ears, as her head fell to her knees and she found herself half sitting onto the floor. The waves of rings consumed her hearing, she couldn't open her eyes as the flashes of explosives filled the street so she was stuck there, mind battered by her flooded senses. She was only there for a few moments, cuddled into herself like a fetus locked in its womb.

The ringing of an alarm turned into that of a clock tower, with the temporary slowing yet sounding more monstrous with every tick. Her eyes settled as the white flashes fell into the darkness of her eyelids. She forced her eyes open, crusty from debris and dry to the air, it took a few quick flaps of her lids and she could make out the hazy daze of a battlefield.

Cars broken from the weight of debris as green sludge littered the sidewalk, the sounds of bombs detonating just a few blocks away. Her throat hurt from the Ash that had seeped into her lungs and her nose became useless with the pungent smell of charred flesh.

Rising on buckling knees, her neck whipped around for the sight of Sebastian, knowing he was next to her just moments ago. She checked the few bodies nearby, seeing on casual clothing covered in a slimy red. Stepping forward to see better she tripped, knees unable to support her leaning weight she fell to the ground.

Not caring for the pain in her legs, Momo tried to stand, her arms buckling under her upper body weight despite its surprising muscle. Looking backwards towards the object she had just tripped on, Momo met the open eyed, gaping face of sebastian. Crawling back in fear, hands slightly cut on the clutter of broken specks of glass that lined the street. Far too fearful for even pain to remain present she pushed herself onto her boots, shaky in her steps and rushed to the sidewalk hoping to use the buildings as a latch for balance.

The sounds of police cars meshed with the still booming ringing, it was only offset by the audia palpation of her heart to her chest, each beat a melody to calm her. The smell of bodies never waved however and was a constant reminder of what situation she was in, using the wall of a still standing building as a brace. Momo limped across the sidewalk, her left knee barely holding her weight as her right pulled her along, her shoulder slightly scratching the brick as she passed.

Momo's clothes had seen little action, only suffering from dust and the hole that was opening on her left shoulder. Boots with soles that carried glass and knee length tights that had gained a few slashes but nothing that required immediate fixing. Hands slipping into her skirt, she pulled out her phone and despite its normally unnecessary protection, the screen itself seemed to be what she landed on as it was now more reminiscent of a church's mosaic instead of an actual phone. Pushing the device back into her pocket, Momo decided to find a safer space to sit down till the heroes dealt with whatever was churning up the street just two blocks away.

Eyeing the same alley way the car had stopped at, she limped onward, hoping that the living sewage thing would be dealt with sooner than later. Turning the corner and thankful to be smelling dumpsters instead of burnt flesh, she leaned against the only dry part of the wall, legs succumbed to gravity and she found herself dropping to the ground for the last few inches. Rubbing her hips as her knees wound inwards and her ankles met her shirt, Momo curled into a fetal position yet again, hoping for the local heroes to turn up.

Death arms walked past the civilian line, legs and stance wide as he made contact with the few police officers not currently engaged in a border dispute with the general public. He waved to one of the men standing to the side, who seemed to be watching as kamui woods grabbed theown debris.

"Officer, why would you call me out here? The villain is obviously immune to my attacks, why didn't you call a more suitable hero with a more usable quirk?" The loud voice carried over towards the officers, their shoulders quickly jumping at the sudden noise. Swinging round, they came face to chest with death arms, wearing his usual disgruntled face as the battle continued to rage on.

"You're the only other hero active in this area at the moment, the villain has a hostage and we were hoping you could rip him out of the sludge. It's the hostages quirk that is causing the destruction, not the villains so with you saving the hostage, we can better secure the villain." The man held his position, eyes trained onto the hero like a cat to a laser. They stood in each other's way, each refusing to move.

"I can't retrieve the hostage, the areas too dangerous for me to retrieve him safely."

"Your a hero, your job is to do the unsafe stuff when us policemen can't or die trying"

His face became red, ears heating up as he pushed and outstretched hand into the officer's jacket, allowing some of his strength to flicker. The other stepped back at his touch, his hand rising to the point of impact as his face mirrored death arms'.

"You're meant to be a hero, go do your job. There's a hostage with that villian, and because of your lack of courage, they might die. What are you gonna say to their family if they do?" The officer's voice had raised over the crowd at this point, multiple of the closer civilians watching death arms, eyes slitted and hands closed. It didn't take long for their voices to reach out.

"Get in there and stop that thing."

"He's right, you're a hero this is what you get paid to do."

"I'm telling the news about this, I can't believe you made the top 100 this season."

Death arms re-approached the officer, hands closed into fists, eyes ablaze. He reached round the frozen man's neck with his arm, hand catching the officer's shoulder as he pulled the man into a side hug, turning to face the crowd.

"Don't worry, he was mistaken, I'm just worried about his safety. Since when saving the poor hostage, we don't know if that sludge is poisonous. Don't worry civilians I'm right on it." Mouth pulled wide into a smile, his free hand turning into a thumbs up and aimed at the few phones already raised into the air.

He soon turned towards the mess that had become of the sludge villains rampage. Walking slowly Death arms found himself next to kamui woods and what seemed like a living fire hydrant, seemed more inclined with rescue than actual capture work so he didn't bother with his name.

"Kamui, what have you got in this guy and anyway I can safely get the hostage out?"

A piece of debris came flying towards him, barely reacting he caught the barrel. Feet slipping under the pressure of the throw, Deatharms threw the container to a nearby wall hoping to remove the debris from his path...only to have the barrel explode on impact and block a large portion of their exit with the fallen remains of a noodle shop.

"Did you just...ugh why did they even bring you here?!" Kamui swung round, arms sticking out like a wooden web, ready to stop any incoming projectiles as backdraft continued to suppress the flames as best as he could.

"You're a muscle head with no backbone, not an ounce of humility or a shred of heroic essence. I swear if a boy's life wasn't in danger right now I would be fighting you myself." Sighing he turned back towards the sludge villain, still in a battle to control the boy as flames spew from its body in explosive fashion, littering the sidewalk in sparks.

Momo, pulled down the fabric of her tights down to the top of her boots, exposing her thigh. Sighing, she decided she would rather explain illegal quirk use than leave her knees out untreated, only to get infected.

A blue glow illuminated the alleyway, contained by brick and dumpsters, a white roll of material fell from her thigh into her right hand. Stretching it outward she prepared to roll it around her knees, lining it up, a translucent liquid dripped from her wrist, and onto her exposed knees. With a hiss from each drop, she covered the open wounds in the liquid before forcing the bandage to cover it, white turning a shade of pink before being smothered in more material.

The sounds of sirens reverberated in the thin alley, mocking her, so close yet a sludge villain too far. Flames engulfed the other side of the alley, the orange light crossing over to mesh with her blue radiating glow.

“Yeah yeah, don't worry. Greeny is too busy handling the heroes to notice us and they'll probably assume he broke this shit anyway, so they really were protecting this stuff.” Gruff, and loud, a voice laced with years of beer and smoke. Surfing over the waves of sirens and flames. Momo stopped her creation, allowing for the bandage to cut off as the blue glow faded and gave way to the orange that had bordered it.

Glass shattered, the sound only filling hers ears for a moment before it was swallowed by the drowning noise of the droning battle. Another explosion of fire sheathing a road in a litter of rubble. Metal clashing, echoing through the brick wall, sounds of laughter soon enveloping the building.

“Gin, your a FUCKING GENIUS!” It was far from the deep commanding voice she had heard before, this one sounding like the owner had been plucked at a desk from her very own company.

“Shhh, what did I fucking say, no names! What are you gonna do if someone hears you?” The sound wracked the walls, like a shadow stretched along a road it became louder with each word.

“Well we just scare 'em and get them to stay quiet?” Higher pitched than his previous tone, a moan cutting through the followed silence as metal scraped against metal.

“Nah, with how much this shit is worth...I'd probably kill em. Heroes will be too lazy to actually look into it and probably just pin it on slimy.” A gruff laugh echoed out into the alley, a shadow carved into the walls yet still smothered in an orange hue.

Momo raised a hand to her mouth, eyes wide and wet, tears exposing the ash latched to her skin as it cut down her cheek. Hiccups hidden in hand and breathing becoming an unfocused beat against her chest, rising in tempo as seconds passed. Her throat became increasingly dry, the sobs only adding to the scratching feeling she received with each shaky breath.

Pulling her head into her knees, feet winding further into her skirt. A rusted dumpster blocking her immediate vision, luckily acting as a shield from whoever passed. Watching as shadows grew and faded, smothered in an orange glow as sounds of violence echoed through the passage. The sounds of conversation becoming quieter with each passing moment. Just when Momo lowered her rattling hand, a sigh thrust from her lips. A creature shrouded in black emerged from the adjacent dumpster, squeaks of fear trailing with it as it crawled onto the rusting tin lid.

She shrieked. Hands flew to the wall behind her, her back gripping its surface in an weak attempt to escape. Her boots slipping in the filth mixed liquid layered on the floor as she fell back onto the ground, a groan leaving her lungs, her hair now thoroughly matching her state of dress. The fading echoing sounds of the rodents retreat being the only comfort to her situation. Gathering breath, becoming increasingly difficult with the lack of fresh air to utilize, she once again sluggishly climbed the wall, using it as a source of balance.

Momo was given little time to rest however as a hand clutched onto her throat, tightening with each moment, limiting the already low source of air to her lungs and adding even more to the strain on her throat.

The hand had no noticeable body attached, only a thick white chain linking the wrist to something just outside her now decreasing vision. Her own hands raised, she gripped the chain with the miniscule amount of strength her body could offer, sight blackening, she tugged on the chain, only to have her body flung forward. Her throat being forcibly closed off by the weight of her body impacting with the now connected limb. Looking upward she saw the fist now connected to a body, stocky and tall she had to painfully raise her eyes to view the bearded face of her aggressor. Vision flashing a mix of colours followed a long shroud of darkness.

“-going to do with her?” Her eyes too heavy to raise, she settled for watching the reflection of two murky figures in the pool of orange-green cesspool on the ground.

“I’m go- kill -er obvi-” Finding herself losing the slither of consciousness she had somehow obtained, the world returned to black, the sound of metal clanging against the ground becoming the deafening silence.

Sirens rang through her skull, her vision returning in shutters. The sight of a boy, no older than herself, sprung along the floor, his green hair horribly pressed into the coloured water as his body was wrapped in deep red rags. She tried raising her own head, sight flickering into the darkness as she did, lowering her head once more she settled for the meek vision her left eye gave her.

The smoke seemingly vanished, her lungs thankful for some fresh air, sounds of sirens and movement faded in the background as the absence of explosions flushed her mind. Deciding that she could wait before freaking out about whatever she was currently laying in, Momo took to staring at the boy beside her.

His hair was a mix of forest green and a shade of black much like her own, cheeks sunken and his complexion ghostly pale with his skin becoming more flush the further down it was to the ground….wait. Straining her eye, she focused on the ground below his face, her eyes widening as pupils shrunk. It wasn't that his skin was more flush. His skin was so white it became reflective enough to...reflect the blood.

It was everywhere. She hadn't noticed because of how she was literally parallel to the floor. But just looking at the walls and she could see it, everywhere. Honestly it was more terrifying than the night before, how did an entire alley way get painted red in what couldn't have been more than an hour?
Pulling her arms towards her sides, ignoring the sensation of her palms being pricked by the pavement, she pushed herself upwards, her vision staying strong as she pulled herself into a kneeling position right next to the boy. Pushing him over, eyes slightly widening at the ease of it, she watched as red cloth covered his torso, holes and scrapes littering its chassis and his breathing shallow. Reaching for her phone she pulled the fractured glass of her device into view.

“Please be just the glass, please be just the glass.” Her voice barely pushing past a whisper, Arms sparking blue, tools dropped to the floor, splashes of crimson reaching her dress and the boy's skin. Reaching for the screw she grabbed the metallic object, pushing the tip between the metal enclosure and the mosaic of a screen, gently pushing the glass out of its enclosure. From then her mind almost went on auto-pilot, her hands moving without a second thought as she dismantled the few wires connecting screen and phone. Coming too, she was already placing the new screen into its socket tapping repeatedly at the power button on its side in a futile effort to make the machine boot faster.

Once a cyan glow lightly dusted her cheeks she shot up, arms raised and a smile expanding her cheeks. Raising the device to her ear, shoulders slumping at the cool glass flattening her cheek. An relaxed sigh later and she soon found herself tapping her foot in beat with the buzz of her phone.

“MOMO are you ok?! Where are you?! Tell him I sent the shipment on time!” The cool metal was pulled from her ear, a wince accompanying the gesture.

“I'm fine father, I was caught up in this weird villain attack. Me and sebastian...” Sight focusing, she looked towards the street, just out of view from the alleyway. Focused vision soon becoming blurry, Momo pulled a hand to the corner of her eyes, uncaring for the crimson she left behind.

“What is it Momo? Are you ok? I can barely hear you. Where are you and Sebastian? I'll come and get you both now.” His voice was soothing, rushed as it was, she couldn't stop herself from calming her at father's worry. But her throat tightened at the thought of her next words, eyes clamping shut.

“Dad. Sebastian, he...he.”

“Oh Momo. You don't have to say it.”

“But..but. It's my fault, w-we wouldn't have been part of the a-attack if.”

“Momo Yaoyorozu, did you pay for a villain to attack you?”

A closed hand pushed into the skin of her chest, her eyes shut and throat whimpering. Momo knew what her father was trying to do, she had done it so much to herself. But it really was her fault, she knew it, if they had just stayed in the car…

“Momo, honey.” Her head shook, eyes slitted open as she turned to face her phone. Pulling it back to her ear, and finding herself on her feet.

“Mum?”

"Dear listen to me. It's not. Your. Fault. Where are you? We're going to pick you up now, are you still at the villian attack?" It was soothing, calm but still filled with the sternness she was used to.

“I’m uhh, by Rishi corner. I think police have the area taped off...that doesn't matter right now. You need to bring Dr. Shuzenji.-”. Momo turned to the entrance of the alleyway, shadows lining the exit. “- I have to go, just bring Dr. Shuzenji to the site. Please.”

“Momo don't you dar-” Slipping the device into her pocket, turning to the boy she quickly knelt down to his side.

“-Else is going to be around? They all should have come over already.” A woman's voice, brash and monotone. Momo could see her silhouette land onto the left wall of the alley, she was taller and far more slender than her companion.

“Cmon now, someone might be stuck under some rubble. We don't even know how many peop-” Nasally and high pitched, sounding like he was speaking with a lack of a nose. Half of his torso patched onto the wall, their shadows causing a comical show of their physical attributes.

“Officer!” Her throat throbbed at the continued use, her hand instinctively covering the purple marks left behind. She looked forward, the entrance of the alley, just as the two officers passed by, the silhouettes creating poles of darkness, piercing the previously lit ground all the way up to her feet. And a moment later they were gone, their shadows with them leaving no trace that the officers had even looked for her. Feeling her stomach drop for easily the fifth time that day, Momo opened the front of her shirt, buttons ripping off with each tug. Her face red, eyes piercing the empty air of the entrance. Not even caring for her modesty anymore she pushed her quirk to work, a large cannon ball made of pure iron forming at her chest.

The only sound made in the next few seconds was that of a single bell. Reverberating throughout the labyrinth of alleys and pathways of rishi corner.