Chapter Text
Not all men are created equal.
“Stop it, Kacchan. Y-you already made him cry. I won’t let you hurt him a-anymore.” A boy with forest green hair and untameable curls stood in the middle of the playground, trying to keep the slumped kid with tear-stained cheeks behind him from being bullied. He had his trembling fists raised and behind dark brown glasses, the tears in his emerald green eyes threatened to spill over his freckled cheeks.
“Or what? Huh, Deku? You gonna play the hero?” An ashen blonde boy with spiky hair and piercing red eyes let a small explosion go off in the palm of his little hands. His two cronies behind him sniggered. “Let’s put useless Deku in his place.”
The greenette was punched in the cheek by the blonde’s small fist and what followed was a mess of explosions, punches, kicks, tears and screams from both the bullies and the bullied.
After laying on the ground for what felt like hours, the boy they called “Deku” got up and went home that day with a few new bruises and crooked glasses. This wasn’t the first time his friend had beaten him up, and it wouldn’t be the last time, either.
No, not all men are created equal. That was the hard truth Midoriya Izuku learned at the age of four.
***
“Mom, computer!” Little Izuku jumped around the legs of his mother. A toy figurine of the number one hero, All Might, was held firmly in his tiny fist.
“Again? I think you alone added a thousand views to that video.” Izuku’s mother, Midoriya Inko, wiped her hands on the apron she was wearing while washing the dishes. She followed her excited son to the small study of their apartment. After starting the computer, she pulled up the website that played all kinds of hero videos and clicked Izuku’s favourite one. “It’s a little scary for me to watch, though.”
Izuku’s eyes were glued on the computer screen, a wide smile spread over his face. The video was an old clip. In the aftermath of a terrible disaster, a hero saved everyone all on his own.
“Are you seeing this?!”
“It’s only been ten minutes and he has already saved a hundred people!”
“And he’s doing it while smiling!”
The voices of the people in the video sounded through the study. And knowing what came next, Izuku’s glee grew, together with his bright smile.
“Fear not! Why?! Because I am here!” A towering figure with bright blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes exclaimed and laughed while carrying several victims to safety.
“He is so cool! I want to be a hero just like All Might! I hope I get my Quirk soon.” Izuku was so excited that he didn’t notice the worried glance mom sent him.
***
“He should develop a Quirk.” They were sitting in the doctor’s office. Inko had made an appointment on the advice of their family practitioner, and after all the other children in Izuku’s kindergarten class had developed their Quirks, but her son hadn’t. Not even in the two months after his fourth birthday.
“If you take a look at the X-ray I took of little Izuku’s foot here, you can see that he is missing a toe joint. Early Quirk research showed that people who developed a Quirk were missing a joint in their pinkie toe. Humans have no need for parts they don’t use. So those without a second toe joint represent the next stage of evolution.” The doctor, Doctor Tsubasa, explained, slumped in his chair, looking indifferent.
“I see.” Inko looked down at Izuku, who was sitting beside her and beamed with joy at the news of getting a Quirk. She doubted he was still listening to what the doctor was saying. “Is there any way to find out what it is going to be?”
“Perhaps. If you don’t mind me asking, but you’re fourth generation Quirk-wise, yes?” The doctor was looking over some files as he asked this.
“Ah, yes. I can attract small objects towards me and my husband can breathe fire.” Inko answered while pulling the small All Might toy towards her hand. Izuku had dropped it in his excitement. He was mumbling to himself now, about being a hero. It was something he did often after he learned how to talk. And even before then.
“At the age of four, a child should manifest either one of their parent’s Quirk or a combination of both their Quirks. Has Izuku shown any changes recently? Think of physical and or behavioural changes.” The doctor inquired.
“No, not that I have noticed. Or maybe...” Inko trailed off, not sure if what she was thinking of had anything to do with this. Though, it was the reason their family practitioner had referred them in the first place.
“Go on.” Doctor Tsubasa prompted with a hand gesture.
“Well, about two weeks after his fourth birthday, Izuku mentioned a burning feeling in his eyes. But it wasn’t severe and ended after a few days or so.” The doctor was taking notes of what she told him. “After that, he would get headaches and be very exhausted at the end of the day. It becomes less during the weekends, though.”
Izuku had always tired easily, but the headaches were new. Inko remembered the day it was particularly bad. The school had organized a trip to the zoo and Izuku had come home very exhausted and with a terrible headache. Inko had tried to do whatever she could, but that evening her boy had cried himself to sleep, even with the highest dose of painkillers safe for children.
“Hm... It sounds to me his Quirk might be mental-based, given the headaches. But it could also have something to do with his eyes since he was complaining about a burning feeling. We would have to run some tests to be sure.” At the word test, Izuku perked up even more and had his full attention back on the doctor, who stood up and beckoned for them to follow.
“His eyes?” Inko asked, a bit perplexed, as she picked up her son, who was babbling incoherent sentences. “I thought a child would inherit their parent’s Quirk.”
They walked into a room with different kinds of equipment and another doctor stationed behind a computer. He looked up when he noticed them entering and smiled at Izuku, giving him a little wave. Which was returned shyly.
“Usually yes," Doctor Tsubasa said. “But it could also be that he inherited an eye-related Quirk from one of your or your husband’s parents, grandparents or even great grandparents. It is rare but it can still happen. And in very rare cases, a mutation takes place and creates a completely new Quirk.”
The other doctor in the room had abandoned his computer and stood beside Doctor Tsubasa. “This is Doctor Takahashi Daiki. He will conduct the tests.”
“A pleasure to meet you, missus...” Doctor Takahashi bowed politely.
“Oh, Midoriya Inko.” Inko returned the bow as best she could with Izuku on her hip. The doctor seemed to be significantly younger than Doctor Tsubasa, and a lot more enthusiastic about his job.
“And who is this champ?” He asked with a smile as he booped Izuku’s nose.
“I-I’m Izuku.” The small boy said with a shy smile of his own. Izuku took after Inko in that regard, always a bit timid around new people. But it seemed he was warming up to the doctor’s kind disposition.
After a short explanation of Doctor Tsubasa and a few instructions later, Izuku was sat on a chair on one side of the room while Doctor Takahashi pulled down a Snellen chart, used to measure visual acuity, on the opposite wall.
“Let’s start with a simple test, shall we?” The young doctor said and with a nod from Izuku they began.
That was how they spent most of their afternoon. One test after the other. Inko could see that after a while Izuku was actually having fun. Ever the curious boy he was, he would ask questions before, during and after each test, after he had deemed Doctor Takahashi safe enough to speak to. The last test of the day consisted of Izuku having to find hidden items in a dark room and then describing that item through sight alone. At the end of it all, Izuku’s Quirk chart was updated.
***
Name: Midoriya Izuku
DOB: 15 July 2169
Quirk: Perfect Sight
Has perfect vision, even at the peripheral of one’s sight. Distance does not affect the ability to see clearly. Able to notice small movements.
Has almost perfect visibility in the dark. Still able to see small movements, but has “normal” vision otherwise. Eyes reflect light when shone upon in the dark.
Drawback:
The extrasensory input is overbearing for the brain. This can result in migraines and exhaustion.
Heightened sensitivity to bright light.
***
“Kacchan!” Izuku was so thrilled to tell his friend about his Quirk that he almost tripped and fell over his own two feet. Ever since Bakugou Katsuki, or Kacchan as Izuku called him, got his Quirk, he had become a bit mean. Once, he read the characters for Izuku’s name wrong and called him Deku. Which meant useless or worthless doll, and instead of correcting himself he just stuck with it.
“What, Deku?” Kacchan scoffed and turned to Izuku. They were at the playground in the middle of their neighbourhood. The two who always hung around the blonde were there too. The one who could extend his fingers and the one with wings, Tsubasa.
Upon seeing Izuku, Kacchan’s brows furrowed. “What’s with the glasses, nerd?”
“Oh, I have to wear them because of my Quirk.” Izuku responded cheerily, unfazed by Kacchan’s harsh tone of voice or the scowl on his face. “The doctor said because I can see everything really good, I get headaches and get really tired. Oh, and I can see in the dark.” He added as an afterthought, smiling brightly and pushing his glasses up. “Now we can be great heroes together.”
Kacchan’s scowl deepened after that last statement. “Stupid Deku. You can’t be a hero with a weak Quirk like that. You can’t even use it without hurting yourself.” With those words, Izuku’s smile faltered. “Whatever. Let’s play heroes and villains. I’ll be the hero, you two will be my sidekicks.” He pointed at his two friends and then at Izuku. “And you’ll be the villain.”
Izuku opened his mouth to protest, but Kacchan had already turned his back to him, not noticing or just ignoring him. “O-okay, Kacchan.” He managed to say with a slightly defeated tone in his voice, but he tried to smile anyway.
When Kacchan’s Quirk came in, everyone had been in awe, Izuku most of all. Even at the age of three, he was fascinated with Quirks. So, when his best friend made small sparks in the palm of his hands, he felt proud. The teachers praised the blonde for having a heroic Quirk and said he would be an amazing hero one day. But like with every small child who just manifested their Quirk, he lacked control. And Izuku had the misfortune of standing too close one time. It was nothing serious, not even a first-degree burn, but it had stung nonetheless.
However, that little sting was nothing compared to what he felt after playing heroes and villains with his friends that day. He went home later that afternoon with several red spots covering his arms and one on his cheek. There was also one on his wrist in the shape of a small hand. Izuku felt sore, tired and had a headache. He had taken off his glasses at one point, afraid that their rough playing would damage them. The doctor had said that he didn’t have to wear them throughout the entire day, but the flashes of explosions, the flapping of wings and long fingers sneaking into his view proved too much for Izuku.
When he got home, he went straight to his room, only stopping to give mom a greeting. After removing his glasses, he flopped on his bed face first and winced when his inflamed cheek rubbed against the sheets. He wanted to take a nap, but as he looked at the All Might lamp on his bedside table, the words Kacchan had spoken echoed through his mind.
“You can’t be a hero with a weak Quirk like that.”
***
Inko was preparing dinner when Izuku came home from playing with his friends.
“Welcome home.” She called from the kitchen. But all she got in return was a quiet “I’m home.” before she heard a door open and then close again. He must have been tired after spending almost the entire day playing and wanted to take a nap before dinner, something he did every now and then. He had been so excited to tell Katsuki about his Quirk that Inko had to make him sit down and eat his lunch at a normal pace, instead of shoving it all into his mouth.
But something was off. Normally, Izuku would greet her happily. No matter how tired he was, he would always try to smile for her. Now, he went straight to his room without showing his always bright face. She decided to let him be for the moment and ask later, even though her mother instincts screamed at her to check on him. Katsudon for dinner should cheer him up right away. It was his favourite, after all.
***
“Izuku, dinner’s ready.” Mom said with a soft knock on his door. Izuku had managed to fall asleep and awoke to the smell of his favourite dish. Having Katsudon for dinner lifted his spirit somewhat. He grabbed his glasses and walked over to his bedroom door. When he opened it, Mom was waiting for him on the other side and as soon as she saw him, she gasped, muffled by the hands covering her mouth. That was when he remembered the light burn marks on his arms and cheek. He looked down, ashamed, and tried to hide his arms behind his back, Katsudon forgotten.
Mom just knelt in front of him and gently lifted his chin. “Izuku, can you tell me what happened?”
Izuku didn’t want to tell her what had happened that afternoon. But mom’s soft voice sounded so kind, so comforting. He relented.
“Kacchan said I ca-can’t be a hero with a weak Q-Quirk. And then we played heroes a-and villains and I-I had to be the vi-villain.” He hiccuped while tears streamed down his face, stinging his cheek. “M-mom, I want to be-be a super cool hero who sa-saves everyone with a smile, like All-All Might.”
Arms wrapped around him tightly and Izuku heard mom’s soft sobs. “I’m sorry, Izuku. I’m so sorry.”
But those were not the words he wanted to hear.