Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

TW: harsh language

It all started the day Izuku's dreams were shattered. It was a catalyst for the rest of events that took place afterward. Even though his heart felt as if it had been ripped from his chest, the young boy did not give up, he persevered seemingly grasping at straws in order to achieve his dream.

    As we all know Izuku would stop at nothing to become a hero, even with his quirkless diagnosis he refused to give up his dreams. He knew that he wanted to be like all might, that he wanted to help people no matter what... with a smile on his face.

    You see, although he tried seemingly everything certain quirks have specific activation requirements. Additionally, having an extra toe joint signified that his chances at having a quirk were nearly zero. But it's just like Izuku to beat the odds and go beyond. Despite the setbacks, he always seemed to do his best to move forward. Anyhow that is how this predicament began. A quirk that not even its user was aware of. Something that was waiting for the correct moment to spring into action and serve its purpose.

The first time it happened was when he had just started middle school. It's a rather foggy memory. He had been sitting on a tree by his house, it was nearly midnight, but he wanted to have a nice view of the stars, taking a break from all the overwhelming events around him. The constant bullying at school was starting to stress him out as much as he did not want to admit it. Izuku gazed at the stars with pleading eyes, hoping that his dream would come true and that by some chance he too could become a hero. Everyone around him told him to be more realistic but he refused to give up. After all, if Izuku could not help others around him what purpose did he have?

The first time was a complete accident, he heard a snap and everything happened in an instant. Spontaneously the branch of the tree gave in and Deku was falling, rather quickly I must say. He came down with a crash landing sprawled across the damp grass, his head smacked hard onto the pavement. while the rest of his body was cushioned by the grass. It was instantaneous, he hit his head so hard that his neck snapped, and he died... That's what was supposed to happen, but Izuku is not one to easily accept things.

As I said earlier, he is one to beat the odds, to overcome the impossible. And that's why rather than die a rather pitiful death he activated his quirk, one that even after the experience he wouldn't realize existed. In the darkness, Izuku saw a figure, within the fog of his brain he could barely make it out. But once he did see it he realized who it was. Sure, it had been years since he last saw his father… The last time he saw him was when he was 4 still dreaming of having a quirk. The last time he saw him his dreams were still close by. They weren’t crushed by everyone he told. He wasn’t pitied or looked at like he was worthless, a burden to society. Last time he saw him, the man loved him… That was until he left. He left because Izuku wasn’t good enough for him, because he was just a worthless Deku. A mistake in the eyes of society. Someone who was not bound to make it far. So yes, there was a time where his father loved him, but those days were long gone. With the quirkless diagnosis came so much more than his dreams shattering. It also stripped him of everyone around him. Made everyone deem him a mishap in society.

Certainly Izuku would not fall to this burden. To the hateful stereotypes of society. He never was a normal boy. Always striving to be a hero no matter how impossible his goals may seem. But to him? He believed he could do the impossible. because it was the only thing keeping him moving forward. His sole ambition.

Moving forward, Izuku saw his father in the haze. Why after all this time? That’s something he wouldn’t realize until much later. The young boy sprinted towards his father in tears the overwhelming sensation of seeing the person who had abandoned him being all too much.

“WHY?” Izuku yelled screaming at the man who remained with his back turned to him. Tears flooded down his cheeks and a fiery rage began to bubble up. Hurt poured through his veins as he looked at the first person who had given up on him, which soon became everyone around him. Even his mother would hint at finding something more “realistic” even though she loved him more than anything. Once he gave up on Izuku everyone else followed soon after…. nothing was ever the same.

The man spoke in an affirmative tone, “You know why.”

Izuku shook his head in denial, “No I don’t! Tell me!”

The man he once called his father turned around to face him and looked at him with a face of pity that soon morphed into disgust. “It’s quite simple really, you don’t belong. You never have, you have no use in society. My love for you died the day that I was shown how weak you truly are. You live in a fantasy Izuku and that will be your downfall. I don’t want to be there to witness it.”

Izuku shook his head rapidly and snapped “That’s a lie! It’s my life and I will be a hero. I can promise you that” Despite his unwavering tone, tears still poured down his cheeks. Hearing this from someone who was supposed to protect him did hurt, but he wouldn’t let it bring him down.

And with that the fog cleared.
Izuku slowly opened his eyes and blinked cautiously.
Ugh that was a heck of a dream. He rubbed his eyes and flinched at the dull pain in his head. He tried to get up but felt a bit light headed. Izuku looked down to see blood smeared across the pavement. He patted the back of his head just to feel a small amount of blood trickling down. That is when he came to the sudden realization that he had fallen down the tree.

Crap! That could’ve been really bad. He thought. Uneasiness still pooled at his stomach from the dream he had only moments before. The interaction felt so real, so fresh despite waking up. Little did he know that in only a few minutes he’d come to forget it.

It’s not unusual for quirks to have drawbacks, it is only a shame that Izuku’s were so grand.

Chapter Text

TW: BLOOD

Certainly one would think that a person would be better at avoiding situations that cause death but like I said, Izuku has never been "normal." The second time was not long after. His 8th grade year was a stressful one to say the least. High school was approaching and with his faulty record his hope was not as bright as it once was. Many of his teachers complained about him on school records, clearly something that would make most schools reject him. Additionally, he wanted to go to UA which was already difficult to get into to begin with.

After school Izuku had gone for a walk to clear his head. He enjoyed observing the scenery around him and spotting heroes at work. His walk lasted a bit longer than intended, what was only supposed to be an hour or two turned into a four hour walk. Sure, he didn't mind it but he got caught up watching a newer hero at work and watched them stop a bank robbery. Of course he took precautions staying at a safe distance to not meddle with the situation but it still took quite a while. Whilst observing Izuku took notes on the heroes quirk fascinated by what he was seeing.

Back to the subject... Izuku's walk lasted longer than what he expected. So much so that it was already 10:30 at night. On his way home a loud scream echoed from the alley beside him. He tensed at the sound of fear in the woman's scream and pounced into action. In an instant he ran towards the sound unknowing of what he would find. A lady was in trouble and there was no time to waste. Even without a quirk he was not going to let anyone suffer.

So he ran, faster than he ever had before. The wind pushed back against his face as he continued to sprint towards the origin of the cry for help. Once he arrived he saw a man pinning a woman against the wall holding a knife to her neck.

"Give me everything you have!" The man spat angrily. His voice rising dangerously as he pushed the knife closer to her neck.  She cried in fear pressing herself closer to the wall. His eyes glimmered a dangerous violet seemingly lighting up with his anger.

"I don't have- anything!!" She choked out terrified. Izuku wasted no time after hearing that without a plan he threw his backpack at the muggers head.

The man snapped turning his head towards the boy in a fit of rage. His blood boiled and he loosened his grip on the woman, turning to the boy with displeasure. The woman took the opportunity and scrambled away as soon as he loosened his grip. However his focus was now centered on Izuku.

"Psh what do you think you are? a hero" He scoffed abruptly.

"That's pathetic. You're gonna pay for that" The mugger added eyeing the boy. He jumped toward Izuku and pushed him against a wall. Midoriya tried to evade by ducking underneath him. However, he moved too slow a sharp pain stabbed at his gut. Izuku gasped in pain and curled into himself.

The mugger chuckled. "I can poison any inanimate object i hold. Good luck making it out of this hero." He mocked pulling the knife out of the kid's gut.

Izuku slid down the wall pain clouding his vision. He reached for his phone which had fallen only feet away from where he sat. But as soon as he tried to get up everything began to sway and black dots swarmed his vision. He felt a hot liquid bubble at the back of his throat and in an instant he collapsed to the ground. His eyes rolled to the back of his head. The poison was highly concentrated and a very dangerous dose. Combined with the stab wound it killed him rather quickly.

However, despite it being a rather quick death it wasn't instantaneous. It took a little longer than the previous time Izuku had died… So things were different.

When Izuku woke up his brain felt a bit fuzzy, and unclear. His head was ponding slightly and he looked around trying to figure out where he was. It was dark, he knew that for sure. Suddenly in the darkness appeared a figure. He focused on it, clearing his vision and at last he could make out what was in front of him. Yet his mind still felt foggy which was different from the previous time he had died… not that he remembered it.

"Kacchan?" Confusion swarmed him. What was he doing here.

Katsuki scoffed in distaste. "You don't get to call me that." He said in a low growl.

"What do you mean?" Izuku asked cautiously. Sure he sometimes scoffed at the nickname but.. this sounded different.

Kacchan refused to look at him. Averting his gaze for a moment and then finally looked up at him threateningly.

"Look. Why can't you just listen to me it'd be best for all of us." He spoke in a sickeningly soft tone one that was very unusual for him.

"Huh-" Katsuki cut him off in an instant.

"Don't you get it!? You will never be a hero, you have no quirk, you're weak." He snapped exasperated. He said it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Izuku frowned and stared at his friend thinking of what to say but his mind was blank. Static. This was strange… usually he could think of things pretty quickly, yet it took him far longer than usual to come up with his response.

"I don't care! I'll be a hero just like allmight no matter what! I can't give up!" It was obvious the answer was always there, for as long as he lived Izuku Midoriya would never give up on his dreams, saving people. However the pounding and fuzziness in his head hindered his ability to think. He blinked slowly and suddenly Katsuki poofed out of his existence.

The blackness dissipated and with a jolt Izuku woke up, in an alley. Mind you it was the middle of the night and dark out. He picked up his phone and scrambled to his feet when he realized what time it was.

"SHIT that guy must've knocked me out!" He cursed sprinting towards his house.

The following day he was very startled to find that his shirt was stained with blood and ripped in the middle of it. Izuku paled and tossed it out since he especially did not want his mother to find it. He was extremely grateful that the mugger hadn’t done anything to him…

That he remembered of course

Chapter Text

AT LAST
I feel like you guys expect this one but UA is coming right after this one! :)

Never did Izuku think he would come face to face with all might. And if he did never did he think it would be to save him.  So yes, it was a huge shock to him and a jump start to a life he never could've imagined. 

He was walking underneath the roof, in the alleyway not knowing what was about to occur. In mere seconds the sludge villain jumped out of the sewer hole and sprung onto Izuku, taking him as both a hostage and to invade his body. The sludge spoke to him. "Give in and let me take over stop struggling, it'll be less painful." However, despite the struggle Izuku refused to give in. He held his breath for what seemed to be an eternity. Attempting to flail and wiggle away just to earn a gasp of breath.

Soon enough he realized that he was not going to last much longer with this lack of oxygen. But he was stubborn... There was no way Izuku would give up his body as a disguise for a villain. That was the last thing he would ever want to do. So he held his breath, he kept telling himself just a little longer. Panic was coursing through his body making his heart drum across his chest.

Once again the sludge villain spoke to him. "Stop resisting boy, the quicker you give in the easier it'll be for both of us." Yet again Izuku refused to let himself inhale the sludge. His face began to turn a sickly shade of purple and he felt his eyesight fog up. His heart rate began to slow down despite how terrified he was of this villain. Slowly yet surely it slowed and slowed. Izuku became paler by the second. Yet even then he resisted against the villain clamping his mouth shut. Izuku went limp in the villain's grasp... and still did not inhale. His eyes rolled to the back of his head and he passed out. Soon enough his heart came to a stop.

This death took far longer than the latter. His racing heart rate made his oxygen run out rather quickly and rather than inhale the sludge, Izuku choked on it which got rid of his final air supply. He was dead in a matter of 4 minutes. It may not sound like a long time but it sure felt like it was. His brain was damaged, his lungs at their limit, and his heart was compromised

When Izuku woke up he was in a daze. He found himself stumbling in the eerily familiar darkness. He sat down and all he saw was a spider lily. He breathed wearily. Even in this dream world, it felt like his lungs were burning every time he took a breath, each one coming out shaky. Izuku blanked out and found himself staring at the ground.

"I can't believe you." A voice called.
Izuku snapped out of his daze and looked over to where the voice came from.

He blinked slowly and froze a moment. Around him were some of his classmates, the most noticeable one being Kachaan.

Izuku eyed them wearily unsure of what was going on. The pounding in his head was exhausting him.

“Hmm?” he hummed looking away from them.

“You still want to be a hero?” Katsuki scoffed looking down at him. Slowly, Izuku instinctually nodded his head in response. He flinched at the snickers that arose from his classmates.

“He’s serious!” His teacher mocked standing at the back of the room. Izuku avoided their gaze pitifully. Their scornful eyes burned him. He felt like hiding away. Despite that, he refused to run away. Despite the drumming of his head, the shaking of his body, and the tears that threatened to spill over. He remained sitting down his eyes avoiding those of his peers.

“Give up!” He heard a voice.
And then cheers of agreement echoed around the class.

He shut his eyes with perseverance that would not dim. He whispered, “Yeah I’ll be the best hero there ever was.” Within the echoes of laughter, he found himself drifting. His mind wandered and the haze suddenly vanished.

Static…

He heard a voice coming from above him.
Izuku shot up panicked and let out a shaky breath. He coughed a bit the burning feeling in his lungs still lingering even if only for a moment. Izuku’s memory suddenly blanked and he was left confused.

Breaking through his thoughts once more he heard a voice cracking through the static of his ears.

“Are you okay?” Izuku snapped out of his daze and nearly fell over at the sight in front of him…

“All might?! did I hit my head? this isn’t real right?” He whispered excitedly. He flushed realizing that all might had just been trying to talk to him for the past few minutes.

“You gave me a scare there, you weren’t waking up.” All might admitted with a chuckle.

“But don’t be afraid for I am here!” He grinned widely looking at the boy.

And well
you all know the rest.
A story that truly changed Izukus life upside down. Things that Midoriya used to only dream of coming to a reality.

Everything changed for him, for he believed he was no longer quirkless and so did everyone around him, even though the truth is he always had a quirk. Just one that no one knew about.

A quirk that tested his will to move forward when death came upon him and decided whether or not to cut his life short.

Chapter Text

The fourth time was the first that people around him began to catch on that something wasn't right...

Midoriya trembled in fear, a feeling of dread sinking into his stomach, a hand wrapped around his neck tauntingly. Four fingers tightly grasped his neck, and despite his struggling, they did not let go. 

Shigaraki... one wrong move, and it was done for him done. His neck would disintegrate, and he'd be gone, unable to protect his friends and a failure to each and every person in the mall who could suffer the same fate. 

"Understand?" Shigaraki threatened, maintaining an unsettling composure. 

Izuku nodded his head slowly, anxiety pooling in his stomach. 

"Good..." He grinned. 

"I have a question to ask..." Shigaraki admitted. Midoriya cocked a brow uncertainly. He tried to level his breathing and ease his trembling, he managed to bring it down to a slight shiver, but his internal panic was overwhelming. 

Izuku shut his eyes and took a breath 

"Ok, a-ask away." He cringed because his voice was a clear giveaway that he was still terrified. 

Shigaraki took that as a queue to tell Midoriya everything. "Well, well."

"What is the difference between me and the hero killer Stain? It's like he's getting all the glory and ideation when I've done equally grueling things." He said with a snarl. The thought of him just made Shigaraki sick. 

"Well. um, I've never thought about it before.." Izuku paused. 

"Well, think!" Shigaraki snapped his grip tightening around Izuku's neck. He flinched and pulled away in panic. 

"Listen, you pull something like that again, and I'll disintegrate you and everyone I can before anyone can stop me." He growled lowly. Deku's eyes widened once more, and he went limp in his grasp.

"Ok, ok. I get it." He took another breath to collect himself.

"L-look, I feel like Stain, and you are different. You, you're inconsistent. You don't seem to have an understandable motive, something people can understand. Sure, I disagree with it, but people can see where his motives came from. He stayed true to his ideals and set on one motive without backing off-" Izuku rambled.

"Hold on, Hold on! You're telling me we're not the same?! Me and Stain both destroy the things we don't like." Shigraki snapped, frustrated. 

"But... He held true to his convictions; he never backed down. All might being a main motivator for him. I, too, am inspired by All Might, but it's like completely different. You backed down at the USJ. You pick up and leave whenever the odds aren't in your favor." Deku realized while speaking to Shigaraki

"All might... that's why I hate you and Stain." He laughed wildly.

"It all makes sense now! All might I have to KILL all might!" Shigaraki smiled crazily. 

"You still infuriate me, but thank you for helping me see what I couldn't," Shigaraki admitted patting his shoulder as he prepared to walk away. 

In the corner of his eye, Izuku saw Ururaka approaching him. 

"Hey! Deku, who's that?" She pointed to Shigaraki, which still had a sweater covering his appearance. Izuku's eyes widened, and he started to shake the anxiety pulsing through him. He didn't want her caught in the crossfire.

"Just a friend, nothing more we were... catching up!" He smiled nervously. Yet the dread pooled in his stomach. 

"Then... Why do you look so scared?" Ochaco asked, confused. Midoriya gritted his teeth and began to shake once more. 

"Scared, I'm not scared; you know me, all nervous and awkward." He let out a forced chuckle and gave her a sharp glance. "Go," he mouthed pitifully. She stared briefly after reading his lips, and uncertainty flooded her thoughts.

"Hey Dekus friend, I'm Uru-" She froze. She got a glance at the guy's face, and she nearly fell over at the sight. 

"YOU. YOU'RE FROM THE LEAGUE OF VILLAINS."  She stepped back in surprise.

Izuku flinched heavily at that... This was it.

"I don't know what you're talking about, girl; you got the wrong guy." Shigaraki denied.

"No, I know it!" She snapped back. Once more, she looked at Deku's face. It was a face of utter fear. 

She subtly pulled out her phone and clicked on Aizawa, whom she had on her quick call list, and slipped it back into her pocket. 

"I said I'm not from the League of Villains." He snapped back threateningly. He gripped Deku's neck tighter at that. 

"Then, let my friend go if this is a misunderstanding." She glared at him.

"How about... No." He sighed. 

"Kid, you had one job," Shigaraki growled lowly. 

"I-" Izuku was cut off by his own scream. His voice went raw, and he slammed his hand into Shigaraki's chest, pushing him away with his quirk, which he activated instinctually. 

"DEKU. somebody help!!!" Ururaka cried desperately. 

Shigaraki quickly made his way to exit, leaving Izuku wheezing as he stood unsteadily. She sprinted towards him, tears springing in her eyes. 

"Are you okay?!" She asked, panic flooding her voice.

"Deku, please..." She cried. 

He coughed and continued to gasp relentlessly, unable to get a word out. He sunk toward the ground, the strength draining out of him. Shigaraki had disintegrated part of his neck and an awful lot of his arm before he got the chance to get away. 

"n-need air." Deku choked out, tears springing in his eyes as he collapsed. 

Ururaka was at a loss for what to do. She grabbed her phone and held it to her ear. 

"Mr. Aizawa, please, we need you!" She cried into it. 

"I'm almost there, don't worry. Give me less than a minute." He responded urgently. 

True to his word, he arrived in less than a minute. He hurried toward Midoriya, concern pooling in his eyes.

"damn, problem, child." He muttered. Aizawa scooped him up and hurried him over to the ambulance, which had just arrived, and the police were busy looking for the person responsible. 

The EMTS carried him into the ambulance, and with that, they were off to the hospital. 

BEEP

BEEP

BEEP 

BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP 

Flatline... The doctors scrambled to grab the defibrillator to bring back a pulse. 

Once more, he awoke in an eerily familiar place. He blinked, looking around at his surroundings. Every breath he took was sharp and scratchy. He felt dizzy; everything was blurred 

 Izuku gasped and attempted to speak, but it came out hoarse. 

"H-Hello," he croaked cautiously, looking at his surroundings. 

"Young Midoriya," All might spoke. His voice lacked its usual liveliness. 

"Yes, All Might??" Izuku said shakily. Hesitance crept into his tone. What's happening to me? He thought worriedly. What's going on... 

"I'm sorry." All might interrupted his thoughts with his soft words. His posture slumped, contrasting his usual enthusiasm. 

"You can't be a hero." He paused for a moment. Izuku froze.

"What?" He asked, fear climbing into his voice. Tears sprung to his eyes in an instant. But.. But- 

"I'm sorry, my boy. I really am, but you can't. You are too reckless with One for All. You keep getting hurt. I think I chose the wrong successor." He finished his statement looking at Midoriya to see what reaction he may have. 

"You're brilliant. Try being a doctor or an analyst. You're not cut out to be a hero." He added. You believed in me. Maybe he's right, Izuku thought somberly 

Izuku took in a sharp breath and began to speak. The words spilled out before he could even think about them. "No. I'm sorry. I've worked hard for this, and I'm not just giving it all away! I-I'm sorry you don't trust me anymore, but I'll show you what a great hero I can be. I'll be the best, number 1 like you, All Might!" He yelled in response, tears flooding out of his eyes as he clenched his fists. Sobs racked at his body as he denied his mentor's words.

Slowly he returned to reality. His eyes opened gently, and he glanced at his surroundings.

Where am I? Izuku thought. Seeing the monitors and feeling the uncomfortable bed, he realized it was another hospital. He grimaced, realizing the argument he had just had with All Might. Though in mere seconds, his memory of "said argument" faded away. It was locked away somewhere in his mind he wouldn't be able to access. He put his head down for a moment. 

A doctor quickly walked over to him, seeing that he had woken up. “How are you feeling?” He asked, glancing over at Izuku to ensure he was alright. 

“I’m feeling okay!” He responded gratefully.

“That’s great. You know you had an incredible recovery, young man. I’ve never seen anything like it. You died for 7 minutes. And when you came back, you started breathing on your own despite the disintegrated windpipe.” The doctor began. 

“Are you sure you don’t have a healing quirk?” He asked curiously. 

“No, sir. I guess I just got really lucky.” Midoriya responded, shocked at the news. 

Wait a second… What happened?... Why am I here? Shigaraki. His heart rate spiked at the thought. Is everyone okay?! Is that why no one's here? His breaths quickened, becoming uneven, and he looked around once more.

His mom ran into the room and looked at him

with pitiful eyes. "Izuku!! My Baby, calm down; it's alright; I'm here." She soothed, going towards him. He glanced at her. His eyes glazed over, and the tension began to dissolve. 

"Is-" She cut him off

"Everyone's okay," she responded knowingly. 

She frowned for a moment. "I was so worried! You died!! You died for 7 minutes, and no one thought you would come back to us! You can't keep doing this to me." Inko cried, holding onto her child's hand. 

"I'm sorry, Mom. I promise I won't let it happen again." He spoke assertively. 

Wouldn't it be funny if that was true?