Chapter Text
Nails dug into the straps of his backpack. All the while he was crying. Why can’t he just dream in peace?! What could Katsuki possibly have against his idea of being a hero? Was it his lack of a quirk? It had to be. The explosive teen simply never enjoyed hearing that dream. Or maybe that day on the river changed it all. He should have stayed on that log.
Pushing all the thoughts away he sighed, relaxing his fingers. “That's not fish food, give it back.” He snatched the book away from the koi pond. His eyes watered. The notebook was still salvageable. While he walked on his way home he tried to dry the pages. Thankfully, he was nearly home as he walked under the overpass. That's when his eyes were fixated on the sewer grate. It was shaking. Then boom. The sewer hole cover slammed into the wall, and out crawled a foul-looking slime. Its dark green sludge all over the place.
The smell assaulted his nose with such a heinous stench he nearly vomited. Quickly he placed his hand over his nose and tried to back away slowly. Maybe they didn’t notice him yet. “ That damn All Might! I need to find a bodysuit and get away!” What?! All Might was chasing someone like them? Oh no he needed to run. But as he turned to sprint a slimy tendril grabbed him. “ Ah, Ah don’t think I didn’t notice you little one. I have eyes ALL over my body. You won’t be getting away. I need your body for this escape. You could be my hero!”
Okay now he was crying as his hands clawed at the slime. He needed to run away. He couldn’t die! The sludge slowly wrapped itself around him causing him to take in the smell before his nose was covered. Now was the time to vomit. Not even that was allowed it seemed. The sludge seemed to devour it as he forced himself down his throat. The disgusting tendrils caused Izuku to convulse about, His body violently thrashed begging to be let go.
Slowly but surely he lost focus. The sludge would repeat disgusting comments. “ Thanks kid don’t worry I will leave your body unharmed. At least until I can get away that is. The cops will recognize you!” That's when he heard it. A voice so robotic to him it sounded like god.
“Pilot, what is your goal?” In his mind he heard it. So he shouted in his mind.
‘I want to be a hero! I can’t die here, please save me!” Suddenly he could breathe. The slime shouted in pain. He couldn’t hear it but something was happening. That's when the sewer exploded. He couldn’t see nor hear but surely whoever it was a hero right? He felt himself to be freed from the sludge while also being thrown into a wall. His mind drowned in a blackout as whatever that voice was spoken once again.
“ Digitizing memory. Trauma recognized. Must search for new methods of conversation. Note keep pilots away from slime-like individuals.”
All Might was freaking out. A kid nearly died from the looks of it! The poor child was caught up in him failing to be a hero once again. He did his best to remove any remaining sludge on the boy. Now all that was left was to wake him up. He lightly slapped the boy seeing if he would react. Nothing. Panic settled in and he started to lightly slap the boy faster. Nothing once more. Fear was creeping in his old bones now. Now he was nearly slapping at such speeds it wasn’t even funny.
Finally, the boy awoke. His eyes slightly lidded. His smile returned. “HAHA SORRY TO GET YOU CAUGHT UP IN MY HEROIC DUTY YOUNG ONE! I SHOULD HAVE CAUGHT THAT PESKY VILLAIN SOONER! NOW ALL THAT IS LEFT IS TO RETURN HIM TO THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES!” To show this he displayed the sludge villain now contained in a soda bottle. The boy's eyes widened in recognition trying to find his notebook only to have it presented to him by the hero. “ LOOKING FOR THIS?” Out in front of the boy was his notebook. Quite the good read it was to the hero. The boy held a good eye for strategy and quirk analysis. Nighteye would love to meet the boy.
Izuku couldn’t speak. Not because the slime was in his throat. No, it was because of the hero in front of him. All Might is the number one hero in all of Japan. He had just signed his notebook. So right now even Katsuki's words gnawed at the back of his mind. He was happy. For he met his idol. But he had one question. Just one.
“All Might before you go I have just one question, please.” The hero would have said no if he didn’t nearly cause this kid to die. So he nodded. “Can I be a hero without a quirk? Can I make people smile like you?”
His immediate answer was no. But he stopped himself. He still had time in his hero form. He owed it to the kid to give him a straight answer. With support items yes. Hell his sidekick that he was with for years didn’t have a combat quirk. Only one that allowed him to see a couple minutes into the future. Other than that he trained his body to reasonably keep up with magic.
So he gave the answer he wanted to hear before he met his master. And the one he wanted to tell Melissa. “Yes. You might not break the 50s but yes without a quirk you can be one. It's not just power behind your ideals you need alone. It's conviction. We have come a long way till now. You may not be me but you can make people smile like I do when I save them. So yes child you can be one.” With that he nodded and left not noticing the bottle in his pocket slipped out. Not realizing that his time was up as he shifted forms. He didn’t hear the bottle drop as he stayed on the rooftop.
For a while Izuku didn’t move. Even as his hero left, he stayed still. Really? Was that the answer he had been hoping for all his life? And looking down at the signature on his notebook, he confirmed it was. Before the first tear fell, he put the book away. All Might himself told him yes. The number one hero said he could. Not the strongest nor the best. But that didn’t matter; he heard what he needed to. Yes, he could be one.
He walked on out of that tunnel a changed person. No longer was the quirkless Deku. No more was he weak and holding a hopeless dream. He was changed. Izuku Midoriya, the boy who dreams of being a hero, is back. The sound of an explosion with smoke filling his nose broke the trance. Another villain attack? He needed to see this! With renewed vigor he ran notebook in hand ready to detail the event. He needed every bit of information to learn to be a genuine hero of this time.
The crowd was packed. People struggled to see what was happening. Thankfully Izuku got an aerial view by standing on a fire escape. The same villain that attacked him had somebody else. How though? Hadn’t All Might caught him. As he wrote information he noted the heroes on scene. Kamui Woods, Death Arms, Mt Lady and Back draft. How were they struggling? Backdraft was taking care of the fires caused. But the rest? Nothing, they were just sitting there useless.
That's when he spotted the victim. His bully. His old friend. Katsuki Bakugou. Struggling to throw off the sludge while being forced to use his quirk. Memories of the slime thrashed at the back of his mind. Meanwhile, in the far back a thin pale man watched.
‘I can't believe I dropped him. Now I’m out of juice and can barely bring myself to use my form. All out of time. Dammit, I’m useless.’ The number one hero watched in vain as the kid struggled and thrashed. Reminding him of just earlier. Back to Izuku the voice came back. This time stronger.
“ Pilot it is in your best interest to save the child. Though you may have conflicting feelings towards him the other “heroes” have no real strategy as presented. A pencil to the eye will give you more than enough room to strike the villain. Go.” The first time he had ever felt encouraged to be a hero. Something in him clicked. A fire exploded. He quickly grabbed his back and pencil and pushed through the crowd dodging the police. They shouted at him to come back.
The villain turned to see him and laughed. “ Hah back for more you brat? No need, I have a quirk to kill that hero All Might now so get lost!” Before he turned Katsuki around to use the quirk a bag flew in his face blinding him for a moment. That was all it took for Izuku to drive the pencil right through the villain's eye. A bloodied scream froze the crowd while inspiring the heroes to jump in. Kamui quickly extended his arms wrapping the branches around Izuku just as he reached for Katsuki.
Together with the combined force they managed to just barely pull him out. Right as they did Death arms caught them in his arms shielding him from the slime that pierced his shoulder right through. Blood fell onto them as they tried to run. The villain screamed as he started to randomly strike everywhere around him. Before he could focus, a slam threw him back.
“ I SHOULD PRACTICE WHAT I PREACH THANK YOU YOUNG CHILD FOR SHOWING ME THAT NOW. THIS TIME I'M PUTTING AN END TO YOU VILLAIN. TEXAS SMASH!” The number one punched the villain causing a surge of so much air the weather changed from sunny to cloudy. In just one punch. The slime fell in pieces on the ground. Quickly Backdraft alongside Mt lady started picking up the pieces and gathering them up while monitoring the villain. This wouldn’t happen again.
Meanwhile, Death arms finally let go of the two boys. His face pale as he nearly fell before being caught by Kamui. He smiled at Izuku. “ What you did was so reckless, kid. But you acted without thinking. That's the sign of a true hero thanks for that. Really inspired us there.” He turned to meet Katsuki who was still struggling to catch his breath. “Thanks for holding out as long as you did, kid. We really fucked that one up.”
Izuku felt good, as if a fire was around him. Keeping him warm. Today he did something. He stopped being a quirkless Deku. He saved someone. Even if that someone would most likely never save him. As he stood to walk the paramedics came rushing to him and Katsuki. They checked him over. Noting he got some slime in his throat they cleared him to go home. That surprised him. Why didn’t they ask about his parents? Just letting him go? Though they seemed to keep Katsuki who was still coughing. Their eyes met as he walked home. The red fury he once knew was gone.
Replaced with confusion. Not anger, just confusion. Maybe he had the same look too. That's why he walked away not looking back.
That day Izuku changed for the better and so did everyone around him. The heroes promised to emulate that power to avoid another incident like this again. To never let a child nearly die for their mistakes. Even if it cost them their life, they had to save citizens. All Might not being able to escape the reporters instead gave a speech. He was inspired by that boy. The one who showed him what he wanted to be like as a quirkless hero.
As Izuku walked into his home, he was immediately crashed into. He saw his mother crying. He himself couldn’t help it and cried along with her. Apparently his aunt Mitski got a call that he too was involved after they called her to get Katsuki up. So she immediately left work and waited for him at home. The two sat on the couch letting their emotions run rampant.
After they settled down only stifled sniffles could be heard. Inko looked at her son with worry but also happiness. He was safe, and he came back alive. “Izuku, I know you want to be a hero. It's all you ever wanted to be but please. Don’t hurt your mother’s heart like that, baby. I just can’t handle it!” He nodded while still holding onto her. But he wouldn’t relent so he spoke back.
“ I can’t promise that I will always be safe. That's impossible mom. But today I met All Might. He told me I can be a hero. Not the best. Not even the strongest. But he said I could do this all without a quirk. So I want to try. The most I can always offer is to come back home to you alive. And I will always do my best.” For the first time in over 10 years Inko Midoriya really looked at her son. He was everything to her. After her husband went overseas to support them she had been alone. Sure they talked here and there but her little Izuku was everything she had.
So she knew eventually he would grow up. Still she had to let him go be his own person, eventually. And if that meant starting now to let him go a bit was all it took. Then she would fulfill her duty as his mother and support him. No matter what, he was still her little boy. “Okay Izuku. Even if my heart will hurt. I will believe in you. I’m always behind you. Your number one fan!” With that they hugged once more, and she told him to clean up. She was making his favorite to celebrate. Katsudon.
As he showered washing off the slime stench, he wondered what that voice was. He quickly received an answer. “ My name is BT-7274 I am a titan. And now I am what your people call a quirk.” Honestly, after what happened today he believed it. Though he was saddened to hear he wouldn’t really be a hero quirkless. The voice spoke again, cheering him. “ A quirk is merely a tool. Pilot does not feel saddened that you cannot be a hero without this so-called tool. I have found reason to believe that everyone possesses a quirk because of the readings I have found while scanning your body. Further analysis is required. But do not worry. You will still be a hero.”
After he left the shower he sat down with his mother. Together they ate. They discussed plans for the future. Still Izuku had 4 years to go until U.A in that time he’d train. He promised himself that much.
Far away in his small apartment sat the number one hero. Drained from today. One for all still burning though that fire was dying out quickly. He needed to pass it on. His mind drifted to that young boy. The one who he inspired and inspired him. One for all even agreed that he would make for a great candidate for One for all. But he shut it down. He would not deprive that boy of fulfilling his quirkless dream. For that's what he wanted. No, he had a better idea.
The ringing of a phone caught David Shields' attention. He quickly. “Toshinori! To what do I owe the pleasure of a phone call?” Then he smiled.
“David it's good you answered. I called to ask if you wouldn’t mind me coming over. I think it's about time I come clean to you about everything. And see if young Melissa will be there too. I have a proposition for my young niece.”