Chapter Text
“I’m sorry Ms.Midoriya but your son is quirkless.”
My entire world came to a sudden halt, anything the weird looking doctor said after the word did not make it to my ears.
Quirkless? I never even heard of the word before but my mind immediately put two and two together.
My hands felt clammy and my mouth was all dry, even though I wanted to cry no tears came out.
Quirkless. The way the pudgy doctor spat out the word quirkless like it disgusted him to say.
The way he was looking at me as he talked to my mom like I was nothing but gum on the bottom of his shoe.
How did I go from a human being to dirty old sidewalk gum in the span of a couple of minutes?
I wanted to cry but I couldn’t, I was numb to any feeling on thinking of that word, Quirkless.
The only reason me and my mom had come to the doctors was the fact that it had been five months since my fourth birthday and my quirk hadn’t manifested.
It got to the point of everyone at school , except Tsuki who said I would have a quirk more powerful than anyone of those extras, were making fun of me.
Even my moms co-workers at her fancy law firm started to question her until she finally booked me an appointment with Dr. Garaki, the weird egg head shaped quirk specialist who just diagnosed me as seemingly the worst thing possible.
Quirkless. Could I still be a hero if I was quirkless?
Warm hands gently ruffled my hair and I was broken out of the spell that kept me locked in my mind.
“Come on Izuku we’re leaving.” Mom said, she lifted me on onto her hip and floated the All might action figure that I didn’t even notice I had let go off back into my hands.
I held it tightly as we walked out of the doctors office and onto the semi-busy sidewalk.
I stared into the action figures painted beady eyes and one question echo around my head, could I still be a hero just like All Might?
———
I tapped on the mouse again replaying All Might’s debut video. Again I watched as my favorite hero climb above the building ruins with the victims he saved draped all over him.
He turned to the camera and said his famous catch phrase, “Its Fine Now. You Know Why? Because I AM HERE!”
Would I ever be able to live up to All Might now that I’m Quirkless?
My grip was on the Action figure I’ve been holding with a vice grip since me and my mom came home from the uncomfortable doctors office tighten more.
Unlike when I was at the doctors big globs of tears fell from my eyes wetting everything around me and soaking my shirt.
Could I still be a hero like All Might? That was the question that I desperately needed to be answered and there was only one person I could ask, my mom.
I carefully slid off the computer chair, which was harder than usual because of the tears in my eyes.
Every step I took towards the living room was met with a fat tear falling and soaking into the hallway carpet and me sniffling to prevent anymore snot from trailing down my face, which didn’t work.
I stoped in the hall right before entering the living room, usually during this time of the day on a weekend my mom would be in the kitchen putting together a delicious lunch while humming some sort of tune from her childhood.
Instead she was hunched over on the couch, her head buried in her hands and she was so still that if I didn’t know any better I would’ve thought she was a statue.
I made tiny steps towards her, I was hesitant to disrupt her whatever she was doing.
Gently I tapped my finger on her leg, she immediately lifted her head up to look at me and who I saw did not look anything like my mom.
even though she usually has eyebags from working late at the fancy law firm everyday they looked even darker and heavier, and her eyes looked down on me with worry.
Not the kind of worry she has when I go to school, or the kind she and when I walked to Tsuki’s house for the first time by myself, but a heavy kind of worry that made my hands clammy and my heart speed up.
I gripped the figurine so tight I thought I would break it.
“Mama...do you think I could still be a hero like All Might?” I asked through the down pour of tears.
I was afraid, afraid that the answer I got back would be an No.
No I couldn’t be a hero, and I would have to live the rest of my life being less than human, like gum on the bottom of a shoe.
My mom stared at me for what seemed like forever as I stood there, hands clammy, heart palpating as I awaited an answer.
Instead of rejection she said something that was life changing. Moms eyes filled with metaphorically fire, she cupped my face and smiled gently.
“Of course you could be a hero my little sunshine! And guess what? You can be a hero even better than All Might!” She said with so much conviction and fire I simply just had to believe her.
“What about me being quirkless?” I hiccuped out.
“Oh Izu...,” her expression became super serious like it does when she talks about some of the cases she has at work . She slid off the couch onto her knees, “I will not lie to you..life is going to be more difficult for you from now on, people are cruel and shame things they don’t understand. Your Quirklessness will make becoming a hero much harder for you to do than children with quirks but I know you’re a determined kid and you can do anything you put your mind to.”
Her words were absorbed into my brain as absolute fact. I could be a hero even better than All Might! All I need was a little more extra work that I was more then prepared to put in.
Tears streamed down my face still but they weren’t in sadness but in relief, I finally let the figurine out of my grip. Mom pulled me towards her and enveloped me in a strong warm hug and cried a with me.
———
I nervously tapped my feet on the ground and fiddled with my winter coats zipper.
It’s been a week, seven days, since me and my mom found out I was quirkless.
The word quirkless did not weigh heavily on my anymore, I kind of thought It was actually cool.
Quirkless. A completely blank slate, mom told me that unlike other people in the world I was not limited to a quirk or suffer from the drawbacks like them.
I could do anything!
Mom rang the Bakugo’s doorbell one more time, she placed her warm hand on my head and ruffled my hair.
“Sorry sunshine I know you’re cold, they should be coming to the door soon though.” Mom apologized even though there was nothing to be sorry for.
She was wrong about one thing though I was not cold my winter jacket kept me warm and cozy, I was nervous.
There was a reason for our trip to the bakugou’s besides eating lunch, we were going to tell them my quirk, more accurately my lack of quirk.
I tapped my foot faster thinking of Tsuki’s reaction, what if he yells at me? What if he says we can’t be a hero duo anymore? What if he starts treating me like all the bullies at school?
Before I had time to think about all the possibilities the Bakugo’s front door flew open and we were greeted by Tsuki’s dad and my uncle, Marsuru.
He wasn’t really my uncle though I just called him that because my mom and him been friends since middle school.
“Hey Inko! Come on in, and please ignore the arguing.” He smiled awkwardly.
Screams that were mainly from Bakugou Mitsuki
Truth is I never took to calling Mitsuki Auntie, she always had this very intimidating demeanor about her that always made we want to run away.
My mom helped me out of my coat and hung both of ours on the boat rack by their front door.
The yelling had stopped and Tsuki came running towards me from the direction of the kitchen.
Bakugou Katsuki, my best friend and a firecracker, literally. He got his quirk the day of his fourth birthday because a balloon popped and explosion came out of his palm.
But he told everyone at school that a couple of fly’s were annoying him, he wanted them gone and then boom he exploded them.
I asked him why’d he lie and ,in his words not mine, he lied because all those fucking extras don’t need to know I was scared by a fucking ballon.
“Zuku where have you been!” Tsuki screamed in my face as he shook my shoulders.
I debated within myself should I actually tell him about my quirk status. I looked at my mom who smiled and gave me a nod of encouragement.
I took a deep breath, “I went to the quirk doctor last weekend.” I said tensely.
“Did you get you’re quirk finally? What is it!? What is it!?” Tsuki said loudly as he jumped up and down.
I shushed him, “No! Let’s go to your room and I’ll explain.”
I grabbed his hand admittedly too tightly and pulled him up the stairs and into his hero memorabilia covered room.
I would’ve been jealous but I had more hero merch than him, which was the only thing I’ve been able to beat Tsuki at.
“Geez Zuku you crushed my hand!” He said rubbing his knuckles that I just noticed were becoming red.
“Sorry Tsuki! I just wanted to tell you this in private!”
He crossed his arms, his fiery red eyes stared at me curiously, “what is it Zuku?”
I closed my eyes tight and tried to tell myself that Tsuki was my best friend and he would never treat me horribly.
“Come on Zuku spit it out!” He growled impatiently.
“I’m quirkless!” I yelled with my eyes still shut scared to see his reaction to the word quirkless.
After a few moments there was no loud explosive and he wasn’t screaming at me like I imagined he would.
I slowly opened my eyes and Tsuki was a just standing there staring at me lamely.
He tilted his head to the side, “Huh is that all?”
I looked at him dumbfounded, “You don’t care?”
He tsked, “Of course I don’t care! Quirkless or not me and you are gonna be the best damn hero duo the world have ever seen!”
His fist went up into the arm as he jumped up and down and I could help but join him.
I couldn’t believe my brain convinced me that my best friend would turn against me.
But he didn’t! I still have my friend and future hero partner
Our celebration was cut short by the sound of several pieces of glassware breaking downstairs.
Flew down the stairs in a hurry and once again my mind conjured up the worst case scenarios.
What if mom was hurt? What if she had to go to the hospital?
Mom quickly walked out of the kitchen and grabbed both of our coats from the rack.
Following behind her was Mitsuki and Uncle Marsuru.
Mitsuki face were as red as her eyes she had a cup in her hand and before I could do anything to stop it she threw it at my mom.
Luckily it missed and hit the wall behind her.
Mitsuki tried to walk closer to my mom but Marsuru held her back.
“Calm down Mitsuki!” He screamed.
If the Mitsuki throwing the cup didn’t give me a sign that something was wrong then it would’ve been Uncle raising his voice.
Even though he lives with two of the loudest people I know Uncle Marsuru never, and I mean never raised his voice.
He was always meek and quiet as a mouse, but as he held on to Mitsuki he looked almost angry?
“I can’t believe you would come here to my house with your useless son!” Mitsuki screamed, I could see flecks of spit coming out her mouth.
“He’s not useless!” Mom screamed back.
Mitsuki screamed angrily and tried to claw her way to my mom.
“Mom what’s happening.” I asked out loud but I wasn’t stupid I knew what had happened.
Mom told Mitsuki about my lack of a quirk, Mitsuki did not take well. Now mom had one less friend.
“Come on Izuku let’s go, now.” Mom beckoned me over and slid back into my winter coat that she held out for me.
Mom opened the door and ushered me out.
“And Don’t fucking come back!” Mitsuki screamed before moms slammed the door shut.
Silently I took her hand and we began the walk back to our little apartment.
In the maybe ten minutes that we were in the Bakugou’s house had started to pour outside, which was just the perfect weather for what had just happen.
We walked silently for a few minutes I focused on the throwping sound our steps made as we walked on the wet concrete and the splattering of ran on the ground.
“I’m sorry for ruining your friendship.” I said breaking the silence.
Mom stopped and kneeled down to level and looked me dead in my eyes.
“You did nothing wrong Izuku, never apologize for things that are not your fault. You didn’t ruin my friendship with Mitsuki, she did when she decided to be like every other human on this godforsaken earth and hate you for being different.”
Without any warning tears began to trail down my face and tears began to trail down my moms face as well.
Mom laughed, “we’ll never get over the Midoriya tears curse huh?” She joked.
Midoriya tears, a term started by my dad to describe how fast we Midoriya’s cry at any small thing.
My mom says that she was not born a cryer but when she got married to my dad she was also given the curse.
She wiped my tears, “let’s hurry home sunshine or else we might both get sick from all of this rain.”
——-
The eyes of my classmates and their parents tracked me, I heard parents whispering to each other. Some took pity on me, I was a poor little quirkless boy who would have no future but most of them whispered only hate and wish horrible things upon me.
I kept my head down and eyes at the floor and tried to make it to the main building without anyone stopping me.
But today my luck must’ve ran out because I was stopped by Tsubasa and his goonies.
“I heard you ain’t got a quirk Midoriya, my mom said that means you’re as useless as a twig on the floor!” Tsubabsa laughed an ugly nasally laugh and his goonies joined in.
“Move out the way I’m trying to get to class.” I said knowing full well my face was full of annoyance.
I knew I just broke one of moms rules but I didn’t care.
Rule one: don’t show any negative emotions toward anyone or they’ll take it as disrespect.
“What did you just say freak?” Goonie number one yelled.
“I said I need to get to class so can you guys move of the freaking way!” I repeated.
Rule two: Don’t get mad, that’ll give them a reason to put hurt you.
Suddenly goonie number two pushed me onto the ground. I didn’t stay down for a long time though I got back up on my feet fully intending to push him back but before I could Tsuki came between us with his palms sparking.
“If anyone of you extras put a hand on Zuku then we’ll have a problem!” He yelled at them.
I didn’t find Tsuki at all intimidating or terrifying but apparently the three bullying did and they ran away.
“You didn’t have to do that I had it handled!” I crossed my arms.
“Yes I did! You would’ve gotten in trouble worse than me if you would’ve fought em’ you know that Zuku!”
Of course I knew that, how couldn’t I have known? Me and mom sat at the computer all Sunday going through the scarce amount of quirkless forums to prepare me for the real world.
The bullying, the unemployment rates, and morbidly even the suicide rates.
But I did not want to think about that at the moment all I wanted was to make it through my first day of school with everyone knowing that I was quirkless.