Chapter Text
Not everyone is born equal, many learn that the hard way. How I Learned it was not from experience, but from stories and rumors.
What’s so wrong with being quirkless?
The world was built by quirkless people. History hero’s were quirkless too.
20% is a huge amount, there are 7 billion people in the world and that means 1.4 billion of them are quirkless.
You probably think that I am quirkless due to my defense for them, and actually, admiration of them but I am not. My best friend is. It’s not fair that she gets picked on and bullied. It’s not fair that we have such a corrupt society, but there is nothing I can do about that. All I can do is protect my friends, the ‘freaks’.
“Ple-ease... s-stop” I heard whimpers, a sound I know all too well by now.
”Poor, defenseless, little Taka. When are you gonna learn how to fight?” Nishi, an older student, cooed mockingly.
Nishi has been bullying Taka for years. I have tried to put a stop to it but, I can’t do anything. Well not at school at least.
My names Kashi, Kashi Kazoku. My quirk is sound wave, I can basically direct where sound vibrations go.
Taka is quirkless, carrying the stereotype of her kind being defenseless and weak, but I know better than to underestimate her. Eventually, I was able to coax her out of her shell and we became friends. We make up the friend group called ‘the freaks’ because of Shiru.
Shirubasukin, her quirk is skeleton. It does nothing except make her look like a skeleton, but that isn’t her fault, it’s just bad luck and genes.
”Oi! You get away from my precious little Taka!” I heard Shiru shout as I turn the corner, then pause to catch my breath. She stands firm, her skeleton form braced for a fight if necessary.
He’d never admit it, but Nishi was definitely rattled. I didn’t blame him, even as Shiru’s friend I had to admit, she could be scary sometimes. “Fine, it’s only natural freaks like you stick together.” Nishi spat, leaving as if nothing happened. I ran to Taka and helped her up, brushing off her clothes.
”Are you alright, Taka?” I inspect her arms, bruises were starting to form. They didn’t look too great, but it has been worse.
”yeah, there’s no blood this time- so I’m good!” She smiled a flimsy lopsided grin, it was clear she was in pain. Yet she kept smiling. Shiru is right, Taka is precious.
”Good, ‘cause we gotta to get to class.” Shiru said already walking away. She is taller than me, approximately 6‘5. I am 5’7, and ‘little’ taka is 4‘8.
I'm said to be a ‘normal’ girl who hangs out with freaks. I don’t see it that way, I am a girl who makes friends with the most unlikely of people, that’s how it’s always been.
”yeah, okay let’s go,” I start to walk briskly to catch up with Shiru’s long skeletal strides.
As we walk I could hear the whispers of everyone around us. What’s the point in whispering when we can hear them loud and clear? They might as well be shouting.
We are in our last year of junior high. If people aren’t gossiping about us when we pass, then they are talking about which school they want to go to. The dreamers are thinking UA, but I know I would never get in with a weak quirk like mine, but I also don’t want to leave my friends. Who knows what would happen without me by their side.
Now I know a sound quirk may “sound” strong, but it’s actually not. Think of it like this, I can only redirect and control existing sound waves, not make them bigger. For example, if someone were to walk by me I could control where the sound vibrations of there footsteps go, except those vibrations aren’t exactly effective when doing anything. I definitely can’t use them against a bully or villain, though in my eyes I don’t see much of a difference between the two.
We keep our heads low, as low as they can be when you have a skeletal giant by our side, and make a b-line to our English class. We were lucky enough to have a few overlapping periods.
Our teacher waved us in and started the lesson. I’ve always liked our English teacher. He’s always so nice to us, much nicer than the students. He has neatly trimmed brown hair and always wears a long brown coat. I like to think he is the 10th doctor from doctor who, but I know he is just our English teacher. No one loves Mr. Mike like Taka though, and she excels in the subject because of it.
”So class, today is the last day to decide what high school you are going to, so I am giving you the hour of class to consider your options and choose wisely. You lot are capable students, I have confidence that you will get into any school you choose.” Mr Mike says in his Scottish accent. He stalked over to his teachers desk and sat down to mark some work.
The class scattered to their friends as we moved our desks to face each other. The sound of table legs scraping filled the room as other students did the same.
”Have you guys decided what school you want to go to?” I leaned against my forearms, addressing my friends. Someone nearby laughed, answered by more high pitched giggling.
“I don’t really want to go to a high school” Shiru admitted. She’s normally the upbeat type that hypes us up, so when she's down like this, you know it’s bad.
”Why not” Taka said beating me to it. Her features pulled into a frown, and she traced the patterns on the wooden desk.
”it’s just, we- we’ve been bullied like this, what- junior high? That was even before we got our quirks! Or didn’t get our quirks in Taka’s case,” She started, accentuating her words with wide arm movements. A student walking by had to duck to avoid a smack to the face, “what if... what if just gets worse from here! I wouldn’t be able to protect you guys, and- ugh” Shiru folded her bony arms on the desk, burying her face with a groan.
Though her words sparked a plan in my mind, it may be crazy... but still. What if-
”What if we try get into UA-“
Taka immediately shut me down. ”How can we even think of U.A. when I don’t have a quirk! If anything, you have the highest chance, but then.... we’d be separated.” Taka’s eyes were cast downwards, her voice growing soft. I immediately understand her worry, she needs us the most, we’re all she’s got.
I rise my hands, ”Just hear me out ok?” They each nod from the both of them, albeit apprehensively, “What if we don’t enter through the hero course? It’s not the only course UA offers! I know we can definitely get into the support classes, Taka your amazingly smart, and Shiru you are good with numbers- and it was my idea so of course I’ll do everything I can to get in,” I grin, earning a slight chuckle from Shiru. I could see in her eyes that she’d caved and was willing to go through with it.
Taka’s eyes had taken on a hopeful sheen, it seemed I had won her over as well!
”But-“ A sliver of doubt had slipped back into Shiru’s voice, “what if we don’t all get in...... I mean, it’s possible.” Shiru sighed, “uuuuugggghhh, this is so stressful!”
I pondered what I could do to make her feel better, ”I’ll make you a deal Shiru, how about- if we all get in then we have to go, but.... if one of us doesn’t make it, none of us go.”
She nodded, I grinned, taking ahold of their hands. “To UA it is then!”
News: Latest on the trio known as Reiketsuna.
“The Reiketsuna have targeted local villains in the Nekoma district, saving lives but causing trouble for the heroes. This is what local Pro Hero Heavier says about the vigilantes.” The frame moves to a new screen showing a bulky man with Imprinted dung bells on his hero costume.
There was a moment delay before he spoke, “These kids are becoming troublesome for the work of heroes, the public shouldn’t praise them or see them as heroes. They are walking a fine line between heroics, and villainy. One more step and we’ll have to regard them as villains, thank you for your time.”
The frame once again moved to a new scene, the latest update on the Reiketsuna. It showed three masked people jogging into an ally, fire dancing around them. The camera zoomed in, revealing a few unconscious bodies. As the shadows engulfed two of them the third turned around, reveling a white mask with one black eye at the side of the face.
A bright green eye shone in the fire light. They lifted a finger slowly, putting it over their mouth. In your head, despite the only auditable sounds from the video, you could practically hear a voice breathing shhhhhh. They winked, then carried on walking into the darkness...