Chapter Text
“Incredible! All Might saves the day once again and reminds us all why he’s the Number One hero! Our team on the scene says that-“
Katsuki, who had already taken the title of the worlds spunkiest four year old, gives a big exaggerated yawn and turns off the TV, effectively cutting off the news reporter.
It was the same old story, day after day of citizens marveling over All Might’s superiority over the world of heroics, and it absolutely bored Katsuki to death. Everybody already knew why he was the best! He just was!
And one day, Katsuki thinks, hopping off the couch and running to grab his shoes at his moms insistent yelling, I’m gonna be the one they’re all talking about.
Today, however, today was the day he’d find out how. May 20th, exactly one month after his fourth birthday, the recommended time for a young child to see a quirk specialist. Today was the day he’d learn about the super awesome quirk he’d manifest, the quirk that will carry him blazing towards the Number One hero spot. It was an inevitable destiny, one his mom and dad excitedly told him would happen, and one he had already told numerous times to the kids and teachers attending his daycare.
You just wait and see Ms. Hinata! One day you’re gonna see me at Number One on the Billboard Charts!
My quirks gonna be the best! Way better than those bat wings you’ve got on your back Tsubasa!
I’m gonna be the best damn pro you’ll ever see! In fact, I’ll be better than even All Might himself!
He’s giddy, hurling himself into the car with a loud ‘let’s go Mom let’s go!’ He sprints into the doctor’s office, ignoring the ‘Katsuki slow the hell down!’ thats yelled from behind him. He can’t stop shaking, watching Dr. Garaki run standard tests, along with a special test he said is designed for quirk manifestation. He can’t stop smiling as he sits down next to his Mom, waiting for the doctor to come back with the results. He-
“Unfortunately, I’ve got some bad news for the two of you.”
He-
“See here? That’s an extra toe joint in Mr. Katsuki's right foot.”
He-
“That right there is something that we humans evolved away from after the mutation of quirks started. You having it means your body hasn’t adapted the same way 80% of our populations has.”
He-
“Sorry kiddo, it just ain’t gonna happen.”
He’s quirkless.
Katsuki Bakugou, destined for greatness, future Number One hero of Japan, is quirkless.
And everyone knows that you’ll never be a hero without a quirk.
————
“Hey! Watch where you sit Bakugou! I don’t want your quirklessness to infect me!”
Katsuki, 14 years old, who’s spunkiness turned into sarcasm and sassiness and anger, scoffs. “Oh please Long Fingers, with a face like yours my quirklessness is the last thing you need to worry about. You look like you’re already infected with every disease known to man.”
Long Fingers, who’s real name Katsuki had long forgotten, bristled angrily. “Y-yeah well, at least I’m not quirkless!”
“Is that your only comeback?” He slams his bag down and drops into his desk, kicking his feet up. “You’re a fucking loser.”
Whatever Long Fingers is going to say next dies as the bell rings, the rest of the class scrambling into their seats as the teacher walks in.
Another day at Aldera Middle School is starting, and already Katsuki can feel his patience running thin. It’s times like these where his numerous years of anger management therapy is the only thing keeping him back from beating the shit out of every single one of his classmates. Except today even the soothing voice of Ms. Ito in his mind might not be enough to quell his rising irritation.
Because today they’re talking about high schools.
Which means today teacher what’s-his-face will once again bring up Katsukis ‘unattainable’ goal of getting into the hero course of U.A. It’s bound to happen, he thinks, watching his teacher throw up high school application forms with a cry of ‘you all want to be heroes don’t you!?’ Sooner or later it’s gonna-
“Oh, Bakugou, you’re applying to U.A, correct?”
Aaaaand there it is. Yip fucking yee.
He stands up as laughter fills the room, because if there’s one thing you should know about Katsuki Bakugou, it’s that he won’t let a bunch of side characters laugh at him. He slams his hands on his desk, immediately hushing the classroom.
“Hell yeah I’m fucking going to U.A,” he says, turning his most intimidating glare towards the class (inside, he gleefully notes that it works, as the people around him shy away with uneasy looks on their faces). “Got a problem with that extras?”
A brave soul, a kid with a quirk that gives him a bendy neck, decides to speak up.
“You can’t study your way into U.A!” He cries, followed up by exclamations of ‘yeah!’ throughout the room. “You’re gonna get beat up without a quirk!”
“I’ll beat your ass right now without a quirk!” Katsuki sneered. Bendy Neck cowered back into his seat, but the damage had already been done.
“They won’t except a quirkless student into U.A!”
“You’re just gonna die!”
“You’ll be useless in the hero course!”
“You can all just eat my shit and go to hell!”
“Alright alright that’s enough!” Mr. FuckFace yelled, reigning the yelling middle schoolers back in. “Bakugou, sit back down or that’s detention.” Katsuki could feel his face burning with anger as he begrudgingly took his seat. He continued. “Just turn in your high school applications by the end of next week please, and be mindful of what you put down.” He gave a pointed stare at Katsuki, who had the urge to throw up the middle finger right back at him. He settled with his best glare instead and snatched the application form that was handed to him.
Today’s gonna be a pile of shit.
“Now, if everyone could turn their English textbooks to page 362…”
——————
“Oi Oi Bakugou! Hold up!”
God fucking dammit. Katsuki thinks, rolling his eyes towards the voice. It’s Long Fingers and Bendy Neck, standing in front of the classroom. Blocking the door. One day?! I can’t get one damn day!?
“Fuck you want? Move outta my way.”
Long Fingers frowned. “Are you seriously going to apply to U.A?”
Katsuki barked out a laugh. “I’m dead fucking serious.”
“Isn’t that just a death wish?”
“You talking to me right now is a death wish. I said move.”
Bendy Neck seems to have half a brain, because he moves out of the door frame, taking Long Fingers with him. “Just leave it dude. Let him be delusional.”
It takes all of Katsuki's self control not to throw them out the window after that comment. Instead, he just sticks up his middle finger and leaves, making sure to slam the door extra loud behind him.
Stupid fucking kids and their stupid fucking quirks. He angrily thinks, kicking a rock in his way as he begins his walk home. Thinking they’re all high and mighty. I’m fucking better. I’ll fucking show them.
It’s all he can do to quench down the self hatred beginning to rise in him.
Ms. Ito had told him, back around his third therapy session, that self doubt was something that would eat him alive if he let it fester too long. That it was good to have the confidence in himself to do whatever he wanted.
Well, not whatever you want Katsuki! Just the things that would make you the best you you can be!
But Katsuki is smart. And as he turns the corner, under a bridge, he can’t help the darkness creeping into his brain.
He’s not delusional, he knows he’s quirkless.
He knows there are more powerful people in the world than him.
He knows that no matter how much he studies and how much he works out, that would never compare to having super strength, or super speed, or the ability to move the elements.
It doesn’t matter how much his parents believe in him. Doesn’t matter when his dad agrees to sign him for lessons at their local dojo, or when his mom tells him to ‘kick their asses’ when someone looks down on him.
Katsuki Bakugou hates being looked down on.
And it’s all anyone seems to be doing these days.
“Fuck that,” He says, shaking his head back and forth to get rid of the bad thoughts. “I’m gonna be a fucking hero. I’m gonna be the best fucking hero!” He yells to the empty bridge.
“Oh yeah you are. The perfect skin suit!”
One second he’s parading down the sidewalk, and the next he’s suddenly wrapped in a slimy substance, cutting off his airways and slowing suffocating him despite his desperate clawing.
“Thanks kid! You’re definitely my hero!”
Darkness slips over him, the last thing he sees being the sewer drain blast open.
He had never once heard the villain come up behind him, until it was too late.
————
“Young man?! Young man, can you hear me?!”
The world looks fuzzy when Katsuki opens his eyes, barely registering the soft taps on his right cheek.
“Jesus, feels like I’ve been hit with a damn truck,” He groans, swatting away the mans hand as he sits up. The man gives a booming laugh.
“Yes, I would assume one would not feel very good after a villain attack!”
Wait a minute. That voice.
How many times has he heard that damn laugh on TV?
Fucking All Might was talking to him.
He quickly looks towards the man, and yep, that was definitely All Might. 7 ft of pure muscle (holy shit he’s so much bigger in person) looking down at him with that same beaming smile at him, a hint of concern in his eyes. As his brain slowly processes, All Might bends down and grabs Katsuki by the armpits, hauling him to his feet like a puppy. By the time his brain catches up, the hero as already patted him down for injuries and given him his fallen bag.
“Well, you seem to be relatively uninjured!” All Might exclaims. He reaches down and pats a bottle Katsuki failed to notice before in his shorts pocket. “I’ve got to get this sucker to the police station, so you should probably head home now!”
Wait. This is all going so fast. All Might, Number One, Katsuki's favorite hero is standing right in front of him and he hasn’t said, hasn’t asked anything.
“Hold on-“
“Get home safe young man!” He bends his legs, preparing for take off.
“Wait a damn sec-“
“Bye!”
The next thing that happens can only be described as idiotic. Even Katsuki will admit that.
Because one second he’s standing on the ground, pleads falling on the deaf ears of the hero, and next second he’s shooting through the air, the only thing keeping him from splattering to death on the concrete below is the tight grip he has on All Mights leg. He hears screaming, and it’s only after they’ve landed that he realizes it was coming from him.
“Huh!? I get crazy fans, but this is overboard young man!” All Might yells. He tries to shake Katsuki off, which only makes him panic and hold on tighter.
“I’m not a crazy fan, I just need to ask you something! And stop shaking me dumbass, I’m gonna fall and die!”
“…oh yeah.”
All Might takes them over to the roof of the building, gently setting Katsuki down. Legs quivering, he turns away from the hero, hand over his chest in an attempt to calm his racing heart. He only turns back around when he hears All Might clear his throat, like how his father does when he’s about to give a lecture.
“That was a very stupid thing to do young man, and-“
“Holy shit who the fuck are you?!”
Being tall and blonde are the only features that bare any resemblance towards All Might. Gone is the burly, muscled figure of the Number One Hero, and in its place stands a man who looks as though the tiniest breeze would knock him over. His face is gaunt and pale, with sunken eyes and pale skin.
The worst thing is the scowl like frown on the mans face. It’s so unlike All Mights signature smile that it makes Katsuki shudder.
The man sighs. “I didn’t say anything before, but you should really watch your language young man. Anyways, it’s still me, All Might.” To prove his point, he goes back into the original form of the hero with a puff of smoke.
“But- what- how-“
He sighs again, taking a seat against the roofs railing. “You know how some guys at the pool like to flex their abs and muscles and whatnot? It’s like that. All Might is my flexed form, but when I’m not him I’m just Toshinori Yagi, who looks like this.”
Katsukis brain finally starts working again. “So it’s always been like this? All Might’s just some persona?”
“No, it’s because of an injury I got 6 years ago in fight. Had to get my whole stomach removed. I’m not gonna show it to you because it’s honestly gross as hell.”
“6 years ago? Against that one fucker with the chainsaws for arms? Chainsaw Man or whatever the hell his name was?”
“Toxic Chainsaw? You seem to know your stuff. But no, this fight was purposely never made public.” All Might (Yagi?) locks eyes with Katsuki. “It’s cut my heroing down. I can only assume my muscle form now for about three hours a day. I’m sure that as a fan you’ve noticed my time in the public has gone down.” He looks down. “I’m supposed to be the Symbol of Peace. Smiling in the face of danger. But honestly, as each day goes by I get more and more scared. Hell, I’m terrified half the time now.”
“…I’m not your fan,” Katsuki mumbles. It’s all he can say. Inside both his brain and his heart were racing. Of course he had noticed. The headlines specifically talking about heroics mentioned All Mights name less and less as the days past by. Now more reports were written about new upcoming heroes making their debuts, like the giant woman Katsuki had seen being talked about earlier this morning.
It was a suspicion he had that was just confirmed true. A suspicion that made his stomach churn with uneasiness.
The Symbol of Peace was starting to fade.
“-ng man. Young man!”
Startled, Katsuki is broken out of his thoughts. All Might is looking at him with a face of concern.
“Maybe you did hit your head harder than I thought. You should consider a checkup when you get home.”
“I’m fucking fine. What do you want?”
“Again, language. I was just wondering what the question you wanted to ask me was.”
Oh right. The whole reason they were up here in the first place.
What did I want to ask him?
Because the truth is, Katsuki had a million questions he wanted to ask. There was so much he needed clarification on, so much he wanted, no, needed to know about being Number One. Especially after learning All Mights secret.
What do I want to ask?
The Symbol of Peace was fading. Reduced to only three hours a day.
What do I want to ask?
How many people know about this? Will it ever be made public? What’s going to happen when he does leave?
What do I need to ask?
Who’s going to be there to continue his legacy?
“Can someone quirkless become a hero like you? Can someone like me become Number One?!”
I know what I want to be, who I want to become. But hearing it from someone like you would set it in stone.
“Quirkless? Becoming the Number One hero?”
Please. Please tell me…
“It’s an admirable goal, I will say that.”
I need this.
“But I can tell you’re someone who wouldn’t appreciate a fabricated lie. So I’m sorry, but no, I don’t think you could become the Number One Hero quirkless.”
Katsuki thought he knew heartbreak. The day he had been pronounced quirkless was the worst day of his life.
Well, apparently he thought wrong, because what he felt right now was ten times worse. He thinks someone physically ripping his heart out would hurt less than this.
To make matters worse, All Might continues. “I mean, you possibly could become a hero? Maybe a small underground one. Or a police officer, detective, something in that line of work. But Number One? I’m sorry, I know this isn’t what you want to hear, but it’s better to be realistic.”
I don’t want to be a damn police officer. I want to be like you. I want to be better than you.
“Young man? Are you ok?”
To his horror, he can feel an ugly pressure come up behind his eyes. But he refuses to let anything fall, and forces himself to look straight into the hero’s eyes.
“Fuck you. I’m fine.”