Chapter Text
Kids decide they want to be something when they grow up. From astronauts to firefighters, whatever it is, they pick something they say they are destined to become. But no one would ever hold them to that. Seen as a kid shooting for the stars, and everyone should facilitate their curiosity. They are given books, watch movies, and told to ‘go for it.’ When Quirkless Izuku had the dream of being a hero at five? He was met with scrutiny, anger, and pity. He was told to "be realistic" by All Might when he was nine fucking years old. The only child that is not allowed to dream.
The craziest part is he does not even want to be a hero anymore. It is not that society finally got to him or Kacchan finally beat it out of him either. Izuku has just lost interest, like any other kid. Since he is Deku though, he does not get to peacefully change goals. His mother thinks she saved him from a gruesome fate. And despite it being what Kacchan wanted, he is angrier than ever.
He has not stopped dreaming though. No, he knows what he wants. He wants to go into another area of heroics. Midoriya Izuku, a nobody, wants to be the next Nedzu. A big misconception is that the chimera is a hero. Technically, he has no hero license and therefore is not a hero. It is an honorary title he has been given after years in the industry. Sure, he has degrees, upon degrees, but the only 'hero' related one is a support license in a specific subject called SSQ. It is a very hard program that allows the graduate to be certified in support items, strategy, and (the most interesting of all) quirk counseling. That is what Izuku wants. He understands that he is simply not made of Limelight heroics. Being continually criticized, hounded by the media, and doing that all quirkless? No, thank you. Underground heroics would be a much better fit. He is simply not interested in it anymore. Even if the best quirk on the planet fell into his lap, he would not take it. Planning, strategizing, and talking about quirks makes him much happier than let’s say working out. He wants to pick apart each hero-hopeful he comes by morals, quirk, creativity, and performance under stress. He is meant for it.
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A long talk with his mother when he was twelve ended up mending their relationship after years on the rocks. He spilled his guts about everyone making him feel like him changing his goal, meant he gave up. That he is a failure for not being the same person he was at nine. Subconsciously thinking that his mother will not approve of any career path. She speaks of the fear of having to bury her only child. Of him dying on the battlefield. They cried a lot that night and came up with a plan to give Izuku a bright future.
There is not any information on how to apply for the SSQ program. Well, no obvious information on how to apply. After two months of scouring the internet, he emailed Nedzu in his second year of middle school. The email was concise, 'How do I apply?' with a link to all of the information he has gathered with his research. The next day, he received an equally cryptic message with a puzzle with instructions in code. He missed many school days the following week and was running on fumes by the end. The finished puzzle was as underwhelming as it was predictable. It sent him on what could only be described as an internet scavenger hunt, requiring him to learn the coding language Python along the way. He spent hours looking at riddles, puzzles, strings of foreign languages jumbled together, and other mental hoops to jump through. In the end, a month after his initial email, he made it to the final website. It outlined a fucking portfolio he had to make and four online tests. All that bullshit for a fucking portfolio and some fucking tests.
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Okay, the portfolio ended up taking him until the break between his second and third year of middle school. He did the tests immediately after receiving them, so those have been out of the way for a while. The only way to describe them was simple. Basic general education stuff he has known for years. He was told to send his portfolio as soon as he was finished. With five read-throughs, not counting the ones he did for each section, he sends it off. Like before, a day later he receives an email.
Hello Midoriya,
This is a very fine portfolio. Please choose a date and time from the calendar provided. All open times are in dark green. If none of these dates work, let me know. I would be happy to find something that works as I need to meet with you this week. Keep in mind these meetings will be held at UA. Accommodations are able to be given provided that they are needed for travel.
Sincerely, Nedzu
Holy shit. Holy shit! "HOLY SHIT!"
"Izu! Language!"
He runs out of his room with his computer haphazardly claimed in his arm and tripping over his own feet a bit. "MOM! You know that portfolio I have been working on for Nedzu?"
"Yeah, of course I do." Her smile grows wide in anticipation of the news her son is about to give her.
"I sent it yesterday. Today I received an email asking me to set up a meeting! A meeting with the Nedzu. He does not experience human emotion. That means I am at least interesting to him; he is not doing out of pity." Tears well up in his eyes. His whole life has been pity or abuse. It should terrify him that the only negative option left was abuse, yet it doesn’t. He is too excited to worry about it.
"Oh baby, I am so proud. You are going to do great things. I know it." She wraps him in a hug, keeping silent about her shoulder becoming damp with tears.
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As he rides to UA on the train, he fiddles with his shirt. What do you wear to a possibly life-changing interview? He chose a red button-up shirt, a pair of ill-fitting slacks, and his trusty red shoes. With picking the meeting time for the very next day, he lacked options.
The gates of UA ignite the fire in his eyes. This. This is where he has to go to achieve his dreams. To prove to people, that he is more than a Quirkless Deku. More than the kid who gave up on his dreams because society told him to. He will forge his own path that fits his interests and skills.
His inner pep talk is disrupted by a man clearing his throat. He is in a black jumpsuit with a long white scarf, definitely an underground hero. He starts to mumble without quite registering it. "The goggles he wears do not have any detectable technology. That means they are for protection only. This would lead me to believe his eyes are part of his quirk or his quirk is a threat to his eyes. Underground leads me to think it is probably the former. A quirk that would be a threat to one’s eyes would be too flashy. The only underground he has ever thought to attend UA is… they are rumored to have a quirk able to cancel non-mutant type quirks. Fighting basically quirkless most likely means he would have a specialized style to catch enemies off guard. That would make the scarf—"
"Kid. It is a capture weapon. Not a scarf. Let's go."
"I- yessir. Sorry Eraserhead sir." He observes the man visibly stiffen, so it seems his guess was right.
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When Nedzu told him this morning he was to grab a 13-year-old with green hair from the front gates, he should have expected this. He has known about the SSQ program, hell, he almost went into it. However, not one person has actually done it. Created by the rat himself, it is more of a sadistic nightmare than a path to a great future. Only three people have even discovered its existence without being told. Not one person actually succeeded in graduating to the interview portion. Basically, a guarantee a person got in.
Shouta now understood why it was this kid. He had not been allowed to look at the portfolio. Considering it took the rat six hours to read, he was already a little wary of the kid. Now, he is worried. Aizawa, the number one underground hero in Japan, should not be that easily picked apart. Well, it is an unofficial ranking he does not really believe. Hizashi has shown him enough evidence to give it a little credit though. Either way, he should be hard to figure out, it shows the kid's abilities.
When this kid gets in, he might have to consider quitting. Or at least asking for a raise.
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The erasure hero abandoned him at the end of the hall. Gathering his nerves to shove in a tiny box. He throws that box to the back of his mind. Raising his hand to knock, the door slides open.
He sits in his large office chair, "Am I a mouse? A dog? A bear? I'm the principal!"
Bowing, "Hello Nedzu sir, nice to meet you. Thank you for this opportunity." His introduction is strange to him. He is obviously a mix of all those creatures and most likely a snout too. Is it a way to quench curiosity rather than let it fester?
"Oh no, none of that. I was more than happy to meet with you after your portfolio and test scores. Tell me, how many people do you think have applied for this course?" The clock on the wall ticks as he tries to build a logical conclusion.
"I would assume a least one person a year since its founding." The boy will not be arrogant enough to say that he actually assumes it is much less, possibly only three others.
"Incorrect. It is three. I obviously do not count because I made the course! Actually, you are the only person to ever make it to the interview. Congratulations! Now, why don't you sit down while we start on your schedule."
"My- my schedule sir?" He moved to sit down in the offered chair. He feels a lump in his throat, whether from stress or anticipation, he does not know.
"Oh yes. I already decided on you attending here. This program lasts as long as I see fit, so starting as soon as possible is a good idea. Plus, based on your test scores, it will not be necessary to finish your last year of middle. So, welcome to your SSQ Academia Midoriya Izuku."
"Th-thank you, sir."
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Halfway through his first year, he is somewhat of an enigma at the school. His formal suit with his red sneakers marks him as a mini (well bigger) Nedzu. Izuku spends most mornings in the principal's office learning skills like coding, hacking, and cyber protection. While his afternoons are spent observing hero students from unseen areas (Read: the vents) or with Power Loader working on support gear. With online school keeping him ahead on his general studies and lessons in foreign languages, he is pretty busy. However, this is the happiest he has ever been. School has always been boring, slow, and dangerous with bullies roaming the halls of Aldera. The only entertainment was being able to observe others' quirks and manipulating teachers into not bumping his grades from simply being quirkless. The rigor of this course cut down the time he was able to stay at home though.
"Nedzu-sensei?"
"Midoriya," he responds, not even glancing from where he types up plans for a raid.
"I would like to negotiate my mother a contract of employment at UA." The typing stops, and Nedzu turns to face him. He understands that as permission to continue.
He takes a deep breath. "It is important for a human child's development to spend time with familial entities. My schedule does not allow me much time at home. This hinders my mental and emotional development. I propose my mother be given one of the two-bedroom staff dorms on campus that are rarely used. My mother is a skilled nurse who is loved by patients all throughout her hospital of employment. She is treated poorly by staff for having a Quirkless son. Working here she could offer support to Recovery Girl, who struggles with burnout from the high volume of student injuries. My mother could offer her support as a nurse. This also not only allows me to but encourages me to spend time with her. Plus, it removes her from a toxic work environment."
"The budget for the medical division of the school would most likely lead to a partial pay drop."
"The benefits the school provides are much higher than the hospital. As well as, the housing on campus will not cost her which currently can be up to a third of her paycheck. With rent on the rise in my area, working at the school is a much better deal."
"Alright. Is your mother able to come in today? I would like to conduct an interview with her and receive her opinion on the matter."
"She is well aware of the arrangement I propose, and is able to meet with you at four o'clock today."
"Wonderful, pleasure doing business with you."
Izuku looks down on his independent assignment chart for the upcoming semester. He giggles while checking off an assignment.
Please propose a beneficial change within your curriculum, homelife, or within the school as a whole…
He was already planning on proposing that idea, but now he has credit for it.
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Eraserhead is his favorite person at the school other than Nedzu. Despite many kids seeing him as harsh and cruel, Izuku sees him differently. Dropping down from the vents onto Eraser's desk, he sees the man working on paperwork during his free period.
"Eraserdad? Can I have your goggles for the afternoon?"
"No."
"Please?" He gives his best puppy eyes.
The man takes a deep breath. "Why, problem child?"
"They suck." And they do suck. Who designed them with open slots? The wind on rooftops alone would probably make blinking a struggle and block a majority of his vision. They are also designed to shatter rather than crush. All super dangerous for a hero who relies on eyesight.
His eyes flash red at the insult. The sentimental feelings towards the design bring up feelings he would rather not deal with. "Ugh fine." He has not changed any of his gear’s designs since graduation. He is probably due for some updates, not that he would ever admit it.
"Any requests?" Izuku softens his feral grin. Being Nedzu's prodigy does not mean he has gained the chimera's inability to understand human emotion. He reads it exceptionally well, even stoic Eraserhead is unable to hide.
"Um ahem—keep the yellow." Murmured like it is a secret the yellow represents his load husband.
"What was that?"
"I said keep the fucking yellow you brat. I know you heard me." His gruff demeanor is turned to the door as the bell rings and he retreats with his sleeping bag. Leaving the goggles on the desk. Victory.
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Some people on campus are scared of him, for some reason he does not understand. The others really like him, which is a new feeling he is getting used to. He has never received more compliments in his life. People have called him funny, smart, helpful, and kind, and someone even called him powerful. Quirkless Izuku was called powerful. He barely avoided bursting into tears at hearing those words.
Nearing the end of his first year, someone came to campus that ruined his perfect safe haven. Someone he believed he would never have to talk to again.
"Izuku-kun, stand behind my desk." He stands and moves without question. Nedzu-sensei may like messing with humans and playing mind games, but Izuku is able to read the chimera now that he has spent the better part of this year with him. Something is about to happen that is outside of Nedzu's control and that always means trouble.
The door slides open as the guest walks up to the door. Bright yellow hair and a blinding smile that used to cover Izuku's walls bring him only anger now. The bastard that crushed his dreams before he was even a teenager. The man who spews the sentiment that 'Anyone can be a hero,' yet who decided he could not.
"Ah Nedzu, how are we today?" The blond hero did not even acknowledge him. Izuku tried for years to convince himself to forgive the number one hero. But the anger just simmered, and the longer it did, the more spiteful he became. That day All Might told him he could not be a hero, marks the first time Izuku thought he would be better off dead. While not technically his fault, it was also not necessary for All Might to crush a child’s dream.
"Hello All Might, what brings you to UA?" Nedzu's smile is strained. He is aware of Izuku's opinion of the man and most likely has his own reservations about the number one hero. Nedzu has never told his student of course. Izuku can just kind of tell.
"Well, as you know, my successor attends UA. I require a teaching position here to watch over him."
"We have no open positions All Might. I also believe you lack a teaching license."
The man sets a pack of papers on the chimera's desk. "Ah, but I shall work here for free, not to worry. The Hero Commission has also waived the teaching license requirement for me, as it is unnecessary. I am the Number 1 hero." He puts his hands on his hips to pose like the posters, corny.
"A hero license does not mean you understand how to interact with children." The hero freezes upon hearing him speak. "Sure, you are at the top of the Hero billboard charts, but do you understand how to make a lesson plan, gauge a student's progress, or describe in detail how a student might improve? Do you understand the impact of your words? The kinds of issues you might come across? What would you do if a student showed signs of being abused at home?"
"I'-I’m sorry, who are you?" He stutters out like he did not expect Izuku to speak at all.
"I am Midoriya Izuku. I am Nedzu's successor."