Chapter Text
“So the tests came back and we have a mixed bag.”
The small boy swings his legs from the hospital bed, he’s already read the fun fact on the wall, “cicadas can avoid predators by camouflaging themselves in the trees and flying from hungry birds and moles,” about 12 times. His mother and father are equally as excited, today is the day that he finds out if he has a cool quirk like his dad or a super useful one like his mom!
“It seems like your son is at no risk of carrying the Heteromorphic gene that your husband has.”
Heteromorphic? “Does that mean I can’t breathe fire like Papa?” The boy pouts, slightly disappointed, missing his father’s sigh of relief. His mother pats his leg softly, “Doesn’t look like it, sweetie.” she says, sharing a small smile with her husband.
The doctor pushes up her glasses, slightly coughing, “The other news is that we can’t actually find any of the common quirk genes.” The small boy hears his mother take a sharp breath, “So I decided to take a look into his old x-rays from when he broke his foot last summer, he has two pinky joints. So there’s a low chance of Izuku developing a quirk.”
Izuku looks over to his mom, the green-headed woman’s hand tightening around his father’s. The doctor starts talking about Izuku’s joints, heart, and future health issues before she leaves to give the family some time alone. The small boy watches as his parents give each other looks of worry, Izuku only begins to realize that tears are rolling down his cheeks as his dad tries to comfort him. The warm man hugged his son tightly, red and black scales on his arms slightly scratching Izuku’s back.
His mom joins in the hug, “Oh baby… It’s okay, why are you crying?” she asks as he wipes the small boy’s tears.
“I don’t know… I just. I- I’m not. I need one, right? But I’m not-hic- I can’t can I?” he cries into his dad’s arms, blabbering something unintelligible before the man pulls back to look at his son with a confident expression.
“Izuku?” Izuku sniffles as he shakes, “Take a deep breath. We’re okay, right? Mom?” the fanged man asks while holding the boy’s face gently with clawed hands. Izuku slowly breaths as his mom nods affirmatively with some small hums to help calm down the boy.
“We’ll be okay, trust me.” He kisses his wife’s cheek assuringly as Izuku fake gags, his mother kissing the crown of his head as his dad’s laughter warms the room with small flames. Within that small waiting room, the Midoriya family quietly comforted each other, all for different reasons, but lovingly nonetheless.
“All men are created equal”
That’s what Hisashi Midoriya taught his son. A lesson the sweet green-haired boy will learn is not true, but for now, for now, Izuku can dream.
He’s older now, the ripe age of 14, practically done with a quarter of the average lifespan of a Quirkless person like himself. Tired and playing music through old headphones, all he can think about now is that his train is late for the third time this week.
“Is the train out or something?” A person looks worriedly around as their gills bubble from inside a small contraption on their neck. Izuku groans, shuffling his earbuds back into their box as he overhears a station officer explaining a villain attack nearby has delayed the train to the gilled individual.
“Excuse me?” The freckled boy tries to get the attention of the station officer, but the yellow-vested man doesn’t turn, “Excuse me?” The station officer looks over, quickly noticing the boy’s obnoxiously colored shoes before quickly walking away. Izuku stares off into the middle distance for a moment, debating whether to let the impulsive thoughts win and throw his bag into the train tracks and abandon his formal education to become a hermit before someone swoons loudly about Kamui Woods being at the scene.
“...I’m already gonna be late,” Dreams of formal education living to another day, the boy unzips his bag and brings out a notebook, scribbled handwriting reading ‘Hero journal: #14’ before jogging to see the fight.
~
A literal slime villain runs off with yen flying behind him, the absence of cop sirens worrying the citizens around, ‘with all the commotion who gonna notice some bills missing’ the slime-man laughs manically before almost running into a sickly man with yellow hair pulled into a messy half-ponytail and excessively baggy clothes.
“Watch it old-timer!” the villain screeches, the man tightening his grip on a bag of medicine, seemingly complicating his life choices.
“Oh dear,” the man stumbles as a few other civilians get either covered in slime or knocked to the ground by the running criminal, “...Who needs a day off anyways.” the thin man’s body starts almost steaming as muscle mass grows, running after the villain before trying to capture him with black lighting like whips. The people around him gasp in astonishment as the pile of slime panics, melting into a sewer drain.
~
Izuku runs to the classroom door, barely getting a foot in, as the bell rings and the teacher up front yells, “Midoriya, you’re late! Afterschool detention.” Izuku tries to slow his breathing from running as he sits down. A pair of girls walk in giggling as cartoonish stars pop off one of them, the teacher saying nothing as class begins and Izuku tries to sink down lower in his seat the longer it goes on.
Izuku lays his head on the desk, staring out the window, noticing a shiny beetle clinging to the window during a small break, ‘Summer’s coming soon.’ he thinks as he moves to his last class, ‘Maybe I should get a summer job?’
Izuku plays with his hair, thinking about different potential summer jobs before his teacher walks in, the man pushing his blonde Pomodoro-styled hair back slightly before clearing his throat, “So as you all know High School application periods are open, and it’s time to discuss your future.” The man says while holding some high school selection sheets before tossing them into the air.
‘I think the library is hiring…’
“But I know all of you are going to try for the Hero course!” The man laughs as most of the class cheers while activating their quirks. Izuku glances at the only other quirkless kid in class 1-D, Aiko awkwardly smiling as her friends loudly cheer beside her as the teacher tries to rein in the class again.
‘Not all of us. Besides, most of us would never be able to pass.’ Izuku blinks before sparks sound off a row in front of him.
“Like any of these guys have a chance at actually becoming a hero.” A blond boy says almost bored as he leans back on his chair. The class erupts in offended remarks, a few even asking if he’s looking for a fight, in which the boy’s brows furrow at the thought, “Why would I do that? It’d be a waste of time”
Before the class begins the uproar again the teacher flips through some papers, “hm.. You do have impressive test results Bakugou. Still, UA High being your only option? You do know there are plenty of more accessible options-”
“Why would I mess around with schools I don't wanna go to?” Bakugou frowns, glaring almost at the idea. “There's no reason to try if you aren’t aiming for the best. That's why UA’s the only place for me.” his friends sigh at the remarks they’ve heard almost a hundred times.
“Oh, Tanaka, Midoriya, you both put UA as your top choice too.”
. . .
Both shrink down in their chairs, Aiko laughing sheepishly as the class cackles. Izuku grimaces, honestly wishing summer would come sooner. Katsuki looks back at the two plain kids with a sharp glare. “Really? The two Hollows-” A kid starts before Aiko’s friend bares his fang-filled mouth at them.
“It's only for the Business course! You can’t get in the Hero course without a quirk anyways.” Aiko backtracks, trying to keep cool.
“They got rid of that rule.” Izuku blurts out without thinking, before realizing the main attention turns to him instead of the black haired girl, staying steadfast, “Anyone can be a hero if they want to- and It was never even really a strict regulation either. Just because no one has-”
“Don’t tell me you’re actually thinking you have a chance?!” Katsuki yells, sparks flying off his palms are more kids’ snickers turn into almost pitiful glances, “Honestly, clinging to ideas like that is pitiful. You’d die in the exams and just embarrass the school even more!” Smoke fumes from his palms before the teacher sighs.
“Open a window, guess I should pass out aptitude tests so we can all be a bit more realistic.” Izuku clenches his fists while trying to ignore the snide looks of most of the class.
~
Izuku sweeps under a desk as Aiko claps erasers outside the window, the white powder causing her to cough a bit. “... hey, Midoriya, uh.. You wanna ride the train together? My dad says it's getting pretty bad, and you know, ‘buddy system’.” She tries to make conversation with a small laugh.
“Hm? I have detention. It’ll probably be safer if you go without me. I’d feel bad if you had to wait up.” Izuku puts up the broom as Aiko droops about having to ride alone.
“Wait really? I’m sure it’ll be safer to go together, leaving you behind feels wrong,” She sighs slightly while clapping the erasers again, voices of other classmates leaving for karaoke filling the silence.
“Well, at least when you go to UA plenty of people will ride the same train with you.” Izuku says nonchalantly as Aiko chuckles, “Right… If I manage to get in.”
Izuku squints at the girl before scrolling through his phone for the news, “You have fine grades, Do you want some help studying?”
“That’s really nice but, turns out you need a recommendation from an actual pro-hero to get into basically any course that isn’t general studies or hero for your first year… guess that's what I get for wanting to get into advertising.” Aiko sighs, “But, I can totally get into general studies, so don’t worry about me! You’re going for the Hero course, right? That must be super tough, I heard you have to fight monsters for the entrance exam and-” Aiko shakes her head animatedly waving the erasers in poses like power rangers.
“I’m not going.”
Aiko pauses at his monotone response, “Oh, I just thought- with how you knew the rules, and all that stuff you said. It sorta seemed like you’d want to” Izuku looking back up with a small frown, Mt. Lady’s video already has more views than Kamui Woods’s, “I put UA back when I was a first year, and even then it's just because I had to put something on. I’ll figure it out later, you’ll do great though.”
“So you do have a brain in there? See I told you Hollows have some smarts.” A snicker draws the two’s attention to the classroom door, a boy with long hair turns to another boy, and Izuku recognizes them as Katsuki’s friends.
Aiko flinches at the insult, frowning a bit while backing up. “But seriously, I thought you’d show more heart, even if it’s stupid. What happened to all that bravado? Fucking Hollow.” The boy walks up to Izuku, the green-haired boy scrunching up a bit, almost waiting for a punch-
“Would you shut up already?” Katsuki calls from the doorway, glaring daggers at the boy, who grins almost teasingly as he has his hand raised. “What? Mr. Hero too good to show Hollows their place-”
“I said shut up. I don't give a crap about showing nobody- nothin’, either shut up or fuck off.” Katsuki grabs the back of the boy’s uniform, smoke coming out between his fingertips, turning to Izuku, “You better not apply, you’ll just get hurt and it’ll be even more embarrassing to have to say I’m from the same middle school as you.” He glares before tossing his friend back to get him out of the class.
“I’m serious. Stay out of the way, pipsqueak.” The blond glares behind him before walking off.
. . .
“Well, that was scary…” Aiko quakes as Izuku swallows and nods.