Chapter Text
In the quiet serenity of a suburban park, a young boy named Izuku Midoriya sat on a swing, his emerald eyes fixated on the horizon where the last remnants of daylight faded. The rustling of leaves and distant laughter painted a peaceful scene, but his mind was anything but calm. He had always felt out of place, a mere speck in a world dominated by quirks and heroes. His mother had always told him that his father was a hero too, but she never spoke his name, only that he was gone. That absence, coupled with the cruelty of the world, had left Izuku in a void of loneliness.
The tranquility was shattered by the familiar sound of mocking laughter. Katsuki Bakugo approached, his eyes gleaming with that same cruel amusement Izuku had come to expect. The air between them grew tense as Bakugo sneered, his hands crackling with tiny bursts of controlled explosions.
"Oi, Deku," Bakugo spat, stepping closer. "You looked a little too peaceful there. Let me fix that."
Izuku's heart pounded, but he clenched his fists, refusing to cower. He had spent his whole life being reminded of his weakness, his worthlessness, his lack of a quirk. But tonight, something inside him felt different. The anger bubbling within him was no longer just an ember—it was an inferno waiting to consume everything in its path.
"K-Kacchan, w-what do you want?" he stuttered, more out of habit than fear.
Bakugo scoffed. "Just reminding you of your place."
Without further warning, Bakugo launched a small explosion straight into Izuku’s stomach. The impact sent him sprawling onto the dirt, the wind knocked from his lungs. A sharp, burning pain spread across his torso, but the worst was yet to come. Bakugo grabbed his backpack and upended it, spilling its contents onto the ground. Izuku watched in horror as his precious notebook—the one filled with years of notes on quirks and strategies—was snatched up in Bakugo’s hands.
"You know, Deku," Bakugo mused, flipping through the pages. "You don’t even have a quirk. What’s the point of studying heroes? You’ll never be one."
Izuku’s breathing quickened. "Give that back."
"Oh? You want it?" Bakugo smirked, then snapped his fingers. A small explosion ignited in his palm, and the notebook went up in flames.
Izuku's world came to a standstill as he watched his life’s work turn to ash.
Something inside him cracked.
Before he could think, he lunged at Bakugo, ramming his fist into his stomach with more force than either of them expected. Bakugo stumbled back, eyes wide with shock, but Izuku wasn’t done.
He loomed over his childhood tormentor, his eyes cold, devoid of hesitation. "One day, Kacchan," he whispered, his voice chillingly steady, "you will be the one begging for mercy. And when that day comes… I won’t grant it."
With that, he turned and ran, leaving Bakugo frozen in place, the echo of those words burning into his mind.
Izuku didn’t stop running until he was far from the park, deep within the city's maze of alleyways. His body ached, his lungs burned, but none of that mattered. His anger still roiled beneath the surface, hungry, insatiable.
Then, a shadow fell over him.
He looked up, his breath hitching. Standing before him was a villain he had only seen in underground reports—Volt Viper, a criminal with the ability to generate and manipulate electricity.
"Well, well, what do we have here?" Volt Viper mused, his voice a mockery of kindness. "A lost little kid? Unfortunate. I can't have witnesses."
Izuku barely had time to react before the villain lunged, his hand clamping around Izuku’s neck. Searing electricity coursed through his body, forcing a silent scream from his lips. His muscles spasmed, his vision blurred, and the world around him started to darken.
'Is this how it ends?' he thought bitterly. 'Killed in an alleyway just because I was born weak?'
No.
Why was it always him? Why did the world always push him down? Why did no one believe in him? Not Bakugo. Not the teachers. Not even his own mother. No one.
'No more.'
A foreign instinct took hold. Somewhere deep within, he felt it—a well of power, vast and untapped, lying just beyond his reach. And he reached.
Dark tendrils of energy slithered from his fingertips, wrapping around Volt Viper’s arm, sinking into his flesh. The villain's eyes widened in horror as his strength drained away, his own quirk being ripped from him.
"H-Hey, kid—w-what are you doing?!" Volt Viper screamed, struggling, but Izuku didn’t let go. He couldn't. He wouldn’t.
For the first time in his life, he felt powerful.
Volt Viper’s body convulsed, his screams turning to gurgles before finally going silent. When Izuku released him, he crumpled to the ground, lifeless.
Izuku stared down at his trembling hands. Black and white lightning danced across his fingertips.
He exhaled slowly, then smirked.
"Well, that was enlightening."
Unfazed, he turned and walked away, leaving the corpse behind.
From a nearby rooftop, a pair of golden, cat-like eyes watched in fascination. A girl with dirty blonde hair tied into messy buns licked her lips, her face lighting up with an eerie smile.
"Oh, Izu-kun… you are going to be fun to play with."
When he got home, his mother was not happy.
"Izuku! Do you have any idea what time it is?! You are two hours late, and why are you so beat up? What did you do this to—"
Midoriya cut her off. "Shut the fuck up!" he yelled, his anger once again coming to the surface.
Inko was shocked. Her son had never talked to her that way. She tried to reach out and hug him, to ask what was wrong, but he just shoved her hand off and kept walking.
Sadly, she watched as Izuku pushed past her and slammed the door to his room. She walked over and knocked softly. "Hey, Midoriya, are you okay? Did something happen at school? Please, baby, talk to me."
She started begging at the end, but still nothing. "I will be in my room if you want to talk…. I love you," she whispered.
That night, a future hero died, and one of the most infamous villains was born.
Inside his room, Izuku locked the door, shut the blinds, and sat on his bed. He clenched his fists, focusing on his new Quirk. Black and white sparks flickered to life, dancing up his fingers. A slow, cold smile spread across his face.
Then, without hesitation, he aimed his hand at one of his many All Might figurines. A small bolt of lightning shot forward—disintegrating it completely. Not even ash remained.
Izuku’s smirk widened.
‘Finally,’ he thought. ‘I have power.’
Then, for a brief moment, he hesitated.
"Do I want this? Do I really want to go down this path?"
Memories flooded his mind: The doctor telling him he was Quirkless. His mother telling him to give up on his dreams. Bakugo and his classmates laughing at him. His teachers saying he should just quit.
His hesitation vanished.
“Yes… yes, I do,” he whispered to the empty room.
That night, the dream of a hero died, and the most infamous villain was born.
The next morning, Izuku didn’t go to school. He didn’t even say goodbye to his mother. Instead, he climbed out of his bedroom window and disappeared into the city.
He wandered the mall, searching for new clothes. Almost everything he owned was All Might-themed, and he wanted nothing to do with that anymore. He needed something darker. Something that suited him.
As he walked through the mall, he saw heroes for what they truly were: self-serving, glory-hungry frauds. They abandoned civilians the moment the odds turned against them. They only acted when it benefited them. They didn’t care about the weak.
Scoffing, Izuku entered a clothing store and picked out dark green sweatpants, a matching T-shirt, and a black hoodie. He also grabbed a new backpack before paying at the counter without a word.
As he left, he stopped by a store selling pocket knives. He pocketed three of their sharpest blades, slipping them into his shoes when no one was looking. Then he entered a public restroom to change into his new clothes, tossing his old ones in the trash.
He didn’t want anything to do with All Might or heroes.
After leaving the mall, he stopped by a burger joint to grab lunch.
The sight of hero-themed menu items disgusted him, so he ordered a plain burger, fries, and a soda before sitting at a corner table.
As he ate, his mind drifted to his next move.
‘What Quirk should I steal next? I know I’ll take one from a hero, but which one?’
Before he could settle on a target, someone dropped a tray of food across from him.
He looked up.
A girl with dirty blonde hair styled into two buns sat across from him, her yellow, slit-pupil eyes gleaming with amusement. She smiled, revealing slightly longer-than-normal canine teeth.
“Izu-kun! Nice to finally meet you in person.”
Izuku raised an eyebrow. “And you are?”
The girl grinned. “I’m Toga Himiko,” she said before taking a bite of her burger.
Izuku tensed slightly, slipping a hand into his pocket and gripping his knife. “And why do you know me, Toga?”
Toga’s smile widened. “My master wanted me to watch you when you started U.A.”
Izuku narrowed his eyes. “And who is your master?”
She giggled. “Now, now, Izu-kun, I can’t tell you that yet. But what I can tell you is that he’s a villain… and so am I.”
Izuku smirked. “So, you’re with the League, then.”
“Got it in one! You’re so smart, Izu-kun.” She slid a small card across the table. “That’s my number. I have to go and report back, but we’ll see each other again. Bye-bye~”
And just like that, she ran off, vanishing into a nearby alley.
Izuku flipped the card between his fingers before tucking it into his pocket.
Interesting.
Later that night, Izuku walked down a dark alley, his hood up, moving with purpose.
He had heard that Phantom, an underground hero, was operating in this area. And he wanted to find him.
As he crept through the shadows, he heard a voice near the alley entrance.
“I know, man, the Quirk was useless against that villain. Who knew lightning could stop my shadow travel?”
Izuku’s lips curled into a cold smile.
‘Just who I was looking for.’
“I’ll be at U.A. in about a week, okay?” Phantom continued, speaking into his phone. “Alright, see you later. Stay safe.”
The moment Phantom ended the call, Izuku made his move.
Stepping out from the shadows, he put on his usual mask—the innocent, helpless child.
“A-are you Phantom?” he asked, making his voice quiver.
Phantom flinched in surprise. “Why, yes, kid! I am Phantom! Are you lost? Where are your parents? Do you need help?”
Izuku nodded timidly. “Y-yes… I’m lost. Can you help me?”
Phantom smiled warmly and held out his hand. “Of course, kid. Here, take my—”
The moment Izuku’s hand touched his, his mask dropped.
A cold, cruel grin spread across his face.
Dark tendrils surged up Phantom’s arm, piercing into his chest.
“W-what are you doing?! STOP—”
The hero’s screams were cut short as Izuku ripped the Quirk from his body.
Power flooded through him.
He controlled it far more easily this time—only twenty seconds passed before Phantom collapsed, lifeless.
Izuku rolled his shoulders, getting used to the Shadowstep ability before using it to teleport just outside his apartment.
He stepped inside, shutting the door behind him.
“I’m home,” he called out.
His mother peeked out from the kitchen and smiled. “Midoriya! How was school? Did you have any trouble wi—”
She stopped mid-sentence, finally taking a good look at him.
“…Did you get new clothes?” she asked, frowning. “I’ve never seen them before.”
Izuku rolled his eyes.
Inko’s frown deepened. “Midoriya, I’m worried about you. You’ve changed so much in the last two days. Has something happened? Did someone do something to you? Please, talk to me.”
Izuku scoffed. “Do you know why I’m like this?” His voice was cold, sharp. “Guess what? You all win! I’m done trying to be a hero! Are you happy now?! You finally broke me! I hope this is what you wanted, Mother!”
Tears welled in her eyes. “Midoriya, please—”
“Save it,” he spat, storming past her and slamming his bedroom door.
Inko stood there, alone in the living room, shoulders shaking.
“Oh, Midoriya… I am so, so sorry,” she whispered to the empty house.