Chapter Text
A lot could be said about Izuku Midoriya’s luck- bad luck, that is. If he wasn’t quirkless, he’d think he had a Trouble Magnet quirk.
First, getting told by All Might that he could never be a hero? Having his hero tell him he wasn’t capable? Right after getting nearly murdered, and having to deal with Kacchan?
Needless to say- shitty day.
The only solace- this villain fight. He hadn’t meant to come watch it but…He was here now anyways.
Izuku feels cold, suddenly, as he stares at the sludge villain. Only twenty minutes ago, it had suffocated him, nearly killed him as it forced its way in his throat to- to wear him, like a cheap suit.
There's so much fire on the street, and none of the heroes are helping. No one is doing anything.
And then he sees those eyes. Those red, terrified eyes of Kacchan, his friend, his bully- Dying like Izuku had been.
He can’t do anything, he knows that. He’s just a shitty deku, worthless like everyone always says, useless- so why is he running? Why can’t his feet stop?
DeathArms tries to grab him, but Izuku is small enough to easily duck under him. His lungs burn for air, but he runs. Slipping his yellow bag from his shoulders, and throwing it as hard as he can. The sludge bubbles and gurgles in reaction to him hitting it in its eye. He can’t bite down the sobs as he yanks and pulls at the laughing green ooze, unable to get any purchase.
”You- Why you-“ Katsuki wheezes out, gagging and wheezing at the seconds of air.
”My legs moved on their own! I don’t know why either!” Izuku sobs out, continuing to claw the sludge,”I-it’s because- Because your eyes were pleading for help!”
The sludge rears back to fall upon Izuku, as if to take the both of the whole- yet it collapses instead. The sludge retreating into a human shape- the villain's body when the quirks inactive. But why-
“Get back, you two. I have it from here. So much for being off shift.”
Eraserhead. Those goggles, that weapon-
Without his quirk, the sludge is just a man. A weak man, unable to stop a knee to his face and a punch under the jaw- incapacitated with ease, and without fanfare.
From there, it’s a rush of the other heroes getting rid of the fire and the police putting cuffs on the criminal.
Of course Kacchan gets the praise of the heroes, fawning over such a strong quirked boy. The cop tries to scold him, but Eraserhead cuts in, sitting next to the boy at the bumper of the paramedic vehicle. Izuku is lucky to not hyperventilate in awe at the underground pro.
”You stepped in. Why?”
Izuku flounders a minute, a mix of adrenaline and hero worship- “I-… Nobody else was helping. Kacchan looked so scared, I- I couldn’t let him die. I didn’t even think-“
“That was stupid.”
Tears well in his eyes once more-
“But brave. The other heroes could’ve learned from you. Even a child’s backpack to its eyes was better than just watching.”
Izuku couldn’t hold back the tears at that. Eraserhead tensed,clearly uncomfortable- whether from emotion, a child, or the media- who could say.
”Stay out of trouble. You want to help people, get a license. I look forward to seeing what you do, problem child. We could use heroes with your kind of mettle.”
Izuku doesn’t even have a moment to correct the man before he’s gone, slinging to the rooftops for his real patrol.
It burns a little. His dreams had water poured on them, yet there was a single spark of an ember still warm and red. Just enough to leave him lost.
Kacchan yells at him on his way home, but the boy can’t seem to regret any of today. Not when he feels that ember, burning even as Izuku walks in the door of his and his moms apartment, “I’m Home-“
Only to be yanked into a ferocious hug by his mom, who’s in tears. “I saw the news- Kami, Izuku, you could’ve been hurt or worse! I’m just- I’m just so glad you’re okay!”
The adrenaline that lingered suddenly evaporated.
”I’m sorry, mom. I- I just couldn’t leave him to d- to be hurt.”
”Oh, my sweet Izuku… I- I’m not angry. I’m proud. Scared,terrified- but proud. Come on, I’ll make Katsudon tonight.”
After dinner, Izuku goes up onto the roof. It’s chilly, but quiet. A moment of peace to think, with soft winds nipping at his cheeks.
“What are you doing, kid?”
Izuku startles, nearly slipping from the roof, if the man hadn’t caught him. “Uh- What?”
”How about we get down from here and-“
”Oh! No, Nono, I’m not- I live just two floors down, I come up here sometimes, I’m not- I wouldn’t jump.”
Eraserhead sighs, relieved that’s not something added to his patrols tonight. “Go back inside, it's not safe out here this late.”
Izuku might usually be embarrassed to stop yet another hero who’s trying to work, but hey- he was already here.
“Wait, Eraserhead, uh- did you mean what you said?”
”What- Oh. You’re the kid from the sludge attack. What exactly are you asking about?”
”Do you… really think I could be a hero?”
”You have the instinct. Whether you put in the work is-“
”I’m quirkless. So- So, nobody ever thinks I can, and-“
”That doesn’t matter.”
”… What?”
Eraserhead scoffs. “Quirks aren’t everything. Even someone with the strongest quirk is useless if they don’t work for it. Potential is what matters. You work for it? You'll get it. But it will be harder than those other kids.”
Eraserhead gets a better look at the kid. He’s tiny, and practically a twig. Against his better judgement, he crouches next to where the kid sits.
“Don’t make me regret this- but I can get you started on some training, Just so you know what to work on.”
“Wha- Really? You wouldn’t mind, and aren’t too busy?”
“I’m working a case here for a while, so I’ll be in the area. I can train you on Sundays, and occasionally after patrols- but this means waking up pretty early.”
Izuku stands, bowing, holding back his tears. “Thank you, Eraserhead! I’ll do my best- more than that.”
Eraserhead nods- only time will tell if that’s true. “By the way, kid- what’s your name?”
Izuku stands up, and beams at the underground hero. “Midoriya Izuku, pleasure to meet you!”