Chapter Text
So our story starts in a lab. Not the stereotypical ‘he was raised in a lab!’ No, just a field trip for Aldera Junior High of Promising Students. A simple American style teaching lab.
You see, these students are sent here if they, A, have insanely rich parents (looking at about 90% of the school), B, shows promise of either becoming a great hero or leader in great fields (looking at Kacchan and 8% of the school),or C, got in on scholarship (2%).
Now I bet you’re wondering which category I fall into, right? Well I fall into option D. That’s right, nepotism, baby!
You see, after I left primary school, no other school wanted to take a quirkless… So my dad, a great scientist who went to Aldera, and has a lot of connections to rather powerful people- sometimes I remember something from a guy who was, like, really popular, he always had bodyguards around him- called in and got me a place!
I would’ve been kicked out about 2 years ago when my dad died, but I ended up on the scholarship program thanks to my mom, who is an amazing- I’m not biassed, shut up- lawyer who threatened to sue if they kicked me out. They either had things to hide or knew my mothers reputation, and let me stay… probably the former.
Anyway, let’s bring us back to the lab! My story was simple. I got bit by a fucking radioactive spider in a lab that was supposed to be the ‘safest place to bring your students to see real science!’ or something. It was a trip for all the scholarship students, and while they tried to leave me behind before we left- students and teachers alike- I got on the bus, somehow… greatest bad decision of my life!
I wasn’t doing anything either! I was just walking along the genetically modified spider section and some slimy, small, slightly-too-green-to-be-normal spider crawled up my arm and BIT me!
You see, if I wasn’t hated by the entirety of my school -and hit and belittled and whatever at every sound I made- I would’ve screamed, ‘cuz that shit hurt. But I didn’t. I just hit it off me, I saw it crawl away on the ground to go die in a hole or something of the sorts, when I see it’s fucking glowing! I accepted my fate then and there. ‘I’ve been bit by a venomous, radioactive spider… I’m going to miss you mom!’ But nothing happened.
“IZ___ MIDORYIA, TO THE BUS! NOW!” My balding, quirkist, piece of absolute shit teacher shouted. I did what any 14 year old boy would do… I ran to that bus like I never ran before, because I knew they would leave me
Bowing to Sensei to avoid getting hit ‘accidentally again’- by his ridiculous long hands mind you, sure I don’t have a quirk, but how is ‘hand growth’ any better? You can’t even use it properly, give it to me and I’d actually use it.
I didn’t say sorry, I wasn’t allowed to, couldn’t anyway. My voice just wouldn’t let me around these people. Mom said it was selective mutism. I call it not wasting air on assholes. My name is Izuku by the way. Not that God awful name that I don’t even care to process anymore. In fact the only people that call me Izuku and use my correct pronouns are Mom- was dad too, but you know, dead- and Kacchan surprisingly.
I think Uncle explained it to him, and he understood that it was a line too far to cross. So even if he bullies me for being quirkless, at least he’s not transphobic. ‘One win for us, I guess?’
On the bus drive back, I even forgot about the spider bite, too distracted trying to dodge the stuff being thrown at me- ‘Seriously, be original, my dad played catch with me more aggressively.’
In fact, I forgot about it until the next morning when I woke up with my guts basically out of my stomach. I could not stop being sick. It sucked. My mom walked in mid ‘let’s give our throat acid burns!’ Session. “You’re not going to school today, Izuku...”
“Mom! I-“ I couldn’t even argue, not because she was right, even though she was; but because of an earlier statement I made about my guts. So I just passed out and wished that I could die for about the entire day.
I woke up the next morning and felt like I could actually talk to Kacchan today! Which wouldn’t happen, regardless, but considering the fact that I was able to- “MOM!!! I'M STARVING, I NEED FOOD PLEASE!” my throat hurt but I did not care. I needed food right away- like any normal teenage boy.
Like the angel she is, my lovely, amazing, sweet mother had food ready for me to eat.
I ate. And ate some more, and then had another portion.
“Uh- Izuku, dear. You’re going to be sick again-“
“No-“ a pause to chew the food that seemed like it was blessed with the holy water falling from my mouth. Actually that’s a disgusting thought. “-No mom I actually feel fine now, great even!”
“You’re not going to school still.”
“But-“
“No.”
“Fineeee…”
“I swear, Izuku, you and Kat are the only two kids I have known that want to go to school.” Mom breathed from her soul with a shake of her head.
After being barred from eating anymore breakfast after my 4th plate. Mom sends me to my room to sleep. I change out of my dirty pjs and change into some clean ones, also removing my tape that I slept in. And-
…
“What the fuck!- Since when did I have- is that a six pack!” I was amazed for exactly three seconds before panic set in. My whispering shouting somehow didn’t make it to mom's ears, who was only one room over.
I just stare at myself for a minute, not in disgust like normal, not even processing the grotesque scars on my arms that my mom will never know about -it’s only happened a few times, why worry her? I don’t even remember why I did it-. I just look. Stare. Process. Think.
Then? Then I panic again. “Ohhh my gods! That bite- like gave me super strength? Oh! Oh the labs said something about spiders being strong- and I- do I have a quirk now- I need a notebook! I need to uh- shirt first- yeah-... oh ok.” andddd none of my normal shirts fit me and all my oversized goodies are in the wash. Great. At least I’ve seen that I have grown a few inches, still only about 5’4.
I only technically started puberty about 3 months ago. Mom put me on hormone blockers when I was 11- thank kami- and I was able to be put on Testosterone about 3 months ago, weekly shots. So safe to say, I’m short as shit. So it’s noticeable when I go from the twink in every pre-quirk movie to a guy who looks like he sleeps at the gym.
I look through my wardrobe, under my bed, anywhere that might have clean oversized clothes. I found one hoodie which is about 3 whole sizes too big. It’s my dads, I wouldn’t normally wear it, but, well special occasion.
‘Shops… we need to go to the shop.’
—--
Over the next few days, everything seemed to remain the same. Mom barely noticed but I decided to plant the seed of doubt early, and say I’m going to start working out. She decided she loved the idea and also signed me up to some self defence classes for ‘muscle growth and who knows when you’ll need it’.
Which I will later thank her for another time, later, when I'm still not able to shut my head up on the topic of my… quirk?
The only thing that seemed different for the 2 days following was that it was like I knew when the worst of my bullies would be around the corner. A sixth sense.I would normally run into Kacchan instead, but a few verbal jabs and maybe a burnt shoulder is better than betting beaten blue and purple before school.
It’s been this way since I was 4. I couldn’t start the school day off without someone punching me- physically or verbally.
But now? With my maybe-a-weirdly-awakened quirk? I might be able to hold my own. Even if, in the eyes of the law, I'm quirkless. Maybe I don’t have to be useless, be Deku anymore.
Maybe, I can be a hero.
Maybe, I can save others like I was never saved.
Maybe,I can be like Allmight!