Chapter Text
When the doctor told his mother that his Quirk was likely never to surface, Midoriya Izuku couldn’t believe what he was hearing. It’s impossible for a Quirk to stay dormant for that long, right? Right? But, deep down, he knew that it was true. That would explain why he wasn’t able to use telekinesis like his mother, or fire breathing like his absent father. He had no joint in his pinky toe, he practiced pulling in objects with the many All Might figurines on his dresser, and even tried setting a twig on fire. So why didn’t he have a Quirk like the rest of the kids his age?
He might as well been born Quirkless .
He was thrown into a world of pity and anger, bullying and isolation. His best friend left in search of better, stronger friends, leaving him behind with nothing more than a cold stare of indifference. Soon, the happy-go-lucky kid that everyone used to know was turned into a silent, hopeless shell of his former self. And no one did anything about it.
Several years passed by in what seemed to be slow-motion for Midoriya. He was used to every name in the book by now, Useless and Quirkless being some of them. His mom, Inko, tried her best to help, but nothing seemed to make her son smile anymore. He lived because he had to, ate because he needed to, and carried on. Bakugou no longer talked to him, which was a blessing and a stab in the back at the same time.
***
Midoriya walked down the empty street, observing the sunset with quiet interest. It was utterly silent in the evening where he walked in order to get home. It’s longer, but away from the jeers of his classmates. He clutched the strap of his backpack tighter with the thought of them and walked into the dark tunnel ahead, blocking his sight of the sky. With a sigh, Midoriya returned his gaze to the ground, watching as his feet stepped in puddles collected from the rain.
Suddenly, a twisting feeling settled deep in his gut. Something didn’t feel right. The boy quickened his steps, shooting backward glances every now and then. He nearly reached the end of the tunnel when something slimy grabbed his shoulder, whirling him around so fast he dropped the books in his hands.
There, lurking over him, was a large green monster entirely made from mud. A sadistic grin and two round eyes shone in the dark tunnel, and before Midoriya knew it, he’s being enveloped. Mud crept into his mouth and nose, blocking his air as he struggled helplessly against this villain. Panic set in, then asphyxiation. Tears were running down his cheeks and saliva dribbled past his lips as he choked on whatever was trying to get through.
“Don’t worry,” the monster laughed, “I’m just hijacking your body. Calm down. It’ll only hurt for about 45 seconds, then it’ll be over.”
Of course, that did nothing to calm Midoriya’s panicking mind; instead, he just fought harder. He didn’t want to go just yet. But a voice in the back of his head said otherwise: Didn’t you want this to happen? You don’t have a functioning quirk, you’re friendless, and your mom is ashamed of you. You might as well die, right?
Finally, Midoriya went still. Something in his heart hurt, regret maybe, but the voice got to him. Maybe it would be best for him to slip away and become just another casualty in a world of heroes and villains. In another life, he would be happy. Black spots filled the edges of his vision and the pain in his lungs faded into a dull ache. I’m sorry, Mom. I’m so, so sorry.
Then a voice appeared, so faint in his ears, and all hell broke loose. The monster, Sludge Villain, Midoriya recognized, was instantly blown to pieces with a gust of wind. What the? Blown back with him, Izuku smacked his head on the side of the tunnel, promptly knocking him out.
Midoriya regained consciousness when he felt a tapping on his cheek. “Kid? Come on, wake up kid!” A soft, but familiar voice talked to him. It’s so familiar, but it’s stuck on the tip of his tongue . . .
Opening his eyes, it took Midoriya a while to clear his vision. And when it did, he has to take a double take. All Might, his hero and inspiration was crouching next to him with a nervous look on his face. Nerves kicked into overdrive and Midoriya scrambled to his feet, stumbling over his words.
“Oh my gosh, it’s you! It’s really you!” He exclaimed, covering his mouth with his hands. He felt as though he could pass out again.
He hadn’t smiled like that in a very long time. Then he was told that he couldn't become a hero.
***
It seemed that the list of misfortunes involving Midoriya Izuku had no end. Because of him, Sludge Villain escaped and was holding his ex-best friend captive. He stood there, watching as Kacchan—Bakugou, now--struggled with the mud around his nose and mouth. No one was doing anything about it. Not even the pro-heroes could do anything, since Bakugou’s explosions were too dangerous. So here they were, standing there, watching as the blond began to suffocate.
Midoriya’s heart began to hammer against his chest, and as much as he hated Bakugou for leaving him, he couldn’t allow him to die. So, in a moment of pure stupidity, he dove past the line of pro-heroes and into the fray. Ignoring the baffled yells of the adults, he rushed through the sludge and fire and smoke. Clutching his backpack with one hand, Izuku threw it at the villain, distracting him long enough to climb on him and dig the boy out. Something in his hand was tingling, aching to be released, so in pure instinct, Izuku outstretched his hand and pulled .
Bakugou was free with a yelp of surprise, pulled by an invisible force. Midoriya could only look at his hand with amazement before he was smacked aside by the villain in a fit of rage. He hit the wall with a thump, a pained groan forcing past his mouth. Something warm trickled over his lips, the bitter taste of copper filled Izuku’s mouth. Lifting a shaky hand to his nose, Midoriya could immediately feel blood rushing from his nose. His head pounded and he couldn’t move from his spot on the ground. The villain approached him, his sharp teeth curled into a smile, as he reached a hand toward him.
A large explosion blew a piece of the arm clean off. Wind and smoke billowed Izuku further into the wall, which forced him to cover his eyes with his arms. A figure stood in front of him, flames igniting from their hands. “Oi, Deku! Get up, you useless son of a bitch!”
Kacchan . He knows it's him, and with renewed strength, he shakily stood. Midoriya’s head was pounding, colors spun in an endless whirl as blood ran freely from his nose. He’s pretty sure that his telekinesis wasn’t strong enough to bring down Sludge Villain, but Bakugou’s determination forced his legs to bear the weight of his body. He leaned against the wall for needed support, but vertigo sent him straight back down.
Midoriya heard an irritated sigh, then hands yanked him to his feet. To his disbelief, Bakugou wrapped his arm around his shoulders and offered a supporting weight. If they weren’t in danger, Midoriya would have definitely lost his mind. Instead, he gratefully accepted his help--even though it’s surprising and completely out-of-character. Bakugou, with another exasperated sigh, helped Izuku through the smoke and into the arms of a pro-hero nearby. Midoriya’s mind was already cloudy with his headache, but Bakugou’s unexpected kindness just muddled things further.
Faintly, Midoriya could remember All Might returning to finish the job. Though, in his dizzy spell, he couldn’t remember anything that was said to him other than All Might asking how he felt. His nose finally stopped bleeding, yet his headache still pressed against his skull. Maybe it was his Quirk? It didn’t hurt until he pulled Bakugou out of the slime.
“Young Midoriya? Did you hear me?” All Might asked him. Izuku snapped out of his thoughts and offered All Might an apologetic smile.
“Sorry, sir. I was distracted. What were you saying?” He scratched the back of his neck with a nervous laugh. All Might shook his head, but a large smile rested on his face.
“I just wanted to say how much you inspired me today. When you jumped in to help Young Bakugou--which, might I add, was a stupid thing to do--you sparked something in me that made me activate my Quirk once more. The look in your eyes was pure determination. And, in that moment, I knew.” All Might looked down at him, his hollow eyes managed to shine with pride. “You can be a hero.”
Tears welled up in Midoriya’s eyes, threatening to spill as he looked at his shoelaces. All his life, he had so much doubt that he’d ever become a hero. Not only that, but Bakugou rubbed more salt in the wound with the talk of being Quirkless. He was never inspired to do better by anyone but his mother, but even her voice held sadness behind the fake cheerfulness. He finally had someone outright tell him that he could , and it was from his idol, no less.
“Thank you,” he whispered. “I can’t tell you how much I needed to hear that.” It didn’t matter about the taunts and the pity, the doubt and the tears. All Might believed in him and that’s all he could ask for.
“Of course, my boy. Though, I do have to ask you something. I thought you said that you didn’t have a Quirk?” The thin man tilted his head to the side, much like a dog when it’s confused. Midoriya smiled behind his hand when he made the connection, but then he remembered that he actually had to answer his question.
“I thought so, too. I mean, the doctors always told me that my quirk was dormant and would probably never appear. So I’m as surprised as you, I suppose.” Izuku faced forward, locking his green eyes with red ones from a distance. “Kacchan?”
Bakugou was clearly waiting for him at the end of the street, yet he didn’t respond to Midoriya’s call. All Might looked at the boy, then back at Midoriya. “Well, Young Midoriya, I think it’s time for me to go. It seems you have someone to take you home.” He smiled at the boy, patting his shoulder. “I’ll see you soon?”
Realizing that it was a question, Midoriya rapidly nodded his head. “Of course! Now that I have my quirk, I’m considering applying for UA again. I just hope I can make it in.” All Might’s smile only got wider.
“We’ll just have to see, my boy! I have the utmost faith in you.” And with that, he walked away, past Bakugou and disappeared down a corner. Once All Might was out of sight, Bakugou immediately approached.
His head was low and his hair covered his face. “So, care to tell me what the hell that was about?” Despite his naturally loud voice, his tone didn't actually sound angry. Instead, he sounded curious.
There was no way that Midoriya could tell him that he was talking to All Might. One: he wouldn't believe him. Two: he absolutely had to keep his secret. He promised the hero that he would, and Izuku doesn’t break his promises. “A family friend of mine. He’s really close to my mom.”
Bakugou raised his brow, but doesn’t press the matter. Instead, he raised his head and looked at Midoriya straight on. “Look, I don’t want you to think that I’m a damn damsel in distress. Next time you try and save me, I’ll kill you. Got it?” His tone doesn’t have a hint of malice however, so Midoriya smiled at him and nodded.
“Sure thing. Sorry, Kacchan.” He said and walked ahead, leaving a wide-eyed Bakugou behind him. It took the boy a few moments to snap out of it and catch up to Izuku, and they both walked in silence. It gave Midoriya enough time to think about today and how much changed for him. He almost died, then he was saved by All Might, and then after that, he saved his bully with the quirk that just now decided to surface. He would definitely need some time to think when he got home.
When they finally got to the front of his apartment complex, Midoriya didn’t know what to say. Should he say goodbye? Or maybe he should just leave? Before he could even finish thinking, Bakugou cleared his throat. “And Deku?”
Midoriya had to turn around in order to face him, since Bakugou kept his distance from the house. “Yeah?” He answered, a small part of him still in disbelief that Bakugou was even talking with him to begin with.
“You have to show me that quirk when you get better, you piece of shit.” He bit out, turned his heel, and walked away with nothing more than a brief wave. Honestly, if Midoriya wasn’t hellbent on passing out on his bed, he would have definitely passed out now. Did Bakugou really tell him to feel better, albeit in a very bitter tone? This day just got stranger and stranger.
Midoriya slowly worked his way up the stairs to get to the door, fumbling with the keys as he tried to get in. He could smell dinner through the cracks of the door, which urged him on even more. Izuku walked into the entranceway, slipping off his shoes on the way to the living room. “Mom, I’m home!”
Inko then came barreling down the hall, embracing her son tightly in her arms. Her eyebrows were knit in worry as she observed the burns and bloodstains on his uniform. She shook her head, straightening out the wrinkles in his shirt. Finally, she looked at him dead in the eye. “You’ve got ten seconds to explain why you are late and covered in blood.”
Izuku took in a deep breath, and the words just started tumbling out.
It felt good to finally relieve everything off of his chest. Izuku had been bottling up everything for so long that he could feel the tension between his mother and him. And as much as he hated it, he couldn't bring himself to explain why he was acting the way he was.
Which was why the news of him developing a quirk—a variation of his mother's, no less—was music to Inko’s ears. She covered her mouth with watery eyes, and her signature red face began to spread across her cheeks. Whenever Inko was about to cry, her ears always flushed red; Midoriya also had a similar crying face, but he luckily had less sensitive skin. His mom wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug, burying her face in his shoulder.
Teary-eyed himself, Midoriya rubbed her back and didn't say anything until she calmed down. He's pretty sure if he tried, his voice would crack. When her shoulders finally stopped shaking, Midoriya cleared his throat and pulled away. His mom’s face was still flushed, but now with a grin.
“I’m so happy for you, Izuku. Oh, my baby, I’m so proud .” She grabbed his hand and lead him to the kitchen. “But this quirk of yours isn’t something to take lightly. When I developed my quirk, I was able to gradually improve due to my young age. But you’re fourteen, and are just now getting used to it. Your body and mind aren’t used to the strain.”
That made sense. Midoriya’s headache and nosebleed were likely from overexertion. “What can I do to improve?” He asked, following his beaming mother to the sink. She wet a paper towel and wiped the dried blood from his face.
She hummed in thought, thinking back to her childhood years. “Well, you could start with something light. I practiced on paper and other things.” She tossed the bloodstained towel in the garbage and tugged at Izuku’s shirt. He pulled it over his shoulders and handed it to her. “Or, since you already managed to pull Katsuki, you could work on heavier objects in small increments . I don’t want to see you pushing yourself, you hear?” Her stern gaze never failed to scare the hell out of him, so Izuku just nodded.
He leaned back on the counter, propping up his elbows. “Loud and clear, mom.”
“Good. Now, are you hungry? I was just about to make dinner.” She asked, setting his shirt on the edge of the sink. Izuku yawned behind his hand, shaking his head slightly. He was hungry, but right now, all he wanted was to be alone and think.
“No, I’m good. Sleep would be great.” He mused, sitting up again. Inko nodded her head in understanding and pressed a kiss to his temple.
“Good night, son. I’ll see you in the morning.” She murmured in his hair, which was tangled and covered in dirt. He’d definitely have to shower before he slept.
He kissed her cheek in response, muttering a quick g’night before he headed up the stairs to his room. He took in the sight, relieved to be back in a place that he considered a sanctuary for his thoughts. Posters of All Might lined the walls. A bookshelf filled with old manga and hero books was pressed against the wall in front of his bed. And to think a few hours ago, he would have never come back to this place. He would have been dead, and god, he wanted to be . Guilt and shame settled deep in his stomach, but he squeezed his eyes shut and grabbed his pajamas from his dresser. Izuku headed into the bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror.
He looked terrible, his face and chest riddled with scrapes and bruises. Eyes were sunken in and dark circles made their home under them, but what’s worse was that his arms and legs were thin. Izuku’s body frame had always been on the frail side, but with the stress and frustration, his body had become dangerously thin. He could see the faint outlines of ribs and his collarbone jutted out. With a gulp of much needed air, Izuku turned away and shedded the rest of his clothes.
The water felt better against his skin than his shirt, so he relished in the warmth that follows. Blood mixed with the water as pink washed down the drain, and Izuku scrubbed away the grime from his hair. With a sigh of content, he leaned forward and presses his hands against the tile, ducking his head low to let the water run down his back. He needed this.
After his shower, Midoriya shuffled into his room and flopped rather indignantly on his bed. A lot of things were running through his head right now, but he tried desperately to shut them out. All he wanted to do is sleep and start a new day.
And eventually, as he shut his eyes and tried to fall asleep, he did.
***
The teasing from Bakugou stopped, but others still bullied him. Bakugou Katsuki didn't look at him the next day, or the day after that. Izuku began to wonder if he did something wrong.
***
It was four o’clock in the morning and someone was throwing rocks at Midoriya’s window. At first, he tried to muffle the noise with his bedsheets. Then when that didn't work, he put in his earbuds and played music, yet the ping of the windows being tapped eventually annoyed him enough to investigate. Izuku groggily got out of bed, too tired to even put on a shirt, and pulled the curtains open. At first, it was too dark to see anything since the streetlights in front of his house had long went out, but then he saw the silhouette of a muscular man with his hands on his hips. That’s strange, it’s as if a giant All Might figurine is standing in front of his apartment. Wait.
“ All Might ?” Midoriya exclaimed and scrambled to open the latch. When he finally did, a rock flew towards his forehead and hit him, drawing out a groan from the boy.
“I'm so sorry, my boy! I didn't see you there.” he boomed and Izuku had half a mind to shush him so he didn't wake up the whole neighborhood. He doubted that seeing the Number One Hero in front of his apartment complex would go down well.
Instead, he settled for asking him why he was outside at four. “What are you doing here so early? I have school, you know!”
The idol just laughed, throwing his head back as his shoulders shook. “You, Young Midoriya, are going to be training with me to get into UA!”
Wait, training with All Might for a chance to get into Yuuei? Was he still dreaming? “Training? For Yuuei, which is a year away, and I just developed my Quirk, so the chances of me passing are very low, and I'm rambling, I'm so sorry.” He clamped his mouth shut, embarrassed.
“Worry not, my boy! By the time the entrance exams come, you’ll be ready to go! I have a feeling that you’ll do great!” All Might responded. “Hurry down, now: we’re losing precious time!”
“Right. Like waking up at four to train is a normal thing to do.” Midoriya muttered to himself before closing the window, tossing his pajamas in the basket and fishing out his old workout clothes. They were a bit too loose for his comfort, but it was better than nothing. He put on his worn red sneakers and tiptoed down the stairs toward the door.
The air was still warm from the summer air when Izuku stepped out into the street. All Might greeted him at the street light and lead him down toward the beach. Last time he was there, garbage and other junk littered the sand, so why are they going there ? The sound of waves lolling on the shore came to his ears, and Izuku was brought back to simpler times with his mom. They would always go to the beach to walk and enjoy the scenery, but ever since Inko got a new job as a nurse, she'd been unable to guarantee a time to dedicate to her son.
“Ah, there you are Young Bakugou! I was wondering if you'd show.” All Might said cheerfully, and that tore Midoriya from his thoughts. No way. Kacchan is here?
Sure enough, the angry blonde was staring off into the horizon with a scowl. He didn't face them yet, but Izuku wondered if Bakugou even knew that he was coming to train. He definitely wouldn't had shown up if he did. He was dressed in his black tank top with mirroring shorts and his hair was as unkempt as ever, but something about Bakugou had Izuku looking his way. He looked tired , which was something the boy hated to outwardly express. He would always call it a weakness and yelled at anyone who called him out for feeling any sort of fatigue.
Bakugou scoffed quietly, tilting his head towards the two. His eyes narrowed slightly at Midoriya, a silent glare, but didn't say anything. Instead, he looked up at All Might and gave a wide grin. “And miss out on training? There's no other place I'd rather be .”
A chill went down Midoriya's spine when the grin was directed towards him, a murderous glint in Bakugou’s eyes. He would have shrunk back if not for the large hand on his shoulder that held him in place. All Might chuckled, patting Midoriya on the back before addressing why they are here.
“You two have caught my eye, and I believe that there is potential within you both. Young Bakugou, your fiery personality and impressive capabilities can be put to good use with proper training. And Midoriya,” the man turned his attention onto the boy, “your quirk has just resurfaced and needs to be expended as early as possible. With any late quirk, the user must learn to control it before it deals physical and mental damage.”
“My headaches and nosebleeds were prime examples.” Midoriya nodded, pushing down the fear of Bakugou to make room for the excitement of working with the Number One Hero. It isn't every day that the Symbol of Peace dragged someone out at the break of dawn to train them. He would take full advantage of his kindness, it would be idiotic not to.
All Might flashed him a grin, before pushing him towards Bakugou. They both stood rather awkwardly next to each other. “Now, with the task at hand. This beach has been tainted with litter and other trash for years with no one even batting an eye. I will divide the shore in two, one side for muscular endurance and the other for quirk progression. You both are tasked with clearing the beach in ten months’ time, in perfect accordance with the UA entrance exams.”
Bakugou cracked his knuckles with a smirk. “Sounds easy enough.”
“Ah, it would, wouldn't it? Only there's a catch. You both have to work together to complete it. Teamwork is something that you both need to work on, and I’d be a fool not to teach it to you now.” All Might crossed his arms and looked at them with shadowed eyes.
“What?” They both exclaimed at once, equal expressions of shock on their faces. Bakugou was always a lone wolf when it came to training, snapping at anyone who tried to come into his personal space. And with Izuku, the thought of working beside his childhood friend who despised him both scared him and gave him hope. Not to mention how weak he was right now both with his quirk and physique. He'd surely let Bakugou down.
But All Might simply looked at them with his usual smile. “Now, if I had any doubts that you two would succeed, I wouldn’t have instructed you to do it! You two could become something more , don’t you think?”
Izuku couldn’t help but direct his attention to Bakugou to see his reaction to all this. His face was void of any emotion, but his fingers tapped together in a rhythm, which was a telltale sign that Bakugou was thinking about it. Ever since he was little, he had the habit to wipe his face of emotions and hide his tapping fingers from anyone so that he fooled everyone into thinking that he was clear minded. In truth, Bakugou calculated everything and anything within his head at a mile a minute, going through any possible outcome quickly before making his move. It took months for Izuku to figure out that Bakugou did that, but he never told him that he knew.
“Okay. We’ll do it.” Bakugou shoved his hands in his pocket, shielding his tic from Izuku’s prying eyes. “But don’t blame me if we don’t get anything done because of this nerd.” He pointed at Izuku with his thumb, an exasperated look on his face.
“I won’t let you down.” Midoriya muttered, mustering enough courage to look him in the eyes. Red met green as they stared at each other, an unspoken challenge drifting between them. They weren’t going to give up, not on this once in a lifetime opportunity. So Midoriya looked out into the pile of trash with a nervous, albeit determined, grin. He wasn’t going to give up. He’d put his body through hell before ever deciding to raise the white flag.
“Of course you won’t, boy! Now, for the first pile,” All Might gestured to the rubble, “this will be the physique trial. You both will have to carry or drag the items in order for me to see the horizon. Then, the second trial will begin. Ready?”
Bakugou clenched his fists, a wicked grin plastered on his face. Beside him, Izuku offered a more mild smile, tentatively inching toward the pile. He could feel the heat of Bakugou beside him, accentuated by the excited sparks that burst from his palms, and used it to fuel his own determination. It would be difficult, both working together and being able to physically move the trash, but Izuku’s days of giving up and being the pushover were over. He would strive to be better. He had to be better.
“Begin!”