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A/N: I hope you all enjoy my imaginings of how things could have gone in this incredible anime! Those of you who follow my Freedom series, I haven't stopped writing that. I have recently hit a lot of writers blocks for Defiance, and one advice was to try writing something else to see if that could help me.
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(( You do not have know the anime/manga to read this story! I will explain everything as I go! ))
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THIS STORY HAS DARK THEMES. I will try and give warnings.
Warning! This chapter contains: rape/non-con, child abuse, whipping, verbal abuse, emotional abuse, death.
That being said - this story is also about hope, overcoming pain, true friendship, and love.
...
The Beginning
It was just a quaint, suburban neighborhood on the outer reaches of a big city. Apartments and houses, small parks with screaming kids, groceries and convince stores, shops, some office buildings, stray cats and newspapers, just an ordinary neighborhood. In one of those small, cozy, little houses lived the Midoriya family.
Inko Midoriya was a young, single parent. She had black-green hair and lighter green eyes. She had boundless energy and enthusiasm, which was good since she had to work full time and still take care of her little Izuku.
Smiling as the sun finally filled the sky with golden light, she finished drying the dishes she’d used to make breakfast and turned to call her baby boy, only to jump, startled, to see little Izu standing in the doorway. He was staring at her, big tears rolling down his round cheeks, completely silent.
“Oh, baby!” She ran to him and scooped him into her arms. He was getting bigger, Izu having just turned four, but it was still easy to do and she did it as often as she could.“What is it, baby? Did you have a bad dream?”
“Bigfoot got hit by a car, mama,” her boy whispered, his chubby fingers tangling in her hair. “It hurt him so much.”
“Oh, sweetie…” Inko rocked her son, cradling him in her arms. Bigfoot was a neighbor’s dog. A fluffy thing that only came up to her knees. All the kids loved to play with him. “I’m sure Bigfoot is fine. It was just a dream, Izu.”
Three days later, Bigfoot died. Hit by a speeding car.
A coincidence, Inko told herself, but she was worried.
…
“Mama! Mama!”
Inko smiled as she caught Izuku in her arms, having just opened his classroom door. The sun was setting, the sky turning a beautiful orange-pink outside the daycare’s windows. “Yes, Izu?” She swooped him up onto her hip. It used to bother her that Izuku was always the last to be picked up, but the daycare teacher didn’t mind and Izuku never seemed bothered being left there.
“Kacchan got his quirk today! His hands pop and flash! It was amazing!” Izuku cried directly in her ear.
She laughed and shifted him so that she wouldn’t be deafened and gave a little wave to the teacher. She got a friendly wave in return. Turning, Inko carried her son out of the building and out on the street, listening to his happy babble. Kacchan featured in many of Izuku’s school stories. Izuku had always been impressed with the other boy. For good reason, it appeared. Developing his quirk so early! It was amazing!
“Will I have your quirk, mama? Will I pull things to me?” he asked, practically bubbling over with excitement.
His hair was thick and messy, a slightly lighter shade of green than hers, a deep emerald. It was so soft. She loved to run her hands through it. She ruffled it now with a laugh, kissing his cheek. “Maybe you will. We’ll just have to wait and see.”
…
The house was too quiet. It was Inko’s day off and she was busy getting caught up on all the house work. Drying her hands on a rag, she went in search of her son. She found him in his room, sitting on his bed, staring out the window.
“Izu?” she called, stepping closer. Suddenly she could make out his reflection in the glass and saw that he was crying silently, staring off into the distance. “Izu!” She pulled him away from the window and into her arms. “What is it, sweetie?”
“S-so many p-people… They get burnt up and big rocks fall on them…” Suddenly, a manic smile spreads across his face. “But I Am Here! saves the others. They hurt and they’re scared, but He is there! He’s a great hero, mama!”
“What? Izuku? What are you talking about?” Her heart pounded in her chest. She had absolutely no idea what he was saying, but no matter how she asked him, he wouldn’t say anymore after that and grew quiet the rest of the day.
…
Three weeks later, the video of All Might’s daring rescue, saving dozens, was uploaded on the internet, and Inko knows real fear. She pulls Izuku into the kitchen and sits him down on a chair. She pulls the other chair around to face his, close enough their knees touch. He’s almost five now, getting so big, but he was still so young. His socked feet dangle several inches off the floor. He stared up at her with his happy smile, hair fluffy and ruffled. She can’t help but smile even through her fear.
“Did you see the video, mama! I told you! I told you He was a great hero! His name’s All Might, mama! Did you know that? I’m gonna be like All Might someday! When I get my quirk, I’m gonna be a hero!”
Tears burned the back of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She captured Izuku’s hands and held them in her own. She stared seriously into his eyes. “Izu. Honey. I’m a-afraid I have to tell you something really, really important.” She had to protect him. Even if that meant hurting him. Steeling herself, she lied. “You’re quirkless, Izuku. The doctor told me so, but I d-didn’t think you were ready to know.”
Izuku’s whole face crumbled. “W-what? Mama?” He looked completely devastated.
Into cried as she crushed her son to her body. “You don’t have a quirk, Izuku. I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.” She apologized to him all night. She held him as he cried, heartbroken, but it didn’t stop her from doing what needed to be done. The very next morning, she reregistered him as quirkless at his school.
Izuku was quiet that week. He also came home scrapped up and bruised, but he wouldn’t tell her how it happened. She didn’t press for details because she knew how it happened. Word had spread. Just as she had wanted it to. Izuku was quirkless, and now he was getting bullied.
…
“I don’t understand why you’re being so mean!” Izuku cried, arms out flung to protect the crying Tamachan behind him.
They were at recess. The kids from their class watched with wide eyes, but the teacher had gone inside for a minute. They were alone. Izuku was squared off with a slightly bigger boy with spiky ash-blond hair and deep red eyes. Little lights sparked and popped on his palms.
Kacchan had always been loud and smart and the best at everything. Everyone loved him, their classmates and all the teachers, but ever since his quirk came, Kacchan had been so angry and aggressive. The teachers had stopped being so nice to him. It scared Izuku, but it also worried him a lot.
“Just because you’re strong doesn't mean you should pick on people,” Izuku told him, pleading with him to reconsider. “All Might would never do that, Kacchan!”
The blond boy went from angry to murderous in a second. “SHUT UP, DEKU!” he screamed, using the nickname he’d created to torment Izuku. Kacchan had called him useless ever since he’d learned that Izuku was quirkless. “YOU’RE JUST A STUPID WEAKLING! YOU CAN’T PROTECT ANYONE!”
“I can so!” Izuku yelled back, arms dropping to his sides as his little hands curled into fists.
Kacchan swung his hand up, palm facing him, and poppers went off, making him flinch, but Izuku refused to move, and when Kacchan shoved him, his eyes went wide. It was hot! He cried out helplessly and fell to the ground, shaking with the pain. There was a burnt hole in his shirt where Kacchan had touched him. His skin looked raw and blistered. Izuku burst into tears.
…
Katsuki tried to forget the whole thing, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t forget the red, blistered skin on Deku’s shoulder from where he’d shoved him. Couldn’t forget the sound of the deku’s pained cries. He was home now, cold and shivering because the house was always turned down to sixty-five degrees. That wouldn’t be so bad except he was naked. His mother wouldn’t allow him any excuse to sweat and make his poppers. She said it a thousand times: Learn to control your quirk or I’ll do it for you.
Right now she was yelling at dad. Money, it was always about money, although Katsuki didn’t have any idea why. They lived in a big, two story house in the nicer area of the neighborhood. They had the newest appliances - nice computers and tvs. He’d seen other kids houses, and they were usually shitty apartments, so they couldn’t be hurting for cash.
Dad tried to apologize like he always did. He tried to say how he was going to work harder, but that just made Mom angrier. Sometimes she would throw stuff around and break it. It set Katsuki’s teeth on edge and he still couldn’t forget he’d burned someone today, and got scolded by a teacher, and was assigned detention. Deku was a worthless loser, but he hadn’t meant to burn him.
The sound of his mother yelling, his father’s weak replies, the stress of the day, it was too much and his hand secreted a little liquid. Caught in his head, he didn’t realize until it was too late and a little pop sounded as his palm flashed.
Katsuki went animal-still, terrified his mother had heard, and as soon as her heavy footsteps reverberated through the house, he scrambled to his feet. He was already breathing fast, his heart racing.
“Hands on the fucking wall, brat!” she spat at him, furious. “I told you, didn’t I? Control your quirk, Katsuki, or I’ll fucking do it for you! You want to grow up a villain? Huh? Do you? Well, that’s what happens when lowlifes like you can’t control their quirk! Their quirk controls them!”
The accusations almost hurt more than the beating would. “I’m not a villain!” he yelled defiantly through his tears. “I’m gonna be a great hero! Everyone says so!” All his teachers, all his friends - You have a powerful quirk, Katsuki! Perfect for a hero! - You’re so smart, Katsuki! A little genius! - You’re so cool, Kacchan, no one’s as great as you! - That last had his eyes flying wide as he remembered red, blistered skin.
“Everyone?” his mother asked darkly from behind him. “Everyone thinks you're a fucking hero, huh? You think the school wouldn’t email me about the incident today during recess? About your pathetic detention? You fucking hurt that kid today, asshole. And you think you’re a fucking hero? You’re a pathetic loser, Kastsuki, destined to be behind bars.”
Katsuki bit his lip, tears falling down his cheeks. He only put Tamazaki in his place because he’d called him a cheat! The stupid idiot was just mad that Katsuki had beat him at their last spelling test! It was Deku’s fault for getting in the way! He hadn’t meant to hurt him!
“Hands. Wall. Now,” his mother growled. She looked coldly furious as she unbuckled her belt and pulled it through her pant-loops.
Katsuki grit his teeth and obediently walked over to the far wall. He was shaking, and he grit his teeth as he pressed his palms flat as hard as he could.
“I better not see a single fucking burn on that wall,” she warned, dangerous as a snake.
Katsuki closed his eyes tight. The sound of the belt swinging through the air made him cringe and then SMACK! The leather bit into his naked skin, like acid, like fire. He arched, going up on his toes, and grunted, biting back sobs. If he cried too soon, she’d only get madder.
SMACK! - Burning searing pain. He wanted to scream - not yet, not yet! He was shaking, he was so cold. His skin was always white and shivering at home, his lips tinted blue.
“You can lie to everyone else, but not to me, Katsuki,” his mother growled from behind him. “You’re no fucking hero!”
SMACK! - A whimper escaped him. He was shaking hard. Forehead pressed into he wall, trying to press out the pain, block out the voice.
“You’re just a fuck-up, Katsuki! A dangerous fuck-up!”
SMACK! - Katsuki bit his lip so hard blood welled and spilled down his chin.
“Your quirk’s never going to fucking save anyone! All you can do is hurt and maim! A fucking villain through and through!”
SMACK!
It was all he could take! He broke, screaming as the belt licked an inferno against his cold skin. Tears drenched his face. He was practically clinging to the wall. “I’ll be a hero! Promise, mama! Please! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! Please! Mama, I’m sorry!”
A merciless hand grabbed him by the hair. Coldly furious eyes glared down at him. “Get out of my sight. You fucking disgust me.”
Katsuki scrambled to obey. He hurt so much! Curling his arms around his chest, he staggered upstairs to his room. His bed had no sheets. It was just a bare mattress. Collapsing on it, he curled up and sobbed. He would be a hero! He would! He’d be the Number One Hero and no one would question him! Not even Mom! He’d be better than All Might!
He told himself this over and over until he cried himself to sleep.
…
Izuku had been quirkless for a little more than two years now. He secretly still wanted to be a hero. He didn’t tell his mom, of course. She worried enough as it was. And he didn’t have any friends at school to tell, either. In fact, as the only quirkless kid in class, he had zero chance of making friends. They all thought he was a pathetic weakling. Even his teachers pitied him, although they tried to hide it.
He still worried about Kacchan, but he’d learned to give his old friend a wide berth. It was hard, though. They were always placed in the same class because they both did so well at school. (Kacchan always earned the highest score and Izuku the second highest.) So he still came home with singed clothes and bruises on occasion when Kacchan couldn’t be avoided.
Still, Izuku never saw him picking on anyone smaller than him again. The blond still got into a lot of fights. He was still angry a lot, and he talked like he was the best, and that attitude got him in a lot of trouble from the older kids. At first, Izuku worried, but it was okay because Kacchan always won. Izuku couldn’t help being impressed! Kacchan even won against fourth grade bullies! And they were so much bigger than them!
Izuku still had weird dreams, too. He didn’t tell anyone about that, either. At least, that’s what he called them even though they usually happened when he was wide awake. They were scary and they hurt because in each and every one he watched something die, he felt them die. Sometimes animals, but mostly people. They didn’t happen often. At first he only remembered having them once or twice a year. Now he had one every couple months.
He tried not to think about them, but they wouldn’t leave him alone. He’d see flashes of the visions in his nightmares and sleep became difficult. Sleep was so difficult in fact that he started to get sick from exhaustion. His mother, worried for his health, gave him half a sleeping pill for a week or two when it got really bad.
Then he figured out that if he wrote these dreams down, he could ignore them more easily and his nightmares came less often. So he had started to carry a special notebook with him everywhere. He was too scared of anyone else (his mom) finding it. He knew the things he wrote were really bad. He knew it would get him into trouble, so he kept it with him, safe. He had lots of notebooks anyway: school notebooks and his hero notebooks. It wasn’t like one more would look weird.
But that all changed over summer break after he'd just turned eight years old. He was still too little to be left alone, so his mother always signed him up for summer camp. He dreaded it. He always got picked on worse than ever; the other kids were less distracted and so targeted Izuku more.
When he got to his assigned classroom, Izuku froze in the doorway. His normal teacher was not there. Instead a man with black hair that fell to his waist, large brown eyes with no whites in them, and thick lips stood at the front of the room. He looked soft and pretty like a girl, and he gave a Izuku a sweet smile.
“Come in. Don’t be shy.”
Even his voice was soft and melodic.
Izuku walked forward in a daze and took his seat. He tried to make himself as small as possible. His heart slammed against his ribs, his breath coming soft and fast. With shaking hands, he took out his vision notebook. There, in the middle, he stopped on a page.
Windows lining the wall. Night time. Moonlight. Lifted from the floor. Carried. Can’t move. Put on something hard on back. A person standing over me. Long hair. Big eyes, no whites. Pink gas(?). My pants pulled down. Feel it pulled down my legs. “Look at you, pretty. So good for me.” The sound of a zipper. “You will make a great addition to my collection, little Tamachan.” Cold hands lifting my legs. Pushing up. Bent in half. Something rubbing at my butt, cold, wet. “And, oh, I bet sweet Izuchan will feel so good wrapped around me next.” Heavy. Person leans close, pressing legs flat to chest, can’t breathe. Lots of pink gas. Person close to my face. “I’m not supposed to have favorites, but I’m going to remember your class for a long, long time.” Tongue licking my lips and sucking. Something pressing at my butt. Big so big and hurts! Hurts straight up my back and into my stomach. It pushes inside more and more and I can’t scream, can’t move, can’t breathe. Feels like it goes all the way to my throat. Finally stops and begins to leave but before it gets out it pushes back in faster. Punches my stomach from the inside. Hurts so much! Too full! It goes back out and punches in again and again. Can’t breathe. Can’t get it to stop. Hurts so much but can’t cry. Then I break. Everything goes cold. The terrible thing goes away, but it’s not better. “Wake up, wake up. You’re just supposed to sleep. Just a little fun. You’ll be fine. Wake up.”
Izuku shakily closed his notebook and looked up at their substitute teacher. Mr. Sato was reviewing math. There were only four other kids in the room. Tamachan sat at the front. He was smiling, his hand raised to answer the question. He grinned when Mr. Sato praised him for being correct.
…
Katsuki loved summer break. He got away from the stupid idiots at school and got the house to himself. He’d learned a lot of control over his quirk, so it wasn’t so bad at home anymore. Good thing, too, because his poppers had become mini-explosions. The house was still set to sixty-five and he wasn’t allowed a sweater, but he could keep his clothes on, which was better than being naked. He’d gotten used to being cold, and it was probably for the best. If he got sweaty and something happened on accident, he could blow up half the house. And it wasn't like they could afford a mistake that big. Plus his mom would beat him to death. A sick feeling of fear coiled in his gut as he imagined her fury.
He was just chilling on the couch, watching tv, when there was a frantic knock on the door. Frowning, Katsuki got up and padded to the door. He had strict instructions not to answer the door, leave the house, cook anything on the stove, or use the microwave, so he just kind of stood there, arms crossed, and frowned as the knocking continued. Then he heard it.
“Kacchan! Are you home? Kacchan?”
Katsuki sneered. It was stupid Deku. He would have ignored it except for the pleading he heard in that voice. Before he really thought about it, he unlocked the dead bolt, unstrung the chain, and flung the door wide.
“What the hell do you want, Deku? Is school even out yet?” he snapped with a hot glare. A wave of summer heat washed over him and he almost melted in pleasure, but then the panicked, pale face of Deku really registered. “What the fuck?” he demanded, his heart beginning to beat faster.
“I-I need help, Kacchan! Real help! I th-think something bad’s gonna happen to Tamachan!” Tears welled up in Deku’s eyes and spilled over his freckled cheeks, which wasn’t unusual, but there was something about him this time that set Katsuki on edge.
“Shit. Get in here before the neighbors see!” Katsuki didn’t give the kid time to obey. He grabbed Deku by his shirt collar and yanked him inside the house. He slammed the door shut behind him. “Now what the fuck’s going on?”
Deku was sweaty and nervous. His hands twisted the straps of his backpack ruthlessly. His head was ducked, making his hair hide his face from view.
“If you’re just going to stand there, then get the hell out!” Katsuki snarled when he couldn’t stand the tension any longer.
Deku jumped as if Katsuki had hit him. He practically lunged forward and grabbed Katsuki’s arm. “No! Please! Kacchan! Tamachan’s gonna die! We have to save him! I-I can’t do it alone!”
“What the fuck are you talking about, Deku?” He lifted his free hand warningly, holding it close to Deku’s face. He wouldn’t really explode him, especially not in his own house, but Deku didn’t know that. “You better start giving me details or you’re gonna regret it.”
And out came a flood of words, Deku’s eyes staring at Katsuki’s palm in honest terror. Something about the substitute teacher and it being dark and breathing some gas quirk in Tamazaki’s face. It didn’t make a bit of sense. Katsuki dropped his hand in frustration.
“You saw him do this, Deku? What the hell? Why are you telling me? Go tell the cops or something!”
And then Deku - shaking, shivering, quirkless Deku - showed him a notebook. Katsuki was gonna laugh at first. How pathetic that Deku was going so far to pretend he had a quirk! But then he really started to read some of the entries, and holy shit! They were seriously messed up! Deku couldn’t have thought of this shit. Not even Katsuki could think this shit up! The entry on Tamazaki was…
Katsuki didn’t even think Deku really understood what he was writing about, but Katsuki still vividly remembered his mother’s lecture from a few months ago, right before school started, about pedophiles and what they’d do to him if he was ever stupid enough to go with a stranger.
He stared at his friend, the gruesome death book in his hands. “The hell, Deku? You have a quirk?”
Deku’s eyes grew even wider. “Quirk? No… I’m quirkless…”
“Not if you can see the future, idiot!” Katsuki growled. He closed the notebook and hit Deku over the head with the binding sharply.
Deku held his hands over his sore head, pouting. “But I checked the library! That kind of quirk is really, really rare, Kacchan! I can’t have a quirk like that! Mom can pull small things to herself and Dad breathed fire! How could I get such a rare quirk? Besides! Lots of those dreams never came true. Only some of them!”
Katsuki stared at the idiot in absolute bafflement. He’d have thought the stupid kid would jump at the chance of a quirk. Well, it wasn’t like it was his business. Deku was still a deku. He opened the notebook again and found Tamazaki’s entry.
“Sounds like he’s in the classroom. On the teacher’s desk?”
“But it’s so dark!” Deku wrung his hands, shifting from foot to foot. “If it’s night, how’d Tamachan get there? M-Maybe it isn’t true?”
Katsuki knew Deku didn’t believe that. He wouldn’t have come to him of all people if he didn’t know deep down that something wasn’t right. Deku had to know that if this was all made up and it had come from Deku’s twisted brain, Katsuki would kill him.
So that’s how Katsuki ended up going to school over summer break. He told his mom that he was bored and didn’t want to risk blowing up the house. He was beat with the belt for that. For the first time in weeks - He’d been so good! - She was so furious that she even drew blood, breaking his bruised skin in several places. “You better control your quirk, you pathetic asshole! Or I fucking will!” - but she signed him up for class.
He told the teacher - his back a throbbing, stinging mess that he stoically ignored - that he’d forgotten what day class started and that’s why he missed the first day. That made a total of six, four boys and two girls, in the class of rejects and losers who couldn’t be trusted home alone or were so dumb they needed the extra tutoring. He seethed - his back in agony - that he was now counted among their number and glared bloody murder at Deku every time the wide-eyed, trembling weakling dared to glance his way.
He even risked the wrath of his mother to sneak out with Deku in the middle of the night to check the school, which they couldn’t keep up forever. They were gonna get caught eventually! Seriously, summer break was only four weeks long and it was already week three - his back had finally healed, so at least that was something - and nothing had happened.
Katsuki was getting ready to blow Deku’s head off with an explosion when Mr. Sato suggested they have a little fun before the next term started. A sleepover at the school and a test of courage. Deku went pale as a ghost and Katsuki gave a grin. Finally!
…
Izuku was a bundle of nerves as his mother dropped him off at the school with an All Might sleeping bag, his backpack, and a boxed dinner. The sun had already set and only a few hallway lights were on inside the building. It looked like he was the last one to arrive. His whole class was gathered at the entrance around Mr. Sato.
Izuku watched, agonized, as Mr. Sato spoke to his mom and made her laugh. All the parents really liked Mr. Sato. A few commented on how they wished he could stay their teacher. Izuku caught Kacchan sullen glare. The blond was standing at the edge of the crowd, not really joining in. His parents were nowhere to be seen.
Soon enough all the parents left and they were being ushered into the building, Mr. Sato locking it securely behind them. He led them to their classroom so they could lay out their sleeping bags, then the fun would begin.
Izuku tripped over someone’s bag on the way into the room and went sprawling. He ignored the laughter and scrambled to his feet. Kacchan was by the teacher’s desk, against the wall, under the window. Izuku hurried to his side.
“We’re not friends, Deku,” Kacchan growled at him when he came to a stop beside his sleeping bag. “Go somewhere else.”
Izuku blushed red and scurried to another spot, but he was careful to keep Kacchan in sight. His heart wouldn’t stop pounding. He felt sick with worry. What if they couldn’t help Tamachan? What if nothing happened and his dreams were just dreams? He felt tears burn his eyes and a classmate pointed at him, laughing and calling him a baby for being homesick already. Izuku turned away and clutched his backpack close to his chest.
“Alright, kids.” Mr. Sato clapped his hands. “I’m going to turn off all the lights and we’ll see who can find me first. Mr. Bakugo, you’re the best at reading the clock. Give me five minutes to hide, okay?”
Izuku stared at Kacchan, stomach churning to pieces, but Kacchan just rolled his eyes and said, “Fine. Whatever.”
The lights went out in the classroom. Then in the hallway. Some of the kids began to pull out their flashlights. Izuku reached into his bag and pulled out his own. It had All Might on it and it gave him courage. He didn’t turn it on, though, just held it close.
He was way too nervous to play, so he stayed in the classroom alone while everyone else went in search of Mr. Sato. Izuku sat in the dark and listened to the tick of the clock. It was getting warm in the room. The air conditioner must be on a timer and had turned off for the night. Feeling lightheaded, Izuku managed to open one of the windows.
After awhile, everyone came back laughing and talking loud. Mr. Sato told them to eat their snacks while he read a spooky story. The girls screamed at the scary parts and hid inside their sleeping bags. The boys laughed.
“Alright, everyone. Last bathroom break. Hurry up now, it’s time for bed.”
Mr. Sato made sure everyone was tucked in and had their flashlights off. Izuku stared across the distance and watched the shine of Kacchan eyes, taking comfort from the fact his friend was still awake. He blinked when Mr. Sato crossed into his field of vision and said something to Kacchan, crouching over him.
Izuku went tense in his blankets. His heart felt like it was going to leap out of his mouth, but then Mr. Sato stood and closed the window, going back to this spot behind the teacher’s desk. Izuku covered his mouth, knowing he was breathing too loud and too fast. He stared wildly at Kacchan, feeling almost like he was going to scream, but this time Kacchan was looking back at him. He met Izuku’s eyes and didn’t look away. They were clear and fearless, even in the dark. It made Izuku relax a bit. Kacchan was with him. It was going to be okay.
Izuku smiled, his whole body relaxing, his eyes getting heavy. Everything was going to be okay. But… wait… Kacchan… He was glaring. He was angry. And he was glaring right at Izuku. Izuku’s heart rate picked up, the memory of his shoulder burning jolted him a little more awake.
And he realized with a start that there was a pink haze beginning to fill the room. Kacchan already had his mouth and nose covered with his t-shirt. Izuku scrambled to copy him. He tried not to breathe in. He heard a rustling. Turning over very carefully, he saw Mr. Sato crouching over Tamachan.
“Come on, sweetie. Come lay with me for a bit…” Mr. Sato crooned sweetly. The pink haze was coming from his mouth. “That’s it.”
Tamachan was lifted from his blankets and carried over to the desk.
Izuku’s heart about stopped. He turned as quickly as he dared to stare at Kacchan, eyes wide and frightened as he heard secondhand what he’d felt in the vision.
Kacchan held his finger up. Wait.
Izuku laid tense and rigid in this sleeping bag.
“Look at you, pretty. So good for me.” The sound of a zipper being pulled down. “You will make a great addition to my collection, little Tamachan.”
Izuku glanced up to see the barest of shadows of Tamachan’s legs being lifted to his chest.
“And, oh, I bet angry, little Katsuki and sweet Izuku will feel so good wrapped around me next.” In the softest of whispers, Izuku heard Mr. Sato say close to Tamachan’s face, “I’m not supposed to have favorites, but I’m going to remember your class for a long, long time.” Then there was the sound of a wet kiss.
Izuku bit back a whimper. His vision was beginning to tunnel. He remembered the feeling of something pressing into his body, the unbearable pain of that horrible stretch, pushing up into his stomach, suffocating him. He began to cry, hands stuffed over his mouth to smother the whimpers and gasps, completely overwhelmed. But he also felt something else. He felt something hot and urgent burn in his chest. He wasn’t going to let Tamachan die! He was going to save him!
…
Shit! As soon as Katsuki saw the wild look in Deku’s wide, tearful eyes, he knew what was going to happen. The little idiot flung himself out of his sleeping bag and leapt up onto the desk where that sicko had just pushed his dick all the way inside Tamazaki’s ass.
Katsuki dropped his dad’s cell phone that he was using to record this, and leapt to his feet. He slammed open the window he’d strategically chosen to sleep under and took a deep breath of fresh air before turning back to the fight.
The sicko had predictably flung Deku away. He turned just in time to see Deku hit the chalkboard face-first hard enough for blood to spatter and for the boy to bounce off and land in a crumpled heap on the floor. Katsuki’s heart thundered in this chest, terrified he’d just witnessed Deku get murdered before his eyes.
Their teacher didn’t look harmless anymore. He looked like a demon from hell! He wasn’t wearing pants and his thing was swollen and huge, standing straight up. Katsuki had never seen a penis look like that; it was terrifying as he realized the sicko had put that inside his classmate! A huge pink cloud of smoke was shooting from the sicko’s mouth and nose. He lunged at Katsuki and the window, face twisted in a snarl.
Katsuki bared his teeth, lifted his hand and blew the fucking window to pieces. Let’s see you close the window now, fucker!
The explosion was loud and bright, making the sicko flinch back. The other windows along the wall rattled loudly with the blow. There was still too much pink fog in the room. Katsuki dove for his phone and dialed emergency, but before the call connected, he was kicked in the face.
Pain exploded through his entire head. A loud ringing roared in his ears. He gasped, vision black, completely disoriented, and felt so sleepy. Heart thundering in his chest, Katsuki knew that he was going to die. This bastard wearing no fucking pants was going to kill him and probably blame all this on Katsuki’s quirk going crazy. And all he could think about was the belt beating his back and his mother’s furious growl demanding: CONTROL YOUR QUIRK! Fuck! Katsuki rolled his hand palm up, felt the explosive liquid coat his palm and let go his strongest blast yet before falling into unconsciousness.
…
The explosion was enough to rock the entire building. Mr. Sato, standing above Katsuki, about to slam his foot down and end Katsuki’s life, was blown backward with great force. His face and torso were badly burned. The lights directly above Katsuki shattered. Sharp pieces of plastic and metal fell on the kids below, cutting some of them, but the explosion had gotten the attention of people in the neighborhood and help arrived quickly.
Tamazaki ended up being allergic to Mr. Sato’s sleeping gas and was in critical condition for several hours, but he stabilized with medical intervention and made a full recovery. Izuku had a broken nose and a concussion, but he was alive. Katsuki had a minor concussion, whiplash, and bad bruising on one side of his face. A few kids had needed stitches from the falling lights, but overall Izuku and Katsuki had succeeded: Tamazaki didn’t die and Mr. Sato was put behind bars for a long, long time thanks to Katsuki’s cellphone recording.
…
Izuku was sitting at the kitchen table. He hadn’t spoken much at the hospital and his mom didn’t seem to require it. She fussed over him and cried and promised the bad man would never hurt him again, but that was yesterday. Now he was home. He watched her, trying to gather the courage to speak. She was at the sink, washing the breakfast dishes.
“Mom.”
She turned to face him, attentive. She looked tired. Her shoulder length hair was pulled up in a messy side ponytail and she looked a little pale. She hadn’t slept since yesterday, he knew. Izuku bit his lip for a moment, hesitating.
“Mom… I think I have a quirk.”
For a split second, his mom just looked at him, but then her face crumpled. He stared, wide-eyed, as his mother rushed to him, wrapping him almost painfully tight in her arms, and began to cry. “Izu. Did you see what that man was going to do? I’m so sorry, Izu!”
“I have a quirk,” he said it again, just to hear it. His heart pounded hard and fast in his chest. He was going to be a hero!
His mom pulled away enough to look in his face. She was on her knees in front of his chair so that they were eye-level. “Honey. You’ve got to promise me never to tell anyone about your quirk. Promise me, Izuku!”
“What? Why?” He gasped, shocked at this very notion.
“Izuku…” His mom’s hands tightened painfully on his shoulders. He suddenly felt very small and afraid. He’d never seen his mother look like that. “Izuku, not all quirks are equal. Those with a psychic quirk like yours, well, they don’t stay around long. There are powerful people out there, Izuku. They will do whatever it takes to stay that way. And that means stealing people like you. Do you understand, Izuku? If that kind of person finds out about your quirk, they will take you away. I’d never get to see you again, Izuku. You’ll be locked away forever. There would be no school, no friends, no heroes.” Tears rolled down her cheeks as he stared at her. “So you have to keep it a secret. You can’t tell anyone, Izuku. Not anyone.” She hugged him again. “I’m so, so sorry, honey, but you have to stay quirkless, okay? Please. Promise me! Promise you won’t tell anyone!”
Izuku cried soundlessly - his fleeting hope of telling the world he wasn’t quirkless shattered into a million broken pieces inside his chest. But then he remembered Tamachan waving goodbye to him at the hospital and felt something strong and warm grow deep inside him. Even if he had to pretend to be quirkless, he would be a hero, just like All Might!
…
“What do you want, Deku?” Katsuki growled tiredly. It was hot and his head and neck still hurt. He didn’t want to be at the neighborhood playground talking to the stupid Deku.
Deku took him by the hand and pulled him over to the cave-like enclosure that kids could play inside and climb all over. At least it wasn’t as bright in there, but it was even hotter. Katsuki growled and yanked his wrist out of Deku’s grasp. “Don’t pull me around, Deku!” he yelled and shoved the kid right off his feet.
Deku fell on his ass, but he barely reacted otherwise. He just stared up at Katsuki with a strange look on his battered face. A white bandage was still taped on his nose. His eyes and cheeks were darkly bruised. Katsuki scowled at him, making half of his own bruised face throb even harder.
“Mom said I can’t tell anyone about my quirk. She said she kept it secret because people would take me away if they knew. Powerful people would make me use my quirk for them.” Deku took a deep breath, his expression shifted, became determined. A strange light entered his eyes. “I’m going to be a hero! Like you and All Might! Even if I have to pretend to be quirkless, I’m going to do it!”
Katsuki laughed in his face. “There’s no such thing as a quirkless hero, Deku. You’ll have to come out about your quirk sometime.”
Deku met his eyes, determined. “Not if you help me.”
Katsuki stopped laughing. He stared at the kid in shock.
Deku grinned. “I don’t care about people knowing it’s me. They can think it was all you. Like with Mr. Sato. I just want to help people! If I get more visions, then you’ll help me save them, won’t you, Kacchan?”
Katsuki kicked dirt right into the kid’s stupid face. “No fucking way! I’m going to be a hero on my own! I don’t need you!”
Deku didn’t cower away this time. He jumped to his feet and grabbed Katsuki’s arm, eyes glowing with passion. “It’s not like you wouldn’t really be saving them, Kacchan! Please! I’ve thought about it a lot! That stuff in my notebook really is going to come true!” Tears filled his large green eyes. “We have to help them, Kacchan! They need us! They’re going to die if we don’t save them, and I can’t do it by myself!”
“Get off me!” Katsuki flung the other boy away from him, sending Deku tumbling back on his ass. He was breathing hard. His palms were slick. He had to cool it or he was going to kill them both. “Fine! Shut up about it already, Deku!”
He crossed his arms, secretly wiping his palms on his shirt. “If you recognize something from your fucked-up notebook, I’ll help you.” He took an aggressive step forward, pointing a finger in the other boy’s stupidly grinning face. “But don’t think this makes us friends, Deku! You better only talk to me if it has something to do with your shitty quirk! You got that?”
“Yes, Kacchan! I will!” Deku promised, smiling like the idiot that he was.
…
At first, nothing was different, and Katsuki began to relax. Deku kept away from him like he promised. In fact, autumn came and went, and he began to forget about the night he blew up the sicko. It was now the last week of school before winter break. The first snow had fallen, leaving the streets and yards full of quickly melting slush. Katsuki had an impromptu slush fight with Ito and Yoshida. Both took hits to the face while Katsuki walked away clean. He was still laughing and calling them losers when he saw Deku.
The idiot was standing in the middle of the walkway about fifteen feet from the entrance of the school. He was standing perfectly still. There were some older kids grouped up, gawking at him, pointing - laughing - jeering. One asshole even threw slush at Deku’s face and the stupid idiot didn’t even flinch.
Katsuki stalked up, scowling fiercely. The other kids quieted down, watching expectantly to see what he’d do. “What the hell, Deku?” he growled as fiercely as he could. He came around Deku’s side and turned to face him.
The kid was standing stock-still, eyes wide and glassy, looking at nothing in particular. His expression was eerily calm, but fat tears rolled down his cheeks. He was completely silent. Slush slid off one side of his face and plopped on his shoulder and he didn’t even blink. Katsuki knew instantly this was Deku’s stupid quirk. His heart began to pick up speed even as time seemed to come to a crawl.
He could feel everyone’s eyes on him and it made him want to punch Deku in the face, to prove he was strongest, but he could also feel those eyes on Deku. They would figure out something wasn’t right. They’ll take me away, he heard Deku’s voice in his head. So he should just punch him and snap him out of it… Except Katsuki knew it was Deku’s quirk.
What if breaking him out of it meant Deku missed some of the vision? They’re going to die if we don’t save them! Katsuki felt himself take a half-step back. Fear crawled up his spine and it reminded him of the belt. It reminded him of his mother beating him until he broke and begged her to stop. It reminded him of his vow. I will be a hero! I’ll be even better than All Might! His heart kicked in his chest, time resumed normal speed. Katsuki had made his decision. I have to protect Deku’s quirk. So I can save people and be a hero.
Katsuki was known as a hothead. He was faster, stronger, and better than everyone else. His quirk was stronger than everyone else’s, more dangerous, more powerful. But what people sometimes forgot because of his loud and abrasive personality was that he was also smarter. In less than sixty seconds, he’d had a mini-panic attack, factored in the expectations of those around him, made a decision and acted.
“Shit, Deku,” he said loudly because he always spoke loudly. “Is it your grandmother? Did she kick the bucket finally?”
The watching crowd gasped at his cruel words, but they were also enthralled by it. Only a few of the weaker idiots looked upset.
Katsuki growled and grabbed Deku’s wrist. The move looked rough, but Katsuki made sure to be gentle. “You’re such a goddamn burden. Why’d you have to be my neighbor?” he growled as if talking to himself and tugged Deku into the school.
Deku never once pulled back or resisted. He followed tamely along, eyes still open wide with silent tears rolling down his face.
Katsuki didn’t bother taking off his shoes and pulled Deku into the nearest bathroom just a little down the hallway. He pushed the idiot carefully into a stall and shut the door. He stood outside it, arms crossed, glaring murderously at anyone who tried to come in. Unsurprisingly, the weaklings turned around and left.
It took almost ten minutes before he heard the scuff of feet on tile. Katsuki spun around and thew open the stall door. Deku blinked at him. He was rubbing his nose with his sleeve, tears still spilling down his stupid, freckled face, but the terrible look in his eyes made Katsuki swallow back a barrage of insults.
“I-I’ve g-got to w-write it d-down,” Deku whispered in a soft, sad voice.
Katsuki watched with a glare as the idiot fumbled with his backpack and pulled out the notebook of death. The useless loser leaned his shoulder against the wall of the stall, hands shaking, and tried to write inside the notebook with nothing bracing it except one small hand. Katsuki growled. He grabbed Deku by the arm and practically threw him at the far wall of the bathroom.
“Sit down and write it right, idiot!” he snapped.
Deku slid down the wall and obeyed, using his knees as a table.
Katsuki stood over him until it was done. He opened his mouth to ask what Deku saw, but closed it again. He didn’t want to know what could make Deku look like that. Once the idiot was done writing, his hand fell limply at his side. His horrible notebook still sat open on his lap and he stared down at it blankly.
Katsuki growled and kicked his foot. “I’m going back to class. You go to the nurses office until you feel better. Tell them you’re sad your grandmother’s sick. Tell your mom that’s your cover story. She’ll back you up because she wants to keep your quirk hidden, right?”
Deku looked up at him, terrible knowledge in his eyes, and slowly nodded.
Katsuki bared his teeth warningly. “Don’t screw this up, Deku! We have people to save,” he growled and stormed from the bathroom, leaving Deku behind.
End.
A/N: What do you think? Should I continue?