Chapter Text
A little four year old child shouldn't be told that he will be the lowest type of human one can be in this modern society.
A child shouldn't be told that he'll never become the one thing practically every child wishes to be.
A child shouldn't be told he can't be a hero because he was "powerless."
"Don't forget your lunch money sweety," Izuku shuffled to stuff an extra notebook into his bag, managing to do so before he tripped and fell over his half worn sock.
"Izuku? Are you okay?" Izuku muffled out a soft yeah before getting back to his feet and dusting himself off.
Inko was making a small breakfast for herself, Izuku never really had time to have breakfast because he always woke up too late. Or maybe he spent a good hour in the morning writing in his notebooks and re-watching the same hero videos over and over again.
"Ugh, now look at you. You always forget to button up this last one," Gentle fingers fixed the last button before grabbing Izuku's face and rubbing a gentle thumb under the showing eyebags under green emerald eyes.
Inko sighed and gently carded her fingers through Izuku's hair once before letting him stand upright. "Grab the money on the counter and head to the school. I've got work and I don't want to hold you back any longer." Izuku nodded, smiling when his mom gave him a kiss on the forehead. He grabbed the money and left their apartment, walking down the stairs and making his way to yet another day of taunting and bullying.
Izuku hissed as he was pushed into a wall, his shoulder already smoking and charred. There must be a mark there already and he knows it will hurt a lot worse later on in the day. He hasn't even walked into the school and he's already being thrown around.
"Did you think we were going to let you off, Deku?" Izuku (Deku) shook his head and whimpered when a hand slammed down beside his head. His ears rung and he stopped himself from shaking his head to try and ease the ringing.
"I bet he did think that, he probably can't even think at all." Izuku truly hated those classmates Kacchan hangs out with. They're just there because they want the fame, Izuku knows this because everyone knows he's Bakugou's personal punching bag.
"Don't look down on me Deku!" His head was pushed back and pressed into the wall. He pressed his body against the wall as much as he could, to minimize any more damage to any other part of his body.
"I-i wasn't! I swear Kacchan I wasn't looking down on you!" His words fell on deaf ears.
His shoulder hurt with each small movement, his chest hurt, and the back of his head felt sore from the harsh hold Kacchan had on him earlier.
It hurt to write and Izuku accepted the pain and wrote either way, he felt his muscles tense when a snicker was clearly aimed at him. And then, before he knew it, Izuku had a note passed to him.
He felt disappointment when he realized it was yet another love confession. He's had these too much. He knows that absolutely no one would enjoy dating a Deku, much less Izuku Midoriya.
He crumbled the paper and left it at his desk until he could get up and throw it away.
Izuku enjoyed eating his lunch on the school rooftop where no one could see him, he usually hides behind the rooftop door. But before he could even go up and fish his bento out of his bag, he was dragged back into some random class and thrown into a couple of desks. Chairs fell and desks bumped into each other as he prevented his fall.
Izuku winced as he sat up, feeling an ache on his backbone where he hit some desks.
"Going to go hide away, Deku?" It wasn't Bakugou, that's for sure. It was his stupid friends.
Izuku shook his head, staying silent and staring down at the ground. Usually they went further then what Bakugou would, but he didn't have any bandages today so he has to tread as carefully as he can.
"We're talking to you Deku!" A kick to his stomach and Izuku felt himself be thrown back. He hit the desks again but this time he fell, his head hit the desk and he groaned out in pain.
He was grabbed by the collar and Izuku felt a button pop. The hand that held him let go and he fell back and hit his head again, Izuku hissed when he felt the ache and his head starting to hurt further.
"We haven't seen you bleed in a while... what do ya say?" Izuku opened his eyes and shook his head, his mouth falling open and the words died in his throat. There was nothing he could do to stop them, he could run, but the possibility of being found and beaten to an even worse degree would increase.
So staying put and taking it was the logical action.
Even if it hurt.
They ended up taking his lunch money, his lunch was scattered across the floor in front of him. He'd have to pass by some small convenience store later to grab something to eat before heading home.
Getting up hurt the ache in his bones and muscles. They had kicked and punched him, their quirks would have been too destructive on his body. They knew that.
Izuku wiped the blood running down his nose, wiping the tears at his eyes and getting onto his knees and cleaning up the food piece by piece. It helped passing the last few minutes of lunch and when the bell rang Izuku got up and threw his food away. Heading back to class, cleaning his face on the way there.
That's how most days went for Izuku. He'd get beaten morning, noon, and afternoon, Bakugou would usually be the one to lead and sometimes the burning and popping hurt more than the kicking. Izuku still somehow idolizes Bakugou, even after all the pain. He sees the strenght, the fury, and the brawn and Izuku Midoriya wishes to be just as strong someday. He wishes to live up to what Bakugou will one day, because everyone knows he's going to go to U.A and no one will beat that.
Not even a quirkless, useless Deku.
With a can of strawberry soda in one hand and an onigiri with some beef inside. He'd eat it somewhere near his home, maybe under a bridge to better hide from stray eyes.
Izuku walked until he passed by a tunnel that led to his home.
He paused when a feeling settled in his stomach. It wasn't hunger, it almost felt like... almost like fear. But this felt more menacing, dangerous, and Izuku stopped walking as soon as he felt something tug at his chest. His hands ached in a strange way and he took a shaky breath in, his chest constricted and his breath came in short.
Izuku felt something below him, his feet tingled and before he knew it there was a loud rattling that echoed in the tunnel. The manhole lifted and dropped, before it was blown into the tunnels roof and Izuku took a shaky step back as he watched a green, very disgusting smelling liquid morph and shape into a big glob. It swelled and two eyes opened, a mouth formed and Izuku felt the same fear rattle him.
"You'll do quite well for a fleshy suit." The sludge darted forward and Izuku turned, his foot stepped out into the sunlight before he was grabbed and yanked back into the darkness of the tunnel. The sludge wrapped around his arms and legs, wrapping tightly and thickly to constrict his movements. Before he knew it, there was the disgusting smell penetrating his sense of smell and he realized it was forcing its way down his throat and up his nose. His ears muffled and he gagged at the sensation, the urge to vomit surfaced and Izuku clawed at the sludge that constricted him.
"Stay still kid, I just need to borrow your body..." Izuku bit down, it was futile as the sludge began to force itself down his esophagus. He felt it grow and his chest ached with the sensation, it was disgusting and horrible and he couldn't breath.
Izuku couldn't breath.
Tears sprung to his eyes and Izuku ripped his arms from the sludge, he clawed at the stuff entering through his mouth and he tried to close his jaw but he couldn't. He couldn't do anything and Izuku is dying.
He could feel it. His lungs burned with the need of air and the sludge was slowly making it's way down his esophagus, he could feel it. It was disgusting, the way it seeped up his nose, crawling through his ears, running down inside his body.
Izuku was dying and he didn't want to die like this.
What about his mom? She would be heartbroken to learn her baby boy, her only child died on his way home.
What about his dream to become a hero? Well... Izuku has entirely given up on it, but he still wants to try. He still wants to see what life can offer, even if Bakugou had told him to kill himself.
What about his actual plan? He wanted to go out somewhere nice and pretty, a bridge maybe. Not under a dirty tunnel, not because this thing wanted to run away and decided to use Izuku...
Maybe...
Izuku stopped fighting, the tears in his eyes spilled and he looked up, the sky was just a few meters away. The light was just far enough to where he couldn't reach.
Maybe death was the best option. Maybe, just maybe Izuku Midoriya can be forgotten.
Izuku closed his eyes, the tears that ran down his cheeks melted into the sludge that wrapped over his mouth and nose. His muscles relaxed, all the aches from today showed and he let his mouth be opened further. A sensation deep inside his chest and he realized it was the sludge spreading further, entering his lungs and stopping any air from even entering or leaving. His vision blurred and Izuku had one last thought.
'What if I did become a hero? What if I did get a quirk... what if I wasn't such a Deku?'
His vision blurred with tears as he cracked his eyes open, he wanted to see the blue sky one more time. The corner of his vision darkened and his sight swayed. With the entire relaxation of his body, Izuku closed his eyes and let his thoughts drift as his life did too.
Gasping, taking huge gulps of air and coughing the sludge deep in his throat, Izuku fell to his weak knees and he threw up what little sludge he had left. He coughed and cried as he felt air enter his lungs.
A dry cough ripped through him and his throat burned, his eyes snapped open when he felt the same sensation in his hands and arms. He looked around for the villain before his eyes landed on the green smelly sludge. The two eyes were staring holes through Izuku, teeth gritted into a grimace.
"What... what the fuck...?!" The villain said through gritted teeth, his eyes were wide and angry. The anger was aimed at Izuku. His chest heaved with deep breaths and tears didn't stop running down his face. In a panic, Izuku looked around for a hero, anyone that had just saved his life.
He looked down at his outstretched hand. His bony fingers were aimed right at the sludge and as Izuku turned his hand with his palm upwards he watched the villain contort and shrink. Its size has decreased and Izuku watched as the two eyes and mouth aimed all it's anger right at him.
Izuku stared in both awe and horror as he turned his hand back over so his palm faced the ground again. The sludge contorted and it grew bigger again. Izuku backed up, pulling himself back and barely reaching the light of the outside world before he flinched when the sound of something large landing sounded behind the villain. Izuku turned his hand again and the villain shrunk, the figure that appeared was none other than All Might in what looked like casual clothing.
He blinked and his hand began to tremble, his hand ached and Izuku suddenly realized that he was lossing control of the sludge.
There was sludge seaking out Izuku, stretching outward and trying to get to him again.
"H-help-" His voice was weak, raspy and horribly dry. But All Might seemed to hear because he yelled out, "Do not worry, for I am here!" Izuku couldn't be amazed, his focus was now entirely on the villain and trying to keep the sludge from reaching him again.
Izuku watched as the villain was put in two separate soda bottles. All Might struggling for a second before closing the cap and tapping the soda bottles in his big pockets.
"Are you okay boy?" Izuku nods, his mind was running too fast and his right hand continued to tremble. There was an uneasy ache in his muscles, the same one he had felt before the strange sludge villain had appeared from the manhole. Izuku couldn't help but stare at the bottles, eyes staring right back at him.
"I-im..." Izuku was picked up, placed onto his bony legs and dusted off. All Might was large. His broad shoulders were twice Izuku's head and Izuku was both shocked and amazed that he has met All Might in person. "I'll take you to a hospital, it seems you got caught up with the villain as I chased him down!" His voice was loud, booming in the tunnel and coming right back.
Izuku still didn't know what to say.
"You don't mind me carrying you to a nearby hospital? I do have duties to attend to, like taking this villain to the police!" Izuku shook his head slowly and All Might suddenly picked him up and Izuku had to close his eyes as they soared through the sky.
His stomach clenched and dropped as they flew through the sky, Izuku opened his eyes and whimpered when all he saw was the ground flying by beneath them. All Might held him strongly and Izuku felt his fanboy heart swelling and popping when he realized All Might had reached him, and was now taking him to the hospital because Izuku was caught up in a villain fight and he needed medical treatment incase of any long term effects.
The landing was a little rough but Izuku stood on trembly feet as a nurse ran out and gapped when she saw All Might and a still shocked boy.
"A-all Might! What can I help you with!" Her smile was nervous and it trembled as she walked closer, Izuku had to breathe to make sure he wasn't going to pass out. The whole flying thing had tipped him over and he felt like he was going to tip over and pass out and wake up in his bed because this had to be a dream.
"This young boy got caught up in my hero work with a villain, I just want to know if he's going to be okay." The woman nodded and Izuku felt gentle hands touch his shoulders, he was walked over to the nurse and Izuku blinked. He looked up and watched All Might exchange words, his ears rungs and he barely noticed it. Izuku was very much on the verge of passing out. But he clung to the little sanity he had left because he didn't want to wake up from this dream.
The nurse nodded and bowed, thanking All Might and the two watched as the pro hero flew off again.
The nurse gently walked Izuku into the hospital and onto a bed.
The following was a blur. Izuku was examined and asked for his name, his mom was called and he got told that she was going to be at the hospital in twenty minutes.
Izuku ended up passing out not long after being told that, he slept until he felt a hand hold his and Izuku opened his eyes to see his mom crying and holding his hand. The trembling seemed to have stopped and he was thankful that the aching had too.
"Oh Izuku, I'm so sorry I just got here. The doctor told me you're okay but your just shocked," Through her soft whimpers she dragged a tissue over her tears. She smiled up at him before telling Izuku exactly what he didn't think possibly.
"They told me you have a quirk..." Izuku's breath hitched and he stared into his mother's eyes.
"W-what...?" Inko told him what the doctors told her, how his quirk was somehow asleep for all these years, how he did seem to have the extra joint. How this was a miracle... how Izuku was lucky to have survived.
But Izuku remembered the last moments before the darkness engulfed him, remembered thinking about his mom, the beautiful bridge, his dreams that had crippled away years ago.
"You can be a hero Izuku, you can be everyone's hero." 'You don't have to just be my hero anymore,' were the unsaid words.
His mom cried and so did he, his chest was wrecked with his shaky inhales and before he knew it he was smiling and for once, wishing for his life to be long and happy.
And for once, Izuku Midoriya didn't believe he deserved to die.
All Might came by, checking in with Izuku and making sure he was okay. Izuku had asked for an autograph and the hero happily gave it to him, Izuku thanked All Might but in the end... it was All Might thanking him.
"Because of you, I was able to capture the villain. He was a tricky one, he's in police custody and will be questioned further. But without your help young Midoriya, I wouldn't have caught him." Izuku sniffled as the tears welled in his eyes. He nodded and Izuku was beyond happy to know that the villain had been caught, and excited to know that the number one hero in Japan had thanked him and saved him.
"I hope to see you again Young Midoriya, you are one promising hero." The words rattled deep in his chest and bones and Izuku nodded with a sad smile. He intended for it to be happy, but something inside prevented that.
Izuku was discharged not long after, it was night and the moon was high in the sky. Inko drove them back to their home and she made sure Izuku ate something, small but enough to dwell the hunger that had plagued him since lunch.
"Why don't you stay home tomorrow? I just... I don't want to have you walking around after today, okay?" Izuku nodded, relieved to spend one less day at school.
Izuku went to sleep with the ache from his hand earlier that day spread throughout his body. It was a constant pulsing and it felt like it ran down from his head down to his toes.
He tried to sleep, but the constant sensation of something running down his body kept him awake. Too afraid of it being the sludge that he stayed up with his lamp on, scrolling through his phone and distracting himself from the sensations and feelings.
When morning came, Izuku decided and hour before the sun began to rise to try something out. He sat up, crossed his legs and placed his hands over his knees. Breathing in and out in a slow repetive motion had him relaxing, his shoulders slumped and his muscles relaxed. He was bony, but he could feel something inside of him dull but strong settle down. With each breath, the sensation over his skin and deep in his bones dulled into a softer level.
It felt like warm water running down his back, soft yet still present.
Izuku didn't realize he had meditated for what had to be two hours. It was ten in the morning, and the rattling in the kitchen told him that his mom was awake and making them breakfast.
He got up, nearly toppling over when he felt the same sensation come back, this time it swallowed him whole. It felt like a wave crashing into him and it had him fighting back against the force of the wave.
Izuku relaxed, breathing in and out. He walked slowly, down the hall and into the kitchen. There was boiling water for tea, and his eyes narrowed when he realized he could faintly feel it, it was warm, it tugged at his chest and he pieced it together.
The water, the sensation of being swallowed up during the night, there was water running through the pipes below, above, and through his walls. The sludge villain from yesterday must have been water, he had come from the sewers and most of the smelly stuff down there is a mixture or water and bodily substances.
Water.
Water.
It was the water.
"Izuku dear, do you want some warm tea?" Izuku nodded and he smiled as his mom handed him a cup of steaming tea. He looked down at the liquid, lifting his hand to grab the cup and watching as the liquid inside rippled gently.
His quirk must have something to do with controlling water. The sludge villain from yesterday had water, or was made part of it, there was water running through the pipes constantly, and the tea had been water.
Izuku smiled. He had a quirk...
After all these years he truly did have a quirk.
"Sweety, are you going to drink your tea or are you just going to stare at it?" He smiled sheepishly, taking a sip and letting it run down his throat.
The two sat down and ate the breakfast Inko had made for the two of them. Izuku sat on the couch when he finished and he watched the TV, scrolling through some channels before landing on some news anchor.
He watched, and suddenly All Might was on the screen and a smile came to his face.
"All Might, we've heard word that you apprehended a sludge villain yesterday in the late afternoon. Is there anything else you can tell us about it?" All Might was in his hero costume this time. His smile wide as he answered.
"With the help of a promising young boy, I took the villain and brought him to the police. He is behind bars," All Might suddenly turned to look at the camera. The news lady both smiling at the info and the scoop she just got.
"And I hope to see him become a hero one day." Izuku smiled, a soft one, because he understood that All Might couldn't say who had helped. But he was happy to know, that the hero didn't entirely forget him.
Izuku Midoriya will become a hero.
"Izuku? Want to talk about... yesterday?" Izuku watched as his mom came around the couch and sat down beside him. Her smile was kind, her eyes were kind yet tired.
"No... not really." A gentle hand came over his shoulder and Izuku was pulled into a gentle hug.
"I love you so much Izuku, don't ever forget that."
Izuku silently cried in his mother's arms.
He'd rip the note apart, throw it away, and start anew.
He'd become a hero, he'd be what he always wished for because he wasn't quirkless. Izuku could be a hero, and he would be dammed if he didn't do anything.
"I love you too ma," He hugged back, crying into her shoulder.
Izuku Midoriya will prove everyone wrong.
Izuku Midoriya will prove Katsuki Bakugou wrong.