Work Text
Running through the streets of Musutafu, his red sneakers slammed against the wet pavement. Izuku stumbled as he turned around a corner, his shoes squeaking against the concrete. He slowed down as onlookers crowded the streets, his attention drawn toward the commotion ahead.Izuku grinned as he was met with the sight of a gigantic man with a monstrous appearance rampaging above the train station. The man roared as he swung his fist into a utility pole, the impact crushing the metal structure. It let out a loud groan as the bolted-down pillar was torn from its post, descending toward the street below. He felt a surge of excitement as he watched the scene unfold, unable to wipe the grin off his face. But it was not the ongoing destruction happening that had him so excited. If a villain was causing havoc, then heroes were never far behind.He couldn’t help but feel a bit of satisfaction when he was proven right as he watched Death Arms dive towards the falling structure, his muscles straining as he caught the utility pole with his enhanced strength.Izuku bounced in excitement as he came to a halt behind the crowd of onlookers. He knew that enhanced strength and gigantification were rather common quirks, but both were powerful enough that it wouldn’t hurt to document something like it in person. He looked up in surprise as someone flew through the air above him. His hair tousled in the wind as he recognized the hero above him as the rising star, Kamui Woods. He couldn’t help but wince as the group ahead of him erupted into excited screams when they recognized the hero as well. Izuku pushed past the idle bodies in the crowd, murmuring half-hearted apologies as he brushed past them. He began to feel disappointed as he listened in on the passing conversations that were happening around him. It seemed that despite the impressive amount of damage the rampaging man had caused; he was only a purse snatcher. In his opinion, the man couldn’t even be considered a villain for such a petty crime.
What a waste of a quirk.
Izuku grimaced. It was a common thought he had that he would rather not dwell on. If he did ever give in to the constant hum underneath his skin, he would be a hypocrite.Izuku turned his attention back onto the heroes at the scene, his earlier distress forgotten as he spotted Backdraft among the heroes in the crowd. He had managed to run into the hero in the past, but he was a rather uncommon hero to run across as he often traveled outside Musutafu to help with rescue efforts across Japan. Izuku didn’t hesitate to pull out his notebook as he approached the barricade that Backdraft had created to block off civilians. He looked down at the barrier in fascination as the water stayed in place above the ground. Was it possible that the hero had a form of telekinesis? It was too intricate of a technique to be anything but telekinesis, right? How much focus did he need to control-Izuku was broken from his train of thought as his attention was stolen by Kamui Woods. He watched in awe as the hero dashed through the air, his wooden vines making it almost impossible to keep track of his movements in person. The hero vaulted himself on top of the train platform, confronting the rampaging man head-on.“Illegal use of abilities during rush hour, as well as robbery and assault?” Kamui Woods questioned. He raised his voice enough to be heard from the street below.“You’re pure evil.” Kamui spat, his tone grim as he shot the man a withering glare from behind his mask. Izuku tried to stifle his laughter as the hero continued to stare down at the criminal with contempt. He hid behind his hand, his eyes crinkled in amusement at the absurd statement. He guessed that the hero had tried to come off as virtuous, but instead his act came off as rather laughable. His amusement died out as he noticed that the hero lowered himself onto the train platform, preparing for his finishing move. Izuku watched in anticipation, eager to jot down the hero's next move.“Lacquered Chain Prison!” Kamui Woods shouted. He threw his arm out, causing wooden tendrils to shoot out from his skin. It was an immobilizing technique to subdue his opponent, he realized as he began to write it down.
“Canyon Cannon!”
Izuku recoiled, almost dropping his pen when a large woman with a giantification quirk flew through the air without warning, her foot slamming into the side of the criminal's head. He cringed as he watched the man’s head snap to the side, the sound of the collision rippling through the streets. Izuku watched in disbelief as the criminal was thrown onto the street below, the asphalt cracking from the impact. The unnamed hero landed next to the criminal, her movements graceful as she bent down to check on him. When she confirmed that the criminal had been knocked out she turned toward the crowd, flashing a charming smile at them. “It’s my debut!” She announced, her voice booming. Izuku noted that she didn’t seem embarrassed as various photographers at the scene took photos of her bent figure. He chalked it down as a part of her marketing strategy, it wasn’t uncommon for heroes to use their looks to increase their popularity. “Pleased to meet you all. You can call me Mt. Lady!” She exclaimed. Mt. Lady straightened, causing her to tower above the surrounding buildings as she stood at her full height. She deactivated her quirk with a smile, waving at the cheering crowd as she shrunk down to her normal height.Izuku couldn’t help but feel giddy as he looked down at his notes. He hadn’t gotten anything good like this in a while! It seemed that the more people flaunted their strengths, the more weaknesses revealed themselves. “Hey kid, you’re taking notes?” Izuku jumped, his heart pounding in his chest. He turned around to find an older man looking down at his notebook with a curious expression. “I’m guessing you wanna be a hero?” He chuckled, his voice filled with mirth as he rubbed his chin. His expression turned into something more thoughtful as he watched him.Izuku nodded. He remained silent as he felt flush in embarrassment. He never had anyone interested in his notes. “That’s great, I’ll be rooting for ya!” He exclaimed with an encouraging grin, the older man giving him a thumbs up. Izuku blinked, taken aback by the sincerity behind the statement. His lips twitched into an uncertain smile. He couldn’t help but feel somewhat touched.“Thank you,” Izuku murmured, ducking his head as he turned his attention back to his notebook. As the crowd began to disperse, he continued to watch as the heroes handed off the criminal to the law enforcement at the scene. Izuku swallowed.He couldn’t help but feel like he was being deceitful to the man. It had taken him a long time to come to terms with it, but he had stopped dreaming of following the traditional path towards heroism years ago, despite how much he ached for it.
He had never been meant for that.
“As you’re all third years now, it’s time for you all to think seriously about your future.” His teacher drawled, his voice devoid of emotion as he looked at his class in boredom. Izuku couldn’t judge the older man for his lack of enthusiasm. He was sure that his expression looked similar. “I would hand out worksheets for your future plans, but…” He said, trailing off as he grabbed the stack of papers sitting on his desk. His previous frown pulled into a smile, causing Izuku to raise an eyebrow at the sudden mood change.“I assume you all want to be heroes!” His teacher exclaimed, throwing the stack of papers into the air without a care. Izuku winced as his classmates erupted into cheering as they showed off their various quirks. It was obvious that his teacher wasn’t wrong about his assumption.Izuku flinched as a loud thud rang through the classroom. He looked over to see his childhood friend jump up from his seat, standing on the top of his desk. Izuku sighed. He fought the urge to massage his temples, it wasn’t hard for him to imagine the future headache that the blond would give him.“Don’t lump me in with these losers!” Katsuki shouted. “As if anyone here could compete with me!” Katsuki exclaimed. His classmates erupted into shouting as they voiced their displeasure at being underestimated. Izuku couldn’t help but wince at his words. Katsuki wasn’t wrong, but it was still harsh. His classmates all had unique quirks, but they didn’t seem to have the drive that was needed to become heroes. “You should all learn to shut up like the extras that you are!” Katsuki yelled, not deterred by the insults that his classmates threw at him.“Bakugou, I noticed that you’re aiming for U.A. high school.” His balding teacher commented, his voice lacking surprise. It was an expected goal from someone with such a powerful quirk, he guessed. “I’m the only one from this shithole with the skill to be accepted,” Katsuki replied. Izuku scrunched his nose as he couldn’t help but feel somewhat offended at the statement. “I even aced the mock exams!” Katsuki gloated, with a smug grin. His classmates broke out into murmurs of disbelief. No matter how much it pained them to admit it, it was true that Katsuki was impressive.Izuku took a moment to reconsider him and couldn’t help but notice how his confident smirk fit his features. If it wasn’t for his awful attitude he could almost be considered attractive. Izuku grimaced at the thought, reprimanding himself in his head. He would rather not think about the attractiveness of someone who harasses him. “I’m going to surpass All Might, and get rid of anyone that gets in my way!” Katsuki exclaimed. Izuku felt bemused at the wording, getting the impression that the latter half of that statement was directed toward him.“M-midoriya is planning to go to U.A. too, right?” His teacher stuttered as he looked down at his clipboard in disbelief.Izuku forced himself not to curl into himself as the rest of the occupants in the room turned their attention to him. He breathed, focusing on the flare of irritation he felt at being called out to stop the anxious feeling that began to blossom in his chest. “Yes.” Izuku managed to choke out, flexing his fingers to ease his sudden restlessness. He knew that if he even faltered for a moment, he would be eaten alive in an instant.“I’m aiming for the general course.” Izuku clarified as he ignored the tense atmosphere. He refused to lose his composure over being asked such a simple question. Izuku swallowed back the wave of nausea that he felt when he noticed Katsuki turn his attention towards him. He forced himself to keep his head held high, as he watched the blond stomp toward him.“Deku.” Katsuki spat. He didn’t bother to hide his disdain for him as he hovered in front of him, his face contorting into an ugly expression.Izuku noticed that his childhood friend stood an arm's length from him despite his aggression, and couldn’t help but feel somewhat amused underneath his anxiousness. It seemed that he wasn’t the only one struggling through their confrontation.Izuku hummed. He looked up at him, feigning ignorance at the tense atmosphere around them. Katsuki scowled in irritation. “You’re worse than the rejects,” Katsuki growled, his voice low. He leaned down, getting in his face. Izuku swallowed, forcing himself to continue making eye contact with the blond. It was obvious that he had forgotten his earlier unease.“You’re a fucking future villain in the making.” Katsuki spat, slamming his hands on his desk. Izuku shifted in his seat, uncomfortable with the accusation. He knew that people would see him in that light, but it still caught him off guard.“Do you really think U.A. would accept someone like you?” Katsuki goaded, his palms sparking with explosions causing his desk to blacken. Izuku didn’t blink at the damage, remaining still as he breathed in the foul smell that emanated from his charred desk.“I’m not trying to compete with you, Katsuki,” Izuku sighed, wanting to de-escalate the situation. It turned out that he was right about that headache, he thought with a grimace.“I might not even go. It's just been a goal of mine since I was a kid.” Izuku admitted, breaking eye contact as he looked down at his desk. He couldn’t help but feel somewhat embarrassed at the confession. Katsuki looked at him with a bewildered expression. Izuku winced. He knew that it was stupid. He didn’t need Katsuki to tell him that. “Are you taking the test just to fuck with me?” Katsuki questioned, his voice raising in anger. Izuku almost groaned aloud as he registered his words. Katsuki always had a talent for making things about himself.“It doesn’t matter if I am, it’s just like you said,” Izuku said. He smiled as he leaned forwards, closing the gap between them. Katsuki’s expression hardened, his posture becoming tense. Izuku took pleasure in the effect that he had on the blond. He would never admit to it, but he couldn’t help but feel an adrenaline rush whenever they interacted like this. Sometimes he wondered if Katsuki felt the same, allowing himself for a moment to think that perhaps it wasn’t one-sided. A high that both of them were willing to chase, too stubborn to ever admit it.“U.A. wouldn’t accept a future villain.” Izuku finished. He felt breathless at the declaration, the first time he had ever come close to acknowledging it out loud.“You’re not even trying to hide it anymore.” Katsuki breathed, looking down at him in disbelief. “It’s not like I’m trying to mess with you, Katsuki,” Izuku repeated. Despite the rush he got from riling up the blond, he was being honest. He had no ulterior motives, it was just a childish dream that he couldn’t seem to let go of.“It’s rather insulting that you would accuse me of something so petty.” He sighed, leaning back in his seat. Izuku winced when the blond gave him a withering glare. He was petty enough to do such a thing.“You’re such a fucking-” Katsuki said, raising his voice in aggravation. Izuku decided that now was probably the time to nip this conversation in the bud. Could he even call it a conversation when most of the interaction consisted of the blond yelling at him?“You’re causing a scene,” Izuku said, lowering his voice. Katsuki blinked, caught off guard. He scowled when he noticed the attention of his classmates. Katsuki leaned back, cursing something under his breath. He gave him one last scathing look before he turned around, reluctant as he trudged back to his seat.Izuku slumped over in his chair, feeling exhausted from their interaction. He sighed, watching the blond as he sat back at his desk. He was all bark, no bite. Izuku didn’t bother listening to his teacher as the man restarted his previous lesson, as his full attention was focused on the blond. He couldn’t help but reminisce about the short period of his life when he considered him a friend. His heart still aches when he allows himself to think about the loss. Izuku didn’t fight as his mind began to drift as he thought further about his old friend, allowing himself to be submerged in repressed memories. It was humid as the buzzing of cicadas broke through the tense silence that had fallen upon the group of young schoolchildren. His breaths were sporadic as he was forced to listen to the awful sobbing coming from behind him. Izuku felt nauseated as he positioned himself in front of the boy, acting as a shield between him and the other children. His shoes scraped against the ground as he lowered himself into a fighting position, raising his fists in front of him.“That’s mean, Kacchan!” Izuku cried. His fists trembled as he continued to stand his ground, despite his brain screaming at him to run.“Can’t you see that he’s crying?” He asked, his voice shaking as he spoke. Izuku was filled with dread as he realized that he could do nothing except plead with them. It was almost agonizing to come to terms with the fact that he was useless.He didn’t understand why his friends were being so mean. They had never gone this far before. He thought to himself for a moment, trying to remember when this change happened but coming up empty-handed.“If you keep going, I’ll never forgive you!” Izuku shouted. His remaining hope shattered as he watched his friend's once impassive expression morph into something cruel.“Even though you don't have a quirk,” Katsuki murmured, as explosions erupted inside the palms of his hands. “You're still trying to act like a hero?” He spat, staring at him in contempt.“I do have a quirk!” Izuku shouted. His frustration overtook his fear at the accusation, a humming sensation blossoming beneath his skin at his words.
He wasn’t quirkless.
He remembered how the doctor had called him a late bloomer. His mother had said that it meant he would get an amazing quirk. He grasped onto those words in desperation, ignoring her anxious expression as she spoke. “Then use it!” Katsuki yelled. He sprinted toward him, with miniature explosions dancing in the palm of his outstretched hand.Izuku gasped, recoiling as he brought his hands up to protect himself. It felt like his feet were glued to the ground. He held his breath, imagining the pain from the scorching hand that sparked against his skin. At that moment, an agonized scream pierced through the air. He slapped his hands over his ears, gritting his teeth as the horrible sound grated against his eardrums. He watched in horror as his friend dropped, his body convulsing as he hit the ground. Katsuki heaved, his forehead pressed against the ground as he grasped at his chest. “Kacchan…” Izuku murmured, hesitant as he reached out a trembling hand toward his friend. His hand halted when the blond snapped his neck upwards, his face contorted in pain. “Give it back.” Katsuki grit out, his voice thick with saliva. His expression hardened as he watched him in a mixture of fear and disdain.Izuku froze, his previous concern turning into confusion. He remained silent as he watched his friend stumble to stand up. Katsuki’s arms gave out on him, causing him to fall again.“You took it,” Katsuki said. He stood up, trembling as if the slightest movement caused him immense pain.“Give it back,” Katsuki repeated, his voice raising as he began to become more insistent. He stumbled forward, grabbing the collar of his t-shirt. Izuku cried when Katsuki yanked him toward him, their foreheads colliding.“I don’t- I don’t know what you mean!” Izuku blubbered. He tried to pull away from him, desperate to get out of his unrelenting grip. He sobbed as the blond grabbed his shoulders, digging his fingernails into his skin.Izuku would never be able to understand how much the next words said to him would impact his life, from that moment forward.
“You took my quirk.”
Izuku blinked. It felt like his movements were in slow motion as he processed his surroundings. He was sitting at his desk, still inside the classroom. His hand grasped around his pencil, hovering above a random page in his notebook. He had spaced out again.Izuku brushed off his growing alarm as he looked around the classroom, noticing that the school day seemed to have ended with his classmates collecting their belongings as they chatted with each other about their after-school plans.Izuku sighed, bending over as he began to collect his things, putting them in his backpack. He would have to go over whatever he wrote later when he got home, he just hoped that it was legible. He assumed that he was the last person to leave as the classroom went silent. He didn’t have any warning when his notebook was suddenly ripped from his grasp.Izuku recoiled, his neck snapping upwards, ready to confront whoever was bold enough to start messing with him again. It had been a while since anyone had been so forward in their dislike of him. He stiffened as he locked eyes with intense crimson.
Of course.
His stomach twisted as he watched the blond with a certain level of wariness. It felt different having Katsuki corner him alone, just the two of them. He wasn’t ashamed to admit that it put him on edge.“We’re not done talking yet, Deku,” Katsuki growled. His eyes narrowed as he began to flip through his notebook with a suspicious expression.“Can we do this tomorrow?” Izuku asked, holding his hand out for his notebook. “I’m too tired to deal with you right now.” He fibbed, it was obvious that he was looking for any excuse to not be alone with the blond.“What do you have here, Deku?” Katsuki questioned, ignoring him. He pointed at a random page in his notebook, jabbing his finger against the page. “Your diabolical plans for the future?” Katsuki drawled with a sarcastic tone, though his eyes bore into him as he waited for his reaction to the laughable accusation. He was half right, but he didn’t have to know that.“What happened to your stupid goons? Did they finally decide to use their shared brain cell and realize that you're fucking insane?” Izuku shot back, dodging the question. He couldn’t help but feel some guilt when the blond stiffened at his words. His brain screamed at him for feeling bad for him.“Katsuki, just give it back.” Izuku sighed. Katsuki seemed to debate this in his head, flicking his attention between him and the notebook in his hand. Izuku felt his stomach drop as he watched his crimson eyes light up with something cruel.“Sure,” Katsuki replied with a saccharine smile, holding up his notebook in front of his face.Izuku couldn’t do anything except watch in horror as his notebook was blackened, as it was burned to a crisp. He sucked in a breath as Katsuki then threw the book behind him, causing it to fall out of the classroom window.“If you know what’s good for you, don't get into U.A.,” Katsuki said, huffing as he took a step back. Izuku swallowed as he read between the lines of his statement.“It would be annoying if you outed yourself just because you wanted to be petty.” Katsuki finished, sending him a smirk. He walked off with a self-satisfied expression, swinging his book bag over his shoulder. Katsuki paused as he stood at the entrance of the classroom.“Y’know, if you really wanted to get into U.A.,” Katsuki drawled, his voice flat as he glanced back at him with an unreadable expression. Izuku decided that he didn’t like that look on his face. “It would help if you took a swan dive off the roof, you might turn out to be a better person in your next life.” Katsuki finished, the room falling silent as his words hung in the air between them. Izuku gaped, looking at him in disbelief. It took a moment to process his words, his anger coming full force as what the blond said registered in his head. “Fuck you.” Izuku stood up from his seat, his movements aggressive as he leveled the blond with a glare. Katsuki shuddered, his expression twisting into something unreadable. If Izuku didn’t know better, he would think that his expression had shifted into something almost like regret. He swung his bag over his shoulder, stomping toward the blond as he forcefully pushed past him. Katsuki grunted, stumbling backward when he clipped him with his shoulder. Izuku refused to look at him, leaving without another word. Izuku stood in silence as he looked down at his notebook, staring at the remains that were submerged in the water of the koi pond. Its pages were spread open, the ink seeping into the surrounding water. “Idiot.” Izuku hissed, his hands balling into fists. His body trembled as he fought to suppress the growing humming sensation underneath his skin.“You fucking idiot!” Izuku yelled, slamming his backpack onto the ground. Its contents flew out onto the ground with a loud thud.Izuku screamed in frustration, his grip tightening as he pulled at his hair. He had spent so long on the contents of that notebook. Hundreds of hours writing to the point of his fingers becoming raw. And it all turned out to be for nothing.He would be lucky to even be able to understand what he had written so he could copy the information inside a new notebook. Maybe this time he would learn his lesson and keep a digital version.Izuku slumped over, feeling a wave of exhaustion wash over him. He bent down, snatching the ruined notebook from the koi fish that had been nibbling on it, causing the fish to dart away in fear. “Fuck.” Izuku choked out. He pressed the palms of his hands against his eyes, as he fought back tears of frustration. Even fish were afraid of him. Izuku sighed, tilting his head toward the sky as his hands slid down his face. He felt humiliated as he bent down to grab his bag, despite him being alone. Could this shitty day just hurry up, and be over with already? It was near silent as Izuku walked home. He glanced around at his surroundings, finding himself alone in the suburbs. If he strained his ears hard enough, he could almost hear the bustling city in the distance. It was almost nice to be alone for once.Izuku continued walking down the path, his feet moving without a second thought. It was a route home that he had taken hundreds of times. He glanced down at the ruined notebook in his hand, flipping through the pages; his face crestfallen.He couldn’t allow himself to dwell on the loss; if he did, he would fall apart. He just had to keep moving forward while keeping his end goal in mind. It was still something easier said than done, he thought with a sigh.Izuku squinted as his vision adjusted to the change in lighting as he walked underneath an underpass, he stiffened as a gurgling sound rumbled through the tunnel. He took a sharp intake of breath, his eyes widening as he was met face to face with a creature he had only seen in things of fiction. Izuku paled, his body going into a cold sweat as it succumbed to his own distress. At that moment, he was mere prey standing in front of a predator, about to be devoured. “Hm, a medium-sized invisibility cloak. Not the best, but it will do.” It gurgled out as it appraised him from where it looked down at him. Izuku could do nothing as the monster lunged at him, wrapping its dripping appendages around him. Izuku gagged when the repulsive sludge pushed past his orifices, shoving itself deep inside his throat. He thrashed inside the belly of the oozing beast, his efforts to free himself being in vain, as its form was too viscous to escape. “You’re a spunky thing, aren't ‘cha?” It drawled as it shoved itself deeper down his throat. Its tendrils slid against his legs and chest, tightening its grip around him. “If you keep fighting, you’re just going to draw this out longer than it needs to be,” It complained, making him scream in frustration. Izuku pulled at the sludge covering his orifices, feeling horrified as he felt tears running down his face.“If you do this for me, it would really help me out,” It scowled, becoming impatient. Izuku convulsed when his lungs were filled with sludge. It felt like he was drowning, and the pain was fucking excruciating. “Listen, I didn’t count on him being in town-”Izuku couldn’t focus on its rambling anymore as black splotches began to cloud his vision. He was going to die, he realized. It didn’t sound that bad if it meant the pain stopped. Izuku felt something flare in the back of his skull. He wasn’t going to let some d-tier villain kill him when he still had so much to do. His skin sparked, his body humming in anticipation. He fought to concentrate on the feeling, filled with newfound determination. He wasn’t going to die here. “It’s fine now,” Izuku felt his concentration be broken as he was filled with confusion. He couldn’t remember where he had heard that voice before. It sounded so familiar, the answer to his question on the tip of his tongue.“Because I am here!”It clicked.
All Might.