Chapter Text
“You can’t be a hero, without a quirk there isn’t any point in trying”
These words rang through Izuku’s head over and over. Five minutes ago, an encounter with his favourite hero would have been a dream come true. Right now, not so much. After the number one decided to leave a kid on the rooftop of a very high building without any way to get down, Izuku Midoriya decided that All Might may not be the hero that he had imagined him to be.
“Fine, then,” Izuku whispered, “Screw you, All Might! I’ll prove you wrong!”
And with that, Izuku decided that he would become a hero, regardless of the number-one hero’s opinions on quirkless heroes. From this moment on, Izuku was determined not to care about what others thought about him.
He walked home that day with a sense of determination and a newfound desire to spite the number one hero.
As he walked through the quiet backstreets of Musutafu, Izuku slowly gained a new perspective on the world. Now that all might was no longer his idol, he had no idea what to do with his life. Sure, he still wanted to be a hero, but he wasn’t sure how to become one without a quirk and without any muscle strength, but when has Midoriya Izuku ever given up? The correct answer is never! He will pass the UA entrance exam with flying colours and become the first-ever quirkless student in the hero course!
As Izuku skipped through a particularly beautiful park, he stopped and decided to sit down for some time to devise a plan on how to pass the exam. First, though, he was going to take a few pictures of the beautiful scenery!
The greenet pulled out his phone and looked around the park. In the centre of the park lay a rushing creek, adorned with stones and water-lilies. A sturdy cobblestone bridge led to a little wooden shelter on the other side of the lake. The shelter was overgrown with wisteria vines which made Izuku stare dazedly at the sight of the purple flowers. He snapped a few photos for his mother and sat down on the smooth stone floor of the shelter.
Izuku spent the next half-hour creating a plan for himself, said plan included a workout schedule, diet plans, and hours for study. It also included a healthy amount of break time, because Izuku wasn’t an idiot.
As the time neared 5:30, Izuku decided to head home. His mum was supposed to be home at around 6 and it was getting dark. He needed to tell her about his day and his new plans for becoming a hero.
By the time Izuku arrived home, Inko Midoriya had texted him that she was on her way home.
Izuku unlocked the door of his dingy apartment, kicked off his shoes, threw himself on the couch and sighed. Today had been a long day.
“You can’t be a hero, without a quirk there isn’t any point in trying”
Izuku dragged his eyes to the ceiling. Emerald eyes scanned over the mouldy patches and ended up zoning out staring at the yellowing paint on the roof. All Might was supposed to be a role model, why did he have to ruin his dream? A heavy feeling settled itself in the pit of Izuku’s heart. Izuku didn’t know how long he’d been there, but when his mum came home, he didn’t even hear her open the door. When he felt a comforting hand on his shoulder, he startled a little.
“Hi, mum, I didn’t notice you come in,” Izuku admitted, albeit sheepishly.
“Oh dear, did you have a good day today?” Inko Midoriya smiled lovingly at her son.
“Mum, it wasn’t too good,” Izuku’s voice started wavering, “Katsuki told me to…to-” Izuku felt tears brimming the edge of his eyes, threatening to overflow. He wasn’t too upset about it before, so why is he overwhelmed with emotion now? Nevertheless, he swallowed hard and finished his sentence; “Mum, I haven’t been completely honest with you, for like, my whole life. Katsuki Bakugo has been my bully ever since I was… diagnosed, and he's been the one hurting me all of those times where I told you that I was clumsy. And today, he… Mum, please promise to not get mad at him…” when his mother replied with a nod, he continued, “he told me to pray for a quirk in another life, and take a swan dive… off the roof of the school building.” Izuku had tears shamelessly streaming down his face now, not making any futile attempt to wipe them up.
Meanwhile, Inko’s mind was racing. Her sweet baby boy had been told to end his own life, by Mitsuki’s son nonetheless. After calming Izuku down, she was going to tell her best friend what Katsuki had said. The poor woman deserved to know. Inko held her crying son closer to her chest. She just wants to shelter her boy from the world.
“Hey, sweetheart, want to tell me about the rest of your day?” Inko tried to change the subject to a lighter one. There had to be at least one good thing, right?
To her surprise, Izuku just covers his face with both arms.
“I…mum I met my favourite hero, All Might, and… and he told me to be realistic about my dreams, that… that he didn’t believe I could ever possibly be a hero!” Izuku says before bursting into an uncontrollable fit of sobs.
“Oh, honey,” Inko stared at her precious boy with furrowed brows. Inko understood All Might’s position; not wanting a defenceless person in the limelight, where they can easily get hurt and become unable to defend themselves without support from other heroes. Yet, Izuku looked so distraught; she couldn’t bear to see him like this.
“I just, I hate him now, so much, mum, which is why I'm going to prove him wrong! I’m going to become the first quirkless hero and prove him wrong!”
“Okay, darling, how can I help you?”
Izuku Midoriya smiled at his mother, “Come help me take all of this merch down? I need some money for training equipment, and selling these will help lots!”
“Of course, honey. Just let me make a quick phone call”
“Alright,” Izuku smiled wearily. At least his mother was supportive of his dream.
Ten minutes later, Inko appeared at her son’s bedroom door, watching him carefully remove each piece of All Might paraphernalia that he had from his shelves, his walls, leaving a bland, slightly mouldy skeleton of what his room once was. At least the boy would have a healthy budget once his merch was sold.
Inko cleared her throat, “How are you going, my love?” Izuku turned towards her.
“I’m doing great, Mum! I’m just putting all of this merch up online! Some pieces are worth lots of money, some even 500,000 yen!” Izuku was looking much better, his eyes were filled with excitement. Inko smiled, her boy was great at bouncing back from a tough spot. After her call with Mitsuki, it was nice to see her son smiling.
Mitsuki was ..not the most receptive... When told that her son was bullying Izuku. She had promised to talk to Katsuki about it, though, and apparently, that meant straight away since Inko had to shout at her to stop yelling at her son so they could continue the conversation. So it was a start, at least. Inko smiled and began to help her son take down his All Might decor.