Izuku Midoriya was four years old when he discovered that he was quirkless. No amount of tears or kind words from his mother would change this life altering fact, this dream crushing reality. Izuku didn't give up on his dream though, he couldn't. He would just have to be the first quirkless hero and show the world that they were wrong. He happily told his friends about this, and from then on things just got worse. Izuku began coming home every day with burn marks and bruises, his clothes singed from the torment of his old friend Katsuki Bakugou. That little sand-blonde scoundrel was an absolute tyrant, he bullied Izuku not because he wanted to prevent him from hurting himself while searching for the title of a hero, no. His heart was not capable of such nobility. He bullied Izuku relentlessly simply because he was different, and he still had a big dream anyway.

It had only been a few months since Inko learned Izuku was quirkless, and things had already come this far. She was painfully aware of how the quirkless population was treated, and she had hoped in vain that their fate was not her son's, but she knew she was wrong, and she had had enough. She had gone to the school, to the parents of that wretched and spoiled child that tormented her sweet baby, and even to some of the teachers personally, but to no avail. The only course of action remaining was to teach Izuku to defend himself, something she couldn't do herself. She had seen fliers around town of some martial arts dojo that was struggling under a low membership. It was led by a retired pro hero, a rather high ranking one at that. The only reason for its lack of popularity was the fact that a few years back, one of his students went on a murderous rampage and disabled all of his other learners, scaring off anyone who would otherwise be interested in learning the veterans peerless martial arts. She was desperate though, and if anyone could help her Izuku, it was him. The ascent to the dojo itself was a workout on its own, the poor woman must have been climbing the stairs for several minutes before she finally reached the top. She opened the door to find an old man washing the floors by himself. This man was the retired hero Silver Fang, or Bang. He wore a form fitting black turtleneck and white pants. His spiky white hair flowed back away from his forehead, and his body, though old, still showed signs of his lifelong endeavors as a martial artist and a hero. He paused his activity and peered over at the woman curiously. She was relatively fit, but was far from the type to pursue martial arts. Maybe she had a son?

"Welcome to my dojo. How can I help you?" He inquired, his bushy white mustache dancing along with his words.

"I would like to sign my son up for your dojo." Inko responded. The old man's face visibly lit up at this, and he strode towards her excitedly.

"Wonderful! How old is he?" He asked. Naturally, there was an age requirement to train with him.

"He's four years old." Inko replied sadly, knowing she'd get turned down.

"I'm afraid that's far too young for me to train him. Come back when he's older." He replied.

"Can you please make an exception?" Inko pleaded.

"Why?" Bang asked, raising an eyebrow at the woman who for some reason wouldn't take no for an answer. He was already tempted enough to break his rule as it was. It wasn't that he needed the students per se, but he had been rather lonely since he retired. The spark of youth always inspired him and kept him going, how they loved to learn and would always get back up. He remembered the golden days of his dojo when it was popular, when men and women from across Japan would come to train under him, but those days ended some time ago. Garou personally saw to that.

"He's quirkless . . he wants to be a hero so badly, but he's being bullied and tormented, being told he's useless. Nobody else will help him." Inko informed the elderly man, tears forming in her eyes. "If you don't help him, I don't know who else wi-" She was cut off before she could continue.

"You've convinced me. Bring him here tomorrow so that I can meet with the boy, we will discuss the dojo subscription then. I look forward to seeing more of you both." Bang cheerfully told her, instantly improving the woman's mood.

"Really?! Thank you so much! I can't wait to go home and tell him! I'll see you tomorrow!" Inko exclaimed, scrambling out of the dojo with a bright smile on her face. It had been some time since Bang had the opportunity to heavily influence a young man's life. In fact, the last time he had this chance was with Garou. This time, Bang told himself, he would get it right.

Meanwhile, Inko practically flew down the steps as she rushed to her car to bring the good news to Izuku. Her boy would be so excited to learn from one of the best heroes ever! Back in his hayday, Inko had no doubt that Silver Fang would have given All Might a run for his money, and there was noone better to teach her boy. Part of her secretly hoped he would take the lessons to heart and teach his bullies a thing or two, but she knew he wasn't like that. Before she knew it, she was at the bottom of the steps and already on her way towards her house. It was a big plus that the dojo was only a few blocks away from her apartment, she wouldn't have to drive Izuku there, though she'd be tempted to.

Soon enough, she arrived at her house. She ran towards Izuku and enveloped her now confused son in a tight hug.

"W-What's wrong mom?" Izuku asked in an adorably squeaky voice.

"Remember that dojo I told you about? He agreed to meet with you! We're gonna go see him tomorrow! You're gonna meet the hero Silver Fang!" She excitedly told her son, stars appearing in the boy's eyes at the mention of Silver Fang.

"Wow! He's such a cool hero! I'm gonna train under him? I'm gonna be a cool hero too! I'm gonna save people mom! Just like All Might!" Izuku exclaimed as he dashed around the house, a green beam of pure exuberance.

"Now Izuku, why don't you head to bed? We have a big day tomorrow!" Inko told her son with a smile on her face.

"Ok mom!" Izuku responded, already dressed in his All Might onesie. Inko swore up and down that he was the cutest thing on the planet. Izuku climbed into bed happily and his mother told him a bedtime story about All Might. Izuku drifted off quickly, tomorrow would start before he knew it. Little did the young boy know that the very next day would be the first step in his long journey to become the world's greatest hero.

The designated meeting time couldn't come fast enough for either Inko nor Izuku, and soon enough they found themselves ascending the steps towards Bang's impressive dojo. Once they reached the top, Inko was heavily winded, but Izuku was fine, his youth burning brightly. Almost on queue, the doors to the dojo opened and Bang poked his head out and peered happily at the young boy. He could see it in his eyes, this young man would become a hero. Everything was present, hope, compassion, and the willingness to help people. Bang just needed to form Izuku into a weapon of justice, and he would do just that.

It didn't matter if Izuku was a prodigy or not, though it certainly would help. Since Izuku would be his only student, he could focus all of his time and energy into the young man's development. He didn't outwardly show it through his stoic demeanor, but Bang was quite excited.

"You must be Izuku, I met your mother yesterday. She told me all about you and how you wanted to become a hero." Bang said, looking happily at the child before him.

"Yeah! I want to save people, just like All Might! It's just . . . I'm quirkless, so I don't know if I can." The child lamented, his exuberance fading into something almost akin to depression, an emotion far too mature and dark for such a young boy to be experiencing.

"It doesn't matter if you're quirkless, young child. You too can become a hero. After all, I am quirkless too." Bang said, a glint of reminiscence in his eyes.

"What?! No way! So I can be a cool hero even without a quirk?" Izuku asked, the hope he was feeling shining clear as day. This little boy certainly wore his heart on his sleeve, something that would surely help him connect with people as a hero.

"Yes, I'm going to train you, and then you're going to attend Yueii. How does that sound?" Bang asked, ruffling Izuku's mess of green hair. He then turned to Inko. "Don't worry about the subscription, I'm very well off after my work as a hero. I am going to fully devote myself to your son's development. He's going to be the best hero the world has ever seen." Bang informed her.

Inko didn't know what to say. It was already an incredible act of kindness for Bang to even consider teaching her son, but to promise to devote himself to Izuku's development, for him to see in her son what she herself had always seen in him, it brought her to tears. "Thank you so much Bang!" She said, giving the old man a bear hug. Bang patted the sobbing mother's back, soothing her.

"I'll have Izuku home for supper, and I want him coming back any time he can. I wasn't lying when I said that I see tremendous potential in your son, and I can't wait to unlock it." Bang informed her. "Now, if you'll excuse us, I'll introduce him to the basics of martial arts."

After Inko left, Bang turned to Izuku, sizing the young boy up. "You're still very young, so for a while we won't be able to do much more than simple exercises and the basics, but you'll learn soon enough. Now, why don't I tell you all about Flowing Water Rock Smashing Fist. Would you like a demonstration?" Bang asked, offering the young boy a curious look.

"Yeah! Please show me!" Izuku cheered, hopping up and down in childlike excitement. Bang chuckled at the young boy's innocence, turning to one of the dummies he had in his dojo and releasing an incredible flurry of strikes against it, shattering the wooden dummy to splinters.

"Wow!" Izuku exclaimed. "That's so cool!"

"Young man, I'm not going to lie to you. My training is very harsh, there's a reason that I don't usually teach children, but for you I'm making an exception. I pride myself with my martial arts style, a perfect combination of offence and defence. It is difficult to learn, and even harder to master. Even though you're only four, I'm still going to push you to the limits, starting today. We're going to develop your body into a powerful vessel, one with which you can protect the innocent and smite evil with. This won't be easy, can you promise me that you'll see it through?" Bang asked.

"I will! I promise!" Izuku exclaimed, pumping his little fist into the air. He didn't quite understand what he was getting himself into, but he did know one thing. He was going to be a hero at any cost, and it was a nice change of pace to have someone besides his mother in his corner. That day, Izuku did some simple exercises and was introduced to the basics of martial arts. He was surprisingly tuckered out when he finally returned to his mother, but he was still excited nonetheless.

Days turned into weeks, which turned into months, and before she knew it, years were flying by. Izuku was ten years old now, and his body was beginning to take shape, and so was his technique. He was noticeably leaner than the other boys in his year, both in and out of clothes. In tandem with this, his dietary needs increased as well. Her son had the appetite of two ravenous boys, forcing her to cook portions that could be mistaken for a family meal just to keep up. She didn't mind though. She had never seen him happier than when he was training with Bang. Better yet was how Katsuki found the prospect of picking on Izuku to be more and more daunting as the years went by, eventually resorting to muttering "stupid deku" under his breath as they passed each other in the hallways. Katsuki was taken aback by how intimidating the "quirkless loser" had become. After being publicly humiliated by the young man after attacking him one day, he considered giving up the prospect of bullying him entirely, though he eventually refused the idea. Deku was quirkless, there was no way he was better than him, a prodigy, a god amongst men. His quirk was both flashy and strong, he was going to surpass All Might and become the best hero, nobody was going to get in his way.

One day when Izuku arrived at the dojo, he discovered that his mentor had something special in store for his lesson today. His efforts had mostly been focused on building up his body and mastering the basics of the art, accompanied by the occasional light sparring session with Bang. Today however, would be different.

"I have something to tell you about, so sit down and listen." Bang instructed his pupil. Izuku did as he was told immediately, not out of fear, but out of respect for his master. He silently awaited for Bang to continue. "You have already grown surprisingly strong for a boy of your age, and you will only continue to improve. There's a secret that nobody knows about training and how the human body works. Each and every person has a limit on how strong they can become, regardless of quirk. Quirkless individuals however, are different. We have a far more forgiving limiter, almost as an evolutionary defense. Through training and devotion, we can ascend to the ranks of those with tremendous power and stand beside them. I am telling you this because this is your path, and I am also telling you this to warn you. From now until the entrance exams for U.A, We will be kicking things into full throttle. This included upping the frequency and intensity of the sparring sessions, tripling Izuku's workout regimen, and moving on to the more advanced applications of the flowing water rock smashing fist. He even began to introduce some applications of his brother's style, the iron whirlwind murderous fist. Izuku took to this style just as quickly as he did the other, quickly becoming proficient in both.

Time passed and several times Izuku collapsed mid session, refusing to give up until darkness overtook him and he reached his limit. On these occasions, Bang would lift Izuku up and deliver him to his house, receiving an understanding smile from Inko in response. She had long since come to terms with the sheer dedication her son put into his training. He was devoted to becoming a hero. He would occasionally overdo it or come home with bruises, but that was just the price of progress. Every day she would see her son continue to practice and exercise at home, growing more impressive each and every time she saw him.

One day, about ten months before the entrance exam, the teacher was passing out career aptitude tests. "What's the point?" He asked. "I know you all want to go to U.A and become heroes!" In response to this, all of the students present showed off their quirks brazenly, excited at the prospect of becoming a popular, flashy hero.

"Hey teach, don't lump me in with the rest of these extras. I'm the real deal." Katsuki said, pointing his thumb at his chest as it swelled with pride. This caused some of the more brave students to grumble, but most of them remained silent out of fear. Katsuki was well known as a violent and arrogant bully, more than happy to step on the backs of anyone and everyone on the way up to the top of the dogpile.

"Well you certainly have an excellent chance to get in. Ah, and Midoriya, don't you plan on applying to U.A as well?" The teacher inquired. Normally the entire class would snicker at the prospect of a quirkless individual applying for one of the top hero schools in the country, but this was not the case. They all knew one thing, one thing that had been proven time and time again, one thing had made itself present in the way their classmate carried himself. Izuku Midoriya was strong. They didn't know how, but he was intimidatingly strong.

"As if this fucking loser is gonna get into U.A! I'm the only one going to U.A! You hear that you piece of shit?!" Katsuki cursed at the boy. His vocabulary was just as distasteful and detestable as his personality. He began striding confidently towards Izuku, small explosions leaking out of his palms as he planned on how to assault the boy. Once he got within Izuku's personal bubble, Izuku responded in one swift motion that ended the fight before it even began. He took hold of both of Katsuki's wrists and brought his right knee up into his target's mouth, almost knocking a tooth out and breaking the bully's nose. Katsuki was left clutching his bloodied maw as Izuku calmly returned to his seat. This was clearly an act of self defence, so Izuku was let off with a warning to be less forceful and Katsuki was sent to the nurse's office.

Izuku was walking home when he felt a presence forming behind him.

"Ooh a vessel, and a nice and strong one too, just hold tight there kid, it'll all be over soon." The sludge villain said. There was a flash of motion and blue trails before the villain was splattered all over the wall. Shortly before this occurred, All Might had climbed out of the sewer in search of the villain. Izuku noticed him but kept his attention on his defeated assailant, ensuring it wouldn't suddenly reform. Needless to say, All Might was surprised by the boy's display of power. He couldn't have been much older than fourteen and yet he dealt with that slime villain like a pro. The boy turned to All Might and smiled confidently.

"Hi All Might. It's nice to meet you!" Izuku exclaimed. His inner fanboyism and nervousness had diminished into a much more calm and collected demeanor, but he was still excited to see his idol.

"Nice job with that villain my boy. You took care of him like an expert! That's some quirk you have there." All Might said. This caused the boy to laugh, something that confused the hero.

"It's not a quirk, it's just martial arts. I'm quirkless." Izuku explained.

"What?" All might asked. "Then how did you defeat the villain?"

"Like I said, I used martial arts. I've been practicing since I was four." Izuku told him.

"That's impressive. That would mean you have what, ten years under your belt? What martial arts was it? It looked familiar." All might asked.

"It's called flowing water rock smashing fist." Izuku explained, taking a stance to show All Might what it was before dropping it. His movements were incredibly fluid and practiced, each motion barely discernible from the previous that led into it. All Might also noticed the boy's physique. He was quite muscular, but in a more graceful way than the likes of he or Endeavor.

"So Silver Fang has taken up a new disciple? I thought he retired." All might pondered aloud. "Could you take me to him?"

"I don't see why not. I'm headed there anyway." Izuku explained. The pair made their way towards the dojo. Shortly after departing, All Might turned into a rather emaciated looking man, much shorter and weaker looking than the tall and broad hero that everyone knew and loved.

"Oh? So yours is a transformation type quirk. Interesting." Izuku commented, otherwise unphased by All Might's change in appearance. All Might was surprised by how well the teenager handled his metamorphosis, so he decided to question him on the matter.

"You handled that pretty well. Most people would freak out and ask where All Might went." All Might said. His once proud and fierce smile was now weary and meek.

"Master Bang told me to never judge a book by its cover. He and I are great examples of this. We wield strength far beyond what our bodies appear to be capable of."

"I see. How strong are you, my boy? How close are you to mastering his craft?" All Might inquired. Silver Fang had been a powerful ally once All Might became the symbol of peace. He was surprised time and time again at the power that the old man wielded, the grace he exuded in his movements and flowing strikes.

"I've almost mastered it. I've also almost mastered his brother's style of martial arts as well, iron whirlwind murderous fist.." Izuku responded, his voice unchanging as if the act of mastering the two greatest martial art styles in Japan was a common occurrence.

"I see." All might responded simply, sizing the boy up once again. To think that he had already acquired two of the most fearsome fighting styles on earth at such a young age, perhaps he could bless him with his quirk? A hero with both incredible power and peerless technique . . What an incredible thought.

All Might left his thoughts once he saw the young man begin to climb the stairs at a surprisingly excited pace. All Might briefly summoned his muscle form and leapt up the stairs. Seeing this, Izuku increased his own pace as well, arriving only a moment after All Might. They entered the dojo together and were met with an inquisitive Bang.

"Oh? Did you bring a friend Izuku?" The old practitioner inquired, only for his eyes to widen in recognition a few second later.

"All Might, it's a pleasure to see you again." Bang commented, bowing to his prior comrade. He then turned to his pupil. "Izuku, go get dressed in your gi, we have a lot to do today. The entrance exams are coming up soon." Izuku nodded and strode off in the direction of the changing rooms the dojo had, leaving All Might and Bang alone.

"That's quite a pupil you have there. I was surprised by his strength until I saw that he was one of yours. So you're going to have him apply for U.A?" All Might asked.

"He will, and he'll get in too. He's grown to be very strong, perhaps as strong as Garou was when he started hunting top tier heroes." Bang explained.

"Really!?" All Might asked incredulously, almost shouting. "He's that strong? That's surprising considering how young he is."

"It is. He's a prodigy, just like Garou was. I started teaching him when he was four, and this time I did it right." Bang paused for a moment before continuing, his face contorting as if he was warding off a bad memory. "He has it, Toshinori. The spark of heroism. I saw it in his eyes when we first met, and since then it has only grown. Quirk or not he was going to pursue the title of a hero, so I just gave him the tools he needed to do so. He's practically mastered it now, I couldn't be more proud." Bang then turned to All Might and wore an expression as if he remembered something important. "You should be searching for a successor by now, right? Are you interested in him?"

"I'm not sure. He certainly has the strength to wield it, but I must be certain of his character." All Might replied. "Either way, I should be going."

A few moments after All Might had departed, Izuku came out of the changing room wearing his gi and black belt.

"Izuku, you have come very far since you first set foot in my dojo. I'm afraid that there's not much more to teach you. There is but one technique remaining before you know everything I do, and after that it's all about refining yourself. This technique is a powerful last resort, though it comes at a hefty price. Using this technique takes up most of your energy, it's an all or nothing bet that you should only use when pushed into a corner. It is called roaring aura void ripping fist. It's a relatively simple sequence of motions, though it is the most effective way to pour out every last drop of energy your body has. You first drive your foot into the earth and then transfer that momentum into an uppercut style strike. You must prepare yourself before using this, it is quite taxing. Young as you are, you might be able to get away with it, but an old man like me would get tuckered out after doing it just once. It combines the best aspects of the two fighting styles you've learned so far."

After Izuku had gotten the hang of the sequence of movements associated with this finishing strike, he sparred with his master and then did his exercise regimen. As he was making to leave the dojo, Bang caught his attention.

"I want you to double your training regimen in these ten months leading up to the exam. You already know everything I can teach you, but I ask that you continue coming here to further sharpen yourself. If you feel up to adding some community service into your training, you could clean up the Dagobah municipal beach and train there. I've been told that the view is quite incredible" Bang instructed him, smiling pridefully at his student.

The following day, Izuku did as he was told and arrived at the beach, finding mountains upon mountains of trash residing in the once pristine area. He then began clearing the rubbage, and within two months the beach was returned to its natural state. He informed his master of his progress and told him that he would like to train there with him if he felt up to it. Tourists returned to the beach, and the sight of a strong young man sparring with an elderly martial artist became commonplace. Seldom few witnessed any intensity between the master and the student, though all of their circumstantial spectators knew that they were both master level practitioners. A few people recognized the man as the retired hero Silver Fang, though out of respect they neglected to mention anything. The months passed and Izuku's strength only increased, and before he knew it, it was the morning of the entrance exam. Izuku and Bang arrived together at the beach for their morning exercise, warming up for the day ahead. A few weeks back, Izuku had gotten a haircut that closely resembled Bang's style, something that drew a chuckle and a compliment out of the man, saying it suited him. Today, Izuku wore the same outfit Bang would wear during his hero activities, a simple form fitting black shirt and white gi pants.

"Thank you for teaching me, I will make you proud today." Izuku promised. He had come so far from the stuttering four year old cowering in the shadow of his childhood tormentors. He was practically a man now, and he was ready to take on the world.

"I know you will, and I wish you the best of luck today." Bang told him. "I am well aware that you will have to focus on your hero studies instead of martial arts once you begin attending the academy, just don't forget to drop in every once in a while." The old man said with a chortle. Izuku smiled warmly in response and bowed to his master, thanking him once again for all that he had done. He then departed for the site of the entrance exam, taking his time to walk there instead of taking the train, it was a rather scenic route and he had a lot to think about.

He stopped by his house and gathered his backpack, which contained the essentials for the written exam. Due to his relaxed walking pace, he arrived at U.A right on time. A bustle of activity was present all throughout the campus, students frantically making their way in for a shot at their dreams. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a rather attractive looking brunette trip and begin to fall.

Ochako cursed herself. She was way more nervous than she would rather admit to, and tripping and falling on her face was not helping. Before she could activate her quirk to save herself, she felt a soft gust of wind and a pair of strong arms catch her. She looked up to see a young man around her age, looking down at her with visible worry on his face. He released her before the hold became awkward, helping her up in the process.

"You alright?" He asked, worried that the young lady was allowing her nerves to get the best of her.

"Yeah, I kinda just lost my balance there, thanks for helping out. You got to me pretty fast, do you have some kinda super speed quirk?" She inquired, curious about the boy who had just saved her from face planting.

"Nope, I'm quirkless." He responded.

"Then how . . ? Why are you applying here?" She asked, flummoxed as to why a quirkless individual would apply for a hero school. She wasn't judging him, far from it. She was just curious.

He laughed it off good naturedly. "I'm strong, you'll see." He responded, smiling warmly at her. "We should hurry up though, don't want to be late! By the way, what's your name?"

"Ochako Uraraka. What's yours?"

"Izuku Midoriya."

Both teens turned and rushed into their exams after wishing each other luck, though Ochako couldn't get that boy out of her mind for some reason.