Chapter 0 – Foundation

People have always divided society into two – those with superior Quirks and those with inferior ones. Of course, the rare, pitiful Quirkless aren't even included in the fray.

"TASUKU!"

The scream raged through the shattered building as the unconscious body of a crimson-haired boy fell gracelessly on the floor.

"Now, now, I haven't killed him yet, little miss." The malicious aura that filled the air . . .

. . . It was of murder.

A dilapidated building with six teenagers – one unconscious, two injured – and a Villain from the country's most dangerous criminal organisation. The man pressed a leather boot against the temple of the unconscious boy, lightly pressing down. "But my, he went down easier than I thought he would." His silver teeth gleamed from behind dark lips. "The muscle of your little group, Atsushi Tasuku."

The ones with superior Quirks have always been on top, revered by the rest of the population as the Protectors and Saviours, the ones who will lead them into a future of glory, safety and success. And the superior ones have always used the others 'below' as stepping stones.

"Erika" the only uninjured boy in the group, a blond who was supporting a heavily bleeding brunette murmured "Can you stand?"

"Barely" the girl honestly replied, her left eye completely caked shut with flowing blood. "But the good news is I managed to send some of my minions outside to ask the Pros for help."

"Well, that's the tiniest bit of sugar in the tea" the blond sported an awkward smile, his emerald gaze flitting from the powerful Villain to the unconscious body of his friend. "Now if we could only save Tasuku and manage to survive till the time they arrive-"

However, before he could complete his sentence, a fast black mass had hurtled itself towards the Villain, a low growl erupting through the atmosphere.

"Inori!" Erika cried out, her face fraught with worry.

Although it may be ironic, and even hilarious, for someone like me to state this but I've never really liked this 'superior-inferior' Quirk system. A Hero who can burn even the hottest metal to liquid will drown if thrown into a deep enough pool. But a Hero who can hold their breath for hours or breathe underwater will survive even the Pacific. So doesn't it all depend on the situation and how well your Quirk is adapted to it?

"Everyone, run!" screamed the black-haired girl as she grabbed her unconscious friend's collar – instead of normal arms and legs, hers had turned into scaled, black claws, complete with jutting crimson nails. But before she could dash towards the others, a fist had grabbed her by the ends of her hair, pulling her head back so harsh her neck almost snapped.

"Ah, yes, I've heard of you, Little Princess." The girl yelled as the Villain effortlessly pulled her towards himself, dragging her up by her long hair. "It's quite hard to believe that someone so delicate-looking has such a fearsome Quirk . . ."

However, the man was forced to let go of her when a car crashed through the building, going straight towards him and using the few seconds it bought her, Inori had leaped all the way across the room with the unconscious Tasuku.

"I won't say about the damage it could've caused Inori and Tasuku, Nagi, since your plan succeeded." When a thick mass of smoke obscured the Villain, the teenagers turned to escape. "But next time, do give us a warning" Erika mumbled, trying to run as fast as she could in her injured condition.

But were it not for the blond Hiro being on alert, the flying car would've splattered Erika.

"LOOK OUT!" He pushed the brunette out of the way and brought his palm up just in time – as soon as the tip of the car's bonnet touched his palm, it was sent hurtling back towards the Villain.

"Just how strong is this guy?!" Nagi hissed, voicing everyone's thoughts.

But there're only a few people in this world who understand the truth of this matter – and I consider myself lucky to be one of them. I can see the truth, even if I can't do anything about it. I may be among the ones who are at the top – and maybe the only one up here who knows this is a curse and not a blessing.

"Very strong, unfortunately." The boy could only manage to stare behind him in shock before a powerful fist punched into his stomach, knocking every bit of oxygen out of his lungs, shattering his lower ribs and damaging his organs.

"BLEGH-!" Nagi vomited a spray of blood as he toppled to the ground.

"NAG-!" Erika's scream died in her mouth but someone was already on the move. The last person of the sextet, a small girl with fluffy white hair in twintails, was rushing towards the Villain.

"Suzune, no!" Hiro rushed after her – she wouldn't make it in time. 'This Villain . . . he's not someone we can handle.'

'If only I can touch him once!' The girl launched herself from the floor, twisting her body through the air – once she touched him, it didn't matter if she fell. He would be incapacitated.

"Ah, you're the trump card, Ryota Suzune." The smile he flashed her was sickening but she'd moved her hand and shoved it against his arm.

"Sight. Steal."

"She did it?!" Inori stood up, carrying the unconscious Tasuku in her monstrous claws.

"Marvellous . . . I truly can't see anything!" He waved his fingers in front of his eyes before pivoting his body around on his heels and grabbing the little girl's arm, proceeding to quickly snap it in one clean cut. "But I can hear your panting breaths, little miss."

It took a few moments for Suzune to register the pain before she released an excruciated scream and fell to her knees, her arm now nothing but a limp appendage.

I have been strong ever since my Quirk registered itself when I was three – very, very strong in fact. I've always been the cream of the crop – in kindergarten, in elementary and even in middle school. In fact, I've been so high up on top that it's been painfully lonely – no one could ever reach where I was and no one bothered to. I was strong, they all knew. I didn't need protection or help or comfort, they all thought. And because of that . . . even when I needed someone . . . I had to show that I was 'strong' and perfectly okay being alone.

It was only when Suzune was reduced to a sputtering, crying mess did Inori realise they were all gonna die at the hands of this wretched Villain.

They weren't immortal. Team TENSHI was actually gonna die, not even out of middle school yet.

Tasuku was showing no signs of waking up – taking in the fact he had received a direct hit on his head, it was remarkable his skull was still intact. Nagi was breathing loud, his mouth and chin and neck covered with blood but his organs were about to fail. Suzune, her face covered in tears and snot and sweat, was desperately trying to pick herself up, her left hand clutching her broken arm.

'We're all gonna die.'

Erika could barely walk, let alone run and she couldn't use an eye. Only she and Hiro were in a condition to fight but against him – the man who stood so calmly, grinning victoriously at having taken down half of them – they were obviously gonna lose.

"Inori." She blinked at the blond, unable to respond in any other way. "I want you to be ready."

Erika, having come a little out of her shock, muttered "Hiro, what are y-"

"JUST LISTEN TO ME" he gritted, taking a few steps forward. "As soon as you get the chance, I want you to grab Erika and fly out of that hole." He gestured towards the large gap in the wall created by the hurtling car.

Amidst Erika's defiant answers, she could only stare at Hiro's determined back.

But there was something more painful than this abrasive loneliness. It was the reason I was praised and complimented by everyone, put on a pedestal, called a "leader" and a "Hero who will lead Japan to an even glorious future." . . . But nobody realised my all-powerful Quirk had caused me more sorrow than happiness.

"Hey" the Villain turned himself towards the remaining trio, launching himself from his haunches and flying straight towards them "Include me in your conversations AS WELL!"

A punch aimed straight at Hiro. The boy glared at the older man with burning hatred before bringing up his palm.

"Heh" the man grumbled. "I know how your Repeal works, Hiro Daiki. Which is why-"

He flew past the young boy in a sudden motion before turning around in the air, bringing his knee up and hitting him on his unguarded back. "It won't work on me."

"GAHH-!" Hiro, blinded from the pain, was sent straight flying across the room before he crashed into the opposite wall.

Erika fell on her knees.

Inori couldn't stop staring.

'Are we all . . . really gonna die?'

Monster . . . yes, that is my Quirk. That was what I was called. The ability to turn into an ugly, powerful Monster . . . Yes, that is a definite show of strength. People praised me, told me how powerful and noble that form was. Liars. All of them LIARS. I could see it . . . their fear, their disgust, their mistrust. The dishonesty in their smiles, the horror that always swam beneath their eyes, their shivering legs as they stood up to greet me . . . I could see it ALL.

"Ahaha . . . Hahahahaha . . . Ahahahah . . . AHAHAHA . . . HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA!"

Scary . . . he was terrifying. Absolutely terrifying.

"Are you guys really the strongest middle school students in all of Japan?!" He took out a handkerchief to wipe the grime on his face, staring straight at the remaining two paralysed girls. "I had heard a lot about TENSHI, about the precocious and prodigious six kids who made up an all powerful team. But you guys . . . are kinda disappointing."

Not only had he beaten them up terribly . . . he was also insulting them. Inori bunched her fists together, trying to breathe calmly, trying to keep her anger in check.

It wasn't working.

Her blood felt like it was on fire, her nostrils flaring and her chest felt like it would burst from rage. Pocketing his handkerchief, the Villain started walking towards Erika, his gait leisurely. These children weren't a threat – if anything, they had been poor practice. "Huh, so we're now left with the Leader and the Berserker, hmm?" Erika backed away until she hit the wall, her knees buckling against each other, tears spilling from her visible eye.

"I wish you guys were stronger, really."

And so, I accepted it. I was a Monster. I was an ugly, powerful creature that didn't need love or kindness. I would be okay standing alone at the top. That's what I thought for a long, long time . . . until some people changed my mind.

A duo of medium-sized cement golems rushed at the Villain but he immediately crushed them without much effort. However, a series of small cement-shaped pixies began flitting around his head, poking his eyes, hitting against his head and keeping him occupied.

"Inori!" Erika yelled, barely managing to hold herself up. "Escape, fa-!"

But before she knew it, the hulking man was in front of her, a hand tight around her neck and her pixies now lifeless shapes of cement on the floor.

"Man, you Leader types really are annoying" the smile on his face was irritated – Erika's kicks were useless and her small hands were powerless against his muscles. As his grip gradually tightened, the brunette began choking, her vision weakening and saliva dripping from the corner of her lips. "But once you're done . . . once I'm finished with you all . . . They'll finally have to acknowledge me."

"W-Who?" she managed to sputter out with the last of her breaths.

"The Number 1 Symbol of Peace and his allies . . . Those useless Heroes will have to acknowledge that they're not as powerful and protective as they think they are! That there are people they can't save!"

"YES!" He stared at the ceiling, eyes dancing with bloodlust and unshackled happiness. "I'M GONNA MAKE THE UNFLINCHING DEKU SCREAM WITH SORROW!"

The last thing Erika saw before she passed out was a monstrous being flying straight towards them.

"Ino . . . ri . . ."

"Huh?" The Villain turned back – and smiled. "Ah, hello, Little Princess."

What he was greeting wasn't a Princess at all. It was an ugly, black, scaly, winged creature with protruding teeth and crimson eyes, claws drawn to attack. The Villain let go of the girl he was holding and turned towards her, cracking his knuckles invitingly.

"I'm glad to see you finally wanna stop playing."

"GGGGGRRRRAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Froppy, are you okay?!"

Everything was in ruins inside the building. The Pro Heroes and police on the scene had managed to catch the Villain Outlook but there were five severely injured teenagers to attend to . . . and a wild one to be restrained. The Rainy Season Hero looked up and her close friend Red Riot was glad to see she only had some shallow cuts on her body from the now unconscious girl.

"Yeah, I'm fine" the adult croaked, carrying the sleeping girl who had been knocked out by a serum she used. "But she sure does remind me of a restrained Katsu-chan during the sports festival awards ceremony in our first year of UA." For safety purposes, the black-haired girl had her limbs and mouth bound.

Red Riot awkwardly laughed at the memory, thinking, 'Isn't that kind of bad though?' However, his face turned grim as he looked at the injured children who were being rushed to ambulances. "It'll be hard for them to recover from this. They underwent a lot of damage today . . . both mentally and physically."

Froppy stared at him for a few seconds before turning a soft gaze to the sleeping girl. "But I don't think we need to worry, Kirishima-kun. We survived our ordeals as children – and I'm sure they'll survive theirs and emerge stronger from all this."

Red Riot finally allowed himself a smile.

Yes, they would survive and become stronger. They were the new generation after all.

So, that's the chapter 0 which is just supposed to be an introductory chapter and a chance for me to introduce our protagonist, showcase some of our grown up favourites from the original series and bring out the introductory form. Yes, this is an SYOC. Yes, next chapter we'll begin the actual story from the admission test to UA when I get all your OCs. Since I don't wanna make the chapter too long, I'm gonna be posting the OC form and an example (in the form of Inori's form) on my bio. Also, please read the Rules and Guidelines below the form.

OC FORM

*Name – (Their official full name here)

Nicknames – (Does not include their Hero Name but any other pet names they may have)

*Age – (Should be either 15 or 16)

*Gender/Sexuality – (Put a diagonal line between each)

Birthday – (It'd be nice to have some birthday parties to celebrate)

*Height – (Your character's height in feet and inches)

*Weight – (Your character's weight in kilos)

*Hair – (Your character's hair colour and style please)

*Eyes – (Your character's eye colour)

*Overall Appearance – (Describe their body shape, skin colour and other distinctive features here)

*Dressing Style – (You can give me customised outfits if you want but those who don't wanna put in that much effort, a general sense of what they wear will do)

*Voice – (Describe their voice and speech pattern. Do they have a husky voice, a high-pitched one, speak from their nose, have a unique voice from their Quirk? And do they cuss a lot, use very formal vocabulary, speak in a certain dialect etc?)

Seiyuu – (If they had a Japanese voice actor/actress, who would it be? This ain't necessary but I'd appreciate it if you filled this out)

*History – (Basically, their back story. Make it as detailed as possible and put in at least one interesting event please)

*Relationships – (State what kind of relationships they share with people they know from before joining UA. Can include family, friends or anyone who was significant enough in their life)

*Personality – (Describe your character's personality in details here, please. Include interesting traits they may have, adjectives that can be used to describe them, personality flaws, strengths, how they view life, how they approach people etc. Or just look up some character wikia sites)

*Alignment – (Well, I'm sure they're all Good but who knows for real, eh? For those unfamiliar with alignment concept, I've given the basic info on my bio so read up and choose the one that fits your character)

*Strengths – (The strengths they have which is not related to their Quirk)

*Weaknesses – (The weaknesses they have which is not related to their Quirk. Should be more or equal to strengths)

*Goals – (State here their reason behind becoming a Hero and if they have any additional motivations, short or long term, in mind)

Dialogues – (Examples of any catchphrases or dialogues they may say through the course of the story)

Scenes – (Any particular scenes you'd like to see your character in)

*Likes – (Examples of some things your character likes)

*Dislikes – (Examples of some things your character dislikes)

*Hero Name – (The name they adopt as a hero-in-training)

*Quirk Name – (Name of the Quirk)

*Quirk Description – (What the Quirk is and the way in which the character uses the quirk)

*Quirk Strengths and Weaknesses – (The strengths and weaknesses of the Quirk. Should be more or less balanced)

*Hero Costume – (The character's Hero costume. It should suit their Quirk and try to guard against its flaws and enhance its strengths)

*Fighting Style – (Describe how the character fights)

Rules and Guidelines:

1.) Names, Quirks and hairstyles will be subject to change if I get duplicates. (If two characters' personalities are too similar, they will be subject to change as well)

2.) Please don't give me any Quirks that are exact copies of the characters from the original series. This may be difficult to do so since there are around a 100 characters but you can be really versatile if you think! (Also, Quirk similarities to minor characters are okay)

3.) I'll be needing around 16 to 20 students for class 1-A of UA. If there are any extras, they'll go to class 1-B.

4.) The fields marked with asterisks are mandatory. The others are not.

5.) A lot of canon characters will be appearing so YAY! Also, you can make your characters share "reasonable relationships" with the canon characters so go out there! (Also, if someone can send me an Eraserhead and Ms. Joke kid, I'd be much obliged. Haha! Got you! *is actually pretty serious*)

6.) No overpowered OCs. Even Todoroki and Bakugou have weaknesses.

7.) I'll only be accepting students for now but I think I'll also be needing some new Villains in the future.

8.) Please PM me your characters with 'Generation Z: (OC NAME).' For example, if you're sending someone called Minoru Mineta (please don't), it'll be 'Generation Z: Minoru Mineta.'

9.) I hope to get all of my OCs by 10th November although I'll extend the deadline if there aren't enough.