CHAPTER 1: A New Light

It all began in China, where news that a baby that gave off light was born. Ever since then, superpowers were discovered in various places and time passed without the cause being identified. Before we knew it, the supernatural became normal. Fantasy became reality.

But….

People are not born equal….

"Kacchan, t-that's mean," a 4-year-old boy with green curly hair said. His eyes are filled with tears that pours down to his cheeks that adorns four freckles in a diamond shape pattern on each side. "Can you not see that he is already crying? I-If you don't stop, I…I…I'll never forgive you for that!" The boy shouted as he raised his fists towards shoulder level, taking a fighting stance as more tears pour out of his eyes while trying to shield the crying boy.

Three children in front of them looked at the green haired kid than grinned as they proceeded to show off their quirks. One of them had wings sprouting out of his back, the other can make his finger stretch as tall as himself, and lastly the one presumably the leader, a kid with ash-blonde hair put his palm and fist together creating an explosion.

"Deku, even though you're quirkless, you're still trying to be a hero, eh?!" The ash blonde said as he grinned towards the green haired boy and began walking towards them.

In the end the three left and only the crying child and the green haired kid was left, although the latter was beaten up and bruised.

That's the hard truth that I've learned at age of four.

But I never gave up hope.

So, I studied about quirks, how they work, how to improve them, and their weaknesses.

"Woah, it's Kamui Woods! The young and talented rising star!" The green haired kid, Izuku Midoriya, exclaimed as he watched the wood hero fight against a giant shark-like monster, along with Deathgoro and Backdraft keeping the civilians safe.

"You give a pretty good commentary, kid. Are you perhaps a fanboy?" A man asked the kid, intrigued

"Ah, w-well…" The boy said as the fight between the pro hero and thief rages on.

"Oh! Here it comes!" Izuku exclaimed as he saw the hero about to do his special move. "Show us something flashy!" The man yelled.

"Pre-emptive Binding Lacquered Chain Prison!" Was something he was going to do until another hero showed up, a heroine to be precise, and defeated the monster quirk user with her…

"Canyon Cannon!"

A giantess as tall as building stood over the defeated unconscious man. She had blonde hair and wore a purple domino mask with horns on each side of her head along with a skintight body suit which showed her body's curves. Wait, did she say ass-quaintance?

Izuku thought nothing of those as he began to take out a notebook labeled as "Hero Analysis for the Future #12" to jot down notes about the new heroine, Mount Lady, and her quirk's nature, weakness, how to improve them.

I've always thought that I could still be a hero even if I don't have superpowers, even if I didn't have a quirk, so I hung on to that dream, a dream that I'm clinging on to by a tiny piece of thread. A thread ready to snap at any moment.

"Since all of you students are already in third year high school, it's time for you to seriously think about your future." The teacher told all the students in the classroom. "I could pass out handouts for your future career plans, but why bother when all of you are probably going for the hero course, am I right?" The students cheered and activated their quirks while the teacher threw the handouts in the air.

"Oi, teach!" A student with ash-blonde hair, Katsuki Bakugo, shouted. "Don't lump me with these rejects, I'm better than all of them!"

Boos and word of hate were thrown at him as he just laughed at them!

"If I remember correctly, you wanted to go to U.A. High, right, Bakugo?"

The whole class was silent and murmurs began.

"UA? That national school?" One of them asked.

"I heard they have an very low acceptance rate." Another stated.

"I aced the mock test and got the highest score, I'm the only possible candidate here applicable for UA!" Bakugo exclaimed as he jumped on top of the table. "I'll definitely surpass All Might and become the top hero."

"Oh yeah, Midoriya wanted to go to U.A., too, right?"

Izuku flinched when he heard his name which was followed by a chorus of laughter directed towards him.

"Him! A hero? No way!"

"You can't go to the hero course just by studying!"

"Th-They got rid of that rule!" Izuku tried to exclaim. "There's just no precedent-"

BOOM

Bakugo slammed his hand and exploded the table where Izuku was and knocking him down to the ground.

"OI, DEKU! You're below these rejects! YOU'RE QUIRKLESS! How can you even stand in the same ring as me!"

"Wait! Wait! It's not like I'm trying to compete with you or anything!" Izuku panicked as he crawled backwards until he reached the wall. "It's just that it's been my goal ever since I was little. And well, I-I won't know unless I try." The last part was mostly a whisper but Bakugo still heard it.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN UNLESS YOU TRY! HUH! Are you taking the test for fun?! What the hell can you even do! YOUR QUIRKLESS!"

"Okay, enough, go back to your seats!" The teacher told the whole class and everything resumed to normal like nothing ever happened.

Even with all the insults I received, no matter how many ridicules I have to go through, I still held on

"Oi, Deku! We're not done talking yet." Bakugo glared at Izuku as he took his notebook.

"Hey Katsuki, what's that?" One of Bakugo's lackeys asked as he looked at the notebook's cover.

"Huh? 'Hero Analysis for the Future?' Seriously!" The two lackeys began to laugh as Izuku tried to get his notebook from Bakugo.

"I-It's fine, isn't it? J-Just give it back alread-"

BOOM

Izuku's once good notebook was now covered in scorches and burn marks.

"Th-That's mean…" Izuku said as he saw the state of his notebook.

And to add salt to the wound, Bakugo threw the notebook out of the window.

"Most top first string heroes have stories about their lives in school. I want the shine of being called as the only student to get into U.A. from this crappy public middle school. I mean I'm a perfectionist after all."

Bakugo's hand reached Izuku's right shoulder which is now smoking due to his Explosion Quirk.

"So, don't you dare go into U.A., nerd." With that, Bakugo went towards the door, his lackeys behind him.

"Jeez, at least say something back."

"Don't say that. He's pathetic. He can't even face reality."

As they reached the door, Bakugo stopped and turned toward the distraught boy. "If you really want to be a hero so badly, I got a time saving tip for you. Take a swan dive off the roof and pray that you'll have a quirk in your next life"

No matter how bad they treated me, I didn't waver with my convictions. But…

"Pros are always risking their lives every day, I cannot simply say, 'You can be a hero even without power.'" A scrawny blonde man wearing a white t-shirt and green cargo pants that are too big for him, All Might in his depowered form, said.

With those words, the thread I was clinging on snapped, letting me fall to the dark abyss...

I've suffered insults way more horrible than this!

But why?

Why did it hurt so much?

Is it because those words came from my lifelong idol?

Is it because those words came from the best of the best?

But it didn't matter, I've always knew, yet, I chose to turn away from the truth.

I would've taken Kacchan's advice and take a swan dive off the roof…

"Excuse me? What are you doing?" A female voice called out.

"Huh?" Izuku turned his head towards the source of a voice and saw a girl about his age. She had vine like hair and black eyes which showed kindness, compassion, humility, and a bit worry.

"You're not trying to jump, are you?" Asked the girl with worry. "A drop from this height would give you a high chance of dying than surviving."

"I…" Izuku trailed off contemplating on whether to tell her or not.

"You were, weren't you?"

"…Yes."

A look of horror was evident on her face as she gasped.

"But, why? Why would you try to do that?"

"You would probably take those words back if you knew." The boy stated with little to no emotions.

"Huh?"

"All my life I was bullied, ever since I was four." Another gasp was heard as he continued his story. "When they've heard of my predicament, I was shunned, tormented, teased, insulted, and became a personal punching bag. They called me names, they called me worthless, a piece of trash, a waste of air. My used to be friends are now my tormentors and my teachers never once acknowledge me and they always ignore me. I wanted to become a hero, but I was laughed at and turned down by my peers." His hair shadowed his eyes as he bowed his head. "Even my idol told me that I couldn't do it. Is it wrong for someone like me to be able to save people and smile at them, telling them that it's gonna be okay."

"Wha-… What was your predicament?" The girl asked.

"… I'm quirkless." Izuku said as he hangs his head dejectedly. "Go on laugh, leave, whatever! No one will even miss one useless and quirkless deku."

The girl can only feel sympathy and sadness for the boy. He had life hard, no scratch that, it was like he was already living in hell, always being tormented, insulted, and hurt both physically and mentally. She may have only known him for a few minutes, but she wants to help him. A boy whose soul is shattered and broken, just because he didn't have a quirk.

"I don't think that at all." The girl stated, surprising Izuku. "In fact, I admire your perseverance in trying to be a hero despite being quirkless." She walked towards him. "You endured those things up until now. For me, I think it's inspiring. not many can do that."

Izuku was dumbfounded. A girl that he just met a few minutes ago was praising him.

"I don't care whether you have a powerful quirk or none at all." The girl continued. "I do not judge people by their looks or quirks. I judge them by their attitude. And by judging you, your intentions are pure and good. I think you might be able to be a great hero, with or without a quirk. Do not let others make you think otherwise."

I would've jumped…

if not for someone to lend me a hand and helped drag me out of the dark abyss…

And pulled me into the light of hope and showed me what it really means to be a hero.

"Well, it was nice talking to you mister. I better get going now." The girl then started to leave.

"Ah, wait! What's your name?"

The girl stopped and turned towards Izuku. Then she smiled a genuine smile.

"My name is Shiozaki Ibarra."

"I'm Midoriya Izuku. Thank you for what you said. I needed that."

"No problem. May the light continue to shine on you always, Midoriya." And with that, the girl now known as Shiozaki Ibara left.

Our lives may never be perfect.

Our lives can be short.

But sometimes it only takes one person to change someone.