A/N: After thorough consideration, I have decided to create this story despite the heavy themes. This story has heavy depictions of suicide, so you are kindly warned before reading it. If you do not feel comfortable reading it, I implore you not to be prejudiced when reviewing this story. The main character is based on a villain I introduced in my other story, a villain named Shepherd. But his journey in the world of BNHA will be different.

Without further ado, please enjoy the story.

IMPORTANT NOTICE! Oh yes! I have created a character art that shows how Shepherd looks when he fights! I can only show his face her. Take a look and comment on how he looks!

Image link: deviantart/surrealeon/art/Shepherd-836702599 (just remember to put the .com behind deviantart.)

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Chapter 1: Just your Average Bad Day

In a small playground situated in the heart of Musutafu City, a group of boys ganged up on two around their own ages. The two had frightened expressions, the first was a messy green-haired kid with freckles, with his legs shaking but standing protectively in front of the second, a boy of similar height but with spiky reddish-brown hair shivering with fear with his knees to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.

"That's mean, Kacchan!" The messy green-haired boy no older than 4 whimpered as he stood his guard against his former 'best' friend. "I won't l-let you bully him anymore!"

"You still playing 'hero' Deku!?" Bakugo and his two lackeys smiled aggressively as he began to plummet the two helpless boys with explosions. "Quirkless shits like you can never hope to accomplish anything meaningful in this world!"

A few one-sided attempts to fight back later, the two boys laid eagle-spread against the floor, bruised eyes staring blankly into the clear sky. The rust-haired crybaby just wouldn't stop crying, making the other victim limped towards him and checked on his condition.

"You okay?" inquired the greenette despite being bruised badly himself. "Don't cry okay? Everything will be alright."

The consoled boy looked wiped away his tears and looked down in shame, apologizing to the one who valiantly stood up to the bullies. "I-I'm...*hick!* sorry...If only...*hick!* I had a quirk...!"

Sniffling, he looked up with tears still streaming down his bright obsidian eyes, brimming with pain. "B-Because of me...*hick!* you had to get beaten up as well! It's not fair...why don't we have quirks?!"

His cries were responded with silence for a while. "IT'S OKAY!" The freckled greenette suddenly grabbed the boy's shoulders and declared loudly. "Quirks are not everything! People like us have our own way of fighting back, I'll show it to them one day! Because I want to be a HERO!"

"EHHHHHH?! H-Hero...?!" those words made the rust-haired child involuntarily gasp in disbelief, his tears stopping. "Even though you are quirkless?"

"I know it's kinda hard...but it is my biggest dream!" The green-haired kid puffed out his chest in pride. "I want to be the greatest hero! Like ALL-MIGHT!"

His words were met with a deadpanned stare. "Eh...but you're quirkless."

"We quirkless people have our own way of fighting! I'll show you!" The both of them then laughed and poked fun at each other.

"My name is Midoriya. Midoriya Izuku. And you are...?" Izuku called out to the rust-haired kid, making him slightly startled before he replied with his own nervous answer.

"I'm Hakazaka! Hakazuka Kotaro!"

=[]=

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The world is unfair.

Heath…wealth…prestige…education…looks. Those are just a few of the many things people used to prove that they are better than others. Quirks are just another factor which differentiates others. With the birth of the luminous baby in China centuries ago, people possessing quirks have populated the world's population to a whooping 80%. Flight, super-strength, elemental powers…such abilities thought to be a comic-lover's dream have become our reality, and thus came the age of superheroes and villains. Even if you do not wish to become a hero, having a quirk may mean a few extra advantages in your live. Jobs, relationships…people have even become celebrities due to having a flashy quirk they can show off.

If you do not possess a quirk, there was no way you can ever hope to be part of such a wonderful fantasy. Unfair…can only describe what quirkless people feel in this age.

Unfair. The person who discovered such a word would surely have experience the same anguish and pain…

That was what Hakazuka Kotaro thought.

During his whole life until now in middle school, Hakazuka's peers had labelled him as worthless; an ordinary boy of short stature, having no mentionable traits besides his reddish-brown rust coloured hair. Of course there are other quirkless individuals like him, but he's just an easier target to pick on, especially by [Explosion] user Bakugo Katsuki and his gang of lackeys, Yatsuma the [Extendable Fingers] quirk user, and Torishima the [Pterodactyl] quirk user.

Yes, he was a victim of bullying.

=[]=

"It kind of gets boring when you do the same thing everyday~" Yatsuma gloated as he plunged Hakazuka's head into the Aldera Middle School toilet's basin.

The two 'sidekicks' of Bakugo had always picked on him ever since Hakazuka made the biggest mistake of reporting them to the teachers due to a previous bullying case. However, that merely shifted the target of their overflowing superiority over to himself.

They were currently the reason why Hakazuka's life was a living hell. Everyday, they would 'invite' him over to bring him into a secluded corner with big smiles. Moreover, the classmates who noticed this scene always turned a blind eye.

"I'll think of something new to do." Torishima, the other lackey of Bakugo said as he watched Hakazuka's desperate attempts to fight back against Yatsuma's hold, his rust-coloured hair dripping wet as he was continuously drowned in dirty water.

"S-Stop…it…" Hakazuka gasped weakly. "I-It hurts so bad…!"

"HUH?!"

"WHO THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE TALKING TO?!" Yatsuma yelled gleefully as he repeatedly forced Hakazuka's head into the toilet basin. "YOU SHOULD BE SAYING 'Please stop!' LEARN SOME MANNERS YOU QUIRKLESS BASTARD! YOU THINK YOU'RE SAFE AFTER REPORTING ON US JUST BECAUSE THE TEACH IS THERE!? WELL THINK AGAIN!"

As Yatsuma said that, he hit Hakazuka in the side with his whip-like fingers thanks to his [Extendable Fingers] quirk. "Urgh…!" Hakazuka let out a groan as his face distorted in pain. For adolescence boys who develop their quirks, it was only natural for some to feel superior when they were granted a superpower. As thus, they are unable to restrain themselves from bullying people like Hakazuka, who do not possess quirks to resist. The poor boy could only clench his teeth and bear with it.

"How many minutes can you hold your breath huh~?"

"Let's find out shall we?! Maybe that'll teach you not to act like a hero when you are just a useless prick who tells on others!"

And so Hakazuka was pummelled endlessly by a string of punches, kicks and other devious mean the two lackeys could think of, making Hakazuka occasionally throw up some gastric fluid.

The two bullies were now laughing like madmen, just what meaning was there in torturing him like this?

Getting full of themselves and portraying as kings just because they are friendly with Bakugo. The worst part was no one dared to report against Bakugo or his lackeys due to fear. Hakazuka was left all alone, unable to do anything about it except mending his own wounds day after day…his future was bleak and the only thing he could do is endure the pain.

'God…why am I the only one who gets treated like this?'

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=[]=

The only person Hakazuka could confide in was Midoriya Izuku, a fellow quirkless individual who was surprisingly, trying to become a hero.

"Why do you wish to become a hero Midoriya?" Hakazuka asked his friend as they sat next to each other during break. "Even though you're quirkless? Bakugo and his goons really hammered down on you hard when everyone heard you are trying to apply to UA. So…why?"

"Ah! W-Well…" Midoriya began with his usual stammering. "It's just…I've looked to be a hero since I was super young and…and I've always watched All Might's videos. And for one fact, you never know until you try! We have to reach out for our dreams!"

"Dreams…huh?" Hakazuka chuckled a little sardonically. "Must be nice to have those…"

"Speaking of which…aren't you trying to become a vet since you told me you love animals so much?" The greenette continued. "I always see you playing with dogs everytime you see one, even when they bite back."

"Well I-I…" Hakazuka raised an arm in embarrassment, but that allowed his friend to see the wounds he had been trying to hide.

"N-No…t-this is…!" The rust-colour haired teen began to say.

"It's those two guys always following Kacchan isn't it? You can't go on like this Hakazuka-kun." The curly-haired classmates of his muttered worriedly as he gazed at the multiple bruises and lacerations decorating Hakazuka's arms. "Maybe you should report this to the teacher. After all, it's against the rules for them to use quirks in school in the first place."

"There's no point Midoriya. The most they'll get is detention. Furthermore, there are no witnesses…who will dare stand up to them? I'll try my chance of waiting it out until graduation, then I'll never see them again."

Looking at Hakazuka's bitter smile, Midoriya shook his head sadly. "Has this always been happening? If that's the case, maybe if I speak to Kacchan, he can stop those two…"

"No! You have it bad enough with Katsuki bullying you; the last thing I need is causing you more trouble. Trust me on this, they will get tired of it and give up eventually."

Even so, Midoriya looked like he was still unable to accept it, making Hakazuka reassured him with another forced smile. Finally, Izuku relented.

"Okay Hakazuka-kun, but if there is anything just feel free to tell me. If you're not comfortable in school, you can always come to my house."

"Thanks, but I have a feeling that if I go there, I'll have a four-hour sermon on your obsession with All-Might." he laughed weakly, causing Midoriya to turn a deep shade of red.

"Wha-Come on! I'm being serious here!"

"But thanks Midoriya," Hakazuka chuckled weakly, giving his friend a grateful pat on the back. "But I'll be fine…trust me."

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=[]=

If only Hakazuka could convince himself like how he did it with Midoriya.

"Don't be such a child," The imposing figure of his mother rumbled across Hakazuka from the dining table, her stern eyes gazing upon her child with the fierceness and loathing Hakazuka knew all too well. "Act like your age, and stand up for yourself. This is happened not just once, but in all the schools you have gone through; how long are you going to let other people trample over you like that. You should reflect deeply and think hard just what is it that make you so unlikable."

"I-It's not my fault…!" 13 years of pain and torture threatened to overwhelm Hakazuka as he swallowed a nervous gulp. "I don't have a quirk…so I am a easy target for-!"

A tight slap stopped his words short as Hakazuka fell to the floor, watching with terrified eyes as the loathing in his mother's eyes intensified even more.

"Are you saying we are at fault for your weakness?!" She seethed. "by that logic, do you mean that twenty percent of the world who don't possess quirks are easily bullied like you? No! There are many quirkless people out there who can become successful and rich, so why can't you?! You think just because you are not blessed with a quirk like most people, you can blame your own predicament on your own parents?!"

"I-I never said that-!"

"If you don't shape up and get some friends, how do you think you are going to survive in society?!" She continued screaming, prompting his father to lower down the newspapers and cast Hakazuka an irritated look. "Think of this from our perspective!"

"I-I'm sorry...I'm so sorry...!"

"DON'T STAMMER!" as another slap landed on Hakazuka's face. "I ALWAYS HATED WHEN YOU DO THAT! It makes me look like a laughing stock when we're outside, WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?! WHY AREN'T YOU SAYING ANYTHING, KOTARO!"

"Seriously…" His father finally spoke out. "Where have we gone wrong that resulted in you being in such a state…Lack of a quirk…what a pathetic excuse. Your academic ability is barely average, and you are horrible with people. Such an incredibly worthless son."

'I…can't even speak out…!'

"Just why? Kotaro? Why are you such a lost cause?" the man stared at him disdainfully. "Even the way you talk and sit is weak...how shameful."

"Of course not, dear mother and father." Hakazuka stressed my facial muscles and brought out the brightest smile he could muster. "I understand what I need to do now. I'll reflect properly on my mistakes and make up with my classmates tomorrow. I'm sure the problem just lies with me…"

"If you can understand that, then say that in the beginning…goodness." His father adjusted his glasses and continued his dinner. "What a fatuous issue…don't pointlessly sour the only time all of us can eat together on the same table."

"I-I apologize." Hakazuka replied as he shakily grabbed my chopsticks and shoved whatever he can find straight down his throat, hardly tasting anything. "Your words have slapped me awake from my immaturity, I will try my best and strive towards your-"

"Enough," His mother snapped. "Don't talk and just eat."

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=[]=

That night, while Hakazuka walked outside, he chanced upon an abandoned puppy wagging its tail and gazing at him with bright eyes from an old carton box. What caught the boy's eyes was a wound around the puppy's neck, making Hakazuka's heart drop.

Was it abused and thrown away?

"You and I are the same huh?" Hakazuka thought sadly as he caressed the dog's cheek. "In school…and wherever I go…I don't belong anywhere."

With that, the tears held back for so long burst out like a dam, making the puppy tilt his head and muzzle against Hakazuka's hand lovingly, even though it had no clue of what plagued the boy.

"…Maybe I should just die already…"

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=[]=

"Of all the things, I have to forget my umbrella…"

Afternoon had long past with the final school bell ringing, and the heavy rain cascaded down like there's no tomorrow. Hakazuka just had to forget his umbrella and made a mad dash back to the classroom. Today there was no sign of Bakugo's two lackeys searching for him, which means that they were busy with Bakugo. Better to escape the school while he had the chance.

However, as he was about to enter the room's backdoor, he could hear Bakugo's distinctive cursing. "Get back here Deku, you quirkless little shit!"

That caused Hakazuka to jump back and cowered behind the door. It was only after a good few seconds did he had the courage to peak and see what was going on. In the middle of the classroom stood Midoriya, along with Bakugo Katsuki, Yatsuma and Torishima.

"What the hell is this?" Katsuki asked as Hakazuka saw him grabbing Midoriya's beloved notebook and scanned through the pages roughly. "You gotta be kidding me. Hero analysis for the future…you think a quirkless reject like you can compete with anyone?!"

"Hey, give…give it back here…" The green-eyed curly-haired teen timidly pleaded.

"For the future? Seriously this guy, Midoriya!" Yatsuma and Torishima guffawed loudly and mocked alongside their leader's disbelief. "You're quirkless! What the hell can you possibly do?"

Izuku just remained there shivering, his knees quaking with fear. He could only look at Bakugo with pleading eyes and hoped that Bakugo would be reasonable enough today and let him off the hook.

"A quirkless dweeb like you does not need this." Said Katsuki. He walked over to the window and placed the notebook between his palms. "It's better like this," Midoriya's eyes widened in horror as the hands of his childhood friend began to pepper with bright sparks.

"NO! DON'T-!" Izuku shouted and ran towards Katsuki before he could ignite his palms, but it was at this point somebody else decided to intervene. A figure unbeknownst to the three bullies rushed in and rammed Bakugo from the side, effectively stunning him and forcefully deactivating his explosion quirk. A small-statured boy quickly grabbed the notebook out of Bakugo's hands and hugged it like a precious treasure, placing himself in between Izuku and the three bullies.

"Don't…" Hakazuka struggled to say, before he screamed out at an astonished Bakugo. "D-Don't mock the dreams of quirkless people like us! Don't get us involved in that annoying superiority complex of yours, and F CK OFF!"

"H-Hakazuka-kun?!"

"Midoriya!" Hakazuka turned towards him and reached out. "I-!"

A fist burning with fiery explosions crashed deep into Hakazuka's side and sent him crashing into a wall.

"That hurt," A very irritated Bakugo hissed out, his eyes livid with anger. "Who the hell do you think you are, hitting me like that?"

"W-Wait! Kacchan please think about what you're doing!" Izuku yelled. "We're in school-!"

Katsuki ignored his pleas as he stomped towards a shaking Hakazuka. "I don't give a shit. And you, I dare you to repeat what you just said to me just now. Come one, say it to my face one more time!"

Hakazuka screamed as another round of devastating explosions assaulted him, making him coughed out bile and tumbled across the floor and hit his head painfully on a desk.

Hakazuka's vision was blurry from the blood dripping down from his forehead. He began to breathe heavily as a sharp pain overtook his senses. He was too stunned to speak, but his hands gripped the notebook in his hands tightly like a lifeline while Katsuki gradually approached him.

"Who the hell are you? You think you're hot stuff, jumping in like a hero just now?" Katsuki said with an annoyed look. "Deku's a quirkless nobody who is stupid enough to believe in an impossible dream, and you are just a weak busybody who can't fight back!."

"Oh wow Bakugo, that's harsh! Don't you recognize him?" Yatsuma and Torishima hollered and laughed loudly. "He's our classmate Hakazuka Kotaro! He's another quirkless guy who just cowers in a corner and hides behind Deku all day!"

"Is that so?" Bakugo raised an eyebrow as he lifted Hakazuka off his feet and shook him violently. "Well…I don't need a quirk to handle a worthless shithead like you. Maybe you'll learn how to pick your fights better after THIS!"

Katsuki swung a large kick into Hakazuka's stomach and making him gasped. The boy fell to his knees, clutched his stomach in pain and his head hit the ground.

While the two lackeys restrained a panicking Izuku, Bakugo knelt and slowly grabbed Hakazuka's hair, slowly bringing up his own face to his. "A person who thinks he's something he's not, is just stupid. At least Deku got his smarts, but you…" Hakazuka saw the most condescending pair of eyes gazing down like he's a cockroach. "…are just plain pathetic and weak."

Even the beatings from those two lackeys never felt this brutal. This was Bakugo?! How can Midoriya have such a dangerous person as a childhood friend?! Hakazuka could no longer feel his body, yet everything felt painful. As one desperate attempt, the rust-colour haired youth threw a punch, which missed Katsuki completely.

"Now you are just plain sad, is protecting that notebook so important to you?" Bakugo commented mockingly. Before Hakazuka could respond, Katsuki grabbed hold of his face and delivered one final explosion.

"O-Oi...isn't this a little too much?"

"If this goes no, wouldn't he go tell the teachers on us?" Bakugo's lackey with the red wings, Torishima added nervously.

"He doesn't have the balls." Yatsuma answered in a sing-song voice as he happily snapped multiple photos with his phone, while Hakazuka laid motionlessly on floor. "If he wanted to report us, he would have done it a long time ago."

"Shut up and leave him," Bakugo snapped as pushed Hakazuka away and motioned his other two lackeys out of the room. "…is what happens when quirkless dweebs try to play heroes. So, one last piece of advice: don't bother trying anything."

"Hakazuka-kun! Talk to me! Hakazuka-kun?" Midoriya hurriedly shook his fallen friend, but found himself forced out of the room by Bakugo. "I ain't done with you yet you damn nerd!"

"You guys want to be heroes so bad? I got a time-saving idea for both of you, better hope to be born with a quirk in your next life and take a swan-dive off the roof!" Those are the words which echoed deep within Midoriya's and Kotaro's weak hearts, as the trio of bullys, led by the abrasive blonde left the classroom with Midoriya in tow.

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=[]=

Hakazuka awoke several hours later in a daze. At first he was wondering where he was, but then he remembered that he just got his ass kicked by Bakugo and his goons, and he was still in school. To his horror, the sun had already set past the horizon, casting his surroundings in evening light.

Why hasn't anyone found him and woke him up? That he hasn't gone home yet? Where are the teachers? And speaking of home…!

Alarmed by this realization, Hakazuka quickly unlocked his phone only to find a spine-chilling message from his mother.

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Where are you? Have you not learnt your lesson from last night? You better be prepared when you come back to the house!

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Something within Hakazuka cracked, and a torrent of emotions threatened to overwhelm the boy, so much that he almost wanted to hurl. With shaky legs, Hakazuka rose to his feet unsteadily and made his way out of the classroom, leaving behind his bag and Midoriya's notebook which he had painstakingly protected from Bakugo.

Soon, Hakazuka arrived at the school's rooftop and edged towards the railing like a zombie. As he reached the edge, his life began flashing before his eyes. Him getting bullied by everyone because he was weak-hearted and quirkless, having no one to help him not even his own parents. The first time he acted brave and attempted to help his friend, he was left in a pitiful bloody state. Quirkless people like him will always be trampled on, while those like Katsuki, Yatsuma and Torishima will never give a damn and continued with their lives, having the power to become heroes and get everything they can possibly want.

Unfair…was the only thing which described what Hakazuka was feeling right now. But it did not matter anymore, nor did he care.

You're just trying to push the blame to your parents right, who do you think you are?!

Don't try to be a hero when you are just a quirkless nobody.

Some people are just born luckier than others…just deal with it.

Even if you're quirkless, I still think that you are the kindest…especially around animals Hakazuka-kun! Let's aim to be heroes together!

"I'm sorry Midoriya…!" Hakazuka croaked with tears streaming down his face. "I'm not like you…I don't have…hope."

"A person who thinks he's something he's not, is just stupid. At least Deku got his smarts, but you…" Bakugo's words tore through his heart. "…are just plain pathetic and useless."

The words, ringing in his ears, were like a knife stabbing repeatedly into Hakazuka Kotaro's heart. It's so painful…why not just end it all?

The cold wind hitting Kotaro's face, gave him the most wonderful feeling…liberation.

And for a moment, he felt as though I was finally in control for once. The pain…the agony…its all gone as the rust colour-haired teen balanced himself precariously on the edge of the building.

"Serve you guys right…!" Kotaro squeezed out a teary smile. "You guys wished for this…"

Closing his eyes, the youngling known as Hakazaka Kotaro took a step forward…and fell.

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=[]=

The next thing he knew, the boy felt rain cascading down on his face.

The moment Hakazuka finally opened his eyes, pain coursed through his entire body from his left side. "Argh…!" When he looked at his left forearm, it was broken and bent in a funny angle. Blood was also seeping out in a steady stream, blossoming like red flowers on the wet ground Hakazuka was lying on.

"So I can't even die peacefully…?"

Despair assailed Hakazuka. He adopted a dazed look and looked up at the dark sky looming above him, dark spots slowly covering his vision. He wished for his sorry state to be over as quick as possible, but time decided to play with Hakazuka, prolonging his pain for who knows how long.

How long must he suffer like this? If he was here for so long, then surely someone should have noticed him by now? Where are the teachers? Where are the heroes?

'Someone...anyone...either save me or kill me...!"

While tears and mucus flowed, Hakazuka tried willing his body to move. But with his body so close to the blink of death, he could only make his bloody limbs crawl on the ground painfully.

Hakazuka at this time recalled his life to this point; flashing before his eyes. His days being bullied by those stronger than him, constant beatings, and the fact that he was all alone. Various memories flooded his mind until the last; the face Bakugo and his lackeys made before he was blasted across the classroom from Katsuki's explosions. Those condescending stares.

"A suicide attempt? How cruel…you must be quirkless I assume."

Hakazuka flinched from his new voice, as a tall man entered his bloody vision. A man wearing an expensive black suit with a weird helmet hiding his facial features, with a black umbrella in his hand. Good...there's someone...

"H-Help me...please...!"

"Why should I help you?" The mysterious man mused. "Your decision to end your own life is yours to make and yours only. The pain you are experiencing now...is a result of your own foolishness. And I have no use for foolish people."

"No...choice...!"

"You think that your death means anything to those who pushed you to a corner?" The man asked again. "That's wishful thinking, boy. Even if you're gone, the world will still move without you. Don't you understand? Your death means nothing."

"Help m-me…please…help."

"It's only obvious that the world is a cruel place." The man reached out his hand and took Hakazaka's hand. There was blood everywhere but the villain did not mind. "If you can't change the world, then you have to change yourself."

Change…myself…?

"I am giving you a chance, just one chance." He said sincerely. "To liberate you from your suffering." He added rather quickly before the boy could lose consciousness; the man could sense the life in the boy slipping away fast. "So what do you want to do?"

What was the point of saying stuff like that? Who was this guy?

And the next words sealed the dying boy's fate. "And I have the means to help you achieve that, if you are willing to help me. If you wish for it…I can give you the power to take revenge on this cruel world which has forsaken you."

Give? Hakazuka was hardly given anything since his childhood, so he had never refused any freebies in his life. But what was the use for free stuff if he's dead?

"Well boy?" The mysterious man urged on, and Hakazuka could have sworn the man was smiling behind the mask. "Time's ticking fast."

"I…w-want to live…! "

Now that he was facing his final moments in death, tears pooled out of his eyes and mixed with the blood, creating scarlet patterns all across his face.

"P-Please…!"

After choking out those words, the darkness engulfed Hakazuka. He had no idea who was that man, but at that point nothing else mattered to him anymore.

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=[]=

"Welcome back, All for One."

A short elderly man, dressed in a doctor's garb, with a pair of thick goggles greeted.

"Hello there Doctor." The man known as All for One replied back, stepping out of the rain and into the room with a lifeless boy slung over his shoulder.

"Oh my?" The doctor Ujiko Daruma raised an eyebrow as he curiously examined their new guest. "have you found yet another interesting specimen for me? I haven't had much to work with since you brought me that boy Shirakumo Oboro. Or does he have a quirk that interests you? It's rare for you to bring someone back without taking their quirks."

"On the contrary, this boy is quirkless." All for One informed him as he tossed the boy onto the floor. "This young gentleman is going to be our new project; another piece that shall aid our cause."

"So you want me to try turning a quirkless individual into a Nomu?" the doctor questioned, gazing at the limp figure of Hakazuka with a slightly disappointed look in his eyes. "That is but a simple matter, but I honestly cannot see what value can a quirkless brat bring to the League."

"I may be blind, but my intuition has never been wrong; this boy is different from the rest." All for One informed Daruma. "I found him behind a school I happened to pass by, a suicide victim I imagine. But he was clinging on to his life, even though his body has been broken to an impossible state."

At this, the doctor's eyes widened…before his smile shifted into an expression of excitement, like a kid who can't wait to open his Christmas presents.

"An abominably-resilient tenacity, is that right…?" Daruma chuckled. "That means I have a test subject with a higher endurance for modifications and enhancements. Looks like the High-end Nomu project may have a faster completion rate than expected."

"No…I believe that we have more than enough puppets for now. I have another plan in store for our little friend here," A small smile played across All of One's lips.

"Well...if that's what you wish, then I cannot stop you." The doctor sighed. "But honestly...you should have left a quirkless kid like him out on the streets to die. This isn't like you, All for One."

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that." All for One chuckled darkly. "By the time I'm done with him, he'll be far from quirkless."

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=[To be Continued]=

"Ever since I was born without a quirk, I thought I can live a normal life…I always wanted to study veterinary science, work with dogs…maybe find a lovely girlfriend at some point…Then reality finally sunk in for me that fateful day, the day where I died twice. The first was when I was pushed to a corner with nowhere else to turn…and the second was when I met the man with the mask, the greatest evil ever known to Japan. Now, I fully understand that my life is…"

"My life is a tragedy."

"My name is Hakazaka Kotaro, a quirkless nobody, and this is the story of how I became the villain, Shepherd."