Author's Note

So I know no one here probably expected this, but hear me out. I've had this story in my documents for well over a year, and it was never finished. And so I finally found the inspiration to complete it. It's easily the longest single chapter I've ever written, but I really hope it's a good read. I've put a lot of effort into this.

Please feel free to leave your thoughts in a review, as I do love hearing everyone's feedback on my work.

Legend Below

"Oh, hello there!" = Normal speech.

''Did he really mean that?'' = Normal thoughts.

"Fear not, for I am here!" = Super Hero speech.

''Honestly, kids these days...'' = Super Hero thoughts.

Chapter

One

The start of something new

Extraordinary.

What is the first thing that comes to mind upon hearing that word? I can surely tell you that the meaning behind that word has most definitely changed from what it used to mean, and for a good reason.

Now days, the Extraordinary is that Ordinary when something Ordinary can sublimate into another Extraordinary. Confusing, I know.

That's what the entire world's been saying ever since that truly fateful day years ago. As far as the world knew, it all started in the town of Qing Qing, China. A very peculiar baby was born that day. This baby was special, more special then any other at the time. That day, the world bore witness to a luminescent baby. Even with the news trying to cover it up, word quickly spread about the strange newborn child.

However, that wasn't the end of it. Humanity, without warning, suddenly experienced an extreme change. Not long after that event, other unique babies started popping up all over the world. These newborns began to show strange abilities, or quirks as they came to be called. Quirks, like mind control, the growth of wings or tails, or even the ability to create fire from their own body.

It wasn't long before the Paranormal became the new normal in society, and as time passed, the world still couldn't figure out how or why this was happening. It wasn't long before the Paranormal was declared everywhere across the earth...

The current society is made up of supermen, and around 98% of the planet's population has a unique physical condition that differentiates them. But as time went on, and more of these strange irregularities began to pop up, some began to use their abilities for their own wrong selfish desires. Local crime quickly began to climb higher and higher, and soon enough the police themselves were out matched. Chaos and disorder grew like weeds in a garden, and if left unattended, nothing would stop them.

It was under these stressful circumstances that the profession that so many dreamt of, began to bloom. Dreams had become a reality! As these so called super villains began to rise, Heroes rose to counter them.

It has been like this for years now, with Super Heroes rising to fame. As the number of Paranormal phenomenon grew, crime grew with it like an uncontrollable fire. With the government bound by laws that restricted radical revisions of any kind, courageous people and character traits like that of teenagers comic books went into action. These people took it upon themselves to keep an eye on the growing Paranormal, and to defend the public from those with dangerous intentions.

Very quickly under the leadership of mass public opinion, these Heroes saw their professional acts officially recognized by the government it self. These Heroes were given special civil rights, and rewarded money directly from the state. The right to become a hero had become a job title similar to that of a police officer.

Yet it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, as some were led to believe. Even today, there were still those born with weak or almost useless quirks, and they were usually mistreated as the odd ones out of the group. Getting picked on, bullied, and general mistreatment was common for those types of people. It wasn't right, no, but has that ever stopped anything? However, God forbid you're actually born quirkless. Those with weak or useless quirks are deemed a waste of time and space...

But those born without a quirk? You could only expect to be badly mistreated for the rest of your life, betrayed by those you thought friends, treated as if you are lower then the dirt that they walk on, not even worthy to be spit on. It was almost as if you were an alien within the confines of your own house.

Useless... Completely and utterly useless...

And sad to say, it was like that for some people. Those people never lived proper lives. And it went to show that some common scum were actually born quirkless, further cementing the fact that those without a quirk were not treated properly. Even those who wanted nothing more in life then to become a hero that saved lives, they couldn't even become one without a quirk.

Sadly, it was this exact situation that one four year old girl and her mother found themselves in. A young woman, Inko Midoriya, had taken her daughter in to the local clinic for a test. It was at a young age like this that children began to exhibit traits connected to their quirks. But the woman was worried, because her daughter had not shone any signs yet. However, this doctors visit would prove to be the beginning of life full of hardship.

"I'm sorry to inform you miss Midoriya, but your daughter is quirkless." The words stung like red hot coals against her heart, her mind not able to comprehend the meaning. Yet she heard them loud and clear.

"W-What? Surely you must be mistaken doctor! A-All the other children her age have already started showing signs... " The mother responded, her eyes tearing up. The tests had been clear since the beginning, yet she held out onto some lingering thread of hope, praying. Praying that her only daughter wasn't quirkless, that she actually had a quirk like her or her father. But the world seemed to be against her hopes today, as the doctor spoke up once again.

"I'm afraid I'm not. The tests have never been wrong before, and I doubt they'll start now." The doctor reiterated with a sigh as he turned his chair back to the computer monitor. The screen displayed an X-ray of her daughter, with it specifically zoomed in on her left foot. "As you can see, your daughter has a two jointed pinky toe. The human body has no need for something it deems useless, and those without the extra joint are part of the next stage of evolution..." The man stopped for a moment to let those word sink in. That proves it then. Her daughter was truly quirkless. The test never lied.

The mother held her head in her hands, her heart broken from the news. Tears fell from her eyes unstopping. Turning to her unnaturally silent daughter, her tears fell harder at seeing the poor girl's face. The little girl, Izuku, had been unimaginably excited when the time came for her quirk diagnosis, a large megawatt smile on her face. That smile hadn't left even after hearing the news, yet her eyes told an entirely different story. Her whole world had shattered right before her very own eyes, and there wasn't a thing she could do to stop it.

It had broken her. At the young and impressionable age of four, Izuku Midoriya had her hopes and dreams crushed in an instant. The girl had dreamt of becoming a Hero since before she could remember, yet now that dream seemed more like a fading memory of a hope long destroyed.

Useless... Completely and utterly useless...

And yet, years after that horrible day, she continued on through life, never giving up on her broken dream. Even when day in and day out those around her told her to give up, to stop trying, that she amounted to nothing; She still held on to that hope of hers. That hope that maybe one day she would actually become a Hero, quirk or no quirk. But people must have found pleasure in taking that dream, and verbally stomping it into the dirt, because they never stopped their mistreat of her.

But living like this wasn't easy, no not at all. Being quirkless most certainly didn't get you any benefits. She had to bank on the fact that she was still a minor, and so the government was legally obligated to help her. That meant she still got her education, even though she sometimes wished that she could just forget about it all. Yes she got to go to school, but no one ever said anything about her being treated normally.

Pain and ridicule was common place in her life currently. At first it started off as nothing more then rude comments and snide remarks. Yet after time passed and her dream still hadn't changed, some thought it right to up their game. Maybe a shove here and an elbow there. But she still didn't stop. Izuku was determined to become a Hero no matter the cost. If saving people caused her pain, then so be it. She wasn't about to give up in the face of a little adversity, what kind of Hero would she be if she did? But year after year of mistreatment had left its marks on her mental state, and she wasn't the same. Her cheerful demeanor would jump back and forth between quiet meekness and suddenly and sharp bursts of anger if pushed too far. That being said, she tried to remain cheerful, as that was practically all she had left.

That general treatment would proceed through her school years as well. And now, even sitting in the middle of her class, it seemed like the world still hated her.

Izuku was sixteen now, and in her last year before she graduated. In the years since her childhood, she had filled out quite a bit. She had gotten taller, but was still shorter then most of her class. Her green hair had grown longer, reaching her rear in length, while still keeping that messy spiky look to it no matter how hard she tried to smooth it out. Her face had that cute heart shape to it, while still retaining a little baby fat. It also seemed like she took after her mother when she was younger too, because her chest and other areas had grown along side her. Honestly, if she wasn't quirkless, the whole school would probably treat her like a queen. But she mainly wore a looser fitting dress, so no one really knew that.

She didn't know how, but she had somehow struggled this far in life. "Come on now everyone, it's time to start thinking seriously about your futures!" But then things like this happened that made her want to just curl up and disappear. Her classroom teacher had just asked the question, and the resounding answer he got was understandable for most. Most of the class wanted to go on and live a normal life, away from conflict. Yet there was a few that were reaching for the title of Hero.

"Heh, it's not like I have anything to worry about. These half baked extras are nothing to me!" And then there was Katsuki Bakugo, the strongest teen in the entire school without a shadow of a doubt, while also her childhood friend. Not that that last thing really meant what it should anymore. Katsuki had changed his view of her just like the rest it seemed, yet she still clung to him like he was the only thing she had left. If she was being honest with herself, she would take a grenade for him. Katsuki really didn't deserve the girl, but she still kept him around as if her life depended on it.

Katsuki was her first and only friend in the entire world, and she wouldn't trade her memories of him for anything. He was there for her when she learned she was quirkless, and supported her with the struggles that followed after. Yet something had began to change in him, and over the years he became more aggressive and more against her dream. What started as a warning as a friend eventually led to him doing everything in his power to stop her from achieving her dreams, and she never learned why that was.

"Get over yourself Katsuki! Who do you think you are?!" That response was typical, as most of the school held a general dislike of him. It was only because he constantly downplayed everyone's skills and appraised his own. Of course he had the power and skill to back his words, so no one ever tried to prove him wrong. His quirk was explosion, at least that's what he called it. His body sweats nitroglycerin, while his palms make sparks, and you could guess the wild combination that caused. Explosion indeed.

"Shut up you losers! Extras like you should learn your place!" Typical Katsuki, always poking at the proverbial bull. He was never one to back down or to allow himself to be walked on.

"Ah, Bakugo, you must be aiming for U.A. High school, no?" The teacher spoke up, butting his way into the conversation, if you could call it that. The entire class seemed to light up at hearing that.

"U.A.?! That high class national school?!"

"No way, that couldn't be!"

"I hear they barely except anyone in! There's no way they'll let you in!"

"They say the passing score is 89 out of 100! The chances are slim at best!"

The comments were flying about left and right, as the entire classroom seemed to get into a fight over it. However it wasn't to last as Katsuki had heard just about enough of their incessant ramblings, and wasn't shy about voicing it. In a flash of speed, Katsuki was standing atop his desk.

"Ah the stupid chattering of extras! I'm the only one here that aced their mock exam, you think anyone of you could make it in?!" Katsuki bellowed mockingly. The teen honestly believed that he would be the only one to actually gain entry into the acclaimed Hero school, and it wasn't a stretch to think so. "I'll even surpass All Might and become the number one Hero in the world!" Katsuki was riding atop his high horse like a king, lost in his own thoughts about his future fame and fortune.

"What about you Midoriya? You were planning on going there as well." And then something had to be said just to ruin it. There was a loud thunk as the green haired girl's head hit her desk. The entire class's attention was suddenly all focused on her, their judging glare just as harsh as it always was. And then they laughed. And kept laughing. Her dream seemed like the most amusing thing in the entire world to them, and they had no shame in making that fact known.

Tears burned in her eyes, their jeering remarks not failing to put her in a horrible mood. She dare not look up or else suffer even more. Nothing she could say would stop them, and would only provoke them.

"What's wrong Deku?! Got nothing to say!" With a shout of fury Katsuki slammed his hand down onto her desk, an explosion resulting from the action. Izuku suddenly found herself being held up by the front of her shirt, forced to face Katsuki in the eyes. "That's what I thought! Forget the crappy quirks, you're completely quirkless! What could you even do?!" Izuku, to her credit, didn't shy way from his fierce gaze, nor did she respond to his taunting. She had been through this all before, and her lack of response really seemed to rub the explosive teen the wrong way.

"Fine then, don't say anything!" He shouted, dropping her to the floor in a heap. The girl still didn't respond, instead she merely gathered her things and walked away, tears of pain and sorrow falling from her eyes the entire time. Yet she didn't get far before something happened. "We ain't done here Deku!" Katsuki growled, snatching her private note book right from her hands. This time the girl actually spoke up.

"H-Hey! Give that back!" She shouted, trying and failing to steal it back. Katsuki let out a grunt of annoyance before slamming his other hand into the book, the explosion that followed knocking Izuku back. "N-No!" She cried, falling to her knees, her head hung low.

"Hmph. Even the best Heroes out there showed signs of greatness even as students." He said with an impassive face. His words did more damage to her then he probably thought. "I'll be the only Hero that comes from this crappy middle school. The only one here that deserves to go to U.A." He suddenly bent down to her level, placing a hand on her shoulder with a grin. "So in other words, don't you dare get into U.A., nerd!" With his statement said, he stood up to leave, only stopping to give her a passing glance.

"Jeez... Typical. Come on, say something." The other students taunted.

"Hah! She can't even say anything! What a loser!"

"She's so lame. Even as a third year student, she still can't face reality." Back to back the comments came and went, all leaving their own mark on her. Katsuki stopped just a step from the class room door, turn in to face her one last time.

"Hey listen. You want to be a Hero so bad? Well I've got this great time saving idea for you!" Katsuki started, sarcasm rolling off his tongue like poison. "If you think you'll have a quirk in your next life, then go take a dive off the school roof!" Izuku whipped around to face him, an absolutely betrayed look on her face. "Yeah? What? You got something to say?" Katsuki threatened, his hands popping and crackling with minor explosions.

Everyone in the room expected the girl would shy away from him, too afraid to say anything. After all, it's what happened every other time this happened. Yet she didn't. Izuku, without breaking eye contact with him, walked right up to the angered teen, and slapped him across the face.

Hard.

Mouths dropped at the unforseen action. The entire class went silent in shock, unable to believe their own eyes at the moment. Yet no one was as shocked as Katsuki was in that moment, his eyes wide as they stared back into her tear dripping emerald ones. He slowly raised a hand to his cheek, a dull pain lingering there. A throbbing red hand mark rest there, a mark of her actions against him. Too stunned to properly react, he couldn't stop her from snatching her destroyed book back and storming off.

The silence in the room was palpable, the only noise coming from the sound of Izuku's shoes hitting the ground as she stormed off. Finally someone spoke up, destroying the uncomfortable silence.

"Wow... Didn't see that coming..." One of the students standing next to the teen said out loud. That seemed to break him out of his trance, his head snapping to the other teen with an expression of anger clear on his face.

"Shut it!" Katsuki snapped, before storming off. Whether he was going to follow after her or not remained to be seen. However it was clear that the girl was pushed too far this time...

The blond haired Bakugo was seen traveling down the city streets, closely followed by his so called lackeys. He hadn't said anything since he left the school grounds, too caught up in his thoughts to bother giving anything else the time of day. The two guys behind him had been laughing at the memory of Bakugo getting slapped by the same girl he's been around for years.

"Dang dude, I think you really pushed her too far again." One guy snickered, poking the explosive teen in the back of the head, in turn almost getting his hand blasted off in retaliation.

"Shut it!" Katsuki snarled, kicking a random can down the alleyway. He didn't want to hear their stupid rambling again. He always had to deal with other people trash taking Izuku, and those people usually got blown up, courtesy of explosive hands blond. Only he was allowed to say that about her.

"Yeah yeah, I've never seen her hit you like that before! That was awesome!" The other lackey laughed. "I think you broke her." He nodded. Katsuki growled.

"Good. Maybe now she'll stop chasing after that stupid dream." He grunted lowly, his eyes set into a stern glare.

"Why'd she do that?" Poky fingers asked. Katsuki's response was perfectly him.

"Because I told her to!" He was tired of day in and day out telling her to give up on that stupid dream. She said she wanted to become a hero, but she was quirkless. She'd get eaten up by that world, he knew it. A weak and powerless girl going up against the forces of evil? Yeah, that was the kind of situation that would get her into serious danger. There were some really nasty people out there that wouldn't hesitate to abuse someone like her.

That's why he wouldn't allow that to happen. It had been years since he told her to stop dreaming, but he never left her school or moved away. In fact, he was always in the same class as her. If he truly didn't care, he wouldn't have stuck around like he had.

No, he was determined to prevent her from suffering that life. And if that meant that he had to bully her into submission, then damnit he was going to do that. He wasn't going to sit by and watch her kill herself.

"Stupid Deku... Why won't you give up already..?" He growled underneath his breath. He felt like screaming, it was so irritating! The other two lackeys watched him walk away, deciding to drop the matter entirely. They knew that he felt something for her, but they never truly knew just what that was...

An hour had passed since then, and Izuku had been slowly making her way back home. She could have just used the monorail, but she wanted some time alone, away from the world's judging looks. It may not have been the smartest idea, but she had been walking down back streets and alleyways. It served the purpose of hiding from the world, and giving her time to cry without anyone laughing at her.

She honestly couldn't comprehend the reason why Katsuki said those things to her. Izuku, to her credit, was a very smart person. Despite the world seeming to be against her, she had gained a rather high education. Yet she had this rather bad habit of getting lost in her thoughts, and usually at random as well. Mumbling always followed, as she seemed incapable of keeping her running thoughts to herself when distracted and or stressed.

Even then, she couldn't figure out where it all went horribly wrong. The looks, the warnings, the threats and general mistreatment. She knew that would happen because she was diagnosed as quirkless, but that didn't explain why her only friend would also follow after that mindset. They were nearly the same age, born only days apart from each other. And with their parents being long term friends, an early friendship was born.

And yet, he still left her side in the end. Tears fell from her face just from thinking about it. It hurt. It hurt so much inside. Why? Why did he leave her? Why did he change? Why?

"S-Stupid Kacchan... Why'd you have to go and say that..." She mumbled, a choked up hiccup in her voice. "Think before you s-speak, you- mpmh!"

So absorbed in her depressed thoughts, Izuku didn't notice what was happening before it was too late. The poor girl didn't even get a chance to scream, before some kind of sludge creature started forcing it's way down her throat. The villain practically appearing out of nowhere.

"Hmm... A medium sized body, well I guess you'll have to do." Izuku's eyes shot wide in horror, as some kind of green sludge covered her body. Her books fell to the ground as she clawed at the sludge covering her mouth. "I'm just stealing your body, calm down." The sludge like villain explained casually, as if he wasn't trying to kill her. "Don't worry, it'll all be over in a moment. Once you are dead, I'll use your body as a disguise to hide from him."

Tears fell from the poor girls eyes as she struggled in vain to get air, her body growing paler as time passed. Minutes passed without air, and yet the girl had yet to collapse in exhaustion. The villain was shocked that she was still alive, as the human body couldn't survive without air for long. The color had completely faded from her eyes, as her now pale body began to give out. Her legs shook underneath her own weight, as her arms fell limp by her side.

''N-No... I c-can't die... N-Not here... Not l-like this...'' Izuku's mind rambled, her heart having already stopped a few minutes ago. Yet somehow she still stood, now long dead. Her determination continued to support her, even after it was all over ''N-No...'' The dead girl dropped to her knees, her white eyes staring forward lifelessly. The sludge villain finally relaxed, now finished with the long struggle.

"That took way too long... What was with that girl?" The answers to his questions would never come, as the only one who could tell him currently lay dead inside his body. But that didn't matter to him, as now he had a feasible way of escaping the city unnoticed by the Heroes.

"Fear not! I am here!" Or not. With an explosion of power, the sewage cap not three feet from the villain flew into the air. Quickly climbing out from the sewer was none other then the number one Hero himself, All Might! The super hero stood tall, easily over ten feet in height. His body seemed like it was chiseled from diamonds, and raw power radiated off of him. The man surveyed the situation quickly, his gaze locking onto the lifeless emerald eyes of Izuku Midoriya. His expression instantly shifted from one of confusion to one of despair.

He didn't make it in time. Because of his carelessness, the villain he had been chasing had managed to escape the first time and wreak havoc on defenceless civilians. He had finally managed to catch up with the villain, but his lack of haste had cost him dearly. Proof of that was laid out right before his very eyes in the form of the corps of a teenage school girl. He had been too slow once again.

He had failed...

His visage hardened, as his gaze narrowed down onto the villain in question. He wasn't going to let him get away this time, that he was sure. Pulling his right arm back, he prepared for his attack. "Texas Smash!" He roared. His arm flew, the power behind the attack summoning forth airwaves due to the pressure created. The villain didn't even get a chance to run, before his body was splattered all over the wall.

With the villain out of the question, the girl's body fell to the ground, lifeless. Without missing a beat, All Might quickly ran to her side. He checked for a pulse, hoping, praying that she had somehow lived. Yet nothing. Not even a single heart beat pulsed through her dead body. Her lifeless body pressed against his hand proved his fears to be true. She was dead. There was nothing he could do. Not even the almost magical powers of the Hero Recovery Girl could save her.

The man let out a dejected sigh as he bent down to pick the dead corpse. Her body felt small in his large hands, yet he held her delicately. He quickly gathered up the splattered villain inside of two empty soda bottles he had on him, safely holding the evildoer at bay. Then, without another thought, the man turned back to the city. Crouching down on his powerful legs, he launched into the sky. The man's face was unreadable as he soared through the air, his destination unknown to all but him.

"I'm so sorry..." All Might mumbled lowly, his eyes never tearing away from his destination. His failure today would haunt him just like all the rest, the pain never leaving his side. An eternal wound on his soul, weighing down heavily upon his shoulders, unrelenting in it's force.

"...F-For what?" All Might shook his head, the weakly whispered words biting like the sting of a viper. All might glanced down to the lifeless girl in his arms, her unmoving face staring lifelessly back at his.

"For failing..." The words he spoke were true, and because of that they hurt even more. He had failed again. Top hero meant nothing if people still died when you could have done something to change it.

"...W-Who did you fail?" A bitter laugh escaped his throat, painfully vivid memories rising to the surface.

"A better question would be who haven't I failed... Just moments ago I failed. I was too slow, and because of that, someone died..." The man explained, his voice sounding different, sounding vulnerable. To see the number one Hero look so depressed, it just didn't feel right.

"...Oh come on, cheer up! It's not the end of the world! ... Is it?" All Might sighed. Honestly, how could someone sound so cheerful at a time like this? Did they not understand the gravity of the situation? He had failed in his duty, allowing the villain to escape. And the result of the failure was the death of an innocent girl, the one currently laying in his arms...

"You wouldn't understand." The man responded as he landed atop another building, before launching into the air once more.

"...What do you mean?" The question was simple, yet held some power behind it. They wouldn't just sit back and let All Might speak as if they didn't know anything about the world. They had lived the harsh life too, even had it ended too early to be acceptable.

"What I mean to say is that-..." All Might stopped mid sentence, as the absurdity of the situation hit him. "Heh... Listen to me, having a conversation with the voice inside my head... Old age is finally getting to me I suppose..." The man commented with a dry laugh. All Might landed atop another building, yet he didn't take to the skies again, merely letting his gaze wander the city streets below.

"...Y-You don't look that old to me.." The voice softly spoke out loud again. All Might startled, whipping his head around to find the source of the mysterious voice. He honestly thought that it was all in his head, so when the voice continued, he realized that it probably wasn't.

"Show yourself!" He ordered, unable to find the source of the voice. He wasn't ready to take on another villain right now, but he wasn't going to just sit there and do nothing. A sudden bout of giggles caught his attention. He almost jumped out of his skin when he realized just how close it sounded.

"...U-Um.. Down here..." All Might's head whipped down so fast he thought it might break in two. His gaze settled onto the body in his arms, the dead body, a dead body who's eyes currently held a gaze with his own. Then a grin formed on her face. "W-Wow..." She whispered in awe, taking in his powerful visage.

Thud

"Oooh.. W-Why'd you drop me...?" All Might didn't believe it, he couldn't believe it. The girl, the girl he failed to save minutes ago, the girl that he thought had died. That girl was currently talking to him, clearly not just a corpse. His eyes examined her face, the signs of death were still relatively present, yet somehow subdued. Some form of color had returned to her face, yet it wasn't quite alive, but somewhere in between. Her previously white eyes were now a powerful glowing emerald. Perhaps a quirk? Or maybe she just almost died? Close call? He didn't know what to think. His mind was drawing a blank, for more then one reason.

"How? How are you alive?!" He found himself shouting at her downed form. Her face scrunched up in displeasure at his shouting, her ears felt like they were bleeding from the explosive volume.

"Ah... s-so loud...!" The girl found herself hissing back, trying to block her ears yet finding it surprisingly difficult to move her body. All Might reeled back when he spotted the blood tricking from her ears, her face showing signs of clear discomfort. The man was about to reach down to pick her up again when he started to cough violently, blood flying from his mouth. The Hero's situation wasn't missed by the almost undead girl laying at his feet if her worried expression was anything to go by.

"H-Hey! Are you alright!?" She weakly exclaimed in worry, trying to stand again but only failing. The blond Hero stumbled back before a cloud of smoke enveloped his body, obscuring her view of him. The smoke then quickly vanished, leaving behind the frail husk of a man. Her eyes widened in shock at the sight before her, her mind almost not rendering the image. "A-All Might..?" She asked doubtfully. The man let out a sigh as he hobbled his way over to her, plopping himself down next to her.

"You... You weren't supposed to see this..." He muttered, his eyes trailing off into the distance. The girl just continued to stare up at him in confusion. A few moments passed in silence before he turned to look at her. "I am the real All Might." He said, confirming her fears.

"Wha- What happened to you?" She muttered quietly, training her gaze upon his. He let out a long sigh, the question burning at his mind. She couldn't believe it. This? The was the all powerful hero that saved the day? This skeleton of a man?

"If I told you, would you believe me?" He asked, letting the question hang. Izuku was silent, letting the words flow through her mind.

"...Yes." She muttered softly, turning her gaze to him. His gaze hardened momentarily, before falling away. With a sigh, he lifted up the shaggy white shirt he was wearing, revealing a horrific patch of scars and marks. Izuku gasped in horror, her face going pale.

"This is what happens to a hero." He stated. His intense gaze settled onto her, locking her in place. "This is what happened when I wasn't strong enough to stop someone... And now, because of that, I can only do my job for a couple of hours a day, before I become like this..." He gestured to himself.

The two sat in silence for a while after that, neither one wanting to break it. Izuku's eyes trailed up to his accidentally locking gazes with him again. She blushed in embarrassment and quickly averted her gaze, blind to his amused look.

"You look as if you have a question for me." He stated, turning to face the skies once more. The girl was troubled, and her silence was proof of that. This was the chance that she was waiting for all her life, but now that it came, she didn't know how to feel about the circumstances. Was it right to ask the man this question, or was it wrong? He would tell her the truth, right? But what if the truth wasn't what she wanted to hear? What then? What if it was just another repeat of that day at the doctor's? What if...?

"A-All Might?" She started, turning to face him once more. He kept staring off into the distance, but the nod he gave assured her that he was listening. Gathering the courage she managed to scrounge up, she asked the question that had plagued her, her entire life. "Can someone without a quirk... Become a Hero... like you...?" She asked, her voice dangerously soft in that moment. If he wasn't so close to her, then he might not have heard the question. But he most certainly did hear it, and it struck a chord with him. By this time she had finally gained the strength to stand up again and was leaning against the side railings of the rooftop of the building.

He turned away from the skies, settling his gaze on the girl struggling to stand before him. That question... What she said... He had asked that question himself once, a long time ago. The answer he received wasn't important right now, but his answer to her clearly was. He saw the determination in her eyes, and that was dangerous. She didn't know what she was getting herself into, and judging by her appearance, she wasn't ready to deal with anything like that, nor may she ever be.

"I'm sorry... But that is simply impossible..." The very air around her seemed to freeze with his response, her worst fears being realized. He didn't seem to notice her expression, or maybe he might have been convinced to stop talking. He was sure that what he was saying was right, even though it may have came out harsher then he intended it to. "I won't stop you if you want to become a police woman, as more of them are always needed, but... I think you should give up on your dream." He knew from his own words that he was being harsh, but she needed to know the truth before she got herself killed, or before she got someone hurt.

"I'm a symbol of peace. I cannot allow myself to be daunted by evil, not again. The reason I am like this now was because I wasn't strong enough once... Do you think its possible for you to do what I do?" He let what he said float in the air, the question leaving silence in its wake. He hadn't heard so much as a sound out of the girl since she last spoke, and he couldn't bring himself to look back at her. "You need to be realistic... I don't know how you survived that, but you could have easily been killed..." With what he said still hanging in the air, he walked away, leaving the girl alone on the rooftop of the building.

Izuku felt like dying after what the man said. She felt like her entire fragile world was falling apart, her composure that she tried so hard to hold onto had fallen apart, leaving behind nothing but a shattered girl. Her eyes seemed lifeless as she stared off into the distance, looking at nothing in particular. She stood there for what felt like hours before she turned and slowly made her way to leave, her destination unclear even to herself. She didn't know where she was going, or what she was going to do when she got there, but she didn't really care anymore. She just wanted to get as far away from here as possible...

She didn't know how long she had been walking. She wasn't particularly tired yet, so must not have been that long. Yet she knew that it had in fact been a while, if the sun that was getting close to setting was any indication of the time. Her eyes were lifeless as she slowly made her way down the strangely abandoned street. In fact, she hadn't come across another human since All Might...

Her head was filled with the taunting voices of those that had wronged her in the past, their stinging remarks leaving scars on her mental stability.

''I can't believe that you still try!''

''You're crazy!''

''There's no way for you to become a hero!''

''Someone like you could never match up to me!''

''Do you even hear yourself sometimes!?''

''Give up on your dreams..''

''You need to be realistic...''

Tears started falling from her eyes once again as recent memories started to surface their ugly faces. Somewhere deep in her heart she knew that they were all true, but that truth is what hurt her so much, and hearing the one she looked up to so much say that... Well, she really shouldn't have been surprised by his answer... But it hurt her heart hurt so much, and she wasn't sure if that was emotional pain or physical pain.

She just wanted it to stop. She just wanted it all to stop. She was tired of it all. She just wanted... She wanted...

"H-Huh...?" She muttered, staring off to the crowd of people she ended up wandering towards. She was suddenly aware of the sound of explosions and fires filling her ears. She raised her head, trying to see over the crowds of people to see what was happening.

"Hey hey! What are the heroes doing!?" She heard someone shout in distress. Izuku was struggling to see over the heads of the people, but when she saw it she stopped dead cold. It was the slime monster that had attacked her earlier that same day. Her eyes widened when she realised something. All Might saved her, that meant that he had to have subdued him. But then, why was it back again? If didn't make sense!

"That thing has someone inside it!" The sudden shout made her blood run ice cold in fear. She looked up and saw that they were in fact right. The villain had someone inside it, and Izuku could only shutter at the pain that they were going through. If someone didn't do something soon, then... Then...

''P-Please! Hold on! I-I'm sure that a hero will come!'' She shouted in her head. But she knew no one strong enough was nearby. She wasted All Might's time, and now he couldn't do anything. This was her fault...

It was only when the monster turned her way that she got a clear look at the face of the one being held hostage. Everything stopped in that moment. Those eyes... Those scared pleading eyes only belonged to one person in the world.

"Kachan!" Izuku screamed. She didn't know it, but her body seemed to react on its own. She found herself running towards the fight full speed, her foot steps creating small indents in the road with the power behind them. The other heroes on site didn't notice her before they were too late to stop her.

"No! You fool! Get back, it'll kill you!" They shouted, only to fall back as explosions fell around them. Katsuki's eyes found their way to the form of Izuku as she blurred towards him, sprinting full speed. He was shocked at the extreme distress that marred her face, and those eyes that were crying painful tears.

Were.. Were those.. for him...? Why? Why would she risk her own life for his, even after all that he had done to her? Why would she care about his wellbeing so badly? He didn't have time to dwell on it as he began to lose consciousness, his vision rapidly fading away.

"Let! Him! Go!" The distraught girl shouted in fury, before suddenly hurling her backpack at the villain's eyes full force, which was a lot stronger then it should have been. It didn't have time to move or dodge, and was blinded by the pain of something sharp slamming into his eyes. It reared back and let out a roar of pain as it flailed around trying to remove the object stuck in its head. At the same time, Izuku dove forward, grabbing at Katsuki's outstretched hand. With strength she didn't know she had, she began to pull, trying to free him. It seemed to be working for a moment, as Katsuki suddenly found his mouth free from obstruction.

"What! Why are you-...?!" He shouted painfully, his lungs burning with fresh oxygen, only for his mouth to get covered once again. The villain was enraged now, and didn't hesitate to use the body he was controlling to lash out at its attacker. Before Izuku had the chance to react, she took and explosion point blank, knocking her back violently. She slammed painfully into the side of a building before falling to the ground, looking as if she was dead.

"NOOO!" A shout so loud broke through the other sounds, the power behind it shaking the very ground below. "Detroit Smash!" The villain didn't even get the chance to react before the mere power behind its attacker's strike blew it away, turning it into a pasty goop that covered the area. Everyone looked on in shock at the sight of the number one hero as he stood breathing heavily over the form of the hostage he just freed from the villain.

"Its All Might!" The sudden joyous roar of the crowd filled the area, as All Might was suddenly surrounded by his adoring fans and news reporters alike. In the wake of the event's end, Izuku woke from the area she had landed in when a medical hero ran to her aid. She tried to brush them off, insisting that she was fine, only for them to completely ignore her.

"What were you thinking!? You could have very well gotten yourself killed!" She was forced to sit by as the heroes chewed her out for her daring rescue attempt. She understood their concerns, but she really wasn't having any of this right now. While she was getting reprimanded for her efforts, Katsuki was being praised for holding on as long as he did. Some of the heroes were so impressed with his quirk that they offered him a place as their sidekick once he went professional. She really wanted to apologise to All Might for the mess she made, but that was impossible with the way he was surrounded by reporters and other people alike. What was worse was the fact that Katsuki had yet to talk to her, or even acknowledge her at all.

She didn't want to be thanked or rewarded, she just wanted someone to recognise her. She had enough with being yelled at for today... In fact, she had enough recorded time being chewed out to fill up an entire childhood. No. She just wanted to be left alone now, since no one seemed to care about her anyway. When a other hero came her way, she stopped him dead in his tracks with a look that could freeze lava. Without saying a word, she pushed the other heroes away, and left the scene ignoring the shouts that trailed after her. She didn't look back, not once, ignoring the look that a certain someone was giving her.

She was going home. She didn't bother taking the railway, as she didn't want to look at anyone. She had already been congratulated by random people that she passed, as news of her daring rescue attempt had been quickly spread around. People thought that what she did was courageous and heroic. But she only did what she did because Kacchan was her friend, maybe was her friend... But she didn't leave friends behind, no matter what. People could go ahead and think what they wanted, she didn't care.

She was tired. Her heart hurt. Her head felt heavy. She was emotionally drained from the events of today and wanted nothing more then to go home, fall down on her bed, and silently cry herself to sleep. No doubt her mother would be extremely worried about her, but she didn't want to stress her out. The poor woman already had enough stress in her life.

So no, Izuku didn't think it was selfish to ask to be left alone for the rest of the day. So that was why she wasn't sure how she felt when a certain someone called out to her from behind, and from the sound of it, they weren't happy either.

"Deku!" She didn't stop walking, much to the owner of the voice's annoyance. "Hey! I'm talking to you!" He shouted again, his hot headed attitude getting the better of him.

"I know what you're doing..." She responded quietly, her voice clearly expressing just how drained she felt then. Her flippant response seemed to set him off as he quickly stormed up to her, grabbing her by the shoulder and forcibly making her face him. He seemed to jump slightly at seeing her face up close, the change more obvious now then before. She took his stunned silence in a different way however. "What? Are you here to convince me to not become a hero? Or are you here to beat me down again, treating me like I'm less then dirt beneath your feet?" He seemed to recoil at her soft spoken but angered words, and the hurt behind them.

"Or are you angry that you had a girl try to save you..? Oh, oh! I know! You're here to tell me to jump off the top of a building again huh!?" He flinched at the reminder of what he had said earlier that day. By this point Izuku was screaming, tears falling down her face, all her pent up emotions quickly coming to the surface.

"G-Gosh! W-W-Wouldn't that be great?! T-Then you wouldn't have to deal with that annoying green haired creep anymore! Yeah! That's right! Then you can become the number one hero in the world, a-a-and no one would ever get in your way!" She had grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and was yelling her heart out, uncaring of whoever heard her shouts.

"I-.." Katsuki tried to say, only to get cut off by more of her painfully distraught yelling. The look on her face was seriously pulling on the young man's angered heart.

"H-Hey, if it helps, I-I-I do have a video recorder! Then you can record the moment in high quality and show the whole world what you did! I'm sure they would get a k-k-kick out of it!" By this point Izuku had hoisted Katsuki up into the air, and the ease at which she did was amazing. She was breathing heavily, her eyes swollen from the crying and her voice strained from the yelling.

Katsuki was stunned silent from the outburst, his mouth opening and closing as he struggled to find the right thing to say. What was the right thing to say? What did he say to that? He was probably the biggest problem in her life, and she still cared enough about him to risk her own life to save him. Even after all that he did to her, no matter the reason behind it, she still cared deeply for him.

"I'm sorry..." Wow, was that really all he could say? He tried to think of something else to say, but he just couldn't find anything. But his apology wasn't fake though, and he truly was sorry for what he had put her through. Izuku suddenly dropped him back to his feet, and then she broke down. Falling to her knees in despair and curling up, she began wailing her heart out. Katsuki was lucky that no one was around to see this, otherwise it may have made the situation even worse then it was.

Just around the corner however, a certain blond haired skeleton stood quietly listening in on the conversation. He was planning on ambushing the green haired girl when she was alone, but the other kid came into the fray just before he could make his offer to her known. The things she had said to him and her actions earlier that day had lit a fire inside of his heart, and it made him realize something very important.

But it seemed like his realization would have to wait for another day, as the girl in question seemed to already have enough going on at the moment. She seemed to collapse, her legs unable to hold her up any longer. It almost felt impossible that this was the meek cheerful girl he had talked to only a few hours ago. It seemed that his words had more of an affect on her then he realized. He was only trying to protect her from herself, but he just made matters worse for her.

He glanced back around the corner to see the pale blond bend down and awkwardly try to comfort her, hugging her to his chest and letting her beat in him until she let all of her frustration out. He took it like a man and didn't once try to stop her, only pulling back when he realized that she had passed out, the events of the day plus everything else finally getting to her.

The kid then picked her up, and after throwing a quick glance around the area, ran towards a house not to far from where he was. He stuck around long enough to learn the location of her home, before leaving the scene. He wasn't going to stick around and watch as the boy got verbally abused by the girl's mother. He would be back later, but for now would leave them alone.

Izuku awoke the next morning feeling filled to the brim with energy, but at the same time was exhausted. She was extremely jittery, and her legs couldn't stop bouncing no matter what she did. Her mother hadn't stopped fussing over her ever since Katsuki apparently brought her home unconscious. She didn't remember much about last night, everything after the sludge villain's defeat was sort of a blur to her. It hurt her head to try and remember, and so she didn't try to push it.

What's more, something had changed about her over the course of the day before hand. She didn't notice it, and she probably wouldn't have with how she never really took the time to really look at herself in the mirror. But her mother had been positively shook by it, and wouldn't stop talking about it. Izuku usually came home looking dead tired, exhausted from a stressful day. But that saying couldn't be more true now.

She didn't look dead tired anymore, she just looked dead. She actually looked like a living corpse that had been dolled up to look as if she were still alive. But even then, you could still see it if you looked hard enough. It was like she had died, but something was repressing it. She knew she was still alive, as she still had a heart beat, as strong as it now was. Compared to the day before, her complexion had actually started to return to normal. It was all so very confusing to her, and she really didn't know how to take it.

"J-Just ignore it... that always works..." And now she was talking to herself, again. She already did that normally, but she was sure that with her appearance that it would scare a few people. She let out a sigh as she turned away from the mirror, grabbing her backpack as she left the bathroom. She didn't make it far, as her mother stopped her short of the door. "Mom?" She asked, throwing her pack onto her back.

"I-Izuku, dear.. Maybe you shouldn't go to school today." The woman started, clearly stressed about something. The poor thing was always stressed about something, but today seemed a little different then normal. Izuku quickly embraced the short woman, hugging her tightly.

"It's okay mom, I'll be f-fine. Really." Even as she said these things, she didn't sound convinced herself, not at all. But staying home all day wouldn't get her very far, and would only solve to get her in trouble with her school. Can't have that, what with the problems that would bring upon her. Suck it up and deal with it, that was her life story.

"Oh Izuku, dear... I'm worried that-" The woman was cut off by the sound of someone knocking at their door. "I-Oh, now who could that be?" She asked before opening the door. The short woman was greeted with the sight a pair of tall legs. Her eyes panned up to find that it was the one and only, top hero in the world, All Might. She practically fainted on the spot.

"Hello!" The mountain of a man greeted with that trademark megawatt grin. "I hope I haven't come at an inopportune moment." He asked, that smile never leaving his face. The woman, shaking in her boots, shook her head. All Might let out a bellowing laugh. "Great! Now then, I've actually come here to speak with your daughter. Is she here?" He stated.

"I-I-Izuku!" Inko called, about ready to faint from stress and shock. The girl appeared from around the door, peaking her head out.

"Y-Yes?" She asked quietly, staring up at the towering man, unsure. The man's unwavering grin didn't falter, but he was a little off put by her meek demeanor.

"Izuku, was it?" He asked, bending down to her level. The girl continued to stare at him, confused and unsure. After a moment she responded.

"Yes..." She muttered. Seemingly ignoring the girl's attitude towards him, he let out another laugh.

"Well then, Izuku. I've come here to offer you a chance to become a hero!" He exclaimed with a grin. Yes! This was it! Now he would finally find a worthy successor to his power, a girl he would train to become the next top hero! He was so joyous when he found her the other day! He felt horrible when he had first pushed her away. But it was because of her heroic actions that the blond kid was saved, and that no one died. Yes! It was her! It had to be her that would gain his pow-.

"Why?" Her question rang out like a gunshot in his mind, his smile temporarily falling. The genuineness of her question was the most worrisome. "Y-You said it yourself... What could I do...?" She muttered softly. The man almost recoiled at the reminder of the harsh words spoken to such a young and impressionable girl the day before.

"Why?" He asked back, genuine seriousness in his next words. "Because I saw something in you yesterday. Something that no one, not even those other pro heroes had." He stated seriously, bending to a knee in front her. The poor girl's face blushed at the praise and at the insane fact that her hero, All Might, was kneeling in front of her.

"That day, when no one else was confident enough to run in, you didn't even hesitate for a second." He stated with all seriousness. "You threw your life at the face of certain death just to save someone, even knowing that it might cost you your own in the process." Tears started to well up in her eyes as the man continued to genuinely express how he truly felt about her. "You. The quirkless and small little girl, didn't hesitate, when the heroes all did." She she was crying quietly to herself now, her cheeks red and eyes puffy. "That, is the mark of a true Hero."

Izuku fell to her knees, letting her heart out. She cried, but, these tears were tears of pure joy. She had waited, for so long, so very long. She had waited her whole life to hear those words from someone. To know that she wasn't useless. To know that she was capable of more in life, much more. And, what really made the moment so much more, was that it was All Might who was saying this to her, that look of total confidence in her made her heart leap for joy.

She felt a large hand gently hold her chin, pushing her head back up to see him. Her jade-like eyes met with his energized aqua colored orbs. "Izuku Midoriya... Would you, become my hero?" The question rang out like lightning inside of her heart, pulling her mind to him. Inko gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. Izuku's eyes were shocked wide, never leaving his powerful gaze.

"...Yes..." She spoke up quietly, but with a determination behind her voice. Then, the girl approached him, and wrapped him up in a hug, her tears staining his shirt. "Yes... Yes!" She chanted, her voice getting louder. "Please! ... I want to be a hero..!" She cried. The man awkwardly wrapped his arms around her little frame, trying to assure her. He would give her this, because from here on out, it would only get harder...

Chapter

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