Chapter Text
ARC ONE:
THE TORMENT TO U.A.
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Early morning light streamed through the All-Might curtains, stirring young fourteen year old Midoriya Izuku awake. He yawns and moves aside his All Might blanket, sitting up on his bed. He then sighs as he has yet another day to go through.
Midoriya stands up on his wood-paneled floor, stretching his body in all directions to prepare for the day. Heading to his oak wood closet, he strips all the way, and proceeds to put on his school uniform, not before noticing all the yellowish green bruises covering his arms. Shaking his head, he finishes putting on the rest of his clothes. Exiting his room to the bathroom, he felt the chill of the white-tiled floor beneath him. Like everyday, he began his daily routine.
After a boring two minutes of staring at his reflection while brushing, Midoriya heads to the kitchen, going through a hall with pictures of himself as a boy smiling while holding an All Might figurine. Upon entering the room, his nose was blessed by the smells of white rice and eggs being made by a short woman wearing a pink shirt and a light gray skirt, with her green hair in a bun. “Good morning, Izuku!” His mother, Midoriya Inko, happily greeted him, giving him a kiss on the cheek.
“Morning, Mom!” Midoriya replied and, not skipping a beat, he returned the kiss. “Do you need any help with breakfast?”
“Hmm, I think I need sesame seeds for the eggs,” she said with a thoughtful look upon her face. Inko gestured with her head to the cabinet. Nodding, Midoriya reached up to open the cabinet, with his sleeves slipping down. A large gasp is heard from his mother.
“I-Izuku, what happened?!” she worries, turning off the stove to make sure her son is alright. “Who did this t-to you?!”
“I-um, it was…no one! I-I fell!” Midoriya horribly lied, his face betraying his words. He felt his mom’s concerned eyes upon him.
"Those look like burn marks, Izuku..."
Midoriya dared not open his mouth, lest he tell the truth and get Bakugo in trouble. With his eyes on anything but his mom’s, eventually his eyes landed on the clock. “8:17?!” he screamed in his mind. “I got to go, Mom, I’m late. Sorry!” Midoriya gives his mom a quick peck on her cheek, goes to the door, and throws on his shoes haphazardly.
“O-okay! Don’t forget to tie your shoes!” she calls after him.
“Alright, Mom!” he replied, lazily tying it. “I love you!” Midoriya throws open the door, and races down the street.
Day One, Thursday, 3:00 PM
The final school bell rang throughout the building, with the whoops and cheers of students filling the classrooms. Emerald eyes scanned the newspaper headline from the glowing glass screen of his phone:
Breaking News: The Sludge Villain has escaped confinement!
The article continued down below before Midoriya was interrupted by a mad blonde teen. “Oi, Deku! Your shoes are untied, dumbass!” Bakugo yelled, sneering at the panicked boy. He was sick of this insignificant bug. “How come when the teacher announced who aced the test I was the only one?! Why’d you fail, Deku?!” he asked, venomously.
“I-I forgot to study!” Midoriya quickly stammered back.
“Bullshit! I KNOW you study your ass off everyday thinking you can get into U.A. like the rest of these extras!” he waved his hand at his classmates, getting quite a number of dirty looks. He knows that the stupid Deku was lying. Getting lower grades than the all mighty Bakugo?! Midoriya was mocking him. “Is this Quirkless loser pitying me?!” Bakugo screamed internally. “YOU THINK YOU’RE FUCKING BETTER THAN ME, YOU BASTARD?!”
“O-of course not, K-Kacchan! I j-just want to go to U.A. as equals!” Midoriya was sweating bullets, wondering if he was going to receive burns or a deck to the face.
As it turned out, neither happened, as Bakugo grabbed the Hero Analysis for the Future No. 13 off the Quirkless boy’s desk. “Equals? Equals?! Don’t make me laugh, you Quirkless bastard!” he laughed maniacally. “What’s this, nerd?!” he went through all the pages, barely reading any of it until his eyes happened to land on one page in particular: his own. His face contorted into a grimace as he skimmed through the numerous paragraphs of information about him. It had sections of his pros and cons, strategies on how to beat him, and so forth. He closed the book, then with his right hand Bakugo set it aflame, a dark look upon his face. He threw it down on the ground, stamping out the small flame with his sole of his shoe. “DON’T FUCKING STALK ME!” he screamed, spit flying everywhere. Bakugo stomped off to the classroom door, his frightened cronies following close behind.
“I-I-I didn’t stalk you! That book took years to make!” Midoriya felt tears starting to form, but he pushed them down. Bakugo turned his head around only slightly, enough to barely make eye contact with the distraught teen.
“Remember when you said you wanted to be equals?” Midoriya nodded hesitantly. “Take a swan dive off the roof. Who knows, maybe a failure like you will get a Quirk in the next life.” Bakugo left the room with a devilish smirk upon his face, leaving the shell-shocked boy in his wake.
3:30 PM
Police sirens rang, with the sounds of car honks off in the distance. A lone teenager walked the busy streets of his city, getting jostled and pushed around. His eyes were glazed, and Midoriya was lost in thought. “Three years…three hard fucking years of work. Burned, but thankfully, not lost. That’s…something, at least,” Midoriya thought bitterly. He was taking a slight detour home, wanting to stop at his favorite katsudon restaurant to ease his sorrows.
The city was a maze with its twisting paths and numerous shops. One would easily get lost without a map. And once upon a time, the greenette did get lost trying (several times) to reach the restaurant. However, this hasn’t been the first time he’s made this detour.
Midoriya breathes out wearily while walking down the alley. He felt heavier for some reason, as if some invisible force was pushing him down. Minutes passed, with Midoriya’s breath getting heavier and heavier by the second. The longer he walked, the heavier Izuku became; until finally he couldn’t take it anymore and sat down.
“You got more willpower than some adults, kid,” said the man walking towards Midoriya.
“Where did he appear from?” he asked silently. Midoriya tried to stand, but feels too heavy to do so.
“Ya see, most folk get tired from the constant building force on their bodies, but you, kid? You took it like a champ,” the man praised him. Izuku takes a good look upon the man. In his early twenties, the adult was no taller than 5”7’. Slightly overweight, he wears a dark purple, almost black, skin tight suit, with two white letters in the center of his chest reading “GC”. He wears white gloves and white boots, both of which look very worn out, as if it’s been used for a very long time. This “GC” man wears no mask, and the signs of battle show on his face. Numerous scars coated his Caucasian face, with both of his icy blue eyes appearing…strained? Not only that, Midoriya realizes that throughout this man’s entire monologue, he hasn’t blinked once.
Izuku's mind began to analyze the situation in a disorganized mess, “Can’t move because of his Quirk. He hasn’t blinked since I first saw him, his eyes are strained as if he’s been keeping them open, and he’s been putting pressure on me for a couple minutes by now. Conclusion: His Quirk relies at least on sight.”
“Name’s Gravity Controller, you caught me in a good mood today, so I won’t hurt ya…too much,” he says with a sadistic smile on his face, leaning closer to Midoriya. His breath reeks of cheap ramen noodle and potent alcohol, with his smile showing too much yellow teeth. Knowing he was going to get hurt either way, courage began filling Izuku’s chest. Midoriya did the one thing he hopes will work: he spits in the villain’s face. “Son of a bitch!” Gravity Controller says, trying to wipe the disgusting yellow phlegm-like spit from his eyes. With Gravity Controller’s eyes off Midoriya, the weight holding him down completely goes away, as if it was never there. Seizing his opportunity, Midoriya threw his backpack at the man, running off in a random direction. Pencils and pens flew into Gravity Controller face, stinging him. “GET BACK HERE, YOU DAMN BRAT!” he yells at him, trying to catch up. Luckily for Midoriya, he knew these streets a bit better than the villain, barely one second ahead of him. That was until he reached a dead end. Midoriya stretches his head up the concrete wall, seeing it stretch on for what felt like forever. Slowly, he turned around to face the very angry man behind him. Gravity Controller was clearly out of shape, with sweat dripping off his face.
Taking in deep labored breaths, the older man slowly said, “You’re fucked, kid.” His irises changed from brown to icy blue and Midoriya immediately felt gravity change, slamming him into the wall. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t move. Gravity Controller pulled out two brass knuckledusters from his back pocket. “You’re a pain in the ass, but smart, ya know?” He put the knuckledusters on by the time his fist slammed against Izuku’s chest, knocking the wind out of him. Fist after fist slammed into him, each one leaving a new bruise. With each punch, the smile on the man’s face grew larger and larger. After an agonizing five minutes, the man was too winded to continue on. With the last of his strength, he threw one final punch against Midoriya’s head, satisfied when blood began to drip down the boy’s head. Gravity Controller released his Quirk, his irises returning to their natural brown color. Midoriya’s regular gravity returned, and he unceremoniously fell onto the ground. Grinning, the man spat on the boy's head before walking away into the shadows.
4:00 PM
Pain greeted the emerald eyed boy as soon as he awoke. He felt multiple bruised ribs, a couple cuts along his face, blood dripping down his temples, and a massive headache. With a groan, Midoriya did his best to stand up, wobbling along the way.
“Fuck, that hurt …" he thought as his legs felt like a freight train crashed into them. He painstakingly limped back to where he first met his assaulter. After turning here and there, he breathed a sigh of relief as his backpack was right where he threw it.
Midoriya searched around inside, finding his wallet (with nothing stolen) and his emergency first aid kit. He usually used it for when Kacchan used him like a punching bag or a training dummy. Luckily enough, he still had enough leftover supplies from yesterday to fix himself up. From there, Izuku applied rubbing alcohol and bandages to his cuts. Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, Midoriya put his backpack back on and continued his walk to the restaurant.
4:15 PM
Finally in front of the tiny restaurant door, the greenette was hungry, tired, and oh so dehydrated. His mouth salivating, he walked in.
Bustling with life, he sat down at his favorite spot. With the plump red cushioned leather beneath him, he took a moment to relax. Midoriya felt the stress getting to him, but he patiently waited until the waitress came. He asked for his usual: katsudon with extra pork and extra MSG, along with a single Coke. Immediately as the rice, egg, and pork hit his tongue he felt better; being brought back to his childhood days of eating katsudon with his mother after a bad “fall” when playing with Kacchan.
He scarfed it all down, feeling a tad sluggish/better from all the food. Midoriya paid the waitress ¥1,000 for the drink and food, going on his way back home.
4:50 PM
A poor rock was being assaulted by a limping, slightly bruised green haired boy. Being kicked again and again, with the occasional whipping of a shoe lace, Midoriya kept his head down as he walked steadily down the sidewalk, making sure not to bump into anyone unless he wanted pain. After the shit day he’s been through, the young lad just wanted to go home and watch his favorite video of All Might.
Several mini explosions in quick succession happened nearby. Izuku whipped his head up, seeing thick, nauseating black smoke coming from a crowded alleyway. He sees multiple Pro Heroes, such as Mount Lady and Kamui Woods trying to get everything under control, but failing miserably. Midoriya pushes through the crowd to try and get a better look, before he hears a very familiar voice screaming, “DIE!”
“Is that…no! It can’t be…” Midoriya thought horribly as he finally got to the front of the crowd. His denial came to fruition as he saw the struggling form of his former childhood friend turned bully being submerged in a thick, sludge-like substance: Kacchan. Fire surrounded him on almost all sides. He clawed at the Sludge Villain to no avail, his eyes showing debilitating fear.
His legs carried him to the Sludge Villain before Izuku even knew what was happening. He had no idea what to do, no idea on how to save Kacchan. As he ran closer and closer to the threat, he assessed the situation: “Unarmed physical attacks are ineffective, however the villain’s eye seems to be a weak poin-“
Izuku’s train of thought stopped suddenly as he tripped over his shoe laces. The last thing Midoriya saw was the light leaving Kacchan’s eyes as the Sludge Villain entered him orally, killing him from the inside out.
7:00 PM
A steady beeping sound woke Midoriya Izuku from a restless slumber. A pounding headache awakened him further. His head burned like he had a fever. The greenette blearily opened his eyes to find himself in a hospital room, gown and all. He moved his head slightly to the left to see his mom crying softly.
“…Mom?” Midoriya whispered, struggling to speak with his dry mouth. Inko whipped her head up, her crying stopping temporarily. She got up and hugged her son in a flash, fearing she’d lose him if she ever let go.
“Izuku! I-I-I was so w-worried when I got the call! I’m so glad you’re safe!” Midoriya was glad his mom was there, but his mind had a more pressing issue. He struggled out of her hug to look her in the eye.
Grabbing her arms he asked, “Is Kacchan okay?” desperation evident in his horse throat. He felt the blood drain from his face as he heard the familiar words, “I’m sorry…” Everything else she said becoming a blur.
Midoriya Izuku didn’t know when he got cleared from the hospital, or when he was led to his room. All he knew was that he wouldn’t, no, couldn’t speak. Not after knowing what happened.
His childhood friend, Kacchan, died, and it was his fault.
Day Two, Friday, 3:00 PM
The final school bell rang throughout the building, with no whoops and absolutely no cheers coming from the students that filled the classrooms. Quiet whispering was heard coming from everyone, with the same words being repeated, “…Quirkless…failed…anyone else…he’s responsible.”
Midoriya just kept his head down, his eyes glazed over. He heard what they said and agreed with every word. It was he who rushed in, it was him who fucking tripped, and he was the reason why Bakugo was gone. Izuku closed his eyes at that fact, knowing that he would never talk to him again. He thought back to what Kacchan said to him yesterday:
“Take a swan dive off the roof.”
“That…isn’t a bad idea,” the Quirkless boy thought darkly.
6:30 PM
Midoriya stood atop the highest point of his middle school. Hiding in the school till everyone was gone wasn’t hard, as the constant bullying gave him the necessary hiding places. The sunset was a beautiful orange-yellowish glow. He drunk in the view, knowing that would be one of the last things he’d see.
Izuku took off his shoes and set it aside. He looked over the edge of the roof. It was a good three stories down. The grass appeared so far away, but that was to be expected. With a shuddering breath, Midoriya spoke aloud, “I’m so, so, so sorry, Kacchan. I-I failed you. I hope you can f-forgive me.”
His final words said, the greenette walked off of the roof, his body turned upside down in the air. As his head approached the ground, the final thought Midoriya Izuku would ever have was that if he could have gone through Hell to save Kacchan, he would have done it.
A resounding SNAP happened when his body made contact with the floor.
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Emerald green eyes blinked rapidly to the sudden blurriness. When they finally adjusted, the boy was staring at an article of the Sludge Villain. He was confused. “I thought I-shouldn’t I be-why am I-“ his thoughts was abruptly stopped short when a spiky blonde haired boy slammed his hands down on his desk.
“Oi, I’m trying to talk to you, Deku!” Midoriya slowly lifted his head, his eyes filled with disbelief and confusion at who he saw. “By the way, your shoes are untied, dumbass.”