(morally grey! Izuku)
(mature!/smart! Shigaraki)
"You should probably give it up."
"...he has no Quirk."
When Midoriya Izuku was labelled Quirkless at the tender age of four, he didn't know how to face reality.
He could hear the faint sound of glass shattering in the background of his mind, wondering if the doctor had made a mistake or if he really was as useless as Kacchan had always told him.
That night, Inko took her son home only for him to sit in front of the computer, rewatching All Might's debut video.
"Okaa-san..."
"He's such a cool hero..."
He swivelled around in his chair with a well of tears threatening to spill and a painful smile on his face.
His hand trembled as he pointed to the screen, voice quivering in a silent plea:
"Can I... be a hero, too?"
His hopes and dreams came tumbling down, crashing like waves against a huge dam, when Inko staggered and crumpled to the floor beside him to hold him tight.
"Gomenae, Izuku!" she sobbed repeatedly, "Gomenae... Gomenae!"
The tears couldn't be held back any longer and fell freely against Izuku's freckled cheeks as he sat there, smile frozen in place.
'No, that's not it. That's not it, Okaa-san,' Izuku thought, eyes staring blankly ahead.
The sound of breaking glass rang continuously throughout his ears, over and over again as he struggled to accept his new reality.
_______
Izuku spent the rest of the year in despair, his hollow eyes reflecting the emptiness he felt inside.
He wouldn't talk to anyone. He stood there blankly when Kacchan and his friends bullied him. He did his work in silence.
He lied to his mom, saying he had signed up for an extra class and that a caretaker would bring him home when really, he just walked the streets absent minded.
This lasted until the day he met a villain.
It was around the end of July – Izuku had just turned five. He'd been dropped to kindergarten as usual.
Kacchan had followed him to the nearby park after school, shoving him to the ground hard enough for him to scrape his knees.
Ignoring the blood, Izuku had watched as Kacchan emptied his backpack and yelled insults in his face.
Once the blonde left, the green-haired boy had simply collected his things before sitting on the swing in silence.
Then a shout filled the air.
Izuku looked up, curiosity leading him to a darkened alleyway close by.
A man lay on the floor with a fearful expression on his face as he looked up.
Following his gaze, Izuku noticed a man- no, a child, just a few years older than him with scraggly grey hair, standing above the man on the floor.
Barely a second passed as the child moved, too fast for Izuku to see. In the end he only saw the knife in the child's left hand dripping with a thick red substance.
Looking back at the child's face, Izuku jolted when he saw grey eyes staring back at him.
"What's a brat like you doing here? You should be running away screaming in fear by now," the kid muttered out, pointing the knife at Izuku's face.
"You're a kid yourself..." Izuku said with a pout on his face, however the dead tone and hollow eyes couldn't hide his lack of emotions. "And why would I do that? You're not as scary as Kacchan."
A short pause, then he continued. "Why'd you kill that man? Did he do something bad?"
Shigaraki Tomura laughed quietly as a smile reached his cracked lips. This brat was interesting, for the very fact that he didn't bat an eye over death and murder, so he answered his question.
"I killed him because I wanted to. He was a boring man that bossed around and took the money of people weaker than him."
Izuku nodded as he looked at the kid in front of him. Tomura blinked in confusion as he wondered whether the brat was alright in the head.
"Then that means he was abusing his power of aufurr- authority, right?" Izuku stumbled over his words, his non-existent lisp making an entrance. "Are you a hero?"
"No... I'm a villain."
That revelation wasn't as shocking to Izuku as he thought it'd be, however he put it down to him being out of touch with his emotions, or lack thereof.
"But... you did a good thing. So why do you call yourself a villain?" he innocently questioned, blinking slowly up at Tomura.
"Listen, pipsqueak. It's not like us villains call ourselves that because we want to. It's what society labels us whether we like it or not. You're either a hero or a villain these days, if you even think about sympathising with the 'enemy' then you're automatically seen as a villain too."
At this, Tomura rolled his eyes and flicked the blood off his knife as a portal opened up behind him.
"I don't think that's very fair," Izuku responded.
Tomura looked at the kid with mild interest before he spoke. "It doesn't matter whether you think it's fair or not. The truth is that as long as a villain destroys buildings, or even holds a grudge, the society we live in is going to hate you for it."
Seeing that the kid still didn't look convinced, Tomura continued.
"If a villain saves a person, or kills in self-defence, this society will condemn you. They'll force a reason upon you, whether your own reason was good or bad doesn't matter, and will make you the bad guy no matter what. 'That villain saved someone? That person was probably an accomplice!' 'Why would a villain need to defend themselves? It's obvious that they killed for the sake of killing!' And so on."
Finally seeing realisation dawn in those brightening green eyes, Tomura nodded in satisfaction and stopped talking before stepping back into the purple mist behind him.
Although he probably shouldn't have said anything, much less given a proper explanation to some dumb kid he randomly met, Tomura felt lighter. Like he'd been holding this inside of him for so long, and for some reason he would've regretted for the rest of his life if he hadn't paid attention to this pipsqueak or said any of that stuff.
"So then... I'm guessing the opposite happens for heroes? I've never seen or heard about a hero killing someone but if they did, what... what would society say about them?" Izuku hesitantly asked.
He may be smart enough to not delude himself into thinking heroes can't make mistakes, but he was still just a kid that once greatly admired and respected heroes to the point of obsession.
"If a hero kills someone, whether by accident or on purpose, the reactions would be positive of course. 'All Might killed someone? That must've been the most evil of villains who deserved it!' 'Endeavour burned a building with people still inside it? They were probably colluding with villains!' And at worst, the people would think along the lines of 'whoever died sacrificed themselves so that the heroes could defeat the villains!' In the end... heroes can do no wrong, and villains can do no good. That is the unspoken law."
With that, the portal closed and Tomura disappeared without a trace.
Izuku sighed, thinking over the kid's words and what he knew about villains.
He didn't think it was fair that some people might forcefully be called villains.
The boy didn't look evil either, even though he killed a man, but he did a good thing because technically that man was stealing...
At least, that's what it sounded like to Izuku.
Even though he'd had his dreams to be a hero crushed once by being told he's Quirkless, even though he'd lost his emotions, the one thing that wouldn't change was Izuku's desire to help people.
That was the original goal: to be a hero so he could save just one more person. Hearing about how harsh society treats those that don't shine under the spotlight resonated with Izuku.
Although he didn't know it yet, in the future Izuku would look back at this moment and realise being diagnosed as Quirkless was simply a blessing in disguise – because now he'd be able to save those that the heroes couldn't, that they wouldn't, reach.
But for now, the green-haired boy just shook his head as he made his way back home, muttering under his breath about how he forgot to ask for the villainous boy's name...
...he didn't notice the purple mist shrouding his back, or the grey device being attached to his clothes.
_______
"Shigaraki Tomura. Are you sure this is a good idea?" Kurogiri asked as he cleaned the wine glasses. "To put a tracker on the boy, how long are you planning on watching him for?"
"We'll leave him alone for a few years as he seems quite young. Younger than me at least. There's no need to watch him as of this moment, only if the tracker is destroyed will we make a move. For now, yearly checkups are fine."
Tomura grabbed the glass of orange juice placed before him as he spoke, glancing at the screen on the wall that showed his master was listening.
"That boy does seem interesting, but for now we will observe. You have done well in your assignments Tomura, so if the boy shows potential in the future you may recruit him. I leave him in your hands," All For One agreed.
_______
Since the moment Izuku met that villain it seemed as though he'd regained some of the light in his eyes.
Inko could tell that her son was gradually coming out of his depressed period, which assured her that Izuku would be fine.
He was no longer so dead to the world, however his emotions were still heavily stilted compared to his usually passionate self.
Although he no longer had any sort of goal or purpose to strive towards, Izuku tried to get back into his usual routine.
He started watching the news again, habitually turning to the hero channel more often than not. He ate dinner with his mom together at the table.
He started taking notes again, but now he focused on the villains just as much as the heroes.
He wrote all about their Quirks, strengths and weaknesses, types of support gear that might improve their Quirks and the different or new ways to use those Quirks.
He also added small anecdotes such as what their reasons for being a hero or villain were.
Blue notebooks for heroes that he carried around with him, red notebooks for villains that he kept safely stored in his room, and a purple notepad in case he stumbled upon a fight somewhere so he could jot down things about both individuals in the heat of the moment.
_______
It was a week before he'd begin his first year at elementary school. Izuku was now six years old, however it seems like he really is a villain magnet.
Walking down the alleyway he met Tomura a year ago – not that he knew his name, mind you – Izuku just so happened to stumble upon the unknown Hero Killer Stain.
The villain also appeared to have just gotten done with dispatching another worthless hero.
Stain instantly held the freckled boy at knifepoint when he heard shuffling near him. Making eye contact, Izuku easily peaked Stain's interest considering his lack of reaction.
"You aren't scared?" the villain asked, the cold metal prodding gently at the boy's soft cheek.
"Hero Killer Stain. Someone who goes around eliminating heroes that he deems unworthy of the title," Izuku said somewhat brightly.
Stain paused, a little shocked that a kid saw his message for what it was (especially considering he wasn't even a well known villain yet), and was unsure how to respond.
He went with emitting his intense aura, a dark and intimidating look settling in his eyes.
Izuku gulped in minimal fear and slight horror at Stain's reaction but managed to stutter his way back to safety.
"I– I'm sorry! It's just– I just wanted to say that I respect what you're d-doing and..!" the boy was barely breathing at this point so Stain suppressed his aura and took a step back from him, retracting his blade in the process.
As much as he was a villain, unfortunately, he wouldn't let his cause suffer from the blood of an innocent citizen.
Not to mention, the boy was somehow intriguing.
After taking in a few breaths to calm himself down, Izuku quickly spoke his thoughts to the villain that glanced meaningfully at him.
"I'm just a kid. I don't exactly understand the need for blood and violence... but I can respect your goal to create a safe society where good triumphs evil for the sake of peace and nothing else..." Izuku trailed off nervously, seeing the strange look on Stain's face.
He may've gotten his emotions back but the sheer amount that Stain could bring out from Izuku was slightly traumatising. His cheeks burned a bit hotter and his lips clamped shut in apprehension from Stain's aura, feeling the immense pressure.
Still, not once did he look away from Stain's assessing gaze.
A few moments passed before Stain spoke.
"I like you," he stated with a sharp grin. "You're smart. Tell me, what are your personal thoughts about heroes and villains? Are you planning on being a glamorous hero, kid? Or perhaps a cruel villain yourself?"
Izuku laughed coldly, having relaxed once he saw the teenage Stain let down his guard. "No, I'm not. But even if I wanted to be one or the other, I can't because I'm just a useless, Quirkless little fool."
Stain frowned at the disgust and anger that laced the boy's words. He thought of the nervous kid just a moment ago.
The self loathing that coloured his tone now made Stain feel like another burning flame of potential had just been ripped and torn to shreds by this flawed society.
He didn't know what the boy went through but his instincts screamed at him to somehow make it better.
He held no attachment to the child but the apathetic grin he wore and those dead, lifeless eyes of his made Stain truly feel like crying; he was terrified at the power this boy held (Stain's never cried before, after all) but moreso trembling with excitement from just how much he could bring out of him.
The calculating glint in Stain's eyes tripled along with his intense aura.
"Just because you're Quirkless doesn't make you a fool, much less a useless one," Stain said, completely relaxed now.
An idea sprung to his mind, it would be a slow process considering how young this kid seems but he feels like it'll be worth it.
"Hey, kid. If you really want I can teach you – how to fight without a Quirk, that is."
At the sudden offer, Izuku's head snapped up. He stared directly into Stain's eyes, shock and hope evident within.
"I can... still... fight? You'll help me?"
A lump formed in his throat at Stain's nod.
"Please."
_______
Izuku started his first year of elementary school refreshed and ready to succeed. He still didn't have much of a goal, but his current plan was to master every thing Stain could teach him.
During the week, he followed an exercise program Stain had given him so that he could gain some muscle. He also asked his mom to make meals with more protein from then on.
Every Saturday and Sunday Izuku found himself personally training with Stain, who spent the whole year teaching him basic defense and offense so that his foundations would be strong. He was just a child, after all.
By the end of the year he had an amazing amount of agility and speed, which he used to execute his moves with precision.
His reaction time had increased, allowing him to quickly avoid and attack.
His cognitive processing also increased, allowing him to make better judgements in a shorter time frame and improving his combative skills.
_______
His second year of elementary school soon followed, with Izuku's exercise regimen focusing more on strength training as he began to learn hand to hand combat with Stain.
At the end of the year, Izuku was able to lift objects weighing half his weight with ease. His reflexes had been whittled into a sharp blade of their own, allowing Izuku to move at an incredibly fast pace and land swift yet impactful hits on his opponent.
Having to dodge and defend unless he wanted to be beaten to a pulp by Stain's flurry of attacks allowed Izuku to experience the brutality of physical combat and how to make more powerful counters.
Along with that, it seemed his appetite had also increased as three bowls of rice were barely enough to keep his seven year old body satisfied.
Izuku had always been a quick learner and having an experienced fighter like Stain as a teacher, who had a lot of insight on training and techniques, was a big part of Izuku being able to adjust, adapt and improve in his skills at an almost abnormal pace.
_______
His third year began and Stain believed Izuku was finally ready to handle knives.
Of course he didn't let the kid touch his precious knives. However he'd gotten the kid his own set and proudly showed it off to him that weekend.
Izuku had given Stain a large toothy grin in response, causing the older male to smile back in fondness.
They'd later gone on to mastering just the basics of several weapons so that Izuku had more in his arsenal: hanguns, snipers, whips, cross/bows, spears, swords and daggers.
Along with Izuku's progress in training, it seems the constant presence of Stain allowed him to swiftly recover from his loss of emotions.
Stain wasn't just a brutally strict trainer but an encouraging mentor and understanding companion.
Izuku began to feel comfortable when with Stain; the teenager was reliable and safe and felt like a second home to him.
Comparing Izuku's stats from the beginning of his first year to the beginning of his third year, one would almost cry in amazement at how fast he was improving.
If he were at a level of minus two at the start, by now it would be considered to be at least level three.
It should be mentioned that the average adult would be around this level, and a child would be around level one.
From the age of four, everyone would be on equal footing at level zero, having a Quirk but unable to control or use it. Izuku, having started off Quirkless, was already two steps behind everyone else.
Level one would involve controlling it, therefore making sure not to harm yourself or others.
Now it would be easy to cross this level by just learning to not use your Quirk, minimising the risk of causing harm to others; but some Quirks can still cause harm to yourself like that, such as a buildup of sweat with nowhere to go automatically generating explosions that burn or rip the skin off your hand, such as Bakugo Katsuki's Quirk.
Another example would be a Quirk that disintegrates or burns things – it would be easy to just not touch anyone, and turning a pencil to dust is not exactly harmful, however if you have an itch on your face that you go to scratch without having controlled your Quirk you may just end up turning your face into dust too.
This is why level one is very important, and for some it may be the hardest level to cross as controlling a Quirk is harder the more powerful or the more Quirks one has. However it varies for individuals, and every level is hard to cross, so some might find level one easy but get stuck at level three instead.
Level two would involve using their Quirk, which is much easier said than done; causing an explosion is not considered 'using' the Quirk, but causing an explosion to propel yourself into the air would be.
Similarly, breaking a wall with your enhanced Quirk would not be considered 'using' it, but coming out without a scratch would make it valid.
Most people reach this level in middle school.
However once the majority have reached level three, where many struggle to fully understand and/or accept their strengths and weaknessss, they don't really have a further reason to improve.
Thus level three has been capped as when your Quirk has fully matured, which in turn has set the age at which a person is considered an adult to be around fifteen or so.
Izuku, not having a Quirk at all to use, already put him down a level.
However without any chance to fight back or defend himself in this more violent society, Izuku had been kicked down even further along the metaphorical staircase.
Therefore, with him being able to learn to attack and defend himself from training, he'd managed to climb his way up.
The ability to fight with a number of means using different techniques, attack patterns, weapons, and controlling it all has also further allowed him to stand on equal ground to those with Quirks.
But Izuku is rather unique, so without a Quirk he was easily able to cross the swaying bridge that was level one and level two.
He knew how to fight and he had tools that he could control and use at his disposal without causing harm to others or himself unintended.
Izuku had long ago accepted his weaknesses due to his chance meetings with villains, however he was still learning the limits of what he could and couldn't do, so for now he was still considered level three.
As it is, Izuku as a Quirkless eight year old held the power of an average Quirked thirteen year old.
The means to fight without a Quirk was probably Izuku's hardest challenge at the time, but he'd still managed to do it all within the span of a single year; it makes one wonder just how much of a genius this boy would be had he been gifted with a Quirk.
Having caught up to a regular kid with a Quirk, and even having the ability to surpass them and stand equal to a civilian adult, was honestly a big difference.
Izuku was proud of his progress when Stain had explained it thoroughly in this manner, and the two went out to celebrate at a festival in disguise.
_______
The summer after his third year ended, Izuku had actually been kidnapped.
Yes, kidnapped.
It was while he was walking back home in the evening, having spent the day training with Stain, that he was sucked into a portal and found himself sitting on a barstool with the grey-haired villain beside him.
"You?" Izuku pointed, staring in shock. "Ah, I didn't get the chance to ask your name! You left so suddenly and now- wait, have you been watching me all this time?!"
Internally Izuku was sighing, he finally got to meet this guy again.
"Well hello to you too, Midoriya Izuku. My name is Shigaraki Tomura. The bartender over there," to which said man gave a misty wave, "is Kurogiri."
Tomura calmly took the hand off his face and drank the alcoholic beverage that was placed in front of him, paying no mind to the kid that was spluttering in his seat.
"...your Quirk is like a warp gate, correct?" Izuku eventually asked, turning to the barkeep. Seeing him nod in surprise, Izuku smiled before offering a few details about how he could use his Quirk in different ways or what types of gear could improve it.
Kurogiri was content with what he'd learnt, subconsciously leaning over to pat Izuku's fluffy green head.
"I brought you here because I wanted to know more about you. I haven't been watching you, just keeping track of your whereabouts... You peaked my interest when you didn't run off crying in fear after seeing me," Tomura said straightforwardly.
"Has anything happened since we last met?"
Tomura listened intently as the boy went on to happily mention how he changed over the year after meeting Tomura, then meeting and training with the Hero Killer Stain over the past three years.
"Learning from Stain..." Tomura mused, a grin slipping onto his face. "Are you planning on becoming a villain, brat?"
He didn't say anything about the boy's drastic change in demeanour.
Izuku thought carefully about that question before replying.
"I'm not planning on being a villain, but I'm not planning on being a hero either. For now, I'm just going with the flow. Plus I like Stain and he currently doesn't want me to become a villain so yeah."
Turning to look at the now-teenager that first taught him about the harsh society they live in, Izuku shyly asked him a question.
"Although I'm not a villain right now, can I still visit you now and then? I don't have many friends, pretty much only Stain, so if you don't mind I'd like to be friends with you and Kurogiri-san."
He beamed when Tomura mutely nodded, raising his hands in the air like he'd just won a prize.
In order to celebrate their newly formed friendship, Kurogiri had given Izuku his first taste of alcohol (though he'd mixed it with some juice to make it tolerable for the kid).
He was only nine years old, but the law didn't matter to villains.
Izuku also vowed that he wouldn't have more until he started middle school.
Thus, their new friendship bloomed. Izuku was later dropped into Stain's arms, who stared wide eyed at the sleeping kid that reeked of alcohol.
He spent a good few hours feeding him water to sober him up and making him change into the spare clothes he often carried in his bag (you never know when Kacchan and his explosions might appear after all).
And if Stain heard Izuku mumbling about "Stain nii-san" in his drunken sleep, well, that's between the two of them.
_______
Since then Izuku would visit the hideout once a week to spend time with Tomura and Kurogiri, sometimes even having conversations with All For One when the man wasn't busy scheming.
Stain often accompanied him (although he hadn't joined their organisation), such as the first time Izuku was given directions to the hideout (in which he was afraid that Izuku might bump into some unsavoury people).
Izuku wanted to nickname Tomura as "Mura," however Stain's nickname of "Shiggy" (to which Tomura had proceeded to try and disintegrate him for) was hilariously tempting to use.
The two spent over an hour arguing whether his official nickname should be Mura or Shiggy, whereas Kurogiri was content with the very cool "Kuro" he'd received unanimously (Tomura's "Giri" had frankly been ignored).
Such was a usual day for the four males.
The older ones gradually became more and more fond of Izuku, to the point where Kurogiri had even made a bedroom for the kid at the hideout.
_______
For his last three years of elementary school, Stain believed Izuku was ready to go out into the world and fight his own villains.
Of course, he made sure they were low level villains so that Izuku could work his way up after seeing how brutal the world really was.
The boy did very well for his first time, observing the target before efficiently knocking him out and slitting his throat without any resistance.
Stain hadn't taught Izuku how to be stealthy, however the boy had an innate talent for it (no one knew he'd unconsciously been cultivating this talent as a defence mechanism due to bullying and abuse), so Stain and Kurogiri helped him nurture it.
Once Izuku was confident enough that he could take on any low level villain, Stain started seriously sparring against him. If Izuku couldn't keep up, there definitely would be more than just some broken bones.
They'd lost some time since Izuku spent a week trying to get over his first murder – the villains had actually offered for him to just knock the target out for it to be considered a victory, however once he heard how the man was responsible for raping women and selling children, Izuku had lost his cool and decided that the man deserved to die for that.
When he'd come back the boy had fully accepted what he'd done and might continue to do.
He made sure to stress to the villains that this incident didn't mean he'd become a villain, just that he believed murder was a necessary tool to be used at times.
The others accepted it, though grudgingly (after all, who wouldn't want the kid they raised to follow in their footsteps?), and things went back to normal – starting with Izuku fighting for his life against Stain.
The green-haired boy had received plenty of injuries including fatal wounds from those fights. No matter how far he had come, he was still in the process of trying to surpass his teacher.
But it was a testament to his skills that he hadn't died or received any injuries that would instantly kill him, instead the worst outcome would've been him slowly bleeding out from multiple injuries.
Against the Hero Killer Stain, who not only had a Quirk but was also skilled in using weapons and physical combat, Izuku held his own extremely well against him.
His more dangerous wounds would later be quickly fixed thanks to a healing Quirk All For One had, however shallow wounds and bruises would stay.
Not because they couldn't be healed, but because since the moment he started training with Stain Izuku had denied healing small injuries like that in an effort to get more out of them: higher resistance to pain, a reminder of where he went wrong, a reminder that he was still weak and should not become arrogant or overconfident in his skills, and a sign to show that he was stronger than he was the day before (as he gradually gained less and less bruises).
Because these battles were so intense however, Izuku's fighting ability had improved immensely and he was easily able to incorporate the techniques he'd learnt in total.
_______
Izuku had accepted being Quirkless as both a strength and weakness.
He'd come to acknowledge his intelligence, cunning and knack for analysing.
He realised that he was quite observant of his surroundings due to the bullying he had suffered for years, and this alertness had become sharper after training it.
His thinking had become as flexible as his body, allowing him to imagine and create things in his mind that he could put into practise if he wanted.
His stealth was another thing entirely though, allowing his naturally lithe demeanour to go unnoticed or for him to blend into the background very easily.
Izuku wasn't a person that stood out much unless he was actively trying to, so he had patiently yet painstakingly honed this skill that he now considered to be his ace.
With all these cards in his deck, Izuku was certain he would not be seen as weak compared to his peers.