Life without a quirk isn't easy. Izuku would know - he's been living it.
Ever since that day at the doctor's office, when the words "I'm sorry, but you're quirkless" were said, everything changed.
People started looking at him differently. Katsuki, his so-called best friend, began seeing him as weak… useless. His classmates? They didn't even bother to hide their pity or scorn. All because he didn't have some flashy power. Even a tiny, insignificant quirk would've been enough - but he wasn't given one.
And so, the world decided his worth for him.
But Izuku… Izuku wasn't the type to accept that.
He kept moving forward, no matter the comments, no matter the sneers or jeers. All for one reason. To be a hero. A beacon that could make people smile in the darkest of times. To show the world - even if it was just one person at a time - that he was here, and they were safe.
That was his goal. And he'd do everything in his power to reach it.
But it was a hard path. Especially for a young boy, crushed under the weight of a society obsessed with power.
So, he kept to himself. He buried himself in his hobby - analysing heroes. Filling notebook after notebook with notes, diagrams, and ideas. Studying every move, every tactic, every flaw he could spot.
Yet for all his smarts… he was still naive.
He believed, deep down, that one day his quirk would just… appear. That it would manifest out of nowhere, some hidden power awakening to prove everyone wrong.
Because of that, he never trained. Never pushed his body, never built his strength. Never took the time to prepare his vessel for the future he dreamed of.
And still, he clung to that dream of becoming a hero.
even if everyone was against that dream.
---
Toshinori Yagi - better known to the world as All Might - Stood at the back of the crowd, the sharp sting of his injuries gnawing at him. His breathing was laboured; his time in his true form had completely run out. He was about to leave the area, convinced there was nothing more he could do without risking his secret. The other heroes were enough, he reasoned.
Yet, despite that, he still felt guilty about walking away. Even if he knew he could do anything, he turned back around to watch.
Then he saw it.
A boy. That boy.
The same quirkless kid he'd shattered the dreams of earlier, standing frozen in horror at the sight of a familiar sludge villain. The villain had taken a hostage, a blonde-haired boy, thrashing helplessly as slime wrapped around his face, suffocating him. The surrounding crowd could only watch, paralysed by fear.
Toshinori expected the boy to turn away. or stay back in fear, like the rest of civillians.
But, instead, without hesitation, without a second thought for his own safety, Izuku Midoriya sprinted forward.
"What are you doing, you damn nerd? Get away!" the blonde shouted hoarsely.
But Izuku didn't stop. He didn't even seem to hear.
Toshinori's eyes widened.He's… he's charging in? Even without a quirk…
The boy hurled his backpack at the villain's eye and dove in, clawing at the sludge with trembling hands, desperate to free the hostage. Every instinct screamed at him to run, to save himself, but he kept going.
Toshinori's heart clenched in his chest.
It wasn't some reckless act. It wasn't for fame or attention.
It was pure.
unfiltered.
heroism.
Something stirred inside him. A long-buried fire reignited.
I told him he couldn't be a hero… and yet here he is, doing what no one else would.
Despite his injuries, despite the sharp ache in his side, Toshinori gritted his teeth. Power surged through his battered frame as he forced himself into his muscle form, the strain nearly unbearable.
But he didn't care.
"I AM HERE!"
The words thundered across the street as he leapt into action, fist cocked back.
"Texas… SMASH!"
Wind pressure alone scattered the sludge villain into a hundred pieces, the blast so powerful it cleared the skies overhead. Silence followed in its wake. droplets dripping from the sky. The weather having been altered.
The boy lay panting on the ground, cuts and bruises lining his arms, but his eyes were sharp and determined.
A thought crossed his mind, uninvited.
Maybe… maybe he could be the next wielder…
But the moment passed.
No. Not yet.
He couldn't afford to make a hasty decision, not without checking Nighteye's chosen candidate first. The future had already been carefully set in motion, and while this boy was impressive. But it wasn't the right time.
With a sigh, he plastered a wide grin onto his face, appeasing the flood of reporters as they swarmed in.
"I'll be off now, citizens! Leave the rest to me!"
And with that, he was gone in a flash.
Just out of sight, Toshinori ducked into a narrow alley, his form shrinking back to his true, skeletal self. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth, and his body ached.
so he walked off to do... all might stuff.
(you know, fuck idk, this is a dumb idea why am i writting? )
---
Izuku walked home, the fading light of evening casting long shadows across the cracked sidewalks. His body ached — bruises stung with every step, his palms scraped raw — but it wasn't the pain that gnawed at him.
It was the anger.
Not at Bakugo. Not even at himself.
At them.
The heroes.
He remembered their faces, their words, the way they stood there like statues, barking empty warnings from a distance."We didn't have the right quirks for the job," they'd said.
And Izuku wanted to scream.
What did it matter what quirks you had?!
Death Arms was built like a damn freight train. He could've charged in, grabbed Kacchan, and ripped him free. The sludge was liquid, sure — but his strength alone could've created an opening.
Or Kamui Woods. He could've used his binding wood to snag the villain's eyes, blind him even for a second. Hell, someone could've thrown debris, anything, to break the villain's focus.
They had options. So many ways they could've acted.
But instead… they just stood there.
Waiting.
Waiting… while Kacchan suffocated.
Izuku grit his teeth, a bitter taste in his mouth.
If All Might hadn't shown up… if I hadn't run in…
Bakugo would be dead.
The weight of that realisation settled like lead in his chest, as heavy as All Might's words from earlier. Both shook him to his core, rattling something deep inside that he couldn't quite name.
These people… these so-called heroes… they let a kid die right in front of them. All because it was inconvenient. Because it was risky. Because they were afraid.
Izuku's fists clenched at his sides, nails digging into his palms.
He'd always looked up to them. Always thought they were unshakable. That they'd do the right thing, no matter the cost.
But today… Today, he saw them for what they really were.
Flawed. Human. Hesitant.
And it made him realise something else.If he wanted to become a hero, a real one. He couldn't rely on anyone else to decide when it was time to act.
He'd have to be the one who moved first.
No matter what.
But to do that, he has to be strong enough to act.
He gazed down and looked at his thin arms and legs, a resolve growing strong and a tower of determination growing.
He didn't need anyone's approval. Not anymore.He'd become a hero on his own. And he'd save as many people as he could, through sheer effort and relentless work.
A small smile tugged at his lips. It wasn't the bright, innocent smile of a naive boy chasing a far-off dream.
It was a real smile, after learning that you still had a chance, that you could still do it.
He broke into a run, his feet pounding against the pavement. A new dream in his chest - not just to be a hero, but to become strong enough to save people where no one else would.
But to do that, he needed to get stronger.
Fast.
---
The next few days passed in a blur of research. Article after article, video after video, every fitness regimen, pro hero training clip, and combat tutorial he could get his hands on. He scribbled notes, cross-referenced diets, muscle development routines, and optimal rest cycles.
And by the end of it, he had a plan.
A brutal, relentless schedule balanced perfectly between physical conditioning, martial arts drills, and academic study. Every calorie accounted for, every hour assigned a purpose.
It wasn't just a dream anymore.
It was a blueprint.
And he was going to follow it, no matter what.
To be hero... x
(hjahaha, sorry sorry.)
A/N i wanna lean into the crack sooo much, but not yet. Still have some foundation to go, then you can repeatedly kick it with a pan.
hoped you enjoy, i have not slept in 2 days, i am going to crash soon. Bye-bye.