Chapter 1
''All men are not created equal…''
A simple phrase to most, but for young Izuku, these words carry much more weight than what others think. You see, he is not like most people in the society he lives in.
''Why?'' You may ask?
Well, you see, while all his peers developed their quirks, the young boy was the only who has yet to develop a quirk of his own for quite some time now, despite his age being the point where most quirks would manifest.
Unfortunately, this also led to a heated argument between his mother and father, which resulted in his father leaving them behind. A topic that his mother would never want to discuss and quite frankly, neither did her son.
And yet, at the risk of the possible discrimination and treatment he'd receive, he never planned on giving in. Despite knowing full well that being a hero would be difficult without having a quirk. He still firmly believed that he can make a difference in this world and regardless of what others may think, he would always help those in need.
Which brings us to our current situation.
A scared, but determined, four-year-old Izuku stood in front of an injured boy to protect him from a group of bullies. ''I get that you have a powerful quirk, but that doesn't give you the right to be mean to others Kacchan!'' He said with a determined face despite the traces of fear in his body.
''Who do you think you are by telling me what to do huh!?'' The lead bully of the group grinned. ''Last I checked, a quirkless nobody like you couldn't even stand a chance against me.'' He smacked his right fist onto his left palm, creating a small explosion while the two cronies with him began laughing maliciously, causing the boy behind our young hero to whimper.
Meanwhile, Izuku could only stare in disbelief at his former friend turned bully. Now granted, Katsuki Bakugou was never known as a very nice kid, but even he never went out of his way to actually inflict harm and belittle others.
But after his quirk manifested, he changed for the worse and eventually began bullying everyone with what he deemed a ''weaker quirk''. And if anyone were to appear to steal his spotlight, he'd make it his mission to make them miserable.
Although Izuku had no quirk to defend himself, he wasn't going to just stand there and do nothing when someone needed help. And as far as he's concerned, quirks should be used to help people and should never be used to prey on the weak.
Now, he knew that he didn't stand a chance against Bakugou's firepower. But, his heart and determination prevented him from running away and leaving the injured boy behind.
Izuku stood his ground and stared at the three bullies who were still making their way towards them. He steeled himself to say something but was interrupted by one of the cronies. ''What chance do you have against us? Your basically worthless!'' He sneered.
''Actually he's quirkless, but then again, there isn't much of a difference right?'' The other bully on the left cackled to himself.
Izuku grit his teeth from the comments but remained firm. ''It's true that I have no quirk….'' He looked down for a bit before looking back at them with determination. ''But I won't just stand there and let someone get hurt." He breathed. "You three have quirks, but if you use your powers to only hurt others, then you don't deserve them!'' The young boy behind him looked at him in awe despite the tears in his eyes.
But this statement, though brave, resulted in the three boys glaring at him and would undoubtedly hurt him more because of his outburst.
Izuku realized all of this and knowing that there's no possibility of escape, he glanced at the downed boy with a shaky smile. ''They'll be focused on me, so you better leave while you still can.'' He urged with a slight tremble in his voice.
The young boy looked like he wanted to protest for a split second. But quickly changed his mind and gave a shaky nod as he stood. "T-Thank y-you." He whimpered before running as fast as he could away from them.
Izuku smiled sadly before turning around to see the three charging towards him. "At least I saved him." He raised his fists with a shaky grin, vaguely remembering how people would block punches in the hero videos he had watched.
AFTER THE BEATDOWN…
Izuku woke up facing the sky, it was clear that during the beatdown he passed out from all the pain he received. "Well that wasn't so bad." He sighed before immediately wincing. "Ugh, nevermind." He groaned and was sure he didn't need to look at his body to know that it's probably covered with scrapes and bruises.
He wasn't sure when he passed out, but he was somewhat glad that he didn't have to remember every detail of the experience. "Geez, I feel more beat up than an egg." He chuckled only to wince again. "Ok, bad idea to laugh, got it." He decided to wait for the pain to subside.
Turning his head a bit, he noticed that the sun began setting. "Crud, mom's gonna be worried sick if I don't get home soon." He muttered before taking a breath and sat up with a painful grunt.
Thankfully the injuries he had sustained weren't severe, allowing him to stand with a huff before checking himself. "Definitely better than it looks." He muttered while dusting himself off, thanking himself for having watched heroes fist fight in videos.
Once sure that he can walk, he began walking home with a slight limp. "I hope mom doesn't freak out."
As he made his way home in silence, he began thinking of possible excuses to tell his mother why he's in a pretty bad shape. He hated lying, but like many things, there are reasons why he wanted to avoid telling his mother the truth.
For one he didn't want her to have a panic attack. She's already been through enough heartbreak as it is…
On the day that he was examined as quirkless, he can still vividly remember his mother's face as the doctor delivered the examination. A face of pure heartbreak, as if her entire world was falling apart around her. No doubt dreading the thought of her son facing the inevitable discrimination and being preyed upon by other people with quirks.
Sure he was equally heartbroken, but he doubted his grief could be compared to hers at that moment. And even though he had cried in his room that day, he was certain that he wasn't the only one.
After that night, Izuku had made an honest effort to try and relieve his mother's sadness or at least try and not make it worse. And from what he's seen, it was clear that his mother was doing the same thing and put up a brave face for him but both knew that life was going to be hard from that point on.
*HONK*
Startled by the sudden sound, Izuku halted in his tracks and immediately looked to the source in bewilderment.
Only for his eyes to immediately widen.
Crossing the street is a small kitten and heading towards it is a speeding truck showing no signs of stopping as it kept honking at the small animal.
"Oh no!" Izuku gasped before his mind raced as it tried and failed to find a way to rescue the animal. But every scenario resulted in the kitten or both of them getting killed. He considered yelling at the animal to move but immediately scrapped the idea, considering that it might cause the kitten to stop and be distracted by him.
Running out there is out of the question, since he isn't the fastest runner. Plus there's the fact that his legs still hurt a bit from being beaten, which would only result in both of them being in a compromising position.
His thoughts halted as he noticed the truck getting closer, causing his composure to evaporate and instinctively tried to reach out for the kitten before closing his eyes as he didn't want to see the inevitable death happen. "I-I'm sorry!"He whimpered as he braced himself for the impact.
...
...
...
He flinched as he felt and heard the truck zoom pass the area but curiously...
"No hit?" His eyes remained closed as his face formed into one of confusion. "Did it run away in time?" Afterall, it wouldn't be the first time for him to witness a cat use their speed and reflexes to their advantage. "But it was still a kitten though." He added with doubt as he firmly kept his eyes closed, not willing to see anything gruesome.
But after a few more moments of silence, his curiosity overpowered him and dared him to open his eyes, only for them to quickly widen as he let out a gasp of shock.
The kitten was completely fine but that wasn't the only thing.
It was completely covered by a green glow while floating right in front of him. Which could only lead him to one conclusion as his eyes watered.
He has a quirk! And it was similar to his mother's too, only noticeably stronger and easier to control. How long can he use it? What else can he do with it? Is it completely like his mother's quirk or is it an upgraded version-
*mewl*
Stopping his muttering, he looked up with tear stained eyes and saw the cat looking at him with a curious expression. Apparently content with just floating there in peace.
Izuku couldn't help but smile and reach out to rub the kitten's head with his free hand. Causing the animal to lean into his touch, purring as it did this. And it was then he noticed that the feline is a female.
After a few more moments of petting, he gently placed the kitten back on the ground and then sat against a nearby wall to process what just happened. While beside him, the small feline sat close and stared at him.
And amongst his thoughts, he concluded that the path to becoming a hero seemed a bit easier now with his newfound power. "I can do it." He looked up to the sky with a relieved grin. "Plus, mom wouldn't have to worry as much." He thanked everything for being blessed with this opportunity.
With newfound vigor, he quickly recomposed himself and stood up, the pain in his body long since forgotten. "I gotta go tell her!" He cheered before eagerly walking home despite the light limp in his step.
But unbeknownst to him, the kitten began following him.
NEAR THE APARTMENT
Upon reaching the apartment complex, Izuku finally noticed something painfully obvious.
Turning around, his suspicions were confirmed when he spotted the kitten following him. The latter stopping to look at him. "What are you doing here?" The child inquired before stepping closer to the kitten who had decided to take a seat and continue to cutely stare at him. "Shouldn't you be home with your family?" He prodded again.
The kitten merely mewled in response, causing him to chuckle before crouching to pet the feline. And as the animal purred and leaned into his touch, he noted she sported white fur and blue eyes. "Hmm, well what do I do now?" He muttered as he ceased petting the kitten and wore a thoughtful expression.
Missing his touch, the kitten mewled and got closer to rub her body against his legs, causing him to let out a giggle from the ticklish sensation. "H-Hey, cut it out." He gently picked up the feline and leveled her to his face. "You're tickling my funny bones." He jokingly chastised with a grin.
His grin however was wiped off when the kitten used the chance to lick his nose, causing him to lean back in shock. It was clear to Izuku that he had gained the complete trust of this kitten. If he abandoned her now, it would mean subjecting her to a world of loneliness and pain.
With that in mind, his hero instincts kicked in and became clear on what must be done.
Ever so gently, he brought the kitten in a gentle embrace with no complaints from her. ''I think I'll name you Temmie, or Tem for short.'' He stated with a warm smile.
The little snowball appeared to love the name as it let out a mewl and snuggled in his embrace. "Let's go home." He giggled to himself before heading home.
MIDORIYA RESIDENCE-LIVING ROOM
Seated on the couch with a cup of tea in hand is the mother of our young hero, Inko Midoriya. She is a slim woman with shoulder length hair with a ponytail.
After taking a sip of her tea, she set it on the table in front of her and leaned back with a sigh as she reflected on how tough the days have been lately. Ever since her son had been diagnosed with being quirkless, things seemed to just fall apart around her.
Not to say it was her son's fault, far from it. No matter how much it was beyond her control, she couldn't help but feel responsible for her son's quirkless status. If she had perhaps tried another time or picked a different man, maybe things would have ended differently.
Her brows furrowed slightly as she thought of her ex-husband. As if things hadn't been bad enough, that worthless man had the audacity to blame and insult her son before abandoning ship.
Sure he left some money as an "apology", as he would put it, but that didn't stop her from slapping him afterwards and telling him that he had no right to call himself a Midoriya and a father if he left.
At least at that moment, he had the decency to look ashamed as he agreed before making his way to the door. She would have cursed him out for it but knowing that her son was listening to them, she decided to just glare at him with tear stained eyes as he closed the door on his way out, essentially leaving their lives forever.
Blinking back to the present, Inko wiped her eyes. "Who needs you anyway." She muttered with a sniff. "At least Izuku turned out great." She stated before her features softened at the thought of her son.
Despite having his dreams become almost unreachable now and all the grief he had experienced. His heart still remained true as he never once showed any animosity towards her (although like her, he'd rather not talk about his biological father).
In fact, Izuku would go as far as to accompany her to bed at night when her emotional mask would crack from the weight of it all every now and then. Though it had become obvious to her that he had long since seen through her facade and would make an effort to support her in any way he can.
All this proved how foolish her ex-husband's choice was to leave and how much more it meant for her to continue supporting her son, regardless if he still wanted to be a hero or not.
And with that thought, Inko sighed again and massaged the bridge of her nose. She vaguely remembered hearing about quirkless heroes, but they're not as popular due to how few and not so eye-catching they are.
Which only further complicated her son's future.
*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*
Looking up from her seat towards the door, Inko idly glanced at the wall clock and noted that it was almost night time. "Must be Izuku." She muttered before standing to make her way to the door, a part of her wanted to scold her son for being a bit late but she honestly didn't have the energy at the moment.
"I'll just talk to him about it after dinner." The woman smiled a bit before opening the door. "Welcome ho-" She froze at the strange sight.
Izuku was home but wasn't alone as he had a tiny kitten in his arms. "Hey mom!" He cheerfully greeted, waking up the kitten as it yawned. "Sorry about being late, but..." He looked sheepish. "Kaachan and I were having fun at the playground today." He internally winced at the lie but didn't let it stop him.
Inko idly nodded and stepped aside to let both of them in. "I see." She closed the door and looked back at her son in bewilderment as he took off his shoes with Temmie watching him. "Who's your friend?" She inquired with poorly hidden curiosity.
His features immediately brightened as he scooped up the feline (oblivious to how awed his mother was at how the animal allowed herself to be picked up). "This kitty here is named Temmie." He raised the kitten up. "Or Tem for short." He introduced with a big grin while Temmie mewled.
The mother felt a bubble of concern form within her, having a feeling where this conversation was going. "That's nice, but how did you and Tem meet?" She inquired as she gently gave the feline a head scratch, feeling her concern fade slightly when the kitten mewled in appreciation of her touch. "Cute." She smiled warmly at the tiny feline.
Meanwhile, she didn't see Izuku's smile die a bit from the question. As much as he didn't want her to worry, he already lied about his day at the playground, so the least he could do is be honest with her. "Yeah...about that." He lowered Temmie, allowing Inko to focus on him. "I...saved her from..." He gulped upon seeing her smile falter and braced himself. "...being hit by a truck."
And just like that, Inko's concern about the cat was forgotten as she instantly paled. "WHAT!?" Her screech shocked Izuku into dropping Temmie who was equally startled and hid behind his legs.
"I-I know it sounds b-bad but I-" He tried to calm her.
But unfortunately, he was ignored as his mother crouched in front of him and began checking him. "What were you thinking!?" She frantically eyed the scrapes on her son's body, imagining the worst had happened to him. "Haven't I told you to be more careful!?" Having no idea if the scrapes were a result of his rescue or his playtime in the playground, she opted to just hold him close. "If I lost you..." She choked up as she tightened her embrace. "What kind of m-mother would that make me...?" She whimpered, ignoring Temmie's attempts to comfort her.
While feeling guilt for making his mother sad, Izuku steeled himself and returned the embrace. "Even if something happened, I'd still call you the best mom in the world." He comforted while rubbing circles on her back as she only cried more from his words. "And besides, didn't you teach me that showing kindness can be a form of heroism?"
Despite her tears, Inko couldn't help but crack a small tearful smile at the reminder. "I did, didn't I?" She sniffed while rubbing the back of his head. "It was the day you asked me what made a hero." She felt him nod against her before she released him to look down at him. "You've become quite the little hero, haven't you?" She rhetorically asked with a proud tone as she kissed him on the forehead.
Izuku grinned at her, feeling a little misty eyed. "Well...I ambeing raised by the best after all." He chuckled as she giggled with warmth from his words. He then sighed as he looked to his feet. "I'm sorry for making you sad mom." He nervously rubbed his arm as Temmie mewled and sat beside him with an expression of sadness as well.
Inko stared at the two before sighing with a smile. "I'm not mad." Her statement caused both of them to look up at her in shock. "A little shaken up but..." She shrugged with a small grin. "I guess it comes with raising good children." She lightly giggled as she wiped her tears.
"Y-Yeah." He agreed, still in shock as he crookedly grinned. "I guess it does." He chuckled before glancing at Temmie. "But what do we do with her?" He scooped up the feline, holding her close as both looked up to the older Midoriya.
Inko knew that keeping a stray is a bad idea, considering that they never had any experience with having a pet before. But seeing how hopeful the two looked and how happy they seemed together, she couldn't find it in her heart to say no.
So with a sigh, the mother smiled kindly at the pair. "Well, it can't be helped then." Her statement caused the two to become nervous. "If you can promise me to be responsible, I'll let her stay."
She had to stop herself from giggling at how shocked the pair looked. Before her son beamed at her and turned the kitten to face him. "You hear that buddy? You're part of the family now!" He cheered as Temmie mewled happily and licked the tip of his nose, eliciting a giggle from the child before he twirled with the kitten mewling happily in his arms.
Inko smiled warmly at the interaction, but remembered their new responsibilities to the kitten. "Izuku, you can play with Tem later, but I believe it's best for the two of you to get cleaned up first." She kindly reminded.
A giggle escaped her then when the pair froze mid twirl, before facing her with an embarrassed blush. "Oh, right." He chuckled as he looked down at the kitten in his arms, the feline returning the stare. "Sorry for the stereotyping, but do you mind baths?" A hint of concern bubbled within him, considering the possibility that his new companion might despise being in water.
Temmie merely blinked at him, causing him to sigh. "So much for that." He chuckled before grinning. "But hey, one way to find out right?" The feline finally mewled in response, causing him to chuckle again before heading to the bathroom with the kitten still in his arms.
The mother watched the duo fondly, already knowing that Temmie would fit right in their little family. "Be sure not to take too long, dinner will be ready soon!" She called out while making her way to the kitchen, idly thinking of the best food to feed their new family member.
Izuku chuckled. "Don't worry mom, I'm not planning on-" He froze before he could enter his room to get spare clothes for himself, causing Temmie to look up at him in confusion.
While noting the pause, Inko began preparing to make rice. "Something wrong?" She prodded half distractedly.
Oh something's wrong alright. The young boy had been so focused on his whiskered friend, that he had forgotten to address another glaringly obvious development that had happened to him today, causing him to lightly wince before staying in place.
His mother had just gone through so many emotions not too long ago, how is he supposed to tell her? How will she even react? Would she be mad? Shocked? Possibly have a heart attack? Cry like there's no tomorrow? Or-
Izuku shook his head to dispel his nervous thoughts. Sure she'll probably freak out, but he doubts it would lead to her loving him less. And besides, she always encouraged honesty, which is one of many qualities that made a great hero.
And heroes always face challenges, no matter what.
"Which means I have to tell her now." The young boy concluded with a sigh as he glanced towards the kitchen. "Like ripping off a band-aid." He nodded to himself before looking down at Temmie with a crooked grin. ''Hey bud, I know we should get cleaned up right about now, but I need to do something first.'' He gently placed the kitten down and kneeled in front of her as she sat and stared up at him with interest, seemingly understanding his words. ''It shouldn't be a big deal, but knowing my mom...she could get emotional.'' He sheepishly chuckled as Tem curiously tilted her head. ''Which is why, I'm gonna need your help to calm her down.''
At that statement, Temmie's eyes lit up as she straightened her posture and let out a mewl, causing Izuku to grin and begin petting the feline. ''Cool, glad I can count on you pal.'' He quietly chuckled before he sighed and stood up to face the kitchen. ''Better get this over with.'' At his feet, Temmie stood beside him. ''Wish us luck.'' He muttered as he walked to the kitchen with his companion quietly following along.
MIDORIYA RESIDENCE-KITCHEN
Hearing noise behind her, Inko placed the food on the table before turning to the duo to speak before stopping upon seeing that they still hadn't cleaned themselves up. "Izuku." She frowned. "I told you to get cleaned up first." She lightly scolded with hands on her hips.
After grimacing a bit from her tone, Izuku nodded. "Yeah you did, and we'll get to that later." He quickly added the last part before she could interrupt. "It's just that there's something really important that I forgot to tell you." He confessed with a tone mixed with embarrassment and nervousness while Temmie sat by his feet.
Inko looked at him oddly, wondering why he was nervous all of a sudden. "Oh? And what would that be?"
He hesitated for a moment, further increasing her curiosity. "Now..." Izuku paused again, being careful with his words. "Remember how I saved Tem here-"
"Izuku please..." The mother interrupted with a sigh. Frankly she'd rather not be bothered with imagining her baby boy nearly being hit by a truck. At least not until having a full night's rest.
He raised his hands in a calming motion. "I know, I know...but hear me out." He stated in a pleading tone, causing her to relent and gestured him to continue. "Ok, well...the thing is...I haven't told you the whole story." He confessed with a nervous expression while Inko suddenly felt worried but didn't interrupt.
Seeing this, Izuku felt a lump begin to form in his throat but pushed on. "I-I mean..." He wrung his hands. "What I didn't tell you is...how I managed to save Tem." He confessed while his companion remained seated but cautious.
By now Inko's concern had grown. What did her son mean by that? "...what are you trying to say Izuku?" She prodded with a noticeably fearful and nervous tone.
"Welp, here goes nothing." The young hero gulped but steeled himself. "Well the thing is..." He turned to Temmie and silently asked for her permission, of which he received a mewl in return as she stood up.
Izuku nodded in return and closed his eyes to concentrate for a moment before opening them with a light glow and a serious look as he aimed his right palm at Temmie who suddenly became enveloped in a green glow, along with his right hand, before being raised in the air to level with his palm. ''This, is how I saved her.'' He faced his palm up to bring his companion to float above it with a mewl. ''My...uhhh, quirk manifested.'' He finally admitted as he let out a breath before crookedly grinning at the feline. ''Heh, wow. That was a lot easier than I thought.''
"..."
"..."
"..."
When no response or sound came from his mother, he and Tem blinked. ''Uhhhh.'' He and his companion felt unease bubble up within them when the silence remained. ''Not that I don't appreciate you not freaking out.'' He and Tem began facing the older Midoriya. ''But the silence is a little bit-'' He stopped himself as their eyes landed on a frozen Inko Midoriya, who stared at the duo with an unnervingly blank expression. ''Mom?'' He called out in concern and slight fear as he took a step forward.
Only for him to gasp when his mom's eyes rolled back before she began falling on her back. Thinking quickly, the young hero released Temmie, who quickly landed on her feet thanks to her reflexes, and willed his newfound quirk to activate as he aimed both hands at his mother. The latter suddenly covered in a green glow and limply floated in place before she could hit the hard floor.
Panting with frightened glowing eyes, Izuku then let out a sigh of relief and worked to calm his breathing. ''That was close.'' He muttered with sweat dripping on the side of his head, noting that the glow of his quirk and eyes have intensified due to the sudden weight. ''B-Better move her to the couch before I lose my grip.'' Thankfully they had the conversation where it was easy for him to levitate her to the couch from the kitchen. So with great effort, he began directing her to the couch, taking care to not move from his spot and simply focus on slowly moving her with Temmie watching on with anticipation.
After she was lined over the couch, he began to gently lower her with great effort before releasing her with a huff as she lay on the couch. ''That was a close one.'' He panted with sweat dripping from his form as he decided to take a seat on the floor. He glanced at Temmie who walked up to him and mewled in worry. ''Heh, I'm all good buddy, just a little worn out.'' He chuckled tiredly as he petted his feline friend as thanks for her concern.
He then turned his gaze to his unconscious mother with a grimace. ''So much for that.'' He muttered before standing up with a grunt. ''I'm sure she's fine.'' The duo stepped closer to eye her form. ''Hmm, plus she didn't hit anything while I moved her.'' He turned to grin at Temmie who leaped onto the armrest of the couch to take a closer look. ''Not bad for someone who just recently unlocked their quirk huh?''
Temmie ceased her inspection and looked up to stare at him, causing him to become sheepish. ''Right, too soon for jokes.'' She mewled in agreement as he sighed. ''I guess we'll just have to deal with it later when she wakes up.'' He then noted how sweaty and dirty he is with a grimace. ''But I think it's best we get cleaned up first.'' He looked up to his equally dirty companion. ''Wouldn't you agree?''
His feline friend noticed the dirt on her and licked her paw once before stopping with a mewl of disgust. ''Yeah, thought so.'' He chuckled and gently brought her into his arms before making their way to the bathroom.
LATER-MIDORIYA RESIDENCE-LIVING ROOM
On the couch, Midoriya Inko stirred as she opened her eyes a bit before closing them due to the bright ceiling light. "What happened?" She rubbed her head as she sat up while her eyes adjusted to the environment.
*mewl*
Looking at the noise in surprise, she was met with a much cleaner Temmie who sat on top of the living room table, staring at her curiously. "Oh, it's you." Inko smiled warmly as she adjusted herself to face the new family member. "I must have fallen asleep while waiting for the two of you to get cleaned up." She concluded as she reached out to the pet the kitten who immediately purred from her touch.
Seeing this, the older woman giggled. "I had the strangest dream too." She sighed as she stopped petting the kitten with a wistful smile.
"Mom?"
Hearing the voice, Inko turned to her son who stood a few paces away from her, wearing fresh clothes as he eyed her with caution. "About that..." His eyes glowed as he raised a glowing right hand, hovering an equally glowing Temmie beside him. "It wasn't a dream." He gently added while his feline companion mewled happily from her current position.
Izuku was then taken aback when his mother moved in a sudden burst of speed to hoist him up in the air by his armpits. "M-Mom!?" He called out in surprise as he made sure to keep a steady hold on Temmie who was equally surprised by the sudden commotion.
"It wasn't a dream!" Inko repeated with a laugh as she twirled with her son. "You have a quirk!" She cheered before pulling him into an embrace.
While making sure he still had a good grip on Temmie, Izuku used his free hand to gently push himself away from the embrace to look up at her in disbelief. "You're not mad?"
"Mad?" She met his gaze with a shocked expression. "Why in the world would I be mad?"
To this, Izuku turned his attention to the kitchen with a sad expression. "Well...you fainted when I told you." He glumly reminded while Temmie mewled in confirmation.
Remembering her earlier reaction, she blushed. "O-Oh, that. Well I was just surprised." She stammered but then formed a small smile. "When you were diagnosed as quirkless I was devastated, thinking that because of me...you'll have to go through a hard life with your dream far from your reach." She admitted as her eyes moistened a bit.
"Mom..." He muttered with an ache in his chest. He knew she took his past quirkless status hard, but he didn't know that she would go as far as to blame herself for it.
His thoughts were interrupted when she raised him high again with a beaming smile. "But that's all in the past. You have a quirk now! And that means your dream isn't as far." Her smile became proud. "And with how you already used it to save a life, I have no doubt you'll become one of the best heroes out there!" She encouraged warmly.
Hearing her words of support and praise, helped Izuku forget the grief that gripped his heart as it was replaced with incredible warmth as he smiled down at her. "Yeah..." Tears threatened to spill. "I can become a hero." He sniffed as her smile widened.
"You already are." Inko proudly pointed out as she brought him into another embrace that he reciprocated. "But." She loosened the hug, allowing him to look up at her curiously. "I still need a full explanation on how you awakened your quirk." She smirked a bit as realization dawned onto his features. "And no forgetting details either." She added with playful narrowed eyes.
Izuku blushed a bit at being reminded of his earlier blunder, but he still gave her a cheeky grin. "Well, as long as there isn't going to be any more fainting." He gently retorted, chuckling as Inko's expression morphed into one of sheepish embarrassment as well.
"Deal." The woman giggled as he chuckled in agreement before she moved to sit on the couch. Positioning him on her right leg while he used his quirk to gently place Temmie in his arms. "Now, why don't we start from the beginning?" He nodded as began telling how it all happened while petting his companion.
AFTER THE EXPLANATION
"Wow..." The mother exclaimed in astonishment. "It kind of sounds like the time I discovered my quirk." She pointed out before inwardly frowning. "That doctor should lose his medical license for misdiagnosing my son." She idly wondered if other kids were examined wrong too.
From his spot on her leg, Izuku looked up at her in surprise. "Your quirk developed late too!?"
She made a "so-so" motion with her left hand. "It wasn't that it developed late but more of..." She trailed off to find the right phrase for it before grinning sheepishly. "More like I didn't know I had it to begin with, nor did I know how to use it." It was honestly baffling how her younger self failed to notice her quirk going off a little bit in the background when she was playing with her friends.
Inko then looked down, noting how her son's eyes glowed (literally) with interest, causing her to chuckle before telling her story. "I was about your age at the time and I just got back home from playing with my friends." She looked nostalgic. "My mother was just about to start making lunch and told me to relax in the living room since I was pretty tired."
She then blushed, which confused Izuku. "I laid on the couch to watch some TV to pass the time, only to realize that I didn't grab the remote beforehand." Having an idea where this is going, her son grinned teasingly, much to her embarrassment. "I remember groaning before lazily pulling it to my hand with my quirk and turning on the TV." The mother then became sheepish. "It took me a few seconds to realize what I had just done, before freaking out and nearly giving my mother a heart attack when I did. My father was in their room, but even he rushed in and looked scared."
Both Midoriyas shared a laugh at the scenario while Temmie got comfy beside the pair and watched the scene. "The look on their faces was really something." The duo giggled before quieting down so that she could continue. "Sure my quirk isn't flashy or powerful, but it was still something for them to be proud about." She smiled. "And no matter how long it had been, they'd still proudly talk about it like it was yesterday." She fondly finished her reminiscing, evidently reliving cherished memories.
"That's awesome." Izuku praised before looking at his hands with a smile. "Now that I know what you mean, it does kind of sound similar." His eyes shined as he lifted Temmie to line up with his glowing right hand. "I mean what you did before is basically what I did with Tem here, only more desperate." He remarked before chuckling when the kitten used the opportunity to lick him on the nose.
Inko chortled at his comparison, but nodded in agreement. "I guess it does." He beamed up at her before becoming concerned when she frowned. "But now we need to find another doctor that can examine your quirk." She sighed as she began thinking of where to find possible doctors who are more competent and the cost of the examination.
Realizing her point, Izuku felt guilty as he remembered overhearing the cost of the last examination. Sure his "Father's" money helped a bit, but it was still quite the price.
If only he could just do it himself.
And with that thought, his expression lit up in realization. "Wait a minute." His sudden statement caused her to look at him curiously. "Hold that thought mom!" He jogged to his room, with Temmie following, leaving his mother in confusion.
Thankfully she didn't have to wait long as Izuku came back with one of his notebooks and a pen. "We don't need to go to a quirk doctor." She was taken aback by his statement. "I can just analyze my quirk myself like whenever I watch other heroes!" He clarified with an excited look.
Now understanding what he was planning, Inko looked hesitant. "Izu...I appreciate what you're trying to do." She gently assured as his smile faltered. "But don't you think it would be safer if we let a professional handle it? I mean what would happen if it turned out your quirk is dangerous to your body?" She was fully aware that certain quirks can harm their users if overused.
He understood her reasoning, but due to the cost and the negligence of the last doctor, he refused to give in. "I understand why you're worried, but this isn't something I'd suggest if I couldn't do it." He offered the notebook he was holding to her. "You've already seen what I can write." He gently reminded.
Carefully taking the notebook from him, she stared at the cover. "Hero Analysis No:01." She fondly muttered. It still amazed her how detailed his notes are despite it starting out as a fun pass time for him.
It started out as doodles and a few flashy things he noticed. But over time, he added more thought and passion into it, treating it as training for the future. So seeing the improvements and the detail as result from his determination, only cemented her belief that he'd become one of the best heroes out there.
"And besides." He continued, bringing her out of her thoughts. "Isn't it better to discover what I can do than to have someone else lay it out for you?" He was never a fan of cheating; he'd seen a lot of mean kids do it and didn't want to become like them.
Inko agreed with his points, but considering the many factors that could get him hurt, she looked uncertain. "I don't know Izuku..."
Izuku could see that she was considering it, so he decided to bring up another point. "I've read somewhere that quirks are like muscles, all I have to do is start off small. So by the time that I'm old enough, I can move on to bigger ways to train my quirk and body." His statement caused her to pause, encouraging him to continue. "And if it gets too much, I can always take a break." He calmly assured as she thought about it. "So what do you think?"
Inko's face scrunched up a bit as she looked down, clearly weighing her options and considering all the possible scenarios if she agreed or not. Meanwhile, her son watched with a bated breath as Temmie just stared.
After a few more moments of contemplation, the mother sighed before looking at her son with a nod. "Ok, Izuku." She had to fight back a smile when he cheered with a fist pump, while Temmie happily mewled even though she didn't understand what was happening. "But you need to promise to be responsible for it. No matter the type, quirks are a great responsibility." She reminded in a serious tone.
"I will mom." He easily agreed, which helped calm her a bit. "And besides, I won't do anything combat focused until I know how to use my quirk." He assured with a sincere look.
Hearing this, Inko sighed gratefully. "Ok, good." She smiled. "But if you ever have difficulty, just tell me and we can find a quirk doctor." She kindly reminded, not wanting her son to go through unnecessary difficulty.
Izuku nodded. "Yeah, I will." The mother picked up Temmie who got bored from the lack of pets. "But if it's anything like your quirk, I'm sure I can get the hang of it in a snap." He chuckled as he raised his right hand to snap his fingers for emphasis during his statement.
"..." Inko said nothing, only staring at him blankly while Temmie eyed something with interest. The latter landing on the floor when she noted the woman had loosened her grip.
Seeing this, he looked at the two oddly. "What?" His gaze switched from his still mother to Temmie and followed her gaze. "What's the..." His words died as soon as he figured out what had them so shocked.
A bone.
A floating bone to be exact.
"..." Izuku just stared at the hovering object next to him, before a huge grin threatened to split his face. "Awesome!" He cheered as he began circling the bone. "I've never seen a quirk like this before." He racked his brain for anyone with similar powers, only to find none. "I wonder if I can control it?" He thought out loud before twirling his left finger.
Only for him to laugh in amazement when the bone spun in place. "So cool!" He cheered as Temmie sat beside him to eye the object in wonder. "And I didn't need to cover it in a green glow either." He noted before his eyes lit up as ideas came to him. "Does that mean I can make an infinite amount?" He paused as another theory formed in his head. "Can I make more stuff based on bones?" He gasped before jotting down ideas in his notebook, muttering about possible tools or weapons to make while his feline companion continued to watch.
Meanwhile, after rebooting and processing what just happened, Inko smiled as she watched the duo with fond exasperation and placed a hand on her cheek. "Honestly, you're just full of surprises." She giggled to herself as Izuku decided to play fetch with Temmie so she wouldn't get bored. The latter chased the floating bone while he diligently added more notes and muttering about theories of how his quirk worked.
Strangely, Izuku's quirk being more than simple telekinesis like hers is both a surprising and unsurprising development to the parent.
The older Midoriya watched their antics for a bit before heading to the kitchen to reheat their undoubtedly cold food. "Looks like things are going to become more interesting from here." Her smile widened at the thought as she listened to her son's happiness from the kitchen.
YEARS LATER-ALDERA JUNIOR HIGH
From his seat, Izuku stared out the window in thought, reminiscing on how the past few years have been the most interesting he's had while his homeroom teacher discussed stuff to his classmates before the day ended.
During his spare time, he would train his quirk and see what else he could do with it. The result was a versatile quirk that allowed him to surprise and even overpower enemies if given the right opportunity.
Not only that, it had its uses in rescue missions as well. But if there's one word that would be used to describe his quirk it would be: ''weird''.
Just by reminding himself of the details he had written down of his abilities still baffled him, despite being the wielder of such power.
MY NOTES!
Quirk: Energized Bones!
1. Description: This quirk allows me to literally energize my bones. Not only does it make my bones denser, but it also increases my strength, speed and reaction time. Although it gets painful or tiring if I push myself too much (got a pretty bad scolding after collapsing in the living room, pace yourself!).
2. Passive Sensory Field: Ever since my quirk awakened, I've noticed how more aware of my surroundings I've become. Not in the usual sense mind you, but more on the "sensing presence" kind of thing.
It wasn't obvious to me, at least not at first, but I'd notice people/things being near me without even looking (which would explain how good I was at avoiding Temmie during tag at the park, something I hope we can do again).
Anyway, it turns out this "sense" thing I have, can either be focused on or just left to do its thing while I do anything else. Allowing me to train this ability passively if I didn't have the time to train on it, making it easier to develop.
Also, I have no idea what the maximum range of this ability is, but as I grow and continue to train. I believe it will only grow stronger and have even better range over time!
{Other Abilities}
3. Psychokinesis: Though similar to mom's, it's easier to control without needing almost no effort to activate. Depending on the weight, I can lift the item off the ground. Though the more weight or resistance it offered the more power will be needed to move the object let alone lift it. (Side note: Still need to confirm if I can even make myself fly.)
[Update: Can't fly, good thing I wore a helmet and pads though!]
4. Glowing eyes: Apart from adding to my expressions, my eyes glow brighter depending on how much power I add to my quirk. And since I can brighten them at any time, I could probably use it to scare villains just like what the heroes do in the comics I read! [Side note: I wonder what else I can do with my eyes!]
5. Bone Based Weaponry: So I was right, I can make bone-based weapons (out of thin air no less!). And although simple in design, they do what they're made to do. Weapons like: Bone Club, Bone Staff, Bone Spear and a Bone Sword.
Or just bone projectiles that I make in the air to throw at bad guys.
6. Bone Materialization: As mentioned, I can make (or spawn?) bones from anywhere pretty quick.
Including almost any surface, though it's noticeably tougher when the surface is harder in terms of material. Maybe when I'm older and stronger it wouldn't be as hard, but as of the time of this entry, I need to add more power on tougher surfaces (thankfully dirt is easy to sprout stuff from, which makes me a bone farmer lol).
In terms of limits, I guess it's when I get tired. Because when I decided to test my limit and just spawn bones and add them to a growing pile, I didn't consume as much energy as I thought I would.
Maybe it's because I'm not putting much effort into it, but I've already made three big piles now and I haven't broken a sweat. I only needed to stop when mom came back, screamed, nearly fainted (again) and gave me a light scolding about not making our living room look like an Ossuary.
Thankfully I can remove (or despawn?) the bones I make just as fast.
7. Gaster Blasters: So...apparently, I can shoot lasers too. But considering the weirdness and nature of my quirk, it's not really that surprising.
I energize my bones. Therefore, it would make sense that I can use the energy in another way.
Now in terms of how I found this out, well to make a long story short. It was Halloween, so I thought it would be cool to add my quirk to our decorations. Mom was delighted at the idea and even encouraged it since it would help grow my creativity with my quirk.
Then I got an idea.
Since it was Halloween, the things broadcasted on our television were mostly about monsters and horror themed stuff. And one of the broadcasts was a movie about an undead dragon.
So I made a rough recreation of the dragon head, it wasn't exact, but it still looked vicious. And apart from the green glowing eyes, clean appearance and having the same size as Temmie at the time, it looked awesome!
Things were going great...until I accidentally fired the blaster trying to show it off to mom. And burned the chicken that we were supposed to have for dinner.
Ok, in my defense, I should've known better than to pretend that we had a "baby dragon" in our house considering that said dragon was infused with energy from my quirk.
Thankfully it wasn't large enough to cause major damage, apart from charcoaling our dinner and scorching the wall a bit (which I was tasked to help clean up, which was fair).
Needless to say, I got a bit of a scolding and we had to eat takeout that night. But I'd like to think this little incident was worth the discovery.
Now with that out of the way, back to the blasters. As mentioned, they all have glowing green eyes which grow brighter depending on the power I add or if I just want them to intimidate. They may not have brows but they can look pretty mean, plus they growl too which adds to the threat level!
The blasters can float around and be aimed at will. Making it both accurate and useful for various situations!
The range of the lasers depends on the size of the weapon, which goes from small to large (maybe I could go even bigger in the future).
And depending on how much power I add to the laser, I tire myself out if I'm not careful.
8. ''Shortcut'': Looks like I have one more trick up my sleeve.
I always thought that I was a sleepwalker because I would wake up on the living room couch from time to time. Or maybe I'd fallen asleep while playing with Tem and mom would just put me on the couch to sleep comfortably. Or maybe, my dreams were so immersive that I would wander around the apartment and somehow end up on the couch.
But it turns out, nope, it's not sleepwalking.
I can teleport.
...
...
...
My quirk is just full of surprises!
This move takes a toll on my stamina and energy, so I'd need to improve on this.
I can do it in a few quick bursts and for longer distances but I'd need more energy and concentration to make it work. And I found out that combining it with my Sensory Field, I can locate areas where no one can notice me appear. Making it great for escapes or for infiltration.
It's also great for surprise attacks, which is why I'd rather keep this little tidbit a secret whenever someone asks me details about my quirk.
And on that note, I'm pretty sure mom knows about it. Judging by the knowing looks she would give me whenever I would come back from random directions during our family time at the park or how often I would try to gently switch topics when I had the chance.
When I asked why she was giving me those looks she said: "Izuku, change is a natural part of life, it comes with time. But no matter how long or how much stronger you'll become. I trust that you won't let your quirk change who you are, because you'll always be my little hero."
If that doesn't motivate you to go out there and do some good, I don't know what will.
Don't worry mom. I won't let you, Temmie or anyone else down! I'll stay true to my beliefs and be a True Hero!
Blinking back into the present, Izuku chuckled at the amount of side notes his younger self added and the memories with them. He could have revised his info and made it cleaner but decided not to, keeping it as a reminder of where he started.
He also felt warmth and smiled fondly at his mother's words. True to his word he had stayed humble and made it a point to not let his power get to his head. He knew it was definitely one of a kind, extensive research proved that, but he's by no means invincible.
All the more reason to be careful.
Through these past few years Izuku decided not reveal to anyone that he manifested a quirk yet. Leaving his mother and Temmie to be the only ones to know.
Admittedly a part of him was tempted to show his quirk, but he quickly decided against it, seeing that it wasn't worth acting like those jerks who'd brazenly use their powers to show how great they are. Plus it was illegal to do so without a quirk license.
Of course, this meant being bullied under the guise that he was a ''quirkless individual" who could be easily picked on. But thankfully, his "shortcuts" made it easier to avoid the more physical acts of bullying, leaving him to just deal with the verbal insults instead which were easier to deal with.
Some would demand how he always got away from them, but every time they did, he'd just ignore them to find a good spot to teleport away. Frustrating them to the point where they just gave up hurting him altogether and just hurled words at him instead.
So as far as they're concerned, he's just a quirkless kid not worth chasing around (even Bakugou didn't chase him as much after a while).
And speaking of...
Bakugou smirked as he stood, creating small explosions from his palms. ''Hey! Don't lump me with these extras!" His statement caused an uproar from his classmates, but was silenced by his glare.
Izuku could only inwardly sigh at this, for a guy who showed himself as a future hero, he sure didn't act like one.
The uproar was silenced when the teacher noticed a form on his desk. ''Well, it appears you're not the only one going to UA." He pointed out in a slightly amused tone, causing all eyes to turn to Izuku.
And the following reactions afterwards are what you'd expect.
People laughed, gave him disapproving looks or just looked at him weirdly but didn't say more. "Impossible. You don't even have a quirk!" Someone said with a sneer while others agreed and said similar things.
As for Bakugou, well, it looked like he was about to send the entire place crumbling around them as he sat back down without breaking his glare. But the commotion died down when they noticed that the boy didn't even react.
Once quiet, Midoriya calmly spoke. ''It sounds crazy, but I'm still willing to give it a shot.'' He shrugged before lightly hardening his gaze. "But if you guys really think you can do better at being heroes, then prove it by acting like them." He urged with a serious tone. "In case you haven't noticed, heroes don't go around harassing people with no quirks." He pointed out coolly, taking them aback as he relaxed in his seat.
Not only was he known for being "quirkless", but he was also known for being a kid of a few words. He'd never speak to any of them unless it was necessary or it was a Yes/No type of question (though secretly he'd made exceptions to a few people who he thought were cool in his book), opting to just flat out ignore them.
But when he did speak, he always made sure it was straight to the point or something that would hit them to the core when they got on his nerves (which were rare, but only served to make his words more impactful).
And right now, he didn't disappoint as their reactions became mixed.
Some gave him a bored look before promptly ignoring him, others couldn't meet his gaze after that and suddenly found their desks or anything else interesting (even the homeroom teacher looked away with a conflicted look). While the rest looked offended or annoyed that someone with no quirk was judging them like he knew better.
As for Bakugou, well…he looked pissed but decided to just scoff and look out the window, whether or not he was pondering Izuku's words is anybody's guess.
Everyone was then startled when the bell rang, signaling the end of the class.
While everyone made their way out, without even looking, Izuku felt Bakugou coming his way. And based on how heavy his steps are, he doubted it was for a friendly chat. "Oh boy." He mentally sighed.
Not wasting any time, Izuku remained in his seat but subtly spawned a small bone outside their classroom window where no one could spot it and with a twitch of a finger from his right hand, the object tapped loudly against the window before he hastily despawned it.
The effect was immediate as Bakugou, along with everyone else who remained in the room, snapped to the window in surprise. Giving Izuku the opportunity to quietly stand while quickly glancing around the room to see if anyone was looking at him.
When he noted that nobody was watching him, he carefully got all his stuff before teleporting away, just in time for everyone to look at his now empty spot.