Chapter Text
“You can’t!”
“I what?”
“You- “
“I can do anything! Nobody is gonna stop me. Not even you, Deku! I’m gonna be the greatest hero the world has ever seen! Even better than All Might!”
“But Kacchan- “
“I’m not gonna let anything get in my way! Not some useless bastard! And not some useless nerd! Some fucking Deku!” With that last word punctuated with an explosion, young Izuku’s world turned into sharp white splashed with black stars. His shoulder stung with the burns and as the playground faded back into reality, Izuku found himself on the ground and staring at the skies. Before he knew what he was doing, he was back on his feet with the edges of his vision getting wavy. The look in his eyes seemed to wipe the sneer off his childhood friends face.
“Oh what? You going to do something now, shitty nerd?” he growled, palms popping and lips snarling. “You should’ve just stayed down where you belong. You always have to get in my way. What can you do anyways, huh?! You’re practically quirkless! Or was that just another big fat lie?”
Izuku felt something building in the back of his throat and did his best to swallow it down. Kacchan was supposed to be his friend, and the thought of fighting didn’t sit well in his gut. But neither did letting his friend bully some poor kid. Speaking of which had already run off when Izuku barged in, Izuku would have been lying if he didn’t find that just a tiny bit disappointing. “I never lied!”
“Like shit you didn’t!” Another burst had Izuku tumbling backward. He scrambled to his feet just in time to get thrown back down with another blast. “Every fucking day for the past 3 years you’ve lied to me! Did you get enough laughs from my expense?”
This again? “I was never laughing at you, and I never lied!” How many times did he have to say this? “I’m going to be a hero too, Kacchan!”
The sneer returned, “Now you’ve gotta be joking!” At the change in his tone, the group of ‘extras’ that was always there to follow and praise everything that Kacchan did stepped forward.
“Some wannabe Deku being a hero? Get real!”
“ What’s some Deku with a couple of scales going to do against a villain? You going to annoy them with your muttering until they give up?”
“Yeah right, they’ll probably kill him before he could even start. Kacchan, you should just throttle him now to save everyone the trouble.”
“Shut up! Don’t tell me what to do!” Despite having said that, Kacchan cracked his knuckles with a smile. “But a lesson is in order. This is what happens when you don’t listen to everybody around you, Deku! This is what happens when you lie!”
Seeing as he was getting nowhere with this, again, and knowing that five against one was suicide, he didn’t back down. Running never helped anyways. Not when it was Kacchan.
It’s almost become a routine. Izuku would wake up every morning with a pounding heart, realize that it was the same dream from the night before, and turn in his bed to face reality. He’d get ready, smile and hug his mother before going to school, and endure the obstacles and sharp words his peers would throw at him. He’d keep his head down and his eyes open, anxious of everyone’s voices and movement. He’d mutter to himself about the possibilities and capabilities of everyone around him, only stopping when he’d hear one of the girls hiss that he’s being creepy, or whenever Kacchan grew tired of it. More often being the latter.
No matter what they did though, no matter how many times Kacchan reminded him of his own shortcomings, he stayed determined. Only backing down after saying his piece and knowing a physically painful rebuttal was rocketing his way. Often in the form of a bursting palm. By the time he got home, he’d win the fight with the grim set of his mouth and smile once again for his mom who always greeted him with a hug. He never said anything to her, and she didn’t ask. The burn marks on his clothes and the tightness of his eyes always gave him away.
The last time she questioned him on it he’d almost viciously denied it. Aggressively stating that she shouldn’t worry about something so silly, when that didn’t seem to work, he nearly pleaded her to stop asking. She wasn’t happy, and she almost marched out the door to do something about it, but his pleas swayed her to stay and hug him just a little bit longer. He assured her that that was enough. She assured him that she’d be there when he was ready to talk about it. They’d have dinner, he’d do homework, analyze the latest hero videos available, then go to bed and dream those bright, vivid, exhilarating dreams.
***
Things had been going great in the beginning. Having seen All Might for the first time on TV struck a chord in his heart that couldn’t be silenced. The desire to save, to protect, to carry justice like a shield for his Mom, his friends, and all the friends he’d yet to make was all he could talk about. Not much could sway an obsessed four-year-old. Him and Kacchan would play Hero’s and Villain’s, each one trying to one up the other in their quirk smarts and creativity. Kacchan always seemed to have the upper hand on him though, but that’s what would make him a great hero.
Their admiration for their favorite hero was only dwarfed by the excitement of what their quirks would be. Izuku chattered incessantly about it after the doctor confirmed his quirk status. For as long as he could remember he’d always have the same kind of dreams. Dreams of soaring above a sea of green leaves. Trees forming waves that he would dive into and then burst back out with what sounded like thunder. A sky always bathed in sunset light and blue stars streaking across the sky. He loved the moments when he raced them.
It just had to have something to do with his quirk. How could it not? It was too consistent, too vivid, not to be. Kacchan agreed with him, maybe he’d have a flying quirk? Maybe he’d be able to shoot stars from his eyes, or maybe he’d be able to control the waves of an ocean. Izuku tested all of those theories, though none of them bore any fruit. He’d just scratch the back of his neck in embarrassment and Kacchan would reassure him that he’d just have to wait for when his quirk manifested.
Kacchan himself didn’t have to wait very long. Izuku knew something was up the moment his mom dropped him off and spoke with the teacher. He wasn’t slow in showing the class. With a grin so bright he threw up his hands and pop after pop rang out like a line of firecrackers. The flashes and bursts took Izuku’s breath away and joined the class in congratulating his friend. It was loud and flashy, just like Kacchan. It was perfect.
As the days turned to weeks, Izuku began to grow more and more anxious. Kacchan was anxious too, Izuku was being slow. He needed to get his quirk already. You can’t be a hero without an awesome quirk. Only once did anxiety turn into recklessness. Each night his dreams showed him proof that he was supposed to soar and what better way to find out than by jumping? Granted, they didn’t just jump off the nearest high thing. It had to be at the playground, at least the sand pit was soft enough for a landing. Or, at least that’s what he thought. Coming home with a sprained wrist and ankle, he told his mother the truth and was thusly grounded for the better part of a week. It might have been more had he not been so dismayed at his lack of a flying ability.
Weeks quickly turned into months, and months, and months. Getting harder and harder to look Kacchan in the eye and give a slight shake of his head. Still, nothing. Each day Kacchan seemed to grow brighter and brighter, out shining everyone. His classmates started giving him side-eyes. “Nothing yet, Izuku?” “Don’t worry, maybe next year.” “You sure you have a quirk?” He’s not quite sure when the simple innocent questions turned to teasing. “Maybe you have a dreaming quirk.” “Maybe you didn’t jump off of something high enough.” “What is it that you can do again? Oh, nothing?” “Only those with quirks can be a hero, where’s yours?” So on and so forth. It was starting to make his skin itch.
He had a quirk; the doctor had said so. “You sure it was a real doctor?” “Even doctors can make mistakes.” “My Mom says that some parents will pay doctors to say they have a quirk. Just so they don’t have to be listed as quirkless.” Kacchan wouldn’t join in at least, he’d stand by and scowl, but not join in, not even when they started calling him ‘Deku’. He was still Izuku’s friend. They’d still play at the playground, though it was getting more difficult as his classmates preferred he’d be the dumb villain more often than not, and Kacchan never pulled his punches. It was practice for when he became a real hero after all.
It was during one of these games that things changed. Izuku had been running, running as fast as his short little legs could carry him. Kacchan was hot on his tail, the pops sounding right by his ears, before he was roughly tackled to the ground. He was pinned and read his rights via Kacchan style. “Villian! You have the right to remain dead! Anything you say can, and will make you die! Any last words!?”
Izuku struggled uselessly, “Ah, noooo! I don’t wanna die!”
“You should have thought of that before being a stupid villain!” Kacchan rubbed his face into the dirt, making Izuku splutter. “Eat shit!”
“Ew! Kacchan s-stop! That’s gross!” Kacchan didn’t let up, seeming hell bent on making an indent of his face in the dirt. “C’mon Kacchan! Please, stop it!”
“Shut up and hold still!”
“Wha-?” Kacchan then grabbed a fist full of the hair near his neck and pulled. “Ow! K-Kacchan that hurt!” He felt fingers at the back of his neck and stilled, “W-What are you doing?” Then the single strangest, most unsettling feeling came over him. It was like bending the sliver of a broken nail that was still attached. Shudders ran up and down his spine, making his teeth clack together. “W-W-W-What was that!?”
“They’re like…snake scales,” Kacchan muttered before hooking his nail under another one, Izuku shuddered again.
“Snake scales!? What’s like snake scales?!”
“These!” he yelled before proceeding to grab his neck and yank something off.
“YeEEAAAAAAA!!” Izuku lurched in pain and managed to throw Kacchan off before furiously rubbing at the stinging on the back of his neck. “What was that for!?” He cried, tears burning in the corners of his eyes.
“How else was I supposed to show you this stupid?!” He shot back, holding up a small, light green scale, roughly the size of his pinky nail.
Pain momentarily forgotten, he scooted closer to Kacchan who was sitting on the ground to get a better look. It was pale green and shear, but managed to shine when the sun hit it right. “That came from…me?” He rubbed at his neck again, he never thought the small bumps he felt were scales. He thought it was just dry skin. “I have been itching a lot, maybe that’s why?” Izuku missed the look on Kacchan’s face. “W-wait, is this-is this my quirk manifesting? Am I going to get scales all over my body? I thought I was just itchy. I wonder why no one else noticed. Maybe my hair was too long? I wonder how hard they are, they don’t feel too different to the rest of me, but maybe that’s just me? Mom would have noticed something though. It looks thin, maybe it’s not that noticeable? It sure took a long time, but maybe it could be like armor?”
“Is that it?”
“Mostly my neck has been itchy though. Would they grow if I just scratched? But that’s kinda gross. Mom said you shouldn’t scratch in public.”
“Is that it?!”
“Eh?” Izuku finally looked up and saw Kacchan’s face, shocked to see one of disgust and betrayal. “W-…what do you mean?” When he didn’t say anything and just snarled his lip, “Kacchan?”
Izuku flinched when Kacchan suddenly stood, holding the scale accusingly in his face. “Is this really all you got? Is this some kind of a joke?!”
“Kacchan, I don’t-“
“You think this is funny?! You think you can just lead me on, acting like you’re going to get something worthwhile and you do this?!” Kacchan was shaking now, anger burning a whole into Izuku’s soul.
“No…no. I d-didn’t think-“
“Didn’t think what?! That I wouldn’t find out!? All this talk about flying, racing stars, it was all just bullshit! You never had anything to begin with, didn’t you!? You lied to me!”
“N-no!” Izuku rushed to his feet. How could he think that? “Kacchan I never-“
“You really are nothing, aren’t you!” Kacchan roughly grabbed his shirt and shoved him back into the dirt. “You were never really anything, with a quirk like that. No different from a fucking rash! Fucking useless!” He threw the scale at him and turned away, shoulders hunched and small pops sizzling in his hands. “Fucking Deku.”
Izuku watched, dumbstruck, as his only friend stomped away after calling his newfound quirk useless. Izuku found…that he had to agree. What good was it, for all he knew, they’d been there since the beginning. Something would have changed by now if it were ever going to. That’s how quirks worked right? It came as a whole package, only seeming stronger through practice and application. He shakily picked up the scale and looked at it, tears finally spilling over at the clear crack and chip now missing, covered in dirt and broken. He sat there for a good while, doing what he could to build himself back up. At least he’d gotten practice doing so when his classmates had teased him.
Sometime later, his mother had found him in the computer room. Lights off and a video of All Might playing silently on the screen. Nothing new there, however his usual excited fidgeting or muttering was missing. He was…unusually still, she carefully took in the hunch of his shoulders before telling him that dinner was ready. It was only when he turned to her that she realized it was a bit deeper then just silence. She rushed over to him to swipe the tears off her baby’s face. “Izuku, green bean, what’s wrong?”
“Do-do you think I-I could be a-a hero…. even with…even with this?” He held up the broken scale.
“What’s this?”
“I…It’s mine. I have my q-quirk. I have…scales.”
“Izuku that’s…that’s wonderful. Your father had scales!” She knew. She knew where this was going. She hated every second of it. Every second that passed as she saw her child barely hold himself together. She wrapped her arms around him, knowing what she’d have to say.
“Can I be a hero with them?” It was barely a whisper.
She hugged him tighter as he started to shake at her silence, kicking herself as she took just a little too long to answer. “Izuku…” She started before glancing to the hero on the computer screen. “Izuku, you are so, so smart.” It wasn’t what he wanted to hear and started to turn away, but she held tightly. “Izuku, you are so smart and so kind…” She struggled, waring with herself. To protect him from the pain he’s in now, or protect him from the pain he’s sure to face in the future. To do it now would no doubt bring more pain, but not to, and then one day have him not come home because he chased something dangerous…
“…protect..”
She hadn’t realized that he’d started talking, preoccupied with her internal battle, she stopped and listened. “What was that?”
He gripped at the sleeves of her shirt before repeating, “I want…to protect. I want to protect m-my…treasures. I want to be…a protector.”
“Oh,” she was at a loss…no. She lost. The look in his eyes, she knew that look. “Oh sweetie.” The moment that look appeared she knew that anything she said to deter him from going down the path he’d already chosen would be for naught. She fought back her fears and held her weeping child’s face in her hands. “Whatever you do, whatever you choose…I will always be here.” She kissed his forehead when his tears almost summoned some of her own. “No matter what I will always be here. But you have to promise me something in return okay?” She waited until he nodded. “You have to promise me that, whatever you choose to do, you have come home. Got it?” He paused, taking it seriously and nodded again. “Promise?” She egged with a smile.
She counted it a victory on her part when he finally smiled back, if just a bit wobbly, “I promise.”
“Good.” She said with fond firmness, another quick peck before wiping the tear tracks from his face. “Now come downstairs for dinner.”
“Kay.” She turned and left him to get cleaned for dinner. “Mom?” She paused in the doorway and looked back to see him standing in the chair with a defiant look to his face. “I’ll protect you.”
Once again, she was at a loss. I’m no match for you, she thought with a defeated smile. “I know baby. Come on, I made katsudon.” He immediately perked up and hopped down, seemingly forgetting the crisis of his future and ran downstairs before she even got into the hallway. Heaven help her, and heaven help anyone that got in her son’s way.