Chapter Text
"Can this day get any worse?" Was the thought going through the head of Midoriya Izuku as he was going under a tunnel, after another bad day at school, he hoped that he could go home, rest and finally start that training regimen now that his bullies would be less focused on him because of their studies.
But the answer to his question was given almost immediately when he felt the air get knocked out of his lungs and his mouth get covered with a moist slimy substance, it was the most disgusting thing he had every accidentally swallowed, the smell was disgusting on its own, it was a mixture of feces, sewage and blood, and Izuku struggled to remove it.
"Hey! Thanks a lot kid," He heard a slimy voice, it was gleeful and happy like a child on Christmas morning, as Izuku struggled against the villain he heard him speak again in the same disgusting tone, "You're a real Hero kid, volunteering as a host for me thanks a lot, it'll really help me get away from that hobo looking motherfucker."
As Izuku heard the villain's intentions he began struggling harder and harder, "Hey stop squirming, it won't hel-" The villain's voice cut off, suddenly as he started shrinking and solidifying. As Izuku dropped onto the pavement he began puking out all the sludge he accidentally swallowed. He vaguely heard the sound of struggling and punching, as his vision began to clear he looked at his Knight In Shining Armor, more of a Knight in Black Pyjamas but he's not complaining.
"You alright kid?" Asked the man, as he finished tying up the, now regular looking villain, with what appeared to be bandages, he approached Izuku slowly.
Before Izuku could answer the man, he saw the yellow goggles around the man's neck and immediately recognised his savior.
"Eraserhead!" Screeched Izuku, Eraserhead took a step back in surprise as very rarely did a civilian know who he was, Izuku scrambled around in his backpack looking for his "Hero Analysis For The Future Vol 11", as he found it he took out a pen and offered it and the notebook to Eraserhead, "Could I get your Autograph!"
Eraserhead stared at the boy with concern but also suspicion, oh well he seems harmless, he took the book and pen and tiredly muttered, "Sure?"
As he glanced at the notes within the book he internally commended the boy for the amount of detail, he must just be an extreme knd of hero fanboy, explains how he knew who he was. While it was nowhere near the level of Principal Nezu, it was still pretty good for someone his age.
"I recommend going to a doctor after this, you might still have some sludge in your system." He said.
After signing the notebook, the boy looked at it as if it were made of gold, as Eraserhead was about to leave with the villain the boy called out to him, "Wait! Eraserhead-san,"
When he looked back the boy looked nervously at his feet and stuttered, "C-could I ask y-you an i-i-important question?"
Eraserhead had to get the villain to custody, but he guessed one question couldn't hurt, "Sure kid." He tiredly muttered out.
"C-could I become a hero even though I'm q-q-quirkless?"
Aizawa's eyes widened. Aizawa Shouta was a lot of things: Underground Hero, high school teacher and the owner of several cats, but something all of his friends, colleagues and students can agree on one thing. Aizawa is a harsh man, he is willing to do or say the cruelest of things for the greater good and when this boy asked him that question, he looked at his stick-like physique and clear lack of fighting experience and the only thing in his mind was the image of his best friend's body dying under the rubble and before he knew it he had told the boy the cold harsh truth.
"No kid, you can't become a hero. Being a Pro Hero is one of the most dangerous jobs on the planet, people die everyday and the reason for that is because some heroes can't get past their fears and can't control their quirks because of it. Even competent heroes with extremely powerful quirks, or underground heroes like me die easily, due to bad matchups or being overwhelmed, even with extreme martial arts training, you wouldn't be able to keep up with other heroes or truly dangerous villains, you'd just be a liability, so no kid, you can't become a hero and I don't think you ever will."
Aizawa knew he was cruel in crushing that boy's dream, but it's not like he hasn't done it before, while he does re-enroll most of his expelled students, with the permanent black mark still on their record, some students just didn't have the potential no matter how powerful their quirks or how smart they were academically, and he wasn't willing to train or improve them he has very little time on his hands and he cant just let them die due to lack of training. So he grabbed the villain, gave a solemn pat on the boy's shoulder and left.
Midoriya Izuku was broken, no tears would come out of his eyes no matter how sad he was, he hoped that atleast Eraserhead, with his martial arts based fighting style, would somewhat believe in his dreams, but those hopes, along with what self-esteem and self-worth he had were all crushed under those words. A simple no would have been enough but Eraserhead made him truly realise how useless he would be in the field, as he tore apart the page with the autograph, he then remembered what his former best friend turned tormentor told him an hour ago.
As he trudged onto an abandoned building a few blocks away with what energy he had left, he reached the rooftop and took of his favourite red shoes, and pulled out two pieces of paper and began writing his suicide note:
Mom, I don't think I can do it anymore the bullying, the spiderlilies on my desk, the teacher's neglect and the authorities doing nothing to help, it's too much for me. I hope that some of your burden will be lifted with me gone, as a final request could you bury me next to Aunty Kaina I think she would have liked that, Uncle Sako thanks for making me smile with your magic tricks, Uncle Chizome thanks for hanging around with me at my lowest, Uncle Danjuro and Aunty Aiba please take care of my mom for me, Uncle Masaru and Aunt Mitsuki I'm sorry for not being a better friend for Kacchan and I'm sorry he turned out the way he is, Kacchan you can eat shit and Dad, I'll see you in hell you white-haired bastard.
I'm sorry, Izuku
As Izuku finished the letter, he stood on the ledge, and began humming his father's favorite song, it was fitting in some way but somewhat dark for the situation.
He looked down at the mostly empty street and finally felt some tears stream across his cheek but he didn't think for another second before jumping.
Yagi Toshinori, outside of hero work, considered himself a simple man, while he does have a degree in physics and enough strength without his quirk to bench press a car despite his appearance, he led a simple lifestyle in a simple apartment with very few friends.
He had lost a great many things in his life, his vital organs, his mother figure, his social life and many important people in his life, he had never fallen in love as he was incapable of romantic love but he would have loved to have raised a child of his own.
Mainly due to his career did he lack a great many of these things, but he wasn't fully willing to give up that either, but the sight of making children smile and people safe was more then enough to fill the void in his heart.
But alas he was growing old and he would have to retire sooner or later and so as he was approaching his former sidekick's agency, groceries in hand, to meet a potential successor he saw him, a child standing of the ledge of an abandoned building and he dropped his groceries and moved without thinking.
If you asked the few friends Toshinori has left what they think about him they would say he was: thickheaded, stubborn, imposing, cheerful, kind, terrifying when he has to be, but they will all agree on one thing he would always save someone in need and this child needed him.
Izuku thought that death would be quick and painless but as he caught the white blur out of the corner of his eyes, he felt big muscular arms wrap around him and soon he was flying sideways and as his saviour slowly landed he looked up in surprise as All Might himself had saved himself, but All Might wasn't wearing his trademark smile, he had a look of genuine concern and worry on his face.
"Young man, are you okay?! Please tell me you're okay!" the sheer concern in All Might's voice was enough to make him break down.
Toshinori didn't know what to do as the boy just hugged him fiercely and began sobbing, so he just gently returned the hug, "Hey, it's okay, it's okay everything will be alright, because I am here."
Neither the boy nor his saviour knew it at the time, but this was the beginning of the story of the greatest hero the world had ever seen.