Chapter Text
Izuku couldn’t help but follow Kacchan as he made his way towards his seat. Something was wrong, there was something different about Kacchan. Unashamedly staring at him he tried to identify what was wrong, what was different. It wasn’t a haircut, his clothes were the same, his posture was the same except for—that’s it! Kacchan was limping. Limping? As far as he knew yesterday was a rest day. His parents left yesterday evening and he was gonna help pack— Izuku’s eyes lowered to his analysis book. Kacchan had spent the whole of yesterday with his parents, had something happened?
In his muttering he failed to notice everyone’s eyes turn towards him, the teacher already at the front of the classroom and looking at him with an unimpressed look.
“Deku!” The sudden yell made him jump and drop his pencil. Everyone around the classroom laughed as the teacher only sighs and shakes his head.
“As I was saying, the school is expecting all of you to start thinking about your futures and have asked me to pass this out but I won’t bother; after all, you all want to become heroes right?” At that the teacher threw the papers up in the air and everyone started screaming and yelling, everyone showing off their quirk. All Izuku could do was lower his head to look at his desk. Couldn't they keep it down a little?
“Settle down, you all have impressive quirks but remember that you can’t use them in class,” the teacher said, sitting down at his desk and pulling out more papers from his desk.
“Huh?! Don’t go lumping me with this bunch of losers,” Kacchan said. Izuku looked up and towards him. He had been relatively quiet, it was good to hear him be loud.
“You must be aiming for U.A., right?” One of their classmates asked and Kacchan stood up, smirk on his lips as he turned his nose up.
“That’s right, I’m gonna go to U.A. and become the number one hero. I’ll even surpass All Might and become the greatest hero of them all!” Kacchan let out a snarky laugh and Izuku could only watch in admiration. Kacchan’s determination was admirable, inspiring even.
“That’s right, aren't you also going to U.A. Midoriya?” Their teacher asked from where he was passing out papers to the students in the front row to be passed back. Everyone froze and looked back at him. Izuku crouched in his seat, it was never good when attention was put on him. All at once his classmates started hysterically laughing and Izuku felt his cheeks warm up.
“Seriously? The quirkless kid is going to try to take the exam, I should have signed up too then.” He heard somebody say and then everyone else followed along, everyone laughing. Sinking deeper into his seat he couldn’t help but glance towards Kacchan who now had a scowl on his face but was saying nothing yet.
“I just thought I could try it out,” he mumbled but his classmates heard his words and laughed even more.
“Quirkless guy trying the U.A. exam, I’d like to see that. You think if he dies his mother is going to try and sue the school for recompensation.” Izuku felt anger rise in his chest, however looking around he couldn’t identify who had said that comment.
“You want to try it?! You think the exam is some sort of joke, you think a quirkless, useless person like yourself can pass it?” The rage in the voice was undeniable and everyone went silent, even the teacher who had now moved towards the board and started writing something stopped and looked back. Kacchan started making his way over but the teacher stopped him by telling everyone to start copying what was on the board. Izuku could only shake in his seat. Why did the teacher tell them?
“This is stupid,” somebody from behind him said but he didn’t turn around. “Academics aren’t all that important.”
“You just say that because with your grades you couldn’t try going to U.A..” Another voice said.
“Shut up.” Izuku couldn’t help but roll his eyes. If they really wanted to get into the top school of course they had to be good at everything. Glancing towards Kacchan he noticed the other was already diligently taking down notes on a notebook. Yeah, if you wanted to be good at something you had to work hard at it. With that he put his attention on his teacher and started on the long note-taking.
-_-
As soon as the bell rang almost everyone stood up and started moving towards the door, the teacher going with them. Izuku let out a sigh. It had been a long day full of taunts and insults thrown his way, even worse than usual now that they knew he was gonna try to go to U.A.
“Quirkless idiot, catch!”
Izuku jumped as a chalk eraser slammed the window right beside him. Looking up he saw one of Kacchan’s lackeys by the board, while some other of his classmates sat in groups around the class.
“That could have hit my head,” Izuku said, putting down his pencil.
“That was the point.”
“What’s going on?” Izuku looked towards the door where Kacchan now stood with his other lackeys.
“Nothing,” Izuku squeaked out. Kacchan walked towards him and glanced down towards his notebook before glaring.
“I thought I told you to stop.” Izuku shook at the low voice.
“Wha-“ looking towards his notebook his eyes widened at what was on the page. He had just been scribing down ideas while daydreaming. He had not noticed he had been writing about his observations on Kacchan.
“Kacchan, I-“
“First the U.A. thing and now this?! Do you really think you’ll be a hero just from observing people and taking down notes? You'll never amount to anything just with this.” With a quick swipe Kacchan grabbed his notebook and let out a small explosion. Izuku could only stare as his notebook burned and got singed. Then Kacchan walked towards the window and let the notebook fall.
“Tell you what, if you want to be a hero so bad and think you can get a quirk in your next life, why don’t you take a swan dive off the roof.”
Eyes widening at the same time as Kacchan’s, Izuku fell back to his chair from where he was on his way to standing. Before he could do or say anything Kacchan was already out the door, his lackeys scrambling after him.
His notebook… still shocked, he gathered his things and walked out the door.
At the sight of his notebook among the fish Izuku couldn’t help the sniffle that left him. All his hard work was in that notebook and Kacchan knew it.
It was my fault, Izuku thought as he shook his notebook, I shouldn’t have written about him in my notebook, he doesn't like it when I do. Shaking his head he wiped his eyes, he went too far though. Izuku shuddered as Kacchan’s words came back to mind.
“Stupid, if I really jumped that’d cause you even more problems. Dumbass.”
Looking through the burnt pages, sadness overtook him. He had spent several weeks observing fights and writing them down. Observing villains and heroes was not easy. He ran around before and after school for weeks, sometimes even getting too close to where it was happening.
He had even been managing to keep from writing about Kacchan for a couple of months now; even when he had noticed something different about him.
“It’s your fault too, why did you have to limp into class today?” Izuku muttered under his breath, starting to walk home. “Shouldn’t have written about him during class.”
The events of that day kept flashing through his mind. Maybe he wasn’t cut out to be a hero after all. “I don’t even have a quirk,” Izuku’s voice broke at the end. Nobody seemed to think he would so why should he try. Going to wipe his tears away he stopped as a sound came from behind him. Turning around, green slime suddenly fell from the tunnel's ceiling and landed on him.
A villain?! Panicking at the prospect of dying alone he clawled at the slime but it just seemed to move more frantically into him. Continuing to pull in vain at the slime, Izuku tried to look around for anything to help him. Trying to scream only got him to choke and trying to listen was also useless. At that moment Izuku tried everything he could think about but got nothing in return.
Please, anyone help me. I don’t want to die. At that thought Izuku struggled even more. That’s right, he might not have a quirk, he might not have a friend or the greatest life out there, but it was still his life, he did not want to die. He still needed to help Kacchan, still needed to take the U.A. entrance exam, still needed to become a hero. No, please, help!
However, as hard as he struggled and screamed the slime only seemed to get farther down his throat, wrap tighter around his body. Feeling his body weaken and his eyesight go blurry, Izuku could only think of his mother and Kacchan. I’m sorry, Izuku thought before closing his eyes.
The feeling of a strong gust of wind made him shudder and the shock from falling to solid ground left him dazed. But opening his eyes to look at what had happened only left him with an image of All Might, standing tall and smiling at the entrance of the tunnel. All Might? Was all Izuku could think before everything turned off around him.
-_-
Waking up to All Might lightly slapping his face was the last thing that Izuku thought would happen, but then to actually get an autograph and to get to talk to him! Izuku felt like passing out again, already he felt his face hot and his legs shaky.
“Well, until next time. Thanks for your support!” All Might screamed before jumping away. Except Izuku had attached himself to him before he completely took off. Yeah, not one of his greatest moments. Now, waking up to All Might was not expected, but latching on to his hero had to be the most embarrassing thing Izuku had done. Something he regretted as soon as they were in the air.
“I still ne-need to ask you something!” Izuku screamed over the wind. All Might answered something and then pushed Izuku’s face against his leg but he was not able to hear over the wind. Landing on a tall building Izuku felt relief at being on the ground again. Yeah he did not like being in the air.
“That was…” Izuku shook at the reminder of being airborne.
“Well, I have to get going. I’m sure the people in the building will allow you safe passage to get back on the ground,” All Might said, already getting ready to jump again. Izuku felt panicked, he needed to know, he needed to hear it from his hero.
“Wait no, I need to ask you something,” Izuku pleaded.
“I have no time to wait around, have a good day.” Izuku wanted to cry.
“Can somebody that is quirkless become a hero?!” Izuku shuddered as All Might stood up again and turned to him but he continued forward. “If somebody doesn’t have a quirk can they still become a hero? You see, I’ve always wanted to become one but everyone always tells me that I can’t become one. Well there used to be someone that used to say I could but they now tell me I can’t, but do you think I can become one. Maybe?”
Izuku looked towards All Might, having looked down at his hands only to be met by a completely different person.
“All Might?” Izuku whispered after taking in the person and noticing that it was in fact his idol, his hero that stood in front of him.
All Might simply sighed and started on his story.
Now, if you told Midoriya that when he woke up and went to school only to be bullied, he would have believed it. I mean that’s practically everyday life for him. If you told him he was going to be attacked by a villain on his way home, he would have been a little doubtful. What are the chances right? But then again he lives in a world full of heroes and villains. However, being told he would be rescued by his hero, only to cling to him (something that he is embarrassed to have done), and then being told he was sick. Okay now that is far-fetched.
But being told by his idol, the number one hero that he admired, that he could not become a hero. Well that was not how he thought it would go. Wiping his tears, Izuku looked out into the city, not even looking as All Might left.
Can I really not be a hero? Izuku thought, looking down to where people were walking on the street. ‘You need to be realistic’. Closing his eyes he let all the comments he had ever received make an appearance.
His father had left as soon as it was confirmed Izuku didn’t have a quirk, then his friends had all left him as well, his mother and everyone else always looked at him in either pity or disgust. Kacchan, Kacchan was different but the same. Some days he would be his friend, or at least close to what they used to be, but other days he was just as horrible as all the others. Would it really be easier if I were to disappear? Izuku couldn’t help the thought to make an appearance but he immediately shook his head.
“Kacchan is probably going to make me lunch tomorrow,” Laughing at the random thought he pushed himself off the edge and started his way down the building; building on that thought to distract himself. “He’s probably already thinking what to make for lunch tomorrow, I hope he makes some Katsudon.”
Izuku smiled. He loved his mother’s cooking, it was the best of the best, but there was something about Kacchan cooking for him that he just loved.
“I hate him so much.”
Continuing to walk Izuku looked up after a while only for his smile to fall. A fight was happening and he hadn’t noticed. ‘I must have walked over without thinking out of habit’ Izuku thought before remembering All Might’s words. ‘I should be more realistic.’
Feeling his mood fall once again, he turned around only glancing back when an explosion came from where the fight was happening. Except instead of there being a fight the slime villain from before was fighting to possess someone else. Hands coming up to his mouth at the memory of being choked by slime he stared wide-eyed as no hero approached to help.
That’s the villain All Might caught. Izuku thought before freezing. Did it fall when I grabbed onto All Might? Izuku blanched at the realization this was happening because of him.
“I’m so-“ the apology caught in his throat as red eyes and blonde hair appeared between the slime. Another explosion coming from the struggling boy. Kacchan, that was Kacchan, but…
“Kacchan!” He screamed running as fast as he could toward them before he could even process the scream that had come from him. Throwing his backpack as hard as he could he clawed at the slime in a desperate attempt to save his friend.
“Kacchan, Kacchan,” as if in a trance he couldn’t stop the muttering of the blonde’s name. Why are no heroes helping! He thought desperately before sending a look at those around him and noticing All Might. All Might! However All Might was just standing within the audience also watching but doing nothing.
“What do we have here?” A voice said and Izuku shuddered, “Oh yes, the green haired boy, did you miss me?” The villain’s voice was too raspy but still tried to sound sweet which sounded horrifying when it mixed with Kacchan’s voice. He needed to get him out.
Desperately locking eyes with Kacchan before digging his hands into the slime and grasping his friends shoulders he made sure Kacchan understood the plan. Kacchan’s eyes were unfocused but he managed to blink two times fast to show he understood. With a scream he pulled with all his might as Kacchan let out his biggest explosion yet. The slime started to come off of Kacchan and Izuku gave one last pull.
“Almost there!” Izuku struggled only to be roughly grabbed by the wrist and a familiar gust of wind blowing the last of the slime away. Clapping and cheers met his ears and looking to who was holding him he didn’t know what to feel.
Once he would have felt immeasurable joy at being before All Might but right now all he could think about was how he had just stood by as Kacchan choked to death.
“Kacchan,” Izuku whispered, looking towards the blonde slumped on him. The blonde had reached his limit and passed out but he could still see the rise of his chest as he took shuddering breaths.
“Move aside, we need to get this kid to the hospital.” One of the heroes shouted making a path between the onlookers. Soon paramedics came and strapped Kacchan on a stretcher before running towards the ambulance and driving away. Izuku began to follow, trying to push those around him but other paramedics pulled him towards another ambulance to check him over. Looking back, All Might had disappeared once again but people were still talking about how he had saved him and Kacchan. Nobody seemed to have noticed that he had been just standing there doing nothing as his friend choked.
“What you did was reckless and dangerous, kid!” A yell from right beside him startled him. “You shouldn’t have intervened, the only thing you did was put yourself in danger!” Izuku frowned, not even looking up at who was speaking to him. Ignoring the scolding he clenched and unclenched his hands as he remembered how Kacchan’s scared eyes looked at him.
“Maybe if you had done your job as a hero I wouldn’t have had to step in.” Izuku muttered under his breath, not sure if it was good or bad nobody heard him.
“He’s good to go home, he only suffered some scrapes and seems to have a really sore throat, take this every eight hours for the next two days and your throat should be okay. But if something happens come to the hospital for a formal check up,” one of the paramedics that had been looking over him said, handing him some medicine. Before the hero could continue their scolding Izuku thanked the paramedics and heroes before speeding away.
Not slowing down at all until he turned to his home street he finally took a deep breath. “I hope Kacchan is okay, I wonder what hospital he was taken to? Maybe my mom can find out and we can go visit him or I can wait at his house for him to come. His parents are out anyway.”
Izuku nodded at his plans, however looking up he froze. All Might stood before him.
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