Emergence

Serenading chirping filled the air with the soft hum of vehicles traveling past the unassuming apartment complex. Its outward appearance seemed utterly ordinary, blending seamlessly into the urban landscape.

A crack of light seeped through the window curtains, gently coaxing the green-haired boy from his slumber. As he stirred, he instinctively tried to avert his gaze from the sudden and intrusive glow, turning his attention toward a clock resting atop a nearby desk. The digits read 7:00 AM, marking the start of a new day.

A gentle tone called from downstairs. "Izuku breakfast is ready."

Izuku climbed out of bed, his movements sluggish from sleep, and stretched his limbs before donning his school uniform. His room was a haven of all might geekdom, a vivid display of fandom and admiration. From floor to ceiling, the walls were plastered with larger-than-life posters showcasing the mighty hero in action. A riot of colorful figurines and plushies adorned the shelves of his bookcase, each capturing a different heroic pose. It was a space where the boy had grown up his entire childhood, a testament to his unwavering admiration for the Symbol of Peace.

As he made his way to the kitchen, a familiar aroma wafted through the air, signaling the morning meal. The scent of rice and fish greeted him, bringing a contented smirk to his face as he took a seat at the table.

"Morning Mom" Izuku greeted with a relaxed grin.

"Did you sleep well izu? You seem to be in a really good mood today." Inko probed as the green-haired boy almost inhaled all the food in before casually nodding. "Slept like a log Mom. In fact today we are supposed to fill in our forms for our future career aspirations. So I'm excited to finally get started on my path to becoming a hero"

"I see. Have a nice day, sweetie."

Nodding Izuku grabbed a school backpack from his room and started making his way to school.

School day progressed without anything of note happening which was quite different from the norm. Usually, Izuku would be tormented relentlessly for his quirklessness by his former best friend Katsuki Bakugo, and his lackeys. Oddly enough being ignored completely lit a sense of relief in Izuku as he thought that perhaps they had grown tired of messing with him.

And so he spent all his time scribbling into his hero notebook until time for a homeroom class came around. A lanky builder teacher appeared at the entrance moving to the front of the class before going into a long tangent about quirks and their history. When his speech came to a close.

"In other words, you are now in the most important parts of your life to think of your future," he explained before grinning. "I'm sure most of you have ambitions to enter the hero section right?" he finished. Everyone in the class exploded into cheers as they played with their quirks.

"Well, well, it seems everyone here has good quirks. Make sure not to use them outside educational establishments, alright kiddos?" the teacher pointed out, his tone lighthearted. However, the atmosphere took a turn when a blonde-haired boy at the back of the class started barking.

"Kaneko sensei, please don't compare me with other losers. I don't intend to associate with those who have weak quirks, especially with the background characters in this lot. Ya hear?" he spat out with a sneer.

The teacher maintained his composure and responded calmly, "Ah, yes, you are aspiring to enter U.A. High School, correct?"

His question triggered an uproar from the rest of the students, excluding Izuku.

"The national high school requires a minimum total of 79 points to enter," one boy gulped.

"I heard their examinations are brutal. Some people even get hurt during them," another girl exclaimed nervously.

"I'm not surprised secondary characters like you posers are shitting your pants. Listen up, you shitty bastards, I will surpass All Might and become the highest-ranked hero. And before you go blabbing your mouths, I scored an A on the exams, which means I will be the only one to attend U.A. from Aldera Junior High," Bakugo boasted, a wicked grin on his face that made it clear he held himself in very high regard. Even an ant would consider it an honor to be crushed by him.

"Speaking of it I believe Midoriya also wishes to enter U.A." Kaneko pointed out causing everyone to turn their heads at Izuku who now wore a petrified look before everyone started laughing at him.

"Are you kidding me Midoriya!? It's impossible for you to enter without a quirk." One of Bakugo's lackeys snorted.

"Just keep your nose in the books; you'll only make a fool of yourself," another student sneered, prompting Izuku to attempt to defend himself.

"B- But they got rid of that rule, a- and there is no precedent—" Izuku started to explain before Bakugo punched his desk, causing an explosion that flung Izuku onto his butt.

"Hey, Deku. You're below rejects, a quirkless nobody. What makes you think you can stand to compete in the same race with me, you moron!?" Bakugo smirked, his arrogance on full display.

"W- wait, Kacchan, I'm not trying to compete with anyone. It's j- just that it has been my goal since I was little, same as you. So, I won't know if I can unless I t- try, right?" Izuku pleaded, his voice wavering but determined.

"What do ya mean try? Are you taking this test for fun huh? You are quirkless." Bakugo roared in finality. Izuku could not make him or anyone to see things from his own perspective so he decided to quiet down and wait for class to end.

As the classroom began to empty, Izuku started packing his bag but was abruptly interrupted by Bakugo and his lackeys, who snatched his hero notebook from his hands.

"Katsuki, what is that?" one of the lackeys wondered, curiosity piqued.

"Hero analysis for the future. Huh? Are you kidding me?" the second boy bellowed in laughter. Without hesitation, Bakugo lit the notebook on fire before callously tossing it out of the window.

"W- Why, Kacchan!?" Izuku exclaimed, his voice trembling with anxiety. Bakugo grabbed his shoulder, sending searing heat coursing through the green-haired boy's shoulder, causing his clothes to smolder.

"Don't even think about applying to U.A., nerd, if ya know what's good for ya. I want the spotlight as the only one to make it to U.A. from this school. It makes my profile all the more enticing when they write stories about me, like the other top heroes," Bakugo declared with a sinister glint in his eyes.

He began taking his leave, followed by his lackeys. The last of his friends stopped by the door before turning casually and flashing a malicious grin over his shoulder. "If you want to be a hero so badly, there's one method that might work for you. Pray that you're born with a quirk in your next life before leaping off the roof loser." Hearing those cruel words shattered Izuku's spirit. He had known Bakugo and his friends could be mean, but this crossed a line that made him reel.

When the figure disappeared from the entrance, Izuku found himself clutching the fabric of his uniform, his eyes closed in frustration.

"You idiot... What if I did commit suicide? That would mean you instigated it," Izuku muttered.

- | | -

The air hung heavy in Izuku's lungs as he forced one foot in front of the other. Each step he took was accompanied by an empty, vacant stare in his eyes. The color that had been there at the beginning of the day was now just a distant memory, replaced by a look of shattered determination. Eventually, he stumbled upon a vividly vibrant park.

As far as the eye could see, there were towering trees whose leaves rustled with a whispered invitation, and lush, emerald grass that beckoned for his presence. Amidst this scenery, a striking contrast emerged. Seated on a bench amidst a sea of vibrantly blooming flowers was a young girl with striking short purple hair, her ears adorned with plug-in-like ear jacks that hung from her earlobe. She was wearing Deep dope t-shirt and black jeans, completing the look of serenity. The image was nothing short of breathtaking, a masterpiece that painted life in its most simplistic essence. It left the green-haired boy entirely speechless.

"Excuse me, but what are you staring at?"

The transcendent moment which the greenette was soaking himself in was suddenly cut off and left him a mumbling mess.

"S- s- sorry I did not m- mean to! It's just that I have never seen such a pretty view". Before Greenette could realize that he had voiced his thoughts out loud purple-haired girl's cheeks caught a furious red shade.

"I- i- I mean the park! N- Not that you are not pretty b- because you are. Argh what am I doing". The panicking boy held his head in his hands in embarrassment before launching into a furious run, which inadvertently caused him to strip into a rock that sent him head first on the grass.

The purple-haired girl erupted in vibrant laughter, punctuated by the occasional snort, as she watched the fumbling greenette. Unlike before, this laughter didn't carry any malice or seem directed at him; instead, it was a reaction to the absurdity of the situation itself. It washed over the greenette like a wave of relief, soothing his nerves and leaving him feeling oddly comforted.

"Okay, broccoli head let's take a couple of deep breaths before ya seriously hurt yourself."

"B- b- broccolihead?" The boy repeated as if not believing what he had just heard.

"Well, I don't know your name and it kind of fits well for you. Curly green hair and all." Girl giggled. Before greenette shot up and started furiously bowing.

"M- My name is I- Izuku Midoriya".

Purple-haired girl's voice carried a friendly warmth as she spoke, her dark eyes locking onto Midoriya with genuine interest. "Kyoka Jiro It's nice to meet you, Midoriya-san." she beamed at the green-haired boy before continuing, 'I don't think I've seen you around this part of town before. You don't happen to attend X Junior High, do you?'

Midoriya's response was hesitant, his voice carrying reluctance. "Ah, N-No," he stammered, "I am c-currently attending Aldera Junior High." Izuku somberly finished, his thoughts briefly drifting to the events of that day. He wore an empty look in his eyes for a moment before trying to shake it off with an awkward smile, meeting the now-curious girl's gaze.

The purple-haired girl, keenly observant, noted the subtle shift in the boy's demeanor, even if it was slight. Her gaze lingered on his eyes, where she detected an almost imperceptible hurt, hidden behind the mask of his smile. The boy might have been trying to convey happiness, but his eyes betrayed a different story, one that Kyoka couldn't help but feel weighed him down.

"Spill it out," she asked, her gaze steady.

"W- w- w- what do you m- mean?" Izuku stuttered, completely frozen after being called out by the girl.

"Look, I've seen that look before. Holding it in won't help ya, so why don't you just let it out? We are strangers, anyway," the girl suggested, a warm smile curving her lips.

Considering her words, Izuku decided that he had nothing to lose anymore, so why not just come out with it? The girl had reached out to him, offering an ear in kindness, something he hadn't experienced from anyone other than his mom. With newfound determination, he decided to ask the question that had haunted him throughout his life, one that no one had ever responded to in the way he had hoped.

"D- do you think I could ever become a hero without a quirk?" Izuku questioned, his grip on the fabric at his hip tightening in a desperate plea. It was all out there now—his hopes and dreams hung in the balance of this single question.

Standing up from the bench, the purple-haired girl took a few hesitant steps toward the boy. "Of course, you can dummy. All you need is this," she replied, managing an upbeat grin before her hand extended in a fist, as she gently patted his chest. She observed closely as the once-composed greenette's demeanor shifted, finally revealing the emotions he had been concealing all along. A heavy moment passed, pregnant with unspoken hope, before a couple of silent tears raced down the boy's cheeks, tracing the path of his cheeks.

"D- Do you really mean it?" The boy struggled to wrench the words out, his voice quivering with uncertainty.

"Of course I do. I don't go around lying or giving false hopes to people, you know?" Kyoka responded with a confident smirk.

In that fleeting moment, if time could have frozen, Izuku would have been content. All the torment he had endured before stumbling upon the park now felt like a distant memory. As he breathed in and out, he couldn't help but sense a serene peace settling within him.

Before he could wallow in newfound peace and tranquility sudden murmurs and gasps of shock could be heard from the nearby store where people were grimacing unfolding terror displayed in one of the numerous television displays.

"Excuse me I have to see what's going on." Izuku pointed before leaving the girl who sported a look of curiosity and decided to follow him as he made his way through the dense crowd, Izuku's eyes locked onto a blonde boy trapped within the clutches of a menacing black sludge, his airways constricted. In his former best friend, now turned tormentor's eyes, Izuku could unmistakably discern an expression of terror—a plea for help.

"Kacchan!" Izuku's voice reverberated through the chaos, and in an instant, crackling lightning surged from the soles of his sneakers up his spine and back into his head. Empowered by this newfound sensation, Izuku sprinted forward with all his might. Strangely, as he moved, the world seemed to decelerate, as if time itself were grinding to a halt.

He ran, his mind devoid of thought, driven only by the desperate need to reach Kacchan. He sprinted, each step propelled by an instinct he didn't even realize he possessed, all the while unaware that he was holding his breath.

Before he could even process the unfolding events, Izuku spotted Kacchan's struggling form in the distance. His grip on reality tightened as he clenched his hand into a furious fist, channeling all his pent-up emotions and power into a single, devastating strike aimed directly at the heart of the black sludge, just above where his tormentor was ensnared.

As he released his desperation, the world around him began to blur and distort. In an explosive crescendo, the immediate area within a few meters of the impact point vanished into a blinding white abyss. The shockwave, fiercely contained, shattered the surroundings, but only in this localized zone.

As the energy surged, Izuku felt himself losing consciousness, his world fading to black even as the chaos around him raged on. But before darkness could claim him, he saw Kacchan's form next to him, unconscious but outwardly fine. A faint, serene smile graced his lips. "Everything was going to be okay," he thought, and then he surrendered to the void.