Chapter Text
Izuku Midoriya was 5 years old when he realized that the world was far crueler than he had ever imagined. The day he made that realization, he stood towards an explosion of his best friend.
It had been nearly a year since the fateful encounter that left him with bruised ribs and shattered pride, when Katsuki Bakugou had ruthlessly beaten him down, laughing at his weakness. But instead of breaking him, that day had lit a fire in Izuku, a fire that refused to be extinguished, no matter how much the world tried to snuff it out. Something just changed or awakened in his heart a furious fire that was deep inside.
He had no quirk to rely on, no superpower to give him an edge, but a thing he has, his will to fight, and his relentless pursuit of strength. Day after day, night after night, he would train his body until it screamed in protest, pushing himself beyond his limits. He lifted rusted metal scraps, ran along the uneven sands, and practiced swinging his bat until his arms felt like they would fall off. Every punch, every kick, every swing of the bat was driven by the need to prove himself to prove that he wasn’t worthless, that he could stand up against the cruelty of the world.
But his training wasn’t confined to the daylight hours. As the sun dipped below the horizon and the shadows lengthened, Izuku’s training took on a darker, more dangerous tone. He would slip out of his home after his mother had fallen into a fitful sleep, haunted by her own regrets and fears. He didn’t tell her where he was going, and she never asked. The gap between them had grown too wide, the distance too great.
Izuku prowled the city streets at night, avoiding the well lit, bustling areas and instead seeking out the dark alleys, the abandoned buildings, and the forgotten corners where the city’s underbelly festered. It was in these places that he first encountered the criminals, the ones who preyed on the weak and vulnerable, the ones who thought themselves untouchable.
At first, he had only observed, hiding in the shadows as he watched them commit their crimes petty thefts, muggings, and sometimes worse.
But one night, as he watched a man with a minor telekinesis quirk corner a woman in a dark alley, something inside him snapped. The woman had cried out for help, her voice desperate and pleading, but no one came. The man had sneered, confident in his power, in the fact that no one would dare oppose him.
But Izuku had dared.
He had burst out of the shadows, wielding his iconic metal bat.The man had laughed at first, mocking Izuku’s scrawny frame, his obvious lack of a quirk. But that laughter had turned to shock, and then pain, as Izuku swung the bat with all his might, catching the man off guard. The bat connected with the man’s arm, then his leg, and finally his head. The man had gone down hard.
Izuku had stood over him, breathing heavily, adrenaline coursing through his veins, his hands trembling from the impact. The woman had stared at him, wide eyed, too stunned to speak. But Izuku hadn’t stayed to hear her thanks or see her flee. He had turned and run, the weight of what he had done crashing down on him all at once.
That night, he had returned to Takoba Beach, his heart pounding in his chest, his mind racing. He had fought and won, but it hadn’t felt like a victory. It had felt like something else something darker. The man he had beaten hadn’t even been that powerful. What would he do when he faced someone stronger, someone who wouldn’t be caught off guard, someone who would fight back with everything they had? Someone like All Might…
But despite the fear, despite the uncertainty, Izuku had gone out again the next night, and the night after that. Each time, he pushed himself further, took bigger risks, faced more dangerous opponents. He learned to read their movements, to anticipate their attacks, to use his surroundings to his advantage. And each time, he walked away with new bruises, new cuts, but also new strength.
Yet, the more he fought, the more he began to see the rot that lay at the heart of the society he had once admired. The heroes who were supposed to protect the people, the ones who were supposed to stand up for justice, were often nowhere to be found. And when they did appear, it was too late. The crimes were already done, the damage already inflicted. They came only when there were cameras, when there was glory to be won. The small, everyday cruelties went unnoticed, unpunished.
Izuku’s view of heroes began to change. He no longer saw them as the shining beacons of hope he had once idolized. He saw them as flawed, as complicit in the very system that oppressed the weak, the quirkless. He saw how people would cheer for the heroes on television, but would walk past a person in need on the street without a second glance. He saw how society had become reliant on heroes, expecting them to solve every problem, while they themselves did nothing.
The corruption was everywhere. He saw it in the way the police turned a blind eye to certain crimes, in the way the rich and powerful got away with anything, in the way people with weak or “useless” quirks were treated as less than human. And through it all, Izuku kept fighting, kept training, kept pushing himself to his limits.
But it was a lonely battle. The more he fought, the more isolated he became. The more he saw the truth of the world, the more it crushed him under its weight. He was just one boy, fighting a battle that seemed impossible to win. But he couldn’t stop. He wouldn’t stop.
And then, one night, as he lay battered and bruised on the cold sand of Takoba Beach after another brutal encounter, he asked himself the question that had been gnawing at the back of his mind
“What does it even mean to be a hero?” just a question for some people but for Izuku it means everything.
The question haunted him, echoed in his mind as he stared up at the night sky, the stars obscured by the city’s lights. He had no answer. He had no idea what being a hero meant anymore. The heroes he had once looked up to seemed so distant, so far removed from the reality he faced every day..
And so, despite everything, he continued to train, continued to fight, continued to push himself to the brink, hoping that one day he would find the answer he was looking for or the feeling.
A year passed by and Izuku's training wasn’t something that you could human replicate no… Izuku training was hell on earth doing things that have to be inhuman even for a person with a strength quirk. But Izuku doesn't care at all. He knows that he's doing the impossible but why would he want an answer? He's just going through the only thing he knows that he will keep pushing no matter what.
The night had fallen over Takoba Beach, casting long, sinister shadows across the abandoned junk piles. The air was still, heavy with the scent of salt and rust. Izuku Midoriya, now 14 years old, stood at the shoreline, the cold wind biting at his skin. His green eyes, once full of innocence, now gleamed with a hardened resolve. He gripped his metal bat, the only companion he had.
Two years. That’s how long he had until the UA entrance exams. Two years to turn himself into something worthy of being called a hero. But tonight, he wasn’t alone.
A faint, almost imperceptible sound cut through the silence a footstep, light and deliberate. Izuku’s body tensed, every muscle coiled like a spring, ready to strike. ‘Another stupid student that wants to fight him?’ Izuku thought at the same time. He turned sharply, raising his bat, only to be met with a figure standing a few feet away.
The man was tall, with a lean, muscular build, wrapped in a dark, tattered cloak that fluttered in the wind. His face was partially obscured by a bandana, but his eyes those piercing, bloodthirsty eyes glowed with a predatory intensity. A killer’s eyes. Izuku had seen them before, in the faces of those who hunted him down as a child, but this…this was different. This was someone who had embraced the darkness.
"You've gotten stronger, kid," the man spoke, his voice a low, gravelly growl. "But strength alone won’t make you a hero."
Izuku swallowed hard, his grip on the bat tightening. He didn’t know who this man was or why he kept appearing at the beach, but every time he did, Izuku’s life became a living hell. "Who are you?" Izuku managed to ask, his voice steady despite the fear gnawing at his gut.
The man didn’t answer. Instead, he drew a long, gleaming katana from the sheath at his side. The blade caught the faint light of the moon, reflecting it with a menacing sheen. Izuku's breath hitched as the man took a step closer.
Izuku’s heart pounded in his chest, but he nodded. There was no choice. This feeling he knows well… is fear, fear of death so he doesn't have a choice but to fight.
The man moved with the speed and precision of a predator, lunging at Izuku with his katana. Izuku barely had time to react, raising his bat to block the strike. The force of the blow reverberated through his arms, nearly knocking the bat from his hands. But he held firm, gritting his teeth against the pain.
"Focus," the man barked, pulling back only to strike again, this time aiming for Izuku’s legs.
Izuku jumped back, narrowly avoiding the blade. He swung his bat, aiming for the man’s side, but his opponent was too fast. The man dodged the attack with ease, his movements fluid and precise.
"Too slow," the man sneered, slashing at Izuku again, this time grazing his shoulder. A thin line of blood welled up from the cut, staining his shirt red.
Izuku hissed in pain, but he didn’t stop. He couldn’t stop. He charged at the man, swinging his bat with all the strength he could muster. The man blocked the attack effortlessly, then delivered a swift kick to Izuku’s stomach, sending him sprawling to the ground.
The impact knocked the wind out of him, but Izuku forced himself to stand, clutching his bat with trembling hands. His vision blurred for a moment, but he shook it off, focusing on the figure before him.
"Again," the man ordered, his voice cold and unyielding.
‘Dammit…I can’t breathe properly,’ Izuku thought, his chest heaving with every breath. The injuries from his previous fights, the bruises, the cuts they all screamed in protest. ‘I feel worse... My injuries from before, from yesterday… But I can’t just give up. I DON’T WANT TO DIE… not before showing what I’m worth.’
Izuku wiped the blood from his mouth and charged again, his mind racing. He couldn’t rely on brute strength alone. He needed to outthink his opponent, find a weakness, a gap in the man’s defenses.
The next time the man attacked, Izuku feigned to the left, then ducked low, swinging his bat at the man’s legs. It was a risky move, one that left him open to a counterattack, but it was the only chance he had.
The bat connected with the man’s shin, the impact sending a jolt of satisfaction through Izuku. But the man barely flinched. Instead, he brought the hilt of his katana down on Izuku’s back, forcing him to the ground once more.
"Pathetic," the man spat, his voice dripping with contempt. "Is this all you’ve got?"
Izuku coughed, tasting blood in his mouth. His body screamed in protest, every muscle aching, every bone feeling like it was on the verge of breaking. But he couldn’t give up. Not now. Not ever.
"I’m not done yet," Izuku muttered, pushing himself up on shaky arms.
The man’s eyes narrowed, a hint of something like approval flickering in their depths. "Good," he said, lowering his katana. "Because neither am I."
The man sheathed his katana, and for a brief moment, Izuku allowed himself to hope that the fight was over. But then, the man pulled out a set of knives, each one glinting wickedly in the pale moonlight.
Izuku’s breath caught in his throat. This was different. This wasn’t just a fight. This was the survival of the fittest.
The man tossed one of the knives at Izuku’s feet. "Pick it up," he commanded.
Izuku stared at the knife, then at the man. "Why?"
"Because you’ll need it to survive what comes next," the man replied, a cruel smile curling his lips. "Or do you think that bat of yours will be enough?"
Izuku hesitated for a moment, then reached down and picked up the knife. It felt foreign in his hand, cold and unfamiliar. But he knew he had no choice.
The man didn’t give him any time to adjust. He lunged at Izuku, knives flashing through the air. Izuku barely managed to block the first strike with his bat, but the second knife sliced through his side, drawing a deep gash.
‘Shit…this hurts,’ Izuku thought, gasping in pain as blood soaked his side. He slashed wildly at the man, trying to keep him at bay. But the man dodged the attacks easily, his movements smooth and practiced.
"Too wild," the man said, kicking Izuku’s legs out from under him. Izuku fell to the ground, the knife slipping from his grasp.
The man loomed over him, a twisted smile on his face. "You’ll never be a hero if you fight like that."
Izuku gritted his teeth, the words stinging more than the cuts on his body. But instead of despair, he felt something else rising within him. Anger. Determination. A burning need to prove this man wrong.
With a roar, Izuku grabbed his bat and swung it at the man’s legs. The man dodged, but Izuku was ready. He grabbed the fallen knife with his other hand and slashed at the man’s arm, drawing blood.
The man hissed in pain, but he didn’t stop. He kicked Izuku in the chest, sending him crashing back to the ground. But this time, Izuku didn’t stay down. He pushed himself up, breathing heavily, blood dripping from his wounds, but his eyes burning with an indomitable will.
"Again," the man said, his voice softer this time, almost…approving. "Get up. Again."
Izuku clenched his teeth, his thoughts a blur. ‘I’m hurt… I can’t feel my left arm properly… This bastard is pushing me to the edge… But I won’t give up. I CAN’T give up.’
The man lunged again, his knives flashing in the dim light. Izuku blocked the first strike with his bat, then the second with his bare hand, ignoring the sharp pain as the blade cut into his palm. He twisted, using the momentum to bring his bat crashing down on the man’s shoulder. The force of the blow sent the man staggering back, a grunt of pain escaping his lips.
"That’s more like it," the man growled, wiping the blood from his mouth with a grin. "But you’re still too damn soft, kid. Heroes… they need to be more than just strong. They need conviction. A will of steel. And you… you’re just a scared little brat trying to play hero."
Izuku’s vision blurred for a moment, but he forced himself to stay focused. His breath was ragged, his body on the verge of collapse, but his mind was clear. ‘I’m not… just some scared brat… I’m more than that… I have to be…’
The man lunged again, but this time Izuku was ready. He swung his bat with all his remaining strength, aiming for the man’s head. The man dodged, but the bat grazed his temple, drawing a thin line of blood. The man staggered back, but before he could recover, Izuku was on him, slamming the bat into his ribs with a sickening crunch. The force of the blow reverberated through the night air, and the man grunted in pain, his breath hitching as he took a step back. Izuku didn't let up he couldn’t afford to. He swung the bat again, this time aiming for the man’s legs. At the same time Izuku got a feeling something was wrong so wrong…
The bat connected with a brutal thud, and the man’s leg buckled beneath him. But before Izuku could strike again, the man lashed out with his katana, the blade slicing through the air and catching Izuku across the chest. Izuku hissed in pain as the sharp sting of the cut tore through his flesh, but the adrenaline coursing through his veins drowned out the agony.
“You’re not worth it ” the man sneered, though there was a slight tremor in his voice now.
Izuku’s mind was a whirl of pain and fury. He could feel every injury, every cut, every bruise screaming for him to stop, to drop to the ground and surrender. But the fire in his chest, the need to prove himself, to survive, burned brighter than the pain. ‘ Dammit, I can’t breathe properly…I feel worse than before. My injuries from yesterday haven’t even healed, but I can’t give up. I don’t want to die not before I show everyone what I’m worth. ‘ Even if he was thinking this he has another deep question ‘Why doesn't he use his quirk’ that just makes his blood boil more than anything.
With a roar of defiance, Izuku lunged forward, swinging his bat in a wild arc. The man dodged, but Izuku had anticipated it this time. He spun on his heel, bringing the bat around in a vicious backhand that caught the man square in the side of his head. The man’s head snapped to the side, and he staggered, blood pouring from his temple.
For a moment, Izuku thought he had him, that the fight was over. But then the man’s eyes flickered with a dark, unholy light. “Good,” he snarled, wiping the blood from his face with the back of his hand. “Very good. Now you’re starting to understand.”
Izuku barely had time to react before the man was on him again, moving with blinding speed. The katana slashed across Izuku’s arm, the blade biting deep, nearly severing the muscle. Izuku cried out, the bat slipping from his grasp as he clutched at his bleeding arm. But even as the pain threatened to overwhelm him, something inside him snapped.
‘ I’m not going to die here. I refuse. ’
Izuku’s vision blurred, his head swimming with pain and exhaustion, but he forced himself to stand. He could feel his body screaming in protest, feel the blood running down his arm in hot rivers, but he didn’t care. He wouldn’t let this man break him, a man who won't take him seriously. With a growl, he lunged at the man, bare hands outstretched, aiming for his throat.
The man’s eyes widened in surprise as Izuku’s hands closed around his neck, squeezing with all the strength he had left. The man dropped his katana, his hands clawing at Izuku’s, but Izuku didn’t let go. He could feel the man’s pulse racing under his fingers, feeling the panic setting in as the man realized he might have underestimated this boy.
“ A hero…doesn’t give up, ” Izuku hissed, his voice low and full of venom. “ A hero fights until the end. Even if it means sacrificing everything. ”
The man’s face twisted into a grimace, and he suddenly drove his knee into Izuku’s stomach with brutal force. Izuku gasped, the air leaving his lungs in a rush, but he didn’t let go. He tightened his grip, ignoring the fire burning in his chest, the darkness creeping in at the edges of his vision.
The man’s hands flailed desperately, his movements growing weaker by the second. Izuku could feel the strength draining from the man’s body, feel him slipping away. But then, just as Izuku thought he had won, the man twisted violently, breaking free from Izuku’s grip.
Gasping for air, the man staggered back, clutching his throat, his eyes wild with fury. “ You…you’re insane, ” he rasped, his voice hoarse.
Izuku didn’t respond. He couldn’t. He was too busy trying to stay on his feet, too busy fighting off the darkness that threatened to swallow him whole. His vision was swimming, his legs trembling, but he refused to fall. Not yet. Not until this man was down.
“ You think you can be a hero, huh? ” the man snarled, his voice dripping with disdain. “ You don’t even know what it means to be a hero. To sacrifice everything for the sake of others. To walk the path of blood and pain, knowing that no one will thank you in the end. ”
Izuku’s eyes burned with unshed tears, but he held his ground, his chest heaving with labored breaths. ‘ Maybe he’s right… Maybe I don’t understand… ’ But then he thought of the faces of those who had hurt him, the people who had told him he would never amount to anything. And something inside him snapped. ‘ But I’m going to find out. I’m going to survive, no matter what it takes. ’
With a roar, Izuku charged at the man again, this time with nothing but his fists. The man barely had time to raise his arms in defense before Izuku’s fists were crashing into him, each blow more savage than the last. The man grunted in pain, trying to block the strikes, but Izuku was relentless, his fists a blur of motion.
“ A hero is someone who fights, ” Izuku spat, his voice raw with emotion. “ Someone who doesn’t stop, no matter how much it hurts. No matter how much blood is spilled. ”
The man’s eyes widened, and for the first time, Izuku saw something that looked like fear in them. But it was too late. Izuku’s fist crashed into the man’s jaw with a sickening crack, sending him sprawling to the ground.
Izuku stood over him, chest heaving, blood dripping from his knuckles. The man lay motionless at his feet, his eyes wide with shock. For a moment, Izuku thought he had killed him. But then the man’s chest rose and fell with a shallow breath, and Izuku felt a wave of relief wash over him.
“ You’re strong, kid, ” the man rasped, his voice barely audible. “ But you’ve got a long way to go. ” He struggled to sit up, his body trembling with the effort. “ Remember this… If you want to be a hero… you have to be willing to lose everything.”
Izuku stared at him, the words echoing in his mind. ‘ Lose everything…? ’ Izuku couldn't think properly. He was already furious with the person so he just attacked him again “ SHUT UP! ” Izuku screamed with all he got in that moment, this slightly surprised the tall man.
Izuku didn’t stop. He couldn’t stop. The anger that had been simmering inside him for years finally boiled over. He picks the bat and swings again and again, each strike driven by a deep, primal rage. The man blocked some of the blows, but not all. The bat connected with his ribs, his arms, his legs anywhere Izuku could reach.
The man managed to get some distance between them, his breath coming in ragged gasps, but there was no fear in his eyes. No panic. Just a cold, calculating gaze, as if he were studying Izuku, analyzing his every move. And that look, that infuriatingly calm and detached look, made something snap inside Izuku.
"Why aren’t you using your quirk?!" Izuku spat, his voice raw with anger. "Why are you just playing with me?!"
The man didn’t answer, only tilting his head slightly as if considering the question. Izuku’s grip on the bat tightened until his knuckles turned white. He knew what it looked like when someone used their quirk in a fight. He’d seen it countless times the surge of power, the flash of light, the sheer force of it. But this man… he hadn’t used anything. He was holding back, underestimating him, just like everyone else had done his whole life.
“You’re just like them… thinking I’m nothing!” Izuku shouted, his voice cracking as tears of frustration welled up in his eyes. “But I’m not nothing! I’m not worthless!”
The man still said nothing, his expression unreadable, and that silence was the final straw. Izuku felt something deep inside him snap, an uncontrollable fury rising to the surface. He let out a guttural scream, a sound that was more animal than human, as tears streamed down his face. He was angry angry at the man, at the world, at himself for being so weak, for always being looked down on, for never being enough.
In his blind rage, Izuku spotted an old, rusted fridge lying among the junk. Without thinking, he dropped his bat and rushed at it, his fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms. He punched the fridge with everything he had, over and over again, not caring that his knuckles split open on the metal, that his blood smeared across the surface. Pain shot through his arms with each impact, but he didn’t stop. He couldn’t stop.
“DAMMIT!” Izuku roared, his voice hoarse and broken. “I WON’T BE NOTHING!”
Each punch was an outlet for his frustration, his despair, his overwhelming need to prove himself. The metal of the fridge dented under the force of his blows, but Izuku didn’t care. His body was screaming at him to stop, but his mind refused to listen. He kept going, even as the pain became unbearable, even as his vision blurred and his strength started to fade.
Finally, when his arms could no longer move and his breath came in ragged, uneven gasps, Izuku collapsed to his knees, leaning against the fridge for support. His hands were a bloody mess, his entire body shaking with exhaustion and emotion. He could feel the hot tears streaming down his face, mixing with the blood on his cheeks.
“What… what does it even mean… to be a hero?” Izuku whispered to himself, his voice barely audible. It was a question that had haunted him for so long, a question that he still didn’t have an answer to.
He slumped to the ground, his body giving out as the adrenaline drained away, leaving only the crushing weight of his own doubts and severe injuries. The cold, hard ground of Takoba Beach pressed against his cheek, and Izuku welcomed the numbness that began to creep over him. He was too tired to care anymore. Too tired to fight.
The man pushed himself to his feet after the rampage of the brat, saying unsteadily. “ This isn’t over, ” he said, his voice grim. “ I’ll be back. And next time…you’d better be ready. ” With that, he turned and was about to disappear into the shadows, but something popped in his inhuman mind just for a second that made him do something that he couldn't believe doing to any person before.
As consciousness slipped away, Izuku's last thought was a bitter, aching one ‘Will I ever be enough?’
And then there was only darkness.
Hours pass by and the sun of the morning is starting to show up, the cold of the morning that everyone hates and in a specific place “Takoba’s beach” inside of it we can see Izuku’s body on the cold ground, the ground that has his own dried blood everywhere on the surroundings of the dumpsite called beach. A slow movement is all Izuku can do, while he is fighting to stand up.
“Fuck I can feel every part of my body… it hurts” Izuku growls to himself while fighting to stand up he remembers all the fights he had with the red ribbon man. He underestimates him, but even if that makes things even is just bullshit for Izuku he doesn't believe that, he knows better than that bullshit. He knows that he could die any moment just because a ability no matter how vigorous he fought just because a quirk he could die and that just fuck his mind. That made him feel like a bitch a feeling that he didn't feel for a while. “FUCK!” Izuku screamed to the ocean while standing up slowly but with an immaculate conviction. “FUCK YOU!” scream again. And with that final effort he did, he stand up again and he will do it again as much he needs to because something like this ‘WON’T HAPPEN AGAIN’ that's what's now on Izuku psycho