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Chapter 1: Field Trip!

The rising sun beamed through the glass walled entranceway and into the bustling, expansive lobby of the Tokyo based Quirk Research Institute. Groups of professionally dressed people trickled back and forth through the security checkpoint before proceeding to their destination with the sort of cool efficiency that only the competitively successful have the energy to muster. Silently ascending and descending glass elevators ferried people between floors as yet more suits streamed into the marbled plaza. These men and woman strode quickly about, speaking curtly to one another about some important business, hardly sparing a second glance at the chatting group of teenagers that were clumped together in their midst.

While they talked, a tired looking, balding, middle-aged man attempted to get their attention.

'Everyone, please settle down. Please, everyone…everyone.' he called, clapping his hands, but none of the fourteen-year old's payed him any mind. They were busily laughing, talking, and playing on their smart phones. After a few moments of trying and failing to silence his students, he lost his patience.

'Everyone! Settle down! NOW!'

The rambunctious group quieted as their red-faced teacher scowled at them.

'Do I have your attention?' he said, his nostrils flaring dangerously.

There were murmurs of assent amongst the students and their teacher continued.

'Now before we go on the tour, I'd like to remind you all to be on your very best behaviour. This is a very rare opportunity for us-'

As he spoke a group of students at the back of the crowd started laughing and jostling one another.

'-and I worked very hard to arrange this trip-'

The students at the back started laughing harder.

'-and when I-' the teacher's eyes narrowed, 'EXCUSE ME?!'

The students in the front parted before their teacher's glare to reveal the back of the class. There, a blonde haired and red eyed boy along with two others stood over a smaller boy who was kneeled on the tiled floor, papers scattered around him. The smaller boy had dark green hair, green eyes, and freckles. A small, worried, smile tugged at his lips as he looked up at his teacher.

'Is something funny going on back there, Midoriya?' snapped the teacher. The blonde-haired boy and his two compatriots stepped away from the smaller boy as he scrambled to his feet.

'N-No, Mr. Tamanegi, sir!' stammered the green-haired boy.

'Midoriya if you would rather goof off, I can arrange for you to wait over by the security station while we go on our fieldtrip if you prefer.'

A look of panic crossed the boy's face and he swallowed nervously.

'No, sir! I-I'll be quiet sir!' Midoriya said.

Mr. Tamanegi regarded him coldly before turning his attention to the blonde standing beside him. He had a cocky grin on his face as he locked eyes with his teacher, silently challenging him to say something. Mr. Tamanegi blinked first and turned his gaze back to Midoriya.

'Clean up your mess.'

'Ye-Yes sir!' Midoriya said. The blonde and his two flunkies started snickering to each other.

'And If I hear so much as another word out of you, you WILL be spending the trip waiting by the exit, do you understand me?'

'Yes, Mr. Tamanegi, sir.' Midoriya said resignedly as he fell to his knees, sweeping his papers back towards him.

'Bakugo, would you please join me at the front?' Mr. Tamanegi asked.

The blonde rolled his eyes and sauntered towards the front of the class. The rest of his classmates smirked as he stepped on and over Midoriya's papers while he and his buddies moved to the front of the crowd.

'It's going to be one of those days…' Midoriya muttered to himself as he piled his notes together and stood up.

As the class moved to rendezvous with the tour guide, Midoriya fell in line at the rear of the group, his lips sealed shut.

'Welcome Aldera Junior High to the Quirk Research Institute of Tokyo! My name is Doctor Hoshiko Motoori and I've been assigned to act as your tour guide for today! Are you all excited?'

The class mumbled indistinctly in response while a few of the students checked their phones.

'Great!' said the guide, unperturbed at the lack of enthusiasm, 'For your safety and for the safety of those around you I would like to go over a few rules we have here at the ol' Institute, okay? So please listen up!'

Of all the students only Izuku Midoriya gave the guide his undivided attention.

'Firstly, you are required to stay with the tour group at all times. Don't wander away, as there are important experiments being conducted in the laboratories here and we mustn't disturb the researchers.'

The class muttered in acknowledgement.

'Secondly, if I may direct your attention to the door over there?'

The tour guide pointed over to a key card locked steel door. Across its threshold were checkered yellow and black hazard markings.

'Do you see the yellow and black paint? Any door that is marked with either the yellow and black or the red paint is strictly off limits. For your safety, do not attempt to access any of the restricted areas.'

The class mumbled again, somehow even less enthusiastically than before.

'Now, if at any time an alarm is sounded, please stay with the tour group and I will lead you all to the designated fire exit. If you cannot find me or have become separated, calmly wait where you are, and a security staff member will come collect you.' she looked the class over once more before smiling, 'That's all for the rules, let's get this tour started!'

Walking backward, the guide began to narrate with practised ease the history and nature of the scientific work at the Quirk Research Institute while the class reluctantly dragged themselves after her. Amongst the lethargic crowd, Izuku couldn't help but stare open mouthed at the various glass cases and humming computer equipment around him.

After all, this was no common school outing. For Izuku this was his last, desperate hope of gaining a quirk. In the world in which he lived, the majority of the population were born with a special ability called a quirk. These quirks manifested themselves in a staggering variety and ranged from telekinesis, like his mother possessed, to super strength, like the great hero All Might. Some quirks also caused physical mutations, like animal characteristics - such as a tail or wings - that likewise imparted traits not seen in the typical human.

Not all quirks were created equal and those with powerful quirks got further in life than those without. If a person was born with a particularly powerful quirk then they could even become a professional hero, a defender of society and a servant of justice. There was nothing Izuku wanted more then to stand shoulder to shoulder with the professional heroes, helping and inspiring people.

Unfortunately, he was one of very few people in the world who was born quirkless. Quirkless people were heavily disadvantaged in society as nearly every faucet of a person's social standing was influenced in small or large part by their quirk. Everything from employment to personal relationships were affected and for people like him, the future seemed grim indeed.

But despite all the bullying and ridicule Izuku received regarding his condition, he held on to the faint hope that he was just a late bloomer. As soon as he manifested his quirk, he knew that with a focused mind and an eager spirit, he too could be a hero just like his idol All Might. All Might was considered by many to be the pillar upon which society was built. His selfless sacrifices to protect and serve the people inspired an entire generation to be like him, the symbol of peace.

However, for all his wishful thinking about mental fortitude and discipline, he knew deep down that he would never be able to make it as a professional hero unless he developed a quirk, and soon. When he heard that his teacher Mr. Tamanegi had arranged a field trip to the Quirk Research Institute he had practically leapt with joy. Maybe they could help unlock his potential!

And so, Izuku gave the tour guide his undivided attention, writing down everything she said as they moved through the facility.

'Here we are at the Quirk Manifestation Labs or the Hot Labs as we call them on account of the high ambient temperatures that we need to maintain for our experiments. Here you can see researchers hard at work determining what specific factors influence quirk manifestation.'

The class lowered their phones and crowded around a series of glass habitats, each one containing a different insect.

'What's with the bugs?' asked a violet haired girl, a look of disgust visible on her face beneath her thick sunglasses.

'Oh! In the Hot Labs, the majority of our experiments are conducted on insects.' said the tour guide brightly, 'In previous years, research was conducted on animals but after animalistic quirks emerged in certain humans and animals themselves started developing quirks, albeit rarely, we chose to examine insects as they haven't evolved sufficiently in nature to develop quirks. Yet.'

'Ha!' barked out Bakugo, 'Did you hear that Deku? Sounds like you and these bugs have something in common.'

Izuku grimaced for a moment before forcing himself to smile slightly as his classmates laughed at him. Deku was Bakugo's mocking nickname for him. It meant useless and defenceless. He hated the name, but over the years he had gotten used to it. Nowadays everyone called him Deku, even some of the teachers at his school.

The tour guide waited for Mr. Tamanegi to rein in his students before continuing.

'The insects that you see in these glass cases have all been modified with artificially cultivated quirks, allowing us to-'

'What?' Izuku shouted, almost dropping his notebook, 'Did you say you were able to give something a quirk?'

'Midoriya, I warned you-' growled Mr. Tamanegi before the tour guide interrupted him.

'No, no. It's fine.' she said to the teacher before addressing Izuku, 'Yes, we have been able to artificially stimulate quirks, but there are a few issues. The first being that we are years from human testing. Relative to humans, insects breed and mature rapidly meaning that we can more easily study the effects of genetic changes in a population. Humans mature more slowly and are much more complex genetically and so modifying the human genome is exponentially more difficult.'

Izuku nodded, his heart sinking a little.

'The second issue is that these insects are, for all intents and purposes, brain dead. Or they would be if they had a higher functioning brain such as ours. See how docile they are?'

The class turned and looked at the insects. They were all sitting still in their glass enclosures, unmoving.

'When we first started experimenting with quirk manifestation, we soon discovered that the subjects lost all agency in their own biological priorities and they would essentially die from starvation as their quirks activated. To combat this, all of the insects here have far more nervous tissue. It helps them cope with all their quirks.'

'These insects have multiple quirks?' asked Izuku incredulously.

'Yes.' responded the tour guide happily, 'It was a milestone in Dr. Akatani's research into quirk manifestation.'

Izuku scratched his head.

Dr. Akatani is the quirk specialist that Mom took me to when I was a kid. I didn't know he worked here…

'With the extra nervous tissue, the insects are able to be active for about twenty or so minutes over the course of the day. In between these periods of activity, they lie and rest.' The tour guide moved away from the insect tanks.

'Anyway, if there are no more questions…?'

Izuku opened his mouth, but quickly shut it upon noticing the dirty look Mr. Tamanegi was giving him. He gulped and averted his gaze.

'Then our next stop will be the Quirk Sequencing Lab. There you can all examine your own quirks and see the sequence it comprises in your DNA! Isn't that neat?'

The class mumbled again, before turning back to their phones.

As Izuku's classmates started to shuffle away from the display cases Izuku found that he couldn't move. Somewhere within the small multicoloured insects was the answers to all his life's problems.

Quirk manifestation! But at the cost of near total brain death. Maybe in a few years time-

'Midoriya! What did I tell you about goofing off!'

With a yelp, he hastily rejoined the group.

Izuku stood off to the side as his classmates waited in line at the quirk sequencing machine. After a small sample of blood, the machine would go through a series of calculations and a graphic would appear informing them of the exact sequence of DNA that comprised their quirk.

Though his classmates looked like they couldn't care less, he would have given anything to sit in that machine and be told he had a quirk, but all he could do was watch with envy as everyone was told what made them exceptional, unique, before they turned back to their smartphones.

It just isn't fair. He thought bitterly, peeling his eyes away.

Looking back to his teacher, he spotted Mr. Tamanegi doing his best to flirt with the tour guide, her smile slowly waning as she rebuffed his clumsy banter.

I wish I could have gotten a closer look at those insects. I wonder how they figured out how to impart multiple quirks? Maybe I could get an appointment with Dr. Akatani and…and…

Izuku shook his head and cleared his throat. His eyes started to well up as he felt a wave of hopelessness wash over him. In less than a year his class would be graduating from junior high and moving on to high school and high school was the deadline to apply to one of the hero programs. He had the highest grades in his entire school, but without a quirk it was pointless to even try.

Sniffling, he shielded his face with his hand and turned away from his class.

Get a grip Midoriya! If Kacchan catches you crying you'll really be in for it. They'll be here for a while. I should go to the washroom and wash my face. 

Moving away from his classmates, he walked outside the room and into the hall. As he headed towards the restroom, he spotted a man in a lab coat pushing a cart with an insect tank out of the Hot Labs. He stopped and watched as the cart rattled through one of the opened hazard doors. Curious, he moved over to the yellow marked doorway. What was the harm in a looking?

Peering inside, he saw nothing but an empty hallway, abandoned save for the insect cart. The scientist was nowhere to be seen. He hesitated at the doors threshold, the tips of his shoes toeing the hazard paint.

If I'm caught in one of the restricted areas Mr. Tamanegi will go ape shit. But if I only take a peek-' 

'What are you doing, Deku-Shit?'

Izuku nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of the voice. Spinning around, he saw Bakugo and his two cronies standing right behind him!

'Ka-Kacchan.' he stuttered, reflexively using his old childhood nickname for the blonde back when they were friends, 'What are yo-'

'I told you to never call me that!' the blonde snarled, 'Call me Bakugo.' he put his hand on Izuku's shoulder. Izuku flinched at his touch.

'S-Sorry I was just-'

'What have we here?' Bakugo said looking past him, 'Trying to steal a look at the mutant bug? Feeling jealous, Deku?'

'No! I-I-'

'Here, lets go for a closer look.' Bakugo started walking, pulling Izuku with him past the yellow hazard markings and through the doorway. Bakugo's two drones followed, chortling as Izuku gave up his fruitless struggle.

'May-Maybe we shouldn't be in here. We could get in trouble.' he said as Bakugo hauled him closer to the cart.

'No shit dumbass. We're in a restricted area. Quit being so retarded, Deku.'

'B-but-' his protests fell on deaf ears as he was pushed in front of the case.

Despite himself, Izuku couldn't help but look inside the case. Inside was a motionless blue and red spider about the size of his thumb. Its dully shining eyes seemed lifeless and if he didn't know any better he would have assumed it was a toy.

'Why's it blue and red? Must be side effect of the quirk modification or something.' Bakugo said absently, 'I doubt those colours are natural…'

Izuku's curiosity got the better of him and he inched closer to get a better view.

If they could do this with genetic engineering then maybe there is hope for me after all. I mean, stranger things have happened right? 

'I wonder how they did it?' Izuku wondered aloud, 'If they can modify insects then-'

As he leaned in closer he was suddenly knocked forward. Lurching off balance he went crashing into the cart. It was all he could do but watch helplessly as the trolley fell over sideways, the glass case cracking against the tile floor.

'Hey! I-' but before he could say another word he felt his legs get kicked out from under him. Collapsing next to the case, Izuku looked up at his tormentor. Bakugo stood over him a furious look on his face.

'Don't think for a second that you'll magically get powers from this place, Deku! Just because they made some mutant freak doesn't mean they can do shit for you.'

'Bu-Bu-But-' he stammered, trying to keep from crying.

'But what, Deku? You think they can inject you with some serum and you'll get a quirk in time for high school? Stop fantasizing about being something you're not and learn your place!'

At that Bakugo stormed off, his two flunkies in tow, laughing to themselves.

Izuku stayed on the floor as they left. Tears falling down his face.

'D-Damn it.' he said, looking over at his spilled notes. Everything he had written, everything the tour guide had said and given him hope seemed so stupid now.

Wiping his face on his sleeve, he made to gather his notes. But before he could move he suddenly felt a sharp pain on the back of his neck. With a muted shout, he reflexively slapped behind him. His hand suddenly felt wet.

Oh, no. No, no, no…

Drawing his hand back to his face, Izuku looked on in horror as he saw a blue and red smear in the palm of his hand.

Doing his best to appear innocent, Izuku carefully blended back into the cluster of students. Trying as he might though he couldn't help but fidget uncomfortably. His mouth was as dry as scorched sand and he felt a cold sweat breaking across his body.

Any second now that cart is going to be discovered, and when it is I guarantee that Mr. Tamanegi will accuse me first. Proof or no proof I'll be taking the blame. Oh, Kacchan! What did you do?

As Izuku panicked the tour guide finally managed to extract herself from the "charms" of his lecherous teacher.

'Did everyone have a chance to get their quirks analyzed?' the tour guide asked, moving back in front of the group.

'Yes.' chorused the class emotionlessly.

'Good, now if you'll follow me I can take you to see our chemistry labs! Neato, huh? Sadly, you won't be permitted into the labs themselves, but we have an observation area that you can enter.'

Izuku shakily stepped forward, anxious to put some distance between himself and the broken spider case. Walking at a torturously slow pace, the group plodded after the tour guide as she led them up a small set of stairs and into a viewing gallery.

The gallery consisted of little more than a few rows of chairs lined up in front of a floor to ceiling window overlooking a counter filled room. Inside, white coated scientists were hard at work swirling beakers and fiddling with various instruments as they conducted their research. But Izuku didn't care about any of that. Upon entering, he gratefully slumped down in one of the chairs. Under normal circumstances, he would have been over the moon to see such an impressive nerve centre of scientific brilliance, but right now he was just concentrating on not throwing up.

'This is our primary laboratory. Here we've made several breakthroughs in genetics, including the quirk development formula. Right now, the science team is hard at work creating a new formula in the hopes that it will one day be used to help those with unstable, dangerous quirks.'

'Midoriya! Pay attention!' Mr. Tamanegi called out, seemingly oblivious to the half dozen students who were busily texting on their phones.

With difficulty, he lifted his head. The lights in the room seemed very bright.

'Can anyone tell me what the primary source of accidental injury in Japan is?' asked the tour guide happily, 'No? Anyone?'

'Improper use of a quirk.' said a voice from the doorway. A few students turned to look at the newcomer.

'Ah! Everyone, this is Dr. Akatani. He is the senior researcher here at the Quirk Research Institute and is the leading mind in the field of quirk research!'

Izuku lolled his head to the side. Standing at the entrance to the observation theatre was the doctor his mother had taken him to several years ago. He was bald, slightly overweight and wore thick glasses. His expression was relaxed yet Izuku noticed his eyes pass over every one of the students. His eyes lingered over Izuku for a moment before shifting back to the tour guide.

'You flatter me Dr. Motoori. Though I am but one of many researchers in the field of quirk manifestation. So, how is everyone enjoying the tour?'

The students murmured indistinctly in response.

'Excellent. It's inspiring for all of us to see a crop of fresh young minds considering the possibilities of the future.' said Dr. Akatani just as one of the student's phones started blaring a silly tune.

'So Doctor, how goes the research?' asked the tour guide.

Dr. Akatani's relaxed expression tensed slightly before he smiled.

'It is proceeding. Not as quickly as I would like, but proceeding all the same. Speaking of, there is an important series of deadlines that I expect my team to meet and they require my supervision. Please, pretend I'm not here.'

'Of course, sir. Now who here can tell me-'

As the tour guide spoke, Izuku watched Dr. Akatani navigate around the room before sitting somewhere behind him. Izuku was tempted to look over his shoulder but he felt a fresh wave of nausea wash over him and he quickly concentrated on controlling his breathing.

This is more than nerves. That spider. It had to have been that spider. 

His strength waning, he dropped his head in his hands as he felt his eyes start to burn. He could hardly see his own lap. After several minutes of agony, the tour guide finally announced that she would be leading them back to the entrance. At a snail's pace he shambled after his classmates while they meandered their way back to the entranceway and the waiting bus.

Sitting in the back, he rested his throbbing head on the glass and tried to ignore his loud classmates. It was going to be a long drive from Tokyo to Musutafu.

Tokyo may be the capital of Japan, but Musutafu was where everyone wanted to live. A gleaming symbol of progress, it was the cultural and economic centre of the country. As Japan's fastest growing and largest city, its undeniable energy attracted people from all walks of life. Fiercely competitive, only the exceptional rose to the top, and in a society where superpowered beings were the norm, the exceptional had to be special indeed.

Of course, not everyone could be a success and Musutafu had its share of problems, poverty chief among them. With a large percentage of the population unemployed, many turned to crime and the slums of the city were truly dangerous. To make matters worse, the most dastardly and ambitious of these criminals might even turn to a life of supervillainy. Honing their quirks through deadly combat, these villains would take and do as they pleased if not for the constant efforts of the pro heroes.

However, for once the battle between good and evil couldn't have been further from Izuku's mind. After an agonizing, vomit filled commute home, he stumbled into the small but comfortable apartment that he, his mother, and perpetually absent father called home. Letting his backpack and notebook slide to the floor, he sluggishly lurched across the shared dining and living area towards his room.

'Izuku? Honey, how was the field trip?' called out his mother, Inko Midoriya, cheerily from the kitchen.

'Is…okay.' he said weakly, wiping a thin trail of drool from his mouth as he passed her back.

'Good. Well supper is ready when you are.' she said over her shoulder.

'M'kay.'

Stumbling past her, he went for the doorknob to his room. After fumbling for a bit, he finally worked the handle out and staggered inside. His small, clean room was filled to bursting with All Might paraphernalia. Lining every shelf were dozens of red and blue All Might figurines in a variety of poses and costumes and tacked on each wall were large posters of the smiling muscle-bound hero, famous slogans printed around their frame.

I hope I don't throw up over all of my merch. 

Pushing the door shut with his foot, Izuku let himself collapse back into his bed. Shivering violently, he pulled the covers over his head and quickly lost consciousness.

Chapter 2: A Weird Day. 

'Ah-Hah! I am here! To wake you up! Ah-Hah! I am here! To wake you up! Ah-Hah!-'

With a groan Izuku reached over from under his covers and swatted his alarm clock.

What a horrible night.

He felt like his body had been run over repeatedly by a steam roller. Every inch of him was tense like it had been crushed, poured into a mold, then hardened. He wasn't sore exactly, but he felt extremely tense. Like a rubber band pulled as far as it could go without snapping.

All through the night he had bizarre nightmares with leering, swirling faces. Bakugo, Mr. Tamanegi, All Might and his old doctor Dr. Akatani would gather around him and gibber nonsense while he writhed beneath them, his body covered with spiders.

As he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, he heard his stomach growl loudly. He had never felt so hungry in his life. Reluctantly, he pulled the covers back and looked over at his nightstand to check the time but his clock was missing.

Where's my clock? I must have knocked it under my bed. Hopefully I didn't damage it, they don't make those All Might Wakey-Wakey clocks anymore. 

Sitting up, Izuku eyes passed over his wall and his mouth dropped open. Embedded in the wall were the shattered remains of his prized collectors' clock. He sat motionless as he tried to comprehend what he had done. After a second of mute horror he threw his hands over his face and rocked his head from side to side.

'Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Well there goes twenty thousand yen, if I can find another one!' he moaned.

As he beat his head with his fists, he suddenly heard his mother's voice outside his door. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end and felt his skin crawl at the sound.

'Izuku? A-Are you okay?' she said softly, 'Can I come in?'

'Uh, yeah. I mean no! I mean…I'm fine! Uh, how are you?' he said, jumping out of bed so he could survey the damage to his wall. The clock was lodged so deep it almost burst through the other side!

Mom is going to be so pissed!

'Um, I'm okay. Did you drop something? I thought I heard a crash…'

'Nope! No, I think you must have heard…those damn neighbours! Always dropping…things. Damn them!' he said as he quickly pulled the metal debris out of the wall.

'Hm. Well come and eat your breakfast. You must be starving.'

He relaxed as he heard his mother's footsteps retreat. Once she had gone, he looked down at the destroyed clock in his hands and let out a mournful sigh.

If I'm lucky I can get some drywall mix on my way home after school. Maybe I can fix my wall before Mom notices. But…my clock though. I might be able to get it working again, but I can't do anything about the destroyed casing. Damn it!

Running his hand through his hair, he looked at himself in his mirror paned closet door. He was still wearing his school uniform from the field trip, though it was now covered in creases and sweat stains from his rough night.

Cursing his luck, he grabbed his towel and spare school uniform. Entering the washroom, he started to run the shower. He barely noticed the water hit his skin as he thought about his destroyed clock.

The only places that might carry another "Wakey-Wakey I Am Here" clock are those weird collector stores downtown. No doubt they'll charge me an arm and a leg for it too. 

He felt his stomach growl again and a pang of hunger ran through his gut. After rinsing himself off, he quickly pulled on his fresh plain black school uniform and exited the steam filled bathroom. Walking over to the kitchen he spotted his short, plump, green haired mother sitting at the kitchen table.

As usual, she had the morning newspaper folded in front of her, her coffee stirring itself, while she tisked disapprovingly at the latest rumoured escapades of their scoundrel mayor and his staff.

'Morning.' he said as he walked over to the fridge.

'Mmm.' she replied, turning the page.

Opening the fridge door, he considered his options.

What have we got? Leftovers and fruit juice. Not much but it's a start anyway.

Grabbing the juice, he saw a large Tupperware container filled with yesterdays supper of miso soup and tofu. Plucking it up with his other hand he turned and closed the fridge door with a nudge of his hip. Sitting across from his mother, he wasted no time and immediately began to guzzle down the cold soup straight from the container. His mother lowered her paper and looked at him in surprise.

'D-Do you want me to warm that up for you?' she asked.

He shook his head as he continued to gulp down his meal. After a few seconds he finished draining the container. Without skipping a beat, he lifted the pitcher of juice and chugged it as well. Once the jug was empty he set it down on the table and burped loudly. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he looked across the table at his stunned mother.

'Excuse me. So, what are you making for breakfast? Eggs? Can I have three please?'

Izuku cracked his knuckles as he made his way towards school. After eating half the fridge, he was feeling much better. Truthfully, he was still feeling a little peckish but his mother was shocked enough by his appetite as it was. In light of his extra-large breakfast she had vowed to go grocery shopping that afternoon to restock. Hopefully while she was gone he would have the opportunity to repair his wall before she noticed anything. Thankfully the hole would be covered by his bedroom door if his mother went snooping.

As he walked, he whistled to himself merrily. Despite his rough start, he couldn't remember the last time he felt so good. Normally in the mornings he was quite groggy, but today he felt bursting with energy. His walking pace felt unusually slow and for the first time in a long time he was seriously considering running to school. As he walked, he felt a slight thrill of energy run down his spin. Looking to his side, he saw his once best friend Bakugo storm out of his house. Slamming the door shut behind him. He spotted Izuku and scowled.

Here we go. Thought Izuku, his smile fading. I should have run when I had the chance.

'Hey Deku-Shit, still sick from yesterday?' Bakugo jeered as he caught up with him.

'Good morning, Kacchan.' Izuku said with false cheerfulness.

Bakugo scowled, 'How many times do I have to tell you retard? Don't call me Kacchan! It's BA-KU-GO! Bakugo!'

Before Izuku could say anything, a woman's voice called out.

'Hey, Kacchan!'

Izuku and Bakugo turned. Standing at the doorway was a blonde woman in a white housecoat, a sliver of her bare leg was just visible through her robe. Holding her robe closed with one hand, she held up a backpack in the other. She had a faintly amused expression on her face, one eyebrow raised as she looked at the pair. Without a word, Bakugo stomped off towards the woman, muttering angrily under his breath.

Izuku's breath caught in his throat and he felt a slight heat build up from under his shirt collar. You could say many things about Bakugo, but his mom Mitsuki was a babe. And she knew he knew it. Or at least, that's what he desperately believed anyway.

As Bakugo stalked away from him towards her, Izuku was struck with divine providence.

'Good morning Mrs. Bakugo!' he called out, waving frantically.

'Good morning Izuku, you're looking particularly handsome today.' called out Mitsuki unclasping her hand so she could wave back, her robe parting just a tiny bit more.

'HEY!' shouted Bakugo, 'WHAT ARE YOU THINKING!'

'S-SEE YOU LATER MITSUKI! YOU LOOK GREAT TOO!' returned Izuku. Spinning around he fast walked down the street, ignoring the explosive argument that was beginning behind him.

Particularly handsome.

Strutting into class, Izuku sauntered past his classmates and took his seat at the back. Unpacking his stuff, he got all his homework ready before he leaned back in his chair. His heart was still pounding from his encounter with Mitsuki.

Bakugo is going to be pissed, but screw it. In ten months, I'll never have to see him again. 

Humming softly, he pulled out his phone and began to browse while the room slowly started to fill with his classmates. Before long Mr. Tamanegi entered just as the tardy bell chimed, briefcase in one hand, cheap coffee in the other.

'Settle down, settle down.' Mr. Tamanegi said pre-emptively as he set his things down on his desk. Once he had unpacked, he took a lengthy and loud slurp of his beverage as he surveyed his kingdom. The class quieted and waited.

'Well yesterday was a disaster.' he declared, nodding to himself, 'Yeah, a real disaster. Idiots, all of you. Oh, and speaking of which; Kunie, Okichi, Ruriko, Kadonomaro, if I see you using your cell phones again, I will personally drop them in the third graders aquarium. Do you understand me?'

The four dutifully hung their heads in shame, though Izuku couldn't help but notice that Ruriko was still texting underneath her desk.

'Midoriya, what were you doing yesterday? You get food poisoning or something? Are you trying to make me look like a jackass out there?'

He snapped his eyes back to his teacher.

'Sorry boss, I must have caught the bug that was going around.'

Mr. Tamanegi frowned before he continued, 'Another toe out of line and I swear I'll have you in detention for the next week, we clear?'

'Aye-aye skip, crystal clear.'

Mr. Tamanegi's temple pulsed dangerously before turning back to the blackboard.

'So everyone pull out your-'

'So how'd it go with that girl yesterday?' Izuku asked before he could stop himself.

Mr. Tamanegi slowly turned around, death written on his face.

'Excuse me?' he said in a deadly soft voice, the rest of the class looked at Izuku with a mixture of disbelief and awe. He never pushed the teacher's buttons.

'Dr. Motoori, the tour guide. Was she biting?'

Mr. Tamanegi looked flustered as he started sputtering 'What? No! What has gotten into you Mid-'

'Oh, I'm sorry. Maybe next time.' Izuku said, nodding sympathetically.

'Midoriya! What I do in my own-'

At that moment Bakugo burst into the room and everyone swivelled in their seats to look at him. He must have ran as his uniform was even more dishevelled than usual.

'You're dead Deku! You hear me? Dead!' growled Bakugo, his hands raised menacingly. Izuku however was undisturbed.

'Kacchan! Didn't you hear the tardy bell? It rang over a minute ago! Mr. Tamanegi, surely you can show leniency for Kacchan's sake! He's such a good boy after all.'

Bakugo lowered his hands slightly and a small look of confusion passed over his face. Before he could say anything, Mr. Tamanegi intervened.

'Bakugo take your seat and please try to remember to straighten your uniform before you come to class.'

Bakugo glared over at the teacher for a moment before stalking off to his chair directly behind Izuku. Setting his backpack down on the floor with a loud clump, he noisily sat. Izuku could feel Bakugo's hot breath on the back of his neck.

'Now the next person to disrupt my class will get detention do you understand?' the class mumbled in acknowledgement, 'Good. Now, will everyone please pull out their literature homework. I've a sneaking suspicion you've all been copying off each other…'

While Mr. Tamanegi was talking, Izuku sensed Bakugo move towards his ear.

'Get ready for gym class Deku, cause you're dead.' Bakugo whispered.

Izuku chuckled softly before he could stop himself.

'Gym class, right. I'll keep a sharp eye out for any rogue basketballs.' he muttered, snickering louder.

For some reason the whole situation seemed comically absurd. He knew it was no idle threat. In the past, Bakugo had beaten him up behind the bleachers. A few times actually. But for whatever reason, he just couldn't help but feel invincible.

What's gotten into me? Thought Izuku with a slight tinge of worry as Bakugo seethed behind him.

The morning passed quickly and before he knew it, it was fourth period and gym class had at last arrived. After quickly changing into his gym uniform, Izuku walked out beyond the grassy fields and waited behind the baseball bleachers. Come hell or high water, he was not going down without a fight. Not this time.

In the past the idea of fighting back against Bakugo had seemed impossible. He had a few revenge fantasies, but to actually stand his ground and fight? Never. Not only did Bakugo have a massively powerful quirk (the ability to ignite his sweat and create explosions), but his body was toned and durable. By the time they were ten years old, Izuku knew that there wasn't a person in the school - student OR teacher - that could stand a chance against him.

Whether his new-found bravado was nerves or hormones Izuku couldn't say, but for some reason he didn't feel like rolling over any more. Standing beneath the shadowy bleachers, he felt his chest heave with emotion as he remembered his past beatings.

I'm here Bakugo. Come get me. He thought as a thrill of adrenaline caused his hands to tremble slightly.

He didn't have to wait long. Bursting from the school doors, he spotted Bakugo marching towards him, alone.

He must be serious this time if he's leaving twiddly-dumb and twiddly-dumber behind. 

As Bakugo approached, Izuku noticed that all the other students in his class had stopped playing and were covertly watching them. No doubt they had all heard that he was in for another beat down and they wanted to watch the fireworks. The thought made him swell with resentment for his classmates.

Cowards. You're all cowards.

'Hey there, funny man.' Bakugo said, stopping a few feet from him.

'Hey.' He replied with what he hoped was a carefree grin though his heart was pounding, 'We doing this or what?'

'What's got up your ass, Deku? You tired of having a face or something?'

'Cut the preamble Bakugo, I thought you liked beating someone weaker than you?'

Bakugo narrowed his eyes as he appraised him. After a moment he spoke again.

'You know, I don't think I've ever seen you this pissed off. It's kind of refreshing to be honest with you.'

Izuku felt his heart race a little faster. Every muscle and nerve in his body seemed to be on fire. He had never felt so alive.

'Well, after what? Six years? Seven almost? Of you making my life hell. You can't say you didn't see me fighting back at least once.'

'Yeah, I guess your balls finally dropped but you're going to regret letting all that anger out, Deku.' Bakugo said, sneering as he raised his fists.

'The only thing I regret is saving your life.' Izuku returned, tensing himself. Bakugo's cocky smile instantly vanished to be replaced with an expression of pure rage.

Many years ago, when they were still in preschool, he had saved Bakugo from drowning. Bakugo had never gotten over it. He, the most powerful kid in the city, saved by the quirkless reject. It was a humiliation Izuku knew must have cut him deeply.

'YOU DIDN'T SAVE ME!' Bakugo roared.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl for Izuku as Bakugo opened his palm.

Open palms! I didn't think Bakugo would lose control like this…he's really trying to get me this time!

As the snarling blonde leveled his hand at him, Izuku felt his nerves spasm. Reflexively, he hopped to the side. To his surprise his small jump launched him over at great speed and a small puff of dust rose from where he had been standing. A split second later an explosion ripped out from Bakugo's hand and blew apart the ground where he had stood milliseconds before.

What is this strength? Izuku thought in amazement as he flew through the air.

Izuku's jump carried him much further than he thought possible. Through the cloud of earth that Bakugo had kicked up with his explosion, he spotted the blonde boy's messy hair. Clenching his fist as tightly as he could, he sprinted towards him. Coming up on his left side, he drew his fist back. It felt massive and heavy to him. Unstoppable.

With a newly found terrible resolve, Izuku launched his fist forward. As it drew towards Bakugo's head, he looked into the boy's eyes. The expression on Bakugo's face wasn't the one he had been expecting. He hadn't noticed Izuku at his side yet. Instead he was focused on the ground he had just blasted. His eyes were wide with concern and fear and his mouth hung slightly open.

Does he think he caught me in that explosion? 

Suddenly he remembered the fear in Bakugo's eyes all those years ago.

Twisting his arm upwards, he turned on his heel and pushed himself back, his fist barely missing Bakugo's face. Now off balance, Izuku fell over side ways. Landing on the ground with a huff, Bakugo whirled around and looked at him in surprise.

'Deku? Wha- how did you?'

Before either one of them could say or do anything further, the playground was swarmed by shouting teachers. The two boys barely looked at each other as they were hauled to the principal's office.

It was four-thirty by the time Izuku was allowed to leave school. To his amazement, he hadn't gotten in any trouble. Besides the dressing down for being reckless, they had let him go Scott-Free. Apparently, while he was preparing for his faceoff with Bakugo one of his "cowardly" classmates had went to one of the teachers and they were able to stop the fight before it escalated.

It was a weird feeling to not be immediately jumped on by everyone. Usually the staff bent over backwards to ensure that Bakugo didn't get in any trouble lest his chances of being admitted to the hero program at UA, the top hero school in the country, be jeopardized but apparently the explosion he had unleashed in the school yard was serious enough that they figured he needed a wake-up call. As Izuku was a shy, quirkless, nobody and Bakugo's bullying was a well-known facet at the school, in a rare display of justice Bakugo was suspended.

Walking away from the school in a daze, Izuku vaguely remembered needing to buy drywall mix and paint to fix up his room. Heading over to the train station he considered what had happened.

I'm definitely not acting like myself. I can't believe I said those things to Kacchan. I said I regretted saving his life! What kind of attitude is that? And my classmates aren't cowards either. Until today I've never been able to stand up to Kacchan too.

As he remembered the fight he thought about his movements.

Ever since I was bit by that spider, my body has been feeling…strange. How did I dodge that explosion? I've always been one of the slowest kids in class. 

He looked down at his legs. He hadn't noticed anything strange about his body that morning in the shower. But then again, he had been so hungry he hadn't really been paying any attention. And during gym class he had been so excited he had changed as fast as he could.

I need to check myself out. Something weird is definitely happening with my body. 

Coming up on the hardware store, he bought some drywall mix and blue paint. When he returned to his apartment, he was relieved to see that his mother was still out shopping. After repairing the hole, he turned to the mirror and looked at himself.

Time to see what's changed.

Taking off his shirt, Izuku looked at his reflection and his jaw dropped in amazement. His once soft, flabby frame had been completely transformed. He looked like he didn't have an ounce of fat on his body and he was covered in muscle.

How is this possible? Izuku wondered as he pinched around his abs, unable to find any fat whatsoever.

As he felt around his abdomen he heard his stomach growling loudly again.

My metabolism must be going haywire! But what could have triggered this sudden musculature? I don't work out. Pretty much all I do is sit at my computer all day. Is it possible that I've manifested a quirk? That's the only explanation!

Izuku felt a well of excitement pulse through his body as he stood in front of his mirror. Laughing, he spun around. His many All Might figurines grinning at him.

If I have a quirk then that means I can be a hero! I can go to UA! I can, just, like…

'Guagh!' he exclaimed, falling back on the floor. It was all too much. Looking up at the ceiling, he forced himself to take a few calming deep breaths.

How did this happen? I was genetically predisposed to not develop a quirk! The doctor said it was impossible. This should be impossible! This all started with that spider bite, I'm sure of it. But how could that trigger a quirk?

Reaching around, he pressed his hand over the back of his neck where he had felt the spider the day before. Just above his shoulder he felt a small bump. Keeping his hand on the spot, he stood up and craned his head over his shoulder towards his mirrored closet. In the reflection he saw a small, purplish blemish.

There you are. 

Walking over to his school things, he retrieved his smart phone and took a picture of the bite mark. Looking at his phone, he studied the image.

The mark was coin sized, and slightly swollen. In the center of the small bump there were two tiny scabbed over wounds.

This doesn't tell me anything. I don't know enough about spiders. But quirks though…

Apart from following the world of pro heroes religiously, Izuku spent most of his free time researching quirks. In particular quirk manifestation. In his desperation, he had read all the theories about where quirks had come from and how they formed. There were a few plausible ideas floating around, but nobody was sure what triggered them. All anyone really knew was that it was genetic. Children carried similar quirks to their parents and they could morph and change between generations, occasionally hybridizing into something new. Some people were even born with two quirks, though they were exceptionally rare.

Walking over to his computer, Izuku went to the Quirk Research Institute website. Quickly scrolling through, he read all the available information of their quirk manifestation research in insects. Unfortunately, the website largely just repeated what he had heard on the tour. Premutated insects that acted as genetic blanks were given a specially developed serum before they hatched which led to them developing a multitude of different quirks.

Izuku drummed his fingers over his desk as he considered the information.

If I somehow inherited a quirk from that spider what quirk did I receive? Enhanced strength? Enhanced reflexes? Maybe speed? I need some answers, I don't want to risk walking around with some unknown quirk. 

These days, it was illegal for people to use their quirks outside of specific circumstances and for good reason. Beyond the omnipresent threat of terrorism and supervillains, many people had the capacity to cause widespread destruction if they used their quirk indiscriminately. To combat this, the government reacted with harsh punishments to those that used their quirks for personal reasons, especially if their quirk was particularly destructive or powerful. Only pro heroes were given license to use their quirks freely and even then, they did so only to stop criminals and villains. For the most part anyway. Some people, like his mother, could use their quirks within their homes or workplace so long as they were certified by a quirk specialist.

At that Izuku suddenly remembered Dr. Akatani.

Maybe I should go see Dr. Akatani! I bet you he would have some information for me. But the Quirk Research Institute is all the way in Tokyo though…

He checked his clock. It was almost seven.

He probably went home. I can go check the place out after school tomorrow. I'll need to distract Mom somehow though…Wait. Where's Mom? She should be back by now.

Izuku felt the small of his back start to tingle slightly. Standing, he exited his room and walked over to the shared living and dining area.

Why do I feel so nervous all of a sudden? Why isn't Mom home yet?

Anxiety rising, he quickly turned on the television and navigated to the disaster alert channel. He felt a cold ball of ice form in his stomach as he saw that there was a villain attack in progress near the shopping district that his mother frequented.

The camera showed a street in ruins. Cars were overturned and burning, a store front lay in ruins and multiple heroes and civilians were strewn across the road, unmoving. As a disaster response reporter narrated the scene below from her helicopter, Izuku felt himself begin to hyperventilate.

Should I go out there? It's a twenty-minute trip by train. I'd never make it in time! 

Izuku watched as the camera panned over to the rampaging villain. Even for a society filled with strange, super powered beings the villain was an oddity. He looked like a giant gelatinous ooze. His translucent green body was roiling and deforming as he battled several small figures around him. The fight wasn't going well. The heroes that were attacking him were immediately repulsed and tossed aside by his tentacles, their attacks seemingly having no effect.

'And Kamui Woods has been pushed back!' cried the reporter, 'It looks like he'll have to retreat as his traps have little to no effect! If this keeps up then…wait a minute. Wait a minute! All Might has arrived!'

Izuku cheered as he saw his idol arrive. Now that All Might was there, the villain was toast.

He watched as All Might, flashing his characteristic smile to the camera, rushed forward and engaged the villain. Before the sludge villain could react, All Might landed a massive Sunday punch, blowing him apart into wriggling pieces.

'Yes!' Izuku shouted, fist raised in triumph to match the pose of All Might.

Flashing another smile, All Might dashed away. No doubt rushing off to save some other person in need.

Izuku smiled, as the reporter shouted incredulously.

All it took was one punch. Time and time again, All Might proves that he's the strongest, no question. 

As Izuku kept watching the television though he felt his rush of excitement slowly fade back to worry. Picking up his phone he saw that he had no messages, as usual.

Come on Mom. Send me a text or something. 

He kept his eyes glued to the television as the camera panned over the devastation in the streets. Emergency services had moved into the area and were treating the wounded. He waited, looking for any sign of his mother amongst the crowds.

As he sat glued to the screen, the door to the apartment opened.

'Izuku? I'm home. Come help me with these groceries.'

'Mom!' Izuku cried, jumping up out of the couch and running over to her. Grabbing her, he pulled her in for a tight hug.

'Ack! Iz-Izuku…you…are…crushing…me!' she squeaked.

''S-Sorry!' he said, stifling a sob as he pulled back, 'Why didn't you call me? I thought you were caught up in the villain attack!' he shouted angrily.

'Oh, I forgot to charge my phone again.' she said sheepishly. Izuku scoffed and rolled his eyes, 'Anyway, come grab up these groceries for me.'

Izuku scooped up the bags and followed his mother into the kitchen.

'Plug your phone in before you forget Mom! What if there was an emergency?'

'I know, I know. Gee, when did my little guy get so strong?' she said reaching over to feel his arm.

'Cut it out, Mom.' he said, blushing as he dodged around her.

She sighed as he moved away, 'My little cinnamon bun is growing up so fast. Soon you'll be in high school and you'll have a girlfriend and then be moving out…' Izuku blanched as his mother started to sniffle.

'H-Hey, why don't we make some supper? I'm really hungry.' he said quickly. His mother was prone to emotional outbursts. And coming from him that meant something.

She sighed again then smiled, dabbing her eyes, 'Okay. How was school today?'

He froze. Running his hand through his hair he started laughing nervously, 'Well…'

Izuku explained what had happened between himself and Bakugo. His mother was in so much shock about the fight that he decided to leave out any mention of his new-found abilities lest she have a heart attack. In fact, she was so upset that she was even going to phone Mrs. Bakugo to complain. Thankfully he managed to convince her to let the matter slide. By the time they had at last settled the argument it was nearly midnight when he went to bed.

Izuku climbed into his bed and considered everything that had happened recently.

I have to tell my mother about my quirk sooner or later. I wonder what its going to be like to get registered for a quirk? I don't even know what mine is yet. I wish I had some answers. Maybe I should schedule another appointment with Dr. Akatani? It seems like he isn't a pediatrician anymore though. 

Before he knew it he suddenly broke out grinning.

I have a quirk! Not just any quirk but a powerful one too! I can be a hero, just like All Might!

Sighing happily, he flicked his light switch but to his surprise his room still seemed brightly lit. Frowning, he looked over at the lightbulbs in the centre of the room. They were definitely off.

That's weird. It must be a bright night I guess. 

Walking over to his window, he shut his curtain. However, he could still see around his room bright as day.

'What the hell?' he muttered. Walking over to his bed, he climbed underneath his covers. Throwing the sheets over his face, he could clearly see the red, blue, and white fabric. He threw his covers off.

Night vision too? Back at the institute the tour guide said that the insects had multiple quirks. How many did that spider have? I really need to see Dr. Akatani. 

Izuku's train of thought was interrupted by the faint sound of voices in the apartment above him.

'How can your quirk help you in retirement? Stay tuned, more after these messages.'

Izuku groaned and put his pillow over his head. The elderly couple living above him sometimes left their living room window open. Wedging himself against the wall he tried to get comfortable.

'Come on babe, it's my birthday.' whined a voice somewhere beneath him.

'Ugh, fine! But if this shows up on the internet, I'm going to kill you.'

Izuku felt his face go red as he couldn't help but hear the sounds coming from the apartment beneath him.

'Oh, come on. Super hearing too?' Izuku said incredulously. Jamming his fingers in his ears he settled in for a long night.

Screw getting an appointment. After school tomorrow I'm heading down to the Quirk Research Institute to get some answers. To his dismay the sounds beneath him got louder. And I'm buying some earplugs too!