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A warm summers day beams down onto the streets of Musutafu, children laughing and playing in the sunshine, cars racing past with music seaping out of each one that drives by, but there's a sound that doesn't quite fit into this summers afternoon.
*Muffled cries*< A child curled up onto the floor, pressed against a rock surrounded by bushes, the perfect hiding spot for a child needing to escape the loud world around.
“What is wrong little one?”
Izuku looks up from his hidden spot behind the bushes to see a tall white man in this late 30’s, his eyes cold but his expression almost empathetic towards him.
“m-my friend won’t stop being mean to m-me...” he whispered drying the tears from eyes wallowing eyes. His face droopy and exaughted from the many minutes from his muffled sobs.
“Now that won’t do, will it? What is your friends name?”
Izuku hesitated, unbeknown to him that his next words would change his and everyone else’s fates around him.
“Katchan... I-I I mean Katsuki, Katsuki Bakugou, he’s the kid with the new super cool race car in the playground”
The man shifted his eyes towards a group of children no older than the age of 4 running around playing with a new Gogo race car. One child caught his eye, a spitfire with blonde hair and piercing red eyes with the confidence of a lion seemingly ringleading all the other children with his new toy. But that wasn’t all that drew him towards him, a faint aura around him, almost a feeling the man got looking at him. He smirked.
“Is that him?” he pointed at Katsuki.
Izuku nodded.
“Stay here, I will be back shortly.” He said, almost calming Izuku.
The man wandered over to the large group of children but before he could say anything Katsuki pushed through them and yelled,
“Hey! Who are you and why are you coming near us? Creepy old guys aren’t allowed in my playground.” Katsuki said triumphantly, the other children huddled behind him as if a one 4-year-old could protect them against a middle-aged man.
“Fear not child, I only wish to locate my niece, she is about your age with brown hair and a purple dress, I only looked away for a moment and I can’t seem to find her, do you know where she may have headed off too?”
Katsuki raised an eyebrow but brushed it off as he wanted to assert himself to a grown up.
“Well, she ain’t here, but she may have wanted down to the river, lots of kids go there” he said proudly.
“Why thank you” The man said bending down, he put his hand on Katsuki’s head, ruffling up his already messy hair from playing whilst saying, “You are such a helpful young man, no doubt that you will become a fine hero one day.”
Katsuki beamed at his words; his only dream was to be the number one hero and words from a stranger enforcing this dream only made him happier.
“That’s right! I’m gonna be just like Allmight when I grow up!” he replied.
“I’m sure you are, now I must run along to find my niece, thank you for the help” The man said walking back towards where Izuku was hid, leaving the children behind.
The man brushed behind the bush to sit down next to Izuku even if there was already little room for a 3-year-old. He noticed Izuku holding his Allmight action figure in bis hand, tears beginning to form again.
“That little boy sure does have an ego, he mentioned he wanted to be just like Allmight but in my opinion, real heroes are the ones like you and me, people who are there to fight even the smallest of injustices.” The man said looking up at the sky.
“He... he said I would be a quirkless loser and I would never be a hero… is, is that true?” Izuku whispered, the faint sense of belief he carried those words with only made the man grin.
“Evil can take many forms, even in the so-called heroes of the world. You child, don’t ever have to be like that if you don’t wish too”
Izuku looked up at him, only now looking truly at him as if he was God himself, “I don’t?” he questioned, determination filling his face with a smile.
“I can help you if you wish, not only will people recognise you as being powerful but so will heroes.” The man paused and stood up,
“You will never be a quirkless loser again.”
Those words raced in Izuku’s head, no more bullying, no more fear of never becoming strong like Katchan, he could be the world greatest hero. “How? How can I become stronger, l-like Katchan?”
The man smiled gently at Izuku and held out his hand towards him, “Come with me and I’ll make sure you will never feel powerless again.”
Izuku stood up and took the man’s hand, his tears drying away naturally and his heart pounding with the promise of a future Izuku has always wanted. The man smiled and began to walk with Izuku hand in hand.
“I believe we we’re never formally introduced, what is your name child?” The man asked.
“My name is Izuku Midoriya.”
“What a strong name, my name is Zen Shigaraki.”
13 years later
“Wake up Iz, the boss is gonna be here any minute” said a hooded figure passing by, blue hair sticking out from the front, his voice raspy.
Izuku sat up from his position hunched over the bar, only just waking up from his nap after a long night of surveillance. His clothes ratted and dirty after too many sparing matches, his quirk was exactly the type to keep clothes in a good state. His grey jeans and blue jacket had burn stains all over then, his jacket hood even had a burn mark in it after a heated argument with Dabi which ended up with his hoodie and the bottom of his head having no hair, he never let Izuku live that one down. The lights at the bar, aka their base for the moment, were dim, only glowing to show enough so we could see but to keep the place looking abandoned at the same time.
“Good morning young master how was your nap?” said a man with a large purple whisp for a head, his eyes narrowing as Izuku looked up at him behind the bar.
“Fine Kurogiri, just needed a cat nap to get some energy back before master came by” Izuku said while stretching, his face unworried. The hooded figure returned with an apple, placing it Infront if Izuku. He lifted his hood revealing his face, a man in his late teens/early twenties with dry skin scratched to death and shagged blue hair smiled at Izuku.
“Tomura what did I say about trying to get me to eat right as I’ve woken up, you know I don’t have an appetite” Izuku groaned looking at the apple.
Tomura laughed at his moaning, “I thought since the boss was coming you might want to eat, he says he’s got big news”. Izuku chuckled, “Him giving us a new big job doesn’t faze me enough for me to eat before he gets here. I’ll be fine Tomura don’t worry”
Tomura stopped laughing for a moment and looked over a Kurogiri, both exchanging glances that Izuku picked up on immediately. Noticing the lack of eye contact Kurogiri wanted to give him, he knew something was up.
“What? Is it something else?” Izuku questioned.
“More like someone else” A voice spatted in the corner. Coming out from the shadow of dim light a man with half his face stapled together due to serious burn marks strutted over to the next empty chair to Izuku.
“What do you know Dabi?” Izuku chimed up, knowing if he was the only one with real intel something serious was about to go down.
“Apparently boss picked up this genius kid to help with support operations, to give us a helping hand” he smirked.
“A helping hand are you kidding me? What other help don we need other than information on the next hero gathering? Kurogiri did you- “A sharp bang at the door cut Izuku off. “It’s show time” Dabi whispered whilst still staring at the door.
The door swung open with All for One walking in searching the room for Izuku.
“Ah Izuku, my prodigy, I come baring you a gift, a useful tool for you to use at your discretion for the next mission I give you.” He says with a smile engrossed onto his face, an evil lurking behind it.
“Master with all due respect I believe with everyone we already have we are ready to begin-“Izuku again cut off by his superior,
“Nonsense, allow me to introduce, or reacquaint you, to our newest addition ………”
His words became blurry in Izuku’s ears as a tall, brooding teen came around the corner of the door. Around 5’11 with spiky blond hair, a scowl and piercing red eyes that locked onto Izuku’s soul the moment he realised who he was. He could smell his sweat mixed into his cologne even from across the room, it filled his lungs giving him a taste of something he’d never experienced before, doubt. Doubtful of his past, his present and his future. What could one person do to mess up his life, Izuku wondered but for him it was as easy as snapping a pencil, he’s already a distraction to him now, what would working with him be like? Questions flooded his mind as his master’s words finally became clear in his mind.
Standing at the doorstep of the league of villains headquarters, Izuku’s newest task of commanding, was Katsuki Bakugo, his former best friend.