All men… are not created equal.

          Haha, here he goes again. What are you gonna do Deku?

He remembered that day like the back of his hand…

          If you… if you wanna bully him then you’ll have to go through me!

The young boy, only four years of age, stood up, defending his friend before a bully. A bully who knew only strength and pride thanks to his power, his “Quirk.” 

         Oh look here guys! Looks like someone’s trying to be a Hero!! 

You can’t ever be a Hero without a Quirk, stupid Deku!!

Just like all the other days at daycare, young Izuku Midoriya came home hurt, he was covered in bruises, burns, sometimes he was even cut and bled. 

          IZUKU!!! Cried his mother Inko, her face covered in shock and tears as the boy opened the door.. What happened?!!

Yet the only reply she would receive from her son… were quiet tears, and a fake smile. 

          All Might always arrives with a smile… doesn’t he? 

Yet Inko was brought to her knees, squeezing the boy with all her might. 

          Oh… Izuku!!!

It was like this nearly every day, no matter how many times that boy was disciplined, no matter how many times he was told to stop using his Quirk, Katsuki Bakugo always bashed and injured young Izuku, his pride knowing no bounds. 

Years had passed, Izuku and Katsuki were now nine years old, yet neither had moved on from their daycare years. 

          Woah!! I just found this awesome All Might poster!! Izuku cried as he looked at a school computer. Yet… Bakugo rounded the corner, and rudely kicked the chair Izuku was sitting in. As the innocent green-haired boy turned around, he was met with Bakugo’s snide, arrogant, and sinister glare. 

          Do you really still think you can be a Hero you Quirkless wannabe?! He shouted with a twisted smile. Face it Deku, I’ve been telling you for years now that it’ll never happen! So quit trying to act like you’ll ever be important!

His heart shattered, and his body began shaking. Izuku looked around the room as others looked at him, all of them growing fiendish smiles and condescending eyes. As seconds passed… giggles, chuckles, snorts, and cries all rang out in the room. Soon after… it erupted into full on laughter, it spread like a cancer, and forced its way into Izuku’s heart. Tears welled in his eyes, and before anyone could react he grabbed his bag and sprinted out of the room. Every step, every breath felt like a weight was weighing on the young boy’s soul, and with every step, the laughs continued to echo in his mind. 

          Useless Deku!!!!! Those voices cried. 

All the while, Izuku ran through the doors of his school, tears flying down his face, and he ran and ran until he found his way home…

          Uh! Izuku!!! Inko cried, she had gained weight over the years, and Izuku flew into her arms. What happened? What’s wrong Izuku?!

Yet the boy never answered, he simply cried into his mother’s arms after collapsing on the floor, and Inko sat there as tears started to fall from her own eyes, and together, they held each other deeply…

Five more years had passed, Izuku was now 14 years old and in his final year of middle school. He raced down the hall at a brisk pace, his bright red shoes clapping against the floor as he left his final class of the year, his final day at Aldera Middle school. He was rushing to escape this building, to get away from him. The boy responsible for crushing his dream. 

          “DAMNIT DEKU!!!”

As Izuku entered an empty hall, he turned and saw Bakugo walking towards him quickly, followed by two of his “friends.”

          “Let me get this straight,” His monstrous voice cried. “You, a Quirkless and pathetic loser, wants to get into U.A.?! You really think you’re even worth their time?!”

          “Y-yeah, I still want to be a Hero Kacchan! Is that really so bad?!” Izuku protested.

          “Woah, little Deku’s talking back?” One of the other students asked sarcastically. But Bakugo did not heed his words, as he simply pinned Izuku against the wall, his glare looming over the poor boy. His crimson eyes spoke terror and and egregious pride and his explosive blonde hair was as sharp as a pocket knife. 

          “Listen here Deku,” Bakugo said as he ripped a notebook out of his hands, the words ‘Hero Analysis for the Future’ written on the cover. “Stop playing with the idea of being a Hero. You know as well as we do that being Quirkless is worse than being dead!!”

          “Kacchan!!” Izuku yelled as he pushed against the man, reaching for his notebook. “Give it back!!”

          “SHUT UP!!” 

BOOM

Izuku covered his eyes as Bakugo used his Quirk burning notebook into ash. As he looked onward, he saw his notebook, all of his notes burned to cinders, the spine blackened by the fires of Bakugo’s Quirk consuming the last of its defenseless body. Izuku sat there, his eyes widened in horror and shock as his dreams, his passion burned before him. Without mercy, Bakugo simply threw the notebook out the window, and Izuku chased after it, he watched as it fell into a fish pond, the fist inside nibbling at its remains. 

          “That’ll teach you to stop trying to be a Hero when you don’t even have a damn Quirk!” Bakugo cried, his friends laughing. 

Izuku started shaking in his shoes, clenching his fists. 

          “Oh, and you wanna know something while I’m at it, you damn nerd?” Bakugo said as he turned and walked away. Izuku snapped his head around with tears in his eyes, tears filled with sorrow, and rage.

“You might as well take a swan-dive off the roof, and hope you’ll have a Quirk in your next life.”

He turned and walked away, without a care in the world, and Izuku couldn’t move his legs. 

           Wh-

He trembled.

           Why Kacchan…

           What did I ever do to deserve this? I just wanna live my dream… I…

He fell to his knees, and covered his face with his hands as tears washed his freckled cheeks in warm and salty water.

           I just wanna be like you and All Might!! I wanna save people with a smile like him!!

           SO WHY?!!!! WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS KACCHAN?!!!

Hours passed, night came to Japan, its beautiful star filled sky blocked by the luxurious lights of the city. The neon signs, lights, walkways, and loud city sounds of cars, trains, and millions of people echoed through the night. Izuku watched it all appear before him, the people everywhere, their Quirks on display. Some had their bodies changed; one woman was able to stretch her arms like rubber, another man was quite tall, almost as tall as the stoplights on the street. A third individual had a large, cube-like head, and a fourth had rings flying all around her. 

These gifts, all of them belonging to those people down there, but not him. In a world where roughly 80 percent of the human race was born with these Quirks, why not Izuku? 

           “What did I do to deserve any of this?” He asked. “Why, WHY AM I SO DIFFERENT?!”

Izuku punched the wall next to him, but immediately reeled in pain. 

           “Ah! Ow ow ow ow!!” He cried as he looked at his hand, his knuckles burned a bright red from the pain, his skin blistered and blood seeping from the wound. 

           “Come on!!” He shouted in this abandoned building. 

           “Why?! Why can’t I be a Hero?!” He cried again. “I just want to smile like All Might, I want to help people and save them with a smile! What’s so wrong in believing that?!”

More and more he paced around this ruin, a building like any other, but empty and in disrepair. The walls were cracked and crumbled at the slightest movement, the floors were broken and filthy, the windows chipped and glass shattered, a single cut from them the glass could easily peel the skin off a person, causing them to bleed profusely. Izuku looked all around, his yellow bag sitting on an old desk. 

It was a funny thing, this ruined yet peaceful building, one so broken that nobody could ever call it a home. Izuku found a strange tranquility here, a place where he could be free from the outside world, a place where he could finally be at peace for a moment, or as long as he wished. 

             At least I can write here. He thought as he grabbed his notebook.

             Oh right, He thought as he grabbed the burned and crinkled notebook. Kacchan, I just don’t understand…

Izuku slapped the notebook back on the chipped table he was sitting on, and he leaned back against the cracked wall. He looked upward through a grand hole in the ceiling, and the moon shone on him softly like a warm fire on a cold winter night. He closed his eyes and sighed, letting his imagination carry him forward, the dream of someday, somewhere, he could be a Hero. A Hero who saves everyone with a smile.

But in this world, there’s a fine line on what makes a Hero “good.” We all have secrets, some that shouldn’t  be shown to the light, some better left untouched, and someone in this very moment knew that perfectly. Someone far yet close. This individual looked from high above, looking down from a skyscraper at young Izuku, his outfit being that of a large black trench coat, made of polyester. He was wearing a pair of blue gloves, his thumb and index finger exposed, but the rest of his hand was covered by the gloves. Underneath the coat he wore a black shirt with a rather open collar, and it was joined by a pair of tan dress pants and black dress shoes.  This stranger’s face however was obscured by a mask, a mask of a gray wolf, whose fluffy ears perked upward near the hairline, the ceramic work shining beautifully. The snout was adorned with red paint, one starting at the nose and connecting to the eyes in wavy and elegant strands. This stranger remained still,  his long, neck length blue hair decorated the edges of the mask with splendor. His pale skin almost shone as a neon light flashed over him. 

              “I found the target Sensei,” He said. “Looks like it’s in that old office building, no signs of anyone else though, this is odd.”

              “Good, it’s better that it’s isolated from the public but we still need to send it away,” A voice said through this man’s earpiece. “You know what you need to do-”

              “Identify what it is and give it rest, be back by nine and have my chores done.” The stranger said as he stood upright. 

              “My thoughts exactly!” said this ‘Sensei’ with high confidence.  

The man smiled underneath his mask, his dry lips almost cracking from the motions. He clutched his fingers several times as the soft fabrics of the gloves moved with his skin, the texture of his sleeves filling him with energy and renewal, and his mask giving him safety from those tainted by them. However, the smile disappeared, replaced only by tension.

              “Wait,” the stranger said as he pressed the side of his mask, suddenly, particles flew into the air, and he saw the interior of the building. He looked as a cloud moved, and that cloud seeped closer towards Izuku.

              “There’s someone in that building of all places?” The man asked. “The target’s on the move and it looks like it’s being drawn to whoever that guy is.”

              “Then you know what you have to do, if that thing gets a hold of that individual-”

              “I know!”

The man pressed his earpiece again and approached the ledge. He looked down taking a deep breath, feeling the adrenaline enter his veins, and with a single step, he lept off.

The wind slammed his face and body as he fell faster and faster, his fear rising. Yet with this fear came excitement and conviction, as he clapped his hands. 

              “OKAMI!”

And with this chant, the man was engulfed in flame, and his body turned to that of a large wolf. The wolf ran through the air, awe-inspiring flames dancing in the night sky, and it galloped through the air. The beast ran and ran with blistering speed, barking at the moon, until it leaped into the building. As it landed on all fours, it stood up on its hind legs, and the man reappeared from the flames. The particles and smoke whisked and danced in the air once more, and the man dusted his overcoat with his hands. He brushed his shoulders and then snapped his fingers, with fire sparking from his fingertips. 

               “ Time to bring them rest .”

---

The moon shone beautifully, and Izuku nearly fell asleep under its comforting rays. Suddenly, he heard a loud vibrating from his bag. He sighed after waking up with depression in his eyes, and he grabbed his phone. He stared at the device that he slowly took from his bag, and the screen read a single word, Mom. 

He pressed the answer button, and brought the device to his ear, his bushy green hair brushing against it. 

               “Izuku!!” his mother cried from the other end. “Where are you? It’s almost seven!”

               “I know Mom, I just need some time alone right now.” He said with a tired voice. 

               “Wha- Izuku we’ve talked about this, what happened? Did Bakugo try something again?”

               “No! O-of course not!” Izuku cried with a sudden innocent energy

He heard a low sigh on the other end. 

               “Izuku…” Inko said in an irritated voice. 

               “Mom please can I just be alone for right-”

               “Izuku, I can tell when you’re lying even if it’s over the phone.” Inko said in a strong voice. “He did something, didn’t he? What happened?”

               “Mom I’m fine-”

               “Please Izuku!” She pleaded. “When you try to blow off whatever happened you make me worry. It’s even worse knowing that it’s this late and you’re not home!! Please just come home and tell me what’s going on, I’m terrified right now.”

He heard her sobbing on the other end, a subtle cry he has heard too many times. Izuku looked down at the ruined floor, and again around the entire gray building. So drab and broken, this wasn’t a place for him, so why should he stay longer?

               “Okay okay, I’m on my way,” Izuku said, tears welling once more. “We’ll talk when I get back. You know I love you right Mom?”

Her sobbing paused. 

               “I love you too Izuku, that’s why I want you to come home right now. I’ll be waiting.” She said through tears. 

               “I know, I love you Mom.”

Izuku hung up his phone and placed it in his right pocket. He ran through the entryway of this ruined landmark, and descended the spiral stairs. Thankfully, these stairs remained intact, with a few holes in the walls. The battered holes were growing larger as he got closer to the ground floor, and as he made his way down, he finally entered the parking garage. 

Yet in this large room, Izuku felt watched. He looked around over his shoulder once, and shook his head. 

               Gotta be imagining it. 

He moved through this empty hall, one so broken and dark. He looked around again, nothing but wind and dust, the abandoned lot giving a foreboding sense of dread, but as he ran, he felt that same presence creeping on him. He looked back once more and saw only darkness, the disgraced and tumbling building, felt like a void as he stared longer, and shortly after he whipped his head around once more. He ran forward, faster and faster, until he made it to the street. The lights blinding his eyes, the people moving around everywhere. It was such an experience that he could feel the energy of the city running right through his veins, so much that it filled him with-

CRASH

 Izuku gasped as he rammed into a stranger and fell to the ground, bringing this person with him. He looked up and gasped in horror, quickly crawling over and gazing at the boy.

              “Gah!! I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to run into you like that!!” He shouted as he immediately bowed. Suddenly, he offered his hand. “Are you okay? You’re not hurt are you?”

The stranger looked up with wonder in his eyes

              “Hey hey!! Relax, it’s alright.” He said as he took Izuku’s hand.

Izuku widened his eyes and quickly buttoned his suit. He saw that this stranger was a teenager, one with flowing white hair that was parted and combed in a beautiful sheen. It was slightly long, reaching down to his nose, and the hair was as smooth as silk. The person had a rather calm and plain looking face, his eyes as gold as the beautiful fall maple trees, and his smile completely pure. He was wearing a plain blue kimono… and traditional geta sandals. As Izuku pulled him up, the sandals tapped hard against the sidewalk, creating a loud “clack” with every step. Izuku then noticed the boy’s uniform. Overtop the kimono, the boy was wearing a white haori, and a black obi belt over his waist. 

              “What the? A Gakuran uniform? So you’re a student?”

              “Uh I-”

The teen giggled. 

              “What? Did you just graduate?”

Izuku grabbed his bag and looked around, trying to grab his notebooks, pencils, and other utensils as they spilled on the sidewalk. Many pedestrians stopped in their tracks to watch, but they all moved on without a second thought. They tapped away at their phones and walked like nothing even transpired. Izuku scrambled, papers blew into the street, a pen was crushed by a passing car, and Izuku even ran out when traffic was clear. 

              “Please, allow me.”

The stranger waved his wrist and a sudden whirlwind caressed the street. The pages of Izuku’s notebooks flew into the sky, and they all gently found themselves back into the book’s body. Izuku widened his eyes and looked at the stranger, who closed his eyes and smiled innocently. 

              “Woah! Thanks!” Izuku cried. He opened his book and looked at his Hero notes. “They’re even in the right order where I left them. Was that your Quirk?!”

The boy opened his eyes. 

              “Follow me, you’re stressed right now, maybe some dinner can help you.”

Izuku let out a short and quiet grunt, and he looked behind his shoulder, the crowds shuffling through the street as the stoplight changed to a “walk” sign. 

              “Uh, that’s really nice but I need to get home, my mom’s worried sick about me.” He shuffled. “Really though I appreciate the offer! Thank you.”

The stranger looked at Izuku calmly, and shrugged his shoulders. Izuku noticed how loose his white hair was, but moreso, he noticed that this individual had incredibly pale skin, it was bordering on white. 

              “Not even for a bowl of Katsudon and Bibimbap?” He asked. 

Izuku gasped. 

              “Oh uhm, here give me a minute.” 

He grabbed his phone and sent a message to his mother, who was waiting so patiently in their apartment. The tapping of his phone could be heard throughout the air, such a quiet yet potent habit, tapping away at a piece of glass in this urban wonderland. 

              “Hey I really appreciate the offer but I really need to get home, maybe we can go out another time!” He said as he started backing away. The stranger however smiled again, and put his arms together, connecting the sleeves of his kimono together. 

              “Mind if I join you then, Izuku?”

The boy gasped, and his eyes widened. What exactly should he feel at this moment? Fear? Concern?

              “H-How do you know my name?” Izuku asked as he backed away again. The stranger approached him and joined the boy at his side, and without realizing it, they started walking together towards the station. 

              “I just know things,” He said. 

And as the two walked away… that presence, that eerie cloud slowly drifted behind them. The man with the wolf mask stayed hidden in the alley, his eyes fixed on the street. 

              Damnit, it’s gone. I need to find that yokai and put it to rest before it causes any damage.

After such a long day, Izuku finally found his way home, walking up the stairs of all those apartment floors. As he reached the third floor he entered the hallway and grabbed a key from his bag. He stepped before the door labeled “3C” and put the key in the slot, the gears shifting as he turned the device. Behind him was the stranger from earlier, who waited quietly against the rail showing the outside world. He was looking outward, and as he was about to open the knob, Izuku quickly noticed the crest on the back of the stranger’s haori. It was the head of a fox, one that appeared duty bound and looked upward at the sky. Such a peculiar crest to have on one’s attire, such a peculiar thing to find indeed, especially on someone he had just met. 

              “Hey mom, I’m back!” Izuku cried. 

Suddenly, they both heard as someone ran to the door. 

              “Izuku!!” Inko cried as she lunged at her boy. 

              “Gah!” Izuku yelled. 

              “Oh my, where’ve you been?! It’s almost eight o’clock!” She said. “Come on let’s get you inside, you must be starving right now!”

              “Okay okay! Hold on,” Izuku said as he entered his home. “Hey!”

Inko looked up and saw that Izuku was looking towards the rail, and the stranger awaited. 

              “Well uh, aren’t you coming in?”

              “Wait, who is this?”

              “He’s a friend.”

The stranger looked forward, and suddenly he took a deep bow. He locked his arms to the side of his body and bent his torso over by 90 degrees. 

              “Thank you for your hospitality.” He said. 

Minutes passed as everyone entered the small apartment complex and sat at the table. Inko was in the kitchen preparing dinner, the bowl of rice slowly cooking in the oven, the fresh pork sitting in a pot on the stovetop, and minced vegetables cooking beautifully in perfectly seasoned oil. Together, Izuku and the stranger were sitting at the table as the TV played in the background, both of them relaxed slightly, and the stranger was sipping away at a cup. He brought the dish delicately to his mouth and drank small sips, tasting the sweet flavor of the beverage. Izuku had changed into an All Might shirt, coupled with regular sweatpants. The stranger however had hanged his haori on a small coat closet near the front entrance, and as Izuku watched, he noticed that underneath this blue kimono, the stranger wasn’t wearing any shirt, the kimono must have been all he was wearing. His pale skin struck him more than he thought, as its sickly gray tone appeared almost like silver. 

              “Wow, this tea is amazing madam!” The stranger said excitedly. “Did you use Gyokuro leaves?”

              “Actually I did! Not everyone I’ve met has been that crazy about tea!” Inko said with a nervous smile.

              “Outstanding!” The stranger said as he took another sip of the warm tea, steam flying into his nose. Izuku smiled calmly as the news blasted, he turned his attention to the screen. 

              “WOAH, IT’S ALL MIGHT!!”

The footage showed what appeared to be a villain made of pure sludge trapped in an oversized jar, one so large it appeared to be the size of an average person. All Might himself however? He was standing right there in all his glory. Golden hair flowing elegantly, his pure smile comforting all, a true Symbol of Peace for all to strive towards, and underneath him was…

              “Kacchan…” Izuku muttered. 

Bakugo was angrily gritting his teeth as All Might wrapped his enormous arm around the boy, and brought him towards his torso. 

              “That’s right! You’re lucky to be here right now young man! You have quite the powerful Quirk you know!”

Bakugo grunted under his breath. 

              “You showed strong courage in that fight however, remember that for when you learn to become a real Hero!” All Might cheered. “Anywho, I need to get moving! Till next time!”

              “All Might wait just another ques-”

Without a moment’s notice, All Might leaped into the air with so much force that it caused a ring of wind to explode onto the ground, leaving the whole street in shock. As for Bakugo, he turned around and saw the cameraman suddenly approach him. 

              “Excuse me,” asked the reporter. “Did you want to comment on what happened just now?”

              “Get that damn camera out of my face.” Bakugo growled as he walked away.

Izuku all the while felt dejected. He grabbed the remote and turned the TV off, setting the remote on the table just as Inko arrived with his dinner. 

              “What’s wrong?” She asked as he set Izuku’s dinner before him, it was a Katsudon bowl with fried pork, freshly minced onions, peppers, scallions, beautifully cooked rice, and a fried egg. “Please just talk to me, something happened at school didn’t it?”

Izuku didn’t say a word, and he looked at his dinner before clapping his hands together. 

              “Itadakimasu.” 

Izuku and Inko both gasped quietly as the stranger muttered this prayer. His hands were clapped together and his eyes closed, as he offered a prayer. After a few moments, he opened his eyes and released his hands, grabbing a pair of chopsticks that Inko laid out for him. 

              “Well, forgive me for asking but, who are you exactly?” Inko asked. “How do you know my son? He told me you met on the street.”

              “He’s right about that,” The stranger said as he ate a portion of rice with his chopsticks. “The truth actually is that he ran into me in the middle of the city, we even fell over right in front of everyone.”

              “What? Izuku?” Inko asked. 

              “It was just an accident!!” Izuku cried nervously as he threw his hands in the air. 

              “What?! What were you doing so late at night anyway, you’re always home immediately after school so what were you doing?!” 

              “Okay! Please just sit down!”

Yet all the while, the stranger simply ate his meal. It was a Katsudon much like Izuku’s, and with each passing minute he tasted the flavors of sweet pork and even sweeter vegetables. His chopsticks were covered in rice as he ate every morsel faster and faster, until his bowl was suddenly empty. He clapped his hands once more and looked at Inko. 

              “Gochisousama Inko Midoriya.” He said. 

Inko and Izuku were both shocked, surprised, their eyes unable to look elsewhere. 

              “How do you know my name?”

              “Wait, you did the same thing to me on the street!” Izuku cried. “Who are you?”

The boy stood up from the table and brought his bowl to the sink, and with a flick of his wrist, the water from the spout flew into the air. Izuku and Inko widened their eyes as the water flowed like a river, its body washing and whisking its way through the bowl, and with a moment’s notice the bowl was clean. The stranger placed the bow neatly on the kitchen counter and returned to his seat. He clasped his finger together after neatly crossing his legs, and his golden eyes caught the attention of the son and mother. 

              “The truth is, my family has been telling me about you two for many years,” He said calmly. “How Hisashi left overseas for a job position and sends you compensation every month. How the boy named Katsuki Bakugo tirelessly bullies and harasses Izuku for being Quirkless. But I never believed you would ever give up hope.”

              “What are you talking about?” Izuku asked. “Who exactly is your family, a-and how do you know about Kacchan?”

              “More importantly, how do you know about my husband?!” Inko questioned. “I knew letting a stranger into our home was a bad idea. Izuku, are you sure about him?”

              “Please!” the white-haired stranger cried. “I meant no offense, I would like to explain everything.”

Izuku looked at him carefully. 

               Well he doesn’t seem to have anything on him, but what is this guy’s Quirk? Can he control elements? 

              “Look, I know that you’ve only known me for under an hour, but I’m here to help you both. I know that life has been difficult for the both of you-”

              “Our lives are quite fine young man, it’s rude to assume things like that.” Inko stated in a curt manner. 

              “Sorry,” the stranger said as he bowed his head. “But please… hear me out.” 

              “Izuku, today at your school, Bakugo told you to commit suicide, is that correct?”

              “WHAT?!” Inko shouted. “You’re lying! Get out!!” 

              “Please madam I’m only trying to help-”

              “By saying something so cruel in my own home?!” Inko yelled, her anger flaring. “Get out! And never come back, do you understand?! OUT!”

The stranger sighed, his face showing sadness for the first time since Izuku met him, and he rose from the table. He turned his back and walked towards the door and grabbed his geta sandals, the wooden clack returning the moment he put them on and stepped. He turned the handle on the door, and just as he stepped into the hallway. 

              “Come back!” 

The stranger gasped and turned his head back into the Midoriya home, and Inko looked at her son with confusion. 

              “I wanna keep talking…” Izuku cried with silent determination. “Please, come back and let’s talk.”

The stranger was shocked, surprised and dumbstruck, yet without hesitation he took off his sandals and quickly approached the table in bare feet. He took his seat and crossed his legs once more clasped his fingers. 

              “Mom, what he’s saying is true. Kacchan… told me to jump off the roof of the school.”

Inko simply stared, her soul wavering. 

              “I don’t… I-I don’t even know what to say…” She whispered. “Why would he-”

              “Because I don’t have a Quirk.” Izuku interrupted. “He did it because I want to be a Hero just like everyone else. It took me all day to figure it out but,”

He started whimpering, his shoulders shaking and his breath shortened. Inko instinctively ran to his side and held him in his arms. 

              “But I don’t understand!! *hic* I don’t know why he has to be this way!” Izuku cried as tears ran down his cheeks. “Is it really so wrong to be a Hero?!”

              “Izuku, Izuku it’s going to be okay.” Inko cried as tears of her own dripped from her face. “I’m going to call Katsuki’s mother and discuss this with her immediately! I won’t tolerate his behavior any longer.”

               “That’s quite alright.”

Both looked at the stranger, whose face became blank, yet stared true to them. 

               “I believe Karma has scared Bakugo straight, if what that news report said is true,” the stranger continued. “A life threatening situation like that can change anyone, even someone as callous as he is.”

               “What do you mean?” Inko asked. 

               “I am saying that this could have changed him, perhaps he will apologize for his actions soon, after all… forgiveness is far greater than holding a grudge. Unless you want to continue blighting yourself.”

Izuku looked at him with a strong curiosity, yet.. He needed someone to speak to. 

               “Do you remember the first time we met Izuku?” he asked. 

               “Huh?” The boy muttered. “Yeah it was half an hour ago.”

The stranger chuckled, and soon he smiled once more, his innocence shining through. 

               “Ohhoho no, we’ve met before actually, think back, far back Izuku.” He said. 

               “What are you talking about?” Inko whimpered. The stranger smiled once more. 

               “There’s a daycare up in the north, remember back to those days…”

Izuku gasped, and an old memory flickered. It was that day, when Bakugo was harassing and bullying a little boy who couldn’t defend himself. He was crying, holding his hands over his head and curled his legs to his chest. 

                S-Stop it!! He cried. 

And suddenly, a little green haired boy stepped in the way, and as the small pale boy looked up, and saw…

               Stop it Kacchan!! A four year old Izuku cried. If you’re gonna hurt him… then you have to go through me!!

               “It’s you!” Izuku said in the present. “You’re that kid Kacchan was bullying that day!”

               “That’s right, I never forgot that day Izuku.” The boy said with a smile. “And well, I’m here now because I wanted to say thanks, I never had the chance.”

Inko and Izuku looked with curiosity at the boy, who continued to sip at his warm tea. He gracefully tilted his head backwards, drinking it more and more, until the cup was empty. 

               “Oh, oh my, Izuku. I remember you told me about that day!” Inko said. “Please young man, I am so sorry for what I said before!”

               “It’s fine Ms. Midoriya I get it, really!” The stranger replied. “But after what my brother told me, I felt like I had to step in. I couldn’t let what happened to me all those years ago happen to you.”

Together, the three individuals sat quietly for a moment, the stillness of this warm spring night laid out before their spirits. Izuku snapped into reality and ate his supper before everyone, his eagerness showing no bounds, and Inko was slightly cheered by this. He seemed to have regained his composure, his courage and hope, and every single bite he took of his Katsudon was filled with energy. 

                “Thank you for the food Mom!” He cried. 

                “It’s okay Izuku… but now I’m calling Mitsuki. I can’t let Katsuki’s behavior go on anymore!” 

                “Wait, Mom hold on-” 

RING

Suddenly, everyone heard the doorbell ring out, and they looked at the door. 

                “I’ll get it.” Izuku cried. 

As he left for the door, the stranger suddenly shot from his seat and grabbed Izuku’s arm. The boy turned around and looked at the pale-skinned individual, and was horrified to see his face covered in silent fear. 

                “Don’t open that door.” He said. 

                “Why?” Izuku asked. 

                “Please!” The boy cried. “I just have a bad feeling… who comes to someone’s door this late anyway?”

Izuku shrugged him off but nodded, and left for the door. He grabbed the handle and was ready to twist it open… but something felt off. Izuku couldn’t even describe it, the handle was cold… and felt like it was crumbling to dust. He looked up at the wood, feeling fear… but what could be on the other side? 

So… he opened, and there stood a person in a white kimono. They had extremely long black hair, reaching down to the stomach, and it was parted down the middle. This person was wearing a snow white garb, and was wearing an incredibly large hat with a grand brim. 

                “Excuse me.”

                That voice… a lady?

                 “Um, good evening, is there something I can do for you?” Izuku asked. 

                 “Oh… nothing really, I just need some help with directions.” The woman replied. 

Izuku felt a strange unease as she spoke, her voice was raspy, and screeched with a small chirp as she spoke. Suddenly, Izuku felt the stranger approach him from behind, and his face was one filled with disgust. 

                 “I’m sorry we can’t help you, I’m sure the police would do a better job at that.” The stranger said with urgency. 

                 “What? Surely you have some sense of direction to help a pretty girl like me…” The woman spoke. 

Suddenly, she bent downward, and Izuku noticed her red eyes…

                 “You do think I’m beautiful right?” She asked. 

Izuku felt shivers run down his spine, and he took a step backwards. 

                “Um… I- uh…”

                “Well… aren’t you going to say I’m beautiful…?”

He couldn’t find the energy to speak, he only felt fear drown him in its darkness. The woman then revealed she was wearing a face mask over his mouth and nose… and as she removed the mask…

Her mouth had been cut viciously into a permanent smile… she looked like a demon.

                “Why aren’t you saying anything?” She asked with a sudden rage. 

                “ARE YOU SAYING I’M UGLY?!!!!”

As Izuku stepped back, he fell to the ground, and the woman revealed a grotesquely large pair of metal scissors. She clipped them in the air, and opened them wide. 

                “GET BACK!!!” 

The woman slashed the air as the stranger ripped Izuku back into his home, she screamed a horrifying screech. 

                “IZUKU?!” Inko screamed. 

Together, the stranger and Izuku both scrambled to their feet as the murderous woman forced her way inside, thrashing her scissors violently through the air and scratching up the walls. Izuku ran back and grabbed a chair to defend himself. The woman barged in and ripped her blade at the boy, and Izuku with his quick thinking blocked the attack with the chair. In seconds, the woman slit the chair in two and Izuku trembled to the ground. The woman roared into the sky as Izuku crawled as fast as he could, and as he crawled he felt his back hit the wall. 

                “STAY AWAY YOKAI!!!” 

The stranger drew a pattern with his pointer and middle finger and suddenly…

THWOOMP

He thrust his hand forward and the demoness was sent flying through the air. It burst through the window, glass shattering into thousands of pieces, and a loud thud could be heard as the woman hit the ground. 

                “WE NEED TO RUN!!” The stranger shouted. 

He ran into the kitchen and helped Inko to her feet. 

                “I’ve got you!” He said. 

Together they ran towards the entrance as Izuku scrambled to his feet, and they regrouped in the hall. The stranger grabbed for the door and twisted the handle, and when he did. 

There stood a man in a large black trench coat, with the mask of a wolf on his face. 

The stranger gasped and Inko cried out in fear. 

               “Woah easy! I’m not here to hurt you!” The man in the mask said. 

               "Yeah right, you’re with that woman!!” Inko roared. 

               “I’m here because of that ‘woman,’” The man said. “Doesn’t matter, you need to get out of here and contact the Heroes, I’ll take care of-”

               “I’M PRETTTTTYYYYYYY!!!!!”

As those harrowing cries were unleashed, it felt as if time had slowed to a crawl, and as Izuku, Inko, and the stranger turned around, the woman was behind them all yet again. Her demonic, slit mouth carved into a terrifying smile as she ripped her scissors through the air once more. Izuku could hear nothing… nothing but his heartbeat as the blades drew closer. He saw where they would land however, and as he glanced over, they were about to fall right upon his mother Inko. 

His life flashed before his eyes, every day how Inko was there. Every birthday, every Christmas, every Children’s Day, every time he was bullied, and every time he was happy. Inko was everything to him. 

                Hey there All Might Jr.! Her voice echoed. Or how does Mighty Man sound? 

A heartbeat echoed, and a step was taken. 

                Oh! If only some Hero were there to save a poor defenseless lady!  Her voice cried as she laid under a white blanket.

Izuku grit his teeth, and stretched out his arms…

                It’s okay!!

And just like that… 

Izuku’s body simply moved on its own. 

SLASSSSHHHH

                I am here!!! A four-year-old Izuku cried. 

A red fluid was sprayed onto the wall, and Inko’s face was drawn with horror. The stranger’s eyes widened and sunk into his skull… and the man in the mask blitzed forward removing the glove on his right hand, and fire sparking from his fingers. 

The man lept into action grabbing the scissors on the woman, and before anyone could react, the scissors crumbled into a gray dust. The woman’s nails sharpened into sharp claws and she ripped into the man’s back

                “GAHHH!!!” 

The woman ran at the man, but the masked one fell over, and with his strength, he pulled the demoness forward and kicked her out the window once more with his legs. He quickly followed, jumping off the balcony and chasing after the creature. 

Right now however… the stranger looked onward, yet his eyes quickly drew back at Inko, her face drowning in horror… and tears. 

                “IZUKU!!!!!!!!” She screamed. 

There he lay, Izuku… whose chest was seeping blood from his chest. The stranger ran up and knelt down beside Inko, whose tears dripped onto her boy, whose body was trembling with every passing second. 

                “DO SOMETHING!!!!” She screamed. “PLEASE!!! HELP ME BEFORE HE- BEFORE HE!!!”

Inko couldn’t breathe, she placed her hand on Izuku’s head and grabbed him in her arms. The stranger was horrified, scared, what would he do? How is he supposed to help, he’s just a teenager after all. 

                “No!”

Inko looked up, and without warning, the stranger ripped the top half of his kimono off, revealing his bare chest and stomach. On his pale skin… laid several lines of kanji on his chest… and he suddenly placed his left thumb on Izuku’s forehead. He formed a knife made from black ink from his hand and cut Izuku’s All Might shirt open. He gazed upon Izuku’s skinny and thin body… his chest ripped open by the woman’s scissors, and the stranger placed his right hand directly over his heart. 

                “What are you doing?!” Inko cried. 

The stranger simply looked at Inko with a focused stare, his eyes glowing a warm light. 

                “Saving your son’s life. I will not let him die!!”

---

In this… unmoving plane, Izuku lay on the ground, his eyes opening slowly. 

                Where am I…?

He lay surrounded by blood red flowers, spider lilies above a calm blue ocean.

                Am I… dead?

A red Torii gate soon plummeted to the ground, yet no splash was made. Only a single ripple, one calm and steadfast, moved on the water’s surface. The spider lilies flickered oh so sweetly, and as Izuku looked at his feet, there stood the stranger. 

               “Don’t give up on yourself!” He said. “Is this really the boy I know? Who never backed down from his dream?”

               “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Izuku muttered. 

               “Yes you do!” The stranger said as he knelt down and mirrored the same position he took before Inko. He placed his left thumb on Izuku’s forehead, and his right hand on Izuku’s chest. 

“You are so much more than you realize,” He said. “Every day you were told that you could never be a Hero, that you would never have a Quirk…”

Outside, the masked man fought the demoness, fire dancing across the ground in a solemn melody. The woman vomited a pair of scissors from her mouth and slit her way towards the man, and the masked one deflected the blade with his hands. Like the stranger in the house… the masked man’s hands were covered in kanji made of black ink, and the blades simply bounced from his palms. 

                “But you don’t need a Quirk or a grand cape to be a Hero! You have the heart and the spirit!”

The demon suddenly yelled so loud that the masked man screamed in pain, his ears bleeding profusely. The demon then whipped her elongated arm with the force of a mountain, and the man was sent flying right into a car. 

SMASH, BEEEEEP, BEEEEEP

The windows were splintered and broken, and the body of the car was completely capsized, the man laid broken and beaten as the demon ran towards him. He coughed up blood from under the mask, and he clenched his teeth as the demon grew closer.

                “You’ve already proven that the day we met, and ever since then I and my brothers and sisters, my sons and daughters, have all been watching you! And you are truly the one I’ve been looking for!! Just look at how you threw yourself in front of your mother!”

The stranger lifted himself off Izuku, and offered his hand. 

                “Izuku Midoriya!” He cried. 

“You can still be a Hero!!” 

Izuku looked up with widened eyes… and he grit his teeth…

TH-THUMP

As the man clawed his hands with fire covering his palms, and he ripped himself from the car. As the demon puked another pair of scissors, the man leaped from the ground and into the air, screaming at the top of his lungs. 

                 “DIE DIE DIE DIE!!!!” The demon woman screamed. 

                 “Bless you, victim of man,” The masked one muttered. “Bless you spirit, who was taken too soon from this world.”

Yet in the heat of the moment… a white thread of light appeared. 

                 What the?! The masked man thought. 

SPARK

And in a flash. 

                 No… I CAN be a Hero!!

Izuku crashed to the ground, threads of light leaving his fingers. 

THWIP

The threads wrapped around the demon’s arms and legs… and dissolved the woman’s limbs into particles of light.

                “WHAT IS THIS?!!” The demon cried. 

As Izuku stood there, his knees bent and his eyes glowing a beautiful gold, the words spoken by the stranger echoed in his mind.

               Then let us form a pact… The stranger said in this strange world. In my name you will fight to protect those who cannot protect themselves. In my name, you will save those spirits who refuse to move on…

               “Bless you spirit… whose malice poisons your true self…” Izuku muttered. 

               He knows the prayer?? The masked man thought. 

               In my name Izuku Midoriya, you will bring hope to the world! Do you accept these terms?

In the strange world… Izuku grabbed the stranger’s hand, and the black kanji on the pale teenager’s chest wrapped around Izuku’s body. 

               Yes! I accept!!!

The stranger smiled. 

               Then I! Inari, kami of the foxes!! Bless you!!

Izuku turned around and flicked his wrist, the threads of light slamming the woman into the apartment building, her chest splitting open revealing a darkened… red and ghostly core. 

               “There’s its essence, destroy it!!” The stranger cried from the balcony. 

Without hesitation, the masked man and Izuku, together as one, shot the core with fire and threads. The weaved string of light and the roaring flames melded into one, and with a single strike. 

CRACK

The core was pierced, and light cracked through its broken body. It cracked and splintered… until nothing remained. The woman gasped for air, but rather than cry in agony… it simply wept. Tears rained from her face as she looked towards the moon, and basked in its light. 

                “I…” she whimpered. “I just wanted to avenge my death. *sob* I just wanted justice for what happened to me…”

The masked man simply walked up to her, and reached into his pocket. He revealed a paper doll, a flat, white piece of paper in the shape of a human. A perfectly round head, joined by two arms the shape of knives, and a singular stem acting as the legs. He placed it close to her face, and spoke softly. 

                “The man who murdered you was found and awaits a trial. Your daughter and husband are safe, and they are praying for you at this moment…”

The woman cried once more, staring only into the man’s mask. 

                “Your killer will be sentenced, but your family has found their peace. It’s time to find yours as well…”

The demon looked onward, her eyes gleaming in the moonlight. She simply grabbed the man’s arms, and in her tears, she smiled. 

                “Oh…. my little gem. She’s safe,” she cried. Suddenly, her body turned to a soft blue light… and began dissolving. “Thank you,  thank you sir…”

The masked man simply watched, and the woman was sucked into the doll after her body had turned into light. The doll now shone with a soft blue light, and he stared at it longingly. Izuku, whose threads still waved like a soft lullaby, was in shock as the man continued his ritual. 

“May you find happiness in the Grand Golden Woods…”

And with that, the doll dissolved into light, and flew upwards to the moon. Inko and the stranger rushed to the scene, and Inko gasped, covering her mouth in shock. For Izuku’s threads of light continued to dance, and his fingers were wrapped in their splendor. 

                “What happened? Izuku?!” She cried. 

The boy turned his head. 

                “It’s okay Mom, I’m fine!” he cried happily. 

                “Oh! IZUKU!!!” 

Together they ran into each other's arms, crying their hearts out as they embraced. The stranger, whose chest was still exposed, simply approached the masked man, and spoke to him. But that didn't matter to the mother and son, who held each other in love and safety. 

                “I’m just so glad you’re okay!!” Inko cried with tears drowning her voice. “I thought-”

                “It’s okay Mom, it’s okay.” Izuku said quietly. 

                “But I don’t understand, what was all of that just now?!” Inko cried. 

                “What are you talking about?” Izuku asked. 

                “Those strings coming out of your fingers!!”

Izuku looked down at his hands, and his mouth widened. 

                “Wha? WHAAAAAAA?!!!!!” He cried. “OH MAN! OH MAN OH MAN OH MAN!!! IS THIS A QUIRK?!!!” 

                “No.”

Together, Izuku and Inko looked at the masked man, who approached them with the stranger. 

                “That isn’t a Quirk… that is a Blessing.” He said softly. “And you received it from Inari of all the kami out there.”

                “Inari?” Izuku and Inko asked. 

They stared at the stranger, who grabbed his kimono and covered his body in its majestic material. 

                “That’s right…” he said. 

                “My name, my real name… is Inari.” he said with a smile. 

Shock and splendor filled Izuku and Inko, who were so surprised they couldn’t speak words. 

                “Look, we don’t have much time. One of your neighbors has probably called the police by now, maybe some Heroes too.” The masked man said. “They can’t know that we were here, so it’s time to go.”

                 “Wait, go?” Inko asked. 

                 “That’s right…” the masked man said. “Listen, not only did you manifest a power so quickly, but you used it with so much precision. You even knew our prayer we speak before sending that yokai off to rest."

                  "Wait, 'we?'" Izuku asked. "There's more people like you?"

                  "I guess you could say that," The masked man said. "And after what I just saw, you're one of us now. But we'll talk later, we need to move."

The masked man suddenly pointed at the moon, and a spark of fire left his fingertips. Suddenly, a loud explosion could be heard in the sky, and without warning, a door appeared in front of the group. 

                  "WHAT THE?!!" Izuku and Inko cried. 

                  "Izuku Midoriya?”

Izuku simply looked up at the stranger, who had put his gloves on and placed his right hand on his shoulder. Together, they stared at each other, like fate itself had preordained this meeting, and beyond the mask, Izuku could see them. He saw the man’s calm, crimson eyes.

“If Inari thinks you’re ready, then it’s time for you to meet Sensei. So, let’s go Home…”