Had this idea stuck in my head for a while, thought I'd give it a whirl. Enjoy!

Izuku Midoriya: Origin

All men were not created equal.

A hard lesson, but one nearly every child for the past nine generations had to learn early; in a world with Quirks, disparities were all too obvious.

Quirks. Superpowers for some, curses for others. Their usefulness ranges from telekinesis and super strength to having a cactus for a head; truly, the world could be cruel.

No one is sure how they were brought about, only that a glowing baby in Qingqing brought about the greatest societal change mankind has ever seen.

For a while, there was anarchy; the definition of human became blurred, debated. Loved ones turned on one another, fearful of what their new-found powers were capable of. Governments collapsed, unable to handle the strain of the upheaval; it was a new dark age, one supercharged by fantastic abilities.

When order returned, it was not under the benevolent hand of a savior, but the iron grip of a tyrant, one who could steal the powers of others, one who has long since been forgotten by history.

But where evil reigns, good rises to stop it. Heroes, as they were called, were able to drag the world from the brink, bring about a new society where Quirks can be accepted and used for the greater good.

Everyone wishes to be a hero. For many, it is merely a dream, out of reach, for all men were not created equal; Izuku Midoriya was about to learn this the hard way.

VVV

"Forget it kid, its not happening."

Inko Midoriya gave a stern a look she could to the man across from her. 'How dare he be so nonchalant about this! she thought.

She was not the most an intimidating woman, standing at only 5'3" and sporting a thin frame, her most noticeable feature being her naturally green hair. Even so, she was a mother, and could be downright terrifying when it came to protect her child.

That child, Izuku Midoriya, looked much like his mother: green hair and eyes, however he sported freckles on his cheeks, unlike her. His face was typically contorted in a large, almost infectious smile, a habit picked up from his idle.

Right now, however, he looked as if he had just seen a ghost; wide eyed, shaking in what could only be anxiety.

"I don't understand doctor," Inko inquired, "he doesn't have the toe joint, surely he should have a Quirk?"

"The toe joint just tells us if its possible to have a Quirk, it's no guarantee" the doctor said, pushing his glasses up, "Midoriya-kun is five now, if he doesn't have a Quirk yet, he's not getting one."

"Surely there are cases of late bloomers?" Inko pressed, unwilling to have her son's dreams crushed so callously.

For a second, a glint of hope appeared in Izuku's eyes, the trademark optimism he had kept up for the past year.

"Look Midoriya-san," the doctor said, leaning over his desk. "I don't enjoy being the bearer of bad news but, the kid is Quirkless, best to accept that now than have him clinging to false hope."

And just like that, it was gone again. Inko looked down at her son; he looked to be on the verge of tears.

She stood abruptly, taking Izuku's hand. "Thank you for your time," she said, venom in her tone, "time to go Izuku."

She quickly walked Izuku out of the office and away from that horrible man. Didn't enjoy it my butt! she thought, he could have at least been nicer about it!

She looked down at her son; his expression emotionless, as if still digesting the news he had received. How could she make him understand?

"Honey," she whispered, holding her baby closer, "do you… wanna talk about what happened?"

She took his silence as a no.

That silence persisted for the train ride, and into the night as Izuku locked himself away in his room. No amount of coaxing could get him to open up; not even a hot bowl of Katsudon could lure him out.

She couldn't bear to see her son so defeated.

Inko was finally ready to give up for the night and returned to his door to say goodnight when she heard it, the voice she had come all too familiar with over the years.

"FEAR NOT CITIZENS. WHY? BECAUSE I AM HERE."

All Might. The number one hero in Japan, perhaps even the world. He was leagues above his contemporaries, the Symbol of Peace and Justice. Everyone looked up to All Might, but no one as much Izuku. His closest competitor was his friend Katsuki, and even his admiration paled in comparison to her son's.

Inko gently turned the knob, surprised to see it unlocked; Izuku must have left and forgotten to lock it. His room was dark, the blinds closed and lights off, the only source of light being the computer monitor on the far side of the wall, illuminating the preponderance of All Might memorabilia: posters, action figures, trading cards; 'the number one hero could live a comfortable life based on my purchases alone!'

She hesitantly approached her son, afraid to set him off. "Izuku," she croaked, "Baby, are you ok?"

Slowly, Izuku swiveled around in his chair to face his mother, fat tears pooling in his eyes and sliding down his face. He raised a trembling finger to his monitor, "All Might… is so cool, isn't he mom?"

That broke her; Inko quickly rushed over to her son, collapsing on the floor and wrapping her arms around him, sobbing just as he was.

"Mom…" Izuku whispered, his voice shaky, "can I be a cool hero like him?..."

Inko knew was she had to tell him, it was just as the doctor has said, best to keep him from chasing dreams he could never achieve. And yet…

Inko looked down at her child, the light of her life. I can't do it she thought, I can't tear him down even further than he already is. The time will come for the truth, he doesn't need that right now. Right now…

He needs hope.

"Yes… yes Izuku, of course you can be a hero!" she cried, causing her son to jolt in her arms.

"Really?..." asked Izuku, seemingly surprised, "even without a Quirk?..."

'That's not what I expected you to say…'

"Yes Izuku, you… you can do anything you set your heart to…" Inko replied. She wasn't sure if she believed her own words, but that didn't matter, only that her son did.

"Mom…" Izuku mumbled, burying his face in her chest. She couldn't see it, but a smile had formed on his face for the first time that day.

'Thank you, mom… Thank you for believing in me…'

Izuku would sleep in his mothers' arms that night, disheartened, but determined to face the next day with a smile.

VVV

*BEEP*

Inko stirred in her bed, refusing the sound of her alarm.

*BEEP*

"Uhh… Five more minutes…"

*BEEP*

"Fine fine, I'm up," she conceded, hitting the alarm and rising out of bed.

'Huh, where's Izuku? I could have sworn he slept in hear last night…'

Inko quickly rushed to her son's room to check on him, only to see him sprawled on the floor, covered in sweat.

"Izuku!" she exclaimed, rushing over to his side, "are you ok? Izuku what happened"

Izuku got to his knees, catching his breath "Nothing mom, I was just... working out."

"What did you say Izuku?"

"I was working out!" he nearly shouted, quickly covering his mouth.

"Working out? Izuku why on Earth are you doing that, and so early in the morning?" she questioned.

"Its just… if I wanna be a hero without a Quirk, I need to start now… Everyone else is starting ahead of me… If I don't start training now, I'll never catch up!"

'Ah,' Inko thought, 'I should've expected this.'

"Izuku, honey, I don't think this is the way for you to get stronger; you're far too young to be worrying about exercise and-" she was going to continue, but what cut off by her son.

"No! If I wanna be even close to someone like Kacchan or All Might, I have to work twice as hard, and I have to start now!"

Izuku quickly realized what he had done and was quick to apologize, "I'm sorry mom. I didn't mean to yell…"

'Oh Izuku, so determined!'

"Its ok honey, I know you're very passionate about this… How about I put something together for you? Something appropriate for someone your age?" She asked.

"Really mom?! Really really?!" he badgered, clearly excited at the prospect.

"Yes honey, really really. Now why don't you go take a shower while I make breakfast?" She pushed him towards the door, "You have a play date today mister!"

"Oh… right, ok mom," he said as he ran towards the bathroom. 'What am I gonna do with that boy,' Inko thought as she returned to her room to prepare for the day.

She hadn't notice her son's slightly toned arms.

VVV

By the time Izuku had showered and changed, Inko had finished a simple breakfast of steamed rice and miso soup. After a quick meal, it was time to walk Izuku to the park to spend the day with Mitsuki and her son while she ran errands.

'I bet he's excited to see his friend. He deserves a little fun after yesterday'

Izuku, on the other hand, could not be feeling more distressed.

'Oh no oh no oh no… what am I gonna tell Kacchan?'

His mind drifted back a year before, when Katsuki had just gotten his Quirk.

VVV

"Wow Kacchan, you have such a cool Quirk!"

Kacchan had just awoken to his power the day before, a perfect combination of his mother's Glycerin and father's Oxidizing Sweat.

He called it Explosion, a fitting name given the crackling and sparks he could emit from his hands.

"You're damn right I do!" Katsuki boasted; he had always been prideful, having such a flashy Quirk only made it worse.

"Hey, Izuku, how come your Quirk hasn't shown up?" he asked aggressively.

"I-I don't know Kacchan, the doctor says I have the toe joint, so its only a m-matter of time, right?" Izuku stuttered.

"You better, how the hell are we supposed to become top heroes if you don't even have a Quirk, you damn Deku!"

Izuku cringed. He hated when Katsuki called him Deku. Luckily, he only did it when Izuku messed up or did something stupid.

For the most part.

"C-c'mon Kacchan, you know I don't like it when you call me that…"

"Get your Quirk, and I won't have to anymore, Deku!" Katsuki yelled.

"R-right!"

VVV

Nowadays, Katsuki hardly called Izuku anything but Deku, his patience running dangerously thin with his "best friend." Now, with the news from the doctor, it was finally time to face the fire.

Or rather, explosions.

"Now you have fun dear, I'll be back at four, ok?"

Izuku glanced around, it seemed in his reminiscing he had completely zoned out, he wasn't prepared!

"Inko, Izuku!" Both mother and son looked up to see Mitsuki Bakugo

"Mitsuki! Its so good to see you!" Inko greeted giving her longtime friend a hug.

Mitsuki Bakugo was a fair skinned and fair-haired woman, who looked far younger than she was thanks to her Quirk. With her ash-blonde hair and piercing red eyes, many would consider her a bombshell; ironic considering her son's Quirk.

Her son, Katsuki, took after his mother in every way; same skin tone, same hair, same eyes and, though no one would say it to their face, same temper.

"Thank you so much for watching Izuku today!"

"Of course! The brat could use a good influence; if you ask me, he's getting a bit too big for his breeches" Mitsuki said, nodding towards her son and his posse.

"Oh well, I'm sure he'll grow out of it in no time!" Inko said, flush with the optimism she shared with her son, "Go on Izuku, go play."

"Ok… bye mom" Izuku said, giving his mother a quick hug and running to the other kids.

"So," Mitsuki said once he was out of earshot, "What'd the doc say?"

Inko grimaced, "Exactly what I was afraid of. No Quirk, not even a minor one."

"Oh, I'm so sorry Inko…" Mitsuki placed a hand on her friends' shoulder, "at least he seems to be taking it well?"

"Not at all," Inko corrected, "He was a mess when he found out but I… he asked me if he could still be a hero, and I said yes"

"Inko!" Mitsuki nearly screamed, "You know no school will even consider him without a Quirk, why would you tell him that?"

"I don't know I just," Inko ran her hands through her hair "I couldn't do that to him, he's only five! When he's older, and its not so fresh, I'll talk to him, but right now… he needs something to hope for."

Mitsuki sighed "I hope you know what you're doing."

Inko looked over at her son, "Yea, me too."

VVV

"Finally decided to join us, Deku?"

Izuku recoiled at his all too familiar nickname "Y-yea, here I am Kacchan, what're we gonna do?"

"Well WE'RE gonna play heroes, maybe we'll let you join in." Katsuki approached Izuku, staring down at the boy, "you get your Quirk yet, Deku?

"Um, a-about that, Kacchan, I went to see the doctor yesterday and…" Katsuki raised an eyebrow at him, "It turns out I-I don't actually have a Quirk…"

Katsuki looked at him for a good while, seeing if he was serious. When it became clear Izuku wasn't joking, he burst out in a hearty laugh.

"HAHAHA WOW, YOU REALLY ARE A USELESS DEKU, AREN'T YOU?" Katsuki yelled in between laughter, with his friends joining in. Izuku cowered into himself, uncomfortable with the insult, yet too afraid to challenge it.

"Well, a Quirkless loser like you can't play heroes, now can he? C'mon guys." They began to walk away, and it was only then Izuku found his voice; "c'mon K-Kacchan, you can't leave me here alone… please?" Izuku all but begged.

"Grrr…" Katsuki growled, angered at the pinch of sympathy Izuku's cry was able to cause. "Fine, Deku," he sneered, "you can tag along, but don't go thinking you'll be playing heroes!" He yelled, marching deeper into the park.

Izuku didn't give him a response, only meekly following behind, often watching from a distance as the others played. Eventually, the group came upon a partially broken gate, a screwed on "Do Not Enter" sign hanging high.

Katsuki gave a quick look around; his mother seemed preoccupied, and a grin grew on his face.

"Let's go extras, we're going in." No one dared to oppose him, except of course-

"Kacchan, the sign says d-do not enter…" Izuku stuttered and was quickly shut down with a small explosion to the face.

"SHUT THE HELL UP DEKU," Katsuki threatened, "You're not the hero here, I am, I say we're going in!" Katsuki turned quickly, marching through the fence.

Izuku was quick to follow.

As they marched though the gated off forest, they came to a stop at a bridge above a shallow stream. "Stop," Katsuki commanded, this is where we're playing heroes." He glared at Izuku, "Deku, I don't give a damn what you do, just don't get in our way!" he demanded.

Izuku was about to sheepishly accept, until he remembered his mother's words…

"I-I wanna play heroes too Kacchan," he said, sounding more resolute than he had all day.

'What the hell?' Katsuki thought, 'No one's defied me since I got my Quirk!'

"The hell did you just say Deku?" he commanded, approaching the boy.

Izuku was shaking like a leaf, but amazingly stood his ground, "I-I just don't see why I have to be left out, I just wanna play with you guys…" Izuku muttered.

"Oh?" Katsuki said, placing his hand on Izuku's shoulder, "you don't get it, well let me spell it out for you, stupid Deku. You. Are. QUIRKLESS. That means you're useless, too useless to ever be a hero!" he seethed, his hand gradually getting hotter.

"T-that's not true… my mom says I can still be a hero!" Izuku yelled, surprised at his own boldness.

"Oh, your mommy told you? Then I guess she's as stupid as you Deku!"

Katsuki was about to pop off a few explosions but was cut off by a sudden outburst.

"Don't say that about my mom!" Izuku shouted, giving Katsuki a hard shove away from him. Far harder than he meant it to be, than he thought he was capable of, all the way to the edge of the bridge.

"What the hell's your prob-" Katsuki began to say, only to find himself losing his footing, falling into the stream below.

"AHHHH" he screamed, not in rage, as he usually did, but in fear.

"KACCHAN" Izuku yelled, immediately scaling down into the stream. 'Please don't be hurt please…'

When he reached Katsuki, he was relieved to see him sitting up, yelling up to his friends "Yea yea, I'm fine!" Only to look ahead and shrinking at the sight: before him was Izuku, holding out his hand, that stupid concerned look on his face.

"Kacchan! Are you ok?" Izuku questioned

"Wha-What are you doing down here, Deku?" Katsuki replied, still looking at his outstretched hand.

"I-I wanted to make sure you weren't hurt… you sounded like you needed help." Izuku said, a rare resoluteness in his voice.

'Help… HELP?' Katsuki blasted away Izuku's hand with the biggest explosion he could manage, knocking the boy to the water.

"K-Kacchan, what's wrong?" Izuku said, scrambling away as he marched closer.

"LISTEN CLOSE YOU STUPID, WORTHLESS DEKU!" Katsuki screamed, grabbing Izuku by his shirt collar "I WILL NEVER NEED THE HELP OF A WEAK, USELESS QUIRKLESS LOSER LIKE YOU, DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"

"I-I don't understand, I was just trying to he-" Izuku didn't get to finish as Katsuki let loose a full powered explosion in his face; even this young, it was nothing to scoff at.

"Just stay away from me Deku. If I see your face again, I'll blow it the hell off!" And with that, Katsuki marched off with his friends, leaving Izuku to his tears.

VVV

'I really am a Deku' Izuku thought as he watched the sun set. He had tried to find his way out of the forest, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't remember the path he took in; he was absolutely lost, so he did what his mother always told him to do if he was lost: sit tight and wait for help.

'It's definitely past four… She's probably worried about me… Unless she realized I'm useless.'

Izuku shook his head; 'I shouldn't be thinking like that… mom loves me, believes in me, I shouldn't doubt her.'

As if on cue, Izuku heard rustling in the bushes nearby, "W-who's there?" he stammered, fearful of who could be hiding.

From the bushes emerged a tall man with black hair and eyes. He wore a tan overcoat and matching hat, with a white dress shirt and green tie underneath.

"Are you Izuku Midoriya?" he asked, a redundant question. How many other little boys with green hair and freckles could be wandering the woods?

"Y-yes… who are you?" Izuku questioned, keeping his distance.

"My name is Naomasa Tsukauchi" he replied, taking off his hat, "I'm with the police force. Why don't you come with me son? Your mother is very worried, y'know?"

'What a relief,' Izuku thought, 'I can finally get out of here!'

"Yes sir" he said, finally standing up and walking with the man.

Naomasa decided to question the boy on the way back; "so how did you get lost?" he asked, carefully guiding him back to his mother, "weren't you with your friends out here?"

He decided not to grill the scared boy on his trespassing.

"Uh, I-its my fault, I ran off away from the group and got lost…"

'A lie, if that mark on his face is anything to go by,' Naomasa thought, he didn't even need his Quirk, Human Lie Detector, to be able to tell.

"Is that so?" he pressed, "Yes, sir." Izuku replied. 'Best not to force it out of him.'

VVV

Soon enough, they reached the park proper, near empty now save for a few officers and a distraught mother.

"IZUKU!" Inko yelled, rushing to her son and wrapping him in a hug.

"M-mom…" Izuku muttered, burying himself in her arms.

Despite her happiness, Inko was equally upset. "What were you thinking going in there Izuku? You know better!"

she chastised. "I'm sorry mom…" he said, and what more could he say? He knew what he did was wrong and did it anyway. "W-where's Kacchan?"

"Oh, he and Mitsuki went home baby, it's almost seven." Inko replied, checking him over. 'Where did he get that mark on his face?'

Izuku didn't reply, and Naomasa took that chance to insert himself into the conversation. "Right, well," he began, "I take it you know what you did was wrong, young man?"

"Yes sir, I'm very sorry," Izuku replied, giving a respectful bow."

Well as long as you don't do it again, I don't see a reason to keep you any longer. Just make sure you don't cause any more trouble, alright?" Naomasa commanded, putting on a stern face.

"Yes sir!" Izuku said, quickly taking his mother's hand, "can we go home now mom?"

"Of course, sweetie," Inko assured, turning to Naomasa, "Thank you so much for finding my son, detective."

"Just doing my job ma'am, stay safe out there" he smiled, walking over to his squad car. "C'mon honey" Inko pulled, leading her son on the short walk home.

VVV

The Midoriyas did not live extravagant lives; their apartment was modest, maintained on the income of Izuku's father, who worked overseas. It wasn't much, but it was all the two needed to be comfortable.

'He must be starving' Inko thought, looking to Izuku. "Baby, would you like mommy to make you some Katsudon?" she asked.

"If it wouldn't be too much trouble…" Izuku mumbled, still shaken from his time in the forest. "Of course not dear, I'll call you when its ready, ok?" she said, sending her son off to her room.

As she cooked the two's meals, she couldn't help but feel something had happened in the forest; 'Izuku isn't the type to run off on his own… and that bruise on his face doesn't look like an accident,' she thought.

Eventually the food was complete; "Izuku!" she called, "dinner's ready!" Izuku was quick to come out for dinner, quickly sitting down and eating quietly.

'I have to ask, even if I risk upsetting him,' Inko thought. "Izuku," she started, looking across at her son, "what happened in the forest?"

Izuku dropped his fork and squeezed shut his eyes, holding back tears. "I-I'm sorry mom… its my fault…"

"What's your fault honey?" she pressed concerned for her baby.

"Me and Kacchan got in a fight… I pushed him and he fell in the water… he was so mad at me he left me in the forest…" Izuku recounted, still refusing to look at his mother.

Inko gasped; "Izuku, its not like you to fight, especially your friends, why would you do that?" she questioned.

"H-he said I couldn't be a hero without a Quirk, that I was stupid for thinking I could… That you were stupid for thinking I could…" He said, face downcast in shame.

'Ah' Inko thought, 'I understand Izuku, but…'

"Izuku… I appreciate you sticking up for me, but I don't want you getting into fights on my behalf, alright honey? You're better than that" she assured, giving him a smile.

"But what if he's right?!" Izuku shouted, finally looking up at his mother, "What if I can't be a hero, what if I am useless?"

Inko frowned; 'Oh honey…' She stood up, taking a spot next to her son, "Listen to me Izuku, you are not, and never will be worthless. Quirk or no, you're my son, and I know you're capable of anything!" Inko exclaimed, giving her son yet another hug.

"What if I cant do it… What if I can't be a hero?" Izuku muttered, leaning into his mother. "Remember what I told you Izuku? You can do anything you set your heart to, and I'll be here every step of the way," she reached into her pocket, pulling out a folded piece of paper, "that reminds me, I believe this is yours, baby."

She handed him the piece of paper, which he hesitantly took and unfolded, eyes widening at the contents; "Is this…" he started, unable to form the words.

"I said I would, didn't I honey? You can start tomorrow." On the paper was an in-depth workout and diet plan. It was nothing intensive; 20 pushups, 30 sit-ups, a half mile jog, it was nothing extreme, but a perfect starting point for one so young.

"Y-you really did it… you really do believe in me!" Izuku exclaimed, seemingly forgetting his previous sadness.

"Of course, honey, you can always count on my support," Inko beamed, although she was conflicted on the inside. 'So much for preparing him for the truth,' she thought.

"Thank you! I love you so much mom!" Izuku said, tackling his mother in a hug. 'But its almost worth it,' "I love you too Izuku," she replied, returning his hug "you can count on me!"

'This is it,' Izuku thought, lost in his own head, 'This is the beginning of my hero journey, this is my starting line, to being the world's greatest hero!"

Izuku didn't know just how true that thought would turn out to be.

Wew, a lot covered this chapter. Am I going too fast? Not enough detail? I typically only write academically, meaning I prioritize conciseness, although that might not be ideal for a more narrative project.

This is my first ever fanfiction, after 10 years of reading them, so I'm excited to finally dive in!

This story went through several iterations in my head; originally, Izuku was gonna have a powerful Quirk to go along with One for All, however I feel that would be a detriment to the overall story. Not because he would be too powerful, because he is going to be VERY damn powerful in this story, but because being born Quirkless is so integral to his character that it didn't feel right taking that away from him. So, I decided to just have him BELIEVE he is Quirkless. So yes, Izuku will have a Quirk; there are a couple minor hints as to what it is here, that I'm sure some of you will be able to sniff out.

This'll be a heavily Izuku focused story; there are simply too many characters to give them ALL the spotlight, so it'll mainly be him, Katsuki, Shoto, the girls, and a few of the teachers that will have focus. Not that I'll ignore the other characters of course, but they'll definitely be taking a back seat. I only say this because we spent a lot of time with Inko and her thoughts this chapter, I didn't want to give the impression that she'll be a main character here; she's certainly important in these first few chapters, but she will definitely be dropping off at some point, and that kind of treatment should be expected for a lot of the side characters; they will be important for a few chapters (such as Iida when Stain comes around) but won't be constants in the story.

As for pairings, I'm leaning heavily towards a harem; I'm not trying to write high art here, just a fun story, and what's more fun than a harem?

Well, that about covers it! Next chapter, training, strange happenings, and meeting someone new! Please review if you have the time, and I'll see you soon!