Ten years passed like the turning of a page.
Izuku Midoriya was no longer the scrawny boy who cried at being quirkless.
Ten years of training with Bakugo had carved him into something sharp—lean muscle, strong legs, faster reflexes, a calm but intense gaze.
He stood at 170 cm, a defined, athletic teen with a runner's build.
Beside him walked Bakugo Katsuki—172 cm, explosive confidence, a muscular frame built from nonstop practice.
Together, they were the strongest pair in Aldera Junior High.
A strange duo—one with a quirk, one without.
But inseparable.
That was why the class quieted down whenever they entered together.
And today…
Today was their last day as middle school students.
---
Aldera Junior High – Last Day
The teacher entered with his usual dull expression, holding sheets of paper.
"Alright, everyone, this is your last day of school," he said plainly.
The classroom erupted.
"YES!!"
"FINALLY!"
"No more homework!"
"Goodbye losers!!"
The teacher sighed, threw the papers in the air.
"You're all applying for high schools anyway, right? I'll just toss your career forms—"
Then he paused dramatically.
"Now… our school's pride, Bakugo Katsuki, is applying for U.A. High School."
The room instantly exploded.
"BAKUGO!!"
"YOU'RE AMAZING!"
"UA? Of course he'll get in!"
"Make us proud, Bakugo!"
Bakugo only smirked, hands in pockets, acting like it was obvious.
The teacher scanned the room.
"Is there anyone else applying for U.A.?"
A beat of silence.
I lifted my hand.
The room went dead silent.
The teacher blinked. "Kid… Midoriya… look, I get that you worked hard, but being a hero without a quirk is suicide."
A few students snickered.
"Try becoming a police officer," he continued. "Or maybe support course. That fits you more."
But my voice didn't shake.
"I decided to be a hero, sensei."
The teacher exhaled through his nose. "As you wish… don't say I didn't warn you."
Bakugo didn't say a word.
He just stared at me.
---
After School
The sun cast long shadows across the street as students left the gates. Bakugo walked beside me, silent. His usual swagger was missing, replaced by something heavy.
Finally, he spoke.
"…Hey, Deku," he muttered. "You're really gonna join U.A.?"
"Yeah, Kacchan," I answered without hesitation.
He stopped walking.
"Think hard about this," Bakugo said, not looking at me. "We're not kids anymore. Back then I thought… maybe you'd get a quirk someday. Late bloomer or something."
His fists tightened.
"But becoming a hero without one… that's suicide."
His voice lowered.
"…Izuku… just think about it. You can still. Become a police officer "
I looked at him.
He wasn't mocking.
He wasn't angry.
He was scared.
I smiled gently. "I'll become a hero. Even if I die "
His shoulders stiffened.
His jaw clenched.
"…Idiot," he said softly, turning away.
And for the first time… I saw it.
The slightest glimmer of regret in his eyes.
Then he walked off fast, not daring to look back.
I watched him go, heart tightening.
He's really…?
Kacchan… you don't need to worry. I'll get a quirk soon. Maybe tomorrow… or the next day.
When you get captured by the sludge villain.
I chuckled internally.
Heheh… thanks to our favorite hero… All Might.
I turned down the street toward home—
—when suddenly the emergency announcement blared from a nearby screen.
"A person is captured by a sludge villain at XXX location! Heroes are responding!"
I froze.
…Shit.
Is it today? The sludge villain incident? Already?
I dropped my bag and sprinted.
Kacchan, I'm coming!
My legs pumped hard against the pavement, breath sharp. The world blurred past as I ran faster, cutting through alleys and corners.
But when I reached the scene—
My heart dropped.
That… isn't Kacchan.
It was a girl.
A high schooler—maybe 18 or so—trapped in the disgusting, green sludge.
She was suffocating, clawing, eyes wide with sheer terror.
All Might isn't here…
He wasn't on the roof.
He wasn't nearby.
He wasn't coming.
Should I really risk my life… for a stranger?
If I die now, the timeline breaks. The world's screwed.
But…
"HELP ME!!!" she screamed.
My teeth clenched.
"…Ah, screw it."
I grabbed a full bucket of oil from a worker's tools nearby and dumped it over myself, drenching my clothes, hair, everything in slick gasoline-scented fluid.
Heroes and civilians gasped in confusion.
The sludge villain's body whipped toward me.
Death Arms shouted, "OI!! BRAT! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"
I ignored him and sprinted forward.
The stench of sludge hit my nose—sharp, acidic, burning.
Shit. I forgot original Izuku had a sensitive nose. This body hates this smell—!
My head swam, but I pushed through, running straight to the villain.
I glared at the sludge creature.
"Take me!"
The villain blinked, surprised.
"Take me instead! Leave her."
The villain narrowed its disgusting, gooey eyes.
"Oh? And what is she to you, boy?"
I glanced at the terrified girl and signaled subtly with my fingers for her to play along.
"She's my girlfriend," I said confidently.
Her eyes widened—then she nodded fast.
"O–Oh! Y-yes! He's my boyfriend! T-Thank you!"
The villain chuckled darkly.
"Well, well… what a good boyfriend you are."
In an instant, the girl was dropped, gasping on the ground.
Sludge whipped around my torso, dragging me into its mass.
"Perfect quirkless host," the villain hissed. "Stronger body than you look… perfect for me."
My lungs crushed.
My eyes burned.
Darkness squeezed in.
"Ready for the toast?" the villain mocked.
I smirked.
I lifted my hand.
The villain froze.
"…Is that a lighter? Brat, you think I'm gonna catch on fire?"
"No," I grinned through suffocation. "But the oil will."
His body jolted.
"Wha—"
I flicked the lighter.
A spark.
FWOOM—
Fire roared up instantly as the villain screeched and thrashed.
Every hero nearby panicked.
"PUT IT OUT!!"
"GET THE KID!"
"OH SHIT HE'S ON FIRE TOO—"
But I had already slipped free, using the explosion-force to launch myself toward a drain pipe.
My fingers scraped the metal, pain sharp, but I climbed fast.
Smoke behind me.
Screams below.
I coughed violently, chest heaving.
'Close call… I might've really died…'
Death Arms shouted, "TAKE HIM TO SAFETY!!"
Meanwhile, the burned, steaming sludge villain writhed furiously.
"You brat… to think you could outsmart me… interesting…"
And then—
A shadow covered the street.
A massive figure landed with a gust of wind.
"WATASHI GA KITA!!"
All Might was here.
He scanned the scene, eyes narrowing.
"A villain attack? A hostage situation? Hmm!"
Then he saw the girl.
The heroes.
The burning sludge.
"FEAR NOT!" All Might roared, arm cocking back. "FOR I AM HERE!"
His punch created a shockwave so powerful that windows rattled across the block.
The sludge villain splattered across the pavement, unconscious in an instant.
Heroes cheered.
Civilians screamed in awe.
And All Might turned toward me—standing on the pipe, breathing hard, covered in oil and ash.
"Young boy," All Might said, his voice warm and proud, "you did a good job protecting a citizen."
My heart skipped.
He said it.
He really said it.
Just like canon.
The scene was aligning.
This was my chance.
Everything—everything—began here.
I jumped down, legs shaking from adrenaline.
All Might approached, towering over me like a mountain.
"Are you hurt?" he asked.
"No, just… winded," I panted.
He grinned.
"Then allow me to properly thank you."
His eyes softened—the same eyes he used when he first saw Izuku's bravery.
Just as he was about to be leave izuku grabbed his legs
" Young man...what are you doing" All might screamed...while in air
" I have a question all might..."
'Shit he might see my true form' All might thought
All might landed on a distant rooftop..
"Young man… that was reckless."
I swallowed.
"Y-Yes, sir."
My chest tightened.
My throat stung.
This was it.
The moment that decided everything.
"C-could I… could I ask you something?" I whispered.
All Might raised a brow.
But before he could answer—
A gust of steam rose.
His body shrank.
He grabbed his shirt.
"Crap—!"
And then—
POOF.
Skeleton All Might.
Covered in blood.
I blinked.
He stared at me.
I stared at him.
"Uh."
"…Uh."
A beat of silence.
Then—
"LISTEN KID, YOU CAN'T TELL ANYONE ABOUT THIS!!"