Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

For all his eight years of worldly experience, Izuku had a very loose definition of normal.

Being ignored? Normal.

Seeing in the dark? Normal.

Walking straight through villain fights? Normal.

Going safely home through back alleys? Normal.

But this - this was not in Izuku’s definition of normal.

”M-Mum?”

Izuku's terrified whisper brought Inko rushing to his room even at 2 am. He looked up at her curtain of dark green hair, tears trapped in his eyes.

Slowly, he raised his hands.

”My-my fingers are going.”

He barely had time to blink before his mother rushed to hug him, her reassuringly cold arms encorcling his body. The black smoke-like substance hovered around his finger stumps as he tried shakily to curl his hands around her.

”Oh, Izuku.”

Inko’s soft words were all it took for Izuku’s tears to burst free. He sobbed loudly as she planted a tender kiss on his head.

”Be good.”

And then she was gone, and black smoke was left, and he could see his whole again fingers through where Inko had just been.

Chapter Text

The whispers followed him wherever he went. Useless. Weird. Different.

Katsuki clutched his backpack tighter with sweaty hands as he felt their accusing gazes follow him. Kept his head up straight as they muttered in each other a ears and passed around him. 

Useless. Scary. Strange.

It hadn't been as bad at the start. Everyone had fawned over him - the first person in their class to get his quirk! And such a flashy one too - literally. He had been the source of much admiration from the others in his class, drawn to whatever was new like moths to a flame. It had been uncomfortable for the first few seconds, but then all he could feel was strong, as his classmates all validated what he had always dreamed to be - a hero.

The best hero.

And now? They called him villain.

Somebody bodyslammed him. He looked up to see the red-winged bozo grinning stupidly at him. He growled threateningly and his attacker stepped out of his arms reach, only for mocking laughter to echo from his other side.

”What, going to attack someone, villain? Isn't that normal for you?” He whipped around like a caged animal to see StickyMcStickFingers, flexing his namesake phalanges. Okay, maybe that wasn't his real name, but Katsuki never got the chance to ask anyone their real names, not when their reactions to him consisted entirely of flee or fight.

”S-Stop attacking Kacchan!”

Well, flee or fight, bar one.

”Piss off, ’Zuku”. Katsuki’s actions betrayed his words as he grabbed the green-haired puffball by his bag and dragged him to the classroom. He ignored the mocking calls of his classmates: ”The weirdo’s kidnapping Midoriya!” they taunted, and ”Look out for Kacchan, civilian! He’s dangerous!”. These were just the regular, everyday calls for Bakugo Katsuki and Midoriya Izuku. There was one that never ceased to hurt, though, one that he had heard over and over again, from every corner of his class room. This time, it was Fingers who yelled it out, just before Katsuki could close the classroom door.

”Gonna give Midoriya another scar, villain?”