Accessing the Link

Quirkless in a Linked World

Everyone knew that soulmates were a recent thing. I mean, quirks only appeared around two hundred years ago, which, in the grand scheme of things, wasn't a very long time. It took longer than that just to colonize America. Most researchers assumed it was a quirk's doing. Soulmate bonds only started showing up around fifty years after the dawn of quirks.

Soulbonds were initially pretty simple. If you had a quirk you had a soulmate, and this person would be there to love you unconditionally. You would be able to use your soulmate's quirk, but only for a little bit every day. It gave people enough to identify each other but that was all. Over the years quirks evolved, and as a result, soulbonds evolved too.

Soulbonds went from simple quirk sharing to emotion sharing. To pain sharing. Heck, even to telepathic though sharing in some extreme cases. Some got marks as clues, some got quotes, some got names, and some could write to each other from their skin. It also changed the type of bond. Initially, it was only romantic bonds, but, like the types of links, that changed and now bonds could be romantic, platonic, or familial! But even with all these advances, there was one thing that remained constant. The quirkless remained mateless, bondless. No marks, no pain, no thoughts, no feelings, nothing.

So, naturally, if you get one of these bonds then it's safe to assume that you have a quirk, even if the bond shows before the quirk does. Finding the type of link you have is almost as exciting as getting your quirk. Figuring out the type of bond you had was more difficult without having met your soulmate or a communication link.

As much as quirks fascinated Izuku, soulmates fascinated him more. He was looking forward to his bond showing up so he could study the link himself. He didn't have a preference as to what type of bond he got, just looking forward to meeting the people the universe, or quirk, decided were best for him.

By the time he turned four, the other kids were getting their quirks or bonds by the dozen, most getting a quirk-sharing link as it was the most common. Kacchan had gotten his quirk only a little after his fourth birthday, but his bond didn't show until a month after Izuku's birthday. It was actually Izuku who had noticed it first.

"Kacchan what's that on your arm?"

"Huh, what's what on my arm?" He asked, turning his arm to look at the inside of his wrist. Right there, in elegant-looking script was a faded name. Nobody could read it as the text was so light, but after a few weeks it darkened, and eventually the name was legible. Eijirou Kirishima. That was his soulmate's name. Izuku couldn't help but be a little jealous. He still hadn't had any sign of a quirk or a soulmate.

"Don't worry baby, you only just turned four. These things take time," His mother told him. "They'll show up soon, I know it."

At her reassurance he had just nodded along, cause when had his momma ever been wrong. He knew quirks took time to show, he had researched it after all. But he couldn't help it. As months passed and no quirk showed. No bond formed. Once he turned five and there was still nothing on both ends his classmates started calling him quirkless, null, and even Deku. He had tried to protest at first but it made no difference, and so he vowed he would show them once he did get his quirk. He could be patient and wait for it to be ready.

Sadly that day never seemed to come. A few months after his sixth birthday his mother picked him up early from school so they could go see a quirk specialist. Izuku was full of excitement. He would finally learn what his quirk was! He couldn't wait to tell Kacchan all about it when he got home.

"It's not gonna happen kid," The doctor says, looking straight at Izuku.

"I'm sorry, but what do you mean by that?" Inko asks in the most polite voice she can muster.

"Simple," The doctor starts, pulling up an image on the projector. "As you can see here Midoriya-kun has two joints in his pinky toe. It is long since confirmed that having two joints mean the person poses the less evolved form of the human body, thus your son is quirkless." The doctor explains, as if he wasn't ripping Izuku's hopes and dreams to shreds.

"Because he is quirkless there are a few things you'll need to look out for. Wisdom teeth and appendicitis can be quite a hassle, and not many know how to deal with those nowadays. There's also stuff like hiccups and goosebumps, which, while annoying at times, aren't dangerous."

The doctor continues. "He'll also have better balance and a higher spice tolerance than most would," The doctor reaches over and grabs a pamphlet from his desk and hands it to Inko. "This includes more information on everything I just listed, some specialists who can deal with them, and some support groups he could join."

"Thank you, doctor," Inko says. "Come on baby, it's time to go home."

Izuku just followed her mindlessly, his brain still processing the first words that had come out of the doctor's mouth. He couldn't believe it. No quirk, no soulmate- Both the things he yearned for ended up being just out of reach. And all he got out of it was improved balance and spice tolerance!?

The gravity of the situation didn't hit fully until hours later. Izuku had been watching his favorite All Might video when the tears finally started pouring.

"Momma, do you think I can still be a hero, even without a quirk?" Hearing this made Inko finally break and start crying, hugging her child and whispering hushed apologies in his ear. All they did was make him cry more. His momma didn't believe in him. This realization made him yearn for the soulmate he could've had, knowing they would've believed in him.