When your born without at quirk like twenty percent of the population, your looked down on society no matter what you do. And if you have a quirk but don't live up to society's expectations, you are looked down on society too. All because you let them down—whether or not it was in your control.
But than if you get a quirk after being quirkless for 15 years or if you do everything in your power to live up to expectations, guess what, your still alone. A freak. Someone who is trying so hard but still somehow manage to fail. No one wants an abomination.
So what are you supposed to do when every single person in your life turns their backs against you?
You find others just like you.
* * * *
Deku walks with his hood over his eyes as he travels through the alleys of the city.
Heroes knows he exists, Bakugou has the information they want, and there's a united group of villains running around the city in the shadows. There is no telling how much longer until the heroes of this world become hungry. Desperate, uncontrollable, and unpredictable. Just like a food starved wolf.
The only way to stay in control is for two things to happen. Force the hand himself and be prepared for any kind of attack.
One is already in place. Now it's time to make sure the other one is complete and ready.
Deku stops and peers around the corner at one of the most run-down parts of the city before slipping out and making his way to the abandoned building across the street. He opens the broken boarded up door and ascends the stairs, glass crunching under his feet and muffled words bouncing off the concrete walls.
The words grow louder and slowly unjumble as he enters the hallway of the second floor.
"Answer my question."
"I don't know anything. Even if I did, I wouldn't tell a villain."
Deku halts at the door where the voices are coming from.
"Oh yeah—"
Deku pushes open the door and sighs. "He already told you he doesn't know anything." He flips back his hood and stares at the black haired, scarred up fire user in front of him. "Burn his carcass and move on."
The villain turns around, the metal staples in his skin glowing in the blue firelight. "Well, if it isn't the little puppet?"
"Aren't we all puppets in the grand scheme of things? Especially you, Dabi?" Deku smiles, refusing to let the old friend's mockery get to him.
"What do you want?"
"I need some help."
It's only a matter of time before the heroes and police find out his name. And when they do, they won't think twice about going after the one person he still cares about from his old life. The one person he needs to keep safe.
His help isn't ideal, but it's practical.
"I'm busy." Dabi turns around and leans down, lifting his flaming hand to his victim's cheek. "Tell me, do you know how it feels to have your skin slowly and painfully burn away by a fire that's so hot, it's almost cold?"
"He doesn't know anything." Before Dabi can inflict any more damage than he already has, Deku reaches out with his quirk and snuffs out the fire. "Even if he did, he wouldn't tell people like us," Deku says, repeating what the hero stated.
Dabi looks down to his extinguished quirk than at Deku with a murdering glare as he straightens. "I really hate that little trick of yours."
"Blame yourself."
"Don't make me angry. You still have much more to learn before you're in my league."
"True," Deku admits. "But what I did learn, I learned from you."
Dabi and Deku lock eyes for several quiet moments, neither of them moving. Cars still out rush by, desperate to get out of the sketchy area; the lights in the building flicker in and out; and Dabi's newest capture boldly tries to escape from his binds despite the two villains in front of him.
Then making the first move, Dabi charges forward with a smoke screen of blazing blue. Deku immediately snuffs it out. He snaps his fingers and makes his own flame, meeting Dabi in the middle.
They engage in a fist fight of blue and orange, each one knocking the other away before they can land a hit. But every now and then, one will slip through their defenses.
When it does, it's brutal. Neither one holds back. Not ever. Each hit, each attack, has the full power of their strength behind it.
Deku snuffs out another one of Dabi's flames as his fist flies toward his face. But when he does, that brief instant, that one second where his power is focused on another's, his offence is gone.
One of his annoying weaknesses.
In that one moment, his own flame is gone.
Dabi doesn't waste time. With Deku's offense gone and his defense preoccupied, Dabi raises his other fist and coats it in his blue fire.
Deku stumbles back, putting distance between them. He runs his thumb along his cheek, hissing in pain as his skin burns and brow sizzles. He managed to switch targets and snuff out the brunt of the hit. But not before the searing heat made contact. If it wasn't for his quirk, the damage would be much more severe. "That's going to leave a mark."
When Deku looks up, a powerful line of the blue flame is already making its way for him. Immediately Deku snaps his fingers and wills the fire to grow and leap for Dabi's attack.
The two streams of fire meet just a couple feet away from Deku in the small room, swirling together in a circle. But only for a few seconds. The ball of fire turns to a strong vortex that disperses as quickly as it appears.
The quick disperse creates an invisible force that shoves Deku off his feet and hard into the wall.
Nothing that hasn't happened before of course.
"Damn you," Deku breaths as he stares up at the ceiling.
"You're too slow," Dabi says from his spot across the room.
Deku sighs, wiping away the blood dripping down his head as he pulls himself to his feet.
They both stare at each other, waiting to see what the other one will do next.
Then a crazy smile tugs as Dabi's skin. "Damn kid," he says walking over, ruffling Deku's bushy hair. "it's been a while. Seems you've improved a little since I last saw you."
"Yeah and you're just as stupid as ever I see," Deku replies, nodding to the hero still tied up. He stuffs his pockets into his beat-up jacket. "Another one huh?"
Dabi puts his own hands in his pockets and turns the hero. "This one knows something."
"He won't tell you. So?" Deku asks again.
"I want to have a little more fun before I give up on this one. So sorry, I'm busy."
Deku cocks his head, looking the hero up and down. He snaps his fingers and flicks a small but hot flame at the hero's chest. The fire concentrates at their heart and burns through the skin, leaving a blackened hole and slumped body.
Deku looks up at Dabi. "Not anymore. So what do you say?"
"I guess you're right," Dabi says, tearing his eyes away from the hero who went out without so much as a plea. "What's the job?"
"I need you to protect someone."
Dabi raises a brow. "Do I look like someone who protects people?"
"He knows."
"Shit." Dabi hangs his head, knowing just what Deku means. "When?"
"Shigaraki decided to attack the UA students. Particularly Bakugou's class."
Dabi snorts a laugh. "He sounds like an idiot."
"It was going to happen sooner or later. None of us can hide forever," Deku shrugs. "plus, can't blame him. It was the perfect opportunity to go after All Might."
"So the rumors are true."
Deku nods.
"If he knows, the heroes know. And if they don't, they will soon."
Deku nods again.
"What about Toga?"
Deku shakes his head. "I've got her doing something else. I need to control the pro heroes and destruction they cause. The only way to do that is to let them in on the secret when I want them to. And UA being UA, they are still holding the Sports Festival. It's the perfect place. The one thing I can't control is being in two places at once--"
"If you two are there, then no one will be there to protect your mother," Dabi finishes, catching on.
"I don't like her getting roped into this but if she has to, it's going to be on my terms."
"What about that warp freak?"
Deku shakes his head. "I don't trust him. Not with this. You of all people know what's it's like to need to save someone. You've been trying for years."
Dabi looks down his nose at Deku. "When do we do this?"
"A week from today. Don't be late. Don't let her out of your sight."