Boku no Hero - A Different Deku Chapter 1 | Izuku Midoriya

Midoriya receives a strong hit from Bakugo, who wipes his mouth and says:

─ I hope you understand your place now.

Midoriya stands up and responds:

─ Yes, I understand. I’m the victim of a coward who uses his friends to harass me. I don’t care what your quirk is; with that shitty attitude, you’ll never be a hero.

Bakugo gets angry and considers attacking him with his quirk, but knows he would be penalized for it. So he simply burns the notebook that he had previously snatched from Midoriya and throws it out the window, saying:

─ I'm going to be the number one hero and surpass All Might. You, born without a quirk, will always be a trash. Maybe you should follow your notebook's example and jump out this window.

his classmates laugh at this, but Midoriya ignores them. He grabs her backpack and walks away, which only makes Bakugo angrier. After leaving the place, Midoriya sees that her notebook had fallen into a pond where some fish were planning to eat it. He recovers it quickly, murmuring:

─ Damn it. Well, at least only the cover is damaged. I can still read what I wrote.

Midoriya opens his backpack and sees that most of his supplies and books are ruined. He tucks the notebook between his books, thinking:

─ Since I started standing up for myself, things have only gotten worse. At least this year is almost over. I hate to admit it, but sometimes I think that if I had a quirk, it would definitely destroy Bakugo.

Midoriya he punches himself his face and tells himself:

─ I can’t think like that. Even if it frustrates me, if I ever want to be a hero, I can’t think that way. I may not have a quirk, but I hope to one day become someone who helps others, just like the heroes do.

Midoriya breaks a cookie he had and tosses it to the fishes, saying:

─ You'll like this better. Consider it compensation.

The boy continues on his way, reflecting on his dream, which seemed like nothing more than a childish fantasy. Midoriya looks up at the sky and says to himself:

─ Ever since I was little, I admired All Might; I always wanted to be like him, to be the strongest hero and protect everyone. That was my dream, but it didn’t last long. I soon found out that I didn’t have a quirk. When I asked my mom if I could still be a hero, she just cried and hugged me.

─ But I just wanted her to say yes. That day, I was genuinely depressed and stayed that way for a while, but then I convinced myself that I would become a hero even without a quirk. After all, the number one hero said we could all be heroes. If I was strong, then I could protect them. With that thought in mind, I started training my body from a young age. Then I studied martial arts and thought I was ready, but I wasn’t. Even though I think I’m strong, there’s not much I can do. I still don’t have a quirk, which makes my efforts count for very little. Even though I know my dream is futile, I still want to be a hero...

Midoriya’s self-reflection is interrupted when the manhole cover flies off and a strange green slime comes out of it. The boy tries to back away, but before he knows it, that thing grabs his leg. In a panic, he tries to attack it, but his punches just go through its body. Given This the villain laughs, saying:

─ Try all you want. I'm liquid; you can't do anything.

Midoriya sees that no matter how hard he tries, there’s no way to hurt this thing. Still, he keeps fighting, while thinking:

"Why? Why can’t I do anything? Am I really going to die like this? I wanted to be a hero and I can’t even salve me..."

─ The villain tries to enter Izuku’s mouth, and he doesn’t know what to do. His hope fades until he sees the manhole cover and, using all his strength, he manages to grab it and throw it at the villain, freeing himself from the thing that was suffocating him. This angers the villain, who grabs Izuku forcefully, seemingly intending to tear him in two. Izuku starts losing consciousness, but even though he can’t do anything, Midoriya keeps fighting. However, his body no longer has the strength; the villain doesn’t allow him to move or breathe. Izuku sees his end, but when all seems lost, a voice says:

─ !I AM HERE!

The villain recognizes the voice and tries to flee, but before he can think or do anything, the great number one hero concentrates his strength, saying:

─ !TEXAS SMASH!

The hero’s powerful attack creates a great pressure in the air, completely obliterating the villain. The young man looks at his hero, utterly impressed by the imposing figure of the number one hero. Midoriya wants to ask for an autograph, but before he realizes it, his body collapses and he loses consciousness. All Might props the boy against a wall and then picks up the villain. As he does, the young man wakes up to see All Might putting the villain into some plastic bottles. Midoriya stands up, saying:

─ ¿All Might? ¿Is it really you?

All Might stands up quickly, saying:

─ ¡OF COURSE!. I’m surprised you’re standing so soon. You’re a strong boy. I’m sorry you got involved in my fight with that villain. I usually don’t make these mistakes. Anyway, you were a big help. Thanks to you, I was able to capture him.

Midoriya looks at All Might’s pose. It seemed to him incredible, though it also reminded him of a soda commercial pose. All Might sees the boy doesn't respond, so he says:

─ Alright, now that I see you're okay, I'm going to take my leave.

Midoriya, hearing this, quickly shouts:

─ WAIT, PLEASE! I need to ask you something.

All Might looks at the boy, saying:

─ Sure, tell me what is it about.

Midoriya swallows hard and then says:

─ From childhood, I’ve admired heroes, but I was born without a quirk. Even so, I worked hard to become stronger and help others, but I’ve reached a point where I feel lost. I don’t know what to do. That’s why I want to ask you, do you think I can be a hero even without a quirk?

All Might looks at the boy, remains silent for a few seconds, and then responds:

─ You seem to be someone mature and smart. So I’ll tell you straight up. Without a quirk, you can’t be a hero. No matter how hard you try, in the end, you’ll only put yourself in danger, and that will make the heroes’ job harder.

These words from the figure he had admired for so long make the young man feel a deep sadness. Even though he knew he couldn’t be a hero, this time it felt like he had been hit with a reality smash. All Might notices that his words have affected the boy, so he asks:

─ Tell me one thing, kid. Why did you want to be a hero?

Midoriya takes a deep breath and responds:

─ I’ve admired you since I was a childboy. You always save everyone with a smile. That seemed incredible to me, but when I grew up, I realized why you did. It was to show that you weren’t afraid, to show everyone that everything would be okay, that they were safe. You’re a true hero to me. You lend a hand to everyone and always manage to save them no matter how hard it is. I admire the kind of hero you are. That’s why I wanted to be like you. That’s why...

The young man makes a slight bow, saying:

─ Thank you for being so honest and direct. I know I can’t be a hero, but...

All Might was about to touch the boy’s shoulder when Midoriya stands up straight again and, showing a smile, says:

─ I'll do what I can to help others.

All Might sees the boy’s smile, which was like his own. It showed great confidence, but he knew that behind that smile, he was hiding his pain, just as he often hid his fear. But still, he had to respond to the boy’s courage. So All Might raises his thumb, saying:

─ Well said! I know you'll be someone amazing.

Midoriya makes a slight bow, saying:

─ Thank you for saving me and for everything else.

The young man quickly slips past the hero and continues on his way. All Might watches him, feeling that he had crushed that child’s dream, but it was also for his own good. Before leaving, All Might says:

─ What’s your name?

Midoriya stops, but doesn't turn around and just replies:

─ Izuku...My name is Izuku Midoriya.

All Might smiles, saying:

─ It was a pleasure, Izuku Midoriya! No need to thank me for the autograph.

After saying this, All Might leaps away and disappears. Hearing this, Midoriya searches for his notebook and finds that All Might’s signature is between two pages. The young man smiles at this, saying to himself:

─ Now that I remember, when that villain attacked me, he threw all my stuff. All Might picked it up while I was unconscious. I can’t believe I forgot to ask for an autograph.

The young man feels tears welling up, but he holds them back, telling himself:

─ Come on, Izuku, he didn’t say anything you didn’t know. At least he was honest. This only means that even though I can’t be a hero, I’ll be able to help others in my own way. There must be something I can do.

At the same time, All Might continued on his way, remembering that boy, and thought:

"He certainly has the spirit, but I'm not sure if he would make a good hero. After all, he lacks a quirk. Although I'm not the one to say something that, maybe I should go back and talk to that boy. Only then will I rid myself of this doubt."

All Might considered returning when he felt his time limit. Before he realized it, his power faded, leaving him floating in mid-air. He quickly flailed his arms and legs as if trying to swim. Fortunately, All Might managed to land on a building's rooftop, sustaining only a few bumps and scratches. He stood up with some difficulty, saying:

─ That was close. I should carry a stopwatch or something to avoid getting so distracted. Anyway, I suppose I’ll have to find that boy another time. Thankfully, the villain was captured.

All Might checked his pockets and realized the plastic bottles were missing. Looking down from the rooftop, he saw they hadn’t fallen with him. They must have dropped during his rough landing. Meanwhile, Bakugo walked with his two cronies, who looked disheveled and covered in various injuries. One of them looked at Bakugo and asked:

─ Didn’t that punch from Izuku hurt?

Bakugo touched his jaw and replied:

─ A punch like that can’t hurt me. No matter how much Deku trains, he’ll always be a trash. What about you two? That idiot beat you up; you just had to hold him down, and you couldn’t even manage that.

His cronies began to complain, but Bakugo ignored them while thinking:

"That damn Deku! He sure knows how to throw a punch. Even without a quirk, he always manages to slip away from me. And that punch actually hurt."

Angry, Bakugo kicked a plastic bottle, which burst open upon hitting a wall. From it emerged the villain who had attacked Midoriya. Bakugo tried to flee, but the villain caught him, and he reached out to his companions, who ran away in fear.

Meanwhile, Midoriya walked, deep in thought:

"I suppose I could become a police officer or something like that. Even though I know I can’t be a hero, I still can’t shake the idea from my head.  e it’ll take me some time to face reality."

Midoriya’s thoughts were interrupted by a loud explosion nearby. He decided to head towards the noise to see what was happening, pushing through the crowd. The young man saw the villain who had attacked him earlier, but it didn’t make sense; All Might had captured him. What was he doing there? Thousands of questions raced through the young man's mind, but they all stopped when he saw Bakugo.

The villain had taken him hostage, and the explosions he heard were Bakugo's desperate attempts to escape. Midoriya looked at the heroes, seeing that they were telling people to back off until a suitable hero arrived to handle the villain. To him, none of the heroes were doing anything to help. But what could he do? He had no quirk, he wasn’t a hero; he would only get in the way.

The young man couldn’t forget the words of his idol. This prevented him from moving, but everything changed when he saw the desperation in Bakugo’s eyes.

Seeing this, Midoriya couldn’t bear it any longer. His relationship with Bakugo wasn’t the best. Part of him hated him, but no matter who it was, if someone was in danger, he couldn’t just stand by. All Might arrived just in time to see the young man he had told couldn't be a hero running towards the villain.

The villain attacked upon seeing him. Midoriya used his backpack for protection, but due to the villain’s strength, he was nearly knocked to the ground. The villain saw this and tried to take advantage of it, but the boy thought quickly and grabbed a metal rod from the ground. With the strength of his body, he managed to stay on his feet. The villain kept attacking, but the boy continued to move closer to him. Midoriya It not special; he was just another human, but he had gotten close enough to reach Bakugo. Izuku used the metal rod to break part of the villain's body, allowing Bakugo to catch his breath. Bakugo looked at Midoriya and said:

─ What are you doing here, idiot?

The villain tried to take hold of Bakugo again, so Izuku attempted to defend him, saying:

─ I don’t know, my body moved on its own. I couldn’t leave you, I can’t abandon someone who needs help!

Izuku tried to grab Bakugo's hand, but the villain struck him hard, throwing him away. The young man bounced several times across the ground but quickly got up, picked up the metal rod again, and with a smile, ran towards the villain. But before he could do anything, All Might appeared and landed a powerful blow on the villain. Looking at Izuku, he said:

─ Despite telling you that you couldn’t be a hero, despite not having a quirk, you still ran in to save him. You reminded me of that, and now I’m going to return the favor.

All Might grabbed Bakugo and Midoriya, then focused his power in his right arm and shouted:

─ Detroit Smash!

With his powerful Smash, All Might defeated the villain. The force of his blow created a great pressure in the air, which everyone present could feel. A giant heroine protected the civilians from this air current. Everyone stood in silence at this spectacle, and suddenly, it began to rain. All Might’s punch seemed to have changed the weather. The hero stood up and struck his classic victory pose. People went wild, cheering All Might’s name. Midoriya looked at All Might in awe, who smiled at him, saying:

─ We’ll meet again soon, Izuku Midoriya.

The hero looked at the civilians, saying:

─ I hope everyone is okay!

All Might decided to leave, I was exhausted. He still had to talk to that boy and wanted to recover first. With the number one hero gone, the media turned to the boy to create a more interesting story. The media blamed the boy, saying he had interrupted the heroes' work and that, because of him, the heroes couldn’t act. The young man looked at the camera, saying:

─ Maybe you can see someone suffering and do nothing, but I couldn’t stand it. The heroes were only managing the damage. I couldn’t stand to see what was happening, and before I knew it, I ran towards him. I might not be a hero, but at least I gave my all to try and save him while everyone else just watched...

Midoriya couldn’t finish speaking as someone from the crowd threw a rock that hit him directly on the head, causing a wound from which blood began to flow.

The boy's eyes grew vacant, and the assailant started shouting:

─ You’re not a hero! Don’t think you’re better than us just for being a nuisance!

The others began to join in, picking up more rocks to continue attacking him. Bakugo, seeing this, got angry and prepared to intervene when a giant hand from a lady blocked the rocks aimed at Izuku. A powerful shockwave pushed the civilians back, who turned to see the cause. It was the popular young heroine, who returned to her normal size, saying:

─ Enough!. This boy might have done wrong, but that doesn’t give you the right to attack him. If you do, tell me, how are you any different from those villains? I ask you to please leave; the heroes will handle this.

Hearing this, the pedestrians withdrew. Mount Lady approached the boy, saying:

─ Let me see; I think it’s not a deep wound, so you should be okay.

Midoriya looked up at the beautiful Mount Lady. Having her so close, the young man blushed, saying:

─ It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m a fan of yours, even though you’re a new heroine; you’re very popular. If you don’t mind, I’d like to...

Midoriya started looking around to find his notebook. He found it on the ground, picked it up, and returned to her. He searched through the pages until he found Mount Lady’s page, saying:

─ Could you sign an autograph for me?

Mount Lady laughed lightly, saying:

─ You’re very different from what I expected. I’d be happy to give you that autograph.

Mount Lady took the notebook and saw a drawing of herself along with notes about her abilities, fighting style, victories, and more. She looked at the boy, saying:

─ Are you... a stalker?

Midoriya blushed completely, saying:

─ Please don’t think that! It’s more like a hobby; I’ve admired heroes since I was little, so I like learning about them. Let me show you.

Midoriya began flipping through the pages, showing her all the heroes he had noted. Mount Lady was surprised by this, but when she saw the page dedicated to Midnight, she smiled and, taking Midoriya’s marker, drew two horns and a tail. Seeing Mount Lady's smile, Midoriya wondered what was happening, but his thoughts shifted as he admired her beauty. Now he understood why everyone thought she was one of the most beautiful heroines. Mount Lady returned to her page and signed Midoriya’s notebook, then handed it back to him. Midoriya looked at the signature with great joy. Mount Lady, seeing this, noticed the poor condition of the notebook, saying:

─ Something catches my eye. It looks like something you worked hard on. But why does it seem like you tried to burn it?

Midoriya looked at the notebook, saying:

─ I would never burn it. Actually. he he did it

Midoriya looks at Bakugo and says:

─ For some reason, he despises me. I always wanted to be a hero despite not having a quirk. I guess that bothers someone as talented as him.

Mount Lady looks at Bakugo and thinks:

"Even though that boy mistreated him, he still tried to save him. I see, it's a pity he doesn't have a quirk. Without a doubt, he would be an incredible hero."

Mount Lady touches the boy's head and says:

─ Even if you don’t have a quirk, you can still be a hero. Not only those with quirks can be heroes. I know you’ll find a way to support us and become an amazing hero. I’ll be waiting, I would love to work with you.

Mount Lady notices that a bit of blood is still trickling from his wound, so she says:

─ But first, you need to work on the way you express yourself. With that way of speaking, people might misunderstand you.

Midoriya looks at Mount Lady and, with a slight bow, says:

─ About that, I apologize. I didn’t mean to belittle your work; I was just upset and spoke without thinking. I never intended to...

Mount Lady interrupts the young man, saying:

─ I’ll forgive you and give you a little keepsake if you let me treat that wound. You don’t want to worry your mother, do you?

Midoriya touches his forehead and sees a bit of blood on his fingers, saying:

─ I think I forgot in the excitement of meeting you, but I’d like you to forgive me, so I’ll gladly accept.

The young man shows a big smile, which makes Mount Lady smile too, as the empty look that had taken over the boy at that moment was completely overshadowed by that smile. Mount Lady heals Midoriya's wounds, and he thanks her and is about to leave when Mount Lady says:

─ Wait a second. I said I’d give you a little keepsake. Do you have a phone?

Midoriya takes out his phone, saying:

─ Yes, but why?

Mount Lady interrupts him, saying:

─ Lend it to me for a second.

Midoriya gives it to her, and Mount Lady gets closer to him, opening the phone's front camera. She leans in and kisses him on the cheek, then takes a photo. She looks at the photo, seeing the young man completely blushing, which makes Mount Lady laugh lightly. She hands him the phone and then takes the notebook from a still shocked Midoriya. She writes in the notebook and then hands it back to Midoriya. She is about to say something when her colleagues call her, so Mount Lady says goodbye to the boy and leaves to continue her work.

Midoriya comes to his senses and then looks at the notebook, seeing that Mount Lady had written a small dedication that said, "For my future hero." Alongside the dedication was Mount Lady’s signature. This cheers up young Midoriya, who seemed to have completely forgotten about that blow.

The young man leaves with a big smile on his face. His number one hero had told him he couldn’t be a hero, he was attacked after trying to help his companion, but at least he got to see All Might in action again and met one of the most beloved heroines. It was a day with ups and downs, but it ended well. As he walks home, Midoriya hears Bakugo’s voice calling him. He turns around to see an angry Bakugo who says:

─ DON’T THINK I’M GOING TO THANK YOU. I NEVER NEEDED YOUR HELP, I COULD HANDLE.

Midoriya just smiles slightly. Bakugo looks at Midoriya’s forehead, seeing a small bandage covering his wound. This annoys Bakugo, who leaves angrily. Midoriya keeps walking and thinks:

"I suppose he wanted to thank me."

Midoriya continues walking until a large cloud of dust rises in front of him, and a voice says:

─ I AM HERE!

Midoriya recognizes this voice and stops as he sees the figure of the number one hero. Great happiness invades the young man, but his smile slowly changes to a look of uncertainty as he sees smoke starting to come out of All Might. Midoriya points to All Might and, somewhat confused, says:

─ You’re evaporating...

Suddenly, a large cloud of smoke surrounds All Might. After it dissipates, the young man sees a completely thin version of the hero, as if he had deflated. All Might coughs up a bit of blood, which worries the young man, who starts searching his backpack, saying:

─ Wait, I must have something here that can help you.

All Might extends his hand, saying:

─ Don’t worry, I’m fine. This is normal. Let me explain.

All Might shows him his wound, which leaves the young man shocked. Looking at Midoriya, he says:

─ Years ago, I had a battle with a villain that gave me a severe injury. It took part of my stomach, my lung, and several of my bones. I was saved thanks to countless surgeries I underwent. Since then, I can only use my powers for a limited amount of time. I decided to hide all the information about my injury and that battle. Now you’re one of the few who knows my secret. If you think I’m a pathetic hero, I won’t blame you.

The young man responds firmly:

─ It’s quite the opposite, All Might. You kept fighting despite being injured. You continued being a hero and saving everyone with a smile. You’re someone incredible. Knowing this only reinforces my point. I could never think you’re pathetic. I understand you hid your wound so people would always have faith in you. You’re the symbol of peace, and that’s why you fought without hesitation all this time, regardless of the burden you carried. You always smile and save everyone with a smile. That’s why, to me, you’re an unbeatable hero.

All Might returns to his muscular form and laughs lightly, saying:

─ I’ve never been so happy to be wrong!

All Might can’t finish his sentence as his body can’t sustain that form for longer, and he coughs up a bit of blood and reverts to his thin form again.

All Might wipes his mouth and says:

─ Young Midoriya, I’ve come here to thank you, to set things right, and to make you an offer. The truth is, if you hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t have remembered what it meant to be a hero, to be the symbol of peace. When you told me about your life and the effort you put into getting stronger, I ignored your heroic spirit and belittled your effort. Despite what I said, you ran to save that boy.

Midoriya quickly responds:

─ You were right; in the end, I just got in the way of the heroes. I said things I shouldn’t have and belittled the work of the heroes. In the end, I couldn’t do anything.

All Might responds seriously:

─ You’re wrong. You, the boy without a quirk, were the one who woke me up and made me see that I needed to do something. All great heroes have one thing in common: their bodies moved on their own before they could even think. That’s what happened to you today, isn’t it?

A slight smile forms on the boy’s face, while a tear falls from his eyes. The boy looks at his hero and says:

─ Bakugo and I never got along, but when I saw him in danger, I couldn’t help it. I just wanted to save him. Before I knew it, I was already running towards him.

All Might smiles slightly and says:

─ Izuku Midoriya, you can be a hero.

These words evoke a strong feeling in the boy. Before he realizes it, several tears run down his face. He holds his chest while thinking:

"Those were the words I always wanted to hear, but I didn't know I needed them so much. Hearing them from the number one hero, the one I always admired, made all that effort worthwhile."

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