Chapter 180 - My CO Stash #80 - One Punch Deku by NPGamer11 (MyHeroAcademiaXOnePunchMan) (2/2)

”NANI?”

Chapter 2

”NANI?” All Might exclaimed in utter shock and confusion.

”I mean it; I don't want to inherit your power.”

”But, young Midoriya!” The Pro responded incredulously. ”I thought it was your dream to become a great hero! Why would you refuse the power that would not only put you par with others but, likely make you even stronger than them!”

Izuku's eyes were hard as he stared down his ex-idol. ”Because I've spent my whole life doing everything myself since I had to learn early on that no one would help me. I will achieve my dreams on my own, without needing to rely on anyone… even you.”

All Might flinched at the last line. It was evident that his careless dismissal of Izuku's dreams earlier that day had really done damage. ”I see now, young Midoriya… You've suffered ridicule and contempt since you were young, forced to listen to people laugh at you and diminish your dreams.”

Midoriya finally got his emotions back under control and turned away from All Might, the man slowly deflating both physically and emotionally as he realized how grave of an error he'd made.

”What I meant was, thank you for your offer but I'm not interested,” Izuku explained quietly but with firmness. ”All I need is myself, now and always.”

He stepped past the seemingly paralyzed man and continued walking to his home, leaving him there to think about their conversation. All Might was painfully aware that he could have done so many things differently during their first encounter. He could have taken the time to hear Izuku out rather than instantly smash his dreams.

”I'm so sorry, young Midoriya.” he thought in defeat as he walked away somberly. ”I'm sorry I couldn't be your hero when it was clear that you needed one.”

There were so many people he couldn't save in the past; desperate citizens all over the world that he'd never meet but that needed him anyway. All Might had never lost a person once stepping on the scene… until today.

After being thoroughly scolded by his mother for attempting to fight villains before becoming a hero, Izuku sat down in his room.

''So, not even Number 1 hero believes in my dreams. Go figure. Now... I've got 10 months before the entrance exam. Time to plan this out.'' He stayed up late that night, devising the perfect schedule for himself. He felt that if he followed it to a tee, he would be prepared for the U.A. exam, and pass it with flying colors. Satisfied with his work, he went to sleep.

Over the course of the next ten months, not much changed in Izuku's life. The only noticeable difference was that Bakugo wasn't trying to pick on him anymore, not that Izuku cared about that. He threw himself into his studies, learning everything he'd need for the written portion of the entrance exam. His hard work paid off in the end, allowing him to graduate at the top of his year. The only person who came close to his score was Bakugo, the blonde struggling not to blow a fuse over the loss.

On the night before the exam, Midoriya went to bed early, feeling calm and prepared for anything life could throw at him.

IZUKU'S DREAMS

Izuku sat in a lecture hall while the proctor handed out tests to everyone. He got to work, easily solving the test in fifteen minutes only to find himself in a Japanese dojo moments later. The R-rated hero, Midnight, was with him.

”Oh… So, it's one of THOSE dreams.” he thought to himself, feeling a stir in his pants. But instead of the usual dream sequence that followed seeing the heroine, she sat before him and said: ”For the practical portion of the exam, you have to beat me at Rock-Paper-Scissors.”

The woman extended her hand towards Izuku, but he noticed something strange on it. Startled, he woke up and screamed. ”DON'T COME PLAYING ROCK-PAPER-SCISSORS WITH A BOGGER ON YOUR FINGER!”

He sighed once he'd calmed down, checking the clock. Today was the day… He was going to start his path to showing the world what he's really worth. He confidently stood from his bed and walked to the bathroom; He was ready.

Izuku arrived at the U.A. facility early as any diligent student would and sat in the entrance hall waiting for the written portion of the exam to start. Other's started trickling in including a stiff blue-haired boy who'd immediately started reprimanding students about their hair, clothes, etc. Midoriya really hoped that he wouldn't have to be near that guy during any portion of the exam. Bakugo showed up not long after, scowl ever present on his face.

Once everything was ready, they were given an hour and a half to finish the first phase, of which Izuku only needed fifty minutes. From there, they had a half hour break before being redistributed to different areas for the practical portion.

Midoriya was quiet as he rode the bus towards 'Site Q', examining the other students who'd been assigned to the same area. He could only describe their quirks as mediocre at this point but decided to memorize them anyway, taking notes as always. He thought about the exam itself as well, concluding that it needed some serious changes. It only allowed people with combative quirks to shine and even then they had to be effective against non-sentient beings. He didn't have long to dwell on it, however, as the test was about to begin.

”ALL EXAMINEE'S TAKE YOUR POSITIONS ON THE LINE! START!”

Midoriya didn't waste any time and rushed towards the city, other students even pointing towards him and laughing at his 'early start'. But they were quickly grounded by the proctors next words.

”WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? THERE ARE NO COUNTDOWNS IN REAL LIFE! GO, GO, GO!”

The remaining students quickly ran in, ready to trash some robots only to barely find any… any moving that is.

While they stood confused, Izuku was having a blast. He could finally unleash his powers more than usual. Here, nobody would care that the asphalt cracked under him as he ran or that he swatted the robots away like flies. He was enjoying himself so much, he even allowed a ghost of a smile to creep upon his face. He sprinted all over the exam site, destroying robots and occasionally saving other participants. However, after about five-six minutes, he decided to sit back and observe some of the other U.A. hopefuls'.

He spotted a group that appeared to be working together under the leadership of a boy with gravity-defying purple hair., the teen giving commands to the other's while they attempted to immobilize the robot before he tried to destroy it.

It was painfully obvious that he hadn't trained a day in his life, his arm almost breaking from just punching the robots eye.

Suddenly a giant-ass robot appeared from the ground right after, its hulking form preparing to smash the little group closest to it.

Izuku grinned for the first time in a while and then vanished in a burst of speed towards the metal giant, only stopping briefly along the way to save others from the debris. One of the people he helped was the purple-haired boy himself.

As their eyes met, Midoriya was able to see a mixture of emotions… Disbelief, anger, sadness, and something else… something familiar that he knew but couldn't remember for the life of him right then. Once again he didn't have time to think about it too long; he had to disassemble that monstrous robot that was edging closer to them.

Most of the U.A. personnel were sitting in a dimly lit conference room, reviewing the videos from the various testing sites.

”It seems like we have a promising year ahead of us.” Nezu mused.

”Yes; It seems that we have some with powerful capabilities. They certainly surpass the last years' crop.” Vlad King agreed.

Present Mic nodded as he looked over the footage that included Bakugo, the blonde destroying robots and screaming in joy. ”I feel you. While the others got tired and slowed down, he just kept picking up steam and gathered the highest amount of points… If you don't count HIM, that is.”

''I think it's time to address the elephant in the room,'' Eraserhead suggested.

They all turned towards the middle screen, examining the green blur that made its way through the makeshift city leaving a trail of destroyed robots in its wake. Eventually, it stopped on a rooftop, allowing them to see the face of the young perspective hero. All Might (in his skinny form) gawked at the boy, easily recognizing him as the one he'd hurt all those months ago.

”What information do we have on him?” The principal asked, not missing his newest employees expression. The R-rated heroine, Midnight, examined their doc_u_ments and took over.

”His name is Izuku Midoriya; he just turned fifteen yesterday. There doesn't appear to be any medical or criminal history… He lives alone with his mother and his quirk is…” Silence filled the room.

”Well? What is it?” Hound Dog asked.

”It… These official forms say that he doesn't have one,” she admitted, the rest of the board just as full of shock and disbelief.

”But how is that even possible? This kid is easily as strong as All Might himself, if not more so! I mean, he pulverized the 0-pointer with just a punch! We can barely pass what's left as scrap metal! That's simply not possible without possessing a quirk!” Recovery Girl insisted, the statement causing Eraserhead to roll his eyes at how close-minded his coworkers seemed to be. Nezu was the only one to notice.

”Have you something to add, Erasure?” he asked.

”You people forget that even before the era of quirks, mankind achieved some incredible feats. While I also find it hard to believe that he doesn't have a quirk of some kind, there is only one way to be truly sure.”

”Oh, and what way is that?” Nezu questioned.

”We invite him here.”

Izuku knew that U.A. usually sent their acceptance letters a week after all of the exams were graded, so he was quite surprised when the doorbell to his apartment rang and he found Present Mic and All Might standing in his doorway. The No.1 Hero was the one to finally break the tension.

”Excuse us for coming to see you unannounced, young Midoriya,” he stated, ”but could you please come with us? It's about your entrance exam.”

Izuku looked at him with a doubtful expression before turning to the other hero present.

”He's telling the truth, kiddo… He will be teaching at U.A. this year. Now, notify your mother that you'll be gone this afternoon and please come with us.”

”My mom isn't home.” Izuku responded, ”I'll notify her on the way.” He put on his shoes and grabbed his jacket, phone, and wallet. ”Okay, let's go.”

Izuku was amazed by U.A.; it was where all of the heroes he'd admired went. He tried to look at everything, his neck almost snapping as he whipped it in every direction at once. However, when his gaze would land on All Might his eyes would grow cold. The Number One Hero noticed the abrupt changes and shivered, thinking back to the conversation he'd had with the principal.

ALL MIGHT: FLASHBACK

”So, Yagi… I couldn't help but notice that you had a strange look in your eyes while we watched the footage covering Izuku Midoriya… It almost seemed like perhaps you'd met the boy once.” Nezu stated while he sipped on his cup of tea.

All Might sighed and looked deeply into his own beverage. He knew it was best to just come clean, so he explained his connection to the strange quirkless powerhouse. He told the principal about how he'd 'saved' him from the sludge villain, how he'd crushed his dreams only to eat his words when the teen had run in to save a peer, and about how he'd told him about his condition and offered him his power… He told him how Izuku had refused the opportunity.

”I crushed his dreams and let him down when he needed me most.” He admitted sadly, ”I should have-”

”Don't beat yourself up so much, Yagi.” Nezu interrupted, giving the Pro a stern look. ”You didn't say anything wrong; you couldn't have known that he had such strength when he'd already told you he had no quirk. Yes, Midoriya is bitter and angry with you, but, he's a teenager. What did you expect? It's unhelpful to blame yourself for saying what seemed like the most responsible thing to say in the moment. You simply gave him the best advice you could have with what you knew.”

”What do you suggest I do then, sir?” All Might asked.

”Just be aware that while he might be angry now, he will come around eventually. When that happens, you must be there for him… You will have to help him as only you can truly relate to how it feels to d_e_s_i_r_e to be a hero and not initially possess the quirk to be one. Teach Midoriya how to control his power as it will, in time, be even stronger than yours and look for another suitable successor.”

FLASHBACK END

Toshinori looked on with determination in his eyes. Nezu was right; he must use the time he had left to find a successor and hopefully train young Midoriya. The power the boy exhibited would be devastating if it was left to rage uncontrolled.

Their car pulled up to a large building labeled 'Gym Gamma'. As Midoriya walked in, he found Nezu, Eraserhead, Midnight, Cementos, and Recovery Girl waiting for him. The old woman was holding a suitcase, staring at him expectantly.

”You have nothing to fear!” the principal explained. ”All we want is for you to perform some additional physical tests and allow us to take samples of your DNA.”

Izuku was easily able to figure out what this was all about, irritation flaring up in his c_h_e_s_t. ”You don't believe I'm quirkless… You think I lied on my official medical reports.” He stated, anger making its way onto his face.

”With the extreme power you exhibited during the entrance exam, can you blame us?” Eraserhead responded.

Izuku relented then, turning back to Nezu to see what all they wanted from him. The mouse smiled reassuringly and continued. ”Alright, we're going to need a sample of your saliva, blood, hair follicles, and skin. Once Recovery Girl is through retrieving those then you can start performing the extra practical tests we've set up. Is that alright with you?”

Izuku just nodded his head quietly, allowing the old pro to poke and prod at him until she had everything she wanted. She rushed to the lab right after, giggling like an excited little girl and leaving them to finish their own tests.

Cementos started the process by creating some obstacles for him to cross in the shortest time possible. After that, he conjured concrete slabs and pillars, only for Izuku to pulverize them all with a single punch. The pro stepped up the difficulty some, instead creating golems. Once again, Midoriya dispatched them with another simple punch. By this point, Cementos was getting slightly annoyed. He pushed his own power to its limit and created a giant concrete monster.

The corners of Izuku's mouth bent upwards at the display. He muttered under his breath, the phrase only audible to Nezu. ”Surekill Move: Light Punch”. His arm swung simultaneously with only a bit more effort than the previous times, pulverizing the stone. The rest of the spectators were stunned in disbelief.”

”He doesn't appear to have a transformation or emitter type quirk…” Aizawa spoke, the words making everyone even more shocked. ”I tried to erase his quirk every time he attacked but it did nothing; how long until the old lady gets results?”

”It should only be another ten minutes or so,” Nezu responded. ”Alright, now I have a few questions for you, Midoriya.”

The teen turned to the small mouse and nodded, readying himself for the questions he'd already assumed they'd ask him.

”Did the last attack show us the limits of your strength?”

”No,” Midoriya responded.

”Interesting; Could you tell us what your actual limits are?” Nezu pushed.

”I'm sorry, I can't. I haven't determined my full potential yet.” Izuku explained; That's one of the main reasons he wanted to go to U.A., so that he could be in an environment where he could flex his power without running the risk of hurting others or damaging property he wasn't allowed to.

”I see…” The principal considered, ”Then how is it you came to have this power if you maintain that it is not based in a quirk?”

”I'd prefer not to say,” Midoriya responded coldly, a smug determination in his eyes.

”I see…” Nezu repeated, the group falling into an uncomfortable silence until Recovery Girl came back with her results.

The old woman cleared her throat, still astounded herself by the conclusion. ”As hard as it is to believe, Izuku Midoriya does not appear to have a quirk. However, there is more peculiarity than just his speed and strength. His white cells seem stronger. His red cells can carry more oxygen. On a hunch, I attempted to infect some of his blood samples with viruses and his white blood cells disintegrated them within minutes, even the ones we tried to cure for decades.”

The faculty turned towards Midoriya, finding that he still had a near emotionless mask planted firmly on his face. The only hint of anything else was the barest hints of smugness in the depths of his green eyes.

”So,” he spoke, ”if I've finished these ridiculous extra tests, can you tell me what I scored on the entrance exam?”

Nezu had to get his bearings before he answered, still just as blown away as everyone else by the news. ”Of… Of course… You scored second highest in the written portion with a ninety-seven percent and first in the practical with our highest point count in history, 247 villain points. However, since we were secretly awarding rescue points as well, you ultimately scored a grand total of 293.”

Izuku looked satisfied with the information, deciding it was best to take his leave then since it didn't appear they had anything more for him to do. He'd taken his first step in proving everyone wrong and had no doubt about his acceptance to U.A. He could go home, relax, and enjoy the last few days of his summer vacation before starting at his dream school.

How was that? We must not forget, Izuku is godly strong now, but he's also human. He won7t be the perfect picture of a hero, like canon. Canon Izuku is completely selfless and ready to give it all if he can save someone. I like him like that, and it works for canon. But it won't be like that here. Here, things will be different. How different? You'll just have to wait and find out.