Chapter 1: Chapter 1: Introducing The Challenger

"If you always put limits on what you can do, physical or anything else, it'll spread over into the rest of your life. It'll spread into your work, into your morality, into your entire being. There are no limits. There are plateaus, but you must not stay there, you must go beyond them. If it kills you, it kills you. A man constantly exceeds his level." - Bruce Lee.

---

The modern age of heroes, a glowing beacon of modern myths of gods and monsters walking amongst us. But what was once a simple hero's journey of good versus evil has become something darker and all too human. With the fall of the heralds of this age, chaos and greed fuel both sides hoping to make the most of these now mundane abilities.

...

However, amongst the glory hounds and the criminal rats, there's a loaded powder keg ripe for exploding. And amidst the cracks there are those that make do amidst the shiny icons, slums, and glittering lights. Sometimes justice and vengeance are two sides of the same coin, but in this world of sweet dreams turned bitter reality, they're one and the same.

---

A five-year-old boy was standing outside the building of the elementary school when the classes ended for today. However, unlike the other children who looked happy to talk about what they'd do if they became heroes, the boy just had the worst day. He had bruises covering his body, from head to toe.

It all started in recess when he wanted to play heroes with the other kids, but when he told them he had no Quirk, they laughed at him before they started beating him up, all while the rest of the children just watched. Eventually, a teacher came to put a stop to the fight, but they did nothing but tell the bullies to stop what they were doing, without even taking them to the principal.

They didn't even take him to the nursery.

The boy sniffed as he walked away from school, trying to hold back the tears, but the pain and humiliation he had to endure was becoming unbearable. He couldn't wait to go back home and tell his dad that he didn't want to go to that school ever again.

"Damian?"

The boy blinked before looking up to see a tall, burly man with brown, crew cut hair and a goatee. His face bore a few scars in his left eyebrow and on his bottom lip. He wore a white tank top and dark sweatpants. What stood out amongst the other adults was his athletic build, which could only mean he's a professional fighter.

Some people around even recognized him as Anderson Beckett, aka the Dauntless Ratel. He's well known in the city for being an MMA fighter, but he didn't have a reputation just because of that.

"Dad?" Damian whimpered as he tried to hold back more tears. A part of him was very happy to see his dad again.

"Oh my God, what happened to you?" Anderson said in shock as he hastily got close to his child and kneeled down to get a closer look at his wounds. But to his surprise, Damian lunged at him, wrapping his little arms as far around his massive torso, as he could.

"Dad!" Damian cried out and sobbed into his chest. He wanted to stay strong for his dad, but in the end, it was too much.

Anderson furrowed his eyebrows before he hugged his son tightly, and stood up with him in his arms. "It's okay, son… I am here." He said softly while rubbing the kid's back for comfort.

"They… They picked on me." Damian spoke between his hiccups. "They ganged up on me… for not being like them."

"And the teachers didn't do anything about it?" Anderson deduced, growling disdainfully. He thought about going to that school, kicking down the door of the principal's office and giving him a piece of his mind. But he knew that wouldn't help with his son's situation. Letting out a sigh, he looked into his son's eyes and gave him a small smile. "Don't cry anymore, son. Come on, I'll take you home and treat your bruises, okay?"

Wiping the tears off his eyes, Damian nodded meekly.

Anderson smiled back and took his son to the car he parked not too far away. Placing his son inside in the passenger seat, Anderson got into the car drove off on the way to the house. During the ride, neither Damian or his dad had said a word to each other, making the atmosphere even more uncomfortable. As it was obvious to anyone who looked that the father was still angry with what had happened, given how he gripped the wheel.

To think that the teachers were incapable of stopping their students from bullying the others, especially those who were quirkless, even his own son, was unacceptable.

Just like Damian, he was also quirkless. Everything had changed ever since the first person in the world had manifested a quirk. Since then, roughly 80% of the people all over the globe have a quirk, while Damian and his parents were from the 20% who didn't.

Once they reached their apartment building, Anderson left the vehicle in the parking lot and carried his son to their residence. He wasted no time looking for the first aid kid in the bathroom and went to the dining room where his son was sitting. Sitting on a chair in front of the kid, he grabbed the tweezers and used it to pick up some cotton.

"Alright, champ. I want you to be strong for me, this might sting a little." The professional fighter said as he dipped the cotton with alcohol. After that, he began treating one bruise.

Damian hissed in pain as he tried not to cry again. The father grew concerned when the boy wasn't looking in his eyes.

"Hey, if you're worried about going back to that school, you don't have to anymore. I've been thinking that maybe it would be best if you study at home. Maybe I can find someone who can be your homeschool teacher."

"What did I do to them?"

Anderson blinked when his son finally spoke, but the question caught him off guard as he could hear him sniffle.

"I just told them I also wanna be a hero. And they laughed at me because they think I'm stupid…" Damian whimpered as he was shedding more tears. He looked up to face his father. "Is it true, dad? I won't ever become a hero because I don't have powers?"

The father looked at his son solemnly as he placed the tweezers on the table, before shifting on his seat so he could be close to his son. "Damian, there are far more important things than having powers. A real hero is someone who has the will to put his life on the line for the greater good, no matter if someone has powers or not."

"But why does everyone think I can't be a hero if I don't have a quirk?" Damian said as he wiped the tears with the back of his hand.

Anderson paused with a conflicted look, trying to find a better answer without crushing his son's dreams. "I guess because people today rely more on the people who are gifted, because they think having a power means it would make everything easier to do the impossible, like fighting against super villains."

"So… you say I can't be a hero because I can't fight bad guys without my powers?" The boy hung his head low and his tone became more depressed.

"Son, listen to me." The fighter lifted up his chin, helping him wipe the tears off his eyes. "You have all that it takes to be a great hero."

"You… You mean it?" Damian asked, his tone became more hopeful.

"You always stand up to your feet, no matter how much they try to beat you to the ground. You have good intentions for why you want to become the man who wants to do what is right. In fact, I can also see there's something inside you." Anderson said as he pointed his finger to the boy's chest. "Something that's waiting for you to unlock it, but not now until you're ready."

"Ready for what?" Damian asked in confusion.

"To start your path. One day, you'll understand that being a hero isn't such an easy task, and you have to be more than prepared to face whatever obstacle you come across. Some of them will put you in a bad situation. But it's not the strength you need, it's your will that'll help you overcome the impossible."

"Do you still believe I can be a hero?"

"Anyone can be a hero. Even when a man can only do something simple, he can make a huge difference." Anderson smiled softly. "And I believe you'll be able to make it in this world. Those who say you can't be a hero don't understand the true meaning of heroism. Here's the truth, Damian. You don't actually need to wear a cape to show everyone that your empathy is great."

Damian looked at his dad with a smile that was finally growing on his face. He sniffed as he wiped his nose with his arm. "Thanks dad… I feel a little better now." He responded with a peaceful tone.

"I'm glad to hear it. Just don't forget what I told you, and maybe you'll get farther than you expect." Anderson said with a smile while ruffling Damian's hair. "Hey, how about this? After I'm done patching you up, how about we go to the park and get some ice cream?"

"Really?" Damian asked in excitement before hugging his arms around his dad, almost throwing him off the chair. "Thank you! You're the best dad in the world!" The single father said nothing as he returned the hug.

From this day onward, Damian will always remember his father's words in order to keep his head up in this crude life they're living right now. Anderson was right about one thing: Damian wished to prove that even someone without a quirk can be special.

Unfortunately, life always finds its way to bring people to their knees, and for people like Damian, it would require more than strength to keep moving forward.

---

Ten Years Later…

Like every morning in Musutafu, Japan, the teenagers leave home earlier to go to school. Most of the students would slow down to catch up with their friends and have a conversation on the way, basically all about the news of heroes fighting against rampaging villains or just to talk about their favorite heroes.

Among them was Damian Beckett, now at the age of fifteen. His dark brown hair had grown to a messy, seaweed-cut with a curly bang between his eyes. He wore a gakuran uniform, only leaving his jacket unbuttoned to reveal his plain white shirt. As shocking as it may sound, the only thing that stood out from the rest of the surrounding students was his physical structure. His body was lean, yet muscular for someone at this age. Because of that, his uniform slightly tightened around his rolled-up sleeves and his upper body showed a little bit of bulge on his broad chest.

"Guys! Guys, you guys aren't gonna believe it!" Damian blinked before looking to the side to spot a student running towards a small group.

"Whoa, what's gotten into you, dude?" Another teenager asked.

"Kamui Woods and Death Arms are fighting against a villain! It's just a block from here!"

"No way! We should go check it out! The school can wait!" A female student said excitedly. Everyone voiced their agreement before they went in the opposite direction.

Damian sighed as he shook his head as he just kept walking. It always happens every day, when there's a hero vs villain going on the streets, people would rather forget all about their jobs or duties just to be in the presence of their idols. What they never learn is that they risk themselves getting hurt if something goes south, but even if they did, they won't stop meddling.

Once again, this was a reminder that nothing had ever changed even after ten years. These so-called heroes still always cared about fame and glory, and sometimes they even steal someone's spotlight just to make a name for themselves. Sure, they have the duty to protect the city and its people, but sadly that's just the second thing they care about.

Sometimes, he still wondered if he really wanted to become a hero. If he didn't, then what would be his purpose in this life?

"I said we're not done talking yet!"

A voice made him snap out of his thoughts. He looked up and stopped his tracks when he spotted a highschool girl standing with three guys who cornered her into a wall. The girl was around the same age as Damian, with freckles on her cheeks and a messy long, fluffy dark-green hair with a couple of bangs hanging both sides of her face. The one who spoke was one of these guys with ashen blond spiky hair, who also got her cornered against the wall. Damian hadn't seen them before, which could only mean they come from a different school.

"P-Please, Kacchan. W-We can talk about this later." The girl whimpered with her head hung low. She tried to slip away, only to be stopped by the bully before he slammed her back into the wall.

"Oh, so you're saying I'm not worth your time? You have the guts to say it to my face, Deku!" The blond-haired boy sneered as he gripped his hand around the collar of her shirt, forcing her to look straight at him.

"Please… just leave me be..." The girl said on the verge of tears.

Hearing the cries of plea from the defenseless girl made Damian's blood boil in anger. A deep frown grew on his face as his fists clenched tightly. He's not the type of guy who's looking for trouble on purpose. Sometimes he preferred to stay out of an encounter that didn't concern him. But this exactly reminded him what he had to endure when he was a child.

No one, even this girl, should deserve this kind of treatment.

"Hey!" Damian called out, gaining the attention from the bullies and the green-haired girl. "Why don't you do everyone a favor and leave the girl alone?"

The blond-haired bully cast a glare towards Damian, and at that moment the young Beckett started to notice there was something familiar about this guy.

"And who the hell are you supposed to be?" He said with a scowl, before releasing the girl and took a step forward towards Damian.

"Me? No one in particular. Just someone who's wondering why some punks would sink so low as to bully a girl." Damian responded with his arms crossed.

"That's none of your business! So, why don't you just piss off before I blow you into pieces!" The blond-haired bully growled as he flashed his hand with explosions.

"Well, that's a damn shame. Because I'm not leaving until you let the girl go." Damian replied with a serious tone.

"Oh yeah, and what kind of quirk of yours can stand up against mine?" The boy asked with a grin, but Damian remained silent as he kept glaring at him.

"What? Afraid to even tell us what's your quirk?" A teenager with medium-length hair taunted.

"Guys… I think this guy doesn't even have a quirk." An obese boy said.

"What?" The ashen-blond haired teen blinked before turning back to Damian, as he still didn't say a word, but it was enough for him to realize it's the truth. His eyes went wide open, before a small chuckle escaped his lips, and then burst out laughing. "Seriously? You're quirkless?! Now it all makes sense! No wonder you had the sense of urgency to stand beside a worthless scumbag like her!"

The girl was stunned, not only to find out that someone was just like her but also because he decided to step in.

"Man, today must be my lucky day. Now I have a brand-new dummy to practice with." The bully said with a wicked grin as he cracked his knuckles.

"Kacchan, no! Leave him be! It's me who you want!" The green-haired girl begged, only to be slapped by Bakugo.

"Shut up, Deku!"

Damian's eyes widened as he watched the girl falling to the ground. Not only that, as he looked around, the other students who were watching the scene were just standing there. He even noticed some of them chuckling as if this was some comedy show. Now that just pissed him off as he clenched his teeth to hold back his anger. But at that moment, he was starting to feel like this happened before, a long time ago. There were many things from the past he would rather not remember, but this one felt different.

"Guys, change of plans. You both deal with that loser over there, I'll take care of her." The leader said before turning back to the girl, as she cowered in fear.

"You got it, Bakugo!" The fat boy said before he and the other boy approached Damian. The fat boy then grew a pair of bat wings out of his back while the other boy's fingers grew longer.

"Wonderful, you're gonna let an overweight fatty and long fingers who can't please his girlfriend do a dirty job for you? What a surprise." Damian scoffed.

"Oh, you think you're funny? You won't be after we kick your ass!" The boy with long fingers snapped.

"Please, you guys are just background characters that no one is ever going to remember. As much as I would love to give you douchebags a beating, you both are not even worth it." Damian continued before cracking his neck.

The bullies were taken aback by the insults this quirkless bastard just spat, but that only made them angrier. They lunged at him with their quirks ready. "That's it! You're dead!"

Damian only stood still as he let the bullies get close to him, as the highschool girl could only watch helplessly while trying to back away from the blond-haired boy. The muscled teenager puffed out his breath, swaying his backpack back and forth before throwing it into the sky.

The bullies followed up the backpack with their eyes, as he expected.

'BAM' 'BAM'

They flew past Damian without laying a finger on him, until they fell to the ground, knocked out.

Silence fell as Damian caught the backpack with his hand.

"What the hell are you guys doing?" The bully leader shouted at the unconscious goons. He didn't realize what just happened because he blinked.

"They're… They just got knocked out! It happened all of a sudden!" The girl exclaimed, shocked at the unexpected twist she just witnessed. At first she thought it was just her imagination, but what she just saw felt real. The moment the bullies looked at the backpack flying, Damian knocked them out cold in an instant. But what really caught her by surprise was that his arms became a blur.

"H-How did he even do that?" Another student shouted in disbelief, before others also asked the same question.

"What the fuck are you talking about?!" The blond boy snarled at her, making the girl yelp. He turned back around and when he looked back at his goons, he noticed their eyes turned white. "I don't know how the hell you did it, but you're gonna regret it." He growled, his eyes narrowed sharply at Damian as small explosions popped to life in his hands.

Damian couldn't be sure, but he swore he'd seen something like that before. The bully must have a quirk which grants him explosive powers, which could become very problematic for him. He's unaware how dangerous the bully's quirk was, but it seems like he's capable of tearing down buildings if he wants to. He wouldn't hesitate to give this punk a lesson as he's not in the hurry, but they will surely make a huge mess in this alleyway and risk hurting the girl.

There was only one way to finish the fight without these outcomes happening.

"Before we start, what's that thing on your face?" Damian asked while pointing with his index finger.

"Huh, what the hell do you-"

"That foot on your face!" Before the bully could finish, his face suddenly got hit by Damian's foot.

"Hahahaha! I can't believe you fell for it, jackass!" Damian laughed after delivering a high kick.

He landed on the ground before turning around and confirmed that the last bully was out of commission.

"What… What just happened?!" The girl exclaimed in disbelief, barely processing her mind as she looked at the knocked out bully. But before she would try to find some sense, Damian carried her up in his arms. "Eek! Wha-What are you-"

"No time, let's bail before they regain consciousness!" Damian said before running away from the scene, passing by the other shocked students in his path.

---

After running a block, Damian stopped to recover his breath, resting his back against a wall. He looked to the opposite side, expecting they were being followed, but instead the coast was clear.

"Alright, we really lost them." He said with a sigh. A part of him couldn't believe that he just did all of that back in the alley. Damian didn't regret doing something that he thought was right, but there's still a chance he might get in trouble for picking a fight. It was a good thing the heroes weren't around here

"Um… can you put me down, please?"

Damian blinked before turning to the highschool girl in his arms, who was now blushing heavily as she felt his hard-rock muscled arms.

"Oh, sorry!" Damian settled her down quickly and gave her some space. There was an awkward silence. He looked away while rubbing the back of his neck. "S-Sorry for what I just did, but I couldn't just leave you behind with those jerks."

"D-Don't worry about it!" The green-haired girl waved her hand with a forced giggle. There was another moment of silence as she averted his gaze. She couldn't stop blushing. "Hey…T-Thank you for what you did back there. No one… no one has ever stood up for me ever before…" She gave her savior a genuine smile.

"Don't mention it. We really don't know each other, but I just couldn't stand by and let them hurt you just because you're quirkless," Damian replied, trying to hold back the built up anger he was feeling when the unpleasant memories ran through his mind. He knew how it felt to be abused by someone just because of their differences.

"But wait, is that true you're quirkless? Because I cannot believe that! How did you even knock out Kacchan and his friends that fast?" The highschool girl said.

"Oh, that? Well… I've been training in martial arts." Damian shrugged.

The green-haired girl's expression suddenly turned blank as she stared at Damian.

"You… You're kidding, right?" She asked, almost stammering in utter disbelief. Right now, her mind screamed that none of that made absolute sense and that he's just messing with her.

"Really? You think I'm in the mood for jokes after I just told you I'm just like you?" Damian responded with a frown, crossing his arms over his bulged chest.

Izumi blinked before gasping, covering her mouth with her hands as she instantly regretted what she just said. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to be ungrateful! Please, forgive me!" She exclaimed, bowing deeply to him.

"Alright, alright! Just calm down!" Damian said, waving his hands to stop her from doing something embarrassing for both. Letting out a sigh, he continued. "Look, I know you have a lot of questions right now. I wish I could tell you everything, but I have to go to school before I get late."

"Which school are you from?" The girl inquired.

"Bespin High. That's just a block from here." Damian replied as he pointed his finger to the west.

"Oh! What are the odds, Aldera school is on that way too! Maybe we could walk together until we reach yours!" The young girl suggested with a cheerful smile.

"Oh, glad to hear it! I was worried I got you lost by accident." Damian chuckled while rubbing his head sheepishly.

"Anyway, we better go fast! We don't wanna get in trouble with the teachers for being late!" She said after checking her watch.

"Ugh, don't get me started with them. They're such a pain in the ass." Damian commented before he and the girl walked together down the street.

"Say, what's your favorite hero?" The sweet girl asked with a smile.

Damian only sighed at that question, clearly something that he's not interested to talk about. During the walk, he tried to exchange a few subjects that don't have to be all about heroes and villains. Unfortunately, the girl couldn't stop talking about that. She was even more excited to talk about the notebook she was keeping in her backpack, which had all the details about the heroes and their powers, all documented by her.

Such a misfortune for Damian, to think that the person who just saved from bullying turned out to be a huge nerd who keeps yapping about how she dreams to be a hero. Was she really quirkless as that bully mentioned? Be that as it may, he just didn't want to be late at school.

The walk only lasted about ten minutes before they arrived at Bespin High School as the last students entered the main entrance.

"Well, I guess this is it," Damian said, mentally relieved that it's all over. He turned around to face the girl. "That was a nice chat, but now this is where we part ways." Then he was about to walk away.

"Wait! I never got your name!" The girl said, reaching out with her arm to stop him.

"Oh, right, it's Damian!" He finally introduced himself with a smile. But then he dropped when he heard the bell ringing out of the building. "Dammit. Sorry, I have no time, it was nice meeting you, sis!"

The girl didn't say anything as she watched him leave. But something just hit her the moment the boy gave her his name. She repeated that name over and over in her mind, trying to understand if there was something familiar. But now it's not just about the name, it was his voice, his eyes, his hair.

As she watched Damian getting further away, she suddenly saw a glimpse of him as a little boy.

The image struck her before the memories flooded in her head.

"... It can't be…"

She recalled what happened ten years ago, when it was the worst period of her life, until someone came up to her.

---

A little girl wearing a sundress was crying in the ground of the park, completely covered in dirt and bruises after Kacchan and his friends beat her up without mercy. She just wanted to stop him from attacking another boy, she even tried to stand up to him. Maybe she deserved that for trying to defy him without her quirk.

"Are you okay?"

She stopped crying before looking up and saw a boy around the same age as her with short hair. He was wearing a concerned look.

"Please, don't hurt me!" The girl cried more, curling away from him.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm not gonna hurt you," The boy replied softly before he handed me a cone of ice cream. "Hey, wanna eat some ice cream with me? My dad bought two for me, but I can't eat them both myself."

The girl turned back at him with a look of surprise. No one had ever given her a sweet treat before. She didn't know whether or not she could trust him, but how can she refuse that kind of offer? Wiping her tears away while sniffling, she reached out with her hand slowly to a vanilla ice cream and took it from the boy's hand.

"Good choice! Vanilla is delicious!" The boy said with a smile before she sat next to her.

"Thank you…" The girl grew a small smile. Even though she was still confused, the generosity made her feel a little better.

"So… What's your name?" The boy asked as he started eating his ice cream.

"Um… Izumi." The girl said without looking at him.

"Oh, that's a pretty name! I'm Damian by the way!" He replied with a cheerful smile.

His compliment made Izumi flinch as her eyes widened. Her face flushed instantly before she turned away in embarrassment. Izumi didn't know how to answer that. In fact, no one beside her mother had ever said that to her before.

"So, do you have any powers?" Damian asked with curiosity.

Izumi suddenly felt her breath catching in her throat. Of course, this was a trap all along, he was just giving her a false sense of security before she would be reminded how her life was meaningless without her quirk. Just like Bakugo always told her over and over again. She wanted to stand up and run away, but she could hardly stand up because of her bruises. Without more options left, she might as well just be prepared to deal with the consequences.

"No… I don't have one." She responded, with her hair shadowing over her puffy red eyes.

"Wait, you don't? That's awesome! I don't have one either!"

"Huh?" After hearing the response, Izumi blinked in surprise before turning back to Damian, who just widened his smile. "You… you too?"

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Damian nodded happily with his head. "I never thought I would ever see someone who's just like me! Hey, how about you and I become friends?"

For a moment, Izumi gave him a puzzled look before her eyes widened. "F-Friends?" She asked as her face grew in red.

"Yeah! Let's be friends and we will work together to become heroes someday!" Damian exclaimed with his fist pumped.

Izumi couldn't believe what's happening. She tried to think he was just lying just to make her feel better again, but his words sounded sincere, especially when he asked her to be her friend. For the first time in her life, she felt the joy filling in her heart as tears welled up in her eyes.

"H-Hey, you're okay? Did I say something wrong?" Damian asked, taken aback when he heard her hiccuping.

Before he could approach her, Izumi lunged at him for a hug.

"Yes! Yes! I wanna be your friend!" Izumi cried out, but this time it wasn't a sorrowful cry. Rather, it was happiness.

---

Back in the present, Izumi was walking across the hallway of Aldera Junior Highschool. It was lunchtime, and she decided to look for a place where she could have a moment to cope with the shocking realization moments ago. To have that memory forgotten ten years ago was something she wasn't proud of, she even started to remember the good time she spent with Damian when they were kids.

Two years after that fateful meeting, Damian stopped seeing her and since then she heard nothing about him for a long time. All these years, she thought Damian went back to his country, so she didn't expect she would see him again, until now.

However, a worry expression grew in her features, dwelling on the thought that Damian didn't even recognize her. Could that mean he forgot about her? He should at least have that forgotten memory just like she had.

"What? Did you just say someone knocked him out?!"

Izumi snapped out of her thoughts as she heard some of her classmates talking to others from another class.

"Yeah! I know it's hard to believe, but we saw that guy taking him out in a split second!"

"That can't be right, Bakugo is someone you don't wanna mess with."

"And did anyone know who's that guy who did it?"

"Beats me, but I'm pretty sure we've never seen him before. He must be from another school."

"Even so, it's about time someone taught that jerk a lesson. That guy never stops gloating about his quirk and calling us extras."

Izumi tried to hold back a giggle as she moved along before she would attract unnecessary attention. There's nothing funny about it, but for Izumi, it's the fact that the rumors were now spreading to this school and Bakugo's reputation had taken its toll. She hoped Bakugo wouldn't try to find her and blame her for this, no doubt he was very pissed about it.

Stopping in her tracks, she grew in deep thought about her lost friend. While their reunion only lasted briefly, she felt she cannot just end it for today.

She needed to see him again.

---

Classes were now over, and everyone in Bespin High was now heading home. Damian stood out of the main entrance as he let out a yawn. Today wasn't an average day though, as he saw that coming, rumors about back in the alley had reached his school. Fortunately, no one knew who was involved since the ones who witnessed were from another school.

He had to admit he went a little reckless to make a scene, but that didn't mean he regretted doing the right thing. For now, he just wanted to get ready and head to the dojo.

"Damian!"

Damian blinked before turning to his left. To his surprise, he saw the same green-haired girl running towards him, wearing a radiant smile on her face.

"Oh, it's you! What are you- Whoa!" Damian's eyes widened when the girl lunged at him and hugged him. "H-Hey, what has gotten into you?! I know you're grateful, but this is too much!" He said as he tried to push her away.

"Damian, I know you don't remember me, but I do! It's me! Izumi!" She exclaimed, no longer repressing the strong emotions she tried to repress it the moment she saw Damian.

"What?" Damian said with a confused look before Izumi broke the hug.

"Do you remember when we met at the park ten years ago? You gave me an ice cream to cheer me up! And that day we became friends!" Izumi replied between her pants, feeling out of breath after running all the way from her school to reach Damian's and begging him to remember. "Please, just take a moment and recall that day!"

Damian was about to call her out for prattling or just ignore her and leave, but the moment his eyes landed on Izumi's face, he stopped from deciding. After hearing her rambling, he began to feel some familiarity in her. But he's still having the difficulty to understand everything she's saying, maybe she's just confused with someone else.

Realizing this wasn't helping, Izumi thought maybe it would be better to just give up, as he probably decided to forget about her. But not before making a last bet.

"I chose the vanilla ice cream. You told me I made a good choice." Izumi smiled.

He blinked as he started to become annoyed with all these riddles. But before he could make a reply, he found something peculiar in that girl's smile.

An image of her suddenly flashed into a small little girl, wearing the yellow sundress and a radiant smile on her face.

"Yes! Yes! I wanna be your friend!" Her words echoed in his mind. And then, the memories of his past he repressed for ten years were now coming back in a flash.

His neutral expression soon gave away, shock etched every part of his face once he just put the puzzles together. "I…Izumi?" He muttered, almost losing his ability to speak.

Izumi's smile widened as tears formed out the corner of her eyes. She approached him before embracing him in a strong grip, taking the moment to feel the strong muscles in his body.

"Oh my God… it's… you…?" Damian said, still feeling numb after this shocking conclusion.

"It's been a long time…" Izumi responded softly, with her head resting against the crook of his neck as she shed tears of happiness.

Out of instinct, Damian dropped his backpack and slowly returned the hug to her. As much as he wanted to hold her tight, he just didn't want to risk hurting her. Dried tears began to cling in the corners of his eyes, feeling deeply regretted that he spent years trying to move on, without realizing he also let go of the happiest memories he had with his first ever friend. She was none other than Izumi Midoriya.

He wanted to be angry with himself, but right now he just wanted to be happy to see her again, no matter how much the memories were still painful to him.

---

Damian and Izumi were now sitting on a bench while drinking a soda. After that emotional reunion, they thought this could be a good chance to sit down and have a nice chat after a long time. This proved to be very difficult, however. An awkward silence filled the environment as they both struggled to find the right words.

""So…"" Damian and Izumu spoke at the same time, making them pause. ""I just…"" They spoke again, making this chat even more awkward. ""You go-"" They both stopped before sharing an awkward laugh.

"We're so bad at this." Damian said with a sigh as he took a sip of his soda.

"Well, we didn't see each other for a long time, so what's there to talk about?" Izumi replied with a forced laugh.

"I'm sorry, Izumi. A lot of things happened… things that didn't go well for me. Because of that, I've been repressing them in my head that I didn't realize I was also forgetting about you." Damian bent over, hanging his head low to hide away the shame on his face.

Growing a solemn look on her features, Izumi placed her hand on his shoulder gently, making him raise his gaze to her. "I understand. I can't imagine how much you've been through all these years. In fact, you're not the only one who had the worse…" She turned away with a saddened look.

Damian looked at the sweet girl with a frown of pity, knowing clearly what she meant. To this day, it felt like the world had turned against them just because they didn't fit in the same group of people who have Quirks. Maybe if he didn't just vanish, he could've helped Izumi in some way, or maybe that's just the guilt talking.

Biting the bottom lip, Izumi could feel this conversation was growing uncomfortable, it would be better to stop focusing on the past. "You know, everyone in my school was talking a lot about you."

"Huh?" Damian blinked in confusion.

"Yeah, they're stunned to hear you defeated Kacchan and his friends. You're becoming famous." Izumi giggled at the expression of her friend.

"Aw man, are you serious? I'm gonna be in so much trouble…" Damian grumbled while gripping his hair in frustration.

Izumi could only smile softly, noticing that Damian hadn't changed a lot at least. She knew that deep inside him wasn't sorry for saving her. Although, she was a little worried that Bakugo might hold a grudge against him.

"So what have you been up to while I was gone? You're still looking forward to becoming a hero in the future?" Damina asked, which earned a surprised look from Izumi.

"Um… Well, I am. I was… thinking about enrolling in the U.A College after I graduate from high school." She replied, twirling her hair with her finger.

"The U.A College? What's that?" The young boy said with an eyebrow raised.

Izumi suddenly spit out the soda she was just drinking. "What?! You never heard of the U.A?!" She exclaimed in shock.

"Uh, no. Because I had a lot of things to deal with." Damian retorted with a frown.

"Oh… Yeah, I'm sorry." Izumi said as she looked away, ashamed to even meet his glare. She shook her head as she explained. "Well, the U.A is a prestigious college of the city. In fact, it's well known as the top ranked Hero Academy of this country! I heard the greatest heroes such as Endeavor and Best Jeanist have trained and graduated there, let alone they offer the best education heroes in training could afford! They say that their acceptance rate is really low, but that's the reason why that place makes it so special! I wouldn't be surprised if most of the renowned heroes in Japan have all attended that academy!"Her insecurity had just vanished as she became more excited the more she talked about that place, which took Damian by surprise.

"Uh, hello? Earth to Izumi?" He snapped her fingers at her, quickly bringing her back to the real world. "Geez, no offense, but has anyone ever told you how much of a fanboy you are?"

Izumi's face flushed in deep red before she turned around. "I-I'm sorry! I just couldn't help it! God, I'm such a goof!"

"Hey, it's okay! Just please, don't make a lot of noise here." Damian sighed before he stood up, crushed the empty can and threw it to a nearby trash can. "Listen, I'd love to stay here and chat with you more, but right now I need to be on my way to the dojo. I don't wanna be late."

"The dojo?" Izumi turned back to him with a curious look, but then she remembered what Damian told her back in the alley. "Oh yeah! You said you practice martial arts, right? Hey, is it okay if I come with you?"

"What? Are you sure?" Damian asked, very surprised.

"Mhm! I never heard anything about martial arts before, but when I saw you taking on Kacchan and his friends, I'm now interested to know everything about it! I mean, if that's not too much to ask." Izumi rubbed her arm sheepishly.

Damian crossed his arms and hummed in deep thought. "Hmm… Well, I don't have any reason I should say no. So… sure, why not?"

Gasping with her eyes brimming in excitement, Izumi clapped her hands in excitement. "Awesome! Shall we go then?"

"Yeah, the dojo it's just downtown." Damian said before leading the green-haired nerd. "You'll find some interesting people there."

"Really? Are they pro heroes?" Izumi asked with her eyes sprinkling in anticipation.

"I think you're about to find out sooner." Damian replied with a smirk, convinced that Izumi was gonna be so surprised when she'll meet those extraordinary people.

---

"Alright, this is the place." Damian said as he and Izumi were now standing in front of a building that looked like a large warehouse, with white concrete walls and the roof was covered with metallic plates. There was also a signboard hanging over the entrances saying "Ashura's Dojo".

"Uh, is this the dojo?" Izumi asked, feeling like the place wasn't anything like she had in mind.

"Well duh, what did you expect, that it was a small shaolin temple on top of a big mountain?" Damian replied with an unamused look.

"Uh… maybe?" Izumi looked sheepishly as she rubbed the back of her head, failing to hide her blush.

Damian sighed as he shook his head. "A little tip, don't always believe what the movie says. Now let's go."

"By the way, why is this place called the Demon's Dojo?" Izumi pointed to the signboard, finding the name a little scary.

"Let's just say the Niko family was very into Buddhism." Damian said with a shrug as he opened the door. "Go ahead, you go first."

When Izumi stepped into the building, she began looking around the place. The wooden floors were cleaned recently that she could see her own face. Half of the dojo's floor was covered by a long blue mat that was meant for sparring. On the other side there were three fighting rings, one was a caged MMA ring and the other two were open with only a white circle showing where the ring began and ended. The sun coming in from the sun outside gave the surroundings an avid glow.

"Whoa…" She was amazed as she spotted a few tall, strong-looking men practicing with punching bags, others were lifting weights and some were even sparring with each other.

"Hey, everyone! I'm back! Y'all my bitches now!" Damian shouted, catching everyone's attention.

"D-D-Damian! What are you doing?!" Izumi yelled in panic, before she froze when she felt dozens of eyes falling upon them. Turning her head to the side, she saw everyone in the dojo glared at Damian after calling them out.

She could feel the air getting heavier and she could see them looming over her. She thought about bailing before things would get worse. But suddenly, she was stunned when everyone bellowed with laughter. At first she was nervous about that, but then she realized they're not mocking him, instead they were taking the joke. In fact, Damian also joined the laugh as he walked in on.

"Hey, Damian! Welcome back!"

"Good to see you again, you little snot!"

"Hah! Cocky as always, aren't you?"

Izumi could hardly believe what's going on right now, how much do these people know about Damian? "Um… Are these your friends?" She asked shyly when she felt some of them stared at her, only briefly before they went back to their training.

"Yeah, but don't worry about them. They're cool. Just don't be surprised when we come into blows." Damian chuckled as he gave Izumi a little tour.

"He-he-hey, Danny! It's about time you showed up!"

They both stopped before turning to the side and saw a bulky man with messy blond hair and small blond eyebrows approaching them. He sported an unzipped gray sweatshirt, revealing his dark tight shirt, and a pair of dark shorts.

"Ichiro! You son of a bitch, good to see you again!" Damian exclaimed before they both exchanged a strong handshake that almost looked like an arm wrestling match. "Getting yourself ready for your next match, I see?"

"Hah! You betcha! It's a good thing you just arrived, 'cause I happen to need a sparring partner! Think you can let me land some punches at you?" Ichiro asked with a grin.

"Hah, the hell I can! Just let me get myself changed in the lockers and I'll be ready to kick your ass!" Damian replied with a taunting smirk. "By the way, is Kureishi here?"

"Nah, he just left moments ago with Cosmo for a jog. " Ichiro replied, but then he blinked as he noticed the green-haired schoolgirl standing behind Damian. "Hey, I didn't expect you would bring a guest here. Where are your manners, dude?"

"Oh, yeah! She's an old friend of mine. We actually didn't see each other until this morning. You could say that was a fateful reunion." Damian said, smiling at Izumi as he turned around.

The green-haired nerd began to blush heavily as she knew Damian was asking her to introduce herself. She can't remember the last time she had done something like this, especially when some new faces were keen to know her.

"H-Hi! My name is Izumi Midoriya! It's very nice to meet you!" Izumi exclaimed, bowing her head so low. Suddenly, there was a moment of silence, prompting her to raise her head and saw almost everyone, including Damian and Ichiro, were staring at her with puzzled expressions. Her anxiety got worse when she realized raised her voice, and sometimes she forgot that she's not very good at social encounters. "Aw geez! I-I'm so sorry! I- I didn't mean…"

Suddenly, Ichiro burst out laughing, much to Izumi's surprise. "Damn, Damian! Who would've known you could get yourself a cute girlfriend!"

…

"W-W-W-Whaaaaat?!" Izumi shouted with a reddened face that steam came out of her ears.

"Dude! Are you for real?! I just said we didn't see each other for a while! We didn't even hang out back then!" Damian yelled, though Ichiro's claim made him grow a blush in his cheeks.

"Haha! I know that already! But it's not that hard for you to ask her out, even after all this time! Who knows, maybe she's really into you…" Ichiro responded teasingly as he patted Damian's shoulder.

After hearing that remark, Izumi let out a yelp and whipped around before Damian would see more of her blush. She wanted to speak out and make herself clear that there's nothing special between her and Damian, but she was afraid her answer would upset Damian, even if he would agree.

"Hey! Would you just knock it off already? You're making her feel uncomfortable!" Damian said as he shrugged off Ichiro's arm, looking at his childhood friend with a hint of concern.

"Hey, hey, I'm just speaking facts here! I'm not gonna stop until you confess to her! Trust me, you don't wanna spend your future as a lonely virgin!" Ichiro kept pressing on with a sardonic smirk.

"Oh, so that's how it's gonna be, huh? Just wait. When I get out of the locker, I'm gonna make sure you won't open your mouth for a whole new week!" Damian growled before stomping his way towards the door.

"Ha! So that's a bet then! My fists are getting impatient to beat you up!" Ichiro laughed before Damian went into the locker room as he slammed the door shut. After that, he turned his gaze back at Izumi, as she froze in the spot. But suddenly, his hardened eyes completely vanished, changing it into a friendly face as he smiled at her. He reached his hand out to her. "It's nice to meet you, Izumi Midoriya! I'm Ichiro Nakata!"

Izumi was taken aback at his change of attitude, but even so, she accepted the handshake. She almost gasped as she saw Ichiro's hand was bigger than hers. She even could feel his insane strength that he would easily crush a watermelon.

"You and Damian know each other?" Izumi asked casually as she rubbed her hand, still feeling Ichiro's grip.

"Eh, not so much. It's been a while since I started training here. But I know that kid is full of surprises." Ichiro replied with a chuckle, back to his usual self. "So what's between you and Damian? He said you both just had a reunion or something."

"It's true. We haven't seen each other for ten years. The last time we did, was when we were in primary school, but one day he didn't show up at classes and I never got to know about him again ever since.." Izumi said before looking down solemnly.

"Damn, sounds like you've been apart for a long time." Ichiro nodded in understanding, before giving her an encouraging smile. "But hey, the past is in the past! Not only he decided to take you to our dojo, you will also get to see how much of a tough fighter he is!"

"Oh, that reminds me, what can you tell me about this place?" Izumi inquired as she watched a couple of fighters grappling each other.

"Well, the Ashura's Dojo is not quite popular as you probably guess, but once in a while some pro heroes would come here to workout, though mostly they just pay a visit." The blond-haired man replied with a shrug. "But that's what's so special about this place! Here, it doesn't matter if you have a Quirk or not. We always look out for each other as brothers in arms! That's our motto."

"That's so good to hear," Izumu replied with a genuine smile, only to remember a little detail. "By the way, who's Kureisha? Damian just mentioned that name. Is he the owner?" She asked with full curiosity.

"Yes he is, pretty cool guy if you ask me. If you stay around here for a while, you might meet him soon." Ichiro said with a smile.

The sound of the door opening caught their attention before turning to the side and saw Damian walking out, now wearing a red sleeveless shirt and dark basketball shorts with a kanji letter sporting on his left thigh. Izumi gasped once she finally got a clear view of Damian's body.

He was not far from what most people would've expected from a high schooler. He had a slightly toned body with a few scars on his body from the scrapes he'd gotten in over the years. His arms were thin with only a lean amount of muscles. His legs were only more muscular than his arms with the bulging calves standing in the open. The best way that anyone could describe his body was scrappy. Capable of getting into a fight but with only enough luck to win one.

"Wow…" Izumi couldn't help but gawk at his peaked-up fitness, even though the sight of the scars made her wonder if they got them in an accident or something.

"Hey, while I'm getting warm up, you still have time to take back what you said." Damian said as he hopped up and down on the spot. He was also holding two pairs of training gloves in his hand.

"Hah! In your dreams, twerp! You still owe me that time you broke my nose!" Ichiro retorted before he took off his sweatshirt, revealing his bulky torso barely contained by his sleeveless shirt.

"Heh, I think I'm gonna have to owe you a double." Damian smirked as he cracked his neck. He then threw the gloves to Ichiro, the latter caught them.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's get in that ring and we'll settle this! This could also be your only chance to impress your girl over here!" Ichiro teased once again as he cast a glance at Izumi, who just blushed in response.

"Are you… To hell with it, let's do this!" Damian punched on his palm before he and Ichiro went to the long blue mat.

"Are they always like that?" Izumi wondered with a comical sweat drop, finding a hard time to think if they're serious about hurting each other or not.

"Don't worry about it, they're just too excited they get to spar with each other." Another voice said.

Izumi almost jumped up before looking to her side, only to see the torso of another well-defined, muscular man standing next to her. Raising her head, she saw he had long black hair tied into a ponytail resting over his right shoulder. His eyes had pronounced tear troughs and thin facial hair on his chin. He wore a dark tight tank top that exposed his abs and a pair of gray baggy pants.

"Uh… Hi." Izumi waved at him nervously.

"Heh, sorry I almost scared you, I just wanna see how this is gonna play out. Damian still has a long way to go, but he's making a lot of progress lately." He replied as he watched Ichiro and Damian stretching their limbs, but mostly he was paying attention to the teenager. Then, he turned back at Izumi. "So you're Damian's childhood friend, huh? I just heard everything."

"Y-Yeah. Still, it's kinda crazy we bumped into each other all of a sudden after a long time, isn't it?" Izumi said with a sheepish laugh.

"Actually, I'm surprised you both took that pretty well. Sometimes when I meet an old face, things get really awkward at the end." The man chuckled. Then he smiled and offered a handshake to her. "I'm Niko Tokita, nice to meet you."

Izumi didn't hesitate as she accepted the gesture. "Izumi Midoriya. So how long Damian has been training?"

"Hmm… I think it was… like… five?... six years?..." Niko tried to count with his fingers, but he shook his head as he didn't want to waste time doing math. "Well, let's just say he's been training a lot. I'm sure you're aware of Damian's quirkless, aren't you?"

"Yes. Actually, I'm also quirkless." Izumi replied, looking away to not meet the surprised gaze from Niko.

"Well, ain't that a coincidence? It's okay, you're always welcome in our dojo. In fact, I'd be pleased to tell you everything about what I've been teaching him." Niko said with a smile.

"Wait, you're his master?" Izumi exclaimed astonishingly.

"Oh, he didn't tell you? Gee, I wonder if he ever has the courtesy to introduce me." Niko said with an unamused look. He shook his head. "Anyway, what you're about to see is the result of his training under my guidance. And you'll see that just because you don't have a quirk, doesn't mean you can't become something you want to be, even as a hero."

Izumi turned back to Niko in shock, only to see him wearing a big smile. Her mind was buzzing with many questions at this moment, but she restrained them as she knew the answers will be clear when she watches Damian sparring with his partner. Turning back forward, she saw Damian and Ichiro were now circling each other.

"How about we raise the bets, Danny? If I win, you're gonna have to confess to that girl in front of everyone!" Ichiro said with a widened grin.

"Yeah? Then if I win, not only you have to keep your mouth shut about it. But also you're gonna give me your spot for the fight next week." Damian replied, smirking back at him.

Ichiro was almost taken aback at his suggestion, but he quickly brushed it off as he let out an almost dark chuckle. "You have the balls, kid. I admit. But if you really want that spot, you're gonna have to knock me out!"

Suddenly, they both stopped moving, glaring intently at each other. And in a split second, they charged forward with their fists ready.

The fight had just begun.

To Be Continued….

---

N/A: I have to say, I'm happy I could finish this story sooner than expected!

I'm sure you probably get the feeling that you've seen that kind of beginning before. I'll be honest, I took some inspiration from Heroes of Tomorrow by Cowboy Alchemist. His OC, Wade Walker, inspired me a lot to create my OC and I can assure you'll like him.

And that's right everyone, I decided to feature a female Izuku in this story! Originally I thought she would remain as a male and be like a brother figure to Damian, but honestly I started to like writing more about his female counterpart and it will stay that way. I'm sure you guys love this idea.

Also I apologize if you were expecting to read the first fight scene in this chapter, but rest assure, it will happen in the next chapter!

I appreciate it if you support me, follow/favorite my fanfic and my other stories, support me on my SubscribeStar, Ko-fi an n, that would help me a lot to keep writing.

Stay safe everyone!

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