In the obstetrics ward of the hospital, a mother gently cradled her newborn child while a nurse stood nearby, carefully tending to them.
"Mrs. Midoriya, you'll be able to leave the hospital tomorrow," the nurse said softly, mindful not to disturb the fragile life in her arms.
"Thank you… truly," Inko Midoriya replied in a quiet voice. She gazed down at her child, her eyes filled with warmth and love.
"Has your husband not come to see Izuku yet?" the nurse asked while organizing her things.
"He's been very busy… it's better not to trouble him," Inko said, sounding slightly tired as she leaned back against the bed, still holding her baby close.
"Little Izuku will grow up to be a Hero, just like the Symbol of Peace."
"I just want him to grow up safely… becoming a Hero can be something for the future."
Little Izuku Midoriya smacked his lips in his sleep and remained peacefully unconscious.
He slept so quietly that even the two souls within him did not dare to disturb him. They lingered at the edge of his consciousness, speaking in hushed tones.
"How is it? Do you like this body?" a mature voice asked.
"It's very good… but if this child's soul were to disappear because of me, then I'd rather die instead," the younger soul replied, gazing at the tiny, sleeping soul that looked as pure as an angel.
"It's because of someone like you that my work went wrong," the older soul said sharply. "Now I have to compensate for it."
"Haha… well, what can I say? If you see someone in danger, you help them, right?" the younger soul said awkwardly.
"That child would never have died!"
"Alright, alright, calm down…"
"Hmph…" The older soul gradually steadied himself. "So, what do you want?"
"Can you merge my soul with his?" the younger one asked.
"Yes… but doing that will erase all your previous memories. I'll compress your soul to match his, then fuse the two together. Are you sure?"
"Of course."
"You have no attachments to your past life?"
"No one cared about me anyway. After my parents died, I had nothing left to hold onto… so please, begin."
"..."
The older soul began chanting an unfamiliar spell. Slowly, the younger soul shrank until it was the same size as Izuku's.
As the fusion neared completion, the young soul whispered one final sentence:
"Thank you… god of life."
Three years later, young Izuku stood in front of a crying child who had fallen to the ground.
"Don't bully him!" Izuku shouted, raising his small fist at the three boys in front of him.
"Oh? And what are you going to do about it?" sneered Katsuki Bakugo, sparks popping from his hands. One of his friends hovered in the air with wings, while the other flexed long, unnatural fingers. All of them had Quirks—powers Izuku didn't possess.
"Kacchan… that's too much!" Izuku's legs trembled.
"If you keep making people cry… I won't forgive you!" His voice shook, but he stood his ground.
"He's just Quirkless trash! Acting like he can be a Hero!"
That day, Izuku was beaten badly, his clothes torn and dirty.
"Mom… can I really not become a Hero?"
Izuku sat quietly on the sofa while Inko gently treated his wounds.
"Of course you can," she said, forcing a smile. "My little Izuku will definitely become a Hero like All Might."
She pulled out a box of candy with All Might's picture on it and handed it to him.
"Wow! All Might candy! Thank you, Mom!" Izuku beamed.
"Don't eat too much, and remember to brush your teeth."
"I will!"
Of course… children's promises don't always last. Otherwise, why would he end up at the dentist the very next day?
Izuku's happiest moments were when he watched All Might videos.
Every day, without fail.
He would clutch his All Might figure, smiling as he watched—even after being beaten by Katsuki Bakugo. No matter how much it hurt, he forced himself to smile.
Because All Might always said:
"Don't be afraid… because I am here!"
If his hero could smile even in the face of danger, then why couldn't he?
At four years old, Izuku finally understood the doctor's words.
He smiled… and cried at the same time.
"Your son is very unfortunate. He doesn't have a Quirk."
"That means…" Inko raised a trembling hand to her face, unable to look at him.
"Your son… is Quirkless."
Back home, Izuku sat motionless for a long time.
Eventually, he returned to his usual place and played another All Might video.
"Mom…" he asked softly, tears in his eyes as he looked back at her.
"Heroes who can save people with a smile, no matter how hard things get… they're really amazing, right?"
"…Can I become someone like that?"
Inko broke down and hugged him tightly.
"I'm sorry, Izuku… I'm so sorry!"
The next day, while playing outside—
"Izuku, you still haven't developed a Quirk?"
Izuku absentmindedly dug at the dirt.
"Trash is still trash," Katsuki Bakugo scoffed, suddenly irritated as he walked over with his friends.
"Hey, useless Deku."
Izuku slowly looked up.
"You don't even have the potential to be a Hero. And you still want to be one?"
Izuku's eyes lit up for a moment… then dimmed.
But he still nodded.
"Tch. Guess I need to beat that stupid idea out of you!"
That evening, Izuku returned home, bruised once again.
He pulled out his notebook from under his pillow, opened to a fresh page, and began writing:
"I will become a Hero. I will become a Hero like All Might!"
On the next line, he wrote:
"I got beaten by Kacchan again today… but I still want to be friends with him."