My hero academia:Am I worthy?

**No one is born equal.**

Izuku Midoriya came to understand this profound statement when he received a diagnosis that no other parent would wish upon their child. In the eyes of a society filled with quirks, Izuku was labeled "sick" and found himself seated alone in his room, repeatedly watching a video of his idol for the tenth time within an hour. His fascination with heroes led him to believe that, despite lacking a quirk, he too could aspire to become a hero. However, he had never encountered his idols in real life; he was merely a spectator, observing their heroic deeds through the lens of the internet. Doubting his own capabilities, he perceived his mother's words—uttered after their visit to the hospital—as an affront to his dreams. Yet, deep down, he recognized that his mother would never intentionally wish him harm or harbor negative thoughts about him. In addition to his mother, he had his friend Bakugo, who still regarded him as a friend, but Bakugo's feelings were quite different.

**Flashback**

Four boys ambled along the banks of a pond, engaged in lively conversation and swapping jokes. Leading the pack was Bakugo, strutting confidently with his chest puffed out and his head held high, subtly asserting his dominance over the group. Positioned between the first and fourth were Bakugo's loyal friends, who held him in high esteem. Trailing behind them was Midoriya, feeling somewhat out of place yet striving to project an air of bravery, bolstered by the presence of his friend.

Children, by their very nature, can be cruel creatures; they often lack an understanding of morality, humanism, and compassion. It is noteworthy how their surroundings and the environments in which they grow up significantly influence their behavior. If a child's family is harsh, that child is likely to mirror that cruelty in their interactions with others. Everything hinges on their upbringing. A child is akin to a lump of clay, molded by the care and support of their parents. Not every family embodies perfection, but when one of the crucial figures is absent from a child's life, the child ends up inheriting traits from only one parent, rather than gaining knowledge and wisdom from both father and mother.

The figure of Re-Destro held considerable sway in society, and this ambitious 24-year-old man garnered the trust of nearly everyone seeking freedom of expression without the constraints imposed by laws. Ever since then, while the ideology of quirk superiority did offer certain advantages, it adversely impacted the minority who were quirkless, who absorbed its accompanying hatred like a virulent plague, allowing it to take root in their minds. Parents indoctrinated their children with this notion without considering the ramifications, viewing those without quirks as mere remnants of the past or as outdated fools with nothing to offer in life. After all, they believed that such individuals would amount to nothing.

For Izuku, a four-year-old child who was still grappling with understanding the complexities of the world, his first encounter with quirk discrimination occurred in kindergarten, when he boldly announced that he was quirkless. The other children ridiculed him, casting him as a laughingstock in the eyes of most kids in the establishment. Although the teacher attempted to intervene, her efforts were in vain, as the situation had spiraled beyond her control. Life continued on its course until the other children began to shun him, despite the teacher's attempts to mediate and explain that quirk superiority did not grant them any inherent right to look down on Izuku. Unfortunately, the damage was already done. Everyone viewed him as pathetic, and their pursuit of sympathy only fueled Bakugo's anger, as they had vowed to compete against one another for the coveted title of number one.

"Hey, Izuku, don't lag behind!" Bakugo shouted, brandishing a stick and leaning on it like an intrepid adventurer. However, his friend's demeanor did not satisfy him; he, like the others, was a sycophant, showering Bakugo with praise for his quirk. Just prior to this, Bakugo had openly challenged Izuku, claiming he would surpass him. The friend whom he once regarded as his equal had now fallen in his eyes, becoming just as worthless as the other background characters surrounding them.

"Yeah, I'm coming," he replied, trying to sound self-assured, even though he was brimming with self-doubt and believed he had no rightful place among them.

As they ventured further, they encountered various obstacles, with some of the boys stumbling and tripping over hidden roots. The main burden fell upon Midoriya, who was tasked with carrying snacks and water for their escapade. Birds chirped merrily in the trees, while ominous clouds began to gather overhead, heralding the approach of rain. Despite feeling somewhat downcast and fearful of getting lost in the small forest, the team spirit, thanks to Bakugo's leadership, remained unshaken, and they pressed on despite the falling raindrops until they reached a log that lay across the pond.

"Let's cross this log and head home," Izuku suggested, eyeing the modest height of the log below, which slightly intimidated him. Nevertheless, he overcame his fear, remembering how he had recently helped Nejire avoid falling from a cliff, and she had called him her hero—an honor he would cherish for a long time, if not forever.

"Yeah, go ahead, you go first, Deku," was the first nickname that would embed itself in his mind until a fateful encounter.

Izuku took the lead, carefully testing the log for slipperiness. Finding it secure, he managed to traverse it with relative ease and reached the opposite bank. The others followed suit, but Katsuki was the last to cross, beckoned by the other boys. Halfway across, he glanced down at his shoes, now soaked from the relentless rain, which showed no signs of relenting. He hesitated, distracted by Izuku, who was shouting encouraging words from the other side.

"Come on, Kacchan, you can do it!" he shouted, oblivious to the potential consequences of his encouragement. In response to Izuku's words, Bakugo merely snorted in annoyance, casting a disdainful glance at his friend. Suddenly, his foot slipped from the log, causing him to tumble into the pond with a splash. Rain continued to pour from the sky, intensifying the already charged atmosphere, while all of his friends watched with apprehension, questioning whether he was alright. Upon witnessing his friend plummet into the water, Izuku rushed to the pond's edge, extending his hand to help him up. However, this scene registered quite differently in Bakugo's eyes.

Standing over him, Izuku extended his hand, yet his head towered above, symbolizing to Katsuki that he was superior. The fall from grace struck a blow to his self-esteem, as he felt like an utter failure for being the only one to have fallen from the log when everyone else crossed it effortlessly. Anger and panic surged within him as he stared at his friend's outstretched hand. Sweat pooled in his palms, and in a fit of rage, he attempted to swat Izuku's hand away. However, the explosive energy he had accumulated was redirected at Izuku, who screamed in pain as he was thrown aside.

Midoriya felt a surge of pain; his face was smeared with soot, and his hands and chest bore the marks of red welts, his shirt torn from the blast. He cried out, unable to bear the intensity of the heat and pain coursing through him. Rain fell upon him, further intensifying his suffering. Overwhelmed by the shockwave, he lost his balance and fell back into the pond.

Katsuki's reaction was conflicted; on one hand, he felt a twinge of concern for his friend and wanted to help him, perhaps even apologize, but on the other hand, he took a twisted satisfaction in seeing Deku in such a pathetic state, writhing in agony. He found a morbid enjoyment in this moment, yet he lacked the control over his quirk to replicate that effect. A deep, sadistic part of Katsuki Bakugo reveled in witnessing the object of his disdain lying there, clutching his chest in pain.

"Hey, Deku, get up, it's time to go home," he called out, deliberately choosing not to offer any assistance as he walked past him, kicking up dirt as he descended the slope, leaving Izuku behind in the pond under the relentless downpour. Bakugo's thoughts churned with the belief that if Izuku was so desperate to help others, he should first learn to help himself to avoid being seen as worthless.

From that day forward, the bond of friendship began to unravel, transforming into animosity, and the loyalty and reputation that had once existed began to fray under the weight of Katsuki Bakugo's actions. Unfortunately, this was just the beginning of a troubling future that Izuku remained oblivious to, one that he could not foresee. For him, this incident became merely a chance occurrence; he did not perceive it as a significant event. However, his mother held a different perspective.

"Son, what happened to you, and who did this?" Inko exclaimed in panic as she rushed to embrace her son, who was drenched, his red shoes caked in mud, and his cherubic face marred by soot.

"Don't worry, Mom, I just fell into the pond," he replied, but his words were met with skepticism. Izuku attempted to smile, but the warmth of his mother's embrace reminded him of the day he was labeled DEKU, as well as the scene where everyone had mocked him. Unable to withstand the emotional turmoil, tears began to well up in his eyes, and burying his face in his mother's shoulder, he broke down, staining her shirt with his tears. Inko gently patted him on the back, trying to soothe him, but he only cried harder, unable to calm himself.

"Please, tell me, son, who did this to you?" Inko implored, eager to understand who had caused him harm. Izuku had many friends in kindergarten, each possessing various quirks, yet she struggled to recall their names. However, she understood one thing: this situation was not without cause. Her son was quirkless, and she had been closely observing how events were unfolding in society. She had learned how a man named Re-Destro had incited others to humiliate and openly mock those who were quirkless. Some particularly radical individuals even called for their extermination, despite the law prohibiting such acts, but the law seemed indifferent to their plight. This reality filled Inko with fear—what if something similar happened to her beloved little Izuku, who was already facing a challenging childhood? Hisashi had abandoned them the day they announced that Izuku was quirkless. Although he had not pursued a legal divorce, he had become unreachable, refusing to answer her calls. Eventually, she contacted the authorities to locate him, but the results were disheartening: Hisashi Midoriya was reported missing. All leads had come to a standstill, and law enforcement had declared him a wanted person, yet he had seemingly vanished without a trace. There were no clues to be found regarding his whereabouts in Japan. Inko realized that Hisashi's disappearance was somehow tied to Izuku being different from other children. Though she did not want to blame her son—after all, she was a loving mother who needed to support him with all her heart—she couldn't shake off the feeling that his uniqueness had driven Hisashi away. Fortunately, it brought her some solace that Nejire consistently played with her Izuku, providing him support in every possible way.

After exhausting all his tears on his mother, Izuku looked up at her with his red-rimmed eyes, and she gazed back at him with deep concern.

"It was... it was Katsuki. When we were heading back home, he fell, and I... I wanted to help him, but he activated his quirk, and I accidentally got caught in the blast." The words he uttered left Inko in a state of shock; she had believed they were friends. However, Bakugo's actions deeply saddened her, and she resolved to call Mitsuki to clarify the situation with him. For the moment, though, Izuku needed to be cleaned up and well-fed so he could put this distressing day behind him, treating it as nothing more than a bad dream.

"Everything will be alright, Izuku. Don't worry. Go take a bath, and I'll prepare your favorite katsudon. Sound good?" She glanced at his torn shirt, and as Inko removed it, she was horrified by the sight of his injuries. His chest bore angry red marks in several places, and his skin was scraped raw, which sent a wave of panic through her.

"Izuku, does anything hurt? Let's go to my room; I'll put some ointment and bandages on you."

"Yes, it hurts, Mom." Inko gently grasped her son's hand and led him to her room. Taking out the first-aid kit, she carefully applied burn ointment to his chest, wrapping it in layers of bandages to ensure his comfort.

"Does it feel better now?" After the treatment, Izuku appeared more cheerful and content, prompting him to embrace Inko tightly, who tenderly played with his hair, soothing him.

"Yes, Mom, can I go now?" After receiving her affirmative response, Izuku dashed out of the room in a flash, not looking back. Watching her son leave, Inko let out a deep sigh.

"Today, I have a long conversation ahead with Mitsuki."

**To be continued.**

*[7 chapters until the appearance of Venom]*