Izuku Yagi: The Quirk Thief

Life After the Misdiagnosis

Most people would assume that being the son of the Number 1 Hero All Might would be amazing. For most it would be, that is if you aren't quirkless. When mom and dad brought me home after a misdiagnosis I could tell things changed. It was as if they just stopped looking at me. From that moment on everything was about Izumi and how she would be an amazing hero. I was happy for her. Even if I didn't have a quirk, I'll still be a hero with her help. At least that's what I thought. 

When I got to school the next day and Izumi told Kacchan and Tsumi, the Bakugou twins. I remember when we were younger that we made a promise to be heroes together and watch out for each other. I guess that promise didn't mean as much to them as it did to me. After Izumi told them I was quirkless they came and Katsuki asked me, "Do you still want to be a hero, even though you're quirkless?" 

"Yes, I-" was all I managed to get out in response before he attacked me. I still remember how the explosion felt on my skin even after all these years. The smell of the smoke, the burning sensation, and how the force of the explosion pushed me off my feet. That was the moment everything truly changed for me. Katsuki, Katsumi, and Izumi all started bullying me relentlessly. 

At first, I didn't know what they were doing and just thought that they were playing some weird game or that it was just an accident. I wanted to believe anything to not face the truth. It wasn't until I was five I fully realized what was happening to me. 

I was curious why they were hurting me all the time. I needed answers so, with the truth in the back of my mind in a place I would never willingly listen to, I went to the place where I knew I could find answers. The school library. I'd spent much of my time there in the past year. It was quiet and rarely did anyone come to disturb me. 

I immediately went to the school computers, I didn't expect this question to be easily answered by the books in the library, and googled "Why do my friends keep hurting me?" A simple question designed by a five-year-old too afraid to face the truth. The answers I got forced me to face reality in a painful fashion. Articles about bullying and toxic friendships filled the screen. The more I read the more similarities I saw between my situation and the experiences of those on the screen. 

I didn't want to but I had to face reality someday. My friends, Katsuki and Katsumi, and my sister, Izumi, were bullying me. I could feel my world crumbling around me at the revelation. It hurt. It hurt more than any punches, explosions, or things telekinetically thrown objects. It was different when I thought it was just a game, then I could convince myself they still cared for me, but now I had no such luck. 

So many questions filled my mind. When did it start? Why did it start? Why are they still doing it? Do they care about me at all? Am I just a punching bag for them to practice their quirks on? Do mom and dad know? Would they even care if they did? That last question came out of nowhere. Of course, they don't know and of course, they would care if they did. Right? 

Well, they have been acting a little different since I was diagnosed quirkless. How often have I come home covered in bruises and they did nothing to help me or even acknowledge my existence. When was the last time they served me dinner? How many times have I eaten what basically amounts to leftovers? When was the last time they bought me anything? 

As these questions floated around in my mind I looked back to the computer. "What does it mean when your parents don't care about you?" Neglect. They were neglecting me. I didn't want to believe it, I couldn't believe it. I thought back to my science class about hypotheses and evidence. This is my hypothesis, my parents are neglecting me, and now all I need to do is get evidence to disprove this. 

I went home with hope in my heart. They had to care about me at least a little. They had to love me. I spent the next week studying them and making records of everything that happened in one of my hero analysis notebooks. It felt weird analyzing the habits of people instead of their quirks but this needed to be done. When the week was done the results were less than stellar.