"Who are you?" - BNHA Fanfic

4: Middle School

Riki and Izuku were finally about to start high school. Riki had received advice from his sister and shared it with Izuku. The two weren't in the same class, though they spent every opportunity together. The school began to call them the Quirkless Duo. They were bullied, used as punching bags, and even straight ignored.

"High school won't be as bad." Riki promised. "They'll all be focused on their future career. Most of them won't even have time to bother us, let alone try to kill us. Lighten up Iz." The blue haired kid laughed and smiled brightly.

"Yeah." Izuku sighed and poked at his food. A new bruise was on one of the two every day from people who picked on them just because they're quirkless. "Maybe we aren't cut out to be heroes. Maybe I should give up on UA." Bakugo's words that morning must have really gotten to him.

"Hey, what's with all that negativity? Begone!" He reached over and bonked Izuku on the head in a chopping motion. "Cut that out. You're gonna get into UA with me, dumbass."

"What if we can't?" Izuku rubbed his head and pushed his plate away. "Sure, we both get good marks, but what about the actual test? The one you have to have a quirk for?" He sighed again and started mumbling.

Riki listened while he mumbled, hearing out his strategies, his plots, his everything. Riki liked listening to him, he had been since they became friends. His mom said he had a crush on the nerdy teen, but Riki didn't think so.

Riki didn't feel attraction the same way other people did. Izuku would go on and on about Katsuki, that was a crush. He went on and on about another girl in their year for a little bit, that was a crush. Him and Izuku? It's a speaker and a listener.

Izuku loved to talk, and Riki loved to listen. That's all he would ever let it be. Romance was gross anyway, not to mention all the weird ass bedroom shit. "I think I'm aromantic."

Izuku stopped muttering and sat up. "What?" He asked, not sure if he heard him right. "You're a romantic? Like, you have a crush on someone or you want romance right now?" He tilted his head.

"No, I'm aromantic. Maybe even asexual. It means I don't want romance, or sex. I just want friends." Riki explained, crumpling his empty juice box. "Make sense?"

"Yeah!" He pulled out a tiny notebook and scribbled down the new words and definitions. "Now I know a little more and I can keep myself educated so I don't upset you!"

"I love you. Not like," Riki put on a high pitch girly voice, "Oh Izuku, kiss me my precious hero~" He dropped the voice. "or anything like that. More like a brother thing." Riki grinned as Izuku giggled into his juice box.

"Oh my gods you sound like Lanya." Izuku giggled, covering his face. Lanya was a girl in their grade. Her quirk made her voice high pitched and she was constantly joking about it. She even told people she liked jokes about it, since it helped her quirk. "Thats too good."

"Thanks! Maybe thats my real quirk, impressions. Yours is all that muttering you do." He joked. The two had a laugh about it and finished their lunch, putting up their trays, throwing trash out, and leaving the lunch room.

After school, the green haired boy pulled Riki along. "Come on, let's hang at my place." Izuku said. "My mom is making casserole!"

"Ooh Momma Inko's casserole is awesome." Riki followed. The two talked school work on their way back to Izuku's house. Riki didn't have clothes, but him and Izuku were the same size in everything but shirts. With that, Riki usually went shirtless or in his undershirt for his school uniform.

They reached what Riki dubbed Creepy Catwalk, a half tunnel on the way, and the ground rumbled. "What the hell?" Riki stepped back. The sewer cover under the bridge flew up and a huge amount of slime came bursting out, snatching Izuku.

"IZ!" Riki shouted and got up. Whatever this demonic slime was, it was trying to force its way down Izuku's throat. He ran at the villain, tackling Izuku out of it while getting stuck himself. Shit!

Izuku sounded like he was coughing up a lung getting the slime out of his system, shaking himself off. "Riki." He called out weakly, wheezing on his hands and knees.

Riki kept his lips shut tight, pressing his tongue up so that the slime couldn't get in that way either but this villain had other plans. It squeezed and pulled his body, trying to find any way in that it could and eventually just put pressure on his chest until he gasped for air.

It was suffocating. The slime stretched his throat painfully, forcing its way into his system to take over. He could feel it invading, taking away his oxygen, taking away his control. It was suffocating in more than one way, even though he was seeing spots. Izuku was too weak to help, and neither of them had a quirk.

So this was the world. The people society doesn't like or doesn't care to keep get shoved aside and used by villains. Killed by villains and for what? So heroes don't have to cover every surface? The world went black.

Someone shook Riki awake. He opened his eyes slowly and saw Izuku crouched over him with All Might behind him. All Might?! Riki stumbled to stand up, leaning on Izuku.

"Thought we lost you there!" All Might said. He pat Riki's head, then turned away. "Well my job here is done! See you around kids!"

Izuku looked up. "Wait, I have so many questions! I have questions!" He forgot about Riki for a moment and chased All Might. As the pro hero jumped, Riki watched Izuku grab his leg. What the hell?! It was too late, they were gone.

And suddenly, Riki wasn't so alone anymore. Creepy Catwalk had another person underneath its shady roof.