~O~

"Ah, Mrs. Midoriya, I wouldn't worry much," He remembered his elementary school teacher's words on their first parent-teacher meeting, "Your Izuku is a very obedient child."

He didn't know why her words stuck to him as much as they did. It wasn't any news to his mother by the way she smiled afterwards apparently. Izuku had always been careful about that, to be respectful and good with his peers and teachers alike. He was taught to be an obedient child. Always listening to others, caring for them, doing as the teachers said and never raising his voice against anyone. He never made rude or mean comments and tried to stop others from making them as gently as a child his age could. Granted not everyone listened to him nor most people wanted him stepping in something that wasn't his business but the green haired boy tried regardless.

Not many people wanted to talk to him either due to his quirklessness but it was mostly just the children, the teachers at least made an attempt to make him feel he wasn't left out when he was a child. Of course, they stopped pretending as he grew up and time went by and more people knew about his disability. That was another thing; was not having a quirk really that bad that it was considered a disability? Was his body that lacking that he was called abnormal by many? But Izuku thought he was a normal healthy boy. Was that not normal? Was he really just a useless piece of meat if he couldn't fly or make explosions from his palms? Was doing something inhuman really necessary to be called a human now?

It confused him. But he learnt not to question it.

Majority believed that being quirkless was a disability and Izuku obeyed.

It wasn't his fault really.

He was taught to be an obedient child after all.

A few years down the line, Izuku was in middle school. The boy was practically vibrating in excitement on his first day. His mother took a picture of him in his new gakuran in front of the school gate as cherry blossoms flew around him. Izuku was as happy as the sky, his smile bright and eyes gleaming under the clear spring sky. It wasn't long before the sky stopped pretending too.

"Alright, kids, we are absolutely delighted to have you all here with us so how about we start off this year with you all giving us a little bit of an introduction of yourself one by one? How does that sound?" Their homeroom teacher said enthusiastically after they settled in their new classroom right after the orientation ceremony. Just as the man had asked them to, the students introduced themselves to the class according to the seat number. Izuku tried to pay attention, he really did. He wanted to know all about his new classmates, he was going to spend the next three years with them after all. But no matter how hard he tried he couldn't listen to them well as he was wrapped in his own mind, anxious on what to say about himself when it was his turn.

The emerald eyes boy listened to a few to get a socially acceptable format ready in his mind; basic things like your name, ambition, some hobbies and your quirk.

Even though the boy had been mentally preparing himself for the past ten minutes or so, he stood up and weakly stuttered out a bit about himself when he got called on. He stood there with his posture tense and eyes wide open waiting for the teacher to allow him to take a seat and move on to the next kid, if one looked closely the green haired boy might've been trembling under the man's gaze a bit too hard. The teacher didn't let him sit yet, instead he smiled at him.

"Midoriya, right? You said you want to be a hero?" Izuku knew where that was going and he didn't like it but he couldn't really stop it. He wished he could, he wished people would stop asking that question but the world didn't work according to him, "What's your quirk, kiddo?"

Izuku knew the question was coming but as soon as those words left the man's mouth he froze.

Izuku stopped breathing before he even realized it, subtly turning his gaze down in an attempt to divert his mind. His fingers dug into his palm as his hands stayed locked at his sides. His throat felt dry, he couldn't part his lips even if he wanted to. If anything, he thought he deserved an award for not crying on the spot. Where some of his previous teachers at least pretended to make him feel like any other normal student, the kids didn't.

Kids were cruel.

Kids didn't like the quirkless.

"Midoriya?" The homeroom teacher tilted his head in confusion when the boy didn't reply to him. At that, Izuku mentally slapped himself before he could dissolve into the loop of his harsh memories. There was no time for that, not when a teacher was asking him something — not when an elder was waiting for him to open his fucking mouth, he wasn't supposed to make them wait—

Izuku was an obedient child.

"Um... 'm quirkless, sir..." He whispered more than anything. Even if Izuku was an obedient child he was still just a child. Children didn't overcome their fears easily. Not when there was something scarier waiting on the horizon to devour him right away. Something tightened in his chest at the thought and Izuku felt nauseous. It didn't stop there, as much as he wanted. It never did.

"What was that? Speak a bit louder. I couldn't hear you, kid."

Suddenly, Izuku felt the sky wasn't so clear anymore and the air wasn't as fresh. Instead, he felt as if dark clouds were floating closer and the air was turning hot around him. Beads of sweat trickled down the back of his neck and fresh tears pricked at his eyes. Izuku didn't feel like he could keep standing any longer.

But he didn't have a choice.

An obedient child had no choice.

Izuku tried again, he tried to speak a little bit louder but his voice only came out as a mere whisper. Something strange — perhaps a little concern mixed with well covered irritation, the teacher sighed and decided to walk closer to the green haired boy as he asked him the same question for the third time and that was enough to piss off a certain ash blonde sitting in the next row, a few seats ahead, "He's quirkless, dammit! Useless idiot can't even speak, how would he have a quirk of all things!"

Their teacher seemed a bit startled by the sudden outburst of the boy but it didn't last long before his expressions betrayed the sudden slight disgust as he looked at Izuku again, "Oh... is that so?" He asked, skeptical, and didn't even put an effort into forcing a smile like he did earlier.

Izuku only nodded, refusing to look at anything other than his wooden desk now.

A part of him felt incredibly stupid for nodding, some part of him wanted to lie and deny whatever Katsuki said, he wanted to say he had a quirk — he wanted to have a quirk but unfortunately Izuku didn't get to make much choices in his short life. By now he had learnt to accept it. Accept his quirklesssness or the harsh discrimination? He wasn't sure... But just like he anticipated, the whispers began shortly after.

Children were cruel.

"Quirkless, really?"

"Shouldn't they be extinct by now,"

"Just don't go near him, okay?"

"I read somewhere they don't live long so."

"Poor thing,"

"How worthless do you have to be to not have a quirk?"

"Why is the school allowing him to be here?"

"He probably wouldn't last long...!"

"And oh, oh! Did you hear? He wanted to be a hero!"

"A quirkless hero? Talk about delusional,"

"He should be grateful they're even letting him attend middle school."

"What a freak."

As much as Izuku wanted, the teacher made no attempt to hush them down and move on. He sighed and motioned Izuku to sit down after a while as he walked back to the lectern. Izuku didn't miss his grumble, "Can't believe they put him in my class,"

The green haired boy just went on with the day as silent tears trickled down his freckled cheeks, he couldn't say for sure that he understood another word being said as a white noise cancelled everything out.

~O~

Six months later, Izuku didn't come home.

But it was okay if he wasn't home on time, mom was away anyway. She wouldn't be returning till night so Izuku didn't have to worry about her worrying about him. Except the problem was that Izuku wanted nothing more than to go home and cry in the comforting arms of his mother but just like many, many other times; Izuku didn't have a choice. He never did.

It started at lunch, he couldn't see it coming though. Too oblivious to the danger coming his way, the boy only marked it down as general anxiety. He wished, like many other things, he didn't. A purple haired boy much taller than him pulled him away from the cafeteria, an arm slinging around the green head's shoulder, "Hey, you're Midoriya Izuku right? The first year?" His tone was loud and booming and Izuku could tell that there was no real effort behind the power of his voice. It startled him.

"Y-Yes?" Izuku didn't like how that question was phrased. Why did this guy know about him? He had never talked to anyone outside his class, he rarely even talked to his classmates! Why did he know him? From the corner of his eye, Izuku caught a glance at a few more older students coming their way. Third years; the third years wanted to talk to him. For some reason.

"Ease up, Murasaki! You're probably scaring the poor kid," a girl said as soon as she approached them, at least three more boys followed her towards them. Izuku had to give her props for guessing his situation correctly without there being much to analyse from... Unless this had happened before.

"I just asked his name though!" The guy Izuku now knew as Murasaki replied. The girl only chuckled at the boy, "You're loud enough for your greetings to qualify as scaring." The purple head gasped dramatically as the rest of their classmates (as supposed by one confused Izuku) snickered behind the raven haired girl. She then turned to Izuku, offering him a good natured smile that gave off the first year an unsettling feeling. "Hey, kid. I'm Yuu and as you might have already guessed we're your seniors. I'm sure you're a bit confused on why we would approach you out of nowhere, right? Well, we were helping out some newbies with their career choices and I thought it would be beneficial for you to join us today, hm?"

"Career advice... From seniors?"

"Yup!"

Izuku didn't trust them. Izuku didn't trust them one bit.

"U-Um... I think I'm good—" the green haired boy made to turn back to the cafeteria but Murasaki suddenly stopped him by grabbing him from his thin wrist forcefully, "Ungrateful, aren't ya? It's not everyday someone gets such a chance. We could open your eyes to a better future here."

A better future...

'A better future,'

Izuku saw where this was going. He knew what was going to happen and he was scared. It was hard not to be when he has had so many people already try to beat the idea of being a hero out of him. Izuku's eyes widened a bit as his wrist was tugged on by the older boy. He wanted to free himself but he was far too weak in comparison, the boy wanted to yell at them to stop bothering him and to let him go but his lips didn't part and his own voice failed him as he got dragged away by the older kids

Izuku didn't make it back home, not till dinner at least. Not without multiple injuries.

He couldn't decide whether or not he was fortunate for his mother to call him to let him know that she would be late, she said something about ordering food but Izuku didn't hear anything after 'late'. He couldn't. A part of him was relieved that at least Inko wouldn't have to see him pathetically tending to his own wounds with a bloody nose and big fat tears threatening to spill from the corner of his eyes. He hated the fact that he couldn't even complain; not to the school, not to his mother. The school wouldn't believe him, yes but his mother would but he still couldn't tell her. That's the last thing he wanted to do, to add onto her worries.

An obedient child didn't complain anyway.

Izuku silently cried himself to sleep that night on an empty stomach.

It was neither the first nor the last time he did.

~O~

Things only got worse.

"If you want to be a hero that badly, why don't you take a swan dive off the roof of the building and pray that you'll be born with a quirk in your next life,"

Izuku almost scowled at him but stopped himself before the expression could truly reach his face.

He watched his classmates leave, he didn't move a muscle until he couldn't hear their snickers from far, far away. He took a deep shaky breath and walked towards the window and took a peek to see if they were still lingering on school grounds. Thankfully, they weren't. Izuku didn't leave, not quite yet. He sat down in his chair again staring at his desk as a myriad of thoughts consumed his mind. The silence and the chilly breeze of spring blowing in through the open windows only added fuel to his running mind.

Izuku closed his eyes and tried to go as far back in his memories as he could.

When was the last time he wasn't obedient?

When was the last time he said no to someone? When was the last time he complained about something? Threw a tantrum like kids his age did? When was the last time he let his anger crawl up to his face when he wasn't alone? Did he ever raise his voice? Did he ever decline anyone?

He found that he didn't.

His mind went back to all those times he got home injured, all those times Inko asked him if he was okay, all those times he lied to her and all those times his trembling unskilled hands wrapped a bandage around some other poor limb. All those burn marks on his shoulders and back. All those bruises and bloody noses. All those insults and names thrown his way. All those times he told himself that this was just the natural order of things, kids bully other kids and there was nothing to make such a big deal out of. All those times he was discriminated against harshly and given disgusted looks. All those times every person hated him. All those times he hated himself.

Was an obedient child nothing more than a rag doll?

Casted it aside whenever they wanted too and played with it whenever they wished. Made him act like how they wanted, sewed his mouth shut if he ever talked back. Throw him away when they're done with and only allow movements on command.

The next time Izuku opened his eyes — or the next time he was fully conscious and out of his downward mental spiral of thoughts, he no longer saw the desk for he was no longer in his classroom.

Instead he stood by the railings on the rooftop, his small hands clutching the metal as the door to the staircase creaked and swung about its hinges behind. He saw the sky turn into hues of orange and red. He saw the ground from all that height. He saw birds fly about carelessly. He saw their words, he saw their glares, venom dropping from their lips and eyes as they yelled,

"Quirkless,"

"Pathetic."

"Can't do anything right."

Their voices echoed at the back of his head like a broken record player on repeat.

"You good for nothing,"

"Freak!"

"Stop lying and accept it was your fault!"

Funny how he never once lied.

"Stay away, creep,"

"Worthless."

"Useless,"

"Go take a swan dive off the roof..."

But the one that stuck the most was,

"Obedient child."

Ah...

That was right.

That was where it all started.

Izuku moved, his legs going over the railings one after another. He held onto the cold metal tightly until his own sweaty palms turned cold, his knuckles going white from the force. Izuku looked at the ground and then at the sky. He saw clouds moving smoothly as the wind directed them ahead. Only if he could work with no complaints and trouble like the clouds, the wind — the people wouldn't be so upset with him. A small smile graced his lips at that moment. The wind — the people would never have to be upset with him again. He let go off the railing as his smile grew wider and he closed his eyes as a few tears managed to escape before all he knew was that he was falling.

After all,

Izuku was an obedient child.