Crossroads (An Evil Deku Fanfic)

Chapter 1: Precipice

Language warning (Bakugo)

Izuku POV:

All Might tripped me.

Well, not literally, but he tripped me figuratively. If I was in a race to become a hero, I was already behind, panting and weakly stepping quickly. But then I was tripped by someone who'd already finished the race. And I didn't have any energy to get up.

I was lying on my bed, staring at my ceiling. I was in some kind of strange trance, my mind chanting, "You can't be a hero... you can't be a hero... you can't be a hero... you can't be a hero..." repeatedly. Over and over. And yeah, maybe I couldn't.

Knock Knock

"Izuku?" My mom's voice was muffled by the door, "Izuku, I made dinner. Are you... are you hungry?"

"...no, I'm okay," I called back, not even moving my eyes. "I'll get something later, alright?"

"Alright, but please eat something," She added. After her footsteps faded down the hall, I closed my eyes.

I mumbled to myself, "I need to talk to Kacchan."

"The fuck you want, huh?" Kacchan snapped. I had asked to meet him in the playground we used to play at. At 10:00 at night.

"Listen, I just wanted your view on something," I told him, a bit shyly.

"Well, spit it out, nerd!" He sneered at me, "I'm fucking tired!"

"Then, in a scenario where you really want to be a singer," I started, "But you knew you were bad at singing, but you still really wanted to be a singer, what do you do when a singer you really look up to tells you to your face to give it up?"

He was quiet for a second. This was rare.

"You're talking about you and All Might." He snorted, "You don't have to sugarcoat it! I'M NOT FUCKING STUPID, DEKU!" Small explosions exploded from the open palms of his hands.

"Shh! Shhhhh!" I hushed him. It was the middle of the night. "Please don't shout!"

He clenched his fists, dissolving the blasts. He stomped up to me until I had to look directly up to him. Grabbing a handful of my shirt with his smoking hands, he yanked me up to his eye level and said, "If All Might himself told you you couldn't be a hero, then give it up. I know you want to, but no one else wants it." He tilted his head so his lips were right by my ear and whispered, "Listen. I'm gonna say this slowly and clearly so it sinks in. Nobody wants Izuku Midoriya to be a hero. Nobody. So, let it go."

He let go of my shirt and I fell to the ground, stumbling on my feet. You knew he was really serious when he got all quiet like that. I touched my ear as he walked away. It was still tingly from the soft crackle of his whisper.

"Nobody wants me to be a hero..." I mumbled to myself. 

There felt like there was a burning sensation behind my eyes, and a hollowing feeling in my gut. My hands were all hot but were shivering. My throat clenched as if being held with cold hands that were trying to yank it out of my neck. Strange feelings. All at once. My heart was speeding up and my jaw shivered. I think I was sad...but also angry. I was sangry.

Before Kacchan got too far away, I shouted, "Nobody may want me to be a hero, but nothing will EVER make YOU ONE!"

I scrambled to my feet and glared at him through the darkness that was only shone away by the streetlamp near the road. Kacchan turned and even if I couldn't see his face, I could see his anger. He began racing towards me and I backed away into the chain-link fence. 

He grabbed my neck and lifted me by it, scraping my back against the fence, "What did you just say, nerd?!" Now I could see his eyes. His red eyes, glaring at me.

He had me pinned to the fence. He was stronger, more powerful, smarter. But I had the upper hand. "You can't touch me!" I strained, "I'm a citizen! If you want to prove you have what it takes to be a hero, you'll let me go!"

A look of shock washed through his face. "I...I will be a hero. Unlike you." 

He let me down slowly, scraping my spine over the bumps in the chain-link fence. His hand loosened just slightly, and the instant it did, my right arm swung fast, right into his cheek. It was a solid hit, right under his cheekbone. I'd learned from my days of being bullied that you should protrude your knuckle just a little; it causes more pain. He stumbled back in the surprise of me punching him.

He growled, "Why you-!"

"You can't hit back," I coldly reminded him, "It isn't very hero-like to hurt a kid. My hand slipped, that's all."

"YOU'RE SUCH A FUCKING HYPOCRITE, DEKU!" Kacchan's words spiked opportunity. " YOU TELL ME NOT TO ATTACK, THEN YOU ATTACK!!"

"Oh, but I don't have to play hero," I chuckled, "I'll 'never be a hero'. So, there's no use in trying!" I punched him again, left hand. I threw the hits, each one feeling more and more satisfying than the last. "You knew I'd never be a hero anyway!" I screamed.

He grabbed my fist and yanked me in, "CUT IT OUT! You're not like this!"

"Stop playing nice-guy!" I swept my foot into his ankles and he stumbled. Before he could regain his stance, I jumped him. I shoved him to the ground, pressing the heels of my palms into his wrists. I raised one hand and slapped his face to the side, "You're not nice! You've never been nice! I was always good to you! How does it feel?!" I ground his face into the dirt, "How does it feel to be me?! How does it feel to be a hero?! Well?! HOW DOES IT FEEL, KACCHAN?!"

For the rest of the night, I took my anger out on him. But for once, he never fought back. I found such satisfaction in seeing him bloody and bruised. His eye was swelling in dark shades of purple and he was limp. I wasn't strong, just angry. He wasn't weak, just scared. He was scared of what I would do if he fought back.

All Might pushed me. Just one push. Just a tap. But it was Kacchan who had shoved me to the edge of the precipice. All Might just tipped me over.