The Phantom Hero

1. Life Changing

When I was 4 years old I found out I was quirkless. As well as my best friend, Izu, who wants nothing more then to be a hero.

I remember a certain day, in a certain park back when I was 4. I remember Izu, standing up for someone being bullied by are old friend, Katsuki and his two goons he calls friends. I remember how Izu stood up for that kid, how he trembled where he stood with tears in his eyes. And in thet one moment I knew, I knew one day or another he would become a great hero. I don't know how, I don't know when, but what I do know is that one day Izu will become a great hero.

But of course after that small moment he got the snot beat out of him and being his best friend I tried to stop them. Only to end up being beaten up myself.

In all honesty actually I don't know why I remember that day so vividly. Maybe because it was the day I realized Izu would became a great hero? Maybe because it was the day I finally saw the difference between the powerful and the powerless?

Whatever the case maybe, I know I won't be forgetting that day anytime soon. But nothing about that day could compare to what happened to me about ten years later. When my life would change forever.

)-*-*-*-(

"Hey, Izu! Want to come grocery shopping with me," I called out to Izu and asked as we pack are bags to leave.

He looked at me, giving me a shy smile and said, "sure, I'll come along. But why do you want me too?"

As we leave the classroom with are bags in hand I explain, "I just need some help carrying the bags home that's all. Besides its always nice having good company."

As we were leaving the school the other students would sometimes stop, stare, and whisper at us. Well 'whisper' is a bit of a stretch. It's more like, they talk about us like we're not there, or shout load insults at us so everyone can hear it. It's obvious to anyone and everyone that Izu and I are the main targets to all bullying in our junior high. For all that, there is only one reason and one reason only.

Izu and I are quirkless.

Powers, abilities, or quirks as we call it first appeared when a bioluminescent baby was born somewhere in China. After that, people all over the world started to have these abilities or whatever they called them back then. The cause and the how was always unclear, but as time passed it all became the part of the norm. Fantasy became reality.

In are present time now, 80 percent of the world's population consists of superhumans with special abilities. And with that a new type of world chaos was born, along with that chaos a new world wide profession was made. A profession that was once thought to only exist in dreams was now a everyday norm.

)-*-*-*-(

"Oh look, Danny! A villain attack! I wonder who's fighting them this time," Izu said in excitement and a wide smile trying to see over the large crowd surrounding the scene down the street to our right.

I look at Izu with an apologetic smile and said, "I'm sorry, Izu. I wish we could stay and watch but I promised my mom and dad I would get home as soon as I got the groceries. They want my siblings and I to be there when they finally turn on their otherworldly portal, machine...thing."

"Are they finally done with the inner dimensional portal," Izu asked in wonder and excitement as he turned to me with wide eyes.

"Yep, their all done. All they have to do is turn it on. Do you want to be there when we turn it on," I asked Izu as we continued down the street.