Good Friends In Back Alleys

A vigilante is born

Midoriya hated heroes. His entire life he'd looked up to them, and the moment he'd asked his idol, fucking All Might had told him he couldn't do it. Of all people he expected to tell him that he couldn't make it, it had to be the one person who could crush his spirit.

Well, he sure showed him. After the 'Sludge Incident' as Izuku had dubbed it in his head, he'd avoided everyone. He'd stopped smiling at his classmates, stopped pretending him and Bakugou-he'd stopped using Kacchan that very day-were friends. He kept his notebooks, but now it was filled with villains as well as heroes, and he analyzed everything, especially weaknesses.

Bakugou had stopped picking fights after he'd slammed his hands down onto Midoriya's desk and growled, "I didn't need your help, Deku."

Midoriya had fixed him with a look that was blank, but still harder, colder, angrier, than Bakugou had ever seen on his childhood friend, and he'd snarled right back, practically baring his teeth, "Sure, cause you were handling it so very well, Bakugou. Next time, you should thank the person who pulled your ass out of the fire."

Katsuki had visibly recoiled in shock, the usual anger in his eyes replaced by something like surprise. "Iz-"

He didn't even have a chance to say the boy's name as the green-haired boy stood from his seat, stalking toward the other boy. "Oh what? Didn't expect the Deku to fight back? Not after the years and years of bullshit I've dealt with from you? Back off, Bakugou. I won't tell you again."

Midoriya had walked away, walking home alone for the first time in years. Somewhere in the back of his mind he waited for the explosions, the yelling and bitching that always came after he talked back to his childhood bully. Nothing came. So he kept walking.

That night he'd started looking for alternatives for quirks, and he realized that if he ever wanted to be a hero, he'd need support items. So he looked for people who could get them.

He ended up messaging someone with the username 'Meihem' which he assumed was supposed to be a clever play on the word mayhem. He didn't care.

MidoriNo: Hello.

Meihem: Heya.

MidoriNo: I need support items. Soon.

Meihem: Yeah no duh idiot. What kind?

MidoriNo: Anything that can replicate a quirk. And a couple normal handguns if you can get them.

Meihem: Alright.

MidoriNo: No questions?

Meihem: No questions.

MidoriNo: How much do you want?

Meihem: 3000¥ and if if anyone asks, tell them you got your support items from me.

MidoriNo: That's it?

Meihem: Yep.

MidoriNo: Thanks

Meihem: No problem. Meet me at the park on 5th street tomorrow at 9pm.

MidoriNo: Okay. See you tomorrow.

Meihem: See you tomorrow.

Izuku had gone to school the next day-A little traitorous voice in the back of his mind saying how he never needed to, how he could take his work home and still be at the top of his class. He ignored it, and sat at the back of the classroom with his head down, scribbling in his notebook about the underground hero Eraserhead. The teacher asked him to answer a math problem and he did so without even looking up.

Bakugou picked a fight after school. He backed Midoriya into a wall of lockers, explosions popping from his palms, almost close enough to singe the edges of Izuku's too-big sweatshirt.

"The fuck is up with you, Midoriya?" He asked angrily. Izuku calmly noted that he'd used his family name rather than the nickname he'd been using for years.

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean, Bakugou." He said politely. The look in his eyes was steel, and inside the fabric that draped over his hands he fingered the pocketknife he'd taken off some asshole who was mugging a helpless lady on the street. He didn't want to but if he had to use it, he would.

"The fuck you mean? You've been like a damn ghost lately!" Bakugou stepped closer, and Izuku flinched violently out of reflex, expecting the explosions to get louder and for his skin to burn and bubble. Bakugou stepped back, his eyes reflecting something Izuku couldn't identify.

"Yeah, a ghost." Izuku chuckled bitterly, sliding the pocketknife back into his pocket. "Almost like I took your oh-so-friendly advice that day you told me to take a swan dive off the fucking roof."

The emotion in his old friend's eyes was easily identifiable now, it was fear. He was afraid of something.

"I-I didn't-" But Izuku wasn't done yet.

"What? You didn't mean it? What kind of proper bullshit is that?" Midoriya sucked in a breath and continued on his rant, stepping forward to meet Bakugou. "I almost took your 'Advice', too. Only reason I didn't was because when I got home that day after the Sludge incident, my mom was practically in hysterics. I realized it would be unfair to her if I actually did. So you can go right off and fuck yourself straight into hell you giant bag of dicks."

Izuku skirted around the blond and headed away, towards his house. The tonfa in his bag seem to weigh heavily on his spine. He shook off his apprehension, ducking into an alley to tug on his black hoodie.

Void hit the streets for the first time.

(I'm not dead. Also 3000 yen is equivalent to 30 us dollars. If I'm wrong just correct me. I don't know. I changed the name so they'd all be the same language.)