6 parts Complete BakuDeku - Midoriya Izuku found himself quirkless and quickly at the non-existent mercy of his classmates as he entered middle school. Every day he survived, he was beating the odds, even as the bruises teased at his nerves through his skin, taunting him long after his tormentors' fists had last made physical contact. When he found the fighting ring, he expected to just become a living punching bag, really. He didn't expect people to look past his quirklessness and take him under their wing, essentially training their own competition. He didn't expect to get good at it, and he didn't expect to be noticed when he did.
When Izuku and Katsuki got accepted into UA, the class cheered for Katsuki and jeered at Izuku for daring to pretend to be in the same league as someone like Katsuki, even when Izuku only managed to make it into general studies. So, Katsuki went to UA, and Izuku quietly said, "thanks for the opportunity, but no thanks," and switched to an advanced online schooling option.
It was just the rule of the world, and rules were rules.
Some things couldn't be helped.
Besides...
He had a feeling UA would ask too many questions about the constant bruising blooming so beautifully across his face that Aldera staff had so pointedly ignored. And even if UA didn't ask questions about the bruises and abrasions on his face, they definitely would about the ones across his busted knuckles.
In the Pit, Midoriya Izuku didn't exist. In the Pit, he was Viper.
In the Pit, Viper was a quirkless fighter who still faced prejudice and bias, but everyone fought quirkless in the Pit, so at least it was a level playing field.
In the real world, Midoriya Izuku put on a smile and explained his bruises away on him being quirkless and finding himself in the wrong place at the wrong time.
In the Pit, Viper fought back viciously quick and calculating, earning every bruise and giving back just as many.
And sometimes he even won.
