Start Of The Journey (1)

I burst from my prone position, sleep a fleeting mess filled with memories and emotion.

Looking down to my hands, I froze for a solid minute before I let a silent laugh escape from my throat, "...Transmigration is real, huh?" I finally muttered musing the consequences of such a thing.

Already, I knew who I was. Izuku Midoriya, born to Inko and Hisashi Midoriya. I was in an anime--but that wasn't right. I wasn't just *me*. I was quite literally Izuku Midoriya mixed with Jason Smith (mediocre last name, I know). I was both of them.

"Is that how souls work?" I mumbled to myself, "You put two in the same body and they conjoin together like some sort of...what, symbiotic relationship?" I scratched at my chin, ignoring the nagging feeling that I was forgetting something as I delved into my memories as Jason. Normal life by all means. Loved going to the gym, took MMA lessons as much as I could afford to and I was usually at highschool whenever I wasn't doing the first two. Then I died.

Can't even remember how. Must've had something hit me from out of my range of vision and now...this. Some sort of chimera of Izuku and Jason. I would laugh about being a protagonist - a point that made one half of me incredulous at the idea, like me being a protagonist was something wrong or that I was unworthy of it - but looking at Izuku's (my?) memories I saw something was different. Very, very different.

He never got One For All. He ran into the Sludge Villain, he was saved by All Might, he tried to get All Might's autograph and got taken along for a ride through the sky...and from that point some things changed.

All Might was different. Less enthused. Lethargic in his speech. His smile smaller and less true. He looked tired.

He signed an autograph and left.

Izuku, I, never found out All Might's secret. But he did run into the Sludge Villain trying to take over Bakugo's body and like you'd expect, he ran into the fray like the brave idiot he was. He tried to help. Tried his best. Things went as they originally did in canon, however, and All Might arrived to save the day with a tired smile. Except this time he didn't take Izuku aside and eventually tell him he could be a hero.

He berated him alongside the rest of the Pro-Heroes there. Bakugo, thinking Izuku had tried to save him and taking offense to that, called him out in front of the heroes and told him Quirkless people should stay out of fights like that. It was, of course, filled with many more expletives but that was the basic premise.

That only made things worse. All the heroes turned to look at Izuku with such a look of...disdain on their faces. If it wasn't disdain, it was pity.

Platitudes of how he should give up on being a hero, how he should join the police if he really wanted to help--things Izuku had heard many times before from classmates and teachers but never from people he idolized. It crushed him.

My chest tightened up at remembering the memories. The disregard, the humiliation and the contempt I got for trying to do the right thing nearly had me bawling into my hands like I knew Izuku had been doing for the last week since the incident. Passion and determination, however, burned through any feeling of sorrow in my mind like a rampaging inferno.

Fist clenched, I knew the merger between Jason and Izuku was more complete than before I reviewed the memories. Like something had finally clicked into place.

I burst into motion and off my bed, standing in the middle of my room with a wide smile, "I'm gonna become a hero. No matter what," I paused before my smile became much more wry in appearance, "Though it does beg the question of how I'm gonna do that with no Quirk...Tech, maybe? But where would I get the money and training for something like that?" I muttered to myself, hand on my chin. Then, out of nowhere, I saw a piece of paper slowly floating back and forth on it's way to the ground in the corner of my eye.

With instinct and ease I know I didn't have in this body, I snatched the paper less than a second after I found it. Confused and somewhat flustered about how that paper got up there, I started reading it.

[Hello, Jason. Or is it Izuku now? Let's go with Izuku. Anyway, Izuku, sorry but you died--]

"No shit," I mumbled before continuing to read.

[One of Truck-kun's pesky kids got out of his cage. Drone-kun, in case you're wondering. He flew right into the back of you head at supersonic speeds and your head literally exploded--]

I turned a little green at the imagery spawned in my head. My headless body lying in a puddle of blood on a sidewalk, gore spattered all over--Urgh. Let's stop thinking of that or I'm gonna be sick.

[Alas, as a benevolent ROB and because Drone-kun is under my watch, I decided to whisk your soul away to the 'My Hero Academia' universe. An AU one, mind you, but still an anime world. It was really a lucky or unlucky coincidence that you found yourself merged with the body you're currently in. It was an even split between that one and Mineta. Something tells me you'd take a Quirkless body over that little squirts because it ain't like some of the messed up hentai that little perv is in; he's proportionate downstairs but if anyone asks, I didn't tell you that--]

"..." I stopped reading in silence before taking a step backwards and plopping down on my bed.

[Okay, down to business. You did get a cheat. Not OP, really. Well, not unless you really try hard to make it OP. You've been given the genetic templates of five great fighters from the Kenganverse. 'The Devil' Kure Raian, 'The Wild Tiger' Wakatsuki Takeshi, 'The Howling Fighting Spirit' Yoroizuka Saw Paing, 'The Emperor' Adam Dudley and finally 'The Lightning God' Mikazuchi Rei. Hopefully this will be enough for you to fulfill that dream of yours, kid. Hopefully you don't have to come see me sooner than you need to.]

And then the piece of paper just disappeared. But I couldn't care less about that or that something called Drone-kun had killed me. Yeah I died but the thing is, I'm a new person now. I'm Izuku Midoriya and my parentless and near friendless previous life feels somewhat...irrelevant to me now. Almost like it wasn't even my life anyway.

I shook the thoughts from my head and concentrated. Genetic templates. I didn't get much info on *how* they'd affect me but I'd assume that I'd have the physical aspects they were known for. Kure Raian for his tenacity, pain resistance and overall superior physical attributes as a member of the Kure Clan plus 100% Removal Percentage. Wakatsuki Takeshi for his absurdly dense muscles that gave him herculean strength and fortress-like defense. Yoroizuka Saw Paing for his incredibly durable bones and his overall resilience. Adam Dudley and his very-well endowed back muscles which empower his punches and his sense of balance. Finally, Mikazuchi Rei, one of the fastest fighters in the Kenganverse with ridiculous movement speed, attack speed and reflexes.

Realizing something, I burst off of my bed and out of my room as I made my way to the bathroom.

Nothing seemed smaller so I hadn't undergone a very noticeable growth spurt that I was thankful I wouldn't have to explain but I did *feel* different. Lighter, stronger, my body and mind more in sync and it was easier to keep my back straight despite knowing I'd been hunching ever since I got into Middle School.

Just in case, I refrained from pushing the bathroom door too much in my panic. Is this how Spider-Man felt after the spider bite? Well, to be fair, I don't know if I've had such a drastic increase...but it can't hurt to be cautious for now.

Inside the bathroom, I flicked on the light and closed the door as I stood in front of the mirror.

My reflection looked back with bright green eyes and my head was covered in a mop of dark-ish green hair. If it weren't for my memories of this life, I wouldn't have noticed the differences. But I did, so I saw them as clear as day.

Pulling my basic white t-shirt off, I looked at my bare torso. The scrawny body I was used to was gone. Not replaced with a torso of rippling muscle, no, but instead replaced with tighter-looking muscles. I looked more toned. More athletic. My skin looked healthier as well. I was broader by a small but noticeable amount and looking to the rest of my skeletal structure showed me things that had changed. The narrow and slender body with presumably thin and weak bones had changed to become thicker, denser and stronger.

My physical changes wouldn't be too noticeable if I wore baggy clothing but I had a nagging feeling this was only a start. All of the genetic templates I now had inside me were tall and well-muscled. Part of the latter would be because of training but for the other part it'd be a result of good genetics.

Which meant I'd soon start packing on muscle.

Pulling myself out of my thoughts, I felt impulsive and contemplated the urge before giving in and dropping to the floor in a push-up position.

I knew the body from before the change wouldn't be able to do more than five even if I used every drop of willpower to fuel my muscles. When I started with this newer body? It was absurdly easy. My body weighed nothing to my arms. They weren't even muscular, just toned...and yet I was already at the level where push-ups are basically nothing more than a warm-up?

I did a hundred or so at a rapid pace and still, nothing. No real burn or anything.

Deciding to push myself, regardless of if I fell and made a bunch of noise or not, I flicked myself up into a handstand and my feet lightly banged against the door before I rested them there as I got my balance and re-secured my hands on the floor. Pushing off lightly from the door, I held myself up in a perfect handstand. Nothing. I lowered myself in a handstand push-up. Still no real exertion.

How the hell was I supposed to get stronger without weights meant for Pro-Heroes? You know, weights that they don't sell to underage Quirkless teenagers?

I dropped down from my handstand position and lightly laughed at myself, "Get superhuman physical prowess and even then the road to becoming a Pro is hard," I shook my head before sharply slapping my cheeks to knock myself out of what I knew would be a melancholic funk if I let it continue. "I'm gonna become a Pro, regardless of how hard it is. Regardless of obstacles in my way. I'll figure out a way with enough time," I said to myself and God (or ROB) knows I had it.

Like ROB had said, this was an AU MHA. I wasn't in my last year of Middle School but instead at the start of my first year in Highschool. U.A wasn't strictly a Highschool in this reality. You'd be able to apply after completing your first year of Highschool. U.A wasn't even a highschool anymore either. More of an early College for talented kids.

Luckily, from what I can remember from looking up their website, the talented aspect they mention has nothing to do with Quirks. Implies it, sure. But never outright says it because of the public relations travesty it'd cause - despite only making up 20% of the population, a lot of Quirkless people have found themselves in some high positions. Still, it went unsaid that they just assume Quirkless people are without talent. I frowned at the thought before turning it into a smile, "I'll just have to show them how wrong they are."

Either way, I'd say I'm due for a growth period which should naturally enhance my physicals over time. What I'm most in need for would be some serious combat training. Previous life's MMA classes or not, this place is a different ballgame altogether and I need to get some muscle memory in this body before my previous experience will be anywhere near effective.

Just as I settled into thinking, I heard a quiet almost meek knock against the door, "Izuku dear? Are you okay in there?" a voice I knew all too well asked with a worried tone only a mother could have.

Against what I was expecting, I felt no aversion to calling her 'mom' or even thinking of her like my own mother. Probably because of a lack of a motherly figure as Jason and because I was as much of the original Izuku as I was the transmigrator who merged with him. Either way, I picked up my shirt and put it back on hurriedly before opening the door to see Inko Midoriya, my mom, standing there with her hands wringing one another and looking extremely concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine, mom," I reassured her with a small smile, "Just decided to get an early start to the day is all."

"Izuku..." mom trailed off, her worry not abating even a single iota, "Are you sure you're okay? After 'that' incident you've been--I mean, this is the first time I've seen you smile since then! You can tell me if you need help, okay?" she desperately said, green eyes ever so similar to mine filling with distress and maybe even a little bit of self-hatred.

My smile got wider at the worry and concern she held for me. For a part of me, this was a new thing to feel. A mother's love. I pulled her into a hug and she yelped in surprise but soon returned the gesture with everything she had, "I'm fine, mom. Really. I won't deny that I've been a bit down in the dumps since my run in with that Villain but not anymore. If I keep being so melancholic, all I'm gonna do is worry you after all and I don't want that one bit!" I finished enthusiastically and full of vigor.

"You don't have to force yourself to be happy for me, Izuku dear," she pulled away from the hug and looked up at me, placing a tender hand against my cheek, "I want you to be happy for you. I know what those Heroes said to you and as much as I'm still angry that you put yourself in danger like that, I know you did it with good intentions and I know how much it would've hurt to have those good intentions completely tossed aside by people you idolize."

"I know, mom," I continued smiling down at her, "I'm not gonna force myself to be happy for you. I'm gonna be happy for the both of us, okay? I promise." A comforting smile overtook the worried one from earlier as she nodded up at me though she seemed to be waiting for something, so I continued, "What they said hurt," I admitted with a tight feeling in my chest but I pushed through it and continued, "But I won't let it deter me, mom. I don't care if I'm Quirkless; I'm going to be a Hero."

Mom let out a tired sigh at that but her eyes held fondness and pride in them, "I knew this would happen. You're almost as stubborn as your father," she paused and caught herself before she continued. She stepped back from me and checked her watch, "It's 5:29 in the morning--So, do you want me to do you some breakfast? A hero needs a healthy diet, after all!"

I could tell she still wasn't entirely on board with my goal. What mother would be? For all the advantages I knew I had, she hadn't a clue. To her I was her Quirkless son who wanted to go head-to-head with people who could level buildings with a punch or freeze an entire building with a thought.

She was the sane one. A normal mother, worrying for her son. I was the abnormal one.

Welp, it just means I'll have to prove it to her. Prove she doesn't have to worry as much as she thinks she does.

"Thanks mom, but you can go back to sleep. You've still got an hour before you need to go to work," I said before continuing before she could refute me, "I can handle my food. Don't worry, I won't burn the house down!" I joked and she gave a smile that said 'what am I gonna do with this child of mine?'. Then she just stopped and looked me up and down. Huh, guess I'm not the only one who can see the differences. "What?" I played dumb and asked her what she was looking at.

Mom looked back to meet my eyes and smiled, "You seem taller than before, Izuku. You must've missed the genes that made your mother so short--I don't know whether to be happy or envious," she grumbled in jest before smiling, "I'm heading back to bed then. Don't cook yourself some too unhealthy, okay?"

I nodded in response and with one last look at me, mom turned away and walked back to her bedroom. Turning the bathroom light off, I exited the room and closed the door before making my way to the kitchen. Make myself something unhealthy to eat? God forbid. As a guy who frequented the gym so much it was like a second home, I know how to have a healthy diet and I know how important it is.

As I walked my way to the kitchen, I continued to think about the best ways to workout to properly make the full use of my new genetics. I could naturally reach a pretty superhuman level--Hell, I'm already pretty sure I'm at a low-superhuman level right now.

But staying stagnant just doesn't seem to be something I can let happen. Both sides of me want to push further now that I have the chance to become something more. The melancholy that was pushed aside by the soul merger and infused me with such determination and willpower just wouldn't let it go like that; the thought of stagnating when I had everything I needed for my dream left a bad taste in my mouth.

It'd seem that underneath the sorrow and despair, Izuku was filled with an unnatural amount of determination. All he, or I, needed was for the soul merger to bolster that determination and kick me out of my funk.

"What should I have to eat?" I wondered aloud, "Ah, a stir fry sounds pretty nice right now!"

With that decided, I redoubled my pace to the kitchen while thinking about asking mom about going to a martial arts dojo. She had work, sure, but it was a Saturday and I had a free day ahead of me.

So much to do and a single year's time to do it. Challenge accepted, world. Challenge fucking accepted.