#stop trying to write 'dramatic plot altering sacrifices' when the only plot in question is one of your own contrivances

[flufflecat]

can writers stop amounting their characters to such a husk of themselves that them literally killing themselves for no reason is considered a good death

[mrevaunit42]

I’m going to be a hero! (Boku no academia AU) part 1

Hello everyone, Mr.E here with the newest au I am working on: Boku no academia or My hero academia. I absolutely love this show and when I love something, i need to write about it. If you have not seen the show I highly recommend it. 

So in this story, 80% of people have a quirk or super power that is formed naturally. Marco is not one of those people and while he longs to be a hero, his quirkless nature is problematic. one day, our 14 year old hero meets his idol and number 1 hero in the world All Might, symbol of peace and justice. He discovers All might’s secret and his act of heroism impresses the hero so much All Might agrees to give him a special gift if Marco trains and reaches his goal. 10 months have passed and Marco is ready to inherit the gift from his trainer and take the entrance exams which determines if he can be in the UA hero class and start his path to become a true hero.

So this two part chapter takes place in the UA entrance exam episode. It honestly largely follows the same plot as the chapter/episode but i set things up and change stuff around so its not exactly a one to one and if i come back to it in the future, i can tell my own story about it. So this is part 1, i am currently proofreading part 2 and will link it and all that jazz when I am done. so this means narration (to fit with the opening and closing narration that the anime likes to do) and this means flashback. I hope you enjoy the chapter and have a great day! 

Notification squad: @artgirllullaby @isolated-frequencies @hipster-rapunzel @thefandombytes @minthia-ren 

*update*

here is the link for part 2: https://mrevaunit42.tumblr.com/post/162854666042/reckless-heroing-boku-no-academia-au-part-2

I remember the first time I laid eyes upon the U.A school building.

I had seen it before, of course, towering there, shining brilliantly as a symbol peace and justice for all to see, where all heroes past, present and future trained.

But that was the first time I saw it with hope, with eagerness..with fear.

It was the first time I had seen that majestic building not with a hopeless, childish sense of longing but with fierce drive and determination. What was once an impossible dream forever out of my grasp was now my destination that morning.

After 10 months of hard work, sacrifice. Of pushing my body far beyond its limits, of aching with pain and stiff joints, going further than I ever hoped, Quirkless Diaz no longer existed that morning. The morning All Might shared with me his secret to his power.

Marco stood on the sandy shores of the beach, eye twitching subtly as he stared at his idol/trainer for the last 10 months.

All Might was the best hero of all time. It was a universally known fact, a truth which could not be denied. The fastest, strongest and undefeated champion of justice and peace, he was as impressive as his reputation made him out to be.

The hero was tall with a large, imposing build that made bodybuilders look scrawny. He had short, spiky hair that was combed back to perfection and matched his long split blonde mustache and beard, his eyes were a piercing blue that gave the impression he was looking into your very soul but the most notable feature was the smile that seemed just permanently etched onto his lips, a smile that never faltered or vanished for it was a hero's duty to always reassure the public they were safe as long as he was around. The invincible All Might

At least that's what the world knew and believed. Marco, on the other hand, had discovered the sobering truth behind his idol.

All Might let a mighty chuckle, eying the beach carefully to ensure there were no witnesses before he vanished in a pop and puff of smoke, his frame drastically shrinking  until he stood shorter than Marco.

“Sorry my boy” River Butterfly, the true identity of All Might, said with with a sheepish grin “I was just so excited! You did it Marco, you cleaned up the beach and prepared yourself for the hero entrance exams.”

Marco gave a small smile as he looked at the enormous pile of assorted junk he had finished stacking that very morning, a rather strange tribute to his achievement.

“Thanks All...” Marco paused and corrected himself “Mr. Butterfly, I couldn't have done it without your help”

“Pish Posh!” River scoffed “All I did was give you instruction, you made it come true.”

Marco tried to steady himself as River trapped him in a bone breaking hug.

He let him go and held the teen by his shoulders, eyes tearing up with pride and joy.

“After my injury” River began, his voice low and soft “I was worried about the future about One for All....”

Marco nodded. The secret behind River's power: One For all, a quirk that did not develop naturally but rather was passed down from person to person. From one hero to the next to continue their legacy.

River had told him the truth about why he was not as active as he used to be: Five years ago, he fought a devastating and fierce secret battle, one that nearly claimed his life. Though he was victorious, it was not without a heavy cost: the left side of his body was indented with an injury that would never heal. He could only use his power for 3 hours a day before reverting back to normal.

“No matter” River shook his head, the cheer returning to his voice “What is important is that you are ready for the exam”

“....”

River peered carefully at Marco's frozen face, realizing the cogs of his brain were turning, slowly at first but rapidly gaining speed as a sudden realization washed over him.

“CRAP THE EXAM!” Marco gripped his hair tightly “I totally forgot it was today! I've been out here since 4 moving all this junk around. What time is it?”

“Well...” River glanced at his watch before filching in preparation.

“It's 7:30?! THE EXAM STARTS IN HALF AN HOUR!”

Marco ran past River, a deep sense of dread feeling his body. How could he lose track of time so easily?! Even if he ran there, he'd be 10 minutes late to the exam! Also dead tired.

“Marco” A deep, calming voice called out to the fleeing teen.

Marco turned back to find River in his All Might form, posing against the rising sun.

River smiled brightly, giving an encouraging thumbs up towards his ward.

“Do not worry young ward” River said dramatically, bellowing out a cheerful laugh “I will give you a ride to the UA exams! After all the hard work you did, it is the least I can do for my protege!”

Marco couldn't help but return the grin “Thanks All Might...I...”

A gentle breeze ruffled River's spiky, slicked back hair playfully.

“.....” Marco couldn't stop staring

“Umm, my boy? Why are you....?” River questioned curiously

“Your hair”

“What about it?”

“Y-you have it!” Marco cried out loud before dropping into a hushed whisper “Interesting. So One for All not only alters one's appearance but also potentially enhances one's natural regenerative properties though it doesn't explain why his bald spot remains after he turns into All Might. Maybe it only works when it is active..”

River's eye twitched though his smiling demeanor never faltered

“Marco” River spoke with a controlled edge “This really isn't the time.”

“Huh? Oh right! The exam.”

River gave a powerful nod “Indeed but before we go, there's something I need to about One for All and your current state. This is important, so you need to listen carefully.”

Marco clutched at his stomach pitifully with a hand covering his mouth as River sailed through air, off to respond to trouble in progress.

Marco stared blankly after his idol, trying to keep his breakfast in as River's words weighed heavily on his mind.

Marco clutched his fist tightly

“This is happening...this is really happening....I'm here!”

Marco glanced upwards to the towering building in the distance. A few short minutes from now the real challenge began: Either he'll be on the road to be the hero he's always dreamed of, the one only his parents believed he could ever be or he'll sit in the corner of his room and manly brawl his eyes out for the rest of the afternoon.

Maybe week, depends.

“Alright U.A here I come! Time to be a hero!”

“YEAH! WE'RE GOING TO BE HEROES!” a voice agreed out of nowhere

Marco flailed in surprise, hands windmilling wildly as he tried to steady his step.

He rocked back and forth uncontrollably, just one weak shove away from giving the ground a lovely face first kiss.

A warm hand reached for his shoulder, a firm grip steadied him and allowed him to recover his balance with their support.

Marco took a calming breath “T-thanks, sorry I was pretty excited to be here and just got caught up in my own thoughts.”

He gave a nervous chuckle before turning to properly greet his savior.

“That's okay” a cheerful blonde waved off his apology, her blue eyes staring at him like he was the most interesting person in the world “I can understand completely! I still can't believe it's time for us to take the hero entrance exams! I AM SO READY FOR THIS!”

Marco couldn't help but smile at the energetic blonde's warcry, her arms outstretched skyward as her pink circular pads on either cheek puffed out.

The blonde stared back at him, eyes widening expectantly “Liked my battlecry?”

Marco gave a short nod, feeling oddly comfortable with this strange girl. He felt a deep, familiar bond with her. It was almost like he knew her his entire life, an old and dear friend.

“I'm Star” The teen offered a hand politely “Star Butterfly, future heroine and bad guy butt kicker”

“I'm Marco” he took her hand carefully and gave it a friendly shake “Marco Diaz.”

“Marco?” Star rose an eyebrow quizzically “I heard that name before....”

Marco's gaze was one filled with confusion, she had heard of him? How? Wait, why did her name sound so....

Marco's eyes widened as he recalled the first training session he had with River.

Flashback, 10 months ago

Marco laid tiredly on the beach, his body sore and defeated after only an hour of training with River. Even with his karate background, All Might's regiment turned out to be more intense than he had originally expected.

“My boy” River spoke, helping Marco to his feet with a mighty tug “Are you alright?”

“Y-yeah” Marco responded, eying the pile of trash he spent the last hour moving “I didn't realizehow tough moving junk into a pile would be.”

“No one does” River said matter of fact as he looked up to Marco's exhausted face “Which is why it makes the perfect training! Nothing builds character and strength like cleaning the environment!”

“I-I can't argue with you there...” Marco huffed “But is this really the way for me to become a hero?”

“patience my boy” River placed a hand on his shoulder “I understand how you must feel but we don't have much time if you hope to be ready to take the entrance exams in 10 months. I need to bring you up to speed if you wish to use my power.”

River shook his head jokingly “What is it with young people being so impatient these days?”

“Young people? Are you training someone else?”

River scoffed at the idea “Don't be jealous my boy. You are my pupil. I was simply referring to my daughter.”

“Daughter?” Marco repeated “You have a daughter?”

“Indeed, her name is Star.”

“Star...wait” Marco's mind began to race wildly “Your name is River Butterfly.... Moon Butterfly?” WAIT! YOUR WIFE IS THE QUEEN? MOON BUTTERFLY IS YOUR WIFE?! Most feared Spec ops hero ever?!”

River gave a hearty chuckle “Of course!”

Marco felt weak as the stunning revelation washed over him “All Might is married to The Queen...I...I thought you hated each other?”

“Psst, of course not! It was an act. We decided this long ago though ever since my injury, I have became a liability to my family. If anyone were to discover the true face behind All Might...” River trailed off “we decided it was better if we hid our relationship which was honestly for the best. My wife is a black ops heroine. Her work requires more subtlety and I've always been a bit of a showoff.”

“Wait if that's the case” Marco muttered uneasily “Why don't you give your power to Star? Wouldn't she be a better candidate for One for All than me?”

River's face was stony, stoic as he stroked his beard thoughtfully

“I love my daughter” he began quietly “She's fierce and tough yet caring and joyful but she longs to be free of her mother's shadow. She wishes to be her own person and carve out her own path. If she was to discover I was All Might....”

“She doesn't know?”

River shook his head “For her safety. Her mom has many enemies and I have many more. I don't want her living looking over her shoulder or worse, chasing after trouble. Besides, she'd never take the power. She wants to be herself, not anyone else.”

“I understand.”

River stood to full height and looked at Marco directly

“Do not twist my words my boy. I chose you as my successor because you have the heart of the hero, the drive. You, Marco Diaz, have the markings of a true hero. Never let anyone tell you otherwise”

“What are you doing here Diaz?”

Marco and Star whirled around in time to see Tom stroll up to the pair, a mixture of cockiness and swagger in his step

“This is a place for real heroes” Tom gestured to himself “Not quirkless kids like you. Should probably go home before you get hurt.”

Star frowned and took a step forward when Marco pulled ahead of her.

“Don't worry Tom” Marco answered with a smirk “I'll make sure to save you a front row seat when I prove you wrong.”

Star barely held in a chuckle trying to escape her lips as Tom growled angrily

“Whatever”

Star and Marco watched Tom disappear past the entrance way before bursting out loud.

“haha oh man, that was great. I have never seen my ex more angry” Star paused thoughtfully “Well actually, there was that one time when I broke up with him”

“Wait” Marco's laughter died at once “You dated him? Why!?”

Star gave a non-committal shrug “Young. Made a poor choice. It's whatever now. Well good luck Marco!”

Marco felt his body stiffen when Star embraced him tightly without warning

“We got this!” She gave an encouraging smile, pulling away from the stunned teen “and I'll see you in hero class!”

and just like, with a hop and a skip, Star had disappeared into the waiting maw of the UA building.

“....what...just happened?” Marco asked himself as he stood there, dumbfounded at what just occurred.