Midoriya Izuku stood on the edge of the rooftop, his chest tight with despair. The words of his idol, the Symbol of Peace, rang in his ears, loud and suffocating.
"You can't become a hero without a quirk."
The notebook that held years of dreams, notes, and strategies felt heavy in his hands. All Might had crushed every last shred of hope he had clung to. His legs trembled as he stared down at the bustling streets below.
"If even All Might doesn't believe in me, then… what's the point?"
With a deep breath, Izuku let himself fall. The wind rushed past him, carrying with it every ounce of pain and hopelessness he'd ever felt. For a fleeting moment, he felt free—weightless, unburdened.
And then, darkness.
Izuku awoke in a pool of blood, gasping for air. His body screamed in agony, his bones shattered and organs crushed. But as the pain consumed him, something began to change. His flesh knit itself back together, bones snapped into place, and his heart—stopped only moments ago—pounded with renewed vigor.
"What… what's happening to me?" he whispered, his voice hoarse.
He looked down at his hands, trembling as they healed from scrapes and bruises. His once-broken ribs shifted back under his skin, a grotesque sight accompanied by the sickening sound of bones rearranging.
Izuku clutched his chest, realization dawning on him.
"This… this is my quirk?"
Becoming Ghost
Over the next few weeks, Izuku tested his newfound ability. His regeneration was incredible—any injury, no matter how severe, healed in moments. He stabbed himself, slashed his arms, even jumped in front of a speeding car. Each time, his body repaired itself faster, leaving no scars.
But the regeneration came at a cost. The process was grotesque, horrifying to witness. Each wound knit itself back together in a way that turned stomachs.
"This isn't a hero's quirk," he murmured, staring at his reflection in a cracked mirror. His eyes were tired, haunted. "It's something out of a horror story."
Izuku withdrew from the world, shunning his classmates, even his mother. But in the isolation, a new idea took root.
"I can't be a hero the way I wanted," he thought, tightening his fists. "But I can still help people… my way."
The Birth of Phantom
Izuku crafted a persona for himself, a vigilante who moved unseen through the streets of Musutafu. He called himself Phantom, a name born from the way he could survive anything and vanish before anyone could question his grotesque abilities.
With his vast knowledge of quirks and battle strategies, Izuku became a nightmare for criminals. His regeneration allowed him to take risks no one else could. He fought with reckless abandon, enduring broken bones and stab wounds as though they were inconveniences.
Word of a new vigilante spread through the underworld. Rumors swirled about a ghost-like figure who couldn't be killed, whose face twisted with blood as his body repaired itself.
Crossing Paths
Phantom's activities inevitably drew the attention of pro-heroes. One night, while dismantling a human trafficking ring, he found himself face-to-face with Eraserhead.
"Drop the knife and step away," Aizawa growled, his capture weapon poised to strike.
Izuku hesitated, his heart pounding. He knew he couldn't fight a pro-hero and win, not someone as skilled as Eraserhead.
"I'm not your enemy," he said, his voice muffled by the mask he wore.
"You're a vigilante," Aizawa replied. "That makes you a criminal."
Before Izuku could respond, reinforcements arrived—Endeavor and a squad of sidekicks. Outnumbered and outmatched, Izuku made a decision.
He threw himself out a second-story window, crashing onto the pavement below. Bones shattered, but within seconds, he was on his feet, sprinting into the shadows as his body repaired itself.
Entangled in the Plot
As Izuku's reputation grew, so did his involvement in the dark underbelly of society. He uncovered secrets that linked powerful villains to corrupt heroes and began dismantling their operations piece by piece.
But his actions didn't go unnoticed by the League of Villains. One night, as he confronted a group of smugglers, he found himself surrounded by the League, their leader Shigaraki stepping forward.
"You're impressive," Shigaraki said, a twisted grin on his face. "Regeneration like yours… it's wasted on these small-time jobs. Join us, Phantom. Help us tear down this rotten world."
Izuku stared at Shigaraki, his mind racing. The League was dangerous, but infiltrating them could give him a chance to take them down from the inside.
"You want to burn it all down," Izuku said slowly. "Maybe I can help with that."
Conclusion
Izuku's journey as Phantom was one of constant conflict. Torn between his desire to help people and the world's perception of his quirk as monstrous, he walked a fine line between hero and villain.
But one thing remained clear: whether as a hero, vigilante, or something in between, Izuku Midoriya would never stop fighting.
Even if it meant breaking every bone in his body.