Akatani Mikumo (+Other Prototypes) Headcannons
For those who aren't aware, Akatani Mikumo was a prototype for Izuku Midoriya. Here is a sample sketch below:
Physically speaking, Akatani has black long hair that covers his red eyes. Otherwise, he still carries most of Izuku's traits (the boi got da freckles!!!). So, without further ado...
...here we go.
Like Izuku, Akatani's nickname is also his hero name: Yamikumo.
Yuu Takeyama was originally the name of Ochako's prototype. She had some of Ochako's looks, but her quirk and name were of Mt. Lady. Eventually, Horikoshi gave the name and quirk to the Mt. Lady we know today, but he kept Prototype!Yuu's design, eventually turning her into Ochako. Much like her cannon counterpart, Yuu has a crush on Akatani, and their feelings are ultimately reciprocated.
Akatani's Katsuki is actually a decent person, though he also has a tendency to accidentally tell people off. He looks exactly like Katsuki, but his personality is completely different. His nickname is Gougou (轟轟), which means "rumbling." He and Akatani are basically brothers in everything but blood.
Akatani's All Might is buff 24/7. He didn't have a crippling injury because there wasn't an All for One in his world. This All Might just spends his time taking down everyday villains, and the occasional megalomaniacal mega boss who almost defeats All Might but then loses because this world is more in line with classic comic books. Also, his hero name is Valiant.
Akatani remains Quirkless. One for All is replaced by Super-Power as Valiant's quirk.
Valiant and Akatani have an... interesting dynamic. Valiant still wants to be the Symbol of Peace (he's doing a good job of it, too), and then he sees this scrappy young teen who, in spite of his own apparent cynicisms and lack of a quirk, still wants to become a hero and stick it up to the stuck ups and villains alike. Seeing Akatani would likely remind Valiant how he was once an idealistic teen, too (Super-Power grows stronger as time goes on, like how One for All grew stronger with each wielder). Valiant would realize that he may have gotten a bit too caught up in the moment of stopping flashy villains and overhyping petty theft. Akatani would make him see that he still has a lot of work to do... and maybe he'd give Akatani some words of wisdom while he's at it.
Akatani isn't as initially hopeful as Izuku was. He's still berated for being Quirkless, which grates on his self-esteem and makes him a bit cynical. His ideology would be a combination of All Might's heroism and what Akatani has seen from the bottom of the social chain. He'd probably get into one or two fist fights with the other kids because he's trying to protect someone else. But even if he's beaten and bruised? The bullies go away; the person Akatani was protecting is safe. That's enough for him to decide that quirk or Quirkless, he's gonna be a hero. He also wouldn't be as self-depreciating as Izuku because Gougou (and later Yuu) would be his support system. He's still a bit reckless, though.
I personally think that in terms of gear, Akatani would have the following:
Electro-Gloves (Izuku's Full Cowl lighting is one of his most prominent aesthetics, and his early drafts suggest a tazer would be a part of his arsenal. Thus, I give Yamikumo cool combat gloves with electric properties to continue the trend.)
Grappling Hook Guns (He has two of them on his person when he's out heroing. Also, as this post states, Akatani's hero name was more in line as a Spider-Man reference, so him occasionally swinging on his way to deliver justice, or just trapping villains, isn't too far fetched.)
Utility Belt (Yamikumo still has a utility belt in his costume. It's mostly just first aid in the pockets, but he does carry two other items in particular: flash bangs and smoke bombs. Yamikumo is a bruiser, but he likes working in a little misdirection into his fighting style. When you're Quirkless, use every advantage given to you.)
Izuku got a slight costume redesign, so I think it's only fair that Yamikumo gets his own as well (plus, his initial hero costume is a bit too creepy). I'd personally go for a more indirect form of intimidation. Yamikumo would still wear a respirator with the whole shark teeth grin aesthetic, just a little bit smoother than the one in his initial sketches. The top part of his costume would basically be the extremely durable and dark equivalent of an All Might hoodie (he'd even keep the bunny ears). He'd still wear his own unique brand of red shoes, though.
[A picture of Yamikumo's original hero gear with his own unique red shoes, alongside a Prototype!Yuu.]
If Akatani ever met his other counterparts (Izuku [Hero], Izuka [Hero], Deku [Villain], and Dekiru [Vigilante]), he'd likely be one of the only sane members of the group.
Akatani does the Naruto run sometimes. Don't question why, he just does. It's surprisingly effective, too.
If his hood takes damage for whatever reason, Akatani has a backup mask in his Utility Belt reminiscent of his old costume with a built in filtration system.
Akatani is a good team player, but if he's placed on the same team with Prototype!Yuu or Gougou, RUN.
Akatani will not hesitate to poke your eyes put with his Electro-Gloves if he's pissed enough.
Akatani is a surprisingly good therapist; he'll listen to your problems and comfort you afterwards, but he'll be honest if he has to be.
Akatani's smile is actually very bright. His smile with his hero gear on is only bright if he's not facing a villain.
Akatani and Prototype!Yuu cuddle. So do Akatani and Gougou.
Akatani has some of Izuku's other qualities, like compulsive muttering, scary analytical skills, and lacking social graces.
He's probably more composed than Izuku is, and his brand of awkward is more deadpan and honest misunderstanding, like Shoto and Mr. Aizawa.
Akatani likes to spar. If Gougou's busy, Yuu will likely fill in for him.
Yuu's quirk is slightly different from Canon!Mt. Lady. She can actually increase the size of her limbs separately. Of course, the proportional strength still carries over.
Aaaaaaaaand that's all the headcannons I got! Hope you enjoyed!
-Crimson Lion (7 September 2019)