Who's To Say? (He Didn't, But He Sure Hoped So)

Ever since he was little, from as far back as he could remember, Izuku Midoriya had dreamed of being a hero. From the moment he witnessed the video of All Might popping up from a bus on fire, smiling in the midst of something so horrendous, he was enamored. It started with his admiration of All Might, so much so that it was all he wanted to watch, until his mother mentioned one day, off handedly, that he could be a hero too when he grew up. It was such a small moment but had the largest impact on him. The idea that he could be as awesome as his idol, the number one hero, was astronomical. If his mom was surprised, she never said anything. Not until the day they discovered he was quirkless. His heart cracked with how blunt and callous the doctor had been, though he couldn't have recognized that tone until he was older. The hardest part had been his own mother, looking at him with pity and sadness; hopeless. It was like something shattered inside him like glass after a rock was thrown through.

Her tears and lackluster apologies, thankfully, happened on a weekend, and he cried that whole time; but he decided he wanted to be like All Might, so he went to school that next Monday with a smile on his face just to show everyone he would be okay. His hopes of a good day, however, were dashed the moment his best friend Bakugo – whom he affectionately called Kacchan - opened his mouth and asked the dreaded question. Because once he asked, Izuku knew that he had no choice but to tell him the truth. There was no way he'd be able to fake having a quirk.

It had been the last time that Izuku ever felt safe in the classroom after that. At least, until he made it into UA by some miracle in the form of his idol. Sometimes, on the rare occasion, he wondered about that day. What would have happened to him had All Might never come back to find him. Whether or not he would have taken Bakugo's advice by this point. The thought made him shudder, and the guilt that always rose within him he had to push down to the very back of his mind, where it couldn't fester until he wanted to scream, because he was actually happy now. He was happy with the quirk he'd been given, and he would never go back to how it was before. Except those thoughts tended to bring back that guilt because a part of him wondered if he'd betrayed those who would always be quirkless. Who would never get the same opportunity that he got. But the longer he was in school and the more experiences he had against villains, the easier it was to put those feelings on the back burner. Especially when he felt so accepted by his classmates, though he'd yet to tell them he was a 'false negative' – the plan he and All Might had come up with to tell everyone for why he only just got his quirk. It made sense, anyway.

With the dorms being built, their class had the unique opportunity to become close-knit. Bonding over the experiences they shared over their class being constantly targeted. It warmed Izuku to be able to share meals with friends for the first time ever. He wasn't sure he counted the time before he found out he was quirkless… that was all due to his mom and Bakugo's mom, so… he simply smiled and allowed his happy feelings to bloom within his chest. Especially on this particular night when everyone was getting ready to have a movie night. With the weekend officially there, no one wanted to think about school. They'd had a particularly difficult day with all of their teachers giving them something hard to do. A few quizzes and a rough day in Fundamental Heroics. Aizawa had been harsh on them; enough so to make even Izuku want to relax for a minute.

"What do you mean we're out of snacks?" Denki wailed. He and several others were crowded in the kitchen.

"Just what I said. We've got no snacks." Jirou stated, her blunt tone indicating how obvious it was.

"Well, who wants to go grab snacks?" Ashido, hopping just a little with all the energy she had, asked to all who could hear. Izuku waited from his spot on the couch, eyes darting between everyone. When no one else chimed in, he stood up.

"I'll go."

"Oh, thank you thank you thank you!" Denki shuffled quickly his way, bowing with near tears in his eyes, though Izuku was fairly certain it was for dramatic affect.

"Uh, n-no problem!" It was odd to see his classmate bow in apologies towards him, even if it was out of good fun.

"Tch, the nerd'll probably grab the wrong snacks." Bakugo spoke up. Izuku sent him an almost betrayed look. It was only one time he'd grabbed the wrong snacks, and that was way back in preschool! It amazed him how good of a memory his explosive friend had.

"Nah, we've got a list we'll send him." Jirou said.

"Send who, where?" Aizawa sensei asked, standing in the doorway with his hands in his pockets, scaring half of them to death. By the raise of his eyebrow, they could all tell he was about to lecture them on their situational awareness. However, Kirishima piped up before he could say anything more.

"Midoribro just volunteered to go to the store and grab snacks for our movie night!"

Eying them all, their sensei just sighed, "Not alone he isn't. Someone go with him, otherwise it's not going to happen." With that stipulation, he turned and headed towards his own teachers' dorm room.

Suddenly feeling like a bother, Izuku warily turned towards the rest of his classmates, unsure if they still wanted him to head to the store for snacks. However, a sigh from Kacchan made everyone stiffen in surprise. "I'll go with the damn nerd. He's practically a trouble magnet."

Ignoring the jibe, Izuku smiled gratefully, "Thanks Kacchan!"

"Yeah, no sweat." Bakugo mumbled, pulling his shoes on. Izuku did quickly as well and soon the two of them were walking leisurely towards the small store near the school. Neither of them spoke, and while Izuku's jitters kept wanting him to say something, he could find nothing to actually say. Their friendship was on a different level ever since they had fought on ground gamma, which made being in each other's presence that much easier.

So, the walk that would have been awkward before that fight, was a comfortable silence now. Such a large step forward from where they had been just a few months ago, even.

Izuku looked up at the sky, biting his lip to stop any potential muttering from happening (the silence was just too good) when he suddenly found himself falling, hard, to the ground, a weight and a small "oomph" coming from whomever landed on top of him.

"What the hell?" Bakugo growled out from somewhere above Izuku. Izuku however had his focus only on the sniffling girl in front of him. She slowly pulled off of him, wiping her nose with her spotted sweatshirt. Her violet eyes were swollen from tears, and the closer Izuku got a look at her, the more worried he got. She seemed to have bruises hiding under her sweatshirt and a bloody lower lip. Her knuckles looked as if she had tried to punch something or someone and overall, she looked the worse for wear.

When she realized she had landed on someone, she gasped, and was up faster than he'd expected. Her whole body shook, and she crouched in on herself, arms held tightly against her chest, and suddenly visibly shaking. Her short hair, a shade darker than her eyes, covered her face just enough that Izuku couldn't quite see her face. Eyebrows furrowed, Izuku sat forward, eyes only on the crying girl in front of him. She glanced up warily at Bakugo, then at Izuku and when she saw him, her eyes roved down towards his feet, gasping in shock and perhaps recognition - Izuku had been on tv on more than one occasion. The way her gaze froze, however, made him think it was for a different reason. His eyes traveled down towards her feet and suddenly it all made sense.

She was quirkless. Red shoes, white soles, black shoelaces. The whole shebang, and by the looks of it, she knew he had been too. A small nudge from his left reminded him that they weren't alone, and that he was a UA hero student. "A-are you okay?" He asked quickly, wincing at his stutter. She looked away from him, folding into herself once more.

"I-I'm f-fine." Her voice was a mere whisper. They stayed silent for a little longer and he was infinitely glad that Bakugo had enough situational awareness that he was keeping quiet as well.

"Is there anything we can do to help you? Can we escort you somewhere?" Izuku asked again, but even before he finished speaking, she was shaking her head.

"I-It doesn't m-matter. I-I'm holding a p-party soon any-w-way." Her eyes never strayed from her shoes, but Izuku didn't need to see her eyes to know exactly what she meant. He sucked in a breath in quiet horror, his hands the only part of him revealing how shaken up he'd become. He tried to swipe his hands against his legs to stop their shaking. It didn't work, so he settled on fiddling with his hands instead.

"Are-are you sure?" He asked, trying to catch her eye, "It doesn't have to be this way." She looked up at him with a solid resolve, and a small, sad smile that seemed to be directed towards him.

"I… I know you. W-We all do. All the ones I've met. It's great; what happened to you. But, I k-know that it will never happen to me. S-so. It's this S-Sunday. Y-you can c-come if you want." Her voice had little inflection, so flat that Izuku could feel tears building. He could feel Bakugo getting impatient, especially with how chopped up both of their speeches were, but he didn't care. That wasn't important. It was the girl in front of him that was most important right that moment.

"Are you sure you want me to c-come?" His voice felt wobbly, and he internally cursed his easy ability to cry over everything. He was supposed to be strong for her! He was a hero! He had to be strong! He couldn't look weak. He couldn't.

The two stared at each other before Izuku could visibly see the resolve in the girl's eyes as she came to her decision. "I'm sure." She said, void of any stutter. His vision of her blurred just a little bit, doing his best to keep his tears from falling down his cheeks. She laughed in no way that was happy, before frowning again, "You're just like they said. You really are a hero. You'll do great things." With a pause, she sniffed, "It's at the usual place," she began to turn and he realized that he'd had his hands on her arms when she pulled out of his grasp. He quickly pulled her back, staring with greater effect.

"It doesn't have to be this way." He choked up, "Things really can change." She was already shaking her head before he even finished speaking, her sniffles loud in the silence around them. "Can I-" he held back a small whimper, swallowing hard, "Can I at least know your name?"

She shook her head again, "I-I know better than to g-give u-up my n-name." She gave his arm a little pat, "thank you…" before she pulled away, continuing to her destination before they'd bumped into each other, and Izuku let her go. As much as his instincts screamed at him to stop her, he knew it was no use. She was even more resolved than he had ever been, and a part of him, a part that was so deep down he never wanted to acknowledge it, knew that that could have been him. It scared him a little, to think that he could have hurt his mother so much.

So, he stood there, long after she was out of sight, until a sudden hand on his shoulder startled him back into the present.

"Deku! What the hell was that?" Bakugo growled out, turning him so he was. facing him. "Answer me, dammit! What was that? What were you two talking about? What party? Why the hell are you crying?"

But Izuku ignored him, wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt, pulling himself together so he could at least speak. "It's nothing, Kacchan. Let's just- just go."

"Like hell we're moving anywhere until you tell me what's going on." Bakugo's eyes were narrowed and observant. Izuku wouldn't be able to actually keep from him what happened today, as the fiery hero student would persist until he had all the answers. He was as stubborn as a bull.

"Not now, Kacchan," Izuku tried to walk forward, but Bakugo, again, stopped him.

"Why?" He asked, impatiently, "Why can't you tell me here. What's going on, Deku?'

"I'll tell you later, Kacchan," Izuku said, feeling more tired than he had in a long time. His shoulders drooped, and he suddenly had no desire to have a movie night.

Bakugo studied him, his eyes burning into the depths of his soul, or at least it seemed that way to Izuku. "You better, nerd. I'm not going to let this go."

"I know," came his quiet reply.

"Let's just hurry and grab the snacks and go." Bakugo grumbled, and the two walked in silence once again, though this time, Izuku felt like it was more suffocating than comfortable. Thoughts whirled around in his mind about the girl, and what exactly was the pushing put to make her think that this was the right end? He would never know, and he wasn't sure he would be able to handle knowing, ever.

So, they made their purchases and trudged on back to the dorms. As soon as they walked in, chatter filled the air and the smell of something sweet overrode their senses.

"Heeey! Look who's back! And with snacks galore!" Kaminari cried out. Shouts of cheer could be heard throughout the dorm, and they quickly crowded both Izuku and Bakugo, grabbing the bags from their hands and pushing them both towards the couch. Izuku had little energy to resist, allowing himself to be tugged along, pointedly ignoring the silent glare his explosive friend sent him.

Though everyone was in the middle of the commonplace, Izuku found his mind wandering to the quirkless girl. Her entire body shaking, the fear in her eyes, the obvious abuse of her body by her peers and perhaps those closer. It made him sick to his stomach; so much so that anxiety rolled within him like a raging wave bounding over its borders.

On the one hand, he knew exactly how she felt. He knew her head space and knew exactly why she thought the way she did. On the other, he felt like a hypocrite. Shame swelled inside him at the mere idea of stopping her from doing something he would have done himself if pushed far enough. If All Might hadn't come back to him that same day, even if he hadn't intentionally tried to take that swan dive personally, he would have gotten himself into a great deal of trouble and not care about the consequences. Even if that meant his ultimate demise.

As much as he wanted to dismiss it, Izuku couldn't help but feel incredibly bothered by his own admission and dismissal of the girl. A part of him began to feel that she was going to go out there that night and commit seppuku simply because she'd spilled the beans to him. Him. Someone that she apparently was familiar with because he had been on tv during the sports festival. His eyes trailed once again to his shoes, unable to help the frown that was surely on his face, barely paying attention to his surroundings. Clearly by the small shaking of his hands that he was unable to stop, this was something he couldn't brush off that easily. More thoughts of Bakugo entered his mind; the same day that he'd been dismissed and ultimately acknowledged by All Might, was the same day and the very reason why the previous number one hero had accepted him as his successor. He couldn't stand to see his friend die by the hands of a villain. The very thought of someone passing away right in front of him without him doing something about it made him feel sick to his stomach.

The same feeling he was getting right then, sitting on the couch with his friends, while a quirkless girl in middle school was suffering so much simply because she existed. Because she had told him her intentions and he was just going to… let her. He quickly found it harder to breathe as he sat there, content; except that he wasn't actually content. He had saved Kacchan. He had saved Koda. He'd saved Eri, that beautiful little girl who deserved the world, little Eri, and now he was just… he was going to…

He never realized he was crying until he felt a thumb wipe a tear from his face, and suddenly he was aware of everyone and everything around him. Uraraka was sitting so close to him, angled towards him with a frown on her face, watching him as intently as he had been thinking. Others of his class were nearby, either on the couch next to him (Iida), and on the ground nearby (Todoroki and Fumikage were right near his feet). Most of them were looking away, some had blushed cheeks, while others had their brows furrowed. Jirou, in particular, looked more disturbed and suddenly Izuku realized she could probably hear his heart racing. If he could feel it thudding against his chest, she could certainly hear how erratic it was.

Bakugo was standing near the island in the kitchen, wiping his hands on a dish towel. A smell in the air told Izuku that his sorta friend was making dinner for the evening. Or prepping some meals for the next day.

"Izuku," Uraraka said his name so quietly, it startled him into looking at her face (not to mention the use of his first name was something unfamiliar for her to say on a daily basis as she preferred the use of his hero name). "Whatever's going on, it's okay. We're here for you." Her quiet admonition had more tears welling in his eyes at the reminder that he was no longer alone in his life. That he had friends he could rely on with all his worries; all the while there were people out in the world, quirkless and miserable, who had no one to help them. No one to care about their existence.

Except he cared. Izuku cared so much his heart hurt to think they felt like they had nowhere to go except the path dealt to them by society. It shouldn't be that way. It shouldn't.

Embarrassed that everyone in his class saw him crying, he quickly sat up and wiped them away himself, knowing that he was only embarrassed because his tears weren't for him and that somehow made it more embarrassing than if they were just for him. As much as he trusted everyone surrounding him, a part of him feared within the depths of his soul that they would turn him away once they found out he had been quirkless (technically still was, all things considered), and he couldn't let them go. Especially not that way.

"S-sorry," He stuttered, hiding his face just a little, "Didn't mean to cry during the movie." A few people that he wasn't as close to let out relieved sighs, and he felt no need to correct them that his tears weren't because of the movie itself. However, Uraraka, Iida, and Todoroki all stared at him just a little closer than he wanted, and one look over at Bakugo said that he didn't believe that the tears were as shallow as a movie. Particularly since they were watching a pre-quirk era Studio Ghibli movie. One of the classics. Kiki's Delivery Service was anything but a crying movie, though he would disagree because that ending really cut to the heart, but he digressed.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Uraraka murmured, quiet enough that only she and the rest of his friends around him could probably hear.

"I'm f-fine, Uraraka. Thanks, though." His sniffle made his attempt at appeasing them seem far less convincing.

"If you're sure…" She said slowly, looking him over even as he smiled timidly. He bit his lip before standing.

"I'm just… gonna g-go to bed." He said quietly, "I'm pretty tired." It wasn't a lie, the anxious roiling of his stomach made him exhausted. Uraraka must've seen it on his face as she allowed herself to sit back, arms folded around herself, legs tucking under her in a far more comfortable position.

"Okay," She once again said slowly and quietly, as if unsure she wanted to let him go.

"We're your friends, Midoriya. If you need someone to talk to, you can always talk to one of us, okay?" Iida said.

"R-right. Thanks" Izuku smiled at him and then the rest of his classmates, pointedly ignoring the small glare that Bakugo was giving him. He swore he heard a small "Deku"growled at him as he passed, but he was soon enough in his bedroom and his nerves were shot and as much as he meant to do his nightly workout, he fell asleep before his head hit the pillow.

The next morning, he woke up far more tired than when he fell asleep, and his eyes felt like they'd cried a river. Vague memories of his dreams made him wonder if he'd cried while he slept, but it wasn't something he could quite place his finger on. Either way, he groggily sat up, holding a hand to his face, wondering if he actually felt up to his morning workout. He'd missed his nightly routine, and one look at the clock told him he still had time for his morning one. So, he slowly got dressed and his shoes on and made his way down the steps and out the door, suddenly hyper aware that he sorely needed his run. For that full forty-five minutes, all Izuku thought about was breathing properly, running at a consistent tempo, and the sunrise slowly creeping as it began to light the world.

It was one of his most favorite times of the day. No school, no stressing about whether he was mastering his quirk, just him and the slight chill of the air soothing across his skin. The calm and peaceful state was one he knew he would never give up, not even when he was too old to maintain his workouts. He would somehow find himself outside at this time of day, no matter what.

However, as thoughts of the sun and its small comforting light caused his thoughts to drift towards the next day, during sunset - a time when the sun left its bloom rays of hope to the darkness and stillness of the night and its quiet secrets - his mind once again thought of the girl and her bruised, trembling figure staring at him with lifeless eyes, as if the night had already taken her, and he had to stop. He breathed hard, resting his hands against his knees, the anguish of his heart made him whimper aloud, and tears he thought had dried up, threatened once again. How could he do this? How could he go to her, what was essentially her funeral, and act like he couldn't stop it? What kind of message would that send to everyone else who knew of him? What would they think of him? The kind of person he was? Did they all think of him as someone worthy of witnessing their last days of life? As much as he was grateful that this girl trusted him enough to allow him to see her one last time before she was no longer a part of this world, he felt almost angry that she would put that weight upon his shoulders. She knew he was studying to become a hero. She, and every single other person in the world, knew just what heroes did. What their professions were. He felt just a little angry that she could see that, and still ask him to leave her to her own devices, as if that was the end of it. Like he had no say now that he knew of her own personal fate.

His anger, he knew, was selfish. Because he didn't want to have that knowledge that he'd let her go on his conscience. He didn't want to be the one that they trusted enough to let him come to their "party", yet how could he not? How could he break the last trust she had in someone in the world? He could not. A small wail left his left lips, and he squeezed his eyes shut, clenching his teeth.

He would go. He already knew that he would, but he wasn't sure he could handle saying goodbye. Though he would never let her know that. She deserved to know that he respected her enough to be there for her when no one else would.

Wiping his face, he straightened out and finished his run, quietly making his way back to his dorm to grab his things for a quick shower. He wanted no evidence of his breakdown, even if he knew he wasn't going to be showing his face for the day.

He should have expected who greeted him in his dorm room, though, considering the calculated look that Bakugo had had on his face, even in his irritation at Izuku's silence. The explosive blonde sat on his bed, arms folded, glaring at his wall-shrine to all his favorite heroes (most especially All Might). As soon as Izuku entered the room, his glare turned towards him, and Izuku instantly wilted, unable to keep up his cheerful demeanor.

"You owe me some answers, Deku." Bakugo growled.

"I know," Izuku replied quietly, staring down at his shoes, his door wide open. They sat in silence for a moment before he silently closed the door, going to sit on his desk chair, soft rays of light coming in through his balcony door window. If it weren't for Bakugo, Izuku would've been able to ignore his anxiety, but that wasn't the case, and he couldn't. He sighed deeply, resting his elbow on his desk, tracing out the words on his homework for something for his hands to do. "I don't quite know what you want me to say…"

"You could start," Bakugo began, "With what the hell that whole thing was with that girl last night."

The heavy weight that Izuku had been feeling seemed to press down on him even further, and if he hadn't cried so much in front of his childhood friend growing up, he probably would've been embarrassed by his lip trembling with suppressed tears. He couldn't speak if he was crying, after all.

Bakugo allowed him to compose himself before his impatience got the better of him, "Well?"

"Ah, w-well, it's just-" he had no idea how to start. "She's- that girl- is like me. Or- how I… used to be." He didn't dare look up at the admission. Not until the steady quiet between them got to be too much and Izuku looked up to see the, once again, calculating stare on his face. "She's quirkless." He finally said.

"I got that, shitty nerd," Bakugo griped and Izuku startled at his gruffness, "I'm just trying to understand what that has to do with anything."

"Well- I mean-" Izuku's brow furrowed as he tried to gather his thoughts into something coherent. It made sense that Bakugo didn't know. How could he? A very small amount of people in the world had a real understanding of what someone who was quirkless went through, and Bakugo Katsuki - aka Kacchan - was not one of them. In fact, Izuku wasn't even sure if All Might was. He couldn't imagine the man discriminating against anyone who was quirkless (though… His dismissal of Izuku wanting to be a hero initially made him wonder if the man's thoughts were based simply because Izuku didn't have a quirk, or if all he could think about was the big-time villains that obviously need a larger power base and" forgot that underground heroes were a thing). He squirmed a little in his chair, trying to find a comfortable spot but failing.

"There's just… things, Kacchan, that you don't know about."

"Hah!?" Bakugo jolted, surprised that Izuku would even suggest that he was ignorant about parts of the world. Even if it was true. He cringed, "What the hell are you implying, Deku?"

"What do you think, Kacchan!" Izuku sat forward, his hands trembling once more, "You think that you know everything? Well, you don't. Especially when it comes to the quirkless population. Just because you knew me does not mean that you know everything about what it's like." Perhaps he was surprised by Izuku's outburst, but Bakugo simply stared at Izuku's trembling form, his furrowed brow the only indication he had any kind of emotion at all. Unable to handle sitting there, Izuku stood up to pace, his fingers twisting against each other. "That girl, Kacchan, she… she invited me to her 'party'."

"I got that. But what does that even mean? She doesn't even know you, Deku."

"I know she doesn't. Not the way you're implying but… you don't understand!"

Having enough of Izuku's round about answer, Bakugo stood up, huffing just as much as Izuku and got in his face. "Then make me understand!"

The two glared at each other for a second, and suddenly, Izuku felt all the exhaustion from his restless night sneak up and hit him with an attack he didn't want. Falling limply into the desk chair, he massaged the bridge of his nose with a long-suffering sigh. "Have you ever looked into the statistics of the quirkless population?" He glanced up at Bakugo.

"Course. What do you take me for?"

"Did it ever occur to you that those statistics aren't actually correct? They say that many quirkless people in the world going missing is rising while the suicide rates have gone down. I can show you online when we're by a computer if you want, but… the HPSC doesn't want to admit that there's a problem they need to fix. And because they can't admit to themselves that it actually is a problem, they use statistics to fool the population into believing the numbers rather than actuality."

"Are you trying to tell me that these quirkless people aren't actually going missing?" Bakugo's eyes narrowed. Izuku nodded, somewhat miserable at the thought.

"Yeah…" He choked out.

"I still don't understand what that has to do with that girl."

"She's quirkless, Kacchan."

"Yeah, I got that. But she didn't say anything about committing suicide."

Izuku gave him a very dry look, "What makes you so sure about that?"

"She talked about a party. Which, apparently, for some unknown reason, you're invited to."

Grimacing, Izuku looked away from the accusing stare. "She's not having a party, Kacchan." He said quietly. He couldn't look at his childhood friend. (He wasn't sure what to call it now. Rival, maybe? Something not quite friends but still on the verge of friends?)

With those words, Izuku could hear the understanding dawning on Bakugo,

"Are you trying to tell me that she invited you to her suicide?" He hissed. Izuku didn't answer, but he didn't need to anyway. Bakugo knew what it was. "So, what. Are you just going to… assist in this suicide? Because let me tell you, Deku, if you want to be the number one hero, you don't assist in killing someone off just because they want you to."

"Don't," Izuku hissed, surprising even himself at the venom in his voice, "Don't you even dare talk about assisting someone in committing seppuku when you tried to drive me to it!" As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Izuku's eyes widened in shock at his own assertion and admonition. He glanced up at Bakugo, only to find him pale and slack from his previous aggression. Bakugo looked away, then, swallowing hard.

"You're right." He said quietly. Neither of them spoke for a long time until Bakugo decided to once again break the ice, "I still don't think that you should help."

"I don't have any right to stop her…" Izuku trailed off, guilt taking claim on his heart once again.

"Why? What makes you think that? You're going to be a hero, aren't you?"

"Of course I am!" Izuku couldn't imagine being anything but.

"Then what do you plan on doing, Deku?"

"I don't know!" He shouted. Angry because he knew that Bakugo was right, guilty because he had a quirk now so how could he think he could relate to all those quirkless people in the world anymore, and ashamed that he was even questioning these thoughts in the first place. Maybe I really don't deserve to be a hero after all… Except he couldn't hardly stand those thoughts in the first place. The very idea of allowing All Might's gift to go to waste simply because he couldn't handle life left him feeling determined to do the opposite. He was going to be a hero. He was.

"So?" Bakugo questioned. Izuku stared at him, confusion clearly written on his face, "Were you planning on meeting up with her?"

"Yes." The word came out softly, as if he was afraid to admit it aloud. Which, well, a part of him was sorta, most definitely afraid at what he was going to do because he knew he'd have to hold himself back.

"How does it work? Have you ever helped someone out before?" Bakugo's questions came out gruffly, but he'd calmed down enough that Izuku knew he wasn't trying to be an asshole about it.

"I-" He bit his lip, "I've… never gone to someone's 'party' before. Party is the term we use because most of us quirkless people have felt more relief in leaving the world that hates us so much rather than try to live in it."

"You talk like you're still quirkless." Bakugo stated, watching Izuku as if he could understand these parts of him that he'd never thought he needed to understand. For Izuku, he jolted when he realized he'd used present tense. He hadn't felt like that in a long time.

"Sometimes I forget that I'm not." He weakly admitted, hunching his shoulders.

"We'll. Forget those thoughts, Deku. Because you've got a quirk, and I'd be damned if I see you waste it!"

"Wha- of course I'm not going to waste it!"

"Good!" Bakugo nodded to himself, "Then you can start by telling Aizawa Sensei."

Shocked, Izuku's head whipped to look at Bakugo, "K-Kacchan! No! I can't do that!"

"Why not!" Bakugo challenged. Izuku shot up out of his chair, ignoring how hard it hit his desk.

"Because!"

"'Because' is not an answer, idiot!"

They were nose to nose, now, adrenaline racing through them both. It made Izuku feel all the more jittery than he had been before, but now he was suddenly terrified at the very idea of mentioning something like this to a teacher. To Eraserhead. It was a very big deal. Tears began to pool in Izuku's eyes, but he ignored them to continue to glare at Bakugo.

"I…" he started, "I can't tell anyone. I don't have the right anymore."

"Why do you keep saying that!" Bakugo asked, irritation lacing his voice. Why was it that he couldn't understand?

"Because I have a quirk now, Kacchan! I can't just waltz into her life and make her change her plans all because someone like me told her she had to."

"Isn't that what being a hero is all about? Inserting yourself into someone else's life, even when they don't ask you to? You did it with Todoroki-"

"That was different!"

"What makes this so different from that!" Bakugo demanded.

"Because she trusts me!"

Silence reigned heavily upon the two, both of them so worked up that it almost seemed they had to catch their breath. Bakugo stared so intently at Izuku that he soon shrunk in on himself; barely, but enough that Bakugo backed off, though his gaze kept a firm grip on Izuku's pounding heart. He could hardly think with how dizzy he was feeling. He'd essentially told his rival/sometimes friend that he was not going to stop this girl from making the decision she'd told him.

After a moment, it seemed Bakugo was done gathering his thoughts as he asked his question without really expecting an answer. "Do you think she told you because she actually wants to go through with it? Or do you think that maybe she was telling you as a last cry for help? Someone who might actually care to stop her?"

Izuku's breath hitched. It hadn't even occurred to him that she might be crying out for help. To someone who had been in her place. "But… b-but I'd be a hypocrite to try and stop her," he whispered, more to himself than to Bakugo.

"Why?" Bakugo asked, his voice softer than Izuku thought he'd ever hear in his entire life, especially directed at himself.

"Because… because I have a quirk now." Izuku whispered, ashamed that he didn't feel like he could help simply because of the fact he was no longer quirkless.

"Are you serious right now?" Bakugo said, a flare of anger in his voice, but also, looking into his face Izuku was sure he saw determination there. An odd expression for him if there ever was one. Izuku chose not to say anything.

"The fact that you were quirkless before is the reason why you can relate to them now, dumbass! And the fact that you have a quirk now? It's the reason why you can actually do something to protect them in the future!" His fists were curled, knuckles almost white. Izuku's mind whirled with what he was saying. "What?" Bakugo stepped closer, once again getting in Izuku's face. The fact that he didn't even attempt to grab his collar said something about how much he had changed from his middle school years. "Are you telling me that you're no longer going to be the number one hero? Because from where I stand, the number one hero would never let someone up and kill themselves." Growling, Bakugo swiped a hand through his hair as if to shake out all his irritated thoughts, though that seemed to be what he was doing when yelling at Izuku.

"What do you expect me to do, Kacchan? I'm just a high school student-"

"In the hero course!" Came the interrupted rebuttal.

"You didn't let me finish. I'm just a high school student in the hero course. This is something bigger than me, Kacchan."

"You've got a provisional license, don't you?"

"Well, yes, but-"

"There's no buts about it, Deku. You either are a hero or you're a villain."

"The world isn't that black and white, Kacchan."

"No, but in this instance it is. Shit, Deku, what have you been doing in the hero course this whole time, hah?"

"I feel like you're getting off point…"

"Don't interrupt me!"

"But I didn-"

"You start now to help them! Find some way to create a support system and help them to help themselves!"

Izuku blinked a stupor of thought. It wasn't a bad idea, and a tiny spark of ideas began to race in his brain.

"Listen," Bakugo said, and Izuku realized that he had been spacing out, "You may not have been able to do something while you were quirkless, and maybe you didn't really have someone who was in your corner beyond Auntie, but now you are in a position where you can create those for others. You've been in their position! You have experience and you know exactly what those people need! And do you think they would listen or even believe anyone else? Probably not. You've been quirkless! They'll listen to you! And now, because you have a quirk - and knowing you - you'll get the quirked population to listen too! If anyone can do it, you can. You're way too damned determined and smart not to."

Izuku's jaw went slack. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. The Bakugo Katsuki had just paid him a compliment and seemed like he actually meant it! Either this was heaven or he really had changed.

"Damn right I have," Bakugo muttered, flicking his head. "You should really figure out how to not mutter aloud. Might get you into trouble one day, shitty Deku." He placed his hands on his hips, scrutinizing Izuku as he rubbed his forehead. Being flicked hurts! "You'll get over it."

With a small pout and a glare, Izuku fell back into his desk chair, feeling the heat of the moment die down. The chair, it seemed, swallowed him up and all Izuku wanted to do was sleep, but he couldn't. Not when Bakugo was still in his room, looking like he was still ready for a fight.

"So. Are you going to tell Aizawa Sensei, or will I have to?"

"Wha-?!"

"Don't give me that! This is too serious of a situation to just let go! You're a hero and heroes save lives. Whether it be from a villain or from themselves!"

"I… I don't know." He hung his head all the while Bakugo groaned.

"How many times do I have to tell you before you get it through that thick skull of yours? You have options now, Izuku." Izuku's mind whirled. He hadn't heard Bakugo state his name in… well, since before he realized he was quirkless. "You are not alone in figuring this out. You've got a support system that doesn't just include Auntie, and because of this, you won't be alone in your endeavors. No pun intended." He smirked and Izuku suspected he was trying to make a joke and it failed completely. "It's probably my fault that you don't allow others to help you-"

"Wha! No! Kacchan-"

"Don't make me flick you again!"

"Ah, sorry!"

"As I was saying, I-" Bakugo glanced away, grasping his hair, "You were right, earlier. I said some horrible things and have done some horrible things to you back when we were younger and you didn't deserve any of it. But don't let my mistake towards you lead you to making a decision that I know you'll regret in the future. You've got too soft of a heart; I'm afraid it'll break with the touch of a feather."

"Hey!" Izuku glowered, though his shock outweighed his pouting. Bakugo had just apologized. To him. Something Izuku never thought would have happened in a million years. The tears that had been threatening to fall finally passed the brink. His sobs were silent, thankfully, but Bakugo was privy to his inner turmoil and made no move to hinder his sight.

They sat in silence for a little longer and by this point, Izuku wasn't even sure what time it was. He wouldn't be surprised if they'd been there for hours for all that the sun was high in the sky.

"Look, Shitty De- Izuku. I know you're afraid," that was an understatement, "But don't be stupid. Don't let your fear allow you to hesitate when someone else's life is on the line."

Izuku considered the explosive blonde in front of him. Very rarely did Bakugo ever press him to do something of this magnitude, and never did he expect for him to feel so passionate about someone who was quirkless. "Why do you care so much?" He finally asked.

"Because, whether or not you believe me, I don't actually hate you - at least, not anymore," that last part he muttered, "Nor am I that same prick from middle school who bullied you because of something you can't control." He muttered something so quietly about therapy that Izuku almost didn't hear him. Almost.

Blinking at his admission, Izuku found he wanted to say something but didn't know what to say, and his mouth stuttered open and closed. Bakugo may have said middle school, but they weren't quite in their second year of high school yet, so his transformation was large and abrupt. All these things that Izuku had hoped his friend would become, he suddenly… was, and he had whiplash from the effect.

"Thanks?"

"What kind of weak-ass response was that!"

"Uh… w-what more did you want?"

A frustrated, gutral came from Bakugo and he growled out a quiet - what Izuku was usually hesitant to say - lame "whatever", disheartened for only a second. He sighed loudly, finally taking a seat once again on Izuku's bed, leaning almost in half and said nothing more. Izuku, meanwhile, stewed on his words, letting them roll around in his mind. Bakugo was right. He had been quirkless for nearly his entire life. He knew the ins and outs of what it meant to stake that claim and just how harmful society was. How toxic they'd made every environment. His heart hurt to think of it, even as he felt guilty for being so glad that he was no longer considered part of that one percent. Such a small percentage in the grand scheme of things, and yet when it was broken down to how many people that actually was… could it be considered small at all? Wasn't one life more than enough to consider it too much? Izuku wanted to be a hero because he wanted to save that one life. They were worth it. It was the whole reason why he had rushed to save Bakugo. His feet just moved on their own, no thoughts of considering whether or not his life should be at stake.

When he dove deeper into his reasoning for why he shouldn't stop the girl, they all seemed… less, somehow. The part of his brain that still, sometimes, felt like he was that quirkless kid growing up, sympathized with the girl, and the idea of stopping her from leaving such a cruel life was not something he wanted to do, because he knew how much the world hurt; it left him feeling a small bubble of panic blossom within him at the knowledge that he was going to betray the girl; but the rational part of him, the one that had been studying at Yuuei High School for all these months, knew that there was something wrong with his line of thinking. Every life was precious. Every single one. Every person who existed deserved to get that second chance at life, to find out just what made the world so special; what made contributing to the turning of its axis so alluring and wonderful. Even though she didn't want to be saved…

His frown deepened at the thought. If he went through with what Bakugo had been suggesting, there was no guarantee that she'd have a better life after this. How could he inflict that hurt on her further?

He grabbed his chest, fisting above his heart tightly as he stared at the ground. He'd interfered on more than one occasion in someone's life and it had always turned out for the better, but those had been when he wasn't thinking about it too hard. He was acting on instincts. Instincts that told him to push forward, to help them make something better of their lives. Like Todoroki. It was easy to tell that after the sports festival - after breaking his arm and fingers so many times just to get his point across, the simmering anger that Izuku had seen in his eyes had been snuffed out, and Todoroki's expression had softened. He'd even put more effort into making friends in class, Izuku included, and being able to see that change in his friend made his heart swarm with joy; he couldn't help but beam at seeing such a positive change in his friend.

Izuku startled when he realized he'd bitten his lip a little too hard and the taste of metallic was on his tongue. He glanced out the window, the quiet brightness causing spots to appear in his sight. Bakugo then took the time to shut the curtains most of the way, casting shadows to elongate his brooding.

"What if she hates me?" Izuku whispered, so quiet, he was almost afraid that Bakugo had missed it. He wasn't sure he'd be able to repeat what he'd just confessed aloud again; but the blonde had heard, and his eyes instantly bore into Izuku's frame, even if he didn't look to see it.

"Who cares?" Bakugo said, gruffly. At the callous response, Izuku couldn't help, then, to look up. There was a fire in Bakugo's eyes and it surprised Izuku at the force of it. "She don't give a shit about her own life right now, but she damn well will when she realizes that there's someone like you who does. She's not in the right frame of mind to decide on her life right now. But you can," he stood up to pace, "I can't believe I'm having to tell this to you of all people… Like I said earlier, did you ever stop to think that you've got Aizawa Sensei who will help you? Not to mention a whole slew of hero teachers just down the hall. Don't be so full of yourself to think that you have to do it on your own!"

"Full of myself-!"

"That's right!"

"How can you think th-!"

"Because I know I'm right, Shitty Deku! You need to be taken down a peg or two and realize that not everything has to be done all by yourself." Bakugo sighed a sigh full of frustration. Izuku, too, felt that frustration in his accusations because the teenager had no idea how much Izuku felt the complete opposite. "Look," the fiery blonde continued, "Just think about what I said. I'm done looking at your stupid face." With that, Bakugo left the room, almost slamming the door as he went, but Izuku still jumped at the sound.

With his sort-of friend gone, silence permeated the room; almost uncomfortably so. Izuku swiveled in his desk chair to face his desk, staring hard at the unfinished homework resting there. It was only a few minutes before he couldn't stand the sight, and quickly turned towards his bed, falling face forward onto the mattress and pillow. Turning his head enough so he could breathe, he continued to stare into the abyss of his room, feeling the tears begin to reach his eyes once again. The events of the night before played out over and over and Izuku tossed and turned until he finally fell into a fitful sleep.

Several hours later, Izuku woke up groggily evening rays of sun pouring their way into his room through the partially closed curtains across his balcony window. He belatedly realized Kacchan had mostly closed them earlier that day, not that it mattered by then; it being just after five. While he'd never meant to take a nap for most of the day, he was grateful. He'd been far more tired from his earlier run than he'd imagined; and then having to talk to Bakguo? That set his exhaustion to higher levels. Still though, thoughts of going on another run whirled in his mind, and when he realized he never changed out of his running clothes, he decided to think of it as a sign he should go on another one... He took the steps two at a time before he reached the kitchen, grabbing a banana to eat (thankful that the common room seemed to be empty) and then he was off.

Since the moment he'd learned that he actually enjoyed running (it had to have been several months into his workout regimen that All Might had given him), Izuku had used it as a way to clear his mind. Free his thoughts in a way that he couldn't do before, and today was no different. He spent the better part of an hour trying to clear his mind with no success.

Suicide rates flitted through his mind on top of seeing the girls crying face, and it only spurred him on to move faster; hoping the burn would drown out his thoughts. It didn't. By the time he was done, Izuku's bones groaned with even more exhaustion but little solution to his whirling mind.

He never noticed the others in the room when he returned; startled when Uraraka placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Deku-kun, you okay?" Her worried eyes searched his,

"Ah, I'm totally fine!" Izuku waved his hands as if to shoo away a fly, "Don't worry about me, Uraraka-chan," she pouted as if she didn't believe him, but let the subject drop. Relieved, Izuku walked into the kitchen, pointedly ignoring the looks that both Todoroki and Bakugo were giving him. Bakugo, he could understand, but Todoroki? Whatever put him on the dual-haired students' radar, he had no idea. Silently pouring a bowl of sugary cereal (out of the norm, but today he didn't care), he poured a decent amount of milk and grabbed his bowl to eat while he walked his way to his room. The need to be alone more prevalent than before.

When in his room, he sat at his desk, took another bite of his cereal, and pulled open one of his school notebooks, writing on the top "Is Bakugo Right?"

His pencil sat just under the title, staring at the words, wondering where he should start, if he even could start. He probably sat there for the better of five minutes just wondering how to put into words his confusing thoughts before he finally put pencil to paper and the thoughts overflowed with an eagerness he had when analyzing quirks.

Several pages and two pencils later, Izuku had come to his conclusion. He stood up, notebook in hand, empty cereal bowl in the other, and opened the door. With it being a Saturday, all of class 1-A was having a relaxing evening messing around in the common room, some playing video games, Rikido teaching a few others a cake recipe, Bakugo and his "squad" sitting on the couch doing who knew what and his close friends, Iida, Uraraka, and Todoroki sitting around the table playing a card game with a few others in the class. While nervous, Izuku felt a sense of calm about his decision, a feeling of peace within himself and for the first time in twenty-four hours, a small smile graced his lips while he watched the serene presence of his classmates and the domestic scene in front of him.

When Bakugo noticed him, his eyes narrowed as if asking if Izuku had made his decision. He responded with a small tilt of his head and then slowly made his way to the teacher's dorm. It was time he told his sensei what he knew.

The moment Aizawa Sensei opened the door, Izuku gulped loudly, "Uh… S-Sensei? C-Can I, um, speak with you for a minute?" His voice squeaked embarrassingly, and his cheeks turned red at the squeal. Aizawa-Sensei regarded his students' nervousness, before opening the door wider and allowing Izuku into the teacher's common room.

Several of the teachers were lazing about, most notably Present Mic and Midnight in his immediate sight. They both gave him a small smile while Aizawa-Sensei led him towards the kitchen table, offering him a drink before they sat down.

"No, I'm good, Sensei,"

Aizawa shrugged, "Suit yourself," and he made himself a cup of coffee. Hazelnut, if Izuku smelled right. Slowly taking a sip, Aizawa pulled out a chair for himself, setting his cup down quietly, both hands surrounding its body. "Alright, kid, what's up?"

"Um, I- I-" He stuttered under the calculating eye of his teacher, hunching his shoulders under the weight. It didn't help when Aizawa quirked an eyebrow, curiosity brimming under the surface of his watchful gaze. His eyes darted around, dimly noting the curious stares of the other teachers nearby and he swore if there hadn't been air conditioning in the dorms, he'd be sweating buckets. "I… uh, I have something to t-tell you."

"Okay," Aizawa-Sensei modulated, patiently, taking another sip of his drink.

Biting his lip, Izuku looked down at the notebook sitting on his lap, with so much information held within its pages that he contemplated just handing the book off for his sensei to read his notes; but with how chaotic they were, he figured that'd be a moot point and would take too long. So, with one more breath, trying to tame his crooked fingers from their timid shaking, he spoke in length about what happened the day before while he and Bakugo were out, leaving out the thoughts in the back of his mind of betrayal and hurt.

When he finished, Aizawa watched him carefully, never having interrupted once until Izuku was able to get his story out. After a few moments, he silently got up, empty cup forgotten, before he came and crouched down in front of Izuku, forcing him to turn towards his teacher though he couldn't gain the courage to actually look his teacher in the eyes. It was only when his teacher placed a hand over his own twisting fingers that Izuku finally lifted his head, only just realizing how scared he was that his teacher would reject him and expel him for even contemplating letting the girl from the day before commit the act she'd heavily implied to him. He had had nothing to fear, however, when all he could see in his sensei's eyes were concern and care; for him. Baffled, Izuku couldn't help but fill the silence.

"I-I'm sorry, Sensei," he could feel tears welling up in his eyes and he cursed himself and his genes. He'd done so well not crying when telling Aizawa-Sensei his decision, but the waterworks always, somehow, overwhelmed him, "I d-didn't know what to do. I'm so s-sorry that I'm such a f-failure as a h-hero." He didn't realize his gaze had trodden downward until he felt a hand under his chin, gently forcing him to look up into Aizawa-Sensei's eyes.

"You did the right thing, kid." He complimented, "Don't ever apologize for wanting to save a life."

"But, but I- I had to be compelled! I was never even planning on telling you, Sensei!"

"And yet, here we are." Aizawa-Sensei said it so matter of fact, Izuku was left speechless. "Listen. I'm going to tell you something that no one outside of the hero community thinks about when considering our profession. The fact of life is that we fail. Humans naturally want to take the selfish route. We naturally want to be accepted into society and our smaller social circles and because of that, we make mistakes and sometimes our actions have negative consequences." He kept his gaze firmly on Izuku's, and Izuku couldn't look away, as if he were staring into the depths of space; and suddenly, he felt small in comparison to the universe and his place in its existence. "But the thing about failing is that we find ourselves because of that failure. Through making mistakes, and failing, we learn and succeed. We triumph. The fact of the matter is, Midoriya, you came to me even despite what you really wanted to do. Regardless of if you had help to push you along that route, you still came; and for that, you are a hero."

Izuku's lip wobbled, and the tears were now fully cascading down his cheeks, tickling as they fell off his chin. Though his intention was to hunch in on himself, wrap his arms around his torso, he ended up in the embrace of his sensei, feeling a solace and reassurance in his awkward comfort.

"Now," Aizawa-Sensei said, speaking up once Izuku's tears finally stopped and only sniffles were left over, "Let's make a plan on how to help this girl."

-

Izuku hadn't been sure what to expect when he told Aizawa-Sensei about the quirkless girl; a part of him wasn't even sure he'd believed they'd do anything at all, after all, who cares about the quirkless person? Aizawa-Sensei, however, was not like any other teacher he'd ever had; and he knew that, he did. There'd been plenty of instances he could bring to the forefront of his mind that said that Aizawa-Sense was different, it was just that, he himself was no longer quirkless, and a part of him wondered if he'd even get the same treatment from his sensei if he hadn't received his quirk.

So now, Izuku stood at the top of the building where it was common knowledge for the quirkless to go when they felt they couldn't handle life any longer (he'd never forget the way Aizawa-Sensei's eyes burned with something akin to anger when he had said that. He wasn't sure how he felt about that, it was such a foreign concept to him). The sun was beginning to set, casting the city in a comfortable glow of orange and red, the perfect night for something like this, the stray thought flitted through like a leaf on the wind. The air was pleasant that night, the breeze lightly flowing, catching his hair just a little. He tried to keep his heart calm, to remember the reason why he came. Somewhere nearby were the heroes, staying out of sight so as not to scare the girl. It was Izuku's job to talk to her in the beginning. They'd discussed at length just who should be the person to help the girl and Bakugo, who had guessed what was going on and made sure he was in on it, pressed upon the hero teachers that Izuku should be the one to do it. Izuku wasn't sure that it was the right course of action, still feeling like it was a mistake to have him be the one who talked her down, but they all agreed with their blond student.

He stood by the edge, hands on the railing, watching the sunset, memories of a not-too-distant past popping up, the best worst day of his life. That really was when it had all begun with him. That day that would have changed his life either for the better or the worse, and he was so thankful that the answer was for the better. Now how do I help this girl to change it for the better? Will this plan really work? He really hoped so, because she deserved so much more than what life was giving her right then.

Because Izuku was well aware of just what time this "event" usually happened, they arrived early; much to his relief. He'd been just a little scared that the girl (hopefully he'd learn her name) would have come earlier than he thought and she'd be gone before they even had a chance to help. Alas, she wasn't, and they had time to get everyone in place. When he was really looking for it, Izuku could spot where the heroes said they'd be, with them giving him a thumbs up or something to that variation before hiding once again.

Breathing in deeply, he loosened his tight grip on the railing, "Probably better not scare her before I even get a chance to talk to her," he muttered to himself.

"You're doing fine, kid," Aizawa-Sensei said into his ear. Izuku jolted, forgetting he'd had the earpiece on and that they could hear what he could say.

"Thanks," He whispered. There was small murmuring from the others over the earpiece, but Izuku didn't pay much attention to them, wanting to do his best to stay calm for his own self as much as for her, though he couldn't quite quell the anxious twisting of his heart. As time passed and the sun was nearly set, he worried that he'd gotten the building wrong, that maybe she thought he wouldn't come and see her off. However, his worry was for nothing, the sound of the door to the rooftop opening slowly and he turned to see the depressed silhouette of the girl shuffling onto the roof, quietly shutting the door before she turned around. He stood a little ways away from the railing, watching her studiously, noticing a few more bruises that graced her neck and arms, the busted lip in the stages of healing from the last time he saw her. Worry churned his stomach and he walked a little closer to her before she finally looked up and stopped, recoiling a half step at the sight of him and his watchful stare. Her eyes were red and puffy, and all Izuku wanted to do was take her to safety; suddenly he was glad that he had told Aizawa-Sensei about this whole situation. He'd been in over his head and she deserved the world.

Tears instantly welled up in her eyes, her whole body visibly shaking, "You- you c-came," she said breathless. She brought her hands to her chest, clenching just as tightly as Izuku had the railing.

"I wouldn't miss seeing you for anything." He smiled sadly, though he tried not to show it. She deserved only the best smile he could give. When she burst into harder tears, Izuku didn't hesitate, he moved closer towards her, "Can I give you a hug?"

She held both palms to her eyes, wailing into the sky and for a second. When she gave a tentative nod, Izuku closed the gap and wrapped his arms around her as light as he could, wary of her bruises and who knew what else. Immediately he could feel her shaking and he hoped that giving this small hug would be enough. When she'd stopped crying and was left to sniffling, she pulled away, wiping at her eyes.

"Th-thank you," She hiccupped. Izuku didn't say anything, just stood there, wondering how he was going to tell her he couldn't leave her alone on the roof.

They both stood in an awkward silence for a minute, neither sure what to say to the other.

"What's your name?" Izuku asked her again, hoping for an answer. The girl laughed through her sniffles, rubbing at an eye before she stuffed her bandaged fingers in the pocket of the flowered dress she was wearing. The cream cardigan bunching up around her wrist as she did so. He saw a few more fading bruises wrapped around, and he wished he could promise her that she'd never be discriminated against for the rest of her life, but that wasn't real life. The best he could promise her was a support system and protection. That's what the other heroes were there for, to show her that she was no longer alone and had someone to rely on. Izuku was actually impressed with how quickly they came up with a way to help this girl regain her mental health and move forward with a life worth living. The ball was in her court now. All Izuku had to do was prove that she'd get that help.

His eyes drifted to the piece of paper she pulled from her pocket. She held it delicately, looking at it for a minute before she took a deep breath and handed it over. "Y-you c-can't open i-it un-until l-later."

Izuku licked his lips, quietly grabbing the piece of paper with both hands but respecting her privacy. He looked into her turmoiled eyes, his own welling with unshed tears. He then sniffed, and pocketed the piece of paper that no doubt held her name. "Thank you," he murmured. They both looked towards the sunset, darkness now encompassing the world and starlight shining upon the world. The moon was bright and glorious, white as snow on a wintery day. It was beautiful and Izuku longed for this girl to experience more nights that were peaceful like this. Suddenly filled with determination, he turned back to her, not having to wait long for her eyes to gaze downward, almost afraid to look at him.

"Please don't do this," his voice cracked, wobbly from his unshed tears. She looked up at him, then, surprised by his plea.

"I-" she couldn't keep the eye contact and glanced away again, "I can't," she whispered, hunching in on herself. Izuku bit his lip, brow furrowed.

"It's okay, kid," Aizawa-Sensei's soft voice came through the comm, "You've got this. Just breathe."

Listening to the calm voice on the other end, Izuku swallowed, feeling the pounding of his heart, the pleasant breeze gently brushing against his skin, birds calling out in the sky, closed his eyes and opened them again, allowing his calm presence to hopefully calm hers.

"I… I was once like you." He began,

"I know," she whimpered, gesturing towards his shoes, "We all do,"

Izuku scratched his nose, "What you don't know, what no one besides those at my old school know, is that I didn't get my quirk until the day of the Yuuei entrance exams." He heard more than one gasp. A little disorienting to hear it through the comm, but he focused on the girl all the same. "I know… exactly what you're going through, because I've had similar feelings. But… but it doesn't have to stay that way." He could already tell she didn't believe him. She was shaking her head, covered hands pressed against her mouth before she crouched down, covering her head. Izuku had his hands out, wondering whether he should help her or not.

"Look… I… I almost decided to let you do what you want today but… I had a friend show me a different way." Izuku looked at his crooked hand before softly grabbing at his heart, "I'm sorry." He choked quietly, "I'm so sorry that I wasn't going to stop you. That I hadn't even thought to before. I-I'm so sorry that I almost let you go without fighting for you!"

She sobbed, shaking her head, unwilling or too shocked to believe what he was saying, "W-why aren't you letting m-me go?" she wailed. Crouching down to her level, Izuku rested his arms on his knees.

"Because you don't deserve to die." He said, unable to hold back his wobbly voice, "Because I'm a hero and cannot let someone in need go without a fight. Because you deserve to have someone fight for you." He paused, wiping at his own eyes, shaking from the sheer weight of what it meant to be a hero. "There are-" his voice caught, "There are heroes who are willing to help you. Who will protect you from those who want to hurt you." He wiped at his nose, "Please just don't- just don't-" he couldn't even say it; pained at the thought that he knew what she was going through to some degree. More than he wanted to admit.

"What do you mean?" She croaked, peeking an eye to look at him.

Composing himself, Izuku forced himself to look the girl in the eye, "I know a few heroes who will make sure that you are safe from here on out. Who will make sure you are protected from anyone who discriminates against the quirkless population in such a harmful way."

"You c-can't p-promise t-tha-at," she squeaked, miserably.

Determination rushed through his veins like the day he'd rushed towards Bakugo, Izuku straightened up, "I may not be able to promise that people will stop discriminating against you," He reasoned, "But I can promise you that we will be there for you. I can because I trust them, and I know they're good." He placed his fist across his chest, fiercely, "I promise, I will be with them every step of the way, making sure that you are taken care of." With every word that he said, Izuku made sure that it was filled with the promise he felt.

The girl glanced up at him, tear streaks marring her dirty cheeks, seeming to look through him all the way down to his soul. "I-I d-don't know I-if I can do I-it," she whispered, as if she were confessing something deep within herself.

Slowly, Izuku moved a hand to rest on her shoulder, giving her time to move away if she didn't want it; goodness knew that he appreciated it when someone did that for him. "You can," he copied her pitch, hoping she'd put an ounce of belief in him. Her lip wobbled while she shook her head, hiding her face once more. "Please," he pleaded, "Trust me." He knew that it was a long shot, that she might reject his offer, but he also knew that he would help her no matter what. Help her to find a happiness in life that he had been able to find. With or without a quirk. He was going to do for her what he had wished someone would do for him when he was quirkless.

A part of him, a slightly bitter part but was never enough to really affect his life, wished that he'd been told he could be a hero even without a quirk. He wondered what path he would have taken if he had been.

He awaited breathlessly for her answer; silence so still you could hear a pin drop. He vaguely heard in his comm Aizawa-Sensei telling him to breathe and an image from the studio ghibli movie Kiki's Delivery Service popped into his brain, when she was saving her friend from falling to his doom, he suddenly felt a real connection to that situation.

Then, as if she had fallen and reached for his hand, she sniffled and nodded her head ever so slightly. "Okay," her response was so quiet, if he hadn't been so close to her, he wouldn't have heard her. The instant she had agreed with him, he shuddered, feeling even more tears well up in his eyes.

He bit his wobbly lip, "Everything will be okay," he said, squeezing her shoulder, then stood up, "Eraserhead, we're good." As soon as he gave the okay for the heroes to be on scene, suddenly they were surrounded by several heroes, and detective Tsukauchi. A few heroes approached both of them; talking to the scared girl and briefly informing her the plan of action so that she wasn't afraid of where they went from here on out. Just as Izuku was beginning to head to his sensei and his watchful gaze, the girl grabbed his sleeve, stopping him in his tracks. She timidly held her other arm to her chest, head bent to hide her face from him.

"Yua," She mumbled out, nigh breathless. Izuku took a moment to process what she said, making sure he heard correctly.

"...Yua?"

"Y-Yes… t-that's my n-name." She was so meek, but Izuku didn't care. He smiled brightly.

"It's very nice to meet you, Yua." For the first time, Yua managed a tiny smile at Izuku and he suddenly felt an extreme gratitude for her trust in him. He stood off to the side, watching the heroes talk to Yua, hearing the rush of his blood in his head, shaking. That could have been him, but unlike Yua, Izuku knew that no one would have been there to stop him. No one would have cared, and he was so glad that he could show her that she was worth something. Worth saving. After all, that's what he lived for, and what he hoped to convey to every single person he comes across or comes across him.

He jumped a little when a hand rested on his shoulder and there was someone standing right next to him. "You did good, Problem Child." Aizawa Sensei said to him, as if talking to a frightened child; soft and gentle.

"Yeah," Izuku whimpered out, only realizing that his body was shaking; probably had never stopped since he saw Yua.

"Kid," Aizawa Sensei turned to him, "I think there are some things that we need to discuss once we return to Yuuei."

Izuku turned his eyes towards his sensei, searching him, "Yeah." he croaked, rubbing the tears away.

When he dove deeper into his reasoning, they all seemed… less. He knew he'd been trying to justify his actions, but even when he knew Bakugo was right, he still felt that sense of panic of betrayal to that girl and her wishes. She didn't want to be saved, so how could he save her? How could he make her continue on in a life she clearly wanted no part of; but then thoughts of Todoroki splurged into his mind. The once constantly angry expression on his face had softened, all because he'd listened to what Izuku had had to say.

"I'm sorry," Izuku said, "I'm sorry that I was wanting to give up. To let you go without fighting for you. I'm so sorry,"