"Consider this a declaration of war!" Shinsou says. Satisfied with the bewildered and slightly impressed expressions he has left on the hero course students faces. His eyes roam around the classroom, finally landing on a short kid with green hair. He feels like he'd been hit by a truck. He could only stand frozen on the spot as the boy that hasn't left his thoughts for months dissolved into a state of panic and runs off, out of the classroom and out of Shinsou's reach once again.

He mentally curses himself for letting the boy run off, he wasn't going to let him go again. It's been months since he last saw him. Months since, he left him with his abusive mother, alone to suffer. Months of him trying to get an adult to listen to him. He was the kid with the villain's quirk that nobody dared to even talk to him. He applied for UA and as expected failed the hero courses entrance exam; his quirk wasn't suited to deal with robots after all. Luckily, he already applied for the general course. His homeroom teacher, Snipe, had patiently listened to him as he recounted his story, he told him that all they could do was watch the house and see if there was anything wrong or weird going on. They couldn't arrest someone without proper evidence after all and the lack of name and information made it even harder to start an investigation.
However, the boy was now right in front of him, in the hero course no less. This was the last place he thought he would find him in. He quickly ran after him, he needed to see him, talk to him, apologize for leaving him alone all this time, apologize for not being there for him and saving him like the boy had saved him that night.

He ran through the halls, his attention drawn by a small whimper coming from the boy's bathroom.
He hesitantly stepped in, a small figure was hunched over the sink. The green haired male was shaking, his whole-body shuddering at every breath he took. His hands were holding onto the sink with a death grip, knuckles white and trembling.

Shinsou took a step towards him cautiously. It feels surreal seeing the boy now. He imagined their reunion a million times, hoping it would be, under better circumstances. Somehow, the next time he will see him, the boy will be already saved from his cruel mother. Life wasn't fair though.

"Hey, are- are you okay?" He asked, mentally cursing himself for his stupid question. Of course, the boy wasn't okay.

The boy jumps, visibly startled, only now did he realize that someone else had walked in. He looks up at him with dull eyes, widening slightly in recognition but otherwise blank.

The smaller boy smiles at him, the smile not quite reaching his eyes like it was physically challenging for him to pull such an expression. Despite his attempts at hiding his discomfort, he was still trembling. His breath was heavy and unsteady as if he had just run a marathon.

"Do you- do you remember me?" Shinsou asked voice low and tentative. The boy clearly remembered him as the way he ran off was a clear indication. He has to be sure though.

Izuku nodded slowly.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry for abandoning you that night, for not helping you sooner, for not doing anything while you suffered at the hands of that woman." Tears had gathered in his eyes as he looked down, unable to meet the green haired boy's gaze. The frustration and guilt he pent up all this time finally taking over him. He was a failure; how could he ever be a hero?

A gentle hand interrupted his train of thoughts. The boy slowly lifted his chin, making him look up at him. Green emerald eyes met lavender and the boy beamed at him. This smile wasn't fake or forced. This was a real genuine smile; the boy despite his quivering, still smiled up at him. The light had returned slightly in his previously void and empty eyes, no longer blank but full of swirling emotions.

The boy gestured at his throat and then at his mouth, Shinsou was suddenly very aware of the bruises on the kid's throat. Anger boiled inside of him, did his mother do his? Was it from the villain attack? His questions were quickly answered by a note the smaller boy passed to him. Did he write it while he was distracted?

'I can't really talk yet. The villains did a number on my throat. You have nothing to apologize for, I'm sorry you had to see all that.' Was written in small and meek handwriting on this slip of paper.

Shinsou looked at the shorter boy and asked the question he's been yearning to ask all this time. "What's your name?" he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I mean, I told you mine back then but you never told me yours."

The kid looked sheepish and slowly wrote a new note, quickly handing it back to Shinsou.

'I'm Midoriya Izuku, it's nice to meet you Shinsou-kun'

Shinsou read the note, a small smile making its way on his features. Izuku Midoriya, so that was the name of his mysterious savior. He quickly remembered the reason for being so angry and worried.

"Midoriya, you need to tell someone about your mother." His voice was firm and unwavering. He hated to interrupt the peaceful moment they were having, but this needed to be done. Shinsou has let it, to go on, long enough.
The boy's smile fell, tears once again threatening to spill from his eyes and his breathing becoming more and more ragged. Shinsou quickly did the only thing he could think of to calm the boy. He hugged him.

-------------------------

Izuku didn't know how he was supposed to react to seeing Shinsou again. They barely knew each other but he somehow felt calm around him, his panic slowly fading away. The taller male had followed him to the bathroom, apologizing for leaving that night. Izuku felt his chest warm up. Nobody had cared about him that much in his life. To actually, worry for his well-being and to feel guilty for leaving him. It left him speechless.
All his life, whoever suspected that there was something wrong with the way his mother treated him had just turned a blind eye. Who would care about what happened to the quirkless kid after all? They would just chalk the bruises to kids being a little rough while playing or the small quirkless kid being a klutz, it was just useless little Izuku after all, always troubling people with his problems and accidents.

However, the calmness was promptly interrupted by the purple haired boy's next words. Izuku was abruptly reminded why he was panicking in the first place. If someone found out about his mother, they would take him away, put him in some foster home where he couldn't attend UA anymore. They would prevent him from accomplishing his dreams. How could a coward ever hope to become a hero anyway? He was stopped from having a full-scale panic attack by the sudden hug the taller boy pulled him into. The grip he had on him was firm but gentle at the same time, the contact grounding Izuku and preventing him from dissolving further into a rattled state. His panic slowly died down as he finally let go of the tension in his body. Maybe if he asked Shinsou, the boy could keep this, as a secret between them.

They stayed like this for a little while, neither one of them ready to let go yet. Shinsou had spent months thinking and worrying about the smaller boy and now that he had him in his reach he would never let anything else happen to the greenette.

Izuku pulled away, wiping his tears with his sleeves. He looked Shinsou for a solid moment before tentatively speaking, his voice was rough from the lack of use and the remaining swelling that adorned his vocal cords. However, this wasn't something he wanted to be written on paper.

"Sh- Shinsou I- I need you t- to keep this a se- secret." He faltered a little but his voice came out as steady as it could, in his situation.

"But she's hurting you, you can't let her get away with it! She's abusing you and it's wrong. It's all wrong! How could you ask me that! I can't just sit here and do nothing! You don't deserve this!" His voice was desperate and insistent, the bewilderment and pure confusion barely contained.

"You- You Don't Understand. I- I can't- she will- No. this is not your decision to make. I'm sorry- I don't- No. Nobody can know." The tears were running freely now, he didn't have the strengths to hold them back anymore.

Shinsou wavered, should he just keep this quite for his friend? He couldn't do that! Not if he really wanted his well-being! What was he supposed to do? Just sit back and watch as that woman abuse one of the only people that truly showed him kindness? What kind of aspiring hero would do that? Maybe, until he gets evidence of some kind and if he waits for the right moment, he'd stay quiet for now. He knew his name now. Maybe he could get a hero to investigate. He knew just the right person for the job.

"I don't understand why you're doing this but okay I'll stay quiet... for now" That last part was barely a whisper, Izuku engulfed him in another hug.

-------------------------

Weeks went by in a flash, UA had given them two weeks of training periods. Everyone was busy with their individual training; some focusing on their strengths and some on their mobility. They were all neck deep in preparations. This would be their chance to prove their potential to the world. For Izuku, this was his chance to prove to everyone that he wasn't useless, worthless Izuku, anymore. He was the Deku that could do it. He was a hero and will announce it to the world. 'I am here!'

-------------------------

The anticipated day finally arrived, everyone, despite their anxiousness were all hyped and excited for the next events they will participate in.

They were all waiting in one of the break rooms. Everyone distracting themselves with one thing or another to keep their nervousness under control.

"Midoriya."

Izuku was in the middle of writing in his notebook when someone called out to him. effectively gaining his attention and drawing the stares of the rest of the room's occupants. What Izuku wasn't expecting was Todoroki, the boy he'd barely spoken a word to, to be the one calling out to him.

He stood up, meeting the other halfway.

"What is it Todoroki-kun" The fire and ice user looked at him, his heterochromatic eyes piercing.

"Midoriya, I think it's fairly safe to say that in term of power I'm stronger than you." He stated bluntly as if just stating a fact. His expression ever so neutral and blank.

"Hum- "This wasn't what Izuku expected from his first ever interaction with his classmate. Years of people shutting him down and mocking him for his inferiority flashed before his eyes. His anger, one he hadn't even known existed, bubbled to the surface. Before he could react, Todoroki continued his speech.

"All Might got his eyes on you, doesn't he? Now I'm not going to pry into why that is... But I will beat you."

Before he could say anything else, Kirishima promptly stepped in, effectively shielding him from Todoroki's sight.

"Hey man, what's wrong with you. You can't just pick a fight right before we go out there. Midoriya has been nothing but nice to you." The red head defended, his chest puffed up in protectiveness.

"I don't care, I am not here to make friends." Todoroki interrupted, his voice still nonchalant as ever. He turned to leave but Izuku couldn't just let him walk away like that.

"Objectively speaking, you are stronger. Most of the students here have more experience and skill. But I worked hard to get here. Everyone, even the students from the other courses are aiming for the top" He remembered Shinsou, the determination he had that day as he declared war on their class. "And I'm not going to fall behind. I'm going to go for it too. With everything, I've got! I'm going to win." His voice was firm and unwavering, the fire in his eyes hyping his classmates and sending them into a chorus of cheers.

They heard the familiar voice of Present mic, announcing the start of this year's sports festival. This is it, he was going to show the world what he was made of.

------------------------------

"IT'S UA'S SPORTS FESTIVAL! THE ONE TIME EACH YEAR WHEN OUR FLEDGING HEROES COMPETE IN A RUTHLESS GRAND BATTLE!! FIRST UP...YOU KNOW WHO IM TALKING ABOUT!! THE MIRACULOUS RISING STARS WHO BRUSHED OFF A VILLAIN ATTACK WITH THEIR WILLPOWER!! THE FIRST YEARS OF THE HERO COURSE!! IT'S CLASS 1A"

Present Mic's voice came booming from every speaker in the arena, his quirk amplifying his voice even more.

They walked out of the tunnels leading into the arena, the sunlight blinding them and shielding their view. The crowd roared at the new arrivals, cheering and whooping for the villain attack survivors as they waved to the crowd. Izuku looked around, feeling exposed under all these stares. That's the life of a hero, he told himself. He needed to get used to it sooner or later.

Present Mic announced the arrival of the rest of the classes, the hero course students from 1B, the general education students 1C, 1D and 1E, and the business course 1F, 1G and 1H.

They all watched in anticipation and excitement as the R- Rated Hero Midnight made her way on the stage in the center of the arena, right in front of them. She was wearing a black leotard over a white bodysuit, which emphasizes her chest, body, and legs along with black thigh-high stockings and black knee-boots, a small mask outlining her eyes.

As soon as she came into view, most of the people in the stadium found themselves blushing furiously. Izuku, on the other hand, was busier gushing over the pro hero's quirk. Midnight had the ability to exclude a sleep-inducing aroma from her body, Izuku has dedicated a few pages for her and her quirk in his hero analyses notebook.

"Now for the athlete's oath! The student representative of this year is.... From class 1-A MIDORIYA IZUKU!!" She announced, drawing everyone's attention to the short green haired boy who was trying really hard to turn invisible.

Izuku paled at the announcement. He had forgotten about the speech. How could he forget! He was first on the entrance exam after all! Of course, he would have to do the speech. He mentally faced palmed as he hesitantly stepped up on the stage. Thousands of eyes stared back at him, judging and looking at his every move. He hoped his mom wasn't watching this.

He stepped up and took the microphone from Midnight, thanking her in the process as he headed towards the center of the stage.

His hands shook, a visible proof of the nervousness, he was feeling. This was the perfect chance to leave an impression on the crowd and he was going to take it.

He held the microphone tightly in his hand, wincing at the screeching noise that came out as soon as he tried to speak into it.

"H- Hello, this year, like all the years before, aspiring heroes have walked those same steps and had competed in this same arena. Today, I, Midoriya Izuku of class 1A pledge to do my best and to give it everything I have in order to live up to these hero's legacies and in order to win. I, like my fellow classmates and peers, pledge to give it my all. In order to go beyond. PLUS, ULTRA!" Izuku shouted with confidence he didn't know he had. Raising a clenched fist into the air and receiving an uproar of cheers from the crowd in response, excited and fired up exclamations from the students.

"YEAH! YOU GO MIDORIYA!" Shouted Kaminari, his exclamation followed by multiple cheers from his classmates. All encouraging him and congratulating him on his well-done motivational speech.

"That was so manly Midoriya!" Kirishima whooped and bounced up to him, followed by Uraraka and Iida. Both of them Congratulating him.

"Now, without any delay, let's get the first event started!" Midnight gestured to the screen behind the stage. "These are the qualifiers, it's in this stage that so many are sent home crying every year! And the fateful first event of this year is... This!!!" She pointed at the previously white screen, now displaying in bold black letter 'OBSTACLE COURSE RACE'

"It's a race between every member of the eleven classes! The course is a 4-kilometer lap around the stadium itself! Our school preaches in all things!" The pro hero chuckled darkly. "So as long as you don't go off the course everything is fair game! Racers! In position!"

Izuku looks ahead to the narrow gate that leads to the course, his eyes focused and brimming in pure and unfiltered fiery resolve and determination. He can do this. He will show the world that he is here. He will win.