A young Izuku lay on the ground, his eye lids drooping. Everything hurt. Izuku let out a small groan but didn't try to get up just yet. Even for a four year old, he was smart. He knew he wouldn't be able to stand up – let alone move efficiently, in his current state. Kacchan and his friends had left; leaving him on the ground with the kid he tried to protect. The other was still sobbing, although Izuku could make out the repeated apologies and broken 'thank you's.

Izuku didn't bother looking towards the nearing footsteps, although a part of him instantly became more guarded. Was it the bullies again? Perhaps it was an adult?

"Leave," A voice demanded. The sobbing kid above him looked up, eyes wide and fearful as he stared at the figure before him. The figure glowered down at him, his eyes flashing dangerously. The smaller one flinched, more tears springing from his eyes. With one more apology, the boy scrambled up and ran away, sobbing all the way. Izuku looked up as the boy ran away and he smiled slightly. At least he would be alright now.

The figure from before walked up to him, taking in the boy's pitiful state. With a huff, he dropped down next to Izuku, staring strangely at the other.

"Why did you do that?" He asked. Izuku turned to stare at him, noting how the boy was older than him and his shaggy grey-blue-ish hair. "You shouldn't have protected him. I bet you regret it now."

Izuku smiled and shook his head. "No, I don't regret it," he murmured lightly. "I'm actually quite glad, to be honest!" His smile widened, turning into a bright grin. The other blinked, staring at him in shock.

"...I think you may have hit your head a little too hard," He deadpanned.

"What's your name?" Izuku asked curiously, ignoring his comment. The other stared down at him, his eyes calculating and guarded. With a relenting sigh, he figured he had nothing else to lose at this point.

"Shigaraki Tomura, " he stated. Izuku smiled.

"Midoriya Izuku!" he shouted, beginning to pull himself up.

"You shouldn't move yet," Tomura frowned. Izuku merely smiled again and continued to pull himself up until he was fully sitting up. Tomura let out a sigh, realising the boy wouldn't listen to him. "Why did you do that?"

"Get up?" He questioned, tilting his head to the side. "Because I wanted to?"

"No, not that. I mean earlier. Why did you stand up for that boy? Did you really think the other kids wouldn't attack you?"

"I knew they would attack me. If anything, I was counting on it."

"Why? If you knew they would attack you instead, why did you bother stepping in?"

"That's exactly it. I knew they would attack me instead and they wouldn't hurt the other kid. I didn't want him to be hurt. I'd rather take it on myself."

"Why?" Tomura repeated. "Why would you rather take it on yourself?"

"W-well... Uh... It's um, better this way?" He stuttered, looking down, his confident aura now lost. Tomura narrowed his eyes at the boy.

"And why would that be?" He challenged. He didn't understand this boy. He was around the age of four or perhaps five, and yet he was already getting beaten up? For what?

"We-well, y-you see... I'm... I-I'm actually q-q-qu-quirkless..." Izuku stammered his explanation, nervously tripping over his words. There was a pang in his heart as he admitted the truth but he desperately tried to push it away. He was still scared. Scared that he was powerless in such a world, scared that he'd be pushed around by society, scared that no one would even look in his direction anymore, scared that no one would ever see him as anything in general. He didn't want to admit it, but his dreams had become even further away. They had shifted to a place that he could not reach and probably never would reach. But he wouldn't give up just yet. He may be quirkless, but he'd still be a hero – one way or the other!

Tomura blinked, staring at Izuku in shock. Quirkless? Quirkless?

"If you're quirkless, then why on Earth would you even think of doing something like that?!" Tomura demanded, his eyes blazing. This wasn't right. He didn't know how or why, but his gut twisted and his mind screamed at him, how – why wasn't that right? Something inside of him burned. Tomura felt both confusion and rage fill him as a different emotion filled him. He didn't understand it and it was going to drive him nuts unless he figured it out.

"Because that's all I can do now," Izuku muttered sadly, yet he smiled despite the tears filling his eyes. "I'm quirkless, - a useless Deku just like they said. I can't do anything because of that and I can never be a hero. So, if this is the only way I can help someone, why wouldn't I? I want to be useful in my own way, I guess. A hero in my own way," Izuku explained. Tomura's jaw dropped. His confusion was pushed away by the rage overcoming him – overwhelming him and taking over his being. What? That wasn't right! How could that be right? How could that ever be right?

Being quirkless meant being useless? How did that even work? It doesn't, it just doesn't, Tomura concluded. There was something severely wrong here. What was it? Tomura scratched at his throat, a nervous habit he had picked up somewhere. Frustration filled him. What the actual hell? How did being quirkless become being useless? How did anyone even get to that conclusion? Izuku stared at the other in alarm, reaching his own bruised hands out to stop Tomura.

"Hey! Stop that! You're hurting yourself!" Izuku cried, trying to pry Tomura's hands away from his neck. Tomura continued to scratch at his neck, practically clawing and ripping the skin away. What was this feeling growing inside of him? He could easily recognise the anger, - the absolute rage – but what was the other thing? He didn't understand.

"Shigaraki-san!" Izuku shouted, finally managing to pry one of his hands away from his neck. He held the hand in place, having to use up practically the last of his energy to do so. Tomura snapped out of gaze, his eyes flickering over to Izuku. He stared at him.

"I don't understand you," He stated. Or perhaps it was something else that he did not understand? Tomura silently agreed to himself. There was something else he didn't understand – didn't like and rather hated. What was it? "What made you say that?" He asked.

"Huh? Say what?" Izuku's grip loosened on his wrist, but he still held it firmly in place in case he tried to itch his neck off again. Tomura lowered his free had from his neck slightly, still staring intently at Izuku.

"Why do you think you think you're worthless because you're quirkless?" He asked.

"We-well... That's what e-everyone says. I can't be a hero since I don't have a quirk and no one likes me anymore. K-Kacchan hates me now and so does every-everyone in my class. A-all my friends hate me too. I wanted to be a hero – one just like All M-Might! B-but... I-I can't be now, since I'm quirkless. I'm us-useless as I am now, just li-like eve-everyone sa-says. Mom says otherwise, but I can see it in her eyes. She's always pitying me too," Izuku muttered. "I really am just a Deku..."

Tomura's body shook with rage. He grit his teeth, his nails already back to digging into his neck. What. The. Actual. Heck. Worthless because you're quirkless? Having your dreams crushed because you're quirkless? Rejected and practically exiled because he was quirkless? Was that really how this world was run? Before Izuku could even blink, Tomura snatched his wrist back, quickly twisting his own hand to grab Izuku's wrist this time and stood up, grabbing Izuku by the collar with his other hand and yanking him up too.

"You're not useless! It's not you! It's someone else! I swear it's not you that's useless! It's... It's..." Tomura shouted before trailing off. Who was it? He knew for a fact it wasn't Izuku, so who was it? The school? The people that didn't believe in him? Everybody?

"Yes, that's exactly right, Tomura," A voice stated. "It's not him who's at fault. It's the current society," The voice continued. Tomura froze, his grip on Izuku loosening. He looked towards Kurogiri, eyes widening before narrowing dangerously. Kurogiri held the phone up, expression unclear due to his body being mist.

"What?" Tomura demanded, yet he kept his voice as calm as possible, careful not to disrespect Sensei.

"I believe we can talk about this elsewhere," The man stated. Tomura released Izuku and the boy wavered on his legs before he regained his balance. Tomura stared at him from the corner of his eye, prepared to catch the boy in case he fell. Kurogiri lowered the phone slightly as he stepped forward. "For now, perhaps it would be best for you to take your leave."

Tomura frowned but did not say anything. He couldn't come up with a valid argument anyways. He let out a huff and walked towards Kurogiri. "Whatever," he mumbled dejected, as he stuffed his hands into his pockets and walked towards the portal warper. "See you around, Midoriya-san," He spoke, sending a quick glance over his shoulder to look at the boy. Izuku nodded meekly, slightly confused at the situation.

"B-bye..." He muttered, giving a small wave. Tomura fully turned around and walked down the path with Kurogiri. As he turned the corner, he glanced at Izuku once more, their eyes locked and he immediately knew that this would not be the last time they met. They would meet many more times, after all.

~Author's Note~

I'm going to clear some things up here.

Ages:

Izuku: 4

Tomura: 8 (I don't know his actual age but this is what I'm going with.)

I'm going to say Tomura is smart for his age and he has been with Sensei ranging for a couple of months to just over a year.

I also have no clue why I'm starting a new fic when I'm already dying inside. ;-;