"Hello Izuku Midoriya, what a wonderfully expected surprise!"

Said teen felt his heart plummet all at once, and his face began to drain of color. Oh. Shit. It took Izuku a moment, but then realization hit him in the face and caused him to fear for his life.

Nezu had said his name. Not the lie of a name that Endeavor had forced upon him, but his real one. The one that whispered of a useless quirkless Deku who wasn't brave enough to save his mother from a fire. The one who died the first time Endeavor cut his arm open to spill blood with enhancing powers.

"Ah, but that probably wasn't the best introduction," The principal continued to speak, not noticing, or more likely not caring, about the teen's internal panic attack. "Hello Midoriya, my name is Principal Nezu and I do believe we have a lot to discuss. Would you care for a cup of tea?"

What the actual fuck? Was all Izuku could think. Barely registering his own movements, Izuku nodded his head. He'd normally never have enough confidence or trust to accept anything from someone as intimidating as the Principal, but apparently everything was being thrown out the fucking window so why the hell not?

The creature slid a steaming cup of pre-prepared tea over to the teen and folded his hands (paws?) together.

"I do apologize for the inconvenience, but I hope it's okay that I invited another person to join in on our conversation.

Another person? Who else would possibly be here? Especially for someone as inconsequential as Izuku? Maybe it was the police here to arrest him for identity fraud? Just then, the office door opened, and in walked professor Aizawa.

"What is it that you need Nezu? I was in the middle of grading some tedious essays."

Well, Izuku thought around his frantic panicking, at least we can both be confused together.

HItoshi was regretting every step he'd taken which had led Shouto Todoroki and him to standing outside in a secluded area of the UA campus. But, it was too late to go back now and Hitoshi's curiosity and worry outweighed his nerves. Barely.

"...Hitoshi? What was it you wanted to talk to me about?" Shouto asked in a monotone voice. Curse this boy's ability to not show any emotion.

"I...I... isn't it a lovely day outside?" Damnit Hitoshi, what the heck was that? Shouto shot Hitoshi a weird look, then not taking his eyes off of the purple-haired teen, replied;

"I suppose so," he hesitated, and then stated a little more openly, "I've always loved the grass, sitting in it was one of my favorite things to do with my mother." At Hitoshi's questioning tilt of the head Shouto sat down, followed by the purple-haired teen, and his eyes drifted to far away places. "She's… gone now. But, before everything, her and I would lay out on the soft grass of the park for hours just to escape Endea-... just to escape for a while. It was one of my favorite things to do with her." Shouto sucked in a quick breath, eyes snapping back to clarity, as if suddenly realizing who he was talking to. Hitoshi wasn't sure what expression he was making, but it must have been enough to reassure the dual-haired boy. "I've never told anyone that before… not even Izuku. I've never gotten the chance to..."

Shouto looked up in surprise when Hitoshi's hand softly covered his own. Hitoshi stared back equally surprised at his rash movement. "Shouto… What happened to your mother?"

For a moment there was no sound except the blowing of the wind through the grass as Shouto studied Hitoshi carefully, searching for any trace of dishonesty.

Finally, he spoke. "Have you ever heard of quirk marriages?"

Izuku sat dazed in his chair. He could just leave. He needed to leave. But… something in his gut was telling him to stay. That he'd regret it if he didn't remain in this office with Principal Nezu sitting in the desk in front of him and Mr. Aizawa in the chair to his left.

"Nezu," Mr. Aizawa growled, clearly trying to remain calm, "You said you wouldn't involve him until you were certain. Why didn't you alert me that this was going to happen?" What? They had been planning to confront him on this? Was he going to get expelled? Were they going to take away his one chance at escaping Endeavor!?

Izuku hadn't realized he began hyperventilating until there was a light hand placed on his shoulder and a gentle voice counting breaths for him.

"Easy, kid. I'm sorry to put you in this position," Aizawa shot an angry glance at the principal, "But I promise you we just want to help."

"You...want to help...me?" Izuku asked in disbelief, eyes darting between the two teachers. First Natsuo, and now these two? But, Izuku couldn't get his hopes up, this was probably just them wanting to know about his quirk or wanting to help him get arrested or something. "...with what?"

With that question, Aizawa's eyes drifted over to Nezu. "Well Midoriya, we'd like to help you with your quirk!" Of course, they just wanted to use him. He shouldn't have expected anything different. The teen's eyes hardened and he shoved himself as far back into his seat as possible.

"I don't need any help with my quirk." He started harshly, drawing his arms near him, but challenging the two adults with his gaze.

"Ah, but you do have a quirk?" Nezu asked in a tone that could only be described as interested. Oh. The rat was good. Izuku began to panic yet again, but he couldn't let himself be caught any further than he already was. Endeavor would kill him.

"I..I mean I don't need help with my quirk because I don't have one… yea! Aizawa raised a questioning eyebrow at the teen. Well Shit.

"Well then you can see why I find that quite fascinating when the file I have right here says that you, Izuku Midoryia, have a very… special quirk that you developed when you were six?" No… Izuku couldn't do this again. He was already barely surviving with Endeavor. He wouldn't let another hero, someone who was supposed to help others, take more of himself from him. Izuku couldn't survive two more Endeavors.

The petrified teen leapt out of his chair and backed into the nearest corner. "You can't have it! He won't let you!" Tears were streaming down his face, and both adults were now on their feet. Izuku didn't care, all he saw were villains. More people, with more knives and vials and doctors. More people who would cause him more pain.

"What can't we have, Izuku?" Nezu asked, his eyes pinning down Izuku like the test subject he'd been all his life.

"My quirk! My blood! I won't help you! Endeavor will come here and kill us all!"

Aizawa had gone very pale, and even Nezu looked slightly disturbed.

"Izuku…" The underground hero began, "Why do you think we want your blood?"

Hitoshi didn't know what to think. He could now say with certainty that Endeavor was a bastard and both Izuku and Shouto deserved so much more than that flaming pile of trash.

"Shouto… you- he-... Your mother sounds like a lovely person," Was what he finally settled on. Shouto smiled at Hitoshi, the rare genuine one that made the teen's heart beat faster every time he caught a glimpse of it. "Is… is that why you and Izuku are scared to go home at night? Because that bastard… 'trains' you?" As soon as he'd said it, Shouto's entire demeanor shifted to the defensive, scowl on his face and hands shaking.

"Izuku… Izuku is quirkless. Endeavor hates the quirkless. Thinks they're a waste of space and should be put down." Hitoshi asked in a harsh breath. He'd forgotten, only for a moment, how truly awful the world was to the quirkless. Of course Endeavor would treat Izuku so awfully just because of his quirk status. Hadn't Hitoshi's classmates done the same to him in middle school?

"But…. but that's not the reason Izuku is afraid to go home at night…" What? But If that wasn't the reason what could possibly be worse?

"Hitoshi… I- you deserve to know the truth, but not now. Izuku… he should be the one to tell you. He needs to be the one to tell you." Hitoshi wanted to know. He truly wanted to know, but Shouto was right. "Walk home with us after Izuku's meeting. There's a place we can go. It's time you know the truth."

Hitoshi could do nothing but nod, his eyes watering, as he pulled Shouto into a fierce hug which the teen tentatively returned.

"I trust you."

Shouta Aizawa had heard many a gruesome story before, but Izukus' nearly brought the hardened pro-hero to tears. Tears of anger, yes, but tears nonetheless. A quick glance at the rat showed that the principal was just as shaken up as he was. While anyone else would have difficulty telling, Shouta had had years of experience reading people.

It had taken them too long to calm Izuku down and reassure him that they were trying to help. The teen was reluctant to believe them, and refused to get within ten feet of the two heroes. The thing that finally convinced the boy to open his doors was what Nezu had shown the teen, which came as a surprise to both the boy and Shouta.

"You… you were the hero that saved me from that fire…?" Shouta had been equally as shocked. He barely remembered that day, the only lasting impression being that of a young child whose mother had died, causing a quirk to go haywire. "My… my mother died in that fire… but the hero who saved me… was one of the brightest moments of my life after her death."

"I'm sorry kid." Was all Shouta could say. How did one console a crying (and probably abused) teenage boy who had just said you were one of his happiest moments of life?

"You know Endeavor was the one who set that fire. He told me about it during one of our training sessions when he was trying to get me to use my quirk on him. It worked. I made his fire turn bright white. That was before I passed out from all the burns." Shouta reeled back in shock. What. The. Fuck.

What came next was a horrific retelling of the life of a child who had everything ripped away from them. It was a story of greed, of power, of chains and abuse. It was a story of heartbreaking friendship and a desperate leap at freedom. It was a story that Shouta had been expecting, but was nothing he could have imagined in his wildest dreams.

"Kid…" Shouta had no words. "What. The. Fuck."

A laugh that sounded painfully desperate, as if it had given up all hope, burst from the teen.

"What the fuck indeed," The teen uttered back. Shouta had a feeling the teen wasn't talking about the story he'd just told.