Twelve year old Izuku Midoriya was limping home after another day of school. Kaachan spent another afternoon reminding him to stay in his place, and Izuku paid the price for not doing that.

It wasn't even Kacchan's fault. He just kept getting in his friend's way of being the future number one hero, so of course it made sense that Deku needed to be reminded of his place on the totem pole. Izuku would put up with the pain; he couldn't be a hero if his smile fell after a few scrapes and bruises, after all.

As he was approaching the apartment that he and his mother lived in, Izuku saw a small moving truck at the bottom of their apartment complex. A pair of mutant quirk movers were carrying a few boxes up the stairs, to the door right next to his!

Izuku gained a spring in his step; he and his mother never had a neighbor before. The apartments around them were empty. The other residents thought they were being subtle, but Izuku could hear the whispers…

Can you imagine living near the cripple?

I don't want his weakness to get to my kids.

If we ignore them, it's like they don't exist. Let's keep it that way…

Shaking his head free of the useless thoughts, Izuku started walking up the stairs to his apartment. He didn't want to press his luck with their good fortune. If he was quiet enough, maybe they would like his mom! She was lonely; Mitsuki visited every month, but his mom wasn't able to make any other friends because of his condition. He would stay out of the way, and then his mom would have a‒‒

Lost in his thoughts, the boy didn't see the door to the apartment next to his open up. His face was scratched up, but compared to Kacchan, this was nothing.

"Are you alright?" A feminine voice asked him. He looked up, and immediately blushed. His new neighbor was very pretty. She was young; younger than his mother by at least a few years. She was a taller woman, with dark purple hair going down just below her shoulders. Her skin was a light tinge of red, but it was her eyes that drew the most attention. They were oceans of violet, and the quirkless boy wondered if she could hypnotize people by looking at them.

A light laugh brought him out of his thoughts. Oh no. He was muttering again, wasn't he? He had to leave before she mocked him for being a freak or a weirdo or something wrong.

"Are you alright, kid?" An amused, patient smile graced her lips. She reached out a hand, and Izuku couldn't restrain a flinch. Her hand stopped reaching out, her smile faltering for a moment. Quickly recovering, she held up a finger.

"Wait here." She quickly turned around and walked back into her apartment, leaving the door open. Izuku was in a bind. If he stayed, she could bring someone who would make him and his mother pay for him damaging their door. If he left, then there was a chance he would be pursued for running away from the scene of the crime. The door he ran into wasn't broken, per se, but there was a definite crack where there shouldn't be…

He didn't realize that he wasn't alone anymore when he felt a cold vial pressed against his hands. Focusing in the present, he saw that there was a thick red liquid trapped by a cork. He looked up at the woman quizzically, an obvious question on his face.

The woman sighed, but not in the negative way he was so used to hearing. "You're supposed to drink it. It'll help you heal your wounds." Seeing his continued reluctance, she bit her lip, seemingly debating something. Nodding to herself, she seemingly came to a decision.

"It's… my quirk." Izuku's eyes lit up with excitement. "I can make potions to fix injuries, but they take a lot of time and a lot of effort to make, so if you think that you can ask for them whenever you want…"

The quirkless boy understood her implications, but he was too excited to care. He emptied the red vial, and felt most of the aches and bruises fade away. "You can make potions, like in video games? That is just awesome! You can help people like Recovery Girl! How quickly can you make these potions? Are there different strengths of potions you can make? Can you make potions that do more besides healing? Do you need specific ingredients to make them? Does your environment affect their effectiveness?"

His voice raising in volume, he almost missed the door to his apartment opening up. His mother came straight to him, clutching him in a tight hug.

"Oh Izuku, are you okay? I heard you talking louder than usual. I hope you're not roughhousing with Bakugo again!" Realizing the door to the apartment next door was open, she quickly turned around to face the taller woman standing in the doorway, who had an eyebrow quirked at their behavior.

"Good afternoon! Welcome to Mustafa! I'm Midoriya Inko, and this is my son Izuku. We're your neighbors, and I hope you have fun getting to know this city! Goodbye!" Inko pushed Izuku towards their home. His body followed, but his mind was still swarming with thoughts towards his new neighbor. She wouldn't fit in well with the combat heroes, but she could become a hero if she wanted to.

In his excited ramblings, he didn't realize he was still holding onto the vial until his mother called him for dinner. He panicked for a moment before putting the vial in his backpack. He wouldn't bother her unnecessarily. He would wait until he saw her again to return what he borrowed.

Over the next few months, Izuku tried to return the vial to his neighbor to no avail. He was still too nervous to casually knock on the door to her apartment. The thought of starting a conversation with someone, even as kind as her, made his heart race with anxiety. He hadn't even drank the full potion yet, not wanting to be wasteful of the liquid inside.

The viscous red… potion was something Izuku had never seen before. A single sip had almost entirely fixed his aches and burns. Whether that meant his wounds weren't that serious, or the liquid within the vial was just that strong, Izuku couldn't say for sure. It was effective, that much was certain, and the green haired child didn't want to waste something that was so precious to her.

During one of his walks to the train station from Aldera Junior High, which was thankfully a Bakugo-less one, Izuku noted that the train he usually took was over half an hour late. A buzz coming from his pocket had him pull out his phone. He had signed his phone number up for an alert system for the train system, in case of unexpected surprises.

Attention. The train to Musutafu is currently out of service for repairs. The shuttle times will return to normal in 3-5 days. The next available train to carry passengers will arrive in one hour.

Now this was an unwelcome surprise. The next train wouldn't arrive until after he was supposed to be home for dinner. His mother would be worried beyond reason if he were to wait. Texting his mother that he had to walk home, he pocketed his phone after silencing it. Izuku loved his mother's caring nature, but the nonstop texts she would throw his way would only make himself more nervous than he was already.

Steeling his nerves, the freckled boy moved back onto the sidewalk, beginning the forty-five minute trek to his apartment. He would have to pass by the Musutafu cemetery halfway through the walk. Seeing the graveyard always made him nervous; several sidekicks and even a few heroes were buried there. A few were from simply an advanced age, but most of them had died while trying to save as many people as possible. It was a stark reminder to Izuku that being a hero had dangers that few other careers possessed.

As he neared the cemetery, he saw a flash of purple hair catch his eye. Doing a double take, he recognized Avari had just gone into the graveyard. Hesitant to follow and risk appearing to be a stalker or a creep, Izuku nevertheless followed her from a few dozen feet behind her. What business could she have here?

Following Avari had Izuku pass by dozens of grave stones. The first ones were fresh, clearly legible. But the further he went in, the more eroded the stone heads became until they were completely smoothed over. Seeing so many of those who had passed away made him immesley uncomfortable, but his curiosity helped him suppress his desire to dash away.

After a few more minutes of quietly following her, Izuku saw her pull out an urn. It looked to be ridged in some manner, and the pattern worn from extended contact. Avari lifted the lid before putting her hand inside the jar. When it emerged, he saw a bit of ash pinched between her fingers. She held her hand up high, gradually letting the gray dust be carried away by the wind. Putting her hand down to her side, Izuku saw her shoulders trembling slightly.

Izuku immediately felt like he was intruding on a very private moment, feeling even more out of place than he was before. He attempted to back away quietly. Unfortunately for him, the clumsy boy tripped over a piece of stone that had probably been torn off a headstone during a storm several years ago. He fell to the ground with a heavy thud.

The silence was shattered in an instant. Avari whipped herself around, her long hair flinging itself in front of her face. When it fell, Izuku could see her eyes were misting over, a furious expression etched onto her face. Guilt immediately filled his chest. He really had messed up in catastrophic fashion, as usual. He held up his arms in front of his face, expecting a harsh blow to arrive at any moment.

When none came, he risked opening his eyes. Avari no longer looked angry, but was wearing a carefully guarded expression. Her eyes bored into his, and Izuku felt himself freeze in place. He couldn't move in the slightest, scarcely allowing himself to breath.

"Why did you follow me?"

The question was asked in a monotone that had Izuku nearly quivering where he sat. Taking several seconds to clear his throat, he eventually found the strength to speak.

"W-well, I saw y-you walk inside the c-cemetery, and I-I was a little curious. I d-didn't know that I was i-intruding on something important. Please don't hit me!"

Avari let out a fatigued sigh, and suddenly Izuku felt that paralyzing force leave his limbs. Shuddering from nerves, he collapsed on his back, taking in several relieved breaths. Avari downright terrified Izuku, and he didn't even get her angry. He suddenly pitied the poor fool who would.

Catching his breath, Izuku gradually stood up, his legs shaking slightly with the effort. He looked at Avari again, who seemed to be in an internal debate. Her eyes were unfocused, distantly gazing through Izuku, but her lips were pressed together in discomfort.

"Well, you didn't mean any harm, I suppose there's nothing to apologize for. Sorry for scaring you. Midoriya, right? I guess I'll see you later."

Her piece said, Avari put the urn in her pack, and started walking out of the cemetery. Izuku, not wanting to waste this chance, swallowed his uncertainty and spoke the first thought that came to mind.

"W-why did you c-come here with just an u-urn?"

His question had certainly surprised the red-skinned woman. Her pupiless eyes widened, and her mouth parted incrementally. Although he was afraid of pushing her in an obviously less than perfect state of mind, Izuku didn't look away. If he were to get hurt, it would have happened already.

Whoever's remains were within the urn, they obviously meant a lot to Avari. Seeing her do what she did a few minutes ago felt like intruding on a private ritual of hers, but he didn't feel unwelcome. Well, not entirely, at any rate.

Avari cleared her throat, looking fairly uncomfortable at his question, but seemingly soldiered on. "I'm here… on behalf of an old friend. I promised him that I would leave a piece of him wherever I went. I was doing that just now, before you interrupted me."

While her words unnerved him, Izuku managed to force an uncomfortable smile onto his face. It certainly explained her defensiveness from before; he was definitely intruding on something very, very private. At the same time, however, she wasn't demanding that he left her to her own devices.

"W-what was his name?" Avari looked incredibly uncomfortable at the moment, but she didn't shy away from the question. Whether it was because she didn't sense any malice from his question or because she was desperate to share with someone, she couldn't say. Either way, she found herself answering his query.

"His name was Vaxl. He is… was, a good friend of mine. He died many years ago." The ruby skinned woman clenched her jaw, ruthlessly crushing the growing ache in her throat. She wouldn't have herself cry in front of a well-meaning kid. She just had to wait to go home; she was almost done with her time in Musutafu, and Japan overall. Just a few more sites to visit, and then she could leave Japan for good. New scenery would be a nice change of pace, if only for a while.

Avari was so lost in thought that she didn't notice Izuku walking up to her until she felt his hand timidly shaking her arm. Looking down at the boy, she didn't see the expected pity that always irritated her. Instead, she could only see genuine concern shining from his watering eyes.

"I-I'm sorry you're mourning your friend all by yourself. I could do that with you. I mean, o-only if you want m-my company. I wouldn't want to intrude or anything like that."

Avari saw that he was genuine. He was going to help her without asking any other questions? No, "who was he to you," "how did he die," or "why are you trying to visit every grave?" He was a sweet kid, albeit nervous to an unhealthy degree. She could tell that he would do his best to help, and that helped loosen some of the tension she was holding in her shoulders.

Coming to a decision, Avari placed a hand on Izuku's shoulder, making him gulp in fear. Filing that away for future thinking, the violet-haired woman nodded towards him with a smile on her face.

"I would appreciate the company, Izuku. I'll just be sitting here for a while. Is that okay with you?"

Izuku was floored. Someone accepted his offer to help? Even if she was just being polite, there was a sense of elation that bloomed inside of him. Nodding his head vigorously, he followed Avari to a tree that provided a good amount of shade from the descending sun. Sending a quick text to his mother that he was going to be even later getting home than he expected, he sat down next to his neighbor. For several minutes, they enjoyed the companionable silence as the sun dipped below the horizon.

After half an hour had passed, Avari pulled out an instrument from her bag. It was a french horn, which puzzled Izuku. The instrument in question was far too bulky to fit inside the small bag that she carried with her. What kind of technology did Avari have to let her defy physics like that?

He was brought out of his internal thoughts when he heard her start playing her instrument. It was a mournful tune, but it was beautiful in its own haunting way. His eyes watered with unbidden tears as he listened to her perform. It was fitting, considering their location, but when Izuku wiped away his unshed tears, he saw that his neighbor had a few streaks going down her face. The fact that this didn't dwindle her playing in the slightest was something that impressed the Quirkless boy greatly.

Still, he knew that it wouldn't be comfortable to have dried tear tracks running down her face. Izuku rifled through his backpack, grabbing the vial and a handkerchief that his mother had given him to clean up any messes that he may have made. When Avari finished playing, he presented her the cloth with a sympathetic smile.

She laughed, taking the handkerchief and gently wiping her still-damp cheeks. He really was a good kid. The first good kid she had run into in quite a while. Still, there had to be a reason for him to reach out like this…

"It's what a hero would do." His response to her unasked question made her raise a delicate eyebrow in confusion, prompting him to elaborate. "W-well, heroes are supposed to help those in need, right? I t-thought you looked like you were in need."

Izuku's eyes widened comically. "Not that I'm saying you looked weak or anything! B-but you l-looked lonely and I just thought that if I could help you even a little bit, then I could prove that I wasn't totally useless…"

Avari managed to hide her surprise this time. He called himself useless? She thought he was being kind, thoughtful, and highly empathetic. What kind of person thought they were useless qualities?

Then again, she supposed, Izuku being Quirkless probably destroyed his self confidence. Anything he did was seen as pathetic because he was a freak. Having a sudden surge of sympathy, she gently bumped his shoulder with her own. His badly hidden flinch made her narrow her eyes, but otherwise held her expression to a neutral level.

"You're certainly not useless, Izuku. Whoever told you that is wrong. You've got the heart of a hero, without a doubt." Taking in a deep breath, Avari chose her next words carefully. "I think that you could be an excellent hero, if you kept your kindness."

The amount of awe that Izuku looked at her with made her feel uncomfortable. Just how stunted was this poor kid that a compliment from a near stranger lifted him up so much? A lot more than it should have, she realized with an internal grimace. Being Quirkless here was similar to being an abomination in the eyes of the masses.

Izuku, meanwhile, was absolutely floored. Someone genuinely believed in his dream? There wasn't any sense of pity of conceitedness in her voice, just a real belief that he could attain what he's chased after his entire life. He could feel tears welling up and falling down his own cheeks now. He wiped his eyes in a futile attempt to stop himself from crying, until he felt a familiar piece of fabric dabbing his cheek. Lowering his arms revealed Avari tenderly returning the favor he had given her not but minutes earlier.

When his tears finally stopped falling, Avari placed the cloth on his leg. She returned to her previous spot on the tree, apparently lost in thought. Remembering the vial he still had in his possession, he frantically shoved it towards her. The woman in question looked at the item in his hands, and then at him.

"Keep it. I want you to have something to remember me by if I leave."

"I-If you leave? Where would you b-be going?"

"Out of Japan, most likely. Musutafu is the last place I intended to visit." Seeing Izuku drop his head made Avari's chest tighten ever so slightly. He looked like a kicked, green-furred puppy with how sad he was.

"But," she continued, making Izuku's head lift up towards her. "That won't be for a while. I've only seen some of the city so far. I enjoy getting to know a place well before I move onto another area."

Feeling a somewhat cool gust of wind hit her sleeves, Avari finally noticed how late it had gotten. The sky wasn't nearly black when she had arrived here. "Anyway," she continued, rising from her spot on the ground. "We should probably head back to our apartments. Your mother is going to be worried sick by this point, and it's just about time for me to water my herbs."

"R-Right!" Izuku shouted, blushing with embarrassment at his enthusiasm. He couldn't feel too bad about it, though. This was the longest conversation he had had with anyone outside of his mother in years. Ever since Kacchan got his Quirk‒‒

Maybe it was best to ignore that line of thought for the time being.

The few miles from the cemetery to their apartment complex was a comfortable one. Not only was there anybody still wandering about to look at him with disdain, he was able to do it with someone who actually enjoyed his company. It was an extremely novel concept to him.

Much sooner than he liked, they arrived at the door to Avari's apartment. The violet-haired woman hesitated at the door, lost to her thoughts. She seemed to have reached some sort of resolve, turning to Izuku. Their eyes locked, the freckled boy unable to read his friendly neighbor.

"I know I said this before," Avari started, "but I think you have what it takes to become a hero, Izuku."

Before Izuku could give her a proper thank you, she continued. "I'll be a little unavailable for a bit, but I think I'll stick around for a little while." She playfully nudged his shoulder, a cautious smile glued onto his face.

"Th-Thank you, Avari! I'll do my best not to let you down." And she could tell that he meant every word. There was a fire in his eyes that reminded her of her departed friend, and she couldn't help but feel slightly hopeful.

Chuckling at his enthusiasm, she bid her younger neighbor a goodnight before entering her apartment. With her back against the door, she could clearly hear his mother‒‒Inko, she remembered after a moment‒‒worrying over her son's health. While more than a little overbearing, Averi knew the other woman's heart was in the right place.

She couldn't spend too much time dwelling on that subject, however. She had preparations to make. If Izuku stayed true to himself, things would certainly get a lot more interesting around here…

One Year Later

Izuku returned to his routine. He would go to school, endure another day of being the Quirkless Loser, endure another round of 'Bakugo's Training', and walk stiffly home. At first Izuku thought his new neighbor moved out as soon as she could. After a few more weeks had passed, however, a small collection of hanging plants decorated the entrance to her apartment.

He only saw her leave her apartment on a few occasions. Usually she was gathering supplies for her plants‒‒elfroot, he remembered her calling them‒‒or was on her way back from visiting yet another grave.

He was curious about her activities, of course. She said she was focused on growing her garden to prepare for the future, although she never specified anything more than that. Additionally, whenever he asked her about why she let him keep the potion, she always managed to skillfully skirt around the question.

Why give him a potion so valuable to her and not ask for it back? Was she working on crafting more like the one he drank? Who was going to be drinking them?

These questions and more filled out half a dozen pages in his newest Hero Analysis & Observation notebook. Sure, she wasn't technically a hero, but she definitely acted like one; heroes saved everyone, regardless of whether or not they had a Quirk.

Still, Izuku carried on with his life. He was about to submit his Application to UA, and he needed to get to the front office before school closed to put it with the rest of the school's applications. Even though Kacchan was the only other person who applied, Izuku squared his shoulders and walked with determination towards the front office.

When he turned the corner, Izuku's eyes locked with angry red ones. He felt his shoulders droop as the blond loomed over him. "Deku! What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Explosions sparked on his palm as he put his hand on Izuku's shoulder, the familiar pain making yet another appearance.

"Don't you get it, Extra? How many times do I have to tell you that you DON'T BELONG THERE?! You'll do nothing but be a pebble that everyone brushes aside when they see how weak and useless you are!" Bakugo's other hand gripped his enrollment form, a bright orange flame consuming the paper.

Izuku felt his stomach drop. His dream, and his only chance to accomplish it, was gone. UA didn't accept applications from anyone beyond their final year of junior high; it was a hero high school, after all. His legs couldn't hold up his weight anymore, and he fell to his knees.

Bakugo, satisfied with his work, smirked. "That's right, Deku. Stay right there, beneath me. Me and everyone else with a Quirk."

The sound of a book falling and rolling glass stole the blond's attention. He must have dislodged something when he roughed up Deku. Grinning, Bakugo picked up both of the objects.

"You know what, Deku? I think there is a way for you to be a hero." Izuku looked up at his former friend, a faint hope entering his eyes. Seizing the moment, Bakugo let loose with explosions in both hands, charring the book and shattering the glass vial entirely.

Looking down at Deku, he spat in his face. "Why don't you take a swan dive off the roof and hope for a quirk in your next life?" With an ironically softer hand on his shoulder, Bakugo laughed as he left school.

With a numbness settling over his body, Izuku shambled out of Aldera Junior High. His heart was in tatters; his hero dream crushed, he listlessly took the train home out of habit.

Dinner with his mother was awkward. Izuku could feel her concerned looks while she was making katsudon. Unfortunately, not even his favorite meal would get him to cheer up even a little. Everything tasted bland to him. He uttered a quiet 'thank you for the meal' before retreating to his room.

Izuku closed the door, locking it to give him some much needed privacy. The All Might Memorabilia covering his room didn't do anything to cheer him up like it used to. He didn't feel worthy of that brilliant smile anymore.

He turned around to face his bookshelf. The dozen Hero Analysis books standing upright were calling to him, and he listened. If he couldn't be a hero, he could at least see what they needed to work on. After all, they had the potential to improve, while he…

Despite Avari's kind words, he didn't think he had any potential to speak of.

By the time he had finished his notes for the night, it was far darker outside than it usually was when he stopped writing. Looking at his clock, he was only mildly surprised to see that it was already two in the morning. He managed to fill half of a spare Number 13 notebook with notes on Endeavor's and All Might's recent activities.

Even though Endeavor is putting away far more villains than All Might, people aren't feeling safer around him. He could really stand to lower the amount of risk he puts civilians in; it'll make him a much more popular hero than he is now if he cared.

And why is All Might out for less time lately? Something has to be going on with him. Maybe his fight with Toxic Chainsaw had some sort of lingering side effects?

Shaking his head, Izuku cleared his thoughts. It was late, and he needed to at least try to get some sleep. However, he felt a weight on his chest. Maybe some fresh air would do him some good?

Quietly, he exited his room and entered the living room. His chest felt less tight, but it still wasn't enough. Checking that his mother was still asleep, he carefully exited his home, making sure to lock the door again with his spare key.

Izuku found the stairs leading to the roof of his apartment complex, and steadily ascended the steps. All too soon, he reached the top of the stairs, where a surprising sight greeted him.

On the top of the roof was his mysterious neighbor. She was holding a blade in one hand, with the other shooting out some sort of energy blasts in between her thrusts and parries with an imaginary opponent. Her movements were graceful, her purple hair swaying smoothly with her practiced motions. Izuku was so entranced that he took a step forward, kicking aside some planks of wood laying on the ground.

The woman immediately turned around, her hand readying another blast to rocket at whoever disturbed her. Seeing that it was just her neighbor, she let her arm fall to her side, although her light glare remained on her face.

"What are you doing here, kid? Shouldn't you be asleep by now?" At that, Izuku's eyes fell to the ground, no answer coming to him. He heard her step closer to him, and he shrunk in on himself as much as he could.

A surprisingly gentle hand placed itself on his uninjured shoulder, and he opened his eyes to see a kinder gaze looking back.

"What's going on, Izuku? Did you have a bad day too?"

Something inside him cracked. Hearing genuine concern from Avari was both welcoming and terrifying. He felt the dam he had maintained for so long beginning to crack.

He couldn't break here. He needed to leave, get to his room. Nobody wanted to see him cry. He wasn't worthy of their attention. Everything would go back to normal if he could just stop‒‒

Warm, slender arms wrapped around him. Burying his face into her neck, he let a few tears leak out. His breathing quickened; coming in quicker, shorter bursts, until he was openly wailing. Years of repressed sorrow for everything he had lost poured out of the tormented child, and he hugged this precious person tighter as he lost all semblance of control.

After several minutes, the sobs gradually began to fade away into hiccups. Pulling himself off of his neighbor's shoulder, Izuku wiped his eyes clear of the remaining tears.

"I-I'm sorry I c-couldn't stop m-myself from crying all o-over you, miss. I c-can clean your c-clothes to make up f-for it..."

Her hand rustled his hair briefly, and he looked up in surprise. Her eyes were also brimming with tears. "It's okay, Izuku. Crying is okay when everything gets to be too much."

His own concern temporarily forgotten, he embraced the woman who had just helped him. He heard a surprised gasp, before he felt the top of his head become slightly damp with tears. After a much shorter time than he had spent on her, she stood up, pulling Izuku to his feet.

"Well this is a little awkward," the violet-eyed woman laughed. "We're crying on each other and I haven't even given you my name. I don't think that makes me a good neighbor."

Izuku waved his hands frantically in front of him. "N-no! It's not your fault! I know I'm not even w-worthy enough to take up t-this much of your t-time. I can l-leave you alone if you want…"

The woman raised her hand, stopping his self-deprecating tirade. "I didn't say anything of the sort, kiddo." She lowered her hand, extending it out towards him. "My name is Avari, Izuku. It's good to finally introduce myself to you. Both you and your mother are good people, from what I've seen."

Finally calming down, Izuku's gaze looked down at the hand Avari used to fire her energy blasts. Questions flooded his mind, and he had to ask at least one of them before he blurted out everything.

"Avari… how were you able to fire that energy out of your hand? I thought your quirk was making potions?" Seeing Avari look away, he anxiously waited for a response. Sweat started to slide down his back, but he didn't dare interrupt his new friends'(?) dilemna. The warm spring air was stifling as the seconds stretched into minutes.

Just as he was about to ask again, violet eyes locked with green at an intensity that made him gulp.

"Can you keep a secret?"

Izuku's eyes nearly bulged out of his sockets. She wanted to trust him? The quirkless nobody who couldn't amount to anything? Before he could take the time to enjoy this sensation, he forced himself to focus. If he couldn't be a hero, then he could at least do this.

"Yes." A steel entered his voice that he didn't even know he had. Despite his surprise, Avari nodded, seemingly satisfied with her response.

Taking a deep breath, Avari seemed to gather herself. Forcing herself to relax, she returned Izuku's gaze, uttering a sentence that would change his life forever..

"I'm Quirkless, just like you."

Hello everyone! I know it's been far, far too long since I've posted anything on FF. Frankly, I don't have any excuse lined up to explain my multi-year absence. Life just kept throwing things at me that I didn't until recently how to handle. Now, I'm finally in a good enough place to take a stab at writing again.

Let me know what you guys think! Comments and Critiques are both welcome here. I'll make sure to read them all. With that, I bid you all adieu!