—-Chapter 1—

Izuku's POV

I laid on my side. My bare and singed skin against the cold cement. The freezing floor helped numb the pain, something I had gotten used to. I couldn't remember that last time I had even seen a real bed. I used cry after a beating like this, but after so many years of this my tear ducts had dried out. They enjoyed putting me against their creations, a way of testing out their skills. After so long I had almost given up the will to fight, resulting in their Nomus throwing me around like a rag doll. I rested my hand over my heart, the rapid beating reminding me I was still alive. Even with my regeneration powers my body ached. I was their lab rat. Their puppet. They stuffed me with experimental quicks in hopes of creating the ultimate weapon, or at least just have some fun. So far I already had super strength, super speed, regeneration, and a disintegration quirk that forced me to wear heavy gloves to keep from using it against them. It's almost humorous to remember how much I wanted a power back when I was deemed quirkless. Fragments of the life they stole me away from still haunted me in dreams. The bits I could recall were typically of a green haired lady, who I could only assume to be my mother. I had just began to nod off to another restless night of nightmares when I heard the explosions.

The cold cell rattled and my chains shook with tremendous force. I backed up to the corner as fast as I could with my tender flesh. My mind raced with possibilities. 'Did another creation escape? Are they fighting? Are they coming back for me?' Something on the other side thumped against the cell door before blowing it off the hinges. I cowered against the walls for fear of what could move with such force.

"Do not fear, for I am here!" A large man in a red white and blue hero suite stood in front of me. He smiled brightly and in almost an instant broke away my chains.

"Come with me my boy! It's time to go home!" Tenderly I moved towards him. The back of my mind still screamed that this was some elaborate trick or test. Fearing the worst I made my way to my feet, my heavy hand traps dragged against the cement floor. Alarms blared within the building and I could still hear explosions and loud yells. I staggered forward, my arms raised expecting a fight. 'This must be it right? They always told me they would kill me when they had finished their fun.' The man stepped forward as I felt my body begin to give away. I struggled to stay on my feet, after a day of ruthless torture though I could barely move without needles of pain shooting through me. Strong arms hoisted me up as my vision faded away.

...

"You need to rest Toshi!"

"I'm fine, really." *coughing*

Voices floated around me as I slowly opened my eyes. Blinding white walls surrounded me and two people stood near the door of the room. Soft hospital sheets covered my still aching body, but the mattress I laid in was a luxury I hadn't experienced in years.

"It seems young Midoriya is awake." The same large man as before stepped closer to me. I sat up and scooted back in my bed in habit.

"Your safe now Izuku. My name is All Might, me and my friends rescued you."

"I-Izuku?" My voice was horse in my throat. Years without using them other than to scream out in pain, had made my vocal cords weak.

"That's your name, isn't it?" A man in a blue suite frowned as he walked closer.

"I-I don't remember."

"I suppose you could have experienced some memory loss from your trauma. I'll have to make sure to notify a doctor before we leave."

I stared down at my hands, no longer confined by metal traps. Hard and thin yet flexible black gloves fit over them. Green detailing etched over the sides and over the finger tips.

"The gloves recede back into bracelets when you are ready to use your disintegration, but based on your state we felt it best to keep them covered in case you weren't able to control it yet." The man careful took my hand a pressed a button on the side of one of the gloves. The glove folded back into a clunky yet simple bracelet. He pressed it again and it returned to its previous form.

"A close friend of mine invited them!" All Might beamed, before staggering slightly and leaning against the hospital walls.

"Crap!"

The large man then began coughing. Blood dribbled out of his mouth. Steam began coming off of his body as he shrank to a scrawny man with large bags under his eyes. I stared at him in fear.

"Toshi! I told you not to over extend yourself!" The man in blue walked his friend to a chair.

"I'm sorry Midoriya, you weren't supposed to see that. I got injured some years back and I can't hold my hero form for more than a few hours now. You can't tell anyone about this though. If villains knew the symbol of peace was so weak, chaos would ensue." I nodded my head weakly.

"My name is Naomasa Tsukauchi and I'm the lead detective on your missing persons case." The man in blue stepped back over to my bedside with a sigh and took out a small notepad and pen. "We know four other children went missing around the same time as you, and we can only assume it was connected. Based on our records, the five of you were deemed quirkless and all around the age of 7. Do you remember any other children in the compound you were being kept at?"

I looked back down at my hands and clenched them into fists. Of course I knew what he was talking about. How co I ever forgot their screams. How they crumpled to dust in front of me. Tears pooled in my eyes, something I thought I was no longer capable of doing.

"It's ok if you don't remember son. Or if it brings back to many bad memories. If you do have information though, don't hesitate to call me." Tsukauchi said hanging me a business card.

"I'm sure you have many questions young Midoriya, but I must be off." All Might breathed in deeply and returned to his original state.

"Wait!" He turned. "I-I just wanted to t-thank you. F-for saving me."

"That's what hero's do!" With that he left. The hospital staff soon filed in to check monitors and leave a try of food. 'A hero. Maybe I could help keep another helpless kid, from ending up like me?' I reached for the fruit cup and slowly took a bite, savoring the sweetness on my tongue. This all felt like a dream, but if it was I truly hoped I would never wake up.

...