"You know it freaks people out when you mutter to yourself like that," Katsuki growled, snapping Izuku out of his intense focus.

"Y-yeah, I know, sorry. I don't even realize I am doing it half the time. It helps me focus," the green hair boy muttered, his cheeks pink from embarrassment.

"Don't be such a loser, Deku," The blonde scoffed as he picked up his backpack. "Those morons in the Junior class wouldn't pick on you so much if you grew some balls."

"Yeah…" Izuku hung his head even lower.

"Damn it! Pull yourself together you idiot! Tch, if you hang your head it just makes you easier to beat down." Katsuki made his way to the door and slammed it opened. "I'm heading to practice, don't get beat up on your way home, got it!" With that he slammed the door shut behind him.

"Yeah…" Izuku sighed before gathering his things and stowing them in his backpack. Quickly he made his way down to the lockers, put on his street shoes and headed home.

"Kacchan is right," Izuku thought as he walked. "I really do need to learn to stand up for myself. He has spent so much time showing me how to defend myself. Why do I always freeze up?!" Izuku groaned in frustration as he stared at the sidewalk in front of him.

"Hey, worthless!"

Izuku froze at the sound of his tormentor's voice behind him. Turning around he saw the three boys from the junior class that always picked on him.

"Almost missed you today," the head bully sneered as he sauntered over to Izuku and put an arm around his shoulders. "Thought you could get out of paying the toll, huh?"

"No, I-I I didn't," Izuku whimpered as the bully pulled him in closer.

"Well then what are you waiting for?" The bully shoved him forward, knocking him to the ground.

"I didn't forget, I just don't have any money," Izuku grimaced at the pain in his knees.

"What was that?!" His tormentor demanded. The bully strode over and grabbed he green haired youth by the collar. "You don't have the money? Guess you'll have to pay the penalty then," he sneered. "Grab his arms and take his bag." The leader ordered his lackeys.

"No! Don't!" Izuku begged as he struggled against the two who grabbed him.

"Shut it nerd," One of the bullies said as he tore off Izuku's backpack. "Here you go boss!" he said as he tossed it to their leader.

"Let's see if he is telling the truth," the bully sneered as he opened the bag and dumped the contents onto the street. Izuku's things scattered all over the cement, including his phone, wallet and a watch that Katsuki had given him when they were little.

"Guess we will have to make do with your phone and wallet. Someone might buy this garbage," the bully laughed as he picked up the phone and wallet. His movements knocked Izuku's things around revealing the watch. "What is this?"

"No! That was given to me by my best friend, it's important to me!" Izuku struggled against his captors as the leader picked up the watch.

The bully turned the watch over in his hand as he glared at Izuku. "Who the hell you think you are telling me what to do. I wasn't going to bother with this piece of junk but now I think I'll hack it just to teach you a lesson," he laughed.

"No…" Izuku whined.

"FIGHT DAMN YOU!"

Startled Izuku looked over his shoulder to see his friend Katsuki standing there with his fists clenched.

"Are you really going to take this bullshit! I thought I told you to grow some balls! Punch that loser in the face and take back what is yours!"

"I know but I'm not as strong as you are Kacchan," Izuku cried.

"What the hell is wrong with this loser," one of the bullies snorted.

"DAMN IT!" Katsuki ran up to stand in front of his friend. "Are you going to just be a pushover your whole life? I can't always be there to save your sorry ass!"

"I know you can't be here but…." Izuku sobbed, pulling against his bullies.

"This freak is starting to go mad," laughed the bully. "I think it's about time to shut him up." With that the leader raised a fist and punched Izuku across the face. The other two bullies laughed as they held him in place. Soon that blow was followed by another, then the bully kneed him in the stomach knocking the air from his lungs and causing Izuku to drop to his knees.

"Come on Deku, are you just going to give up?" Katsuki asked while Izuku gasped for air. "Is this how you want to live your life. I thought you wanted to be like me?"

"I d-do," Izuku wheezed, tears flowing from his eyes.

"Then GET UP!" Katsuki demanded.

Izuku took a deep breath as his best friend's words hit him to the core.

"You do?" the bully leered, "Do you hear this loser? You do what? There is nothing you can do except snivel on the ground like the coward you are." The bully took a step closer and bent down to whisper in Izuku's ear. "A coward just like your friend."

At the bully's words something inside Izuku snapped. "Take that back."

"Make me."

With crazy speed Izuku lunged, smashing his head into the bully's face. The guy howled as he covered his now broken nose, falling backwards onto the sidewalk. With out hesitating Izuku jerked his right arm down and forward breaking the other bully's grasp and punching the third one in the face. Both bullies let go as Izuku's sudden retaliation took them by surprise.

"What the hell!" The lead bully exclaimed from his spot on the ground.

"I SAID TAKE IT BACK, DAMN IT!" Izuku hollered lunging forward and grabbing the bully by the collar.

"Let go of me you freak!" the bully demanded as he tried to break Izuku's grasp. When that failed the bully tried fighting back but Izuku grabbed his wrist twisting it into a holding lock as he pinned the boy's arm behind his back. The other two bullies got back to their feet and rushed him but Izuku was ready. He shoved the head bully into his friend knocking them both to the ground before taking out the third with a spinning kick.

With all three bullies laying in a heap on the ground Izuku hollered his demand again. "Kacchan was never a coward! He was strong and confident! It's you guys that are the cowards! Picking on people you think are weaker than you. Kacchan would have stood up to you and won!" Izuku's chest heaved with the force of his anger. "Say what you want about me, but don't you say that about my friend!"

The three bullies stared at him in disbelieve. "Whatever loser, you're just a freak that talks to himself all the time. We're out of here!" With that the three of them pulled themselves and ran in the other direction hurling curses back at him.

Izuku's shoulders sagged as the bullies disappeared around the corner. Slowly he picked up his watch the bully had dropped when he headbutted him.

"Tch, serves those losers right," Katsuki laughed.

Izuku began collecting his thing off the ground and putting them back in his bag. Tears rolled down his cheeks.

"Stop crying you moron," Katsuki said as he crouched next to his friend. "People are gonna think you're a bigger weirdo than they already do."

"Kacchan, I really just won that fight, didn't I?" Izuku asked.

"Damn right you did," Katsuki smiled. "Those losers are gonna think twice about messing with you Deku. Guess you don't need me hanging around anymore."

"What?!" Izuku's head snapped up to look at his friend but there was no one there. He continued to stare at the empty space, grief etched into his face. With a sob he clenched the watch in his fist and bowed his head.

" That's right, he isn't here," Izuku thought as the tears flowed freely down his face. Katsuki had always been determined and confident. No matter what he did he always won. About a month before school started the two of them were walking down the street when a kid walked out in front of a car. Kacchan acted so quickly; he was able to reach the kid in time. It was a race he both won and lost.

"I did it Kacchan. I won, just like you would have." A smile broke out across Izuku's face as he wiped his eyes and grabbed his bag. Standing up Izuku held his head high with pride as he made his way home.