People Are Cruel

Izuku is seven and a half years old

"Shut the fucking door!"

Izuku recognised Tomura's shout. The other boy needn't have bothered, he was shutting it as fast as he could. Inside was so much warmer than outside and he needed all the warmth he could get. It was snowing outside and-

"Izuku, where is your coat?" Kurogiri interrupted his internal thoughts.

The green haired boy looked down at the floor.

The misty man sighed. He knew what had happened. "Go and have a bath to warm up," he instructed, coming over to take Izuku's bag.

Izuku sniffed and reached up to dash tears from his eyes. Every day this week, something of his had been stolen. And today he'd been tripped several times into the snow.

The others claimed they were playing but Izuku knew better. They weren't playing when he was cold, and wet and freezing. Not when he'd told them to stop. Not when the teachers knew he'd told them to stop.

"Go on," Kurogiri encouraged. "I will replace your coat," he added. There was absolutely no accusation in his tone. It was a simple fact.

That caused Izuku to cry. He didn't want Kurogiri to have to replace his coat. He didn't want Kurogiri to keep having to get bento boxes. He didn't want these things to happen. He didn't know why people were tripping him, and stealing his stuff.

The only difference was he (supposedly) had no quirk. It wasn't like he wasn't human. Or anything like that. But they continued to do it and the teachers did nothing.

It wasn't his fault.

The misty man watched his tears for a moment before he was enveloped in a hug. "There, there, Izuku, there there." It was odd to hear Kurogiri croon but Izuku knew he was trying to comfort him.

He swallowed his tears and tried to pull back. He was seven and a half. He should be able to handle this.

Kurogiri felt the moment. "Go have a bath, and I will prepare some miso soup to help you warm up," he added.

Izuku nodded as Kurogiri released him. He needed that bath.

-ted-

"Izuku, where is your scarf and gloves?" Kurogiri's voice sounded concerned as he handed Izuku his bento. It was cold outside and had snowed in the night. One did not venture out without appropriate clothing.

The green eyed boy paused in packing the bento into his bag and just looked at the floor. That response was answer enough.

The bartender didn't sigh. He knew what it meant. He'd missed Izuku coming back last night. There'd been a delivery from Giran and he'd had to deal with that, which meant he'd missed the fact that Izuku no longer had his scarf and gloves. Instead, Kurogiri opened a warp gate and deposited a replacement scarf and gloves in front of Izuku. The gloves were a little large but would keep him warm.

"Thank you," Izuku said, and then resumed packing his bento.

"Do you-"

"I don't want to talk about it!" Izuku interrupted.

Kurogiri nodded. He'd expected as much. Sensei had told him this was likely as well. He didn't understand what Sensei was doing but he trusted the man even if it was hurting Izuku. There would be some lesson there.

Izuku did up his bag and put on the scarf and gloves. He walked to the door to put on his outside shoes.

"Kurogiri?" His voice questioned softly as the freckled boy paused at the door.

"Yes, Izuku?" the misty man asked.

"Why are people so mean?"

That was not a question he was expecting and in his moment of shock, Izuku slipped out. Kurogiri looked at the door for several long moments after the child had disappeared. It was not a question he was expected to answer either but it was a question that hurt.

-ted-

Izuku heard the snort before he saw the other boy. He continued walking, being as careful as he could not to drip on the floor. He suspected he'd have to get the mop anyway.

"Bwahahah!" Tomura laughed. Izuku could see his gold eyes were actually amused for once through the fingers of the hand that graced his face. He'd taken to wearing that one a lot lately. "Turn around," the older boy ordered.

Izuku ignored him.

"Oh come on! I want to see how thoroughly they got you," he added.

Izuku didn't need to do that. He knew the answer already. He could feel mud even on his back but he suspected someone had shoved some there. He kept walking.

"You know, it is kind of impressive," Tomura said, "that little NPCs like that can do so much, especially since we're in a city, not a farm!"

The green haired boy ignored him still. Since the fight before they moved here, Tomura had stayed away from Izuku, and Izuku had done him the same service. They saw each other occasionally. That was unavoidable living in the same space but they didn't talk.

No one had said anything to Izuku about that fight but he suspected his Dad had a long talk with Tomura about it. The boy had appeared chastised for a few weeks after it. And there'd been some times when he was sure Tomura was going to talk to him but didn't.

Except now.

When Izuku just wanted to get to the bathroom and strip off his clothes. Then he'd have to put them in the wash and somehow try to get them dry before tomorrow. And clean up the mud he was no doubt dropping on to the floor.

"Where did they get the dirt from?" Tomura mocked. The boy laughed again. "All this, because you want to be a hero! They don't want heroes," he continued. "They don't deserve heroes," he added.

Right at the moment, with mud dripping coldly down his back, Izuku could almost see what Tomura meant.

-ted-

"How is school going, my Little Dragon?" All For One asked his son. He already knew the answer. Kurogiri kept him well informed but his son was showing a rather pleasing degree of stubbornness. The fact that Izuku was still insisting that he wanted to be a hero, despite the mistreatment by his classmates was annoying, but the determination was gratifying. Now all he had to do was harness that determination to his cause and he was sure that with a few more pushes, Izuku would come to see things his way.

He had with Inko after all.

"It's going okay, Dad," Izuku replied.

"That's good," Hisashi agreed blandly. His son might be seven but he knew when he was being humoured. "Do you have any stories to tell me? You used to regale me with stories all the time," he added the prompt.

Izuku looked uncomfortable. All For One knew he didn't want to say anything about what was happening. "All the kids already had their friends," he said.

"Are you lonely?"

Green hair shook in the negative. "No, I talk to Himiko."

"Oh! Another lady," Hisashi teased. "Who is Himiko?" He asked.

"She's in the grade above me," Izuku told him. "We eat lunch together and she likes blood."

"Blood, really?" He asked.

"It's for her quirk."

Hisashi nodded. It wasn't as unusual as people made out but there was a taboo on speaking about quirks that required something society was uncomfortable with. Those who now required carrion for example kept quiet about it, while butchers made the rotting meat available. It was like most things, where there was a demand, there would be a supply, even if society preferred to look the other way.

He looked at Izuku. His son's head was down and his posture was screaming that he didn't want to discuss anything further. Except Hisashi had already given him half the year without discussing it, so they were going to have at least a little conversation now.

"Izuku," he said softly. His son always knew he was serious when he used his name and now was no exception. Green eyes raised to look at him instead of the floor. "Tell me," All For One said gently.

He saw his son's lip tremble and tears welled up in his eyes before overflowing. Hisashi remained seated, waiting for Izuku to respond. His son sniffed, and continued crying silently but didn't speak. Stubborn again.

"I can't help you unless you tell me," Hisashi told his son.

"I don't need help," Izuku told him. "They are only like this because they don't know."

"Don't know what?" All For One asked.

"They don't know I have a quirk," Izuku explained.

Hisashi could hear how weak the argument was to his son and was tempted not to reply because he knew Izuku would see how immoral it was but he needed to press his advantage now. Stubbornness was acceptable but only when Izuku's goals aligned with his. "Why does that make a difference?" He asked.

Izuku's lips trembled and Hisashi saw him flinch. "It doesn't," he sobbed.

All For One took a deep breath, allowing Izuku to hear it. "Izuku, remember that children are more honest than adults. What they are doing to you openly now, they will learn to hide as they grow up. They will learn to hide that, and society will get to live with the mask of compassion.

"But strip away that pretense, as you do with children, and society isn't nice."

His son didn't nod but remained still. Even so All For One knew that Izuku had heard, and while, at seven, it was doubtful that his son could think of a logical argument against him, he would be able to feel one. The fact that he said nothing meant that he agreed, he just didn't want to admit it.

"Why?" Izuku asked finally.

"Because people are cruel, Izuku," All For One repeated the statement he had told his son many times. "Especially if you are different, if you are weak, people are cruel. It's just as they get older, they learn to get better at pretending otherwise.

"Heroes do not protect the weak, Izuku, they protect themselves," Hisashi moved on to the next part of his argument.

Izuku looked up towards the ceiling and Hisashi saw his throat working. He was trying to fight back his tears but they were still falling. "They learn," Izuku repeated his words.

Hisashi hid a wince. He knew that tone. Izuku was about to become stubborn again. Well, he had more than one argument. It was just a matter of finding the right one.

"They learn," Izuku said it again, and All For One knew he was working something out in his head. "Heroes strive to be better for society," he said.

It was a naïve view but Hisashi let it stand. It would be best to hear Izuku out before he offered any contradictory information. He had learned many, many things in his long life, and it was very true that no one ever changed their mind by losing an argument. Children were not exempt from this truth.

"My classmates are young. They can learn to be better," Izuku said as his tears cleared. "They just need education."

For a long moment Hisashi almost couldn't believe that was the argument his son made before he realised that to a seven year old who was as optimistic as his son tended to be, it would make sense. He clasped his hands in front of him and leaned forward. "My Little Dragon, you see the best in people," he said, "but I think you will find that society does not wish to learn."

Izuku didn't glare at him but he could see that his son was now determined. He knew that look, and it pained him that his son would have to learn this the hard way.

But sometimes, that was the only way to learn.

-ted-

Little Dragon,

School isn't the same without you. Even Kazue agrees with that. She says hello again and is sorry that she can't write to you herself. Miss Hirano is better than Miss Koushi but she's pregnant! She should be retiring at the end of the year!

Mum finally let me help out with moving some supplies at their latest job. Concrete bags! She only let me move them one at a time though but I tested myself when she wasn't looking. I could take seven of them at once if I wanted to. I also picked up eleven of them at once, but that made me throw up. Mum sent me to the site office then. If she doesn't let me practice, I'm not going to be able to use my quirk properly.

Dad gave me a lecture that night but they do need more help so I'll be going to the site again this weekend and this time I should be moving the framing wood. I had to promise to only move one truss at a time. They're about 60 kilos each so only half of what I can lift. I'll see if I can practice by carrying one, and leaving one levitating on the pile. I think if I only lift it a few centimetres Mum and Dad won't notice and I'll still get practice!

How are you going with your fire? What shapes can you make now? It sounds so exciting and I want to see it! Especially the little animals! It will be so cool!

Minato says his little sister's quirk has come in. He says little Ayame can change the length and colour of her hair. He's also sure that she can control it a bit but no one seems to believe him. He's asked for some suggestions on how to find out if she can? Write back with anything if you can!

Missing you lots~!

Ochaco!