Hey guys. This whole arc is really, really over dramatic. But then Emerald Prince is painfully over dramatic and unrealistic (harem obvs).
And if I'm gonna do angst, fuck it. I'm really gonna do angst.

There are also some minor teasers (not spoilers) about what occurs later in Emerald Prince since this is set a little after. Very minor, don't worry.

"Where is he?" Hitoshi stared at Aizawa accusingly.
They were in the living room of Aizawa's apartment, it was 10:00 am and Izuku could not be found. He wasn't in his room, anyone else's, or the kitchen, and he wasn't training.

Katsuki snorted, "he better not be taking out another fucking Yakuza, I got enough trauma the first time."
Aizawa sighed, "he's gone missing."
Shoto froze up, and Hitoshi's eyes narrowed.
"Explain fucker." Hissed Katsuki.
"You do not talk to me like that if you want an answer." Growled Aizawa.
Hitoshi sighed, speaking only a little sarcastically, "please sir, we are concerned for our friend who has a bad habit of getting into dangerous situations. We'd like to know what's going on, or if we can be of help."

The raven haired teacher sighed, "he went out clubbing last night, and never came back."
"Hah?" Kaachan barked, "what the fuck are you doing about it?"
Aizawa glowered, "the police are out, but down town isn't exactly an easy place to search fo-"

He was interrupted when Tsukauchi burst in, panting.
"News?" Exclaimed Aizawa, betraying his frayed nerves.
The brown haired detective ran a hand through his hair. "A young man came in to the station recording accidental quirk use. He said that he can rewind someone 9 years when he kisses them, and that he can usually control his quirk well enough, but that he lost control kissing a young guy at this club."
Hitoshi rolled his eyes. Of course Izuku would fall victim to another kissing quirk...by being too good at kissing.
"And?" Asked Shoto.
Tsukauchi sighed, "he accidentally changed the person back to their 7 year old self, but before he could calm them, explain the situation or reverse the damage in anyway, the 7 year old cried out in fear and ran from the club."
All of their faces paled. Izuku at 7 years of age was accustomed to a very unsafe and unhappy life. They dreaded to think what he was doing now.

"When will he turn back?" Asked Hitoshi.
Tsukauchi sighed, "24 hours from when he was changed."
"We need to go look." Said Shoto firmly.
"Bakugou, any ideas?" Asked Aizawa tiredly.
The blond sighed, "he might have gone back to his home."
"Why would he?" Asked Hitoshi doubtfully.
"Because he had nowhere else." whispered Shoto, eyes wide as he ran out the door.
Hitoshi only spared a glance at Aizawa and Katsuki before he was following.

Since Aizawa and Katsuki were the only ones who knew the place, Shoto did grind to a halt at the entrance to UA. The teacher arrived in his car with Tsukauchi in the passenger seat, and the trio squeezed in the back, in too much of a hurry to argue.

They arrived at the nondescript terraced house in record time, Tsukauchi counting twelve different breaches of traffic laws despite having his eyes closed for plausible deniability.

Katsuki was first out the car, but he hesitated to go further.
"What is it?" Asked Hitoshi.
The blond gritted his teeth, "he'll be scared of me."
"Oh." Hitoshi was unsure how to respond, but he was too worried about Izuku to comfort Katsuki anyway. He followed Aizawa up the path to the doorway but almost walked into the teacher who stopped abruptly.

"What is it?" He whispered.
Aizawa turned, quietly walking back away from the house. "Crying."
He, Tsukauchi and Shoto quietly followed the teacher back out the garden and to the left. There was a small gap between the houses, presumably a side gate to one of the gardens, and curled up on the floor, bawling his eyes out was a tiny, frail, green haired child.

Not that you could tell it was Izuku. The hair was short, matted and without any of the brightness they were used to, and they almost felt sick looking at how thin and bruised the child's arms were, they barely covered his face and did a poor job of muffling the sobs.

"Shoto. You're up."
The bicoloured teen stared at the teacher, "is that wise?"
"Have you or have you not been in that situation."
The teen didn't answer.

Shoto made his way slowly toward the child Izuku, trying to make enough noise to alert Izuku of his approach without making it too much and scaring him, though it appeared the kid didn't hear him over his crying.
"Hey kid." Shoto said, and Izuku froze, keeping his eyes covered.
Shoto remembered doing that, the lovely theory that if you can't see them, they can't see you.

"I'm not going to hurt you."
He knelt carefully, trying to get himself on a lower level than the child to appear less threatening, but Izuku was too tiny for him to do that without practically lying on the tarmac.

"R-r-really mister?"
The voice was throaty and under used, and so terrified it make Shoto's blood boil.
"Really. I was just wondering if you could tell me why you're crying? And if I could buy you some food to eat?"
Two emerald orbs so startlingly familiar yet so wrong in the sunken bruised face they inhabited examined him doubtfully.
"No point with the food mister, it'll come right out again and make my throat hurt. Don't waste food on me."

The child had relaxed a little as Shoto sat down cross legged in front of him, and was clearly curious though dared not initiate any kind of conversation. Shoto noted how Izuku dodged his first question but didn't call the kid out.
"I forgot to tell you who I am." He continued softly, recalling what little Katsuki and Izuku had mentioned of their shared childhood. "I'm Hiniyuki Shoto, and I'm a hero student at UA."

Izuku's eyes sparkled, that was cute on teenage Izuku but holy shit.
"You go to UA Hiniyuki-san! That's so cool! What is it like? What teacher do you have? No- what's your quirk? What about- S-s-sorry sir!"
The greenette's eyes widened in fear when he realised what he'd done and he flinched back closing his eyes and expecting to be hit like he always was for rambling. When it never came he nervously opened one eye expecting the nice mister to be angry.
Instead he saw a soft smile like none he'd ever seen before. It was really pretty.

"Being at UA is wonderful," said Shoto as if Izuku's behaviour had never happened, "it is full of kind, passionate people who share the same dream of becoming a hero. My teacher is an underground hero called Eraserhead, he fights quirkless but he can still beat all of us even when he doesn't erase our quirks with his ability. My quirk is called Half hot half cold because my father has no imagination. It means I can do this:"
He slowly raised his right and left hands, though Izuku still flinched, and let a small flame dance in his left palm, and a small crystal of ice grow in his right.

The child gazed in awe, before giving a shy smile, "your quirk is so beautiful, Hiniyuki-san."
Shoto didn't know he needed to hear that until Izuku said it. "Thank you, please call me Shoto."
"Okay Shoto-san."
The bicoloured teen fought the urge to laugh at Izuku's strange persistence, knowing it would startle the child. "So, little one, could you tell me why you were crying?"
Izuku opened his mouth, then closed it, shaking his head in disappointment, "she'll punish me if I tell you..."
"Okay, how about you come with me to the hospital and we get your injuries seen to?"
The child's eyes widened in fear, "I'm not allowed to go to hospitals! S-She'll be angry..."
"That's alright? Has she banned you from going to UA? We have a healer there." He persevered calmly.

The kid's eyebrows furrowed a little in thought before a nervous smile grew on his face, eyes lighting in triumph. "She didn't ban me from going there, said there wasn't any point since a worthless sewer rat like me could never get in anyway!" His voice was excited, though with every word Shoto's killing intent toward Midoriya Inko was rising.

Carefully Shoto got to his knees, watching every movement of Izuku's to see how badly he was injured.
"Shoto-san, you should know if you're planning on kidnapping me, that I am completely worthless." Said the child matter of factly.
Shoto nodded, "I don't plan on doing that, though I don't believe you are."
Was it just him or did Izuku look disappointed. Maybe he wanted to be kidnapped.
Regardless, what needed more urgent addressing was the fact that Izuku very clearly had a broken leg. He didn't seem that bothered by it, Shoto recalling older Izuku joking about high pain thresholds...but he couldn't bear the thought of the kid walking to UA on it.

"You've broken your leg." He stated stupidly.
Izuku blinked at him, "it isn't broken, Shoto-san, that's when the bone sticks out."

...

"Would you mind if I carried you to UA?" He persevered, refusing to be pulled down that rabbit hole.
"I'll be fine, I don't want to be a hassle Shoto-san..."
Shoto smiled, "you aren't at all, but if you walk on it, it will mean more work for the healer, so the most helpful thing you could do would be to let me carry you."
Izuku bit his lip, but then nodded shyly.

Shoto reached out very slowly, making sure his every movement could be seen by Izuku, "I'm going to lift you and carry you against my chest, okay?"
"Okay..."

Izuku flinched at his every touch, but Shoto told him the same litany of calming words he used regularly on the older Izuku coming out of nightmares and eventually he stood with a frighteningly light child in his arms, looking back at the waiting Aizawa, Tsukauchi and Hitoshi.

He was wondering what he'd say, and improvised, "I'm with a few other people but I trust them completely, is that okay?"
Izuku spoke up, "I'm not very brave so can I just hide from them like this?"
He hesitantly buried his head in the crook of Shoto's neck, finding reassurance in the kind teenager's heart beat.

Shoto smiled sadly, "I think you're very brave but you can certainly hide like that if you want."
Remembering something important, he raised his left hand and hesitantly ran it over Izuku's hair. He wanted to card his fingers through it but with how matted it was, he'd probably cause more pain than anything.
As expected Izuku flinched at the initial touch, but Shoto's ministrations made him shudder and relax into the teen's arms.

Shoto moved back toward the others, holding Izuku gently and trying his best not to cause more pain to any of his injuries. How the kid had traveled the hour's walk from downtown to this suburb in this state, he had no idea.

When he saw Izuku's face was hidden, Katsuki nervously joined the others.
All three gazed at the skeletal child in horror and anger.
Shoto informed them softly, "he has a broken leg and wrist, and bad malnutrition. He's scared of hospitals but said that he wasn't banned from UA and agreed to let me take him to Recovery Girl."
"Why's he hiding?" Murmured Hitoshi softly, though the kid held on a little tighter at his words.
The bicoloured teen sighed, "he doesn't feel brave enough to meet you so he's pretending not to be there. Let's go."

He started walking, Aizawa and Katsuki following without hesitation, leaving the car. Hitoshi shared a confused glance with Tsukauchi but they were both out of their depth in this so they didn't ask, joining the strange and quiet procession back to UA.

Part 2 will be published tomorrow!