"Yes, I think he's ready, Kurogiri."

"Are you sure? He's only ten years old."

"Exactly. Train them while they're young and their potential becomes boundless."

"Y-Yes, sir."

"What's wrong? Are you worried about him going to the sewers? How strange of you to show kindness."

"I apologize, All for one. I will take young Midoriya right away."

"Hahaha, no reason to say sorry."

Midoriya and Kurogiri were walking along the sewer system to a discreet location, holding hands.

"Bartender-san, where are we going?" He was riddled with dirt and blood stains over his ragged shirt and pants. Everyone was mean to him, except Bartender-san. He was the only one who tried to keep him fed and clothed, even if it wasn't the best of either.

"...After this is over, I promise to give you some orange juice, how does that sound?" Ignoring his question.

Midoriya's hollow baggy eyes gained some spirit. "You mean it?"

He nodded. "So you must win, okay?"

"Yeah! Bartender-san you're the best!"

The cheering. The body lying face down, in front of him. The splashed around sewer water running red with both their blood. Hyperventilating. Lost in it all. "Awwhaaaa!"

Izuku shot up. His bare chest was rising up and down with scared breaths. He was sitting up, supported with his arms on the ground. He glanced around the morning-night room. His breathing began to slow down. He felt a weight snuggled next to him. His eyes lingered on Toga. Her hair was down, and his costume was acting as a blanket. Izuku dropped his head, his green bangs shadowed his eyes. "Forget that, already." He whispered, trying to go back to sleep. Those memories only came back because of the voice he heard from the monitor in the bar. He hugged Toga closer but didn't sleep. He couldn't. He only stared over her shoulder, to the window. The bright sun was beginning to rise.

Dangling steps similar to Deku's caught Dabi's ear. He was watching a late night, early morning, a rerun of the news. He turned his head to the door as he entered.

"Stain, you're back," Dabi mumbled, turning his eyes back to the TV. "Another day of ridding the world of fakes."

Stain didn't answer and only stopped in the living room to watch the news. They were talking about a villain who fought All-Might.

"He was so scary! Every time All-Might pummeled him, the guy would just get back up, looking more and more dead! He had flaming wings and burning green eyes, looking like a devil! He even made a murderous cry like a jackal at one point!"

The camera moved from Mineta to Tsuyu. She had her fingertip on her lips, with her tongue sticking out.

"Yeah he was scary, ribbit, but at the same time, he also looked kind of sad..."

"Care to elaborate?"

"Ribbit, I just speak my mind, and that's how I felt at the time."

Stain ignored the rest, heading to his room. "Is Deku around?"

"Yeah, somewhere with Toga, in the building," Dabi mumbled keeping his eyes on the TV.

Stain went to go take a power nap. 'He went to confront All-Might...'

Dabi shrugged. "We're gonna need cash."

~A few weeks later~

A slash. A backflip dodge. He went for a stab. He side step shuffled, before throwing a jab. Blocked with the flat side of the blade. He reached for one of his daggers, aiming for his stomach. He didn't dodge fast enough, and it sliced the skin over his hip.

'Shit, ignite!' Izuku's blood burst green flames before Stain could ingest it.

"Your reaction time is better, but," Stain eyed the wound that was taking a while to heal. "You're healing factor has slowed down."

Izuku was on his knees clutching his ribcage. The flames kindled weakly, searing the wound.

"Have you lost your convictions? Your will?" Bringing his sword down to Deku's neck, the cold steel had its fangs scraping against his skin.

Izuku stared up at him. He gulped, before grinning. "No. I'm going to be a hero, even if society refuses to acknowledge me."

He leashed his hungry blade back, Stain's killer intent left. He walked to the edge of the roof. "We need groceries."

Izuku blank-blinked. "Eh? Y-Yeah I'll go get Toga and Dabi."

Stain simply lept off the building like a spider.

Izuku rubbed his throat before walking to the door. He stopped, holding the doorknob. 'My convections?'

Dabi, Toga, and Deku were walking down a dark alley. She was happily humming the music coming from her headphones. She was in her regular school outfit. Dabi was in his casual black hood. Izuku was wearing a loose green turtleneck shirt, it hung around his neck loosely, and his sleeves only went down to his biceps. He had black cargo shorts and his signature red boots.

"This is the last of our cash. Fucking Broker only paid us the first half, All-Might's still alive, so there went our other half." Dabi added the numbers in his head. He held onto the money because Toga was a psycho bitch, and Deku would either lose it or give it to a less fortunate bum. "It's about a week's worth."

Dabi was the only one concerned. He had cringed murderous eyes at the two. Deku was still mumbling to himself about the sports festival a while back. Toga was playing murder with a back alley cat. 'I'll fucking fry you both.'

They walked out of the alley and into the city, blending with the crowd. They walked into a grocery store to pick up the bare essentials. All of their stomachs grumbled at the sight of food.

Deku was walking around the isles, with a shopping basket hanging from his elbow. He was getting the hygiene supplies. Toga disappeared. 'If anything she'll just steal what she needs.'

It rolled to his feet.

"Hm?" He bent down to pick it up. "Lavender esthetic?" A bottle of body wash.

"Oh, sorry, about that." She walked up to him. She held an uneasy grin and ruffled the back of her hair. "Can I get that back, it's the last one, and my favorite."

"S-Sure." Midoriya handed it to her.

Their fingertips grazed, and she grew a chill smirk. "Thanks. I'm not usually this clumsy, but this hero internship is killing me." She yawned.

"Y-You're a hero in training?"

"Hm, yeah, I'm currently attending U.A." She had a proud smirk. She did help save the day today.

"Oh, that's amazing!" Izuku smiled back. "How's the school like?!" Wanting to know about the school All-Might attended and is teaching in.

"It's actually-"

A loud eruption through the grocery store and the block area.

"What the?" She mumbled. That wasn't good.

Izuku glanced up feeling something familiar. 'It can't be!'

He dropped his shopping cart and ran out the store.

"Hey, wait! What if it's dangerous! Wait for a pro!"

He ignored her stumbling out and into a scrambled crowd.

The city night was blazing. "N-Noumus!"

The wind swept through his ears. "Ha-" He barely managed to utter. The winged Noumu grabbed him, stabbing his claws into Izuku's arm and shoulder.

It flew to the sky. Izuku gritted his teeth. "Ignite!" He lit his wound. He blasted out his emerald flames and scorched the Noumu. It released its claws, harshly yanking them out of his arm and shoulder.

"Gawh!" He was falling from the sky. He clutched his wound. It wasn't healing. The blood rained droplets.

He crashed through a kiosk stand, near the grocery store.

He pushed his arm off the ground, but didn't have the strength and fell down, face first.

His breathing was breaking in and out, with rigid heaves from his chest. 'This is just like with All-Might... I couldn't... I lost them didn't I, my convictions? I couldn't compare to All-Might in the slightest...' His eyes were fading in and out. Blood pooled around his arm.

A scream praying for help.

His eyes widened awake. He rose his head off the ground, staring across the street. He chocked out a gasp of blood. It was her. The girl from earlier. A big Noumu was towering over her. No heroes were around. Everyone was fleeing.

'No..!'

"Bartender-san... am I villain? I hear the news, sometimes they mention my name, and I don't like what they call me, even people in the streets say it. B-But down there, they treat me like a hero... Even when I-" He began to sob.

"It's okay, young Midoriya. Unfortunately, in this age of heroes, even kids can be labeled as such. But you shouldn't let this society decided your actions. They will tarnish your reputation. They will attack you. They will outcast a child, claiming in the name of justice. But you must not falter. You need to live your life because you can't live any other."

'Bartender-san... Even villains can be kind.' Izuku's wound was healing. With his battered arm, he reached into his pocket. He was forcing himself up. The wound seeped out a spill of blood from the strained force.

"What was a kid like you, doing in a dangerous place like the sewers?" Stain had beaten him, but instead of taking the vicious kid's life, he took him away from that place.

"I'm a hero." He grumbled, but they both heard the lie.

"You? You're just a kid. Go home, before you actually die down there."

"..."

"Hm, what didn't you hear me?"

"...I don't have one."

"Then get lost. I don't have time for you."

"...Mister, did you save me?"

"..." Let's go home, kid.

'You believed in me, Stain. You saved me! I want to save people too!'

Izuku's fingernails buried into the ground. He pulled out his mask guard and latched it around his face. He was prowling on the edge of his red boots and fingers, imitating a fierce beast. His wound ignited flames, and his wings fluttered out his back.

She croaked out in fear, a few tears threatening to spill.

"I will become a hero! I am!" He roared out, muffled from his mask.

His wings exploded and a gale of wind shattered the nearby windows.

She was paralyzed by fear, staring up at the Noumu's brain. 'It's like the one All-Might fought...'

A high throttle sideways knee slammed into that exact spot. He increased the flame pressure of his wings and extended his leg for more force. "It's all right!" He cried with a smile, launching the Noumu. It crashed into a building, a debris explosion.

He landed protectively in front of her.

Her eyes grew into mesmerized orbs. Green flames crackled around him like cherry blossom embers. His emerald wings were illuminated by the scary night sky. A savior.

He raised his knuckle to his face and clenched it.

"I will definitely protect someone this time."