Lonely Rabbit

Chapter 3: First Real Friend

However, the smile was quickly dropped from his face when a group of three boys came up behind Shinso and pushed him towards an alleyway right next to the café. Shinso didn't want to talk about his quirk and those boys were acting just like Izuku's old bullies when he still went to school years ago, Izuku wasn't dumb. Knowing what was about to happen, he rushed out after calling out to Yui that he would be right back.

Izuku was practically seething in anger when he saw his new friend on the ground, surrounded by the three boys. The leader, he assumed, was taunting Shinso with insults about his 'villain quirk' and how he could 'never be a hero' both of which, pissed Izuku off even more as his own memories of Kacchan resurfaced. Izuku couldn't take it anymore.

Shinso met his eyes, fear and shock swimming in them, as Izuku moved up behind the leader silently, the bully too caught up in his jeering to notice the small boy. Not that he would let him, he was a vigilante who had exceptional stealth skills after all. Without warning, Izuku grabbed the leader's collar and pulled him backwards sharply, a small cry of shock escaping him.

Everyone was frozen as the leader bully landed on his ass. After a moment, the bullies seemed to realize that this 'savior' in front of them was shorter than them and was probably younger and weaker. Of course, they couldn't be more wrong, but Izuku was fine with them underestimating him, it gave him the advantage.

"Why are you defending a villain?" Lacky 1 sneered.

"Trying to play hero? Get lost." Lacky 2 scoffed, literally and figuratively looking down on him.

Izuku raised an eyebrow coldly, holding back his bloodlust for now. "Villain you say? Have any of you actually met a villain before?"

Apparently, that just made them angrier, especially the leader whose face was now red from embarrassment and anger at the small kid who caught him off guard.

"What are you talking about pipsqueak?"

"As if you would know! This guy is a damn villain!"

"Go play hero somewhere else shorty!"

Izuku almost wanted to laugh, they had watched him pick up their leader by the collar of his shirt to throw him down and they seriously kept picking a fight while thinking he was some small, scrawny kid. It would be hilarious if Shinso wasn't still on the ground, scared for him and still shaking a bit. Time to wrap this up.

"Actually, I think it's time for you three to get lost, I have to get back to work and you guys are pissing me off." He gave them a sharp smile and a hateful glare through his eyes.

They stupidly decided to charge. 'Well, this is just self-defense'. A few moments later, the three kids were on the ground, one with a bloody nose and another with a bruised arm. Seeing that they weren't a match, they begrudgingly rushed away, calling out a few insults once they were far enough away.

"You're just as much of a villain, freak, next time we won't lose!"

Izuku gave a dry laugh before calling back, "As if you weren't literally the villains here, you can't beat me so just fuck off!" Clapping his hand together Izuku turned to face a curled up Shinso, who was starting to hyperventilate. His anger faded to concern.

'Shit', Izuku thought, 'I was so focused on the bullies in my anger that I forgot Shinso was probably in shock from me seeing him like this'. He took out his phone and began to play a calming instrumental song that Izuku used for himself when he had panic attacks before approaching the boy.

"Hey", he spoke softly, "can I come sit next to you Shinso?"

There was a pause of silence before the purple-hair boy nodded slowly, still in a daze. With that, Izuku shuffled to sit down on the ground a few inches away from Shinso and asked him to breathe with him. After a few deep breathes together combined with the gentle music and murmurs of encouragement from Izuku, Shinso relaxed and looked away from him.