Betrayed And Broken

know thy enemy to know thyself

The dim glow of lanterns illuminated the worn faces of the students at the safehouse. They sat in a semi-circle, all eyes focused on the center, where Uraraka sat. Her last interaction with Deku weighed heavily on her, and the class wanted answers. Answers to questions that had haunted them for days.

Todoroki began, his voice soft, "Uraraka, we... we need to understand. What led Deku to this path? Was it something we missed? Something we did?"

Uraraka looked down, her fingers fidgeting with a small trinket Deku had given her years ago. "He felt abandoned. Not just by All Might but by everyone he considered friends... by us." She took a shaky breath. "He shared bits and pieces during my captivity. He felt the world was against him."

Asui, her eyes shimmering, added, "We were a class, a team. We should've seen the signs, felt his despair."

Kirishima clenched his fists, "But it wasn't just our ignorance. Bakugo...he played a part in this." He hesitated, choosing his words carefully, "I always saw their rivalry as friendly, but it was deeper, darker. Deku had genuine pain from their past."

Mina piped in, "I remember the time when Deku stood up against Bakugo in our first year. There was so much history in that fight, so much raw emotion."

Uraraka, her voice choked with emotion, continued, "Deku mentioned that it wasn’t just Bakugo's bullying. It was the collective silence of everyone around, including us. We let it happen."

Jirou sighed, "Bakugo's arrogance and Deku's silence made a toxic mix. We all just thought it was their dynamic."

A heavy silence settled. Their reflections were interrupted by a soft, frail voice. All Might had entered the room, carrying a sleeping Eri. He looked gaunt, a shadow of his former self, weighed down by guilt and regret.

All Might began, "Young Midoriya... he was like a son to me. I let him down." He looked up, meeting the eyes of every student present, "But we all played a part. Instead of guiding him, I pressured him, burdened him with my legacy."

Todoroki, his gaze piercing, questioned, "Why did you try to take One for All back from him?"

All Might hesitated, his voice barely audible, "Fear... I was scared for him, scared of the burden. But I realize now, it was my own failure I feared."

All Might's gaze lowered, his voice deep with regret. "Deku... Izuku Midoriya. He was quirkless, yet his spirit was stronger than anyone I'd ever met. Society wasn't kind to those without quirks. They were seen as weak, inferior. But he... he still dreamed of being a hero, even when the world told him he couldn't."

Momo's eyes widened, "Quirkless? But he..."

All Might nodded, "Yes. One For All was passed on to him, but before that, he faced a world that was cruel and unforgiving. Bakugo, whom he considered a friend, was a constant source of torment. The scars on his heart were deep, some still fresh from their confrontations."

Kirishima looked shocked, "Wait... so all those times Bakugo exploded at him, called him 'Deku' as an insult..."

All Might continued, "It was a reminder of his quirkless past, a moniker that he adopted with pride later on. But that pride came from overcoming years of bullying, isolation, and self-doubt."

Uraraka bit her lip, fighting back tears. "And we... we never knew. He smiled, laughed with us, but inside..."

All Might's voice broke a little, "The incident with the sludge villain was a turning point. Deku, without a quirk, faced off against a threat to save Bakugo. And when the dust settled, instead of praise, heroes chewed him out for being reckless. I... I was one of them. And when he needed guidance the most, I couldn’t find him for an entire week. The guilt... it nearly consumed me."