The Last Hope

the forgotten child

**Chapter One: The Forgotten Child**

Izuku Yagi sat in his room, staring at small photo of him and his family. The peeling wallpaper and cracked windowpane reflected the neglect he faced every day. At fourteen, he should enjoying his teenage years, but instead, his life was a constant fights for survival.

His family was famous and admired in Musutafu. His father, Toshinori Yagi, also known as the Symbol of Peace, All Might, was the 1.n hero. His mother, Inko, was a loving and supportive woman towards his sister, Izumi. Izumi Yagi was the princess of the family, having inherited their father's quirk. Izuku, on the other hand, was quirkless, and in a society where quirks defined one's worth, he was seen as just a powerless freak that should have died long time ago.

"Get out of my way Deku!" Izumi's voice echoed through the narrow hallway as she shoved past him. Izuku stumbled catching himself on the wall, but he said nothing. He had learned long ago that speaking up would only make it worse.

"Sorry," he mumbled, though he knew she wouldn't hear or care. Izumi's glare was burning with hatred, her eyes filled with disgust.

"You're such a mistake I can't believe I am related to you " she sneered, her voice dripping with contempt. The words cut deeper than any physical blow ever could.

Dinner time was always the hardest. The Yagi family gathered around the large dining table, with Toshinori at the head, Inko to his right, and Izumi to his left. Izuku was seated at the far end, barely acknowledged. The lively conversation at the other end of the table felt like it was happening in another world.

"How was your day, sweetheart?" Inko asked Izumi, her voice full of warmth that never reached Izuku.

"It was great, Mom! I trained with Dad, and he said I'm getting stronger every day!" Izumi beamed, her eyes shining with pride.

"That's wonderful honey" Toshinori said ruffling her hair affectionately. "You're going to be a 1.n hero someday."

Izuku picked at his food feeling jealousy and sadness. He wanted nothing more than to make his parents proud but no matter how hard he tried he was always the worthless disgrace of the family.

"Pass the salt Deku" Izumi demanded, and he quickly handed it to her.

"Thanks, loser," she muttered under her breath, but loud enough for him to hear. Toshinori and Inko continued their conversation as if nothing happened.

Izuku's heart ached with each passing second. He looked at his mother, hoping for some sign of comfort, some small acknowledgment. But Inko's eyes were only for Izumi, filled with pride and love that Izuku had longed for all his life.

After dinner, Izuku fled to his room, his sanctuary. Here under the shadows he could be himself. He pulled out a notebook from under his bed, it's pages filled with notes on heroes, quirks, and strategies. Despite everything, his dream remained a flicker of hope in the darkness neglect and abuse. He wanted to be a hero not for glory but to prove that even he, the quirkless, forgotten boy, could make a small difference.

As the house settled into silence Izuku lay awake staring at the ceiling. His body ached from the bruises but the pain in his heart was far worse. He closed his eyes wishing for a miracle for a day when he would be seen.

Over the years, Izuku's life only grew more miserable. His dreams of becoming a hero were met with ridicule and scorn. At school, he was relentlessly bullied by Izumi and her friends, the Bakugo twins, Katsuki and Kazumi, as well as the Todoroki twins, Shoto and Fuyumi.

"Hey, Deku! Still dreaming about being a hero?" Kasumi mocked, pushed him against the lockers.

"Look at him, can't even fight back," Shoto sneered, using his ice to freeze Izuku's shoes to the floor.

"Why don't you just give up, Deku?" Fuyumi added, her tone as icy as her brother's quirk.

Despite the constant abuse, Izuku held onto a hair of hope. He continued to study heroes filling his notebooks with detailed observations and strategies. But as the years passed the weight of his family's neglect and the relentless bullying took it's toll on him losing the ability to show emotions.

Inko's attempts to reconnect with him only made things worse. She would knock on his door, her voice soft and pleading. "Izuku can we talk? I miss you."

But Izuku couldn't bring himself to trust her. He had learned to keep his distance, to protect himself from further pain. "I'm fine... Mom " he would say, his voice devoid of emotion.

Inko's heart broke a little more each time, but she didn't know how to bridge the gap between them. Toshinori too, was distant, his focus on his hero work and training Izumi. He barely acknowledged Izuku's existence and when he did it was with a look of disappointment like looking at broken toy.

One evening, after another day of torment Izuku returned home to find his father waiting for him in the living room. Toshinori's stern expression sent a chill down Izuku spine.

"Sit down Izuku" Toshinori said, his voice cold and detached.

Izuku obeyed, his heart pounding with fear. "Yes Dad?"

Toshinori stared at him, his eyes hard. "I've heard about your... issues at school. You need to toughen up. You're a Yagi and it's time you started acting like one."

Izuku's heart sank. He had hoped for some words of comfort some sign that his father cared. But his words only reinforced his sense of worthlessness and emptiness. "Yes Dad" he whispered his voice barely audible.

As Toshinori walked away Izuku felt deep emptiness inside him. He had lost all hope of ever gaining his father's approval. He was alone in a world that had turned its back on him.

The years dragged on each day into the next. Izuku's emotions dulled his dreams of becoming a hero fading into the background. He went through the motions of daily life a shell of his former self.

One day, during gym class, the bullying escalated. Izumi and her friends had cornered him behind the school, away from the watchful eyes of teachers.

"Still pretending to be a hero, Deku?" Katsuki sneered, his hands crackling with small explosions.

Izuku stood frozen, his heart pounding. "Just leave me alone," he pleaded, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Why should we?" Shoto replied, using his fire to create a barrier around Izuku. "You're just a waste of space."

"Yeah, you should just disappear," Fuyumi added, her ice creating sharp, menacing shards around him.

Kazumi stepped forward, her voice dripping with malice. "You're nothing, Deku. You'll never be a hero."

Izumi watched from the side, her arms crossed, a satisfied smirk on her face. "You're such a disappointment."

The taunts and threats became a blur as Izuku's mind retreated into itself. He felt numb the pain and fear fading into a cold void. He had nothing left to give no tears left to cry. His dreams of becoming a hero felt like distant memories buried beneath the weight of his despair.

When he finally returned home that evening, Inko tried once more to reach out. "Izuku please let's talk."

But Izuku couldn't find the strength to respond. He walked past her his eyes empty and retreated to his room. He felt like a ghost haunting a life that no longer felt like his own.

Inko's eyes filled with tears as she watched him go. She wanted to help her son but she didn't know how. Toshinori, too, seemed at a loss, his stern facade cracking ever so slightly.

"Maybe we should do something," Inko said softly her voice trembling. "He's our son Toshinori."

Toshinori sighed rubbing his temples. "I don't know Inko. I just don't know."

Izuku lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, feeling the weight of his loneliness and despair. He had once dreamed of being a hero, of making a difference in the world. But now, all he wanted was to be seen, to be part of the family. The light of his dreams had dimmed, but a small, stubborn ember remained. He couldn't give up, not entirely. Somewhere, deep within, a flicker of hope still glowing in this darkness of neglect and abuse.