Puppet Master

Breaking Free

Katsuki eyed Iz- No, Deku, from the other side of the playground. It had been six months since the shocking news of Deku being quirkless. Deku sat on a swing alone. He wasn't swinging, his legs weren't long enough to push off the ground and none of the teachers would push him.
"All Might!" he clicked his tongue and turned back to his game of heroes and villains where he was playing the number one hero, All Might.

After school the two still walked in the same direction but Deku walked multiple paces behind him. Katsuki wanted nothing more than to run up and sling an arm over his old friend's shoulder as he turned down the driveway of his own house and Deku kept walking.
"I'M HOME!" he yelled upon swinging the front door open.

At dinner, Dad asked about Deku. "Izuku hasn't been over in a while. Did something happen between you two?" Katsuki rolled his eyes. "Who cares about that quirkless freak anyways?"
Both Mom and Dad narrowed their eyes.
"Katsuki," he jumped at his mother's strict voice, "you haven't been avoiding Izuku, have you? I am sure you know that it is not his fault." Katsuki growled. "Yeah well, I don't need that baby holding me back!"
Dad cleared his voice. "Such big words. You are four, Katsuki. If anything is holding you back it is you from having a good friend." Katsuki stared at his father in shock. He was a quiet man but Katsuki probably respected the man more than anyone else. Still...
*BOOM*
The chopsticks split in half as Katsuki slammed them down on the table. "Shut up, old man! You don't know anything!" Katsuki jumped off his chair and ran to his room, slamming his door and locking it behind him.

Do you think I want this!? A remembered Deku that day in class, and every day for the past week. His smile was wide but it was almost too perfect. It never faltered. Not even when Katsuki pushed him or another kid kicked sand at him. It was like a picture that was painted on. His smile never reached his eyes. They were wide and his eyebrows were raised in the same way one's eyebrows would raise when they are excited besides his was always there. Like they were forced. And his eyes... they were shockingly empty. None of the spark that he used to have to be found in the dark void. Katsuki clenched his fist and punched the wall, flinching slightly at the pain.

I hate this... I just want Izu back...

_______________________________

At five years old, Izuku found out what a dislocated shoulder felt like.
Mommy had pulled his arm using his quirk through a wall. She was "trying something new" like he was a toy to be tested. When he couldn't be moved through the wall and before the string could snap, his shoulder dislocated from where the string was being pulled. Then it snapped.

Side note, the more they snap, the stronger they grow back. The stronger they grow back the harder it takes to snap and thus the longer she can abuse him with pain before it snaps.

At six years old, Izuku found out what it means to be burned.
School was no relief. The other kids began to get more violent. Kacchan decided to finally release his quirk on him. He was trying to protect another kid from being bullied. The kid got away. Izuku got his butt handed to him. That was okay. He would just smile and go on.

At seven years old, Izuku was waning.
It was harder to keep up his smile. It was harder to hide the injuries he got at home from those at school and in the same sense it was harder to hide the injuries he got at school from Inko at home. Around half a year ago he stopped calling her "Mom."

_______________________________

Eight and a half years old, December 5th. Izuku was done.
He couldn't keep doing this! One wrong move at home and his quirk was turned against him, he was locked in that dang closet, and he wasn't fed for days. One wrong move at school and he would be sporting a new burn mark under his singed clothes as well as more cuts or bruises to match the ones he got at home.