Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

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Izuku Midoriya was tired.

Under his eyes were beginning to form circles of lilac and brown, showing how little sleep he had been getting. The boy's green curls were tangled and messy, but he didn’t have the strength to brush them. His scarred hands were clenched to his side as he made his way towards the 1-A dorm building.

The day started off just like any other, eating breakfast, going to class and hanging out with his friends, but had gradually gotten worse and worse until he just had to leave and take a walk. His dark sweatpants were dirty and worn from use, but Izuku couldn’t bring himself to care. Not right now. His sleep schedule was becoming more and more jumbled and the hours he would actually spend sleeping were restless or filled with horrible nightmares.

These nightmares were visibly eating him alive. The memories of middle school mixed in with pain and suffering were, on most nights, too much and Midoriya would spend hours crying in his bathroom. He had even started to throw up, his stomach often ached. The thought that his newly found powers would one day disappear, and he would be left with nothing scared him. Because if that did happen he would have no friends, no education, no trust and no reason to keep going every day.

To that, Izu chuckled. A reason? To live? Did he really have any? Yes, there were the powers he was gifted by his all-time favourite hero, but those could be given to somebody more deserving. There must be some quirkless kid even more heroic than him. More deserving. Maybe he should-

He quickly shook that thought off with a light slap on his right cheek. ”No, mom would be devastated.” Even though Inko wasn't always there for him she really did mean well. She was often busy and unable to talk because she was working hard to support him. He should probably try and call her again...

Finally, reaching the concrete building, he climbed up the stone steps and opened the door. A small clock on the wall showed eight thirty and the rest of his class were doing their evening routines. Somebody was heating leftovers in the kitchen, probably Kaminari or Sero, while the girls were finishing up their homework on the dining table. There were multiple books and notebooks laying around, and a few bags hanging from the chairs, showing that they had been working for a while. Dark shadow was looking out of one of the windows.

"Soon it will be dark. Dark!" it rejoiced loudly. Then a sudden " Can you just be quiet?" made it shut up.

”Oh, hello Midoriya! Did you have a nice walk?” Iida asked, adjusting his classes. His smile was warm and inviting, but Izuku felt no warmth from it.

”Uh, yeah.” He took his red shoes off and placed them neatly next to the other hundred pairs. The smell of shampoo and curry were strong in the air, and he inhaled deeply.

” Hey Mido wanna play? I won the last round on Mario Kart and now Bakubro won't play with me anymore!” Kirishima yelled from the couch. He had on his red "Rock it!" shirt.

” No thanks Kirishima-kun. I’m really tired! I’ll just go to bed early.”

As Midoriya walked to the stairs Katsuki Bakugou gave him a side eye. There clearly was something wrong with the green haired boy, but what? He didn’t bother to ask, turning his gaze away and back to the tv.

Up in the comfort of his own room, Izuku stared at a small carving knife. It had been an impulse buy back in the good days, when he still had a friend in Kacchan. The handle was red, his favourite colour. He had hidden it under his bed in case the school was ever under an attack. Now, however, he had other use for it. The door was locked and the curtains were closed. Alone at last.

He rolled up his sleeve and ran the blade across his pale wrist, imbued with scars old and new. The newest being only a few days old and the oldest, he wasn’t sure anymore. Thin red lines formed fast and at an alarming pace but there was no one to care.

While doing so, Izuku thought about his day. It had been bad to say the least. Iida scolded him for waking up super early and not really eating at breakfast, Aizawa told him how disappointed he was during training and even though he didn’t really say it, expulsion scared the shit out of Izuku. Then there was the lack of sleep, constant fear of being attacked or hurt in some way and, last but not least, One for All. It took so much time and energy to keep it from breaking his bones or tearing his muscles. The weight of the responsibility coming with this power was beginning to give him second thoughts.

Sometimes Izuku wished he would not have been gifted this power (No shut up). This power that made him so strong. This power that made people like him and want to be his friend. This thing that hurt him- wait no. This thing that broke him piece by piece (No stop). Power that truly did not belong to him (NO). No one would be his friend without it (Not true). People only liked and trusted him because of something he was given, not because of HIM! He is such a fraud. Why was it breaking him, and no one noticed? Why didn’t anyone care? He was suffering, withering away and nobody did anything! He should just die (Too deep!).

Izuku looked down and saw, between the thin lines were deep, angry cuts, that were oozing out blood and fast. Things were getting out of hand and Izuku knew it. He tried to keep them from bleeding by holding a hand over them, but no luck. His sheets were getting soaked and the shirt, if not before, was going to get tossed out now. Midoriya felt himself panicking, no matter how much pressure he applied the bleeding continued. What can he do?!

Then he remembered something he had learned. Cold helps to stop bleeding, it will constrict blood vessel.

He stood up on shaky legs and stumbled to the bathroom, knocking something down. That something went crashing down, but he couldn’t care less right now. He almost fell, feeling faint, but grabbed hold of the door and then the wall. Izuku, finally inside his rooms small bathroom, bent down to open the silver faucet on his tub. The water turned instantly red and the last thing Izuku thought was that red was such a pretty colour. His favorite. Then he closed his eyes.

Somebody caught him as his body fell.

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Chapter Text

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It was eleven o’clock and Shota Aizawa stood at the class 1-A dorms. He had just finished a call with Hizashi promising him to finally come home on time for a small in-home-date. There were promises of his favourite foods, so he was rather excited (even if he didn’t admit it). He just needed to check on the kids first and he would be done shortly. He looked at the remaining members of the class that were still up.

” Why aren’t you in bed yet?”

” Oh hey Aizawa-sensei!”

” We were just finishing up our reading session.”

” Are Kirishima and Midoriya back yet?”

” Yeah they are in their rooms now.” Uraraka answered while packing her bag.

” I see. Well, if there isn’t anything you need, then I’ll just go. Good night and see you tomorrow.” He exited the building. The air around him was cool, and the breeze was a nice change for the hot summer day. Soon it would be autumn and rain season, but they could enjoy the warmth a little longer. A door opened behind him and there was a voice.

” Uh sensei? There was a large crash upstairs. I think you should have a look…” Jiro spoke with a hint of urgency. And there goes his evening plans. Shota could almost hear his husbands voice, nagging about another ruined date.

” Alright, where exactly did you hear it coming from?” He rubbed his eyes.

Soon Aizawa stood infront of Izuku Midoriya’s dorm room. He wasn’t really surprised that the resident problem child was the culprit behind the noise. He raised his hand and knocked, soft at first but then louder when no one answered. Aizawa had hoped there to be a logical explanation, but as the minutes flew past and there was no noise, worry bubbled inside his heart. Could Jiro have heard wrong? Maybe it was something else entirely. But then again why didn’t Midoriya wake up? He had to know if his student was okay.

He opened the lock with a master key and flicked the lights on. Two words: big mistake. Shota, for a second, froze and every hair in his body stood up. There was blood. On the bed. On the floor. On a desk. It was fresh and glittered in the light like some sort of a precious stone. First thing that came to his mind was an attack. The league had managed to kidnap one of his students or worse, kill him. Then he saw the small blade on the floor and heard water running in the bathroom. The door wasn’t closed so he could easily see Izuku hunched over the bathtub and about to fall. Quickly he opened the door wider and caught the unconscious boy.

Aizawa could do nothing but run down the common room stairs and out the door. The other students had already gone to bed so there wouldn’t be any prying eyes. As fast as he could Shota dialled Chiyo’s number, begging for her to not be asleep with any noise cancelling headphones on.

” Hello? Shota what-”

” Chiyo! You need to get here ASAP!”

” What is going on?! Was there a-”

” Izuku Midoriya tried to kill himself. I just found him inside his room, bleeding.”

” I-I’ll be there soon.” Shota put the phone in his pocket and ran even faster for the medical wing.

Recovery girl arrived there in a flash and looked at the boy laying on the bed. He was pale, dark circles lined his eyes and there was blood on his clothes. Aizawa had tried to bandage his wrist to stop the bleeding the best he could and that might have truly been the only thing keeping him alive. At this point there was nothing to be done and she tried explaining as much.

” What do you mean nothing you can do? He almost died!” Aizawa must have heard wrong.

” You must understand Shota! The boy has NO energy left. Can’t you see the dark circles? I’d say they almost match yours.”

” But can’t you do something?”

” Listen, I’ll give him some fluids and redo those bandages. But then we will let him rest. I can try healing him in a couple of hours.” She sighed.

Aizawa was at the verge of a breakdown. His student- no, his kid was about to die. The only thing keeping him alive was his makeshift bandages. His heart was pounding so hard it surely could be mistaken for a heart attack. He knew he had a few phone calls to make so he started by sitting down and calling his lovely husband. Hizashi picked up.

” Shota where the f-”

” Zashi I- Oh my god.” He felt tears slipping down his cheeks.

” Sho. What happened? Where are you?” Aizawa let out a weak ”Recovery girl” but that was enough for his better half to find him. There, sitting on a blue plastic chair was the love of his life, crying. Silently Mic crept over and hugged the man. It went on for a while and only then was he brave enough to ask.

” Sho, can you tell me what happened?”

” Midoriya- Izuku was- He almost killed himself. I can’t-”

” Shh. Shh it’s okay honey. You don’t need to explain more.” Yamada looked at the door that led to the infirmary.

” Did Chiyo manage to heal him?”

” No. N-not yet. She said that he didn’t have enough energy yet. We have to wait.” He sounded frustrated, but who could blame him. Hizashi was too.

He had just finished their dessert (which was supposed to be made by Shota…) when he got the call. The annoyance he had felt towards his husband dissipated immediately when Shota told him his location. The horrid image of Aizawa lying half dead in a hospital bed was enough to make him run across the campus faster than he ever had. Maybe there had been an attack? Or someone’s quirk got out of control?

Then he found out that it wasn’t his Sho that was hurt but a student. A certain green haired, baby-faced student who had showed such potential at the sports festival.

Speaking of the student. Izuku was sleeping peacefully when the duo entered the room. They had informed Nezu on what had happened and he promised to call Inko Midoriya. They settled on either side of the boy and just waited. Minutes turned to hours and then, morning sun started to peek around the horizon.

When the child finally opened his eyes, Izuku’s gaze was met with theirs and the two adults sighed with relief.

” What happened?”

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Chapter Text

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Slowly Izuku opened his green eyes. It took him only a second to realize that he was not in his bathroom anymore. The familiar white roof of the recovery wing stared at him like a painful wound and absentmindedly he turned his head to look at his arms. There however, he found somebody’s hand holding his. He followed it up, up to see his teacher’s soft gaze. Aizawa-sensei was there, holding his hand, next to his wounds.

Before Midoriya had a chance to panic, Present Mic spoke.

” Hey, little listener. How are you feeling? Would you like to sleep a bit more?”

” I-uh. N-no thank you. What happened?”

Before they could answer the boy, the white curtain moved, and Recovery Girl stepped inside. Aizawa immediately held Izuku tighter, turning to look at the healer.

” Chiyo.”

” Now Midoriya I see you are finally awake. How are you feeling?”

” I- no, what? Why I… Can somebody tell me why I am here?” Izuku stammered.

” Yes, we will explain but all in due time. Firstly here.” She gave a paper cup to the boy. ”I need you to drink this.”

Izuku took it. Inside was a purple liquid, most likely juice, that smelled awfully sweet. It might as well have been soap, because when Izuku drank, it threatened to come back up. He struggled for a while but managed to keep it down. As expected, it was way too sweet.

” I’ll give you twenty minutes.” The healer told Aizawa and walked off.

” So, Midori-” No that doesn’t feel right. ”Izuku. Can you tell me about yesterday? How long have you been feeling this way?”

” Sensei I have no idea what you are talking about?”

” Okay let’s start with something simpler. How was yesterday?”

” I- uh, nothing special. I woke up early to jog, then went to classes and did my homework. At some point after dinner, I decided to go on a walk around the city. But not far!”

” And then?”

” Well, then I came back and went to sleep.” Shota looked at him with annoyance.

” Okay so maybe I did some remodelling on my room and got hurt-”

” I saw the knife. Now if you aren’t going to be honest with me, maybe you’ll find Hound dog or All mi-”

” No don’t tell All might!” He paled. ” He cannot know about this.”

” Okay let’s come back to that later… Now tell us what happened last night.”

”… I just had enough. I-I had to just silence the voices for a while. You must understand it really was nothing more than me being too weak to handle the pressure. Everyone is expecting something of me and it’s starting to be too much. The constant pressure, the demands, impossible training schedule, the lack of people to rely on. I am everybody's shoulder to lean on, the person to talk to, the rock, the gravity, the voice of reason. But why! What about me?! Who has my back? Who catches me when I fall? This usually helps but. Just forget it, I’ll be fine…”

” Izuku, you tried to kill yourself last night. We cannot just ignore it.” Mic butted in. His heart hurt to see such a young child be in such pain. This was not normal, even to pros.

” I tried to- what! No! I would never. Not anymore at least.”

” Izuku there isn’t any use in hiding it anymore. You can be honest with us.” Hizashi took the child’s hand.

” But I didn’t! I just wanted to hurt myself like I always do!”

” You what!” Aizawa was at a loss for words. His problem child does what?

” That’s not normal Izu. That’s called self-harm!”

” Yeah, I know that I just- I didn’t have any other ways to keep the voices at bay.”

” Voices? As in-”

” My own thoughts. They say the most cruel things sometimes. When I’m at my weakest. At night…”

At that moment Recovery Girl came back in. She motioned the two men to move and gave a confused Izuku a big kiss. The boy fell down fast asleep. Aizawa looked at a small clock on the wall.

” 5.54 am. The hell spawns have their first class at eight so the more enthusiastic ones must be waking up soon. I have to go clean up before that. Wanna come along?”

Mic, despite the situation, was happy that Sho asked. His husband was quick to shut people out and carry all of their problems by himself but now, he was sharing their burden. In Kirishimas words ”That's so manly!” Yamada shed a tear. Together they walked across the yard and up the steps to the dorms.

There were only a handful of times that Shota regretted doing something. That time he asked for his coffee with cream and almost had a heart attack (it had been so disgusting), passing that one student that later became a criminal and now, not doing enough to save Midoriya. Yes, there weren’t many occasions. But now as he stood inside the 1-A dorms he regretted every single decision that had led to them being there.

Students were running around, some were screaming names, some (Iida) trying to calm everyone down and one explosive blonde had a phone to his ear. Mina sat on the couch with Uraraka, both crying. Aizawa just stared at the chaos feeling at least ten years older.

Was it too late to turn back?

Somebody noticed him and yelled ”Aizawa sensei!” He took a deep breath and turned to face a distraught Sero holding on to a paper towel. Come to think of it there were multiple students holding paper towels and rags.

” Sensei! We think Deku’s been kidnapped!”

” Mister Aizawa there’s a lot of blood! There in the hallway!”

” We tried calling you-”

” Hey guys Midoriya wasn’t in the bathroom eithe- oh hi Aizawa sensei.”

The erasure hero activated his quirk.

” Everyone quiet now!”

There was a pause. Each student stopped what they were doing and stood facing their teacher. All the noise came to a such a halt, that Mic had to turn around and laugh silently. Aizawa jabbed him on the side with his elbow. A small ”Hi Mic sensei.” was the only thing that broke the tension.

” Sensei we must hurry! Midoriya has been ki-”

” No Iida, Midoriya has not been kidnapped. I know where he is and I can guarantee that he is indeed alive.”

” B-but there was blood leading from his door and…” Uraraka had to blow her nose.

” Yes. I know that and I was intending on cleaning it before you woke up.”

” If Deku’s okay then why was there blood?” Kaminari asked.

” Listen, it is not my place to tell. If he wants to then he’ll do it when he’s ready and if I catch any of you pestering him, I won’t hesitate to give out months detention.” He glared and the students sweatdropped.

” Okay so is there anything more to clean?”

” No sensei.”

” Good. Then we’re off. Close Midoriya’s door and do not go in. I’ll see you in a few hours.”

The two men left. Holding his husband's hand Hizashi decided to be the first to break their silent atmosphere. Slowing his pace, he turned to look at his partner in the eyes. The morning sun’s rays highlighted the small droplet of crimson blood on Shota’s face, but

Yamada quickly wiped it with his thumb.

”Hey Sho. What are we going to do now?”

” Honestly? I have no idea.”

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Chapter Text

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Later on, after the students were heading to lunch Aizawa got a call. All morning long his students had been giving sad glances at the empty desk behind Bakugou until the explosive blonde had screamed at them to stop. Tensions were high, suffocating even, and the whispering just wouldn’t stop so imagine the relief Aizawa felt when the bell finally rang.

The call was to inform him about a certain green haired boy. Apparently, some of Izuku’s stitches had come undone while he slept, and Recovery Girl requested somebody to come and keep an eye on him. After some careful calculations, if he runs fast enough down those stairs and has enough stealth when crossing that one hallway, he realized that he can completely avoid this day’s responsibilities. Perfect! Just have to make sure Nezu won’t spot him…

Sending a quick text back to Chiyo to let her know he’d be there shortly, Shota grabbed a coffee and a pillow. He figured it might be a long stay, so he also left a voice mail for Hizashi to call him later. When he finally got to the recovery wing, Shota noticed a student. Sitting on the first bed was Kinoko Komori from class 1-B. She reminded him of Uraraka with that short chocolate brown hair and small stature, though he couldn’t for the life of him remember her quirk. On her knee was a large bruise. Oh well, it didn’t matter. Shota didn’t spare a second glance at her as he made his way towards the windows, towards the bed his kid was laying in.

Shota moved the curtain and stepped inside. Izuku was still sleeping, which he guessed was good. The kid truly needed it and Shota would be damned if he, or somebody else, woke Izuku up now. He would personally fight anyone for this child.

“ Alright there we go. Now, you must take these painkillers twice a day and you should be good to go." He heard Recovery Girl say. 

“ T-thank you.”

“ You must improve your close combat fighting. What if a villain gets too close huh? Then these painkillers won’t save you, you hear me?”

There was an affirmative hum and then the door closed.

“ Has Vlad King been informed that his student needs improving? Close combat is something no one can avoid in our line of work.”

Chiyo Shuzenji walked next to the other adult and sighed.

“ I changed his IV and gave a small kiss on his knuckles after he tore the lower stitches. My healing wasn’t enough to close all of the wounds properly, so we need to let him rest more. Physically he should be fine in a day or two but mentally…” She turned to him.

“ Have you already spoken to Ryo? Or his mother, when is she coming?”

“ Hound Dog promised to see him after school if Midoriya’s awake then. As for his mother, we tried contacting her on multiple occasions to no avail. We believe she is out of town on a work trip, so I phoned Tsukauchi today morning and he promised to make some calls. Tokyo police should be in contact with her soon.”

“ Hmm that’s good. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to start arranging the annual health check-ups.”

“ Have fun.” Shota said dryly.

The tired teacher took a seat and opened his work folder. Despite what his husband might say, Shota wasn’t lazy. He did some grading, correcting mistakes and making notes, while he waited. A small breeze coming from an open window just barely managed to touch the already growing pile of finished papers . The air conditioning hummed quietly and Aizawa took a sip of his coffee. It was stale.

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Meanwhile Mic was having a hard time. He had nice plans for today’s lessons but just couldn’t bring himself to follow them. Communication and story writing were switched to silent reading, grammar was taught by a video and a “preparing for a test”-lesson was cancelled all together.

His morning, though depressing, had still been manageable. Shota had given him a kiss and a promise,

“ It will get better, I promise my love. We will help him. Don’t worry.”

And what did he do? Worry! To the moon and back.

Every first-year student with fluffy hair, a shining smile or round eyes reminded him of Izuku. The little listener had still not woken up and it was eating the voice hero alive. His hands were trembling, his voice was not steady at all, and he had to take breaks to sit down and just breath. He waved the concern of his students with “Oh everything is fine! I just have a small headache. You know how it is.”

This lasted till lunch. On Wednesdays Yamada had a shorter day, only till three, so that left around three more hours to suffer before he had to go see Izuku. He poked his bento, wondering if his husband was hungry. Or if Izuku had eaten. Probably not if he was still sleeping.

His thoughts and his eating were both interrupted by Nemuri, one of his best friends. She strolled in with her signature bodysuit, but her hair was in a bun.

“ Hey hey! I sneaked here to eat, wanna share with me?” She waved around a packet of red bean cakes. They were even from his favourite shop. Now however the red packaging reminded him of only misery. Only blood.

“ No thanks, Nemuri. I’m not really that hungry.”

She strode to his desk and slapped a hand down.

“ Absolutely not! I will not be having these alone.” She grabbed one out and took a large bite.

“ So, did you and Sho fight? You’ve been down all morning.” She chewed.

“ Huh? No, why would you think that. If we fight, I always call you first?”

“ Then what’s the matter? You seriously look miserable. What could have possibly happened to make you so, what’s the word in English? Brown?”

“ Blue. And I’m not blue. I’m fine.”

She stared at him.

“ Okay I’m not. Like at all… But it’s also something I can’t talk about. Not now.” He looked down. The more he said the quieter he became and if that didn’t freak Midnight out, nothing would ever. She could see this was something serious.

“ Alright. But if you need to talk, I’m always here for you.”

“ And Shota.”

“ Yes, and for Shota.”

And that’s when their phones let out loud beeps. They would have ignored it, since it was their lunch break, but something told Yamada to check it.

“ Bet 800 yen it’s Aizawa.”

“ No way.”

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Speaking of the devil, Shota had just finished grading his students’ papers from last week and was quite happy to be done. During his work he had also sent out an email to all members of staff while eating his kaisendon. They had to have a meeting concerning the matter at hand and it had to happen today, no question about it.

If only it had been that easy, but no, he had immediately gotten three replies and a phone call. Great.

Snipe and Midnight answered right away, saying that they’ll be there, and All Might cancelled. He was working with local law enforcement to catch some drug dealers or something.

The call came from Nezu himself, asking if the meeting was about what he thought it was. They agreed four-thirty in the afternoon to be a good time and Nezu promised to inform the others.

Aizawa closed his laptop and rubbed his eyes, turning to look at the sleeping child. Midoriya had moved a bit and made a couple of whines but had stayed asleep. He ran a hand through Izuku’s green hair fondly.
Slowly, Aizawa lowered his head and rested it on the side of the bed. His eyes closed, his breathing steadied. One last glance to make sure Izuku was there, breathing and alive, and then he closed his tired eyes for some deserved rest.

“ Aizawa?”

The man in question jumped up, eyes automatically locking with a small clock on the wall. Huh, he got a good two hours. Not bad.

Wait. Hadn’t somebody said his name?

In a second his head was turned towards his student who was finally awake. He hadn’t moved from the bed, still clearly tired. One thing he noticed was his large hand holding Izuku’s in a comforting manner.

“ Sorry. I didn’t mean to actually wake you. I- I thought y-you were a hallucination.” Izuku mumbled.

“ Oh yes, I’m your worst nightmare.” Aizawa smiled. So did Midoriya.

“ You must be hungry. Here.” Shota got up and took out a candy bar from his pocket.

“ I’m not really.”

“ Well, I insist.”

“…Okay.” Izuku took the offered snack and carefully chewed it. It was good.

“ I’ll get you some water, okay?” In a flash Aizawa was gone and then back.

“ Do you think it would be okay for us to have a talk?”

“ W-why?”

“ Look. I’m not going to lie to you kid, but you need help and lots of it. What you did was not normal at all and even if you weren’t truly trying to kill yourself, it was damn close. I know you think you’re in trouble but let me assure you, that you are not. I’m a bit sad that you didn’t find me comfortable enough to talk with, but really I do understand.” He took a small pause.

“ I have contacted your mother and our counsellor Hound Dog.”

“ Oh, mom won’t be able to answer. She’s in Tokyo on a work trip.”

“ Yes, we know, but that doesn’t matter. She must be informed within the first twenty-four hours of any incident concerning her child. That’s a school policy.”

Izuku just shrugged.

“ Hound Dog promised to visit you today, if only you were awake. Would you be okay with that?”

“ C-can you be there too?” The child whispered.

“ If you are comfortable with that.” Shota stood up and stretched.

“ Okay you menace. I have to go now, us teachers have a staff meeting. After that I’ll come back here, sound good?”

Izuku nodded.

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…
Aizawa walked into the conference room. He spotted Hizashi’s long blonde hair instantly and sat next to him on the right side. God, these leather chairs were uncomfortable.

Almost everyone was already there, only missing Nezu and Thirteen. Lunch Rush was opposite him, twirling a red pen and talking to Cementoss. Next to the duo was Midnight and Power Loader. On their right was Ectoplasm and on Hisashi’s other side, Snipe, Hound Dog and Vlad King. Recovery Girl was at the end of the table, far away from everyone. It looked like she was checking student files.

Thirteen walked in and sat next to Vlad just as Nezu took his rightful place at the other end of the table. Aizawa turned his attention when the rat cleared his throat.

“ What’s this about Nezu? We weren’t supposed to have another meeting till next week.” Vlad asked.

“ Was there another security breach?”

“ No nothing like that. Let me start this meeting by thanking you all for coming in on such short notice. It has come to my attention that late last night there was an incident that needs further action and addressing. Aizawa, could you?” Nezu’s smile dropped.

Shota stood up.

“ Just as Nezu said, something happened last night at around eleven twenty. I was made aware of some concerning noises coming from a student’s room and went to take a look. Entering the room, I found that said student was trying to commit suicide.” Fuck he forgot to breath. The sight was still fresh in his mind and recounting the events of last night did not help. Mic grasped his hand, hard.

All of the adults there were stunned silent. Only when Lunch Rush dropped his pen was there something other than Present Mic’s barely concealed sobs. The air around them seemed to become freezing, all oxygen leaving the room with the warmth. They had expected- no, they hadn’t really expected anything when Aizawa had set up that meeting. Now all of the pieces were coming together, and Midnight raised her head to look at Hizashi.

“ W-what.”

“ No-“ sob, sob.

“ Oh my god…”

“ Wait, wait! Tried to? Are they okay?”

“ I did notice the class 1-A students were a bit quiet.”

Clap, clap, clap. Chiyo set her cane to her side and sat down.

“ Aizawa if you could continue explaining, please.”

“ Thank you. So, after I found him, I rushed down to the recovery wing and met with Chiyo. She bandaged him up and Mic and I waited till he woke up.”

“ He couldn’t be healed right away, so we had to bide our time till he had regained some energy. When he woke up, I gave him some juice and managed to heal his arm, but only a little. He still needed stitches.” Recovery Girl continued.

“ Stitches? So, he- oh my fucking lord.” Anan Kurose let out a small sob. Somebody handed her a tissue.

Midnight raised her hand.

“ Can I ask? Who was it?”

There were a few seconds of tense silence.

“ Izuku Midoriya from class 1-A.” Nezu answered.

“ Is he awake?”

“ Yes.”

“ What do we do now? I presume we are here to discuss about that.”

“ Indeed, that is one of the reasons. The other being the fact that all of us failed to see the signs of self-harm, suicidal tendencies, and clear signs of depression and anxiety. We have failed as heroes and as educators, and I have partially called you all here to remedy this. I have asked Hound Dog to start seeing more students and to give mandatory mental health classes. We as heroes are looked up to and need to remind our students that mental health is something to be taken seriously.” Nezu looked over the room.

“ Did you manage to talk with Midoriya?” Ectoplasm asked.

“ Something like that. He blamed this whole thing on him being weak. He also revealed that he hurts himself regularly. We need to conduct a room search for anything dangerous or sharp, monitor him, see that he eats because I truly think he’s not getting enough nutrition.” Eraserhead listed.

“ It might be best if the little listener moved into the teacher’s dorms. That way we can keep an eye on him at all times, see if he eats. There aren’t any nosy classmates creating chaos either.”

“ Good suggestion Yamada-san. Anyone against it?” No one said anything.

“ Thank you. Midoriya’s belongings shall be moved to a new room by the end of the day. We’ll have the staff meeting about the upcoming exams next week. I’ll send you a more precise time on Monday.” With that, Nezu walked out the room. Everyone present could see that the whole situation had affected the principal a little more than he would have liked.

Nobody could blame him.

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Chapter Text

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Eraserhead walked towards the student dorms holding onto three boxes. Next to him was Ryo Inui, making quiet conversation about this and that. It was now seven p.m., and they had just left Izuku to eat and then sleep.

The first session, if you can call it that, had gone well. Ryo explained why he thought that Izuku needed help and then let Izuku explain why he thought otherwise. When Midoriya was done, Hound Dog countered that with his opinion, and it went on like that until Izuku finally relented and accepted help.

Aizawa silently held his hand as the counsellor explained what he thought should be done, how they should see each other at least twice a week in the beginning. He made sure Izuku understood that right now he was on suicide watch the next 48 hours. He had to stay at the medical wing as long as he had open wounds on his arm and later was to move somewhere where he could be supervised.

“ B-but I can’t stay here that long! I have school, I’ll get left behind!”

Shota placed a hand on his shoulder, rubbing small circles as he spoke quietly.

“ Hey kid, it’s okay, breath. I promise to bring you the classwork, okay? If you need some help, I’ll be happy to assist you. I bet the other teachers would also jump at the chance to help such a promising student. But right now, your well-being is far more important than a couple of hours of school.”

“Eraser is right. Now is the time to focus on your mental health.”

The young hero student clearly wanted to say more, to protest, but only closed his eyes.

“ Izuku, why do you want to be a hero? That is what you want isn’t it.” Ryo tilted his head.

“ Of course I want! I have always w-wanted to save people. I want people to feel safe when they see me smile. I-I want people to remember that hope is never lost. That there is still light.”

“ That is amazing Izuku. I’m happy to hear that you have such a noble goal.”

Aizawa gave a small smile.

“ But remember, you can’t help others if you do not help yourself first.”

That conversation had ended with Hound Dog setting up their appointments. Mondays and Thursdays were chosen so Aizawa had time to attend if needed. With some assuring that Izuku had done nothing wrong and that he just needed some help, the two heroes left him to finish his dinner.

Aizawa stopped at the front door and turned to look at the other man.

“ They sense fear. Just follow me and we can get out in one piece.” With that he opened the door.

Shota had no idea how he got into these situations. As soon as the door closed, the two adults were swarmed with worried friends and classmates. It was somewhat comforting to know that Midoriya had so many people who cared about him. Right now though it was a pain in the ass and Shota activated his quirk.

“ Quiet! I’m in a hurry.” He applied some eye drops.

So, he just powered through the crowd of children and up the stairs. Gasps could be heard when Inui started to make his way into the common room.

“ Do not follow us. This matter does not concern any of you and it's curfew soon. Iida, make sure that everyone follows it.”

“ Uh, yes sensei.”

They walked up to Midoriya’s door and Shota pulled out a master key. Maybe it was a good thing that the person with him was a mental health professional, because when the keys were taken from his shaking hands, Aizawa could feel the fear leave his body. Hound Dog went in first.

“ I think we should have a couple of sessions as well.”

Eraserhead did not reply.

The room was dark, the smell of copper still lingering in the air. All Might merchandise, figurines and limited-edition posters were everywhere. Izuku’s bed was unmade, there were papers and pens on the floor, the trashcan was overflowing, his desk was a complete mess of dusty books and little notes like “chapter 2!” and “check the notes from heroics!” and everywhere you looked was blood. A couple of drops here and a little bit more there. The lamp that had fallen was still there, on the floor broken. On the bathroom door was a bloody handprint.

It was one thing to see the chaos in the bedroom, but when they opened the bathroom door Inui stepped back and let out a low growl. Aizawa was frozen.

The plug had either been in place already or Midoriya had accidentally dropped it but because of it, the bathtub was half full of red, crimson water. On the floor were dried smears of blood and towels, which were clearly knocked over. The smell of copper had hit them in the face like a wall.

The gravity of the situation settled over Shota like a heavy blanket. He knew it had been bad, that he had almost lost a student, but standing here and seeing the amount of blood was terrifying. After some incoherent barking and snarling Ryo calmed himself down.

“ We need to call Nezu immediately. He can arrange the room to be professionally cleaned. I did not expect it to be this bad… Come on, we need to gather his belongings.”

“ …You said something about sessions?” Inui snorted.

They collected books and notes, multiple office supplies, clothes, and sheets. They would come back tomorrow to get more but this had to do now. They had to get out of there and get some fresh air. Izuku had been quite uncomfortable with the blue hospital nightgown, so Aizawa grabbed a nice green hoodie from a chair, intending on giving it to him in the morning. They got out and locked the door.

“ Sensei.”

Holy fu-

“ Didn’t I say not to come up here?”

Todoroki Shoto just shrugged. He hadn’t even known that their sensei had come here. He just wanted to see if Midoriya was back. Shoto put his hands in to his pocket as he took note of the counsellor.

“ I didn’t know Midoriya wasn’t back yet.”

“ Well he isn’t. Do you need something?”

Shoto’s eyes narrowed.

“ Sensei, what really happened to Midoriya? He hasn’t been in contact with any of us and is unreachable by phone. Is the school doing something about his disappearance?”

“…As I said, it was personal. Midoriya has not been kidnapped and is fine. He will re-join this hell class in a couple of days and then you can ask if he wants to share his story with you.”

“ So he’s not expelled?”

“ Why would you think that?” Eraser blinked.

Shoto pointed at the boxes in his hands. They were obviously filled with Izuku’s things. Oh…

“ This is personal too. But no, he’s not being expelled. Now, good night.” And with that the adults left.

They strode along the gravel path, inhaling the fresh night air like a starving person eating a feast. Ryo sent a text to the principal about the state of the room.

“ He has someone there to clean tomorrow morning when the other students are in class. We need to gather all that is salvageable by ten.”

“ Mm.”

“ I have time on Friday after nine. You should come by.”

“…”

Hizashi, wearing his yellow and black pyjamas, was waiting on them by the entrance. He waved and opened the door wider, saying something to someone who was inside. The boxes were set down by one of the emptied rooms next to Aizawa’s and Yamada’s rooms.

“ Welcome back, how was it?”

Once inside Shota just hugged him. He couldn’t tell his lovely, cheerful, full of life husband about the horrors he had seen. Luckily Mic got the memo and just hugged back, tight.

“ Would you like something to eat?” Sho shook his head.

“ Okay, lets get you to bed. You seem exhausted.”

Midnight came over to Ryo and held out a cup of cocoa, smiling in silent support. He accepted it and sat down on to the couch. Snipe was there on the floor, polishing his guns and Power Loader was watching some tv show about planes. The couch was large enough to have at least ten people sit on it, and since there was nobody else, Ryo stretched out and made himself comfortable. He tried to relax the best he could, but the day’s events played inside his mind. He shook his head and growled.

Tomorrow was going to be a new day.

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Chapter Text

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Izuku was- well he wasn’t sure. He felt better, after all he had slept a total of fifteen hours with clean clothes. He was also served a delicious tonkatsu dinner with a side of edamame and warm miso. He’d been given some pain medication with that awful purple juice, so he wasn’t in pain anymore either.

But something was still wrong. He could feel it in his chest. It almost felt like he was living in a world of grey, no colour in sight and breathing in toxic fog, making him sluggish, tired, and overall sad. He would cry if he just had the energy to, but he didn’t so the feeling was stuck in his throat. Even the thought of going to class and having to smile and talk made him spiral into a panic.

Izuku felt like sleeping more, possible another fifteen hours, and his wrists felt horribly itchy. He would scratch them but didn’t want to open more of the neatly done stitches and make Recovery Girl mad. Izu took the tray and put it to the side table. He kept thinking about the conversation with Hound Dog and how he had been foolish by not asking for an autograph. Maybe he could write some notes about the hero’s quirk the next time they see each other?

Next time… It was tomorrow. Midoriya was not looking forward to it at all. He felt like his teacher was making a big deal out of nothing and wasting his precious time on a failure of a student. Izuku should be braver, should be stronger, should be able to handle more like his friends. Like Kacchan.

Midoriya sighed. Oh well, at least he didn’t have to see his classmates yet. He still didn’t know what he was going to say to his friends. Like “Hey, sorry I disappeared for days and didn’t contact any of you. I have been coping with self-harm for years now because of decades of bullying and abuse and went a little too far, and you know, almost died of blood loss. And my sensei thought I was going to kill myself, so I was locked in the recovery wing! How was your week?”

Yeah no.

Izuku rubbed his eyes and sent out a silent prayer to anyone who might be listening. His emerald green eyes opened and landed on to his phone, laying on his lap. Scarred fingers brushed the screen, lighting it up and showing messages after messages. Maybe he could just say that it was a family emergency? Yeah, that sounded believable.

Izuku opened their class “Super awesome future pro-heroes group chat” chat and typed “Hey guys. Sorry for disappearing like that and making you all worried. I have some family stuff going on and need to leave for a couple of days. Nothing too bad, I promise, but I need to be there for my mother. My phone will be on silent so I can’t answer your messages. Thank you and again, sorry for worrying you all.”  

He pressed sent and waited. It didn’t take a minute longer to start getting worried replies wishing him well and apologising for the number of messages sent. His closest friends, Iida and Uraraka, made him promise to call if he needed some extra support or homework help. He really appreciated it.

He closed the chat and started checking his private messages. There were a lot of “Where are you?” and “Are you okay??” from various people. Iida started by stating the rules about curfew and how proper sleep was most important but when he didn’t get any replies, his messages became more frantic. Izuku felt really guilty for making his friends so distressed. What surprised him the most were the messages from Todoroki and Kacchan.

Izuku started by opening Kacchan chat and, oh no.

5.20 a.m.   Kacchan: Where are you shitty nerd??

5.21 a.m.   Kacchan: Where the fuck are you Deku

5.23 a.m.   Kacchan: You fucking idiot!!!

5.30 a.m.   Kacchan: Why is there blood??? Where are you?

5.37 a.m.   Kacchan: That’s fucking it I’m calling four-eyes

5.41 a.m.   Kacchan: Answer me you shit

5.50 a.m.   Kacchan: We are looking for your worthless ass. Answer your phone!!!

5.54 a.m.   Kacchan: I’m calling you

This was really bad. Izuku could feel his heart rate pick up and sweat sliding down his forehead. Kacchan was going to kill him with a spoon and make him the next class dinner!

He opened Todoroki’s next.

5.32 a.m.   Todoroki-kun: Why is Bakugou yelling?

5.40 a.m.   Todoroki-kun: Where are you?

5.42 a.m.   Todoroki-kun: Do you need help? Are you hurt?

5.45 a.m.   Todoroki-kun: Midoriya where are you?

5.55 a.m.   Todoroki-kun: Sensei told us you were okay. Are you?

19.38 p.m.   Todoroki-kun: If you need to talk, I’m here for you. Just tell me you’re okay.

19.38 p.m.   Todoroki-kun: But only when you’re ready.

Izuku stared at the screen. Todoroki had been so considerate and respectful, it left a warm feeling tingling inside of his skin. Oh wait no, he was just hot because of the blanket. The young hero felt himself smiling, happy that he had such a good friend in Todoroki. After some time, Izuku made up his mind and typed out a response.

20.12 p.m.   Me: I’m sorry Todoroki-kun! I didn’t mean to make you worried

20.13 p.m.   Me: I’m alright, I think? Something happened but I’m not ready to talk about it

20.18 p.m.   Todoroki-kun: I’m glad that you’re okay. Do you wish for me to visit?

20.18 p.m.   Me: Sorry, but I’m not at school anymore. Didn’t you read the message I sent in the group chat?

20.19 p.m.   Todoroki-kun: I know you’re in Recovery Girls office. I heard a girl from class 1-B talking about a boy with green hair who was at the infirmary same time as her. I asked for her to elaborate and it was clearly you. Does that mean you are hurt? Do you need anything?  

20.20 p.m.   Me: Please don’t tell anyone! Its complicated and I don’t want to explain…

20.22 p.m.   Todoroki-kun: I wasn’t planning on telling anybody. I did get the impression you wished to be left in peace. I’m sorry for being inconsiderate.

20.23 p.m.   Todoroki-kun: Would you like for me to stop by? I could bring you something.

Izuku wasn’t sure how to respond. On one hand he didn’t want anyone to realize how weak he really was, but on the other he felt like he owed an explanation to Todoroki. He could still remember the conversation they had during the sports festival.

“ You’ve heard of quirk marriages, right?”

And Todoroki was the calm and trustworthy type, right? He wouldn’t go around spreading Izuku’s secrets, right? Hound Dog had told him to accept help and Todoroki had offered to listen…

20.32 p.m.   Me: Can you stop by in the morning? It’s totally okay if you can’t or don’t want to!

20.32 p.m.   Todoroki-kun: I’ll see you then. Do you need anything? Would you like your notebook?

20.33 p.m.   Me: If it isn’t too much trouble, could you bring me a piece of paper. I would love to write some notes

20.34 p.m.   Todoroki-kun: I’ll bring you something to write on. Good night Midoriya.

20.34 p.m.   Me: Good night Todoroki-kun! And thank you

Izuku felt a bit lighter. He turned on to his side and made himself comfortable, deciding to check the news for anything exciting, like a totally awesome hero fight. At some point into his scrolling, Izuku felt his eyes grow dry and heavy, slowly falling into deep sleep.

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Chapter Text

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Shiny heterochromic eyes studied their surroundings. It was really early, 5.50 to be exact, and Todoroki was on a mission. He had woken up early so that he could go see Midoriya before anyone could follow him. Midoriya had trusted him enough to tell him where he really was (well, not really but anyway) and Shoto was not about to break that trust.

Izuku Midoriya was a strange person. He was extremely self-sacrificing and kind-hearted, but also very shy and awkward with people. But who was he to judge when he didn’t even have friends? Or maybe he did, if you count Yaoyorozu-san, who he knew from social gatherings and parties. And he guessed Midoriya counted too.

He had packed at least three notebooks, red pencils, granola bars, an apple, and a cotton candy lollipop for Izuku. Shoto wasn’t stupid, he had seen some of the blood and connected the dots. Something had happened and now Izuku was at the infirmary, and it was bad enough that he couldn’t leave yet. It must have not been due to a villain attack, otherwise the students would have been informed. He had to admit he was curious.

The school building opened at six o’clock for the teachers and staff, but it wasn’t uncommon for the more hard-working students to go do some last-minute studying in the library. So as Todoroki was making his way around the school halls, he came across Ectoplasm opening some of the windows to let fresh air in.

“ Good morning sensei.”

“ Oh, good morning. Heading to the library?”

“ Yes.”

“ Good, good. Remember the math test on chapter two and three we have today. Though I’m sure your class president has informed you, he seems to take his job rather seriously.” The teacher left to ready his classroom and Todoroki continued his way toward medical.

He slipped into the hallway and listened. No noise. He walked over to the infirmary door and knocked twice but received no response. He probably would have awkwardly stood there for the whole two hours before class, but luckily Izuku’s green curls came into view when the door slid open a crack.

Shoto had no idea what to expect when Izuku opened the door. Maybe a broken arm or some band aids, or possibly a broken nose. But what greeted him was a deathly pale face, dark freckles looking even more prominent. Izu looked smaller than usual, his short stature shaking possibly from the cold and his hair looked tangled and messy.

“ H-hey Todoroki-kun, good morning.”

Izuku slid the door open.

“ Come in before Recovery Girl catches you.”

“ Oh, thank you.”

Now that Shoto could have a better look at the other boy he noticed thick bandages around his other wrist. On his other hand was an IV that Izuku dragged around.

“ I-I look awful I know.”

“ A bit pale, yes.”

Izuku raised an eyebrow.

“ I brought you a notebook.”

“ Y-you didn’t have to! I just needed a page or two, you’re too kind.”  

Todoroki unzipped his school bag and emptied it on the bed.

“ I also brought you these to eat, and these pencils. They’re your favourite colour.”

“ Oh wow. I don’t deserve these. Thank you so much!”

Izuku took the given items and hopped on the bed, pulling the blanket over his shoulders. He took a bite of the apple and opened one of the notebooks.

“ Would you like to talk? That is something friends do, right?”

“ F-friends?!”

“ Aren’t we friends? We have each other’s numbers, and we talk, I brought you gifts, and you told me a secret. That’s friend behaviour, isn’t it?”

Izuku just stared at the other student and then burst out laughing.

“ F-friend be-behaviour! What does that even mean. Of course we are friends if that’s what you want!”

Todoroki nodded. He sat next to Izuku, taking a different flavoured granola bar from his pocket.

“ What happened to your hand?”

“ Uh, I um-“

“ Sorry, that was rude of me.”

“ No, no it isn’t your fault! I’m just a failure who’s wasting everyone’s time-“

“ Who told you that?”

“ W-well no one but-“

“ So it’s not true.”

Izuku looked defeated.

“ But that’s what my brain keeps telling me. Even if I say to myself that it isn’t true, there’s a voice whispering that it is. That’s what Hound Dog-san and I are trying to correct-“

“ Who?”

“ Ohh, I wasn’t supposed to say anything! You’ll think less of me because I’m weak.”

“…I believe I saw him yesterday.”

“ Huh?”

“ There was a man, at the dorms. He and Aizawa sensei came out of your room, and they had your things in a box.”

“ Oh so they’re relocating me already…”

“ Relocating? Why?”

Izuku looked deep inside Shoto’s eyes trying to see any judgment. But they were only beautiful, shiny, and full of power. Maybe it wasn’t a bad idea to share a bit more with Todoroki.

“ I am- he is a counsellor.”

Shoto blinked.

“ And he, uh. He is helping me…”

“ Since when?”

“ Since yesterday.”

“…”

“H-he said that heroes n-need to take care o-of their mental health as w-well as their physical health. And t-that you c-can’t help people i-if you don’t help yourself first.”

“…That is true.”

“ I know it’s really stupid- wait. You agree?”

“ Well, yeah. It makes sense.”

“ B-but you’re so amazing and powerful!”

“ What does that have to do with anything?”

“ I… I guess nothing. I just thought…”

“ You thought that powerful people never need help? But you need help and there’s nothing wrong with it.”

“ Y-you think I’m powerful?” Izuku’s round eyes watered.

“ Very.”

He sniffled. Maybe it was the stress and the blood loss or the fact that somebody Izuku considered to be so amazing called HIM powerful, but he threw himself at the taller boy, pulling him in to a crushing hug.

“ Thank you Todoroki-kun.”

Shoto only took a second to realize how much he had missed hugs. They were warm and felt nice and smelled nice- no that’s just Midoriya. Nice.

He slowly wrapped his arms, gently, around the smaller boy. He wasn’t stupid, he could tell what the bandage around Izuku’s arm meant. Though he was happy that Midoriya had a professional helping him. It still wasn’t clear, what had happened two days ago but maybe he would someday find out.

“ Sorry. You know me, getting emotional and all.”

Todoroki looked at the clock, it reading seven now. An hour still.

“ I understand this is though for you and I won’t force you to talk if you don’t wish to. I still have an hour before class. I take it that you won’t be joining us.” He gestured to the IV.

“ Y-yeah. Aizawa sensei told me to stay here for a couple of days…”

The peppermint boy took a tiny bite out of his blueberry and vanilla granola bar.

“ Y-you wanted to know why Aizawa was moving my stuff?”

“ You don’t have to tell me.”

“ Yeah, I don’t have to, but I want to. So, you know, you won’t be worried when I disappear again.”

“ I will live in the teachers dorms. But only for a while!”

“ Will you attend classes with us?”

“ Yeah, and hopefully soon!”

“ That’s good.” He took another bite.

“ You know, when Iida realized you weren’t just violating curfew, he almost fell down the stairs.”

“ Oh my gosh no way.” Izuku laughed.

“ And then he started yelling about his missing glasses, not realizing they were on his head the whole time. Bakugou asked for a couple of hundred yen to help him look.”

Izuku was laughing so hard his sides hurt. That was such a Kacchan thing to do.

“Then Mina tried to tell Iida where they were and Bakugou got furious. He exploded one of those wooden spoons-“

“ Wait, one of his favourite ones? The hand carved ones? The ones that give-“

“ Give the best flavour, yes. And then he got mad that he had broken one and threw the shards at us so hard, that a chair broke. It was beautiful, I thought he was going to explode.”

They laughed.

Shoto looked at the clock and sighed. It was already seven forty-five, and it was time for him to go. He said goodbye and promised to visit later when the others didn’t see. Izuku was grateful.

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Later on Recovery Girl came to check on Midoriya, carrying a full breakfast tray. Izuku immediately jumped up and helped her, taking it from her hands and thanking the hero profusely. She was clad to see him so full of energy and asked if Izuku would like to be healed after eating. Of course he said yes.

He downed his natto and rice so fast that it gave Chiyo motion sickness. She had to yell at him to slow down, fearing chocking with how fast the miso soup disappeared. Izuku sheepishly ate his side vegetables as the nurse arranged him some tea.

“ You seem to be in fine spirits this morning.” She poured the tea into two small cups decorated with blue flowers.

“ Yes, miss. I feel better thanks to you.”

She offered him a cup but stopped him from taking it.

“ Child, listen to me. I know you have a burden on your shoulders with this power and all. And it shouldn’t have to be that way, but it is, and I am so sorry. Now, listen to me when I say that Yagi is an oaf.”

“ You push past your limit every single day and I can see you out there trying your very best! So, I’m not going to scold you too much.”

“ T-thank you?”

“ But that teacher of yours.” She got a dangerous look in her eye.

“ Yagi-san will face my wrath you hear me. Make sure he becomes more attentive and if not, tell me and I shall set him straight again.”

When Izuku was done Chiyo kissed him lightly on his cheek. It wasn’t enough to knock him out (thank god), but it did make him sit down for a while. The hero took his bandages off and hummed. The skin was scarred, but the wounds were fully closed. She removed Izu’s IV and healed the broken skin with the smallest of kisses.

“ You should be good to go. Just wait for Aizawa-san to get you, alright?” She left, feeling like a heavy weight was now off her shoulders. She happily made her way to the archive room, humming an unfamiliar tune.

Izuku looked at his hand, smiling wobbly. He secretly wished for something sharp to scratch his hand with-

Ping ping.

9.52 a.m.   Kacchan: Why are you at the recovery wing?

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Chapter Text

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Aizawa set down the final box filled to the absolute brim with posters and minifigures. Never had All Might’s smiling face annoyed him so much than after this experience. Hound Dog and him had been collecting all of the things that had no blood on them this whole morning and were in need of some strong coffee. It only really meant the posters on the walls, clothes and other belongings in the closet and rest of the things on the desk. Everything else was pretty much ruined, stained or broken and they were not about to touch them. Cementoss met them out in the hallway and helped carry the boxed to the teachers dorms.

“ That’s the last of them. The cleaners should be here soon. Give me the key.” Aizawa handed the key to the hunting dog hero, who placed it on the door.

“ Okay, let’s go.”

The cleaning crew Nezu sent turned out to be a high-end crime scene cleaning company who specialized in bodily fluid removal. Two men wearing large white suits stepped out of a car (disguised as a produce delivery company’s truck) and walked inside. After some time they marched back down and declared “Yes, we need the heavy soakers. Bring the bleach and I’ll get the machines.” That sent shivers down the teachers spines.

They had left a window open, to try and filter out some of the smell, though Shota doubted that it was really helping much. It was going to smell like pure chemicals soon.

They walked out, Eraserhead to ready his upcoming class and Inui to see Izuku. The day seemed better than yesterday somehow. It wasn’t as dark or gloomy, there were no rain clouds, and the wind wasn’t as strong. It smelled of new and hopeful beginnings to Inui and he liked it. He let out a happy bark and went to get some coffee.

Taking his brown cup from the kitchen cabinet, the counsellor poured himself some of Nezu’s premium coffee. It had been a Christmas gift to the staff but was almost gone due to a certain tired hero. He collected some files and his trusty pen and made his way towards medical. Chiyo exited the bathroom and the two exchanged pleasantries.

“ Good morning. Here to see Midoriya I presume.”

“ Morning and yes. Is pup awake?”

“ He is and in wonderful spirits! I healed the last of his injuries some time ago and he should be good to go.”

“ That’s good to hear. I’ll see you at lunch.” He waved.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Okay somebody was fucking lying. Izuku looked horrible at worst, troubled at best. What on earth had happened between the morning and now (STILL BARKING MORNING). The green haired boy was slowly rocking back and forth on the bed, staring at his phone like it was clued to his hand. He looked positively terrified.  

The hunting hero came closer.

“ Izuku, are you okay?”

No response.

“ Izuku, I’m going to take your phone now, okay?”

He took it from his hand, not looking at what had made Izuku so distressed, only setting it down on the side table.

“ Izu, can you hear me? We are at the recovery wing, it’s Thursday, twenty minutes past ten and you are okay. Can you look at me?”

Bit by bit, Izuku raised his head and looked at Inui’s general direction. That’s a good start, they can go from there.

“ I am going to give you something to hold, okay? Like, uh, that- that scarf.” He took a pink scarf out of a Lost and Found box.

“ Scarf? Capture, scarf, Eraserhead.” Izuku mumbled, still not fully present.

“ Eraserhead?”

“ Aizawa, scarf. Warm.”

Hound Dog blinked a couple of times and then took out his phone. Staying close to Izuku and in his line of sight, he dialled Aizawa’s work phone number.

“ Aizawa speaking.”

“Hey, Aizawa. Could you come here please?”

“ Why are you talking like that? Wait where are you? Weren’t you supposed to see pup today?”

Pup was a codename for Izuku among the staff. They could keep his information confidential but still talk about Izuku when need be. Other candidates for codenames were broccoli (too obvious) and bunny (Inui went crazy so it was thrown out). So, pup was chosen for its simplicity.

“ Yes, I am with pup now. Could you come here?” He spoke steadily.

“…Give me five minutes.” Shota looked at his class.

“ Iida, I need you to go and get Present Mic from classroom one eighty. He isn’t doing anything important so don’t worry about disturbing him. I am needed elsewhere so I’ll leave you to him.”

“ Right away sensei, you can count on me as the class presi-!”

And just like that he was running through the halls, stairs be damned. Laws of physics? Don’t apply. He wasn’t sure what had happened, maybe Izuku had requested him, or there was a nightmare, but not knowing was horrible indeed. He slid the medicals door open.

“ Izuku, look. It’s Aizawa.” The boy didn’t move an inch, only whispered.

“ Aizawa? Warm, scarf, capture.”

The man walked slowly to Izuku’s side and tried to look him in the eyes.

“ Hey Izuku. I am here now, kid. What do you need?” He grouched down. For a second Izu’s hand came up.

“ White.”

“ Hmm. Yes, my capture scarf is white. Anything else you noticed?”

“ Warm, black. Aizawa.”

Shota wasn’t sure what to do, but when he raised his arm and touched his students hand, it gripped back hard. It’s almost like a trance was broken and Midoriya began to shake and hyperventilate. Shota was taken aback and looked at Ryo alarmed.  

“ Hey, hey kid. I’m here it’s okay. You’re okay.” Eraser did the only thing that came to his mind. He pulled Izuku into a hug, holding him tight and close. He rocked back and fort on the floor, shushing the scared child. Izu latched on to his scarf with both hands, holding on for dear life. His body was slowly losing the shaking, but Shota still pulled the blankets from the bed and wrapped them around both of their bodies.

 “ It’s okay, I’ve got you Izuku, shh, shh, It’s okay.”

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

It took an hour. Izu was currently asleep in Shota’s arms, both still laying on the floor. Inui started typing notes about things to talk about next time they have a session but had quickly gotten bored. He left the two others alone and went to see if class 1-A was doing okay.

“ So remember to use your hands when rolling back up. Bruises heal but there is no coming back from the dead!” Yeah, they were doing great.

He opened the classroom door and bowed.

“ It’s all about the movement here, you must be quick to-“

“ Sorry Mic. Nezu asked me to start the lessons on Monday, but I thought I’d stop by and introduce myself.”

“ Of course, come in. Listeners, meet our guidance counsellor!”

“ Hey, that’s the man who was with sensei. Remember?”

“ Yes, that was me. My name is Ryo Inui. My quirk is called Dog as you might see, and I’m a pro hero. I work as a guidance counsellor here at U.A. and am starting lessons on mental health next week, Tuesday.”

“ Oh cool.”

“ That’s so manly!”

“ Is that really so important?” Inui’s ear twitched.

“ Yes, it is. You kids want to be heroes? Well you can’t be if you yourself are unwell, right? If you have a broken arm, you cant’s carry children to safety, or a broken foot so you can’t escape from a villain. Just like a physical injury, a mental injury can hinder your performance in many, many ways. But we’ll discuss more about that on Tuesday.”

He turned to Hizashi.

“ How’s pup?”

“ He had a dissociative episode of sorts. Then had a panic attack and fell asleep holding on to a scarf.” He winked.

“ D-did you take pictures?” Yamada whisper yelled.                                                                         

“ No, but they are still there.”

“ Hey kids, I’ll be back shortly!”

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Izuku was warm. Like holding on to a human sized hot teacup warm and he wasn’t sure why. He let go of the blanket he was holding on to and rubbed his eyes. The blanket felt awfully shredded.

Yeah, it was not a blanket but a scarf. The very familiar white scarf of a very familiar figure. Wait was he holding him? Why would he- oh yeah, he had freaked out and completely embarrassed himself. Then somebody had started talking about Aizawa or something? It was all very hazy.

“ Feeling better?”

“ Am I being expelled?” Izuku’s body refused to move, being far too comfortable.

“ Child, I swear to god if you think that again without a good reason…”

“…”

“ You gave us quite a scare. Wanna talk about it?”

“ I... I got a message.”

“ From?”

“ Kac- I mean Bakugou. He knows that I’m here and I don’t know why the fact that he knows makes me feel this way.”

“ How does he know? I haven’t given them such information.” Shota was annoyed.

“ I don’t know. He could have seen me?”

“ Well I’ll make sure he won’t share that knowledge. Luckily, you’re getting out of here today-”

Izuku just kept on looking at the floor. Aizawa huffed.

“ The thing you said earlier… How does this make you feel?”

“ L-like I’m somewhere really high and am about to fall. My chest feels weird, and my mouth goes dry. A-and my hands shake.”

“ Sound like you’re scared. Izuku, is there something going on that I should know about?”

“N-no I don’t think so sensei.”

Aizawa helped the child up, placing him on the bed and wrapping a blanket around him.

“ I’ll get you a cup of water. After that I’ll inform Inui-san that you’re... Better?”

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Hound Dog sat across Izuku in the infirmary, the white, sterile plastic chairs squeaking under their weight. Shota sat on the floor to try and look less intimidating. Izuku had asked (begged) for him to stay so the teacher had sat down and promised not to leave. Shota replayed the conversation in his head.

“ Not that I mind kid, but why do you want me to be here? Wouldn’t, like, Present Mic be more comforting?”

 “ Well, i-it’s because you’re a good teacher.”

“ Thanks but so are the othe-“

“ No, sensei you don’t understand! You won’t let people hurt me. You’re the only teacher to ever stop Kacchan from attacking me. I trust you.”

That did not sit right with him.

Inui tilted his head, fur gleaming in the light.

“ Do you remember what happened after that?”

“ I just… Kept looking at the time. The numbers were changing so fast, minutes just flying by. First it was ten o’clock and then suddenly twenty-past.”

“ Hmm, and what did you feel?” The hero wrote something down.  

“ I f-felt scared. Cold, but not cold. Shaky and unsteady but still standing. A bit like when the league attacked the USJ. And none of it really make sense! Why would I be scared now?”

“ We can try and find the answer together. Would you like for me to explain what I think happened?” Izuku nodded.

“ I believe this message triggered something you have buried inside your mind. Perhaps a memory, but right now it doesn’t matter, we can discuss more about that soon. What matters is, that you suffered a strong dissociative episode and then had a panic attack. Are you following?”

“ I t-think so? What do we do now?”

“ Well talk. I’ll help you understand why that might have happened. Once the cause is found we can start working on managing it. Turning that monster into something you can live with.”

“ Oh.”

“ It’s a good thing that you recognized fear. We can start from there.” Inui scratched behind his ear. “ Are there other times you feel fear? Or any negative emotion like anxiety?”

“ Uh, s-sometimes when I’m the only one awake at night, or when I hear loud noises, I get scared. And sometimes when I sit in class too, but that’s just school stress!” Izuku waved his hand franticly around.

“ Loud noises? Loud as in somebody slamming a door, or loud like an explosion?”

There it was again. Fear. Pure, white terror. Creeping from behind him, clawing its way towards his heart and soul, eating him from the inside. Midoriya’s hand automatically came up as he started to fidget.

“ Okay, Izuku. I need you to look at me. Can you do that? Good, now I need you to tell me what colour my notepad is.”

“ B-blue.”

“ Good, now what colour is this pen?”

“ Red.” Izuku gulped. Air, he needed air!

“ Good. Okay, now I need you to take a deep breath in and then let it out slowly. Can you do that for me?”

His lungs burned, almost like when he was attacked by the sludge villain. Still he did as he was told and, would you look at that, he started to feel better. Who would have guessed? He could feel his aching fingertips and his bouncing leg. Both the adults looked pleased.

“  Alright, I believe we might have stumbled upon something. Do you feel comfortable continuing a little more?”

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Midoriya was dead tired. He felt like taking a nice small twenty-hour nap and the day wasn’t even over yet! He sat outside the recovery rooms door and listened. Shota and Hound Dog had been talking for a while now, about him no doubt. His fingers circled around the carpeted floor, making patterns in no particular order. There was a “watch him-“ and a “on his class?”. He wished he could hear better.

“ Alright problem child lets go. You need to eat something.”

“ So do you. Are we going to the dorms now?”

“ Yeah. We had your belongings moved there this morning, so you have to do some personalizing.”

“ I-is that Mic-sensei?”

Hizashi was sporting some hot pink pants, clearly not fitting too well. Almost like they were somebody else’s? And why does sensei look mortified?

“ Yo, Sho! I stole your pants, hope that’s alright.” Mic gave them some finger guns.

“ I’m going to strangle you.”

“Eep.”

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Chapter Text

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Bakugou was going to murder somebody.

His shoes squeaked annoyingly as he stomped through the empty hallways of U.A. Kaminari, that fucking dunce, had spilled an entire milk packet on his school blazer, ruining it completely. Now his morning was ruined. Come to think of it, it was all Deku’s fault. Ever since that damn nerd had disappeared, things had drastically changed in the class. Almost like a cloud of fucking sadness had landed on them and no matter what he did, could not shake it off.

He angrily marched towards the stairs, hoping to find a spare jacket inside his locker when he noticed it. Katsuki had taken a longer route to try and calm himself down before class and found that he was near the infirmary. Turning towards the other hall, he was about to run for the stairs, when a door slid open. Icy-hot? Bakugou ducked behind a plant.

“ I’ll see you later, just text me.”

“ Thanks again, Todoroki-kun. There’s a good chance I’ll get out of here today so we can see each other somewhere more comfortable.” Is that Deku? What the hell was the nerd doing there?

He looked horrible. Like, more terrible than normal. His face was pale, and his body shook like a leaf. What caught his attention immediately after were the thick bandages on his wrist. What the hell had happened? He had to know, Katsuki always knew everything.

His mother hadn’t mentioned anything regarding his auntie Inko, nor had she sent them one of those get-well-soon baskets. So, when Katsuki saw the message Deku sent in their group chat, he didn’t believe it for one second. The evidence wasn’t fucking adding up-

Ring, ring. The bell filled his ears and he let out a low growl. Answers would have to wait.

English was boring. They had a small test on grammar and of course, Katsuki was the best of the best, scoring a whole twenty out of twenty. Shitty hair gave him a thumbs up. Mic-sensei seemed to be a bit more energetic than yesterday, so they did some exercises in pairs. Katsuki was the absolute number one so pray tell why he was paired with Kaminari?!

The idiot took way too long to read even the simplest sentences. Then, after wasting precious time, he had the audacity to blame the text! Like, how could you not know how to read,

“ Wo-wors- no, worest, uh no wait…”

“ It’s fucking Worcestershire you idiot!”

“ What does that even mean?”

After that they had mathematics. The need for answers on the mystery disappearance of shitty Deku was much more important than Pythagorean theorem, so when Ectoplasm turned to write something down, Bakugou took out his phone. He’d just text the nerd and demand answers.

“ Bakugou what’s the answer to number eight?”

“ Twenty-three.”

“ Correct.”

As he typed his threats out (If you do not answer within the next twenty seconds, I’m going to rip your arms out), his mind kept wandering. Wandering to Deku’s appearance again and again until he had to shake his head. Something must be really wrong if he’s hiding in the infirmary. Without too much thought he erased the earlier message and, instead, typed out,

9.52 a.m.   Me: Why are you at the recovery wing?

Katsuki closed his phone.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

“ I don’t know. Should we text him?”

“ But he said that his phone would be on silent. What if he’s grieving or something? We can’t just-“

“ I know, but I’m worried.” Uraraka poked at her bento. Tsu coked her head.

Iida walked to their table and sat down. On his lunch tray was a large amount of beef stew.

“ Have you seen the new equipment Lunch Rush-san has received? The knifes are truly a thing of beauty.”

“ Hey Iida. Do you think we should contact Deku?” The boy adjusted his glasses, thinking.

“ Hmm, I don’t think it’s a good idea. We don’t know his situation, he might even be at a funeral right now. Let’s just leave him be for now.”

Uraraka looked defeated. She put her phone back down and tasted her lunch. It was good. Tsu patted her on the shoulder in a comforting manner.

“ Don’t worry Ochako-chan, I’m sure Midoriya is fine.”

Some tables away Bakugou was listening in. How stupid could these idiots be? The nerd was clearly making shit up... Hey, where’s icy-hot going? Wait! That bastard knew where Deku was, so he must have at least some answers. He quickly got up to follow the boy.

Todoroki was just about to enter a bathroom when Katsuki caught up to him.

“ Hey!” Todoroki turned.

“ What do you want Bakugou?”

“ I know you know something! What’s up with Deku?”

“ I don’t know. Some famil-“

“ That’s bullshit. The nerd is hiding in the infirmary, and you know why. Start talking!”

Shoto gave him the most unimpressed look he could muster.

“ Even if I knew something, you’d be the last person I would ever tell.” He turned around to walk away.

“ If you even think about going near him,”

Todoroki’s eyes were wide, dangerous, when he rotated to look at Bakugou again.  

“ I’ll kill you.”

Everybody and their mother knows that Bakugou Katsuki is the most competitive person there ever was. A challenge, no matter how small, he gives 100 percent at all times. He never lost, he always wins. But… But something about Todoroki’s eyes told him to be quiet. It wasn’t bluff, it wasn’t an empty threat. There was a real promise there and Katsuki did not like it.

“ Huh?! You think you can scare me!” His hands were sweaty, ready to fight.

Instead of answering him, Shoto repeated.

“ Stay away from Midoriya.” And with that he walked away, leaving Katsuki behind.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Fucking fuck this day was fucking weird. There was this whole mystery around dumb Deku, Aizawa was gone again, a strange man had come to their class and talked about mental health or some shit. He was just clad to finally go back to his room. Bakugou sat down on the common room couch and flew through his homework. His English paper needed some reworking so that it would be perfect, but for now, Katsuki wanted to just watch some tv.

“ When will you be back?”

“ I’m not sure.”

“ Well, can you at least tell me where you’re going?” Momo tried, but Shoto just shrugged.

“ Just taking a walk.”

No way in hell was he just going on a walk. Bakugou could smell lies even if they came from an elusive bastard like that icy-hot.

“ Hey, Bakubro where are you going? I thought we were going to play Mario kart?”

“ Shut up hair-for-brains. I’m going on a walk.” He aggressively grabbed his jacket and stomped after the other boy. It was early evening, seven to be exact. The air smelled of rain and trees. Bakugou ducked behind trees and bushes, following Todoroki around the campus. He thought they’d leave the school area but when the bastard took a right instead of going straight, Bakugou was confused. They walked to a side building he recognized as the staff quarters. But it didn’t make any sense, why would Todoroki go there?

“ Psst, Todoroki-kun, over here.” That’s Deku’s voice.

Katsuki looked where the voice had come from. Behind a small hedge came Deku, wearing a large black hoodie.

“ We can sit here if you don’t mind. They have a seating area and everything!”

“ I brought you this. You told me you were cold.”

“ T-thank you Todoroki-kun! But I would have been fine-“

“ You can call me Shoto.”

“ Y-you can c-call me Izuku too, if you’d like.” Deku smiled that small, shy smile. What the fuck?

The two walked behind the thick hedge. He guessed they sat down because he couldn’t hear any more footsteps.

“ So, you live here now?”

What…

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Chapter Text

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Izuku sat at the kitchen table, eating some of the most delicious grilled fish he’d ever had. Lunch Rush apparently prepared it for him just before they came inside, so it was still warm and crispy. Aizawa sat opposite of him, reading a newspaper while Present Mic was washing dishes. It looked weirdly domestic.

Most of the other adults had gone to their rooms, giving Izuku some space. It was heavily appreciated. Even still, Hound Do- no, Izuku was told to call him Inui when here, was watching tv on the couch. A show about something very colourful but not too loud.

“ Alright Midoriya, we need to go over some things, if that’s okay with you?” Izuku nodded.

“ Here are some rules. We ask that you do not lock your doors or, go alone in places that have sharp objects or leave the school area. If you need something or need to go somewhere, please inform us. I also want you to know me and Inui-san have a spare key to your room in case anything happens, or we have a suspicion that you are a danger to yourself. Please don’t close your door either. Now, any questions regarding what I just said?”

Izuku studied the table. There were different colours, streaks of lighter and darker wood going everywhere. He could tell it was real wood probably carved by hand. He wondered if he could take some classes and learn to carve something as beautiful.

“ No, not really.”

“ Alright. Next, your mother. We were able to reach her in Tokyo, but she told the police there that she could not leave right away. She mentioned important work and interviews but promised to be in contact.”

“ Sounds like her. She’s so busy and hard working all the time…”

“ Let’s move on to… Other things.” Aizawa turned to look at Hizashi.

“ If I hear you spreading this, I will hunt you down.”

Mic took a seat next to Aizawa.

“ We weren’t going to tell any of the students but since you’ll be staying here, we know it will come out eventually and, like,  you’re really smart you’ll piece it together in no time and we just want you to feel comfortable- ” Yamada rubbed his neck, nervous.

“ What the idiot is trying to say is that we’re married. Been, uhm, some years now.”

“ Wait, are you saying you don’t remember our anniversary?!” Hizashi looked scandalized, one hand on his heart.

“ I-I think I already k-knew…” Both adults whipped their heads around.

“ Y-you are re-really close. Like, n-no one else can calm Aizawa-san down as fast as y-you and you s-seem to share this bond it’s almost like brothers b-but…”

“ That still doesn’t fully explain-“

“ B-but I saw you kiss once.”

“ God damnit, this is your fault.”

“ Me?! What did I do?” The blonde screamed.

“ You just had to kiss me that Friday before math class. You knew these monkeys walk past my classroom at exactly eleven thirty.”

“ So you remember that but not our wedding day?”

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Midoriya scrolled his phone, a bit bored. His new dark blue sheets were soft and smooth, and he could not wait to sleep in them. He had spent an hour putting away his clothes and other personal items, like toiletries and gifts he had gotten from friends on his birthday. Izuku had decided against on putting up more than three posters, one of All Might and two of other heroes. The rest of his All Might collection was put in storage to wait.

His room was plain. There was a nice wooden desk and chair, a bed, a wardrobe, and a large closet. The walls were white and next to the desk, large windows, that were locked. There was a bathroom, but it was locked too. Yamada-san had told him to ask for a key when he wanted to use it.

He hanged a pair of dark curtains on the window rod. The thought of somebody seeing him there was too much and Izuku immediately drew the curtains closed. The itch to scratch his hand bloody was coming back.

Ping ping

18.38 p.m.   Todoroki-kun: Hello Midoriya. How are you?

18.38 p.m.   Me: Hi Todoroki-kun! I’m settling in and just got done hanging some curtains. I asked Power Loader for some tools, but he came in and did it for me… Should I give him a thank you gift?

18.39 p.m.   Todoroki-kun: I think just a simple thank you is enough Midoriya.

18.40 p.m.   Todoroki-kun: Would you like for me to come over? We could talk.

18.40 p.m.   Me: That would be nice. It’s weird to be surrounded by teachers, you know…

18.41 p.m.   Todoroki-kun: I’ll be there shortly.

Izuku let out a sigh. He would have to ask Aizawa permission to leave… And he wasn’t even sure if Todoroki was allowed to come inside. He was an idiot. Midoriya tiptoed outside and down the hall, trying to see if any of the teachers were around. He saw Yamada-san.

“ E-excuse me, sensei.”

“ Oh hey little listener! Need something? And please just call me Yamada!”

“ I-I just w-wanted to ask if I could go outside? I want to see one of my friends.”

“ Oh you told somebody you’re here? Hmm, I appreciate that you told me, but I have to ask you not to go far or leave the school area. And if you could tell me who this friend is?”

“ Todoroki Shoto, from my class.”

“ You could stay at the seating area we have. It’s on that side of the house, behind the hedge. There you’ll have privacy, somewhere to sit and I can see you, okay?”

“ T-thank you sensei-“

“ And take this too.” His heart almost stopped. Aizawa was looming behind him, holding out a black hoodie. He helped Izu to put it on and looked pleased.

“ I see you shivering, kid. You need to get better clothes.”

He just nodded and went to put on his shoes. Izuku could see the adults looking at him but tried to ignore it. He walked down the gravel path and ducked under the trees. There was indeed a seating area under a small pergola with a sofa and  couple of chairs. It was perfectly hidden from any passers-by due to a thick hedge going around the house.

When a light landed on to Izuku, he turned. There on the side was a small window, that had it’s blinds half open. Inside, peeking at him, was Yamada-san. So this is what he meant by saying “I can see you”. When the adult noticed the green haired boy staring, he hid and closed the blinds.

Approaching footsteps had Izuku peep behind the hedge. Todoroki had arrived.

“ Psst, Todoroki-kun, over here. We can sit here if you don’t mind. They have a seating area and everything!” He waved.

“ I brought you this. You told me you were cold.” Todoroki handed him a brand-new green hoodie. Why was he suddenly receiving gifts he didn’t deserve?

“ T-thank you Todoroki-kun! But I would have been fine-“

“ You can call me Shoto.” Todoroki looks sheepish.

“ Y-you can c-call me Izuku too, if you’d like.” Izuku felt himself smiling at the other boys sudden shyness.

They sat down, Shoto wrapping himself in a blanket and Izuku hugging himself close.

“ So, you live here now?”

“ Y-yeah, for the time being.”

“ How’s it like?”

“ Everyone is so nice, it’s… comforting? I haven’t felt like this in a while.”

“ When will you be back to class?”

“ I still don’t know. Aizawa sensei has been giving me classwork to do, so I can make up for my absence, and I believe there’s more than just for a day or two. So maybe on Monday?”

“ Whose hoodie is that? I have never seen you wear it.”

“ I believe it’s sensei’s. He gave me this to wear since my other got ruined.”

“ Ruined?”

“ Yeah, and blood is hard to get off so I ju-“ Izuku shut his mouth with an audible click. Todoroki furrowed his brows.

“ Then it’s good that I bought you this hoodie.” Whew, he didn’t latch on to anything. They continued for a while like that. Talking about nothing, it was a nice change. Every once in a while, Yamada or Aizawa would lift the blinds and see if Izuku was still there.

“ Hey Sho? When do we tell the little listener about his mother?”

“ Not now. He doesn’t have to know yet. Inko-san, excuse my language, can go fuck herself for all I care.” Shota’s hand clenched as he recalled the phone call they had earlier.

“ I can’t come back now, this is really important!”

“ Pardon my question ma’am but what could be more important than your son’s injury?”

“ Listen, I have a once in a lifetime opportunity for a job interview in a” There’s a pause, “ Couple of minutes. This can change my whole career and Izuku lives at the dorms, so he doesn’t need me right now.”

“ Ma’am I-“

“ I have to go. Please, inform me if anything else happens.” Click.

“ If she tries to pull Izuku out, I’ll file a report.”

“ On what grounds exactly?”

“ I don’t know! Child abandonment? Late fees? Suspected child endangerment for leaving him in my care?”

“ A horrible decision, really.”

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Behind the hedge, Katsuki was silently listening as Deku talked. He could start piecing all the clues together, the damage, the blood, the bandages, the sudden appearance of a guidance counsellor talking shit about mental health, and the move to a controlled environment, but it doesn’t mean that Katsuki will accept them.

Why would dumb Deku have a reason to be suicidal? His life was fine! He had those dumb extras as “friends”, he had a quirk, he had a spot at U.A. hero course. Nothing’s missing!

In the back of his mind, a silent voice whispers without mercy.

“You know why.”

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Chapter Text

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Shota sat in a comfortable gray sofa chair, hands folded and eyes wandering. The counsellors new office was small but cosy, only having a sturdy wooden desk, a bookcase, two chairs, a large plant and on the dark wooden floor, a white plush carpet. There were, however, lots and lots of pillows, tissue boxes, and fluffy blankets. The walls were a calm blue colour with beige curtains on the windows.

The room was dimly lit by the morning sun peeking in from the half-closed curtains. Shadows coming from the trees swaying in the wind outside danced on the back wall, only disappearing when Inui-san leaned closer to Aizawa. He clicked the end of his red pen.  

“ I’m glad you decided to come and talk to me today.”

“ Felt it necessary. I believe myself to be more affected than I thought I would be.” His eyes closed.

“ Have you been getting any sleep? What about food?”

“ You know me. Sleep really isn’t my thing. Zashi has been making sure I eat.”

“ And your caffeine consumption?”

“ …They took my personal coffee maker away and I can’t for the life of me find it. I’m now only allowed three cups in the morning and two in the evening. One extra if it’s a holiday or Sunday.”  

“ Sounds like, well, something. Okay, should we start from the beginning then? You were the one who found Izuku. Tell me what happened.”

“ Yes, I was informed that there had been concerning noises coming from his room. I went there and tried knocking. He, of course, was unresponsive. So I used the master key…”

“ Alright. What did you see then?”

“ At first, I didn’t see anything. The light that had been on was, at some point, knocked over and it broke. I searched for a switch for the ceiling light and when- The moment the light came on I- Ugh, why is this so hard?” He took a deep breath.

“ There was a mess. My mind registered the papers, the books, the clothes, but the only thing I could see was the blood. It was like some sort of twisted hide and seek game where, no matter where I looked, there it was. The light made it glitter. I mean, you saw it, so you know what I’m talking about.”

“ When you saw that, what did you believe had happened.”

“ I truly believed, even if just for a second, that the League had broken in and killed him. That I had let another student be taken.”

“ But that wasn’t the case.”

“ No it wasn’t. I heard water running and when I turned, I saw Izuku standing next to the tub, swaying. His arm was inside the bath and when I touched it, it was freezing. It sounds, silly, but at that moment I was convinced that he was dead. His skin was pale, and he was so, so cold. But he was still breathing… I just took him in my arms and ran. I have handled jumpers and hostage situations, I have fought countless criminals and saved even more civilians. But I have never felt fear like this. It truly felt like time was against me, like there was an invisible counter going down fast.” Aizawa rubbed his eyes as he finished.

“ You were scared because you care. You were terrified because he isn’t a nameless hostage or just a passer-by. He is someone you have sworn to protect as a teacher and who you see live and grow each day. One could say you are attached.”

“ I care about all my students.”

“ And I don’t doubt that… Shota, what do you see Izuku as?”

“ See Izuku? As a child? As my student?”

“ Okay, what else?”

The erasure hero had to pause and think. Yes, Izuku was his student. A child he wanted to protect. He felt a certain fondness towards the green haired kid. Midoriya’s progress in class made his heart swell with pride and he secretly longed for the smiles he received when complimenting him. He wanted to see him succeed, wanted to see him grow up into someone amazing and talente- wait.

“ I-I want to see him grow up? What does that mean.”

“ Hmm. Aizawa, do you perhaps see Izuku as a son?”

“ …A son?”

“ I think you have a soft spot in your heart for him and that’s one reason why seeing Izuku almost die had such an impact on you. You weren’t just going to lose a nameless civilian but your kid.”

Shota didn’t respond.

“ Alright. Shota, could you tell me a bit more about that night? After you got to the infirmary.”

“ …Because he couldn’t be healed right away, I stayed by his side. The only thing on my mind was that he was going to die, bleed to death... I was so afraid that something would happen, that he would stop breathing! At some point I called Zashi and then Nedzu. Everything was a bit of a blur and I just held Izu’s hand.”

Inui sifted in his seat as he wrote his notes. His ear twitched.

“ Let’s go a bit forward in time, jump over the discussion you had with the class and Izuku. It’s time for classes to begin, there are kids everywhere, a lot of noise. What I’m trying to ask is, how was your morning?”

“ I talked with my husband for a bit and took my regular route to class. I tried not to be distracted but it was harder than expected. I kept looking at his desk and it almost physically hurt. The kids were worried and kept asking about him, where he was and if something had happened. I had to look these children in the eyes and say that there was nothing to worry about.” His eyes had closed again, and his left hand was gripping the wooden armrest hard.

“ What about-“ There were three small knocks on the office door. Inui opened it, talking quietly to the person on the other side.

“ Come back in thirty minutes, okay? If somebody asks you, tell them that I told you to wait for me there.”

He closed the door.

“ I’m sorry about that Aizawa-san. I would like to see you again if that’s alright?”

The two men stood next to the door.

“ Is Tuesday okay?”

Inui went to open the door when a thought came to him.

“ Remember when we talked about pups classmates?”

“ Yes.”

“ Have you found anything on him?”

“ Something alright. I’ll dig a bit more to see if there’s anything else. I’ll share the information at the start of the week, so keep an eye out for that invite.”

“ I knew there was something wrong about his reaction to me mentioning explosions. I have some suspicions but-” 

Aizawa opened the door and stepped in the waiting room.

“ Shota.” Inui’s large clawed hand stopped the door from fully closing.

“ Hmm?”

“ Keep Izuku away from Bakugou Katsuki."

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Chapter Text

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“ This just in! Japan’s number one hero All Might, and the police force have made an arrest here downtown Musutafu. This afternoon they broke into a laundromat and apprehended the three suspects. Detective Tsukauchi gave us this comment.”

“ Yes, we believe these individuals to be connected with the underground narcotics ring we busted last spring. Three suspects are in custody as we speak. For now we cannot disclose any more information regarding the arrests made-.”

Click.

“ Here we can see the number one hero carry the unconscious suspect- Oh they don’t even have handcuffs on.”

“ Of course not Takahashi. He’s one of the greatest heroes in the world. He doesn’t need to use handcuff-“

Click.

“ Today on the news, a drug ring-“

Click.

“ Are we safe? Can we still let our children walk down the street without the worry of somebody drugging th-“

Click.

“ Yes, I was there! It was horrible. And now I have nowhere to wash my clothes-“

Click.

Yagi Toshinori shut the tv with a sigh. His whole body ached when he got up from the chair, floorboards creaking under his feet. His friend, Naomasa, was waiting for him in the interrogation room across the building, but today he just couldn't bring himself to care whether he was late or not.

He can’t shake the feeling that something is off. Really, really off. It had all started a few days ago, with an email from his colleague Aizawa Shota. The man had requested a meeting immediately that afternoon, but Yagi had to decline. Then came the message from Nezu, informing every member of staff that somebody named “Pup” was moving into their dorms and not to tell the other students.

He hoped it would stop there, but no, his wishes were never granted. After that he received and angry text from Chiyo, demanding him to come see her as soon as possible. She had apparently been tasked with informing him about some important matter and was clearly not happy about it. He was deathly afraid of going back to work now.

Just as Yagi was about to leave the room, he got a message. Another email?

“-now that Pup has moved in we all must do our best, blah blah blah, we request that you keep an eye on him… Huh? Fragile state?” He read out loud. While thinking, “All of this was so confusing”, the hero walked out and down the stairs.

He knocked on the locked door. Detective Tsukauchi Naomasa opened it, looking relieved.

“ You’re finally here, I was beginning to worry. What took you so long?”

“ Sorry about that! I had this weird email I had to read.”

“ An email? Was it from Nighteye?” The smaller man asked hopeful.

“ No, it was from Nezu.”

They sat down on the wooden chairs, just waiting for the interrogation to begin. Somebody went to get the first suspect.

“ Oh, what did he want? Doesn’t he know you’re busy?”

“ He knows, okay. It was about someone named Pup. In fact I have received multiple messages regarding him.”

“ W-wait. You said Pup, right?” Naomasa stared at him, eyes wide.

“ Yeah, you know this person?”

“ Y-you don’t know-“

 Bang, bang, bang.

“ Get your fucking paws off me you stupid bitch-“

“ Here he comes. We’ll talk about this later.” All Might nodded as he buffed up.

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Later that night the two men were sitting inside the detectives office, eating the leftovers from the previous shift. They were tired, having only slept for a couple of hours before the interrogation began. Then there was the paperwork, they hated paperwork.

Toshinori set the salad aside, not really feeling that hungry.

“ So, are you going to tell me about this Pup person?”

The calm atmosphere changed immediately and the number one hero couldn’t understand why. His friends eyes were filled with emotion, something akin to fear, or maybe sadness? Whatever it was, it was strong. The detective looked at him with that long, almost disappointed look he hated.

“ Toshinori, this isn’t really my place to tell but… What exactly do you know?”

“ I just know that someone named Pup, which is clearly a code name, is currently living at the teachers dorms and that they should be watched because of their mental state. I also believe that the meeting Aizawa-san organized a couple of days ago was about him. And the meeting with Nezu is going to be about him as well. Is it even a he?”

“ Yes and everything you have said, about the name and Aizawa and the meetings, is correct. I always knew you were smarter than you looked.” He smiled and Toshi smiled back. But then things got serious again and the moment was gone.

“ When was the last time you spoke to Midoriya?”

“ Young Midoriya? Maybe a week ago, we did some training. You should see him, he has really improved! The boy will be the greatest hero there ever was, way better than me. He has a heart of gold.” Proudness overwhelmed him and he swiped a tear.

Tsukauchi smiled, oh wait no, that’s more of a grimace. What had he said?

“ Listen, what I’m about to tell you is confidential and if somebody asks about it you will say nothing. No one is supposed to know, especially the students. And if you have any questions, I’m sure Nezu and Chiyo will answer them.”

“ I-is Midoriya okay? Were they attacked! Why wasn’t I infor-“

“ No, no! Nothing like that! But something did happen.” He places a hand on the taller man’s shoulder.

“ On Wednesday I got a call from Aizawa. He asked if I could get in contact with Inko Midoriya. The school had tried to reach her, multiple times, but to no avail. I informed him that I was busy but promised to make some calls. They tracked her down to Tokyo and with a little help, got her to respond to Aizawa-san’s calls.”

“ Why would the school be interested in Midoriya-san?”

“My thought’s exactly. So I asked but didn’t get a straight response… Until U.A. contacted me, not as a friend, but as a detective.”  His eyes were hard, looking straight at the blond man.

“ They hired you as a detective?”

“ Yes. On a suspected child abuse case.”

“ W-what?”

“ Yes, well, there was also suspected illegal quirk usage on a minor, both verbal and physical abuse, discrimination, neglect to inform the local authorities about said abuse, suicide baiting-“

“ H-hold on! That is absolutely horrid, but what does this have to do with anything?”

“ After I was informed of these suspicions, they gave me some, contexts, you could say.”

Yagi couldn’t breathe, almost fearing that it might hinder his hearing if he did.

“ It all started with Izuku Midoriya trying to kill himself.”

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Chapter Text

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Things like that never disappear. Problems won’t just go away. Recovery is a long journey, and you have to remember that. Izuku didn’t.

It was a rough night. Midoriya lay there, curled up in his new bed, wearing the green hoodie he got from Todoroki. He couldn’t sleep, feeling like such a failure. Tomorrow was Monday and Aizawa had promised to let him come back to class, and Izu had been so happy. Now however he felt only dread, he wasn’t ready.

The stress was building back up again. He could almost hear it, “Midoriya you have not been doing enough work! How can you be so lazy when your classmates are so hard working. You should quit!”, “Deku! You useless piece of shit! Why haven’t you left the school yet, huh?!? You think you are better than us?!”, “Midoriya-kun, I thought you were like the other heroes, you deceived me and made me like you!”.

His big emerald eyes were filled with tears again. He’s such a cry baby. Absolutely useless and too weak to be a good hero. No one would ever want him to work for their agency. No one would trust him to save anyone. Soon Aizawa would see he’s just a fraud.

Soon the morning sun peeked in from between the dark, heavy curtains and on to the wide-awake boy like a golden blanket. The only sounds were soft cries and the clock on the wall, doing its duty as silently as it knew how to. Next to the bed, on the floor, were crumpled up papers, books, pencils, and a folded up black hoodie. Soft blankets moved up and down in a steady rhythm as the boy cried.

A gust of wind rattled the wooden window frame. Green curly hair covering his face, Izuku sat up rubbing his eyes and sniffled. Looks like he needs to get up if he wants to be ready in time. His eyes need time to stop being so red. Izuku took note of the last nights mess and, promising himself he’d clean later, got up and took a look around for some pants. Finding none he opened a closet and picked out some loose baggy pants.

With his feet now inside warm fluffy socks, Izuku opened his door and walked to the kitchen area. Glancing at the clock tiredly, it was only six, so there wasn’t anyone awake yet. He would be alone for a while more. He took an orange and while peeling it, muttered.  

It was something Izuku Midoriya was embarrassed about. His mother said it was just a part of him and that it was nothing to be ashamed of, but that wasn’t what the kids, or the other adults in his life, said. He now understood it to be annoying, irritating, a reason to make people shut him up- it wasn’t a good habit. Izuku really tried to stop for good when coming to U.A. but all of the cool quirks and heroes and amazing skills had made it impossible to control. He still made friends, so maybe it wasn’t that bad? Or they were too polite to tell him to shut the fuck u-

“ Good morning problem child.”

“ G-good morning, A-Aizawa-sensei!”

“ …Is that all you’re going to eat?”

“ Y-yes?”

Shota sighed and opened the fridge door. He took out a couple of eggs and murmured.

“ Sit down, I’ll make you something.”

Soon Izuku had some rice with egg and miso soup in front of him.

“ …Did you sleep at all?”

“ H-how…?”

“ You look like a mess. Your dark circles are almost as bad as mine.”

He sat across from Izuku and took a sip of his coffee.

“ Wanna talk about it? Or would you prefer Inui-san.”

Izuku shrugged. The motion made Aizawa glance down at the young boy’s arms and his frown deepened. Izu’s hands were completely filled with swollen red scratch marks. They went up and down, from his wrists to all the way to his forearms, and in all kinds of patterns. The places where he had scratched over and over again the skin was broken enough to bleed. Not much, but it was worrying enough. It also seemed that Izuku hadn’t realized the severity of this new “coping mechanism”. Hound Dog was going to be overjoyed.

Aizawa placed a hand on his forehead, wishing he would have checked on the child during the night. Everyone knew Aizawa couldn’t sleep during the nights he didn’t have patrol. It would have made logical sense for him to quickly open Izuku’s door and take a peek to see if he was okay. So why the fuck didn’t he??

“ Would you like to stay out of school today? We can see about you going back again on Tuesday.”

“ B-but sensei! You promised that I could come back to class today!”

“ Yes but I do not think you’re ready to go back yet. You need to rest.” His eyes looked sad.

“ And if your arms are telling me anything, it’s that you need to focus less on school and more on yourself.”

“ I need to go back, please.”

Aizawa took a look at the child in front of him. He still seemed so small, so fragile. Or maybe his judgment had been clouded by the sight of so much blood and the smell of death? Whenever he looked at Izuku Midoriya his heart rate sped up and his eyes almost watered. He kept reminding himself that the child was okay, that Izuku was still here, and everything was normal. Sometimes it did work.

“ Alright. But you have to promise me something.” Izuku nodded.

“ If you need to leave class, for any reason whatsoever, you tell me, okay? If you feel overwhelmed by the others, if you need to take a nap, anything”

“ O-of course sensei. Thank you.”

He got up to get himself to appear somewhat presentable, leaving the small boy behind. Shota combed through his hair with his long, pale fingers as he looked for his shoes. He still had hours before his first class but there was somewhere he had to be.

…

Knock, knock.

“ Come in.”

“ Good morning sir.” Aizawa bowed.

“ Ah, Aizawa. We were expecting you! Please, have a seat.” Nezu gestured to the open seat.

Detective Tsukauchi sat straighter, if that was even possible, when his friend got next to him. They exchanged quick pleasantries and then went back to the task at hand. On the principals desk were numerous papers, folders, lists and files.

“ Is this all?”

“ Yes. The surveillance videos are on the computer, and I gave a copy of them to Nezu. I have to warn you though it’s not pretty.” His face was grim.

“ We could already suspect that, it’s nothing new… Should we start?”

They pressed play and listened. The audio was low quality and so was the video, but it would have to do.

When Hound Dog first brought to their attention that Izuku Midoriya was most likely suffering from a quirk related trauma, they all had sifted their attention to his records. In great detail it expressed Midoriya to be, and this is to put it nicely, a horrible troublemaker without any friends. Multiple warnings, fights, and trips to the nurses office for quirk related injuries. Worrying was when these trips to the nurse stopped around the second year of middle school. No more doctors visits, no annual health check-ups, nothing. Aizawa might have believed some of it, Izuku was a known trouble magnet, if something about these didn’t seem, how would Mic say it? Fishy?

Izuku seemed to have been the only one to be punished for these fights and the only one to get wounded. That, considering the boy’s quirk, did not make any sense.

And now everything seemed to be clearer than ever. In the video, in front of their very eyes, Midoriya Izuku, a tiny eleven-year-old was beaten with quirks while he laid on the floor. His hands were covering his head and face, but you could see from his shoulders that he was crying.

“ Enough.” Aizawa said, venom dripping from his voice. His fists were clenching the table so hard that it hurt.

“ Are all of them like this?”

“ Yes, I’m afraid so.”

“ And no teacher interfered?”

There was a pause. Naomasa-san rubbed his cheek, looking irritated.

“ No…”

“ We'll burn them. All of them.”

“ …Aizawa that’s not all.”

“ What is it?”

Nezu typed in something, then turned the screen to face the man. His eyes went wide.

No… No!

“ Is that Bakugou?”

…

Uraraka Ochako was sitting in her seat, waiting for class to begin. Iida was in front of her, talking about the recent homework and how he wasn’t sure if their sensei wanted the answer to be marked as 138.5 or 138.51. She wasn’t really interested in the topic, rather watching the empty desk of one of her best friends. He hadn’t called them nor did have anyone heard of him.

Todoroki had suddenly lost interest in finding out what exactly was going on with their friend and Uraraka could not help but to be suspicious. He had also started to take long walks during the evenings and wouldn’t tell anyone where. Very strange indeed.

The class door opened and before anyone could react Ochako was up from her seat.

“ Deku-kun?!”

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Chapter Text

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A man with the hair of snow stood before the mighty. Sweat dripping down his face he looks on in horror as they make their decision. He’s not getting in, he’s not worthy. His strength is going down fast, he needs to recover or, better yet, escape. His frantic yellow eyes search for an open gap for that exact purpose, but the enemy is too powerful. Hot fire burns through his shirt and licks at his eyebrows, leaving only red skin behind. The time has finally come. They have him surrounded like prey-

“ Can I kill him please I need to taste his blood!” Himiko Toga whines from her position, at the same time interrupting Shigaraki’s inner monologue. She is waving a small surgical knife around impatiently. The blue haired man grunts in annoyance and grinds his teeth.

“ Fine then but do it quickly!” He yells and waves his hand. The only thing he hears when walking away are the screams of agony and a “Smash his face in. Don’t get that on my costume!”. Tomura slams the iron door closed and turns to his butler who has remained silent the entire time.

“ Why are only the low-level NPC’s wanting to join our league? We need more high-powered characters, or we’ll never be able to finish All Might.” He scratches the broken skin on his neck.

“ Tomura Shigaraki, maybe it would be advisable to call Giran and ask him to deliver us new recruits.”

“ No I don’t like him.”

“ He has the connections we need. You must put your own emotions aside and think what Sensei would do.”

“… He would trust the bastard enough. I’ll call him later.”

And with that Shigaraki turned the corner and disappeared.

His worn sneakers carried him through the trash littered alleyways with unusual grace. After All For One was captured, Tomura had taken the mantel of leader with great acceptance. Even though he knew Sensei would break out of Tartarus sooner or later, he also knew that somebody had to step up in his absence and guide the league. So he did, that’s what Sensei would want him to do. For that reason Shigaraki had taken up reading about battle tactics and stealth but after realising how hard it all was, had asked for more books on the subject.

“ If only that stupid brat Bakugou had joined, we would have had a real strong player.” He muttered as he kicked an empty can across the road. It rolled down a set of stairs only stopping when it hit a chain link fence. He looked at the old buildings behind it and his frown deepened.

For a while now there had been rumours going around about the Yakuza and it’s new leader. The one to lead the group Shie Hassaikai called himself Overhaul. There wasn’t much information out yet expect a couple of large-scale attacks on some supposedly secure networks, hospitals, and pharmacies. There were also the smaller incidents with the group having attacked lower ranking criminals, leaving bodies behind like flies. Clearly they were not to be messed with. Shigaraki had seen a few pictures where they wore these odd masks. Mr. Compress had remarked on the similarities to old European plague masks and Tomura had just crossed his arms. What was it with this guy and medicine.  

While he journeyed, he took a picture out of his pocket. It was a screengrab of the U.A. sports festival, a bit grainy and torn from one side. You could see students competing in some task that Tomura couldn’t care less about. It was zoomed in on Bakugou Katsuki and they had used it during the abduction of said teen, but that’s not why he still had it. No, he still had the shitty picture because of who was behind the explosive blonde. A head of green fluffy hair was poking behind one of the other students, an innocent yet a bit nervous smile plastered on his face. There was one Izuku Midoriya, whom Tomura wished he could strangle. Every time he felt like he wasn’t a good enough leader or like he had failed at something, the villain would take the picture out and stare at it.

Tomura would imagine what it might feel like to wrap his arms around the smaller boys neck so hard he could feel his spine crack. See the life leave those bright emerald eyes and that smile disappear like it was never there. Witness those red cheeks loose their colour and that forest green hair loose its shine. Yes, he feels better instantly.

But there was also something that intrigued him about the young student. The way he acted during the attack on the USJ , no scratch that, any time they saw each other, spoke volumes of the boys character. He was clearly kind-hearted, self-sacrificing, and determined, all of the things Tomura himself hated with a burning passion. All of that positivity and yet, there in his eyes Tomura could see something he recognised very well. When Shigaraki looked at Izuku Midoriya he could see something akin to fear, could see a part of himself and he loathed it. What reason would this gifted bright-eyed little brat have to be afraid? If he ever got face-to-face with the fucker he would have to ask before killing him.

“ Maybe there is more to this Midoriya kid…” The villain thought.

He walked back to the leagues new hideout where the others were already waiting.

“ Hey Shigi. Where did you go you missed out on all the fun.” Dabi leaned on one of the pillars and smirked. The urge to decay him wad tempting but the flame user was needed alive.

“ None of your business. Is he here?”

“ Yes Shigaraki I’m right here, don’t get your panties in a twist.” A man with gray hair and round glasses laughed. He sat at a corner hidden in the shadows, only the burning cigarette could be seen.

“ Giran, I want more recruits. I don’t care what it costs just get me some good ones this time.”

“ You can always want things.” The broker laughed again. He puffed out smoke like a chimney, Dabi thought much to his own amusement.

“ But now is not the time. I have been asked to set up a meeting with you and I have a feeling you should accept.”

“ With whom? Who cares?” Twice asked sceptically. He sifted his weight from one foot to another in anticipation.

“ With the leader of Shie Hassaikai, Overhaul.” Girans cigarette fell to the ground, and he crushed it with his dress shoe, letting everything be swallowed by darkness.

…

“ This is… troubling.” Ryo Inui sighed, ears drooping down.

“ You can say that again.” Tsukauchi wiped his forehead and then rubbed his eyes. No amount of coffee was going to make his aching head better.

“ Well, now all that is left to do is to take action. We must do something as professionals and as heroes.” Recovery girl tapped her cane on the floor as she spoke. She was furious, the men in the room could see as much. After the initial shock of what they had seen on the video, Aizawa had called her and Inui to the principals office. While Inui could provide them with the perspective of a metal health professional, Shuzenji could give them an opinion on the medical records and if they matched the footage. They all sensed that something was wrong with them and were just waiting for the older woman to confirm that suspicion.

“ What do we do Nezu?”

“ You are right Chiyo, rest assured we will do something. Detective what, and how much damage can we do while still abiding the law?”

“ I-I say we collect as much evidence as possible and try to prosecute. Some of these won’t work in court but if we throw everything we’ve got at them something is bound to stick. We can try child abuse, I’m talking about both physical and verbal abuse, known child endangerment, harassment, there’s also blatant quirkless discrimination, possible falsifying of medical reports. I’d say even attempted murder might be on the table if we play the cards right.”  

“ You know detective I always play my cards right.” Nezu gave a small smile.

“ What is your opinion on the mental health aspect of this case now that you have seen the videos?” Nezu poured more tea and slid it across the table towards the counsellor.

“ This kind of bullying would have had to leave deep scars both mentally and physically. I’d say, having seen only some of it, we might be looking at several diagnosis, such as depression, anxiety disorder, PTSD, something with dissociative episodes... I’ll have to do more research. ” There were several intakes of air and a quiet “more than a seasonal hero”.

“ Something I have noticed, and you might have also, has to do with the aspect of trust. Izuku seems to be looking at most authority figures and peers alike, in a skewed light where he is either entirely mistrustful or fully trusting. He seems to automatically assume that people will turn against him or try to hurt him. When he finds an adult who he believes to be trustful, he loses any ounce of self-preservation.”

“ That is something I have noticed. We need to look into that.”

“ And you RG. Have you found anything?” The woman in question was looking at various papers that had been handed to her.

“ Well I’m still going over these, you didn’t give me much time. But this-“ She held out a small blue file. “ Is certainly concerning.” The four others leaned closer.

“ It appears that the boy did receive the two standard first year medical examinations, and they do not show that there would have been any marks, scars, cuts, bruising or old wounds apart from the left leg. There was apparently some old scar tissue from a quirk accident. But if we go to the second years first medical, it says here, “Damage to the right arm and shoulder, possible old dislocation. No further medical care given. Healing scar tissue on the lower back and behind the left ear. A new cut on the forehead, student was reprimanded. Healed scars on the palm of the right hand from fighting.” The list keeps on going. And the years second medical examination is completely absent from this file.” She flipped through the pages once more and the corners of her mouth tugged downwards. “ And by the looks of it so are year threes. There are no indications that Midoriya received any kind of medical attention after year two. Not even for these supposed fights he got into.”

“ So that’s a crime. You can add “not providing adequate medical care to a minor” on the list.”

“ The injuries happened during that school year, I bet it was the students we saw.” Eraser thought back to the recordings and shivered. Was it wrong to want to murder children?

“ These weight charts are also concerning. He seems to have always been quite scrawny but this…” She muttered something and then raised two fingers up. “If I came across him on a morgue at that age I’d say he was at least two or three years younger. Now luckily he has put on more weight.”

“ Was there a suspected child abuse case filed? For all the school knew the injuries could have come from home. Or possible starvation by the mother.”

The detective shuffled some papers. “ Um, no. Nothing was filed with us ever.”

“ That’s a crime too, nurses and teachers are mandated reporters.”

“ Wait the report mentioned the palms of his hands right? Was it because of his quirk?”

“ I obviously have not seen them so forgive me for assuming the worst, but they sound like defensive wounds. I came to the conclusion after seeing the September video where Midoriya shielded his face with his hands, palms facing out.”

“ We all know how quirkless children are treated, so it wouldn’t be surprising if it still continued at that school.”

Aizawa raised his hand looking confused.

“ You all keep saying quirkless. Izuku Midoriya is not quirkless.” One of his eyebrows was raised. His colleagues clearly knew something but weren’t telling him. Although Inui looked just as confused.

There was silence in the room. The principal and the nurse looked wordlessly at each other, but they did so every time they were deep in thought. What surprised him was that his friend Naomasa looks the exact same way. What was going on?

“ Is there something you are not telling us?”

Nezu quickly gazed at the two others who shared his knowledge, and they made a silent agreement.

“ You see, Aizawa, Izuku Midoriya was thought to be quirkless until recently.”

“ What do you mean? How recently?” Inui growled. Nezu did not smile when he continued.

“ During the day of the entrance exams to U.A.”

There was appalled silence.

“ Why wasn’t I informed of this!? And how do you know?” Aizawa got up, his quirk activating out of habit when he got angry. He stared daggers at his police friend.

“ I-I only know because of an incident that happened before Midoriya’s final school year ended!”

“ What incident?”

“ W-well he was involved with a villain attack. Yagi was there and told me all about this young boy who even without a quirk helped save another student. When his quirk finally manifested he decided to help train him.” Aizawa seemed somewhat satisfied but then turned back to Nezu.

“ How could you neglect to inform me of something so crucial to my students education!? I could have helped him! Has he received regular quirk counselling at least?”

His question was only met with more silence.  

“ Shota please, try to understand. When the semester began the school was attacked, the number one hero was targeted, and all of the students were put in danger. Then we suspected that there was someone leaking information and had to do an internal investigation. Then we had the festival and the exams and were targeted again. There was the relocation of the summer camp and the kidnapping. Not to mention the planning of the dorm system and having the symbol of peace teach at our school… It slipped our minds. I wish it had gone differently, I really do.”

“…” Shota sat down, quirk deactivating. He didn’t utter a single word, just stared arms crossed at the table.

“… So, what exactly is our plan now?”

“ We could say that our end goal is to destroy the reputation of the teacher and have as many of them prosecuted as possible, shut down the school and possibly have it demolished, make files of all of the students who took part in this abuse and send them to their respective schools, possibly getting them booted from any hero courses they might have gotten in. Possibilities are endless.  How about we start with the evidence compiling?“

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Chapter Text

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“ Deku-kun! You’re back!” Uraraka jumped up and went to hug her best friend. Izuku reciprocated the hug stiffly, carefully placing his hands so that the scratches would not get irritated.

In the process of moving through the desks and bags, Ochako had drawn the attention of others, who then turned to look at the newcomer. When they saw the green haired boy, joy erupted in the class. Several others got up from their seats and made their way towards their friend, excited to have him back.

“ Midoriya I missed you!”

“ Welcome back Mido!”

“ It’s good to see you.”

“ Bro you came back! We were really worried.”

“ Yeah we thought you had dropped out man. Clad to see we were wrong.” Kaminari threw a hand over Kirishimas shoulder and smiled.

“ Hope everything is good with the family?” Ojiro asked. As he did Bakugou, who still sat at his desk, also turned to look at the crowd. The blonde frowned deeply.

During the weekend while walking to the store Bakugou Katsuki had been stopped by his homeroom teacher. Aizawa had stepped in front of him, blank faced, and arms crossed.

“ Bakugou, we need to talk.”

“ Huh? About what.” He put his hands inside his pockets.

Aizawa looked at him for a moment.

“ I have been tasked with informing you that for the time being you need to stay away from Midoriya.”

“ Huh!? Why, what did I do?”

“ Given your volatile relationship with him, we cannot have the two of you fight each other right now. And for the sake of his wellbeing I cannot let the word spread that Midoria was in the hospital wing. I know that you know about it. It doesn’t matter how you know, just that you don’t go telling the other students. Approach him and you’ll be in detention faster than Iida can reprimand you for bad language.”  

Bakugous expression changed. He felt rage bubbling under his skin.

“ Is it because he hurt himself?”

Aizawa whipped his head around with a look of absolute murder.

“ That is none of your concern. Do not go speaking about matters that you do not understand.”

“ Yeah, everything is fine… It was a false alarm and we returned last night. Sorry to have worried you all.”

“ It’s okay Midoriya!”  

“ Like, dude, there is so much you missed. We absolutely need to fill you in.” Mina Ashido pushed herself past the boys to get in front.

“ So we had this big quiz on heroics, right, and we totally bombed it but anyway. You would have so gotten a ten out of ten on it! And the teachers have been showing us a lot of films and videos, it’s been different but fun. Then there was this huge cockroach that appeared in the girls bathroom and Sero was all like, “leave it to me girls!”, but when he saw it he- ow! What was that for?”

“ But no worries Midoriya-kun, Koda managed to get it out.” Yaoyorozu chimed in, smiling.

“ But really, you should have seen it. It was like, this big!” Mina held out her hands to show the apparent size. Izuku had to question if it was truly accurate.

“ And, and! You seem to be an inspiration to many of us here, you know. Even Todoroki has started to exercise after school.”

“ Yeah, he has started to take these long walks.”

“ O-oh -is that so!” Midoriya smiled wobbly, hand behind his head. He was happy that the others didn’t suspect anything.

“ Hey, tell him about the spoon!”

“ Oh my, that was quite the ordeal…”

“ And highly unprofessional! As heroes in training we-“

“ Bakugou exploded another spoon!” Sero laughed so hard he had to double over.

As his classmates continued to tell him about their days, he found himself relaxing. The constant self-doubt and crippling anxiety that had plagued his mind during the nights had no choice but to quiet down. The usually loud and overbearing whispers were almost so silent in fact, that Izuku could not make out the degrading comments his subconscious threw at him. The wobbly, unsure smile on his face grew in size as he gained the confidence to stand straighter. He was wanted, he was accepted.

“ Yeah. But then we came out to see what was going on.”

Izuku wasn’t sure of the topic anymore, so he just nodded along.

“ I believe it was Bakugou who woke me up.”

Kacchan huh?  

“ Yeah me too. Whew it was a wild morning.”

“ But I guess it happened after you left? But we seriously thought you had been kidnapped.”

“ Nothing still explains the blood though.”

Oh. Oh no. They are talking about Wednesday morning. Izuku’s smile faltered, his once confident posture slumped, and he brought his hands close to his chest. Think! Think of something! Anything!

Nothing. He just stayed quiet.

“ There is no way!”

“ Yeah there is. I still have a scar. And my mom said that I have a habit of sleepwalking.”

“ Even if it had been you it doesn’t explain the trail coming from Midoriya’s room.”

“ And what about the crash that Jiro heard? How do you explain that, huh?”

“ A c-crash?” He gulped.

“ It was the lamp you got from your mom.”

Everyone’s eyes turned to Todoroki.

“ W-what?” Izuku mumbled.

“ The night after you left, you asked me to see if you had accidentally left the window open. A gust of wind apparently knocked the lamp off the side table, and it shattered, so sorry, I did not act fast enough to prevent that. And you also left the door ajar. But do not worry, we closed it for you.” Todoroki explained.

“ W-well it d-did break the night I left so don’t w-worry Todoroki-kun. Thanks f-for checking it out a-anyway, I knew I forgot s-something!”

“ Oh that was it?”

“ Well, it did sound just like when Ojiro’s mug fell to the floor and broke. So, I guess that makes sense.”

“ What about the blood?”

“ Didn’t you say you hurt your hand when you got the call from your mom?”

“ M-my hand?”

“ Yes. While you were writing your hero notes, if I remember.”

“ Y-yeah, that’s i-it! T-there were s-scissors open on the t-table and w-when m-mom c-called and told me that w-we needed to leave right a-away I scraped my palm. I had to run out t-the door while bleeding.”

“ So that’s what I heard from the hall. You, running through the dark hallway all alone to save your family! How magnifique.” Aoyama twirled around to point at Izuku.

“ I-it wasn’t anything like that…” Izuku tried but was ignored.

“ Okay ladies, this mystery is solved.” Ashido sat back down. She fanned herself with a notebook and turned to Sero, trying to make plans with him after school. Izuku cast a grateful glance at the heterochromic boy and took a seat.

“ Hey Todoroki, Midoriya! We thought about going to the mall after school. Cementoss-sensei gave us permission to go. Wanna come too?”

“ I’ll come, if Midoriya comes.” Todoroki said, not looking up from his book.

“ I uh-“

“ Of course he’ll come too!” Ochako yelled, smiling excitedly.

Soon after Aizawa came in and began the lesson. No one but Izuku and Katsuki noticed the way Aizawa’s eyes zeroed in on the green haired child. Once he seemed satisfied, Aizawa turned and wrote something about internships on the board.

…

The mall they were in was unusually busy. There were families, people in retirement, teenagers, single adults, workers and very, very small children. Class 1-A walked through the entrance glass doors with the confidence of a thousand suns.

Izuku was a different story though. He had asked (more like begged) for Present Mic to let him go with his classmates. He had given him permission, but not before making him promise to not leave the group and to call him if anything happened. He hated making his teachers worry and the whole encounter had left him feeling tired and sad.

“ Yay shopping!” Ashido exclaimed excitedly. She was holding Aoyama by the hand as they ran to a store together. Asui walked behind them, not really understanding why the two were so thrilled.

“ Come on dude, I need the new pair of shoes.”

“ The ones from that picture? But they were so ugly…”

“ Is that a new café? Should we go?”

“ Of course, come on.”

“ Hey, stop pushing me!”

“ Hey, what is that?”

“ Let’s go take a look.”

 Slowly but surely the group of kids dispersed, going to do their own shopping. It left only Izuku, Shoto and Uraraka to stand there, awkwardly looking around. They didn’t actually have any reason to be there, not really needing anything.

Uraraka’s phone buzzed.

“ Oh, it’s Iida. He asks if we want to come to the second-floor café. Theres a buy one, get one free deal on the bubble teas.”

“ I don’t drink bubble tea.”

“ I’m actually not thirsty, sorry.”

She lets out a sigh and waves her hand in the air dismissively.

“ You guys are so boring. I’ll go then. We’ll text you later okay?”

When she had finally disappeared behind people, Todoroki turned to face Midoriya.

“ So, what do you want to do first Izuku?”

“ O-oh, I’m not sure. What about you?”

“ I lied, I actually drink bubble tea. Would you like to share with me? Do not worry I will pay for it with this.” He proudly held out his fathers credit card.

“ If we end up liking their tea, we can buy the whole store.”

Izuku’s face flushed bright red, and he covered his face with his hands.

“ I, uh, um need to g-go use t-the restroom, I’ll b-be right b-back! D-do not b-buy any stores!” And he ran off before the other boy could say anything.

Izuku found the nearest men’s restroom and pushed his way in. He splashed some water on his face, hoping for the blush to go down. He took some deep breaths, mentally preparing himself to go back out there and convince Shoto not to buy a whole chain of shops. He closed the tap and wiped his face with a paper towel.

The door opened, then closed. Slow steps came closer. Izuku kept the paper towel on his face, waiting for the person to walk past him and into one of the empty stalls, but the footsteps stopped in front of him. He yelped when a hand roughly pulled his wrist down, making the boy snap his head up and take a long look at the person.

Instead of an unknown face, Bakugou or even Todoroki, he came face to face with someone he only saw in his nightmares. His emerald eyes widened, and his breathing hitched. The person smiled wide when he saw recognition cross the boys face.

“ Tomura Shigaraki…”

“ Hello hero.”

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Chapter Text

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“ Tomura Shigaraki!”  

“ Hello hero.”

Izuku was, for a moment, paralyzed with dread. The hair on the back of his neck stood up, fear creeping up his back and then coming down in the form of sweat. His breath got caught and the only thing Izuku could do was gulp. Before whenever their paths happen to cross Izuku would write the older boy off as very dangerous but also much predictable. Shigaraki was one of those villains you see in American movies and western videogames. He would freely shout out plans, monologue to his hearts content about his upcoming success and using that information, the hero could easily make decisions to his benefit. Yes, his quirk was terrifying, and his appearance put others off, but besides that there really wasn’t more to him. Or so Midoriya thought.

But then the training camp and Kacchan’s kidnapping happened, and he saw how truly horrifying the villain could be. Or maybe he hadn’t experienced it directly, but still. It’s like somebody had woken him up with a frying pan and Izuku finally comprehended the lengths they could go to try accomplishing their goals. The image of Tomura Shigaraki had then slowly crept into his dreams, twisting them into nightmares so horrid he would wake up crying. He was utterly terrified of this man.     

The fingers, all except one, were still wrapped tightly around his wrist when Shigaraki’s smile disappeared. Another pair of footsteps came closer to the door and before Izuku could comprehend what was happening or that maybe he should be screaming for help, the villain was pushing him in to a bathroom stall and shutting the door. The lock made a click sound and at that moment Izuku realized he was really trapped. Before he might have had the chance to make a run for the door or yell and alert someone, but now…

The stall was small, only having a toilet and a tiny marble sink inside. It was mostly clean, smelling of chlorine, lemon, and plastic, probably from gloves the cleaner had used. Izu would pick that scent any day over the strong smell of dust, water damaged wood and cheap whiskey that currently invaded his nose. It wasn’t like a typical public toilet, it in fact, had thick floor to ceiling walls and the doors had no gaps. It had been heavily praised in the newspapers as the future of communal restrooms, first coming to the women’s side, but gradually making their way to men’s restrooms too.

Right at this second it felt more like a cruel joke from the universe.

Shigaraki was so close to his face he could clearly see every single crack his dry skin had. There was a scar on his lip and on his other eye, both clearly old. In his fear-stricken mind he still found himself wondering what could have caused them. His lips were dry and every time he smiled Izuku could almost feel the way the skin stretched. It was a wonder he still could smile.

Somebody came in to use one of the stalls. Tomura’s free hand slapped over the boys mouth as he whispered.

“ Say even one word, and I’ll kill you, them and anyone who comes here.”

The green haired boy gulped again.

It didn’t take long for the person to be done with their business and, while washing their hands, Tomura used the noise of the rushing water to his advantage and moved. Izuku was now sat on the closed toilet, the villain looming over him like a hungry predator. Midoriya felt like a caged animal. At last when the door closed and no other noise was heard, the hand was removed from his face.

“ W-what d-do you w-want?” He had the courage to ask, though it died as the others eyes narrowed.

“ What a surprise seeing you here. And here I was under the impression that you hero students were constantly saving kittens from trees or some shit.” The large hand squeezed his wrist so tight that it hurt.

Tomura wanted to say more and went to open his mouth when he noticed something. The way Midoriya’s eyes were clued in on his own was almost bizarre. He played with the idea of punching him for it, but then just, decided to move his head to the side. And yes, his eyes stayed locked on his. Tomura prided himself on being scary but to this extent. He hadn’t even done anything yet. What is this brat trying to do?

“ What is this, a staring contest?” He snapped and the boy flinched hard.

“ N-no I-I-I was j-just…”

“ You what, huh?” This close Shigaraki could see the thousands of freckles that dotted Izuku’s round cheeks.

“ Y-your eyes-”

“ What about my eyes?” Was this boy really so stupid as to make fun of his eyes? Didn’t he realize the situation he was in?

“ T-they j-just remind me o-of someone I-I know. Th-they are red, m-my favourite colour.” Now Shigaraki was sure he had lost his mind. There was no way Izuku Midoriya had just, in a weird way, called his eyes pretty. Or nice, or whatever. He wished he could have responded with something witty, anything that would strike fear into the hero student. But he hadn’t been complimented in so long that it left him feeling speechless.

“ You-…” Shigaraki tried again.

“ You really are different, hero. What the fuck is wrong with you, you suicidal or something?”

Tomura hadn’t intended on meeting, let alone confronting any of the hero brats this afternoon. He, just like the weird fucker he is, had wanted to just walk around the mall and amongst the low-level civilians. The fact that he was a wanted, dangerous criminal who could kill anyone in a ten-mile radius was thrilling, it gave Shigaraki a boost of adrenalin. His disguise was flimsy, just a black hoodie with some ripped jeans, like he was almost begging to be found out so that he could freely kill somebody. He toyed with the idea of just touching a couple of people and then running away, swinging his open palm dangerously close to children that ran past him. After a while he usually got bored of this game and would return back home.

As he was about to exit the building to do just that he marched past the food court and spotted a few familiar faces that made him halt. Though he did not care to learn their names, the man knew them from the USJ and again from the sports festival. Two girls with drinks, one with short brown hair and the other with long, dark green were talking to a tall boy. He instantly recognised him as the Iida boy from the Stain fight. But if they were here that would mean-.

Just as the thought of the short, green haired, freckled boy crossed his mind Tomura saw him. He was standing in the middle of the first-floor plaza with one of the Todoroki sons, looking flustered. His hands moved animatedly, gesturing at the other boy, but then he turned around and ran to the nearest bathroom. This was his chance to-. Wait, what exactly did he want to do? The first idea was to kill him, and as good as it sounded, to crush his windpipe and then decay the evidence, it somehow felt wrong. No, not wrong, he will definitely do it one day, but just. The timing is not right, the stats were all wrong and he was clearly missing the important pieces of this story he still had to collect. He can’t get rid of a piece in the puzzle when that piece has information that could satisfy his ever-growing curiosity. This stupid side quest was all that mattered to him now, so he acted.

…

“ And there she is! Finland’s number four hero Lumi, the mindful hero in a gown of blue and white, the signature colours of the Finnish flag-.”

Hizashi yawned again. The news broadcast was unusually long due to the Pro Hero Day, or PHD, that was being hosted in Europe. Where was it again, France? Or maybe Germany.  It doesn’t really matter, he was just watching it to see Japan on screen. All might, Endeavor, Best Jeanist and Gang Orca were supposed to be representing Japanese heroes, but none of them had yet to be shown. Mic had briefly checked Twitter to see if there had been any cancellations but to his amusement, the only thing he found related to the topic was Mt. Lady complaining how she wasn’t invited. She had posted several angry tweets, the newest having been shared only three minutes ago.

“ -Stands next to the number two hero of Sweden, Björn the Bear-tastic hero. Pro hero Lumi has risen the ranks fast, hasn’t she Mikael?”

“ Sure has Ahmed. Just last spring she was the number five hero!”

“ We have calculated that if she keeps this up, she could steal the third spot in the Finnish hero system. That is truly talent.”

“ And up next the number eight hero of Denmark Spejlbillede the reflective hero! He just completed his training abroad and is finally back with his family. Oh, and a nice twirl there.”

“ In those heels-“ Click.

He couldn’t take it anymore. The hero muted the channel and looked at the clock. His husband should be done with the grading soon and then they could go and see the new café at the mall. They supposedly served really good matcha and he was just dying to try it. Yamada ran fingers through his damp hair, surprised in how much it had grown already. His hair had always been pretty lengthy but never this long. He hadn’t really noticed the growth because of the way it was always styled up. He glanced at the tv again, noticing a big, jolly man wearing full red next to the hero duo from the Netherlands. He wobbled to the stage and handed the host a small wrapped present from his pocket. He said something quick to the woman and she hugged him. Mic’s eyes moved to the bottom of the screen where it read,

“ Finland’s number one hero: Santa Claus, the jolly hero.”

Huh?

The front door opened and Aizawa stormed in.

“ Hey Sho, you never guess who was on tv-“.

“ Where is Izuku?”

“ Oh! Don’t worry he went with his classmates to the mall.”

“ Y-you just,” Shota’s voice had a hint of anger. “ You just let him go unsupervised!”

“ S-Shouta calm down! Izu’s with Iida, Uraraka and Todoroki, he’s not alone.“ Yamada raised his hands in defence. “And the suicide watch ended days ago! He has the right to do teenage things.”

Mentioning Todoroki seemed to be the right thing because his angry raccoon of a husband calmed down, tension lessening from his shoulders. They weren’t sure how much the student knew about Izu’s situation but could see the way he looked at their green haired ward. The erasure hero sighed and stomped to the kitchen to get a class of water.

“ You know, if we go to the café fast enough we might still see the little listener. They haven’t been there for too long.”

Aizawa grabbed the car keys and ran out the door, husband in tow.

…

Stare.

That’s the only thing the two boys did. Neither Izuku, nor Shigaraki was saying anything, both too preoccupied with their own thoughts. Midoriya’s mind was filled with dread, filled with images of death and gore. But that’s to be expected. What was not expected was the other kinds of thoughts. The ones that asked, “Where did he get these scars from? Do they hurt? Who hurt him? Does he need help?”. The concern for the boy was slowly growing and the hero had no idea what to do with it.

Shigaraki was somewhat in a similar state. He despised Izuku Midoriya with every ounce of his being. He hated the optimism and that infectious blinding smile he wore. Hated his big sparkling eyes and those recognisable green curls. And he hated that every time Midoriya gazed into his eyes, he almost seemed to see someone else. They would lock eyes, he would stiffen up in fear, and then remember that, no it was only Shigaraki, and relax. He wanted to hurt him, dust him into oblivion, but also to know why.

“ Are you oka-”

“ Why do my eyes-“

Okay, lets try again. Press reset from the last save point.

“ You-“

“ I am-“

Yeah no, fuck this. Tomura was about to shake the boy and to tell him to be quiet when his words registered in his head.

“ Did you just ask me if I was okay?”

“ Um…”

“ Do you have a death wish? Okay whatever, just answer my fucking question!”

“ Only if you answer mine.” Izuku got a sudden surge of courage. If he was to die (which he didn’t actually mind) he might as well know if the older boy was okay or not.

Tomura grumbled something that Izu didn’t quite catch but then nodded.

“ Me first.”

Izuku nodded. Shigaraki said something about him choosing the b option.

“ Why do my eyes unsettle you so much? It’s starting to be annoying as hell. Or are you lying and it’s just my overall appearance?”

“ I-uh. N-no I j-just.” Midoriya took a deep breath. He told himself that even if Shigaraki did kill him right after answering, he would be okay with it.

“ I used to know somebody with the same eye colour. But he wasn’t very nice. You remind me of him-”

“ What bullshit. That’s not a real answer. Give me the real one!”

“ W-what more do you want me to say?! That he made my life a living hell for ten years? That he was abusive but I still to this day want to think of him as a friend? That every time he would hurt me, he made sure his eyes were the last thing I saw before I blacked out? That I used to love the colour red but now it’s giving me mixed feelings? Now my favourite colour just reminds me of the blood I would see whenever I woke up from whatever alleyway they left me at. I love the colour, I really do but it scares me. Maybe even more than you do.”

“ You’re rambling about a colour.” Shigaraki’s eyes weren’t focusing on anything, jumping from one round, green eye to another.

Izuku didn’t respond.

“ You have that look again.”

“ Huh?”

“ In your eyes. You look like, like you’re fucking done. Like you haven’t slept in years because you have to stay awake, otherwise you’ll be found.” Shigaraki asked, quiet and in bewilderment. “What, who are you running from?” 

Midoriya had a tiny smile on his lips, and just like that, the look was gone.

“ My turn now.”

“ That wasn’t one of the options.” The dust villain tried but Zuku persisted.

“ Are you okay? Y-you have a scar on your eye.” He was so careful when asking.

Tomura’s hand subconsciously rose to rub it. The other hand that had previously held Midoriya’s hand moved to scratch his neck.

“ How is that any of your business? Why would you care?”

Izuku didn’t respond right away.

“ I, I actually don’t know.”

The student’s hand came slowly towards the others face and then just hovered there, unsure. He settled on taking a hold of Shigaraki’s hand and pulling it towards his chest.

“ What-“

“ You can kill me now.”

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Chapter Text

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Shigaraki’s open palm hovered over Midoriya’s chest, near his heart. The green haired boy held on to Tomura’s wrist just as stubbornly as the villain had his arm earlier. Even as Shigaraki struggled, trying to twist and turn and pull, he could not get his arm back. Midoriya’s sudden resignation to his fate was at best very alarming, setting off every bright red beeping light inside Shigaraki’s head. They screamed bloody murder at him, and he hated it more than he ever did Izuku Midoriya. He desperately needed to press a pause button.

He was suddenly missing the thrill of killing, the urge having disappeared completely. He felt that if he did decide to end the kid’s life now, would his bloodthirst not be fully satisfied.  

At some point in their back-and-forth tugging, Izuku’s sleeve slid down just enough for the older boy to see skin. Tomura’s mind didn’t register it at first, just making a note, “oh hey, his sleeve moved”.

But when his busy mind caught up to the information pouring through his eyes, he audibly gasped, and oh boy wasn’t that embarrassing. For a few blissful seconds all was still. Izuku followed his red gaze confused but when it met his wrist, he knew there was no use in trying to hide it. He felt exposed to the bone, like all of his secrets were out.

Midoriya’s hand was slim, his knuckles were dusted pink but other than that the skin was milky white. There were the odd healed scar from training and from the villain attacks he had participated in, but that is not why Shigaraki had stopped moving. Those scars were healed, faded, the villain himself had seen them form over time, they were noticeably older. Much older that the new, red, slobby ones that littered the student’s tiny hand. They clearly went up, or so he believed, from thin to much thicker, and from the way some of them curved and ended the villain could tell they were made fast, not using sharp enough tools. They were in layers, bottom ones already starting to heal, but still red, and a new fresh layer overlapping and reopening the old ones. Some even seemed like scratches. He knew what scars on wrists meant but he couldn’t understand.  

Tomura went through a myriad of emotions. His first reaction was to start laughing, though he quickly stopped that from happening. Yet he still wanted to, wanted to laugh out loud and so hard he would double over in pain. What reason would a shining young hero have to cause himself pain like that? The image of the hero student hurting himself in a dark corner like an angsty teen was hilarious.

Then the amusement faded into something darker and sicklier, questions turning to demands in his head. Envy, green and sticky, wrapped around his rapidly beating heart and squeezed his throat. “How dare he”, Tomura bitterly thinks, “I would have died for a quirk like that, I would have given everything to have his life!”. This boy had the perfect existence and yet, had the nerve to complain! But all his life Shigaraki had been quick to judge.

He used this moment of calm to yank his hand free and firmly wrap his fingers around Izuku’s. They dragged the whole arm upwards, enough for the dust villain to fully see the damage done when the sleeve was pulled down. He studied them, concluding that yes, he was right about them going up, just above the elbow actually.

“ Ha, what is this?” To his own ears instead of demanding, Shigaraki sounded much too unsure.

The voice talking to him was distant, Izuku wasn’t sure who spoke. Was it even Shigaraki? Had somebody found them? Or was there a voice inside his own head? It almost felt like he was standing in a long and dark hallway, seeing the villain at the end of it, but so far away that it was impossible to hear him. Midoriya wanted to ask him to speak louder, to come closer, but could not find the words. Instead, he mumbled something about not being able to hear anything and then slid down from the toilet seat and on to the floor, pulling the bewildered villain with him.

He couldn’t understand why his vison was suddenly so blurry and, in a desperate attempt to see better, he opened his eyes as wide as possible. It only made his eyes drier and blurrier. Izuku wanted to cry.

Tomura had seen a fair share of distressed people. Had seen people crumble to their hands and knees and beg for mercy through tears, had seen people grovel at his feet like maggots. There are also those who silently accept their fate, close their eyes, shed a silent tear, or shake uncontrollably. But in his still rather short life had he never seen this. Midoriya’s far away gaze was frozen wide and glossy, his face pale and palms clammy and shaking. His muscles were stiff, hard as rock from the tension and his breathing was noticeably shallow, but fast. But he did not let out a single sound, not loud or quiet. The older boy could see the younger trying to speak, opening his mouth like a fish out of water, but nothing came out. If he was much, much older, Tomura would assume he was having a heart attack.

When Tomura finally had enough and released the arm he had been holding, Izuku lunged like a wild animal to clutch it back to his chest. Though not in the way he had before, no, this looked more like a strange hug than anything. The boy was hysterical, words finally came out of his mouth, but they were jumbled, incoherent, and made no sense. There were words like “school, expulsion”, “god”, and “mistake”.

“ He will-“ Something, something, “Mad! I can’t-“

“ H-hey! Oi! What the hell is wrong with you!?”

“ Please, please, please don’t tell, I can’t!” More mumbling. “ A mistake, please! I-I need-”

Tomura had seen this before. Infact, he himself had once been in a state like this. He tried his hardest to remember what had happened then, but it was so long ago. Shigaraki had this memory of extreme stress and dread, not being able to breath and feeling alone.

Then he remembers someone rubbing his back. That’s it!

He takes his free hand and, with one finger lifted, moves it to his nemesis’s hunched back. Slow awkward circles, going once, going twice. The cycle continues again and again until the shaking stops.

At last, Izuku’s speech slows down, he wasn’t hyperventilating anymore, and he gradually gets some colour on his cheeks. Sweat gleams on his forehead.

This is the moment Tomura Shigaraki realized there was much more to Izuku Midoriya than he even realized.

...

“ You wanna be a hero so bad? If you think you’ll have a quirk in your next life…”

He turns to face the smaller boy, a smile so wide plastered on his face he almost can’t see. The smell of burnt paper lingers strongly in the air. There, by his shoe, is a piece of the now torn cover of a notebook, still smouldering. He doesn’t care enough about it to look down.

“ Go take a swan dive off the roof!”

His friends laugh, he laughs. It’s funny. Katsuki’s shoulders move up and down until he confidentially takes a step back and turns. He wants to head home. Play a videogame or take a nice long bath and not be in the presence of these losers anymore.  

But Deku doesn’t laugh. He always laughs no matter what Katsuki said. So why isn’t he laughing?

“ Okay.”

Time comes to a halt, all of the noise disappears. Katsuki doesn’t hear the passing traffic anymore, doesn’t register the noise of the air-conditioning, or the rattling of old windows or the ticking of the clock as seconds pass. His once assertive steps die down, his laugh swiftly extinguished. The smile he wore feels frozen on and no matter what he does it won’t melt off. In a strange fit of panic he turns, wondering how he hadn’t noticed they were standing on the roof of the school. His two classmates are gone, he’s alone with Deku. The wind is all he can hear, or so he thinks before something else reaches his ear.

“Okay.” Deku repeats like a broken record. His trademark red sneakers are next to a yellow backpack by the broken fence. When had he taken them off? And why was the fence broken, isn’t that a safety hazard? Katsuki can still smell the burning paper.

“ Hah, no, wait-” He puts a hand forward, the same hand that had just thrown out the nerds notebook. What he hopes to accomplish isn’t obvious. Katsuki tries to take a step, but his feet are stuck in a pool of green sludge. It smells like sewer water. It feels familiar.

“ Okay.”

He is sinking, Katsuki is sinking, and he cannot move. He is powerless to stop it, to stop anything. Deku takes a step towards the ledge, one more and it’s over. Katsuki writhes, twisting and turns and stomps. Then he looks back up and tries to use his quirk. But of course, it doesn’t work, he’s too scared for it to work.

“ Okay.” Deku raises his right leg over the nothingness that surrounds the building, almost as if toying with the idea of falling. Bakugou is sure the smile is gone by now, replaced by wide fearful eyes and a plea on his lips. Why can’t he say anything? Doesn’t anyone understand he needs to tell the nerd to stop.

Izuku opens his arms as if he was a bird about to take flight, school issued uniform jacket gone with the wind. His white sleeves are stained with blood the same colour as his shoes are and Katsuki can feel a tear slip down his cheek as he continues to stare. The red liquid drips down and on to the floor in a steady pace. Drip, drip, drip, drip.

Bakugou looks down and the sludge has vanished, replaced by torn pages of a familiar notebook. Each say a different word, but most are written with red ink. Katsuki’s wild eyes scan them as he runs just in case there is something he can use to get Deku to come down. The first one he grabs says goodbye, the second one spells out a poem, the third one demands an apology, the fourth one begs for mercy, the fifth one is accusing. Then he dares to blink, and all of the letters change to spell a word only ever used by one person.

Kacchan

Kacchan

Kacchan

He takes fistfuls of the sheets and crumbles them to nothing. All of this is Katsuki’s fault, and deep down he knows it. The smell of burning paper is so strong, but he isn’t sure where it’s coming from.

“Okay.”

The only thing Bakugou sees is Deku’s green curls disappearing as he falls. He can’t be reached in time.

“ IZUKU!”

And then there is nothing. He sits on his knees in a dark void, every attempted scream dying in his throat. Katsuki balls his hands into fists and hits the ground before him. He does so again and again until his hands stop hurting, turning numb, and the only thing to hear is his rapid heartbeat. He tries to reason, Deku must be here somewhere but where? He needs to be found, Katsuki needs to find him. Only when that’s decided does he dare to raise his gaze.

There, only a mere meter away stands a single, red, delicate spider lily. It is beautiful, spindly stamens open wide and in full bloom. It smells lightly sweet as it blows in the wind. Bakugou wants to shout at it, because even with its beauty he know what that flower represents. He goes to rip it up and stomp on it when the wind carries something next to him.

The burning piece of notebook cover he saw on the school floor lands by his feet. The blonde boy can see the words “Midoriya Izuku” scribbled on there before it turns to dust.

Katsuki Bakugou screams.

...

The explosion hero bolts up in his bed, sweaty and shaking. The blanket he had been gripping while asleep had two holes burned through, edges charred black. It was a special blanket made to withstand heat up to a thousand degrees and had not been cheap. Now he had to get a new one and his mother wouldn’t let him hear the end of it. Bakugou wipes his forehead, trying to re-live the dream that had disturbed him so.

He still recalls the poem from that one page.  

“I want to be loved,

I want to be touched,

But my heart can’t take it,

And so,

I shall

fall.”

Katsuki Bakugou cries.

...

There was a bang on the door, or somewhere near it, that was just loud enough to break Shigaraki’s concentration. He blindly reached out for something to hold, balance almost lost, when he grabbed the wall for support using his entire hand, without a second thought. Tomura had enough time to sigh before he, and a very confused Midoriya, tumbled forward and through the wall. The bathroom crumbled behind them, stalls falling over, their supports having been accidentally disintegrated, and knocking down the porcelain sinks and metal trashcans.

Once the dust settled, Shigaraki raised his head and looked around. The two boys had fallen into a corner store, or more like a kiosk, filled with cheap t-shirts with stupid phrases like “Konnichiwa!” or “Home of All Might!” and other tourist souvenirs. Endeavor themed lava lamp rolled off a table and broke, spreading the amber liquid everywhere. They lay on top of a fallen clothing rack, Izuku under the other.

“ W-what?”

“ My bad.” Tomura, eyes rolling in annoyance, held out his hand in mock surrender. Behind him a pipe, that stuck from the ceiling, burst and began to flood the bathroom and one of the wooden panels caught fire, setting off the fire alarm. Amongst the loud noise, beeping red light and flooding water you could hear a scream from somewhere, undoubtedly a result of the water sprinklers. Midoriya did not look impressed, only raising an eyebrow.

“ Izuku?”

The duo turned to look at Todoroki. He stood near the entrance, holding two cups of either icecream or tea. The look of bewilderment was actually quite amusing until it changed to recognition. The cups fell when the student took a battle stance, giving Izuku confirmation that it was indeed icecream.

“ Release him villain.”

Tomura hummed, thoughtfully.

“ Well, looks like this is my que to leave. It was a nice chat we had.”

He got up and off of Izuku.

“ We’ll be seeing each other later Midoriya.”

Shoto ran to help him up and on to his feet. They only stared at the older boy as he vanished, neither being able to say anything.

As Shigaraki weaselled himself into the crowd, and out of sight of the hero students, he took out the wrinkled photo from the pocket of his hoodie. He stared at it for a moment and then let it disintegrate in his hand. The dust seeped from between his fingers, disappearing in the wind.

“ I need a better one.”

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Chapter Text

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Time passed, the weather changed. Days became nights, and nights became days in an unyielding order that no one could escape from. The wind turns colder and harsher, ripping the last remaining leaves from trees. Even the ones that had yet to turn orange were soon gone, signifying the rotation of seasons. They were raked into multiple neat piles near pathways where they were easy to collect.
Izuku sits by a window overlooking the schoolyard. On his shoulders lay a thick green blanket that’s wrapped tightly around him. The chair he’s in is large, comfortable, and a pleasant warm yellow. His eyes are dry and itchy, but he can’t bring himself to rub them. Izuku isn’t sure what day it is or what time it is. He’s not even sure how long he has been sitting here.

“ Hey.” Aizawa Shota comes from behind him and lays a hand on his shoulder. It’s warm and comforting, giving him an invitation to share his thoughts.

But he doesn’t respond.

“ You didn’t come to class today. And Inui-san told me you skipped your meeting again. This is the third one now… Everything okay? Do you wanna talk about it?”

Izuku would have liked to say that yes, everything was fine and that there was no need to worry. But he just didn’t have the energy to. The boy often fantasized about a reality where he accepted Aizawa’s help with open arms and got better in one night. That he just woke up one day and felt lighter and not so, what would Kacchan say? Shitty? But it was all that, fantasy, and nothing else. Things like this didn’t work like that.

Izuku tries to recall where everything changed, began to spiral like this, but that too is hard. After that day at the mall, he and Todoroki had been found by their two sensei’s sitting on a bench. Shoto had been trying to ask Izuku if he was okay, holding on to his hand like afraid he would disappear. He had wanted to respond, to tell him that he was okay and that they needed to call the authorities, but he felt like his mouth was full of sand. Sand that cut his throat when he swallowed and left him unable to form a sentence. Later while sitting in his room, Izuku noticed his thoughts becoming thick like porridge, where his own voice slowed down and forming ideas became impossible.

He racked his brain to try and find a reason for it but couldn’t think of anything except the meeting with Shigaraki. But what about that had triggered this? What had he said?

“ Just remember that this won’t last forever. This pit you have fallen into, you will get back up again. You just need to help yourself.”

“ I know.” The boy sighed. He felt like a hundred years were weighing him down to this chair.

The man crouched down to be on the same level.

“ Inui-san has requested you be put on antidepressants. Therapy alone is clearly not helping.”

As much as he wanted to deny everything, he just couldn’t anymore. The stubborn Izuku Midoriya had to finally admit that something had to be done when his fear of failure wasn’t enough to get him out of bed.

“ The hero work studies are coming soon. “ Aizawa continued.

“ I got a call from an agency about you. They asked if you’d be willing to do the work study with them.”

“ Which one?” The student asked. Looks like Gran Torino was out of question then.

“ Nighteye Agency. I told them to call back tomorrow.”

This got him to look at the tired man. He knew who Sir Nighteye was, had every news clipping and article about his agency inside a box in his drawer. Knew all about his work, how much good he had accomplished. Even about his history with All Might. But he couldn’t understand why he had requested Izuku to come. Could All Might have told him about the quirk inheritance?

He got up from the chair and headed for the shower.

“ I’ll come to class on Monday.”

Shouta smiled.

...

Tsukauchi scratched at his scalp, thoroughly annoyed at everything and everyone. Not only was there a child abuse case on his hands but also a series of petty gas station robberies and, to crown it all, Shie Hassaikai. A branch of Yakuza that had caused havoc in the underworld for a while now.

Their connections had been hearing crazy rumours about the gang, how feared they had suddenly become. Worrying was the sudden surge in hirings the group did, raising their ranks from a few people here and there to hundreds overnight. These people went from small time criminals to actual convicted terrorist. Afterwards there was a rise in theft, kidnappings, robberies and muggings, various assaults, and even murder. But the police was right behind, collecting evidence, tracing steps, watching hours of CCTV footage and hearing witness statements. The force was closing in, indeed they had been so close for moths. It was now or never.

And then everything went quiet, no new recruits, no overheard plans, no crimes, nothing.

Absolute chaos ensued in the station. The informants were as clueless as a tourist who had never even heard of the yakuza, the witnesses were suddenly redacting statements, every one of his phones had been ringing, his boss and bosses’ boss were breathing down his neck and, worst of all, the coffee machine had been put out of commission citing health concerns. Apparently, the station was consuming more coffee than the whole precinct. Tsukauchi was sure there would be a riot soon, so he had opted to make coffee runs in the old-fashioned way, but it was stating to cost him a pretty penny.

Desperate and exhausted to the bone, Naomasa without a word flipped open the phone he had been holding. The contact he was looking for was the first on the long list of numbers.

“ Good evening?”

“ Nezu.”

“ Why hello detective! To what do I owe this pleasure? You sure are calling late.”

“ It’s about the Pup case.” The man laid his head on the table. The phone was silent for a while.

“ Person under protection? Say, are we ready to make the next move? Let me tell you I have quite the list of things to add on to the documents that might interest you as well.” Tsukauchi was sure the person naming things at U.A. was a moron of the highest order but at least in this case it made sense.

“ I’m afraid not. I am calling to let you know I have to put this case on the back burners for now.”

“ Shie Hassaikai, I presume?” The voice on the line asked, a hint of disappointment lacing the words.

“ As you know, they have been causing trouble for some time, but recently while we were ready to make an arrest, went quiet. The higherups are worried of what it might entail, and so am I. There have been talks of a raid.”

“ Where were you planning on striking?”

“ Directly to the Shie Hassaikai compound. Most activity had been there, and we have evidence there are illegal substances and unauthorised weapons hidden.”

“ This is quite the predicament indeed. I suppose you wouldn’t mind if I took a look at those 8-2-6 records by myself then? I finished the other video on Thursday.”

“ Be my guest. I was going to bring it to you so we could watch it together but didn’t get the chance to. Just remember we still don’t-“

An officer, much younger than he, barged into the office. In one hand he had a thick black folder and in the other an old office phone. Naomasa must have looked annoyed because the younger man quickly bowed down and apologized profusely.

“ I-I-I’m s-sorry sir! But w-we g-got something!”

“ What?”

“ A few days ago, the target had arranged a meeting-“

“ That’s nothing new.”

“ No sir, the meeting was with the League of Villains. A sighting of their leader, Tomura Shigaraki, was made!”

He rose up so fast he knocked over the chair. He reached for his coat and, while sliding an arm in, whispered into the mobile he held.

“ I think you too might have to put everything on hold for a while.”

“ I’ll be there in the morning.”

Click.

“ Somebody call Sorahiko Torino! Tell him they’re on the move again.” The detective yelled out.

...

“ I haven’t seen you in this setting for some time now.”

Midoriya shrugged.

“ Did a cat get your tongue? Didn’t I tell you I hate cats.”

The boy hummed, amused. Hound Dog counted it as a victory.

“ But everything else aside, I am glad to see you. Just by coming here today you have shown strenght. I’m proud of you.”

Izuku played with his sleeves, twisting, and folding them in his fingers until that did not satisfy him anymore. He moved to passing an empty gum container from hand to hand like a ball.

“ I feel like my scars are holding me back.”

Inui’s ear twitched.

“ Oh, talkative today, are we? Would you care to elaborate?”

“ I realized... Every time I try to move on in my life, I get slowed down by these.” He looks at his arms, “They constantly mock me, make me embarrassed to be alive. A sign of weakness. I think I might have actually figured it out that day in the mall when it happened. They were seen, and afterwards I couldn’t talk or think, and it was like all the energy got sucked out of me.”

“ Are you talking about all of your scars or just the ones that are your own doing?” Izuku muttered a small “My doing.” and Inui nodded. “How do they differ from your battle ones?”

“ How I see it is, these,” He pulled a sleeve down and pointed at a large, thick pink scar from the sports festival. “Are a sign I tried, okay. But these,” Izuku pointed at the smaller slobbier lines, some lighter than his skin and some darker, “ Are proof that I am weak. That I lost. They make me doubt myself, lose myself even. It is a hindrance.”

“ You know how I see them? As a sign that, yes, there were though times, and yet you survived. You didn’t battle a villain, but the greatest enemy of all, yourself. And by just talking about them here with me shows that you sell yourself short. Both type of scar come from two types of battle.” The man waited for the student to respond, but when Midoriya didn’t, he continued.

“ You mentioned the mall and that you got this idea while there. What exactly happened that got you thinking like this? Was it one of your classmates that saw your scars?”

“ It wasn’t my fault!” The boy responded quickly.

Izuku brought his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. The counsellor was surprised.

“ I didn’t say it was. Would you like to talk about what happened?”

“ I wanted to call the authorities, I really did. But it was all so fast and then I couldn’t talk!”

The authorities?

“ Pup, what happened?”

“ I-I met T-Tomura Shigaraki.” His voice was but a whisper, but Inui’s well-trained ears caught it. It wasn’t what he had expected, to be honest. Concern pooled inside his stomach, and he let out a series of growls.

“ What?”

“ I don’t know, he just appeared? I was alone and he cornered me, I thought I was going to die.”

He could still hear the villain’s words, that cut deeper than he ever could himself.

“You have that look again. In your eyes. You look like, like you’re fucking done. What, who are you running from?”

How easily the boy could read him was frightening. Shigaraki had seemed to understand him on a level no one else had.

“ You or somebody else could have gotten seriously hurt. Why didn’t you tell us?”

“ I-I just uh…” He couldn’t look at the hero any longer.

“ Izuku, he didn’t,” The man swallowed and gripped his notepad harder, “Do something to you, did he?” Inui’s unsure voice shook him like a bucket of ice-cold water. Izuku paled.

“ W-what no!”

“ That’s good. The important thing is you’re okay.” He paused to breath. “Could you tell me what happened, then?”

“ N-nothing much, that’s the strange part of it. I’m convinced his original plan was to kill me, but then something changed his mind. He taunted me some, I freaked out, he saw my scars and I had a panic attack. I think… I don’t remember much except everything being foggy and far away all of a sudden. Then we fell through a wall, broke a bathroom, caused massive property damage and he ran. It felt like hours but could have only been minutes… When I finally got ahold of myself, he was gone, and I couldn’t’ talk.“

Izuku then remembered why they were talking about this in the first place.

“ That’s what I want to remedy. I would like to learn to live with my scars, to not lose control over my mind whenever people see them.”

“ You fell through- whatever. Now I understand why you would feel like your scars are holding you back. Alright, we can start also focusing on that on our sessions.” The counsellor shuffled papers.

“ By the way, I advise you tell Aizawa about your encounter with Shi-“

“ No, I refuse. He has too much to deal with already. Besides the mall thing was a horrible coincidence, not a planned attack, and nothing happened to anyone.” ‘But me’ went unsaid. “He didn’t reveal any relevant information, about himself or the league…”

“ Very well. But if anything related ever comes up, I as a hero am obligated to tell the relevant authorities.”

The student nodded. The clock signalled that their time was up, and he left to go to class. Before opening the door however, Inui placed a hand on his shoulder.

“ I forgot to ask you earlier, but how is the medication?”

“ Still not used to it.”

“ Hmm, figures. We’ll reassess on the next visit and go from there.”

He headed to class with a headache. It might be because he had spent the night studying so he could catch up to his classmates, who were by now likely miles ahead of him. He was going to just read a few chapters on one of his chosen books, but then he got stuck on an english assignment and then he remembered the history quiz they were going to have and the heroics calculations that were supposed to be done yesteryear and after some time his alarm had signalled that it was time to get up.

Or the pounding in his tender skull might be due to his new medication, Zoloft, that he just started to take. These few days had been filled with nausea and constantly having a dry mouth, both which were side effects of the drug. If they had not subsided or even lessened by the time of his next therapy appointment, they were most likely going with another medication.
Oh well, at least he was done with the schoolwork for now.

So, as you can imagine, the green haired boy was a little distracted. To try and ease the ever-growing discomfort the boy closed his eyes and walked through the halls in a daze, going by muscle memory alone. It was twenty steps to the right, another set to the left, then a turn and up the stairs (there were eighteen), and after two sharp turns he should be there. Or close enough at least. He just hoped for a calm and quiet day.

But luck had never favoured Izuku Midoriya.

” Oi Deku, out of my way you fucking loser.” Bakugou came barrelling past him with a speed most likely not allowed inside school grounds.

“ Kaccha-“ He began, but the other didn’t stop.

The taller boys shoulder bumped into his so hard that Midoriya struggled to hold his balance. He eventually managed to find his footing and with a sigh turned to look at his now empty hands. His history books weren’t as lucky and now were splayed on the floor, all of the folded corners open and bookmarks gone. Notes were splayed everywhere, and his notebook was crumbled. How was that possible, he just had it in his hand?

“ Midoriya.” The boy in question jumped, eyes now wide open. Todoroki stood only a few meters behind him, holding a protein shake of some kind. Izuku didn’t have the time to think about how he probably saw the whole thing when Shoto was already approaching.

“ T-Todoro- I mean Shoto-kun, good morning!”

“ Let me help you.” The heterochromic boy gracefully picked up the books, frowning at the scene like it had personally offended him. Izuku waved his hands apologetically.

“ You don’t have to!“

“ I don’t. But I do want to.”

He handed the neatly stacked pile back and then just walked around him.

“ It’s good to have you back.” Shoto stopped. “ And Izuku.”

“ E-eh, yes, Shoto-kun?”

” If Bakugou does that again and I’m not there to stop him, tell me.”

When Izuku got to his desk, Bakugou was already leaning back in his seat, legs up and on top of the table. His eyes were closed but when Midoriya passed, he could see them open just a crack. Instantly his body tensed, shoulders squaring, and a drop of sweat ran down his back. He waited, waited for a moment longer, but when nothing happened, he just sat down. It was rather odd, usually the blonde would shout obscenities, curse at him, or tell him to quit the hero course.

But Katsuki stayed silent.

...

“ I don’t understand you.”

Midoriya and Uraraka sat on the stairs leading to the dorm building, while Shoto stood next to them. They had been talking, or more like Izuku and Ochako had, about the new hero movie coming out next week, when the subject changed.

“ Me?” Izuku asked, pointing at himself.

“ Why do you still insist on calling Bakugou ‘Kacchan’ when he is so mean to you?”

“ Hey that’s what I’ve been wondering too!” Uraraka chimed in.

“ I-I just, well, uh.”

Now that he thought about it, why did he? Izuku had been calling Katsuki that for his whole life, the name came from a place of deep caring and love. Katsuki had been, and still was, one of the strongest people he knew. He was Izuku’s hero, a great example of the next generation of youths. He was smart and talented, had a perfect control over his quirk, always got the perfect scores in everything. Had included Izuku in his games and shared his toys even when nobody else would.

But things aren’t like that anymore, haven’t been in ten years. Because now that he thought about Katsuki, the blonde gave him nausea. The thought of him made his skin crawl and hands shake. He wanted to curl into a ball to hide, to seek safety from anywhere. Instead of hope, the other's presence brought stress and fear.

“ Maybe you’re right. I shouldn’t be calling him that.”

...

It took hours of scrolling, an amount no normal person would be willing to sacrifice, but the cause was deemed worthy. BBC news Japan had published on their social media page many a picture and video of the U.A. sports festival. There were pictures of interviewed tourists, business course students, visiting locals, proud parents, and teachers.

But Tomura Shigaraki only wanted one person to be there. And today lady luck was on his side, in the most glorious way possible.

He scrolled down once more when he came upon a picture of the festival’s food court. There were a lot of people there, some talking to each other, others eating and some pointing at the camera and smiling, but one person caught his eye immediately. Izuku Midoriya, in his green haired glory, stood next to a short girl, they were most likely talking. His posture was relaxed, shoulders down, and on his face a brilliant smile. It was a perfect candid shot of the boy, who clearly had not seen the news camera. Better yet, he had no hero suit, no school uniform, just plain t-shirt, and jeans.

He was on a self-imposed quest to try and better understand, not the hero student Midoriya, but the teenager Midoriya.

Because those scars haunted his mind with questions.

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Chapter Text

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Yamada Hizashi, also known as Present Mic, ran a brush through the thick curls once more. They were looking much better than an hour ago, shining and bouncing when Izuku moved. By his side was a bottle of oil that he used to lock in moisture and reshape the curls. Izuku’s hair had become impossibly frizzy and completely unmanageable as the weather became colder, and Mic had made it his personal mission to try and help.

Midoriya obviously had no idea how to manage his hair, not that he could actually buy any of the expensive conditioners or sprays in the first place. The boy had no money and his mother bought him this three-in-one shampoo-conditioner concoction that did nothing to help his hair, but instead dried it out so badly he had to stop brushing it. Luckily Yamada noticed in time, or otherwise the boy would soon have looked like a puffball.

Hizashi knew a thing or two about hair, how to style it, what shampoos were the best, what brand of straightening iron to use. So, he obviously owned a wide-toothed brush for this exact hair type.

They sat in the living room, Yamada on the couch and Izuku in between his legs, on the floor. They watched tv while doing his hair, laughing at the ridiculous commentary of the gameshow. It was called something like “ If I was an alien would you…” and the premise was that the contestants needed to find things people would never do with aliens. If the players found the funniest scenario in time, they would win a “stolen alien mystery bag”, filled with money or new electronics, or so Izuku believes. They were just watching the first team run through Tokyo, interviewing unsuspecting restaurant goers.  

“ I would never eat pasta from the same plate with an alien.”

“ Ha, why not sensei?” Izuku smiled.

“ I just couldn’t do it, what if the same thing happens as in ‘Lady and the Tramp’?”

“ A lady and what?”

“ Oh yeah, you haven’t seen it. We need to remedy that immediately-“ The blonde was about to get up when he noticed how badly his fingers were tangled in the green hair. He tried to pull them towards him, only for the boy to let out a hiss of pain.

“ Okay change of plans! We will watch it on Friday, I shall be in charge of snacks!” Hizashi exclaimed, using his now free hand to raise the brush in a celebratory manner. Izuku’s shoulders shook as he laughed, feeling light and content for the first time in a long while.

“ Hope you like salty snacks, little listener, because I just saw a new flavour of Mike’s Popcorn called salted shrimp. But if you prefer, we could buy KitKat’s?”

“ Macha ones?” Midoriya asked, voice small.

“ I knew we had similar taste! Someday I’ll take you out to eat at my favorite place, they serve the best fried chicken in town.”

For a while they were silent, just enjoying the atmosphere.

“ So…” His teacher leaned closer. An evil smirk plastered on his face when he asked.

“ How’s Todoroki?”

Izuku dropped the remote he was holding, cheeks red as a tomato.

“ H-huh? Ho-how should I know? W-we haven’t talked today.”

The blonde gave a hum, amused.

“ And I suppose you haven’t asked him out yet?”

“ S-sensei! He doesn’t care for me like that!”

Mic stopped brushing his hair and then slid down next to the kid with a smile.

“ You know, the way he used to look at you is the same way my dear Shota looked at me once.”

“ W-with love?” He asked, eyes shining with hope.

“ With absolute contempt.”

Izuku paled. He was certain lighting had struck him.

“ And then, one day, it changed for us. The looks became more light-hearted, more friendly. The words he threw at me didn’t carry the same weight anymore. I didn’t notice at first, the fleeting looks, the lingering hands, the small, upturned corner of his mouth… It took me years actually, to notice, I mean. But oh, how happy I was when he finally asked me out.” Yamada took off his glasses and ran a finger through his own hair.

“ The way Todoroki looks at you when you leave class, the way he holds the door open just for you, the way his arm came to shield you during the Tuesdays training exercise… You don’t have to ask him, I was just teasing. But I think you should know.”

Izuku sighed, thinking those words over. “ I still don’t think he likes me like that.”

The front door opened and shut with a loud bang. There was rustle of fabric, a few thumps and then Aizawa walked to the pair. He, without words, plopped next to his husband. In a rare moment of affection, he laid a hand on top of the others, just like couples do. Yamada opened his fingers so they could be intertwined with Shota’s, all happening without a single word spoken. They did not, and never would need words for these things. The way their fingers locked together, the way Aizawa’s thumb gently rubbed across the back of his husbands hand, it was all so intimate.

“ You know, that day in the mall when we bumped into you, by absolute and total accident, Todoroki was holding your hand just like this.”

Midoriya couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He had no memories of that.

“ He wouldn’t let go even as we tried to guide you outside-“

“ Zashi, stop bullying the kid or I’ll tell him about your secret corner.” Shota muttered, eyes still closed.

“ Hey, I am very proud of my corner!”

“ What’s in the corner? Or do I even wanna know?”

“ Way too many pictures of this old American actor, Arnos something.”

“ Do not disrespect the amazing Arnold Schwarzenegger like that! And he was from Austria.”

“ He makes me feel… Inadequate. I think it’s the muscles.” The black-haired man continued. Mic turned to him, throwing both hands over his shoulder and giving him a kiss on the cheek.

“ Aw Sho! You are the only man I love.”

...

At school, Midoriya walks through the halls like a mouse, evading people the best he could. They still had some time before the end of lunch, but he wasn’t that hungry and so, left the cafeteria.

He had a plan of finding a teacher who could let him into the lounge area but scrapped it and went to the roof instead. It had become an unofficial hangout spot for the ones who knew the lock was easy to open by hitting it in an angle. It was nice and quiet, apart from the howling wind and rushing traffic. Izuku sat down and closed his eyes, enjoying the silence. While it lasted, that is. The door behind him opens with a loud, announcing creak.

“ Oh, it’s you.”

He opened his eyes to see Shinso Hitoshi. A purple haired boy from General studies he hoped one day would join their class. Ever since fighting against him, had Midoriya wanted to talk. He had so many questions about his quirk.

“ H-hello Shinso-kun. Sorry am I in your way?”

The boy looked at him with a calculating stare.

“ I was going to spend some quality time, alone, but now that you’re here, its ruined.” Shinso half joked, he didn’t really care for the other, but didn’t find him as repulsive as some others in his class.

“ Oh I-I-I’m sorry! I’ll leave, you don’t have to.” Izuku got up and gathered his things.

Hitoshi had seen the boy around, taking notice of him especially after the festival. He was bubbly, awkward, easily flustered but most importantly, equipped with an amazing quirk that Hitoshi envied to the bone. His mental picture of the boy became warped by annoyance and jealousy that nothing could change. Not even his sunshine smile could fix the broken image. Or his heartwarming laugh. Hitoshi was sure Midoriya knew exactly what he was doing, walking around with that infectious personality, and making everybody so happy. Well, not him. He saw right through the act. He wasn’t affected the slightest, no sir!

Then one day he just disappeared completely. The noise was gone, the sun shone less, the halls were cold and colourless. Shinso felt chilly and on edge whenever he would pass the classroom of Midoriya or see any of the other students. Speaking of, class 1-A felt drastically different, like the energy was sucked out. The students who were usually loud and obnoxious were now quiet and stiff. Something had happened that Hitoshi could not actually care less about, he wasn’t the type to try and find out.

That was until the answer to this mystery was thrown in his unwilling lap. While walking through the campus before class one early morning, he saw Aizawa-sensei, and a strange man walk out of the 1-A dorm building, carrying large boxes. One of them was labelled as ‘clothes’ and the other smaller one ‘figurines’. You could see a green hoodie sleeve hang from the side, and oh, he recognised it. Midoriya wore it once when they ran into each other at a convenience store… He had to wonder if the boy had finally gotten himself expelled.

The teachers might have noticed him hiding behind a corner if they hadn’t been so distracted by their horrible experience. The adults looked dishevelled, rubbing their eyes and faces. He heard them talk about a person names Pup and how they would bring their belongings to the teacher’s dorms. At last Hitoshi grew curious, and even more so when men in white hazmat suits came from inside the building and loudly announced.

“Yes, we need the heavy soakers. Bring the bleach and I’ll get the machines.”

Finally, the teachers left, one towards the entrance and the other one to the backdoors, but Shinso stayed, wanting to know more. He wondered what could have happened if the school needed outside help to clean. Then one of the men came out, holding a hand to his eyes and a phone to his ear.

“ Yeah sorry. I just wanted to call and see how you were doing? It’s bad, an attempted suicide. A lot of blood. The boy’s his age for god’s sake! …Hey, is Hiroto okay? Well can you check? Thanks.”

Shinso’s eyes went wide, and his mouth opened. Someone had attempted suicide? No, no that could not be true, he heard wrong, he was hallucinating. There is no way. His back was pressed against the wall as he slid down from shock.

And then things made sense. The disappearance, the belongings, the dorm, all matched. Izuku Midoriya had tried, something, and now he was- wait. Attempted, meaning it wasn’t successful. So, he was somewhere, maybe at a hospital?

Later when he walked to his next class, he heard Kinoko Komori from class 1-B describe a boy who lay unconscious in the infirmary. Her friends didn’t seem too interested, but Todoroki from 1-A did. He asked her, in a very quiet voice, to elaborate and she did.

“ G-green hair a-and short. Very plain.” The two-toned boy did not look happy by her comment.

“ Okay, so it’s not him. Sorry to bother you.”

Liar, Shinso thought.

Before this mystery could be investigated any further however, Midoriya magically reappeared, and all was like nothing had ever happened. The Hero course students seemed to be their annoyingly joyful selves once more, the hallways weren’t suffocating, the dark aura disappeared. But Shinso knew better. He saw the way Midoriya changed, how he acted as if he had been caught. His shoulders were hunched, his smile was clearly void of real joy.

It was all so confusing.

Back to the present. Shinso kicks a tiny pebble across the tiles and crosses his arms. Scoffing, he regards the other boy with a look of annoyed confusion.

“ I was joking.”

“ O-oh, of course, how stupid of me.” Midoriya rubs his neck. They stay quiet for a while before the shorter boy raises his head again. “ I-I’ve heard you could get a transfer to our class?”

“ Yeah, but its better not to get my hopes up. It’s just talk.”

“ I-I don’t think it’s just talk…” Izuku’s hands shook as he gathered his courage to ask.  

“ H-hey, I’ve been meaning to ask you... Mind if I get your n-number?”

“ H-huh why would you want my number?” Hitoshi asked. It had to be some joke or prank.

“ B-because I think you are so cool! Your quirk is so amazing, I have never seen anything like it. You could be invincible with some training. I mean, you almost beat me at the sports festival without breaking a sweat! I almost stood no chance. Do you run? We should go together!”

For a moment Hitoshi felt it again, the sun everyone was talking about. The warmth felt good in his stomach, which had started to twist painfully right after spotting the boy on the roof.  

“ S-sure w-whatever. Here.” He took Midoriya’s phone and added himself as a new contact.

“ I-I’ll text you! If that’s okay?”

“ Do whatever…”

...

In the evening he got that text.

18.23 p.m.   Unknown number: Hi it’s me, Izuku Midoriya! Sorry it took so long to text back, I had to do something.

18.23 p.m.   Unknown number: How are you Shinso-kun?

It would only be polite to respond. He saved the contact and decided to go with a safe reply.

18.24 p.m.   Me: I’m fine.

18.24 p.m.   Midoriya Izuku: That’s good! We had a test again and I’m not sure I did too well on it.

The boy rolled his eyes.

18.24 p.m.   Me: I’m sure you got the highest mark without even trying.

He waited for a response, seeing the words ‘typing’ appear under the others username. Then it disappeared and he was left holding his phone and his breath.

...

“ So, you’re finally back.” It was no question, but a statement.

Toshinori sat on his knees, right opposite of Chiyo Shuzenji who did not look pleased.

“ Y-yes, I am.” He took a sip of the tea he was offered. It tasted bitter and there was a hint of something, odd.

“ I heard about the bust. You managed to capture every one of those lowlives?”

“ It’s good to be back Chiyo.” He simply said, smiling in a way that let the other know he wasn’t able to talk about the subject. The woman coughed.

“ Yes, well, I have been tasked on informing you on everything that has been going on while you were gone.”

The blonde hero had the decency to look confused.

“ Has something happened?”

“ Surely you have seen the email about Pup?”

“ Oh, yes, but that was a while ago and I couldn’t attend those meetings.” He waved his hand from side to side, as if to brush off the topic.

“ Toshinori, this is serious! It’s about Midoriya.”

“ Young Midoriya?” He set the cup down.

“ It’s a long story, but I can try my best to explain. Just, be warned, I am not going to paint a pretty picture of this.” But Yagi already knew this, she wasn’t one to be unrealistic. The healer took a deep, calming breath and began. “ About four weeks ago, I woke up to a frantic call from Aizawa. He told me to get to the office immediately and that Izuku Midoriya had tried to kill himself.” She looked for any signs of understanding. He nodded mutely, so the story was continued. “ I believe, as a medical professional, that if Shota hadn’t tied the emergency bandages the boy would have bled to death.”

A pause.

“ I arrived, looked at the situation and determined it to be impossible to heal him right away. Midoriya was so out of energy that even after resting, I needed to give him fluids and a sugar solution to get his blood sugar up. Aizawa and Yamada stayed with him while Nezu and I tried to get in contact with Inko Midoriya.”

“ T-the bandages were on?”

“ His wrists. Most wounds were only cosmetic, small, and shallow, but there were a few much deeper ones. It’s a real miracle the radial artery remained largely undamaged.”

Yagi’s hands were on his face. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. When Naomasa had explained that Midoriya tried to commit suicide, he was shocked, worried, scared even. But there was much information missing from that explanation, due to the detective not knowing the details. Now that Toshinori was hearing them, felt it all awful again, as if hearing it for the first time.

“ But what Midoriya told us about it worries me… He said he wasn’t trying to kill himself but just hurt, and that he has been doing it for some time already. A coping mechanism if you will…”

“ W-we need to do something, anything! The boy needs therapy, we need to make sure he is okay, we-“

“ Toshinori! We have already done those things. That’s why he is living at the teachers dorms, that’s why Ryo-san is in the picture.”

“ O-oh, that’s good. But why is referred to as Pup?”

“ Apparently it stands for ‘Person under protection’, but I think it was chosen for simplicity. We can discuss about him without the students knowing.”

Toshinori had much to think about. His successor needed help, that much was obvious. He just could not understand how he had failed in such a manner. If what the boy had said about hurting himself regularly had been true, then Yagi was even bigger idiot for not seeing the signs earlier.

And, a voice whispered in the back of his mind, if the boy kills himself, One For All will be lost. Maybe he had made a mistake in choosing him as a successor, maybe he should have considered young Togata instead? No, perish the thought, young Midoriya had shown countless times why he was a worthy successor. And even if the boy decided to kill himself, he would most likely return the quirk either to him, or somebody he found worthy. That could be something he needs to look out for.

“ I, uhm, suppose I am partially responsible for all this.” It sounded like a question but was more of an observation. At that, the woman got up and hit her cane on his head, hard.

“ Damn straight! You put so much pressure on the boy to move forward, yet you teach him nothing!”

He rubbed his head, letting out a pained whine.

“ That boy is slowly killing himself and we aren’t, you aren’t, doing anything to help.” She sat back down, the flame of anger dying down. “ We failed, Toshinori. We all did. But you chose him, so it is your responsibility to see that he stays healthy.”

“ Please help me Chiyo. I want to help, but I don’t know how to.”

“ Start by sitting down and thinking. Try to imagine yourself in that situation, what would you want somebody to say to you? Then apologize to Midoriya, say that you’ll change, that you’ll be more attentive. And if you do not know how to teach him, find ways or somebody else entirely.”

The symbol of peace gave her a determined nod, giving the older woman hope that everything was going to be better in the future. She had been scared of his reaction to the news, hoped that he would understand.

Then she got an idea.

“ If you want to do something good, contact Nezu and say you want in on the BTSAEI-case.”

“ BSTEA?”

“ No, BTSAEI.” Her smile was cruel. “ Burn-The-School-And-Everybody-Inside.”

He decided to talk about something else before the woman slaughtered him.

“ T-this tea is a really interesting blend, what is that? Hot honey?”

“ A little something I made, glad you enjoy. I call it ‘The blood of my enemies’.”

Toshinori ran to Nezu’s office.

...

“ Shogi’s an interesting game because you can use the pieces you steal from your opponent. I want Kurogiri or Toga, and maybe Bubaigawara.” Kai Chisaki gave the other leader a pointed look. He held out a piece from the shogi board and threw it at the other man, who promptly crumbled it with his quirk.

“ I don’t feel at ease when they’re doing your bidding.” The masked man continued.

Tomura was seething with anger. How dare this ignorant Yakuza fool suggest such an outrageous deal. Who does he think he is to give demands like that. Doesn’t he realize how much power Tomura held, how much publicity he had?

“ Those are useful players. You want to clip our wings.” He noted, breathing through his annoyance. “ But those three are the cornerstones of my group!”

“ Then how will we build trust? I know there is ill will between us. We need to work together to reach our goals. After all we are on the same side.”

“ Kurogiri’s out of the question, he is doing other things. And I don’t think Toga wants to have anything to do with the Yakuza after Magne.”

“ Oh, yes, tragic. I really do apologize for him-“

“ Her.”

“ Whatever. It was a mutual loss, don’t you agree? I think we need to move past that.”

The older leader wiped his hands on a white sanitary napkin.

“ I shall reimburse your friends arm, as a token of mutual appreciation. Just think of everything we have discussed today, though I expect an answer by the end of the week.”

Tomura thought for a moment, before he would outright refuse. He hated working for others. It was tough, but maybe he could use this to his advantage. What the older man had laid out was interesting and he did see it as an opportunity to get closer to him.

The younger leader went to get up, intending on putting his hands in his pockets, when out fell a picture. The picture. He went to reach for it, but a hand came for it first. Mimic, a short and round lackey of Chisaki’s, picked it up and examined it, probably first assuming it to be a threat or device of some kind. Shigaraki tried his best to get it back, snatching a corner and pulling. They had a sort of tug-of-war, both trying win.

Kai on the other hand was silent. He would usually yell, demand that anything from the outside be destroyed or at least cleaned before gracing his presence. But the situation was quite odd. Even stranger he knew the boy in the picture.

“ Midoriya Izuku?”

Tomura stilled. His hand held an iron grip on the corner of the paper, and no matter how hard Mimic tried, could he not get it to budge.

“ Boss-“

Kai held up a hand. The lackey released the paper but not without complaint.

“ B-but Boss, it could be-“

“ Silence.”

Kai stared at Shigaraki’s stiff form with so many questions, but before he could ask them, the other faced him, shoulders squared and hands shaking. He looked like he was ready to fight.

“ How do you know his name?”

“ I just know.”

“ What else do you know?”

Truth be told, Kai Chisaki didn’t really know anything about the young student. He had, months ago, seen a rerun of the U.A. sports festival by accident and before he managed to switch channels, had he seen Endeavour’s son fighting. Or, well, not really fighting. He was supposed to, but the kid just stood there, occasionally sending a line of ice at the opponent. The arena was already filled with glaciers big and small, broken off pieces were scattered by their feet. He looked absolutely enraged by the other boy’s comments, and that piqued his interest. What could this kid be possibly saying to make the other so mad? His finger moved to the volume button, turning it up at just the right moment.

“ It’s yours! Your quirk, not his!”

And then the arena lit up with red and yellow, like a phoenix reborn it shot up high and melted every piece of ice left. It was well known, the only Todoroki child to inherit the fire of their father was adamantly refusing to use it. There were theories, and speculations but non held true merit. No matter how much it was encouraged the boy only used his other power, ice. That lasted for years unbreaking, until that day, until that student.

Kai glanced at the text box in the corner, it reading “Second round: Todoroki Shoto and Midoriya Izuku! ”

Most people viewed quirks as more or less an inheritance from one’s parents, and I mean, how could you not? Most quirks are direct copies of our parents’ with slight mutations or variations. If your father had a strength-based quirk, chances were that the son would have one too, that’s just the way things were. Like eye colour, or hair texture, all coming from parents. The more powerful, the more gratitude you owe.

But the boy did not see it that way, no, he saw it in a more open light. Chisaki hated quirks, thought of them as nothing more than a rapidly spreading decease that needed to be eradicated from the roots up to ensure humanity’s safety. Whereas he saw them as a burden, the kid saw them as a gift. Where Chisaki thought of them as weights tying him down to his past, Midoriya saw them as endless possibilities to move forward. Where Kai thought of them as defining a person, Izuku saw them as so much more than oneself.  

The green haired boy, Midoriya, had managed to break a Todoroki by just a few words and that was admirable. However, Kai had other things to do than seek out another child, so he shut the tv off and forgot about it all. Until now that is.

“ Just some things. Why? Does it bother you?”

“ Keep your nose out of my business-“

“ Your business? What is he to you?”

In every game, if there was a hero, there was a villain. If there was a light, would there be a contrasting dark. They, representing two opposing sides, would be fated from the start to fight each other. They were each other’s nemesis, the final boss and the chosen one, both important enough to be on the cover art and merchandise. No one and nothing else could compare, not the evil underlings, not the side npc’s, no side quest or mission was more important than the final battle. It all boiled down to that one moment, where they would face each other and see which one was more powerful.

And just like in games, it seemed that Izuku was Tomura’s chosen one, and Tomura Izuku’s final boss. They were bound by destiny to meet and, at first, that was that. He wanted the boy dead, wanted to slice his spine in half or break his skull. But now that he had gotten a glimpse of the real Midoriya, his mind had changed. He still wanted the boy gone, but now there was this interest that surrounded his minds picture of the boy. He was so similar to him, yet they were nothing alike. He was as big of a player in Tomura’s life as he was in Izuku’s and to have this low life Yakuza even mention his name made Tomura’s blood boil.

Because he shouldn’t know of his name.

“ We could use a mediator in our talks, don’t you think? Somebody who has a way with words, a fast thinker. To help us persuade-“ He commented, offhandedly but Tomura saw right through it. He understood what the other was implying. He was trying to take his games hero away from him. Trying to ruin everything he had started.

“ You aren’t seriously suggesting him?”

“ Why not? He managed to convince that Todoroki brat to use fire for the first time in years. Just think of-“

“ No!” The ‘He’s mine’ went unsaid but the message was clear.

“ You are dipping your toes in waters that don’t belong to you. I say this once and only once, stay away from the hero brat, or a shark might catch you. Might end up losing a leg.”

“ You two seem to have history.” The piercing yellow eyes made the dust villain look away.

“ I’ll send Toga and Twice.”

And with that Shigaraki stormed out, opening the door by disintegrating it. The dust made Chisaki stop smiling, amusement turning to disgust. He got up himself, not wanting to breath it in. There was a loud demand to clean it up, but Tomura was already so far, he couldn’t hear a reply. Shigaraki gripped the picture tight inside his pocket while dialling a pickup.

“ Kurogiri.”

Mutter, mutter, mutter.

“ I know, I know. But there is something else that I need you to do for me.” He had to wonder how much information the punk really had on Midoriya.

“ No. Yes. No. I don’t know? Ask Compress. But back to my thing.”

He got out of the compound and took a deep breath, the fresh air had never felt so good before.

“ I need you to get me a file from the Musutafu general hospital… Yes today!”

He paused.

“ On Izuku Midoriya.”

...

Izuku looked over the text once more, one hand tugging at his hair and one leg bouncing. He was nervous, but there was no going back now. He pressed send.

21.50 p.m.    Me: Hi Shoto-kun! I was just wondering, and you don’t have to accept, if you wanted to go to that café we saw on Wednesday? They have some good reviews on their strawberry mochi ice cream!

Izuku threw the phone at the other end of the bed and buried his face into the soft pillows. His cheeks were flaming red and hands clammy.

There was a ping. Midoriya almost fell off the bed when scrambling to it.

21.51 p.m.    Todoroki-kun: Is tomorrow alright with you?

21.50 p.m.    Me: That sounds good!

21.51 p.m.    Todoroki-kun: It’s a date then.

He almost died.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Chapter Text

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

” So glad you could make it! And I’m sure Sir feels the same way.” Mirio Togata, a bubbly, blonde third year exclaimed. He had one arm draped around Midoriya’s shoulder, squeezing in a friendly way, while they stood infront of the Nighteye agency. The buildings intimidating shadow swallowed them whole and made Izuku have second thoughts.

“ But I have to admit, I was quite surprised when Sir mentioned he had requested you to do a work-study with us.”

The two walked inside.

“ Y-yeah, I was su-surprised too. Do you know why he asked me specifically?”

“ Nope! But I’m sure he was impressed by your performance so far. And I am sure you’ll love it here. I know I did.”

They walked up the spiralling stairs, each step sending a new wave of nervousness through Midoriya. He actually had an idea of why he was asked to come but didn’t want to jump to conclusions. Being the old sidekick and friend to All Might the hero must have known about One For All, and wanted to make sure the choice was right, that Izuku was fit to be the next user. Izuku was mentally preparing himself to plead his case, to prove he had what it took to wield this power with his head held high. They walked inside an office, plain and without much furniture, apart from four tiny cubicles where desks and shelves with countless folders were stored. A woman was sitting in one of them, but stopped whatever she was doing, when the door closed with a loud click.  

“ Oh hi Mirio, I thought you had a day off! And you must be Midoriya Izuku? I’m Kaoruko Awata, pro hero Bubble Girl.” The lady gushed from behind the numerous large computer screens. She threw a stack of papers over her shoulder and made her way towards the boys.

“ Yeah, I did, but I wanted to be here to support Midoriya. We’re just going to see Sir and then we’ll get victory ice cream.” They turned and were about to head for the main office.

“ I’m really sorry but Sir isn’t here at the moment. He got a call from the police department about a case and won’t be back until tomorrow.“

“ Oh boy, and here I thought we could get this out of the way.” Togata sighed and patted him on the back apologetically. “Quess, you need to come back tomorrow.”

“ I’m s-sorry to bother you. I’ll come back tomor-“

Before Izuku could finish the sentence, the hero shushed him. Her other hand was on her chin as she spoke.

“ Well, he did technically appoint me to be in charge… So, I shall take you on a tour. Come on!”

“ Wait i-is that even allowed?”

“ Usually no, but Sir did request you specifically,” She pointed a finger at the green haired boy, “So he must want you to really join our team.” She winked.

He looked unsurely at Mirio who only laughed and gave him a thumbs up.

“ Now come on, we’re starting from the break room over there! And while we walk, I can give you a quick rundown on what exactly we do here. What do you know about patrolling?”

When Midoriya returned to the dorms, Aizawa gestured for him to sit down and handed him a wrapped box the size of his largest textbook. Izuku stared at it, and then gently shook it. It was heavy but didn’t clatter or bang when shaken. What could it be?

“ What is it sensei?”

“ Remember when we had that discussion about gear? While watching the news.”

“ Oh yeah, we talked about Long Range and his new metal boots with those weapon compartments. I loved them, and I think the hidden knives are just perfect for close combat.” He rubbed circles on the box. “But what is this?”

“ It’s a present for getting the work study!” Hizashi yelled from the kitchen. A crash confirmed that whatever task he had been doing was abandoned in a hurry and in a blink the man appeared besides them.

“ What the idiot said. Try them on, so we know if we need to adjust them.”

Izuku ripped open the newspaper wrapping, only to find a black box. On the side, written with multiple colours, read “Always moving”. He took the lid off and gasped, a warm sense of happiness filling his chest. It was a pair of new shoes, darker red than his usual ones, with thick black laces. But the boy wasn’t happy because he received something brand-new, no, he was happy because he could clearly see the extra wide toe space.

Midoriya had burned so much time and money into finding shoes that fit him comfortably, that wouldn’t make walking and jumping painful, only to come out empty handed in the end. Had hunted and searched the local shops for years to no avail, one store even knew him by name. When he was younger, his mother bought him a pair of red sneakers from the adult section that he actually wore to this day because they were the only thing that fit. Fashion had then changed, and good shoes became harder and harder to find.

Izuku Midoriya was happy because these were shoes he could actually wear.

“ Ah-“ Izuku sniffed, not knowing what to say.

“ I remember hearing you say once that you had wide toes and that made shoe shopping hard. Now that you are in the care of U.A. we are legally obligated to see that you have everything you need to succeed in your studies. Your regular shoes are fine, but look a bit worn down so I had them measured and some custom ones made. Now you can use one pair for running and training, and the other for when you want to head to town.”

“ We tried to shop at a regular store first but couldn’t find the right sized footwear.” Yamada rubbed his neck, looking somewhat defeated. “ I wish you could have told us sooner how hard it was to find shoes… We could have helped.”

Midoriya tried them on, eager to see if they really did fit. They were comfortable, they weren’t too loose nor were they too tight. He took steps carefully, and, when they did not pinch or rub, he jogged laps around the room. Then he stopped right infront of the two men and looked at them with teary eyes. Large droplets fell down his cheeks as he sang his praises.

“ T-thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”

Izuku jumped to hug his tired teacher, nearly knocking him off the couch. He was so overcome with emotion that he didn’t care if that was appropriate or not. His teacher hugged back and was even joined by Mic, who looked almost as moved by the whole thing as Izuku.

“ You’re welcome Izuku. You deserve them.”

The teen sobbed.

...

Snow covers the ground, everything is white and grey. The snowflakes are big, bigger than Katsuki has ever seen. More fall from the sky in no particular order, unpredictable and slow, though considering their size, he would have assumed they’d fall faster. Even though the snowfall seems to be unending, there isn’t much of it on the ground, only enough to make one leave clear footprints. The boy looks around. There is nothing to be seen anywhere, no buildings, no trees, no people, only endless white.

Bakugou isn’t sure why he’s here, but he knows he needs to walk. Needs to go before it’s too late. A sense of urgency now controls him as he hurries forward.

He yells out a long “Hey!”. It echoes, and echoes, until it dies out of existence. But he doesn’t want to give up, so he tries again “Hello!”. No sound apart from his echo reaches his ears. Why there’s an echo is a mystery he has no time to ponder.

He walks, the snow crunching under his shoes in every step. When Bakugou looks behind can he see his steps fill in and disappear like he was never there. It makes a shiver run down his spine. He puts his head down as he moves, closing his eyes for just a second to try and gather his running thoughts, but that is enough time to hear something.

A second pair of crunchy steps.

He whips around, ready to yell out, to ask how to get out of wherever he is, but no one’s there. There are no hiding places, and he would definitely see a person running away or at least hear them. The only proof Katsuki has of his sanity is a second, much smaller pair of footprints on the snow, right next to him. They walk along his larger ones, and before they fill in, Katsuki can see they have followed him for some time. He doesn’t have the courage to look back anymore.

It’s cold, he shivers. Katsuki has nothing on but an old band t-shirt and jeans, which are quickly becoming wet, and by that, frozen on his skin. The explosion hero is certain it has become colder, or maybe he is just going crazy. He tries to propel himself forward with his quirk but when Katsuki opens his palms, nothing happens. The boy’s left standing there like an idiot, eyes open and body waiting for movement. He tries once more, almost audibly begging for something to happen, but there is nothing.

Soon he sees something. On the ground, several meters away, there from the snow pokes out a single red Amaryllis. A beautiful flower, representing strenght and pride. He walks to it, intending on, well, he wasn’t sure. But when he blinks, the flower that had just a second ago stood tall and proud was gone, replaced by a splatter of crimson blood.

From there form tiny red footprints that walk to the right, and as far as the eye can see. Katsuki stares at the bloody footsteps and decides to follow them in hopes of finding another person. There is an air of familiarity, and he isn’t sure why. The metallic scent grows stronger, and he was certain he heard the tiniest of voice whisper.

“ Katsuki.”

The boy stops and turns to look around, trying to find this person who is clearly messing with him. He doesn’t see anyone, so again, he continues and follows the steps. Katsuki walks, then picks up the pace until he is full on sprinting. It doesn’t matter that his legs are numb or that he can’t feel his toes, he just needs to find the owner of these prints.

The boy runs until the steps suddenly fade and vanish. Why do they stop? He raises his gaze to see a rock, no, a gravestone. It’s covered in snow and the rock is cut in an odd angle from the top. A weird design choice, sure, but that didn’t matter to him.

What did, however, was the barely visible writing on its shiny surface. He goes to wipe the snow off, so he can see what it says. In big bold letters, painted in gold, it reads “ Izuku Midoriya” and below that in smaller writing, “ Here rests somebody’s son and nobody's friend”.

Katsuki’s horrified, he stumbles back in a desperate attempt to get away, but trips on his own feet and falls. Infront of the grave is three candles, all unlit, and a bouquet of white Spider lilies, stained in red. The elegant, clearly very expensive bouquet, tied with a green ribbon, drips with blood. It’s ironic, white spider lilies are meant to represent living life. The more he stares the more blood he sees. It is splattered on the golden letters, it drips down from the top of the stone in thin lines, it stains the pure white snow below.

“ Izuku…” Katsuki whispers.

Katsuki goes to rub his eyes, the red is beginning to blind him. He looks back up, relieved that he only sees white again, all of the red is gone. The grave looks much darker now, weathered stone crumbling from the corners, the snow covers the letters again, and there are no bouquets or candles or ribbons anywhere. However, now leaning on the dark stone is a small, black rectangle, one that Bakugou knows too well.

Hero analysis for the future. The word ‘future’ was furiously scribbled over.

“ Izuku!” Katsuki is screaming out the name like it was the only word he knew. He screamed it again, desperate to have the boy pop out of thin air and say he was okay.

He goes to pick up the book, to look it over, when he sees it. His hands, up to his forearms were covered in sticky, glistening, blood.

...

He can’t take this anymore. Katsuki wakes up in a cold sweat almost every fucking night and now, he has had it. He runs to his tiny bathroom and throws up, the taste of salty iron rendering his stomach weak. He’s splashing freezing cold water on his face but is not able to get rid of the smell of copper. In a desperate attempt to wash the memories of his dream away, he sticks his head under the tab and turns on the water. When he gets back up, Bakugou is shocked with his appearance. Under his eyes are beginning to form purple circles, proof he isn’t sleeping properly. He’s a bit pale, more so than usual. His eyes look duller, instead of shining rubies they appear more like murky wine. His hair has always been healthy, soft, and shiny, but now it felt coarse, like horsehair.

And all of this is that damn Deku’s fault. Katsuki punches the mirror, making it shatter into hundreds of pieces. Deku and his stupid suicidal tendencies are costing Bakugou his sleep and by that his perfect performance. His absence and reappearance is all anyones talking about! He needs to confront the nerd and demand answers, demand to see those arms. Demand to see that he’s still alive…

He shakes the shards off of his palm, making a mental note to clean them later and goes to get dressed. It was Friday once more, and they had a full day off due to their upcoming exams and a recent villain attack near the school. It had been some stupid convenience store robbery, nothing Katsuki actually cares about. Anyway, the case had called in some of their teachers, so they were given a study day. Bakugou pulls his boots on and then he is out the door, heading hurriedly downstairs. The clock reads precisely eight when he stumbles into the kitchen to see if anyone else is awake. Yaoyorozu is making tea quietly, and next to her, sitting on one of the stools in Jirou. Neither take notice of him.

Katsuki turn to look at the sofas, the dining table, and the windowsill, but after finding no-one there, deduces that Deku must still either be at the teacher’s dorms or already outside. He only knows that Deku‘s awake because they run the same route on campus, no matter the day or weather, but always the same time. He opens the front door with his foot, trying to gather the energy to also run, when he spots him.

He finds the nerd standing outside, at the bottom of the steps. Izuku seems to be waiting for something, possibly Round cheeks, or Glasses. He leans on the railing, eyes half closed. One of his hands is gripping a strap of his backpack and the other holds a phone. He looks relaxed, but Katsuki can tell he is nervous. The telltale muttering is nowhere to be heard, but his mouth is still moving.

The teen isn’t wearing athletic gear, no short shorts, and no t-shirt. It lets Katsuki know he isn’t intending to go on a run, but somewhere else. First off, there is something wrong with his shoes. They look almost normal, red, and black, they fit perfectly. But they seem cleaner, not as bright, almost like new. Second, he has on a strange hoodie, it being the same forest green as the boy’s hair. Katsuki has never seen him wear it before, so it must be new too. It has no designs or logos, or so it seems, until the shorter boy moves his hand and Bakugou can see tiny, embroidered white letters “TD” on the sleeve. It stood for “Tokyo Design”, an expensive custom clothing brand, that Deku definitely had no funds for. Or sense to buy.

Katsuki walks up, or in this case down, to him, hands in his pockets, ready to start yelling. His concern is poorly concealed, masquerading by wearing a heavy cloack of anger. His hands are sweaty, and his heart is beating loudly in his ear. His emotions are all over the place, and it almost feels like he is holding a bag full of rocks. This imaginary bag of stones is getting heavier and heavier by the step.

He calls out, loud and commanding.

“ Oi, Deku!”

In an instant, the other boy stiffens, spine straightening until he looks like a soldier. He drops the phone but doesn’t go to pick it up. His mouth is in a thin line instead of that nervous wobbly smile he usually wears around the explosive boy. Katsuki hates that smile but would still prefer it over this.

“ G-good morning Bakugou.” Deku stammers, not facing the blonde.

Katsuki was about to pressure answers out of him, hands coming up to comb through his hair and steps confident. He was fully intending on grabbing him by his collar and shaking a little, maybe punch him or throw him.

Until his brain registered the words Midoriya had uttered. The words melt on his tongue like snow. It stops him in his tracks, a sense of dread overcoming his brain, making his thoughts quiet down if not halt all together. Every alarm bell was suddenly beeping red and screaming at him to do something. “Fix it, fix it, fix it, fix it!”. His head felt light, like he was about to either be sick or faint. His stomach flips again. The fire that had been burning inside of his chest for all morning was gone, snuffed out like a candle, leaving only coldness. His palms are suddenly dry, no nitro-glycerine to be felt or smelled. His wide eyes blink owlishly at the smaller boy.

“ W-wha… What did you call me?” Katsuki barely whispers, but it’s obvious Deku did not hear him.

“ Izuku.”

Todoroki comes out of nowhere and plants himself in between them. The bastard even closes the distance he usually keeps and stands so close to Deku that their shoulders touch. The two-toned boy is wearing a casual blue button up with white jeans, on his shoulder is a tan bag. They are both dressed to go out.

“ Are you ready?” The taller boy asks Izuku while eyeing Bakugou, brows furrowed. He, if possible, leans even closer to the other, shielding Deku with his body. It breaks Katsuki’s line of sight.

“ Y-yes, I am! L-let’s go.”

Izuku, in his bravery, takes a hold of Todoroki’s hand and pulls him along. He doesn’t even look back at Katsuki who stands frozen on the last step. One of the explosive blondes hands comes weakly up, but soon it too falls. Wide red eyes look on as the duo walk out through the gates and disappear amongst the passing cars and the street-goers.  

It’s like Izuku walked out of Katsuki’s life. The only constant he could count on was gone.

But can you really blame him?

Katsuki’s pride is formed from the suffering of others. His Amaryllis is made out of blood, his hands are stained red.

...

“ Wow! Do you see that.” Izuku marvels at the three-tier cake on a poster. They stood in line to place their order, neither really knowing what to say, until Midoriya spotted the advert. He pointed at it in wonder.

“ I have never seen such a cake.”

“ It’s a bit much.” Shoto tilts his head to the side, trying to make sense of why anybody would need such an elaborate cake. It is decorated with flowers of all colours, such as pastel pink, blue, yellow, and white. The edges are lined with decorative piping and all kinds of swirls. There is even a white bow tied around one of the tiers. On the corner of the poster it reads “Vanilla cake”, and under it “Call in advance!”.

“ I think it might be a w-wedding cake.”

“ Oh, I see. That explains the,” He gestured with his hand. “Odd decorations.” They stared at it for a while longer.

“ Ah, I would be lucky to have a cake half as beautiful at my wedding…” Izuku mused as he turned to face the line once more. It was their turn soon.

“ If it was up to me, you’d have a cake with six layers.” Izuku didn’t know what so say to that, so he stayed silent.

They finally got to ordering, both wanting to try the strawberry shortcake. The cake looks light and fluffy, with large strawberry slices and shaved chocolate on top. The cream looks a bit sweet but the woman infront assures them it’s not. Todoroki also gets a traditional matcha, while Midoriya settles for a basic milk tea.

They sit down on a window table, watching people as they walk by. The café is not busy yet, only three other tables had patrons. It’s still the middle of business hours so most people are either at work or school. Quiet music plays from hidden speakers on the ceiling, and the lady behind the counter is humming to herself.

Izuku looks around. Pushed against the backwalls are two large bookshelf’s, filled to the brim with books and cd’s. The walls are dark blue, and infront of one of the windows is this wooden contraption where several plants hang. Whenever the sun comes out of hiding from behind clouds, you can see dust particles fly in the air. The building was old and creaky, the smell of wood and clay hung heavy. There are magazines on some of the tables while others have glass vases with flowers.

“ This is very good.” Todoroki mused.

“ Yes, it is! We should have come sooner. Next time we should take Uraraka-san and Iida-kun too!” The green haired boy sighed, mouth full of cake.

Todoroki takes the strawberry from the top of his slice and brings it closer to Izuku. He holds it out, and gestures to it.

“ You like strawberries, right?”

“ U-uh, Y-yes! I m-mean-“ His cheeks must be burning red. “ Don’t you like them?”

“ Yes, but I want to give this one to you.”

Midoriya takes it without saying a word.

After the cake is gone, they dabble in small talk. It leads to more topics being brough up, like the weather, school and grades, training, friends, likes, dislikes, hobbies.

“ So I thought about it and there is no way. If the number one amounted to seventeen, there could be no possible way number three could be more than twenty, right?”

“ That’s what I thought about too. But how did you figure it out? Did you use a mathematic formula?”

“ I studied chapter fourteen the night before. A similar problem was at the very end, so I applied the same logic to that.”

“ You stayed up all night again?”

“ W-well I had to! I was behind everyone. I need to catch up.”

“ And you will. But I do not think this is good for your health. You should properly rest, especially now that you are training so hard.”

Izuku wanted to change the subject.

“ Have you seen the new episode of “Real detectives” yet?”

“ Yes, I found it amusing. I like the old manager charecter.”

“ Me too! He is this fatherly figure-“

They continued to talk for hours, finding new things when the old ones came to an end. It felt light, Izuku’s stutter lessened the more he talked. Shoto found himself lost in those beautifully sparkling eyes that lit up whenever a topic excited the other. The colour reminded him of his mother’s emerald necklace that she used to wear whenever they went out to formal events. Izuku’s face was still flushed, freckled cheeks the colour of a fresh peach. The warm sunlight made Midoriya glow like an ethereal being, creating a gentle halo onto his head. Shoto could have stared him for much longer and felt completely at peace if something didn’t bother him so much.

Whenever their discussion even brushed up against the topic of middle school or quirk appearance, the other boy would jump hoops and run miles to change the subject. He fiddled with the spoon in his hand and laughed awkwardly when Todoroki so much as mentioned his schooling. It appeared to be a sore spot so after awhile he dropped it and went along with the change.

Todoroki had intended on asking the boy on a date himself. It just took some time to come to understand these feelings of his. Before he had seen Izuku Midoriya as an obsticle, who kept on sticking to his leg like a spiky burdock, but it all changed the day they fought. When he heard the boy speak so passionately about his quirk, it changed something inside of him. He finally took a large step back and took notice of the boy, how he radiated light around him, how his laugh would catch and spread like wildfire, how his words encouraged others to do their best. He marvelled at his strength and resolve, how he overcame everything that was thrown at his feet.

One thing he wouldn’t mind being removed from their lives was Bakugou Katsuki. The teen had made an immediate impression with his brash mouth and volatile attitude, adding his name to the list of people Shoto does not want to befriend. He didn’t really care whenever the other would shout and scream, it all washed over him like water. I mean, he had heard worse.

But once he started to see Izuku as a potential friend and not the enemy, he also took notice of the way Bakugou affected him. The boy would shrink away, shake, hug himself or shield his face whenever the blonde got too close. He was jumping to appease him with his words every time somebody else made comments against Katsuki’s brash personality. Like he had experienced it all before.

Todoroki felt a need to protect the smaller boy, and at first, he thought it was because they were friends. And maybe that had been the case at the time. But when Izuku finally confided in him about his struggles, even if just surface level, it touched him. It made him see there was more to this green haired student than he could ever had imagined.

The need to protect him grew to a point where he kept thinking about him even when they were apart. Things at the grocery store or at the park keep reminding him of Izuku and it’s starting to be exhausting. Luckily now he was with the real him rather than just looking at a piece of broccoli at the vegetable isle.  

He wondered if Izuku would really like a wedding cake with six layers.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Chapter Text

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

“ A festival?” Somebody questioned.

“ As in the UA festival?”

“ Yes, I’ve decided to give a heads up due to some of you having work studies. Your class needs to participate with some kind of original programming, just keep in mind you can either do a long event or split that time into two acts.”

Aizawa studied the expressions of his students. There was clear excitement, which he would never in his life admit, but was a sight for his sore eyes. They deserved something fun, something to get their minds out of all the attacks, even if he had been against the idea of holding the festival.

“ That’s quite generous of you sensei!”

“ Yeah, considering its months away.” 

“ Oh, when can we start planning?”

“ I have an idea! Can I write  it down?”

Kirishima stood up and raised his hand.

“ A-aren’t we making ourselves a target by holding such an event? It’s so soon, I mean, there are villains everywhere.”    

“ Kiri shh! Don’t ruin this.” Kaminari tried in vain to hit the red head with his pencil case to shut him up. 

“ You’re right, that’s a reasonable point. However, there are students here besides those in the hero course. This event is for those who do not get the spotlight during the sports festival. And due to them not being seen as often as you are, they aren’t usually targeted by villains.” He received an understanding nod from his kids and continued.

“ Many of your peers are feeling stressed out by the current conditions at UA. Especially the dorm system, which had to be adopted because of the hero course.”

“ That’s not our fault…” Someone whispered.

“ When you put it like that, I guess it’d be unfair to cancel it.” The red head sat back down.

“ Now, I’ll give you time to think of ideas, infact, you’ll have till the end of class. But if you can’t come up with anything, I shall decide for you.” Aizawa closed his dry eyes, relishing the feeling of rest. 

“Now you can discuss.” He muttered before sleep took him and he knew no more.

“ Alright, as your class president, I propose a vote! We’ll move from left to right in this order and everybody gets a say, so don’t yell-” Iida rose from his seat and walked up to the blackboard. Yaoyorozu picked up a piece of chalk and began to write down the suggestions.

There, despite Iida’s best efforts, were calls of,

“ How about a sale of some sort?”

“ Or contest? Like throwing beanbags or a game?”

“ I know! A fashion show!”

“ No, a café.”

“ An educational booth could be fun.”

“ Why not dancing!”

“ But I don’t know how to dance…”

When the bell finally rang, they had jotted down so many ideas the board was full. A couple were circled, a few crossed over and two underlined. There were multiple arrows going from one side to another, and little remark and notes next to some of the more popular ideas. One of them was “Music: What to play? -> Is it boring?” and the other one was “Cakes, baked goods -> is it safe? -> possible riot if not enough!”

Aizawa, like a mummy from hell, rose to his feet and declared.

“ No decision? A public lecture it is-“

“ W-wait, wait sensei! We got so many ideas, give us more time!”

“ Please, we can come up with something great if you just extend the deadline. How about we give you the answer first thing tomorrow?"

The teacher took a breath, as if thinking the suggestion over. He kept the students in suspense, relishing the falling tears of Kaminari and Sero, who muttered “No lecture, no lecture, no lecture.” 

“ Fine, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

And, like clockwork, they all got up to leave for their next class. The discussion kept on continuing, all excited to come up with the perfect idea to give back to the student body. All of them, except one. Kirishima stayed two steps behind to wait for his friend, who silently made his way towards the doors.

“ Hey Bakubro! You haven’t insulted any of us all day, or the entire weekend for that matter, you okay?”

At first the explosive blonde did not give an answer, but only continued to walk, feet dragging slowly onward. Bakugou’s head hung defeated, he looked exhausted. His right hand was bandaged, the knuckles hiding behind white ribbons of fabric. Kirishima would be concerned if he hadn’t seen Bakugou punch a tree for training once.

He tried again.

“ We’re gonna watch a movie in Minas room after classes, wanna come?”

When the boy reached the redhead, he stilled, speaking only three words.

“ Leave me alone.”

Katsuki said, no, whispered. He did not curse, he did not yell, he did not threaten. There were no insults, or even commands, but a plea. Even his trademark scowl was gone, face blank.

Kirishima's smile melted off, eyes widening. He would have believed himself to be dreaming if not his sensei’s head snapping in their direction, though the man did not make a comment. The two stared as the blonde walked out, heading to the opposite direction everybody else had.

...

Shinso stared at the phone, willing himself to send the typed-out text. The boy sat in the library, trying to do his hero history assignment, but his subconscious kept nagging at him. He had successfully ignored the need to talk with Midoriya all weekend, even at times forgetting the boy existed at all, but now it was becoming harder and harder to ignore. He tried to reason, it was just a simple message, it’s not so complicated, and it doesn’t mean anything.

Their last conversation had left a bad taste in his mouth. It had been short, quite simple and he hadn’t thought too much of it at the time. Just later when he went to bed and tried his best to relax, did it come back to haunt him. Unanswered questions swirled inside the students head all the way to morning and even when Aizawa sensei had asked if he would like to do some training. While stretching Shinso thought about Midoriya’s nervous smile, while running he kept thinking of the way Izuku would flinch, and while showering he recalled the hazmat suit man’s words.

“-A suicide attempt. A lot of blood-.”

Maybe, there was a tiny possibility he had judged the kid too harshly. Wait, can he really be called a kid if they have, like, two weeks of age difference?

He reopened his now dark phone screen and pressed sent.

15.47 p.m.   Me: Hey.

He went to add.

15.47 p.m.   Me: You still up for that run?

And now there was the worst part, waiting.

Ping.

15.49 p.m.   Midoriya Izuku: Hi Shinso-kun! I would love to come running with you, is Saturday morning okay with you?

...

Todoroki read the last line of his textbook and then closed it with a heavy thud. Attack strategy and math were two of the hardest subjects the school had, but at least the chapters were short and straight to the point. They, meaning him and Midoriya, were not going to finish the last chapters today, but they had made a tremendous amount of progress in only a few hours. They sat at his dorm rooms tatami floor, opposite of each other. Even though it was meant for only one person, Shoto had pushed his tiny wooden desk at the centre of the room so they both could use it.

He stretched, long and slow, and then looked over at Izuku, who was busy muttering up a storm.

“ -And if we also take into account the amount of time it would take, we might be able to count the –“ Izuku stopped and shook his head. “ No that would not be possible, we should be able to solve this easier by setting the mass aside and going around it by solving the – Or the volume of attack should be enough to break a barrier three times the size of-“

Todoroki leaned against the table, head resting on his right hand, and just watched Midoriya. While Izuku’s brain was hard at work, his hand was writing the thoughts down in his notebook. Shoto was mesmerized by the intelligence and passion the other boy exuded, aspiring to be just as dedicated. It was no wonder the younger teen was one of the few people at the top of their class.

There was a buzz and Izuku’s thoughts halted. He looked at his phone, sitting next to his cup of tea.

“ Oh!” The hero student smiled at the phone and began to type.

“ Who is it?”

“ It’s Shinso Hitoshi, from general studies. You know, the boy who I fought at the sports festival? The one who has a shot at transferring to our class?” He excitedly told the other.

“ What does he want?” Todoroki crossed his arms and tried to glance at the phone screen. It’s facing the other boy, so he had no way of seeing it without going to the other side of the table.

“ He asks if I want to go on a jog. What should I answer? Is tomorrow morning too soon or should I wait a couple of days. What if he prefers the weekend? Oh no what if it rains and we have to cancel.”

“ I think,” Shoto didn't actually know what to say. “Do what makes you feel more comfortable. If he complains, he’s not worth your time.”

“ I’ll… Do that.” He said and yet, looked unsure. Still, Izuku typed something out, afterwards shutting his phone and setting it back down on the table.

The two boys had just come back from the convenience store, bags full of all kinds of sweet and savoury treats. There were crunchy seaweed snacks, salty honey butter potato chips, sweet strawberry mochi and a new Japan exclusive Sakura white-chocolate Pocky pack.

“ So are we still watching the movie tomorrow?” Midoriya packed his books away. After spending an evening watching Lady and the Tramp with Mic-sensei, the boy had immediately wished to share this newfound interest with his… Friend? Best friend? Boyfriend?

Izuku wasn’t sure what they were at the moment and was too scared to ask. What if he went and assumed things, only to be wrong and break this thing they had going on. At least they both enjoyed each other’s company, wasn’t that enough?

Selfish Izuku, as always. Ruining good things, just keep silent and you might not lose a friend today. You really are despicable…

Shoto nodded, pushing the desk back against the wall. The heterocromic boy had on a tiny smile when he turned his attention back on to Midoriya. He did not smile much, but every time he did, Midoriya’s convinced Todoroki is the most attractive boy he has ever or will ever see. All troubles fade away, his eyes aren’t so haunted by the past.

“ You speak of this movie so highly, though I must admit to never having heard of it.”

“ Don’t worry! I hadn’t either until sensei had me watch it. It’s really good, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.”

The students had one last hug before waving each other goodbye, promising to walk to class together.

...

“ Sorry Midoriya, you’re yet again out of luck. Sir still isn’t back, and I don’t think he’ll come in today.” Bubble girl set the papers down but did not raise her head. It was their rush hour, and she really didn’t have time to stop and chat when there were three phones going off at the same time and at least eight emails to respond to. Somebody yelled at her to come and see something, so she excused herself and hurried out of the office.

Izuku groaned. It was already a week into his work study, and he still did not know why Sir Nighteye had requested him specifically. He hadn’t even seen the man! They were supposed to have a startup interview, discuss learning opportunities, already possessed skills, and set attainable goals. As the days passed, the nervousness in the bottom of his stomach turned to dull annoyance. He had been coming in every day, waited around for Nighteye for an hour or two and then just, tagged along with whoever would take him with. It could be a passing hero, an office worker, or sometimes even the janitor. Anything to understand the agency and the people who worked there better.

He learned fast how to do the necessary paperwork, like file arrest reports and property damage claims, but also to sort civilian casualty accounts and witness statements. He even cleaned out an old storage full of unused evidence, labelling them with their correct case numbers. Noboru-san, the old janitor, was quite pleased by his efforts and gifted him with a soda later that day.  

By far the most interesting thing he got to try with Centipeder was threat assessments. Basically they would gather all the information from a mission, like injuries, casualties, and time it took to apprehend the criminal and reflect on how they could be even better. They would assess the used work gear, try to find weak points or things that worked and make notes based on that. Basically they discussed why the threat had been easy to arrest, or hard to capture, and whether they should be put on a list for people who need to be monitored after prison. And that’s how he spent most afternoons, until the day ended, and he returned to the dorms.

“ Man, you have the worst luck.” Mirio laughed. He had been standing off to the side, filling out a hero gear replacement form when he saw Midoriya walk in. He went to pick the defeated boy off the floor when Bubble girl called out.

“ You could get familiar with our agencies outside work by accompanying Mirio on patrol!”

“ That’s a brilliant idea! Come on Midoriya, I’ll show you the best routes. You must be bored out of your mind by all of this office-paper-nonsense.“

“ W-well I am interested in seeing more of our line of work…”

“ Dude, we are going to have such a great time.”

The two students walked out of the door and into the hallway, making their way towards the student dressing rooms. For some reason the agency lacked workers today, so the halls and rooms and lounge areas were completely empty. Only thing to be heard were phones bussing and beeping, and people rapidly discussing.

“ Let’s get you suited up and then we can head out. And hey,” The older boy held up his hand for Midoriya to see. “This is probably a reach, but you never know. We have this code out on the field that I think you should know. If anything happens to us, and I give you this sign,” He put all of his fingers down, apart from the little finger. “It means I want you to run and get help. Because I’ll be fine, and you don’t have to worry about little old me. Get it?”

“ That’s… Grim.”

“ I know right!”

The teens exited the agency building and began making their way towards the patrol routs.

“ I wonder why Sir wasn’t in today. I mean, I understand that he is busy, but he could have at least called and told what he expected of me.”

“ Sir is, like, super busy right now but I’m certain you’ll meet soon. Oh, and here’s a tip for ya!”

“ Oh?”

“ Sir likes jokes. Tell him one and I promise you will get on his good side.”

“ A joke. Got it.”

They crossed a street.

“ Alright. When we put on our costumes and start hittin’ the streets, that’s when we become heroes! So, don’t let your guard down.”

Soon they were walking down the busy streets of Shizuoka prefecture. Lunch hour was coming to an end and people were hurrying to get back to their place of employment. Grandmothers walked with their grandchildren, too young to be in schools, to parks, businessmen wearing heavy suits were talking on phones and looking at calendars. Fancy women were in groups waving each other goodbye.

“ Look! Heroes.” Somebody whispered, loud.

“ Oh wow. So cool.”

“ Mom! Mom! Mom! Look there- Look at them, mom!”

“ I’m kinda nervous…” Izuku admitted, hands tugging at the collar of his costume. He was uncomfortable with the attention, feeling like he was under a spotlight.

“ You must have at least gone on patrol at your last internship, right?”

“ Well, I guess you could say that. I just, kinda feel like I missed out on learning some of the basics, so…” He nervously replied, remembering his time in Hosu city. He refused to count those events as basic patrols, they lacked a suspicious amount of normal civilian interactions. But of course he would never tell his teachers that.

They, or more like Mirio, waved at passing teenagers and old ladies. Lemillion struck poses, flexed the muscles in his arms and gave out huge smiles. The boy’s infectious personality spread like wildfire, people who came across passed them by with smiles. He was truly born to be a hero, and Izuku had to wonder how he himself could reach that level of amazing.

Togata was like a lighthouse, freshly build and painted, in a stormy sea that was the world. He brought hope and comfort to people with just his presence.  

“ Don’t worry, I’ll teach you a bunch of stuff. Just stick with me and you’ll do great! I mean, not to toot my own horn, but I have done this some time now… Geez I guess I’m old.” Mirio rubbed his face, amusement clear in his voice. Midoriya was thankful that he had such a helpful older student as his mentor.

He took the green mask covering his face off and wiped his forehead. Despite it being well into autumn already, it had become a nice warm day though his suit made it close to unbearable.

“ You know, when I first began, I too was, like, super nervous and there was this mean grandpa who-”

An impact, similar to a punch to his side, had Izuku tumbling down like a sack of potatoes. For a moment he was certain they were under some sort of attack until he looked down and saw a little kid. A girl, no older than five or six was sitting on the ground infront of him, light blue strands of hair falling over her shoulders and on to her face. When she looked up, they made eye contact, and Izuku was certain his heart stopped. She looked terrified, of him, of the loud noise of the traffic, of the strong smell of bleach from a nearby laundromat, of everything.

She crawled backwards, arms coming to shield her face from the bright light. Time to time, the girl would peek at Izuku from behind her bandaged arms, trembling. He did not want to frighten her more, so Midoriya stayed still, and did not yet speak. He would ask her questions, but that could wait a few minutes.

Little by little her hands lowered, as she took a better look at the boy infront of her, trying to perhaps assess if he was safe or not. After some time, that felt like hours but was actually just seconds, she seemed to come to a decision. The girl jumped to cling onto him, her tiny hands searching for something to hold and when they found Izuku’s suit, grabbed they it so hard that her knuckles turned white. She made no sound when she buried her head on to his chest. Izuku tried his best not to let her fall, both hands coming to circle around the girl to cradle her close.

He was just about to ask if she was okay, or ask Mirio if he could call the agency about a lost child when,     

“ Now, you know you can’t go around causing trouble for the heroes.”

A voice so cold it caused the hair on his arms to stand up spoke. A person, clearly a man, appeared from the shadows of an alleyway infront of them like a demonic entity, summoned straight from hell. The brick walls of the passageway caused every word to echo like a snake around its prey. Izuku tightened his hold instinctively.  

“ I’m sorry about my daughter, hero.”

The man walked to the very entrance but came no closer to the street much to their relief. He was tall, much taller than Mirio, and he wore a mask unfamiliar to Midoriya. It looked strangely like something he might have once seen in a textbook or a costume store but could not be certain. The person also had on gloves, which Izuku deduced could be related to his quirk.

“ She likes to play around a lot and keeps getting hurt. It’s a good thing you caught her.”

“ We’re sorry too for bumping into her.” Mirio smiled, teeth shining and arms relaxedly on his side.

And if Izuku hadn’t spent so much time studying the people around him, would he have bought the near flawless act the older hero student was putting on. It was a true picture of friendly, it held no sign of animosity or distrust. His stance was open, both eyes were calmly set on the mystery man’s face, and not searching for possible weapons. Even his voice was steady, no shakiness or awkward pauses.

But Izuku saw his nose twitch. It was only a second and then it was forever gone, but it was enough to tell him something was wrong. There was something wrong with this man and Mirio Togata knew it. He searched for the information in his brain, who wore a mask like that? What villains were recently on the news? Has there been any alerts on the radio? But no matching information came up and so he was left in the dark about the man’s identity.

“ It’s my first time seeing you two heroes. Do you work in this part of the city?”

“ Oh no! We’re still new, and pretty nervous, I am sure you can tell.” Togata rubbed his neck and smiled apologetically. “I mean, we are still students. Hopefully one day we’ll graduate and get to do some actual hero work.” 

“ So you aren’t part of an agency?”

“ Not yet but maybe in a year or two.”

“ Volunteering?”

“ Something like that. You get the most experience by doing the real thing, am I right.”

Suddenly the man’s golden eyes moved from the older boy, and down to him. The gesture began in a way any quick glance would, a tiny head tilt, fast eye movement, no change in posture. It was meant to be a quick assession, he obviously saw him as no threat, and Izuku only caught it because he had been staring right at him.

The man took a look, then glanced away, and was clearly about to say something, only to turn back and openly stare. His eyes appeared to widen a fraction, all movement stilling. If the green haired boy wasn’t already on the floor, he would have fainted.

Mirio bent down and pulled the mask Izuku had taken off back on to his face.

“ That darn mask! You might wanna think about getting it resized, my friend.”

Little did they know the damage was already done.

The silence that followed seemed to stretch, there were no comments made by either side. Perhaps it was partially because no one knew what exactly to say, but Izuku could see the man was thinking.

“ Actually, recently I’ve had a lot of problems with Eri.” The man began, gesturing to the girl in Izuku’s arms.

“ It’s embarrassing, really. She keeps defying me no matter what I, or anyone else for that matter, says.” He moved, as if turning to leave.

“ But,” He pointed at the younger hero student with a gloved finger. “She seems to like you an awful lot.”

Midoriya felt pinned down by the piercing gaze, as if his limbs were nailed to the concrete.

“ How about you come escort me and my daughter, so she won’t run off and get hurt.” He stared at Izuku, who felt cold terror grow inside his stomach. He also felt an odd sense of déjà vu, just like that day at the mall with Shigaraki.

He could not find the right words to say.

“ Ha, ha! Sorry but we are needed out on the streets-“ Mirio nonchalantly commented, but the man doesn’t pay any attention to him.

“ I mean, she could run onto the road and get hit by a car. Do you want her precious life on your conscience? That would certainly keep me up at night.”

“ We really must get going, our teachers-“ Mirio tried again, but it was no use.

“ How impolite, I didn’t even catch your name.”

“ I-“ Izuku began, and then looked down at the now trembling girl in his arms. He wanted to go along with what Lemillion said, stay on the streets where it was safer, but that would mean letting this child go with the man.

“ My name is Deku. Hero Deku.” He got up, with the girl in his arms.

“ Deku, we need-.“

“ Look, I am in a hurry here. Aren’t you heroes supposed to help people in need?”

“ D-don’t leave.” A whisper, meant for only him reached his ear.

That’s when he made the decision. His heart told him not to abandon the scared little girl who had now raised her head to look at him with those large red eyes. They glistened with tears and her lip trembled. And to be honest, Midoriya was quite irritated by his supposed friend and mentor. Nobody in the Nighteye agency bothered to warn him about a possibly dangerous criminal that roamed the streets with a kid, so even if he wasn’t murdered and his body parts sold, he couldn’t really be held responsible.

“ I’ll come. A-are you heading… H-home?”

The way the skin around his eyes moved, told Midoriya that the man was smiling.

“ Good, good. And yes, it truly is time to head home. Don’t you think so too, Eri?”

Once the adult turned, Midoriya glanced at a wide eyed, worried, Togata. He tried his best to give him a reassuring smile, and then, behind his back, held up his hand. He put down every finger apart from his pinkie. The blonde seemed to stop breathing, perfectly crafted mask of calmness cracking just a bit.

“ I’ll be back Lemillion. L-let’s meet at the bus stop and get lunch later, okay?”

They began walking down the path and into the shadows. They passed trashcans and piles and piles of boxes, the walls were lined with old posters of bands and other adds. There were newspapers and glass bottles on the ground, mixed in with rotting piles of food and mysterious black bags. Izuku followed the pipes and electrical wires mounted on the walls with his eyes, dodging a hanging wire every now and then. The man crumbled something about humans making places dirty, and maybe something about a bath?

“ Y-your daughter… Seems scared.”

“ It’s because she just got a scolding. You don’t have to worry about it.” They turned a corner. This alley was even narrower than the one before. It happened to be void of any trash though.

“ S-so, do you live far?” He tried his best to fill in the uncomfortable silence. The man gave a deep chuckle, shoulders moving up and down.

“ Are you always this nervous? That’s pathetic. I just don’t understand what he sees in you.”

“ W-what? Who?” They stopped walking. The child in his arms pressed closer, hugging his neck with all her strength.

“ Run… Away.” The small voice of a tiny girl begged. Fear was beginning to cloud his mind, thoughts running a mile a minute. With his heart beating so loudly Deku had to really focus on the man when he spoke next.

“ It’s a good thing you are too young to be a part of a hero agency. They are the worst places for people to be in, not to mention an impressionable child such as yourself. Those claiming to be heroes, spreading their sickness wherever they go, like rats a plague.”

This close up, the man was even more terrifying, making Izuku realize just how tall he was. One gloved hand came up and began to close the distance between them, reaching for him much faster than he had time to react.

“ If you could just be cured, you could be moulded into such an asset.”

His gloved hand was dangerously close to his neck.

“ But they never see it, do they? No they don’t. Such a pity to waste all that value. But I can make you understand. I can save you-“

That’s when the little girl, Eri was her name, jumped from his hold and ran past them both. She made a sharp turn to the right, disappearing between the buildings, and the man cursed.

“ Damn it! Eri get back here!”

Before Izuku could do something, like run after her, or speak, or yell, the furious adult turned.

“ Looks like this is not the day. I’ll see you later Midoriya.” And then the man was gone. The boy stood there until the footsteps faded and he was truly alone.

Mirio watched Izuku walk out of the alley and back on to the street not even three minutes since he had left. He sent a silent prayer, thanking every god that the younger teen was okay and went to tell the person on the phone to not proceed with the safety protocol. He had called Juzo Moashi immediately after the duo’s departure, yelling that he needed police and heroes to come immediately.

“ - No, he just came back out. Yes, no, seemingly uninjured. Yes, I’m going to-“

Midoriya was shaking, trembling so hard the blonde was sure his legs would give out any second. He made a mad dash in his direction.

“ Lemillion, answer me! What’s going on?” Centipeder yelled on the phone.

“ Something is wrong with Midoriya! Send the medical team, now.”

He ran to catch the boy as he fell, one hand flying to snatch him into a hug by his waist.

“ Deku! Are you hurt? Oi!”

The green eyes that stared back were so wide they looked grey. He was considerably paler than before.

“ H-h-he knew m-my name.” He whispered.

“ W-what?”

“ H-he knew my name! Who was he?! How does he know my name?” The tears, that had threatened to fall since the man first looked at him, slid down his cheeks. His breathing was shallow, and his pulse could be felt even through his padded costume. A drop of sweat fell from his brow and down his chin.

“ You’re going into shock. I’m going to set you down, okay?” The blonde removed his red cape and wrapped it around the boy, who continued to shake. Izuku grasped his hand when he went to pull away. They were clammy.

“ H-he might- come back- he-!” Midoriya gulped air like a man drowning.

“ Breath, help is coming. You’re safe now, it’s okay. Breath in, good, and out.”

...

“ Kai Chisaki, also known as Overhaul. He’s the leader of the Shie Hassaikai, a branch of Yakuza. Recognizable traits include white sterile gloves, a European style plaque mask and white shoes.” A picture of a brown-haired man was slid towards the teens.  

“ Was this the man you talked to?” Tsukauchi asked.

The younger hero student raised his hand and covered the lower part of the picture, so they were only able to see the top part of his face. The mask on the paper was older and darker, distractingly so. But if you removed the mask, and only focused on those, oh so familiar eyes... Midoriya shuddered, nodding.

“ Yes. That’s him.”

“ Togata also confirmed.” Aizawa whispered and covered his face with his hands. 

They were sitting inside a private room in the Nighteye agency, behind a secluded corner so no wandering eyes could see. There were large, black couch chairs that could fit an entire adult comfortably, and in front of them a dark oak table, which was quickly filling up with papers and laptops. After the shock settled, and Izuku was checked out, the police was called to get their statement. A few officers and Tsukauchi, Eraserhead, pro hero Fat Gum, Centipeder and Sir Nighteye were all in the room to hear Izuku and Mirio’s story.

Though the younger of the two was mostly still quiet.

“ Alright, looks like it’s our guy.”

“ What happened then? Did you engage without backup?” Sir demanded to know. While all of the others were sitting down, he stood alone in the far corner of the room, arms crossed.

“ Well not intentionally, we just bumped into him and his daughter. By pure accident.” The blond made no attempt to smile.

“ He has a daughter?”

“ He called her Eri, she was most likely between five and seven.” Mirio estimated, hands neatly together on his lap. “That is new information, isn’t it?” Sir nodded.

“ Togata-san, please give a description of her to Handa-san here.” Naomasa instructed, and once they left the room, all eyes turned to the green haired student. Aizawa, instinctively, moved closer and glared at the others. 

“ Alright, Midoriya. You also made contact with Chisaki. Can you tell us what happened.”

“ I w-will, but firstly I would like to know why I wasn’t informed of a dangerous criminal walking around?”

Somebody let out a huff, but it was silenced by Aizawa, who spoke.

“ I would also like to know why my student was let on patrol while a dangerous Yakuza leader is being actively investigated for various crimes.”

“ Because we could not have predicted him to be active in that area. He usually stays close to Ame-crossing and the compound.” Nighteye, or Mirai Sasaki, replied as if the answer was going to be satisfactory.

“ Eraser, after this, can I have a word?” Tsukauchi asked, and the other man gave him a long look saying, ‘don’t you dare try and pull me into this mess of a case’.

“ Now back to the earlier question. Midoriya, can you tell me what happened?”

“ He just, looked at me and.” He gulped. “Asked me if I would escort him and his daughter home, since Eri was clinging on to me.”

“ He asked you to walk them home?” Fat Gum could not believe his ears.

“ Yes, so that she wouldn’t run away and get hit by a car. I did not know who he was, only that he was kind of sketchy, but I thought that…”

“ That?”

“ That if I took the sacrifice and went with him, Mirio would be free to go and get help and Chisaki wouldn’t get suspicious.”

The adults were silent. Horrified was also a word that could be used.

“ …As flawed as your logic is, I can see why you would think that.”

“ Kid, I believe you might have just saved the entire operation, now he doesn’t know about the investigation.“

“ He doesn’t know that we know any of this, good thinking kiddo.”

“ If he didn’t get suspicious, he won’t do anything drastic… But still, we need to keep an eye open for new hires.”

“ Still, Izuku, I don’t like it when you forget to value your own existence. We are bringing this up on the next session.” Shota made it clear there was no room for discussion or argument. Aizawa ruffled the green curls in an affectionate way, before they continued with the questions.

“ You were, reportedly, alone with Overhaul for one hundred and eighty seconds, that’s a total of three minutes. Did he say anything to you during that time?” Sir stood a bit straighter, focusing all of his attention on Midoriya.

“ I- He,” Izuku began, taking comfort in Aizawa’s presence. “He k-knew my name-”

“ That can be easily explained. Your class has been in the news multiple times by now. And you made quite the show at the sports festival.”

“ H-he also told me ´I just do not know what he sees in you. If you could be cured, you could be moulded into such an asset´ “

A sift in tone was immediate. Like a blanket made of iron landing on his shoulders as the shivers returned, weighing him down to where he sat. Tsukauchi leaned closer, Centipeder opened his phone and left to call someone, and Fat Gum began to pace around the room. Even Nighteye looked visibly uncomfortable.

“ Izuku, I need you to describe everything that happened and was said, okay? Down to the last detail.”

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Chapter Text

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Two hours, eighteen minutes, and fifty-four seconds on the dot. That’s how long it took to finally agree on one idea that felt the most right. It also took eight bags of seaweed chips, one pack of cookies-and-cream pocky sticks, three containers of cherry mochi, and one large bucket of ice cream. Class 1-A had wanted to give something back to the student body, that much was obvious, and they at last felt like they were close to the solution. Right at this moment most of them sat by the lush green sofas in the common room, trying to negotiate with Jiro, the one best suited for their idea. The girl in question was backed into a corner and unable to form coherent sentences.

“ Jiro, why not use your skill to make other people smile? I think your music will definitely be useful when you’re a pro!” Koji Koda encouraged. It got others excited, multiple supportive words were thrown at the flustered girl.

“ I believe in you Jiro! With your help we can give them a performance of a lifetime!”

“ Yeah girl. Just tell us what to do and we’ll do it.”

Kyoka sighed, realising there was no way to escape, and that Koda had a point. If they really wanted something like this, she was the best person for the position. With a look of defeat, she nodded once.

“ A-alright, I’ll do it.” She relented, cheeks tomato red.

“ Great! One down, one to go.” Hagakure cheers. The bowl of chips sitting on her lap is almost knocked down.

“ Can our other idea be the maid café?”

“ Or the food stall? We could bake little guitar shaped cakes. And the girls and I could serve them to all the cute boys.”

“ I vote for the cakes!”

“ Oh, me too!”

“ Why can’t we just hold a friendly competition? The winner could get one of Satou’s pastries.”

“ Or, or a bake-it-yourself workstation!”

“ Man, all of this food talk is making me hungry…”

“ Dude, you just ate, like, three bags of chips. And a bowl ice cream.”

“ I know!”

Mina Ashido exclaimed so loudly, it even startled Dark Shadow. The girl hops off the couch and stands in front of her classmates, determination shining from her eyes like Aoyama’s laser beam. After a while of scrolling on her phone, she shows what she has found. The class leans in, all trying to see the tiny flashing screen. It’s a short advertisement video from a few weeks ago, the title reading “Upcoming: A tragic play of Romeo and Juliet”. A woman dressed in a red princess gown and large pearl earrings runs across the stage, twirls, and then the screen goes black. In golden letters, accompanied by soft music, is a text saying, “On November 8”.

“ You want us to perform Romeo and Juliet?” Yaoyorozu asks.

“ No not that! Just a play in general. It could be anything, comedy, romance, horror…”

“ That’s actually a really nice idea.”

“ And not too complicated.”

“ I agree!” There are several nods.

“ Me too.”

“ But it has to be short.”

“ Obviously.”

“ Are we seriously going to have time to practise that and music? Won’t that be too much?” One of the boys asked, and to be fair, it was a valid concern.

Mina thought it over, one hand on her chin, giving Ojiro time to suggest.

“ What if we split down, one group practises music and the other the play. That way no one will be overworked.”

“ Yes, yes! We can all still help each other, right?”

“ Can I be in the play-group?” Hagakure asks, her feet unable to keep the excited girl in place. The energy makes Sero vibrate with anticipation. The mood lifts up, tense shoulders are beginning to lower.

“ But what if you don’t know how to play, but also do not know how to act?” Shoji asks, one of his tentacles rising up as if to ask for a turn to speak. There are a few nods and agrees.

“ Don’t worry. We’ll figure something out so that everyone can participate.” Momo answers and then walks over to Jiro, who looks overwhelmed by the responsibilities thrown at her feet.

“ Hey, I didn’t know you could sing so well. You’re… “ Her face feels warm, so Yaoyorozu covers her cheeks with her hands as she whispers, “Amazing.”

Jiro looks at her, eyes wide and shining. Butterflies dance in her stomach, making her look away. She is suddenly filled with determination.

“ Alright, alright. You,” Ashido points at Jiro and Kaminari, who squirm under the gaze. “ Get yourself some more bandmembers and I’ll handle the play.”

They nodded. Mina’s grin is victorious.

“ It’s decided then.”

“ Now all that I need is the script, the set, the director, and the actors!”

‘So basically everything’ most of them thought.

“ H-how about this! I finished it some time ago and think it would be perfect to capture attention. On top of that it’s short.” Uraraka, who, along with Tsuyu had just arrived from their work study, held a tiny book up, waving it in the air. Mina snatched it faster than lightning and flipped through the pages, not really reading the words but looking at the painted pictures. Her smile, if possible, grew even larger.

“ This is perfect. We’ll do this.”

...

Mina, wearing large round sunglasses and holding a thin notepad, sits on one of the couches as she scouts her talents. She tasked herself in finding the perfect actors for the roles, but the job revealed itself to be somewhat harder than first believed.

The story she went with was fairly simple, partially based on the book Ochako had shown her. It was called “Lighting the way home” and only consisted of three hundred pages. A young, unnamed till the last act, adventurer sets off to get their homeland back from an evil dragon lord, and while traveling, they meet a witch, a knight, a daughter of a rich lord and a runaway princess. Not too long, not boring, just perfect. A little bit of romance, a dash of adventure, a hint of gore. A perfect combination.

Iida had landed the role of the noble knight instantly, the position fitting him like a glove once tweaked a bit. He had eagerly got up to the task, going over his lines and even wishing to read the source material so he could understand the character better. Mina herself took the part of Narrator and one of the five villagers. The other four were Sero, Hagakure, Satou, and Aoyama, who were going to have a brief appearance in the beginning. They would need to be taught a few dance steps, but she was going to make them simple enough, after all they were also going to be performing in the concert.

Originally Mina had wanted Bakugou to be the dragon lord, personality and stature suiting the arrogant character well, but changed her mind due to the boy having committed to being a player for Jiro. It had been quite strange really, he had silently admitted to knowing how to play, agreed to be Jiro’s drummer, and now spent a lot of time practising without a single complaint. There weren’t even any threats of violence or murder... She did not want to press their luck, so crossed his name of the list and opted for asking somebody else.

So, Kirishima was chosen to be the evil lord. The sharp-eyed boy jumped at the chance to play a wicked and ruthless conqueror who would do everything in his power to stop the hero and his friends. He even brought down a large, red cape from his room. When somebody asked where it was from, Kirishima sheepishly admitted that it had been for his hero costume, but it wasn’t practical and so took it off.

There had been some candidates for the lead roles of two lovers, a fair princess, and the traveling adventurer. They would meet, fight alongside each other, and then die a tragic end. Mina had considered Uraraka or Tsuyu to be the princess, since they had no part in playing in the band, but Uraraka auditioned for the part of a witch and Tsu-chan did not want to be a lead. She, after much begging, accepted the role of the lords daughter. Still, Ashido was sure she could convince one of her friends to take the part, she just had to be patient.

The adventurer was the hardest to find. Nobody in the class matched the description, and even less as a convincing lover of a pretty princess. All of them were heroes, yes, but none looked the part the slightest. It had to be convincing, and these boys just weren’t doing the job. Ashido wanted to rip her pink locks out, frustration was eating her alive and time was of the essence. She dragged her feet to the kitchen, intending on getting some water, or possibly some tea, when she stopped to observe a peculiar scene.

Todoroki carefully brought a red cup of hot cocoa to Midoriya, adorned with little pink and white marshmallows. He, leaning closer, quietly asked if it was to his liking, and when he received a nod Shoto smiled. The taller boy then sat next to him, taking a long sip of his own blue mug. Their free hands intertwined under the table, fingers locking together and fitting like puzzle pieces. The two sat, content and smiling at each other, neither spoke words apart from “Careful, it’s hot.” or “Should we add more marshmallows?”. It was all so perfect. It almost looked like…

And oh, she got a wicked idea that just might work. Now, all that needed to be done was some more begging, possible bribing and a little convincing. Blackmailing didn’t sound so bad either.

...

“ Greetings traveller. My name is Sir Arthur, from the eastern lands, over these mountains and across those lakes. And I cannot possibly let you go further before you tell me why you are here.” Iida read, voice loud and articulate. The kids chosen to be a part of this play were all sat in a circle, practising their lines by going over them together.

They travelled from Iida to Izuku, then Uraraka to Todoroki and, from Tsuyu to finally Kirishima.

Mina observed and directed the conversation, glad that she got to be mostly silent for once. Last night’s events still played fresh in her memory, how she had approached Midoriya and Todoroki with the idea of a love story between a male hero and a prince instead of a princess. They had been supportive of the idea, even commending the girl for the brave twist in a traditional romance story, until she revealed why she had approached them in the first place. She wanted them to play the parts, first pleading and begging and finally resulting to bribing. Todoroki had been firm in his stance of no, absolutely not, so she turned to Midoriya for help.

He had also said no, but the longer she stared the more his walls wavered and broke. Soon he was left a sweating, nervous mess who out of obligation for his class at long last agreed to be the adventuring hero. Then just like that the two-toned boy had asked for the script of the prince.

“ Sir Arhtur. I ask of you to join our group, to reclaim our home from the evil dragon lord! You must hear our desperation?” A shuffle of papers, then a page turn.

“ Then I will dedicate my life to aiding you in your quest.”

“ Alright, Todoroki your turn. We go from introduction scene 3, starting with you and then Ochako.” They all hurried to find the right scene.

“ What are your intentions with my father, the king?”

“ We have none! Only a- a wish to pass through these mountains.” The girl read, trying to sound as confident as the ice and fire boy.

This continued, until they got to the end.

“ And victory shall be mine!” The redhead declared, with passion. One of his fist hardened and he nearly hit Iida in the face.

“ Perfect everybody, I’ll see you here tomorrow, same time. Now, Ochako-chan, Todoroki-kun can I talk to you about the special effects for the concert? I have this idea.”

...

“ And the ball drops, that’s ten points to our contestant number seven!”

Shoto spares a glance at the colourful tv show, multitude of flashing numbers and letters make him instantly dizzy. It all looks foreign, and he recognises only few of the words on the screen. “Amateur”, “Clockwork” and “River” line a large crossword-like puzzle, with only two empty rows remaining. He wonders what they are playing against when a man, the host in all their glory, prances onto the stage wearing a white and blue suit. The obnoxiously wide smile on their tanned face stretches even wider as another person spins a large wheel, the red arrow landing on a number four. The grin turns predatory, light shining off of the marble white veneers like a beacon into the dark seas. It, however, is not a comforting sight.

“ Oh no! Looks like you got an,” The sleazy man leans comically towards the audience, one hand behind his ear. The crowd calls, all in unison, “ Unlucky number!”

The screens behind the contestants flashes bright red and the sum of already collected money begins to decrease. Shoto still isn’t quite sure what the program is about because every time he makes a guess, like wheel-of-fortune, or Jeopardy, turns it out to be wrong.

“ And now, ladies and gentlemen, the times has come to wave goodbye to miss Avery Jones!”

A sudden loud cheer from the audience is distracting at best, so he turns down the volume, until it too feels like too much. The boy resorts to just turning the machine off and everything is swallowed by the deafening silence of the morning.

The common room is filled with paper, crumbled and untouched, various instruments, notebooks, snack wrappers and pens. The class has been hard at practise for the past week, one side of students rehearsing their lines for the play and the other playing instruments. Mina had also decided that anyone not playing music, should help with special effects, or dance. They would go all out during the concert, use abilities, hidden talents, secret weapons, and every single card up their sleeve so that as many students as possible would have fun, and then later end their contribution with the theatre performance. Things were clicking onto place.

Right at this moment Izuku and him were having breakfast together, enjoying the emptiness of the kitchen. It was early, six in the morning in fact, so nobody was up to interrupt their hushed conversations. They had at least an hour to themselves and were going to spend it wisely.

The younger boy returned from the fridge and set down a platter of fruit, trying a slice of yellow.

“ This mango is really good. It tastes just like the one in that tart we had last week.”

Todoroki hummed, amused by the memory. It had been a rainy day when the duo, meaning Izuku and Ochako, had emerged from outside, soaked to the bone. Out from under their jackets they pulled a brown bag, and before Iida could have a heart attack, they explained it to be a fruity summer tart from a nearby bakery. It was shared between the three until he and Asui-san walked onto the scene.

That day Midoriya had shared his slice with him, without asking and with no expectation of returned favours.

Izuku cut one long slice of golden mango into three smaller ones and held one out to the older boy.

“ Here, try it.”

Todoroki leaned closer and ate it, wondering if Fuyumi knew any recipes with mango or strawberries. It could be a fun activity for them to try later.   

“ It really is good.”

“ Hey, we should try that trend where everything is coated in sugar.”

“ But won’t that be too sweet?”

“ I don’t know, but we could at least try. I bet Uraraka-chan and Tsuyu-chan would like to as well.”

“ How about tonight after we finish rehearsing the lines for Meeting in the woods-scene and Meal by the fire-scene. I’m certain Iida would also like to join.”

Todoroki took a long sip of his now cooling coffee, using the fire side in him to heat it back up. The rising steam swirled around in the peeking sunlight.

“ I can call my sister and ask if she had ever coated fruit in sugar. She’s a good cook.”

“ Oh! And I can ask to borrow one of those tiny pans from the teachers dorms.”

“ Speaking of, you spend a lot of time here. Do you think they’d let you move back? Or at least spend the night?”

Izuku hadn’t thought of the possibility of moving back in, having settled comfortably into the tiny room provided by the adults. These days turned weeks turned months of living there had made him spoiled, starting to take the safety and care for granted. But maybe with Shoto it wouldn’t be so bad.

“ I-I haven’t asked. But I c-could?”

Todoroki frowned. There it was again, the stutter. So it was a topic best left behind.

“ You can ask once you truly feel ready to. For now, how about we finish these.” The fire user held up a slice of apple, inviting the other boy to take it. It reminded him of the apple Snow White bites into, outside shining bright and rich red, and inside pure white.

The clock on the wall, sturdy and dutiful, chimed three times to give them a heads up of the time. Midoriya jumped up, grabbed the white striped, scarlet water bottle, and announced.

“ I’ll be back soon! Tell Iida I borrowed his step counter.”

The shiny, new running shoes slipped effortlessly onto his feet, blue house slippers being left haphazardly next to twelve other neatly placed pairs. Izuku was about to touch the cool handle of the entrance door when a warm hand landed onto his shoulder with determination. He turned, mind full with questions, though he was unable to express them. Had he left something behind? Did he not say goodbye?

“ I’ll see you later, Izuku.” Just a whisper, nothing more, nothing less. It was a kind promise, one Midoriya had come to rely on, like a reason to keep living. It was whispered back and forth between them nowadays, the use of first names leaving both unable to say it louder. And that’s where he expected things to end, like they had yesterday and the day before that, but this time they did not.

Their lips met. Light disappeared, the ticking of the clock was gone, only they existed in the universe. Time seemed to freeze and Izuku was sure they were floating. There was gradually growing warmth as thousand rose coloured fireworks exploded inside of his heart and made the colour of his cheeks change in an instant. It was barely a peck really, they still held distance between each other and there was every opportunity to back away. A second, then another, a third one. Shoto’s hand held his tenderly, but Izuku could tell he was nervous, despite all of the confidence the other exuded.

In a moment of bravery, the green hero swallowed his embarrassment and leaned closer, making the gesture a little more of a proper kiss. He could hear the other boy inhale, sharp and jarring, and then exhale with a slight press of his own. He closed his eyes, just as the other boy had done from the beginning. Shoto’s lips were cool on one side and warm on the other, Izuku found that amusing.

And then the moment was over and Izuku, red faced and speechless, opened the front door and bolted. He didn’t hear the smoke detector go off.

...

The green grass of the campus was still soaked from morning dew when the two boys ran past. The rising sun made it glimmer and shine like tiny diamonds, though Shinso was far too tired to enjoy them. This was already the second time they ran past these bushed and that building and that trashcan and those forgotten gym shoes. This was supposed to be a normal, calm, nice, relaxing jog through the paths on the schoolgrounds, but was starting to resemble more of a bootcamp of doomsday.

The campus was built perfectly, there were several paths and roads, big and small, which one could use to exercise. They weaved through the forests and buildings, you could freely take your pick. Multiple times a day kids would go out and have walks, runs, phone calls, do yoga or even picnics.

Hitoshi was used to running. He had done so on many occasion and reason, whether good or bad. Recently he had begun to do warm up laps on one of the shorter trails before training with Aizawa-sensei. This, however, did not prepare him for the torture Izuku Midoriya was currently putting him through.

They had met up, and without any chitchatter apart from “Good morning.” and “ Through there.” had begun to jog along one of the paths.

The purple haired boy fell down on the wet lawn, chest rising up and down.

“ Do-“ He tried to catch his breathing. “ -Do you, god, always run,” He groaned. “so mu-much?”

“ O-oh sorry Shinso-kun! I guess the route was a bit much, huh?“  

“ There is no way you run that,” The boy pointed at the road they had started on. “Every day. Do you just want to make me miserable? Like to watch me suffer?”

“ No, no, no! I usually just, well, run this route till I can’t feel my legs anymore. It makes the final lap easier. I guess I forgot other people don’t do that.”

“ Yeah that’s-“

“ And then I do a set of squats and pull-ups and practise my kicks.”

“ Wha-“

“ And then I lift weights and do push-ups to build my arm strength back up.”

“ D-don’t you think you’re overkilling it a bit, huh?” Hitoshi was sweating at just the thought of that much work. He works hard but Izuku works even harder.

“ W-well, I mean, we must give training our all, don’t you agree? We can’t see progress otherwise.”

“ Aha… But the way I see it, sometimes you just have to relax. Take things easy, give yourself time to breath.” The insomniac took large gulps from his own bottle and then sighed. He could feel his toes again.

The other teen continued to stare at him, eyes wide and confused.

“ You know what ‘taking it easy’ means, right?”

“ Yes, I do. I just can’t afford to ‘take it easy’.” Izuku gestured they keep moving, which the other reluctantly did. They crossed the yard and walked into the woods, enjoying autumns bright oranges and yellows.

Shinso wasn’t done talking though.

“ And what makes you believe you can’t relax once in a while? Everybody else gets to.”

“ Because I’m behind everyone.” Izuku jumped over a rock, and then offered his hand to help Hitoshi cross the stream. The purple haired student ignored it and jumped with surprising grace, landing gracefully on to the other side.

“ You? Behind? I believe it when I see it.” Hitoshi crossed his arms. Was Midoriya really trying to get sympathy from him like this? He can’t possibly really think that.

But, his mind supplied, he believes he’s behind because of the hospital stay. Because this boy had tried to kill himself. And, what he understood, almost succeeded.

“ W-well, it’s really not that hard to believe. My classmates are super smart and talented, and they try their best every day! I can only wish to be like them. People like Todoroki-kun, he has such an amazing control over his quirks…”

They journeyed through the wooded lands, jumping over roots and stones.

Hitoshi scoffed, louder than he was supposed to. The sound cut through everything, the rustling leaves, the wind, the other students somewhere on campus. He also missed to see the way Izuku flinched.

“ That’s what I don’t understand about you… You have this amazing quirk, one of the best for being a hero in fact, yet you don’t bother to learn how to manage it. What’s up with that? Praise got into your head as a kid?”

“ H-huh wha-?“

“ I would have done anything to have even a chance at your life and you do, what, nothing with it? I have busted my ass off, whereas you were born lucky. Spoiled people like you annoy the shit out of me.” His annoyance shined through, raising its ugly green head like some sort of a monster. In fact, the boy was so mad, that he contemplated walking back to his room.

Midoriya seemed to contemplate whether to answer or not, thoughts running a mile a minute. The outburst had left him speechless, or so the other believes. His eyes travelled, unfocused, and his mouth moved. It was annoying, so Hitoshi powered past him and hopped on one of the rock so he could leave.

Shinso had grown up lonely and resentful. Anywhere he went he was judged instantly all because of his quirk. And everybody knows kids can be cruel. He was first left alone, often avoided, and even whispered about behind is back. If he tried to approach any of his old friends, classmates or just kids at the park, he would be shoved, hit, and ran away from. Later in life, well into his schoolyears, open taunts and mean notes left at his locker were not unheard of. Mostly as classmates lost interest, he would become invisible and not be bothered too much.

Years went by and he got used to being alone. People shied away from him, and he grew to expect that. If he was alone nobody could hurt him. So, when one Izuku Midoriya showed keen interest on becoming his friend, Hitoshi panicked. His mind told him, this boy wants to hurt you, he waits for you to become hopeful and open up and then he’ll stab you. You’ll bleed alone.

Midoriya who was insanely powerful, with a shiny golden quirk and approachable face, wished to make his acquaintance. Izuku who made friends wherever he went without a hitch. He had the largest smile, the bubbliest personality. Hitoshi couldn’t remember the last time he himself had smiled. It was all too good to be true, so if he left now, could he avoid all the heartbreak.

Izuku couldn’t admit it to his face, but the accusation hurt. It takes him back to the first day of school where Aizawa accused him of not having bothered to learn his quirk. All of the times he went home bleeding or hungry or crying flooded his mind and drowned out logical thinking. This was exactly what he had been trying to avoid by working himself thin, and even that wasn’t enough. He swallows a lump in his throat and chooses his words carefully. What was the story he was supposed to go with again?

“ S-Shinso-kun wait!”

The lilac boy takes no more steps, though his arms are crossed.

“ What? I wanna go back.” A gruff reply.

“ I’m so behind because my quirk only just came in.”

“ Yeah, and I’m a- wait. What?”

Shinso stared at the boy, eyes wide. He heard wrong, he must have. Or he was again being played with. If Midoriya had grown up without one, he most likely had been labelled as quirkless. Hitoshi didn’t even know there still were quirkless people in Japan.

“ How long were you without a quirk?” He challenged.

“ I-I-I w-was, well, till the entrance exam…”

 When neither spoke Izuku went to continue.

“ They s-suspected i-it was t-triggered by the zero pointer-”

“ -Most kids get their quirks at age four or five so… Holy shit, you were quirkless for a decade.”

“…”

“ Say that you’re lying, say it now!”

Izuku just shook his head, eyes so full of untold sorrows that it made even Hitoshi’s knees weak.

“ Y-you- I- How can you have such good control over it? I-It’s only been a year?!”

“ C-can we change the subject?”

“ That explains why it hurts you so bad-“

“ Please.” Izuku whispered, shoulders up like a cat in alarm. He looked uncomfortable and nervous, so Shinso dropped the questions he still had, and they began to head back.

They walked, side to side, at first not speaking. Slowly Hitoshi began to try and break the ice by telling Midoriya about a friendly street cat he had named Bean. It was a short haired one, very cute and approachable. It also likes tuna.

The mystery of Izuku Midoriya was only beginning to make more grim sense and Hitoshi was ridden with heavy quilt. He had judged the boy so fast that his logical side made him ignore everything he had discovered over the past month. Healthy people don’t exercise until they pass out, normal people don’t flinch whenever there’s a loud noise nearby, and happy people don’t try to kill themselves.

Something else is still bugging him. Now that he thought about it, Midoriya didn’t actually have that many friends. Those same two kids from 1-A, a girl, and the class president, were usually with him but that’s about it. Sometimes in their group there was a girl with dark green hair, but she seemed more glued to that Uraraka girl. And a handful of times even the mighty Todoroki sat by them in the cafeteria, but just as often as he did so, he was also alone.

And wasn’t there that angry Pomeranian always yelling about wanting to “Kill you, Deku !”.

“ Useless?” He muttered.

“ Wh-what was that Shinso-kun?”

“ Nothing. S-should we go through there?”

Their jog is now coming to a close, steps slow down. They continue for a while, until only one pair is moving, and one just stands still. Hitoshi looks at the retreating boy deep in thought.

He still doesn’t understand Midoriya, but one day he just might.

...

Yamada’s peach coloured cardigan swung as he turned to look at the newcomer. His long hair was wrapped in a loose bun, one of Shota’s favourite styles. A large smile tugged on his lips when he saw the kid and he called out.

“ Oh hey Izuku! I’m just about to make some egg drop soup, want some?”

“ No thank you sensei. I-is Aizawa-sensei here?”

The man in question raised a hand from the couch, signalling that he was present and listening. Izuku approached him, hopes high.

“ Sensei, lately I’ve been thinking. I’m doing better now, right?”

The adults response was to move his eyes and just stare lazily at the green kid.

“ W-would it be possible to m-move-“

Aizawa shook his head.

“ I’d rather not have you sleep there alone yet. Something could happen and I want to be there to help you get through it.”

“ O-oh.”

“ We are working towards that, alright problem child? So don’t look so down.” Shota softened his usually pointed and no-nonsense tone of voice. The man could understand the need Izuku had to get things back to normal.

“ Would it be motivating if we allowed you to take stuff up there little at a time?” Yamada asked, coming from the kitchen to see if the kid needed comforting.

Izuku nodded, violently, curls flying up and down. Mic matched his enthusiasm easily and handed him a tiny, foldable, cardboard box no bigger than three cereal boxes stacked together.

“ Pack something here, anything! Socks, memorabilia, gifts, stationary, few books, a single jacket, toiletries, whatever fits. Then next time you are doing well, you can fill it again and carry it up to the dorms. Once you have no more to carry, we can discuss about you living there, part time of course.”

“ I’ll go choose!” Midoriya ran to his room so fast he didn’t see Aizawa throw a pillow at Mic’s head.

Once in his room, Izuku had to stop and really ponder. What exactly would he pack? Where would he start? What would be the most logical to take? It had to be something small, and something he wouldn’t need immediately like shampoo or underwear. He considered many things such as sheets, comics and posters as good candidates. Perhaps he could begin with decorations, like the five action figures on his desk? A very small metallic Present Mic was packed on the bottom, then came a celebratory Children’s day- edition Best Jeanist, two All Might’s (silver age and bronze age ones) and then a soft bodied Gang Orca. Although the plush was quite a bit larger than the others and Izuku had to wonder if it would even fit.

While deep in thought, Midoriya bumped against the desk so hard one of his pencils rolled off and under the bed. He groaned but got on all fours and reached for it. His hand moved from one side to another, and once he felt something, he grasped and pulled. First time there was a coin, then an eraser, and on the third a crumpled paper. Izuku reached farther, and finally his left hand grasped something different.

It wasn’t the pencil, nor was it another eraser or more paper. It was a tiny All Might limited edition silver Merry Christmas-figurine. It had been a birthday gift from his mom when he had turned eight and Izuku really treasured it. The boys just couldn’t remember ever dropping it.

There’s a loud ping.

Izuku set the figurine down and took a glance at his phone. It was a message from an unsaved phone number he did not recognize. The numbers area code indicated that it was coming from somewhere near, so the possibility of it just being a foreign salesman or a con artist was out, and his mind quickly went to his friends and family.

Perhaps there had been an accident, they had lost their phone or worse, broken it and were trying to contact him for help? He opened the message and looked it over.

It was a picture, of the gates of UA, taken from just outside the school grounds.

Well wasn't that cryptid. It must be Kaminari or Mina messing with him again. He was going to meet up with Uraraka and Iida soon, so he put on his hoodie and exited the room. Before the boy had a chance to open the front door, Yamada appeared.

" Young man! You are not going out like that."

“ Oh sorry sensei. I’m going to the dorms-“

" No, that's not what i meant." The blonde walked over and zipped up the hoodie.

" Better. It's getting cold out there."

He waved a quick goodbye and briskly made his way to the 1A dorms. At the halfway point Izuku’s mind began to wonder. "What if they are still waiting for me to come? What if they get cold and sick because of me? Should I check to make sure they got inside? Aizawa sensei won't like it if Mina misses any more training."

So his curiosity did get the best of him, and he turned to walk to the front of the school. He saw no one by the stairs, or by the gates. Not a soul sat on the benches or hid behind bushes. Midoriya tried his best to listen, but heard no snickering, whispering, or hushed conversations.

The boy was about to turn back when his gaze drifted from the school gates to the buildings across the street. He looked at the empty windows, then the lampposts deep in thought when he saw a head of light blue hair peeking from behind a trashcan near an alley.

In an instant his movements stilled as his eyes tried their best to focus and see better. It was a child, wearing nothing but a long white gown.

It was her.

" Eri?"

...

“ The young people today are sicker than ever. We must act soon…”

Kai Chisaki, in all his terrifying glory, sat in the living room of the compound. His trusted aid, Kurono, who had always been by his side was seated opposite of him, frowning. He had watched the leader go on and on about this hero student kid but could not understand why. He knew this fixation had started the day the leader of The League Of Villains, Tomura Shigaraki, visited them here at the compound. Apparently, the younger man had made some sort of a claim on the brat, and if Hari knew anything, that was exactly what had set their leader onto this path. No one tells Overhaul no, he is never denied anything. But still the question of “why” hung on his shoulders and on the tip of his tongue. What made the kid worthy of such attention?

“ Then, and I mean no disrespect boss, why do you insist on getting your hands on the hero kid? Isn’t he most infected?”

“ You haven’t caught on? I thought you were smarter than that.” Kai opened a foldable chess board, setting it in front of him and took one of the pieces in hand. He kept it there, loosely in his palm, as he continued.

“ I only desire the most useful, I have no room for waste or weak here. Potential is what I look for, is what I long for.” He placed a tiny silver-coloured pawn on the board, perfectly in the centre of a white tile.

“ One pawn rarely is enough to defeat a king.” He muttered. Kurono was about to question his sanity but stayed silent when the man moved. “ Just like one good does not trump all bad. I surround myself with people with abilities that can help in multiple situations, who share my ideas and my goals. Who see my way. And when they provide no more use for me,” Kai knocked the piece over, sending it flying off the table.

Another pawn was placed onto the now again empty board.

“ Eri’s defiance is starting to hinder my progress, she refuses to listen and she’s only getting bigger. Her kicks are starting to pack a punch. Give it a few years and those incompetent idiots will not be able to get a good sample without breaking her bones.” He recalls one time when they had attempted to draw a sample of blood from her arm, and she, in fear, kicked one of his men in the face. She would have broken his nose if not for the mask on his face. Chisaki had knocked out one of her baby teeth for that.

“ She is scared of everything. And yet, instead of fear, she practically ran to him. Not even to that other brat… We might be able to use that building trust if I play the cards right. We must nurture it, give it time, and make it grow like a flower.” He gestured with his right hand. “ We can be the rich, nutritious soil, but if we do not act right, that flower will die, and all our effort is wasted.”

He placed another piece, a slim bishop, on the board. “ The boy also possesses a mind fit for manipulation, that much was proven with Endeavour’s son, his skill in speech is perfect, convincing. A fast thinker and a sharp tongue is something these trying times need. The yakuza used to rely on people such as him, during the golden age when we ruled and there were no quirks. Accompanied with his innocent looks, he is the perfect tool for converting people to our cause. Such luck, he’s still at the age where we can mould him into our perfect image.”

“ You think we can just converse our way with into getting him to change a lifelong opin-“

“ I didn’t say we had to use words.” Kai served himself a ceramic cup, steaming hot with green tea. He took a sip, determined it to be good enough to drink and then spared a glance at the silver haired aid. The smile on Kurono’s face was rare, and almost perverse, and you could tell exactly when he caught on what the other man was getting at.

“ I see…”

“ Then there is that interesting fascination Shigaraki has with the hero.” A third piece was placed on a tile, a shining knight. “ I think he has seen something I yet haven’t… And I will find that something, no matter how long it takes.”

He picked up a fourth piece and held it up. “ All those things are well and good, but they alone are not making him worthy of my time. But this-“ The leader held up a remote and pressed Start. A video played on the overhead tv where Izuku Midoriya fought some battle unimportant, with two broken arms, a gash on his stomach and a clearly sprained purple ankle. One of his eyes was closed, which strongly indicated an injury to it. Blood dripped down his head, going all the way past his cheek and down his chin. “ -Is something I am interested in…” The video ended.

“ The kid has an incredible pain tolerance! Much better than anyone I have ever seen… Yes, he would be perfect, such a desirable asset. He’s young, he can grow to endure things! Don’t you see, he could have so many uses.” The piece he had been holding, a golden king, was set down.

“ Even if all else fails I’m not going to just hand him back to Shigaraki, oh no, we can count our losses and use the newest batch on him.”

“ Boss, it’s very unstable. You saw what it did to Tomoe. If you want him alive, I suggest not to use it on-“

“ Who are you to tell me what to do?” Kai was mad.

“ ...How do we get him? If I have understood correctly, he is a UA student who lives at the dorms. We cannot get there.”

“ Oh, we do not have to go anywhere.” He turns, looking at the frozen image on the tv screen. A phone he had set on the table suddenly reads ‘five minutes’, and then the message disappears.

“ He’ll come to us, one way or another. And sooner than you might think.”

...

“ Eri?” Izuku whispered, and then yelled louder.

" Eri!"

He ran to cross the street, calling out once more.

" Eri!?"

She looked pained, eyebrows furrowed and both hands holding tightly onto the dress. Izuku had thought that the gown the child was wearing was long sleeved, but her arms were actually just wrapped in thick bandages.

" Eri hi, do you remember me? It's me Iz- I mean Deku! What are you doing he-"

She turned and bolted to the alley behind her, running like her life depended on it. Izuku took three seconds to just stare and then he also ran.

" Eri hey! W-wait, please, come back. I won't hurt you!"

She made a turn to the left, and Izuku almost knocked multiple trashcans over trying to follow.

" Eri?! Eri?"

He was just turning another corner when his entire world tilted. The boy stumbled forwards a few steps, and then he fell to his knees, and then on to all fours. Izuku tried to get his vision to steady, but breathing and staying still did not seem to help at all. He tried to crawl forwards but a strong kick to his side sent him laying down on the dirty ground.

Two pairs of black boots came closer and Eri was nowhere to be seen. The people kicked him in the stomach once and then grabbed him by the arms.

The last thing Izuku did was hum, he was definitely not born lucky.

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Chapter Text

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Tomura Shigaraki sat in his darkened bedroom, the only light source being a flimsy lamp on the desk that flickered dangerously every five seconds. There were several folders laid out in front of him, neatly stored into tiny stacks for easier investigating. He eyed them critically, hands folded together, and then decided to open the rightest one and read it over. While doing so, the man could not stop the running thoughts in his head, “Who does this stupid shit of a Yakuza thug think he is, claiming to know my nemesis better than I do? And then to have the nerve to try and take the boy from me and our shared destiny? To even suggest the hero would change sides like that and abandon all he stood for. I will show that asshole…”

He would see, Tomura could be petty and annoying too. He’ll play along, but only until the time was right.

The pile of reports he had in hand was suspiciously light, so Tomura dismissed it as unimportant and went to pick something else up when he took notice.

They all looked so… Empty? Incomplete?

Why hadn’t he noticed before? Did Kurogiri mess up and only deliver half of the documents asked? Or where the rest stored in a different place entirely? No, copies could travel between schools or cities, but the originals are always kept in the archives.

So what the fuck was this?

Shigaraki shuffled through the piles again, no folder or paper going unexamined. The villain was positively appalled. It really did seem like this was all of them. He wasn’t expecting anything extensive considering Midoriya’s young age and a clear lack of large surgeries or other operations, but this was just ridiculous.

There were all of the maternity clinic reports, the few occasional health check-up, a couple of doctors’ visits, one recipe for medicine to be picked up at a local pharmacy, only a single quirk specialist appointment and three x-rays.

And by ever-loving god, there should have been much, much more, any responsible parent takes their kid to see a doctor at least annually. The villain expected there to be appointments to see a quirk specialist or a counsellor and even x-rays from quirk accident and many a incident record. Was it possible the boy just never got to use it properly and was never injured until high school? No, there was no way that was the case.

Where were all of the dentists records, the proper weight and height charts, the history of illnesses, reports of physical therapy to help with rehabilitation after being injured or orders to see a quirk specialist to help manage his quirk? The rate the boy broke his bones should have been alarming to any healthcare professional, but there weren’t any indications he ever got treated or was even seen for his out-of-control quirk. Even if these fractures started first appearing at U.A. there should have been some form of physiotherapy prescribed by the school. The lack of any sort of counselling was concerning, the blatant neglect from the adults around Midoriya left the villain open-mouthed.

He looked at the one pharmacy delivery instruction slip and frowned. It was an order for spray on burn gel, not what he had expected at all. 

Were Midoriya’s vitals never taken? Had he even seen a proper doctor? Why wasn’t the boy prescribed calcium or vitamin-K, or vitamin-D tablets, with a quirk like that? Or joint support supplements? Or fucking strong painkillers? The kid tore his muscles on a weekly basis but did not receive any orders for Omega-3 or vitamin A pills. He must have at some point been in enough pain to pass out, and yet there was nothing.

“…That could explain why the brat has such a high pain tolerance.”

He scanned the maternity clinic records rather hurriedly, they had no useful information, but it wasn’t like he had anything better to do at this time.

A healthy pregnancy, no complications at birth, mother recovered quickly and got to go home with the baby after the standard five days, yada, yada.

He continued his investigation by reading one of two doctors interviews. A single parent home, small income, a moderate household, no pets, no siblings, or relatives. The mother, Inko Midoriya, was a nurse at the Musutafu general hospital before going on leave soon after the birth of Izuku. She must have resigned because there was a note that the Midoriya household had requested financial aid for the unemployed. That was twelve years ago, so the information had to be out-of-date.

Most papers in his hands had a watermark in the left corner, reading “Aldera Junior High, Musutafu, Shizuoka Prefecture”, and signed by a nurse Hitomi Takanashi. What Tomura knew of middle school, it lasted for three years, or was it four, and there were supposed to be occasional check-ups by the school nurse. Not that he ever had the pleasure, or misfortune, to attend one in the first place.

A light blue folder contained two visits to see the nurse during year one of middle school, and one during year two. The first two pages only said the things he already knew, but the last one came as a total shock.

“ Damage to the right arm… And shoulder. Possible old dislocation- what? No care given?!” He squeezed the paper so hard it ripped. “What kind of a professional is this?” Tomura unclenched his hand and read the last line.

“ Fighting… Wait, the golden child Izuku Midoriya causing fights! Hah, that’s precious. Who would believe garbage like this?!” 

Shigaraki moved on to the x-rays before he destroyed something in his annoyance. One showed a hand, zoomed in on the fingers with white circles drawn around odd lines going through the bone. Three, the middle finger, the ring finger, and the index finger, were clearly broken. A report from five years ago stated that there was an incident at school which resulted in this injury.

Next up was a picture of a skull, Izuku’s head. It showed a tiny fracture around the left eye socket, just barely visible. On the notes it read “Patient reports to being in a fight at school.” and a “A punch from a closed fist resulting in a fracture of the skull, see report 183 for more information”.

For this was prescribed a mild painkiller, though Tomura could not find it, and granted medical absence from school for a week. On the very last line, it read a condescending “Patient advised against starting fights in the future.”

For some reason this too annoyed the villain greatly. It all smelled like bullshit to him. Midoriya, although trouble magnet, did not seem like the type to start fight at school. On the contrary, he was clearly the annoying type to follow and enforce the rules.

All of it also fed right into his own hatred for heroes and people in power, so maybe that’s why he seemed to be so adamantly on the kid’s side.

Shigaraki, without looking, took hold of the last picture and set it in front of his face to study it closely. The picture showed a foot, all five toes, all bones. No fracture, no injury, no nothing. Nothing was missing, but there was something off about it, that much was certain. He turned it around, then to its side and even read the title “Right, leg, t.j.182.4”, but the man could not for the life of him figure it out. So he took a shortcut and glazed right at the attached doctor’s report, and then abruptly dropped everything.

Shigaraki let the pages fall, and they flew off the table and slid under his bed probably never to be seen again. Tomura’s hand, that had just held the document, stayed frozen in the air like he was holding an invisible teacup. His eyes were unfocused, he couldn’t believe what he had just seen.

“ The patient, Izuku Midoriya, age 4. Diagnosed quirk… Less?”

He blinked.

“ Ha, hah-ha. I can’t believe it. No, this is some bullshit--.”

A brisk knock made the man’s train of thought halt, and he looked up. It was Mr. Compress, cell phone in hand and without his usual mask.

“ Sorry to disturb, but there has been some… ehm, Interesting, developments.”

“ Like what? Tell me!”

“ Apparently, if the rumours floating around the compound are to be believed, Overhaul has managed to take a hero kid.”

“ A hero… Kid?”

“ Yes, or so I was told. The one who we fought while trying to kidnap that Bakugou kid. Toga couldn’t really say more for she wasn’t told much, which raises even more questions of how she managed to tell us anything in the first place.”

The marble man’s musings came to a sudden stop when Tomura threw everything down from his desk with one long sweep of his hand. The villain had just enough time to close the door for protection before a glass full of something sparkling hit him in the face. It shattered against the wall right next to the doorway, which either meant Shigaraki was bad at aiming or it was never meant to hit him.

Once the tiny pieces of shattered glass stopped rolling around and the table lamp finally quit flickering, Tomura stepped over the mess and headed for the hallway. Dabi drank something amber in colour while Spinner and Mr. Compress discussed about the upcoming plan quietly. When he entered, did they stop and turn to look.

“ Looks like we have to advance the plan a bit, so start the preparations and,” He thought about it. “Get the car too. We’ll need it.”

“ Yessir.” Dabi mocked with a little salute but did down the drink and get up.

“ When do we make a move? Do we contact the others?”

“ Soon, but not yet. We’ll give a signal when we leave. Just be ready to destroy everything we come across.”

“ Wait, I thought you said you weren’t gonna join us until the end, huh? What changed?”

“ Nothing you should concern yourselves with.” Shigaraki snapped, and then departed from their company. He slunk back into the empty dark hall and leaned against the wall, before loudly laughing.

“ So, you want to play like that, huh? Use my own crew to leak information you know will get a rise out of me? Oh, I can play dirty too, just so you wait you fucking bastard! Just you wait.”

...

The sunlight crept in from the wide windows, the green curtains are all set ablaze in a warm orange glow. The clock on the wall ticked on, it was six in the morning. It’s just the two of them, no other person, or noise dared to disturb them. It’s like they’re in a bubble, a coffee and pancakes smelling dome.

Izuku read a book, a children’s picture book about a knight and a princess and an adventure that seemed to have no ending. The pages flew past and yet they did not seem to lessen, he’s stuck in the middle, so he set it down onto his lap. It stayed open on a page about a battle.

Todoroki, who had been sitting next to him, raised a hand to caress the green haired boy’s face tenderly, and smiled a gentle smile. Izuku wished he would smile more, he was so pretty when he did.

“ Izuku…” The older whispered.

“ Hmm?” He closed his emerald eyes, enjoying the coolness of the others quirk. A thumb ghosted over his freckles, and he leaned into the touch like a cat. Shoto got closer, his breath tickled the skin on his flushed cheeks. At last, they’ll kiss again, just like he had hoped for--.

“ You’re in danger.”

“ Huh?” Izuku glanced at the fire user, somewhat startled. The softness from the boy’s eyes was gone, replaced by a hard look of steely alarm and thinly masked anger. Had he always looked so scary?

The book fell from his hands and down on to the floor, the following thud is deafening. The page open is depicting an evil dragon lord, destroying the land with his army until there was nothing left. Had there always been an evil lord?

“ Izuku.”

“ S-Shoto-kun?”

“ Wake up.”

...

Green eyes flew open in alarm, the scene fading from his memory faster than he could recall it. The smell of warm coffee is replaced by the familiar odour of mind-numbing disinfectant, stinging alcohol and brand-new plastic.

Once Izuku’s eyes stopped spinning and focused enough to comprehend their surroundings, he realized he’s lying on his stomach, one cheek pressed against the cold hard floor. He rolled over, slowly, and took note of the environment to the best of his abilities.

The room was small and quite dim, but despite the lack of proper light Midoriya could see it to be a bedroom meant for a small child. The amount of furniture wasn’t grand, but there was a sturdy wooden dressed, a nice sized bed with lilac covers, a tiny desk, and its even tinier chair.

Even though the surroundings were meant to be warm and comforting, Izuku couldn’t shake the feeling there was something artificial in it. Like staring at a carefully arranged stage.

Everything looked exactly like you would expect to when hearing the word “child”. The walls were painted sky blue and grass green, there were white clouds and trees and flowers, all a cheap imitation of the outside world that provided an excellent play experience. From the ceiling hung a multi-coloured bunting, on the dresser sat a lamp with red polka dots. Next to it sat exactly ten books, and one brown teddy bear. On the floor was a wooden train, coloured light pink and blue, with a string on the front where you could pull it along.

It all reminded the student of a dollhouse, where a person has everything one could ever desire on display, but nothing was ever touched or moved. The books sat in a perfectly straight line in alphabetical order, the bear was set up just right to be waving at anyone who walked past, the train seemed to be arranged to look like it was played with, but no child would ever leave it like that.

His body let out a violent, involuntary shiver and that’s when he first took notice of the unfamiliar fabric covering his body. Izuku wore a strange, long, light blue set of pyjamas, that felt way too cheap to be anything but hospital related. There were two large buttons on the collar, one pocket on his right side and no drawstrings on the pants. His feet were bare, there were no socks or shoes to be seen.

The boy then began to inspect himself for any injuries or other changes gone unnoticed. Even though Izuku felt normal, and there didn’t seem to be any wounds apart from a sore spot on his head, there just seemed to be something missing. Everything seems so quiet, what had felt like thin electrical wire sown into his skin had suddenly just disappeared and left him feeling hollow, but content all simultaneously. His mind felt clear, like thrown into a pool of cool, calm water that tasted of nothing. His arms felt like his arm, and legs like his legs, but when had they stopped feeling like his limb? Why did he feel so okay, even through his mind was screaming at him about a missing piece?

Midoriya raised up the sleeves to see skin up to his elbows but found nothing other than what he expected. His own scars greeted him and his suddenly pounding head made Izuku sigh in annoyance. He went to roll the sleeves back down, looking had been useless.

His hand stops like on a wall, he leaned closer and squinted. On his left wrist, between two scars rested a tiny dot right on the radial artery. The skin around it was red, and when touched, it triggered his pain receptors. So he did sustain more than one injury during the attack! Now to try remembering any weapons with a very small pointy end…

Mind only coming up with ridiculous ideas like swords and daggers, Midoriya closed his eyes to try and concentrate better. How about something far-fetched like a blow dart? That could certainly be- wait. A needle.

A syringe.

He’s been injected with something.

He put it all together lightning fast, consciousness swimming. He felt so normal because he didn't feel the buzz of his newly acquired quirk. He has been injected with something that affected his quirk.

Before he could spiral into panic, an almost silent sneeze made his head turn. In the most left corner of this dystopian incarceration cube, behind the bedframe, stood a tiny human. The boy recognized her immediately and his own panic was replaced by the need to help the other.

“ Eri!” He began to stand up, to run to her aid as fast as possible, only to fall right back down holding his head. Everything spun, leaving him almost in tears.

“ E-Eri, hey. Are you okay?” Midoriya managed to ask.

She said nothing, only stared at his hunched form.

“ D-do you re-remember me?”

She nodded.

“ De-Deku.”

“ Yeah, that’s r-right. And it’s good to see you.”

There was no response.

“ Do you know where we are?”

“ I-in a b-bad place?” She questioned, unsure and voice small.

Izuku doesn’t know how to answer her. He sat down facing her, not being confident in his abilities to get up, and extended a hand to her, as if she was a small, scared kitten in an alley somewhere. After a moment of hesitation, and staring, she leapt into his arms with full force, nearly knocking him over.

“ E-Eri-chan.” She looked up. “We are going to be fine, I promise. They," He bit his lip. “They hurt you, right? That’s why you are covered in bandages.”

She nodded, mouth wobbly.

“ Hey, I won’t let them touch you. I’ll do everything in my power to keep you safe, because that’s what heroes do.”

She stared at him with those big eyes. Eyes that spoke a thousand words with their deep shine.

“ I’m here now. I’ll keep the bad people away.” He ran a hand through her tangled hair. “It’s okay now, because I am here.”

Izuku was being unfair. He couldn’t promise any of that, he was lying. But lying felt like the best course of action right now and so he kept at it all they way until she fell asleep.

...

Izuku’s hold on the sleeping Eri faltered when the door clicked open. A man with chin length blond hair stepped inside, with one hand nonchalantly in his pocket, wearing a mask similar to Kai Chisaki.

‘So it was his men who took me.’ he thought.

Not being able to see much of the man’s face apart from the eyes made Izuku automatically focus on them. They were wild, open to their utmost capacity and lined with dark circles that made the boy think about Eraser Head.

The stranger did not walk much further, opting on standing by the door. He lifted a hand and pointed at Izuku, or so it seemed until he opened his mouth.

“ The brat needs to come with me. Wake it up.”

“ W-what are you planning on doing to her?”

The man’s eyes changed ever so slightly, the skin moved upwards in a telltale sign of him smiling widely under that stupid mask. It would simply be an evil smile from an evil man, if his brows weren’t seemingly permanently pointing upwards as if confused or frightened. Those two things together made him look absolutely insane.

“ What do you care? You can’t do anything about it, hero.” He ridiculed.

Midoriya paled, because the man was right. He has not one way in protecting her, no quirk, no power, no strength, no nothing. But, as he looked down at the sleeping girl whose face is contorted with nightmares and a pitiful whimper escaped her nearly closed lips, he made a decision to not let that stop him from trying.

His hands curled around her protectively.

“ I-I won’t let you take her! I can’t just sit idly by as you hurt an innocent kid.”

“ You don’t know shit.”

“ Yeah, maybe I don’t, but I know there is no good reason, ever, to hurt children.”

“ Oh, you will understand alright. Just as soon as the Boss gets time, he’ll explain everything and soon you’ll be on our side.”

“ I’d never side with you! I’ll do everything in my power to keep her safe—!”

“ You really are ignorant if you think you can somehow save her. I mean, look at where you are. Don’t you have any idea? You heroes have these grandiose saviour complexes without realizing all the harm you keep causing with your actions! Not all can be saved, and not all should be.”

“ No, not all can be, you’re right.”

The man stopped smiling.

“ Huh?”

“ But at least I can keep trying to. That’s the only thing any one of us can do! And I think everyone deserves that much, no matter who they are.”

They stared at each other, before the adult took his hand out of the pocket and stretched, from side to side, lazily like a cat after a long nap. 

“ Last warning, hero. I’m feeling rather generous today.”

Midoriya stayed put, lips in a tight line.

“ I’m not handing her to you.”

“ Heh, well he did say we could use any tactics as long as…” He mumbled, Izuku couldn't understand. “Admittedly, I was secretly hoping you’d put up some resistance.”

“ W-why?"

“ So that I get to do this.”

The man took a sudden step forwards and kicked him right in the face. The boy fell to his side, blood rushing out of his nose, and curled up protectively around the young girl, trying his best to keep her out of harms way. There’s another kick to his arms, then his ribs and lastly, after he rolled to another side, to his back.

When Midoriya’s arms accidentally brushed against each other as they did their best to cover the now awake girl, were they sticky and full of pain. Something must be wrong, something must have opened.

“ You can’t,“ Another kick. “Even save,“ Another kick. “Yourself!” Another kick.

A large hand grabbed a fistful of the student’s green hair and pulled it upward. Izuku tried to hold his breath, but it didn't seem to lessen the ache.

“ Why you’d even think you can save her when there’s nothing. You. Can. Do!”

Izuku’s head collided with the ground, hard, when the hand let go. He thought about trying to fight back with some sort of a weapon when something impacted his ankle and there was a sickeningly wet crunch. Before pure white pain shot through his body, and before he lost any sense of reality, could he see the adult get up from where he had fallen after jumping on his leg.

Then everything flashed black and white, and the boy screamed his lungs out. The screech echoed in their small space, amplified by the lack of things on the wall that could prevent it’s travel. It even escaped from the room to the silent hallway outside.

The blonde was about to go for his arms again when the door creaked open.

“ Setsuno quit it, we need to go.”

“ But this brat won’t let go of the kid!”

“ Forget it! Boss needs us, come on. We can’t be late like last time.”

The man loudly groaned his frustrations out but did leave after giving the boy’s fingers a good stomp.

...

“ Boss, the message has been sent and received.” One of the underlings whispered.

“ Just as we planned. How predictably foolish.” Kai looked over the test results from the latest batch of experiments with a neutral expression. They weren't promising, but they weren't terrible either. He set them down in a neat pile. “Shigaraki surely wants to be in the loop, after all we are on the same side…”

“ What shall we do now, Boss? What are your orders?”

“ Your orders for the time being are to keep an eye on Eri’s room. We wouldn’t want what happened last time to happen again.”

The men gulped, one shivered.

“ Yes boss, I mean, no Boss!”

“ We’ll go right away, Boss!"

Kurono crossed his arms as he watched the two men leave, knowing they wouldn’t survive for much longer.

“ So, what’s the plan here, Kai? Shigaraki’s going to be furious we took the kid in spite of  his threats.”

“ Yes, he made that quite clear the last time we spoke. But soon he’ll come to realize he’s much more valuable on our side.” The leader set the samples back into their original place and turned.  

“ I want these run again by—.”

“ Hey Boss!”

Kai shot the just arrived blonde an irritated look.

“ Where’s Eri?”

“ Listen, I tried to get her, I really did, but the annoying hero wouldn’t let go of her. I-I even did a number on him, you should have heard the scream when I snapped his ankle--.”

“ What incompetence.” Kurono was about to do, well, something, but Overhaul stopped him with a hand.

“ It’s okay, for now. Just make sure it won’t happen again.”

“ Boss?”

“ What’s your plan, Kai? He’s hindering our progress.”

“ No, this is going just as planned. Isn’t it a high time we have a little chat with the hero, I mean, he’s been here for half a day already and I haven’t even introduced myself.” The leader began to head for the entrance. “Kurono, make sure everything goes smoothly with the retrials. I’ll be back soon.”

...

Minutes, or hours, or even days ticked by without any sound or disturbance.

Midoriya stayed leaning against the foot of the bed, not having the strength to get up. He found it easier to just close his eyes, the world of hurt disappearing for just a second before coming back with newfound power. His leg throbbed, every breath that left his lungs made it pulse. It left the boy in tears, and he was unable to stop their travel.

Large, round droplets also fell from Eri’s eyes as she watched her new friend bleed out on to the carpet. It dripped from his arms, and from his head, and from his ears. And all because he had protected her from Kai’s men.

In a desperate attempt to help she did her best to clean him with tissues, and when that didn’t stop the bleeding, she tried to tie her own bandages around him. But he wasn’t getting any better, instead beginning to slip away, and so she decided, despite her fears and beliefs, to help in a different way. She swung her little arm and jabbed him on the side with everything she had, all while calling for the powers within her.

“ P-please, be okay.”

Izuku was cold and tired as he rested, limbs surely weighing as much as lead. The only sound reaching his ears was dull ringing and rapid thumps of his stressed heart. Breathing hurt, but it was the only thing he could focus on right now.

There was a little poke to his side, unusual, and then suddenly he was warm, and tingly and well-rested and hungry, but also full all at the same time. He could feel the damaged skin on his arms move and sift to cover the exposed flesh, knitting back together like cloth, blood was rapidly coursing through his veins and bones were finding their places once more.

He opened one green eye tentatively, but it caused him no pain or discomfort. He wasn’t dizzy, there was no more throbbing.

" ...What?"

With this newfound energy, the boy crawled to a small mirror bolted to the wall on the other side of the room. He stared at his reflection, expecting to see a bloody and bruised mess, but was quite shocked when he appeared almost normal. There was no blood coming out from his nose or ears and seemingly not a bruise marring his body. His lips weren’t chapped, his arms weren’t open, and his ankle wasn’t broken. Or had it even been broken, or had it all just been his imagination?

He stood up and did a full body inspection. All toes, all fingers, a tongue, his teeth, all present. The clothing, the hospital pyjamas, were stained and wrinkled and ripped, but apart from that nothing seemed to be wrong. Izuku tested his arms, then legs, he hopped up and down, stood on one foot and then spun around. Everything was fine, he was back together again.

With some curiosity, he lifted his sleeves and nearly fell over. The scars were mostly gone, now instead of a hundred, he had maybe a faded twenty lines on his right arm, and none on his left. The skin looked just like it had months ago before he had increased the destructive behaviour.

Izuku ran a finger over them, they were smooth.

“ But-but how, I thought that... I mean, I was certain that I would… And my arms and…“

Then he turned in a panic when remembering little Eri. She wasn’t in his arms when he woke, nor next to him when he stood up.

“ E-Eri?!” He looked around, desperate. Did they come in while he was unconscious and take her? Was she now being tortured and all because he had failed and fallen asleep?

But no, the child sat hiding behind the bed just like she had when he first woke up, staring at Izuku like he had grown a second head.

“ Eri! Are you okay?”

She nodded once.

“ That’s good to hear.” He sighed. “D-did they come in and heal me?”

She didn’t answer, only looked at her hands with a sort of sadness.

“ Hey, Eri-chan what is it?” Midoriya walked closer. “You don’t have to worry anymore, I said I would do everything in my power to keep you safe. I don’t care what happens to me, so don’t feel guilty or anything!”

“ P-please, be okay.” Whispered someone in his mind, a hazy memory. There’s a faint feeling next to his ribs, he rubbed a hand over it. He doesn’t remember much, but that tiny little poke he did recall.

“ Please, be okay?” He whispered to himself and then gasped. “Wait, you? It was you! You saved me. Not them, am I right?”

She shook her head no but Izuku didn't let that slow him down.

“ I-is that your quirk? That’s amazing Eri-chan!”

“ A-a bad th-thing. Sick. I'm sick.”

“ No, no, no Eri. You did a good thing! I’m alright because of you. Look, see, I’m all better.”

“ I’m sorry…”

“ No don’t apologise! You have nothing to apologize for.” He kneeled in front of her and gently cupped her cheeks with his palms. He stroked her face with his thumbs.

“ You’re amazing Eri-chan! I’m glad I got to meet you.”

She still looked unsure, most likely not really believing him, but did not say more about the subject.

“ I don’t think I’ll be able to get us out of here alone, so we’ll have to wait for my friends to come and help, okay? In the meantime, why don’t we…” Izuku looked around. “Why don’t we try to get some rest okay?”

He sat on the bed and patted the spot next to him. She climbed in and slipped under the covers.

“ Alright, you just close your eyes and lay down, good. Now what did my mother used to do, hmm? Oh, that’s right, she sang.” Eri tilted her head at the idea. “I can’t really sing but I can hum. I think?”

The boy took a breath and smiled.

“ Hmm, hm, hmm, hm, hmm  ̴  ”

And it really isn’t good, it’s a bit out of tune, it’s a bit off key, but it seemed to get the job done. Eri’s apple red eyes stared at his head as it moved with the melody before they blink some, and then close.

“ I’ll be here, for you, hm, hmm  ̴  ”

He tried to add lyrics, but they sound odd coming from his mouth, so he sticked with the humming for now. His fingers stoked her hair, until Izuku himself began to feel exhausted as well.

Carefully he lowered next to her, still singing, and arranged the pillow so fit them both. Their captors could have at least given him his own pillow, but he wasn’t about to go demand one.

 “ Hmm, hm, hmmm  ̴  ”

He looked at her resting, peaceful face, and then his eyes fall shut.

Only to fly immediately open when the door’s lock clicked. The hinges groan lowly as the door was opened, the hallway light casted a triangle of white into the darker room.

Izuku waited to see a head of blonde hair, or one of those masks, but doesn’t. Instead in stepped a man, in a calm manner, wearing a long, stylish black button up and a plain black facemask. His hair is combed and dark brown, his hands are gloved, but what actually gives his identity away are those piercing golden eyes.

Those eyes that now stared at him intensively.

“ I-it’s y-you.”

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Chapter Text

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

“ I-it’s you.” Izuku quickly goes to add. “The man from the alley.”

Kai Chisaki’s nearly silent entry into the room was only announced by a jingle of keys and a click of a lock. He stepped inside, closed the door, looked around some, and then began heading closer to the bed. Midoriya immediately jumped up and stood in the way, arms a tad wider than usual, so the man couldn’t see the slumbering girl behind him. ‘The farther away he stays the better’ he thought, as he took a step closer to meet the man. The student managed to get just past the bed, when the adult’s spine-chilling voice froze him in place.

“ Good evening hero. I apologize it took this long for us to have this meeting, and for such a late intrusion. I just couldn’t leave it till tomorrow.” He looked him up and down, eyes moving from his bare feet to his curly hair. “I have been rather busy with my work today, absolutely engrossed in it, but apparently so have you. Leg’s hurting you?” The leader studied the bloody clothes the boy wore, disgust apparent. From somewhere Izuku couldn’t see, the man took a white napkin and held it on top of his already covered mouth as if as some kind of extra precaution. 

‘The boy has clearly had a beating, so why isn’t he hurt, why aren’t his bones broken and his nose bloody?’ He thought, perplexed. It was clear from his clothing that something had happened, but the child showed no signs of being in any pain. Then, like a sudden wind on a calm day came the idea that made him both angry and impressed.

‘Eri, huh?’

But that wasn’t good. That means his body’s now reverted back to its original state, and the drug they gave him would not be in effect. Shit…

“ Why--!“ Izuku began to demand, but then lowered his voice as he remembered the sleeping child. “No, my ankle is fine. Guess your goons aren't as tough as they thought. Now, why am I here?”

“ So demanding, young people these days have no respect.”

“ You don’t deserve my respect.”

For a moment the boy was certain the leader was going to strike him. But no, he just shrugged as if his words were meaningless to him.

“ That’s fair.” Chisaki lowered his arms. “But I do think once we’ve had a little chat, you’ll begin to see things my way. Hopefully sooner rather than later. You might even see how wrong you yourself are.” His upper body leaned forward and all the way into a bow, not a large one but it’s still something. “Now, allow me to introduce myself. I am Kai Chisaki, also known as Overhaul and I’m the leader of this group.”

‘I know who you are and it’s not nice to meet you’ the student thought but isn’t foolish enough to voice them.

“ And you, now what did you call yourself? Hero Deku? That’s a rather strange hero name, doesn’t that mean useless? I much prefer Izuku Midoriya, suits you better, but hey, what do I know. Is this one of those new trends?”

“ W-where- how long exactly have you known my name?”

“ It wasn’t hard to come by, really, a mere accident if nothing else. You’re all over the news and kind of hard to miss, ever since the U.A. sports festival at least. A good show this year, you fought that Todoroki kid, am I right?”

“ Tell me why I’m here.” Midoriya tried again, both scared and annoyed.   

“ Hmm, you see, I fancy myself somewhat of a visionary, and am on a constant hunt for new members to join me in a battle against a virus that creates delusions in us without most humans even realizing. And it so happens you have caught my interest. You should honestly feel flattered.”

“ You want me to j-join you? Me, a teenage hero student?”

“ Precisely.” Overhaul tilted his head to the side as if he thought Izuku was dense, and the boy sneered at him.

“ I would never join someone like you.”

“ Ah, you say that because you don’t know any better. You have never had any other choice, but I can give it to you. Ever since birth your fragile, mouldable mind has been poisoned, you have been brainwashed into idolizing these destructive quirks and false heroes who preach about justice and hope. Even though behind the scenes they are just as unjust as me, or you.”

“ H-how am I unjust?! I try my best every day to become someone people can rely on. A person who brings comfort with just their mere presence.” Midoriya squeaked, but the adult raised a finger to his lips, on top of the mask, and the napkin, in a shushing motion.

“ Shh, you wouldn’t want to wake her up. Eri hasn’t really been sleeping lately, so it’s a miracle you got her to. I should have brought you here earlier.”

“ You’re a monster.”

“ Not more than any other person if you think about it. Please allow me to enlighten you.”

He stepped closer, and Izuku in turn took a step back, the backboard of the bed touched his legs. Suddenly there was no room to move, and the air seemed heavier, it smelled strongly of disinfectant. The alcohol stung his nose and throat, but it’s a scent he is quite used to by now. It’s also dark in the room, something must have happened to the lights because it’s harder to see than earlier.

“ You say that I’m a villain, an irredeemable monster, but think that people like All Might and Endeavor are heroes and good. They can be trusted, they can be imitated. You look down on me and up to them.” Izuku unconsciously nodded. “But what makes me the bad guy? What makes you look at me like that?”

“ Be-because you hurt people for your own gain.”

Chisaki chuckled, the sound was low and deep.

“ But isn’t that exactly what heroes do? They label someone less fortunate as a villain, who is usually just a victim of unfortunate circumstances, and then go ahead and capture them in the most violent way possible. The bigger the chase, the better. No trick is off limits.”

“ That’s not--!”

“ Didn’t All Might break somebody’s back, just last year? A simple jewellery thief running from the law, trying to feed his family and now he can’t even walk, let alone support his children. And Endeavor, he leaves his victims badly burned and bruised. There is always a broken arm or a leg, but hey, at least that woman trying to steal bread for her hungry toddler is behind bars now. Or what about that new hero, Mount Lady? She keeps wrecking buildings without having then evacuated first, people get trapped and die. But you won’t hear about that in the news, instead the headlines read about how heroic of an act she did or how little time an arrest took.“ Kai took a moment to look at Izuku, studying that uncertain expression with glee. Could he be this easily broken? “And why exactly do they do that, arrest people like that? Is it really for the public’s safety, or is it all a show? They do it for their careers, for money, for publicity, for their own gain. Just like me.”

“ Yeah, but—.”

“ Last year, reported civilian casualties in hero attacks were at an all-time high, reaching the triple digits for the first time since that catastrophic bank robbery six years ago. There are support groups for the loved ones of those labelled as villains, because their social and working lives are also ruined in the process of these chases. Lawsuits against heroes have nearly doubled, medical leave has increased, people have quit jobs because of crippling injuries. Buildings and cars are constantly broken and destroyed, windows shattered, roads under construction, animals killed, traffic jams, people go missing never to be found, shops are closed…” He kept listing.

“ Yes, and that’s why we have laws and regulations to help people finance things like damaged cars and homes that suffer during villain attacks! There are specialized people with quirks that repair roads and buildings in no time. Heroes are always trying to minimize the injuries whenever they can by going through extensive training and schooling, but accidents happen, quirks or no quirks, that is inevitable. Collateral damage is sometimes unavoidable, but the good outweighs the bad—!”

“ Collateral damage? Is that how you refer to the lost lives of family members and loved ones? Do they mean so little to you heroes, do you see them as mere numbers and statistics?”

“ What no!”

“ Oh, but I think you do. A nice red arrow going up in a graph, and when it turns downward, you get a holiday bonus. But it’s not your fault, as I said you have been brainwashed by the media and these infectious idealisations. Don’t worry, I won’t judge you, or at least not too much.” His tone was friendly, light, and oh so sweet. Like a sticky honey trap, where unsuspecting flies get stuck and eventually die in.

Izuku’s stomach felt like emptying itself. He was at a loss for words because Chisaki had a point, even if it was twisted and oversimplified.

“ That’s where I come in.” Chisaki placed a hand onto his own chest. “As I said, I am a visionary and can imagine a brighter future. I believe in a society without quirks, with no manmade labels like heroes or villains. Just people, existing together. I wish to cure humanity of this curse that has made a nest into our bodies and minds. Now, have you heard about this theory, that quirks originated from rats?”

“ N-no?” Izuku hadn’t and it sounded farfetched. He sifted his weight from leg to leg.

“ Yes, that’s a fascinating one, a good read. And do you know what else derived from rats? The black plague that killed millions of people. So, in a sense, quirks are a form of sickness that has now spread, and wormed its way into our society, changing it forever as if it was meant to do that. Centuries ago, people believed the plague to be the wrath of an upset God, who punished heathens and sinners with a gruesome death. And even if we claim to know better nowadays, have we fallen right into the same belief. Instead of seeing things like they are, we think of these quirks as a gift, a good thing. But why is it normal to be able to turn ourselves into weapons? Why do we consider it normal to lift cars or turn our sweat into gasoline? Humanity has prospered even without the use of these powers, which means we never truly needed them in the first place. Quirks ruin lives, they have made us turn on each other, made us label each other.”

“ So you want to, what, eradicate quirks? But don’t you have one?”

“ Temporarily, it’s a sickness I’m willing to carry in order to save others.”

“ How generous. Have everyone else be quirkless so that you can be the only one with a power?”

“ Yes. See, I knew the word useless doesn’t describe you. You’re smart, you’re capable and still so young. I am impressed.”

“ You have told me your plans, about your views, but I still haven’t heard a reason why you took me in the first place.”

“ I told you I wish for you to join my cause, because I believe you could be useful to me.” The man moved, and so did Midoriya, until they find themselves in the middle of the room. Chisaki circled around the younger a few times, like a predator. The boy was too terrified to move or maintain eye contact, so he put on a brave face and stared statue-like onward at a wall.

“ I’d be no use to you because my quirk--.”

“ Oh, I don’t want your quirk, not at all. No, I just want-” He stilled right behind the student and leaned to whisper. “You.”

Midoriya whipped around, the shock made his eyebrows lower into a frown.

“ Eri is quite fond of you. She likes you, trusts you even. I have lost any trust we once had months, if not years ago, and now our experiments are beginning to slow down. More force needs to be used than necessary and the samples suffer because of that.”

“ Experiments… You’re doing human experiments on her?!”

“ You spoke to her, what, ten words the last time we saw each other? And she jumped into your arms like it was nothing. I think you have a way with words you don’t even realize. If you were given the right script, I bet you could sell water to a drowning man. There’s just something in you, and other people have noticed it too.”

‘Other people ?’ The student wondered.

The man then leaned closer to Midoriya’s face, eyes wide open.

“ I want you to join me as ‘the negotiator’. With you on our side, by my side, I could get people recruited to our cause much faster and more efficiently. You look so unassuming, so trustworthy, you’d have the less fortunate eating out of your palm in an instant. And Eri,” He pointed at her. “I want you to be her new caretaker, make sure she doesn’t run away. You are becoming someone she feels like she can trust, and I want to use that.”

“ T-trust?”

“ Ah, yes, speaking of…” The man suddenly grabbed the other’s arm and twisted it. From his back pocket he produced a needle and jabbed it into Midoriya’s arm, without warning, pushing the liquid inside in a blink of an eye.

“ A-w-wha- what was that?! What d-did you give me?!” Izuku stumbled a few steps back, holding his arm to his chest protectively. He felt no difference, no pain or dizziness or numbness. Izuku really would have preferred if there was pain.

“ I have a feeling Eri would do anything you asked. She could give us the data we need, all of the samples we require, without the fuss or excessive force. Our research could be more fruitful than ever before! Her sickness allows us to use her blood to make quirk erasing bullets.”

Midoriya’s pale, even the thought of a drug like that, and all made from Eri’s blood no less left him nearly gasping. Then the word ‘erasing’ registered in his mind. He looked at his arm, then back at the man.

“ I-is that what you u-used on me?” Izuku asked, horrified, and touched his wrist where a new mark now was. Sweat ran down his back as the adult glanced behind him and at Eri. The boy moved to block his view once more.

“ No, just a temporary block, it should wear off in a day. We need to keep giving you these shots, so you can’t activate your quirk and escape. But by the looks of things you seem to be taking it surprisingly well, you haven’t freaked out or asked about it once. Even now, you don’t seem distraught. How peculiar, most in your position would be screaming their head off… Another reason why you’d be a good add onto my group. You don’t need a quirk to function, you don’t seemingly rely on it like most do.” Kai stared into his very soul with those shiny golden eyes that sent shivers down his back. “Isn’t it amazing? The feeling of overwhelming calmness like flying through the air without that buzzing? Nearly addicting, imagine if every day was like that.”

The leader extended his right hand to him.

“ You want to make the world a better place? I can give you that opportunity and I promise you will be making progress immediately. No need to wait for a graduation, no more running away from us, no more sitting idly by watching the innocent suffer. What do you say? Stop blindly following this corrupt system and help me make the world better?”

“ …I’d rather die.”

And finally the carefully crafted mask of friendliness and composed politeness Kai had woven was cracking like porcelain against the ground and crumbling into thousands of pieces. His eyebrows lowered into a frown, his eyes narrowed. In front of Izuku’s very eyes the man goes from a youthful twenty something with dreams and ideas, and turned to look more like closer to his forties and with bubbling rage poorly hidden away. If he was scary before, now he was downright terrifying.

“ …Fine. Now is clearly not the time, you’re tired and hungry. I get it. We’ll discuss more, at a later date. I’ll have one of my people deliver some food, and new clothes.” Chisaki headed for the door. “By the way,”

He moved his irate gaze to him.

“ Keep Eri away from me one more time and I’ll make sure your leg stays broken.”

The door is closed with such force it woke Eri up with a jolt.

...

Asui Tsuyu and Uraraka Ochako stepped out from the large elevator, only to be met with a room full of at least dozen heroes. Some of them they recognised form their time patrolling the streets, or from the news, but the vast majority are unfamiliar. They range from all (adult) ages and genders to all abilities and styles.

“ Morning guys! You got called here too? Neat! Know what this might be about?” Kirishima waved at them excitedly from the crowd, munching on a protein bar with enthusiasm.

“ Good morning, Kirishima-kun.”

“ I suspect it has something to do with the investigation and siege of this yakuza group Ryukyu was talking about. But why we’re all here is a mystery…” Ochako scratched her head, looking around to see if Ryukyu was there yet to tell them more. Nejire Hado was talking to Amajiki in the centre and waved at her when their eyes met, but did not come over.

“ I bet it’s something manly, like a secret mission or something. Man I’m so hyped up, just thinking about it is getting me excited! I’m so ready for some action!” The redhead hit his hardened fists excitedly together, and it elevated the girls’ spirits as well.

“ Hey, isn’t that the boy from general studies?” Tsuyu took notice, pointing at someone behind Ochako. They turned to see a purple boy standing alone against a wall, away from everyone. He seemed to be scrutinising his surroundings, not enjoying the noises of talking and yelling and running, and Kirishima could see a similarity with Suneater on that regard.

“ I’d recognise those tired eyes anywhere. Let’s go talk to him!”

The three rushed over to him before he can attempt to escape.

“ Hi! You’re also here Shinso-kun? That’s awesome! Where are you doing your work study? Who is your mentor? Is your agency far? Have you seen many heroes? Have you gone on patrol much? Isn’t it fun!” Uraraka inquired while walking up to the tired boy, forgetting to give him any time to respond. Hitoshi turned to look at them, flustered by the sudden attention, and took a step back in an unsure manner.

“ Yeah, I’m surprised too. You been told why we’re here?” He glossed over the questions thrown at him.  

“ No, and it’s weird. It’s like all the heroes from recent news have gathered here, even Aizawa-sensei and the big three.”

“ Well, sensei’s bound to be here, I arrived with him. And I believe he knows something about this, because he’s been acting really strangely the whole morning, all quiet and grumpy.” Then he stopped and looked around. “But why isn’t Midoriya here?”

“ Huh?”

“ Look over there.” Shinso pointed to the right, where a silent Sir Nighteye and a tense Mirio Togata were standing along with Rock Lock, Kesagiri and Bubble Girl. The blonde student wasn’t sporting his usual smile and confident demeanour, and instead looked nervous and unwell.

“ Oh! Aren’t they from Deku’s agency? They’re here without him?”  

“ That’s odd, I didn’t see Midoriya at the dorms either. Wonder what happened to him…” Kirishima pondered, throwing the now empty wrapper away into a nearby trashcan.

“ Maybe he is somewhere here, and we just haven’t run into him yet?”

“ Unlikely, I’ve been here an hour already and haven’t seen a sign of him. Could Midoriya be sick, or late?”

“ I mean, that is always a possibility.”

“ Or he’s still busy with his mom?” The gravity girl mumbled.

“ What was that Ochako-chan, ribbit?”

“ Oh, just thinking!”

A door on the other side of the room slid loudly open to reveal a masked man, who motioned for the people to head inside a conference room. They do so and once the last of them get in, the door is closed.

“ …Centipeder, yep, ah, Hawkgirl, yes. Okay! We’re all here Nighteye, let’s get started.” Somebody listed, and the heroes began to take seats at a rectangular table. The students followed suit and settled next to their mentors.

“ Welcome, thank you for coming in on such short notice. With the information we have been able to gather, the investigation has moved forward substantially.” Sasaki Mirai said loudly, and everyone quieted down. “We have called you here to share what information we have acquired regarding the Yakuza group known as Shie Hassaikai, and what we believe they might be planning. Bubble Girl?”

“ Alright, I’ll take it from here. Let’s start from the beginning. We at the Nighteye agency have been conducting an investigation with the local authorities, on the Shie Hassaikai group, for a couple of weeks now.”

A man raised a hand.

“ Was the investigation prompted by the resent robberies on pharmacies and hospitals?”

“ No, actually it was the incident involving a group called the Reservoir Dogs that first raised some alarm bells. The police labelled the whole thing as an accident, but it seemed way too suspicious to us, numerous details didn’t add up. So, we began to investigate a little deeper.”

Someone coughed.

“ We began to notice that in the past year, the members of Shie Hassaikai have increased contact with those outside the organisation, including other smaller groups of villains. Their aim seems to be expanding their organisation and collecting funds from various sources. We have also detected multiple illegal firearms and banned substances in their possession.” Centipeder informed. “Recently, right after our investigation began, they were spotted being in contact with the League of Villains.”

“ That’d be the time Tsukauchi contacted me and Nezu about this case. The group were being quite active with the weapons dealing and robberies, until suddenly that is.” Gran Torino piped up. “It caused concern, so we were brough in as backup.”

“ Yes, you’d be correct. You have experience with the League already, so we thought it would come in handy.” Mirai placed his hands together.

“ Where are Nezu and Tsukauchi anyway?”

“ Doing behind the scenes work, like they usually are.” Aizawa grumbled quietly. “But knowing Nezu, he’s probably tuning in on this conference as we speak.”

Someone whispered a quiet “How ?”, and another voice replied, “Cameras.”

A screech of a chair being dragged across the floor made the kids look up.

“ Oh, I see a lot of new faces around here, so let me introduce myself real quick. Nice to meet you, I’m Fat Gum!” Taishiro grinned and threw a piece of wrapped candy over to the students. “Don’t tell me, don’t tell me! Let me guess, you are Uraraka Ochako and Asui Tsuyu! Kirishima here has talked a lot about you two.”

“ Hey, don’t tell them that!”

“ And you must be Shinso Hitoshi? Aizawa’s boy? Jeez you two look alike. It’s kind of creepy.”

Hitoshi buried his head into his hands, cheeks coloured with embarrassment.

“ Let’s get back to business, if you please." Nighteye requested with some desperation. "Shie Hassaikai’s main source of income seems to be illegal underground drug sales and weapons sales. Most of you requested to attend today have expertise in those areas. Weapons we can mostly handle, but I must inform you, the drug they have begun to hand out erases quirks. It’s something we haven’t heard of before, so it must be brand new.”

There was a collective gasp, the shock passed the attendees like a cold wave at the beach.

“ Erases quirks?!”

“ Destroys them… Completely?” A shudder.

“ What!”

“ Please, please. Eraser Head here has some more insight into this matter.”

The raven-haired man mumbled something but did raise his head from the scarf he had buried himself into. To most of their surprise, he seemed almost pained by something, and Shinso clearly hadn't joked about him seeming grumpier than usual.

“ It… Doesn’t seem to function like my Erasure. I merely shield the persons quirk genes from working temporarily while not harming them… But this drug seems to directly attack the genes.” He looked at no one as he spoke, eyes focused on the table’s scuffed surface.

“ Wha-what do we know about this substance Tamaki was shot with? Is it, like, curable? I mean, Suneater’s fine, right?” Kirishima raised a hand and asked his mentor.

“ Yes, we were lucky. Whatever it was did not seem to cause damage the rest of his body, nothing but his quirk was impaired in any way. The guy who shot him won’t tell us anything and there isn’t a way to get a sample from the dart that hit him, it was totally spent.” Fat gum looked at his fellow heroes one by one, as he told about their experience. “But thanks to you Kirishima,” He pointed a large finger at the worried redhead. “We were able to study the bullet shot at you because the stuff was still inside. Good job, buddy.”

Then his tone hardened, the previous proudness is replaced by something cold. “When the guys at the lab analysed it this morning, we discovered something that made me sick to my stomach. It contained human blood and cells.”

“ H-human… Blood?”

“ Cells?!”

“ What does that mean?”

“ Oh, oh my g-god…”

“ In other words, that effect came from a person… From someone’s quirk.” Ryukyu clarified.  

“ But how is all this related to the Hassaikai?” Someone questioned.

“ The man Kirishima fought used a quirk enhancing drug, and while we have no concrete evidence that the Hassaikai is related to the distribution of the drugs, we do know they interacted with one of the middlemen.”

“ That’s all?”

“ Ryukyu’s team also fought a group where an individual was given a similar enhancing drug, just the other day in fact. Gang related crimes like these have been on the rise recently and most can be connected to the Hassaikai.”

A picture of a man with brown hair and a mask appeared on the big screen behind Bubble Gril and Nighteye, drawing everyone’s attention to it. Mirio flinched, action that did not go unnoticed.

“ Shie Hassaikai’s young head, Kai Chisaki, quirk Overhaul. It allows him to disassemble and reassemble things. It allows him to completely break down matter. A power to destroy, and a bullet that destroys…”

The atmosphere was heavy, just like before rain.

“ Recently we found out Chisaki has a daughter named Eri. There are no details or records about her birth, no evidence she exists at all, and when Mirio and Midoriya encountered her, they noticed there were bandages around her arms and legs.”

“ You’re not saying… That poor child.”

“ Could he really do something so heinous?”

“ In a world of superhumans, if you can dream it, you can do it.” Sorahiko shook his head.

“ To be clear we aren’t certain if he’s actually selling the bullets. At this point their efficacy seems to be questionable. It’s possible they are still in the testing phase, and the ones given out are merely samples to rally more people to his cause. We have no hard evidence, but we do know he is gathering allies and funds from across the nation. If the completed drug allows him to destroy anyone’s quirk, imagine the devastation he could cause.”

“ Then we need to stop wasting time and go get this monster!” A fist was banged on the table.

“ Hold on Fat, we cannot just bust in to the first compound we see. If we go knocking on the wrong house and she’s not in there, they’ll know for sure we’re onto them and could possibly move away. Even from the entire country!” A hero with a spider costume chastised.  

“ That’s why we have got to be sure of where they are hiding her.”

“ Wait, wait a second Nighteye, you said that Mirio and Midoriya both met with this man, right?” Ken Takagi played with the jewel on his ear as he glared at their host.

“ Yeah, Midoriya even managed to talk with him alone. We didn’t really learn anything useful though.” Bubble Girl nodded before Sir could answer, looking over her notes to see what they would be talking about next.  

“ Then where is this Midoriya kid, shouldn’t he be here to tell us about what this Chisaki guy was like or something? Seems a bit unfair all the other children get to be here.” Rock Lock asked, eyes sweeping across the room.

“ Did you by any chance place him under the witness protection program?”

The students perked up at the mention of their friend, and then watched in concern as Aizawa snapped his pen in half. He cursed a quiet ‘damn it!’, and Mirai Sasaki’s eyes averted to the side, like in shame. The future seer let out a sigh and readjusted his glasses.

“ That’s the other reason why you have been called here even though we have this little evidence.” He got up from his seat. “Last night we got an alarming call from U.A’s principal. Between one and two o’clock in the afternoon, Izuku Midoriya vanished, not to be seen again.”

Uraraka’s breath was caught, and she appeared not to have been the only one. Tsuyu’s shaky hand grabbed hers with force, as she stared into nothingness, and Kirishima’s mouth hung open. A bead of sweat fell from the boy’s brow, as he stared at their host in disbelieve. Through the four students rushed a wave of murky anxiousness, followed by the realization they might never see their fellow schoolmate again, or at least alive.

‘ M-Midoriya, oh no…’ Shinso had to close his eyes, they were beginning to water. He couldn’t believe it, it wasn't true. Suddenly Aizawa’s silent treatment from this morning made painfully perfect sense. He must have known about this.

With a burst of desperation, Ochako turned to her sensei and yelled.

“ Y-you said the reason Deku didn’t show up to our study date was because his mom was sick! We lived in the belief that everything was okay for twenty-four hours!” Tears fell from her eyes. “We-we might never see him again. Aizawa-sensei, why didn’t you tell us?!”

“ I’m sorry, but I was strictly told not to.” The tired man said through gritted teeth, clearly frustrated. He hadn’t had a wink of sleep the previous night, and neither had his husband.

“ Do not blame Eraser, I gave out the silence order.” Mirai admitted, making the girl turn to him. “We had to keep everything under wraps until you all could get here. We didn’t want this information to wind up in the wrong hands, especially now that the league seems to be involved. Also, we weren’t a hundred precent certain it even was the Hassaikai group who took him. But just before we began this meeting, we got Mirio to confirm the identity of this child.”

The screen changed into a shaky, ten second video, clearly security camera footage. It’s from directly outside U.A., it showed the road, the school’s gate and the apartment building right opposite of the school. As it began to play, a small figure, clearly Izuku, appeared hurrying past the open gate and across the empty street to an alley, where he then disappeared. Right before he did so, could you see an even smaller figure standing right at the alleys entrance before they turned and ran away.

“ E-Eri.” Togata whispered, one hand over his mouth with shock. He had seen this at least ten times today and it still felt just as horrible.

“ The child Midoriya seems to be running after matches the description of Chisaki’s daughter. We believe Shie Hassaikai lured him out using her, but for what purpose we do not know. No demands have been made and no sightings have come to light.”  

There’s uncomfortable silence.

“ We should get started then.” Ryukyu sighed. “There are children in trouble, that’s what’s important here. Nighteye, tell us what you need done.”

...

“ How about a game.”

A shake ‘no’.

“ Okay, a nap?”

Another shake.

“ Hmm… Hey, I know, why don’t I read you a story.”

Eri tilted her head as she looked at Izuku, who had gotten up from the bed where he’d been brushing her hair. They’d just finished eating rice and egg, the only thing provided, and were now trying to find something to do. Midoriya had even given his egg and some of the rice to her, claiming he wasn’t that hungry.

“ A story?”

Izuku, now with a clean attire, picked the girl up and walked over to the few books. Pointing at them one by one, he asked. “Which one would you like to hear? Pick any one of them!”  

She doesn’t remember the last time she had even held one of the books, so went by the looks instead of the tale inside. Her tiny hand pointed at the prettiest one, a light blue story with painted silver flowers on the cover. White letters formed the title “Sleeping Beauty”.

“ Ooh, that’s a good choice.”

They sat down on the bed together and Midoriya pulled the blanket over them. She looked at him confused, so he explained. “This is like our own castle.”

He adjusted the hold on the book.

“Once upon a time, in a land far away, there was a king and a queen, who had a beautiful daughter.” The page is decorated in flying blue birds. “The princess was beautiful, and they named her after the dawn, Aurora, for she brought light into their lives once more.”

“ What’s a pri-princess?”

“ Hm? Oh, a princess is a girl,” He pointed at her. “Like you. A sweet, kind girl, who has a lot of things and a crown.”

“ What’s a crown?”

The boy flipped pages onward, until he’s nearly halfway through the book. The picture he stopped at depicted a blonde girl with a long sapphire gown and a golden tiara. She slept in a bed of red roses.

“ This is a crown. It’s a decorative head piece, usually made out of gold, a shiny material. Hey, when we get out of here, I promise to get you one! A princess needs a crown after all. It’s going to be the prettiest one in the whole world, but we’ll have to get you a dress too!” He smiled.

She doesn’t return the gesture, but her heart is happy.

“ Aurora’s father, the king, loved her very much and so threw a grand ceremony, where all the people gathered to rejoice. He invited the noble and the common, and each brought a gift.“

“ Deku?” There’s something on her mind, and she pondered whether to ask or not.

“ Yeah?”

“ Are you…” She thought for a bit. “Are you my father?”

“ Wha- me?! No! I mean, why would you think that? I-I thought Chisaki was your father?”

She shook her head and then furrowed her brows, as if really trying to find the right words.

“ A father is someone who takes care of a child and you take care of me?”

“ Yes, but a dad, a father is so much more than that. They, um, are usually older and they live in the same house as you. They feed you and clothe you, and when you have nightmares, they lull you back to sleep.” He nearly sighed out loud, this was harder to explain than he first thought. Izuku had grown up without a father figure in his life, until Aizawa had come in and filled the oddly shaped hole, and thus hadn’t given much thought to the role until now. ‘I wonder what the dictionary says about fathers?’ he mused.

Wait, pause. Holy shit had he just thought of Aizawa as a father figure?

“ But you do all that…”

“ Well, yes, but I’m not old enough to be a dad. I’m more of a, um.” He rubbed his head. “A-a brother or something?”

“ A brother?”

“ Hey, we have been awake quite a while now, it must be time for bed. Come on, I’ll finish the story.”

Eri took a better position and lowered her head onto the pillow, one of her tiny hands held onto the boy’s shirt. Once she seemed satisfied, Izuku continued. “So, Aurora hime is the loveliest in the land, and she brings joy to everyone she meets. Then one day, and old lady…”

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Chapter Text

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

The message came in only three days later, during the early hours of the silent morning. The entirety of U.A. lay sleeping under the watchful eye of Nezu’s top of the line security cameras. The air outside had grown colder as autumn began to really claim it’s place in the world, turning windows into works of art with swirly frost flowers. For that reason the students were all under their thick, warm blankets, in their comfortable beds, without a care in the world. No troubles could touch them as long as their eyes remain shut, or so some of them believed.

In reality, in the 1-A dorms alone, three teenagers suffer from unrestful sleep, plagued with nightmares and untrue visions. And if not nightmares, then just their own thoughts and insecurities, even the ones long buried or thought overcome. They wait and wait and wait, in great anticipation for that one sound, until,

Ping

The beep of a phone and the adjoining awakening of the small screen painted the whole dorm room in annoying artificial white and pink, results of the Hello Kitty wallpaper on Uraraka’s flip phone. She groggily sat up and rubbed her eyes, wondering why her alarm had gone off even though it was still dark outside, until remembering what this could only mean. The realization made her jump to check the phone, reaching for it from the side table, only to end up crashing onto the floor face first and with a loud thud.

“ Ugh… Ouch.” Her hands, which had managed to grab the device just in time, held it up to her face so she could see better. Pain of her earlier ordeal seemed to be rapidly fading as her brain processed the words written on the screen. Three words of “We got them.” were enough to light a fire inside the girls chest and she nearly sprinted downstairs, bags and hero costume in hand. It was a miracle she didn’t end up rolling down the dark staircase as she ran practically blind.

Not only was she determined, but also very nervous about what exactly they would find. What sort of impression would she give the pro heroes on the scene? How the cooperation between the police and the heroes would pan out? What if somebody got hurt because of her inexperience? So many things could go wrong here, they could be too late or a little too early, they could act too harshly or way too gentle.

It was official, she was going to throw up.  

Ochako met up with Tsuyu at the end of the stairs and the two hurried to the living room together.

“ Alright. You too?” Kirishima asked, standing by the sofas, phone in hand. He had his bags by the doors ready to depart. The girls both nodded.

“ It’s happening. Let’s do our best.”

“ I know we can do this. Let’s go rescue Midoriya and that Eri kid!”  

The entrance clicked open and a dishevelled Shinso, similarly still in pyjamas like the others, came in. He looked almost relieved to see them up, that meant not having to go knocking on door to door in this giant maze of a building.

“ Good, you’re all awake. You saw the news, I assume? Aizawa sensei texted that they’ll come pick us up in ten minutes, so get ready.”

It had just ticked past three in the morning when the teens piled into a white van in their full hero gear, along with their sensei and lastly the third years. No one spoke, the radio played for a while before it was shut off, the tension could be felt in the air. As the tires screeched and the engine roared, Uraraka couldn’t help but to look back on the days preceding this. She leaned against the tinted window, enjoying the coolness as her eyes tugged themselves closed for some much-needed sleep.

Yesterday was hard, no, downright horrible, and it all started in the cafeteria.

“ I can’t eat.”

Uraraka set down her chopsticks and pushed the tray away, appetite long vanished. The food which had now grown cold sat nearly untouched on the plates and cups. There seemed to be a ball of nervous anxiety eating away at her little by little somewhere in the pits of her stomach and swallowing food would surely make it worse. Asui, who had been talking about the heroics assignment due next week set a comforting hand onto her shoulder. Mondays were hard enough without the added stress of guesstimating a kidnapped friend’s survival chances.

“ I know, Ochako-chan. I don’t feel like eating either.”

Iida stared at his two friends worriedly.

“ What is the matter with you two? You have been like this the whole morning. As U.A. students it is our sworn duty to represent our school by looking our very best, especially while out in public. And you look-.” He did not finish the sentence. The boy observed his tired classmates, their wrinkly clothes and their hunched postures with newly felt anxiousness. He set his own utensils down and fixed his glasses. “…You aren’t usually like this. Is there something going on? You know, as your friend, I’m always here to lend a listening ear and a shoulder whichever need be.“ 

“ Sorry Iida-kun. We just, well, it’s just the work studies we’re worried about. That’s all, I’m sure we’ll be back to normal in no time!” Uraraka waved her hands dismissively in the air and smiled nervously. Iida wasn’t convinced but decided to drop the subject with a sigh.

“ I see, but you must eat something. Um, here, have some of my extra beef stew. It’s still warm.”

After the lunch hour was over the two girls journeyed through the school almost in a trance. Iida had abandoned them in favour of talking to one of their teachers about some grading mistake, and so, they decided to go ahead and walk to their next class even if they still had an extra hour of free time. It took much longer than it usually would, seeing as they weren’t in a particular hurry to get to their destination. They stopped to stare outside every other window, they would make hushed conversation, they contemplated whether to approach a vending machine or not, only to walk lazily past it without a second glance. It felt as if they walked on stormy, unreliable and unreal clouds, just waiting to fall.

Waiting to get that text that their friend had been found dead.

“ Uraraka-san, Asui-san.” A calm voice came from somewhere in front of them.

“ Oh, Todoroki-kun. Good day, sorry, we didn’t see you.”

“ Where is Izuku, he won’t answer his phone.” The boy went straight to his point, with a ‘I’m not ready to have small talk with you’ tone of voice. He stood still as a mountain, deliberately in their path to block it.

“ Deku-kun is, um…”

“ Actually Midoriya is—.“

“ Yes, he is at the, uh, doing, ah—.”

“ Yes, yes, doing that thing!”

“ Oh yes. That…”

They couldn’t have failed any harder even if they had tried. 

“ Please tell me the truth, I know you know something.” The boy sternly inquired. One side of his body emanated dangerous warmth, the other biting cold. Tsuyu shivered. “Midoriya is gone again and you two have been acting suspiciously the entire day. You both keep checking your phones even during classes, as if waiting for something. And Aizawa-sensei’s been odd as well. I need you to tell me what’s going on!”

“ Todoroki-kun… I’m sorry, we-we-.” Uraraka could feel her eyes water again, a suffocating tightness in her throat made the words fade out as the sentence died on her tongue. In truth she was scared, like a simple little kid during a heavy thunderstorm where lightning shakes the house, and the walls seem to crumble. She had been tense before, had felt anxiety and been nervous and a whole rainbow of other emotions. But this unfiltered, raw fear was a feeling she had felt only a handful of times before. Once when she nearly got hit by a car at four years old, during the USJ attack, while at the summer camp… And now this, and there was not a single fucking thing she could do to help. Yet. “-We-we can’t tell you.” She shook her head. “I wish we could. I wish I could.”

“ Has something happened?” Todoroki lowered his voice. He didn’t want anyone outside of their little circle to hear them.

Neither girl said anything, but also neither dared to deny the fact. Both had seen the growth of the two boy’s friendship and if they had to deliver the news of his passing, the other deserved to have some sort of heads-up, even if minuscule. And not live in a lie that everything was, and would be, okay.

“… He’s in trouble, isn’t he. That’s why he’s gone, right?” Todoroki took a hesitant step back.

“ Yes, ribbit.”

“ Sorry, we can’t say any more than that. But just know the heroes are really, really trying. Us included.”

The boy looked at the floor. He seemed to contemplate something very hard, until finally asking in a light whisper.

“ Is he coming back?”

Their eyes met.

Asui looked at her friends, one after the other. Should they say ‘yes’ and let some sort of hope live on? No, neither girl could in good conscience respond to that. They held each other’s hands in a show of support, enough sign for Todoroki to understand the true gravity of things. They were acting as if attending a funeral…

“ I see…” There was silence from both parties. The girls looked anywhere but at the boy, and the fire and ice user continued to wordlessly stare at them.

“ Hey, hey guys.”

Shinso Hitoshi ran to the trio. He was badly out of breath once coming to stand beside them, both hands on his knees and a backpack haphazardly thrown over his left shoulder.

“ Ha-have you…” Cough, cough. “Have y-you heard any-anything? Have they said anything?”

“ No, sorry Shinso-kun. Not to us at least.”

“ But shouldn’t they- oh, hello.” Hitoshi took notice of the other boy, who really shouldn’t be part of this conversation at all. He looked at him up and down.

“ Don’t mind me. I was just leaving, see you in class Asui-san, Uraraka-san…”

It hadn’t been a good day at all. Todoroki kept giving them glances, most pleading for more answers while some were just plain sad, like begging for them to hurry with whatever their plan was. However, most concerning were the few angry vengeful ones, those that promised pain for anyone responsible for his misery. They had put the rest of the class on edge.

“ Wow, Todoroki-kun’s turning into Bakugou.”

“ Ha?! What did you say you fucking dumbass!”

But at last the message had come and it was now or never. They were going to get him back.

...

Eri blinked, large eyes staring up at the white concrete ceiling. There were no cracks nor cobwebs to be seen, nothing to be focused on or to look at really, but it was better than nothing. She had woken up before her new friend, or brother, and felt more bored than usual. Despite this she did not get up or attempt to move. She didn’t want to disrupt his sleep, which he by the looks of it clearly needed.  Also, she knew from experience that if she moved too much, the bad people would know she was awake and come take her away. Being completely still was something she had grown to be quite good at.

Her apple eyes turned to stare at Deku, one of his green curls almost touched her face.

“ A father is a man who takes care of a child.” Her mind said, but then she heard Deku’s voice saying, “Well, yes, but I’m not old enough to be a dad. I’m more of a, um, a-a brother or something?”

Friend. Brother. Brother-friend! Brother-friend-Deku. It felt strange when she called him that. As far as she knew, she had never had friends before, or a brother, and was certain an opportunity like this would not rise again if Kai was concerned.

The bed frame groaned as the sleeping boy moved, like a caterpillar into a better position, the strand of hair moved right along with him. It now touched Eri’s nose, which she attempted to gently blow away, although unsuccessfully. Midoriya stirred and she stopped, alarmed by the sudden movement. She held her breath in fear and waited for retribution of some kind. He mumbled something, a second went by, and then one of his arms rose up to swipe at his nose. Afterwards he seemed to settle right back down.

Oh, she kept forgetting. Deku was different. Deku’s actions were nothing like Overhaul’s. His touch was so completely different from Kai’s, it was comforting and soft, and it didn’t leave painful marks on her skin. She never bled after he touched her arms and never cried when he caressed her hair. His words weren’t insulting or cruel, Deku always spoke with warmth and conviction. She could see herself even trusting him one day, but maybe not yet. She still had to see where this was going and whether he would turn around and hurt her when least expected.

“ Eri-cha-a-“ Yawn. She looked up at the boy who now had his eyes open. “-an, good morning. Man, I wish we had a clock to tell if it was morning or not.” He sat up and stretched, muscles and joints letting out a series of pops. “Did you sleep well? I didn’t snore, did I?”

She stared, not knowing how to answer. Izuku was about to ask her what was wrong when his stomach violently crumbled, his cheeks turning red with embarrassment.

“ T-that was embarrassing…“ Was it? Eri couldn’t understand why, her tummy made the same sound quite often. “I’m really starving. I wonder if they’ll give us anything to eat. At this point I would be happy with anything they give us—.”

As if on cue the door opened a crack and a tray was slid through. Then, as fast as it had opened, it shut leaving the single piece of grey plastic on the floor. On top of it sat three handmade bowls with lids. Little spirals of steam escaped from them and the room was soon engulfed in a fermented and salty smell of miso paste.

Eri eyed at the tray with caution, but the boy spared no time in hurrying to it. He crouched down, lifted one of the clay lids and sniffed. 

“ Ah! Look, there’s miso and rice. That’s nice, right? Ooh, and is that broccoli?”

He brought the items to the bed and began dividing them. Most of the rice went to the girl, and so did the majority of the broccoli pieces, but the soup was harder.

‘ Eri needs this more than I do.’ He looked at the miso longingly, the vegetables, consisting of green onion, radish and seaweed, swirled around in the beautifully brown liquid that brought tears to his eyes. Midoriya hadn’t really realized how hungry he’d grown. The last thing they’d been given was a cup of plain rice, but that must’ve been hours ago. He could kill for some meat right now, mom’s katsudon flashed in his mind briefly before he shook his head. ‘Stop it, you’ll only make yourself more miserable… Alright, I want to escape so I also need to eat, but maybe...’

“ Hey, Eri.” He picked up a few pieces of tofu and placed them in her bowl. “Here. I’m not that hungry. I don’t mind just drinking the broth.”

She looked at him in silent thanks before eating.

...

“ Boss.”

Overhaul cracked one of his piercing eyes open to glance in the direction of his men. He was relaxedly lounging on one of his expensive couches in their secret underground facilities, one leg over the other and both hands draped elegantly over his lap. Some theorized he was coming up with new plans for the Yakuza and others thought he was simply meditating. Be as it may they always left him to his own undisturbed bubble, not daring to disrupt whatever sort of spell he was once again under.

Until it became necessary that is, and then, they left it to the only man capable of walking away from it alive.

“ It seems like the police have gotten wind of this place. The upstairs guys say they’re gathering outside as we speak.” Kurono held a small, grey cell phone to his ear as he spoke, a device only strictly used for communication between the upstairs and the downstairs.

The leader glanced at a small monitor in the most left corner, which had begun to glow a menacing red. He got up and walked over to the various buttons and switches on the control board, flipping some of them to change the view on the screen to the one he wanted. It was of the main entrance, where indeed people from both sides were standing.

“ Well, well, well. I have to say I am impressed. I expected to have at least two more days before having to depart.”

“ What do we do, boss? Should we just cut our losses and hightail it out of here, or attempt to hold our ground?” Mimic questioned.

“ Proceed according to the plan. Protect the compound the best you can and give us time to get away safely with the merchandise.” Kai got up and faced his men. “You three stay downstairs, go to the east hall and make sure no-one goes past. You two work from behind the scenes and try to slow them down. Dispose of as many of them as possible.” The group seemed to get increasingly exited by the idea of spilling hero blood. That could potentially end up being their downfall. Chisaki’s carefree expression turned a tad darker as he tried to instil some sense into the violence-hungry men. “To achieve success, you need to eliminate the one known as Eraserhead. He has a quirk which cancels out others. Be careful.“  

His eyes swept across the room. Some of the members seemed doubtful, some overconfident… Oh well, not his greatest loss.

“ I need you all to do your best. The heroes are here to destroy everything you believe in. They want to restrict your freedom, they want to drag us back into a society that hates us, discriminates against us. We won’t allow that. We control our own lives.”

“ Yeah!” A chorus of cheers was the last thing the members did before hurrying into position, out of the room.

‘ Like dumb lambs heading straight to the slaughterhouse’ Kai thought as he turned to leave.

“ And where are you going?” Kurono called after him.

“ To take care of something.”

...

“-And then Mina chose Iida to be a brave and noble knight. He wears armour and he has a large sword to defeat bad guys with!“ Midoriya threw his hands out on either side of him to show how big the weapon was. Eri stared at him in wonder.

“ Deku’s a knight too?”

“ No, no, I play an adventurer. I travel in search of an evil dragon lord.” He lowered his voice and leaned toward the girl, hands poised in a way that mimicked a dragon’s mighty claws. He grinned as he continued. “The dragon lord has taken over my homelands and I, together with my friends, am determined to get them back.”

“ Will you get them back?” She questioned, also leaning closer as if they were telling secrets to each other.

The boy chuckled.

“ I won’t tell you.” He shook his head and reached to ruffle her hair. “You’ll have to watch the play to find out. I don’t want to spoil anything.”

“ Can I?” She sheepishly asked and Midoriya nodded.

“ Of course you can! I’ll get you the best seat at the whole school. Then we’ll eat candy apples and popcorn, and watch other students perform funny acts. We’ll get our faces painted and-and your hair braided.” You could see, as Izuku continued to list all the fun things they were supposedly going to do, Eri seemed to vibrate with a sort of excitement. Her eyes were clued to his face and her hands grasped at her nightgown with strength once foreign to her. Her mouth might not be able to smile yet but her whole body radiated eagerness to experience these new things.

“ How courteous. I assume I’ll be invited to attend as well?”

Midoriya’s smile melted faster than an ice cube in a hot oven. He stood from the bed, dragging Eri along and pushing her behind his body as they both turned to face the door. His tangled hair flew over his eyes, and he had to shake it to see better. The door to the room was closed, as expected, but what wasn’t was the person standing in front of it in the shadowy corner. He was in the room with them, and they hadn’t seen nor heard a thing, too engrossed in their conversation to pay attention to anything else.

Eri clutched to the hero student’s leg and tightly shut her eyes. He could feel the trembles and shakes traveling through her small body just like that time at the alley when he had unknowingly carried her back to the tiger’s mouth.

Izuku didn’t say anything but did his best to mentally prepare himself for a nasty fight.

“ You know, the silent treatment is quite immature and rude. I thought such childishness would be beneath you.” Overhaul tsked.

“ What do you want?” Izuku practically spat back.

Chisaki took a step closer, with those shiny, well-groomed, white dress shoes. The face-covering he had worn the last time was now replaced by that familiar mask with a long beak, made of something that looked like leather and decorated in gold. On his shoulders rested a dark green jacket, but he still wore that same black button up underneath. The collar had a ring of purple feathers decorating it. It would have looked silly, if not downright ridiculous on anyone but him.

“ I came to see how the two of you were faring.” Kai eyed the girl seeking comfort from the boy’s presence. “Seems like Eri has taken a real liking to you. That’s good, exactly as I planned.”

The student attempted to push her even further behind him and did his best to put on a brave face. He imagined Bakugou and his fierce, no-nonsense scowl that struck fear into his heart every time it was even remotely directed at him.

“ Do forgive me for ignoring your presence for these past few days.”

‘ Funny, I didn’t even notice.’ Midoriya thought and almost smirked.

“ It took us a while to find it, but I have been busy reading up on something rather interesting.”

“ I don’t care.”

“ Oh, but I think you do. Deep down we all care about what others say about us. How they view our character.”

‘What others say? What is he talking about?’ Izuku wondered. This must be a new trick to try and confuse him.

“ Remember April twentieth?”

The student froze. That was one of those days he would never be able to forget. Chisaki closed his eyes as he did his best to recall what he had read.

“ At twelve pm, the downtown area of Musutafu is thrown into chaos as a villain on a destructive crime spree kidnaps a young schoolboy and uses them as a hostage. Earlier the villain had been causing havoc by robbing several convenience stores and gas stations. Recently come to fame Pro heroes stand powerless to do anything except help evacuate nearby buildings.”

Izuku knew instantly what the man was talking about. Unconsciously he brought one of his hands to his neck and rubbed, the feeling of thick, wet slime forcing its way down his throat still lingered. The smell of sewage and garbage penetrated and seeped into the very fibre of his being, and he nearly gagged.

“ W-what about that?”

“ You were there.”

“ So were a hundred others.” Midoriya raised an eyebrow. What was the villain trying to get at?

“ The long-lasting stalemate was ultimately resolved  by an unlikely party, another young schoolboy. In a moment of breathtaking bravery, the child ran past the heroes and threw a full backpack at the villain, momentarily distracting his hold long enough for the—.”

“ W-what’s your point?” Midoriya interrupted. If he had been a cat, all of his fur would be steadily raising up.

“ You were the kid who acted when no-one would. You were the reason that other brat is still alive and breathing.” Chisaki’s voice was so calm, he was clearly building up to something. He took the student’s distress as an opportunity and stepped closer. “But they didn’t see that, did they? Have you read what they said about you?”

“ Yes.”

“ Oh, you have? So, you know exactly how appreciative they were…” Midoriya felt a drop of sweat run down his back as the man spoke. Chisaki acted as if he was going to start recalling all of those mean, dismissing, ridiculing comments made by the media, and that was one of those things he absolutely did not need right now. Midoriya remembered the following month being especially hard, his whole character had been torn apart by the vultures who did not even bother to learn his name.

“ They said that you were a foolish child, a liability, that you were the reason the heroes almost lost that fight. The so-called heroes commented on interviews how everything had been perfectly under control, until you showed up.”

Yes, he remembered. He recalled the small headlines, the two minute news coverage, the morning talk show host’s opinions, everything. The disappointed headshakes, the pitying laughs, the anonymous text messages. His actions had been downplayed from every single angle, by every single hero and news anchor. Some people even referred to him as ‘cute’ and not in a good way. His mother had called him a reckless idiot and told him to forget about everything that had happened. ‘Don’t let that get your hopes up’ she had said.

He tried to forget, he really did, but how could he when after the weekend had been over, the teasing and name calling at school worsened. Even All Might’s presence hadn’t been enough to keep the sadness at bay and Izuku ended up pouring every ounce of frustration into his training. That training led to more expectations, whether real or imaginary, and those expectations lead to more stress. It became a vicious cycle, one that would ultimately lead him to mister Aizawa’s care.

“ I just have to marvel at your stupidity. Why do you insist on looking up to heroes and quirks when they have done nothing but complicate your life? You showed promise without using your quirk and they tore you apart for it.” Chisaki’s voice had a hint of anger to it. Whether it was a bluff, a manipulation tactic, or a genuine reaction to society’s double standards remained to be seen. “And that villain. Without his quirk he would never have had the opportunity to get so far. Things would never have gotten to the point which they did. He would have been apprehended during his first robbery, or perhaps the second, and there would have not been any casualties, no kidnappings.”

Chisaki seemed to see a perfect society in front of his eyes, as he stared into nothing.

“ Imagine it, a world where people could do good without those labels. It wouldn’t matter how you looked or what you could do. It would all be equal, and we could all be heroes, our shortcoming wouldn’t matter. ”

“ It-it sounds amazing, e-exactly like something I could wish for in only my deepest dreams.” Midoriya sighed. Then he raised his head enough to stare right back at the adult, green eyes locked in with golden ones. “But that’s what it is. A dream. Something that cannot become reality, no matter how hard you try. It’s all too good to be true, and you and I both know it. You don’t want this, you have ulterior motives, and I won’t take any part in your plans!”

“ You are testing my patients, little hero.”

“ Good.”

They were at a standstill, two strong wills against one another. Izuku Midoriya with his childish naivety and Kai Chisaki with his inexorable stubbornness. Both the product of their environments, more or less, and yet neither seemed willing to work together. Izuku’s world with a flawed system discriminating against the weak it swore to protect, and Kai’s world of promise and new hope made by painful, most unethical human experiments, abuse and murder. So no, neither was willing to jump sides and it made Chisaki visibly angry.

“ The society you wish to be a part of is corrupted to the core. It will one day eat itself from the inside, the weak will be sacrificed and people will suffer.”

“ I know. But if I can make a positive change and save people while doing so then that is the price I’m willing to pay!”

“ You cannot do anything, because you are nothing.”

“ Yet. I cannot do anything, yet. One day I will stand in front of people who will get hope from my fearless smile.” The pure determination shined through his emerald eyes like a beacon of light on a stormy sea. Midoriya stood a bit taller, back a bit straighter as he talked about saving people without any regard to his personal safety and wellbeing. His self-sacrificing personality was as inviting as it was loathsome.

And that’s where the difference between Kai Chisaki and Tomura Shigaraki lay, even if the young Yakuza leader may never be able to realize it. Shigaraki had managed to see behind the heroic mask, had seen how the pure hearted intention of helping people was born from the pain Izuku’d suffered. He had been able to catch glimpses of the vulnerable Midoriya who was truly no golden child and never had been, and piece the puzzle together. Izuku Midoriya wasn’t the same old cardboard cutout of a perfect hero on paper, with the perfect smile and the perfect look and the perfect quirk. Shigaraki had seen how he was held together by duct tape and staples, how he was like a pack of stacked cards about to be blown over. They could both see each other in one another, back-to-back, and yet never actually see anything.

Kai Chisaki on the other hand could never see past his own desires, his own goals and ideas, and that’s where he unknowingly failed. He could never see what Shigaraki had, because he was simply incapable of it. And Izuku Midoriya could never see even a bit of himself in Kai, that was life.

“ Your beliefs will be your downfall. The heroes do not care about you or anyone but themselves. You’ll be just another margin on a whiteboard. A statistic on a graph!” The Yakuza leader spewed through gritted teeth. He was furious, he’d truly expected the boy’s opinions to begin swaying. Even just crack would be enough to go through eventually.

“ As long as there are people who need saving, I don’t care what happens to me.“

Chisaki stared at the boy, then looked down at Eri still holding on to Midoriya’s leg.

“ What if you don’t have anyone to save but yourself… What would you choose?” He muttered to himself.

Suddenly the whole room seemed to vibrate. Midoriya looked up at the ceiling, something was happening upstairs, and he had a small idea of what it could be. He smiled and felt something he hadn’t in a while, hope. The door was thrown open.

“ Kai, we need to hurry. They’re coming.” Kurono urged from the doorway as he stepped into the room.  

“ Yes, I know.” Izuku stared in horror as Eri was, in a flash, ripped from his hold and unceremoniously shoved towards the approaching white-haired man who took her into his arms. Chisaki then leaned closer to him, any resemblance of friendliness once again gone.

“ Time is running out, hero. I don’t think you understand how small your chances of survival are, so let me lay them out. Either you come quietly with us, and you work with me, or you’ll leave in a body bag. Your choice. Just think of all the wonderful things and all of the amazing possibilities I can offer if you just accept and join me.” He lowered his voice as he spoke. “You’re alone now, there is no-one to save but yourself. Stop being difficult and for once do the right thing. Make the choice right by you.”

“ G-give her back.” He begged, but the man just shook his head.

“ Start giving me the right answers and we can work something out.”

“ I-I’m a hero, I don’t hurt people! I could never do that.”

Overhaul’s stance did not falter.

“ We don’t have to hurt anyone. You don’t have to hurt anyone. I can make sure that—.”

“ S-stop selling me things that aren’t true! As if I’d ever believe someone like you was capable of chancing so drastically when you have shown me you value no life but your own.”

Kurono seemed to be getting impatient as he kept peering into the hall. And he wasn’t the only one.

“ Tik-tok, Midoriya. Last chance.” Chisaki held out his gloved hand for a handshake. In response, Izuku drew his arm away and to his chest. “Come on, everyone can be bought, you’ll just have to find the right currency. Name your price.” The Yakuza leader pointed at him. “Money? No, no, you’re much too good for something so simple. Is it fame? Power? A better life? You want to be a hero, right? I can get you the opportunities, if you just cooperate.”

“ You could never give me anything that would change my mind. With becoming a reliable hero there are no shortcuts!”

Chisaki let out a frustrated growl and, surprising even his right-hand man, grabbed the student’s wrist.

“ Kai what the hell are you doing? Leave the brat here or kill it!”

“ No!” He bellowed. “I still haven’t seen it! I haven’t seen it! What makes him so special… There’s something he isn’t showing me.”

“ …What are you talking about?” Midoriya asked as he watched the adult ramble. Chisaki shook his head, left and right, again and again. As if trying to shake some demons out from his head.

“ No.” The man then stopped, as if coming to a conclusion. “I won’t do it. I won’t just give him back to Shigaraki. No, you’re coming with us. At the very least I can use you as a bargaining chip.”

They hurried down the endless, identical hallways, Kurono carrying a shaky Eri and Chisaki dragging a squirming Izuku along.

The hallways they marched through were completely void of anything but twists and turns. There were no doors, or benches, or stairs, or plants or anything you’d expect from long halls. Every once in a while, on the wall, a one-way glass would catch the student’s attention. What little he could see was that there were rooms, not unlike the one they had resided in size wise. They were all the same pale concrete prisons, though without furniture. For whatever reason, they reminded Midoriya of those isolation cells from old movies, but even those rooms had paddings.

These rooms were empty, or most of them that is.

Two stood out with their unusual style of furnishing. The first one had a large, sturdy table in the very centre, with a chair on either side. The one on the right was very small and wooden, undoubtedly uncomfortable and wobbly. The left one was large, coated in dark leather and adorned with armrests. On top of the table were two stacks of papers and a small metal ring. Midoriya gulped but didn’t have any more time to look at it as he was yanked away. But he knew, they were restraint rings meant to hold handcuffed prisoners in place in case they decided to attack the interrogator. What Chisaki and his unsavoury company could possibly do with something like that was beyond him.

The second room that stood out was very different from the first. It had walls lined with glass door cabinets. They were filled with books and black, thick folders, little bottles and trinkets, white boxes, stacks of sterile gloves and packed yellow hazmat jackets he recognised from hospitals. There were little metal tables with plastic bottles, empty flasks and beakers. Tiny trash and hazard bins for sharp objects were everywhere. Instead of a table and chairs, in the very middle was what looked exactly like a dentist’s chair, but with additions to the armrests. Wrap-around leather belts, for holding someone down.

Izuku began to pray.

“ Stop that whining.” Kai suddenly spun around to bellow at the crying girl, who had begun to emit a noise of distress after nearing the room. “I said shut up!”

Eri’s whines only increased as clumps of the ceiling began to fall on top of them. She clasped both hands onto her ears and closed her eyes, tears sliding down her cheeks.

“ We need to—.” Kurono attempted only to be dismissed immediately.

“ I know! But I can’t concentrate when she’s making such noise. Make her shut up.”

Kurono exhaled. He began to bounce the girl in his arms, like he’d seen some mothers do at the park. This didn’t seem to have any sort of desired effect as she continued to hiccup and sniffle. Chisaki was about to yell again, but then his eyes gained a new flash of light as an idea popped into his twisted mind. He dragged the hero student closer, much closer, and placed a hand onto his face so that it covered one of Midoriya’s eyes and half of his left cheek. He did all of this while staring straight at the girl.

“ Eri ~.” He called, elongating the letters in a playful way, though it came out with the perfect sinister twist. It meant business, it commanded the young girl’s attention which snapped to him. Her apple eyes widened with unparallel fear when she saw the predicament her new friend was in. Her mouth opened and closed, as if she was trying to say something but couldn’t.

The ceiling shook again, the overhead lights went out for a second before lighting the hall once more. A distant banging matched the beating of Midoriya’s heart as the hand pressed tighter.

“ If you don’t stop this ridiculousness, I’ll be forced to hurt your friend. It’ll be your fault, and we wouldn’t want that now, would we?”

To her credit she tried, she really did. But her breathing journeyed out of her little lungs shaky and uneven, this time fear wasn’t enough to keep her quiet. Chisaki didn’t usually care whether she made noise or not, so she wasn’t fully sure how to even begin to fulfil his command.

Kai seemed utterly unimpressed and pressed harder onto the boy’s face.

“ Looks like I’m going to –.”

“ Eri-chan.” The girl looked at Midoriya, who, despite the situation, managed to put on a front of calmness. “It’s going to be alright. I’m okay, you’re okay. Can you breathe for me? I need you to breath slowly, okay?”

She attempted.

“ Good, now try again. Take a bi-i-ig breath for me. Just like this.” He took an exaggerated breath, and she did her best to mimic it. They did it twice, then three, and four times, until it seemed to be enough. She still looked distraught but was quiet enough for Overhaul to loosen his grip. The man hummed right into Izuku’s ear as he leaned closer.

“ I knew she would do anything you told her to.” He then pushed Midoriya’s head back with the hand still on his face. It was borderline painful but the adrenalin in his system made it much duller. “She doesn’t have to get hurt. Not as badly as before at least… Not when you can—.”  

Then their little dance came to an end. The echo of a singular pair of footsteps reached their ears and they turned to the right.

At the very end of the hallway a cloaked figure stepped from around a corner and stood directly in their path, still as a statue in a museum. They were very much unassuming, they held no visible weapons, were not wearing anything identifiable. The perfect disguise to get around. The person had their hands in their pockets as if everything happening around them was just another Monday.

“ What is the meaning of this? I said to go up and keep the heroes bu—.” There wasn’t enough time to finish even a simple command. The newly joined fifth figure wasn’t in a generous mood and you could almost feel the disgruntlement beneath your fingertips.

“ Didn’t I tell you to keep your nose out of my business?”

And even with just those few words, even with the distance, even with the plain clothing, and even with the lack of his usual accessories, both Midoriya and Chisaki knew immediately who it was. The voice was distinct, like sandpaper against something which sandpaper should never touch. The tone, his tone, ah ever so gravelly and very much packed with hints of anger unconcealed. His talking impossibly ear grating from vocal cords desperately needing something warm to drink, or maybe a dozen cough drops. Like a ticking timebomb you could never tell if the person was about to burst out laughing or into a fit of madness. He was very much a sight for sore eyes as he was your worst nightmare and Midoriya couldn’t decide which.

“ You… What are you doing here?” Overhaul stared at the man. He was unsure of his intentions but could see they were not the best kind.

“ I came,” The person took another step closer before raising their head. The black hood moved enough for the people to see his face better. “To get what belongs to me.”

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Chapter Text

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“ I came,” The person took a step closer, sending a piece of rubble forward as their foot made contact with it. It flew all the way over to the group, stopping just before touching Kai Chisaki’s polished white boots. The man in question looked at it with disgust, as if it was something picked up from the dirtiest of trash. “To get what belongs to me. I’ll give you one chance to hand him over peacefully before things get ugly. And I do mean ugly.”

Midoriya swallowed the lump in his throat as his hazy vision adjusted to the newcomer. It didn’t much help that one of his eyes was being blocked by a gloved hand, and that his head was held in a position tilted slightly back. But from voice alone he knew exactly who it was that had intercepted their path, but the boy’s screaming mind just couldn’t comprehend it. There wasn’t a single reason, or at least not one where he would escape this ordeal unharmed, as to why Tomura Shigaraki was demanding Izuku be turned over to him.

How did the other even know he was kept here? It didn’t sound like they were working together.

Chisaki balanced himself from foot to foot, grinding his teeth audibly together under the mask. The subtle shift in his arm’s position allowed some leeway for Midoriya to see his greatest enemy properly.

Shigaraki looked nearly the same he had when they ran into each other at the mall. His ashen blue hair peeked out from under his hood as the unruly strands fell over most of his dry face. It contrasted nicely with the dark colour of his hoodie, like fresh snow against the grey November ground when everything has long ago died and the only things remaining are bare branches and empty roads. So calm and nice to look at, though the man’s red eyes seemed to be shining with something volatile. His mouth, which usually held a grin of overconfidence, was set in a straight line almost resembling a discontent snarl. Foolishly he appeared to be alone and unarmed.

“ What?!” The Yakuza leader barked out, tightening the hold on Midoriya’s wrist. If that didn’t leave bruises, then nothing would. “Don’t tell me it was you who led the heroes here so that, what, you could get your hands on this brat? Why?! We were supposed to be –!“

“ Yeah, that partnership was over and done with as soon as you took my nemesis, despite my kind request to leave him out of our dealings. But you didn’t listen, did you? And now you’re going to pay for that. We are destined to be on the opposing sides, otherwise this wouldn’t work.” He moved his head in a circular motion to try and loosen the muscles. It was clear he was readying for an altercation.

“ Have you any idea of how much I’m at risk of losing here?! Years worth of work and research, that’s what! My entire operation is –.”

“ I could care less, the deal is void. Now, hand the hero over or else.”

Chisaki’s first reaction to Shigaraki boldly stepping closer was to readjust his open palm on Midoriya’s face. The boy let out a whimper, pathetic even to his own ears, but it felt like his neck was going to snap in half. His eye was pressed on to so hard he saw lines of white, the skin of his cheek growing white under the fingertips.

Kai released his hand from the student’s wrist and brought it over to where his other hand resided on Izuku’s face, fingers touching the glove’s fabric teasingly. He pinched it between his fingers and hitched it up just enough for his wrist to begin showing. Midoriya’s mouth went dry, visible eye widening.

“ I wouldn’t do anything if I were you.” The man hissed. “You see the way my hand rests? Would be a shame if I just moved my wrist,” Chisaki did a little mock movement, enough for the others to move from foot to foot in preparation for a brawl. “Just a little to the right, if I just remove this glove… It’ll only take a second. I could destroy his face, leave him blind and unable to fulfil the so-called destiny you keep mentioning. Or I could disassemble his very being, heroic soul and all, without putting him back together. You see, I have the upper hand here, right now I make the rules. Try anything funny and your little hero gets it.”

He smirked in triumph, victory tasted sweet. But oh, if only he had been dealing with somebody with an ounce of sanity. In his mind Kai had been so certain he could force the younger to bend to his will with nothing but threatening words.

He estimated wrong.

Tomura reacted just as violently, and without much thought, lashing out faster than lightning and nearly successfully grabbing hold of his hands. Kurono had the foresight to grasp a fistful of Chisaki’s jacket which he used to drag him backwards with all his might, letting Eri fall and hit the ground in the process. This gave enough time for Overhaul to pull his arm out of reach and by doing so, farther away from Izuku who stumbled away from the fighting duo. The boy’s back hit the wall before his legs gave out and he slid down. Green eyes watched as the two men collided with each other over and over again as both attempted to simultaneously hurt and dodge. The ceiling shook again and this time the lights flickered longer.

“ Don’t touch him you fucking bastard!” The hit meant for Kai landed in Kurono’s face instead, who flew backwards, mask crumbling into dust.

Chisaki took a step to the side before removing both gloves with enough force to rip one of them. Eyes gleaming wild and dangerous, he began to run at the younger leader arms extended with every intention to kill. Shigaraki, however, could see the attack coming from a mile away and ducked before the arm could reach him. The limb swiped air right above his hood, managing to touch the fabric with the side of one of his fingers. The material instantly unravelled and broke but stopped right by the collar.

“ Idiot, this isn’t even my hoodie.” Shigaraki said exasperated but used the opportunity to swipe the legs from under the other man. He went tumbling down and Tomura followed, trying his best to strike with his hand, palm facing down and fingers ready to make contact.

Midoriya looked on in horror as they fought. He knew he needed to leave, needed to run away and escape while the coast was clear! But he had to make sure that Eri was safe and- wait, where was she? His eyes scanned their little battlefield with hurry until settling onto her small form. She was laying on the ground motionless, but near enough to grab. Izuku willed himself to move, hands and legs shaking too badly to stand so he crawled in her direction and pulled by the back of her nightgown. He scooped her up into a tight embrace and pushed his body back against the wall, shielding her from any possible harm that might come.

Even though she allowed herself to be dragged around like a lifeless ragdoll, the girl was very much awake. Eyes impossibly wide and filled with tears stared into nothing as she waited for something, possibly to be hit or yelled at. Sweat coated her forehead, Eri’s whole body trembled. She didn’t seem to be fully present, so Izuku rubbed her back like a certain villain had once done to him.

“ I’m here.” He breathlessly mumbled into her hair, still scared but trying to be brave. “I’m here. It’s me, Deku. I’ve got you. I’ve got you.” He heard a little sniff, but the child didn’t respond. Izuku moved his eyes to observe the fight once more, trying to gather the courage to get up and run.

“ You fool! You think you have some right to the hero?!” Chisaki raged as he blocked an oncoming attack.

“ Oh, I don’t just think, I know!” Shigaraki cackled as he slammed a fist on the floor right next to the other man’s head. The smile on his cracked lips grew by the minute, a speckle of blood fell from the corner of his mouth. He didn’t bother to lick it away. “I have claimed the right to kill him myself from the moment he first intercepted my plans to kill All Might. The precise moment our eyes met that day I knew the future was sealed , set in stone, written down by the universe itself. You don’t get to just come into our lives and take him from me! He and I are destined for this, how dare you meddle in our business?!” 

“ Just as expected.” Kai’s tone was disgustingly mocking, he measured his words with spiteful care. “Your goals are weak, just like your little ragtag team is. You’re no leader, just a stupid teenager with no real experience and no real plan. And your team is no better, a bunch of unstable, unorganised wannabes with no loyalty to anyone. You don’t deserve the reputation you have, you have achieved nothing even after all this time.”

“ You know jack shit about my team!” The comment seemed to have set something ablaze inside Shigaraki, because instead of going for the open hand hit, he punched the man with a closed fist right in the face. The bird beak mask was knocked off and the adult stumbled, blood dripping from his nose in a steady stream. On his face began to instantly appear red splotches of varying degrees of severity as he slowly broke out into hives. They bloomed on his exposed arms, spread out down along his neck and most likely further under his clothing. They must have bothered him because the man scratched his arms and then his face, before directing a deranged glare at Shigaraki.

In retaliation, Chisaki touched the ground, creating sharp spikes of concrete that nearly pierced the leader of the League of Villains. Tomura managed to jump away from them just in time, disintegrating the ones that got too close. The hallway moved and twisted as Overhaul rearranged it in his fury, the floors chipped, and the doors disappeared. Soon it wasn’t even a hall anymore but a circular room with two exits.

“ You think merely destroying All Might will solve society’s issues? Getting rid of the blooming flower on top won’t get rid of the weeds, you have to be strategical about it. The hero society is rotten to the core and needs to be dismantled, dug up by the roots so that it won’t grow back or spread. The seeds need to be burned, the flowers picked and locked away!”

“ You don’t have a clue of what our end goals are, so don’t assume things. You know just what we want you to know, no more, no less!” Tomura jumped over a steadily deepening ravine and threw a jagged stone at Kai, who shielded his face with his right hand. It caused the piece to hit him right on the knuckles, the spot beginning to immediately bruise deep purple. Judging by the poorly restrained groan, something might have even broken.

“ Argh, don’t try to fool me into thinking you have some great plan! You’re not capable of that.” Overhaul sent another line of spikes into Shigaraki’s direction, which he barely dodged. One of them grazed his leg, tearing the jeans from his knee to the ankle, and leaving a bloody mark.

“ I have wanted to kill you ever since I met you.” Tomura sneered. “I’m so happy I finally get the chance to do so.”

He ran at the older man, who surprisingly lifted his foot and kicked him backwards.

“ I was willing to overlook your filth, was willing to make compromises and give you a fraction of the power that was to come. But now I see what a fool I was to think you could be capable of seeing the bigger picture.” The furious yellow eyes turned to Midoriya, cowering with the girl in his arms. “He could have been useful, but you refuse to see the potential in him. Your infatuation with him is sickening!”

Chisaki suddenly charged at the children. His footsteps echoed like gunshots as they barrelled to their direction without pause. Eri pressed onto Izuku’s chest, hands holding tightly onto his shirt, and Midoriya closed his eyes as he practically curled around the girl. “She’s a danger to everyone and everything! Only I can control her, she’s mine! You won’t take her from me! You don’t have the right to live, none of you do!”

Before the man could so much as take any more steps towards them, something hit him loudly over the head and he fell down with a thud.

For a moment all was quiet, the ground stopped shaking and the echoes ceased. Blood began to pool around Chisaki’s head, and Izuku half expected it to form devil horns.

Shigaraki heaved and huffed, a bead of sweat sliding down his face before letting the object in his hand fall to the ground with a loud clatter. It was a skinny, torn piece of copper pipe, ripped from somewhere.

Izuku held the little girl in his arms wordlessly as the older boy neared. He was certain he would now meet his end, there was no way he was walking out of here alive. But Shigaraki didn’t seem hostile, the teen looked more bored and tired than homicidal.

Shigaraki came closer with small, almost gentle steps. He crouched down and let his eyes roam over the younger boy with catlike curiosity. Red gaze moved from his messy green hair to his bare feet, before it came to stare right into his eyes.

“ You alright? Any injuries?”

Midoriya could only shake his head. Shigaraki seemed to deem it as an acceptable answer and held out his hand with one finger curled to touch his palm. Izuku shakily took it and was pulled up, with Eri still in tow. Tomura raised an eyebrow at the girl but Izuku backed away, glaring at him.

“ Hm, you should take the brat and get away from here. Use your quirk to break a few walls or something. Whatever it takes to get out from this place. Just be sure to go in that direction.” He pointed to the hall where he had originally come from. It was mostly intact from the destruction around them and seemed like the best, and safest, bet. “He’ll surely wake up soon and I have a feeling things will get ugly. I’ll hold him here till the heroes come. You should get out of the way.”

“ My quirk… It, uh, doesn’t work.”

“ W-what? What the fuck do you mean it doesn’t work? Is it permanent?!” The student shook his head. “Shit, alright, okay. Is it his fault?” Izuku nodded. “Great, peachy. Not permanent is good for now. That’s good, I’m not fighting you quirkless. That’d be too easy, and I hate things that are too easy.” The villain rubbed his eyes. “Okay, fuck the original plan then. I saw some stairs when I came, take them and see where they lead. Just don’t turn around.”

“ Y-you won’t ki-kill him, right?”

“ And why the hell not?” Tomura spat back but the comment didn’t hold any real weight.

“ Because death is too good for someone like him. He deserves to rot in jail.”

Shigaraki took the still attached, remaining black string that had once been his hood and tore it off.

“ Yeah, yeah, whatever. I had something else in mind anyway.” The smile was so wicked Izuku had to take a step back. It was awkward for a while before the student gently asked.

“ B-but what about you?” Izuku adjusted his grip onto Eri, who seemed to have calmed down some. Her hands were still curled around his clothes, but she didn’t shake as much. “The heroes must have the place surrounded, you-you have to leave before they see you. It’s not fair for you to get caught because you came to rescue me.”

Shigaraki stared at him for a second before stifling a small, ugly grin.

“ So weird. Always thinking of others…” He muttered before throwing a hateful glare at the Yakuza leader. “I am the last person here you should be worried about.” He cracked his knuckles. “You just focus on getting out alive. We have so much to talk about, I have a feeling we’ll be seeing each other soon. Go now and remember not to look back.”

“ I have questions for you too, you know.” Midoriya confidently stated.

With that the older boy turned and began to hurry in the other direction, boots letting out annoying squeaks against the bare floor.

Izuku decided to do as he was told and cautiously left the unconscious man behind. Every now and then he would get the urge to turn and take a peek but never dared to. He didn’t hear footsteps or yelling, so they must not have been followed. Or at least not yet.  

“ Eri-chan,” He whispered. “Hold on tightly, aright. Don't let go. I’m going to start running.”

With that his tiptoeing steps gained the confidence to soar onward. They ran through the broken hallway before turning a corner into an identical one. The student tried all the doors that lined the walls, but each was either locked or jammed. And Shigaraki had mentioned stairs? He hadn’t seen any stairs anywhere, so they must be farther away.

One more turn and they were faced with darkness, the three lights here had finally given out. The floors were littered with stone and dust, reinforcing steel rods poked from the crumbling ceiling. Sparkling electrical wires had also fallen through, and Izuku had to shield Eri with his hand as they passed.

Another turn, another corridor, but doorless for the sake of variety. This time however, there was indeed the rumoured staircase at the end. There were maybe ten sturdy steps, and it led to a reenforced metal door with no window, button or lever. There was a high possibility that it was locked like the others, but they had no other choice.

The noisy light hummed before it flickered off, but Midoriya paid it no mind. He headed for those steps, they seemed to shine like a beacon of hope in the darkness that was the never-ending base of the Yakuza. Izuku missed the blueness of the sky, missed the greenery of the campus, and missed the colour in everyday objects like clothes and cars and street signs. He had a growing dislike of the sterile whiteness of hospitals, but now on the list was also the beigeness of concrete and greyness of stone.  

The light came back on.

His foot plunged into water, knee high and awfully cold. He gasped and backed away, head snapping down to see where he had stumbled. A waterpipe had burst and flooded the floor, which also seemed to have been somehow damaged. A whole layer of material seemed to be missing from it, leaving only poking pipes, beams and something resembling gravel. A continuous spray fell from the ceiling like spring rain, but the student hadn’t noticed it before. What was left of the hall was mangled and twisted, the walls seemed to be all wrong. The remaining tiles on the ground were stretched like in a picture where somebody had played with the settings.

“ What the…” He muttered. “Could it be a quirk?”

There was a small rumble, audible enough to hear through the drizzling water. Izuku looked at the door, then at the water, then again at the door. He was forming a plan.

“ Can you move to my shoulders?” He asked, setting the girl down.

“ I’m scared…”

“ Don’t be! I won’t let anything happen to you, I will be your hero, Eri-chan.” He smiled at her reassuringly. “Remember, we still need to attend that play I was talking about. And eat candy apples and popcorn! We just need to get out of here first, okay.” The boy coaxed the girl onto his shoulders, like he had seen some fathers do. The mention of candy apples seemed to have given her some new strength, as she hopped on. “Alright. Listen to me.” He did his best to assess the water, to try and see if it went any deeper and if there were any wires or sharp objects inside. Sight was limited but he didn’t make out anything unusual. Just broken floor and moving, rising water. “We are going to cross this puddle to get to that door. It is very important, so keep your eyes on it, okay? Can you do that for me? Don’t look down, so you won’t get scared.”

Above him came a hum of understanding. Tiny hands gripped onto his head, and his hair. It hurt but Izuku had felt much worse.

He bravely stepped into the water, it instantly soaked through the flimsy material of his pants and began to get absorbed by the cloth. He took another step, the water sloshing around him loudly. He was briefly reminded of a time years ago when he and the neighbourhood kids had attempted to cross a river using a large fallen tree as a bridge. He had been really scared back then, they had travelled far from home and the ground had been so far down. But they’d all marched on bravely, one of them had been singing a song. The smell of mud and warm sand had been intoxicating, remembering it felt nostalgic.

“ Forward march and here we go! Members of the agency Bakugou!”

“ Forward march and here we go…” Izuku muttered to himself as he took another step.

That day had been adventure filled. But then Katsuki’s foot had slipped, and he fell, Izuku could still feel the way his stomach had dropped, and his heart had nearly stopped seeing his best friend nearing the ground. But he hadn’t fallen to the hard, muddy ground. No, he had landed into the water and been alright. At the time Izuku hadn’t known that but had instead gone after him, not caring if his socks and shoes got wet. He hadn’t been thinking, he just acted.

Like a hero is supposed to.

“ Forward march and here-”

Now, he wasn’t even wearing shoes, or socks, to worry about. Back then the water had felt good, sobering, pleasantly cool after a hot day of running and playing. Currently he felt nothing but surfacing panic as his feet began to get more and more soaked, the water’s surface rising.

“ We go…”

The lights disappeared again and Midoriya could see the faintest glow of something green above the door. Could it have been an actual exit sign?

A sheet of something fell from the ceiling as the structure shook again, a roar vibrated through the walls with enough force to make more cracks. The boy could only throw himself backwards, falling onto all fours. He gasped and coughed, spinning around immediately to fish the girl out before something happened. She was just tall enough to have her head above the surface, but Izuku didn’t want to take any chances.  

“ A-are you okay?” He asked the shivering, wet girl, picking her quickly up. She shook her arms in an attempt to rid herself of the water but was otherwise well. “A little bit more to go. Can you hold onto my neck, I can’t get you on my back now.” She draped her arms over his shoulders, connecting her hands behind his back.

They moved again, avoiding anything that floated towards them. The water was now up to Izuku’s stomach, it almost felt like a chunk had been bitten out of the floor. The boy wondered if there could have been an explosion.

Something sharp went right through his foot. He stopped before flailing backwards, gasping from the sudden pain and willing himself not to curse or scream. The cold water had made his legs considerably numb, but even that wasn’t enough to spare him from the pulsing pain.

“ D-Deku?!” Eri looked at him with those larger-than-life eyes. She was confused, scared and worried.

Tears fell from his eyes as he blinked, a shuddering breath left his lips. He wondered if there was any colour left on his face.

“ I-I’m fine- ugh, I-don’t jump down. There’s, ah, something sharp at-at the bottom, argh.”

He hobbled forward with more urgency, and soon the other side was in reaching distance. Midoriya placed the girl onto the undamaged floor-ledge, before shakily climbing out himself. He raised his right foot and took a closer look at the injury. Something thin and sharp had truly gone through the sole of his foot and reemerged from the top, leaving a wound about the size of a centimetre or two. The size could have been triple that and he wouldn’t have cared, but now that it was deep… The water must have been at least a little dirty, there was a real risk of infection. He could get the poison thing, what was it called? Sepsis? It might have pierced something important, and he’d be none the wiser! The foot was otherwise very pale from the cold, especially when contrasted with the deep red blood running down his leg. Izuku had a theory that the wound wasn’t currently bleeding that much and looked worse because it was mixing in with the water on his skin. Still, the sight wasn’t pretty.

“ Deku.” Eri’s voice came from behind and he turned to shield her eyes.

“ Don’t look at it! I-I’m fine, honestly, it’s just a little wound. It’ll heal, don’t worry.” He pointed at the stairs in front of them. “Now come on, let’s go. We need to hurry.”

They climbed the stairs, Eri holding his hand and Izuku supporting himself on the metal railing. It felt like walking on hot nails, but it had to be done. His fingers grasped the handle and twisted, nearly praying out loud that it would be unlocked. He closed his eyes in preparation for disappointment.

The doorhandle disappeared from his fingers as it moved backwards. It had opened, it was unlocked! In a fit of overpowering joy he took the girl in his arms and lifted her triumphally. He couldn’t help but break out into a smile, while she just stared at him. At least she wasn’t shaking or crying, he thought.

Behind the door was another set of stairs, this time spiralling upward.

“ Let’s hurry.” The boy instructed and closed the door behind them.

The stairs were sturdy iron, clanking lowly every time he took a step. It would have been easier and quicker if Eri had ran in front of him, but the child was glued to his side. They went up five steps, then seven, then ten, until seeing another door. It was much more unimpressive than the others, as small as Eri and seemingly wood, so maybe it could be classified as a hatch. Midoriya placed a finger onto his lips and gently motioned for her to be as quiet as possible.

The area behind the slap of wood was surprising. It looked like a storage closet, with shelves of boxes, stacks of paper and little nicknacks like a vase and a thick folder. The two children barely managed to fit inside together, but when both were out, Izuku pulled the hatch closed. They listened for a while but couldn’t hear anything from the other side.

The door to the closet was a traditional Japanese sliding door, made of painted paper and wood. Midoriya slid it open a crack to see more empty space greeting them, a traditional Japanese tearoom. In the middle was a small round table with a neatly set tray, on the floor two sitting mats the colour of indigo placed. There was only one doorway into the room, but also something they could use to their advantage.

“ It’s now or never.” He whispered to her and pointed to an open window on the opposite wall. “We’ll go through there, okay. Be very, very quiet.”

They tiptoed to the window, and the hero student peeked out. He could hear distant talking behind the fence surrounding the building, but he couldn’t tell who it was or what they were saying. He didn’t want to risk them being caught by some thug, so he chose to move in the opposite direction, which seemed to be the back of the house.

‘ Looks like we were kept in an underground stronghold, so I guess this must be the headquarters. It’s a very nice house, I wonder if people knew the Yakuza used it. And it seems to be in the middle of the city!’ He thought as he helped Eri down from the window. ‘I wonder, how long was I kept here exactly? It was midday when I was taken, and Chisaki apologised for coming to greet me so late, but it’s day now, so maybe two days? Ugh, it doesn’t matter, what matters is I get Eri away from here safely.’

The grass and pavement was streaked with Midoriya’s blood as they went on, Eri once again in his arms and Izuku looking around like a secret agent. From behind them, over the fence, came the sounds of talking again. A car door was slammed, something must have dropped and them somebody yelled.

“ Nakazawa, take them away!”

“ De-Deku…” Eri whimpered.

“ Shh, shh, it’s okay. Hold my hand, here. Don't let go.”

Izuku carefully craned his neck to look behind the corner. Instead of seeing thugs, or even Kai Chisaki, he saw four police officers and two men, judging by their gear they were real heroes. Two of the officers were guarding the back gate, one was talking to someone behind it, the last one was on the phone, and the heroes were speaking to each other.

‘ So neither Shigaraki nor Overhaul were lying when they said the heroes were here.’ He mused but did not run to them right away. There was the possibility that this was someone’s quirk, a hallucination.

The officer on the phone began to suddenly walk to the children’s direction and they scrambled to retreat back behind the wall. He stopped near them, long shadow painting his silhouette on the fence.

“ -Yes. Thirty from the yard, two from upstairs, one by the kitchen, eight by the entrance, another eight downstairs. Five have been transported to the nearest urgent care, but most are under questioning. The rooms are being currently searched, sir, but so far, we have found nothing.” The man spoke like rehearsed, back straight and face unreadable.

“ Yes, sir. No, sir. Tsukauchi, sir. No, the other man led them down, four hero students. No, yes, no. No sir, there are seven in total. They are a part of the case, their teacher is with them. Yes sir, send him up here.”

‘ A teacher? Hero students? Is he talking about UA students? Oh Mirio, I hope you’re not blaming yourself… My own actions got me into this mess.’

Another pair of footsteps came closer to where they were hiding.

“ Sir! The downstairs team confirms, there were no others left.”

“ What about the northern room? The one with children’s toys?” A familiarly gruff voice demanded.

“ Negative. They found no secret doors or hiding places. They aren’t there, but the lab’s down there right now taking prints and pictures.”

“ That’s impossible. Nighteye saw them, I want you to search the entire compound again!”

Izuku whipped around the corner, eyes full of large tears.

“ Aizawa!” He gasped, desperation dripping from his voice. The two men turned to look, one with confusion, and the other with world shattering relief. For a second the teacher’s eyes glowed red and his dark hair rose, trying to see if it was just an illusion, something Izuku had also feared. But the boy didn’t disappear, he didn’t morph into someone else. He stayed the same, wet, messy and plain as always.

“ Izu-Izuku.” Aizawa said the name disbelieving until full on sprinting to him. “Izuku!”

“ Aizawa-sensei!” He let the tears, and snot, fall, as he gulped in air before loudly crying again. “Aizawa-sensei!”

He was pulled into the man’s warm chest, thick fingers ran through his tangled hair with care.

“ You’re here! You’re okay, you’re-“ The adult had to wipe his eyes. “You’re alive! You’re okay! I found you, we’re going home. You’re coming home with me, oh thank god!”

“ I-I’m sorry,” Izuku hiccupped, “I’m so, so sorry!”

“ You don’t have to be sorry, you did nothing wrong! Just so you know I’m never letting you out of my sight again, problem child.”

The boy sniffled.

“ Mic has been worried sick, as have I. He’s waiting for us back home, I promised him I’d return you safely. Izuku I,” The man sighed. “I have never felt like this before. I really thought I had lost you, kid. For perhaps good this time.”

“ I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I want to go home.” Izuku sobbed.

“ Stop apologizing already. Please.” The man hugged tighter.  

“ Eraserhead, they need you to brief the evening shift and—.” Someone came from inside, before seeing them. “Mi-Midoriya!”

Izuku looked at the person, seeing Hitoshi run to him in full hero gear. He looked like a real professional with his mask.

“ S-Shinso!” Without thinking the shorter student threw himself at the purple haired boy, almost knocking them both over. “I’m so happy to see you! I missed you so much.”

“ Holy shit, you-you’re okay! You’re here!” Shinso repeated, holding onto him tightly as if afraid he would suddenly disappear. “W-where did you come from?! We-we looked for you everywhere! Oh my god, oh my god.” He kept repeating.

Aizawa got his phone and quickly sent a text, saying that they had found one of the children. He received instant messages of understanding, as heroes began to return to the surface. The police headquarters called to confirm it was actually him who sent it, but it didn’t even bother him. His child was alright and that’s all that mattered.

“ Yes, he’s okay. We’re standing by the backdoor, yes, he’s here too. Tell team two to return with Suneater. Status update on Red Riot? Good, that’s good. We’ll have a briefing tomorrow, I assume?”

“ O-oh, Aizawa-sensei, Shinso-kun, I almost forgot! I would like to introduce you to,” The green haired boy turned to show Eri still glued to his side, hiding halfway behind him. One of her hands were holding onto his shirt, the other onto her dress. “To Eri.”

The two stared at the tiny girl for a moment before Aizawa raised the phone back to his ear.

“ Call it off. It looks like she’s here too, yes came with him. Tell all the rescue teams to do a final sweep and then we’re off. How is it in your end, Nezu? That’s good, tell them to go ahead with the interrogations and then- wait, Midoriya what an earth happened to your leg?! Nezu send a medical team to the back at once!”

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Chapter Text

“ A form of rejuvenation?” Aizawa Shota asked, standing in the doctor’s office with his bandaged arm and stitched side. On his healthy hand was a sizable black notebook, held in a way which indicated secrecy. His usually black hero gear had been changed to blue hospital pyjamas and a matching robe to keep him warm. On his feet were cheap, extremely uncomfortable slippers, also courtesy of the hospital.

The hero readjusted the notebook and suddenly winced, the stitches stretched his sensitive skin with a painful tug.

A nurse on his left gave him a concerned look before ushering the man to sit down on a plastic chair. It creaked concerningly under his weight, but he did not bother to get up again.

“ Something like that.” A doctor sitting opposite to the hero said quietly. Even if the doors were closed, one could never be too careful when speaking about important matters. “Based on what Midoriya-san has told us, her touch alone was enough to turn his injured body back to a previous state of existence. He estimated months, but we can’t be certain how far it could possibly take if given the chance. Eri isn’t on any of our records, which indicates she has never received formal quirk education or counselling. That leads us to believe she could be fully incapable of controlling it.”

“ Yes, the report we received stated as much.” Aizawa nodded. “The horn on her head seems to be related to her quirk in some way.”

“ You’re right, Eraser. From Midoriya’s statements we gathered that it could be tied with her energy and quirk usage. It might also be able to tell us if she’s about to lose control of it.” He placed a sheet of paper onto the table, scribbled from front to back in a slightly crooked handwriting. “Your student certainly seems to think so, he’s given us a quite thorough analysis on her quirk, which he labelled as ‘Rewind’. Very detailed, if I do say so myself.”

“ That’s Midoriya for you.” Aizawa said with a shrug but on the inside, he felt a surge of pride.

“ Hm. Well, I don’t think we need to be concerned about the girl, the horn has only grown smaller since she’s been here.”

“ And as you might guess, right now, there’s not enough energy in that girl to do anything. The whole ordeal with the escape must have worn her out.” The nurse woman faced away from the hero and placed a hand onto her cheek, worried. “We had hoped Eri would fall asleep and give her body the much-needed rest after everything but that doesn’t seem to be happening.”

“ And why is that?”

The nurse raised an eyebrow as she turned her attention back to the teacher. “Haven’t you seen them? She seems to be fully attached to that boy.” She emphasized by locking her fingers together. “She has kept an eye on Midoriya ever since he came back from surgery. Stayed by his side and not moved at all, it’s so sad really.”

Aizawa could imagine the children, together in a room, one on the bed and the other standing by. Izuku peacefully sleeping under the white covers, Eri staring unwaveringly at him, waiting for him to wake up, and thus unable to feel secure enough to calm down and rest. The man knew from his years as an underground hero how children from bad homes sometimes slept in shifts, but he wasn’t really sure if that was the case here.

“ We couldn’t separate them, she wouldn’t let go of his hand. We just stopped trying after a while and put them both in the same room.”

He’d have to go and see for himself, Hizashi might appreciate some pictures.

He missed Hizashi, his gentle hands and his soft long hair. Missed the way his eyes lit up in the mornings and how he always seemed to know what to say.

...

The day Izuku had gone missing had started out good.

The door to their shared closet slid open with a woosh before the mechanisms stopped it from going too far and breaking. Aizawa crouched down and began to rummage through the clothes and boxes with their belongings packed messily on top of each other. The noiret was certain Hizashi’s psychology textbooks had crushed their fine China dishes, but that would be an argument for another day.

“ Have you seen my jacket? The one I got from Nemuri last Christmas. I need to put it on so that she can see I appreciate it and will not buy me another one.” He threw aside an old pair of jeans, then two shoe boxes and finally a whole pile of shirts. His husband made a noise indicating he was alive, before the bed creaked as he stretched.

“ I don’t—.“ The blonde attempted to say, but a mighty yawn escaped his tired lips, and the sentence was cut short.

The grumpy teacher’s fingers reached further and further into the closet before brushing against something he could recognise even in his dreams. His hand stopped as he contemplated whether to go on about his day in blissful ignorance or stop and reminiscence for about an hour like a fool. Of course he ended up choosing the second option, pulling the thing out into the light of the morning. It was another shoe box, but this one was smaller than the other ones. He opened it with care.

“ Hey, come see this.” He called.

Hizashi, hair tussled and tangled, got out of bed and neared him, tightening the hold on the blanket wrapped around him like a spring roll. The floorboards were cool against warm skin.

“ What is it?”

“ Here, look. You remember this?”

The erasure hero held out a polaroid picture, a bit grainy, but still plenty recognisable. There Aizawa stood on the right and Yamada on the left, holding hands and smiling widely. It had been taken years ago while the two were attending a house party. They were younger, Hizashi’s hair was shorter, and Shota’s face had only a ghost of facial hair visible.

“ Of course I do. Don’t be stupid.” The other man kissed the top of his head. “I loved that shirt. Wish I still had it.”

“ And this one, oh lord I almost forgot about this one.” More pictures were being taken out of the box and set aside as the two looked through them.

“ Oh, oh! The trip to Tokyo, we had so much fun!” The blanket fell as the man let go in favour of holding the picture. “The hero conference wasn’t as much fun, but the bar round afterwards was.”

“ You mean you had fun, I was miserable. Nemuri lost my room key, and Vlad threw up on me.” Aizawa grunted, but his husband didn’t seem to mind.

“ All great. But I like this one the most.”

The two men stood there, surrounded by roses and white see-through curtains. People, friends and coworkers, were standing on their side, holding crystal glasses of champagne and throwing petals.

Their wedding picture. 

“ I still can’t believe you got me wearing that hideous thing in my pocket.”

“ You mean the pocket square? I loved it. You looked so handsome, and it matched perfectly with my tie.”

“ And I don’t anymore?”

“ Y-you know what I mean.” He pushed his husband’s face away playfully, blushing. Mic picked out another photo and stared at it. The blond was there with someone they weren’t in contact with anymore, the background was green and yellow. In his arms the voice hero held the person’s newborn, face absolutely shining with multiple emotions. What they had done that day or what came after did not matter, but what mattered to Shota was his husband’s reaction to seeing the tiny human in his arms.

After a while of silence, Shota wrapped his arms around the other man and rested his head against his shoulder.

“ I’m sorry.”

“ Huh?”

“ I know you have always wanted children. I took that away from you.”

“ Shota, I knew what I was getting myself into when I said, ‘I do’. And you didn’t take anything from me, we can still have kids. Just, not now.”

“ Still I feel like I’m holding you back from that dream.” The man leaned closer. “Us as a family with a kid. A two-story house hidden in the countryside, a white picket fence, a cat.”

Hizashi hummed, a lopsided grin stretched onto his face as he turned.

“ Love, I feel like one of those things is at least partially filled.”

“ We don’t have a cat? That was just a stray we haven’t seen since last Christmas.”

“ You’re impossible… I’ll go see if Izuku’s hungry. I was thinking of making him egg drop soup.” The blond climbed out of the embrace and pulled a shirt on.

“ And make sure he brushes his teeth, he ate all that junk with Todoroki yesterday. Don’t want him getting cavities.”

“ Oh, they were on another date?”

“ Well I do- wait, a date? Izuku’s dating? I don’t remember giving permission for that?” The raven-haired man went to follow his husband, asking a thousand questions while doing so.

“ How long? Why didn’t anyone tell me? How come you know of this?”

“ Come on Sho, lighten up. We were young once.”

“ What do you mean young once? Hizashi?!”

Then afterwards everything had come crashing down, their cute little bubble of happiness had burst with a vengeance when Nezu informed them of the odd activity right outside the campus. Hizashi had been crushed, he’d spent the first two nights sleeping in Midoriya’s bed. Aizawa had sat right outside the door, listening to those cries of agony he could do nothing about. Or that was until he received the call from Nighteye.

...

“ Speaking of, how’s Midoriya doing? I understood that the surgery went without complications.”

“ He’s doing better than yesterday, sir. The wound was cleaned and the damage repaired to the best of our abilities, but he was placed under antibiotics just in case. We couldn’t find any vaccinations on his records, so he was given a tetanus shot. A shard of metal was found in the flexor digitorum longus tendon, so there is a concern about his ability to move his toes. Hopefully with time and physical therapy he’ll be good as new.” She looked at her notepad. “The morning shift reported that both children have been eating well, too. The times Midoriya has been awake, he’s been polite and optimistic. Eri hasn’t said a word though, and they stick close together.”

“ Well, they’ve been through a lot. It’s natural to seek comfort from one another after traumatic events such as these.” Doctor Tanaka shrugged and picked up a pencil from the table, fiddling with it from either boredom or nervousness. “It still is my recommendation that they be separated at some point. It’s for their own good.”

“ You want to tear them apart while they’re at their most vulnerable?” Aizawa frowned. He had to bite the inside of his cheek to try and calm down. Instead he crossed his arms and leaned back.

“ No, not right at this moment, but soon. You must understand, Eri won’t get better until she gets some rest, and it has become apparent it won’t happen with Midoriya-san in the room. You are his teacher, you might be able to make him see sense and switch rooms.”

“ I do respect your opinion, doctor, but I don’t feel comfortable doing so. I understand that the girl needs rest, but if she’s so scared that she cannot do so when Midoriya’s asleep, then I don’t see how she’s going to when completely alone.” The erasure hero thought back to the little girl clinging onto his student’s leg, looking so scared and lost. How the only reason she was even there was because of said boy. “Izuku’s getting better, and your facilities cannot house Eri forever, but ours can. I propose once the children have recovered enough, they’ll be moved into the custody on U.A. until further notice.”

“ Preposterous.” Tanaka-san scoffed. “A small child like her couldn’t possibly handle the chaotic and unsuitable environment of a high school. I suggest she be moved to a UQF where they’re trained to handle individuals such as her.“

UQF, or better known as Unmanageable quirks facility, was a place good on paper and downright terrible in practise. People who got sent there were labelled as unintentionally dangerous to society and rarely made it back out. Shota recalled hearing about some of those who got sent there. A quirk that made the user’s bones so heavy they crushed them from the inside, a quirk that would flood or burn an entire house if the user got too emotional, a quirk which would turn the person’s skin so radioactive they accidentally destroyed an entire neighbourhood.

So many potentially valuable and useful quirks, but with no visible way to control them. The only solutions were drugs, quirk suppressants and medications which would calm the patient into a near comatose state.

Patients with these types of powers usually suffered with severe mental and emotional issues, from both their previous life as well as from the ‘care’ they got under UQF, and those issues would be mercilessly used against them in court when they tried to get out by suing. That’s how they kept people locked up.

“ Oh really.” Shota questioned, a challenging twinkle in his eye. “You want to lock her in some facility where she’d be alone and subjected to tests like, and please excuse my language, like some lab rat, even though she’s a human being? A small, defenceless child. We will absolutely not allow that to happen.”

“ And I say that you have no right to—!”

“ I wasn’t talking to you.”

Both the doctor and the nurse looked at him questioningly before Aizawa raised the device he’d been holding. It wasn’t a notebook at all but a tablet, and listening to every word was,

“ Good day to you, Doctor Tanaka, nurse Matsumoto. I do apologize for this deceitful interruption, it is quite uncivilized of me. Aizawa-san had a feeling I should be present for this meeting, and it’s a good thing he called. I’m certain we can all come to a more reasonable understanding.”

“ P-principal Nezu! Sir!” The old doctor shot up from his chair and bowed.

“ Yes, it’s a good thing you know who I am, because that means you know exactly what I am capable of. Now, where should we begin…”

...

Midoriya sat on the hospital bed, right foot neatly wrapped from sole to ankle. He wanted to wiggle his exposed toes but knew better as to not to before the limb had had some time to heal. For now he’d have to stay put in bed.

From the slightly open window came a light breeze, it was nicely cool and fresh. The autumn air was crisp and nearly biting, it was the perfect weather to go on a long run through the campus woods.

The student tried to remember, when was the last time he’d gone running. Had it been the time he’d nearly tripped over a slippery rock? Or was it the time when he saw a woodpecker and almost ran headfirst into a tree? Wait, no, it might have been that morning with Hitoshi-kun, when they’d done a nice lap before slowing their pace to walking.

“ Hmph…” Izuku sighed and looked around. This time he’d been lucky, instead of being put in a sterile white room with nothing but steel and tile, he’d been placed in the children’s wing.

Based on the thick doors and the multiple notes to remind visitors and staff to dress up and use masks, they were currently in an isolation room, probably for Eri’s safety. The walls were painted in light green and blue, both calming colours from a psychology standpoint. They were dark enough to give the room a nice touch of colour but still light enough to see any possible stains or dirt. On the ceiling were taped, or perhaps even glued, large wonky paper stars. The way they had been crudely coloured indicated them to be crafts of younger children, maybe even the other patients. The boy reached a hand above him in an attempt to touch them. Of course he knew there was no possibility he’d be able to do so, but dreaming gave him something to do.

Obviously, that did only so much and soon his attention was drifting to the rest of the room. Next to the door were three paintings, one depicting a pink flower, the other the ocean, and the last a dog of some kind. Opposite to him were cabinets and a sink, on the wall a poster reading ‘Wash your hands at least twenty seconds!’.

The room was quite small, but despite that two beds had somehow been crammed inside. Between them was a hand’s length of space and a white curtain but it hadn’t been opened from the strap keeping it together. The other bed was neatly made, all bedding ironed perfectly straight, the pillow didn’t even have a crease.

“ Huh?” Midoriya mumbled to himself before absentmindedly looking down.

There, by his side and practically laying on his stomach was a tiny body, using him like some sort of self-heating pillow.

“ Eri-chan.” He raised a hand and carefully placed it on top of her head. He stroked her hair like his mother used to do to him when he was small, stopping only when she turned to look up and at him.

“ Good morning.” Izuku whispered.

Her hands loosened their iron grip on his shirt as they came to rub her eyes.

“ You’re awake.” She whispered, big eyes studying his messy hair with curiosity.

“ Yes, I am.” He smiled. “Are you hungry?”

“ No.” Eri was about to say something else when a big yawn cut her off.

“ Did you sleep at all?” He asked her.

She shook her head.

“ How about you try to get some sleep, okay? I promise I’ll keep watch, nothing bad is going to happen to you. I am here.”

She didn’t make a move to lay down. Her tiny hands twisted her gowns fabric with nervousness, hair falling to cover nearly her whole face. Then she turned to look at the other bed, which somehow seemed much colder.

“ Hey, you can sleep here, next to me!” Izuku gestured to the bed they were in. “I’ll do my best to keep all the nightmares away. I promise I’ll try.”

He opened his arms, trying to see if she was in need of a hug. Eri looked at him before cautiously reciprocating the gesture. Midoriya’s arms were like a warm blanket, his touch wasn’t painful and she could feel his heartbeat against her cheek. It thumped away with no particular urgency, it made her feel calmer.

Slowly tension disappeared from her muscles, her eyelids became heavy.

“ Deku…” She mumbled and then her eyes shut.

The boy ran fingers through her long hair, a feeling of overwhelming peacefulness overtaking him. He swallowed the need to scratch at his arms and began to hum, just as he had done back at the Yakuza compound. His brain picked out a song for him to hum to, and he did so all the way until Eri’s breathing deepened and she was asleep.

‘When we get back to U.A. I want you to meet Kota-kun. I’m certain you’d be good friends. You both could use someone.’ Midoriya thought. His hand stopped and lightly touched her forehead. ‘She still has a fever? Why hasn’t it gone down?’

A soft click stirred his worried thoughts. From the door’s little window the student could see Aizawa come in, masked and hair thrown up into a bun. Izuku made a motion to be quiet when his teacher opened the door, which the adult seemed to understand. Aizawa practically tiptoed to a chair which he then lifted closer to the bed. He sat down and asked,

“ How are you, problem child?”

“ I-I’m good, sensei. Just tired and well, bored.” Midoriya fiddled with the blanket’s edge. “Is everybody alright? they won’t tell me anything.”

“ Missions such as these always come with their risks, you know that. There were some close calls, but everybody’s alive and recovering, don’t worry. You’ll soon rejoin the class with Kirishima, Uraraka and Asui.”

“ A-and you? Are you okay?”

“ Izuku,” He whispered. “I’m perfectly alright.”

“ But you got hurt because of me…” His emerald eyes stared horrified at the bandaged arm of his father-figure.

“ No, don’t you even dare go there.” Eraser set a warm hand onto the boy’s shoulder and gave a little squeeze. “I got hurt because I did my job as a hero and I don’t regret a second of it. You would have done the same for anybody in your class, hell, for anyone in your life probably.” He gave a reassuring grin.

Izuku let out a sigh and nodded. Guilt still ate at him, but not as much as before. 

“ So, what happens now?”

Aizawa straightened in the chair, taking the hand with him and placing it on his lap.

“ We’ve given this some thought. When your leg gets better, we will move you back to U.A. and—.”

“ But I can’t leave Eri alone. Please sensei, I promised her I wouldn’t leave! There must be something you can do to convince the—.”

“ Kid, breathe. We’re not separating you. She’s coming with us, Eri will be placed in the school’s custody.”

Every desperate plea died on his tongue as Midoriya’s mind comprehended what the adult was saying. His hold on the sleeping girl tightened just a smidge.

“ You-you mean it? She’s coming with us?”

“ Yep. Nezu threatened to sue the entire hospital. It was quite entertaining.”

“ D-do you perhaps think that shemightbeabletoattendthe…?”

“ What’s that? I didn’t quite catch it.”

“ Do you think Eri might be able to attend the, uhm, festival? With me? I may have promised her she could watch our performance.”

Aizawa thought for a bit, considering all of the possibilities before answering.

“ The U.A. school festival is in three weeks. There is a possibility that her condition won’t improve that fast, even with the proper rest and medicine. She might need to stay in bed for a while longer.” He watched as Izuku seemed to slump with disappointment.

The adult suppressed a fatherly smile and blew a strand of hair out of his eyes.

“ But, of course if she did get better in time. That would require she ate all her meals and got lots and lots of sleep.” He turned to look at the girl laying on Izuku’s chest, where large red eyes stared back at him. The girl clutched Izuku tighter but didn’t seem as scared. Instead her eyes were full of apprehension.

“ Deku,” She tugged at his pyjama, frowning like she couldn’t fully understand. “Is that true? I’m gonna stay with Deku?”

“ Hm!” Midoriya nodded enthusiastically. “So you heard what needs to be done in order for you to come to the festival? Think you can do it?”

She nodded back.

“ Alright kids, it’s my time to begin leaving. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.” The teacher got up slowly, his back was aching. “Oh, and this was something I’m sure you want to read.” He held a stack of familiar papers before handing them to the boy.

“ Our script! Thank you, I must be very behind with this. Mina’s going to kill me.”

“ I highly doubt that.” Aizawa scoffed from the door. His hand suddenly stilled by the handle and he turned one last time. “And prepare to give me an explanation on what’s going on between you and Todoroki.”

Chapter Text

Midoriya stood right under U.A. gates’ imposing shadow, the entrance was surprisingly empty from students and faculty. The streets too were quiet from traffic and pedestrians, a lone car drove past them and disappeared behind a corner. Eri stood by his right leg wearing a donated shirt two sizes too large, scrunching her brows at the large building that practically loomed over them. The glass made it look like part of the sky, but she wasn’t fooled by a trick of lighting and reflection.

“ Welcome to my school, Eri-chan. This is U.A. high, a place to become a great hero.” Midoriya whispered and the girl wrapped both arms around his waist. He was happy to see she wasn’t shaking.

“ It’s big.” She whispered and he nodded.

“ Come on then, let’s go.” Aizawa quipped while walking past them, both hands in his pockets. The man began to lead them onwards but not towards the teachers dorms, but to the main school building instead.  

“ Where are we going sensei?” Izuku asked as they climbed the stairs leading to the entrance. The girl held his hand with her smaller one, only covering three of his fingers.

“ Like I told you before, Eri needs to continue with her rest. I’m placing her in the medical wing temporarily. Recovery Girl will look after her during that time.” Aizawa turned to the children. “Afterwards she will reside with us at the teachers dorms, as promised. You will stay together.” He made a point to look the girl in the eye as he said so.  

“ Oh…” Was the only thing the student managed to say before the door nearly closed in his face.

As they walked through the school building, Izuku noticed the odd lack of people. As if the entire structure had been abandoned. Doors which usually were open had been closed and classrooms with windows showed no lights.

“ It’s so quiet in here.” Midoriya muttered. “Where is everybody?”

“ Hm?” Aizawa looked around. Then, as if gaining a sort of understanding, he dug out his phone and pulled up the calendar app. “Everybody must be at home watching the parade. It’s Hero Appreciation Day.”

“ I-it’s H.A.D already?!” The boy loudly wondered. “And I’m missing all the cool autographs I could have gotten. What rotten luck.”

Eraserhead mumbled something incomprehensible and dug out a candy wrapper from his pocket. He did something with it before tossing it right at Midoriya, who caught it with some struggle. He turned it from one side to another. It was the wrapper for an orange flavoured KitKat with pictures of chocolate covered oranges on the front. On the back in a crooked line and messy handwriting was the somewhat legible letters for ‘Eraserhead’.

The student opened his mouth to thank him, to basically sing his praises, but the teacher held up a hand.

“ Don’t say anything, and don’t tell anyone.” Shota rubbed his eyes and when he looked back, the child was at a ninety-degree bow, hair almost touching the floor.

“ Thankyousomuch!” Midoriya cried while Eri studied the paper with intrigue.

“ I said not to say anything, now get up!”

The recovery wing was as empty as the hallways. The man knocked on the door before entering, calling out a mild mannered “Pardon the intrusion”. The nurses office hadn’t changed since he had been here the last time, apart from stacks of paper now coating the desk.

“ Ah, you’re finally here. Good, I have been expecting you for an hour already.” The nurse came to them from behind one of the privacy screens. Eri tensed beside Izuku but didn’t attempt to hide. The woman was as tall as she was, very old and not that intimidating. Midoriya wondered if she put any extra effort into appearing more approachable.

“ Sorry, Chiyo. They wouldn’t let us leave without the paperwork. You know how it is.”

“ I do.” The woman came closer, cane hitting against the floor in a steady rhythm. “You must be Eri-chan, hmm? I’ve heard so much about you.”   

“ This is Recovery Girl, our school’s nurse. She helps people who are hurt by healing them.”

“ Heals hurt?” Eri asked and Izuku smiled at her.

“ Yes, like what you did with me when you helped me, remember? And Recovery Gril has helped me many times too!”

“ Alright.” Shuzenji clapped her hands together. “I think the best thing to do now is let Eri-chan sleep. Midoriya, if you wish, you can come back in the evening and have supper here with her.”

“ I-I’d appreciate that, thank you ma'am.” The boy crouched down to be eyelevel with the youngest. “Stay here and rest for a bit, okay? I’ll come back later. If there is anything you need, you can ask her.”

“ Deku,” She looked worried. “Will you come back?”

“ I will! We’ll eat together, and then I can read you a story, okay?”

Eri nodded slowly.

“ Okay.”

The two males were soon ushered out the room and into the hallway. It was high time they make an appearance at their dorms, or that was Aizawa’s opinion at least. His husband would probably soon break the windows if they didn’t return. And he really needed to talk with Inui-san about the things that had happened.

“ Aizawa-sensei,” Izuku’s voice came from behind him as they traversed the stairs back down. “I was just thinking, have you seen my law textbook anywhere?”

“ Uh, no. Should I have? And why do you need it now?”

“ Well, I was trying to do this coursework at the hospital, but I keep having trouble with question number four. And I don’t remember seeing that book with the stuff you packed. Could it still be in my room?”

“ Possibly.” Shota shrugged. They returned to the outside world, a breeze ruffled their hair and the sun warmed their backs.

“ Can I go get it from the dorms while we’re here? I really need it, and I have a feeling Mic-sensei won’t let me out of the house for a while.”

“ Sure, just be back soon. I can’t return to that idiot empty handed, he’ll blow out my eardrums.”

The image of an angry Present Mic screaming at Shota to go get Izuku briefly crossed the boy’s mind, as he had to stifle a smile.

” It won’t take long! I’ll see you at home!”

...

The dorms were eerily quiet. Midoriya had grown accustomed to loud music, cooking, videogames, tv shows, gossip and even arguing. Now not even a radio was on, he could hear his own footsteps. Most shoes by the entrance were gone, only house shoes remained, and there were no jackets on the hangers.

He climbed the steps in no particular hurry, counting the doors and windows as he walked. Then his feet stopped, and he turned.

Opening the door, his door, gave Izuku an odd sense of déjà vu. For a moment his stomach twisted, hand lingering on the handle as the cool surface slowly turned lukewarm under his touch. What was he thinking, what did he expect to find? Sensei had told him his room had been cleaned, there shouldn’t be any evidence of anything. So why was he so filled with dread? And why did he suddenly feel like an intruder in a space which was meant to be his?

“ Don’t be ridiculous.” Midoriya shook his head and boldly entered.

The air had a faint smell of something nose stinging, a chemical they had used to clean perhaps. His eyes landed on his empty floor, then on his back wall and desk, before calculatingly looking around. His posters, laptop, extension cord, curtains, figurines, clothes and rug were all gone. By the door to his left were three colourless and unlabelled cardboard boxes, and under his desk an empty trashcan. The bathroom door was cracked open just enough to let the fluorescent yellow light flood into the dark room. On the desk were two neat piles of things accidentally left behind, one with books in order of size and one with papers, notes, and other things. Midoriya embarrassingly wondered if those were the things found under his bed. He generally wasn’t a messy person, but back then cleaning had been the furthest thing on his mind, and sometimes it had been easier just to kick things under the bedframe.

Speaking of, they had moved his whole bed from the back of the room to being right behind the door on the right.

“ That needs to be moved back…” He muttered to himself and kicked the door back closed. Behind it greeted his sheetless off brand mattress and a familiar person laying on it.

“ T-Todoroki-kun?!”

The two boys wordlessly stared at each other, both equally surprised. Todoroki wore something that definitely wasn’t the school’s uniform, he had on a large wine-red hoodie with loose jeans the colour of charcoal. He looked comfortable, cozy even, and Izuku almost apologized for disturbing his rest. He opened his mouth to say something.

“ Todo- I-I mean, Shoto-kun—.” But he didn’t have time to finish for the other boy jumped up and practically tackled him. His hold was tight as his arms circled around his body like snakes around its prey. The smell of chemicals was instantly replaced by the scent of his something-like-a-boyfriend-but-probably-not-really. Sneakily he inhaled the aroma of campfire and gym chalk.

“ You’re here.” Todoroki breathed right into his ear. “You’re here. You’re alive.”

Izuku smiled so wide his cheeks hurt. He truly was home now, it had been so long. Then his eyes fell onto the wrinkled spot the other had been in.

“ Wait, why are you in my room?” His face twisted with concern. “Don’t tell me you’ve been sleeping here? I-I don’t even have pillows! Or a blanket, you must have been so uncomfortable.”

The fireside in Todoroki seemed to grow hotter against Midoriya’s cheek.

“ Shut up. Don’t talk anymore.” He whispered as if pained, but Izuku wasn’t done.

“ Inhaling these fumes cannot be healthy, how long have you been here? You need fresh air, come on. Let’s go to the–.”

“ Shut up!” Todoroki suddenly raised his voice and took a step to the side. The force of them moving made Izuku stumble and they fell onto his mattress. In television things like these are shown as fun, who wouldn’t want to jump into bed and pretend to be flying through clouds? But this wasn’t as much fun as he would have thought. The mattress wasn’t thick enough, the jolt made his bones rattle and his muscles stiffen.

“ Oomph!” Midoriya yelped startled, before opening his eyes.

Right there was the boy on top of him who Midoriya gave a tentative peek at. He expected Todoroki to look angry, furious even, at him and at everything. He would shout and maybe curse, perhaps even strike at him for disappearing like that. But nothing like that happened because he wasn’t Katsuki Bakugou. Instead he was crying, which was so unlike him that Izuku had to take time to collect his thoughts. A tear fell from his face and hit Izuku’s cheek, where it then rolled down and disappeared into the mattress.

“ Shoto-kun?”

The dual quirk user placed both hands next to Midoriya’s head.

“ I…” He began, mouth wobbly. There was a pause as he swallowed. Like this he looked much younger, or maybe now he looked more like he should at their age. “I was so afraid. That you wouldn’t return. I thought that you wouldn’t.”

“…”

“ They refused to tell me anything. But I knew it was something serious, the way Uraraka-san cried, the way Kirishima shut down when the discussion came anywhere near you. And the way sensei seemed to be breaking during lectures. I was sure the league had managed to kill you, and that the announcement would come any day now.”

More tears fell onto Midoriya’s face as Todoroki’s body shook.

“ I was getting ready to go after them myself! I was going to avenge you, because I knew that would have been something you would have done if our roles had been reversed.” Todoroki’s thumbs caressed the other’s cheeks. “But now I don’t have to. You’re alive and you’re here.”

They stayed like that, Shoto looking at his face with something akin to relief and wonder, and Izuku staring back with wide eyes.

An abrupt sense of warmth bloomed in his chest with fiery strength, enveloping his fragile heart before crawling its way up to his lungs and throat until words burst out of his mouth before anyone could think or speak.

“ I love you.”

Todoroki stopped. When Midoriya realized what had just come out of his own mouth, he began to panic. His heartrate spiked through the roof and all the way to the moon, his hands became clammy and they clutched the fabric of his shirt.  

“ I-I-I mean, I- no, like, not like that- I-I mean, yes like that, but—!”

Todoroki leaned closer, their noses briefly touched, Izuku felt his breath get caught. The red and white strands of peppermint hair tickled his forehead. Then their lips met, gently. Neither moved, though both could have if they so wished. It was fireworks all over again, perfectly mirroring the one other time they had kissed.

Midoriya hummed unconsciously and raised his head, bringing a hand to the back of the other’s neck to pull him down. The kiss deepened which caused Shoto to breathe through his nose, the air was borderline burning against the freckled skin of the other boy’s face. To match the bravery the green haired student was unexpectedly showing, Todoroki detached one of his hands from the mattress and placed it onto Izuku’s cheek. His fingers stroked the skin for a bit before moving down to his neck, along it and all the way to his chest where it stopped.

“ Your heart,” Shoto gasped when he could. “Is beating so fast.”

For the first time in a long time Izuku wasn’t scared. He was nervous, he was inexperienced and swimming in waters he might have had no business swimming in, but he so longed to try. Maybe it was the many near death experiences he’d had in the last year, or maybe he’d just grown as a human, but there was something he desperately needed. A connection with someone, something sacred and deep and long-lasting.

“ A-and yours isn’t?” He whispered with a crooked smile, definitely from nervousness instead of confidence, but that did not stop either of them. Todoroki dove back down to kiss him much more fiercely than before, hand slipping from Izuku’s chest to hold his waist.

That kiss changed into another and another, until neither could keep count of how many times they’d locked lips. They became comfortable with it, quickly learning how their mouths would fit the most proper, what angles to use and how long they could go without having to breathe. But they weren’t there to stay in one stage, they were there to experience, to learn, to feel. Carefully Shoto licked his tongue across Izuku’s closed mouth, and the other boy responded with a giggle. As to not discourage his friend, Midoriya opened his mouth just enough to meet him in an even more passionate kiss.

It was hot and cold at the same time, a shiver ran through both boys like a jolt of Kaminari’s electricity. And just as they were about to kiss again, the one on top moved away and sat up. Izuku felt panic surge through him, and he was about to apologise for going too far, when Shoto pulled off his hoodie and threw it on the polished floor. Green eyes studied the building muscle that was now visible thanks to a sleeveless undershirt. It was like looking at a fine Greek statue of some almost forgotten warrior, the shirt did little to hide the boy’s sculpted-like abdomen. But unfortunately Midoriya didn’t have more time to admire the other as two strong arms came to hold him, one by the waist and one by the side of his face. The touch was tender, even if there was unusual heat behind Todoroki’s eyes.

Midoriya wanted to match that look.

“ W-wait. Wait.” He mumbled and propped himself up by the elbows. Todoroki froze for a moment, confused. Izuku had almost forgotten that this was unfamiliar to the dual user as well.

“ I want to take mine off too.” He blushed bright red, even more so than previously, before doing his best to wiggle out of his own shirt. Shoto moved to give him some room.

“ Ah, wait, Izuku let me—.” Todoroki took hold of the hem now successfully pulled over the head of green hair, before pulling upwards. His prize was a shirtless Izuku, who’s tussled hair crackled with static.

“ You…” Shoto let the garment fall from his hands. Izuku felt both incredibly scrutinized and immensely desired as the other boy stared at his scarred torso with his mouth ajar. “You’re beautiful.”

That wasn’t really what he had expected to hear, and Izuku turned so red his ears must have changed colour. He shielded his face with his hands, but somehow managed to find his voice.

“ So are you…”

Todoroki’s left side emitted a cloud of smoke before he wrapped the other in another tight embrace. Skin touched skin, they were chest to chest, beating heart against a beating heart. Surely if they came any closer, they would mold into one singular passionate being with no beginning and no end.

“ Shoto-kun.” Izuku sighed as the other kissed his cheek, then his chin and down his neck like a newborn doe trying to walk for the first time. The green haired boy ran his fingers through the other’s two-toned hair, it was smooth and soft and perfect, exactly like Todoroki. The hand previously caressing the side of his face set itself right next to his right ear, and Izuku turned his head enough to be able to give it a little kiss.  

“ Hm…” Shoto let out a near silent hum. Perhaps the action had amused him, perhaps it had tickled, but Izuku couldn’t be sure. The boy’s other hand moved from his waist, slowly, until it reached the edge of Midoriya’s jeans. He playfully hooked a finger through one of the beltloops and pulled, which made the other flinch. Immediately the finger left its place and a pair of heterochromic eyes came to Izuku’s field of view.

“ I-I’m sorry,” Todoroki frowned as his hand left Izuku’s body. “Are you alright? Forgive me.”

“ Y-yes! I was just startled, that’s all. Don’t worry about me!”

Now though the boy on top looked unsure, like he’d accidentally driven down a wrong road and realized he’d gotten lost without a map.

“ I’m okay.” Izuku assured again. Then he ran his hands across Todoroki’s biceps, fingers traced every curve and line and edge. “I am alright because I am with you. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be or be with. I meant what I said,” He gently pulled the other down into a delicate kiss, which turned into several smaller ones all over his face. “I love you.” He kissed around the scarred side, every part of it with as much love as he could muster. “You’re amazing, Shoto-kun. An amazing person, and you will make an amazing hero.”

Midoriya could only guess what his own face must have looked like, all blotchy, red and gross. But Todoroki looked positively delectable, his eyes shone like diamonds and his lips were blush pink. He was perfect in every way, and Izuku couldn’t understand why the other had chosen him to be the keeper of his heart.

He moved his hand from the taller boy’s biceps and placed it onto his back, where he did his best to run his fingers, and nails, along the length of Todoroki’s spine. It was something he vaguely remembered seeing in a Hollywood romance movie once but couldn’t really remember anything else. Well, almost anything else. In one last move of bravery he raised his legs and hooked them behind Shoto’s lower back, trying to get them to be as close as possible.

The position somehow reminded him of a baby monkey, or a sloth, clinging onto its mother. The mere thought was a bit of a mood killer, but then Todoroki instinctively moved his hips and his mind went blank. In the corner of his eye Izuku saw stars, his thoughts completely seized from existence. Shoto too seemed shocked, his ice cool resolve and brooding mysterious image shattered for a moment as a deep hue of rouge spread across his face. They were both anything but calm, and it was in a way comforting to both.

“ And,” Todoroki licked his lips out of nervousness. “You’re really sure. That you’re okay.”

Midoriya nodded. He hadn’t been this sure about anything in years. Shoto sighed and leaned closer.

“ Then I wish for you to share this life with me. I shall be yours and you shall be mine, forever and a day.” He whispered and placed their foreheads against one another.

“ I do too, I- wait, was that from our play?” Izuku couldn’t help but to laugh. “Were you just quoting the lines?”

“ Yes. I couldn’t think of anything else, sorry.” The other shrugged, but his worried look had been replaced by a shy smile. “But that doesn’t mean I didn’t mean every word I said.”

“ …Shoto?” Izuku reached out to stroke his cheek again. “What exactly are we?”

The boy on top stopped smiling.

“ Well, I like you and you like me. Doesn’t that mean we are dating?”

“ W-we are?!”

“ That is,” Todoroki looked away. “If you’d accept me. As a boyfriend and companion.”

It was Izuku’s turn to wrap him in a bruising hug as he exclaimed.

“ Yes! Yes! Yes, please. I want that. If only you’ll have me even with all my flaws and shortcomings.”

They sat up on the edge of the bed, with the green haired boy leaning against the other’s shoulder.

“ How did it go again? I shall be yours forever and a day?” Midoriya smiled into the embrace. “Forever and a day.”

“ Forever and a day.”

...

The class 1-A theatre group chat pinged. A message from Mina covered most of the notification window.

‘Hey everybody, hope you had a fantastic parade day! Come to the training room number two tomorrow at three thirty after classes. Aizawa-sensei gave us permission to use it for as long as we don’t interfere with other students. We need to start practising together for the performance, there is only three weeks to go. So brush up on your lines, gather your strength and get ready to work hard! If you’re unavailable, message me and we can sort something out. See you peeps tomorrow <3’