Work Text:
Izuku had made up his mind. No matter how much he believed in the Hail Mary, the uncertainty of what had happened to his students would kill him. He needed to stay here, his feet on the ground, and be there for them, no matter what came along.
It would all be fine. Aizawa would summon that distillary worker - Oboro Shirakumo, he remembered - to take the third place on the mission. This was a choice that Izuku was making, that he was allowed to make.
Except, well... it wasn't.
He'd entered Aizawa's trailer to find a Russian bodyguard within. Aizawa introduced her as Private Tsutsumi, said that she was here because, despite the explosion being an accident, the Russians were not taking any chances. He accepted that, even as it put him on edge.
He accepted that, because what other choice did he have?
He told Aizawa that he was staying on Earth. He told him that he was now a teacher, first and foremost, and so he needed to remain where the kids were. And, as he watched, Aizawa's face began to darken.
"Dr. Midoriya," Aizawa said, "You're a coward."
Izuku flinched.
"You just don't want to die. Don't pretty it up by claiming some kind of noble reason."
Izuku took a deep breath. He was shaking, but he needed to stay calm. "Does it matter what my reason is? I said no. I'm not going. You should summon Shirakumo now."
"I will not be doing that."
"...What?"
"Quite frankly, I gave you the option of refusing as little more than a publicity stunt. We don't have time to train Shirakumo. You will be going, Dr. Midoriya."
"No, I won't," Izuku made to stand and leave, only for Private Tsutsumi to level her gun at him. "Seriously? How do you think this is going to go? You can't keep me at gunpoint all the way onto the mission."
"I don't need to," Aizawa said, "We'll just tell Iida and Fukukado that you were nervous, and so asked to be put under early. They won't think a thing of it."
"And when I wake up? How do you plan to make me behave from a completely different solar system?" Izuku's anger grew, melding with his fear. "I'll sabatoge the mission! I will!"
"No you won't," Aizawa stood from his desk, taking a small case out of a drawer as he went. "You won't even remember that you didn't originally sign up for this."
"What are you -" Izuku's eyes went wide, and he tried to bolt out the door again, only for Private Tsutsumi to physically grab him, hold him in place. "What are you talking about? You can't be serious!"
"I will do anything to make sure this mission succeeds, Dr. Midoriya," Aizawa said, "Anything. So say thank you to the French... it is thanks to them that you won't remember a thing at first. And by the time you do... you are familiar with the sunk cost fallacy, aren't you, Dr. Midoriya?"
"You're crazy."
"Perhaps. But, Dr. Midoriya, you said it yourself. You are a teacher. And as a teacher, shouldn't you do whatever it takes for your students? Think of it this way - by going on this mission, you will be saving millions of children. Isn't that enough?"