Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Izuku Midoriya is tired.

It’s been days since the incident with the Sludge Villain. Izuku felt horrible getting in the way of the heroes, as they so graciously reminded him after the fight was over. All Might just seemed disappointed when he looked at him, like wanting to save someone he cares about was some horrible deed. Or maybe he was upset at him for being the cause of him losing the villain in the first place. Izuku doesn’t blame him for that, he shouldn’t have clung onto his leg like that. It was stupid in hindsight. 

He understands. He’s quirkless, saving people is impossible the way he is. He only got in the way.

That day, Izuku gave up on his dreams of becoming a hero.

Going to school only made things worse. People kept on ogling at Bakugo more than normal, while they teased Izuku for trying to ‘play the hero’. He’s frustrated, but also just tired. It’s nothing new.

To apologize to his mom for terrifying her that day, Izuku decided to head to one of their local stores to get her something. She was a sobbing mess when he came home that day and is still fussing over him, so it’s the least he can do.

The people on the street ignore or sneer at him as always, something they did for years now after each store learned he was quirkless. Kind shopkeepers that would give him a small candy or smile when he was younger now ignore or turn him away entirely now. The ones that still let him in now charge more or only sell the damaged goods no one else wants. Inko had to stop bringing him at all by age 6 and shop alone or they had to go out of their way to get normal prices. 

Well, her normal. 

This will always be Izuku's normal. the moment his shoes are noticed or he has to show his ID with the big red Q on it, he’ll be treated differently from everyone else. His normal changed years ago no matter what she says or tries to not notice. She’s the one that refills the medicine cabinet after all, she just never brings up why.

Izuku’s used to it, but it never really gets easier. Perhaps it would be easier to deal with if he had a friend to rant to, or anyone other than his Mom. He loves his mom, but he already puts enough stress on her by raising a quirkless kid who will grow up to be nothing. It’s not fair to her, so he won’t complain.

When Izuku gets to the market, he looks around at the older pastries he got pointed at by the owner. They might be a little stale but still good if he heats them up with a little water for steam. Izuku finds and buys a pack of cupcakes for an unfair price and begins his walk back home, away from the piercing gazes of those who see themselves as superior. It’s a shame, the bakery is really warm and seems friendly from the outside. Everything changes when he’s noticed as quirkless. 

As Izuku walks home, he is so busy looking down at the cupcakes, mentally planning how to get them home without his mom noticing, he doesn't notice the one person that didn't move out of his way to avoid him like everyone else would, as if he was contagious or something.

The man he bumps into is in no way small, he blocks the sun from Izuku's vision and he has to look way up to see their face at all.

Izuku frowns. It’s not entirely uncommon for people to purposefully get in his way to cause issues with him, Bakugo’s friends do it all the time. Still, he’d rather not make enemies with someone as giant as the man he ran into.

“I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to- I’ll get out of your way-“ Izuku takes a step to move past the stranger, but stops when he hears the unmoving man’s words. 

“Green…” The man says, looking down at Izuku to observe him. “Double green, tiny, red shoes... fought a slime?”

Izuku hesitates. “Uhm, y-yes?” He should have known more people would recognize him so soon after the sludge villain attacked him and Bakugo, they were on the news, but he didn’t think about it. “But I wouldn’t say fought, more just getting in the way…”

“Nah, fought it. Won." The large man nods. "Takes guts to fight a bigger opponent. Gotta be smart about it, you were. Pretty impressive... for a noodle.”

Izuku blushes profusely from the compliments and embarrassment for being called a noodle. He supposes compared to this man, he is. He can’t imagine how many years of working out it must have taken to get his level of muscle.

“I-It was just normal deducing. I mean, if you don’t have any effect on the slime, go after other things! The eyes and the teeth are the only other things visible, so it was worth a shot?” Izuku shrugs.

“Clearly more than the heroes thought to do.” The man scoffs. “Bah, the cowards gave up. Death arms is all about the fight but even he gave up.”

“Well… At least All Might was there to save us.” Izuku says softly.

“He could have also hit you or the other kid. Reckless to jump into someone else's fight without at least calling out a warning.” The man crosses his arms. "Liquids don’t compress well when hit, whatever is inside gets a harder hit then if out in air. If he hit with the kid inside, their organs would be hurt from the concussive force needed to splatter it, reckless."

Izuku grimaces. “Maybe, but no one else was able to defeat the villain, so I’m thankful anyways.” He looks down, fidgeting with his hands more from the information the man has given him. Is that why he felt so bad after All Might hit him out of the slime? He thought it was the almost drowning and being a puppet thing. His mom had to take him to a clinic for the slime in his lungs. His wrist was pretty hurt from the second incident too, when All Might held his and Bakugo’s wrists together from the wind he made.

“Shouldn't be thankful someone hit at hostages to get the guy, but whatever.” The man shrugs again before he takes out his phone. “Ah, time got away from me. Time to go now.”

“Ah alright. Have a good day?” Izuku says, smiling awkwardly. The conversation was strange, but a nice strange! He isn’t used to the compliments and honestly, he was expecting the man to call him careless and nothing more, like the heroes did.

That joy doesn’t last long.

“I wasn't talking about me.” The man puts his phone away and suddenly steals the cupcake box. Izuku can’t voice his confusion before the man crouches to grab Izuku around the waist to throw him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes!?!

It takes a moment to process what’s happened. “Wh- hey wait a second!!” Izuku tries pushing himself away and wiggling to loosen the man’s grip.

“Nope. Running late, Boss won't be happy.” The man gets a back fabric bird-like plague doctor mask out of his back pocket and puts it on. 

For a moment, Izuku hears and sees people reacting to the commotion. He looks around desperately, expecting, hoping, someone will come and help him. However, most only look worried and stare for a few moments before they go back to what they were doing. He recognizes these people, afterall, he’s lived in the same area with them all his life. The only ones that seem worried are a few shoppers that he doesn’t recognize, most talking quickly on their phones. Izuku can only hope they are calling the police, but they also don’t try to stop the large villain.

The praise the villain was giving him almost seems like a joke now. Was he just trying to lower Izuku’s guard? But it didn’t feel like the sarcastic compliments he would normally get. 

“No, let go of me!” The boy's heart beats out of his chest as he continues pushing and struggling.

Izuku knows the statistics for people like him. Most quirkless kids die around their high school years for a multitude of reasons, one of which being targeted attacks on them. He remembers being all too curious a year or two ago, and learning he didn’t have long before he’d become another statistic was crushing.

But still, he needs to get home to his mom. He already scared her enough from the sludge villain, he can’t die here! 

The villain doesn’t care for his struggling through, it hardly seems to phase him. “Boss’ orders, little fighter.” The man says, voice slightly muffled in the mask. “Wants to meet you.”

“He w-wants to meet me?! Why?!” Izuku asks in a panic.

“Quirkless. Free of sickness others have, only one we've found thanks to the reporters overhearing that loud blond boy.” The villain carries Izuku to a sleek black car with someone in the driver seat waiting. This was planned.

Izuku whimpers in a mix of confusion and fear, trying to wrap his head around the information given, but no matter how hard he tries, he doesn’t understand. All he knows is that he’s been targeted for his quirk status, and Bakugo is the one who told the world.

He eventually realizes fighting is doing nothing and no one is coming to help him, so he stops struggling in the hopes he won’t get hurt if he complies.

“Don't worry, little fighter, you're the guest of honor.” The villain opens the doors to the backseat and tosses Izuku inside. It's built like a police car with a cage between him and the front, likely the doors only open from the outside too. The cupcakes are tossed on the seat next to him as Izuku tries to situate himself in the seat. The villain shuts the door to head up front before Izuku can even try to do anything.

The other person in the car is a terrifying man in a ragged burlap sack mask that covers his entire head and is held by a rope knot around his neck, like a scarecrow. He is grumbling about being hungry as he looks at the cupcakes in the rear view mirror.

Izuku curls up in his seat, tearing up as he looks at the cupcakes that were meant to be a gift for his mom. He just hopes he will be let go in one piece. 

He doubts cupcakes will be enough of an apology for this. 

He wipes his tears and nervously looks at the other man. “…I-If you want… you can take one?” He offers. It’s not like they’ll be much use to him now.

“Food?” The man seems to perk up at this as the other laughs. 

“Focus on driving first, Tabe.” The large man looks back at Izuku, just as relaxed as he was talking earlier. “His quirk's drawback makes him hungry all the time so we try to keep any eating on a time table. You can still share, but not while we are driving or he might eat the car and us.”

Izuku blinks, wiping away his tears. “I-it makes him hungry?” He quickly tries to redirect his mind on something he knows will be comforting. Quirks. “‘Eat the car and us’…. Does that mean he can eat more than just normal edible food?” Izuku asks sheepishly.

"Yeah." The man, who really should give a name, pats his... friend? Coworker? On the shoulder. "Tabe here can eat anything! Still haven't won any eating contests against him, but it's a good fight every time!" 

"Rappa..." Tabe says, sounding embarrassed at how happy the other man, Rappa, sounds.

“That’s a really cool quirk.” Izuku nods slowly. “If you can eat anything then the possibilities are endless. The only limitations would be if your teeth are like anyone else's, then you would risk breaking your teeth. If you don’t have those limitations though then you could get through anything if there’s something in the way. Plus if you work smart enough you can get rid of any enemies weapons, break out of any sort of containment, you can do a lot, really. Hard to catch someone who can just eat through any obstacle and…. Stuff… yeah.” He blushes when he realizes he was rambling and curls up on himself more.

“Aww, you got a fan, Tabe!” Rappa slaps his own leg amused. “And yeah, his teeth are stronger so no worries, little fighter.”

“Talks fast and smart, like Boss.” Tabe says as he drives (when did they start moving?) farther and farther away from his home.

Izuku is thoroughly embarrassed by the amount of compliments he’s been getting in such a short amount of time. Don’t get him wrong, he’s still terrified, but he doesn’t think kidnappings are meant to be like this. Where are the threats of murder or mocking words of fake encouragement? 

“I just like picking apart quirks… a lot of heroes have weaknesses villains can exploit or things they can do to make themselves stronger that they just don’t think of. As a hero, you want to cover all your bases, so you should know your weaknesses and how to make them not as damaging and generally know what to do when they are taken advantage of in some way.” Izuku sheepishly explains.

“Ahhh, little fighter is a quirk analyst.” Rappa nods sagely. “Pretty good profession, well sought after.”

“It’s just a hobby...” Izuku mumbles. “I didn’t have a quirk of my own so analyzing quirks was the next best thing.”

“Sounded like more than a hobby, little fighter.” Rappa chuckles. “Don't sell yourself so short, you can't afford to lose any more height.”

Izuku blinks.

“…W- Hey! I’m still growing! I could get taller than you someday, you don’t know!” He argues.

“Ha! I look forward to a fight when you get there!” Rappa laughs, but not in the same cruel way the other kids or adults do at school. He is just loud and happy for a villain it seems.

Izuku’s eyes sparkle with a strange feeling, now incredibly conflicted. This is… just really weird. He decides to not speak anymore, or at least not start any conversations, until they get to whatever their destination is. He stays curled up in the corner for most of the ride, looking out the window as they drive to who knows where.

They drive for a long time, past places he recognizes and quickly places he’s never seen in his life, and into an entirely different prefecture even, before they pull up to the gates of a massive traditional looking compound with a symbol of some kind on it. Whatever villains they are, they are powerful enough to not hide in the same way most do. That leaves Izuku far more nervous than he had moments before. 

What if he doesn’t come out of this alive?

Izuku’s phone weighs heavy in his pocket, but he knows not to do anything yet, not in plain sight. He might be able to hide it long enough until he's alone.

“We're here!” Rappa says happily as Tabe gets past the gate and heads to an underground garage. There are guards at the entrance.

“Uhm... where is ‘here’, exactly..?” Izuku asks.

“Welcome to the Shie Hassaika, little fighter! The last Yakuza group in Japan.” Rappa says proudly.

Izuku blinks. “Oh.”

Someone needs to explain to Izuku how he got wrapped up in getting kidnapped by a Yakuza group?!?

“You should feel honored, little fighter!” Rappa says. “Not many can say they met any Yakuza, let alone two high ranking members or the Boss.” 

“Met and lived.” Tabe adds. 

“Ah, true. Met and lived.” Rappa nods as they park.

Izuku holds in any physical or vocal reaction. As terrified as he is, he should try to not show that, right? He doesn’t know what the Yakuza want with him, but showing fear is probably the worst idea. He wipes away his forming tears and squeezes his eyes shut until he can semi-confidently open them again without waterfalls coming out of his eyes. 

“Am I… going to live?” Izuku forces himself to ask, the shaking in his voice obvious despite his attempts at hiding it.

“I hope so! We have a fight when you're bigger, can't do that if you die.” Rappa laughs again, yet it's still not the cruel laughs Izuku is used to. 

“Impress the Boss and you'll be fine.” Tabe says. “Time to get out. Running is useless.”

Izuku assumed as much. Running when he’s already in the Yakuza’s base, surrounded by criminals, sounds like a horrible idea. But how does he even impress the head of the Yakuza? What do Yakuza members like? All he has with him is cupcakes and a bag full of school supplies for crying out loud!

“R-right, okay.” Izuku half considers pulling out his phone and saying his last goodbyes to his mom, but he knows that’s a bad idea. Just do what they say, and maybe he’ll make it out alive?

Unlikely, but he has to try…

Rappa gets out first and stretches, back and knees popping from being in a normal sized car. Tabe gets out and goes to Izuku's door to let him out, eyes mainly focused on the box he has.

The green haired boy climbs out of the car with the pastries in hand. He looks down at the container of four decently big cupcakes. Frowning at the thought of his mother, he opens up the container and takes out a cupcake, offering one to Tabe. “I-I did offer..”

“Thanks.” Tabe nods as he takes it, the mouth of his mask opening to show a quirk changed mouth, much wider than normal and with larger teeth. A mutation that likely made life harder without the eating quirk added to it. 

Izuku tries not to stare, though his quirk obsessed brain is running wild with thoughts. He looks at the container he’s closing instead. 

“I guess.. let’s go?” Izuku asks shyly. He’d rather not, but waiting too long isn’t a good idea.

“That's the spirit.” Rappa is smiling behind the mask.

Izuku bites his tongue to stop himself from mentioning he actually has no spirit right now. “I hope it isn’t weird to bring in a pack of cupcakes inside a Yakuza… headquarters-place.” He mumbles to himself instead as he follows Rappa and Tabe deeper into the compound.

“Heh, we still like sweets and stuff like normal people.” Rappa says in amusement. "We don't just do ‘evil’ things and eat ‘evil’ foods.”

“…Should I have brought evil cupcakes instead?” Izuku jokes.

“Ha! This kid is a riot, Tabe.” Rappa laughs, startling some people they pass not in bird masks. Do the masks show rank?

Izuku weakly smiles. At least his last peaceful moments will be… surprisingly nice. Rappa doesn’t seem to be condescending in his words, which is a nice change of pace. 

Maybe he should be paying more attention to his surroundings, thinking of escape plans, or how to impress the Yakuza boss, but… 

He knows he won’t be able to anyways. He’s not strong or smart or talented in anything. He has nothing to offer the Yakuza, and in the end, that will be his downfall. 

…He’ll just focus heavily on what it feels like to be alive until he is unable to.

They pass a few people that give Izuku double takes as they walk. Either because he is a small kid just walking around, the bright happy cupcakes, or the fact two high ranking members are with him casually is hard to tell. Eventually, they reach a large ornate door. 

The Boss' door.

“Alright little fighter, here it is.” Rappa nods.

“Okay…” Izuku hesitates, but knows there’s no other option. He takes a deep breath before nodding to Rappa.

“Word of advice,” Taba starts as Rappa knocks. “Boss hates germs, so avoid touching him.”

Izuku smiles. “Thanks for the advice, Tabe-san.” He doesn’t seem that bad too, if you forget the fact the man helped kidnap him.

Tabe nods as a bored voice calls them in, Rappa quickly opening the door for them after.

Izuku follows them inside, fidgeting nervously as he looks around the boring looking room. The only thing that stands out is it’s… very clean? It reminds Izuku of a hospital. There's a few medical and quirk books on the desk, but nothing else stands out to Izuku.

Besides the boss himself.

The man behind the desk is a weird mix of casual business man and... exotic bird? Over-the-top plague doctor? His hair and clothes are pretty plain for a world of quirks, but the big fluffy purple boa and ornate leather mask bring out the bird theme he seems to have. 

Do villains always have themes like this? They're like theater kids that went evil.

“We got the little fighter, Boss!” Rappa says, nudging Izuku forward and forcing him back to reality.

The Yakuza leader doesn’t look up from his papers until Rappa calls out. He seems to perk up and looks at Izuku intently.

Izuku tenses up at the attention, but he manages to give a polite, curt bow. 

The Yakuza leader gets up and moves his papers to a folder on the desk before he walks around it to stand before Izuku. He has a good 5 inches of height over Izuku and the sharp gold eyes that look at Izuku as if he were a bug he wants to take apart is not helping the terror of meeting him. 

“Greetings, Midoriya Izuku.” The Yakuza leader says. Izuku’s mouth runs dry hearing his full name. His mom and him watched the news report when they finally had a moment of peace, and not once was his name said. "I am Overhaul, leader of the Shie Hassaikai."

Izuku’s used to this feeling of wanting to cower and run away, but being forced to stand on anyways. He is used to this from the bullying Bakugo and his friends would put him through, the explosions and burns he constantly got, he knows this feeling all too well. However, it's now more terrifyingly life threatening. At least he knew Bakugo wouldn’t kill him, despite the death threats he constantly threw at him. Bakugo couldn’t kill him if he wanted to be a hero. He can’t say the same now. He could die at any moment.  

“Hello… O-Overhaul-sama.” Izuku decides to not focus on however scared he is and just focus on being nice and polite, like always. He doubts he’ll be able to stop himself from shaking in front of the Yakuza when he already trembles just from Bakugo, but he at least can show he won’t back down. So, he makes sure to not break eye contact. Just be the nice, quiet, polite quirkless kid, and maybe he’ll survive.

“How polite, most children are rather rude nowadays.” Overhaul hums and tilts his head in a bird-like way. It would be funny to Izuku if he wasn’t in this position. “Although, with the unfair treatment you receive from the rats out there, you likely have to be polite to everyone. Even if they don't deserve it.”

Shit, he’s gotten caught already. “Ah… k-kind of?” Izuku’s really not sure how to go about this, but maybe making conversation is the best way to go? “B-but there’s also the side of things where if you're too polite, people think you're mocking them or being disrespectful so… you uh, tend to learn what to avoid though.”

“Hmm, true.” Overhaul looks to his two men and waves them away. “You two can go now, clean off the filth of the outside.”

Izuku tries to not panic more than he already is and instead turns to politely wave at them. “Bye Rappa-san, bye Tabe-san...”

“Bye, little fighter!” Rappa waves and leads Tabe out. “Gonna get this guy fed, see you later!”

“See you later…” Hopefully. Once the doors close, Izuku focuses his attention back on Overhaul.

“Now then, Midoriya.” Overhaul goes back to his desk and waves for him to follow. "I'm sure you're wondering why I have you here."

Izuku reluctantly follows the villain, making sure to stay an arms length away. “Yeah... It was uh, not what I expected to happen on a Tuesday afternoon.”

“Have a seat and I can tell you.” Overhaul nods to a normal looking chair for Izuku but it has medical paper over it like an exam seat in a clinic. 

Either he really leans into the medical plague doctor theme, or has a legitimate issue with germs that affects his day to day life. Tabe mentioned it, but most people aren’t this strict with their dislikes, and his words earlier about getting clean is making it seem like the latter. Odd, but he supposed this is Overhaul's area to control, so Izuku won’t judge? He just never expected a villain to have a phobia of germs of all things. 

Izuku sits down and anxiously fidgets as he waits to hear what the point of this all was.

“I suppose the simplest way to say this is that you have a gift the rest of the world needs.” Overhaul starts, the intense look he’s giving not going away. Izuku is finding it very hard to not break eye contact. 

“A... gift?” Izuku fidgets nervously. “I don't think I understand..”

The villain continues. "Quirks are a sickness that I plan to destroy to clean the filth away, clean like it used to be before them." Overhaul states, no joking tone or humor in his voice. "You, Midoriya, are clean from the filth and the perfect example of my goal."

“You want to destroy quirks!?” Izuku’s mind starts racing faster than he can keep up with. “But that shouldn’t be possible, you would have to destroy the entire biology of a person's quirk, which hasn’t happened ever. You have a higher chance of killing the person rather than just getting rid of their quirk. There are quirks that temporarily disable other quirks, but fully destroying quirks is unheard of because of the way they are ingrained in human DNA and not like pre-quirk era fantasy stories where you can just take the powers away-“

Izuku slaps a hand over his mouth and mumbles an apology, less embarrassed this time and more nervous. His mumblings get him yelled at a lot, and he really rather not upset the Yakuza boss.

"You know your quirks." Overhaul says, sounding... impressed? Izuku blinks at him in confusion before letting his hand fall back down to his lap. 

“…W-what I meant was just that it sounds like a near impossible task.” Izuku says sheepishly.

"Exactly, near impossible." Overhaul does the head tilt again. "We found a way."

Izuku’s eyes widened. “You did??” He’s entirely terrified, but he wonders if he’s allowed to be ever so slightly fascinated.

"It still has some... issues to work out to make it permanent unless we undo it, but we can stop quirk factors for up to a day now." Overhaul says.

“That’s-” How does Izuku even respond to this? The thought leaves a cold chill down his back, but he doesn’t want to sound rude either, and it's not like he isn’t curious. “-Incredible in a technological view. Having the ability to disable a quirk for up to a day without it being a quirk’s work is unheard of, and… it does show how close the process is to doing what you want…” He trails off.

"Mhm. We mostly use it to stop Tabe's quirk drawbacks when they get out of hand, but the goal is to stop the quirks of the world." Overhaul says. "Which is why we collected you.”

“Because I was born quirkless...” Izuku looks down at his hands. “I’m a prime example of what you want to achieve…”

"Correct." Overhaul nods. "We also wanted to get you away from the filth and pain from the outside before they killed you like the other quirkless we found, we never got them in time, not before you."

Izuku shifts nervously in his seat. On one hand, the reasons Overhaul is telling him he’s here are weirdly kind? Too kind for the Yakuza, there’s likely some sort of catch. And on top of that, their obsession with causing the world to go back to being quirkless is terrifying because he’s now kind of involved? 

Izuku quickly goes to defend. “I-it’s not all bad! I mean sure, my classmates tease me but what kid hasn’t gotten bullied in school? People don’t respect me but children aren’t usually anyways. Heroes think I’m in the way, and no one believes I can accomplish my dreams, I get charged unfair prices at stores and… I...” Izuku looks down, memories of the treatment he’s faced his entire life making his eyes sting. “…maybe it’s pretty bad...”

"Yes, my men have seen how you are treated when they were researching you." Overhaul sounds like he is frowning behind the mask. "We all have similar backstories due to our own quirk status but you, oh, your treatment was something surprising even to us for one so young and free of sickness."

Izuku fidgets uncomfortably. “No one likes the quirkless… and no one knows how it feels to be one. Being a kid means nothing.” Izuku glares at his hands, resentment he often pushes away suddenly bubbling up. “I’m quirkless before I’m human.”

"Which is a shame, being quirkless makes you human." Overhaul says. "Before the sickness of quirks, everyone was quirkless and the world worked perfectly. Science was constantly advancing, we were exploring space, and finding ways to better the world. Quirkless people did far more than any quirked person ever did. In fact, the obsession with quirks and hero sickness has moved progression backwards ."

Izuku finds himself agreeing quietly.

“It’s so stupid how everyone treats me like I’m glass! As if I’m just some- some weak and frail thing that needs protecting or is in the way. And it's all just because I don’t have a quirk.” Izuku huffs in frustration, a strange feeling of relief appearing inside him. “Quirkless people can be just as strong if we lived long enough to become that strong.”

"That's what I am going to offer here." Overhaul says, his tone of voice more curious as the conversation progresses. "The compound is safe from the outside and can help you grow. It will only get more dangerous from here for you out there, no high schools accept quirkless children, even if they say they do.”

“Oh.” Izuku’s fingers fidget and tap against each other as he remembers the situation he’s in. “I don’t mean this at all in a rude way, but what’s the catch? You're a Yakuza boss so... you’d want to make use of me in some way, right?”

"Smart questions." Overhaul nods. "There would be a few tests to find what makes you quirkless and how to replicate it, but my quirk can undo those in seconds and without scars. The other thing is as a babysitter."

“A… babysitter?” Izuku tilts his head.

"Yes," Overhaul takes a photo from a shelf behind the desk to show Izuku. It has an older man sitting with a little silver haired girl on his lap, they are smiling with two other people behind them. They look like the girl's parents. 

"This is Eri. She is my Boss' granddaughter and was intrusted into my care after he went into a coma and I took over." Overhaul goes on to explain. "I... am not good with children. They are sticky and can carry so many germs. I need someone to care for her, someone that isn't a criminal that would scare her, and younger so she doesn’t get uncomfortable."

Izuku looks at the photo, his expression softening. He’s always had a soft spot for children, they are so full of light and joy, he even remembers begging his parents for a little sibling before his quirkless diagnosis. 

He looks down at the pack of cupcakes on his lap. 

His mom….

His mom would be better off without him, wouldn’t she? She gave up on her aspirations and dreams to help raise a quirkless kid who would likely die before adulthood. She deserved so much more than that. Maybe leaving without saying goodbye is cruel, but there's a chance that if he doesn’t agree, his mom might not even get his corpse to bury. At least like this, there's minimal amounts of pain on both sides, right? 

He misses her already.

“…Alright.” Izuku says softly. “Yeah, I can… I can do that.”

"Glad you agreed." Overhaul sets the photo back before he gets up. "I can show you to your new room and meet Eri."

“Right, okay..” Izuku stands up, breathing a sigh of relief as he realizes he managed to survive.

Overhaul waves for him to follow, and as they walk he keeps a slight distance between them. Most people did that because he is quirkless, but this doesn't feel the same. Overhaul has a very high status, and it's another point to the fear of germs again.

Izuku wonders if he should get a normal medical mask or something. Nothing fancy like the cool bird masks the higher ranking Yakuza have, but he rather not stand out or make Overhaul uncomfortable with his fear of germs. 

That’s something for later him to figure out. For now, he follows Overhaul, at least now less anxious than before and able to focus on the hallways around them. He doesn’t really get the Yakuza vibes from this place, though he supposes it makes sense that the place isn’t decked out in weapons like villains from shows have. It just feels out of place for everything to look so normal.

They get some bows as they pass people that notice Overhaul but no one stops them as they go down the halls. Overhaul leads Izuku to a normal looking wall that opens up to a secret part of the compound that only bird masked people pass them in, even the guards outside the room Izuku is taken to have bird masks. 

Izuku feels horribly out of place for many, many reasons, one right now being the lack of a bird mask. But then again, that might be reassurance to Eri that he’s not a criminal and just another kid that somehow managed to be in this place. He hopes that will be the case at least.

"Move aside, we are here for Eri." Overhaul orders. The guard bows and steps aside, sparing a glance for Izuku but not saying anything. 

Overhaul opens the door to a small room, childrens toys laying around and there are some comfort objects but... it feels more like a cell than a kids room.

Izuku frowns as he peeks inside wondering just how long she’s been in such a limiting environment. He doubts he’ll have much influence here, but maybe he can suggest things to help? Overhaul did say he was bad with kids, maybe he just doesn’t know what kids need?

On a bed in the corner sits the little girl. She seems weary of the two of them, but not fully scared from her pile of blankets and a couple plushies. Her big curious and confused red eyes look at Izuku’s green ones.

He steps inside the girl’s room, but doesn’t get too close to her fortress. He never liked it when people intruded on his safe space, especially when he didn’t know them, so this seems like a safe bet. “Hello Eri.” Izuku says softly. “My name is Izuku Midoriya. It’s nice to meet you.”

"H-hello." Eri’s voice is soft and quiet. "Why... Why are you here?" She glances at Overhaul only for a second, but Izuku notices the fear in her eyes.

“Overhauls hired me to be a babysitter for you.” Izuku says. “I’d basically be watching over you and making sure you're safe.” He explains with a soft smile.

"A... boy nanny?" Eri squints at the new word. He shouldn’t be too surprised, being the granddaughter of a Yakuza boss means she likely had high class versions of things, so nanny instead of babysitter is probably all she had before now.

Izuku chuckles. “I don’t think I would be too different from a nanny, so yeah! Think of it like that.”

"Oh... You don't look like a nanny, you're not old!" Eri says in that ‘offended’ way kids do.

The masked guard snorts, but coughs to cover it up as he looks away. Overhaul just sighs and side steps away from the guard. 

Izuku snickers at Eri’s words and the reactions it caused. “No, I’m not. I’m probably closer to your age then I am to most of the people here.” Izuku explains. “Babysitters are usually around my age actually. We’re different from nanny’s in that way, but it’s also good, cause we can get along better! We can play games and complain about stinky adults.”

Eri wrinkles their nose and nods. "Adults smell like cleaning stuff and American pennies grandpa showed me."

“Exactly. You can complain all you want to me about stinky adults since I am not a sticky adult.“ Izuku smiles brighter. He’s making progress!

Eri giggles softly and wiggles in her nest to get closer. 

A quiet alert goes off behind him, causing Overhaul to check his phone. He looks at Izuku for a moment before nodding to himself, as if deciding things are going well enough for him to leave and the guard closes the door. Izuku perks up at this, now seeing an opportunity to try and get closer with Eri without the uncomfortableness of a Yakuza boss watching. He takes a couple steps closer to her while he talks. 

"Even better, because we're both kids, we both can have a silent agreement to not snitch on each other, yeah?" Izuku says softly. It might be good to establish this sort of trust early on. With them both being kids stuck in the Yakuza, there’s no way they won’t get in trouble or break some sort of rule at some point. He doubts punishments here would be sitting in a corner and thinking about his actions.

Eri tilts her head. "Snitch?" 

“Snitches are people that tell on others and get them in trouble.” Izuku says. “So if we agree not to snitch, we agree to not get each other into trouble. I’ll have your back if someone suspects you of any child-crimes.”

"Ooooh, we can commit crime?" Eri asks, eyes sparkling. "Grandpa said I was too small for crime."

The older generations are talking about crime younger and younger nowadays, huh? “Child sized crime.” Izuku explains. “Like stealing an extra cookie from the cookie jar. Big kid crime will be allowed when you're bigger.”

"Oh, okay." Eri nods and whispers. "Are we committing child crimes? Is that why you asked?"

“Not now…” Izuku whispers back. “But later we can commit some child crimes.” 

Izuku is now standing in front of Eri and her bed, with no negative reactions yet. “Mind if I sit with you?”

Eri nods and scoots over in her nest. It's a little small for Izuku to get in but he’s able to sit down next to the nest, which is the next best thing.

“Thanks.” Izuku smiles and sits down. He looks down at the cupcakes and opens the container. “Actually , the first crime of our friendship...” He takes out and offers her one of the cupcakes.

Eri gasps as her eyes sparkle. "Is that okay?"

“I’m offering! If anyone finds out, you're free to blame me.” Izuku says with a grin.

"But..." Eri frowns. "I don't want you to get in trouble. Overhaul is mean."

Izuku keeps his smile up for her. “That’s very sweet of you, Eri. But well… I think he’d be more upset if I wasted them or let them rot and get all gross.” He shrugs. “Overhaul put me in charge of watching over you, so it’s my job to keep you happy and safe. If he doesn’t like the way I do that, then it’s his fault for not being specific.”

"Hmm… okay." Eri nods. "You are in charge."

Eri reaches over and takes the one Izuku offered. With a seriousness normally seen in a hard task, she takes off the wrapper and proceeds to pull the lower part in half and flip it onto the icing to make a little sandwich, her movements slow and careful to avoid crumbs in her nest.

Izuku only smiles fondly as he watches Eri. 

This isn’t so bad. He can handle spending his days taking care of this kid. He gently pats Eri’s head, careful to not accidentally brush over the little horn on her forehead.

Eri twitches and looks up at him for a moment, staring at him as if she expects him to do something, before she shyly leans into his side and goes back to munching. She seems much more relaxed, and he spends the next few moments in comfortable silence with Eri, allowing himself to slowly process everything that’s happened. He’s tired but strangely happy that he’s here if he can help this kid. Though it probably helps that he hasn’t processed anything that’s happened quite yet.

Eri eventually finishes her cupcake and yawns, rubbing her eyes. Her arm raised allows Izuku to see some small band-aids on her arms that were previously covered by her blanket fort. He frowns slightly, his first instinct to ask what happened, but deciding not to. There are far too many band-aids for comfort, but she also could just be a clumsy kid. He can’t jump to conclusions yet.

“Hm, it is pretty late isn’t it?” Izuku asks, trying to distract himself when he really has no clue what time it is. “Ready for bed, Eri?”

"Yeah.” Eri looks around her tiny room. “Where will you go?" 

“Overhaul said I have a room, so it’s probably separate from yours?” Izuku shrugs. “I don’t think I should leave until he comes back though… that sounds not safe.”

"Oh..." Eri frowns. "You have to go..."

“It’s okay! I’ll be back tomorrow.” Izuku reassures her.

"You will?" Eri asks.

“Yeah! I’m your babysitter for… until further notice.” Izuku smiles brightly.

"Okay..." Eri nods and burrows back into her nest. "I don't like being alone."

“I’ll spend as much time as I can with you.” Izuku says softly, continuing to gently pet over her head. Eri nods and settles into his side more, getting more and more tired until she curls up and falls asleep.

Izuku doesn’t move much, letting the girl sleep on his side while he waits. He can’t imagine being surrounded by adult Yakuza members all the time would be very fun for a young kid like Eri. Little kids need kids their own age, way more toys, really just a lot more than what she has now. He hopes that he can at least help her let out her inner Child Chaos™️ in a way the adults probably wouldn’t be able to.

It's not long after Eri falls asleep that the door opens with a click and who enters is Overhaul again. He looks pretty much the same but there is some blood he is cleaning off his gloves with a cloth that makes Izuku’s face pale.

"Sorry for the delay, there was an issue with some lower level members." Overhaul explains. "It has been dealt with."

“I-it’s alright.” Izuku keeps his voice soft to not disturb Eri. “It gave Eri some time to warm up to me, so it all worked out.” He pointedly avoids looking anywhere near the blood. He needs to remember that the people here are dangerous criminals, he has to be careful.

"Wonderful to hear." Overhaul nods. "I can take you to your room. Rappa will be by later to bring you food, it is too soon to join the others in the cafeteria as they may attack you."

“That’s okay. It will take some time to get used to the new environment anyways, so eating with a bunch of people might be overwhelming.” Izuku would shrug, but then remembers Eri still cuddled against his side. 

Carefully, he leans Eri back and on to her nest. Once he makes sure she doesn’t stir, he makes sure to cover her with her blanket before standing up. “There we go.”

"Hmm..." Overhaul seems to be observing how he acts with Eri with a slight head tilt. "You're very... kind, for someone treated like you have been. Are you not angry?"

Izuku blinks at him. “Angry?”

"The world has hurt you many times, why are you not angry at it? Why are you still kind?" Overhaul asks.

Izuku is silent for a moment, his smile falling. He’s never really thought about it. “If I got angry at the store owner for giving me damaged items or always pricing their things higher for me, would that convince them to change the price?” He looks over at Overhaul. “I do sometimes get angry, but… if I wasn’t kind, I think I would already be dead by now.”

"Hmm." Overhaul nods and leads him out, Izuku following behind. "It's commendable you stayed kind for so long."

“Is it?” Izuku shrugs as they walk through the halls. “It’s just second nature for me.”

"All of us have faced oppression and the cruelty of the world, we are not kind like you. We can be nice enough to each other but that is mostly a necessity for working and living together as an organization." Overhaul points out. "You are just kind to be kind. That is suspicious to us as people always want something."

“Oh.” Izuku nods in understanding. “That makes sense… I think I’m just spineless though. Can’t be mean to people if you don’t have the confidence to be.” He jokes.

Mostly. He mostly jokes. There’s some weight to it.

"Keep the kindness, Eri will need it more than we will. We can just teach you to be mean when you need to be, but don't lose it." 

Izuku hums in understanding, looking at the tall villain curiously. He doesn’t seem too bad now that he’s not fearing for his life as bad. 

Eventually they stop at another cell-like room. "This is yours, it has a shower attached unlike Eri's. She is too young for one alone." Overhaul explains. 

Definitely a new change compared to what Izuku’s used to, but he’ll survive. A cell-like room is better than an actual cell. He walks into the room, but turns to smile nervously at the Yakuza boss and give a polite bow. “Thank you, Overhaul-sama.”

“You’re welcome.” Overhaul nods. "Rappa will be by later for dinner, have a good night, Midoriya."

“Goodnight.” Izuku wakes as Overhaul leaves. The door closes without the lock click like Eri's did. 

That feels odd. Sure, he agreed to stay, but for all Overhaul knows, he could be planning to leave at any moment. Wouldn’t locking the door ensure he couldn’t?

Izuku decides not to question it and waits patiently instead, just in case Overhaul comes back. When he doesn’t, he pulls out his phone to check if anyone’s called or messaged or tried to make any sort of contact with him.

There isn't anything. 

But the full bars of service stare right back at him.

After a long few moments of contemplation, he looks through his contacts and picks a number on the short list. As it rings, he goes into the farthest corner in the room and sits down, setting the cupcake container down next to him. The phone rings for a few times before it picks up and a rough voice answers. 

"Why the fuck do you have my number, Deku!?" Comes Bakugo’s voice.

Izuku tears up. Finally, something he knows and understands. He’s at least used to this.

“S-sorry Kacchan..” Izuku weakly laughs, keeping his voice low and quiet. “I-I know I’m not supposed to call you but Auntie Mitsuki gave it to me for emergencies...”

"What do you want Deku?" Bakugo grouches out. "And why not call the hag? Bother her with your issue."

“I…” Izuku fidgets, trying to give a good enough reason for Bakugo to not hang up on him. “She wouldn’t have a good reaction or be able to think clearly… you can think rationally… so…”

"Spit it out already!" Bakugo snaps.

Izuku tenses up. Bakugo’s yelling already causes spikes of fear, and in such a tense moment, it’s not helping.

“…” What’s even the point of this? Why did he think this was a good idea? Kacchan is the exact thing Overhaul described when they talked. Why isn’t he angry? Why is he begging to be heard and listened to and saved by someone who doesn’t care and never will?

“…Right. Nevermind.” Izuku mumbles. “Thanks for your answer, I guess. Bye Kacchan.” He doesn’t want this to be the last time they speak, so he doesn’t hang up just yet, waiting, hoping he’s wrong. Hoping that Bakugo will say something. He’s gripping onto any last grains of hope that the loud teen will notice something is wrong.

"Whatever. Don't bother me again, Deku." Bakugo hangs up abruptly.

And that’s that. Izuku lets out a weak sob. “...I won’t, Kacchan.” 

He spends a second looking at Bakugo’s contact before shutting off his phone completely. It won’t be any use to him anymore. He knows the police probably wouldn’t try to track his phone, so there’s no point in getting rid of it. Besides, it will stop him from being tempted to check if anyone bothered to check on him.

He’ll only get hurt from the horrible truth he’s been ignoring for years.

With nothing better to do, Izuku heads to the shower to get clean. Maybe a hot shower can help him feel better, wash off the past as he lives his new life.

Chapter Text

Inko likes to think she's a good mom.

Sure, she isn't the best mom. She knows there are many times where she has failed to give her son the best, but she certainly tries to every time. She doesn't question where the new bruises come from, she doesn't ask Izuku too many questions about his day.

She knows where they come from, she knows how his day was. Izuku's increasing frustration when he was 12 at her fussing made her realize it might just be best to comfort him instead of ask questions. The fussing won't change how he's treated, so she gives him some freedom to do what makes him happy.

It's not rare for Izuku to come home quite late, even past midnight some nights. The boy has always preferred to be outside, so she always waits patiently despite her worry. Even after the attack with the sludge villain, as much as she wanted to call him and tell him to come home, she knows he likely needed the time and space to breathe. 

However, passing out at 3 am and waking up at 10 in the morning with not even a note or a text from Izuku immediately made her worry. She tries calling his phone but it goes straight to voicemail. Then she tries calling the school, but he hasn't been marked on the attendance sheets all day.

Her only option is to call her best friend, Mitsuki Bakugo.

Her friend, luckily, isn't one to ignore her calls.

"Inky!" Mitsuki calls out. "What a surprise! What are you calling for?"

“Mitsuki...” Almost immediately the waterworks came out. “Have you seen or heard from Izuku at all…?” Inko manages to ask through her tears.

"Little Zu? No, I haven't. Shouldn't he be at school?" Mitsuki asks, clear worry in her voice.

“He isn’t...” Inko starts pacing around her living room, listing off everything she knows. “He isn’t in school, he hasn’t been marked in attendance all day and none of his teachers have seen him. No text, no note, no anything! Any calls I make are going straight to voicemail too.”

"That doesn't sound like him at all." Mitsuki mumbles before speaking clearly again. "I'll be over as soon as I can, we can go to the police about this. He wouldn't just disappear like this, not when he knows what happens to quirkless kids."

Inko’s heart aches. “Thank you, Mitsuki.” She wipes the seemingly never ending stream of tears. “Can you ask Katsuki if he’s heard anything once he’s home too…? I know Izuku adores your son.”

"I'll ask him." Mitsuki sighs. "Not sure how helpful he'll be. He’s been getting so... brash ever since he started that middle school. He hasn't had any nice things to say about Little Zu for a few years now, but hopefully he'll know something."

“I know…” Inko looks towards Izuku’s empty room. “Izuku is stubborn. I’ll still see his eyes light up when Katsuki is mentioned. If Izuku told anyone what’s happening, even indirectly, it would be him.”

"That is true, he is such a sweet boy. I hope he is okay..." Mitsuki takes a breath. "I'll be there soon, okay? I'll send Masaru to get Katsuki and check with the school about him."

"Thank you so much Mitsuki.." Inko sniffles.

"Of course, Inky." Mitsuki says softly. "You and Little Zu are family, we'll find him, okay?"

"Okay..." Inko nods. "Okay. I'll go get ready too."

"I'll be there soon, Inky." Mitsuki promises before the phone call ends

After the call, Inko cried and cried at the lack of information. Her poor son was nowhere to be found and they were at a loss of where he could be or what to do. But he couldn't have gone that far, right? 

So, she gets dressed and waits as patiently as she can for her friend to arrive. It doesn't take long for Mitsuki to arrive, likely breaking some speed laws, to get to the apartment and knock on her door. Inko, who had been waiting by the door, swings it open and throws herself into Mitsuki’s arms.

"Oh Inky." Mitsuki mumbles, holding her friend close. "I got you."

Mitsuki holds her for a while as Inko tries to pull herself together. She’s not sure she could make out any words with how strong the urge to burst into tears is. Inko eventually lets go of Mitsuki and steps aside so she can come in and they can figure out their next steps.

"I'll make us some tea, okay?" Mitsuki says. "Maybe something in his room will be a clue or hint."

"I looked in there, but there was nothing." Inko says sadly. "Nothing new or out of place.”

"Maybe some fresh eyes can help? It wouldn't hurt, at least." Mitsuki suggests.

"Yeah, you can." Inko smiles weakly at her, thankful for the help in any way.

"Okay." Mitsuki nods and leads Inko to the couch. "I'll get that tea and look."

Inko gets far too antsy just sitting on the couch and drinking tea. It feels wrong to sit there and not help, so eventually, Inko places her cup down on the kitchen counters and goes with Mitsuki to Izuku’s room. Since she’s already looked, she goes on her phone searching to see if she can find anything on a missing kid, or really anything that could be related to his son's disappearance. 

Mitsuki blinks at all the All Might merch in Izuku's room but can see where he is packing stuff away from the empty spots on shelves and on walls where the colors are darker. She wonders what made him start putting away his collection.

"Hey Inky, why is he packing? It looks like he hasn't changed this stuff out in years." Mitsuki asks as she looks around, checking under things for keys or notes he could hide.

Inko looks over to the sound of her voice. "He's been doing this ever since... him and Katsuki got attacked by the sludge villain." She sighs. "He said it felt childish... I tried asking him if anything happened but he wouldn't tell me."

"Hmm, it did look like those heroes were yelling at him on the news report..." Mitsuki says. She spots an 'analysis' notebook on a shelf and coos at it. 

"Aww, I remember this. He had Masaru and I in here in crayon with you." Mitsuki starts flipping to find her entry. "It was so sweet, he called you his favorite hero for your title if I remember right."

Inko smiles with a mix of sadness and fondness. "Oh, he's so sweet.. that boy deserves the world."

"Mhm." Mitsuki goes to not but stops, finding a loose paper in the book. "Oh no, I think a paper fell out. I hope I didn't do that."

Inko, now feeling too restless again, walks over with Mitsuki and plucks out the paper, handing it back to her. "I'm sure it's fine, he has a lot of these notebooks and has had most of them for years, I wouldn't be surprised if some of the pages are loose."

"I guess. Let's see if I can find where this goes." Mitsuki starts to read the paper before she stops and flips it to the back. "Hey Inky, this isn't about a hero... I think it's a diary entry?"

Inko blinks. "A diary entry? I... don't remember him ever using a diary..."

"Hmm." Mitsuki loosely closes the notebook and taps it against her other hand to shift out any other loose papers. Two pop out at random spots and she pulls them out to give a quick glance over. 

"These are both dated different years from each other and the first one. This one is marked for last month too." Mitsuki looks back to the shelf of notebooks with a frown. "You don't think..."

Inko hesitates for a moment before going into one of Izuku's drawers and pulling out another book. After shaking it for a moment, two more papers fell out. She picks them up and silently looks at Mitsuki.

"Okay, little worrying off the bat." Mitsuki says cautiously. "Maybe it will be cleared up when we find them all? There can't be that many books in here... right?"

Inko laughs, reaches back into the drawer, and picks up a stack of many, many books and places them on the bed. There have to be at least 15.

"...Damn. Your kid sure can write." Mitsuki shakes her head amused and opens the first notebook again. She starts checking page by page. "Might as well get started."

Inko sighs and sits down on the bed, getting one of the books from the pile and beginning their search.

They look through all the notebooks and even normal books just to be sure, and find a total of 12 papers ranging from age 10 to this year. From just a quick once over, none of them are happy entries. Once laid out on the bed they are organized by date. The most recent entry must have been right before his disappearance, judging by the date, two days ago.

"I can check the newer ones?" Mitsuki offers. "It might not be good if he has hidden them and I don't want to stress you more, Inky."

Inko shakes her head. “No… no because if it’s something important I need to know.” She takes a shaky breath. “At least give me the rundown?”

"Okay." Mitsuki nods and picks one up near the middle to read it, cringing at the tear water marks on it. "Hmm... oh." 

Mitsuki gets a saddened look. "The other kids at school have been bullying him... looks like the teacher ignored it happening in class or... encouraged it... quirks get used often...."

Inko frowns once she reads through the older ones, which spell out a similar story. "...The bullying was always common. No matter how many times I addressed it to teachers or the principal, it went ignored." She sighs. "I guess it hasn't gotten better."

"How could teachers allow this to happen? Bullying is bad enough, but this... this is breaking the law!" Mitsuki growls and scans a few more, most of the same with progressively worse and worse attacks by students. She freezes seeing her own son's name. She hesitantly picks up the paper and reads.

"...'Kacchan hit me with his quirk today. The teacher announced our test scores and I forgot to get questions wrong because I was so tired from watching underground hero videos for my notebooks... It meant my score was higher than his... I was accused of cheating because a... a Null couldn't be as smart as the other students. That's what the teacher said. Kacchan didn't like my better score, cheating or not '..."

Inko stares wide-eyed at Mitsuki, completely frozen as she takes in what she read aloud. Against her better judgment, she takes the paper from Mitsuki and reads it. 

“…Izuku…” Inko covers her mouth in disbelief as more tears form in her eyes.

Mitsuki wraps an arm around Inko and gives a squeeze. "We'll go after the school for this, they can't treat Zu this way or let kids do it for them. I'll... I'll even tell about Katsuki's involvement as well. I raised him better than... this."

“I’m so blind Mitsuki…” Inko sobs. “I knew he was hurting, I knew things were getting worse, but I didn’t think… he would never talk about it and I didn’t want to make him feel worse …” So many ‘what if’s’ are running through her mind as she realizes how she should have been much more persistent. Her son was hurting, and she did nothing.

"Inky no," Mitsuki hugs her tighter. "He hid things from you. Zu is the smartest kid we know, If he didn't want us to know how bad it was we... likely would never have learned about it until we looked in the books."

Inko hugs Mitsuki tight as she sobs. “I-I know your right but… I can’t stop blaming myself...”

"Inky..." Mitsuki says softly, holding her friend as she cries.

“I’m so sorry, I’m a mess, Mitsuki.” Inko says softly. “Thank you for being here.”

"Hey, it's okay to be a mess. You have every right to be a mess right now, okay?" Mitsuki says, pulling away a bit to hold her shoulders and get the grieving mom to look at her. "And remember what I said in high school? 'You're my mess, for forever you big cry baby'. I meant it when I said that."

Inko shakily laughs and weakly smiles at her. “I know you did...” She’s always a mess, but with Mitsuki, at least she can hold herself together for a little bit longer.

"Want to read the rest?" Mitsuki asks softly. "It's dated yesterday."

Inko simply nods, giving Mitsuki permission to let  go so she can get the papers to read easier.

"Okay, this might be the hardest so..." Mitsuki takes a breath. "So let's do our best to read it."

Mitsuki was right, it was the hardest one.

‘Kacchan found out I wanted to go to UA the other day. He got angry, more than usual. He always uses his quirk against me but today he exploded one of my books and told me if I wanted to be a hero, then I should… ‘take a swan dive off the roof’ and ‘hope for a quirk in my next life’. 

The rest of the day was just as bad. I got attacked by a sludge villain. All Might saved me but I distracted him and made him lose the villain by asking if I can be a hero. I knew the answer, but maybe I was hoping he, of all people, would say something different. He left me on the roof of a building. 

I considered it. 

Later, Kacchan was attacked by the same villain. I tried to get him out of it but I think I only got in the way. The heroes yelled at me afterwards and so did Kacchan when I was walking home. ’

When I came home, mom was sobbing. Kami, I feel so bad. I worried her so much, though when don’t I? She seems even more worried that I'm packing my All Might stuff. 

It doesn’t matter much, I still think heroes are cool, I’m just being more... realistic now. I wouldn’t have lived long enough to be one anyways. I want to apologize to her for everything. Maybe I can get her some pastries, like cupcakes or something? I know one of the markets will sell me good ones, even if it is more expensive than normal.

…yeah, that’s a good idea. I’ll get mom some cupcakes tomorrow. ’

Mitsuki had frozen at the part of her son, her own child, telling Izuku to end his life. She couldn't believe he would say something so vile so... so villainous and claim he wanted to be a hero? ‘ The best of the best ’?? Who told him that was what heroes did!? It wasn't her or his father, that's for sure!

Inko managed to read through all of it, if only because she forced herself to. She just couldn’t believe it. She considered the Bakugos family, and they feel the same towards them. And Inko knows how much Izuku adores Katsuki, even through all of this. Katsuki smiled at her and called her ‘Auntie Inko’ while doing this to her son.

There’s sounds by the front entrance, and Masaru’s voice calling out. “Inko, Mitsuki, we’re here!”

Fire seems to light up in Mitsuki's eyes and she looks ready to go out there and rip her son a new one after she hears his grumbling in the halls. Inko grabs Mitsuki's hand before she can do anything. 

"Mitsuki... please, let's see if he heard anything from him first." Inko's angry too, but she needs to know.

Mitsuki takes a deep breath and lets it out harshly. "Right. Okay, I- I can keep it together. For Zu."

“Thank you, Mitsuki...” Inko gives her another moment to breathe before walking with her to where the others are.

Katsuki is putting on the guest slippers with little explosions they had the last time he visited as a kid, they had bought them a size too big online but kept them on the slipper rack so they fit now. Izuku asked to keep them there in case Kacchan ever visited, and now he isn’t here to see he was right, they do fit.

Inko wipes her tears to try and remain as calm as possible as she sees them. She can be angry later, she just needs to know. 

“Masaru… Katsuki.” Inko smiles shakily at them before looking at the youngest blond. “Katsuki… did Izuku at all call, text, in any way contact you yesterday?”

"The nerd? Yeah, wouldn't tell me what it was he wanted." Katsuki huffs.

"...What did he say?" Inko asks.

"I asked how he got my number and he said you gave it to him for emergencies." Katsuki looks at his mom. "Asked what he wanted and he kept stuttering until he said nevermind and the call ended. Woke me up so I back went to bed"

"Did it ever occur to you that he was calling for an emergency ?" Mitsuki asks, barely restrained anger in her voice that surprises Katsuki and his dad.

"Okay, wait," Masaru steps up. "What's going on, is Izuku okay?"

Inko tearfully shakes her head. "He's missing... He's been missing since yesterday and no one can get ahold of him..."

"What?" Katsuki asks. "He sounded like always on the phone." 

"Terrified and about to cry?" Mitsuki asks harshly.

"He isn't here, Katsuki." Inko, although having much better control of her tone and temper, is audibly frustrated at the blond teen and for the first time in front of him. "Every call goes straight to voicemail, there's no note, letter, nothing, and he isn't at school. You're the last person he called."

"Me!?" Katsuki says in surprise. "Why didn't he call you, his mom?" 

"Considering what you said to him a few days ago, I wonder the same thing." Mitsuki huffs. 

"Wh-" Katsuki blinks in surprise.

"Swans, Katsuki. Swans." Mitsuki growls out, making her son go pale.

"I don't know or care what you think of my son, Katsuki, but that boy adores you. Kami knows I don't know why now." Inko's crying, but her eyes aren't filled with sadness, but rather anger. Rage. She's never looked this way in front of Katsuki. "He's looked up to you for years, he cares so much about you that he'll ask me to text Mitsuki when you're out of school or have a visible injury. He wanted to be a hero with you because he sees you as someone who is destined to be one."

She wipes her tears. "Izuku is smart, he knows how anyone else would have reacted if he was in danger. He knows I would have panicked, he knows Mitsuki would have jumped the gun. He called you because he knows you're smart too, he knows you could have figured out what to do better than us, and he trusts you-! "

Inko clenches her teeth and squeezes her eyes shut. She takes a deep breath. "...I'm finishing that tea before I say something I'll regret." She turns around and leaves for the kitchen without a second of hesitation.

Mitsuki gives her son a glare before she heads to check on Inko and make sure she is okay. Bakugo is still pale as a ghost and looks worried by his dad.

Masaru looks concerned and conflicted, eventually patting his son's shoulder. “Just… wait here, okay? I’ll get more information to give to you. See if you can call or text Izuku.” He goes to follow the two, leaving Katsuki alone.

"Right... Yeah." Katsuki nods, getting his phone out and unblocking Izuku's number. There’s no missed calls from the night when he was blocked, no texts either. The severity of this situation finally sets in and weighs heavy on Katsuki.

He huffs as he sends out texts; asking where Izuku is and that his mom and Auntie Inko are worried.

But the messages stay on delivered. No matter how many minutes pass, they don’t get any response, they don’t even get read. Izuku is an early bird, always doing so much so early on in the day. If he had his phone on him and was awake, he would have responded by now.

Katsuki even goes so far as leaving voicemails, still as rough as always when he talks but you can hear the worry growing as more and more get left.

The adults talk and plan what police station they should go to and which is more likely to even do anything about a missing quirkless kid. They’re not trying to be quiet about it, so Katsuki can hear clearly.

Izuku is radio silent after an hour of constant attempts at contacting.

Katsuki isn't sure what more he can do now, he left the messages and calls but Izuku just never even read them. He always at least reads a message, Deku hated the little red alert dot because it messed up his phone background.

Eventually, Masaru comes back to where he left Katsuki. “Did you get anything?” He asks.

"No. Not even a 'read' on my texts." Katsuki says quietly. He bites his lip and taps his phone on his hand to keep from fidgeting or sparking his quirk.

“Breathe, Katsuki, we’ll find him.” Masaru says softly. “Come on, we’re heading to the police to report him missing.”

"...Will they even help?" Katsuki asks quietly.

"If we're lucky, we'll work with someone who will." Masaru responds. "It's better to try than to give up."

Katsuki hesitates. "Yeah." He nods and puts his phone and hands in his pockets as he moves to his dad's side. His mom doesn't seem... accepting of him being near her right now.

“Come on, we’ll wait for them in the car.” Masaru leads Bakugo out, nodding to the two mothers before making their way outside. Katsuki follows, looking confused and uncharacteristically guilty. Last time they saw this was when his quirk first came in and he kept sparking by accident and hurt Izuku. 

Masaru enters the back of the car with Katsuki, after a few moments of silence, Masaru sighs. 

“Do you want to talk, Katsuki?” There surprisingly isn’t any anger in his voice. Just gentle concern.

"I... I don't get it." Katsuki says, frustrated confusion in his voice. "All our Sensei said I was doing good ... that all of us were doing what we were supposed to... were our Sensei wrong?"

“…Katsuki,” Masaru sighs. “You told Izuku to kill himself. Does that really sound like something good?”

"...I thought sensei would have stopped us if things went too far." Katsuki has to make some small sparks in his hands to stop the build up of sweat from getting dangerous. "They never told us what 'too far' even was and said similar things, so..."

Masaru sighs. “You did bad things, Katsuki.” He says bluntly. “What you did to Izuku was cruel and undeserved. You will be facing consequences for these and when Izuku is back, you're making it up to him. But, the school should have been reprimanding you and your peers. Your teachers should have never let the bullying go on for so long, let alone letting it start at all.”

"I thought teachers were supposed to be an example and stuff." Katsuki says, confused. "The whole reason we go there is to learn how to act and do things. Teachers can lie?"

"Everyone lies." Masaru says. "Some people lie worse than others. Sometimes it's because they don't know they're lying, other times they just don't care." 

“Oh…” Katsuki says quietly.

"Do you know any of the statistics for quirkless people?" Masuro asks, keeping his voice calm.

"No... the yearly discrimination class never covered it and the teachers never included them in the paper on it." Katsuki says.

"20% of the population have quirks, yeah? But that statistic changes depending on what country you're in. Countries closer to China tend to have a lower quirkless population. People believe almost 2% of Japan's population are quirkless." Masuru takes a deep breath. It was always hard to talk about this sort of thing knowing Izuku's status. "Out of that 2%, Its said that 1 out of 10 quirkless individuals, teens especially, die from suicide."

"...Oh..."

Masuru nods and continues.

"85% of quirkless individuals are victims of some sort of crime because of their status, though it's estimated that the number is higher because certain crimes are never reported or people are too scared to speak up." Masaru explains. "...60% of quirkless children and teens are killed or kidnapped, almost every single one aren't coincidences either, they're targeted attacks." 

Masaru looks back at Katsuki to make sure he's okay.

"Do... Do you think he was taken?" Katsuki asks quietly.

"It's more likely than him running away." Masaru says gently. "He had diary entries he hid away, not a lot but the most recent one was from two days ago, before his disappearance. He wrote that he wanted to get Inko something to cheer her up, so him running away or... commiting suicide isn't likely."

"What..." Katsuki swallows his nerves. "What do kidnappers... do with quirkless kids?"

“It… depends on what they want..” Masaru grimaces. “Sometimes they’re used in villain organizations to do dirty work, some are In illegal trafficking rings… it’s… not anything good.”

"But... we're kids." Katsuki says, looking horrified.

“It doesn’t matter to them, Katsuki. Especially if they’re quirkless.” Masaru sighs. “Even most heroes don’t care enough to pick up cases with missing kids if it’s known they are quirkless. It’s why your teachers were okay with the treatment towards him. They don’t care.”

"Those are shitty heroes!" Katsuki looks offended someone can call themselves a hero and ignore people.

“And that would have been you with the way you were going.” Masuru says seriously.

"..." Katsuki opened his mouth to deny it. Say how he is going to be the best and a great hero, but finds himself pausing, looking lost and confused as he remembers why they are talking in the first place. He was just doing what the teachers, people in authority, said to. He's supposed to listen to them, told him was fine to do it. Encouraged it even, ever since elementary! But, finding out they were all wrong... that they lied to hurt Izuku...

"Dad I..." Katsuki squeezes his hands into fists and turns away, his eyes filling with tears. "I think I messed up."

“You did.” Masaru’s hand ruffles Katsuki’s hair. “But when we find Izuku you're going to apologize and do everything in your power to make it right.”

"Yeah." Katsuki nods, sniffling and rubbing his eyes roughly.

Not long after, the two others, after thoroughly searching Izuku’s room for any other information one more time, finally get in the car. They start their drive to one of the only police stations that might actually have a chance of helping them.

Katsuki stays quiet in the backseat with his father, looking down in shame.

The car ride feels too long and too silent, but no one dares say a thing. After far too long, they arrive at the police station and everyone shuffled out.

"Okay," Mitsuki says. "Let's hunt down a bastard that will help us."

—

The police station really had no reason to know what to expect that day, though, they kind of asked for it by risking upsetting the loud blondes.

The front desk clerk is just trying to not get noticed as the only free officer they had called over to take a case is arguing with two blond civilians, they look near identical if they weren't different genders and ages. The officer was doing so well until the quirk of the victim was mentioned and they said something to insult the family and anger them. 

The officer looks to be losing the battle of wills, to the older blond that looks ready to rip him apart with her bare hands and not even struggle with it.

That’s ironically enough when Detective Tsukauchi decided to come back from his lunch break. He blinks at the scene in front of them, half considering not getting involved before realizing he really should break this up before his co-worker is his newest case. He sighs as he approaches the yelling blondes and the officer. 

“Excuse me, but can I ask why you're verbally assaulting one of my co-workers?” Tsukauchi asks, not yet judging either side.

"This fucker says he won't 'waste resources' on our kid because of his quirk status!" The older female blond says, looking at the officer with an honest to Kami growl that makes him step back nervously. The secretary is trying their damnedest to fade into the background and not get yelled at too as they are stuck next to the officer.

Tsukauchi keeps a professional facade on, but he’s judging the officer so hard right now. He knows some of his fellow officers are discriminatory, but that’s unfortunately not something he can do much about. 

“Okay, why don’t you follow me into my office and you can give me more details?” Tsukauchi offers. The most he can do is get these sorts of cases away from his coworkers and take them on himself.

"Sure, you don't seem like a guy with a punchable face." The older blond... compliments(?) as she walks over to him with her mini clone, a calm looking man that was just standing there, and a woman with striking green hair. Interesting group today at least? 

“Follow me.” Tsukauchi leads the group back further into the station until he reaches his office and holds the door open for them. 

“You can drag those extra chairs over.” Tsukauchi suggests. The man and mini clone do so as the ladies take their seats and get out a packet of papers. Possible evidence, so Tsukauchi sits down on the other side of his desk and opens one of the drawers to take out gloves, a camera, pen and paper, and an audio recorder. “Do any of you mind if I record this conversation? It makes it easier for note keeping in the long run and ensures nothing you say here can be taken out of context.”

"Record away." The older blond says. "We cuss like sailors but will try to hold it in."

Tsukauchi hits record. “Can you state your names before we go over what happened to the kid you mentioned?”

"Bakugo Mitsuki, that's my kid Katsuki and husband Masaru." Mitsuki says, pointing at them. "And this is Inko Midoriya, the mom of the kid we're here for, Izuku."

Tsukauchi nods and writes down their names, preferring to have both a physical and digital file of notes. “Alright then, explain the situation for me, please.”

"Alright, hope you don't mind me talking the most." Mitsuki says. "It's... rough and upsets Inky."

Tsukauchi looks at Inko to confirm, she nods. “It... will be easier for Mitsuki to explain.”

“Alright then, go ahead.” Tsukauchi says.

Mitsuki nods, taking a breath. "Inko has a son named Izuku Midoriya, sweetheart of a kid and smart as hell. But, he's quirkless and people have been... hurting him at his school and at shops. He hid it from us, even when things went physical and he got scars from it." Mitsuki holds out the papers to the detective, who takes them after putting on the gloves and puts them off to the side next to the camera.

"We found these in Izuku's quirk analyst notebooks. They’re diary entries he hid away that talk about the bullying at around 10 to the blatant assaults happening at school now. While horrifying to find and read, that's not why we're here." Mitsuki says.

Tsukauchi nods at Mitsuki to continue.

"The last entry for the papers was yesterday, he mentioned going out for cupcakes for Inko as a gift. He... he never came back, he never went to school today, he's not even reading texts, and all calls go right to voicemail like his phone is off or has no signal. We're worried someone took him because he is quirkless and the news report said that for everyone to hear days ago."

Tsukauchi nods after writing everything down. “These are routine questions, so bear with me here. Is there any reason Izuku would want to run away from home and is there anyone he could have possibly gone to? Friends, family members?”

"No, his papers state very clearly that he had no friends at school. Barely anyone considered 'safe' at all except the janitorial staff that helped him If he got locked in closets or to clean slurs off his desk." Mitsuki says bitterly. "And his only family besides Inky is a dad that dipped to America years ago. Haven't heard from the bastard in the same amount of time."

“Can you describe the kids general appearance and anything you might have remembered him wearing?” The detective asks.

Inko decides to speak up this time. “Green hair, green eyes, he has four freckles in the shape of a diamond on his cheeks, kind of baby faced? He’s fourteen. I’m… not sure what he was wearing at the time except his red shoes.”

Tsukauchi focuses on jotting everything down before allowing himself to stop and think. “...Green hair, green eyes, freckles…” He taps his pen against his desk for a moment before picking up a phone and pressing a couple buttons to connect him to the secretary. “Can you send the tourist reports that were called in yesterday to my office? The ones about- yeah, okay, thanks.”

"You recognize him?" Mitsuki asks.

“We got calls for a similar description yesterday.” Tsukauchi explains. “Suspected kidnapping in a public market-area.”

"Kidnapping?" Katsuki asks, looking pale.

There’s a knock on the office door before it opens. The secretary enters and passes a small file before the detective nods, and they leave again. Tsukauchi opens up the file and takes out a semi-blurry photo and shows it to them. 

“Is this him?” Slightly blurry or not, it’s very easy to see Izuku seemingly struggling and fighting against a large man who has him over his shoulder.

"Zu!" 

"Deku!"

The two blonds gasp out at the same time. 

"Why is no one stopping him?" Katsuki asks. "Plenty of extras in the background are just watching."

"You know why, brat." Mitsuki says with a huff. "He's quirkless so they won't help. Do we know who that is taking him?"

"We don't. There were no pictures taken of the man's face and no one has a good description, from the people we spoke to it seems he was wearing a mask that covered the entirety of his face." Tsukauchi explains. "A few people reported seeing him get thrown into a black car, but that's where our leads end."

"Was the mask significant at all?" Mitsuki asks. "We work in fashion and a lot of villains have themes."

The detective looks through the file. "According to this, it was a black and white, bird-like plague doctor theme?"

"Hmm, I haven't heard any villains in the area with a mask like that, but it certainly sounds like a team theme." Mitsuki says. She pulls out her phone to Google the other areas of Japan. "If they are confident enough to kidnap someone in broad daylight, they are either big and powerful or dumb."

"There's also a chance they’re smart and powerful. Kidnapping a kid in a public area, broad daylight, surrounded by people isn't a good idea." Tsukauchi sighs, "But if you take into account the mask, the fact said kid is quirkless and the people in that area knew it, and that they knew where to look for him at all, isn't a good sign."

Inko whimpers after hearing this and Mitsuki stops googling to hold her.

The detective writes more stuff down. "I'll have some of the officers here and in the other prefectures keep an eye out for anyone with a similar theme. Nothing else about the case or the kid will be mentioned unless necessary, so you don't have to worry about quirk statuses affecting their cooperation."

"Thank you." Mitsuki says. "Zu is a good kid, he doesn't deserve the shit he deals with." 

The youngest Bakugo, Katsuki, looks to be thinking about something.

Tsukauchi nods. “I tend to take on quirkless cases more than others, so I know how to get the people we need to help.” He reassures them. “Is there any other information any of you have that could be relevant to this case? Even if you're unsure, it could be useful.”

"...maybe." Katsuki says, the others turning to look at him.

“Go ahead.” The detective nods.

"De- the nerd had notebooks, like she said." Katsuki nods at his mom. "Quirk analysis on heroes; weaknesses, strengths, gear, everything he could learn and make theories on. He always had at least one on him all the time, if a villain got even one..."

Tsukauchi hums. “Is it possible we can have someone fetch one of these notebooks to look through? You're correct in thinking that could make him a target, especially depending on how accurate and detailed the notes are.”

"I think I grabbed one." Mitsuki says. "Inky, can you check your bag?"

Inko looks through it for a moment, her shaking hands making it hard for her to focus before finally finding it and handing it to the detective. It’s number 11.

While reading through a few pages, It doesn't take long for the detective's professional, calm persona to slip for a moment. "...How old is he again?"

"Fourteen?" Inko responds.

"This... is a scary amount of detail." Tsukauchi says quietly. "Well, we have a potential motive now." He quickly puts the book aside for evidence and writes more notes down.

"You think they might use him to go after heroes?" Mitsuki asks.

“It’s possible.” Tsukauchi says. “Not only because of the detail, but.. he has heroes in here some of the public don’t usually know of, let alone with this much detail. Underground heroes are what they’re called. We’ll keep an eye on any attacks on heroes that may occur to try and find a connection.”

"Poor Zu." Mitsuki says. "He loves heroes, having his work used to hurt them..."

“It might take a while, especially if the kid has resilience.” Tsukauchi gives a somber look to the group. “But if they have something hanging over his head, they might be able to force him to help them.”

"There's us, but we're all he really has." Mitsuki says.

"Nerd will protect other kids." Katsuki says, looking at the floor sadly. "No matter who it is he has to go against, if there is another kid, he'll do anything to protect them. ...it's what a hero would do." Masaru frowns and pats his son's tense shoulder.

“We’ll do what we can to find him.” Tsukauchi swears. “You’ve given us a good amount of information to start off with. We’ll keep you updated if we get any new leads.”

"Okay. Thank you." Mitsuki gives him a serious look. "We didn't have much hope our case would be heard at all, so you actually going to try and find him means a lot to us."

The detective turns off the recorder and sighs. 

“I can see why. All the odds seem to be stacked against you, but there are a few of us who work and specialize with quirkless crimes.” Tsukauchi smiles at the family. “Izuku Midoriya’s case has more information than a lot of other ones we get, this is a good thing. The more information we have, the easier he will be to find.”

"The worry for hero safety probably helps, as bad as it sounds." Mitsuki says.

"Other authorities and heroes will start paying attention once heroes safety is at risk. It's cruel, but we can use that to help get the kid back and keep the heroes safe, so it's fine." Tsukauchi shrugs.

"What about school?" Katsuki asks. "They did, and let, a lot of fucked up things happen."

"A couple other detectives that also support the quirkless can start searching and building up a case against the school. Our main priority will be finding Izuku, but we'll make sure to focus some of our attention on this as well. Once Izuku is found, it will be easier to fully conduct investigations." Tsukauchi says.

"Okay. That... that's good." Mitsuki takes a breath and puts an arm around Inko. "I take it we are done for now? Not sure what else we can tell you the papers won't."

“Yeah, we’re done.” Tsukauchi grabs a few business cards and after checking his notes, writes a couple numbers and letters down on each of them. “Text this number with your names and the case codes I wrote out on the back. I’ll keep you updated on our progress and request a meeting if anything big comes up.” He hands the cards to them.

"Okay, thank you." Mitsuki takes the cards and passes them on to the other adults. "Come on, Inky. Let's get you to our place. You're not staying home alone tonight."

“Oh thank you, Mitsuki...” 

The group makes their way out of the police station while Tsukauchi looks at his physical copy of notes and sighs. Hopefully this kid won’t be just another statistic, but others haven’t always been so lucky.

But at the same time, others also haven't had two pages worth of notes on the most recreative underground hero there is. Eraserhead might want to know about this and would be a great help on the case.

Chapter Text

Would you count this sort of situation as a dream, or a nightmare? Izuku is unsure, all he knows is that he went to sleep hoping to wake up in his bed.

Instead, he wakes up in an unfamiliar, cold, cell-like room. 

Izuku curls up against the blankets and pillows as he does his best to not tear up again. He had cried himself to sleep after trying so hard to not cry in the shower or when receiving food. He wants to cry more, but being a crybaby probably won’t help his chances of survival. He has to at least try to keep his emotions stable.

The maybe-prison cell is empty of any personality, the blandness not helping with how jaring things are compared to his home.

…Former home, anyways. Even the worst guest room had a little life in it compared to this. This is just...

Sterile .

A lot of what this place and Overhaul seems to be is sterile, not unlike a hospital. Compared to his old bright and hero-merch filled room and the warmth there, this is unsettling. He hopes Eri didn't have to deal with it for too long before she got her nest of pillows, blankets, and toys.

Oh, right, Eri. He probably can't leave his room until given permission, the warning Overhaul gave about the Yakuza members trying to kill him probably rings true still. But he can still get ready for the day? Mentally at least. 

Izuku reluctantly gets out of bed and immediately goes to the bathroom to splash water in his face. He's convinced himself to get up, now he has to stay up.

After walking out of the bathroom, his eyes landed on his bag he unceremoniously dropped by the bed. There isn’t a lot in it, but he likes to have a notebook for hero fights ready and spare clothes for if bullies find him.

Luckily, the spare change of clothes managed to come in handy, so he’s at least not in the same dirty garments he was in the other day. After, he dumps everything out to keep track of what he has on him, deciding it would be a good idea to organize what he has.

In the bag are; two notebooks, one empty, and the one Bakugo exploded that’s almost full. A few pencils and pens, his phone charger, a flashlight, some yen, and a basic first aid kit.

He decides he should work on transferring the information from the destroyed notebook to the new one, not like Bakugo can show up to burn this one too, and it will likely take long enough to get the drawings remade for someone to come get him. The burnt one will be hard enough to read or write on anyways.

After putting the rest of the stuff away back in his book bag and folding his old clothes to set aside, Izuku starts rewriting old information into the new book. It’s hard to see at some points, but he is able to mostly remember what he wrote at the time anyways. Taking a look again sparks a few new ideas as well, which is always good!

Maybe he should be some kind of worried about doing this in a villain compound and how bad it would be for the heroes there, but it's all newer heroes in this one. All their information is pretty public or just easy to guess. Heroes, especially newer ones, see hero work as more of a show than actual crime stopping. The newest batch of hero graduates just... talk far too much about things in interviews. It’s kind of worrying really.

But either way, it should be fine? Most of Izuku’s analysis on older and non-public heroes are just theories rather than anything based in fact. It’s not reliable, no villain would care for it.

He sighs as he finishes copying down the next page. He realizes that doing this is useless, he likely won’t be able to do hero analysis again, but at least it brings some sort of comfort.

Then again, he is in a new place with so many new quirks he can see. Rappa might be willing to talk about his, maybe Mr. Tabe too? Izuku already knows he can eat anything and has mutations to his mouth to allow that when he ate the cupcake, even learned his terrible hunger drawback. 

Huh.

If Overhaul views quirks as bad, drawbacks like that probably help his cause and get followers that want those gone. It sounds terrible to be hungry all the time, and with how Rappa 'joked' about eating the car…

Without much thinking, Izuku begins to write information on Tabe’s quirk. What he currently knows, and many different suggestions and thoughts in his head. Maybe he can ask them later. Oh, and if there’s a training room or something he can peek in there and jot some stuff down? All big villain bases have training areas! He half considers even asking Overhaul about his quirk before deciding against it, that’s probably not the best idea.

Who else... Oh! Eri! She knows as much about her quirk that he does, so they can try theories and stuff if she is up to it! That will give them something to do as he adjusts to the compound life and the Yakuza.

Izuku smiles brightly, a lot more alive than he had been moments before. Alright, so he’ll ask Tabe, Rappa, and Eri about their quirks. If he meets and gets along with anyone else, he could also ask them! Good plan to keep his morale up.

So many new things to study! 

Izuku is happily working on an entry for Eri, drawing her little horn with questions around it, when there is a knock at his door and a loud but familiar voice calls out. 

"Little fighter! I am here to collect you!"

Izuku closes up his book. “Coming!” After a moment of consideration, he decides to take the book and the pen with him. He then goes and opens the door. “Good morning, Rappa.”

"Good morning!" Rappa smiles, mask hanging out of his pocket again. "Hope you slept well enough."

"Yeah,” Izuku smiles back, weirdly happy that Rappa is here. “It took a bit, but I did. Did you sleep well?” He asks politely.

"As well as always!" Rappa notices the notebook. "What's that, school work?"

“Oh, no.” Izuku taps nervously at his book. “Uh.. you remember how I like to analyze quirks? I usually have an easier time organizing my thoughts when I write them down or vocalize them so.. my analysis is in here.”

"Oh-ho!" Rappa perks up. "Working your mind is important!"

Izuku smiles softly. “Yeah… I was going to see if you and Tabe would be willing to let me analyze your quirks at some point?”

"I don't see why not." Rappa shrugs. "Tabe might be a different story depending on if he ate recently or not."

“Right! I’ll ask him when I see him then.” Izuku nods. “Anyways, you said you're here to collect me?”

"Mhm, time for food and getting you to the little unicorn for the day." Rappa waves for him to follow. "No labs today, so it's a slow day for her."

“It will be nice to spend more time with her.” Izuku follows. “I think we got along pretty well yesterday.”

"That's good. Maybe you can get her to eat and take a bath without too much fear. A bunch of grown men is scary for a kid and it's not comfortable for us either." Rappa says.

Izuku nods. “That makes sense. I hope I can make things more comfortable for her in general. She seems happy that I’m going to be around more though.” Izuku brightens up as they continue to talk. “She’s a sweet kid, I like her.”

"Must make the babysitting gig easier." Rappa says, leading him to a cafeteria with only a few people inside. "We have a tray system like schools do, so get one for you and one for the little unicorn. I can hold the second one." 

"Okay, thanks Rappa." Izuku looks for where the trays are located before finding them and beginning his new quest of getting Eri food.

Despite what the media likes to say, villains are just people with jobs and can get hungry like everyone else. The food layout is pretty simple and the trays even have sections for different things to all sit neatly as people grab what they want within reason. There is a large cooked rice bucket, cooked fish of several types, kimchi, chicken nuggets, miso soup, salad, and even a rolled out cereal bar with milk bottles next to several pitchers of teas and coffee.

Izuku isn’t sure what Eri would like, so he tries to get a little bit of everything, with extras of chicken nuggets and cereal since those are safe choices for kids. Then he collects his food, which just consists of some miso soup (he doesn’t have much of an appetite despite trying to keep his morale high, so for his own sake he’s having something light) and goes back to Rappa.

When he heads back to Rappa, the man has a tray piled high with mostly fish and any other high fat or calorie foods they had out, he even has a food bar of some kind that wasn't out for everyone and looks dense.

"Huh. That's a ton of food." Izuku tilts his head. "I feel kinda pathetic with my single thing of soup seeing your pile." He jokes.

"Ha! I am a very large man, little fighter." Rappa says, amusement clear in his voice. "I need all this to keep my muscles up and healthy, just existing takes a lot for a man my size. The bar here is for others like me and Tabe, it's about a week's worth of calories and other things if you eat it all at once."

"Woah." Izuku blinks. "That's so cool. I'm... a very small kid, but hopefully I can get to your level soon." His fingers tap against the trays of food.

"You'd need more than a bowl of soup for that, but it takes time to build up so it's fine for today." Rappa says. He breaks off a little corner of the bar and offers it to Izuku. "Here, I wouldn't recommend a whole bar but this little should help build up calories and put some weight on you."

Izuku's eyes sparkle as the man puts the piece on his tray. "Thanks, Rappa. I'll try to build up some weight and muscle. I'll make you proud." He says seriously.

"You already do, got a fighting spirit and protect those that can't fight. An honorable little fighter." Rappa nods with a big smile.

Izuku’s face gets red as he decides to stare down at his food instead. He really isn’t sure how to react to compliments? Rappa just huffs in amusement as he takes Eri’s tray, but not before he pats him on the back. They then begin their walk back through the halls of the compound.

The walk doesn’t take too long, luckily, so most of the hot food stays hot. Though this time, Izuku tries to pay more attention so he knows where he’s going, but his mind can’t stop itself from wandering.

Rappa is pretty friendly, for a Yakuza, and just seems like he wants to fight people for the hell of it. It’s hard to be sure how he feels about Eri's situation, but he seems like the kind of guy that wouldn't feel very honorable hurting a little girl that can't fight back. Though, it's not like Izuku knows much about Eri's situation either. He hopes it isn't too bad, just childlike fear of being around a bunch of scary looking adults all the time and Overhaul not being good with kids. If that's all it is, Izuku can handle that easily.

If not... hopefully he can befriend Rappa soon and have a powerful ally on his side for once to help him.

Izuku perks up as he vaguely recognizes this direction from yesterday. 

"What are your plans for little Unicorn today?" Rappa asks as they walk.

“Uhm, I’m not that sure..” Izuku says sheepishly. “There’s not much I can do without being allowed to wander or knowing where anything is. But I was considering asking Eri about her quirk too at some point.”

"Overhaul would know most about that, he is studying it after all." Rappa offers. "He's not that bad once you get past the fear of germs, hell'v'a fighter with his quirk. That's how he got me here to work for him when he took over, won a fight."

Izuku’s fidgets nervously. “Maybe…I’d hate to bother him about it… wait- Overhaul beat you in a fight?” The boy asks in shock.

"Oh yeah." Rappa nods. "I don't follow just anybody , they gotta prove themselves. He wasn't much for a quirkless fight but I stood no chance against his quirk, died for a bit but I lived eventually."

Izuku’s eyes widen as he stares at Rappa. “ You died…? ” He whispers in awe.

"Yeah, only for like a minute." Rappa shrugs. "His quirk takes things apart and he can put them back together as it was or better. It's pretty self explanatory in his name."

“That’s both t errifying and cool.” It’s an incredible quirk, just worrying knowing that a Yakuza boss has it. And he now said Yakuza is his kinda-boss that kidnapped him. Great.

"Mhm. On the plus side, team casualty is down." 

Izuku blinks. “…yay?”

"That's a good thing." Rappa says, once again amused at his reaction to things. "It's so hard to find good men these days."

“Really..? I guess that makes sense. Even if the crime rate of Japan is going up, that doesn’t mean every person who does crime is capable of doing certain things or able to be a ‘team player’.” Izuku mumbles to himself.

"Mhm, and some crimes are just things you don't cross the line of." Rappa points out. "Yakuza are about honor and doing things in a certain way, not every criminal will follow that."

Izuku nods in understanding. “I forget that some criminals have moral codes too. Is it safe to assume that, while not everyone’s here is the same, there are a few codes that must be abided by to stay in the Yakuza?”

"Correct. We tend to leave women and children alone for the most part, no honor in hurting them, but sometimes people forget that ." Rappa grumbles that last part. 

Considering they are going to a not-cell with Eri, this seems a little personal.

Izuku smiles softly and pats Rappa’s arm. “I’ll get stronger for Eri too.” He says softly. “If I’m going to be around her a lot, I should be able to protect her.”

"A noble goal, little fighter." Rappa gives him a thankful look but has to go back to his usual look when they reach the guards. They straighten up seeing Rappa and get the door open for them.

Izuku can’t help but feel better that he wasn’t at all doubted. He will get stronger, he has to.

He enters when the doors are opened first, and perks up upon seeing Eri. She’s hiding in her nest as usual and pops out a little seeing Izuku. However, seeing Rappa behind him makes her go back to hiding quickly.

Izuku frowns at her reaction and thinks for a moment, quickly getting an idea. He places down his tray on a dresser before he motions towards the food Rappa is holding for Eri. Food is how you get animals out of hiding, so it might work for small scared children too?

Rappa looks confused, but hands over the food anyways.

Izuku takes a few steps closer and stops about halfway towards the bed. “Hey Eri, are you hungry?”

Eri peeks her head out again and glances at Rappa, who stays by the door, and hesitantly nods at Izuku.

“You can’t eat while stuffed in your nest.” Izuku says softly. “You don’t have to leave the safety of your bed, but I don’t want you to make a mess or dirty yourself.”

"..." Eri looks at Rappa again and he raises his free hand in surrender. 

"I can leave, little unicorn." Rappa says. "Be outside."

“It’s your call.” Izuku reassures her. “He can stay or leave, no one will be upset with either choice.”

Eri looks confused and a little stressed at having a choice, but she eventually nods shyly and looks at the door. Rappa nods back and leaves the room slowly and calmly to not scare her more with any sudden moves. Eri relaxes once the door clicks closed but doesn't lock this time.

Izuku fully approaches Eri with a tray in hand and offers it to her. “Here you go, your food.” He smiles. “I told you I’d be back.”

"You did." Eri takes the tray and wiggles out of the nest. "You don't act like the others here."

“I’m not really one of them.” Izuku shrugs. “I’m an outsider that was just thrown in here and now helps take care of you.”

"Outsider?" Eri tilts her head and picks up some food to munch.

“Yeah. Most of the people here are criminals, but I’m not?” Izuku says sheepishly. “I’m just sort of here.”

"Oh... Mama sent me here." Eri says sadly. "Made daddy disappear."

“You…" Izuku frowns. "You made your dad disappear?”

"My curse." Eri says, reaching up to touch her horn.

Izuku hesitates before slowly moving to sit down next to Eri. “It’s not a curse.” He says softly.

"But... I lost daddy." Eri tears up. "Mama got mad and didn't want me anymore."

“That’s not your fault.” Izuku’s hand gently rests on her head to try to keep her attention on him. “…quirk accidents happen a lot to young kids, it’s because you can’t control it yet. But that doesn’t mean you can’t learn to.”

"Overhaul calls them curses, mine made them go away." Eri leans into his touch and curls into his side best she can with the tray in the way.

Izuku frowns at those concerning words. He will question that all later, for now, he has a child to comfort. 

“I think quirks are amazing.” Izuku says softly. “Even the most dangerous of quirks are beautiful and can be used to help others. They’re not always bad.”

"I'm... not bad?" Eri peeks up at him through her hair.

“No,” Izuku pulls her a bit closer. “You’re a sweet little girl who's still learning and growing. You're not bad.”

"O-okay." Eri sniffs and hugs him.

Izuku holds Eri silently for a few more minutes. “…Eri, can I ask what you meant when you said ‘mine made them go away’?”

"My cur- um, my quirk makes things go small until they go away." Eri says. "Daddy went small as a baby before I couldn't see from the light."

' As small as a baby'? A shrinking quirk? No, that wouldn't make them disappear in the end and it would wear off eventually. A time quirk? ' He’ll probably need more research and information to really know, but he can help her at least not fear it?

“Hm… oh!” Izuku perks up. “I have an idea! What if we worked on learning how to control your quirk together?”

"Control?" Eri asks.

“Yeah! Powerful quirks like yours can be unpredictable, but with enough training, you can harness your power and use it without as many risks.” Izuku says happily. “Of course, that’s a long process. I’d have to get more information on your quirk and then test a few different methods…” If he gets an opportunity, he could try asking Overhaul? Seems risky though.

Izuku isn’t able to consider that for a second longer though.

" T-test !?" Eri squeaks, looking up at him with pure fear.

Izuku’s eyes widened at her immediate reaction. “N-nothing bad! Just seeing what affects your quirk and what doesn’t, not anything bad or-“ He pauses, calming himself down as he remembers the bandages on her arms. Panicking won’t help Eri calm down. 

“Nothing dangerous, nothing scary, nothing that will hurt you. ” He says as gently as he can muster.

"No... no pain?" Eri asks in a heartbreakingly quiet voice.

“No pain.” Izuku says softly. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”

"I don't?" Eri asks quietly.

“Not when you're with me.”

"...Okay." Eri says softly, relaxing back against him. "Overhaul has mean tests, I don't like mean tests."

“…Can I ask what kind of mean tests?” Izuku asks softly. He wants to get a better idea of what’s happening, because the signs are not pointing to anything good.

"..." Eri holds her arm, her hand over the bandages. "He says he has to take me apart to find what makes my c- quirk work."

Izuku can’t smother the look of distraught on his face as he finally sees the bigger picture. The small pieces of information he was told about Overhaul’s quirk, what Overhaul himself said about the quirk destroying bullets, the bandages, even Rappa’s frustration, all of it makes sense now. 

He feels foolish for not putting the pieces together sooner.

He also can’t help but feel completely and utterly useless as he just holds Eri closer to him. Eri makes a confused sound but hugs back anyways.

“Right… I’ve distracted you enough. Go and eat your food, Eri.” Izuku forces a smile on his face as he mentally goes through his options.

"Okay." Eri munches on some little foods first to try them. "What about yours?"

“Right.” Izuku doesn’t have any sort of appetite now, but he forces himself to stand up and get his tray back before going back by Eri’s side. He doesn’t want to teach Eri bad habits.

The girl finds some apple slices on her tray, by the cereal and makes a happy sound when she munches on one. Her eyes sparkle and she does a little happy wiggle.

Izuku sighs softly watching Eri happily eat. It’s… going to be okay. He’ll do what he can to help her. Eri is in a terrifying situation, but it’s not all horrible. Even if he is just a quirkless deku, he’ll try. 

—

Izuku doesn’t tend to talk about his hero notebooks. He was always laughed at, called weird and creepy from those books, and as much as he didn’t want to believe it, he knew it was odd. Writing so much on quirks and heroes even made him feel a bit odd or even stalkerish at times. He tends to avoid talking about his books, let alone what is contained in them.

Ironically enough, the very thing that Izuku thought was weird seemed to intrigue Overhaul when he heard about it. Rappa goes on about how the kid is smart as hell and could probably take apart how a quirk works pretty fast judging from what he caught in the mumblings he heard.

What leader of a villain, or in this case Yakuza organization, wouldn’t be at least a little interested? To know the ins and outs of quirks so easily, and with how young Izuku is, would be impressive if true. 

Oddly enough, Overhaul is inclined to believe it. The kid knew his stuff when talking to him, the only thing seemingly holding him back is a lack of confidence.

What a lucky catch.

"Kid's gonna be one hell of an analyst when he gets older." Rappa says. "Kinda wanna find who broke his belief in his skills though, flinching whenever he realized he was talking. Sad to see."

A lucky catch indeed .

And Izuku, after just learning what he did about what Overhaul is doing to Eri, is ignorant to the fact that very villain is steadily approaching thanks to Rappa’s praise.

—

Eri finished her food relatively quickly, and Izuku managed to finish as much as he could without Her noticing he didn’t eat much. Not long after, Izuku decides to start brushing Eri’s hair, getting out the knots that have been there for seemingly too long. 

Izuku is doing his very best to gently get rid of any knots and apologies each time he tugs a little too hard. She has so much hair . It's beautiful but really not well taken care of. At least it's pretty straight hair, if it was curly like his, the brush might have broken by now. Curly hair has no love for brushes.

“We’ll try to do this daily so it isn’t as bad, okay?” Izuku says. Unfortunately, this level of tangles isn’t just bedhead.

"It's so smooth!" Eri says, wonder in her voice as she feels the brushed parts.

“Yeah!” Izuku smiles. “With your hair combed we can put you in all sorts of hairstyles if you want.”

"Style?" Eri can't title her head much but the feeling is there. "It can be more than just down?"

"It can be any way you want!" Izuku exclaims. "We can't do much with my hair, it's too short, but your hair is long so we could potentially style it."

Izuku puts the brush down for a moment and gathers all of Eri's hair in his hands to lift it up. "There's even a hero who has his hair up like this all the time by choice! The possibilities are endless."

"Ooooh!" 

Eri looks interested, but the sound of the door clicking has her startling and scrambling back into the nest. Praying it’s not Overhaul, Izuku scoots a little closer to the nest in an attempt to ‘hide’ Eri while not fully keeping her out of view. He doubts it would be a good idea to actually hide her, but he can at least try to make her feel safer.

Unfortunately for him, it is Overhaul, and he looks interested in something. Only, it's not Eri he is looking at.

He’s looking at Izuku .

Overhaul’s piercing gold eyes cause a shiver to run down the kids back. After knowing what he’s doing to Eri, he’s more on edge than before. He tries to hide that. 

“G-good morning, Overhaul-sama.” Just don’t upset him and things should be fine?

"Good morning, Midoriya." Overhaul greets back. "Rappa mentioned something interesting about you earlier, and I wanted to see for myself."

Izuku blinks in confusion. “ Mentioned something interesting …?” He repeats under his breath, trying to understand what Overhaul is implying. He hasn’t really told Rappa anything about himself though? Except for his hero books, but…

Oh.

Oh!

His eyes widened slightly at the realization. 

Oh no.

"You realize what it was? Good, that makes things easier." Overhaul nods as he walks closer. "From what he says, you are quite the intelligent little analyst. May I see your work?"

Izuku’s hands tremble as he grabs where he placed the book on the bed when bringing Eri her food. 

“I-I wouldn’t really say that..” He still offers the book to him anyways, knowing that he only has the illusion of choice. He regrets putting so much detail in those writings now, but it’s still just basic analysis from a quirkless kid. He doubts it will be anything useful.

Overhaul takes the book with a handkerchief and flips through it, eyes going wide as he reads over the heroes inside. The more interested he looks at each page flip, the more worrying it gets. 

Eventually Overhaul closes the book and looks at Izuku to study him. 

"This... is impressive work, Midoriya." Overhaul says. "Do you have the others with you? I noticed this one says '14' on it."

Izuku fidgets nervously. “I only had the one I was currently working on with me and an empty one in case I came across a fight. A-and I’ve been writing them since I was young , and they aren’t that good so..” His cheeks are a bit hot from the compliment, not used to being praised in general, but especially in regards to his analysis.

"You seem mistaken about your skills, Midoriya." Overhaul says. "I don't give out false compliments, it's a waste of time to do so."

Izuku’s face burns red, not being able to understand what’s so special about his analysis but realizing arguing is useless. “T-thank you, Overhaul-sama..” He’s the same amount worried and flattered.

"A word of warning though, people here are suspicious of outsiders so they might not react well to questions that are personal at first. Rappa will keep you safe, do not worry about that, but until you are marked as one of us they may avoid answering." Overhaul says, giving the notebook back after taking a picture of one of the pages.

Izuku nods sheepishly. “I was only planning on asking Rappa and maybe Tabe.. Most people don’t tend to take my questions well.”

"It's not the questions they have issue with, it's the person." Overhaul explains. "You are not Yakuza, you are technically just a prisoner right now until you prove yourself to us. The analyst skills you have will do that, the first test-"

Eri whimpers quietly behind izuku. 

"-is this page of yours." Overhaul waves his phone and the picture.

“Oh.” Izuku finds himself worried as to what he’s going to do with the information Overhaul now has and what ‘proving himself’ means. He tilts his head. “That specific one..?”

"A troublesome hero." Overhaul says. "Been getting in our way and attacking our men far too many times."

Izuku’s blood runs cold. He tries to still his shaking hands. “I-I can’t promise any of this will be helpful… it’s all just theories and speculation.”

"We shall see." Overhaul says, voice amused, making Eri whimper again. "How it helps us will determine how soon you become one of us and get more freedom among my men."

Izuku holds onto his book a bit tighter, extremely conflicted at this outcome. He reluctantly nods. “W-we’ll see then.”

Overhaul chuckles and reaches out to ruffle Izuku's hair with a gloved hand. "I will be going now. New tests to try now and I am excited for the outcome."

Izuku blinks in surprise. That’s… odd. The only way he can describe this whole situation is odd. “Goodluck?” Izuku hates the strange feeling mixed in with the fear from the hair ruffle.

"With your notes, we won't need luck." Overhaul says, his voice sounding so sure they will win because of Izuku.

The boy looks away and to the notes in embarrassment, the feeling getting stronger as he fidgets. Is he really that confident in those notes? Izuku sure isn’t, and he’s not looking forward to disappointing him. Overhaul just chuckles and ruffles his hair again before heading to the door. 

"I'll be busy the next few days with this. Rappa is in charge of you until I come back with results."

At least it’s Rappa, Izuku doesn’t feel nearly as terrified of him. “Okay, we’ll be good.” He mumbles.

"See you soon, my little analyst." Overhaul calls behind him as he leaves out the door.

Izuku just stares in awe, even as Overhaul leaves, he stares where the man once was. He breaks out of his shock and panicking emotions by remembering Eri. He forces himself to not think about the warm feeling and focuses on the girl, he heard her reactions to Overhaul before. 

“Are you alright?” Izuku asks softly.

"He's interested in you." Eri peeks out, either blatantly ignoring his question not even realizing he asked one at all. She looks more frightened than anyone Izuku’s ever seen. "That's not good."

Izuku frowns. “What do you mean?”

"He likes to take apart things that interest him." Eri whispers.

Izuku shudders at the thought. “…it’s… It’s okay, Eri.” He says softly. “I’ll be okay, don’t worry.”

Eri whines and leaves the nest to hug Izuku. He hugs back, focusing on regulating his breathing so as to not panic and worry Eri more.

The girl sniffles and nuzzles into him. "I don't want you taken apart."

Izuku is silent, just holding Eri close, knowing he can’t promise her anything. He doesn’t even know what he’s doing, he can’t in good conscience guarantee their safety. 

“It will be okay.” He says again. “At least we’ll be together, right? So it will be fine.”

"O-okay." Eri just cuddles him close, afraid of the day Overhaul takes him apart too.

—

It hasn’t been very long since Tsukauchi got the new case for another quirkless kid, Izuku Midoriya. So far, they haven’t gotten much information, but that’s to be expected. Criminals usually lie low after a big crime like this, they’ll keep their eyes out anyways.

Most people are worried about a recent hero attack that killed them. 

Death Arms was found on his patrol route and it looks like the attacker knew exactly how to take him down quietly. No witnesses, no cameras, and minimal damage to the surrounding area despite Death Arms being known for a decent amount in any fight.

It’s... worrying . After reading the first notebook thoroughly, the detective called to request the rest of the notebooks be brought to the station for safekeeping. Too much detail and potentially sensitive information. Now, with the Death Arms attack, the timing is almost too perfect.

It doesn't help the worry when his phone starts to ring with Bakugo Mitsuki's phone number, but it’s not Mitsuki Bakugo’s voice that comes from the other line. 

"Izuku's notes were used to kill Death Arms." Comes the younger Bakugo's voice in a stressed rush. "I know that page in the book he had with him, number 14, I read it the day of the Sludge Villain attack."

Tsukauchi pauses before mentally shaking off his confusion. “Fourteen… that’s the only one that’s not in the pile.” He goes to double check.

"Yeah, he would have had to rewrite it." Bakugo huffs out. "You read the nerd's diary, you know I was an ass and burnt it."

“Yeah.” Tsukauchi doesn’t give that much thought. It’s not his job to judge, the kid is obviously upset and wants to help, and that’s enough. “If we’re right, then that means Midoriya is likely complying for one reason or another.”

"Or they searched his bag for the phone we couldn't reach and took it." Bakugo grumbles. "Anyway, I don't remember all the heroes in 14, but I know he had started one for Mt. Lady at least. Any others can be guessed by his internet history and who isn't in the other ones."

Tsukauchi doesn't tell him it’s better to think he’s complying. At the very least, it means he’s alive. 

“Thank you for telling me, Bakugo. We’ll have potentially targeted heroes on high alert, hopefully we’ll catch the attackers and get some more information on your friend.” Tsukauchi says.

"I hope so." Bakugo sighs roughly. "It would tear the nerd apart to know his notes got heroes killed."

"Remember what I said before." Tsukauchi sighs. "Heroes in danger will make people listen."

"I hope so... just don't mention it was a quirkless kid that wrote it. People stop caring or taking it seriously when that comes up." Bakugo says, voice resigned, like it has happened before.

"Of course not. I've been doing this for a while, kid. I'm pretty good at dancing around quirks when it wont bring in favorable results." The detective begins typing out an email as he talks. Those notebooks need to be read thoroughly, plus they have to warn those heroes in them as well. Which will be a lot .

"Okay." Bakugo sighs. "That's all I wanted to call about and give a warning for."

"Your help is appreciated." Tsukauchi says. "We'll do what we can to find the boy. Just sit tight and keep an eye out."

"Right." Bakugo hesitates to hang up. "Thanks for... for actually caring. Bye." 

The phone clicks and the line drops as Bakugo hangs up.

Tsukauchi sighs as he places the phone down on the desk. He tries to stay disconnected from most of the cases he takes up, it's easier to work that way, but he still finds his thoughts wandering to how the child must feel. He stops slouching and gets back to typing. There's no time to waste if they want that boy back alive. 

He doesn't get far before there is a knock at his office door and it opens to the only person that never waits to be invited in.

“Eraserhead,” Tsukauchi sighs. Oh well, he needed to talk to the man anyway.

"Tsukauchi." Eraser nods and takes the seat on the other side of his desk. "What is this meeting about? You sounded worried about it."

“Have you heard about Death Arms yet?” Tsukauchi asks, jumping right to what’s most important.

"Yeah." Eraser nod. "Was surprising how efficiently it happened."

“The newest case I have is likely related to it.” The detective pulls out a file and takes out a paper, handing it to Eraserhead. “Read this.”

Eraser does and raises a brow. "You had a quirk analyst look at me?"

Tsukauchi huffs out a laugh, but there’s no humor in it. “No. This is the work of a missing kid, fourteen-year-old Izuku Midoriya.”

"A kid wrote this?" Eraser squints at the paper. "...How did he learn all this?"

“I have no idea.” The detective sighs. “His other 13 notebooks don’t say much on where he got his information.”

"Is this why he went missing? Someone found out and killed Death Arms with it?" Eraser studies his page and looks paler than normal seeing his weaknesses written out so plainly.

“Seems like it.” Tsukauchi sighs. “Got a call from a friend of the kid who is sure his death is related to the kid.”

"The HSCP isn't going to like it if more heroes die from this." Eraser huffs.

“The good thing is that once the books are looked through, we’ll know who he’s already researched and could potentially be targeted.” The detective says. “If other heroes heed the warning, we could find the kid easier and stop the deaths.”

"What's going to happen when we do?" Eraser asks. "He has a hero's blood on his case now, forced or not that's going to make his record look bad to employers or schools."

“I doubt that would change much for him honestly.” Tsukauchi huffs as he looks down at Izuku’s file. “The kid is quirkless. To them, his record has been ruined since birth.”

"He's quirkless?" Eraser tilts his head. "How was it reported to you? We both know those reports never make it past intake."

"Luck. When I came back from my lunch break, two angry blondes were yelling at one of my co-workers and explained the situation. It wouldn't have gotten to me otherwise."

"Who took him?" Eraser flips to a different hero's page.

"Not entirely sure yet, no one saw the villain's face." Tsukauchi explains. "All we know is that the one who took the kid seems to have a bird or plague doctor theme from the mask that was described."

"Bird or pla-..." Eraser slowly looks up at him. "You mean the Yakuza ?"

Tsukauchi stares at him. "...Well that's not what I meant - Is that really a Yakuza's theme?" When he thinks of Yakuza, the first thing that comes to mind is not birds or plague doctors.

"Yeah. Hold on." Eraser gets his phone out and logs into the hero database that police need a warrant to even sniff at. 

"Here, if anyone asks, I didn't show you this." Eraser says, showing him the page on the Yakuza and their apparent leader, Overhaul.

Tsukauchi tries to read through everything as quickly as possible. "Holy shit , the kid was kidnapped by the Yakuza."

"Yeah, and now they have a quirk analyst on top of Trigger." Eraser sighs tiredly.

Tsukauchi hands Eraser his phone back and takes a deep breath. "I can't legally use that information, but it will help with what to look out for."

"I can use it." Eraser says. "I'll have to, ugh, talk to Nighteye about it as it's his case."

"That's all you." Tsukauchi grimaces, remembering Nighteye’s… everything. "Goodluck with that."

"Thanks." Eraser grumbles, ducking into his scarf. "Email me what you have and I'll work on getting a joint case with Nighteye. Not sure how willing he'll be about it."

“He better get more willing." Tsukauchi huffs. “A hero is already dead, and there will be more if this isn’t stopped soon.”

"He's also possessive as hell." Eraser huffs. "Unless All Might himself somehow knows the kid, it'll be hard to get him to share."

"The kid and his family friend were saved by All Might a few days before his kidnapping, but that's all I got." Of course It's Nighteye that would be handling a case that connects to his own.

"Hmm, maybe. We'll have to ask All Might if he remembers them, being seen with the number one hero could be what got their attention to begin with." Eraser says, thinking.

“After looking over the news footage, the kid's family friend also mentioned he was quirkless on live television , he could have been seen as an easy target.” Tsukauchi points out.

"Damn." Eraser sighs, rubbing his eyes. "That's going to make things harder. What the hell made them think that was okay to say? Outing a quirk status is a terrible thing to do."

“This got harder the moment you mentioned the Yakuza.” The detective deadpans.

Eraser grimaces. "Trafficking isn't off the table for them and a quirkless kid goes for a lot." He says. "There are some real freaks out there."

“They might decide he has more use as an analyst for them instead.” Tsukauchi suggests. “It will be both harder and easier if that’s the case. At least if he complies, he likely won’t be hurt as much."

"True. Let's hope Nighteye can help and maybe showing All Might a photo of the kid will jog his memory enough to help with Nighteye." Eraser sighs. "He's going to be at UA next year so I have his phone number and email."

“It’s just a waiting game then.” Tsukauchi nods. “I’ll send over what I know and have the officers keep a lookout, plus warning certain heroes that could be targeted.”

"Thanks. I'll talk to the staff at UA to keep an eye out too." Eraser gets up with a groan and stretches. "This might get Nedzu's attention if more heroes die or get hurt from this. He loves a wise mind and saving him would bring him to UA eventually."

“Of course he would…” Tsukauchi sighs in exhaustion. “Goodluck.”

The detective waits till the hero leaves and his door fully closes for him to sigh. 

Time to write more emails.

Chapter Text

The compound is buzzing with activity when Izuku wakes up that morning. 

Rappa took him for food again, but today, everyone was talking about something in hushed and rapid voices, all while they kept glancing at him. The boy understandably felt anxious at all the stares from terrifying criminals, but luckily, Rappa kept them away.

Even the guard outside Eri's room looks at him with wide eyes when he passes to go in.

Izuku finds himself tensing and paying far more attention to every little sound that passes Eri’s room. He tries to not make that too obvious, not wanting to worry Eri, but he isn’t able to focus very well, unable to drag himself out of the pit of anxiety he’s been sucked into. He still makes sure to carefully comb Eri’s hair like before, but his mind is wandering.

Everyone is staring at him, which isn’t a good sign. Did he mess up? Did Overhaul use his analysis and it didn’t work? 

He’s so horribly used to disappointing people. His teachers were never impressed by anything he did, he lost any of the friends he used to have and was bullied relentlessly by them because of his uselessness. He’s sure part of the reason his dad stopped contacting him and his mom is because he was born wrong .

He disappointed Overhaul, the head of the Yakuza, the stakes are much higher than just a dismissive glance. What if Overhaul thinks he’s useless because of this and not worth his time? He’s terrified, he doesn’t want to find out.

Sadly, the universe doesn't like what Izuku wants, as always, and soon Overhaul is opening the door to Eri's room again. He doesn't even look at Eri when she squeaks and hides behind Izuku again, he only looks at Izuku . 

But Overhaul isn’t looking at him like he expected.

His eyes are bright and squinted in the way smiling causes. Something Izuku did made him very happy.

He doesn’t know how to feel.

“O-Overhaul-sama, how uh- how did it go?” Izuku's heart feels as though it’s beating out of his chest, his hands trembling. Really, he’s doing everything he can to not burst into tears and hyperventilate.

"You tell me." Overhaul pulls a little laminated card from his right pocket and a… yellow and black caution striped headband from the left? It looks vaguely familiar…

Izuku’s eyes widened. “Death Arms headband…” he mumbles as he realizes what the man is holding. 

His blood runs cold.

"Correct." Overhaul sounds so proud as he holds the headband and card out. "He was one of those filthy heroes that berated you on the news. Your notes were so perfect in taking him down."

Izuku's trembling hands take the two items, the card is Death Arms hero license . “…The notes worked ?” He asks in pure disbelief. He was so sure they wouldn’t work, so sure he would disappoint Overhaul, he hadn’t prepared for if they would work.

"They worked wonderfully ." Overhaul says, pride still in his voice as he reaches out to pet Izuku's hair. "He crumpled easily with how well those notes worked to take him out. I knew my little analyst wouldn't let me down."

Izuku blinks at Overhaul's touch, looking up at him to try and see anything other than how proud the man is, but… 

“ I… ” Izuku tears up, but unfortunately, not only because of the guilt and regret he feels. “The notes work… they helped…” he mumbles to himself.

"They did." Overhaul nods. The pride in his eyes gets softer as he ruffles Izuku's hair. "Your notes are so much more than you think, Midoriya. Whoever told you otherwise was just trying to keep you from being your best, keeping you down because they knew they couldn't even compete if you had confidence."

Izuku quickly wipes his tears as he suppresses his sobs. His chest feels so warm. He leans into the hair ruffles. “T-thank you…” He mumbles. He’s never felt more appreciated and useful his entire life.

"Any time, Midoriya." Overhaul had paused in petting his hair for a moment, tilting his head, before continuing.

"I'm not the only one to notice your skills." Overhaul says. "The other members haven't been able to talk about anything else all day. They seem interested in what else you can do, less hostile."

“Y-yeah, I noticed that. They’re staring and talking felt more.. curious?” Izuku wipes his tears as he starts to calm down.

"Mhm." Overhaul nods. "We've taken down heroes before, it comes with the job, but it's never been so easy or as informed as it was with your notes. None of our men even got hurt."

“That’s… good.” Is it? A hero died without so much as being able to land a hit on the Yakuza members who killed him. That’s terrifying . “It’s incredible actually… to kill a hero so easily with only those notes to guide…” How is he supposed to feel?!

"It is, and it was your notes." Overhaul's eyes show he is smiling again. "Our old analyst was a grown man that couldn't even do half of what you gave us, and he went to classes for it. You are untrained and already showing so much skill and hard work, with the right studying you could take down a top ten someday."

Izuku blushes and immediately opens his mouth to deny, before remembering Overhaul doesn’t doesn’t give out false compliments and he quite literally helped take out a hero. He just hesitantly nods instead.

“I never took my work seriously but...” Izuku glances down at what’s basically a hunting trophy in his hands. “ Maybe I should.. ” He mumbles to himself.

"It seems like the best option." Overhaul agrees. "It will certainly keep us busy with all the heroes we have to deal with. Not that we'll kill every hero we target, sometimes it's just about sending a warning or message to heroes getting too close or that are on our payroll and... forget that. The kills will get you their hero license, but an injury is just part of their costume."

Izuku isn’t so sure that he wants these items at all , especially when the hero who would wear them is dead. It leaves him feeling sick to his stomach, but maybe he could make some sort of funeral shrine or something? It won’t make up for their deaths, but it’s something . 

“I’m guessing this will be a new ‘job’ of sorts for me? Analyzing heroes…?” Izuku hates that thought a lot, even if the thought of being useful makes his chest warm.

"Will that interfere with your care of Eri?" Overhaul asks, tilting his head. "I will admit, when studying quirks on my own, it takes hours and often requires me to pause other duties for it."

“I’m not with Eri all day.” Izuku points out. “During the night and early mornings I have time to myself. It might take a bit to get the analysis done but I can still do it.” Plus he’s used to analyzing in tons of situations.

"Hmm, we'll have to get supplies for you." Overhaul thinks. "You haven't earned an in person analyst of heroes yet, far too soon, but we should have open computers to use."

“That’s all I need.” Izuku nods. A computer seems harmless enough, but he might be able to find a way to help himself and Eri more. “As long as I can get some sort of information on their quirk or see them fight- like through videos- then I’m good.” 

Maybe he can pretend he’s just continuing his hobby instead of sending some of these heroes to their death.

"I'll have a computer set up for you then." Overhaul says. A quiet dining noise comes from the villain's pocket. He takes his phone out and nods when he reads the message.

"I have a meeting to get to, so I must go now. We will be talking about how to move forward with your analysis and our businesses." Overhaul says, sounding proud again. 

Izuku feels sick. 

"Okay, t-thank you again." Izuku fidgets with the hero memorabilia in his hands. He's not sure why he's thanking the villain, but a part of him feels like he should.

Overhaul chuckles in a way that sounds amused, but in a not evil villain sort of way. It sounds... nice. He gives Izuku a last hair pet before he goes. 

"I should be the one thanking you, Midoriya. Rest well for the week, not sure when we'll get back to the quirk bullets so we won't need Eri for now." Overhaul calls before the door clicks shut with the lock engaging.

Izuku's eyes widen, only processing his words once the door is closed and Overhaul is gone. This time, even though his thoughts are immediately spinning about both himself and Eri, he doesn't have enough sense to zone back into reality just yet.

"Zuku?" Eri's small voice says from behind him.

Izuku blinks and turns his head to look. “Eri..” 

This is fine. 

It’s fine . 

He can focus on the guilt, nausea, fear, every other negative emotion, along with the opposite emotions he’s feeling later. 

He turns around and gently hugs Eri with one hand, the other still holding the dead hero's stuff. He’s learned sudden movements, especially after a Yakuza member was just around, isn’t good for her, so he’s extra careful. 

“Are you okay?” Izuku asks. 

"I... I think so?" Eri hugs back tightly. "He didn't take me for tests... it's never been this long between them before."

“I don’t think he will for a while.” Izuku says softly. “You heard him, right? He doesn’t know when he’ll go back to focusing on the quirk bullets… he’s focusing on this instead, my analysis…” He says, both to Eri and himself.

"When will he go back to the bullets?" Eri asks with a frown. Her right hand traces down the opposite arm, feeling the bandages. "My arms are feeling better, I don't want them to hurt again."

“I don’t know.” Izuku admits. He holds onto her slightly tighter. “But I’ll distract him for as long as I can.”

"Will you be okay? You looked sad getting the gift from Overhaul." Eri picks up the hero license and looks at it, though it doesn’t seem like she's reading it and more trying to remember something. "Death Arms?"

There’s a horrible lump in Izuku's throat as he resists the urge to snatch the objects the hero once carried with pride. 

“He was a hero.” Izuku says softly. “Overhaul…. He wants me to give him information so other heroes won’t make his work so difficult. Information that I can find out better than others.” He knows Eri has been through horrible things, but he can’t find it in himself to say what’s really going to happen to these heroes if he does this. He can’t make himself do it.

"A hero?" Eri asks, as if never hearing the word before.

"Yeah, heroes..." Izuku frowns, trying to figure out how to best explain. "Heroes are people who get in the way of villains and criminals. They stop bad people from doing bad things and protect innocent people from getting hurt."

"Oh..." Eri looks up at Izuku, innocence in her eyes. "You protect me, are you my hero?"

Tears almost immediately begin to form. Izuku’s been trying so hard to not cry in front of Eri, sometimes it's easier than others. It’s only been a few days, not even a week, but he’s already felt the urge to cry so much . He hasn’t in front of Eri, not yet, and he doesn’t plan to. But for some reason, hearing those simple words make him want to break down into tears.

He will never be a hero. 

Agreeing to analyze these Pro's for Overhaul- hell, even Death Arms demise- is the final nail on the coffin. He never had a chance before, but now, he won't ever be able to even step foot on the starting line.

He, a quirkless, weak, helpless 14 year old Deku, is protecting an even more defenseless child. He can't get himself out, let alone her, but he's still going to try and protect her in any way possible. 

He gently taps his forehead against hers, a comforting motion his mother had used to do after particularly bad meltdowns. He won't cry, he won't break down, not in front of her. 

"I'll try my best to be, Eri. I'll do my best to be your hero."

"But you already are?" Eri seems to like the forehead tapping and nuzzles against Izuku, careful of her horn, kind of like a cat would.

Izuku won’t cry, not right now, not while Eri can see. He just fondly chuckles. “If you say so.”

Eri moves to curl into Izuku's chest. Without the worry of more tests and the scare of seeing Overhaul again, she seems tired. Izuku pats her head methodically as she does this. 

“Rest, I’ll watch over you.” He says softly.

"Okay." Eri cutely yawns and snuggles up to him. "Night, nii-san."

Izuku allows tears to fall only once he’s sure Eri is asleep. 

He doesn’t want to be here.

He wants to go home.

He wants his family back.

…

He also wants to protect Eri.

He wants to get her out of here.

He doesn’t want to die young, either.

…

Izuku looks down at the small, frail child snuggled up against him, sleeping peacefully without fear of pain. 

Nii-san, huh? 

…

He’ll protect her. He has to, even if it costs him everything.

Chapter Text

Izuku’s not sure how long it’s been.

He realized far too late that maybe he should have been keeping track of the days better. With his phone turned off, he quickly lost track of how many days and weeks had passed. The only way he knew how long it had been was by asking Rappa every so often. He wasn’t sure what he expected by deciding to stay here, but it’s certainly been an experience.

After his first... kill.. with Death Arms, he has been pretty busy with the new analysis work. Surprisingly, it's been mostly about the Yakuza members instead of a lot of heroes like Izuku was worried about.

Most of them, if not all, have had bad quirk counseling growing up or none at all, so there were a lot of problems they had with their quirk or its drawbacks. Some of them were either using only part of their quirk or it was labeled wrong entirely. One guy had his quirk named completely wrong! 

Izuku knew there was other quirk discrimination besides being quirkless, but he didn't realize how bad life could be if your quirk doctor gave it a horrible name. He didn't mind analyzing the Yakuza members nearly as much. Of course, he still did have to analyze heroes on occasion, but so far, it hasn't been as prevalent while working at the Yakuza. 

Honestly, it hasn't been as bad as he expected? Sure, it was difficult in the beginning. Being surrounded by violent criminals who likely wouldn't hesitate to attack him if he did or said something wrong was downright terrifying. But as the days went on, Izuku realized he could relate to the Yakuza more than he could people outside of it. 

These people understood . They knew what it was like to be tormented and bullied because of their quirks, and most weren't horribly weird about Izuku being quirkless. He could sympathize with them, and they could with him. Talking to the Yakuza members became easier and easier over the weeks and soon months.

Sure, he still got the occasional backhanded compliments followed by the phrase, ' for a quirkless kid, ' or something similar, but it was much better than what he's used to. He'd take that over his bullies in Aldera any day.

Though Rappa and even Overhaul have been giving talks about fixing how the members talk to lessen the backhanded compliments. He didn’t expect them to address it at all really. But they work pretty well and only the occasional member isn't seen again if they don't change and are still mean. 

Izuku likes to pretend they just got fired or moved to a different area, it helps him sleep at night. Well, it helps him not think about it at least. Sleep is hard to do, same with eating.

He wasn't always having issues with sleeping and eating. It feels like the only time he managed to get a normal night's sleep was the very first day after crying his eyes out in his new bed. His cell/room was dark and cold and the exact opposite of comforting, he was exhausted fairly quickly. After that though, he can't find it in himself to eat much or sleep. He only gets a few hours a night and the occasional nap when Eri gets tired while he's babysitting. 

Food is a whole other issue. He thought he would be able to stomach more than just a light soup after the first week or so, but his lack of appetite soldiered on. Some days are worse than others, and days where he has to analyze heroes are especially bad.

Without sleeping or eating as much, he didn't have much energy, which wasn't helpful when Overhaul started up his training. That was its own confusing thing. For some reason , Overhaul decided it was necessary for him to start training and gaining strength. 

Izuku didn't fully understand why, he still doesn't, he's just a prisoner who does analysis work. Aren't prisoners supposed to be the ones who start training on their own accord to try and escape or something? That's what happened in movies at least. Either way, Overhaul made the order, so Izuku didn't dare to question. Rappa has been giving Izuku more pieces of the calorie bars he eats, which helped with his energy issues during training at least.

It’s so odd. Overhaul has been weirdly determined to get Izuku healthy. It might be for the tests he wants to do to study his lack of a quirk factor, but it also seems like he is... worried for Izuku? 

Which is weird, Izuku doesn't think he is that unhealthy. Just tired a lot.

The tests were complicated too. For a while, they didn’t really know what they were looking for. ‘What makes him quirkless’ is a pretty broad question that is difficult to answer since they have no idea what they’re looking for. In the beginning it was mostly just drawing blood and skin grafts, but soon Overhaul had started… using his quirk. 

It's certainly an… experience. Because they don't know what they're looking for, Overhaul has just been taking him apart limb by limb and looking for what's different from other kids his age. Izuku understands why people fear Overhaul even more now, and why Eri is so terrified of his tests.

On a small plus side, Izuku has organs he shouldn't?

Well, maybe not plus side .

Everyday, Izuku is going about his new life in pure exhaustion. He's tired, has no appetite, and cold almost all of the time. It isn't unusual for him to feel this way, which is why the day they found out about his extra organs was utterly terrifying .

The day was going by as normal, even if Izuku felt like his abdomen was weirdly tender, but he thought it was from being hungry all the time and didn’t question a thing. Izuku was brought into training. Things were fine for the most part, but halfway through Izuku tried to jump over an obstacle and almost immediately crumbled and fell to his knees, hardly able to move from pain. 

Apparently, quirkless people have things inside of them that are entirely unnecessary and downright dangerous for the human body. Entire organs that have no right to be there. Izuku could have died because, apparently , his appendix was bursting!

Rappa thought someone had used a quirk or poisoned him as he carried him to the labs and interrupted Overhaul's work. Normally, this would get someone killed, but seeing it was Izuku it just means scrambling for the few remaining medical books from the pre-quirk era and playing a fun game of 'solve it or die'. 

They eventually found his appendix and got it out of there and had to clean up goop from his abdominal cavity. Izuku was on bed rest for a week after to make sure he didn't get a sneaky infection. 

Overhaul began comparing quirkless medical charts and anatomy models to current things and something called 'wisdom teeth' were also removed. Not how Izuku expected to lose body parts in the Yakuza, but better than the other way. Some of it is good too, like how his mouth doesn't feel cramped anymore. He didn't even realize that was a thing he was feeling until it was fixed!

He still can't believe quirked people, at least in Japan, just... forgot about these things. Yeah, quirked people don't have these useless organs, but quirkless people still exist!! Yet it took far too long to find any information on 'wisdom teeth' and the 'appendix' that could have killed him ! There was next to nothing!

Izuku is understandably bitter about that, but at least he's alive . Overhaul is to thank for that, ironically enough. He's just been strangely helpful in some ways? There's clearly a reason , Izuku just needs to figure out what that reason is . It doesn’t feel as simple as it originally was.

Luckily, it's a free day for Izuku so he can think about it and be with Eri all day.

Free days are good . They're well needed breaks from the overwhelming emotions Izuku feels when around Yakuza members. He thinks he's getting better at fitting in , but it's something he has to actively try to do, which in the end, leaves him exhausted.

Izuku sighs as he gets dressed in one of his warmer outfits, cause these cells are getting extremely cold, even with the heaters they put in his and Eri's rooms, and he waits for Rappa to guide him as normal.

After the 'appendix incident', Overhaul gave Izuku warmer things to wear in his cell and Rappa takes him and Eri out more often to the warmer places in the compound. Mainly the kitchen and its large ovens, Izuku gets to help cook and be warm. 

(This also gets him snacks and treats from the cooks because he is polite and helpful. He'll eat a few but mainly saves them for Eri and their practice of her quirk.) 

Yesterday, the cooks said they start making things for the holidays coming up today, so that's exciting.

Exciting, but also...

It's just an odd, uncomfortable feeling in Izuku's chest knowing holidays are coming up but he doesn't have anyone from his past to celebrate with. He feels so alone, just like when he realized his birthday had passed.

Well, not entirely alone. Of course he can celebrate with Eri, and maybe Rappa when he's not busy, but it's just not the same. He's never celebrated a holiday without his mom before. People came and went, but his mom was always by his side, she was always a consistent in his ever changing life, and that's just... gone now.

Izuku misses her a lot at times like this. Everything was so sudden, so unexpected, and unplanned. He hoped that if he ever moved out, he would be able to visit her and continue the traditions they had, despite how childish they may seem. Maybe he's being childish by feeling homesick after being fine for so long, but acknowledging that doesn't stop the feeling.

He hopes his mom is with friends at least, that the Bakugos will keep her company and not feel so alone this Christmas. Feelings about Kacchan aside, the family has always been good for his mom and makes her happy.

Izuku sighs and tries not to think about it too much, just like always. He can’t get emotional, not right now. Rappa could be here any minute. He’ll hold off his grieving until the day is over. Izuku gets himself calm again by the time there is a knock at his door and Rappa is heard outside. 

"Litter fighter! Nakajima is ready for his favorite assistant chef!" Rappa calls.

Izuku perks up hearing Rappa and makes sure he's fully ready before opening the door. "Well, I guess I shouldn't keep him waiting knowing I'm his favorite." He jokes.

"You're the only one that can season right." Rappa huffs. "He says I go too heavy on it. But how will you feel the chef's passion if it's weak!?"

"How will you taste anything if it's smothered in ten different types of seasonings?" Izuku tilts his head in amusement. "Seasonings compliment food, you shouldn't feel like you're eating a spoonful of ginger as your meal."

"I like ginger." Rappa frowns.

"...Only ginger? All day, everyday?"

"Hmm, maybe not ginger everyday ." Rappa shrugs and waves for Izuku to follow, which he does. "But Kimchi? I could eat that with a lot of meals, onion, cabbage, radish, so many options and uses in."

"I mean, yeah , but they're flavors are still similar, right?" Izuku tilts his head. He doesn't actually know, but that sounds correct. "I wouldn't want to eat similar things everyday for every meal." Izuku liked being able to satisfy his sweet tooth, thank you.

"True, but a few months at a time before I change it up depending on the season makes sense. I think." Rappa says.

Izuku shrugs. "Eh, I like variety better. I guess I'll eat it as long as it tastes good though."

"Maybe I can find what you think is good," Rappa raps his chin. "Make it more often so you'll eat more."

“Y-you don’t have to do that..” Izuku feels a pang of guilt from that. Familiar foods would be great , but the chances of him actually eating them is lower than he’d like to admit.

"True." Rappa nods. "But I want to . How will I train a worthy fighter if I can't feed you well? The calorie bars are working to keep you alive but you still need other things."

"I guess so," Izuku looks away. 

He knows Rappa is right, he really should be eating more, he just can't find it in himself to do so. And on the days where he does manage to force himself to eat, he feels sick and nauseous, having to fight with himself to not throw it all up.

"I'll try." Izuku says. It feels like trying will be utterly exhausting, but he doesn't want to disappoint Rappa.

"What about smoothies? Rappa asks. "You drink a pretty normal amount and if it's after training you won't even notice it much!"

"Huh," Izuku hums. "That... could work? It would certainly be better than my current diet... or lack thereof."

"Mhm, and there are all kinds of powders and stuff you can mix in, get you all those nutrients and stuff you need." Rappa pokes at Izuku's side.

"Mean." Izuku glares at Rappa and swats at the hand poking him. 

"I have to be mean, it's the holidays!" Rappa laughs.

"That's the exact opposite of true!”

"Nah, it's clearly explained in the holiday decorations!" Rappa smiles. "You hang up the mistle foe and fight anyone under it!"

"...." Izuku sighs. "That's just cruel."

"Situational awareness! Always be ready for a fight!" Rappa nods sagely.

"I rather have situational awareness to avoid a fight."

"Then don't be dumb and remember to look up in doorways. People never look up and it always gets them, the best underground heroes are on the roofs after all."

"If I have to ." Izuku huffs. He doubts he'll be in many fights anyways past his training with the other Yakuza though.

"Best make a habit of looking up now, don't want a hero or something to swoop down on you like a hawk with a bunny." Rappa laughs again. "Or at least learn to stab backwards to get away."

"That's not gonna happen!" Izuku complains. "Stabbing backwards sounds very unsafe, what if it's an ally behind me and I didn't realize? I would have just murdered a friend! And also, I don't ever leave the building? So I can't see how that would happen anyways."

"You haven't left so far ." Rappa points out.

"I guess?" Izuku tilts his head. It's been months though, he highly doubts he'll leave for any reason now .

"You've been a big help for everyone lately." Rappa says. "Talk of supervised outings has been happening with the higher ups."

" Oh ." Izuku mumbles. 

For some reason, that leaves a light feeling in his chest. Maybe it's the thought of being allowed to go outside after so long, maybe it's because he's actually been helpful, or maybe it's because his hard work is being appreciated. Either way, it's a good feeling. 

Izuku softly says, "I'm glad I've been able to help."

"Your analysis has helped fix a lot of drawbacks we've been stuck with for awhile now. That alone would have gotten you more outside time, but added to your hero analysis, you can even go out during the day with someone." The way Rappa says that makes it seem like a big deal, so Izuku will assume it is a big deal. It's not like he's even a Yakuza member, he is just a prisoner, so he doubts people like him get to go out very often. 

"Going outside would be nice, I feel like I haven't seen the sun in years ." Izuku (half) jokes. It's the best way to push down the downright giddy feelings he's getting from actually being helpful and that being acknowledged .

"It is pretty nice." Rappa nods. "You'll have to cover your hair, you are still a missing person."

"Makes sense for precautions, but the chances of me actually being searched for are low." Izuku shrugs, as if knowing that fact doesn't affect him at all.

"Eh, sad but true." Rappa pats Izuku's hair to comfort him. "You got a missing report at least, that's more than some get!" 

It’s not really something to celebrate normally, but for a villain quirk or no quirk, it is. That means someone cared enough to fight for you or an underground hero took the case.

"Ha, guess so." Izuku smiles softly at Rappa, the comfort helping slightly. "It's something at least."

"Mhm." Rappa nods as they reach the kitchen. 

There is already the loud yelling of the slightly deaf head chef, Yoi Nakajima, about something or other on the other side of the door, he has a bat mutation quirk and lost an ear in a knife fight.

The old Yakuza boss had a fight with a rival group that happened to be in the kitchen Nakajima worked at. The chef's fighting was so impressive the old Boss hired him as he was sewing him up. Him being mostly deaf means he likes Izuku the best because Izuku knows JSL and will sign to him across the room if needed. Nakajima's echolocation can pick it up easier than trying to yell back to him.

Izuku is unphased by the yelling at this point, having come up to the kitchen many times, even in the mornings, to help Nakajima. Helping cook has been one of the few things Izuku is able to do while stuck in the Yakuza. It's not a part of his prisoner-assigned job and more akin to a hobby he can enjoy.

Inside the kitchen, Nakajima is at the cutting board and chopping at an impressive pace for a man not looking at the board and actively yelling directions to everyone else. It's slightly less impressive when you remember he can hear what he is doing but the speed is still cool. Izuku has seen this chef pull off some amazing knife tricks in the months here and it never gets old.

Currently, Nakajima is trying to tell the other assistants how to 'measure with their soul' for the kimchi (Rappa makes a happy sound hearing that) and they don't know what that means. Izuku sighs fondly at Rappa before stepping off to the side to not get in the way of the other assistants and get Nakajima's attention to sign to him.

' Chef, Rappa [Big Fighter] and I are here if you need any extra help. ' Izuku signs, hoping the man's echo location will pick it up. They aren't too far away from him, luckily, so it shouldn't be an issue.

"AH!" Nakajima points a knife in their direction, the kid jumping at the attention and knife in his face. The chef yells to the assistants again. "There is a kid that knows how to measure right! Green! These mooks are trying to make a weak sauce! I'm low on fermented Kimchi and it can't be weak!"

Izuku quickly relaxes and giggles a bit as he recognizes the one English word Nakajima said. Out of all words, why mooks ? 

‘ On it, chef! I’ll make sure it won’t be weak! ’ Izuku takes this as an invitation to step into the kitchen properly with the assistants to help lead them with what Nakajima prefers. Rappa also washes up because he gets used to lift the heavy racks of meat they need to feed the whole compound and the large mixing bowls that usually take two to lift. 

Nakajima goes back to his cutting and checks the list of what meals are planned for the week. With holidays and ceremonies happening this month, there have been some changes he has to work around. It doesn't help that several members can't have citrus because they have medications it messes with, food allergies, quirk restrictions, that one guy that needs to drink human blood, and Tabe to also worry about at the same time. 

Holidays are always a harder time for chefs, but Nakajima isn't the best of the best villain chef for nothing!

Izuku first starts off by helping to make sure the kimchi marinade is made correctly and, most importantly, flavored strongly. There’s a lot of people in the Yakuza, meaning there’s a lot of kimchi to be made, so he decides to focus on this for a while unless Nakajima needs his help elsewhere.

Several of the assistants, no longer being yelled at, disperse to work on other things and prepping for the week. Nakajima is still loud in his instructions but things run pretty smoothly. Yeah, he had to throw a knife at Rappa for trying to hang up a 'mistlefoe' in the kitchen doorway when his back was turned, but it didn't stop his chopping at all because he had a second knife ready and Rappa wasn't hit so it's fine . 

(None of the assistants look at the knife and pretend nothing happened, they just nudge a stool and bucket under it so no one walks into it. Izuku just gives Rappa an exasperated look before going back to the cabbage.)

Helping out in the kitchen is honestly nice. Yeah it’s fast paced, hot, and intense, but it’s a level Izuku can handle and actually seems to thrive in. Nakajima holds him in high regard, so everyone else takes his feedback and suggestions seriously too! He’s also getting better at cooking, which is always a plus! The amount of injuries he gets when attempting to cook has gone down a lot since he started. 

Izuku isn’t sure how long it took, but he and a few others manage to finish setting up the kimchi and put them off to the side to ferment. The other prepping is also taken care of for the most part so several assistants are loading up the industrial sized dishwasher and getting out things to bake. 

"Okay!" Nakajima calls. "Meals are enough for now, it needs to all set and chill for tomorrow. Now, its pastries and holiday treats. Blood team, your goods are in the side kitchen." 

Three assistants leave, grabbing floor length ponchos and rain boots as they go. 

"Allergy and citrus, to the left. Quirk restrictions to the right. Everyone else, middle. Rappa, go with blood. It's fresh today" Nakajima directs them.

Izuku assumes he’s a part of the ‘everyone else’ group and shuffles to the middle with a few others. He’s understandably excited about the prospect of making pastries again. Baking is different from cooking, but it’s just as fun to him! 

Rappa ruffles Izuku's hair as he passes and Nakajima walks over after washing his hands again and stops on the other side of the big prep table between him and the assistants (+Izuku). 

"Alright, we got about 40 members left that don't need any dietary things made separately." Nakajima says to the group. "We have; purin, matcha cookies, black sesame mochi, dango, and finally chiffon cake. Pick what you want to work on and get going."

Izuku decides that he'll help with making the matcha cookies, as he doesn't want to risk making something complicated that he's unfamiliar with and messing up. Cookies are easy enough anyways, but you always need a lot of them, so a big group of people making them is ideal. No one wants just one cookie.

Nakamija goes with the mochi group because he doesn't trust any of them to not hit each other with the hammer by accident, they just don't have the same reaction time he does. 

At the cookie station, all the things they need are neatly laid out and ready. The cookie group is spread out between a few smaller groups to be able to make a large amount in a shorter amount of time, though Izuku manages to snatch a digital scale for them so they don’t have to painstakingly manually weigh every ingredient. 

Cookies are surprisingly easy once you remember the method for the types of cookies you want. The flour and matcha are mixed together in one bowl, while in another, Izuku makes sure the butter is soft enough by mixing it. Once he’s sure, the sugar is added, then eggs, and finally the flour mixture. The dough is rolled into a large log, but unfortunately, this type of cookie has to be put in the fridge for a bit. Since the cookies are fast to make, their team spreads out to others to assist while the cookies chill.

The kitchen is pretty full of cooking sounds(and the slap of mochi) so it's loud, a little chaotic, and just very busy for the senses. It's perfect. Izuku doesn’t have any time or opportunity to think about anything but the pastries. He isn’t able to let his mind wander, and the work he does is fun . 

After about an hour of helping others, Izuku takes the chilled log of cookie dough out of the fridge and cuts them into individual cookies. He has to stop one of the new assistants from putting the dough on a bare, greased sheet pan, which would have been a disaster. He gets them in the different convection ovens, and by the time all the cookies are getting taken out of the ovens, some of the other groups are getting their deserts out too.

A lot more time must have passed then expected as those finished with their pastries are getting today's lunch cooked and put out. The 'blood room' opens for fresh vials to be rolled out for those that need it by Rappa. He cleaned up on the other side of the door to not make a mess as he passed through the kitchen or contaminate the other foods. Some of the kimchi Izuku made is also grabbed from where it was resting and put out with everything else as desserts are finished or put somewhere to rest if the recipe calls for it.

Izuku decides now is a good time to take a break since everyone else is too. He can’t go anywhere without Rappa’s supervision though, so he goes back to the side and out of the way of those still working.

Things get set and cleaned up without issue when someone startles by the kitchen door and soon others are bowing to the doorway. Izuku looks over and tenses upon seeing Overhaul walk in. He bows politely as well. 

He may have been here for months, but that doesn't make seeing the Yakuza boss any easier. A single touch is all it takes to be killed and he knows personally how fast it really works.

Overhaul waves a hand to the others to keep working as he approaches Izuku specifically. Nakajima appears at Izuku's side and nods to Overhaul. From what he’s been told, Nakajima hasn't bowed to anyone but the old Boss, and he isn't going to start now. 

"What brings you to the kitchen, Boss?" Nakajima asks. "It's rare you come here."

Izuku forces himself to stand tall and fight the urge to cower in the corner. Overhaul approached him , which means he needs something, which makes Izuku infinitely less happy than he was moments ago. Today was supposed to be a free day, as normally both his quirk analyst work and having tests run in the labs are planned and told to him ahead of time. 

Either Izuku majorly did something wrong or he's needed for one of his jobs. Or he's overthinking and it's something else, though that's not as likely. Chances are, he's needed in the labs, which is really his least favorite part of being trapped in the Yakuza.

"I am aware of how often I avoid this... environment." Overhaul says, looking around at the mess of cooking lunch. "But I won't be for long, I require Midoriya."

Izuku nods in understanding. “R-right..” he glances at Nakajima. “Chef, can you tell Rappa for me? I don’t want him to think I ran off.” He asks politely, signing as well just in case he isn’t talking loud enough.

"Sure kid." Nakajima squints at Overhaul, who seems unimpressed. "I still need him for the holidays, so I expect him to be in working order when he comes back."

Izuku fidgets awkwardly at the tense atmosphere between the two, wanting to reassure Nakajima that he’ll be able to help even if he is sent to the labs, but not wanting to interrupt and upset either of them more. Plus, he can’t promise that.

"He will be fine ." Overhaul says, dismissively. "Come along, Midoriya. We have a schedule to keep."

“Y-yes sir!” Izuku says as he goes to follow Overhaul's lead.

Usually, Izuku is prepared on the occasions he has to talk to Overhaul, usually on lab testing days. But without any of the time to prepare, he’s more nervous than he usually is. He just hopes this won’t be too bad.

Overhaul leads the way, but Izuku quickly realizes it's not towards where the labs are? It's to the part of the compound where the unmarked cars are kept in an underground garage. Izuku last saw this place when he was brought here months ago.

He is understandably confused, but not confused enough to outright question where they’re going. He just awkwardly follows along. Overhaul doesn't say anything either as he leads to the small section of personal cars and unlocks one with a key fob, then waves for Izuku to get in the front seat. 

When Izuku opens the passenger side car door, he sees a coat neatly folded up on the seat. “Uhm…” he nervously gestures to the coat, not wanting to touch anything he’s not supposed to. He feels like he’s walking on a mind field while blindfolded, like this is some sort of test or something.

"That is for you to wear." Overhaul says as he gets in. "It's too cold for you to be out without one."

“Oh,” Izuku could have guessed that it was cold, the garage didn't feel that different from his cell/room, but that just begs the question, where are they even going ??

Izuku picks up the coat and sits down in the car. “Thank you, Overhaul-sama.” He mumbles as he puts the coat on.

"You're welcome." Overhaul says, starting the car and pulling out the parking space. "There is also a hat Rappa got you in one of the pockets, put it on so your hair is covered."

Izuku reaches into the pocket to pull out a red and yellow beanie, with two points on the top sides to look like cat ears. He huffs in amusement as he puts it on.

Overhaul still explains nothing as he leaves the compound parking and hits the main roads. He doesn't even change out of his bird mask as his large, fluffy scarf covers it. Without that seen and in a heavy overcoat without the boa, he just looks like a normal guy in winter. It's weird how easily he can hide in plain sight.

Izuku supposed it makes sense. It’s not like he goes around judging on if people are villains or not based on appearances, but it still leaves Izuku feeling somber. No one would see anything weird with the two of them if they were out in public. No one would see anything weird with Overhaul .

He knows that he can’t escape (he isn’t even considering leaving without Eri by his side), but it leaves him a bit disheartened and wishing he was still in the kitchen so he could stop thinking . The quiet drive doesn't help either, no music or talking so all Izuku can do is look outside at some holiday decorations they pass. 

The only interesting thing to happen is a road blocked for a car accident, making Overhaul turn on the GPS, so Izuku can see the place they are going to and the date on his phone.

Huh.

For some reason, Izuku didn’t expect it to be so close to the holidays. He hadn’t helped the head chef in a week or so, so it’s no wonder everyone was rushing to get things done. 

Tomorrow is Christmas.

That leaves Izuku feeling incredibly bittersweet.

Glancing down from the date, Izuku reads the address and it seems... familiar? Why would he know a location in this prefecture? And why are they going there the day before Christmas?? He’s hardly ever left his old prefecture in the first place, so it’s not like he can recognize any landmarks. He glances at the GPS every so often to try and figure out where they’re going based on context clues.

They pass by a sign closer to the destination pin that says ' market parking 500 yen '.

Izuku blinks.

He didn’t even have time to do a double take before they passed the sign. As the car drives on, Izuku quickly realizes he didn’t misread anything. 

No wonder he recognizes the address! They’re at the annual Osaka prefecture market! People from neighboring prefectures often come during this event because of the vast amount of stuff happening and vendors selling things. 

But…. Why are they here?

Overhaul drives to a high end hotel parking garage and waves a pass to get in, they don't have to worry about parking next to anyone in the cramped market parking apparently. It's easy to forget how rich the Yakuza are sometimes. 

"We're here for an hour or so before lunch so make the best of your time." Overhaul says, his sudden voice startling after the quiet of the ride over.

“M-make the best of my time?” Izuku repeats, his mind rushing with far too many questions to be able to even say one properly.

"Yes." Overhaul gets a wallet out of his coat pocket and hands Izuku a black and silver card from it, which he stares at in awe."Rappa vouched that you needed a reward for your hard work and suggested this market and other things. This card is so you can buy things as you have had a limited supply as of late."

His brain takes the time to catch up with the information given to him. 

Then, he brightens up with a new sense of hope. Maybe he can get something to make his cell/room feel less depressing. 

“Thank you, Overhaul-sama!” Izuku has enough sense in him to politely bow his head (he can’t properly bow in the car, it’s the best he can do) and thank him though. 

"It is a reward, you don't need to thank me." Overhaul waves a gloved hand. "Do try to not call my villain name out here, by the way. It gets a lot of attention doing that."

“Right... I’ll be careful.” Izuku nods to himself. 

With the card in hand, the excitement of getting to visit the market, and the prospect of getting stuff for his cell/room, Izuku eventually shuffles out of the car. He’s also smart enough to not run off despite his bubbling up excitement. He still needs to be careful, this is just a whole new minefield.

Overhaul gets out of the car and locks it up as he moves around the car and waves for Izuku to follow. 

"I have to get a gift for my Boss so we will mostly be together." Overhaul says. "There will be crowds so don't get lost, I don't want to get messy on a simple outing... again." 

Overhaul sighs, the kind reserved for Rappa when he causes and/or gets involved in a fight that makes it everyone's issue . It makes sense why Overhaul is out here instead of him or the others now. 

Rappa would fight anyone and everyone who even looked at him in a certain way. 

Tabe is... hungry a lot and markets have food everywhere. 

Mimic has kleptomania issues from his quirk wanting 'things' to be and he is also busy as the general manager and being the treasurer.

Nemoto has interrogations for a busted deal today.

Katsukame is with Mimic and guards the compound.

Setsuno is out on a job his quirk is perfect for.

Hojo is training today because a hero drained him from over-making crystals in a fight.

Sakaki isn't appropriate to have in public due to his quirk making him an alcoholic.

Tengai is doing 'monk things' for the winter season (and babysitting Rappa).

And Chronostasis is the right hand and needs to run things with Overhaul out here.

Overhaul is literally the only high rank member available because he gets his work done on time and efficiently. Izuku feels a bit bad that Overhaul has to practically babysit him, but to be fair, it’s not like he asked for this. Overhaul chose to bring him here as a reward on his own accord. That's his issue.

Izuku follows Overhaul closely, but making sure he’s still slightly behind him like in the compound, just as a nonverbal sign of respect still being held. Izuku doesn't like the implications that he'll get lost though, he's pretty smart about locations. 

“I’m good at knowing where I’m going. I don’t get distracted that easily.” Izuku says. Unlike some people, looking at Rappa and a bit at Tabe, though it’s mostly cause he doesn’t know anyone else he can point fingers at. 

“I could probably find you in a crowd of people…” He mumbles, squinting at nothing as he tries to mentally confirm that statement. Yeah, he probably could.

"I don't doubt it, you can take apart quirks with grainy CCTV footage in the dark while half awake, finding me shouldn't be hard to do." Overhaul says. "I, however, won't be able to find you in the taller crowd and there is still the risk of your shoes being recognized."

“Yeah, that’s true.” Izuku blushes at the compliments. He glances down at his red shoes with a huff. “I could paint over the red. I got in trouble for it as a kid but… It’s not like it’s doing me any favors.”

"If it were that simple, we would have done it already." Overhaul points out. "No, the Q on the side still gives you away if people know where to look. We've been trying to import from more quirkless friendly countries but that is somehow harder than anything else we illegally get." 

Overhaul shakes his head with a sigh as they hit the main street and run into more people. Most are heading to the market but they can see a few leaving and one has some delicious smelling street foods.

“Stops it from being as obvious at a first glance though.” Izuku points out before getting distracted at the smell of street foods. Izuku mentally grumbles at himself, knowing it would just be a waste if he tried to get any. He should focus on getting stuff for his room instead.

Oh… and maybe some gifts. It is Christmas Eve, after all. He won’t have a better opportunity than now.

Overhaul hums, having noticed what Izuku looked at, lightly grabs his sleeve to lead the way to some food stalls. Izuku's lack of eating has been an ongoing issue that Overhaul isn't the right kind of doctor to fix, the most he can do is use his quirk to undo the physical damage it causes and keep his body from giving out. They had to up the budget for IVs so they can at least give his body what it needs in the labs during tests. There has been talks with Rappa about installing a feeding tube if things don't improve.

Izuku blinks in confusion at being led somewhere until he realizes. “I-It’s fine, Ov- uh, yeah, I’m not hungry.” He almost slipped up and said his villain name, but he didn’t so it’s okay! And it’s not like he’s lying . The food smells good, but he can’t stomach the thought of actually eating more than a few bites.

"Midoriya, I brought you out here right before lunch and you've been cooking all morning." Overhaul says. "If you're not hungry now , you can at least get something to go and snack on it over the time we are out. You'll finish it eventually as we walk."

“…alright.” Izuku huffs but doesn’t argue. That’s a better compromise at least, he’ll get something small so he doesn’t waste too much.

They reach the many options available. Some have dessert-like options, some that are the snack options that Izuku wants, and one or two are actual meals that smell the strongest from all the flavors.

Izuku decides to go for some of the snack options like how he planned. Overhaul talks him into buying  some anko dango because it is the easiest to walk and eat and has the least amount of trash after. He even gets some senbei rice crackers to fill the dango container for Izuku to pick at as they walk. 

Overhaul mainly gets a variety of onigiri for himself with a korokke on the side, he likes certain French foods and a Japanese version of a croquette is one of them. (Their hot chocolates are so thick it's like a soup, it’s also a favorite but he'll never admit it.)

Izuku makes a quiet happy sound as he takes a small bite of his dango, not even eating an entire piece. But it’s good , he wishes he could stomach more. Hopefully Overhaul is right, and he does manage to finish it by the end of the hour.

Overhaul doesn't buy them any drinks from the stalls but there is a small konbini they stop in for bottled drinks. He might trust food cooked and prepared in front of them from strangers, but not pre-made drinks in an easily contaminated container. 

Overhaul is as paranoid as he is germaphobic.

Izuku decides to be smart and not question the dangerous villain and just takes the bottled water instead. He doesn't understand what the difference is. The food could be, just as easily as the drinks, contaminated, even when cooked. Cross contamination is a dangerous thing. 

He doesn’t bring that up though, not his issue to deal with.

The silence is becoming unbearable though, at least to Izuku. He actually likes talking, though when it's a risk to his life he likes it less. Still, he's been silent for what feels like hours and decides that, as long as he's careful, some small talk probably wouldn't hurt.

"...You said you wanted to get a gift for your boss, right?" Izuku hesitantly asks. "Do you have any, uh, ideas? For what you want to get him, I mean." 

This was stupid, he should have dealt with the silence.

"Flowers." Overhaul says, glancing at Izuku. "He likes a type only ever sold around this time and has no use for anything else in a coma."

“Ah, right.” Izuku mumbles, blushing in embarrassment at forgetting that fact. Yeah, he should have just shut up, now he feels more awkward than before!

"What of you?" Overhaul asks, avoiding a group of teens by going behind Izuku. "Who are you getting gifts for? I doubt you have a romantic reason like the other children." 

Overhaul waves a hand at the teens they just passed, a girl with pink skin and matching hair is loudly giggling with the others in her group about boys.

Izuku makes a face. How would it even be possible for him to get a gift to someone for a ‘romantic reason’? He’s been stuck in the compound for months! He also celebrated Christmas with his dad in the American way, so he'd never seen it as a romantic occasion growing up.

“Eri, mostly? Though If I see anything anyone else would like, I’d probably get it for them too.” Izuku says. He hasn’t got a clue what Rappa or even Tabe would like though. 

…don’t people give gifts to their bosses? Overhaul is close to the old Boss, so that’s different, but he remembers seeing that somewhere . Izuku has no clue how accurate that is though. He should get Overhaul something just in case then, right? But what the actual hell do you get a Yakuza boss!?

"I've only given and received gifts from my Boss and Chronostasis, so I don't think I can be of much help here." Overhaul says. "Sure, the other members give me gifts out of obligation, but those are the traditional 'higher up' gifts that I have no use for. I just let the Eight take their picks from the gifts, I really don't need 6 sets of fancy pens I'll never use."

Izuku huffs in amusement, trying to stifle his giggles. Though, that is helpful. 

“I’ve only ever given gifts to my mom-” Don’t think about it “-so I’m not great at this either. I guess I’ll figure it out as I look.” Izuku shrugs.

"If it makes you think of them the moment you see it, it's probably the right thing." Overhaul points out. "That's what Boss said it was like at least."

“Yeah. Shouldn’t be too difficult to just look around.” Izuku shrugs. “I’ll find something eventually. They sell just about everything here anyways.”

"Mhm. Let me know if you want to see something so we can stop." Overhaul reminds him.

Izuku nods and keeps an eye out as they walk around. Izuku decides to try and find some sort of area that sells toys first for Eri. He keeps his eyes out for anything interesting for anyone else, but she is his first priority.

It doesn't take long before Izuku finds a cute set of best friend/sibling necklaces that connect with a magnet and a bunny plush one of the booths handmade. The perfect gifts for Eri. As he is leaving a shop with the best selection of plain white shirts with kanji of other clothes and stuff in them, Izuku finds the perfect shirt for Rappa in his size.

Izuku ignores the confused look Overhaul gave him as he purchased the ‘villain suit’ version of the shirts. If Rappa doesn’t like it then that just means the man is a loser and has bad taste! 

Izuku is proud of himself, all three of the gifts in a paper shopping bag as they continue wandering.

Overhaul gets the flowers he wants for his Boss and he spends the rest of the market pointing out things that might interest Izuku, quirks of heroes he recognizes out of uniform, and occasionally tapping Izuku's food container to get him to eat a bite or two while he is distracted.

Izuku also ends up getting a couple things for himself and his cell. If he has to wake up to that bland, sterile room one more time he might throw up. Luckily, he’s able to find a few hero posters and even a sketchbook and markers so he can make his own stuff and pin them to the walls with tape. He can’t help but feel relieved knowing his cell will be slightly more tolerable now.

The hour eventually passes, and Izuku is satisfied. It also wasn’t as awkward or tense as he imagined this would be. Maybe in the beginning, but Izuku eventually managed to relax around the villain.

They are passing some attractions and live bands when they pass one of the permanent features of the prefecture, an ice rink.

Izuku perks up upon seeing it. One of the few memories he has of his father is, surprisingly, learning to ice skate. Even after he left, Izuku continued skating and is actually pretty good! He hasn’t done it in a while, but feeling the radiating cold of the rink brings back so many fond memories. 

He doesn’t say anything, but he doesn’t realize he’s staring at the ring as they walk.

Izuku doesn’t realize Overhaul’s notice. The villain raises a brow at Izuku and looks between him and the rink. It's painfully obvious he wants to do it, but he is still too nervous to ask for things. Logically, it’s not like Overhaul would hurt him, he has no reason to and it would be a waste of a perfectly good quirkless analyst.

Overhaul thinks to himself before looking back at Izuku.

"Do you want to stake, Midoriya?" He asks.

Izuku blinks and glances over at Overhaul. “Uhm..” He fidgets nervously. “Kind of?”

"Then why not go over?" Overhaul tilts his head.

“…what about you?” Izuku asks. “Is it a good idea to leave me alone in there?” The rink isn’t crowded but there’s still people in there. How confident is Overhaul that he won’t try to get help???

He’s right, but that’s still rude.

"I don't skate." Overhaul says plainly.

“Why?” Izuku tilts his head back. “It’s easy.”

"I like my ground solid and not slippery." Overhaul deadpans.

“So… you’re worried you’ll fall?” Izuku asks.

"Yes."

“But why?” Izuku frowns. “It’s really easy. I know it seems scary cause of a lack of solid ground, but it’s really fun once you’re on the rink!” Be exclaims, his mind too focused on the chance to have fun to realize he maybe should just go off to have fun instead of tempting fate.

"..." Overhaul sighs, closing his eyes for a moment. Izuku tenses, wondering if he messed up, before the villain looks at Izuku again. "Would skating on the ice really make you happy, Midoriya?"

“…yes?”

"Very well." Overhaul sighs out, walking to rental skates. "Let's get close to your size, I'll adjust them."

Izuku perks up, smiling as he is quick to follow him. He mentally cheers, though tries to not express his excitement too much. “Let’s go!”

Overhaul takes care of talking to the rental worker and waves Izuku to find skates in his size or as close as he can find. Overhaul clearly doesn't want the rental skates, as he holds it with as minimal contact as he can once they find their sizes. 

"Let's get these clean and your size." Overhaul grumbles squinting at the skates.

“…do you want me to hold them?” Izuku asks. “If it makes you feel any better, it’s not like anyone’s bare feet were on them.”

"Nothing about wearing the same shoes as someone else will ever feel 'better'." Overhaul huffs as he gives Izuku the skates to hold. "Let's find somewhere to change these."

Izuku nods and looks around. There are benches for people to put on and take off their skates, but most are crowded. Izuku eventually finds a far more empty bench a little ways away. 

“Over there.” Izuku tilts his head to the direction of the empty benches, unable to point since his hands are full. Overhaul nods and leads the way, keeping a hand on Izuku's shoulder to keep people from bumping him as they try to clumsily walk in skates to the rink. 

It seems Overhaul is finding putting knives on your feet and trying to walk in them with no training to be ridiculous and a health hazard. He glares at a teen that falls and almost hits another with the blade but their skin hardens like a rock to protect themselves. He seems shocked that people do this for fun .

Izuku seems to be feeling the complete opposite that Overhaul is, grinning as he watches people clumsily learn to skate with others who are much more experienced. Families help hold their small children up as they laugh with each other. It brings back fond memories for him.

They get to a clear and relatively private spot to sit and Overhaul sighs as he takes a glove off and puts his hand out for a skate. The sooner these health hazards are clean, the better.

Izuku hands the skates to Overhaul, one by one, and then sets them down once Overhaul uses his quirk on them. He doesn’t mind Overhauls caution, he’s just glad they’re going to do this at all!

The skates feel nicer on Izuku then they would be without the sizing, but it's still not the best. Overhaul's quirk can't make something from nothing, so it can only give enough toe room for short term comfort. Anymore and it risks the structural integrity of the shoes and those are something you don't want to fall apart on you mid skate! 

Sadly this is also why they can't just change already existing shoes for Izuku to wear.

Izuku makes sure his skates are on and secure before standing up, practically buzzing with excitement. The difference between roller skating and ice skating is that roller skaters always have wheels on their feet. But with ice skates, once you’re off the ice, it’s basically like normal walking with just a bit more balance needed.

Overhaul, however, does not see it that way and is as graceful as a baby deer learning to walk. His poor life seems to flash before his eyes every time he wobbles dangerously and has to grab something to stay up. 

Who knew the best way to defeat the big bad Yakuza Boss was to put him in skates?

“Do you need help?” Izuku asks as he tilts his head. 

He stares at Overhaul for a moment, doing everything in his power to not laugh. They haven’t even gotten to the ice yet? He doesn’t remember having this much trouble when he was learning.

" How is this entertainment?" Overhaul huffs, using the rink wall to walk instead of Izuku. He'd probably crush the kid if he fell and he doesn't want to explain how he got hurt to Rappa.

“Falling is funny and watching other people fall while you succeed is even funnier.” Izuku explains with a shrug. “Plus, you’re overthinking it. The ice is the fun part!” 

Izuku starts walking to the entrance of the rink, though he goes slower so Overhaul can try and keep up.

"I doubt that part will be any better." Overhaul watches how Izuku walks and does his best to mimic it and still use the wall. It has minimal success but better than before.

“Maybe for you.” Izuku will sadistically enjoy watching Overhaul struggle to stand and skate, as it is the only way to cause his downfall without raising the chances of his own. 

Hey, Overhaul still kidnapped him. He’s allowed to be bitter and laugh at his failures.

"Why do you like this anyway? I've never seen you do anything remotely 'sport like' outside training." Overhaul asks.

“No one judges me if I’m bad or going with my family. And I never minded sports-y stuff.” Izuku shrugs as he reaches the entrance of the ring, waiting for Overhaul to get a bit closer. “I’d probably enjoy them more if I was allowed to play them.”

"Quirk status?" Overhaul asks in a huff, reaching the entrance and taking a breath. This was a lot more work than he is used to.

“Yup. It’s the only time I’m surrounded by strangers that don’t know .” Izuku steps out into the ring. He skates a bit away from the entrance so Overhaul can follow, but close enough to catch him if he does end up falling at the first step.

"My Boss would talk of old sports that died off with quirks." Overhaul says, taking a hesitant step on the ice and getting a feel for how slippery it feels under the skates. 

"He did? What kinds?" Izuku asks.

"All kinds really. He talked of a beautiful event once where people would dance on the ice." Overhaul furrows his brow as he just tries to just stand on the ice. "Figure skating, I believe it was called."

" Dancing on Ice?" Izuku gasps. "That would be so much fun to watch or do! How could something like that die off?" He skates a little bit around them, doing little spins but not straying too far from Overhaul.

"Quirks." Overhaul huffs. "Pretty much anything considered impressive or beautiful a quirkless person could do was overshadowed quickly. It's what killed the Olympics."

"Oh. Of course." Izuku rolls his eyes.

"Mhm." Overhaul nods, still holding the wall.

"Well, you've got standing while hanging onto the wall down. Maybe now you should try letting go and just standing without it." Izuku suggests, deciding to at least try and help Overhaul.

"..." Overhaul squints at the ice suspiciously and takes a moment to carefully let go of the wall. His hand still hovers over it, he's not crazy enough to completely drop a resource, but he is standing on his own.

"See, you did it! " Izuku snickers. "It's not like the ice is going to break under you. Now, try moving forward." 

He skates backwards and ahead of Overhaul next to the wall, ready to catch him if anything. Overhaul probably wouldn't weigh too much. Probably.

Overhaul makes a disgruntled murmur into his mask and holds a hand in front of himself as he tries to go forward. It's mostly shuffling in place as he tries to figure out how to move but he eventually gets moving forward to Izuku.

"There you go, better than nothing! Here, watch." Izuku skates back a little more. "Just do what I did with my feet. Except, y'know, forwards."

"You are so helpful." Overhaul deadpans, it loses some effect given the situation but the energy is there... kind of.

Izuku can’t hold back the amused grin he has. This was the best idea he’s ever had and he’ll face the consequences later. 

“Aww c'mon, it’s not that bad!” Izuku giggles. “It’s like walking! Just gently push off of the ice.” 

Izuku skates around Overhaul, forwards this time, to go next to him on the side that’s not next to the wall. 

“Also, you're bending your legs too much, you're making yourself less stable.” Izuku points out.

"That makes no sense." Overhaul does what he says anyways. "How are you so good at this?"

"My dad taught me when I was like, three. I kept doing it, so it's second nature at this point." Izuku shrugs. 

"And you can just remember it after so long?" Overhaul asks. 

"Yeah. It's like..." Izuku hums. "Oh! It's like swimming! You learn how to do it so if someone decides to throw you in a pool, you can swim without much conscious effort... I would hope no one would throw another person in an ice rink though."

"I worry if you were thrown in a pool now, people usually learn for fun or to cool off-!" 

As he’s speaking, Overhaul feels like he is falling and, unfortunately, Izuku is closer than the wall so he is what Overhaul leans on to stay up. He still tried to not crush him but not falling is more on his mind. Izuku just laughs as he helps keep Overhaul from falling onto the ice. He doubts that would go over well, so he'll try to keep him from actually getting hurt, as funny as it would be. Overhaul isn't as heavy as he worried the man would be, so he doesn't end up falling down as well. 

"Oh I was a few times! They stopped when I learned how to not drown." Izuku says as a side thought.

"...I hope you realize how worrying a statement that is." Overhaul says, reluctantly using Izuku to stay up.

"Eh, I've gone through worse." Izuku shrugs. "Now match my movements so you skate instead of me dragging you along. That would likely hurt." He jokingly threatens as he very slightly starts to give the two of them momentum forward. 

The best way to teach someone how to skate is being right by their side and even letting them practice while the person who knows how is holding onto and guiding them. Izuku knows this, but he wanted to watch Overhaul struggle and fear the world.

They likely look a little ridiculous, a grown man using a small kid to stay up, but there are other people struggling too so no one points it out. Overhaul's patience might have run out if that happened.

"Fighting is so much easier than this." Overhaul mumbles.

"You can end fights in a matter of seconds , of course it would be easier than skating." Izuku huffs.

"Please, as if I don't also train for long, drawn out fights." Overhaul deadpans. "I'd be a fool to only train for a quick win."

"My point still stands." Izuku deadpans. "You've trained for years, so of course it's easier." 

At least fighting is useful. What was he able to do when getting kidnapped? Ice skate to freedom? Maybe if there was ice on the ground, but unfortunately, there was none. 

"Angle your feet this way, it's how you turn, and if you don't we'll become one with the wall." Izuku makes them move a bit faster. 

"I can actually do that if I wanted to." Overhaul says as he follows instructions. "Gives me armor for fights but feels like sand in all of my joints."

“That’s…” So incredibly cool. Izuku has to remind himself of his place before he starts rambling. But he can’t help that little bit of curiosity. “Can you ‘unfuse’ with what you mix yourself with? That would hurt, I would think..”

"I can." Overhaul nods. "It hurts less than fusing, kind of refreshing really. Like taking off too tight of a coat or socks you wear for too long."

"Cool." Izuku hums. “Can you fuse with living things?”

"Yes, I don't do it often as it is gross." Overhaul shivers and has to hold onto Izuku a bit tighter when it makes him slip a little. "Do you have any idea how many germs are in another person's body? Horrible. Hate doing it."

"Honestly... yeah. That sounds really gross." Izuku isn't even germaphobic, but that really does sound incredibly disgusting. Mixing one person's body, or parts of their body, with another just sounds wrong .

"That's why it's a last resort kind of thing, finish the fight quickly so I can undo it quickly." Overhaul tries to stand on his own and still skate forward.

“Would you rather ice skate for an hour or be fused with another person for an hour?” Izuku asks with an innocent smile that is not at all a suppression of his grin. He stays by Overhaul in case he can’t stay up.

"I would murder so many people if stuck to someone else for an hour ." Overhaul says, stress in his voice. "Are you trying to end a city?"

“No!” Izuku exclaims. He quickly forces himself to not panic and cause the atmosphere to go back to tense. Instead, he relies on his favorite way to survive in the Yakuza. Redirection. “…Maybe a small town though.”

"Got something against small towns?" Overhaul asks. He's doing a little better skating but not anywhere near Izuku's level.

“It has to be a specific small town.” Izuku elaborates. “A small town full of quirkest people? I’d be more tempted to turn a blind eye.” He jokes.

…Mostly jokes.

"It's usually 50/50 if they are more accepting of quirk types or worse than the city." Overhaul huffs, shuffling forward but moving at least.

“Hence my point!” Izuku skates forward, seeing Overhaul no longer struggling to exist on the ice. He skates ahead a bit to do a few spins to let out some energy before making his way back.

Overhaul just watches how easily Izuku skates and his little spins, meanwhile he is still just trying to go forward without falling. He hums and looks around to see who else is skating just fine but most are struggling like him. He doesn't understand where all the grace and balance is coming from for Izuku. He's usually so stiff and uncoordinated in the sparring he does with Rappa and the others.

Izuku never realized the things he does well with are the things that he’s confident in . Because of his years of experience in ice skating, Izuku doesn’t have any fear stepping into the rink. It’s the same with cooking, he was in the kitchen with his mom all the time.

Though, maybe it’s something deeper at the same time.

Izuku didn’t have much confidence in his hero analysis, but while under the assumption that no one would read those books, he still did incredibly well. The praise he had been given by Overhaul seemed to help that.

Training however, is an entirely different story. He’s been training for months at this point, but still has the same mindset. He has questioned why he’s sparring and training since the beginning, and his mood always seems to be worse after despite the energy he’s able to get out. Izuku not seeing the point in it, having not trained for long, and feeling judged when given advice rather than motivated to do better seems to not mix well.

Rappa had brought this up to Overhaul several times when he noticed the lack of motivation. It makes sense they don't know how to motivate a teen when they are all adults that had to learn to fight to survive, they had to adapt with fighting instead of just an insane amount of endurance to see the next day. 

Overhaul watches Izuku skate around and look genuinely happy for once around him and realizes they need a new approach to get him motivated. But that is for later, when he is back in the compound and can plan, for now this is a day out for Izuku that he earned.

The boy skates along a little bit ahead before an announcement is made for the current skaters that their time is up and to extend their time at the front desk or hand back their skates. Izuku feels a bit sad that they have to leave already, but doesn’t complain. He’s grateful he even got to do this at all . Izuku looks for the nearest exit and skates back over to Overhaul. 

“Do you want to slowly slide over and be the last one out orrrr~ do you want help?” izuku jokingly asks, once again mentally hitting himself for not showing more restraint. It’s hard to be polite and respectful when the big bad Yakuza boss is struggling to stand on a giant ice cube.

"I would like to get off the death cube." Overhaul grumbles, glaring at the people slipping and almost falling once they go from ice to ground again. How people are not getting hurt is a miracle to him.

“People only die when they’re ice skating on lakes.” Izuku explains, getting close enough for Overhaul to grab onto so he can help him out. Izuku’s not rude enough to grab him first. “Hard to tell if the ice is thick enough to not break, so people fall into the cold water.”

"There are blades on these shoes, you're telling me people haven't cut each other with them before?" Overhaul huffs and takes Izuku's arm. "I'll stick with normal shoes, thank you."

“People end up hurting themselves more than other people. Usually the cuts aren’t deadly either, so,” Izuku shrugs as he helps them go quicker towards the exit.

"That child was almost cut earlier." Overhaul points out. 

They have to wait for a group to get off the ice first as they block the exit they need so Overhaul leans against the short wall to take his weight off Izuku. He will love to get off the ice and never touch this cursed sport again.

"That's not common." Izuku argues. "I've never seen anyone cut another person in my decade of skating experience. It's usually just twisting an ankle."

"Hmm, I'll have to take your word on this. You're more knowledgeable about it than I am." Overhaul admits. 

The exit clears and they are finally able to get back to the ground, now it's just the 20 or so feet to the cubbies with their shoes and shopping bags.

"Ah, solid ground." Izuku smiles happy as he starts walking back to their stuff, forgetting that Overhaul, for some reason, also had issues walking on the stuff that isn't ice.

Overhaul grumbles and huffs at the ground and his skates as he uses the wall as a crutch to get moving from the exit. The rink employees have put down grooved mats to protect the blades from chips on flat ground but it just makes it harder to walk if you miss the groove when you step.

Izuku goes on ahead, assuming Overhaul will catch up eventually , and sits down on the bench next to the cubby of shoes and their shopping bags to be able to take off his skates easier. A couple sits near Izuku to take off their skates too, and the flash of the lady's blue hands makes Izuku glance over. 

He takes a second to place why blue skin is familiar but he freezes as he realizes it's Bubble Girl out of uniform! She is the sidekick of Sir Nighteye and one of the top people to avoid for the Yakuza, and she is right there .

Izuku tenses up, his first thought is to go back to Overhaul to tell him to not go over here, when a second thought crosses his mind as he stares at her.

Bubble Girl is one of the few heroes actively on the hunt for the Yakuza. She’d probably recognize Overhaul, it’s not like he did much to disguise himself anyways, and she would probably be very willing to protect a kidnapped kid, especially if it helped them get Overhaul arrested. Overhaul is too far away to notice if he tries subtly signaling to her or asking for help.

He could ask for help. He could go home and see his mom again, the opportunity is sitting right in front of him .

Bubble Girl laughs at something her partner says and her elbow bumps her thermos, it rolls near Izuku's cubby and stops near his red shoes.

Izuku feels a lump appear in his throat, staring at his red shoes with the big, red Q on the sides. 

He wants to go home. 

He really, really does. 

But... Izuku knows that partially at least, Overhaul isn’t lying. He may not be 100% safe in the compound, but he also feels increasingly less safe outside. Anyone would be willing to hurt him because of his quirk status. He’s lucky Rappa and even Overhaul do something when quirkiest comments are made. He should just be grateful he’s with them and not a group that wants to harm him for his status or worse.

When Bubble girl grabs her thermos, Izuku stands up to grab his shoes, quickly tug them on without tying the laces, grabs Overhaul’s shoes and their shopping bags, before rushing back to the villain.

“ Don’t go that way. ” Izuku says quietly once back by Overhaul’s side. “Nighteye sidekick, Bubble Girl, is there out of uniform.”

Overhaul's eyes widen then narrow as he looks to the blue skinned lady. He waves for Izuku to kneel with him to cover him touching his shoes and the skates, they both get destroyed but he reforms the skates on the ground and his shoes on. 

"Let's go before they notice." Overhaul taps Izuku's laces with his quirk as well to make them tied before putting his glove back on and standing. 

He takes the skates from Izuku so he just has the bags to worry about as they head to the rental place to return them. The workers are fast and soon Overhaul has a hand on the small of Izuku's back to guide him past the crowd and to the hotel parking garage.

Izuku glances back for a moment, wondering if it would have been worth the risk to ask the side-kick for help. He wonders how it could have ended, if he could have been home in time for Christmas to spend with his mom. 

He stops looking back when he forces himself to watch where they’re walking instead. He already made the decision, he can’t think about the ‘what if’s’ now.

—

The ride back was quiet and soon they were pulling back into the hidden parking entrance of the compound. The sun is low in the sky from how long they were out but it's still sometime before Eri goes to bed. Rappa is waiting in the parking garage for them and nods to Overhaul when the engine stops and he gets out. 

"Welcome back, dinner is just about to be served." Rappa says.

Izuku is mentally tired at this point, but not to the point where he'd like to sleep in a cave, undisturbed for a thousand years. He's getting there though, so he just gives a sleepy wave to Rappa from behind Overhaul.

"Wonderful to hear." Overhaul nods as he takes his flowers from the car's back seat. "I will be down for dinner after I drop these off with my Boss. Izuku is free to go with you."

“Thank you for today, Overhaul-Sama.” Izuku politely bows. 

Besides what happened when seeing the hero sidekick, it was nice to be able to go out and even get to do things that he used to. He misses the outside world already, but he’s overjoyed he got the opportunity at all.

"It was my pleasure, Midoriya." Overhaul bows back, not going as low as Izuku did. "Keep up the good work and you can go out more. Have a nice night and holiday." 

Overhaul heads off to... wherever he goes to see his Boss, Izuku doesn't really know, and it's just Rappa left.

When Overhaul’s gone, Izuku sighs softly. “…I can’t believe any of that happened.” Izuku says, glancing at Rappa. He can’t believe he went ice skating with Overhaul and then made fun of him multiple times and got away with it!

"Oh?" Rappa tilts his head as he helps take some bags from the car trunk. "Did you run into a hero or something?"

“Kinda, but she didn’t notice us so we walked away. That’s not what I’m surprised about.” Izuku looks down at his feet. “I… convinced him to go ice skating?? And made fun of the fact he was struggling to ice skate for an hour straight?” 

How? Did that happen again?

"You did?" Rappa sounds surprised. "Huh, didn't think he'd do anything like that. His main goal was flowers and feeding you... Did it make you happy at least?"

“Yeah.. it was fun.” Izuku slowly nods. Which is not what he ever expected to say when it comes to Overhaul . “Awkward at first, but it got better.”

"That's good." Rappa smiles and ruffles Izuku's hat. "It would've been pretty sad if your reward wasn't fun."

Izuku smiles softly before remembering the bag. “Oh! Speaking of fun, can we go see Eri? I got you both gifts.”

"A gift?" Rappa tilts his head. "You didn't have to get me anything."

“I know.” Izuku shrugs. “But I saw it and thought of you, so I knew I had to give it to you!”

"Oh?” Rappa chuckles. "Well, if it just called out to you I can really stop that. Must be fate."

“Yup! Besides, it’s already bought, so you couldn’t stop me if you wanted to!” Izuku grins.

"Damn, can't fight that logic." Rappa shrugs. "What did you get me?"

Izuku grins and pulls out the shirt from the bag and holds it up so Rappa can read the words. It covers him entirely, so he can’t see the reaction it receives.

Rappa is quiet for a second before laughing loudly and taking the shirt. Izuku can just tell he has a big smile behind his mask as he turns the shirt to hold it to himself.

"It's perfect. I can wear this on laundry day when I don't have a uniform." Rappa laughs again.

"I knew you’d like it!" Izuku brightens and giggles with him. “See, it had your name all over it!!”

"It seems so." Rappa pats Izuku's hat. "Thank you, little Fighter. It's a great gift."

“Good. I’m glad you liked it.” Izuku preens. “Can we go to Eri, or am I needed somewhere? I have gifts for her, too.”

"How about we get some dinner for you two first, she's probably hungry." Rappa says. "She'd be happy to have the food you help make too."

"Right, that works." Izuku nods. “I forgot it was dinner, I’m less hungry than normal.” And not in the normal lack of appetite way.

"Overhaul must have gotten his second goal then." Rappa nods as he leads the way to the cafeteria.

“Second goal?” Izuku tilts his head as he follows.

"Mhm, get you to eat something." Rappa says as they get walking again.

“ …he tricked me… ” Izuku whispers to himself, realizing what Overhaul had done the whole time.

Rappa laughs, seeing Izuku's realization.

“…hmph." Izuku pouts in silence for a moment. "At the end of the day I still won, so it’s fine .”

"Chin up, little fighter." Rappa pats Izuku's back, nearly sending him to the floor from the force of it. "You feel better, yeah? Maybe snacks throughout the day instead of big meals are what you need instead of a smoothie."

"Yeah, maybe." Izuku huffs. “It seems better than when I force myself to eat at least.”

"We can try that for tomorrow, have some things for you to carry and snack on during the holidays." Rappa offers. "Make a little one for the Unicorn too, don't want her to feel left out."

"Okay." Izuku nods. "Not too much though. She needs three healthy meals per day." He's sure he can survive without that, he has so far, but Eri is growing and needs healthy meals more than him.

"It'll be healthy snacks, not like that stuff in America." Rappa makes a bleh face. "Tried it once, far too sweet and artificial."

"I got used to the flavors of American snacks from my dad when he used to send gifts." Izuku says. "They're not my favorite, but it's occasionally a nice treat."

"Their salt and vinegar chips are pretty nice, I guess." Rappa shrugs. 

They are near the cafeteria now and can hear people talking and laughing. A lot of them are happy to be going home for the holidays after tomorrow and the excitement is easily heard through the door.

Izuku tries not to think about the excitement of the Yakuza members when he knows the holidays won’t be anything special this year. He feels a bit bitter, but doesn’t say a word about it. He’s at least gotten better at not breaking down into tears at the thought of his mom or old home.

"Loud today, might just take my tray to go again." Rappa says with a shrug. "The cooks will make me into a meal if I get into a fight in the cafeteria again."

“Sorry Rappa, but I’d have to support Nakajima if that happened. I can’t bite at the hand that feeds me.” Izuku 'regretfully' says.

"Damn, betrayed by my own student for food." Rappa shakes his head 'sadly'. "That chef used stray cat methods to gain loyalty, I should have thought of that first!"

“You snooze, you lose.” Izuku shrugs.

"How do I get that level of loyalty though? Stray cat trust is the strongest out there." Rappa sighs and opens the door for them to go in.

"Dunno." Izuku shrugs as he walks in. "Trial and error. Plus, if you figure it out yourself, you can get bragging rights over Nakajima."

"Damn. I'll have to work the Eri angle, befriend the kid and that's my way in." Rappa nods sagely, as if he isn't like an uncle to Eri already.

"Have fun with that, " Izuku huffs in amusement. "Just don't have her fight anyone or something."

"What about teaching her to fight? Eh?" Rappa offers, grabbing a tray and getting in line. "Make her unstoppable."

"...as long as you don't go too far with it, fine." Izuku gives him a suspicious look before getting his own tray. He should at least grab some stuff for himself, even if it's just fruit or something.

"When have I ever taken things 'too far'?" Rappa huffs amused.

"Every time you have the urge to fight someone." Izuku points out.

"Hmm, I plead the 5th." Rappa says smugly.

"Coward." Izuku smiles as they reach the fruit and grabs a few different types, making sure to add a few apple slices to 'accidentally' forget about and give to Eri.

"Them's fighting words." Rappa clicks some tongs at Izuku. He scrunches down a little hearing a voice call from the depths of the kitchen that he 'better not if he knows what's good for him!' Rappa chuckles sheepishly.

“You’re literally proving my point.” Izuku grins.

"I prove nothing, you have no proof." Rappa glances at the kitchen before clicking the tongs at Izuku again and grabbing some chicken with them. How this man is one of the Eight is a mystery.

Izuku doesn’t question it. At the very least, Rappa being how he is makes Izuku just a bit less tense than he would normally be. Rappa helped him relax in such a terrifying situation. 

“Mmmhmm, if you're sure.” Izuku giggles.

"Very." Rappa nods and goes back to filling his tray. "Don't forget some cookies for the little Unicorn, the ones you made are out tonight and tomorrow."

"Oh, right!" Izuku perks up and grabs a couple, deciding that he'll at least try to eat one since he made it. Nakajima encourages him to at least try the foods he makes so he knows how to improve.

Soon their trays are loaded up, Izuku's holding less than both, and Rappa is holding the door open for Izuku to head back to Eri and see what she's been up to today. 

She was given lessons and worksheets to do whenever Izuku is out so she isn't bored while they are gone, Rappa is the one that prints them out so she can learn to read and write too. She likes to show Izuku how well she is learning when he comes back from giving a hero report or a trip to the labs. It really helps him relax and calm down from what he's had to do.

Izuku always loves listening to Eri ramble on and on about the things she's learned that day and how much she's improving with reading and writing. Compared to how she was when he first arrived, he would say this is an improvement. If nothing else, he's doing something right while being tasked to take care of her

Izuku almost felt what 'dying to cuteness' was like when Eri proudly held up a drawing of her and Izuku with their names in shaky lettering above them. She had such a look of determination and pride in her eyes that she got it right. Rappa even clutched his chest and pretended to die.

Izuku wishes it could be in a different situation, but he’s also so happy to have a little sister like Eri, especially in such a dark and terrifying place. She helps him without even realizing. When he feels at his lowest, knowing that he has to comb Eri’s hair is what ends up getting him out of bed.

(He can't find it to live for himself most days, but for Eri? He'll live for her. For however long it takes to get her out and free, he'll live and endure whatever it takes for her.)

Izuku is dragged out of his thoughts when they arrive at the familiar hallway where Eri’s room is. The guard outside has a little baggy of cookies they're munching on, and Izuku can see some are ones he made. They must have just rotated out guards so the other could have dinner.

Izuku can’t help but feel a bit of pride seeing the cookies. He forgets sometimes that he does normal things outside of his analysis that will affect others. Oddly, seeing people eat the food he makes reminds him of that, but in a good way?

It's like a... clean feeling pride, if that makes sense. It doesn't make him question himself like when Overhaul says he did good or pats his head.

It’s refreshing more than anything. There’s not a lot that doesn’t leave him with that conflicted and confused feeling he’s grown accustomed to. Just cooking and anytime Eri is happy and smiles because of him or something he did for her. It helps remember these moments when he is left confused and conflicted because of Overhaul.

It’s the little things, he supposes. The little things will help keep him sane.

The guard notices them coming and nods to Izuku and Rappa as he unlocks the door for them, they used to check for contraband and things but Izuku has been down enough times without incident they gave up to save time. Now he can just walk in and see Eri light up seeing him. (Not in the literal way, she is very careful about her quirk around him.)

"Izu-nii!" Eri cheers upon seeing him enter the room. 

The door closes just as Izuku responds with his just-as-enthusiastic, “Eri!” He places the tray of mostly fruit and the bags of gifts on a shelf and rushes over to Eri to scoop her up in a hug. He hasn’t seen her all day , he deserves hugs and Eri-cuddles. 

“How is my little bundle of sunshine doing today?” Izuku asks with a coo. 

"Good!" Eri giggles and hugs back. "I made you a gift from my craft book!"

"You did?" Izuku gasps. "I have a gift or two for you too! Do you want to show me yours first?" He places her back down on the ground.

"Yeah! Wait here!" 

Eri toddles off to her small crafting table, a reward for Izuku's work, and digs around the many papers and colored pencils until she finds what she is looking for. Izuku waits patiently for Eri to return, picking back up the bag he has where Eri's gifts are for when it's his turn to give them to her.

"One of my books had folding crafts!" Eri says, holding out her cupped hands. "So I made you wishes and us!"

Eri holds her hands out and there are several small paper stars next to two little origami bunnies, one green and one silver. The paper stars are a mix of colors with some glitter glued on. (Seaweed based glitter, Overhaul hates micro plastics that get into the ocean fish from cleaning up the glitter messes.)

" Oh ... oh that's so cute... " Izuku tears up in absolute awe . 

"Mhm! The book even said the stars have a story!" Eri says, eyes sparkling. "I couldn't read all the words yet, but I know giving them means luck and love! You can carry them with you when we're apart so you know I love you!"

Izuku is only able to get the folded paper stars and bunnies in the palm of one of his hands before he's crying, his heart aching in his chest. "Thank you, Eri. I'll make sure to carry them wherever I go." Izuku says as he wipes his tears with the hand holding the bag so he doesn't ruin his gift.

Eri smiles and reaches up to help wipe his tears with her little handkerchief one of her plushies came with, it's a bear in a fancy suit that reminds her of her grandpa. Izuku crouches down so Eri can reach better and also to start pulling out the gifts for her. 

"Right. Eri, pick a number, one or two?" Izuku asks, sniffing a bit to get the rest of his emotions in check. He can't pick which to give her first, so it's the best decision to make her decide.

"Hmm, 2?" Eri guesses, tilting her head.

Izuku pulls out a palm sized (for Izuku) pink bunny plushie for her, specifically the kind that is packed full of fluffy 'fur'. He's seen how Eri loves to hide her face in her plushies, especially the extra fluffy ones. He has no idea why she does it, sometimes it seems like she just wants to squeeze something, but who is he to question a six year olds weird actions?

Eri gasps happily and gently takes the bunny before nuzzling it, just like Izuku expected her to. She makes happy little sounds before going to hug Izuku.

"Nuh uh, no hugs until your second gift." Izuku giggles. "You ready?"

"Mhm!" Eri nods, hugging the plush bunny close.

"Okay." Izuku smiles then pulls out two identical necklaces with some key differences.

Eri's necklace is a thick pink and red string-like material swirled against each other with a cute half-heart charm in the center with the kanji for 'younger sister' etched into the middle.

Izuku's is green and red, and has the kanji for 'older brother' in his half of the charm. The two connect to each other with small magnets somewhere in the metal.

"They connect!" Eri takes hers with a coo and traces the kanji.

"They do!" Izuku smiles brightly. "They connect because we are connected! You'll always be my little sister, no matter what." He hands Eri's necklace to her.

"Always!" Eri chirps, trying to put it on herself.

"...Eri, you're going to get it stuck in your hair like that." Izuku sighs fondly as he takes the necklace again and puts it on her. He puts his on after hers is clipped.

"Thank you, Izu-nii!" Eri smiles, touching her necklace and hugging her bunny. "Best birthday-Christmas gift ever!"

Izuku pulls the girl into his lap to hug her tight, just glad that today ended up being not nearly as bad as others. He's happier than he has been in a while.

"Izu-nii, can you guess how old I am now?" Eri asks, getting comfortable and snuggling up to him.

Izuku blinks, processing what she said before.

"Uh..."

How old was Eri before?? When did her birthday even pass?!?

"...Five? No- six?" Izuku guesses. She can't be older than six, she’s miniature!

"Six!" Eri smiles. "This was much nicer than my birthday last year cause I got Izu-nii with me!"

“Good thing I got you two gifts, huh?" Izuku smiles somberly but hides that by pointing at the necklace. "A Birthday gift and a Christmas gift.” 

It's actually not at all intentional, but that’s okay. He now knows to get Eri two seperate gifts and celebrate properly next year.

"Mhm! Mommy only got me one for both before." Eri frowns. "Grandpa got upset at her a lot for it, said 4 days doesn't mean I can't celebrate both. Grandpa and daddy always got me two but... I never got to see daddy's Christmas gift after my 4th birthday."

Four days! Four days before Christmas is Eri’s birthday Izuku notices first. 

He should try to write that down once he goes back to his room. 

“You deserve all the gifts! One gift is unfair.” Izuku nuzzles against her hair. “Don’t worry, Izu-nii will get you alllll the gifts next year, too!”

"Really!?" Eri looks up at him, eyes sparkling.

“Really!” Izuku exclaims. “I pinky-promise.” He holds up his hand, his pinky pointed out for Eri.

"Pinky-promise?" Eri holds her hand out too, even though she is confused.

“Pinky-promises are ones you never break.” Izuku explains as he locks their pinky’s together.

"Never?" Eri coos in wonder and curls her pinky to his. "So we'll celebrate no matter what?"

“No matter what.” Izuku swears. “I’ll make sure you have a wonderful birthday.”

"Having Izu-nii there will make it the bestest!" Eri smiles brightly at him.

"And having you here will make my birthday the bestest too." Izuku smiles back, just as bright.

Eri giggles and cuddles up to Izuku happily. The only thing stopping her from cuddling for long is her tummy rumbling for dinner, she forgot Izuku even brought that with him because of the gifts.

"Alright, sunshine. Playtime is over, it's time for dinner." Izuku lifts Eri up a bit so he can stand easier and places her on the bed. He then grabs the food tray for her and hands it to her. "I even got you some of the food I made with Chef Nakajima." He points at the small pile of cookies.

"You made cookies!" Eri chirps. "Thank you nii-san!" 

It's very obvious she wants to eat the cookies right away but she is a good kid and knows that's for after the meal. Her not at all subtle glances at the cookies as she eats is amusing to watch, like pretending she doesn't want them will make them any less tempting for a 6 year old. Izuku is watching her with an amused smile, every so often taking bites of the fruit he grabbed for himself, but mostly making sure she doesn't get too tempted and takes a cookie when she thinks he isn't looking.

Eri manages to eat her whole dinner without taking a cookie and even saves her little bottle of milk to enjoy them with. She nearly stacks her dishes and looks up at Izuku with sparkling eyes to show she is done.

“Alright, alright," Izuku huffs in amusement. "You’re free to eat the cookies.”

"Yay!" Eri cheers. 

She scoots the cookies closer and happily munches on one, little happy eating sounds coming from her. She doesn't take all the cookies however, she pushes some near Izuku so he can enjoy them too.

Izuku gives in and takes one of the cookies to at least take a few bites. He smiles brightly at the taste. They’re good, and that sense of genuine pride comes back. Eri smiles and cuddles into Izuku's side as they enjoy their treats. 

It's not the same as if he was with his mom, but this is a pretty nice Christmas too. Izuku can't imagine not having Eri for the holidays.

—

Izuku spent the next few hours with Eri until Rappa arrived to bring him back to his cell/room. It was a nice day, though he hated that he had to end it in such a way. Being in his cell/room is always the worst, but he at least managed to sleep better that night with his new decorations.

The little paper stars and bunnies are set on Izuku's desk by his notebooks, so they are the first thing he sees when he wakes up and rolls over. It's a cute sight to see after just waking up but... they aren't how Izuku set them up last night. 

They were in the center of the desk, on the notebooks. But now the notebooks are off to the side and the bunnies are knocked on their sides. A black case has taken their place.

That wasn't there when Izuku went to sleep. Someone was in his room and he didn't wake up for it .

When he realizes this, Izuku is immediately off his bed and on his feet, though has to take another few moments leaning on his desk to stop himself from passing out after standing up so quickly. 

(A recurring problem he has sometimes.) 

No one is here now , so it’s not like he can do anything about it, but the thought of any one of the criminals in the compound being in his room while he’s asleep leaves him horribly uncomfortable.

Izuku cautiously takes the case and brings it over to his bed so he can have more room to examine it. There’s nothing special or discernible about it, so without any other option, he opens the case.

The first thing he notices is… green fabric? On top of the fabric is a folded up paper with writing, so Izuku takes that first.

' Dear Midoriya,

   I do hope this gift shows how far you've come in your time here. It is time for you to take on a new role as our analyst. Hope you like your new look as Night Rabbit. 

Have a good holiday

Overhaul ' 

At the end of the letter is the insignia of the Shie Hassaikai.

Okay, so the chances of it being Overhaul himself that stopped in his room is higher, which is…. only slightly less uncomfortable. Better than a random Yakuza member.

Izuku bites the inside of his cheek as he frowns at the letter, his chest aching with a new sort of glee. Overhaul is recognizing his efforts, he thinks he’s improved and been helpful from when he first got here! That in it of itself would be enough to bring him to tears, but his confusion stops that.

‘A new role’…? ‘Night Rabbit’? 

This letter leaves him with far more questions than answers.

Deciding that he won’t get any answers by staring at the letter, he gingerly places the paper on his bed and instead takes out the folded up fabric.

The first thing he pulls out seems to be a dark green tracksuit top with torn sleeves? It's high quality material and the only design seems to be a black rectangle that wraps around the back at the sides. Under it is a matching set of track pants and a two piece mask with a silver and black metal respirator?

Izuku is only more confused as he puts the tracksuit top against his chest, and yeah, it looks like it would fit him. 

This isn’t really answering any of his questions, he’s just more confused. What new expectations has Overhaul attached to this outfit? Or… costume?

Digging in the box eventually finds a paper packet of how to put the outfit on in the right order, written in Overhaul's neat handwriting and the drawing of the whole look also looks hand drawn. 

Did Overhaul... personally design this for him? 

The rest of the packet seems to be a summary of how the gear works and the contents of a lavender backpack at the bottom of the box with a fur boa like what Overhaul wears. It lists things Izuku normally uses for his analyst work and things to observe things at a distance, like a zoom camera and binoculars.

Izuku's heartbeat speeds up as he looks through everything, then reads the note again. 

Izuku’s new role as their analyst. 

Distance analyst gear.

Night Rabbit .

What Rappa was saying about his contributions only the day before.

He looks back at the outfit again…

Izuku only realizes how weak his knees feel when he almost collapses to the floor, but is luckily able to climb onto the bed before his legs give out from under him. 

He’s so used to feeling . Auntie Mitsuki used to describe him and his mom as being living bundles of emotion. Izuku cries over everything. Happy, sad, angry, confused, scared, no matter what, he'll likely cry if the emotions get too strong. He’s used to getting so angry and frustrated and tired here. He’s used to crying about it in his dreary cell.

But he doesn’t feel like crying- or like he could cry at this moment. 

He hopes he’s overthinking this.

But he’s been wrong many times before.

Does Overhaul really trust him enough to say that he's... allowed outside? Probably supervised or something but still, it's outside and he'll get to see hero fights again.

He’ll see them, but for an entirely different reason. It won’t be to fantasize about a fruitless dream of becoming a hero himself.

He will be helping to hurt them by analyzing. He will be helping kill them .

Izuku knew his hero analysis before wasn't being used for good, Overhaul never hid that fact from him and often praised him for when it works for them. But now, seeing the heroes first hand, without a screen to lessen the reality of what he is doing…

Izuku finds himself balling his hands into fists.

He was just starting to get used to this! He finally had a system that was working, a routine he was settling with! But now, he feels like he was just pushed off a cliff.

Why are things always changing on him right when he’s getting comfortable?!

He was doing good , he was working hard to get Eri more privileges like her desk and learning books! All that was earned helping the members with their quirks, not a single thing earned for Eri was ever connected to the hero analysis. 

Izuku refused to accept anything for Eri if it was for hero analysis. She doesn't need death tainting it, even if she doesn't know. 

Does this suit, these new expectations , mean Izuku can't earn things for her without it taking a hero death?!

His first instinct is to deny. He wants to yell and cry and hide , he wants to scream about how much he doesn’t want to do this! He wants to run away and find his mom and sleep in his room without his conscious weighing in on the few hero deaths he helped cause.

But he’s suddenly conscious of the metal pressing up against his chest, having not taken off the necklace when he had gone to bed.

If it was just him, he could take whatever punishment disobedience gets him but... Eri can't. She is so young and still recovering from life before Izuku arrived here, he doesn't want her to lose her smile again if he refuses. It took weeks just to get her to smile again the first time, and it's such a fragile thing still, so quick to disappear if someone other than him or Rappa comes near her.

Izuku curls up on himself, hiding his face in his knees. He refuses to let her get hurt, and he doesn’t want her privileges taken away either. He wants to be able to give her more , to keep seeing her smile.

He wants to be able to celebrate her birthday properly .

"Mom…” He mumbles, despite knowing she’ll never be able to hear his pleas. “Please forgive me for whatever I cause… I’m so scared. ..”

He doesn’t want to hurt anyone or cause anyone to die, but if it’s to keep Eri happy and healthy, to make things just a bit better for her here, then he’ll do it without a fight. He’ll hate it, he’ll despise it , but he’ll comply.

Eri needs someone to be strong for her, make the hard decisions to ensure her future is more than this place. He wishes it could be someone else. Someone stronger, faster, smarter, better , someone with a quirk that could break her out of here.

But that's... not possible. It’s just Izuku here, not anyone else, it has to be him. He will be that person for her, no matter what it takes. Even if it means being this Night Rabbit persona. 

(Maybe if Izuku believes hard enough, he can pretend Rabbit is someone else? It might help the guilt... maybe.)

Izuku glances over at the outfit again, seeing belt pouches on top of the tracksuit pants. He reaches over for his desk and puts one of the paper stars and the silver rabbit into one of the smaller pouches. 

For Eri.

Chapter Text

Ten months.

It's hard for Bakugo to believe so much time has passed since Izuku's disappearance. Honestly, a lot has changed despite so little happening.

Firstly, the explosive teen was sent to intensive therapy and pulled out of Aldera Middle school before being transferred to a neighboring school. It was a little out of the way, but he didn't care. He wanted nothing more than to be away from the people that encouraged his behavior on Izuku. 

Aldera was closed down and has been under some serious investigation for months now after the detective on Izuku's case read the diary entries. Apparently they even got Nedzu on the case due to how serious it turned out to be, not just for Izuku either, a lot of kids with weaker quirks were also being hurt for years. Which is just another reason why Bakugo had been sent to therapy.

The therapy itself was frustrating, afterall Bakugo was convinced it was only for insane people, which Bakugo certainly wasn't! 

Looking back, he really shouldn't have fought that hard to not go to therapy. It's been more than helpful in dealing with his grief, fears, and bias that he hadn't realized came out so often. Of course, it took a few therapists. Not all of them were great, some Bakugo just didn't like, and most didn't support the quirkless. Eventually, he found someone who was much more open. 

The therapist he currently sees, and has been seeing for the past eight months, is one of the few therapists that openly advertise they take quirkless clients. Even if it means they get vandalized often. 

Fieke Müller was originally from Germany before moving to Japan years ago for her quirkless partner's job. Germany is one of the few countries with a high quirkless population, over 50%, so it was unsurprising to find out that she has no issues with helping Bakugo and his ingrained feelings towards quirkless people.

It was really eye opening to learn how common being quirkless is in other places. It makes a little sense if you think about how small Japan is to other places, but to learn how free and happy they are was... jaring.

His therapist had a few choice words to say about how the quirkless are treated and the red shoes Izuku had to wear. She told a story of how her partner's non-red shoes were all confiscated at customs when they moved here. The piles of shoes taken from other quirkless immigrants just carelessly tossed by a bin with the trash were some photos she had shown Bakugo and drew parallels to a dark part of Germany's history she sees repeated in a bad way. 

Bakugo learned a lot about World War II that day and, yeah, it's pretty bad how Japan is doing that to a minority again. 

Helping Bakugo isn't an end to quirkless oppression, of course, but it was progress on himself , and he's proud. He hopes he'll be a better friend for when Izuku comes back and a good hero to other quirkless people too. 

Therapy aside, Izuku's case is the other thing besides his training that Bakugo worries about the most. The progress the detective has made on Izuku's case is... surprisingly limited for 10 months. At least, maybe to Bakugo it is. 

He was hoping Izuku would be found quickly, especially with how it only took a few days for the first death from his notes to occur and the many more after it, but that wasn't the case. As a result, heroes in certain prefectures have been more on edge and usually patrolling in pairs rather than just on their own. It hasn't stopped the killings or hospitalizations, but it's slowed them down.

And still, no sign from Izuku.

The only new thing recently is a guy in a green demonic bunny looking suit called Night Rabbit that is seen shortly before the heroes he stalks in the dead of night are found dead or dying. The detective thinks they're who the Yakuza have sent out to check if Izuku's notes are accurate or not, there is always at least one bird masked member with them.

Night Rabbit would be more of an urban legend or a bad omen if Bakugo didn’t know what he did. A few people even managed to photograph them before they fled, and honestly, they’re terrifying . 

The suit is a dark green tracksuit with a black mark on the sides, thigh high leg armor that goes into red shoes with more black armor covering it (the red is quirkless firetruck red), the shoe armor is claw-like and sharp. On his arms are gray to black claw-like gloves and red wraps on his arms that go under the torn sleeves of the track suit. 

On his waist is a red belt with pouches to hold things he needs right away and a lavender backpack under a fluffy, dark purple boa, believed to be for his analyst needs. (The detective had told the Bakugo’s and Inko what group they think took Izuku a few months ago, and apparently their leader is the only other member that also wears a feather boa. He thinks it's a way to mark who Rabbit belongs to.)

Rabbit's mask is a silver metal respirator that looks like a demonic smile connected with a black part under his ears to a dark green hood with torn looking rabbit ears. People are divided on if it's a full hood or just a mask with his hair exposed because whenever he is seen and photographed, it's too dark to really tell. Finally, his eyes are so shadowed that all people can see is the villain's glowing eyes. The eyes are often the last warning a hero sees before they are attacked and often killed.

Whoever designed that outfit needs a raise or to be hired for a horror movie, Bakugo would hate to come face to face with them at night... or during the day... or at all really. Avoiding Night Rabbit entirely is probably the best idea, really. He has much bigger things to focus on today, like UA. 

Strangely enough, everything that’s been happening has encouraged Bakugo to train more for UA’s entrance exam. Not only did Müller say it was a healthy way to let out his anger and frustration, but also because he wanted to get in for Izuku . 

He wondered if this was an excuse for a while before Müller helped him see it was because of how he holds Izuku’s opinion of him to a high standard. Even without noticing it, Izuku's opinions always mattered to Bakugo, even if he didn't realize it till now. Izuku always thought he could be a hero, and Bakugo wants to prove him right. He wants to make him proud.

Which leads to now. Here Bakugo stands, before UA, entrance exams about to start, and his determination to get in at an all time high. He's a little sad to not have Izuku here with him, but he has a little green bunny keychain Auntie Inko gave him that helps. 

Auntie Inko said it would help having a physical reminder on him to not give up or get disheartened, so she gave him a metal one that can hold up in a fight and not get lost.

As he takes his steps into the exam, he can hear Izuku’s voice ringing in his ears, encouraging and cheering him on.

'Your quirk is amazing, Kacchan!'

'You’d be such a cool hero, even better than All Might!'

'We can become heroes, together!'

Hopefully, someday, they will fulfill that promise they made as young kids. Maybe someday, Bakugo will see Izuku climbing up that ladder, and he can cheer him on, just as Izuku has done for their whole lives.

The entrance exam starts, and Bakugo sets off.

—

Izuku sits nervously in his cell/room. 

Overhaul has been happy with his progress over the months and says he earned a gift . 

Rappa says it's a good thing and an honor but not what it will be, so he is no help. He is just incredibly proud of how far Izuku has come since arriving here.

Over the 10 months, Izuku has gone from a weak and scared little kid to a strong fighter and the stealthiest not-member of the Yakuza. Rappa taught him all he knows about fighting and with Overhauls help, he grew at an advanced rate with the healing from when he messed up. 

Izuku also hasn’t thought of his life before the Yakuza in quite a while now.

He’ll have moments of missing his mom, like at Christmas, missing when he wasn’t the cause of a hero's death, but really, that’s it. Even then, those moments are few and far between. There’s no use in focusing on the past, on a life that never truly wanted him in it. 

Outside of the Yakuza, he was an outsider and statistically would have died in only a few years if he was lucky. In the Yakuza, he’s almost… looked up to? He’s not even an official member, but no one looks at him weirdly for being quirkless, people admire his progress and come to him with quirk questions. It’s... nice.

And of course, there’s Izuku’s favorite part of being there, the one that brightens up his day. His little sister, Eri.

Eri has really come out of her shell over the past months. She is still scared of several Yakuza, mainly Overhaul, but she will greet Rappa and a few others instead of cowering away. 

Sometimes, if Izuku does really well on a scouting mission, they can go to the garden outside. Eri loves the garden so Izuku always does his best to make it happen. It gets her outside to see the sky and they can practice her quirk on the dead plants and bugs they sometimes find. It hurts to add to his ever growing pile of hero 'trophies' on the other side of his cell, but it's worth every hero license or uniform part if it means Eri can see the outside world. 

Izuku would do anything for that little bundle of sunshine. 

He isn’t the same as he was ten months ago though. It’s not surprising, the kidnapping and constantly being surrounded by danger, and eventually personally seeing the heroes that were soon to die, changes a kid. The only thing he made sure to not let change is his kindness, especially for Eri. He won’t let her lose the one person she trusts.

Then… there's Overhaul . Izuku still isn’t sure how to feel about him.

Overhaul doesn't... act like a villain around him. He is proud of Izuku's work, encouraging him in his efforts to be stronger, and keeps ruffling his hair when he does well. 

It's so weird after a lifetime of not getting any positive attention or affection like this. It makes it hard to remember who he is in the villain world. Izuku tries to remind himself, he really, really does, but his head feels like it’s buzzing whenever the man, the Yakuza boss, the villain , is proud of him.

Which brings them back to ‘the gift’.

Hopefully it's not like the other 'gifts' from the heroes he gives them notes on, his sad little funeral shrine for them is only getting sadder. It takes up an entire wall and is getting hard to keep the right license with the right uniform part now that he ran out of wall shelf space. Stuff just has to sit on the ground now and he takes careful care of the paper he keeps by 'The Wall' to mark what goes with what. It feels disrespectful to have them on the ground like that, but Izuku is already doing the best he can with this.

Izuku just wants a simple gift, like more shelves , but that's not realistic in this situation. Nothing with such excitement or set up with him waiting in his cell/room would be that simple. 

He just wants more furniture or something.

…

Oh kami, they're not going to make him kill someone, are they!? Don't American gangs do that? This is the Yakuza and they are pretty fancy and less barbaric about some things, but the worry is still there! 

Izuku doesn't get long to ponder this before there is the familiar heavy knocking of Rappa at his door.

He isn’t sure if he’s glad Rappa is interrupting that train of thought, or if he’s now upset because the anxiety is there at all . Getting those heroes killed, watching them moments before their death, it’s already enough to cause him horrible night terrors. He doesn’t want to imagine what getting his own hands stained would do.

With a heavy heart, Izuku stands up and opens his door.

"Little fighter!" Rappa greets him, happy as always. "Big day today, are you excited?"

“I don’t even know what I’m getting excited for. ” Izuku huffs fondly. He still enjoys Rappa’s company, even if it is ironic that the man who kidnapped him is one of the people he’s closest to.

"Ah, but telling ruins the surprise!" Rappa laughs before giving Izuku a fond look. "It's not bad or anything, no need to worry about that." 

To anyone else, that would just be a general statement for a nervous person but Rappa is... weird for a Yakuza. He knows Izuku isn't like them, despite how his notes help them, and he makes sure to subtly tell Izuku if things are going to be rough for him or not.

Izuku appreciates that more than he could ever know. 

"Alright, alright," Izuku sighs. "I guess I shouldn't keep you waiting if you're so excited about it." At least having to murder someone is out of the question, but Izuku is still curious as to what's going on.

"That's the spirit!" Rappa smiles wide and waves for Izuku to follow. He explains a few things as they go to a new part of the compound, this section of halls goes up into the main house. Izuku has never been there before. 

"Eri can't go to where we are going due to tradition, so we had a wife of one of our members come over to watch her. Good lady, great with kids, and won't let anything happen to her while we're gone." Rappa says.

"Okay..." Izuku trusts Rappa, but most of the other Yakuza members? Not so much. Even if the person watching over Eri isn't a member, he really doesn't trust anyone who is related to the Yakuza in any way, even if just by marriage.

Then again, he's not really one to judge, is he? This wife certainly isn't leading heroes to their death. 

"I'm sure you've already guessed, but I'm rushing back as soon as I can." Izuku says.

"Eh, might be more of a hobble." Rappa shrugs but explains nothing about what he just said as they reach a big door.

' That doesn't bode well for what's about to happen, Rappa! ' As much as he wants too, Izuku doesn't vocalize that thought and forces himself to not pout. Instead, he just reluctantly continues to follow Rappa, even as the big doors open.

The inside of the room is very clean and has a more traditional feel to it the rest of the compound doesn't; paper screen doors and dividers, a long table with Overhaul and the other Eight Precepts of Death setting at it, and decorations that remind Izuku of pre-quirk era Yakuza movies and games Rappa gave him because he thought it would be funny. 

(They were pretty bad really, but in an entertaining way, and actually taught him how a few things worked and terms the people around him kept using.) 

The only thing weird about the room is a tilted chair designed to be sat in backwards, like a dentist chair but you face the wrong way, and a stranger in scrubs by a wheeled tray covered by a cloth. 

Overhaul was talking with the Eight Precepts but stopped as soon as Izuku walked in, they all sat up straighter as Rappa showed him where to stand before them and moved to his own seat with the others as he put his mask on.

Izuku can't help but feel like he's being judged and put on trial as he stands before the table. Don't get him wrong, he's met most, if not all of these people at least once before. It's hard not to the longer you stay in the Yakuza. 

Realistically, he knows they're not going to kill him. For one, Rappa told him everything will be fine, and he trusts him. But another thing is there would be no need or reason to have everyone gathered like this if that was the plan. Overhaul would just take him apart with his quirk and it would be over.

Izuku isn't the nervous wreck he was ten months ago, but he still doesn't feel comfortable. He's not sure what to make of this.

"Now that the guest of honor has arrived, we can begin." Overhaul says. He placed his hand on a stack of paper in front of him and starts talking. "Izuku Midoriya, I'm sure you are wondering why we have brought you up here."

"Yes, sir." Izuku stiffly nods in response. Begin what ?

"This is a performance review to see if you have earned a place among the Yakuza as an official member." Overhaul explains, patting the paper stack again. "This is all you have done for us, reviewed by myself and the Eight Precepts of Death, and what we will judge."

“Oh.” So he is put on trial!

….

Oh.

He might become a Yakuza soon.

Oh..

He might become a Yakuza today…

It wouldn’t change much, right? It would just be more official, he’d just get a slight few more freedoms. But still, the thought makes him uneasy.

"A less than elegant response, but it can be excused as you don't know all our traditions yet." Overhaul says, slight amusement in his tone before he gets serious again. 

"We have each cast a vote and it has been decided that your contributions to us have been above and beyond what was expected. You are, from this point onwards, the official Analyst of the Shie Hassaikai and will be marked as one of us."

There’s a weird mix of regret and pride Izuku feels. He knows this is horrible , that he shouldn’t be happy that helping kill heroes has granted him the title of a Yakuza member, but he can’t help but feel proud that his work and efforts has been recognized and appreciated.

“Thank you all, I will do my best to continue to live up to your expectations.” Even if Izuku doesn’t know the traditions (which he wishes he was informed of beforehand so he could memories his lines!) he manages to force himself to politely bow. 

"I'm sure you will, Midoriya." Overhaul nods in acknowledgement. 

"Now then, as you can see, we have someone with us." Overhaul waves a hand to the other person not at the table. "This is Ink, his family has handled the tattoos of the Shie Hassaikai for generations, even before quirks arrived." 

Ink gives a bow at being addressed. He is in off white scrubs, hair cover, and mask so he looks more like a hospital nurse than a tattoo artist. But, that could just be Overhaul's phobia of germs or a fashion choice. 

"His... quirk ," Overhaul continues, making an obvious effort to not call it a curse. "allows him to 'see' the image that most represents a person's true self and recreate it perfectly as a tattoo. Tattoos hold special meaning to us, so you can understand what that means if someone outside our organization sees it."

A tattoo really is the final stepping stone. Tattoos are taboo for a reason, no one would believe Izuku wasn’t here willingly with one. Any life he thought he might have had outside of here (although he hardly thinks about that as of recently) will effectively be stomped out. 

The Yakuza will be his new life, his new home. 

Looking at Overhaul and thinking about Eri, he knows he has to.

“I understand.” Izuku's expression is determined and confident as he nods. 

"Welcome to the Shie Hassaikai, Midoriya. Or as the public already knows and fears you as, Night Rabbit." Overhaul says. 

The Eight Precepts of Death give polite claps and nod to acknowledge him. Rappa is the only one to have a sad look in his eyes from behind the mask.

Izuku bows again and mumbles a quiet ‘thank you’. 

This is it then. 

It’s... 

It's fine. He’s protecting Eri this way. Night Rabbit doesn't harm the young, he never harms them and protects the children caught in his work until the true heroes can get them.

Everything will be fine.

Ink waves for Izuku to take off his shirt and sit on the chair with his back to them. They take the cloth off the wheeled tray to show several small jars of tattoo inks, but instead of a tattoo gun there is a normal paintbrush. Must be how their quirk works. It doesn't look like it would hurt, but Rappa's words earlier must have been a warning that it will.

Izuku does as asked, awkwardly taking off his shirt and sitting down on the chair, mentally preparing for any sort of pain that will come with this.

"Considering how much you love learning about quirks, I'll let you know about this one." Overhaul says. "It's called 'Picture Perfect', I already mentioned part of it but not all. The 'seeing' is just a part his family has passed down when the quirk first appeared in their eyes, like how most fire quirks have a fire resistant body in their children even if they don't also have a fire quirk." 

As Overhaul talks, Ink is cleaning Izuku's back and setting up his brush, his eyes glow white as his quirk activates.

"His, personal, addition to the quirk is how he can recreate what he sees. With each stroke of the brush, the image is built up one layer of color at a time." Overhaul can see from his seat that the ink is being absorbed into the brush from each jar and disappears into the bristles. Ink nods to Overhaul and moves to start his work. 

"A terrible side effect is that it hurts when used on a person." Overhaul says.

Izuku tenses up and hisses in pain when the brush touches his skin, grabbing the chair in his hands tightly. It's surprisingly not the most painful thing he’s ever felt, the labs hold that title, but it sure as hell hurts to have what feels like thousands of needles digging into his skin at once!

Izuku closes his eyes and focuses on breathing to untense so the process will hopefully be easier.

Ink works diligently and paints the first cyan layer, a faint image already forming with each brush stroke.

Izuku manages to calm down from the shock quickly, and with the slight adrenaline rush, the pain is manageable. He feels that familiar proud feeling swell in his chest as he realizes how far he’s come with this sort of thing. Ten months ago, he would be terrified and crying from this. Maybe he should be, but the warm, distracting proud feeling hits him.

That’s common as of recently.

The others have started talking again, it sounds like it's about him and how he will look now. Rappa glances at Izuku every now and then to see how he is doing as the second, magenta, layer goes down.

At some point, Rappa left, not that Izuku really noticed, and the others talk of who Night Rabbit could hunt alone once he recovers. Izuku tries to pay attention to the others, it’s difficult though with the second layer on already tender skin. He hopes there aren’t too many more layers. He could handle it, but still. He soon noticed there were only four jars on the tray so just two more to go, the last layer seems like it will hurt the worst as the detail layer. 

The yellow layer going down has a burning sensation added to it now, his body not liking the continued pain but not finding an injury to cause the signals for the pain.

The worst part is the pain mixed with not having a distraction. At least it’s quick, but Izuku wishes he didn’t have to be hyper focused on the aching pain that is probably going to last for days . He complains in his head as he tries to stay physically relaxed.

Ink begins the final layer and has to go slower as details and line art is brought out of the brush. Ink is sweating from the effort it takes to use his quirk this quickly as it usually takes a day or two normally for the client's comfort. But, he doesn't ask for a break, it would be insulting to Izuku and the ceremony if he stopped now. 

Overhaul’s eyes can be felt burning into his skin as he watches with Interest and anticipation to see what it will be.

Izuku’s eyes squeeze shut at the last layer. It’s almost over, he has to remind himself that because wow it hurts! Then finally , he feels the brush Ink was using no longer on his skin, and that stinging pain left behind by the brush is all that’s left. He sighs in relief knowing it’s finally finished.

Ink has to lean on his wheeled tray for a second before he stands back up and bows, leaving the room on shaky legs as he is no longer needed. He passes Rappa coming back into the room from wherever he went off to. Overhaul waves to Rappa to check on Izuku and turn his chair to show the new mark. 

"Little fighter? You doing alright?" Rappa quietly asks. He kneels by the chair and puts a hand on Izuku's arm to get his attention.

“My back feels like it’s on fire…” Izuku grumbles as he forces himself to sit up, not wanting to seem weak in any way.

"It will for a few days." Rappa says, amused. "Hell of a lot sooner than a normal tattoo with its healing. Ready to show them?"

“Yeah, I’m ready.” Izuku wonders what it looks like. Even if they were taboo, he always thought tattoos were cool.

Rappa takes a photo of it to show it to him as the others see it themselves. 

In the very center of the tattoo is a small white rabbit in the middle of a too small golden birdcage, perfectly calm and maybe sleeping on the floor of the cage. There are books leaning on some of the cage bars, one the rabbit is even sleeping on, making the already small space feel more cramped. 

Right above the rabbit is a large crow, but on top of the cage rather than inside as well and looking away from the rabbit with golden eyes. Two different types of flowers, japanese cherry blossoms and milkweed flowers, are covering the bars of the cage. The tattoo feels serene to look at. 

" Interesting ." Overhaul says. "In any case, You are now marked as one of us. Congratulations, Night Rabbit."

“Thank you, Overhaul-sama.” Izuku turns to smile politely. He quickly but carefully puts his shirt back on.

"Rappa will take you to your new room so you can rest before the rest of your orientation happens tomorrow." Overhaul says. "Yours and Eri's things have already been moved in."

Izuku blinks. A new room? He supposes that makes sense, and at least this time Izuku was told something is happening. He’ll have time to prepare for his orientation. 

He says his goodbyes to Overhaul and the other Eight Precepts of Death before following Rappa out.

Rappa waits for the door to close behind them and they get at least a hall away before kneeling to give Izuku a hug, arms low to not touch the tender skin on his back. Izuku hugs him back, letting his stress melt away a small bit. 

Izuku off-handedly notices that the lights from the windows are now red from the sun setting, how long was he in that chair for? He'll have to make it up to Eri later.

“ Thanks, Rappa. ” Izuku mumbles, unsure what he’s actually thanking him for. Rappa’s support has gotten him through a lot, and now this too.

"You're welcome, little fighter." Rappa sighs. "You're one of us now, it's going to be easier to care for the little Unicorn, but now you can't leave."

"I know." Izuku says softly. "Though, I didn't have many plans of leaving anyways." His smile doesn't fully reach his eyes. He had no plans of leaving cause after the first few weeks, he knew it was impossible. He thought of everything, but he knew nothing would work. He didn't even risk trying.

"What of Eri?" Rappa asks. "The Yakuza isn't a good place for a little girl."

"Nothing would work right now." Izuku shakes his head. 

He takes a deep breath, keeping his mind clear. He hates thinking about Eri and what that poor girl has been through, and what she could go through if he doesn't get her out. 

"I'll keep her safe until my last breath. I won't stop until her safety is secured." Izuku swears.

"A good and noble goal." Rappa says. He reluctantly ends the hug and stands back up. "Come on, I set up your new place so I hope you like it."

“If you set it up, I’m sure I will.” Izuku smiles at him before sighing and getting a more serious expression on his face. He was taught how to properly carry himself like a Yakuza, and although he’s not sure he’s doing it correctly, he at least tries.

Rappa leads the way to the part of the compound Overhaul and the other Eight Precepts live in. 

"Not everyone lives here, that's way too many people, but the main ones like us do." Rappa explains as they get walking again. "Being our analyst, you have a room closer to Overhaul's to keep you safe in case of a hero raid or attack from rival villains."

“That makes sense. A useful asset being lost would be a detrimental blow to his efforts.” Izuku mumbles. Most Yakuza members are just that, but he especially is since he’s their analyst and what’s been causing this stir in the outside world.

"You're a bit more than that ." Rappa huffs. "Overhaul isn't fond of just anyone . Only you, his Boss, and his friend from childhood, Chronistasis."

"They're friends?" Izuku blinks. “Wait what- Overhaul is fond of me??”

"Yeah?" Rappa snorts. "He's germaphobic . How often does he get into any kind of contact with anyone that isn't you?"

Izuku tries to think of any time Overhaul has had physical contact with anyone. He tends to go out of his way to not touch anyone, and everyone knows not to get too close. And yet… Rappa is right. Maybe Izuku could understand the first few times, he discovered something new and interesting, but the friendly physical contact continued. 

“…I didn’t think that much about it to be honest.” Izuku says. “But.. you're right .”

"I tend to be at times, and yet people are surprised at it." Rappa jokes. "Anyways, you are the only person he willingly touches on a daily basis. You almost seem like his son at times."

Immediately too many emotions crash into Izuku from those last few simple words. He first recognizes the anguish, the familiar feeling he gets when another one of his ‘trophies’ gets given to him, when he has to add another to the shrine. Then comes the warmth and joy, just like when Overhaul would pat his head and tell him he did a good job. 

“I… don’t know how to feel or respond to that.” Izuku says softly.

"Yeah, that's understandable." Rappa nods, sighing sadly. "It's complicated all around for you."

"Very..." Izuku says as he looks away. 

He knows just how messed up this situation is. Forgiving, or more moving past the fact Rappa kidnapped him was easy. The man was just following orders, not like he hasn't been doing the same, and has been a great help for him. 

Meanwhile, Overhaul was the one who made the orders. Overhaul was torturing Eri to make quirk destroying bullets, he's making Izuku use what was once a simple hobby out of love and passion to be used to kill. Overhaul took him from his mom. And now he wants to play a dad role to him? 

(Izuku ignores the tiny voice in the back of his mind that reminds him no one fills that role anymore, so at least someone wants to now.)

...Well, okay, that was just Rappa's observation , it's not like Overhaul said that, but still! His point stands. The man is a cruel, horrible Yakuza boss, who has no issues hurting an innocent child. His affections and care towards Izuku is inherently tainted.

(Izuku tries to not think about how he perks up whenever Overhaul goes out of his way to talk to him, the gentle head pats, and the safe feeling Izuku can't help but lean into whenever he's near. He won't think about it. He shouldn't .)

Rappa, not knowing of Izuku's internal struggles, keeps talking as he walks. 

"Being viewed as a son or heir isn't all bad, Overhaul was that for the last Boss and was very respected. There were a few people against him, as there always will be in life, but he doesn't let anyone be like that for you." Rappa says. "One guy, relatively new, had some quirkest views and called you his 'pet quirkless kid'. He isn't an issue anymore and no one else has had those views."

Izuku hates the warm feeling that’s slowly overtaking the disgust and anger. He doesn’t understand. This level of fondness goes deeper than just wanting him here because he’s quirkless, that much is obvious. Especially seeing his affections grow overtime. 

Izuku really just wants to curl up in a ball and hide. 

“That’s… really nice to hear.” Izuku mumbles instead. “I’ve never had people defend me like that before…”

"A shame. You're a great kid, kind to a fault and smart, how you were born shouldn't have determined your worth." Rappa sighs, shaking his head.

‘ Overhaul gave him worth. ’ 

“I really don’t think I fit in here, let alone to be viewed as… as Overhaul's kid.” Izuku frowns. “I’m getting better at ‘acting like a Yakuza’, but… I don’t know. It still feels odd.”

"I think that is a good thing." Rappa points out. "You shouldn't fit in all the way because you didn't choose this life like we did. You just play the role well, be even more filling the role when you get your suit to wear all the time like we do. Well, like the others do, I only wear it when I need to." 

Rappa takes off his bird mask and puts it back in his pocket.

“Guess so. I just…" Izuku sighs. "The more I make him proud, the higher the expectations are and the more likely I will be to mess up and he’ll be disappointed. The more I play the part, the more I help him, the more he is proud. I… am so worried I’ll ruin that.” He rambles. 

"I don't think anything short of just betraying him to his face will do that." Rappa says.

“Still worried about it.” Izuku pouts.

"You worry about a lot of things." Rappa points out. Rude.

“There’s a lot to worry about!” Izuku argues.

"Mhm." Rappa hums. Again, rude. "One less thing is letting your little Unicorn see the outside. Your new room has windows to the garden, still can't go past the walls there, but the garden is there."

“Oh.” Izuku smiles fondly. “That’s good. She’ll like that I’m sure.”

"You also get solo missions outside now." Rappa adds. "Overhaul says it's fine because you are one of us now. Cops and heroes already know you are as Night Rabbit."

"True." Izuku nods. “And with the tattoo, no one will think I wasn’t there willingly anyways.”

"Sadly, yes." Rappa gives him a sympathetic look. "A normal life is beyond you now, but not Eri ." Rappa says this in his usual hinting way, trying to convey something about his new freedoms.

“Yeah…” Izuku nods sagely. He understands quickly. He’ll be out on his own, no supervision . He can help her… he can do more than just help her mentally.

"But enough about that now, we are at your new room!" Rappa says, opening a door with 'Night Rabbit' in a metal plate and 'little unicorn' on a smaller metal plate under it

Izuku can’t help but smile fondly at the nameplates before focusing on the actual room. It's much bigger than their cells down below and divided in half for both of them. It's like two personalities are put in a room and split down the middle. Even the carpet and wall paint are split.

Izuku's side has notebooks, a nice and advanced computer setup with multiple monitors for research, metal cabinets for his files, a case on the wall where his Night Rabbit suit is on display, a bed by the wall, and a wardrobe with suits and casual clothes seen in the open door. The colors are pretty much black with some green like his Night Rabbit suit.

Eri's side looks like a little kid's dream room . Fluffy bean bag chairs in light colors, plush animals in a pile, her nest was recreated on her new bed and has softer blankets in it, and a wardrobe that has sweaters and other soft clothes for her. No more hospital gowns or thin blankets for her.

“Oh, Eri is going to love this .” Izuku smiles so brightly. He looks over at Rappa. “ I love it! You did wonderfully, Rappa, thank you.”

"Heh, glad you like it so much." Rappa chuckles and starts pointing things out. 

"The Night Rabbit suit is going to be your main thing during 'work hours' and you have spare parts in the back of the case. You have suits to look fancy for special events but you still have to wear at least the Rabbit mask and hood. And all the kids' clothes are soft and warm for winter, the hotter season things are in the drawers."

"Perfect." Izuku grins at him. “Can I go drag Eri here now?”

"Yeah, yeah." Rappa huffs and fusses Izuku's hair. "Just put the mask and hood on before you go, gotta dress like us now."

“Hell yeah!” Izuku rushes into the room and quickly puts on the mask and hood. It feels like he’s done this a million times now, he might as well have, and forces himself to relax so he doesn’t excitedly run through the base. He’s not used to dressing like Night Rabbit here. 

“Thanks Rappa, appreciate you, see ya.” Izuku begins his power walk walk to go collect Eri.

He passes several Yakuza members that startle at the sight of him and hastily bow. It feels weird to be shown so much respect and it feels wrong to startle everyone he passes. He knows they’ll probably get used to the sight, unlike the general public, but still. He is on par with the Eight Precepts of Death in his rank among them so he gets shown that respect.

'…Oh, this is going to scare Eri, isn’t it? ' Izuku only realizes that as he arrives outside of Eri’s old cell. There is the sound of a soft lady's voice inside talking to Eri, it sounds like she is reading a story book about a princess being saved.

Izuku relaxes a little bit, at least glad Eri isn’t in imminent danger. He’ll double check with her just to be safe though. He knocks on the door to give Eri time to prepare before opening it and stepping inside.

Eri had perked up and was looking at the door, but startles and hides in Izuku's blanket that he gave her for the chilly cell. The babysitter also startles and gives a bow.

Izuku frowns, shutting the door behind him and lifting the hood and mask to no longer cover his face. He bows back to the woman, who stands up and bows again , quietly leaving as this is a private matter now that he is back. He feels a bit bad he didn’t even get a chance to thank her before the door is closed.

He focuses on his little sister instead. "It's alright Eri, It's just me." He says softly. 

"Izu-nii?" Eri asks, peeking out. Izuku's expression softens upon seeing Eri again. 

"Yeah, it's me, sunshine." Izuku says with a soft smile.

"Izu-nii!" Eri hops up and runs over to hug him, accidentally gripping the back of his shirt over the tattoo. Izuku wraps his arms around Eri on instinct before recoiling in pain. 

“Ow-! Careful, Eri!” Izuku carefully guides her to move back a bit so she’ll no longer be irritating the tender skin.

"You're... hurt?" Eri asks, tears appearing in her eyes. "Overhaul...?"

"Deep breath, buttercup. Just like how we practiced." Izuku says to her softly. "Overhaul didn't do this, you don't have to worry. It's a... special mark that I got for going up in rank." 

Eri does the breathing exercises Izuku taught her and calms down. Thank goodness for internet access, really. Izuku hadn't even known these breathing techniques until he looked for them for Eri. After testing a few, they found ones that worked. 

"There you go! I'm very proud of you." Izuku moves Eri's hair out of her face.

"R-really?" Eri asks.

“I always am.” Izuku smiles.

Eri hugs him again, careful to hold his sides and not his back this time. Izuku hugs her back with a small smile. 

“I have something to show you.” Izuku says with a grin. 

"You do?" Eri looks up at him. "It wasn't the mark?"

“Nope! I have a feeling you’ll like this one.” Izuku looks towards the door. “I have to put the mask back on while we go. It’s a bit away, so I can carry you if you want.”

"Okay." Eri nods and wraps Izuku's blanket around herself like a cape. Her necklace on and her plush bunny from Izuku in her hands. "Ready."

Izuku lowers his hood and puts the mask back on before picking up Eri and beginning their walk towards their new room. Eri curls into Izuku's hold to avoid looking at anyone they pass. Seeing them bow is a new and strange thing to her and she clearly is wondering what caused it. 

Izuku knows he’ll have to tell Eri. If not today, she’ll question it eventually. He just hopes it doesn’t scare her or lose any progress they’ve made. 

He doesn’t know what he’d do if Eri feared him.

They arrive at the part of the compound they’re now living in. 

“You ready Eri?” Izuku builds up a little bit more anticipation with the question before stopping at their door, opening it and stepping inside so Eri can see it better. She gasps and looks at her side with wide eyes, trying to take it all in at once. 

"Is... is this for us ?" She asks quietly.

“It is!” Izuku exclaims, closing the door behind him. “This is our new room. Rappa decorated it for us.”

"Ohhh." Eri wiggles to get down, so Izuku places her on the ground so she can explore. "Why do we get this? Did we do good?"

“Yeah… sort of.” Izuku once again pulls off the mask and sighs as he crouches down to be more at her level, he only tends to do this when a serious talk is happening or Eri needs comforting but not touch like hugs.

Eri blinks and holds the blanket/cape closer. 

"Are they giving you more work again?" She asks quietly. "Like when you have to go outside and be sneaky?"

“Sort of.” Izuku says again. “Remember when we first met? How I told you I was an outsider more than one of them?” Izuku asks.

Eri nods.

“I guess Overhaul recognized how much work I was doing and ‘surprised me’ by… making me an official member of the Yakuza.” He tries to be as soft as possible. “I'm now one of them.”

" Oh. .." Eri frowns before stepping forward to hug Izuku again, nuzzling into him. "I... I don't care, you're still nii-san! You won't hurt me."

“I would never hurt you. I'm still me.” Izuku lets out a sigh of relief and smiles as he hugs back. “I just wanted you to make sure you understood. The reason I have to wear the mask is cause I now hold myself on the same level as people like Rappa. It’s the same reason they bow now, out of respect.”

"What about me?" Eri asks. "Do I have a mask?"

“You're too young to be a part of the Yakuza, silly.” Izuku chuckles. If he can help it, she won’t ever have to be even involved with them. “If they respect me, then they respect you, or I’ll beat them up.”

"Nii-san is strong!" Eri gives tiny punches to his arm that do nothing. "Beat up bad guys!"

“That’s right.” Izuku smiles. “I’ll beat up alllll~ the bad guys! All for my little sister right here.” He gives a small boop to her nose.

Eri giggles softly and scrunches her nose up. She gives a tiny sneeze and shivers, still just in a thin hospital gown in early February weather. It doesn’t help that the cells downstairs are chilly.

“Oh!” Izuku gets up. “How could I forget!” He grabs Eri’s hand and leads her over to the wardrobe.

"Hmm?" Eri tilts her head and looks at all the soft and warm things with wide, excited eyes. They look so much better than her gown!

“No more thin hospital gowns.” Izuku smiles at her. “You can have actual clothes. Warm and comfortable clothes.”

"No more gown?" Eri asked, reaching out to gently feel a sweater. "Does... does this mean Overhaul lost interest in me?"

“I think so.” Izuku says softly. “Distracting him worked. He’s focused on newer goals, so at least for now, you're safe.”

"For how long?" Eri frowns and looks up at him. "What do we do when he goes after quirks again?"

“We keep this a secret between us, okay?” Izuku says, before explaining his current plan. “I’m going to be allowed to go outside and do sneaky things alone , that means no one will be watching to see what I do. I’ll search for somebody that can help you away from Overhaul for when he does want to go after quirks again.” 

"What about you?" Eri asks. "I don't want to be alone out there..."

“…You won’t.” Izuku lies. He’ll never be allowed back into a normal society, he knows this. “You’ll be safe, and I still need to prepare for all of that anyways, so it won’t happen any time soon.”

"..." Eri looks him in the eyes, almost as if she’s trying to see if he is telling the truth, and nods. "Okay. I trust nii-san, we go together!"

“Yeah.” Izuku hates how good he’s gotten at lying. “Anyways, clothes yeah? Let’s get you settled.”

Eri nods and picks some nice pajamas to change into. She looks around and finds a pull out changing screen but it's too big for her to move. Izuku helps pull out the changing screen for her. The screen covers the entire room to separate the two halfs for privacy despite being a shared room. 

As he touches the wall by the screen, Izuku notices a slightly raised point on his part of the wall. Izuku tilts his head curiously and pokes at it. Empty brain sees something interesting, it must touch.

Lucky for him, it's just a hidden door and not, like, a hidden alarm system for emergencies. Instead, it leads to what looks like a walk in closet with shelves? It's pretty dim so he has to feel the walls for the light switch. 

Izuku huffs, he absolutely loves secrets but not when he can’t see them! He feels around until he finally finds a switch and the light flickers alive.

The surprise isn't a happy one. It's his cluttered and slightly messy hero shrine wall from his old cell turned into a more organized shrine room .

Rappa must have moved it personally because it's set up in a more proper way. He even printed out pictures of the fallen heroes to put in frames on half of the shelves along with their hero license and the costume part Overhaul took. 

The other, less filled, half of the room seems to be for the injured heroes. Just the costume part and a card with the hero's name and an 'alive' status on it. 

At the back of the room is a table with small box shelves on the wall where different incense sticks to burn. On the table is a large bowl of ash with some unlit sticks in it already and a lighter by it.

Izuku’s smile falls as he remembers all the lives injured and sacrificed to get him here. He looks over every little thing in the room before quickly lighting a stick and turning back off the light as he is stepping out. 

He leans back against the hidden door, thudding his head back against it and closing his eyes. It feels worse to have them neatly arranged like that, he can see the path of death and suffering he caused now. How long until that room runs out of shelf space too? How long can he keep Rabbit and Izuku as different people so Eri doesn't truly see that side of him?  

How long until he messes up, and causes Eri to fear him too?

…

He hopes he can find a way to get Eri out. He prays to whatever is there that he can get Eri out before it’s too late.

Chapter Text

It's a beautiful day outside, birds are singing, flowers are blooming, and Hawks, #3 pro hero, is way outside his normal patrol zone. 

He's not even in the right part of Japan! 

He was sent out by the Hero Commission to get the rundown of a new Hero Killer popping up on their radar and is now lost. He knows the Musutafu Police Station with the truth quirk detective is around here somewhere, he just... needs to find it.

So far he has seen a few fans that noticed him, some small time crime he stopped, a green demented looking bunny watching a hero from a roof, a kid that lost a ball in a tree that Hawks returns with a feather-

...wait...

Hawks stops mid-flap to go back to where he just saw the bunny. Said green demented looking bunny is still and unmoving, watching their targeted hero like a- well, hawk, and doing something Hawks can’t quite see from so far away with their hands. 

It’s Night Rabbit.

Hawks is... surprised, for several reasons. The Night Rabbit is out in the middle of the day for one, and the other is that he never expected to even run into them so quickly! 

He probably should call this in, but with Rabbit's track record of heroes dying shortly after he sees them, that might just be adding to his kill count if they have to wait. Doesn't help that most strong heroes in the area are working at UA or on different patrols right now, so only sidekicks are around. 

As Hawks is thinking what to do, the clouds move away from the sun and his shadow gets projected down below where the Rabbit is.

The Rabbit, almost moments after this happens, shifts their hands (closes something?) and pockets whatever they’re holding and turns away from where they were watching. It looks like they’re leaving, having not noticed Hawks' shadow.

The hero squints and closes his wings, allowing him to start to dive down. If he plays this just right, he can grab them and lift them high enough into the air that trying to escape will be useless. Hopefully he doesn't miss or send one, or both of them, into a wall.

(He ignores the tiny animal part of him that thinks of how hawks hunt prey, like rabbits, and his excitement for it. He's not allowed to think like that.)

Lucky for Hawks, Rabbit doesn’t seem to notice him, even as he begins to close in. He’s almost reached the fire escape ladder, still unaware. Hawks narrows his eyes and gets his hands ready to grab Rabbit and swoop back up. 

Rabbit seems to notice a second too late. They let out a surprised noise as they’re scooped up and lifted into the air. Their hood (no, it seems like more of a mask) is only staying down thanks to their respirator.

It works as Hawks intended! No crashing into walls or hospital visits for him!

"Hey there!" Hawks calls over the wind as he flies up. "Fancy seeing you here, fly these airways often?"

The villain's confusion wears off quickly as a distorted grumble comes from them. Whether it’s a voice changer or quirk related is hard to tell. 

“I’m sure not as often as you.” Rabbit shifts a bit, but doesn’t seem to be trying to escape. Considering they’re going higher and higher into the air, that makes sense.

"Oh true, Rabbits aren't meant for the sky." Hawks laughs as he hovers them high in the air. "Now then, do uh... do you happen to know where the police station is? I'm... lost."

Hawks doesn’t have enough time to react to the sharp look in the villains eyes. “Oh sure I can help, it’s right down here.” In a flash, Rabbit jabs something right into Hawks' stomach, causing a sharp, excruciating pain.

" Gaahhh !?!" Hawks' muscles spasm as the electric shock of what feels like a taser, but worse , courses throughout his body to the tips of his feathers. 

Hawks' back arches and his wings struggle to keep them up before going limp and they drop fast. Hawks is disoriented and trying to get his wings working again but everything past breathing is hard. They tumble in the air, the ground approaching rapidly.

They’re both going to die from the impact of slamming into the hard concrete at this rate! 

But, somehow, Rabbit still seems calm as they pull another item out of their bag. As they begin to fall past multiple tall buildings, Rabbit grabs onto Hawks' shirt and immediately stabs what looks like a modified mountain climbing hook into the side of the building, gradually slowing their fall until they stop inches above the ground.

Hawks’ body trembles from the adrenaline of falling. He opens his eyes as several feathers scatter on the ground with the debris of the building the hook ends up breaking off. 

Seeing his chance, he tries to control the feathers to pin the villain, but they don't react to his call. To his horror, he realizes even his wings are still as limp as his body. 

He looks up at Rabbit, completely at his mercy and pathetically easy to kill.

Rabbit's bright, green eyes are staring at him with such a familiar intensity. Hawks recognizes the look from the countless other cruel villains he’s faced, a look of insanity and bloodlust are easy to notice after doing hero work for years.

Rabbit lets go of Hawks, letting the hero fall on his wings while they drop down to their feet. They lean down and rip the visor off of his face.

"H-hey, let's not get hasty here." Hawks laughs nervously. He knows all about the trophies taken from killed heroes; the missing licenses and a part of their costumes. It’s one of the most notable things that connects each kill and attack. This isn't looking good for him, and he still can't move ! What the hell was he hit with?

Yet, there’s something different in the villain's eyes now. Something Hawks can’t quite discern. The villain stares at him for a moment. Then, in the same distorted voice, says, “I’m not going to kill you.”

"W-what?"

Ignoring him, Rabbit stands back up and brings the visor close to his mask. He clicks on a small button that's connected to the coms. “This is Night Rabbit. Your little birdie seems to have fallen down.” They eye the hero with an intense look. “I believe it would be best to collect him before the feral animals eat him alive.”

Hawks can hear the shocked dispatcher in the coms panicking, but he is too busy blinking up at Rabbit to try and listen to that. "Why? Why spare me?"

As if he knew there would be a tracking system in the visor, Rabbit opens up the coms components and rips them out, dropping them on the ground before putting the visors in his lavender bag. 

“…” The Rabbit looks away. “The little bunny in my care would be upset with me.” 

He doesn’t let Hawks have any time to process his words. He snatches a few feathers, sparing the hero one last look before running off.

"Wh- hey! What do you mean!?" Hawks calls after him, but the villain doesn’t pause. He can only watch as the Rabbit vanishes from sight.

Not long after, sirens can be heard from a patrol car pulling up with some sidekicks running up as well.  

“Holy shit- Hawks, can you move!?” A cop asks him. Panicked voices quickly surround him as a few sidekicks split up to try and find Night Rabbit, except two to keep watch in case he decides to come back.

"No, I don't know what he tazed me with." Hawks says, once again trying and failing to move anything. "Even my quirk isn't working, which doesn’t make sense. It’s an emitter type."

Paramedics quickly rush forward and get Hawks onto a stretcher. It’s utter chaos, both before and after he’s brought into the ambulance. It's unsurprising though, considering the number three hero could have been killed and was defeated by Night Rabbit. 

Most can't say they’ve survived.

Hawks spends most of his time in the ambulance wondering what to do about his report to the Commission President, when he hears over the ambulance radio that they need units to a rescue simulator at UA. A massive villain attack hit a first year class and two heroes are down in critical condition. 

Was Night Rabbit involved? Out in the day time to get the roaming heroes' attention to keep them from helping? Or was it just some sort of coincidence?

It seems odd, but it would make sense, wouldn’t it? Night Rabbit was always with another person until this one time, where he just happened to be attacked and yet left Hawks alive.

Either way, odd.

The doctors are unable to figure out how to get his body moving again, but slowly he starts regaining feeling on his toes and fingers as he’s rushed into a hospital room, so whatever happened seems to be going away on its own. Better than anything permanent. 

Hawks just has to sit and wait for it to wear off, giving him plenty of time to think before his hander gets there. He mostly wonders what Rabbit meant by the 'little rabbit' he mentioned. Does he have a kid? Are they in danger and that's why he does this? So many questions that will go unanswered for now, but at least they now know a little more about Night Rabbit than they started with. A potential motive too, even if they don’t fully understand it yet.

He just hopes when this attack gets Rabbit bumped up to a high target villain, his kid can be kept safe in the hunt for them.

—

Rabbit is lucky he’s good on his feet. Both in his smarts and literally. It was difficult evading those hero sidekicks, but he managed to get them off his tail, and after making a few more good unexpected turns, he finally headed back to the Yakuza base.

Which is, of course, is a whole prefecture away! Rabbit may be much stronger now, but that still managed to tire him out. He just hopes Overhaul won’t be upset at him for getting caught by Hawks. An upset Boss is exactly what they’d like to avoid .

There could be many reasons Overhaul would be upset. Rabbit technically isn’t supposed to be engaging in any fights or anything yet. He’s gotten chased before, but this was different. Overhaul also could be upset that he kept Hawks alive . Maybe he should have injured him more, roughed him up a bit? Fighting Hawks wasn’t the original goal though, so Rabbit chose to leave instead.

Hopefully that was the right move.

He can’t think for long, since not long after he’s slipping into the compound's hidden entrance. Rabbit expects people to ask how his solo mission went, as a good amount of the lower members are curious about a daytime mission. What he doesn't expect is cheers and clapping when he gets noticed. Several members are congratulating him on being on the news and his big step in the villain world.

He did good then.

Izuku is rightfully embarrassed and, as normal, conflicted, but decides that taking pride in this new jump isn’t so bad. Hawks isn’t dead after all. 

He politely thanks those who do congratulate him, still not used to the praise and his work being noticed, but appreciating it nonetheless. A few mention he should go talk to Overhaul about his new fame and what it means for the business as they go back to their jobs. It makes sense really, it would put the Yakuza back on people's minds to be connected to his fight with Hawks.

With that new resolve in mind, and the others' contagious confidence, he goes searching for Overhaul to figure out what to do next.

Izuku concludes that he’s likely in his lab at this time of day so that is the first place he thinks to check. It's in the lower levels where the cells and records are, but hopefully he isn't in the middle of testing something (or someone) with whatever drugs they make and sell. 

Izuku never asks what they do past his own experiences, he just doesn't want to know. 

He decides to first try and listen in to make sure Overhaul isn’t busy with someone in his experiments, the anxiety of being in the labs making him a bit paranoid. Luckily, there’s no screams of agony or begging, so he decides it’s a safe bet to knock on the door.

"Come in, the lab is safe." Overhaul calls out. 

Izuku sighs in relief and enters the room. 'Safe' means just paperwork right now. If there were chemicals out it's 'contained' and if there were any... guests it's 'secure'.

“Good afternoon, Overhaul-sama.” Izuku politely bows. 

"Ah, Rabbit, just who I wanted to see. You certainly made your first mission a big one." Overhaul sounds incredibly happy. 

Izuku can’t help but perk up at Overhaul's tone. He did good again! Overhaul is still proud of him! “It wasn’t intentional, but I think I did well out there considering it wasn’t planned.” He says sheepishly.

"You did much more than well , Izuku." Overhaul chuckles, clicking on a monitor on the wall to the news. "With this attack, we can put the Yakuza back on the map, and you even overshadowed a lesser villain's attack."

“I guess I did do that, huh..?" Izuku fidgets shyly. "Though the other villain attack is new.” He walks closer to be able to read what’s on the monitor.

"Some group calling themselves the 'League of Villains'-" Overhaul rolls his eyes at the name, "-attacked UA. Normally big news, but the take down and attack of a top 3 hero is more. Especially when you showed you could do it without a filthy quirk."

Izuku immediately tenses up. 

…Kacchan is an incredibly strong kid. He had to have gone to UA after his disappearance, right? It’s what he wanted in the first place. Is he okay? 

“We’re there any casualties or injuries?” Izuku asks, trying to not sound panicked. He’s luckily getting better at faking.

"Mostly the low level criminals, but two hero teachers are in critical condition." Overhaul says. "Thirteen and some underground hero that is unnamed."

“Oh, good." Izuku visibly relaxes. "That means they protected their students well.”

"Seems so." Overhaul shrugs and reads some documents on the other monitors. 

"All Might was there, he seems to be a teacher this year, and fought a monster of some kind. My inside sources at the police say it's genetically made with multiple quirks... What a disgusting creature." Overhaul sneers behind his mask.

“…but it makes sense." Izuku frowns, thinking aloud.. "Multiple quirks can easily overpower one quirk, especially depending on what those powers are. And if All Might was there, if it's possible to know if he was there, then sending a creature with multiple quirks to attack could have been a good attempt at killing him.” 

"Yes, an abomination to kill one man, certainly how you use all your resources." Overhaul huffs in amusement. "Hmm, it's the opposite of my last project..."

“Some villains have vendettas against specific heroes or subtypes. It’s not too surprising someone would want to kill the ‘symbol of peace’.” Izuku fidgets more with his gloves, silently begging for Overhaul to stop thinking about that project!

"Bit ambitious of an idea for such a small group." Overhaul sighs, closing the news. "But, not our problem. We'll keep an eye on them and their pet abominations. But we have other things to do. Mainly a celebration for you, Izuku."

Izuku’s eyes widened a bit for two main reasons. Number one, “A celebration?” And number two… 

How did he just realize this? Overhaul did it earlier too.

Overhaul used his first name .

Izuku hates, yet loves, the way he feels from noticing that.

"Yes, you reached a new villain ranking." Overhaul clicks to a new news link. ' Hero Killer and Stalker, Night Rabbit now 'B' ranked villain after his successful attack on Number 3 pro hero, Hawks. '

“Wh- B?! ” Izuku blinks. “I thought- but wasn’t I just ranked D?? How did I skip a whole letter!?”

"You took down a top three, Izuku, without a quirk and so effortlessly. They even think you sparing him was just a threat to all other heroes that no one is safe." Overhaul chuckles. "Heroes all over Japan are afraid now.”

“I…” Izuku hesitates.

"Hm?" Overhaul hums.

“I shouldn’t get cocky.” Izuku says softly. “A downside from this is heroes are going to be even more on guard compared to before. I can get around it once I know what defenses these heroes choose to use. But… for now...”

Izuku shouldn’t be proud.

He really shouldn’t.

…

“I feel… proud of my accomplishments. Of how far I’ve come.” Izuku quietly admits. He shouldn’t admit it. Saying that out loud isn’t good, feeling that at all isn’t good. He doesn’t want to fall down the slippery slope of enjoying villainy. 

But dammit, he wants to feel proud of accomplishing a big task for once in his life.

"And you should." Overhaul says, contradicting what Izuku's own thoughts say. "You've done something no one has ever done before with little planning and by pure skill and training alone. You didn't need a quirk to do something amazing , Izuku. You never did."

Izuku is so glad his face and expression is still covered by his hood and mask. He has to squeeze his eyes shut to stop himself from tearing up. 

There’s the blood of heroes on his hands.

But right now, he doesn’t care as much as usual.

“Japan will know that someday.” Izuku says softly. His tone certainly isn’t as bitter or vindictive as other villains. It’s more that now, he’s finally seeing what Overhaul has been telling him the past ten months. (maybe longer, he stopped really keeping track.) He’s finally seeing hope and confidence .

His voice is full of nothing but conviction .

“Everyone will know that a lack of a quirk doesn’t mean anything. Not for me, or anyone else.” Izuku swears, opening his eyes again as if to show his confidence through them.

"That's right." Overhaul nods, moving to Izuku's side to pet over the hood because he can't reach his hair. "You are not held down by a curse, you are free to change the world to acknowledge how much stronger that makes you. And you already are. Be proud of what you've done, Izuku." 

Izuku looks at Overhaul with an amount of adoration he didn’t even know he could hold. He sighs in content, his brain feeling like it’s buzzing in his head. 

"I know I am." Overhaul says as he chuckles in a way that feels so fond . 

“I’ll be proud.” Izuku mumbles. “You’ve helped me grow so much… I may have gotten stronger, but I still have you to thank for that.”

"I am happy to help you grow, Izuku. It's what a good... leader does." Overhaul nods. It briefly seemed like he was going to say something else for a moment but went with leader. What would he have said?

Izuku decides that questioning it when it’s hard to think is a bad idea. He’s just happy to have Overhaul support him so much.

"Come on," Overhaul pets the hood one last time before going to the door. "Rappa got a cake as soon as he heard you're a high rank villain now, Tabe has been trying to eat it for half an hour."

"Oh no," Izuku giggles and quickly follows after him. “Well I can’t leave those two waiting.” 

He is going to allow himself to feel proud of his accomplishments. Whether this is the first step into losing who he is for villainy, or just... a thing now he doesn’t really know.

Either way, he's going to spend time with people that are proud of him and how far he has grown. 

He hopes Eri likes the type of cake Rappa brought.

Chapter Text

Izuku doesn’t go out everyday. The past few days, he has spent his time researching heroes and trying to figure out what defense tactics they are going to start setting up. He needs to prepare for any new difficulties. That’s the plan for today, research and take care of Eri.

It seems the universe doesn't care for his plans as the sound of his door being knocked on breaks him from his thoughts.

Now, visitors are pretty common with Rappa and sometimes Tabe, but this doesn't sound like either of their ways of knocking. Izuku looks to the other side of the room, where Eri is still sleeping. She hasn’t stirred, deep in her rest and trusting Izuku to keep her safe, so he goes over and opens the door to see who is disturbing him today.

At first, it looks like one of the many residents of the compound in a black medical face mask and casual clothing, but the gold eyes and firmly in place white gloves that only one person has clues Izuku into who this is.

"Uh..." Izuku tilts his head, squinting as he stares at his boss. “Overhaul-sama?”

"Hello, Izuku." Overhaul nods in greeting. "I hope I'm not interrupting you with something."

“Oh no, I’m not busy! I was just hero researching.” Izuku says quickly. “I’m just… surprised you're not wearing your normal mask.” Well, normal for him, anyways.

"I can't exactly walk around in public like that in the spring." Overhauls chuckles. "I'm going out today and I'm going to take you with me."

“Oh!" Izuku perks up, surprised, but quickly recognizes the smile that threatens to appear. "But… who would watch over Eri?” Normally missions are planned ahead of time so Eri always has a babysitter ready for that day.

"Rappa was more than willing to do it." Overhaul waves away Izuku's worry. "Fairly certain he wants to teach her to punch things, not really sure."

“Well, as long as he isn’t planning on having her fight someone.” Izuku shrugs. He trusts Rappa the most to look after Eri, so he feels comfortable with this. “I can be ready in ten.” 

That’s more than enough time to throw on casual clothes and warn Eri he’ll be out.

"I will be at the garage, we need the car for where we're going." Overhaul says. "Dress comfortably but cover your hair."

“Got it!” Izuku is curious as to where they’re going at all, but decides he can ask later. 

Once Overhaul walks away, Izuku closes the door and goes to the sleeping Eri and gently shakes her awake.

"Merrp?" Eri makes a sleepy little sound and blinks at him.

“Good morning, sunshine.” Izuku says softly.

"Zu-nii?" Eri yawns, sitting up to rub her eyes. "What's going on?"

Izuku smiled sadly. “I’m gonna have to head out soon.” 

"You didn't say you had a mission today..." Eri sleepily pouts.

“It doesn’t seem like one at all, actually, but I didn’t know I would be leaving either. Overhaul is taking me outside today.” Izuku shrugs. “I wanted to warn you before I left.”

"Oh... where do I go?" Eri tilts her head.

"You get to spend time with the third coolest person ever, Rappa." Izuku smiles.

"Uncle Rappa?" Eri asks excitedly, sitting up more properly, only to tilt her head again. "Wait, third coolest? Who else is there?"

With Eri now awake, Izuku stands up to pick out his outfit. “There’s a ton of cool people I know. But, Rappa is third coolest, I’m second coolest of course.” Izuku smiles. “You're clearly first coolest.”

"I am?" Eri gasps in surprise.

“You are!” Izuku finds the cute beanie that makes cat ears from the last time he went out with Overhaul and takes that to be able to cover his hair. You can’t blame him, it’s a cute hat. “You're the coolest little sister ever.”

"But I'm your only sister!" Eri giggles.

"But there are so many little sisters in all of the world." Izuku goes to grab the privacy screen and drag it out so he can get changed. "And out of all of them, you're the coolest. That's a pretty impressive title."

"Then you're the coolest brother!" Eri nods firmly. 

Can't fight the logic.

"I guess that's only fair." Izuku huffs in amusement. He puts the screen back where it was once he's done.

"What do you think?" Izuku asks Eri. His outfit is simple, just a red turtleneck, black jeans, with fingerless gloves and black combat boots for the aesthetic. Covering his bright green hair is the red beanie with a yellow stripe at the bottom and inside.

"You're not very green now!" Eri gasps. "Your whole thing is green!"

"I know," Izuku sighs in dramatic teenager, taking off the hat again to enjoy his green hair while he still can. “but if I’m going to be walking as a civilian, I can’t risk being noticed or standing out in any way.”

"Does looking, um, punk not stand out?" Eri asks, using a word Rappa, for some horrible reason, taught her. 

“This is not punk.” Izuku pouts. “It’s red and boots.”

"Uncle Rappa said red and black is... spiky? Sharp? And very punk." Eri nods.

“I’m not even wearing that much sharp!” Izuku counters.

"Hmm... that sounds like something someone with sharp would say!" Eri returns with unquestionable child logic.

“…” Izuku huffs. “I’m leaving now, tell Rappa I’m gonna fist fight him.” He says with a playful grin, walking towards the door.

"He will be so excited!" Eri smiles as she gets something comfy to wear too.

The teen huffs in amusement. “I’ll be back in a few hours, bye Eri.” 

He steps out of his room and now, remembering why he got ready in the first place, speed-walks his way towards the garage. He hasn’t walked around the Compound without his Night Rabbit outfit in a while, it feels odd.

When he gets there, Overhaul is waiting by a normal looking black car and typing in his phone. If he didn't know he was the head of the Yakuza, he'd look like every college kid ever.

Izuku doesn't laugh about it, not at all.

…Okay maybe he does a little giggle while Overhauls not looking, but he doesn't know that and doesn’t need to know. He walks over to him once he's sure he won’t break into a fit of giggles.

"I'm ready!" Izuku chirps.

"I see." Overhaul nods and puts his phone away. "By the way, outside the compound I go by Kai Chisaki. It wouldn't be wise to call me Overhaul where we're going."

Izuku is now even more curious about where they're going. Not to mention this is also the first time he's actually heard Overhaul's real name! 

"Kai Chisaki..” It feels weird to know and say the man’s name so casually. There's a gross feeling he forces himself to ignore, but following is a sense of accomplishment, like he’s earned the right to call Chisaki by his name. “Right, I can do that." He mumbles. 

"Can I ask where we're going?" He asks.

"A surprise for doing so well for the compound." Overhau- Chisaki says. "Get in, we'll be late if we don't go now. It's a bit of a drive."

Worrying, but also the celebration they had over his villain ranking wasn’t too bad. Christmas was nice too, so hopefully this is a good surprise like the other ones. 

Izuku quickly gets into the car, impatiently curious about where they’re going. He loves surprises, but if he doesn’t know soon he might explode.

Chisaki gets the car started and pulls out the hidden garage. He clicks on the radio so it's thankfully not quiet this time.

As he listens, the news soon changes subjects and instead begins talking about the UA sports festival later that day.

Izuku frowns slightly, but doesn’t say a thing as he listens carefully to the radio. He knows he probably could keep up with the events happening in UA if he wanted to, but decided holding onto a dead dream is pointless. It’s not like he could go to the school's more public events anyways. He didn’t even realize today would be this year's sports festival.

It’s peculiar to remember life outside the compound is continuing normally, but also comforting.

Chisaki, strangely enough, doesn't comment on the big and flashy show of quirks later today. Normally this would be the very thing he is against. That’s… odd. Really odd. Overhaul is very vocal about his dislike of quirks and people making a spectacle with them, and although he’s gentler about it when with Izuku, that also doesn’t stop him. There’s no way he’d know UA is a sensitive spot for Izuku either.

The whole drive, not a word about quirks or curses is said. Chisaki talks a few times about traffic and having to go around a villain fight that was in the way, but that's about it. It's almost distracting enough to miss when they get into a different prefecture, one Izuku knows from living in it.

When Izuku notices, he only gets more confused. He recognizes so many places they pass, landmarks he took for granted, but he doesn’t have enough time to appreciate any of it as his mind runs wild. He knows Chisaki won’t tell him where they’re going since he’s already asked once, but dammit he’s confused!

The confusion only grows when they enter a busy street and a hero directs them to a parking garage, the rest of the street is blocked off for pedestrians and food stalls. It looks like the road to UA's festival stadium…

No, scratch that, this is UA’s festival stadium!

“Are… are we at the Sports Festival…?” Izuku asks, not looking at Chisaki and trying to not let any emotion slip into his voice. Despite himself, he sounds so quietly hopeful.

"We are." Chisaki nods, getting out two small slips of paper and a notebook from the middle glovebox to hand Izuku. "Rappa said it would be a good reward and you can observe quirks more openly."

Izuku’s eyes sparkle as he takes the papers and the notebook. So many questions are running though his head, but instead of even trying to vocalize them, he can only smile brightly. He finds his heart rushing with so many emotions, All he knows is he has an overwhelming urge to hug his boss and is now even more impatient.

Chisaki squints, muttering out a "so bright..", before ruffling Izuku's hair. 

"Come on, we have to get to our seats and get some snacks. The events start in half an hour."

“There’s no time to waste!” Izuku quickly fixes the beanie to cover most of his hair before hopping out of the parked car and rushing to the other side so he can walk with Chisaki, who is chuckling as he gets out of the car, locking it with a beep. 

"Try not to run off, there are a lot of people here and I'd rather not have to ask a hero for help. The chances I can be civil to one are low enough as is." Chisaki says.

Izuku doesn't pout, he's a scary villain next to another scary villain, why would he be pouting? 

"Well don't be slow and maybe I won't go ahead of you." He playfully grumbles.

"Oh really." Chisaki raises a brow and crosses his arms. "I could always use a bunny style kids leash Rappa gave me as a joke for today. It's in the trunk."

"Wh- I swear to Kami I'm going to kill Rappa." Why is he always the root of Izuku's problems? That man has a lot of nerve setting him up for failure like this. " Fine, I won't run off."

"Please don't make your first kill my henchmen." Chisaki sighs, it could almost sound fond. "In any case, let's go."

Izuku bleps at him to hide the fact he's overanalyzing everything Chisaki says and does around him now. He decides to focus on the Sports Festival instead of thinking and walks with Chisaki to the stadium.

The crowd is pretty big by the time they get near the stadium, Chisaki keeps moving closer to Izuku to avoid touching anyone and looks to be glaring at everyone around them, getting stressed from the sheer number of people around them. His hands keep twitching to the gloves like he wants to take them off to get rid of the people and germs around them.

Izuku frowns when he notices his discomfort, but not knowing what to do to help. 

Well- kind of. He has an idea, but he's unsure if it would help or just make things worse. Then again, he doesn't want Chisaki so uncomfortable the whole time they try to get in. 

Hesitantly, Izuku grabs Chisaki's hand with a firm, hopefully comforting squeeze.

Chisaki startles and looks down, but relaxes seeing it's just Izuku. He sighs and squeezes back as they keep avoiding people, the man more relaxed. Thankfully, it’s not long before they get their tickets looked at, go through a bag check, and metal detectors, and then are finally let in. Izuku decides to not grab any snacks to eat during the event, which earns himself a glare from Chisaki. He has to promise to eat more during lunch to get the glare off of him.

They eventually find the high seats Chisaki picked. There’s surprisingly not a lot of people in the high section and there is even a walkway if they get tired of sitting. Izuku couldn’t possibly look happier once they’re seated. Really, he isn’t sure he’s been this happy in years , let alone since he’s been with the Yakuza. 

“…I forgot to thank you before.” Izuku says suddenly. “I know this sort of thing is really out of your comfort zone, so, thank you for taking me here.”

"I wouldn't trust just anyone to take you here." Chisaki huffs. "Rappa might try to start a fight because it's a competition and Tabe shouldn't be around so many food stalls." 

Chisaki is taking a wet wipe to his chair and still places a paper sheet you see in a doctors office over it before he finally sits. How he brought that in without Izuku noticing is a mystery. It gets them some odd looks but not for very long, some people are just weird in the age of quirks.

“Probably!" Izuku chuckles. "But you still didn’t have to, so I’m happy.” He shrugs. He looks down at the empty notebook Chisaki gave him and smiles more. He feels so warm.

Izuku is suddenly handed a pocket sized, folding set of opera binoculars from Overhaul’s jacket pocket.

"Here. You can hold it by the stick or turn it into something like glasses to see better." Chisaki says.

“Oh you're the best .” If this boy could sparkle from happiness, he would be. He takes the binoculars with a huge grin.

"I would hope so." Chisaki chuckles.

For a bit, Izuku is busying himself by messing with the binoculars and seeing how far he can see with them until he notices Chisaki reading a pamphlet that was being handed out on their way up. 

“What’s it say on there?” Izuku asks as he leans over to read it. He’s never been to one of these in person, so it’s an exciting new experience.

"The year, names, and quirk names of students." Chisaki reads. "They really just do not care if a villain could be reading this, do they?"

“Nope.” Izuku shrugs. “UA prides itself in the safety of their students, but they also brag about it in a way? Though, after that attack, you’d think they’d have it be a little more confidential?”

"Like not broadcasting their strengths and weaknesses for the world to see?" Chisaki asks in a deadpan.

“Fair point." Izuku sighs. "There’s many reasons this festival isn’t a good idea.” With the amount of stuff related to villains happening these past few months, (The League, Stain sighted in Huso, even himself) you’d think teachers or even the principal would realize this sports festival is a horrible idea. 

Izuku looks over at the pamphlet. “But I’m already invested, soooo…” He snatches the paper from Chisaki’s hands.

"You could have grabbed your own." Chisaki huffs and pulls a second pamphlet from his pocket.

“Why would I do that when I could just steal yours?” Izuku giggles and begins reading.

"I teach you crime to use on others, not on me. This is a betrayal." Chisaki baps him in the head with the pamphlet. "Death be upon you."

“Murder-crime against a child, very rude." Izuku huffs. "I’ll fight you as a ghost, then I'll beat you for sure.”

"You can't even beat me now, why would a ghost change that?" Chisaki asks, still reading.

“Ghosts are incorporeal.” Izuku shrugs. “Everybody knows that.” Oh, he found the names of the participants! There are so many, but they’re broken down by class at least.

"Wouldn't that mean the ghost can't touch me either?" Chisaki asks.

“Nuh uh.” Izuku says back. “Rules of the playground says that you can’t hurt me but I can hurt you. I don’t make the rules, I just enforce them.” 

Izuku smiles fondly at that inside joke that only he and one other person would fully understand. At least, fully understand the meaning it holds for him . He wonders if he’s watching this competition somewhere here too. 

Then he reads ‘Katsuki Bakugo’ under the Class 1-A section and realizes that might have been a dumb question. 

His smile falls, and after a moment, he closes the pamphlet to not think about him . 

"Rules of th- kids are weird." Chisaki sighs and shakes his head. "When I was your age, I was already fighting people twice my size and doing crime. Wait... you're already doing that too. I just didn't have a childhood it seems."

“Yeah, that’s kinda sad. There are so many unwritten playground rules you don’t know about.” Izuku sighs dramatically. “I’m not teaching you them, by the way. You're too old.”

"Wait..." Chisaki squints at Izuku. "How old do you think I am?" 

“I dunno like… 30?”

"30!?" Chisaki blinks and puts a hand to his chest. "Usually when people guess they go a little younger, what that your younger guess!?"

“Yeah?” Izuku’s shrugs. “What are you like- 40?”

"40!?"

“Too low?”

"I'm 27!"

Izuku stays silent for a moment. “So you are old.”

"What!?"

“Don’t deny it, you're an old man. It’s time to bring you to the retirement home.”

"I'm going to turn your hair blond."

“Wh- no!” Izuku whines, tugging his beanie down. “I’ll get made fun of, green is my whole thing!” 

"Admit I'm not old."

“…do I have to? Can I offer up anything else?”

"...the fact you won't is suspicious."

Izuku frowns and tugs out a green tuft of hair to stare at before dramatically sighing and stuffing it back in his hat. “Fine. You're not old.” 

"That's what I thought." Chisaki nods smugly. "Can't believe you think I'm old."

“I can’t believe you’ve made me agree to things twice in the span of less than half an hour.” Izuku pouts. “And for the record, the only person that I know that isn’t old is Eri. Everyone else is old.”

"You do realize you're going to be our ages soon?" Chisaki asks. "Less than 5 years and you're 20." 

“…” Izuku frowns. “Oh ew. I’m gonna be an old man.”

"You should say that to a hero's face." Chisaki huffs amused. "Pretty sure Midnight down there is in her 30s."

“No way!" Izuku giggles. "I’m not in the mood to fight a hero for calling them old, thank you.”

"I think she should just kick you and the heels would stab you." Chisaki squints down at the hero in question as they set up the mic system. How can she walk in those let alone fight? ...and who lets her dress like this around kids? 

Although, the hero costume industry has been getting risky with how much they get away with showing on female heroes. A big complaint he gets after a mission from the lower members is how uncomfortable some get fighting the new, and far too young, female heroes and how much they show. (One even sent a formal complaint to the HPSC when he fought one his daughter's age because it made him feel like a pervert.)

“You say that like I would allow myself to be kicked and stabbed with a heel.” Izuku huffs. “Not my fault adults are gross and old.”

"How are we gross?" Chisaki asks, head tilted.

“Just are.” Izuku shrugs. “…I never actually really thought about it? Don’t most kids think adults are gross anyways?”

"I think everyone is gross." Chisaki shrugs. "I think we've established I'm not a good baseline for 'normal'."

“You think every thing is gross, I’d never use you as an example of ‘normalcy’.” Izuku chuckles. He suddenly gets an idea in his head. “I don’t think I’ve seen you willingly touch anyone, not even a handshake.” 

He almost adds how it’s funny to see him jump away from touch before the last second deciding that’s a bad idea. Maybe he’s getting a bit too comfortable, he is still a Yakuza boss. His boss, technically.

"I avoid it if I can, it gives me hives." Chisaki sighs. "Gloves are a godsend."

Izuku hesitates. “You didn’t seem to mind when I held your hand though.” He mentions shyly. 

Is his curiosity worth giving into, even when it’s probably a bad idea to question him? …Eh, he’s already almost died many times. He’s less likely to die in public anyways. That thought doesn’t stop him from shyly tapping on the book on his lap though. 

"Of course not, it's you." Chisaki shrugs. "Why would it bother me?"

“..why wouldn’t it?” Izuku asks. “It’s not like germs magically avoid me?”

"Again, gloves." Chisaki wiggles his fingers to show the gloves he rarely takes off. "And you don't have a curse to worry about, you're pretty clean in general actually."

“..You're confusing.” 

"How so?" Chisaki asks

"You..." Izuku’s first thought is of the warmth he feels around him. “You just are . It’s a good confusing- I think? It’s like that rare feeling I get when even after analyzing something over and over, I don’t fully understand it, but can still appreciate it.” He wishes he could understand his own feelings too.

"Hmm, as long as it's a good thing, I don't mind being confusing." Chisaki shrugs, reaching over to pet his head over the hat.

Izuku leans into the pat with a small smile. He likes this. Things are calm, there’s no expectation for him to act as a villain, and he’s safe by Chisaki’s side. 

‘…he likes being with Chisaki. He feels safe around him.’ Izuku sighs as he finally allows himself to think that thought without any resistance. Maybe he’ll regret that later, but not now. He’s happy right now.

The stadium seems completely filled up, and soon the announcers booth crackles to life with Present Mic's voice coming out to introduce the students and classes.

Almost instantly, Izuku’s attention is captured by the loud hero as he watches the hero students in awe. One by one, all the UA freshman classes walk out as their classes are introduced. Izuku has the largest smile on his face as he watches each class and hears the commentary.

Chisaki chuckles and relaxes in his seat. He clearly doesn't care for the festival at all, but Izuku does, so it seems like he will at least try to watch. If nothing else he brought a small book to read.

“All of the first years are here now!” Midnight announces. “Time for the player pledge. Representing the students is Katsuki Bakugo from class 1-A!” 

Izuku freezes upon hearing that name.

Bakugo goes up to the mic and takes a breath. 

"All you extras better do your best out there." Bakugo’s horribly familiar voice grouches out. "I can't crush you all if you hold back. I have something to prove to Deku." 

Most of the classes are miffed at being called 'extras', but the students in class 1-A straighten up, as if they know who he means by 'Deku'. 

Does... does Bakugo talk about him to the class?

Izuku’s eyes are wide, and tears almost immediately appear. “…Kacchan..?” He mumbles. He’s talking about him, that much is obvious, but…

He really thought Bakugo wouldn’t even think of him after that last call he sent, he thought Bakugo would act as if he never even existed .

‘Something to prove’? What does that even mean? 

"Are you alright, Izuku?" Chisaki asks quietly.

Izuku hugs the notebook close to his chest. “Yeah..” He mumbles back, wiping his eyes. “I just… didn’t expect him to think about me since the last day we spoke.” 

Midnight is announcing the rule of the preliminaries, but he still isn’t paying much attention.

"Hmm?" Chisaki looks back down at the first years and tilts his head. "Ah yes, Bakugo Katsuki, your main bully from what we saw."

“You knew about him too?” Izuku looks over at Chisaki. 

"Hard not to when he was the one yelling out someone's quirk status on live TV." Chisaki shrugs.

“Oh, yeah. I forgot he did that.” Izuku frowns. 

Eventually, the teen just sighs. “It’s.. whatever. It doesn’t matter now. I just don’t get why he brought me up or what he means.”

"Who knows, maybe he feels guilty because he is why we knew about you." Chisaki points out.

“Doubt it." Izuku huffs in annoyance, and without thinking, he continues, "If he cared about my safety, he wouldn’t have told me to kill myself.” 

"He did what!?" Chisaki hisses out, hands gripping his book tightly.

Immediately Izuku’s heart drops, and he backtracks just as fast. “O-okay that sounds bad- but I mean- he’s always like that! I-I know it sounds like a big deal but it really wasn’t..”

"Izuku..." Chisaki sighs, setting his book down so he can hold Izuku's chin to make him pay attention. "Telling someone to kill themselves isn't normal. Even we don't do that and we're bad guys that actively kill people . It is a big deal because it's wrong and shouldn't have been said to you."

“He was also a kid.” Izuku shrugs, forcing himself to keep looking at Chisaki. “Kids do and say dumb things. It’s over and done with anyways, so I don’t care.” A bad lie, but in order to not care, he has to pretend to, right? Yeah it affected him at the time, but- 

“It’s not like I have to deal with him anymore.” 

"We are sitting in a stadium with him right now." Chisaki points out. "He's also working to be a hero, people we fight. We're going to run into him again."

“Let me rephrase.” Izuku rolls his eyes, but he’s not actually annoyed. “It’s not like he’ll have an opportunity to bully me like he did before. He’s not sitting right next to me, and I’m stronger now, I could hold my own in a fight against him.”

"True, you also have your smarts and analyst skills. Could probably take him down in your sleep." Chisaki sighs, letting go of Izuku's face to ruffle his hair. It knocks his hat off but no one is paying much attention to their part of the stands. Izuku blushes at the compliments and grabs his hat that fell off to his lap. 

Except, someone does notice. One blond student getting ready for the race sees, and is promptly frozen in place until a redhead bumps him to get his attention.

“You tell me to wear the hat and then immediately make it fall off. Rude.” Izuku huffs.

"Pretty sure it was the 80% bush that did it, how are you so fluffy?" Chisaki tilts his head, his eyes amused. He seems happier than he did moments before, as if Izuku not being upset makes him less upset too.

He tries not to think about it too much.

“Exactly the same way I appeared pre-labeled green. ” Izuku grins. “Besides, I like my bush.” He fixes his hair that’s now very messy from the beanie. 

"Are you sure you're not some kind of forest spirit? The lower level members gossip about it when you showed up during that storm after a mission, apparently you scared them half to death and they thought you were a vengeful one after them for littering." Chisaki huffs, amused. "They keep the compound grounds cleaner at least."

“Why would I reveal my secrets? If I was a forest spirit, I wouldn’t tell you.” Izuku laughs. 

"Damn, that does sound like something a forest spirit would say." Chisaki sighs and looks back at the students. "Your existence will be questioned another day, it seems the race is about to start."

Izuku perks up and focuses back on the competition. 

It’s his first time viewing the Sports Festival in person after all!

Chapter Text

It only takes moments for when Izuku pays attention again for the race to start. Some students have strong starts using their quirks, others stay in the middle or fall behind. Bakugo's quirk is loud and flashy, but the screens showing the race are quieter so Izuku doesn't react past a flinch at the start. He does get a good start though, flying ahead of most of the other students,

Chisaki doesn't say much about the race or the students, but he does have a lot to say about UA's budget when he sees the giant robots and the minefield. He goes on a tiny rant about flaunting money and reckless use of resources before he gets mad enough to stop watching and read his book in a huff. Izuku just light-heartedly pats his shoulder.

Down on the race track, Bakugo seems to be mostly in the lead but he keeps helping a few of his classmates and having to get it back again. He even loses a big chunk of time helping a blond boy with a shiny belt at 'The Fall' when his lazer quirk gives out halfway across. The kid would have gotten hurt if he hadn’t stopped to help. Bakugo is still clearly yelling at the people he helps, it's kind of his default setting, but his classmates seem to just... laugh it off?

Izuku feels his heart ache seeing how Bakugo’s classmates act towards him, and how Bakugo acts in response. The blond boy he knew would keep running and ignore the people who fell behind or could possibly get injured, likely even mock them for it. Yet, that’s not what’s happening. 

Are they... actually his friends? When has Bakugo ever seen someone as equals rather than just ‘extra’s’. Why was Izuku seen as even less?

Izuku tries not to focus on him too much, but he always ends up looking back to Bakugo with his binoculars. 

The only time Bakugo acts like the one Izuku remembers is when he blasts a redhead in the face for saying something, but the kid is just laughing when the smoke clears? He seems to have a hardening quirk, and shark-like teeth for some reason, so he wasn't hurt at all by the blast. He also feels vaguely familiar?

It’s so confusing. Izuku wants nothing more than to ask what the hell happened. He knows he won’t be able to though, both because of the situation that he’s in, and he doubts he has the confidence to speak to him again.

For now, he watches as Bakugo starts taking the lead from a Todoroki kid.

As Present Mic (and how exciting it is that he is here!) talks about Todoroki's quirk, it's easy to notice he doesn't use the fire side of it. Even though it would give him a great boost to his ice skating and keep people back. Maybe there is a story there?

Izuku decides to finally open his notebook to jot down information and what he’s noticed, for now trying to focus on Todoroki instead of his old bully. He’ll have opportunities to focus on others later, but he’s curious about that one at the moment.

The race ends when Bakugo takes the lead at the minefield, he blasted Todoroki on the fire side which made him flare up. It seemed to have startled him into dropping the lead by a foot and giving Bakugo the win.

“Yeah… not surprised he won.” Izuku chuckles. He still can’t help but feel proud seeing Bakugo win the race. He really will be the best one day. He wonders where that leaves him. “Though using so much energy for the first round isn’t very smart.” 

"I think the schedule had some breaks in it for water and other things." Chisaki says. "Wouldn't be smart to let the glorified dog fights go uninterrupted."

“Yeah but still, it’s not enough to replenish all of your energy. It’s better to save that for the later rounds.” Izuku shrugs. “Plus, quirk exhaustion.”

"If teenagers are anything like you, they probably have enough energy to spare." Chisaki teases. "You can never sit still for long."

“Lies and slander.” Izuku pouts as he watches the other students quickly start to finish the race as well.

"How is it slander when Rappa literally found you ready to crawl up the walls out of boredom once you got the claw gloves and boot spikes?" Chisaki asks. "We had to make a schedule to keep you busy training after that."

“Well I’m sorry being stuck in one room all the time and not being able to leave without permission sucks!” Izuku crosses his arms, still pouting. “I had to stop myself from leaving to run around the hallways a lot.”

"We had a track room and a gym." Chisaki sighs. "You really are a bunny."

“I have a theme for a reason.” Izuku giggles.

"I thought it was because you were small."

“I’m running away.”

"Hmm, sounds like something a small rabbit would say."

“If you continue, I won’t talk to you for the whole rest of the day.”

"You won't last more than 20 minutes before you see a cool quirk and want to talk about it." Chisaki says, a little smug. "Also, you'll need to talk about lunch before the third round."

“Nope.” Izuku huffs. “I’ll just write all my thoughts down and ignore you.”

"20. Minutes." Chisaki boops him twice as he says this.

“Fine.” Izuku immediately opens his notebook and proceeds to ignore Chisaki.

Chisaki just chuckles and goes back to his own book, counting down the time as the next event gets ready with a spin wheel and Midnight standing there to spin it. Chisaki sees her pink fan and remembers her quirk was a gas sedative? Now that is an interesting quirk she has...

Next up is the Cavalry Battle. The top 40 students will proceed. They will make groups of 2-4, and each person has a different amount of points based on their rank in the last competition.

Like before, Izuku focuses on watching Bakugo. Since he has something to prove, he stays silent the whole time and writes down every thought he has and wants to say out loud.

Bakugo looks pretty confident, even after the ten million points is announced, and works to make a team with the redhead from before and two others. There is a girl with a long black ponytail and a boy with engines in his leg? Maybe related to Ingenium?

Groups are eventually decided, and everyone creates their own strategies to attempt to grab each other's headbands, most going after Bakugo since he has the most from being in first place in the last round. Bakugo manages to cooperate with his team members well enough, though expectedly, he does end up bending the rules by using his quick to not touch the ground and goes off on his own. This only happens a few times though.

Izuku jots down the different quirks he sees used and how to make better teams. Certain pairings would have been better than others, but their strategies aren’t half bad. There are a lot of powerful quirks out there and some of the kids use them pretty recklessly. It’s not surprising. The UA sports festival doesn’t happen that far into the school year, meaning he doubts these kids have had much training in how to avoid making their quirks dangerous weapons.

He wants to ramble to Chisaki . 

He writes down more instead.

Chisaki hums a light tune next to him and glances at the notes, chuckling at the number of questions he knows Izuku wants to ramble about.

It had to have been 15 minutes at this point. Izuku can last a little longer. Just get over 20…. He can do it.

"My, what an interesting quirk." Chisaki says not really looking at the students. "Wonder what kind of bird their head is, a pigeon perhaps?"

Izuku bites his tongue, glaring at nothing as he has to focus on not saying anything.

"Hmm, no. Seagull ?" Chisaki glances at Izuku and smirks at the struggle he sees.

Izuku shoots a sharp glare at Chisaki, practically saying ‘ Shut up, you know that’s not it’ with his eyes.

"Ah, you're right." Chisaki nods. "Clearly not a bird at all, must be... a squirrel. "

Izuku grabs Chisaki’s shoulder and shakes him. 

Chisaki laughs and baps at him to stop his shaking. "So mean to me! I’m only making some observations!" 

Izuku glares at him, pauses in wondering if he wants to do something. Then he decides it’s worth it.

He flips Chisaki off and looks back at the competition.

Chisaki gasps and ends up cough/laughing at the unexpected move. He sounds soft and less evil when he laughs like this.

Izuku is still pouting, but not as much hearing Chisaki. He’s never heard the man truly laugh . Sure, he’s heard evil chuckles and amused huffs, but never something as carefree and genuine as that.

It’s nice. 

This is nice.

But Izuku also realizes that he has no way to tell if it’s been 20 minutes or not, so he’ll just have to wait for this round to end instead.

Luckily for Izuku, Present Mic announces the end of the match. Bakugo was mid-flight to get the headband off Todoroki and landed with a roll once it ended.

Izuku’s let’s out a sigh of relief as he slumps against the chair. Without looking over, he weakly hits Chisaki’s arm. 

“You’re an asshole.” Izuku huffs out.

"Heh, for what?" Chisaki asks, acting all innocent. 

Instead of responding, Izuku flips to the next page of his book and speaks the words he writes down. "Kai... Chisaki.... quirk... weaknesses.. to use... against him..."

"Now who is the rude one?" Chisaki shakes his head and ruffles Izuku's hat. "At least plot your betrayal behind my back like a good villain."

“I want you to see it coming from a mile away and still lose. Then your defeat will be more satisfying.” Izuku goes back to the previous page and writes down which teams Midnight has said won.

"I feel like I should be worried about how thought out you are about my demise." Chisaki muses. "But it's my day off, so I will just worry later."

“Oh good! More time to plan then.” Izuku chirps.

Midnight suddenly announces its half-time and suggests to everyone to get up to stretch and get food while the next events get set up.

"Finally." Chisaki groans and stretches his arms up. "I'm going to walk this catwalk thing for a bit, you can get food or something from a gift shop if you want." 

Chisaki gets out his wallet and hands Izuku the black and silver card, the same one given during Christmas. Izuku blinks, surprised that he’s going to be left alone to his own devices, but not questioning it anyways. 

“Oh, okay! Do you want anything?” Izuku takes the card with a small smile. Hell yeah, money!

"A bottled drink of some kind, if you can." Chisaki says.

“I can do that.” Izuku stands up and stretches a bit before pocketing the card. “No idea how long this will take since everyone will be going to get stuff, but I’ll try to hurry back.” He reassures Chisaki before heading towards the main food court area with many other watchers of the festival.

"Be safe, punch a cop if you need to." Chisaki calls, getting weird looks again but he is up and walking around to stretch his legs.

Izuku only chuckles at Chisaki as he walks off.

It’s only when he’s alone in the middle of a crowded dining hall full of viewers, adults, kids, and students alike does he feel so out of place and uncomfortable. He isn’t normally away from any Yakuza members, and when he is, he has the confidence of being Night Rabbit to guide him. 

He doesn’t have either of those to help him right now.

There is also Bakugo wandering around somewhere that he has to avoid, like a messed up game of hide and don't seek. At least he blends in with the students that changed after they lost the competition, so heroes don't even glance at him a second time as he passes.

He makes sure his whole bush that he calls hair is covered before taking a deep breath and looking around again. There are a few food stalls, and although the anxiety is making it hard to feel hungry, he knows he will be more once it wears off, so he goes to one of the lines for food first. 

He also needs to get Chisaki something, maybe some water since he doesn’t actually know what the Yakuza boss would like. Then if he has time, he can check the gift shop to get Eri something. Chisaki is the one who gave him his card with no limitations! It’s his fault the amount of money he spends. Not that he can spend too much without getting attention. A kid with a black card is already going to get some eyes, those are for high rank heroes or the wealthy. 

The only other kids with one are the legacy kids, like Todoroki who just passed by.

Izuku stares at him for a moment before realizing ogling at a hero kid is probably really rude. He does think Todoroki is really cool though, he wishes he could talk to him or any of the hero students. But that’s probably not a good idea as a kidnapped-by-the-Yakuza-turned-villain kid.

That idea might go completely out the window seeing how upset Todoroki is, he keeps clenching his right hand and frowning at it. His fireside...

Izuku frowns as he discreetly watches him. He wrote down a bunch of different theories in his notebook that he left, he wishes he had it with him to go over again. He wants to talk to him, but again, that’s a stupid idea. Really, he shouldn’t even be considering it. Chisaki wouldn’t be happy with him If he did.

Before he realizes it, It’s his turn to order food, which he didn’t prepare for, and stumbles through his whole order. At least the worker didn’t seem annoyed at him, but he’s thoroughly embarrassed since some upperclassmen seem to be giggling at him. One even coos 'cute', which helps nothing and just makes the blushes worse.

Izuku, who hasn’t spoken to a non-criminal around his age in what feels like centuries, pays quickly and tries to go as far away from that area as possible in pure embarrassment. He can’t believe he leads heroes to their death and yet got that embarrassed from stumbling over an order! That just makes it so much worse! His pride is bruised.

Thankfully most people are busy with their own food and the gift stalls to pay a lot of attention to him after that. Looks like the business class kids have prototype merch of the hero class kids, likely to see what sells now to make more when they go pro.

At this point, Izuku is getting incredibly anxious at being alone for so long, and not wanting to push his luck with Chisaki, he tries to hurry.

He sighs and goes to the gift shop to buy two hero keychains for him and Eri, and then a pink little unicorn in a UA uniform before wandering around to try and find where to head back to the stands. He’s a little lost, but at least there’s no Bakugo.

"Hey there, lost?" A light and cheery voice asks.

Izuku practically jumps ten feet in the air and looks behind him. His eyes widen as he recognizes the upperclassman in front of him from a first year sports festival a few years back. He has short blond hair, round, dark blue eyes that shined with confidence, and a bright (almost too wide) smile. Next to him, or more behind, is a boy with dark blue hair and-... he has pointy ears? Huh, he never noticed that in the recordings! 

“Mirio Togata…” Izuku says, his eyes sparkling in awe.

"Oh ho! I got a fan!" Mirio turns to a really shy looking boy hidden behind him. "Amajiki, I told you I'd have one by year three!"

“I saw you both in the sports festival a few years ago! Oh, both your quirks are so cool !” Izuku could scream for many reasons right now. Chisaki isn’t even on his mind anymore, completely in awe at the future heroes in front of him.

"Haha! Seems we both got a fan." Mirio smiles and laughs brightly. His friend just blushes darker and hides his face in his back. 

"Ah, but you never answered my question, little kohai. Lost?" Mirio asks.

“Huh- oh! Right, yeah. I’m… not good with crowds, so it’s hard to find out where to go.” Izuku sheepishly rubs the back of his neck.

"We can help you, where are you trying to go?" Mirio asks.

“I’m trying to uh- just- head back-… to the seats” Izuku’s face gets red again as he stumbles through trying to explain. He… really isn’t used to talking to people like this. He very much wants to be back with Chisaki right now.

"We can lead the way." Mirio offers. "Always up to help a kohai in need!"

"Thank you.." Izuku lets out a sigh of relief. 

"Of course!" Mirio smiles and offers his arm. "Where are your seats?"

“One of the high sections next to a walkway, uhm…” Izuku hums for a moment as he rubs his upper arm, focusing on the feel of the fabric. Then he grabs Mirio’s arm. “Oh! I think I still have the ticket-things… yeah! Here.” With his free hand, he pulls out the tickets he had to give security earlier that has the seat numbers on them.

"Hmm? Oh! I know where that is." Mirio smiles and leads him back to the stadium. "You somehow got on the opposite side of where you were."

“…of course I did." Izuku sighs sadly. "In my defense, I said I’m not good with crowds.” He shrugs with a shy smile.

"Heh, that's okay." Mirio chuckles and pats the hand of his friend holding his shirt. "Amajiki gets like that sometimes too."

Izuku nods. “It’s so loud…” 

"Have you thought of picking up some sound dampening headphones?" Mirio asks, showing the yellow pair he has on his neck, Amajiki has a red pair himself.

“Oh.” Izuku hadn’t thought about it. Why would he? It’s not like he has a phone to listen to music with. “That might be helpful.”

"The staff here offer some, you just have to ask." Mirio says. "A lot of people have issues with the loud fights and crowds that they didn't realize until already here. We can pass by a staff station on the way to your seat if you want to grab a pair."

“Yes please!" Izuku nods quickly. "As fun as these competitions are to watch, it’s also a lot.” 

It’s not like much would be very important to hear that he wouldn’t be able to with the headphones. There are too loud speakers (plus Present Mic) literally everywhere. The chance to not hear Bakugo's explosions is also nice. Even at a distance and not directed at him, the sounds and memories are there.

Considering Bakugo made it to the final rounds, Izuku isn’t sure he’s ready for the sounds of only his explosions. At least before it was drowned out by many other quirks as well. He would rather not have to deal with that. At least.. right now. He’ll have to get over it soon if he wants to stand a chance against him in a real fight.

If he slipped into his Night Rabbit persona he might have a better chance, the only thing he cares about then is finishing the job to get back to Eri and doing good enough to not lose Overhaul's attention. Considering he fought Hawks (and intimidated him?) once the surprise of being picked up wore off, he could probably fight Bakugo long enough to get away or disorient him somehow. 

Nevermind the fact he's known since the first winter after Bakugo's quirk came in how weak to the cold he is, or that tying his hands together with the palms touching would render him helpless or risk blasting his own hands off. The thought of seriously hurting Bakugo or injuring him enough to end his hero goals... doesn't feel right. Even after what he did.

It’s not like any of this feels right, but it’s the same reason why Izuku kept being friendly to Bakugo, even after the bullying got more physical than verbal. He hardly even remembers when they were friends anymore, but he misses that more than anything, and holds the few good memories of them dear to his heart. 

He always wished to get back at Bakugo for the things he did to him, but now that he actually could, he doesn’t even want to consider it.

Izuku probably shouldn’t be thinking too hard about this, not now. If he actively plans out a fight for too long, or does other stuff he doesn’t fully understand, he runs the risk of acting more like when he’s Night Rabbit. Rappa has seen it happen before, and helped him expel that stress from fighting, but he could see the intimidation that was there from the people around. He can’t risk his Night Rabbit persona being used here, so even though it feels impossible, he should at least try to not think about Bakugo.

Thankfully the stadium has plenty of quirks and heroes to look at instead. Even Amajiki is a good distraction as he makes little crab claws to tap together from nerves.

Izuku relaxes quickly as he focuses on other things unrelated to villainy. He’s in awe at all the different quirks he sees too, mumbling under his breath about the different ones he passes. He once again wishes he had his book, but it’s not like he could write while holding onto Mirio and the food.

"Wow, you sure are smart!" Mirio says, apparently having been listening best he can to the talking. Amajiki has his headphones on again and doesn't hear anything. Lucky.

"Are you in the analyst support class?" Mirio asks.

Izuku lights up at the compliment. “Oh, no I’m not! I don’t go to UA, I’m uh, homeschooled.”

"Aww, you could have had lunches with us." Mirio pouts dramatically. "But homeschooled is cool too, no uniform sounds like a dream."

Izuku giggles. “Yeah, I get to learn at my own speed too, which is nice. I’m pretty sure the last time I was tested, I already passed high school?” Izuku shrugs, “I either did or am close to it.”

"Wow! I guess that would make me the kohai if you already passed." Mirio laughs amused. They reach the staff help table Mirio mentioned and can see a shelf of headphones behind the hero there, Snipe.

Izuku’s eyes sparkle in awe at the pro hero being right there! He should not be this close to a hero, a really, very bad idea, but also they’re so cool! 

“U-uhm, sir, can I uh- is there any way I can get some headphones..?” Izuku stumbles in asking. He really needs to work on his stuttering, but to be fair, he’s awe struck constantly in this place!

"Ya sure can." Snipe nods and checks the sizes he has before picking a dark green pair. "Here, these should fit comfortably."

Izuku smiles softly at the green headphones, putting them on to see if they fit before taking them off again. “Yeah, these are perfect! Thank you!”

"Yer welcome." Snipe tilts his hat. "Enjoy the festival youngins."

“We will!” Izuku grins at Mirio, glad that he now has some sort of defense against the loud noises. Mirio waves to the hero as they go and are back on their way to Izuku's seats. 

"Oh! I forgot to ask who you came with." Mirio suddenly says.

Izuku suddenly blanks as he tries to figure out what to say. Chisaki's name probably isn’t exactly what Mirio means, but what is he supposed to say? His boss? That would sound weird in any normal context, let alone for a 15 year old. His caretaker? Way too professional. Maybe he should just say a family friend or something- 

“Oh, my dad came with me here.”

…

What!? 

"Aww, how sweet!" Mirio smiles. "It's always good to see a dad and son bonding. Does he like the festival too?"

Just play it off, Izuku, play it off! No one needs to know he just called Chisaki ‘dad’, he’s taking it to his grave! 

“Oh, n-no, not really! He doesn’t like people showing off flashy quirks, but he..” Izuku’s expression softens. “He knows I like this stuff, so he’s here and engaging with me about it anyways.”

"Wow, sounds like one hell of a dad." Mirio gives a softer smile. "You must be pretty lucky to have him."

“…yeah.” Izuku smiles. “He’s great.” 

He would rather avoid thinking about Overhaul like he would a dad. Overhaul took him away from everything, his mom, his life… but at the same time, he didn’t have much before either. Overhaul made him strong and gave him safety. He shouldn’t get too attached, he knows that, but trying to not admit it is getting more and more difficult. 

Though it seems as though he’s admitted it now.

"Seems we'll get to meet him." Mirio says as they enter the stands area. "Is that him?"

Izuku glances at the direction Mirio is looking. "Yup, that's him!" He doesn't even fully process that Mirio just said he's going to talk to Chisaki too, fully distracted by his own thoughts.

Said man is reading again and seems as relaxed as he can be with all the people around him. Mirio smiles and leads the way back. Izuku walks over, happy he can now finally eat his food. Or eat a few bites. He’s doing better than before at least.

“I didn’t have to punch anyone on my way back!” Izuku chirps once he’s close enough for Chisaki to hear.

"That's good." Chisaki looks up and tilts his head at the older teens. "You seem to have picked up some strays, Izuku."

“I didn’t have to punch anyone, but I did get lost.” Izuku says sheepishly. “Mirio-senpai and Tamaki-senpai helped me find my way back before I got too lost.”

"I see." Chisaki nods. "Thank you for returning him to me." 

"You're welcome sir!" Mirio smiles. "Hey, you look familiar, have we met?"

"He looks like every college theater kid." Izuku mutters to Mirio. Has that thought been in his mind since day one? 

Yes. 

Yes it has.

"Rude." Chisaki sighs and shakes his head. "I work in the Osaka Prefecture, maybe there? I don't go anywhere else often." 

"Oh!" Mirio lights up. "That makes sense, Sir Nighteye's agency is there! I work as an intern there so I probably pass by you every now and then on patrol."

"You work at Sir Nighteye's agency?" Izuku's eyes widened in awe. "Oh wow, that's so cool! What's he like?"

"He's pretty cool!" Mirio smiles, not noticing Chisaki watching with interest. "Intelligence agencies do a lot more than people think, so there is always something to do when not on patrol."

"That sounds so awesome..." Izuku smiles brightly. "Goodluck with your internship then, I bet you're doing great!"

"Thanks! Maybe we'll see each other sometime and catch up." Mirio smiles and the alert for the festival starting again goes off. "Ah, looks like we gotta go. It was nice meeting you and your dad!"

...

God fucking dammit.

Maybe, just maybe, Chisaki didn't hear that and he can play it off like nothing happened. 

"Haha.. yeah, nice seeing you too!" Izuku waves to Mirio and Tamaki before going to sit down at his seat. Yeah, Chisaki probably didn't notice. It's fine! Just don't look in his general direction and he wont bring it up.

The two older kids leave to their own seats as Chisaki chuckles quietly. 

"I wasn't expecting the hero student actively hunting me down to be with you." Chasaki says, amused.

"Wait- what!?" Izuku looks at Chisaki, then at Mirio and Tamaki who are now a fair distance away, then back to Chisaki. "...I swear I didn't know." He says softly, his hands fidgeting with the food bag.

Chisaki chuckles again. "I know. Just amusing that he looked me in the eyes and didn't realize."

"I mean, what I said is true. I didn't realize it was you at my door this morning either." Izuku relaxes slightly with a sigh. He pulls out the card and the water to give them both to Chisaki.

"Thank you." Chisaki gets out more wet wipes and cleans them both off before he puts the card back in his wallet and lowers the mask to drink some water.

Izuku isn’t given the opportunity to stare and recognize what Chisaki looks like without his mask on as he says, "What a good son, taking care of their father in the spring heat." 

Izuku completely freezes for a solid ten seconds before facing in the complete opposite direction, curling up on himself.

"Something the matter, Izuku?" 

Izuku's quiet grumbling is all Chisaki gets in response, his face now hidden in his knees. His cheeks are hot with embarrassment, but an overwhelming dread washes over him as his heart beat slams against his chest.

"Don't forget to come up for air." Chisaki chuckles, it sounds slightly muffled again, like he put his mask back up. Izuku smothers any reaction as he feels Chisaki ruffle his hat, the wool being ripped apart by his quirk, only to be put back together again. He hesitantly opens his eyes and lifts his head enough to check what he did.

He lets out the weakest of sighs as he sees the only change is the red color changing to a dark green. 

He’s teasing. Chisaki isn’t actually upset about it, he won’t hurt him over the ‘dad’ thing.

Izuku slowly lifts his head back up a bit to peek at Chisaki. Still feeling the need to defend himself, to come up with an excuse, so he starts speaking, "...I-I hadn't meant to.. It was the only lie that made sense and.." The words die in his throat, finding it hard to deny what he only moments ago admitted to himself.

Chisaki’s eyes are softer than Izuku’s ever seen them. "It's alright, I don't mind." 

“You…" Izuku hesitates. "You don’t?”

"No, I don't mind it. You know I don't say things I don't mean." Chisaki says.

Izuku fidgets and slowly uncurls, but he doesn’t fully look at Chisaki, instead opting to stare down at his lap in silence. Now he doesn’t know what to do or say. The rounds are going to happen soon, but they still have a few minutes before anything begins. 

They sit in silence for a moment. It’s not necessarily awkward , but it’s not comfortable either. Not for him.

"Is something still bothering you, Izuku?" Chisaki asks.

"I…" Izuku stays silent for a moment. “I don’t know if I was expecting, or… hoping , you would be upset by that.” He says softly. 

The boy frowns down at his lap. “Then I wouldn’t have to feel as confused.”

"You seem confused by my actions a lot." Chisaki points out.

“Because you're confusing !” Izuku exclaims. “You don’t make any sense !”

"You've mentioned that." Chisaki tilts his head. "Why do you think I'm confusing to you."

“Because I’d expect someone like you to be… I don’t know, ruder to me?” Izuku shrugs. “Considering my quirk status, who you are, and how we’re even in this situation in the first place. You're nice to me and make me feel safe? When it should be the opposite!”

"I feel like I made it very clear by now that your status holds little to your worth and value as a person compared to the cursed around us." Chisaki says. "And I may be... more criminally inclined, but I am still a gentleman. Why wouldn't I be nice? Being mean all the time sounds exhausting."

“I know but- it still isn’t normal to me. I’m not used to this.” Izuku says. “And I’m not saying I expected you to be rude to me all the time, just… this . This is a lot more than I expected.”

He doesn’t want or know how to voice his confusion, but Chisaki asked, so it’s fine, right? 

“You’re too nice for me to understand, and it causes my feelings to be so confusing.” Izuku says softly.

"..." Chisaki tilts his head and hums. "Izuku... have you never had a positive male role model before? And I'm not talking about a distant one, like a hero or whatever, I mean one you can actually talk and interact with."

Izuku doesn’t have to think about his answer. 

The closest he could say after his dad would be Masaru, but really, after Bakugo’s bullying started getting more physical, they stopped visiting as often. It was always just him and his mom.

“…Not really.” Izuku admits.

"That might be why I'm so confusing to you. You have nothing to base it off of as good or bad." Chisaki points out.

Izuku wants to argue that there isn’t a way any of what’s happening is good . It can’t be. He was kidnapped . And Kami it’s pathetic how he has to constantly remind himself of that. But he also knows he hasn’t felt safer, oddly enough. He hasn’t ever felt so appreciated. 

Izuku groans in exhaustion, letting his head fall into his hands as he tries to understand himself. He’s so tired of thinking so much.

"Talk to Rappa when we get back, you're going to work yourself into a funk at this rate." Chisaki puts an arm around Izuku's shoulders and tugs him to lean on his side, making the boy's hands drop from his face. "Enjoy the festival and worry about feelings at home."

Izuku glances at Chisaki for a moment before sighing and relaxing a bit against him, shifting to get more comfortable. “Alright.. I can do that.”

Chisaki chuckles and they get ready to watch the first match. Izuku finds himself smiling softly as the first fight is announced. 

Hitoshi Shinso from General Studies, Class 1-C, is up against Mezo Shoji from the Hero Course, Class 1-A.

“The white haired kid has a mutant quirk that gives him a bunch of extra limbs.” Izuku says, having only been able to read the 1-A class quirks, but not Gen Ed. He stopped reading when he saw his old bully's name. “The purple haired kid hasn’t used his yet.” 

"That purple kid looks like he's never slept a day in his life." Chisaki mumbles, looking at Shinso.

“What a mood.”

"Don't you sleep the recommended 8 hours outside mission nights?"

Izuku smiles innocently. “No.”

It’s hard to tell from so far away, but it seems Shinso says something that causes Shoji to get worked up, then he freezes. Izuku watches with interest.

"Hmm?" Chisaki seems just as interested (for once) in seeing Shoji turn and walk out of bounds without a fight. Once the kid walks out of bounds, Shinso is announced the winner. 

“Some sort of mind-control quirk, probably. Especially judging by how tired he looks. Mental quirks like that take up a lot of energy.” Izuku grabs his notebook and mumbles as he writes. “Shoji only did what Shinso wanted after he responded, so that could have been some sort of trigger?”

"A powerful quirk, but how is he not in the hero class?" Chisaki tilts his head. "Isn't that the kind of thing they want?"

“They’re biased.” Izuku says immediately. “Even before they took the bar off to allow quirkless students to enter their school, I was researching UA. Their tests change every few years, but all of them have a bias towards physical strength and in general, flashy quirks.”

"Of course it is." Chisaki sighs, shaking his head. "That is how kids like him end up with people like me."

“He did manage to get into UA though.” Izuku points out. “And he’s made it to the final competition and won his first round. If he is able to keep this up, there’s a chance they could transfer him to the hero course.”

"True..." Chisaki taps his chin. "Hmm, are you in the market for a new friend your age?"

"I will fight you."

"I'm not hearing a 'no'."

"If having this 'new friend' requires a mission, then no." Izuku deadpans. "If I want to make a new friend I can do it myself the normal way." He doubts he will, that would only cause issues for whatever friend he could possibly make. 

"Do you even know how to make friends the normal way?"

“I know that what you were suggesting certainly wouldn’t work.” Izuku huffs, watching as the next contestants are announced. This one is between Shoto Todoroki and Hanta Sero, both 1-A.

"Kidnapping worked with you." Chisaki points out.

“Rude.” Izuku pouts. “Just because it could work doesn’t mean it’s the best option. If I want a friend, I’ll make one on my own.” 

The two hero students start walking towards the arena. After taking a look in his binoculars, he can tell Todoroki still looks mad.

"Alright... just keep it on the back burner for later in case it doesn't work. Crime is always an option." Chisaki reminds him.

“I doubt I’ll-“ Izuku cuts himself off with a squeak as he clings to Chisaki, who also instinctively grabs Izuku with his other arm as well, keeping him close and safe.

Seconds after the round had started, Todoroki used his ice to create an incredibly large pillar, completely immobilizing Sero. It quite literally happened in the blink of an eye, the ice so large it’s even looming above Izuku and Chisaki’s seating area.

"Does this child not know how to hold back!?" Chisaki hisses. "He could have hit us!"

“…I don’t think it’s that.” Izuku frowns as he looks out into the stadium, leaning past the ice to see Todoroki thawing Sero out of the ice. “He was angry when I saw him while getting food, and even in the stadium. That anger got in the way of his control.”

"Then it's not very good control, now is it?" Chisaki huffs and keeps his hand ready in case the ice falls as it thaws.

“Kids don’t have the best control of anything.” Izuku responds.

“…this is going to take a while. I’m heading to the bathroom.” He says, but waits until Chisaki gives a response.

"Alright, watch out for heroes." Chisaki sighs and eyes the ice suspiciously.

“Okay.” The two let go of each other, letting Izuku stand asks walk off to find a bathroom.

Was this mainly an excuse to get away from the freezing cold? Maybe. 

Without the copious amounts of people walking around the now empty halls, Izuku feels much more comfortable to take his time exploring and taking in everything here. He smiles seeing the different hero memorabilia, mostly of UA teachers or alumni, throughout the stadium. 

This place really is so cool.

There are a few heroes acting as security guards walking around. However, being a kid who has a habit of getting lost comes in handy, as they let him continue wandering aimlessly. It’s almost ironic, considering he’s a literal villain, yet they don’t suspect a thing. 

Eventually he’s pointed to a different hallway that’s definitely a student hall. There are bathrooms in it he can use, so they likely thought he was a student instead of some random kid. Eh, oh well. As long as he can use a bathroom in peace he doesn’t mind. He’ll just sneak out later.

Turning a corner, however, he suddenly finds himself not alone as Endeavor is standing over the Todoroki kid from earlier. He looks to be yelling at him and the kid looks braced, as if ready to be hit.

Izuku freezes up as he sees the scene in front of him. 

His head hurts as he begins wishing he had his Night Rabbit outfit with him and the confidence he holds with it, but slipping into that mindset becomes easier upon seeing what’s happening. His eyes get the same intense look in them.

He’s able to walk and talk like any other Yakuza member when he really wants to.

He approaches the two of them, making sure to not get too close, and purposefully making his footsteps heard. 

“Such a scene you're causing in the public eye, Pro Hero Endeavor.” Rabbit says, his voice much softer and even friendly sounding without a modulator changing it. “Though I suppose someone like you wouldn’t care, hm?” 

"Who?" Endeavor leans back to glare at the child before him, giving Todoroki breathing room. "What's it to you? Move along, kid. This doesn't concern you."

“No.” Rabbit says calmly. 

" Excuse me ?" Endeavor growls out. Todoroki doesn't react much, but he’s glancing between the two of them, a look of worry only noticeable from his eyes.

“I’m sorry, do you need your ears checked? I said no .” Rabbit says, stepping closer, but keeping a reasonable distance away from the hero. “Leaving when a child looks to be in danger isn’t very wise. So no, I won’t leave.”

"My son isn't in any danger." Endeavor glares at Rabbit. "Just reminding him to use his quirk to the fullest."

“I know what people- what children in danger look like.” Rabbit snaps, his expression cold. “I’m not leaving, and you can’t make me.”

"You little..." Endeavor growls and takes a few steps in Rabbit's direction, Todoroki's eyes only grow more panicked.

But Rabbit doesn’t falter. “Do you really want people to know you’ve assaulted an innocent child?” He tilts his head, unaffected by Endeavor's advance. He doesn’t have to worry. Worse comes to worse, he has escape plans already in his head. “It would be such a shame if people found out, but I suppose if that’s what you really want, then go right ahead.”

"I am the number 2 hero in Japan. Who would believe you?" Endeavor argues.

Rabbit has already won the moment Endeavor gets more tense, like he’s unnerving the hero.  

“They won’t have to, the evidence would be too damning.” Rabbit simply glances up at a nearby camera pointed at them. “UA doesn’t play by the Commission's rules. I’m sure I could convince them to release the evidence.”

There’s a tense silence for a moment, but then, " Fine. " Endeavor growls after glancing at the camera. "Shoto, stop acting childishly and use your fire." 

Todoroki says nothing as Endeavor stomps out of the hall, taking long enough to miss when Rabbit goes back into the mental box Izuku keeps him in.

“Are you alright?” Izuku watches the hero leave before looking back at Todoroki. His expression isn’t nearly as intense.

"I am..." Todoroki sighs softly. "You shouldn't have gotten involved, he could have hurt you and no one would care."

“Oh I know.” Izuku shrugs. “But I don’t care for letting adults, let alone heroes, be cruel to people they deem as ‘weaker’. I needed to make sure he wouldn’t do anything.” 

"Why?" Todoroki tilts his head slightly.

"..." Izuku blinks at him. “What do you mean?”

"Why protect me? I am a stranger." Todoroki says, as if that is valid enough to leave him to his father.

“…” Izuku laughs. It’s humorless. If he had that mindset, he might not be with the Yakuza to protect Eri. He hates that thought. “Oh please, Todoroki-san, I’m not just going to walk away from that. Stranger or not, I could do something, so I did. There’s nothing more to it than that.”

Todoroki startles at his laugh, for some reason, and seems unsure what to do. Like he's never had anyone step between his father's anger and him before.

How cruel. His father is the number two, he likely could get away with almost everything.

"In any case," Izuku says. "Why was your father even so pissed at you? You won the match." He knows why, but still, he asks anyway.

"He wants me to use my fire side." Todoroki says, looking at his right hand. "I'm not going to. I can win this without using his quirk."

“ His quirk?” Izuku deadpans. He feels a twinge of annoyance at that, but ignores it for now.  “Todoroki-san, how is your fire his quirk?”

"I inherited it from him, the whole goal of me being born was to have it and my mother's ice."

“But it’s not your mother's ice.” Izuku says firmly. “And it’s not your father's fire either. Your quirk wasn’t inherited, they have theirs and you have yours.”

Izuku is silent for a moment before smiling, an idea forming in his head. “You're pissed at your dad, yeah? You're trying to prove a point to him by not using your quirk?”

"Yes?" Todoroki looks mildly confused, he doesn't seem to emote a lot.

“Clearly it’s working, but by doing this, you are not only disrespecting yourself, but your classmates as well. You're excelling by putting in only half the effort, that isn’t really fair to them.” Izuku explains. “A far better way to piss off your father would be to use all of your quirk while still standing your ground and keeping your morals.”

“Be the hero that you want to be, become the exact opposite of the person he expects you to be.” Izuku grins. “Your quirk is your own, not your fathers. Don’t let him hold you back from becoming the incredible hero you want to be.” 

"My quirk is my own..." Todoroki looks deep in thought as he looks at his hands, he seems to have heard this before but forgot for some reason. Knowing who his father is and the interactions earlier... trauma was likely involved.

Izuku, satisfied with his work, nods to himself in approval. 

He just sighs when the hat falls off.

Has the bush always been this bad? Probably not, but it's not like he's had a haircut since he was kidnapped. He picks up the hat and puts it back on. 

"Anyways I'm not even supposed to be here, so I'll be leaving now. Good luck with the rest of the competitions." Izuku turns back the way he came to walk out and find the actual bathrooms, he rather not get in trouble with security or something after pissing off Endeavor.

"Huh?" Todoroki seems to be blinking out of confusion and looking at Izuku's hat. "Oh um, thanks and bye?"

"Bye!" Izuku waves behind him as he leaves.

After doing his business in the bathroom, Izuku spends about a minute trying to calm the Internal Night Rabbit™️ and after mostly succeeding, he heads back to the seats, luckily not getting lost this time. Why does every time he leave Chisaki's side does he always get into some sort of trouble? This will be exhausting to explain to him.

He seems to have missed the last match and most of this one by the time he gets back, Chisaki is even reading his book again. A girl with a long ponytail is fighting the bird headed boy that Chisaki called a pigeon. Their quirk seems to be a sentient shadow bird!

All the notes he could be taking right now!

Izuku gasps in distress and rushes back to his seat, feverishly paying attention and writing down as much as he can.

Chisaki chuckles at that being the first thing he does once back. 

"I'm sure you can watch the recording Tabe or Rappa are making for you later." Chisaki says, light amusement in his voice. "You didn't miss much."

“Didn't miss 'much’ is too much!” Izuku grumbles, still writing. “I shouldn’t have taken so long.”

"Did you get lost?" Chisaki asks. "It was longer than expected but I didn't see security panic so I assumed it was okay."

“Oh no, everything was fine, but I was mistaken for a student and brought to an area I wasn’t supposed to be at, then pissed off the number 2 hero and told his son to stop being dumb.” Izuku says casually as he continues writing. 

"..." Chisaki sighs and lightly baps Izuku on the head with his book. "Stop running into top heroes the moment you get to go places by yourself. This isn't setting a good pattern and you're going to run into All Might next at this rate."

“Maybe my quirk is being a trouble magnet considering… my entire life so far.” Izuku jokes. “Also, I’ve already met All Might before, so I’ve technically met and spoken to all of the top three heroes already.” 

Huh, a while ago he would have been over the moon at this information. Now it’s just…. a thing. Besides, the only one he actually likes out of the trio is Hawks, he's cool and Eri liked getting his feathers. She wears them as a necklace with beads.

"I don't think getting punched out of goop by him really counts as 'meeting' him." Chisaki points out.

“Oh no, before that. Same day though.” Izuku says absentmindedly. 

"Why? There wasn't anything reported about him that day outside the sludge man." Chisaki shivers at the mention of that villain. It makes sense, he was everything he hates ; dirty, made of sewer goop, all quirk body, touchy, and Chisaki can't really use his quirk on a liquid like that because of molecule structure. The worst nightmare for him really.

“The sludge villain attacked me first on my way back to school. All Might stepped in and dealt with that, but…” Izuku shrugs. “I was dumb and grabbed onto him while he tried to leave, which made him lose the villain he captured.”

"Wait." Chisaki slowly puts his book down. "First of all, you just got attacked and instead of getting you any medical attention his first thought was to leave ? I'm not even a hero but even I know that victims are disoriented and will go to what seems safest, which is the hero that saved them or the next person there regardless if they are good or not, so long as they aren't the first villain. It's textbook 101 on how to handle a victim, they will do that, which is why you don't leave them alone!"

Izuku blinks in surprise at Chisaki’s rambling. “I… didn’t really think about that.” He shrugs. “I mean, he had a good reason to leave, but yeah it wasn’t a very good experience.” 

He remembers what All Might said to him. Ironic that he’s a villain that helps kill heroes after being told All Might's secret, but he hasn’t used that against him and doesn’t really plan on it either.

"Oh I wasn't done yet." Chisaki says, interrupting the teen's train of thought. "Second of all, for hard to detain villains like that filthy sludge, the hero stays in place until the police can bring a proper containment unit. If I remember the news correctly, he used a soda bottle of all things? They would have gotten out regardless of you being involved or not!"

Oh, Chisaki is really upset about this situation actually.

…Okay, so Izuku’s definitely going to avoid telling him what All Might said to him and where he left him alone. He would rather not deal with a pissed off Yakuza boss. 

“Well- yeah, but at least All Might wouldn’t have been so far away from the villain if I didn’t get involved. It wouldn’t have been able to attack Kacchan.” Izuku defends. 

"If the villain didn't fall out of his pocket, it would have gotten out and had the perfect opportunity to capture and take All Might over." Chisaki points out carefully. "He was distracted and stupidly thought he had him contained. That's all it takes most of the time, a hero getting cocky ."

“…Right, yeah." Izuku shudders at the thought. "But either way, the entire situation was… complicated… if he left, if he didn’t leave, it wouldn’t be good.”

"Him leaving broke every hero protocol and put you in danger." Chisaki says.

Izuku huffs. "I feel like you criticize me a lot when it comes to stuff like this." 

"Because your life matters and people endangering it isn't something you should accept." 

Izuku pauses. “…I think you're a bit too late for that one.” He snickers. “How am I supposed to live life on the edge if my life isn’t constantly endangered?”

"Endanger it with work." Chisaki deadpans. "Don't let others endanger it because they think you have low worth."

“But dad -“ Izuku was fully prepared to playfully start to whine and complain, but by accidentally calling him ‘dad’ again, he stops and goes back to trying to write. His cheeks are hot with embarrassment, but he tries to busy himself seeing the next round will begin soon.

"No, no." Chisaki says amused. "I want to hear your argument."

Izuku pouts. “…why can’t I do both?” He continues the complaints he was going to make earlier. “That’s endangering my life to the fullest and arguably much more fun.”

"...I'm very tempted to find a therapist that works with villains or just kidnap one."

“You just hate to see me living my truth.”

"Your truth is worrying ." 

Before Izuku can try to challenge his statement, the crowd cheers loudly at the current match ending and the next starting quickly. With very little damage done to the stage, the next fighters can head out immediately.

Izuku excitedly prepares to write down his next set of notes when he hears who is going to be fighting next. 

Ochaco Uraraka verses Katsuki Bakugo.

Almost immediately, he grabs the headphones he had been given, puts them over his ears, and goes back to wrap his arms around and cuddle against Chisaki like earlier for any sense of comfort during this. The match hasn’t even started yet, but he can already feel his heart thumping against his rib cage just from the anticipation.

He wants to watch, and he’ll have to learn to get over Bakugo's quirk bit by bit, but it’s still not going to be great to deal with.

Chisaki raises a brow but puts an arm around Izuku and gently pets his hat to keep him calm. His own interest in this fight is to see who it was that hurt Izuku.

Unlike some of the other students, the strength and talent of these two is very clear. Bakugo relies on his quirk alone, his explosions extremely powerful to the point that it destroys the arena around them. The girl, Uraraka, seemed to have accounted for that and used her quirk to float the shattered rock pieces in the air. 

Every loud explosion causes Izuku to flinch and hold onto Chisaki a little bit tighter. He tries to force himself to relax until the next explosion causes the same reaction. He hears Chisaki growl at how scared he is and takes off his hat so he can pet his hair directly to sooth him better. It works, if only slightly, the protective hold making him feel that much safer.

It doesn’t get rid of the memories.

Bakugo seems to get distracted right after another sudden flash of green catching him off guard and almost misses the meteor shower Uraraka rains down on him, even from up here, it’s easy to see how blasting it all in surprise fucks up his wrist. He manages to stop himself from getting too badly injured though, and Uraraka, after she tries to continue the fight, collapses to the ground in exhaustion, and Bakugo is declared the winner. 

Izuku’s barely peeking out at the arena at this point, face almost entirely hidden in Chisaki’s side. The fight wasn’t too long, but it was prolonged enough that even with the man’s comfort and the headphones muffling the explosions, Izuku is now slightly trembling. His boss pets the boy’s hair and hums quietly so Izuku can at least feel the vibrations in his chest.

With that round over, once Bakugo leaves view and Uraraka is carried away by a hero, Izuku is able to slip off the headphones, but he still doesn’t let go of Chisaki with one hand.

"Do we need to go, Izuku?" Chisaki asks softly.

The boy looks down somberly. He wants to stay, he really does, especially since was kind enough to bring him here at all, but just one round with Katsuki Bakugo was a lot. Having to deal with how many other rounds he gets too will be too much. 

He seems to have taken too long to respond, as Chisaki pokes his side to get his attention. When Izuku speaks, he’s quieter than he intends. “…Maybe.” After a second, Izuku weakly smiles up at Chisaki. “But this was really nice.. I liked spending time with you like this.” He shyly mumbles.

"It wasn't all bad with you either, despite the quirks everywhere." Chisaki says, making Izuku feel warm again. "The next time we are out will likely be less... loud."

“Mhm.. I got a ton of notes too. I can put them into proper thoughts later.” He pauses before realizing he’ll have to collect his untouched food and things he bought for Eri. She would be so pouty if he left the gifts he got for her.

"Let's head out before the next match, it looks like they need a minute for the stage anyways." Chisaki doesn't need to keep his trash and just overhauls it with his quirk to be dust in the wind.

Dramatic and unfair.

“I have everything.” Izuku says.

Being far more zoned out than usual, Izuku doesn’t notice Chisaki putting his gloves back on as they head out, but pausing halfway to putting on the second glove. Instead, he ruffles Izuku’s hat again to turn it back red. When Izuku makes a questioning sound he just shrugs. 

"It was a gift from Rappa, he'd be sad if I didn't put it back."

“Oh.” Izuku fixes his hat before standing up and nodding. “Don’t wanna make Rappa sad.”

Walking with Chisaki, Izuku finds himself sad that he has to leave early, but knowing that they managed to go at all makes him feel giddy. Or at least, it would if he could get his mind to focus again.

The two of them easily leave the stadium and get back to the car with only one hero encounter to direct traffic to let them out. 

Overall, it was a good day out, and Eri will have plenty of stories to hear when they get back!

Chapter Text

Back at the stadium, hours after the festival ends and kids are in the infirmary, Katsuki is huffing as he sits with his wrists on ice to ease the pain and inflammation. That half-n-half bastard finally pulls out his fire side and the two have a real and close fight, if only for a moment. He gave up his fire not long after finally using it, helping Katsuki win in the end. Flame and a sweat based, highly explosive quirk don’t mix well. 

Though, Todoroki had been acting weird. Katsuki overheard a few of his classmates talking about how it seemed he wasn’t paying attention to anyone. He’s usually a quiet recluse, but this was different. He was fine during the fight, but went right back to that state right after. Most decided to leave him be. 

Until finally, Recovery Girl leaves to give her report of Class 1-A’s condition, leaving everyone alone in their part of the infirmary. Todoroki, finally broken out of his silence, stands up and approaches Katsuki.

"What do you want, Icyhot?" Katsuki grouches, too tired to get much louder, and besides, some of the other kids are still passed out.

“Bakugo,” Todoroki seems to hesitate, a state their class hasn’t really seen before. “Remind me again what ‘Deku’ looks like.”

"Hah?" Katsuki squints at him.

“Your missing friend,” Todoroki presses, a bit firmer. “What does he look like?”

"Not sure why you want to know, but fine." Bakugo sighs and closes his eyes as he talks. "He's short, got green hair and eyes, hair is like a bush which isn't helped by the green, 4 freckles in a diamond shape on his cheeks, and big doe eyes that look ready to cry at times. Happy?"

Todoroki is silent for one tense moment. 

"I saw him.”

"..." Katsuki sits up and opens his eyes to glare. "I don't know what failed comedian taught you humor, but that's not funny."

“Well it's a good thing I’m not joking then.” Todoroki doesn’t falter despite Katsuki’s aggression, meeting his glare with his own unyielding gaze. “I spoke to him, and so did my father. He was here.”

"There's no way you spoke with him. He's been kidnapped this whole time, why would he be here for a festival?" Katsuki asks, refusing to get his hopes up with such a wild situation. Not yet.

“I don’t know, I didn’t realize it was him at the time.” Todoroki’s cold expression falters, a new look of guilt floods his eyes as his hands ball up into fists. “It wasn’t obvious it was him, not at first. He had a hat covering his hair, but he looked exactly how you described once it fell off. Bushy green hair, doe eyes, the freckles… he seemed tired.”

"..." Katsuki bites his lip and glares down at nothing. Despite his best attempts, he can’t stop his heart from beating faster with a glimmer of hope. He tries to stomp it out to not get hurt when they find out Todoroki was wrong. "We need a teacher. They can check the cameras and tell us if... if it really was him."

“Then come on, let’s find one.” 

Todoroki waits till Katsuki manages to stand up and leads the way, that bastard doesn't have nearly as bad of injuries as the rest of the class. Katsuki huffs and makes sure the ice can stay on his wrist as he follows. The few in 1-A that are awake question them as they leave, but neither could bring themselves to make any sort of excuse or respond to them at all. Luckily, they’re too tired to be their usual nosey selves and chase after them.

Most of the teachers involved with the festival are off patrolling to make sure all of the guests are gone and no one is sneaking around after the rush to leave. Luckily, they do find the one teacher that can't patrol.

“Aizawa-sensei,” Todoroki rushes over when he quickly spots their teacher. “We need your help to check security footage.” He says bluntly.

"..." They can't really see his eyes, but they get the feeling Aizawa is blinking at them slowly. His voice sounds of just pure exhaustion when he asks, "Why?"

“I think I had spoken to a kidnapped kid after my fight with Sero. The security footage will tell us if that was him.” Todoroki says.

Aizawa only pauses for a moment before getting up to head to the security room. "How do you know they were kidnapped?" 

"I knew the kid," Katsuki explains as the two of them follow their teacher. "My family were the ones to file a report."

“Bakugo’s talked about him before to the rest of our class.” Todoroki says, his fists clenched again. “I thought something was odd when I saw him, but I didn’t connect everything until after our fight.”

"Alright, be weird he was here but we can check. What's the kid's name?" Aizawa asks. 

"Midoriya Izuku, I call him Deku." Bakugo says. Aizawa pauses and turns to look at Katsuki. 

"...the Yakuza case?"

Todoroki looks between them, confused. “…the Yakuza case..?”

"How do you know about Deku's case?" Katsuki asks, ignoring Todoroki’s confusion. 

"I was brought onto it because of his quirk status and found out who took him by the description of his kidnapper." Aizawa sighs and goes to rub his face but the arm casts stop him. He grunts and lowers his arms to get back to walking. "If he was here, it's likely he wasn't alone, and was sent to analyze the students. 

They can hear Aizawa grumble under his breath, “Knew having this damn festival was a bad idea, we just got attacked." 

Todoroki is silent for a moment. “…If that was him, It would make sense why he didn’t seem intimidated by my father.” 

"Considering what the leader of their group can do, fire is the least of that kid's worries with quirks." 

When Aizawa says that, They reach the security door. Though they are now a little stuck with Aizawa unable to use his teacher's badge or grab the handle. The man lets out a long, suffering sigh and tries anyways to grab the badge attached to his hip pouch. 

"Here, I got it." Katsuki takes the badge and scans it, holding the door for him. "What do you mean about the leader guy's quirk? Is it that powerful?"

“Villain group leaders often do have the strongest. They use dangerous quirks to scare or torture people into doing what they want.” Todoroki explains bluntly, likely having more inside knowledge of this because of his father being the number two hero. “And that’s only thinking about the leader's quirk. A big group like a Yakuza would have ranks, and the higher the rank the more likely they’ll have just as powerful quirks.” 

"So we just hope it wasn't a high rank with Deku?" Katsuki asks. He watches Aizawa sit at a monitor and glare at the keyboard and mouse and then his casts. Who let him go anywhere alone? Wasn't Mic-sensei with him?

“Members of whatever rank the guy watching Midoriya is, are likely going to be the ones that monitor him consistently. If it's not a higher rank, he wouldn’t be in any immediate danger.” Todoroki helps Aizawa with the keyboard and mouse. 

"Pull up the hall and the time you saw him, Todoroki." Aizawa instructs. Todoroki does as told as their teacher continues. "Lower members could also mean a better chance of rescuing him."

Staring at the screens rewinding with such focus, Katsuki asks, "What if it's a higher one?"

"Then we'd need a better plan." Aizawa says roughly.

Todoroki stops the rewind when the video shows him and his father in a very... tense looking discussion. Soon, the mystery kid appears, but the camera doesn’t have a clear shot of them, Endeavor covering him for the most part until the hero stomps away. With the footage recording directly facing the two of them, it's easy here to see the mystery kid's face. Soon, the hat falls off as well, and Todoroki pauses it for Katsuki to see if he can identify him.

Katsuki’s heart aches. "Deku ..." he gasps in shock at actually seeing him. Over ten months, and he’s finally shown a real, physical sign that Deku is alive, instead of overthinking the smallest of unrelated things in his head. "His hair is longer, but that's him!"

"So I was right..." Todoroki plays the footage again, fast forwarded slightly. "If we follow where he goes, we can see if there's anyone with him."

After switching between a few different camera shots, they end up at one of the recordings in the high seat sections. Todoroki slows the footage down again when Deku takes his seat and almost immediately starts writing in a notebook. Todoroki zooms in on the Deku and the few surrounding seats around him.

"Who's that lame looking extra with him?" Katsuki asks, squinting at the screen. 

When Aizawa doesn't reply, he looks over. "Sensei?" 

The hero’s expression doesn’t at all bode confidence, and a wave of dread quickly washes over him. Aizawa is staring at the screen with wide, worried eyes. "It's worse than we thought..."

"Sensei, who's with him?" There's a new sense of urgency in Todoroki’s voice. It seems Katsuki is hearing a lot of things he hasn’t heard from Todoroki before. It also seems neither want to be the one to guess, worst case scenarios appearing in their heads as they look at the generic man sitting next to a kidnapped boy.

"That is the leader of the Shie Hassaikai himself, Overhaul." Aizawa says, voice full of stress and exhaustion at the same time. "He can destroy and put things back together with a touch, that's why he wears gloves."

Katsuki grits his teeth. "And that bastard is just sitting there, reading a book like he doesn't care about the heroes everywhere." he growls, watching Overhaul hit Deku on the head with the book when he says something.

Not long after, Overhaul puts the book down while, they can assume, he is talking to Deku, the poor kid getting nervous quickly. He fidgets with his hands, and refuses to sit still.

Just like how Katsuki remembered him like in Middle School.

"He didn't look like that once when speaking to me and my father..." Todoroki says. The kid they watched who fearlessly stared down his father, even while the man got more visibly aggressive and actively approached him, looked like a nervous wreck from whatever Overhaul was saying to him.

Overhaul glares at Izuku, and his eyebrows furrow. "Overhaul looks angry about something..." Katsuki says.

"Midoriya did just talk to Endeavor." Aizawa points out.

The anger eventually goes away from Overhaul, and Deku visibly relaxes as well. Whatever they’re talking about lasts for a little longer, not nearly as tense, before Deku’s attention is taken by the festival…

And immediately, Deku seems more distraught than before. The kid puts on headphones and willingly hugs Overhaul's side? 

The three of them are silent for a moment.

“What the hell..?” Aizawa squints at the screen.

"...my fight." Katsuki says, grimacing as he looks at Deku. "He's scared of me."

Katsuki’s words are unfortunately proven true as the footage plays on. Deku flinches every so often and hides more and more against the dangerous villain, clinging to his kidnappers' side. Overhaul plays into it, an arm around the kid and at one point taking off his hat to be able to pet his hair. 

If they didn’t know any better, it would just seem like he’s trying to comfort a scared kid.

But they do know better, and they know that's not what happened. Deku was clinging onto a man that was holding him just as close.

The same man that kidnapped him.

Katsuki shudders. "This is creepy to watch."

"It's how manipulators keep people." Aizawa says, analyzing the recording as he speaks. His expression is cold, more than normal. "They comfort their victims when faced with something they fear, but they also are the person to put them in that situation in the first place. He brought Midoriya here to analyze, and there is no way he wouldn't know Bakugo would be part of it or a student, not with how reporters talked about USJ."

Luckily, the disturbing scene is over, and Izuku takes the headphones off. Not long after, Izuku is collecting his trash and other items. Did they leave early? 

Maybe that, in a small way, is a good thing. Izuku looks incredibly uncomfortable and even more tired than when he spoke to Todoroki.

Before they leave, Overhaul looks right at the camera for a few seconds. The villain places an ungloved hand on Izuku’s green hat, turning it red before continuing their way out. 

"Did that bastard just threaten us!?" Katsuki snarls. 

"He certainly made it known he doesn't care if we know it's him." Aizawa sighs and closes his eyes. "That hat trick was just a show, he can do that to a person as many times as he wants."

Todoroki’s expression stays blank as he messes with the footage again, this time rewinding. “There’s more we should look at.” He starts at the beginning, when people are just starting to seat themselves. 

The footage is then fast-forwarded slightly, but he has his hands over the pause button so if anything important happens, they can get a closer look. 

Todoroki almost misses it, but quickly goes back and pauses the footage when he sees Overhaul holding Deku’s chin, forcing the kid to look at him. 

“His… gloves are on, but...” Todoroki trails off, the unsettling scene clearly affecting Todoroki too. 

"Fuck!" Katsuki huffs and his hands spark from his sweat. It hurts his still injured wrist, but he couldn't care less.

"He's got the kid completely under his control..." Aizawa glares at the screen. "But why didn't he try to run when he left for the bathroom? Does Overhaul have something keeping him from leaving?" 

“There could be something keeping him there, a fear of repercussions that’s so big he wouldn’t risk it.” Todoroki theorizes. 

He plays the recordings again, luckily nothing new popping up until half-time. Izuku comes back, but ironically enough, with two kids in UA uniforms. They don’t stay long. 

“Wait, look.” Todoroki points at a place on the screen. In Izuku’s hands was a children’s toy, along with two keychains. They look like the ones for class 1-A.

"That doesn't look like something the nerd would get for himself." Katsuki says, leaning close to the screen to see better. "He hasn't had a toy like that since he was like, 5 or something and that looks like something you get a girl..."

“Possibly why he won’t leave.” Todoroki points out.

Katsuki nods when he notices who the keychains are. One is Mina in her pink glory and the other...

"That's me." Katsuki says quietly, looking at the keychain. 

"It is?" Todoroki squints to see better. "Why would he get your merch if he is scared of you?" 

"...because we made a promise as little kids, before quirks came in." Katsuki says, voice heartbreakingly quiet. "We promised to be the first person to buy each other's merch when we became a pro duo."

"..." Todoroki pats his arm in an awkward attempt to comfort him before continuing the video. 

He slows it down a bit more when Izuku hands Overhaul a water bottle, something is said, and in moments, Deku is curled up and facing in the opposite direction. Overhaul touches the hat with an ungloved hand, and it turns from red to green, which causes Deku to nervously peek over at him. 

"What was that for?" Katsuki asks. 

"A reminder." Aizawa says. "The two kids that helped him get back are the top students at the school and licensed to use their quirks. The blond one is actually on the Yakuza case for Trigger."

“And then after that he spoke to me and my father…” Todoroki looks guilty again. Katsuki doesn’t blame him, he couldn’t have really known, but he isn’t in any condition to try and express that right now.

Deku, understandably, seems to be in a constant state of discomfort around Overhaul. Though Overhaul doesn’t seem angry, and not long after, he grabs Deku’s shoulder and pulls the kid against him.

"I'm going to blast his arms off if he keeps touching Deku." Bakugo growls.

"It's a silent threat. Too many people around to talk freely, but if he knows Overhaul's quirk, it would still get the job done." Aizawa says. “There's no way he wouldn’t know by now.”

The fast-forwarded recording continues until Todoroki's fight with Sero, where he made that over-the-top ice pillar. Soon after, Deku leaves for the bathroom.

"That's... everything. I met him not long after this." Todoroki says.

"I don't like how interested he looked during the fights with Shinso." Aizawa says. "It was the few times he actually watched the rounds."

"Eyebags?" Katsuki asks. "Nah, kid won't go villain. He's got something to prove, but that won't mean much if they already just kidnap kids. We only know of Deku but if that toy is for a little girl, it might mean more."

Todoroki looks down at his hands, and after a few moments of silence, he quietly says, "He was right here…” Todoroki slowly looks up at the screen, the video of a lone Overhaul casually reading a book is all that's there. “He spoke to multiple heroes, hero students, people who were even connected to the case. No one noticed."

Aizawa spares Todoroki a sympathetic glance. "Most people don't know what he looks like without the bird mask he wears. He's so plain otherwise that he gets easily overlooked." He sighs. "I'll need to bring the two students that spoke with them in, see what they said to each other."

Todoroki nods. “There’s a chance they’ll have helpful information.”

He glances next to him to see Katsuki, growling quietly as he glares at Overhaul on the screen, his hands in tight fists to keep from sparking more as burnt caramel wafts from him. Todoroki silently looks at Katsuki for a moment, then back to Overhaul. 

"Midoriya is being allowed to go out. He's monitored, but the more often he's out in public, the more likely he'll be able to be rescued." Todoroki says. "This also shows he's alive."

"Yeah..." Katsuki sighs, trying to relax himself. "I'm worried about something else now too."

"Something else?" Todoroki tilts his head.

"If they brought him out to analyze us, does that mean they take him out to see the heroes they kill?" Katsuki asks. "Are they making him see and know they're next?"

"Oh..." Todoroki frowns slightly. "I'm guessing he wouldn't take that very well..." But really, who would? 

"No, he wouldn’t. Deku loves heroes. Knowing is bad enough but seeing them..." Bakugo shakes his head. 

"We don't know that yet." Aizawa cuts in quickly. "Let's not work ourselves up about 'what ifs'. Todoroki, could you grab a USB from that cabinet over there and save a copy of the recording to it? I need to get this to Nedzu and the detective on the case."

"Okay." Todoroki gets up to do just that, opening the cabinet to take one of the many USB drives.

"You two are going to have to come with me to give statements... and open doors for me." Aizawa says. "Call your families and let them know you'll be late getting home." The two nod in unison.

Bakugo takes a moment to continue staring at the video. He pauses it when Deku just gets back in his seat, a tired smile on his face. He looks different, yet the same. His chest aches with an overwhelming want to talk to him again, to find a way for him- for the heroes, to save him. To do everything he can to bring him back to safety.

He wants to meet Izuku Midoriya again.

Chapter Text

The Shinso household is a surprisingly loud one for how tired half the people in it look. Despite most having mental quirks and the father not needing sleep because of his, the younger kids of the house are as energetic as their mother and always running around. Hitoshi, sadly, is often in charge of the younger kids when not at school due to his parents' busy jobs, which means he has to wake up early, even on his days off. 

Practically torture, if it wasn’t for how much he loved those little idiots.

Which is what led to today. His parents asked him to go to the store to get a few things for his siblings. It was a smaller list, even with his siblings asking for certain things they wanted once they realized he was going out. His father had given him some extra yen for whatever coffee he wanted from the cafe near the store. It’s a steep price to pay for coffee, but at least it makes getting up and existing around people worth it.

The ‘ Children’s Supplies ’ isles were mostly empty when he got there, only a few parents looking for specific things. This spares Hitoshi from accidentally bumping into anyone or their children wandering near him, which in turn means he won't have to conduct any sort of awkward small talk to get what he needs.

Though, there is one other person that stands out among the obvious parents. They’re shorter than Hitoshi, seeming confused and maybe even overwhelmed at the sheer amount of different yet similar items. They keep picking things up, then another, comparing the two, and then awkwardly putting them down to continue this cycle for the next few items. For a moment, Hitoshi thinks they might be a short adult, like a grandparent or something, but is surprised when they turn to look at something and see a kid about his age in a red cat ear hat. 

Ah, an older sibling like him, and judging from how confused about everything he is, relatively new to being one too. His eyebrows are furrowed in frustration, staring at two very similar items. In fact, they might just be different designs of the same thing.

Now, Hitoshi could just get his things and leave the kid to flounder but...

"You look like you need help." Hitoshi says suddenly, glancing at him so they know he’s talking to them.

When the kids' green eyes meet his, his expression brightens instantly. The next moment, he looks Hitoshi up and down, almost like he's examining him. Odd reaction, but some people are a bit odd anyways.

"A little bit?" The kid says sheepishly. "I... genuinely have no clue what I'm looking at." He gestures to all the different items in front of them. 

"Looks like kids learning tools." Hitoshi teases before showing letter tracing paper in his hands. "Got younger siblings to shop for, guessing you have the same."

“Yeah, a little sister." The kid huffs in amusement. "She’s a handful, but I suppose that I love her enough to help her education flourish.”

"I would hope so." Hitsoshi chuckles. "Takes a lot to brave a shop and its people. You still look lost, tell me what you need." 

They look back over at the wall of educational things, look all of them over for a moment, and then frown.

“I… don’t know. I mean, I searched for what a six year old would need so I know in theory, but…” He grimaces. “There’s just so many options .”

"Lucky for you, most of the options are just about how they look and what gets a little kid to pay attention." Hitoshi hums and waves the kid over to a little farther on the wall of items. "Here, these cover most things a six year old needs. You just need to find the same type on the wall and pick a theme, not every little girl like princesses."

The kid hums and looks through the different items. He smiles fondly as he picks a few, most of them some sort of bird theme. The kid nods to himself as he puts the items in the empty shopping basket he’s been carrying around. “Eri likes birds. Birds and flowers.” The kid says happily.

"Eri is a pretty nice name, love to hear yours too." Hitoshi raises a brow at the green kid.

The kid looks at him again, but this time with the same ‘examining’ look in his eyes. “…Why do you do that?”

Hitoshi tilts his head but doesn't vocalize his question.

“ That . You keep avoiding asking questions and dance around your wording.” The kid points out. Ah, caught already it seems.

Hitoshi looks away with a huff. "...It's quirk related."

“Is your quirk dangerous or going to hurt me if it’s used?” He asks bluntly. 

"No." Hitoshi admits as he looks back at him. "But it could if I wanted it to."

“Then don’t worry about it.” The kid shrugs, as if not bothered at all “You can call me Izu, and you can ask your questions all you want.” 

"Hmm, suspicious." Hitoshi shrugs. "But whatever. I'm Shinso."

“Rude." Izu huffs. "I think I’m the exact opposite of suspicious, thank you.”

"True. You're more like..." Hitoshi looks Izu up and down with a squint. He's tiny with a green sweatshirt, big also green eyes, kinda cute... a kitten? No , no, calling people 'kitten' feels romantic or something. What else is small and cute?

"...A bunny." Also called kittens as babies.

"Pffft-!" Izu slaps a hand to his mouth to muffle hysterical giggles. “W-why does everyone say that?” He asks between laughs.

"Maybe it's just fate at this point." Hitoshi shrugs again, smiling lightly at his laughing. "If everyone thinks it then it must be true by now."

“Awwwh, is this really my fate now?” Izu still has a grin on his face, despite his fake disappointed tone. “I’ve been assigned as a bunny by family, friends, and now strangers that help me find kids' stuff. I can’t escape.”

"Nope." Hitoshi shakes his head. "My condolences."

“Your condolences aren’t appreciated or accepted when you also influenced this.” Izu pouts.

Hitoshi raises his eyebrows. "I don't think you can refuse condolences?" 

“Maybe you can’t, but I can.” Izu smiles and points his thumb at himself. “I’m special like that. What are you gonna do? Give me more condolences? I’m already not accepting them.”

"Damn. I honestly have to find a comeback for such an event, I've been out sassed." Hitoshi admits.

“Hell yeah," Izu giggles again. "I can’t wait to tell Eri about my newest and greatest accomplishment today.”

"You're an interesting kid, Izu." Hitoshi huffs amused.

“Is that a compliment or an insult? Either way, I’m proud of myself.” Izu puffs up proudly.

"Hmm, yeah, you seem like a guy that would be proud of that." Hitoshi jokes. "Anyway, need anything else for your sister you're lost on?"

“Oh!” It seems Izu remembers why he’s here at all, looking over everything and putting a few more things in his basket before nodding to himself. “Right, this should be a good start at least.”

"You have no idea how fast little kids grow." Hitoshi snorts. "What are you all here for? This was my only things so I'm free to help you out."

Izu takes out a list in his pocket. “She needs more shoes, arts and crafts, and snacks as well.” He huffs. “Dad has no idea what children like, so it’s my turn to attempt to find out.”

"Single dad?" Hitoshi asks as he plucks the list up to read it.

“Yeah. It was a... sudden thing, and anyone else that could be considered family also has no clue what a little girl could want or need.” Izu sighs.

"Wow, you need more help than I thought." Hitoshi shakes his head. "I have two little sisters, twins, so I have experience in that department. Just need to know her personality first."

“Her personality...” Izu hums. “Well, she’s really shy, more than most kids her age I think. She’s the exact opposite of clumsy, she’s really precise with the things she does. Like I said, she likes birds and flowers. She’s really emotional too, I don’t mean that in a bad way though. Oh! And child-sized crimes, like stealing desserts and stuff.” He explains with an apparent fondness in his eyes.

"Six and already in the crime business before she can read? Damn, hate to see your rap sheet." Hitoshi chuckles. "But I can work with the rest at least, maybe find at least one child crime related shirt."

“She’d love that." Izu snickers. "She’s the sneakiest little cookie thief.”

"Like that blue muppet thing?" Hitoshi nods for Izuku to follow as he walks. Izu quickly follows.

“I guess? But more sneaky and cute.”

"Not a Muppet then, none of those are cute." Hitoshi looks at the list and heads to where he knows the girl clothing section is. 

“…maybe if you look at them from the right angle they’re not ugly… but I still wouldn’t call my sister a muppet .” Izu chuckles.

"But a tiny criminal is fine? Does that make you a slightly less tiny criminal? She had to get it from somewhere." Hitoshi points out.

“She partially gets her rule-breaking attitude from me. I have to encourage her hobbies.” Izu pouts again. Hitoshi can’t help but think he looks cute like that. “…and why does everyone call me short as well?”

"Have you considered that you are like, chin rest height?" Hitoshi asks. "I could just stand behind you and fall asleep standing up using you as a pillow."

“No matter how tall I get, I’m always going to be short to everyone else.” Izu huffs in frustration. 

"A sad fate." Hitoshi pats his head in 'sympathy'.

Izu grumbles. "It's fine, I'll just beat you up next time you make a short joke." 

"How?" Hitoshi smirks. "You're all the way down there."

"The moment we step outside this store it's on." Izu glares at Hitoshi with a playful grin. "Enjoy your last few moments of pride, cause me beating you will break it."

"Ah, but there lies your first mistake." Hitoshi points out smugly. "Now I have free reign in the store to say things, my death is outside."

“The more you speak, the harder I’m going to punch you.”

"I accept this outcome."

Izu pouts and starts walking faster than Hitoshi as they arrive at the girls clothing section. “I’m abandoning you until I get to beat you up.” 

"But how will you know what to get without me?" Hitoshi chuckles and barely has to speed up to stay by him.

“I’ll figure it out! I don’t need you, I’m smart enough to figure this stuff out on my own.” Izu argues.

"With the list you don't have?" Hitoshi waves the list in his hand.

"Yup." Izu grins and raises his head as he taps his forehead. "It's all up here." 

Izu huffs as his beanie falls off his head and lands on the floor, a puff full of green curls now visible. How did the hat cover all that!? 

"A smart guy, huh?" Hitoshi crosses his arms, watching as Izu snatches the hat back. "Still don't know where to look or what works best, the reason I'm here."

"Give me five hours, I'd figure it out and be a master at this." Izu huffs.

"That's five hours away from your sister." Hitoshi points out. "Accept the short jokes and my help or be away for a long time."

"...Ughhhhh." Izu grumbles. "Fiiine. But only because your help is necessary for me to get back at a reasonable time." 

"Victory for me." Hitoshi smirks and ruffles Izu's hair.

"Hey!" Izu glares at Hitoshi and playfully swats his hand away. “You're going to ruin the bush more than it already is.”

"Nah, looks fine to me." Hitoshi shrugs. He knows nothing about curly hair or how to style it, Izu's hair looks fine?

“It’s a mess.” Izu frowns as he plays with a curl. “I’ve been neglecting it, I haven’t even had a haircut in an entire year… ”

Izu hums as he seems to think about something, mumbling his thoughts out loud. Hitoshi can’t fully hear what he’s saying, but he can make out the words “too green” and “hair dye”, so there’s that.

"Thinking of a new look?" Hitoshi tilts his head.

Izu glances at him with slight surprise before half-heartedly shrugging. “Oh, uh, not sure yet. But I mean… I wouldn’t be a proper rebellious teenager If I didn’t change up my look at least once.”

"True, true." Hitoshi nods. "Might I offer lavender? It's such a refined and elegant color, only the coolest get it."

“Pfft-“ Izu giggles. “No way, I’m not going to be a copy-cat. I need to think of something original.”

"Damn, thought I had you there for a second." Hitoshi sighs 'sadly'.

Izu looks over to the clothes and looks at a shirt that has a snake with red eyes on it. “…Maybe white hair, like my dad.” Izu tilts his head. “Shinso, do you think white hair would look good?”

"Hmm... You'd be more of a cloud than a bush, but I think you can pull it off. Would you look too different from your sister?" Hitoshi asks. "Sometimes little kids get really confused about changes like that, my dad shaved once and the twins cried because there was a 'stranger' in the house."

“Actually, no!" Izu smiles as he goes through the different racks of clothes. "Eri has silver-white hair, so if anything I’d resemble her more.” He says happily. “I think she’d like it, she already loves it when we match outfits and stuff.” 

"Aww, that's adorable." Hitoshi coos. "My sisters never want to look like me."

“I don’t want to brag, but…” Izu grins confidently. “I’m her favorite person ever.” 

"This feels like a rigged vote but I will be jealous anyways." Hitoshi bows slightly at his accomplishments.

“It’s nice to see someone admit defeat.” Izu pats Hitoshi’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, you’ll be on my level one day.”

"Have to give up some height to do that."

Izu, once again, deadpans and decides to speed walk away. Hitoshi just laughs and follows after. 

–

Getting the items Izuku needed wasn’t that difficult thanks to Shinso. He thanked him profusely, and even ended up being given the other teens number. He hesitated, but ended up accepting it anyway. He was nice to hang out with, even if he was a bastard tall person. Shinso seemed happy too. He wonders if this makes them friends.

On the walk back to the compound, he finds himself mostly staring at the new contact on the new phone he was given by Overhaul, his mood souring. He knows he should be happy, and partially he is! He hasn’t spoken to someone his age, let alone made a friend , in quite a long time. However, there is also the underlying fear of how Shinso’s life will be affected by befriending a Yakuza member, let alone a high ranked one like Izuku.

And that's not even touching on the fact that Overhaul had brought him up specifically during the sports festival. He hadn’t actually considered befriending him, he wasn’t going to seek out or stalk some kid. But of course, fate has other ideas. 

For now, he decides to not mention his new friendship with the brainwashing boy to any of the Yakuza. He even goes so far as to write a discrete name in his phone contacts for him. Well, maybe Eri can know, she’s been confused why he doesn’t have friends like the heroes in books do, and is good at keeping a secret.

It’s selfish, but he’d like to have a friend.. as long as Shinso doesn’t find out about his identity, or Overhaul doesn’t find out, everything should be fine and stay as peaceful as it has been.

Chapter Text

Of course, all things have to go back to normal eventually. After deciding he’s researched the heroes new active defenses against Night Rabbit enough, it was finally time for him to go back to his regular missions.

He’s given a list of heroes to go after and then gets free reign to research and analyze to his heart's content. Oddly enough, Izuku finds this to be a good thing. Ever since he started getting into the habit of going out and analyzing heroes, he finds himself getting restless if he doesnt after too long. Training helps, but being out in the world, avoiding heroes, running around, and fighting those who attempt to capture him is much more helpful.

It's not every time he goes on a mission he finds the hero he's looking for, especially once heroes started taking him more seriously. Today is one of these days. He's run into many other heroes, but none are his target of the day.

His mission is in Huso today, a small-time hero/sidekick to Endeavor's agency has been taking bribes from the Yakuza and got cocky about how much he wants for his silence. It happens from time to time and are usually the easiest recon missions to do, more of him just enjoying some quirk analysis the news stations never show because of how low rank they are. 

Only this hero is slippery and hard to find! All the heroes around in Huso today also make it hard to find them. Avoiding the normal amount of heroes is difficult enough. Why are they all here again?

Running through the alleys of Hosu, Night Rabbit huffs in frustration as he keeps coming up empty. 

Then he hears screaming. 

A lot of screaming.

Rabbit perks up. Even if the hero isn’t there, he can’t help but be curious as to what's causing all the commotion. He follows the sound of screams to find… 

Utter chaos. 

It’s not at all like his controlled chaos. Destroyed buildings, creatures that look like monsters in Eri’s storybooks (Nomu, that's what they’re called, right?), and even a useful amount of fire everywhere thanks to that one ‘hero’, Endeavor. At least the fire allows him to see. 

The Nomu are tearing up the town and attacking anyone or thing that moves around them. They are pretty big and intimidating, even more so if he remembers what Overhaul said about them having multiple quirks, but the big and obvious weakness of an exposed brain lessens any of the fear that Rabbit could possibly feel from it. They’re disgusting monsters, but they shouldn’t be that difficult to deal with.

Just in case, Rabbit pulls out one of the knives he has in his bag. He would rather not stay, too many people getting injured, and the likelihood of getting ambushed by a group of heroes would be too high, even while they’re distracted. Plus, he still hasn’t found his target. He keeps a firm grasp on his knife as he grabs his bag and goes to leave.

Hidden under the sounds of fights and screaming, large flapping wings go unnoticed.

Rabbit yelps as he feels himself lifted off the ground, again, but realizes quickly it's not the bird hero this time. The sharp, stabbing pain in his waist helps reinforce that realization. A winged Nomu screeches above him, their sharp talons digging into his sides as he is carried off. Yet, its flying patterns aren’t random, like the other Nomu’s tend to move around, and the creature isn’t hurting him more past the initial grab. It seems to have a destination in mind, like it was sent specifically to find and catch him.

Rabbit hisses in pain and grips his knife and bag tighter. The Nomu is fast, judging from how high and far they are from where he just was already, and judging by the pain in his sides, strong. They’re getting far too high up for his liking.

Realizing it's now or never, Rabbit stabs the knife into the Nomu's leg, hoping that will be enough to deter it. It’s giant compared to him, so from this position he wouldn’t have a chance actually stabbing the obvious weak point.

The Nomu screeches in pain and its talons release on reflex, dropping Rabbit. 

Injured, and way too many stories high in the air, he begins to fall, the ground rapidly approaching with not many options to stop him from breaking every bone he has and dying.

Any buildings are too far away to use a similar trick he did with Hawks, so without much time to react or any other options, Rabbit takes his bag in both hands and puts it below him to cushion his fall.

The good news is that the bag works for the first balcony he hits!

But, Rabbit ends up bouncing off it and hits several more on the way down. Broken rocks and railings fall with him as he finally crashes into a dumpster hard enough to crush it. 

The alleyway is deathly silent as he lays there, debris littering the ground around him and his sides bleeding heavily. 

Rabbit squeezes his eyes shut for a good few seconds and tries to keep from throwing up in his mask, his jaw clenched and hands balled up into fists. His body aches all over, he can feel his outfit getting stained from his blood, and trying to move even a little bit causes an intense, deep and sharp pain in his ribs, making him pretty sure he’s broken something.

He’s gotten injured before during his training, some injuries worse than this, but this is probably the most life threatening, real world injury he’s gotten over the course of the last 11 months. At least he knew he wouldn’t die during training with the Yakuza. 

It’s fine. He just has to get back to Overhaul and everything will be fine. 

He can’t hold back the groans of pain as he tries to move. “Ow- shit ..” Pretty much all of his body hurts as he sits up. He first fixes his hood and mask to cover his face fully, at least able to note that the voice changer is still working. Rabbit opens his eyes and does his best to not be tempted into looking at his injuries. 

"Uh... You good over there?" Calls an irritated, adult male voice.

Oh yay, someone is in the one ally Night Rabbit was dropped in. Great. Fantastic.

"Eh, I'll survive." Rabbit gets off the dumpster, luckily not feeling the effects of the blood loss just yet. He can deal with that once he isn’t in public. Right now, his main issue is just a horrible amount of pain. It would be an issue if he showed any sign of weakness in public. He glances over at where he had heard the voice to examine the situation.

The 'situation' is the Hero Killer Stain standing over a UA student on the ground... oh, and Pro-Hero Native slumped on the wall. Both of which are alive, but by the looks of it, seconds away from being slain.

Man, busy alley tonight.

Rabbit stares at the scene in front of him silently for a moment, just as shocked as the rest of them. He doesn't know if he should be worried or not. What do villains who do similar things do when they run into each other!? Is it a 'there can only be one' situation where they fight to the death or is it a solidarity head nod??? 

"...well, I certainly didn't mean to interrupt your work." Is the best thing Rabbit thought to say to break the tense silence.

"I doubt you had the choice of alleys to crash into." Stain says. He turns to look at him and tilts his head with a squint. "Why did you fall in the first place?"

“I was grabbed by one of those flying, thoughtless Nomu things that the League let out.” Rabbit sighs. “Surprisingly, I don’t often fall from the air as a hobby.”

"Didn't you fall with that Commission pet a month ago?"

“I don’t think that one time counts as a hobby-“ Almost too late, Rabbit notices something falling directly at him and jumps back into the wall to avoid being attacked. Ow, but he can deal with the pain later. 

“It really is after me.” Rabbit tilts his head at the agitated winged Nomu. His knife is still deep in the monster's leg. Its focus is fully on him, making him wonder why the league is after him in the first place.

"Blasted creature." Stain throws a knife at the Nomu to get it to back off. "What'd you do to get the League after you, Rabbit?" 

“No clue.” Rabbit grumbles as he searches through his bag for a suitable weapon, the Nomu slower now that it’s also bleeding out. “I overshadowed them once, but does that really call for such hostility?”

Rabbit takes silent note of the two others paralyzed in the alley that look at each other in a mix of distress and fear. Neither seem pleased that they are unable to move while two Hero Killers casually chat and dance around a Nomu. 

"I stabbed the leader in the arm and paralyzed his... butler? Bartender?" Stain shrugs, using a knife to parry the Nomu claws. "Whatever he was, doesn't matter. Wanted me to join to kill All Might, a true hero. I said no." 

Rabbit rolls his eyes at the mention of All Might while Stain takes his bigger knife and lunges at the Nomu, cutting a wing, but no blood comes from the thin membrane. Stain 'tsk's and backs off.

“Getting the wings stops it from being able to escape at least.” Rabbit decides that he’ll just have to get his hands dirty, and while once again holding back the reactions of pain, slams the Nomu against the walls of the alley to force it to the ground. He keeps it still with his foot against its chest and stabs into its exposed brain with his claw-gloves. 

Huh, the brain is a lot tougher than he thought, he had to put a significant amount of force to actually do damage to its brain. Still, it wasn’t that hard. This is what the heroes were having so much trouble defeating? Yeah, it takes a few stabs but not a real fight.

“These things are already half dead, might as well finish the job.” Rabbit says. Once the Nomu stops moving, he gets off of it and sighs. “But yeah, the League seems like a nutcase. Probably best to not get involved.” 

"Too late for you." Stain says, collecting his thrown knife and inspecting it. "He has the picture of your witness drawing and some blurry photos from the news in his bar."

“Oh great.” Rabbit huffs. “I haven’t even met them in person and I’m already on their hit-list.”

"Or obsession list." Stain grimaces, a weird look for a guy without a nose. "That Shigaraki guy sounded way too excited to meet you."

“Gross.” Rabbit deadpans. He should make sure to tell this to Overhaul once he’s no longer bleeding out. 

Oh yeah, he should fix that.

Rabbit sighs. He should really be leaving soon if he doesn’t want to pass out on his way back. “Can’t a guy do his job in peace? Avoiding the public eye is hard enough, I don’t need flying science projects after me too.” 

"Agreed." Stain takes a knife with likely fresh blood on it and licks it (gross), then waves it back at the two on the ground. "Trying to cull a false hero and a child tries to fight me. Shameful how the younger generation acts."

Rabbit tilts his head as he looks at the two. “Oh, I recognize that kid. He did impressively well in the Sports Festival, but trying to kill a known Hero Killer on his own..?” He sighs at the child staring at him with wide, fearful eyes. “Not a smart move.”

"Didn't even stop to help that one." Stain points a blade at Native. "Don't even need to ask why he is a false hero. Racist stereotype."

“Because it’s fun to dress up as a minority, apparently.” Rabbit huffs in annoyance as he rips his knife from the Nomu's leg before looking between Stain and Iida, if he remembers the kid's name correctly. “You said you were going to cull both of them though. What did the kid do that was so bad?”

"Ignored a fallen hero out of revenge and let hate cloud his judgment enough to try to kill me." Stain huffs.

“…is that enough to warrant death?” Rabbit asks, more out of genuine curiosity than anything. He’s never gotten to hear what the villains outside of the Yakuza think, he’s curious of others morals. “Children have plenty of time to grow and learn. They can’t do that if they're dead.” 

Iida, although looking incredibly frustrated and glaring at him, seems to be keeping his mouth shut. Whether it's because Rabbit took out one of those things that almost killed his teacher like it was nothing , or because he’s defending him is hard to tell.

"Perhaps." Stain shrugs. "But his words and actions say he was willing to fight to the death, that is what I am giving him."

…should Rabbit be doing this while injured?

No. No he really shouldn’t. He shouldn’t be doing much to risk getting on anyone’s bad side right now.

But he approaches them anyway, getting closer to the hero and student. “Hm, such a shame. He barely got a fight because of your quirk. Very interesting, by the way. I would love to learn more sometime.” 

"That would ruin the element of surprise, Rabbit." Stain says. 

Rabbit ignores the villain behind him for a moment, and instead crouches down to examine the injured student. Iida flinches at Rabbit suddenly being so close. He grabs the helmet on the ground next to him and places it back on the hero student's head before focusing on what he was looking for.

Rabbit pokes a small, hidden button on the child’s helmet. “Boop.” 

Stain tilts his head, hearing the sound Rabbit made. "What are you doing over there?"

“I’m analyzing of course, that's my job.” Rabbit smirks. “If you wont tell me about your quirk, I’ll just figure it out myself.”

A sudden wave cold washes over him as his body aches worse, his likely broken rib only getting more painful. That's not good.

“I can’t figure out the trick to your quirk if I don’t.” He forces himself to say.

"Yeah, that's the point. Get away from my kills, go get your own." Stain huffs and grabs the back of Rabbit's suit to lift him, surprisingly easily, and holds him aside. No longer crouching down at least helps the pain in his ribs. "...why do you weigh so little?"

“I’m like, 5’3 or something, I don’t think I’m supposed to weigh much more?” Rabbit tilts his head.

"You barely weigh anything , it's holding a bag of grapes." Stain holds Rabbit out like a cat. Not feeling any danger, he just kinda dangles there instead of trying to escape. "Are they not feeding you? The people you work for."

“I think I’d get fought by about three different people if I didn’t eat.” Rabbit shrugs. He’s not fully wrong though, but he can’t exactly blame that on the Yakuza. He just doesn’t eat often. 

"This a quirk side-effect?" Stain asks, wiggling Rabbit slightly.

“From what quirk?” Rabbit giggles. Oh? Blood Loss makes him giggly it seems.

"You actually are quirkless?" Stain blinks in surprise. "Makes your work all that more impressive."

“Heroes rely too much on their quirks, hoping their strengths will outweigh their weaknesses, to the point that they leave those out in the open.” Rabbit says with a grin. “Without a quirk, I have no drawbacks to worry about and can use theirs to my advantage.”

"How wise and resourceful of you." Stain nods. "But, I am in the middle of something so we will have to talk skills and techniques later. Time limits and all."

Rabbit can faintly hear footsteps, multiple, approaching. Good, he doesn't care about the hero, but even as the Night Rabbit, he wouldn't be able to leave in good conscience knowing a child was killed. This also saves him the trouble of having to actually defend the child himself. 

"Actually, now might be a bad time in general." Rabbit lulls his head to his shoulder to look towards the exit of the alleyway, where multiple heroes are rapidly approaching.

"Iida!" Yells a hero, it sounds like Manual. "Iida, where are you!" 

"Heroes." Stain growls. "We're leaving."

Rabbit blinks at his wording but decides to shrug it off for now. Going with Stain sounds like a slightly better idea than trying to run off on his own with the amount of blood he’s lost.  

“Good idea, at this rate there will be too many to fight off.” Rabbit shrugs the best he can while being held up.

Stain huffs and tosses Rabbit on his shoulder like a sack of potatoes before running at the alley wall and jumping up. The heroes just enter the alley as he climbs and Manual (he guessed that voice right) yells out for Iida. 

Rabbit watches as one of the heroes calls out in alarm upon sighting them. Manual stays back while a couple others give chase. Before Rabbit can try to reach for something in his belt, Stain carelessly tosses a flash bang behind his back, giving Rabbit only a second to close and cover his eyes from the light. His ears aren’t saved from the noise though.

Still, it does end up disorienting most of them. He supposes he shouldn’t be surprised Stain doesn’t only have knives and swords.

Meanwhile, Rabbit is kinda just stuck looking backwards while held like this. It’s honestly a really uncomfortable feeling, and besides the pain, Rabbit can feel a sense of fear in the back of his mind. He quickly realizes why.

“If I had a nickel for big burly villains carrying me off…” Rabbit grumbles. He’s able to smother those weak emotions by reminding himself he is strong, and likely could escape from Stain if he tried hard enough. There's no reason to be scared anymore.

Stain huffs as he hops across roofs to attempt to lose or hide from the heroes. "We're in Japan, that saying doesn't work."

“It’s not about the words, but the meaning behind them.” Rabbit pouts. “American sayings are dumb, which automatically makes them endearing.” 

He looks around, trying to find an area he recognizes.

Rabbit perks up upon seeing an abandoned building he used to go to many times during his first few months of missions. “Oh, if you go down there, there’s a hidden nook right past that plywood stuff.” He says suddenly, pointing down to the familiar area. Making hiding spaces was necessary when he was still new at this, and he uses them every so often still. 

Stain doesn't question as he jumps down and gets them hidden just as a dragonfly sidekick flies past. Rabbit quietly sighs as they manage to get hidden. It’s big enough to fit about three adults, so it’s thankfully not that bad of a fit for him and Stain. Heroes call out to each other as they continue to search not far from them. Stain seems to be listening intently as Rabbit wiggles to try and get the Hero Killer to let go. He’s weaker in his movements than he thought with the bloodloss.

"Hold still." Stain mumbles. "I can feel you bleeding all over my shoulder."

“I can stop that if I could get my med stuff.” Rabbit huffs, staying quiet as well. “There aren't just weapons in my bag, I come prepared.”

"You mean this bag?" Stain sets Rabbit down with the bag he must have grabbed before running. Rabbit forgot he took that off before the fall and hadn't put it back on yet, that would have been terrible for the heroes to find.

“...yeah, that one.” Rabbit opens up one of the front zippers to search through. He pulls out a small water bottle, pain meds (a specially made kind from Overhaul made to not thin his blood), hydrogen peroxide, cotton balls, and gauze from the pocket. He has to unzip his villain outfit partially to be able to lift his shirt, then get into an awkward position to partially see what he’s doing, and only after suffering more pain from said awkward position and his broken rib aching, can he start cleaning his wounds. 

"You can ask for help, you know." Stain deadpans, watching him struggle.

“I can do it.” Rabbit stubbornly says, grabbing the cotton balls and pouring- no, more spilling - onto the cotton and the ground. His hands are shaking.

"Before or after you pass out from blood loss?" Stain counters. "Those look deep enough for stitches and that's an ass and a half to do on yourself."

Rabbit grumbles, wanting to argue that he just needs to get back to the compound, but also… he doesn’t want to unnecessarily worry Overhaul and the other Yakuza, or Kami forbid, Eri. He sighs. 

“…help, please?” Rabbit reluctantly asks.

"Was that so hard?" Stain asks sarcastically as he looks in the bag. "Where's your stitching supplies?"

“There’s a separate pocket at the very bottom of the one I just opened. I have it like that so it doesn’t get everywhere.”

"Smart." Stain looks and gets out the kit, putting on gloves that are also inside there to not give Rabbit an infection from the blood on him. 

When he comes prepared, he comes prepared . Even if he doesn’t expect it to be a hard mission, even if he’s just going out as a civilian, he always makes sure to have medical aid and support weapons inside his bag. It's big and heavy, but he’d rather not have a situation like this without anything with him. He’s always prepared to fight back.

"This is gonna hurt, try not to scream and give us away." Stain warns, needle and thread ready.

Rabbit grimaces but nods anyway. “Right…” 

Stain finds the worst gash first and starts stitching it closed from the inside out. It hurts but it keeps from just popping open if it's secure first.

Rabbit's clawed gloves stab into the ground, the concrete breaking effortlessly, in a weak attempt to keep his composure. He’s able to stay quiet, to keep his composure, but he’s not immune to pain!!

Stain doesn't offer any words of comfort as he works to get this done quickly. It takes 6 stitches for the worst one but the others need around 4 each, the worst was likely the back tallon used for the most grip. Rabbit keeps his eyes firmly shut as he counts the seconds in his head.

Once it’s finally done and wrapped in gauze, Rabbit can finally allow himself to relax slightly. Now though, he no longer feels as grounded as before. He feels utterly exhausted, far more than usual, and slightly dizzy. He needs to get back to the compound, to get back to Eri, but he has a feeling that’s going to take a while with the state he’s in.

"Hey, don't pass out on me." Rabbit feels Stain nudge him. "I don't know where to leave you and it might send the wrong idea if I did anyways."

“Sorry...” Rabbit takes a deep breath, but it’s not as helpful thanks to his busted ribs, and also his hood and mask. He just feels stuffy and claustrophobic. He pulls on the hood slightly to try and help, his eyes weakly open again. “I just need a moment.”

Rabbit glances over to see Stain squinting at him, looking at where he moved the hood.

Rabbit sluggishly blinks at him. “...what’s with your face?”

"How old are you?" Stain asks.

If only for a moment, that question seems to bring Rabbit back to reality. “W-what?” His eyes widen, and he tenses up. He really must be exhausted if it took that question to get him to focus again.

"Your age," Stain presses further, "What is it?"

“Why does that matter?” Rabbit mentally curses and looks away quickly. 

"Gotta be at least 16 for murder." Stain deadpans.

“…” Rabbit doesn’t look back at Stain. “Then I’m 16.”

He sure as hell could have lied better than that!!

Stain huffs and reaches out to pull off Rabbit's detached hood. 

“Wh- hey!” Rabbit can’t react fast enough. Stain is able to get a good look at his face before he can snatch the hood from the killer's hand and sort of put it back where it was. “Secret identities are secret for a reason!”

"You're a fucking kid!" Stain hisses. "Why is a kid killing heroes for the Yakuza!?"

Rabbit wants to have the energy to argue or defend them, but.. 

Why should he?

He’s tired. 

Instead, Rabbit sighs and fixes the hood back over his hair. 

“The Yakuza have confusing morals and rules. I tend to not question it anymore.” Rabbit says quietly.

"That doesn't explain how you ended up with them." Stain says. "Or why you stayed."

“I was kidnapped.” Rabbit shrugs. “And by killing heroes, I’m keeping the Yakuza occupied to not hurt... someone else.“

"Blackmail?" Stain squints at him.

“Not… really? Not entirely.” Rabbit shrugs. “They and I were both prisoners, but I gained the Yakuza’s trust to be one of them. Now it’s just more the silent danger that will come if I try to leave or disobey. They are at risk if I do anything out of line.”

His hand reaches up to twist and rub some of the feathers on the purple boa around his neck. It’s so similar to Overhaul’s, a sign of their obedience, of who they belong to, how they can never escape. Somewhere far away, he feels a sense of blooming pride from earning it that disgusts Rabbit. “I don’t have much to go back to anyways. Quirkless teens die all the time for less, and there's too much evidence that I am a part of the Yakuza.”

"Damn, you really are trapped.”

"Pretty much." Rabbit nods. “Guess it could always be worse, but it’s still not great.”

"Would you get out, given the chance?" Stain asks. "Or get who you're protecting out at least?"

“My fate has been sealed since my quirkless diagnosis. If not there, I will die elsewear sooner or later. I can’t see a real reason for me to leave. But…” A determined look crosses Rabbit’s eyes as he glares down at the proof of Overhaul’s possession. “I want to get them out more than anything. That's what I’m working towards.. That is the reasoning behind everything I’ve done since the start.”

"A truly heroic sacrifice." Stain says. "Hmm... I've decided to help you should that day come, Rabbit."

Rabbit looks over at him with wide eyes. “...really?”

"You cull the fakes as I do and you would willingly sacrifice yourself to get another out. Why wouldn't I help you out?" Stain asks.

Rabbit shrugs. “I’m not used to getting help.” 

"And I stopped giving it out when I gave up being a vigilante." Stain shrugs. "First time for everything."

“Guess so.” Rabbit feels a new feeling, maybe relief? Before he remembers something important. He takes out his phone and frowns when he checks the time. “Shit...” 

Rabbit sighs and pockets his phone. “Right, I don’t have much time till I’m supposed to be back. I should leave..” He’s definitely going to be late with his injuries and how far away he is though, the compound is several preficures away.

"Can't you call them to get you? Lost a lot of blood." Stain warns.

“Not only would that require being in a public area, but I’m still very injured. Even without my Night Rabbit outfit, I would stand out thanks to the dirt and blood all over me. I’m also far too close to where the.. Nomu stuff was happening. None of us should risk staying so close.” Rabbit chugs a water bottle with a few pain meds. “I’ll make it back fine. Once I’m far enough away, I’ll consider calling.”

"Hmm, don't like it but it's your decision." Stain shrugs. "I can help you get out of Huso at least, we're near the boarder of a place to the east, avoid the heroes and have them chase me for you to get away. I can at least still run."

“Yeah, that would be helpful. Trying to do anything to get away from the heroes with these stitches sounds like a bad idea.” Rabbit huffs and begins putting everything back in his bag. “Thanks, Stain.”

"Don't mention it, kid." Stain cleans up the used supplies and puts them in the bag as well. They can't leave DNA evidence just anywhere .

Rabbit hops up to his feet (bad idea, ow ) outside of the nook once everything’s in the bag. He fixes his villain uniform to be fully covering him again and adjusts his hood and mask.

"We'll go that direction, take a bit and we'll head out when you don't feel faint. I won't carry you unless needed." Stain says.

“I won’t need to be carried.” Rabbit huffs and starts leading. He’s had many missions all over different parts of Japan, so he’s memorized multiple ways to get back to the compound from different prefects. He just needs to find the right landmarks toget back or a safe house.

They travel at a slow pace due to the still going fires, the patrolling heroes looking for them, any more Nomu running around, and Rabbit’s extensive injuries. He is careful still, even while lightheaded and dizzy and cold and even his vision getting spotty. He makes sure his steps are silent the whole time. 

His body is tired, but it’s fine, he’ll survive. 

Probably.

They manage to get away from the center of all the action before they hit too many heroes to safely sneak past together. Traveling together with how noticeable they are like this is too big to risk.

"Looks like this is where we part ways, Rabbit." Stain says, looking around a corner at the heroes.

“Thanks for the help, Stain." Rabbit nods. "Try not to get arrested or something.”

"Same to you kid." Stain gets out a little notebook he used to track heroes with and scribbles out a number before tearing the paper from the book and handing it over. 

"Here, save it and burn the paper after. Emergencies only."

Rabbit takes it and nods. “Until next time.” He glances back at the heroes, and seeing an opening, runs past and away from Stain. 

He’ll need to get far enough away and closer to the compound until he can safely call for help, no matter how much his body wants to give out.

There is a terrifying moment when a hero calls out about seeing 'a Hero Killer' but Stain's wild laugh and monologue of 'false heroes' calms Rabbit's racing heart, it's just the distraction to get the heroes to give chase and make it easier for him to get away.

This blood loss and his talk with Stain is making it hard to keep fully alert. Rabbit’s just glad he managed to help that Iida kid and somehow get Stain as an ally in his mission of saving Eri. That's good at least. 

Once he’s out of Hosu, he takes off his villain costume besides his shoes, which are way too big and clunky to carry around. The metal on them also makes them heavier, and adding that weight onto his back right now sounds like a horrible idea. He does manage to fish out a pale green hoodie from his bag that isn’t covered in blood though! He puts it on before finally stepping out of the shadows that were the dark alleyways and onto the sidewalk.

Besides the streetlights, its pitch black outside, far later than he’s normally allowed to stay out. He really should be trying to get back, but he is actually quite concerned at this point that his spotty vision will turn into no vision from passing out . He needs a moment to let his aching body rest. So he sits down on the bench for a moment, waiting for his body to stop hurting so he can call someone to pick him up.

He sits on the bench for what feels like forever when his attempts to not pass out are, rudely , interrupted by a concerned voice approaching.

"Izu? Is that you?"

Izuku reluctantly opens his eyes and looks over at the familiar voice. His vision is blurry, but he sees lavender. “Oh… hey Shinso.” He closes his eyes again.

"Wh- don't just 'hey Shinso' me!" Shinso quickly appears at Izuku's side and seems to look him over. "What are you doing out so late- is that blood!? "

“Yeah.” Izuku mumbles, glancing down at his hoodie. He was pretty sure it wasn’t bloody before, so either he’s hallucinating, misremembering, or his bandages are soaking wet. “It’s not that bad. I’m not bleeding as much anymore… the stitches hurt like a bitch though.”

"That..." Shinso sighs and rubs his face. "That answers nothing and only gives me more worries. Were you caught up in the Huso attack?"

“Probably?” Izuku shrugs and points at his beat up (also slightly bloody) bag that he placed on the bench seat next to him. “Got picked up by a flying Nomu creature thingy and then fell from like twenty stories.”

"..." Shinso reaches out a hand and baps Izuku on the head. "Why are you not in a hospital!?"

“Can’t go to a hospital.” Izuku says vaguely. “Besides, Ov- dad can fix me with his quirk. Just need’a get home.”

"Is your dad a doctor with Quidolac?" Shinso asks, lightly poking at a clean part of the bloody clothes. "I doubt those Nomu are sanitary."

“Quidolac doesn’t do anything for me ‘cause I’m quirkless.” Izuku explains before he smiles slightly from quirk talk. “Doesn’ matter though. His quirk could just revert my body back to how it was a few hours ago.”

"Okay, but does it work on things you're missing ?" Shinso asks. "Pretty sure healing quirks like that still have to wait for blood to come back first because you can't make something from nothing."

“Maybe, It’s not a healing quirk.” Izuku plays with his hair to try and get the little blood he has left circulating better. Not moving isn’t helping as much as he thought. “It’s hard to explain his quirk, but he’ll be able to help better than a doctor.” 

"Yeah… yeah no. I think just taking you home is a better idea right now." Shinso argues. "A bath, food, and liquids will do good and then you can go home." 

“I’ve been out for too long. Dad will be worried, especially if I’m with someone he doesn’t know.” Izuku really doesn’t want to deal with the repercussions of not telling Overhaul about his friendship with Shinso and being out past curfew. He would try to message him, but he can barely keep his eyes open.

"You are about to pass out, covered in blood, and smell like you sat in a dumpster at one point." Shinso points out. Rude, he didn't need to add that last part. " At least let me get you to that laundromat down the street so you're inside and not a mugging risk as you call him." Shinso pleads, making the boy frown.

“Stop caring about me, ’s weird and gross.” Izuku halfheartedly grumbles. “…but I'd rather not die, so, fine.”

"I do what I want." Shinso smirks and moves to put Izuku's bag on his back, though he immediately almost falls from the sheer weight of it all. He hears Shinso mumbling to himself about ‘pounds of bricks’ before he’s able to sort of carry it better. He then takes his arm on the uninjured side to help him up. 

"Rude." Izuku tries his best to not have to lean on Shinso too much, if at all. He knows how heavy that bag is, and he can see Shinso struggling to hold it all. He doesn’t want to inconvenience him more, even if he himself is, 'like a bag of grapes', as Stain said.

"I'll have you know I am innocent of all crimes and a 'polite young man', according to all the old ladies I help." Shinso jokes.

"Oh shuuuut up, I get it. You're gonna be an awesome hero one day, no need to rub it in." Izuku lightheartedly complains.

"...You think I'll be a good hero?" Shinso asks, voice uncharacteristically quiet.

"Obviously." Izuku says confidently, not noticing Shinso's change in attitude. "You have the spirit of a true hero and your quirk is strong as hell. Play your cards right, and you can take down even the best of villains. It would be stupid to think you wouldn't make a good hero."

"..." Shinso turns away, making it so Izuku can't see the expression he's making or the wetness in his eyes. "Y-yeah."

The silence helps Izuku be able to concentrate enough on his senses, only to be immediately hit with music and the rhythmic humm of laundry. He forces himself to open his eyes slightly, mostly squinting, so he can build up to being able to look at his phone to call someone. It's so goddamn bright .

Shinso gets him to a bench table so he can at least try to get comfortable in some way, shape, or form.

"I'm going to the attached konbini to get you some food to help with the blood loss. Be right back." Shinso says.

“Have fun.” Izuku sighs and takes out his phone to inspect the damage, understandably worried about the reactions of the others for being MIA for hours. At least his phone didn’t shatter through this whole mess.

There are several missed calls and messages both from Rappa 'Sparring Partner' and Overhaul 'Bird Dad'.

Izuku doesn’t even want to try to read the messages, he doubts he could even if he wanted to though. He rather call Rappa, but knows Overhaul would probably prefer it if he called him first, so with a lot of reluctance, he calls Overhaul and puts the phone to his ear.

The phone only rings twice before it's picked up. 

" Where are you!? " Comes Overhaul's stressed voice.

"Uh... a laundromat attached to a konbini in the Kanagawa prefecture. By the edge of Hosu." Izuku says, a little slow about it. He should have looked at the name before he came in, but oh well, too late now. He hopes he doesn't sound as horrible as he feels.

"You got out? News reports mentioned you and a 'Hero Killer' getting hunted and almost caught before a Nomu gave them time to escape." Overhaul says.

"Yeah, Stain distracted them and gave me time to run for it once we got closer to Kanagawa." Izuku leans his head down on the table. "Was planning on calling you sooner, but the blood loss said no."

"Blood loss!?"

"Oh yeah, I lost a lot of blood. It's hard to keep my eyes open and everytime I open my eyes the world is spinning." Izuku explains casually, a little giggle slipping out. 

"Rabbit, why is the blood not in your body, where it belongs?" Overhaul's stress does not seem to be getting better. Oops.

"Flying Nomu picked me up and flew me like twenty stories high, but its grip was tight and sharp so I started bleeding a lot. Then I fell and that didn't help." Izuku says. "It's not as bad anymore. Stain stitched up the injuries and a friend is getting me something to help with the blood loss."

"There are several things wrong with this explanation," Overhaul stressed before sighing. "But I will let it slide for now as you will be too woozy to remember things. I will send one of the cars already out looking for you to collect you. Who do you want to be in it?"

“Rappa.” Izuku says quickly. “Just tell him that the Nomu that hurt me is already dead so he doesn’t try fighting anything.”

"I will. Stay there and try to not fall asleep before he gets there. I'll prepare the lab." Overhaul says.

Izuku grimaces. “Kay, I’ll try.” He hates the lab, it’s likely his least favorite part of the Yakuza, but it’s probably better than healing from this naturally. He would be out of commission for too long for comfort.

"See you when you get back, Rabbit." Overhaul says, though he pauses before he hangs up. "...it's good to hear you're alive."

It takes a second too long to process in his head what Overhaul said. By the time Izuku does, the phone is already hung up. 

He doesn’t know why those words cause him to tear up. Of course Overhaul is glad he’s alive, he’s one of his most useful assets! But he also didn’t have to say that at all. Those words, said by the Yakuza boss, in that tone, it felt more emotional than anything.

Now is not the time to have his conflicted thoughts again, but that doesn’t stop the tears.

"Izu? What's wrong, are you in pain?" Shinso asks, voice worried as he comes back with a bag.

“N-no..” Izuku sniffles and wipes his eyes. “Well, yes, but that’s not why I’m crying…”

"What's wrong?" Shinso sets the bag down and gets out a Gatorade for him, sliding it over to him.

Without thinking, Izuku blurts out, “He’s happy I’m alive..”

"I- your... your dad?" 

Izuku nods before he notices the Gatorade and immediately focuses on that instead of elaborating. Shinso is still confused but opens the bottle for him when Izuku struggles to and hands it over. He didn't get any pain meds, but he’s already taken his own, so it’s fine. Normal ones thin the blood anyway.

“Thanks.” Izuku takes a few good gulps before sighing and finally remembering Shinso’s confusion. 

“I… I didn’t always live with him. This is a more recent thing, and normally he’s really… closed off. I don’t really expect him to care for me.” Izuku dances around the truth without fully lying. He doesn’t want to drag Shinso into the mess that is the Yakuza. He can’t. “I’m not used to it.”

"Oh, one of those really closed off kind of dads." Shinso nods. "Maybe he's just awkward and bad at showing he cares? Suddenly getting a kid can change up a lot fast."

“Yeah, maybe..” Izuku shrugs. “I’ll figure it out.. at least the crying has prolonged my desire to take a nap.”

"I feel like it should make you more tired, more fluids lost." Shinso shrugs and gets out salty snacks for Izuku, opening those too.

Izuku starts slowly eating those too. “Headache added onto the pain, but it’s a new pain so I can’t sleep through it yet.”

"That doesn't help my worrying." Shinso lightly baps Izuku on the head again. His phone dings and he pulls it out to check, before sighing.

"I gotta get home, my mom's worried about how close Huso is and looters." Shinso sighs.

“I’ll be brought back soon, so don’t worry about me.” Izuku smiles at Shinso. “Be safe, punch a cop if you have too.” He weakly punches Shinso’s arm as if to show an example. 

"I will punch a cop in your honor." Shinso says, amused. "Want to take a picture together? Be my alibi for when I do?"

Without thinking, Izuku agrees. "As long as you send it to me, yes."

"Sick." Shinso moves to Izuku's side and puts an arm around him to take a selfie. 

"Say 'be gay, do crime'." Shinso smirks.

Izuku’s laughs. “Be gay, do crime!” He leans closer to Shinso’s side.

Shinso takes the picture and sends it to Izuku before he gets up. 

"Alright, I got to head out, try to not get hurt anymore or I'm going to call you cursed." Shinso says jokingly.

“I probably am.” Izuku shrugs. “Apologize to your parents for me? I feel bad that we made them worry.”

"I will. Mom will probably send me with a fruit basket or something next time we meet up." Shinso ruffles Izuku's curls and pockets his phone. "Later Izu."

“Bye, Shinso.” Izuku smiles warmly as he watches his friend leave. He feels bad for worrying him, but also happy he stopped and offered so much help at all. It was nice to see him again.

Now he just has to wait for Rappa.

Which isn't a very long wait when you lose track of time. It's only five or so more minutes before one of the the nondescript black cars the Yakuza uses is pulling up and Rappa's large form is stepping out and looking around quickly. Once he notices, Izuku sighs and grabs his stuff before shuffling out of the laundromat.

“I’m over here.” Izuku (attempts to) calls out once he steps out. It sounds weaker than he means for it to.

"Little fighter!" Rappa rushes over and has to stop himself from just picking him up, his hands hovering around Izuku in his worry. "Where are you hurt? How bad?"

“Not bad.” Izuku says sarcastically as he lifts up his shirt enough to show the stitched up gashes.

"Hmm, it doesn’t seem too bad, but let's get you home." Rappa gathers up Izuku's bag and snacks to take to the car. "How did you get the snacks?"

“Friend.” Izuku smiles warmly as he follows Rappa. “He found me and got me food. Had to leave 'cause his parents were getting worried though.”

"A friend we should worry about?" Rappa asks, lowering his voice for the second part. "A friend to keep from the Boss?"

Izuku blinks, confused, before realizing. “Oh.” He nods. “Yeah.. That’s probably a good idea..”

Rappa nods and gets Izuku to the car, the driver is Tabe again. It feels like the day they kidnapped him only he got stabbed this time.

“…god, if I had a fucking nickel..” Izuku grumbles as he shuffles over to lean against the opposite car door once closed. These not-so-fond memories are causing his heart to race, but he once again, just like when Stain was holding him, tries to calm himself down and doesn’t visibly show any panic. It isn’t working as well.

"We don't have nickels in Japan." Rappa says, ruffling Izuku's hair as he drops the bag onto the back seat.

Izuku deadpans at Rappa. “No one lets me say my dumb sayings in peace.” First Stain, now Rappa. He’ll fight them both. Preferably not when hurt, but still!

"Have you considered not using American sayings in Japan?" Tabe asks as Rappa starts heading to the passenger seat.

“Now I’m not going to stop.” Izuku grumbles as Rappa hops in. “I do what I want.”

"Sassy when you lose a lot of blood." Rappa chuckles as Tabe starts to drive them back.

“As I should be. If I die, I would rather my last words be something snarky rather than… I dunno, something dumb.” Izuku shrugs.

"Well, not gonna die now but it's entertaining so I'll let it continue." Rappa chuckles.

“You don’t know that.” Izuku grumbles. “I could die right now. Death spite.”

"Don't die in the car, it's leather." Tabe says.

“I’ll make sure to die in the car.” Izuku deadpans.

"Now, now. Let's not give Tabe more work." Rappa laughs. "Die in the blue car, the guy that washes that one is a dick." 

“…works for me. As long as I get to annoy someone even past death.” Izuku nods, as if finalizing a deal. Rappa laughs again.

Izuku leans his head against the window again and tries his best to resist the temptation to close his eyes. Luckily, the anxiety of being in a similar position to when he was kidnapped helps. He counts the buildings they pass as they get back to the compound.

Rappa calls back occasionally to make sure he doesn't fall asleep and soon, maybe, they are at the compound. Some of the lower level lab workers are there in scrubs and with a gurney to take Izuku back.

At this point, Izuku just wants to go to sleep. Sluggishly, he helps the lab workers get him onto the gurney as he continues to force himself to stay awake. He promises himself he’ll take the best nap in the world once he’s no longer suffering.

"I'll stay with the little Unicorn until you can get back." Rappa tells him, taking his bag.

“Thanks Rappa, you're the best.” Izuku mumbles. He’s going to give Eri the biggest hug, then have a nap. 

Rappa nods and Izuku gets wheeled away quickly by the lab workers.

Even now, Izuku is unsettled by the lab. He hates this place for many reasons. It was one of the first areas of the compound Izuku knew about that scares him to death, especially after learning what was happening to Eri. While it’s not as terrifying anymore, being just as used to this place, he still would rather be anywhere else. 

He focuses on breathing properly to keep himself calm and awake to deal with Overhaul.

As he is wheeled into and finally enters the lab, Izuku sees Overhaul is by a medical bed. He is already in medical gloves and a cloth mask instead of his bird one. Izuku looks away from Overhaul and down to his lap instead, feeling guilty as he remembered how worried he had sounded over the phone. He’ll apologize when he has a chance.

Overhaul waves the lab workers away, leaving just them in the room. He sets up his tools and waves to the bloody hoodie. 

"Take that off, I need to check and remove the stitches so they don't become a permanent part of you." Overhaul says.

“Kay.” Izuku sleepily does as asked, taking off the bloody and ripped hoodie and folding it as best he can. Izuku can now fully see his bare, bloody chest. The blood on his skin has dried at this point besides the blood directly around his injuries. It's itchy now that he thinks about it.

Overhaul scrunches his nose at all the blood and uses some alcohol pads to clean him up. He also gets an IV of blood going as he works to replace what was lost. 

"Report." Overhaul commands as he does this. "What happened?"

“Was looking for the targeted hero.” Izuku tries to think past the fuzzy haze of exhaustion to explain. “Somehow ended up at whatever incident was happening in Hosu with the Nomus. One of them, a flying one, grabbed me.”

Izuku pauses for a moment as he tries to remember everything. 

“I stabbed it and fell, though it kept chasing after me till I killed it. Ended up in an alley where the Hero Killer Stain was trying to cull a false hero and a UA student. He dragged me off once too many heroes arrived, stitched up my injuries, then distracted the heroes while I ran.” He explains. “The one who controls the Nomus… uh, I forgot his name, but Stain said the guy was overly excited to meet me, so I think that Nomu was targeting me.”

"The LoV knows of you?" Overhaul asks. 

He tosses the used pads and grabs a cotton ball soaked in a cleaning solution with some long tweezers, in his other hand are some medical scissors he uses to snip the stitches. He dabs the cotton ball with each snip to clear the area and checks for more bleeding.

“Mhm. Stain said they had a picture of me or something in his bar.” Izuku says. “They knew of and met Stain…. If they want to be big names, they have to gather strong allies.”

"And you are the only well known and active member of our organization." Overhaul nods. "Not sure why they thought kidnapping with a monster was the way to go about it. All they did was injure you and break any chance at trust with us."

“…either they’re dumb and I’m overthinking, or it was to show off.” Izuku thinks out loud. “Successfully kidnapping a high-tier villain would be showing their strength to us and proving something.”

"Prove how idiotic they are." Overhaul huffs before grabbing a squishy bottle with a nozzle. "This will sting."

“Okay.” Izuku reluctantly sighs. “It shows their desperation though. Trying to kidnap me was a huge risk for them.”

Overhaul squeezes the bottle and flushes out the injury. It stings as he warned it would. "Why are they so desperate is the question." 

Izuku frowns at the stinging pain, trying to think. Why would the league want him?

"They already attacked UA and now Huso, why they think we want that attention as well is beyond me." Overhaul huffs.

“…they might be weaker than we think? The attack on UA was big, but most of them were low level thugs and got arrested. Sure they have Nomus, but they could be weak on actual manpower.” Izuku rambles. “They might have been betting on you being impressed by successfully kidnapping me. They want to use us to raise them amongst the ranks without having much to offer for us.”

"They could have also wanted to take you for their goal." Overhaul warns. "As far as we know, they want to end All Might, and you have yet to fail a mission to end a hero. You even took down the number three."

Izuku shudders at the thought. With what he knows, he fully could take down the number one hero. He’s already crossed so many lines, and in any normal circumstances, he wouldn’t consider it. The symbol of peace being destroyed would be detrimental to so many people, heroes and civilians.

But with the weight of knowing Eri is alone and whatever means of convincing the League would use if he refuses, he’s unsure if he would or not. 

“Right… now I have to worry about them as well during missions.” Izuku sighs.

"We can set up check-in calls or a shadow to watch your back." Overhaul says. He takes off his gloves to place his hands on the cleared wounds, though it looks like there’s something in them- "Brace for healing."

Izuku stiffly nods as he does his best to mentally prepare for Overhaul’s quirk, quickly closing his eyes. It only takes a second for Overhaul to destroy and recreate Izuku's sides, the injury didn't get too far in to need a full remake, but it still hurts like hell.

His ribs were the worst part. It hurts so much more than even getting the injury or the stitches did. Izuku whimpers in pain, his attempt at breathing through it quickly turning into almost fully hyperventilating. 

He hates Overhaul’s quirk.

"Easy, Izuku. Deep breaths." Overhaul gently takes one of Izuku's hands to hold to his own chest and exaggerates his own breathing for him to follow. Izuku’s hands tremble as he makes an effort to slowly match his breathing to Overhaul’s. 

“S-sorry..” Izuku whimpers.

"For what? I know it hurts, I’ve had to do it to myself before." 

“And for worrying you…" Izuku opens his eyes and hesitantly looks up at him." I-I probably could have found or made an opportunity to call earlier, but I was so focused on getting back, I didn’t even try...”

"I worry any time you go out, a hero could find you or any number of things." Overhaul sighs. "Huso was... unpredictable to a wild degree."

"You..." Izuku’s eyes widened slightly. “You worry every time?”

"Everytime." Overhaul nods.

Izuku sheepishly looks down at his lap. He really isn’t used to people being like this towards him, even after so long. “Thank you… for caring, I mean.”

"An odd thing to thank me for, but of course I care." Overhaul cleans up the mess around them and grimaces before destroying and remaking Izuku's hoodie to be clean and blood free. He then goes over to a sink to wash his hands.

Izuku takes the hoodie and puts it back on. “I’m just glad you care at all.” He can hide it well, but he feels the smile tugging at his lips.

"You need to work on your self worth again, Izuku." Overhaul says while drying his hands. The man then walks over to pet his hair.

“I think I’ve gotten better.” Izuku huffs as he leans into Overhaul’s touch. 

"You have." Overhaul nods, still petting him. "A year or so ago would have had you a crying mess from just a compliment on your analysis."

“In my defense, a lot was happening back then. It was hard to take it all in.” Izuku says before smiling sheepishly. “…I probably still would have cried though, so you're right.”

"You cried a concerning amount and flooded a room somehow. It was very worrying and I'm glad you've stabilized your emotions more." Overhaul sighs and gives a last pet before taking his hand back and putting a glove back on.

“I’m a Midoirya, we’re well known for our tears.” Izuku jokes, rolling his eyes. “You didn’t do enough research on me if you didn’t know that well-known fact.” 

"Didn't really look that far into your family." Overhaul admits. He tosses used trash away and puts the medical supplies on a tray that will be sent away to be cleaned and sanitized. 

"It's weird that your father doesn't exist, by the way." Overhaul adds on as an afterthought.

“He left when I was like, four or five.” Izuku shrugs as he watches Overhaul. “Went off to a ‘work trip’ in America after I got diagnosed quirkless and never contacted us again. It’s not that surprising you couldn’t find much on him.

"Oh, I meant that in a literal way." Overhaul says. "Hisashi Midoriya never existed in any database in Japan, even the child support from him wasn't real. Money just appeared in your mother's bank account from nowhere."

“But…" Izuku blinks, his brain trying to think once again while tired. "A pseudo-identity is usually a sign of like- people of high importance or villains and stuff. Those types of people aren’t ones to get married or start families because of their status.” He’s more confused than anything.

"No clue, none of our men could find a single thread that leads back to a person. Your father is a mystery." Overhaul shrugs.

“That makes no sense.” Izuku frowns.

 …before he thinks of something that makes him begin to snicker. “He was so embarrassed of his son being quirkless that he destroyed any trace of himself so he could start a new life.”

"Come now, Izuku, that's a bit extreme." Overhaul huffs. "He didn't exist before you were born either, your mother has no idea who she married."

“I’m joking, Overhaul-sama.” Izuku giggles. “I used to joke about whatever my father was doing so I wouldn’t be upset over him, now it’s just a habit.”

"Hmm... another point in getting a therapist..." Overhaul mumbles to himself (why is everyone so rude to him today?) before getting louder. "In any case, you're all healed but I couldn't replace the blood, so go to your room to rest with the IV pole. Do not let Rappa take the pole later and play with it, he breaks them."

Izuku’s huffs in amusement before letting himself give in to the exhaustion. He can finally stop working and rest. “I’m going to sleep for a good 24 hours,” he sighs as he begins walking out, leaning on the pole. “Thanks for healing me, I’ll try to be more careful next time.” 

"Rest well, I'd rather not have you back in here anytime soon." Overhaul calls out as he starts cleaning the lab. "I'll always take care of you, but don't make this a habit."

"I won't." Izuku calls, yawning as he walks off to this room. He has an Eri to cuddle and the promise of sleep calling his name.

He hopes the Nomu and LoV thing doesn't become a recurring issue. But that is future Izuku's problem.

Chapter Text

Overhaul’s quirk is helpful for a lot of reasons. No matter how much it hurts, Izuku can’t deny that the momentary pain is better than suffering through normal healing. All he had to do was let the IV transfer him enough blood to stabilize and then make sure to force himself to eat a bit more to be sure his body has all the blood it needs. After a few days (a week? It's hard to tell, he loses track of the days when nothing eventful happens), he was finally feeling good enough to get back into normal habits. He trains, cooks, plays with Eri, and luckily his most recent mission went without any major issues. Finally, he can slowly lose his crowning title of ‘Trouble Magnet’. He’s half tempted to get a whiteboard to track how many days have gone by without an incident he’s involved in. There's always something.

Unfortunately, shuffling back into his room with an IV pole and his bloody uniform in his bag had worried and upset Eri a lot . There wouldn’t have been any way to hide the evidence of his injuries from her, but he still hates to see her so worried. He should be fussing over her, not the other way around.

After talking with Rappa, he suggested something that he likely should have thought of sooner. That Izuku should get her something as an apology.

But what does Eri like? Her half of the room is covered in toys and drawings and all sorts of gifts already. He vaguely remembers how, as Rabbit, he’d come back with a small gift for Eri after almost every mission. Still, it won't feel any special if he just gets her something else.

That's when it hit him.

Apples. But not just any apples.

Candy Apples.

Despite her love of normal apples, Eri hasn’t actually tried any candy apples, as they were out of season by the time Izuku started doing missions. So, he decided he’ll find a way to get her some!

This is a foolproof plan that hasn’t ever backfired on him before!

It took a while of searching, but soon Izuku remembered that there is a place in a mall in his old district that sells them. They had an autumn theme all year round and were decently popular because of all the different foods they can make without a festival limiting them.

But seeing as it's his own district, that makes things more complicated. Overhaul has a strict set of rules for him whenever he has missions in Musutafu. One of those rules is that he isn’t allowed to wander around as a civilian like he can on other days without missions. Overhaul doesn’t stop him, but he highly discourages him from going there unless for a mission.

But it's to make Eri happy, so Izuku begged and pleaded maybe a bit dramatically so Overhaul would sigh and give in to his request, which he eventually did. But the same rules still applied, so he would have to find a way to sneak in as Night Rabbit to steal some apples.

He did bring a bunch of yen to put in its place in an attempt to not be as rude. He has some standards for his crimes, and stealing from small businesses breaks his moral code.

Sneaking in was pretty easy, considering it's a mall and not any place that would be guarded. He found a vent he could crawl through and popped out to find himself in an old, closed down clothing store. That mitigates the chances of anyone walking in while he planned his next moves.

There is some loud laughing just outside the store window, and a quick peek shows-

Oh no …

It looks like the entirety of Class 1-A is here in the mall as well. How silly of him to worry about a simple, single patrolling heroe and to listen to Overhaul’s rules. He should have realized a mall this close to UA would have 20 heroes-in-training running around!!  

And here he is, dressed as a Hero Killer in the middle of the day!

Rabbit huffs in frustration. He half considers stuffing his costume back in his bag and walking around as himself. But even without Overhaul’s rules, his hair is still bright goddamn green. People might recognize him after living in this prefecture for literal years. Overhaul would also throw a fit if he found out. 

Oh, and from the little he remembers at the UA Sports Festival, he assumes Bakugo told his classmates about him as well, so any one of those hero students could recognize him. That would be an even worse, more complicated situation.

He really needs to ask Overhaul to change his hair color. Maybe he should give up on this for today and go back to the compound. It seems to be one of his unlucky days, and he would rather not get involved with anything over the top or insane today.

Well, maybe he’s a little bit lucky. He’s able to hear that the students are getting ready for a camping trip of some kind? They are starting to split off into groups and go in different directions. They aren’t very quiet about where they are going... for hero students that have been attacked by villains, they are very bad at not being kidnappable.

They should work on that before something bad happens. Maybe he’ll get to teach these hero students to be more careful with a few threats and a vague villain monologue. He has his own morals of ‘don’t kill children’ that, even if they don’t know of them, means they won’t be in serious danger if he teaches them that lesson. 

He also wants to monologue at least once as a villain. It's a requirement or something. He should plan a script.

Rabbit pauses his train of thought when he sees a flash of lavender. He quickly focuses on the, now smaller, group of students again. Standing in the back of the group is…

Ah yes, Shinso! That's why he recognized that shade of purple.

What is he doing there though? Unless he made it into the hero class like he wanted?? He did get really far in the sports festival.

Rabbit hesitates. Shinso looks pretty uncomfortable and isn’t joining in on any conversations like the rest of the class. If he did get into 1-A, it must be a very new development. He looks like he really doesn’t want to be there.

Hesitantly, Rabbit decides to text Shinso. He realizes it might be a bit weird to text his friend while he’s secretly watching him, but it’s not like it was intentional. Unintentional stalking isn’t a crime. Maybe.

GreenBunny: Hey hey, Shinso

GreenBunny: How is the progress of getting into the hero course? You haven’t updated ever since you were told they were discussing your performance!

Rabbit tries to act as normal as possible, which is easier when he can curate his responses.

Shinso notices the messages and pulls his phone out, a small smile on his face after he sees who it’s from. He doesn’t even seem to realize how soft his expression gets as he types back. 

Purple cat: It's going... well enough.

Purple cat: I impressed the school at the festival but have to wait for after summer break to officially join. 

Purple cat: Some of the hero course kids must have found out and I've been bullied into socializing.

Behind the mask, Rabbit can’t help but let out a soft huff in amusement. He’s not used to feeling so calm like this, it’s a nice change of pace.

GreenBunny: Oh no, your worst nightmare.

GreenBunny: But that’s great, you're going to be in the hero course!! You're one step closer to being a hero!

GreenBunny: I’m so happy for you!

Purple cat: Thanks, I couldn't have done it without you though.

Rabbit blinks in surprise. 

GreenBunny: Huh?

GreenBunny: Yeah you could have? Very easily? 

GreenBunny: I didn’t even know you before the festival?

Shinso is seen huffing and gets a fond look. 

Purple cat: You believed in me. 

Purple cat: Said I could do it when no one but my family did. Even then it didn't feel as genuine as you.

Purple cat: You convinced me to advocate for myself and show the teachers how much effort I’ll put in to become a hero.

Purple cat: Sensei pushed Nedzu only cause he could see that.

GreenBunny: Well I’m glad I managed to help then…

GreenBunny: I’ll be cheering you on the whole time.

Rabbit watches Shinso type, but when the notice of him typing goes away without any message sent, he frowns. He peeks back over to the window and now can see the rest of 1-A seems to have split up in their groups, now no longer near Shinso.

A stranger in a black hoodie has an arm wrapped around his shoulders. Shinso looks startled and tries to pull away, but the stranger seems to say something and puts a hand around Shinso’s neck, pinkie up, and Shinso’s eyes get wide with fear. He says something, and the stranger tilts their head but doesn’t respond, periwinkle blue hair seen under the hood.

Rabbit tenses up, glaring at the hooded figure. That sure as hell looks like a threat, and Shinso doesn’t look pleased either. Still, he doesn’t jump the gun, not yet. He’s trained enough to know to assess situations first before trying to fight someone.

He pockets his phone as he recognizes the hair color from police reports he’s researched…

The only person to be in the news with that hair is Shigaraki Tomura, the apparent leader of the LoV. The fact he has his hand like that means the rumors of a touch based quirk are likely true, which leaves Shinso in grave danger. One wrong move, and it could be over. 

Rabbit can’t be sure what Shigaraki wants, the windows certainly don’t let him hear anything through the bustling of the mall goers and how far away they are, but it can’t be anything good. He could try to get closer and hear but...

He hesitates. 

Usually his missions have nothing to do with anyone he knows. He can feel disconnected and numb when he knows the people he analyzes are just targets. But now Shinso is the one in danger from a dangerous villain. Villains aren’t merciful, and he can’t be sure what will happen once Shigaraki has whatever it is he wants. 

Getting caught in a building full of hero students is risky, but so is leaving Shinso to deal with that villain without help.

Eventually, he feels his head clear as he shoves away his conflicted thoughts. Rabbit’s feet feel as though they move on his own, but he doesn’t stop, even when he notices. He quickly leaves the closed down store and steadily approaches the villain. His own safety be damned, all he really knows is that every part of him wants to help Shinso. 

As he gets closer, he can see Shigaraki is leading Shinso away from the crowd to a staff hallway that seems to lead to an emergency exit.

Rabbit turns on his voice changer as he gets closer, ignoring the startled and fearful looks he gets when noticed by the shoppers. They’re talking and avoiding him, but no one stops him. He can only focus on getting close enough to the two of them, the closer he gets, the more nervous he can tell Shinso is just based on his body language.

Finally, Rabbit’s close enough to call out to them. “You seem to have an odd track record of targeting children, don’t you, Shigaraki?”

"Hmm?" Shigaraki turns enough to look, eyes widening before he turns fully and gets a creepy smile. "Ah, Night Rabbit! What a surprise, I was hoping we'd meet sooner than this." 

Shinso’s hands are trembling as his eyes flick from Shigaraki to Rabbit. He still seems to have his phone out, as if he was too worried to move even an inch to just put it away. Rabbit feels a twinge of guilt for causing his friend to feel even more fearful, but it’s necessary to save him.

“I was hoping to prolong this after you sent that Nomu after me, but it seems we both don’t get what we want.” Rabbit huffs. He has to distract Shigaraki, to convince the villain to let him go or to take the boy himself.

"Yeah, Sensei did say that was a rash move." Shigaraki starts lightly scratching at his neck. Shinso grimaces at the sound being so close.

“No shit.” Rabbit glances at Shinso, who shudders under his intense gaze. “Why are you targeting a kid this time? This is a weird pattern of behavior.”

"Just a little recruiting to my cause is all." Shigaraki says, smiling. "A quirk like his would work wonders for my party. It’s a level up we need more than the heroes do." 

"I'm going to be a hero." Shinso glares at Shigaraki, but it’s weak with no conviction. 

Rabbit does his best to calm his rising anger. “Clearly, your sales pitch isn’t going well.” He can’t let out his anger, he can’t . That won't go over well. Thankfully, the voice changer hides most of the rage in his voice. “Kidnapping a UA student won’t go well for you. Too many heroes would come after you to save him.”

"Would they really come after him?" Shigaraki chuckles darkly. "The little herolings already ditched him the moment they could, why would the Pros be any different? Especially for a kid with his quirk." 

Shinso stays quiet, but his eyes look so hurt at Shigaraki’s words. Looking around, he doesn’t see any of Class 1-A around them. 

Seeing that makes Rabbit's restraint snap .

“Clearly, you're not taking the hint.” Rabbit takes a quick step forward and uses the front of his shoe to kick the side of Shigaraki's legs, and he smirks as he can feel the metal attached bash into his skin. Shigaraki’s grip loosens on reflex, giving him the opportunity to grab his face and shove him back as his other hand grabs Shinso, pulling the boy into him.

Shinso makes a small sound when he is pulled against Rabbit’s chest, looking at him with wide, shocked eyes. Hearing Shigaraki cursing in pain, Rabbit glares at the villain as he lifts Shinso into his arms in a bridal carry, securely holding him close, yet carefully, making sure his claw-gloves don’t rip his clothes or skin.

“I’ll get you out of this.” Rabbit mumbles in a surprisingly tender tone, though the voice changer may not have picked up on that. “Just don’t move.”

"H-huh?" Shinso says in a dazed voice.

"Damn it!" Shigaraki suddenly growls. Shinso instinctively leans away from him, which only drives him closer to Rabbit. 

Shigaraki glares at the other villain, holding his leg as he does his best to balance and not topple onto the ground. "What was that for!"

“I don’t take kindly to crimes against children.” Rabbit snaps, focusing his attention on Shigaraki. “He is unwilling, and I rather not think of what you’d do or threaten to convince him to do your dirty work.”

“I will say this once, so listen carefully,” Rabbit holds onto Shinso a bit tighter, making his hold on him just that more protective, yet he’s careful to not hurt him. 

Rabbit’s eyes shine with an intense insanity and bloodlust, his conviction clear in his words.

“You, your missions, and your goals mean nothing to me, but if you ever try to drag these students down to your level, I will annihilate you and your pathetic league.” His words and gaze doesn’t speak of a warning, but of a promise . If it wasn’t for the student in his arms, he’s sure he already would have begun to follow through.

Shigaraki growls again and looks like he’s ready to fight, but the sudden murmurs of the crowd that has gathered and began watching stops him. It seems the risk of getting caught has begun to weigh on his mind, so he instead glares at Rabbit as he gets his phone out to call for a portal.

"This isn't over Rabbit. First you steal the spotlight with that #3 hero fight and now this? You've made an enemy today." Shigaraki hisses. A portal of black fog forms behind him and he steps back into it.

“Good, I wouldn’t want someone like you as an ally.” Rabbit says before the man disappears. He’s relieved he doesn’t have to fight him, especially with Shinso in the middle of it all. It gives him time to plan for if he runs into him again. 

With no reason to stick around now, Rabbit springs off to a different exit, not slowed down by the taller boy in his arms. Shinso lets out a startled peep at being carried off, but for the most part stays uncharacteristically quiet and still. Rabbit can’t check to make sure that his friend is okay right now, not with the crowd of people that formed around them, but no one stands in his way as he leaves and actively avoids him instead. Though, many of them are noisy, yelling and panicking about him kidnapping a kid.

Suddenly, a red haired boy calls out for Rabbit to stop and gives chase, which seems to alert a few others. A blond boy with lighting in his hair and a dark haired boy with quirked elbows follow, chasing and also yelling at him to stop.

Rabbit grumbles in annoyance. He shifts Shinso’s weight to one hand and pulls out a couple green smoke bombs and throws them on the ground once ignited. He is able to quickly get far enough away for the smoke to cover him entirely before the students can catch up. 

They couldn’t have expected him to not take notes after meeting another hero killer.

Rabbit makes a sharp turn before running straight into the same closed down store that he started in. He stays far away from the window's view, and after a couple seconds of listening, he knows it's slightly safe now. He sits down with a sigh, Shinso now on his lap.

Rabbit looks over to Shinso to check for injuries, only to pause at the boy’s face being a deep, blushing red. The boy can't seem to pick between looking at Rabbit and not looking at all. 

Rabbit tilts his head. A clawed hand gently traces over Shinso’s cheek, trying to urge the student to look at him. “Are you alright, little hero?” He asks softly.

"!?" It... kind of works. Shinso seems too stunned to even talk or try to use his quirk. He just looks up at Rabbit with wide eyes and a heated face.

…Rabbit is very unsure how to handle this situation. He doesn’t normally comfort victims of crime, that's not really his thing. In any normal situation he would just leave and let the heroes deal with it. But this isn’t just any other situation. This is Shinso, he can’t just leave him without making sure he’s okay! But his poor friend seems too shaken up to even respond.

“Are you injured? There's no need to speak, you can nod or shake your head if that's easier." Rabbit gently encourages. 

That seems to knock Shinso from... whatever that was as he jolts slightly. 

"I- '' Shinso can barely get a word out before he starts roughly coughing and holds his neck, and Rabbit can see red marks where Shigaraki’s tight grip was. It looks bad enough to bruise.

Rabbit only grows more. “Careful! Take a few deep breaths, you're okay.” He shifts a bit to take off his bag. He wasn’t planning on getting involved in any attacks, but luckily bruises don’t need extensive, fancy medical stuff to heal from.

After a bit of searching, he finds an instant ice pack. He cracks it so the chemicals will start rapidly cooling the gel, wraps it in a few napkins that were also in his bag, and then lightly presses it against Shinso's neck. The boy flinches, making Rabbit pause after he pulls his hand back.

He looks between the icepack and Shinso, then offers it to him instead. “Here, hold it against your neck for a while. It will help heal your bruises.” Rabbit instructs.

Shinso hesitantly does so, nodding in thanks as he holds it to his neck. 

"W... why?" Shinso's voice is quiet and rough. He doesn't specify between helping now or earlier with Shigaraki, so Rabbit assumes the latter.

“You don’t deserve to have your right to choose taken away just because of your quirk.” Rabbit says solemnly. “No one does.”

"You...?" Shinso waves his free hand to the store around them and Rabbit. He seems to blush again as he looks at Rabbit, realizing he is on the villain's lap.

Rabbit huffs in embarrassment under his mask and looks away. “Dragging you here was… a decision made in the heat of the moment, but I wanted to make sure you weren’t badly injured before I left." He pauses. “Which, I should do.” He gently places Shinso down on the floor and grabs his bag, standing up as he prepares to leave.

Shinso frowns in confusion. "Leave...? Just like... that?" he asks.

“Yeah?” Rabbit seems confused at Shinso’s confusion. “Well, I still have to pick something up, but that will take about a second.” 

Rabbit stops momentarily as he goes to the door. “Be careful, little hero. The League of Villains aren’t the only ones with their eyes on you.” With that warning, he walks out.

"What?" Shinso goes to stand but his legs don't seem to want to move after the adrenaline has worn off, leaving him alone in the store.

In the midst of the panic and colored smoke, it seems like most of the shoppers evacuated from the mall. The smoke bombs he threw are still thick in the air, which makes it easier for Rabbit to head to the store he had originally come here for without getting noticed. All that, and yet only now is he able to grab those elusive candy apples.

He takes a small box and leaves a good amount of yen in its place. He ends up leaving more than he planned, but he thinks the store deserves an apology because of the chaos he created. Must be bad for business.

For a second, Rabbit thinks he might actually be able to leave without getting caught. But he sees an underground hero with long dark hair, a black jumpsuit, and a far too long gray scarf run into the mall. He seems to be looking specifically for someone, and his eyes look just as tired as Shinso's.

Rabbit knows he should leave the moment he notices a hero, especially an underground one. They tend to be bigger risks than limelights. Plus, it’s not like Shinso won’t be found, but still… there’s always a risk of something happening, or Shinso needing more medical attention then he realized.

Rabbit makes a step purposefully heard, crunching the plastic of a dropped item loud enough to attract the hero's attention.

The hero freezes and grabs at their scarf the moment he notices. In the midst of what’s basically a thick fog, all the hero can really see is Rabbit's dark figure and bright, toxic green eyes. The hero is panting, as if he had already been in a fight- or maybe even ran just to get here, as he gets into a battle stance.

Rabbit just shifts the box to one hand and points to the direction of the store he left Shinso in. “He’s in there. Bruised neck, but otherwise unharmed.”

"..." The hero glances where he points before looking back. "Why?"

“I have no reason to hurt him.” Rabbit says. “I’ve already explained myself to him. If you want to know, ask him yourself.” 

Rabbit suddenly runs off, disappearing into the fog with the intention of finding a new vent to crawl out of. He doesn’t hear the hero chasing after him. Instead, after a moment, he can hear the hero calling out for his missing student. The right choice.

—

Hitoshi stays unmoving in the store, trying to wrap his mind around everything that has happened in such a short amount of time. He has an endless amount of questions that distract him, stopping him from processing his name being called by a familiar voice right away.

"Shinso! Answer me kid!" Calls the voice again.

It takes a second, but his voice registers in his head. “…Sensei?” Hitoshi’s voice is hoarse, and it hurts to raise any higher.

"Kid?" His sensei calls, voice closer. "If you can't talk, whistle for me. Okay?"

Hitoshi nods to no one and does as he’s asked. The whistling doesn’t hurt nearly as bad, and soon there are rapid footsteps approaching. The door to the empty store is swung open, and his Sensei is now standing there, looking relieved as he sees that he is there and mostly okay. 

"Shinso!" Aizawa-sensei moves to kneel by his side. "Where are you hurt?"

Hitoshi moves the ice pack away from his neck to show Aizawa.

"Did Rabbit do that?" Aizawa carefully turns his head from side to side to see how bad it is.

“No.” Hitoshi says quietly. “That... one villain… Shigaraki.”

"Shigaraki was here!?" Aizawa looks around, as if expecting the villain to pop out and attack them at any moment.

“He left.” Hitoshi says quickly, though an expression of confusion quickly washes over his face. “Night Rabbit… made him leave… he protected me?”

"Hmm, he also pointed me to find you." Aizawa says, brows furrowed. "He could have just fled without drawing attention, I couldn't do much in the smoke, but he wanted me to find you."

Hitoshi frowns as he looks down, trying to figure out how to explain when every word hurts. Suddenly his eyes widened.

He looks around quickly and eventually finds his phone on the ground, it must have slipped out of his hand when Rabbit sat down with him. He grabs it and turns it on.

He lets out a relieved sigh as he sees the voicemail is still recording. Poor Izu is probably going to have a heart attack when he receives it, but at the moment, he couldn’t think of any other way to quickly record what Shigaraki was trying to talk to him about. Clearly it was a good idea, seeing as he can barely remember any of the details. 

He hangs up the call and opens up the now saved voicemail to pass to Aizawa. He can’t be sure how much was picked up, but hopefully it’s better than nothing.

Aizawa raises a brow and plays the recording. 

'The audio is slightly muffled by Hitoshi's hand but a raspy voice is clearly heard mid-sentence. 

"-saw on the TV, you got pretty far in the festival." There is a fabric sound and Hitoshi making a startled noise at something. "Pretty impressive for a villain quirk."' 

Aizawa pauses the voicemail. "Shigaraki was targeting you?" 

Hitoshi looks away and nods somberly. “He wanted me to... join them.”

"What a fool he is." Aizawa huffs. "You're going to be a great hero."

Hitoshi rubs his damp eyes and smiles weakly at him. “Thanks…”

"You're welcome, kid." Aizawa reaches out to gently ruffle Hitoshi's hair. "Let's get you out of here, okay? We can listen to the rest at the police station and you can go home for now, you've had a stressful day."

Hitoshi nods. “Yeah, please...” with Aizawa-sensei here, he feels slightly better, enough to probably be able to move from the spot he was left at, at least.

"Can you walk? Your body might still be in shock from the danger." Aizawa asks.

“Uh,.. I think so?” Hitoshi accepts a hand Aizawa offers to help drag him to his feet, and luckily doesn’t crumple to the ground this time.

“Just remember you can ask for help if you need it. There’s no shame in that.” Aizawa pockets Hitoshi's phone for now so he can have his hands free to be able to help or protect him.

Hitoshi nods again and follows Aizawa out of the store. He blinks in surprise at the fog looking stuff everywhere, which must have been how Rabbit stopped anyone from following them. He really wasn’t paying much attention when being held by him.

He really was just so effortlessly scooped up and carried off by Rabbit. For how surprisingly short he was, Rabbit was pretty strong and… gentle about getting away with him. He was like that during the entire incident, wasn’t he? Even when arguing with Shigaraki, getting more and more visibly angry, his grip never got too tight. The claws on his gloves never broke skin. He was careful with him the whole time.

Hitoshi doesn’t realize when his face starts to heat up again remembering it all.

That's not even touching on what happened in the store. How Rabbit checked his injury and ran his claw over his cheek. Those things could have easily been used to hurt him, but he was careful to just get his attention. It certainly didn’t help that Rabbit was holding him on his lap and called him ‘little hero’ in a non insulting way. It felt like a cute pet name or something.

Although Rabbit didn’t give a good explanation, it didn’t at all answer his questions and just sprung up more, he still stopped to give some sort of explanation, which is more than others can say. He also chose to give him the ice pack after he flinched away from him. Night Rabbit seemed worried, fussing over him like he did himself with Izu after Hosu.

"Are you alright, Shinso?" Aizawa asks. "Your face is red."

Hitoshi jumps at suddenly being called out. “Y-yeah! …I’m fine.” He says sheepishly, only getting more embarrassed.

Yeah, maybe he should stop thinking about Night Rabbit for now, cause clearly that’s not helping. He just follows close to Aizawa so they don’t get separated.

"If you say so, kid." Aizawa sighs and they get out of the smoke, exiting the mall where many other shoppers now are. Paramedics spot them and run over.

The paramedics are quick to check Hitoshi over. One apparently has a quirk to help small injuries to heal faster, which is good, because struggling to talk for only a few minutes is annoying at best. They heal up his neck and Aizawa leads him away to the other students by cars he often sees by UA.

Most of Class 1-A are talking amongst themselves, the sight making Hitosh's heart drop. Shigaraki’s words repeat in his head, no matter how much he tries to ignore them. He suddenly dreads having to be around them and his transfer to the hero course. He sighs and goes towards them anyways, knowing it would be better to not be separated from them again.

Suddenly, a red haired boy that he recognizes at Kirishima, calls out, “Shinso!” And runs over with two others, Sero and Kaminari.

"You're okay! We tried to follow you but Rabbit was too fast!" Kaminari says.

Hitoshi’s eyes widened in surprise. “You did?”

“Yeah! You didn’t see us?” Sero asks.

“Oh- uh… I was kind of distracted..” Hitoshi says awkwardly.

"Ah, yeah that makes sense." Kirishima rubs the back of his head. "Kidnapping does seem like a pretty distracting thing, especially with two major villains wanting you."

“Yeah…” Hitoshi tilts his head. “Though it was more like one major villain wanting me and the other… I don’t even know. Rabbit was pretty vague.”

"Rabbit didn't look happy to see Shigaraki." Kaminari points out. "Rivals maybe?"

“Now? Maybe. But they weren’t before.” Hitoshi hums. “Shigaraki implied it was they’re first time meeting and originally was happy to see him?”

Sero squints at nothing as he tries to think. “But then why would Rabbit be so aggressive towards him?”

“…Rabbit seemed upset that he was targeting students.” Hitoshi says slowly. “He brought it up multiple times.”

"Hmm," Kirishima taps his chin. "He has never targeted kids before, even when his uh, targets had kids they were always away when the hero was killed."

“Some criminals have their own strange set of morals.” Sero mentions. 

“Yeah. They’re more common with vigilantes, but there are villains who have them too.” Hitoshi agrees.

Kaminari frowns in confusion. "But didn't he take you anyways?" 

“He didn’t hurt me.” Hitoshi points out.

“He didn’t?" Sero only looks more confused. "Then what did he want?” 

“I don’t know.” Hitoshi confesses with a frustrated sigh. “He hid with me, gave me an ice pack, and then left with no explanation?”

"Was it scary?" 

"Did he say anything?" 

Kaminari and Kirishima ask at the same time, resulting in Sero deadpanning at the two of them, who smile sheepishly.

Hitoshi coughs awkwardly. “Uh- a little? Rabbit was patient and careful though...” Maybe if he doesn't think about it as much, he won’t blush as hard. “And uh, he said a few things. How I deserved to choose and-…” 

Hitoshi frowns as he remembers the ominous words said before he left. “That the League of Villains weren’t the only ones watching me…”

"You're being targeted!?" Kaminari exclaims with a surprising amount of worry. "Who else is there? We only fought the League so far..."

Hitoshi frowns. “He didn’t specify. He just said that and left.”

“Maybe, If Rabbit is working for anyone...” Sero hums. “Maybe he’s warning you about his group?” He suggests.

"Aren't there rumors he works for the Yakuza?" Kaminari asks, adding more when the others look at him. "Saw some stuff online about it."

Hitoshi tenses up at the thought of the Yakuza having their eyes on him. “I saw those rumors too… but everything I’ve seen online about the Night Rabbit isn’t lining up at all.”

"What do you mean?" Kirishima asks.

“Everything we’ve heard about him has been consistent, right? Heroes who were injured but not killed, witnesses, all of them say the same things about Rabbit. Calculating, cold, uncaring, emotionless, cruel, all the things you’d expect from a Hero Killer.” Hitoshi glares at nothing as he thinks of the differences he noticed. 

“But that’s the exact opposite of what I saw. He didn’t hurt me at all, in fact he was being so careful to not hurt me. He made sure I wasn’t injured when he hid, and he sounded worried when he noticed I was hurt. And Aizawa-Sensei said Rabbit pointed out where I was before he left.” Hitoshi says.

"Soft spot for kids?" Kaminari asks before tilting his head. "Or he has one? Hawks had suggested something similar in an interview not long ago."

“Maybe…” Hitoshi mumbles. Still, he’s not completely convinced. Something seems off.

Sero groans in annoyance, dragging Hitoshi’s attention back. “Man, why are villains always so cryptic?”

"I mean, he is a guy that runs around in a bunny suit and makes it terrifying ." Kaminari says. "Cryptic just seems the way to do things when you do that."

Hitoshi chuckles. “Yeah, I wouldn’t exactly expect someone like that to be open about their motives.”

Sero shudders. “Whenever I think of masked villains like Rabbit, I always think of how anyone around me could secretly be one and I’d have no idea.”

"There's got to be signs , right?" Kaminari questions. "You can't have a secret identity without some of it sneaking into the other identity."

“There are. Usually high-tier villains are better at hiding it though.” Hitoshi points out. “A lot of the signs have to do with things about their personal life not adding up, or for larger villains' cases, being very secretive.“

"So... If we knew someone that was shady about their family or what they do when not around, we should worry?" Kaminari asks.

"Hmm... Maybe ." Kirishima says. "They could also just be in a bad home situation, which is also important to look out for."

“Yeah...” Hitoshi frowns.

His thoughts quickly shift to Izu. 

Although kind and genuine, he’s pretty secretive about his family and home life. The only thing he really knows about his family is his little sister Eri and that he only moved in with his dad recently. Everything else about his family, who he was living with before, it's all stuff he avoids and dances around.

“Those are just red flags, not necessarily a guarantee that something is wrong.” Hitoshi half says that to comfort himself. He hopes Izu isn’t in a bad situation, but he should try seeing if he can get more information from him without being too pushy. Just to be safe.

"Yeah. Just something to watch for I guess." Kaminari nods as he sees Aizawa-sensei go to the front of the crowd of students to get their attention.

"Class! Due to the multiple villains being sighted, you are being driven home by the UA driver bots. If you live in the same area, please ride together. Message the class chat once home." Aizawa says to the class, receiving an echo of ‘Yes Sensei’s from them all.

Hitoshi sighs in relief. “So much for a peaceful trip to the mall.” He can’t wait to get home and hug his family. He was worried he would never see them again after today.

"We can try again some other time?" Kaminari offers with a smile. "You're a pretty cool dude, so it wouldn't take much to hang out with you again." The other two nod in agreement.

Hitoshi blinks in surprise, his chest warming. “Sure, we didn’t really get a chance to buy anything anyways.” He says with a shrug, trying to play off his surprise.

"Yeah." Kirishima nods. "Surprised you were alone when this all happened though, Aoyama said he would be with you."

“Well.. it’s not like I was paying attention either.” Hitoshi says sheepishly.

"Nah, we had a buddy system going." Kirishima says. "After the USJ stuff we set one up in the class chat, which we need to add you to, and Aoyama said he would be yours."

“Oh. That’s a smart idea at least?” Hitoshi shrugs.

"Yeah. Doesn't work if you didn't know and got left by your buddy." Sero sighs. "Anyways, where's your phone? We can give our numbers!"

“Oh, Aizawa-Sensei has it. Most of the conversations with the villains were recorded, so I gave it to him to listen to.” Hitoshi shrugs. 

“We can give you our numbers for you to text us later?” Sero suggests.

"Or at least one of us, the rest can be picked up from the group chat." Kaminari says. "Even Sensei is in there!"

“Why is Sensei in the group chat?” Hitoshi asks as he watches Sero take some tape from his quirk, and a pen he has for some reason, to write his number.

"Mostly to make sure we don't do anything dumb." Kirishima says, chuckling. "But also for stuff like this, as soon as Mina saw Rabbit she messages the chat to get everyone together and alert Sensei. He got here quickly, and he was all the way at UA!"

“Again, smart. Sensei must have been worried sick though.” Hitoshi says with a frown.

“We should start going to the cars now, guys.” Sero hands the folded up tape to Hitoshi. 

Hitoshi takes the tape and looks around to see Class 1-A is starting to disperse into different groups to get driven back home.

"Right, see you later Shinso!" Kaminari calls as he runs over to the cars.

"Text us when you can!" 

“And don’t lose the tape!” Sero and Kirishima call out as they also leave.

“Right, I won’t!” Hitoshi calls back. 

He sighs and rubs his head with his hand as he realizes he survived social interaction with Class 1-A, which shouldn’t be as big of an accomplishment as it feels like it is.

Suddenly, Aizawa’s voice is right beside him. "You alright?" 

"Kami-!" Hitoshi jumps at Aizawa's sudden appearance. "Yeah. Sorry, just trying to figure out where I'm supposed to go." He grumbles halfheartedly. He kind of doesn’t want to tell the teacher of 1-A how overwhelming his class can be.

"Mhm." Aizawa looks like he understands though perhaps his little nod was even one of sympathy. "You're getting driven home by me and Mic."

Hitoshi pockets the tape. “Oh, okay.” He’s glad Aizawa didn’t interrogate him at least, and being with them will make him feel safer.

Aizawa leads him to his personal car, not far off from the other UA cars, where a blond man with his long hair in a bun is in the driver seat.

“ …Is that Present Mic-Sensei? ” Hitoshi asks quietly to Aizawa.

"Yeah." Aizawa’s face seems to almost hide more into his scarf… is that on purpose? "He's my partner."

“Oh.” Hitoshi stares off into space for a moment. “That… makes both no sense and complete sense.”

"People keep saying that." Aizawa sighs. "Just call him Yamada out of uniform, he doesn't like being recognized off the clock."

“Alright.” Now at the car, Hitoshi looks to Aizawa to make sure it’s okay before climbing into the back. 

“There you guys are.” Present Mic- or Yamada, says as the two insomniacs enter the car. “How is everyone, Sho?” 

"Shinso got a bit hurt, but everyone is fine, 'Zashi." Aizawa says. 

Damn they even have nicknames for each other. They really are partners. 

The passenger door closes as Aizawa sighs and shuts his eyes. The man sighs, relaxing for what must be the first time since he got the alert.

“Good.” Yamada gives Aizawa a soft look before focusing on Hitoshi. “You feeling alright after everything, little listener?” 

“As well as I can.” Hitoshi rubs his arm awkwardly. “Just.. a bit drained, really.”

“Well, let’s get you home to rest up then.” Yamada hums. 

"Are your parents home, Shinso?" Aizawa asks, putting in eye drops. Oh right, dry eye. The smoke bombs must have really irritated his eyes.

“Mom should be, at least. Dad depends on if he is still needed at work or not.” Hitoshi shrugs. “Hospital hours are weird.”

"Do you want your phone to call her? I already sent a copy of the voicemail to my phone and a detective I work with." Aizawa says, offering Hitoshi's phone without looking. He stays leaned back with his eyes closed again to rest them. Man, he really looks exhausted. It’s not surprising though, the amount of incidents happening just this year alone makes Hitoshi wonder how the man hasn’t gotten gray hairs yet. 

“Yeah.” Hitoshi quickly takes his phone and calls his mom almost immediately. “I don’t want her to worry.”

"I think that's just what parents do, kid." Aizawa says, soon falling asleep as easily as he does in classes.

Both Yamada and Hitoshi snicker at Aizawa falling asleep so easily. Yamada starts driving while Hitoshi puts the phone to his ear to be able to reassure his mom he’s in fact, not dead. 

He'll have to talk to Izu too, a lot of panicked texts from him about the voicemail. Opps. 

—

GreenBunny: …Are you kidding me???

Purple cat: Don’t give me that!! You're worse than me!

GreenBunny: I’m not the one who almost got kidnapped by Shigaraki.

Purple cat: You were attacked by his Nomu 

Purple cat: Basically yesterday

GreenBunny: It has been MUCH longer than a day but okay.

GreenBunny: …But yeah, touché

GreenBunny: We should both get better at not being involved with fights and stuff

Purple cat: Yeah..

Chapter Text

Izuku sits in his room, multiple notebooks open around him on his desk, but not a thought in his mind is about his current mission.

Things have been so quiet and boring over the past couple of days. Shinso is with Class 1-A to some sort of forest hero-bootcamp-thing, so the two haven’t been able to talk much this week. It’s sad, Izuku’s been missing his friend’s texts and random spouts of wanting attention. He’s like a stray cat he picked up off the streets that normally won’t leave him alone. Said stray cat has been forced to go quiet for the most part.

However, it gives Izuku time to focus on things he’s supposed to be doing. He’s been working on catching up with his analysis for some of the lower level Yakuza. He hasn’t had nearly enough time to make support gear for anyone besides tweaking his own, so the list just keeps piling up. He needs an empty day to just focus on all of the gear.

But unfortunately, Izuku doesn’t tend to get free time. Lab visits have slown to a stop a while ago, but just because he’s strong now doesn’t mean he can stop training. No, he has to keep going. If anything, ever since he got stronger, his training days have increased . Besides taking care of Eri, training takes up most of his time. 

It’s… pretty exhausting.

Rappa seems to be preparing him for something after he learned, somewhat, about Shinso and Izuku being secret friends. The training has gotten harder and more injuries happen, but this also means Izuku gets faster and stronger.

Izuku takes it in stride, as has become his new usual. Training has always been difficult, but at least he’s always challenged, unlike most of his missions. He’s a bit more exhausted than usual, but it’s rewarding knowing he’s getting better. With every new situation he’s put into, his reaction time gets faster, he gets just a bit more motivated. On-the-fly analysis has been getting so much easier, bit by bit.

All the training and healing also means more time with Eri! Overhaul likes to have at least a day between his more intense training and healing in case something didn't heal right, so that time is Eri time.

Spending time with Eri is always his favorite part of his days. For someone who was originally meant to be a babysitter, he doesn’t spend as much time with her as he used to… or wishes he could. Izuku has his routine, but still, he tries to prioritize her as much as he can. She deserves that much at least.

They used to be together all the time before his outside missions started, which was also when Overhaul paid more attention to him. Izuku had thought Overhaul already was paying attention to him in the beginning, but it soon ramped up even more up until, well, now. He can only assume a Yakuza leader can only pay attention to one person so much before it becomes a detriment.

He hardly understands why Overhaul started paying more attention to him though, and why they started growing closer. It’s not like he did anything big or special when it did happen. 

While his boss’ attention keeps him away from Eri much more, he also gets to spend time with.. someone else he cares about. They’ll often talk casually now, usually work related, but sometimes just talking .

It feels like the days Izuku would come back from preschool or kindergarten and talk to his dad about how things went that day. Usually they would be about how he was feeling health wise and any quirks he saw. His little kid vocabulary usually limited his quirk talk to things like ‘cool’ and ‘very cool’, and his dad seemed to pay more attention about his health, but it's kinda the same here.

Overhaul asks about how his missions went and they talk about his health and progress in the labs. What is mostly different is that talking about quirks is his literal job now. He didn’t even think he’d get a job at all with his quirk status. He had hoped to go to UA, as most graduates there, regardless of the program they go to, are usually the top pick that potential employers want. But that was.. A silly, childish dream. His job now is more than he ever could dream of. He could do without the lab experiments though.

He’s kind of used to the experiments though, even before he was brought to the compound. Sure, not at all in the same way, but it's similar to when he went with his dad to the doctors. He doesn’t remember much from when he was that young, but he knows he went to the doctors a lot when he was really little. It’s a lot of sitting, doing nothing, and following commands that makes Izuku uncomfortable and foggy in the labs.

So the main differences between his dad and Overhaul are; Overhaul is his college kid looking boss and his dad was a quirk specialist giant with white hair. 

...And the kidnapping. 

But Izuku forgets that sometimes.

Even when he does remember, he kind of just doesn’t care about his kidnapping anymore. In the beginning, he harbored a lot of bitterness and frustration, but all that is gone now, and he’s adapted. He doesn’t mind his life here, and he would argue it's better than his life before. At least in the Yakuza he’s appreciated, he has a purpose . Sure, sometimes he thinks about and misses his mom, but he doesn’t think about that nearly as much anymore. He knows it's for the best.

It’s hard to admit sometimes, but he thinks he’s finally able to come to terms with the fact that he’s generally pretty happy. Even with the incidents he deals with and the many near death experiences, he’s happy .

It actually felt strange the first time he realized this. He thought he was content before but... 

As he got healthy and stronger, he was also able to get more mature and mentally healthy, well enough to realize that he was not happy at all before. 

He loves his mom, he’d never argue against that, but she babied him constantly after his dad left. He didn’t really mind at first and thought that might just be what parents do after their kid almost dies in the hospital, but she just never stopped babying him. His dad leaving at the same time probably didn’t help, but he still sent birthday cards and flowers at least. They never saw him, but he at least put in the time to hand-write cards.

(Now thinking about it again, his fathers letters were always weirdly worded and felt sad, but it’s the thought that counts? Better than going completely no-contact… not that it matters now.)

Even if being here can get a bit stressful, he likes it better than he ever thought he would. Getting through those first few months, getting used to his new life in the compound, all of that was the hard part. Now he’s made a name for himself, proven his worth, he’s done more than he ever thought he could! As long as he keeps up the good work, he gets to keep enjoying his life.

He should maybe try to do everything he can to stop getting involved with so many incidents. Last time he wasn’t injured, but getting in unnecessary fights isn’t smart. Especially since Overhaul doesn’t even know the reason Izuku went to pick a fight with Shigaraki.

It’s been pretty stressful to keep Shinso a secret, guilt always gnawing at his chest whenever he receives a text from him. Especially after this, he’s risking so much just by being his friend. Luckily, claiming the only reason he attacked Shigaraki was to ‘stop a child from being taken’ was eventually accepted as his actual reason. It’s a good thing Rabbit is already well known to have a soft spot for kids. 

He’s also lucky Overhaul tends to believe his words more easily than he would with most others. He’s more lenient, giving Izuku the benefit of the doubt. He doesn’t take advantage of it often, and feels guilty whenever he’s forced to, but it also makes him feel warm .

It makes him feel like Overhaul trusts him.

It’s a wild feeling, having an adult trust him. Even Rappa seems a little weary of his ideas sometimes. Rude. Justified, but rude.

Having Overhaul trust him wasn’t even something Izuku thought could be a possibility! That was never a part of his plan when he decided to stay. He was just a weak, quirkless kid picked up off the streets and kept in a cell, but now he’s Night Rabbit and trusted by the boss of an entire Yakuza . It’s hard to wrap his head around sometimes.