Chapter Text
Before Izuku knew it, he'd been at U.A. for nearly a month.
All his classmates were loud, pushy, always laughing getting into each other's space, asking questions and a myriad of other overwhelming things. They were also always helping each other study or giving each other training tips, always eager to be around each other. Izuku had never been in a class like this before, where they all got along.
Well, most of them did anyway.
Bakugo had to school the day after their reunion as if nothing had happened. Izuku waited for him to start back up the old torments. For him to turn their class against him until Izuku had nothing but studying, his notebooks, and his own head to endlessly spin his thoughts around in. What he received was an ice cold shoulder. Bakugo desk was located directly in front of Izuku's, something that in the past would've sent him into a rage, but he pretended that Izuku didn't even exist. Never looked his way, never spoke a word to him or otherwise acknowledged him at all.
At first, this was a relief. Izuku knew deep down that Bakugo didn't hate him, not entirely anyways. Their relationship was complicated for lots of reasons Izuku himself wasn't even entirely sure of. The harassment and fear he'd grown accustomed to had been another worry piled onto Izuku's shoulders right next to his anxieties around his classmates, of disappointing Nemuri, and having his quirk discovered. Yet, as the days go by, Bakugo remains distant. He'd found a circle of friends at U.A. who he genuinely seemed to enjoy being around and something tugged at Izuku.
He had to ignore it, though. He had homework to do, Principal Nezu's extra assignments, group and individual training, all while keeping tight leash around The Hunger. Izuku knew he could always go to the nurse's office for his meals, but he was often caught by classmates asking him to sit with them for lunch. Shinsou and Uraraka being the most persistent. At least with Shinsou, he usually ate outside or camped out on the roof when the door got left open, which was much quieter compared to the cafeteria. Izuku didn't hate eating with everyone there, but its overwhelmed his senses and strained his control. Something he suspects on some level Shinsou understands and is why he drags him off despite Izuku knowing the other teen is perfectly content to eat alone.
Nemuri and Izuku are sitting at the table, her eating leftovers while Izuku does his best to neatly finish his second meat package. He's so used to eating in the same room as regular food, it barely makes his nose twitch or stomach twinge. Though he does eye her plate with a hint of distaste. As a teacher, pro hero, and his guardian, Izuku knows any free or down time is rapidly snatched up by her various responsibilities. He still wishes she could have healthier meals instead of takeout or delivery. Maybe, he could start learning to cook. His mother never bothered trying to teach him. The only skills required for him to get a meal are stalking and hunting.
"How's school going?" Nemuri piped up, bringing him back to the present. Tone casual and eyes focused on her own meal, she was trying to keep the question light and free of prying.
He turned over the question for a moment. Compared to his time scraping by day to day on the street, life was in constant motion for him. Sure, back then he had to be quick and always ready to flee if someone started poking around or a police officer got too close. Most of his time was spent sleeping, doing odd jobs in exchange for cuts of meat, or waiting until dark to break into the hospital morgue.
"It's… intense," He finally answered. "But good."
"Good," She reached out and lightly placed her hand onto his. "You know you can always tell me if anything was bothering you, right?"
"Of course," His reply was immediate. Nemuri smiled, but there was a pinch between her brows, a flash of doubt. She pulled away to return to her dinner.
Izuku bit his lip, warding off the guilt at his lie. It was the truth when he said school was intense, but good. Everyone was much nicer than they ever were to him at Aldera and he actually felt like his mental and physical abilities were being pushed to their full potential. It was a challenge, but the fun kind that had him springing awake in the morning eager to start his day. And sometimes, he even found himself… having fun. Such a novel occurrence, sometimes in the middle of shyly laughing at Mina's outrageous gossip, Todoroki's quiet but dry it wit, Kaminari and Jiro's arguments, or Shinsou's biting sarcasm, he'd stop and marvel at the feeling.
He's sure to any onlooker, they'd think he was an awkward but normal hero student. Which was exactly what he wanted. Izuku never wanted Nemuri or his classmates to get any other idea. Izuku was a perfectly normal high schooler just trying to pass his classes and one day become a hero.
No one's ever supposed to know about the sleeplessness caused by nightmares, the nights he woke screaming into his pillow, or biting down on his hand to muffle his tears until he broke the skin. The mornings he was awake before Nemuri, working on homework at the table or tidying up the living room because he'd been unable to fall asleep in a cold sweat with his jaws chattering hard enough to hurt.
It was better people laughed off his jumpiness as him being unobservant or just a generally anxious person. Better that the scrapes and bruises all over his arms and legs are written off as him being clumsy rather than caused by the phantom itching under his skin from The Hunger. From the imagined hands of his victims fighting him off with their dying strength that makes him claw at himself until he's bleeding raw and sitting in the shower watching it all run down the drain. He still finds himself sitting too still sometimes, watching and waiting like a snake poised to strike. Always aware of his surroundings, ears and eyes straining for some attack that never comes. For something weak and vulnerable waiting to be snapped up. Shame burning sickeningly hot when his first instinct is to bare his teeth in warning rather than a smile.
He's determined to stay normal for Nemuri, for his classmates. He won't let himself put any of them in danger, especially now that he's gotten to know them. Now that for the first time Izuku's made friends. That's what really steals his breath away. What has him shaking so hard with terror he's paralyzed in a puddle of his own cold sweat late at night, unable to move or think as his lungs stall and his chest aches with how hard his heart is pumping blood to his panicked limbs. These kids are his friends and they treat him like he's any other student, they talk and laugh with him. They invite him to hang out at lunch or after school. Izuku would never forgive himself hurting any of them even as he feels The Hunger patiently biding its time below the surface.
Which is why he was so quick to deny having any problems at school to Nemuri or anyone else who happened to ask. Even when problems did occur.
Like now, as Izuku stared at his locker hanging open on a broken hinge. He didn't even fully register what he was looking at. He'd shut and locked it this morning after dropping off his outside shoes and pulling out his red painted sneakers for class. Izuku pushed the bent metal to the side and the door swung open with a weak squeak.
Oh, the thought drifted out clearly from his numbed confusion. It's this again.
Izuku is being bullied.
The contents of his locker were covered in mud and paint. The cool weather had frozen the ground, so he assumed the muck covering his jacket and backpack were the product of someone or two's quirk. The paint could've been snatched from the art room or brought from home. Izuku silently pulled off his shoes and set them aside before putting on the dirtied pair from his locker, lacing them with practiced, mechanical movements. He'd usually leave his inside shoes here until the next morning, but the supposed safety of his locker had been proven to be pretense. He carefully opened his muddied backpack and placed the shoes inside as carefully as possible to not dirty his books. Swallowing back a groan, he slid the still wet arm straps on, feeling where the mud and paint were seeping into his uniform jacket, and began walking home.
This wasn't new. In middle school, Izuku had been a frequent target of bullies. The weak, quirkless, crybaby who no one stuck up for and never stuck up for himself was the easiest target for mean kids to take out their frustrations on. He'd gotten pretty good at avoiding bullying attempts, but he'd let his guard down.
It was unfair of him, but Izuku immediately thought of Bakugo. While his harassment in the past had been more physical and face-to-face, Izuku had had plenty of his possessions destroyed by the blond growing up. Only, Bakugo had been avoiding him like the plague. Why start this sort of childishness again? No, it didn't make sense and Izuku struck the thought from his mind.
Izuku ended up meeting his bullies soon after the locker incident, backpack and raincoat now sporting dried splotches of paint and dirt that he'd been unable to fully wipe out. He was privately ashamed over the tears he'd spilt while scrubbing the previously pristine yellow fabric of his bag under hot water and seeing that the mess wouldn't fully coming out. Izuku had just been glad Nemuri hadn't been home to witness it.
They were some kids from general studies Izuku didn't know. He caught them during lunch break when he remembered he'd left something behind in Aizawa's room and walked in on them scribbling over his desk.
It was a group of three all snickering to themselves, permanent markers tracing crude shapes and cruder words onto the surface. Izuku watched with a detached sort of interest. Either he made a noise or one of them became aware they were being watched, because a moment later one of them looked up and nudged the others with wide eyes. All three, two boys and a girl, paused and stared at Izuku. Then, they dropped their markers and raced for the door, pushing him aside on the way out while giggling to each other. There was a disconcerting quality to the sound, the joyful laughter of children aimed at his humiliation and degradation.
Izuku sighed quietly and walked over to his vandalized desk, not even fully absorbing what was scribbled there. He caught a brief glimpse of 'quirkless' before his eyes glazed over and he looked away, swallowing the bitter taste on his tongue. Izuku spent the rest of the meal period quietly scrubbing away the marks until they were nearly gone. A few faint traces were still visible, but the bell had rung and it didn't really matter what his desk looked like. He could still sit there, listen to lectures, and take notes no matter what was written there.
The general studies students weren't relentless the way Izuku's old classmates had been. A lot of their animosity was expressed through dirty looks and snide remarks muttered to each other without a real effort to keep their voices unheard. Izuku thought it was a specific group that were messing with him, but the kids who targeted him regularly rotated until he realized it was all of the general studies that seemed to have a problem with him.
Rude notes shoved into the holes of his lockers that spilled out at his feet upon opening, rotting food taken from the school's dumpster hidden in the pockets of his gym uniform, and one particularly memorable day when the entire class had seemingly made it a game of who could trip Izuku the most times without being caught. He'd noticed them comparing scores after sending him sprawling onto his hands and knees for the tenth time before midday.
Izuku numbly accepted this all. None of it was particularly new or interesting. It didn't affect his studies or ability to work hard in class. Even the more aggressive antics, like the time he'd been cornered after school by a few of general studies' brawnier kids and shoved around for seemingly no reason other than to get a reaction or when a big bin of thumb tacks had been dumped into his backpack after he'd mistakenly left it behind in the cafeteria and he'd needed to carefully pick through it to get his things for class without shredding his hands completely.
It was nothing he couldn't handle. He absolutely did not want to make a big deal out of it by telling a peer or teacher. Just the idea had him sweating with embarrassment. What could anyone do other than make it worse? The few times Izuku had quietly confided in a teacher, they'd gone out of their way to ignore any future incidents aimed his way or outright belittle him to his face. No, Izuku wouldn't let this bother him.
So what if sometimes he'd have to sit down next to whatever item they'd wrecked or scribbled over or similarly sabotaged and just stare blankly down at his lap until he gathered enough mental energy to try and salvage whatever they'd gotten their hands on? And so what if their cruel words and actions had his eyes swimming with moisture he desperately choked back to avoid giving them the satisfaction of seeing him cry? Izuku wasn't going to let himself be the school crybaby anymore.
The kids were smart about it too, always careful to not get caught in the act during or afterwards and Izuku was practically an accomplice with the way he cleaned up after them and kept his mouth shut. Nemuri had asked him a few times about the weird stains she found him scrubbing out of his uniform, the bandages on his fingers from the sharps dropped in his bag, the bruises up and down his legs from being tripped and landing on them all day. His excuses were weak, but he eventually got better at sweeping away concerns.
Shinsou was the only one who never brought up anything. Never commented on the dirt smeared on his jacket, never asked about the new bandages or bruises, didn't even wonder aloud why Izuku was late when he was stuck scrubbing dried gum off the seat of his desk chair. For some reason, this made it harder each time to swallow back his tears and spit out the excuses.
Any time he even considered opening up to Nemuri or complaining to Aizawa, Izuku would picture the looks of total disdain on their faces. He'd survived his mothers death, being kidnapped, and then tortured by Shigaraki himself, and now he was whining about a little schoolyard bullying? Izuku resented himself for being weak enough to even consider it.
It was one day he was repeatedly hammering this thought away in his own head while trudging home later than intended. It was his turn to help clean the classroom with another kid, but they'd felt sick and Izuku had told them to go home and he'd take care of it. Now, body aching after the brutal regiment Aizawa had put the class through on top of scrubbing the entire room spotless, Izuku was dreading the stack of homework waiting for him at his desk. Izuku likes homework, likes studying, but lately some of the joy had been leaking out of the activity.
"Deku-chan! Deku-chan!" A singsongy voice called. Izuku's footsteps faltered. He thought he might've been imagining it due to exhaustion. He looked dumbly up and down the street, looking for who might've called his name. The sun was starting to set, going down earlier each day as they approached midwinter, and his surroundings were bathed a dusty orange. He tightened the straps on his backpack, turning to face forwards and continue his way home with slight trepidation. He could hear a pair of feet skipping his way, coming closer. He had time to tense up before something heavy collided with him, sending him tumbling to the ground.
A high pitched shriek escaped him as he landed on his stomach, his wrists and legs instantly pinned. A snarl tore out of him, arms writhing as he tried to push his assailant off him.
They pushed their face way too close to where his was squished against the ground, grinning ear to ear. Izuku twisted around to try and get a better picture on whoever had materialized out of thin air and attacked him.
A middle aged man, balding, with a thin mustache on his upper lip. Izuku had no clue who he was or why he'd suddenly leapt on top of him. Looking down slightly, he saw the man wore a police uniform and badge. Immediately, fear swept through him. Did this officer somehow figure out who he was? Piece together he was that strange creature who'd fled the earthquake wrecked vestiges of his home and leaving behind a brainless corpse? He'd never gotten a good look at the cops who'd found him. He braced himself, coiling tight as he concentrated. Izuku had to use all the strength he had left if he wanted to flip the man off him and run away, not stopping until he was home and burying himself into Nemuri's arms.
"Deku-chan, it's me!" The policeman said as if Izuku was supposed to know who he was. Then, he blinked and looked down at himself. "Oh, whoops. Guess you wouldn't recognize me like this." The stranger let out a girlish giggle, demeanor entirely out of character for a grown man. Before Izuku could pull together his scrambled thoughts, the man's face began to warp and melt.
A sound of pure animal fear escaped Izuku and he thrashed harder, trying to escape. Thick slimy chunks of liquid splashed down onto him, making Izuku gag. Who was this insane man? Was he dying? Trying to kill Izuku? He had to get away, had to—!
"Surprise!" The excited squeal cut off his racing thoughts. Izuku went still, mouth hanging open as he stared up at none other than Toga Himiko's face. With every passing second, her body continued to melt and shed the weird slime until he recognized the girl underneath. Messy blond buns, sharp fanged grin, and feverishly red cheeks. The kind villain girl who'd been with the League. "Happy to see me? I'm so happy to see you, Deku-chan!"
"Toga," He rasped out, finally able to find his voice. "What are you doing here? Didn't the heroes capture you?" Toga pouted and sat back on her heels, releasing him from his pinned spot beneath her.
"I came all this way looking for you and you can't even pretend you're happy to see me?" She complained, crossing her arms over the strange off-white skin-tight bodysuit she wore.
"I-I'm sorry," He sat now that he'd been freed, scooting back to put space between them. Izuku was frantically trying to wrap his mind around this. The last time he'd seen her, she'd been sneaking him extra portions under Shigaraki's nose so he wouldn't die of starvation. He was certain the heroes and police had captures her, had even hoped the entire League of Villains were in custody. Nemuri hadn't offered details and he hadn't pressed for them. "You… startled me," Was all he managed.
"That's okay because now we can hug and catch up!" She proclaimed, stretching her arms out wide. Izuku didn't move closer, still tense in case she lunged for him again.
"How'd you find me?" He asked. Toga huffed, letting her arms fall limp.
"Fine," She sniffed with annoyance. "Be that way." Toga stood and Izuku scrambled to copy, dusting himself off. "I never told you how my quirk works, Deku-chan." Toga rocked back on her heels, eyes raised up to the sky.
"I can shapeshift into other people by drinking their blood, the amount I consume directly correlates with how long I can stay in their form." She flashed a sharp toothed smile before holding her hand out towards him, a small pill shaped object sitting in her palm. "I keep this part secret," Toga's tone turned conspiratorial. "But I can store someone's blood in these tiny packets and hide them in my mouth in case I need an emergency transformation. I snuck into your cell and took some of yours, it wasn't hard since you were all beaten up and bloody already. I held on to it just in case, and when the heroes came to kill us I stuck it in my mouth!" Toga tossed the pill pocket up and caught it between her teeth, then it disappeared into her mouth with a sweep of her tongue. "Ta-da!" She proclaimed, opening wide to show she'd hidden it away.
"Th-that's crazy…" Izuku mumbled, fingers moving up to his mouth to stem the words threatening to spill out. He couldn't start freaking out over her quirk and getting lost in an analysis, not yet. He was standing out in the open with a high level villain criminal. "So transforming into me helped you escape?" She nodded.
"Mhm! I get all goopy and since you're a bit smaller than me I could slip out of my restraints easy peasy!" Toga mimed pulling her hand out of cuffs with a loud pop of her lips. "It made a pretty good distraction. But I did have to drink a bunch of blood from people I don't like." She pulled a face at that, sticking out her tongue in disgust.
"But, Toga," Izuku started, stepping closer. "Why did you come find me? I mean, shouldn't you be worried about being caught again? O-or even killed?" He hesitantly placed a hand on her arm. While part of him was scared of Toga and her erratic behavior, another part felt deeply indebted to her for the kindness she'd shown him during his captivity.
"Aw, are you worried about me Deku-chan?" She cooed, grabbing his face and squishing the fat of his cheeks around. He spluttered, flushing red and swatted away the touch. "It was no problem really, I just needed to find people to turn into and then steal a city map," She pulled a crumpled paper from inside the neckline of her bodysuit. "Once I figured out where I was, I jumped a cop to drink his blood. It's way easier wandering around that way 'cause normal people don't bother cops often. Then I camped outside U.A. until you finally came outside!" She grabbed his hands before hopping up and down in excitement. "I was waiting for like, forever! I got worried you might've gotten locked up by the mean heroes after all, but then I saw you and now we're here!"
"Wait, this is all…" His mind spun outward with a dozen different imagined scenarios about Toga's trek and all the horrible things that could've happened to her all while trying to get to him. He wasn't worth that sort of risk! "You've gotta find somewhere safe to hide, somewhere heroes can't find you." Izuku twisted his hands around so he was holding onto Toga instead, gripping her wrists with sweaty palms. "It's not safe like this, what if—?"
"But it's fine now," Toga smiled like she had everything figured out. "Because we're together again and kids with creepy quirks look out for each other." Her tone was so firm, so resolute, Izuku was stunned into silence. She really thought that just because they both had unconventional quirks, they were better sticking together than her going out on her own. For a long moment, he was unable to speak past the lump in his throat.
"W-well, I suppose I can help you. I owe you, y'know, from before," Even now, sometimes he found it hard to verbalize what'd happened with Shigaraki and the League. Toga squealed, nodding frantically.
"Yes! Let's run away and find lots of people to snack on," She was already tugging him forwards, bare feet skipping in her eagerness. "Then we'll have each other and no one else to make life hard."
Izuku dug his heels in, trying to slow her down. "W-wait, that's not what I—!" But his protest died in his throat when Toga's entire body locked up. She'd frozen in her spot, head turned towards a dark alley they'd been walking past. Izuku couldn't make out anything interesting enough to captivate her attention, but his ears quickly perked up. The uneven sound of someone running right towards them.
Barely a second passed after he realized what he was hearing for Izuku and Toga to move in perfect unity. They stood shoulder to shoulder, fists and teeth ready for whatever threat came their way.
A little girl, maybe five or six, came stumbling out of the shadows. She had long, gray hair and bright red eyes currently full of fear. Bandages covered her arms and legs that disappeared under a frumpy hospital smock. She must've been running as fast as her little legs could go as she was breathing hard, sweat beading at her temples. At once, Izuku and Toga relaxed and crouched down to be eye level with the girl.
Startled, not expected the both of them to be there already, a little gasp escaped her as she stumbled to a halt. The little girl took an unsteady step back, clearly exhausted with only panic fueling her. Even from a distance, Izuku could smell the way the scent of blood clung to her.
"Are you lost?" Toga asked, voice honey sweet. "Getting lost can be scary." The little girl looked back and forth between them, clutching at the fabric of her gown.
"Can we help you? Is your mom somewhere nearby?" Izuku asked, subtly shuffling closer but stopping when the girl took another step back.
"N-no, you can't," She glanced over her shoulder. Izuku could hear the way her heart stuttered, quick and staccato like a frightened rabbit. "No one can help!" With a wail, the little girl's knees gave out and she covered her little face. No child should ever look or sound so anguished.
Again, Izuku and Toga moved in unison to the girl's side to sandwich her between them. Hands awkward but gentle as they pat over her shoulders and back, careful to avoid the bandages in case the covered injuries were tender.
"Hey, it's okay," Izuku soothed.
"Yeah, don't cry," Toga chimed in. "My name is Toga and his name is Deku and we're both really nice."
The little girl looked up, wide eyes still teary and appled cheeks wet. She sniffled, wiping at her nose as she glanced between the two teens and considered their words. Going a bit shy, she grabbed a fistful of Izuku's uniform pants and rested her hand on top of Toga's knee.
"Um, I'm Eri," She whispered, peeking up at them through her fair eyelashes. "And I ran away from home." Toga smiled, warm and gentle, sweeping some of the hair off Eri's forehead. The movement brought his attention to a tiny stubby horn protruding from the side of her head that Toga's action revealed. He bit back his curiosity, knowing now wasn't the time for questions about her quirk.
"Don't worry, Eri-chan, I've run away before. It's not so scary after the first time," Izuku stared at her.
"Maybe we shouldn't teach her that," He mumbled over the girl's head. Toga shrugged at him like she didn't get what the problem was. Izuku cleared his throat and turned back to Eri. "Why did you run away from home?" Eri sniffled again, curling closer so she was leaning into Izuku's side. Surprised, he slowly wrapped an arm around her.
"It's not nice there," She admitted, wiping at her eyes. Izuku's heart clenched, brimming with sympathy for this poor little girl. Toga's smile faded, her typical grin wiped away and replaced with something distant and cold.
"You got all these owies there, right?" Toga asked softly, grazing her fingers over one of Eri's bandaged arms. "Someone at home is hurting you," Her last comment wasn't a question. Eri slowly nodded, looking worried like she feared they might grow angry with her confirmation.
"I'm so sorry," Izuku whispered, squeezing Eri closer. He didn't realize how tightly he was squeezing until Toga touched his shoulder. He sucked in a breath through his teeth and released his hold. Eri didn't complain despite his touch having to have been uncomfortable, just stared up at him with sad, understanding eyes. He swallowed. "Y-you don't deserve to be hurt, okay?"
"We'll help you, Eri-chan. No one's gonna hurt you anymore," Toga promised. It was small, but hope flickered across Eri's expression.
Again, Toga reacted just before Izuku. Her entire body twisted around to look down the alley that Eri had emerged from, muscles coiling with potential energy. Izuku turned as well, cocking his ear. Steady, unhurried boot steps clicked across the concrete heading directly towards their group. Eri looked between them, brows drawn in confusion.
In a flash, Izuku was on his feet pulling Eri up, holding her tight against his chest. Her frail little arms automatically curled around his neck. Toga shifted so she was standing in front of them, shielding them from who was coming. She'd pulled out a knife from some unknown location and held it at chest height, waiting.
"Eri… you're causing a scene," The voice sent icy shivers down Izuku's spine. Low and calm, almost disinterested, but a clear undercurrent of danger that set his teeth on edge. Eri cowered against Izuku, trembling all over. "Let's go before someone gets hurt because of you again."
"No," She whispered, turning to tuck her face into Izuku's shoulder. "D-don't make me, please…" Izuku cupped the back of her head. His heart had been thumping with adrenaline, mind racing as he desperately searched for an out. But hearing those soft, terrified words whispered with trust into his ear by this sweet innocent girl centered Izuku.
He wouldn't allow her to be hurt, no matter what.
No longer caring to wait for this newcomer to arrive, Izuku twisted and flexed his legs hard before launching himself into a long jump. His body burned at the exertion, muscles still sore and recovering, but that didn't matter. The second his feet touched the ground, he saw the pavement roll and bubble like it'd turned to liquid. He had a fraction of a moment to react before whatever it was overcame him. Izuku launched himself into the air again, dodging the spikes shooting up out of the ground. Eri shrieked, clinging to him with all her little strength.
This man, whoever he was, had a quirk that let him manipulate inorganic matter. Izuku didn't know the specifics, didn't have enough time to asses his opponent, all he knew was he needed to get Eri out of here. He caught sight of Toga jumping back and forth, dodging the pillars shooting up out of the ground while her knife caught the light of the sunset with every swipe she aimed at the man. He was crouched down, palms flat on the sidewalk, launching walls of cement Toga and Izuku's way to attack and defend at the same time. His quirk must be touch activated. Strange bird-like mask, dark green bomber jacket with a fur lining, and a piercing stare that was locked perfectly onto Izuku despite the distance between them. Izuku absorbed all of this midair, in the space between his leap and landing.
Stumbling, he lost a second trying to get his feet under him and take off into a sprint. That moment was enough for one of the spikes to spring out of the earth and collide with his gut. Izuku grunted, the impact stealing the breath from his lungs. He heard Eri scream again, felt her arms go loose like she was letting go. Izuku's strength faltered and he felt her slipping away, liquid fire dripping down his side.
"Eri!" The man howled a dozen feet away, still fending off Toga's dancing, snake-like attacks. Izuku had no clue what shape she was in, if she was fast enough to reach his side and take Eri. Izuku felt his eyelids growing heavy, the world darkening. Toga would have to be fast enough to get her to safety.
When his eyes weakly blinked open, it was still in that millisecond in the air, the world around him muffled like he was witnessing it all from far away. They were falling, the impact of the blow to his stomach had sent them tumbling head over toe. Eri was above him, hands still outstretched, face tear stained and mouth parted in horror as she stared down at Izuku's limp figure. At how he'd failed her.
He saw it, then, the look in her eyes. The defeat, the acknowledgment that she would return to this man, her abuser, to keep Toga and Izuku from harm.
With a snarl, Izuku twisted mid air, yanking Eri's limp grip back towards himself, maneuvering her body until he had her in a piggyback, locking her wrists around his throat. He heard her gasp next to his ear as he landed in a crouch, having righted them a moment before they would've hit the pavement.
"It's alright, Eri-chan," He grit out, a hand moving to cover his wound, blood splattered down to his knees. This girl needed help. Izuku could be the one, could be a hero. "Just be brave for a little bit longer." She buried her face into his neck again, stifling a whimper. A rush of strength he didn't know he possessed swept trough him and he forgot that fatigue and pain existed.
Back at the mouth of the alley, Toga had managed to get a couple blows in. Much of the man's focus was aimed her way now rather than Izuku and Eri's, blood dripping down from a decent slice along his hairline. This gave Izuku the chance to reach the edge of the street a block away and dart around the corner without any pursuit from the weird quirk-manipulated road. Sprinting at full speed, Izuku held Eri against him as tightly as he could without hurting her.
"It's okay," He said again, reassuring them both. "We're gonna save you." The world was going blurry. He worried he might be starting to black out again and his burst of strength was already starting to leave him, but realized it was just tears smearing his vision. He sniffed hard, wiping at his eyes with his shoulder before setting his jaw with determination. His feet flew below him, barely touching the ground. "I'm going to save you, Eri-chan!"