Chapter Text
Beeping filled Izuku's ears like an incessant drum. He wanted to bring his hands to his skull and rip his ears off, but his limbs felt as heavy as lead. He fought the drowsiness that plagued his mind, yet it seemed futile.
Izuku managed to open his eyes, just for a brief moment. Bright light assaulted his eyeballs like an aimed laser, so he snapped them shut once more. Almost ready to give up and succumb to the exhaustion, he let his tensed limbs relax.
Then he heard footsteps. Dull and thumping heavily against the flooring, the sound making him panic, footsteps were never good. Their noise seemed to overtake the wretched beeping and it all but faded into the recesses of his skull. He couldn't let whoever it was get closer, didn't he shove the cabinet in place? He strained to open his eyes, groaning and blinking shut.
“Midoriya?” A tired voice asked, as if hopeful of something. Eraser? He definitely shouldn't be here. Izuku nearly asked himself how the hero even got in, but he realised quickly that he probably wasn't in the brewery. The beeping, the stiff bed. He was in the hospital.
“H- hospital?” He forced out, wrenching his eyes open. Any panic he felt was muffled, the adrenaline moved through his veins like a thick sludge. Right, that fight earlier. The woman and the kid..
The light didn't seem so harsh against his eyes this time as he strained his muscles to stare up at Eraser. He looked solemn and angry. Thousands of small worry lines marred his exhausted face all at once.
His mouth felt dry as his mind scrambled for any semblance of excuse. He couldn't think of anything that could quell the anger Eraser was surely festering against him.
They stared in silence for a second, neither having anything to say. Izuku felt like he'd never be able to speak again. There was nothing about Eraser’s gaze that was particularly cold, but it was abundantly clear he was pissed.
Tension built in the room and it seemed to suffocate Izuku. His face felt crusted, and the only thing that was stopping him from passing out was the stress of the situation.
Finally, as if sensing Izuku's discomfort, Eraser spoke, “Idiot. That was the most idiotic thing you could've done. Running off like that? Even a seasoned pro could die going out like that.”
Izuku stayed silent. He remembered how he was one second from leaving Iwai, to be all alone. He was glad that Eraser would never know that particular plight of his. If he had infact abandoned Iwai, he’s sure Eraser’s mood would dramatically plummet from pissed to livid. He tried to keep his breathing steady as Eraser spoke.
He was confronting the truth, like he said he would just the other day. Sure, it was much, much sooner than he would prefer, but he knew it would come. He couldn't spend the rest of his life running. Izuku wasn't worthless anymore. If he died alone covered in blood or sick it'd be a waste. He had One For All and he couldn't just throw away All Might’s trust and legacy.
“I'm pissed… but I understand why you ran. It was reckless and stupid and if you ever do it again you will lose your place in the hero course.” Aizawa said that as if he hadn't already fucked any sliver of chance that he had to remain in the course.
“You- you mean-?” He dared to ask. Prayed it wasn't a slip of the tongue. Hoping desperately that he meant it.
“Yes. You can stay in the hero course. But things can't stay as they are.” Izuku winced. Though he was glad, that didn’t rule out other punishments, “You have options, Midoriya. You aren't alone.”
Izuku wanted to press more. What were his options? Who would take a useless quirkless like him, foster care (he knew he was no longer powerless, but he felt just as pathetic)? Maybe he could become a ward of UA? It sounded flimsy at best.
“If nothing else, you should stay with Zashi and I while you recover, then we can look into it more” He finished. There was a hint of.. something in his voice. Maybe Izuku was still sleepy, but he couldn't quite make out the strain in his voice.
He didn't even want to think about it. He didn't want to press. Deciding to change the subject, he asked, “R- recover? What exa- exactly happened? I don't think just passing out would r- require all this..”
“Actually I was going to ask you about that. The doctors said there were complications with.. eel poisoning?” The man looked thrown, even as he spoke the words.
“Huh?” Izuku just stared at Aizawa. Eel.. eel.. oh. That woman. The one bleeding out. She was adorned with some kind of smooth scales, and her kid had an electrical stunning quirk. It would make sense if she was an eel mutant. It could have been a quirk related hate crime? It seemed like a bold assumption.
Though, Izuku was definitely sure that he hadn't eaten the woman. Could it transfer via blood? He did have that cut on his hand. But it was tiny, and affected him way too fast. It could've been heightened by the liberty that it's a quirk effect, or maybe by his exhaustion, or his numerous injuries.
“I guess t- that makes sense,” he decided to voice his opinion on the matter, “the victim— I think she had some sort of eel quirk.”
“That lines up with what the suspect said,” Aizawa agreed.
Izuku wanted to ask what the suspect had said. But he wasn't Ivy, and he wasn't sure Aizawa would willingly tell his fifteen year old student case details just because they were involved.
Then the hero spoke again after a moment of bursting silence, “You should get more rest. I'll come get you tomorrow. Visiting hours are almost up.” and he left the room without another word.
It would be safe to say that Izuku wouldn't Be getting any more rest. Though surrounded by the thin, hospital-blue, curtains, he could tell there was one or two other people inhabiting the room. Not to mention nurses going in and out. It was still light out, but it was late evening, the summer sky refusing to dim in the face of night.
–
Before long angelic rays of sunlight streamed through the window. The curtains that Izuku had left undisturbed through the night muffled the morning glow harshly. Despite this, they still roused Izuku from the half doze he had found himself in.
It was difficult to say exactly what time it was, but it was safe to assume it was the asscrack of dawn. It was summer, and the only thing that roused before the sun itself was the chirping birds of day. Did Izuku mention they chirped a lot? He felt like that was important to gauge his mood. The boy had been worrying all night. His brief bouts of sleep came with sudden flashes of dreams that could only be described as terrific.
Aizawa would hate him. He'd take up their space, food, and money. What if someone found out about his crimes and Aizawa would get thrown under the bus for vouching for him. Would his career be ruined? What if All Might found out and hated him. If he didn't want Izuku to have One For All anymore Izuku didn't know what he'd do with himself.
Logically, he knew he was blowing this out of proportion, but even if you know a spider wouldn't kill you, you'd still keep your distance to quell your fears. Though, in this case he was trying not to crush the spider's web, while forcefully being invited to sit on it. They'd crumble under his weight eventually.
His crisis was hastily thrown to the back burner as the door opened. Izuku reached a hand forward to peek through the papery curtain. Instead of a nurse, or even Aizawa, who he saw was most unexpected. Tenya Iida. He blinked. Iida peered into the room, and quickly realised he was in the wrong one, he turned, flushed, to check the room number. Then he caught a glimpse of Izuku.
“Midoriya!” The boy said a little too loud. Great. It was clear he wanted to inquire about his bedridden position. Great. Especially since he had been ignoring Izuku beforehand.
“I- Iida. What w-what are you d- doing here?” He asked, though he wanted to tell iida to mind his business. Izuku opened the curtain, so he could see him better.
“I was trying to visit my brother.. but I seem to have entered the wrong room,” he explained, somehow both solemn and sheepish, before standing up straighter and saying, “but Midoriya, a- are you okay?”
Izuku was happy to see Iida even the littlest bit like his usual self in spite of his brother's situation, “O- oh it's nothing. I was training right after the sports festival and fainted,” he lied, “my mother hasn't come to collect me yet since she works hard hours.”
He looked to the side, “I would wait with you, but I need to see Tensei.”
“I- I understand, really. G- go see him.” Izuku attempted to coax him to leave. Though, when Iida placed his hand on the door knob, it was pushed open without him.
Iida quickly let go as Aizawa entered the room. As Aizawa walked in, he paused in the doorway. Then he glanced to the side to see Izuku.
“Iida. What brings you here?” Aizawa asked dryly, glancing between them both. Izuku didn't like where this was going. How would he explain to Iida why their teacher was here?
“I was just visiting Tensei, and I.. opened the wrong room.” He explained once again, looking embarrassed.
Izuku cut in quickly to make sure Aizawa didn't contradict any of his lies, “I'm waiting for my mother to come collect me. Since you're here though, could she not make it?” He pretended to look a little disappointed.
Aizawa stared for a second, “right. She has something going on in Tokyo, I believe. I was also in the area because I was about to visit Ingenium too.”
Izuku nodded, as if let down by the information that the hero had just pulled out his ass.
He continued, “Iida, if you don't mind, can Midoriya come with us to see Ingenium? He's being discharged, and I have to escort him home due to his mothers absence.”
Iida looked conflicted, but Midoriya was his friend, and he did need to leave this room. After a moment, he simply nodded. He seemed hesitant, however. Rightfully so, as this was his brother in crippling condition, and Izuku had no right to infringe on his family's privacy.
–
Aizawa pressed his hand against the steel push pad, opening the door. The three of them entered Tenseis hospital room. Izuku's eyes surveyed the room, observing how it quite obviously looked similar to all others within the hospital. However, the occupant being a rich hero, it was a private room histing humself.
Apparently his parents weren't here yet, or weren't coming, Izuku was glad for that, as he didnt think he could make nice with so many people at once. Though he did find it strange, they may have already visited.
Izuku had changed in the hospital bathroom into hero merch that was a tad bit too big. He appreciated Aizawa for bringing it, but he really didn't want to be wearing a hoodie with Present Mic’s face in print across the front.
Izuku didn't really have anything to say to the hero, so he stood to the side while Aizawa and he conversed. Iida sat silently on the bedside chair, listening but not contributing. Eventually Tensi expressed his disappointment over not being able to have Tenya for his first internship.
“So, Tenya, Midoriya, any particular names you're looking at?” Tenya asked, though he didn't sound particularly pressing. Izuku let the silence hang, unwilling to be the first of the two addressed to answer.
“I got just over 300 offers,” Tenya offered, though his voice was quiet, and his tone was rather clipped, “I'm thinking of going with Manual.”
“Manual? Why? He's a decent hero, but he hasn't really got anything to offer you,” Aizawa cut in, questioning him.
Tenya hesitated, “He will give me insight into the standards of heroics. I feel his principles align with what I wish to become as a hero, and I wish to have him as a role model.”
“Atleast have a look through your list, Tenya,” Tensei reasoned. “If you truly want to go with Manual, there's no reason why not.”
Aizawa nodded, apparently also agreeing with this logic. Izuku could not do such, as the truth of his peer's internship choice dawned upon him. If his memory served correctly, the hero Manual was based in Hosu, the very city in which Tensei was crippled.
He couldn't dwell on these implications, as the question was turned towards him. Now, he wouldn't be able to confidently say who he'd decide to pick, nor would he say so in this particular company. The thought of humouring Endeavor’s offer niggled in the back of his mind. He could get that proof for Todoroki.
“I have t- thousands to sort through. I h- haven't landed on any s- sure n- names yet,” Izuku supplied.
“Awh that's a shame. If you need any help,” Tensei leaned in and muttered playfully, “or a little dirt, I could lend a hand.”
Izuku was pretty sure this was an empty offer, as they'd probably not meet again, but he appreciated it. He gave thanks regardless.
“I don't think any of your advice should dictate his internship,” Aizawa said, almost teasing.
They chatted for another few minutes, before Aizawa checked his phone and announced that Hizashi was here to collect them and ‘escort izuku home’.
–
In the car ride to Aizawa’s apartment, he found himself significantly less afraid than he would have been just a few days ago. Sure, he was on the verge of a panic attack and he very much didn't want to be in this car, but considering he couldn't remember the walk to Iwai's friend's house, he thought he was doing just fine. Shit. Iwai.
“Uh i- i- is I- Iwai okay?” He stuttered. He would've thought she'd break into the hospital if Aizawa kept her away.
“I managed to convince her to go home and get some sleep before her shift just before you woke up,” the tired hero explained idly from the passenger seat. He could barely be heard over Hizashi's loud music.
“T- that's good,” Izuku replied. He'd have to message her that he's okay. He didn't feel okay, but it seemed on a scale of mortal peril and slight discomfort, he was a solid six.
The drive went in otherwise silent. He dreaded the moment they pulled into the car park. He'd lived in a rundown warehouse for years, he thought could manage being a burden until the hero either got sick of him or he was placed somewhere else. He could do this.