Chapter Text
The old warehouse was dark except for a single lantern held by the leader of the small group. How many were there? Eight? Maybe nine? It didn’t matter, really. He could take them all out. He had practiced and trained for this moment after all. He could do this.
Taking a single, silent step forward, the boy dressed completely in black moved away from the beam that he was hiding behind. The only light source swung this way and that as the gruff middle-aged man called out orders.
They were moving small wooden crates of whatever supplies into trucks to transfer and sell somewhere up north. One crate loaded, then another, the men passing them down like an assembly line.
3…2…1…And there was his chance.
Just as the last crate was handed to the man standing in the back of the truck, the boy made his move. Only light taps were heard as his feet skillfully sprinted across the pavement. The top half of his body was bent forward as he ran, as silent as a mouse.
The first man was down before any of the others realized what was happening. A shock of green lightning added to the lantern’s otherwise dull light. A single punch to the head had the man standing directly next to the back of the truck on the ground, unconscious.
The boy allowed his body to move instinctually as he took the rest of them down. The last of the subordinates had just enough time to pull out a gun and fire in the terrorizer’s direction, yelling out some kind of order as he did so. The boy easily dodged it, however, before laying him out like he did the others.
Last was the boss. The boy swerved around in a full circle, his eyes searching through the darkness for that one spot of light. The green lightning continued to sparkle around his entire body. He knew it would make him an easy target, but from what he had researched, the boss himself didn’t like carrying guns. He preferred to beat his victims with his own fists instead.
A flash of danger warning him in his mind had the boy ducking down to the ground just in time for the large fist to fly past over his head. He then swerved around with a single leg outstretched to kick the man’s legs out from under him. His leg missed, and he sprung back up onto his feet and jumped back just as another fist flew towards his face.
“Who are you?” the man grunted.
The boy didn’t respond. He allowed the lightning to fizzle out over his black outfit, only leaving a few sparks behind in the eyeholes of his mask.
“Fine. I guess it doesn’t really matter as you’ll be dead soon anyway.” The threat was quickly followed by the man running forward. The boy dodged easily, mentally weighing his options.
If the hand-to-hand combat was anything to go by, it didn’t appear as if the man was using his quirk yet. Not that his ability to multiply anything the size of his own hand was much use in this situation. There was a lot of potential for that kind of power, but in this case, the man obviously relied on pure strength alone.
He took another swing just as the boy in front of him ducked down again. This time, however, he flung his leg upwards and allowed his steel-reinforced shoe to connect with the man’s groin. With a grunt, the boss fell to his knees as the boy stood up to hover over him. He then grabbed the man by the hair at the back of his head and let loose a single punch to the man’s nose, just hard enough to make him dazed.
Blood immediately began to pour from his nostrils and the new cut on his lip. The man spit some of it out, and it landed with a splat on the boy’s black shirt.
Raising his gloved fist again and pulling the man’s head back slightly, the boy finally spoke in a growl, “Where did you take the people you trafficked two months ago on the first of the month?” His voice wavered a bit in a higher pitched tone than that of a full-grown man, revealing him to be younger than he would seem at first impression.
The man’s eyes narrowed slightly, just barely seen with the light of the green lightning now currently sparking on the boy’s still-raised fist. “What’s it to you?” he spat through the little bit of blood still in his mouth.
The boy’s fingers tightened on the hair at the back of the man’s head, making his eyelid twitch just a bit from the pain. “I won’t ask again. Where did you take them?” Each word was spoken out through clenched teeth.
It was then that the man slowly revealed his bloody teeth with a smile. “You’ve never done this kind of thing before, have you, kid?” He ended the observation off with a small chuckle.
“Just answer the question!”
The man let out another bursting laugh. “I can feel it. You’re shaking.”
He was right. The boy could feel it too, now. His arms, his legs, his entire body was trembling just enough to be noticeable. Maybe it was the adrenaline wearing off? No, that excuse wouldn’t work.
“You’re just going to have to kill me, because I’m not telling you anything.” The man stared him right in the eyes, his smug smile never wavering in the slightest. He wasn’t afraid.
The boy’s sparkling green eyes widened just enough to be obvious. The strength in his arms wavered just slightly at the suggestion.
“What? Never killed anyone before?” the man continued to taunt. “Go ahead. I’m honored to be a budding vigilante’s first.”
The boy could feel his breathing pick up in speed just a bit. He tried to steady it, squeezing his raised fist tighter. The implications were just too much. Without much warning the boy let the man go, and a second later, he was gone. There were a few more shouted jeers from behind him, but he barely heard them as he continued to run out into the night air, tearing off his mask without stopping.
By the time he was about a mile away from the warehouse was when the boy finally slowed to a stop. He gasped in great breaths of air as he practically collapsed against the side of a convenience store, then he slid down to sit with his back against the rough outer wall and his knees up by his chest.
A few minutes passed with nothing but the sound of quick breathing and a few shoppers entering and leaving the store to get their late night snacks from around the corner. Sweat pooled uncomfortably in every crevice of his body. He would have to shower before school tomorrow, and he resisted a groan at the thought.
He didn’t have his answers, but at least he wasn’t a murderer and he had survived another day to dig deeper. Moisture found its way into his eyes, but he blinked it back. He would find his mom! Tonight, however, he had failed her.
Izuku Midoriya rested his head back against the wall behind him and looked up at the twinkling stars. Where is my mom? he longed to ask them. If only the little lights had the answer. Two months of investigating, and he was between a rock and hard place. He will continue searching tomorrow.
Standing up on trembling legs, Izuku wiped his sleeve across his nose and sniffed. He began the trek to the old playground that he and Kacchan used to play at all the time as kids. He had a bit more of a lag in his step than he had in awhile, but he wouldn’t stay down for long, he knew that. He just needed this little bit.
As a few tears cascaded down his cheeks, he didn’t bother wiping them away this time. He would be strong again soon, but for now, he allowed himself to cry.