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The second that Nedzu hears from up high in the hero commission that they suspect Izuku as the supposed UA traitor, he tells Aizawa.
Predictably, Aizawa is alight with anger- as in, he is ready to stomp down to the hero commission with murderous intent. It makes no sense at all because Aizawa knows this boy. He knows this boy.
Midoriya has cracked himself to pieces for his classmate, has sworn his heart to insanely high expectations and has risen time and time again to meet them- even to surpass them. This is the kid that hesitates to ask Aizawa for help, even when the situation is life-threatening because he doesn't want to be a burden. Because he assumes he'll be turned away.
This is a kid who has every reason imaginable to turn against hero society and burn it to the ground, but instead makes the conscious decision every single day to go out and put his whole heart into doing as much good as he could.
Aizawa doesn't believe what he's hearing for a second. He'd go to the hero commission and tell them himself where they can shove this theory, unfortunately, he needs a job so he can keep up with and continue to stand by his students.
So he tells Nedzu that he'll keep an eye out and hangs up the phone, wishing he could do more.
.
Hagakure overhears their conversation as she's sneaking into Aizawa's classroom to grab her journal back after she left it the other day.
She pauses outside of the door, completely confused because the words Midoriya and traitor together aren't right. She turns it all the way around in his head, trying to make it make sense.
A traitor would be selling them out to the league of villains. If that was the case, why was Midoriya so ghost pale after his mall run-in with Shigaraki? Why was he so hesitant to let any of them near his neck for months afterwards? Why did it take him even longer to just talk about what happened?
If the danger was staged to trick them, then why did his fear feel so real?
She runs into Sero as she's flipping it around in his mind, and ends up telling him. Mainly because he has a pretty good track record of keeping a clear head when everyone around him (read: Bakugou and Kaminari) are being wild.
When she says it, he makes a face- disturbed and confused and almost offended.
"Haga, are you playing a prank?"
"No!"
Sero squints for a second, then shakes his head. "Midoriya wouldn't do that," he says confidently, "he's too good. He just wouldn't."
"Who's too good for what?" Kaminari asks, tripping out of the elevator with a Fat Gum onesie on. He looks like he got three hours of sleep, and it's probably because there's a test in Cementoss' class today and he likes to keep off his studying until the last second.
Which as they're all trying to get him to stop doing, but it's slow going. They'll get it eventually.
"Hagakure thinks that Midoriya is a class traitor." Sero says casually, loud enough for Tokoyami, who's pouring some coffee for Dark Shadow, and definitely loud enough for Jiro, who could probably hear them even if she was on the other side of the building.
"I don't!" She exclaims. "I just overheard that from Aizawa-sensei."
"Class traitor?" Denki blinks. "What, like the Hunger Games ?"
Sero knocks an elbow against his arm. "No, as in selling us all out to the League traitor. Class-a traitor." And he says it like a joke, clearly in the middle of waving it away, but Kaminari is running on fumes and pure emotion, because he crackles dangerously, yellow light curling around him.
" Who thinks that Midoriya is a traitor?" He asks, his voice tight with anger, such whiplash change from his normally chipper and playful tone, that they all pause.
Hagakure has to admit. It's a sight to see: Kaminari Denki sizzling with protective anger in an oversized onesie at five thirty in the morning.
"Whoever these conspirators are, they must be mistaken." Tokoyami says. "I mean, Midoriya is a light despite the darkness. He is not the darkness chipping away at the light."
"I don't know who thinks it." Hagakure says, gently patting Denki's arm, ignoring the tiny shocks. "I think it was principal Nedzu on the other line. I don't think he believed any of it either."
"What would happen if he did?" Jiro asks, leaning over, finally giving up on pretending to ignore them. "What would they do?"
"The school?"
"Yeah." She nods. "Would they confront him? Question him? Would they search his room?"
"I think they could search his room," Sero says slowly. "Only because his room is the dorm, right? Technically it's their property. It's the same thing as doing a locker check if one of the students at school has drugs. And I guess they could ask him straight up if he's a traitor, but actual questioning would need a parent. They shouldn't do that without contacting Ms. Midoriya."
"Yeah, they shouldn't," Jiro points out. "That doesn't mean that they wouldn't."
"What would they even search his room for?" Hagakure asks. "All Might merch? I mean, come on, there's nothing even remotely traitorous in that room."
"His pages of passion."
There's a beat of silence.
"Do you mean Midoriya's hero notebooks?" Sero blinks. Tokoyami nods solemnly.
"Well that's fucking stupid." Jiro scoffs. "Midoriya is talented, yes, and his analysis is pretty terrifying, but he isn't hiding it away. He's shared his notes with me after training multiple times. He's the main reason that I've started crouching when using my plugs to make them less of a target. I've seen him and Mo pour over those things for sometimes hours at a time together. If I didn't know that Momo was a raging lesbian and that Midoriya only had eyes for Todoroki I'd probably be jealous."
"Okay, but they don't know that." Hagakure says. "They don't know that the notebooks are helpful to us. They'll see pages of our strengths and weaknesses and think he's collecting data to sell away."
"If they get their hands on those books, there's no doubt they'll suspect him even more- and then they'll tear his shit up." Sero muses. "I mean, even if they realize that he isn't a traitor, they wouldn't want him to keep doing it."
"I don't understand why we're even talking about this," Denki huffs. "Midoriya has saved our lives more times that we can count. He isn't a traitor. Anyone that thinks so is dumber than me when I'm short circuiting."
"You're not dumb," all four of them say in unison, without missing a beat. Denki sighs.
"You know what I mean."
"We just need a plan for if they search the rooms," Hagakure says. "Maybe we can move the notebooks somewhere else? Todoroki's room?"
Jiro barks out a laugh. "That's the only place that Midoriya spends more time in, other than the training room and the common room."
" And All Might's office-" Sero adds.
"Okay, so not Todoroki." She sighs. "Then who?"
"How about we spread the notes throughout all of our dorms." Tokoyami offers. "This will keep all of the notebooks inconspicuous."
"You're right," Jiro nods, "one notebook in every room is less suspicious than almost twenty in one room."
"And in case it isn't enough, they can't search all of our rooms." Denki grins, a little bit feral.
Hagakure shudders. Sleep deprived Denki is terrifying.
.
"If Midoriya was a traitor," Ojiro says slowly, "then, quite frankly, he's doing a horrible job of it."
Sato nods vigorously. "Yeah, the little dude is probably more likely to stumble upon the actual traitor by accident. He'd either successfully turn them over to the hero side with friendship, or he'd end up being kidnapped by them and it would turn into a whole thing."
The mood dips a little at that, because yeah, their Midoriya was more trouble prone than most Pros and it landed him in Recovery Girl's hospital room more often than not. If they could keep him bundled up and safe from the many things and people that wanted to cause him harm, then they would.
"He would end up captured by them," Yaoyorozu murmurs worriedly, "you're right." Jiro presses their palms together and interlocks their fingers comfortingly.
"He's still asleep-" Sero reassures, "Don't worry, I checked. As soon as he's awake we're gonna relocate his notebooks."
"Okay but I still don't like that they're just allowed to search his room. Even if it's technically their property. We should do something about that." Hagakure says, crossing her arms over her chest. No one can see it, but her brows are furrowed in anger. "Even if there's nothing for them to find, I know that Midoriya has grown to consider that room a safe space- if they go into it without his permission, it instantly stops being so safe."
"Ai," Ojiro sighs, "and he already has a hard time coming to us when he feels generally unsafe, imagine how it would be after his personal space is invaded."
"Well," Sato looks at Ojiro, who nods once, "if they come to look in without his explicit permission, then Mash and I wouldn't mind guarding the door."
"You'd get in trouble!" Momo startles.
Mashirao shrugs, his tail flicking. "Sure. But if someone is framing Izuku, then the trouble that he'd get in would be so much worse. I'd rather at least earn it, you know?"
"Kirishima is not going to be happy that you guys took door duty," Sero laughs.
"Well, then," Sato says, grinning, "maybe he should wake up earlier."
.
When Shinsou wakes up, they tell him what they know and he just scoffs.
"If Midoriya actually managed to deceive us by making us his friends when we said we weren't going to be," he says, "and now we're unknowingly helping him evade the cops, then good for him. He deserves to take the win."
And then, having said his piece, he makes his way into the kitchen in order to get himself some coffee.
"He has a point." Mina points out. Her head is in Hagakure's lap and her feet are in Sero's. When she first heard what they were talking about, she laughed out loud, thinking it was a joke. "If we are being tricked- which I doubt it- but if we are, then we're helping him go unnoticed. I'm pretty sure that's a crime."
"Okay, sure," Jiro says, "let's take this Midoriya traitor thing seriously for half a second. If he actually was the class traitor-"
"-Which he isn't-" Kaminari interrupts.
"‐then let's really be honest here," she continues like he hasn't spoken. "How many of us would join Midoriya in his traitor-ing?"
"That is very much not a word." Sero points. Jiro smacks his hand away.
Mina raises a hand, then Hagakure, then Kaminari, then Ojiro, then Tokoyami and Dark Shadow. Sato would probably raise a hand if he wasn't in the kitchen trying to force Shinsou to eat actual food for breakfast instead of a whole pot of coffee.
"Okay," Jiro nods. "Okay, so. Wow. There's that, I guess."
"Why are we all raising our hands?" Kirishima asks, his voice way to chipper for the early morning. "Are we going on a life saving mission that our teachers don't know about?"
"No, maybe later though," Sero jokes, "right now we're deciding whether we'd follow Midoriya to the ends of the Earth-"
"-Of course we would!" Kirishima nods.
"-if he was the class-a traitor."
Kirishima pauses and frowns. They all wait patiently for him to process. He blinks and then goes, "Oh wait, was my answer supposed to change?"
"See!" Mina exclaims, accidentally kicking Sero in the face with her flinging limbs. "I told you! Traitor Midoriya is too powerful!"
"The real traitor has been inside of us all along," Tokoyami says.
Kirishima leans over to squint down at Jiro's notepad. "Wait a second, are we all getting tasks to help Midoriya with his traitor activities?"
" Suspected traitor activities." Hagakure corrects.
"He is not a traitor." Kaminari huffs.
"Wait, why am I not on door duty?" Kirishima gasps. "I'm perfect for door duty! I'm literally a rock wall with hair! No one would be able to get past me!"
"Denki, how can you be so sure that Midoriya isn't the traitor?" Jiro asks, pushing Kirishima away. "He has us all basically wrapped around his fingers. Aizawa-sensei would say it's the perfect deception."
Kaminari's jaw works. "I know the traitor isn't Midoriya because a traitor wouldn't take the time to help me study even though it's basically a lost cause."
"Kaminari-" Kirishima tries, but Denki just curls his hands into fists and keeps going.
"A traitor wouldn't spend an hour going over notes with me and help me make flashcards and come with me to tell Aizawa that I have dyslexia and need extra help with assignments. A traitor doesn't do all of the things that Midoriya has done. And if he is, and he did, well, then I guess I'm a traitor too because it's the only way I'd be able to repay him for all he's done for me."
"So it's decided then," Ojiro says after a beat of poignant silence. "If Midoriya is a traitor, then we're all traitors."
"Cool," Jiro says. "I hope he actually is the traitor because I didn't do Present Mic's homework."
.
"Midoriya is not a traitor." Uraraka snaps, and Jiro makes a noise like a run over cat.
Her whole face is red with anger and she looks like she's prepared to kill them all right then and there. She also looks like she's been awake half the night, so she doesn't even have any inhibitions to stop herself.
Everyone takes a step back.
"Round face is fucking right." Bakugou growls, pushing by with a breakfast that looks three times better than what most of them ate. Kirishima instantly starts to follow after him like he's a cartoon character floating after a good smell. "If the nerd was a traitor, I'd know. Unfortunately, I've known him all our stupid lives."
"But that's what makes it so good," Sero says, also chasing him down, "because if he could convince you, then he can basically convince anyone."
"The nerd can't lie for shit." Bakugou snaps, sounding disgruntled. "Especially not to me. Shut the fuck up."
"That's what he wants you to think," Sero sings annoyingly.
Asui materializes out of nowhere to tangle her and Uraraka's hands together and press a tiny kiss to her red cheek. She looks just as tired as Ochako, as if they stayed up together all night. Which is weird, because usually Iida and Midoriya make certain that they all start their studying way ahead of time so they don't have to pull all nighters.
"Kero, I think by now they're just joking."
Hagakure frowns. "Are you two alright? You guys look- tired. And that's to say the least."
"Oh Midori wasn't having a good night was he?" Mina asks, having put the pieces together. She reaches over and cups Uraraka's face in her pink hands. Ochako deflates, nodding, her face squishing adorably.
"Yeah, he didn't." She sighs. "But thankfully, this time he confided in Todoroki, who came to Iida, who came to Asui and I. So I'm sorry if I'm a little on edge today guys. I swear to God if something big happens today other than the test in Cementoss' I'll probably commit a murder."
"There's a test in Cementoss'?" Sato screeches from the kitchens. They all wince in sympathy except for Shinsou who's sardonic snort is so loud that they can hear it loud and clear. Iida and Shoji must've snuck past them all while they were penning down how they were going to smuggle traitor Midoriya out of UA, because the sounds of them reassuring Sato comes from the kitchens as well.
"Look, I'm just saying," Ochako sighs, her face finally freed from Ashido's hands, "if the world doesn't let Midoriya have a full night's sleep soon then they will have to deal with a traitor: me. Sign me up for criminal activity. Deku deserves it."
"Oh don't worry!" Kirishima calls cheerfully. He reaches over and successfully snags a bit of egg without getting blown to pieces. Sero tries to follow suit and gets smacked. "We've all already decided that we're becoming traitors if Midoriya does!"
"Eh?" Bakugou raises an eyebrow. "You think you'd make a good traitor shitty hair?"
"Katsuki, you literally kissed me two seconds ago. If you use my name the world won't end."
"Please don't jinx it." Asui croaks. "If it does I'll go into hibernation and will not be able to stop Ochako from killing someone."
Ochako grins, hunger in her eyes.
That's when Todoroki and Midoriya come downstairs. They're practically attached at the hip and Midoriya's got those under eye bruises that tells their class he didn't have such a good night of sleep. He's keeping Todoroki within arm's reach, like he needs the support to help stay upright.
Todoroki guides him into a seat in between Kaminari and Asui, drops a slow kiss on his head and goes to join Shinsou at the coffee machine.
Bakugou squints at Midoriya for a long moment, then he gets up, goes into the kitchen, comes back out with a bowl of rice and egg and practically throws it in front of him.
Midoriya just blinks. "Oh. Thank you Kacchan."
Bakugou glares. "You aren't the class traitor right? 'Cause if you pulled some shit like that I swear to fuck Deku-"
"Class traitor?" Midoriya repeats. He looks at Asui, his brows furrowed. "Like, what, the Hunger Games?"
"I don't think you or Denki have actually seen that movie all the way through." Sero says.
"I read the book."
"All four of them?"
"They wrote a fourth one?"
"Oi!" Bakugou snaps. "Deku, I'm asking you a question."
Midoriya picks at his bowl, craning his neck to look for Todoroki. "Um, I'm not sure what's going on and if you keep talking to me while not making sense, I might start crying. Just as a warning. I know you get hives when people start to have emotions."
“He’s getting better!” Kirishima informs him cheerily through a mouthful of Bakugou’s abandoned breakfast. “Just last night we had a full emotionally vulnerable conversation without a single explosion!”
Mina grins and like a little shit, starts clapping. Sero, Jiro, and Tokoyami join in, because of course they do. Bakugou’s hands pop menacingly and Hagakure decides she needs to take over the conversation before Midoriya cries and Bakugou blows up the breakfast table.
“I overheard Aizawa-sensei this morning talking with principal Nedzu. He was pissed because someone was accusing you of being the UA traitor.”
Half of the class watches with bated breath as Midoriya processes this information. He blinks, looks down at his bowl of untouched food, then looks back up at their faces, his expression tired. “Huh. Okay. I need Todoroki."
Todoroki, who has Midoriya-tuned senses, comes out of the kitchen on cue and places a cup of tea in front of his boyfriend. He glares at them menacingly. “I don't know what is happening, but you’re upsetting my boyfriend. Go away.”
They don't go away. Todoroki's become a lot less threatening since turning into a pile of Midoriya loving goo. Now, if Uraraka had said it-
“They might as well think I'm the traitor,” Midoriya sighs.“It would only be the fourth most insane thing to happen this week .”
Momo, who was busy lending Sato all the notes she had for Cementoss’s class, comes over to briefly pat Midoriya’s head sympathetically. “There, there. It's still possible that we’re all building it up in our minds. I mean, Aizawa-sensei didn’t seem to believe it. As Hagakure said, he was, quote 'pissed' unquote. That’s a good sign.”
“And none of you believe it?” Midoriya asks, strangely vulnerable. As if he didn't know they'd jump headfirst off a cliff for him.
“Of course not!” Ochako yells, slapping a hand down on the table. It's directed more at the class as a threat than as reassurance for Midoriya. Everyone was already nodding along their agreement, but they nod even more because again, Uraraka is terrifying and they don't want to die.
“You don’t have it in you,” Bakugou huffs, “and I mean that as an insult.”
“Of course Kacchan.” Izuku nods. “Can I just have a normal day of school please.” He begs his breakfast bowl. Todoroki rubs his shoulders.
“How about this?” Mina says. “After Cementoss’s test - that we’re all going to do great on-” she directs at Sato, who’s furiously copying notes in the corner, “we have another movie sleepover extravaganza and Sato can make those mini chocolate sprinkle pretzel bites that make all the girls swoon.”
“Yeah, maybe then we can actually make Kaminari and Midoriya watch Hunger Games.” Sero laughs.
“I don’t think we’ll get through all four movies, kero.”
“There are four movies?” Kaminari blinks. “But there were only three books.”
"No, there are four apparently," Midoriya corrects.
"Actually, the fourth book is just a prequel- the four movies are made from the three books. They split one in half,” Hagakure informs.
Denki shakes his head, "Too many numbers," he whines lowly.
“That sounds good,” Midoriya says slowly, "If it's not too much trouble-"
Mina reaches over, clamps two hands against Midoriya's cheeks to cut him off. Sero exchanges a look with Kirishima- looks like Mina had the sugary fruity pebbles for breakfast today .
"Nothing is too much trouble Izuku." she says firmly. Then she raises her eyebrows to try and give him a secret message with her face. "Seriously, nothing."
"Uh'kay," Midoriya manages through squished cheeks. "I'll t'y to remem'er that."
.
They let the topic die, because Midoriya looks queasy enough as it is and they really, really don't want him to cry at the breakfast table. If he did then Todoroki and Uraraka would tag-team the whole class and they'd all be missing Cementoss' test because they'd be dead.
The thought does linger in the back of their minds as they go through classes though- it's just wrong.
The idea of their friend- kind, caring, fiercely protective, both strong and shaky, a powerful quirk and a brilliant mind all molded around a gentle heart- being seen as anything other than the good that he wants to do, is incomprehensible to them. The fact that people can look in from the outside and see whatever they want makes their hackles rise.
Despite this, they still go to classes like everything is normal. Aizawa is the same, if a little more gentle, (specifically towards Midoriya, which is nothing new) and their lessons are still as exciting as they were on the first day of school so that helps to distract them.
The further through the day they get without incident, the more they relax. Put under false ease by the regularity of the day.
Which, of course, was their biggest mistake.
.
Midoriya makes it through five out of eight classes and foolishly thinks, okay, things are looking up.
Of course he had to jinx it. Of course he did. Tsuyu is always telling him to watch that and she was right. He should've known, Asui is always right.
They're let out to their free period, their whole class heads down to one of the many fields to work on their combos and triples. (Recently they've found that they work best when building off of each other, which is the whole point of being in class together- to see who you're going to be working alongside in the future and to start forming those relationships now rather than later.)
Uraraka is working on making Kirishima float, throwing him up, and then letting him come down hardened for a super powered slam when they're interrupted by two unfamiliar people in matching suits.
It's not the police, it's not any of their teachers and they're pretty sure they aren't villains looking to attack, so at first none of them pay it any mind.
But then, one of them goes, "Midoriya Izuku?"
Izuku can feel the entire class pause around him. He sits up from where he was lying in the grass next to Shinsou, and squints.
"Yes?" He goes. "That's- uh- that's me?"
"We're going to need you to come with us."
A quick flash of a badge reveals them to be hero commission workers. Midoriya gapes, feeling close to light headed. No way. No way. He thought that was an elaborate joke. Or, well, no, he knew it wasn't by the way his class was talking about it, (they were all sort of doing that thing where they take something that's serious and make it light and easy to swallow because that's all they can do nowadays) but he hoped. He really truly hoped. He didn't think-
The man with the blue tie pulls cuffs out of his pocket, inner lining of the metal glowing blue, signifying quirk repressing cuffs. "We just want to have a talk son. This doesn't have to be hard."
Midoriya scrambles to his feet, heart going a mile a minute. "Wait, I- you can't be serious." He says. " Tell me you're not serious."
Out of the corner of his eye he sees Jiro and Sero exchange a look and he can sense Hagakure taking her gloves off- making herself completely invisible.
"All these nice people here," the second guy says, this one wearing a slate grey tie. He throws a hand to the side. "You don't want to hurt them any more than you already have now do you?"
"What-"
Blue tie steps forward, as if to grab him, and force him into the cuffs but Kirishima steps in between them without hesitation. "Uh, no dude. I don't think so. You're not gonna take him anywhere."
The man pauses, makes a face. "I beg your pardon?"
Kirishima's fists harden- a silent threat. "I said what I said."
"Do you even know who you're talking to?"
"I don't think I care."
The man blinks twice, then visibly changes tactics. "I- alright. Kid, look, this person you're protecting-"
"His name is Midoriya." Kaminari interrupts, the air around him crackling even worse than this morning, because now it's on purpose, now it's with intent. It makes the hair on the back of all their necks raise because it's a dangerous promise- lay one hand on him and just see what'll happen, just do it, I dare you.
Blue tie sighs heavily. "Okay, yes, Midoriya . This Midoriya is not on the side that you are on. This Midoriya does not want the things that you want. This Midoriya is harmful and we are doing our jobs and investigating a valid claim. If you don't let us do this, people will be injured."
Kirishima doesn't speak, just hardens his legs. An immobile stone pillar. He juts out his chin, yet another promise- try me, you're not going to get past me.
Midoriya breathes a sigh of relief.
"You haven't even told us why you're taking him!" Ashido snaps. "What is the- Momo, what was it?"
"Probable cause."
"Probable cause!" She exclaims. "What are you probably causing that he did?"
"That isn't-"
"You want to protect and keep around someone who is selling your secrets and your weaknesses to the league of villian?"
Midoriya's heart catches in his throat. Even the thought of doing that to his friends- the people who have become his second family, who have protected him and treated him with more kindness than any classmates he's ever had, the friends that he would lay down on a blade for without hesitation, who he knows without a doubt would do the same thing for him in return-
The idea of giving villains that have come so close to killing them even more of a chance to hurt them, makes Midoriya feel sick to his stomach.
"I wouldn't," Midoriya chokes, unable to catch his breath, "I wouldn't- ever, for anything, I-"
Bakugou growls and steps forward, warm and solid at Midoriya's side. His hands are popping with purpose to scare, but Midoriya only feels protected. "You shitty excuse for hero cops need to get the fuck out of here before I make you."
"How did you get onto school grounds?" Momo asks, her voice sharp, "Visitors need a pass from the office and they can only visit with students when there is faculty supervision. You shouldn't be here."
"That's right. And people who ignore that rule or who purposefully bypass it are at worst, treated as villains, at best, treated as criminals." Todoroki says, and of course he would know, from all the times he's had to have his dad kicked off school grounds. "Iida, can you go get-"
"Iida's already left," Shoji says dutifully, his eyes not leaving the two men, "he should be back with Aizawa-sensei shortly."
Hearing this seems to spur the men into action, as they realize that they aren't going to get anywhere with convincing Midoriya's classmates to turn him over.
Grey tie goes, "Fine, if you would really like to convince us that you aren't a traitor, then coming with us willingly is in your best interest. It's also in the best interest of your classmates- who seem to hold you in such high regard." He tilts his head, looking past Kirishima and straight at Midoriya.
"Obstructing an investigation is a crime. If we don't get what we want in order to do our jobs then we will be forced to put black marks on all of your classmate's records. It will be that much harder for them to become future heroes. If you truly do care about these children that you've come along beside, would you really want that? Would you want this to blow back onto them when they've done nothing but be blindly loyal?"
Midoriya rears back, thrown. He hadn't thought about it like that. All he felt was the familiar feeling of Kirishima putting himself between Midoriya and a threat, of Bakugou standing strong at his side, of Ashido promising chaos to whatever is coming at them next. He didn't think this would hurt them like that.
He can't let it hurt them like that.
Midoriya gently lays a hand on Kirishima's shoulder, and pulls him back a bit. Kirishima softens easily, but turns wide eyes onto Midoriya, confused.
"Midoriya, what-"
"It's alright. I don't want you all to throw away your futures for me. I'll be okay." He says, voice stronger than he feels. He's not just talking to Eijiro, he's talking to all of them- Mashirao whose tail is swishing back and forth like he's just waiting for a reason, Jiro, who's still listening out for Iida's incoming engines, Uraraka, who has her fists clenched tight like she'd beat these guys to death with her bare hands at his word. "They just- they just want to ask me some questions. It shouldn't take too long, right?"
"The more cooperative you are, the less time it'll take." Grey Tie informs, which is the most non-answer Midoriya's ever heard, but okay .
Midoriya steps forward, chest tight, ready to slip his hands into the cuffs, but someone catches his wrist. Koda is tugging at him, pulling him back, his expression distressed.
"Koda," Midoriya tries, "it's okay-"
"No, it's not!" Uraraka blows up. "Deku, you always do this and you're always the one getting hurt- let us take the fall for this one."
"A shitty black mark on my record isn't going to stop me from becoming the number one hero," Bakugou promises, "Nothing will. Especially not these fuckers."
"I have to agree." Tokoyami speaks up. "And if we are prohibited from being heroes due to standing up to this vast injustice, then we all should find a new career choice."
Koda nods furiously and tugs midoriya to his side securely. Midoriya goes without question, a little dazed.
"You can't even question him without a parent present! He's a minor!" Ashido says, and Momo hides a proud smile. "Have you called his mom yet? Does she even know what you're trying to do?"
One of the men growl, clearly fed up with their class's unwavering spirit and pushes forward, trying to slap the cuffs on Midoriya anyway. Just before he can, the cuffs are tugged away by an invisible hand. They float in the air for a brief moment before being tossed over to Sero, who throws them to Todoroki, who promptly lights them on fire.
"Oops." Todoroki says, deadpan, smoke curling up from the hunk of twisted metal. "My bad."
They both gape at the class in pure shock, and Midoriya is tight with tension, worried about what they're going to do next, worried about his classmates and the fact that they're all basically criminals now because of him- when he feels the familiar feeling of his quirk getting erased.
Aizawa-sensei is marching up the green, with Iida at his side, and he looks pissed. He takes two long strides over so he's standing in front of his students, red eyes glowing.
"Iida, take the class back to the dorms. Classes for the rest of the day are canceled while we deal with this security breach. Kirishima, Todoroki, make sure that Midoriya gets there without incident. Bakugou, do not murder anyone on the way there."
"Tch," Bakugou scoffs, but he eases at the hardness in Aizawa's voice, "No promises teach."
"Of course sensei!" Iida exclaims loudly, starting to corral Ashido, Kaminari and Uraraka. "Come on class, we will leave this in the hands of Aizawa-sensei! I'm sure he is perfectly prepared to deal with these intruders!"
Midoriya is sure that if Aizawa wasn't two seconds away from killing them both, they would've made equally offended faces at being called intruders.
Koda doesn't let go of Midoriya's hand, instead just pulling him to follow after Iida and Kirishima. Todoroki takes up his other side, arm slipping against his back for comfort and support.
The last thing Midoriya hears from Aizawa before they're out of earshot is, "Now, let's have a talk about why you thought it was acceptable to corner my students illegally even after you were refused entry."
.
He's bustled into the common room and gently nudged into sitting on the couch. His class all settle around him, in various states of unease-
Uraraka sticks herself right at his side, with Asui not far behind, while Tokoyami leans against the wall, eyes on the doorway. Bakugou keeps pacing, back and forth behind the couch, back and forth, back and forth, his glare stuck on the carpet under his feet. The silence that descends is tense, waiting.
Eventually it’s broken by Ashido's timid, "what do you think Aizawa's gonna do to those guys?"
"Sue them." Jiro snaps, tucking her chin against Momo's shoulder.
"Send them to jail." Shinsou says.
"Kill them." Todoroki says and it's so shocking that Midoriya snorts, then tucks his face into Todoroki's neck, all the tension draining from him in one go.
The entire room seems to breathe a sigh of relief.
Kaminari leans forward, in better spirits now that the whole debacle is behind them. "You'd tell us if you were gonna be a traitor right?"
Midoriya pulls away from Todoroki in shock. Sero nearly slaps Denki upside the head, but Aoyama also leans forward. "Oo yes, if you had a plan you'd let us in on it right?"
"Would I let you in on the hypothetical traitorous plan to upend all heroes and the society we live in?" Midoriya blinks.
Aoyama, Denki, Mina and Hagakure nod excitedly. Shoji tilts his head, interested.
"Um." Midoriya says. "Maybe? If that was a thing?"
Bakugou huffs. "You better tell me the betrayal plan first nerd. I got dibs."
"I was Midoriya's first friend here!" Uraraka says. "If anything I get first dibs."
"I kiss him." Todoroki says, his face blank. "I get first dibs on everything."
The whole class erupts into a collection of groans and protests about how they really didn't need to hear that, Shinsou and Bakugou being the loudest of the bunch.
Midoriya only relaxes further at the familiarity of it all- at Shinsou's overdramatic groan to hide his fond smile and at Ashido and Jiro building a whole argument as to why they should be let in on the plan before Kaminari and Sero do.
Eventually they all settle down when Sato comes out of the kitchen with three big bowls of chocolate sprinkle pretzel bites and starts passing them around.
"You know Midori, I think I should thank you for getting me out of that test in present mics class," he says, placing a bowl in Midoriya's lap. "I was not going to pass that."
"Next time I'll just help you study," Midoriya laughs tiredly, "I won't be able to become the number one suspect in a murder investigation in order to get you out of our finals."
"Do not jinx it!" Asui says from Uraraka's other side. "I am serious!"
"Sorry Tsu," Izuku apologizes. He leans over, offering his hand and Asui takes it, folding their fingers together across Uraraka's lap. Apology accepted. "And I know that we're supposed to pay attention to this movie, Kaminari and I especially, but I am going to fall asleep halfway through. I can feel it."
"If you are tired, you should not hesitate to rest!" Iida says instantly, worry leaking in through his expression.
"Don't worry Izuku, you're not going to miss anything," Shinsou reports. "Besides, I'll make Kaminari stay up to tell you what you missed."
kaminari sticks his tongue out at shinsou, but doesn't deny that he'd tell midoriya everything that he'd miss.
"Sleep," Todoroki says softly, offering his side to curl into. "We've got you. We aren't going anywhere."
Izuku smiles, affectionate tears pricking at the corner of his eyes and tucks close. The dark and the closeness of his classmates has Izuku drifting off in no time.